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Bourbon Angel's Share to Be Released March 15, 2008

Brewery only release starts at 10am; 12 bottle limit per personSAN MARCOS, Calif. – At 10am on Saturday, March 15th 2008 Port Brewing will release the 2008 Bourbon Barrel-Aged version of The Angel’s Share. The first bottled release of one of the most highly rated beers in the world, supplies of The Angel's Share are extremely limited, and availability is strictly a first come, first serve basis.Release Details:

  • Bottles will be $15 per cork finished 375ml bottle.
  • Limit of 12 bottles per person.
  • Beer is being sold at the brewery only. No email orders or holds for pick up at a later date.
  • This is a special release; no discounts.
  • There are approximately 120 cases available. Once it is gone, it is gone.

As with all Port Brewing special limited releases, all purchasers will be required to present valid ID at time of purchase to ensure that as many people as possible receive an allotment. For more information and the brewery location, visit www.portbrewing.com or www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.com.

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Port Brewing Taking a Ride on Russian River

SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Port Brewing announced today that Russian River Brewing Company will distribute Port's beers in the San Francisco Bay and Northern California regions. Under the agreement Russian River will provide Port's full range of products, including the much-heralded Lost Abbey labels, to Russian River draft and bottle accounts."We're very excited about this agreement," said Port Brewing director of brewery operations Tomme Arthur. "Russian River is one of the most respected breweries in the world and serves the top draft houses and bottle shops in Northern California. Having them distribute our beers is great for our business.""There is a real buzz in the Bay Area regarding Port Brewing / Lost Abbey beers," Russian River Brewer/Owner Vinnie Cilurzo added. "We're happy to have a hand in making sure that Northern California beer lovers can enjoy these great beers."Port Brewing and Russian River have a longstanding history that dates back to the earliest days of both breweries. Cilurzo and Arthur are good friends and enthusiastic supporters of one another who frequently team up for special events as well as the occasional brewing collaboration.Russian River will distribute Port Brewing / Lost Abbey beers to its accounts in the city of San Francisco and the East Bay, as well as Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties in the northern Bay Area. Deliveries are expected to begin in March 2008. For more information, contact Port Brewing company at tel:(760) 889-9318, or email: lostabbey @ gmail.com.About Port Brewing / Lost AbbeyFounded in 2006, Port Brewing Company is 2007’s Great American Beer Festival Small Brewery of the Year and produces a line of award-winning American ales as well as the groundbreaking Lost Abbey family of Belgian-inspired beers. Craft brewed under the direction of co-founder and three-time GABF brewer of the year, Tomme Arthur, five beers are issued under the Lost Abbey label year-round: Avant Garde, Lost and Found, Red Barn, Devotion and Judgment Day. Additionally, a number of seasonal and specialty releases are offered at various times throughout the year. As many of these are blended and aged for up to 18 months in French Oak, Brandy and Bourbon barrels, Lost Abbey beers are universally recognized for their complexity, unique flavors, and bold, boundary-pushing styles. Port Brewing is located at 155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069, USA. Telephone (760) 889-9318, web: www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.com.

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Media Contact:Sage Osterfeldtel: (760) 295-4490email: sage (at) bluntid.com

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Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey Announces Red Poppy Ale Release

Limited Edition Barrel-aged Flanders-style red ale available on January 19th

Red Poppy AleSAN MARCOS, Calif. – Port Brewing /The Lost Abbey will issue its long-awaited first release of Red Poppy Ale on January 19, 2008. A Flanders-style red ale made with sour cherries and aged in French Oak barrels for one year, the 60 case limited edition release will only be available directly from the brewery.A medium-bodied ale, Red Poppy has a reddish-brown hue, rich fruit aroma, and a complex mélange sour cherry, plum and red wine flavors accented with notes of chocolate and vanilla.The beer's name was inspired by head brewer Tomme Arthur's annual springtime sojourns to Flanders, a time when fields of the Northern Belgian province are covered with the fiery red flowers.

