Stone Enjoy By 05.04.16 Black IPA arrives this week

Beerpulse.com

Press Release:

(Escondido, CA) – The seemingly sinister Stone Enjoy By 05.04.16 Black IPA by Stone Brewing has risen from sources of dark malted barley. Brewed specifically NOT to last, this immensely hopped black IPA refuses to rest until it makes the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs to hopheads in 22-ounce bottles and on draft at select retailers nationwide.

With the balanced support of pleasingly smooth malts, Vic Secret, Ella and (of course!) Galaxy lead the massive hop addition in this predominately Oz system hop profile. When combined and added, the hops produce nuances of dankness and tropical fruit qualities that are evident in the aroma, with a taste that is distinctively hoppy. This devastatingly dark force is out to restore freshness and appreciation to the black IPA subsect in cantinas and lairs across select parts of the known universe.

“Keeping in mind the words of an immensely wise philosopher—‘Do. Or do not. There is no try’—we created a recipe that featured the exact traits we wanted our fans to experience from a black IPA,” said Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele. “The recipe we landed on really showcases the aromas and flavors of Australian hop varietals, which are balanced beautifully with the delicate back notes of roast and dark malts.”

A groundbreaking mission, the Stone Enjoy By IPA series facilitated a paradigm shift in how Stone and its distribution partners work together to deliver the most devastatingly fresh IPAs on the planet to craft beer enthusiasts. Just as on its light-side counterpart, the “Enjoy By” date sends an overt message to its fresh-seeking fans on the bottle, indicating precisely the date by which the black IPA must be consumed to enjoy maximum freshness. In the unlikely event that any Stone Enjoy By 05.04.16 Black IPA remains on the shelves on May 5, the Revenge of the Fifth will strike in the form of empty shelves and draft lines.

Hopheads only have 37 days to get their hands on this black IPA before its whereabouts are completely unknown…

For those social media savvy imbibers, Stone has a dedicated Web page, enjoyby.stonebrewing.com, that captures fans’ experiences with the Stone Enjoy By IPA series and all of its variations. Fans are encouraged to share posts using the hashtag #EnjoyBy on Twitter and Instagram or by checking in on Untappd. Tweets, photos and check-ins are then posted on the page’s live social feed.

“uughguughhhghghghhhgh wrrhw huuguughghg aarrragghuuhw,” said Chewbacca. “hnnnhrrhhh uughguughhhghghghhhgh raaaaaahhgh aguhwwgggghhh Stone Enjoy By 05.04.16 Black IPA awwgggghhh aarrragghuuhw uggguh uughghhhgh uughguughhhghghghhhgh uughguughhhghghghhhgh raaaaaahhgh.”
May the fourth be with you. Always.

Quick Facts
Name: Stone Enjoy By 05.04.16 Black IPA
URL: enjoyby.stonebrewing.com
Stats: 9.4% ABV, 80 IBUs
Availability: Limited Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning March 28
Hop Varieties: Amarillo, Super Galena, Cascade, Centennial, Ella, Galaxy, Vic Secret
National Distribution: AZ, AK, CA, CT, DE, IA, IN, KS, MA, MI, MN, MT, NE, NH, NM, NV, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA and WA
Find Beer: find.stonebrewing.com

Tasting Notes
provided by Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele
Appearance: Deep black with a light mocha head
Aroma: A beautiful blend of tropical, stone fruit, berry and dank hop aromas with an interesting nutty and spicy note and hints of coffee and roasted malt.
Taste: Fruity and dank, with lots of peach and mango upfront, some spice and berry in the middle, and a bit of a citrusy hop zing in the finish. It is bitter, dry and incredibly complex, to the point where you want to keep tasting it to see what else you’ll pick up.
Palate: Medium bodied, dry and bitter
Overall: This beer took six prototypes to develop and none of them ever quite nailed exactly what we were shooting for. After tasting those prototypes, we continued to refine the recipe each time. Once we finally nailed the recipe development dance between the hoppy aromas and flavors and the delicate back notes of roast, we graduated the recipe to our big brewery here in Escondido so we could bring it to you!

Suggested Pairings
provided by Stone Craft Beer Ambassador “Dr.” Bill Sysak
Appetizers: Hummus, bacon-wrapped figs, blue cheese-stuffed mushrooms, carnitas tacos, breaded and baked Parmesan spinach balls
Entrees: Prime rib, flank steak with chimichurri, roasted lamb shoulder, shiitake risotto, vegetable lasagna with arrabbiata sauce, vegetarian bibimbap
Soups & Salads: Cheddar soup, black bean chili, arugula salad, Waldorf salad
Cheeses: Wisconsin cheddar, Grana Padano, aged Gouda, Rogue Smokey Blue
Desserts: Mississippi mud cake, pecan pie, peanut butter cookies, tiramisu
Cigars: Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill, Arturo Fuente OpusX, Cabaiguan Guapos

Arrogant Bastard Ale six-packs of 16 oz. cans going nationwide

Beerpulse.com

Media Release:

(Escondido, CA) – Stone Brewing Co. sent out the following announcement regarding its now-personified Arrogant Bastard Ale, now going nationwide in six-packs of 16oz. cans.

***

Ever since I was first unleashed on an unsuspecting public in 1997, I have believed pandering to the lowest common denominator represents the height of tyranny. In my unprecedented and uncompromising celebration of intensity, I openly challenged these commodity beer overloads and their multi-million dollar ad campaigns.

In 2016, I will once again find a way to wreck havoc amongst them on their own turf, in their own preferred method of distribution. The can. Unlike the fizzy yellow facsimiles of beer, while I may be canned—I will never be contained. I am Liquid Arrogance.

