Watch Tomme at Brewbound's Craft Beer Sesion Live Today

Beverage Industry publisher Bevnet opens their winter conference today with a special conference segment dedicated to the craft beer business. The eponymously named Craft Beer Session includes speakers, education and networking opportunities for folks starting their own breweries. Among the panelists at the session will be our own Tomme Arthur who, along with the Bruery's Benjamin Weiss and a couple members of the design community, will be discussing branding and packaging.According to the Bevnet website, the Los Angeles-based conference is sold out, but they're offering a free live webcast for anyone who wants to watch. Tomme's scheduled to speak a little after 4pm Pacific time, so if you'd like to tune in, you can here: http://livestream.com/bevnetcom.If you're interested in seeing what the other topics and speakers are, you can see the full conference agenda here: http://www.brewbound.com/conference.

Commercial Conclave Competition

How often is it you're sitting around with friends enjoying a great beer when a great idea for a beer commercial strikes? (If your answer is "never", you're drinking the wrong beer.) Well, here's your opportunity to put that creativity to work and possibly win a trip to San Diego to go on set and help bring your commercial concept to life!In early 2012 we'll be filming our first broadcast-ready commercial, and we're looking to our Faithful Followers to tell us how they'd introduce our brewery and its products to those who've yet to be enlightened. To help stimulate everyone's creativity we're holding a competition all December long for the best commercial concept! Judged by our in-house Conclave, three winners will receive Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey merchandise and wearbles. And our Grand Prize winner will be coming to San Diego!Grand prizeAn all expenses-paid two-day trip to San Diego, V.I.P. status at Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey and go on set to film the commercial with our acclaimed in-house director, Ryan Tillotson and his production crew!

The Rules

• Idea submissions may be as simple as a few lines describing the overall concept, or as detailed as a complete script with action and dialogue. (Length is up to you, but the more details the better.)
• Concept submissions can be for both or either brands (Port Brewing, The Lost Abbey) The subject matter can be for the brand or a specific beer.
• Submitted concepts must be unique, original and yours. (Plagiarism is bad)
• Submit as many concepts as you like, but each concept must be submitted individually. Multiple submissions of the same concept will be disqualified.
• Concepts must be submitted by 11:59:59 PM Pacific Time on December 31, 2011.

How we'll be judging

• Concepts will be judged by a wholly subjective and very opinionated Conclave of Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey Cardinals (aka: employees).
• Judging criteria include but are not limited to originality, cleverness, brand/product representation, budget requirements and feasibility.
• Winners will be notified the week of January 16, 2012. (Look for the white puff of smoke from the east end of the Abbey.)

If you're ready to submit your concept for consideration, Click here to enter!

The Fine Print

Entrants must be 21 years or older as of December 1, 2011. Employees of Port Brewing Company and their family members are not eligible to enter. All concepts submitted for consideration become the property of Port Brewing. Winners agree to have their likeness used in Port Brewing marketing and media materials.

Boos N' Brews 2011

Photos and a video from our annual Boos N' Brews night.

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Live Broadcast from Lost Abbey Barrel Night

Okay, so you weren't able to land tickets to our annual Barrel Party Night. No worries, because we've got the next best thing -- a live streaming broadcast from the party! Our oh-so suave host, Andy Killion, and The Lost Abbey Camera crew will be there to bring you all faces, food, fun (and, of course, barrel-aged beers) as it happens!

Check out the promo spot

Tune in Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 7pm PDT:

• http://www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.com/tasting-room/live-broadcasts/

Boos n' Brews Night 2011

It's that time again! Sharpen your carving knife and have your pumpkin goop scooper at the ready because it's Boos n' Brews night at The Lost Abbey!Join us in the tasting room for fresh Port / Lost Abbey beers and whole lot of really creative pumpkin carving as we get ready to ward off the evil spritis on All Hallows Eve Monday. A family-friendly occassion, you can bring your own pumpkin or pick one up at the brewery!The carving starts at 5pm - pumpkins are free, but in limited supply, so get there early if you’re feeling crafty with the squash. Beers are all our regular (very reasonable) prices.The Details:

• What: Boos n’ Brews Night at Lost Abbey
• When: Friday, October 28, 2011 – 4pm to 9pm
• Where: The Lost Abbey / Port Brewing
• How Much: Free!

