2009 May Beer News -- Beer Info

Abita Strawberry Beer
Abita Springs, LA

Left Hand Releases St. Vrain Tripel Ale(May 31) - In honor of the mighty St. Vrain River that lies due west of the brewery, Left Hand Brewing Company has released their limited edition St. Vrain Tripel after a 2-year absence. Complete Story

Full Sail Brewing Announces "LTD 03"(May 31) - LTD means limited edition, but at Full Sail is means something even more: Live the Dream. The Full Sail brewers have been busy living out every brewer's dream. A dream of creating unique beers that celebrate both the creativity of our brewers while honoring a rich brewing heritage of great lager beer styles. Complete Story

Alaskan Brewing expands(May 30) - In 1987, the company brewed 1,500 barrels of beer. Since 2005, it's been more than 100,000 barrels yearly. The brewery expects to increase beer production by 11 percent this year. Complete Story

Historic Beamish brewery closes doors(May 30) - IRELAND’S OLDEST brewery, a landmark on South Main Street in Cork since at least 1650 and home to Beamish and Crawford since 1792, ceased operation yesterday. The Tudor-fronted counting house of Beamish and Crawford was unusually quiet yesterday as a small band of long-term employees said their final goodbyes to a much loved workplace. Complete Story

Red Lodge Brewery Goes Green(May 30) - Many businesses are looking to cut costs during these tough economic times, but a Red Lodge Brewery is doing just that without affecting their signature products.After months of construction at Sam's Tap Room the two acre complex is nearly complete. Complete Story

Belgian-Style Tripel Next in Redhook Limited Release Series(May 30) - Crafted with imported Belgian candy sugar, high quality European malts and a secret monastery yeast strain, the new Tripel Belgian-style ale from Redhook Ale Brewery will hit shelves for a limited time this summer. Complete Story

Craft brew is booming, but Illinois lags national trend(May 30) - The Boulder, Colo.-based Brewers Association ranked the top 50 craft breweries by sales volume in 2008. Not one Illinois establishment made the cut. Other Midwest states like Wisconsin, Missouri, Michigan, and Ohio all have breweries in the top 50. Complete Story

Flying Dog Brewery: Every Dog Has Its Day(May 29) - Head Brewer Bob Malone and VP of Brewing Operations Matt Brophy stopped by the Brickskeller to give samples of their Canis Major and Wild Dog lines of beer and to discuss how it’s all made. With nine samples ranging from a brutally smoky Dog Schwarz to a divine Belgian Style IPA, it is clear that Flying Dog has much more going if you dig a little deeper. Complete Story

Great Divide Brewing Company Releases Two New Seasonal Beers(May 29) - Great Divide Brewing Company’s ambitious new seasonal release schedule keeps rolling, and the brewery has two new beers to whet the appetite of the summer craft beer drinker. Beginning May 29, Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout and Double Wit will take the place of Saison and Dunkel Weiss in the brewery’s 22-ounce lineup. Complete Story

Deschutes Brewery Turning 21, Releasing Black Butte XXI(May 29) - On June 27th, 2009, Deschutes Brewery turns 21. To celebrate, the craft brewery is releasing a limited batch of Black Butte XXI, which is a doubled-up, barrel-aged version of the brewery's flagship ale, Black Butte Porter. Complete Story

Hangar 24 brewery celebrates first year(May 29) - Hangar 24 will launch a one-time-only anniversary ale and host a celebration to commemorate its first anniversary. "The anniversary party is a thank you to everyone who's gotten us here, to the community who has accepted us with open arms," said Ben Cook, Hangar 24 owner and brewmaster. Complete Story

Beer Lovers Unite at 20th Annual Colorado Brewers’ Fest(May 29) - Fort Collins’ 20th annual Brewers’ Festival, held in historic Old Town Square June 27-28, promises food, fun, music, and of course, beer. As the largest beer-producing town in Colorado, Fort Collins is a natural choice to hold the annual event. Complete Story

