Brewers Association Predicts Record-Breaking Participation in 2011 American Craft Beer Week
By CraftBeer.com
Nationwide Toast to the Craft Beer Community: May 16-22, 2011
Boulder, CO • Feb 22, 2011-Cheers. Salud. Prost. L'Chaim. The Brewers Association-the national non-profit association representing the majority of today's U.S. breweries, and publishers of CraftBeer.com-will celebrate American Craft Beer Week (ACBW) May 16-22, with local events held nationwide.
Considered The Mother of All Beer Weeks, ACBW recognizes one of America's true culinary arts and provides a platform for small and independent craft brewers to salute supporters and connect with their local communities. Thousands of today's beer enthusiasts, beginners and hard core geeks will toast craft beer, with ACBW events predicted to take place in all 50 states.
"American Craft Beer Week is an annual celebration of these historic beer times and the amazing community citizenship of craft brewers," said Julia Herz, a spokesperson for the Brewers Association. "With an emphasis to savor the flavor responsibly and the resurgence of a rich brewing culture here in the U.S., the week is a chance to highlight and recognize the incredible contributions of America's craft brewers."
There are close to 30 local beer weeks/beer months in the U.S. annually, each with its own identity and organizer. Established in 2006, ACBW builds on these local celebrations and is the largest national effort focusing solely on American craft brewers. Economically, small and independent U.S. craft brewers contribute an estimated 100,000 jobs, accounting for $3 billon annually in wages and benefits.
In 2010, ACBW logged 341 participating breweries that hosted 621 events with recognition at multiple retailers in 45 states. In addition, U.S. Congress passed House Resolution 1297 to support the goals and ideals of ACBW and recognize the significant contributions of craft brewers to the economy.
Throughout the week, a variety of events will be hosted by craft brewers and beer retailers across the country. Mirroring the diverse styles and brands of the industry, events include charity fundraisers, new beer releases, brewery openings, festivals, unique craft beer dinners and special brewery tours. Additionally, participating breweries will once again encourage beer enthusiasts to sign the Declaration of Beer Independence, an official document to support America's small and independent craft brewers.
For an ever-expanding list of events visit the official calendar on CraftBeer.com.
2011 ACBW registered celebrations to date:
Augusta Brewing Company, Augusta, GA: BBQ food pairings and a special release craft beer.
Kreuz Creek Brewing Co., Sugar Land, TX: Limited release tastings, extended tour hours, discounted merchandise, and a Wranger National Patriot Fundraiser.
Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., Warren, MI: Free personal pizza giveaway for patrons who tape their signed Declaration of Beer Independence to the pub wall.
Intuition Ale Works, Jacksonville, FL: Will celebrate American Craft Beer Week at the Jacksonville Craft and Import Beer Festival on May 20.
Mountaineer Brewing Company, Martinsburg, WV: There will be daily brewery tours and on Saturday May 21, an open house with live music and a motorcycle stuntman.
Omaha Beer Festival, Omaha, NE: The largest craft beer festival in Nebraska, will include craft beer tastings, beer-related seminars, beer and food pairings, a comparative beer glass seminar, and live entertainment/local food vendors on-site.
Rogue Ales, Newport, OR: To benefit dog charities in Oregon, Brewer's Memorial Ale Fest will include over 30 microbreweries, live music, doggy musical chairs, dog wash, dog dancing, and celebrity dog look-alikes.
WEBSITE: CraftBeer.com
CONTACT:
Andy Sparhawk, Craft Beer Program Coordinator
303.447.0816 x118
andy@brewersassociation.org
Julia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director
303.447.0816 x113
julia@brewersassociation.org
###
Based in Boulder, Colorado, USA, the Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade and education association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their craft beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. Visit BrewersAssociation.org to learn more. The association's activities include events and publishing: CraftBeer.com, World Beer Cup®; Great American Beer Festival®; Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America®; National Homebrewers Conference; National Homebrew Competition; SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience; American Craft Beer Week; Zymurgy magazine; The New Brewer magazine; and books on beer and brewing. The Brewers Association has an additional membership division of 24,000+ homebrewers: American Homebrewers Association.
Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Cherny Bock in the East Village
Bohemian Cherny Bock
by Bohemian Brewery
So cherny means “black” in Czech. I think that’s exactly what I say in the video. It’s black. It looks like it’s going to be thick, but it’s not. You usually think of bocks as heavier beers, but this one is refreshingly thinner and easier to drink. Throw out your bock preconceptions, people. It’s a session Bock.
I said that I was going to get a Vespa in the video and in the blog post last week. I seriously don’t know how I am going to afford a Vespa, but I’m going to buy one, mark my words. I’m going to get two matching helmets so the girl I’m taking to the sexy West Village brunch spot can look cute (and be safe). Sign up in the comments section to be the girl in that fantasy. Be prepared to pay for gas. ;-)
Utah has some ridiculous laws about shipping beer. The three-tiered system in place probably helped at some point, but the laws put in place to protect the distributors might be hindering interstate commerce as far as beer goes. I always think the best thing to make sure you have control over something is to legalize it and tax it. You might be able to solve the debt problem by legalizing marijuana if you taxed it enough. I know one former president who would get behind that bill.
Have you had a Bohemian Cherny Bock? Let us know how you like it in the comments section! Please make sure to indicate whether you are just commenting on the beer or would like a Vespa ride, or both.
Just The Facts
Appearance: BLACK
Smell: Coffee, smoky, raisiny, faint floral
Taste: Nutty, like drinking a lightly carbonated cold black coffee
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied
Drinkability: Session Bock!
If you like this, you might like:
Rauchbier, Bock, Dopplebock
Where to find them online
Friday, February 18, 2011
Win a trip to the Brewer's Ball in D.C.
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Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Appa to summit Everest for the 21st time!
Utah’s Apa Sherpa to attempt 21st ascent of Mount Everest
Apa Sherpa, the world record holder for most ascents of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, will seek to break his own record by summiting the mountain (and making his wife worried) for the 21st time.
Apa Sherpa on his last record breaking ascent, where he brought canned beer from Utah's Bohemian Brewery to the summit.
Apa Sherpa is 51-years-old, lives in Draper, Utah, and is known the world over as the “Super Sherpa for his super human ability to climb mountains. In 2010 be previously broke his own world record by climbing Everest for the 20th time as part of the Eco Everest Expedition. Their mission has been to clean the garbage and human waste off the face of Everest so it can be properly disposed of. In the last four years, the team has brought down 12,000kg of garbage.
As a Utah related side note, in true mountaineer fashion, Apa brought beer to the summit in 2010. Utah’s Bohemian Brewery had the honor of being the fist microbrew on Everest when Apa carried their Pilsner and Amber Lager to the top of the world.
This year, Apa Sherpa will again take part in the Eco Everest Expedition 2011. According to the Asian-Trekking Agency, the team will once again climb the 29,028-foot peak to climb in ”an eco-sensitive manner, bringing old garbage, in addition to our own, and all human waste produced on the mountain down to base camp for proper disposal. We will once again be using our highly successful alternative energy solutions like the parabolic solar cookers and the SteriPENs for water purification.”
“Last year, Apa carried the banner of the Nepal Tourism Board to the summit of Mt Everest to announce to the world that Nepal was gearing up to celebrate 2011 as its tourism year,” said Ang Tshering Sherpa, chief of Asian Trekking. “This year, he felt he had to return to the peak to complete the work.”
Apa has sought to raise awareness of issues facing the people of Nepal ever since he first climbed Everest in 1990 as a porter. Last year, he established the Apa Sherpa Foundation to raise funds for a Sherpa school in Thame, a remote village in northern Nepal where he was born.
Apa and his wife, Yangjin, have two sons and a daughter. The family moved to Draper, Utah with the help of his friend Jerry Mika so his own children could receive a better education.
According to The Times of India, after the expedition that kicks off in April, Apa will be returning in autumn to further support Nepal’s Tourism Year 2011 campaign that seeks to draw 1 million tourists. With Dawa Steven, Apa will lead “the Great Himalaya Trail” – a five-month trekking odyssey from east Nepal to the west to promote tourism in rural Nepal.
Source: Asian-Trekking, The Times of India
Monday, February 14, 2011
Bohemian Czech Pilsener in the East Village NYC.
