Mac's Magic Pyramid #9

From BusinessWire.com:

SEATTLE & SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pyramid Breweries Inc. (NASDAQ: PMID) (“Pyramid”) and Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center, Inc. (“Magic Hat”) today announced the execution of a Letter of Intent (“Letter of Intent”), which contemplates a transaction by which Magic Hat will acquire Pyramid, through an agreed all-cash tender offer and subsequent merger, at $2.75 per share of Pyramid common stock on a fully-diluted basis.

The proposed transaction is subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive merger agreement. The merger agreement will provide for a first-step tender offer for outstanding Pyramid shares by an acquisition entity wholly owned by Magic Hat, to be conditioned upon the acquisition of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding shares of Pyramid. The tender offer, if consummated, will be followed by a merger of Magic Hat’s acquisition entity with and into Pyramid. The proposed transaction is also subject to the satisfactory completion of a due diligence review by Magic Hat of the business, financial and legal affairs of Pyramid, and receipt of necessary consents and approvals of regulatory agencies and third parties.

I never would have predicted this, but it makes perfect sense. Other than both breweries having "apricot wheat beers" in their portfolios, there's surprising little overlap, so they're both in a good position to expand into one another's territories without too much fear of cannibalizing shelf space or sales. More to come as the story develops...

New Arrivals and Event Notices

It's always a pleasant surprise when something arrives when we're told to expect it, so I was pretty darn pleased when the Laurelwood Green Elephant and Bridgeport's Stumptown Tart both rolled off the trucks this morning. Throw in a couple of new lagers and you've got a nice list of stuff to drink this weekend.

New Beers!

Laurelwood - Green Elephant: Mmmm....Green Elephant. Big, crisp, and chock full of citrusy, floral goodness. This is my second favorite IPA from the 'Wood, right behind the delicious Workhorse. As I mentioned yesterday, they only bottled a couple hundred cases, so snag some while you can.

Bridgeport - Stumptown Tart: Much has already been written about the Tart, so I'll let Angelo, Jeff, and John wax poetic about the brew. All I'd like to add is that I'm amazed how inexpensive it is. At 8%abv and loaded with marionberries, I didn't expect it to hit the shelf at less than $5 per 22oz bottle, but here it is. People keep asking me, "How long will it age?", and even though I'm sure it's got some staying power I'd wager that the good folks at Bridgeport would prefer you drink it fresh and soak up all the marionberry goodness.

Mt Shasta - Lemurian Lager: Given the recent trouble that Mt. Shasta has been having with the TTB, I just shook my head and grinned when their new Lemurian Lager came in this morning. Printed in 80pt block font on the front of the label is the word WEED, and on the back side there's a curious little story about the mythical creatures that inhabit the wilds of Mt. Shasta. Cap it all off with an enthusiastic recommendation to "Celebrate Weed!" and you begin to see why they've run afoul of our ever-protective government. In any case, the beer is brand-spanking new, so there's not much info to pass on until we have a chance to try one. Show the TTB what you think of their decision and go "Try LEGAL Weed!"

Lakefront - Cherry Lager: Light and smooth, the Lakefront Cherry Lager is loaded with essence of Door County Cherries for a nice tart balance. If it ever warms up around here, this will make a nice afternoon sipper while you sit on the porch. If current trends continue it'll make a nice beer to sip while you sit on the couch and wonder why your PGE bill is so high...

Event Notices:

Hair of the Dog Earth Day Sale: Twice a year Alan Sprints opens up his brewery to the public for a dock sale, and the Earth Day sale is always popular. He'll have a fresh batch of Blue Dot IPA, a couple hundred cases of Fred From the Wood, and probably an assortment of other vintage offerings (Doggie Claws, Rose Cassis?) as well. The official start time is 10am, but get there early or you'll be standing in line for a while. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m, Saturday April 26th at the brewery, 4509 S.E. 23rd Ave

Concordia Alehouse Beer Brawl: I'm going to pass this one off to Mr. Foyston again because he's already given a more in-depth description than I could have. Taste the best that Oregon and Washington have to offer, and vote on your favorites. Starts 11:30 a.m. Friday, runs through Sunday at the Concordia Ale House: 3276 NE Killingsworth St.; $10 per taster tray, $20 with a cool commemorative t-shirt.

