What’s On Tap: Ali Buinicky & Rob Leleszi of Rockingham Brewing Co.!

Rockingham Brewing: Website | Facebook

Bert’s Better Beers’ Draft Pick(s) of the Week:

 1. Rockingham Amber Ale

Style: American Amber Ale

ABV: 5.5%

A true crowd pleaser, this ale is brewed with a slew of specialty grains to provide flavors of sweet malt, caramel and a hint of toffee, which are perfectly balanced by west coast hops with notes of fruit, citrus, and pine.

2. Belly of the Best

Style: Bacon Imperial Stout

ABV:  8.6%

A high gravity stout brewed with specialty smoked malts and real bacon, this sweet and smoky beverage can been paired with anything from breakfast to dessert.  (And if you’re lucky, with a sprig of bacon.)

3. Litherman’s Everybody Knows Wild Strawberry

Listen for our review!

Kettle to Keg’s In the Kettle: Using Olive Oil READ MORE

New England’s Tap House Grill’s Ale Communications:

1. Boston bars charged with violating ‘pay-to-play’ rules

The owners of some of the most popular bars in Boston received tens of thousands of dollars in illegal cash payments from a beer distributor to stock its craft brews and exclude those of competitors, Massachusetts regulators said Wednesday.

The case is the first brought by the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission to enforce rules dating from the end of Prohibition that ban so-called pay-to-play practices, which can limit consumers’ choices and stifle competition by allowing larger producers to dominate the market.

At a public hearing Wednesday, the commission released the results of a lengthy investigation that detailed how the distributor, Craft Beer Guild LLC, routinely paid five major Boston restaurant and bar owners $1,000 to $2,000 for each “dedicated” beer tap at their bars, with the payments totaling tens of thousands of dollars a year for several of the companies.

An attorney for Craft Beer Guild, J. Mark Dickison, conceded the distributor had made the payments, telling the commission, “this conduct is not something . . . that we’re proud of.”

Dickison said the company no longer engages in the practice but insinuated pay-to-play is widespread among other companies, adding that the alcohol industry in Massachusetts had “run amok.” READ MORE

2. Anheuser-Busch InBev Approaches SABMiller on Possible Takeover

At a time when investors are nervous and antitrust regulators are suspicious, the prospect of a $100 billion-plus merger on the horizon may seem remote.

Yet in a bold step toward creating a global colossus in beer, Anheuser-Busch InBev said on Wednesday that it had approached its rival SABMiller about a potential takeover.

If successful, a merger of the companies, the world’s biggest brewers, would put some of the most popular beers under one roof: Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois would join Miller Lite, Peroni and Grolsch from SABMiller.

Combined, the companies would have $69 billion in annual revenue and command of 30 percent of global beer sales, according to the research firms Euromonitor International and IBISWorld.

And a deal would be the crest of a wave of consolidation that has swept through the global beer industry this century. The push to get bigger was set off by the Brazilian deal makers behind the investment firm 3G Capital, whose affiliate is Anheuser-Busch InBev’s largest shareholder. READ MORE

3. Stop ‘aging’ that hoppy beer. It’s only getting worse.

My favorite local IPA of the summer was DC Brau’s Solar Abyss, a double IPA made with Mosaic hops. Its deliciousness was matched only by its scarcity: The beer was released in late June, every last can and keg had left the brewery by July 7, and it was drying up in local bars by month’s end. At the release party, it was astoundingly fresh, with tropical hops and pineyness filling my nose, and a sweet, juicy flavor. READ MORE

4. Pennsylvania Brewery Whips Up Limited Batch of Ecto Cooler Beer

Always on a mission to stand out and get noticed, craft brewers have become increasingly creative with the beers they churn out. From Walking Dead beer to Count Chocula beer, it seems that the sky truly is the limit, and one brewery just topped them all with their unique creation.

Located on Ardmore Avenue in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, the Tired Hands Brewing Company has become known for unconventional brews, which often flow for a very limited time from their seven-barrel system. Once the kegs are tapped by thirsty customers, they’re refilled with new offerings. READ MORE

5. Neighborhood Beer Company opening in Exeter

EXETER — When Horst Dornbusch first arrived in New York City from Dusseldorf in 1965, the first thing he wanted was a cold beer. Having a life-long passion for beer, and being spoilt by Western Germany’s altbier, or “old beer,” it didn’t take long after his first sip of an American ale to say to himself, “That’s not a beer.”

Unfortunately, at that point, Dornbusch didn’t have the option of returning home, so he decided to start making beer himself. Fifty years later, Dornbusch is an internationally sought-after brewer and author, and he has partnered with Seacoast businessman Joe Berwanger, along with Mike O’Donnell and Tim Diaz to bring old-style, high-quality German beer to Exeter with some unexpected twists.

Neighborhood Beer Company (Eine neue Brau — a new brewery) will host its soft opening this week, before joining Exeter’s Powder Keg Beer and Chili Festival then hosting a grand opening in October. READ MORE

Hop Head United’s Cork Board:

1. Tap Handle Show Takeover December 7th!

Jukebox: Livin Life Blues by Cassette

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