    Release Details: 60 cases; 375ml cork-finished bottles. Four bottle maximum per person. 5% ABV; $15 per bottle

Sales of the beer begin at 10am on Saturday, January 19th. More information on the release can be obtained via email at lostabbey @ gmail.com or on The Lost Abbey website at www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.comAbout Port Brewing / Lost AbbeyFounded in 2006, Port Brewing Company is 2007’s Great American Beer Festival Small Brewery of the Year and produces a line of award-winning American ales as well as the groundbreaking Lost Abbey family of Belgian-inspired beers. Craft brewed under the direction of co-founder and three-time GABF brewer of the year, Tomme Arthur, five beers are issued under the Lost Abbey label year-round: Avant Garde, Lost and Found, Red Barn, Devotion and Judgment Day. Additionally, a number of seasonal and specialty releases including Ten Commandments, Cuvee de Tomme and the Angel’s Share, are offered at various times throughout the year. As many of these are blended and aged for up to 18 months in French Oak, Brandy and Bourbon barrels, Lost Abbey beers are universally recognized for their complexity, unique flavors, and bold, boundary-pushing styles. Port Brewing is located at 155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069, USA. Telephone (760) 889-9318, web: www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.com.

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Session # 10 Christmas Beers

It’s Friday night. I’m sitting at the bar and there are patrons sampling beers including our two Christmas Beers- Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper Imperial Stout and The Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi. Me, I’m having a huge glass of Gift of the Magi. Teri brought in some cheese for the tasting bar tonight so we’re having Humboldt Fog with Garlic Crisped Crackers. We’re also having some Brie with Roasted Onion and Black Pepper Crackers. If this sounds too good to be true, it’s not. Stinky cheese Plates on Friday nights is awesome.So, now that I have the beer and food pairings and my bonus points out of the way, I should probably dive into the topic at hand.I grew up Catholic and Christmas means something to me. It means that I grew up celebrating Catholic Religious stuff- you know like Jesus, Reindeers, Wooden toys and stuff. Fast forward to today, and some of that luster is gone. I’m not sure which year it went away. But somewhere in my youth to adolescence movement it went by by. You know the part where we say Merry Christmas?Personally, I hate this notion that we shouldn’t offend anyone and as such we should wish them “Happy Holidays.” Sorry, screw that. NOT Screw you, but Screw that! I like Christmas. So Merry Christmas to you and yours.At Port Brewing, we make not one but two Christmas beers. I like Christmas that much. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t enjoy the waiting in line to buy presents part. I certainly loathe the what color sweater might I be getting this year type gifts. But mostly, I am not a fan of the “Unspirited Christmas.” You know, the Christmas where everyone is too busy to notice that at the end of the day we’re supposed to at the very least be Thankful? It’s too much Dickens and BAH Humbug for me.However, as a brewer each year, I am presented with the fantastical opportunity to connect with celebrating beer enthusiasts each and every year who are truly in touch with the meaning of christmas. And for all you South Park fans out there, it’s not HAM!I decided that this blog would be about our newest Christmas beer called Gift of the Magi. I could easily have written about the last 11 years worth of batches of Santa’s Little Helper (can we have a blog session someday about Simpson’s inspired beer names too)? But Santa’s Little Helper is old school like Burl Ives, Bing Crosby and the Little Drummer Boy.So this evening, I thought I would share my thoughts on our new friends the Magi. When I set out to design a Christmas Beer for The Lost Abbey, I thought about the things that I truly enjoy each and every year in beers for the holiday season. For what it’s worth, I am not a huge Wassail fan and Munich Malt doesn’t come bearing plates of Fruit Cake around here too often. I like spiced beers but right now, nothing stands out in my mind as a spice that I would like to evoke. Besides, I appreciate Anchor’s Christmas beer and love that they keep the spicing a Fort Knox like secret.So tell us about the Gift of the Magi you say. Initially, it was my plan to find a way to incorporate Gold, Frankincese and Myrh into the beer. I actually think it’s possible to do this but at the end of the day, it just seemed like to big of a gimmick for what I wanted to accomplish.And you ask? What was it that I wanted to accomplish in designing and releasing another Christmas beer? First, I wanted something memorable. I’m not a fan of anything that doesn’t attempt to stand out. So, it had to have perspective. So we brewed a more contemplative Biere de Garde which we dry hopped and spiked with Brettanomyces at bottling. That ought to take care of the standing out like the kid picking his nose in the back row of the 5th Graders performance of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” each year.But I also felt it needed to say “Merry Effin Christmas Jesus is the Reason for the season keep Christ in Christmas Away in a Manger, here’s your religion in a 750ml bottle (Thanks Jeff) don’t worry about not going to church this year. Hopefully, there’s enough panache in each bottle that God Fearing Heathens (our Sinners and Saints alike) will find their own personal savior each time the cork is popped.The taste is something I think will resonate with our patrons. The beer pours with a muted and glowing orange opacity. You might even say it radiates the colors of a candle burning in a manger. The aromas are bold with notes of honey, candied fruits and herbal hops. The first sip presents faint sweetness and a long dry finish with noticeable hops. At this time, the Brettanomyces has yet to really assert itself.It is my hope this Christmas Season that there will be an Epiphany of sorts after the first of the year when these friends of ours will arrive. And when they do, our Magi will come bearing gifts of Alcohol, Hops and Wild Yeast. That my friends will make me very Merry. Because as we know, Christmas is about giving more than receiving. Here’s to hoping that The Gift of the Magi continues to give to each and every beer drinker seeking the meaning of Christmas in a bottle.

