Kuka Banana Nut Brown Ale

Kuka is a new brewery based in Rockland County New York.  This brewery uses old Andean brewing techniques of using Maca Root and other exotic adjuncts to help smooth the profile of the beer.  The brewery currently has two levels of brews, high gravity and low gravity (higher ABV and lower ABV) beers.  Some stand out beers from KUKA is the Banana Nut Brown Ale which has a nice earthy brown ale malt profile but nice notes of banana which are not overly sweet at all, very enjoyable.  They also have a notable Imperial Rye IPA which weighs in at 9.4% ABV and you could mistake this beer for 5% its so smooth.  Be sure to keep and eye out for this upcoming brewery as they plan on impressing us with more beers such as their Pumpernickel Ale coming soon.

New York Limited - Savor Beer Collaboration

This year the Brewers Association is holding the SAVOR craft beer and food experience in New York City.  Since the prestigious event is being held in New York this years take home gift bottle is called New York Limited.  The Collaboration is a strong white lager with some special New York grown hops, honey and spices.  The three breweries involved with this collaboration is Brooklyn, Ommegang and Saranac.  Brooklyn hosted the brew day and bottling event and you can only get this brew during your exit from this event.

Bigfoot Vintage Tap Takeover at Croxley's Franklin Square

Get ready for one of the most impressive tap takeovers ever.  During Long Island Craft Beer Week at Croxleys in Franklin Square is the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Vintage Tap Takeover.  There will be Bigfoot Barley Wine Style Ale from 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.  This is your opportunity to try these vintage Bigfoot ales.  They will feature a flight to try the differences between each years release for $14.00.  Be sure to check out this once in a life time event.

Brooklyn Brewmasters Reserve Scorcher #366

Set for release in mid to late May 2013 is the next installment of the Brooklyn Brewmasters Reserve called Scorcher #366.  Brooklyn Scorcher #366 is an eminently sessionable (4.5% abv) hoppy pale ale featuring a hop so new that it doesn’t have a real name yet: “HBC 366”. Scorcher is dry, minerally and fruity on the palate, snappy in the center, and bursting with the citrusy, piney notes that make our new pal 366 so special.

Magic Hat HiCu

Magic Hat has released a new exotic ale called HICU.  HiCu is a Hibiscus Cucumber ale available in the Summer Scene variety 12pack.  This beer mixes two unique ingredients to create cool cucumber notes with a hibiscus tang to please and a smooth malt body.  This beer is truly unique and limited right now to just the variety pack in bottles.  The Summer Scene variety packs are currently available in better beer stores across Long Island.

 

Dogfish Firefly Ale & Sixty One Update

Dogfish Head has released Firefly Ale (Pale Ale) to be served at the Firefly music festival in Delaware.  This beer is rumored to be the Shelter Pale Ale but with a slight variation in the hops used.  Unfortunately this beer is being held up in the NY state label approval process.  Dogfish Head is having the same problem with the Sixty-One, which is also awaiting label approval.  The bad news is that if the label approvals aren't approved in a proper amount of time then there is a chance we will not get these items on Long Island because the beer has dates and when it is getting too close to these dates, then the beer will be shipped to different markets.  Lets hope the slackers up in Albany get these labels approved in a timely manner.

Long Trail Seasonal Line-up Update

Long Trail Brewing Co. from Bridgewater Corners, VT has made a decision to narrow their seasonal line-up down to just 3 seasonals.  As most people know in the beer industry, Spring beers are the least performing of the seasonal line-ups for most breweries.  What is a Spring beer style?  Traditionally Bock beers from Germany were the Spring beers of choice, however Bock beer is not as popular in the United States.  In fact most breweries don't even brew a Bock beer and pick another style for their spring seasonal.  Well Long Trail has decided to cancel their Pollenator (golden ale) and only release 3 seasonals (4 if you count pumpkin which is released the same time as the Harvest Brown Ale).  This year will be the last time to get your hands on the Pollenator.  If you see this Golden Ale out in the market, now is the time to try it before its gone for good.

