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!

The Brewers Association (BA) defines this type of brewery as a contract brewing company—essentially a business that hires another brewery to produce its beer. The contract brewing company is often responsible for recipe development and handles the marketing, sales and distribution of the beer.

I currently work for one of the breweries involved in the project, Bison Organic Beer. Our partners include Calicraft Brewing Co., Highwater Brewing, Lucky Hand, Oakland Brewing Co., Pacific Brew Labs, Triple Voodoo & Uncommon Brewers (host). All of us have headquarters and live in the Bay Area.

In honor of San Francisco Beer Week 2013, the Band of Gypsies is releasing its first collaboration beer, aptly named The Belgian Tramp – an organic Belgian Quad brewed with house-made candy sugar, California-grown Mission figs, raisins and dates. Boasting a hefty 10.5% abv., Belgian Tramp is sticky sweet and boozy with rich flavors of dark fruit, roasted malt and caramel, a moderate hop bitterness, and a smooth, dry finish.

For more information, watch the awesome video below, developed by good friend and very awesome videographer, Carlo Overhulser of The Beer Channel.

About The Beer Channel

The Beer Channel came about from a simple observation; there are networks on television dedicated to food, wine, travel, and education, but nothing to celebrate one of the world’s most revered beverages or the folks behind the scenes that work hard to bring it all together.

It began as a share and review blog and then quickly moved to just video due to the overwhelming demand for content on mobile devices. Specific shows were also done in a test market format on public access television in Santa Cruz, CA. The feedback was extremely positive, and the working goal is to work with the right investors to launch The Beer Channel nationally. There are currently four programs in production:

• Have Beer, Will Travel
• Brü Appetit
• The Beer Hike
• Brewmaster Spotlight

Carlo Overhulser is originally from the Washington D.C. area. He currently lives in Santa Cruz, CA. He is a history major, and his background consists of A/V, tech, and major recording studio engineering.

Follow Carlo on Twitter: @thebeerchannel

YAWN! Who needs boring resolutions this year? Instead of resolving to do something you will stop doing next week,  make a beer resolution! I’ve recruited the help of some of my favorite professionals in the beer industry to help inspire my craft beer loving friends and readers to create their own beer resolutions.

Have a beer resolution? Add it in the comment section below! Cheers!!!

2013 New Year’s Beer Resolutions of the Craft Beer Industry

___________________

Julia Herz

Brewers Association Craft Beer Program Director | Publisher, CraftBeer.com

Twitter: @herzmuses

New Years Resolution(s): In 2013 I plan to continue deeper into my beer studies which will even further expand my craft beer appreciation. 2 big goals:

1) Get better at describing what I taste. I want to share all the juicy details just like a gossip girl wants names and a blow by blow of the entire story! Describing should be less big picture and more specifics. Instead of saying, “This craft beer has lots of caramel, nutty notes and chocolate.” How about, “It busts with butter cream, almonds show through in mid-taste and bitter dark chocolate lingers in the background throughout.” Now that is more specific AND enticing AND what I continue to strive for.

2) Further my ability to describe what is happening during pairing. As a result of my job in preaching pairing via CraftBeer.com and tastings I’ve had to find tools and understandable basics that work for me. If I can identify elements (like the primary colors or sweet/salt/sour/bitter/roast/fruit/etc.) in craft beer and food then I have reference to identify/describe what interactions (sweet calms sweet/acidic calms acidic/ bitter calms sweet) occurred to create new ‘elevated’ elements (like the secondary colors or for example the sugar sweet in that cheese cake was calmed down and lessened by the bold hop bitterness of the IPA so I could then better taste the cream cheese tart of the cake). It’s a lot to digest I know.

For anyone trying to describe pairings, if you’ve never done it before, it’s as hard as trying to describe the primary colors, but being visually impaired or blind. I am fully on this journey. By the way another way to think of food elements or primary colors is like prime numbers in math. They are the most basic and cannot be broken down further. Sweet is a pure element like a prime number. So is salty, sour, bitter, etc.

___________________

Anat Baron

Entreprenuer | Director/Writer/Producer, Beer Wars

Twitter: @beerwars

New Years Resolution: To get over my allergy to alcohol… so I can FINALLY drink craft beer.

___________________

Kirk Coco

President, NOLA Brewing Company

Twitter: @NOLABrewing

New Years Resolution: I resolve to push the envelope and get beyond the basics with our beers, starting a sour beer program and brewing more imperials, doubles and getting lagers onto the market.  Personally, I resolve to vary my drinking to enjoy wine and cocktails as well as beer, to train my palate for varied tastes and to make myself a better brewer.

