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Belgian Independence Day - Join The Revolution
First and foremost - NO, we didn't create a random holiday for drinking. Belgian Independence Day has been celebrated all over the globe. According to the 2010 census, we have over 361,667 Belgian-Americans living in our country. That's a good number of people to throw a party for! Really though, do we need to twist your arm to enjoy a Triple or an Abbey Ale? Didn't think so.
Secondly, BID is just as much about the food as it is the beer. A large majority of Belgian beers are meant to be enjoyed with food because of their higher ABV and flavorful profiles. If you're wondering what to pair with your favorite Belgian brew, check out our featured recipe in this issue. A lot of Belgian food is cooked with beer. Along with Moules-Frites, a classic dish of gratin endives wrapped in bacon or ham and smothered in cheese sauce is called Gegratineerde witloof (say that 10 times fast!). Another favorite is Carbonade flamande, which is a take on the French stew, Beef Borguignon, but instead of using red wine, a hearty Brune Abbey beer is used.
A little history: BID celebrates the day that King Leopold (I) signed the first constitution of Belgium on July 21, 1831 following their revolution from the Dutch. The Dutch controlled a large part of Europe at the time and the Belgians said "Enough! No more wooden shoes! No more windmills! And no more tulips!" It was a bit more severe than that, but you get the idea. Just as we celebrate U.S.A. becoming a country, let's take a moment to celebrate the country that brings us some of the best beers in the world. And waffles. And chocolate. Sante!
Nikki Caro Marketing Coordinator- West Florida Brown Specialty Division |
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UPCOMING EVENTS Select the event title for more information
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For all events, please see our event calendar.
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or hashtag #BeerExpertsFL on Twitter.
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NEW AND RETURNING PRODUCTS
VISIT OUR BEERFINDER TO FIND THESE PRODUCTS
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Narragansett 1975 Throwback Cans
Crush a 1975 'Gansett throwback can while you watch Shark Week in honor of Robert Shaw, aka Captain Quint. So we're reintroducing a 1970s can design featured in the movie ''Jaws.'' This design depicting a ship and a red diagonal stripe is being re-released temporarily in honor of the Discovery Channel's ''Shark Week,'' which begins August 10th. In the 1975 film, Capt. Sam Quint, the shark hunter played by the late Robert Shaw, crushes a can of 'Gansett with one hand to intimidate the oceanographer, Matt Hooper played by Richard Dreyfuss.
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Rehearse your Gregorian chants, don your monastic habit and take your vows to the lost order of Brother Leo, devoted to the solitary contemplation of the ancient brew mysteries. Your new-found devotion to drink this heavenly combination of Belgian and American grains with its mild spiciness, moderate fruity esters, and boldly hoppy notes of citrus, pine, and lemon, encourages sacrifice from the worldly distractions of lesser beers to worship in unity with this inspired brew. ABV: 8.0%
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Resolve your yin and yang and awaken your true brew destiny with this IPA infused with Super Matcha Green Yuzu tea. Earthy, grassy and bright citrus notes balance on a katana blade with the nimble touch of sweet honey malt. Take a sip and honor the Super Matcha warrior spirit within, unleashing the strength, vitality and fortune of a great brew ninja. ABV: 7.8%
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Uinta Tilted Smile Imperial Pilsner
Tilted Smile breaks away from the crowd. Big in alcohol , yet approachable and versatile. Confidently balanced with Saaz hops and 100% Pilsen malt. Crisp and delightfully carbonated. Explore pairing with grilled meats and seafood. ABV: 9.0%
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Uinta Trader Session IPA Cans
Strong hop character with some pine and floral influences. Finishes clean with a delicate malt flavor and a hint of citrus zest. Do not be afraid to pair Trader India Pale Ale with food. While traditionally paired with bold flavors found in Indian curries, Trader pairs well with seafood dishes such as fried calamari.
ABV: 4.0%
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Summit Union Series #3
"Southern Cape"
Presenting Southern Cape Sparkling Ale, the latest in the limited-release Summit Union Series. Inspired by sparkling ales popular in the Southern hemisphere. Named after the Southern Cape hop farms in South Africa. With ingredients from Australia, New Zealand, Chile and South Africa for a refreshingly balanced ale that's perfect for summer. ABV: 4.4%
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Peak Organic Citrus Saison
We're fans of a refreshing squeeze of citrus in
our drinks. So we made a unique beer to
showcase that, with Belgian Saison yeast to
give surprising complexity. It's kind of like a
Shandy, but, you know, in a classy way. ABV: 4.6%
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Ommegang Belgian Independence Day IPA
Light, golden amber in hue, slightly hazy with a thick head and Belgian lacing. Aroma is intensely fruity and tropical with notes of blueberry, pineapple, mango, and melon with underlying grapefruit. The palate is dominated with juicy hop character with sweet ripe fruit flavors and a citrus twang. Moderate to strong bitterness and a fairly low malt flavor profile allows the hop profile to shine. A moderate, yet not cloying bitter finish. DRAFT ONLY ABV: 7.5%
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Pours golden with a creamy white head. Intensely aromatic with stone fruit, white wine and berries driving most of the hop character. Lots of yeast esters, a touch of alcohol, and a nice malt backbone follow after the hop aromatics. Fruity, strong melon, tropical, and hints of citrus with a balanced malt character. Dry and very bitter. Just the way we like it!
