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!

Dinners and Promotions

• Feb. 7: American Sardine Bar, Philadelphia, Pa.
• Feb. 8: Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, Rehoboth Beach, Del.
• Feb. 12: Two Stones Pub, both Newark and Wilmington, Del.
• Feb. 18: Restaurant 55, Dover, Del.
• Feb. 18: Boulders on Broadway, Tempe, Ariz.
• Feb. 24: Coopers Craft Kitchen, Manhattan, N.Y.
• Feb. 25: Alewife, Queens, N.Y.
• Feb. 26: Driftwood Publick House, Plymouth, Mass.
• Feb. 27: The Pickled Pig Pub, Rehoboth Beach, Del.
• Feb. 28: Bigelow Grille, Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Feb. 28: Morris Tap & Grill, Randolph, N.J.
• March 2: The Draft House, Orange City, Fla.
• March 5: Datz, Tampa, Fla.
• March 6: Memphis Taproom, Philadelphia
• March 6: The Pub, Tampa, Fla.
• March 7: Tap 42, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• March 11: Birch & Barley, Washington, DC
• March 11: McK’s, Daytona Beach, Fla.
• March 12: Franklin & Co., Los Angeles, Calif.
• March 12: The Big Mansion, Melbourne, Fla.
• March 13: HopJacks, Pensacola, Fla.
• March 13: Harrys Savoy, Wilmington, Del.
• March 14: Fish Ale, Panama City, Fla.
• March 14: Bistro on Bridge, Phoenixville, Pa.
• March 14: Mt. Washington Tavern, Baltimore, Md.
• March 19: Cypress Street Pine & Plate, Atlanta, Ga.
• March 20: Trappeze Pub, Athens, Ga.
• March 21: The Porter, Atlanta, Ga.
• March 21: The Pour House, Westmont, N.J.
• March 21: Cibo, Pittsburgh, Pa.
• March 24: Oblivion, Orlando, Fla.
• March 25: Barleys, Greenville, S.C.
• March 25: The Ginger Man, Norwalk, Conn.
• March 26: Alla Spinna, Philadelphia, Pa.
• March 27: High Spot, Cambridge, Md.

Stay tuned for more information and innovation from Dogfish Head!

But before we get into the nitty gritty analysis and the next steps… there are a few things that I need to make clear.

First, I have a degree in psychology as well as a degree in criminology. As a result, I am experienced in qualitative and quantitative research and statistical analysis. In addition, I also have market research experience as a “Knowledge Planner” at an advertising agency. I have experience with the collection, organization, and interpretation of data.

Second, this survey was conducted on a volunteer basis. In simple terms, it is an opinion poll — aka  a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. The sampling population consisted of social media users within at least two degrees of separation from myself and my website. Most of the sampling population is associated with or interested in the craft beer sector of the beer industry. The nomination round was limited to one week.

Now, let’s look at the data.

Preferred Social Media Platforms of participants:

• 93% of participants use Facebook
• 67% of participants use Twitter
• 43% of participants use Linkedin
• 38% of participants have a blog
• 30% of participants use video platforms

Social Media usage of participants:

• 48% use social media 1-2 hours per day
• 19% use social media less than one hour per day
• 18% use social media 3-4 hours per day
• 15% use social media 4+ hours per day

62% of participants think it is important for breweries to acknowledge messages sent to them from fans and followers. They should retweet, repost, and respond accordingly.

Participant Social Media following of Breweries:

• 52% of participants follow under 10 breweries
• 33% of participants follow 10-50 breweries
• 8% of participants follow 50-100 breweries
• 4% of participants follow 100-200 breweries
• 3% of participants follow 200+ breweries

89% of participants prefer to follow breweries that engage with its fans and followers. They believe that social media is a two-way conversation.

The Result Breakdown:

• 320 ballots were submitted
• 1, 263 nominations were made
• 150 breweries received at least one nomination
• 84 of the breweries received more than one nomination
• Only 25 breweries received a nomination of 10 or more
• Only three breweries received 60+ nominations
• And only ONE brewery received over 100 nominations

The Honorable Mentions:

• Deschutes
• Avery
• Magic Hat
• Bell’s
• Great Lakes Brewing Company
• Brewdog
• Lagunitas

The breweries list above received over 10 nominations.

