Root Shoot Malting Reports Community Impact of East Troublesome Pale Ale & Homebrew Competition for Grand County Wildfire Relief

LOVELAND, CO—  Root Shoot Malting has announced the results of the East Troublesome Pale Ale initiative that united the Grand County brewing community and raised nearly $34,000 for those impacted by Colorado's second-largest wildfire.

Six professional breweries and 27 homebrewers brewed the East Troublesome Pale Ale over the last few months, and earned tremendous support from the Grand County community of beer lovers and homebrew competition entrants who helped to raise $34,000 for The Grand Foundation: a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting residents who were evacuated, displaced or lost their homes during the Grand County Wildfires. 

Root Shoot Malting, alongside Colorado Hop Company and Propagate Labs, donated ingredients to six breweries in Grand County to help create the East Troublesome Pale Ale. The recipe and ingredients were then available to homebrewers who were encouraged to brew their own version of the benefit beer. 

"I am blown away by the amount we raised and how many people rallied to support this cause," said Emily Olander, Co-Founder of Root Shoot Malting. “A huge thank you to everyone; brewers, suppliers, homebrewers, and residents of Grand County for donating your time, energy, and resources to make this a success." 

Root Shoot brought this effort home with a homebrew competition that 27 homebrewers entered earlier this year. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners were announced during a virtual awards ceremony, and the entries raised more than $550 for this effort that Root Shoot Malting matched. The whole team at Root Shoot extends congratulations to all of the winners and gratitude to everyone who participated. 

1ST PLACE 

Mackenzie Springett: “East Troublesome Fire Pale Ale” 

“When I drink the East Troublesome Fire Pale Ale, I immediately feel as if I’m sitting in the mountains and enjoying stunning views and the smell of the pine trees. I enjoy all of Root Shoot’s malts and use close to 100% of their malts in every recipe,” Springett says. “I also want to give a big shout out to firefighters. They saved us and helped preserve those smells and views.” 

2ND PLACE

Ben Gaylord: “Hearts and Minds”  

3RD PLACE

Nelson Crowle: “Grungeist SMaSH”

HONORABLE MENTION 

Charles Epperson: “Fire and Smoke” 

Fraser River Beer Co. is planning on serving a batch brewed with first place homebrewer Mackenzie Springett for the community to enjoy this Spring, and 100% of proceeds will be donated to the Grand Foundation. 

 For more information about Root Shoot Malting or the East Troublesome Pale Ale, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com. 

SPONSORS

The East Troublesome Pale Ale Competition was possible due to the support from all of our sponsors. We’d like to thank the following organizations for their contributions. 

• Fraser River Beer Co., Hideaway Park Brewing, Camber Brewing, Grand Adventure Brewing, Big Trout Brewing Co., and The Peak Bistro and Brewery donated 100 percent of their beer proceeds to this cause.

• Colorado Hop Company, Troubadour Maltings, Propagate Lab, Reggiebeer.com, and Turn It Up Media, contributed products and services. 

• Left Hand Brewing, Spike Brewing, Sticker Giant, American Homebrewers Association, Fermentis, Yakima Chief Hops, and Five Star Chemicals donated generous prizes that were awarded to the competition winners.

• Michael Bischoff, Head Brewer at The Peak Bistro and Brewery developed the East Troublesome Pale Ale homebrew recipe. 

ABOUT ROOT SHOOT MALTING 

Root Shoot Malting is a 5th generation family farm and craft malthouse that supplies the Rocky Mountain region with craft malt and grains. Founded by the Olander family in 2016, Root Shoot harvests barley, wheat, rye and corn to give craft brewers and distillers high-quality taste in every glass. Located on the Olander Farms’ 112-acre farm in Loveland, Colorado, and approximately 1500 leased acres, Root Shoot is working to ensure that farmland remains available to grow grains for the beers and spirits of tomorrow. Find this craft maltster online at rootshootmalting.com.

