Alpine Beer Company is starting off 2012 with some awe inspiring specials, some re-releases, a new beer release and, finally, an investment opportunity. Stay tuned as we adjust our cups and get ready for some heavy lifting to begin the New Year.

This Friday, January 13^th, along with our specials listed later, we’ll have a pin, which is a small cask, of specially dry-hopped “Whale” using Indie Hops Chinook and Nugget hops in the pin.

On Tuesday, January 17^th, for your drinking and growler fills, we’re bringing back “Hoppy Birthday,” the most celebrated beer in the world. Our 5.2% strong pale ale is packed full of hoppy goodness, like our IPAs, but lower alcohol for sustained imbibing.

And, on the same day, Tuesday, we will, for the very first time, be releasing “Melonhead IPA.” This is our collaboration brew with Fat Head’s Brewery’s Matt Cole, a hell of a nice guy and a fantastic brewer. We used a new experimental hop HBC 342 exclusively in this 6.75% IPA. The descriptors indicated a citrusy, watermelon aroma which seems pretty accurate from our initial assessments. Growler fills, pints and pitchers only, no bottles. Shawn just reported that “melon” is a great descriptor and it tastes awesome.

Bottling of “Chez Monieux” starts next week. We will do some analytical work on it to determine stability and let you know when it is available. Draft may be happening very soon, though, with a possible sighting this weekend. “Chez Monieux,” pronounced [sheym][awn][yoo], is a 7% abv Belgian-style Kreik made with Balaton Cherries. Balatons are tarter than the Montmorency Cherries and offer a unique flavor to this classic style.

We are still on track to release “Exponential Hoppiness” on Friday, January 27^th when doors open. Bottles will be the main supply as growler fills will be limited. We’ll also have it in the pub for as long as it lasts. Last time it lasted a whole week. For those unfamiliar, this is what we call our Triple IPA because its 11.25% abv. We dry-hop this monster a couple of times and even use body-bag sized mesh bags full of hop flowers for a dry-hop session with freshly cut American white oak chips for some vanillin and added complexity.

For those interested in investing in a solid deal for our expansion, packets are available for checkout at the brewery starting Friday, January 13, at the brewery. The packet is 43 pages long and is very comprehensive. You can only pick up a packet for yourself as you must sign for a copy. All the details are in the packet so if you are interested, please check out a packet.

I’ll leave you with the next three weeks of Pub Specials. Our weekly specials at our pub start around 5 pm Friday nights and last, usually, through Saturday evening supper. Large groups are hard for us to handle, so please keep your group visits to less than 15. Pub hours: 11 am – 10 pm Tues – Thurs, 11 am – 12 pm Fri – Sat, 12 am – 9 pm Sunday, closed Mondays 619-445-2337 for details.

January 13th and 14th

Starter:  Bacon and Potato Soup        $5.95

Entree:  Chicken Pot Pie Made From Scratch                        $11.95

Dessert:  Sangria Sorbet and Fresh Melon      $5.95

Beer Pairing:  Nelson Rye IPA

Wine Pairing: Drylands Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand

Special Package includes soup, entree, dessert and beer pairing for only $24.95

January 20th and 21st

Starter:  Tomato Basil Soup    $5.95

Entree:  Tripel Apricot Mustard Braised Pork Shank $16.95

             Served Over Red Beans and Rice

Dessert: Key Lime Pie            $5.95

Beer Pairing: Westmalle Tripel  $7.50

Wine Pairing:  Charles Krug Zinfandel  $8.50

Special Package includes soup, entree, dessert and beer pairing for only $33.95

January 27th and 28th

Starter:  Clam Chowder          $5.95

Entree:  Alpine Beer Battered Fish & Chips  $10.95

Dessert:  Crepes Stuffed With a Fruit Compote   $5.95

Beer Pairing:  Melon Heads IPA (Alpine Beer Co. & Fatheads Brewing Collaboration Brew)

Wine Pairing:  Wente Riesling

Special Package includes soup, entree, dessert and beer pairing for only $23.95

When the world is such a special place, why not make some weekend specials. Anyone up for some more good beer, I know I am? Why not have a festival to celebrate all beers strong, coming soon.

