Archive: Month: January 2016

114 Different countries worth of beer, what a way to travel!

While this map shows the best-selling beers in each country (rather than the thousands of micro-brews that are out there), it definitely shows that beer is a worldwide beverage. When you look at the United States, our most popular beer is Bud Light. Yet with number of breweries passing 4,000 this past year, craft beer still accounts for only 15% of the beer sold here in the US. Still, if you are planning to travel, why not try the most popular local beer as well as the micro-brews specific to the region you’re in!

Ask the Brewer

So, if I’m going to Japan, are there any good craft beers there?

The most popular beer in Japan is Hitachino, with over 10 year round varieties and many seasonal offerings.

Like the United States, Japan is also experiencing a resurgence in their craft beer scene. They had an uptick in craft breweries in the 1990’s, with a corresponding drop late in that decade, and now another increase. As of late fall 2014 Japan was home to 215 craft breweries and in Tokyo alone there are now almost 80 brewpubs, up from a handful only a few years ago.

If you want a taste of Japan here in the US, any of the following imports could give you that opportunity.

Niigata Golden Kolsch
Echigo Koshihikari Rice Lager (Gluten Free)
Ishikawa Bottle Conditioned Ale
Kankiku Kujyukuri Ocean Beer Weizen
Orion Premium Draft Beer
Iwate Kura Oyster Stout
Baird Wabi-Sabi Japan Pale Ale
Yo-Ho Tokyo Black Porter
Ryujin Shuzo Ozeno Yukidoke IPA
Kiuchi Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

• Tap selection includes Pyro APA, Roasted Coffee Ale, Fused Orange Blossom Honey Ale, Cranberry Shandy and Raj-Agni IPA
• Thirsty Thursdays $1 off pints and $2 off growlers (No growler or grumbler fills after 8pm, cuz it’s the law!)
• Nutmeg Pear Cupcake from Groundswell, nutmeg cake with fresh pear butter and cream cheese frosting

Final Thoughts

With Valentine’s Day only a few weeks away, it seemed like a good time for us to thrown down and brew up something special. Yeah, we know that beer in and of itself should be special enough, but we wanted to make something that reflects that day.

That being said, we will be releasing our Chocolate Raspberry Strong Ale in the taproom that weekend. Keep your gluten-free sweetie in mind as you make your plans!

As always, if you have questions, drop us a note via Email, Facebook or Twitter.

Cheers!

Thom’s National Beer Can Appreciation Day Dance

Believe it or not, there are many holidays out there that celebrate beer, not just ones that people drink a lot of beer at, such as St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco De Mayo (the 5th largest beer consumption holiday in the US!). We plan on touching on some of those holidays each month over the upcoming year, which brings us to our “Ask the Brewer” question for this week.

Ask the Brewer

Are there any beer drinking celebrations in January?

We’re surprised you asked! (no… REALLY!) There are beer drinking celebrations every month of the year, and January is no exception. January 24th is Beer Can Appreciation Day. In January of 1935, the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company released the first cans of beer developed for mass consumption. By March of that year, their sales were up 550%! On the 4th of July, 1935, Pabst introduced their canned beer (but not in “Tall Boys”), and things have taken off from there. Take a moment and think about how different things would be if you couldn’t get beer in cans, then crack open a cold one and enjoy the fact that you can.

😉

Taproom Tidings

This weekend we have the return of the Tatanka crew on Friday and R Taco on Saturday. We will be open our regular hours, with growler and grumbler fills all of the days we are open.

• Tap selection includes Pyro APA, Roasted Coffee Ale, Fused Orange Blossom Honey Ale, Cranberry Shandy and Raj-Agni IPA.  On Friday we will also be tapping our Dark Lager as part of our Brewer’s Choice offering. Available by the glass or in grumblers.until the keg is gone.(edited 1/22/16)
  
• Thirsty Thursdays $1 off pints and $2 off growlers (No growler or grumbler fills after 8pm, cuz it’s the law!)
• Nutmeg Pear Cupcake from Groundswell, nutmeg cake with fresh pear butter and cream cheese frosting

Final Thoughts

We are just now starting to get reports from our distributors as to where Roasted is being carried.  If you find some, help us get the word out as to where it is located by Tweeting/Facebooking #IGotRoasted. If you can’t find it, ask for it. Thanks!

As always, if you have questions, drop us a note via Email, Facebook or Twitter.

Cheers!

Brewer humor

With the long haul through the rest of January ahead of us, especially for those who live in Northern states, we thought it was time for a dose of brewer humor. Whether groaning, smiling or laughing, we hope you’ll appreciate the effort. Prost!

Ask the Brewer (tries to be funny)

A little boy was lost at a large shopping mall
He approached a uniformed policeman and said, “I’ve lost my dad!”
The cop asked, “What’s he like?”
The little boy replied, “Mainly craft beer.”

***
A bear walks into the taproom, and looks at the menu.  He says “I’d like a…………………..pint of Pyro”, the beertender says “Why the big paws?”

***
Old man Murphy had worked down at the brewery for years, but one day, he just wasn’t paying attention and he tripped on the walkway and fell over into the beer vat and drowned.

The foreman thought it should be his job to inform the widow Murphy of her old man’s death. He showed up at the front door and rang the bell. When she came to the door, he said, “I’m sorry to tell you, but poor old Murphy passed away at work today when he fell into the vat and drowned.”

She wept and covered her face with her apron and after a time, between sobs, she asked, “Tell me, did he suffer?”

“I don’t think so,” said the foreman, “He got out three times to go to the men’s room.”

***
A priest, a clown, and a horse walk into the taproom, the beertender looks at them and says “What is this, a joke?”

Taproom Tidings

This weekend we have the return of the Signature on Wheels crew on Friday and the Tatanka Truck on Saturday. We will be open our regular hours, with growler and grumbler fills all of the days we are open.

• Tap selection includes Pyro APA, Roasted Coffee Ale, Fused Orange Blossom Honey Ale, Cranberry Shandy and Raj-Agni IPA.  We also have tapped our Coffee Stout as part of our Brewer’s Choice offering. Available by the glass or in grumblers.until the keg is gone.(edited 1/15/16)
  
• Thirsty Thursdays $1 off pints and $2 off growlers (No growler or grumbler fills after 8pm, cuz it’s the law!)
• Nutmeg Pear Cupcake from Groundswell, nutmeg cake with fresh pear butter and cream cheese frosting

Final Thoughts

We are just now starting to get reports from our distributors as to where Roasted is being carried.  If you find some, help us get the word out as to where it is located by Tweeting/Facebooking #IGotRoasted. If you can’t find it, ask for it. Thanks!

As always, if you have questions, drop us a note via Email, Facebook or Twitter.

Cheers!

Taproom Tidings
On Friday we’ll be tapping our Coffee Stout, brewed with a 50/50 mixture of water and cold brewed coffee. This flavorful stout will jump start your evening. It’s a limited batch so we’re only offering pints, half-pints & grumbler fills. Chef T-Bone will be serving up fine food from Tollefson’s Family Pork Farm on Friday & Saturday.

• Tap selection includes Pyro APA, Roasted Coffee Ale, Fused Orange Blossom Honey, Cranberry Shandy, Raj-Agni IPA and Coffee Stout(Limited Batch)

As always, if you have questions, drop us a note via Email, Facebook, Twitter or Google+.

Cheers!