Big news in the beer industry just hit the stands today: Independence Brewing Company, the only craft brewery in India owned and operated by a craft brewer, has partnered with Stone Brewing Co.’s CEO and Cofounder, Greg Koch, to bring independence from boring, yellow fizzy beers to the emerging beer connoisseurs in India.

This is big news in the world of craft beer. It is encouraging and exciting to see more and more countries outside of the “Western World“embrace and celebrate craft beer. Hopefully, IBC’s presence in the Indian craft beer market will help to ignite a craft beer revolution across the entire country — inspiring more breweries to open and more craft breweries to export to India.

Upon receiving this news, I approached the owners for more information, and I am honored to say that they gave me an exclusive interview to coincide with the announcement, which will follow this post shortly.

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OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

April 29th, 2012.  Independence Brewing Company (IBC) is a new brewing venture founded by Shailly Bist and Avanish Vellanki to bring genuine craft brewing to India.  With an aim to offer Indians something other than the yellow, fizzy, industrial lagers that have become a fixture in India, IBC hopes to offer a unique array of craft brews across a variety of styles not previously offered in the nation.  IBC brings Independence from Boring Beers!

IBC is also proud to announce the addition of Greg Koch, CEO and Cofounder of Stone Brewing Co., to the team.  Greg will serve as a partner and Chief Advisor to IBC. “I’ve had a chance to visit India and witness first-hand why Avanish and Shailly are so excited, and I have to say I agree with them!  There is tremendous opportunity in India for craft beer.  I also have to say that I’m really excited about these two guys and look forward to helping them bring Independence from boring beers to India!” said Greg Koch.

“We are really excited to work with Greg!” said Avanish Vellanki, Cofounder of IBC.  “We are tremendously honored and moved by Greg’s excitement about India; Greg clearly sees the tremendous opportunity in the country, and we look forward to introducing truly exceptional brews together!”

IBC will set up its first craft pub brewery in the city of Pune, in the state of Maharashtra, India, one of India’s fastest growing technology centers. With a national landscape in which only a handful of beers exist in the nation, and a regulatory environment that has only recently awoken to the microbrewery concept, IBC hopes to bring the extensive and passionate craft brewing culture in the US to India.

IBC will be the only craft brewery in India owned and operated by a craft brewer.  “We are tremendously excited about the opportunity to bring to India something we truly love, and we think Indians will love too – truly exceptional craft beers,” said Shailly Bist, Cofounder & Head Brewer of IBC.  “India has such a rich artisanal culture, and we think it’s about time that IPA had a homecoming!”

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Follow Independence Brewing Company on Facebook and @IndeBrewCo on Twitter.

At any given moment, I could walk into a local grocery store, corner store, or even a gas station and find at least one craft beer option on the shelf.

The amazing growth that the U.S. craft beer industry has experienced over the past few years has, sadly, made many of us American craft beer lovers take it for granted. Especially where I live in Northern California, a region of the country that boasts some of the greatest brewers in the world. Most of my neighborhood bars and restaurants have at least one craft beer, if not only craft beer, on the menu.

But, this is not necessarily the reality outside of California, or even the U.S. Unfortunately, most of the countries in this world (I’m assuming over 90%) have little to no craft beer available in the market, let alone craft breweries. This brings us to India.

Quite ironically, the country known for inspiring the most popular and most brewed category of craft beer — the India Pale Ale — does not boast a thriving craft beer culture. Partially due to its lack of craft breweries, the majority of beer being produced and sold in India is, as one can assume, yellow fizzy macro lagers. Well, until now that is.

In just the past few years, India’s beer industry has experienced a lot of change. Small craft brewpubs have emerged and a few foreign imports, such as Boston Lager, Paulaner and Chimay, have become available in the Indian market — giving Indians a new taste for craft beer and creating a demand for it in the process.

Enter Independence Brewing Company, a new craft beer venture focused on igniting a craft beer revolution in India. Dedicated to offering independence from uninspired, yellow fizzy beers to the emerging beer connoisseurs in India, Independence Brewing Company is the brainchild Avanish Vellanki and Shailendra Bist — two passionate and devoted craft beer geeks with strong ties to India.

What makes IBC’s story so unique, is its support and backing from the illustrious CEO & co-founder one of the U.S. largest and most beloved craft breweries, Stone Brewing Co., Greg Koch. Known as one of the most powerful and strongest voices in craft beer, Greg is not the type to enter into partnerships lightly — especially ventures that involve his greatest love, craft beer. But IBC’s mission struck a chord with Greg, as I am sure it will with other craft beer lovers around the world.

