Field Trip: Cavalier Distributing Trade Show – Tampa

Posted on by mashingin

Just a few weeks ago, Cavalier Distributing (Lakeland, Florida) held a fantastic and informative trade show at The Vault, a beautiful venue located in the heart of Tampa’s Downtown Arts District.  Cavalier used this industry-only event as an opportunity to introduce the area’s restaurants, bars, retailers, and media members to their vast portfolio of fine craft beers, meads, ciders and spirits.  The best way to capture all that this event had to offer was through a visual medium, so check out the photos below (click to enlarge) so that you too can get the inside scoop on the exciting beverages headed our way this year from Cavalier Distributing.  Prost!

Constructed in 1923 as The Exchange National Bank, The Vault is now a unique and versatile venue located in the heart of Tampa’s Downtown Arts District.
Driftwood Brewery (Victoria, British Columbia) was on hand to showcase their Fat Tug IPA, an intense Northwest-style India Pale Ale brewed with the hop aficionado in mind.
New to the area, Forbidden Root sampled their line of botanical-themed offerings: Sublime Ginger, Money on My Rind, & Wildflower Pale Ale (WPA).
Blavod, the original Black Vodka, was on hand to create beautiful and inventive cocktails for attendees.
M.I.A. Beer Company (Doral, Florida) brought their core lineup along with several small-batch and limited brews.
View of a happy crowd from above.
Duclaw Brewing Co. (Baltimore, Maryland) treated the crowd to tastes of decadent ales like Sweet Baby Jesus! Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter and Dirty Little Freak Coconut Caramel Chocolate Brown Ale.
The beautiful Farmhouse Ales of Blackberry Farm Brewery (Walland, Tennessee) were in attendance.
The folks at B. Nektar (Ferndale, Michigan) were nice enough to share bottles of Episode 13 Mead Aged in Bourbon Barrels alongside several other beautiful meads.
Crafted Artisan Meadery (Akron, Ohio) dazzled taste buds with Jinja Dragon, a Honey Wine dosed with “generous additions of hibiscus and ginger with a touch of black peppercorn.”
Harris Meadery (Orange Park, Florida) absolutely nailed their Key Lime Pie Mead.
We can’t think of anything more awesome than a bandolier of Underberg.
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery (Farmville, North Carolina), the Dark Beer Specialist, poured up their classic Milk Stout alongside Hoppy Bunny American Black Ale.
Maeloc Hard Cider, a cidery from Galicia, Spain, will soon be hitting the area with their line of delicious ciders.
Town Branch Distillery, an extension of Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. (Lexington, Kentucky) sampled their line of spirits: Town Branch Bourbon (pictured), Pearse Lyons Reserve, and Town Branch Rye.
Shmaltz Brewing Company (Clifton Park, New York) discussed and shared their Year-Round brews with attendees.
Maui Brewing Co. (Kihei, Hawaii) brought the Aloha spirit to the trade show.
Good times were found throughout the event.
Key West Distilling (Key West, Florida) broke out a full array of rums along with their Spyglass Vodka.
Nothing but quality on ice here, but the Grevensteiner from C. & A. Veltins was a delightful treat.
The eye-catching can artwork of Central 28 Beer Company (DeBary, Florida).
Original Sin (New York, New York) Extra Dry and Elderberry Cider.
New Planet Brewery (Boulder, Colorado) supplied some gluten-free goodies.
Beyond their delicious brews, Heavy Seas Beer (Baltimore, Maryland) came to the trade show prepared with a full-sized skeleton and hook for their display.
Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. (Lexington, Kentucky) also shared their wildly popular Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale.
Two Brothers Artisan Brewing (Chicago, Illinois) Pinball Juicy Hop Pale Ale and In the Flesh American Sour Ale Brewed with Real Peaches.

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Germany’s Brauerei C. & A. Veltins Launches Grevensteiner Kellerbier in the U.S.

Posted on by mashingin

grevensteiner-c--a-veltins-79147905Brauerei C. & A. Veltins (Meschede-Grevenstein, Germany) has officially announced that they have partnered with Artisanal Imports to begin distribution of their Grevensteiner Original in the United States.

For over 190 years, Brauerei C. & A. Veltins has been supplying the Westphalia region of Germany with beers that focus on quality, local ingredients and a perfect brewing method.  A great deal of the brewery’s long-standing success is thanks to the water in Meschede-Grevenstein.  Considered to be some of “the finest brewing water in the world,” this vital ingredient provides the beers of Brauerei C. & A. Veltins “with a soft, mineral quality uniquely characteristic of the . . . region.”

Now that Brauerei C. & A. Veltins has nearly two centuries of brewing expertise under its belt, the folks at the brewery feel that it is finally time to introduce the U.S. beer market to their Grevensteiner Original.  Described as “an unusual and fascinating brew,” Grevensteiner is an amber-hued Kellerbier that possesses “caramel flavors with slight undertones of honey, . . . notes of roasted almonds and fresh fruit that is mostly reminiscent of green apple.”  Unfiltered and unpasteurized, Grevensteiner is a lager that is best when enjoyed fresh.

“We feel this is an exciting release for the U.S. market,” said Fabian Mueller, Export Sales Manager at Brauerei C. & A. Veltins. “As the third-largest brewery in Germany, we can provide overseas markets with beers featuring ample complexity in both aroma and flavor. In this case, kellerbiers such as Grevensteiner represent a new angle for craft lagers in America.”

Grevensteiner Original is available now in the U.S. and can be found in 4-packs of 16.9 oz. cans.  If you are a fan of traditional German lagers, be sure to look for this one at fine beer establishments in Florida and all other states that normally see products handled by Artisanal Imports (full list of states available below).  Prost!

Vital Information for Grevensteiner Original from Brauerei C. & A. Veltins

Release – Year-Round, U.S. launch begins March 2017
Style – Kellerbier 
ABV – 5.2%
Ingredients – “Naturally cloudy Grevensteiner Original is a light country beer brewed with soft spring water and harvest-fresh hops. Traditional malts give the beer its amber colour and its full-bodied taste. Brewed in accordance with the German purity law.”
Availability – 4-packs of 16.9 oz. cans
Distribution – FL, AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, IL, KS, ME, MA, MI, MN, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, VT, WA, WV and WI