Drink With The Wench Drinking through the world, one beer at a time. 2015-03-02T00:57:37Z http://drinkwiththewench.com/feed/atom/ WordPress The Beer Wench http://drinkwiththewench.com <![CDATA[Happy 21st Amendment Day! Long Live Craft Beer!]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=7602 2013-12-05T19:10:43Z 2013-12-05T18:15:36Z Today marks the 80th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition in the United States! On December 5th 1933, Utah (ironic enough) was the final state to ratify the 21st Amendment, fulfilling the 1/3 majority vote needed for its passage. And thus, the 18th Amendment – banning the sale and manufacturing of alcohol – was repealed!

_______________________

The 21st Amendment

Ratified December 5, 1933
Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use there in of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

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A little over 100 years ago there were over 3,000 breweries in the United States, but then along came Prohibition. But the American brewing spirit persevered. 5 years after its repeal there were several hundred breweries producing beer. (source: Dr. Bill Sysak, Stone Brewing Co.)

Today in America, there are over 2,136 breweries — a number which is rapidly increasing, according the Brewers Association.

US Breweries Operating as of July 1, 2012
Brewpubs 1072
Microbreweries 922
Regional Craft Breweries 81
Total US Craft Breweries 2075
Large Non-Craft Breweries 22
Other Non-Craft Breweries 29
Total US Breweries 2126

Although today is a very happy day in the history of the U.S. (for alcohol lovers), the effects of Prohibition still live on 79 years later. Nearly half of Mississippi’s counties are dry. Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia and Texas all boast a high percentage of dry counties. Alaska has nearly 129 dry towns. And then, there are the hundreds of, often contradictory, state alcohol laws across the country that regulate the manufacturing and sale of alcohol. Here are some examples of these laws.

But, at the end of the day, even with how annoying some state laws might be, we can still be eternally grateful that we are not, in fact, experiencing a complete Prohibition (although, some regions might feel like they are).

In celebration of the 21st Amendment and support of the craft beer revolution, I thought it was only appropriate to share with the world a video that I, personally, believe truly encompasses the craft beer mentality and the passion of its biggest advocates.

“We must educate the average beer drinker. We must illuminate the possibilities. We must help and support our local breweries. We must spread the message. Introduce, educate, and illuminate the choices. Spread the message and declare with conviction:

I AM A CRAFT BEER DRINKER.”


I am a Craft Beer Drinker from New Brew Thursday on Vimeo

Written by Stephen Johnson : @darthweef
Directed by John Holzer : @johnholzer
Produced by New Brew Thursday : @newbrewthursday

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]]> 1 The Beer Wench http://drinkwiththewench.com <![CDATA[Happy #StoutDay! How are you Celebrating?]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=9762 2013-11-08T20:18:37Z 2013-11-08T20:18:37Z As I’m sure you can tell by the title of this post, today is International Stout Day! Like IPA Day, Stout Day is a worldwide celebration of craft beer that was designed to unite the world in a giant toast of this iconic beer style–the stout!

In honor of this awesome holiday, here is a super basic 101-style run down on the various sub-categories of stout and some of my favorite beers to imbibe from each category. If I forgot your favorite sub-style, feel free to mention it in the comment section below so I can update the site! Happy Stout Day! Cheers!

Stout 101 (as basic as it gets)

Irish Dry Stout

The original stout style that evolved from the porter. Dryness comes from the use of roasted unmalted barley. Most famous example is Guinness.

Foreign Extra Stout

Similar to dry stout, but with more gravity (aka alcohol and stuff). This is a rather broad class of stouts. They can be fruity and sweet, dry and bitter, or even have funky notes from Brettanomyces.

Recommended Foreign Extra Stouts:

Russian Imperial Stout

Strong stout originally brewed in the 18th century by Thrale’s brewery in London, England for export to the court of Catherine II of Russia. This is the catch all category for high-alcohol stouts.

Recommended Imperial Stouts:

Barrel-Aged Stout

This is a pretty obvious category. Stouts aged in barrels–typically used booze barrels like Bourbon, whiskey, wine and such. Quite possibly the best invention ever!

Recommended Barrel-Aged Stouts:

Chocolate Stout

Stouts brewed with chocolate and or cocoa as well as stouts that boast a noticeable dark chocolate flavor through the use of darker, more aromatic malt; particularly chocolate malt. 

