Mortal Partners with LA Libations for Southern California Distribution

BOULDER, CO— Mortal will partner with beverage powerhouse L.A. Libations as a component of their SoCal Incubation Program (SIP for short– very on the nose, we know). That means the killer booch, hard and non-alcoholic, will gain more distribution points throughout Southern California and beyond. 

L.A. Libations (LAL) formed SIP in 2018 as a rocket-powered entry point into the CA beverage scene. SIP is tight with both retailers and distributors, and is a booster for small and large beverage companies alike to get their feet (and bottles) into the doors of southern California’s beverage destinations.

Enter: Mortal. Leading with strong branding as its key differentiator in a very competitive category, the beverage has strong, easy to understand flavors and a “killer” attitude. Its current distribution, based out of its birthplace of Boulder, CO, recently expanded to include parts of Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, the Northeast, the Mid Atlantic, and the Midwest. Its non-alcoholic kombuchas can now be found in 40 States in the U.S. The hard kombucha is currently only available in Colorado. 

“The edgy vibe and disruptive enthusiasm that Mortal brings to the marketplace is palpable,” said Executive Vice President of L.A. Libations Jacob Timony. “This is a better-for-you beverage for the new age consumer with a rock star team behind it, and L.A. Libations couldn’t be more excited to support their mission.”

LAL is the strategic partner of Molson/Coors and will help expand all of Mortal’s organic, all-natural and death defying products into Southern California. Mortal kombuchas will be available at Jimbo’s stores and available for online delivery though Pink Dot. 

“L.A. Libations is a leader in driving innovation, creativity and brand,” said Mortal Kombucha owner Becca Schepps. “We could not think of a better partner to help bring our products to West Coast consumers.”

Now, from the mountains to the beaches, Mortal is ready to sucker punch your gut with a revivifying fistful of bubbles, real fruit, b-vitamins, antioxidant destroying free radicals, and symbiotic nutrients. 

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about Mortal.

ABOUT MORTAL

Founded in 2017 by Becca Schepps, Mortal makes beverages that fight death Mortal is not sunrise salutation sipping functional beverages. It’s smack your face off, rip your guts out, feed it some good stuff, and then shove ’em back in prebiotics bubbles. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Mortal Kombucha is currently available across 40 states, in retailers such as WholeFoods, Natural Grocers, Woodmans and Northwest Grocers. Mortal currently has three product lines: Mortal Kombucha, it's big, agro, juiced up, supersized, scoby slashing, fruit-fist of fury that wants to hook you up with some bada** bro-biotics. Mortal Power, a prebiotic sparkling water with POWERful functional ingredients. And Mortal XXX Hard Kombucha: It’s organic, gluten-free, rice-free, real hard kombucha, flavored and supercharged with all-natural, organic ingredients. It’s all the foofoo probiotics you love about ordinary kombucha, now with 5.2% ABV. It’s just the right amount of rebel.

Learn more about Mortal and track down their booch at drinkmortal.com, or follow the enterprise on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

ABOUT LA LIBATIONS

L.A. Libations is a next-generation beverage incubator. At its core LAL is comprised of creators, seekers, motivators, and entrepreneurs. Always on the lookout for the next great beverage brand that satisfies an untapped need of the health-engaged consumer, LAL is fueled by their dedication to health, wellness, and social responsibility. Most of all, L.A. Libations is a passionate tribe dedicated to bringing the most innovative, healthy, and tasty products to the world.

Ska Brewing Forecasts IPA Style Trend with Checkered Future IPA

DURANGO, CO– Old school hops meet modern varieties and techniques in a new age IPA that Ska Brewing will debut in cans across its markets this month. Checkered Future IPA is here. 

Long a house of IPA experimentation and the home to Colorado classic IPA Modus Hoperandi, Ska has released three hazy offerings in the past few years: Hazy IPA, Double Hazy IPA, and Tropical Hazy IPA. Now, Checkered Future bridges the gap from Modus to haze with this fresh style. 

“Checkered Future employs a blend of everything we've learned and the hops we've experimented with over these last few years of IPA recipe development,” says Ska Brewing Co-Founder Dave Thibodeau. We chose very specific hop varieties for their myriad hop aroma compounds that showcase particularly well with these newer hopping techniques, which has allowed us to create a relatively clear IPA with bright, juicy tropical fruit aromas yet with a bit of the classic West Coast-style, citrusy, piney perceived bitterness we’ve been missing in the hazy era.”

If the checkered past is a compilation of the bright with the dark, then Checkered Future is Ska’s answer to uncertain times: moving forward with innovation and acceptance that what’s to come is unwritten. “We haven’t named a beer beyond stylistic designation in several years, but this new IPA called for a name with a story,” says Ska’s Sales & Marketing Director Kristen Muraro. 

A Checkered Future release party will go down at Ska’s World Headquarters in Durango on February 15, featuring live music, a limited edition Ska and Venture Snowboard giveaway, and $2 pints of the new IPA. 

Find Checkered Future where you buy Ska Brewing beers, for the foreseeable future. This IPA will join Ska’s year round lineup of cans and be available across all of Ska’s markets. 

Media assets for Checkered Future are available for download here. Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with any questions.

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. For information (a lot of it), more music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.

Ska Fabricating Presents The World’s Smallest Footprint Depalletizer: The Microbus

DURANGO, CO– After nearly a decade of troubleshooting craft beverage canning operations and months beta testing the smallest footprint depalletizer on the planet, Ska Fabricating is pleased to present a new machine designed to meet the needs of the marketplace. Meet The Microbus.

Capable of speeds up to 30 CPM, the Microbus portable depalletizer is optimized for lower-speed applications in the smallest of spaces. The Microbus uses a manual crank, operated by hand or drill, to lift the Pallet Carriage. The Carriage is raised until a layer of containers is level with the Deadplate, then a belt-driven actuator (sweep) pushes the layer onto the 44” OD (Orbital Discharge) Rotary Table. The patented Rotary Table accumulates the containers, aligns them for discharge, and feeds them into a Rinse Cage and onto a filler. Both the rotary infeed table and the automated sweep can be folded away, further reducing this already small machine’s footprint on the production floor.