Check out photos from our previous Boos n' Brews Nights:

Boos n' Brews 2010

Boos n' Brews 2009

5th Annual Barrel Party Night

Join us as we once again delve into our legendary barrel archives for a one-of-a-kind exploration into the mysteries of The Oak.

Limited to 125 people, guests will be treated to an intimate evening of rare beers paired with hors d' oeuvres prepared by our Abbey chefs-in-residence. Each guest will also receive a bottle of our extremely limited Veritas 010 release.

The Details

• What: Lost Abbey Annual Barrel Night 2011
• When: Saturday, November 5, 2011 - 7pm to 10pm
• Where: The Lost Abbey / Port Brewing, San Marcos, San Diego County, CA
• How Much: $80 per each; $150 for a pair

Tickets go on sale October 5, 2011 at 12pm PDT and must be purchased online.

• Click here to purchase tickets SOLD OUT

Tickets for last year's event sold out very quickly, so make sure to purchase tickets early!

What We're Pouring at GABF

The Great American Beer Festival is upon us! The 2011 national beer championship begins this evening in Denver, Colorado and the Port/Lost Abbey crew will be out in force. If you're attending the event, here's what we'll be pouring:

Port Brewing

• Hop 15
• Hot Rocks
• Mongo
• Wipeout

The Lost Abbey

• Carnevale
• Framboise de Amorosa
• Red Poppy
• The Angel’s Share (Bourbon Barrel-aged)
• Veritas 008

If you get a chance, make sure to drop by and say hello. We're on the Pacific aisle between the Pizza Ports' and Russian River's booths!

Fresh Hops in Yakima, Washington for Port Brewing's High Tide

These photos are from one of Tomme's trips to Yakima, Washington.  With our High Tide release right around the corner we thought you'd be interested in seeing where the hops for the beer come from and how they are harvested and packed.  Pretty interesting stuff.[nggallery id=37]

2011 Beer for Boobs Fundraiser

Port Brewing & The Lost Abbey will once again be hosting an annual Beer for Boobs fundraising event in support of the Susan G. Komen philanthropic trust and The 3 Day event to help find a cure for breast cancer.Details:$10 gets you you a commemorative Beer for Boobs pint glass and two pints of any Lost Abbey or Port Brewing beer on tap.Beer for Boobs is the brainchild of our friends at White Labs who will be walking the 60 miles of The 3 Day walk for a cure in November. All proceeds from the evening will go to benefit the Susan G. Komen philanthropic trust.Who should attend:Anyone who has breasts, knows someone who has breasts, or supports breasts in any way shape or form.See you there!

Photos from the 2011 Pre-Stone Anniversary Breakfast

Last Saturday's pre-Stone Anniversary breakfast was our biggest ever with a little more than 500 people or so turning out to nosh on lots of hot and hearty foods before a day of celebrating Stone's 15th birthday across the highway at Cal State San Marcos. Thanks to all of you who dropped by to say hello. And to those who didn't, sorry we missed you!Here's a few photos from the day's events for your viewing pleasure.[nggallery id=35]

Christmas in July Video

Yeah, it's August, but what the heck -- it takes a little time to put these things together. Below is a quick video re-cap of the event deftly captured by our in-house director Ryan and hosted by Andy "MetromixSD" Killion.Thanks to all the others who helped put the video together: editor Ryan Girkins, audio mixer Kyle Thompson, and musicians, the Dolbies. And, of course, all of you who attended and helped make it a great event and fundraiser for the Toys for Tots foundation.See you all next year!

