Big Dog’s Brewing

4543 N. Rancho Dr.

This storied operation opened on the Las Vegas Strip in 1993 under its original moniker, Holy Cow! A decade later it moved to its current (and recently remodeled) combo production brewery, bar, and restaurant in northeast Vegas, and in 2015 the company brought a big dog in the form of David Pascual aboard. By far Nevada’s most award-winning professional brewer, Pascual has had a big hand in keeping Big Dog’s top of mind with local craft beer fans and industry colleagues alike.

Many local brewers consider Pascual’s hoppy beers to be the best in the city, pointing to mainstays such as Mosaic- and Centennial-laced pale ale Peace, Love & Hoppiness with its tropical, candied-mango flavor profile, and West Coast IPA Khourgi, with gooseberry fruitiness and watercress bitterness derived from Nelson Sauvin and Simcoe. Big Dog’s is also well-known for its ubiquitous flagship Las Vegas Craft Lager (proceeds from which benefit Cleveland’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health), and its most medal-garnering beer, an English brown ale with the ironic handle Red Hydrant.

CBC Tip: On Saturday, April 20, Big Dog’s will have a freight-container bar on its front patio serving 50 beers, including guest ales and lagers, plus some of their own brews aged in bourbon barrels from award-winning Nevada distilleries.

Hours of Operation

Open 7 Days a Week, 24 Hours a Day

Able Baker Brewing

1510 S. Main St., Ste 120

What began as a contract-brewed, distro-only brand in 2016 has blossomed into Las Vegas’ most ambitious beermaking interest since opening a brewery and kitchen-equipped tasting room in the city’s Arts District. Over the past half-decade, new and existing brewing companies have flooded into the area, earning it the nickname “Brewery Row,” but none have as much to offer under one roof as Able Baker. Its tap list includes more than 30 house beers covering about every style imaginable, from staid Old World fare and American standards to trendy innovations and barrel-aged blends.

Able Baker’s best-selling beer is its grapefruity Atomic Duck, one of numerous IPAs (West Coast, hazy, session, imperial), but brewers looking for a solid, balanced lager will appreciate the toasty, light-drinking Nevadan Amber. Similarly, saison enthusiasts will be pleased (and shocked) to find multiple farmhouse ales, including funky, tannic wine (Gerboise Blanc, Gerboise Rouge) and floral, oaky bourbon (Calaveras Flores) barrel-aged options. On the sweeter end of the spectrum, the Exclamative Sour Series features a rotating line of vanilla-laced fruits, while peanuts are at the forefront of VIVA the King, a barrel-aged stout mimicking Elvis Presley’s favorite sandwich.

CBC Tip: Able Baker will have two collaboration beers in the BrewExpo America, a West Coast IPA and a coffee-infused porter that will also be on tap at the company’s tasting room.

Hours of Operation

Su.-Th., 11:30AM-11PM; F-Sa., 11:30AM-1AM

CraftHaus Brewery

197 E. California Ave., #130

This Henderson-based company was co-founded by Wyndee Forrest, who is now the president of the Nevada Craft Brewers Association. Under her leadership, that organization has done a great deal to ease governmental regulations in order to create opportunities and a hospitable environment for Silver State breweries. That extends to CraftHaus’ colorful, contemporary Brewery Row taproom, where the eight-year-old operation’s simultaneously devotional and adventurously experimental approach to brewing is on full display.

A West Coast IPA (Hop Vegas) exudes orange zest and papaya from Mosaic, Citra, and Galaxy hops, while a UNLV collaboration golden ale (Rebel Spirit) raises money for the college’s hospitality program. CraftHaus also offers a year-round Munich-style dunkel (Cuckoo) marked by notes of roasted peanut husk and cocoa powder, high-gravity stouts of the coffee (Belgard), adjunct (Cake Face), and barrel-aged (Comrade) varieties, plus a grainy, grassy slow-pour kellerpils (Czech Pls). Could this be Vegas’ version of Denver’s Bierstadt Lagerhaus experience?

CBC Tip: CraftHaus will erect multiple beer stations in the parking lots of both of its locations to help ensure prompt service and will also have collaboration beers with multiple vendors available on the BrewExpo floor.

Hours of Operation

M, 11:30AM-10PM; Tu.-Th., 11:30AM-11PM; F-Sa., 11:30AM-12AM; Su., 11:30AM-11PM

HUDL Brewing

1327 S. Main St., #100

In 2020, a pair of San Diego expats came together to launch an Arts District brewery built around “C hops” as well as a nostalgic longing for a day and age where IBU count meant something (if not everything) and IPAs registered high on that scale. Over the past four years, HUDL (named for how people come together—or huddle—over beer) has built a base of regulars who enjoy aggressively bitter, resinous hop bombs served in a tasting room with a living room setup giving way to an unimpeded view of stainless-steel tanks, hoses, and buckets brimming over with yeast blow-off.

Pronounced pine and orange-candy notes are the calling card of NAC NAC IPA and a double IPA going by the title Salty Swabber, while a massive imperial red ale called Wobbler Joint is big on citrus, caramel, and alcohol (9.9 percent alcohol  by volume). But it’s not all about the hops here. A Czech-style Pilsner, chile-pepper-infused Vienna-style lager, and chocolate-infused cream ale help diversify the beer lineup.

CBC Tip: In addition to releasing a special-edition wheat wine, HUDL will get back to its San Diego roots with a Baltic porter crafted with Karl Strauss Brewing and a hazy double IPA brewed in conjunction with White Labs.

Hours of Operation

Tu.-Sa., 11AM-11PM; Su., 11AM-9PM

North 5th Brewing

60 W. Mayflower Ave.

North Las Vegas’ lone brewery does not disappoint. Located in a warehouse that previously housed a restoration company for more than three decades, it is the passion project of two beer-loving siblings who have thoughtfully ushered that structure into its second life. In addition to crafting incredibly clean, to-style lagers, top-notch IPAs, and more, this two-year-old business is both woman- and Hispanic-owned.

North 5th brews a trio of Pilsners, the cleanliness and crushability of which are embodied by Bavarian model Zicke Zacke, plus multiple Mexican-style lagers (light, dark, and one infused with jalapeño, cucumber, and lime) and a spot-on rice lager brewed for a local beer bar called North 595th. Hopped with Mosaic, Cascade, and Amarillo and tasting of pineapple and tangerine, Flor de Mayo is one of the area’s best IPAs, and is offset on the oft-changing menu by occasional ales of the Belgian and dark, roasty variety.

CBC Tip: North 5th is working on plans to offer a shuttle that will whisk guests from a pickup spot near CBC to their brewery, where they will throw a party flush with special-release and collaboration beers.

Hours of Operation

Tu.-Th., 4-10PM; F-Sa., 11AM-12AM; Su., 11AM-10PM

Beer Zombies Brewing

831 W. Bonanza Rd.

When serial entrepreneur and graphic designer Chris Jacobs established an undefined art-driven entity called Beer Zombies in 2013, he did not foresee collaborating with brewers across the country, putting on grand-scale beer festivals, opening a quintet of bottle shops, or starting his own brewing company. But all of that has come to pass and more, namely Jacobs’ acquisition of 25-year-old Las Vegas brewing institution Tenaya Creek Brewery. Located just west of downtown, that facility now produces beers from Beer Zombies and Tenaya Creek, while also selling cans and bottles from popular breweries with which Jacobs maintains close relationships.  

Beer Zombies’ notably modern array of beers includes multiple hazies such as the blood orange-infused Baron Zombie, and Galaxy, Citra, and Nectaron double-dry-hopped DIPA Hazoleum. Pastry creations of the stout and sour variety are also available in droves and augmented nicely by Tenaya Creek’s more traditional portfolio of color-spectrum-spanning ales, including the locally famous Bonanza Brown Ale and top-notch seasonal Old Jackalope Barleywine.

CBC Tip: Beer Zombies will hold a “Rolling with the Homies” CBC kickoff festival with guest beers from more than a dozen breweries on Saturday, April 20, and an event with Sacred Profane Brewing and Cohesion Brewing on Monday, April 22.

Hours of Operation

Su., 10AM-10PM; M, 11AM-10PM; Tu.-Th., 11AM-11PM; Fr.-Sa., 11AM-12AM

Las Vegas Brewing

3101 N. Tenaya Way

A young but hungry operation aiming to celebrate the art of brewing along with the history of the city for which it’s named (it’s co-founded by a fourth-generation Las Vegan), this business launched in Tenaya Creek’s original brewery-restaurant just two years ago and is already preparing to open its first satellite taproom in the Arts District. Helmed by an all-female brew crew, Las Vegas Brewing is a strong supporter of the local chapter of the Pink Boots Society and its initiatives to advance women in the brewing industry.

Nothing is off limits here. Everyday styles such as West Coast Junkie IPA (notes of passionfruit, guava, navel orange), Hat Trick Hefe (banana, Anjou pear), and Irish-style red ale Penny O’Reilly’s (toffee, roasted chestnut) share space on an extensive beer list with a schwarzbier aptly named Night Life (licorice) and Chantilly Vanilla Cream Ale (Cap’n Crunch). But the best of the bunch may be a German Pils called We’re All Going to 1134 (type that number into a calculator and flip it upside-down), which leads with a bouquet that includes an interesting hint of geranium.

CBC Tip: Las Vegas Brewing will host a Pink Boots Society national meeting at its Arts District location on Monday, April 22 followed by a happy hour with a special collaboration beer at that new venue on Wednesday, April 23.

Hours of Operation

M-Th., 11AM-10PM; F, 11AM-12AM; Sa., 9:30AM-12AM; Su., 9:30AM-10PM

The post Vegas (Beer), Baby! appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Once a quirky alt-anomaly deep in the heart of Texas, Austin’s mix of art and adventure has lured tourists-turned-residents like the steely strum of a siren’s song. In addition to music venues, bodacious barbecue, and epic tacos fit for three squares a day, this booming metropolis is The Lone Star State’s leading locale for incredible craft beer. The following three-day itinerary is built for soaking up the suds scene at an octet of Austin’s finest ale-and-lager outfits.

Day 1 | South Austin

Pinthouse Brewing

Pinthouse Brewing: 2201 E. Ben White Blvd, South Austin | Pinthouse Burnet: 4729 Burnet Rd, North Austin | Pinthouse South Lamar: 4236 S. Lamar Blvd, South Austin | Pinthouse Round Rock: 2800 Hoppe Trail, Round Rock

Hit the ground running and eradicate any post-flight hunger pangs or hop deficiencies at this fast-growing business’ South Austin headquarters. Take a seat in a solarium-esque lounge or a stylish inner sanctum featuring diagonal slat-wood interiors, the company’s skull, crossbones, and pint-glass logo, and a sweeping view into the two-story brewhouse. That apparatus pumps out an IPA-heavy assortment of oft-rotating beers that feels more California than Texas. There’s a reason for that: the founders were so enamored with San Diego-based Pizza Port that they (with that brewpub operation’s blessing) sought to recreate it in Austin. It was a gamble in such a session-lager-centric city, but it paid off. Over the past decade, Pinthouse has grown into the largest independently operated brewpub chain in the country and is considered by many of Austin’s brewers and beer afficionados to be the area’s best overall brewing concern.

Even with scores of award-winning beers, Pinthouse is best known for its ubiquitous flagship hazy IPA, Electric Jellyfish. With a grapefruit nose followed up by gentle flavors of peach and papaya, it’s befitting its must-try status, but don’t limit yourself. Another hazy called Training Bines is juicy yet mellow with pronounced pineapple character, while an iteration with Nelson Sauvin will give fans of that varietal all the gooseberry and petrol notes they can handle. A double-dry-hopped version of classic West Coast IPA, Scorpion Disco, offers bold grapefruit and orange pith and is only available at the source.

On the food front, Pinthouse’s signature sourdough pizzas are joined by burgers of the smash and veggie variety, sandwiches, salads, assorted snacks, and shareables. Get your fill, then take a short (one-and-a-half-mile) trip to stop number two.

Pro Tip: Pinthouse runs happy hour every weekday from 4 to 6 p.m. and offers brunch with a side of live music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.

Hours of Operation

All Locations: Su.-Th., 11AM-10PM; F-Sa., 11AM-11PM

St. Elmo Brewing

440 E. St. Elmo Rd, South Austin

Hydrate with a serving of house-made Citra- and Simcoe-hopped water while perusing the diverse assortment of beers available at this seven-year-old interest that started as a draught-only brewery before South Austin became a hotbed for local beer. A former physician heads St. Elmo’s brewing program and applies his scientific background to nailing Old World classics, IPAs, and fun modern-day styles, making for a something-for-everyone situation. Though they are all different, balance and drinkability are shared traits across all of St. Elmo’s beers. Nothing is too hoppy, too malty, or too sour, and beers seldom register over 7% alcohol by volume. It’s a winning formula. Construction is underway on the company’s second location, a larger brewery, tasting room, and beer garden set to open in North Austin later this year.

Most of St. Elmo’s beers are named for people, and their biggest local celebrity is Carl, a crisp Kölsch providing flavorful fuel fit for sunny Texas days ranging from scorching to oppressive. Liquid refreshment is also offered in the form of fruited kettle sours and a helles lager with delicate, semisweet cereal notes that’s aptly named Easy. A session-strength hazy IPA called Smalls punches way above its weight with a pineapple bouquet segueing to a burst of satsuma and guava on the palate, while its venerable West Coast cousin, Slater, (the first IPA St. Elmo ever produced) tells a complete story courtesy of a navel-orange front end and lightly resinous finish.

Neglected to grab a bite at Pinthouse? Wildly popular Southeast Asian fried chicken all-star Spicy Boys operates an outpost in St. Elmo’s spacious side yard, which is also home to crawfish boils, island-themed parties, and bluegrass on Thursdays. Grab some grub, then it’s on to our last stop.

Pro Tip: Ask which beer is being dispensed off the side-pour, which regularly features five-ounce pours of Carl for the low, low price of $1.

Hours of Operation

Su.-W, 11AM-10PM; Th.-Sa., 11AM-11PM

The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.

1305 W. Oltorf St, South Austin

No beer style is better suited for Texas’ typically warm weather than German lagers, and no local brewery does greater justice to that refreshing subsect than this highly decorated brewpub. Behind scads of awards amassed at the nation’s most prestigious brewing competition, the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), the ABGB won Large Brewpub of the Year three years in a row from 2016 to 2018. Gold, silver, and bronze aside, the small but mighty business has earned the respect of its peers and Austinites…and not just those who love craft beer. With its eponymous outdoor beer garden, a spacious indoor dining room stocked with communal tables, and a stage that regularly hosts solid musical acts, the ABGB draws people from all walks of life and shows them all a good time.

The tap list here is brief yet stacked, with a two-time GABF medalist, Hell Yes Munich-style helles, among six always-available mainstays. That brewer’s half-dozen includes more GABF gold in the form of a lightly grassy German Pilsener, Industry, and a pre-Prohibition-style Pils, Rocket 100. The latter is bolder and greener than the former and took gold at three different GABFs as well as its international sister competition, the World Beer Cup. Dry, piney Day Trip pale ale and pithy Superliner IPA provide lager alternatives along with four taps dispensing “sometimes beers” that can include anything from sours and wild saisons to, of course, more lagers.

End your day here with an Italian-inspired menu leading with pizza (can you ever really have enough?) and sandwiches, including a muffaletta and bacon-topped meatball sub, topped off with plenty of lagers and live music.

Pro Tip: On Wednesdays, Warren Hood, son of legendary Austin musician Champ Hood, takes the stage as part of a longstanding ABGB residency.

Hours of Operation

Tu.-F, 11:30AM-11PM; Sa., 12PM-12AM; Su., 12-10PM

Day 2 | West & Back Again

Jester King Brewery

13187 Fitzhugh Rd, West Austin

It’s worth driving 30 minutes out of the city center to visit this bona fide mecca for wild, mixed-culture, and spontaneously fermented ales. Opened in 2010, this passion product of two brothers has grown into a 168-acre estate housing a solar-powered farmhouse brewery with a copper coolship used to capture native yeast and bacteria prior to oak aging of assorted saisons and lambics. Water for brewing comes from a well fed by the Trinity Aquifer, while produce, herbs, wine grapes, and other natural additives are grown and hand-processed on-property. Beer doesn’t get any more traditional than that, and touring the brewery, its grounds, and its extensive beer list is an experience unlike any other.

