Recently, brewers across the nation have begun to reimagine their tours in an effort to be more inclusive to the unique needs and desires of their drinking audience. One particularly underserved group has been those craft beer lovers who are deaf.  

Thankfully, that is now changing as breweries add American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and other elements in an attempt to better embrace these members of their drinking audience. 

Streetcar 82 Leads the Way 

While implementing ASL-guided tours might be new to some, it makes up the foundation of Streetcar 82 Brewing Company, which is one of the few 100 percent deaf-owned and operated breweries in the country. According to Owner and Founder Jon Cetrano, Streetcar 82 “pretty-much” only conducts their brewery tours in ASL. 

To Cetrano, the ASL focus is important because it’s both an inclusive practice and a smart business strategy. Based in Hyattsville, Maryland, Streetcar 82 is a short drive from the Washington, D.C. area. The district is a hub for the deaf community due to the proximity of Gallaudet University, a private university for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, and the availability of accessible federal government employment opportunities. 

Alongside tours, Streetcar 82 also offers ASL classes in their brewery that give community members and homebrewers alike a new way to learn and talk about beer in an ASL-focused format. 

An Opportunity to Build Stronger Connections 

Like Streetcar 82, many breweries across the nation have realized the opportunity in front of them to connect with these members of the drinking community. Some inspiration can come from simple observations in their taproom.  

“We’ve noticed some folks signing in our taproom over the years,” Dovetail Brewery’s Tour Coordinator Shana Solarte says. “I thought finding an interpreter to come along was an easy way for us to make the tours more accessible and inclusive for all of our patrons.”

(More: All Together: Breweries Collaborate to Help Hospitality Workers)

The popular Chicago brewer, most known for their authentic takes on easy-drinking European styles, just hosted their first ASL-guided tour earlier in March. 

For Industrial Arts Brewing Company in Garnerville, New York, the opportunity to introduce ASL-guided tours came as the brewery continued to expand its hospitality services in the hopes of establishing stronger connections with their consumers. The addition of ASL tours helps the brewery, now in its fourth year of operation, establish a more meaningful relationship with their growing audience. 

“One of our commitments of service is the focus on customized conversations we have surrounding our product with individual guests,” says Christine Olivier, programs and events manager for Industrial Arts. “The addition of services for our deaf and hard-of-hearing customers makes it possible to reach deeper into our community.”

The Importance of the Interpreter 

Similar to a brewery’s standard tour, the only real addition for an ASL-guided version is the presence of an interpreter, who relays the verbal narration of the main tour guide via sign language to the deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons in the group. 

The point is to make everything the same, so that everyone can enjoy the unique intricacies of their local brewery. For Industrial Arts, their ASL-guided tour is composed of their bar manager along with an ASL interpreter. Unique to these tours is the 90 minutes of interpreted bar service that follows the tour, so that these patrons can communicate with the taproom staff without barriers. According to Olivier, the new tour format has been well received. 

(More: What Happened to the Beer? World Beer Cup Entries Saved)

“We just had our first tour on February 22, with 20 enthusiastic visitors from the hearing and the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities,” she says. “The energy has been positive and enthusiastic so far!”

In an effort to make their ASL-guided tour more interactive, Minnesota’s Surly Brewing Company partnered with local interpreting company CODA Brothers. Tour Coordinator Ty Rushmeyer says the presence of the CODA Brothers interpreter provides more opportunities for interactive learning, and encourages first-time visitors to ask questions they may not have had the opportunity to ask previously. 

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we have received much heartfelt gratitude for providing this experience,” Rushmeyer says.

Zilker Brewing Expands Beyond the Standard Tour 

Austin, Texas-based Zilker Brewing Company had similar aspirations for their ASL-guided tour. According to Taproom and Events Manager Rachael Hackathorn, the Zilker team hosted a four-day workshop for staff to learn the basics of ASL, in preparation their “Terp’d” tour. This ASL-guided tour had also been hosted by Austin brewing colleagues like St. Elmo Brewing Company and Austin Beer Garden Brewing Company. Unfortunately, the initial results for their “Terp’d” tour weren’t great. 

“We didn’t have a great turn out, and personally, I think that at some point most brewery tours blur together,” Hackathorn says. “We all have shiny tanks and make beer.”

(Find a Brewery Near You)

So, instead of an ASL-guided tour, Zilker developed a new way to embrace the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in Austin. Through a partnership with Austin’s ASL Craft Beer Club and a working relationship with community partners like Tabytha Rodriguez’s Draft & Craft pop-up market, Zilker provides their taproom space for Deaf beer drinkers’ happy hours, which Hackathorn says is much more successful.

Along with a trained staff that can properly communicate with their hard-of-hearing guests, Zilker goes above and beyond to make their taproom more accessible for these special happy hours. This includes bringing in vendors for interpreted tarot card readings, which is funded by Draft & Craft. Zilker is also cognizant of the proper lighting, music and other environmental factors needed to make these happy hours as enjoyable as possible. 

‘Being Inclusive is Everyone’s Priority’

Beer is supposed to be fun, and taprooms are supposed to be places that everyone can enjoy. The above efforts from these breweries – and many others around the nation – highlight how important these initiatives for inclusiveness are for the breweries and their staff. 

For Olivier at Industrial Arts, the thought process is simple. All members of the community, regardless of race, gender, sex, economic class or disability, are welcome to be part of the brewery experience and the brewery tour process. It’s up to the brewery to ensure a warm welcome upon arrival. 

“If they are using their resources to enjoy our product, we should use our resources to engage their curiosity around it,” Olivier says. “We are looking forward to expanding the ways we can have these conversations with all who are interested.”

Breweries are vital to their communities and an essential service for so many, regardless of backgrounds. Encouraging an inclusive environment at your taproom shouldn’t be seen as add-on, it should be part of the brewery’s mission and purpose. 

Such is the case for Dovetail Brewing. 

“Being inclusive is everybody’s duty, and all kinds of people drink beer,” Solarte says. “Everyone is welcome at Dovetail, and we want to show that as well as say it.”

The post Craft Brewers Embrace Deaf Community Through ASL-Guided Brewery Tours appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Reimagining Variety Packs For a New Reality

While many brewers within grocery and liquor store footprints saw a sales uptick in recent weeks as consumers stocked up on beer, it’s unclear if these sales trends will continue. Instead of sending extra beer to retailers, Pennsylvania’s Wallenpaupack Brewing Company decided to go in a direction that fits their state’s current social distancing guidance. “Guidelines for operating the business were literally changing by the hour and evolved quickly so we channeled our energy into finding ways to be creative within our new reality,” said Wallenpaupack Brewing Company Owner Becky Ryman.

(More: List of To-Go Beer Options by Breweries)

To provide a packaged drinking buddy during Pennsylvania’s recent 14-day voluntary quarantine efforts, Wallenpaupack developed a “Quarantine Pack” of 15 of its beers for local beer lovers staying inside for the two week period. The variety pack is available to-go from their brewery, with a portion of sales going to local charities.

Prioritizing Customers and Employees

The recent shelter-in-place mandate put in place by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has led to a huge uptick in demand for Chicago brewers. Music-loving Mikerphone Brewing has become a Chicago favorite thanks to its fun mix of creative beer names and great tasting IPAs and stouts. Owner Mike Pallen says online and phone orders — two newly implemented ordering methods  — have helped increased demand for to-go beer. The drawback? Mikerphone went through their entire stock of crowlers and howlers in a few days. “We went through so much beer that we decided to package two more beers to keep up with the demand,” said Pallen.

Fellow Chicago brewer, Maplewood Brewery, adjusted their sales strategy through the launch of their online store where consumers can purchase 4-packs, crowlers, and spirits (Maplewood is also a distillery) to be picked up at the brewery’s Maplewood Lounge.

(Related: Helping Our Craft Brewing Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic)

Maplewood is also taking creative approaches to entice current action for future benefits. They recently launched their first pre-order beer, their new double dry-hopped double IPA, Drinking Citra. To better support staff through their Virtual Lounge GoFundMe, Maplewood gave the first five people who donated $250 to the fund a “Maplewood Fast Pass,” which gives these generous patrons the chance to both skip the Lounge line and get a free pint once inside for a full year. The Fast Pass sold out within a few minutes.

Super-sized To-Go Sales

While cans and crowlers fly off shelves, the new “curb economy” has increased the volumes of beer purchased as beer lovers look to limit their trips out. St. Louis-based Schlafly Brewing is also seeing an uptick in a different packaging size: kegs. Schlafly’s Head of Marketing Wil Rogers says that a new emphasis on selling packaged beers to-go has led to big sales. “We’ve been surprised by the to-go keg sales we’ve been seeing. While it might not alleviate all of the heartburn from lost on-premise draft sales, it’s a great and different way to get your beer to consumers.”

San Diego’s Modern Times Brewing has also adapted its shipping requirements to accommodate new offerings including mixed cases and crowlers. One surprising benefit to this has been the dramatic increase in sales of their Modern Times coffee, which is shipped in bulk five-pound bags.

Food a Key Differentiator of the “Curb Economy”

With to-go purchases becoming a necessity of many breweries’ new business model, many capable of serving food are finding creative ways to expand quick beer runs into a to-go dining experience.

