June/July GOOD BEER News: Pedal Pale Ale Keg Ride Recap, Gratitude 2008 update, Session Ale Updates, Sticker Contest, and GOOD BEER Events galore!
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Scott at East End Brewing
Jun 25, 2009, 4:09:23 PM6/25/09
to "GOOD BEER News" from East End Brewing
Hello GOOD BEER Fans,
Coming to you live from the heart of Pittsburgh's East End....it's the
GOOD BEER News! Well now...that was easily the cheesiest opening I've
ever written for this newsletter. But it can only get better, so stay
with me. Due to a myriad of slight miscalculations on my part, this
newsletter is way late, so it'll have to cover June AND July. Looking
at it another way, you're getting nearly TWO months of GOOD BEER News
(and senseless babble like this) when you only paid for one! And of
course, you'll certainly get exactly what you pay for around here.
There's lots to cover, so let's cut right to the more sensible
babble...
CITY OF CHAMPIONS...TIMES THREE?
What US City can boast championship titles in not only two major
sports this year, but also happens to be the home of the single
largest Keg-Delivery-By-Bicycle program in the entire world? Yep,
it's ours. Pittsburgh. Take that... any other city that delivers
beer by bicycle!?
And while I can't take any personal credit for contributing to success
of the epic conquests that the Pens and the Steelers have pulled off
this year (wearing my lucky hat and watching 3 games per season
doesn't count), at least I can claim .2% of the credit for that last
one... and so can each and every one of the other 499 of you who
helped deliver those kegs.
AND THEY TOLD TWO FRIENDS, AND SO ON, AND SO ON...
Much to my complete and total shock, the remarkable doubling effect of
the Keg Ride continued for yet another year. Looking at the trend,
the first year we released Pedal Pale Ale, about 15 people rode TO the
brewery for the very first taste straight from the tank. Next year,
the count jumped up to 45 with a ride to Kelly's and a sixtel in tow.
Then in 2007, we led about 120 people to Harris Grill with a half
barrel on a flimsy kiddie trailer rigged with everything from bungee
cords to shoelaces by the time we arrived. Last year, it was 220
riders to the Map Room with a half and a quarter on proper bike
trailers. And this year...
You've managed to more than double it again. You got the word out to
the world via word of mouth, email forwarding, radio (thanks Lindsay
at Iheartpgh.com!), event postings, and all sorts of social networking
channels that are all the rage with the kids these days... And out of
the thousands who knew about the Keg Ride, a remarkable 500 actually
managed to find a way to conquer the logistical challenge of "a ride
to an undisclosed location", and came out to help deliver the beer.
The way I see it, if the doubling continues, we're just 2 years away
from breaking the record for the largest bicycle parade on record...
but then again, they didn't pull kegs, did they?
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/travel_and_transport/bikes_and_motorbikes/largest_parade_of_bicycles.aspx
MANY THANKS...
I had a blast this year - only possible with the great help from the
folks at www.BikePgh.org who helped plan the route, provided sign-in
volunteers, a trailer, and bike racks at our destination. So if you
like bike-stuff, you really should join Bike Pittsburgh, and if you do
it now, your contribution will be matched, dollar for dollar. Learn
more here: http://bike-pgh.org/get_involved/become-a-member/ because
there's lots more bikey fun coming up with them this summer...the Bike
Film Fest in July, and their big celebration, BIKEFEST in August to
name a couple. See www.Bike-pgh.org for more info.
Our destination was the oh-so-likely Over The Bar Bicycle Cafe on the
S. Side, also to be commended for doing an amazing job of handling a
massive crush of thirsty riders, serving 500 pints of Pedal Pale
in...what, half an hour? 45 minutes tops? These guys were stoked
about being the keg ride destination before they even got their place
open, so stop in and see Marty or Mike at OTB and thank them for
supporting local beer and local biking - have a pint, grab a bite. The
menu is vegetarian friendly (if you swing that way) and there's
guaranteed to be lots of Pedal Pale Ale on tap all summer long.
Lastly, my personal thanks to all of you who made this "clearly our
best event of the year" and such an amazing evening of bicycling,
beer, and fun. I'm not sure what this ride will turn into next year -
maybe a charity event (probably a charity event), maybe multiple
destinations, multiple routes, but I've got another 11 months to worry
about that. In the meantime, check out all the great pictures,
videos, and articles about the ride listed here: http://www.eastendbrewing.com/node/706
Hope to see you ALL on the ride next year!
SESSION ALE UPDATES....Or is that "SESSION ALES UPDATE"?
