VIDEO – Our trip to Portland had to include a visit to the legendary Shipyard Brewing Company. What we didn’t expect was to be offered the opportunity to chat with founder and Master Brewer Alan Pugsley.
Beyond Shipyard, Alan has been instrumental in the building of many breweries around the globe and introducing the distinctive Ringwood yeast to New England. Alan is certainly an icon in the brewing world, especially in New England. Pugsley built the brew house and helped to design Geary’s Pale Ale for D.L. Geary’s Brewery, which is the oldest brewery in New England and one of the original “micro’s”. Alan continued to design brewereies for Gritty McDuffs and Federal Jacks among many others, before launching his own brewery and brand – Shipyard Brewing Company – in 1994.
In this video we talk to Alan about the brewery, Shipyard’s plans for 2010, Pugsley’s work designing brew houses and Shipyard’s current large contract brewing operation.
In a related note, we received an email today from Shipyard sharing that the Pugsley Signature Series beers which are mentioned in the video will be available soon in 12oz 4 packs as well.
Be sure to check out all of our Portland adventures, and stay tuned to here for the beer for even more from our trip to Maine. Cheers!
Welcome to another in our Women and Beer videos series. Meet Mariah Calagione, wife of Sam Calagione, from Dogfish Head Brewery. Filming took place at the Sierra Grille in Northampton, MA at their Night Before the Night Before Christmas – Dogfish Head Vintage Beer Dinner. Mariah talks to us about her role with Dogfish Head Brewery.
Men tend to dominate the beer world. Through this series of videos we hope to show the world that although women are not always on the front lines, they are an integral part of the craft beer industry. Certainly more integral than bouncing around in bikinis on beer commercials.
The craft beer industry with its many flavorful offerings, has made beer more appealing to a female audience. Through this series we hope to dispel the myths and perhaps help some of the guys out their understand the female palette so they can share their love of beer with their wife or girlfriend. If you missed it check out our interview with the Beer Babe, a fellow advocate for women and craft beer. Stay tuned for more videos in this series, until then cheers from here for the beer.
VIDEO – During a recent trip up to American Flatbread in Burlington Vermont we got to meet Allagash Brewery owner and brewmaster Rob Tod. Rob hosts an annual beer night at American Flatbread and brought a host of great Allagash brews this year, including a cask of Four, a log of Bi-Curieux and some cellared kegs of Musette and Black (each delicious).
Rob was a great host and gave us a few minutes in the Flatbread brewery for an interview. In the video Rob shares a bit about the history of Allagash brewery, some insight into what’s new in 2010 with Allagash and answers some questions about both the packaging (cork and cage) and the bottle conditioning of their 12oz and kegs.
Our trip also gave us the opportunity to meet Paul Sailor, the owner of American Flatbread, and their brewer Destiny (watch for that interview coming up). We also got to connect with our friends at g.Housen and catch up with some of the Vermont BA folks. The food at American Flatbread is excellent and their beers and their guest beers are always top notch. Another great night, and another fun episode of here for the beer!
VIDEO – On the night before the night before Christmas in 2009, we attended a beer dinner at the Sierra Grill in Northampton Massachusetts. The dinner was hosted by Sam Calagione, the founder and president of Dogfish Head Brewery in Rehoboth Delaware. Throughout the night, Sam shared some great stories about himself and the brewery. This is the first is a series of episodes sharing those anecdotes with you.
In this video Sam talks about how Dogfish Head got its name, how the brewery was started and a bit about the recent world of Dogfish Head. Be sure to check out the other segments from this event right here, on here for the beer!
VIDEO – Victory Brewing Company has recently been doing some expanding at the brewery. One of the reasons for the expansion is that as of today, Victory Brewing Company is now distributing in our great state of Vermont. We were lucky enough to get the first keg of Victory beer in Vermont at our Inn, and even more lucky to have Victory Co-Founder Bill Covaleski come up to share the first pint poured in Vermont with us!
In this episode we chat with Bill about the expansion of their distribution area and plans for New England. While Victory makes 30 different beers all of which are available at their pub in Downingtown, PA, Vermonters can look forward to trying the Hop Devil, Prima Pils, Golden Monkey, Storm King and Wild Devil starting this week. Your interest and demand will determine what other of their brews may make it our way.
Victory is one of my personal favorite breweries. It was Victory’s Hop Devil that turned me onto those glorious bitter sweet hops nearly 10 years ago. It was also the Victory Golden Monkey that taught me a hard lesson about ABV. Bill’s motto is “Respect the Monkey”, I know first hand why … hehe.
According to Bill Victory is now available in 39 states across the US. So grab yourself a Victory beer and tell us which one is your favorite, and which you are hoping to see near you. We will see you next time on here for the beer, Cheers!
VIDEO – We are really lucky to have such a killer beer bar within a short drive of us and our Inn. So we were admittedly nervous when started hearing rumors of “the Dove” being sold. I am sure all of the Moan and Dove regulars shared our sigh of relief when we heard that the bar was being sold to Jason “Di-Cap” DiCaprio, long time bartender and generally awesome guy.
