This will be the release date for Framboise de Amorosa, our luscious, tarty, raspberry beer aged in wine barrels for a year.
Framboise de Amorosa
Release Details:
Style: Barrel-aged raspberry Framboise
Format: 375ml cork-stoppered bottles
Price: $15 per bottle
Limits: 6 bottles per person
Note: Supplies of this beer are extremely limited. As such, this is a brewery only release; bottles will not reach our distribution network. Because we expect this beer to sell out quickly, we’ll open our doors at 11am for registration; bottle sales will begin at 12pm.
Standard disclaimer: This is a barrel-aged beer. As such release dates are subject to change based on the whims of the barrels.
Update (2/27/11): To avoid a scheduling conflict with the Craft Brewer’s Conference we have moved the release date up one week from 3/26/11 to 3/19/11
A couple of exciting updates for our Carnevale di Lost Abbey Masquerade ball & release celebration next week. First, we now have the complete menu: Carnevale Masquerade - Feb 26, 2011
Appetizers: Rustic Cheeses & Crackers
Course 1: Fresh Crab Salad
Course 2: Louisiana Sausage & Chicken Gumbo
Course 3: Whole smoked pig with Serpent’s Stout glaze and Crisp vinaigrette cole slaw
Course 4: Hot Bread Pudding with Angel’s Share sauce
Appetizers begin at 7:15pm and dinner should start around 8pm with courses following every 20 minutes or so. (Many thanks to chefs Steve O. and Jason D. for jumping in and lending their skilled culinary hands to help us out for the evening!)
Masquerade Competition
In true Venetian masquerade style, we will also be holding a masquerade competition. A group of secret judges will name a number of winners for the evening, including:
Best mask – for most elaborate, interesting or intriguing Carnevale mask
Best costume – for most elaborate, interesting or intriguing Carnevale outfit
Lord di Carnevale – for the gentleman who best embodies the Spirit of Venetian Carnevale
Lady di Carnevale – for the lady who best embodies the Spirit of Venetian Carnevale
Best couple – for the couple who best embodies the spirit of Venetian Carnevale
The DOBO’s Cup – for best overall presentation of the evening
Judging, naturally, begins upon arrival, winners will be announced at the ceremony shortly after 10pm.
Live Music
Once again, we’re pleased to announce that the brew house will be bathed in the sultry yet sensational surf lounge sounds of the Professors. They’ve been in the studio recently working on a new album, so we’re hoping to hear a few new cuts before they take off on their big U.S. tour this summer. (More info on their website here: http://www.theprofessorslounge.com/)
More Info & Details
As always, the food, music and fun are free to everyone who shows up in mask and costume ($10 for those who don’t). All the details are on the Lost Abbey website here: Carnevale di Lost Abbey Masquerade Ball 2011
The Lost Abbey will issue the 2011 release of Red Poppy Ale on February 12, 2011. Red Poppy 2011
An award-winning Flanders-style red ale made with sour cherries and aged in French Oak barrels for a year, this limited release is one a handful of beers to receive a 99 out 100 rating by Draft Magazine.
Release details are as follows:
Beer: Red Poppy – Flanders-style Red Ale
Packaging: 375ml cork-finished bottles
ABV: 5%
Price: $15 per bottle (six bottle maximum per person)
Availability: Bottles will go into our full distribution network. Draft availability will be limited to selected venues primarily here in San Diego, CA.
UPDATE: Feb. 9, 2011
A couple of quick up dates for the Red Poppy release on Saturday.
Mongo Bottles – In addition to Red Poppy, Mongo Double IPA will be available for the first time in bottle. Unlike the draft version of the beer, bottled Mongo is finished with Simcoe hops which give it a great, piney bitterness. Bottles are 22 ounce and $5.99 each (no limit).
Saison Blanc – We will also be pouring samples of a pilot batch of a new beer tentatively titled “Saison Blanc”. As the name implies, it’s a light, white saison with a fresh, hoppy citrus finish. We’ll be looking for feedback on the beer. If reaction is positive we will most likely send it into distribution this summer.
If you follow our happenings, you’re probably aware that we’ve been undergoing an expansion for the last several months essentially doubling our brewery space.
Open House, Jan. 22
We built new offices, a DOBO habitat (aka, Tomme’s office), a state-of-the-art lab, brand new packaging storage, modern delivery bays, oh… and a bottling line so roomy the brewhouse boys no longer have to stand with their butts touching during bottling. (We can’t tell if they’re happy or sad about that.)
