We’re hoppy to announce that the iconic BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse® is continuing its celebration of 25 years of award-winning beer with an exciting new collaboration celebrating its California roots with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. The two craft brewing pioneers have joined forces to debut a new Mountain Hop Ale. Available exclusively across all BJ’s locations for a limited time onlystarting today, July 8, the BJ’s Brewhouse x Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. collab is months in the making and embodies the laid-back feel of a true California Summer.
What do you get when you combine the creativity of these two talented brewing teams? A unique Belgo Pale Ale brew that is a medium-bodied, easy-drinking pale ale with an intense tropical fruit aroma featuring floral and herbal notes. With an array of fruity flavors including mango, papaya, kiwi, lemon, and apricot with a moderate hoppy finish with subtle spicy notes, the new Mountain Hop Ale is the perfect sip for summer.
Guests are encouraged to enjoy the breezy summer beer alongside BJ’s Restaurants’ brewer-recommended pairings such as the Sriracha Queso Dip, Piranha Pale Ale Chili, Mahi-Mahi Tacos, Fresh Atlantic Salmon, or The Spicy Pig Tavern-Cut Pizza.
Additionally, to celebrate the collaboration, BJ’s Restaurants will be hosting a Beer Dinner at select locations nationwide on August 2 and 3 at 7:00 p.m. The five-course dinner (price: $40 for pre-paid bookings, $45 for day-of ticket purchase) will include five-ounce beer pairings as well as a mid-meal palate cleanser of the exclusive new Mountain Hop Ale. For participating California Beer Dinner guests, they will have the opportunity to sample some of the brews available exclusively to California BJ’s Brewhouse Beer Club members.
A Bold Blend of Six Hops Strikes the Palate with a Shockingly Smooth Malt Character & Abundance of Tropical Aromas with Latest Addition to the “Tasty” Lineup of IPAs
Courtesy 21st Amendment Brewery
San Francisco, Calif.— Thursday, June 3, 2021 — An ode to inventiveness and the genius inside us all, the 21st Amendment Brewery brews a new Double IPA in its hop-forward Tasty lineup for the nationwide release of Tasty Double Hazy IPA (8.5% ABV) in June 2021. The creative packaging artwork for Tasty Double Hazy IPA features Founding Father and polymath Ben Franklin lying in a field of hops following one of his famed kite experiments. Franklin was a brilliant mind fostering one big idea after another. In tandem, 21st Amendment was struck with a clever idea of its own to expand their popular Tasty line-of-beers to include a hopped-up Imperial Hazy IPA.
Shaun O’Sullivan, Co-Founder and Brewmaster of 21st Amendment Brewery, cranks up the hop profile on Tasty Double Hazy IPA to 11 with its sheer abundance of Calypso, El Dorado, Mosaic, Amarillo, Idaho 7, and Cashmere hops in the kettle and dry hopping process. A creamsicle orange hazy appearance compliments tropical stone fruit flavors and aromas, juicy guava notes, and a rich creamy malt texture. Soft bitterness and a layer of tartness smooth out Tasty Double Hazy IPA to be a deceptively balanced Imperial Hazy IPA that packs a punch at 8.5% ABV.
O’Sullivan comments, “Our Tasty IPA series showcases how we like to have fun integrating hops whether it’s a Juicy Pale Ale, West Coast IPA, Hazy IPA, or Double Hazy IPA. Beer drinkers love all types of IPAs, especially hazys. Using the right hops in the right beers allows our brewers to be creative and showcase the diverse flavors and aromas that these bold hops have to offer. Tasty Double Hazy IPA has big brash hop layers wrapped around a sweet malt base with its elegant and rich texture. It’s complex much like Ben Franklin’s imaginative ideas, but served in a 12 oz. can or pint glass, of course.”
Tasty Double Hazy IPA will be available in 6-packs and 12-packs in all 33 states where 21st Amendment distributes in June 2021. For more information and to find some using their beer finder, please visit www.21st-Amendment.com.
About 21st Amendment Brewery 21 years ago (established in 2000), Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan opened the doors to the 21st Amendment brewpub in San Francisco’s historic South Park neighborhood. In addition to quickly becoming one of the city’s favorite pubs, 21st Amendment began expanding beyond the Bay Area by helping to pioneer the movement to canned craft beer. Known for their witty names and delicious brews, 21st Amendment offers year-round selections, as well as seasonal offerings and their infamous once-in-a-while limited-edition releases. Sold in 33 states plus Washington D.C., 21st Amendment produces beer in its state-of-the-art brewery headquarters in San Leandro, California and is among the top 50 craft beer brewers in America.
