The Cranachan Imperial Stout has been inspired by the famous Scottish dessert, brewed with a mountain of dark malts, loads of oats, Scottish Heather Honey, local raspberries and will be aged in whisky casks. It is destined to be an upcoming Abstrakt. The beer will be 13.5% ABV. The ingredients certainly tasted pretty spectacular. Raspberries dipped in honey, oats and cacao were a post lunch treat!

 

We also put Abstrakt AB:07 back into tank in preparation for packaging. This will be a 12.5% whisky cask aged imperial scotch ale. The beer was brewed on the 21st of December last year.

Note: Abstrakt beers periodically go on sale here.

via Brewdog HQ..

Yup, more new beer labels comin’ right up…

Boogoop Buckwheat Wine by Mikkeller, Three Floyds: 10.4% ABV / 22 oz. Hat tip to Beerticker.dk for scooping this back in May. This is their third fourth collaboration to hit bottles (no release info known yet) after Hvedegoop, Ruggoop and Oatgoop.

Chatoe Rogue Fresh Pumpkin Ale (First Growth): Label copy…”Created with pumpkins grown on Rogue’s Micro hop and pumpkin yard in Independence, Oregon. Fresh pumpkins are picked, loaded into our truck, driven immediately 77 miles to our brewery in Newport, Oregon, quickly roasted, and pitched into the brew kettle.”

Others…

Flat Tail Tailgater Kolsch Style Ale

The Brew Kettle Spalt Bomb Pils

New batch o’ beer labels…

Bitch Please: Finally! Label approval that green lights this collaboration between BrewDog and Three Floyds being imported to the States. More on Bitch Please…

Chatoe Rogue Good Chit Pilsner (First Growth): Label copy… “Good Chit Pilsner is made with 100% Rogue Farm barley that we Floor-Malted in small batches. Floor malting is an old fashioned, 8 day process that includes steeping, germination, raking, roasting, bagging and hands on love 24 hour a day. “Chit” refers to the start of the rootlets that emerge from the embryo of the kernal once steeping is complete and germination begins.”

Others…

Evil Twin Hop Flood
Evil Twin Ron and the Beast Ryan
Saint Arnold Centenni-Ale Blonde Ale (Rice University 100th anniversary)
Saint Arnold Centenni-Ale Dark Ale
Sixpoint The Catch and Brass Ale
Speakeasy Butchertown Black Ale
Blind Bat Eye Chart Ale
Ancient Lakes Fossilhead Hefeweizen

Part II of today’s beer label update…

Deschutes Hop Trip: First bond Street Series beer to hit 6-packs

Driftwood Old Cellar Dweller Barleywine: 100 IBUs, 11.8% ABV…that’s a big beer. Imported by Beverage Traders.

Others…

Heretic Evil Cousin
Anaheim Hefeweizen
Verde Canyon Railroad Copper Rail Ale
Verde Canyon Railroad Tunnel Down Brown Ale
Verde Canyon Pullman Pale Ale
Little Mountain Octoberfest Lager
Julebrygg (7%) by Ægir Bryggeri (Imported by Shelton Brothers)
Wells and Young’s Courage Russian Imperial Stout (Imported by Belukus)
Quimera Imperial Stout (From Chile! Imported by Ecovalley)
Quimera Amber Ale
Quimera Stout
Vicaris by Brouwerij Dilewyns (Imported by Vanberg and DeWulf)

(Copenhagen, DENMARK) – Mikkeller has a couple new releases coming this fall.

Before we go any further, please note that these labels are not yet finalized or approved by the TTB. Sentence Beer was actually the first to reveal them earlier this week and I contacted Mikkeller artist, Keith Shore, to get more information about them.

Swinging Harry Tropical Quad:

“The Quad is a Belgian-Style Ale made in collaboration with Cigar City Brewing. It was brewed with Citra and Simcoe hops and aged in Grand Marnier barrels with papaya, mango and Brettanomyces claussenii. It will be released in 500 ML bottles.” The beer was brewed at Amager Bryghus in Denmark.

Mikkeller Happy Lovin’ Christmas:

“The Holiday IPA will be released in 750 ML bottles with a cork and foil top and is brewed with Ginger and Pine.”

These will both be released in the US and Europe. They will be imported to the U.S. by the Shelton Brothers.

Part I of today’s new beer label update…east-based breweries and imports featured here.

Evil Twin Molotov Cocktail: “Did you like Before, During and After Christmas? Maybe you thought you poured brilliantly, and you loved how the arrogant amount of hops wowed you. This beer will knock your tongue off, essentially due to the obscene amount of hops that went down this explosive fella. It’s a tour de force in hoppiness and by far the craziest beer made by Evil Twin…but not the last.”

Westbrook IPA: “A base of pale, Munich and Carapils malts is just enough to contain the massive hop flavor and aroma packed into this delcious IPA. A blend of American hop varieties is added four times in the kettle and again in the fermentor for a complex and layered hop experience.”

Heavy Seas Hop Haarvest Ale: “Our special Hop Haarvest Ale is designed to showcase the special flavors derived from our locally grown Maryland ‘wet’ hops. The 2011 release is a 5% ABV porter in style.” Part of the Mutiny Fleet Series. Likely to be released in 22s in September.

Contessa Italian Pale Ale (Imported from Italy’s Birra Amiata by Vanberg and DeWulf)
Lava Smoked Imperial Stout (Imported from Iceland’s Olvisholt Brugghus by Vanberg and DeWulf)
Westbrook Amarillo Blonde Ale
Westbrook American Bitter Ale
Westbrook Saison
Buckeye Summer Girl Lager
Blue Ridge Blood Red Ale
Liebotschaner Cream Ale
Cape May Stout
Cape May Wheat
Cape May IPA

(Montreal, QUEBEC) – La Brasserie Labatt du Canada is innovating yet again with the launch of a brand-new product developed to meet the ever-growing demand from consumers who wish to reduce their caloric intake. The new Bleue 55, a light beer with 55 calories per 341-ml bottle, has the same great taste that Bleue lovers find so appealing, but 2.4% alcohol content.

“The Bleue family already includes a variety of products, in particular Labatt Bleue, Bleue De-alcoholized, and Bleue Dry, not to mention our newcomer, Bleue Lime,” says Mike Bascom, Brand Manager for Bleue at La Brasserie Labatt du Canada. “To mark the 60th anniversary of Bleue this year, the new Bleue 55 enhances the Labatt line and is well positioned in the low-calorie beer market.”

The light beer segment now accounts for 22% of Canada’s total volume of beer sales and has seen steady growth, up by over 32% since 2007.

“People are increasingly aware of the importance of counting calories in the products they consume, and they want to make the right choices,” say former Alouettes football player Steve Charbonneau and former speed skater Isabelle Charest, who are now a couple. “As athletes, we are in a good position to know about this! Bleue 55 is certainly an excellent alternative for those who are seeking to consume few calories but who don’t want to give up the taste of a good refreshing beer.”

Bleue 55 is available as of mid-July in cases of six or twelve 341-ml bottles. It is sold all across Quebec, both in retail outlets for bringing home and in establishments for on-site consumption.

Bleue 55, remarkable taste and 55 calories!

About Labatt Blue
Labatt Blue (Bleue in Quebec) has been quality brewed in the heritage of John Labatt since 1847. The Pilsner style lager is a full flavoured, easy-drinking beer that has stood the test of time for six decades. Labatt Blue is brewed with hand-selected ingredients and hops to deliver a fully matured, full flavoured beer that Canadians have come to know and love. Labatt Blue is the best-selling Canadian beer in the world.

About Labatt Breweries of Canada
With a proud Canadian heritage going back to 1847, Labatt employs more than 3,000 people and operates six breweries that deliver over 60 quality brands to consumers. Labatt Blue (Bleue in Quebec), Kokanee, Keith’s, Budweiser and Bud Light are among the most popular products brewed by the company nationally and regionally. Labatt has owned a facility in LaSalle since 1956 and operates some 20 distribution centres in Quebec.