The Top 20 Social Media Brewery Nominees (In NO Particular Order):

1. Dogfish Head
2. Surly
3. Victory Brewing Company
4. Brooklyn Brewing Company
5. Smuttynose
6. 21st Amendment
7. Summit
8. Flying Dog Brewing Company
9. Rogue
10. New Belgium Brewing Company
11. The Bruery
12. Oskar Blues
13. Great Divide
14. Stone Brewing Co.
15. Southern Tier Brewing Company
16. Founder’s Brewing Company
17. Abbey St. Martin
18. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
19. Goose Island
20. Devil’s Canyon

The second (and last) step is to open up the voting process. Each Top 20 brewery will be scored on 3 separate measures:

1. Proficiency
2. Engagement
3. Content

The scores will be tallied and the top 3 breweries in each category will be determined. Also, based on all scores collected, the top 10 Social Media Breweries will be ranked in order and the top three will be awarded people’s choice social media “medals.”

As with the nomination round, once the voting round goes live, people will have EXACTLY one week to vote.

The official ballot will go LIVE Wednesday, March 23rd. Please stay tuned!

Before I get into my story, there are a few things I need to disclose. This past weekend I was flown by Black Star Beer to Whitefish, Montana. The company paid for my flight, my 2-night stay at the lodge, dinner on Friday night, and (copious amounts of) beers all weekend long. I also received a fun little gift package that included a tin beer mug, a six pack of beer, coffee, and a t-shirt. Okay, now that I’ve followed the “blogging rules” of disclosure, we can move on…

Although I did attend its “relaunch” party last spring, I must admit that,
prior to this trip, I did not know that Black Star Beer was the flagship brand of the McKenzie River Corporation, a beverage marketing firm based in San Francisco, CA. I’ve since learned that the company is also responsible for launching other beverage brands such as Sparks, Steel Reserve (oh how proud this would make my friends at Bistro Sabor), and even an absinthe called Le Torment.

Now for all of you craft beer snobs that have speculations and assumptions about Black Star Beer, put down the boxing gloves and step away from the hater-ade. Although it is associated with a marketing corporation responsible for more mass-produced products, Great Northern Brewing Company is a legitimate craft brewery in every sense of the word, dedicated to producing delicious beer from high quality ingredients.

And y’all know by now that I would never stand behind a corporate brand, so have faith in me on this one.

The McKensie River Corporation was founded by Minott Wessinger, whose family tradition of brewing dates back to 1856. In 1995, Minott founded the Great Northern Brewery, a three story brewhouse with a 20 barrel system that utilizes a traditional “gravity flow” brewing process. Great Northern Brewing Co. currently produces approximately 8000 barrels per year. At this time, the brewery produces all of its smaller production beers as well as Black Star on draft. Black Star bottles are brewed at a separate production facility.

By now, I’ve toured and brewed in several different breweries of all sizes. I must admit that Great Northern was one of the coolest breweries I’ve ever visited. Although small, the three-tiered brewing system was really impressive and, apparently, very efficient. It was also very clean, which is crucial — especially with breweries that mainly brew lagers.

Typically viewed as the “gateway” to craft beer, the craft lager family is often under-appreciated, if not completely ignored. Personally, I find the category completely liberating and refreshing, especially with the recent flood of high-octane, extreme beers in the market.

Minott developed the Black Star lager because he saw a need in the market for a well-made, flavorful, craft lager. He recognized that the average everyday corporate beer drinking consumer needed an approachable, full-flavored beer to help them make the transition into craft beer. And that is preciously what Black Star is — an easy to drink, light-bodied beer brewed with quality ingredients and lots of flavor.

Although I did enjoy probably what equates to the volume of one keg of Black Star beer over the duration of the weekend, it was Fred’s Black Lager that really stole the show. It had balanced notes of chocolate and roasted malts, no esters, a light and smooth body, and I found it to be a perfect breakfast beer.

