Almanac Beer Co.

LOVE Hazy IPA Goes Rainbow For Pride 🏳️‍🌈

damian — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 22:34:48 +0000

Happy Pride Month everyone! Almanac is celebrating Pride this year with a special-edition can design for LOVE Hazy IPA. LOVE is brewed in the spirit of equity, inclusion, and justice for all people. We stand with our LGBTQ+ community in saying loud and clear: LOVE IS LOVE!

In conjunction with this can release Almanac will be making a donation that equates to over 15% of can sales to the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center. This awesome nonprofit is dedicated to enhancing and sustaining the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals, families and allies, by providing educational, social, health & wellness related activities, programs, and services.

These colorful beauties can be found anywhere LOVE IPA is regularly sold including the Almanac Barrel House, Brewery & Taproom in Alameda and the Saturday Ferry Building Farmer’s Market.

P.S. You may also see our pride coasters & stickers at events around the bay. Thanks to our friends at Sticker Mule for helping us create awesome custom printed vinyl stickers.

Welcome Hypernova!

damian — Fri, 24 May 2019 16:30:27 +0000

Prepare for hyperspace! This week, Hypernova Volume One launches from the intergalactic depths of the Almanac Barrel House. This time and space-warping release comes on the heels of our awesome Sournova Series of barrel-aged fruited sours in 16oz cans. Think of a Hypernova as a Sournova turned up to eleven! Hypernova Volume One is packed with three times as much fruit as a Sournova, making this cosmic flavor comet the most outrageous inhabitant of the Almanac sour system yet.

Hypernova Volume One is a 100% mixed-culture fermented sour alien drank aged in oak barrels with megatons of citrons, pomelos, grapefruit, cherries, black currants, vanilla beans & a touch of lactose (milk sugar).

Brewmaster, Phillip Emerson, has this to say about the new release: “Hypernova is an experiment in the combination of aromatic citrus with the intense flavors of cherry and black currants. The experience is amplified by a creamy lactose mouthfeel with a subtle sweetness, and finishes with an olfactory overload from the addition of whole vanilla beans. It is true intergalactic decadence.”

Hypernova Volume One is our first ever barrel-aged sour beer created with lactose. It has our highest fruit content in a beer yet at close to 125lbs per barrel! Hypernova will be available at the Almanac Barrel House, Brewery, and Taproom in Alameda, CA starting May 24th and released into very limited distribution in 4-packs of 16oz cans and 5.2gal draft the following week.

New Discovery in the Almanac Sour System!

damian — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 16:37:51 +0000

Introducing The Almanac Sournova Series in 16oz Can 4-packs!

We are beyond stoked to announce the launch of Blueberry Sournova, the first in our cosmic new Sournova Series of barrel-aged 16oz sour cans. These interstellar wonders are naturally conditioned, mixed-culture sour ales, aged for months with real fruit in oak barrels creating astronomically juicy, tart, and refreshing brews. We’ll be launching a new Sournova variety every few months, so you can look forward to wild new discoveries on a regular basis!

A Cosmic Collision: Barrel-Aged Sour Beer Meets 16oz Aluminum Cans

We’ve been waiting for the right moment to take one giant leap for beerkind: offering authentic mixed-fermentation, oak-aged beers in super convenient 16oz canned 4-packs. There are many canned kettle sours in the universe, but there are very few true barrel-aged sours available in cans. We decided to fill this void and the Sournova series was born!

Kettle or Barrel: Houston, What’s The Difference?

Typically, canned sours are “kettle sours”. They’re popular because brewers can produce them quickly as they don’t require mixed-culture fermentations or barrel-aging. The tartness found in kettle sours is created by adding lactobacillus (our bacterial friends that make yogurt) directly to the kettle, which gives the beer a quick dose of acidity with predictable results. The resulting flavor profiles are often more one-note than mixed-fermentation sours. The Sournova series is fermented using a blend of Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and other novel microflora. This mixed-culture is allowed to continuously ferment over months with real fruit in oak barrels. Individual casks are then hand selected and blended by our extraterrestrial brewers, creating a deeply nuanced and multi-dimensional sour beer.

