Author: Abbey Scribe

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 PM
Where: The Publican, 845 W. Fulton Market, Chicago
Renowned 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 PM
Where: 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 PM
Where: Dobby’s Worldwide Liquors, 15 S. Brockway, Palatine
Tomme Arthur will be in attendance to taste a variety of Port and Lost Abbey selections.

When: Thursday, November 13th, 8:00 PM
Where: Bavarian Lodge, 1800 Ogden Ave., Lisle
Launch of the Lost Abbey/Port Brewing beers, with Tomme Arthur in attendance to meet, greet, and discuss his beers.

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.

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.

» Read the full article

Nation’s Top Small Brewery Signs Distribution Deal With Elite Brands of Colorado

SAN 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 Colorado
Terry 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 Abbey
Founded 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.lostabbey.com.

6 August 2008

CAMRA 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.

ENDS

The Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court, London
Tuesday 5th August – Saturday 9th August
www.gbbf.org.uk
www.b-s-f.org.uk

Source: Campaign for Real Ale

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/ bottle

Releases 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.lostabbey.com.com/blog/?p=88