___________________

Jason Oliver

Brewmaster, Devils Backbone Brewing Company

New Years Resolution: To become a hop master and a master of using hops. To really focus on the finer points and subtleties of using hops above and beyond merely adding more to a brew and have Devils Backbone win both small brewpub & small brewing company of the year at the 2013 GABF.  That’s not too much to ask is it??

___________________

Win Bassett

Social Media & Beer Education, All About Beer Magazine | Executive Director, North Carolina Brewers Guild | Interim Secretary, North American Guild of Beer Writers

Website: http://winbassett.com
Twitter: @winbassett @allaboutbeer

New Years Resolution: Stan Hieronymus’ recent blog post about the “two-ounce culture” (http://appellationbeer.com/heyolllllo-better-copyright-two-ounce-culture/) really resonated with me. For 2013, I plan to do less “tast[ing], rat[ing], mov[ing] on” and more enjoying beer experiences with friends. Cheers to a new year in beer!

___________________

Lucy Saunders

Author / Founder, Great Lakes Water Conservation Conference

• The Best of American Beer and Food: Pairing & Cooking with Craft Beer
• Grilling with Beer: Bastes, BBQ Sauces, Mops, Marinades & More Made with Craft Beer
• Cooking With Beer: Taste-Tempting Recipes and Creative Ideas for Matching Beer & Food

Website: beercook.com
Twitter: @lucybeercook and @GLwater

New Years Resolution: My new year’s beer resolution is to read a new book about beer and brewing every month! Top on my list, For the Love of Hops by Stan Hieronymus. I also plan to be a tourist in my home state of Wisconsin, and take more brewery tours, even the ones I’ve already visited….if it’s been more than a year, it’s worth the repeat to see what’s changed.

___________________

Photo: Grapes & Grains NYC

Ron Jeffries

General Mischief Maker, Jolly Pumpkin Artisinal Ales

New Years Resolution: The only thing I can think of is that, while we are almost finished installing our new 50 bbl brewhouse, what I am most happy about is getting to brew again on our old 10 bbl, slow it down to one brew a day, and come out with some super….uhhhh… “interesting” stuff.

___________________

 Mitch Steele

Brewmaster, Stone Brewing Co. | Author

• IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale

Twitter: @MitchAtStone

New Years Resolutions: Brew several kick-ass IPAs.

Always look at my glass as half full.

Drink responsibly.

___________________

Garrett W. Marrero

Founder, Maui Brewing Co.

Twitter: @MauiBrewingCo

New Years Resolution: I’d love to spend more time with family and friends enjoying great craft beer from around the world, that and to not lose my mind building the new brewery!

___________________

Dan Del Grande

Chief Hoperations Officer, Bison Organic Beer

Twitter: @bisonbrew

New Years Resolution: I’m inspired (by my friend Natalie) to have a social hour every week day with a different person–a beer after work, a quick lunch or cup of joe mid day.  Too many times I say, “Let’s get together” but we never do.  I’m changing that.

___________________

Angela Arp

Special Events & Social Media Coordinator, Nebraska Brewing Co.

Twitter: @AngelaArp | @NEBrewingCo

News Years Resolution: My 2013 resolution is to spend my energy promoting what I love rather than bashing what I hate.

___________________

Stan Hieronymus

Author/ Journalist

• For The Love of Hops: The Practical Guide to Aroma, Bitterness and the Culture of Hops (Brewing Elements) 
• Brew Like a Monk: Trappist, Abbey, and Strong Belgian Ales and How to Brew Them
• Brewing with Wheat (Brewing Technology)
• The Beer Lover’s Guide to the USA: Brewpubs, Taverns, and Good Beer Bars

Website: www.appellationbeer.com
Twitter: @StanHieronymus

New Years Resolution: Remember the philosophy “Less is more” in all things, including writing, certainly life, and – of course – beer.

___________________

Angelo M. De Ieso II

Founder, Brewpublic.com | Beertender at Beer Revolution

Twitter: @BREWPUBLIC

New Years Resolution: To continue to become a more accepting and well-rounded person; to grow professionally and personally. I want to continue to learn more about beer and to taste more interesting styles. I’d really love to find steady work outside of my blog doing something in the craft beer community. I’d like to embark upon more collaborative projects with my wife. I also want to travel to more breweries in Northern California while I am living here.

___________________

William Sysak – AKA “Dr. Bill”

Craft Beer Ambassador & Certified Cicerone ® at Stone Brewing Co.