In 2020, Jester King began producing “clean beers,” including lagers and (mostly hazy) IPAs. Integrate them into your tasting, but focus on the oak-aged tart, funky, sour, and fruited ales that built this standout brewery’s reputation. La Vie En Rose shows off the natural earthen tartness of raspberries initially incorporated into bolder cousin Atrial Rubicite. Cleanse your palate between those fruit bombs with a refreshing table beer, Le Petit Prince, which also provides an exquisite segue to green, peppery sister saisons Noble King and Noble Queen, or a blend of farmhouse ales called Das Wunderkind displaying bright lemon-like acidity and minerality. This is but a small sample of the many exotic creations that await at this Texas Hill Country gem.

Multiple bars are spread around Jester King’s public area, the centerpiece of which is a shaded area with picnic tables, a stage for live music, and a store selling merchandise and beer to go. Both pizza and barbecue are available along with house wines and cocktails. The family-friendly grounds also include a playground, petting zoo, and walking trail.

Pro Tip: Visitors who want to take driving out of the equation can opt to stay overnight at one of the Jester King Inn’s five on-site cabins.

Hours of Operation

Th.-F, 2-9PM; Sa., 11AM-9PM; Su., 11AM-8PM

Zilker Brewing

1701 E. 6th St, East Austin

Back in 2015, when East Austin was far from cool but undeniably up-and-coming, a homebrewer installed his dream brewery in the shell of a former Volkswagen mechanic shop. Now it serves as a sudsy respite from the high-rises that surround it. Located along a transit corridor leading to and from downtown, Zilker blends Old World elements such as communal tables and a shaded beer garden (with fans!) with an old-time Americana aesthetic and a selection of ales and lagers that’s in tune with current consumer tastes. Release events for those beers regularly include an art-show element featuring the work of the artists responsible for each new brew’s can design.

Start out with dry, heat-smashing light lager, Icy Boys, or the equally clean and refreshing German Pils homage, Pilsgnar. Strata and Citra hops lend a tropical profile (papaya, passionfruit, mango) to Parks & Rec Pale Ale, a core beer that raises funds for the Austin Parks Foundation. Marco IPA displays similarly potent fruitiness (orange zest, mango, caramelized peach) offset by touches of pine and rosemary, while the juiciness of house hazy Heavenly Daze is reminiscent of pineapple, passionfruit, and Cara Cara orange. Coffee Milk Stout, brewed with java from local roaster Spokesman, provides a nutty, semisweet end note to the tasting experience, while Zilker’s over-fruited smoothie sours ratchet berry tartness and saccharinity to full-on dessert levels.

In the mood for a midday snack? You’re in luck. The aforementioned Spicy Boys operate another brewery-adjacent chicken shack here as well. But don’t fill up. You’re going to want to save room for what they’re cooking up at the last stop of day two. Don’t worry, it’s only one block away.

Pro Tip: Zilker also serves up popular beer slushies, as well as hop water made with Yakima Chief Hops’ Cryo Pop blend and Idaho 7.

Hours of Operation

M-Th., 11AM-10PM; F-Sa., 11AM-11PM; Su., 11-8PM

Lazarus Brewing

Laz 1: 1902 E. 6th St., East Austin | Laz 2: 4803 Airport Blvd, North Austin

After getting a taste of brewpub culture in his hometown of Missoula, Montana, a pastor with a passion for beer moved his family south to erect a sanctuary for ale-and-lager fans in East Austin. Named for the biblical figure Jesus raised from the dead, Lazarus offers perhaps the city’s most diverse beer roster. IPAs and pale ales share space with beers of U.K., German, and Belgian origin, including specialty offerings aged in whiskey, tequila, and gin barrels, and a pair of American white oak foeders inoculated with different species of Brettanomyces. The brewpub has produced more than 300 different beers in its seven years, and Austinites have responded to its a-little-of-everything approach. In 2022, Lazarus opened a second location in North Austin with twice the brewing capacity of its predecessor.

Lazarus’ lagers have a lot to offer. Saphir hops lend watermelon-rind nuances to Prodigal Pils, while the pumpernickel aromas of a dark Czech lager called Buffalo Jump give way to flavors of dark berries and prunes. But easily the most interesting of them all is Black Pearl, a rice lager brewed with lemony Taiwanese Maqaw peppercorns. On the ale side, a hazy rye pale ale going by the name of Copper John oozes tangerine, pineapple, and peach courtesy of Strata, Mosaic, and Citra hops, while classic “C” varietals translate to spruce tip, orange, and black tea in West Coast IPA 40 Days & 40 Nights. Try them but be sure to also explore obscure styles you won’t find elsewhere.

Lazarus’ beers are accompanied by a “street Mex” menu of tacos, tortas, bag tacos (toppings loaded into bags of Fritos or Doritos), and breakfast items (yes, they have Austin’s ever-popular breakfast tacos) that are served until 1 p.m.

Pro Tip: Lazarus’ food menu is “hackable.” If you want to make a tweak or two and if they have what it takes to do so, they’ll hook you up.

Hours of Operation

All Locations: M-F, 7:30AM-11PM; Sa., 9AM-11PM; Su., 9AM-10PM

Day 3 | Eastward to the Airport

Meanwhile Brewing

3901 Promontory Point Dr., South Austin

Despite opening in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, this multi-faceted business had so much to offer that it quickly became one of the most popular brewery beer venues in all of Austin. The entry point for Meanwhile’s multi-acre family- and pet-friendly campus is a combination coffee shop and bar serving beer, wine, and low-proof cocktails amid dark wood and plush leather interiors. Beyond that well-appointed space is an outdoor stage featuring live entertainment three to four nights a week, flanked by tree-canopied expanses populated with picnic tables and a sizable kids’ play area. Adding even more appeal is a fenced-in soccer field and food trucks serving (James Beard- and Eater-recognized) barbecue, Mexican food, pizza, ice cream, and more.

Even patrons who have zero interest in beer could easily spend a full and fulfilling day taking everything else in. That said, the beer is exceptional and the domain of an expat of Portland, Oregon’s perennially award-winning Breakside Brewing specializing in IPAs and lagers. Orange-grove aromas and a tangerine-zest finish are hallmarks of a GABF silver-winning San Diego-style IPA called Secret Beach, while a hazy dubbed Tender Robot is evocative of lemon pith, peach, and mint. Meanwhile (pun intended), grace and to-style subtlety are the name of the game with the house Helles and German-style Pilsner. Fruited beers, kettle sours and occasional dark beers also find their way onto Meanwhile’s marquee beer board.

Everything about Meanwhile encourages visitors to sit a spell and take their time, making this the perfect place to start out with breakfast or an espresso drink—and, of course, a beer or two—before heading for the airport. But before that there’s just one more place you need to see.

Pro Tip: On the first Friday of each month, Meanwhile releases a brand-new IPA, complete with custom, collectible merchandise items.

Hours of Operation

M-W, 8AM-10PM; Th., 8AM-11PM; F, 8AM-11:30PM; Sa., 9AM-11:30PM; Su., 9AM-10PM

Live Oak Brewing

1615 Crozier Ln, Del Valle

Opened in 1997, “Austin’s original brewery” has spent over a quarter-century celebrating beers of the bottom-fermenting ilk. They are the focus at Live Oak—which is located across the 71 from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport—and they are phenomenal. But it’s not just quality beer, convenient geography, or even a tiered oak-shaded biergarten that make this an ideal last (or first) stop for thirsty travelers. The company’s 22-acre grounds also feature an 18-hole disc golf course that’s free to play whenever the tasting room is open. It’s a prime differentiator that led Paste Magazine to name Live Oak one of the 50 Best American Breweries of the 2010s and makes for a fun way to kill time before jetting home.

Sidle up to the live-edge oak bar (where you check in for disc golf) and choose from 10 taps of core, seasonal, and limited-edition beers (even the occasional IPA or kettle sour), all of which are served in fifth- and half-liter quantities or in pitchers. The year-round lineup includes Pilz, an immaculately clean, dry Czech Pilsner, a light and toasty Vienna-style lager called Big Bark, and one of Austin’s most famous beers of all time, the Bavarian-style HefeWeizen with a nose of clove and a big, alluring banana palate. But don’t leave town without experiencing the juxtaposition of light body and meaty smoke (oak, of course) of a rare-yet-flawless American take on the Polish Grodziskie.

Even when lagers and German beers weren’t popular, Live Oak brewed them almost exclusively, refining them into things of beauty. Now that they are all the rage, this stately forerunner to Austin’s now-thriving craft-beer scene is a must-visit spot…and a great place to end a beery adventure.

Pro Tip: In January, Live Oak becomes the “Bamberg of the Colorado” when it taps a half-dozen smoked beers as part of its annual Rauchfest.

Hours of Operation

Su.-Tu., 12-8PM; W-Sa., 12-9PM

Itinerary Add-Ons

Day 1 | Austin Beerworks

Brewery & Tasting Room: 3001 Industrial Terrace, North Austin | Sprinkle Valley: 10300 Springdale Rd, North Austin

This 12-year-old institution paved the way for Austin’s craft beer revolution, inspiring many of the city’s current brewery owners while providing a roadmap to larger-scale success in the local market.

Day 2 | Hold Out Brewing

1208 W 4th St, Downtown Austin

With a house beer list made up almost exclusively of hoppy ales and lagers (traditional, corn, rice, fruited), this three-year-old brewpub has cultivated a fast following (and has plenty of parking).

Day 3 | Oddwood Brewing

3108 Manor Rd, East Austin

If your preferred pre-flight plan includes vintage arcade games and strombolis served alongside an eclectic assortment of lagers, IPAs, and sour ales, this five-year-old brewpub is right up your alley.

The post Three Beer-Filled Days in Austin, Texas appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

To help attendees plan and ensure they visit breweries of exceptional repute and historical significance with beers matching their personal tastes, here’s an overview of the communities surrounding the convention site with vital information on breweries and tasting rooms in each. There’s truly something for every type of craft beer enthusiast in San Diego, so go forth and drink your fill (responsibly, of course)!

Near the Conference Venue 

Homebrew Con host site, Town and Country Resort, is in Mission Valley West just off Interstate 8. That east-west freeway facilitates a quick two-mile trip east to Puesto Mission Valley, a Michelin-recognized brewpub helmed by the most revered lager expert in San Diego County, Doug Hasker. A Gordon Biersch expat with over two decades of experience, he has shifted his bottom-fermenting skill set to production of a kaleidoscope of Mexican-style lagers that pair exceptionally well with a menu of SoCal- and Mexico City-influenced tacos, enchiladas, and more. You won’t find a much more San Diego pairing than that! Or head a couple miles west to visit landmark Home Brew Mart, the 25-year-old homebrewing emporium that birthed Ballast Point Brewing. The store and its inventory of ingredients and apparatuses now give way to a bar serving a wide array of BP cores and seasonals, plus scads of small-batch creations covering a wealth of ale and lager styles, some of which are produced on-site.

From there, take a short walk to the off-the-beaten-path forger of English, Irish, German, and Belgian beers, Deft Brewing, a brewery that’s teamed with a meadery and winery to build a lovely outdoor space called The Gärten, offering entertainment several nights a week. Farther north is venerable Coronado Brewing’s main production facility with a kitchen-equipped indoor-outdoor taproom serving up largely West Coast-style ales, as well as a tasting room from “it” brewery Harland Brewing, the appeal of which is amped up by a comfy back patio. The latter offers an assortment of IPAs and lagers along with occasional pastry beers.

Coronado Brewing, 1205 Knoxville St; Deft Brewing, 5328 Banks St; Harland Brewing Bay Park, 4112 Napier St; Home Brew Mart, 5401 Linda Vista Rd; Puesto Mission Valley, 5010 Mission Center Rd.

A Slightly Longer Uber Ride 

Clusters of breweries and tasting rooms are located throughout San Diego County, making it easy to get more bang for your rideshare buck. Here are three five-star communities worth the trip.

North Park

Regarded by many as the craft beer capital of the city dubbed the craft beer capital of America, North Park is packed with brewery venues, bars, and restaurants. It’s the place to be and perhaps the only neighborhood where you can taste multiple National Homebrew Competition medal-winning IPAs that have gone on to be produced on a commercial scale.

The first is the most awarded amateur IPA of all time, Hop-Fu! Conceived of by San Diegan Kelsey McNair, it is the flagship West Coast IPA at his stylish, two-story North Park Beer Co., and struck gold at the 2022 World Beer Cup (WBC) after nabbing bronze at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) that same year. Prefer something opaque? Hop-Fu!’s hazy sibling, Art Is Hard, took silver at GABF in 2021. And just half a mile north is El Cid Brewing. A Navy-themed nano installed in the shell of former American Homebrewers Association (AHA) Homebrew Shop of the Year, The Homebrewer, it’s the pro-brewing passion project of Eric Bridges, a retired Senior Chief who placed third at last year’s NHC with his Knifehand IPA.

Another local business with NHC roots is a tasting room belonging to Rip Current Brewing. Brewmaster Paul Sangster was the Ninkasi Award winner at the 2011 competition and has kept the homebrewing spirit alive at his brewery, crafting lesser-seen styles in addition to hop-forward crowd-pleasers like Lupulin Lust double IPA. Several more obscure offerings have won GABF awards, including two-time gold-medalist Breakline Bock and the silver-clad Black Lagoon Scotch ale, both of which combined to earn Rip Current Very Small Brewery of the Year honors in 2016.

Other North Park standouts include Fall Brewing, a popular hangout among local brewers featuring balanced, largely SoCal-style beers and a rock-show motif; tasting rooms from the sustainability-minded makers of murky IPAs and creatively flavored saisons, sours, and stouts, Pure Project Brewing; and bike-friendly beer bastion Rouleur Brewing. Also, El Cajon Boulevard’s lease-to-brew Brewer Igniter facility currently houses one-year-old upstart Seek Beer Co. and its family of crispy-boi lagers, IPAs, and modern-day sours from a transplant who opened and ran Urban South Brewery’s Houston brewpub before going west.

Those looking for beer and a bite would do well to hit up The Original 40 Brewing (especially for Sunday brunch the day after the conference) or TapRoom Beer Co., where the beer board is broad, diverse, and typically filled with fun and interesting collaborations involving other San Diego brewers. 

El Cid Brewing, 2911 El Cajon Blvd; Fall Brewing, 4542 30th St; GOAL. Brewing, 3052 El Cajon Blvd, Ste A; North Park Beer Co., 3038 University Ave; The Original 40 Brewing, 3117 University Ave; Pure Project Brewing North Park, 2867 El Cajon Blvd; Rip Current Brewing North Park, 4101 30th St; Rouleur Brewing North Park, 2899 University Ave; Seek Beer Co., 3052 El Cajon Blvd, Ste C; TapRoom Beer Co., 2000 El Cajon Blvd

Kearny Mesa 

Away from the brightness of urban lights and sunshiny beaches is Kearny Mesa, an industrial-zoned area that’s home to a half-dozen breweries. The most well-known of the sextet is Societe Brewing, a 10-year-old award-winning business with a menu heavy in hoppy fare such as The Pupil IPA and two-time GABF gold-medal-winning session IPA, The Coachman. Those unfiltered, definitively West Coast beers are augmented by several Belgian-style ales and stouts.

A few blocks west is cult favorite Hopnonymous Brewing with its regularly rotating menu of hoppy ales juxtaposed with pastry stouts, adjunct-laced sours, and solid under-the-radar Belgian-style ales. On the same block, Kilowatt Brewing wins points—and GABF medals—for experimental numbers like its Maple Smoked Maibock and Chocolate Macadamia Stout. But wait…there’s more. A secret entrance spirits visitors from the blacklights and psychedelic art of Kilowatt’s tasting room to an island-inspired tiki-cocktail speakeasy dubbed Forbidden Cove.

Those headed to Kearny Mesa needn’t pack a lunch. The community is home to Convoy Street, which is filled with restaurants serving authentic Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Korean cuisine, not to mention San Diego’s longest-tenured craft beer bar, O’Brien’s Pub, owned by former WBC Brewer of the Year Tom Nickel and featuring beers from his namesake Nickel Beer Co.

