Oat IPA Coming From Core Brewing

Core Brewing: "Coming to a Core Pub near you we have an Oat IPA, and this sonuvagun is a hell of a beer. It's sweet like the oatmeal stout, has this really weird but totally radical grapefruit juice color, and tastes like candied citrus rinds. It's an absurdly well balanced beer. In the brewing world you alter balance for artistic or creative reasons so much to create specific flavors to the point that this is weird because it just, does exactly what it's supposed to, be a balanced drinkable act of genius. Trent deserves your praise."  

Some Arkansas Beer Updates

It's certainly a great time to be a craft beer lover in the state of Arkansas with so many new breweries, new beers and beer-soaked events taking place lately you really do need a program to keep up. Follow along on my Twitter feed and I'll do what I can to keep you informed, but here's a compilation of some things that are on my mind this morning.

One of the reasons I've not been regularly updating the blog here is that the bi-weekly radio show I co-host with my man Bryce Nall, Tap Time on 103.7 The Buzz, has been taking up time. We've just finished our first 3 months and it looks like we have 5 more months worth for sure so that should keep going through the summer. Last week's show was my favorite yet possibly, with guest Founders Brewery, but it hasn't made it to Soundcloud yet. Here's a link to the previous shows though, all except the first one we did:

https://soundcloud.com/scott-parton/sets/tap-time-1

The next show is March 21st and Rebel Kettle Brewing will be the guest. You don't want to miss this one!

Speaking of Rebel Kettle Brewing, they seem to be opening on an "any time now" sort of thing. I feel pretty sure that we'll be in there drinking their killer line-up of beers before March ends, but there's no official word yet. My fingers are crossed as I couldn't be any more excited about this awesome brewery getting going.

The newest Core Public House opened in central Arkansas on Friday at 411 North Main Street in North Little Rock. That's in the Argenta area if you're not familiar and it's not far from Flyway Brewing and Diamond Bear's tap rooms. The place looks great, has a cool staff and plenty of Core beers, with at least 10 taps flowing all the time and 12 total. Most of the beer lovers in central Arkansas are already familiar with Core beers as they've been available here for years, but we should see a lot of beers we wouldn't normally get to try plus there will be all sorts of special events and such going down. Here's a rundown of what's on now from my opening night visit:

Up in northwest Arkansas, Rogers to be more exact, New Province Brewing Company got their doors open last week and although I haven't been there it looks really cool in all the pictures I'm seeing. I can't wait to see it in person and try some beers, hopefully soon. They're on a 15bbl system and are starting with 4 beers.

We're just over a week away from Stone Brewing Company and Arrogant Bastard Brewing joining the state and for me this is going to be HUGE. I love their beers and have for many years. The big news for Little Rock is the “Arrogant After Party” at Sticky Fingerz, which will be following Foam Fest on Friday, April 1st. Boom! Put that on your calendar. Can't wait.

Bell's Brewery will be in Arkansas in late April! That's two of America's best breweries to launch here in a month.

Here's a few festival dates for you, click the links for details:

Friday April 1st - 19th Annual Food & Foam Fest at Dickey Stephens Park in NLR
April 7th - 10th - Fantastic Cinema and Craft Beer Festival
Friday May 13th - Arkansas Times Spring Firkin Fest (more info to come!)
Saturday May 21st - Hot Springs Craft Beer Festival

That's all I can think of right now. Follow the Twitter feed for updates!

Looking Back and Looking Ahead with Northwest Arkansas’ Breweries

Here's another great blog post on the outstanding beer scene in northwest Arkansas, courtesy of guest blogger Fayettebrew (Twitter: @Fayettebrew):

A new year for beer is well underway as Arkansas continues to write the early chapters of its story as a craft beer community. Those chapters are telling a story of emergence as growth has taken place quickly within our state when it comes to locally-produced beer. Due to factors such as population and dry counties, Arkansas’ growth is generally developing in the form of two distinct craft beer producing communities: one centered around Little Rock covering central Arkansas and one which originated in Fayetteville and expanded to Springdale, Rogers, and then Bentonville.

