Information I've received from brewers and others

Arcade Brewery re-releases six-pack comic and launches Battlepug for C2E2 CHICAGO (April  17, 2015) -- Chicago craft brewery, Arcade Brewery, announced today it will re-release it’s first volume of6-Pack Stories™ for one last roundup! Festus Rotgut: Zombie Cowboy is a western zombie comic written by Jason Aaron(Thor / Southern Bastards) and illustrated by Tony Moore (The Walking Dead / Fear Agent) across six bottles of Black Wheat Ale. Arcade co-founder Lance Curran said the idea was to tell a story first and then brew a beer to match the story. Co-founder Chris Tourre brewed that beer and says he chose a dark wheat ale because it seemed to fit perfectly with the tale of Festus Rotgut. “Since there are zombies, I immediately thought something dark,” said Tourre. “Driving a herd of cattle across the dusty landscape also made me immediately go to a dry wheat beer.” Tourre says he used some specialty roasts to create marshmallow and caramel flavors. He dry hopped the beer too, which Tourre says gives it a spicy finish. 6-Pack Stories™ creates a unique experience for the craft beer and comic book lover. Arcade has also collaborated with comic artist and author Mike Norton (Young Avengers / Revival) on a hoppy brown ale based on his Eisner Award winning web comic, Battlepug! Battlepug will be released the week of April 20th to celebrate the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, C2E2. Festus Rotgut and Battlepug will be available in Chicago area bottle shops. See a map of locations atarcadebrewery.com/beers, or you can buy it online at West Lakeview Liquors and The Beer Temple. Make sure to request both beers at your local bottle shop! Please follow Arcade Brewery on Twitter and Facebook for further details and promos! About Arcade Brewery Arcade Brewery is a Chicago-based craft brewery dedicated to creating delicious craft beer inspired by art and community. Arcade Brewery releases six-pack comic by Jason Aaron and Tony Moore CHICAGO (December 8, 2014) -- Chicago craft brewery, Arcade Brewery, announced today it will release it’s first volume of6-Pack Stories™ on new comic day, Wednesday December 10th. Festus Rotgut: Zombie Cowboy is a western zombie comic written by Jason Aaron (Thor / Southern Bastards) and illustrated by Tony Moore (The Walking Dead / Fear Agent) across six bottles of Black Wheat Ale. Arcade co-founder Lance Curran said the idea was to tell a story first and then brew a beer to match the story. Co-founder Chris Tourre brewed that beer and says he chose a dark wheat ale because it seemed to fit perfectly with the tale of Festus Rotgut. “Since there are zombies, I immediately thought something dark,” said Tourre. “Driving a heard of cattle across the dusty landscape also made me immediately go to a dry wheat beer.” Tourre says he used some specialty roasts to create marshmallow and caramel flavors. He dry hopped the beer too, which Tourre says gives it a spicy finish. 6-Pack Stories™ creates a unique experience for the craft beer and comic book lover. A rarity in beer and story telling, 6-Pack Stories™ will become an instant collector's item and a must-have gift for any beer-drinking comic fan. Festus Rotgut is a limited release and will be available in Chicago area bottle shops. See a map of locations atarcadebrewery.com/beers, or you can buy it online at West Lakeview Liquors, The Beer Temple, and Binny's Beverage Depot. Arcade Brewery will host tastings of Festus Rotgut on Wednesday at the following Chicago locations: Kimbark Beverage,Binnys Lincoln Park, Bottles & Cans, and West Lakeview Liquors. Please follow Arcade Brewery on Twitter and Facebookfor further details and promos! About Arcade Brewery Arcade Brewery is a Chicago-based craft brewery dedicated to creating delicious craft beer inspired by art and community. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Virtue Cider’s Lapinette Cidre Brut Takes Gold Medal at #FoBaB Michigan cidermaker marks second straight year atop category of barrel-aged ciders CHICAGO (Dec. 8, 2014) — Virtue Cider’s Lapinette Cidre Brut 2013 Harvest has been awarded the Gold Medal for Cider, Perry, or Mead at the 2014 Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers (FoBaB), in a category that included internationally recognized cidermakers. Aged in French oak barrels with French yeast, Lapinette received top scores in the event’s blind tasting of beverage industry experts. “For cidermakers, Gold at FoBaB represents one of America’s highest honors for quality and complexity achieved through barrel aging,” said Virtue Cider Cofounder Gregory Hall, “a technique practiced for generations by the great European cidermakers that inspired us.” FoBaB is familiar territory for Hall. As a former brewmaster at Goose Island Beer Co., he pioneered the barrel-aged craft beer movement nearly two decades ago, leading to the release of the brewery’s highly popular Bourbon County Stout series. Years later at Virtue Cider, Hall has amassed one of craft cider’s largest oak aging collections, including American, French, and Bourbon barrels. Virtue draws from more than 500 barrels to produce several annual European-style blends, including last year’s Gold Medal Cider at FoBaB, The Mitten, a Bourbon Barrel-aged cider. This year’s Gold Medal winner, Lapinette Cidre Brut 2013 Harvest is an unfiltered blend of fresh Michigan heirloom apples, fermented with French yeasts and aged for several months in French oak barrels. A portion of the