Upon hearing the news surrounding the development of Independence Brewing Company and Greg’s involvement, I reached out to its founders and to Greg to learn more about the project. They granted me an exclusive interview, which I am extremely honored to share with you today. Hopefully, after reading it, many of you will be inspired to get involved in IBC and help to make their amazing dream a reality! Cheers!!!

Shailly & Avanish, Independence Brewing

“Putting the India Back in IPA”

An Exclusive Interview with Avanish Vellanki and Shailendra Bist of Independence Brewing Co.

(with inserts from Greg Koch)

An award winning brewer/ mechanical engineer and a Wall Street investment banker is quite a powerful partnership. How did you two meet?

Shailly: Back in 2010 we were both independently exploring the possibility of starting a brewery in India. One of our common friends, a brewer who recently started a brewery in Singapore, suggested we meet. We met in late 2010 over a couple of beers and it instantly seemed like a great partnership. Over a couple more meetings we decided to join forces and start Independence Brewing Co.

How did you both first get into craft beer?

Avanish: For me, it was about experiencing variety.  I think a person can have water downed lagers for only so long before they start venturing out.  In my view, the craft beer market is the natural evolution of any beer market – people anywhere will want to find variety and greater depth to their brews than the industrial lagers are able to provide.

Shailly: I came to the US in mid 2001 for my masters at Purdue. Had my first craft beer, a pale ale, at a local pub brewery in Lafayette, IN where coincidentally I also met my wife to be! You could say that my two loves affairs started back then.

Shailendra Bist, aka "Shailly"

Every craft beer professional has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes his perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.” What was your first craft beer epiphany?

Shailly: From the first time I tasted a fresh craft beer I knew I had a special liking for it, but it was all still a little distant. The first time I tasted my own craft brew, an all extract IPA which was not necessarily all that good, it totally changed by connection with beer. I felt like it was a friend I knew intimately.

Avanish: It’s hard for me to identify the “epiphany” moment since I think it was very gradual for me.  At one point, around 2008 when I was in New York, I noticed that if a venue didn’t offer some craft brews on tap, or at least some bottled craft beers, I would push for my group of friends to find another venue.  I personally haven’t had one of the mainstream US lagers in over probably over 5 years.

Why did you choose to build a brewery in India? Why not the U.S.?

Avanish: The obvious reason is that India doesn’t have craft beer.  It was a chance to bring something new to the market of our heritage.  It was really, ultimately, that simple.

But if I were to put my Banker hat on, I would say the US is a mature beer market and while the craft beer segment is growing, there are a ton of players.  With over 2,000 breweries and over 700 breweries preparing to launch, it would be much more difficult to differentiate ourselves, especially related to where the bar is set in India.  In India, there are only 12-15 bottled brands available in the country, with only another 10 or so pub breweries that have just recently been set up.  And that is in a nation that is quadruple that of the US in terms of population.  Again, it was quite clear what needed to be done.

The main goal of Independence Brewing Co. is to provide a variety of fresh, craft brews for the emerging beer connoisseur in India. What is the current beer drinking culture like in India? How is it different from past years?

Shailly: The beer drinking culture is rapidly transforming. There used to be a time where drinking beer was done discreetly and almost no women drank beer.  With rapid economic development and changing social norms beer drinking is becoming common place in any and all social events, sports events etc. This is the reason why beer volume sales are doubling every 3-4 years! Unfortunately all of this beer is industrial lagers. There are 2-3 good brew pubs that have sprung up and a lot of imported craft beers are entering the market as more and more people demand something beyond that yellow fizzy stuff. We hope we can provide locally made awesome craft beer that Indians can enjoy and be proud of.

Why did you choose the name Independence Brewing Company?

Shailly: We started IBC with the singular aim to introduce real craft beer to Indians and do our part in brining Independence from boring beers! to India. Bring independence, from fizzy yellow stuff, to our consumers by offering far superior choices to what’s available currently and make them aware of what real craft beer can be.

Although Indians have moved on, our struggle for independence from foreign rule and our struggle to establish ourselves as a stable forward looking nation still evoke strong emotions. Our name is also an ode to the independent spirit and identity that we have carved out as a nation.

Why did you choose to partner with Greg Koch on this project?

Avanish: Greg’s success with Stone speaks for itself.  To me, outside of the reputation that Stone has, I really appreciate Greg’s love for the craft brewing space and devotion to spreading that message around the world.  But what I most admire about Greg is how he has approached building a brand – Greg used unconventional branding tactics to assemble a very loyal following, and I think there are tremendous lessons in that.  I think his approach with Stone could be used as a case study for almost any business.