Another excellent beer was the “Going to the Sun IPA” — a nicely balanced, crisp IPA around 55 IBUs and 6% abv. The hops were floral and slightly citrusy with notes of pine and complimented the very light malt bill (mostly two-row with some munich and a hint of crystal for color).

When I learned I would be attending the Black Star Barter and the Whitefish Winter Carnival, I was excited but really didn’t know exactly what to expect. What ever expectations I might have had were completely exceeded by the Black Star beer crew.

I flew in Friday evening, and was taken immediately to the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. Words cannot give justice to the hospitality of the lodge staff. From the moment our car pulled up, till the moment I was dropped at the airport, the staff was unbelievably friendly and accommodating.

Black Star hooked me up with a PIMP suite in the main building of the lodge. I had a balcony, fireplace, kitchen, enormous king size bed, and a bathroom that any female would envy. Naturally, all the travel made me extremely parched, and I was very excited to find a mixed six-pack of Great Northern beers. I popped a Black Star open, freshened up, and then headed to the lobby to meet the rest of the Black Star team.

I would like to interrupt this post now to make the following announcement: I AM IN LOVE WITH THE ENTIRE BLACK STAR CREW (and Great Northern and all of their partners). Each and everyone of them had a great personality, sincere passion for Black Star and commitment to each other and the company. The group dynamic was bewitching and I was helpless against their charm. I had only one option this weekend, fall under the Black Star spell.

The weekend, in a word, was EPIC. I know the word is overused, but I really cannot find a better term to describe my experience. Friday night consisted of one of the most unique and extraordinary beer dinners I’ve ever attended. Great Northern Brewery set up a huge banquet table on the floor of its brewery, lined up against the fermenters. Lights were turned down low and the brewery was illuminated by candle light.

The dinner deserves an entirely separate editorial, as does the Black Star Beer Barter. So I will close my first post by thanking the entire Black Star crew for their amazing hospitality and all of the really goods times I had this past weekend.

CHEERS! (And stay tuned for more on my weekend in Whitefish…)

The Beer Blogger Interview Series

Curious what goes on in the minds of your favorite beer bloggers? Well, The Beer Wench is and she has embarked upon a mission to interview as many beer bloggers that she can — from all over the world. Are you a beer blogger? Do you want to share your story? Send me an email!

INTRODUCING: MICHAEL BUSSMANN

OF THE

NEW BELGIUM BREWING COMPANY BLOG

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Michael John Bussmann
Internet nickname: JUICEBOX
Twitter handle: @carnie_NBB
Name of blog: New Belgium Blog
Current location: Fort Collins, Colorado

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

St. Louis, Missouri

2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?

I was a hockey player from youngest days until my hips hurt to much to play anymore.

3. How old were you when you had your first beer?

13 maybe. I was pretty young

4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it?

There was an empty lot between a Catholic school and the mall in my hometown, you could get there by walking through the mall’s parking garage and over a small fence. We used to hang out there a lot and drink and try to make out with the girls who had lowered their standards enough to hang out with a bunch of dudes in an empty lot between a mall and a Catholic school . I think we drank Natural Light and I remember it being really warm and good.

5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?

I went to Regis College in Denver. I studied English and Philosophy and played some hockey. I also had show on the college radio, it was fun but I think I played the same 15 songs every week.

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.”

1.What was your first craft beer epiphany? Recall as many details about it as you can:

It was Fat Tire (and Old Cherry) in 1996. I just moved to Denver and into the dorms and there were a bunch of guys from the upper Midwest on my floor. They all played this card game called Eucker (not sure how to really spell it and spellcheck isn’t helping). It’s really complicated and I never truly learned the rules and it always made me mad when half way through the hand everyone would throw their cards down on the table and you were just supposed to know what to do. But when I first started playing with these guys they were drinking Fat Tire. I was from St. Louis and if you didn’t drink something from Anheuser Busch they sent you off to live in Kansas City so this was mind blowing, it was unlike anything I’d ever seen or tasted, this beer was darker than anything I had ever experienced and tasted so much different, bolder, better. I played cards with these guys for like three weeks while never really learning how to play the game because somebody kept bringing Fat Tire or Old Cherry and that was enough to keep me interested. But after three weeks or so of pretending I knew how to play and drinking new and tasty beer I showed up to the game and saw that there was beer in a 30 pack and I was like “yo, where’s the Fat Tire” and they mumbled something about how it was expensive and how I never seemed to be chipping in on the beer so we were stuck with this. I never played Eucker again.