The beer tourists(May 29) - For a Carmel Valley couple, traveling the world in search of the next great glass of beer has its moments. There was the gut-wrenching three-hour grind they made up an Italian mountain road, clogged with bicycles and with so many curves that they were numbered — only to discover the little village brewery was closed that afternoon. Complete Story

Stronger beers hit shelves in Alabama days after legalization(May 28) - Specialty and gourmet beers that were once banned in Alabama are showing up on store shelves less than a week after Gov. Bob Riley signed a law allowing the sale of stronger beer. Complete Story

Beer That Behaves Like Wine(May 29) - Mr. Adrià and his partner, Juli Soler, plus two of his sommeliers have created a beer for the 100-year-old brewery Estrella Damm of Barcelona. “The idea was to make a beer to drink with food, from a wineglass,” Mr. Adrià said last week during a visit to New York. Complete Story

Stone 13th Anniversary Ale(May 26) - Take your idea of a hoppy Stone beer and throw it out the window, because Stone 13th Anniversary Ale is the hoppiest beer we’ve ever brewed. Just how much hops is in this year’s batch? You may want to sit down for this…4.5 lbs. PER BARREL! To lend you a bit of perspective, Stone 10th Anniversary IPA, revered by many as the quintessential hopped-up Stone Anniversary Ale, had about 2.5 lbs. per barrel. Complete Story

Full Sail's new Berliner Weisse(May 26) - Served straight, this style has a sour tartness with a dry finish. A German tradition is to offer a splash of sweet woodruff syrup, called Waldmeister, for a fresh herbal character and a bright green color or sweet red raspberry syrup to provide a striking red beer with raspberry overtones. Complete Story

Pike Tandem Double Ale(May 26) - Remembering his childhood dream to be a monk, Charles wanted to add completely different tastes for Pike customers: a double and tripel in the monastic style. Since Charles and Rose Ann were tandem bicycle enthusiasts, they named their new Double, “Pike Tandem.” In the Abbey style, Head Brewer Drew Cluley added organic sugar and coriander to a gold medal winning brown ale. Complete Story

Stone Imperial Russian Stout will knock the czar out of you(May 26) - Stone Brewing is well-known nationally among craft beer drinkers for its Arrogant Bastard Ale and has specialized in higher-strength beers; something like 11 of their 14 year-round and seasonal offerings are 6.9 percent or more. The brewery is also aggressive with hops, and their ales are renowned for having almost more International Bittering Units than human taste buds can register. Complete Story

Craft beer pioneer, Anchor Brewing, holds on to popularity(May 24) - The great-grandson of the man who founded the washing-machine company, Maytag worked tirelessly, and invested a great deal of his own money, to turn the situation around. It took about 10 years, but by the mid-1970s, the brewery - renamed Anchor Brewing Company - was starting to turn a profit, and Maytag had earned a place of respected and influence in the just-beginning craft-beer industry. Complete Story

Grab a quick taste of Anderson Valley(May 24) - Wake up under a canopy of towering redwoods, hike along old-growth forest trails and spend the afternoon tasting some of the best beer and wine known to humankind; that's my idea of a perfect day. Northern California has several wine regions, but only one - the Anderson Valley, in Mendocino County - combines lonely roads, a motley crew of locals, lots of small and free tasting rooms, and scenery so stunning it can make you swoon. Complete Story

Big Sound Scotch Ale from Cigar City Brewing(May 24) - Big Sound Scotch Ale, the latest seasonal release from Cigar City Brewing, can be purchased in 25 ounce bottles at Whole Foods, Leukens, Kingdom Liquors, World of Beer Clearwater, and several Total Wine locations. But get it soon; bottles are going fast, and once they’re gone, there’ll be no more until next year. Complete Story