Greg Koch: I did?  From my perspective, I just approached the building of Stone and our reputation from the position of a beer geek.  As in, “what, as a beer geek, would I do?”  So, that’s the voice that I’ll be giving to Avanish & Shailly.  And the reason that I agreed to be an Advisor to them is that they too are devoted beer geeks.  I also think they’ve both got great heads on their shoulders.  I’ll be pushing them not to listen to their heads too much, and instead listen to their own inner beer geeks, and to make decisions more from the latter than the former.

Greg Koch, Stone Brewing

What is Greg’s main role with Independence Brewing?

Shailly: Mostly as an Adviser on our brewery operations, brand building and business in general.   



Greg: There’s that “brand building” phrase again! <laugh>  I’ll be giving my best advice all along the way, all the while telling them to ignore everyone and do it THEIR way.  Of course, by “ignore everyone” I really mean “ignore everyone who does not share your vision, but DO listen to advice and perspectives from those who do share you vision.”  My role is in that latter camp.

You also have an extremely experienced adviser on the team. Who is Pradeep Gidwani and what does he bring to the Independence Brewing Co. team?

Avanish: Pradeep is a veteran of the brewing world in India.  And since India is a very nascent culture with regards to the beer market and brewing, Pradeep literally knows everyone in the space.  Although Pradeep’s prior roles were entrenched in the mass market lagers, launching Carlsberg, Tuborg, Palone and Fosters in India, Pradeep is a true connoisseur of craft brews.  Pradeep, like Greg, wants to see Indians embrace craft beer.  It will be tremendously beneficial to have Pradeep’s input as we move forward.

In addition to investors, how else are you raising funds for the brewery?

Shailly: We will be launching a fundraising campaign soon on Kickstarter (crowd funding, www.kickstarter.com) to raise some additional funds. It’s amazing what a lot of people with small contributions can do when they get excited about an idea. We are excited about our campaign; we have a very interesting video on there featuring Greg in it! Greg in his latest fuzzy look! We also have some very cool gifts to give away, many of which are made by traditional craftsmen in India, like a tap handle made using the ancient art of lost wax casting by tribals from Bastar region in India.

Greg: That region is missing a ‘d.’  Oh, and don’t let my “fuzzyness” distract from the message.  Independence Brewing needs support on an important and historic venture.  My beard has got all the support it needs (although maybe I’ll need to start my own Kickstarter campaign so I can afford to replace the razor that I clearly lost).

Have you broken ground on the brewery yet? If not, when do you plan on breaking ground?

Avanish: We will initially be leasing a facility rather than building because of an abundance of existing venues in India that would be a great fit for us.  We would also prefer to use our financial resources to make the best beers we can and find ways to reach as many people as possible.

How big of a system will you be brewing on?

Shailly: We will have a 10hl steam fired brew house with 70hl of fermentation space. We will keep some room for expansion down the line as and when the demand picks up. I can’t wait to start brewing on it! It will be the most well equipped micro brewery in India.

What styles will you be focused on brewing?

Avanish: The goal is to bring to India the diversity of global beer styles.  So we will have quite a variety.  Of course Shailly and I spend the majority of our time drinking American pale ales so the American influence in our beer portfolio will be clear. I, personally, also love the Bavarian Hefs.

Shailly: We like all well made beers, although we can be partial to west coast hop bombs, Belgian triples and British brown porters. Quite frankly starting out we will do an array of styles from a wit to an IPA and slowly we will gravitate to a few core styles. And I am sure the core will have a very Indian identity to it. We will probably never do lagers, though.

Do you have any beer names in the pipeline that you would like to leak to inquiring minds?

Shailly: There are some names but we cannot disclose them at this time. Some very interesting names from our ancient history and then some more contemporary ones. Some names will also reflect our California roots.

Will you be exporting any of your beers to the U.S.?

Avanish: I would love to bring beers to the US, but that’s not in the near-term plans.

What craft brewers, breweries and beers inspire the Independence Brewing Co. team the most?

Shailly: The list is huge! I have been more inspired by home brewers than breweries, but let’s stick to the point, with no particular order:

Brewers

• Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River Brewing
• Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker Brewing
• Jerry Vietz, Unibroue

Breweries

• Russian River
• Firestone Walker
• Stone
• Unibroue (sadly taken over by Saporro)
• Abbey Westmalle
• Brasserie Dupont
• Samuel Smith’s
• Three Floyds Brewing

Beers

• RR Pliny (younger and elder), Supplication, Damnation
• Avery Maharaja IPA
• Firestone California Pale, IPA
• Stone IPA, Arrogant Bastard
• Unibroue La Fin Du Monde, Maudite
• Westmalle – Tripel, Dubbel
• Fullers London Porter
• Samuel Smith’s Tadcaster, Oatmeal Stout
• North Coast Brewing Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
• Duchesse de Bourgogne

Avanish: For me, of course Stone is a major influence.  My favorite beer is Stone’s Levitation. For me, the breweries of influence are the one that have great business stories behind it; I love the history behind Brooklyn Brewery and the lessons that Steve Hindy and Tom Potter shared as they experienced the inherent business risks of relying on third-party distributors.  I’m also very impressed with Surly Brewing in Minneapolis, my hometown.