Berkeley, Calif.— Thursday, June 10, 2021 —Fieldwork Brewing Company announces the establishment of aCommunity Fund Committee led by Fieldwork staff members from each of the brewery’s seven locations throughout Northern California in an effort to donate funds to noteworthy local non-profit organizations. For the first two quarters, the Fieldwork Community Fund Committee identified standout organizations who are making an immediate and substantial impact to help alleviate the many challenges communities are facing across the region. Over the course of 2020 (4th Quarter) and 2021 (1st Quarter), the Fieldwork Community Fund Committee has donated a total of $40,000 to 11 non-profits.
“During such difficult times, we’ve sought out measurable ways that we can be there for people most affected by the pandemic,” says Matthew Porcelli, General Manager of Fieldwork Brewing (Berkeley Taproom) & Chair of the Fieldwork Community Fund Committee. “We care deeply about how to positively reach diverse communities and have funds directly assist those with urgent needs such as hot meals, showers, laundry services, crisis intervention and prevention services, reading materials for at-risk K-3rd grade students, as well as many other inspiring initiatives we really want to support.”
Over 10 Fieldwork team members at its various locations are key voices leading the Fieldwork Community Fund Committee. Each team member recommends various non-profits that the committee then votes on to decide which specific organizations receive donations.
WEAVE Inc. (Sacramento): Established in 1978, WEAVE promotes safe and healthy relationships and offers support for survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse. WEAVE provides an array of crisis intervention, therapeutic and prevention services to meet the unique needs of survivors, their families and the community.
SF-Marin Foodbank (Corte Madera): During COVID, the SF-Marin Food Bank has operated 29 pop-up pantries and provides weekly deliveries to 12,000+ seniors and groceries to 55,000 households. 14% of people served are homeless with 60% of food offered being fresh produce. Every $1 donated provides 2 meals. Fieldwork’s donation brings 4,000 meals to those in need.
VOICES Youth Programs (Napa): Founded in 2005 by Napa foster youth, VOICES focuses on keeping disadvantaged and homeless youth safe during COVID.
Elder Givers – Art With Elders (San Mateo): Founded in 1991, Elder Givers utilizes the power of art, creativity and community to enrich the journey of the aging population. Elder Givers provides 2,000 art classes to 400 seniors living in long-term care communities.
MEarth (Monterey): In response to the pandemic, MEarth has converted their educational garden to a production garden to grow food for families in need. MEarth has donated over 3,000 lbs of produce since July 2020 to local relief organizations.
2021 (1st Quarter) Beneficiaries Include:
Pints for Paws – Berkeley Humane (Berkeley) – $15,000 Donation: Voted the “Best Fundraising Event in the East Bay,” Pints for Paws is the annual fundraiser for Berkeley Humane. Over the past five years, Fieldwork Brewing has been instrumental in the fundraising efforts for the non-profit 501(c)(3) organization who serves the East Bay community with life-saving programs for cats and dogs while cultivating compassion and strengthening the human-animal bond. The 7th Annual Pints for Paws (June 5, 2021) raised over $150,000 for Berkeley Humane.
Monument Crisis Center (San Ramon) – $5,000 Donation: Fieldwork’s donation will provide eggs and milk for 2,800 at-risk families in Contra Costa County. Monument Crisis Center provides food to families and individuals in crisis situations.
ALBA – Agricultural and Land-Based Training Association (Monterey) – $3,000 Donation: Over 500 newly launched organic family farms owned primarily by Mexican immigrant farm workers will be incubated with the completion of a new water well in July 2021. The new farms will grow and sell nearly 100 million pounds of organic produce in Central Coast and Bay Area communities. 3,000 farmers will be trained at the ALBA facility and re-enter the organic workforce. Nearly 400 Hartnell College students will participate in the ALBA course, earning college credit, completing community service hours and internships.
Berkeley Public School Fund (Berkeley) – $2,500 Donation: Fieldwork’s donation covers a quarter of the costs for the annual “Summer Slide” reading program that provides books for 500 economically disadvantaged K-3rd grade students to help keep their reading level up.
