San Francisco – W.G. Barr Beverage Company, a new Bay Area startup, today announced the release of T.W. Pitchers’ Snake Bite, a bottled blend of beer and apple cider based on a popular British pub-mixed drink.

Wilson Barr and Tommy Hester, the founders of W.G. Barr Beverage Company, met at Williams College in 2007, where they were teammates on the Varsity baseball team. While at school, they found a shared interest in the burgeoning craft beer industry and began hatching plans to start their own beverage company. However, it wasn’t until Barr studied abroad and visited Great Britain that the friends’ concept started gaining traction.

“During my time in the U.K., I saw people at pubs ordering round after round of this mixture of lager and cider called Snake Bite,” says Barr. “It was flavorful, crisp, and really easy to drink. I quickly realized Snake Bite had the potential to be a successful beverage in the United States.”

Two years later, after crafting a business plan and spending many late nights taste testing, Barr and Hester are launching T.W. Pitchers’ Snake Bite, a new version of that British pub favorite bottled for the first time. Although their drink has just been introduced to bars and stores in the San Francisco Bay Area, the partners think Snake Bite can become a mainstay in Northern California and beyond.

“Our product is unique and one of the first beer cocktails on the market,” explains Hester. “We fill an exciting new niche in the industry.”

“Snake Bite will appeal to a wide range of people,” Barr adds. “Our blend lets you taste the characteristics of both the lager and the cider, making Snake Bite simultaneously balanced, refreshing, and very drinkable.”

Barr and Hester are introducing Snake Bite at a time when there has been substantial growth in the hard cider market. In 2012, U.S. hard cider sales grew 65 percent compared to the previous year and many industry experts believe growth will continue as new and innovative products like Snake Bite are introduced.*

T.W. Pitchers’ Snake Bite is available in San Francisco Bay Area bars and retail stores at a suggested price of $7.49 – $7.99 per 4-pack (12 oz. bottles). Snake Bite contains 5.1% alcohol by volume.

About W.G. Barr Beverage Company:

Founded in 2011 and based in San Francisco, W.G. Barr Beverage Company owns the T.W. Pitchers’ Snake Bite brand. It is privately held and committed to bringing consumers original, high quality beverages. For more information, please call (415) 999-2009 or visithttp://www.twpitchers.com.

LITTLETON, CO - This time it was Colorado’s Grand Valley Beer Festival…  While void of a “stout” category, the judges awarded their Dark Ale category’s Bronze Medal to Fuller’s London Black Cab Stout.  And as the newest member of Fuller’s award-winning, exclusively London-brewed portfolio, Fuller’s London Black Cab Stout continues to win consumer tastes and accolades wherever it is served.

Fuller’s Brewery has aptly named its new London Black Cab Stout as a tribute to London’s famous Black Cabs.   The Black Cabs represent London’s elite; only the most experienced, the most knowledgeable taxicab drivers in the world are allowed to drive these cabs.  London’s Black Cabs are earned and driven by only those who have passed the rigorous test, known simply as “The Knowledge.”   This most challenging of tests requires a minimum of three to five years of intense study and dedication.  It requires committing to memory every street, lane, courtyard, building, restaurant, pub, office, monument and park throughout all of greater London.  It requires a thorough understanding and instant recall per every venue, tradition and idiosyncrasy of the great City of London.  The vast majority fall short of Black Cab status, versus those very few, London’s finest, who have earned the right to serve London from a Black Cab.

Much like the traditions and impeccable standards of London’s elite Black Cabs, Fuller’s Brewery has dedicated its 168 years of award winning brewing knowledge to create Fuller’s London Black Cab Stout. With ABV of 4.2%, Fuller’s London Black Cab Stout’s multiple chocolate malts deliver rich, full flavors, then gives way to a delightfully creamy finish.  Upon the first taste, Fuller’s London Black Cab Stout transports our tastes back to the days when porters and stouts were the drink of choice.

Much like the Black Cabs in London, a single taste of Fuller’s Black Cab Stout will impress even the most critical of beer drinkers.  You’ll soon be turning all of your friends on to London’s best, Fuller’s London Black Cab Stout.  Cheers!

For more information on Fuller’s London Black Cab Stout, contact us at Fullers@paulanerhpusa.com

Shmaltz Brewing Debuts the Hops In HE’BREW Hoppy Variety Pack,
A Limited-Edition Seasonal 12-Pack Featuring Four Shmaltz Selections,
Including the First-Ever Lager in the HE’BREW Beer Line-up, David’s Slingshot Hoppy Summer Lager

Clifton Park, New York & Beyond! - June 17, 2013 - As craft beer continues to gain mainstream momentum, it is remarkably clear that beer drinkers love their brews hopped up. IPA’s are the most popular single beer style in the American craft beer market right now, and there is little indication that our desire for the bitter end in our brews is abating anytime soon. Shmaltz gives hopheads a reason to rejoice by introducing the Hops In HE’BREW Hoppy Variety Pack®, and the newest member of the HE’BREW® line-up – David’s Slingshot Hoppy Summer Lager®. In honor of David and his slingshot, Shmaltz raises its glass to the little guys who are making a BIG impact in the beer industry at large.Hops In HE’BREW Hoppy Variety Pack® (May – August 2013)

