Epic Ice Standing

As we sit on the cusp of the first big Nor'easter of the winter, I find myself reflecting on the warm months of summer. We had a lot of fun this summer, despite being busier than we ever have been. We went to some great beer festivals and sponsored a few 5k's, marathons, and triathlons.

On July 10, Renee, Dan Henry, Charlie, Brown Dog Bill Harris, and I ran the beer tent at the Urban Epic Triathlon in Portland, Maine. Business was slow, and a pending thunderstorm meant we had to find a way to entertain ourselves. Luckily, Dan and Charlie stepped up.

2010 Wheat Wine

Here's a quick clip of the beginning of the 2010 Wheat Wine bottling run. The bottles are just coming out of the filler, having been capped and rinsed off.

These bottles will condition for a bit and then begin shipping on December 20.

A Report from the Blue Hen State

Hopefully you all tuned in to the Punkin' Chunkin' show that Discovery Channel aired on Thanksgiving Night. I was looking closely for Smuttynose logos and by my count, I saw nine.  It was a pretty fascinating show.  At the least it offered some great people watching but, on a higher level, watching these chunkin' teams was a striking illustration of the passion with which some people follow their muse.

Dan Henry, our Eastern New England Field Manager, went to Delaware with the American Chunker team, and shot some video, which we now present to you, our Smuttynose TV viewers.

Short Batch Series #12 Test Batch, Clips #1 and #2

Charlie, Smuttynose's Oak aging Funkdafier, and Matt, a local homebrewer, are brewing the pilot batch for Short Batch #12.

Roll out the Barrel!

So, we aren't really rolling out a barrel, but we are opening it up.  Our Wood-Aging Funkdafier, Sheik C. Ice (a.k.a. Charlie Ireland) pulls a sample of beer from one of these magical beer enhancement devices.  He'll explain it all in the clip.   You'll also get a chance to meet Nelson "Brownie" Brown, the man who runs our bottle filler.  Every time you pry-off a cap from a delicious bottle of Smuttynose, take a second and thank him.

Interview with Paul Barber

I can't tell you how many times I get asked about the two old guys on the Finestkind IPA label.  People at beer festivals, tour-goers here at Smuttynose, and even my Mom want to know who those men are and where we found them.  While I've enjoyed the bits and pieces I've heard over my time here at Smuttynose, I thought it would make more sense to sit down with one of the spokesmodels for an interview.  I sat down with Paul a few weeks ago and got this interview.

Paul is a very interesting man.   He's polite, soft-spoken and has led quite an interesting life.   In addition to being on a beer label, he was a selectman for Duxbury, MA, had a Model A Ford as his first car and is a World Master in bridge. He's also an avid supporter of the Bowdoin Men's Soccer team. I had a wonderful time talking to him on the shoot day.

You can meet him this Saturday, October 2, at the New Hampshire Brewer's Fest at Redhook. Please come by and say hello. Even if you can't make it, please enjoy this interview.

Susanne Delaney from the Portsmouth Criterium

Yesterday, I interviewed Susanne Delaney, Race Director for the Portsmouth Criterium.  This year's race (the sixth annual) takes place this Sunday, September 19.  Downtown Portsmouth will be invaded with svelte, spandex-clad cyclists from around New England as well as throngs of spectators (7,000 last year).  It's a great event that transforms downtown into a snow fence-lined race course.

There are a few events I'd like to highlight before the video.  First of all, everything starts at 9am with a pancake breakfast ON Market Street, right in front of the Portsmouth Brewery.  The racing starts up around 11am with a kid's race and the continues throughout the day.

We'd also like to let you know about our Criterium Refuelling Station partners.  The Gaslight, The Blue Mermaid, and The Chef's Table are all featuring food specials and will have limited Criterium/Smuttynose pint glasses, while supplies last.    Please visit http://smuttynose.com/2010-race-day-specials.html for more details.

Without further adieu, here's Susanne: