What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Online Newsletter Vol.92
Some Great News from Brian Hoffman, VP of Sales & Co-Founder of Fulton Brewing Company:
Draft Magazine just published a list of their top 50 IPAs in America, and 300 was ranked as #20 in the country! The top 50 came from a total of 386 IPAs from all over the country, and “the IPAs were tasted blind (meaning the folks drinking them had no knowledge of what they were drinking) by our panel of judges, all of whom are either Certified Cicerones or Beer Judge Certification Program veterans with a certified, national or master ranking.”
One big takeaway for me from the article was: “According to market research group IRI, which tracks sales at grocery and convenience stores, sales of IPA have climbed from 8.9 percent of the total volume of Brewers Association-defined “craft” beer in 2011 to 25.2 percent in 2016. Get that? More than quarter of all the craft beer sold last year was IPA.” That means that for a segment of craft beer that makes up 25% of all craft sold, our IPA is better than all but 19, none of which are brewed/available in the Midwest.
“Ordinary guys (brewery owners) discussing Fulton’s 300 Mosaic IPA” on YouTube
Below is the full Draft Magazine Article and Fulton Brewing Company Excerpt:
The 50 best IPAs in America
We asked every brewer we know to send us their IPAs: 386 bottles, cans, crowlers and growlers later, we found our 50 favorites.
ZACH FOWLE , JUNE 27, 2017
http://draftmag.com/50-best-ipas-america/
CHEERS!
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Newsletter Vol.91
TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT JULY 4TH AND BEER
From the Founding Fathers to today, beer has a place in U.S. history and July 4th celebrations.
July 3, 2017
WASHINGTON – This year the 4th of July, a quintessentially American holiday, marks the United States’ 241st birthday. To help celebrate, the Beer Institute revealed its annual top 10 facts about July 4th, America’s founders and beer.
- In 1587, Virginia colonists used corn to brew the first recorded ale in the colony. Today, brewers use a number of grains to make beer, including barley, corn, millet, oats, rye, sorghum and wheat.
- The first shipment of beer arrived in the Virginia colony from England in 1607. Over 400 years later, Americans still love imported beer; in 2016, Americans consumed over 33 million barrels of beer imported to the United States from across the globe.
- Beer has been a job creator in the United States since its inception. In 1609, “Help Wanted” advertisements appeared in London seeking brewers for the Virginia colony. This tradition of beer being integral to America’s economy continues. The beer industry today supports more than 2.2 million jobs in the United States.
- George Washington not only drank beer himself and served it to his guests, but it was also one of the items provided for voters when he was a candidate for political office. It must have helped because when Washington was president he habitually “had a silver pint cup or mug of beer placed by his plate, which he drank while dining.”
- During his time in Philadelphia in 1774 to participate in the First Continental Congress, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, “I drink no Cyder [sic], but feast upon Phyladelphia [sic] Beer, and Porter.”
- Thomas Jefferson served beer during dinner at his Virginia estate, Monticello. Jefferson’s earliest designs for his plantation included spaces for brewing and the storage of beer. Today, there are 238 permitted breweries in Virginia, and Virginia’s beer industry contributes more than $9.35 billion annually to the state’s economy.
- During the Revolutionary War, beer was a part of soldiers’ daily lives. On June 10, 1775, the Massachusetts Provincial Council set the daily ration for its troops in Boston to include one quart of good spruce or malt beer.
- In 1862, President Lincoln signed legislation to tax beer to help finance the government during the Civil War. That same year 37 civic-minded New York breweries formed the United States Brewers Association for “ensuring safe and prompt collection” of the federal excise tax on beer.
- According to WalletHub, Americans spent $1 billion on beer over the 4th of July weekend in 2015, making it is the most popular holiday for beer sales.
- Last year AAA projected nearly 43 million Americans traveled during the Independence Day Holiday.
“From being the beverage that John Adams wrote home about while he was at the Continental Congress to being on hand for picnics and barbecues, beer is a staple of both American history and our economy,” said Jim McGreevy, president and CEO of the Beer Institute. “Early colonists recruited brewers to come to the New World, and today the American beer industry creates over 2.2 million jobs. Many Americans will enjoy a beer as they join neighbors, family and friends to celebrate July 4th, and I hope people take time to enjoy the pride and tradition that goes into every pour of beer and choose to drink responsibly this holiday and every day of the year.”
Have a Safe and Memorable 4th of July!
CHEERS!