Free the hops: Stronger brew expected to take a few weeks to arrive on Alabama shelves(May 23) - The hops are finally free in Alabama, but it could be another week or so before consumers find gourmet beers stocked on shelves and served at bars and restaurants.   Gov. Bob Riley on Friday signed into law a bill that raises the maximum alcohol content of beer, ale, lager and porter that can be sold in the state from 6 percent by volume to 13.9 percent. Complete Story

Prairie Moon Farmhouse Belgian Style Ale from Lake Louie Brewing(May 23) - Not everyone means “lawn mower beer” in a positive way. It’s a reference to light fizzy beer without character or flavor. However, while Prairie Moon Farmhouse Belgian Style Ale from Lake Louie could be considered a lawn mower beer for its light and refreshing qualities, it has a unique and flavorful personality all of its own. Complete Story

Ninkasi Total Domination IPA(May 23) - Ninkasi Brewing Company is a name that kept popping up during Seattle Beer Week; head brewer Jamie Floyd was all over town promoting his brews. This Eugene, OR-based brewery has been around since 2006, though they are not yet a common feature on the Seattle beer circuit. My guess is that this will change soon. Complete Story

Action Alert - Federal Excise Tax on Beer Could Triple(May 22) - A tripling of the beer tax here in the US is something that would impact all of us. Please read the following Action Alert from the Beer Institute. If you're in opposition of the proposed federal excise tax increase, take immediate action by contacting your member of Congress and Senators, and express that any raise in alcohol taxes would have a severe economic impact. Complete Story

Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale(May 22) - A New Jersey-born homage to Belgian saison (which means season), Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale is brewed from Belgian two-row pale and Cara Pils malts, as well as 7 percent white wheat. The ale is bittered and preserved with Magnum and Styrian Golding hops and lightly filtered. Complete Story

Gulden Draak Ale(May 22) - Gulden Draak is a dark brown triple ale, which makes it an exception among Belgian triples. The second fermentation offers the nice creamy head, full body and all of the vitamins of the centuries-old brewers yeast. It is a "thick" beer that you can actually nibble to adventure the complex taste. Complete Story

Gritty Dozen Variety Pack(May 22) - The popular Gritty Dozen Variety Pack previously included a selection of Gritty’s Original Pub Style, Best Bitter, Black Fly Stout, Best Brown and one of its four Seasonal Ales. The newly designed Gritty Dozen 12 pack will feature four Original Pub Styles, three 21 IPAs, three Best Browns and three bottles of one of the Seasonal Ales, beers brewed in limited production based on the time of year. The seasonal selections include Christmas Ale, Scottish Ale, Halloween Ale and Vacationland Summer Ale. Complete Story

Brewing Kentucky Ale(May 22) - Dr. Pearse Lyons bought the brewery in 2000. His background is in brewing so it’s where his first love is (fermentation). He’s continued to develop the brewery with new products. The main one is Kentucky Ale which is a blend of a pale ale and an Irish red ale. Complete Story

A craft beer Paul Revere(May 22) - If you were in a beer bar last week, you may have encountered a fervent revolutionary by the name of Chris Spradley. He was the guy riding in with a 4- by 5-foot poster of the pro-craft-beer Declaration of Beer Independence and asking you (sometimes via megaphone) to sign it. Complete Story

Terrapin “90 Shelling” Scotch Ale(May 21) - The Terrapin “90 Shelling” gets it name from traditional scotch ales that used numbers and then the word “Shilling” to indicate the alcohol content in the beer. For example a 120 shilling scotch ale would have more alcohol than a 90 shilling would. I used the word “Shelling” instead to pay homage to the turtle. Complete Story

Castle Brewery Eggenberg Samichlaus(May 21) - Brewed in a storybook castle in the Alpine town of Vorchdorf, Austria, Samichlaus, or Santa Claus, is one of the strongest beers bottled for retail availability. At 14 percent alcohol by volume, it's meant to be savored slowly by itself, or with a rich meal, or perhaps a chocolate dessert. Complete Story