Ska Brewing Celebrates 23 Years in Business; Announces Brewery List for Anniversary Invitational

DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing will celebrate its 23rd year in business this Saturday, September 8 with headliner Big D and the Kids Table as well as the Doped Up Dollies at its 23rd Anniversary Celebration and Brewer’s Invitational. 

The Bands

Big D and The Kids Table out of Boston will headline this annual celebration, with their sister band Doped Up Dollies opening. Both bands are playing in Durango for the first time. Learn more about them here.

The Beer

Ska will pour two anniversary beers at this celebration: MoSka Mule and the 2018 Barrel-Aged 23rd Anniversary Ale. MoSka Mule, which debuted in June in cans across Ska’s distribution footprint, is brewed with ginger and lime to create the flavors of a traditional Moscow Mule cocktail. Ska’s 23rd Anniversary Ale— Ska’s most sour beer yet— was aged on a single Sutcliffe Vineyards’ American Oak Red Wine Barrel and made exclusively for release at Ska’s World Headquarters in Durango. It will be available at the anniversary party and in 500mL bottles at Ska’s tasting room while supplies last. Proceeds for the 23rd Anniversary Ale will benefit La Plata Open Space Conservancy.

The Brewery Guests

More than 20 of Ska’s brewery friends will pour their beers at this event. Participating breweries include Animas Brewing Company, Avery Brewing Company, Brew Pub & Kitchen, Carver Brewing Company, Dark Sky Brewing, Dolores River Company, Elevation Beer Company, Great Divide Brewing Company, Huss Brewing Company, La Cumbre Brewing Company, Left Hand Brewing Company, Marble Brewery, Odell Brewing Company, O.H.S.O Brewery, Oskar Blues Brewery, Ouray Brewing, Pagosa Brewing, Ratio Beerworks, Riff Raff Brewing Company, Santa Fe Brewing Company, Steamworks Brewing Company, Stone Brewing, Telluride Brewing Company, Three Barrel Brewing Company, and Three Rivers Brewery.

For more information about Ska Brewing’s anniversary celebration or with any other media inquiries about the brewery, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT SKA BREWING

Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include Mexican Logger, Modus Hoperandi, and Rue B. Soho. Ska has long been a herald for sustainable brewing practices— its World Headquarters are wind-powered and earlier in 2018 Ska decked out its roof with 223 solar panels. For information, more music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.

Ska Brewing Announces Anniversary Music Lineup, with Headliner Big D and the Kids Table

photo courtesy Big D and the Kid's Table

DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing will host its 23rd anniversary on Saturday, September 8, 2018. Thirty five of Ska’s closest brewery friends will pour specialty beers at this event, which will feature music headliner Big D and the Kids Table. Tickets to Ska’s anniversary party go on sale June 11 at 9am MST via Brown Paper Tickets and at the brewery while supplies last.

This annual beer and music festival at Ska Brewing’s World Headquarters (225 Girard St, Durango, CO 81303) sells out every year. This year’s guests can look forward to some gritty, witty ska-punk-stroll-dub anthems by Big D and The Kids Table out of Boston, as well as performances by the Doped Up Dollies and a yet-to-be-announced third band. 

“It’s our goal to collaborate with a breadth of ska-inspired bands, and on year 23 we hope to bring some fresh sound to town” says Ska Brewing Founder Dave Thibodeau about Big D and the Kids Table, who brings their lively sound to Durango this fall. “We are excited to have these guys and gals play at the brewery for the first time.” 

This anniversary celebration will also include pours from Telluride Brewing, Left Hand Brewing, Stone Brewing, Marble Brewing, and more than 30 others, as well as special beer releases from Ska. Tickets cost $45 per person and includes a commemorative pint glass, tasters of all of the beers and live music, of course. All proceeds for this celebration go to La Plata Open Space Conservancy.