As characters in the story of Arkansas beer, these two communities are like siblings - related but not necessarily identical. Central Arkansas is the older sibling thanks to a pair of veteran breweries in Little Rock and it has seen a recent infusion of newer breweries. Northwest Arkansas is younger but wasted little time establishing its presence once it got going - especially the growing contingent of breweries now distributing both kegs and cans/ bottles. If you have not visited Northwest Arkansas' breweries in awhile, 2015 brought exciting developments for established breweries and intriguing debuts from newer ones. With a month of the new year in the book, let us look back at a significant theme from the past year and make a prediction at what may be in store for the rest of 2016 for each of Northwest Arkansas’ current breweries.

(One quick note before beginning: Brian Sorenson of the Fayetteville Flyer and James Spencer of Basic Brewing deserve recognition for the work they do year-round telling the story of craft beer in Northwest Arkansas. Brian’s articles and James’ podcast interviews have created a wonderful record of everything from the origins of our breweries to the growth and development they are currently experiencing.)

Apple Blossom Brewing Company

2015: Collaboration Station - If it seemed to you like Apple Blossom was releasing a collaboration beer every month last year, then you were right on. Their stated goal was to do just that as they worked on collaborations with a variety of partners including other Arkansas brewers (West Mountain Brewing, Bike Rack Brewing), a member of the Fayetteville Lovers of Pure Suds (F.L.O.P.S.) home brew club, and international home brewing podcast host James Spencer.

2016: Crafting the Agenda - Apple Blossom’s collaborations have helped demonstrate an active network among the brewers in the state, something which will go a long way in improving the Arkansas Brewers Guild’s chances of impacting the laws and procedures which affect the place of craft beer in our state. Additoinally, Apple Blossom’s co-owner Evan McDonald serves as the secretary for the guild. With a rotation of appealing beers and an eye towards progress look for Apple Blossom to take the lead on industry events which support the specific goals of Arkansas Brewers Guild.

Bentonville Brewing Company

2015: Dynamic Debut - Bentonville Brewing Company wasted little time catching up with the craft beer scene in NWA after opening in early June. Between appealing serving options, such as a nitro tap and and an earlier syrup pairing for their wit beer, as well as flavorful renditions of familiar styles - their Airship IPA is a coffee IPA while Roundabout Stout is a chocolate milk stout - Bentonville Brewing has drawn some deserved attention.

2016: Bentonville and Beyond - The attention Bentonville Brewing is gaining is not limited to their taproom as the brewery is already managing over 50 draft accounts in the Northwest Arkansas region. With this distribution already in place and hopefully able to increase over the course of Bentonville Brewing's first full calendar year in production, look for a greater visibility and presence within the state from this recent addition to the community.

Bike Rack Brewing Co.

2015:  No More Training Wheels - When it comes to seeing how a brewery finds its form once it has a full calendar year to work with, it is hard not to be encouraged by how Bike Rack jumped into participating in craft beer community in 2015. Noticeably active in Arkansas Brewers Guild events across the state throughout the second half of the year, Bike Rack also made customary appearances at familiar events such as St. Patrick’s on the Hill and Foam Fest Fayetteville, all the while enticing new fans with an expanding lineup of beers.

2016: Friendly Neighborhood Brewery - After getting the Bike Rack name and beers introduced to throughout the sibling markets of Arkansas, Bike Rack looks to be setting its focus in its hometown of Bentonville by inviting locals to take part in the craft beer community through taproom events. Already a strong practitioner of advanced promotion (their “Sooo...Trivia?” posts for their weekly trivia night capture a welcoming vibe that pairs well with the cozy taproom), these events and special beer releases should go a long way toward helping make Downtown Bentonville and The Hub a casual nightlife spot in NWA.

Black Apple Crossing

2015: Cider 101 - The process of opening Arkansas’ first cidery placed the Black Apple Crossing team in a similar position to the Arkansas breweries who were the first to open in their respective communities. Educating curious drinkers on the qualities of both semi-dry and semi-sweet cider with inviting versions of both, Black Apple laid pathways to further explore cider with varieties and seasonal batches incorporating spices, adjunct ingredients and different apples. The Hop Full (a cider featuring hops, which are not a standard part of cider production as they are in brewing) was a great way to showcase how hops can serve as a bridge for flavors toward a dry finish rather than just an amplifier of piney or citrusy flavors in a beer.

2016: High Tide for the Cider Wave - In recent years cider has seen huge gains in sales as producers applied lessons learned from the rise of craft beer as well as a momentum from the overall beverage industry toward more artisanal, flavorful beverages. In this new high tide for cider, Black Apple Crossing has established a buoy for Arkansans to navigate their appreciation of the beverage. In the year ahead it appears Black Apple will take a more assertive approach to make this navigation easier: the Springdale-based company has added draft distribution Fayetteville and one would assume other local markets will follow. With Arkansas cider now a part of the “drink local” mantra, it will be fun to see how Black Apple Crossing helps shape the Arkansas community.