Hopnonymous Brewing, 7705 Convoy Ct; Kilowatt Brewing / Forbidden Cove, 7576 Clairemont Mesa Blvd; O’Brien’s Pub, 4646 Convoy St; Societe Brewing, 8262 Clairemont Mesa Blvd

Miramar

Nicknamed “Beeramar” for its sheer volume of breweries, Miramar is another industrial area where good beer abounds. A unique experience for any homebrewer can be had at yeast company White Labs, with an in-house brewery producing batches of wort that are split fermented using different house strains. The resultant beers are then served side by side at White Labs’ tasting room to illustrate the dramatic role yeast plays in brewing. White Labs also  serves delicious pizzas using dough made with its yeast.

Farther west is legendary local interest AleSmith Brewing, serving fan faves Speedway Stout and .394 San Diego Pale Ale out of the largest tasting room in the county. That two-story venue is home to the Tony Gwynn Museum, a dugout area that’s perfect for catching a game with beer in hand, along with a mezzanine area, outdoor patio, and company store selling beer, apparel, and house-made fromage from on-site side hustle, CheeseSmith. Visitors to Miramar can also visit Ballast Point’s bar-and-restaurant-equipped mother ship, which also serves the English-influenced beers of lesser-known parent company Kings & Convicts Brewing.

The area is also home to San Diego’s only USDA-certified all-organic beer company, Protector Brewery, run by an ex-Navy SEAL who supports active-duty and retired servicepeople via multiple charity beers and fundraising initiatives. Solid IPAs, Belgian-style ales, and beers made with local honey, purple corn, spruce tips, and more can be found at Duck Foot Brewing, while the liquid wares of Embolden Beer Co. share tap space with hard tea, kombucha, and barrel-aged seltzers from sister company New Motion Beverages.

AleSmith Brewing, 9990 AleSmith Ct; Ballast Point Brewing, 9045 Carroll Way; Duck Foot Brewing, 8920 Kenamar Dr; Embolden Beer Co. / New Motion Beverages, 8655 Production Ave; Kings & Convicts Brewing, 9550 Distribution Ave; Protector Brewery, 8680 Miralani Dr; White Labs, 9495 Candida St

Near the Airport

Whether you’ve just landed and are chomping at the bit for some local suds or are camped out and killing time before flying out, the following are your best options for brewery spots close to San Diego International Airport.

Point Loma

There are few experiences more immersive or relaxing than kicking back with a beer on an outdoor patio with a cross-bay view of downtown San Diego. That is what awaits beer fans in Point Loma—along with what are widely considered the finest lagers in the county—at the waterfront biergarten of award-winning Eppig Brewing. Those seeking suds and sustenance can drop in on the largest restaurant in the entire county, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, where a menu of upscale pub fare (ahi poke “nachos,” a wagyu “luxe” burger, duck pot pie) pairs with a wide assortment of beers produced on an in-house 10-barrel system that goes well beyond the company’s familiar core lineup.

Eppig Brewing Waterfront Biergarten, 2817 Dickens St; Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, 2816 Historic Decatur Rd

Ocean Beach

Craving one last stroll on the beach or people-watching in the city’s most proudly weird neighborhood? Chart a course for Ocean Beach. Not only does it have its own Pizza Port brewpub and all the award-winning beers that go with it, it also boasts the three-story eponymous brewpub, OB Brewery, named Small Brewpub of the Year at GABF in 2019. The latter is on Newport Avenue, which packs a whopping four tasting rooms into a single block, including one from off-center, all-sour (except for one lager) concern, California Wild Ales.

California Wild Ales Ocean Beach, 4896 Newport Ave; OB Brewery, 5041 Newport Ave; Pizza Port Ocean Beach, 1956 Bacon St

Downtown

San Diego’s beer scene was born in 1989 when a German master brewer who’d headed production for Pabst Brewing came out of retirement to help his nephew craft the city’s first local beers post-Prohibition. Named for that familiar headman, Karl Strauss Brewing was an instant success, and its OG red-brick brewpub on Columbia Street remains a popular haunt for those who live and work downtown. In addition to classics like Red Trolley Ale and Aurora Hoppyalis IPA, select beers from Karl Strauss Distributing’s partner breweries (Black Plague, Booze Brothers, Duck Foot, Hodad’s, Mason Ale Works, and Rouleur) are also available. Newer but just as notable is The Arbor, a nearby Little Italy taproom and kitchen concept from Burgeon Beer Co., a six-year-old business with a formidable IPA and lager game.

The East Village includes a religious experience from world-renowned Belgian- and barrel-aged beer op and 2007 GABF Small Brewery of the Year The Lost Abbey. That comes care of a tasting room built into a church dating back to 1906. Elements of the brand’s iconic Catholic-inspired artwork meld with historic fixtures to provide a pseudo-monastic atmosphere made even more enjoyable by an incredibly lengthy tap list filled out by beverages from sub-brands Tiny Bubbles (Brett beers), and Khárisma (hard sparkling teas).

Also brewing at historic East Village sites are Mission Brewing, which continues to breathe new life into a circa-1880s Wonder Bread factory, and Half Door Brewing, a family-run operation from Irish immigrants bringing the warmth of an Emerald Isle pub inside a longstanding two-story house. Both of those businesses are one block from Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres (who will be hosting the Nationals during Homebrew Con), along with a more recent addition, East Village Brewing. Outfitted with a modern aesthetic and a half-dozen serving tanks, East Village is the product of two high-level Ballast Point brewers who exclusively brew with ingredients sourced west of the Mississippi.

Baseball fans may also want to stop by downtown’s Resident Brewing to try No-No Joe, a double IPA brewed in collaboration with the only pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Friar franchise history, Joe Musgrove. Their vaunted hazies also score points with locals, as does Vacation, a coconut-infused West Coast IPA that was first brewed as the winning recipe from an AHA-sanctioned homebrew competition hosted by Stone Brewing.

The Arbor by Burgeon Beer Co., 1326 Kettner Blvd; The Church by The Lost Abbey, 1313 J St; East Village Brewing, 201 Park Blvd, Ste 101; Half Door Brewing, 903 Island Ave; Karl Strauss Brewing Downtown, 1157 Columbia St.; Mission Brewing, 1441 L St; Resident Brewing, 1065 Fourth Ave.

(Editor’s note: Register for Homebrew Con at HomebrewCon.org)

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WASHINGTON

Bale Breaker Brewing

1801 Birchfield Rd., Yakima (Brewery Taproom)

826 NW 49th St., Seattle (Bale Breaker & Yonder Cider Taproom)

The best way to get to know a brewing interest’s beers is by venturing to the source. Perhaps no brewery offers such comprehensive insight into its liquid wares as Bale Breaker, a brewery situated smack dab in the middle of a fully operational, fourth-generation hop farm. It’s from this fertile acreage that 100 percent of the hops for the company’s beers are grown.

Hops are in this nine-year-old operation’s DNA, and its portfolio reflects that. In addition to a septet of flagship beers highlighted by the Simcoe-, Citra-, Loral- and Mosaic-laced Topcutter IPA, Bale Breaker offers a Clarity Rarity series of experimental hazy IPAs and Homegrown Beers made with 100 percent estate hops and barley. Increased stylistic variety comes in the form of a year-round Pilsner and breakfast stout, plus collaboration beers released as part of Bale Breaker’s Frenz Series.

Any time of year is ideal for enjoying a Field 41 Pale Ale in the middle of the hop-saturated plot it’s named for, but Bale Breaker recommends visiting during the September hop harvest. That’s when guests can learn the most about the company’s unique farm-to-glass methodology from the comfort of a kid- and dog-friendly tasting room adjacent to a grassy outdoor area. Al fresco imbibing is also encouraged at Bale Breaker’s fire pit-equipped Seattle taproom, which it shares with Yonder Cider. That partnership is another first-of-its-kind setup from a truly one-of-a-kind business.

Pro Tip: Ask your bartender for the freshest beer from Bale Breaker’s Imagination Station five-barrel pilot brewhouse. These beers are unique and often unavailable anywhere else.

Hours of Operation

Yakima: Tu.-Th., 3-9PM; F-Sa., 12-9PM; Su., 12-6PM

Seattle: Tu.-Th., 12-9PM; F-Sa., 12-10PM; Su., 12-9PM

Reuben’s Brews

5010 14th Ave NW, Seattle

Variety is the spice of life at Reuben’s Brews. Located in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, this family-owned brewery fashioned 150 different beers in 2021 alone, 87 of which were available in cans or bottles. That awe-inspiring quantity was marked by verifiable quality, with 30 of those beers—ranging from English to Belgian to German styles—medaling at numerous brewing competitions, including

the prestigious Great American Beer Festival (GABF).

Reuben’s Brews refers to its recipe-composition MO as “glass backwards,” meaning the brewing team first focuses on the desired result, then works its way backward. The process is different from brew to brew and style to style, but the excellence across vastly different styles is a constant. The most challenging aspect of a visit to Reuben’s Brews’ tasting room is taking in the massive, 26-tap beer list, but friendly staffers guide guests through menu subsections—wild, sour, lager, pale, West Coast IPA, hazy IPA, Belgian, dark—to find beers (some served via beer engine or lager faucet) to match their palates.

The term “something for everyone” is often thrown around, but here popular hoppy ales, quaffable lagers, and high-octane barrel-aged stouts share space with Brett saisons, roggenbiers, and even the occasional house-made cider. Monthly “Thank You Thursday” events supporting local non-profits and beer releases benefitting charities through the Reuben’s Brews Foundation provide more reasons to pay this insatiably creative suds spot a visit.

Pro Tip: This August, Reuben’s Brews will celebrate its 10th anniversary, but throughout 2022, 10 special collaborations beers will be released to help keep the party going all year long.

Hours of Operation

Daily, 11AM-10PM

OREGON

Little Beast Brewing

3412 SE Division St., Portland (Beer Garden)

11517 SE Hwy 212, Clackamas (Brewery Tasting Room)

After decades spent plying his trade at Oregon ops Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Full Sail Brewing, and Deschutes Brewery, brewer Charles Porter and his wife, Brenda Crow, established a PDX mom-and-pop in 2017. Dubbed Little Beast, it draws on Porter’s multifarious experience with craft beers—both clean and funky—and offers them at a tasting room installed within a quaint, Craftsman-style home complete with a lawn, shaded porch, patios galore, and Kansas City-style BBQ produced in-house.

Little Beast’s sours have proven to be a source of particular acclaim, and Porter splits them into two categories: long-fermented barrel-aged beers, and “quicker-turn beers.” The latter differ from traditional kettle sours due to a proprietary process and exhibit a more balanced tartness that makes for more approachable beers, such as the passionfruit-infused Mr. Nice and strawberry-lemon summertime sipper Electric Sunshine. Standout examples of Porter’s slower-burn creations include fruited (peach, nectarine, apricot) mixed-culture Golden Stone and the 100-percent Brett-fermented Fera saison.

Little Beast’s clean beers include its bestselling West Coast IPA and American premium Pilsner, as well as a wide breadth of lagers (helles, dark, German, and Czech Pilsners), Belgian-style ales, and hazy IPAs. It also offers confection-inspired beers from the Maker’s Series, in which Porter mimics local artisans’ creations in beer form as he did with Salt & Straw’s salted, malted, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. It’s another example of this seasoned vet continuing to innovate.

Pro Tip: Visitors to Little Beast’s brewery may get to sample rare offerings from the Guardians of Funk bottle club, including spontaneous beer and bold barrel-aged strong ales.

Hours of Operation

Portland: M-Th., 1:30-9PM; F, 1:30-10PM; Sa., 12-10PM; Su., 12-9PM

Clackamas: Th.-F, 3-8PM; Sa., 12-8PM

pFriem Family Brewers

707 Portway Ave., Ste 101, Hood River

Old World inspiration drove the establishment of pFriem Family Brewers. A decade ago, long before the American Pilsner renaissance, founder Josh Pfriem designed a brewery ideally suited for crafting that style. It has gone on to become the company’s biggest award winner (right behind its GABF silver medal-winning IPA) and fits in perfectly with pFriem’s similarly to-style German, Belgian, English, and American beers, all of which are served in proper glassware at this cut-above brewpub. A four-time winner for Best Brewpub at the Oregon Beer Awards, pFriem Family Brewers has a choose-your-own-adventure appeal.

Replete with reclaimed wood from the Columbia River Gorge, the main dining room gives way to The Bear’s Den with its underground Belgian beer bar décor. From there, guests can gravitate toward an open-air patio or ascend to the Library space to enjoy views of Hood River’s waterfront. No matter one’s seating choice, a menu stocked with seasonally driven, European, and PNW-inspired fare such as moules frites, Flemish beef stew, and a pimento cheeseburger awaits, along with an eclectic draft list more than 20 taps strong.

To date, pFriem has brewed nearly 150 different offerings, from hop-forward ales to balanced lagers, farmhouse and mixed-fermentation beers, spirit- and wine-barrel-aged specialties, and just about everything in between. They also delve into trendy styles, but at the heart of it all this is a brewer’s brewery honoring time-tested styles and techniques of the Old World from an inspired New World locale.

Pro Tip: Often (especially on the weekends) pFriem is at capacity, but there are numerous spots to have a beer while you wait, including a family-friendly park across the street.

Hours of Operation

Normal Hours: Daily, 11:30AM-9PM

Summer Hours (Memorial Day to Labor Day): Daily, 11AM-10PM

Boss Rambler Beer Club

1009 NW Galveston Ave., Bend

It takes a lot to draw a consistent crowd with the original 10 Barrel brewpub just a block away and Bend favorite Sunriver Brewing next door, but such is the allure of Boss Rambler Beer Club. Established in 2019, this newcomer has built a fast following behind a portfolio of beers reflective of modern-day tastes, particularly those of younger beer drinkers. That of-the-moment appeal extends to its tasting room, which is naturally lit, accented by pastels, and flush with old-is-new artistic appeal.

Until this year, Boss Rambler’s beers were contract-brewed, but husband-and-wife owners Matt and Kate Molletta recently acquired their own brewery. Now that facility supplies the company’s après ski-ready taproom with heavily dry-hopped IPAs both hazy and clear, lagers (including hoppy and Mexican varieties), pastry stouts, and super-fruited quick sours. The latter are split into two lines—the cocktail-inspired Chill’r series and the Purée Vida family of extra-thick delights—and released throughout the year.

While beer traditionalists (read: older drinkers) could mistake Boss Rambler as exclusively Gen-Z, its inviting indoor-outdoor space draws drinkers of all demographics. Part of that phenomenon likely has to do with the openness and non-conformity of Bend’s populace, but beers with wider appeal like those of the Stokes classic lager series and IPAs with brilliant tropical, citrus, and stone-fruit bouquets and flavor profiles to match are the primary attraction for all who frequent this impressive up-and-comer.

Pro Tip: In addition to beer, Boss Rambler offers “boozy slushies” such as a POG (passionfruit, orange, guava) Rosé cooler, scoring major points with fans, especially on hot days.

Hours of Operation

M-Th., 1-8PM; F-Su., 12-9PM

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Those who want to work off some of that delicious beer and food ahead of time may arrive at the brewery by 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 21, and take part in the Societe Running Club’s free monthly 5K run. The U-turn halfway point is a hydration station at Kearny Mesa’s Road Runner Sports facility, and upon their return, all participants will receive $1 off their beers for the rest of the day. Talk about healthy motivation! (No tickets or signup are required to take part in the 5K.)

Exercising isn’t the only way to get discounted beer. Starting Friday, August 30, Societe will have commemorative ceramic Oktoberfest steins on sale for $10, which includes customers’ first pour of Societe beer. From September 21 to October 6, all stein refills will be offered for $1 off the regular price of select Societe beers (those under 6% alcohol-by-volume, excluding “Feral” ales).

Thirsty for more? The culinary savants from The Good Seed Food Company will come to Societe’s tasting room for an Oktoberfest Beer and Food Pairing from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, September 28. They will serve up a quartet of German-inspired dishes devised specifically to pair with four of the brewery’s beers, including Die Kellnerin Oktoberfest Lager. The menu is currently under construction, but expect staples like bratwurst, sauerbraten and potato salad given innovative twists to increase their whimsy and beer compatibility. Tickets will be available in advance (with a limited number for sale day-of) at Societe’s tasting room and via online platform Eventbrite.