For more information about Ska Brewing or its infamous anniversary celebration, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT SKA BREWING

Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include Mexican Logger, Modus Hoperandi, Rue B. Soho and the Mod Project— beers with varying levels of tartness to complement the blend of local fruits used in producing them. For information (a lot of it), music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.

ABOUT BIG D AND THE KIDS TABLE

Big D and the Kids Table has paved their own way spreading their music to The States, England, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, Australia and South East Asia since their beginning in 1996. Starting as a ska-punk band they have released more than 13 albums ranging styles of dub, thrash, reggae and their own concoction Stroll: hopscotch, double-dutch, northern soul. Find the band online at bigdandthekidstable.com.

Four Styles of Stout to Track Down This Stout Month

Emily Hutto and Dan Rabin, photo by The Brewtography Project

Beer and travel author Dan Rabin and RadCraft founder Emily Hutto, gave a talk at the Denver Press Club in November about the variety among styles of the beloved Stout beer style. Thanks again to The Press Club for having us, and thanks to Dan for this great idea. He wanted to convey the true spectrum that is Stout styles, and he's largely responsible for choosing the beer list below.

It should be noted that Dan was one of the first contributors to the #DailyStout campaign for Water for Good, too! 

Here are four varieties of Stouts, with examples of each style to boot. Happy Stout Month!

Dry Irish Stout: Carlow Brewing Co. (aka O’Hara’s Brewery) O’Hara’s Irish Stout, 4.3% ABV 40 IBU

This family-owned brewery began operating in 1996 as a pioneer in Irish craft brewing. While the Dry Irish Stout style is generally synonymous with Guinness, there’s a perception among many that the Guinness brewed today by the Irish corporate giant lacks the robust character of the Guinness of old. O’Hara’s Irish Stout is often described as “authentic,” “traditional,“ and “how stouts used to taste.” Indeed, the beer hits all the right notes stylistically with a smooth malt base, coffee-like roastiness, dry finish and low alcohol content conducive to partaking in multiple pints. Its flavors are best expressed when served cool, not cold.

Sweet Stout: Finkel & Garf Brewing Co. Oatmeal Milk Stout, 5.5% ABV, 36 IBU

Stylistically, this Boulder-brewed stout represents a hybrid of Sweet Stout and Oatmeal Stout. F&G is committed to subtlety and approachability in its beers, and this one in particular is brewed to debunk assumptions that dark and “sweet” beers are scary, chewy, or cloying. It has just the right roundness of roast, dark chocolate, and malt sweetness that washes down smooth and slightly sweet. The silky mouthfeel of this stout is created through the use of about 10 percent oats in its grain bill. F&G Oatmeal Milk Stout is the 2017 GABF gold medal winner in the Sweet or Cream Stout category.

Foreign Export Stout: Left Hand Brewing Co. Fade to Black Vol. 1, 8.5% ABV 30 IBU

Longmont’s Left Hand Brewing may be best known for its smooth milk stout, but the brewery’s seasonal Fade to Black Vol. 1 Foreign Export Stout has garnered its own collection of prestigious awards including three gold medals and one silver at the Great American Beer Festival, and a gold medal at the 2016 World Beer Cup. The beer is big, bold, complex and highly satisfying. As it warms, a variety of flavors emerge including coffee, chocolate, licorice and dark fruits. At 8.5%, it toes the line, but doesn’t quite enter the terrain of Imperial Stouts.

Imperial Stout: Great Divide Brewing Co. Yeti Imperial Stout, 9.5% ABV, 75 IBU

This beer is big in every way. Made by the home of Colorado’s original strong ale (Hibernation Ale, first brewed in in 1995), Great Divide’s infamous Yeti is a classic example of the Imperial Stout style, winner of three Great American Beer Festival awards in the Imperial Stout category. It’s a liquid balancing act between big, roasty malt flavor and bold hop flavor and aroma. Stout in general and specifically Yeti has been a great canvas for brewing creations, which at Great Divide have been an array of Yeti varietals including Espresso Oak-Aged and Oatmeal Yeti.