New Arrivals For Tuesday April 22, 2008

This is perhaps the slowest time of year for new beers. Other than a trickle of summer seasonals from the bigger craft brewers, there's not much of interest being released. In the meantime I've been exploring the wonderful world of sake. Look for our selection (now hovering around 25 hand-selected varieties) to expand as we continue our never-ending quest to bring you the finest libations we can.

New Beers:

Malheur Brut Reserve - This strong golden ale undergoes "methode champenoise" to produce a high level of carbonation and a dense head of tiny bubbles. Aromas of citrus fruit, light floral notes, and nutty malt lead into a cleanly malty, effervescent body before coalescing in a long, dry finish.

Lagunitas Lucky 13 - Brewed to celebrate their 13th anniversary, the Lucky 13 is is hoppy, red, and delicious. C'mon, it's Lagunitas, what more do you need to know?

HeBrew Rejewvenator - HeBrew has declared this "The Year of the Fig", and to celebrate the occasion they've released the Rejewvenator, and dark malty brew loaded with fig juice.

Alaskan Summer - Alaskan Summer Ale balances a softly malted palate with the clean freshness of Hallertauer hops. In the tradition of the style, neither overpowers the other. Both hops and malt come together to refresh and renew the palate. The straw-gold color and easy drinkability are an enjoyable way to celebrate summer.


New Sakes:

Zen Tokubetsu Junmai - As the name implies, Zen is balanced. Clean and smooth with notes of peaches and rice milk. Just dry enough to encourage you to take another sip or two.

Itami Onigoroshi - This is about as dry as sake gets. Subtle fruit and floral notes linger on the palate for several minutes after each sip.

Yuri Masamune - This off-dry sake starts with aromas of alcohol and flowers. The fruity, off-dry flavors blend into a woodsy, earthy finish. Great value for the price.

Momokawa Sake Sampler - This is a great way to introduce yourself (or your friends) to the wonderful world of sake. One bottle each of Momokawa Silver (off-dry junmai), Momokawa Diamond (dry junmai), Momokawa Pearl (genshu nigori), and Moonstone Plum (fruit-infused sake) are included in the set. Grab some sashimi and expand your horizons with Japan's ancient beverage.

Not really new, but worth mentioning: The Greene King Abbott Ale and Wexford Cream Ale have finally returned. Many customers lamented the loss of these two pub cans when they disappeared from our shelves a few months ago, but they've finally found their way back into our coolers.

Upcoming releases to watch out for: Stumptown Tart, Bridgeport's first fruit beer, is a Belgian-style ale infused with tons (literally) of Oregon Marionberries. Look for it to hit the shelves late this week. The next 22oz special release from Laurelwood is also due in this Friday, and this is likely to be the fastest-selling one thus far because it's their incredibly delicious Green Elephant IPA. They're only bottling a couple hundred cases, so snag it while you can.

I think that's it for today, but don't forget about our toast to Vasili happening tomorrow night!

Vasili's Tasting Notes For Wednesday's Tasting

Vasili was kind enough to provide some insight into the beers we'll be pouring on Wednesday, April 24th. The following was slightly edited for readability, but otherwise everything is straight from the horse's mouth.

Redrum (7.2%abv, 25IBUs): This beer debuted at Portland’s Cheers To Belgian Beers 2008. Made with wort from the Jeremiah Red and fermented using the famed “La Chouffe” yeast strain. Nice and spicy with dark fruity flavors.

Grand Cru 2008 (10%abv): A spiced tripel, modeled after our champion Belgian strong ale from 2002. This batch fermented faster than any beer I’ve ever brewed, but without the “higher alcohols” known for causing headaches.

Enfant Terrible (~7.8%abv): This brew began life as the unblended base beer from our 2007 OBF entry which was racked into clean whiskey barrels and fermented with a lambic yeast/bacteria blend. It’s well attenuated and has become quite funky over the last year.

IPA (~7%abv): I like to make drastically different IPA’s every chance I get, and this is the most recent experiment. A classic northwest-style IPA, loaded with local hops. I made this for my wife who loves red, bitter beers.

