New beer labels…big batch for Tuesday.

Update: One more…Goose Island Raspberry Dominique (1/6 keg). Here is the RateBeer description for the original Dominique.

Bell’s This One Goes to 11 Ale: Label copy…”When you get to batch 10,000, where can you go? You go one louder. The deep amber color of this Imperial Red Ale is complimented with a robust, sweet, toasted malt character that finds balance with a bolder, pronounced hop flavor. In other words, it pushes over the cliff to 11.” Label approvals are not necessarily finalized, no additional info on this one at this time.

Widmer Brothers W12 Dark Saison: Already seeing label approval for next year’s Brewmasters’ Release Series. Keep in mind that WBB has been known to change their labels around a few times though this is probably a safe a bet to happen. Approved for both 12 oz. and 22 oz. bottles.

Redhook Nut Brown Ale: The Mudslinger name had a short run.

Mash Up: Recall the world’s largest collaborative beer, created by 44 breweries in New Zealand. Now it is going to be imported by The Shelton Brothers.

New Belgium Lips of Faith Fresh Hop IPA: The Trip IV was a fresh hop beer but, outside of that, I believe this is NBB’s first fresh hop effort.

Samuel Adams Griffin’s Bow Oaked Blonde Barleywine: 11.5% ABV, keg collar only for now

Sprecher Special Amber and Mai Bock: Not positive what is new on these though they are both approvals are for 16 oz bottles

Others…

Big Hurt Beer (< in case you missed it)

Marshall Wharf Toughcats Imperial Pale Ale
Black Husky Batch 100 Ale
Carolina Flagship IPA
Kaiser Schtopumfhromfhloppum German-style Kolsch
Odd Side Ales Fig Brewton

(Brooklyn Center, MN) – Surly Five hath arrived.

UPDATE: France 44 either sold out or pulled what little was remaining from the online store. This is as of 8:23am Minnesota time on Tuesday. They also sold out of Furious and Coffee Bender. Not sure when the next shipments of those are coming in.

A bit late (hey, I been really busy in these parts). Especially considering it has sold out in some places already. Locals should hit up the Twitter for all the reports about this one.

I just got in touch with France 44 (Beernews.org Sponsor) and they have it available for online orders. It is a limit of 1 per customer. They also have some other beers available like Dark Horse Plead the 5th to help you fill out your order. I’d recommend visiting the ‘new stuff in stock‘ page, too.

Surly Five description:

In the Surly brewhouse, brewing our Anniversary beers means one thing: forget what ya know and try something different. In honor of FIVE glorious years, we bring you a 100% Brettanomyces-fermented Dark Ale, aged in red wine barrels. Flavors of sour cherry, tobacco, oak and classic “Brett” barnyard funk, balanced by Dark Munich malt chewiness. Enjoy immediately or age at cellar temperature for a couple years. 100% Brettanomyces-fermented Dark Ale aged in red wine barrels.

Five has strong flavors of earthy black cherry and raisins with a sour finish.
STYLE: Brett Dark Ale
MALT: German Dark Munich and Carafa III
HOPS: Willamette
YEAST: Brettanomyces anomalus and Clausenii
ABV: 7.5% v/v
IBU: 14

Note: Brewery President, Mike Stevens, told an industry publication this week that 1,000 cases will be allocated across 15 states. Original post here.

Below: Press Release

(Grand Rapids, MI) – Founders Brewing Co. Vice President/Director of Marketing Dave Engbers announced today that the highly anticipated Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) will be the second release in the company’s 750mL “Backstage Series”. It will be released to the market on October 3, 2011, with a taproom release party on October 1.

There has been a great deal of anticipation and speculation regarding the upcoming release after the success of Blushing Monk, the series’ debut, earlier this year. Canadian Breakfast Stout is the epitome of why Founders launched the Backstage Series: it brings some of the brewery’s most sought-after beers, which have been available primarily at the taproom or at a few select events, to a much larger audience.

Canadian Breakfast Stout is an Imperial Stout brewed with a blend of coffees and imported chocolates, then aged in spent bourbon barrels that have most recently been aging pure Michigan maple syrup. The final product has had stellar reviews and is currently the fifth highest rated beer in the world on www.BeerAdvocate.com.

“Releasing small specialty batches is a great way for us to connect to our core beer enthusiast,” Engbers explains. “Fundamentally, we are a small brewery, and we love to do things our own way. This isn’t about flooding the shelves with a beer that we hope people will try; it’s about producing the best damn beer we can brew and offering it to those enthusiasts who have supported our passion for great beer.”

The company is not revealing any additional releases in the series, but Engbers says they will consist of many of the “popular one-offs” that have been offered in the taproom over the years and have become favorites among patrons and brewery staff. “I think part of what people love about Founders, besides our beer, is that we listen to what they are saying,” says President Mike Stevens. “With our new line, now we can offer them more of what they’ve been asking for.”

The company expects to release one more product in the 2011 Backstage Series later this year.

Founders Brewing Company opened their doors in 1997 with the vision of creating some of the most unique craft beer in the world. Today, Founders has a loyal following with several beers lauded as winners of national and international awards in their respective categories. In 2009, they were ranked as the second fastest growing brewery in the United States, and they are currently rated the second highest brewery in the world by RateBeer.com.

Founders Brewing Company, 235 Grandville Avenue SW in downtown Grand Rapids, is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild. www.michiganbrewersguild.org.

(Grand Rapids, MI) – Sometimes you just have to give the people what they want…

UPDATE: “The 750 is ridiculously allocated; out of 15 states there will be 1,000 cases,” says President Mike Stevens – from Craft Business Daily via Evan Benn of Stl Post Dispatch

UPDATE 2: Release on October 1st

Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout. Mmmm….maple syrup.

Currently ranked the fourth best beer in the world on Beer Advocate and 15th in the world on RateBeer.

It has been rumored for weeks, even months, that this would eventually be bottled, and proof has finally arrived.

Also known as CBS, this version of the beer is aged in bourbon barrels though other past versions have also been aged in whiskey barrels.

This will be released in 750s, presumably as part of the Backstage Series. From a press release back in May…

The company is not revealing the entire lineup, but Engbers said it would consist of many of the “popular one-offs” that have been offered in the taproom over the years and have become favorites. “I think part of what people love about Founders, besides our beer, is that we listen to what they are saying,” says President Mike Stevens. “With our new line, now we can offer them more of what they’ve been asking for.”

The company expects to release two or three in the series this year.

If that holds true, we can expect to see this in 2011. UPDATE: The Beer is Good Blog reported in late July, “I confirmed with Founders Brewing Co that they will be announcing the next in the series in September.”

For reference, the Blushing Monk release (the first Backstage Series beer) was announced just a few days before. Bottles were limited to two per person and cost $15 each. Bottles were first come, first serve. Bottles were also distributed on a limited basis.

The CBS release may not necessarily follow suit but it gives us some indication as to what we might expect.

(Papillion, NE) – Nebraska Brewing sent out a newsletter late last week…

Toasted Barn (The Inception Series)

Next week is a milestone of sorts…

We bottle the first of what will be our extremely limited edition barrel aged experiments which we are calling The Inception Series.

Why Inception? Well, it’s pretty simple really. These are 1 or 2 oak barrels of something we felt was worthy of the time and effort necessary to head down a lenghty path of maturation and flavor enhancements. This is our unveiling and it may be the start of something very nice indeed.

Will they make it to Reserve Series? Maybe. Will they ever be made again? Maybe. Will we even bottle all of the barrel aged experiments we have in the pipeline? Maybe (I think you get the picture at this point)

We’ll decide later but at this stage, we do know that they are truly something special.

Small batch, limited edition barrel aged efforts. Toasted Barn is our first so watch our Newsletter or Facebook for additional information on the Series and the beer itself.

These beers will only be available in our brewpub.

Hop God Release

We begin shipping our latest Release of Reserve Series Hop God next week. As has become the norm with these beers, they are essentially sold out prior to the release – except for the few cases we hold for sale in the Brewpub.

So, if they’ve been scarce where you normally ship for the good stuff – drop in next week to get your fix!

(Kalamazoo, MI) – Just what the title says…

Not sure what the story is here but I did hear about this recently. Bell’s Brewery has label approval now for five new Amber Ale images. Rather than speculate on what this is about, I’m just going to chalk this one up as “developing” for the moment (at least until Bell’s opens its office). Label approvals are not always finalized either so keep that in mind.

This beer has been around since the beginning in 1985.

You can see the current Bell’s Amber Ale artwork here.

(Stillwater, MN) – Lift Bridge Brewery Fans and Supporters, we have been hit with a bottled beer shortage which will cause us to be out of our bottled beer for a few months.