Maaamaaaa… just tasted beer… Czech Pilsner in my hand, popped the tab off of the caaaaaaan
I came up with something or the other three lines leading up to the chorus, but this one was the best.
Check out the Bohemian Brewery website. Can I be impartial about websites and package design? I think I can (no pun intended… you know, because they all come in cans). The lion on the outside feels strong. They love vespas, too – I’ve never owned one, but I’m going to get one this summer. This is the one I want. What do you think? Comments on vespas and beer below!
Oh yeah, the lion. You gotta feel like a man when you’re drinking this, baby. Look at that lion. He means business. I bet that lion chews on expensive foodall of the time. If you put a mask on this guy, you could ride him like He-Man. This is the lion your man could be riding right now.
The Pilsner? Traditional. Where to find it? Gotta go to the land of the Pow-Pow or have a friend send it to you. Be one of the first to try it before they go global with this baby!
Just The Facts
Appearance: Pours a clear gold with a generous off-white head
Smell: Biscuity malt
Taste: Acidic and tart on the front end, hops come up strong in the finish balanced with the malt
Mouthfeel: Light body, just short of medium carbonation
Drinkability: Easy drinker, you could lose track of how many you’ve had quickly
If you like this, you might like:
Pilsners, Lagers, Chopping Wood, Feats of Strength
Where to find them online
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Argument for Canned Beer
There’s nothing better than a thirst-quenching swig of cold beeron a hot summer day after an exhausting hike or an afternoon spent in the sun. Wait a minute -- that cold beer is in a can, and through years of exposure to social prejudice you believe it’s of a lesser quality than its bottled counterpart. Pondering the argument for canned beers, you come to realize that numerous craft micro brewers are now offering delicious, complex and interesting beers in cans. Your internal debate has also left you with numerous questions about canned beer: Does the aluminum can affect the taste? Does good-tasting beer store well in cans? Are therebenefits to drinking a good beer from a can?
Sit back and finish your suds; we’re about to make that canned-beer experience taste just a bit better with our argument for canned beer.
As far as storage goes, canned beer might have a slight advantage over bottles in that cans actually protect beer from light and oxygen. Cans are airtight and oxygen-free. When light consistently hits a bottle of beer, it can turn skunky and ultimately undrinkable. Oxygen can also leach into a bottled beer under the bottle cap and affect the taste, which could potentially destroy the beer.
There are more than 20 microbreweries currently offering canned beers, including the wildly popular New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale introduced in cans last summer. Another brewer, Lyons, Colorado-based Oskar Blues Brewery, a canned-craft beer pioneer, produced 12,409 barrels in 2007. In 2008, they produced 19,000 barrels. More and more people are drinking good canned beer, and the numbers don’t lie.
There are advantages to canned beer for sure, but more importantly, how does craft canned beer taste and why try it?
Sit back and finish your suds; we’re about to make that canned-beer experience taste just a bit better with our argument for canned beer.
The Argument For Canned Beer
The biggest misconception about canned beer is that the aluminum can imparts a metallic taste. The insides of most cans and lids used for high-end craft beers have a sprayed coating, ensuring that there is absolutely no contact between the beer and the aluminum. Test the metal-taste theory: Pour a beer in a pint glass for a pal and have them taste it for any metal taste. Also consider that most people enjoy draft beer, which is housed in a metal keg. All you have to do is think of your canned beer as a mini keg.As far as storage goes, canned beer might have a slight advantage over bottles in that cans actually protect beer from light and oxygen. Cans are airtight and oxygen-free. When light consistently hits a bottle of beer, it can turn skunky and ultimately undrinkable. Oxygen can also leach into a bottled beer under the bottle cap and affect the taste, which could potentially destroy the beer.
There are more than 20 microbreweries currently offering canned beers, including the wildly popular New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale introduced in cans last summer. Another brewer, Lyons, Colorado-based Oskar Blues Brewery, a canned-craft beer pioneer, produced 12,409 barrels in 2007. In 2008, they produced 19,000 barrels. More and more people are drinking good canned beer, and the numbers don’t lie.
There are advantages to canned beer for sure, but more importantly, how does craft canned beer taste and why try it?