Comet (9%abv): Crafted using a one year old pale barleywine as the base, this beer was “built” with additions from our Jeremiah Red, IPA, and just a touch of Chocolate Stout. This hoppy winter warmer debuted at the 2007 Holiday Ale Festival.

Chocolate Stout (5.5%abv): A delicious stout made with a couple additions of organic dark cocoa nibs. It’s silky and smooth, with dark chocolate aromas and a great body.

For what it's worth, we put the IPA on tap yesterday, and it's been getting great reviews so far. We encourage everyone to stop down, toast Vasili, and wish him well in his new position at Rock Bottom.

Speaking of Rock Bottom, brewpub chains aren't typically known for pushing the envelope, but Van Havig has been quietly crafting some great "under the radar" beers for the last couple years now. With Vasili joining him I expect more great beer (Ned Flanders, PLEASE!?!) to come rolling out of this under-rated brewery in the near future.

FredFest 2008

The formal press release went out last night, so I don't have to keep quiet any longer. If you were in attendance last year you know this is Portland's best little beer fest. If you weren't there last year this is your chance to sample some incredible beers in the company of 200 of the biggest beer geeks and industry folk in Portland. Tickets are extremely limited, and if the beer list shapes up like last years' (Full Sail Black Gold, cask-conditioned HOTD Fred, Raccoon Lodge Sour Raspberry...) it'll assuredly sell out before the day of the event. Here's the official word:

FredFest 2008 Honors Memory of Michael Jackson

PORTLAND, Ore. — What started as a surprise 80th birthday party for world-renowned beer writer Fred Eckhardt is coming back around in its third year as a fundraiser in the memory of fellow beer scribe, Michael Jackson, also known as the Beer Hunter.

More than 15 rare and unique beers created by some of Oregon's most celebrated breweries will be on tap at FredFest 2008. The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 -- the actual date of Eckhardt's 82nd birthday -- at Hair of the Dog Brewing, 4509 SE 23rd Avenue in Portland.

The beer menu is still being firmed up, but brewers are promising to pony up something special for the event. The number of beers for FredFest will increase from last year, according to co-organizer and chief beer wrangler Preston Weesner. Some of the breweries that already have committed to the event include: Hair of the Dog (with a special keg of Jim 07), BridgePort, Deschutes, Widmer, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Rogue and Firestone Walker.

Attendees will be treated not only to a rare assortment of hand-selected beers, but also light fare including pastrami cured with Hair of the Dog Fred ale and a birthday cake -- complete with a round of "Happy Birthday" -- for Eckhardt. Cheeses, chocolate, candy and even cereal will be offered in abundance so attendees can experience some of Eckhardt's famed beer-and-food pairings.

Cost for the event is $50 in advance and includes a souvenir glass, free ticket for a raffle of bottled specialty beers and four hours' of sampling, sipping and story-telling with Eckhardt. Admission is limited to 200 attendees. Judging from previous years, the event is expected to sell out quickly. Tickets are available through Pay-Pal. E-mail fredfest@comcast.net to purchase tickets.

Additionally, this year, a silent auction featuring bottles of rare beers running in conjunction with FredFest, allowing Fred fans across the country to be a part of Eckhardt's birthday and the FredFest celebration and fundraiser.

As always, proceeds from FredFest and the related online auction will go to a charity of Eckhardt's choice. This year, Eckhardt named Parkinson's Resources of Oregon, the local affiliate chapter of the National Parkinson Foundation, as the featured charity in memory of his longtime friend and fellow beer writer Michael Jackson, who died in 2007 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Apologies in advance for any wierd formatting issues, blogger is acting strangely today...

New Belgium Set To Unveil Fat Tire Cans

From 9news.com:

DENVER (AP) - This summer, Colorado's New Belgium Brewing Co. plans to offer its flagship Fat Tire Amber Ale from something other than the tap or a glass bottle: an aluminum can.

It looks like outdoor enthusiasts will soon have one more option for tasty "river beer" in the not-to-distant future. There's no word as to when they'll be available, but my source told me it's unlikely that we'll see them in Oregon until later this year.

