Have a Mikkeller holiday beer.

Mikkeller - order online

Mikkeller To From Via Mikkeller....$12.99 / 750ml
Tio Via Mikkeller From is a Christmas porter. It is sweet, warm and soft like black velvet. Brewed with spices that can make anyone in Christmas mood.

Mikkeller BARREL Aged Chipolte Porter

Order Mikkeller online now

Back in stock also from Mikkeller

Nelson Sauvin Brut and Not Just Another Wit

Plus a new one....

Mikkeller Barrel Aged Chipole Porter....$10.99 / 12.7oz

Mikkeller's Chipotle Porter has now been released in a Speyside Whiskey Barrel. This porter has an alcohol content on 6,6%.
Interaction between the American hops, malt, the complex structure and the warming chili and notes of vanilla from borubon barrels, makes this porter a very special and very complex beer.
Look forward to tasting this cowboy beer.

The Yeastie Boys --

order online

Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black...$5.29 / 11.2oz

"Black IPA"

"Pot Kettle Black is our multi-award winning 'Black IPA' (that some call a 'Hoppy Porter'). The different names convey the fact that this beer is a contradiction of styles: fresh and hoppy, yet dark and rich. Most importantly it is mindbendingly delicious and a complete original. Like all Yeastie Boys beer is is painstakingly crafted by people who love beer., then conditioned to optimum ripeness, before making its way into a bottle and then to your hands. Now take the next step and enjoy with thoughtful consideration." -- label

Rated 97 on Ratebeer

More about the beer
Winter 2009 sees the return of Yeastie Boys much loved debut beer - New Zealand's original 'Black IPA'. This year's vintage is built upon the same malt base as the original but has fired up the 'chocolate and orange character' with more NZ Cascade hops and a zesty fistful (or 10) of imported Styrian Goldings. At 6.0%abv and 50ibu it is rich, hoppy and way too drinkable.

Epic Mash Up Collaboration

Epic Mash Up....$6.99 / pint

order Epic online

Read about the huge Collaboration on NZ Craft Beer TV

If there was one road trip that would invoke jealousy amongst the nation’s beer drinkers, it would have to be one that involved visiting the majority of craft breweries in the country. Two of New Zealand’s leading craft brewers have done exactly this. All with the hope of putting together a series of episodes that document the excitement, passion and flavour that the beers and brewers of this fine country have to offer.

Luke Nicholas, president and founder of Epic Brewing Company in Auckland and new recruit, Kelly Ryan, who recently joined Epic after a successful brewing career with multi-award winning Thornbridge Brewery in the UK took up the challenge of visiting as many breweries as they could over a 17 day period.

Film crew in tow, they travelled the country by camper van, covering almost 4500 kilometres as they documented the current craft beer scene. Visiting breweries, sampling beers, discussing brewery history and the passion that had resulted in people from all walks of life choosing brewing as their occupation, the pair’s progress was captured on camera to be used in an online video series.

Coupled with the production was the idea that all of the passion and concepts of the craft brewers be captured in a special collaboration brew that was to act as a summary of what was happening in New Zealand beer in 2011. A grand total of 44 breweries from Invercargill to Auckland were included in the project, with a bunch of them turning up for the brew day at Steam Brewery in Auckland.

Epic from New Zealand Barrel Aged IPA

Epic Barrel Aged IPA...$9.49 / pint

order Epic online

Photo: Norm Blyton

British brewers created the IPA (India Pale Ale) originally as a pale ale style in the eighteen century to satisfy the demands of their countrymen living in India. The long trip from England to India, around the Cape of Good Hope emulated the cellaring that used to occur with such beers, resulting in increased depth of flavour and maturity. Doubling the amount of hops (a natural preservative) resulted in a hoppy, high-alcohol (in those days 6.5-7%) beer we know today as IPA.

In 2009, curious about how the long sea voyage in barrels would affect a beer, Epic’s Luke Nicholas put 40 litres of his Armageddon IPA into two oak barrels and sat them on the Interislander ferry for six weeks as it made it’s way back and forth across the choppy Cook Strait. The resulting beer proved so popular that Luke made another larger batch - and another and another.

Each time the beer has turned out slightly differently, reacting to the diverse barrels to give various flavours. This year (2011) Epic used new American oak barrels and aged the beer for three months, as opposed to two months for the 2010 vintage. Some fresh Armageddon was also blended with the barrel-aged ale, resulting in a beer in which the large vanilla oak character is balanced by the fresh hops. Mandarin, orange oil and cedar are evident in the palate as well. Barrel-Aged IPA is the perfect accompaniment for a creamy blue cheese.

