Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from all of us at Bergseth Bros.
What a wonderful time to be involved in the beer industry, whether you’re a retailer, wholesaler or supplier. In the United States Craft Beer breweries have hit a record high, eclipsing over six thousand breweries. Craft Beer is still on the rise and I believe it will have a prominent presence going into the foreseeable future.
In 2017, we saw several of our breweries win awards, locally, nationally and internationally. We’ve seen label changes, brand extensions, mergers and acquisitions. Every day is different in the beer industry, but it is certainly fun even on the bad days.
Bergseth Bros. is proud to have distributed beer in our region since our start in 1946. Please choose us for your needs this season and next year. We toast our customers, suppliers, and the American system of alcohol distribution. We thank you for your business and hope to share success in 2018.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Online Newsletter Vol.114
It’s been a little over a year since we launched Odell Brewing Company in our market. With your help and consumers enjoying the wide range of high quality beers from Odell Brewing Company. The brewery continues to thrive and grow each and every year. Their new motto from “From Our Home to Yours” is very fitting with the support everyone has shown this terrific brewery.
Press Play to Watch “Hop To Sip”
The Collegian (the student newspaper at Colorado State University) decided to follow the entire processing of making a beer, from picking hops to the first sip, this is the story. We started at a hop field down south, then went to a stripper up north, then finally brewed the beer at Odell Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado. Most of the footage was shot in one day. Videography and editing by Hunter Thompson Music: Dull Days by The Finks
Now Available! Montage Variety Pack
CHEERS!
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Online Newsletter Vol.113
A Love Letter to Hockey Fans
By Summit Brewing
Everybody knows Minnesota winters get cold. It’s dark all the time, ice crystals literally fall from the sky, and all our lakes and ponds freeze solid. It’s terrifying. Unless, of course, you’re a hockey fan.
All that cold means hockey fans get to do their favorite things: skate on ice, watch other people skate on ice, and yell things at the people skating on the ice. (If you’ve never tried these activities, please do. It’s fun stuff.)
Their passion for all things frigid and puck-related is inspiring and contagious, so we’ve come up with a little something to celebrate their hockey-loving hearts: The Summit Penalty Box.
Featuring twelve 12-oz. glass bottles, this variety pack includes some of our favorite barley-based beverages:
- Summit High Sticke Alt, a new, limited beer boasting hints of spice, a slightly sweet finish, and pretty slick puck-handling skills.
- Summit Horizon Red IPA, a year-round staple with intense pine and citrus hops and a red-hued malt backbone.
- Summit Winter Ale, a returning seasonal beer with roasted malts and notes of coffee, chocolate, and dark fruit.
- Summit Extra Pale Ale, our flagship pale ale with caramel biscuit malts and a juicy citrus hop bite. FYI: It just won the GABF silver medal for Classic English-Style Pale Ales, and silver is the same color as the Stanley Cup. Coincidence?
The Summit Penalty Box is our simple tribute to our friends in the Adult Hockey Association, a Minnesota-based amateur adult hockey association for men and women.
It’s our way of thanking the Minnesota Wild organization and their kickass Iowa affiliate, the Iowa Wild, for entertaining us all winter long and for supporting our local community throughout the year.
New hockey-inspired coozies and bottle openers from SotaStick
And it’s allowed us to work with the creative knuckleheads at SotaStick, a Minneapolis-based producer and retailer of rad hockey-inspired merch. You should check out the new stuff they’ve helped us create for the Summit Gift Shop. Go on. Do it.
So, heck, if you’re already nuts for hockey, then why not drink some beer that honors your favorite winter pastime? You can have a bottle while you’re playing goalie, take a swig right before your next face-off, or mellow out while you’re doing time for high-sticking. Or maybe you can save it for the warming house after practice. Your call.
And for the resta-yas — the folks who maybe prefer warm blankets and the quiet roar of a fire on a winter’s eve — we’ve got a little something to make all that cold ice-hockey action more appealing: Beer. Trust us, you’ll love sipping on a beer and yelling at the hockey-men on the tee-vee.
Anyhoo, whatever your feelings toward the cold winter weather, put on your favorite sweater (your hockey team’s home colors or the one Grandma knitted) and warm yourself up with some hockey-flavored beer. Winter will be gone before you know it.
Employee Testimonials for the Summit Penalty Box
- “I love hockey!” – Mike L. from Brewing
- “I used to play hockey and always felt bad when I was called for high sticking. Now I only feel bad when High Sticke is gone.” – Steve S. from Packaging
- “I am a moth. The Penalty Box is my flame.” – Tim M. from Inventory
- “If anyone wants to take me to a Wild game, I’ve never had the pleasure.” – Lacey Z. from the Front
CHEERS!
