Which states and counties have the most bars per capita? Capital Times infographic public.tableausoftware.com/shared/SH22PYB… via @tableau
— Dale Miskimins (@sodakbeer) May 23, 2013
Toppling Goliath Official Kentucky Brunch Release Details
The following comes from www.tgbrews.com. If it’s anything like the Mornin’ Delight release you are going to have a fantastic time with great people and wonderful beer. Hope to see you there!
Kentucky Brunch Release 2013
Saturday, June 1st
On sale @ 12:00PM
Doors open at 8AM
Line starts on back patio (not in the parking lot)
Toppling Goliath Taproom
310 College Dr.
Decorah, IA 52101Availability: Between 250 – 300 waxed 12oz bottles
Limit: Between 1 and 2 per person (TBD depending on our yield after bottling)
Price: $12/ea CASH ONLYKentucky Brunch bottles will have a separate CASH ONLY line. When you show up, you will receive a number. This is your spot in line for when KBBS sales start at 12pm. You are welcome to leave, come inside, or drink on the patio after receiving your number- as long as you are back in line before 12pm.
For those of you who were unable to make it to our last bottle release, we will have a keg of Mornin’ Delight Imperial Stout on tap, a few Assassin bottles available for in-house consumption, and course a few surprises! Prepare to party.
It is illegal to consume beer anywhere on our premises other than inside the taproom and within the outdoor patio barrier. Don’t be a fool. Stay inside the patio.
Surly Brewing to Iowa Update
Some possible evidence that Surly Brewing could land in Iowa from http://www.beerpulse.com as the brewery has signed with Johnson Brothers Distributing. Everything said in this article is a definite positive in terms of getting this wonderfully breweries beers on our Eastern Iowa shelves.
Brooklyn Center-based brewery chooses St. Paul-based distributor to help expand Surly’s future footprint in Minnesota
(Brooklyn Center, MN) – Surly Brewing Company today announced Johnson Brothers as its newest Minnesota beer distributor.
Surly Brewing has been distributing its own beer since its inception in January 2006. It now supplies beer to more than 500 bars, restaurants and liquor stores throughout the Twin Cities and at various locations across the state.
As consumer demand continues to grow, Surly will work with Johnson Brothers to expand its network of on and off-premise accounts, enhance its brand reach, and find a more efficient way to distribute its beer. Surly Brewing will maintain its relationships with beer distributors in the northwest Twin Cities suburbs, Duluth and Rochester.
Omar Ansari, Founder and President of Surly Brewing said: “We wanted to partner with someone who understood our company. Johnson Brothers was the ideal partner. We’re both growing, family-owned Minnesota companies and it was clear that they understood the Surly Way. Surly couldn’t take its next steps without a partnership like this.”
By late 2014, Surly Brewing will be significantly increasing annual beer production when it moves into its new destination brewery. Once the brewery is fully operational, Johnson Brothers, through its Artisan Beer Company, will help Surly distribute significantly more beer to bars, restaurants, and liquor stores across Minnesota and eventually to customers in other states. [BeerPulse note: Johnson Brothers has a presence in 16 states including all states adjacent to Minnesota.]
“We are extremely proud and excited to be partnering with Surly, one of this region’s truly great craft breweries,” said Todd Johnson, Chief Operating Officer of Johnson Brothers. “We look forward to working closely with Surly and helping make these fantastic beers available to even more beer lovers throughout Minnesota. They can’t build that new brewery soon enough.”
New Craft Beer Magazine for IPAD Review
A new craft beer magazine, appropriately titled Craft Beer Magazine, has been launched as an app for IPAD users! It is completely free to download and anyone who downloads it will be a one month free subscription. I was able to get a first hand look of the new magazine and I was pretty impressed with the content.
The magazine’s opening pages give you a brief tutorial on how to navigate through using your IPAD. It then delves into a brief history of craft beer in America which gave some great insight on how and when the craft beer boom started. I really enjoyed the visuals involved after reading through the article and thought it was perfect way to wrap up a great piece of writing.
Articles varied throughout, picking up stories from other countries, recipes, new innovations in craft beer (peel top cans from Madtree Brewing), and beer reviews. (A nice write-up on Rhizing Bines).
What also makes this a great and unique app is the interaction you can have with video, polls, and links throughout the magazine, making it perfect for the tech savvy craft beer lover. So if you are interested in some craft beer related readings check out Craft Beer Magazine on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/craft-beer-magazine/id643848007
New to Eastern Iowa Shelves: Summit, Goose Island, Tallgrass
Some new brews will be hitting Eastern Iowa shelves or already available now. Summit has a new beer in their Union Series called Meridian Session ale, Goose Island has their 25th anniversary ale, and Tallgrass now has an IPA called Ethos. Here’s a little more info for each of these beers:
*Summit Union Series #1: Meridian Session Ale – Belgian Ale – 4.5% – Summit kicks off the new limited-release Union Series
with Meridian Session Ale. Inspired by Belgian Enkel (single) style ales. Drinkable yet distinctive. Simple in design yet complex in character. Brewed with a single malt, Concerto Pale, that’s a rising star in the UK and a new hop variety called Meridian that was actually discovered by accident in Oregon (more on that story below). Of course, we called it Meridian Session Ale for a reason. So don’t let the whole single-minded thing keep you from ordering another round.
*Goose Island 25th Anniversary -ESB – 6.1% – Brewed as a collaboration between Goose Island Brewmaster Brett Porter, Senior Brewer Keith Gabbett, Pub Brewmaster Nick Barron and Alumni Brewmaster Greg Hall. Deep mahogany color, rich fruit aroma with notes of lilac, big malt body with touches of roast and a dry, crisp finish.