Since “New Millenium Pale Ale” is no longer with us, we just had to fill it’s place with “Hoppy Birthday” and “O’Brien’s IPA. ” Both beers are available for growler fills and are on tap in our humble pub. They are both going fast so don’t dawdle and bring your clean growlers for refills.

The pub specials have evolved into a extraordinary experience from its initial offerings. May I present to you, our favorite customers, our weekend specials for the next few weeks:

Friday & Saturday November 25th & 26th

Entree:  French Onion Soup  $7.95

Dessert: Pecan Pie Topped with Kahlua Whipped Cream  $5.95 

Friday & Saturday December 2nd & 3rd

Soup:  Broccoli & Cheese  $5.95

Entree:  Mini Beef Wellington Cooked Medium Served with Cream Corn, Dirty Mashed Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables $16.95

Dessert:  Blue Berry Cobbler  $5.95 

Friday & Saturday December 9th & 10th

Soup:  Chicken Tortilla  $5.95

Entree:  Jambalaya with Spicy Chicken Sausage, Beer Marinated Brats and Cayenne Peppered Shrimp Served with Three Cheese Toasted Bread $12.95

Dessert:  Pear and Apple Tart Served with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream  $5.95 

Friday & Saturday December 16th & 17th

Soup:  Clam Chowder  $6.95

Entree:  Mussels in a Pesto White Wine Sauce Served with Oven Baked Garlic Fries  $15.95

Dessert:  Double Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding  $5.95

The 15th San Diego Strong Ale Festival will be held at Pizza Port Carlsbad on December 2nd and 3rd.  The festival will feature more than 80 beers all over 8% alcohol including Double IPAs, Barleywines, Imperial Stouts, Scotch Ales and Belgian-style Strong Ales.  It will also debut the 15th Anniversary Festival Beer blended by the organizers from beers made at all four Pizza Port locations.  The festival will run from 4 pm to 11 pm on Friday the 2nd and from 11 am to 11 pm on Saturday the 3rd.

Admission is just $30 and includes a festival tasting glass and 8 taster tickets each good for a 4 ounce pour.  Additional taster tickets are just $1 each.  Get a hotel room, take the Coaster to Carlsbad or try the Sprinter or Amtrak to Oceanside and cab or bus it down to the fest.  For more directions and info, check out www.pizzaport.com or call 760-720-7007.

With the upcoming holiday season upon us, here is a list of our hours for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years:

Thursday, November 24, 2011, we are closed. Enjoy Thanksgiving with family and friends. We will open again on Friday normal hours, Pub 11 – Midnight, Brewery Noon – 6.

Christmas Eve, we are closing early so families can be together sooner. 11 to 9 PM

Closed Christmas day

New Years Eve normal hours, closing at midnight. New Years day we’ll open from noon until 6 PM for your drinking and dining pleasure.

We’ve had some issues involving large groups trying to visit our humble facility. So, let’s set some ground rules. First, no large groups. Groups of people larger than 8 will be told to visit elsewhere, we can not accommodate that many people wanting to dine together as our kitchen is unable to fill that many orders at once and we don’t have seating arrangements for that many. The sacrifice of service to the other customers is unfair. Pass the word so less people get disappointed.

Upcoming beers include “Crazy Hazel” which is just around the corner, “Bad Boy” is being planned and will be about  a month out. “Ugly” should show its face for the holidays, too. For Super Bowl we’ll bring back a fan favorite “Exponential Hoppiness.”

An extraordinary honor has been bestowed upon us. One of the most impressive and environmentally sensitive breweries in the world has reached out to us to do a collaborative brew. New Belgium Brewing, the makers of “Fat Tire” and “La Folie” have asked us to put our collective heads together and come up with a beer worthy of such an occasion. For some reason, the initial talks were centered around a double IPA, but nothing has been finalized as of yet. The plan is to make enough for national distribution to all of New Belgium’s territory. Not only am I extremely humbled by their effort to work on this project together but am also very excited, beyond words, to be involved with a brewery I admire and respect so much. Love you guys! The schedule calls for a release date in September 2012, perhaps as a GABF opening surprise.

