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).