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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!!!
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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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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!
]]>This year, Emily designed 3 different logos—two black and white and one color. Feel free to share them on all your social media platforms, blogs and use them on any IPA Day marketing and event materials!
Need higher res? e-mail [email protected]
Color
Black & White #2
Emily Ragle is a graphic designer from New Jersey. She works full-time at a small studio making iPad apps, and part-time giving tours at Carton Brewing. She’s a certifiable craft beer nerd who also enjoys baking, football, travel, and the occasional bourbon. When she has free time (which is not often) she directs/films/produces a web series on homebrewers. Check her other work out at http://emilyragle.com or follow her on twitter & instagram @emilyragle.
Some of you might be asking yourself, what is IPA Day? Great question!
Founded in 2011, IPA Day has quickly become the world’s largest virtual beer party. It is a universal movement that was created to unite the voices of craft beer enthusiasts, bloggers and brewers worldwide, using social media as the common arena for connecting the conversation.
For the past two years, hundreds of events, tastings, festivals and dinners have been hosted around the world in celebration of IPA Day. Last year, roughly 12 thousand tweets from more than eight thousand people were sent out over a 24-hour period, yielding over 10 million impressions for the #IPAday hashtag on Twitter.
The goal is to make this year’s IPA Day even more viral. Getting involved is easy, the only requirements are an appreciation for great craft beer and the willingness to spread the word. On August 1, share your photos, videos, blog posts, tasting notes, recipes and thoughts on IPA with the world. Be sure to tag your posts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and other social media platforms with the #IPAday hashtag. Please note that this year we are using a lower case “d” in the hashtag to reduce confusion.
Wanna take your participation to the next level?
Organize an IPA Day event at your brewery, brewpub, restaurant, bar, bottle shop, home or office. Be sure to post your events on the CraftBeer.com Event Calendar so others in can join in. Here are some helpful tips on submitting an event.
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On Feb. 7 from 7-8 p.m. CST, join Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) and myself (@TheBeerWench) as we chat about chocolate beers, cooking with beer recipes, and perfect beer pairings for Valentine’s Day. Taste and tweet about four tantalizing chocolate beers with the breweries that make them.
To participate, pick up one or all of the featured chocolate beers and tweet your experience using the hashtag #WFMBeer. Every 15 minutes, the focus of the tasting will shift to a different beer. The schedule is as follows:
5:00 p.m. PST: Samuel Smith’s (@merchantduvin) Organic Chocolate Stout
5:15 p.m. PST: Odell Brewing (@OdellBrewing) Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout
5:30 p.m. PST: Bison Organic Beer (@bisonbrew) Organic Chocolate Stout
5:45 p.m. PST: Southern Tier (@stbcbeer) Choklat
Skip the diamonds and the pearls this Valentine’s Day and woo your special someone with a velvety smooth, rich and chocolate-y craft beer.
Participation is limited to those 21 years or older.
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What is Instagram? Essentially, its a mobile-based photo-sharing social-media platform. Instagram also allows its users to connect to and share its photos to Facebook (pages and profiles), Twitter, Tumbler and Foursquare – making it quite the one stop shop. And since Facebook bought it last year for one billion dollars, Instagram has quickly become one of the most-widely used and fastest growing social networking sites.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of craft beer fans and dozens of breweries use Instagram. Today, the #craftbeer hashtag boasts over 280 thousand pictures. Hundreds of pictures of craft beer are posted every day. Hundreds of users view these pictures, liking them and even commenting on them, every day.
I have been spending more and more time, much to the dismay of my friends and family, on the #craftbeer feed. As a result, I’ve uncovered new friends and followers that I might not have otherwise. Here is a list of the craft beer-focused Instagrammers that I enjoy following the most. Some of them are extremely talented photographers, some quirky and fun, and all are very engaging and interesting to follow!
Colby posts really great quality photos of really awesome, often hard to find, craft beers. He is also extremely engaging on the #craftbeer hashtag, often commenting on posts he likes.
Artistic photos with a creative use of color. If I had to make an assumption, I’d say he takes and edits the photos with a camera before uploading to Instagram. Either way, the photos are oustanding!
Angelo works at a great craft beer bar and is always taking pictures of new beers being tapped. He also has an epic beer cellar and his feed boasts some of the most sought-after beers in the world.
One of the most popular #craftbeer Instagrammers, Kim posts fun and cute pics of herself with beer – often telling a story with her pictures. She also visits a lot of breweries, sharing her adventures in the form of pictures on Instagram.
Chris is the beer editor for DRAFT Magazine. He gets sent lots of awesome beers from awesome breweries and shares them with us on Instagram. His feed gives me serious beer envy.
Although based in the beer mecca of Portland (OR), Dan gets his hands on amazing craft beers from all over the country. He takes great photos.
Adam runs one the most popular beer news site in the world. As his IG name suggests, Adam has his finger on the pulse of the beer industry and share his beer experiences with us on Instagram.
Although her IG name might not reveal it, Amber is a hardcore beer geek and beer blogger. She takes great photos, mostly of beer!
Ashley is a sister from another mister. She takes awesome photos of beer and food (and every now and again of her kids). Ashley is also very active and engaging with the rest of the IG #craftbeer community.
