BEER IS FOR BREAKFAST

This American Imperial Stout packs all the punches you would expect from Clown Shoes…booze, deeply roasted grains, highly roasted coffee.  It’s delectable and while I want about 13 bottles of it to swim in, I better stick to just one with this hefty 10.5% ABV.

C: Black as night

A: Toasted pumpernickel bread, bitter chocolate, espresso

T: All the same with hints of black licorice and all the booze

F: Long, long, long boozy finish

B: Thick and murky like a Turkish coffee

Flying Dog Brewery has officially terminated its membership with the Brewers Association (BA), citing changes to the not-for-profit industry trade organization’s Advertising and Marketing Code that are aimed at addressing “sexually explicit, lewd, or demeaning brand names, language, text, graphics, photos, video, or other images.”

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It’s Friday!  That means it’s time to drink the most poundable, sessionable offerings from your faves.  This week it’s Odell Loose Leaf on the chopping block.

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In a video released by The High End, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s craft division, five brewers including David Buhler of Elysian, Walt Dickinson of Wicked Weed, Garrett Wales of 10 Barrel, Andy Ingram of Four Peaks, and Steve Crandall of Devils Backbone respond to the new “Independent Craft” seal released by the Brewers Association.

When did it become a fight against wine and spirits? Seems like AB InBev is trying to change the point of the label, which is to distinguish breweries that are truly independent and which ones now have some or full ownership by a big beer brewery that doesn’t put their name on the package. Maybe they’re also trying to change the conversation.  What are your thoughts?

Beer lovers may soon have a gut-friendly drink to raise a toast to, thanks to the creation of a novel probiotic sour beer by a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS). This new specialty beer incorporates the probiotic strain Lactobacillus paracasei L26, which was first isolated from human intestines and has the ability to neutralise toxins and viruses, as well as regulate the immune system.Read More

It’s nearly July, it’s Texas, it’s 1 million degrees Kelvin…yes that’s a thing, so you know what I want to drink tonight?  A barrel-aged Imperial Stout, obviously.  That Deschutes Abyss has been calling my name since I dropped it in the fridge a while ago.  A beer like that usually calls for celebratory circumstances but, screw it, what’s worth celebrating more than the end of the work week.

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While small and independent craft brewers represent 99 percent of the 5,300+ breweries in the U.S., they make just 12 percent of the beer sold in the country. The rest of U.S. beer sales comes from Big Beer along with imported brands. As large brewers continue to have unprecedented influence and acquire millions of barrels of formerly independently brewed beer, the seal differentiates in a crowded and increasingly competitive marketplace.Read More

Tragically, this is my first run in with Urban Family Brewing Company, a travesty I plan to remedy again and again and again.  I’m a huge fan of Saison, the funkier the better.  Think, foot sweat dribbled onto a horse blanket with a little bit of light fruit for posterity.  Amazing!  This Brett Farmhouse Ale delivers, on all accounts.

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New England Style IPA #002 is brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops. It’s an unfiltered, hazy IPA with notes of mango, peach and grapefruit. It has a medium body and smooth mouthfeel.

“The idea behind Braxton Labs is to push the envelope on new innovative styles and listen to what our customers really want,” said Evan Rouse, Braxton Brewing Company COO.  “New England IPAs are extremely popular right now, and our Lead Innovation Brewer, Zac Boehnke, and team truly knocked it out of the park with Braxton Labs’ first New England IPA. I can assure you this version is just as good — if not better. We are excited to get these cans in your hands.”

Braxton Labs’ first New England IPA quickly became its most popular beer selling out in less than two weeks. Given its popularity, the brewing team decided that they wanted to can a beer to get more beer in more customers’ hands.

Check out more about the New England style ipa ‘Haze Craze’ here.

Russian River’s Pliny the Elder has long been a fan favorite.  Whispers of Pliny sightings pass between beer nerds, the ones lucky enough to lay eyes on this Imperial IPA anyway.  And long has this west coast mainstay been at the top of the list, 8 years to be exact.  Zymurgy magazine releases its yearly Best Beers list every June, outlining the voted favorites of the year.  This year, much to the surprise of its readers, the king has been dethroned.

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