The first of The Microbus machines is installed at Mancos, Colorado’s Fenceline Cider. Ska Fabricating collaborated with Fenceline’s production team on a beta test, to which the cidery responded by purchasing The Microbus to expand their distribution capacity without taking up too much space in their small facility. View a video of The Microbus in action at Fenceline here.

The Microbus is now available for purchase. Contact sales@skafabricating.com to learn more.

Look for the machine at the Craft Brewers Conference in Minneapolis this May 2-5 at Ska Fab’s booth #2219.

Media inquiring about Ska Fabricating can email Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT SKA FABRICATING

Ska Fabricating automates packaging lines for craft businesses, specializing in depalletizers, palletizers, conveyance systems, rinsing, drying, filling and date coding products. With more than 2000 customers worldwide in more than 30 countries, Ska Fab has the products and experience to help you increase your production while saving expenses. Learn more at skafabricating.com.

Riverbend Malt House Publishes 2021 Craft Malt Production Numbers; Strengthens Environmental and Community Commitments in Year Ten of Business

ASHEVILLE, NC— Riverbend Malt House is coming off of a record year in business that included significant production and footprint expansion, increased recycling and waste reduction, and a celebration of their last decade in the craft malt business, among other community milestones. Here is the Riverbend Malt House’s 2021 Year in Review. 

Production 

In 2021, Riverbend Malt House added a 10-tonne Germination Kiln Vessel (GKV) unit to its production facility in June. This state-of-the-art equipment increased the overall malthouse capacity by 40 percent, enabling Riverbend to meet growing demand for craft malt among breweries and distilleries throughout the Southeast. 

Throughout the year, Riverbend malted 2.6 million pounds of 14 varieties of malt, which included 20 tons of malt with 12 different flavor combinations for specialty projects.

Development 

In 2021, Riverbend proudly expanded its agricultural and sales footprints across its home state of North Carolina, as well as sourcing grain from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and Washington DC to meet industry demand for high quality craft malt that adds value and locality to craft beer and spirits made across the region. 272 breweries and distilleries purchased Riverbend craft malt last year, of which more than a third are new to the malt house’s customer base.

Environmental Commitment

In August, Riverbend announced the achievement of a recycling milestone of 100,000 pounds of rootlet material repurposed for use by nearby cattle operations. This recycling effort is one of many sustainability initiatives that Riverbend supports. Additional environmental initiatives  include electricity and natural gas consumption tracking, composting, and solid waste management. 

Over the course of the year, Riverbend reduced its carbon emissions per pound of malt produced by 3.3%, composted eight tons of organic waste in partnership with the WNC Brewery Recycling Co-op, and redirected approximately 140,000 pounds of waste from landfill in 2021. “Now that the co-op is up and running, we hope to expand our efforts with customer pickup at select accounts during 2022,” says Riverbend Co-Founder Brent Manning. “We’ll work to increase efficiency with new equipment and expand our composting efforts as well.”

Events & Community 

In partnership with Asheville Greenworks and French Broad Chocolate, Riverbend helped to collect 3,000 pounds of garbage from the Swannanoa River. This effort will continue in 2022. 

Riverbend was excited to participate in the South by Northwest collaboration with Skagit Valley Malting. In this exploration of Washington and North Carolina malt terroir Riverbend created two SMaSH (single malt and single hop) malt-forward pale ales brewed identically at DSSOLR in Asheville, North Carolina and Terramar Brewstillery in Edison, Washington. Both craft beers featured the experimental hop HBC 586 with the only variable being the base malt— both 2-row winter barley varieties grown in North Carolina and in the Skagit Valley.

Awards & Accolades 

Riverbend was proud to earn Living Wage Certified Employer status from Just Economics, the largest voluntary living wage certification in the nation. All 17 of Riverbend’s employees are compensated at or above the living wage rate established by Just Economics for Buncombe County.

Throughout the year, many of Riverbend’s customers were recognized with medals from multiple awards programs for beers made with Riverbend malt– including the Great American Beer Festival®, the U.S. Beer Open, the North Carolina Brewers Cup, and the National Honey Board Honey Beer Competition, among others. Congratulations to these producers for their commitment to quality that begins in the ground. 

10 Year Harvest 

Riverbend worked with family farms across the Southeast to produce its highest quality and highest yielding harvest yet. This 10 year harvest included the Sunset Wheat, a Munich-style offering developed to celebrate this milestone. Professional and homebrewers across the Southeast made specialty beers with this wheat variety in commemoration, and continue to do so into 2022. 

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer with media inquiries about Riverbend Malt House. 

ABOUT RIVERBEND MALT HOUSE

Riverbend Malt House is on a quest to connect Southeastern family owned farms and fermenters. Co-Founders Brent Manning and Brian Simpson launched Riverbend, the first craft malt house east of the Mississippi River, in Asheville, North Carolina in 2010. Buoyed by a 70,000 foot production facility and state of the art equipment, Riverbend Malt House helps breweries and distilleries large, small, and in-between stand out with flavor, locality, and community in an increasingly competitive landscape— all the while challenging the status quo of corporate, big-agriculture malt. Learn more at riverbendmalt.com.

Lone Tree Brewing Expands Footprint, Produces Top Barrelage To-Date

LONE TREE, CO— In 2021, Lone Tree Brewing produced its highest annual volume of beer yet, expanded its market across Colorado, and earned a prestigious Great American Beer Festival® award, among many other company milestones. Here is their Year in Review.

Production

Lone Tree produced more than 4,000 barrels of beer last year, making 2021 the single best sales year that the company has had to date.

For the very first time, Lone Tree canned its annual batch of Oktoberfest. The popularity of this German-style seasonal lager will bring it back in cans in 2022.

Sales & Distribution 

Lone Tree announced a new distribution partnership with Ska Distributing that brought its canned beers to the Southwest corner of the state— including Durango, Telluride, Ridgway, and Ouray. Lone Tree continues to sell beer through distribution partners Western Distributing on Colorado’s Front Range and along I-70, and in Kansas through Worldwide Beverage Group. 