I’m quite certain that Dan is a professional photographer. And, if he isn’t, he should quit his day job to become one. His photos are some of the best I’ve seen!
Amy keeps it cute and classy, making her more than deserving of the “craft beer girl” name. She is also very engaging, giving love in the form of likes and comments to her fellow craft beer lovers.
Another great photographer, Jeff’s IG feed consists mostly craft beer and food photos with the occasional glass of wine. He’s engaged to one of my bffs – @sharayray – who is also worthy of a follow!
With a IG name like that, one would expect nothing less than awesome photos of beer – and Dale delivers. It appears as if all of his photos are taken and edited with his phone – so made props for keeping it real!
Tyler is, by far, one of the best beer photographers on Instagram and his beer collages are some of the best. He posts more rare, hard to find beers, than anyone I follow on IG. He’s Canadian, but we still love him.
Alice is one of the most popular craft beer instagrammers, boasting hundreds of likes on each of her photos. She is also highly engaging, frequently liking and commenting on other pictures in the #craftbeer feed.
Creatively combining the word instagram with the word beer, tag team Herbert and Rafael run one of the most popular beer-themed instagram feeds. Beware: they also post pics of domestic yellow fizzy lagers – however, most of it is craft.
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“We are excited to be working with such an innovative, up and coming brewery,” says Boulder Beer Brewmaster David Zuckerman. “We have a personal connection and a mutual respect for each other and the art of craft beer.”
Shakenbake is golden colored Rye India Pale Ale brewed with ingredients from both states. Shakenbake features the California-grown hop varietals Ivanhoe, Gargoyle and Chinook. The recipe’s pale malt was grown in Colorado and malted at the artisan Colorado Malting Company located in Alamosa, Colorado. Northwest Amarillos round out the hops, providing a bright, citrusy nose. A variety of other specialty malts and rye impart a golden color, slight spiciness and a dry finish, accentuating the hops.
Shakenbake will be on tap during San Francisco Beer Week: February 8-17, and Sacramento Beer Week: February 23 through March 3. A Simultap will be held in Colorado at The Pub at Boulder Beer on Friday, February 8th.
Founded in 1979, Boulder Beer Company has been a pioneer in the craft brewing industry for 33 years. They currently package seven year-round brands, four rotating seasonals, and periodically release very limited-edition, small batch brews throughout the year. Hazed and Infused is currently their top selling brand followed by Mojo IPA. Boulder Beer Company has recently expanded its footprint in California, their coverage now including most of Northern and Central California along with the San Diego market. Follow @BoulderBeer on Twitter!
Located in Lincoln, California, Knee Deep Brewing got their start in late 2010 and has grown rapidly and is quickly acquiring a reputation for outstanding IPA’s and other unique brews. Their Hoptologist is an award-winning Double IPA and Simtra (3X IPA) was rated 98 out of 100 by Beer Magazine and #2 in the top 30 beers of 2012. Knee Deep beers are currently distributed in six states and the company is currently planning to expand into a much larger facility later this year. Once their move is completed, look for Knee Deep to be available throughout the US. Follow @KneeDeepBrewing on Twitter!
]]>But, like beer, not all chips are created equally. Not all beer is made with grain. Not all potato chips are made of potatoes. Just like some breweries use adjuncts in beer, some chip manufacturers use artificial ingredients in chips. It’s sad, but true.
This is why I recently teamed up with Kettle Brand Chips on the Real Chips Deserve Real Beer campaign. Thirty years ago, Kettle Brand pioneered the kettle cooking style that’s become the gold standard for all-natural potato chips. They cook real, unpeeled potatoes in small batches using only the finest all-natural, non-GMO ingredients. No trans fats, no MSG, no artificial colors or flavors, and no ingredients you can’t pronounce.
When you open a bag of Kettle Brand Potato Chips, you know you’re getting real chips made with real ingredients by real people. Kettle Brand Chips are the real deal.
I’m a huge advocate for all things artisan and craft. Which is why I was elated to join forces with Kettle Brand to develop beer pairings for their amazing line of potato chips. And now, just in time for the Super Bowl, I’m happy to share 7 of these pairings with you! And don’t forget to follow Kettle on Twitter: @KettleChips!
Normal beers aren’t really Dogfish Head’s thing — but, if there is one old-world style Dogfish Head has embraced, tweaked and reinvented, it is the India Pale Ale. After watching a TV chef pepper a soup in continuous intervals, Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head’s founding brewmaster, developed his innovative continual-hopping method. Instead of employing the typical 3 stage (flavoring, bittering and aroma) hop addition process that most brewers use, Sam decided to hop his IPAs by the minute. Every minute for a total of 60, 75, 90 and 120 minutes — Dogfish Head continuously adds its hops to the boiling wort. The result? More hop isomerization takes place, which imparts more bitterness to the beer.
This February and March, Dogfish Head invites its friends and fans to celebrate its iconic line of India Pale Ales. They will be hosting dozens of hopalicious beer dinners across the country (but not in Norcal – grrr!). Dogfish heads will also be unveiling two brand-new IPAs (and they better be available near me – ahem) as well as a redesigned Randall the Enamel Animal and a special new glass.
A hop eclipse when? A Hop Eclipse Now!
Stay tuned for more information and innovation from Dogfish Head!
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