Columbus House Brewery

2015: Hitting the Ground Running - Almost as soon as they opened this past April, Columbus House began ingratiating itself to more active local beer fans through regular running groups and yoga sessions - with beer discounts for participants! Coordinated activities such as these built on the theme of the brewery (their IPA and brown ales are named Weekend Warrior and Nutty Runner, respectively) and took advantage of their location next to the Scull Creek Trail in Fayetteville. By capitalizing on their location and bringing their brand to life, Columbus House made a fast and friendly introduction to the beer community.

2016: Increasing the Pace - Columbus House saw some steady growth through the end of the year with a regular rotation of seasonal beers and the start of draft distribution. Going hand in hand with that growth, the Columbus House crew shows no sign of tapering off when it comes to hosting events. To start, their Nutty Runner 5k in March may wind up being the most creative local beer event of the year as the race features a division where runners will finish a 12 oz. pour of the Nutty Runner Nut Brown Ale at the end of each mile! From there it will be interesting to see what other ways Columbus House comes up with to pair their refreshing beer with active events.

Core Brewing Company

2015: Coming to a Town Near You - Perhaps no other brewery in Arkansas was as ambitious as Springdale’s Core Brewing in 2015. Core opened three more of their Public Houses last year (Harber, Fort Smith, Fayetteville) to bring their total number of pubs to five. With at least three more pubs planned to open in the first half of 2016, including a pub in the Argenta District of Little Rock and one in XNA Regional Airport, Core Brewing is paying heed to the real estate credo of location, location, location to earn its place as the most visible brewery in Arkansas.

2016: Arkansas’ Craft Ambassador - Combine its out-of-state distribution and its growing number of pubs, Core Brewing is set to be the state’s ambassador brewery. When the Little Rock pub opens this year Core will become the only Arkansas brewery with both distribution and a physical location in both of the sibling beer communities in our state! With the ability to welcome new craft beer fans; intrigue current fans with barrel aged and firkin projects; as well as introduce Arkansas beer to customers outside of the state, it is hard to deny Core’s role in progressing the place of Arkansas beer in the region.

Fossil Cove Brewing Co.

2015: Enter the Can - Fossil Cove becoming the third Northwest Arkansas brewery (fifth overall in the state) to package their beers in cans is not as noteworthy as the decisiveness and style with which they did so. Just before the Fourth of July this Fayetteville brewery dropped in on the canned beer wave by releasing two of their most well-known beers in cans (Paleo Ale and La Brea Brown) and later adding both their primary fall (The Blizzle) and winter (Coffee IPA) seasonals to their canned lineup. On top of all that, Fossil Cove also added a crowler system and took the extra step to a print custom label with the same distinctive artwork. Whereas most breweries have used their can designs to further develop the visual elements of their brand, Fossil Cove came in and made the cans bring to life their already established bright visual style. Thanks to a keen approach to maintaining a unity of design within an array of labels, there will be no mistaking a Fossil Cove can or crowler the next time you come across one.

2016: No Place Like (Future) Home - Another development for Fossil Cove last year was the purchase of a larger piece of real estate just down the road from the current location. As planning continues for the future home of the brewery and taproom, look for momentum to build for Fossil Cove through grander events and beer releases. First up: Frost Fest on February 6th. This is the first winter beer festival in Arkansas as well as the first interstate brewery event (breweries from Missouri and Oklahoma will be in attendance) hosted by an Arkansas brewery.

New Province Brewing Co.

2015: Whetting the Appetite - Northwest Arkansas’ soon-to-be newest brewery will hopefully open sometime in the first half of 2016. In the meantime, New Province has done a great job of keeping fans up to date on social media regarding the arduous process of building a brewery literally from the ground up with construction updates and a preview of what they can look forward to if they join their “Citizenship” membership program.

2016: Planting a Flag in the Ground: At the stage in the process where they are waiting for approval from the Arkansas Beverage Control before they can fully open up for business, look for New Province to start with a lineup of their Civilian Pale Ale, Philosopher IPA, Migrant Belgian Dubbel, and Yeoman Porter on tap once they get the all clear. These beers and a brand new facility will be a big part of how New Province makes their mark in 2016.