Lone Tree hired Doug Fenske, formerly of Bonfire Brewing, to manage sales along the I-70 corridor and continue to grow the company's presence in Colorado’s mountain region. In 2021, Mexican Lager’s outside sales grew the largest, followed by Red Ale, GABF winner Peach Pale Ale, and IPA.

Awards

One of Lone Tree’s time-honored recipes and first canned beers, Peach Pale Ale, earned a bronze medal in the American Fruit Beer category at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival. 

Community and Events

Amid the ongoing pandemic, Lone Tree was proud to continue to host charitable and community events throughout the year, raising funds for several different foundations and supporting many others. They donated more than $10,000 and copious beers toward non profit efforts, including Drink for Pink, The Honor Bell Foundation, and the first annual Douglas County School District Bridge Transition Program car show. 

Over the course of the year, Lone Tree also hosted three local craft markets featuring more than 30 local craft vendors. They also helped facilitate both Lone Tree’s Bike to Work Day and Lone Tree’s Day of Service.

In November, the community showed up to show the Lone Tree brewers their ping pong skills. Winners were paid in beer. They came back in December when Lone Tree celebrated its 10th anniversary with a weekend of special tappings. The company published a summary of its decade in business here, including 4,000,000 cans produced, 27,675 barrels of beer brewed, 1,705,476 pounds of grain brewed, and 36,000 pounds of hops used. Read the full report here. 

Moving Forward 

Lone Tree is moving into 2022 with a host of seasonal spring brews and a few new beers, too. 

Returning beers include Vanilla Caramel Amber in the colder months, Pineapple Sour to ring in spring and summer, and Oktoberfest to celebrate the season with a malty German amber lager. The new Hefeweizen and Pilsner beers are a few of the upcoming options Lone Tree is debuting in 2022. See the full 2022 beer calendar here.

Look for Lone Tree’s annual traditions such as the infamous one-day release of Hop Zombie, and some new ones, including the next rendition of the Douglas County School District Bridge Transition Program car show to go live at lonetreebrewing.com and on Facebook in coming weeks and months. 

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about Lone Tree Brewing Co. Press assets are available here. 

ABOUT LONE TREE BREWING CO. 

Lone Tree Brewing Company was the first brewery to open in Lone Tree, Colorado in Denver’s South Metro area in 2011, and has remained a local staple for a decade. Lone Tree creates community around a stylistically diverse lineup of flagship, seasonal, and limited release beers that are sold in cans and on draft across Colorado, and in select locations in Kansas. Find the brewery online at lonetreebrewingco.com

Bootstrap Brewing Announces Pickle Me Up Beer

LONGMONT, CO— If you love pickles and beer then you’re in for a special treat when you try Bootstrap Brewing’s new Pickle Me Up beer. Based on its award-winning Golden Ale and infused with just the right amount of pickle juice, the company announced today that it will begin shipping Pickle Me Up in February to distribution partners in Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Utah and Missouri.

“We tapped our first keg of Pickle Me Up in our taproom for our 9th Anniversary party in June, and knew we had a home run when we couldn’t keep it on tap,” explains co-founder Leslie Kaczeus. 

Inspired by the hilarious YouTube videos of cats versus cucumbers, Bootstrap asked their brand design agency Moxie Sozo to run with a kitty theme. “As an afterthought, we realized how much fun we can have working with Pickle Ball venues and leagues so we added a Paddle Board and ball to the design along with the ever present cowbell,” adds Kaczeus.  

Not only is pickle juice delicious, but it also has health benefits per the vinegar, a secret that athletes have known for years. A quick search on the Internet for Benefits of Pickle Juice yields a plethora of results including electrolytes, antioxidants and more.

For more information about Pickle Me Up 6-packs or Bootstrap Brewing, contact Leslie Kaczeus at leslie@bootstrapbrewing.com.

ABOUT BOOTSTRAP BREWING COMPANY

Home to best-selling and award-winning craft beers such as Insane Rush, Lush Puppy, Stick’s Pale Ale, Chillax, and Wreak Havoc, Bootstrap Brewing is an independent, adventurous brewery in Colorado dedicated to producing a wide range of ales and lagers. More information can be found on our website at www.bootstrapbrewing.com.

Craft Maltsters Guild Transitions 2022 Craft Malt Conference to All Virtual Experience, Postpones Advanced Class

The Craft Maltsters Guild announced this week the transition of their 2022 Craft Malt Conference to an all-virtual experience for participants. This educational conference was originally slated to take place in Portland, Maine; however the recent COVID-19 case surge and lower in-person attendance numbers motivated the Guild Board of Directors to make the difficult decision to best protect the health and safety of its membership. Along with conference changes, the Advanced Class in Craft Malt Production planned to precede the event will be postponed until later in the year, with new dates yet to be determined.

The Craft Malt Conference will now take place over the course of two weekends February 18-19 and February 25-26 via Crowdcast. Due to the switch to online, there will be some adjustments to the conference schedule, but changes are expected to be minimal. The revised schedule will be posted on the Guild website in the coming week.

Attendees originally registered for the in-person conference will have their conference registration modified to a virtual registration and receive a partial refund for the cost difference. Those not interested in attending the virtual sessions can get a full refund by reaching out to the Guild.

Registration is still open for the virtual conference, with early bird pricing available through the end of January. Participants can sign up here. Registration for the virtual event will remain open until February 17, 2022.

For more  information about the virtual Craft Malt Conference to request a registration refund, contact Executive Director Jesse Bussard at director@craftmalting.com. Media interested in credentials for this event can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT THE CRAFT MALTSTERS GUILD

Formed in 2013 by eight craft malthouses, the Craft Maltsters Guild’s mission is to promote and sustain the tradition of craft malting in North America, provide services and resources to the Association’s members, and uphold the highest quality and safety standards for Craft Maltsters. Learn more about the Craft Maltsters Guild at www.craftmalting.com.