Ritter Center (Corte Madera) – $2,500 Donation: A partner of the SF-Marin Food Bank, the Ritter Center’s food pantry is the largest in Marin serving 3,000 households annually with the distribution of 22,000 bags of groceries. Ritter Center further offers case management, medical and behavioral health services, as well as 2,000 laundry and 8,000 shower appointments each year.
Jonathan C. Younts Second Chance Scholarship (Sacramento) – $2,000 Donation: The Second Chance Scholarship goes to returning students that were unable to complete their degree the first time around and focuses on helping them get a digital design degree that can get them out into the workforce. The Fieldwork donation will increase the yearly scholarship amount from $400 a year to $475 annually in perpetuity, providing second chances to college bound youth.
Supporting the local communities neighboring Fieldwork Brewing’s seven taprooms is of incredible importance to the brewery. Fieldwork Brewing fosters a strong sense of community both at their taprooms and well beyond its doors through their philanthropic efforts reaching those most in need.
About Fieldwork Brewing Company Established in 2015, Fieldwork Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in Berkeley, CA brewing for the regional Northern California marketplace. Available at their Berkeley, Corte Madera, Monterey, Napa, Sacramento, San Mateo, and San Ramon taprooms/beer gardens, Fieldwork beers are also on draft at the finest local craft beer focused restaurants and bars. Fieldwork is the 10th fastest growing private company on San Francisco Business Times’ “100 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Bay Area” for 2018, and Inc. magazine ranked Fieldwork at No. 604 on its 2019 Inc. 5000 list of “America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies.”
Fieldwork’s latest releases can be enjoyed by sampler flight, beer by the glass, and filled “to go” in crowler cans. Special Release cans are available onsite and for delivery while supplies last at each location.
A Refreshing and Well-Balanced West Coast IPABursting with Fruity and Floral Notes and Dry-Hopped with Tropical Hops
Courtesy 21st Amendment Brewery
“21st Amendment was among the earliest craft breweries to use cans and one of the first to can its IPA… Brew Free or Die is…indicative of the beer that ingratiated itself to San Francisco in the first place.” –Marketplace
“A well-brewed take on an IPA that’s both fun and uncommon. The interplay of malt and hops is well crafted, and this is a great example of an IPA that uses the malt to its advantage with supporting earthy hops bitterness and floral fun.” –Craft Beer and Brewing
“Brew Free! Or Die is one of the purest examples of the West Coast IPA and all its nationalistic glory.” –Paste
“a great classic West Coast IPA” –The Manuel
San Francisco, Calif.— Thursday, May 13, 2021 — The 21st Amendment Brewery takes an island vacation with their latest year-round release Tropical Brew Free! or Die IPA (6.8% ABV). This “summery” companion of their iconic west coast Brew Free! or Die IPA and Blood Orange Brew Free! or Die IPA hits shelves nationwide in 6-packs and 12-packs in July 2021. The Brew Free! or Die IPA lineup expands to include this refreshing tropical IPA with mega-juicy kettle hops and a harmonious blend of Idaho 7, El Dorado, Azacca, Mosaic, Amarillo, and Calypso dry hops.
“Our original Brew Free! or Die IPA has always been a bellwether of our craft beer selections since before it was even named that and just known at our San Francisco pub as ’21A IPA,'” says Shaun O’Sullivan, Co-Founder and Brewmaster of 21st Amendment Brewery. “We’ve had a lot of fun with Brew Free! creating a blood orange IPA and celebrating with a unique packaging design. Tropical Brew Free! or Die IPA was built from the ground up with a lighter malt bill and a touch lower in alcohol giving this beer a refreshing tropical aroma and flavor. It’s a first-rate IPA and perfect for summer.”
“The package depicts Abe Lincoln with sunglasses on and in full vacation mode. His stuffy bowtie is replaced with a flower lei and the other Mount Rushmore Presidents are cheering him on against an aquamarine background that sets the scene. Every sip is like an island vacation!” says Nico Freccia, Co-Founder and COO of 21st Amendment Brewery.
Tropical Brew Free! or Die IPA rolls out this month in 21st Amendment’s IPA Variety HopPack and will be available in all 33 states (6-packs & 12-packs) where 21st Amendment distributes in July 2021. For more information and to find some using their beer finder, please visit www.21st-Amendment.com.