As an integral part of AB InBev, the world’s leading brewer, which produces more than 200 fine beers in 130 countries, Labatt also makes world-renowned beers like Stella Artois, Brahma and Beck’s available to customers across Canada.

(Montreal, QUEBEC) – Labatt Breweries of Canada is celebrating the 60th anniversary of Labatt Bleue (Blue in the rest of Canada) by introducing Bleue Lime [Blue Lime], a brand-new product that’s sure to be a hit on terraces this summer. Brewed to the same exacting standards that beer drinkers have come to expect from Labatt Bleue, Bleue Lime offers the authentic, refreshing taste of Labatt Bleue with the flavour boost of real lime zest.

“The segment for lime-flavoured beers is showing the highest growth right now—sales have exploded by nearly 30% between 2009 and 2010—and represents 1.7% of the total volume of today’s beer industry in Canada,” says Mike Bascom, Brand Manager for Bleue Lime at Labatt Breweries of Canada. “We are proud to enrich our Labatt Bleue product line by adding Bleue Lime, which will surely be a favourite among consumers during the summer months.”

Bleue Lime can be enjoyed as-is or used as a cocktail ingredient to add some extra fun to sunny days. Two original recipes have been developed exclusively for Bleue Lime: a delicious blueberry limeade and a simple new twist on the classic margarita. The full recipes are provided below.

Bleue Lime contains 4% alcohol per volume and will be a much-appreciated beverage for lovers of refreshing beer. It has been available since July 4 in cases of 6 or 12 431-ml bottles. It is being sold all over Quebec for a limited time in retail establishments.

About Labatt Blue
Labatt Blue (Bleue in Quebec) has been quality brewed in the heritage of John Labatt since 1847. The Pilsner style lager is a full flavoured, easy-drinking beer that has stood the test of time for six decades. Labatt Blue is brewed with hand-selected ingredients and hops to deliver a fully matured, full flavoured beer that Canadians have come to know and love. Labatt Blue is the best-selling Canadian beer in the world.

About Labatt Breweries of Canada
With a proud Canadian heritage going back to 1847, Labatt employs more than 3,000 people and operates six breweries that deliver over 60 quality brands to consumers. Labatt Blue (Bleue in Quebec), Kokanee, Keith’s, Budweiser and Bud Light are among the most popular products brewed by the company nationally and regionally. Labatt has owned a facility in LaSalle since 1956 and operates some 20 distribution centres in Quebec.

As an integral part of AB InBev, the world’s leading brewer, which produces more than 200 fine beers in 130 countries, Labatt also makes world-renowned beers like Stella Artois, Brahma and Beck’s available to customers across Canada.

UK’s biggest brewer targets £396m* opportunity with launch of light sparkling, finely filtered beer
New product the result of two years of new product development

(London, ENGLAND) – Launching in early Autumn, Animée is part of Molson Coors’ ambition to make beer a real choice for women who are vital in growing a shrinking beer market, which currently attributes just 17%** of its sales to females The 4% ABV beer is lightly sparkling and finely filtered with a delicious, fresh taste. Animée will be available in three variants: clear filtered , crisp rosé and zesty lemon.

The new brand positioning aims to dispel the perception among women that all beers look and taste the same and that there is nothing to tell them apart. The positioning is supported by Animée’s unexpectedly sophisticated appearance and delicious, fresh taste.

Kristy McCready, Communications Partner, Molson Coors (UK & Ireland) said: “Women are an essential part of future growth for the beer industry and can no longer be ignored. We need to repair the reputation of beer among women by launching products that meet their needs.

“Driving a growth in beer consumption among women is no mean feat. Currently 79% of women in the UK never or rarely drink beer, only accepting to drink beer on a small number of occasions. At Molson Coors we have put a lot of time into finding out why women aren’t drinking beer, conducting an insight programme with over 30,000 women, and what would make them change their minds. The result is Animée, which we see as an exciting opportunity to break down the barriers between women and beer. The brand plan and the product design are feminine and sophisticated without being patronising.”

Animée is the result of two years of NPD driven by industry and consumer insights from the BitterSweet Partnership, a multi-million pound business set up by Molson Coors in 2009 to remove the gender imbalance that exists around beer consumption and make beer an aspirational choice for women.
Working with VCCP Blue, Molson Coors will launch a £2 million advertising campaign in September to drive awareness of Animée among consumers and the trade.

About Molson Coors Brewing Company

Molson Coors Brewing Company is a leading global brewer delivering extraordinary brands that delight the world’s beer drinkers. It brews, markets and sells a portfolio of leading premium brands such as Coors Light, Molson Canadian, Carling, Blue Moon, and Keystone Light across North America, Europe and Asia. It operates in Canada through Molson Coors Canada; in the U.S. through MillerCoors; and in the U.K. and Ireland through Molson Coors (UK & Ireland). For more information on Molson Coors Brewing Company and our portfolio of brands, visit the company’s website, www.molsoncoors.com.

In the UK, Molson Coors has over 2,000 employees and breweries in Burton on Trent, Alton and Tadcaster. It has a market share of over 20% of the UK beer market. Our portfolio includes Carling, the UK’s best selling lager for three decades, Coors Light, Grolsch, Worthington’s, Caffrey’s, Corona, Cobra and a range of speciality beers.

(Munich, GERMANY) – When temperatures rise, there is no better than a nice refreshing white beer cold. Over the years, the Paulaner brewery in Munich, began selling its specialty beer in over 60 countries. “And demand is growing,” says Marcus Korte, director of international sales of Paulaner brewery. “Our international markets are very encouraging,” said Korte. “Exports account for about one quarter of our total sales. “The company is flourishing in Italy, France, Spain, Russia, the United States and China. In Italy, for example, sales increased by about 11% last year, and about 41% in the Asia Pacific.

Despite this success, the international markets still offer significant potential. The company intends to double sales by 2015, a total of 1.5 million hectoliters.

A total of 22 traditional Paulaner breweries are located throughout the world. To date, China has 13 microbrewery Paulaner, which proved to be extremely popular with local and foreign clients for many years. In addition, there is enormous growth potential in other regions: at present, plans are underway for the creation of the first Paulaner brewery in the United States.

What will be served is a product that tourists from around the world enjoy the folk festival in the world’s most popular: the Oktoberfest , a beer-bodied, easy drinking and specially brewed for the occasion by Paulaner. It is served only during the Oktoberfest, September-October, and with sales in excess of 130,000 hectoliters of beer Oktoberfest Paulaner is the most sold in the world.

About Paulaner
The Paulaner brewery was founded by monks in 1634. Initially, the monks brewed beer exclusively for their own consumption. The company headquarters remains in Munich. Brewing over 2.1 million hectoliters of beer, the brewery is a market leader in Germany and worldwide.

Saturday edition of new beer labels.

Just listing them out today…

Evil Twin Disco Beer (brewed at De Molen / imported by Twelve Percent)
Blue Point No Apologies IPA
Boxcar Community Supported Beer
Mateveza Gaucho Grande IPA
Brewer’s Alley Humulus Lupulus Rex Ale
Double Take IPA
Double Take Amber Ale
Lumina Marzen Festbier
Lumina Munich Helles
Wee Beast by Isle of Skye Brewing (Imported by Shelton Brothers)

Part II of today’s new beer labels…

Stillwater Debauched: No. 5 in Import Series, a Scandanavian Farmhouse Ale / 500ml

Rauchstar by Stillwater Ales and Mikkeller: Nomadic collaboration! (remember that neither brewer has their own brewery) / Scandanavian Smoked Ale brewed at Fano Bryghus / 500ml

St. Feuillien Speciale: Not necessarily a “holiday” beer but a “festive” ale that will be available around the holidays

Other labels…

New Belgium Snow Day
Iron Fist Off Hand Belgian Style Saison
Central Waters Belgian Style Blonde Ale
Backlash Groundswell Belgian Style Blond Ale
Red Lodge Helio Hefeweizen
Florida Beer Key West Sunset Ale
Florida Beer Key West Southernmost Wheat
Custom Brewcrafters MacBubba Scotch Ale
Minhas Oktoberfest
Westoek XX Flemish Triple Ale

Batch two of today’s new beer labels…

Uinta Wyld (looks like Four + branding is going away)

Uinta Monkshine

White Birch Colonial Ale (Apprentice Series)

Evil Twin Monk Suffers Serious Sugar Rush on Barbados

Riverside Resort Light Beer

(Tadcaster, UNITED KINGDOM) – Merchant du Vin and Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery are proud to announce the third U.S. annual release of Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo.