Wallenpaupack worked closely with their kitchen to create a “Beer Dinner for Two” date night kit, which includes a 4-course meal for two along with the proper beer pairings and tasting glasses. Karl Strauss’ family of brewpubs throughout Southern California have taken things a step further in the face of this new reality. The brewpub acted overnight to revamp their menu to accommodate eating at home, including platters, sides by the pound, fresh salads, and beer to-go. “We’re reorganizing our menu to be most helpful to [our patrons],” said Chad Heath, Karl Strauss sales & marketing director.

Stone Brewing has rolled out special pricing on food at their two Stone Brewing World Bistros and Stone Brewing – Napa, to better meet the new demands of consumers. Alongside up to 40 percent off food orders, CEO Dominic Engels also says that the brewery is rolling out “bounce-back tokens” to entice new patrons. For every $10 spent at their bistros during this period, a consumer will receive a $2 token toward a future visit when the bistros re-open.

Deeper Interactions at a Distance

One of the most difficult things about the new social distancing protocols is just that: the distance. People crave personal interaction and conversation. With on-premise dining now out of the picture, breweries are restructuring their social media strategies to better engage with consumers looking to talk and enjoy beer digitally.

New York’s Other Half Brewing is helping lead the charge through their social-driven virtual bottle shares, Q&A’s and virtual tours. Co-Founder Andrew Burman also says the brewery is looking to introduce virtual brewing sessions with co-founder Sam Richardson, so patrons can get an inside look at how they craft their renowned hazy IPAs. “[We’re] trying to make sure we can get [our content and beer] to those who want to be a part of it,” said Burman.

(More: Livestock and Lager: Breweries Raise Animals and Agricultural Awareness)

Wallenpaupack is implementing similar social strategies to engage consumers during these trying times. They’ve also decided to capitalize on one form of movement that is not restricted at the moment: driving a car. Ryman says they’re currently in the process of developing the artwork to deliver a “drive-up brewery tour” that interested patrons can experience from the safety of their car.

“We have beautiful, large windows on the front of our building that allow a glimpse into our brewery…We’ve heard many of our customers are longing for something “to do” and we feel [this idea[ safely serves that desire in a creative way,” said Ryman.

The Personal Side of Curbside

Cars also play an important role in the influx of beer deliveries delivered directly to a person’s home. While many breweries rely on third-party vendors like DoorDash, Caviar and other delivery courier services for their beer deliveries, some smaller operations are taking matters into their own (gloved) hands.

Is/was Brewing is a newer operation based in Chicago that focuses on saison-style beers. With no taproom presence, finding the proper means for distribution has also been at the forefront for is/was’ Mike Schallau. Instead of a third party, Mike and one other employee hand-deliver their larger format bottle via contactless delivery. Equipped with gloves and carrying isopropyl alcohol and disinfecting wipes, Mike and team deliver their beer straight to a purchasers’ front door and notify them when it’s arrived – they even watch to make sure the purchaser successfully receives the package. “There are only two of us so we are figuring out the other logistics as we go but we are taking social distancing and safety as the priority,” said Schallau.

(Find: Breweries Near You)

Breweries big and small are reorganizing their businesses to better adapt to the turbulence of the current economy and culture. What’s cool to see is how deeply ingrained the spirit of giving still is within the brewing community.

Beer is ingrained into the lifeblood of American culture. It is an important part of many people’s social lives. Now more than ever, beer can help provide a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos. “You quickly realize how “essential” beer is to people’s lives and sanity,” says Mike Pallen of Mikerphone

Amidst positive and creativity, many brewers echoed a sense of understandable worry due to the unstable and unprecedented times we are all in. No one knows what will happen next, but we’re all hoping for a better and more prosperous future. Be kind, follow the guidelines, be generous if you can, and never lose hope that we will get through this. There will be a freshly poured beer waiting for you on the other side. Cheers!

The post The Curb Economy: Craft Breweries Rise to Pandemic Challenge appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Bell’s Light-Hearted is among the most recent entrants in the low-cal craft beer space. The Michigan craft brewery tweaks the timeless, award-winning recipe of Two Hearted to arrive at a lower 110 calorie count. Bell’s Brewery Communication Manager Josh Smith says the reason for creating the low-cal IPA was simple: beer lover demand.

“We recognized that there was an opportunity to give beer lovers–Two Hearted fans or not–an option that had everything they were looking for: lower calories, a lower ABV and all of the deliciousness that is Two Hearted,” he says.

Bell’s Light Hearted Ale is among the most recent low-cal IPA releases. Odell Brewing introduced Good Behavior (110 calories, 4% ABV) in fall 2019, echoing similar motivation of meeting beer drinkers in the “better for you” beer space.

“We love light, sessionable beers after a bike ride, hike, or summiting a 14er…Most of the beers in the market that fit this bill are light lagers and we simply love hops too much to not try to create a lighter, lower calorie IPA that would be perfect for all these moments,” says Odell Brewing’s Community Manager Kristen Wood.

Deschutes Brewery took the opportunity to take the trend even further by combining it with the hazy IPA beer style. The result is their recently introduced WOWZA! hazy pale ale (100 calories, 4g carbs, 4% abv). According to Deschutes’ VP of Marketing Neal Stewart, the creation of WOWZA came from the brewery’s ambitious innovation program.

(#SeektheSeal: Seek the Independent Craft Brewer Seal)

“We saw an opportunity to innovate within this space while offering something that is very much on trend, which is what led us to a hazy pale ale. We wanted to ‘embrace the impossible’…[brew a] low ABV hazy pale ale that checks all these boxes and still tastes great.”

Oskar Blues fell back on its decades of experience making big, burly IPAs to craft its low-cal IPA. Aaron Baker, Oskar Blues’ senior marketing manager, says the inspiration behind the brewery’s buzzed-about One-y Low-Cal Hazy IPA (100 calories, 4% abv) was the ability to appeal to drinkers who have enjoyed previous IPAs from Oskar Blues.

“We wanted to brew a beer that could satisfy a range of beer drinkers, from hardcore IPA lovers to those who prefer something more sessionable,” he says.

Brewing a Low-Cal IPA

With the influx of low-cal IPAs comes the introduction of new ingredients that help remedy the complex equation of delivering the full-flavored beers drinkers have come to expect, but with lower calories and ABV.

Atlanta’s Monday Night Brewing made light of its own new creation, Lay Low IPA (90 calories, 3.2% ABV), in a press release, calling it “something totally unoriginal.” But the brewery explained it’s a difficult style to perfect.

(More: Independent Craft Breweries and Employee-Ownership)

“It turns out that’s pretty hard to achieve,” says co-founder Jonathan Baker, “but using science, dedication, and the spirit of the mighty tiger, we think we’ve finally nailed it.”

To achieve a balanced body with traditional hazy and West Coast IPAs, one common technique for brewers is to boost the sugars in the malt bill to level out the bitterness, which adds to the beer’s calorie count. A new fix is the addition of monk fruit, which adds sweetness but not calories. The wonder fruit is present in both Dogfish Head’s Slightly Mighty (95 calories, 4% abv, 3.6g carbs, 1g protein and 0g fat per 12oz serving) and Hi-Wire Brewing’s new Go Getter low-calorie IPA (100 calories, 4% abv).

Firestone Walker took a very tactical approach to the creation of Flyjack low-cal IPA (96 calories, and 4% abv), delicately weighing how many calories they could allocate to drive a memorable hazy hop flavor in a 12oz package. After accounting for the 4 percent of alcohol content (which seems to be the standard level for low-cal IPAs), Walker says the brewery had about a quarter of the calorie allocation (roughly 24 calories) to hit the requisite flavor notes, which was a “riddle and a huge challenge for the team.”

The solution for Walker and team was the addition of the new Strata hop, which is designed to deliver more hop aroma in a smaller quantity, along with an “expressive” yeast strain which they say heightens the esther and fruitiness of the beer, creating a flavor-laden beer at a lower calorie count.

“Personally and professionally, I am happy to have a beer I can drink that spaces out the calorie count; I drink a lot of tasty beer,” says founder David Walker.

(Editor’s Pick: Sierra Nevada’s Resilience IPA Inspires Aussie Brewers After Devastating Wildfires)

Low-Cal Could Prove to be Big Win

According to Neal Stewart, Deschutes’ low-cal hazy pale ale was launched in conjunction with the news that the brewery was to be the sponsor of Portland Trail Blazers Radio Network back in October. The soft launch quickly led to a huge sales uptick as WOWZA! became Deschutes’ best-selling beer at the Moda Center, which is where the Blazers play their NBA games.

With a clear hit on their hands, Stewart and the team decided to expedite their launch schedule to align it better with a period where many drinkers become more calorie-conscious: January.

“Distributor orders wiped out our initial forecasts and we’ve added several additional brews to the schedule to keep up with demand,” said Stewart.

While people drinking a low-cal IPA wouldn’t technically be participating in the popular month-long sobriety trend dubbed Dry January, being thoughtful with their beer purchasing and consumption habits is a clear consumer trend that doesn’t seem to have a 30 day expiration date.

