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CANNED SUMMER BEERS 

Astoria, Oregon's Fort George Brewery has teamed up on a collaborative brew with two Portland brewers, Gigantic Brewing Company and Lompoc Brewing. The offering, appropriately being called 3-Way IPA, will be the brewery's next seasonal release and will make its debut later this summer. Their spring release, called Tender Loving Empire NWPA, was a collaboration with the Portland-based record label Tender Loving Empire. 

Ex-Cons Nico and Shaun Tap New Hops Down Under to Bring

Back 21st Amendment Breweryʼs Hoppiest Beer, Hop Crisis

San Francisco, CA – The hop crisis may be over for now, but the hop syndicate is still trying to control the market in the face of booming growth in the craft beer industry. Ex-cons Nico and Shaun still have a few tricks up their sleeves from doing hard time on the Rock.

Hiding out Down Under, they discover some new hops that the syndicate canʼt touch. Gloating on Sydneyʼs Bondi beach, Nico lights up a cigar. “Uh, you can take off the dress now, Nico,” Shaun remarks as he pours himself another Hop Crisis.

For the third year running, 21st Amendment Brewery announced the release of Hop Crisis, a big, hoppy, oak-aged Imperial IPA that is packed with five different hop varietals. Hop Crisis was created in defiance of the 2007 hop shortage at a time when many brewers were forced to skimp on hops. This year the formula adds new dry hops in the form of New Zealand Motueka and Australian Stella blended with Northwest Cascade hops.

21st Amendment co-founder and Brewmaster Shaun OʼSullivan says of the idea behind the beer, “The oak aging and intense hop bitterness make this a big beer that also has subtle layers of flavor. We think that thanks to the dry hop varietals, some new tropical and citrusflavors emerge to please the palate again this year. With an ABV of 9.7%, it is best enjoyed sipped from a Belgian style tulip snifter.”

Hop Crisis is part of 21st Amendmentʼs Insurrection Series, a limited edition, once-in-awhile, four-pack release of a very special beer that rises up in revolt against common notions of what canned beer can be.

Hop Crisis is available in four-pack cans and on draft starting mid-June at better bars and stores in all seventeen of 21st Amendmentʼs current distribution territories: CA, OR, WA,AK, ID, MN, OH, MA, NY, NJ, DC, MD, DE, PA, VA, GA and NC. For up to date availability, events and promotions, visit 21Aʼs website at www.21st-Amendment.com.

About 21st Amendment Brewery

Hey, weʼre Nico & Shaun. We live for great beer. When we opened the 21st Amendment Brewpub in San Francisco in 2000, we vowed to do things differently. To us, the 21st Amendment means much more than just an end to Prohibition. It means the right to brew beer, the freedom to be innovative, and the obligation to have fun.

(CC) What's the story behind TX Canning?

(TX) Cans are the future in craft beer, period. And as we like to say at TX Canning, F-YEAH WE CAN! We came to life in the summer of 2012 after hearing about this up and coming small business venture of mobile canning done by a group of grad students in Northern California, The Can Van (read our Q & A with The Can Van). John and I have been close friends since our Colorado Buffalo college days in Boulder and we’ve both been craft beer fans since. We thought, why not mobile canning in Texas! I spoke with our canning line manufacture, got that rolling, soon after that, I got on the ball with Ball Corporation, who manufactures aluminum cans. Canning line built in Boulder, Colorado while our cans are built in Ft. Worth, Texas – a great relationship was born.

(CC) Who all is involved?

(TX) John Reardon, Founder and Chief Evangelist of Deep Ellum Brewing Company and myself, Zack Fickey, Event Ninja at Deep Ellum Brewing Co. We have a lead canner, Matt Smith, and 5 part-time packaging operators.

"Ready for launch!"

(CC) What sort of equipment are you using and how are you transporting it?

