2009 Summer Brewfest Breweries Posted

The participating brewery list for the 2009 Summer Brewfest is posted online. The festival will take place June 27-29 in Leesburg, VA. The organizers have plenty of treats lined up for us, including more than a dozen breweries new to the Summer Brewfest:

Virginia breweries participating for the first time include Legend Brewery (Richmond), The River Company Restaurant & Brewery (Radford) and Sweetwater Tavern (No VA).

Breweries from nearby states making their first appearance at the Summer Brewfest are Raven (Baltimore), River Horse (NJ), Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery (NC) and Bluegrass Brewing (KY).

From farther away, Michigan breweries Atwater, Celis and Founders will join Great Divide, Left Hand and Steamworks breweries from Colorado and Gordon Biersch, 21st Amendment and Anderson Valley will represent California.

Also new to the Summer Brewfest will be several cask offerings including Allagash, Brooklyn, Clipper City and Flying Dog breweries.

Over 60 breweries are scheduled to participate this year. Especially exciting is the possibility of at least four different cask offerings. I recall just a single cask offering last Summer, from Clipper City, so the expansion this year is noteworthy.

A complete list of participating breweries can be found here. Start planning now. See you there!

The End of Virginia Brewing Company

After a series of false starts, it appears the long awaited Virginia Brewing Company won't be opening after all. The brewery that had been planned for Winchester, VA is now strictly a live entertainment "nightclub." Discussions on DC-Beer indicate the loss of the head brewer a while back and "internal strife." That's sad news but not wholly unexpected given the lack of progress over the years, and the seemingly grandiose plans for the facility.

See all previous posts about Virginia Brewing Company here.

Update, July 13: Hmm, maybe not.

Shooting Creek Brewery Community Supported Ales

Shooting Creek Brewery is putting the final touches on an online sales system that will allow customers to pick up orders at local retailers. From their recent newsletter:

Now let's talk about this CSA program (Community Supported Ales) we've been threatening to unleash on society. We're no longer in the talking stages. That's right, we've graduated to the next level. Right now our shopping cart is being built and will hopefully be integrated with the website in the next couple of weeks. This is going to allow our members to click on the product you want, and receive a delivery of ale at a designated drop site near you.

Each drop site will have its own manager who will be responsible for verifying I.D. and distributing orders to the members as they arrive during the specified time frame. Additionally, the drop site manager will be tasked with providing the location in which the beer will be stored and distributed. The main criteria for the site is that it needs to be enclosed and able to be secured in the event that someone fails to pick up their order. Drop site managers will be compensated with a rebate and an additional incentive will be offered should sales meet or exceed designated price.

I thought this was an interesting concept which will serve to put the beer into more hands. I contacted Shooting Creek Manager Jason Anderson for more details. Jason tells me that the drop sites themselves will not function as a retail establishments, but as designated areas for retail members to come and pick up their pre-purchased orders of ale. Shooting Creek still has some work to do on the system, but they are going to begin with about a half dozen sites. The distribution will be limited to their local area. (Remember, Shooting Creek is prohibited from on-site sales.) Unfortunately, Fredericksburg is too far away to be included in the CSA program.

Blue Mountain Brewery Expands Production

Nelson County Life brings us the news that Blue Mountain Brewery is preparing to double their production capacity.

It’s been a busy week already for the folks at Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton. They have been in the process of offloading a new tank that will double their draft and bottled beer distribution in stores and restaurants. “We just recently got to the momentous mark of having our draft and bottled beer in over 100 restaurants and stores across Virginia. This new tank is going to help us double that within a year,” Mandi Smack, co-owner of BMB tells us.

This is great news for Virginia craft beer fans. The folks at Blue Mountain brew some excellent beers and it's good to hear we'll be treated to greater availability.

Hat tip to Nelson County Life. See the complete article here, complete with pictures.

The Session #28 - Think/Drink Globally

The 28th iteration of The Session is hosted by Brian Yaeger at Red, White, and Brew. The theme for this month is Think/Drink Globally.

So, in honor of Global Craft Beer Forever, I pose everyone writes about the farthest brewery (including brewpubs) you have visited and specifically the best beer you had there. Again, not your favorite or any old brewery you've been to, but the one that is the longest haul away, be it by airplane, car, ferry, rickshaw, whatever.

Well, for me, that's a simple assignment. I don't travel much, even for beer. However I am fortunate to be able to travel to Denver, CO on occasion for business. When I do, I make a point to visit the Great Divide Brewing Company and spend some time with the friendly folks at their Tap Room. Readers of the Musings know that I am a big fan of Great Divide beers. Picking any favorite beer is hard, but at Great Divide I would have to say it's the Hercules Double IPA. Double IPA is one of my favorite styles, and I especially enjoy this intensely hopped offering from Great Divide. Right from the start I enjoy the enticing aroma of citrus and malt. I often remark that I spend as much time with my nose in the glass as I do sipping. The flavor is strong, citrus hops with sufficient sweet malts to balance. This is a boldly flavored beer, but still nicely balanced. The finish is slightly bitter with a touch of alcohol warmth. Hercules is a beer to sip and linger over. Behind the big hop flavor lurks 9.1% ABV.