Recommended Chocolate Stouts:

Milk Stout

Stout containing lactose, a sugar derived from milk. Because lactose is unfermentable by beer yeast, it adds sweetness, body, and calories to the finished beer.

Recommended Milk Stouts:

Oatmeal Stout

Stout brewed with oats, typically no more than 30% of the grain bill. Oatmeal stouts tend to be super smooth as a result of the high content of proteins and lipids in oats.

Recommended Oatmeal Stouts:

Coffee Stout

Another easy category to describe–stouts brewed with coffee!

Recommended Coffee Stouts:

Oyster Stout

Stouts brewed with oysters. Some brew with only the shells, while others opt to brew with the entire oyster, shell and all. Oyster stouts are typically dark, roasty and dry with a mild brininess or slight gaminess.

Recommended Oyster Stouts:

________________________________________________________

Depending on the sub-category, stouts pair well with a wide range of foods. Naturally, chocolate, cream and fruit-based desserts are a natural partner for the entire range of stouts. Stouts are also a natural pair for grilled meats and game–especially the drier versions. I’m a big fan of blue cheese and stouts. And you can never go wrong partnering a dry or oyster stout with oysters.

Stouts are also really awesome to cook and bake with. Here are some of my favorite stout infused recipes:

Also check out these awesome recipes from Deschutes Brewery!

How are you celebrating Stout Day?

]]> 1 The Beer Wench http://drinkwiththewench.com <![CDATA[5 Spooktastic Halloween Candy & Beer Pairings]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=8985 2013-10-31T16:59:19Z 2013-10-31T15:22:27Z Candy with beer? Why not! After some grueling and palate-intensive research and taste testing, I’ve come up with beer pairings recommendations for some of the most popular Halloween candies on the market. Whether your night consists of handing out candy, taking the little tikes out on a candy crawl, or partying like a rocktar — take a moment to indulge yourself in one of these tasty pairings!

5 Spooktastic Halloween Candy & Beer Pairings

Candy Corn

Beer Pairing: Belgian Tripel

According to many sources, Candy Corn tops the list as the highest selling and most popular Halloween candy. Essentially made entirely of sugar, this super sweet king of Halloween candy requires a beer pairing that won’t over power it. The sugar cookie-like malt flavors and fruity yeast characteristics in a Belgian Tripel pair nicely with the sweetness in the candy corn, while the dryness of the beer helps to cut through the overwhelmingly heavy sugar content of the candy.

Commercial Examples: Westmalle Trappist Tripel, Victory Golden Monkey, Allagash Tripel Ale, Flying Fish Exit 4, Anderson Valley Brother David’s Triple Abbey Style Ale

_________________________________

Skittles

Beer Pairing: American IPA

Based on sheer volume of Facebook likes, Skittles are the most popular candy amongst social media users. (23.6 million likes is no joke). Once upon a time, my friend Michael Bussman of New Belgium Brewing recommended that I try pairing Starburst with IPA. Quite pleased with the pairing, I attempted the same pairing with the similarly fruit-flavored candy, Skittles. Oddly enough, it works. The bitter flavors in the beer contrasts the sweetness in the candy, while the tart fruity flavors in the candy pair nicely with the citrus-like character of the hops.

Commercial Examples: New Belgium Ranger IPA, Bell’s Two-Hearted IPA, Ten Barrel Apocalypse IPA, Bear Republic Racer 5, Sweetwater IPA, Dogfish Head 60 Minute Ale

_________________________________

M & M’s

Beer Pairing: Chocolate Stout

Whether your vice be peanut or plain, its hard to deny the M&M’s popularity amongst people of all ages. This fairly simple and colorful candy demands a beer that shares its love for chocolate. Like M&M’s, the Chocolate Stout has many variations. From Imperial Stout, to Sweet or Milk Stout, to Dry Stout — there is a perfect Chocolate Stout for everyone. I recommend pairing the sweeter versions with milk chocolate M&M’s and the drier version with dark chocolate.

Commercial Examples: Rogue Chocolate Stout, Bison Organic Chocolate Stout, Southern Tier Chokolat, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout.

_________________________________

Snickers

Beer Pairing: Nut Brown Ale

Thirsty? Why wait! This nougat candy topped with caramel and peanuts, covered in milk chocolate is a perfect match for the toasty, caramel and toffee flavors of brown ales — especially versions where nuts have been added in the brewing process. This power pairing is sure to give you that energy boost needed to power through a night of trick-or-treating. 