About 21st Amendment Brewery 21 years ago (established in 2000), Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan opened the doors to the 21st Amendment brewpub in San Francisco’s historic South Park neighborhood. In addition to quickly becoming one of the city’s favorite pubs, 21st Amendment began expanding beyond the Bay Area by helping to pioneer the movement to canned craft beer. Known for their witty names and delicious brews, 21st Amendment offers year-round selections, as well as seasonal offerings and their infamous once-in-a-while limited-edition releases. Sold in 33 states plus Washington D.C., 21st Amendment produces beer in its state-of-the-art brewery headquarters in San Leandro, California and is among the top 50 craft beer brewers in America.
The awkward first-date ice-breaker. The lame party-game question.
“If you’re ever stranded on a deserted island, what (food/drink/celebrity/book/movie/etc) would you want with you?”
While that’s a hypothetical for just about everyone, Desiree Heveroh has been living it.
In fact, she volunteered for it.
Heveroh is the Light Station Keeper at East Brother Light Station, on the small island of East Brother in San Pablo Bay, accessible only by boat from Point San Pablo Harbor in Richmond, California.
Built in 1873, the lighthouse is owned by the US Coast Guard, but maintained and cared for by the East Brother Light Station nonprofit (of which Heveroh is an eight-year Board Member), created in late 1970s by a group of volunteers when the remaining buildings were threatened with demolition. The group secured historic status for the buildings and has since been running the island as a rustic Bed & Breakfast .
Houseboats at Pt. San Pablo Harbor, departure point for the East Brother Light Station, Richmond, CA
Then came the pandemic, and the inn had to close to guests. Eventually, the Keepers (screened by the nonprofit, typically for two-year terms) left the island.
But a presence was still needed to maintain the buildings and discourage vandalism and looting, and Heveroh saw her opportunity.
“I’ve always known I was going to live here. Not wished that I was going live here … KNOWN I was going to live here.” When the Keepers left, she realized “OH, okay, THIS is how. “
Although she was ready for the challenge, there was much to learn. John Barnett, who served as a Keeper for a still-record 7.5 years, recommended Captain Jarrod Ward, an accomplished boat Captain. Ward and Heveroh began their unique volunteer partnership on July 1, 2020.
“I couldn’t drive the boat or do a lot of the mechanical things yet. Captain Jarrod spent the first several months teaching me all of the things I needed to know.” The Light Station’s Facebook page salutes Ward’s service and credits him for teaching Heveroh “everything she knows today about surviving on this Island with & without power. His contributions are immeasurable & none of this would be possible without him.”
Sea lions sunning on West Brother Island. Mt. Tamalpais in the background.
The training has indeed come in handy.
“Oh, the upkeep is never-ending,” says Heveroh. “There’s never been a time when everything was good and we didn’t need to fix something. The salt air just erodes — if it’s made out of metal, it’ll rust away. If it’s made out of wood, it turns to dust. The handrail up the gangway and the fence around the whole island both need to be replaced, the piles that hold the landing dock are hollow.
“Maintaining this magic is a never-ending financial obligation. We were going to focus our efforts on getting those things repaired when the cable gave out. So it really set us back.”
The cable Heveroh’s referring to isn’t for television, as there’s no TV or Wifi on the island (did I mention it was rustic?). It’s the literal cable the runs along the bay floor that provides the island’s electricity.
On April 1st (no fooling), it failed.
D’oh!
Which left Heveroh and Ward literally stranded on the island.
As I mentioned, the only way to get to and from the island is by boat. The boat requires a hoist to raise it up from and lower it into the water.
No power, no hoist. No hoist, no transportation.
Captain Ward, confident in Heveroh’s training and abilities to maintain the lighthouse on her own, moved off the island to continue working his day job. He did check in weekly and caught rides from the kind folks at the Harbor to deliver anything she needed.
The island does have a small additional source of power — a 1930’s-era generator, which Heveroh ran a couple of hours a day to keep her refrigerated and frozen food from spoiling, and to charge the backup batteries that power the actual lighthouse light, which continues to operate as an operational Aid to Navigation (the lights were upgraded to LED in 2012).
The game room. The olden-days version of WiFi.
When the generator’s starter recently failed, she required the services of machinist Steve Phillips who specializes in antiques to make the replacement parts, who then video-coached her to make the repairs herself.
