Fort Collins, CO. – On February 9, 2013 Odell Brewing will release its first Cellar Series offering of the year. Amuste, an imperial porter brewed with grape must and aged in red wine barrels, is the product of a two year project lead by the brewery’s QA/QC manager, Eli Kolodny.

“They say it takes a lot of good beer to make great wine,” said Kolodny. “After two years of research and development, I can honestly say that the opposite holds just as true.”

In an effort to marry the distinctive qualities of beer and wine, Odell brewers crafted a rich, robust imperial porter and accented it with juice from Tempranillo grapes grown on the Western Slope of Colorado. The brew was then aged in red wine barrels and blended to create a harmonic combination of malt and fruit.

Amuste boasts a hearty malt backbone with notes of chocolate, a subtle sweet grape character, and hints of toasted almond from the oak barrels. It pairs perfectly with peppered red meats, brie cheese, or dark chocolate.

Odell Brewing will celebrate the release of Amuste in the Tap Room on February 9th with live music and local food-truck pairings. Amuste will be available in 750 ml cork and cage finished bottles throughout the brewery’s ten state distribution footprint.

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Founded in 1989, Odell Brewing was started by Doug Odell, his wife Wynne, and his sister Corkie. Twenty-three 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: 2012 Brewers Association Recognition Award, 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.

So I had to spend some time in Kenosha this weekend to do some wedding planning. Christina and I meet some great people and had a great time. We even managed to find a caterer and start to get some concrete plans for this August. Needless to say, by the time I was done writing a rather large check, I was ready for a beer.  When you visit Wisconsin from Illinois there is only one beer you buy: New Glarus. This Winconsin exclusive is known to have some of the best specialty beers in the country. If you are looking for original, experimentational or just flat-out strange brews, stick to the New Glarus Thumb Print Series.

Cherry Stout Pours a little lighter and a little more carbonated than your average stout. The cherry aroma is overwhelmingly powerful and easily punches through the inch thick cream head. Upon further inspection the scent is actually more berry than cherry with a tart, raspberry note. This ruby/ mahogany brew is a visceral masterpiece. I looks and smells like a mythic tonic from a forgotten age.

Thankfully, this beer’s bravado matches its bluster. The cherry notes are the centerpiece of this brew. Usually I find fruit to be a distraction, but not in this instance. The cherries are tart and delicious. They add a perfect crisp finish to a light and tasty stout that is smart enough to stay out of the way. New Glarus has crafted a gem with its Cherry Stout. I have had many cherry beers in the last couple years; however, this is the first one to truly deliver what I was looking for. It may have taken me until March, but I finally found the perfect winter beer!

Consumed: Sensory Glass

ABV:6.5%

Verdict: Buy a Keg!

I was able to bring a handful of brews back from Michigan on my last trip. One of them was Vicious by North Peak Brewery. I have had a few different beers from this Traverse City based brewery, and I have enjoyed the majority of them.  This one is different however. Vicious is an American Wheat IPA which is a style that I honestly cannot recall ever having.

Vicious smells extremely malty with notes of cedar, pine and citrus. The façade was chest nut brown with a mild carbonation and a wispy head. This is a beautiful and serene looking beer. It has a certain glow that seems to really extenuate and adorn a pint glass brilliantly. North Peak has a real gem here.

Hopefully your interest has been as piqued as my own by this beer. Wheat beers tend to be light and fruity while IPA’s tend to be bitter and hoppy so I am curious to see how the two mesh…  Happily this beer is a successful collaboration of styles. The wheat base provides a sweet and bready texture that is well nuanced with citrus hops. Vicious has a very full flavor that ends with a piney hop finish. It really does taste like a wheat beer that morphs into an IPA as it splashes across my palate.  This is a beer that needs to be had by all due to its broad appeal.

ABV: 6.7%

Consumed: Pint Glass

Verdict: Buy A 12-Pack

Here's some more coverage from the Chicago Craft Beer Fest held at  St. Michael's in Old Town.  Our conversation with Randy Mosher, author of Radical Brewing and Tasting Beer as well as head brewer for 5 Rabbit is the fifth of a seven part series of the fest and we have a couple more interviews coming in the next week or two.  

It was an honor and privilege to be able to speak with Randy.  He is a legend in the industry and by far one of the nicest and most knowledgable people I've ever had a chance to speak with about the industry.  We talk about the industry in general as well as what's going on over at 5 Rabbit.  Our deepest thanks and gratitude to Randy for taking the time to speak with us.