Stone has become famous for its collaboration brews. Since Greg is a big part of Independence Brewing, do you have any plans to collaborate in the near future?

Avanish: In the near-term, I think we are going to have our hands full, but down the road, we would expect collaborations with a variety of brewers to play a large role in our effort to bring craft beer to India.  But honestly, we’ve never asked Greg about that.

Greg:  I’m sure they’ll have plenty of opportunities for great collaborations…eventually.  Once they develop a reputation, craft brewers from other parts of the world will naturally think to themselves “Visiting India and brewing with Avanish & Shailly at Independence Brewing sounds like a really cool idea.”  I know I’ll be doing it at some point, perhaps with someone else from Stone in tow.  That would be really cool.  Also, once the craft brewing industry grows a bit with other entrants doing their own thing in the country, then there will be collaboration possibilities within the country.  It’s a nice thing to think wistfully about, imagining a future where that would be possible in India.  In the meantime however, they’ve got a lot to do and will be focusing on rolling up their sleeves and launching their brewery.

Avanish

What role will social media play in Independence Brewing’s marketing strategy?

Avanish: Social media will play a very large role, but when the time is right.  Shailly and I have a lot of work to do to prepare the business for the future, so over the near-term, we are going to be focused on execution first and foremost.  However, as we move closer to the official opening of the business in India, we promise that we will be quite active in the social media channels.  We hope everyone in the US follows along as we try to foster the craft beer movement in India!

Follow Independence Brewing Company on Facebook and @IndeBrewCo on Twitter.

For fun, if you were a style of beer, what would you be and why?

Shailly: A Saison, easy going but can sneak up on you.

Avanish: Russian River’s Pliny the Elder, because it’s a serious beer.  Shailly always tells me I need to loosen up!

Last but not least, what does craft beer mean to you?

Shailly: History, passion and innovation in a glass.

Avanish: To me, craft beer is a brew that has extravagant simplicity… where to truly appreciate it, it requires a small degree of concentration but, at the same time, it hits you with a composition that is much more than the sum of its parts.

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Special thanks to Avanish, Shailly and Greg for taking time out of their busy schedules to answer my questions. I wish the best of luck to all of you, and on behalf of craft beers lovers everywhere, I raise a toast in your honor! Cheers!!

In honor of Earth Month, Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) and The Beer Wench (@TheBeerWench) are encouraging friends and fans to toast to organic beers with their Apr. 10 “Save the Planet, Drink Organic” Twitter Tasting.

The organic beer-themed tasting takes place on Twitter from 8-9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Apr. 10. The tasting, featuring four organic beers from some of the world’s most respected and innovative brewers, includes:

• 8 p.m. ET: Dupont — Avril (led by @belgianexpert): The brewer’s favorite beer. Light in alcohol, full in flavor. 3.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).
• 8:15 p.m. ET: Samuel Smith — Strawberry Ale (led by @merchantduvin): Smooth malt and aromatic strawberry flavors merge together in an elegant fashion with fresh, ripe strawberries. 5.1 percent ABV.
• 8:30 p.m. ET: Bison Brewing — Honey Basil Ale (led by @bisonbrew): Creatively infused with fresh, organic whole leaf basil and organic clover honey. Crisp and herbaceous with a hint of sweetness. 6 percent ABV.
• 8:45 p.m. ET: Hopworks – Rise Up Red (led by @HopworksBeer): Mahogany smooth with mild caramel sweetness, balanced by local Cascade and Centennial hops for a crisp finish. 5.8 percent ABV.
• 9 p.m. ET: After party (free for all!)

Every fifteen minutes, the focus will shift to a different featured beer as brew masters take questions from Twitter fans and share stories about the beers and the breweries. To follow the conversation, use the hashtag #WFMBeer. At least one, if not all, of the beers listed above should be available at most Whole Foods Market stores that sell beer.

Participation is limited to those 21 years or older (duh!).

Twitter Beer Tasting FAQs

What is a Twitter beer tasting?

A Twitter beer tasting is a virtual event where people simultaneously taste beers together, and share their tasting notes in 140 character or less messages on Twitter.

