Press Release

The Sixpoint Brewers announced the launch of its Mad Scientists line of beers. Debuting with a 9.4% ABV "Spelt Wine", the brewery plans to release a range of extremely limited, highly creative one-off beers six times a year. Beer enthusiasts can expect to see these beers at more discriminating beer purveyors on the first of the month on a bi-monthly basis, with the next incarnation to be released February 1 to coincide with the brewery's sixth anniversary.

The Spelt Wine is a twist on the more traditional barleywine beer style and features 51% spelt malt - an ancient cereal grain rarely found in the brewing process.  

"Evolutionarily speaking," explains brewmaster Shane Welch, "spelt is an old cousin to wheat, similar in its composition and flavor profile, but less hybridized. The extra-large grain bill coupled with an abbey yeast allowed this beer to ferment very dry, further emphasizing the tart and spicy notes of the brew. It was seasoned with two different types of noble hops."

The genesis for using a predominantly spelt malt base for a production beer started on Sixpoint's 60-liter pilot system - affectionately known as the "Enterprise".

"Upon first experimenting with spelt in our pilot brewery," elaborates assistant brewer Dan Suarez, "we were delighted by the earthy flavor it imparted on our beers. We chose to showcase this character by brewing a fairly straightforward pale beer with a large proportion of fermentable malt sugars derived from the ancient cereal grain. Our goal for brewing this beer was to let the spelt flavor shine. The result is a dry, tangy, and spicy blond beer."

Brewing the beer was not without its challenges, however. Extrapolating the beer from the Enterprise to Sixpoint's 15-barrel production system required some "Mad Scientist" ingenuity.

"Working with such a high proportion of spelt malt in the grist was a bit of a challenge since it doesn't behave in quite the same way barley or wheat does during the mash," relates head brewer Craig Frymark. "Traditionally, we use a single mash to produce about 30 kegs of beer. However, in order to hit our target gravity for this one, we had to combine two mashes together in the brew kettle in order to achieve the desired amount of fermentable sugar for the same 30 kegs."

From Brooklyn Brewery to Southern Tier, I've been putting together a directory of New York Breweries and Brewpubs using Google Maps. 

Currently, the map includes locations, websites, Twitter handles and links to related blog posts.  Use it to make your own beer trail, or just gaze in wonderment at all the craft brewers the Empire State has to offer.

The map is a work in progress, so comments and suggestions are welcome.  Especially if you see a brewery that should be included that is not.

In an area well-known for its wineries, two new breweries have recently opened.  The Finger Lakes Beer Company in Hammondsport and the Naked Dove Brewery in Candandaigua have opened their doors to the public.

Beer brewing is not new to the Fingerlakes; Rooster Fish, Wagner Valley and Keuka Brewing Co. are already established in the area, among others.

From Corning's The Leader:

A new microbrewery, the Finger Lakes Beer Company, opened its doors this week. Located on State Route 54 just south of the Village of Hammondsport, it features a tasting room where visitors can sample four beers: a spiced ale, a pale ale, a Scotch ale and a stout.

Read more at The Leader 

Press Release

Brewery Ommegang has completed a close examination of the development of hydrofracking for natural gas in Otsego County. We reviewed detailed and extensive information provided by gas industry professionals, publications and supporters of hydrofracking who propose that drilling is safe, necessary, and will be an economic boost to Otsego County. We also reviewed information from gas industry professionals who are opponents of hydrofracking, as well as environmental and historic groups who contend that the permitting procedure is flawed, drilling is not safe, our currently pure water is endangered; and economic benefits will not be realized. We have endeavored to be thoroughly objective in our analysis and we will make available the information we have gathered to anyone who is interested in understanding both sides of the argument.

We have concluded that:

1. Gas companies have the right to drill without substantive local public review and both state and federal regulatory investigations into the risks of the process are mired in political delays. Land-lease development and proposed drilling in the region has already reached an alarming level without any meaningful regulatory control and with very limited public awareness of the issues. Over 42,974 acres have already been leased by gas-drilling companies or their land agents and active drilling projects are now starting up in Otsego County.

2. The relative contribution of natural gas from hydrofracking to either the economy or the energy needs of the region is minimal and development does not materially contribute to a sustainable national or regional energy policy.

3. The number of documented spills, blowouts, leaking wells and other environmental accidents is significant and the environmental and human consequences have been serious in a number of states, including TX, PA, WY, and WV. From our perspective, the most critical threat is contamination of the aquifers occurring directly above the Marcellus shale.

