Earth Day is tomorrow.  Got any special plans? For the past several years Sprecher has been actively making its brewing and plant operations more energy efficient, and we’ve substantially reduced the amount of packaging materials used as well as become more recycle conscious.  This weekend we’re offering $1 every growler purchased at the brewery in honor of Earth Day. For those who don’t know, a growler holds 64 ounces–the same amount of beer or soda in a Sprecher 4-pack. The difference? Not only fresh beer from the tap, but a lot less glass: one bottle compared to four, no paper products. And growlers are reusable. Wash them at home, bring them in for a refill. If you have a growler or need purchase one, stop in and get it filled. Save green — cash and our resources.

While you’re enjoying your fresh beer or soda, look around you and take a few moments to focus on the wonderful planet on which we live. Bird calls, rivers, grass, rain, sand, trees, oxygen…BTW: April’s Lyrid meteor shower tonight/tomorrow morning. Best view: look into a dark sky (no city lights), facing east.  Best viewing time: late night to early morning. You should be able to see 10-20 meteors per hour.  Cheers to that!

We agree with Matt Simpson aka The Beer Sommelier, who in 2008 wrote “think global, Drink local” about the value of buying local beers and organic ones as well: http://www.thebeerexpert.com/beer_sommelier_works.shtml.  Props to his prescience. Three years later he’s now joined by a chorus of locavors — people, especially foodies — who advocate buying locally produced goods, produce, etc., when possible. As Simpson points out, buying locally helps the local economy.  Local First Milwaukee — formerly Our Milwaukee (est. 2006) — has done the math: For every $1 you spend at a locally owned business, more than 68¢, versus 43¢ spent at a national chain, remains in Milwaukee.  Sprecher has been an active member of Local First Milwaukee almost since its inception.

And there’s something to be said for fresh ingredients. This year Sprecher made its first brew using hops grown in central Wisconsin, Fresh Hop Amber.  Fresh hops have a short life. After picking they were driven to the the brewery and immediately put to use. Even though the alpha acids on these beers were low, over time their flavor profile evolved giving the beer a crisp and distinctive taste.  The distinction came from the Wisconsin terroir, a geo-specific term originally used to describe the unique qualities soil and environment lend to grapes.  Because Wisconsin’s terroir differs from California’s, for example, the flavor of our hops do too.  We look forward to incorporating fresh Wisconsin hops into more beer styles in 2012.

Another point Simpson brings up: beer at its freshist is beer at its bestist, and it’s easier to get fresh beer directly from the source or at a nearby store, bar or restaurant. This is one reason people love growlers–beer straight from the tap–which we offer at Sprecher.  Like locally sourced ingredients, freshly tapped beer saves on the carbon footprint because it requires less transportation and, in the case of growlers, less packaging. One growler holds 64oz of fresh beer, the same as 4 pint bottles.  Growlers do not have a long shelf life. Once opened they should be consumed in a day, two max.

Local breweries appreciate your support. We at Sprecher certainly do. We’ve worked hard to become an integral member of our community.  Every year Sprecher gives back to the community with product and cash donations for myriad causes ranging from school fundraisers to non-profit health organizations to our armed forces. And we toast each and every customer who has helped make us successful. Thank you, and Happy New Year! Drink great beer whenever you have the chance. If that beer happens to be local, two cheers. If that beer happens to be Sprecher, three cheers!

 

 

There are so many fun and flavorful events happening during Milwaukee Beer Week — April 28 – May 8 — we thought we’d help you out by listing the Sprecher beer events, beginning with tastings and a Sprecher Beer Dinner at the Karl Ratzchs, Milwaukee’s landmark German-American restaurant. All events are free unless otherwise noted.

April 28th, 7pm ’til close $1 off all taps of Sprecher.  http://www.spingalactic.com/milwaukee/

April 29th, 6pm  Taste of Great Brewers, Harley-Davidson Museum, $40/person.  Get your tickets at: http://milwaukeebeerweek.com/tickets.php.

May 3rd,  4 -5pm   Groppi’s

May 3rd,  5:15 – 6:15pm   Blackbird

May 3rd,  6:30 -7:30pm  Frank’s Power Plant

May 3rd,  8:00 – 9:00pm  Tonic Tavern

May 4th — 5 Course Sprecher Beer Dinner, Karl Ratzschs,   $45/person (RSVP Karl Ratzch’s: (414) 276-2720) Click here for menu: http://www.karlratzsch.com/Promo.htm

May 4th,  8:00 – 9:00pm  Three Lions Pub

May 4th, 9:30 – 10:30pm  Karma

May 5th, 8:00 – 9:00pm    Hooligan’s

May 5th, 9:30 – 10:30pm   Rosie’s

May 6th, 6:00 – 7:00pm   Steny’s

May 6th, 7:15 – 8:15pm    Fat Daddy’s

To learn more about Milwaukee Beer Week, visit: http://milwaukeebeerweek.com/.