ABOUT SOCIETE BREWING COMPANY: An independently owned-and-operated brewery founded in 2012, Societe Brewing Company brews an array of hoppy “Out West” ales, Belgian-inspired and Germanic “Old World” ales and lagers, and dark “Stygian” beers. The brewery also features a 1,500-square-foot, temperature-controlled room housing used wine barrels filled with a maturing stock of “Feral” ales. Proud to be part of the hotbed of brewing innovation that is San Diego, Societe exclusively distributes its critically-acclaimed, award-winning beers to bars, restaurants and retailers throughout its home county. Fan-favorite beers include The Pupil San Diego IPA, The Coachman Session IPA, The Heiress Czech Pilsner, The Harlot Belgian Blonde Ale, The Debutante Belgian Amber Ale and The Butcher Imperial Stout. For more, please visit the company’s official website—societebrewing.com—or follow Societe via social media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (@societebrewing).

The post Societe’s Three-Week Oktoberfest Festivities appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

• Unlimited Pours of 20-PLUS Beers: In addition to year-round staples and summer seasonals, Societe’s brewers have been hard at work producing the following specialty beers:
  • The Butcher—BARREL-AGED EDITION | Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
  • The Journeyman #04 | Single-Barrel Feral Ale
  • The Roustabout | Double IPA
  • The Apothecary | Ales for ALS IPA (annual charity beer)
  • Something from the Barrel Room Archives
• Food from Local Restaurants: We will have a diverse array San Diego eateries serving up signature and specialty dishes for all to enjoy:
  • Brother’s Provisions (Rancho Bernardo)
  • Churchill’s Pub & Grille (San Marcos)
  • Daniela’s Kitchen (Chula Vista)
  • Del’s Hideout (Del Cerro)
  • Fifty-Two East Eatery (Santee)
  • The Good Seed Food Co. (Mira Mesa)
  • Hamilton’s Tavern (South Park)
  • The Joint (Ocean Beach)
  • Mastiff Sausage Company (North Park)
  • Nomad Donuts (North Park)
  • O’Brien’s Pub (Kearny Mesa)
• SOCIETE 7 Gear: Commemorative men’s t-shirts and women’s tank-tops will be issued to attendees along with a high-quality keepsake SOCIETE 7 glass.

Tickets are limited and available online via the Eventbrite website (http://bit.ly/societe7) as well as the Societe tasting room at 8262 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Early-bird rates will be in effect until July 5.

And while we have you, here are the other events we have going during the month of July…

BEER & ICE CREAM PAIRING SOCIAL | Saturday, July 6, 1-4 p.m.: Each month, we hold a beer-and-food pairing with local culinarians. This month, we’re teaming with The Good Seed Food Company and pairing our beers with a quartet of gourmet, summer-ready ice creams. Tickets include the following:

• Honey Lavender Ice Cream with Candied Lemon Round –paired with–  The Highwayman Brett-Aged Pale Ale (6.6% alcohol-by-volume)

• Chocolate Molé Ice Cream with Cinnamon-dusted Buñuelo –paired with– The Debutante Belgian Amber Ale (6.8%)

• Pear & Gorgonzola Ice Cream with Dehydrated Pear –paired with– The Pupil San Diego IPA (7.5%)

• Vanilla Saffron Ice Cream with Dried Plum Fruit Roll –paired with– The Harlot Belgian Blonde Ale (5.8%)

Tickets: $15 and available in advance on Eventbrite, with a limited number set aside for day-of sales.

BLUEGRASS YOGA | Saturday, July 13, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Our certified yoga instructor knows nothing can help get someone centered and ready for a productive stretch session better than calming music. For some, that means a day spa’s greatest-hits playlist, but for others, it’s all about Americana. Join her as she converts our tasting room into a bluegrass-bolstered yoga studio and conducts an hour-long session accompanied by banjoes, fiddles and the occasional washboard. Afterward, enjoy a Societe beer (included in the ticket price) a half-hour before we open to the public.

Tickets: $15 and available in advance on Eventbrite or at the door day-of.

METAL YOGA | Saturday, July 20, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: The team from San Diego Metal Yoga likes to step outside the aural box, pairing deep, cleansing breaths and inner-peace with grinding guitars and frenetic double-pedal bass action. And like any good session, this hour-long set is topped off with a beer, which can be enjoyed in Societe’s tasting-room-turned-yoga-studio a half-hour before it opens to the public.

Tickets: $15 and available in advance on Eventbrite or at the door day-of.

All of these events will take place at Societe Brewing Company’s tasting room, which is located at 8262 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in Kearny Mesa. Please feel free to reach out for any additional information.

ABOUT SOCIETE BREWING COMPANY: An independently owned-and-operated brewery founded in 2012, Societe Brewing Company brews an array of hoppy “Out West” ales, Belgian-inspired and Germanic “Old World” ales and lagers, and dark “Stygian” beers. The brewery also features a 1,500-square-foot, temperature-controlled room housing used wine barrels filled with a maturing stock of “Feral” ales. Proud to be part of the hotbed of brewing innovation that is San Diego, Societe exclusively distributes its critically-acclaimed, award-winning beers to bars, restaurants and retailers throughout its home county. Fan-favorite beers include The Pupil San Diego IPA, The Coachman Session IPA, The Heiress Czech Pilsner, The Harlot Belgian Blonde Ale, The Debutante Belgian Amber Ale and The Butcher Imperial Stout. For more, please visit the company’s official website—societebrewing.com—or follow Societe via social media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (@societebrewing).

The post SOCIETE 7: Societe Brewing’s 7th Anniversary Festival appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

“We’re extremely proud to enter into this partnership and believe this collaboration will enable Societe to maximize its presence within San Diego County,” says Scout CEO Josh Landan. “After initial discussions with Societe’s leadership team, it became clear that our companies are a great match.  Societe has been and will always be deliberate in executing its vision to provide extremely well-made, delicious beer.  At Scout, we are very intentional when selecting the brands to build our portfolio.  Societe fits well within our overall strategy to provide top-tier products to our home market of San Diego. This is a huge opportunity for us and we’re thrilled to see where our partnership takes both companies.”

“Societe has always focused on delivering the highest-quality ales and lagers to beer fans while ensuring personal connections and excellent customer service to our retailers,” adds Societe founder and CEO Doug Constantiner. “While we’re extremely proud of how far we’ve taken our brand from a self-distribution standpoint, we also know that meeting the growing demand for Societe’s beer is beyond what we’re capable of executing on our own.  Partnering with Scout—an organization that shares our exuberant drive and sole dedication to San Diego—will allow us to bring more of our beer to the locals who have made Societe all it has become as well as people who have yet to discover us.”

Established in 2018, Scout has quickly built a solid reputation for dedication to freshness and exemplary customer service, amassing a portfolio of distribution clients across different segments of the adult-beverage market. That rapid growth and commitment to going the extra mile were key factors for Societe.

“Scout has come into the market with a different approach to working with their brands,” says Constantiner. “They’re extremely hands-on and take a high level of ownership to ensure their supplier brands’ success. Equally as important, they have quickly earned a reputation for providing excellent customer service to their accounts behind a core group of craft-beer industry veterans respected throughout San Diego, and that was incredibly important to us.”

“One of the biggest competencies we look for in brands is strategic planning. Without strategy, brands can quickly lose their way.  Working with the Societe team will be fantastic as they understand that proactivity and planning with purpose is critical to a brand’s long-term success,” said Scout COO Jeff Hansson.  “Even though Societe has been in the market for several years, they are just getting started, which is exciting for craft-beer fans in San Diego.”

Built on a foundation of extreme quality and freshness at all costs, Societe has garnered tremendous fanfare, winning numerous medals at the World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Festival, and other national and international beer competitions, including the San Diego International Beer Festival (GABF) where it recently garnered more medals (five) than any local operation. Partnering with Scout represents the next chapter in the brewery’s already-impressive lifespan and will allow it to accomplish future goals.

“By partnering with Scout, we’re looking to accelerate Societe’s growth,” says Constantiner.  “Our partnership will help us accomplish this objective while allowing us to focus on what is most important—making the best beer possible.  It’s truly a win-win for both parties.”

Adds Landan, “This is the reason we started Scout.  We set out to work with incredible brands like Societe.  Being part of Societe’s journey and helping their team achieve the goals they have set out for themselves is extremely satisfying.  We’re very much looking forward to the future of this partnership.”

Scout plans to begin distributing Societe beers, including its flagship IPA, The Pupil, and two-time GABF gold-medal-winning session IPA, The Coachman, in early June 2019.  For more information about Societe and its beers, visit www.societebrewing.com. To learn more about Scout, visit www.scoutdist.com.

ABOUT SOCIETE BREWING COMPANY: An independently owned-and-operated production brewery founded in 2012, Societe Brewing Company brews an array of hoppy “Out West” ales, Belgian-inspired and Germanic “Old World” ales and lagers, and dark “Stygian” beers. The brewery also features a 1,500-square-foot, temperature-controlled room housing used wine barrels filled with a maturing stock of barrel-aged and otherwise wild “Feral” ales. Proud to be part of the hotbed of brewing innovation that is San Diego, California, Societe exclusively distributes its beers to bars, restaurants and retailers throughout its home county. Some of its fan-favorite beers include The Pupil San Diego IPA, The Coachman Session IPA, The Heiress Czech Pilsner, The Harlot Belgian Blonde Ale, The Debutante Belgian Amber Ale and The Butcher Imperial Stout. For more information, visit the company’s official website—societebrewing.com—or follow Societe via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@societebrewing).

ABOUT SCOUT DISTRIBUTION: Created by a group of individuals who are committed to building brands in an unconventional way, Scout Distribution is leading with innovation and customer service. With the goal to work with each of their brands individually to achieve their goals; Scout Distribution, where brands come first.  Visit www.scoutdist.com or follow on instagram @scout_dist.

The post Societe Brewing Selects Scout Distribution to Grow its Local Presence appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

• Gold Medal: Societe The Harlot Belgian Blonde Ale, Hybrid Belgian-style Ale
• Gold Medal: Societe The Baroness Helles Lager, European Lager
• Silver Medal: Societe The Highwayman Brett-aged Pale Ale, Brett & Other Sour Beer
• Bronze Medal: Societe The Swindler Barrel-aged Blonde Ale, Brett & Other Sour Beer
• Bronze Medal: Societe The Coachman Session IPA, Session Beer

This was the first win for The Baroness Helles Lager and third win for The Harlot, which earned bronze medals at the SDIBF in 2017 and 2013. Meanwhile, Societe won two out of three medals in the “Brett and Other Sour Beer” category with its Brettanomyces (wild yeast) pale ale, The Highwayman, as well as its blended, red-wine-barrel-aged blonde ale, The Swindler. And a bronze was awarded to The Coachman, which is the reigning best “session IPA” (low-alcohol India pale ale) in the U.S. after taking gold for the second time in four years at the country’s largest and most prestigious brewing competition, the Great American Beer Festival.

Societe’s success puts the brewery in contention for the Best of Show award, which will be announced during the SDIBF. That event is open to the public and will take place from June 14-16 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Tickets may be purchased online ahead of time as well as in-person. Societe’s award-winning beers are available at the company’s tasting room, which is located at 8262 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92111.

ABOUT SOCIETE BREWING COMPANY: An independently owned-and-operated production brewery founded in 2012, Societe Brewing Company brews an array of hoppy “Out West” ales, Belgian-inspired and Germanic “Old World” ales and lagers, and dark “Stygian” beers. The brewery also features a 1,500-square-foot, temperature-controlled room housing used wine barrels filled with a maturing stock of barrel-aged and otherwise wild “Feral” ales. Proud to be part of the hotbed of brewing innovation that is San Diego, California, Societe exclusively distributes its beers to bars, restaurants and retailers throughout its home county. Some of its fan-favorite beers include The Pupil San Diego IPA, The Coachman Session IPA, The Heiress Czech Pilsner, The Harlot Belgian Blonde Ale, The Debutante Belgian Amber Ale and The Butcher Imperial Stout. For more information, visit the company’s official website—societebrewing.com—or follow Societe via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@societebrewing).

The post Societe Brewing Top Local Brewery at San Diego Int’l Beer Fest appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

“The results of last year’s food drive surpassed our wildest hopes,” says Lorah Smith, Societe’s Director of Charitable Giving. “That time around, we mainly focused on a single barrel-aged beer, but this year we’re expanding our discounts to involve all of the bottled, barrel-aged beers we have in stock, including two 2016 vintages and a newly released barrel-aged blonde ale.”

From November 20 through December 31, Societe is lowering the price of all of its $17-$18 barrel-aged beers to just $5 if customers donate 25 pounds of food, translating to one discount bottle for every 25 pounds someone contributes. This deal will be applied to one barrel-aged Societe “Feral” ale per week over the course of the drive (see schedule on following page). Additionally, Societe will once again take $1 off all full-beer orders for patrons who donate any amount of food from the most-needed list the day of their donation. The following is the San Diego Food Bank’s most-needed items list:

• Canned Meats & Tuna
• Canned Soups
• Canned Fruits & Vegetables
• Canned or Dried Beans
• Dry Cereal
• Rice
• Macaroni & Cheese
• Spaghetti
• Infant Formula
• Peanut Butter
• Powdered Milk

“It would be easy to give our egos a boost by pretending our beer is the sole reason we raised more than 11 tons of food last year, but we know that it really came down to the generous spirit of San Diegans who wanted to make a positive difference for our friends and neighbors in need,” says Societe CEO Douglas Constantiner. “It’s about them and their kindness, not us. We just try to provide a fun way to reward people for doing the right thing and lending a hand to folks who can use it. Whether we collect 25,000 pounds this year, or 2,500, the needle will be moved in the right direction…but 25,000 pounds sure would be something!”

To that end, if the total from 2016’s drive is surpassed, Societe will take $1 off all full-beer orders for all customers the entire month of January 2018. The Holiday Food Drive is a cornerstone of Societe Gives Back, the company’s year-round program, which sees it team with monthly charity partners, assist local factions of national campaigns such as Ales for ALS and Pints for Prostates, and assist humanitarian causes in a variety of other ways. Information on Societe Gives Back can be found on the company’s website.

2017 SOCIETE HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE

Time Frame: Monday, November 20 – Sunday, December 31, 2017

Partner: Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank

Incentives:

• $5 Bottles of Barrel-Aged Beers: Every 25 pounds of food contributed entitles donors to purchase one bottle of the Societe Feral ale being offered at a reduced price for that particular week (see schedule at right) for the discounted price of $5 (versus the normal price of $17-$18/bottle).
• $1 Off All Beers for a Day: Food donation of any quantity entitles donors to $1 off all full-beer purchases on date of donation.
• $1 Off All Beers for a Month: If Societe surpasses last year’s donation total of 23,193 pounds of food, it will offer $1 off all full pours to customers for the entire month of January 2018.

Weekly Discounted Feral Ale Schedule:

• November 20-26: The Urchin Feral Ale with Cranberries (2016 vintage, retail price: $18)
• November 27-December 3: The Swindler Feral Blonde Ale (new vintage, retail price: $18)
• December 4-10: The Highbinder Feral Ale with Raspberries (retail price: $17)
• December 11-17: The Thief Feral Ale with Locally Grown Grenache Blanc Grapes (retail price: $18)
• December 18-24: The Highwayman Pale Ale with Brettanomyces (retail price: $17)
• December 25-31: The Savage Feral Dark Ale with Cherries (2016 vintage, retail price: $18)

History: This is Societe’s fifth year partnering with Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. In 2013, Societe’s drive resulted in collection of 263 pounds of food. In 2014, the brewery collected 633 pounds, followed by 4,972 pounds in 2015, and an astonishing 23,193 pounds in 2016. The company was honored with a Community Partner Award and Corporate Partner Award in 2015 and 2016, respectively. In addition to the Holiday Food Drive, Societe employees volunteer their time at the Food Bank’s headquarters in Miramar.

ABOUT SOCIETE BREWING COMPANY: An independently-owned-and-operated production brewery founded by a pair of professional brewers in 2012, Societe Brewing Company produces an array of almost-exclusively draft offerings ranging from hoppy “Out West” ales, to Belgian-inspired and continental “Old World” ales and lagers, and dark “Stygian” beers. The brewery also features a 1,500-square-foot, temperature-controlled room housing used wine barrels filled with a maturing stock of “Feral” (barrel-aged sour) ales. Proud to be part of the hotbed of brewing innovation that is San Diego, California, Societe distributes its beers to finer bars and beer-centric restaurants and retailers throughout its home county. The brewery has earned medals in multiple style categories at the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup and San Diego International Beer Festival competitions, and its multifarious portfolio of beers includes The Pupil and The Apprentice IPAs, The Coachman Really Small IPA, The Statesman Pale Ale, The Harlot Belgian-style Blonde Ale, The Heiress Czech-style Pilsner, The Pugilist Dry Stout and The Butcher Imperial Stout. For more information, visit the company’s official website—www.societebrewing.com—or follow Societe via social media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (@societebrewing).