She used a small wood-burning stove in her tiny quarters for heat, burning eucalyptus bark and other branches she gathers from around the island.
The power cable failed once before, from a lightning strike in the early 1990s. While the Coast Guard replaced it then, this time they have other plans. Since their only responsibility is to ensure the actual light in the tower works, they plan on powering it with a small solar array, which is much less expensive than replacing the cable.
This will, however, leave the remaining buildings in complete darkness. The nonprofit will need to come up with the funds itself, which seems like a very tall order. A new cable plus installation could run as high as $1 million.
Help a Brother Out
But just like 40+ years ago when the historic Light Station buildings were threatened, the community is rallying. The nonprofit has started a Gofundme campaign, which so far has raised more than 50% of their goal.
“We named ourselves after the island,” says brewery Co-Founder Rob Lightner. “There’s so many events and fundraisers and initiatives and causes out there, you can’t do everything. You have to allocate your time and prioritize. Of course, with this one, it was like, ‘Yeah, we HAVE to do this.’”
East Brother (the brewery) is donating 20% of the sales of select beers to the cause. The decision which beers to use was really a no-brainer, says Lightner. “You know — freighter, bay, water, lighthouse. Let’s just use the Freighter Series.”
Aside from the name, a number of other elements came together to make the choice an easy one.
COVID made determining the brewery’s “packaging mix” a constant moving target. “How much do we put in cans, how much in kegs, how much does the taproom get, how much goes out into distribution?” says Lightner.
Long story short, they wound up with excess Freighter Series kegs in inventory. “Usually we churn through those and sell out, but with the pandemic that didn’t happen.”
Which wound up being a blessing.
“If it’s a fragile IPA or a beer that doesn’t last long, you’re kinda out of luck. The good thing with the Freighter Series beers, like the Russian Imperial Stout and the Belgian Tripel, they get better with age and have a longer shelf-life. They’re big, they’re bold, people are willing to pay more. So that’s great. We’ll generate a little revenue to donate and act as a bullhorn or megaphone to get the word out.”
This cistern, which captures rainwater, is the sole water source for the island. During our extreme drought, water must be barged in.
But you’ll need to travel to Richmond to chip in, as the fundraiser is limited to taproom-only draft sales. Putting any extra in cans for distribution just wasn’t in the cards.
“We’re just so busy simply fulfilling orders right now. Designing [more] labels, getting [more] cans, we just don’t have the bandwidth honestly. We even talked about brewing a special beer, but we went from decent volume before the pandemic to all of a sudden hitting capacity.”
The uptick in demand for canned beer indeed caught the brewery by surprise.
Lightner recalls a recent conversation with Head Brewer Paul Liszewski, who said, “‘I think we have to go contract somewhere, we need to find a brewery, we’re out of fermentation space.’ We had to go out and get another tank just to keep up with demand!
“So we immediately put out a note on [a local] forum, ‘Does anybody have fermentors?’ We found a 100-barrel fermentor, which will take us from 600- to 700-barrel capacity. Depending on your lager/ale mix, you can brew anywhere from 8000 to 12,000 barrels in a year.”
So Bay Area folks, if you want to literally help someone stranded (although Heveroh would be the first to say it’s never felt like that) on an island and enjoy some top-notch beers in the process, head to Richmond and catch a Freighter. The fundraiser continues as long as the kegs do.
The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, as seen from the Lighthouse tower. Trust me, this is a MUCH better view than commuting across it twice a day.
EPILOGUE
At one point during my Light Station tour, Heveroh is showing me the kitchen. “It’s a pretty good size, got some good appliances, and they all require lots of power, which we don’t ha…”
As if on cue, the refrigerator springs to life.
“Did the power just go on?”
“I heard something running!” I reply.
“Maybe it’s working!,” she says, excitedly.
She runs outside and shouts to Kristen Gates, Light Station Board Treasurer who was with us on that day helping out an electrician at the island’s power terminal, “The refrigerator went on!”
Gates replies, “We have power! We did it!”
“Everywhere?”
“Yep!”
The dining room.
Gates had been working on for weeks to repair the cable, assembling a very capable crew including an electrician, boat captain with his Tug, and her exceedingly capable brother Brian Gates.