What do I need to do to participate?

At the bare minimum, all you need to participate is a Twitter account and a beer in hand! For each #WFMBeer Twitter tasting, a particular theme is selected by Whole Foods and The Beer Wench. Participation in the Twitter tasting is enhanced when you follow the theme.

How do I follow the conversation?

All people participating in the Twitter beer tasting are encouraged to use the hashtag #WFMBeer in all of their tweets. If you have Tweetdeck or Hootsuite, we recommend that you create and dedicate an entire column to the hashtag, so you can follow the conversation as it happens!

What if I can’t find any of the beers on the “official” list?

You can still participate! Just find a beer or two that fits into the theme and join in. The theme this time around is organic beer — if you can’t find one of the delicious organic beers listed above, just look for the USDA organic logo on the beer shelf in a Whole Foods Market near you!

What if I have questions about the beers that I’m tasting?

You are in luck! Representatives from each of the breweries selected will be on Twitter during the entire event to lead the tasting and answer your questions. All of the representatives are listed next to the beers in the schedule above.

Is it okay to join the conversation late?

Of course! Better late than never!!!

Have more questions? Send me a tweet @TheBeerWench, or leave a message in the comment section below!!!

Coincidentally, Internet week is happening in New York City at the same time as American Craft Beer Week (May 14-20, 2012). Essentially, Internet Week is a large, crowd-sourced festival with events taking place all throughout New York City. Most events are individually run by third parties.

Internet Week NY runs a program called Make the Stage, which allows anyone to enter a pitch or proposal in one of eight categories on www.makethestage.com. Each category awards two winners 45-minute slots onstage at the Internet Week NY headquarters at 82 Mercer, one chosen by public voting and the other chosen by a team of Experts in the field.

Julia Herz, Source: Craftbeer.com

This year Julia Herz, Craft Beer Director at the Brewer’s Association, submitted a talk on the “Localization of Beer”, which has been accepted and is now open for voting. Only two winners chosen per category — one chosen by public voting. Which is where all of you come in!

If any of you have a moment, and are willing, please submit a vote for Julia’s talk here. Note that voting does require you to sign up and enter your name and email address. It is a mere a 30 second quick process and they will not forward your information.

Best of luck to Julia! Cheers to Craft Beer!!!

As both a craft beer evangelist and an astronomy freak (star and moon obsession, true story), I am particularly excited about Fifty Fifty Brewing’s 5th Anniversary Celebration party this year, during the annular eclipse this May. Known for its highly coveted, internationally award-winning Eclipse series of Bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stouts, Fifty Fifty Brewing is inviting its friends and fans to experience the pairing of a lifetime: Fifty Fifty’s Eclipse + the Universe’s Solar Eclipse, a once in a year opportunity.

“The planets have aligned, or more accurately, they will on May 20, 2012. While most of North America will be left out, including local cities like San Francisco and Sacramento, Truckee lies in the path of totality for the annular eclipse coming up later this spring.” – (Press Release, Fifty Fifty Brewing)

The celebration will take place at the Fifty Fifty brewpub in Truckee (North Tahoe, CA), starting at noon on May 20th. In addition to live music and awesome beer & food, co-owner, Alicia Barr, says that they anticipate ‘cleaning out the cellar’ to start making room for expansion, and offer some rare bottles for sale including previous vintages of Eclipse, BART, other barrel-aged blends, and some new products as well.

Tickets available at a discount in advance through FiftyFifty’s website.

Event Information:
* Date: Sunday, May 20, 2012
* Time: Noon – 8:30pm
* Venue: FiftyFifty Brewing Co. (Truckee, CA)
* Cost: $14 advance, $17 at the door. $7 for kids
* Bounce house, family games, and eclipse viewing
* Live music throughout the day
* Food: BBQ smoked over Eclipse barrel wood, Sushi from Drunken Monkey
* Drinks: FiftyFifty beer, spirits, water and soda for the kids!

About FiftyFifty Brewing Co.:
FiftyFifty Brewing Co.: Find Your Balance. Located in Truckee at 11197 Brockway Road, between Hwy 267 and downtown Truckee. Open seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 2 a.m., FiftyFifty serves both lunch and dinner to complement their variety of beers brewed on the premise. FiftyFifty also features a full bar, seasonal outdoor seating on the patio and live music and entertainment.

Follow @5050Brewing on Twitter

I apologize to all the Jersey Shore and Housewives fans, but I lack interest in just about every single reality show produced these days. In fact, the only ones that I pay moderate attention to are the food competitions, and even that is few and far between (too much drama). Well, that was until now. Finally, there is a reality series that is both interesting and relevant (to me, that is)…

50 states. 20 contests. One great brewer.