ABOUT ARROGANT BASTARD BREWING
Since Arrogant Bastard Ale was first unleashed upon the unsuspecting public in 1997, the brand has been braving bold territory, and upsetting dandies, milquetoasts and fizzy yellow beer drinkers in great numbers. Massively successful, and ever full of vip and vinegar, Arrogant Bastard Ale split off from the restrictive confines of Stone Brewing in 2015. And now, the brethren of Liquid Arrogance are free to explore, cavort and roam how they damn well see fit. For those Worthy few that wish to gaze upon the musings of Arrogant Bastard Ale, Double Bastard Ale, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Arrogant Bastard or other Bastard beers, follow along via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and ArrogantBastard.com.

That 'craft' beer you're digging is probably not a craft beer after all

SFGATE - Alyssa Pereira

There's a battle being waged in the beer world.

The at times vague notion of "craft beer" — or, beer created in small batches by independent, recipe-driven breweries — is becoming a label more frequently claimed by corporate brewing companies like Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors.

The reasoning for such a business move is ruthless. As Dogfish Head brewmaster Sam Calagione told Men's Journal last year, larger companies are aiming to cash in on the craft beer movement to keep local breweries and the products of smaller producers off bar tap lines.

"They'll buy a once-independent brewery — not naming names — and suddenly its IPA's kegs are on the street for half as much as a true indie craft beer," he said. "It really shows they're using these once-craft brands as pawns in their game to knock the true indie breweries off the board."

The truth, regardless of wherever you might see the ubiquitous "craft" tag on the bottle or can or not, is that not all labeled with the word are created equally. Actually, there are quite a few makes masquerading as indie beer products that are really complete frauds. 

The Brewers Association, an authority on just this type of issue, has defined a "craft brewer" according to three points. First, it must be small, or producing less than six million barrels of beer per year or less.

Second, less than 25 percent of a craft brewery can be owned or controlled by "alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer." In other words, a big corporation that either doesn't itself brew or brews more than six million barrels a year can't have control over more than a quarter of a craft brewery's output, which is a big deal, as you'll see in the list above.

Lastly, the majority of the craft brewer's products must be "traditional," or derived from classic brewing ingredients (hops, malts, yeast, and so on). 

Now, here's the surprising part. A whole lot of the "craft" breweries that come to mind when you think of a great indie brewery are not what they appear to be. See some of the mislabeling culprits above.

Ed: An earlier version of this story included Anchor Brewing as a non-craft brewery, because it is owned by a private equity firm called The Griffin Group (a non-brewing entity). The Brewers Association has since weighed in, and added the below clarifier to the definition, which includes the exception of private equity firms from the rule. With this addendum to its definition of a "craft brewery," we have removed Anchor from this list.

"Private equity firms do not have advantages that the large brewers do in terms of priority at distribution, access to market and access to raw materials. A private equity firm would not meet the independent standard of the definition if more than half of their beverage alcohol sales were not beer."

While we can't confirm that more than half of The Griffin Group's sales were beer, the Brewers Association states that "to the best of our knowledge, Anchor Brewing meets the craft brewer definition and is considered a craft brewer."

Anchor Brewing’s California Craft-Pack returns in three formats

Beerpulse.com

Press Release:

(San Francisco, CA) – Anchor Brewing Company announces the return of the California Craft-Pack, a unique mixed 6-pack featuring two cans each of Anchor California Lager®, Liberty Ale®, and the newly released Go West! IPA™.

Designed for beer fans to sample three legendary brews from America’s first craft brewery, the California Craft-Pack brings Anchor favorites together in one convenient offering. The California Craft-Pack first appeared on the market in limited quantities in the summer of 2015, and returns now in time with the national release of Go West! IPA, an adventurous new IPA inspired by the California Gold Rush and all those who Go West! A nod to the beloved past and present brews from America’s first craft brewery, the variety pack is perfect for entertaining or hosting a fun beer tasting among friends.

“When we created the California Craft-Pack, we wanted to create something that gave consumers a true taste of the past, present, and future of Anchor,” said Anchor Brewmaster Scott Ungermann. “We decided to include Liberty Ale, the first modern American IPA, and California Lager, a re-creation of the first lager brewed in California. Each beer is a nod to our brewing roots. With the addition of Go West! IPA, our newest release, we’re toasting to the future of IPAs. Brewed using an all-new dry-hopping technique, Go West! IPA is an adventurous, hop-forward beer. Together, these three beers make an exceptional mixed collection that is perfect for a shared or solo tasting.”

The California Craft-Pack will be available nationwide starting in March at select retailers and at Anchor Brewing in San Francisco. In addition to this offering, the California Craft-Pack is available in 12-Pack and 24-Loose bottles featuring, Anchor Steam Beer®, Anchor California Lager, Liberty Ale and Go West! IPA. Find a pack near you using the Anchor Beer Finder.

Learn more about the California Craft-Pack by visiting www.AnchorBrewing.com.

About Anchor Brewing Company

Anchor Brewing Company’s roots date back to the California Gold Rush making it one of America’s oldest breweries. Its Anchor Steam® Beer is San Francisco’s original since 1896. In 1965, Fritz Maytag acquired and revived the struggling brewery at a time when mass production of beer dominated and seemed unstoppable. Maytag started a revolution in beer that originated today’s craft beer movement. An undisputed icon, Anchor is America’s first craft brewery where beers are handmade in our traditional copper brewhouse from an all-malt mash. At Anchor, we practice the time-honored art of classical brewing, employing state-of-the-art methods to ensure that our beers are always pure and fresh. We know of no brewery in the world that matches our efforts to combine traditional, natural brewing with such carefully applied, modern methods of sanitation, finishing, packaging and transporting. See what we are brewing today at www.anchorbrewing.com.