Clifton Park, NY – In good times and challenging times, craft beer has always served as a common bond bringing people together. As our country has recently encountered catastrophic hurricanes in Houston and Florida, the brewing community helps unite us all with support efforts in these areas while teaming up to brew beers directly benefiting people in ravaged areas. Shmaltz Brewing, whose former Coney Island nano brewery fell to Hurricane Sandy in 2012, has always been about the spirit of collaboration. To raise funds for the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, the Upstate New York brewery joins 8th Wonder Brewery (Houston, TX), Renegade Brewing (Denver, CO), and Terrapin Beer (Athens, GA) for three exceptional versions of Reunion Ale 2017®. The official release of Reunion Ale 2017® takes place next week at Great American Beer Festival (Denver, CO: Oct. 5 – 7).
Great American Beer Festival — Tasting Events: GABF: Mid-Atlantic Section (Oct. 5-7) Localish Market (Oct. 6, 3pm – 5pm) Falling Rock Tap House (Oct. 7 @ 9pm)
The Reunion project launched in 2010 by dear friends and co-workers Alan Shapiro and Pete Slosberg’s
(creator of Pete’s Wicked Ale™) in memory of Virginia MacLean, a dedicated cancer research supporter who lost her own battle with Multiple Myeloma in 2007. In addition to raising funds for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, Reunion proceeds will also be donated to the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research (IMBCR). For the seventh year, Shmaltz partners with Terrapin Brewmaster Brian “Spike” Buckowski to brew a new recipe of Reunion Ale 2017®. For 2017, the collaboration beer is a Tart Brown Ale (7% ABV) with a light body and hint of cherry, and will be nationally available in 22 oz. bottles and on draft at select bars.
Hailing back to Shmaltz’s Coney Island days, 8th Wonder’s Co-Founder Ryan Soroka was a former Shmaltz intern brewing on their nano system. While brewing a Funnel Cake beer, there was no longer 2-Row barley available so he only used specialty malts. Needless to say, that beer didn’t turn out well, but brewers need to start somewhere and rise the ranks. Today, Soroka is among one of the country’s finest brewers with a thriving company. When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, 8th Wonder stepped up to help save stranded survivors with his brewery truck.
8th Wonder’s take on the Reunion base recipe is Dirty Coast — Murky Brown IPA. Roasted malt and caramel flavors harmoniously collide with subtle Warrior hop bittering and an onslaught of Amarillo, Simcoe, and Citra hop flavors and aromas. Dirty Coast — Murky Brown IPA is a nod to the tasty NEIPAs; it’s a Brown IPA with NEIPA characteristics.
Also a former Shmaltz intern, Brian O’Connell of Renegade Brewing brews an Imperial Dark Brown Ale (7.7% ABV) with the same brown ale malt bill. Renegade uses only Colorado grown Zoso hops from Misty Mountain hop farm. The rich, chocolately brown ale takes full advantage of its distinctive Trappist Ale yeast, which provides a smooth and easy banana finish. O’Connell, Soroka, and Shmaltz founder Jeremy Cowan will all celebrate the national release of Reunion Ale 2017® at Great American Beer Festival.
Join the founders of Shmaltz, 8th Wonder, Renegade, and Falling Rock as they raise proceeds for the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund and IMBCR with the official launch event for Reunion Ale 2017® at Falling Rock Tap House (1919 Blake Street, Denver, CO) on Saturday, Oct. 7 (9pm). In addition to Reunion Ale 2017®, Shmaltz will also have on tap Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.® and Slingshot American Craft Lager®. On Oct. 6, Shmaltz hosts a Yidd(ish) at the Local(ish) Market (1803 16th St, Denver, 5pm-7pm) tasting event featuring Reunion Ale 2017®, She’brew Double IPA®, Tribal Wit®, Slingshot American Craft Lager®, and Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.®.
National fundraising events for Reunion Ale 2017® will be announced soon, and all Shmaltz events are listed on shmaltzbrewing.com/calendar
About Shmaltz Brewing Company Founder and owner Jeremy Cowan established Shmaltz Brewing in San Francisco in 1996. The first 100 cases of He’brew Beer® were hand-bottled and delivered throughout the Bay Area from the back of his Grandmother’s Volvo. After 17 years of being an outspoken cheerleader for contract brewing, Cowan and staff opened their own New York State production brewery in 2013 in Clifton Park, 10 minutes north of Albany. Shmaltz’s home boasts a 50-barrel brewhouse with 30,000 barrels of annual capacity and packages a diverse and tasty variety of core and seasonal favorites in 12 and 22-ounce bottles and kegs. Shmaltz Brewing now sells He’brew Beer across 35 states, through 40 wholesalers and in nearly 5,000 retailers.
About 8th Wonder We are dedicated to crafting fresh, flavorful brews, and we’re proud to be a part of the Houston beerscape. In 1965, the doors to the Houston Astrodome opened for the first time. Dubbed the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” this first ever air-conditioned domed stadium coincided with Houston’s launch into the global spotlight. From a modern architectural marvel to space exploration, nothing could hold Htown back. In 2013, inspired by the spirit of Houston, we began brewing beer in a dome-like warehouse in East Downtown. Exploring styles from across the beer world, each batch we brew undergoes strict flavor analysis and quality control. We like good beer and good fun, and we strive to craft both at 8th Wonder.
About Renegade Brewing Company Offensively Delicious? Yes, that’s what our beer is. Always creative and always packed with flavor. This is beer for those who do the don’ts and don’t the dos, the Renegades. We don’t care about traditional styles, or following the trends, we care about making f’ing delicious beer that we are proud to serve. On June 26, 2011, Renegade Brewing Company opened its doors and poured the first pint at 925 W. 9th Avenue in Denver. Brian and Khara O’Connell proudly served the cardinal brews with joy and exhaustion as their business was finally open after two years in the making. With a new facility and 60 barrel tanks on line, Renegade currently has five year-round beers, and two of those originated as backyard recipes by Brian.
About Terrapin Beer Co. Terrapin Beer Co. began as a daydream between founders John Cochran and Spike Buckowski. The two recognized that they had something to contribute to the brewing industry in the southeast, and began crafting recipes. In April of 2002, Rye Pale Ale made its first appearance in Athens, GA. Only a short six months later, Rye made it to Denver for GABF, where John and Spike took home a Gold Medal for the beer in the American Pale Ale Category. In 2007, Terrapin Beer Co. moved into its current location on Newton Bridge Road in Athens, and set out to share its unique beers with its hometown and the rest of the Southeast. Inspired by the creative culture of Athens, Terrapin began to add to its beer line up, with unique beers like W-n-B, Hopsecutioner, and so many others. Today, Rye Pale Ale is accompanied by six other year-round beers, four seasonal sessions, and at least a dozen special projects, side projects and collaborations.
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