There has never been a better time to join the BeerMasons. With Summer sold out and Autumn on the way - it is time to get in and secure your membership.

Sign up today and become a BeerMason and we will send you a complimentary 750ml bottle of Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale* This will get you sipping while you anticipate the arrival of your Autumn Pack. Just quote the promo code DDGFB10 in the online store to score your beer.

 

(*Conditions apply - scroll below for details)

 

 

We hope you liked last week’s sneak peak at the BeerMasons Autumn pack. We’ll be sending out more snippets over the coming weeks. In the meantime, we are back on the beer hunt.

 

We’ve been in the US for over a month now and there is no doubt that they are enjoying a craft beer boom.

 

In an economy that is going through tough times, the crafties over here are literally turning people away –many cannot make enough beer to meet demand. (Fortunately the same can also be said for several Australian crafties – go Aus!)

 

We’ve been trying to put our finger on the trigger that started it all and discover the magic behind this momentum.

 

We’ve nailed a couple of critical reasons. One of the strongest is the tie that binds the brewing community together across the country – the very active, vocal and well-funded national Brewers Association.

 

Brewers in the US are heavily into collaboration and communication. They focus on quality and growing the market. Sure, there are the newcomers that want a quick and dirty slice of the pie. There may be big manufacturers pushing ‘Kraft’ versus ‘Craft’ beer, but at the grassroots, craft brewers work together when their brewing and business philosophies converge.

 

A great example of this is the story of Collaboration Not Litigation Ale, brewed by US craft supernovas Russian River Brewing Company of Northern California and Avery Brewing Company of Boulder Colorado. (BeerMasons members, if you’ve been good and have read thus far, we are happy to tell you – look out for a taste of Avery in Autumn – but sshhhh, it’s a secret!)

 

 

The copy below is courtesy of these gentlemen brewers and their respective establishments – who better to explain it?

 

"It all started back in the early aughts, when Vinnie Cilurzo, of Russian River Brewing, and Adam Avery, of Avery Brewing, met at the Great American Beer Festival.  After becoming friends the two soon realised that each brewed a beer called Salvation; Avery's a Belgian Golden Ale and Cilurzo's a Belgian Strong Ale. Preferring a creative solution to their naming conflict, the two brewers chose to blend their respective brews together – and continue with brewing the brews individually, we should add – to create a new and increasingly complex libation that captured the unique qualities of each beer. After a collaborative brew session in late 2006, Batch #1 of Collaboration Not Litigation Ale was born and bottled at Avery Brewing in February of 2007.  

 

Separate brews of our respective Salvations – each brewed and fermented in strict accordance with the brewers’ original recipe – are blended and bottled to create Collaboration Not Litigation Ale.”   

 

This year they are releasing Batch #4 to celebrate the fruitful relationship. Testament to the quality of this sublime, creative offering is the fact that it’s allocated and sold even before it’s brewed.

 

Now that’s genius! We are haggling for an allocation of Batch #5 for our fellow BMs – so stay tuned.

 

Until next time, here’s to better beer.

 

The BeerMasons

 

 * Terms and Conditions of Rogue Double Dead Guy Promotion: Promotion applies only to new members. Should you cancel your membership after only receiving one seasonal pack a $35.00 cancellation charge will apply. Stocks are limited and this promotion will finish when stock runs out. The promo code must be entered in the online store at the time of purchasing to qualify for the promotion.