2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:

I have craft beer epiphanies all the time, pretty much every new style or brewery that I try there is something about it that is remarkable. You can find so many nuances and so much liveliness in beer, I love trying new beers.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been writing your beer blog?

Since June (or July?) of 2008. At the beginning of the Tour de Fat season my first year at New Belgium.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

New Belgium asked me if I had any interest in writing for the Brewery and if I could commit to doing it. I had been doing other blog type writing for a while so it seemed to fit, and besides they were going to pay me for it, so who could ask for more.

3. Why did you choose the name of your blog?

I didn’t choose it, but the title does make a lot of sense.

4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?

Personal goals for the blog… To just keep on enjoying the process. And maybe for the blog to be bookmarked on Burt Reynold’s favorite’s list.

5. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?

I think it’s knowing that I get to make real connections with people. Like the other day my co-workers and I in the tasting room were celebrating another awesome made up holiday called Formal Friday. We all came to work in formal wear and I put it up on the blog (and Facebook and such) and a couple came in to drink some sippers of beer all gussied up, dressed to the nines. That was cool to know that I inspired a little fun in some people’s day.

6. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?

1. drunkcyclist.com (not really a beer blog, but a blog that is beer fueled).
2. 2beerguys.com
3. drinkwiththewench.com (shameless brown-nosing)

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

1. anything sour
2. pilsners
3. pales

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Russian River, Deschutes, and O’Dells

3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?

New Belgium. It’s like a dream here, everyone loves their job and there is beer everywhere. (but since I already work here it is a bit of a loaded answer).

4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?

Not a homebrewer.

5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?

I am a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, and I have the pin on my lapel to prove it.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

An IPA and a bag of BBQ chips, or, a wheat with hot dogs and yellow mustard. Both great, both my favorite.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

I work in the Liquid Center at the New Belgium Brewing Company. It’s our tasting room, I slang tasters of beer and give tours, as well as write NBB’s blog and do a fair bit of social networking for the brewery.

2. If you could change your career at this very moment, without any restrictions on what you could do, what would you want to do and why?

Did you ever see the movie “Roadhouse”? Patrick Swayze’s character is a “cooler”. It’s sort of like a bouncer, but way more awesome. I think if I could change careers without limitation I would want to be a cooler like Patrick Swayze in “Roadhouse”.

Or maybe a fireman.

3. Are you married? Children?

Married to a wonderful and (very) understanding woman named Megan O’Brien.

4. Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?

I like to ride bikes, a lot. I also have taken a serious interest in shaving, you know the badger hair brush, hot water, the balms and salves. I also like drinking gin in bars and listening to live music.

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be and why?

A pilsner. I am kind of tall and I know a few good jokes.

2. You were caught smuggling beer illegally, which has now been made punishable by death. Right before you are sent to the executioner, you are offered one last beer. What beer would you chose and why?

This is a tough one, but I bet it would have wild yeasts and smell a bit like a wet goat. Or maybe a can of Natural Light, just like in that lot between the mall and the school, things tend to finish like they started.

3. If I contracted you to brew a beer (or design a beer recipe) called “The Beer Wench” — what style would you chose and what, if any, extra ingredients would you add?

I’m not sure, but it would have to pair well with social media. Does a helles’ go well with Twitter?

4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

Invisibility, and yes, things would get weird.

5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?

I have done a lot of really dumb shit in my life, but the craziest thing was probably the most out of my control. 10 days after my 30th birthday I had my right hip replaced. Bad luck and some rough, physical years lead to the demise of my original joint. Everyone says “but you’re so young” and I always politely respond “I know, but what are you going do?”. The worst part: airport security.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

Best served with whiskey.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MICHAEL FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!