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Cuvee de Tomme in Imbibe Magazine

Imbibe Magazine's November/December issue features an entertaining article by Stan Hieronymus titled Symphonic Brew. An examination of the art of batch-blending beer, it profiles a number of American brewers dabbling in beer alchemy, including our own brewers, Tomme Arthur and Vince Marsaglia.The end of the story also includes tasting notes on nine great batch-blended beers, most notably Lost Abbey's GABF 2007 Gold Medal winner Cuvee de Tomme.You can download and read the entire article right here:» Imbibe Magazine Symphonic Brew (PDF - Courtesy of Imbibe Magazine.)

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Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey to issue three new limited releases this weekend

Brewery celebrates the start of the holidays with release of Older Viscosity, Amazing Grace and Gift of the MajiSAN MARCOS, Calif. — Beer lovers will have a reason to put down the turkey leftovers and give thanks of another kind this weekend when Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey issues three new limited releases for the holiday season. Beginning at 11:00 am this Saturday, November 24th, brewery visitors will be able to purchase the following special brews:Older ViscosityThe barrel-aged version of the popular Old Viscosity. A dark, strong ale aged over a year in American oak bourbon barrels, it's a deep, silky black brew thick with luscious chocolate, cocoa, vanilla and caramel flavors balanced by notes of burnt wood and ash.Release: 120 cases; 375ml cork-finished bottles. Maximum 6 bottles per person. 12% ABV; $10 per bottle.Amazing GraceA barrel-aged issue of the brewery’s lauded Lost & Found Abbey Dubbel ale. Aged 6 months in French Oak Red Wine barrels Amazing Grace matches an earth burnt umber color with rich aromas and complex flavors of figs, molasses and dried fruits.Release: 80 cases; 750ml cork-finished bottles. Maximum 4 bottles per person. 8.5% ABV; $12 per bottle.Gift of the MajiThe Lost Abbey’s first release of this Winter Seasonal ale, Gift of the Maji is a deep golden caramel-colored Bière de Garde brewed to a contemplative 9% ABV and bottle conditioned with Brettanomyces. Laden with toasted malt and caramel flavors accented by notes of grape, apple and cherry, its truly magical gift is a complexity that grows and softens as it ages.Release: 170 cases; 750ml cork-finished bottles. Maximum 2 bottles per person. 9% ABV; $12 per bottle.To ensure the largest number of people receive these limited releases, patrons will be required to present identification, and purchase quantities will be recorded. Those who attended the Lost Abbey Barrel tasting in October and reserved bottles at that time will be limited to purchasing the reserved amount.Members of The Lost Abbey Patron Saints will be able to purchase their allotments of these releases one day in advance, beginning at 4:00pm on Friday, November 23rd.More information on these releases can be obtained via email at lostabbey@gmail.com or on The Lost Abbey website at www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.comAbout Port Brewing / Lost AbbeyFounded in 2006, Port Brewing Company is 2007’s Great American Beer Festival Small Brewery of the Year and produces a line of award-winning American ales as well as the groundbreaking Lost Abbey family of Belgian-inspired beers. Craft brewed under the direction of co-founder and three-time GABF brewer of the year, Tomme Arthur, five beers are issued under the Lost Abbey label year-round: Avant Garde, Devotion, Lost and Found, Red Barn and Judgment Day. Additionally, a number of seasonal and specialty releases including Ten Commandments, Cuvee de Tomme and the Angel’s Share, are offered at various times throughout the year. As many of these are blended and aged for up to 18 months in French Oak, Brandy and Bourbon barrels, Lost Abbey beers are universally recognized for their complexity, unique flavors, and bold, boundary-pushing styles. Port Brewing is located at 155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069, USA. Telephone (760) 889-9318, web: www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.com.

