Wiens Brewing, located in Temecula CA will open their tasting room this Saturday, November 10th.
Congratulations CCBA member – Wiens Brewery. Cheers!

Visit their website here

The 2012 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) presented by the Brewers Association is the largest commercial beer competition in the world.
California was the top medal winner with 49 medals out of 254 medals awarded, followed by Colorado with 35 medals.

This year’s GABF competition attracted 185 beer judges from eleven countries, 666 breweries in the competition from 48 states, Washington, D.C. and Guam.
Award-winning brewers received prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals in 84 beer categories covering 134 beer styles, establishing the best examples of each style in the U.S. A record 4,338 beers were judged.

 

 

 

 

 
2012 winners

Congratulations to the following CCBA members who received a 2012 GABF medal.

Category: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer with Yeast, 29 Entries
Bronze: Wrangler Wheat, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA

Category: 8 Coffee Beer, 63 Entries
Gold: Smog City Groundwork Coffee, Tustin Brewing Co., Tustin, CA

Category: 10 Rye Beer, 62 Entries
Gold: Gramarye, Heretic Brewing Co., Pittsburg, CA

Category: 12 Session Beer, 67 Entries
Gold: Twerp, Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA
Bronze: Bitter American, 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, CA

Category: 14 Experimental Beer, 62 Entries
Silver: Petit Obscura, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: Track #8, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA

Category: 15 Fresh Hop Ale, 34 Entries
Gold: Estate Homegrown Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA
Silver: HopTime Harvest Ale, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA

Category: 16 Indigenous Beer, 27 Entries
Bronze: Hot Rocks Lager, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA

Category: 18 American-Belgo-Style Ale, 71 Entries
Gold: Le Freak, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category: 19 American-Style Sour Ale, 34 Entries
Silver: Red Poppy, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA

Category: 21 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer, 51 Entries
Silver: Bourbon Barrel Aged Night Sail, Island Brewing Co., Carpentaria, CA

Category: 23 Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout, 65 Entries
Silver: Silva Stout, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category: 25 Aged Beer, 24 Entries
Silver: 2004 Triple Exultation, Eel River Brewing Co., Fortuna, CA

Category: 28 American-Style or International-Style Pilsener, 26 Entries
Gold: Gold Country Pilsner, Auburn Alehouse, Auburn, CA

Category: 35 Vienna-Style Lager, 36 Entries
Bronze: Danish Red Lager, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA

Category: 44 Golden or Blonde Ale, 67 Entries
Gold: Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, Mad River Brewing Co., Blue Lake, CA

Category: 52 American-Style India Pale Ale, 203 Entries
Gold: IPA, Tap It Brewing Co., San Luis Obispo, CA
Bronze: Duet, Alpine Beer Co., Alpine, CA

Category: 53 Imperial India Pale Ale, 128 Entries
Silver: Café Racer 15, Bear Republic Brewing Co. – Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA
Bronze: Double Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Category: 55 Imperial Red Ale, 60 Entries
Bronze: 547 Haight – The Toronado San Francisco’s 20th Anniversary Imperial Red Ale,
Pizza Port Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA

Category: 57 Ordinary or Special Bitter, 37 Entries
Gold: DBA, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Category: 63 American-Style Black Ale, 61 Entries
Gold: Wookey Jack, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA

Category: 69 French- and Belgian-Style Saison, 68 Entries
Bronze: El Verano, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Category: 70 Belgian- and French-Style Ale, 68 Entries
Gold: Saint’s Devotion, The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA

Category: 71 Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale, 42 Entries
Bronze: Sans Pagaie, The Bruery, Anaheim, CA

Category: 72 Belgian-Style Abbey Ale, 86 Entries
Gold: Green Flash Trippel, Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category: 73 Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale, 51 Entries
Silver: Rhinoceros, Telegraph Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Bronze: AleSmith Grand Cru, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

Category: 74 Brown Porter, 44 Entries
Bronze: Peter Brown Tribute Ale, Bear Republic Brewing Co. Factory Five, Cloverdale, CA

Category: 76 Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout, 16 Entries
Gold: Seaside Stout, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA

Category: 77 Foreign-Style Stout, 25 Entries
Gold: Starry Night Stout, Island Brewing Co., Carpinteria, CA

Category: 78 American-Style Stout, 43 Entries
Gold: Order in the Port, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA

Category: 79 Sweet Stout, 32 Entries
Gold: Udder Love, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Long Beach, CA

Category: 80 Oatmeal Stout, 45 Entries
Gold: Oats, Pizza Port Solana Beach, Solana Beach, CA
Bronze: Stagecoach Stout, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA

Category: 81 Imperial Stout, 58 Entries
Silver: Imperial Stout, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA

Category: 82 Scotch Ale, 44 Entries
Gold: Way Heavy, Pizza Port San Clemente, San Clemente, CA

Category: 83 Old Ale or Strong Ale, 31 Entries
Silver: Papier, The Bruery, Anaheim, CA
Bronze: AleSmith Decadence ‘10 Old Ale, AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA

$3 Billion into the Economy and 22,000 Jobs for Californians

 California Craft Brewing Association President Steve Wagner of the Stone Brewing Company today announced the state’s craft brewing industry generated approximately $3 billion in total impact to the California economy in 2011. California’s craft brewers also created more than 22,000 jobs in a state still facing double-digit unemployment.  Citing a 2012 study sponsored by the CCBA in conjunction with UC Berkeley, Wagner issued the following statement:

 “The craft brewing industry is thriving in California, generating approximately $3 billion in total economic impact and creating 22,000 jobs in 2011 despite being on the heels of the most significant recession since the Great Depression,” said CCBA President Steve Wagner. “The California craft brewing industry is an integral part of the state’s economy.”

 The 2012 California Craft Brewing Industry: An Economic Impact Study, sponsored by the CCBA in conjunction with the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, quantified the total economic impact by dollar value of the California Craft Brewing industry for 2011. The study also estimated the number of jobs created, community contributions and the taxes paid locally, statewide and federally by the California craft brewing industry. California leads the nation’s craft brewing industry producing more craft beer per year than any other state. 

 See the full report and other details here.

 

 

 

In the culinary world wine has long been the beverage of choice for fine dining. But these days’ things are changing. The renaissance in Craft Brewing has brought a new focus on the potential for fine craft beer to offer an extraordinary compliment to fine cuisine.

Brewers Association’s President Charlie Papazian, sagaciously discusses the wide range of beer flavors and the subtle art of beer and food pairing here.

 

This week, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 778 (Padilla) into law. Alcoholic beverage manufacturers in California may now conduct consumer contests and conduct or sponsor consumer sweepstakes after January 1, 2013 when the law goes into effect.

 Most states in the country already allow similar types of activities.

 The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act prohibits any licensee from giving any premium, gift, or free goods in connection with the sale or distribution of any alcoholic beverage, except as provided.

 This bill would permit an authorized licensee, as defined, to conduct a consumer contest and conduct or sponsor consumer sweepstakes, as defined, offering the chance to win prizes, if specified conditions are met.

 A full version of the bill can be found here.

 

 

Petaluma’s newest brewery, just opened early September
101 North Brewing Company
Visit their website here