Degrees of difference with McNeill's Brewery(May 21) - McNeill's currently bottles 10 of its more than 35 beers. Among them are Blond Bombshell, Firehouse Amber Ale, Ruby Ale, Dead Horse IPA, McNeill's ESB, Professor Brewhead's Brown Ale, Pullman's Porter, Oatmeal Stout and the Warlord Double IPA, the only "high-octane" beer currently available. Complete Story

Lagunitas 2009 Correction Ale(May 21) - Correction Ale, the latest limited-edition brew from Lagunitas, was made to lampoon the current economic crisis. The label quotes a recording, “We’re All Bozos on This Bus,” by comedy troupe Firesign Theater, and features more humorous ruminations from Lagunitas founder Tony Magee about clownish characters, such as “Made-Off.” But the pale gold beer inside is, as the label also proclaims, just a good American ale.   Complete Story

Widmer Brothers Drifter Pale Ale(May 21) - Drifter hits this balance nicely. The light-copper beer has a sharp grapefruity aroma, and the taste reveals a light, biscuity malt base. On top of the malt sweetness is more juicy grapefruit with just a hint of pine resin. This pale ale favors the hoppy side of the spectrum but not enough to be called an IPA. Complete Story

Sierra Nevada's Kellerweis Hefeweizen(May 21) - A few years ago, Sierra Nevada Brewing in Chico obtained a unique yeast from a very small brewery in Bavaria. Head brewer for R&D Scott Jennings began playing around with the yeast in their pilot brewery to create a traditional Bavarian hefeweizen, a difficult task for a brewery making ales using English-style brewing methods. Complete Story

1634 Ale: New Beer from Maryland's past(May 19) - The beer, 1634 Ale is from Brewer's Alley in Frederick. According to Tom Flores, the brewer there, the ale is designed to evoke the flavor of the beer enjoyed by the colonists who founded Maryland, some 375 years ago. Complete Story

Deschutes Brewery Expands To Utah(May 19) - Last month, a list named Bend’s Deschutes Brewery as one of the 50 biggest breweries in the country. And this week, the 20-year old, privately-owned beer maker got a little bigger. Central Oregon correspondent Ethan Lindsey reports you can now buy Mirror Pond Pale Ale, in Utah. Complete Story

Alaskan White Ale Splashes Into Western States(May 19) - It has been less than a month since Alaskan Brewing released their newest year-round bottled brew but Alaskan White is already making a big splash in Alaska and the western states. “We knew we had a really good beer on our hands with Alaskan White,” says Alaskan Sales Operations Manager Jon Blakley, “but we can hardly brewl it fast enough to keep it on shelves here in the Pacific Northwest.” Complete Story

Snake River Brewing wins Chili Cookoff(May 19) - Last weekend at Elk Fest on the Jackson Hole Town Square, Eric and Ascension of Snake River Brewing put together an awesome entry into the "Professional" category of competition and came away with 1st Place for their Buffalo Chili.Secret Ingredient? - Zonker Stout. Website

Labatt sues Brick Brewing(May 19) - The brewer, based in Waterloo, Ont., says the suit alleges trademark infringement of Labatt's Brava beer. Labatt alleges Red Baron's bottles and packaging look too similar to Brava, leading to confusion for customers. Complete Story

Iron City Brewing Co. beer may find home in Latrobe(May 19) - A new labor contract for idled City Brewing Co. workers in Latrobe, plus the possibility of a new canning line at the plant, may result in Iron City Brewing Co. moving production from its old Lawrenceville plant to the modern Latrobe brewer for at least its canned brews, they said. Complete Story

Great American Beer Festival - GABF 2009 tickets go on sale(May 18) - This years 2009 Great American Beer Festival will take place September 24-26 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. On June 1, non members and the general public will be offered the opportunity to buy tickets to the 2009 Great American Beer Festival.  Complete Story

21st Amendment Brewery Tells Massachusetts - “Can It!”(May 18) - Boston-area native Nico Freccia is returning to his home state, and he’s bringing beer. Craft beer in a can, that is. The co-founder of San Francisco’s 21st Amendment Brewery tells Massachusetts craft beer fans today, “We drink what we can; we can what we drink.” Complete Story