1. MONKEY GIRL HAS LEFT THE BUILDING.
She didn't last long around here, did she? These one-off Session Ales
are becoming all the rage- especially, it seems, when we take time to
give them a name to call their own. Unlike some Session Ales I
know...
2. SESSION ALE #24: "DARK MILD" NOW ON TAP:
What the heck is a "Dark Mild"? It's a rare thing in beer styles, not
only because it's a neglected style of beer, but because the name
actually describes the beer pretty accurately. Unlike terms like
"Bitter" and "Pale Ale" that are only marginally accurate in a modern
context, a Dark Mild is actually Dark and Mild! Essentially, if you
like Porter, and you like a low-gravity beer, you will appreciate this
one, because that's just what it is - a milder form of Porter. See
how that makes sense?
3. GET YOUR LOAF ON!
A couple Saturdays ago, we had the official release of Session Ale
#25: LOAF - Dark Rye Kvass. This is the beer we brewed from 60 loaves
of Wood St. Deli Rye and fermented with bread yeast from the grocery
store. If you are wondering why you didn't hear about this release,
it's because we only announced it on Twitter (so get with the
program), but act quickly, there are just a couple more kegs left, so
get in here and carb up while you can.
4. LAGERING AN ALE....KOLSCH
Session Ale #26 is already in the tank, and is patiently aging until a
place opens up at the taps. This one is another of Brendan's
creations that he put together while I was out. It's light, simple,
flavorful, an ale for the lager-lover in your household, and perfect
for the summer heat. No kegs of this beer will make it to area tap
spots - brewery only, just Growler fills and the occasional keg.
IT'S FINALLY 2008: GRATITUDE RELEASE THIS SATURDAY:
Also a couple Saturdays ago, about 22 or so of "The World's Best
Brewery Volunteers" labeled up our re-brew of the increasingly
inaccurately named Gratitude 2008 for your cellaring/ogling/drinking
pleasure. So, "WHEN IS THE RELEASE?" you ask. Really, there's no
need to shout. And maybe you should read those paragraph titles more
carefully. I've spent the last few days in a fury of waxing, signing,
and numbering as many of the 700 bottles as I can for our big release
day this Saturday, June 27th. Starting at noon, we'll finally have
2008 Gratitude for sale, complete with tasters, a limited number of
Stacked Vertical Packs, and all sorts of other goodies, details of
which are all posted here: http://www.eastendbrewing.com/node/714 See
you then!
UPCOMING GOOD BEER EVENTS:
June 27 - Beer Passport Night @ PNC Park: Now ticketing through the
Pirate Box Office 1-800-BUY-BUCS. (Might be sold out this time.)
July 4 - Independence Day: YES, of course we will be open for Growler
Hours!
July 30 - Beer Dinner at Rock Bottom: EEBC does one beer/course
pairing, rest by RB Brewer Steve Panos. Call 412-462-2739 for tix.
Aug 7 - Beer Passport Night @ PNC Park: Now ticketing through the
Pirate Box Office 1-800-BUY-BUCS.
Aug 15 - Millvale Brewfest: http://www.millvalepa.com/BrewFest08.aspx
Sept 12 - Steel City Big Pour (got the date right this time):
http://www.constructionjunction.org/pages/bigpour
Sept 25 - Beer Passport Night @ PNC Park: Now ticketing through the
Pirate Box Office 1-800-BUY-BUCS.
Sept 30 - Local Foods Beer Dinner at Harris Grill: Call now and ask
why they don't have the tickets ready yet 412-362-5273. Or maybe they
do?
STICKER DESIGN CONTEST - PUT YOUR CREATIVITY TO WORK, GET SOME BEER
OUT OF IT!
I've been meaning to get some EEBC stickers printed up for a long,
long time here, but it never seems to get to the top of my list. Sure
I have some ideas on brewery stickers I'd like to see, but I figure
there's lots more graphical creativity out there than I can muster, so
why not provide a forum for your art, wit, and creativity? We're
talking 2 color images here (most likely black and white), any image
size is fine (though we may need to adjust come printing time), and
there's no limit to the number of entries you can make. Your image
must also be at least rated PG. Finalists will be picked by me, and
if there's enough entries, we'll have YOU, the newsletter-reading
public vote on your favorite from that group in an upcoming
newsletter. All winners (there will be a few) not only get some free
stickers, but some beer too...of course. Submit your entries here - I
think you'll need to create a login too: http://www.eastendbrewing.com/node/715
Well, that should be enough GOOD News to keep you busy for the next
month or so. I hope to see you at the big day release on Saturday, or
at one of the other GOOD BEER Events listed here. And a reminder: We
are an INDEPENDENT BREWERY, so of course we're open on Independence
Day!