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Online Newsletter Vol.112
‘Tis the season for winter warmers – beers released around Christmas time for sipping over the cold months ahead.
A few of these beers might satisfy your Christmas cookie cravings; they have hints of oatmeal and nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, others are toasty and dark with a bit of smokiness. However, most are simply well-made ales with rich malty flavors and enough alcohol to warm you up. There are quite a few winners here – I hate to remind you (and myself), but winter is just beginning, and a few of these beers might help us make it through the long winter ahead.
Samuel Adams Winter Lager: German brewers may have been on to something centuries ago when they created bold, rich bock beers for the winter. For our beer, we brewed a dark wheat bock subtly spiced with fresh ground cinnamon, ginger & orange peel for a deep, smooth flavor and malty finish that will warm you on a cold winter’s night.
5.6% ABV, 22 IBUs, 25 SRM
Samuel Adams White Christmas: As crisp as the first snowfall of the year, this unfiltered white ale is blended with holiday spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange peel. The familiar citrus and wheat characters of the ale are complemented by the warmth of the spices for a festive brew that’s perfect for the season.
5.8% ABV, 8 IBUs, 6 SRM
Summit Winter Ale: One taste and it’s easy to see why the Brits call this style Winter Warmer. Nutty, roasted malt flavor with hints of coffee, caramel, cocoa and a dash of hop spice.
6.5% ABV, 40 IBUs, 54 SRM
Fargo Brewing Company Roustabout Oatmeal Milk Stout (winter seasonal): This Oatmeal Milk Stout pours a beautiful, creamy black with a thick tan head that lasts in the glass. The aroma is filled with and milk chocolate character. The body is smooth and rich, with very low bitterness and a subtle sweetness from milk sugar. The flavor is dominated by chocolate and coffee notes, the beer finishes smooth, sweet, and satisfying.
5.7% ABV, 22 IBUs
Lagunitas Brown Shugga’: Our winter seasonal that falls into the realm of “Dangerously Slammable”, this brew is especially irresponsible. We believe this Special Ale is Something Unique. Feeding Brown Cane Sugar to otherwise Cultured Brewery Yeast is a’kin to feeding Raw Shark to your Gerbil. It is unlikely to ever occur in nature without Human Intervention. And it looks weird besides. But it has happened and now it’s too Late.
9.9% ABV 51 IBUs
Odell Isolation Ale: A funny thing happens here around summer’s end—our eyes start searching the skies for those first fall flakes. As we welcome autumn’s first snow, we celebrate the return of Isolation Ale—a sweet-caramel malty ale balanced by a subtle crisp hop finish. Whether you ski, shred, or shoe, it’ll inspire you to make first tracks.
6.1% ABV, 29 IBUs
Schell Snowstorm 2017 Rye Ale: As ever y Midwesterner knows, no two Snowstorms are ever alike. As an homage to the uniqueness of our Northern climate, we celebrate the start of every winter with a unique Snowstorm of our own, a one-of-a-kind limited edition brew. This year’s Snowstorm is a Reddish-brown ale with hints of spicy rye and bread crust, ideally suited for brisk Northern nights!
6.0% ABV
Empyrean Winter Wisdom Hazelnut Brown Ale: Wise up. Look deep within this brown ale to breathe in caramel aromas, taste hints of roasted hazelnuts and find a smooth, creamy finish. Best paired with old friends, festive tunes and New Year’s Resolutions. Also great with beef, grilled vegetables, Southwest flavors and caramel desserts.
5.3% ABV, 18 IBUs
Please check with your sales person on availability and pricing (please note some products are not available in certain markets)
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Online Newsletter Vol.111
THE STORY OF GUINNESS® 200TH ANNIVERSARY EXPORT STOUT
Guinness history changed forever in 1817. In that year Benjamin Guinness—Arthur’s son—brewed our first beer with a new roasted grain called black patent malt. His stout recipe laid the foundation for how we would brew for the next 200 years.
Video: Guinness 200th Anniversary Export Stout | Guinness Beer
“1817 marked the beginning of America’s love affair with Guinness stout.”
The same year Benjamin brewed his lovely dark beer, we shipped the first barrels of Guinness to America. To this day, America’s favorite stouts are still brewed at St. James’s Gate. Based on the Guinness brewing logs of 1817, Guinness 200th Anniversary Export Stout seeks to bring to life the same dark ruby red color and complex flavor of Benjamin’s beer from 200 years ago. Rich and full-bodied with notes of caramel, toffee and sweet chocolate. Smooth-drinking with just the right amount of bitterness. Guinness 200th Anniversary Export Stout carries on the legacy of 1817 and looks forward to our next 200 years in America.
Video: 200 Years of Friendship – 200th Anniversary in US | Guinness Beer | 30
CHEERS!