Lost Abbey to Stone Anniversary without a Car

So you're going to the Stone Brewing 15th Anniversary celebration at Cal State San Marcos on Saturday, and you'd like to drop by Lost Abbey to enjoy a hearty breakfast and perhaps a beer or two before you head off to attend your Session.Problem is, you really don't want to deal with the hassles of driving between the two locations.Good news. You don't have to.The Lost Abbey is actually very close to the party's location at Cal state San Marcos (a mere 4,800 ft as the crow flies), and there's a number of options including the train, bike trails and walking paths that are just about as quick as driving your car between places. Here's how to get there from here (or vice versa) without climbing in a car:

The Train

One of the best kept secrets around here is the Sprinter -- the light rail system that runs between Oceanside on the coast, and Escondido inland. You can hop on the train at San Marcos city center (Lost Abbey's station) and off it again 3 minutes later at Cal State San Marcos (for the festival). The Sprinter is also bike friendly, so if you'd rather pedal than hoof it, you can.Lost Abbey is a few minute(s) walk from the San Marcos City Center station, as is the Cal State San Marcos station from the festival. With a bike it's less than half that time.Trains run once an hour and the fare is $2 each way, or you can buy a $5 round trip pass that will take you from Oceanside to Escondido and back again (very convenient if you'd rather leave your car at the transit station or if you're going all train via the Coaster, MetroLink or Amtrak).Tip: Take the Inland Rail Trail (it's on the map) to/from Sprinter and Lost Abbey. The trail avoids the street lights and a steep hill, so you'll travel all that much quicker.MAP: Travel via the Sprinter
View Lost Abbey to Stone 14th in a larger map

Walking / Biking

If you're into the whole human-powered thing, it's still pretty easy to go between Lost Abbey and the Anniversary Party just using your feet or a bike. (The distance is actually shorter than driving because you can cut through the parking lots and use the sidewalks and bike paths to avoid car routes.) If you're driving and then hoofing/pedaling, make sure to park your car at Cal State San Marcos early and roll down the hill to Lost Abbey. You can have breakfast and burn a few carbs going back to the Stone event. When your Session is over your car will be waiting nearby.Tip: Cut through the Old Spaghetti Factory / LA Fitness parking lot between Twin Oaks & Rancheros (it's on the map). Cars have to drive around it, but you'll cut 1/2 a mile off your trip each way.MAP: Travel via foot or bike
View Larger Map

2011 Pre-Stone Anniversary Breakfast

Join The Lost Abbey / Port Brewing crew for our annual pre-Stone Brewing Anniversary brunch on August 20, 2011 from 8:30 am to 11:00 am.As always, we’ll be frying, griddling, baking and boiling a hearty, 5 star breakfast that should be the start of every great craft beer celebration. The menu includes eggs, potatoes, pancakes and plenty of tasty pork-based meats -- all perfect for pairing with our epic tap list of award-winning beers. Best of all, breakfast is free and the beer (a very reasonable) regular price.Doors open at 8:30am to give you plenty of time to carbo-load before heading up the hill to the Stone party.Bring your appetite and see you there!

Santa photos from Christmas in July 2011

This year's Christmas in July was once again a great success! Because of your generosity, we collected over 800 toys and nearly $5,000 in cash donations, so a lot of kids who might have gone without this holiday season are going to have a merry Christmas after all.Below are the photos with Santa. If you're pictured and would like to download the photo, simply click your photo thumbnail to enlarge the image, then right click and select "save as" to download the photo. (Please note that these photos are quite large so downloading may take a moment.)Thanks again to everyone who attended and made the event what it was. Merry Christmas to all![nggallery id=16][nggallery id=17]

Christmas in July Celebration & Fundraiser 2011

Our annual party to benefit the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots Foundation!Update (July 13, 2011): See below for updated schedule of events.Join us for a day of Christmastime festivities, great food, beer and music to celebrate the release of bourbon barrel-aged Santa's Little Helper and to collect toys and cash to benefit the Marine Corp's Toys for Tots foundation. Last year we raised over $10,000 in toys and cash donations -- this year we're trying to beat that!