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Tomme Arthur & Lost Abbey in San Diego Union-Tribune

From the article:

King Arthur's kingdom was in disarray.After a triumphant weekend in Denver at the nation's largest beer competition, Tomme Arthur returned here to find his brewery – Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey – under siege.A balky capping machine had spoiled cases of Shark Bite Red Ale.A glass supplier has run out of the distinctive bottles that hold the distinctive Lost Abbey ales.The tiny brewery has so many orders, it's unable to fill them all.Still, it's nice to be king. Last month at the Great American Beer Festival, the industry's annual showcase, Arthur's beers won three medals. Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey, which opened its doors in 2006, was dubbed the nation's best small brewery, and Arthur was crowned the top small-brewery brewer.

» Read the rewst of the article (Via Sign On San Diego)

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Angel's Share Release Day: November 10, 2007

It's official! On November 10th, 2007 we will open the doors at Port Brewing Company and release the 2007 Brandy Barrel Aged version of The Angel's Share.In order to accommodate more interest and demand in this beer, we will be opening the doors at 10 AM. We "may" have bottles of Older Viscosity available for sale as well. This all depends on our bottling situation this weekend. There is about a 25% chance these will be ready.Please also note the following rules for this release:

  • Bottles will be $15 per cork finished 750ml bottle.
  • There will be a limit of 6 bottles per person.
  • You will need identification to buy these beers as each person will only be allowed to purchase 6 bottles.
  • This beer is being sold at the brewery only.
  • We will NOT take email orders nor will we hold back bottles for pick up at a later date.
  • We will NOT ship this beer to out of state patrons.

Once it is gone, it is gone.There are about 90 Cases available for Sale next weekend.In a little over one years time, The Angel's Share has become one of the most desirable beers that we produce. As such, we are implementing the above rules this year to ensure that as many people as possible can secure their allotment.We believe a system like this is necessary and we ask for your patience on Saturday as we test it out and work out the kinks for future releases.

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Session 9: It’s a Rap

Here’s a round-up of everyone who contributed to Session 9 (in no particular order). Enjoy.

Thanks to all who contributed and made this a great beer blogging day.

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Session # 9 Music and Beer Part Two

The SessionAs I stated in my first post, I love music. The bitch of it is, I can’t play a lick. Nope, not me. I wasn’t given that talent. Seriously, I wish I had been. There aren’t many days when I wish I couldn’t just pick up a guitar or tickle the ivory as a stress reliever. It would be fantastic.But, that doesn’t mean I don’t at least have some talent.My mom tells me, I have her voice. She’s probably right. I do enjoy singing but more often than not, I find it’s a solitary pursuit. Alone at the brewery with my Ipod plugged in, I am Pavarotti, Grobin, Manillow, Stipe, Petty and many others rolled into one. And the acustics in here while not great, aren’t that bad either.But as this post is about music and beer and not singing and beer, we’ll steer the ship back to its original port. My taste in music is quite varied. It ranges from my love of Van Halen (my first ever album in 1984) through the trailer trash riffs of Guns and Roses (seriously is there a more complete album in that genre than Appetite for Destruction)? And at the back end of the spectrum in my youth how about a nod to old school singer and songwriters my parents spun on the turn table found in the guilty pleasures of John Denver and even Neil Diamond.I went through a pop music phase pre high school which was immediately crushed by the Grunge movement in the early 90’s. Grunge music equaled cheap suitcase beer. In Flagstaff, I did the live Jazz thing on Sunday nights with Celis White by my side. And through all of these movements, there was always beer and never wine.These days, my love of beer and music takes me in many directions. Each trip starts and ends with my Ipod. Seemingly there are a few constants and constraints with both. Besides a love of great beer, I find myself drawn to great music And at the head of my list, is a self professed love for great singers and songwriters. As far as I can tell, this will never change.I am especially drawn to whole albums where these talents shine. Toad the Wet Sprocket, Counting Crows, Chris Issac and lately the Fray and Augustana have done their part. Let’s not forget REM Automatic for the People and Midnight Oil Blue Sky Mine. It’s a long and varied list.I also find that I love songs with a driving base line. I titled this session music in a bottle as the intro riff in the Police’s “Message in a Bottle” is excactly what I am talking about. I have always been a fan of my guitar weilding ax heroes. Whether it be Eddie Van Halen, Slash, or Eric Johnson, there is something about fantastic guitar picking that resonates with me.In high school, I discovered the music of Eric Johnson. Ah Via Musicom- with Cliffs of Dover, Trademark and Righteous remain untouchable in my world. And the best part is, they all speak to me without uttering a single lyric. This would be my desert island disk (don’t ask about my beer- as long as there is one, I’ll be happy). If you haven’t heard the talented fret work of Mr. Johnson, I suggest you have missed something in life. But hey, that’s just me and my musical stylings.But I wanted to finish my post today with the real reason that I chose to blog about music. It’s one of those things that just screams for a beer. So with that in mind I am going to suggest something that I am quite certain most of you have never sampled before. Jeff Babgy turned me on to Flogging Molly when we worked side by side in Solana Beach. They are an “Irish Styled” rockish band.Some five years ago we attended a show of theirs in Phoenix, AZ that started with pre show beers at Four Peaks Brewing Company. We left the brewery and hit the show around 9. I recall vaguely watching Jeff walk up with pints of Guiness and Sidecars in hand. It remains the only “Car Bomb” I have ever consumed. It was vicious. The show was a spectacle of live music. It was above all drinking music.Three years ago, Flogging Molly released an album titled “Within a mile of home.” It has become my quintissential “drinking album.” Sometimes, i’m struck by the Rum fueled accordian riffs, the overly bawdy scotch laced lyrics and even the finality of life found in the dirge filled somber musings of drunken sailors on leave. It is without fail, one of the finest drinking albums out there.Here’s my suggestion, buy it. Throw it on the platter and hit play. Download it to your Ipod. Just do it. I love music a lot and this album continues to amaze me. Trust me when I say this. Everyone needs drinking music. I keep looking and I have yet to find a better drinking album than this. Even for those who drink Guiness and fight like the Irish.Here’s a sample of the lyrics from “Whistles the Wind.”Well it breaks my heart to see you this wayThe beauty in life, where’s your God?And somebody told me, you were doing okaySomehow I guess they were wrongSo you drank with the lost souls for too many yearsTime to be right cause they’ll cripple with fearNever been righteous, go sell them, we’re wrongLife’s only life with you in this songNow there’s an ocean between usWhere I am and where I want to beSo you prayers in doubt, doubt not for me Well it breaks my heart to see you this wayThe beauty in life, where’s your God?And somebody told me, you were doing okaySomehow I guess they were wrong