To Øl Snowball Saison

To Øl Snowball Saison...$12.99 / 750ml

Order To Øl online

"Enough heavy dark obnoxious sweet super malty x-mas and winter beers. When you eat heavy duck with fat gravy, the last thing you want is another heavy sweet malt liqour!
NO! you want something that can help you sink the dinner, ease you stommach and cleance your throat. And that is exactly what Snowball Saison will do. It is a SUPER sparkling crisp and dry Saison that has been after fermented with milk acid bacterias and dry hopped over and over to give the beer a crisp and smooth tart finish (not to mention.... there is a lot of hops of course...)
Have a nice winter!" -- 94/100 RateBeer

Evil Twin Brewing - Christmas

Evil Twin Before During and After Christmas Beer...$12.99 / pint

order Evil Twin Beers online now

"You might think that this Christmas Beer is a Christmas Beer.  But actually it is something so non-Chirstmassy as a classic Imperial IPA.  Bitter as defeat and generously fruity as a baby's porridge.  If you prefer sugary beers, this non-Christmas beer is certainly not for you.  P.S. Should be enjoyed all year round." -- Label

Rated 98/100 RateBeer

Bink Grand Cru

Kerkom Bink Grand Cru Dark Belgian Ale....$14.99 / 750ml

Rated 96/100 RateBeer

also online

"You’re probably wondering where the name “Bink” come from. It’s a slang term of endearment for a guy in the rustic area around Kerkom – kind of like the American “dude.” The typical character of a local Bink – a bit coarse but cagey enough to make his way in the world, is described in a common story. It seems that a certain Bink is plodding along the dusty road leading a cow by a rope, when he catches the attention of the constable. The constable recognizes instantly that this Bink is not the cow’s rightful owner, and confronts him. He demands, "Why are you walking off with that cow?" The Bink, looking very surprised, replies "Cow? I just found this piece of rope that someone left lying around. I didn’t notice that there was a cow attached to it." In the end, the Bink lands in the klink, but his quick thinking under pressure is still much admired. There is a bronze statue of this famous Bink in the pub of the Kerkom brewery." -- importer

Some rare Struise ---

Rare Struise beers....

Back in 2008, Struise was voted #1 Brewer in the world! (#1 out of 5,836 brewers on the ratebeer.com list at the time)
Order Struise online

2011 just arrived! (we have a few bottles of 2010 on the shelf)
2011 Struise Pannepot...$5.99 / 11.2oz

Rated 100/100 Ratebeer
"Commercial Description: In the early 1900s, the village of De Panne, close to the French border, was famous for two things -- the ‘Pannepots,’ or fishing boats, that could be seen along the coast, and the unique dark ale enjoyed by the local fishermen. Our Old Fisherman’s Ale is a tribute to these hardy sailors and their rich, flavorful brew. Unfiltered." -- ratebeer.com
Rated 100 percentile on ratebeer.com
That is the top, there is nothing better

2009 Struise Pannepot Reserva...$6.49

Rated 100/100 Ratebeer

2005 Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva.....$7.49 / 11.2oz

Rated 100/100 Ratebeer
From what I gather, the Grand Reserva is the Reserva that is then put into Calvados barrels and aged some more.

"The Pannepot Reserva was an idea from my brew collegue Carlo who wanted to age Pannepot in genuine French oak barrels (barrique 225 liters). We have brewed 90HL at the end of 2005 which has been aging on oak ever since (14 months). 30 Hl was bottled Tuesday 8th May 2007. 60Hl has been transferred now to second hand calvados oak vessels and will be bottled again early autumn 2007, we will name that batch Pannepot Grand Reserva. As quality and results rule at Struise, the Reserva was already brewed again and aging on oak." -- RateBeer

We first brewed Pannepot in 2001 as a tribute to the local fisherman from our village of De Panne.  Pannepot Grand Reserva was the idea of my colleague Carlo, who proposed to age Pannepot in oak barrels that he had found in France.  Our first batch was brewed in 2005 and has been agin in these oak barrels for 24 months.  Naturally this ale is unpasteurized, unfiltered and bottled-conditioned.  Since a total of only 3000 bottles have been filled, this is an exceddingly rare treat, to be savored with close friends.  Enjoy!" -- label

Beer Tasting

We will NOT be having our beer tasting tonight.

It is generally a very slow day for us after Thanksgiving.  Most people are hitting the malls.  

Firestone Walker 15th Anniversary

Firestone Walker XV Anniversary Ale...$17.99 / 22oz

Very, very limited -- 1 bottle per person

Sold out now at Forsyth and for online reservations

Should get a little today also at our other stores.... 

Rock Hill -- 314.962.8150

Ballwin -- 636.227.9001

New Ballas  - 314.989.0080

"As a finished beer, XV is alive with amazing complexity and yet it is quite possibly the most integrated and seamless blend yet.