The reason for the suspension of shipments is due to our supplier, Cold Spring Brewing Co who has not been able to produce beer for us. They have decided to prioritize other brands ahead of ours. It certainly is their decision on what to brew and when, however we were caught with extremely short notice.

In response to this situation we are working to purchase and install bottling capabilities at our brewery in Stillwater, MN. We currently produce 100% of our draft beer in Stillwater and have capacity to keep up with our draft account. Today, we are receiving additional fermenters, increasing our capacity by 66%. This will allow us react quicker and not be dependent on a single supplier.

This plan will take several months to complete, but we will have bottles back on shelves later in 2011. It is unfortunate for our distributor partners, bottle retail customers and our loyal customers but we will be back soon and better than ever.

Currently we have a quite a list of new beers planned for later this year. They include an oyster stout, Oktoberfest, the return of Biscotti, and a bourbon barrel aged barley wine.

We appreciate your continued support. Please feel free to stop by to check out the brewery, pick up a growler of fresh beer or join us on a tour. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

(Minneapolis, MN) – The wild, wild Midwest…

Update: Per the Star Tribune, MillerCoors sent a check in time but it was returned because they paid too much money. I guess a state in a budget crunch has no interest in keeping money and issuing partial refunds?

Minnesota is currently in day 13 of a statewide government shutdown after a budget proposal impasse.

According to local affiliate, KSTP, MillerCoors alleges that it submitted payment and paperwork for brand registration/renewal prior to the July 1st shutdown. However, the state did not process the paperwork in time so the company’s 39 brands are now on shelves without proper registration. The fee per brand is a mere $30 every three years.

According to reports, the brewing company must come up with a way to remove the product from shelves. Meanwhile, retailers are asserting that they own the product outright and that what was purchased while the brands were properly registered should not be affected. For now, it looks like MillerCoors cannot sell anymore product to its Minnesota wholesale partners until the government shutdown ends and the liquor board approves those brands for renewal. Whether product needs to be pulled should be known soon enough.

MillerCoors is obviously disputing it.

…But it gets worse.

Several hundred Minnesota liquor establishments were unable to renew their buyers’ cards meaning that they cannot order more liquor until the shutdown is over and agencies get back to issuing renewals.

Startup breweries like Steel Toe Brewing cannot open with the shutdown. Steel Toe needs a signature providing clearance for them to be able to use their boiler.

On a local but unrelated note, Lift Bridge Brewing is crying foul over Cold Spring Brewery not honoring its production contract. Cold Spring says that it gave Lift Bridge plenty of warning that it was facing capacity issues while Lift Bridge says that it got extremely short notice.

As previously noted, 21st Amendment Brewery demand is through the roof, one of the primary reasons cited for what’s happening at Cold Spring.

(Bellaire, MI) – Surprise, surprise. Another Dogfish Head collaboration comin’ rrrrrright up!

Short’s Brewing announced DFH as a collaboration partner on its blog today. Here’s an excerpt from the brewery’s blog post:

The yet unnamed collaboration brew is a Baltic Porter featuring beach plums from Delaware, horehound from Michigan, and red popcorn (sent by Nick Floyd of Three Floyds brewery in Indiana). The resulting brew will resonate strongly with those who love Short’s Black Cherry Porter. It is delicious.

Short’s is releasing the test batch of this beer at its Pub on July 4th. Then, on Wednesday July 6th, Joe and Sam will host a public reception at the lobby of the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa from 5-6:30 p.m. That evening, Sam will dine with the Short’s crew at the Aerie Restaurant on the 16th floor of the tower. Special kegs of Short’s and Dogfish Head will be featured at Aerie that night (a tap takeover to remember!). Short’s Brew will also be featured at Jack’s Sports Bar, which is located near the hotel lobby.

Meanwhile, during the first week of July, the brewers of Short’s and Dogfish Head will be brewing a batch of the collaboration beer in Elk Rapids that will be bottled and distributed throughout Michigan later this year. We’ll continue to keep you posted on the bottle release details.

New batch of beer labels coming right up…

Schlafly Citrus Witbier: Label copy…”To celebrate 20 years of Schlafly Beer, our brewers past and present offer you this anniversary series of four beers.

Schafly 20, Volume 3: Citrus Wit is designed and brewed by our third generation of Schlafly brewers (1998-2008), who were instrumental in our transition from local brewpub to regional brewery. With the third generation comes experience from brewers who joined us from around the country and world; Citrus Wit is a collaboration of this shared experience.

This traditional Belgian-style white beer is flavored with citrus fruit and coriander to refresh a parched palette.”

Kuhnhenn Dark Heathen Triple Bock Lager: New label for this one. On a perhaps related note, “Join us on Tuesday, June 21st to celebrate the first official day of summer and the longest day of the year. We’ll have the 7 wheat beers of summer on tap (all small batches so they won’t last long). In addition, there will be a limited bottle release. The release will include one time releases as well as new beers that have never been bottled before.

Other new label approvals…

Free State Octoberfest
Big Muddy Big Muddy Monster
Jail House Conjugal Visit Red Ale
Cortland Flight Level 410 Old-style Ale
Barrel Trolley Amber Ale
Wild Onion Hop Slayer Double IPA

(Chicago, IL) – Half Acre Beer Co. announced the upcoming release of two saisons yesterday.

(Photo Credits: Phineas X. Jones on Flickr / Creative Commons)

Here are the details courtesy of the brewery blog:

We just scored some Saison yeast so we’re brewing two back to back Saisons — the first is a draft only beer called Dripping Saison. This is aimed at a core Saison to aid us all in gliding through the summer season with a stable go-to session anchor. We took a bit of it and roughed it up with some off-beat treatment that may or may not eek it’s way out to you, but the bulk will be poured into growlers at our store.

The second Saison is part of a two-part double brew with our friends from Short’s Brewing in Bellaire, MI. For the first half we hit the road and brewed it in MI at their facility this past Monday. The second will be brewed this Friday here on Lincoln Ave before heading out to the My Morning Jacket show.

The beer is called Captain Fantasy. We’re brewing identical recipes at each location with two separate labels of our own interpretation. Captain Fantasy is a Saison brewed with pears and Sorachi Ace hops. The beer should be pleasantly off kilter and our time with Short’s is always time well spent.

Captain Fantasy will be available in 22′s and for growler pours.

(Kalamazoo, MI) – Bell’s Brewery announces the launch of its 750 ml bottle program.

Here is the statement from Bell’s website:

Bell’s Brewery is excited to announce the debut of our Eccentric Cafe 750 ml bottle program beginning this summer. As we do not fill growlers at our pub, we want to make our pub only beers available for customers to take home and we feel that offering these brands in the 750 ml format is a great way to do this! These bottles will only be sold at the General Store in downtown Kalamazoo and will not be available for distribution as packaging runs will be small, making outside sales fairly impractical.

Over the next few months, we plan on bottling a wide variety of our pub only beers including Wedding Ale, Raspberry Ale, Mead, Sparkling Ale, and Wild One (just to start). Other brands will follow suit as they are brewed and labels are created.

There will not be a set release schedule for when 750s will hit the General Store, however the program will kick off on Monday, June 27th with bottles of Wedding Ale. There also may be limits as to how many bottles can be purchased depending on the brand. We are looking forward to making these specialty beers available to leave the Eccentric Cafe in bottle for the very first time! Cheers!

(Douglas, MI) – Saugatuck Brewing Company has announced a major distribution expansion into the Detroit Metro, Tri Cities, and mid-Michigan markets. Effective May 1, “SBC” has partnered with Powers Distributing, O & W Distributing, Eastown Distributors and John P. O’Sullivan Distributing.

Oval Beach Blonde, ESB Amber, Pier Cove Porter, and Singapore IPA are now available in select retail outlets, bars, restaurants, and pubs in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, Monroe, Bay, Midland, Saginaw, Lapeer and Genesee counties.

SBC launched 6-pack and keg distribution of their four major brands in May 2010, covering the western and central Michigan markets with I.H.S. Distributing, Kent Beverage, and Nate Wines. This expansion now brings the total to 34 Michigan counties now carrying SBC beer.

Saugatuck Brewing Co. is a microbrewery with a traditional Irish style pub and German style bier hall that features hand crafted beer, wine, food, and service. Fifteen unique beer styles, all brewed in house, plus wine and hard cider are served daily in the Pub. “SBC” also distributes four styles in 6-packs throughout Michigan. The multi-purpose Bier Hall is a full-service banquet facility complete with bar, stage and multiple lighting options. Accommodating well over 200 seated guests, this venue is available for weddings, receptions, reunions, corporate events and concerts. The brewery also features the only active brew-on-premise facility in Michigan, utilizing five copper kettles and an array of natural ingredients and recipes, for the public to become “Brewmaster for a Day.”