Yesterday we finally fired up the bottling line and did our first run of beer in the new space, marking the last step in our move-in. (Hooray!) To celebrate our new digs, we’re holding an Open House this Saturday. We’ll be doing tours of the new space, checking out the DOBO habitat, and talking about all the great new stuff we’ll be doing in 2011 (did we mention we just added a few hundred new barrels to our collection?). We might even put something interesting on tap…(hint, hint).
The Open House will be all day during normal tasting room hours, so make sure to drop by and check it out!
Celebrate the 2011 release of Carnevale Ale at The Lost Abbey with our famous Venetian-style Carnevale masquerade on February 26, 2010 from 7pm to 11pm.
Carnevale di Lost Abbey Masquerade
In addition to our 20-odd taps of outstanding Port Brewing and Lost Abbey Beers (including the Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal winning Carnevale), we’ll also have great music and amazing food courtesy of our very own Venetian chef, Vincentio Marsaglia.
Beers are all regular price, but if you attend in costume (which you should, since it’s a masquerade), food and entertainment are free! Mark your calendar now and make plans to attend the fourth Carnevale di Lost Abbey!
Details:
What: 4th Annual Carnevale di Lost Abbey Masquerade When: February 26, 7pm to 11pm Where: The Lost Abbey, 155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069
For directions to the brewery or more information, please vist our Contact Page.
Want to see some photos from previous Carnevale Masquerades? Here you go:
Santa was especially nice to those of us at Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey this year.
This past fall we took over the building suite next to us that formerly housed Aramark linen company. For us this was a monumental acquisition as it’s the first space we’ve acquired that’s actually contiguous to the brewhouse. (We have a barrel and distribution warehouse, but it’s across the parking lot from the brewery.) The expansion takes us to 25,000 square feet of total brewery space which gives us more room for new offices, a lab, and a brand bottling line & packaging area complete with shiny new bright tanks. (More beer!) Look for an open house celebration in January where we’ll open our doors to our Faithful and show off the new digs.
As this year comes to a close, I look back on 2010 as a year of great progress. We launched two new markets, added some great new new staff, and acquired a very nice piece of the missing puzzle for our growth plans in the coming years. Now I’m turning my attention to 2011 and thoughts of how we’re going to celebrate our 5th year of business. It promises to be a great year with new beers, more barrels and new staff as well.
Although I am sad to see this year of new great beers (Framboise de Amorosa, Angel’s Share Grand Cru and Deliverance) come to a close, I’m excited about a whole slew of new things that have been fermenting around here and will see the light of day in 2011.
It’s a great feeling indeed.
Best wishes this holiday season and beyond Your DOBO
New expansion photo gallery
(It’s not much to look at now, but just you wait.)
[nggallery id=25]
Georgia on My Mind
Welcome to Georgia
Somebody cue the Ray Charles music because we’ve got Georgia on our minds. More specifically, we’ve got our beer in Georgia on our minds.
That’s right boys and girls, as of January 1, 2011 the Peach State will officially become the 8th state in which our beers are distributed! Thanks to our distribution partners at Savannah Distributing, Georgians from Chattahoochee to Okefenokee (and everywhere in between) will soon be among the lucky souls who can call themselves members of the Lost Abbey congregation.
Over the next few weeks there will be a number of events around GA to celebrate the arrival of Port Brewing & The Lost Abbey. If you’re in Georgia (or close enough to get there), make sure to check Facebook and your favorite craft beer sites for events close to you.
Oh, and if you do find our beers in a store, restaurant, or pub, please make sure to tell us about it so we can add the location to our map. You’ll find a handy form and the map here: http://www.lostabbey.com/find-our-beers/
Barrels for Sale
Yep, as of right now (Dec 31, 2010) we have 20 used Brandy barrels for sale. If you’re interested in buying one, they’re $25 cash, and you have to pick it up. If you’d like to get one, go here:
Friday – Nov. 26: 12pm – 9pm Extended Hours! Black Friday madness? No thank you. How about a nice afternoon in the Tasting Room with family and friends?
Saturday – Nov. 27: 12pm – 6pm
If you’re in town for the Holiday, stop by for a tour and tasting!
Sunday – Nov. 28: 12pm – 5pm
Sunday’s are pretty low key, so if you need a post relative / pre-back to work break, this is a great day to do it.
So if you’ve got family and friends in town and you want to show them a good time (or they’re driving you crazy and you need a moment of peace), drop on by this week. We’ll be happy to see you.