Commercial Examples: Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale, Goose Island Nut Brown Ale, Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale, AleSmith Nautical Nut Brown Ale.

_________________________________

Sour Patch Kids

Beer Pairing: Kriek/ Cherry Lambic

Known for their abrasively sour, tongue destroying sugar crystals, Sour Patch kids are a favorite among kids and adults alike. Since you are already killing your palate by eating the candy, why not completely annihilate it by drinking a sour cherry beer? The Kriek is a style of Belgian beer that uses cherries in the fermentation process. Some are sweeter than others, some more sour. Makes a killer pairing for Sour Patch kids.

Commercial Examples: Lindeman Kriek, Hanssens Oude Kriek, New Belgium Transaltantique Kriek, Cantillon Lou Pepe, New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red, Cascade Kriek

_________________________________

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

]]> 2 The Beer Wench http://drinkwiththewench.com <![CDATA[Triumph Visits the Great American Beer Festival]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=9752 2013-10-23T17:36:53Z 2013-10-23T17:36:53Z This morning, I literally peed my pants watching this video of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog visiting the Great American Beer Festival. There are a few familiar faces from the craft beer industry in this video, most notably Paul Gatza (Brewers Association Director), which makes it that much more entertaining.

Although the video totally makes fun of what Triumph keeps referring to as the “microbrew” culture, this video did appear on the Conan show, which is ultimately just more exposure for the awesomeness that is craft beer.

Enjoy!

]]> 5 The Beer Wench http://drinkwiththewench.com <![CDATA[CraftGeer: Making Beer Geeks Fashionable]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=9739 2013-10-23T01:31:52Z 2013-10-23T00:57:22Z Let’s face it. The craft beer crowd isn’t exactly known for its fashion sense. The probably has a lot to do with the nature of the job. Brewing is dirty work and it almost never involves a suit and a tie. After all, 90% (or more) of brewing is cleaning. No need to be fancy.

And when it comes to the beer geeks, we love to sport swag from our favorite breweries and watering holes. But when you are a girl, this isn’t always easy. My biggest pet peeve with beer clothes is how unflattering they can be for women. You can always tell when a man designs and picks out the fabric for women’s beer shirts. They are usually 100% cotton, boxy and shrink up like crazy. And most of us beer loving girls don’t exactly have the flat tummies needed to pull off belly shirts.

But have no fear, ladies and gents. CraftGeer.com is here to fill all of our beer fashion needs.

Disclaimer: I was not solicited by CraftGeer to write this post. Joe is a friend and I felt the need to promote his awesome products. Another Disclaimer: Because Joe is a friend, I’ve been a very grateful beneficiary of his products. Call me a guinea pig of sorts–or maybe just a whore for cool shit.

Anyways. Moving on.

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me where I got my awesome beer snifters with the skull and crossbones hop leaf, I’d have like at least 100 bucks. Maybe more. People absolutely love those things. And for good reason. Not only is the snifter and iconic and ideal glassware for many styles of beer, the logo is totally badass.

But as much as I love the glassware, I love the shirts even more. My current favorite is the Drink Local tank top. It long (women love the long shit), stretchy (women love the stretchy shit) and pretty damn flattering (women like to look good, yo). As a hoodie fanatic, I’m desperately waiting for the Girlie Hoodie to get back in stock (hint hint, Joe).

They have some pretty cool men’s gear too. I’m a big fan on the slogan “Keep Calm and Add Hops.” Although its totally based on the popular Keep Calm meme, it is also pretty accurate. Hops are a natural sedative, which means they actual do posses the power to calm people. Just don’t give hops to your dog. Hops can cause malignant hyperthermia in dogs, usually with fatal results. Yikes.

I’ve played with the idea of making my own merch as well. I mean, what lady doesn’t want a shirt that says “The Beer Wench” on it? And I’ve always wanted to create a shirt that says, “I drank with The Wench and Survived.” I recently found QLP–a pretty affordable site that literally lets you put your logo on everything from koozies to car chargers and stress balls. Drink With The Wench stress balls, anyone?