Remember what common sense says to do with an elephant with three balls – walk him and pitch to the rhino, of course.

Don’t drink and drive drunk, it’s not worth it. And, why this is still something you have to remind people about is beyond me but, wear your seatbelts at all times while driving and riding. You can’t drink beer when you’re dead.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from the Alpine Brew Crew

Grab a beer, I’ll wait, go ahead. You’ll want to relax and read this.
If ever there was a time to be around San Diego, it is now. Not only are we gonna rock your socks real soon but the rest of the beer community of San Diego will be putting their best beer forward over “San Diego Beer Week.” A week so big it takes 10 days to complete. And, we know what this Friday’s special at the pub will be and I’ll share it with you. What are we pulling out of our cellar for beer week, you’re about to find out. I’m half way through a glass of Pure Hoppiness and I don’t think it will last to the end of this newsletter. paragraph

Our Weekly special at the pub starts right around 5 pm Friday evening and is intended for Saturday evening as well, sometimes we run out it’s so good. It usually consists of a dinner plate with a beer recommendation to accompany the dish as well as a wine special:

Friday & Saturday Night Specials October 28 & 29
Entrée Special: $13.95 Smoked Ham and Brie Sandwiches with Herb Aioli on Artisan Bread Served with Pumpkin-Butternut Squash Soup Drizzled with Basil Olive Oil
Beer Pairing: Mandarin Nectar $4.00 Orange Blossom Honey Ale Brewed with Orange Zest, Coriander and Orange Blossom Honey
Wine Pairing: Cup Cake Chardonnay $6.00 Glass $14.00 Bottle Napa, California
Creamy Vanilla, Honeysuckle, and Ripe White Peach & Pear
Dessert Special: $5.95 Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake with a Ginger Crust
Beer Pairing for Dessert: $7.00 Chamnectar – Wilson Creek Almond Champagne and Mandarin Nectar
I tried the sandwich and it changed my life.

San Diego Beer Week, November 4th – 13th.
San Diego Beer Week promotes San Diego’s thriving craft beer culture by sponsoring a ten-day countywide festival that attracts beer tourism, fosters knowledge of our regional brewing heritage, and
serves as a showcase for San Diego’s breweries, restaurants, pubs, and other businesses with ties to the craft beer community.

Part of the gala is a really cool beer festival in Ingram Park at Liberty Station on November 5th. Their website is San Diego Brewers Festival We will have four beers for the main attraction and one additional for the VIP session (BA Token). There is live music, really good bands, and local food to go along with 35 breweries’ good stuff. So, for our little bit of awesomeness to celebrate San Diego Beer Week, we will be serving special cask beers in the pub on Friday nights, like rum soaked oak chips Captain Stout. There will be random vintage kegs of Briscoe, Great, Exponential Hoppiness, Barrel-Aged Token and Barrel-Aged Odin’s Raven, probably more. In the brewery, there will be random bottles of vintage specials for sale.
Starting Tuesday, Nov. 8th, a very select few bottles of Great, Chez Monieux, Ned, Exponential Hoppiness, Emerson and some Ichabods will go on sale. A few bottles at random each day through Friday, Nov. 11th.

We have a new collection of women’s shirts of assorted styles in stock. Check them out in the brewery.

One of our most fun events we’ll be participating is the “Alpine Downhill” in conjunction with Blind Lady Alehouse(BLAH). IT IS A SERIOUS BIKE RIDE. All the disclaimers apply, all the way up to and including “you could die.” Signup on BLAH website through brownpapertickets. The basics: 30 miles, or more if you get lost. Meet at BLAH, with your bike, and get bussed to Alpine, take a quick tour, sample a couple of beers and ride back to BLAH for pizza, salad and a flight of 6 Alpine Beers with a little talk about each beer by the owner and creator of Alpine Beer Company. There may be more options as well, check with BLAH for more details. Space is limited. You could die, but don’t.