Magic Hat Belgo Sutra

Magic Hats Humdinger series has been out for a year now, but not since recently has it been available on Long Island.  The first installment available on Long Island in the 750ml corked and caged bottle is Belgo Sutra.  Magic Hat Belgo Sutra is an 8.2% Belgian Strong Ale available in limited quantities.  See the picture above for the bottle picture taken at Brewtopia in Port Jefferson, this label is the newly designed label.  The original label was deemed too sexual and was rejected by the states where it was registered.  Reviews on the Belgo Sutra have been very good and is a must try beer from Magic Hat.  See below for the original rejected label.

Ayinger Jahrhundert

Ayinger brewery is most famously known for the Celebrator Doppelbock, perhaps the most highly rated Doppelbock in the world.  This world famous brewery is starting a rotational draft offering to the United States.  Starting in the next month or so, Ayinger will start shipping a limited release draft only beer.  The first installment is the Jahrhundert, a Helles Lager once brewed for the 100th anniversary of the brewery.  This rotational draft series will be available in 30 liter "one way" kegs.  The one way kegs are no-deposit barrels with a throw away blatter inside.  There will only be 10 of these 30-liter barrels available for Long Island. 

Dogfish Head Tap Handle Update

Check out the new generic Dogfish Head tap markers.  These handles come in a fake silk cloth lined box and are available in two different colors.  The neon dogfish handle is the same shape and design as the brown handle.  The neon handle will certainly stick out in dark bars and among the lengthy (and getting longer) draft towers.  Look for the updated handles on tap towers in the next few weeks and through out the year.

Spider Bite White Bite Wheat Ale

Spider Bite is set to release their first Wheat Ale called White Bite.  This American style Wheat Ale will be available on draft and in 12oz bottles in the beginning of April.  This brew is 50 % malted wheat, uses the Spider Bite American Yeast strain and weighs in at 4.5% abv.  Look for the lighter side of Spider Bite soon.

Brooklyn Blast Coming in Bottles

Brooklyn Brewery is planning on releasing the cult favorite Brooklyn Blast West Coast style IPA in bottles.  The Blast will be available for the first time in bottle, and you guessed it in 12ounce 4 packs towards the end of 2013.  Brooklyn Brewery is investing in their first 12 ounce bottling line in Williamsburg.  This move to add the 12 ounce bottling line to the Williamsburg brewery is in order to keep the superb quality of this IPA up to par.  This makes us wonder if more high end 4 packs will be coming in the future.

Long Trail Brown Bag Milk Stout

The third installment of the Long Trail Pilot Brew Series available on draft only is coming to Long Island soon.  We are currently in batch#2 the Bavarian Smoked Brown Ale which is a smoke beer lovers dream.  The Milk Stout will be available in 50 liter barrels on draft only.  Look for this 5.4% brew on a draft tower near you.  See above for all the specs and description of this limited brew.

Samuel Adams Grumpy Monk

Coming to a draft tower near you on Long Island...Samuel Adams Grumpy Monk Belgian IPA is now available on draft in both 1/6 barrel slims and 1/2 barrels.  This beer was originally part of the Hopology variety 12 pack and is now coming to draft by popular demand.  Sample this Belgian IPA at the Samuel Adams booth on March 9th, 2013 at the Spring Craft Beer Festival  at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale Long Island.

Magic Hat Elder Betty Cans

Magic Hat released a new Summer seasonal last year called Elder Betty, a weisse beer with elderberry flavor.  This year for its second seasonal release, come the 12 ounce can version.  This is the second beer canned by Magic Hat, previously it was only their flagship #9 beer in cans.  Look for this in 12 packs and at on premise locations this summer on Long Island.

Spider Bite White Bite Summer Seasonal

There are reports that Spider Bite Beer Company out of Holbrook Long Island is developing their first seasonal beer offering.  Set for release in April is White Bite, an American Wheat Ale.  There are 3 different batches of this beer fermenting as this is written.  One of which is going to be released as White Bite.  There isn't much more information on this beer besides being made of 50% wheat and being unfiltered.  Look for this much anticipated release in the upcoming months.

