The Conduit
Stories from the Abbey
News and Events
Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey To Release 2009 Brandy Angel’s Share
Third release of the brandy barrel-aged barleywine goes on sale February 28, 2009
SAN MARCOS, Calif. – At 10am on Saturday, February 28, 2009 Port Brewing will release the 2009 Brandy barrel-aged version of it's much lauded Angel’s Share English-style Barleywine. Consistently rated one of the world's best beers, this third release of the beer was barreled in March of 2008.Unlike previous years, this release will be available in both 375ml and 750ml bottles. The 375ml bottles will only be sold at the brewery. 750ml bottles will be available directly from the brewery and in areas in which Port Brewing and Lost Abbey beers are distributed.Brewery release details are as follows:Location: Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey, 155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069Time/Date: 10:00 am, February 28, 2009Price: $15 per cork finished 375ml bottle, $30 per cork finished 750ml bottleLimits: Maximum of six of each bottle size (total of 12 bottles per person)As with all Port Brewing special 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 brewery location or more information, please visit our contact page.
Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey to Release Red Poppy Ale
2009 Limited Edition Barrel-aged Flanders-Style Red Ale Available Saturday, January 31
SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey will issue the 2009 release of Red Poppy Ale on January 31, 2009. A Flanders-style red ale made with sour cherries and aged in French Oak barrels for one year, the 375 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 brewery co-founder and director of operations 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:
- Beer: Flanders-style Red Ale
- Packaging: 375ml cork-finished bottles
- ABV: 5%
- Total run: 375 cases
- Price: $15 per bottle; six bottles per person maximum
- Available: Sales of the beer begin at the brewery at 10am on Saturday, January 31, 2009.
For more information on the release and directions to Port Brewing and the Lost Abbey, please visit the Lost Abbey website at http://www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.com.About Port Brewing / Lost AbbeyFounded in 2006, Port Brewing Company was the 2007 Great American Beer Festival Small Brewery of the Year, and the 2008 World Beer Cup World Champion Small Brewery. It 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.
LA Times Beer of the Month: Port Brewing Old Viscosity
The Los Angeles times gave Port Brewing's Old Viscosity a big nod this month by naming it the newspaper's "Beer of the Month." From the article:
...this is a suave, very malty dark beer with a kick that sneaks up on you; think twice before trying to kill the bottle yourself.
Read the whole article here: Beer of the Month: Port Brewing Old Viscosity - via Los Angeles Times
Port Brewing on Big Foamy Head Podcast
The guys over at Bigfoamyhead.com recently took a slice of their holidays to do a broadcast about beers from the Port Brewing side of our operation. In the podcast they talk about Shark Attack, High Tide and Old Viscosity. Pretty good stuff.You can read the post and listen to the podcast here: Show 124 - Port Brewing (bigfoamyhead.com)
The Lost Abbey/Port Brewing Company Gets Chicago Distribution
Press Release From Windy City Distribution:Windy City Distribution is very pleased to announce a new addition to our family of craft beers: The Lost Abbey/Port Brewing Company.Pizza Port was founded by Vince and Gina Marsaglia in Solana Beach, CA as simply a great pizza joint. However, these home brewers decided to install a 7 barrel brewing system in 1992. They unleashed some handcrafted beers on their customers in 1993, and with little surprise their one location became three. Tomme Arthur joined the Port brewing family in 1996, as Head Brewer of the original Pizza Port location in Solana Beach. The Solana Beach Pizza Port location was GABF Small Brewpub of the year in 2003 and 2004, and those same years Tomme Arthur was selected GABF Small Brewpub Brewer of the year.Tomme Arthur's unique approach and creativity, along with his enthusiasm, helped produce a thriving beer scene in San Diego. Tomme brought a love for Belgian beer to the Port family of brew pubs and created their first Belgian style ale, Overhead Abbey Dubbel in 1997. That one Belgian style brew has since become an entire family of beers called The Lost Abbey. Tomme Arthur is certainly one of the most cutting edge brewers in the United States, and he continues to play a major role in the growth, education, and creativity of the American Craft Brewing scene. Outside of his multiple medals