O’Brien’s Pub is opening San Diego Beer Week with Alpine Night featuring Bad Boy, Exponential Hoppiness and Barrel Aged Token. We are expecting 12 beers on tap for the night. In addition to Bad Boy, Expo and Barrel Aged Token, look for Pure Hoppiness, Duet, Nelson, Hoppy Birthday, Alpine Ale, Mandarin Nectar, Captain Stout, Irish Red and New Millennium Pale Ale. Lindsey will be making some special beer cheese flavors for the evening. This is a great way to kick off you Beer Week drinking binge.

Whale is still available. We’re going to make Crazy Hazel pretty soon. Chez Monieux is still in need of some conditioning, probably a couple more months. A sample was delicious but young. The Balaton Cherries are pretty tart, yum. We’re in escrow on property in the commercial/industrial zone in Alpine, the future site of our production brewery. Investment option details still pending, please be patient. I want to get it right. We have some used wine and bourbon barrels to give away for free. They are decorative and not suitable for making beer in. They are also unwashed and still contain residue. They are sitting adjacent to the parking lot, near the rear entrance, help yourself. Remember, they have stuff in them and can leak, upright transport recommended, you clean, and that’s why they’re free. Keep moving, there’s nothing left to see here.

First, for the news most of you appear to be clamoring for, a release announcement. If the bottling goes well on Monday, then on Tuesday, July 26th, when we open, we’ll have another fresh batch of Exponential Hoppiness. But wait, there are conditions. We will be applying the 2 – 4 – 6 rule for this release:
• No more than 2 new growlers of Expo (we’re short on growlers and all the suppliers are out right now),
• No more than 4 growler fills of Expo per person per day,
• No more than 6 bottles of Expo per person per day.
We won’t argue about the restrictions. If you want to break the rules you will be denied service and be told to leave.

There is some rational to the restrictions. Our beer is meant for our local customers first. We don’t care to see people sending growlers, meant for local use, being shipped off to far away destinations where the growler becomes useless, the environment needs consideration. The economy behind growlers makes them sensible only when they are refilled, not sent to the recycler or landfill. And, our beer is best fresh, hording bottles only lessens the quality of the old beer stored in your garage, warm, yuk.

Another in our line of session ales, Tuatara, will be released for growler fills and pints and pitchers in the pub on Friday, July 29th. Bring your growlers as we’ll surely be short and get some of this 4.20% abv pale ale made like an IPA. We use all New Zealand special aromatic hops in this citrusy-lemony ale.

We are actively seeking the ability to make more beer and we want your help. Please keep buying our beer, especially if you like it. We need capital, and that is our best way to garner some. We have always prided ourselves on offering our high quality beers at a very reasonable price. As a result we have not made large enough profits to save for new equipment and property. If you see modest price increases please understand why and what it’s all going toward. Once we can make more beer we will surely adjust pricing to our former price conscious sensibilities. As soon as a business plan is available, investment opportunities will become available.

We have weekend specials in the pub starting Friday evening until its devoured. Happy Hour 4-6 Tues-Fri. Wear your seat belt in moving vehicles. SDG&E is not your friend! Peace.

Please accept our sincere appreciation for your patronization. We owe all the success and popularity of Alpine Beer Company to you, our loyal customers. So, “Thank You” very much.

Timing and location usually make up the bulk of success. As it turns out, the lone concrete tilt-up style building in Alpine is for sale. We are working feverishly to structure the right offer and get the proverbial ducks in a row. Please wish us luck and keep up your support; we’ll need it more than ever. Investor opportunities may exist.

Friday, July 8th, our scrumptious dinner special will consist of: (Salivation Alert! get out your napkins)
Slow Smoked Tri Tip topped with Mushroom Gravy laid over Toasted Brown Potato Cakes and served with Cheesy Steamed Broccoli. All for a mere $13.95 starting at 5PM and going until we run out, which sometimes makes it to Saturday night, too?

And just to show some more love, “Red Card” on cask served this Friday as well. This will pair exquisitely with the Tri Tip. The cask will be tapped and served starting at 5 PM along with the dinner special.

