Happy 15th to Six Craft Breweries

2011 saw the 15th anniversary of six craft breweries that have made game-changing contributions to the industry.  Stone, Shmaltz, Arcadia, Firestone-Walker, Three Floyds and Bear Republic have all made a name for themselves by making great beer; but not every brew could be a Sublimely Self-Righteous.  For a great read by Draft Magazine on these six brew houses with questions like “What is the worst beer you’ve ever brewed?” and “Where do you see yourself in 15 more years?” posed to each respective brew master, follow the link below.  Also, for a look at how far they’ve come you can find the original Stone Brewery website created in 1997 here.

http://draftmag.com/features/sweet-15/

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Bud Enters the Home Draft Market

Anheuser-Busch is entering the home draft market.    Seeming to follow suit from Heineken, with their Draughtkeg and Krups Beertender and from Coors and Miller’s pig keg offerings, the Draftmark is making it’s debut in select St. Louis stores this week with Budweiser, Shock Top Belgian White, and Bass Pale Ale on offer.  It will be interesting to see how successful the BIG brewery will be with their home draft system.  The Draftmark fits on a shelf inside your refrigerator, has a rechargeable battery and a “permanent pouring system”. Draftmark owners will be able to buy refills for their system and Bud is claiming freshness for 30 days.

If Bud expands their refill offerings to some of their more exciting brews, like Bodingtons Pub Ale or Stella Artois, they may have a real winner. We here at Brewing and Beer aren’t always kind to the big 3, but we’re always interested in new ways to enjoy beer.  We have only two questions so far: When is the Draftmark going national, and why in the world of beer does it require a battery?

Learn More: www.anheuser-busch.com/s/index.php/anheuser-busch-brings-premium-draft-beer-experience-home-with-draftmark/

Beer Advent Calendar

…but instead of candy, it’s beer.  The Beer Advent Calendar is exactly what it sounds like, except each day includes a full write-up and review of its respective brew by the best bloggers in the business.  And if that weren’t enough, they’re extending their advent through the 31st, that’s 7 bonus beers!  Head on over to Seacoast Beverage Lab to see the full list of craft brews and reviews.  Don’t you just love the holidays?

Four Dogfish Head Releases In Stores Soon

If you happen to come across Dogfish Head 90-minute IPA on tap on your next trip to the pub, buy it, drink it and bask in its delicious glory.  It’s a brewery that focuses on making each of their beers something special, so when Dogfish announces 4 new limited release beers, pay attention.  The new brews include the 120-Minute IPA(15-20% ABV, 120 IBUs), Fort raspberry Belgian Ale(15-18% ABV, 49 IBUs), World Wide Stout(15-20% ABV, 70 IBUs), and the Burton Baton(10% ABV, 70 IBUs) – a cross between an English style Old Ale and an Imperial IPA.  Follow the link below to read the amusing descriptions of each of these beers and then use the Fish Finder to see where you can pick up some of your own.

http://www.dogfish.com/community/news/press-releases/four-big-dogfish-beers-coming-your-way.htm

Dogfish Head Fish Finder

Cuvee de Castelton Release a Big Hit

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company released a special brew today that received a big turnout.  The 3 Oak Barrel aged brews drew at least 400 visitors for its 10:30am debut with some even braving the cold overnight to get their hands on these well-reviewed beers.  At $15-$20 per bottle, they seem to have made something special but only 1,000 bottles of the Batch #5 and 240 of the Cherry and Raspberry Barrel Selects means unless you were camping out or up before the butt crack of dawn, you’ll just have to wait until next year.

http://www.captainlawrencebrewing.com/

New Belgium to Open Test Brewery in Fort Collins

Kim Jordan, the 53 year old female CEO of New Belgium recently approved plans to open a new brewery in Fort Collins, CO to maintain interest and add a new aspect to the large craft beer company’s repertoire.  The new facility will be built as a place for the brewmasters to try some experimental beers and provide a unique ambiance for locals and tourists to taste their interesting creations.  For a full and very interesting read on Ms. Jordan and New Belgium’s ideas for the future, follow the link below.

New Belgium and the Battle of the Microbrews

Sam Adams Returns to its Craft Roots

High ABV, specialty ingredients, and some experimentation describe these small-batch brews from Sam Adams

Sam Adams is a brewery that has taken a step beyond its microbrew beginnings and is sold nationwide in nearly every beer retailer from gas stations to your local bottle shop.  Still technically a craft brewery, it’s not the first brand to come to mind when thinking of specialty beers due to its rapid growth and fantastic success throughout the country.  With branding being ever more important when dealing not just with beer, but nationally recognized and widely available beer, Sam Adams decided to remind the craft beer drinkers of their roots and release a line of 4 small batch creations that are mysteriously absent from their website.

Natty Light – The First Beer in Space

Though it is deeply saddening that the first beer in space had to be one of such…watery quality, the video is still pretty entertaining.  Also, the guys can’t really be blamed for their taste seeing as how it would have been a shame if they launched an actual beer only to lose it or watch it explode 90,000 feet above the earth’s surface.  Check out the video to see if the Natty survived and decide for yourself whether a craft brew would be fitting for the next launch.

A New Lager Looks to Fill the gap Between Mainstream and Craft Beer

Kräftig is looking to fill a niche that may not exist

The craft beer industry has steadily gained market share from the big three (Bud, Miller, Coors) over the past decade, rising to 7.6% of total beer revenue in the US in 2010¹. This steady incline is occurring while total beer sales have been slowly declining over the past 3 years, down 1.0% in 2010 from the year previous and expected to dip again in 2011¹.  Therefore it’s easy to see the risk involved with opening a craft brewery in America today, but there’s one brewery trying to really beat the odds: Kräftig.

Yes You Can…

Enjoy great tasting beer in a can.  Gone are the days of choosing watery tasting beer from the Macro-breweries just because you need the portability and safety of an aluminum can over glass bottles.  The 21st Amendment Brewery in San Fransisco offers eight of their delicious ales in cans.  If you’re lucky enough to live in one of 14 great states where 21st Amendment distributes, don’t hesitate to pick up a few cans and enjoy truly delicious beer wherever you need to take it.

Check out 21st Amendment to learn more.