Events on tap:

Beer releases: 2011 Bourbon Barrel-aged Santa's Little Helper - 22oz bottles; Release day only: $12 ea . Regularly: $15 ea. ; 4 bottle limit. (Yes, this beer will reach our distribution network in limited quantities.)Food & Beer: Food - We're doing a real Christmas meal! We'll be serving fresh smoked turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, yams, fresh-baked rolls and dessert On Tap - All of The Lost Abbey & Port Brewing's regular 21 tap line-up, plus a few secret specialties (more on those as we approach the event...)Activities:A Visit from St. NickSanta Claus loves to visit us while he's on vacation in San Diego! He'll be dropping by the brewery from 12pm - 5pm so you can get you, your friends' and family professionally photographed with him in the Barrel Room.Live WebcastWe'll be doing a live web broadcast -- this time from a platform high above the tasting room floor where our intrepid Anchor, Andy Killion, will cover the festivities. If you're not able to attend, you'll be able to watch the broadcast from your computer, tablet or smartphone via our brewcam page here*.* Download the Ustream Smartphone app for Android and iPhone here.Live MusicTwo bands! The Firkins and The ProfessorsToys for Tots toy drive and fundraiser

• Toy Drive -- Bring a new, unwrapped toy valued at $15 or more to benefit Toys for Tots

• Giving Tree - Make an additional $15 cash donation to Toys for Tots (above & beyond the unwrapped toy) and you get to select a gift from the Christmas Tree. Gifts will include rare bottles, Port Brewing & Lost Abbey gear and tickets to our legendary Barrel Night during San Diego Beer Week.

The Details:

• When: Saturday, July 16, 2011; 12pm to 7pm.
• Where: The Lost Abbey/Port Brewing, San Marcos, San Diego County, CA
• How Much: Photos with Santa, music, food and entertainment are all FREE when you bring a a new, unwrapped toy valued at $15. No toy? That's okay. Give a $15 cash donation to Toys for Tots at the door and you're in! (Beers are all regular price!)

Schedule of Events:To ensure that we're not mobbed all at once and that everyone has a chance to get their photos with Santa, enjoy the food, music and get a ticket for the Giving Tree, we're breaking the day into two equal sessions with exactly the same stuff in both sessions. The schedule is as follows:

Session 1(12:00pm - 3:30pm)

• 12:00 - Doors open; Block 1 of Giving Tree Tickets available. (2 ticket max per person)
• 12:30 - Santa Arrives for photos
• 1:00 - Live Music: The Firkins; Food is served!
• 2:00 - Live Music: The Professors
• 3:00 - Giving Tree Drawing #1
• 3:30 - Session 1 ends

Session 2(3:30pm - 7:00pm)

• 4:00 - Session 2 starts; Block 2 of Giving Tree Tickets available. (2 ticket max per person)
• 4:00 - Live Music: The Firkins; Food is served!
• 5:00 - Live Music: The Professors
• 5:30 - Santa Departs
• 6:00 - Giving Tree Drawing #2
• 7:00 - Session 2 ends

You can also download a printable schedule here: Christmas in July 2011 Schedule (PDF)

2011 San Diego International Beer Festival Results

As you may have heard via the social media channels, we did okay at the 2011 San Diego International Beer Festival last week.Okay, we're being modest. We did really well, pulling down six ribbons in all -- 3 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze -- which was more than any other brewery.Our winners were:GOLD

• Red Poppy (Sour Ale)
• Shark Attack (Imperial Red Ale)
• Veritas 008 (Specialty Beer)

SILVER

• Hot Rocks (American Style Brown Ale)

BRONZE

• Amazing Grace (Sour Ale)
• Inferno (Belgian Style Pale Strong Ale)

Our cousins over at the Pizza Ports didn't do too shabby either, grabbing seven ribbons -- 4 for Carlsbad, 2 for Ocean Beach and 1 for Solana Beach -- as well as Best of Show for Poor Man's IPA, making this the third consecutive year a Pizza Port has owned Best of Show.The SD Beer Festival is kind of a big deal for us, not just because of its size (150 breweries, 350+ beers), but because it's judged by our fellows in the San Diego brewing community -- none of whom are exactly slouches when it comes to great beer. When your peers here in the world capitol of craft beer heap awards on you, you know you must be doing something right. (One day we'll find out what that is.)All of the 2011 winners have been posted on the San Diego County Fair website in PDF format. You'll find them here:

• 2011 San Diego International Beer Festival Winners (Sortable Spreadsheet)
• 2011 San Diego International Beer Festival Winners (PDF)

A list of all the breweries that participated as well as previous years' winners is available on the SD Fair website here.