They pulled up enough cable to expose the damaged portion, remove it, and splice in a new section. But power still wasn’t flowing. Apparently, on that day, while I was there, they made the connection.
Heveroh, apologizing several times for being distracted, continued with the tour.
“I can’t believe we have power, it’s been two months! I get to take a shower today, I’m so excited!”
Although power has been temporarily reestablished, Heveroh knows it isn’t a permanent fix. She likens her situation to being upgraded from the ICU to a regular hospital bed. While the patient is stable, she still needs monitoring.
Since the nonprofit always encourages donations anyway due to the considerable expense of maintaining and repairing a nearly 150-year-old inn in the middle of the bay, Heveroh is hopeful they can take advantage of the newfound awareness and momentum they’ve created.
“The splice won’t hold forever and then we will be in exactly the same spot,” she says. “We still need to replace the cable with a brand new one that still carries a hefty price tag, but this will give us enough time to raise those funds.”
To those who have already donated, Heveroh says “We’ve got power, but we still have these other things going on. Thank you so much for showing up. If you want to contribute to [our other repair projects], great, thank you!”
With power hopefully restored and vaccination rates increasing, East Brother Light Station is targeting September to reopen for guests, which will help tremendously with the funding they need for the replacement cable.
One of the quaint guest rooms, which the Light Station hopes to have occupied again by September.
Heveroh knows at that point it will be time for her move on, as a minimum of two Keepers are needed to maintain the buildings and host guests.
“This job is incredibly demanding. There’s a lot of work on non-guest days — they have to haul all the laundry, get it done, fuel the boat, shop for the next week’s worth of guests. There’s no down time.” Guest stays are Thursdays-Sundays, so the Keepers “miss all of their families’ special occasions, which usually take place on weekends. You’re signing your life away to the island.”
Although the bond she’s formed with her temporary home is obvious (she repeatedly calls her time there “magical” and refers to the lighthouse as “she”), Heveroh is okay with moving on.
“I expected three months when I moved in. So every day after that has been bonus. She needs to touch more lives. No one else, in her 148-year history, has had a situation here like I’ve had, with her. So we had our special time that was just for us. And I’m grateful for it.”
As to the next chapter?
“I’m actually going to do a little tour of West Coast lighthouses that have accommodations.”
When I mention that sounds like great material for a book, she smiles knowingly.
“I’ve already thought of the title — ‘Isle Be Our Brother’s Keeper.’”
21st Amendment Brewery Celebrates Reopening of SF Brewpub and the Return of SF Giants Baseball to Oracle Park with Freshly Brewed Small Batch 16 oz. Cans of Latest Release in the CHALKBOARD PROJECT
That’s Some Kind of Magic
A Bright and Silky Hazy IPA with Citra, Mosaic, & Idaho 7 HopsBrewed in Homage to Brewpub Chalkboard Artists Across the Nation
San Francisco, Calif.— Monday, May 10, 2021 — The 21st Amendment Brewery and SF Giants baseball are synonymous with springtime in downtown San Francisco. 21st Amendment opened their Brewpub located 3 blocks from Oracle Park in 2000, the same year the SF Giants stadium debuted in China Basin along the Embarcadero. What better way to celebrate the official re-opening of the Brewpub and return of the SF Giants than with a special small batch release in their new series, the CHALKBOARD PROJECT. The exclusive SF Brewpub beer program theCHALKBOARD PROJECT features astonishingly fresh 21st Amendment limited-edition beers (16 oz. cans in 4-packs) that commemorate the creative minds behind chalkboard designs for thousands of beers at breweries across the country.
Courtesy 21st Amendment Brewery
A silky and pillowy Hazy IPA, That’s Some Kind of Magic (6.7% ABV) is brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and Idaho 7 hops by Shaun O’Sullivan (Co-Founder and Brewmaster, 21st Amendment Brewery). For 21 years, O’Sullivan and his brewing team have brewed hundreds of small batch beers on the 12-barrel brewhouse with each having originally crafted chalkboard art that hangs as the backdrop to the iconic SoMA bar. For the design of That’s Some Kind of Magic, digital illustrator Dylan Drebitko (@Drebitko_Design) hand-drew the mystical figure featured on the 16 oz. can emulating both the otherworldly uniqueness of the beer itself and distinct artwork.
