Funky Buddha to open full production facility in June

Every now and then a brewery comes along that seems to have built in buzz. These are the breweries that brew beers by their own rules and to please themselves first. Funny thing is, most of the time, those same breweries tend to please the beer-loving public, too. Funky Buddha Brewery of Oakland Park, Fla. is one of those breweries that has attained cult status.

In 2010 the brewery began as The Funky Buddha Lounge and Brewery in Boca Raton, Fla. The hip lounge features 40 loose leaf teas, 40 shisha flavors, small bites, dessert and over 110 craft beers including those brewed on site. The lounge and brewery proved so popular that just three years later head brewer and founder Ryan Sentz is nearing completion on a brand new, full production facility with a monstrous 30 barrel brew house. The behemoth brewhouse makes Funky Buddha the largest production brewery in South Florida with the capacity to pump out nearly 6,000 barrels of beer in its first year and room to brew five times that much in the future.

“We’re extremely excited that this brewery will allow us to share our passion for craft beer with a larger audience,” Sentz said. “We could not have gotten here without the support of the Funky Buddha family and the entire brewing community.”

In addition to the brewery, the new facility will feature over 30 tap lines, live music, brewery tours, growlers to-go, and much more. The tap room is practically a work of art featuring a 70’ bar top lined by tall windows looking into the brewery, and a 15’ tall, live-edged cherry wood back bar built by Asheville Mantle and Slab of North Carolina.

Funky Buddha is known for its offbeat special release beer flavors such as No Crusts Peanut Butter and Jelly Brown Ale and the highly sought after Maple Bacon Coffee Porter. But the brewery is equally known foryear-round brews Hop Gun IPA and Floridian Hefeweizen. Expect to see these in bottles as the new facility settles in and adds a planned bottling line. Distribution for the brews will be handled by Brown Distribution.

 The City of Oakland Park’s new Culinary Arts District, spearheaded by Redevelopment Management Associates of Delray Beach will feature the Funky Buddha as its cornerstone. The district will also feature restaurants, markets, a culinary school, and a hydroponic farm with horticultural classes. The district’s newly renovated walking plaza sits directly in front of the brewery, and will be publicly unveiled along with the Brewery’s Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting on June 1 from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

 

A lot is brewing at SweetWater Brewing in Atlanta

There’s always something interesting going on around the SweetWater brewery in Atlanta, Ga. And right now is no exception. A recent press release from the Peach State details plenty of activities at the brewery and in the city at large. This time around there is information about their new brewhouse, their annual 420 Fest, a funky new beer, and the first time 12 bottles of their IPA get to hang out in a box together.

Back in March of last year SweetWater opened its new production facility that took the brewery from approximately 100,000 barrels a day production to nearly 500,000. More recently Freddy Bensch, the brewery’s outspoken owner, proudly unveiled a brand new brewhouse that tops off the $19 million, two-year-long expansion project. But, its not just any brewhouse, this is a 250 barrel beauty that is now producing most of the company’s beers.

Another big thing brewing around the SweetWater offices is the brewery’s 420 Festival. Candler Park plays host to the annual party that features music, art, educational opportunities, and lots of beer. Top musical acts such as Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk , and the imitable George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic. Add in the Sweetwater Experience, a lively tasting of over 20 different style of beer and along with guest speakers that will enlighten guests with stories of beer and you have a great time. SweetWater’s 420 Fest takes place April 19-21 and is sure to be spoken of in hushed tones for months to come.

Remember that new brewhouse from a couple of paragraphs ago? Well, the first brew to issue forth from it is the next in the Dank Tank series. This time the wizards of the SweetWater brew crew have produced a whopper of a Black Double IPA. called Some Strange. Word has it that the brew clocks in with a monstrous 10% ABV and a potfull of IBUs. Watch for more details on this limited release brew over the next few weeks.

Sadly, with the word of a new brew comes the news that another is being retired. Exodus Porter is being put out to pasture and making its, well, exodus. If you have a few bottles lying around you might want to store them for a special occasion because they are likely the last you will be seeing – ever.

But, with bad news comes more good news. If you have been wondering how you could get 12 of your favorite SweetWater IPAs together at one time and in one convenient box, there is now an answer. SweetWater IPA is now or soon will be available in 12-packs for your hoppy, thirst-quenching enjoyment. So, keep an eye out at your local beer monger for the new boxes.

