FuzzyBrew

Last night, I hit the jackpot with an invite to the Golden Ticket Beer Sampling Event at the Flying Saucer in Downtown Memphis.

The Memphis Beer Week event was a 25-seat tasting of 15 of the rarest beers that could be found.

Pliny the Elder from Russian River? Check. 2006 Black Chocolate Stout from Brooklyn Brewery? Check. All the beers served were brews that you can’t buy in Memphis, and some were beers that are long out of production and have been aging nicely. It was a beer geek’s dream.

The Golden Ticket tasting was organized by Kirk Caliendo, district manager for the Flying Saucer, and Austin Sawyer, import, craft and specialty brand manager for Budweiser of Memphis, which has been putting on the Beer Week events. They did a great job of finding an array of beers to satisfy even the most discerning craft beer drinker.

That giant bottle above is .79 gallons of Brass Knuckle Imperial IPA from Marin Brew Company. It’s a super hoppy beer that, at 9.6% ABV, packs quite a punch.

Here are three of my favorites from last night:

Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin – North Coast Brewing Company

I’ve had Old Rasputin before, the popular Imperial Stout from North Coast Brewing. But I got to try the small batch version of the beer that was aged for nine months in 12-year-old bourbon barrels. It had nice notes of bourbon on the nose and it tasted like strong roasted malts and chocolate. This beer was so popular at the table that people kept picking up the empty bottles, trying to get just a few more drops!

Dank Tank Some Strange – SweetWater Brewing Company

I’ve never had a beer from SweetWater Brewing Company that I didn’t like, and Some Strange did not disappoint. The 10% ABV Black India Pale Ale from Sweetwater’s Dank Tank series is hopped with Amarillo, Pacific Jade and Zythos, and then dry-hopped with Falconer’s Flight, Falconer’s 7 C’s and Topaz. The beer was just released and is the first Dank Tank beer to flow out of SweetWater’s new brewhouse.

Consecration – Russian River Brewing Company

Pliny is one of my all-time favorites, but it was a real treat to try Russian River’s Consecration. Aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with currants, it’s a tart sour ale that leaves your mouth watering and your taste buds reeling.

Here’s the full list of beers that were sampled:

1. Pliny the Elder, Russian River Brewing Company
2. Matilda, Goose Island Beer Co.
3. 2010 Brooklyner Weisse, Brooklyn Brewery
4. Dank Tank Some Strange, SweetWater Brewing Company
5. 2009 Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chein, BFM Brasserie Des Franches-Montagne
6. Game of Thrones Iron Throne, Brewery Ommengang
7. Brass Knuckle Imperial IPA, Marin Brewing Company
8. Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock, Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH
9. Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin XV, North Coast Brewing Company
10. Local Species, Blue Mountain Brewery
11. Imperial Eclipse Stout, FiftyFifty Brewing Co.
12. Allagash Curieux, Allagash Brewing Company
13. 2006 Black Chocolate Stout, Brooklyn Brewery
14. Consecration, Russian River Brewing Company
15. Walker’s Reserve, Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today signed a bill into law that will reform the state’s beer wholesale tax that has contributed to the state having the highest beer taxes in the nation.

The so-called Beer Tax Reform Act of 2013 –  the subject of a statewide “Fix the Beer Tax” campaign — had been approved by Tennessee’s Senate and House of Representatives and was awaiting Haslam’s pen.

Proponents hope the new law will spur craft beer entrepreneurs to open businesses or expand their current ones in Tennessee, help contain increases in beer prices and improve the variety of beers on shelves and taps. The campaign drew statewide support from every level of Tennessee’s beer industry, from large brewers such as Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors to craft brewers and beer wholesalers.

Instead of the present 17% tax on the wholesale price, the bill revises it to instead impose a volume tax of $35.60 per barrel of 31 gallons of beer sold. The tax upon barrels containing more or less than 31 gallons would be taxed at a proportionate rate.

The “Fix the Beer Tax” coalition, which lobbied for passage of the law, was being spearheaded by the Tennessee Craft Brewers Guild and Tennessee Malt Beverage Association.

CHEERS! Gov. @billhaslam signed the Beer Tax Reform Act of 2013 into #LAW today. #freshink #letsgrowsomebusinesses #canwegetaRT?

— Fix the Beer Tax (@FixtheBeerTax) April 23, 2013

A.S. Barbaro is celebrating Tax Day and the Memphis Grizzlies’ playoff berth by giving away free beer next week.