Dogfish Head Beer Dinner at The Good Life

Tuesday February 12, 2013 was another legendary beer dinner at The Good Life in Massapequa Park.  This dinner featured Dogfish Head Brewery from Delaware.  In participation with the A Hop Eclipse Now two-month IPA focused events came an all IPA beer dinner.  This dinner featured the famous "Minute" IPA series, 60 Minute, 75 Minute, 90 Minute, and 120 Minute.  Each of the four courses enhanced the specific hop flavor profile of each of the IPA's.  If you have ever been to The Good Life for a beer dinner then you know it is run seamlessly and the food is of utmost quality.  This dinner was truly unique and different from the normal beer selection.  Plus its always an amazing night when you can locate 60/75/90/120 minute in one place, let alone drink each one with a meal specially made to pair with it.

90 Minute paired with Braised Lamb Shank

Anchor to Open Second Brewery



Anchor Brewing Company has announced their plans to open up a second brewery at the famous Pier 48 in San Francisco.  The plans include an fully functional brewery, distribution area, restaurant, a museum and other attractions.  The new brewery capacity will be over 400,000 barrels, on top of the 120,000 barrels the current brewery can produce.  Above is an artist rendition of the new brewery that is set to be finished in 2016.

Brooklyn Opening Second Brewery In Sweden

 

Did you know that Brooklyn Brewery is 13th largest craft brewery in the US as far as volume is concerned?  Did you know that Brooklyn Brewery is the largest exported craft brewery in the United States?  Well, now you know.  Brooklyn Brewery already owns 2 freight tanker ships that carry beer in huge vessels across the Atlantic Ocean to foreign markets and bottles the beer over there.  Their largest export customer is Sweden.  It makes sense that Brooklyn decided to build their second brewery in Stockholm, Sweden.  This will sure make the beer fresher to the Swedish customers and is likely to start a trend of American Craft Breweries opening Breweries over seas.

Sierra Nevada Blindfold Black IPA

This years first draft only release from Sierra Nevada is Blindfold Black IPA.  This Cascadian Dark Ale aka Black IPA is coming to Long Island soon.  There will only ne 10 Slim barrels (5 gallon barrels) making it to the island and will be at the most loyal Sierra Nevada accounts.  This Black IPA is 7% abv with 77 IBU's.  There is a healthy dose of hops in this brew featuring Summit, Cascade and Chinook.  To darken, the brew they used Two Row Pale Malt and Carafa III.  A super limited release, hope you get to find a pint.

New IPA Glass By Spiegelau

Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada teamed up a few months back to develop their second installment of Life & Limb which is a East Coast meets West Coast IPA.  In order to enhance the flavors of this beer and the other hop forward beers Sierra and Dogfish developed an IPA glass.  The glass made by legendary glassware producers Spiegelau is designed to enhance the aromas and tastes of India Pale Ales and other Hop highlighting beers.  This glass features a unique shape which has the majority of the beer sitting in the top half of the glass.  The glass is 19 ounces which is made for 16  ounce pours with plenty of room for a nice frothy head.  The picture above shows the solid head retention and really enhances the hop flavor profile.  Look for these glasses at Dogfish Head hop pouring accounts across Long Island.

Long Trail Bavarian Smoked Brown Ale

Long Trail's Brown Bag Pilot Series batch #2 is about to hit the market here on Long Island.  The style is a Bavarian Smoked Brown Ale which features cherrywood smoked Pale Malt and brown ale malt.  This beer is only available on draft in 50 liter barrels.  The brew is said to pair amazing with smoked meats, fish and cheese and is nice and sessionable at 5.4%abv. Only 15 barrels of the Bavarian Smoked Brown Ale are available on LI.  Find this beer at Long Trail loyal accounts across the island.

Sierra Nevada Barrel Aged Big Foot

Sierra Nevada is honoring the 30th anniversary of one of America's barley wine legends, Bigfoot.  To celebrate the brewery aged the potent barley wine in a variety of whiskey and rum barrels for nearly 2 years.  This process will certainly smooth out the intense hop and malt flavors of the barley wine and make this a super enjoyable beer.  Drink in moderation at 11.8%abv in painted label cork and caged 750ml bottles.  Only 100 barrels of this beer was made for the entire country, and Long Island has only gotten 9 cases to satisfy a population over 7.5 million people.  Needless to say if you get the opportunity to taste this brew, don't pass it up.

