Bern’s Steak House Purchases Rare Imperial Decanter that is One of Five in the World

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BernsBern’s Steak House (1208 S. Howard Avenue, Tampa, Florida) recently announced the acquisition of the Aevum Imperial Service Ritual, a “distinctive hand-made crystal objet d’art service vessel” created as a collaboration between Penfolds Wines and Saint-Louis.

When your restaurant is sporting a wine cellar containing more than 6,800 unique wine labels, 5,500 red wines, 1,000 white wines and more than 200 sparkling wines, it kind of goes without saying that you are a very well-respected citizen in the world of wine.  Even with that being the case, the people behind Bern’s Steak House are always looking for that next big thing that allows them to stand out from the pack of wine’s elite.  Well . . . they just found one now that they have purchased the Aevum Imperial Service Ritual.

Born out of a two-year collaboration between Penfolds Wines and the legendary, French crystal producer Saint-Louis, the Aevum Imperial Service Ritual is a rare, museum-quality crystal decanter that was created in recognition of “the first commercial release of only five 2012 Grange Imperial 6 litre bottles available on the planet.”  This collaboration marks “the first time Saint-Louis, who has been making handcrafted crystal objects in France since 1586, has collaborated with a global brand outside of Europe.”

“When talent, heritage and know how come together, the journey from craft to ritual can be truly extraordinary. The collaboration between Penfolds and Saint-Louis represents a marriage of two masters of their crafts. This is the first time something of this calibre has taken place and the first time that we have collaborated with a winemaker at this level.”

 

– Jérôme de Lavergnolle, Chief Executive Officer of Saint-Louis.

The decanter’s “statuesque design reflects a powerful and passionate union and painstaking hours of crafting and refining the perfect piece.”  Although this decanter may be strikingly beautiful in appearance, the Aevum Imperial Service Ritual’s beauty carries over into function thanks to being “designed in such a way that with a gentle tilt of the vessel you receive the perfect pour.”  Only five of these exquisite decanters exist in the world, and now Bern’s Steak House of Tampa is the proud owner of one of them.

Bern’s Steak House held an assembly ceremony for the Aevum Imperial Service Ritual earlier this week, and you can view a video of that installation by visiting the restaurant’s Facebook page (click here).  The restaurant also received a 6L bottle of 2012 Grange and smaller Saint-Louis spinning Crystal decanters to go along with the purchase of the Aevum Imperial Service Ritual.  Since it is not quite ready to drink, the wine is not yet for sale but the crew at Bern’s Steak House hopes that “generations of wine lovers can appreciate this stunning work of art” now taking residence at their iconic restaurant.  Prost!

 

Stone Brewing Geeks Out with 2017 Release of Farking Wheaton w00tstout

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Stonew00tstoutbottleStone Brewing (Escondido, California) recently announced that it has once again teamed up with Drew Curtis and Wil Wheaton to create and release the 2017 vintage of Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout.

Now that comic convention season is in full swing, that can mean only one thing to craft beer fans: Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout is back!  This Limited Release brew is a nerd love-fueled collaboration between Drew Curtis, Creator of Fark.com; Wil Wheaton, Actor and Web Celebrity; and Greg Koch, CEO and Co-Founder of Stone Brewing.  These three collaborators put their mark on Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout by creating a massive Imperial Stout (a reference to “Greg’s lifelong quest for pushing the limits of ‘why the hell not?’ to make bigger, bolder beers”) that has been brewed with wheat (literally taking the “wheat” out of Wheaton. The name, not the man.) and finished off with pecans and bourbon barrels (a nod to Drew’s home state of Kentucky).  This all results in a 13% ABV Stout that “is a mind-blowing amalgamation of intense yet smooth flavors, perfect for a warm summer evening, a cozy winter’s night or the approaching destruction of the entire human race (be it externally or internally inflicted).”