The post Societe Brewing Aims to Collect Over 23,000 Pounds of Food appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

• THE FIDDLER |  San Diego-style IPA (6.9%): Playing off lyrics from Alabama’s “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas”, brewmaster Travis Smith says, “If you’re gonna brew in San Diego, you gotta have an IPA!” Societe is highly regarded for its lengthy lineage of IPAs, and its latest harnesses the attributes of a trio of hops—Simcoe, Eureka and Idaho 7—to bring something new and unique to its Out West family of hop-driven beers. Those hops were selected through Societe’s single-hop IPA program. 

• THE STATESMAN |  Pale Ale (5.2%): Crafted to bring forth a distinctly West Coast hop profile balanced by substantial yet subtle malt character, this beer is a modern interpretation of an American pale ale and Societe’s first foray into this venerable beer style. 

• THE BACHELOR WITH CASHMERE |  Single-Hop IPA (6.5%): The latest in Societe’s rotating line of IPAs exploring the world’s hop varietals, this beer exclusively utilizes Cashmere hops, a recently developed, en vogue cross between the Cascade and Northern Brewer cultivars. 

• THE DAMSEL | Belgian-style Table Beer (3.7%): This New World take on the lowest-alcohol variety of monastic, European “abbey ales” is crafted to be highly drinkable and light in body, but big on floral and spice character imparted by our house Belgian yeast strain. 

• THE THIEF |  Feral Beer with Locally Grown Grenache Blanc (6.3%): Grenache Blanc grapes harvested from North San Diego County’s Vesper Vineyards lend a brilliant vinous essence to this effervescent, layered and award-winning specialty ale, which is available in bottles for the first time.

The Fiddler, The Statesman, The Bachelorette with Cashmere and The Damsel are available exclusively on draft, while The Thief is also on-sale in corked, caged, 500-millileter bottles. The only place to purchase Societe’s bottled beers is at the brewery’s tasting room, but draft beers will be distributed to notable beer-centric bars and restaurants throughout San Diego County in the very near future.

ABOUT SOCIETE BREWING COMPANY: A production brewery founded by a pair of professional brewers in 2012, Societe Brewing Company produces an array of almost-exclusively draught offerings ranging from hoppy “Out West” ales, to Belgian-inspired and continental “Old World” ales and lagers, and dark “Stygian” beers. The brewery also features a 1,500-square-foot, temperature-controlled room housing used wine barrels filled with a maturing stock of “Feral” (barrel-aged sour) ales, which are bottled and sold in Societe’s tasting room. Proud to be part of the hotbed of brewing innovation that is San Diego, California, Societe distributes its beers to finer bars and beer-centric restaurants and retailers throughout its home-county. The brewery has earned medals in multiple style categories at the Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup and San Diego International Beer Festival competitions, and its multifarious portfolio of year-round beers includes The Pupil and The Apprentice IPAs, The Coachman Really Small IPA, The Harlot Belgian Extra, The Pugilist Dry Stout and The Butcher Imperial Stout. For more information, visit the company’s official website—www.societebrewing.com—or follow Societe via social media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (@societebrewing).

The post Societe Releases Unprecedented FIVE New Beers appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Donating 50 pounds of food to the Societe Holiday Food-Drive between November 21 and December 31 will entitle said donor to purchase a bottle of The Urchin at the discounted price of $5. More importantly, it will result in improved quality of life for those who benefit from the donation as well as happiness and fulfillment that go far beyond beer. As the company has for the past four years, Societe is teaming with The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, which cites the following as its most needed food items:

• Canned Meats & Tuna
• Canned Soups
• Canned Fruits & Vegetables
• Canned Beans
• Dry Cereal
• Rice
• Macaroni & Cheese
• Spaghetti
• Infant Formula
• Peanut Butter
• Powdered Milk

While delivering 50 pounds of the above items will earn the discounted bottle of The Urchin, donations of all sizes and quantities are very much appreciated. Anyone who donates items from the most-needed list at our tasting room will receive $1 off each full beer purchased on the day of delivery.

The newest in Societe’s line of “Feral” (barrel-aged sour) beers, The Urchin is a dry, extremely balanced beer, exhibiting subtle cranberry tartness leveled out by tannins extracted from the wood of the wine barrels in which it matured. The deep crimson ale is light on the palate and finishes with a touch of tinder-box spice.

“Our Feral beers are small-batch, deeply flavorful creations that are highly anticipated by fans of our brewery,” says Societe brewmaster Travis Smith. “We wanted to make the arrival of The Urchin special, using it as a tool to give help back to our community, and we hope connecting it to our food-drive helps boost donations and make a positive impact on families in need of a helping hand.”

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 The Urchin

• Style: Blended barrel-aged ale with cranberries
• Descriptors: Tart, tannic, zesty
• Alcohol-by-volume (ABV): 5.8%
• Ingredients: Water, malt, wheat, cranberries, hops, cultures (Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus)
• Format: 500-milliliter bottles
• Availability: Societe Brewing Tasting Room (8262 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Kearny Mesa, San Diego), from November 21 – December 31, 2016
• Price: $50/bottle –OR– $5/bottle with donation of 50 lbs of food to Societe’s Holiday Food-Drive

Societe Holiday Food Drive

• Time-frame: November 21 – December 31, 2016
• Address: 8262 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Kearny Mesa
• Partner: Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank
• Incentives: Donating 50 lbs of food entitles donor to purchase a bottle of rare-beer, The Urchin, for discounted price of $5 (normal price: $50/bottle). Any food donation entitles donor to $1 off all full-beer purchases on date of donation.
• History: This is Societe’s fourth year of partnering with Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. In 2015, Societe’s drive resulted in the collection of 4,972 pounds of food

About Societe Brewing Company

A production brewery founded by a pair of professional brewers in 2012, Societe Brewing Company produces an array of almost-exclusively draught offerings ranging from hoppy “Out West” ales, to Belgian-inspired and continental “Old World” ales and lagers, and dark “Stygian” ales. The brewery also features a 1,500-square-foot barrel room housing a maturing stock of “Feral” barrel-aged sour ales. Proud to be part of the hotbed of brewing innovation that is San Diego, California, Societe distributes its beers to finer bars and beer-centric restaurants and retailers throughout its home-county, with limited distribution in Central and Northern California. The brewery has earned medals in multiple style-categories at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup competitions, and its multifarious portfolio of year-round beer includes The Pupil and The Apprentice IPAs, The Coachman Really Small IPA, The Harlot Belgian Extra, The Pugilist Dry Stout and The Butcher Imperial Stout. For more information, visit the company’s official website—www.societebrewing.com—or follow Societe via social-media on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (@societebrewing).

The post Societe Brewing Releasing Ultra-Rare, Incredibly Expensive Beer appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (June 30, 2016) — After nearly two years of planning, a permanent monument to the greatest sports-figure in San Diego history is about to open its doors. At 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 9, the official Tony Gwynn Museum will debut to the public at Miramar’s AleSmith Brewing Company. The event was planned to sync with Major League Baseball’s All-Star Weekend festivities, which are taking place in San Diego from July 8-12, to offer baseball fans who will be in town for the corresponding MLB All-Star Game the opportunity to pay homage to one of the sports all-time greatest players, heroes and ambassadors.

Installed in the northwest corner of AleSmith’s tasting room (the largest on the West Coast at 25,000 square feet), the Tony Gwynn Museum will house a rotating stock of more than 300 individual pieces of memorabilia collected by Tony’s widow, Alicia Gwynn, over the course of four-plus decades. To date, these historical items had been stored at the Gwynns’ private residence, but it was important to the family that they be showcased in a public-forum for Tony’s fans to be able to see and appreciate. That was where AleSmith came in.

“We first met the Gwynns in 2014 when Tony asked us to brew him a signature hoppy pale ale,” says AleSmith owner and CEO Peter Zien. “From our first meeting, my wife and I really connected with the Gwynns and, over the following months of designing what would become San Diego Pale Ale .394, we grew into each other’s extended family. When Alicia mentioned she was looking for a site to house a museum to honor the great man shortly after his passing, we felt humbled and privileged to offer up space at our headquarters.”

“Like so many San Diegans, the Ziens have been extremely supportive since Tony’s passing. It brings to light just how much my husband meant to this community, making it so fitting that his life, times and memory will have a permanent home in the heart of San Diego at a place where his fans can pay tribute and remember so many wonderful memories,” says Alicia. “For us, it’s as much about Tony as the people who loved him. The Gwynn family would like to express our most heartfelt gratitude for the incredible love and support our friends and neighbors both near and far have provided us, both when Tony was alive and since his passing. We are so excited to say thank-you in some small way by offering access to Tony’s memorabilia in a permanent home all his own for fans to enjoy for decades to come.”

The exterior of the Tony Gwynn Museum was designed with a stadium aesthetic. Steele girders tower their way to the tasting room’s high-ceiling, connected by glass panes up top and a tiles at the base comprised of bricks (that will be) engraved with the names of Tony Gwynn Museum “Founders” who contributed funds toward this product via a Generosity.com campaign held earlier this year. The names of other Founders will also be engraved on tiles making up an art piece on the museum’s west wall in the shape of Tony’s iconic batting-stance.

The museum’s initial array of memorabilia will offer items spanning Mr. Padre’s entire life, from his childhood to his college days at San Diego State University, to his 20 years with the Friars, to his final days coaching baseball at his alma mater. Those items will be housed in display-cases that will (eventually) be equipped with interactive displays to teach visitors more about San Diego’s favorite son. In the future, memorabilia will be shifted in thematically via exhibits focused on specific portions of Tony’s career (e.g., Chasing 3,000 Hits, The World Series Years, etc.).

Admission to the Tony Gwynn Museum will be free-of-charge, though guests are encouraged to make a donation to the Tony & Alicia Gwynn (TAG) Foundation, a non-profit organization working to assist underprivileged youth in a variety of ways including clothing and food donations, educational and scholarship assistance, and removal of obstacles to career opportunities. The museum will be open the same days and times as AleSmith’s tasting room—11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays. AleSmith Brewing Co. is located at 9990 AleSmith Court (formerly Empire Street), San Diego, CA 92126.

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ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival in 2008. AleSmith is on the verge of celebrating its 21st year in business and recently expanded, moving into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion also included construction of the largest brewery tasting room on the West Coast (25,000 square feet) with an outdoor beer garden, private event space, first-of-its-kind barrel-aged beer-blending bar called Anvil & Stave and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. A second-story indoor-outdoor mezzanine is also scheduled to debut later this year. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, IPA, Nut Brown, X Extra Pale Ale, Wee Heavy Scotch-style Ale and Old Numbskull Barley Wine, is distributed in 24 U.S. states and five countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

ABOUT THE TAG FOUNDATION: The Tony and Alicia Gwynn Foundation was founded as a support, not-for-profit, 501-3C charity in 1995. Since its inception, TAG’s focus has been to assist programs that enhance opportunities for children to become healthy, educated, emotionally stable, productive citizens by providing the best quality education and housing opportunities available. TAG’s reach continues to grow as does the number of ways in which it assists young people, adding to the already sterling legacy of its patriarchal namesake.

The post AleSmith Debuting Official Tony Gwynn Museum appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (June 28, 2016) — Southern California’s AleSmith Brewing Company is pleased to announce a partnership with Las Vegas-based Bonanza Beverage Company to facilitate distribution and sale of its critically acclaimed beers throughout Southern Nevada. Within the next month, AleSmith’s wide selection of European-inspired ales with West Coast flair will be available in The Silver State, a step made possible by the brewery’s recent expansion into a large, state-of-the-art facility capable of producing enough beer to supply territories further removed from its home region.

“Gone are the days when ubiquitous adjunct-lagers were all visitors to Las Vegas and other Nevada locales could expect. Craft beer has found its way from the glitz of The Strip to everyday communities throughout The Silver State, and we’re proud to add our family of ales to the mix,” says AleSmith director of national sales James Valles. “Having expanded to meet demand and be able to produce plenty of beer to ship to Nevada, the only thing left to do was find the perfect partner to uphold our quality standards, and we know we’ve found just such a teammate in Bonanza Beverage.”

“We could not be any happier to bring more of the great craft beers from San Diego into Las Vegas,” says Bonanza Beverage craft director, Russell Gardner. “With the award-winning beers of AleSmith added to the Southern Nevada marketplace, we hope to grow and expand craft’s reach throughout the state.”

Beer-fans can look forward to the arrival of core six-pack offerings such as AleSmith IPA, AleSmith Nut Brown and AleSmith Lil’ Devil Belgian-style Pale Ale. Numerous other year-round, specialty and seasonal beers will also make their way to Southern Nevada on a regular basis, beginning with spring-summer release AleSmith Double IPA, the quartet of high-gravity beers comprising the 2016 Vintage Series—including AleSmith Decadence Ale, an imperial California common ale debuting in July in celebration of the company’s 21st anniversary—and variations of the world-renowned, coffee-infused AleSmith Speedway Stout. For more information on AleSmith and its line of beers, consult its official website, www.alesmith.com.

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ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival in 2008. AleSmith is on the verge of celebrating its 21st year in business and recently expanded, moving into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion also included construction of the largest brewery tasting room on the West Coast (25,000 square feet) with an outdoor beer garden, private event space and a first-of-its-kind barrel-aged beer-blending bar called Anvil & Stave. A second-story indoor-outdoor mezzanine and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn are also scheduled to debut later this year. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, IPA, Nut Brown, X Extra Pale Ale, Wee Heavy Scotch-style Ale and Old Numbskull Barley Wine, is distributed in 24 U.S. states and five countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

ABOUT BONANZA BEVERAGE COMPANY: Bonanza Beverage Company is a family-owned and operated business opened in 1957 by William Cosulas to service the, at the time, small Las Vegas area, beginning with flagship brand, Burgermeister. In the early 1960s, Hamm’s and Olympia came on-board as some of the biggest beers to hit the West Coast. In 1966, Miller joined the team and Bonanza became the largest Miller distributor west of Texas throughout the 1970s. Bonanza’s portfolio grew over the years to include Boston Beer, Deschutes, Lagunitas, Modern Times, Stone and many other beverage brands. Currently run and managed by William’s son, Bill Gialketsis, Bonanza continues to pride itself on core standards of performance, respect, integrity, development and excellence. For more information about Bonanza, consult our website—http://www.bonanzabev.com.

The post AleSmith Brewing to Distribute Beer Throughout Nevada appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (June 22, 2016) — In a day and age where San Diego County is home to roughly 130 breweries and there are well over 4,000 craft-breweries in the U.S. alone, it’s extremely rare to come across something that doesn’t exist anywhere else on the planet. Yet, that’s just what Miramar-based AleSmith Brewing Company—the reigning second-best brewery in the world (according to RateBeer.com users) and champion brewery of the year (according to judges at the San Diego International Beer Festival)—will provide guests at the latest addition to its tasting room, Anvil & Stave: A Barrel-Aged Beer Experience.

Debuting to the public at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 25, Anvil & Stave is a one-of-a-kind, stand-alone bar within AleSmith’s tasting room, where a variety of the brewery’s barrel-aged beers will be served seven-days-a-week during normal operating hours. This in itself is not unique, as a number of breweries offer oak-matured ales and lagers, but unlike anywhere else in the world, visitors to Anvil & Stave will have the ability to create their own barrel-aged beer blends.

Many are under the impression that barrel-aged beers are simply funneled into a single-barrel, then funneled back out after they have taken on wood character. In actuality, most barrel-aged bottles contain a mixture of beers from multiple barrels blended together at optimal ratios to craft a finished product exhibiting maximum flavor, aroma and texture. Blending is an art-form and Anvil & Stave will provide the uninitiated a fun, delicious opportunity to see what a crucial step it is in forging something special.

“Whether visitors to Anvil & Stave are blending multiple vintages of the same type of beer, the fresh and aged versions of a single ale, or two different kinds of beers altogether, they will be able to gain a deeper appreciation of all that goes into creating exceptional offerings, while gaining an appreciation for all that beer can be,” says AleSmith owner, CEO and brewmaster Peter Zien. “The sky really is the limit with barrel-aged beers. They represent the next level where craft-beer is concerned, and we’re happy to bring our fans in on the action and provide them the chance to get a behind-the-scenes type of experience with this latest edition to our tasting room.”