Living the Dream Brewing Welcomes Barrel Aged Old Fashioned Ale to Ongoing Cocktail Series

LITTLETON, CO– Living the Dream Brewing Co. has been working hard on a new and delicious addition to their Cocktail Series: Barrel Aged Old Fashioned Ale.

This cocktail-inspired beer is made with treacle, cherries, and oranges, and blended with Living the Dream’s Strong Ale for a subtly sweet richness at the finish. It’s a slow sipper that warms you from your head to your toes, perfect for hunkering down in the Colorado snow.

This new brew marks the third beer in Living the Dream’s cocktail series, preceded by a Moscow Mule, Mojito, and Margarita inspired beers. While all of those options were available in the tasting room only, this Old Fashioned is on tap and available in cans.

“We wanted to do something inventive and classic all at the same time,” Living The Dream owner Jason Bell says. “We were fortunate to get some great barrels from a local distillery and felt the flavor profile would work well, blending the fruits with the whiskey barrel influences.”

For more information about the new Barrel Aged Old Fashioned Ale, the cocktail series, or Living The Dream Brewing, contact Emily Hutto hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT LIVING THE DREAM BREWING CO.

Living the Dream Brewing is a craft brewery established in 2014 in Littleton, our home base for adventure in Colorado. Built on a foundation of brewing beer using only the finest ingredients, Living the Dream celebrates the people, places, and activities of the Centennial State. Live the life you've imagined, and join us at livingthedreambrewing.com.

Ska Fabricating Acquires GR-X Manufacturing

DURANGO, CO— Ska Fabricating is excited to announce its purchase of GR-X Manufacturing in a strategic move to leverage the two companies' complementary strengths and technology. 

GR-X Manufacturing, founded in 2015 and based in Grand Rapids Michigan, specializes in providing depalletizing and palletizing equipment systems for consumer products and food and beverage industries.    

The two rapidly expanding suppliers of packaging solutions will benefit from each other’s capabilities to offer the best value and technology in packaging line solutions for small to midsize operations. Both companies provide depalletizing and packaging solutions for various consumer packaged goods, though there is very little overlap in their specific market segments. 

In announcing the acquisition, Ska Fabricating CEO Jim Mackay says, “Ska Fabricating’s roots lie in the craft beer market, and we’ve quickly grown from that foundation into other rigid packaging and can decorating lines. We see this as a natural progression in our growth as an industry leader in container handling.”

Both companies have found success in the packaging equipment market by focusing on meeting unique needs overlooked by other suppliers and offering excellent value.

Discussing the purchase, GR-X founder Jerry Pollard says “GR-X and Ska Fab share similar values: a strong customer focus, and always looking for new ways to grow and innovate. The two companies will benefit from each other’s strengths and our customers will be the beneficiaries.”

GR-X will retain its brand for the foreseeable future, and all existing customers will be fully supported. Ska Fabricating plans to retain all of the 100+ employees from both companies, and will gain some much-needed production space and capacity at the Grand Rapids facility.

For more information about this acquisition, or to learn more about Ska Fabricating, contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT SKA FABRICATING

Ska Fabricating automates packaging lines for craft businesses, specializing in depalletizers, palletizers, conveyance systems, rinsing, drying, filling and date coding products. With more than 2000 customers worldwide in more than 30 countries, Ska Fab has the products and experience to help you increase your production while saving expenses. Learn more at skafabricating.com.

ABOUT GR-X MANUFACTURING
GR-X Manufacturing specializes in providing container handling equipment for the food/beverage, consumer products, and brewing industries. Our popular line of palletizing and depalletizing equipment ranges from manual to fully automatic solutions. Container flame treatment systems and semi-automatic baggers round out our equipment offerings. Our company philosophy is “Equipment built well – Sales made simple.” All of the equipment built by GR-X is designed to exceed industry standards in component quality, ease of use, fabrication standards, and reliability. Watch a short video about us and our equipment at https://vimeo.com/595309549 or visit our website at grxmfg.com!

Uhl’s Brewing Introduces Cellar Reserve Program, Y’Uhl Be Family

BOULDER, CO— Uhl’s Brewing Company has created a membership program for barrel aged aficionados, with a mountain of perks available for participants ranging from discounts to private parties. Introducing: Y’Uhl Be Family.

Included in this membership is a lengthy list of bonus products and services, all courtesy of Uhl’s expert, Cicerone certified staff:

One Bottle of Deepest Darkest Void - 17.5% Reserve Barrel Aged Imperial Stout aged on copious amounts of Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans and Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean paste

Two Bottles of Deepest Darkest Depths - 17.5% Reserve Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

10% off taproom draft beer

A private Y’Uhl Be Family party in February 2023 for you and one guest

Y’Uhl Be Family custom Shirt, Beanie and Glass

Monthly newsletter emails keeping you in the know of all things Uhl’s

Invitation to a private Facebook Group to communicate with other Members

Exclusive Y’Uhl Be Family bottle(s) available for purchase three times throughout the year

Bottle storage at the brewery

Primary consideration for continued membership

Interested parties can apply for enrollment at contact@uhlsbrewing.com by using “Y’Uhl Be Family” as the Subject Line and answering these questions:

Name

Physical address and contact phone number

Why they want to be part of the family

This opportunity is available for enrollment until January 31, 2021* and members will be informed of their acceptance on February 1 via email, after which a one time $250 program fee will be applied.

Interested? Uhl’s is ready to welcome you into the family.

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com for more information about the program or about Uhl’s Brewing Company.

ABOUT UHL’S BREWING

Uhl's Brewing Co. was launched by a roaming brewer with beer in his blood. Aaron Uhl developed his brand for several years around Colorado's Front Range before settling on Conestoga Court in The People's Republic of Boulder. This experimental brewery will try anything once (maybe even twice), and rarely repeats recipes. Y'Uhl love the fresh, ever-changing beer list and the savvy staff ready to talk shop. Find the latest menu additions and tasting room events calendar at uhlsbrewing.com.

*Editor’s Note: The deadline to apply to Y’Uhl Be Family was extended to January 31. Some media published around this news earlier in the year may not reflect the accurate date.