The Next Great American Brewer is a reality competition television series, produced by Main Gate Visuals (who have worked with the US Army, Top Chef and Project Runway — to name a few).

The show is bringing twenty of the best amateur and professional craft brewers across the United States to compete against each other in challenges related to brewing beer and running a successful brewing company. The winner of the competition will have their beer brewed, bottled and distributed by Goose Island Brewing Company across the country.

But don’t let the show’s title fool you, it isn’t all about brewing. Although beer design and brewing skills are critical components to the show, the brewers will also be challenged on their ability to conceptualize packaging, market and sell beer, serve beer in a busy brewpub environment, cook with beer, pair food with beer, and troubleshoot all sorts of operational problems. For more information, check out the official trailer here.

Although the rockstar team of judges might not be as harsh and dramatic as Gordon Ramsey, they are promising to put a no-holds-barred smack-down on the contestants. As someone who has worked every angle of the industry — from shoveling spent grain and cleaning kegs, to package design, to marketing and sales, to working in kitchens and serving behind busy bars — I cannot wait to see how the contestants handle it. And as a huge evangelist and advocate for craft beer, I just really excited for craft beer to get the mainstream attention it deserves!

Hopefully, there will be a Season 2. Because y’all know I’m itching to audition!!

For news on the show, like The Next American Brewer on Facebook and follow @AmericanBrewer on Twitter!

Attention all craft beer lovers, geeks, industry persons and bloggers — Whole Foods Market has been giving our community amazing support and exposure on the Internet, and now it is our chance to give back!

Michael Bepko, the Global Online Community Manager for Whole Foods Market, has been nominated for 4th Annual Shorty Industry Award in the category of Best Social Media Manager.

According to the Shorty Awards website, “Whole Foods Market is often looked to as a brand “who gets it” when it comes to social media. Revered for its thriving social communities and innovative use of social media strategies, Whole Foods isn’t afraid to try new things in the ever-evolving social media landscape to see what best resonates with their community and drives engagement from their customers. While the organization has gained notable social media success, what might be lesser known is the man behind the scenes who is at the helm of the company’s online network – Michael Bepko. Better known in social spheres as @Bepkoboy, Michael is the global online community manger for Whole Foods and is the person who lives behind the logo that resides among a social community of over 3.5 million friends, followers and fans.”

But, forget about what Michael has done for Whole Foods. Let’s focus on what he has done for craft beer. The equivalent of many celebrities, Whole Foods boasts over 2.2 million followers on its corporate Twitter account, and hundreds of thousands of followers from individual store accounts. In a day and time when no craft breweries have exceeded 100k followers on Twitter and only 3 have gone over the 50k point, Michael has graciously given craft beer a powerful voice in the form of “virtual beer tastings”.

Every two months, Michael works with me to scheme up a theme for a virtual tasting, featuring four different craft breweries. For days and even weeks up until the event, you can find Michael (under the moniker of @WholeFoods) promoting the virtual tasting, giving shout-outs to the breweries involved. Michael also communicates internally with all the WFM Marketing Managers, further amplifying the message at a regional and store level. During each live tasting, Michael and many of his Whole Foods colleagues devote an entire hour to talking about beer on Twitter, with both beer geeks and beer newbies alike. The result is one big craft beer love fest.

Personally, I was influenced by Michael even before partnering with him on virtual beer tastings. I was shocked the first time Michael tweeted a response back to me. After all, it’s not everyday that someone with over 2 million followers talks to me on Twitter. I was immediately impressed with Whole Foods’ level on engagement on Twitter, and Michael has only continued to impress me ever since.

So friends, I am asking you to give Michael a little bit of love for all the love he has given to craft beer. Head on over to this link, and give him some love in the form of “likes” and retweets! XOXO!!

BERKELEY, Calif. (January 30, 2012) – Move over red wine and Champagne, craft beer is giving this Valentine’s Day a run for the money. Sparks are sure to fly as Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) and The Beer Wench (@TheBeerWench) combine forces for another hour of live beer tasting fun.

Aptly themed “Beer is for Lovers,” the virtual tasting is on February 7, from 7 to 8 p.m. EST, live on Twitter. Join Whole Foods Market and The Beer Wench as they taste through a playful quartet of palate-tantalizing beers, sure to bring out the romantic side of even the most cynical beer lover. All it takes to participate is a Twitter account and a beer in hand. To follow the conversation, use the hashtag #WFMBeer in your tweets.

For this event, four craft breweries across the country will participate to present a lineup of beers worthy of Cupid’s praise. Whether you plan on snuggling up with a loved one or celebrating with friends on Valentine’s Day, any or all of these beers will do the trick.

