2010 New England Real Ale Exhibition (NERAX) – 3/24 to 3/27
NERAX 2010 SESSIONS AND ADMISSION
As always, we do our best to ensure a pleasant, pub-like atmosphere for all sessions. During the festival, new casks are tapped every day, with special British beers reserved for Saturday. Also, admission will be strictly limited. While advance admissions sell out quickly, walk-up Cash Sales admissions remain available at the door for every session.
Session Times and Festival Admission Prices
- Wednesday 6:00 – 10:30 p.m. $15
- Thursday 6:00 – 10:30 p.m. $15
- Friday 6:00 – 10:30 p.m. $15
- Saturday 12:00 – 7:00 p.m. $10
Cash Bar Prices
- Imperial Pint (20 oz) $6.00
- Half Pint (10 oz) $3.00
- Quarter Pint (5 oz) $2.00
As in past years, Redbones sandwiches will be available for purchase in the hall.
UPDATED TICKET INFO
CASC thanks you all for making NERAX so popular. The sales of the limited number of advanced admission tickets is now closed. However there will be a Large Number of admission tickets available at the door for every session.
Unfortunately there are times when we have more customers than we have capacity in the hall. At our busiest times individuals who fail to gain entry by 6:30 p.m. may face a wait of 90 minutes. On the other hand we rarely if ever have lines after 8:30 p.m.
Other NERAX News:
Pub Crawl – Sunday March 21st
The first official event of the NERAX 2010 Festival week will be a classic pub crawl for festival volunteers and friends of the festival.
The Crawl will visit four premier Cambridge/Somerville pubs known for outstanding beer selections. This is a pay as you go event, but each pub is going above and beyond the usual in some way for The Crawl. Total walking time, start to finish is only 25 minutes! Bring your buddies and join us for the whole crawl or any part of it.
Here’s a map: Google Map
NERAX 2010 Festival Pub Crawl
- 1:30 The Independent, 75 Union Square, Somerville: The Indo, with 32 draft beers, is poised to offer real ale later this Spring. They’re bringing in a cask to tap specifically for the NERAX 2010 Pub Crawl.
- 2:45 Atwood’s Tavern, 877 Cambridge Street, Cambridge: Atwood’s offers 24 draft beers, and will be setting up a pin of a Pretty Things cask ale on the bar especially for the NERAX 2010 Pub Crawl.
- 4:00 Lord Hobo, 92 Hampshire St, Cambridge: Lord Hobo, home of 30 draft beers and 3 full time cask offerings, will be opening an hour early exclusively for the NERAX 2010 Pub Crawl
- 5:15 Cambridge Brewing Company, One Kendall Square Cambridge: CBC’s house beers have won national and international awards, and a cask is tapped every Tuesday. CBC will be rolling out at least one cask ale to tap expressly for the NERAX 2010 Pub Crawl.
Further details at http://www.nerax.org/nerax/pubcrawl.html
NERAX Kickoff at Redbones – Monday March 22nd
This year the Kick Off Party is on Monday before the opening Wednesday, 3/24, and will feature some special firkins. Its a cash bar, but volunteers for this year festival will get a free pint. And there will
be free appetizers for all.
Further details at http://www.redbones.com/newsevents.html
Other Related Articles:
Nerax North 2008
Nerax 2008 – Be there or B Square
Cape Ann Brewing Beer Dinner at the Franklin – and other brewery notes
Join the Cape Ann Brewing Company for a Beer Dinner at the Franklin Cafe.
Don’t miss the opportunity tomorrow night to support two of your favorite local business’ and get a great deal and have a great time in the process. Please give the Franklin Cafe and book your tickets now. (978) 283-7888.
Details:
Where: Franklin Cafe, 118 Main St., Gloucester, MA 01930
Price - $50.00 Per person (gratuity included)
Website: http://www.franklincafe.com/
Dinner Menu – 5 Course Food/Beer Pairing
First Course:
Oyster Two-ways: Baked Duxbury Oyster with Pancetta, creamy spinach and parm. Duxbury oysters on the half shell, Fishermans Brew Mignonette, Apple, served with Fisherman’s Brew.
Second Course:
Mini cape and lobster roll: Butter poached lobster, Old bay frites, Pea tendrils, paired with Fisherman’s Ale.
Third Course:
Tea Smoked Salmon: Smoked Atlantic Salmon, French green beans, Butter sauce, Almonds, served with Fisherman’s Tea Party.
Fourth Course:
House Made Bratwurst: German style sausage with mustard beans, Purple sauerkraut, Rye, served with Fisherman’s IPA.
