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.

Tis the season to be jolly, and nothing makes the fa-la-la-la-la’s quite as merry as a frothy glass of holiday ale. In celebration of the season, Whole Foods Market has teamed up again with yours truly to co-host a virtual beer tasting LIVE on Twitter.

On Dec. 18 from 7-8 p.m. CST, join Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) and myself (@TheBeerWench) as we chat about favorite holiday beers, cooking with holiday beer recipes, and holiday beer pairings. Simultaneously taste four unique and festive ales while tweeting alongside the folks behind the breweries that make them.

To participate, pick up one or all of the featured holiday 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.

• 6:00 p.m. PST: New Belgium (@newbelgium) Snow Day
• 6:15 p.m. PST: Bison (@bisonbrew) Gingerbread Ale
• 6:30 p.m. PST: 21^st Amendment (@21stAmendment) Fireside Chat
• 6:45 p.m. PST: Deschutes (@DeschutesBeer) Jubelale

Whether spent cuddling next to the fireplace, entertaining a household of family and friends, or airing your grievances around the Festivus pole, these festive winter ales are sure to bring extra sparkle to your holiday season.

If you can’t find one of the recommended beers above, simply ask your local Whole Foods Market beer specialist to make a holiday beer recommendation and then join the conversation on Twitter. Don’t forget the hashtag #WFMBeer.

And don’t for get to leave one of these beers out for Santa – rumor has it, he loves craft beer too.

Participation is limited to those 21 years or older.

In honor of the world’s largest beer festival, Whole Foods Market is teaming up with yours truly to host a mini-Oktoberfest celebration live on Twitter. We  partnered with four U.S. craft breweries that share two things in common – all produce an awesome American-style Oktoberfest beer and all have women tweeting behind the brand.

On Oct. 4, from 7-8 p.m. CST, join Whole Foods Market (@WholeFoods) and me (@TheBeerWench) as we taste and tweet through four delicious American-style Oktoberfest beers with amazing and talented women in the craft beer industry. Tweet alongside beer professionals, beer enthusiasts and foodies to learn more about Oktoberfest traditions, cooking with beer, beer pairings, and the integral role women have played in the history of beer.

To participate, pick up one or all of the featured Oktoberfest 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:

7:00 p.m. CST: Left Hand (@LeftHandBrewing) Oktoberfest
Woman behind the Twitter avatar: Emily Armstrong
7:15 p.m. CST: Victory Brewing (@VictoryBeer) Festbier
Woman behind the Twitter avatar: Karen Noonan
7:30 p.m. CST: Great Lakes (@GLBC_Cleveland) Oktoberfest
Woman behind the Twitter avatar: Marissa DeSantis
7:45 p.m. CST: Flying Dog (@flyingdog) Dogtoberfest
Women behind the Twitter avatar: Erin Biles & Holly Manthei

If you can’t find one of the recommended beers above, simply ask your local Whole Foods Market beer specialist to make an Oktoberfest recommendation and then join the conversation on Twitter. Just don’t forget the hashtag #WFMBeer.

Interested in learning more about women craft brewers? Check out Whole Foods Market’s featured film during its Do Something Reel Film Festival this month. “The Love of Beer” is a documentary that follows women as they struggle to end stereotypes, handle their rising fame and raise a family in the craft beer scene. The film is available to digital audiences with exclusive filmmaker interviews on iTunes and other platforms for $3.99 in standard definition and $4.99 in HD. Visit dosomethingreel.com for more information.

Participation is limited to those 21 years or older.

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If you have any questions on how to use and track hashtags, do not hesitate to contact me or leave a comment below. Here is a site that provides basic information for tracking hastags. Personally, I think Tweetdeck is the best tool to use when trying to follow and participate in a #WFMBeer tasting. Just add a column to your Tweetdeck searching for #WFMBeer, and you will get a live stream of all the people talking about the live tasting.

Screen Shot from Tweetdeck

Once again, if you have any questions about participating, do not hesitate to contact me!!!!

Cheers!

On August 23, from 6-7 p.m. CST, join Whole Foods Market and myself as we taste and tweet through an array of fruit beers and ciders, challenging our friends and fans to think outside the typical brunch beverage box. Tweet alongside foodies and beer lovers as the beer-loving community discusses breakfast beer and cider pairings, cooking with beer, and more.

To participate, pick up one or all of the featured fruit beers and ciders and tweet your experience using the hashtag #WFMBeer. Every 15 minutes, the focus of the tasting will shift to a different beverage. The schedule is as follows:

5:00 p.m. PST: Fox Barrel Ginger Blackcurrant
Follow: @FoxBarrel

5:15 p.m. PST: Widmer Marionberry Hibiscus Gose
Follow: @Widmer_Brothers

5:30 p.m. PST: Crispin Honey Crisp Cider
Follow: @CrispinCider

5:45 p.m. PST: MOA  Breakfast Beer
Follow: @MOABEER

Even if you don’t have a delicious fruit beer or cider in hand, join the conversation on Twitter. Just don’t forget the hashtag #WFMBeer.

