New-York Historical Society Exhibition Traces the Largely Unknown Cultural History of Beer in New York City from Colonial Times until Present Day

NEW YORK, NY – The fascinating yet largely unknown legacy of the cultural history of beer in New York is uncovered in Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History at the New-York Historical Society. The exhibition traces 350 years of the production and consumption of beer in the city—from colonial New York, when beer was a vital source of nourishment and tax revenues, to the current artisanal revolution occurring in microbreweries throughout the state. This exhibition is on view at New-York Historical through September 2, 2012.

Beer has been brewed in New York City since the days of its earliest European settlement. Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History will begin with an exploration of the colonial period in New York when beer was often safer to drink than water, and noted citizens brewed beer as just one aspect of their business activities. It will then take the visitor up to the present popularity of microbreweries and homebrewing. Topics include the nutritional properties of colonial beer and early New York brewers in the age of revolution; infrastructure innovations and the importance of access to clean water; large-scale brewing in nineteenth-century New York and the influence of immigration; temperance movements and the impact of prohibition; bottling, canning, refrigeration and other technological advances; and the promotional efforts of the City’s breweries in the age of mass production. These topics will be highlighted through a display of historical objects and documents such as a 1779 account book from a New York City brewer who sold beer to both the British and patriot sides; sections of early nineteenth-century wooden pipes from one of the city’s first water systems; a bronze medal that commemorates an 1855 New York State temperance law; beer trays from a variety of late nineteenth-century brewers; souvenirs from the campaign to repeal prohibition; and a selection of advertisements from Piels, Rheingold and Schaefer, beloved hometown brewers. The exhibit will conclude with a small beer hall that features a selection of favorite New York City and State artisanal beers.

“Beer is an important cultural influencer,” explained Debra Schmidt Bach and Nina Nazionale, curators of Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History, “and is not a topic typically covered in an exhibition at an Historical Society. We were intrigued by the longevity and popularity of beer in New York throughout the past 300 years, and wanted to bring together objects and documents of historical and cultural importance to investigate this venerable tradition.”

New-York Historical will host a special summer public program, “Beer Appreciation: The History and Renaissance of Beer,” featuring experts Garrett Oliver and Steve Hindy from Brooklyn Brewery, at which local craft beers will be served on Tuesday, July 10, 6:30 pm. Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History curators Debra Schmidt Bach and Nina Nazionale will join the conversation.

Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History is organized with support from both Brooklyn Brewery and Heartland Brewery.

About the New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society, one of America’s pre-eminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering research and presenting art and history exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history.

New-York Historical is recognized for engaging the public with deeply researched and far-ranging exhibitions, such as Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America; Slavery in New York; Nature and the American Vision: The Hudson River School at the New-York Historical Society; Grant and Lee in War and Peace; Lincoln and New York; The Grateful Dead: Now Playing at the New-York Historical Society; and Nueva York. Supporting these exhibitions and related education programs is one of the world’s greatest collections of historical artifacts, works of American art, and other materials documenting the history of the United States and New York.

Exhibition Website
http://www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/beer-here

Well, looks like the Lefties are about to bring the Nitro Stout to Texas. Austin Food and Beverage writer Emma Janzen writes all about it in her “Liquid” blog on Austin360.com. Read it HERE.

Cheers, y’all.

Whole Foods Market® and The Beer Wench present 
“Beer is for Lovers” virtual Twitter tasting

BERKELEY, Calif. (January 30, 2012) – Move over red wine and Champagne, craft beer is giving this Valentine’s Day a run for the money. Sparks are sure to fly as Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) and The Beer Wench (@TheBeerWench) combine forces for another hour of live beer tasting fun.

Aptly themed “Beer is for Lovers,” the virtual tasting is on February 7, from 7 to 8 p.m. EST, live on Twitter. Join Whole Foods Market and The Beer Wench as they taste through a playful quartet of palate-tantalizing beers, sure to bring out the romantic side of even the most cynical beer lover. All it takes to participate is a Twitter account and a beer in hand. To follow the conversation, use the hashtag #WFMBeer in your tweets.

For this event, four craft breweries across the country will participate to present a lineup of beers worthy of Cupid’s praise. Whether you plan on snuggling up with a loved one or celebrating with friends on Valentine’s Day, any or all of these beers will do the trick.