Looking at a blend of 8 beers on paper at first looks chaotic and potentially disjointed; however, a closer look reveals and interesting theme: 76% Barley Wine style beers, 19% Stout and 5% Imperial IPA. XV introduces our new blonde barley wine Helldorado with flavors of lavender honey liqueur. The well establishedDDBA delivers its signature American toasted oak, English caramel toffee and light leather nuances. 2010 vintage Sticky Monkey folds in brown sugar, maple, cinnamon, ginger and ripe figs. Parabola brings the familiar flavors of roasted dark coco, and chocolate covered cherries. Velvet Merkin carries silky milk chocolate, toasted coconut and creamy textures. Good Foot and Bravo add assertive barley wine warmth and lush barrel derived vanilla bean notes. The game changer this year is the addition of Double Jack to the blend. At just 5% its massive dry hop character brings citrus zest, tangerine and mango aromas making this a completely new beer.

The beer is unfiltered and unfined, so there will be a small amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. XV is best enjoyed poured carefully into a half-filled brandy snifter or wine glass. Allow it to warm to 55F to fully enjoy the pleasing and complex aromas. As the beer sits and breathes in the glass, a richer, orange zested, chocolate dusted, vanilla custard character is reveled, so take your time. If you wait to open your bottle later, store it in a cool dark place. I suspect that this beer will age well and change favorably for years to come. It was an absolute pleasure in the making and I truly hope you enjoy our Sixth oak-aged blend! Our journey continues and it’s just as fun and exciting now as it was back in 1996."

Another St. Louis brewery now bottling...

In stock now at Forsyth, Rock Hill, and New Ballas

online also

"Six Row Brewing Company produces quality ales from the site of the old Falstaff Brewery at 3690 Forest Park Ave., in the Midtown area of St. Louis, near St. Louis University. Our Old Plant No. 1 Pub is open to the public and features our craft brewed beers along with selections from other craft breweries and wineries. Stop by and enjoy a pint soon! Then, take home a growler to enjoy one of St. Louis' finest craft beers till your next visit!" -- Six Row Brewing Company

Six Row Brewing Whale Ale....22oz

What can we say about this one? A bit of luck meets years of homebrewing experience? When it came time to test out our brewing system for the first time, we needed something that we wouldn't feel too bad about dumping if we had equipment troubles. One of our brewers had enough malt in his homebrew stock, which unfortunately wasn't being used due to all his spare time being spent helping get Six Row started, for a batch.

However, it was a bit of a motley collection of ten (yes, ten!) malts, everything from wheat to pale to crystal to aromatic to our namesake. With a little supplemental malt from the local homebrew store, some Cascade and Goldings hops and a blend of US ale yeasts, the Whale (wheat/pale) ale was born. Pale copper in color, this is an interesting beer that has already been enjoyed by many. Let us know how you would describe it.

(ABV: 5.47%, Bitterness Units: 31.4 IBUs, Color: 5.3, Original Gravity: 12.8 degrees Plato)

Woodford Master's Collection

The new Woodford Master's collection....

In stock at Forsyth -- 

or reserve online

This issue is a littler different -- 2 bottles of Rye 375ml bottles.

Woodford Master's Collection Rare Rye Selection....$84.99 / 2 bottles 375ml

Includes 2 bottles of 375ml Rye aged in different barrels packaged in a wood box


RARE RYE SELECTION

This year’s release is the Rare Rye Selection. This selection, a double offering, starts with the same spirit – a 100% rye recipe triple distilled in pot stills – which ends up packaged in dual 375ml bottles. One bottle has been matured in new, charred casks making it Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. The other has been matured in a once-used (aged) cask to create whiskey distilled from rye mash.

This double release allows the consumer the rare opportunity to experience the different maturation effects that result from casks conditioned in different ways have on the same spirit.

Kilchoman Scotches 2011

A couple of new editions from Kilchoman are in stock now!!

Available online now

Kilchoman Inaugural 100% Islay....$84.99

Kilchoman Spring 2011 Release...$51.99

Delicious red...

Great new wine....

2008 Castelmaure La Pompadour Corbieres...$19.99Made from 50% Carignan, 30% Syrah, 20% Grenache.
"Powerful aromas of red fruits and blackberry, spices and garrigue. Round and ample in the mouth, a silky texture, ripe flavors and vanilla notes. Great length."
91/100 The Wine Enthusiast 

Frambozen is here for the holidays

You have been waiting all year for this one to come back....

New Belgium Frambozen...$10.99 / 6pk

also online

Beer news...

update--

Scheduled to arrive:

Stone DOUBLE Bastard  -- in stock 

New Belgium Frambozen  - in stock

Sam Adams Infinium  -- pushed back to December

Six Row Brewing Whale - Missouri  -- tomrorrow

2nd Shift Unicorn Killer Saison  -- Missouri - in stock

2nd Shift Liquid Spiritual Delight -- Missouri -- in stock

Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale is here

In stock now!!

Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale Brown Shugga' Substitute
This sad holiday season we didn’t have the brewing capacity to make our favorite seasonal brew, the widely feard BrownShugga’ Ale. So this substitute beer is a ‘Cereal Medley’ of Barley, Rye, Wheat, and Oats…. Full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 7.6% abv, Then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor.

ABV: 7.85%