4. The taking of huge quantities of water needed for the hydrofracking process and the heavy impact on local infrastructure cannot be sustained in Otsego County. Effective technologies for the treatment of the millions of gallons of polluted processing waste do not exist and there are no locations for waste disposal in New York capable of supporting the proposed scale of drilling.

5. The plans for drilling present a strategic risk to the entire Otsego County water supply. The New York City watershed has already been determined to be protected and this represents the clearest evidence that NY state regulators already understand a potential risk. The plans for drilling also pose a direct and material threat to the Ommegang Brewery. We draw water for our beer from aquifers beneath our 140-acre farmstead located close to Cooperstown, NY, at the head of the Susquehanna watershed. Contamination of our currently pristine water supply would jeopardize our brewery business and even the threat of potential contamination could be sufficient for the future of our company to be at risk.

6. We also join others in concluding that industrial-scale hydrofracking in the beautiful rural upstate region will irreparably damage the essential qualities that make Otsego County an excellent place to live, raise families, farm and brew beer. We consider highly visible, potentially dangerous, industrial development as directly opposed to what our rural location offers the people who have chosen to make their lives here and the millions who choose to visit the region every year.

We therefore:
1. Call for an immediate moratorium and ban on both vertical and horizontal hydrofracking in Otsego County and NY State. It is not enough to protect only New York City residents, land and water. All upstate residents and their water, land and heritage deserve equal protection under law.

2. Call for the rejection of and rewriting of the NY State Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS)
by the incoming Cuomo administration. The current SGEIS is based on outdated and inadequate data and deeply flawed.

3. Support the transfer of control over hydrofracking in Otsego County and across New York to local authorities, allowing local communities to determine if they wish to accept the impact on their lives instead of those decisions being made at state and federal level.

Brewery Ommegang will:

1. Seek to defend the interests of our business, our employees and our community by actively campaigning for the prevention of hydrofracking in Otsego county and NY state by every available means, including legal action.

2. Provide practical support for Otsego 2000 as the principal focus for a coalition of many environmental and other citizen groups working to prevent development of hydrofracking in the region.

3. Bring together a coalition of other concerned upstate businesses in support of the Otsego 2000 campaign.

4. Petition Otsego County and Otsego County town officials to support an immediate local moratorium and a ban on hydrofracking, and petition our state government leaders, regulators and other agencies for the same at a statewide level.

Simon Thorpe, President/CEO of Brewery Ommegang said: "Ommegang believes that opposing development of hydrofracking is critical to the interests of our community, our people and our business. We are proud of our accomplishment in building a thriving, sustainable and environmentally conscious business in upstate New York. We are deeply concerned at the threat posed by development of drilling in the region and the risk to the purity of the water on which we depend, and which is a key reason we are located here. We are a company that enjoys a national reputation for super-premium quality beers produced in upstate New York and we hope that the state and local regulators attach value to what we do for the region in terms of employment and our representation of upstate New York in restaurants and grocery stores across the nation. We do not want our business' future, our employees' futures and our communities' futures damaged or destroyed by water pollution, or compromised by the industrialization associated with hydrofracking for shale gas."

Nicole Dillingham, Board President of Otsego 2000 said: "Brewery Ommegang is one of many businesses across the region that will be directly impacted if hydrofracking is allowed to continue in Otsego County and across New York State. Ommegang is a company that is highly important to this area and it does much to publicize Cooperstown and the values and qualities of upstate New York across the country. Anything that damages the supply of water to the brewery is clearly a significant threat to their business as much as it is to all of the people who live and work in Otsego County and the Susquehanna watershed. The brewery has received support and investment for its growth from regional and state agencies and has been a particularly successful example of a business that is flourishing and creating employment in the region despite the current economic difficulties. How much more could we all lose if polluted water is what upstate New York becomes known for?"

The third annual Syracuse Beer Week kicks off today with a robust schedule of events.  Syracuse's celebration of the frothy runs November 7th - November 13th with many easy and fun ways for you to participate. 