The featured beers include:

The Poet, New Holland Brewing Co.: The Poet has a rich, smooth malt character enveloped in tones of roast and chocolate. A soft mouth-feel brings luxurious flavors and soothing aroma. The Poet is a seductive companion to dinner and dessert, especially beef, mushrooms & chocolate. 5.2% abv.
Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA, Flying Dog: In the words of Gonzo artist Ralph Steadman, Raging Bitch is “two inflammatory words…one wild drink. Nectar imprisoned in a bottle.” With fruity funk and hop bite, it’s big, bold, beautiful, and complex, just like a Raging Bitch should be. 8.3% abv.
Chocolate Stout, Bison Brewing: Often referred to as Barry White’s voice in a bottle, Bison’s Chocolate Stout is a dark, slow-pouring aphrodisiac of the smoothest proportions; rich roast, slightly bitter but, oh so luscious. 100% certified organic, 100% certified orgasmic. 5% abv.
Total Domination, Ninkasi Brewing: Multiple hops collide in balanced perfection, dominating the senses, achieving total satisfaction. From the Pacific Northwest, birthplace of the modern IPA, comes a beer whose name says it all. 6.7 abv.
Every fifteen minutes, the focus will shift to a different brewery as brewmasters and brewery representatives actively answer questions and share stories about the beers and the breweries. The February 7 “Beer is for Lovers” Twitter Tasting schedule is:

7 p.m. EST: New Holland (@newhollandbrew) “The Poet”
7:15 p.m. EST: Flying Dog (@flyingdog) “Raging Bitch”
7:30 p.m. EST: Bison Brewing (@bisonbrew) “Chocolate Stout”
7:45 p.m. EST: Ninkasi (@Ninkasi) “Total Domination”
8 p.m. EST: After-party (free for all!)

In addition to tasting via Twitter, Whole Foods Market will be streaming the tasting live, with The Beer Wench, from it’s Coddingtown store located in Santa Rosa, CA. All are welcome to join the event in person, or watch it live on the Whole Foods Market LiveStream channel (http://www.livestream.com/wholefoodsmarket)

Participation is limited to those 21 years or older.

Media Contacts:
Ashley Routson, drinkwiththewench@gmail.com
Ashley Hawkins, ashley.hawkins@wholefoods.com

About The Beer Wench
Known amongst the craft beer community as The Beer Wench, Ashley Routson is a self-proclaimed craft beer evangelist and social media maven on a mission to advance the craft beer industry through education, inspiration and advocacy. Ashley currently is the “Director of Awesomeness” at Bison Brewing in Berkeley, CA — where her responsibilities include everything from brewing to marketing, sales, PR, and being an all around ninja. Ashley is also the founder of DrinkWithTheWench.com and BeerMixology.com.

About Whole Foods Market®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFM), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America’s first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” by Health magazine. The company’s motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company’s more than 64,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 14 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2011, the company had sales of more than $10 billion and currently has more than 315 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Brewery Makes Footprints with New Single Serve

Odell Brewing Releases Footprint RegionAle

Fort Collins, CO. – On February 11, 2012, Odell Brewing will release its first single serve brew of the New Year. A uniquely collaborative project, Footprint RegionAle pays tribute to the brewery’s regional distribution.

This artful ale is a nod to the ten states that make up what Odell Brewing calls its “distribution footprint.” The brewery sourced select ingredients from each of these ten states and crafted a myriad of small batch brews that were then blended into one larger brew. Guest brewers comprised of distributor partners, retailers, co-workers and friends from each state were invited to Odell Brewing to help with the brews.

“I had the pleasure of making the trip to Odell Brewing Co to brew the Minnesota component of Footprint; we had the challenge of brewing with sticky Minnesota grown wild rice,” said Mike Illig, Craft Beer manager for C&L Distributing in St. Cloud, MN. “The whole concept of the brew is a great idea, and I am glad to be a part of such an interesting collaboration.”

Footprint includes hops and barley from Colorado and Idaho, wheat from Kansas and Wyoming, Arizona prickly pear, Minnesota wild rice, Nebraska corn, New Mexico green chilies, South Dakota honey, and oak barrels from Missouri. The final blend boasts a rich golden hue and an oaky stone-fruit nose, and a delicate sweetness from the wheat and honey that is balanced by a subtle spicy dry finish.