“Since the day we opened our doors in 2000, we’ve been making small batches of handcrafted beer, experimenting with flavors and styles and ingredients,” says Shaun O’Sullivan. “Every new beer gets a fun name and a hand-drawn chalkboard plaque, introducing the beer to the public for the first time. The beer itself is art, and the art brings the beer to life. Our ‘Chalkboard Project’ is an ode to all of the artful and creative draft lists throughout craft breweries and bars everywhere. When the limited-edition 16 oz. cans are gone, it’s time to wipe the slate and start fresh. Live in the moment and enjoy them while they last!”
The 21st Amendment Brewpub is now open for indoor and outdoor dining seven days a week (Sunday – Wednesday, 11 am – 7pm/Thursday – Saturday, 11am – 9pm). The Brewpub is the perfect stop to and/or from the ballpark with many classic dishes on the menu such as Brewmaster’s Fish and Chips, Crispy Chicken Banh Mi, Brew Free or Die Chili, Buffalo Blue Pizza, Monterey Bay Calamari, Sully’s Cheese Curds, Totchos, and more! The latest beers on tap includeBlood Orange Brew Free! or Die IPA, Brew Free! or Die IPA, Haul’n Oats Hazy Oat IPA, Koala Tea IPA, There’s Money in the Banana Stand Stout, 2nd Street Märzen, and Landbier Lager. To view the full beer and food menu, please visit this LINK.
About 21st Amendment Brewery 21 years ago (established in 2000), Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan opened the doors to the 21st Amendment brewpub in San Francisco’s historic South Park neighborhood. In addition to quickly becoming one of the city’s favorite pubs, 21st Amendment began expanding beyond the Bay Area by helping to pioneer the movement to canned craft beer. Known for their witty names and delicious brews, 21st Amendment offers year-round selections, as well as seasonal offerings and their infamous once-in-a-while limited-edition releases. Sold in 33 states plus Washington D.C., 21st Amendment produces beer in its state-of-the-art brewery headquarters in San Leandro, California and is among the top 50 craft beer brewers in America.
21st Amendment Brewery Welcomes the Summer Season with Brand New Addition to the Acclaimed “Brew Free! Or Die” Lineup of IPAs
Tropical Brew Free! or Die IPA
Courtesy 21st Amendment Brewery
A Refreshing and Well-Balanced West Coast IPA Bursting with Fruity and Floral Notes and Dry-Hopped with Tropical Hops
“21st Amendment was among the earliest craft breweries to use cans and one of the first to can its IPA… Brew Free or Die is…indicative of the beer that ingratiated itself to San Francisco in the first place.” –Marketplace
“A well-brewed take on an IPA that’s both fun and uncommon. The interplay of malt and hops is well crafted, and this is a great example of an IPA that uses the malt to its advantage with supporting earthy hops bitterness and floral fun.” –Craft Beer and Brewing
“Brew Free! Or Die is one of the purest examples of the West Coast IPA and all its nationalistic glory.” –Paste
“a great classic West Coast IPA” –The Manuel
San Francisco, Calif.— Thursday, May 13, 2021 — The 21st Amendment Brewery takes an island vacation with their latest year-round release Tropical Brew Free! or Die IPA (6.8% ABV). This “summery” companion of their iconic west coast Brew Free! or Die IPA and Blood Orange Brew Free! or Die IPA hits shelves nationwide in 6-packs and 12-packs in July 2021. The Brew Free! or Die IPA lineup expands to include this refreshing tropical IPA with mega-juicy kettle hops and a harmonious blend of Idaho 7, El Dorado, Azacca, Mosaic, Amarillo, and Calypso dry hops.
“Our original Brew Free! or Die IPA has always been a bellwether of our craft beer selections since before it was even named that and just known at our San Francisco pub as ’21A IPA,'” says Shaun O’Sullivan, Co-Founder and Brewmaster of 21st Amendment Brewery. “We’ve had a lot of fun with Brew Free! creating a blood orange IPA and celebrating with a unique packaging design. Tropical Brew Free! or Die IPA was built from the ground up with a lighter malt bill and a touch lower in alcohol giving this beer a refreshing tropical aroma and flavor. It’s a first-rate IPA and perfect for summer.”
“The package depicts Abe Lincoln with sunglasses on and in full vacation mode. His stuffy bowtie is replaced with a flower lei and the other Mount Rushmore Presidents are cheering him on against an aquamarine background that sets the scene. Every sip is like an island vacation!” says Nico Freccia, Co-Founder and COO of 21st Amendment Brewery.