Participation is limited to those 21 years or older.

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

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

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

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

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

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

As a daughter of an environmentalist and health food nut, I grew up supporting local agriculture and companies dedicated to producing ethical and healthy products. I was taught how to read labels and to always question the source and quality of everything that I put into my body. Luckily, I don’t have to do this at Whole Foods Market, since they have a strict non-GMO policy and are dedicated to selling high quality, ethical & artisan products.

As a beer professional, lover and geek, Whole Foods Market is, hands down, my go to store for craft beer. Regardless of what city I’m visiting, I can depend on the local WFM store to have a more than decent, if not amazing, craft beer selection. Not too mention, more and more WFM stores are popping up with tasting rooms inside. And if you are anything like me, addicted to the prepared foods section, visiting a Whole Foods taproom can easily turn into a few hour extravaganza!

Speaking of beer, food and my love of Whole Foods, I recently teamed up with John Schmidt, the beer specialist at WFM Folsom, and my videographer friend Chris Eldridge, to film a short video promoting a few Valentine’s Day beer pairing suggestions featuring products available in most WFM Norcal locations.

The video features two segments: a more classic, and romantic approach to Valentine’s Day — and then a more cynical, and snarky take on the holiday invented by greeting card companies. Regardless of whether or not you are spending today sharing a beer with a special loved one, or spending it lamenting loved ones past — hopefully one these pairing suggestions will work their way into your day!

Valentine’s Day Beer Pairings from Dridge on Vimeo.

Featured beers:
Bison Brewing Chocolate Stout
Russian River Temptation
Stone Brewing Co. Arrogant Bastard
Flying Dog Raging Bitch

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

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

The featured beers include:

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

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

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

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

Participation is limited to those 21 years or older.

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

The first tasting in the series is scheduled for Tuesday, December 20 from 7 to 8 p.m. EST. In honor of the holiday season, winter ales have been chosen as the theme. All it takes to participate is a Twitter account and a seasonal winter beer in hand. To join the conversation, participants merely need to attach the hashtag #WFMBeer to all of tweets during the event.

“Whole Foods Market is one of the best brands on Twitter, and they do an amazing job connecting with and engaging their audience. Every week, they host really fun discussions about food and wine with their followers,” said Ashley Routson, beer expert and founder of DrinkWithTheWench.com. “For selfish reasons, I felt that craft beer deserved to be thrown into the mix.”
Whole Foods Market and The Beer Wench are joining forces with four craft breweries across the country, all with delicious holiday or winter beers available at various Whole Foods Market stores. Every fifteen minutes, the focus will shift to a different featured brewery as brewmasters actively answer questions and share stories about the beers and the breweries.

“Whole Foods Market’s store beer buyers are some of the most passionate people in our company, and our shoppers tend to seek us out for our adventurous selection of local and craft brews,” said Michael Bepko, Global Online Community Manager at Whole Foods Market. “Taking our experts and knowledge online with The Beer Wench to connect to some new beer connoisseurs is a natural extension of the community we work hard to create in our stores.”

The December 20 virtual craft beer Twitter Tasting schedule is as follows:

7pm EST: New Belgium (@newbelgium) Snow Day
7:15 EST: Deschutes (@DeschutesBeer) Jubelale
7:30 EST: Bison Brewing (@bisonbrew) Gingerbread Ale
7:45 EST: Dogfish Head (@dogfishbeer) Chicory Stout
8pm EST: After party (free for all!!)
Participants are encouraged to tweet along while enjoying one of the craft beers listed above. If unavailable, they can simply choose another favorite holiday or winter craft beer. Suggestions from The Beer Wench, most of which can be found at a local Whole Foods Market, include:

21st Amendment (@21stAmendment) Fireside Chat
Anderson Valley (@avbc) Winter Solstice Ale
Great Divide (@greatdividebrew) Hibernation Ale
Great Lakes (@GLBC_Cleveland) Christmas Ale
Karl Strauss (@Karl_Strauss) Dos Turtles
Ninkasi (@Ninkasi) Sleighr
Odell Brewing (@OdellBrewing) Isolation Ale
Sierra Nevada (@SierraNevada) Celebration Ale
Sweet Water (@sweetwaterbrew) Festive
Weyerbacher (@Weyerbacher) Winter Ale

For more information on the virtual tasting and the beers, check out the official EventBrite page: http://wfmwinterbeer.eventbrite.com/

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About The Beer Wench


Known amongst the craft beer community as The Beer Wench, Ashley Routson is a self-proclaimed craft beer evangelist and social media maven on a mission to advance the craft beer industry through education, inspiration and advocacy. Ashley currently is the “Director of Awesomeness” at Bison Brewing in Berkeley, CA — where her responsibilities include everything from brewing to marketing, sales, PR, and being an all around ninja. Ashley is also the founder of DrinkWithTheWench.com and BeerMixology.com.

About Whole Foods Market® 


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