Real Fruit Grown By Real Earthlings

Our motto has always been Farm To Barrel and it’s still our motto today. We believe using real fruit makes better beer. It’s that simple. The 9,000 lbs of organic whole blueberries used in Blueberry Sournova were grown on the family-owned and operated Sierra Cascade Farms in Butte County, California. We source thousands of pounds of imperfect whole fruit, often grown right here in California by small, local farmers for each Sournova release. Until we can grow fruit on Mars, that’s how it’ll stay.

Sharing Our Cosmic Creativity

Almanac’s mission is to share our passion for beer and innovation with as many people as we can. After five years of developing our brewing and aging techniques, and with the efficiencies provided by our amazing new brewery and barrel house in Alameda, we are now able to offer high quality barrel-aged sour beer at a cosmically attractive price point without compromising on any of our values (suggested retail price is $16.99/4pk/16oz in CA). Our Sournova cans are the perfect co-pilots whether you’re celebrating a stratospheric accomplishment, kicking it with other intrepid adventurers, or simply looking up at the stars in the sky. Happy exploring!

Almanac Alameda

jesse — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 18:58:19 +0000

Almanac Beer Company founders Jesse Friedman and Damian Fagan are thrilled to announce their new Almanac Brewery & Barrelhouse located on the former Naval base on Alameda Island, California. Set to open in the fall of 2017, this completely renovated 1942 former Naval hangar is a 30,000 square foot facility specifically designed and engineered to brew Almanac’s diverse portfolio of fresh and barrel-aged beers.

The sprawling facility will house a 20 BBL JVNW brew system; room for 4,000 oak barrels; 500 BBLS of foedre capacity; 2,500 sqft of cold storage; a 2,000 sqft indoor taproom and an additional 1,200 sqft outdoor beer patio. For the first time in its six year history, Almanac will brew 100% of its beer onsite when the brewhouse comes online this fall, supplying beer to their San Francisco Taproom & Kitchen, Alameda Taproom, and for its 26 state distribution footprint. The new facility will allow Almanac to greatly expand on its sour and barrel aged beer production and will significantly increase capacity for brewing and experimenting with fresh beers like hazy IPAs, lagers, stouts, and many more styles.

“We are incredibly excited to join the Alameda Island and East Bay brewing communities,” says co-founder Damian Fagan. “Brewing on the former Navy base in a historic building is a dream come true for us. To be surrounded by industry friends and businesses like Admiral Maltings, Faction Brewing, Rock Wall Winery, and St. George Spirits is incredibly inspiring. It’s a community we can’t wait to contribute to.”

“Internally we’ve been calling this project, ‘Almanac 2.0’”, says co-founder Jesse Friedman. “We’ve built an incredible business as a partner brewery, utilizing other breweries’ equipment to make our beers for the last six years. We are stoked to finally own every step of the brewing and production process—from grain to glass. Alameda will allow us to take our beers to the next level.”

The brewery and barrel house will be located at 651 West Tower Ave, Unit B, on the former Naval Base on Alameda Island, California.

For more information about Almanac Beer Company, please visit almanacbeer.com or find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @AlmanacBeer.

Goodbye Cans, Hello More Oak!

jesse — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 19:55:55 +0000

After a thoughtful and difficult decision, Almanac is announcing the end of our canned Fresh Beer line and associated draft products. This includes San Francisco IPA, Saison Dolores, Craft Pilsner and Mandarina. We loved these beers and we are sad to see them go. However, we’ve realized through this process that Almanac’s heart and soul is brewing barrel-aged beer and our resources are best served continuing to build and expand our extensive oak program.