So as of last night, it’s official. After nearly a year of disasters, where everything that could go wrong did – the Moan and Dove has now officially changed hands. The previous owner, Daniel, has moved on to the city (Boston) and has opened a new beer bar in the old b-side lounge which we can’t wait to check out.
We stopped into the extremely crowded Moan and Dove for the “changing of the guard” celebration and shot this quick video with our flip video camera (hence the less than wonderful quality). It was great to see the area beer community out in support of Di-Cap and the Dove.
In the video Jason shares his story about his history at the Dove and the transfer of ownership. He also emphasizes that the Moan and Dove is what it is because of the wonderful and passionate beer community that makes it possible.
Congratulations Jason from us at here for the beer. We look forward to many great pints (and eventually earning our mugs) at the Moan and Dove. Cheers!
VIDEO – Amy sits down at our pub with the founder of Six Point Craft Ales in Brooklyn New York, Shane Welch. Shane talks about the difficulties of starting up a brewery, from the basics of securing product on a shoestring budget, to a fire that nearly put Six Point out of business. With plenty of hard work and community support Six Point Craft Ales has been able to build themselves up into a great success story, as recently noted in the New York Times.
Of course, Amy and Shane also talk beer – and about the future plans for Six Point Craft Ales. It was a pleasure chatting with Shane and sharing some of their great brews, we look forward to visiting the new brewery one day soon – of course we will share the visit with you right here, on here for the beer!
This episode features Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, PA. I talk with co-founder and brewer Ron Barchet about there newly renovated pub and brewery. Ron shares some of the history of the growing Victory Brewing Company and introduces their attempt at using Bret in their new variation of the Hop Devil.
Being from the Philadelphia area we have been fans of Victory Brewing Company for many years now. I was impressed from the first moment we walked through the doors. Our last visit to Victory was about 3 years ago. Back then the pub had an industrial charm and was plopped in the center of the brewery, separated by big glass walls. While Tim really liked the industrial “realness” of the old pub, the new place is far more cozy and efficient.
Because of all the great footage we got with Ron, we have split this episode into 2 parts. This is a general interview and look around the pub and restaurant. The next episode will be the full brewery tour – with a great look at some of the things that separate Victory from the crowd. If you haven’t already seen it, we also have a cool segment on their 20 flavor growler filler.
A final note – these episodes were taped in April of 2009, but the death of our editing computer held off their release until now.
In this episode I get the chance to sit down with Dick Yuengling, CEO of Yuengling Brewing Company, America’s Oldest Brewery. The Yuengling family has owned and operated Yuengling Brewing Company for 180 years. In that time they have gone through some dramatic changes, including a fairly recent major expansion.
Dick shares some of the company history, as well as how they pushed through the era of prohibition with near beer and even some “pharmaceutical” brew for pregnant women! Dick shares the point that they have been successful by listening to what their local audience wants and creating brands that fill the needs of their region. As a continuation of that theme, we hear about the new beers being brewed by Yuengling for their 180th, including the re-issue of their Bock beer.
Finally, we take a look at some closed to the public spaces – one being the original caves under the brewery where beer was stored to be fermented and kept cool. Prohibition era brick walls, built by the government to seal off this area, still exist in some sections. A crazy reminder of an even crazier time period in brewing history.
Being from the Philadelphia area, Yuengling has a special place in our hearts. It’s the clear local favorite and has a very loyal following – even “owning” the term lager in the Philadelphia market. Walk into any bar in the Philly area and order a “lager” and you will get a Yuengling. As a family owned business for 180 years, they clearly continue to provide the beer that their area wants – which is a testament to their connection to the community. We hope that Dick and family keep the Yuengling brewery in the family for many more years to come… now if we could only get them to go back to the brown bottles…
Please note – we filmed this episode in April 2009, but due to a computer disaster haven’t been able to get it posted until now. Stay tuned for more of our late spring and early summer videos – HereForTheBeer is back baby…
The Northampton Brewery in Northampton, Massachusetts opened its doors in 1987, making them one of if not the first microbrewery in New England. Now over 20 years later they are celebrating their Grand Re-Opening. After 20 years of wear and tear it was time to give the Northampton Brewery a face lift. In the video owner, Janet Egelston, explains that they choose to use environmentally friendly materials to complete the renovations.
Not only did the Northampton Brewery get a little work done they also recently went and got themselves a new Head Brewer, Donald Pacher. He has been the Head Brewer at Northampton Brewery for just a little over 1 year. He has brought new life to the beers there. We had the privilege to sample the two beers brewed just for the Grand Re-Opening … Beyond Mean Green and Hopzilla. In the video, beer writer George Lenker (a.k.a The Beer Nut) gives us his take on the Hopzilla.