The La Cruda Porter Recipe

In the world of craft beer there's a very close relationship between homebrewers and professionals. Most of the guys (and girls) in the business started brewing small batches of beer in their garage, and many continue to homebrew even after they've turned pro or retired from professional brewing altogether. As a result, brewers -- paid or not -- share a special affinity for the craft of beermaking that the rest of us as consumers and aficionados may not fully understand.Today the National Homebrewers Conference opens here in San Diego and thousands of homebrewers from all over North America have descended on the county to meet, talk, trade tips and see for themselves why San Diego is the current craft beer capitol of the world (hint: a lot of it has to do with homebrewers). In honor of the conference and the homebrewers that make it what it is, our brewmaster/DOBO/COO Tomme Arthur chose to brew a beer with special significance just for conference attendees -- La Cruda Porter.La Cruda, or Makanudo Porter as it was known back in 1996, was one of the first beers Tomme ever brewed as a professional. At the time Tomme was assistant to Troy Hojel, head brewer at Cervezerias La Cruda (roughly: "the hangover brewery"), a new brewpub in downtown San Diego. La Cruda's brewhouse wasn't quite up and running early enough, so Troy and Tomme approached another brewer, Skip Virgilio, the former brewer at Pacific Beach Brew House, about brewing a beer at Skip's new brewery, AleSmith. Skip consented and the three proceeded to brew a robust porter recipe by Troy that they named Makanudo Porter (yes, Makanudo with a "k").It was the worst selling beer in La Cruda's brief 12 month lifespan, but it also won a gold medal at the 1996 Great American Beer Festival -- only the third medal to be won by a San Diego beer^† in the GABF's 13 year history. (Oh, how times have changed...) Troy left professional brewing after La Cruda as did Skip a few years later. Tomme, of course, landed at Pizza Port Solana Beach to begin that brewpub family's dynasty (one that continues today), and in 2006 spun off to found Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey and do it all over again.In honor of the relationship between homebrewers and professionals, Tomme, once the homebrewer but now the professional, invited Troy and Skip, both former professionals and now homebrewers, to The Lost Abbey to brew "La Cruda" Porter for the first time in 15 years. Each NHC attendee will receive a bottle.This Friday we'll be posting a video of the story behind La Cruda Porter and the people who made it. In the meantime, if you're a homebrewer and you'd like to give the beer a whirl, you will find the recipe scaled down to five gallons below. And if you're not a homebrewer, you can still try the beer just by dropping by our tasting room where it's on draft and available in 22 ounce bottles (there's only just 70 cases though, so if you want some in bottles, shop early).

La Cruda Porter Recipe

Gold Medal, GABF, Robust Porter 1996Recipe by: Troy Hojel (with Tomme Arthur & Skip Virgilio)
(Printer friendly version)

Ingredients for 5 gallons

Grain/Extract/Sugar

(Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.)

%	Amount	Name	Origin	Potential	SRM
81.6	10.00 lbs.	Pale Malt(2-row)	America	1.036	2
4.1	0.50 lbs.	Crystal 75L	Great Britain	1.034	75
8.2	1.00 lbs.	Crystal 150L	Great Britain	1.033	150
5.1	0.63 lbs.	Chocolate Malt	Great Britain	1.034	400
1.0	0.13 lbs.	Roasted Barley	America	1.028	450

Hops

Amount	Name	Form	Alpha	IBU	Boil Time
0.71 oz.	Cascade	Pellet	5.40	15.5	90 min.
0.81 oz.	Mt. Hood	Pellet	4.40	10.4	30 min.
1.34 oz.	Tettnanger	Pellet	4.50	1.0	1 min.