(TX) We have a quad fill two head tower, automated canning line from Wild Goose Canning Technologies direct from Boulder, Colorado. Our line cans roughly 80 cases an hour. John and I wanted something different on the “mobile” side of our business. TX Canning needed an American-built truck and large enough to hold a staff of four for our longer routes in Texas. We picked up a quad cab GMC C6500 with a Caterpillar V8 diesel engine (see above). It has a 20 foot box to hold our line and up to 6 pallets of empty cans. We have plans to put bull steers on the front as well as a train horn. Why the hell not!

"We have plans to put bull horns on the front as well as a train horn. Why the hell not!" 

(CC) Which breweries are you currently working with?

(TX) From the gate, we have been extremely busy with Deep Ellum Brewing Co. We helped launch Dallas’ first craft beer into market with cans, DEBC cans are now selling in Austin and Houston. We will be canning beer for Armadillo Ale Works out of Denton, TX within one month. New accounts in Texas will be pursued heavily this summer. Thoughts of purchasing another canning line is possible.

(CC) What is the best part about working with the craft beer industry?

(TX) The people involved are the best part. Craft beer begins with home brewers and they’re our kind of people. People with a passion to making damn good beer their style, their brand. Helping small business get their product to market is remarkable for us.

"Moving at 40 cans per minute"

(CC) Where do you see the canned segment of the craft beer industry going?

(TX) It’s moving up rapidly. Many frowned upon Oskar Blues Brewery some years back, but look at them now. I met and spoke with Chris Katechis, Sales Leader in Austin, and brother of owner Dale Katechis of Oskar Bluesat the Ft. Worth Untapped Festival earlier this spring. We shared some great stories drinking our brews out of a can. Both of us raved about how well canned craft beer is taking flight in the market. We agreed that distribution prefers cans as they are lighter for transport. Consumers like cans as they can take them anywhere, land or sea, whereas bottles are limited. Cans are in a way better for the environment as aluminum is easily recyclable. Dallas is a pool and lake market, we prefer our craft beer in cans, hands down!

(CC) What are some of your favorite canned craft beers from Texas?

(TX) Well, their ain’t much. But Southern Star’s Buried Hatchet Stout and Austin Beer Works Fire Eagle and the new Ft. Worth brewing company Martin House Ale works will be putting out some craft beer in cans are my top on the list. Deep Ellum Brewing Co has 5 canned brews in market, Deep Ellum IPA, Dallas Blonde, Rye Pilsner, Double Brown Stout (all in 12 oz. cans) and their summer seasonal Farmhouse Wit (16 oz. cans) are all my favorites.

Canning Double Brown Stout at Deep Ellum Brewing Co in Dallas, TX

(CC) What is something people might not know about TX Canning?

(TX) We understand the initial burden brewers go through when pursuing packaging their brew. Cost of a canning line, employees, limited space and of course the cost of pre-printed cans. We have a business model set up with our can manufacturer, Ball Corporation, right in our back yard in Ft. Worth, Texas. They will store our cans we purchase for our accounts. In other words, we finance your cans and keep them in a secure and safe place away from your brewery. “Some men finance her cans, well, we will finance yours!” With the exception of a small down payment, we ask for no large sum of money prior to the brewery’s beer filled and ready for distribution. This is appealing for our customers, as we know the importance of starting a brewery. We live and love the craft beer scene and we thrive on branding. These two together makes a great business for the greater good of craft beer.

Memorial Day weekend is upon us. The unofficial start to summer is finally here and coolers everywhere are getting dug out of closets and basements and cleaned up for the warm days ahead. Whether you're headed to the beach, the mountains, or your own backyard we've got you covered when it comes to knowing your canned craft beer options. We know that IPAs are year-round favorites for many of us and it's hard to beat the refreshment factor that goes along with a nice cold IPA on a warm, sunny day. In honor of all the hopheads out there that are constantly seeking out the next tongue-numbing hop experience, we've come up with a selection of 7 newly canned IPAs to try out this summer. So, clean out your cooler, buy some bags of ice, and enjoy! Have a great holiday weekend everyone from all of us here at CraftCans.Com. Cheers!