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Session # 9 Part One- 500 Miles from Nowhere

The SessionIt’s August 1991. The weather in San Diego is unseasonably warmer than normal and it’s time to pack up and head out. I’m a seasoned 17 years old as I stuff my clothes, stereo and CD’s in my dill pickle green 1969 VW bus and point the compass east towards Flagstaff, Arizona where I will be attending Northern Arizona University.Beer is not even a pimple on my oily butt at this point in my life. Sure, I knew what it was and what it tasted like, but I really didn’t know what “It” was. Now I most certainly do. And I have four years of college “studies” to thank for that.1991 was a tempestuous year for me as my parents had recently separated and I wasn’t sure that leaving home for college was really the best thing to do. Maybe I was scared, confused or something. But leaving didn’t seem like something I should be doing. Turns out, I was very wrong.With the van loaded and ready to go, I kissed my old life goodbye and we started the two Arthur car caravan. As many of you know, Volkswagen’s are moody little vehicles. My family owned 5 of them when I was in high school and they were constantly in need of our attention. As such, when it came time to leave for school, it was decided that we would take two cars to Flagstaff in case we needed to get parts for the van on the way across the desert.My dad piloted the super pickle east out of San Diego through the mountains and down into the valley desert floor that separates San Diego from Arizona. For my part, I was instructed to follow the green machine on the ascent and descent in case my dad needed anything.Deserts are desolate places and radios are pretty much useless. With this in mind, I made sure that I was stocked up on music. On the front seat of the Jeep I was driving was my stash of tapes (Cd players were very expensive still). As we headed out the mountains of San Diego, I reached over and grabbed a tape without thinking about it. It was Peter Gabriel.Now, I remember the trip out of San Diego as clear as day. It was like I was leaving a very important part of my life behind. It was proverbially the journey from young man to just manhood. I never found any other way to describe it. For the first time in my life, I would be responsible for everything- without parental control everyday. Oh yeah, I was 17 years old too and more or less, on my own.And little did I know it, I would “find” my new life in beer while I was in school in Flagstaff. On the second major grade out of town, I lost radio reception. I pushed the tape into the radio and sort of zoned out to the lyrics of Solsbury Hill as Mr. Gabriel refrained:

Just had to trust imaginationMy heart was going boom boom, boomSon, he said, grab your things, I’ve come to take you home.