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Online Newsletter Vol.90
This week we are releasing an all-new Continental Pilsner, simply titled “PILS.” PILS will be available year-round on draft and in six packs of 12 oz bottles. Why a Pilsner? Simply put, most of us at the brewery love this style of beer. It’s usually the first beer we seek out when we visit a new town or another brewery. Whenever the ageless “desert island beer” conversation comes up, one Pilsner or another gets an impassioned debate. The only problem was, Fulton had never brewed a Pils. So, we set out to make a great one. Ours is built on a base of Minnesota-malted Rahr Pilsner. It features a smooth, well-rounded bitterness provided by German Perle, and a pleasantly floral aroma provided by the style’s hallmark Saaz hops. Pilsner yeast punctuates the beer with a beautifully clean finish. At 5.3% ABV and 30 IBU, this is a beer that leaves your senses wanting for nothing – except another.
It’s always exciting to add a new beer to our repertoire. In the 10 years since we started homebrewing in a one car South Minneapolis garage, we have come to appreciate and enjoy nearly every style of beer. To us, a large part of what drew us to homebrewing was the ability to create any beer, with our imaginations being pretty much the only limitation. As the number of styles and substyles of beer continues to grow and evolve, and the quality and diversity of ingredients available to brew with grows as well, the permutations and combinations of recipe possibilities approaches infinity—or at least a number way higher than we can count. But as a production brewery, the unfortunate reality is that there is a finite number of tap handles and shelf spots in the world; we can’t brew every beer we want, all the time.
So begins the long process of narrowing down the world of endless choice to perhaps a couple dozen beers that will appear in our lineup over the period of a year. Many are small releases of only a few hundred cases and a few dozen kegs. Some are draft only, and some never even make it out of our taproom. A handful make it into our year-round lineup. If you’ve ever drank a Fulton, you’d had one of these. For the first five years of Fulton’s existence, we had only two Core beers – Lonely Blonde and Sweet Child of Vine. We were unusual in that way; most breweries have four or five year-round beers the first day they open for business. We chose to do fewer because we believed investing our efforts in perfecting just a couple beers rather than a half dozen or more made long term sense, in terms of quality of beer and of building brand recognition. Meanwhile we quenched our fans’—and our own—thirst for variety by releasing a growing number of seasonals. First came Worthy Adversary, then Libertine. Later on, it was Expat, Randonneur, and many many more. In 2014, after years of it being a taproom favorite, we added The Ringer to our year-round lineup. Last year, we increased our Core lineup to 5 beers, with the addition of 300 IPA and Standard Lager. In total, we brewed about 25 beers in 2016, with 16 of those making it out in both draft and package formats.
So we have finally have a full calendar of year-round and seasonal beers, and it took just seven years to build. What to do now? Tear it up, of course! Well, not entirely…but substantially. In the name of creative destruction, we’ve re-worked much of our lineup this year. We’re introducing some all-new beers, making some familiar favorites into taproom exclusives, and even retiring a few.
That gets us back to where we started—brewing what we want, when we want. At any given moment, we generally have 20-24 beers available in the taproom. The lineup changes on an almost weekly basis. Keep an eye on the taproom page of our website; we keep the taps listed there as fresh as the beer. Of course you can always find our perennial favorites on tap, and every limited release visits the taproom as well. Drop by for a beer sometime soo, and meanwhile, pick up a six pack of Pils next time you’re in the liquor store – it just might become your desert island beer.
Please check with your Bergseth Bros. Representative on Availability and Pricing (Some products not available in certain markets)
CHEERS!
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Online Newsletter Vol.90
One of my favorite past-times in the summer is attending baseball games and indulging in the great fare available at the games. I thought I would take it one step further, because I’m assuming most of us attending the games are quenching our thirst with a beer. What’s better than great ballpark food, beer and baseball?
I read a great article from Draft Magazine last week and included an excerpt below with my beer recommendations. I also added a few extra ballpark staples with beer pairings. Whether you’re at the ballpark or in your backyard these food and beer parings are sure to be a HOME RUN!
Nachos & Kölsch, Helles or Light American Lager: If your tortilla chips are drowning in irresistibly thick, creamy cheese, toss a life ring to the crisp, corny flavor with an equally crisp and corny kölsch. The beer’s lively effervescence and clean finish easily wash away the gooey goodness.
Fargo Brewing Company Fargo Original Helles Lager
August Schell Fort Road Helles Lager
Coors Light
Pretzel & German Pilsner: In a pairing as natural as baseball and summer, a German pilsner’s grainy malts extend seamlessly into the bread of the pretzel; salt punctuates the flavor before the beer’s bold bitterness whisks the doughy bite away.
August Schell Bavarian Pilsner
Paulaner Lager
Warsteiner Lager
Peanuts & Brown Ale or Vienna Lager: A straightforward brown ale or Vienna lager and simple bag of peanuts throw an exciting curveball in this pairing: The beer’s rich, toasted notes meld deftly with the nutty, dry shell and salty peanut flavors, creating an intricate flavor profile.