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout officially released on July 10 and will be available while supplies last.  This Limited Release brew is available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, California, Virginia, and throughout the rest of Stone Brewing’s nationwide distribution area.  This beer never lasts long on shelves, so grab your supply of Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout while you can.  Prost!

Vital Information for Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout from Stone Brewing

Release – Limited/Collaboration, official release date: July 10, 2017
Style – American Imperial Stout
Collaborators – Drew Curtis, Fark.com Creator; Wil Wheaton, Actor & Web Celebrity; Greg Koch, CEO & Co-Founder of Stone Brewing
ABV – 13%
IBUs – 65
Featured Hops – English Target
Featured Ingredients – Pecans, wheat & rye
Treatment – One quarter of the beer was aged in Bourbon barrels
Availability – 22 oz. bottles & draft
Fun Fact – In reference to this year’s label artwork: “For this year’s bottle art, we were thrilled to entrust the task to heralded comic book writer and artist Walt Simonson. He was gracious enough to work with us in exchange for our donation to The Hero Initiative, a charity organization that provides retirement funds for golden-age comic book artists.”

Upland Brewing Co. Launches Distribution in Nashville

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SoursLogoUpland Brewing Co. (Bloomington, Indiana) recently announced that it has officially partnered with Bounty Beverage to add Nashville, Tennessee to the brewery’s distribution footprint.

Widely known for developing innovative Sour Ales and “unique twists on traditional recipes”, Upland Brewing Co. has long been dedicated to producing “quality beers over the years by challenging and refining [their] craft, not by appeasing trends.”  This philosophy has certainly resonated with craft beer fans, increased their popularity throughout the country, and made Upland Brewing a household name in the American Sour Ale game.  After spending a year expanding distribution along the East Coast, Upland Brewing Co. has now turned back inland to bring their wood-aged beers to Nashville.

“Nashville is one of the most fun cities to visit on the weekends for us in the Midwest, but that’s not the only reason we’re launching our sours there. Not only is it paradise for music lovers, but the food and beer scene is one-of-a-kind. Thanks to our partnership with BountyBev, we know our sour ales will be welcomed and enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.”

 

– Dusty Howe, Upland’s Sours Brand Manager

Upland Brewing Co. officially launched distribution in Nashville this week with the following three Sour Ales:

  • Hopsynth – “We love hops, and we love sour ales, so our inventive brewers found a way to combine two of our favorite things. By dry hopping our blonde sour ale Basis, we developed Hopsynth as a well-melded, lighter, hoppier sour ale with full hop aromas and flavors. Huge wafts of piney, tropical and citrus hop aromas come from the glass. A touch of tartness complements the grassy and grapefruit hop flavors of El Dorado and Citra hops. It finishes dry with a bright hop flavor that stays with you.”  ABV – 6%
  • Iridescent – “This beer was developed through extensive experimentation by our brewers with different combinations of dried fruits and spices, using Basis as the base beer. Iridescent is a refreshing blonde sour ale, with aromas of apricot and ginger that are followed by tart and tropical flavors after aging in wine barrels for 3-4 months. As the name implies, the flavor of this sour beer appears to change subtly with each sip.”  ABV – 6%
  • Revive – “After extensive experimentation and feedback from our retail staff, customers, and brewing team, Revive was one of the first beers released out of the Wood Shop. The base beer is Basis, which was inspired by traditional brewing methods of Belgium brewing. The beer is aged for three to four months in oak barrels with pineapple fruit and whole chamomile flowers. That sweet tanginess of fruit combines beautifully with the floral aroma for a tart, dry, and refreshing sour ale.”  ABV – 6%

The three beers above are available in 500ml bottles, and Hopsynth and Iridescent will also have availability on draft.  You can expect to find these tasty brews available at Craft Brewed, Flying Saucer – Nashville, Frugal McDougal, The Hop Stop, and other craft beer establishments located throughout the city.  If you happen to be in the area, be sure to extend Upland Brewing Co. a proper welcome to the Nashville craft beer scene by giving these three beers a try at some point this week.  Prost!

