Thursday, September 27, 2012

4th Annual NH Brewfest

Redhook Brewery Hosts Fourth Annual New Hampshire BrewFest: Oct. 6
A Celebration of Nearly 150 Fine Craft Beers, Local Food and Good Music;Tickets on Sale Now – VIP Package for Beer Geeks 

Portsmouth, N.H. – Sept. 13, 2011Redhook Brewery, Master Brewers Association of the Americas New England Chapter, Prescott Park Arts Festival, 100.3 WHEB and Rock 101 & The Morning Buzz are once again teaming up to host the fourth annual New Hampshire BrewFest on Saturday, Oct. 6. Featuring nearly 150 quality beers from 37 breweries, the annual BrewFest will take place at Redhook Brewery in Portsmouth, N.H. The New Hampshire BrewFest encourages New Englanders to come out and enjoy great craft beer, food and music and will benefit the Prescott Park Arts Festival and the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.

As a nonprofit organization, the Prescott Park Arts Festival has presented music, art, theater and dance to families on the banks of the Piscataqua River for the past 37 years. The Master Brewers Association is dedicated to the technology and advancement of brewing across the United States.

What:             Fourth Annual New Hampshire BrewFestJoin Redhook Brewery, 100.3 WHEB and Rock 101 & The Morning Buzz and sample nearly 150 fine craft brews from 37 breweries. Hosted in Redhook Brewery’s backyard, this charitable event benefits the Prescott Park Arts Festival and the Master Brewers Association. Open to those 21 and over, the BrewFest will also feature local food and live music by Clear River Band and Blue James Band.

When:       Saturday, Oct. 6; times vary (see below for details).  Tents will be available in the event of rain. 

Where:      Redhook Ale Brewery, 1 Redhook Way, Portsmouth, NH 03801

Tickets:    NOTE: The N.H. BrewFest offers two sessions. Entrants are permitted to attend only one session. Presale tickets are available online at www.BrewNH.com and at Redhook Brewery’s Cataqua Pub. Purchasing tickets in advance is advised, as space is limited and sessions often sell out. Food is not included with admission, and all purchases at the gate and inside the event are cash only. No reentry or pets allowed.

Session 1, Matinee: 1-4 p.m., $25 advanced, $35 day-of-fest; live music by the Clear River Band
Session 1, ‘VIP’ Matinee: 12-1 p.m. pre-session plus 1-4 p.m., $45 advanced purchase only
Session 2, Evening: 6-9 p.m., $35 advanced, $45 day-of-fest; live music by the Blue James Band  VIP Upgrade for Session 1:

VIP upgrade includes face time with the brewers one hour before the Session 1 gates open. Guaranteed full selection of all the flavors the brewers are pouring and a chance to help tap the first kegs of the day. No beer lines, no waiting.

****Get the full line up and list of beers by clicking here!****

Mohegan Sun BrewFest Update

For some reason, I swore this weekend was the weekend of the Mohegan Sun BrewFest. Why, I have no idea...but, I quickly came to realize that it is in fact next weekend. Therefore, the ticket giveaway has been extended to NEXT Wednesday October 3rd.

If you live in Connecticut or have been looking for a reason to visit Mohegan Sun, this is a great opportunity for you to do so. Click here to check out the post from last week and to enter for a chance to win a free pair of tickets to a session of your choice!

Cheers,
Adam

Sunday, September 23, 2012

An Early Fall Day in Boston

Okay, we're not technically in Boston...BUT, we are pretty damn close (we can see the Prudential Building from down the street). The main reason the site has been so slow as of late is mostly because Sarah and I have been looking for a new place to live. Let's just say it was a VERY hectic period of time as the rental market is incredibly competitive in the city of Somerville, which is where we ended up (and honestly - we couldn't be happier about it). Nevertheless, we're all moved in now, and are ready to get back to blogging!

If you read our post "What is a Seasonal Beer" you should know that we are, or should I say were, waiting until the official start of fall to dive into fall beers. The calendar has officially passed September 20th, which means it's time for some new 'seasonal' beers. I can say though that I really didn't have any summer beers...but, a great beer is a good beer in any season.

Today we plan to explore our new surroundings, and will be on the hunt for some pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers. Technically, Oktoberfest runs through the month of September, so we could have been drinking them for the past three weeks, but there is still plenty of time to do that! Now though, is the perfect time to crack open some of these beers.