Twitter: @BistroBeer @MasterPairings @ExpertDrinking

New Year’s Resolution: To continue spread the word on Craft Beer! To inform & educate the masses about the wonders of a hoppy IPA or a tart Flemish Red. Basically to continue to do what I and many others have done for the past 35 years. You may have seen this before; http://vimeo.com/14803129

___________________

Jared Rouben

Brewmaster of the Goose Island brewpubs

Twitter: @jbrew312

New Years Resolution: To explore more farmer’s markets for better ingredients to use in my beers. And to experience more restaurants that are  focusing on beer and food to challenge my palette.

___________________

Randy Clemens

Freelance food & drink writer / author of The Sriracha Cookbook and co-author of The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance

Website: http://www.randyclemens.com

Twitter Handle: @RandyClemensEsq

New Years Resolution: I’ve long placed a high priority on purchasing organic food, but I need to place the same emphasis on seeking out organic beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea… you name it. How? Well, besides buying and drinking more of it, I’ll also ask for it… EVERY time.

Even after scanning a menu and seeing no organic beers or wines, I’ll ask the bartender or server or store clerk if they carry any. Why? Because demand creates supply, and I’d love to see organic drinks available in more places.

Sure, there are a good number of reputable establishments carrying them now because they too care about the negative impacts that so-called “conventional” farming has on our health and our environment, but many places simply aren’t aware or haven’t yet been enticed enough to care or worse yet, think their customers don’t care. Well, I care, and I intend to help draw more attention to and create more demand for organic beers and wines. I’m Randy Clemens, and I approve this message.

___________________

Andy Sparhawk

Craft Beer Program Coordinator, Brewers Association

Twitter: @AndySparhawk

New Years Resolution: I look forward to attempting to look at the beer world with a wide lens. Recognizing that there will always be something new to learn about or experience.

___________________

New Years Resolution: Beer? What is thing you call beer? I should probably learn more about this next year!

___________________

Don Chartier

Northern Hemispherical Vice Captain for Supply Vectored Marketing Analysis, Lagunitas Brewing Co.

New Years Resolution: Basically just spending more time with friends and family,try and be a better person to all I encounter and continue on my journey in this wonderful world of craft!

__________________________

Stephen Johnson

Co-Founder, New Brew Thursday

Twitter: @newbrewthursday | @darthweef

New Years Resolution: My new years resolution is to introduce myself to at least 50 craft breweries that I have never tried before.

__________________________

Ashley V Routson

Director of Awesomeness, Bison Organic Beer | Founder, DrinkWithTheWench.com

Twitter: @TheBeerWench

New Years Resolution: In 2013, my beer resolutions are to…

1. Taste, taste, taste. There is really no excuse for my failing the tasting portion of the Certified Cicerone Exam other than pure laziness. This year, I am determined to taste more beers in style categories that I am not particularly fond of so that I can have a more well-rounded palate. And I also vow to dedicate more time to off-flavor tasting.

2. Visit more breweries. I live so close to so many awesome breweries, yet almost never venture out to visit them, taste their beers and get to know the people that work at them. This year, I plan on visiting at least one brewery a month as well as attending more industry events. (I really need to get out of the house).

3. Read more books – beer books, that is. I have both Mitch’s IPA book and Stan’s For the Love of Hops – and I’ve barely read 20 pages of each. If I want to get smarter about beer, I really need to read those books!

4. SPEND MORE TIME IN THE NOW, and less time on social media. I used to be the girl who was so busy tweeting, facebooking and instagramming at events, bars, and parties that I would completely miss out on all human interactions. This year, I vow to be in the now when I’m out with people and save the social media posts for later.

__________________________

Happy New Year!

Note: Most of the photos above are either media photos from breweries or Facebook profile pics, unless stated otherwise. If a photo needs credit, do not hesitate to contact me! Cheers!

Super stoked to announce that Bison Organic Beer, my lovely employer, has teamed up with Logsdon Farmhouse Ales to release what can only be referred to as an awesome collaboration beer. But, a calling it a mere collaboration doesn’t really give the beer justice. It is also the first-ever organic beer collaboration. This means that, not only is the concept cool, but the beer is good for the planet too. Mother Earth Approved!

Well, enough jibber jabber! Just read the press release for yourself

__________________________________________

BERKELEY, Calif. (Nov, 27, 2012) – Further proving that organic beer can be just as, if not more, innovative, dynamic and exciting as its conventional counterpart, the award-winning brewmasters of Logsdon Farmhouse Ales and Bison Organic Beer have teamed up to create one of the most unique collaboration beers yet – Cocoa Bretta.

