In the past few years, the rise of craft beer has been startling — in fact, the total number of breweries in the States rose by almost 20% from 2013 to 2014; signaling the growing popularity of the many types of flavor profiles. The market has been trying to meet the demand, and so marketing your craft brew has been easier if you do it by season. Continue reading…
Well, summer is officially here and that means it’s time to bust out the tank tops and enjoy an ice cold beer on the patio! It wasn’t easy but we combed through our portfolio of awesome pilsners, wheat beers, pale ales and more to give you our list of 10 refreshing beers you can enjoy on those hot summer days.
Availability: April 1 – August 31
ABV: 5.2%
This simple craft, summer ale tastes like endless summer days and tangerine flowers in a glass.
Availability: April 1 – August 31
ABV: 5%
Floral and citrus hop notes meet smooth caramel maltiness in this refreshingly balanced golden ale. This year’s batch includes Lemondrop Hops!
Availability: Not listed
ABV: 5.2%
The Blood Orange Wheat offers a medium malt body with a crisp wheat finish and subtle orange flavor.
Availability: Not listed
ABV: 6.2%
Big citrus hop flavors meet up grapefruit juice for a complex and fun to drink citrus sipper.
Availability: Year Round
ABV: 4.3%
Blonde Bombshell combines subtle malt and wheat flavors with a delicate Liberty hop aroma to create a sensational beer. Originally brewed as a seasonal, this beer was so popular, they pushed it into their regular line-up.
Availability: Year Round
ABV: 5.1%
A Czech Pilsner brewed the exact way they do it in Prague. Made with a Czech Saaz hop, this beer has a spicy floral aroma with grassy notes and a clean crisp finish.
Availability: April – December
ABV: 4.9%
The release of SeaQuench Ale kicked off a new partnership between Dogfish Head and the National Aquarium that will focus on inspiring conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures. This session sour quencher is brewed with lime peel, black limes & sea salt.
Availability: Year Round
ABV: 6%
This Czech pilsner is brewed with loads of imported Saaz hops and a bottom-fermenting yeast strain that leaves it Light and Crisp, yet full of real flavor and all the things you yearn for.
Availability: Year Round
ABV: 6.2%
Consider this the next generation IPA. It’s slightly sweet with lower ABV. It’s complex aromatic layers, suggest mango, melon, pine, and berries, are driven by whole-leaf Mosaic and Citra hops which are then balanced by an acidulated and pilsner malt bill. It’s silky smooth mouthfeel will leave you asking for “mo!”
Availability: Year Round
ABV: 7%
The Pineapple Sculpin IPA came from one of many small-batch cask experiments to enhance the flavor of Ballast Point’s signature IPA. The combination of fruity flavors and hop intensity definitely packs a punch.
Don’t see your favorite summer beer on the list? Let us know at Social@coldist.com.
The pursuit of perfection in the fermentation of beer is more than just a noble endeavor; it is the lifetime passion of career fermentation scientists and craft brewers. The Jack Joyce Scholarship honors the founder of Rogue Brewery, now Rogue Ales & Spirits, who embodied this professional devotion to craft beer.
Jack Joyce’s vision and creativity led the pioneer American microbrewery, Rogue Brewery, from humble Portland, OR beginnings to international distribution and industry leadership. American craft breweries today owe much to Jack Joyce, who also actively supported the Portland community as Rogue’s CEO from its founding in 1988 until his death in 2014. Jack Joyce’s dedication to clean, sustainable agri-fermentation is the standard that Rogue Ales & Spirits bears today in his honor. By growing its own supplies since 2008, Rogue Ales & Spirits has worked to conserve the land used by craft breweries in Oregon when they grow their hops, barley, rye, and wheat. Rogue Ales also locally cultivates other delectables for brewing purposes such as honey, jalapeños, and pumpkins.
In 2014, Rogue Ales & Spirits collaborated with Columbia Distributing, a leading national distributor of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages also based in Portland, to launch the Jack Joyce Scholarship Program. The scholarship pays homage to the legacy of Jack Joyce and invokes the model for excellence that Rogue helped set forth for subsequent generations of craft breweries and fermentation scientists.
Through its awards, the Jack Joyce Scholarship aims to encourage the study and mastery of the art of brewing and to support scientific and professional excellence in the industry. Five awards, totaling $70,000, were conferred in 2016. To date, the three-year-old program has awarded $185,000 in scholarship funds to budding fermentation scientists at Oregon State University—one of the nation’s top brewing programs. This year, the number of awards increased thanks to donations from new partner donors, including the Beer Institute, Crux Fermentation Project, Coleman Agriculture, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Great Western Malting Co., Fremont Brewing Company, Gilgamesh Brewing, Indie Hops, plus other craft breweries and industry leaders.
All aspiring fermentation science majors at OSU are eligible to apply for annual scholarship awards, some as high as $20,000. To learn more about the program or to apply, please visit our Jack Joyce scholarship page or email JackJoyceScholarship@coldist.com.
Craft breweries continue to open at a rapid pace, and for a good reason. They hit on a number of modern trends in the industry such as local ingredients, unique drink and food options, and great service. Explore these spot-on tips for how to get a craft brewery running with a successful start.
Craft breweries have exploded in popularity, which is good for the customer but creates a crowded field for owners. This means that there is little time for a transitional period. It’s important to determine what beers will be sold, what foods will be available, and to hire the qualified staff needed to get things running right away. Consider a soft opening for friends and family before the doors become open to the public to ensure everything is in place.
Many customers choose to go to craft breweries primarily because of the local, inviting atmosphere. This environment includes the building type, the seating area, and even the outfits of the waiters or bartenders. A small stone pub can get away with muted lighting and crowded pool tables, while a brewery on the outskirts of town next to a natural setting should capitalize on the natural light and offer amenities like open patios. Make sure that the bar’s appearance fits with its location, and highlights what the spot has to offer that makes it unique.
It’s important to know that some customers will be craft beer experts, while others will have very little knowledge about the field. The staff needs to be able to walk all customer types through their decision and help them find a beer within their taste range. In some cases, experts may want the exact details on each beer, and the staff has to be prepared to give a comprehensive and articulate description of the selection. This also applies to food pairings, describing the brewing process, and making it an outstanding experience with a connection to the community.
The market only has so much room for craft breweries. Each new one has to find a niche in the market and balance it with the current demand in their city. They then have to be able to pivot in the marketplace by bringing in new specials to keep the market growing and to build a loyal customer base. It’s important to play into what your clientele likes. Distribution patterns need to be established right away and details as small as beer names need to be unique and make a splash.
With our broad range of brands and beverage types, Columbia Distributing has been helping businesses succeed for years. Contact us today to find out how we can help your local businesses thrive.