Craft Beer Collective

GPO Belgian Beers

Greetings Girls Pint Out! I would like to thank you for attending the Big Boss Big Operator release event and Belgo-American beer tasting! Here is a digital version of the beer guide hand out. Plus a book suggestion at the bottom of the page! Big thanks to Kelly from RA Jeffreys and Paul from Elemental Chocolates!

Hosted by:
NC Pirls Pint Out: @ncgirlspintout / http://www.facebook.com/ncgpo
Big Boss Brewing Co: @bigbossbeer / http://bigbossbrewing.com/

Presented by:
David Rogers: @craftbeernc
Kelly O’Gorman: @rajeffreyscraft
Paul Mosca: @elementalchclt

BIG BOSS – BLANCO DIABLO Wit Ale is a traditionally spiced wit, brewed with orange peel, coriander and fermented with a traditional Belgian wit yeast. It has a dry, thirst quenching finish, perfect for summer in North Carolina. ABV: 4.5% / IBU: 16. Enjoy with salads, cheese, seafood especially steamed mussels.

ABITA – ABBEY ALE honors the ancient tradition of monks who perfected the art of brewing beer to support the monastery and their “liquid bread”. We offer up our support and thank them with a 25¢ donation to St. Joseph’s Abbey with every bottle sold of this heavenly brew. Dark amber in color, the aroma of caramel, fruits and cloves invites you to contemplate the creamy head of this “Dubbel” or double ale. Abita Abbey Ale is a malty brew, top-fermented and bottle aged to rapturous perfection. This ale pairs well with barbecue, meat stews or a nice thick steak. For dessert, try Abita Abbey Ale with milk chocolate or chocolate bread pudding. 8% abv

BIG BOSS – HELL’S BELLE is a subtle but complex ale that is meant to be a showcase for our favorite Belgian yeast and beautiful Belgian malts. These elements produce a clean, spicy citrus finish. Hell’s Belle remains light and refreshing but still packs a 7% finish. ABV 7.0% / IBU 30 Enjoy with creamy pasta dishes, spicy foods like Indian & Thai dishes.

BROOKLYN – LOCAL ONE In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, we forge barley malt and hops from Germany, aromatic raw sugar from Mauritius and yeast from Belgium into our latest beer, Brooklyn Local 1. Behind the full golden color you’ll find an alluring aroma, a dynamic complex of flavors, Belgian flair, Brooklyn fortitude and a dusting of our special yeast. To create this beer, we use the old technique of 100% bottle re-fermentation, a practice now rare even in Europe. It gives this beer a palate of unusual depth. 9% abv

BIG BOSS – BIG OPERATOR Belgian Black Raspberry & Chocolate is a full-flavored stout. The beer is infused w/ 20lbs of fresh raspberry and 10 lbs locally roasted cacao from Elemental Chocolate Co. It culminates with an amazing dark raspberry and chocolate finish. The perfect desert beer or enjoy as a meal! 8% abv

http://bigbossbrewing.com/
http://www.abita.com/
http://brooklynbrewery.com/

UPDATED Sierra Nevada: It’s Official

Sierra Nevada Press Release: Set To Build East Coast Facility in WNC

CHICO, Calif. — Jan. 25, 2012 —Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is pleased to announce that it has chosen a site in western North Carolina for the future home of an East Coast brewery. The site, approximately 90 acres in the Henderson County Town of Mills River— along the French Broad River, 12 miles south of Asheville — will be home to the new production facility, as well as a proposed restaurant and gift shop. “We are thrilled to have found an ideal location in western North Carolina for our second brewery,” says Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada. “The beer culture, water quality and quality of life are excellent. We feel lucky to be a part of this community.”

The new facility will add much needed capacity for Sierra Nevada, and will allow for the quick shipment of brewery-fresh beer to consumers in the east. The East Coast brewery will start with a capacity around 300,000 barrels, with room to grow. The added barrelage will accommodate wider production of the myriad of seasonal beers and bottled specialties Sierra Nevada has produced in recent years, as well as an expansion of the brewery’s well‐known flagship product: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Sierra Nevada began the search for a new location several years ago. The brewery looked at hundreds of potential sites, eventually narrowing the search down to a handful of locations. The list of criteria was long and included quantifiable factors such as ease of shipping and water quality, as well as quality of life issues for its employees. Sierra Nevada has a reputation for a laid-back brewery culture and a love of the outdoors, and the new facility will retain this same tone. The Asheville area offers Sierra Nevada Brewing the perfect confluence of community, recreation and craft beer culture.

Sierra Nevada’s eastern brewery site is expected to employ approximately 90 workers, with additional staff in the restaurant to follow. The brewery anticipates being operational by early 2014.

