Is It Fall or am I a Sucker?

It seems as though fall is finally making it's way to the Eastern Shore. Perfect day today, and the weather has been improving steadily- if you think this summer was hot you should have worked with us in the brewery. We'll be heading to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival on Tuesday, so this was my last opportunity to sit at a keyboard for a bit for an update (shucks)- here's how things are shaping up for the next month or so:

• We brewed our last batch of Jacques Au Lantern yesterday, this is our Sept/Oct seasonal- a amber ale spiced with traditional pumpkin pie spices, and fermented with a Belgian ale yeast. Draft only, you probably have 50 (or less) days to get to this. So don't say I didn't warn you.
• Planning has begun for our winter seasonal. Inspired by the Sticke Altbiers of Dusseldorf this full flavored deep copper ale will be rendered unrecognizable to natives of Dusseldorf by our penchant for over-hopping beer and general disdain for tradition. Look for this no later than mid November. This beer does not yet have a name and I am praying that Tommy and Joe don't name it.
• We're in Denver next week, shilling beer, drinking beer, sleeping in hotels and drinking beer. If your in town for the fest stop by our booth and drink some beer.
• We're talking to a tank manufacturer about two new 40 barrel fermenters that we should hopefully see around the first of December. In related news all Evolution employees are required to lose 30 lbs so they can squeeze through the cellar.
• Our Heritage Ale (on NOW in the brewery tap room) is flying out the door. I thought this one would last until October but there's no chance- maybe another week. It's a super fruity dry-hopped Belgian style pale ale. A staff favorite and one of the best beers we've made, draft only in the tap room.
• Our Spring Migration is happily aging in Cruzan Rum barrels but we have two extra barrels. Now I don't believe in aging hoppy beers, and our Lot 6 DIPA is no exception. HOWEVER, there seems to be a rip in the space time continuum and I have found a way to justify barrel aging some of our precious hop monster, without losing the aromatics. As soon as I come up with a clever name (me, not Tommy and Joe) we'll release more details.
• We're getting geared up for Baltimore Beer Week the second week in October, and the cornerstone of that week for us will be the release of Menagerie #3. Its a real big, rich scotch ale, 2/3 of which have been in bourbon barrels for 6 months. We are really looking forward to the week and this beer so we hope to see you all out there- we've got events at Max's, Alonso's, Chesapeake Real Ale Festival and Phillips Harbor Place as well as some other events still being finalized. Our facebook page is the place to stay current with our events, we just recently updated them so check 'em out.

That's about it- we'll probably update again as we approach Baltimore Beer Week to give you some inside info on the events and beers we'll be involved with. See you in Denver!
cheers
geoff