Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Pyramid Alehouse in Berkeley’s 10th Anniversary Party

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The Pyramid Alehouse located on Gilman in Berkeley will be hosting a party March 1, beginning at 7:00 p.m. to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Washington brewery in California.

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Pyramid Alehouse 10th Anniversary Party in Berkeley

Pyramid Alehouse, 901 Gilman Street, Berkeley, California
510.528.9880 [ website ] [ tickets ]
 

Two New Pelicans

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The award-winning Pelican Pub & Brewery, along Oregon’s coast in Pacific City, is releasing two new beers, a saison and a Grand Cru. Both are now on tap at the brewpub and also available bottle-conditioned.

The first, Saison du Pelican, is described as “a spicy, herbal aroma from the special Belgian yeast and Golding hops, and a snappy, refreshing finish, Saison du Pelican combines traditional flavors with excellent drinkability.”

The second is the Grand Cru de Pelican.

Grand Cru de Pelican is the result of inspiration, creativity, and imagination. With a nod to the great brewing traditions of Belgium, we have been inspired to create this dark, sensous brew. Grand Cru de Pelican entices with a rich, complex aroma, and satisfies with deep malty and caramel flavors. Spicy, aromatic flavors provide a harmonious counterpoint to the malty foundation of this robust beer. A snappy finish and medium-light body enhance the smooth drinkability of this beer.

From the press release:

“We’ve really had fun thinking out of the box in creating these beers. They are unlike anything we have brewed before,” said Headbrewer Darron Welch.

The brewers brought in a special Belgian yeast for the production of the beers. Each beer also utilizes unique ingredients. The Saison du Pelican includes spelt, an ancient grain, adding texture and dryness to the finish. The Grand Cru de Pélican includes 115 pounds of hand caramelized sugar. It took Brewery Manager Ben Love two days to carmelize the sugar, 15 pounds at a time. The complex caramel flavors in the beer prove that all the work was well worth it.

Once the initial fermentation finished, the brewers added more sugar and then hand-bottled and corked the beers. Inside the bottle, a second fermentation occurred, adding complexity and natural carbonation in the beers.

These bottle conditioned beers are available in limited edition 750 ml bottles. The bottles will be available at the Pelican Pub & Brewery and at selected bottle shops in Oregon. Beer fans outside Oregon can have the beer shipped to them through Belmont Station or Liquid Solutions.

Glass Bottle Workshop for Brewers

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On March 1, the California Small Brewers Association, in conjunction ProBrewer.com, will be leading a half-day seminar focusing on the “resources, equipment and financial requirements of transitioning from pre-pack to bulk purchasing and the supply of glass to the beer industry. Suppliers of glass bottles and other vendors will be in attendance. This forum will be an opportunity for both brewers and suppliers to discuss needs and issues in a positive and constructive conversation.”

The Glass Bottle Workshop will be held at the Lagunitas Brewery located at 1280 N. McDowell Blvd. in Petaluma, California. The seminar is free to CSBA members and registered ProBrewer.com users. The course fee is $50.00 for all others. A beer social will follow. To attend, you must pre-register by calling 530.265.0422.

The Long Tail of Beer Revisited

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Chris Anderson is the author of the Long Tail theory and the companion book The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More (and editor of Wired). He did a post last year about Anheuser-Busch’s foray into spirits, a division named Long Tail Libations, which got me thinking about his theory as it applied to craft beer.

Anderson has another post this morning further exploring this connection as it applies to the number of niche products the company has added over the last ten years. This leads him to the most niche (is nicheiest a word?) market going today, gluten-free beers. Check out his blog.