Living the Dream Brewing’s Festivus Fireside Barrel Aged Olde Ale is Back for the Season

LITTLETON, CO – A Festivus for the rest of us! It’s that time of year again, and Living the Dream Brewing is bringing back a festive favorite just in time for the holidays: their Festivus Fireside Barrel Aged Olde Ale.

Inspired by the classic Seinfeld episode, this beer is a delicious combination of old-world flavors and subtle sweetness. In the first step of a two step process, Festivus is brewed with English black treacle and aged a whopping 386 days in Premium Bourbon Barrels for authentic olde ale flavor. Then, it’s blended with a beer brewed with dark specialty malts, oats, and more black treacle. The combination of these two brews gives it a well-rounded, full body and complex flavor, all without sacrificing the oak, bourbon, and dark fruit character from the barrel aging.

“We have been making versions of Festivus Fireside Ale off and on since 2015,” said owner Jason Bell. “The core recipe has stayed pretty consistent, but we would play around with the wood treatments, and this year we really feel like it is our best version yet.” 

Rounding out at 9% ABV, Festivus is deceptively smooth and drinkable, with just enough of that warm, wood-aged flavor to heat you up on the frosty nights ahead.

Festivus Fireside is available in the tap room and in 12 oz cans for a limited time, so be sure to swing by and sip yourself some non-denominational holiday cheer while you still can. 

For more information about Festivus Fireside or Living The Dream Brewing, contact Emily Hutto hutto@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT LIVING THE DREAM BREWING CO. 

Living the Dream Brewing is a craft brewery established in 2014 in Littleton, our home base for adventure in Colorado. Built on a foundation of brewing beer using only the finest ingredients, Living the Dream celebrates the people, places, and activities of the Centennial State. Live the life you've imagined, and join us at livingthedreambrewing.com.

The Makers Series Debuts with first episode featuring Bowigens Beer Company and Riverbend Malt House

CASSELBERRY, FL— The same producers of the show Crafted that debuted on Amazon Prime earlier this year premiered a new show called The Makers on Tuesday. This digital series and podcast profiles the makers, creators, culture, and community of craft beer. The first episode features the story of the making of Bowigens Beer Company Smooth Velvet, brewed with craft malt from Riverbend Malt House and an entire cake from Valhalla Bakery in the mash.

Smooth Velvet is an Imperial Mocha Red Velvet Ale brewed with an entire red velvet cake in the mash. Inspired by the phenomenal Red Velvet cake from Valhalla Bakery, this beer is brewed with a crafted blend of Pilsner and Munich malts along with wheat and oats from Riverbend Malt House. It is then aged on copious amounts of Madagascar vanilla beans, chocolate and freshly roasted local coffee beans from Rosso Specialty Coffee. This Imperial Red Ale is deliciously smooth with a perfect balance of flavors, and the best part is, it's dairy free! This beer will be available on tap and in 4-packs of 16oz cans on Friday, December 17 at 12pm at both Bowigens tasting room locations. The Bowigens Casselberry location will also have a limited amount of the Valhalla Bakery Red Velvet cake available for To-Go purchase.

On Tuesday December 21st, a new podcast discussing The Makers will go live on Spotify, Apple and all other platforms where podcasts are found.

“The Makers is an exciting new series for us and is a perfect extension to the Crafted brand that celebrates the vast variety and stories of craft breweries around the country,” says Craig Chapman of Crafted. “The Makers allows us to dive even deeper into the passion and stories of all the creative artisans that make craft beer.”

Watch the first episode of The Makers on Youtube. Future episodes will come out in early 2022. The producers are still looking for great stories to tell from around the country.

Contact Emily Hutto with media inquiries about this effort and about Riverbend Malt House at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT THE MAKERS

The Makers, by Crafted, is a digital series and podcast about the makers, creators, culture, and community of craft beer. Each episode pairs the best craft breweries, local culinary creators, and other ingredient makers together to tell their stories and collaborate to create an inspired craft beer and culinary experience.

contact: Craig@oegmediallc.com or visit crafted-culture.com

ABOUT BOWIGENS BEER COMPANY

Bowigens Beer Company is an American craft brewery located in Casselberry FL. We specialize in creative, innovative and full flavored beers. At Bowigens we consider ourselves artistic brewers. We are not interested in creating a beer unless we feel we’re making something that we are truly passionate about. Started in 2015 as one of Central Florida’s first craft breweries Bowigens Beer Company has also been one of the most award-winning in that time frame with multiple awards at the US Beer Open Championship, GABF®, Best Of Craft Beer Awards and Best Florida Beer.

For more information on Bowigens Beer Company visit www.bowigens.com.

Facebook @Bowigensbeercompany; Instagram @Bowigensbeercompany

ABOUT VALHALLA BAKERY

Valhalla Bakery crafts the finest plant-based pastries, cookies and other mouthwatering treats. Scratch made at shops in Orlando and St. Pete. Follow the bakery locations at @valhallabakery and @valhallabakery_stpete.

ABOUT RIVERBEND MALT HOUSE

Riverbend Malt House is on a quest to connect Southeastern family owned farms and fermenters. Co-Founders Brent Manning and Brian Simpson launched Riverbend, the first craft malthouse east of the Mississippi, in 2010. Buoyed by a 70,000 foot production facility and state of the art equipment, Riverbend Malt House helps breweries and distilleries large, small, and in-between stand out with flavor, locality, and community in an increasingly competitive landscape— all the while challenging the status quo of corporate, big-agriculture malt. Learn more at riverbendmalt.com.

Lone Tree Brewing Company Celebrates 10 Year Milestone

LONE TREE, CO– 4,000,000 cans produced. 27,675 barrels of beer brewed. 1,705,476 pounds of grain and 36,000 pounds of hops used. Colorado craft beer staple Lone Tree Brewing Company is turning ten this December and celebrating all weekend long December 10, 11 and 12.

When its doors opened in 2011 near Park Meadows Mall, Lone Tree was the very first brewery to call it’s namesake, Lone Tree, Colorado, home. Since then, they’ve poured and canned enough beer to fill 1.3 olympic swimming pools, and have grown along (and grown up) with the city of Lone Tree.