Yeast

White Labs WLP028 Edinburgh Ale

Mash Schedule

(All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.)Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs:	12.25
Water Qts:	16.00 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal:	4.00 - Before Additional Infusions
Qts Water Per Lbs Grain:	1.31 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp:	152	Time:	60
Mash-out Rest Temp:	165	Time:	10
Sparge Temp:	170	Time:	0

Total Mash Volume Gal: 4.98 - Dough-In Infusion Only

Beer Specs

Batch Size (Gal):	5.00
Wort Size (Gal):	5.00
Total Grain (Lbs):	12.25
Anticipated OG:	1.065
Plato:	15.95
Anticipated SRM:	35.7
Anticipated IBU:	26.9
Brewhouse Efficiency:	75%
Wort Boil Time:	90 Minutes

La Cruda Porter Recipe (printer friendly)^† Here's some "6 degrees of Tomme Arthur" for you: The first medal won by a San Diego beer was in 1994 -- A bronze for a barley wine called Old Boneyards brewed at Pizza Port. Vince Marsaglia was one of the brewers. The same year A Pacific Beach Brew House won a gold for Belgian Strong Ale brewed by none other than Skip Virgilio.

Memorial Day Weekend Updates

With a little under 24 hours before the Moment of Truth, we though it'd be a good time to update everyone on all the other changes going into place for the summer starting today (May 27, 2011). Here you go:

Extended Summer Hours

Starting Memorial Day weekend and running through Labor Day weekend, we're extending our tasting room hours so that more people have a chance to drop by. Our extended weekend hours for summer are as follows:

• Friday: 3pm to 9pm
• Saturday: 12pm to 7pm
• Sunday: 12pm to 6pm

The tasting room will still be closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and open from 1pm to 5pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays for bottle sales & growler fills only. (Don't complain. The brewhouse crew needs the room so they can make all that liquid magic we love so much.)

Open Memorial Day

In addition to the longer hours starting this weekend, the Tasting Room will also be open on Memorial Day -- Monday, May 30 -- from 12pm to 4pm so you can roll in for a few tasters and pick up some bottles and/or a growler fill for your holiday barbeque.Oh -- and speaking of Memorial Day weekend, we'd be remiss not to mention that this Sunday, May 29th, is Terri the tasting room manager's birthday. Make sure to tell her happy birthday if you stop by!

Barrel Room tasting bar now open

If you haven't dropped by in the past couple of weeks then you probably don't know that we recently opened a new tasting bar in our Barrel Room. Tucked in among the barrels awaiting the Angel's to give their blessing, there's 20 taps (just like the main bar) loaded with Port Brewing & Lost Abbey goodness. If the main bar looks a little crowded or you'd just like to enjoy a taster or two in a really cool atmosphere, make sure to check it out!

Special Beers on Tap

Back in Mak Porter -- This weekend we'll also have a couple of special beers on tap perfect to kick off summer. The first is "Back in Mak", a robust porter that you may already know as Makanudo or La Cruda Porter. It's a beer that dates back to Tomme's first gig as a professional brewer way back in 1996 (and the first beer for which he earned a GABF gold medal). Tomme, his old boss Troy Hojel and Skip Virgilio (a founder of Alesmith) all met to brew the beer together for the first time in 15 years. Most of the beer is being bottled as La Cruda Porter, which will go to attendees of the NHC next month (read: no distribution). But we've got a few kegs we decided to put on tap as "Back in Mak" so you'll have a chance to taste it even if you're not attending the conference.Dawn Patrol -- Dawn Patrol Dark is an English Mild Ale that we actually brew as the base beer for Red Poppy. We don't distribute this beer, but it's a wonderful, low ABV beer perfect for an afternoon session, so we decided to put on one of the remaining kegs (the rest has already gone into the barrels), giving you an opportunity to taste Red Poppy before it's, well, Red Poppy. (Red Poppy is also on tap, so try them side-by-side and check out how the beer is transformed in the barrels.)If you're into the barrel-aged specialty stuff, we'll also have Brandy Angel's Share, Older Viscosity, Ad Lib and Red Poppy on tap for as long as it lasts!