Sarah has been jonesing to try the Samuel Adams Fat Jack. It's new this year and is a Double Pumpkin that clocks in at 8.5% ABV. Sarah also bought me a Opa Opa Octoberfest, which I'm pretty excited to try and that I plan on opening today. Some old favorite Oktoberfest beers though have to be the Berkshire Brewing Co. Octoberfest, Harpoon Octoberfest, and Brooklyn Brewery Oktoberfest. As for pumpkin beers, you can't go wrong with a Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin (sorry Pumpkinhead lovers, we are not fans of it), Dogfish Head Punkin', and of course Southern Tier Pumking (of which we have a 2011 bomber our friend Dan gave us).

Considering we're now only a short three mile ride to Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, that is one of our first destinations on our list. Others include Downtown Wine & Spirits in Davis Square Somerville, and perhaps even a drive to Beacon Hill Wine & Spirits in Melrose or Redstone Liquors in Stoneham.

The  day is young, and so is the new season, so what better way to celebrate than getting some new beers!?

Cheers,
Adam

Friday, September 21, 2012

Sun BrewFest at Mohegan Sun



For our friends down in Southern New England, or those just looking for another reason to hit one of the region's premier resort casinos, Mohegan Sun is proud to announce their first ever Sun BrewFest. The event will take place October 6th and 7th with three sessions offering up over 100 different samples from many great craft breweries, domestics, imports, limited editions, malt liquors, and more!

Here are some key details:

Session 1: Saturday October 6th from 12-4pm featuring live music from Radio Giant
Session 2: Saturday October 6th from 6-10pm featuring live music from Timmy Maia Band
Session 3: Sunday October 7th from 12-4pm featuring live music from Latanya Farrell Band

Tickets to all session are just $20, which you can purchase here, and includes admission to one session and a souvenir tasting glass for samples. You can also get a scorecard to keep track of your favorite beers throughout the session(s).

Some of the featured breweries include: Willimantic Brewing Company, Thomas Hooker Brewing Company, Southern Tier, Sierra Nevada, Samuel Adams, Redhook, Widmer Brothers, Kona Brewing, The Olde Burnside Brewing Company, Otter Creek, Brewery Ommengang, and many, many more! Click here to get the full brewery line up.

Mohegan Sun is also offering up a special "Beer Lovers Rejoice" package, that includes hotel room accomodations and two tickets to a session of your choice. Click here for more details.

Do you live in Connecticut? Do you love craft beer? Even if only one of these questions applies to you, you have a chance to win a free pair of tickets to a session of your choice! Simply post a comment on this post explaining why you should get these tickets, and make sure to do so NO LATER than Wednesday September 26th. The winner will be selected on Thursday September 27th and will be emailed with details.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

New MA Brewery To Open Brewhouse



Newburyport Brewing Company Chooses Smart Machine Technologies (SMT) as Brewhouse Manufacturer
20‐Barrel Turnkey Steam‐Fired Brewhouse Will Serve as Showpiece System for New England Region

Newburyport, MA ‐ September 18, 2012 The Newburyport Brewing Company ™ announced today that it has chosen Smart Machine Technologies (SMT), a world‐class manufacturer of American‐made food and beverage systems, to build a 20‐barrel, three vessel steam‐fired turnkey brewhouse for the Company's craft beer production facility headquartered in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

SMT will also provide the Newburyport Brewing Company with six 40‐barrel fermentation vessels, two 40‐barrel bright tanks, hot and cold liquor tanks, and a complete grain handling system. As part of the business partnership, the Newburyport Brewing Company will serve as a showpiece brewery for SMT and will welcome visits and inquiries from other craft breweries considering SMT brewing equipment.

"We evaluated competitive quotes from several brewhouse manufacturers and consulted with a number of craft breweries to make the best decision for our Company," says Bill Fisher, co‐founder and chief operations officer. "In the end, we chose SMT for their in‐house brewing expertise, ability to fabricate and customize a world‐class system designed for our specific brewing needs, quick turnaround, excellent customer service and attention to detail throughout our due diligence process."

The Newburyport Brewing Company's brewhouse includes a mash tun complete with rakes and steam jacket for step infusion mashing, an oversized brew kettle with whirlpool inlet, and a custom whirlpool vessel for rapid knockout and efficient double‐batch brew days. Forty‐barrel hot and cold liquor tanks, as well as a plate and frame heat exchanger gives the system outstanding heat recovery. Multi‐zone jacketed fermenters and bright tanks include screens for hops and spice additions.

"Most importantly, the system from SMT enables us to consistently brew the highest quality beer, while offering flexibility and efficiencies to brew a wide range of styles that consumers and contract brewers may demand in the future," states Chris Webb co‐founder and chief executive officer.