“When we opened in 2011 we were the 115th brewery in Colorado. I never could have predicted the explosion of openings from there,” says Lone Tree Founder John Winter. We’re very proud to be a part of the unprecedented growth of the craft beer culture in the state.” 

Lone Tree’s neighborhood-focused, family-friendly brewery and tasting room has been a craft mecca and meeting place for Coloradans and out of towners alike for a decade, and will be the base camp for an anniversary weekend chock full of celebration, music, food, specialty swag, and most importantly: lots of beer releases.

There will be one-time only glassware available all weekend and guests can snag a 12oz glass with an event-specific celebratory message. And, if a glass isn’t enough Lone Tree merch, there will also be a few other items and bonus anniversary weekend discounts for guests to enjoy.

Check out the weekend’s calendar below:

FRIDAY

• Food Truck: Big Stuff 

• 10 beers for 10 years on the 10th! A mouthful, and a tour-de-force of Lone Tree’s favorite beers from over the years.

  • Lone Tree will be tapping a whopping two beers per hour, every hour, from 3-7pm

  • 3pm - Real ESB firkin' & Sour Glittered Sour Strawberry Kiwi Firkin'

  • 4pm - Pineapple Habanero IPA Firkin' & Grapefruit DIPA

  • 5pm - Lavender Honey Cream Frikin' & Mexican Strawberry Margarita Firkin' 

  • 6pm - Orange Vanilla Pale & Apple Pie Saison

  • 7pm - Irish Cream Blonde Stout & Raspberry Pale

• Comedy Show

  • Join Lone Tree for a celebratory comedy special! Host & Emcee Terri Barton Gregg will get things started at 8 pm and ShaNae Ross and headliners Steve Gastineau and Allen Goodwin will bring down the house. 

SATURDAY

• Food Truck: Schnitzelwirt

• Another day, another stacked line up of beers! Lone Tree will be canning Barrel Aged Imperial Stout in 4-packs starting at 11am, followed by a tapping of Wee Heavy at 2pm.

From 4pm-4:30pm, they’ll be pulling the nails from their Rum barrels and offering free samples of Vanilla Caramel Amber and Wee Heavy. Rumor has it, someone may or may not be wearing a barrel costume. 

• Music

  • 1-4pm - Jon Ham in the West Wing

  • 6pm-9pm - Dueling Pianos with Andy Sydow & Riley O'toole in the West Wing

• Santa Paws Meet & Greet Photo Shoot in the West Wing

  • Big Dogs Huge Paws are showing up with Santa & Ms.Claus to join the celebration, and add some festive flair. It’s the perfect photo op to start off the holiday season.  

SUNDAY

• Food Truck: H3SH3R

• It wouldn’t be a craft beer Sunday without an early 10am opening and plenty of breakfast themed brews, plus some added Bluegrass jams. Join Lone Tree on their final day of celebration for beermosas, bloody beers and bluegrass from the Ghost Town Drifters. 

• Lone tree is finishing out strong with 3 delicious beer tappings.

  • 12pm- Belgian Blonde & Bananas Foster Hefe

  • 2pm - Imperial Peaches and Cream & Cranberry Saison

  • 4pm - Peppermint Brown & Winter Warmer

• Just in case you missed it, the Santa Paws Meet & Greet Photo Shoot with Big Dogs Huge Paws will be back again for round two from 12-3pm.

You only turn 10 once, and Lone Tree intends to celebrate and commemorate that milestone with an epic weekend focused on what they’ve built a decade-strong business around: well crafted and delicious beer.

Download press assets for Lone Tree’s 10 Year anniversary here. 

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about the brewery. 

ABOUT LONE TREE BREWING CO. 

Lone Tree Brewing Company was the first brewery to open in Lone Tree, Colorado in Denver’s South Metro area in 2011. Lone Tree creates community around a stylistically diverse lineup of flagship, seasonal, and limited release beers that are sold in cans and on draft across the state of Colorado, and in select locations in Kansas. Find the brewery online at lonetreebrewingco.com.

Barnett & Son Brewing Partners With Parker Businesses and Local Vendors To Host Holiday Market December 11

PARKER, CO— Barnett & Son Brewing, voted the best brewery in Parker by locals for the last six years running, will host the Holiday Market in collaboration with an array of local businesses on Saturday, December 11. 

WHAT 

Shop a holiday craft and gift market at Barnett & Son Brewing Co., meet Santa and a live Reindeer (yes you read that right), sip hot chocolate, enjoy Barnett & Son beer on tap, and snack on food truck eats– all while supporting Children’s Hospital. Guests are encouraged to bring new toys to contribute to the toy drive. 

“We’re excited to support Children's Hospital, and we’re always eager to host community gatherings— especially when fellow craft businesses are involved,” says Barnett & Son Founder Andy Barnett.

WHEN

Saturday, December 11 from 11am to 3pm

WHERE 

Barnett & Son Brewing 

18425 Pony Express Dr, Parker, CO 80134

Media interested in attending and covering this event can contact Shelby Martin at shelby@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT BARNETT & SON BREWING

Barnett and Son Brewing Co has been brewing high quality beer since 2014 in Parker, Colorado and is best known for their welcoming atmosphere, an expansive tap list, and dog-friendly patio. With recipes developed from owner Andrew Barnett’s homebrew recipes and influenced by his extensive international travel, everyone is sure to find a beer to make them feel at home. For more information, visit barnettandsonbrewing.com. Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us.

RadCraft Discontinues Status as Agency of Record for Bonfire Brewing

Photo courtesy EJ Dilley Photography

EAGLE, CO— After nearly five years as Bonfire Brewing’s agency of record, RadCraft announced today the discontinuation of its work with the brewery.

Emily Hutto, RadCraft founder and CEO, issued the following statement about the company’s relationship with Bonfire Brewing.

It’s been an exceptional honor to work directly with Bonfire Brewing’s co-founders Andy and Amanda Jessen as the brewery agency of record since 2017. They initially reached out through a referral from Western Distributing, a connection that I am deeply grateful for. 