Odell Brewing will celebrate the release of Footprint on Saturday February 11th in the brewery’s Tap Room from 4-6pm. The event will feature samples of the beer, local food, and live music by The Constant Tourist. Footprint RegionAle is available in 750mL cork and cage finished bottles throughout the brewery’s ten state distribution.

Founded in 1989, Odell Brewing was started by Doug Odell, his wife Wynne, and his sister Corkie. Twenty-one years later, the culture of family and collaboration still thrives fostering a brewery full of beer-centric people. It is this passion for beer that inspires Odell Brewing to create quality, hand-crafted, innovative brews. As a regional craft brewery, Odell Brewing is committed to serving the communities in which it distributes by sourcing local raw materials, and through its charitable giving program known as Odell Outreach. Odell Brewing was recently named a “Top Company of 2010” by ColoradoBiz Magazine and is an award winning brewery, nationally and internationally: 2011 Great American Beer Festival® – gold medal for Friek. 2010 North American Beer Awards – gold medal for Woodcut No. 3. 2009 BrewNZ Awards – gold for 5 Barrel Pale Ale. 2008 World Beer Cup® – gold for IPA. 2007 Great American Beer Festival® – gold medal for IPA.

You’re Invited! The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party
An SF Beer Week invitation even the Queen of Hearts can’t resist

Berkeley, January 30, 2012 — On February 12th, you are invited to enter a world where time is backwards, nothing is what it seems, and everything is what it isn’t. As a part of the SF Beer Week festivities, Bison Brewing & St. George Spirits are transforming local farm-to-table restaurant, Revival Bar & Kitchen, into a Wonderland of nonsense to throw a Mad Hatter-themed party of epic proportions.

This is your chance to explore the world of beer mixology in a most unique setting. The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party will feature three boozy concoctions designed by Bison Brewing’s  Ashley Routson, and founder of BeerMixology.com, Revival’s head mixologist, Nat Harry and St. George’s very own “Vodka Vixen,” Andie Ferman. No worries, these mysterious tonics will not cause you to grow or shrink.

Don’t be late, for this very important date. Tea time starts promptly at 2pm and ends at 4pm. Price of admission includes three beer cocktail tickets, an array of elegant appetizers, and a raffle ticket for swag. The first 25 ticket buyers get early access to a VIP hour, featuring a tasting of organic brews and straight spirits led by the Bison and St. George crew.

Costumes, while optional, are encouraged! And sorry Alice, this tea party is for adults only, 21 & over.

Event Details

What: The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party

Where: Revival Bar & Kitchen (downtown Berkeley)

When: February 12th, 2-4pm

*** First 25 tickets purchased get early access to VIP hour, 1-2pm

Cost: $30 online, $35 at the door.

Eventbrite: http://beermixology.eventbrite.com

Media Contact: Ashley Routson, ashley@bisonbrewing.com

From Terry:

As phase 1 of our 2012 expansion plan, Breckenridge Brewery installed two 300-barrel fermenters yesterday and one 200-barrel Brite tank today.  Photos are attached.  Four more 300-barrel fermenters are coming in March.

Here are some of the stats for the tanks:

All three new tanks were made by Paul Mueller Company in Springfield, Missouri.  Each of the 2 fermenters installed yesterday is about 40 feet tall, 10 feet in diameter, and weighs about 10,000 lbs.

The four scheduled to come at the end of March should be on-line and in production in early April.  We’ve built a new room on the south side of our brewery at 471 Kalamath Street, Denver, to accommodate the six new fermenters.
Today we installed the 200-barrel Brite tank into our filtration/packaging area.  We had to lift one of our existing 100-barrel Brite tanks from this area through a hole in roof in the middle of our building in order to properly place the new Brite tank, again through the roof.  We’re moving the 100-barrel tank into another space in the packaging area.

This expansion, like many others going on right now at craft breweries across the US, is representative of the marvelous growth of the craft beer market.  Cheers to good beer!
For US craft beer statistics, go to Brewers Association, http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/facts
For Colorado craft beer info, go to Colorado Brewers Guild, http://coloradobeer.org/.

