RadCraft Industry Relief Coloring Book to Support James Beard Foundation Open For Good Campaign

The craft beverage-centric marketing company RadCraft went live today with a downloadable coloring book for which proceeds will support the James Beard Foundation’s Open For Good campaign. 

The RadCraft Industry Relief Coloring Book features the logos of thirteen of the company’s partner malthouses, breweries, and distilleries (listed below) brought to life by Content Coordinator Shelby Martin. These companies, among many others, conceived this fundraising effort through an industry relief Zoom chat that RadCraft hosts monthly to discuss issues facing the beverage community. The group voted on the James Beard Foundation’s Open For Good campaign to receive all proceeds for the coloring book. 

For more than 30 years, the James Beard Foundation has promoted Good Food For Good™ by giving chefs a voice and the tools they need to make the world more sustainable, equitable, and delicious. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the James Beard Foundation launched the Open for Good campaign to ensure that independent restaurants not only survive, but that the industry is able to rebuild stronger than before.

“It’s been an incredibly challenging year for the independent food and beverage industry which employs over 11 million people nationwide.” said Kris Moon, Chief Operating Officer of the James Beard Foundation “After the pandemic hit, the Foundation quickly directed all of our resources to helping the industry to survive this crisis. We are only able to continue that work thanks to the generous contributions of partners such as RadCraft. We are incredibly grateful for their support as we work to keep helping the industry remain Open for Good.”

Open for Good programs provide critical resources to help independent restaurants build the capacity to come back stronger, more equitable, more sustainable, and more resilient. Learn more at jamesbeard.org/openforgood and contact JamesBeard@magrinopr.com with media inquiries about the foundation.

The RadCraft Industry Relief Coloring Book is available for download on Issuu. Those who download and print are encouraged to share their art on social media with the #radcraftindustryrelief hashtag. 

Contact Founder & CEO Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com for a downloadable media copy of the coloring book, or with questions about RadCraft.

Participating RadCraft Partners 

Bonfire Brewing

Boulder Spirits

Deerhammer Distillery

Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Laws Whiskey House

Lone Tree Brewing Company

Murphy & Rude Malting 

Pagosa Brewing

Root Shoot Malting 

Ska Brewing

The Empourium Brewing Company

Thirsty Monk Brewery

Woods Boss Brewing

ABOUT RADCRAFT

Founded in 2012 by Emily Hutto, RadCraft provides communications support to barley crafters. From breweries and distilleries to maltsters and their affiliates, RadCraft’s partners are makers of thoughtful products and cultivators of radical ideas. Beers and spirits should tell stories about brands, and RadCraft loves a good story. Lean more at radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION 

The James Beard Foundation promotes Good Food For Good™. For more than 30 years, the James Beard Foundation has highlighted the centrality of food culture in our daily lives. Through the variety of industry programs that educate and empower leaders in our community, the Foundation has asserted the power of food to drive behavior, culture, and policy change. The organization is committed to giving chefs a voice and the tools they need to make the world more sustainable, equitable, and delicious for everyone. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the James Beard Foundation launched the Open for Good campaign to ensure that independent restaurants not only survive, but that the industry is able to rebuild stronger than before. For more information, subscribe to the digital newsletter Beard Bites and follow @beardfoundation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. The James Beard Foundation is a national not-for-profit 501©(3) organization based in New York City.

Laws Whiskey House Makes Waves with Release of 6-Year Bottled in Bond Four Grain Bourbon Whiskey on July 28

DENVER, CO— Laws Whiskey House is releasing a 6-Year Bottled in Bond Four Grain Bourbon expression of its award-winning Four Grain Bourbon. Bottles will be available at the distillery on July 28; participating Colorado retailers will receive bottles in August, while supplies last.

This whiskey was aged for six years, exceeding the minimum four-year standards of the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897. The 6-year bonded Four Grain Bourbon will replace Laws Whiskey’s 4-year version, which has been a popular staple in the Laws portfolio for several years.

“The 4-year bonded Four Grain Bourbon has been a personal favorite of mine, but with the release of the 6-year expression, we’re raising the bar and shifting the bonded Four Grain to an older profile,” says Al Laws, founder of Laws Whiskey House. “This version produces smoother vanilla and caramel notes and an enhanced black cherry flavor that you don’t get from the 4-year version.”

Featuring 100% Colorado-grown corn from The Whiskey Sisters in Burlington, and rye, wheat and barley from Colorado Malting Company in Alamosa, the 6-Year Bottled in Bond Four Grain Bourbon matured in 53-gallon charred oak barrels.

A Bottled in Bond designation requires that the whiskey be a product of a single season, using the grain of a single season, made by one distiller at a single distillery, and aged at least four years in a federal government-bonded warehouse. This whiskey is then cut and bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV). By making bonded whiskeys, Laws continues to uphold the highest integrity in the whiskey-making process.