The post Is 2020 the Year of the Low-Cal IPA? appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

Shuff is the owner and general manager of three bustling local brewpub operations: DryHop, Corridor and the newly-opened Roebuck Pizza which is conveniently located right next door to DryHop in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Corridor is located a mile away near Wrigley Field. They also plan to open a fourth location, Crushed by Giants, right off Michigan Avenue in spring 2020.

With three bustling brewpubs to-date and another one in-planning, Shuff’s neighborhood brewery bet seems to have paid off.

Shuff’s Chicago Brewpubs Have Different Identities

When you talk to Shuff about his Chicago brewpubs, it’s like talking to a proud father. Each of his brewpub children is a vibrant, popular neighborhood spot.

DryHop was the first and focuses on primarily new-American food and popular American hoppy beer styles. Corridor focuses on pizza and with Belgian-inspired beers. The newest, Roebuck Pizza, also focuses on pizza along with European-style beers that pair perfectly with thin-crust pizza.

Shuff sees each as their own independent operation: “Every brewpub is one of one.” There is no overarching parent brand.

“People value uniqueness and novelty,” says Shuff. “They don’t get excited about chain restaurants [in their neighborhood].”

(Find a Brewery Near You: Brewery Locator)

The result is three distinct brands with their own decor, aesthetic, staff and brewery team.

The one consistent thing you’ll see across all three is the lack of TVs. That’s a purposeful move on Shuff’s part; he wants each of his brewpubs to be a local gathering spot for the neighborhoods they serve. He even selects his new buildings based on convenience inside neighborhoods, even if it means paying a little more for the space.

Competing Against Restaurants, Not Breweries

Shuff says that he doesn’t consider his Chicago brewpubs to be competing with area breweries. Instead, he’s competing with neighborhood restaurants and bars. He wants to be the Lettuce Entertain You–the popular restaurant group that started in Chicago–for brewpubs, and the beer is his competitive advantage. Casual diners, families, and hardcore beer fans alike are all a part of his target audience.

(More: Form & Function: Brewery Visits with an Architect)

None of his brewpub locations distributes its beer and that’s intentional. It means customers have to come to the breweries for the experience. The ability to get an upscale meal paired with expertly-made, award-winning beer–Corridor won gold at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival in the Other Belgian-Style Ale category — made in the tanks behind the bar is a competitive advantage for Shuff’s brewpubs.

Adding in the ability to sell crowlers to-go and releasing a select-amount of highly-desired one-off IPAs at the brewery boosts sales further and helps differentiate these brewpubs from their restaurant-only colleagues.

The Motto: Trust Your People, Don’t Micromanage

Overseeing three popular businesses in three different locations can be overwhelming.

“There’s this constant dilemma of wanting to do everything,” Shuff says.

To ensure things stay on schedule and save Shuff from sleepless nights, his brewpub business operates in a decentralized model that empowers the staff at each location. There are five people at the “corporate” level. The rest of the employees are wholly unique to each location and operate independently from each other. Each brewpub has its own general manager, chef, and head brewer; Shuff gives each the operating autonomy they need to succeed. It also ensures that brewpub has its own flair and distance from each other.

(Related: Chicago Brewery’s Wild Trip Down a Hazy IPA Rabbit Hole to GABF Gold)

“[I’ve learned] that the world keeps churning without our involvement,” Shuff remarks.

Hiring and empowering good people, differentiating with beer, and appealing to each neighborhood the brewpubs operate in seems to be an effective business model. No brewpub cannibalizes the sales of the others because beer lovers see each as an individual concept.

The testament to this has been the success DryHop has seen since its sister operation, Roebuck opened up literally next door. The two share a wall but so far, that doesn’t seem to negatively impact sales. Shuff says the sales at DryHop have actually gone up since Roebuck opened.

The continued success and sustained growth of each brewpub is a testament to the concrete business plan Shuff follows. While opening up a fourth brewpub in the coming months might stress out some business owners, it doesn’t seem to bother Shuff. Could a fifth be on the way soon?

“Four is the current active focus,” he says. “Anything more than five or further lives on the spreadsheet.”

The post Greg Shuff is Building a Chicago Brewpub Empire appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

“She started crying on the phone,” he says. “Then our [taproom] glycol chiller went out 3 hours later.”

The road to success is never easy. Gulley and Alarmist Brewing are proof of that. Even after capturing a GABF gold medal for Le Jus, the Chicagoland brewery’s entry in the Juicy or Hazy IPA category, there was no rest. But any success rarely comes from taking the easy road—just ask Gary Gulley.

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Life-Altering Moments Spur Gut Decision

Nestled in Chicago’s quiet Pulaski Park neighborhood, Alarmist Brewing is a small operation with a homey taproom in the back of an industrial park. Perhaps the noisiest part of the operation pre-Great American Beer Festival 2018 had been the consistent cadence of Chicago Transit Authority buses that run by the taproom.

The journey from when Gulley first started homebrewing to winning a gold medal for Le Jus is a memorable one. Gulley started homebrewing in Texas in the early 90s. In his own words, the first beer he ever brewed was “crap. I would never make it here in a million years, but I might frame [the recipe] at some point.”

After life in Texas, Gulley and his family moved to Chicago and he joined the Chicago Beer Society in 2008. Gulley says he became engrossed with brewing after joining but wasn’t ready to fully commit. He had a stable job, a mortgage and a family.

Then, his entire life changed. First, his wife Bridget was diagnosed with breast cancer. One month later, he lost his job. He says these two life events provided the impetus he needed to drop everything and brew.

It also provided the clarity for Gary and Bridget that no job would determine their fate. He knew at this point that he needed to be his own boss; the only option available then was to open the brewery they had dreamed about.

“[It] has been the best decision we have ever made,” said Gulley.

(MAP: Gold Medal Winning IPAs from 1989 to 2018)

Down the Hazy IPA Rabbit Hole

First dubbed Panic Brewing before he had it to change it due to trademark disputes, the newly-minted Alarmist Brewing started brewing professionally in February 2014. Through trial and error and a relentless pursuit of producing excellent beer, Alarmist gradually gained their foothold in the Chicago craft beer scene.

A big turning point in the journey was the hiring of their second employee and now head brewer Aaron Dahl. A seasoned homebrewer, Aaron’s brewing experience helped Alarmist grow even faster, eventually leading to the opening of their Northwest side taproom at 4055 W Peterson in 2017.

At the time of the opening, Alarmist’s two biggest beers were Pantsless and Phobophobia, a Belgian-style ale. 2017 was also around the time that the New England-Style IPA trend started to enter national consciousness.

Gary and Aaron were both skeptical of the style and decided not to make one. But then they had a chat with BJ Pichman, formerly of Forbidden Root, who Gulley says showed them how “cool a well-crafted NE-IPA could be.”

After that meeting, Gary says Aaron went all-in.

“He went down the rabbit hole…[He] tried every hazy IPA he could find, talked to everybody, researched everything,” Gulley says. ”It was awesome to see.”

The result of this quest was Le Jus, an intensely-hoppy, juicy, yet refreshingly simple New England-style IPA that set the Chicago beer scene ablaze.

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)

Triumph Culminates in Surreal GABF Medal Moment

Gulley was not in Denver the morning of the GABF award ceremony, but his cell phone started buzzing with texts and calls.

Months earlier, before rushing to a local festival, Gulley hastily dropped off 10 freshly-canned Le Jus beers at Revolution, who had offered the extra space in their GABF beer shipment to other Chicago-area local breweries also entering their beer in the festival competition. Gulley remembers that once the stress of getting the beer shipped had subsided, his mind switched to other priorities.

Then, the GABF medals were announced.

“All of a sudden I started getting text messages [about the award ceremony]. I got one particular text from a buddy asking me if I wanted him to go on-stage and accept [our] medal. Of course, I thought he was messing with me at the time,” he says. “Then [Aaron] texted and I started getting tons of congratulations texts from all of my brewery friends.”

Gulley knew he needed to share the news with his biggest supporter.

“I called my wife. She said: ‘We won? You won?’” he says. She started crying on the phone.

The gold-medal moment was a surreal one. All of the struggles. All of the uncertainty. In that moment, all it had paid off. And in that moment, everything had changed.

Then he spent the Sunday after winning on the roof of the brewery fixing the glycol chiller.

The post Chicago Brewery’s Wild Trip Down a Hazy IPA Rabbit Hole to GABF Gold appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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We all have a few go-to tailgate beers, even the folks who make them. We wanted to know what beers craft brewers were stocking up on this football season. We asked 10 brewing minds for about favorites. Here is what they said.

Ben Smith, Surly Brewing Head Brewer | Minneapolis

Team: Minnesota Vikings

“The only team that matters is the Minnesota Vikings, if you’re a true Minnesotan. I love to start Sundays at Surly Brewing Co., tailgating before taking the light rail down to U.S. Bank Stadium.  My go-to beer before games is Xtra-Citra. Low in ABV but big in tropical fruit flavor from 100 percent Citra dry-hop. If I’m not at Surly, I tend to gravitate toward Modist Brewing Co.’s First Call, a coffee-infused light lager. It’s one of my favorite coffee-flavored beers in the market.”