But what I really, REALLY want to make is a custom track jacket with the logo above. I have yet to come across a bar or brewery that makes a cool beer-themed track jacket for chicks. So I guess the real question is, does anyone care? Does anyone want anything with my brand on it? I’m very interested to hear your feedback! And in the meantime, check out my friend Joe’s cool stuff over at CraftGeer.com.

]]> 9 The Beer Wench http://drinkwiththewench.com <![CDATA[My #GABF with AGA Marvel-ous]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=9717 2013-10-16T18:39:02Z 2013-10-16T18:17:45Z The craft beer industry is quite possibly the best industry in the world.  From vendors to distributors to brewers to the media–I am constantly blown away by the amount of kindness, generosity and love that is given and shared amongst our amazing community.

Last week, I broke the very sad news to my friends and followers that, for the first time in 5 years, I was unable to attend the Great American Beer Festival. Unfortunately, the brewery I work for was unable to participate this year and I didn’t have the budget to go on my own.

No beer for Wenchie = #sadface

Upon posting my sad news, an angel of beer named Micha Rains appeared. She told me, “the Great American Beer Festival cannot happen without The Wench. We must make this happen!” And then she proceeded to pitch her company, AGA Marvel, on a partnership between our two brands. They offered to buy me a plane ticket and put me up in a hotel room in exchange for helping to work their booth during GABF. A chance to go to GABF and all I had to do was help promote amazing kegerators? My answer was obvious.

My Fairy Beermother Micha

And so, I hopped on the first plane out to Denver, rolled my sleeves up and became a mini-ambassador for AGA Marvel. And let me tell you, I had a blast. And because I’m so grateful for AGA Marvel’s kindness, I want to take this opportunity to tell you about their awesome beer dispensers, which I had the honor of “playing” with all weekend.

If you’ve never seen them before, the AGA Marvel beer dispensers are a glorious sight to be seen. And I’m not just saying this because they were so kind to me, I’m completely honest when I tell you how versatile, efficient, easy-to-use and just plain old pretty these things are. We were showing off the outdoor models, which were wrapped entirely in super shiny stainless steel. I love shiny objects, so I was instantly enamored.

I heart shiny objects

Each 24″ system comes ready to go with all necessary tapping equipment – draft tower, hoses, 5 lb. CO2 tank and regulator, drip tray, and interior floor shield to protect the inside liner. They all provide the option to store one half, one quarter (plus bottles), or two 1/6 barrel kegs–or can be converted to a full refrigerator with metal shelves that easily store inside when not in use.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. The Marvel beer dispensers come with several custom options.

First, you can opt for the indoor model, which comes in black, stainless steel or wood; or the outdoor model, which is built with corrosion resistant commercial grade stainless steel. Next, you can decide between a single tap tower or a duel tap tower. Then, you can choose between an exterior drip tray or a drip tray that empties into a plastic bottle inside the refrigerator, for easier cleaning.

Double the beer, double the fun!

There is also a portable outdoor version that comes with heavy duty casters and mug rails, pro-style handles and stainless steel toe kicks so you can wheel it around in style. Both versions can either be free-standing or built under existing counter-tops and bars. Cooling temp ranges from 33° – 52° F, so you can keep your beer chilled at the most optimal serving temperatures.

Bottles and kegs, oh my!

When it comes to price, which I’m sure you all are curious about, these systems run upwards from $1,899, depending on the model and variations chosen. Naturally, extra perks like drip trays and wheels cost a bit more. As far as buying concerns, AGA Marvel has a national network of independent dealers, servicers and fitters that sell, install, repair and maintain their products. To locate a dealer, enter your zip or postal code here.

All in all, these systems were easy to setup and use. On the floor, we used an a portable outdoor beer dispenser to pour rootbeer and DRAFT Magazine used two of the portable outdoor systems to pour special beers in their VIP lounge. Everyone who came across the systems were wickedly impressed–as was I. And if you are in the market for a kegerator, the AGA Marvel beer dispensers come highly recommended by none other than yours truly!

Super sleek design.

In closing, I just want to send a super shout-out to my friend Micha and her team at AGA Marvel who gave me the wonderful opportunity to attend the Great American Beer Festival. It was officially the best GABF I’ve been to yet and it would never have been possible without the amazing folks at AGA Marvel! Thanks Art, Micha, Dick and Leah! XOXO!!!