Fifth Course:
Stout Cake: Stout cake with pumpkin creme brulee and creme Friache foam served with Fisherman’s Pumpkin Stout.
Other Important Brewery Updates (as of 3/10/2010):
Next week’s Trivia Night will be paired up with Knitting night next Tuesday so bring your thinking caps and you knitting needles cuz you’ll need both.
This change is due to the fact that next Wednesday is of course St. Patricks Day and as such, there will be a crazy St. Patty’s day throw down at the pub. Come early for complimentary Corned Beef and Cabbage from Duckworth’s Beach Gourmet. Seriously, does it get any better than that???
Other Related Articles:
16 great beers available in the North East
BREWERY UPDATE: Cape Ann Brewing’s Pub is open for business
Cape Ann Brewing Company Weekly Calendar and coupons
Iowa Beer Equality Bill Passes – Olde Main Lets Fans Decide First High Proof Beer Brewed
Iowa Beer Equality Bill Passes – Olde Main Lets Fans Decide First High Proof Beer Brewed
AMES, Iowa (March 2010) – Gov. Chet Culver signed a bill on March 10th to allow Iowa breweries to manufacture and sell higher-proof beers up to 12%. Out of state breweries were already selling these higher-proof beers in Iowa, but in-state breweries were restricted to a 5% cap. A movement for Iowa Beer Equality arose to remove the competitive disadvantage Iowa breweries faced. The passing of SF 2088 now allows Iowa brewers to sell many more styles of beer.
Olde Main Brewing Co. is turning to fans to decide the first high proof beer the Ames-based brewery will brew. Voting is taking place online at http://www.oldemabrewing.com/poll.html and at the restaurant and brewpub until March 24th.
The following beers are being voted on: Double IPA, Dopple Bock, Russian Imperial Stout, Barleywine, Wee Heavy Scottish, or fans can submit their own recommendation.
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About Olde Main Brewing Co.
Ames-based Olde Main Brewing Co. & Restaurant opened in 2004 and has become one of the fastest growing breweries in Iowa. It is the only Iowa-based restaurant & brewpub that also bottles their beer. Olde
Main currently distributes to most of the state and brews six styles of beer, along with a root beer and various seasonals throughout the year. Learn more at http://www.oldemainbrewing.com.
Helpful Links
Iowa Brewers Guild – http://www.iowabeer.org
Iowa Governor’s Office – http://www.governor.iowa.gov/
Olde Main – http://www.oldemainbrewing.com
Other Related Articles
Olde Main Brewery – Search for the golden ticket
Kona Brewing reduces bottle weight by 11%
KONA BREWING ANNOUNCES NEW LIGHTWEIGHT BOTTLE
Kona Brewing to use lighter bottle in an effort to curb environmental impact
Kailua-Kona, Big Island of Hawaii, March 9, 2010 . . . In a move to minimize environmental impact, Kona Brewing Company has announced its award-winning beer will be produced in glass bottles that are 11% lighter than before. The company, Hawaii’s largest brewer, has reduced its bottle weight from 8 ounces to 7.3 ounces for all Kona brands. The new lightweight Longboard Island Lager bottles will begin hitting shelves of grocers and specialty beer stores in late February, and the new bottle will be virtually identical to current bottles in look and feel. The new weight Fire Rock Pale Ale and Wailua Wheat Ale bottles will be on shelves by late March, 2010.
The famous flavors of Kona brands will be completely unaffected, and no changes will be made to the brewing process, quality or recipes of the beers. Like many sustainability programs the brewer has implemented, such as its new solar energy generating system at the brewery in Hawaii, the savings on the new lightweight bottle will be great for both the company and the environment. The reduction in bottle weight will save 3,375 tons of CO2 emitted per year, which is the same as the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a car traveling 8 million miles and equates to taking 511 cars off the road for a year. Seen another way, the savings also equates to easing the workload of 154,688 trees, which would have been taxed with offsetting the CO2 emitted by production of bottles, shipping and fuel.
“I am absolutely thrilled this day has come,” said Kona Brewing Company’s president and CEO Mattson Davis. “As we have gained in popularity on the Mainland, sustainability is even more important in getting our beer out there responsibly, and I’m proud Kona has found ways to protect the flavor of our beers while reducing use of unnecessary materials.”
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Kona Brewing Company was started in the spring of 1994 by a father and son team that had a dream to create fresh, local island brews made with spirit, passion and quality. It is a Hawaii-born and Hawaii-based craft brewery that prides itself on brewing the freshest beer of exceptional quality, closest to market. This helps to minimize its carbon footprint by reducing shipping of raw materials, finished beer and wasteful packaging materials. Recently Kona announced the installation of a 229 kW solar energy generating system at its Kailua-Kona brewery and pub on Hawaii’s Big Island.
