Speakeasy Ales & Lagers Releases Discreet Wheat Ale

Courtesy of Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

San Francisco, CA - (December 23, 2015) 

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers is preparing to release Discreet Wheat Ale, it’s first new beer of 2016. Discreet Wheat Ale will arrive during SF Beer Week, taking place January 22-31. The beer joins a cast of suspicious characters that have conspired to resurrect the Perfect Crime Series, featuring ingenious, small batch, and experimental beers that have been carefully executed by Speakeasy brewers.    

Discreet Wheat Ale may appear reserved, but don’t be deceived. Straw in color with a hazy appearance, this American-style Wheat beer is armed with a special weapon. Calypso, Amarillo, and Mosaic hops have been combined with lemongrass herb to deliver doses of grapefruit, lemon, pine, grass, and mango. Discreet Wheat Ale is moderately bitter at 42 IBUs, has a dry finish, and is 5.7% alcohol by volume.

Discreet Wheat Ale was created by Speakeasy brewer Brandon Nash and his girlfriend Pilar Odom, winners of Speakeasy’s 2nd Annual Employee Homebrewing Competition. A panel of judges, including Speakeasy Founder Forest Gray and Director of Brewing Kushal Hall, selected the team’s beer for limited release. Nash and Odom combined their individual expertise and knowledge to create Discreet Wheat Ale.

According to Nash, “I designed the recipe to be simple and chose high quality ingredients, letting different flavors speak for themselves. I also wanted to include a unique ingredient. My girlfriend Pilar, who is very knowledgeable about herbs, suggested adding lemongrass to give the brew an extra kick of citrus and grassy flavors.”

Discreet Wheat Ale will be a very limited draft only release. The beer will be served for the first time during the Discreet Wheat Release Party, January 24th, at Speakeasy’s Tap Room in conjunction with SF Beer Week. It will then be distributed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The Perfect Crime Series will continue with more special small batch releases during 2016

About the Perfect Crime Series

The Perfect Crime Series features ingenious, small batch, and experimental beers that are carefully contrived and executed by Speakeasy brewers. Each release is limited to draft only, and may appear just once, so the perpetrator can’t be brought to justice.  

Quick Facts

Name: Discreet Wheat Ale
URL: http://www.goodbeer.com/perfect-crime-series/
ABV: 5.7%
IBUs: 42
Style: American Wheat Ale
Format: Draft Only
Availability: Jan. - Feb. 2016

Courtesy of Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

About Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

In 1997 a wily band of bootleggers led by homebrewer Forest Gray were inspired to bring their exceptional brews from the underground to the masses, defiantly producing small batches of beer in a secret warehouse in San Francisco. Starting with a single, iconic beer, Prohibition Ale, Speakeasy now brews a wide array of acclaimed beers including Big Daddy IPA, Payback Porter, Double Daddy, Scarface Imperial Stout and many more, which are distributed across the entire West Coast and other major U.S. markets.

Victory Brewing Announces The Launch Of Its Blackboard Series

Courtesy of Victory Brewing

Victory Brewing Company Introduces a Year of Inspired Craft Beer:

2016 Series Brings Culinary Concepts from Blackboard to Bottle & Tap

Downingtown, PA,December 22, 2015- Victory Brewing Company (Victory) announces the launch of its Blackboard Series, four adventurous and deliciously distinctive beers brewed with fresh ingredients that are a creative craft riff on restaurant blackboard specials. The annual series includes a new creation every three months alternating between bottle and draft only releases. Much like restaurant blackboard specials are used to entice loyal patrons to veer off menu and try something interesting and new with market-fresh produce so does the Victory Blackboard Series.

Courtesy of Victory Brewing caption

 The first special in the series, Agave IPA with Grapefruit, will be released on January 1, 2016 and is brewed with four variations of American hops that juxtapose strong and bitter aromas against agave and grapefruit additions to create a light, citric bite. The ale is fresh, crisp and bracing, reminiscent of a ripe, ruby red grapefruit. The sweet agave syrup provides a perfect foil to the tartness of the grapefruit resulting in a juicy winter fruit beer. Agave IPA with Grapefruit is available from January through March and can be purchased throughout Victory’s 37-state distribution footprint for a suggested retail price of $9.99 for a 4-pack of 12 oz. bottles. Pricing will vary slightly based upon location. Use Victory’s Beerfinder to discover a nearby location, or download the free Victory Mobile app for Android or iPhone.