Follow @AGAMARVEL on Twitter

Like AGA MAVERL on Facebook

Follow AGA MARVEL on Pinterest

 

]]> 2 The Beer Wench http://drinkwiththewench.com <![CDATA[Southwest Berkeley: A New Craft Beer Frontier?]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=9689 2014-12-09T18:42:24Z 2013-10-01T19:57:05Z This morning, Sierra Nevada announced that is ready to open its new swanky taproom–The Torpedo Room–in Southwest Berkeley this November.This is a very exciting announcement for those of us (ahem *me*) that live, work and play in the neighborhood.

I work around the corner, suckers!!

Okay, so it is probably important to note that Sierra’s new taproom is literally, literally one block from my work. As in, I walk out the door, take approximately 20 steps, and BOOM. I’m there. And if I skip, I can get there even faster. And who are we kidding, I will be skipping, if not running, over there everyday after its opening. No passing go, no collecting 200 dollars.

The Torpedo Room will have 16 taps, all pouring unique and limited Sierra Nevada beers. Sierra Nevada will host educational tastings in the taproom, as well as the occasional craft-centric event dedicated to beer science. Because of licensing requirements (I assume), all draught beer will be served in taster flights. Guests will also have the option of filling growlers to go, as well as purchasing six-packs, cases and individual specialty bottles. Light snacks will accompany beer flights, but there won’t be a full food menu.

Cause ghosts dig beer too.

But the opening of Sierra Nevada’s new taproom isn’t the only beeralicious project that has got Berkeley beer geeks sitting on edge. Southwest Berkeley is also the very proud home of a new all-sour barrel-aged brewery aptly named The Rare Barrel. Oh, The Rare Barrel, how do I give thee the justice thou deserves?

I love unicorns.

Picture a fantasy land where the sun is always shinning, rainbows are always in the sky and unicorns are playing freely and peacefully with dragons and fairies. Imagine a world where dreams really do come true and sour beer runs through the land like water. This is The Rare Barrel.

Oh yes, they fancy.

Okay, but for real. The Rare Barrel is going to be a magical place. The entire focus of The Rare Barrel will be on sours and they have created a space specifically dedicated to the conditioning of barrel-aged sour beers. High ceilings, a moderate climate and plenty of space–the barrels will have an ideal home for developing amazing and unique sour beers.

And where is this magical land of sours and pixie dust? Three blocks from my apartment and about 1 mile from The Torpedo Room. Yes, kids. That’s right. I can hop, skip, jump, run, bike or walk to both places in a matter of minutes. And that is a beautiful thing.

Brewers on barrels. Doesn’t get much sexier than that.

But sour beers and rare Sierra samplers are not the only beertastic things going on down in Southwest Berkeley. It is also home to the largest craft beer cooler in the East Bay. And we aren’t talking about a few refrigerators. We are talking about a beer cooler the entire length of a grocery store isle. It is so big, I can’t even capture it all on my camera phone.

ZOMG! Beers for days!

Southwest Berkeley also boasts an eclectic range of bars, from dive to fancy, that feature awesome and, often times, very special craft beer selections. In fact, my really good friend Josh was recently hired to renovate the beer program at an Old-Fashioned Hofbrau and Sports Bar located in the the historic Southern Pacific Railroad Depot on Berkeley’s 4th Street. Josh is well-known amongst local craft beer drinkers for his previous work, revamping the craft beer list at a popular NY-style pizza place near the UC Berkeley campus.

This is what my hometown beer world will look like.

Speaking of weird and awesome things that happen in Southwest Berkeley–my favorite dive bar within stumbling distance of my apartment recently tapped Firestone Walker’s Parabola. Not sure who exactly was in charge of tapping the keg that night, but let’s just say there may have been a bit of miscommunication with the staff. Said bar ended up pouring $5 pints of Parabola–and news of it spread like wild-fire throughout the local beer geek community.

And there is always the fact that I live in Southwest Berkeley, with a rather healthy beer cellar. Not saying that everyone and their mother is invited to come drink my cellar, but I’m always willing to pop open a few fun bottles with friends who visit the area. Especially, those who bring tasty treats for my mouth in either the form of suds or pig parts.

Supplication for days.

As hip and cool as Southwest Berkeley is becoming, I probably should tout the awesomeness of the other neighborhoods in Buzzerkeley as well. Just a wee bit north from all the Southwest Berkeley beer action, you can find two of our city’s more well-known breweries–Trumer and Pyramid. Technically speaking (for all the sticklers out there), Pyramid is no longer privately owned, so by definition of the Brewers Association, they are not a *craft* brewery. But, I still feel that their presence in the area should be noted.

