There’s a new beer collaboration going on! The oldest brewery in the world and the largest independent American brewery are joining forces to create a new craft beer that’s sure to be just as legendary as its founders.

The Associated Press reports that Germany’s Weihenstephan and Boston Beer Co, maker of Samuel Adams, are working on jointly producing a new craft beer to be marketed in both Germany and the U.S. next spring.

The beer has yet to be named, but here’s what we know:

• It will be bottled with corks instead of metal caps
• It will be high octane with more than 10% alcohol
• It’s being described as a champagne-like "crisp pale brew"

It follows Germany’s famed Reinheitsgebot, or purity law, which states that beer can be brewed with only four ingredients: water, malt, hops and yeast.

While discussing the new project, Jim Koch (Boston Beer founder and master brewer) told the AP, "Today the U.S. and Germany have two great brewing cultures - one that’s emerging and one that’s 1,000 years old. There’s enormous creativity, energy and excitement about beer in the U.S."

Apparently, the beer is already 2 years in the making. I’m glad I didn’t know until now because I’m pretty excited! If Weihenstephan’s wheat beers that I’ve had are any indication, this is gonna be good.

It seems the large U.S. craft breweries are very into the collaboration thing this year. Boulevard Brewing (the eighth largest independent craft brewery) announced its plans to create an Imperial Pilsner with Jean-Marie Rock of Orval from Belgium. Dogfish Head has six different collaborations under their belt (they’ve worked with Harold Brewery in Prague, Sierra Nevada, Norrebro Bryghus Brewery in Copenhagen and Birra del Borgo outside of Rome, Italy - just to name a few) and I’m sure there’s more to come! The good news is that when you put two great brewers’ heads together, you just might end up with better beer!

TAGS [ WEIHENSTEPHANER | BOSTON BEER CO | SAM ADAMS | COLLABORATION | BEER COLLABORATION | BEER NEWS ]

Only moments ago I received a text from Deron, letting me know that Hansen Beverage Co., makers of Monster Energy drinks, dropped the litigation on Rock Art’s Vermonster brew.

Score one for the little guys!

TAGS [ VERMONSTER | ROCK ART BREWERY | ROCK ART VERMONSTER | MONSTER ENERGY | HANSEN BEVERAGE CO | BEER NEWS ]

Now that I’m an official beer snob, I tend to be quite critical of others’ judgment calls – especially when it comes to judging craft brews. In true beer snob fashion, I assume that 95% (if not more) of the general public has no idea what makes a beer "good" and they wouldn’t know actually know a high-quality ale or lager if it fell from the sky and hit them over the head.

Men’s Journal ran an article on October 5th titled "America’s Best Beers" and I must admit authors Christian DeBenedetti and Seth Fletcher did a fantastic job compiling an impressive list.

I was glad to see that Stone Brewery’s Levitation Ale, Flying Fish Exit 4, Victory Prima Pils and Dogfish Head Squall IPA made the cut. In fact, several of my favorites made their top 15 and based on their proven impeccable taste, I can’t wait to try the others that I haven’t yet had the opportunity to enjoy – and I stress the "yet."

The guys broke things down into categories, choosing three of their favorite lagers, ales, dark beers and Belgian styled brews, plus three that they deemed "best cutting edge."

An additional 10 beers are mentioned in the article Top Five Beer Towns in the U.S., published the same day.
(In case you were wondering it was San Diego, NYC, Portland (OR), Philadelphia and Chicago that made that list).

Check them out, tell us if there’s a brew you wish had been included and let us know what YOU think!

TAGS [ AMERICAN BEER | TOP AMERICAN BEERS | MEN'S JOURNAL | BEST BEERS | 25 BEST AMERICAN BEERS ]

A small brewery in Australia has run afoul of a very large entertainment company with their "Ho White" ad campaign for their Raspberry Ale.

The brewery is Jamieson and the entertainment giant (in case you did not guess it by the campaign title) is Disney. Although neither company seems to have much to say about the matter, all links to the online campaign are now dead. Personally, I think the campaign is clever and amusing with tag line "anything but sweet," trying to show that Jamieson’s Rasberry Ale is a real beer, not a sugary sweet alcopop, by portraying a Snow White like character smoking in bed with seven debauched dwarves.

As amusing as I find this ad, the company who made it really should have known better than to poke the bear that is Disney. But then again, if they did not I would not be blogging about a small Australian brewery that otherwise would never come to my attention. What do you think?

TAGS [ HO WHITE | JAMIESON | JAMIESON BREWERY | DISNEY | RASPBERRY ALE ]

Sheesh. Can’t the craft breweries get a break?

Deron sent me this article last night from NACS Online. Apparently Hansen Beverage Co., the manufacturer of Monster Energy Drinks, has ordered a small craft brewery out of Vermont to stop promoting and selling their Vermonster craft brew, all because of the word "monster" being in the beer’s name.

Rock Art Brewery has been making and selling their Vermonster brew since 2007, and now all of a sudden, Hansen Beverage Co. fears that this particular beer will confuse customers and dilute their own Monster Energy brand. Really? Beverage companies can’t even use the word "monster" anymore? Who’s next - think they’ll target Brooklyn Brewery for their Monster Ale, too?

How long until no word is left without a trademark?

With all of the Oktoberfest celebrations around, right now is the perfect time to try out some new German brews!

Coles Oktoberfest German Beer Tasting
Saturday, October 17, 2009

Time: 12:00pm - 7:00pm

Featuring these specialty German Beers:

Also featuring: Spars Sausage, Pork Schnitzel, Potato Pancakes, and other German specialties.

Bring your favorite beer stein to show off! (Das Boot perhaps??)

Dress in Oktoberfest garb, get a special gift!

TAGS [ OKTOBERFEST | GERMAN | BEER | TASTING ]

Wow, some of these retro beers are making a comeback – check out the retro beer cooler at the new Yankee stadium. For a mere $9 each, you can choose between a 24-ounce Schaefer, Schlitz or Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. I suppose they have to pay for that new stadium somehow!

I guess you get a nice can to throw at your team during the game as well :)

If you had your choice, what retro beers would you add to the cooler in your favorite stadiums?

TAGS [ RETRO | BEER | PBR | PABST | SCHLITZ | SCHAEFER | YANKEES | STADIUM ]