I am humbled to tell the Bonfire Brewing story; however I recognize that it is fundamentally impossible to do so without the inclusion of both Andy and Amanda. Since Andy’s tragic death in an avalanche in Silverton on February 1, 2021, the Bonfire board of directors president has prohibited co-founder Amanda Jessen, our primary contact for all brewery communications, from managing and executing company operations. This prevents RadCraft from effectively executing Bonfire’s media relations, and more importantly it does not recognize Amanda as an integral part of the company narrative— a depravity for which we do not stand. 

To my friend and my sounding board Andy, thank you for sharing your story and your passions with us at RadCraft. Without your leadership and friendship we would not be in so many places— including this one of defending your honor. 

It has been the privilege of my career to be included in the BonFamily. To each and every one, thank you for your contributions and loyalty to the Eagle County and Colorado craft beer communities. 

May we always gather ‘round. 

Going forward, media inquiring about Bonfire Brewing should reach out to the brewery directly.

Bruz Beers Releases 2021 Brut La Grande

DENVER, CO— Bruz Brut La Grande is back! Since 2016, Bruz Beers has crafted a signature rendition of the Belgian originating Bière Brut style, with subtle differences from batch to batch. As one of the only breweries on the globe crafting this style of beer, Bruz is excited to share it with friends and family this season.

Brut La Grande is a pale golden color with a dense off-white head. Its perfumy aroma yields notes of lemons, apricots, allspice, and black pepper. Its complex flavor profile hints at tart apples, peaches, citrus, vanilla and exotic spices. 10.5 percent in ABV, Brut La Grande is light and airy with a silky mouthfeel, creamy pinpoint carbonation and a tart, bone-dry finish. Every sip is a celebration!

In 2002, Bière Brut (sometimes referred to as Champagne beer) hit the market for the first time. It was met with much critical acclaim as an extraordinary new beer style. Bière Brut is a very pale beer with delicate aromas and flavors (fresh apples, pears, ginger, mint, thyme, lemon and allspice), alcohol in the 11.5 percent range, a silky texture and a spectacular creamy, moussey white head with lots of "Belgian lace". While it resembles Champagne in many respects, many aficionados find it considerably more interesting than the French bubbly. Bière Brut brewers did not set out to make a Champagne substitute; they set out to make a great beer with unique character. Read more on the Bruz blog about this style.

Bruz Owner Ryan Evans says, “the Bière Brut style has always fascinated me. It is a beautifully delicate beer that is amazingly smooth and drinkable. The layers of flavor make it an experience to drink. Coupled with high natural carbonation, Brut La Grande is truly a special experience. In a world dominated by IPA's, it's nice to have such an experience.”

This nine month labor of love will be available today in both tasting rooms on draft and in 750mL bottles to-go. Each pour is accompanied with a piece of Belgian chocolate. Brut La Grande is released just once a year, and only available while supplies last.

For more information about Brut La Grande, contact info@bruzbeers.com

ABOUT BRUZ BEERS

The acclaimed Bruz Beers was named “Top 25 Craft Breweries in Colorado” by Yelp, and it is dedicated to brewing traditional Belgian-style beers and innovative Belgian-inspired brews. It offers a wide range of Belgian-style seasonal and limited releases on tap at its two Denver area locations or for takeaway in crowlers, bottles and cans. Visit Bruz online at www.bruzbeers.com.

Riverbend Malt House Announces 10 Year Harvest Beers Crafted With Sunset Wheat Malt

ASHEVILLE, NC— Riverbend Malt House and a number of its brewing customers are excited to announce a lineup of specialty beers featuring the new Sunset Wheat Malteer.com/news/riverbend-sunset-wheat-malt, in celebration of the malt house’s last decade in business. 

Earlier this month, Fonta Flora Brewery released the first of these beers, a Belgian Dark Strong-inspired ale affectionately named Bière de Riverbend. This bière, brewed with 100 percent Riverbend malts, was inspired by and adapted from the very first beer Fonta Flora ever put in bottles nearly six years ago. 

These world-class brewing companies will debut beers made with Riverbend’s 10 Year Harvest malt in coming weeks and months:

Bhramari Brewing Co., Rauch Weisse

DSSOLVR, Wheated Mild

Fullsteam Brewery, Winter IPA 

Green Man Brewery, Wheat Wine

Standard Beer + Food, Hefeweizen

Sunset Wheat is in stock and available for purchase, and Riverbend is eager to work with additional craft breweries on #Riverbend10 recipes featuring this malt. Place an order for Sunset Wheat by emailing orders@riverbendmalt.com.

Riverbend has published a 10 Year Harvest recipe, a Sunset Wheat-based Pale Ale.  Homebrewers across the Southeast are encouraged to create their own 10 Year Harvest Pale Ales to celebrate the past 10 years of Riverbend Malt and the craft malt community that the local malthouse has helped to create. Find the recipe here. 

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about Riverbend Malt House. 

ABOUT RIVERBEND MALT HOUSE 

Riverbend Malt House is on a quest to connect Southeastern family owned farms and fermenters. Co-Founders Brent Manning and Brian Simpson launched Riverbend, the first craft malt house east of the Mississippi, in 2010. Buoyed by a 70,000 foot production facility and state of the art equipment, Riverbend Malt House helps breweries and distilleries large, small, and in-between stand out with flavor, locality, and community in an increasingly competitive landscape— all the while challenging the status quo of corporate, big-agriculture malt. Learn more at riverbendmalt.com. 

Mortal Kombucha Launches in Colorado King Soopers

BOULDER, CO––  Mortal’s natural, organic, non-gmo and absolutely delicious non-alcoholic Mortal Kombucha is now available in nearly 50 Colorado King Soopers stores across the state.

Previously available in other stores across Colorado, Boulder-based Mortal is rapidly expanding its sales footprint across the country and in its home state of Colorado. King Soopers will offer four of Mortal’s kombucha flavors throughout select Colorado locations. 

King Soopers stores will launch with Black Sage made with Blackberry & Sage, Black Magic - a charcoal maple lemonade, Marg Simpson that strongly tastes like a non-alcoholic margarita and aPearantly It’s Love made with pear, rose, ginger and lemon. All flavors are certified organic, contain no sweeteners or artificial flavors and are full of probiotics.