Anvil & Stave is installed in an intimate, enclosed structure in the northeast corner of AleSmith’s tasting room (which is the largest of any brewery tasting-room on the entire West Coast…and still growing with the upcoming July unveiling of the official Tony Gwynn Museum and future construction of an indoor-outdoor mezzanine). The venue’s façade adds rusticity care of reclaimed wood slats, while the interior features a mix of planks and brick offset by steel countertops, luxurious vintage furniture, ornate accessories, plant-life, hard-bound books and black-and-white photos in antique frames. Beers pour forth from taps protruding from barrel-tops in a classily dim-lit atmosphere that conveys the gravity and significance of these enlightened quaffs.

The beers offered at Anvil & Stave will come from AleSmith’s varied stock of 500-plus oak barrels. Among other things, those vessels have previously housed a variety of wines (white, red, Port), whiskies (bourbon, rye, Scotch) and other spirits (brandy, Cognac, tequila, gin). Some of the high-gravity AleSmith beers sequestered in wood include Speedway Stout, Old Numbskull Barleywine, Wee Heavy Scotch-style Ale, Private Stock Imperial English-style Ale, Grand Cru Belgian-style Dark Strong Ale, various vintages of Decadence Anniversary Ale and an imperial porter brewed specifically for aging. There is no end to the number of quality barrel-aged beers that will be offered via Anvil & Stave’s taps, nor the endless combinations that will spring forth from the imaginations of beer-enthusiasts frequenting this truly unique venue.

AleSmith Brewing Company is located at 9990 AleSmith Court (formerly Empire Street) in San Diego’s Miramar community. The brewery’s tasting room is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is on the verge of celebrating its 21st year in business and recently expanded, moving into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion also included construction of the largest brewery tasting room on the West Coast (25,000 square feet) with an outdoor beer garden that will soon be joined by a second-story indoor-outdoor mezzanine, private rooms and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, IPA, Nut Brown Ale, X Extra Pale Ale and Old Numbskull Barley Wine, is distributed in 23 U.S. states and five countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

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San Diego, California (June 16, 2016) — Southern California’s AleSmith Brewing Company is pleased to announce a pair of recent partnerships with Kalamazoo-based Imperial Beverage and Orion Charter Township’s Powers Distributing to launch sale of its critically acclaimed beers throughout Michigan. Within the next month, AleSmith’s diverse collection of ales will be available in 50 counties throughout The Wolverine State, a step made possible by the brewery’s recent expansion into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewing facility capable of producing enough beer to supply territories it has heretofore been unable to service.

“While there is no shortage of new beers being sold in Michigan in recent years, it is still a rare and exciting occurrence when a world-renowned brewery with over two decades of experience and history decides to come to our state,” says Imperial Beverage brand manager, Brice Dowling. “Few brewers can match AleSmith’s track-record in producing consistently amazing beers, as the accolades over the past 20 years have proven. Now, we are thrilled to present this rich history of liquid excellence to our customers and beer-lovers across Michigan.”

“There are exciting things happening on the craft-beer front all throughout Michigan. We’ve known for a long time that it’s someplace our beers need to be and we are delighted to be able to make them a part of the equation for beer-enthusiasts throughout the state,” says AleSmith director of national sales James Valles. “We’re ecstatic over the new bonds we’ve formed with Imperial Beverage and Powers Distributing to cover the majority of this expansive state, and are certain they will uphold our principles of quality, freshness and customer-service.”

“AleSmith is a fantastic brewery that we have been seeking out for years,” says Powers Distributing co-president Robert Powers. “We can’t wait for consumers in Oakland and Macomb counties to discover their award-winning beers.”

Beer-fans can look forward to the arrival of core six-pack offerings such as AleSmith IPA, AleSmith Nut Brown and AleSmith Lil’ Devil Belgian-style Pale Ale. Numerous other year-round, specialty and seasonal beers will also make their way to Michigan on a regular basis, beginning with spring-summer release AleSmith Double IPA, the quartet of high-gravity beers comprising the 2016 Vintage Series—including AleSmith Decadence Ale, an imperial California common ale debuting in July in celebration of the company’s 21st anniversary—and variations of the world-renowned, coffee-infused AleSmith Speedway Stout. For more information on AleSmith and its line of beers, consult its official website, www.alesmith.com.

ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is on the verge of celebrating its 21st year in business and recently expanded, moving into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion also included construction of the largest brewery tasting room on the West Coast (25,000 square feet) with an outdoor beer garden that will soon be joined by a second-story indoor-outdoor mezzanine, private rooms and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, IPA, Nut Brown Ale, X Extra Pale Ale and Old Numbskull Barley Wine, is distributed in 23 U.S. states and five countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

ABOUT IMPERIAL BEVERAGE: Imperial Beverage is a long-standing member of the Michigan beverage-distribution community. Established in 1933 after the repeal of Prohibition and purchased by Kalamazoo’s Cekola family in 1984, Imperial has grown from a one-county beer distributor to a top-ten statewide beer and wine wholesaler. With 315 employees and three locations in Kalamazoo, Livonia and Traverse City, Imperial provides statewide coverage that serves every Michigan county, every week, all year long. Our knowledgeable staff works with our customers to fulfill our passion statement “Helping people succeed,” by building profit and identity in their restaurants and retail locations through the selection of craft beers, fine wines, ciders, sodas and mixers from our diverse portfolio. For more information on Imperial, consult our website—http://www.imperialbeverage.com.

ABOUT POWERS DISTRIBUTING: Powers Distributing was started in 1939, and is currently owned and operated by Robert and Gerald Powers. Powers Distributing is located in Orion, Michigan and services Oakland and Macomb counties. The company currently has more than 250 employees managing 43 different supplier relationships. Powers Distributing was named Craft Beer Distributor of the Year in 2011 by the National Beer Wholesalers Association/Brewers Association and the 2014 Beer Wholesaler of the Year by Beverage World Magazine. For more information about Powers Distributing, please visit http://www.powersdistributing.com.

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San Diego, California (May 23, 2016) — Southern California’s AleSmith Brewing Company is pleased to announce the finalization of a partnership with Whitehouse Station-based Hunterdon Distributing to launch sale of its critically acclaimed beers in New Jersey. By the end of May, AleSmith’s liquid wares will be available throughout The Garden State, a step made possible by the brewery’s recent expansion into a large, state-of-the-art facility capable of producing enough beer to supply territories further removed from its home region.

“Hunterdon is very pleased to announce that we are partnering with AleSmith to bring their award-winning portfolio to New Jersey,” says Robert Hodson, corporate brand manager for The Sheehan Family Companies, Hunterdon’s parent-corporation. “Both of our companies were founded 20 years ago, and share the same passion and commitment to bringing end-consumers world-class beer. Hunterdon has been patiently waiting for AleSmith to build enough capacity to come to The Garden State, and now the wait is over.”

“It’s been a longtime goal of ours to have our beers distributed in New Jersey,” says AleSmith director of national sales James Valles. “The state’s beer-scene is vibrant and ever-growing, and we feel the wide variety of European-inspired ales we’ve built a solid name behind will fit right in and provide a wealth of new options to New Jersey brew enthusiasts.”

Beer-fans can look forward to the arrival of core six-pack offerings such as AleSmith IPA, AleSmith Nut Brown and AleSmith Lil’ Devil Belgian-style Pale Ale. Numerous other year-round, specialty and seasonal beers will also make their way to New Jersey on a regular basis, beginning with spring-summer release AleSmith Double IPA, the quartet of high-gravity beers comprising the 2016 Vintage Series and variations of the world-renowned, coffee-infused AleSmith Speedway Stout. For more information on AleSmith and its line of beers, consult its official website, www.alesmith.com.

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ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is on the verge of celebrating its 21st year in business and recently expanded, moving into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion also included construction of the largest brewery tasting room on the West Coast (25,000 square feet) with an outdoor beer garden that will soon be joined by a second-story indoor-outdoor mezzanine, private rooms and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, IPA, Nut Brown Ale, X Extra Pale Ale and Old Numbskull Barley Wine, is distributed in 21 U.S. states and five countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

ABOUT HUNTERDON DISTRIBUTING: Founded in 1996, Hunterdon has raised the bar for craft-beverage availability and selection in New Jersey by providing the most diverse and sought-after portfolio the market has to offer. The company currently represents over 70 domestic craft-beer and micro-distilled spirits brands, hundreds of imports and a unique line of sakes, ciders, wines and meads. Acquired by the Sheehan Family Companies in 2005, Hunterdon maintains a focus on bringing quality products to the New Jersey consumer. To learn more about Hunterdon, please visit—www.hunterdonbrewing.com.

The post AleSmith Brewing to Begin Distributing Beer in New Jersey appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (April 16, 2016) — Several months after first launching distribution of its beers in Texas, Southern California-based AleSmith Brewing Company has signed with Ben E. Keith Company to increase its network within the Lone Star State. Starting in June, AleSmith’s beers will be available in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Galveston and these locales’ surrounding areas. When added to AleSmith’s existing distribution footprint in and around the Dallas/Fort Worth and Southern Texas regions, this represents a near-blanketing of the country’s largest continental state.

“We are excited to partner with AleSmith and are eager to begin distributing their world-class craft beers in Texas,” says John Ray, Ben E. Keith Company’s Specialty National Accounts Manager for Texas.

“Texas has long been at the top of our list for increased distribution,” says AleSmith Director of National Sales James Valles. “We want our beers to be available in places where the interest in and fervor for craft is at its highest, and Texas certainly fits the bill in those respects. It’s a thrill to know that almost anywhere craft-beer fans go within the state, our beer will be fresh, ready and waiting for them.”

Beer enthusiasts in the aforementioned areas can look forward to the arrival of core six-pack offerings such as AleSmith IPA, AleSmith Nut Brown English-style Ale and AleSmith Lil’ Devil Belgian-style Pale Ale. Numerous other year-round, specialty and seasonal beers will also make their way to Texas on a regular basis, beginning with spring-summer release AleSmith Double IPA, the quartet of high-gravity beers comprising the 2016 Vintage Series and variations of the world-renowned coffee-infused imperial stout, AleSmith Speedway Stout. For more information on AleSmith and its line of beers, consult its official website, www.alesmith.com.

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ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is on the verge of celebrating its 21st year in business and recently expanded, moving into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion also included construction of the largest brewery tasting room on the West Coast (25,000 square feet) with an outdoor beer garden that will soon be joined by a second-story indoor-outdoor mezzanine, private rooms and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, IPA, Nut Brown Ale, X Extra Pale Ale and Old Numbskull Barley Wine, is distributed in 20 U.S. states and five countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

ABOUT BEN E. KEITH COMPANY: Ben E. Keith Company, established in 1906, began selling Anheuser-Busch products in 1933. Today, Ben E. Keith Company’s Beverage division is the third-largest independent beer wholesaler in the country. The company also distributes import beers, craft beers, wine products and non-alcoholic beverages. With 14 Sales and Distribution Centers in Texas, including Abilene, Austin, Brownwood, Commerce, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Kerrville, Llano, Palestine, San Antonio and Waco, the company operates throughout the state of Texas. For more information, please visit http://www.benekeith.com/beverage. Follow us on Facebook (@BenEKeith) or Twitter (@BenEKeith_Bevs)

The post AleSmith Teams with Ben E. Keith to Distribute Beer in Texas appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (May 9, 2016) — Last week, in the span of several hours, AleSmith Brewing Company received a bounty of good news and validation for multiple members of its wide-ranging family of beers. The morning of May 6, the organizers of Southern California’s largest annual brewing competition, the San Diego International Beer Festival, announced AleSmith had repeated as Champion Brewery for the second straight year. That same evening, winners were unveiled at the 2016 World Beer Cup—a biennial competition that is the brewing equivalent of the Olympics—and AleSmith’s venerable Wee Heavy earned a silver medal in the Scotch Ale category. Recognition of any type at either competition is significant, but to do so well at both represents a major accomplishment AleSmith and its brewing team are extremely proud of and humbled by.

“The news of these recent competition awards makes me so incredibly proud of my dedicated crew,” says AleSmith CEO and brewmaster Peter Zien. “The AleSmith team works so hard to ensure that our beers are brewed to the highest level of quality, so it’s great to see the team receive accolades from their peers. We are always grateful to garner mentions among such a strong and ever-growing field of fellow craft brewers, and will continue to press ourselves to deliver the finest craft-beer to our valued customers.”

Celebrating its tenth year, the 2016 San Diego International Beer Festival featured 1,374 entries (up 44% from 2015) from 254 participating breweries hailing from 14 countries. The Champion Brewery award is bestowed on the brewing company that accumulates the most points earned via medal wins in individual beer-style categories. Four of AleSmith’s beers contributed to the win. Nut Brown English-style brown ale took gold, Horny Devil Belgian-style strong golden ale and Olde Ale imperial English-style ale (renamed to Private Stock Ale earlier this year) won silver, and Old Numbskull American-style barleywine garnered a bronze. All of those beers will be available to sample at the three-day San Diego International Beer Festival (which attracted more than 10,000 eventgoers in 2015), taking place June 17-19 as part of the San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

With an astounding 6.596 beers from 1,907 breweries representing 55 countries (a 38.5% increase from 2014), the World Beer Cup is the planet’s largest professional brewing competition. Entries falling into 96 beer-style categories were judged by an elite international panel of 253 judges from 31 countries. The average number of beers entered per-category was 69. That, coupled with the fact that only 22 breweries in the world managed to earn more than one award, shows just how competitive World Beer Cup is. Of the aforementioned 1,907 breweries, just 225 earned medals. The Scotch Ale category featured 70 entries, including numerous beers from Scottish and UK breweries, making it all the more impressive that AleSmith, an American outfit aiming to pay homage to this Scottish style, took silver for its tribute. In 2010, AleSmith Wee Heavy won gold at the World Beer Cup. The beer’s extended list of accolades includes gold, silver and bronze medals at the US’ largest annual beer competition, the Great American Beer Festival, plus gold and silver wins at the San Diego International Beer Festival in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

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BEER AVAILABILITY

AleSmith Nut Brown

Style: English-style Brown Ale | Alcohol-by-Volume: 5%

Availability: Year-round and nationwide in 22-ounce bottles, 12-ounce bottle six-packs and on draft

AleSmith Horny Devil

Style: Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale | Alcohol-by-Volume: 10%

Availability: Year-round and nationwide in 750-milliliter bottles and on draft

AleSmith Olde Ale / Private Stock Ale

Style: Imperial English-style Ale | Alcohol-by-Volume: 11%

Availability: Each spring nationwide in 750-milliliter bottles and on draft as part of AleSmith’s Vintage Series of specialty beers suitable for extended cellaring

AleSmith Old Numbskull

Style: American-style Barleywine | Alcohol-by-Volume: 11%

Availability: Year-round and nationwide in 750-milliliter bottles and on draft

AleSmith Wee Heavy

Style: Scotch-style Ale | Alcohol-by-Volume: 10%

Availability: Year-round and nationwide in 750-milliliter bottles and on draft (NOTE: This beer will be shifted to a winter seasonal later this year and made part of AleSmith’s Vintage Series of specialty beers suitable for extended cellaring)

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ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is on the verge of celebrating its 21st year in business and recently expanded, moving into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion also included construction of the largest brewery tasting room on the West Coast (25,000 square feet) with an outdoor beer garden that will soon be joined by a second-story indoor-outdoor mezzanine, private rooms and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, IPA, Nut Brown Ale, X Extra Pale Ale and Old Numbskull Barley Wine, is distributed in 20 U.S. states and five countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

The post AleSmith named Champion Brewery & WBC winner on the same day appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (April 4, 2016) — At AleSmith Brewing Company, art and craft-beer go hand-in-hand. It’s the brewer’s art that has birthed so many world-class, award-winning ales for the San Diego-based brewery. This spring, AleSmith will provide a variety of blank canvasses for its fans to express their creativity with a pair of unique art initiatives taking place online and at the company’s tasting room, starting with the Evil Dead Red Ale Bottle Art Contest followed by a Wall-to-Wall Tasting Room Art Takeover.