barrels are dosed with Brettanomyces, adding rich complexity and integrating the flavors of the apple, barrel, and farm. “To achieve a FoBaB Gold this year with a very different cider, one where oak and farm notes are central,” said Virtue Head Cidermaker Ryan Burk, “demonstrates that cider drinkers are thirsty for variety, dimension, and character.” Lapinette Cidre Brut 2013 Harvest is distributed on draft and in 750ml bottles in 20 U.S. states where Virtue is currently sold, including CA, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, WA, and WI. About Virtue Cider Virtue is the hard cider venture launched in June 2011 by Gregory Hall, former brewmaster at Goose Island, and co-founder Stephen Schmakel. The company’s mission is to make European-style ciders from fresh heirloom apples—never from concentrate—and employ traditional farmhouse production methods that include native and secondary fermentation, use of wild yeasts, and an expansive barrel-aging program. ### Media Contact: Watershed Communications Helen Baldus 503-704-1464 Helen@watershedcom.com  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Blue Point Brewing Company to Sponsor New York Oyster Week  Sip Blue Point, Savor Oysters, Repeat Patchogue, NY (September 10, 2014) — Blue Point Brewing Company and New York Oyster Week share a lot more than their affinity for the iconic Long Island oyster variety. A combined enthusiasm for sustainability, adventure, and all around good food and drink make Blue Point Brewing and New York Oyster Week a perfect match. Featuring a collection of events at a different venue each day, Oyster Week celebrates the best of New York’s oyster culture. A proud sponsor, Blue Point is the official beer of Oyster Week, which means that you can always find the right brew to go with the buckets of oysters you’re sure to ingest. It doesn’t hurt that a Blue Point brew pairs perfectly with the creamy salinity of a freshly shucked raw oyster. But hey, don’t take our word for it. Get over to an Oyster Week event and see for yourself!  “It’s about the oysters, sure. But it’s also about the history. We’re at a point where we’ve become a part of the Long Island culture and community. New York Oyster Week’s dedication to sustainability, innovation, and fun is exactly what we’re about,” said Blue Point Brewing Company Co-Founder, Mark Burford. “It just made sense to get involved with the organizations and people that have given so much to us throughout the years.”  Blue Point Brewing is thrilled to sponsor New York Oyster Week. Find their beers at eleven Oyster Week events including: What:         Oyster Riot When:        Thursday, September 11th, 2014 6:30 p.m.  Where:       Palm House, Brooklyn Botanic Garden: 990 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY Join in the fun at this engaging and immersive oyster experience. Learn how your favorite oysters are farmed, foraged, and distributed and meet the oystermen behind the process at this hands-on event. Learn more about Oyster Riot and other events here. What:         Shuckeasy When:        Thursday, September 18th, 2014, 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and    8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Where:       Secret Flatiron district private loft location revealed to ticket holders only! Don’t miss this “rare & exotic” raw bar. Sample the best of 5 oyster species from around the globe and pair them with a Blue Point Brewing brew. May we suggest the award winning Toasted Lager? Learn more about Shuckeasy and other events here. What:         Oystoberfest When:        Friday, September 19th, 2014, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and    8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Where:       Open House NYC: 201 Mulberry Street New York, NY Back for its third year, Oystoberfest is the signature craft beer and oyster event. Sample brews from Blue Point Brewing alongside a collection of east and west coast oysters. Learn more about Oystoberfest and other events here. What:         Empire Oyster When:        Saturday, September 27th, 2014, 4:00 p.m.  Where:       TBD A celebration of sustainable seafood and of course, craft beer and oysters, Empire Oyster will feature New York chefs and Oyster Farmers. In a Top Chef like challenge, the duos will create their own delicious take on the oyster. Learn more about Empire Oyster and other events here. # # # About New York Oyster Week: A festival celebrating the oyster’s outstanding role in the history, culture, cuisine, and ecology of New York, New York Oyster Week is an extraordinary collection of oyster-centric events. Running from September 11 through 28, Oyster Week provides an entertaining and engaging platform through which everyone can experience and enjoy oyster culture in his/her own way. To learn more about Oyster Week and upcoming events, visit the website here. About Blue Point Brewing Company: Founded in 1998 in Long Island, Blue Point Brewing is the area’s first microbrewery. Together, co-founders Mark Burford and Pete Cotter bring a powerful combination of brewing and business skills, fueled by a solid work ethic and unmatched charisma, both of which are evident in their beers. Committed to freshness and flavor, Blue Point Brewing believes that “good people should drink good beer.” The Blue Point Brewing Company is located at 161 River Avenue, Patchogue, Long Island, New York. For more information about The Blue Point Brewing Company, head to the website, Facebook and Twitter.