My evenings out in Denver typically start at the Great Divide Tap Room. I'll check out any limited or new beers they have on tap, but rarely fail to enjoy a Hercules while there. After a Hercules or two at the brewery, I'll begin my stroll to other Denver pubs and eateries such as Rock Bottom, Breckenridge, Falling Rock, to name a few.

Great Divide beers have only recently become once again available in Virginia. My local retailer didn't have Hercules when I last visited, but I will certainly pick some up if it appears. As far as the second part of the Session assignment, to drink and compare a similar beer, that will have to wait for a more appropriate time for a big DIPA than this Friday afternoon!

There are many points of interest in Denver for the beer enthusiast. Just reviewing my old posts about Denver and Great Divide has me yearning to make a return visit. You can read about some of those previous visits here.

Update, June 6: Brian has posted the Session roundup here.

Albert Sisson: R.I.P.

Albert Sisson, a pioneer in the Maryland craft beer scene has passed away. Thomas Cizuaskas at 'Yours For Good Fermentables' knew Mr. Sisson and posts this remembrance:

Appreciating Albert Sisson

Albert Sisson died yesterday evening.

In 1979, Albert opened the Sisson's Pub in Federal Hill district, then still known as Southeast Baltimore. Sisson's venture was a gamble; it was a neighborhood on the decline.

The pub thrived however and soon became part of the area's revitalization. It became a destination spot throughout the greater Baltimore area, especially prized for for its Creole cuisine.

His son, Hugh Sisson, added brewing equipment in 1989, making Sisson's the first post-Prohibition brewpub in Maryland (Virginia and DC, for that matter).

Hugh Sisson is the General Partner of the Clipper City Brewing Company.

If a measure of a man's wealth is the measure of his friends, Albert Sisson was an incalculably wealthy man. Many a patron became a friend, after Albert, wearing his trademark large suspenders, had served him a pint and swapped a tall tale.

The family will announce memorial details.

Our condolences go out to the Sisson family. For more information on the history of Sisson's Brewpub, see Tom Cizauskas' notes here.

The Big DIPA - Double IPA

Exciting news for Clipper City Brewing fans (check) and fans of big beers (check) in yesterday's Clipper City Brewing newsletter.

The Big DIPA - Double IPA

We're adding to the Heavy Seas fleet with bigger beers in bigger bottles!
Beginning late June - the NEW Heavy Seas Big DIPA a 10.6% Double IPA will be available in 22oz bottles in a very limited quantity. But the greatest treasure will be to find the Big DIPA on tap in your neighborhood as the number of kegs will be extremely limited.

The Big DIPA is part of the brewery's Heavy Seas Bomber Series. According the the Clipper City website, a new Heavy Seas 22oz Special Edition Series beer will be released each month through the end of 2009. The first beer in the series, Big DIPA, was unveiled at the Real Ale and BBQ Fest, held by Clipper City on May 16 at the brewery in Baltimore, MD. Tom Cizauskas has pictures from that event here.

It appears that a trip to Baltimore will be necessary for this Clipper City fan. I wouldn't want to miss getting my hands on some Big DIPA.

Tapping an I.D.E.A. at Capital Ale House

Chris and Rachel from Capital Ale House recently visited Sierra Nevada Brewing in Chico, CA to take part in a "beer camp." While there they helped to brew I.D.E.A. - India Dark Elusive Ale. This limited beer was tapped Tuesday evening at all Capital Ale House locations as part of the weekly "Steal the Glass" night. I went down to CAH with two good friends so we could try out this one-of-a-kind beer.

I.D.E.A. pours a dark brown with a thin beige head. The aroma is roasted malt with a hint of citrus. The taste is roasted malt with some sweetness to balance. A lingering bitterness remains in the dry finish. Overall, I enjoyed this beer, as did others. Admittedly, I was looking forward more citrus hop flavors based on the pre-release notes on the beer. Despite that, it was certainly a pleasure to be able to try out this very limited beer. In addition to I.D.E.A., I treated myself to a draft of Tröegs Nugget Nectar. I only managed to pick up a few bottles of this favorite this year, so I was pleased that Capital Ale House still had it on tap.

BTW, there was some confusion on the part of the staff as to which Sierra Nevada glassware was to be used for the I.D.E.A., which explains the Summerfest glass shown at the left. After questioning, the bartender graciously swapped our shaker pints for the much nicer etched Sierra Nevada glass shown here.

The next "Steal the Glass" night will be June 9 featuring Boulder Beer.