Evil Dead Red Ale has been a vastly popular autumn seasonal for AleSmith dating back to 1998. It will continue to harken the arrival of fall with its intense hop aromas and caramely malt backbone, but this year each 22-ounce bottle will bear original artwork. What will the design look like? That’s up to the artists at-large who submit their concepts to AleSmith, where all entries will be judged to determine the label that best suits this eerily delicious beer celebrating All Hallows’ Eve and the undead.

“With zombies and walkers being so en vogue these days, we expect to be overrun with stunning, bottle-worthy submissions like delectably plump survivors of the apocalypse cornered by a mob of flesh-seeking, reanimated corpses,” says AleSmith Marketing Manager Brandon Hernández. “We’ve shared our art for brewing with fans for 20 years, so it’s exciting to turn the tables and allow AleSmith enthusiasts to share their art with us.”

Artists may submit as many entries as they like to creative@alesmith.com from April 8 to May 9. The criteria for all entries is as follows. Each design must:

• Be produced using Adobe Illustrator and submitted in an Adobe PDF file no larger than 3MB
• Fit on the front of the bottle in an area three (3) inches wide by three-and-a-half (3½) inches tall
• Include the beer name “Evil Dead Red Ale” or “Evil Dead Red”
• Consist of exactly two (2) colors matching the beer’s existing red-and-gray color scheme
• Be free of inappropriate language, vulgarity or unsavory imagery

The winning entry and artist will be announced during American Craft Beer Week (May 16-22). The winning artist’s name and signature will be included on the bottle and the winner will receive a case of AleSmith Evil Dead Red Ale to show off to friends and family, use as decorations for their private studios or donate to the Smithsonian.

Back at AleSmith’s Tasting Room (9990 AleSmith Court—formerly Empire Street, San Diego, CA), temporary walls have been erected to shield customers from construction of the official Tony Gwynn Museum, a memorial paying tribute to the Major League Baseball Hall of Famer. Fans are invited to sign-up to anoint a section of the temporary wall with unique artwork to help spruce up the sampling space until the museum opens this summer. Again, the only limitations are those of appropriateness, so AleSmith staff will need to be briefed on what the artist intends to design before it becomes a reality, but such a boundless opportunity for expression hasn’t existed since you were left unsupervised with a white wall and a full box of crayons. Cheers to art and the brewer’s art colliding in such fun and public ways!

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AleSmith Evil Dead Red Ale Bottle Art Contest

Submission Period: April 8-May 9, 2016

Winner Announcement: During American Craft Beer Week, May 16-22, 2016

Rules & Specifications

• Submit all entries to creative@alesmith.com
• Artists may submit as many entries as they like
• All entries must be produced using Adobe Illustrator and submitted in an Adobe PDF file no larger than 3MB
• All entries must fit on the front of the bottle in an area three (3) inches wide by three-and-a-half (3½) inches tall (see diagram at right)
• All entries must include the beer name “Evil Dead Red Ale” or “Evil Dead Red”
• All entries must consist of exactly two (2) colors matching the beer’s existing red-and-gray color scheme
• All entries must be free of inappropriate language, vulgarity or unsavory imagery (AleSmith will determine what fits within its appropriateness guidelines)
• By submitting artwork, participants acknowledge that their design instantly becomes the property of AleSmith Brewing Company, which reserves the right to share submitted artwork via social media and other public communication platforms in relation to this competition. No form of compensation beyond the grand prize (a case of AleSmith Evil Dead Red Ale bottles with the winner’s name and signature printed on them) will be provided to the winner or any other participant.

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ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is on the verge of celebrating its 21st year in business and recently expanded, moving into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion also included constructive of the largest brewery tasting room on the West Coast (25,000 square feet) with an outdoor beer garden that will soon be joined by a second-story indoor-outdoor mezzanine, private rooms and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers is distributed in 20 U.S. states and five countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

The post AleSmith Soliciting Fan-Art for Bottles and Tasting Room appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (February 25, 2016) — A large increase in capacity following expansion into a much larger brewing facility is allowing award-winning AleSmith Brewing Company (which was just named California’s best brewery and second-best brewery in the world by RateBeer.com users) to roll out more specialty beers in 2016 than during any year prior. The first two, AleSmith Hammerhead Speedway Stout and Port Barrel-Aged Wee Heavy—will go on sale at 11 a.m. PST on Monday, February 29, via online platform, Eventbrite. Though the number of releases will increase in 2016, each specialty release remains small-batch in nature, making these beers extremely limited-edition in nature.

Mirroring the coffee-house espresso-drink of the same name, Hammerhead Speedway Stout is a version of AleSmith’s world-renowned coffee imperial stout dosed with even more select java plus a heaping helping of espresso. This highly caffeinated one-off was first brewed on an experimental basis as part of AleSmith’s popular Speedway Grand Prix event during the 2013 edition of San Diego Beer Week. Introduced along with 11 other special versions of Speedway Stout, it was an instant classic and the all-around favorite of AleSmith fans. As such, we are immensely proud to bottle it for the very first time as the first in a family of future releases that will eventually tackle the beer’s much beloved offspring, Double Hammerhead Speedway Stout and, for the most insatiable Joe enthusiasts, Triple Hammerhead Speedway Stout.

On the oak-aged side of our first 2016 release duo is Port Barrel-Aged Wee Heavy. We started with our archetypal Scotch-style ale, siphoning it into second-use Port wine barrels, where it sat for a prolonged period of time, picking up some of the dried fruit, grape must, vanilla and tannins imparted in those oak vessels during their winery tenure. The result is a rich, multi-layered beer unlike any other that will be available in extremely limited quantities. It is so rare that, other than bottles, the only place to sample it will be AleSmith’s tasting room (9990 AleSmith Court—formerly Empire Street) in San Diego’s Miramar community, beginning with an official release event for Port Barrel-Aged Wee Heavy and Hammerhead Speedway Stout on Saturday, March 5, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. PST.

QUICK BEER FACTS

AleSmith Hammerhead Speedway Stout

• Style: Coffee Imperial Stout with Espresso
• Alcohol-by-Volume: 12%
• Packaging: Draft & 750-milliliter bottles
• Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, CT, IL, MA, ME, MN, NC, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, VA, VT, WA & WI

AleSmith Port Barrel-Aged Wee Heavy

• Style: Port Wine Barrel-Aged Scotch-Style Ale
• Alcohol-by-Volume: 10%
• Packaging: Draft & 750-milliliter bottles
• Distribution: Online Bottle Sales via Eventbrite and AleSmith Tasting Room ONLY

Both beers will be available at the following URL beginning 11 a.m. PST, Monday, February 29: http://hammerheadport.eventbrite.com

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ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is on the verge of celebrating its 21st year in business and recently expanded, moving into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion also included construction of the largest brewery tasting room on the West Coast (25,000 square feet) with an outdoor beer garden that will soon be joined by a second-story indoor-outdoor mezzanine, private rooms and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, IPA, San Diego Pale Ale .394, Nut Brown and Old Numbskull Barleywine, is distributed in 20 U.S. states and five countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

The post AleSmith Releasing Hammerhead Speedway Stout & Port Barrel-Aged Wee Heavy appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Tony and Alicia Gwynn’s non-profit organization embarking on multi-tiered fundraising program to construct shrine to Tony Gwynn in time for the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

San Diego, California (February 3, 2016) — This month marks the beginning of a multi-tiered fundraising initiative by the Tony and Alicia Gwynn (TAG) Foundation to construct an enduring shrine to one of San Diego’s and Major League Baseball’s all-time greatest players, ambassadors, humanitarians and all-around heroes in the form of the Tony Gwynn Museum. Stocked with more than 300 pieces of memorabilia spanning “Mr. Padre’s” Little League years, playing and coaching tenures at San Diego State University, and an entire Hall of Fame career spent with the San Diego Padres, the museum is currently under construction with a projected debut date preceding the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which will take place in America’s Finest City in July.

The future site of the museum will be inside AleSmith Brewing Co. at 9990 AleSmith Court (formerly Empire Street) in San Diego’s Miramar area. AleSmith owners Peter and Vicky Zien first met the Gwynns in 2014 when collaborating to brew a special beer per Tony’s specifications—San Diego Pale Ale .394. Since then, the Gwynns have grown into an extended part of the AleSmith family. When Alicia mentioned the idea of erecting a monument to house mementos from Tony’s playing days, the Ziens immediately volunteered 5,000 square feet of space at their facility. Architects were consulted, designs were drawn and finalized, and now, work is underway to bring the Tony Gwynn Museum to life.

“Like so many San Diegans, the Ziens have been extremely supportive since Tony’s passing. It brings to light just how much my husband meant to this community, making it so fitting that his life, times and memory will have a permanent home in the heart of San Diego at a place where his fans can pay tribute and remember so many wonderful memories,” said Alicia Gwynn. “For us, it’s as much about Tony as the people who loved him, and we’ve come up with opportunities for his fans to be a part of the museum in meaningful, lasting ways.”

Fans will provide the foundation of this project, literally. Similar to Tony Gwynn’s statue at the San Diego Padres’ home stadium, Petco Park, supporters will have the opportunity to purchase bricks with their names engraved on them. Those bricks will then be laid as the permanent flooring within the museum. Additionally, an artistic, mosaic-style silhouette of Tony in his iconic batting stance will grace the west wall of the museum. Each tile within the mosaic will be engraved with the names of project supporters. Both bricks and tiles will be available for purchase beginning Tuesday, February 16 as part of an online crowdfunding campaign taking place on Indiegogo’s new non-profit-based platform, Generosity. The latter will allow fans to contribute funds to the museum project in return for rewards at different levels, including a special-edition Tony Gwynn baseball card from Topps, a variety of exclusive apparel items indicating “founder” status for campaign participants, hard-hat tours of the museum during construction, admission to the completed museum ahead of the public, the aforementioned bricks and tiles, and more. (A full list of campaign rewards is included at the end of this release.)

A special Museum Christening Event will take place, Friday, February 19, from 4 to 10 p.m. at AleSmith’s tasting room. The event is free and will feature speeches from Alicia Gwynn and Tony Gwynn, Jr., special Tony Gwynn memorabilia, special-edition AleSmith beers, food from the Gwynn Gourmet truck and more.

Saturday, June 18 will welcome the second annual Mr. Padre 5.5K. Scheduled each year on Father’s Day weekend, this event starts and ends at AleSmith. The route has yet to be determined, but will guide participants through the backroads of the Miramar area before providing a suds-soaked post-race rally with plenty of San Diego Pale Ale .394 for all to enjoy. Last year’s inaugural Mr. Padre 5.5K featured more than 500 runners and this year’s event is expected to involve even more participants while providing a number of added fun features. Interested parties will be able to register to take part in the Mr. Padre 5.5K online beginning in April.

One hundred percent of proceeds from all of the aforementioned activities will be contributed to the construction of the Tony Gwynn Museum and the expedited schedule necessary to ensure it is open in time for baseball fans from far and wide to visit and enjoy this brick-and-mortar tribute to one of the game’s most universally beloved figures while they are in San Diego for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Any funds raised exceeding the amount necessary for the museum project will be contributed to the TAG Foundation.

“The Gwynn family would like to express our most heartfelt gratitude for the incredible love and support our friends and neighbors both near and far have provided us, both when Tony was alive and since his passing,” said Alicia Gwynn. “It meant the world to my husband and all of us, and we are so excited to say thank-you in some small way by offering access to Tony’s memorabilia in a permanent home all his own for fans to see and appreciate for decades to come.”

CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN REWARDS

• Personalized Founders Bricks: Bricks laid in and around the museum will have the names of founders engraved upon them as permanent testaments to Mr. Padre.
• Personalized Mosaic Tiles: Each tile in a mosaic silhouette of Tony Gwynn will be engraved with the names of founders.
• Founders Navy Sandlot Tee or Tank-Top: Fans can show off their support for the Tony Gwynn Museum with either of these commemorative apparel items.
• Founders Vintage Brown Tee or Tank-Top: Fans can “bring back the brown” while showing their support of the Tony Gwynn Museum with this pair of throwback-style apparel items.
• Tony Gwynn Baseball Card: A special-edition Topps baseball card chronicling Tony Gwynn’s career stats will be produced for this campaign. The option to have it signed by the Gwynn family will also be offered.
• AleSmith Priority Package: Fans of AleSmith will have the opportunity to purchase specialty beers early and pick them up a day ahead of the public through all of 2016.
• Museum First-Look Package: Fans can be first to see the Tony Gwynn Museum through a pair of exclusive events—a hard-hat tour led by Alicia Gwynn and a private unveiling party with the Gwynns.

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ABOUT THE TAG FOUNDATION: The Tony and Alicia Gwynn Foundation was founded as a support, notfor-profit, 501-3C charity in 1995. Since its inception, TAG’s focus has been to assist programs that enhance opportunities for children to become healthy, educated, emotionally stable, productive citizens by providing the best quality education and housing opportunities available. TAG’s reach continues to grow as does the number of ways in which it assists young people, adding to the already sterling legacy of its patriarchal namesake.

The post AleSmith to Construct Official Tony Gwynn Museum appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

AleSmith was founded in 1995 in a small, single-unit space in the commercial district of Miramar, San Diego and packed to the gills with a 15-barrel brew system, tasting bar, office and small-but-formidable three-man team. Today, the AleSmith team comprises more than 70 passionate members crafting an expansive portfolio of artisanal beers from a 105,000-square-foot facility equipped with a state-of-the-art 80-barrel brewhouse that will eventually produce 250,000 barrels annually.

The brewery has won a variety of industry awards for their beers and brewing practices. Most notably, AleSmith was named Small Brewing Company and Brewer of the Year at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival, and #1 Best Brewery in the World and #1 Brewery in California based on consumer reviews via RateBeer.com in 2014. AleSmith has also amassed 17 GABF medals and nine World Beer Cup medals over its 20-year history.

Bob Sullivan, Andrews vice president of craft brand building, said the award-winning brewery will be warmly welcomed by beer enthusiasts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“In our efforts to continue offering North Texas world-class beers, we are thrilled that AleSmith’s new San Diego brewery will provide capacity for Andrews to bring one of the highest-rated portfolios of American craft beers to the Metroplex’s beer enthusiasts,” Sullivan said.

James Valles, AleSmith sales director, said his team looks forward to joining the rapidly growing Texas craft beer market.

“Texas’ craft beer scene is growing at an impressive pace. We are eager to add our beer to the equation and are extremely excited to partner with Andrews Distributing’s knowledgeable craft beer team,” Valles said. “Andrews’ great reputation and commitment to exceptional service makes us confident in entrusting our brands to them in the Lone Star State.”

Andrews plans to launch the AleSmith portfolio January 18, 2016 in DFW. The first brands to enter the market will be AleSmith’s IPA, Nut Brown, Lil’ Devil and Speedway Stout, plus seasonal and limited-release beers in both package and draft.

For additional information about AleSmith and their portfolio, please visit www.AleSmith.com.

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Andrews Distributing Co. is one of the nation’s largest beer distributors with facilities in Dallas, Allen, Fort Worth and Corpus Christi. Andrews Distributing’s home office is located in Dallas, Texas. Andrews Distributing represents 39 brewing partners, more than 300 brands, and 1,400 proud team members.

For information about Andrews visit www.andrewsdistributing.com.

The post Andrews Distributing Announces Partnership with Alesmith Brewing Company appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (December 8, 2015) — Two world-renowned brewing interests are proud to announce the launch of a creative partnership that will result in the planet’s most famous gypsy brewer acquiring a brick-and-mortar brewery to call his own. Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, the founder and creative mind behind Denmark-based Mikkeller, has officially entered into an agreement with AleSmith Brewing Company owner and brewmaster Peter Zien for the duo to establish a new company called Mikkeller Brewing San Diego. Bjergsø and Zien will possess ownership stakes in the business, which will be based within the storied confines of AleSmith’s original headquarters on Cabot Drive in San Diego’s Miramar community and produce beers for worldwide release.

“People have always asked me when I’m going to open my own brewery, and my answer has always been ‘never.’ It’s the easiest answer, but it’s been on my mind for several years,” says Bjergsø. “I like being a ‘gypsy brewer,’ but know that having a stake in a U.S. brewery will change our position here. Brewing in one of the best breweries in the world really makes sense. If they can brew beers like they do at AleSmith, it really can’t go wrong.”