ARCADE BREWERY ANNOUNCES LAUNCH WEEK SCHEDULE

CHICAGO, IL – August 25^th, 2014 – Recently opened Arcade Brewery has been distributing beer throughout Chicago for just over two weeks and has announced plans for their official launch week running September 2^nd through September 6^th.  “Our plan was to get into the market for a couple weeks and then celebrate our opening with multiple beers at multiple locations throughout Chicago,” said Co-Owner Lance Curran.

“We’ve worked tirelessly to get the brewery up and running and have put together some amazing events as a thank you to our community for their support,” said Co-Owner Chris Tourre.  “We hope everyone enjoys the events as much as the beer.”

Here’s a detailed look at Arcade Brewery’s launch week festivities:

Tuesday, September 2^nd – 5:30 PM – 8 PM

Beermiscuous – 2812 N Lincoln Ave 855-450-2337

Arcade Brewery participates in Beermiscuous’ Tasting Tuesday. The brewery will have three different beers for patrons to sample: William Wallace Wrestle Fest Scotch Ale, Grapefruit IPA and Mega Milk Stout.  Come meet some of the Arcade crew and learn more about their token redemption program.  They might even give you a free token if you ask.

Wednesday, September 3^rd – 8:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Logan Arcade – 2410 W Fullerton Ave 773-235-5030

The be-all and end-all bash to celebrate the opening of Chicago’s newest brewery.  Enjoy Arcade Brewery beers all night amongst close friends and over 80 of the best maintained arcade games in Chicago.  Launch party highlights include live entertainment by Auggie the 9thstarting at 11pm, raffles throughout the evening, free pizza by Dimo’s Pizza and the fotio booth will be there all night to capture all the fun. Don’t forget to bring your Arcade Brewery bottle cap tokens!  Arcade Brewery will treat you to two free games for every token you trade-in. More info at our Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/arcade-brewery-launch-party-tickets-12595755243

Thursday, September 4^th – 4:30 PM – 12:00 AM

The Radler – 2375 N Milwaukee Ave 773-276-0270

Enjoy a 2 dish food pairing with our William Wallace Scotch Ale and Grapefruit IPA and stay for music by DJ Martin Atkins beginning at 8:00 PM.

Friday, September 5^th – 8:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Claddagh Ring Pub – 2306 W Foster Ave 773-271-4794

Enjoy Arcade Brewery draughts at one of the finest Irish Pubs in the city of Chicago. Brewery swag raffles throughout the night with three Arcade Brewery beers on draught. Don’t forget to bring your Arcade Brewery bottle cap tokens.  Five tokens will get you a Grapefruit IPA label artwork print by Seibei.  Live entertainment from Kyle Geib of Dog and Wolf starting at 9pm.