BYO Growlers

Unfortunately, we had a mix up with the glass company and we are completely out of growlers until June 6th. If you're looking for a growler fill, please make sure to bring your own growler. (And remember we can only fill growlers labeled Lost Abbey or Port Brewing. We're not allowed to fill any other brewery's growler by law, so double-check your bottle and make sure it has our name on it before coming in.)

Veritas 009 Release

Finally, this weekend is the release of our much-anticipated Veritas 009. There is only 100 cases total of this and we're limiting it to 4 bottles per person. We will be opening at 10am for Veritas bottle sales (the full tasting room will still open at noon) and we expect this one to sell out in a couple of hours, so if you'd like to pick up bottles, we recommend that you arrive sooner rather than later. All the details on Veritas 009 can be found here: Veritas 009 Release Announcement.

Judgment Day Celebration

It's the End of the World as we know it.Or maybe it isn't. Based on your personal beliefs, May 21, 2011 could be a) your ticket to heaven, b) the beginning of the end, or c) just the third Saturday in May.Regardless of what happens, however, we're hard-pressed to come up with a better way to enjoy the day than with our gold medal winning Judgment Day Belgian quad-style ale.So all day May 21 we'll be celebrating Judgment Day with tasting room specials, drawings and events. Here's just a few of the things on tap for the End of Days:

• Judgment Day Specials: Pints - $4, Growler Fills - $12, Bottles (375ml and 75ml) - 20% off
• Prize Drawings: We'll be holding drawings throughout the day for The Lost Abbey clothing, headwear and our cool new Lost Abbey flags
• Costume competition: Come dressed ready for the Apocalypse (horseman, avenging angel, demon, sinner, saint -- it's up to you) and be eligible to win stuff suitable for sinners and saints alike!
• Judgment Day Art: We'll have the original Four Horsemen painting that is our Judgment Day label on display. Come check it out in all it's doomsday glory.

The fun starts at 12pm and carries on until 6pm (by then we'll probably know if the world is coming to an end or not). Admission is free and open to both Sinners and Saints alike. See you there! Songs playing at the brewery during the event:Highway to Hell - ACDCStill Alive - PortalI Just Died in Your Arms - Cutting CrewDead Man's Party - Oingo BoingoDon't Stop Believin' - JourneyMad World - Tears for FearsSave Tonight - Eagle Eye CherryJudgment Day - Van HalenSemi-Charmed Life - Third Eye BlindThe Final Countdown - EuropeWaiting on the World to Change - John MayerWe Will Become Silhouettes - Postal ServiceStayin' Alive - Bee GeesIt's the End of the World as We Know It - REMThe Call of the Ktulu - MetallicaThe Four Horsemen - MetallicaApocalypse Please - MuseEverybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for FearsFour Winds - Bright EyesFire and Rain - James TaylorWhen the World Ends - Dave Matthews BandShould I Stay of Should I Go - The ClashGod's Gonna Cut You Down - Johnny CashRing of Fire - Johnny CashDon't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster CultEnd of the Road - Boyz II MenTime is Running Out - MuseI Think We're Alone Now - TiffanyBlack Hole Sun - SoundgardenHow Am I Supposed to Live Without You - Michael BoltonNa Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye - SteamDead - They Might be GiantsLast Dance - Donna SummerMona Lisa - Nat King ColeThe Winning Side - Oingo BoingoRobots - Flight of the ConchordsI Don't Want to Wait - Paula ColeNowhere to Run - Martha Reeves and the VandellasThoughts of Dying Atheist - MuseO Death - O Brother Where Art ThouLet the River Run - Carly SimonGood Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green DayBye Bye Bye - N'SyncDancing in Heaven - Robert PlantI Will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for CutieHeaven is a Place on Earth - Belinda CarlisleI Will Survive - Gloria GaynorTill the World Ends - Brittany SpearsRide of the Valkyries - WagnerWhere Do Bad Folks Go - NirvanaWill You Still Love Me Tomorrow - Carole King

Anniversary Schedule of Events

Attending our Sold Out 5th Anniversary Celebration? Not attending but interested in lurking outside and seeing what's going on? Well, we've ordered up some great weather (partly sunny, mid-60's) and put together an amazing list of everything in store for the day:

All Day Events

official hashtag

#port5th

(tweet it!)