This barrel-aged, bottle-conditioned strong ale expresses the elegant refinement of every Samuel Smith’s beer, but with depth, length and power found in no other beer. This is a must-try beer: Extreme meets over 250 years of brewing experience. In November 2010, DRAFT Magazine awarded Stingo a perfect 100-point review: “Perfection in a glass.”

Vintage dated, Stingo is available nationally each year on England’s “Yorkshire Day,” August first. Annual releases do vary – this year, Stingo fermented to 8.0% ABV. Production of this fine ale is extremely limited.

A traditional strong ale that originated in the north of England, “Stingo” is mentioned in literature before 1700. Samuel Smith’s Stingo melds the signature elegance of the brewery’s ales with a long historical tradition. Brewed from British malts and multiple hop varieties, Stingo is fermented in open-topped stone Yorkshire Squares, then aged over a year in oak barrels that previously held cask-conditioned ale, gaining subtle complexity from the wood. Some of the barrels at Samuel Smith’s are over a century old – if a cask is damaged, the coopers carefully replace broken staves and put the cask back into service.

Samuel Smith’s Stingo shows rich, superb flavors of toffee, raisin, dried fruit, and caramel; waves of flavor ascend and ebb leaving soft oak notes. Hops add a perfect enhancement to dramatic malt and fermentation flavors, but without pushing bitterness past the point of balance. Bottle conditioning – that is, including live yeast in each bottle – produces soft carbonation, a fruity aroma and finish, and allows Stingo to age and develop in the bottle.

Batch 2 of today’s new beer labels…

Nebraska Toasted Barn: Taking inspiration from The Bruery, this label reads, “Our Smoked Porter carefully nestled into Colorado Craft Whiskey Barrels for six month. Extended barrel-aging imparts a light vanilla nose into an elegantly smokey beverage.” Looks like this is part of a new series called “Inception?” 22 oz. bottles.

Very Speciale Belge by De La Senne, Allagash Brewing: Per RateBeer, “Collaboration brew with people from Allagash in Maine, brewed at the new de la Senne premises in St. Jans – Molenbeek. IBU’s have been kept lower on expressly… American demand!” Imported by Shelton Brothers.

Flying Dog The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale: As revealed here previously, Flying Dog will release a Pumpkin Ale for the first time later this year.

Uinta Yard Sale Winter Lager: New offering to come from Uinta Brewing. Trademark application filed just last month. 12 oz. bottles.

De Graal Gember: New label artwork, imported by Shelton Brothers.

Rock Bottom IPA and Red Ale: Rock Bottom has released beers in bottles but these two appear to be a new thing for the large brewpub chain. 22 oz. bottles brewed in Portland.

New batch of labels is in…part 1 of 2.

Chouffe Biere du Soleil: Per RateBeer, this was a summer seasonal that was produced a long time ago that is apparently making a comeback. Some of the vintages cited in recent ratings date back to the turn of the millennium. The more important question: why are people aging 4.5% ABV summer beers for an entire decade?

DuClaw Oak Aged Black Jack Stout: Aged for two months in Whiskey barrels / 22 oz.

DuClaw Oak Aged Double Black Lightning: Aged for two months in charred oak barrels / 22 oz.

Bridge Brew Works Old Burly Barleywine: 750ml bottles

Other labels…

Jandrain VI Wheat
Brasserie Du Mont Blanc La Blanche
Flying Bison Bisonfest Oktoberfest Lager
The Round Barn Bob’s Your Uncle Premium Bitter

New batch o’ beer labels…

Cigar City Marshal Zhukov’s Imperial Stout (new label)

3 Fonteinen Zwet.be (Imported by Shelton Brothers)

American Breakaway IPA

American Blonde Ale

Yakima Summer Snow IPA

Manneken Pils

Millstream Dark Night Belgian-style Rye Ale

Tri-City Scotch Ale

Buckeye Hipster

Appalachian Bonfatto’s Bellfonte Wheat Ale

Roanoke Railhouse Caboose Imperial Lager

High and Mighty Pas de Dieux

Stoke by the McCashin Family AMBER (Imported by Shelton Brothers)

Stoke by the McCashin Family DARK

Stoke by the McCashin Family GOLD

Kissmeyer Honey Porter (Imported by Shelton Brothers)

(Barrie, Ontario) – This week, Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery of the land up north, is channeling American beer geekery circa 2009. On the agenda…laying claim to the “hoppiest beer in the world.”

Despite these races to the far end of the spectrum being a thing of the past, we occasionally see high octane kitchen sink beers creep up again here in the U.S., too. That said, the session beer movement has taken hold south of the border. Though barrel-aged projects continue to be a prominent feature, “extreme” appears to be all but dead.

Anyway, here is Flying Monkeys’ press release below (courtesy of Facebook):

——————————————-

As part of Ontario Craft Beer Week, this Tuesday, June 21, at Gambrinus Bistro & Café in London, Ontario, the Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery is unveiling Alpha-fornication, their claim to the World’s Hoppiest Beer!

Peter Chiodo, Founder & Artisan Brewer, says of Alpha-fornication, “Clocking in at 2500 IBUs and 13.3% ABV, Alpha-fornication proves that sometimes people climb mountains just because they’re there. And sometimes, Beer Geeks will try anything on a dare. The hoppiest beer we know of was a meager 2007 IBUs, so we bested that and then some. We Flying Monkeys see extreme beers as the continuing evolution of Craft Brewing and the expansion of Ontario beers. It’s not just a contest of bravado to see who can make the world’s strongest beer (even though now we’ve got the world’s hoppiest one covered); it’s a movement – a movement to showcase the craft and how complex and versatile beer can actually be.”

Named for the alpha acids, or the compounds in the hop plant that are the source of hop bitterness, Alpha-fornication is brewed through highly creative and complex manipulation of the high alpha acid hop varieties, Warrior (17% AAU) and Centennial (11.5% AAU). A hop-steeped wort re-circulated through an additional “Hop Vorlauf” punches up the insane intensity of this brew to a stupefying 2500 IBUs. Keeping with the concepts of extreme brewing, the 13.3% ABV of Alpha-fornication adds bigness to this beer.

When asked about availability, Chiodo noted, “This creation was so highly specialized and it was such a small pilot batch, by the time we kegged 15 litres, in the end, we only saved 6 bottles! We’ll sell them for $45 at the brewery store –first come, first “alpha-fornicated!” It would be a fun beer to sample with a big group of friends.”

Created as part of the Flying Monkeys’ Everest Experiments, a series of extreme beers showcasing the complexity and versatility of artisan brewing, the Flying Monkeys are actively engaging the expanding minds and palates of Ontario’s craft beer drinkers.

If you are looking for a place from which to shop for those Belgian beers that are either very difficult to find or can’t be found at all in the U.S., you’ve found it…

…and the timing is good. Armand’4 Oude Geuze Zomer just arrived in stock.

Meet Belgium in a Box.

Discount:

Readers can use the following 5% discount voucher until 30th June: BEERNEWSDOTORG

What’s in Stock?