The Memphis-area MillerCoors distributor is giving away 300 limited-edition Memphis Grizzlies 24-ounce cans of Coors Light at an event at FedExForum on Monday, April 15.

The giveaway is first come, first served, and is limited to can per person, 21-years and up.

Here’s more from a press release:

To take Memphians’ minds off of having to pay income taxes, and instead focus our collective consciousness on the great news of the Memphis Grizzlies securing their third consecutive appearance in the NBA playoffs, MillerCoors Beer is giving away free beer on Tax Day at the FedEx Forum, home of the Grizzlies. … To thank A.S. Barboro and MillerCoors for their deeply refreshing support of the Grizzlies, Mayor A.C. Wharton will commemorate the event by giving the key to the city to Barboro General Manager Steve Hegdale. A representative of the Grizzlies will also be on hand to express the team’s thanks for MillerCoors’ support of the Grizzlies.”

WHAT:     Distribution of free, limited-edition Memphis Grizzlies cans of Coors Light

WHEN:     Monday, April 15. ID check starts at 10 a.m. Event begins at 11.

WHERE:  FedExForum, main entrance plaza, 191 Beale Street

Beer tax reform in Tennessee is but a signature away from becoming law.

The state House of Representatives today gave its near-unanimous endorsement of the so-called Beer Tax Reform Act of 2013, voting to approve it by an 87-2 margin. The action follows Monday’s 30-1 approval in the Tennessee Senate.

The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Bill Haslam for his signature.

The Beer Tax Reform Act of 2013 seeks to reform the 17% beer wholesale tax in Tennessee, which contributes to the state having the highest beer taxes in the nation.

Instead of the present 17% tax on the wholesale price, the bill would revise it to instead impose a volume tax of $35.60 per barrel of 31 gallons of beer sold. The tax upon barrels containing more or less than 31 gallons would be taxed at a proportionate rate.

The “Fix the Beer Tax” coalition, which has been lobbying for passage of the law, is being spearheaded by the Tennessee Craft Brewers Guild and Tennessee Malt Beverage Association.

Read more about today’s vote on commercialappeal.com.

Also, read the coalition’s press release below:

Tax Reform Tapped for Tennessee

Tennessee General Assembly passes Beer Tax Reform Act of 2013

    
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee General Assembly voted Wednesday to approve the Beer Tax Reform Act of 2013. The near unanimous vote in both the House and Senate only added to the excitement surrounding a campaign deemed a legislative sensation.

The reform proposal to fix the highest beer tax in the nation has drawn statewide support from every level of Tennessee’s beer industry, from large brewers such as Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors to craft brewers and beer wholesalers. As the spotlight heated up on state lawmakers, it also caught the support and attention of a national audience.

“This tax reform makes Tennessee more appealing to business,” said Rich Foge, president of the Tennessee Malt Beverage Association. “It will attract new brewers to the state, as well as help those already here to expand and create additional jobs.”

Senate Bill 422 and House Bill 999, sponsored by Representative Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Representative Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown), will convert Tennessee’s outdated price-based tax to a more business-friendly volume based tax. Currently, Tennessee has the highest beer tax rate in the nation, propelling higher and higher every year with inflation.

“When it came down to it,” said Senator Ken Yager (R- Harriman) on the Senate floor Monday, “this vote was about whether or not Tennessee would become competitive in one of the country’s fastest-growing industries.”

Tennessee leads all other states’ beer tax rate by a 12 percent margin. In comparison to our neighbors, Arkansas’ tax per barrel rings up at $7.51 and Mississippi’s at $13.23, while Tennessee tops out at a whopping $37 per barrel.

“In a historically low tax state, Tennessee’s 1950s era triple layer beer tax has been no friend to businesses,” said Sexton. “Whether you are a small brewery or a large scale operation, the tax has hindered expansion and recruitment as well as punished growth. It was simply time for a change in the tax structure and everyone involved is honored to have enjoyed such sweeping support.”

Since the bill’s introduction, more than 2,000 supporters of the grass-roots Fix the Beer Tax Campaign rallied in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis and Tri-Cities, resulting each time in a flurry of social media and support from local businesses.

“This is also a victory for Tennessee consumers who will benefit from more selection in the marketplace as more beer brands become available as a direct result of this new tax structure,” Foge added.

The bill will now head to the Governor’s desk for a signature, as the statewide sound of clinking glasses swells in a toast to Tennessee’s brighter future.