Other Breckenridge Brewery news:

We’re still recovering from the Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines festival in Vail, CO, where Breckenridge Brewery, with Bell’s Brewery, was the featured brewery!  It was great to see many of you there!

Our Avalanche Ale was voted 2011 Best Amber in a Can by the readers of craftcans.com!

Pandora’s Bock, our spring seasonal, is available now.

Small Batch Series is beginning to ship in 4-packs (formerly 6-packs).  Available now in 4-packs is 471 IPA and 72 Imperial.  72 Imperial is our Small Batch “Occasional” beer that is a double chocolate stout made with milk and dark chocolate from Colorado’s own Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Durango, CO.

Austin start-up brewery Hops & Grain Brewing has been hard at it making beer since the first of October. Their hoppy Pale Dog American Pale Ale and ALT-eration Alt-style beers are showing up on taps all over town. We’re also starting to find the occasional Greenhouse brew on tap at certain beer-centric locales. Soon, we’ll start seeing the canned products in our favorite Austin beer stores. So, the beer making and selling thing seems to be coming together for Josh and the gang.

We were happy to see they are now on the interwebs with their new web site.  Check it out HERE, and read  a story about it HERE.

Happy Holidaze, and Cheers!

USABT

So, here’s yesterday’s news:

Fort Collins, CO. – On December 14th, Odell Brewing will begin shipping this year’s batch of Saboteur Brett Barrel Brown Ale, a classic brown ale aged in oak barrels with Brettanomyces. Named one of Draft Magazine’s Top 25 Beers of 2010, Saboteur is part of the brewery’s single serve series of beers.

Brewery Break-In Gone Wrong

Watch the latest @Brewamerica video about DC Brau, the first brewery to set uo shop in DC in 60 years! Click on the Beer Videos link above or click HERE.

Enjoy, and Cheers!

Tuesday, November 15th

Join us as we celebrate the sixth release of The Abyss, the imperial stout that is the heart and soul of our Reserve Series.

Walk, hop or skip down to our Bend or Portland Pub at 11 am to be one of the first first to purchase bottles of this year’s vintage of The Abyss (6 bottle limit per person please).

Then, at 5 pm, treat your tastebuds to a vertical flight of The Abyss [2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011] and a special menu that our chefs created just for this event. These flights will not last long so don’t be late.

The special menus for both pubs are slightly different with each chef featuring what they like to pair best with The Abyss. Click on the pub images below to view each of the mouth watering menus.

Buckle your tastebuds folks, and we’ll see you on the 15th!

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BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY SHARES A CAB -
SALE OF ULTRA-LIMITED “SUMMER CAB RIDE” BEER IN 750 ml BOTTLES

Denver, CO – November 3, 2011 – Breckenridge Brewery of Colorado, LLC, will sell precious few bottles of its rare beer “Summer Cab Ride” on Saturday, November 12, at its tasting room in Denver, 471 Kalamath Street. Summer Cab Ride is Breckenridge Brewery’s send off to summer – its SummerBright golden ale aged in cabernet wine barrels to create a light, sessionable beer with an interestingly complex finish. The brewery has packaged just 240 hand-numbered 750 ml bottles with cork and wire bale closures which will be sold, first come first served, at 1:00 p.m. on November 12.

The bottle release party starts at 11:00 a.m. the day of the sale and includes a grand prize sweepstakes, live music by Stephen Marcus, and tastings of Breckenridge Brewery rare beers. The first twenty people in line for the Summer Cab Ride bottle sale receive a $10 Metro Taxi cab voucher. The grand prize is a certificate for a fifteen-person two-hour tour on the Denver Patio Ride – a fifteen-seat, pedal-powered bike ideal for downtown pub tours.

The brewery invites people to enter the sweepstakes for the Denver Patio Ride starting today via the sweepstakes link on the Breckenridge Brewery Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/BreckenridgeBrewery). The winner will be announced at 1:00 at the Summer Cab Ride 750 ml bottle release party on November 12 and must be present to win.

Bottles of Summer Cab Ride will be sold for $20, and are limited to two bottles per person. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. For more information, please contact Terry Usry, terryusry@msn.com, 720-490-6837.

