As per usual I'll give you a rundown on what's happening in bulletpoint format, since my usual (and preferred) style of writing- a free-flowing, intensely personal narrative approach blending the styles of Joyce and Hemingway- takes way too long to put together. Plus I can't write so good. So what's going on at Evolution:
- We're maxed out. Seriously maxed out. We can't make enough beer and it gets uglier by the day. My sincerest apologies to anyone who can't get our beer when they want it, we're trying! The team is working their tails off, we're just constrained by our equipment at this point. We have expanded a few times in the last 18 months, and are now looking at a major expansion in the next year. But try telling that to the guy who can't get his Lot No3 IPA.
- Our Limited release beers are becoming a regular addition to the lineup. Our brewery-only release, the imperial stout "Menagerie No5" is almost gone and is super delicious. We just bottled Spring Migration (a golden strong ale aged in rum barrels) and it is excellent as well. We'll be brewing our Fall Migration in a couple of weeks, something of a tribute to one of my favorite trappist ales which will be aged in Chardonnay barrels. Also the Menagerie line continues to evolve, our next will be brewed in a month or so, and it is the return of Menagerie No3 (Lux and Redux!). This should be ready for Baltimore Beer week in October and we will bottle some as well. Baltimore beer week will see the release of a new barrel aged stout as well, and there may be even one more BBW project in the works, stay tuned.
- We'll be at Savor in DC again this year, the first weekend in June, pouring Spring Migration and Rise Up Stout. We also have a sweet event set up at the amazing Big Hunt in Dupont Circle in DC on the Saturday afternoon of Savor, where we'll be pouring a dozen or so of our beers. Included in the draft lineup is a collaboration we brewed with 3 Stars Brewing, a startup in DC, that we brewed at Evolution a month or so back. Its a Saison spiced with peppercorns and aged on oak, and should be perfect for the increasingly oppressive weather of our nation's capital in June. Dry, refreshing, spicy and heavily hopped with Saaz hops, "the syndicate saison" will be popping up at good beer bars all over DC the first week of June.
- Summer Session is out and is off the charts. We fully expected to be brewing alot of this, but wow. It's an unfiltered blonde ale with a subtle hoppiness and depth of flavor provided by wheat, rye and oats. Top choice of brewery staffers after a long day of work.
- We have some sour ales aging right now, recent tastings have been very positive. Look for the first sour ale release around the midpoint of 2012.
- It bears repeating but our team has been working super hard. Jesus (aka "hey-sus"), Kerry, Joe and Randy in the brewery, Kathy and Carter up front, and Mike in sales have all been doing their best to, in the words of founder and evolution "passion man" Tommy Knorr , "ship it!"
- The acceleration of excitement for our beers and the increasing interest has been humbling and surreal. I'm thrilled every day to be doing this and thank all of you so much for the opportunity to make beer for you.
geoff