With so much going on, you would think that the folks at SweetWater corporate offices would be just plain tired. But, happily, that is not the case. Be assured that more great things will be happening and coming down the pipe soon from these mad men – and women – of brewing. We can hardly wait.

 

Oskar Blues amping up a favorite, preparing a new seasonal

Oskar Blues Brewing Company has been turning heads since 1998 when Dale Katechis began brewing beer is the basement of his Lyons, Colo. restaurant. The brewery really began as a side-project to provide fresh beer to hos restaurant, but soon Katechis decided to convert his restaurant to a brewpub. His brews were never timid; they always grabbed the drinker by the throat and let them know they were drinking a brew made with passion. A year after establishing the brewery, Katechis’ little brewery captured a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival for “The Reverend Sandi’s Sinful Stout.” Demand for the brews grew and a few years later in 2002, Oskar Blues shook up the craft beer world again by doing the unthinkable and canning their beers.

Over the next 10 years, the craft brew movement grew and Oskar Blues expanded with it. Today the company operates a brewery in Longmont, Colo. and another in North Carolina. In 2012 they produced 95,000 barrels of brew, that’s a far cry from the 760 they rolled out in 2002.

This year, the brewery is making a few changes to its lineup. Gubna, a malty, hopped-up Imperial Rye IPA is about to get a formula change. Until now the brew that accomplished it’s outrageous 100 IBUs of bitterness and 10% ABV through the use of three types of malt and just one hop; Summit. This year Cascade hops are being added to the already challenging brew. The brew is also being taken from a year-round offering to a seasonal spring offering to be available in March, April, and May.

Gubna is being moved to seasonal status because the brewery is planning the debut of a new seasonal brew in July. While the brewery is not saying what the brew will be, it has been introducing new cans to the market including a modern version of the old cone top can made of aluminum that has a twist-off aluminum top. The last beer packaged in that can was The Deuce an Imperial Brown that was available during the fall of 2012.

Keep up to date on all the beer happenings and news going on in town by joining our newsletter mailing list at the ALL NEW www.JaxBeerGuy.com.

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Goose Island to roll out nationally with both draft and bottled brews

Back in 1988 John Hall set out on a mission to not only educate consumers, but to challenge them as well. Back then, the big brewery’s brands were practically the only beers available. And in the neighborhoods of Chicago, Ill. those brands were embedded deeply into the psyche of beer-drinkers. Hall decided to do something about that. After several trips across Europe, where he enjoyed visiting many brewpubs, Hall decided to open his own brewpub.  Goose Island Brewpub was opened its doors on May 13, 1988.

In the years since, Goose Island brews have become the stuff of legends. Thirsty Chicago beer-lovers soon discovered the little brewpub and in just seven years, the demand had grown to such a point that Hall began looking for a larger brewing facility. In 1995 he found a suitable place and began brewing and bottling his beers for the greater Chicagoland area. But, once again, demand outpaced production and Hall once again began a search for more production space. Where he finally settled was a location just an out-of-park home run from the cathedral of many Chicagoans, Wrigley Field.

Over the years, Goose Island has made its mark on the beer industry. Not only was Goose Island one of the pioneers of the craft beer industry, the booming brewery introduced beer-drinkers to styles that set their taste buds and hearts on fire. The brewery’s legendary Bourbon County Stout recently won accolades as one of the 20 most influential beers of all time as the result of a poll of beer experts conducted by website First We Feasts.  The brew consistently scores among the very top brews on beer rating websites like Rate Beer and Beer Advocate. The barrels used to create the first batch of the stout are said to have been Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single barrel bourbon, the oldest Single Barrel Bourbon in the world at 18 years. Other accounts say that they were 25-year old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels.

In 2011, it was announced that Goose Island would sell its operations and brands to Anheuser-Busch. Shortly after the announcement, AB declared its intent to take the brand national. Just last week another announcement was made concerning the roll-out.

“As a native Chicago line of brands, the national launch will bring one of the Windy City’s most acclaimed creations to consumers across the country,” said Andy Goeler, Goose Island CEO and president. “Throughout the craft segment, Goose Island’s beers are recognized, respected and loved, maintaining a passionate and knowledgeable fan base over many decades.”