Saugatuck Brewing Co. is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild.

Today’s short batch of new beer labels from the east…

Bell’s Raspberry Ale
Moat Mountain Barley Wine
Moat Mountain Mai Bock Lager
Moat Mountain Tripel
Gritty’s Halloween Ale
Buckeye Hipster Cream Ale
Spanish Peaks Big Bite IPA
South County AmericAle

Note: new beer labels posted here are just approvals which means that they are not necessarily finalized and may not be packaged in the way shown here

Some new beer labels out of the Midwest…

Thirsty Dog 75th Anniversary West Point Pale Ale: Label copy…”A true classic English Style Pale Ale. The copper colored, toasty malt flavors are true to form, and the Kent Goldings Hops bring out an earthy, herbal and floral flavor and aroma that balances it to perfection.” This beer is in honor of West Point Market (not the academy).

Urban Chestnut Calypso IPA: I’ve never seen so many keg approvals from one brewery. Do they actually have this many beers coming out in the next several months or are these all way in advance? They also got approval for Hopswitch Pilsner, Hopfen IPA and Schlossturn Alt.

Other new labels:

New Belgium Lips of Faith Clutch Sour Brown Ale (only keg approval at the moment)
Summit Honeymoon Saison (more info via MNBeer)
Marshall Arrowhead Pale Ale
Charleville Half Wit Wheat Belgian-style Wheat

A ton of notes from various breweries to run through today. Here’s Part I of III:

O’Fallon Brewery: Evan Benn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, “Wheach, 5-Day IPA and other O’Fallon Brewery beers will soon be back in bars and on store shelves now that a former Anheuser-Busch InBev executive has bought the craft brewery. Jim Gorczyca, a 20-year A-B marketing veteran, purchased O’Fallon Brewery for an undisclosed amount in a deal that closed Friday. Gorczyca left his post as A-B’s director of trade marketing last week; today, he’ll step into his new role as leader of O’Fallon Brewery.”

New Glarus Brewing: The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Brewery President, Deb Carey, was “named first runner-up in the 2011 National Small Business Person of the Year contest sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration. She was named Wisconsin Small Business Person of the Year in March.” Here is the write-up on WhiteHouse.gov.

Hoppin’ Frog Brewery: Will release Barrel-Aged Boris ROYALE on Thursday and Friday of this week.

Bell’s Brewery: Construction photos recently posted on Facebook.

Short’s Brewing: Announced the upcoming release of Nicie Spicie.

Flossmoor Station: A big update on upcoming projects including Le Chein Blanc and the “summer of sours.”

Karbach Brewing: The Houston Chronicle has a piece on this new Texas brewery. Ownership has ties that extend back to the beer industry spanning multiple decades and former Flying Dog Brewmaster, Eric Warner, is also on board.

(512) Brewing: Is releasing its Alt on draft…in addition, “gearing up for our third anniversary beer, (512) THREE (still a secret creation- but a new style), and in anticipation, we’re planning to re-release (512) ONE and (512) TWO in sequence first.”

Joseph James Brewing: Will start canning its beers according to Craft Cans.

Bonus I: The Michigan Liquor Control Commission likens the word, “bitch,” to the n-word according to legal documents in the Flying Dog Raging Bitch case.

Bonus II: Imbibe Magazine has a feature on Gose this month.

A few new beer labels for your Saturday enjoyment…

Bell’s The Wild One: We’ve seen approval for this one before in 12 oz. bottles as well. At this point, there are no details about the release (there will be a 750ml Eccentric Cafe-only program) and the bottle format is unclear. Wait and see…

Other approvals:

High Sierra FestivALE (draft-only festival beer returns)
Widmer Brothers Cranberry Brown (draft)
Stegmaier Oktoberfest (part of a brand re-design)
Lionshead Light

Disclaimer: New label approvals mean just that; they have been “approved” at the federal level. Normally, they must also be approved at the state level and a number of things has to happen before the beer is actually packaged. An approval doesn’t mean that a beer is two weeks away or two years away. Up to 1% of approved labels are never even packaged; that’s obviously rare.

Another batch of new beer labels…mostly East stuff here.

White IPA (Collaboration #2): The Boulevard/Deschutes collaboration gets label approval.

Bell’s Wedding Ale: Approved for 750s

Cigar City Xenu Cream Ale: Draft approval only at the moment

Great Crescent Bourbon Barrel Stout: In 16 oz. cans. Haven’t seen that before. Website description…”This beer is a slightly bigger version of our regular stout that is aged in Maker’s Mark Bourbon barrels. This stout is about 7.5% ABV and 65 IBU’s to blend perfectly with the delicious aroma and flavor imparted by the bourbon and oak from the barrels.”

Smuttynose Noonan IPA: Draft approval only at the moment. Can’t help but wonder, given New Hampshire’s proximity to Vermont, whether this is related to the late Greg Noonan. No details available yet.

Other approvals:

Wormtown Seven Hills Pale Ale (1/2 gallon)
Yeastie Boys Digital IPA
Lake Placid Barkeater Amber Ale
Moosbacher’s Mad King Bock

Note: label approvals do not always lead to beer releases (98-99% of the time, they do)

(Brooklyn Center, MN) – Here is a roundup of some recent Surly Brewing news.

Surly Five: Has received approval for 750ml bottles.

Label copy: “In the Surly brewhouse brewing our Anniversary beers mean one thing, forget what ya know and try something different. In honor of FIVE glorious years we bring you a 100% Brettanomyces fermented Dark Ale aged in red wine barrels. Flavors of sour cherry, tobacco, oak and classic “Brett” barnyard funk balanced by Dark Munich malt chewiness. Enjoy immediately or age at cellar temperature for a couple years.

Five years! We figured five years is a decent milestone, so we would brew a sour beer for this anniversary beer. The idea behind our anniversary line-up of beers was to give Head Brewer, Todd Haug, free reign to use whatever ingredients and methods to brew this beer. this year’s bottle artwork is also a one-of-a-kinf illustration collaboration between Todd and local artists, Aesthetic Apparatus.”

Additional comments from Head Brewer, Todd Haug…

“FIVE will be out whens its done, waiting on bottles now, looks like June.” – BA on 4/28

“The wine barrels are not all the same,the beer itself is brewed to be the same.The blend will consist of about 70 different used red wine barrels.All of the beer will have spent some time(3-8 months) in a barrel after primary Brett fermentation in stainless tanks.” – BA on 4/17

Surly Bitter Brewer: Per Haug (linked above), “Bitter will be out on draft for MN craft beer week May 14-21. Bitter cans go out May 23rdish.” An update on Facebook yesterday said, “Within the next 2 weeks.”

Surly Hell: The beer will be available in mid-June according to a late April tweet. There will be a “Raising Hell” party on Saturday, June 18th per the brewery’s event calendar.

Surlyfest: The event is set for Saturday, September 10th (per calendar)

Surly Darkness: Darkness Day will be held on Saturday, October 22 (per calendar)

Lastly, an update on the legislative efforts…things are looking up for the proposed $20 million brewery. A local news video is available here.

(Grand Rapids, MI) – Founders Brewing Co. Vice President/Director of Marketing Dave Engbers announced today that his GrandRapids brewery will begin selling 750 milliliter bottles of specialty beers—dubbed the “Backstage Series”—this summer.

Engbers said part of the almost $7 million expansion to the brewery, which increased capacity from 28,000 barrels to nearly 50,000 barrels, includes a state of the art bottling line that allows them the flexibility to bottle and package 12oz as well as large format 750ml bottles.

The first “Backstage Series” release is sure to put a smile on the face of Founders fans. “We haven’t produced this product in over four years and people have been begging for it—so this is the perfect time to bring Blushing Monk back to market.” Blushing Monk is a decadent Belgian Raspberry Ale that was last produced in 2007, and is still highly sought after.

The company is not revealing the entire lineup, but Engbers said it would consist of many of the “popular one-offs” that have been offered in the taproom over the years and have become favorites. “I think part of what people love about Founders, besides our beer, is that we listen to what they are saying,” says President Mike Stevens. “With our new line, now we can offer them more of what they’ve been asking for.”

The company expects to release two or three in the series this year.

Founders Brewing Company opened their doors in 1997 with the vision of creating some of the most unique craft beer in the world. Today, Founders has a loyal following with several beers lauded nationally and internationally as award winners in their respective categories. In 2009, they were ranked the second fastest growingbrewery in the United States, and they are currently rated the second highest brewery in the world by ratebeer.com.

