College Refrigerator Conference results
Voting has ended in the College Refrigerator Conference of the Beer Championship Series. The conference winner is Pabst Blue Ribbon. Also earning entry into the 64-beer bracket is Keystone Premium. Here are the final standings:
1. PBR: 51 percent
2. Keystone Premium: 15 percent
3. Keystone Light: 12 percent
3. Natural Light: 12 percent
4. Milwaukee’s Best: 5 percent
4. Busch Light: 5 percent
The BCS is now taking a week off for vacation, and will return with voting on May 10.
More of COOP’s Oak Aged Imperial Stout discovered
Several months ago, COOP Ale Works announced that the last known kegs of its Oak Aged Imperial Stout were being tapped. When those were done, that would be it for another year. Well, the beer gods have smiled fondly on OKC’s beverage fans, because MORE KEGS of O.A.I.S. have been discovered! You can get some on tap at Tapwerks and Sapphire Bar + Lounge.
New Choc seasonal beer to hit shelves soon
Choc Beer Co. yesterday bottled the first batch of its new seasonal beer, Choc Summer Ale. The beer is a Belgian-style blonde ale. The beer is expected to hit the shelves in about a week. If you get in my way at the liquor store, I will knock you over.
Last day to vote in BCS College Refrigerator Conference
Good Thursday morning to beer fans everywhere! Today is the last day to vote in the College Refrigerator Conference of the Beer Championship Series. We’ve got our most one-sided race of the year on our hands, with Pabst Blue Ribbon holding a commanding lead heading into today’s voting. Here are the current standings:
1. Pabst Blue Ribbon: 51 percent
2. Keystone Premium: 16 percent
3. Keystone Light: 14 percent
4. Natural Light: 8 percent
5. Milwaukee’s Best: 5 percent
5. Busch Light: 5 percent
If you would like to cast your vote, you can do so right here.
Beer news links: April 28
Here is some news making the rounds in the beer world:
-Anchor Brewing Co., widely credited with sparking the microbrewery movement, has been sold to a pair of California investors.
-The famous Germany beer-purity law may have had less to do with preserving the quality of beer and more to do with stopping beer makers from using grains that German leaders wanted saved for bread-making, according to this article.
-Budweiser hopes this summer’s World Cup soccer tournament will help boost its sales.
-Would you drink a beer called Tactical Nuclear Penguin? Check out this analysis of the world’s strongest beers.
-The guy who apparently left the iPhone prototype in a California pub has been invited to Germany for a beer.
Five Questions With… COOP Ale Works (Can version)
In our latest installment of “Five Questions With…” I speak to COOP Ale Works partner JD Merryweather about COOP’s plans to begin canning beer this summer. Having COOP at the house without having to buy a 5-gallon keg? Sounds like a jolly-good idea! (Not that I’m necessarily against the idea of having a keg of COOP at the house. Just kind of hard for one guy to consume by himself.) Here goes:
1. The Thirsty Beagle: Word through the grapevine is that you guys will start canning beer this year. Is that correct, and what’s the timeline for that?
JD Merryweather: We have purchased a canning machine and have started initial testing. The next step is to finalize the artwork for the can designs. Our current plan is to have cans on the market the first of July if not a week or so before.
2. TTB: Did you guys strongly consider staying with kegs only? Did you ever consider bottles? Why go with cans?
JD: We have known from inception that we would grow into packaging. Our early success made us want to do so sooner, but demand for draft has been so strong that developing a packaging program kept getting pushed as we’ve been super busy brewing and placing numerous tap handles around the state. We had originally planned to start with bottles but as we have extensively researched the market, cans have made more and more sense. … Cans do get recycled. The technology for canning has also evolved and the public perception for cans as a quality package has grown. Several of the leaders in craft brewing have migrated to canning. It keeps beer fresh when handled properly and it is a much more environmentally friendly way to drink beer. Plus it opens craft beer sales to the numerous venues and public places that do not allow glass.
TTB: What kind of format will we see on shelves? I understand 16 oz. cans are planned. Will they stand alone? Four packs? Six packs?
JD: We will be filling 16oz cans and packaging them as 4 packs.
4. TTB: I saw that you were picking up new fermenters (last) week; do you need to increase capacity to facilitate canning?
JD: We have increased capacity to keep up with overall demand. Canning does factor into the expansion but we also need to be able to build up reserves of the six beer brands we are currently producing. The F5 was slated as a seasonal but it may grow into a year-round offering. Oktoberfest is already on our production calendar so that may make us … have seven styles in the works at one time
5. TTB: Is there a game plan in terms of what will be canned first? Maybe a gradual roll-out?
JD: The July schedule has us releasing both Horny Toad Cerveza and Native Amber. The pair have been neck and neck as far as our highest volume beers. Public voice has also expressed for the most part that they would like to have these two beers poolside, on the lake, at home for the BBQ and in the cooler. We are very excited to be expanding into the market in this direction.
You heard it here first, beer fans: Cans of Horny Toad and Native Amber should hit the shelves this summer! Thanks for the update, JD.
Vote today in the BCS: College Refrigerator Conference
Beer fans, we’ve all been there. You’re in college, you’ve got like $7.87 to your name, and you have a choice between buying Ramen noodles and buying some beer. Of course you chose to buy the beer. But, you only had $7.87. So maybe you had to bite the bullet and pick up a six pack of Natty Light. Don’t be ashamed. I mean, as long as you’ve moved on to bigger and better beers now. If not, go ahead and be ashamed. Let the voting begin!
COOP Conference: And the winner is…
Voting ended last night in the COOP Conference of the Beer Championship Series. The conference champion is the hoppy rookie — the new kid on the block – F5 IPA. Here are the final standings:
1. F5 IPA: 26 percent
2. Native Amber: 19 percent
3. DNR: 14 percent
4. Zeppelin German Wheat: 11 percent
5. Horny Toad Cerveza: 9 percent
5. Oak Aged Imperial Stout: 9 percent
7. Gran Sport Porter: 7 percent
8. Oktoberfest: 5 percent
Also joining F5 in the 64-beer bracket will be Native Amber. Congrats to both beers and thanks to everyone who voted this week. The BCS will return on Monday with voting in the College Refrigerator Conference. Don’t laugh, we’ve all been there.
Mustang announces Washita Wheat launch schedule
Mustang Brewing Co. today announced a series of events to celebrate the launch of its third beer: Washita Wheat. Here is the schedule:
-Monday, May 10: Pint Night at McNellie’s OKC
-Tuesday, May 11: Pint Night at Old Chicago-Edmond
-Wednesday, May 12: Pint Night at Old Chicago-South OKC
-Wednesday, May 19: Pint Night at Old Chicago-Midwest City
-Wednesday, May 19: BINGO at 51st Street Speakeasy
-Friday, May 28: Washita Wheat Launch Party at the 51st Street Speakeasy, featuring live music, the Mustang Girls, beer specials. (Blogger’s note: Mustang Girls? Is this the first Oklahoma beer company to have its own girls? Intriguing!)
Where are the COOP Ale Works fans?
Hello beer fans! Today is the last day you can vote in the COOP Conference of the Beer Championship Series. Let me just say that the voting totals for this conference have been slightly underwhelming. I know there are COOP fans out there. Where you at! You can vote right here. Here are the current standings:
1. F5 IPA: 22 percent
2. Native Amber: 19 percent
3. DNR: 16 percent
4. Zeppelin German Wheat: 11 percent
4. Oak Aged Imperial Stout: 11 percent
6. Horny Toad Cerveza: 8 percent
6. Gran Sport Porter: 8 percent
8. Oktoberfest: 5 percent