The second annual San Diego Beer Week kicks off a 10 day tour de force today with just about every brewery, brewpub, gastropub, bar and bottle shop pulling out all the stops to showcase America’s new craft beer capitol. In all there’ll be more than 200 beer-related events all around the county between today and Sunday the 14th. Naturally, we’ll be out and about next week, talking, eating and, of course, pouring lots of great Lost Abbey and Port Brewing beers.
Here’s a round-up of what’s up and what’s new at Lost Abbey:
Extended Tasting Room Hours
In honor of San Diego Beer Week, we’ll be extending our tasting room hours to be open seven days a week through November 14, giving everyone ample opportunity to drop by and say hello! The SDBW Tasting Room hours are:
Sun: 12pm – 5pm
Mon – Wed: 1pm – 6pm
Thur: 1pm – 4:30pm
Fri: 1pm – 9pm
Sat: 12pm – 6pm
(Note: Saturday, November 13 we will close promptly at 6pm to prepare for our annual barrel party)
We’re doing a number of events around town all week long, so you can still experience our beers without making the trek up to the brewery. If you get a chance, pop into one and say hi to the DOBO (aka “Tomme”) and other members of the Lost Abbey Clergy.
Lost Abbey SDBW Events
Nov 6 – San Diego Brewer’s Guild Festival
Nov 8 – Phil’s BBQ
Nov 9 – Churchill’s Pub and Grille
Nov 9 – Encinitas Ale House
Nov 10 – Counterpoint
Nov 10 – Neighborhood
Nov 11 – Stone World Bistro
Nov 11 – JSix Restaurant
Nov 13 – 4th Annual Barrel Tasting Party (sold out)
Those who’ve been into the Tasting Room during the week in the past couple of months might have noticed a new face around the brewery. Actually, he’s an old, familiar face to this building.
Ken Kline, Superhero
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Ken Kline our new (returning) Plant Manager.
No, Ken didn’t used to work here and now he’s back, he’s returning to the brewhouse. Back before Port Brewing / Lost Abbey, our brewhouse was Stone Brewing’s, and Ken was their plant manager. In 2006 when Stone moved to it’s new facility Ken went with it and we’ve pretty much been faking it ever since (read: swearing/praying and lots of duct tape). Gratefully we were recently able to persuade Ken to return to his old brewhouse and re-assume command over all the stuff around here that makes the beer, packs it up and gets it on the loading dock.
Over the next few months Ken will be overhauling our brewhouse (read: swearing/praying and removing duct tape) and overseeing our expansion which includes a shiny new boiler, new tanks, and moving and reconfiguring the bottling line in the new building. For us, all of this means no more flooded floors and bottling line gymnastics. For you it means more Port & Lost Abbey beers!
If you ever happen to drop by the tasting room and see Ken (usually fixing stuff), make sure to say hi. (Don’t, hug him and cry, repeating “thank you, thank you, thank you” though. Turns out after the forth or fifth time it makes him uncomfortable.)
New Beer Releases
Here’s what’s new and upcoming in new beer releases:
There was quite a voted turnout for the “Other TEA Party” last night. Fortunately there were no hanging chads, voting machine malfunctions or bad ballots, so the count was quick and easy.
The TEA Party Duck
Of a total of 210 votes cast, TEA 1, a light, lemony sour beer walked away the victor. Many remember a version of this beer premiered as the “Arnold Palmer” TEA at Stone Brewing’s 14th Anniverary celebration this past August.
As the winner, TEA 1 will be bottled as Veritas 008 and released at our Barrel Party Night on November 13, 2010. (Unfortunately, the Barrel Party is sold out, but if you were lucky enough to get a ticket, you’ll be receiving a bottle of Veritas 008 that evening.)
TEA 6 also had a strong showing, and an impromptu blend of TEA 2 and TEA 6 was very popular, so it’s quite possible that 6, or a blended version thereof, may make an appearance again some time in the future.
Here’s a tally of the final results:
Candidate
Votes
Description
TEA 1
74 (36%)
Mellow Yellow (French Oak barrel-aged Amigo) with fresh lemon zest and Black Tea
TEA 2
28 (13%)
Avant Garde Farmhouse Ale with Caramel Apple Rooibos Tea
TEA 3
22 (10%)
Mongo Double IPA with Mango Ceylon Black Tea
TEA 4
30 (14%)
Red Barn Saison with Orange Ginger Mint Tea
TEA 5
4 (2%)
Red Barn Saison with Ginger Lemon Grass Green Tea
TEA 6
52 (25%)
Old Viscosity with Green Rooibos Plantain Coconut Tea
Thanks again to everyone who turned out for the vote, and to our friends at the Republic of Tea for providing the teas we used.