Founders Brewing Company, 235 Grandville Avenue SW in downtown Grand Rapids, is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild. www.michiganbrewersguild.org.

(Ann Arbor, MI) – The Wolverine State Brewing Co. has received TTB approval on the new and improved Wolverine Premium Lager label.

Bottling for this best selling premium lager will begin at their new Ann Arbor Facility in mid-May, ending the contract brewing arrangement with Michigan Brewing Company.

The Label for Wolverine Dark has been submitted for approval as well. Plans are to commence bottling this dark American lager in August.

The Wolverine State Brewing Company has a 10 bbl system, and specializes in brewing lagers. The Tap Room has 10 full taps, seating for 100, foosball, darts, a live music program, and is adding outdoor seating soon. Food from various local vendors is available for delivery and many nights feature food vendors inside with items available for purchase.

Sales since opening have exceeded all plans and the company has purchased 2 new 10 bbl FV’s and a 10 bbl bright tank to go with the new Merlin Bottler from Meheen Manufacturing. The Mug Club membership exceeds 400 and plans for a Six-Month Mug Club Appreciation Day (May and a REAL WOMEN DRINK BEER Ladies Only Night in the Tap Room (June 12) are on the calendar. The new small batch @thebrewerswhim program begins this week with a “Faust’s Hell” blend of Baltic Porter and unfiltered Maibock. The bourbon barrel aging for ‘Round 12 Dunkel continues and will be released @thebrewerswhim (info on twitter feed of the same name.)

Plans for expanding the Tap Room are also in the works.

(Monroe, WI) – Rhinelander Brewing, best known for its famed Export Beer, is entering the “craft” game.

Rhinelander will introduce three new beers in 2011:

Rhinelander Mystical Jack Traditional Ale
Rhinelander Thumper American IPA
Rhinelander Imperial Jack Double IPA

Each of the three beers hits at least 6.8% ABV and 75 IBUs and will be sold in 22s.

Until then, you can get Rhinelander Original in 12 oz. cans and Rhinelander Export on tap (same beer?). According to the website, the brewery’s website they are bringing 7 oz. bottles back.

(Dexter, MI) – Got a couple press releases in my inbox last night. I’ve combined them here…

On Monday, April 25, Jolly Pumpkin will release its long-anticipated Biere de Mars Grand Reserve – available in both Ann Arbor and Traverse City starting at 4pm.

The story behind the Sour Flanders ales Biere de Mars and Biere de Mars Grand Reserve is that both are brewed with identical recipes, using two different yeasts. Each is then aged – or mellowed – in different oak barrels for about four months before being reblended back together for bottling. The Grand Reserve, however, is aged for over a year in the barrels before being reblended and bottled – making it even more sour.

Only 20 cases of 330ml bottles of the Grand Reserve will be available, with a limit of two (2) bottles per person which will sell for $10 per bottle. An even more limited number of 750ml bottles will be available, in Ann Arbor only, for $20 per bottle.

Monday, April 25, is a busy day for Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, with the release of Bambic – brewed as a 25th Anniversary celebration ale for Winking Lizard Tavern.

Bambic is a blend of Bam Biere – a farmhouse style ale and Lambicus – our Lambic beer, fermented with 100% wild Dexter yeast. The 330ml bottles of Bambic will sell for $8 at Jolly Pumpkin in Ann Arbor and Traverse City, as well as at any of the 14 neighborhood Winking Lizard Taverns located throughout Ohio.

The Jolly Pumpkin is part of Northern United Brewing Co., which also encompasses the Grizzly Peak and North Peak Beer Co. craft beer brands, as well as the soon-to-be-released Civilized line of spirits. NUBC’s philosophy focuses on a dedication to conservation, inspiration and locally sustainable practices. All of the beers and spirits under these brands are produced at either the new 5600-square-foot facility on Old Mission Peninsula adjacent to Mission Table restaurant (former Bowers Harbor Inn) or at the original Jolly Pumpkin brewing facility in Dexter.

Find NUBC products at stores, restaurants, and bars all throughout Michigan, including: North Peak Brewing Company, Mission Table & Jolly Pumpkin Brewery, all in Traverse City; Jolly Pumpkin & Grizzly Peak, in Ann Arbor.

(Stevens Point, WI) – To meet ever-increasing demand for its handcrafted beers, The Stevens Point Brewery is expanding its annual production capacity by 25 percent to 100,000 barrels.

The expansion, which follows yet another year of strong sales growth in 2010, includes more warehouse space, new aging tanks and new fermenting tanks. Since 2009, the brewery has invested approximately $1 million to increase capacity and upgrade its facilities, according to Joe Martino, Stevens Point Brewery Operating Partner.

We continue to invest in our brewery to increase capacity and packaging production efficiencies as well as improve quality as our sales continue to grow. Point craft beers enjoyed double-digit growth last year, and sales have accelerated in 2011,” Martino said. “We are also experiencing positive growth in our contract-brewing business.”

The project adds 6,600 square feet of warehouse space, large enough to store an additional 40,000 cases of beer. In addition, five more aging tanks ranging in size from 105 barrels to 205 barrels and three new 100-barrel fermentation tanks are being installed.

The expansion is scheduled to be completed by May 1, just in time for the beer industry’s key summer selling season that runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. “The timing of this expansion is perfect as our brewery gears up for summer sales,” Martino said. “We are now well positioned to continue to meet the growing demand for our products. We have our loyal fans, consumers, retailers and wholesalers to thank for that growth.”

The Stevens Point Brewery
Stevens Point Brewery, founded in 1857, uses only the highest-grade barley malts, specialty malts, grains and the choicest hops to brew their handcrafted beers, including flagship Point Special Lager, which won the gold medal in the American Premium Lager category at the 2003 Great American Beer Festival.

(Lucan, MN) – Here is the latest from today’s Brau Brothers newsletter…

It’s official, our spring seasonal is in the bottle and conditioning as we speak. It’s a Belgian Saison, brewed in the most traditional way. Here’s a brief descriptor:

Forgotten Flem is a fitting tribute to the many Belgian Farmers who settled the prairies of Southwest Minnesota. Brewed in a farmhouse brewery within feet of hop bines and barley fields, Forgotten Flem Ale is a product of genuine ingredients and classic brewing technique. Multiple yeast strains drive complexity and months of aging develop nuanced yet distinct flavors. Even today it’s not unusual to hear the thick accents of French and Belgian Farmers in and around Lucan. We’re very pleased to offer them a taste of home!

Description:
Traditionally, farmhouse ales were brewed with whatever ingredients the farm produced and could spare. As an estate brewery, we’ve taken the same approach. In addition to quality two-row barley, generous amounts of wheat and rye are added to give this ale a truly classic malt bill. However the star of the show is the yeast. A unique saison strain is employed which ferments a spicy and fruity, yet dry beer A second strain is used for bottle conditioning, which builds layers of complexity through rich yeast nuances

Service:
This complex ale was brewed to be served slightly chilled, in a thistle glass. Bottle conditioning will leave a small amount of sediment which can be swirled to mix or decanted. Slightly hazy and pale golden in color, Forgotten Flem will pour a generous, bright white head and release an aroma of mixed fruit and toasted grains.

Profile:
ABV = 5.3%
Color = 8 SRM
Bitterness = 51 IBU
Hops = Willamette
Yeast = Belgian Saison, Champagne

This beer introduced us to some new (old) brewing techniques. First, we fermented it very hot, well over ninety degrees. There’s a lot of rye in this beer, and it was as noticeable in the lauter tun as it is in the glass. True to traditional old-world saison, Flem is moderately sized, aggressively hopped, and made with plenty of wheat and rye. The complexities of rye, wheat, multiple yeast strains, and bottle conditioning make for a unique beer.

Look for Forgotten Flem in sixers and on draft.

(Bellaire, MI) – Wait, is that another label where it appears like someone is hanging?

Hangin’ Frank, is that you? Kind of a strange drawing (obviously just a stream of beer, I know…or a stick as a comment suggests?) but, nevertheless, there is another new release coming from the ever-experimenting Short’s Brewing.

From the brewery’s Facebook page: “We bottled The Curl! It is an imperial pilsner made with maze and pilsen malt and “unbalanced” with Amarillo Hops (not typically used in a pilsner). The result is a clean, delicious beer that is brilliantly clear and lightly carbonated. A perfect springtime beer and one of our in-house favorites! Look for it to hit stores soon!”

Beer description via the brewery website: “One of the first Imperial beers made at Short’s, this American Pilsner has an appealing clear, bright, golden straw color. Faint esters of fresh baked bread and grain aromas precede the flavor resulting from the abundance of flake maize used in this recipe. Hefty doses of hops create a pronounced dryness that seamlessly blends with the crisp, clean finish.”