The newest label to be designed is for “Barrel Aged Token.” We aged some “Token” in high end bourbon barrels and they are reaching their peak now. With label approval and printing left to do, we should be offering some for sale in around six weeks. Most will be in 22 oz. bottles but you may see a small keg here or there…

A story about the Powerlink will be posted on our blog soon telling the whole sordid affair and just some of the affect it’s had on our business. Check back in a while for a big eye-opener.

We can “penalize” you but we can’t throw you out of the game. Weekend specials posted in advance, what on earth is going on. You can soon become “exponentialized.”

This news comes a day late but is still good to know. “Red Card” is back which means there’s an international soccer event going on. Our special hoppy, red ale is named after a serious soccer infraction resulting in the player being “sent off” not to return or be substituted for. The creamy, complex carmel roastiness combined with a unique hop blend make this 6.2% abv elixir a goal to seek out. Available on tap at our pub and for growler fills in our brewery.

We have been featuring a weekend dinner special starting on Friday evening consistently enough for us to come up with a list in advance. So for the remainder of June, here are our weekend dinner specials that will run until gone:
June 10th and 11th
Buffalo Wild Wings served with loaded mashed potatoes and fried zucchini sticks $10.95
June 17th and 18th
Baby BLT Burgers topped with pimento cheese and a choice of side $9.95

Come join us every Tuesday for “Taco Tuesday” and enjoy Pork, Brisket or Chicken tacos topped with our house corn salsa, cheese and chipotle ranch. Enjoy just one for only $3 or order a plate with two tacos and a side for $7.95. Great with our Irish Red.

“New Millenium Pale Ale” is happily fermenting away. We brewed a 5% abv hoppy ale using Millenium and Galaxy hops because we love you and want you to be happy. It should be released in about two and a half weeks.

Would it surprise you we brewed “Exponential Hoppiness?” I don’t know why it would, but we did and expect it out in around six weeks, right around mid July.

More specialty brews planned including some barrel aged stuff for the summer. Cheers!

Okay, I had a bubba job to help with in Baja Mexico last week and missed telling you about “O’Brien’s IPA” coming out last Friday. My apologies but now that you know, come on down and fill your growlers with this most delicious, Gold Medal winning, light IPA. Pints and pitchers are for sale at the pub, too.

Today, Friday May 6th, is the official re-release date of “Ugly” our Black IPA. The mild roasty, cocoa flavor, silky, creamy texture and big hop smackdown combine to stage a flavor choirs on your palate. At 7.5% abv and the newest recognized beer style out, we think we know a thing or two about making really good “hoppy” beers, and this is no exception. Enjoy.

Going the extra mile, for you, our loyal, loving customers, we’re adding an extra brew session this Sunday with the goal of making “Red Card” a special Red Ale made specifically for major soccer events. Gold Cup Soccer starts June 5th, look for the release then. We’ll have it for growlers, pints and pitchers for as long as it lasts. And, soccer-centric pubs will have some for their televised dates.

The creativity doesn’t stop around here. We’ll be squeezing in a new beer as soon as we have some tank space. It’s a beer style called “Gose.” It has its origins in Germany and is a wheat beer originally wild fermented. We’ll control the microbes that ferment our batch, but the uniqueness of the beer is the use of coriander and salt. Yes, the beer has a decided salty flavor which when done right is very tasty.

And, how about another Pale Ale. We have some hops we want to combine in a lighter, 5-6% abv range, pale ale that we know will make a great flavor/aroma blend. Again, as tank space permits. For those that have been around for a while may remember “Crazy Hazel” amber ale flavored with the generous use of filberts. That will be our next specialty after the afore mentioned beers.

In an effort to minimize issues that arise, here are some things that may help with what we can and can’t do around here. Because of our diminutive size (we’re tiny) there is no office space here. I can’t sit at the computer at the brewery so I write newsletter and answer emails at home. When you email and ask what kegs are available, or what’s up for growler fills, I don’t know, I’m not there. I’d have to be there in order to answer accurately because our available beers change hourly. Calling the brewery is the only way to get those answers. 619-445-2337 x1
We open the Pub at Noon on Sundays, our website needs updating.