The store has over 300 products listed on the website. Here are a few highlights that I picked out along with the site descriptions…

Armand’4 Oude Geuze Zomer – “Outstanding Lambic-Geuze made by Armand Debelder. The Armand’4 Oude Geuze Zomer (Summer Edition) is the follow-up to the highly praised Armand’4 Oude Geuze Lente. Pre-order until 22nd of June and enjoy a 10% pre-order discount.”

Armand’4 Lente Oude Geuze – “Armand’4 Lente Oude Geuze is a blend of 1, 2 and 3 year old Lambic, brewed, aged, blended and bottled by Armand Debelder. This one-time and possibly the last bottling comes in a fancy Asti Spumante Champagne bottle.”

Cantillon Mamouche – “Jean Van Roy from the Cantillon Gueuze-brewery has bottled his “new” elderflowers-lambic. Elderflowers, handpicked by the Cantillon team and soaked in 2 year-old Lambic. Vlierbloesem-lambic aka Zwanze 2009. Bottled June 15 2010.” (Update: I’m told only a few bottles left)

3 Fonteinen Straffe Winter – “This Lambic-Faro was specially made for the open brewery days of 3 Fonteinen in November 2010. A mix of Lambic and candy sugar. The last 6 bottles left in Belgian beer-shops.”

Horal’s Oude Geuze Mega Blend 2011 – “Brewed by Brouwerij F. Boon but mixed with the young and old lambic of De Oude Cam, De Troch, 3 Fonteinen, Hanssens, Lindemans, Oud Beersel and Timmermans. Origin: the Gueuze brewers from the Zenne Valley of Brussels”

Westvleteren 8 (2007 vintage)

Cantillon Iris

De Cam Oude Geuze

3 Fonteinen Doesjel Old Lambic

Girardin Bag-in-Box 10 L Lambiek, Kriekenlambiek and Faro

Exchange Rate:

The Euro > U.S. rate is currently at 1.4373 as of Tuesday morning.

Shipping:

Please review the Shipping page for important notices (note: I take no responsibility either for your orders) and the tiered shipping rate chart.. The good news about shipping is that you can track the cost as you add/remove items to your cart. The bad news is that, due to the cost to those in the U.S., you have to choose your bottles very wisely.

That said, shipping cost per bottle comes down as you buy more. So if you’re looking to try the two Armand beers above, for instance, see if some of your local drinking buddies will split up a big order.

Why Belgium in a Box is a better value than eBay:

An example of an efficient order (as close as 30kg as possible) to the U.S….

4 Armand Lente
4 Armand Zomer
4 Cantillon Mamouche
5 De Cam Oude Geuze

if you order on/by June 21st (due to the Zomer discount), split 4 ways, that would come out to… (591 Euro + 120 Euro) x 1.4373 = $1,022 / 4 = $256

$256 per person for 1 Lente, 1 Zomer, 1 Mamouche and 1 De Cam Oude Geuze each (the person doing the legwork gets an extra!). May seem like a lot of money but if you went on eBay, you would only find 2 bottles of Lente, one for $135 USD and another for $199 USD after shipping. You would also find 2 bottles of Mamouche for $169 USD after shipping.

That’s $500 for just 4 of those 17 bottles you see above. Not only that but…

Follow @belgiuminabox

Loyalty Program:

Belgium in a Box likes repeat customers. For every 1 Euro you spend on the product, you will get 1 loyalty point toward your next purchase. Each loyalty point is worth .05 Euro so you essentially get 5% of the value of your purchase (not including shipping) to put toward your next order. With the order above, you would get 23.5 Euro to use on your next order.

Contact Belgium in a Box with any questions. Happy Beer Shopping!

(Athens, GA) – Terrapin Beer Company‘s Spike Buckowski traveled to Europe this past winter to collaborate with BFM.

(Photo Credit: Terrapin Beer Co. on Flickr)

“Gebraut nach dem Deutschen Reinheitsgebot”

Southern Brew News reported in its April/May edition…

Terrapin brewer, Spike Buckowski and Dustin Watts, were excited to be in Jura, Switzerland, late last February for a collaborative brew with Jerome Rebetez of Brasseries des Franches-Montagnes (BFM). The intriguing rye barleywine, destined to be aged in rum barrels, will come through BFM’s distribution for a limited release in the states. This strong ale with 20% rye created a challenging mash during an almost ten hour brew day. Buckowski states, Brewing at BFM was an extra special experience. For one, starting the brew from an iPhone is just ridiculous, but cheese fondue for lunch in the brewery…come on!”

The B. United International site indicates that it was supposed to be shipped in 11.2 oz. bottles and kegs in late spring but with label approval just coming through (keg only so far, see below), that is obviously going to be delayed a bit. The beer will eventually be released later this summer.

Here are some photos from the trip to Switzerland.

(Escondido, CA) – Here is an early look at the label for Stone Brewing‘s latest collaboration, Japanese Green Tea IPA.

Update: This beer uses Aramis hops (perhaps the first commercial U.S. beer to do so). More info in the update below…

Per the Meet the Brewers night page, “Our latest collaboration is going to be something really special: a green tea IPA with all proceeds helping to raise money for Japanese tsunami relief. We couldn’t be happier to have renowned brewer (and Stone ex-pat!) Toshi Ishii [of Ishii Brewing] back to help out for this one, and we’re excited that Bryan Baird of Baird Brewing will be joining the effort, too. Help us welcome these rock star brewers to Stone on the eve of a monumental brewing day!”

Back Label:

A wonderful spirit of camaraderie, cooperation and mutual support exists in the world of craft brewing. We have harnessed this spirit fully in the crafting of this special collaborative brew dedicated to the resilient people of Japan who are bravely endeavoring to overcome the tragedy of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

We tip our brewing hats to the quiet elgance and humble sophistication of Japanese culture through the judicious addition of Japanese whole leaf green tea to this big, bold, spicy and herbal IPA. Cheers, Japan!

Update: “When our old friends Toshi Ishii and Bryan Baird approached us about brewing something special for Japan relief efforts, we of course jumped at the opportunity. We created this very special IPA, brewed with 100% Maris Otter Malt and Belgian Candi Sugar. Once we decided to tie it all together with the addition of Japanese Sencha Green Tea in a dry-hop, the rest of the recipe came together easily. We included hops that we believe would blend well with the tea flavors, and we went non-traditional, at least in the sense of American IPAs. After bittering with Warrior hops, we used Crystal and New Zealand Pacifica for flavor. And then for the first dry hop, we again used Crystal and Pacifica, and added a brand new hop variety, Aramis, from the Alsace region of France. Then we went all Japanese for the 2nd dry-hop, with Sorachi Ace whole lead hops and the Sencha Tea. It’s always fun to use new ingredients and new hop varieties and for that, I say to Toshi and Bryan: ‘Domo Arigato!’”

(St. Louis, MO) – Beernews.org has intercepted a letter sent out from AB InBev regarding one of the world’s oldest beer brands.

With Stella Artois sales surging in the U.S. thanks to a heavy marketing push, AB InBev now has its sights set on lifting sales here for another famed import brand, Bass Pale Ale.

Here is the bulk of the letter…

Bass Pale Ale, the Original Pale Ale, has a rich history dating back centuries. Its classic red triangle was England’s first registered trademark and still serves as the brand icon today. This brand’s authenticity and enduring past earn it the credibility to shape its future.

The immediate benefit is more draught beer for the same price. As a result of shifting from the European to U.S. standard half barrel, each keg will have approximately 25 additional 16 oz servings. By selling at the same price per keg, this is a great opportunity to expand distribution and target competitive import/craft handles immediately.

Craft reps, look out.

Just one year ago, The Times Online reported that AB InBev was looking to sell the Bass brand (excluding trademark rights and international rights outside of the UK).