at World Beer Cup, Chicago Real Ale Festival, and the Great American Beer Festival, Tomme has brought a new passion to the rustic, old world traditions of Belgian brewing by creating new beers with a fresh new vision of what beer can be. The canvas for his artwork is stretched with oak, fruit, spices, wild yeast strains, and time.Tomme Arthur will be joining us in Chicago to help launch his beer, and I'm pleased to announce the following events:When: Tuesday, November 11th, from 5:30 PM - 11:00 PMWhere: The Publican, 845 W. Fulton Market, ChicagoRenowned Chef Paul Kahan will design a Prix Fix/Tasting Menu, with cuisine created specifically to pair with the Port Brewing/Lost Abbey beers. In order to accommodate as many diners as possible, the tasting menu will be offered throughout dinner service, and Tomme Arthur will be in attendance to present his beers to the public.When: Wednesday, November 12th at 7:00 PMWhere: The Hopleaf, 5148 N. Clark Street, Chicago"Meet the Brewer" launch event in the upstairs bar. An assortment of Hopleaf's fine food will be offered buffet style, and the full line of Port and Lost Abbey beers will be served throughout the evening, providing an opportunity for beer enthusiasts to meet Tomme in person.When: Thursday, November 13th, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PMWhere: Dobby's Worldwide Liquors, 15 S. Brockway, PalatineTomme Arthur will be in attendance to taste a variety of Port and Lost Abbey selections.When: Thursday, November 13th, 8:00 PMWhere: Bavarian Lodge, 1800 Ogden Ave., LisleLaunch of the Lost Abbey/Port Brewing beers, with Tomme Arthur in attendance to meet, greet, and discuss his beers.
Photos from Patron Sinners and Saints Party
The Lost Abbey held its first Patron Sinners and Saints party on Saturday, October 18, 2008. It was great to see so many from both above and below arrive to share beer, food and good times. Here's a photo slideshow from the evening's festivities.
Tomme's GABF interview in USA Today
From the article:
DENVER (AP) — In the beginning, there was a long line for Judgment Day ale.Shortly after the doors opened on the 27th Great American Beer Festival, a crowd congregated at the booth offering that and other pours from The Lost Abbey of San Marcos, California, where the tap handle is a Celtic cross and the legacy of beer-brewing monks endures.
Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey Hits a Rocky Mountain High
Nation's Top Small Brewery Signs Distribution Deal With Elite Brands of ColoradoSAN MARCOS, Calif. – Great beer lovers in the Centennial State have a reason to cheer. Port Brewing Company, 2007’s Great American Beer Festival Small Brewery of the Year, and 2008 World Beer Cup Champion Small Brewery, announced today that it has signed a distribution agreement with Denver-based Elite Brands. Under the agreement Elite Brands will provide statewide distribution of Port's high touted family of American ales and groundbreaking Lost Abbey Belgian-inspired beers throughout the state of Colorado."Colorado is one of the great beer states and home to some of the nation’s best known craft brewers and most discerning beer drinkers," said Port Brewing co-founder and director of brewery operations Tomme Arthur. "We’re very pleased that an organization of Elite Brands’ caliber will be representing our products in the state.""Adding Lost Abbey and Port Brewing Company to our beer portfolio is not only a great success for Elite Brands of Colorado, but also for our clients,” said Terry Cekola, owner of Elite Brands. “Their beers offer the qualities we strive to represent – top notch ingredients, superior brewing and outstanding taste."Elite Brands will begin distribution of Port Brewing and Lost Abbey beers immediately. In support of the brewery’s arrival in the state, Tomme Arthur will be making appearances and discussing his brews at Denver’s famed Falling Rock Taphouse on Wednesday, September 10th, and at Ft Collins’ Choice City Butcher on Thursday, September 11th.For information and availability of Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey beers in Colorado, contact Elite Brands Sales Manager Nick Jumel via telephone at (303) 394-7535 or via email at njumel@elite-brands.com.About Elite Brands of ColoradoTerry Cekola founded Elite Brands of Colorado in 2003 after moving from Michigan where she grew up in the distribution business. Her brothers run Imperial Beverage of Kalamazoo and Elite Brands of Michigan based in Detroit. Based in Denver, Elite of Colorado has 11 sales people and distributes beer, wine and a small amount of specialty spirits throughout the state. The company is located at 4912 Lima Street, Denver, CO 80239. Telephone (303) 394-7535.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.