Newburyport Brewing Company's brewhouse is slated to arrive on December 10, 2012. After a three day
installation, the Company will begin brewing its three flagship beers for New England consumers.

About Smart Machine Technologies

Smart Machine Technologies (SMT) is a world‐class designer, fabricator, and manufacturer of custom‐made food and beverage systems. Since 1992, SMT has provided American‐made brewing and packaging equipment for Anheuser‐Busch and MillerCoors. With a rich history of brewery design and manufacturing, SMT now provides their deep knowledge base and equipment engineering expertise to the craft brewing industry. From 2‐barrel turnkey nanobrewery systems to 30‐barrel multi‐vessel brewhouses, SMT is a leader in custom small brewing systems and equipment. SMT is headquartered in Ridgeway, VA with an 85,000 square foot manufacturing facility located in Martinsville, VA. Visit us on the Web at http://www.smtfood.net/Brewing/index.html .

About Newburyport Brewing Company, Inc.

The Newburyport Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery dedicated to brewing the highest quality craft beer products for local and regional consumers. Founded in 2012, the Company is Massachusetts' first and only exclusive keg and can craft brewery and one‐stop contract brewing and canning provider. Co‐founded by two local Newburyport entrepreneurs, musicians, and home brewers ‐ Chris Webb and Bill Fisher ‐ the company aims to capture the essence of Newburyport's quaint seaside character across a line of great tasting handcrafted ales. Newburyport Brewing Company uses premium quality natural ingredients in three products: Newburyport Pale Ale™, Plum Island Belgian White™, and Green Head IPA™.

Visit us on the Web at http://www.nbptbrewing.com .

Contact:
Bill Fisher
Co‐Founder and COO
Newburyport Brewing Company
info@nbptbrewing.com
@NBPTbrewing

Featured Brewery: Mayflower Brewing Co.

CraftBeer.com | Featured Brewery: Mayflower Brewing Co.

Here is a nice mention for our friends at Mayflower Brewing Co. in Plymouth, MA, which was linked in the Craftbeer.com newsletter sent out yesterday. If you haven't been to their brewery, you're definitely missing out.

Mayflower Brewing Co. is located at 12 Resnik Road in Plymouth, MA and offers tastings on Thursdays and Fridays from 4-6pm and has tours available from 11-3pm on Saturdays.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

BBC Pumpkin Week



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – SEPTEMBER 6th, 2012


What: Pumpkin Week
Where: All 12 British Beer Company Pubs
When: September 17th to the 23rd
Why: Multiple pumpkin beers and pumpkin menu specials all week

With so much great feedback and enthusiasm after the British Beer Company’s individual Pumpkin Fests from last year, the Plymouth based chain has decided to take the event pub wide for a full week. Every BBC location will be pouring multiple styles of pumpkin beer – with anywhere from 4 to 8 tap lines per pub from September 17th to the 23rd. In addition to all the fresh seasonal beers, the pubs will be offering lunch and dinner specials incorporating pumpkin, and pumpkin beer, into the recipes. Customers will be encouraged to try different pairings – 5 ounce pumpkin beer flights will be available for mixing, matching and experimenting.

Rotating specials to include:

Pumpkin Jalapeno Bacon Ale Bisque: Roasted local pumpkin with brown sugar and vanilla chopped and braised in pumpkin ale with fresh jalapenos and smokey bacon and served in a mini pumpkin.

Open Faced Short Rib Sandwich: Slow braised short ribs in a Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale demi, sliced over white cheddar mashed potato on toasted multi grain bread.

Roasted Pumpkin & Pomegranate Salad: Roasted cuts of fresh local pumpkin with pumpkin spice and brown sugar over mixed baby greens with pomegranate, tomatoes, red onions and crumbled Feta cheese finished with pumpkin seeds and a pumpkin IPA dressing.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale and Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale will be available at all the pubs (while supplies last) along with a rotating line-up that could include: Harpoon UFO Pumpkin, Southern Tier Pumpking, Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout, Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale, Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale, Timmerman’s Belgian Pumpkin and quite a few more. The British Beer Company recommends multiple drop in’s by customers during the week to assure everyone’s Pumpkin Beer quotas have been met!


Media Contact
Graham Wilson
grahamwilson@britishbeer.com
Dogfish Punkin Ale
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/6260

British Beer Company
www.britishbeer.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/BritishBeerCo
Twitter: @BritishBeerCo