As part of the series launch, all three Victory Brewpubs - Downingtown, Kennett Square and Parkesburg are fully ‘embracing the blackboard’ with culinary creations perfectly suited to, or using the ingredients found in, Agave IPA with Grapefruit to celebrate the launch of this series. While Victory will always serve their popular, hop-forward brands and equally delicious fare, it anticipates the alternating bottle and draft “beers du jour” will please and excite the palates of craft beer and brewpub fans alike.

Courtesy of Victory Brewing

The second beer of the series is certain to excite the funky and wild ambitions side of many craft beer fans. The Dry-Hopped Brett Pils will be available on draft from April to June 2016. The third offering, a Berliner Weisse with Elderflower, will be sold in 12 oz. bottles. The final introduction of the series is an Oatmeal Porter with Hazelnut in a draft format.

“We developed the idea for this series while witnessing the popularity of the daily menu additions in our brewpubs. Using super fresh, seasonal ingredients as the driving force of our Blackboard Series we welcome January and it's bounty of enticing grapefruits,” said Victory’s President and Brewmaster, Bill Covaleski. “The goal of the Blackboard Series is to be flexible, adaptable and diverse while maintaining our high standard for quality. Much like our talented chefs make menu changes, we followed suit to bring ‘specials’ to our fans from the blackboard to the bottle or tap.”

About Victory Brewing Company

Victory Brewing Company is a craft brewery headquartered in Downingtown, PA. Founded by childhood friends, Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet, Victory officially opened its doors in February of 1996. Victory’s second state of the art brewery opened in February of 2014 in Parkesburg, PA to serve fans of fully flavored beers in 37 states with innovative beers melding European ingredients and technology with American creativity. In addition to the original Downingtown brewpub, Victory’s second brewpub is in Kennett Square, while Parkesburg recently launched self-guided tours and the third brewpub. To learn more about Victory Brewing Company visit www.victorybeer.com.

Sabertooth “Psychedelicstonermicrofest”

SABERTOOTH “PSYCHEDELICSTONERROCKMICROFEST” OFFERS

MIND-ALTERING MUSIC AND BEER

– McMenamins’ Sophomore MicroFest Celebrates Crystal Ballroom’s Past –

WHAT:           McMenamins presents the second annual Sabertooth MicroFest, a psychedelic and stoner music packed weekend, taking place Feb. 5-7, 2016 in downtown Portland. Drawing on the counterculture history of the Crystal Ballroom, Sabertooth celebrates the mind-altering experiences that started in mid-'60s folk, rock and blues. From the Peace Rites of Allen Ginsburg and historic performances by the Grateful Dead through the Flaming Lips Boom Box Experiment, the Crystal has always been the place to experience psychedelic music in all its forms. The bands featured this year, including Super Furry Animals, Red Fang and Built to Spill, represent a wide range of psychedelic music styles and interpretations of the art form. 

Courtesy McMenamins

In addition to a full music line-up, MicroFest goers and craft brew aficionados can enjoy the Blasphemous Brew Fest – a showcase of seven wild and weird small batch beer styles custom made for the MicroFest by McMenamins and other local breweries. Beers are available for purchase in Lola’s Room on Saturday and Sunday for ages 21 and over. Sabertooth ticket holders can bring beers from the brew fest up to the Crystal Ballroom to watch the show.

In the spirit of the event, Al’s Den (at Crystal Hotel) features its own psychedelic stylings all weekend from 7-10 p.m. by two of Portland’s homegrown artists: World’s Finest on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 5-6 and Quick and Easy Boys on Sunday, Feb. 7.

Sabertooth music line-up at Crystal Ballroom

Friday:

·         World’s Finest, 7 p.m. (Al’s Den)

·         King Black Acid, 8 p.m.

·         Earth, 9 p.m.

·         Super Furry Animals, 10:15 p.m.

Saturday:

·         Blasphemous Beer Fest, 5 p.m. (Lola’s Room)

·         Eternal Tapestry, 6:30 p.m.

·         World’s Finest, 7 p.m. (Al’s Den)

·         Witch Mountain, 7:20 p.m.

·         YOB, 8:25 p.m.

·         Red Fang, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday:

·         Blasphemous Beer Fest, 5 p.m. (Lola’s Room)

·         Brett Netson & Snakes, 6:30 p.m.

·         Quick and Easy Boys, 7 p.m. (Al’s Den)

·         The Fresh & Onlys, 7:20 p.m.

·         Mikal Cronin, 8:25 p.m.