Brits Name The Angel's Share Top American Cask Beer
6 August 2008CAMRA announces winner of the 2008 Champion American Cask-Conditioned Beer Award“The Angel's Share” from Lost Abbey Brewery in San Marcos, California was today chosen as the best American cask-conditioned beer at this week's Great British Beer Festival.The winner was selected by CAMRA beer experts, brewers and international beer judges from forty six beers, specially imported for the Great British Beer Festival. The Festival provides a unique opportunity to try beers from around the World alongside 450 British real ales. The international ‘Bieres Sans Frontieres' Bar includes rare lambics, wheat beers, Trappist ales, honey, fruit and spice beers as well as a giant wooden barrel of Imperial Porter from the De Molen brewery in the Netherlands.The beer is brewed with copious amounts of caramel malt to emphasise the vanilla and oak flavours found in the freshly emptied bourbon casks, where it spends six months maturing.Andy Benson, Manager of the Bieres Sans Frontieres bar said, “It's a great result for Lost Abbey and I'm sure the beer will be a fast-seller at the Festival, just don't drink too much of it, as it is 12.5% ABV. American beers are often a surprise to the British palate, they are so intensely flavoured that most people either love them or hate them, nothing like the insipid lagers we usually associate with America. The craft beer market in the States is booming and most of these beers are extremely difficult to find this side of the water. Some of the beers are not even available in their own areas in a cask conditioned form.”Second place went to Mayflower Brewings' Porter from Massachusetts and third to Cambridge Houses' IPA from Connecticut.ENDSThe Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court, LondonTuesday 5th August - Saturday 9th Augustwww.gbbf.org.ukwww.b-s-f.org.ukSource: Campaign for Real Ale
Release: Ne Goeien Saison
Collaboration beer releases Saturday, July 26th
This is the collaboration beer Tomme brewed with Hildegard van Ostedan from Brouwerij Leyerth (better as Urthel) back in April.Beer specs:234 cases, 750ml bottles,Saison 5.5% ABV;$8.99/ bottleReleases at the brewery at 12 noon, Saturday.Yes, it's a good one.Full story of this collaboration beer can be read here: http://www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.com.com/blog/?p=88
Isabelle Proximus to Be Released June 28, 2008
Rare collaboration of five craftbrewing titans available at Port Brewing / Lost Abbey starting at 10am; 12 bottle limit per personSAN MARCOS, Calif. – At 10am on Saturday, June 28th 2008, Port Brewing will release highly anticipated Isabelle Proximus. A collaboration between five of America's best craft brewers – Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey, Adam Avery of Avery Brewing, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River, and RobTod of Allagash – Isabelle was created from a common base beer to which each brewery contributed a yeast strain and barrels for aging. After 16 months in oak, the beers were blended to create the final product.Release Details:
- Bottles will be $30 per cork finished 750ml bottle.
- Limit of 12 bottles per person.
- Beer will be sold only at the brewery. No email orders or holds for pick up at a later date.
- This is a special release; no discounts.
- There are approximately 150 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 http://www.lostabbeydev.wpengine.com.About Port Brewing / The Lost AbbeyFounded in 2006, Port Brewing Company is 2007’s Great American Beer Festival Small Brewery of the Year, and 2008 World Beer Cup World Champion Small Brewery. It 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 and World Beer Cup Champion small brewer, 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.
Second Anniversary Party Photo Gallery
Last Saturday we held our Second Anniversary party at the brewery. We had food, music, outstanding beer and a record-breaking crowd. If you didn't attend, you blew it. (Just kidding... but you did miss a great party.)Below is a photo slideshow of the day's happenings. Clicking on the slideshow will take you to the photo gallery where you can seel the photos individually. Enjoy!
Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey 2nd Anniversary Party
Join us for our 2nd Anniversary Celebration – a day of food, music, people, and of course, beer from Great American Beer Festival Small Brewery of the Year and World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Small Brewery – Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey!When: Saturday, May 3, 2008 – 11 am to 9 pmWhere: Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, San Diego County, CAWhat: Entry gets you six tasting tickets, a cool Port Brewing pint glass and most excellent food from Port’s own untamable outdoor kitchen maestro Vincent Marsaglia.How Much: $15 at the door
- Port Brewing 2nd Anniversary – A Hop Bomb of a double IPA just for our second birthday! 9.5% ABV, available in 22oz bottles. $7.99 / bottle
- Inferno — Our first releases of this devilishly good Golden Strong Ale. 8.5% ABV, available in 750ml cork stopper bottles. $8.99 / bottle
- Cuvee de Tomme – Gold medals at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival and the 2008 World Beer Cup! Only 150 cases are available. There will be a maximum of 6 bottles per person. $15 per 375ml cork finished bottle.
Special Note: Cuvee de Tomme is very likely to sell out early. Make sure you're there early if you want to pick some up!
Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey Crowned 2008 World Champion at World Beer Cup
Small brewery and its head brewer take four medals, named World Beer Cup 2008 ChampionSan Marcos, CA - Tiny Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey Brewing and its head brewer Tomme Arthur went into last week's 7th World Beer Cup as the American Small Brewery and Brewer of the Year.They emerged as the World Champions.A bi-annual competition among the world's best breweries, the Brewers Association 2008 World Beer Cup saw 644 breweries from 58 countries enter a total of 2,864 beers in 91 style categories. An elite panel of international judges conducted blind tastings and awarded gold, silver and bronze medals to the top three beers of each style. The judges also issued a "Champion Brewery" and "Champion Brewer" award in each of five brewery categories: Large, medium and small brewery, large and small brewpub.Port Brewing's Lost Abbey beers won in the following categories:
- Bronze Medal: Experimental Beer (Lager or Ale) -- Veritas 002
- Bronze Medal: Other International Ale -- Brouwer's Imagination Series Saison
- Silver Medal: Belgian-Style Flanders/Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale -- Red Poppy
- Gold Medal: Wood- and Barrel-aged Sour Beer -- Cuvee de Tomme
The brewery and head brewer Tomme Arthur were also named World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery and Champion Brewer in the Small Brewing Company Category.The "world champion" designation is merely the latest in a string of high-profile titles for Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey. In 2007 alone the brewery netted more than a dozen medals. And six months ago brewery and brewer walked away with the "2007 Small Brewery of the Year" award at the Great American Beer Festival, an annual competition among America's best beer makers.Established just two years ago, Port Brewing /The Lost Abbey 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.A full list of the Brewers Association 2008 World Beer Cup Award winners and competition details are available on the Brewers Association website at: http://www.beertown.org/events/wbc/winners_list/winners_2008.htmlAbout Port Brewing / Lost AbbeyFounded in 2006, Port Brewing Company produces a line of multi-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 and 2008 World Champion brewer, 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.
Photos from the AHA Rally
There was an American Homebrewer's Association rally at the brewery on Sunday, April 13th. Here's a few photos.
Judgment Day - William Brand's Beer of the Week
IF YOU'RE LIKE ME and prowl the shelves of well-stocked beer stores, you may have seen a stream of new Belgian-style beers in corked, 750 ml bottles from the Lost Abbey in Southern California.It's a stream of hits and misses, and when there's hit, it's fantastic. One of the hits is Judgment Day (HHH1/2), about $8, a powerful 10.5 percent dark beauty, fermented with raisins. It's our Beer of the Week.
» Read What's on Tap: Lost Abbey's Judgment Day a great beer | (Via William Brand, Inside Bay Area)
Port Brewing in Framingham, Mass MetroWest Daily News
It's a tale of two breweries - well, almost - when you talk about the Port Brewing Company.The San Marcos, Calif., brewery is known for making big, high-alcohol, in-your-face brews, from double India pale ales to wonderfully flavorful Russian imperial stouts.But then, there is another side to the Port Brewing Company the spiritual side. Those beers, The Lost Abbey ales, are true-to-style, impressively accurate and just wonderful Belgian-style ales, including saisons, dubbels and quads.
» Read A Little Slice of Hop Heaven | (via MetroWest Daily News)
Angel's Share Release Photos
Here's photos from today's Bourbon Angel's Share and Veritas `03 release. Enjoy!