According to that Facebook page, this was the brewery’s first-ever beer released in bottles (at the time, 750s). This is new artwork though.

(Ann Arbor, MI) – The Wolverine State Brewing Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan, has posted a 500% increase in sales since opening the brewery and Tap Room doors in November of 2010.

The brewery has also purchased two new ten-barrel fermentation vessels and a conditioning tank along with a new six-head “Merlin” bottler from Meheen Manufacturing. The Tap Room staff has been increased to five, has added a live music series, and will be expanding hours once the weather warms.

The company, which specializes in brewing premium and speciality lagers, has been contract brewing one product– Wolverine Beer– since 2006, and had developed a strong local following, with shelf placements in major stores such as Kroger, Meijer and Busch’s (a large Michigan grocery chain), Whole Foods among others. Opening last fall with eight other brews in addition to the flagship Wolverine Premium Lager, the Ann Arbor-based, 10 barrel commercial brewery and 100-person Tap Room on West Stadium, has been so popular many nights are standing room only.

New labels for “WOLVERINE PREMIUM LAGER”, “WOLVERINE DARK LAGER” and “WOLVERINE WINTER LAGER” have been submitted to the TTB for approval. Plans include re-launching Premium Lager in bottles from the Ann Arbor facility in June, Wolverine Dark Lager in September, and Wolverine Winter Lager (a seasonal) in November. Both Premium and Dark Lagers are currently available on draft from the Ann Arbor brewing facility. In the summer of 2012 “BLUE WATER LIGHT” Michigan’s first Premium Light Lager will be released in draft and bottles. The “Brewer’s Choice Series” of experimental lagers (and a few ales) are available in the Ann Arbor area only, some only at the Tap Room.

The company is represented by Arbor Beverage in the Washtenaw and Livingston County areas, Kent Beverage in Grand Rapids and Imperial Beverage in Kalamazoo. Marketing Director, E.T. Crowe (also known in blogging circles as the “A2 Beer Wench”) anticipates re-launching the brand with Kent and Imperial in early summer. Formerly a 150-200 barrel a year producer with just one product, The Wolverine State Brewing Company has set a 800 barrel sales goal for 2011, an increase that company president and founder Matthew Roy anticipates will be “conservative.” Speaking at the company’s first Beer and Food Pairing event, Beer Bellies, in the Tap Room on Sunday, April 3, Roy reminded the sold-out 70 person crowd that the company is almost twelve months ahead of projections already. The company remains committed to steady growth, “staying real” and creating new and better craft brewed lagers for Michigan beer drinkers.

(Traverse City, MI) – He’s a pathfinder, part yogi and part recluse. Impressively liberated from our opulent life-style – searching, determined and yearnful.

They call him the Wanderer, and his story has inspired both the legend and the honorary name of the latest North Peak Beer.

The Wanderer has been seen in Northern Michigan since the late 1800s. It’s rumored that in a prior life he went by the name of Donald Key and was a baron of industry. Then something happened. In an effort to escape the stress of his previous life, he traveled to Northern Michigan and set out on a simple hike. So began one man’s personal transformation.

Soon after his trip, Don metamorphosed to a slower, simpler pace of life – one filled with hiking the wilderness and opening his mind, body and spirit to any and all impressions that would bring him personal happiness. The story goes that Don soon left all of his worldly possessions behind to hike the hills and backwoods of Northern Michigan like a goat. In fact, some say that he is actually half goat half man.

Over the years, word spread of Don’s story and a loyal group of followers that share the Wanderer’s simplistic philosophy has since formed. Their motto is: “Give me a clear blue sky over my head, green grass under my feet and a great beer at my destination.”

It’s not known if Don is still out there, but many sightings occur – even to this day.

“Our buddy, Mark Brown of Haslett, Michigan, swore that he saw the Wanderer several years ago while playing some of Northern Michigan’s finest golf courses,” says Jon Carlson, who – along with Greg Lobdell, Ron Jeffries and Mike Hall – are the managing partners of Northern United Brewing Company in Traverse City. “The other golfers in his foursome suggest that there may be holes in his story, but Mark holds firm that he saw the Wanderer on the links that day.”

There is probably a bit of the Wanderer in each of us, just waiting to be unleashed. And who knows, maybe Don Key really still is out there today – aimlessly meandering through the forests that continue to inspire him.

North Peak’s Wanderer is a wonderfully-refreshing Session IPA, brewed with locally-grown hops on Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City. Session IPA is an exciting new style, balanced with malt and hop characters with a clean finish. Hopped with Perle, Willamette, Centennial and Citra that give it a citrus and pine finish, Wanderer is rounded out with a generous amount of dry-hopping with Citra hops to fill the nose to give it a light, clean and stimulating body. This combination of full-hop flavor and lower alcohol gives Wanderer a wonderful drinkability, allowing the craft beer drinker to have multiple beers, within a reasonable time period or “session.”

Wanderer will be available later this week in six-pack bottles at retail outlets statewide (complementing Siren, Diabolical, Majestic, Vicious and other seasonal-released brews). It is also available on tap at restaurants and bars around Michigan.

The North Peak is part of Northern United Brewing Co., which also encompasses the Grizzly Peak and Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales craft beer brands, as well as the soon-to-be-released Civilized line of spirits. NUBC’s philosophy focuses on a dedication to conservation, inspiration and locally sustainable practices. All of the beers and spirits under these brands are produced at either the new 5600-square-foot facility on Old Mission Peninsula adjacent to Mission Table (former Bowers Harbor Inn) restaurant or at the original Jolly Pumpkin facility in Dexter.

Find NUBC products at stores, restaurants, and bars all throughout Michigan, including: North Peak Brewing Company, Mission Table and Jolly Pumpkin Brewery, all in Traverse City; Jolly Pumpkin and Grizzly Peak, in Ann Arbor.

(Grand Rapids, MI) – Founders Brewing revealed on Thursday that it will be coming out with a new beer and is enlisting beer drinkers to help choose a name and label for it.

The brewery is asking fans to vote because it ran into “rights issues” with the previous name, Endurance IPA. The beer will either be called All Day IPA or Two Track All Day IPA. Per the brewery’s website:

• A description. The beer you’ve been waiting for. Keeping your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp. An all-day IPA naturally brewed with a complex array of malts, grains, and hops. Perfectly balanced for aggressive aromatics, moderate bitterness and a remarkably clean finish. It’s the perfect companion for tall tales around the bonfire, working around the yard, or introducing great craft beer to your Uncle Ernie and Aunt Claudia.
• The stats. 4.7% ABV, 42 IBUs, 6 SRM
• Tasting notes. Fresh and hoppy, tropical fruits, oats and wheat.
• Ingredients. Three varieties of malts, Simcoe and Amarillo hops (among others).
• The accolades. Won a silver medal at the 2010 GABF.

Voting on the poll ends at 5pm on Monday, April 4.

Photo Credit: jongela 19 on Flickr (creative commons)

(Memphis, TN) – One of the nation’s largest contract breweries is buying the same old Coors Brewing plant that Yuengling was going after last year.

Wisconsin-based City Brewing Company, LLC, is known for pumping out large volumes of suds for a number of companies. The La Crosse facility is capable of brewing seven million barrels of beer a year and the Latrobe facility up to 1.5 million barrels. With the announcement of plans to buy the Hardy bottling plant in Memphis, the contract brewer will be able to add a few more million barrels.

Here is the breakdown of the deal as first reported by The Memphis Commercial-Appeal:

— Blues City Brewery LLC will buy the Memphis brewery from Hardy Bottling Co. for $30 million.

— It is seeking a 15-year property tax freeze from the Memphis-Shelby County Industrial Development Board.

City’s largest contracts include high-octane malternatives such as Four Loko and Joose.

————-

Photo Credit: Jongela 19 on Flickr (creative commons)

(Saint Paul, MN) – Northern Brewer announced this morning that it will change the name of its Three Hearted Ale homebrewing kit to Dead Ringer IPA…

…and a few brief thoughts on the changing view of craft beer.

Last week, it came out that Northern Brewer was ordered to change the name of one of its products due to alleged trademark infringement by Bell’s Brewery. Today, the brewery announced that it had made the change. Here’s the write-up:

April 2011: Same recipe, new name – Dead Ringer is an homage to a benchmark of the American IPA style that’s brewed in Michigan. This kit has been a customer favorite for a decade, but this spring we had to change the name after receiving a letter from a lawyer representing the brewery. While the name may be new to our customers, the recipe is exactly the same and is still the same kit that’s close to your hearts.