The featured beers include:

• The Poet, New Holland Brewing Co.: The Poet has a rich, smooth malt character enveloped in tones of roast and chocolate. A soft mouth-feel brings luxurious flavors and soothing aroma. The Poet is a seductive companion to dinner and dessert, especially beef, mushrooms & chocolate. 5.2% abv.
• Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA, Flying Dog: In the words of Gonzo artist Ralph Steadman, Raging Bitch is “two inflammatory words…one wild drink. Nectar imprisoned in a bottle.” With fruity funk and hop bite, it’s big, bold, beautiful, and complex, just like a Raging Bitch should be. 8.3% abv.
• Chocolate Stout, Bison Brewing: Often referred to as Barry White’s voice in a bottle, Bison’s Chocolate Stout is a dark, slow-pouring aphrodisiac of the smoothest proportions; rich roast, slightly bitter but, oh so luscious. 100% certified organic, 100% certified orgasmic. 5% abv.
• Total Domination, Ninkasi Brewing: Multiple hops collide in balanced perfection, dominating the senses, achieving total satisfaction. From the Pacific Northwest, birthplace of the modern IPA, comes a beer whose name says it all. 6.7 abv.

Every fifteen minutes, the focus will shift to a different brewery as brewmasters and brewery representatives actively answer questions and share stories about the beers and the breweries. The February 7 “Beer is for Lovers” Twitter Tasting schedule is:

7 p.m. EST: New Holland (@newhollandbrew) “The Poet”
7:15 p.m. EST: Flying Dog (@flyingdog) “Raging Bitch”
7:30 p.m. EST: Bison Brewing (@bisonbrew) “Chocolate Stout”
7:45 p.m. EST: Ninkasi (@Ninkasi) “Total Domination”
8 p.m. EST: After-party (free for all!)

In addition to tasting via Twitter, Whole Foods Market will be streaming the tasting live, with The Beer Wench, from it’s Coddingtown store located in Santa Rosa, CA. All are welcome to join the event in person, or watch it live on the Whole Foods Market LiveStream channel (http://www.livestream.com/wholefoodsmarket)

Participation is limited to those 21 years or older.

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About Whole Foods Market^®
Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market (wholefoodsmarket.com, NASDAQ: WFM), is the leading natural and organic food retailer. As America’s first national certified organic grocer, Whole Foods Market was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” by Health magazine. The company’s motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet”™ captures its mission to ensure customer satisfaction and health, Team Member excellence and happiness, enhanced shareholder value, community support and environmental improvement. Thanks to the company’s more than 64,000 Team Members, Whole Foods Market has been ranked as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE magazine for 14 consecutive years. In fiscal year 2011, the company had sales of more than $10 billion and currently has more than 315 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

The brilliant minds at Dogfish Head never cease to amaze me.

It is no secret that my first love was wine. I dedicated nearly 7 years to studying and working with it. Media, retail, restaurant, winery — I’ve touched just about every tier of the industry. Wine, although arguably less dimensional than beer, is exciting. It is alive, ever evolving. Wine is sexy.

Roughly 6 years ago, I didn’t even know what craft beer was, let alone drink it. I was studying to be a sommelier and working as the beverage manager at a Slow Food-type restaurant. I took my job seriously, but highly favored the wine side over the beer. That was until the fateful day I was introduced to Dogfish Head’s Midas Touch.

Midas Touch — an ancient-style ale brewed with white muscat grapes, honey and saffron — completely blew my mind. If I had tasted it blind, without knowing it was beer, I might have thought someone was playing a nasty trick on me. The texture was syrup-like and viscous, with a slight effervescence. If I didn’t know any better, I would have called it a really funky Moscato D’Asti — a sweet, low alcohol, sparkling dessert wine from Italy.

From that moment on, I became obsessed with Dogfish Head, an obsession that has since turned into a friendship characterized by sincere respect, inspiration, and love for their people.

Which brings us to the present…

Today, Dogfish Head announced the release of another wine-beer hybrid, this time with more focus on the wine aspect (49.5% of the fermentable sugars come from grapes, and 50.5% come from grains). Dogfish Head partnered with Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser, WA to create the most ambitious hybrid of beer and wine in thousands of years, aptly named Noble Rot.

To those that might shudder at the thought of noble rot, I assure you it is a harmless fungus and quite necessary in the development of the most renowned dessert wines. Sauternes, Tokaji (Tokay), Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese (the sweetest wines in the Riesling spectrum), as well as many late harvest wines, are all made with botrytised grapes.