Shane Doherty, Off Color Brewing Head Production Brewer | Chicago

Team: New England Patriots

“It’s a pretty easy choice for me. Growing up in Portland Maine, with Allagash Brewing Company just a short walk away, my go-to is Allagash White. In New England, seafood is a big part of the tailgating tradition and White pairs perfectly with all my favorites (i.e. lobster rolls) and makes watching the Patriots win every week feel even better.”

(More: What is a craft brewery?)

Betsy Lay, Lady Justice Brewer/Owner | Wheat Ridge, CO

Teams: Green Bay Packers, University of Missouri Tigers

“The key to a good tailgate beer is that it needs to go well with whatever food you’re grilling up and you need to be able to drink a few of them without becoming that one friend that no one wants to invite to the tailgate party anymore. My go-tos are Oskar Blues Brewing’s Pinner and Upslope’s Rocky Mountain Kolsch. I like to start with the Rocky Mountain Kolsch because it pairs well with starters like cheeses (Go Packers!) and salads, and it comes in at 5% ABV. Pinner is a session IPA that brings the flavor and depth of an IPA while keeping a low ABV of 4.9% and goes well with grilled meats.”

Isaac Showaki, Octopi Brewing President and Owner | Madison, WI

Teams: Green Bay Packers, University of Wisconsin Badgers

“We love [Octopi Brewing’s] Dachs Premium Lager. [It’s a] 4.5% ABV premium lager made with all Wisconsin ingredients–malt, water, local yeast and Wisconsin hops. We are from Wisconsin, so we root for Green Bay Packers and the UW Badgers. Everyone wears either green and gold or red to games. We love our team and have the most fun rooting for them. Going to Lambeau is a true experience. Go Pack Go!”

Josh Bischoff, Indeed Brewing Head Brewer | Minneapolis

Team: Minnesota Vikings

“The Vikings are my favorite underachievers! Honestly, when I go to games, I “tailgate” at the brewery I called home for many years: Minneapolis Town Hall. I don’t get to stop in often, but Mike’s beers are my favorite to tailgate with! I may or may not have enjoyed a Pivo (Firestone Walker Brewing Co.) or Kellerpils (Summit Brewing).

(Graphic: Gold Medal IPAs 1989-2018)

Chad Henderson, NoDa Brewing Head Brewer and Owner | Charlotte, NC

Team: Carolina Panthers

“Roaring Riot Pale Ale has the perfect level of hop character for fans who need some hop bite in their beer, but want to remember the last moments of the game. Riot’s unique malt backbone, along with rye spice notes, really helps to accentuate the hops used. While it’s not strong in alcohol (5.5% ABV), it is still a pleasantly full-bodied and flavorful craft beer!”

Adam Curfew, Squatters Craft Beers Co-C.O.O. | Salt Lake, UT

Team: University of Utah Utes

“My favorite team is the University of Utah. I am third generation alma mater so my blood pumps Utah crimson (I guess everyone else pumps regular red). My absolute must-have beers for tailgating are Squatters Juicy IPA–it’s nice and sessionable for a long game–and Oskar Blues Can o Bliss when I just need a little more octane.”

Dan Weber, Dogfish Head Innovation Brewer | Milton, DE

Team: Iowa Hawkeyes

“In the Big Ten, tailgates can be a long haul, so I like to keep tailgating beers super light. This year I think a must-have for tailgating for my Iowa Hawkeye games will be Dogfish Head Slightly Mighty, which hasn’t been around in previous falls. An IPA in flavor, but something you can drink for many hours as far as ABV and calories are concerned. Tailgate calories are for brats and burgers, not beer. Go Hawks!”

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Jake Schinker, Eagle Park Brewing Co-Owner | Milwaukee

Team: Green Bay Packers

“Tailgate season for me means one thing when it comes to beer: time to dig into the cellar.  One beer that is particularly perfect for Packers tailgate season is Central Waters Brewer’s Reserve Bourbon Barrel Barleywine. The 12 oz. bottles of this soul-warming little beer are the perfect way to beat the frozen tundra of Green Bay. They are relatively accessible on shelves, their higher ABV means less long, arduous, trips to the restroom, and not being in a larger format bottle means you don’t even need to share.”

Adam Beauchamp, Creature Comforts Brewmaster | Athens, GA

Team: University of Georgia Bulldogs

“For me, our clean, crisp, and easy-drinking lager, Classic City Lager is the perfect tailgating beer. It’s super refreshing for our warm fall afternoons here in the South, and low enough in ABV to reasonably have a few before the game starts. If you’re tailgating in a cooler climate and want something a bit more fall appropriate, Death and Taxes from Moonlight Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa is a nearly perfect black lager that is worth seeking out.”

With a bevy of lagers, IPAs and even barrel-aged beers listed above, it will be easy to drink local tailgate beers while cheering on your favorite team. I’m already daydreaming about the tailgate beers I’ll be bringing to an upcoming Wisconsin Badgers football tailgate. Here’s to hoping your favorite football team’s game day dreams don’t get dashed too soon. Cheers to Week No. 1!

The post Craft Brewers Share Favorite Tailgate Beers appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

But the risks assumed in starting a business can also translate to even a greater reward. This was the case for Max Pigman, owner of the Great American Beer Festival award-winning Lewis & Clark Brewing Co. based in Helena, Montana, in the aptly-named Lewis and Clark County.

One poker game changed the entire trajectory of Pigman’s life. Like many entrepreneurs that came before him, he decided to (figuratively) push all of his chips in the middle in the hopes of pursuing his ultimate passion of brewing great craft beer. Thankfully, it seems like it was a gamble worth taking.

Max Pigman Goes ‘All In’ on a Brewery

Pigman started brewing back during his tenure in the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed in Japan during the late 80s and grew frustrated with the lack of solid beer options in the Japanese market, leading him to brew his own.

Returning home afterwards, Pigman decided to move back to his original home in Montana and started his career in real estate in 1992. As his career grew, he was able to travel to various parts of the country and visit numerous breweries along the way, opening his eyes to the diversity in brewing that the then-young U.S. craft beer scene had to offer.

(Related: CraftBeer.com Great American Beer Bars 2019)

One night in 2002, over a game of poker and a few growlers of his popular homebrew, Pigman heard that the local Sleeping Giant Brewery in Helena was in the midst of foreclosure. This was the first time Pigman decided to push all of his chips in the middle; that’s when he decided he’d buy the foreclosed brewery and its brewing equipment and make it his own.

As Pigman recalls, the transaction of buying a foreclosed brewery was a relatively easy one.

“They didn’t look at the business plan cause it was such a small town…the banker basically said ’Just shake my hand and tell me you’ll pay me back,’” Pigman tells me.

Like any small business, the first period was rough. He is quick to note that the first few years were a struggle. Alongside brewing on the weekends, Pigman was still traveling and working in real estate tech during the weekdays. And while he renamed Sleeping Giant Brewery to Lewis & Clark Brewing in 2003, it wasn’t until several years after that the brewery really started to gain a foothold.

In 2009, Pigman had another opportunity to raise the stakes of his operation and establish a clear identity for the brewery by purchasing a historic building in town. The renovation, like the investment, was a big one, taking more than two years to fully get the building up to standards. After officially moving into the new space and finally opening up the doors to their new location in 2011, Pigman and team seemed to find their stride both in brewing beer and garnering accolades.

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During the first year that the new facility was open, Pigman says they sold four times the number of cans and cases that they had sold before. This was in part due to the upgraded production capabilities they had in the new space, which allowed them to diversify their portfolio. From 2012 to 2016, Lewis & Clark Brewing continued to surge, growing in sales and stature year over year, all while serving a relatively tiny distribution footprint. By 2016, the demand for not only more beer but more space proved too much for Pigman to sit on his increasingly-valuable set of poker chips. So, he decided to push everything into the middle again.

Pigman Focuses on Brewery Growth

The second period of growth included several factors. The first being money. Pigman said it took another sizable, multi-million dollar loan to finance the new expansion project. Then came the zoning and local government red tape that Pigman encountered. The plan was to build a new, state-of-the-art facility attached to their existing location. This required a serious level of local government approval and community input.

One of the primary hurdles was to get approval from the Helena City Council to effectively buy the entire dead end street of Dodge Ave to fit the size requirements for the expansion.

“Over 100 people lined up to testify on our behalf to share their experiences with the brewery,” he says.

Pigman notes that this was a huge moment for his brewery, as it showcased how invested the community was in Lewis & Clark beer.

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The petition passed and the business grew once again. Opened in June of 2017, the expanded location now boasts two stories, more than 6,000 sq ft, and can comfortably seat more than 525 people in the taproom. When the summer arrives, the outdoor patio space fits an additional 600 and hosts a bevy of local artist-focused concerts and events aimed at furthering Lewis & Clark Brewing’s connection with the local community.

The growth in physical location was coupled by the increase in both barrels brewed and medals received. From 2017 to 2018, the brewery increased from 8,000 to 11,000 barrels. They also started winning more accolades from competitions like the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), NABA International Beer Awards and the World Beer Cup. Then, things got even crazier at 2018’s GABF.

Big Win at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival

Pigman submitted four beers for the 2018 competition by sending four fresh six-packs–a departure from arranging to have competition beers hand-delivered, which can be time-consuming and stressful. He also chose to keep it low-key by watching the awards ceremony on a live-stream from his home in Montana instead of attending.