This was one happening party! We enjoyed good food, creative beer, and live music by The Primate Fiasco a local Dixieland Band. We look forward to stopping back and tasting some more of Donald’s creations. If we don’t catch you at the Northampton Brewery we hope to see you next time right here on HerefortheBeer.
In this episode we are invited up to Harpoon Brewery’s Windsor, Vermont location to see the bottling the forth beer in their new Leviathan series, a Quad. We jumped at the opportunity to get an inside look at Leviathan. We tasted the first in the series, Leviathan Triticus a wheat wine, in July of 2008 at the Vermont Brewer’s Festival in Burlington, VT. We were instantly impressed. We found ourselves equally impressed by the next two of the Leviathan series, the Baltic Porter and the Leviathan Imperial IPA. The good news is you can still find the Baltic Porter and Imperial IPA in stores, the bad news is Triticus was never bottled was only available in kegs, so it can not longer be found. However, according to Head Brewer at Harpoon Windsor, Scott Shirley, we will all have a second chance as they will be bottling another batch of Leviathan Triticus sometime this year. Scott was kind enough to chat with us and explain a little about the Quad and the Leviathan series, sharing whats next for the series in the interview (you’ll have to watch the video, don’t want to give it all away here!). If you are into heavyweight beers we highly recommend this Harpoon series.
In addition, Scott was gracious enough to show us around the newly renovated facility. Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, VT is no longer just a tasting room in the gift shop it is now a full fledged bar and restaurant. Open for lunch Sunday through Thursday (closed Mondays in Winter and Spring) and open for lunch and dinner Friday and Saturday. The new pub is beautiful with a spacious bar and dining room complete with a wood burning fireplace. Peek through the wall of windows to check out the brewery and bottling line, or take one of the weekend tours. There is more information on the Harpoon Website.
In this episode Tim and I head up to Middlebury, Vermont to Otter Creek Brewery and meet with their new Brewmaster, Mike Gerhart. Mike just recently accepted this position in January of 2009. Previously Mike was brewing for Dogfish Head Brewery with Sam Calagione. His move to Otter Creek Brewery came from a love for Vermont. Charmed by the state and ready to spread his wings as a brewer, he headed to Vermont. His experience and passion make him a great fit for Otter Creek Brewery. Welcome to Vermont Mike!
Tim and I are fans of both Otter Creek Brewery and their organic line of beers, Wolaver’s Organic Ales. We carry many of their beers in our own pub, the Putney Road Pub at Forty Putney Road Bed and Breakfast and often use them in our beer tastings as they are flavorful, consistent and true to style. On a personal level we found ourselves wondering if we would ever see anything perhaps more adventurous coming out of this brewery so we set out to find some answers. Luckily, we found them (you’ll have to watch the video for the full details!).
In the video Mike Gerhart tells us about the All American series for the Wolaver’s Organic Ales. This series is not only organic, but also includes only US grown ingredients. Impressive goal and of course, quite ecologically conscious. Even better, the Pat Leavy’s All American Ale that we sampled was great. We went out and purchased a case the next day.
Then Mike told us about their new Imperial Series for the Otter Creek line of beers. Now this is what I am talking about, something unique, exciting and chock full of flavor. I am so excited about this series! The first in the series is the Imperial Russian Stout. Soon to follow will be an Imperial IPA. If you have not already tried the Otter Creek Imperial Russian Stout, then seriously, you should go out and pick one up TODAY!
One reason I am so excited about the Imperial Series at Otter Creek is that it represents a big step in Vermont brewing because of a change in state laws. Prior to July of 2008 Vermont Brewers could not produce a beer over 7% 8% (thanks Shaun!) ABV, limiting brewers creativity. With new legislation recently passed we are beginning to see a new side of Vermont Beers. We are looking forward to seeing more of these creative beers from Otter Creek and of course, other Vermont Breweries.
Overall this interview gave us a new energy about Otter Creek and Wolavers for 2009 and we really do look forward to trying out their new creations.
Last week Andy Crouch, beer writer for Beer Advocate Magazine and the author of The Good Beer Guide to New England, booked a room at our Inn. He was in Brattleboro making his annual trip to McNeil’s Brewery and in looking around for what was new in the area, found our website.
Coincidentally, we had purchased his book a few months ago and have been using it as our guide when we travel around New England. The book is well put together and a great resource of brew pubs, breweries and beer bars in the New England area. It is very informative including all kinds of details and specifics on each location, but its also an entertaining read full of short reviews of his experiences when visiting each of these places and anecdotes from his travels. We highly recommend this book if you are from the area or are doing some traveling through New England. You can purchase a copy of The Good Beer Guide to New England right here!
During his stay, Andy was kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions in the Putney Road Pub over a few pints of McNeils Pullman’s Porter. In this episode you’ll find out Andy’s favorite state and why as well as the most unique and off the wall brew pub in New England.
We hope this interview and book will inspire you to visit the breweries, brew pubs and beer bars throughout New England. And of course, if you plan to make a weekend out of it we have a room and a supply of great beer waiting for you right here at Forty Putney Road B&B.
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