I also phoned Bell’s this morning to apologize for what happened last week. I stand by the accuracy of my original report but regretted how I had framed the story after seeing the barrage of comments that it helped spur. Some comments incorrectly relayed facts and showed a lack of basic understanding of trademark disputes. That is not to say that I’m reporting as an expert in trademark law because I’m learning with each story I write as well. To help rectify that, going forward, I will be including a summary of trademark dispute basics every time a situation like this comes up. My hope is that readers skim through it if they are unfamiliar.

Craft beer is growing up very quickly and you’re going to see more coverage on the business side of things in the days and weeks ahead. Over the years, various organizations and media outlets in craft beer, myself included, have painted a very positive picture of craft beer, a culture of collaboration and innovation. While there is a lot of that going on, a more accurate picture would show that most breweries are paying the bills with pales ales and other flagships that they’ve been brewing since they started. Few, if any, write about the competitive landscape between breweries where battles for shelf space and taphandles are fought daily.

At the end of the day, small breweries are both members of the craft beer community and businesses. Each title carries a different value set and sometimes, those clash. Members of the community can only hope that their values are considered when breweries make decisions as businesses. When stories spring up portraying craft breweries as the latter, bear in mind that these breweries have been businesses from day one; that fact just hasn’t made it into the media very often until recently.

As many have said, Monday’s AB/Goose Island announcement is a picture of what’s to come so be prepared.

(Battle Creek, MI) – Arcadia Ales received TTB label approval last week for its first canned beer.

According to MLive, Whitsun isn’t the only offering that will be canned this year either:

Within the next month, or shortly thereafter, Arcadia Brewing Co. in Battle Creek will have a new option for its customers — ale from cans.

The first ale to be produced in cans will be the company’s spring/summer seasonal, Whitsun. The design for the new can is being finalized this week. Suprise says, for fall, a second product, Sky High Rye, will be added.

The article was actually written a few weeks ago but a month seems like a short turnaround to get a canning line up and running based on what we’ve seen with other breweries. That said, the beer is already available on tap.

It’s worth noting that the brewery was once again on top of relief efforts after a natural disaster, too. Arcadia donated all draft sales on a Saturday earlier this month.

(Ypsilanti, MI) – Per a newsletter sent yesterday…

WHAT IS DARK CORNER?
For those who weren’t around in 2007 when we launched the Dark Corner project, it is a Corner Brewery/Dark Horse collaboration beer. Owners Aaron and Matt developed a fabulous Imperial Brown recipe that was brewed at both locations. One of our good friends (who happens to also be a very talented artist) developed a kick a%! collector’s label and six pack. Six packs that you buy in the stores will contain 3 of our beers and three of Dark Horse’s beers. (Due to state law, you can’t purchase mixed six packs at either brewery – but can only get our beer at Corner and their beer at Dark Horse).

We did the project once in 2007 and then both got too busy to do it again – until this year. We are co-hosting multiple releases with our friends from Dark Horse that we know you won’t want to miss!

CORNER BREWERY RELEASE
TOMORROW NIGHT – Tuesday, March 29 6-8 pm – This is the official Corner Brewery release which means that it is free to mug club members and a mere $10 for guests. We’ll be pouring our version of the Dark Corner and selling six packs. This will be you first chance to taste this year’s recipe and get your hands on a Dark Corner six pack. Matt and Aaron and the brew-team will be on hand for sixer signing.

DARK HORSE BREWERY RELEASE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT – March 30 – 5-9 pm – This is the official Dark Horse Brewing Company release and will feature Dark Corner at happy hour prices. 511 S. Kalamazoo Ave, Marshall, MI 49068, Phone: 269-781-9940. There is a group of about 12 of us going from ABC and Corner and we’d love to get some more of our peeps out (if you’re not too hungover from Tuesday night!) Matt and Aaron and the brew-team will be on hand for sixer signing.

OFF-PREMISE ANN ARBOR RELEASES
Friday, April 1 – 4pm-7pm – Official Ann Arbor Happy Hour Release at Whole Foods Cranbrook – Featuring both versions of the Dark Corner on draft. If you’ve never checked out the Whole Foods bar, this is a great excuse. Great cheeses, great local beers on tap, and you can drink while you shop (or shop while you drink). 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway – Ann Arbor, MI 48103 USA – map, directions & nearby stores Phone 734.997.7500. Matt and Aaron and the brew-team will be on hand for sixer signing.

Friday April 1 – 8pm– 11pm – Ashley’s Official Ann Arbor Evening Release Party – In addition to both Dark Corners, Ashleys will be serving up a two year old Flamboyant Wild Red (there’s only a 1/6 bbl of it so get there early!), Ryeclops Imperial Rye, Hoptown Brown, Espresso Love, and a firkin of cask-hopped Arborealis. They will also have several specialty taps from Dark Horse. If you live in Washtenaw County then Ashley’s needs no introduction but here’s the address just in case. 338 South State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734-996-9191. Matt and Aaron and the brew-team will be on hand for sixer signing.

OFF-PREMISE WESTERLY RELEASES
Friday April 8 – 4pm-7pm – Official EL Happy Hour Release at Crunchy’s East Lansing – Matt and Aaron and the brew-team will be on hand for sixer signing. If you’ve never checked it out, Crunchy’s is like your favorite College bar only with 27 taps that include an incredible line-up of MI craft beers plus the “best burger in town”. http://www.crunchyseastlansing.com 254 West Grand River Avenue, East Lansing, MI 48823-4212 (517) 351-2506.

Friday April 8 – 8pm-?? – Graydon’s Crossing Official GR Evening Release – Matt and Aaron and the brew-team will be on hand for sixer signing. For all you east-siders, Graydon’s Crossing serves up 35 taps in a cozy British Pub atmosphere with a perfect balance of traditional English foods such as Shepard’s Pie and long simmered Guinness Stew, and Indian inspired dishes including Tandoori Chicken and Lamb Rogan Josh. www.graydonscrossing.com – 1223 Plainfield Avenue, Grand Rapids – (616) 726-8260. (We’re all staying at the Holiday Inn Grand Rapids on Pearl Street if anyone wants to join us for a sleep-over – in your own room of course

Cheers!
Matt & Rene and the ABC team

(East Lansing, MI) – Citing its First Amendment rights and an appalling attempt at state censorship, Flying Dog Brewery, with the support of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, filed suit in U.S. District Court on Friday to overturn the Michigan Liquor Control Commission’s ban on the sale of the company’s best-selling beer, Raging Bitch. The suit also seeks to recover damages from the loss of Flying Dog sales under the statewide ban, which the Commission issued based on its members’ personal distaste for Raging Bitch’s labeling.

The brouhaha began in September 2009, when Flying Dog Brewery applied for a license to sell Raging Bitch, the company’s 20th anniversary commemorative beer, in the state of Michigan. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission barred the sale of Raging Bitch, claiming that the beer’s label — designed by renowned British artist Ralph Steadman — is “detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.”

Flying Dog Brewery disagrees. “Regrettably, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and its members have taken it upon themselves to control not merely alcoholic beverages, but speech as well,” said Flying Dog Attorney Alan Gura of Washington, D.C.-based Gura & Possessky, PLLC. “The defendants arbitrarily imposed their personal tastes in banning Raging Bitch, clearly violating Flying Dog’s First Amendment right to free expression.”

Gura and Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso announced the filing of the case at Crunchy’s, a craft beer pub near the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing.

Caruso emphasized that the pending legal action is about much more than a beer label. “It’s about regulators gradually morphing into self-appointed thought police,” he said. “We believe not only in freedom of speech and artistic expression for both businesses and individuals, but also in the individual’s fundamental right to choose or reject books, art, literature, artisanal craft beer, and other forms of artistic expression based on their personal preferences.”

Flying Dog created Raging Bitch, a Belgian-Style India Pale Ale, to celebrate the brewery’s 20th anniversary in 2010. Raging Bitch proved an instant hit, went on to be named one of the “Top Ten New Beers in America in 2010” by Modern Brewery Age, and is now Flying Dog’s #1 best-selling beer. Gonzo artist Ralph Steadman’s Raging Bitch label depicts a female dog drawn in the inimitable style for which Steadman has been internationally celebrated for half a century.

When informed of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission’s apparent distaste for his art, Steadman said, “Freedom of speech and artistic expression is as fundamental to our being as the alphabet itself. I thought censorship went out with D.H. Lawrence’s ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ about 50 years ago! So if you are feeling a strong itch to drink Raging Bitch, just do it and get on with life.”

Alan Gottlieb, president of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, said that his organization “has joined this important legal case because the issues raised have a profound impact on the right to freely engage in the marketplace.”