Live WebcastWe'll be broadcasting live all day! Andy Killion (aka @Metromixsd !) will be covering the entire event live with interviews, chats and fun. If you're attending, you're invited to step into the broadcast booth and say hello to everyone. If you're watching from your computer, tablet or phone, you're invited to chat with Andy and his guests via our Ustream broadcast channel!Live broadcast begins at 11am PDT. Click here to download the phone app and watch the broadcast.Barrel House ToursExplore the mysteries of the Lost Abbey barrel archives with Barrel Master & Lead Brewer, Ryan Fields. Ryan will be leading two tours per session. Each tour takes approximately 30 minutes and is limited to 35 people. (Register early to ensure your slot. This fills up quickly!)Session One Tours: 12pm | 2pm - Session Two Tours: 5pm | 7pmYou must sign up to go on the tour! Registration will be at the entrance to the barrel house.Live MusicThis year we're pleased to host not one, but two live bands in the brewhouse for your listening pleasure. Session One will be host to the vintage-tinged garage, folk, rock and roll sounds of Kiera and the Lesbians. Session Two will be our favorite lounge lizards, The Professors, and their special brand of surf-styled rock and roll. Music starts at noon.Food, food, foodChefs Jason Danderand and Steve Owen will be steaming, smoking, BBQing and frying their way through a whole raft of San Diego-style street foods. Street food not your thing? The magic pizza trailer will also be on hand to cooking up pies fresh and hot! Water and soft drinks will also available courtesy of Dr Pepper.Food and drinks will be in the outdoor pavilion next to the barrel house.

What's On Tap

What's a brewery birthday party without plenty of beer? The brewers have dug deep into the archives to fully stock both bars (the main bar as well as our new barrel room bar) with a huge array of Port Brewing & Lost Abbey beers. All of the following will be on tap at the main bar as well as in the barrel room:

The regulars (1 taster ticket)

Port Brewing 
• Anniversary - Hoppy, Strong Pale Ale
• Hot Rocks - Stein Lager
• Mongo - Double IPA
• Old Viscosity - Dark Strong Ale
• Panzer Pils - Imperial Pilsner
• Santa's Little Helper - Imperial Stout
• Shark Attack - Double Red Ale
• Wipeout - West Coast IPA

The Lost Abbey 
• Avant Garde - Biere de Garde
• Devotion - Belgian Blond
• Judgment Day - Belgian Quad with Raisins
• Red Barn - Saison
• Saison Blanc - Light Saison with Green Raisins & Pepper
• Serpent's Stout - Belgian Sweet Stout
• Ten Commandments - Belgian Strong Ale

The Specialties (3 taster tickets)

• Ad Lib (2011) - Special Limited Release Blend made with Rye Barrel Serpent's Stout, Bourbon Midnight Expression and Bourbon Judgment Day. Only 50 five gallon kegs of this are going into distribution, so this may be your one and only chance to try a legendary Lost Abbey one-off blends!

• Angel's Share - Brandy Barrel (2011) - Barleywine aged in Brandy Barrels
• Framboise de Amorosa (2011) - Raspberry Sour Aged in Wine Barrels
• Red Poppy (2011) - Flanders-style Red with Sour Cherries aged in Wine Barrels
• Older Viscosity (2011) - Dark Strong Ale Aged in Bourbon Barrels

...Expect other "secret" specialties throughout the day as well! (Watch for the DOBO lurking about.)Remember, eight taster tickets come with your admission, but additional tickets will also be available for $1 each.Whew...See you there! (And if not, we'll see you on the web.)