Understand of course that I was being pulled away from home. I was driving away from the life that I had known for 17 years. It was the only life I had known. Yet, there was something very magical waiting for me in Flagstaff. I just didn’t know it. I owe my now famous brewing life to that town.It was a ten hour drive to Flagstaff that August. Volkswagen’s are like draft horses,very plodding and deliberate. They’re equally as famous for 0-55 in 6 minutes. Fast they are not. I must have exhausted half my tape collection on that drive and to this day, the only song that I remember listening to was Solsbury Hill.This life that I am living right now owes Flagstaff everything and more. When I was in school, I met friends whose passion for beer convinced me that a life worth living necessarily includes beer. They are not mutually exclusive.That was over 15 years ago. It’s crazy. Yet, those lyrics are still with me every time that I hear that song.

Just had to trust imaginationMy heart was going boom boom, boomSon, he said, grab your things, I’ve come to take you home.

Music is a huge part of my life. I love lyrics. I love interpreting them. But most of all, I love it most when music and life align in a moment of clarity. It happens. This much I know. It happened on Interstate 8 East near Alpine that morning I left San Diego.16 Years ago, I pointed my energies at a city 500 miles from home. In many ways, it was 500 Miles from Nowhere. You know, even Nowhere is a place if you never get there. It’s hard to imagine my life without beer. The thought of teaching high school English still appeals to me. Just not now. Right now, I am enjoying each and everyday surrounded by beer. I’m not sure I truly discovered beer; rather, I think beer discovered me.Since that day I headed east with Peter Gabriel on my radio, the one constant in my life has been beer. And, every so often, a song comes into my life that reminds me of what music means to me as an artist. It’s about expression- just like the beers we brew.

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Session # 9 Beer and Music- The Message in a Bottle

The SessionHere are my last minute instructions for Session #9 Music and Beer- The Message in a Bottle.  It will be easiest on me if you post to please leave a pingback and/or a comment on your Friday post to www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.com.  If this doesn’t float your boat, please email lostabbey@gmail.com” as the email address and we’ll collect from there.I will be bottling our Lost Abbey Christmas beer known as Gift of the Magi on Friday while listening to the rado and will do a summary post round-up of allthe sessions on Friday evening so don’t worry if you’re late or I don’t have a collection of posts earlier in the day.Get to it.  I expect to see an interesting collection of observations.Tomme

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Small Brewery Wins Big In Nation's Largest Beer Competition

Port Brewing takes three medals, brewery and brewer of the year at Great American Beer FestivalSan Marcos, CA - Tiny Port Brewing Company and its head brewer Tomme Arthur made a big impression at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver last weekend when the craft brewer not only nabbed three medals, but also landed the dual honors of small brewery and small brewer of the year.Port Brewing's Lost Abbey beers won in the following categories:

  • Gold Medal, Specialty Beer - Judgment Day
  • Gold Medal, Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer - Cuvee de Tomme
  • Silver Medal, Experimental Beer - Veritas 002

The medal-winners, along with two other Lost Abbey entries -- Cable Car and Ten Commandments -- also led judges to place Port Brewing and Tomme Arthur above hundreds of other entrants and name the two small brewery and brewer of 2007."I felt we had some award-winning beers going into the competition, but I still can't believe that we got brewery of the year," said Arthur. "Our beers take a phenomenal amount of effort and patience to make. It's great that our dedication to inspired beer has been recognized by our peers."The 2007 Great American Beer Festival Competition winners were selected by an international panel of brewing experts from a field of 2,832 entries submitted by 474 American brewers.Established less than two years ago, Port Brewing has become famous for its line of rare, deep and flavorful beers that food and drink experts compare more closely to wine than mass-market brews. Issued under the Lost Abbey label, these beers are brewed with ingredients such as raisins, sour cherries, black pepper and grains of paradise, and often aged in oak, wine, brandy and bourbon barrels for as long as 18 months. The brews have been featured in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Maxim, and Playboy, as well as dozens of newspapers and industry periodicals.While the GABF awards are a first for Port Brewing, the experience isn't entirely new to Arthur. While heading brewing operations at a sister brewpub, Pizza Port, Arthur received the GABF's brewpub brewer of the year award twice. With his most recent win, he is one of a handful of brewers to have won the award three times."It doesn't matter how many times I win," he said. "Every time is as good as the first."About Port Brewing / Lost AbbeyFounded in 2006, Port Brewing Company produces a line of award-winning American ales as well as the groundbreaking Lost Abbey family of Belgian-inspired beers. Craft brewed under the direction of co-founder and three-time Great American Beer Festival brewer of the year, Tomme Arthur, four beers are issued under the Lost Abbey label year-round: Avant Garde, Lost and Found, Red Barn and Judgment Day. Additionally, a number of seasonal and specialty releases including Ten Commandments, Cuvee de Tomme and the Angel's Share, are offered at various times throughout the year. As many of these are blended and aged for up to 18 months in French Oak, Brandy and Bourbon barrels, Lost Abbey beers are universally recognized for their complexity, unique flavors, and bold, boundary-pushing styles. Port Brewing is located at 155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069, USA. Telephone (760) 889-9318, web: www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.com.

