Craft Beer Collective

April is North Carolina Beer Month

For months brewers, beer bars and craft centric retail stores have been scheduling a slew of events designed to highlight the 80+ breweries and beers of our state. And here we are on April 15th – halfway through the inaugural North Carolina Beer Month.

As exciting as it’s been so far, I need to ask you something – Are we reaching the multitude or are we just preaching to the converted? Is North Carolina Beer month promotion creating new fans for craft beer and local beer? If you’re reading this blog you’re probably someone who has more than a casual interest in craft beer as well as the scene and culture in North Carolina. So, we already reached you but there is more you can do. Here are a few suggestions using the North Carolina Beer Month website!

Be a guide to your friends, family and co-workers by attending a tasting, tap takeover or just browse a bottle shop! It’s a great way to sample a variety of beers, mix a six and help your friends discover what styles they enjoy best.

Attend a beer dinner. There is no better way to experience a variety of beers and learn more about beer style than when paired with great food!

Bottle Party Invite a few friends to your home. Ask each of them bring a couple bottles of beer that they enjoy and ask them to talk about each beer to the group.

Visit a brewery! From wherever you are in the state you’re probably a short trip away from freshly made beer. Bring a friend or two and remember that each location provides different experiences. Taproom = beer only. Brewpub = beer and restaurant. Those are two definitions to get started with.

Get Physical! Several beer bars and brewers host bike and run clubs. There is no better reward for taking care of yourself than with a good local pint of beer at the end of the trail! Introduce the runner or biker in your life to one of these pro-beer social clubs!

Let’s go beyond the hashtags and badges let’s do our best to get our friends, family and co-workers involved in North Carolina Beer!

RED HOOK brewing video

A visit to RED HOOK Brewing in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Photos and some video of the tap room, beer garden and brewery taken on a visit in September 2011.

Deep River Brewing

Progress report video: Deep River Brewing in Clayton, North Carolina shows off a new brew house and tap room area.

Brewing School At Rockingham Community College

WFMY TV posted this story about new brewing education center at Rockingham Community College

“In Rockingham County, we have an abundant supply of farmland, have an excellent water supply. We are right at the perfect temperature and humidity that hops need to grow,” said Bradley Overby, Lead Horticulture Instructor at Rockingham Community College.

Coffee said last February, they started offering a few craft beer brewing classes, and students wanted more.

Brewing Compititiion Results

Two North Carolina brewing competitions announced their winners and results this month.

New this year is The North Carolina Brewers Cup. A competition recognized and displayed by the North Carolina State Fair. Judging took place at Harris Wholesale in Durham and included professional and homebrew entries. Those 15 categories and winners in those categories can be viewed here http://ncbrewerscup.org/2012-awards/

Piedmont Brewers Cup recognizes 27 beer categories and took in 344 entries from 171 participants. Judging took place at Raleigh Brewing company and Big Boss Brewing Company. Results for these honors can be viewed here: http://piedmontbrewerscup.brewcompetition.com/

Celebrate Sam Adams Birthday and Oktoberfest

Celebrate Sam Adams Birthday and Oktoberfest at The Pizza Peel

Charlotte, N.C., September 17, 2012 – The Pizza Peel & Tap Room in Cotswold on Colwick Rd., part of Charlotte-based entertainment group Stomp, Chomp & Roll, will host an inaugural Peel Oktoberfest on Sept. 22 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and celebrate Sam Adam’s Birthday on Sept. 27.

The whole family can partake in challenges from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. with a grand prize of free pizza for a year. Peel Oktoberfest includesgames for individuals such as stein hoisting; das boot and carry the wench contest. Jason Scavone will perform live music on the patio from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. In addition, Olde Mecklenburg Brewery will host a tasting. Select drafts will be $3.

Team games include a keg rolling contest, stein bucket race and carry the wench (wife) race. Face painting, jump house for children, outdoor grilling and corn hole will also be available.

The Pizza Peel & Tap Room will celebrate Sam Adam birthday with a party on Sept. 27. The Pizza Peel & Tap Room is training with Sam Adams to become certified to pour the perfect Sam Adams beer. Stop by The Peel dressed as Sam Adams or Mrs. Sam Adams and one winner will receive a Sam Adams cooler filled with beer. Guests can also participate in a stein hoisting competition.