The contest is over and now it’s time to vote on the best taglines we’ve received for Abbey Triple and Black Bavarian. The five best submissions are listed below.  Please pick one favorite for Black Bavarian and one for Abbey Triple then send your vote to taglines@sprecherbrewery.  Voting will close Friday, March 11, 2011 at 5pm CST.  Cheers, and may the best taglines win. N.b. Maximum 3 votes from a given email address/peron will be counted so please do not vote more than 3 times.

Black Bavarian:

1. One Word: Smooth

2.  Wunderbeer

3.  Welcome to the Dark Side

4. So dark and complex, you’ll think you just tasted lager perfection.

5. The sunshine of darkness.

Abbey Triple

1.  Three times the Abbey for three times the taste!

2.  Strikingly unique taste of a beer! “a must drink!!!”

3.  Pour Another

4.  Triple the Pleasure, Triple the Fun

5. Your prayers, answered

Here’s a game day chicken wing recipe adapted from Lucy Saunders which uses Sprecher Pub Ale and is deee-lish. Since we found this in the Chicago Tribune archives, we had to edit it because the beer pairing selection didn’t exhibit enough respect for Wisconsin beers.  Our suggestion: Pair with your favorite Sprecher beer and yell GOPACKGO!!! while you enjoy these during Super Bowl XLV.

Posted by Carol Mighton Haddix and Josh Noel

For the wings, try this recipe from the Tribune’s archives, originally adapted by cookbook author Lucy Saunders from a grilled version (hey, if you want to brave the frigid outdoors, go ahead and grill ‘em). She suggested using Sprecher Pub Brown Ale for the brine.

Ale-brined chili wings

Prep: 25 minutes
Marinate: 4 hours
Cook: 30 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

2 bottles (12 ounces each) brown ale
1/2 cup each: brown sugar, coarse salt
5 pounds chicken wings, tips removed, cut into two sections
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
4 each, minced: garlic cloves, jalapenos
1/2 cup each: Asian sweet hot chili sauce, hot pepper sauce or more to taste
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds, optional

1. Reserve 1/4 cup ale for chili sauce. Whisk together brown sugar, salt and the remaining ale in a large bowl until dissolved. Add wings, stirring to coat. (You may need to put a plate over the bowl so that the chicken is completely submerged in brine.) Cover; refrigerate 4-8 hours.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat; add the garlic and jalapenos. Cook, stirring, until jalapenos are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chili sauce, hot pepper sauce, black pepper and cinnamon. Heat to a simmer; cook 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender; add reserved ale. Puree until smooth; reserve.
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drain wings from brine; place on shallow baking pans. Cook, turning once, until brown and crispy, about 30 minutes. Arrange wings on platter; sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Serve chili sauce in ramekins for dipping.

–

Heard about word of mouth marketing?  Serve this easy to make cocktail meatball recipe at your next party and you’ll be the talk of the town.

Slow Cooked Sprecher Dopple Bock BBQ Meatballs

3 lbs Frozen cocktail meatballs (Italian style are best)*

1-2 bottles Sprecher Dopple Bock

1 cp Ketchup

1/2 cp Sprecher Root Beer BBQ Sauce (more if you want it spicier)

2 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1/4 cp Brown Sugar

Combine all sauce ingredients in a slow cooker.  Add meatballs, making sure to cover them in the sauce.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.  [If using a Dutch oven, set in middle of oven set to 250F. ] Midway through, check to see if you need to add more beer; adjust for flavor.  Makes about 96 cocktail size meatballs.

* Note: This recipe is all about the sauce so the type of meatball (Italian, sausage, Swedish, homemade) doesn’t matter all that much.  You can also use larger meatballs and serve them over wide egg noodles for an enjoyable dinner.  If you find you have lots of sauce left serve it with bread, brisket, pork chops, chicken and many other foods.

Source: Sprecher brewmaster Craig Burge.

Photo: Matt Fornear, www.fornearphoto.com.

Some people say democracy is messy, and it is.  So many other processes are messy, e.g., love, brewing, art, friendship, but that doesn’t mean we shy away from them.  Rather, we engage wholeheartedly and work toward the best outcome.  As US citizens with a vested interest in this country’s outcomes we should always exercise our right to be part of the process.  VOTE TODAY.  Then pat yourself on the back and grab an American made craft beer or soda.  Cheers to opting in!

“Anyone from Wisconsin will not hesitate to give you myriad reasons why theirs is the greatest state in the US bar none.” I first read a version of this quote on a beer blogger’s site.  It rang true then and it still rings true. Why? Well, we’ve got the Packers, we’ve got brats and frozen custard, Summerfest, some of the best craft beer in the world, the root beer that made WI famous (Sprecher), and most importantly, great people.

On September18th Sprecher hosted #saveteecycle, a fundraiser that came about via twitter and social media to help a family whose home flooded during Milwaukee’s mini-Katrina on July 22nd.  #saveteecycle was literally the house that twitter rebuilt and the social networks twitter reinforced. But enough about the medium because that would be nothing without the operators, the Wisconsinites — individuals and businesses — who came together to help put this family back in their house and on their feet. If you’d like to learn more about the event and all those who contributed, just go to the blog: http://saveteecycle.org/.