Canned Beer Is Good For The Outdoors
Ashland, Oregon-based Caldera Brewing Company lists some good reasons to drink canned beer: They chill quicker than bottles; they don’t break as easy as bottles; and they are versatile for taking camping, hiking and other more extreme outdoor activities.Their Caldera Pale Ale is another reason. It bills itself as West Coast-style pale but has an awesome hoppy aftertaste to it. This big-brewed ale tastes better than many bottled IPAs we’ve sampled and is very drinkable. Using Cascade hops, this wonderful and hearty beer contains 5.4% alcohol by volume (ABV), a nice copper color and is available in most of Oregon, California, Alaska, Washington, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.
Mama’s gentle hopping (about 35 IBUs) and 5.3% ABV make it a hot weather thirst-quencher with lower alcohol. If you’re looking for something stronger, have no fear. Oskar Blues also produce Gordon Ale, with an ABV of 8.7% that can be only described as “robust.” Most of Oskar Blues’ beers are available nationwide.The Classics In Cans
In addition to many fantastic new beers, you also have some of your favorite standbys to choose from, like Guinness. Realistically, drinking Guinness from a can is not quite the same as when it comes from a carefully drawn tap in your favorite pub. Drinking Guinness is a full-blown ritual for many: the pour, the head and that first sip. But, in a pinch or after a long day at the beach or a sweaty hike, Guinness in a can is a different experience than your average canned beer. It’s a reward and a damn nice one.
Still hankering for your dad’s beer, a simpler taste or want more buzz for your buck? We found Minhas Craft Brewery’s Simpler Times lager the perfect match with the right price -- $3.99 a six-pack. What about the taste? Though not quite a craft-beer quality, this rediscovered classic will do in a pinch and is preferable to most big-business brewers. The alcohol content is at a whopping 6.2% ABV, so you definitely get more buzz for your buck with this beer.
As one can brewer we spoke to said, they want to “take the shame out of canned beer and let beer drinkers hold their heads high as they leave the store with a six-pack.”
Cheers to that! Life’s too short to drink sh*tty beer.
Canned Beer In Public Spaces
Many cities forbid bottles in public spaces such as parks and beaches. However, that doesn’t mean you have to schlep out six-packs of canned swill. Delicious canned beer is a very portable way for drinkers to enjoy good beer at the beach, parks or lakes. We suggest the aforementioned Oskar Blues Brewery and its newly released Mama’s Little Yella Pils. This delicious pilsner is made from pale malt, German specialty malts, a blend of traditional (Saaz) and 21st century Bavarian hops. No matter what you think of canned beer, if it’s made with 100% malted barley, and no corn or rice, it’s going to have a fantastic, rich taste.Mama’s gentle hopping (about 35 IBUs) and 5.3% ABV make it a hot weather thirst-quencher with lower alcohol. If you’re looking for something stronger, have no fear. Oskar Blues also produce Gordon Ale, with an ABV of 8.7% that can be only described as “robust.” Most of Oskar Blues’ beers are available nationwide.
The Classics In Cans
In addition to many fantastic new beers, you also have some of your favorite standbys to choose from, like Guinness. Realistically, drinking Guinness from a can is not quite the same as when it comes from a carefully drawn tap in your favorite pub. Drinking Guinness is a full-blown ritual for many: the pour, the head and that first sip. But, in a pinch or after a long day at the beach or a sweaty hike, Guinness in a can is a different experience than your average canned beer. It’s a reward and a damn nice one.
Lawnmower Beers
Still hankering for your dad’s beer, a simpler taste or want more buzz for your buck? We found Minhas Craft Brewery’s Simpler Times lager the perfect match with the right price -- $3.99 a six-pack. What about the taste? Though not quite a craft-beer quality, this rediscovered classic will do in a pinch and is preferable to most big-business brewers. The alcohol content is at a whopping 6.2% ABV, so you definitely get more buzz for your buck with this beer.On The Can
Like anything, drinking beer comes down to personal taste. If you feel like drinking a watered-down beverage, that’s a personal decision. We prefer quality over quantity.As one can brewer we spoke to said, they want to “take the shame out of canned beer and let beer drinkers hold their heads high as they leave the store with a six-pack.”
Cheers to that! Life’s too short to drink sh*tty beer.
Friday, February 4, 2011
New Banners
We have some new banners for our C-stores out there. keep your eye out for them They're really slick!
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