The company is headquartered where it began, in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island. It has grown into Hawaii’s largest brewery, has three restaurant sites in Hawaii and beer distribution reaching 28 states and Japan. The brewery was named the fastest growing top-50 craft brewing company in the country based on 2008 sales figures. It posted 19.8 percent year over year growth in 2009. For more information call 808-334-BREW or visit www.KonaBrewingCo.com.
Redhook releases new brewpub-only brew: Right Hook Red
Continuing their series of limited release, brewhouse-only beers, Redhook has tapped Right Hook Red as their latest one-off.
Right Hook Red is
“An American Amber Ale. This brilliant deep red colored ale is assertively hopped and has a rich malty body. Extremely high quality English small batch “floor malted” caramel malt gives this beer a deep red color and a complex malt backbone dominated by sweet, earthy flavors. American Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops are used 7 different times in the brewing process (Mash hop, First Wort Hop, 3 times in Kettle, Whirlpool Hop, Dry Hop) to create bold citrus and spicy, piney hop flavors. It is dry hopped with Centennial hops to give it a wonderful floral and citrus hop aroma. This is an assertive brew! Boldly balanced with deep malt flavor and prominent hop character.”
Quick Description:
An assertively hopped American Amber Ale with a rich malty flavor.
Beer Style: American Amber Ale
O.G – 13.6°P IBU – 59.5 ABV – 5.22%
Get yourself up to the Cataqua Brewpub and try it today!
Boston Beer week and American Craft Beer Festival (ACBF) 2010
June Is Beer In Boston
Boston, MA – To celebrate beer in Boston, Jason and Todd Alström, brothers and founders of BeerAdvocate, will officially launch Boston Beer Week from June 11-20, 2010. The not-for-profit campaign aims to encourage and empower brewers, bars, restaurants, stores, and anyone else involved in the beer industry within the 128-Belt to host and promote beer-centric events throughout the week.
“It’s a fact. Boston area residents have access to one of the most diverse selections of beer in the world.” stated Jason Alström. “And it’s our goal to bring awareness to this awesome beer scene,” added Todd Alström, “by offering a central hub for event organizers to freely list their events, while also giving beer lovers easy access to the week of beer. We also plan to heavily promoting the entire week, working with partners to help spread the word, and hosting quite a few events ourselves.”
The official Boston Beer Week website went live on March 1. http://beeradvocate.com/bbw
BeerAdvocate and Harpoon Brewery will also cap-off the week with the third annual American Craft Beer Fest (ACBF). The main event will be held on June 18 & 19, 2010 at the Seaport World Trade Center Boston, featuring upwards of 80 American brewers, 400 craft beers, and plenty of beer education.
Tickets go for ACBF on-sale early February.
For more info: http://beeradvocate.com/acbf
2010 National Homebrew Day and American Craft Beer Week
Big Brew Celebrates National Homebrew Day – May 1st
The AHA’s Annual Big Brew event celebrating National Homebrew Day is coming up on May 1. This year’s recipes have been posted and site registration will be available in the Spring. New for this year, professional craft brewers will be brewing the Big Brew wheat beer recipe to be served during American Craft Beer Week, May 17-23, 2010 (see story below for more details). The recipe, dubbed American Craft Beer Wheat, is adapted from the new release by Brewers Publications, Brewing with Wheat: The ‘Wit’ and ‘Weizen’ of World Wheat Beer Styles, by Stan Hieronymus.
American Craft Beer Week is May 17 – 23, 2010
This national celebration of America’s small and independent professional craft brewers needs you! Homebrewers helped unite 10,000 fans of American Craft Beer Week 2009, and you can help make 2010 just as much fun. This year’s American Craft Beer Week includes a homebrew recipe from the AHA’s Big Brew celebration. Participating breweries will be brewing the American Craft Beer Wheat recipe and tapping it May 17-23.
Learn more at AmericanCraftBeerWeek.org.
Great Gift for any Beer Drinker – Screwpop: 4 in 1 Keychain
There are thousands of different key chains out there, but here is something revolutionary – the Screwpop.
We all carry our keys and attach crazy things to our key ring – such as a key-less remote, a sequent frog, or in this case a bottle opener. But, do you have a screwdriver?
Have you ever been in a pinch to open a beer bottle without an opener? I have and it’s not a fun time. Yeah, us experts can break it against the edge of a table – but who’s going to do that on their dining room table?