During the month of September Sprecher held a food drive for the Hunger Task Force, a wonderful organization that has been overwhelmed since July 22nd because Milwaukee’s mini-Katrina devastated so many families.  Sprecher offered a Buy1 Get1 adult tour coupon to anyone who brought two non-perishable food items.  To date we’ve had two donation pick-ups, the first for 480lbs and the second for 250lbs of food,  a total of 730 lbs donated. Many thanks to all, especially the 30 school children who brought donations. We’ll leave the HTF donation box in our retail store for a few more days.

Sure Wisconsin has its share of problems; however, not so small examples like those above demonstrate that we also have big-hearted people who make our claim to be the greatest state a legitimate one.

Omaha’s Beertopia has been hosting its Sunfest Craft Beer Festival for many years but this year they had something new to offer to the 700+ guests, Sprecher beer.   Since Sprecher products have only been in Omaha for a few months, Randy and Anne took this opportunity to check out the local craft beer scene.  On the surface, there isn’t much of a scene, but if you just scratch lightly, you’ll discover a few Nebraska breweries and a whole lot of craft beer aficionados. Among the best Omaha breweries we sampled  is Upstream; one of its brewpubs is located in the Old Market area downtown,  a really cool shopping/eating/bar district based in renovated warehouses.

We’re told that despite the growing audience for craft beers in Omaha, only a couple of stores are dedicated to offering a broad selection of craft beers. We visited Brix on 170th St., and Beertopia on 36th and Farnam.  Brix is a gorgeous new store with everything for your party needs including a beautiful selection of beers. Beertopia also has a remarkably good selection of craft and import beers along with a knowledgeable staff.

Beertopia is located on an unassuming corner with 3 other dedicated beer pubs: Crescent Moon, Huber House (German) and Max and Jo’s (Belgian). Coincidentally, Sunfest Craft Beer Festival took place in the parking lot behind this craft beer mecca. This was a perfect venue for the festival because like Omaha, it was unassuming yet surprisingly sophisticated.

In between introducing fest goers to Sprecher beers, answering questions, and having his photo taken with Sprecher beer fans, Randy sampled beers from nearby Nebraska breweries including Hopluia, Neraska Brewing Company (NBC), Gottlieb, a group of homebrewers and Uplands.  At the other end of the tent were notable breweries such as: Left Hand Brewing Company, Great Divide, Avery, New Belgium and more.  Contact www.beercornerusa.com for a complete list.

Of those he sampled, Randy’s favorite beer was a Dortmunder, which I believe was made by the homebrewers who also made some nice rye beers btw.  As for commercial beers, NBC’s Melange a Trois was outstanding.  Left Hand’s 400 Pound Monkey deserves praise for being a nicely balanced English IPA.  Honestly, of the 100+ beers available, many were more than respectable.  This is a festival craft beer lovers should put on their calendar because in addition to the usual suspects, several surprises are offered each year.

Thank you to our Omaha distributor DiLoranzo-Penke for involving Sprecher in this festival.  And thanks to all the great Omaha residents who love craft beer.  You do the industry proud.  More pictures can be found at the Sprecher flickr gallery, www.sprecherbrewery.com.

The weekend is fast approaching, so we must cheer: High School playoffs; the Badgers (On Wisconsin!); and the Packers (dunh, dunh, da…Go Pack Go!).   Our friends at ESPN 540 are covering all the Homestead Highlanders Division 1 playoff games (with a little support from Sprecher) since Homestead won’t be able to play any games on their home field (paperwork snafu).  For those of you not near a radio during game time, here’s a hint:  you can get the playoff Sprecher tour special (buy 1 get 1 free) by calling 414.964.2739 and saying the magic words: “Division 1 Playoffs!” when you make your tour reservations.

Indeed, it’s Halloween weekend.  Ghosts and goblins of all ages are welcome to take the extra scary tours, full of treats; no tricks.  Sprecher is a Halloween Safe Spot again this year. P.S. It’s officially trick or treat in Glendale 1-4pm on Saturday so you can score some extra candy from the neighbors when you visit the brewery.

Football, Halloween, Fall…its time for some great beers that compliment the sports, weather, foods and smells of the season.  Recently bottled: Sprecher Dopple Bock.  If you like a smooth lager with suggestions of caramel and dark roasted malts, try this divine beverage in a snifter or wine glass.  At 8.0% ABV, this is a great beer for lingering over.  Serve it at 50-60 degrees for maximum aromatics and flavor.  Great match for steaks and stews, or after dinner dark chocolates.  Also available: Bourbon Barrel Aged Dopple Bock…total treat.

Not seen since the 90s, but back in the bottle now: Sprecher Dunkle Weizen.  Note the intriguing spelling.  That’s the only thing that’s a wee bit different.  That and the fact it’s available in a 12oz bottle in the Sprecher Gift Shop.  This is the same classic dark roasted malt ale that is the ultimate session beer for this time of year.  4.65% ABV, serve at 45-50 degrees.  Drink with good friends and great food.

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