Caruso concluded by voicing hope that beer lovers in Michigan will soon have the opportunity to drink Raging Bitch. “We believe in free choice,” he said. “We do not believe that Michigan citizens deserve government regulators arbitrarily deciding what their beer should be called.”

ABOUT FLYING DOG BREWERY

“Good Beer, No Shit.” Located in Frederick, MD, Flying Dog is Maryland’s largest brewery. As the company’s tagline proclaims, Flying Dog is committed to producing world-class craft beer and continues to push the envelope with experimental and limited-edition releases. Their award-winning beers are distributed in 45 states and 20 countries. Recent accolades include Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale’s ranking as the #1 American Pale Ale in the U.S. by The New York Times and Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA’s being named one of the best new beers in 2010 by Modern Brewery Age. For more information, please visit www.flyingdogales.com.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR THE DEFENSE OF FREE ENTERPRISE

The Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise is focused on publishing and disseminating information regarding the principles upon which the American free enterprise system was founded. With a focus on defending the right of individuals and businesses to participate in the free market without hindrance by the government, it is a non-partisan education and research organization that works on free enterprise studies, public policy research, book publishing, conferences, white papers, and media outreach.

(Frederick, MD) – The Kalamabrew blog broke the news today that Flying Dog Brewery is suing the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

Over what?

The brewery’s Raging Bitch beer.

Both Michigan and New Hampshire outlawed the beer from sale in their respective states because of the branding back when Flying Dog first applied for licensing.

Per Kalamabrew:

In a complaint filed Friday, the brewery asks a federal judge to issue an injunction overriding the board’s decision and allow it to advertise and sell the beer here.

The commission, which regulates alcohol sales and advertising, deemed language on the bottle to be “detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of the general public,” according to the lawsuit, which also names five commissioners as defendants.

This isn’t just a symbolic move for Flying Dog though. Raging Bitch has quickly taken over as the brewery’s top-selling brand after its introduction as the 20th anniversary beer in late 2009/early 2010.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Despite Raging Bitch’s financial success, which helped lift Flying Dog to 40% growth last year, the brewery’s media campaign is focusing around the idea of “free choice.” Per the brewery blog:

When informed of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission’s apparent distaste for his art, Steadman said, “Freedom of speech and artistic expression is as fundamental to our being as the alphabet itself. I thought censorship went out with D.H. Lawrence’s ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ about 50 years ago! So if you are feeling a strong itch to drink Raging Bitch, just do it and get on with life.”

Alan Gottlieb, president of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, said that his organization “has joined this important legal case because the issues raised have a profound impact on the right to freely engage in the marketplace.”

It will be interesting to see if the case has any impact on the other brands that Flying Dog has successfully put on shelves in Michigan.

As for New Hampshire, perhaps this is a sign of things to come. The brewery wrote one year ago:

It is an outrage that one person can arbitrarily over-rule the rights of wholesalers, retailers, and beer lovers throughout an entire state. We are proud to have Chad in the People’s Republic of Flying Dog and wholeheartedly support his quest for the Bitch.

Mr. Edwards [NH Chief of Liquor Enforcement], if you’re reading this, our CEO Jim Caruso has called you a few times to discuss this with you. He would very much appreciate a call back.

(Kalamazoo, MI) – Here’s the response from Bell’s Brewery.

To all interested:
Yesterday, Northern Brewer posted on their Facebook page about a cease and desist letter that they received from Bell’s Brewery, Inc. I apologize that Bell’s has taken so long to respond to this issue, but all members of management were travelling to the Craft Brewers Conference yesterday and could not get a response posted.

On March 18, 2011, representatives of Bell’s Brewery, Inc. sent a letter to Northern Brewer regarding that company’s use of Three Hearted Ale for a homebrewing kit. This letter was sent out at a time when Bell’s is having to defend it’s trademarks(including Two Hearted) on several fronts. Because we are finding ourselves in this situation, we believe that is necessary to correspond in writing to those we feel are infringing on our marks. We do not know the owners of Northern Brewer nor were we familiar with the products they offered until recently. From a legal perspective a phone call was not going to provide the documented defense that we need as we try to defend this trademark now and in the future.

Here is a partial extract of the letter we sent:

“As a result of the extensive business investment by Bell’s Brewery, significant goodwill has inured in the TWO HEARTED trademark.”

“While Bell’s Brewery encourage the development of independent brewers and homebrewing, Bell’s Brewery are concerned with your use of THREE HEARTED ALE Extract kit.”

“Bell’s Brewery are of the opinion that there is a likelihood of confusion between your mark and the trademarks for TWO HEARTED owned by Bell’s Brewery. The marks create the same overall commercial impression. Furthermore, the goods associated with your mark and the trademark for Two Hearted are identical.”

“Consequently, your use of THREE HEARTED is likely to create confusion, deception, or mistake among purchasers as to the origin or source of the goods/services, or convey to the purchasing public that the goods/services are approved by Bell’s Brewery or that there is an affiliation or connection between you and Bell’s Brewery.”

We have no issue with Northern Brewer other than this trademark infringement. We are flattered that they want to clone our beer-we have no problem with that. In fact, our staff recently agreed to work with Zymurgy magazine on a Two Hearted clone. Clones are not the issue.

Neither do we have a problem with homebrewers. Bell’s was founded as a homebrew shop in 1983 and has been in that business ever since. We are great supporters of the homebrew community and have underwritten many competitions, donated prizes to clubs, conducted tours with homebrew clubs, provided beer for certain AHA conventions, spoken at AHA convention, held an AHA membership rally, etc. etc. We have no problem with homebrewing or homebrewers. We love homebrewers.

Bell’s has worked long and hard to develop and market Two Hearted Ale. It is a very valuable asset for our company. As president of Bell’s it is my job to protect those types of assets. That is my responsibility to my employees and their families, and to the shareholders of the company. Never were we contacted by Northern Brewer asking permission to use Three Hearted. Upon learning of Three Hearted we moved to defend an asset that we own and have owned for many years. This is our right and duty. A trademark that is not defended becomes worthless. And while some of you may think that this was harmless flattery, by not defending against this we would be opening the door for further challenges against our mark.

At this time it would appear that Northern Brewer plans to respect and acknowledge our right to this trademark, as I understand that they are renaming their product. For this, we thank them. This is all we are asking for.

As regards Third Street, we filed for an extension to oppose, not an opposition. The use of the extension is often used so that two companies can sit down and see what each others marks are, and if they can co-exist. Often an agreement is drawn up between the two companies for this co-existence. We are currently in that discovery phase with Third Street.

I know many of you think that Bell’s was heavy handed in our actions. I’m sorry you feel this way. Bell’s has been on both sides of trademark issues-sometimes a winner and sometimes a loser. Twice in the history of Two Hearted we have been sent cease and desist letters regarding the labels. Additionally, we acquired the label by written permission of it’s former owner who gave it up many years ago. When these actions arise we try to respect others intellectual property and conduct ourselves with a modicum of decency. Trademark law is part of being in the consumer products business.

I hope this letter explains our position and that you will understand that we are just trying to protect what is ours. We are sorry if some of you feel offended by our action, but for us we felt it was the most professional and legally necessary means to an end. We hold no malice towards Northern Brewer, their employees or their customers.

Sincerely,

Larry J. Bell
President
Bell’s Brewery, Inc.

(Minneapolis, MN) – Granite City Food & Brewery (Nasdaq: GCFB) today announced the launch of a bottled beer line in retail stores outside of their 26 restaurants throughout the Midwest. Through its patented beer processing system, Granite City has been developing and brewing some of the best handcrafted beers available throughout the region. Today, Granite City ranks as the #6 largest Brewpub Group in the United States with approximately 600,000 gallons of beer sold in 2010. The company has partnered with distributors to have its beers bottled and available for sale in liquor stores and grocery stores in states throughout the Upper Midwest area. The announcement today expands on the company’s continuing use of its patented beer process. Earlier this month the company announced that its beer would be offered in the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild, with more venues expected in the future.

“We are very pleased to build on our strategy of providing our handcrafted beer to our loyal consumers in locations outside of our restaurants,” said Steve Wagenheim, President and Founder of Granite City. “Over the years our beers have become some of the best handcrafted beers in the area having won numerous awards. We see this as a great branding strategy for our restaurants with the opportunity to create many more loyal customers of our fine handcrafted beers.”

The company will begin to sell three of its hand crafted beers in retail outlets in the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Sioux Falls, Fargo and various Kansas markets beginning in April 2011. The inaugural batch to be bottled will include Northern Lager, Duke of Wellington and Brother Benedict’s Bock, three of the company’s most popular beers. This inaugural batch will have a special “first-run” designation on each bottle. The hand crafted beers will be bottled at Minhaus Brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin. Associated Brewing Company (ABC) will be importing and selling the beer, in addition to handling other logistical and invoicing items for Granite City. ABC, in turn, will sell the beer to various distributors who will work with retailers throughout Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa and Kansas.