Stay tuned to The Greatest Beer Of All Time for more Chicago Craft Beer Festival coverage...

Randy Mosher - Author and Beer Guru from Salt Media on Vimeo.

(BENTON HARBOR, Mich) – The weekend of August 17-18 will prove to be a big one for The Livery microbrewery in downtown Benton Harbor, in celebration of its 7th anniversary.

The weekend kicks off Friday, August 17 with a show by the iconic Americana/alternative country songwriter and performer Robbie Fulks, with guest Robbie Gjersoe. Showtime is 8pm and tickets are $20 in advance ($25 day of the show). On tap Saturday will be a special beer called ERUPTION – a collaboration among the brewers of The Livery, Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids and Arbor Brewing/Corner Brewery in Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti. This Flanders-style red ale was fermented entirely in sour wood barrels; a raspberry version will be available as well.

On Saturday, August 18, the party moves to The Livery’s newly renovated beer garden, where Chef Wally Rouse will be grilling and local music legend Dave Carlock will be spinning all the smooth grooves from 2-5pm. Brewmaster Steve Berthel and assistant brewer Dave Sawyer will be releasing limited quantities of 10 rare and old barrel aged beers they have bottled. A few of the standouts: UMAE UMAMI – a wheat wine aged for 2 years with stanley plums; CHERRY TAXMAN – a Russian imperial stout aged for over a year in bourbon barrels with tart cherries and cocoa nibs; and UNKNOWN SOLDIER – a Belgian-style amber ale aged for 2-1/2 years with a variety of peaches and nectarines. There will also be a tap release of 5th DIMENSION – a Belgian IPA aged in sour barrels for 1 year; MAILLOT JAUNE – a French farmhouse ale aged in sour barrels for 1 year; and TAXMAN – a Russian imperial stout aged for 1 year in bourbon barrels. ERUPTION, in both forms, will be available on Saturday as well.

For more information on The Livery’s 7th Anniversary Celebration, as well as tickets, visit www.liverybrew.com  (or call: 269-925-8760).  The Livery, at 190 5th Street in Benton Harbor, Mich, is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild.

Friday October 26, 5 to 9pm AND Saturday October 27, 1pm to 6pm
Eastern Market, Detroit, MI
Tickets on sale beginning August 1 ***PURCHASE TICKETS***
Tickets $35 advance ($40 at gate if available)

We are expecting more than 50 Michigan craft brewers to participate and there will over 300 different beers available to sample. The event will be open from 5:00pm to 9:00pm on Friday and 1:00pm to 6:00pm on Saturday; rain or shine. Enthusiast Members of the Michigan Brewers Guild will be allowed to enter the Festival an hour early (purchase your Enthusiast Membership in advance here)

The cost to enter the Festival is $35 in advance and $40 at the gate if tickets are still available. The total quantity of tickets is limited so advance ticket purchase online at www.MiBeer.com is suggested. Tickets can be purchased here on our website, at participating member breweries and at select retail outlets. Please see the related post on the MASH (our blog) www.mbgmash.org for an updated list of ticket outlets.

15 drink tokens are included with admission and each drink token is redeemable for a 3oz sample of beer. Additional tokens will be available inside the festival for 50 cents. The Michigan Brewers Guild utilizes drink tokens and specially marked cups to assure that we comply with Michigan Liquor Control Commission regulation and have a controlled means of serving beer. Festivals attendees are expected to willingly provide a token for each and every sample of beer received. We appreciate your cooperation.

Festival attendees must be 21 years of age or older and have ID to enter. Designated Drivers are encouraged and DD tickets will be available on line and at the gate for $5 each. Designated Drivers are not permitted to drink beer.

Live entertainment will be provided by local bands and food prepared by local restaurants will be available for purchase.

Outside food and beverages are permitted but bags and coolers will be inspected to assure that no outside alcohol or glass is brought into the festival.

Children are not allowed in the festival excepting very small, immobile children who remain in a backpack or stroller. Sorry, but this is an adult event.

Please look for information to be posted on the MASH www.mbgmash.org regarding participating breweries, ticket outlets and other information. The MASH will be updated as new information becomes available. Please feel free to make a post of your own if you are organizing a bus or have something else to share.

It is national IPA day. I freaking love IPA’s. Despite being extremely busy I simply cannot let this day go by without a review. As I scanned the archives I was horrified to realize that I had never reviewed one of my favorites of all time… Racer 5 by Bear Republic. Today just seemed like a fitting day to right this unjustifiable wrong.