The 6-Year Bottled in Bond Four Grain Bourbon Whiskey joins Laws Whiskey’s lineup of bonded products, including the newly released Bonded Centennial Straight Wheat Whiskey, bonded Secale Straight Rye Whiskey, bonded Two Grain Straight Bourbon and bonded Straight Corn Whiskey.

“Everyone at Laws is excited to present the new 6-year bonded bourbon with our friends, fans and extended village,” says Laws. “We continue to challenge ourselves to raise the bar on Colorado Whiskey as we improve and refine our craft.”

For more information about Laws Whiskey House or their 6-Year Bottled in Bond Four Grain Bourbon, contact Chea Franz at chea@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT LAWS WHISKEY HOUSE

Established in 2011, Laws Whiskey House is a purpose driven, grain-to-bottle whiskey distillery founded on the principle that the soul of its whiskey is comprised of the people who grow it, the people who make it, and the people who drink it. Using the traditional method of open-air, on grain fermentation, Laws' whiskeys feature high altitude grown American mother grains and mountain spring water while aging in 53-gallon charred American oak barrels. With a collection of award winning whiskey, including several Bottled in Bond expressions, Laws Whiskey House invites you to visit their tasting room in Denver's historic Gates neighborhood and enjoy the Laws experience. For more information visit www.lawswhiskeyhouse.com.

Deerhammer To Release Exclusive Run of Elevation Apis IV Quad Barrel Finished Bourbon

BUENA VISTA, CO— Today Deerhammer releases a spirit that represents one of Colorado’s most compelling craft brewery-distillery collaborations: Elevation Apis IV Quad Barrel Finished Bourbon.

It starts with a beer, like all good whiskey stories do. Apis IV is a Dark Belgian-Style Ale brewed in the Trappist tradition and is one of the oldest recipes at Deerhammer’s neighbor, Elevation Beer Company in Poncha Springs. With a touch of locally sourced honey from Beekeepers Honey Boutique in Salida, the name Apis is a nod to the hardworking genus of the honeybee that help make this beer possible. Boasting notes of plum, fig, and molasses, Apis IV has a medium to heavy mouthfeel and finishes with subtle floral hops.

Deerhammer used Elevation’s Apis IV barrels to finish a batch of its Bourbon, already aged for two years in charred new oak. This barrel quickly became the honey barrel (or the beloved barrel) at the distillery and was an obvious choice when selecting an exclusive spirit to be sold at Total Wine & More in Denver, Colorado.

“This is one batch of bourbon with a very interesting journey from grain to bottle,” says Deerhammer Owner and Head Distiller, Lenny Eckstein. “I’ve never known of another spirit go into a beer barrel with such complexity to contribute to the bourbon. It’s almost like a fortified wine cask finish— the fruit notes that mingle with the malt are unreal.”

Beginning today, Deerhammer’s Elevation Apis IV Quad Barrel Finished Bourbon is available at Total Wine & More. This very limited quantity is for sale while supplies last.

For more information about this spirit, Deerhammer, or Elevation Beer Co., contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT DEERHAMMER

Steeped in Tradition. Crafted in Colorado. Amy and Lenny Eckstein founded Deerhammer in 2010. Drawn to Buena Vista, Colorado by the whitewater currents of the Arkansas River, their passion for whiskey is driven by that same adventurous spirit. As artisans and business owners, Amy and Lenny’s process is defined by a deep curiosity for the history of spirits and a thoughtful analysis of each individual step of the distilling process. Deerhammer's cornerstone contribution to the field of craft spirits, American Single Malt Whiskey, has become the company's flagship product. Deerhammer also distills a Straight Bourbon, Hickory Smoked American Whiskey and Straight Rye Whiskey. Find the distillery online at deerhammer.com.

ABOUT ELEVATION BEER CO.

Proudly operating in the remote mountain town of Poncha Springs (just 17 miles from Monarch Mountain), Elevation Beer Co. is more than just a beer company— we are a family, a community, and a collective of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Dedicated to creating sustainable, meaningful careers in rural Colorado, we take the preservation of our home as seriously as we do the quality of our beer. Taste our flagship 8 Second Kolsch and a lineup of other usual suspects and seasonals at our tasting room, and in canned 6-packs and specialty bombers across Colorado, Wyoming and soon Utah. Go higher at elevationbeerco.com.

Deerhammer Awarded 2019 Good Food Award for Cultura Cask Finished American Single Malt Whiskey

BUENA VISTA, CO— Deerhammer Distilling is the proud recipient of the 2019 Good Food Award in the spirits category for their Progeny Series: Cultura Cask Finished American Single Malt Whiskey. The distillery was recognized with the honors at the organization’s annual awards ceremony at the San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center on Friday, January 11. This is the second win for Deerhammer Distilling at the Good Food Awards following a 2018 win for their American Single Malt Whiskey.

2019 marks the ninth year of the Good Food Awards and the second consecutive year Deerhammer has been recognized as a winner. This platform recognizes to tasty, authentic, and responsible food producers in 16 categories: beer, spirits, cider, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, confections, fish, honey, oils, pantry, pickles, preserves, snacks and elixirs. This year’s competition saw 2035 entries.