Some highlights:

• The Uber Beer Fest at the State Fairgrounds
  
  
• Meet the brewer of Sam Adams at the Blue Tusk event
  
  
• Homebrew contest at Empire Brewing
  
  
• Copius tasting opportunities at local beverage stores, grocers and drinking establishments
  
  
• Sampling at  breweries including Middle Ages, Empire Brewing and Syracuse Suds
  
  
• Beer dinners
  
  
• Great Lakes Christmas Party at the Blue Tusk
  
  
• Pub Crawls

Official Site:
http://greatbrewers.com/festival/syracuse-beer-week

Schedule of Events:
http://greatbrewers.com/calendar/48113/2010-W46?group_nid=48113&tid=All

A parody of the 'I am a Craft Brewer' video has been making the rounds on Twitter, and it's pretty funny and well done.  If you aren't familiar with the original video, helmed by Greg Koch of Stone Brewing, check it out here.

From the Albany Times Union:

A longtime dream came true two weeks ago for Ken Landin and Janine Bennett. That is when the beer started flowing out of the tap at the Crossroads Brewing Co. on Second Street in Athens....

Full story with pretty pictures.

From the Democrat and Chronicle:

Once a VFW Hall, the building at 56 S. Union St. on Rochester's southeast side could by next spring be turning out kegs of English ale, India pale ale and amber ale. Roc Brewing Co. LLC, a startup craft brewery, got Rochester Planning Commission approval last month to renovate the space into its microbrewery and is now trying to raise the substantial money needed for the renovations and brewing equipment....

Full Story Here.  And a segment from WROC here.

Halloween is nigh, and there's no better time to grab your favorite pumpkin ale.  For fans of New York's craft beer scene, options abound. 

The first three listed, Saranac, Brooklyn, and Southern Tier, I've personally had and recommend trying.  The exuberant descriptions are culled from marketing materials.  Cheers!

Saranac: Pumpkin Ale
"Saranac Pumpkin Ale is brewed with Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves, Ginger and Vanilla. Look for a full-body and amber color. We're sure you'll enjoy this special brew!"
http://www.saranac.com/page/pumpkin-ale

Brooklyn Brewery: Post Road Pumpkin Ale
"Hundreds of pounds of pumpkins are blended into the mash of each batch, creating a beer with an orange amber color, warm pumpkin aroma, biscuity malt center, and crisp finish." 
http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/beer/

Southern Tier: Pumking
As spicy aromas present themselves, let its deep copper color entrance you as your journey into this mystical brew has just begun. As the first drops touch your tongue a magical spell will bewitch your taste buds making it difficult to escape.
http://southerntierbrewing.com/beers.html

Fire Island: Pumpkin Barrel Ale

http://www.fireislandbeer.com/

Southampton: Pumpkin Ale
"Southampton Pumpkin Ale is an unique amber-colored brew that has particular appeal during the autumn months and the holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving. We use a generous amount of pumpkin as well as traditional "pumpkin pie" spices to give this unusual brew a definite seasonal character."
http://www.southamptonpublickhouse.com/the-beers/seasonal/

Sixpoint: Pumpkin Brewster
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10607/62373

Rohrbachs: Pumpkin Ale
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/653/13786

Captain Lawrence: Pumpkin Ale
http://www.captainlawrencebrewing.com/pumpkin_ale

Not enough pumpkin for you?  Comments!

I'm not really much for reviewing beer.  The deluge of opinion on the Web doesn't make it necessary, and there are plenty of other blogs who can do a much better job.  Eventually the descriptors all start to sound the same to me (perhaps I'm jaded?) and isn't it all subjective anyway?

Well, anyway, I was happy to receive some complimentary Guinness Foreign Extra Stout to try.  And since I enjoyed it, I wanted to share that.  Here's my review: It's like Guinness, only with more flavor.

Here's what Guinness had to say:

GUINNESS® Foreign Extra Stout (FES) is brewed with the highest hop rate of all the GUINNESS® variants. The generous hop additions express fully the beers distinctive character and flavor while also prolonging shelf life in warmer climates, as hops are the best natural preservative for beer. GUINNESS FES is uniquely different from GUINNESS Draught both in taste profile, color and ritual.

Ok.

If I receive more beer, I'll be glad to share another single sentence review.  Heck, maybe even two sentences.

Another cool thing that happened recently was the Autumn Festival of Ales in Honeoye Falls, near Rochester.  The event is a celebration of Custom Brewcrafters' wide range of contract brews, and several area bars and restaurants were on hand to pour samples. The cloudy weather didn't put a damper on this great event with a friendly, community vibe.    

The same weekend was the Get Real NY cask ale event in New York City.  Wasn't able to clone myself for that one, but it sounded like a blast.  The Huffington Post blogged the event and NY Craft Beer Week.  (Forgive their inability to spell Ithaca).