After six months of growing our canned product lines, the impacts of dedicating ever expanding resources—financial and human—became increasingly less attractive. We could either shift the fundamental focus of the brewery or stay true to our core concept. Resources didn’t allow for both directions, so we made the decision to refocus on our purest passion, barrel-aged beer.

Doubling-down on our oak program and operating our soon-to-open San Francisco Taproom are the top priorities for Almanac. We know our fellow craft beer enthusiasts will be thrilled with what we have in store. Our San Francisco taproom is the culmination of over five years of planning and waiting for the right opportunity. The taproom will finally provide a comprehensive Almanac experience—one that seamlessly melds our passions for California-sourced ingredients into exceptional beer and seasonal cuisine. We can’t wait to share the inspired art, outstanding service, taproom-only beers, thoughtful food and the outdoor beer garden with you. Stay tuned for our pending open date!

As we close the book on our Fresh Beer cans, we’d like to thank the incredibly talented people who made them possible—our dedicated team of Almanac brewers and collaborators, our passionate sales team, our talented designers at DKNG Studios and all of our wholesale and retail partners who embraced this new direction. As always, we continue to appreciate the support and passion of our craft beer fans, partners, and colleagues and we look forward to sharing so much more in the coming weeks and months.

Cheers,

The Almanac Beer Team

Introducing Canned Beer!

James — Wed, 11 May 2016 16:17:12 +0000

Rebuilt from the ground up, our new year-round Fresh Beers combine amazing aromas, complex flavors and a go-anywhere attitude. These brews feature a fresh new design that reflects our excitement about the beer inside the can.

Meet the new year-round lineup: Craft Pilsner, Mandarina, San Francisco IPA, and Saison Dolores. Brewed and canned in San Francisco in collaboration with Speakeasy Ales & Lagers these new beers highlight freshness, flavor and aroma.

But why put them into cans? Cans stay fresher, retain greater flavor and can pretty much go anywhere. These aromatic flavor bombs are equally at home on the beach, by the campfire, in the canoe and on the dinner table.

Craft Pilsner
A crisp, dry-hopped lager that provides a West Coast twist on the traditional German style. Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, and Mandarina Bavaria hops provide a melon and citrus nose backed by 100% Pilsner malt. This beer is crushable, always begging for another sip and pairs well with sushi, outdoor grilling and tames spicy Thai and Mexican dishes.

Mandarina
Mandarina’s tart and citrusy profile makes it the perfect beer for warm, sunny days. The combination of crisp tartness, tangerines and the citrus aromas of Mandarina Bavaria and Citra hops puts this farmhouse ale’s fruity aroma over the top. Pair this summer sipper with a day at the beach, fresh sashimi and shellfish and citrus-infused desserts.

San Francisco IPA
This West Coast IPA features an explosive aroma of citrus, tropical fruit and dankness from a blend of Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, Hallertau Blanc and El Dorado hops. Intensely hoppy without overt bitterness, a light malt backbone balances this IPA, giving it a clean finish and making it a beer to be enjoyed again and again. Inspired by San Francisco but brewed to be enjoyed everywhere. Enjoy with super burritos, hangtown fry, and rich cioppino.

Saison Dolores
This California spin on a saison highlights tropical and floral aromas. An expressive fermentation provides hints of pineapple and white pepper, while a dry-hop of Mosaic and Hallertau Blanc doubles down on tropical aromas of mango and passionfruit. Enjoy this aromatic farmhouse ale with earthy mushroom dishes, funky washed-rind cheeses and al pastor street tacos.

Get excited! Limited draft runs are available now in California, with cans launching mid-summer everywhere Almanac is sold. Cheers!

Re-introducing Barrel Noir!

James — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 17:27:27 +0000

Barrel Noir is Back! Reintroducing one of our favorite beers from the past, a special blend of dark malts, complex aromas and oaky deliciousness. Barrel Noir centers around a base imperial stout that is chock full of roast, chocolate and coffee flavors. This beer is aged in our Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels for nearly a year and a half.