Deerhammer’s Cultura Cask Finished American Single Malt was one of 401 finalists for the 2019 awards, which included 22 other finalists in the competition’s spirits category.

“It is a huge honor to take home the Good Food Award for a second time,” explains co-founder Lenny Eckstein. “It’s especially meaningful for us to be recognized this time around for such an unconventional whiskey. So much of the American whiskey landscape is absolutely dominated by the same old standard styles and flavors that have been around forever. We do things differently at Deerhammer, and the Progeny Series whiskey that won this year is a great example of exactly that. We took our 2 year American Single Malt and finished it for an additional year in barrels that we seasoned with Guatemalan cacao nibs from Cultura Craft Chocolate.”

Spirits that meet the criteria for Good Food Awards entry must be made in the United States utilizing ingredients grown and sourced responsibly without the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers as much as possible, free of artificial ingredients, and distilled without GMOs.

For more information about Deerhammer Distilling, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT DEERHAMMER DISTILLING

Steeped in Tradition. Crafted in Colorado. Amy and Lenny Eckstein founded Deerhammer in 2010. Drawn to Buena Vista, Colorado by the whitewater currents of the Arkansas River, their passion for whiskey is driven by that same adventurous spirit. As artisans and business owners, Amy and Lenny’s process is defined by a deep curiosity for the history of spirits and a thoughtful analysis of each individual step of the distilling process. Deerhammer's cornerstone contribution to the field of craft spirits, American Single Malt Whiskey, has become the company's flagship product. Deerhammer also distills a Straight Bourbon, Hickory Smoked American Whiskey and Straight Rye Whiskey. Find the distillery online at deerhammer.com.

ABOUT GOOD FOOD AWARDS

The Good Food Awards (GFA) celebrate exceptional American craft food and drink producers who create distinctive, handcrafted, and sustainable products. The GFA brings together thought leaders from every sector of the food industry to choose the most delicious products from all regions of the country in a blind tasting. Products are evaluated by region, allowing the GFA to showcase the rich variety of terroirs of the nation’s food culture, elevating craft producers with the ultimate aim of stimulating local food economies. After the tasting, high-scoring producers are closely vetted for compliance with GFA requirements for sustainable production practices. Winners and runners-up are evaluated by the Good Food Foundation and announced each January at the Awards Ceremony. Learn more at goodfoodfdn.org.

Peach Street Distillers Releases Beer Schnapps Distilled With Ska Brewing Modus Hoperandi IPA

PALISADE, CO—  Peach Street Distillers is excited to present its latest rendition of Bier Schnapps, crafted with Ska Brewing’s Modus Hoperandi IPA. 

“Bier Schnapps crafted in the German tradition is simply beer that has been distilled to varying degrees of alcohol content,” says Peach Street Distillers Co-Founder Bill Graham.  

“Some of the distilling old-timers might say that your whisky will only be as good as the beer you’ve made in the first place,” says Davy Lindig Head Distiller. “With that in mind, the Peach Street Distillers team and the Ska Brewing team paired up to brew and then distill Ska Modus Hoperandi Bier Schnapps. Take all the sweet, hoppy goodness you love about and IPA and make it a schnapps.  And when we say ‘schnapps’ we ain’t talking candy canes and thin mints— this is whiskey. When we’re fortunate enough to inherit beers from some of the best breweries in the world, we finish it in our still and age it in our bourbon barrels and— well shoot, you know it’s good.”

Kurt Randall, Ska Brewing’s Head Brewer, directed the brewing side of this Beer Schnapps operation, while Lindig oversaw fermentation and distilling. “I kept having to remind myself that we won’t be drinking this beer,” said Randall during the brew. “Actually we’ll be drinking the schnapps, like— in a year.”  

Ska Brewing and Peach Street Distillers have long been sister companies, but this collaboration of brewers and distillers co-opting a final bottled spirit is a first. “We brewed Modus Hoperandi IPA pretty much top to bottom”, chuckles Randall, “This is Modus, in its most concentrated form.”

Modus Hoperandi Bier Schnapps is now available throughout Colorado distributed by Breakthru Beverage, and at the Peach Street Distillers tasting room in Palisade Colorado.

For more information about Bier Schnapps, Peach Street Distillers, or Ska Brewing contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT PEACH STREET DISTILLERS

Peach Street Distillers was founded in 2005 in the heart of Colorado’s Fruit and Wine region, Palisade Colorado, where the high desert meets the mountains.  The warm days and cool nights in Palisade make the local fruits and grains unimaginably delicious.  Living the very definition of “craft” we do everything the hard way to turn these fermentable raw materials into extraordinary spirits.  Because, this is what we consider fun and what makes for a mighty fine drink.  Peach Street Distillers is Colorado’s oldest continuously owned and operated distillery.  Visit us as www.peachstreetdistillers.com for more about the spirits and the spirits squad.

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.