Giving new meaning to “adult education,” Shmaltz’s brand spanking new Hops In HE’BREW Hoppy Variety Pack® will have you memorizing this equation in no time: four hop-centric, 12 ounce beers in one Hoppy Variety Pack equals a very happy hophead. The Hops In HE’BREW Hoppy Variety Pack® is made up of Genesis Dry-Hopped Session Ale®, Hop Manna IPA®, Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.® and HE’BREW’s debut seasonal lager – David’s Slingshot Hoppy Summer Lager®. Variety packs are the spice of the craft beer world and the fourth most popular craft beer “style” in the country; combine the enthusiasm for variety packs with the fervor over hoppy beers and you have a match made in craft beer heaven — the Hops In HE’BREW Hoppy Variety Pack®. Please note that outside of the Hops In HE’BREW Hoppy Variety Pack®, David’s Slingshot® will only be available on draught nationally.

Scoring a Hop Victory With David’s Slingshot Hoppy Summer Lager® (May – August 2013)
Once upon a time a young shepherd named David defeated the Goliath summer lager market by using his slingshot to fling a cascade, saaz, summit, citra and crystal hop into a smooth, refreshing, seasonal brew. The result: a victorious, sessionable summer sensation with plenty of hoppy goodness, and a bit of rye on the finish. David’s hand-crafted slingshot will prove a beer-force to be reckoned with at any summer gathering. Look for HE’BREW’s® first lager on draft, or in 12 ounce bottles as part of the Hops In HE’BREW Hoppy Variety Pack® this summer.

“It’s fascinating how craft beer is surging while big beer companies are trying to catch up by marketing look-alike ‘craft’ beers,” says Jeremy Cowan, Proprietor of Shmaltz Brewing Company. “Craft brewers are now releasing a slew of 5% abv lagers and ales — true session beers — across their entire production in order to storm the shelves and taps held in the past so securely by the largest competitors. These fizzy golden beers perhaps appear similar to the largest mass produced distant relatives — but with a level of craftsmanship, detail, innovation found only in the small batches and risk taking of the family of passionate small business artisans. Our first HE’BREW® lager, David’s Slingshot, is our way of stepping into the action in mainstream settings — with an obvious signature Shmaltz style — our chosen shtick!”

About Shmaltz Brewing Company
Ranked in 2013 as one of the “Top 100 Brewers in the World” by RateBeer.com, Shmaltz won 9 Gold and 5 Silver Medals in the Word Beer Championships in 2012. A recipient of the “Distinguished Business Award” by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Shmaltz was also included in the “Top 50 Fastest Growing Bay Area Companies” by San Francisco Business Times.

Established in San Francisco in 1996 with the first batch of 100 cases of HE’BREW Beer® bottled, labeled, and delivered by hand, Shmaltz has sold more than ten million bottles of beer to date. Along with their acclaimed line of HE’BREW Beers®, Shmaltz introduced its sideshow-inspired Coney Island Craft Lagers® which celebrate the spirit of “America’s Playground.” Shmaltz offerings are available in more than 30 states through 35 wholesalers at more than 3,500 retail specialty shops across the U.S.

In 2010/11, Shmaltz proprietor Jeremy Cowan published his small business memoir, Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah: How It Took 13 Years, Extreme Jewish Brewing, and Circus Sideshow Freaks to Make Shmaltz Brewing Company an International Success. A free sampling of Chapter One and suggested beer pairings, can be viewed at www.craftbeerbarmitzvah.com.

With the opening of the “World’s Smallest Brewery” in Coney Island, NY (1-gallon at a time, since 2011), Cowan spearheaded the creation of the non-profit New York City Brewers Guild in 2012 and serves as its President.

After 16 years as one of contract brewing’s loudest cheerleaders, Shmaltz is breaking with tradition and opening its own New York State production brewery. Located in Clifton Park, NY, 10 minutes north of Albany’s capital district, Shmaltz’s new home boasts a 50-barrel brewhouse with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity. The heart of Shmaltz’s new operation features a custom-made, 5-vessel manual workhorse brewhouse as well as 8 fermentation and 2 bright beer tanks manufactured in the US from Oregon’s JV Northwest. The 120-bottle-per-minute packaging line comes from the well respected Italian experts at SBC/BC International. The new Shmaltz brewery will package 12 and 22 ounce bottles and kegs of their diverse core and seasonal favorites. The official, public grand opening bash will take place on Sunday, July 7, 2013.

Cowan recently appeared at the 2013 Craft Brewers Conference speaking about the transition from contract brewing to in house production as well as small batch brand strategies. He has also presented at the Great American Beer Festival, BevNet’s Brewbound conference, Beer Advocate’s Extreme Beer Festival, the Atlanta and the St. Louis Jewish Book Fairs, and the San Francisco and New York Jewish Museums.