Ozark Beer Company

2015: Expanding the Lineup - In the year they turned two, Ozark Beer Company seemed intent on expanding its lineup by offering a wider range of beers through their tap room and through its expanding in-state distribution. Serving beers that featured unique brewing processes (use of fresh and wet hops; barrel fermenting) as well as distinct styles (a berliner weisse, a West Coast-style Double IPA, and a smoked porter all debuted this year) Ozark offered local beer fans a tantalizing array of new beers. And such a review would be remiss if it did not make special mention of Ozark’s efforts in the realm of barrel aged beers where rousing beers Boll Weevil, Hayduke, and Bourbon Barrel Aged Double Cream Stout (BDCS) made their debut. Already recognized for their flavorful and articulate beers, Ozark unleashed a memorable creative streak last year..

2016: Great Expectations - In an impressively short amount of time, Ozark’s passionate following has lead to a strong regional reputation with a healthy splash of national recognition (the brewery participated in Oskar Blue’s Burning Can festival this summer and was recognized by Paste Magazine for their Double IPA). Every expectation is that their reputation will continue to grow over the course of this year and it will be of note to see how the Ozark Beer Company team meets not only the increased demand but also the increased expectation for their beers. If there was no grander Arkansas beer in 2015 than Ozark’s BDCS then there likely has not been a more anticipated and hyped release of an Arkansas beer than BDCS 2016.

Saddlebock Brewery

2015: The Fermentation Destination - It would be a tall order to find a brewery which accentuated its on-premise experience more in the course of the last year than Saddlebock. A new patio was completed that further capitalizes on the views of the White River valley while organized bonfires, private brewing parties, hop harvests, and sponsored off-road races brought groups to this picturesque location. All of that was done on top of the addition of creative and experimental beers such as Winter Daze (vanilla oak bourbon porter) and Blazing Saddles (Sriracha ale). More than a brewery stop, Saddlebock is becoming a craft beer experience.

2016: Eat, Drink, Sleep Saddlebock - The focus on creating a one-of-a-kind experience at the brewery will continue to guide Saddlebock’s efforts outside of the brewhouse. After expanding the tasting room in 2014 and adding a cottage available for rent to guests in 2015, the goal for the year ahead looks to be to add a cafe to the plentiful amount of space Saddlebock calls home. From recent social media posts by the brewery, the menu is beginning to take shape for the White River Cafe. Sooner rather than later, local and visiting beer fans will be able to have an all-encompassing visit on the Saddlebock farm!

West Mountain Brewing Co.

2015: In the Groove - A one-year anniversary of a different kind took place on the Fayetteville square as Ryan Pickop completed his first year as West Mountain’s brewer after starting in September 2014. The year produced flavorful, classically-styled beers which West Mountain has become known for - demonstrating that the beers are in good hands with Pickop. (It was particularly nice to see the West Mountain IPA and Brown Ale consistently on tap.) Home to a unique brewhouse and layout, it is enticing to see the brewery also becoming home to a brewer beginning to explore his own unique preferences for styles and flavors.

2016: Starting a Story - A distinct element of West Mountain is that its larger story can also be told through the three different brewers who have crafted the beers pouring from the tap. The thread of each brewer’s story is interwoven into the larger fabric of the West Mountain story with a quality that adds character and detail. Ryan Pickop’s thread is becoming a more distinctive part of that story and it will be worth seeing how he builds on the traditional styles the brewery is known for by accentuating new and engaging flavors through beers such as the Rye Pale Ale he produced in the fall and the coffee stout brewed in partnership witth next door neighbor Jammin Java Coffee Cafe.

Arkansas’ story of emergence as a craft beer state certainly shares many of the hallmarks of states which experienced similar growth in the past or are currently writing similar chapters to the ones we are participating in currently. While it is hard to resist comparing local beers to beers brewed by craft breweries now serving as elder statesmen or current darlings, it is important to keep in mind that contributing to the growth of local beer within our own state helps advance the place craft beer holds in our country. The advancement of craft beer - or beer in general - may have started without Arkansas but, as part of the “long tail” of breweries in the country, the future of beer in the United States will only be better served by a strong community of Arkansas breweries and supporters. 

Fayettevbrew's 2014 Year In Review (Part 2)

If you missed Part 1 last week, just click right here and catch up. I'll wait here.

You back? Ok, now make sure you follow this guy on Twitter, then move on to...