Bear Republic is one of the many breweries that have popped up in Cali in the last 20 years. Founded in 1995 these guys are one of the original West Coast brew houses. Racer 5 pours on the pale side with a citrine hue and very active bubbly visage. The aroma is actually quite sweet and full of sexy citrus. You can also get hints of pine and bready malt. It’s awesome and sexy and awesome.

Here is the deal. I am not going to pretend that I am “discovering” this brew as I write this review. I have been drinking this beer faster than Ryan Seacrest can consume the youthful souls of teenagers for years. Racer 5 is freaking fantastic! It has perfectly balanced light body that mixes with a sweet and hoppy citrus finish. This is the most drinkable IPA I have ever found. The hints of pine and grapefruit just seal the deal in a perfect harmony. AND… AND to top this all off, Racer 5 is one of the most inexpensive IPAs on the shelf. It is typically three to four dollars cheaper than any other bomber in the cooler. What a freaking steal.  Racer 5 is great. Just buy it and love it.

ABV: 7.0%

Consumed: Sensory Glass

Verdict: Buy a Keg!

Here's some more coverage from the Chicago Craft Beer Fest held at  St. Michael's in Old Town.  Our conversation with Chad Lynd from Two Brothers is the fourth of a seven part series of the fest and we have a couple more interviews coming in the next week or two.  

Chad and I discuss all the goings on at Two Brothers, thier new IPA, their 15th Anniversary series as well as the award winning Dog Days.  

Stay tuned to The Greatest Beer Of All Time for more Chicago Craft Beer Festival coverage...

Chad From Two Brothers Brewing from Salt Media on Vimeo.

Here's some more coverage from the Chicago Craft Beer Fest held at  St. Michael's in Old Town.  Our conversation with Jim Klish from Lakefront Brewery is the third of a seven part series of the fest and we have some great interviews for you coming in the next week or two.  

Jim and I discuss the the happening at Lakefront Brewery, their introduction into the Chicagoland market and some projects that are on the horizon.

Stay tuned to The Greatest Beer Of All Time for more Chicago Craft Beer Festival coverage...

Jim Klish From Lakefront Brewery from Salt Media on Vimeo.

Denver, CO – July 13, 2012 - Breckenridge Brewery of Colorado will harmonize with the Denver Post Underground Music Showcase next week. As a major sponsor of the four-day event starting Thursday, July 19th, the brewery is cooking up added cheer for music fans who descend upon the South Broadway arts district to enjoy local and national-level bands, comedians and singer-songwriters.

Things to look for throughout the event:

• Free Pedicab rides between venues, courtesy of Breckenridge Brewery
• A "Tap Takeover" showcasing Breckenridge beer at The Hornet Restaurant (76 Broadway)
• Pretty Lights ticket giveaway at The Irish Rover Pub (54 South Broadway) - each day Breckenridge Brewery will give away one pair of tickets to the August 17th Pretty Lights show at Red Rocks Amphitheater
• Gourmet ice cream made with Breckenridge beer by Sweet Action Ice Cream will be sampled in the brewery's booth

~Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout Swirl made with 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout

~Oatmeal Raisin Stout made with Oatmeal Stout

• And, of course, stop by the Breckenridge Brewery booth to enjoy its locally crafted fine Colorado ales

"We view our sponsorship as an authentic way to give back to the local Colorado arts and music scene that's supported our brewery," says Ryan Workman, Field Marketing Manager at Breckenridge Brewery.  "It's our way to say thank you." 

Kendall Smith, Underground Music Showcase event director, adds, "We are pleased Breckenridge Brewery has agreed to sponsor the UMS for multiple years. Their commitment is key to the continued success of the best music weekend in our region. True partners, Breckenridge looks for interesting ways to engage their customers and our music fans."

Breckenridge Brewery has long supported the Colorado music scene through sponsorships of other events like the Four Corners Folk Festival, the Pagosa Folk & Bluegrass Festival, and the Sunnyside Music Fest.  The brewery's 22nd anniversary party earlier this month featured six extremely talented local bands that entertained hundreds of folks throughout the day.

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About Breckenridge Brewery

Breckenridge Brewery was founded in 1990 in Breckenridge, Colorado. In the past two decades Breckenridge Brewery has grown from a small 1,000-barrels-a-year brewpub to one of the most successful craft beer and restaurant companies in the nation. It now handcrafts 41,000 barrels of fresh beer annually and owns and operates five brewpubs and ales houses in the state of Colorado. Visit http://www.breckbrew.com for more information.