IPAX FTW!

But the beer fun doesn’t stop below San Pablo Ave. Head up towards Central Berkeley, where the UC Berkeley campus is located, and you will find a mecca of craft beer offerings including Berkeley’s oldest brewery–Triple Rock–the only East Bay bar to receive weekly keg shipments of the ever-coveted Pliny The Elder and the oldest liquor store in Berkeley (76 years and counting), which boasts one of the most extensive craft beer bottle selections in the area (including weekly shipments from RRBC).

It’s always Pliny o’clock in Berkeley.

Well, as you can tell, I have mad pride for Berkeley’s craft beer scene. And if you think the beer scene sounds cool, you should also check out our food scene. Some say California cuisine and the Slow Food movement were born in Berkeley. And I believe them. Berkeley: come for the beer, stay for the food.

Mmmmm fried things.

Let me know if you ever come to my neck of the woods! I’d be more than happy to show you around! Hit me up on Twitter @TheBeerWench, on Instagram @thebeerwench, or send me a message on Facebook! Cheers!

]]> 3 The Beer Wench http://drinkwiththewench.com <![CDATA[The Beer Wagon needs your help!!!]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=9676 2013-09-12T20:32:51Z 2013-09-12T20:32:51Z Hey friends! Its been a really long time since I’ve posted content on my blog–something that is both sad and exhilarating. Over the past few months, my personal life has undergone some bittersweet changes. As a result, I have refocused my energy on self-reflection and introspection, spending less time on the internet and more time on both personal and career growth.

Today, I’m proud to share with you all a project that I have been working hard and diligently on over the past few months with my team over at Bison Organic Beer. Allow me to introduce THE BEER WAGON–a community-focused, sustainable mobile beer garden that donates 100% of its profits to local charities.

The Beer Wagon will raise money by selling draft beer (and other organic beverages) at food truck gatherings, festivals, farmer’s markets, and various charity functions. Our mission is to educate the public about organic and sustainable issues while our customers are having fun and socializing with delicious organic beverages in hand.

Bison Organic Beer (a 100% certified organic brewing company headquartered in Berkeley, CA) already owns this 1986 Winnebago. We have installed a solar array on the roof, which currently powers its bumping sound system and lights. Several interior modifications have already been welded. And we have purchased a 1996 Turbo Cummings Diesel engine, which means we can convert The Beer Wagon to biodiesel and make it even more sustainable.

But before we can take this shiny red charity chariot on the road, she needs a lot more work. The Beer Wagon still needs to be pimped out with all the essentials. In order to do this, we need outside support—and this is where YOU come in. We need at least $15,000 to get off the ground.

The breakdown is as follows:

  • $6,000 to outfit the rig for keg handling, cooling, and the exterior and interior tap systems
  • $5,000 for an exterior truck wrap
  • $2,000 for brakes
  • $2,000 for startup party supplies, crowd control, office stuff and first year insurance

But that’s not all…. If we can raise even more money, we can do even more cool things with The Beer Wagon (such as converting the engine!).

In order to raise the capital needed to put The Beer Wagon on the road, we have chosen to launch a crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo. In just 2 days, we have already raised 17% of our 15k goal. We still have 40 days to not only meet our goal, but completely destroy it. And so, I’m reaching out to all of you–all of my friends and fans–for help. Help us make The Beer Wagon a reality. Be among the first of many to be part of this mobile movement for years to come.

 How YOU can help The Beer Wagon:

  1. Visit the Indigogo site (here!) pick one of our AWESOME perks and donate now!
  2. Spread the message about The Beer Wagon on social media!
  3. Follow @The_Beer_Wagon on Twitter, @thebeerwagon on Instagram, and like The Beer Wagon on Facebook!

Cheers!

]]> 2 The Beer Wench http://drinkwiththewench.com <![CDATA[Bacon & Beer Fest Coming to San Francisco August 25th]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=9667 2013-08-07T20:26:41Z 2013-08-07T20:26:41Z 1 The Beer Wench http://drinkwiththewench.com <![CDATA[Official #IPAday 2013 Twitter Stats]]> http://drinkwiththewench.com/?p=9651 2013-08-05T17:36:25Z 2013-08-05T17:33:26Z Last Thursday marked the 3nd Annual IPA Day — a global celebration dedicated to one of craft beer’s most beloved and iconic styles — the India Pale Ale. This year was, by far, the most successful IPA Day yet—as evidenced by the statistics I am about to provide.