COMING SOON ABV: 8.8%
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Funky Buddha Blueberry Cobbler
Summer time, you've met your match. Blueberry Cobbler ale is a copiously blueberried glass of goodness, generously dosed with real vanilla beans, quality imported cinnamon, and -- of course -- whole fruit. It's purple, not because we add coloring, but because we use real blueberries. Imagine that. A sip is akin to a bite of fresh baked blueberry pie, calling your name ever-so-gently as it cools on the window.
ABV: 5.6%
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Native Brewing Glades Pale Ale Bottles
A clean, crisp American Pale Ale clocking in around 6% ABV. With a full hop aroma this Florida Pale Ale Teeters on the Pale ale/IPA line and is meant to be savored on the beach or at your local watering hole. So pop off the flip flops, sit back, relax on the deck and enjoy this a hoppy, sessionable brew. ABV: 6.5%
(6-PACKS AVAILABLE NEXT WEEK)
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Is this a soda?! Erie Brewing took its much beloved Derailed Black Cherry Cream Ale and aged it on fresh vanilla beans. Dessert without the fork. ABV: 5.0%
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Greene's Enterprise
Dry Hopped Lager
Strong US sales of Green's gluten-free ales and consumer requests for a lighter gluten-free beer led to the development of Green's Enterprise Gluten-Free Dry-Hopped Lager. Made from gluten-free ingredients - millet, sorghum, rice, buckwheat, hops, water, and yeast (with no wheat or barley) - it is dry-hopped with West Coast USA hops for an appealing floral finish. ABV: 4.1%
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Summit Saga IPA 12 oz. Cans
Just think of how much more you can do outdoors with Summit now: camping, golfing, canoeing, hiking, poolside lounging, disc golf, snipe hunting, you name it. Could this be the best summer ever? Named after the Norse goddess Sága, drinking companion of the God Odin. With a divine tropical fruit hop aroma and clean, assertive bitterness. ABV: 5.1%
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Bell's Oberon 5L Mini Keg
Oberon Ale, Bell's Brewery Inc.'s signature seasonal wheat ale, are now available in five-liter mini-kegs. Oberon mini-kegs are making their way to store shelves in all markets that sell Bell's beer.
This year's Oberon mini-kegs feature a photo taken at the Kalamazoo-area house of Laura Bell, company vice president and daughter of founder Larry Bell. The image, shot from Bell's porch by Andy Terzes of Grand Rapids-based Terzes Photography features Oberon-themed patio lights.
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Bell's Lager of the Lakes
Nicely balanced, Bell's Lager Beer focuses on the flavors developed in the brew house, matching a crisp bitterness & distinctive herbal hop aromas to a simple yet firm malt backbone. Following in the tradition of Bohemian-style pilsners, this beer spends a full six weeks maturing in the fermentation vessels. This extended conditioning period refines the overall flavor, highlighting the contributions of the malts & hops. ABV: 5.0%
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Breckenridge Summer Cans Sampler
Grab a lawn chair and get ready for more summer cans. Breckenridge Brewery's sampler can packs are on shelves near you! This sampler features SummerBright, Agave Wheat, Avalanche and Lucky U IPA all in 12 oz cans!
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Avery Anniversary Ale Twenty One
For those of you following the Avery saga of 21 years, they FINALLY broke ground on their long planned and much needed Taj Mahal! An event of this magnitude deserved a unique hop bomb to toast with. TWENTY ONE is built on a foundation of dark specialty malts, framed by sturdy IBUs and crowned with a monumental dry hop addition of two of our favorites, Amarillo and Simcoe. ABV: 8.3%
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An imperial IPA that was brewed to turn your world upside down. Hops will get you coming and going. Pungent aromatics up front pair with a malt-balanced backbone and a smooth, bitter finish. ABV: 9.4%
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Stone Stochasticity Project
Quadrotriticale
Trappist ales as we know them have a proud lineage dating back nearly a century. Rather than follow the footsteps of the monks who forged the quadrupel-the warmest and darkest of monastery offerings-we aimed to test its inherent makeup. In doing so, we added triticale, a hybrid grain combining the pleasant flavor of wheat with the elemental durability and spice of rye, to breathe new life into the malt bill. Because of this, this reimagined brew comes across differently than its
classic Belgian predecessors, and beautifully so. Lower in sweetness, but rich with flavors mirroring dried fruit,
it's a modern interpretation of one of the most historically sacred styles on Earth. ABV: 9.3%
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Oskar Blues Old Chub Nitro Cans
This jaw-dropping Scottish strong ale is brewed with bodacious amounts of malted barley and specialty grains, and a dash of beechwood-smoked malt. Old Chub features semi-sweet flavors of cocoa and coffee, and a wee-bit of smoke. A head-turning treat for malt heads and folks who think they don't dig dark beer. ABV: 8%
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Swamp Head Morning Glow Blonde Ale
A morning awakens with the soft glow of golden perfection. Hazy rays of sunshine peek through the silence, bringing the first light to a new day. Scents of daybreak and sounds of a new beginning permeate the air.