Enjoy Sam Adams Lager, Sam Adams Octoberfest, Angry Orchard Cider and White IPA on tap on Sept. 27.

More information about The Pizza Peel & Tap Room’s events can be found at Facebook.com/PizzaPeelandTapRoom.

About The Pizza Peel & Tap Room

The Pizza Peel & Tap Room has over 40+ beers on tap and features an astonishing eclectic mix of bottled beers. Their unique beer club makes trying new beers rewarding. The best pizza in Charlotte is served in a cozy and casual atmosphere. Their dough is handmade using olive oil, flour, salt, molasses, water and a touch of wheat flour which gives a unique flavor profile that can’t be found anywhere else. Made in house and matured for at least 24 hr before cooking, every flavorful pizza is cooked to order. For more information visit: Facebook.com/PizzaPeelandTapRoom.

White Street Brewing Opens This Weekend

White Street Brewing Co., Wake Forest’s first brewery and North Carolina’s 70th, welcomes the public to the opening of its taproom on Saturday, September 15, noon – midnight. The 4,000-square-foot beer manufacturing facility, located at 218 South White Street, will produce 1,200 barrels (Bbl) of craft beer annually with capacity for up to 4,000 Bbl/year.

Initial offerings will be White Street Brewing Co. Pale Ale, Scottish Ale, Black IPA and Kolsch served in flights, pints and growlers. Ales and lagers will be added by season and at the discretion and creativity of the head brewer. The craft beer will be self-distributed by the brewery and sold in bars, restaurants and other establishments in addition to what’s served in the on-site taproom.

“White Street Brewing Co. is thrilled to be part of the vibrancy of our historic downtown and the craft beer renaissance,” says Dino Radosta, owner of the new brewery with his wife, Tina. “The unique setting of the beer factory combined with the taproom is a first for Wake Forest. We invite beer enthusiasts and others to visit us as well as request White Street Brewing Co. beer at their favorite establishments,” he adds.

The microbrewery is in a building that was originally a 1930’s automobile dealership. Throughout the years, it was many things, including a furniture store, repair shop and vintage car sales showroom. Radosta, who owns three buildings in downtown Wake Forest, began renovations for the brewery in January 2012 and received the certificate of occupancy in July. Brewing commenced and was perfected in preparation for the Sept. 15 opening.

The beer manufacturing equipment is in full view of the taproom for an overall open space that features original brick walls and an exposed ceiling. The 36-foot-long, wrap-around bar is made of hand-stained red oak. Dart boards occupy a nearby wall for one of the many activities and events that will take place at the brewery. Sodas and snacks will be available and food can be brought in or ordered from nearby restaurants. The brewery does not have a full kitchen for food service.

White Street Brewing Co.’s Head Brewer Chris Bivins recently moved to Wake Forest from Atlanta, where he worked as a brewer at a local pub and homebrewed while he earned a finance degree from Auburn University.

To learn more, visit www.FaceBook.com/WhiteStreetBrewing or WhiteStreetBrewing.com.

PocketBeer for iOS

PintLabs, L.L.C. is proud to announce the immediate availability of PocketBeer for iOS. PocketBeer is your sidekick on the path to better beer, and the perfect companion on your trip to the grocery store or local bottle shop. Search for a beer by name or scan the UPC code to see all about that beer in your hand. With access to thousands of beers in BreweryDB.com, and the ability to add more through PocketBeer, you are sure to discover some new and exciting brews.

Main features include:

Search by beer name or by UPC code using your smartphone’s camera
See in-depth information about the beer such as the label, glassware and serving recommendations, seasonal availability, alcohol content, and more.
Add or edit any beers that may be missing
Access to all the beers in BreweryDB.com, a crowd-sourced database of breweries and beers that is constantly growing.
Mark and keep track of your favorite beers
Tweet about the beers you find.