Only future imported beers featured in this update…

Imported by Global Beer

Camaraderie by Brouwerij Bavik and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery: Label copy…

“Camaraderie represents the first collaboration beer ever brewed by the brewers at Bavik or BJ’s. The planning began nearly a year before brewing this beer together at Bavik. The common goal was to create a unique blend of classic Belgian and American beer styles. BJ’s brewers were envious of Bavik’s expertise in traditional Flemish sour beers and classic Belgian styles like Tripel. Bavik’s brewers had never brewed with American hops and were eager to do so. It didn’t take long before both brewing teams saw eye to eye on the formula for their collaboration. The camaraderie between all the brewers made this beer as much fun to create as it is to drink. We hope you agree that the end result of this Belgian-American collaboration is a unique and exceptional beer.”

Will be available in 750s and kegs

Oude Zuipers Belgian Tripel
Hommel Harvest IPA

Imported by Twelve Percent Imports, LLC

Old Gueuze Tilquin: Beer of spontaneous fermentation, the Old Gueuze Tilquin is made from the blending of 1, 2 and 3 years old lambics.

Manchester Vuur & Vlam (De Molen has already imported beer of the same name but they’ll be OK with this…trust me)
Manchester Dubbel

Imported by Brandamental Imports of San Antonio…

Vroentestraat Pierre’s Grand Cru
Vroentestraat Pierre’s Poorter
Vroentestraat Pierre’s IPA

(New Albany, IN) – Some collaboration news out of Indiana…

Here is the scoop from New Albanian Brewing Co-Owner, Roger Baylor, on the brewery’s collaborations with Struise: B’Urban Trotter DIPA and Naughty Girl.

“Draft for both will be split between ourselves and Louisville Beer Store/Holy Grale, with some perhaps making the trip to Great Taste and the like later this summer. If the label approval turns around fast enough, there’ll be limited bombers of Naughty Girl, most probably not making it outside of Indiana. We think that Urbain will be brewing these recipes at de Struise some time this year.”

Below are the beer descriptions/specs….

——————————————————–

In May of 2011, Urbain Coutteau of De Struise Brouwers (Oostvleteren, Belgium) visited Louisville as the guest of Lori Beck and Tyler Trotter, the founders of Louisville Beer Store and Holy Grale.

After numerous liquid discussions between Urbain, Lori and Tyler, a plan arose for collaboration brews, one at each of New Albanian Brewing Company’s two locations, as described below.

Naughty Girl

Overview: Brewed at Bank Street Brewhouse (May 8, 2011) by Urbain, David Pierce and Jared Williamson, Naughty Girl is a Belgian India Blonde Ale brewed to a dry finish, with medium body and a very aromatic American hop profile. 74% of the IBUs are from the mash hops and later hop additions.

Malts: Rahr 2-Row, Rahr Premium Pils, Castle (Belgian) Aromatic, CaraPils

Hops: Cascade in the mash (13 lbs whole), two bittering additions of Galena, two middle additions of Golding, late addition of Cascade, Cascade hops (15 lbs pellet) for warm dry-hopping

Yeast: De Struise House Ale

ABV: 6%

IBU: 69

—

B’Urban Trotter DIPA

Overview: Brewed at NABC’s Pizzeria & Public House (May 9, 2011) by Urbain and Jared Williamson, B’Urban Trotter is a Double India Pale Ale inspired by the Kentucky Derby as viewed by a brewer and ostrich rancher from Flanders. Note: Tyler sourced 3 lbs of Simcoe hops from Paul at My Old Kentucky Homebrew for dry hopping use. In deference to the Derby, B’Urban Trotter is bourbon/oak aged with a touch of mint.

Malt: Rahr 2-Row, Weyerman Bohemian Pilsner, Castle Biscuit, Simpsons Medium Crystal

Hops: Cascade (mash, dry), Summit (first wort), Summit (bittering), Chinook (bittering, flavor, dry), Northern Brewer (flavor), Simcoe (dry)

Special additions: Vanilla beans and honey were added during the whirlpool.

OG: 21 degrees Plato

ABV: 9.2%

IBU: 208

SRM: 9

(Auckland, NEW ZEALAND) – Got this dropped in my inbox last night from Epic Beer‘s Luke Nicholas…

Here is an amazing world first for New Zealand, creating the world’s largest collaborative brew, with most of the small independent breweries of New Zealand contributing. This project was filmed and will become an online TV series about the craft breweries of New Zealand. The first episode is now available online.

The World’s Largest Collaborative Brew

If there was one road trip that would invoke jealousy amongst the nation’s beer drinkers, it would have to be one that involved visiting the majority of craft breweries in the country. Two of New Zealand’s leading craft brewers have done exactly this. All with the hope of putting together a series of episodes that document the excitement, passion and flavour that the beers and brewers of this fine country have to offer.

Luke Nicholas, president and founder of Epic Brewing Company in Auckland and new recruit, Kelly Ryan, who recently joined Epic after a successful brewing career with multi-award winning Thornbridge Brewery in the UK took up the challenge of visiting as many breweries as they could over a 17 day period.

Film crew in tow, they travelled the country by camper van, covering almost 4500 kilometres as they documented the current craft beer scene. Visiting breweries, sampling beers, discussing brewery history and the passion that had resulted in people from all walks of life choosing brewing as their occupation, the pair’s progress was captured on camera to be used in an online video series.

Coupled with the production was the idea that all of the passion and concepts of the craft brewers be captured in a special collaboration brew that was to act as a summary of what was happening in New Zealand beer in 2011. A grand total of 44 breweries from Invercargill to Auckland were included in the project, with a bunch of them turning up for the brew day at Steam Brewery in Auckland.

The resulting beer, Mash Up, is a New Zealand Pale Ale at 6% abv that is an ode to the deliciously refreshing New Zealand hops. It uses a blend of Kiwi and British malt (many brewers are British or got their inspiration from the UK beer scene) and is touted as being the world’s largest ever collaboration beer.

“We thought of contacting the Guinness Book of World Records to get this verified, but didn’t want to give them too much press,” quips Nicholas.

Nicholas and Ryan are no strangers to collaboration. Having worked on joint brews both at Thornbridge in the UK and here with Epic in New Zealand, they originally discussed the idea as guest international beer judges at the World Beer Cup in Chicago in 2010.

“It sounded like an amazing concept and we hoped it would give others the chance to see how great the Kiwi brewing scene actually is,” says Nicholas.

“We both think Mash Up is a great summary of where NZ beer is at,” states Ryan. “With the popularity of our great brewing ingredients on the rise abroad, it’s definitely time that we celebrate their quality here at home.”

Let’s raise our glasses to that.

http://www.facebook.com/NZCraftBeer.TV

http://www.twitter.com/NZCraftBeerTV

http://www.flickr.com/NZCraftBeerTV

“Mash Up” the beer is due on supermarket shelves and in bars over the next couple of weeks. “Mash Up” will be available for sale till the end of the year.

(Aberdeen, SCOTLAND) – This past week has seen the release of two new one-off beers from BrewDog.

Last week, the Scottish brewery once again courted controversy as those in craft beer circles debated the merits of a beer laced with Viagra and the credo behind it. This week brings the launch of a collaboration between BrewDog and Three Floyds called Bitch Please. Both beers are now available for sale in BrewDog’s online webshop.

What else is up for grabs in there? Over a dozen different BrewDog beers as well as a handful of guest beers that aren’t distributed (and/or at least hard to come by) in the U.S. market. The merchandise section features apparel for the most part along with a few logo glasses. Note: while browsing the site, keep in mind that you have to multiply the prices by 1.65 to get them in USD.

SOME NOTEWORTHY BREWDOG BEERS (Ratings on RateBeer):

Bitch Please: Collaboration with Three Floyds… “An inherently Scottish spin on a barley wine brewed with peated malts from Islay, shortbread, toffee and eclectic hops. After fermentation the beer was aged in old Jura single malt whisky barrels for 8 months.” | Beernews link

Royal Virility Performance: “According to the specially commissioned label, the Royal Virility Performance contains herbal viagra, chocolate, Goat Weed and ‘a healthy dose of sarcasm’. The beer is a 7.5% ABV India Pale Ale and has been brewed at BrewDog’s brewery in Fraserburgh.”