Make your morning, evening, or afternoon glow with our vanilla coffee blonde ale. We've gently infused a delicate blonde with Madagascar vanilla beans and locally roasted blonde coffee, creating a palatable work of art, reminiscent of a vanilla latte paired with a freshly baked scone. ABV: 5.3%
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Swamp Head Catherine's Passion
Catherine II, the 18th century Empress of Russia, is said to have been the inspiration behind the creation of the Russian Imperial Stout, an intensely flavored, robust, dark ale with a noticeable alcohol presence. Legend has it that Catherine also had a voracious sexual appetite; she was known to have many lovers, but the story about the stallion was probably a myth.
This Russian Imperial Stout is infused with cocoa nibs and fair trade coffee, to create a sensual stout with an extra kick. We think Catherine's Passion would be aroused by this stout...ale. ABV: 10%
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Look out for new and returning favorites like Sam Smith Stingo, Stiegl Pils Cans, Cigar City Cucumber Saison, Left Hand Chainsaw, Cigar City Home Front IPA, Avery Karma, and Stone RuinTen.
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*Check with your Brown sales representative for availability or products not available in certain areas
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Carnival to Serve Cigar City Craft Beer 
By: Larry Bleiberg via USA Today
Hop heads and other craft beer lovers will be toasting Carnival Cruise Line's new agreement to serve Tampa-based Cigar City Brewing beverages on all Florida-based cruises beginning this week.
The brewer's Florida Cracker Belgian-Style White Ale and Invasion Pale Ale will be available on 13 Carnival ships sailing from five Florida ports.
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Celebrate Belgian Independence Day with These Beer & Food Pairings
By: Chris Van Orden via Ontaponline.com
We Americans love our beer, and rightly so, but when it comes to finding the perfect drink to accompany a meal, many believe that only wine will do the trick. That's just flat out wrong. Beer can hold its own against even the most haute of cuisines, and if there's any country we should look to for inspiration, it's Belgium.
Yes, Belgium. These people live and breathe beer, giving it a prime space on the dining table and treating it with a respect that borders on reverence. Certain beers are prized for their "digestibility", a quality that is hard to define but roughly signifies a beer's dryness and ability to be enjoyed without making the drinker feel full. The Belgian love of food and drink reaches its apex in the aptly named cuisine à la bière, in which dishes are designed to be enjoyed with particular brews, often by introducing the same liquid into the cooking process.
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9 Beers to Get You Through the Dog Days of Summer
By: Erik Berte via foxnews.com
It's hot and humid. You're overworked and a little cranky. We hear you.
Every so often, we pull together our crack, in-house team of beer experts to give you the low down on the best brews of the season.
This round: summer seasonal craft beer.
Here are nine unique brews to take to the pool, beach, or just crack open on the deck.
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Belgian Sweet Tart Martini
By: Nikki Caro
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 oz. Vodka
1/2 Bottle Liefmans Fruitesse, chilled
Fresh Lemon Juice
Fresh Lime Juice
Fresh Raspberries (op)
Directions:
The best cocktails are made with the freshest ingredients. Prep your own juices! Squeeze the juice of 1 whole lemon and 1 whole lime. Pour into a shaker tin and add vodka and ice. Shake and strain into martini glass. Fill with chilled Liefmans Fruitesse. Slowly stir.
Garnish with fresh raspberries if desired.
Enjoy!
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Featured Recipe
Simple
Moules-Frites
By: Maureen C. Petrosky
INGREDIENTS:
6 dozen mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
(scrubbed and remove the fuzzy part)
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for cooking
2 shallots, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
1 beer, we recommend a wheat beer
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot over medium to high heat add the butter. Saute the shallots and garlic until soft.
Add the beer and bring to a simmer.
Add the cleaned mussels and cover. Steam until the mussels are open, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the herbs and season the broth with salt and pepper.
Serve with French fries.
Enjoy!
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