Saturday, September 6^th – 2:00 PM – Midnight

Bit Bash @ Threadless – 1260 W Madison St

Arcade Brewery is proud to be the exclusive beer sponsor of Bit Bash, Chicago’s first interactive arts festival showcasing an international collection of lesser-know but undeniably culturally significant video games. Local game developers have carefully selected over 30 unique titles attendees can play. Starting at 2pm, the relaxing environment will be a great setting for all audiences to try new, interactive experiences.  At 7pm, BitBash transforms into an all-out party with live music, new games, and Arcade Brewery beer (21+ only; while supplies last). $10 Suggested donation.

Be sure to follow Arcade Brewery to get involved in our seasonal public brew challenges and see our unique zapper tapper handles designed by local Chicago-area artists.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arcadebrewery

Twitter: https://twitter.com/arcadebrewery
Instagram: http://instagram.com/arcadebrewery

See where you can find Arcade Brewery near you at: http://arcadebrewery.com/beers
November 13, 2013

New Website Helps Beer Lovers Plan Their Ultimate Tasting Trip

BrewTrail.com Maps and Details of Every Brewery in the Country

New Haven, CT – November 13, 2013 – Beer lovers, your prayers have been answered – visiting breweries just got easier.  Brew Trail (www.BrewTrail.com), the ultimate compilation of brewery information, has gone online and promises to make beer tourism a one-stop planning experience.  According to the Brewer’s Association, there are 2,538 breweries and brewpubs operating in the country (the most since the 1880s) and only one website - Brew Trail - has tracked them all along with the meticulous key details like their brewery tour and tasting room schedules.  Never before has so much detailed brewery data been available on one site.  With Brew Trail’s Trip Planner, aficionados can plot out a multi-state tour or simply check out some new breweries in town, easily incorporating each brewery’s schedule to cover ground most efficiently.  It’s all free, and it’s optimized for mobile devices.  From pilsners in Portland to stouts in St. Louis, Brew Trail will help plan a fantastic expedition along America’s beer trail.

“It’s been a true labor of love.  A very, very detailed labor of love,” said Brew Trail co-founder Chris Margonis.  “Why did we start the site?  My buddy and I love beer, it’s as simple as that.  And when we realized there weren’t any sites like this – a one-stop spot for all the brewery details along with brewery tour and tasting room times, we devoted ourselves even more to our hobby.  We want Brew Trail to be seen as a promotional asset for all craft breweries - to help them level the playing field and gain recognition among the big boys.  And we think Brew Trail also has the potential to become an excellent tool for state and local tourism boards as more and more localities launch their own beer trails.”   

The US craft beer movement has been exploding, with an astounding 10% annual growth – even while overall beer consumption has been declining slightly in favor of wine and spirits.  Although it makes sense given that craft beers have similar complexities and food pairings as wine.  Five out of ten fastest growing beer brands are craft (Dale’s Pale Ale, Lagunitas, Ranger, Torpedo, Shiner) and several of them  have been seeing a mind-boggling 45% growth in sales.  With this new, overwhelming beer awareness, Brew Trail arrives at the perfect time to make a potential mark on the scene and establish itself within the craft beer culture.  

About Brew Trail (www.BrewTrail.com)

Visiting breweries just got easier.  Brew Trail compiles every brewery and brewpub in the country – over 2,500 - allowing beer lovers to quickly and seamlessly plan their ultimate tasting trip.  Tour schedules, tasting room hours, fees and other info is all available on one site for the first time ever.

Sources:

Brewers Association (http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/number-of-breweries)

Demeter Group (http://www.demetergroup.net/docs/perspective/Craft_Beer.pdf)

FLESK BREWING COMPANY AND ARCADE BREWERY COLLABORATE TO CREATE ARCHNEMESIS - HOST EVENT

Chicago, IL - November 11, 2013 - Flesk Brewing Company and Arcade Brewery have crossed paths, mixed up some ideas, and have developed a collaboration beer called archnemesis,  an American Smoked Brown Ale brewed with ancho chile peppers, available in 22 oz bombers and on draught in select locations.