Alice Porter: “Decloaked and radically reinvisaged, BrewDog’s Alice Porter is a 6.2% sacred union of one 300-year-old recipe and two cross continental hop varieties. A delicate mirage of chocolate, red fruit and burnt sugar [...]“

Tactical Nuclear Penguin / Sink the Bismarck! Many of the BrewDog beers are cheaper on the website (not counting shipping obviously) than on shelves here in the States. For example, the cost of Sink! and TNP after shipping would still cost less than if you bought both beers at some shops here.

SOME NOTEWORTHY GUEST BEERS:

Væsel Brunch: “A unique blend of two of Denmark’s best imperial stouts: Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel and Amager Hr. Frederiksen.”

Mikkeller Spontanframboos: “The ‘Spontanframboos’ is a kind Lambic fruit. A Frambic essentially cooked on water, malt, wheat, old hops, raspberries and yeast. It is fermented by spontaneous fermentation and aged in wooden barrels.”

Struise Roste Jeanne: “Our brew-master was born and raised in Newport Belgium. In the early days around 1600, a lot of women were accused of witch craft and got burned alive… The city council of Newport asked Urbain to develop a session beer for the two yearly evocation of a Newport witch called Jeanne Panne.”

PRO TIP:

When you first click over to the Brewdog Shop page, you are only shown some of the BrewDog beers. Hover over “Our Beer,” “Guest Beer” or “Brewdog Stuff” for submenus that reveal the full portfolio. For example, Sink the Bismarck! is only listed on this page.

SHIPPING:

Shipping is a flat rate of $66 USD for those in the U.S. no matter how much you order so if you’ve got the money to spend, spend away. For those outside of the U.S. (and U.K. where it’s only 7 GBP), you can view the shipping rate by checking out as a guest and entering in a shipping address. There is no requirement of credit card details before seeing the total order cost.

BOTTLE LIMITS:

None! (Caveat: “While supplies last” for any given beer)

DISCLAIMER:

I’m going to assume you understand your country’s laws regarding shipping and legal age, etc. so I claim no responsibility here.

(White Plains, NY) – Newcastle Brown Ale, brewer of the legendary “One & Only,” today announced the debut of four distinct Newcastle Limited Edition brews, which will be available for a limited time at select neighborhood pubs or stores throughout 2011.

This Limited Edition offering represents the collaboration of two great bastions of British brewing, Newcastle Breweries in England and Caledonian Brewery in Scotland. Built in 1869, Caledonian Brewery today operates as a fully functioning brewery museum, using rare direct-fired open coppers to brew all ales. The combination of Scottish brewing authenticity and creativity, partnered with the drinkability you expect from a Newcastle, results in a series of custom Limited Edition ales that can’t help but taste great.

For those yearning for the return of summer’s sunny blue skies and relaxing moments, Newcastle Summer Ale arrives just in time to toast the warmer days. Since 2009, Newcastle Summer Ale’s bold, crisp and refreshing taste has offered the perfect complement to summer gatherings with friends and family.

As the air gets chilly and the leaves begin to change colors, Newcastle Werewolf arrives with a definitive bite of bitterness and a distinct autumn taste. This “blood red” ale has escaped from Britain and is poised to make the perfect fall companion.
Newcastle Winter IPA is a surprising take on winter ale with its zesty, full-bodied taste and authentic malt flavors. This wintery delight will keep your holiday party guests happy all season long.

Finally, Newcastle Founder’s Ale celebrates spring with a traditional English semi-bitter taste and hoppy aroma that tips its hat to the heritage of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne’s five founding breweries.

“Distinctive and innovative, Newcastle’s Limited Edition brews deliver a new, refreshing taste to be enjoyed throughout the year,” said Charles van Es, Brand Director Newcastle Brown Ale. “By adopting a wide array of flavors—everything from red ales to distinct India pale ales—we’re providing a uniquely interesting combination of Newcastle heritage, real ingredients and drinkability to our loyal fans.”

About Newcastle’s Limited Edition Ales:

Newcastle Summer Ale: Refreshing and light, this golden beer offers a subtle citrus hop aroma and a clean, refreshing flavor with a dry finish

Newcastle Werewolf: Naturally blood red in color, this distinct tasting fall ale produces a combination of sweet berry overtones and a sudden bite of bitterness

Newcastle Winter IPA: Zesty in character and jam-packed with a creamy finish, the Newcastle Winter IPA is full-bodied and hoppy, delivering unique and authentic malt flavors for the cold season and snowy matchdays

Newcastle Founder’s Ale: A rich ode to the heritage and the work of five of the best brewers in the city coming together to show off their craft, Founder’s Ale offers a full-bodied ale with a sweet and dry finish

The Newcastle Limited Edition brews will be available nationwide in 6-pack and 12-pack bottles, as well as draught.

About Newcastle Brown Ale
In 1927, in the Northeast of England, Colonel Jim Porter created uniquely crafted ale with its own distinct golden brown color, lightly hopped taste and character that quickly became a local favorite. Best served cool, Newcastle Brown Ale has since become a world favorite as a dark beer that’s easy to drink. Newcastle Brown Ale is imported by the nation’s premier beer importer, Heineken USA, headquartered in White Plains, New York. For more information, please visit NewcastleBrown.com.

About Heineken USA
Heineken USA Inc., the nation’s premier beer importer, is a subsidiary of Heineken International BV, which is the world’s most international brewer. Brands imported into the U.S. include: Heineken Lager, the world’s most international beer brand; Heineken Light; Amstel Light, a leading imported light beer brand; Newcastle Brown Ale, the leading imported ale in the United States; and Buckler non-alcoholic brew. Heineken USA is also the exclusive USA importer for the Tecate, Tecate Light, Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands from FEMSA Cerveza of Mexico. For a safe ride home, download the Heineken USA-sponsored Taxi Magic™ application from your smartphone. Please visit www.EnjoyHeinekenResponsibly.com.

(Mölndal, SWEDEN) – Dugges Ale appears to be sending a few more beers over our way in the future.

Around the end of last year, we saw Never Mind the Bollox and 1/2 Idjit Imperial Porter arrive on U.S. shores.

Sales must be going ok because three more beers from Dugges’ line were just approved for import:

Dugges Idjit Imperial Stout
Dugges High Five IPA
Dugges Celebration Pale Ale

All three beers rank quite highly in their respective styles on RateBeer.

(Copenhagen, DENMARK) – Truth is we are long overdue for new Mikkeller labels.

Per Mikkeller’s website, “The next Mikkeller beer in line is a porter called Porter. It is brewed at Amager Bryghus, bottled in half liter bottles and adorned with another label by American artist Keith Shore.” It goes on sale May 1st but it may be a while before it is shipped over here. 8% ABV in 500ml bottles.

Drink’in the Sun is an American wheat-beer with “lots of Amarillo hops.” The most interesting thing about this one is the ABV: a measly 2.4%. Will the American craft beer consumer pay a premium for a single bottle of a very low alcohol beer? 330 ml bottles. Update: RateBeer says this one was 3.9% ABV in the past so it’s possible that 2.4 is a mistake.

Both beers will be imported by The Shelton Brothers.

(Aberdeen, SCOTLAND) – “Arise Prince Willy,” the bottle label reads.

The Scottish duo is back at it again with its one-of-a-kind, off-kilter brand of humor. The only change is that there is no video accompanying this one like previous releases, The End of History and Tactical Nuclear Penguin.

Nevertheless, Royal Virility Performance containing actual Viagra is real according to the BrewDog guys. Just don’t expect the TTB to ever approve the statement of process for this beer for U.S. consumers.

At only £10 per 330ml bottle, it appears to still be in stock. Here are the full details off of the BrewDog website…

——————————————-

A limited-edition beer containing Viagra to mark the forthcoming royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29th. Brewed using various well known aphrodisiacs, the limited edition artisanal beer will only be available to buy from the BrewDog.com website.