“Wirtz Beverage Minnesota Beer Inc. is excited to partner with Granite City in offering high quality craft beer to the Minneapolis / St. Paul metro area,” said Scott Cairncross, Vice President of Wirtz Beverage Minnesota. “We are pleased to grow our relationship with Granite City by acting as their distributor for bottle beer, in addition to our current relationship with their arena beers.”

“We’re proud to present the new Granite City bottled beer line,” said Steve Wagenheim. “Whether they’re dining at one of our restaurants or spending an evening at home, fans of the Granite City brand can now enjoy a great handcrafted beer whenever they like.”

About Granite City Food & Brewery

Granite City Food & Brewery Ltd. is a Modern American upscale casual restaurant chain that operates 26 restaurants in 11 states. The menu features affordable yet high quality family favorite menu items prepared from made-from-scratch recipes and served in generous portions. The sophisticated yet unpretentious restaurants, proprietary food and beverage products, attractive price points and high service standards combine for a great dining experience. Granite City opened its first restaurant in St. Cloud, Minnesota in 1999. For more information about Granite City, visit www.gcfb.com.

Black Star Beer is a traditional European-style Pilsner beer made with both Bavarian Mittelfrüh and Czech Saaz hops and two row malting barley. This crisp craft lager is hopped first in the kettle and then again before finishing to create a full bodied lager flavor.

“The Black Star 24 ounce can is the ultimate single package” said Minott Wessinger, founder of Black Star Beer. “You’re getting a refreshing lager with great flavor available at stores conveniently located near you. It’s the perfect way to introduce Black Star to consumers looking to try a new beer.”

The Black Star 24 ounce can retails for $1.99. As the snow melts and springtime quickly approaches, the giant golden can is the quintessential pack item for your outdoor adventures to the mountains, lakes or beaches.

“Stick one in your pack, cooler or canoe, or share them with friends at a backyard barbeque,” Minott adds.

To find convenience stores selling Black Star 24 ounce cans near you, visit Black Star’s Beer Locator and search for “Convenience” – http://blackstarbeer.com/beer-locator/

Additional Black Star Spring Projects
Black Star Beer will be hitting the road this spring in its vintage Airstream. Grab your friends and join the Black Star team as they travel through San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Montana and Las Vegas visiting festivals, events and some of your favorite watering holes. Equipped with a photobooth machine that automatically uploads to facebook and email, the Black Star Airstream will be bringing a little taste of Whitefish, MT to you!

About Black Star Beer
Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager was first brewed in Whitefish, Montana at the Great Northern Brewing Company in 1995. The beer was created by Minott Wessinger, a fifth generation brewer and great-great grandson of West Coast brewing pioneer Henry Weinhard. Black Star is a remarkably crisp and refreshing double-hopped (dry-hopped) lager with a distinctive, hoppy aroma and a rich, full-bodied flavor. For more information, please visit blackstarbeer.com.

(Milwaukee, WI) – Jim McCabe, owner of Milwaukee Brewing Company and the Milwaukee Ale House, today announced an infusion of new energy into the brewery through a partnership with Jim Hughes, a former Robert W. Baird executive.

Hughes officially joined Milwaukee Brewing Company in December, nearly a year after first meeting McCabe. Fueled by a shared love of quality craft beer – and encouraged by the surging market for it – McCabe and Hughes see tremendous opportunity for growth and have laid out a solid plan and significant goals for the future of the brewery.

“Jim brings with him a whole career’s worth of knowledge and ideas that will help us take the brewery to the next level,” said McCabe. “We know we have an extremely high-quality and marketable product, and with Jim on board we see new opportunities to spread the word about the brewery and our beers.”

Hughes spent the majority of his 16 years with Baird as an institutional equity broker in the company’s sales and trading efforts, covering the New York market. Hughes left Baird in 2009 and embarked upon the search for his second career.

“Milwaukee Brewing Company seemed like a great fit for a variety of reasons,” said Hughes. “Jim has steadily built the operation with innovation and integrity, and at the same time the craft beer market is really taking off. We’re well positioned to grow and enhance our operations, and can’t wait to see what the future has in store.”

Milwaukee Brewing Company produced 4,300 barrels of beer in 2010, and set a goal to produce 5,500 this year. Milwaukee Brewing Company beers are distributed by Beechwood Distributors in the Milwaukee area, Frank Beer in the Madison area, and by various other distributors throughout the state of Wisconsin. There are several other exciting things on tap for Milwaukee Brewing in 2011:

* With spring training underway, fans of Milwaukee Brewing Company and the Milwaukee Brewers already have reason to cheer: Milwaukee Brewing Company’s signature brew, Louie’s Demise, has been added to the craft beer offerings at Miller Park and will be available for purchase beginning on Opening Day this year.

* On shelves now, Milwaukee Brewing Company’s Bock Bier, available through the end of March, is the latest brew in the company’s Timed Release Series. The next offering in the series will be Siason, a French farmhouse style beer, which will hit shelves in late April.

* Since beginning its brewery tours in August of last year, Milwaukee Brewing Company has seen the power of word of mouth in action. The “beer in hand” tours have steadily gained in popularity, and now the tours regularly hit the 30-person capacity. Tours are offered every Friday at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., and every Saturday at 3:00, 4:00, and 5:00 p.m. The tour is $7 per person and includes beer samples, a pint glass to take home, a bumper sticker, and a token for a free brew at one of several neighborhood bars in Walker’s Point.

* In February, Milwaukee Brewing Company held its 14th Annual Mid-Winter Brewfest to benefit the MACC Fund. Hundreds of people attended the popular event at the Milwaukee Ale House, enjoying beers from 26 different breweries and food provided by Palermo’s and Usingers. The event raised approximately $20,000 for the MACC Fund.

About Milwaukee Brewing Company

Milwaukee Brewing Company is a craft beer brewery and the only true microbrewery in Milwaukee today. The brewery’s beginnings go back to 1996, when two home brewers with limited resources and unlimited ideas started brewing beer in the basement of a Cedarburg farmhouse. That effort lead to the opening of the popular Milwaukee Ale House the following year, and finally, in 2006, to the current production facility at 613 S. 2nd Street in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. Using the best local ingredients and a hands-on brewing technique, Milwaukee Brewing Company brews more than a dozen varieties of beer, including Louie’s Demise, Flaming Damsel and Pullchain Pail Ale. The brewery is becoming well known for its commitment to a sustainable brewing process from start to finish, including using biodiesel to run its boiler; reusing water and heat; and canning certain varieties of its beer, which offers a lower shipping footprint and greater recyclability. For more information, visit http://www.milwaukeebrewingco.com.

(Minneapolis, MN) – A long time ago in a brewery far, far away…

OK, so it wasn’t that long ago, and it isn’t that far away (just a couple hours on a plane… no biggie). But it took Stone Brewing Co. nearly 15 years of brewing amazing beers in sunny North County San Diego to decide that Minnesota is, in fact, worthy enough to receive them.

Minnesota will become the 34th state to have the distinct honor and privilege of delighting in Stone Brewing Co.’s highly acclaimed beers at finer establishments throughout the Twin Cities. Their righteously resplendent repertoire of craft beers will no doubt be welcomed by glorious fanfare and unfettered celebrations throughout the streets.

To ensure that the droves of worthy devotees have proper access to their belovèd liquid arrogance now (and forever), Stone Brewing Co. has partnered with Original Gravity, a band of Minnesota distributors united by their passion for craft beer. “The hard work and investment that has been put into developing Original Gravity has been a toil of passion and camaraderie,” says Original Gravity beer guru Hans “Hanszee” Lofgren. “It has helped us develop a strong portfolio of craft beers. The addition of the Stone Brewing Co. brings us to a new level in the Minnesota market.”

CEO and co-founder Greg Koch – Grand Marshal to the never-ending parade playing out in his own head – will be on hand to kick off the launch with a week-long lineup of epochal events ever so cleverly dubbed… wait for it… “STONE WEEK: Minnesota!” (I know! How do they come up with this stuff?!?) In addition to providing a prodigious portfolio of nine highly praised year-round releases, Greg dug back in the archives to break out some vintage rarities, barrel-aged niceties, and other treasured oddities.

Block out March 29th through April 2nd on your calendar now! Cancel all previous engagements and start planning your world around STONE WEEK: Minnesota. The full listing of life-affirming events can be found at http://3.ly/StoneWeekMN.