Dogfish Head Beer-Wine Hybrids

 

Dogfish is messing around with beer and wine again. Last year Dogfish released Noble Rot their first beer/wine hybrid in certain markets (not long island). Noble Rot is coming to LI for its first time next week in 750ml and limited draft. The beer side of Noble Rot is a Saison with a variety of nice hops, add some infected grapes (hence the name noble rot) and you get yourself a 9% hybrid.

Next is this beer/wine hybrid in this series is called Sixty-One. It all started when Sam Calagione had his crew sit down for their nightly 60 minute pint and Sam added one extra ingredient... Syrah grape must which is the the end liquid of wine that was aging in a barrel. This beer will be available in 12oz bottles in 4packs within the next several months. Sixty (60 min) - One (1 extra ingredient).

Sam Adams Jumping on the Can-Wagon

 

More and more breweries are turning to cans and for good reason.  There are a bunch of reasons why cans are the chosen beer vessel.  They're lighter for shipping which costs less, lighter so they're easier to carry hiking, they protect the beer better from light damage and they fit in coolers/refrigerators better.  There are all sorts of beer styles coming in cans also.

Originally Jim Koch wasn't in favor of putting his beloved beer in a can.  Now he has changed his mind and rumors are that Samuel Adams cans are coming real soon.  Above are some sample images of the first brews to be canned.

 

Brooklyn / Amarcord Collaboration

 

Brooklyn Brewery's Garrett Oliver made a friend ship in Italy with of course a brewery, a few years back.  This resulted in two separate beers; a bruna (brown) and a bionda (blonde).  The bruna is 7.5% abv and the bionda is 6.0% abv.  The duo of beers was originally only available in close proximity to the brewery in Brooklyn.  Now these beers are making their way East to Long Island.  The beers will be coming to the island this Summer in both 12 ounce and 750ml (25.4oz) bottles. 

Bubbas Burrito BAR - Islip

Bubbas Burrito Bar in Islip, NY is not just a burrito bar but a craft beer bar also.  Located at 513 Main St. in Islip in the heart of Islip sits a little restaurant that has some of the best "west coast" style Mexican food around.  When it comes to beer owner Tim H. loves the East Coast brewing methods of Dogfish Head brewery.  Tim aka Bubba features at least one Dogfish Head draft beer and usually more.  His Dogfish bottle collection will make most of the local discount beverage centers drool.  Many of the occaisional releases in the 750ml bottle like Positive Contact, Black and Blue and Hellhound can be found here each and every year when they are released.  On top of carrying East coast's own Dogfish he carrys some heady local craft brews like Spider Bite First Bite Pale Ale.  Some noteable burritos are the Brotato and the Land & Sea.  The beer prices are very reasonable which makes it a great place to sample some of those rare and pricey 750ml bottles.  This place is not to be missed and should be frequented regularly.

Brooklyn Lager 16oz 2 for $4

Brooklyn Lager 16 ounce cans coming to HESS EXPRESS this spring.  The New York metro area Hess Express gas station store chain is adding Brooklyn Lager 16 ounce cans at a great single serve price of 2 for $4.00.  Along with adding this, each store will also carry the Brooklyn Seasonal 6pk bottle that is available at that time.  This is big news for Brooklyn Brewery since they were not previously mandated in that convenience chain.

There aren't many options when it comes to single-serve craft beers at a reasonable price, especially in a can.  Now you can pick up a couple Brooklyn Lagers on the way home or out to do something with out picking up a 6 pack of bottles, if you can find them.  Not to mention you are likely to leave the rest behind when you leave your gathering.  This is all about convenience and is a sign of the times in the beer industry and what consumers want. 

Dogfish & Sierra - Life & Limb part 2

 

The second installation of the Dogfish Head & Sierra Nevada collaboration Life & Limb is coming called Rhizing Bines.  This East meets West IPA is a follow up to the 2009 collabo which was a 10% strong dark brew made with Calagione family maple.  Rhizing Bines is set to release this February in 750ml bottles and on draft.