“We are big fans of smoked beers at Arcade,” Chris Tourre, co-founder of Arcade Brewery, said. “When we started talking to Flesk about a possible collaboration for the late fall, we thought a complex smoky beer would pair perfectly with the season. Flesk is an awesome partner, offering a ton of insight and experience into the process from start-to-finish.  We are all really proud of this beer.”

archnemesis features a subtle smoky malt profile with a fresh pepper flavor. The ancho chiles are added multiple times throughout the brewing process to highlight their flavor and aroma. The use of pale, caramel, peated, and roast malts create a complex malt backbone that mingles with the pepper character.  archnemesis is sure to be the perfect antagonist to the scourge that is Chicago winter.

Arcade and Flesk have also planned a release party to celebrate the launch of the beer.  The event will be at Township (2200 N California Ave, Chicago, IL) on November 18th, 2013. Along with plenty of archnemesis on tap, there will be performances by Scott Lucas and the Married Men, Dog & Wolf, Il Tandre Neu, Air Guitar Champion of the World Nordic Thunder, Martin Atkins DJing and brewery giveaways.  There is no cover for the event and it is 21+.

ABOUT FLESK BREWING COMPANY

Founded in 2012, Flesk Brewing Company delivers high-quality craft beers from their production facility in Lombard, IL.  Founded by brothers James and Will O’Brien, the duo are both graduates of the highly acclaimed Siebel Institute in Chicago, IL. Since opening its doors in 2012, the brewery has gained popularity with their Kai Summer Ale,  Feral Cat American Wheat, as well as other local favorites . . .   Recently doubling their  production, Flesk Brewing Company is geared to provide even more of Chicagoland with inventive, high-quality beers. Learn more atwww.fleskbrewing.com

ABOUT ARCADE BREWERY

Arcade Brewery is a Chicago-based brewery scheduled to open its doors in early 2014. Embracing  art and pop culture, Arcade Brewery views each of its beers as an experience dedicated to its community. Arcade Brewery is excited to offer innovative product lines, including its Public Brew™ series, which challenges their community to create the name and label art of their seasonal beers. 6-Pack Stories™ is a comic-on-beer designed by the industry’s best and brewed to pair perfectly with the artwork.  Arcade strives to deliver beers that embrace and combine the passions of brewers, artists, and its community. Backed by a team with years of experience in the beer and design industry, Arcade is primed to make a splash in 2014.  Learn more at www.arcadebrewery.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE San Francisco, CA, July 17, 2013 – Bay Area startup W.G. Barr Beverage Company today released “Snake Bite Super Powers,” a web commercial promoting the venture’s new beverage brand, T.W. Pitchers’ Snake Bite. Snake Bite, a bottled blend of lager and apple cider, is based on a popular British pub-mixed drink and is the first of its kind in the American beverage industry. It contains 5.1% alcohol by volume and offers consumers a crisp, refreshing, and easy to drink alternative to other beverages in the category. After launching four weeks ago, T.W. Pitchers’ Snake Bite is now available in over 100 stores and bars in San Francisco. Watch "Snake Bite Super Powers" on YouTube The video was produced by San Francisco boutique production company Avocados and Coconuts.