About Sierra Nevada Founded in 1980, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is one of America’s premier craft breweries, highly regarded for using only whole-cone hops and ingredients of the finest quality. Sierra Nevada has set the standard for artisan brewers worldwide as a winner of numerous awards for its extensive line of beers including the flagship Pale Ale, Torpedo, Porter, Stout, Kellerweis, four seasonal beers, Estate Ale, Harvest Ales, Ovila Abbey Ales and a host of draught-only specialties.

UPDATED WITH THIS VIDEO FROM FOX CAROLINA

FLETCHER, NC (FOX Carolina) – North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue along with other local government officials were on hand in Henderson County on Wednesday for a major jobs announcement.

On Tuesday, FOX Carolina spoke with an official at Sierra Nevada’s headquarters in Chico, CA, who said that North Carolina was on a short list but no decision had yet been made. The company said they were planning to open their second operation east of the Mississippi River.

Sierra Nevada in WNC

Overnight reports are coming in: Sierra Nevada will build in Western North Carolina putting to rest months of rumors and scouting in the region:

Officials with California craft-beer maker Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. are expected to announce this week they have chosen Western North Carolina for the company’s much-publicized East Coast expansion, sources with knowledge of the negotiations have told the Times-News. The sources asked not to be named because of the confidential nature of economic development projects.

The property — which was annexed by the town in 2009 after landowner Vaughn Fitzgerald requested that 220 of his family’s acres be rezoned for an industrial park — is on Old Fanning Bridge Road between Broadpoint Industrial Park and Asheville Regional Airport on the east side of the French Broad River.

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20120123/ARTICLES/120129896

Mother Earth partner with local waste service

Mother Earth Brewing of Kinston racks up L.E.E.D points as this You Tube video explains:

“A profile on OCS and customer Mother Earth Brewery in Kinston, NC and how they two benefit the other with recycling. OCS is a full service waste hauler serving Eastern North Carolina.”

A New Craft Brewery to Open in the Triangle

PRESS RELEASE: A New Craft Brewery to Open in the Triangle

Durham, North Carolina – January 17th, 2012 – Though software engineering may not be the first thing that comes to mind when discussing craft beer, such is not the case for two new brewers in the craft beer scene. Andrew Simmering and David Britt, RTP software engineers, are working towards opening a new brewery in the Triangle area; Shade Tree Brewing Company. Whether it be their operational size, their projects, or their method of funding, these guys are anything but conventional.

They are opening on a scale that would make a micro brewery feel like a multinational conglomerate. They are calling themselves a nano brewery and planning on producing only enough output to support their local community. This is not because of restrictions or inability, but rather they believe that a smaller output will allow them to make a commitment to quality and creativity. It’s also not all about profit as they are already working on plans for unique, no-profit projects. One such project is a series of charity beers brewed in conjunction with local homebrew clubs. Another, which throws back to their programming roots, is a community-designed open source beer.

Unfortunately, such a business model does not tend to attract the attention of venture capitalists, and thus their approach to funding does not follow conventional methods. While all of their backing thus far has come from their own wallets, they are now looking to their community to help them along. This is taking form as a project on the creative backing website kickstarter.com. Their project, available at
http://www.kickstarter.com, provides some basic information about the brewery, and offers a series of rewards for different levels of contributions.

Shade Tree Brewing Company was founded in April of 2010, and plans on launching before 2013, and will do so with two staple beers: A Kölsch-style hybrid ale, and an Imperial IPA. The Kölsch is a lighter, crisper beer intended to satisfy the lovers of the Kölsch style while also attracting people new to the craft beer movement. Their Imperial IPA is a heavier, more robust ale designed specifically for those who have already developed a taste for heavy, hoppy, high gravity beers. As they move forward, they plan to have a rotating selection of seasonal beers, as well as experimental or uncommon styles.

http://www.shadetreebrew.com/

NC Brewers and Music Festival

Second annual NC Brewers and Music Festival set for May

On May 12, 2012, come enjoy a ten hour day of fun in beautiful and historic open farmland, complete with seven great bands and tons of North Carolina’s finest craft brews. You’ll be privy to all the hand crafted ales and lagers you can savor!

Featuring: over three hours of free tasting, a day packed full of great music, food, merchandise, children’s activities, beer education, and a chance to learn about and interact with area non-profits.

Designated Driver and under 21 tickets are available at a reduced rate so everyone can come have a blast! On site camping is available by online reservation.

