Tomme Arthur is the head brewer of Lost Abbey/Port Brewing company out of San Diego. In his most recent blog posting, he drops this little nugget of info toward the end:

Post Great American Beer Festival, it looks like we will turn our attention to the Midwest and seek out some distribution in the greater Chicago area. We have been looking at this market long enough and it is time to move some beer towards the Great Lakes. If all goes well, you might even see some Lost Abbey beers on the shelves in time for Christmas. That won’t suck.

While this does not immediately affect us in St. Louis, all of the beers we currently see in Southern Illinois got there because of Chicago and some faithful beer nerds who made sure they make it down our way. So while there is no guarentee we’d see these beers in our area, the idea that it could be possible does not “suck.”

Had a couple of packages of beer arrive this week, though I’d share some pictures. The first is from my buddy Scotty who lives in Colorado. Luckily for all of us, we’re seeing more and more Colorado beers available in the local area, but Scotty sent me a few that we can’t get here quite yet. I’m sending him some beer from this area he can’t get there. I know that he wanted some Two Hearted and I have some things in mind, but do you have any suggestions?

• Bristol Brewing Company - Red Rocket Ale
• Bristol Brewing Company - Wet Mountain IPA
• Bristol Brewing Company - Laughing Lab Scottish-Style Ale
• Dillon Dam Brewery - Sweet George’s Brown
• Bristol Brewing Company - Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout
• Oskar Blues - Ten Fidy
• Oskar Blues - Old Chub

The other two packages I received this week came from San Diego, CA, specifically from The Lost Abbey. A while back someone alerted me to the Sinners and Saints Club. Each club provides special and often sought after beers each month of the year. Here are January and February’s selections:

• The Lost Abbey - Red Poppy
• The Lost Abbey - Carnevale Ale

I’ll let Tomme describe both for you:

Carnevale Ale- Be one of the first consumers to sample our newest seasonal release called Carnevale Ale. Brewed to mark the Lenten Season before Easter, we expect this to be a great addition to our lineup of Specialty Releases. 

Red Poppy 2007- Our first release of this beer. Brewed in 2006 and aged in French Oak barrels for one year on Sour Cherries and wild yeasts. 

Sorry about the lack of content this morning, but I’ve got a pretty busy day ahead of me.  In fact, the entire week may be a bit hectic, but I’ll do my best to provide everyone with new information all week.

Unless you’re a duck, it’s pretty miserable outside.  I’m pretty busy right now, so I’ll put a few pictures up that I think you’ll enjoy.

You may remember the package of pure pleasure I received a few weeks ago thanks to my lovely girlfriend.  Never one to leave well enough alone or to even be satisfied with what I have, I went ahead and bought some more beer shipped in from California.  What you see there is:

• Firestone Walker - Double Barrel Ale
• Stone - Ruination IPA
• Alesmith - Decadence Anniversary Ale
• Lost Abbey - Red Barn Ale
• Lost Abbey - Lost & Found
• Alesmith - Horny Devil

I’m also supposed to be receiving another very special package from Lost Abbey in this week, two 375ml bottles of Red Poppy.   You may be asking yourself, “Mike, what the hell do you do with all of this beer?”  Let me show you:

Well, I drink what I can and I cellar a lot of it for special and not so special occasions.  Bill and Ellie saw this a couple of weeks ago and Bill proclaimed that I was becoming one of those “crazy beer guys.”  The ones that will never be able to finish all of the beer they collect.  He may be very well right about that, because I sometimes I have a hard time bringing myself to drink some of this.  I especially don’t enjoy drinking it by myself, these are the kind of things you enjoy with friends that will really appreciate it.

I love alliteration, though this title sounds slightly erotic. It sounds like the kind of package that arrives in a nondescript box from the ABC Company. That being said, this picture is nothing more than beer porn.  Besides a minor shipping mishap, Irene did real good.

• Stone Brewing - Double Bastard
• Alaskan Brewing - Smoked Porter
• Stone Brewing - Ruination IPA
• Lost Abbey - 10 Commandments
• Alesmith - Yulesmith

My girlfriend Irene is taking a trip out to rainy Southern California to visit some family this weekend.  Being the wonderful beer nerd girlfriend she is, she’s going to try and pick up some beers for me and bring them home.  I made her a little list, I hope she pulls through.

• Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi
• Lost Abbey Devotion
• Alesmith Yulesmith
• Stone Double Bastard Ale
• Stone Ruination Double IPA
• Alaskan Smoked Porter 2007
• Lost Abbey Judgment Day
• Ballast Point Seamonster Stout

You ever notice how much I love bullet points?