PocketBeer is currently available for free on the Apple App Store at http://pntlbs.co/pocketbeerforios. For users that wish to remove advertisements and unlock the “Favorites” feature, an in-app purchase can be made for only $0.99. An Android version of PocketBeer is currently in development and will be released soon. More information (including press kit) available at http://www.pocketbeerapp.com.

http://www.pocketbeerapp.com/

Piedmont Cup set for October 20th

American Brewmaster is proud to announce their 3rd Annual Piedmont Brewer’s Cup on Saturday, October 20th 2012! The Piedmont Brewer’s Cup is a BJCP/AHA sanctioned homebrew competition that puts homebrewers from NC, SC, GA, VA, MD, & TN against each other in a competition to win the right to claim their place on the Piedmont Brewer’s Cup. The 1st Place Best of Show winner will receive the following:

· Their recipe remade into a brewing kit for sale at the shop. They will be paid a portion of the profits throughout 2013

· Another portion will go to benefit Pints for Prostates throughout 2013

· They will get the chance to brew their winning recipe on a local brewery’s pilot system and will have it served in their taproom. The brewery for 2012 is Big Boss Brewery

· They will receive a 1st place medal and have their name engraved on the Piedmont Brewer’s Cup

· Several other prizes will be awarded from various other businesses and breweries as well

Awards will also be given to each 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place category winners and each brewer will receive qualified feedback on their beers from BJCP-ranked judges in order to help improve their craft. The awards ceremony is a public event and will begin at 7pm at Big Boss Brewery in Raleigh, NC. There will be beer, food trucks, and good times to be had during the ceremony.

If you would like to register your beers, or be a volunteer, for the event please visit the competition website: http://piedmontbrewerscup.brewcompetition.com/

American Brewmaster is Raleigh and the surrounding area’s premier homebrewing and winemaking supplier and has been in the business since 1983. We specialize in beer, wine, cheese, and draft systems and love helping new hobbyists get into this fun, exciting pastime. We have a friendly & knowledgeable staff and have a wide selection of ingredients and equipment for all of your brewing needs. If you would like to know more about the shop, please visit their website: www.americanbrewmaster.com

Our charity sponsor, Pints for Prostates, is an organization whose goal is to increase awareness about prostate cancer and to provide the public with information about screenings and the disease. If you would like to know more, please visit their website: www.pintsforprostates.org

2011 results

Beards & Beers

A beard book just for you craft beer loving beard fanatics. Sounds interesting enough. As you can see by the video and the Kickstarter landing page the book may contain beers from local and regional favorites and, if we’re all lucky, a quote from yours truly.

“Craft Beerds is a book of beer label art with beards, sideburns and moustaches. Well-groomed & well-photographed from 175+ breweries.”

Funding ends August 26th

WOB Dogfish Takeover

Huge line up of Dogfish Head craft beer on tap at World of Beer in Raleigh this Thursday, May 10th!

From their website: Dogfish Head- It’s a banger! Get ready for the line up of a lifetime! We will be pouring 25+ Dogfish Head beers! That’s right, we said we are pouring 25+ Dogfish Head Beers!

We will also be using the Randall in a way never before seen! Hooking up 3 Randalls to each other to recreate Dogfish Head 75 Min IPA! Blending together Dogfish Head 60 min IPA and Dogfish Head 90 min IPA through maple soaked oak chips and cascade hops! This is a can’t miss Randall Creation!

http://northhills.wobusa.com/default.aspx

NC Brewers & Music Festival

“A celebration of North Carolina Brewing and Real Music”
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!

Advance tickets: http://ncbrewsmusic.com/

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.

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

BREWERS: Highland Brewing Company, NoDa Brewing, Birdsong Brewing, Four Friends Brewing, The Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery, Lonerider Brewing, Big Boss Brewing, Natty Greene’s Brewing, Ass Clown Brewery, Triple C Brewing Company, Westbend Vineyards and Brew House, Kind Beers, Heist Brewing, Catawba Valley Brewing Company, Foothills Brewery, Cottonwood Ales, Carolina Beer Company, Red Oak Brewery, Free Range Brewing, Carolina Brewery, New Belgium Brewing

BANDS: Steep Canyon Rangers, Ryan Montbleau Band, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, The Black Lillies, Sol Driven Train, Old Man Markley, BIG Something