NCBMF is presented by Historic Rural Hill, a non-profit and historic site in Huntersville, NC that provides educational field trips and cultural events throughout the calendar year. All proceeds from NCBMF will go towards the preservation and advancement of Historic Rural Hill and its mission..

http://www.ncbrewsmusic.com/

Great Lakes soon to be available in Triangle area

Ohio’s most celebrated craft brewer of award-winning lagers & ales, announces its plan to enter the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill (North Carolina) market with Long Beverage Inc. on February 20, 2012. GLBC previously launched products in Charlotte and Greensboro in March 2010; “The Triangle” is the next natural step in the company’s strategic growth plans. Customers can expect to see GLBC’s year-round family of beers in package and draft, as well as the new “Taster’s Pack” (a sampler 12-pack).

The new market rollout will involve multiple customer appreciation events, meet-and-greets, tastings and giveaways throughout the area. “We’ve been courted by distributors all over North Carolina for a number of years now, and there’s a large population of Ohioans clamoring for our product down there,” explains Patrick Conway, GLBC Co-Owner. “We are committed to our methodical growth and look to penetrate deeper in the states we currently serve. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill presents an excellent opportunity, and we look forward to providing our customers with the products they love.”

GLBC currently serves 12 states and Washington DC. Founded in 1988 by brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway as the first craft brewery in the state of Ohio, GLBC is nationally known for its exceptional family of beers including Dortmunder Gold Lager, Eliot Ness Amber Lager, Burning River Pale Ale, Commodore Perry India Pale Ale and Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.

Follow in Twitter

GLBC Triangle Page

Ass Clown Charlotte Debut

Ass Clown Charlotte Debut on January 20th in Charlotte with four or more beers!

http://vbgbuptown.com/ and assclownbrewery.com

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5Q: NC Hop Researcher Jeanine Davis

Hop production in North Carolina is a relatively new industry. Farmers are seeking new cash crops while the multitude of brewers in our state attempt to source out locally made ingredients more and more often. Jeanine Davis is on the NC State University hop research team and answered a few questions about their the results of their research and the problems facing growers in our state.

Tell our readers what the scope of your research with NC State has been?
The hops research at NC State University is a collaborative effort between Scott King and Rob Austin in the Soil Science Department and my program in the Department of Horticultural Science. We obtained several grants to build research hop yards on university research stations in Raleigh and in Mills River (near Asheville, in the mountains). The main objective of the current research is to identify the best varieties for North Carolina. We have ten varieties at each location. We are also looking at various cultural aspects; we have a short trellis in Raleigh and a high trellis (that we can raise and lower the top wire) in Mills River. We are also studying soil fertility; weed, disease, and insect control, and costs of production. We are also working with hop growers across the state.

Is there a history of hop production in North Carolina apart from the most recent growers? IE, pre prohibition?
There was a hop industry in North Carolina over 100 years ago. I have not been able to find out much about it online; I’ll have to hit the library stacks sometime. A friend of mine found an old ledger book from an ancestor of hers who was a hop farmer in NC long ago. She promised to photocopy some of the pages of that for me.

What results have you seen? (varieties that have done well, seasons in NC, terrior, etc)
The hops are doing surprisingly well here, considering how far south we are located! They seem to be doing particularly well in the mountain areas. Identifying the right varieties is going to be crucial for success. Cascade, Chinook, Nugget, Zeus, and Newport are good performers in many locations across the state. Our yields will never be as high as they are in the Pacific Northwest, but the reports we are getting back from brewers indicate that overall the quality is good. Our hops mature really early here; we start harvesting in July. We aren’t sure what that means for the plants in the long term. We have more disease, insect, and weed pressure than in the PNW, but we expected that and we are figuring out ways to cope. I think our success will rely on having markets that will pay a premium for high quality, locally grown, hand-harvested hops (wet or dry).

What are the challenges that North Carolina Hop growers are facing?
Our organic growers are having the biggest challenges right now fighting diseases and insects, but they are finding that some varieties are much better than others. Finding adequate labor to maintain and harvest a large yard is proving to be a challenge for some growers. We are going to have to find ways to reduce the labor needs.

What is in your beer fridge right now?
With four beer drinkers in the house with different tastes, there are new beers in the refrigerator almost every week. If I remember correctly, there are three NC breweries represented there right now: Highland, Weeping Radish, and Duck-Rabbit.

More North Carolina hop farming news

Narragansett now with Mims

PRESS RELEASE: Triangle area distributor brings in Narragansett Brewing Company line of beers:

Chip Mims, CEO of Mims Distributing Company, a beer distributor that services a nine-county area in and around the Triangle, has announced that Mims is now distributing beer from the Narragansett Brewing Company. Narragansett’s family of classic American lagers, light beers and ales are brewed in Rochester, N.Y., at a brewery that has been producing award-winning beers for more than 125 years. The bock and porter are craft-brewed in Providence, R.I., and Pawcatuck, Conn.