As he watched the live-stream from his hot tub, three of Lewis & Clark’s beers medaled: Gold for Miner’s Gold in the American-Style Wheat Beer with Yeast category, silver for Pompey’s Pilsner in the Bohemian-Style Pilsner category, and bronze for Prickly Pear in the Classic English-Style Pale Ale category. Lewis & Clark was also named the Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year.

(Find: A US Brewery Near You)

The awards were a validation of the brewery and beer along with being a validation of his journey and the risk it incurred.

“It was a very emotional day. [I was] screaming and hollering in the hot tub with tears in my eyes,” he says. “It was like I could see the light at the end of the tunnel but was never sure how long the tunnel was. The award[s] provided clarity and gave me a huge boost of confidence that we can do this and we can make it.”

Another Growth Spurt for Lewis & Clark Brewing

Since then, the light has never been brighter for Lewis & Clark Brewing. The new accolades have led to new conversations with potential distribution partners alongside a 15 to 20 percent growth spurt in sales and the hiring of their 50th employee.

(Seek the Seal: Independent Craft Brewer Seal)

While the brewery is scheduled to expand to about 14,500 barrels produced this year, the estimated 60,000 barrel capacity of their current facility provides optimal conditions for further expansion along with potential opportunities for upstart breweries in Montana who may be able to contract brew at his facility in the near-future.

Growth and accolades can provide brewers with a lot of crazy opportunities. While the business appeal of growing into a national brewery presence across the U.S. definitely has it perks, Pigman says he’s more concerned with expanding their influence and impact in Montana and with the local community that has provided so much to Pigman and his team during this journey: “My goal is not to grow wide but to grow deep.”

You can bet that all these years after that poker game, Max Pigman still considers Lewis and Clark Brewing a gamble worth taking.

The post Going ‘All In’ Pays Off for Montana’s Lewis & Clark Brewing Co. appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

“Light beer is by far the largest category in the beer universe. Craft brewers in the past assumed those drinkers were inaccessible,” says Phin DeMink, founder of Southern Tier Brewing Company, one of the breweries exploring light craft beers.

Southern Tier recently introduced Swipe Light, a 110 calorie ale, to its year-round lineup. It’s a creation that DeMink says took over one year to create in their research and development department. The brewery wanted Swipe Light to appeal to drinkers who like both lagers and ales.

“With the growing popularity of craft beers and most drinkers drinking across all categories, it makes sense to have a lighter, lower carb and calorie offering,” DeMink says.

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Offering a light craft lager beer has been a winning move by Massachusetts’ Night Shift Brewing. The brewery released Nite Lite in 2018. Head Brewer Joe Mashburn says it is currently their number one volume beer in 2019.

“When we saw how excited customers were by our first batch of Nite Lite, we knew it had a big future. Retailers were actually breaking 4-packs into singles to make sure enough customers at least got to try it,” he says.

To capitalize on surging sales, Night Shift has now released Lime Lite, a fruited-spin on their hit light lager.

As Mashburn puts it, the goal of their Nite Lite push is to become a “macro nuisance” to big beer by offering craft beers that stand out against macro varieties.

Light Craft Beers Aim at Active Lifestyle Audience

Offering a light craft beer also allows brewers to reach beer drinkers who fall into the “active lifestyle” category. That’s the case for New York’s Sixpoint Brewing and its bright and tart Jammer Gose series.

Boasting a 125 calorie count and a variety of fruity variants, Sixpoint connected active and outdoorsy beer drinkers through a partnership with REI.

After a variety of planned REI outdoor classes and excursions this summer, Sixpoint will host a Jammer-infused happy hour to show-off the expanded light beer series and elevate the light flavor of its expanded Jammer series to new customers.

(More: Secrets to Pairing Craft Beer and People)

“The Jammer family definitely opens up a larger audience than what our traditional fanbase has been,” says Sixpoint Brewery’s Brewmaster Eric Bachli. ”Beyond that, it gives our fans a wider range of beer to choose from.”

Even in a craft beer market where the IPA and its New England-Style variant reign supreme, Bachli says beer lovers are thirsty for what Sixpoint’s lower-cal Jammer series offers.

“I remember releasing Citrus Jammer at one of our small batch releases in Brooklyn [in 2018]. The releases on that hot spring day were all heavy hitting NE IPAs. At the end of the release party the most pints sold were Citrus Jammer–go figure!” Bachli says. “That day was a good indication of the beer’s reception with our consumers and helped inspire us to go big in 2019.”

Dogfish Head and Boston Beer Co., now business partners, have each made a concerted effort to appeal to the active lifestyle drinkers in new and inventive ways. Boston Beer recently announced the new Marathon Brewing brand, which plans to attract both avid runners and casual joggers with their 26.2 Brew, which will become a new year-round, lower-cal offering. The golden ale with 4.0% ABV, 9g carbs and 120 calories is positioned to appeal to marathon runners. It’s the evolution of the original Boston 26.2 Brew, which has been offered alongside water and sports drinks at the Boston Marathon for the past seven years.

Instead of marathons, Dogfish Head is targeting summer drinking activities with its Off-Centered Activity Box, a summer variety pack. The summer 2019 12-pack includes 140 calorie best-seller SeaQuench Ale alongside the new Slightly Mighty, a low-cal IPA with 95 calories. SuperEIGHT, a gose made with boysenberry, blackberry, raspberry, elderberry juices, and toasted quinoa (among other ingredients), and Namaste White round out the sample pack, which provides extra value by doubling as a water-resistant cooler. The brewery says the variety pack is just right for outdoors activities, from marathons to mowing your lawn.

(More: Beer Styles for Beginners)

Brewing a Light Craft Beer

A light craft beer should provide the level of flavor beer drinkers expect from a craft beer. This was the thought process for brewers at Atlanta-based New Realm Brewing and their beer releases like Metralla, an American light lager.

New Realm’s Mitch Steele notes that his brewery uses a variety of different recipes and processes to brew light beers. Using less grain per barrel and adjusting the mashing procedures of wort are two of the most common ways. One newer approach is using the Amylo-Glucosidase enzyme, which sharply drops the residual carbohydrate content, producing a less filling beer style.

Sometimes it’s easier to lower the alcohol content of one of your tried and true best-sellers. That was the approach for Minneapolis-based Indeed Brewing, who created Mexican Honey Light (5.2% ABV) as the lighter version of their Mexican Honey Imperial Lager (8.0% ABV).

(More: Seek the Independent Craft Brewer Seal)

“We were looking for a more sessionable version…so consumers could enjoy a few in one sitting without feeling the quick effects from the high alcoholic content,” says Erika Blank, Indeed’s marketing coordinator.

“We have always been surprised and delighted by the success of Mexican Honey Imperial Lager, so we thought people might enjoy a different take on what has become a bit of a local legend,” said Indeed Co-Founder Tom Whisenand.

The team at Lone Tree Brewing in metro Denver knows a little bit about creating a beer that’s become a local legend, but they had no idea that’s what they were brewing at the time.

Lone Tree Head Brewer and Co-Owner Josh West says that their Summer Siesta Mexican Lager was originally brewed as a seasonal in-house brew. After winning a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival in the American-Style Lager or Light Lager category in 2015, the buzz around the highly-drinkable lager grew. After the Mexican Lager won gold two years later in the American-Style Lager category (competition categories had changed slightly from the previous year), West knew that it was hit. Now, the Mexican Lager is their best selling beer and is offered year-round.

(Search: Find a Brewery Near Me)

“After it was announced we had won gold in 2017, I remember looking at both our president and director of operations noticing they had this look of intense thought. When I asked if something was wrong, their reply, with a grin, was, ‘We’re gonna need more tanks,’” says Lone Tree Sales and Marketing Director Dennis Stack.

There are some brewers that have making a craft lager for decades. That’s the case for Minnesota’s Schell’s Brewery, the second-oldest privately owned craft brewery in the nation behind Yuengling.

Founded by German immigrant August Schell in 1860, Schell’s has been churning out award-winning takes on German-style classics well before the recent explosion of craft breweries. They started brewing Schell’s Light, a 100 calorie, 4% ABV American lager, in 1978.

While their newer sour beers and other experimental ales raise eyebrows, it’s the might of their lager beers that have remained the pillar of this historic brewing brand.

“For Schell’s, making and drinking lagers is a part of our DNA,” says Leigh Wendinger, Schell’s marketing manager. “There is a reason why lager beers took over the world, and I believe that as craft beer continues to evolve and mature, people are beginning to realize again what makes them so great.”

While bold IPAs and beers with double-digit ABVs may be what put American craft beer on the map, drinkers are undoubtedly also in search of lighter, more sessionable offerings to add to their fridges and coolers, especially with summer right around the corner.

The post Light Craft Beers Could Offer Big Opportunity for Small Breweries appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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As Josh Noel of the Chicago Tribune reports, No-Li was first alerted to Goose’s beer name due to some confusing Untappd check-ins. As a small, Washington-based brewer, No-Li’s distribution footprint is relatively small and nowhere close to Chicago. So when their Born & Raised IPA, complete with a No-Li Brewhouse attribution, started popping on Untappd with a geolocation at Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs, alarm bells started ringing for the No-Li team. They realized Goose Island had released a beer with the same name just a few weeks ago. The beer, a Chicago-style cream ale, included artwork from local artists and a large Chicago marketing push.