·         Built to Spill, 9:30 p.m.

* Showtimes subject to change, check the website for updates

Blasphemous Brews at Sabertooth provided by:

·         Ale Apothecary

·         Breakside Brewery

·         Cascade Brewing

·         McMenamins Crystal Brewery

·         McMenamins Edgefield Brewery

·         McMenamins Thompson Brewery

·         Upright Brewing

WHEN:           February 5-7, 2016

                        Friday: Doors at 6 p.m., Music at 7 p.m.

Saturday: Doors and Brew Fest at 5 p.m., Music at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday: Doors and Brew Fest at 5 p.m., Music at 6:30 p.m.

COST:            3-day pass: $85 advance, $90 day of show

VIP Viewing Area* (21 and Over) - $140 advance, $145 day of show

Individual day passes: $30 advance, $35 day of show

VIP Viewing Area* (21 and Over) - $50 advance, $55 day of show

* Limited amount of VIP tickets available

WHERE:         McMenamins Crystal Ballroom and Lola’s Room

                        1332 W. Burnside

Portland, OR 97209

Al’s Den at Crystal Hotel

303 S.W. 12th Ave.

Portland, OR 97209

SPONSORS: Presenting sponsors are McMenamins, Portland Mercury and XRAY.FM. Additional support from Jackpot Records, Sizzle Pie and Voodoo Doughnuts.

WEBSITE:      http://www.sabertoothpdx.com/

About Crystal Ballroom

McMenamins Crystal Ballroom is a historic dance hall that has been a part of downtown Portland, Ore. for 102 years. The hall has seen countless first loves unfold, police raids, visits by silent screen idols and Beat poets, psychedelic light shows, narrow escapes from fire, demolition, and neglect, and a listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Today the music palace hosts everything from rock ’n’ roll and country, to hip-hop and big band swing and is well-known for its original floating dance floor.

About McMenamins

McMenamins operates 54 distinctive pubs, restaurants and historic hotels in the Pacific Northwest. Founded by brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin with a single Portland neighborhood pub in 1983, McMenamins today includes eight Washington locations and 45 Oregon properties, 18 on the National Register of Historic Places. McMenamins handcrafts its own beer, wine, spirits, cider and coffee and offers an eclectic mix of pubs, hotels, movie theaters, concert venues, spas and events for guests to enjoy.

Great Notion Brewing Opening January 1st

Courtesy of Great Notion Brewing Co

Limited beer tastes available until Grand Beer Release on March 5

Portland, Oregon, December 28, 2015 – Great Notion Brewing, located at 2204 NE Alberta #101, will officially open its doors on January 1, 2016. Formerly Mash Tun Brewpub, Great Notion is new ownership and a refresh that boasts an updated space and elevated bar menu, which Chef Ryan O’Connor describes as ‘approachable Americana’. To celebrate its opening, the brewery is welcoming families during the month of January when kids eat for just $1 every Wednesday.

Although founders Paul Reiter, James Dugan and Andy Miller took over the space earlier this year, they have been operating as Mash Tun while awaiting their TTB brewer’s license. That license came on December 9, 2015. Now brewers Miller and Dugan are hard at work, brewing barrel-aged sours and juicy IPAs, along with some experimental beers, such as their Double Stack, a breakfast stout brewed with coffee and maple syrup.

“We will slowly be adding Great Notion beers to our tap list, most likely starting with our flagship IPA,” said Reiter. “We can’t wait to share our new space and new menu with all of Portland.”

That menu comes from Chef Ryan O’Connor, formerly at local spots such as Vita Café and Helser’s on Alberta. His menu will focus on artfully crafted Americana food with influences spanning the Western Hemisphere. Patrons can order eclectic menu items such as Succotash Tacos and Philly Empanadas, or enjoy comfort food such as the Mac and Cheese with sharp English cheddar, smoked Gouda, Muenster, Roquefort, broiled plum tomatoes, and chives.

While a full lineup of Great Notion’s beers won’t be available for purchase until the Grand Beer Release on March 5 (RSVP here), the brewery is offering limited samples throughout January and February. The brewery is also inviting its neighbors, partners, and friends to a soft opening on Thursday January 21st. "We recognize the amazing community we are a part of, and we want to share our passion with those who have supported us throughout this process,” said Reiter.

Great Notion Brewing is a family-friendly establishment and operates daily. Guests can call the brewery directly to book events, parties, and more. To learn more about Great Notion, visit www.greatnotionpdx.com, or follow the brewery on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.