Past Newsletters
Vol. 5 No. 6
| Brewery | Beers Featured |
| Franconia Brewing Company | Bamberger Herren Pilsener |
| Portland Brewing Company | Icicle Creek Winter Ale |
| Ybor Brewing Company | Ybor Brown Ale |
Franconia Brewing Company
When it comes to beer, brewmaster Guy Hagner is an unwavering traditionalist. In accordance with the Bavarian beer-purity edict of 1516, only four ingredients are used in the making of his brewery's beers: hops, malt, water and yeast. It's a brewing process that he believes in so ardently, that there was one name that could have been chosen for the brewery: Franconia. No bigger than northeastern Pennsylvania, Franconia is a region in Northern Bavaria that is home to over 300 breweries. We're contemplating our business relocation as you read this newsletter! The Branberg section of Franconia so impressed Hagner with its beer, that the brewery imports all of its barley malts from the region.
Hagner said he first got interested in brewing 20 years ago. He spent time living abroad, traveling widely and studying in Germany. Whenever he met Americans traveling around Europe, the first question most asked him--an known avid beer drinker--was "why can't American beer taste this good?" Now, thanks in part to good folks like Guy, it does!
This month's selection from the brewery, Herren Pils, is brewed under license from the Keesmann Brewery, located in Bamberg, Germany. Guy notes, "This Pils offers a great balance between the richness of Continental barley malt and the generous use of German-grown Spalt hops," The Keesmann Brewery, founded in 1867, remains under the ownership of the Keesmann family.
Hagner negotiated an agreement with the Keesmann family to license production of Bamberger Herren Pils. Franconia has exclusive rights to brew and sell the beer in America. Keesmann had never before agreed to allow production of its venerable beer outside its brewery; it agreed to do so only after hearing Franconia's plans for a German brewhouse and strict adherence to traditional German brewing methods, mentioned above.
Serving Temperature: 40-45° F
Original Gravity: 11.8° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 35.0
Alcohol by Volume: 4.7%
You're in for a treat. Note a very nice deep Golden hue in this very traditional style German Pilsner. Brewed with all Bavarian malts, the richness of Continental barley is wonderfully balanced by the generous use of locally grown Spalt and Hallernan hops. We found both hops and malt prevalent in the nose which hints at a rich pale malt character. Look for a dry and clean maltiness up front with a moderately strong hop finish. This flavorful, medium-bodied, German-style Pilsener is rich in flavor and delicately balances its hop/malt profile. Very nicely done.
Portland Brewing Company
The Portland Brewing Co., which opened in 1986, makes five year-round beers and three seasonal ales, including the Icicle Ale, which is available November through January. The brewery started off small, producing just one beer, Portland Ale. But in 1993, the two founders, Fred Bowman and Art Larrance, expanded, bringing in classic copper brewing vessels and equipment from the Sixenbrau Brewery in Germany, effectively doubling their initial capacity. They also opened the BrewHouse Taproom and Grill, a 3,000-square-foot restaurant and tasting room. Now, the brewery has a capacity of 135,000 barrels a year. Its beers have consistently won gold, silver and bronze medals at contests both here and abroad.
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (503) 226-7623 or check out their web site at www.macsbeer.com.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 15.2° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 40.1
Alcohol by Volume: 5.62%
Icicle Creek Winter Ale, a Silver Medal winner at the World Beer Championships, is brewed to satisfy the taste buds and keep ya warm. It's brewed with serious quantities of malts and attenuates out with a fairly high alcohol content. Known for its nut-like caramel aroma, the ale is balanced nicely with a big dose of hops. To make the ale, the Portland brewers use two-row malt with three roasted malts. This combination produces a full-bodied ale, malty sweet, with a palpably nutty flavor. Three different hops are used for their bittering and aromatic qualities during the boil and Styrian Golding hops are used to dry hop this unique brew. An authentic English ale yeast is used which is a descendant of a strain that was used in England in the 1930s. Also, the water in Portland has a low mineral salt content, unlike the water normally used to brew ales. The brewers add gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) to harden the water, so that it is similar to the waters in England. The gypsum gives the ale a slightly drier taste, while also giving it a fuller body.
Ybor Brewing Company
Ybor City Brewing has rich history. The brewery's president, Humberto Perez, is a third-generation brewer whose grandfather founded one of the largest breweries in Venezuela, Cerveceria, some 70 years ago. And keeping with the Latin tradition, Ybor's brewery is located in a renovated cigar factory. In the late 1800s, Ybor City was the cigar capital of the world. Jose Martinez Ybor led the migration of the Cuban cigar industry to Ybor City in Tampa largely due to the city's able work force and as it offered a navigable port close to Cuba.
In 1922, Ybor City had 140 cigar makers within its borders. But soon, with the depression and the advent of automation, as well as the boom of American cigarettes, the hand-rolling cigar industry declined. The old cigar factories lay dormant for decades. In 1994, Ybor bought one of the grand old cigar warehouses, and turned it into a craft brewery. "There's no automation in the brewery," states head brewer Vince Palosi, "all the brewing is done by hand and manual labor. It's a brainchild of craft beer people who love their art."
For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (813) 242-9222.
Serving Temperature: 45-50° F
Original Gravity: 11.8° Plato
Final Gravity: N/A
Int'l Bittering Units: 20.0
Alcohol by Volume: 3.9%
Ybor's Brown is an English-style brown ale with a distinctively nutty, caramel flavor whose superiority has not gone unnoticed: The Ybor Brown Ale took the silver medal at the this year's World Beer Championships. Note that this Brown Ale has a lower alcohol level than most in that style which allows for more residual sugar to last through the brewing process. The resultant is the beer's sweet, coffee character. Palosi also adds a bit of chocolate malt to the brew, which adds a roasted chocolate flavor. Look for a medium-bodied beer, full-flavored but not overwhelming, one that can be consumed year round with a number of foods.
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Give Your Friends FREE Beer, Wine, Cheese, Chocolate,
Cigars & Flowers!
Through our Customer Appreciation Program
Your name has real value to your friends, co-workers, and family members! Every time a friend, family member, or anyone else you know joins any one of our clubs, [or gives a gift] for 3 months or longer, we'll give them 50% off of their first month, but only when they mention your name. And we'll also give you 50% off your next month too which can either be applied towards your current membership or you can try one of our other Clubs out! (We can add one more month to your order at 50% off for prepaid memberships!)
The Fine Print: Members giving gift memberships do not qualify for referral credits and you can't give yourself a gift to qualify! This Program is mutually exclusive of any other promotions.
Membership Q & A
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at home?
A: You should consider having our discrete box delivered to
your work location or to a neighbor 21 yrs. of age that can receive
it for you. As your shipment requires and adult signature to receive,
it's always best to ship it to a location where someone will be there
to receive it for you. The box is brown corrugated cardboard and doesn't
say "Beer" on it anywhere.
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A: Please call us prior to the 5th of the month to make all
account related information changes such as address changes, membership
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their memberships. Address changes made after that time may require
a repackaging and re-shipping charge of $12.00. Additionally, if your
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and don't stay a member for the entire term committed?
A: Not a problem. Although we want to do everything we can
to keep you as a member, we will allow you to cancel your subscription
early; however, you will be responsible to pay for the item that was
given to you as part of the promotion. If you received a discount
based on a specific term, the amount discounted will be charged to
your card.