Bjergsø’s vision will guide brewing operations at Mikkeller San Diego, which is equipped with the same 30-barrel brewing system AleSmith used to produce 15,000 barrels of beer annually before moving into a much larger, 105,500-square-foot facility two blocks west earlier this year. To ensure the fastest, most efficient transition, Zien will initially oversee multiple components of the brewing process and provide ongoing assistance on an as-needed basis. Additionally, several members of AleSmith’s original brewing team, the bulk of whose careers with the company have been spent operating the original brewery, will become employees of Mikkeller San Diego and usher the facility through its exciting second life.

“I am very excited to announce this partnership to the brewing world,” says Zien who will maintain a minority stake in the business. “Mikkel and I expect to create unique and flavorful beers of the highest quality, as we are both known for brewing with AleSmith and Mikkeller.”

Eager to embark on this shared next chapter in their brewing careers, Bjergsø and Zien worked with the eventual Mikkeller San Diego staff to craft two beers based off brand new recipes conceived by the former. Those beers, AleSmith-Mikkeller IPA (India Pale Ale) and AleSmith-Mikkeller APA (American Pale Ale) are currently on tap at Mikkeller Bar in San Francisco, Calif.; AleSmith’s recently debuted 25,000-square-foot Miramar tasting room; and numerous craft beer-centric venues throughout San Diego County. Thus far, they have been met positively by beer enthusiasts. Next up on the brew schedule is an imperial take on an English-style porter, which will be released via a similar distribution method. Eventually, numerous Mikkeller San Diego beers will be bottled, canned, and distributed more widely nationally and internationally.

In addition to beers brewed solely by Mikkeller San Diego personnel, Bjergsø intends to make a center of craft collaboration of his new digs by inviting respected brewers from all over the world to conceive and brew recipes that push the envelopes of what ales and lagers can be. In doing so, he will build off relationships forged during his decade spent trotting the globe in an ongoing mission to bring his beery ideas to life with the help of gifted brewers the world over. He will also reach out to new and upcoming brewers making waves within the industry, providing the basis for many happy returns among brewery visitors.

While the brewing component of Mikkeller San Diego’s campus—which consists of five suites within an intimate business complex—will remain mostly untouched, construction will soon commence to convert the 750-square-foot tasting room to an interior design concept more consistent with that of Mikkeller’s global beer bars. The sampling space is projected to open to the public in early 2016, offering an array of beers that simultaneously display traditionally stylistic roots while coming across as exploratory, adventurous and, in some cases, downright twisted. It will be the only place in the world to taste the entire array of Mikkeller San Diego beers in a single sitting.

Mikkeller Brewing San Diego is located at 9366 Cabot Drive, San Diego, Calif., 92126. To stay abreast of developments with this blockbuster brewing partnership, follow @MikkellerSD on Twitter.

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ABOUT MIKKELLER: Eight years ago, Mikkel Borg Bjergsø was a math and physics teacher that started experimenting with hops, malt and yeast in his kitchen in Copenhagen, Denmark. Today, he exports his micro-brewed beer to 50 different countries and is internationally acclaimed as one of the most innovative and cutting-edge brewers in the world. To date, he has brewed most of his infamous beers at de Proef Brouwerij in Belgium, but has also collaborated on a wide variety of beers with some of the world’s most acknowledged and creative micro-breweries, including Three Floyds, de Struise, Hill Farmstead and Anchorage Brewing. Additionally, he produces house beers for some of the finest and most prominent gourmet restaurants in Denmark, including the Michelin-starred Noma and Kiin Kiin. Mikkel’s inventiveness and constant pushing of the brewing envelope has led to his style being labeled “cult, “rock ‘n’ roll” and “gypsy,” but the latter will only apply in some cases as 2016 will see the opening of the autodidact brewer’s first-ever brick-and-mortar brewery, Mikkeller Brewing San Diego in the heart of Southern California’s vibrant craft brewing industry. For more information on Mikkeller, visit—http://www.mikkeller.dk.

ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is celebrating its 20th year in business while simultaneously completing the first phases of its expansion into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion will also include an expansive, two-story tasting room complete with an outdoor beer garden as well as private rooms and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, IPA, Nut Brown Ale, Old Numbskull Barley Wine and .394 Pale Ale, is distributed in 19 U.S. states and four countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

The post AleSmith and Mikkeller Partner to Establish Mikkeller Brewing San Diego appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (December 8, 2015) — AleSmith Brewing Company will close out its 20th year of continuous operation in style this December, hosting a wide variety of holiday-themed events ranging from charity fundraisers to tours and specialty beer tastings at the largest brewery tasting room in all of San Diego County. The following are details on AleSmith’s full schedule of events for the month.

December 1-14 | Toy Drive: Throughout the first half of December, visitors to AleSmith’s tasting room are invited to drop off new, unwrapped toys in support of the Center for Community Resources’ Holiday Baskets toy drive. All of the gifts collected will be delivered to families in need throughout San Diego County. Everyone who donates a toy will be entered into a raffle to win a bottle of a limited-edition AleSmith beer.

December 11, 4 to 10 p.m. | AleSmith Noël Release Party: For the first time ever, AleSmith’s brewing team has crafted a traditional, Belgian-style Christmas ale infused with a variety of wintry spices. Dubbed AleSmith Noël, the holiday-inspired quaff was brewed in support of the Lupus Foundation of Southern California’s “Beer to the Rescue” campaign. A portion of proceeds from sales of the beer will be donated to the LFSC. Additionally, the first 50 customers to order AleSmith Noël will receive gingerbread truffles designed to pair with the beer courtesy of local business, Andrea’s Truffles.

December 18, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | X-Mas with the Brew Crew: X will mark the spot when AleSmith’s brewers focus their imaginations on the always-refreshing X Extra Pale Ale. That venerable beer will be infused with ingredients heretofore unseen (and untasted) in this beer, including orange, watermelon, Sandia chilies, Buddha’s hand and more. From 4 to 7 p.m., members of AleSmith’s Brew Crew will escort customers on complimentary guided brewery tours every half-hour and field questions about beer, brewing and all things AleSmith.

December 30 & 31, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 2015 Tap Recap: Watch as the last 365 days of AleSmith’s life flash before its faithful patrons’ eyes when nearly every beer the brewery debuted in 2015 reappears on tap along with the top vote-getting fan-favorite beers from IPA Week (ThaIPA) and San Diego Beer Week’s three-day Speedway Grand Prix (Triple Hammerhead, Hazelnut and Butterfinger). Specialty selections will include AleSmith-Mikkeller Beer Geek Speedway, AleSmith Kona Speedway Stout, AleSmith Reforged and barrel-aged beers.

In addition to the events above, numerous 20th anniversary-themed activities will take place in the Tasting Room during the month of December. AleSmith Brewing Company is located at 9990 AleSmith Court (formerly Empire Street) in San Diego’s Miramar community. For more information on AleSmith’s events, fans are advised to follow the company’s social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and check out its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

The post There’s No Place Like AleSmith for the Holidays appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (November 5, 2015) — As the weather shifts from summer scorchers to a milder autumnal atmosphere, AleSmith Brewing Company is prepared to release not one, but two limited-edition beers built to complement this time of year: AleSmith Double Red IPA and AleSmith Hawaiian Speedway Stout. While both are warming brews well-suited for lower temps and get-togethers with family and friends marked by feasting on holiday fare, these beers couldn’t be more different.

AleSmith Double Red IPA will soon begin its annual migration across the country in kegs and stylish 22-ounce bottles. While a lack of name-recognition may lead beer enthusiasts to mistakenly peg it as a new brew, this is actually the 19th-straight year the brewery has released it as an end-of-the-year specialty. Originally dubbed AleSmith Winter YuleSmith, only the name of this crimson-hued imperial India pale ale (IPA) has changed. Fans of this cult-favorite can still look forward to familiarly formidable hop aromas and bitterness balanced by malt-driven caramel notes.

Brand new to the San Diego-based brewery’s portfolio is AleSmith Hawaiian Speedway Stout, an island-inspired riff on the company’s award-winning, flagship coffee-infused imperial stout. Toasted coconut flakes, vanilla beans and rare Ka’u coffee beans procured from the Big Island combine to pay tasteful homage to some of Hawaii’s most delicious indigenous ingredients and evoke imagery of sun-kissed shorelines at the time of year when such visions are needed most. A specialty beer if there ever was one, this semisweet, tropical, scrumptiously roasty island beauty will begin arriving on draft at select bars and restaurants nationwide later this month. It will also be available in 750-milliliter bottles sold exclusively online at brownpapertickets.com (along with our rare oak- and bourbon-tinged specialty, Barrel-Aged Speedway Stout) beginning Monday, November 9 at 11 a.m. (PST).

This year marks the first time in AleSmith’s 20-year history that it has been able to make beers of this nature available in such a widespread manner. Thanks to the company’s recent relocation into a 105,500-square-foot facility more than ten-times larger than its original brewery, its brewing team can now produce seasonal beers in greater quantities. Craft beer enthusiasts can look forward to future variations on AleSmith Speedway Stout and other specialties with wider distribution moving forward.

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QUICK BEER FACTS

AleSmith Double Red IPA

• Style: Imperial Red India Pale Ale
• Stats: 8.5% ABV, 48 IBU
• Packaging: Draft & 22-ounce bottles
• Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, CT, IL, MA, MN, NY, OH, OR, VA, VT, WA

AleSmith Hawaiian Speedway Stout

• Style: Imperial Stout with Coffee, Vanilla & Coconut
• Stats: 12% ABV, 70 IBU
• Packaging: Draft & 750-milliliter bottles
• Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, CT, IL, MA, MN, NC, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, VA, VT, WA, WI

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ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is celebrating its 20th year in business while simultaneously completing the first phases of its expansion into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion will also include an expansive, two-story tasting room complete with an outdoor beer garden as well as private rooms and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, Wee Heavy, Olde Ale and .394 Pale Ale, is distributed in 19 U.S. states and three countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

The post AleSmith Gifts Fans with New Beers this Holiday Season appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (October 26, 2015) — After more than a year of intense design and construction, AleSmith Brewing Company has opened the doors to its brand new, 25,000-square-foot tasting room at 9990 AleSmith Court in San Diego’s Miramar community. This highly anticipated project comes at the tail-end of the award-winning craft brewery’s twentieth year in business. The largest tasting room in San Diego County, the indoor-outdoor space is replete with unique features, including a zigzagging bar giving way to a trio of massive copper tap towers and a view of a custom-built, two-story brewhouse behind glass panes stylishly frosted over with AleSmith’s anvil logo.

“Our twentieth year has been momentous with us moving into a much larger facility that will allow us to increase our production ten-fold, but the biggest thrill for us in this process is being able to provide a world-class place to share our beer with the fans who played such a vital role in making AleSmith what it has become,” says owner and CEO Peter Zien. “Just like with our beers, we were meticulous in the conceptualization of every aspect of our new tasting room. We wanted it to be an extension of what we are—a group of devout artists sharing a common respect and appreciation of the brewer’s art for all to enjoy.”

A hand-forged aesthetic combined with user-friendly elements rules over the interior. The bar is topped with marble patterned in AleSmith’s orange-and-black color scheme and framed in steel with distressed panels, fluorescent under-lighting, outlets for mobile device charging, purse-hooks and foot-rails held in place by anvil-shaped fasteners. Beyond it are three identical, copper-plated towers channeling beer directly from a refrigerated storage space located outside of the tasting room. Indoor furnishings include tables fashioned from wooden pallets and wood-and-metal barstools, providing a great deal more seating than the company’s former sampling space.

To put the immensity of the new space in perspective, AleSmith’s original tasting room comprised 750 square feet of purely interior space and featured a single set of 15 taps. The new venue is equipped with 60 taps, dispensing roughly two-dozen beers with roughly 20,000 square feet of interior space and 5,000 square feet available via an outdoor beer garden. The latter is anchored by a contemporary fire pit and accented by drought-resistant plant-life. The exterior space is bordered by a steel rail bar allowing for access to food trucks and other on-site edible vendors.

But this is just the beginning. The aforementioned features represent the completion of Phase 1 of this project. Future phases will include the addition of a beer garden bar, upstairs mezzanine area, company store, private event space and a museum honoring the memory of San Diego Padres great Tony Gwynn built in association with the Hall of Famer’s family and non-profit, the Tony and Alicia Gwynn (TAG) Foundation. Phases 2 and 3 of this ongoing project are scheduled to be completed in 2016.

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QUICK TASTING ROOM FACTS

Address: 9990 AleSmith Court (formerly Empire Street), San Diego, California 92126

Architect: Marcatects and Smith Consulting Architects

Contractor: R&R Construction

Project Management: Urban CM Group

Square Footage (Interior/Exterior): 20,000 indoors / 5,000 outdoors

Maximum Capacity (Indoor/Outdoor): 475 indoors

Total Number of Taps: 60

FUTURE PHASES

Phase 2

• Installation of a satellite Beer Garden Bar
• Construction of a “Dugout” room featuring reserved seating for “VIPs” and a rentable space for private events
• Construction of Tony Gwynn Pavilion featuring rotating memorabilia from Mr. Padre’s Hall of Fame career, years at SDSU and early days in little league to be built in conjunction with the Tony and Alicia Gwynn (TAG) Foundation via numerous fundraising events and campaigns
• Finalization of a Company Store (an interim retail store will be operative during Phase 1) where merchandise and beer-to-go will be available

Phase 3

• Construction of an upstairs indoor/outdoor Mezzanine with its own dedicated bar and additional seating accessible from a grand staircase
• Build-out of Reception Area, Administrative Offices and Conference Rooms

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ABOUT ALESMITH BREWING COMPANY: Forged in 1995, AleSmith has been recognized by consumers and critics alike as one of the world’s foremost craft brewing companies behind accolades that include medals won at prestigious national and international beer competitions as well as being named Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival. AleSmith is celebrating its 20th year in business while simultaneously completing the first phases of its expansion into a 105,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewery featuring a new 80-barrel brewing system that will allow the company to increase its production ten-fold. The expansion will also include an expansive, two-story tasting room complete with an outdoor beer garden as well as private rooms and a museum dedicated to San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn. AleSmith’s line of acclaimed beers, which includes Speedway Stout, Wee Heavy, Olde Ale and .394 Pale Ale, is distributed in 19 U.S. states and three countries. The company’s social media channels include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AleSmithBrewing), and its official website URL is—http://www.alesmith.com.

The post AleSmith Opens San Diego County’s Largest Brewery Tasting Room appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

San Diego, California (October 1, 2015) — Having harnessed the capabilities of its new, state-of-the-art, 80-barrel Steinecker brewhouse and increased cellar capacity, San Diego-based AleSmith Brewing Company is coming through on its mission to make much more of its critically acclaimed beers available to ale enthusiasts. Step one in that process is exploring a new packaging option for three of its most popular beers. Six-packs of AleSmith IPA, AleSmith Nut Brown and AleSmith Lil’ Devil have begun their migration to store shelves and should be widely available in places where AleSmith beer is sold by mid-October.

“The incredible demand for us to package our beers in a 12-ounce format has always existed,” says AleSmith sales director James Valles. “Now, with our increased production capacity, we are finally able to fulfill that demand. We are currently in the process of shipping the new six-packs within our 24-distributor network, spanning across 19 states.”

When deciding which beers to offer in six-packs, the AleSmith team leaned on long-term fan sentiment, selecting two of its historically best-selling beers—AleSmith IPA and AleSmith Nut Brown. That duo provides equally delicious yet starkly contrasting options for beer fans, with AleSmith IPA erupting with potent and pointed bursts of hop-borne citrusy flavors and aromas, and AleSmith Nut Brown delivering exquisitely balanced nuances of roasted malt, chocolate and nuttiness against a smooth, creamy backdrop.

AleSmith Nut Brown spent 14 years as a draft-only beer until ardent customer demand led to its debut in 22-ounce bottles in 2012. Following in that beer’s footsteps is AleSmith Lil’ Devil, a refreshing Belgian-style pale ale bursting with fruity, spicy character. A kegged staple since 2002, this is the first time it will be available for off-premise consumption; a prime reason for its selection as the third in this varied trio of six-pack brews.

This is the first in an ongoing series of evolutionary packaging modifications for AleSmith, which is poised for roughly 250% annual production growth over 2014 year-end totals by the close of 2016. Increased production of its beers will allow for expansion into numerous untapped markets, including recent additions such as Chicago and Minnesota.

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