According to the specially commissioned label, the Royal Virility Performance contains Viagra, chocolate, Horny Goat Weed and ‘a healthy dose of sarcasm’. The beer is a 7.5% ABV India Pale Ale and has been brewed at BrewDog’s brewery in Fraserburgh.

With this beer we want to take the wheels off the royal wedding bandwagon being jumped on by dozens of breweries; The Royal Virility Performance is the perfect antidote to all the hype. A beer should be brewed with a purpose, not just because some toffs are getting married, so we created something at our brewery that will undermine those special edition beers and other assorted seaside tat, whilst at the same time actually give the happy couple something extra on their big day.
James Watt, Head of Stuff at BrewDog commented:

“We put a bottle in a jiffy bag marked ‘Prince Willy, Buckingham Palace’. We sent it by Royal Mail as we presume they are most likely to know where he lives. As the bottle says, this is about consummation, not commemoration, so we hope he gets it.”

*Note – this beer will be shipped on the 28th of April*

We only have 1,000 bottles available.

Here’s a second post about some new Vanberg and Dewulf imports hitting the U.S. this year.

You may have seen this morning’s post about Brasserie Dupont. Here are a few more brews coming soon:

LAMBICKX

Lambics are truly the “wines” of the beer world. With wine one speaks of “gout de Terroir” because the land so influences a wine’s flavor. With Lambics, one must speak of “gout de Tonneau” because each cask (tonneau) produces a lambic that matures and tastes different. Blending these Tonneau is such an art that there exist independent Geuzestekkerij (blenders) who buy young Lambic then age and bottle it under theirown name.

Lambickx™ is Vanberg & Famille’s brand of hand-selected and blended lambics. Every Lambic with the Lambickx™ name is made from casks personally tasted and chosen by Don Feinberg, one of the first importers of Belgian beer to America and founder of the first Belgian-only brewery in the U.S. Don chooses his Lambics for their complexity, brilliance and drinking excellence both by themselves and as exquisite accompaniments to food.

FORMATS: Case, 6 x 75 cl (25.4 fl oz) / Keg, 20 liter

SCALDIS CUVÉE DES TROLLS by BRASSERIE DUBUISSON

Cuvée des Trolls was introduced in Belgium in 2000 and to the U.S. in 2010. Trolls is Dubuisson’s fastest growing beer. For Dubuisson it weighs in at a relatively modest 7% alcohol by volume. Made with all blond malts and a touch of orange peel, Trolls is hazy blond, with a lovely, doughy, fresh malt aroma. It’s has a light but distinctly malty body with bright orange notes. It finishes clean with a nice hop bite typical of this brewery’s distinctive beers. A quaffable delight! It is has been very popular and, dare we say helpful, with customers seeking a true Belgian beer experience but prefer a less alcoholic and aggressively aromatic profile.

FORMATS: Case, 6 x 75 cl (25.4 fl oz) / Keg, 20 liter

WITKAP PATER: Coming to 750ml bottles (currently 330ml bottles)

(Tourpes-Leuze, BELGIUM) – When most American craft beer drinkers think of Brasserie Dupont, they think of the brewery’s work within the Saison style. That may change in 2011 as the brewery will show the U.S. market what it can do with other styles.

To date, there are seven beers available from Brasserie Dupont here in the U.S.. Five of those are Saisons and then there is Moinette Blond and Brune. Here is a summary of five Dupont beers that Vanberg and Dewulf will import before the end of 2011:

MONK’S STOUT

According to Chuck Cook, this debuted in Belgium late last year. Label approval hasn’t come in yet and it appears to be on the schedule for later in the year. “As Dupont has extra fermentation capacity now, Olivier has the luxury of crafting some new brews, or re-creating some old specialties. Brasserie Dupont Brewmaster/Director Olivier Dedeycker told me on my June 2 visit to the brewery that the next new brew on his agenda would be Monk’s Stout. This is a beer his grandfather brewed in the 1950′s. There are two versions of Monk’s Stout. Both are 5.2% abv. One is dry and roasty, and another is said to be a little more rounded.”

REDOR PILS

Considered by many the finest traditional Belgian Pils brewed in Belgium today, REDOR is made from 100% barley malt, Styrian and Golding hops, proprietary Dupont yeast, pure well water, untreated with added salts or minerals, lagered for minimum 2 months, 5% ABV, and UNPASTEURIZED.

Debuts on draft in U.S. in May [Ed. note: not sure about bottle availability]

LA BIÈRE DE BELOEIL

One of Belgium’s most historic castles is a few miles from Dupont. It merits a visit next time you are in Hainaut. Dupont brews a special beer for the chateau. Beloeil once housed a brewery on site and made a beer called Saison Roland.

Beloeil has a rich white meringue head and a beautiful hazy amber red color. The funky Dupont yeast announces itself but is laced with herbs, nectarine, and a mineral edge. The warming finish has notes of wood and spice. Bottle conditioned.

FORMATS: Case, 12 x 75 cl (25.4 fl oz), cork finished / Keg, 20 liter

POSCA RUSTICA (sold in Belgium as Cervesia)

Since 1983, Dupont has produced a beer especially for a Gallo-Roman site near the brewery where Iron Age life is interpreted.

Inspired by research into drinks of the Gallo Roman era, Posca Rustica is surely one of the Dupont’s most exotic beers. It is a “Cervoise” beer spiced with a gruit (an old-fashioned herb mixture used to bitter and flavor beer, that was popular before hops came to predominate). Sweet woodruff (known as Galium odoratum or wild baby’s breath) and bog myrtle are just two of a dozen different spices used.

Posca Rustica has a unique, aromatic and spicy character and certainly is the sweetest beer from this brewery famous for its fully attenuated, dry beers. Altogether beguiling. Bottle conditioned.

FORMATS: Case, 12 x 75 cl (25.4 fl oz), cork finished / Keg, 20 liter

FORET BLANCHE

Another great beer from the endlessly inventive Dupont. We are so happy to once again have a wheat beer in our portfolio. Foret Blanche is 5.5% ABV. The color is a foggy golden honeycomb color. In the Dupont fashion, it is drier than most witbiers, with a more yeasty, tart profile. A rare and delicious interpretation of the wheat beer style from the champion of organic beers in Belgium.

Estimated arrival Spring 2011

FORMATS: Case, 12 x 75 cl / Keg, 20 liter

(YEMEN) – Just had this forwarded to me. What a riot.

This would’ve been a great April Fools joke and I’m not certain that it isn’t in some form. Some much-needed comic relief among these stories which are generally pretty serious in nature…

RE: ROGUE PULLING OUT OF YEMEN

Sorry Yemen.

(New York, NY) – Twelve Percent Imports proudly announces the arrival of Evil Twin Brewing to the United States. The launch is slated for release on Monday, April 18th, when the beers will be officially debuted during a five-course beer dinner at Beer Table in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The Evil Twin himself, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, will be on-hand to present his beers for the first time on U.S. soil. Tickets to the dinner can be procured here: http://beertable.com/events/.

Tuesday, April 19th, will feature the official retail release of the first five Evil Twin beers.

The beers:
- Before, During, & After Xmas
- Soft DK
- Disco Beer
- Yin
- Yang

Where to get the beer on 4/19:
- Bierkraft, Park Slope, Brooklyn
- Brooklyn Larder, Park Slope, Brooklyn
- Spuyten Duyvil Grocery, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
- Whole Foods Bowery, NYC

Other Evil Twin events slated during the launch week:
- On Tuesday evening, 4/19 Meet-the-Brewer Event and Philadelphia Debut at Farmer’s Cabinet in Center City, Philadelphia.
- On Wednesday evening, 4/20 Meet-the-Brewer Draft Night at Rattle N Hum, NYC. – On Sunday afernoon, 4/24, Full Evil Twin Draft Lineup at Blind Tiger Alehouse.