The four brews to go national will be:

• 312 Urban Wheat Ale
• Honker’s Ale, an English-style bitter.
• India Pale Ale (IPA)

And a seasonal rotating brew that will include:

• Mild Winter (In 2013: February, November – December) an American mild ale.
• Summertime (In 2013: March – August) a kölsch brewed in the traditional German fashion.
• Harvest Ale (In 2013: September – October) a copper-colored extra special bitter (ESB) made with Cascade hops and the richest Midwestern malts.

According to a press release from AB, the beers will be brewed at the company’s Fort Collins, Colo. and Baldwinsville, N.Y. breweries. All the beers will be available on draught. Additionally, all will be available in bottles later this spring.

Watch for these highly acclaimed beers to appear at your favorite bars as well as on the shelves of your beer purveyor soon.

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Highland brewery well worth a visit and a taste

Traveling up a winding road in the mountains of North Carolina is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Particularly when the trees begin their colorful fall foliage coloration and the air has a bit of a snap in it. But, if that road also leads to one of the region’s biggest and best craft beer breweries, it is hard to imagine a better day.

Highland Brewing Company is nestled just outside of Asheville, NC, the sleepy, Bohemian city that has a beer culture worthy of earning it the title Beer City USA for the past four years. On approach to the brewery the building seems unassuming and even a bit modest. But, once you pull around the front you notice the wooden deck in front of the doors and the elaborate decoration around them. This is a place that is, as the wording above the door says, “Just a Wee Bit Different.”

When you enter the Tap Room you are immediately struck by its cavernous size. To the left are several shipping containers that have been converted to offices, as your eye travels around the expansive room from left to right, you notice a large stage, more containers, and finally a long bar with many beer taps on the wall behind it. This is where we made our way to meet our tour guide, Kitty Price.

Kitty immediately offered tastes of the brewery’s fine brews and we accepted gratefully. The first taste offered was of Thunderstruck Coffee Porter. As we sipped the rich, coffee and bitter chocolate brew, Kitty explained that they use coffee beans roasted by Dynamite Coffee Roasters in nearby Black Mountain. The flavors were strong, yet pleasant with a nice shot of hops at the end. A fitting way to begin a visit and, for those in need of caffeine, a nice boost.

Next, we were offered several Belgian-style brews, Belmont Abbey Dubbel and Tripple at 7% and 9% ABV respectively. Both brews were fine examples of their respective styles with the banana and citrus as well as the Belgian yeast funk we all know and love. Kitty explained that Highland’s head brewer John Lyda was at one time studying to be a monk. So, in a nod to his past and at the request of an abbey in nearby Charlotte, Lyda brewed the excellent duo of beers.

But, the visit was not restricted to tasting alone. Kitty was quick to point out that Highland is committed to being as green as it can be by recycling nearly everything. By doing this the brewery is able to restrict the waste that must be hauled to a landfill from the brewery to less than a single dumpster a week. They restrict the amount of water they use in brewing to about 2.5 barrels per barrel of beer opposed to the typical brewery’s seven barrels. Spent grain is given to local farms for feed as well.

Highland Brewing Company was founded by Oscar Wong who, after retiring from a career as a successful civil/structural engineer, landed in Asheville in 1994. He started Highland Brewing “as a hobby” in the 3,500 square foot basement of Barley’s Taproom in downtown Asheville. Over time his brewing ambition grew and the brewery moved to its current location. The brewery operates from a 50 barrel main brewing system and a 3 barrel pilot system that is used for special projects and test batches. In a typical week the brewery cranks out 500-700 barrels of delicious beer that translates to over 30,000 barrels a year.

A walk through the brewing floor revealed the great pride and tongue-in-cheek whimsy the brewery has for its product. Above an office in the front of the building is a huge statue-like edifice of a bagpiper that would be familiar to anyone who has seen Highland’s packaging. Elsewhere in the brewery are row upon row of room center of the room. The cavernous cold room was piled high with keg after keg of the finished product ready for shipment to eagerly waiting customers.

With a line-up of quality brews like Gaelic Ale, Kashmir IPA, and St. Therese’s Pale Ale and specialty and seasonals like Razor Wit, Thunderstruck Coffee Porter, and Cold Mountain Winter Ale Highland is sure to remain a regional favorite throughout the Southeast. And, as a destination while in North Carolina, the Highland Brewery is well worth an afternoon. Not only are the beers the freshest and tastiest you will be able to find, but the staff – like Kitty – are full of wonderful stories and brewing knowledge.