Rhizing Bines is an IPA like no other.  The beer is being brewed in Delaware at Dogfish with their continuous hopping technique featuring the brand new hop varietal Bravo.  Then the beer is being shipped to the new Sierra Nevada brewery in North Carolina for their torpedo hopping technique, from there the beer is shipped back to Delaware where it is dry hopped once more with a super new experimental hop which is called Hop644 (too new to name).  Not to mention a new Carolina heirloom wheat to round out the backbone of this brew with nutty notes.  Finally this beer will be bottled and kegged weighing in at 8% and 70 IBU's.
Find this beer a solid craft beer distributors like Bay Shore Beer and Liberty Beverages in East Meadow.  Also join us for A Hop Eclipse Now event in Bay Shore at TJ Finleys 6pm Friday March 15th 2013 which will feature 60/75/90/120min, Rhizing Bines, Hellhound, Burton Baton and Aprihop.

Long Trail Brown Bag Series

Long Trail Brewing Company has released their first draft only beer series.  This series is named the Brown Bag series which features a burlap bag over the tap handles which states the style of beer.  The first style released is an American IPA which is available on Long Island now at Legends in New Suffolk and Mr Beerys in Bethpage.  The second installment in this series is set to be a Bavarian Smoked Brown Ale and will be released in late January.
Long Trail invites craft beer drinkers to join their "test pilot" program and share your feed back of thier draft only releases.  You can sign up here: Brown Bag Series Test Pilot

A Hop Eclipse Now! - Dogfish Head

Dogfish Head is up to it again, Sam is  making a multi-month event leading up to the prestigious SAVOR event (which is in NYC this year for the first time).  This event is A Hop Eclipse Now!  Which is based entirely around IPA's and will introduce a special glass to enhance the enjoyment of your IPA.  The idea is to showcase all the of many IPA's from Dogfish which will help show the different styles and taste profiles of different types of India Pale Ale's.  This event will feature the core Dogfish IPAs like 60min, 90min, Burton Baton, Indian Brown Ale  (credited as the first black ipa) along with the occaisional IPAs like 120min, Hellhound, Aprihop and 75 minute.  On top of that already serious line up comes a few more brand new IPA's...Brand X a fruit infused ipa (which is likely not going to be called brand x and currently is unannounced) and Rhizing Bines (the colloboration with Sierra Nevada following the life and limb collabo).  Look for more info on these brews in the near future here on LIcraftbeer blog. 

All the above mentioned IPA's will be available throughout Long Island.  There is also a couple upcoming Dogfish Head events coming up. There is a 4 course beer dinner at The Good Life in Massapequa Park this February (sorry already sold out).  And there is already one A Hop Eclipse Now event booked at TJ Finleys in Bay Shore on Friday March 15, 2013.  They already have 120 minute IPA draft, Burton Baton draft, Hellhound draft, 90 minute IPA bottle and a few more solid draft selections to enjoy.  Check out this video to learn more about A Hop Eclipse Now!



Brooklyn Silver Anniversary

Its been 25 amazing years since Brooklyn Brewery started making beer.  To honor this Silver Anniversary is of course a beer.  This Beer is the Silver Anniversary Lager which is a Doppelbock.  Similiar to double version of the flagship beer Brooklyn Lager.  Weighing in at 8.2% this beer will be a nice celebration to 25 years of hard work.  There will be 4 different commemeritive 750ml bottles each with different art work from different Brooklyn area artists.
Originally there was only going to be bottles released as described above.  We have recieved word at LIcraftbeer that there will be draft released!  In March the Silver Anniversary Lager will be released on draft as part of the Brewmasters Reserve Series.  Look for it at the better beer bars on Long Island.
Congrats Steve Hindy, Garrett Oliver and the rest of the staff at Brooklyn Brewery.

Sam Adams New Albion Ale

 

Sam Adams is re-releasing the original craft beer which was last made 30 years ago in 1983.  This beer is the New Albion Ale which was originally brewed by New Albion brewery started by Jack McAuliffe in 1977.  Set for official release this Thursday January 17, 2013 at Russian River brewery in Santa Rosa, California which currently is the home place for the original New Albion beer sign. 

This beer was created after a Sam Adams employee ran into Jack McAuliffe at his home brewers club meeting.  After talking to Jim Koch, owner and founder of Boston Beer Co., and realizing the trademark was no longer registered, Koch decided to register the name and make the beer.

This beer is already hitting stores and bars this week across Long Island.  There is also a rumor of this beer on draft, which I can confirm.  Dates and locations for the New Albion ale draft offering will be available soon.