New Castle Brown Ale
Samuel Adams Boston Lager
August Schell Firebrick Lager
Hot Dog & American Pale Ale: A peppy pale ale with hops that lean green (think onion and grass) amps up vegetal notes in the relish, while countering sweet, tart condiments like mustard and ketchup. The beer’s bready malt backbone latches onto the bun, while its firm bitterness cleans up the bite.
Rhombus Brewing Co. Invincible Pale Ale
Odell Brewing Co. Drumroll Pale Ale
Summit Brewing Co. Extra Pale Ale
A few more classic baseball food items with beer
Fries (Frites) & American Premium Lager: Even if the Belgians make the best frites in the world and are the largest consumers per person, those salty potato sticks are still an American staple cuisine. In general, fries (or frites) are light in flavor profile, so opt for a brew that will help cleanse the palate.
Grain Belt Premium Lager
Fulton Brewing Co. Standard Lager
Coors Banquet
Sunflower Seeds & India Pale Ale: Beer and salt go together because bitter and salt go together. It’s not exactly clear why, but salt neutralizes the bitter elements and lets the taster enjoy the other characteristics in the beer. Throw some salty sunflower seeds in your mouth before and after taking a big swig of beer and your taste buds will reach a special level of enlightenment.
Lagunitas Brewing Co. India Pale Ale
Odell Brewing Co. India Pale Ale
Summit Brewing Co. Saga India Pale Ale
Corndogs & American Blonde Ale: According to popular legend, German immigrants were the first on these shores to cover sausage with batter, supposedly to make their sausages easier to sell. The tactic worked. The corn dog – a layer of crispy, deep-fried fluffiness that gives way to a savory hot dog or sausage on a stick – became an American staple.
Fulton Brewing Co. Lonely Blonde Ale
Rhombus Guys Brewing Co. Iconic Blonde Ale
Guinness American Blonde Ale
Cracker Jack & Porter: Cracker Jack isn’t just caramel popcorn…the addition of molasses and peanuts add to the depth and variety of flavor and the low and slow baking time make this a light and crispy candy-like treat. Porter is the perfect beer to pair with Cracker Jack! Dark brown in color with aromas of caramel, toffee, and roasted malts and flavors of rich malt, brown sugar, and chocolate but only medium bodied and well carbonated to provide a smooth finish.
Empyrean Brewing Co. Long Route Peanut Butter Porter
Fargo Brewing Co. Sod Buster Porter
Summit Brewing Co. Great Northern Porter
Please check with your Bergseth Bros. Representative on Availability and Pricing (Some products not available in certain markets)
CHEERS!
What’s Brewing Bergseth Bros.
Weekly Online Newsletter Vol.89
Last September, we became the thirteenth state for distribution of Odell Brewing Company Beer. We considered it being lucky number thirteen! Odell continues to brew innovative and cutting edge beers with new year-round releases, seasonal packages, wolf picker selections, cellar series beers and barrel aged releases.
Today, we are going to look at two different packages available for the summer that awaits us …
Warmer days mean campfires, picnics, and backyard barbecues. If you were to look in our ice chests this summer, these are the beers you’d find. We’ve handpicked three of our favorites plus our latest Exclusive Release, Nail Knot.
Nail Knot, named for one of the most difficult knots in fly-fishing, Nail Knot is a lively, balanced brew created through the patient art of lagering. Featuring subtle floral aromas and a clean, crisp finish.
A mystical legend echoes in our brew house—that of St. Lupulin (loop-you-lin), the archetypal hophead. He devoted endless summers to endless rows of hops, tending to the flowers and the beloved resin within—lupulin. Extraordinary oils in this yellow resin provide this dry-hopped extra pale ale with an undeniably pleasing floral aroma and clean, crisp finish. One sip of this seasonal summer ale and you too will believe.
Available May through September
FOCUSING ON A REGIONAL SLOW GROWTH MODEL,
Odell Brewing is now the 34th largest craft brewery in the country distributing beer to just 16 states.. While the brewery crafts a variety of beers, its roots are built on British styles. Innovation and creativity meet balance, consistency and quality in each brew.
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This balance is a not just a philosophy for the beers Odell Brewing crafts, it’s a foundation for the company as a whole. The brewery’s managed growth strategy has created and fostered a culture of family and collaboration. In 2015, the Odell family founders sold the majority of the company to its co-workers (now co-owners) in a combined management buyout and ESOP.
Please check with your Bergseth Bros. Representative on Availability and Pricing (Some products not available in certain markets)
CHEERS!