The first-ever 100% organic collaboration beer, Cocoa Bretta is a hybrid blend of Bison’s award-winning Chocolate Stout and Logsdon’s award-winning Seizoen Bretta. This stout-based collaboration beer was brewed with organic Peruvian cocoa, a blend of six organic malts, organic roasted barley and organic oats. It was fermented using multiple yeast strains, and then finished with Logsdon’s proprietary strains of Brettanoymces and keg conditioned with pear juice.

“Cocoa Bretta was our first collaboration beer,” states David Logsdon, Director and Head Brewer at Logsdon Farmhouse Ales. “It is hard to predict how a first attempt might turn out, but in my opinion we have created a unique and very flavorful version of Bison’s award-winning beer.”

Pitch-black with a garnet hue and thick, creamy beige head, Cocoa Bretta exudes a complex aroma profile, boasting notes of chocolate, roasted grains, toffee, caramel and fruit. Dark malt and cocoa flavors combine for a rich, yet medium-bodied and well-rounded beer. Chewy malts linger as cocoa glides across the palate, leaving behind a crisp, fruity and oh-so-mouthwatering finish.

“David is a genius with yeast,” notes Dan Del Grande, Owner and Brewmaster at Bison Organic Beer. “Logsdon’s proprietary yeast strains brought a new level of complexity to my Chocolate Stout recipe that I never imagined possible. It was an honor to partner with the Logsdon team on this truly unique, 100% organic collaboration beer.”

Cocoa Bretta will make its grand debut this week, Nov. 28th-Dec.2nd, in Portland, OR at the Holiday Ale Festival. On Friday, Nov. 30th, Bridgetown Beerhouse will host a Meet the Brewer event with Dan Del Grande and David Logsdon, where guests will have the rare opportunity to taste the Cocoa Bretta collaboration beer side-by-side with Bison’s Chocolate Stout and Logsdon’s Seizoen Bretta. Event details can be found here.

###
MEDIA CONTACT
Ashley V Routson | Director of Awesomeness | Ashley@bisonbrew.com

ABOUT BISON® ORGANIC BEER: More than a beer, a movement.
Founded in 1989, Bison is dedicated to brewing balanced, drinkable and 100% organic beers with an interesting twist. Bison strives to lead by example, educating that one need not sacrifice the pleasures of everyday living to be green. Follow Bison on Twitter @bisonbrew and become a fan on Facebook: http://facebook.com/bison

For more information about Bison Organic Beer, check out http://bisonbrew.com

ABOUT LOGSDON FARMHOUSE ALES
Our traditional farmhouse brewery is located in Hood River County on a small farm where we also grow some of the hops we use in our beer. Truly handcrafted in every sense of the term. we prefer to use locally grown organic hops, not pulverized hop pellets. Our nursery of “sharbeekse kreik “(cherry) trees brought over from the small Bam’s orchard located in East Flanders are growing nicely. Follow Logsdon on Twitter @farmhouseales

For more information about Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, visit http://www.farmhousebeer.com

The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party

An SF Beer Week invitation even the Queen of Hearts can’t resist

On February 12th, you are invited to enter a world where time is backwards, nothing is what it seems, and everything is what it isn’t. As a part of the SF Beer Week festivities, Bison Brewing & St. George Spirits are transforming local farm-to-table restaurant, Revival Bar & Kitchen, into a Wonderland of nonsense to throw a Mad Hatter-themed party of epic proportions.

This is your chance to explore the world of beer mixology in a most unique setting. The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party will feature three boozy concoctions designed by Bison Brewing’s  Ashley Routson, and founder of BeerMixology.com, Revival’s head mixologist, Nat Harry and St. George’s very own “Vodka Vixen,” Andie Ferman. No worries, these mysterious tonics will not cause you to grow or shrink.

Don’t be late, for this very important date. Tea time starts promptly at 2pm and ends at 4pm. Price of admission includes three beer cocktail tickets, an array of elegant appetizers, and a raffle ticket for swag. The first 25 ticket buyers get early access to a VIP hour, featuring a tasting of organic brews and straight spirits led by the Bison and St. George crew.

Costumes, while optional, are encouraged! And sorry Alice, this tea party is for adults only, 21 & over.

Event Details
What: The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party
Where: Revival Bar & Kitchen (downtown Berkeley)
*** 1 block from downtown Berkeley BART station
When: February 12th, 2-4pm
*** First 25 tickets purchased get early access to VIP hour, 1-2pm
Cost: $30 online, $35 at the door.
Eventbrite: http://beermixology.eventbrite.com

For over a year now, I have been guest brewing at various breweries around the country. I have helped collaborate on two different recipes and brewed beer commercially for events — but oddly enough, I’ve never actually homebrewed. What can I say? I’m an overachiever.