Part 2 of @Fayettebrew’s 2014 Year in Review

We are pretty spoiled up in Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas. There are now five breweries now in full production and a sixth one looking like it will join the community sometime early in 2015. This year, Bike Rack Brewing joined Core Brewing, Fossil Cove Brewing, Ozark Beer, and Saddlebock Brewery in the collection of local breweries located in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and now Bentonville. As for the sixth brewery, after a few quiet months, it now looks like Columbus House Brewery in Fayetteville is planning open in early February 2015. However, before we get there, let's take a look back at this past year of beers, expansion, and events from the local breweries in Northwest Arkansas!

 Bike Rack Brewing Co.

The folks at Bike Rack spent the first nine months of the year completing construction, securing licenses, and brewing pilot batches. Since then, they have wasted little time hitting the ground rolling and serving some fresh brews out of their Bentonville brewery. October was the big month for Bike Rack as they prepped their operation with a series of soft openings before a big Grand Opening Weekend to introduce themselves to the community.  As they get going, they have focused on releasing four foundational beers so far: their "FAST IPA", "Slaughter Pen Pale Ale", an American Stout, and "Urban Trail Golden Ale".

Core Brewing & Distilling Co.

Core’s growth continued in 2014, including one big new addition to the company. Now well established in the Northwest Arkansas area, Core hosted a trio of tap takeovers in January and would continue to host a variety of events throughout the year, including some brewmaster beer dinners with local restaurants. February brought an expansion to Core’s canning program as their Leg Hound Lager joined their ESB as being packaged in six packs of cans (the Behemoth Pils would later join the can retail lineup in June). In addition to participating in the St. Patrick’s Day on the Hill AR Stout Championship in March, Core won Little Rock-based Sync Weekly’s People’s Choice Bracket in their Craft Beer Tournament, which pitted local and regional brews against each other in a March Madness-style tournament voted on by Sync readers. The month of May saw Core heavily involved within the Fayetteville city limits as they participated in Foam Fest (bringing barrel-aged versions of their Oatmeal Stout and Imperial Red) and they hosted their own beer garden at the Block Street Block Party. The biggest news from Core came in September when they opened their Core Pub in Rogers, AR. The pub is a separate location from the company’s Springdale brewery and features 12 taps dedicated to Core’s brews. Then in October, Core was one of four Arkansas breweries to attend the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO. In November, both the brewery and the pub locations added a English-style hand-drawn ale tap and begun a weekly Firkin Friday program of releasing special limited release. Recent Firkin Friday releases have included a Double Chocolate Imperial Stout with vanilla beans and coffee and a Wassail. To give back at the end of a busy 2014, Core hosted a Toys for Tots donation drive at both the pub and brewery locations, offering discounts on pints for those who made a donation.

Some standout beers released by Core in 2014 included: the Wee Heavy Scotch Ale; the Hazelnut Brown Ale;  the Toasted Coconut Brown Ale; the Rye Barrel Aged Imperial Red IPA and Bourbon Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout from the Fayetteville Foam Fest; Waterfall Wheat; the Firkin Friday series.

Fossil Cove Brewing Co.

Consistently exploring new styles, introducing new rotating series, and tinkering with fun Randalls/ infusions, Fossil Cove kept local craft beer enthusiasts busy with a creative lineup. They kicked off the year with the debut of their SMaSH series in January. By the end of the year, Fossil Cove had already rotated through seven versions of these single malt and single hop brews. In February, Fossil Cove co-hosted a rare event outside of their brewery walls - a Flight Night at Maxine’s Tap Room in Fayetteville. March brought the addition of a nitro tap to the brewery and the start of what looks to be a recurring Fossil Cove event: the crew from the Cove recruited volunteers for a clean-up along the Skull Creek Trail which runs near their brewery. The month of May was perhaps Fossil Cove’s busiest month in 2014. They hosted a release party and screening for the documentary about craft beer in Northwest Arkansas “Tapping the Ozarks” and co-sponsored two music stages and a beer garden at the Block Street Block Party. Then, to top it all off, Fossil Cove not only participated in the Fayetteville Foam Fest but also took home the People’s Choice Award for top brewery at the festival. Things did not slow down the rest of the year through: June brought the celebration of Fossil Cove’s second anniversary; in September they debuted a stainless steel growler for to-go orders; and in October they started their “Throwback Thursday” series with the release of the 2013 Pumpkin Ale which had been aged for a year on oak and vanilla beans.To round out a busy year, in November Fossil Cove played host to the first Arkansas Brewers Guild Tap Takeover event, which showcased nine Arkansas breweries.

Some standout beers from Fossil Cove in 2014 included: the Konga Stout brewed with coffee from the local roaster Onyx Coffee Lab; the Hoppy Wheat spring seasonal; assistant brewer Kort’s Orange Cream and White Stout one-off; the SMaSH series; and the Coffee IPA, also brewed with Onyx Coffee.

Ozark Beer Company

Over the course of their first full year of production operations, Ozark Beer Company quickly carved out a well-regarded niche in the Arkansas beer community. While they have stuck with their starting lineup of their Pale Ale, American IPA, Cream Stout, Golden Ale, and Onyx Coffee Stout (which was promoted to year-round regular after its initial run) since their opening, the OBC team began working in some limited releases in the second half of the year. The first half of 2014 was largely dedicated to the expansion of production at the brewery, although Ozark did partner with some other local businesses for special sale promotions. Like some of the other breweries in the area, 2014 kicked into high gear in May for Ozark: they started off by hosting a Red Cross relief fundraiser at the brewery for those affected by tornado damage in central Arkansas during the spring; they then participated in their first Fayetteville Foam Fest; they were officially added to the Fayetteville Ale Trail program; and began releasing Pale Ale in six packs of cans (they sold out of their first batch the day it was released). May also had some recognition come Ozark Beer Company’s way when they were named Southern Living’s Favorite Arkansas Beer. June and July saw a pair of events from the Ozark team - a tap takeover at Gusano’s pizza and Ice Cream Social (featuring ice cream made by Pure Joy Ice Cream using the Ozark Golden Ale and Cream Stout) hosted at the brewery. They hosted a second social in August. Prior to celebrating their first anniversary in November, Ozark expanded their fermenter capacity in September. Ozark Beer Company wrapped up 2014 nicely with a pair of events: they continued to make charitable contributions to community by hosting a NWA Food Bank fundraiser at the brewery by donating a portion of their pint and growler sales and they were a sponsor of the Little Craft Show in Fayetteville where they also hosted a pop-up taproom. Also in December, Paste Magazine listed Ozark’s Pale Ale can as one of the “Best Beer Can Designs of 2014” (the can was co-created with local studio BLKBOXLabs).

Outside of their regular lineup, some standout beers from Ozark in 2014 included: their Belgian Golden infused with hibiscus, raspberry, and rose hips; their mango and chamomile-infused Belgian Golden; their Fresh Hopped IPA; and their Extra Pale Ale.

Saddlebock Brewery

Regularly pouring about 15 or more beers on tap out at their brewery, perhaps no local brewery more ardently explores different beer styles than Saddlebock. To keep up with that level of production, Saddlebock completed two big expansion projects in 2014. The first came in July when they expanded to add two 30bbl fermenters to their brewery. Later in the year, in November, the second project was completed: the opening of a new tasting room out at the brewery. Saddlebock stayed busy with events as well. In addition to hosting multiple tap takeovers in Northwest Arkansas and in the River Valley area, Saddlebock participated in the following Fayetteville craft beer events: the previously mentioned St. Patrick’s Day on the Hill beer garden, Ales and Tails, Fayetteville Foam Fest, First Thursday, and Brews and Brats. In March, Saddlebock participated in a panel event on craft beer at Crystal Bridges and in July they co-hosted the White River Rendezvous with Fayettechill. October was probably Saddlebock’s busiest month; they attended the Great American Beer Festival for the second time; hosted their second anniversary party; and launched their mobile party barn service for events.

Over the course of the year, Saddlebock received a variety of awards and recognition. At the St. Patrick’s Day on the Hill celebration in March, Saddlebock took home the Arkansas State Championship. Then, in April, Saddlebock Brewery’s owner Steve Rehbock received an Arkansas Eco-Hero award for Saddlebock’s operations, including being the first sustainable brewery on a septic system in Arkansas. Lastly, in July, Saddlebock was recognized as Flipkey/ TripAdvisor’s “Top Brewery Worth Travelling To” in Arkansas.

Some standout beers from Saddlebock in 2014 included: the Maibock; the Oktoberfest; the IPA; and the Bourbon Vanilla Oak Porter.