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With more than 7,000 breweries in the U.S., the process of naming and labeling new beers can often be an arduous, and duplicate beer names happen. Often times, brewers can resolve it through conversations and mutual agreements built on the shared sense of community that many craft brewers have with one another.

No-Li’s Marketing Manager Bill Powers notes that they’ve encountered this issue before, albeit with other small craft breweries. In these previous situations, Powers says that both parties were able to work things out over a “handshake agreement” where the encroaching brewer would stop production of the beer in question after the brew cycle was complete or would rename their offering all-together if they planned to keep the beer in production.

When it comes to Born & Raised, No-Li is adamant that they are the rightful, sole owner of the name.

“No-Li Brewhouse has been using the Born & Raised name since 2012 and it’s been sold all across the country and recognized worldwide through international beer competitions,” Powers says.

Goose Island says the beer and name reflects its own Chicago roots. The brewery has no plans to change the name or stop production of its new cream ale.

“We’ve been a part of the Chicago craft beer community for over 30 years, so it seemed fitting we name our Chicago-only cream ale ‘Born + Raised’ and work with local artists to create the unique tap handles,” says Todd Ahsmann, the president of Goose Island Beer Co.

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What happens now?

“We’d love to work with Goose Island and Anheuser-Busch and figure out a happy medium,” Powers tells CraftBeer.com. “No matter how big a company you’re working with on a disagreement, it’s still about people working together, understanding each other’s position. Hopefully looking at how we can be as a beer culture, not looking at what you can technically do, but how do we interact with others like they are our neighbors.”

Hopefully, the breweries are able to find that happy medium. Stay tuned.

The post Shared Beer Name Puts Independent Brewer at Odds with Big Beer appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

The level of enthusiasm around brewery and band collaboration beers is shared by the band, their following, and the brewers alike. It’s an experience that lets fans engage and interact with their favorite brewers and bands in new ways, and even attract new people to the craft brewery scene.

Bands Seek Breweries with Similar Personalities

Beer collaborations come in all shapes and sizes. Some are driven by beer lover demand, others by a passionate brewer, and a few just fall into place. That was the case with California’s Stone Brewing and their recent collaboration with the iconic rock band Metallica.

According to Stone Brewing‘s Executive Director and Co-Founder, Greg Koch, Metallica had been interested in making a beer for a while, they just didn’t know who they wanted to make it with. Eventually, the band settled on a brewery with a similar type of outspoken personality: Stone.

It’s not every day that a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band like Metallica and a musician like Lars Ulrich reach out to do a collaboration. Koch admits that he was skeptical at first.

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Craft Brewery)

“We get requests for collaborations all the time, and we’re not in the business of just slapping a logo on a beer,” Koch says. “These guys wanted a real hand in the creation of this beer so we had countless conversations about the vision — what we wanted this collaboration to mean…ultimately [they selected] the one I’d hoped they would — the more aggressive, bigger character beer.”

The result is the high-intensity, yet easy-to-drink Enter Night pilsner, invoking the name of one of Metallica’s most famous songs: “Enter Sandman.” Emblazoned with Stone’s demon insignia, Metallica signage, and a matte black can, the collaboration beer is a fitting creation for two artists who push the boundaries of their respective industries.

Creature Comforts Beer Co. in Athens, Georgia, knows a lot about pushing boundaries. When the brewery opened in the college town 90-minutes outside of Atlanta in 2014, it quickly made a name of itself with its sought-after Tropicalia IPA.

Georgia has a prominent musical history, thanks in part to the hip-hop hotbed of Atlanta. Creature Comforts rising popularity coincided with the growing hype around Atlanta-native Killer Mike and his entertaining and engaging hip-hop duo, Run the Jewels. The two parties were brought together through a mutual friendship and love of hip-hop, leading to the creation of Stay G-O-L-D IPA, named after a song in Run the Jewels’ “Run the Jewels 3” album.

First released in 2017, the eye-catching IPA weaves together big doses of Strata, Citra, Mosaic, and Chinook hops in perfect harmony. According to Creature Comforts Co-founder and Head Brewer David Stein, the duo of Killer Mike and El-P gave the brewers a lot of freedom in the brewing process and label design, but the musicians did have some specifications around the flavor.

“They mentioned being interested in an IPA with a dank [cannabis-like] and juicy flavor and aroma, so we selected a hop profile based on our knowledge of styles and characteristics of different hops,” Stein says.

The release became so popular that Creature Comforts and Run the Jewels released a second batch earlier this year.

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Gravely Brewing Co.: The ‘Music Brewery’

Much like making music, brewing a beer takes a hands-on approach. Music can also be a key component to a brewer’s identity, just ask the founder of Louisville’s “music brewery,” Gravely Brewing Company.

Nathaniel Gravely worked in the music industry for over a decade and has always had a passion for music. His other passion was beer. Combining the two made perfect sense.

“Each beer on our tap list is named after a song, lyric, or musical motif that we’ve found empowering in our own musical evolution or have impacted others,” says Gravely.

Along with being a brewery, Gravely Brewing also hosts concerts, offering Nathaniel and crew a perfect opportunity to collaborate with some of their favorite musicians. The result is their recurring Musician Made Series, where Gravely collaborates directly with a band on a beer that will pour exclusively during their set at the brewery. It’s an interesting premise that gives new meaning to the beer and showcases a musician’s passion in a different artistic interpretation.

Some Bands Have a Very Specific Beer Vision

It’s not surprising that the musicians that collaborate on a brew are passionate about the end product. Many musicians actually come up with the exact beer they want to make.

That was the inspiration behind Asbury Park Brewery‘s collaboration with Panic! at the Disco and frontman Brendon Urie. After Urie and the rest of the band played a private set at New Jersey’s legendary Stone Pony club, the band stopped at the nearby Asbury Park Brewery taproom and the idea of a collaboration with founder Jeff Plate and his brewery was born.

The result was the aptly named “IP!ATD West Coast IPA,” a favorite style of Urie’s (even though Asbury Park resides on the East Coast).

“Brendon Urie’s willingness to collaborate with us made it a very easy decision! He is a big fan of West Coast IPAs with piney hop characteristics and cranked up IBUs. Being on the East Coast, we tend to roll off the bitterness and go for juicier beers,” says Plate.

Metallica took a similar hands-on approach when they brewed with Stone. Instead of an intensely-hopped IPA, the band wanted something easy to drink at concerts, tailgates, or just hanging out in a backyard. To ensure that the beer in their minds came to fruition, the band was fully invested in the brewing process, which Koch notes led to some interesting conversations and even opportunities for the brewery to educate the band about beer.

“The band has been involved in every step, from the beer’s development to the design of the can itself. We speak different languages, if you will, but there are an amazing number of parallels to what we do,” Koch tells CraftBeer.com. “We’ve had a great time educating them on craft beer and the nuances of brewing along the way…On our end, we get to see the inner workings of the music industry with artists that are at the very top of their genre.”

(READ: Fastest Growing U.S. Craft Breweries)

Surly Brewing Collaborates with Iconic ‘Purple Rain’ Music Club

Brewing a musician-inspired beer provides craft brewers the opportunity to reach new audiences. Minnesota’s Surly Brewing brewed a beer with the people behind the iconic music club First Avenue, the venue where several scenes of Prince’s 1984 movie “Purple Rain” were recorded. It’s also the biggest venue account across Surly’s distribution footprint.

Regional Sales Manager Cory Just reached out to the folks behind First Avenue, leading to the creation of “+1 Golden Ale.” Working with a concert venue gave Just and the rest of the Surly team some audience insights into the exact type of beers and beer styles First Ave sold most often. These learnings pushed the Surly team to create something wholly unique for First Ave while still maintaining the boisterous Surly ethos.

When working with a brewery, they typically have a portfolio of beers and we determine where both of our styles come together. For First Avenue, they don’t have a brewing portfolio, but they do know the styles of beers their patrons are drawn to at shows. We really needed to dial in the style based on what we all know to be true about what folks like to drink at a show. While it may have limited us both from making some out-there new-to-craft style, it did push us to create that perfect show beer, and that was inspiring,” says Just.

(READ: Milk Stouts Made with Dairy Alternatives)

Band Collaborations Help Craft Breweries Reach New Drinkers

Brewing a beer that music fans will enjoy while also being true to a musician’s unique brand is a difficult balance. When done correctly, you not only get accolades from the band, but also from the fans. Excitement around a brewery-band collaboration goes beyond boosting beer sales to possibly driving merchandise and social media impressions as well.

Jeff Plate of Asbury Park Brewery notes that the announcement of their collaboration with Panic! At the Disco set their Twitter account on fire. It also led to an impressive turnout on release day.

“We had a line down the block the day of the can release and completely sold out in about 3 hours,” says Plate.

Stone Brewing says working with Metallica, a band that’s had a rabid fanbase for nearly four decades, drove a ton of positive interest in the beer collaboration, even from people who wouldn’t normally buy craft beer.

“The Metallica fans have been awesome,” says Stone’s Greg Koch.