 

Orpheus Brewing to Add Over and Over Pineapple Sour Ale to Year-Round Lineup

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orpheuslogoOrpheus Brewing (Atlanta, Georgia) took to social media yesterday to announce that Over and Over Pineapple Sour Ale will soon be released as the brewery’s newest Year-Round offering.

Since the crew at Orpheus Brewing was bummed out over the idea of ever running out of their current Pineapple Sour Ale dubbed Again and Again, they decided to tweak and adjust that beer’s recipe to develop one that could be sustained as a Year-Round release.  That new beer is Over and Over, a 4% ABV kettle-soured ale brewed with pineapple juice.  For more details on this beer, here’s the full label description for Over and Over:

“The grievous cycle of transmigration of souls could only be broken after the mysteries of the gods were revealed to Orpheus. Those mysteries have been lost to time, so enjoy your endless loop.  We packed as much pineapple and brightness we could into this small, tart beer, for an experience you’ll actually want to repeat over and over.”

Over and Over Pineapple Sour Ale will be available on draft later this month and 12 oz. cans will follow shortly behind.  Once released, you can expect to find this new Year-Round brew available at craft beer-friendly retailers, bars and restaurants located throughout Orpheus Brewing’s distribution areas in Alabama and Georgia.  Prost!

Vital Information for Over and Over Pineapple Sour Ale from Orpheus Brewing

Release – Year-Round, launching late-July/early August 2017
Style – American Sour Ale
ABV – 4%
Process – Kettle soured
Added Ingredients – Pineapple juice
Availability – Draft & 12 oz. cans

Tasting Notes: Blackbeard’s Breakfast from Heavy Seas Beer

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HSBlackbeardbottleIn this latest installment of Tasting Notes, we start our day as pirates do by cracking an early bottle of Blackbeard’s Breakfast Bourbon Barrel Aged Porter Brewed with Coffee from Heavy Seas Beer (Baltimore, Maryland).

The folks at Heavy Seas Beer release Blackbeard’s Breakfast once a year as a part of their Uncharted Waters Series, a lineup of barrel/wood-aged limited releases that exhibits elevated levels of brewing prowess.  This offering is an Imperial Porter that has been brewed with English malts and Dark Sumatra coffee from Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company.  Once the brewing is completed, Blackbeard’s Breakfast is finished off with a long rest in Bourbon barrels so that it may pick up notes of vanilla, oak and whiskey.  Weighing in at a sizable 10% ABV, Blackbeard’s Breakfast promises to be an experience that “will please coffee and beer connoisseurs alike.”  Blackbeard’s Breakfast had an official release schedule set from May to June, but you can still find this limited release gracing shelves (22 oz. bottles) and taps at select craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Maryland and throughout the rest of Heavy Seas Beer’s distribution footprint.

With all that background information now covered, I do believe that means we can allow the day-drinking and Tasting Notes to commence!

Tasting Notes for Blackbeard’s Breakfast (2017) from Heavy Seas Beer

Appearance: Blackbeard’s Breakfast fills the glass as an inky black brew that wears a full finger of brown sugar-colored foam.  Held to direct light, the darkness holds and the beer remains opaque, glossy and reflective.  The creamy head eventually gives out and is reduced to a thin, but complete ring.  Since the beer is slick on the glass, any lace that grabs ahold ultimately slips back down into the dark depths below.

Aroma: Dark sugars and molasses grab the nose immediately with a deep, rich sweetness.  Chocolate and caramel easily build off of that base, and the aroma opens further to expose subtle notes cherry, coconut and toffee. All of this is enrobed in a warm, comforting bourbon note that is filled with oak and vanilla tones. Just a waft of coffee breezes through at the end to finish off the profile.

Taste: Although nearly lost in the aroma, the coffee really finds its home here in the flavor.  Pronounced with a beautiful roasted character, the coffee acts as the ideal note to introduce all the flavors that await their moment.  Those flavors include notes of dark chocolate-covered almonds, nearly burnt caramel, creamy vanilla, brown sugar, and sticky toffee.  Bourbon laces itself through all these notes to administer the perfect dose of booze and woodsy character.

Mouthfeel: This Imperial Porter falls on the lighter side of full-bodied with a soft carbonation presence.  This makes for a chewy experience that still remains a bit silken.  Mostly sweet on the palate, the coffee and hops do add a necessary level of bitterness to keep the beer from becoming cloying.  Although they do take their time to clear out, this beer’s flavors are more than welcomed to linger.  Noticeable but not overwhelming, the 10% ABV adds a building warmth in the belly and throat to the experience.  The aftertaste is all molasses and roasted coffee.

Final Thoughts: If you have been looking for a wildly consistent and affordable Bourbon barrel-aged brew to stock up on, look no further than Blackbeard’s Breakfast.  This beer is exactly as it should be.  To start, it avoids the pitfall that many barrel-aged beers fall into, and that is completely losing the base beer behind the barrel character.  Blackbeard’s Breakfast is a big ol’ Porter and it reads as such.  Its English malts retain their integrity to lay a firm and established base of nutty, roasty, chocolaty and toffee-filled notes.  The coffee then enters the picture to support the malts with added roastiness while also lending a touch of balancing bitterness to the equation.  The bourbon waits for that foundation to be properly set before it glides in with its tones of vanilla, oak and booze.  The bourbon has personality, but it is not brash.  It knows it place and that is as a piece of a whole.  The base beer benefits from the Bourbon just as the Bourbon benefits from the base beer.  Blackbeard’s Breakfast finds this harmony, and it truly is a beautiful thing to experience.  Be sure to check it out before this year’s release disappears from shelves and taps.  Prost!

Winter is Here to be Next Game of Thrones Beer from Brewery Ommegang

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Ommegang-Game-of-Thrones-Fire-and-Blood-2017-Bottle-750ml_editedBrewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, New York) and HBO Global Licensing have officially announced that they will continue their Game of Thrones series of beers this fall with the release of Winter is Here Double White Ale.

Adorned with a label that prominently displays the Night King, Winter is Here Double White Ale is being released to Game of Thrones fans as a warning that the Great War and the White Walkers are on the approach.  Brewed with white pepper, sea salt, coriander and sweet orange peel, this Belgian-style Double White Ale is led by “aromas of banana, clove, and pronounced peppery phenols” while the flavor is that of “slightly sweet malt, subtly balanced by hints of sea salt.”  Even though this full-bodied brew weighs in at an imposing 8.3% ABV, Winter is Here “still manages to drink quite lightly” and vows to be “the perfect brew to sip throughout the cold months that lie ahead.”

“For six seasons, Game of Thrones fans like ourselves have watched as the great houses of Westeros battled amongst themselves, all the while knowing that the only battle that really mattered – the great war – was yet to come,” says Doug Campbell, Brewery Ommegang’s President. “In this next season, we celebrate the long-awaited arrival of winter with a beer fit for consumption north of The Wall. Winter is Here is a fortifying and delicious double white, brewed with sea salt and white pepper, sure to keep you warm in winter, no matter how long it lasts.”

Winter is Here Double White Ale will officially arrive in October with availability on draft and in single 750ml bottles (suggested retail price of $11.99 each).  This Limited Release beer will also be available in a collectible gift pack (suggested retail price of $23.99) alongside a commemorative glass and a 750ml bottle of Fire and Blood, a Red Ale brewed with ancho chilies (6.8% ABV) that was originally released in 2014 as the third beer in the Game of Thrones-inspired beer series.  Look for Winter is Here to be on shelves and taps at fine beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, New York and throughout the rest of Brewery Ommegang’s expansive distribution network later this year.  Prost!