As 2014 closes out, fans of locally brewed craft beer have a lot to look forward to in the new year thanks to the collection of breweries and brewpubs in Northwest Arkansas. This is a young, growing brewing community that will continue to treat its patrons to an expanding selection of beers as well as events and community outreach projects that will strengthen the roots each brewery/ brewpub has established. If you have not made your first visit to the local breweries in this area (or it has been a while since your last visit) I highly recommend setting aside time for a trip in 2015.

Here is to a great year in locally brewed beer and having even more to celebrate this time in the next!

The Fayetteville Ale Trail Turns 1!

It's hard to believe, but the Fayetteville Ale Trail is all growed up now! Well, at least it's 1 year old this coming week. That's already longer than most Hollywood marriages. Actually it's 293 days longer than Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries shared marital bliss. And many places on the trail are dog friendly, so for them this is like a 7 year anniversary. But for you and I, it's 1 year, and what a great year it's been. This thing is getting bigger and better and not only will this week celebrate what's been going on for the past year, but it's another chance to see just how much potential to be something even more special it has.

Not that familiar with it? Well check out their website or take a few moments and recap my most recent run of the Ale Trail here if you wish.

There are quite a few anniversary events next week, so I thought I'd put some that I know about here together for you. Follow the Twitter feed and I'll keep things up to date on there as well.

Here's the official schedule:

Monday 9/15: Trivia at Ozark Beer Co. at 7
Tuesday 9/16: Screening of “Strange Brew” at Fossil Cove Beer Co. at 7:30
Wednesday 9/17: Bagg-o, Darts, & Ping Pong at Core Brewing Co. from 6 to 8
Thursday 9/18: *Birthday Bash at Apple Blossom Brewery from 6 to 8

*I believe the Apple Blossom event on Thurs is private invitation only so far, but  will open up some spots to the public on Monday.

Each night will have free cupcakes, food trucks, giveaways (t-shirts, frisbees, koozies etc.) as well as prizes for the winners on the game nights.Oh, also there will be beer. Yes, shocker, I know.

Northwest Arkansas, you are lucky to have something like this. So get out there and show some love for your Ale Trail!

Fayetteville Ale Trail All In A Day's Work

Trust me, there are several problems with trying to visit 8 breweries in 1 day and document it along the way. The biggest is that by the end, I was just totally forgetting to snap photos and even checked a beer into the wrong location on Untappd. Wonder why? Sober driving friends and taxis are very handy and we even walked the last few. Well, sort of walked.

All in all it was a spectacular day though. I'll be back soon to do it over a more spread out weekend, and give things a proper write-up. I promise.

But for our 1 day adventure we started at at new kid on the block Ozark Brewing (which I LOVED), then hit Apple Blossom for wonderful lunch, then Saddlebock for a guided tour by Steve Rehbock which was just fantastic. After then checking in to the hotel and chugging quite a bit of water during a 90-minute beer break, we were off too Core Brewing where Jesse and Jonas gave us another fantastic tour of the new facility and taproom (new to us), then off to Fossil Cove. Next was Tanglewood for dinner and finally finishing with West Mountain and Hog Haus. Just for good measure we hit Sideways for a Mother's beer on the way to the hotel.

Whew.

Here's some pics I did remember to take. Too many tales to share, just know that the Northwest Arkansas brewing scene is kicking ass right now. Great people everywhere, great beer easy to find. I'll be back in June.

Cans for American Pale Ale at Ozark Brewing.

Ozark Brewing taproom.

Selections at Ozark Brewing.

Ozark Brewing

Apple Blossom Brewing

Saddlebock Brewing

Saddlebock taproom

On the deck at Saddlebock

Future plans for Core Brewing's offsite taproom

Selections at Core Brewing taproom

Core Brewing

Core Brewing

Fossil Cove

Tanglewood Brewing

A Closer Look at Springdale's Core Brewing & Distilling

This is a few months old, but I just now found it posted over on YouTube. It's a nice look at Springdale's Core Brewing. Check it out:

"One of the hottest new breweries is right in our own backyard. I'm talking about Core Brewing & Distilling, and this particular brewery has a little bit of everything. "

Core Brewing Gets Hard Core

In case you've never seen this, I always get a laugh at "Take Pride" written and performed by Terminal Gravity. With Jesse Core, Daniel Vargas, Jonas Dunnaway, Eddie Mekelburg, and Chris Eiler. It's funnier of course if you've drank about a 6-pack of Core beer, so try that.