“They’ve been so welcoming to us and eager to get their hands on the beer, our co-branded guitar pics and shirts. With such an extensive and devoted following to the band, there’s no doubt we’re reaching folks who may not have been craft beer drinkers before.”

Sometimes, even the best-known craft brewers are even bigger music fans. This is the case for Dogfish Head, who has made a habit of doing big collaboration beers with the likes of the Grateful Dead and the Flaming Lips.

The primary driver behind Dogfish Head’s collaborations is Sam Calagione, the brewery’s founder and frontman.

“As a raging beer geek with a music problem, there’s nothing that excites me more than bringing together creative beer and creative music to generate one enveloping sensory experience,” Calagione says. “So when searching for music collaboration partners, Dogfish seeks out bands and musicians that share our excitement for the project, passion for ingenuity and off-centered ethos”

Here’s hoping brewers and bands alike look to each other for more collaboration opportunities in the future. Who knows, maybe the next iteration is a brewer-inspired ballad. Given how fast today’s craft beer industry moves, I wouldn’t be surprised. Cheers!

The post Music to Your Beers: When Breweries and Bands Collaborate appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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Putting the seal on a brewery’s packaging helps beer lovers make an informed decision when they’re at the supermarket or their local liquor store. It helps differentiate the independent craft brewers from those that blur the lines thanks to big beer marketing campaigns and acquisitions.

Over 4,000 craft brewers have signed on to use the seal, a high watermark that is set to rise higher as more breweries grow their presence and focus on differentiation. We interviewed some of the brewers proudly championing the seal on their packaging to ask what went into implementing the seal at their brewery, the logistics of the seal placement, and what they’re most excited about.

Prominently Displaying the Seal

Often times, a brewery’s marketing department is a team of one, but it’s clear from the breweries I talked to that adding the seal on packaging was a collective effort. Everyone bought in. They take several factors into consideration when it comes to placing the seal on their beer packaging: Where to place it? What size should it be? Do they want it vertical or horizontal?

“We wanted it to be prominently displayed so there would be no question that we are independent and we support the seal,” says Garrett Marrero, co-founder of Maui Brewing Company. To fulfill that vision, a ¾-1” seal is placed on the front panel of all of Maui Brewing’s cans and large bottle formats. The seal also makes its way onto all of Maui’s case trays, 12-pack boxes and bottle cases.

(Related: Seek the Independent Craft Brewer Seal)

Placing the independent craft brewer seal on the front of a brewery’s packaging is sure to catch the eye of a well-read craft beer drinker. For beer lovers who may not recognize the indie seal yet, placing the seal so prominently also serves as a way to start a conversation.

Dogfish Head decided to make a statement with their seal placement, placing it prominently on their new 60 Minute IPA packaging. “We are using our 60 Minute package as a soapbox…As ubiquitous as craft beer may seem to the average craft beer fan, we still live in a world where two foreign-owned conglomerates control the vast majority of our country’s beer market,” said founder Sam Calagione. While being eye-catching, featuring the seal on packaging also serves as a vital piece of information for interested consumers.

“We see it as an educational tool. As consumers get more knowledgeable about beer, we want them to make informed decisions. In the same way that you may look for an ‘Organic’ or ‘Non-GMO’ seal on a bag of coffee, we want consumers to know more about who makes their beer,” says Brett Willis, Allagash Brewing’s marketing specialist.

(More: Milk Stouts Brewed with Dairy Alternatives)

Much like Maui Brewing, the independent craft brewer seal can be found front and center on Allagash’s newly minted Allagash White and River Trip tallboy cans. Willis notes that their strategy is to place the seal on the most outward-facing part of the packaging to ensure that the beer lover sees it on shelves. You’ll also see it on the brewery’s cardboard packaging.

Lakefront Brewing is ‘Compelled to Make a Loud Statement’

For many beer drinkers, the seal you’ll most likely see on packaging will be a black logo with white typeface. It’s the typical way to present it. That said, brewers are allowed to take some creative freedom to ensure that the seal vibes right with the color and visual dynamics of their packaging. Wisconsin’s Lakefront Brewery is one of those breweries.

“The balance of elements on any package is crucial — crucial for aesthetics, communication, and ultimately, sales,” says Michael Studola, Lakefront Brewery’s brand manager. “Our initial strategy was to place it in a way as to not disrupt the voice of the brand, but to be easily visible upon inspection.”

The seal on Lakefront’s packaging definitely stands out, even if it does vary by size or placement across their packaging portfolio. The crisp blue cans of their Lakefront Lager feature a white independent craft brewer seal that meshes with the rest of their canning color scheme. Their six-pack cardboard features the seal in red in an effort to stand out even further.

(Related: Brewers Association Launches Supporter Seal and Website)

At Lakefront, it’s a concerted effort to highlight the seal to further engage with consumers, and Stouda says the effort might get even bigger as the adoption rate of the seal increases among craft brewers.

“The more we live with the logo, and the more velocity the movement gains, we feel compelled to make a louder statement with a larger Independent logo,” said Studola.

Adding the Seal ‘a No-Brainer’

Making a statement with the seal was something that was echoed across the brewers I talked to. Tucker Gerrick, director of marketing at Minnesota-based Fulton Brewing notes that the brewery is essentially re-designing its entire packaging suite to feature the seal.

While it can take a brewery time to strategize how it’ll use the seal on its packaging, it’s clear that breweries who are using it are proud of what the shift represents for them, and for the larger craft beer market as a whole.

(More: Independent Craft Brewers Have a Right to Compete with Megabrewers)

“As a BA Board member I’m proud to have been part of the seal creation and encourage independent breweries, whether members of the BA or not, to adopt and implement the seal,” says Maui Brewing’s Marrero.

Adding the independent seal to their packaging was a “no-brainer” for Colorado’s Bonfire Brewing co-owner Amanda Jessen. She says it helps reinforce the message they are already sending.

“The whole idea behind the independent seal program really resonated with us…it’s extremely helpful to have the weight of the official seal to reinforce the idea that consumers can and should know where the beer they buy comes from, and not be fooled into thinking they are supporting a small, independent business when they’re not,” she says.

(More: Breweries Near Me)

For many breweries, putting the seal on their beer packaging allows them to vocalize their independence amidst the muddy waters of the larger beer market. It also allows them to proudly raise their independence flag high, which actually took on a literal meaning for Lakefront Brewery last November.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqh1LQPh9gC/

“Last November 23rd (Black Friday), we released our annual ‘Black Friday’ Imperial Stout to the public. Year after year, thousands of people line up…This year, our President and Founder, Russ Klisch, came outside with a large flag, emblazoned with the independent craft logo…Those thousands, gathered around him, cheered and took photos…it showed us, very graphically, how valuable the message is. It was at that point our decision was made to be louder about our independence.”

Here’s hoping more independent brewers join the vocal ranks soon. Cheers!

The post Breweries Flex Creative Muscles Adding Independent Seal to Packaging appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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Craft beer fans have a lot to be thankful this year as brewers experimented with new beer styles, tried out new beer lover-first business practices, and brought their beer to more shelves and bars nationwide. But there’s also a bunch of challenges and opportunities available to ambitious craft brewers trying to make the most of another year in business.

As the market matures, how will craft brewers mature and further integrate themselves with today’s society? What new beer style will reign supreme and drive demand? How will beer lovers respond to increasingly varied packaging and beer formats? These are just some of the pressing questions craft brewers will address next year.

We asked nine brewing minds about their biggest resolutions as we enter 2019. Here is what they said.

Jacob McKean, Modern Times Brewing CEO/Founder | San Diego, CA

“One of our biggest resolutions for 2019 is to support the national movement for single payer health care. We believe that providing health care for all people is a moral imperative, but practically speaking–as a small, employee-owned independent business–we’re also acutely aware of the crushing burden the for-profit health care industry has on us and everyone else like us. We want to join together with other craft brewers who are ready for this country to move to a civilized, efficient health care system that allows small businesses to thrive. Minor resolutions: open two more tasting rooms to the north of us and keep making kick ass beer.”

(More: A Bond Built on Creativity at Marble Brewery)

Jesse Claeys, New Belgium Brewing Spokesperson | Fort Collins, CO

“Two words: Glitter beer. I’m kidding, but we do resolve to keep pushing the experimental envelope while continuing to make amazing world-class beer. Innovation is a big part of the craft scene, and we’re focused on taking cues from emerging food and drink trends to serve up unique, sessionable brews with unlikely flavor inspirations.”

Nico Freccia, Co-Founder 21st Amendment | San Francisco, CA

“Our resolution for 2019 is to keep pushing the envelope in making innovative and quality beers, providing the best work environment we can have and to launch Sparkale, our new sparkling rosé ale, into the stratosphere!!”

(More: A Conversation with Nancy Palmer, Craft Beer Industry ‘Defender’)

Betsy Lay, Co-Founder & Head Brewer Lady Justice Brewing | Mountain View, CO

“We’re focused on expanding our philanthropic giving. Since we donate 100 percent of profit over cost, this resolution essentially means that we will be growing our customer base and getting more people excited about choosing beer that makes a positive impact on their communities. We’re also going to have some fun with blending and barrels and introducing new recipes to our lineup.”