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Session # 9 Beer and Music- The Message in a Bottle

The SessionSession #9 is titled Beer and Music- The Message in a Bottle.  Just about every brewery or pub I have ever walked into, there is music- Background, in the brewhouse or even live on the floor.  It’s everywhere.  There’s even beer enthusiasts, marketers and producers who play.

Personally, I have always loved music and its ability to serve so many different needs and roles.  In many ways, it’s like beer.  There’s seemingly so many different styles and interpretations and for me, there is always a great song or beer for every occassion.

For this session, I am looking towards my fellow bloggers to share a music and beer moment with.  It could be that Pearl Jam show I attended 7 years ago where I was forced to drink 5 Coronas to stay warm.  But more likely, it could be an album or song that you’re always listening to.  I, for my part, will be writing two blogs.  One will be about a particular memory and the other will be about musical stylings and my beers.

Mostly though, I would really like to see how others experience music and beer.  I have so many ideas that to only work with two seems crazy.  Music as an artform inspires me in so many ways.  I think it infuses my writings and brewing and I can’t wait to share that with you.  I hope you find this an agreeable Session…

Tomme

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Session # 8 Food and Beer

You may not know it judging by the ingredients we use in some of our beers, but I am actually a fairly picky eater. In reality my beers are WAY more adventurous then my food preferences. It surprises many people when they hear this. This is especially true of my good friend Eric Rose who is the Head Brewer and owner of Hollister Brewing Co. For the record, he’s constantly giving me crap about it.Now that I have gotten that out of the way, let’s get to Session # 8 Food and Beer. For the past 10 years, I have been fortunate to work alongside a very talented chef. His name is Vince Marsaglia. In many ways, he’s fearless, like my brewing style, when it comes to making food. The best thing about Chef Vince is his complete disregard for Conventionality as it relates to cooking.Over the years, Vince has amazed us all with his skills. I have never seen anyone cook in quite the same manner as he does. Perhaps, years from now, they’ll be talking about cooking in the “Vince Marsaglia” style? Seriously, I have never seen anyone turn the back of a Toyota Tundra into a kitchen faster than Vince. Did you know he even fabricated his own barbecue that is custom designed to fill the tailgate of his truck? Who does that, Chef Vince that’s who!I am seriously contemplating trying to build our brand around a new food network show featuring Vince Marsaglia staring in Junk Yard Kitchen. He’s got all the toys these days to do it. Do you know anyone else with a mobile Pizza Oven trailer? How about some body (anybody) with a propane fired deep fryer? And let’s not forget that custom barbecue that Vince built. He’s crazier than Crackhead Dave and Speedball Mitch combined. I swear I could have gotten him a show by now on Food Network if only Vince liked to talk. But when he cooks, he’s focused like Atila the Hun.Yet, I am very blessed and consider myself lucky to work in the shadow of such genius. Over the last year, Vince was tasked with creating our “Proprietary Raisin Puree.” Lord knows I couldn’t have done that! On a side note, we’re equal opportunity branding whores here at The Lost Abbey. Look for the “Proprietary Raisin Puree” at a Whole Foods near you soon. However, as part of our building The Lost Abbey brand, I am always looking for places to showcase Vince’s Culinary skills.Earlier this year, Vince and I had the pleasure of working with Chef Carlton on the very 1st beer dinner to take place at the Stone Bistro and World Gardens. Vince and I sat down and discussed a menu for the evening. It was my job to suggest items for the dinner as well as work with Carlton to ensure the pairings. Vince for his part, got the full assistance of the restaurant staff in executing a meal not cooked in the back of a Japanese pickup truck- WHO KNEW?The beer list featured Avant Garde, Lost and Found, Red Barn, Veritas 001 and The Angel’s Share. I chose to write about this meal today as when it was all said and done, this was the best beer dinner I have ever orchestrated- with apologies to the maestro Tom Peters of Monk’s Café.Over the years, I have participated in more beer dinners than I can recall. Yet, they always have at their root expression a desire to pair food and beer. (Sometimes, I forget that beer dinners are not necessarily vehicles for getting intoxicated. That is merely the end result AFTER dinners are complete). Our beers have been a part of so many great dinners that I struggled to decide which one to write about.Then, I started thinking about the best ones and why the succeeded in ways the others didn’t. And, at the end of it all, I was reminded that inevitably, beers dinners have at least