Cheers,
Scott
www.EastEndBrewing.com
BUY A GOOD FRIEND A GOOD BEER (TM)
Coming to you live from the heart of Pittsburgh's East End....it's the
GOOD BEER News! Well now...that was easily the cheesiest opening I've
ever written for this newsletter. But it can only get better, so stay
with me. Due to a myriad of slight miscalculations on my part, this
newsletter is way late, so it'll have to cover June AND July. Looking
at it another way, you're getting nearly TWO months of GOOD BEER News
(and senseless babble like this) when you only paid for one! And of
course, you'll certainly get exactly what you pay for around here.
There's lots to cover, so let's cut right to the more sensible
babble...
CITY OF CHAMPIONS...TIMES THREE?
What US City can boast championship titles in not only two major
sports this year, but also happens to be the home of the single
largest Keg-Delivery-By-Bicycle program in the entire world? Yep,
it's ours. Pittsburgh. Take that... any other city that delivers
beer by bicycle!?
And while I can't take any personal credit for contributing to success
of the epic conquests that the Pens and the Steelers have pulled off
this year (wearing my lucky hat and watching 3 games per season
doesn't count), at least I can claim .2% of the credit for that last
one... and so can each and every one of the other 499 of you who
helped deliver those kegs.
AND THEY TOLD TWO FRIENDS, AND SO ON, AND SO ON...
Much to my complete and total shock, the remarkable doubling effect of
the Keg Ride continued for yet another year. Looking at the trend,
the first year we released Pedal Pale Ale, about 15 people rode TO the
brewery for the very first taste straight from the tank. Next year,
the count jumped up to 45 with a ride to Kelly's and a sixtel in tow.
Then in 2007, we led about 120 people to Harris Grill with a half
barrel on a flimsy kiddie trailer rigged with everything from bungee
cords to shoelaces by the time we arrived. Last year, it was 220
riders to the Map Room with a half and a quarter on proper bike
trailers. And this year...
You've managed to more than double it again. You got the word out to
the world via word of mouth, email forwarding, radio (thanks Lindsay
at Iheartpgh.com!), event postings, and all sorts of social networking
channels that are all the rage with the kids these days... And out of
the thousands who knew about the Keg Ride, a remarkable 500 actually
managed to find a way to conquer the logistical challenge of "a ride
to an undisclosed location", and came out to help deliver the beer.
The way I see it, if the doubling continues, we're just 2 years away
from breaking the record for the largest bicycle parade on record...
but then again, they didn't pull kegs, did they?
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/travel_and_transport/bikes_and_motorbikes/largest_parade_of_bicycles.aspx
MANY THANKS...
I had a blast this year - only possible with the great help from the
folks at www.BikePgh.org who helped plan the route, provided sign-in
volunteers, a trailer, and bike racks at our destination. So if you
like bike-stuff, you really should join Bike Pittsburgh, and if you do
it now, your contribution will be matched, dollar for dollar. Learn
more here: http://bike-pgh.org/get_involved/become-a-member/ because
there's lots more bikey fun coming up with them this summer...the Bike
Film Fest in July, and their big celebration, BIKEFEST in August to
name a couple. See www.Bike-pgh.org for more info.
Our destination was the oh-so-likely Over The Bar Bicycle Cafe on the
S. Side, also to be commended for doing an amazing job of handling a
massive crush of thirsty riders, serving 500 pints of Pedal Pale
in...what, half an hour? 45 minutes tops? These guys were stoked
about being the keg ride destination before they even got their place
open, so stop in and see Marty or Mike at OTB and thank them for
supporting local beer and local biking - have a pint, grab a bite. The
menu is vegetarian friendly (if you swing that way) and there's
guaranteed to be lots of Pedal Pale Ale on tap all summer long.
Lastly, my personal thanks to all of you who made this "clearly our
best event of the year" and such an amazing evening of bicycling,
beer, and fun. I'm not sure what this ride will turn into next year -
maybe a charity event (probably a charity event), maybe multiple
destinations, multiple routes, but I've got another 11 months to worry
about that. In the meantime, check out all the great pictures,
videos, and articles about the ride listed here: http://www.eastendbrewing.com/node/706
Hope to see you ALL on the ride next year!
SESSION ALE UPDATES....Or is that "SESSION ALES UPDATE"?
1. MONKEY GIRL HAS LEFT THE BUILDING.
She didn't last long around here, did she? These one-off Session Ales
are becoming all the rage- especially, it seems, when we take time to
give them a name to call their own. Unlike some Session Ales I
know...