Bill Manley, Director of Brand Development Surly Brewing Co. | Minneapolis

“Our biggest push for the new year is the introduction of 6-pack can packages into all markets for our flagships, Furious IPA and Xtra-Citra Pale Ale, as well as some all-new releases. We’re also introducing a host of new products, exciting new seasonals, and high-concept small batch beers. We’re eager to continue R&D work on beer hybrids, low ABV offerings, and redoubling our focus on quality beer with attitude.”

Nikol Jackson-Beckham, Brewers Association Diversity Ambassador | Boulder, CO

“I’m a ‘make habits, not resolutions’ person. There are some habits I’d like to get into that are related to my work as diversity ambassador for the BA and some generally as a craft beer drinker. First, get in the habit of playing a larger role in being an ambassador for potential new craft beer drinkers in my own community. I find myself flying around the country talking to people about doing this in their communities, and I’d like to do more of this where I am. Second, I want to get into the habit of purposefully drinking things that I haven’t had before. Drink more adventurously.”

(More: Escape to These Craft Breweries on U.S. Islands)

Brant Dubovick, Dir. of Brewing Operations DryHop Brewers/Corridor Brewery and Provisions | Chicago

“We want to strive to produce the best beer in the Midwest at both locations. Keep our beer as fresh as possible for our loyal guests. Evolve our beer program to meet the demands of our guests.”

For DryHop: “To work with our brewers to grow and curate a top-notch barrel aging program. To compete at FoBAB in November.”

For Corridor: “GABF 2019 to try and grab gold in the Juicy/Hazy IPA category while defending our silver medal or grabbing gold in the Juicy/Hazy Imperial IPA category and gold in the Other Belgian Ale category.”

(More: 9 Remarkable Brewery Taprooms)

Mark Stutrud, Founder and President Summit Brewing Co. | St. Paul, MN

“While the rise of the taproom has allowed breweries to interact with consumers in new and exciting ways, Summit’s long-term success depends on the local pubs, retailers and wholesalers who first helped us get our beer in front of drinkers. In 2019, Summit resolves to strengthen our commitment to these customers, and to support them rather than compete with them for their business.”

Max Pigman, Owner & Founder Lewis & Clark Brewing | Helena, MT

“Our biggest resolution was to design, construct and commission a new 60,000-barrel brewery (attached to our current brewery) within 18 months. Resolution made in January 2016, new brewery opened in July of 2017. The thing we are most excited for in 2019 – the potential of achieving profitability after a major expansion within two years.”

So, whether it’s growing employee benefits, new can releases, or ambitious plans for expansion, it’s clear that independent brewers across the U.S. have grand plans for 2019. Let’s raise a toast to the continued success of the beer community in 2019 and beyond.

The post Craft Beer’s Best Year Yet? appeared first on CraftBeer.com.

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Whether through Untappd hype, local appeal, or strategic pricing, many breweries have found their niche when it comes to marketing their beer to the beer lovers looking to pick up a 6-pack on a Friday night. But the 6-pack is quickly becoming old news as forward-thinking brewers look to appeal to drinkers with variety pack offerings.

Along with quelling buyers-remorse, the variety pack also fits the massive expectations of those who demand something new, something different, in every bottle or can. Some brewers have decided to differentiate even further by providing added functionality and value in their value pack offerings as a way to further stand-out.

(READ: 12 Breweries in Historic Buildings)

Beer Packaging Inspiration from Unlikely Sources

The rise in popularity of craft beer variety packs came from the beer fan’s continuous need to try something new; no one wants to miss out on the next big beer. And while many of the brewers I spoke to said that consumer demand did play a role in determining the need for a more dynamic packaging front, one brewery had a particularly unique account.

Alaskan Brewing Co. has experienced success with their seasonal sampler variety packs, which featured staples like their Alaskan Amber and Icy Bay IPA, along with a rotating “mystery” beer that rotated by season. While consumers loved the classics, their curiosity for what’s new quickly became a problem for retailers.

“[They] reported that our more zealous fans were ripping open boxes in the stores to see which ‘mystery beer’ was in the package!,” explains Andy Kline, Alaskan’s communications manager. “So, we began to work on ways that would allow our consumers to know what beers were rotating in our Sampler Pack.”

(VISIT: Find a U.S. Brewery)

The result was an upgrade to their Frontier Pack that included a four-paned window, allowing picky fans to see the varieties offered before they bought. It’s a small tweak, but it’s notable in that it addressed a specific problem that the usual cardboard package presents.

New Belgium Brewing took a more traditional route when it came to the development of their Blend Like a Brewer Pack. According to New Belgium spokesperson Jesse Claeys, the idea of combining a variety of six beers and beer recipes that could be mixed together to create new drinks entirely grew organically in their tasting room. Being 100 percent employee-owned, New Belgium is very much intertwined with the rituals and opinions of their workers. One of these rituals, created in passing as employees enjoyed shift beers, led to this inspiration.

“Our coworkers blend beers together to bring out different flavors and customize to match individual preferences. One of our newer brewers noticed these custom blends and wondered aloud, ‘Maybe the public would like to know how New Belgium brewers are bringing fresh tastes to venerable favorites by mixing them together.’ This idea found some traction internally and we were excited to offer a fun and new way to enjoy New Belgium beers,” says Claeys.

(TRAVEL: Pacific Coast Breweries Road Trip)

Intense Planning to Design New Beer Packaging

The craft beer industry is revered for its ability to quickly churn out beers in reaction to current trends (cough, cough, hazy IPAs). That’s not always the case when it comes to the packaging of these beers. After fans starting ripping open their sampler packs to find the mystery option, it took Alaskan Brewing about one year from idea-to-shelf to fully roll out the new packaging design. The reason for this came down to extended discussions over how many windows, the size of each pane, and how many rotating beers they should highlight. In the end, the new Alaskan Frontier Pack features four small boxes that highlight each beer, which Kline says the team was particularly proud of: “We feel the time and energy was worth it for the awesome package we now have.”

For Colorado-based Funkwerks, the long development process for their newest Winky’s Snack Pack offering came down to aesthetics. Funkwerks had seen success with their current variety pack offerings but decided to differentiate, with brighter colors and more functionality, to further stand out on shelves. Their main draw, besides from being able to boast three award-winning beers in one package, is the presence of fully removable pop-out cardboard coasters which allowed Funkwerks to make a more interactive offering to consumers, says Funkwerks’ Co-founder and President Brad Lincoln.

The entire process took about six months for Funkwerks’ design team and their outside packaging vendor to crack the code on how to implement the new coasters without ruining the current layout of their package. “It was somewhat difficult to design around the coasters while including all the information we needed on every side of the box,” says Lincoln. The result is a bright variety pack that fits Funkwerks’ vibrant brand while also giving buyers another reason to try their delightful sours and saisons.

(READ: BA Responds to Comedian Jim Gaffigan’s Criticism of American Craft Beer)

That said, other breweries, like Dogfish Head, had a huge deadline to hit in the rollout of their OffCenter Your Summer Variety Pack, which sped up the development process significantly. With the need to roll out the new variety pack by June, which includes a tear-open top that transforms the package into a waterproof cooler, Dogfish Head leaned heavily on their packaging partner, WestRock, to help expedite the process.

“Mad props to our pals at WestRock and the Dogfish team who quickly took this opportunity from an idea to a reality in a short period of time allowing us to bring the cooler pack to market just in time for summer,” says Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head’s CEO and founder.

The Perfect Craft Beer Package?

Will we see more brewers diving into functional packaging designs? It’s tough to tell, but it’s easy to see why the variety pack remains an ideal purchasing quantity for craft beer fans. For those like New Belgium and their Blend Like a Brewer creation, the right amount of recipes and different variants wouldn’t work in a 6-pack of bottles or in a 12-pack of cans. The flexibility of offering twelve strategically-selected beers, along with additional add-ons like the crafted recipe card, in one package, was an ideal fit for the Colorado brewer.

The variety pack was also ideal for their Coloradoan counterpart, Funkwerks. Along with giving them the ability to add coasters, it also provided added space to stand out with their brightly-labeled brand. “We think this new design will help us stand out on the shelf in comparison to our previous 12-pack design that was less colorful, less visible, and harder to identify which brands were inside,” explains Lincoln. Due to the current success of their variety pack offerings, Lincoln says that they’re also thinking about applying “fun and creative ideas” to amp up other packaging styles. 

Alaskan Beer has seen similar success with their new Frontier Pack. According to Kline, customers are engaging more with the beers before they buy, thanks to the windowed-packaging, which has led to an uptick in positivity from those who may have ripped open the packaging in the past. “Consumer reaction was immediate and enthusiastic. We have heard from many of our fans that they love seeing what they’re choices are before buying,” says Kline.

More than anything, the little tweak to a slab of cardboard has led to real, tangible results for Alaskan, along with their colleagues in Colorado and in Delaware. The ability to close the gap in an often complicated buying process for a consumer is vital for breweries looking to compete for shelf space and justify their distribution footprint – especially if your beer is from Alaska.

“It is so cool to see people walk up and turn the bottles in our pack so they can read the label. I feel like that’s a big win right there. It feels like that is helping their decision-making process, and that’s exciting.”

The post Craft Breweries Explore New Approaches to Variety Packaging appeared first on CraftBeer.com.