Virtue Debuts First Cider The Branch-to-Bottle Enterprise Releases RedStreak Chicago, IL (April 13, 2012) - Virtue, the new hard cider venture from Gregory Hall, former Brewmaster at Goose Island Beer Co., and co-founder Stephen Schmakel, debuts its first release, RedStreak, today in Chicago. An English session-style cider, aged in American Oak, RedStreak is now available in draft format at a number of restaurants and bars in the Chicago area, including The Publican, Hopleaf and Lula Café with more locations coming soon. Virtue will debut two additional styles of barrel-aged draft cider in the fall of 2012 in Chicago, as well as SW Michigan, New York City and Portland, Oregon. Virtue is a branch-to-bottle enterprise whose mission is to make a series of English, French and Spanish style ciders that pair well with food and support small farmers, using the highest quality heirloom apple varieties while giving back to the community. To that effect, Virtue hosted an event to recognize the launch of RedSteak on Thursday, April 12, 2012 at The Hideout in Chicago to benefit The Academy of Global Citizenship, a Chicago Public Charter School. Hall's interest in cider started long before stepping down as brewmaster at Goose Island in the spring of 2011, a position he held for 20 years. More than a decade ago, in 2000, while traveling in York, England with a group of brewers, Hall came across a cider festival and was deeply impressed by the range of styles and quality of ciders.  The seed was officially planted and he has been thinking of doing premium quality, complex ciders ever since. "Right now cider is in an embryonic stage in the United States, basically where craft beer was when I started brewing in 1988," explains Hall.  "It is a great beverage with a lot of history in this country. And while there are many American farmstead cider makers producing great cider today, most consumers don't have access to good cider like they do with craft beer, wine and spirits. I plan to help change this with Virtue." Virtue produced RedStreak at the St. Julian Winery in Paw Paw, Michigan. It is crafted from a blend of apples from small farms in Michigan and Illinois, including Nichols Farm and Seedling, and fermented with three yeast strains.  The 6.3% ABV cider has bright apple peel on the nose with a slight sweetness and a tart yet slightly tannic finish. It pairs well with a variety of foods from cheddar cheese to scallops, and oysters to braised rabbit. Virtue's fall release draft ciders will include Lapinette, a French-style brut cidre aged in French oak and The Mitten, aged in 12-year-old bourbon barrels. Longer term plans include the construction of a LEED-certified cider house on a 48-acre farm in Fennville, Michigan that Virtue recently acquired, slated to open in fall of 2013. Chicago restaurants and bars that are serving RedStreak on draft as of today, Friday, April 13, 2012: · Bad Apple · Delilah's · GT Fish & Oyster · The Hideout · Hopleaf · Lula Café · Nellcôte · The Publican · Sheffield's Beer & Wine Garden · Uncommon Ground · The Village Tap And coming soon to: · The Bristol · Bottom Lounge · Empty Bottle · Farmhouse · Longman & Eagle · Maria's Packaged Goods and Community Bar · Mindy's Hot Chocolate · Publican Quality Meats · Revolution Brewing · Tavernita · Tiny Lounge · Trenchermen Just in time for the cold-weather months ahead, pioneering Scottish craft beer maker, Innis & Gunn, debuts its FIRST Porter-Style Brew for the season – Winter Beer 2012.  Inspired by a centuries-old beer recipe, Innis &Gunn’s CEO Dougal Sharp, discovered the 19th-century recipe in the pages of A. Scots Cellar, by Florence Marion McNeill. In those days to make beer, molasses were traditionally used to give depth and sweetness to the brews, but also to create greater viscosity and heaviness in the mouth.  The Winter Beer 2012 combines this old-fashioned method, along with Innis & Gunn’s trademark approach to long, slow maturation resulting in a complex and sweet brew.   “I was reading “A Scots Cellar” by Florence Marion McNeill, a celebrated book on the history and tradition of beer and spirits in Scotland, and came across a brewing recipe, over 100 years old. It incorporated molasses as part of the brewing process by using it to impart beers with great complexity and sweet notes. This is exactly what we wanted to recreate with our very first oak-matured Porter. The new Winter Beer 2012 is definitely one of those beers you would fancy savoring whilst warming by the fireplace on dark winter nights,” says Innis & Gunn CEO Dougal Sharp. The Winter Beer 2012 is a rich, complex and malty beer with notes of molasses, fruit and hints of chocolate. The first sip starts with flavors of oak and molasses then develops to reveal a firm and full malty backbone, with traces of orange oil and wood.   Roast malts, tobacco smoke and chocolate are also present throughout. This delicious journey ends with a soothing finish like an open fire on a cold day as the roast malts, molasses and hop bitterness fall into balance and linger with occasional hints of the signature Innis & Gunn vanilla notes. The Innis & Gunn Winter Beer 2012 is the fourth Limited Edition beer to be released in the US market, and will also be available in Innis & Gunn’s Holiday Winter Pack alongside the Innis & Gunn Original Flagship and Rum Cask. The Winter Beer 2012 will be available for a limited time only in the US and is priced at $10.99 for a 4-pack.