Vital Information for Winter is Here Double White Ale from Brewery Ommegang 

Release – Limited, October 2017
Style – Belgian-style Double White Ale
ABV – 8.3%
Malts – Pilsner, White Wheat, & Soft Red Wheat Flakes
Hops – Saaz
Yeast – House yeast of Brewery Ommegang
Added Ingredients – White pepper, sea salt, coriander & sweet orange peel
Availability – single 750ml bottles, in a collectible gift pack & on draft
Beer Finder – http://ommegang.com/#!locator

Dogfish Head Goes Tropical with Release of Lupu-Luau IPA

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lupu-luau-ingredients-4Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, Delaware) recently announced the release of Lupu-Luau IPA as the brewery’s latest ode to summer.

When it comes to figuring out the story behind Lupu-Luau IPA, you can find all the answers in its name:

  • “Lupu” – an abbreviated take on Lupulin, the hop flower gland containing essential oils
  • “Luau” – a reference to the beer’s tropical hop notes and coconut-centric nature that translates as “a tropical party in your mouth”

Brewed with toasted coconut, experimental hops and dehydrated coconut water, this coconut-forward India Pale Ale displays aromatics of “tropical fruit, pineapple and [citrus]” while “coconut and woodsy notes” carry the flavor profile.  At 7.3% ABV and 45 IBUs, Lupu-Luau IPA comes together to be a unique but spot-on representation of what summer is all about.

“We worked hard to secure the majority of the full domestic yield of this experimental hop crop for years to come and Dogfish is currently the only brewery contracted to purchase it,” says Sam Calagione, founder and CEO of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. “We use dehydrated coconut water that contains delicious natural sugars and flaked toasted coconut as centerpieces of the beer – ingredients that pay homage to Coco Loco, a coconut blonde brewpub exclusive we brewed back in 2011 and an early example of tropical fruit IPA innovation from Dogfish.”

Lupu-Luau IPA is available now and will be hanging out through the summer months.  You can track this Seasonal brew down in 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles and on draft at craft beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Delaware and throughout the rest of Dogfish Head’s distribution area.  Prost!

Vital Information for Lupu-Luau IPA from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Release – Seasonal, launching July 2017
Style – American India Pale Ale
ABV – 7.3%
IBUs – 45
Added Ingredients – Toasted coconut & dehydrated coconut water
Recommended Glassware – IPA glass
Suggested Food Pairings – “White fish ceviche, roasted pineapple salsa, BBQ meats”
Availability – 6-packs of 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder (a.k.a. Fish Finder) – https://www.dogfish.com/brewery/fishfinder

Funky Buddha Brewery to Screen Blood, Sweat, and Beer: A Craft Beer Documentary

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bloodsweatbeerREDOn Thursday, July 13 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Funky Buddha Brewery (1201 NE 38th St, Oakland Park, Florida) will treat their fans to a night at the movies by hosting the South Florida Premiere of Blood, Sweat, and Beer: A Craft Beer Documentary.

For this special edition of Funky Flicks, Funky Buddha Brewery will take on the persona of an art film house to present the area premiere of Blood Sweat, and Beer, a documentary that “highlights the explosive growth of the craft beer industry and tells the dramatic story of two breweries as they build towards opening day.”  The complete film synopsis is as follows:

Blood, Sweat, and Beer is a feature documentary about the explosive growth of the craft beer industry and the dramatic journeys of two start-up breweries. The film follows a trio of 23-year-olds as they struggle to start The Brew Gentlemen Beer Company in Braddock, PA. Matt, Asa, and Brandon hope their brewery will help this once-prosperous steel town bounce back from decades of neglect, violence, and population loss. The film also tells the emotional story of Danny Robinson, a boardwalk brewery owner and restaurateur whose empire is threatened by an aggressive trademark lawsuit that could leave him penniless. Four entrepreneurs, two brand new breweries, and one ultimate goal: to quench the thirst of the craft-craving masses.