Shmaltz Brewing beers have appeared in such distinguished media outlets as The New York Times, CNN Headline News, The Onion, Fox Business News, Beer Advocate Magazine, Celebrator Beer News, Ale Street News, NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” New York Magazine, Men’s Health, Playboy, Associated Press, Reuters, MSNBC, San Francisco Magazine, The Jerusalem Report, New York Jewish Week, Washington Post, MAXIM, Forbes.com, Smartmoney.com, Entrepreneur.com, Epicurious.com and BrewBound.com.

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From the label of David’s Slingshot Hoppy Summer Lager®

As a young shepherd, David famously vanquished the giant Goliath with a hand-crafted sling. Our modern anti-hero Bart Simpson clowns through childhood with a slingshot. Homer, Caesar, and Thucydides wrote of slings. The IRA, the Incans vs the Conquistadores, and Native Americans have all wielded this iconic weapon of the underdog. A low-status tool, ancient slings were rarely preserved in the tombs of the wealthy. Michelangelo’s David embodied resistance and epic beauty in the Renaissance. Slingshots meant merry mischief to Dennis the Menace, Calvin, Woody Woodpecker and the Beverly Hillbillies. A musician and poet, the teenage David rescued his sheep from the mouth of lions. The first to unite the entire nation of Israel, the lineage of the Messiah descends from him. In Samuel 17, rising to the boasts of a mighty enemy, David refused the armor and weapons of the King, instead proclaiming victory, “Not by my sword but by my Spirit.” David in Hebrew means “Beloved”. I am approaching the age that my dad, David, died when I was a teenager. A lifelong Special Ed teacher and summer Army reservist, he served as both loving mentor and affable prankster — a dedicated advocate for the underdog. In Alchemy, the Star of David equals the mystical union of male/female & earth/sky leading to nirvana. The 6-pointed Brewers Star blends fire, water, malt, yeast, hops, and the character of the brewer. In the spirit of a slew of Davids and Slingshots, Shmaltz hoists our tribute to the glory of Summer… L’Chaim!

From the label of Hop Manna®

In the book of Exodus, the ancient Hebrews survived 400 years of bondage before the ultimate supreme court dropped the 10 deadly Plagues on the land of the taskmasters and the head dictator, Pharaoh. Even then, only begrudgingly, did he Let My People Go. The freedom ride across, nay through the sea left a band of wandering nomads broke and suffering, no doubt with a profound hunger — and a mighty thirst. Enter the Manna: a glorious gift to nourish body and soul. Manna was said to combine the tastes of everything most delicious to each individual, depending on their desire. And as the Good Book says, Each shall gather according to one’s need and shall enjoy a double portion for thine chosen day of rest. Manna fed the entire tribe, but tradition suggests the righteous received manna ground in a heavenly mill, while the wicked had to grind it below for themselves. Hear o’ Tribe of Shmaltz — Behold: A celebration of the flower of the craft beer revolution! A golden opportunity to feed your inner hop head and rejoice in HOP MANNA, our newest delicacy of the modern He’brew Beer family. L’Chaim!

- Jeremy Cowan, proprietor

For more information, please visit: www.shmaltzbrewing.com

SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco Brewers Guild will be celebrating 10 years of Brews on the Bay aboard the historic S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien at Pier 45, Saturday, October 19th, from 12-5pm. Beer fans will enjoy over 50 different beers made by San Francisco breweries, while soaking up the salty air, sunshine, live music, food, and spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and San Francisco.

Brews on the Bay is one of the most unique beer festivals in the country. This year’s event is shaping up to be the biggest and best yet. Attendees can expect members of the San Francisco Brewers Guild to serve unlimited eight-ounce pours of their latest and greatest IPA, farmhouse ale, session beer, barrel-aged sour, imperial stout, and many other beer styles. The brewers will also be on hand to answer any questions about your favorite beers.

In addition to the local beer, Brews on the Bay will serve up local food and music. San Francisco’s best food trucks will line the pier and The Brothers Comatose will play their lively roots music on the ship’s deck.

The S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien is a historical landmark from the World War II Merchant Marine era, and a portion of festival proceeds will benefit the National Liberty Ship Memorial. Brews on the Bay tickets will go on sale August 5th at 10:00am. For the latest event updates, follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

About:

The San Francisco Brewers Guild is a non-profit 501(c)(6) founded in 2004, whose mission is to unite those who make local beer with those who love it, and revive the vibrant heritage of beer brewing in the city. Together they organize and sponsor two annual events, SF Beer Week and Brews on the Bay. The fifteen member breweries include: 21st Amendment Brewery, Almanac Beer Company, Anchor Brewing, the Beach Chalet Restaurant & Brewery, Cervecería de MateVeza, Magnolia Gastropub & Brewery, Pacific Brewing Laboratory, Pizza Orgasmica & Brewing Company, Social Kitchen & Brewery, Southern Pacific Brewing, Pine Street Brewery, Southpaw BBQ, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, ThirstyBear Brewing Company and Triple Voodoo Brewing.