(NOT ME!! That’s why I have an opener in ever counter in the kitchen 
)
It’s not as frequent — but have you ever needed a screw driver and then you realized that you weren’t carrying your tool box? It’s happened to me. This is where the Screwpop comes in handy. It’s a 4-in-1 Keychain, which includes a bottle opener – Philips – Flathead and Hex Nut driver.
This gadget could be yours – go to www.screwpoptool.com and check it out.
Sean
2Beerguys.com
Drink Craft Beer, You can now open it!!
Screwpop™ (4-in-1 Keychain Tool)
Check out our new keychain tool that is ideal for all types of things… right from the palm of your hand. Its design is extremely sturdy and yields awesome leverage for such a little tool.
It’s great to have where you go and USEFUL for all types of good stuff!
Functions:
- Phillips #2
- Flathead #2
- ¼” Hex Nut Driver
- Bottle Opener
- Mini Pry Bar (flathead bit)
To order, visit us @ www.screwpoptool.com
2010 Portsmouth Craft Beer Weekend 2/27 thru 3/1
Portsmouth Craft Beer Weekend and Kate the Great Day 2010
We are excited for the Portsmouth Craft Beer Weekend – and we hope that you are too.
Tickets are now available to purchase on line for the beer dinner on Sunday February 28th (only $25): Beer Dinner + a Movie
Redhook has gone above and beyond to open their cellar doors and will be tapping an amazing selection of beers for the weekend. Check out this list:
- Nitro Haulin’ Oats Oatmeal Stout – Full dark chocolate malt flavor with dark crystal malt sweetness.
- 2008 Saturnalia – Aged Two Years! This Double Red has intense hop flavor balanced by complex malt and alcohol flavors.
- Cask IPA with Amarillo – Long Hammer IPA served Cask Conditioned through our authentic Beer Engine.
- Plum Funky – Aged for over a year, this beer started as a Sour Mashed Belgian Farmhouse Ale.
There will also be a very Special Firkin, TBA.
See you there.
Sean/Ian/Ryan
2Beerguys.com
Drink Craft Beer, You’ve Earned It!!!
P.s. Visit the website for additional info: http://www.2beerguys.com/craftbeerweekend/
Brewers Association announces launch of CraftBeer.com
Move Over Wine, Consumers are Thirsty for Craft Beer – Brewers Association Launches CraftBeer.com
Boulder, Colo. — The Brewers Association, the trade association representing the majority of U.S. brewing companies, has just launched CraftBeer.com to celebrate the ever-growing interest in craft brewers and their liquid libations. The new site is a consumer portal providing information and community interaction for craft beer enthusiasts everywhere.
“Beer from small and independent craft brewers seems to have everyone—from wine lovers and famous chefs1 to restaurateurs and celebrities—talking about craft beer,” said Julia Herz, a spokesperson for the Brewers Association. “CraftBeer.com is an extension of that conversation. The site serves everyone, from the beer beginner to the budding beer enthusiast, highlighting the culture, authenticity and broad spectrum of beer from today’s craft brewers.”
Key areas of the website include:
- Beer and Food: This dynamic web area includes information on pairing, serving with and cooking using craft beer. Search through beer and food recipes, comment on those posted or post a personal favorite.
- Stories: Today’s craft beer revolution centers around the more than 1,400 small and independent breweries that have come of age as the U.S. beer culture has matured beyond light American lager to more robust beer styles.
- Beerology: Information is provided on everything from beer and health to selecting the optimal glass for your favorite style of beer.
- Brewery Tours: The majority of Americans live within 10 miles of a brewery. In this section, the user can experience virtual tours of craft breweries from the perspective of the brewers and visitors.
- Style Finder: Given the variety of beer styles available, this area provides an overview of the six main categories of today’s lagers and ales, which are divided into sub-categories and then finally into more than 50 individual beer styles.
- Get Local: This area is rich with resources for enjoying craft beer close to home, including arguably the world’s most extensive directory of the more than 1,500 breweries in the U.S.
- News & Events: Visitors to this section will find out about craft beer dinners, new beers in the marketplace and happenings at breweries, among other news.
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Based in Boulder, Colorado, USA, the Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade and education association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their craft beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. Visit the website, www.BrewersAssociation.org, to learn more. The association’s activities include events and publishing: CraftBeer.com, World Beer Cup; Great American Beer Festival; Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America; National Homebrewers Conference; National Homebrew Competition; SAVOR: An American Craft Beer and Food Experience; American Craft Beer Week; Zymurgy magazine; The New Brewer magazine; and books on beer and brewing. The Brewers Association has an additional membership division of 19,000+ homebrewers: American Homebrewers Association.