“As a different kind of kombucha company we pride ourselves on creating really palatable and approachable flavors that have a broad appeal outside the natural category. At Mortal, we deliver what consumers want from beverages - healthy, low sugar and fun, without any compromise on flavor,” says Mortal CEO and Founder Becca Schepps "By launching into a partnership with King Soopers, we're expanding our efforts to destigmatize kombucha and show consumers healthy doesn’t have to taste bad or be boring. We are excited to see the response.” 

Mortal Kombucha has all the foofoo of ordinary booch PLUS all the stuff that’s awesome: bubbles, fruit, and a power packed punch of b-vitamins, antioxidant destroying free radicals and symbiotic nutrients. From zingy ginger, to floral chili, to activated charcoal lemonade, there’s a gut-healthy flavor in the Mortal portfolio for everyone. 

Find Mortal Kombucha on the company website kombucha finder, and shop online to boot. Get $1.00 off your next bottle of Mortal Kombucha at King Soopers here, through the end of the year.

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about Mortal. Download brand assets here.

ABOUT MORTAL 

Founded in 2017 by Becca Schepps, Mortal is a big, agro, juiced up, supersized, scoby slashing, fruit-fist of fury that wants to hook you up with some bada** bro-biotics. It isn’t sunrise salutation sipping functional beverages. It’s smack your face off, rip your guts out, feed it some good stuff, and then shove ’em back in prebiotics bubbles. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Mortal Kombucha is currently available across 40 states, in retailers such as WholeFoods, Natural Grocers, Woodmans and Northwest Grocers. Mortal Kombucha’s harder counterpart is Mortal XXX. It’s organic, gluten-free, rice-free, real hard kombucha, flavored and supercharged with all-natural, organic ingredients. It’s all the foofoo probiotics you love about ordinary kombucha, now with 5.2% ABV. It’s just the right amount of rebel.

Barnett & Son Brewing Wins Big at the 2021 Denver International Beer Competition

PARKER, CO — Barnett & Son Brewing was one of the most decorated breweries at the 2021 Denver International Beer Competition (DIBC) last week, taking home five medals that span a range of beer styles.

These wins come off the heels of many previous successes at DIBC. Barnett & Son’s winning streak began in 2016 with their Saoirse Irish Red Ale (a silver medalist this year) and has continued with multiple medals in 2018, 2019, and now in 2021.

This year’s medal winners are:

GOLD - Falling Skye Scottish Ale - Full of rich and malty character from special Gleneagles Maris Otter barley, imported from Scotland, and just a hint of whiskey. Falling Sky also won Bronze in 2018 and 2019.

SILVER - Oktoberfest Märzen - A rich and malty Lager with a balance of clean Hersbrucker hop bitterness.

SILVER - Nevermore Pumpkin Ale - A spiced Amber Ale, clean and malty with just enough hop bitterness to balance the spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger - and of course, real pumpkin. This beer is gone for the season– look for it in 2022. 

SILVER - Saoirse Irish Red Ale - A red and malty Irish-style Red Ale with approachable hop bitterness that rests on the palate. Saoirse also won silver in 2016 and 2019, and bronze in 2018.

BRONZE - Newlin Gulch Gold - A light, refreshing, and easy drinking Blond Ale.

All of these beers are currently available at the Barnett and Son tasting room.

For more information about Barnett & Son Brewing and their wins at this year’s Denver International Beer Competition, contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. 

ABOUT BARNETT & SON BREWING

Barnett and Son Brewing Co has been brewing high quality beer since 2014 in Parker, Colorado and is best known for their welcoming atmosphere, an expansive tap list, and dog-friendly patio. With recipes developed from owner Andrew Barnett’s homebrew recipes and influenced by his extensive international travel, everyone is sure to find a beer to make them feel at home. For more information, visit barnettandsonbrewing.com. Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us.

Continued Expansion Unfolds at Living The Dream Brewing; Newly Canned Beers and New Tanks En Route

LITTLETON, CO– Living The Dream continues its expansion this season with new canned additions to their year-round portfolio of beers available across the Front Range, and increased capacity to boot.

Tasting room favorites Fly Reel Amber and Mountain Drive American Ale have scored themselves their own SKUs and are now available for sale at the Living The Dream tasting room, and at bars and retail locations in canned 6-packs. Get to know them here:

Fly Reel Amber

As deep and smooth as the South Platte River, Fly Reel Amber is a traditional Amber Ale perfect for your boat cooler or your back porch. A deep color with 4.1% ABV, balanced malt and hop presence, and dry finish makes this amber perfect for red ale lovers and anglers alike. 

Just last week, Fly Reel took home a silver medal from the 2021 Denver International Beer Competition. 

Mountain Drive American Ale

There’s almost nothing better than crisp mountain air, except maybe a crisp American ale. Mountain Drive is a back-to-basics crisp, light, and refreshing American Ale and the perfect easy drinker. With a 4.8% ABV and a subtle hop profile, it’s ideal for kicking back and keeping cool. 

“With the success of Powder Run Vanilla Cream Ale and 7-Speed IPA in the market, we wanted to continue to round out our year round offerings,” says Living The Dream Founder Jason Bell. “Mountain Drive and Fly Reel cans are the first of a slow roll out to our portfolio— we are excited to grow in a responsible way, staying focused on our people and our community along the way.” 

Four new tanks (three fermentation tanks and one brite) make these new offerings possible, and sustainable. These additions to the brewhouse will increase Living The Dream’s brewhouse capacity to 3500 BBL annually. 

Contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com with media inquiries about Living The Dream. 

ABOUT LIVING THE DREAM BREWING CO. 

Living the Dream Brewing is a craft brewery established in 2014 in Littleton, our home base for adventure in Colorado. Built on a foundation of brewing beer using only the finest ingredients, Living the Dream celebrates the people, places, and activities of the Centennial State. Live the life you've imagined, and join us at livingthedreambrewing.com.