*Tallgrass Ethos – 6.8% – IPA – This beer was known as Area 51 IPA during development. Ethos is our new West Coast style IPA…double dry-hopped using 6 different hop varietals. Juicy, citrusy, dank.
20 of the Most Coveted Craft Beer Releases in America? Agree/Disagree?
20 of the most coveted craft beer releases in America (via Matador Network)
HE WAS COMING for me. “Want the last pour of Isabelle Proximus?” It may seem odd that a person I’d officially met only hours ago was offering me a glass of this highly coveted beer, but our online trading and posting history had forged a strong bond. Besides, it was Dark Lord Day — the beer…
New Belgium adds 2 new beers to Lips of Faith Series
New Belgium Brewing (www.newbelgium.com) is releasing 2 new beers into the Lips of Faith series. Would love to hear thoughts on these two beers and where you can find them. The following is courtesy of beerpulse.com.
(Fort Collins, CO) – New Belgium Brewing, maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a wide variety of award-winning beers, has two new quarterly Lips of Faith offerings now available:Paardebloem, which is the newest collaboration with Red Rock Brewing in Salt Lake City, and Pluot.
Paardebloem is the sixth collaboration beer with Red Rock Brewing. The beer brings together a
diverse set of ingredients ranging from peach juice to dandelion greens. It blends funky brettanomyces with New Belgium’s house Belgian ale yeast, and includes a touch of wood-aged sour beer and Grains of Paradise. Paardebloem pours a light, hazy gold and is 9 percent ABV.
Pluot is a subtly sweet ale made from pluot juice, which is a hybrid of a plum and an apricot. Pluot is light golden, delivering fruity aromas and distinct esters. It is also created with house Belgian ale yeast and brettanomyces, bringing a hint of spice and a malty backbone. ABV is 10 percent. Both of these Lips of Faith selections will be available through July or until supplies run out.
“All three of these selections are bold statements of Belgian tradition, offering imagination in every pour,” said New Belgium Assistant Brewmaster Grady Hull. “The Lips of Faith series was created for those wanting to push their palate.”
As you begin your annual festival and beer-tasting planning, don’t forget to see if either New Belgium’s Tour de Fat (https://www.facebook.com/TourDeFat/events) or Clips Beer and Film Tour (https://www.facebook.com/ClipsBeerAndFilmTour/events) is coming to your area.
To find New Belgium beers near you, use the New Belgium Libation Location tool: http://www.newbelgium.com/beer.aspx. Pricing varies by location. You can also follow New Belgium on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/newbelgium and Twitter @NewBelgium.
Beer Review #103: Founders Breakfast Stout
There might not be a more proper beer for breakfast than Founders Breakfast Stout. I know that it is the time of year when people stop thinking about stouts and start heading into the lighter, more refreshing realm of the craft beer world. STOP! Don’t put away the stouts yet! This style of beer still holds a place among beers to drink during the spring and summer months.
I also realize that Breakfast Stout from Founders (www.foundersbrewing.com) shelf time has come and gone, and is now being replaced by All Day IPA (a great beer!) but I’ve been able to find a few four packs left and in my opinion this beer is tasting as good if not better than when it was initially released this year.
The first thing that grabs your attention with this brew is the fantastic artwork on the bottle label. A baby eating oatmeal for breakfast…easily one of the best labels and one of the reasons I first tried this beer years ago. The 2nd thing is the obviously the smell and taste. The aroma of coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt justify you cracking one of these bad boys open on Saturday morning and sit back and read your morning paper. The flavor is the same; the coffee and chocolate star but do not overpower with wonderful stout. Here’s more from the brewery:
You’ve got to love coffee to truly appreciate this phenomenal brew. Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and sweetened imported chocolates, Sumatra and Kona coffee. We’re actually not sure if this is some type of coffee cake or a beer. Either way you can drink this ale with a fork. Breakfast Stout has an intense fresh roasted coffee nose toped with a cinnamon colored frothy head that seems to never fade and makes you wish breakfast could last forever.
I still believe you can find some four packs on shelves. This is an instance of beer where shelf life can help bring out the flavor; don’t shy away from buying it! Grab a few 4 packs and enjoy this terrific brew. Opening one these on a starry summer evening is the perfect ending to a summer night!
REVIEW
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 8.3%
Purchased at: Brother’s Market; Lisbon, IA
Pour: Thick brown/black pour with a brown head.
Aroma: Wonderful aroma of rich coffee and chocolate with roasted malts.
Flavor: Definitely a full-bodied stout. A ton of coffee and chocolate flavor with the roasted malt rounding it out nicely.
Ratebeer.com rating: 100/100
Beeradvocate.com rating: 100/100
Overall: A+
My recommendation: A go to seasonal for sure. Like I said above, you still could possibly find some on the shelves and it’s the perfect time to stock on a few four packs. A must try brew.
They're At it Again! Toppling Goliath prepping to bottle Kentucky Brunch!
Craft beer fanatics rejoice as Toppling Goliath brewery out of Decorah, IA is set to start bottling Kentucky Brunch, a stout aged in whiskey barrels with coffee added. TG has been bottling for maybe a month now and the buzz they continue to create with each release has been tremendous. Kentucky Brunch follows Dorothy’s Lager, PseudoSue, Assassin 2013, and Mornin’ Delight releases. Dorothy’s and PseudoSue were released throughout the state and sold out in record time, Assassin and Delight had special releases at the brewery which had a fantastic turnout. If TG is doing a special release along the lines of Mornin’ Delight and Assassin, and you are questioning driving all the way to Decorah for a beer, my advice (I hit up the Delight and Assassin release) is to get there early, have a couple beers, get your bottles, fill a growler, buy a shirt, shoot the shit with fellow beer lovers and have a fantastic time! Don’t hesitate, get in your car and go! Here’s the quick release from the brewery:
Gearing up for another hand bottling!