There will also be a VIP session on Friday the 15th from 1 pm to 4 pm in the afternoon. The session features limited ticket sales, food snacks provided by Pizza Port owner Vince Marsaglia and a great line up of VIP casks from Alpine (Odin’s Raven!), Green Flash, Ballast Point, AleSmith, Firestone, Lost Abbey and Pizza Port. Tickets for the VIP session are only available on line through Ticket Derby. The cost is $40 and the session is over 65% sold out at this point, so buy your ticket soon. The link for tickets is: Real Ale Festival Tickets or you can find it through the Festival page of the Pizza Port website. The VIP ticket includes admission into the Friday night session.
Next month O’Brien’s Pub in Kearny Mesa will host an Alpine Hoppy Beer and Food tasting on Sunday, May 1st at 6:30 pm. It will feature 7 different hoppy beers from Alpine paired up with several courses of fine food. The lineup includes Alpine Ale, Hoppy Birthday, O’Brien’s IPA, Duet IPA, Nelson Rye-IPA, Pure Hoppiness and Bad Boy. The food menu is not set yet, but O’Brien’s manager and resident gourmet Tyson Blake will be in charge of the pairings. Cost is $45 (cash only please) and you can sign up at O’Brien’s – 4646 Convoy St. Seating is limited and this event is expected to sell out in advance. You must sign up at O’Brien’s to secure a seat. The week after the tasting, May 2nd to 6th will be Alpine week at O’Brien’s featuring 4-5 handles of Alpine Ales all week long.

We’re experiencing an unfortunate, yet frequent, situation at our pub that needs mentioning. Our tiny pub seats 38 people. Our kitchen is the size of a phone booth, remember those? Large groups can’t be accommodated. We have 3 tables, if they’re empty, we can push together that can seat 12, no more. Groups larger than 12 can’t sit together, really. Add to the fact we’re busy most of the time and you can see a recipe for disappointment. I mention the small kitchen because plating a number of orders requires room for the plates, there isn’t enough room for that many at once. We love you all and want you to be happy, we’re sad when we can’t make it a warm fuzzy place in the world for you. When the patio officially opens, we won’t be allowing food outside. The Health Department must approve any such move and our kitchen just can’t take on the added seats. Drinking on the patio is allowed and the official opening shouldn’t be long, we still needs some handrails and steps and then we’re good to go, just in time for warmer weather.
As a safety tip, don’t play with: nuclear bombs, cobras, duct tape or measles. Keep: your shirt on, the peace and off the grass. Keep it real.

With the arrival of “the boys of summer” comes our first hot spell, so why not release an Imperial Stout? A dinner special that reflects the return of baseball. And a cask of the most celebrated beer in the world.

Today, Friday April 1, 2011, we are releasing “Odin’s Raven” our Imperial Stout made with Hersey’s Chocolate syrup. We’ve recalculated the alcohol percent and found it was 11% abv, a bit higher than previously reported. Growler fills available at the brewery and glasses available at the pub when the doors open. This is no April’s Fool joke, really.

For tonight’s dinner special, we’ve been marinating some Fontanini Bratwurst in our beer and then smoked. It will be serving it in a French Roll with Sauerkraut and Spicy Mustard unless otherwise requested.

Starting at 5pm tonight, we’ll have a Cask of “Hoppy Birthday” being served from our beer engine. This beer matches perfectly with the original styles served from a handpump. The English pale ales were hoppy, for them, lower in alcohol and well suited for cask beers. Get some while it lasts.

Coming beers will be “Hoppy Birthday” in about two weeks. We will be making “O’Brien’s IPA” next week and it should finish in about three and a half weeks. We’re making the arrangements for the ingredients for “Ugly” our Black IPA which should be brewed within a couple of weeks.

With the construction going on in Alpine by SDG&E, access can be challenging at times. So, as a reminder, we have a small parking lot on the east end of our building, please feel free to use it. We’ve had some problems with unattended children at our pub recently. To protect the privilege of bringing your kids to the pub, don’t let them run amuck. Sorry, no dogs either.

Stay Safe, wear your seat belts every time.