People have always questioned my decision not to homebrew in the past. This is because I’ve always been missing a *key* part to the homebrewing process. Knowledge — check. Brewing skills — check. Interest — check. Home — oooooh, about that. Since August of 2008, I have lived in eleven — yes kids, I said eleven — different residences. Some were only a few week stints until I got on my feet, others lasted a few months. Most of my earthly possessions never even left boxes. My career path and work experience was as equally unstable and spontaneous. Needless to say, without really knowing where I would be at any date or time and having no real vision of the future, I never had enough stability to start a homebrewing operation.

Until now.

Although still very much painfully unemployed, I have finally found myself in a place that I can truly call home. And that place? Napa, CA — home to one of the best food & beverage cultures in the world. But it is more than wine and food that makes Napa feel at home. It is the people. I know that the Sonoma folks will try to fight me on this, but there is something here in Napa that lacks on the Sonoma side. I can’t quite put my finger on it, and it definitely is not evident on the surface — but Napa has a deeper layer to it that most people do not know about.

But that is neither here nor there, since I’m sure you could care less about my recent love affair with Napa, let us move on to the real purpose of this post. Not only did I start homebrewing, but I also started a homebrew club. As of now, we are calling it the Napa Homebrew Project — because that is precisely what it is. However, we are not exclusive to Napa — anyone and everyone is welcome to join.

I must be clear from the beginning, we are NOT the first homebrew organization in Napa. And I am not trying to form a separate elitist organizations from the existing clubs. I just have a different vision and different goals for my homebrewing operations. That, and I want to force my friends and roommates to learn more about beer.

There are lots of exciting plans for this homebrew club, which will all be revealed in time.

Pardon my ADHD. Let’s get back on track. Last week, we brewed the inaugural beer of the Napa Homebrew Club. In the true overachiever nature of The Wench, I enlisted the help of brewing veteran and brewmaster/founder/owner of Bison Organic Beer, Daniel Del Grande. He was kind enough to provide us with a kit to brew his Organic Chocolate Stout as well as fresh yeast — big plus. He also provided guidance and education for all involved in the operation — which included my roommates (at various stages), my good friend (the Vice President of the club) Jill Dever, Daniel (official CFO of the club) and myself (the President and Director of Awesomeness).

Not gonna lie, and this is NOT snobbery by any means, but homebrewing was pretty easy and fairly lax in comparison to commercial brewing. Now, we didn’t exactly take the “easy” route and brew strictly with extracts.

Go big or home. That should be the motto of our club.

For our first batch, we did a partial grain mash. Aka, we used both malt extract and grains. Although we used a very basic homebrewing system, I still was able to get the “gist” of the process. Mashing in = steeping grain in water (that had been brought up to boiling temperature). Sparging = Pouring the steeped grain through cheese cloth into the boiling pot of water + malt extract and then adding hot water occasionally to get all the sugar in the pot. The boil was essentially what a boil is — we added hops and cacao at this stage. The transfer/ heat exchanger stage was done by pouring the wort onto filtered ice in a bucket. Once the ice was completely melted and the beer cooled down, it was transferred through a funnel into the carboy with the yeast.

And I am proud to announce the the beer took to fermentation immediately. It is currently bubbling away underneath my kitchen table — almost ready for racking, kegging and then a week or fermentation in the keg.

Oh, but there is one thing I forgot to mention. I look a little less than a gallon of the wort and put it into a separate super professional fermenting vessel — okay, an old apple juice jug. And what I did next… might horrify you. Actually, no. It will most likely excite the uber beer geeks inside.

At first, I wanted to pour the bacon grease leftover from brunch into the wort. But, that would have been disastrous seeing as how many people have been struggling with how to get actual bacon into beer without killing the carbonation with the fat. The inspirational moment came from Russian River Brewing Company’s Sanctification — a 100% brettanoymces beer. You see, I have an obsession with wild yeast… and brett in particular. In fact, I wrote about said obsession a few years back. And it has only intensified since then. Every time I talk about collaborating on a commerical beer recipe, the first thing that comes out of my mouth is brett. Call it word vomit. I am in love, and his name is Brett. I can only imagine a personified version of Brett, looking all James Bond0esque, saying “The name is Brett. Brett–Anomyces.”

Enough with that. I dumped the bottle conditioned yeast from the bottle of Sanctification into the apple juice jug. The fermentation didn’t take right away. In fact, it didn’t take for a week or more. Then … one day… the bubbles started and the beer became … ALIVE…. ahhhh, it’s alive.

Super stoked about this new project that I’ve created. Speaking of project, I think I’ve just re-branded the name to “The Napa Homebrew Project”! Works for me.

Stay tuned for more homebrewing adventures from Napa! CHEERS!