The result has picked up intoxicating oak, vanilla and bourbon flavors. The final brew is amazingly complex and tasty, but it’s not our style to sit back and relax so we’re taking Barrel Noir and blending it into some fun variants:

Cold Brew Coffee Barrel Noir
The first in Barrel Noir Series drew inspiration from one of our favorite treats from San Francisco: Sightglass Cold Brew Coffee. Sightglass Coffee is an independent coffee roaster with a focus on single origin beans, lightly roasted for fruity aromas and flavors. Their Vanilla Bean infused Cold Brew Coffee has powered the brewery on more than one hot day.

Sightglass makes its Cold Brew Coffee is made by steeping coffee and vanilla beans in cold water, creating a rich, smooth treat. Cold Brew Coffee Barrel Noir is made similarly. In collaboration with Sightglass,we selected a combination of Finca Las Florestales beans, from Colombia, and Banner, a blend of beans were chosen to be added to the stout base.

Coffee beans and Tahitian vanilla beans weren’t just thrown into our bourbon aged stout. We thought the flavors would compete and muddle, resulting in something unimpressive. The beer was chilled and added to a tank containing vanilla beans and over one hundred pounds of ground coffee. The beer was then allowed to steep and “cold-brew” until the coffee, bourbon, and vanilla shined.

The resulting beer is velvety, rich deliciousness. It is the perfect beer to start your weekend morning (or weekday morning, we don’t judge) with next to a plate of French toast creating a complete breakfast. Drink it next to your smoked brisket at dinner and then finish your day off with a bowl of vanilla ice cream and one more glass. The perfect nightcap!

What’s next?
One variant? Why stop there! We have ideas for some extra tasty barrel-aged beers that we aren’t quite ready to announce yet. If you want to stay up-to date on our latest releases check back on our blog or sign up to receive our newsletter at the bottom of this page.

Almanac Beer Comes to Massachusetts

James — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 18:02:40 +0000

Almanac Beer Co. of San Francisco will begin distributing throughout the State of Massachusetts on a permanent basis after announcing its distribution agreement through the Massachusetts Beverage Alliance, a craft beer distributor network servicing the Commonwealth. Almanac is well respected nationally for it’s sour program and will be rotating multiple styles into distribution from its Farm To Barrel Series and Fresh Beer program starting with Farmer’s Reserve Pluot, Hoppy Sour: Azacca, and Almanac IPA amongst others.

“Almanac is incredibly excited to join the Massachusetts beer scene. We’ve long admired the local brewing culture and history in Boston and and Massachusetts, and are thrilled to be a part of it.” Said Jesse Friedman of Almanac Beer Co.

Founded in 2010 by Friedman and Damian Fagan, the San Francisco-based Almanac Beer Co. is known best for its Farm-to-Barrel Wild Ales including the Farmers Reserve series, which are produced using locally-sourced fruits from partnering farms throughout Northern California and then rested in oak barrels. Each harvest, Almanac partners with a different Northern California farm to supply the fruit used for that season’s batch. This level of collaboration gives Almanac’s ales a terroir distinctive to the region.

“We hosted Almanac for Beer Advocate’s Extreme Beer Fest this past February and had a small amount of beer available for distribution and events leading up to the fest,” said Brian Murphy, MBA’s Director of Sales & Marketing. “Our customers responded excitedly to Almanac as their portfolio resonates with a growing segment of the craft beer consumer population. Their reputation for producing some of the best wild and barrel aged beer in the country precedes itself. We are very proud to be welcoming Almanac from the Golden State.”

Massachusetts Beverage Alliance LLC is a network of like-minded beer distributors who share the mission of providing, promoting, and building quality craft and specialty import beer throughout the state of Massachusetts. The MBA is proud to have 14 Certified Cicerones ® throughout their network to help promote and educate the Massachusetts market on the craft beer category.