One other interesting tidbit from the article caught my eye:

The Fat Tire that comes in cans will be "can-conditioned" with live yeast, so its flavor should not be affected, he said. Despite popular perceptions about canned beer, the company's taste tests show the canned version tastes the same as the bottled brew.

With the recent surge in canned craft beers there's been discussion on the various beer geek sites regarding the feasibility of can-conditioning, and this seems to be a definitive answer to that question. I doubt this'll never happen, but the dreamer in me can't help but fantasize about floating down a river while sipping on cans of La Folie.

Mark my words, it's just a matter of time before someone comes out with a can-conditioned bourbon barrel aged imperial stout, and I look forward to that day. I think a certain brewery in Ashland could have some fun with that...

BridgePort Brewing Company to Release Its Inaugural Fruit Ale

By Angelo De Ieso II

On April 24, 2008, Oregon’s oldest craft brewery, BridgePort will release the Stumptown Tart—a Belgian ale aged in pinot noir barrels and blended with a healthy amount of fresh Oregon marion berries. BridgePort brewmaster Karl Ockert says of the Tart “I’ve never done a beer like this. Period.” The base beer for the Tart was a Belgian golden ale that finished at about 8% ABV. “We split off about a third of that and we went to Carlton Wine Studio and picked up 23 French oak casks.




On April 3rd, with the other two-thirds Ockert and company employed 2,000 pounds of Oregon marion berries and refermented with the fruit. They then blended the two with yeast and sugar for bottle fermentation. The beer was bottled on April 7th. The Stumptown Tart is a bold, extreme beer for which Ockert is realistic. “It’s an expensive beer to produce. We may never do this again.” He also recommends tasting the beer sooner than later. “It should age fairly well, but the fresh fruit character will be lost over time. It’s probably best to enjoy over the summertime and move on.” “We’re bottling up 1,800 cases (of 22-ouncers) and hoping to sell it throughout the summer” says Ockert. “I’m not sure if we’ll need any more or not.”






So what was the inspiration behind this innovative new brew? “I’ve always been impressed with a good friend of mine in New Glarus, Wisconsin named Dan Carey who makes something called the New Glarus Red” explains Ockert. “It’s a really great Belgian cherry red ale with a really delicious little tart, sour finish to it. So I wanted to do something like that. So, I emailed him to ask him how to do that. And he promptly emailed back and said, ‘I’ll tell you about anything else in the brewery, but I won’t tell you how I make New Glarus Belgian reds.’ So I kind of came up with this one on my own.”









BridgePort’s Stumptown Tart ale will be made available following it release party at the BridgePort brewpub and bakery at 1313 NW Marshall St. in Portland, Oregon on April 24, 2008 from 5pm-8pm. Bernie Dexter, the model who appears on the bottle’s label with also be present at the kickoff to sign labels. This is a free event.

Sam Adams Recall

From the Boston Herald:

The Boston Beer Co. issued the recall following what it called routine quality-control inspections that revealed defects in some bottles used at its Cincinnati brewery. The bottles, manufactured by an unnamed third-party supplier, “might cause small bits of glass to break off and possibly fall into the bottle.”

The Boston-based company said it so far has not received any reports of consumer injuries related to the bottles, which are embossed with the letter “N,” followed by the number “35” and the letters “OI”.

This is a rough situation for any company, but I'm glad to see them taking proactive measures to correct it. This is breaking news that hadn't even reached the distributor yet, but when I find out more I'll be sure to post it. In the meantime Boston Beer Company has urged consumers to call Boston Beer at 1-888-674-5159 for more information or access its recall Web site at http://consumerinfo.samadams.com

Photo Credit: Samadams.com

New Arrivals For Friday April 4, 2007

Someone pointed out that I hadn't posted anything since last month, but unfortunately I haven't been feeling the writing groove lately (and thus, no ranting and raving), and to be honest there hasn't been much in the way of new arrivals. That all changed today when we got several new beers, including 5 from from Snoqualmie Falls Brewing in Washington that have never been distributed in Oregon before.