one pairing that goes Scott Norwood on our asses and misses wide left (or even right). But, this dinner that we did at Stone went straight through the uprights and was the most memorable 5 course beer dinner I have ever done (my ego’s too).At the end of the meal, I stood back and marveled at the execution of Vince’s recipes, our pairings and the pure poetry of it all. It was as if for one night, it stopped raining in Seattle, there was no cancer in the world and we all walked on water. Seriously, I am not often drawn to hyperbole but that night was almost better than sex.I’m guessing that most of you out there reading this weren’t there as I believe announced attendance was 47 people. With that in mind, I thought for Session #8, I would share the menu and pairings from the night so you could play along at home.The weekend before the event, I sat down with samples of the beers and Carlton and I finalized some of the tweaks to the menu. Having done several dinners with Junkyard Vince, I have come to appreciate the simplicity and elegance of Spring Rolls on plates. For the Stone dinner, we rolled out the rolls (again) and started the dinner with finger food. I mean, who doesn’t like finger foods?I talked Vince into developing a Chicken Mole Spring roll that highlighted the yeast qualities of our Lost and Found Abbey Ale. When the rolls hit the table, it was easy to see that the dark cocoa flavors and banana yeast esters found in our Lost and Found were going to match perfectly. The addition of sliced plantains in the mix really scored well with the patrons as well.For the second course, we chose to feature Avant Garde. This has been a favorite of ours to pair with Cheese and as such, I asked the chefs to work around a framework of soup and cheese. I had envisioned something along the lines of French Onion Soup with a caramelized gooey cheese top. Carlton wanted something with a splash more levity. It was less hearty and in the end featured shavings of Asiago. It pretty much smashed. I watched the patrons slurp their way to the finish nodding in approval. The beer provided ample foundation and didn’t take a back seat to the robust flavors. They melded incredibly well and showed the grace of Russian Ice Dancers.The third course is always one of my favorites. We always have a salad course when I work with Chef Vince on meals. It helps us feel better about all the meat we’re about to ingest. Over the years, we have always paired Saison style beers with salads. They always have great flavors and hooks. Our Red Barn Ale is no exception. It blasts forth with notes of Ginger, Pepper and Orange Peel making it the perfect companion for salads that highlight these flavors.Our salad landed on the table that night with Spring Mix for the base. Sitting on top of these funky greens was some great goat cheese and an Orange Balsamic Vinegarette dressing. I did my best to make like a cow and be happy. And as we all know, happy cows come from California which is fine by me and especially by Vince who included Cow as part of the main entrée for the evening.Chef Vince is known around these parts for his affinity to all things Pork and Cow based. I mean he does okay with fish but this guy owns Red and the other white meat too. Our non vegan plates arrived that evening with some of the most tender beef I have ever eaten. They were slow cooked in a sauce that featured our Old Viscosity and a pomegranate reduction sauce. Vince busted out the starch side featuring Potatoes Pave and this combination alongside our Veritas 001 was tear inducing.The Veritas 001 was the debut for our Veritas series of beers. These are barrel aged and blended beers. They are ultra small scale (never to be replicated) and many of them will be used for beer dinners. The Veritas 001 was a blend of three different barrels of Cherry based beers. The tannins and fruit flavors excelled like red wine in handling the strong flavors of the short ribs. It was my favorite course of the evening.I don’t know if there is a better after dinner beer than The Angel’s Share. At 12.5% ABV, it just screams “Pick Me, Pick Me,” like the Fat kid who always gets picked last for 5th Grade Dodgeball. But there is nothing flabby about The Angel’s Share. It is a man amongst the boys in this case.I have consumed enough Angel’s Share since we released it know that the beer sports huge wood vanilla flavors and has a decidedly maple sugar finish from the residual sugars. We felt this would be an efficient assassin for any chocolate based dessert. We developed a ramekin based dessert and had it warmed prior to serving. As part of the finish for the dish, we infused it with Butterscotch and Maple glaze. It pretty much Sucked! I mean in a good way. It punctuated the meal perfectly.Five course up, five course down. We left stone as satiated as that fat dodgeball kid. It was a fantastic night. I look forward to doing another one soon. Rumor has it, we may even be heading back in November for another round. Somehow, I doubt only 47 people will show up.Bring on Session #9

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