World's best brewery tours(May 18) - Once a magnet for those looking for a free beer, brewery tours have become much more sophisticated in recent years. Along with that gratis beer, breweries the world over are offering everything from in-depth tours to lessons in beer-making. Complete Story

New Belgium Brewing Tracking Kegs(May 18) - New Belgium Brewing has implemented the browser-based Fluensee AssetTrack™ application and passive RFID technology to provide better visibility to its keg fleet. On its fill line New Belgium installed passive RFID readers that capture data on all tagged beer kegs, sending RFID data to Fluensee AssetTrack. Complete Story

Odell Brewing releases Woodcut No. 2(May 16) - The beer has spoken. With a nice “pop” of the cork, Woodcut No. 2 revealed it is ready to be enjoyed. On June 1st, 2009, Odell Brewing will officially release Woodcut No. 2. The oak aged golden ale was brewed on the brewery’s pilot brewing system. It aged for several months in virgin oak barrels, and then bottle conditioned in cork finish, 750 ml bottles. Complete Story

Imperial Saison from New Glarus Brewing(May 16) - Just when I begin to think about the crisp, bubbly brews of summer, New Glarus brewmaster Dan Carey and his talented laboratory manager Randy Thiel are up to something special. Guess we shouldn’t be all that surprised! Complete Story

Portland State’s very own beer(May 16) - Portland State now has its very own beer … kind of. Rogue Brewery and the Portland State Alumni Association unveiled a repackaging of Rogue’s Brutal Bitter beer Thursday afternoon in a happy hour event aimed at young alumni. Complete Story

Brown Brewing taps quadricentennial beer(May 16) - In Troy, Brown’s Brewing Company tapped its own special Quadricentennial beer in honor of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration of the area. Mayor Harry Tutujian was hand to enjoy an ice cold pint and toast what he says is going to be a great and busy summer in the Collar City. Complete Story

Bear Republic's Hop Rod Rye now in four-packs(May 16) - Customers can begin looking for this turbo charged four-pack in retail stores across the nation next week. The four-pack is the first for Bear Republic Brewing Company's line of hop-heavy brews. Since completing the Factory 5 brewery in 2006, Bear Republic is now poised to offer new selections to loyal customers. Complete Story

Maui brewing fest aims for accessible(May 16) - Six months in the making, the inaugural Maui Brewers Festival is set for May 30, with Big Island-based Kona Brewing Co. as the presenting sponsor. All proceeds will support MACC's arts education programs and enable it to continue to bring the world's best performing and visual artists to Maui. Complete Story

Brewery beer tour at Orval monastery and brewery(May 15) - A tour of the brewery on the second day led us to the beer tasting room where the one and only draft tap handle of Orval in the world exists. Fresh and hoppy as the brewer loves it, we sampled various cheeses made by Orval and the monks at the monastery. Complete Story

North Coast Brewery serves up old style stock ale(May 15) - North Coast Brewing Company is one of the larger players in the microbrew scene, often seen as one of the top 10. Finding its roots in 1988 in the town of Fort Bragg, California, it has achieved great success, receiving more than 70 awards from all over the world. Complete Story

Free the Hops and More Alcohol Legislation(May 15) - Beer lovers in Alabama may soon be able to enjoy a stronger dose of the barley and hops. Both the House and Senate have approved a "free the hops" bill that will allow for the legal alcohol level in beer to exceed six percent. However, Gov. Bob Riley has not said whether or not he'll sign this bill.  Complete Story

KID ROCK's Bad Ass Beer available by Labor Day(May 15) - KID ROCK is hard at work on a new CD which he'd like to release in November, but meanwhile, we can all look forward to the release of his new beer. Rolling Stone reports that Kid hopes to have his new brew, called Bad Ass Beer, available by Labor Day. Complete Story