Also, during this first week, Evil Twin beers will be shipping throughout the States, and should appear on the shelves & in bars at many, many fine locales by late April/early May. More events on the launch tour across the U.S. to follow. The next beer revolution begins…

About The Evil Twin: Evil Twin Brewing is the brainchild of Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø. An avid beer geek since 1997, Jeppe began home-brewing in Copenhagen, Denmark in June/’03. His first foray into the commercial craft beer scene commenced in September/’05, when he opened the now world-famous bottle shop Ølbutikken in Copenhagen. The reputation of Jeppe & his shop grew quickly, and myriad side projects began (including his collaboration with Cantillon on the Blåbær Lambik – one of this most highly regarded, highly sough-after lambics in the world). Evil Twin Brewing is Jeppe’s latest venture, and is the culmination of the vast knowledge, experiences, and relationships he’s built over the years.

About Twelve Percent: 12% Imports is a Brooklyn, NY-based importer and distributor of small, artisanal breweries from Europe and North America. They commenced operations in late 2007 by self-distributing a few obscure, yet artfully crafted rareties from Belgium out of the back of a Prius. Since then, Twelve Percent has helped introduce and grow some of the most unique and exciting small breweries on the scene. The Twelve Percent portfolio can now be found throughout much of the United States. They also now own a proper delivery vehicle.

AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye

(JAPAN) – With the death toll expected to pass 10,000 and parts of Japan in disarray, breweries face a tough road ahead.

[3/14 Update: More updates from Japan Craft Beer Association (need to use translator)]

Officials gave grim news over the weekend with over 1,400 found dead and that number expected to multiply. The Atlantic posted a slew of images of the destruction. One of those images is shown above, one of Kirin Brewery‘s facilities located in Sendai.

The Wall Street Journal reports, “Kirin Holdings Co. said it halted operations at its brewery in Miyagi. Kirin said Saturday that four large beer storage tanks had been damaged.”

From Business Week:

Beer vats were smashed and products washed away at the Sendai plant of Kirin Holdings Co., Japan’s second-biggest brewer. Kirin hasn’t been able to confirm the safety of more than 10 sales staff in the city, spokesman Jun Sato said by e- mail [on Saturday].

Workers at the Sendai plant evacuated to the rooftop to avoid danger, and Kirin’s Toride plant halted operations because of damage, Sato said.

Sapporo Holdings Ltd. shut down three plants to inspect equipment after the earthquake, spokesman Yuki Hattori said by e-mail today. The brewer’s Sendai plant suffered some damage and many bottles were broken, he said. Sapporo’s Chiba plant was also affected, and its Nasu facility is closed for equipment inspections, Hattori said.

Asahi.com adds, “Sapporo Breweries Ltd. said the ground level of some parts of its plant in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, appeared to have fallen and water was flowing in, which officials said could have been caused by earthquake liquefaction.”

Asahi Breweries. Ltd. was still assessing damage as of Friday according to the SF Chronicle. On its Facebook page, the USA division showed empathy. “Our thoughts and our prayers got out to the families of Japan.”

The Winnipeg Free Press said this morning, “Japanese beverage maker Suntory Holdings Ltd. says it will deliver 360,000 bottles of water in the disaster zone.” Suntory runs a large beverage business in Japan specializing in both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic sectors.

On the craft front…

Kiuchi Brewery, makers of Hitachnio Nest beers, posted a message on the brewery’s website:

A big earthquake happend around our brewery. It will take a long time todo our ordinary job including export to foreign countries. We will do our best to reconstruct our brewery, so please wait for a while.

Here’s more from the U.S. import partner, B. United International, via Toshiyuki Kiuchi:

1. They are all ok. Kiuchi brewery, in particular the Sake part, was damaged & need fixing/rebuilding. He will keep us posted.

P.S.: Over the next months we will not be able to perfectly serve all our markets with Hitachino Nestbeer. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and your /our Hitachino customers. But we DO believe that you and all your /our Hitachino customers will understand & embrace Kiuchi Brewery’s societal responsibility and commitment.

On Saturday, Baird Brewing said on its Facebook page, “We are okay down here in Numazu. The brewery and Fishmarket Taproom are both undamaged, and we’re working as usual.”

More new labels…

Struise posted the above label sneak peek for Double Black on its Facebook page yesterday. It will be bottled next week and should soon appear on the brewery’s webshop for sale in 750s. It’s doubtful that Shelton Brothers will import it.

Wild Heaven gets its second label approval, this one for a Belgian-style golden ale called Invocation. 12 oz. bottles.

Fort Collins Brewery is introducing a new label for 1900 Amber.

Fremont Brewing will bottle Interurban IPA. 22 oz.

New labels…

Laurelwood Brewery will releasing two new ones on March 18th for its anniversary party, the limited edition Imperial Workhorse Double IPA shown above and a new year-round offering called The Big “O” Organic Pale Ale. I haven’t seen a label yet for the latter. Perhaps the TTB is claiming that the name gives perceived medical benefits and won’t approve it? Brewpublic has more details on the party.

Rivertown Brewery is releasing a Lambic in 750s this year. The back label notes, “The beer is produced by exposing it to the wild yeasts and bacteria that are native to the Senne Valley of Brussels, Belgium.”

Two Brothers Brewing‘s next new Artisan Series release will be Reprieve Schwarzbier. Released in 22′s.

Innis & Gunn Highland Cask will be imported to the U.S. though the beer is getting some mixed reviews elsewhere where it’s currently available.

New labels from overseas…

BrewDog Bramling X (the X is pronounced “Cross” in this case) will be included as part of a single hop 4-pack known as IPA is Dead. The set should be shipping to the U.S. soon. Other hops to be featured in the 4-pack are: Nelson Sauvin, Citra and Sorachi Ace. Stats: 11.2 oz, 7.5% ABV, 75 IBUs. Imported by Preiss Imports.

First Frontier IPA is the second beer to get TTB approval from a Danish brewery known as To Øl. The typography reminds me a bit of some of the old Stanley Kubrick film posters.

Finally, New Zealand-based 8 Wired has a 10% ABV Imperial Stout coming called iStout. Both First Frontier and iStout will be imported by the Shelton Brothers.

(Lochristi, BELGIUM) – The next beer in the Brewmaster’s Collaboration series has been approved.

Broederlijke Liefde Saison label copy:

Brian O’Reilly of Sly Fox Brewing Company joins Dirk Naudts to create the fifth brew in the De Proef Brewmaster’s Collaboration series. This year’s collaboration celebrates the great brewing cultures of both Philadelphia and Gent.

Broederlijke Liefde if the official Belgian collaboration ale of Philly Beer Week 2011. If you can’t join us in Philadelphia for our annual celebration in June please enjoy this creation in your own celebration of the international brewing community.

Philly Beer Week begins on June 3rd.

(Austin, TX) – Jester King Craft Brewery is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Drink’in the Sunbelt, the first of two planned collaborations between the Austin-based brewery and the world renowned Danish “gypsy brewer”, Mikkeller.

“Drink’in” is very hoppy, flavorful session ale brewed with equal portions of malted barley and malted wheat, and heavily dry-hopped with citrusy, American Amarillo hops. The name and inspiration come from “Drink’in the Sun”, a beer that Mikkeller has previously brewed in Europe, using a recipe remarkably similar to one that Jester King had already used for numerous test batches, that were intended to serve as the basis for a future seasonal release.

The second collaboration between the two breweries, a special Texas edition of Mikkeller’s Beer Geek Brunch, with the addition of smoked malt and chipotle peppers, will be taking place later this spring.

Drink’in the Sunbelt will be available for sampling at Jester King Brewery on Wednesday, March 16, from 4-9pm, during what had originally been planned as a paid concert, but has now been made a FREE EVENT. Danish bands Lars and the Hands of Light and Thee Attacks and producer, Crunchy Frog will be on hand to celebrate, along with and Austin’s own The Invincible Czars and Melogrand. Space is limited, so RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE, which can be done by emailing events AT jesterkingbrewery dot com.