2. SESSION ALE #24: "DARK MILD" NOW ON TAP:
What the heck is a "Dark Mild"? It's a rare thing in beer styles, not
only because it's a neglected style of beer, but because the name
actually describes the beer pretty accurately. Unlike terms like
"Bitter" and "Pale Ale" that are only marginally accurate in a modern
context, a Dark Mild is actually Dark and Mild! Essentially, if you
like Porter, and you like a low-gravity beer, you will appreciate this
one, because that's just what it is - a milder form of Porter. See
how that makes sense?
3. GET YOUR LOAF ON!
A couple Saturdays ago, we had the official release of Session Ale
#25: LOAF - Dark Rye Kvass. This is the beer we brewed from 60 loaves
of Wood St. Deli Rye and fermented with bread yeast from the grocery
store. If you are wondering why you didn't hear about this release,
it's because we only announced it on Twitter (so get with the
program), but act quickly, there are just a couple more kegs left, so
get in here and carb up while you can.
4. LAGERING AN ALE....KOLSCH
Session Ale #26 is already in the tank, and is patiently aging until a
place opens up at the taps. This one is another of Brendan's
creations that he put together while I was out. It's light, simple,
flavorful, an ale for the lager-lover in your household, and perfect
for the summer heat. No kegs of this beer will make it to area tap
spots - brewery only, just Growler fills and the occasional keg.
IT'S FINALLY 2008: GRATITUDE RELEASE THIS SATURDAY:
Also a couple Saturdays ago, about 22 or so of "The World's Best
Brewery Volunteers" labeled up our re-brew of the increasingly
inaccurately named Gratitude 2008 for your cellaring/ogling/drinking
pleasure. So, "WHEN IS THE RELEASE?" you ask. Really, there's no
need to shout. And maybe you should read those paragraph titles more
carefully. I've spent the last few days in a fury of waxing, signing,
and numbering as many of the 700 bottles as I can for our big release
day this Saturday, June 27th. Starting at noon, we'll finally have
2008 Gratitude for sale, complete with tasters, a limited number of
Stacked Vertical Packs, and all sorts of other goodies, details of
which are all posted here: http://www.eastendbrewing.com/node/714 See
you then!
UPCOMING GOOD BEER EVENTS:
June 27 - Beer Passport Night @ PNC Park: Now ticketing through the
Pirate Box Office 1-800-BUY-BUCS. (Might be sold out this time.)
July 4 - Independence Day: YES, of course we will be open for Growler
Hours!
July 30 - Beer Dinner at Rock Bottom: EEBC does one beer/course
pairing, rest by RB Brewer Steve Panos. Call 412-462-2739 for tix.
Aug 7 - Beer Passport Night @ PNC Park: Now ticketing through the
Pirate Box Office 1-800-BUY-BUCS.
Aug 15 - Millvale Brewfest: http://www.millvalepa.com/BrewFest08.aspx
Sept 12 - Steel City Big Pour (got the date right this time):
http://www.constructionjunction.org/pages/bigpour
Sept 25 - Beer Passport Night @ PNC Park: Now ticketing through the
Pirate Box Office 1-800-BUY-BUCS.
Sept 30 - Local Foods Beer Dinner at Harris Grill: Call now and ask
why they don't have the tickets ready yet 412-362-5273. Or maybe they
do?
STICKER DESIGN CONTEST - PUT YOUR CREATIVITY TO WORK, GET SOME BEER
OUT OF IT!
I've been meaning to get some EEBC stickers printed up for a long,
long time here, but it never seems to get to the top of my list. Sure
I have some ideas on brewery stickers I'd like to see, but I figure
there's lots more graphical creativity out there than I can muster, so
why not provide a forum for your art, wit, and creativity? We're
talking 2 color images here (most likely black and white), any image
size is fine (though we may need to adjust come printing time), and
there's no limit to the number of entries you can make. Your image
must also be at least rated PG. Finalists will be picked by me, and
if there's enough entries, we'll have YOU, the newsletter-reading
public vote on your favorite from that group in an upcoming
newsletter. All winners (there will be a few) not only get some free
stickers, but some beer too...of course. Submit your entries here - I
think you'll need to create a login too: http://www.eastendbrewing.com/node/715
Well, that should be enough GOOD News to keep you busy for the next
month or so. I hope to see you at the big day release on Saturday, or
at one of the other GOOD BEER Events listed here. And a reminder: We
are an INDEPENDENT BREWERY, so of course we're open on Independence
Day!
Cheers,
Scott
www.EastEndBrewing.com
BUY A GOOD FRIEND A GOOD BEER (TM)
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