Introducing Almanac Grand Cru

jesse — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 16:43:14 +0000

In both beer and wine, “Grand Cru” designates something special, a selection of the very best a brewer or vintner can muster from the cellar. For ours, we looked to wine country for inspiration, and left with more than a few handfuls of grapes. With the help of some very talented friends, we set out to create something truly special.

Part beer and part wine, our Grand Crus (750ml) have a foot in each world and we can’t wait to share the results with you. Introducing Dogpatch Grand Cru and Farmer’s Reserve Grand Cru.

Dogpatch Grand Cru is a bolder, more robust version of our Dogpatch Sour Flanders red-style ale, aged for over a year in red wine barrels with a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Tannat, Petite Sirah, and Tempranillo grapes to create an intricately vinous, tannic, and exceptionally original brew. Farmer’s Reserve Grand Cru, meanwhile, is our homage to delicate and aromatic white wines. California-grown Muscat Blanc grapes were added to an imperial version of our sour blonde ale, then aged in white wine barrels for over a year.

Both beers would not have been possible without the help of the entire Almanac family as well as our circle of talented friends. Grape selection was done with the help of Paul Einbund and Cappelli Ranch, and the bottle designs were hand drawn by Erik Marinovich.

From all of us at Almanac, these beers are our way of saying “Thank you!” Thank you to all of our friends and family who have supported us since our homebrewer beginnings. Thank you to the local farms, restaurants, bars, bottles shops, homebrew clubs, bottle shares and craft beer lovers who have helped us get to a place where we are able to make beers like these. These special large format 750ml bottles are designed to be shared with friends and family.

Both Grand Cru releases seamlessly blend the best characteristics of beer and wine, challenging expectations and defying classification. As the old saying goes, in vino veritas, in cervesio felicitas—in wine there is truth, in beer there is happiness. In our Grand Cru releases, we hope you will find both.

Look for our 750ml Grand Cru bottles to release in Early November, available exclusively in California.

New Brew for a New Season: Pumpkin Sour

jesse — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 18:46:06 +0000

It’s that time of year: the leaves are changing colors, the nights are getting cooler… Or so we’re told. Here in the Bay Area it’s the food that marks the changing seasons more than the weather, and with squash replacing berries and fruits in the local farmer’s markets, it’s clear that autumn is on the way.

To celebrate the fall harvest, we’re thrilled to announce the release of a brand new brew, Pumpkin Sour.

The name is deceptively simple, and on paper Pumpkin Sour fits neatly into fall beer expectations. “It has all the classic parts of pumpkin beer, like the spices and roasted malts and, of course, pumpkins,” explains our brewmaster, Jesse Friedman. “But we’ve rearranged those ingredients and crafted a sour bourbon barrel aged beer.”

Pumpkin Sour began as a beautiful brown ale, which we brewed with plenty of heirloom pumpkins from Annabelle Lenderink’s farm, La Tercera, in Bolinas. Annabelle’s pumpkins were broken down and roasted whole–seeds, skin, and all. “This gave us sweet, caramelized pumpkins that, when added to the mash, created a unique, real pumpkin flavor,” says Jesse.

All of that deep, pumpkin-y brew was transferred into freshly emptied, whiskey-soaked Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrels and wine barrels with some essential pumpkin pie spices like ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

After months of aging and absorbing complex oak, vanilla, and bourbon flavors from the barrels (and plenty of tastings along the way), we blended the wine and bourbon barrels back together for a finished brew that strives for balance between malty sweetness, roasty pumpkins, rich spices, and underlying tartness.

“The result is something we really love: a pumpkin beer that evokes the fall flavors and weather, without any of the cliches attached to the usual squash seasonals,” Jesse explains. “Think of it as our ‘anti-pumpkin beer’ pumpkin beer.”

If you’d like to know more about La Tercera farms, visit: http://ecologycenter.org/farmersmarkets/fmvendors/la-tercera-3/