If you were paying close attention to the STL Hops Twitter account, you might have seen that Ska Brewing out of Durango, Colorado has officially been registered in the state of Missouri.  What does this mean?  Well, it means that Missouri Beverage can begin distributing Ska beers.

What beers will be coming into Missouri?  Here’s a list that was registered with the state:

• Ska Brewing Buster Nut Brown Ale
• Ska Brewing Decadent Imperial IPA
• Ska Brewing ESB Special Ale
• Ska Brewing Euphoria Pale Ale
• Ska Brewing Modus Hoperandi India Pale Ale
• Ska Brewing Nefarious Ten Pin Imperial Porter
• Ska Brewing Pin Stripe Red Ale
• Ska Brewing Steel Toe Stout
• Ska Brewing Ten Pin Porter
• Ska Brewing True Blonde Ale
• Ska Brewing True Blonde Dubbel Belgian Style Golden Ale

It’s important to note that while all of these beers were registered with the state, it’s not a guarantee we’ll see them all when the first few shipments of Ska arrive. I’ve been told that some of the beers that we will be seeing are Modus Hoperandi, ESB Special Ale, Buster Nut Brown, and True Blonde.

And don’t worry, we’ll be seeing bottles, cans and draught Ska available in St. Louis. Look out for Ska in the next couple of weeks.

So you didn’t win the contest for the MoBev Beer Tour, but there’s no need to fret. Tonight, at Bridge, MoBev will be kicking off their cross-state tour by hosting the “Night of the Breweries”. Starting at 7PM this informal meet & greet with our brewers and brewery reps is open to everyone.

Here’s a list of breweries that will have beers on tap at tonight’s event:

• Arcadia Brewing Co.
• Augusta Brewing Company
• Shmaltz Brewing Company
• O’Fallon Brewery
• Cathedral Square Brewery
• Unibroue
• Vanberg & DeWulf Imports (Saison Dupont)
• Tommyknocker
• Binding USA (Radeberger Pilsner)
• Left Hand Brewery
• Wetten Imports (St. Louis Framboise)

And here’s a list of people from breweries that will be in town for the event:

• Jeremy Cowan – Shmaltz Brewing
• David Myers – Redstone Meadery
• Mike Walters – Left Hand
• Karl Braun – Unibroue
• Rick Suarez – Arcadia
• Ed Gustafson – Binding USA (Radeberger, Tucher, DAB, Henninger)
• Jim Rhode -Wetten Imports (Delirium, St. Louis, Gouden Carolus, Straffe Hendrik, Lucifer, Kasteel)
• Bob Miller – Grand Teton/Lakefront Brewery

I’ve also been told that there will be an appearance by Arlo Grammatica from Ska Brewing Company. There won’t be any Ska available that evening as they’re not distributed to St. Louis, yet. But this is a great chance to meet some really great people from the industry.

Each summer the fellows that work at Missouri Beverage take the show on the road visiting Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis to give their restaurant and retail accounts a chance to meet with brewery & importer reps from the breweries they represent and sell.

You may be thinking to yourself, “This sounds all well and good, but how does it do me any good? I don’t work for a retailer or restaurant.” Well, Derek Bean has been kind enough to provide 4 tickets to this event which includes not only the ability to taste over 100 different beers but also the chance at some gambling?  And who doesn’t love losing money?

The MoBev 2010 Beer Tour will take place on Wednesday, May 12th from 2PM-5:30PM. If you’re interested in winning a ticket to this event all you need to do is email contest@stlhops.com with a subject of “MoBev Beer Tour” and let me know what your favorite casino game. A couple of quick notes:

• If you’ve won something from STL Hops in the past 6 months, please be cool and let someone else enter.
• If you don’t think you’ll be able to attend, please don’t enter.
• If you won passes for the Wine and Cheese Place Beerfest, you can still enter, that doesn’t count.
• You must be 21 or older to enter.
• No multiple entries.

This contest will end on May 10th at 9AM CDT when I will pick four winners at random. If you don’t win this one, don’t worry I will be holding more contests like this in the future, so you’ll have another chance then. Good luck!

Cicero’s Italian Restaurant continues their Winter Beer School semester this Wednesday from 5:30-6:30PM. Cicero’s Beer School provides background about beers and beer styles usually directly from people directly in the beer industry. It’s perfect opportunity to learn more about a style you’re unfamiliar with or to just brush up on a style you haven’t enjoyed in a while.

This week’s school is being hosted by Jim McGinn from Missouri Beverage. Jim will be on hand to discuss and sample some of theMoylans Tipperary Pale Ale, Molyans Double IPA, Curim Wheat, and Wexford Cream Stout. Go out and take advantage of one of the few places where you can drink and learn!

If you can’t make it out to the Beer School, you can check out all of the classes via podcast at Cicerosbeerschool.com.

Cicero’s Italian Restaurant continues their Winter Beer School semester this Wednesday from 5:30-6:30PM. Cicero’s Beer School provides background about beers and beer styles usually directly from people directly in the beer industry. It’s perfect opportunity to learn more about a style you’re unfamiliar with or to just brush up on a style you haven’t enjoyed in a while.

This week’s school is being hosted by Derek Bean from Missouri Beverage and they’ll be tasting beers from Founders Brewery. Derek will be on hand to discuss and sample some of Founders beers including the Dirty Bastard, Breakfast Stout, Red’s Rye, and Centenial IPA. Go out and take advantage of one of the few places where you can drink and learn!

If you can’t make it out to the Beer School, you can check out all of the classes via podcast at Cicerosbeerschool.com.

One of the most talked about beers of the new year is almost upon us.  O’Fallon Brewery will be releasing their newest year-round beer the Hemp Hop Rye Amber Ale on Thursday, February 18th.

The Shanti in Soulard will be hosting this kick-off party with a tapping of the first keg of this beer beginning at 6PM.  I fully expect representatives from Missouri Beverage and O’Fallon Brewery to be on-hand to answer your questions about this unique new beer.

While you can expect this beer to become available all around town soon after this party, this is your first opportunity to try this beer out.

Are you ready for some football? How about some cask beer?  Well, this Sunday at the International Tap House you get both.

As part of their week-long anniversary celebration, iTap will be hosting a Super Bowl Sunday Chili Cook-Off, on Sunday February 7th. Bring in your best chili recipe and maybe you’ll win a gift certificate to iTap!

“But Mike, didn’t you say something about a cask?”  Ah, yes.  This event will also mark the first time (according to MoBev‘s Derek Bean) a firkin of O’Fallon Brewery‘s house ale Irish Red has ever been available. (I hear it’s been dry-hopped with Chinook.)  This cask will be available starting at 5PM.

Football.  Chili.  Cask Beer.  Sounds like a hell of a way to spend a Sunday.  (Also look out for the draught list for Saturday’s STL Hops Select Party later this afternoon.)