Quotes:
“Mims Distributing Company is excited to add Narragansett Brewing Company to our list of breweries,” said Mims. “The Narragansett brewmasters use the finest and purest ingredients to ensure that what ends up in your glass is Narragansett at its very best—flavorful, drinkable and refreshing.”

Details: – For more information on Narragansett, visit http://www.narragansettbeer.com.

For a list of the other breweries with whom Mims Distributing Company works, visit http://www.mimsdist.com/breweries.html.

A look back at 2011 and on to 2012

For fun I took a look at the web stats for Craft Beer Collective I narrowed down the Top 10 most viewed stories for 2011. In order of views here they are:

West Coast Brewery challenge’s the Mother Earth Name
Announcement: Tour De Fat Debuts in NC
Hop’s Zilla’s Bottle Cap Creation
Cherry Bomb becomes Brewmaster’s Bar & Grill
Mother Earth / Carolina Distillery Collaboration Beer
Twin Taps Beer Fest in Winston Salem
Early Summer update on two new beer stores in Raleigh
2011 Durham World Beer Festival Preview
2011 North Carolina Holiday Beer Line Up
Tasty Beverage /Craft Beer Collective Tweet Up

Looks like Mother Earth fans are good for the Craft Beer Collective! And The Bottle Cap Table story was posted in 2010. My best guess for why that article is trending is because of Google search for “Bottle Cap Table” or “bottle cap craft.”

Certainly one of the biggest stories of 2011 is one that I haven’t even created a proper post for. I’ve been following that story and re-posting info here and there. That story would be the fact that New Belgium Brewing of Fort Collins, Colorado and Sierra Nevada Brewing of Chico, California have been publicly seeking a location for a east coast brewery and have put Western North Carolina on their short list. As of this writing I have not seen an official report one way or another. That news will certainly be huge in 2012 and from all accounts Sierra Nevada has been the most active in their pursuit of a NC location.

LOOKING FORWARD to 2012
Living Social, the Los Angeles based group purchasing team, has their sights set on the Triangle area for a series of Beer Tourism events in a format that seems similar to Asheville Brews Cruise or Beltline Brewtour and already existing Wine tours, that will focus on outings to beer stores, breweries and beer bars in the area.

The Asheville Brewers Alliance has announced plans to make their Beer City Festival one better by creating a series of events around the festival for inaugural Asheville Beer Week.

As I was writing this post, Dave from Skull Coast made an announcement on Facebook that I’ve been keeping under my hat for several months. Skull Coast will become a North Carolina based Brewery in 2012. This will be one of many that have been in the works along with Haw River Ales, Mystery Brewing, White Street and other friends and acquaintances that should add to an already bustling North Carolina beer scene.

Here on the blog I will be incorporating a Google calendar of #NCBeer Events with the efforts of Richard Mitchel of NCBrewing.org. Hopefully the group contributions will show the widest variety of beer events in North Carolina to date. Something we can all get behind. In the past my calendar page consisted of the many Beer Festivals in North Carolina and was one of the most viewed pages on the Craft Beer Collective. If you’re keeping count 29 “festival” type events took place in 2011.

Lastly, I will be developing a few web properties, applications, long form research / writing projects as well as beer events that will continue to grow the “Collective” in the new year! First up will be a repeat of the Beer Glassware trade Party that will be announced shortly.

Jolly Skull Beer Fest

Tickets now on sale for second annual Jolly Skull Beer Fest in Greenville, NC 01/28/12

Greenville will be hosting their second annual beer festival at the Greenville Convention Center this winter on January 28, 2012. This 41,000 square foot venue is a first class, state of the art building located downtown in Greenville, North Carolina at 303 SW Greenville Blvd, Greenville, NC 27834. The festival will focus on 50+ American craft and regional micro breweries with over 130 beers being offered.

This year there will only be one tasting session with three tickets options. The VIP ticket is $40 if purchased before 15 Jan, $50 after that date/day of the event and will give you admission from 1 – 6 PM. The General Admission ticket is $25 if purchased before 15 Jan, $35 after that date/day of the event and will give you admission from 2:30 – 6 PM. The VIP and GA ticket includes tasting glass, festival program, pen and unlimited sampling of all beers offered. New for this year is the Designated Driver ticket (available online only) which is $15 and will give you admission from 2:30 – 6 PM. There will only be 500 VIP and 3000 total tickets sold. This event will sell out so ensure you get your tickets as soon as they go on sale. Ticket sales will start at 8 AM on Saturday, 3 December 2011.

More info and brewery list: beerarmy.com/jollyskull

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