Thanks to the kind people at HashTracking.com, I was able to get my hands on a really solid report on the #IPAday hastag usage on Twitter. Unfortunately, I do not have similar numbers for Facebook, Instagram or Google+—but one could assume from its success on Twitter that the hashtag was equally prolific on other social media platforms.

It is also important to note that, the data I’m sharing with you today mostly reflects the Western Hemisphere and U.S. participation in IPA Day. Outside of the U.S., reports of IPA Day were recorded from all over Europe, China, Japan, New Zealand, Australia & Brazil — as well as other countries that I haven’t been able to officially capture data from. Although, many of these countries were very active on IPA Day, the data I’m about to share may not accurately reflect the world’s participation in IPA Day.

Nonetheless, the data is pretty exciting and I am pretty stoked to pass it along. If you have any questions, comments or concerns about any of these numbers or findings, feel free to comment below and I will do my best to address them.

First, let’s talk basic stats. The official hashtag was tweeted out 33, 697 times by 22, 877 different users. The #IPAday hashtag had the potential reach of 25.04 million people and appeared on nearly 54.2 million timelines. You can compare these numbers to last year, where the #IPAday hashtag was only tweeted 11.8 thousand times by 8 thousand people.

Now, let’s talk about the top lists. According to Hashtracking.com, the Most Popular list was determined by a combination of mentions and retweets with the hashtag #IPAday. The user @untappd topped the most popular list, boasting 13,067 mentions and 237 retweets. @dogfishbeer came in second, with 439 mentions and 133 retweets. And surprisingly enough, yours truly came in third, with 351 mentions and 137 retweets. I was followed by 4. @StoneBrewingCo 5. @BrewDog 6. @BeerAdvocate 7. @draftmag 8. @sweetwaterbrew 9. @thebeerfridge and 10. @DeschutesBeer.

Next up, we have the most tweets list. Not surprisingly enough, I topped the list with 56 total tweets using the hashtag #IPAday. Following me was 2. @epicbeergirl (47 tweets) 3. @Calistoga (33 tweets) 4. @activebeergeek (28 tweets) and 5. @BrewDog & @Tapworks (27 tweets each).

Most Reach was another interesting statistic that we were given. This stat pretty much reveals the most prolific tweeters that used the #IPAhashtag throughout the day. With nearly 4 million followers, @WholeFoods topped this list. They were followed by 2. @wilw 3. @threadless 4. @Disc_Health 5. @dwell 6. @BeerAdvocate 7. @SubEWL 8. @drinkcraftbeer 9. @newbelgium and 10. @dogfishbeer.

Next we will talk about links. Of the 33k #IPAday tweets, 19k were sent with links and 14k were sent without links.

Not surprising, untappd.com topped the list as the most tweeted link.

I really really really want to thank @hashtracking for helping me collect all of this very valuable data. And I highly recommend their services to anyone and everyone that wants to track hashtag data on Twitter.

I also want to thank Andy Sparhawk at the Brewers Association, who helped me track the various U.S. cities in which the hashtag was an official trending topic. These cities included: Austin, Birmingham, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnatti, Columbus, Cleveland, Denver, El Paso, Greenboro, Harrisburg, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Jackson, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Louisville, Mineapolis, Memphis, Milwaukee, Portland, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Diego….. and well just about every major U.S. city on the map.

But the most exciting news of the entire day happened at 1:30pm PST/ 3:30pm EST….. when the #IPAday hashtag started to trend on the national level.

Now, if you have a hard time picturing how big of a deal this is, let’s break it down like this. #IPAday was, at one point during the day, just as popular, if not more, than Justin Bieber.

Well kids, that’s all the data I have for now. (You can view the whole report HERE). If I can find a way to collect more data from Facebook and Instgram, you all will be the first to find out.

And before I sign off….. allow me to thank the most important person who helped to make this the largest, most successful IPA Day yet—YOU!

THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU THAT SUPPORTED AND PARTICIPATED IN IPA DAY 2013. You are awesome.

 

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