Breckenridge Brewery was founded in 1990 in Breckenridge, Colorado. In the past two decades Breckenridge Brewery has grown from a small 3,000-barrels-a-year brewpub to one of the most successful craft beer and restaurant companies in the nation. It now handcrafts over 37,000 barrels of fresh beer annually and owns and operates five brewpubs and ales houses in the state of Colorado.

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Happy International #StoutDay!!

If there is one thing that we love almost as much as brewing, it is cooking. And we love coming up with unique and creative ways to incorporate our beers into recipes.

There is something super magical about beer that makes it a fantastic tenderizer for meat — especially beef. We love braising short ribs in our Organic Chocolate Stout. The beer adds a nice smoky and roasted dimension to the dish, leaving hints of cocoa in its path.

In honor of International #StoutDay, a social media movement started to raise the awareness about craft beer and celebrate the stout style, we wanted to share our extra delicious recipe for braised short ribs with all of our friends and fans.

CHOCOLATE STOUT BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Ingredients:

4 lb. beef short ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 Tbs. canola oil
2 yellow onions, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cups Bison Organic Chocolate Stout
8 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional)
Directions:

1. Season the short ribs generously on all sides with salt and pepper. In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil until almost smoking. Working in batches (do not overcrowd), brown the ribs on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

2.In the same pan over medium heat, add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Slow cooker method: Transfer the short ribs and vegetables to a slow cooker and add the stout. Cover and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the meat is very tender, about 6 hours.

Oven method: Preheat an oven to 300°F. Transfer the short ribs and vegetables to a Dutch oven and add the stout. Cover the pot with aluminum foil and place the lid on top. Transfer to the oven and bake until the meat is very tender, about 4 hours.

Transfer the ribs to a large bowl and cover with aluminum foil. Skim the fat off the sauce. Using an immersion blender (or household blender), puree the sauce until smooth.

Serve immediately and pair with Bison Organic Chocolate Stout and your favorite sides (we love potatoes smashed with a bit of gorgonzola, cream, butter and garlic!)

CHEERS,
The Bison Brewing Team

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Monday, December 12th | 6 pm

Join us at our Portland Pub for an unforgettable evening with a few of Portland’s finest chefs, award-winning beer pairings and celebrity judges, all to benefit Morrison Child & Family Services. Not only do guests partake in a heavenly seven-course beer dinner, but they also decide the winner of the People’s Choice Award based on taste, best pairing, and creativity.

This year’s talented line-up of Portland Chefs include:
Jason French from Ned Ludd, Katy Millard from Davis Street Tavern, Sarah Schafer from Irving Street Kitchen, Paul Bachand from Recipe, Jeff Usinowicz & Jill Ramseier from Deschutes Brewery’s Portland Public House, and one more chef that will soon be announced.

The following celebrity judges will decide which dish impresses them the most:
Tracy Howard, senior editor of Imbibe Magazine; Christian DeBenedetti, author of The Great American Ale Trail; Steve Body, author of Seattle P.I.’s beer blog, The Pour Fool; Sal Zizzo, local soccer star and owner of Zizzo’s Food Cart; Caprial Pence from Caprial + John The Kitchen; and Gary Fish, owner of Deschutes Brewery.

Chefs Challenge tickets are $95 and can be purchased by clicking on the button below. For a limited time, subscribers to The Bitter Truth can purchase their tickets for $80 each, using the discount code “bravelydone”. This offer ends November 18th and with only 100 tickets available, they will go fast.

TICKETS

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That’s all folks!

(Indianapolis) – Sun King Brewing Co. led the charge at 2011′s Great American Beer Festival®,
taking home eight medals (including four Gold Medals), the highest medal count of any single
brewery in the Festival’s 30-year history. In recognition of this achievement, Indianapolis Mayor
Greg Ballard proclaimed Oct. 28 “Sun King Brewing Day.”

Mayor Ballard visited Sun King’s popular Tasting Room on Friday afternoon to meet with brewery
owners, staff, and issue the proclamation. You can watch a video of Mayor Ballard making the
proclamation HERE or watch it below.

If you would like to speak with us about any other issues pertaining to Sun King, craft beer, or
Indiana’s growing brewing industry, please contact Neal Taflinger at (317) 602-3702 or
taffy@sunkingbrewing.com.

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