Tropical Brew Free! or Die IPA rolls out this month in 21st Amendment’s IPA Variety HopPack and will be available in all 33 states (6-packs & 12-packs) where 21st Amendment distributes in July 2021. For more information and to find some using their beer finder, please visit www.21st-Amendment.com.
About 21st Amendment Brewery 21 years ago (established in 2000), Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan opened the doors to the 21st Amendment brewpub in San Francisco’s historic South Park neighborhood. In addition to quickly becoming one of the city’s favorite pubs, 21st Amendment began expanding beyond the Bay Area by helping to pioneer the movement to canned craft beer. Known for their witty names and delicious brews, 21st Amendment offers year-round selections, as well as seasonal offerings and their infamous once-in-a-while limited-edition releases. Sold in 33 states plus Washington D.C., 21st Amendment produces beer in its state-of-the-art brewery headquarters in San Leandro, California and is among the top 50 craft beer brewers in America.
EAST BROTHER BEER COMPANY EXPANDS DISTRIBUTION THROUGH FLOOD DISTRIBUTION, TEXAS’ ONLY STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
Courtesy East Brother Beer Company
(Richmond, CA) – May 5, 2021 – In its fourth year of making classic beers brewed to precision, East Brother Beer Company is proud to announce that it has expanded its distribution, in partnership with Flood Distribution, to include the key market of Texas. The brewery’s portfolio of core classics, plus the occasional small batch seasonal release, are now available in restaurants, bars, bottle shops, and grocery throughout Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
“When we founded East Brother we were committed to sticking with classic styles. In our industry it can be tempting to chase the next trend, but our gut told us to stay the course and it has served us well. With craft lagers on the rise, it feels very fitting to expand our offering to a state where lagers are a time-honored tradition, and to partner with Flood Distribution, a company that’s done so much for craft beer in Texas,” says East Brother Beer Co-Founder Rob Lightner.
“Flood Distribution is very excited to be representing the skillfully crafted beers from East Brother. Their focus on truly classic styles produced with excellent execution and consistency is increasingly rare in the beer world, and we look forward to sharing them with craft beer enthusiasts across the state,” says Flood Distribution Co-Founder Kyle White.
East Brother Beer’s expanded distribution to Texas follows closely on its fall expansion to Pennsylvania, the birthplace of classic lagers and American brewing. The independent, fast-growing brewery was co-founded by Lightner and Chris Coomber in 2016. The brewery’s team crafts stand-outs including a Red Lager, Oatmeal Stout, Red IPA, Gold IPA, and the award-winning Bohemian Pilsner: Silver Medal at the 33rd Great American Beer Festival, and Gold Medal at the 2019 California Craft Brewer’s Cup.
In 2018 on the heels of East Brother’s success with its core beers, the brewery zagged where others were zigging by launching a seasonal Lager Series to complement its portfolio. These smaller production beers are where the brewery experiments with innovation and creativity, often collaborating with local maltsters and hops growers to reprise centuries-old recipes like East Brother’s Pre-Prohibition Lager. East Brother also produces a seasonal Freighter Series featuring big & bold ales, among them a Russian Imperial Stout.
The demand for classic craft lager is growing. Based on a Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine 2020 readers’ poll, craft lager is up there with New England IPA as a style with staying power. In Texas, craft lager isn’t just a growing trend; it’s a time-honored tradition since the introduction of lagers in the 19th Century when German and Czech immigrants began settling the state, bringing with them the beer they loved to make.
About East Brother Beer Company
With attention to detail and long-term vision, East Brother Beer Company is dedicated to producing beers that are both timeless and timely, for the classic American palate, delivering their quality beers to premium restaurants, bars, cafes, specialty markets, chain and grocery stores. And always pouring fresh from the source in Richmond, California. For additional information, please visit: www.eastbrotherbeer.com or follow East Brother Beer Company on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
About Flood Distribution
Flood Independent Distribution is a craft beer distributor servicing the major metropolitan areas of Texas. Touting the best lineup of craft beers from our backyard and all over the world, Flood has been providing each market with the most sought-after beers, ciders, and meads since 2013.
For more information and accolades, please visit East Brother’s press room.