New Imports:

Gouden Carolus - Triple: We've had this on tap a couple of times in the BierCafe, and it's always been well received, so I was pretty thrilled when they finally decided to bring in the bottles. Clear golden color, and topped with a billowy white head, this brew is almost as pleasant to look at as it is to drink. Fruity yeast character, light bready malts, and a long spicy finish characterize this beautifully made triple. One ratebeerian commented that it pairs well with Tillamook cheddar, and it would probably make a great accompaniment to most other "non-stinky" cheeses as well.

DeProef - Signature Ale: This strong, spicy/sweet ale is a collaboration between Tomme Arthur (Port/Lost Abbey) and Dirk Naudts (De Proef) that seeks to harness the best of both worlds. Tropical fruits and spices greet the nose at first whiff and carry through to the flavor where they're met by smooth maltyness on their way to a west coast-style hoppy finish. This was one of the highlights of last years' Portland International Beerfest, and we're excited to finally have bottles in stock.

Krait - Prestige: A champagne-style lager, brewed in Poland and re-fermented in Belgium? Hmmm...we'll just have to wait and see about this one...


New Craft Brews:

Midnight Sun - Obliteration III: This beer didn't even exist on Ratebeer.com until I added it this morning, so if you've always wanted to be first at something this is your chance. No one here has tried it yet (is it 5pm yet?), but I'll go out on a limb and say that it's probably going to tear your palate apart with hops. If it's anything like the Obliteration II it'll give the Moylan's Hopsickle a run for it's money in the "over the top" department. If you want balance, look elsewhere. If you want HOPS, look no further. There were only about 40 cases delivered to Oregon, and we only got 5, so keep your eyes peeled or you'll miss it.

Lang Creek - Cherry Porter: This was pretty darn popular when we had the folks from Lang Creek in for a beer tasting last month, and it's easy to see why; a blast of cherry flavor is tempered by subtle chocolate notes and just a hint of smokiness. This is a short-run seasonal, so get it while it lasts.

Mendocino Brewing - Spring Bock: This one is brand-spanking new, so I'll let the brewery describe it: "Our Limited Edition Spring Seasonal is a rich, malty full bodied pale bock with a golden hue. Our bock is brewed with a blend of noble hops and the finest malts for a unique drinking sensation."

Snoqualmie Falls - Wildcat IPA: Description coming soon. Click the link for ratebeer reviews.

Snoqualmie Falls - Copperhead Pale: Description coming soon. Click the link for ratebeer reviews.

Snoqualmie Falls - Steam Train Porter: Description coming soon. Click the link for ratebeer reviews.

Snoqualmie Falls - Spring Fever Grand Cru: Description coming soon. Click the link for ratebeer reviews.

Snoqualmie Falls - PGA (Perfectly Great Amber): Description coming soon. Click the link for ratebeer reviews.

I think that's it for new beer today, but since I've got your attention I might as well mention some other tidbits of information.

The BierCafe:

The BierCafe celebrated its first birthday yesterday, and what an interesting first year it was. We had numerous tastings and "Meet the Brewer" events, our first mini-festival (PuckerFest!), and more amazing beer on tap than we could count including The Abyss (twice), New Belgium La Folie, Bear Republic Racer X, Cantillon Iris, Bridgeport Hop Harvest from a firkin, DuPont Avec Le Bon Voeux, and some of the very first kegs from Double Mountain.

Speaking of draught beer, the BierCafe has a really nice line-up right now; Avery Maharaja Imperial IPA, Collaborator (Widmer) ALTimate, Six Rivers Kona Porter, and Steelhead Bombay Bomber IPA.

Stay tuned, we've got plenty of things in store for year two; more taps (at least 10!), more events, more tastings, more "flight nights", and our second annual tribute to all things sour and funky - PuckerFest 2.

One more Public Service Announcement and then I'm done:

Cheers To Belgian Beers! - This years' event is taking place at Roots Brewing because they won the people' choice vote last year, and despite what you may have read elsewhere the event starts at 3pm. I know that most of the blogs and such have it listed as 12-11 (or 12-9), but I just called the brewery and confirmed with start time with them. That being said, they're open for lunch, and I'm sure they'd be happy to serve you one of their delicious beers, but don't expect to start dissecting the Belgians quite so early.

I feel like I'm forgetting something, but I can't figure out what. Oh well, it couldn't be that important...