Essentially, noble rot causes a drying of the grapes, which reduces the water content, and increases the concentration of sugars. Harvest of “normal” wine occurs when the sugars and acids are in perfect balance, whereas botrytised grapes stay on the vines longer, reducing the acid and increasing the sugar. Hence dessert wines.

For Noble Rot,  Dogfish Head chose to use unfermented botryised Viognier juice as well as Pinot Gris must* that had been intensified by a process called “dropping fruit,” where large clusters of grapes are clipped to intensify the quality of those left behind. *Must is freshly pressed, unfiltered grape juice, with a super high sugar content that also contains the skin, seeds, and stems of the fruit. It is pretty common for winemakers to drop a lot of fruit in the months leading up to harvest. This surprised me the first time I helped with harvest in Napa, seems like a lot of waste, but the process does produce the best wines.

According to Dogfish Head, “Noble Rot, which clocks in at 9% ABV, is brewed with pils and wheat malts and fermented with a distinct Belgian yeast strain. It has a spicy white wine body and a dry, tart finish.” Dogfish Head also notes that the unique beer also possesses saison-esque qualities — and anyone who knows me well, knows that saison is my favorite style of beer.

Okay, maybe its assuming of me to think that Robert Parker would actually like this beer, seeing as how his palate typically favors super extracted, high-alcohol, oak-bombs. But, I digress. I, for one, cannot wait to get my hands on this exciting blend of, quite possibly, my two favorite things in this world, beer and wine, from one of my all-time favorite breweries on this planet!

For more news and buzz about Dogfish Head, follow them on Twitter: @dogfishbeer

After months of research & development, a team of craft beer and mixology experts across the U.S. has finally unveiled its new and exciting project, BeerMixology.com — the Internet’s most comprehensive and collaborative resource for beer cocktails.

In its most basic definition, beer mixology is defined as the art or skill of crafting and mixing cocktails that use beer as an ingredient. One of the newest and most innovative trends in both the spirits and beer industries, beer cocktails have begun to appear on the most prestigious of bar menus, and some unexpected places, in many of the major metropolises — especially in the cities boasting the largest craft beer cultures (San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Denver, etc.).

“Beer Cocktails are taking the country by storm! Whether you’re into craft beer or your simply a fan of a good mixed drink, I think this trend touches people from all over the board. I’m excited to see where this takes us!” Tatiana Peavey, founder of FugglyBrew.com

Although mixing cocktails with beer is an emerging trend, it is slow to grow. Most mixologists and bartenders are hesitant to experiment with beer as an ingredient. Beer Mixology’s cross-drinking founder, Ashley Routson, attributes this problem to lack of resources on the subject, “Most traditional cocktail books and classes train people how to manipulate spirits with the use of bitters, syrups, juice, herbs, spices and even other spirits. Virtually none of them talk about using beer as an ingredient.”

It is also possible that the large spectrum of beer styles is also intimidating to the non-expert. Perhaps the real issue is not the lack of talent, but the lack of education. Routson notes, “Expecting a mixologist to know everything about beer would be like expecting a beer expert to know everything about wine. Not all alcohol is created equal, and it is extremely hard to be an expert at them all. This is why I think it is crucial for beer experts and professional mixologists to work together in crafting beer cocktails. A confluence of the minds, if you will. Beer mixology is what I consider to be a beautiful hybrid of both beverages and their cultures.”

With the goal of answering the need for a beer mixology resource, Routson sought the help of friends who were already successfully developing and executing beer cocktail recipes and events. She roped in some of the most talented mixologists and beer connoisseurs, all from major food & beverage capitals in the U.S. The founding team, all whose bios can be found on the BeerMixology.com website, includes Ryan Conklin, Jess Hunter, Tatiana Peavey, Rocky Yeh, Angelo De Ieso, Bradford Knutson, Justin Lloyd, Nat Harry, and Routson.

The team of beverage misfits expects to hit some road bumps with the launch of its innovative website. Many beer purists argue that beer is already, in itself, a perfectly crafted cocktail of barley, hops, yeast, and water. And why would anyone want to upset that balance?

Although already loaded with talent, BeerMixology.com is still seeking additional talent to join the team. BeerMixology.com will post and credit any bar or spirits brand that wants to feature their own beer cocktails on the site, and will gladly promote all beer cocktail events. Send all contributor requests and media inquiries to beermixologist@gmail.com.

About Beer Mixology
Beer Mixology was founded by a group of craft beer and cocktail experts from all over the United States, all with different backgrounds in the wonderful world of booze. Some are renowned and experienced mixologists, others brewers and craft beer aficionados, some come from both worlds, but all share a common passion for the art and science of beer mixology.