At the conclusion of the film, founding members of Funky Buddha Brewery will open things up for a Q&A session focused on their experiences of building a brewery from the ground up.

Tickets for this event are available now for the price of $15 each, and you can purchase yours by clicking area.  Ticket cost provides you with “a seat at the screening, one draft beer, and bottomless fresh-popped movie popcorn.”  Tickets are limited, so grab yours while you can to ensure that you are one of the first in Florida to see Blood, Sweat, and Beer.  Prost!

 

Boulevard Brewing Co. Releases 8th Installment in Love Child Series

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BoulevardLoveChild8labelBoulevard Brewing Company (Kansas City, Missouri) has officially sent Love Child No. 8 out into the wild as the latest version in this ever-evolving, blended Sour Ale project.

The Love Child Series consists of a line of barrel-aged Wild Ales that have been inoculated with “such boisterous cultures as Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces.”  Since each beer in this series has its own unique blend ratio and resulting complexity, Boulevard Brewing uses “gauges on the label to convey the intensity of three key personality traits, Funk, Sour and Fruit, presenting a picture of the ale at the time it was released.” The goal of the Love Child Series is not “to reproduce the character of the previous year’s blend, but rather to offer a blend of the very best sour beers . . . on hand” at the brewery.

Love Child No. 8 is rocking a blend that consists of “multiple vintages of a Flanders-style sour red ale and a sour Belgian-style golden” that have been aged in “a variety of whiskey and wine barrels with lactobacillus and brettanomyces.”  Each batch of aged beer was sampled and then blended by a tasting panel of brewers and quality assurance team members until they established an experience that “features soft lactic acidity punctuated with slight acetic notes and a tart, fruity flavor reminiscent of sour cherries and green strawberries.”

Love Child No. 8 hit the Kansas City area in June, but the beer has been slowly rolling out across Boulevard Brewing’s distribution area since.  This limited offering can now be found in 750ml bottles and on draft at select beer establishments located in Alabama, Florida, Missouri and wherever else you normally see Limited Release Smokestack Series beers from Boulevard Brewing.  Prost!

Vital Information for Love Child No. 8 from Boulevard Brewing Company

Release – Limited/Smokestack Series, gradual roll out began June 2017
Style – American Wild/Sour Ale
ABV – 9%
IBUs – 9
Blend – 59% Belgian-style Golden, 41% Flanders-Style Red
Recommended Glassware – Tulip
Suggested Pairing – Strawberry rhubarb pie
Availability – 750ml bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.boulevard.com/beer/beer-finder/

Morimoto Asia to Host Inaugural Craft Beers and Bites Festival

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unnamed (33)On Saturday, July 29 at 1 p.m., Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs (1600 East Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, Florida) will showcase Florida craft breweries alongside gourmet food pairings at the restaurant’s first Craft Beers and Bites Festival.

Chef Masaharu Morimoto has long been an avid supporter of pairing fine food with great craft beer, and this practice will now have an opportunity to be on full display at the Morimoto Asia Craft Beers and Bites Festival.  Taking place on the restaurant’s second level, this event will feature the craft beers of eight Florida breweries alongside a menu of individual food pairings prepared by Morimoto Asia Executive Chef, Yuhi Fujinaga.  The full menu and list of paired breweries are as follows:

Tickets for the Morimoto Asia Craft Beers and Bites Festival are available now, and you can purchase yours online for the price of $40 each (plus tax & gratuity) by clicking here.  Ticket cost gains you entrance into the event and unlimited access to the beers and bites.  100% of all profits raised from the Beers and Bites Festival will go to benefit Children’s Home Society of Florida to aid in their mission to build bridges to success for children.

Tickets are extremely limited for the Morimoto Asia Craft Beers and Bites Festival, so be sure to secure yours as soon as possible because this event is sure to sell out.  Prost!