Big shout out to Dave Nelson from Beer, Wine and Whisky for picking this information up, but it looks like Capital Brewery out of Middleton, WI looks to be returning back to Missouri after a long hiatus.

Capital’s claim to fame is brewing lager beers, which in my opinion takes a lot of skill to do well.  Here’s a list of what was registered with the state:

• Capital Brewery Autumnal Fire Doppelbock
• Capital Brewery Capital Dark Lager
• Capital Brewery Capital Square Series Eisphyre
• Capital Brewery Capital Square Series Imperial Dopelbock
• Capital Brewery Capital Square Series Weizen Doppelbock
• Capital Brewery Oktoberfest Seasonal Beer
• Capital Brewery Capital Pilsner
• Capital Brewery Winter Skal Seasonal Beer
• Capital Brewery Wisconsin Amber American Lager

Things still seem to be a bit up in the air, I called the brewery to find out what their distributing plans are and the person I talked to wasn’t quite sure at this time.  But it looks like St. Louis lager lovers will soon have a reason to rejoice.

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.

I’ve made a change in how the beer tastings will be listed in the Friday Round-Up, it’s going to be a week’s worth of tastings starting with the Friday that the list is posted. So if you’re a retail shop, bar, restaurant, brewery or distributor and want me to list your tasting, make sure to email me at mike@stlhops.com.

Today, from 4PM to 6:30PM the Wine and Cheese Place in Clayton will be having a tasting featuring Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada Collaboration Life and Limb, Founders Imperial Stout, Founders Backwoods Bastard, New Holland Pilgrim’s Dole, New Holland Cabin Fever, Southern Tier Krampus and Southern Tier Old Man Winter. Additional information can be found at their blog.

Cory from deVine Wines and Spirts, located at 2961 Dougherty Ferry Rd, holds a beer tasting every Wednesday evening from from 5PM to 8PM. Each Wednesday will offer up a few new beers for you to taste. Swing on by and check it out.

Once again, if you’re a retail shop, bar, restaurant, brewery or distributor and want me to list your tasting, make sure to email me at mike@stlhops.com.

Mmmmm Double IPAs.  I didn’t name this place STL Hops for nothing.  Avery Brewing, who also puts out the much sought after hop bomb Maharaja, recently released their duganA IPA.  This limited release beer has finally found its way to St. Louis.  I’ll let Avery describe this beer:

Lupulin Rapture Incarnate! As fervent  devotees of hops, we found ourselves on a quest to create a transcendental IPA capable of quenching our voracious lupulin desires. Our mantra became “unity of bitterness, hop flavor and aroma.” Enlightened, duganA IPA was born: A brutally bitter, dank, piney and resinous ale designed for those seeking a divine hop experience.

Oh baby, that sounds like a hop lover’s dream. This is a very limited beer and will not be in the area very long. If you’re looking for it on draught I’ve been told that the International Tap House and The Good Pie will have it initially.  If you’re a fiend for the hops, better step to finding this.

Schlafly brewers get a very special present from the St. Louis Brewery when they get married, they get to brew a wedding beer. Brewer Drew Huerter will be getting married at the end of November and decided to brew an English style Old Ale in celebration of this event.

A new beer from Drew and a marriage is always something to celebrate, but now it gets better.  As some of you may know, Schnucks opened their new downtown location called Culinaria this past year and they’re looking to celebrate as well.  So they’ve asked Schlafly to bottle a special holiday beer to commemorate the event.

Schlafly thought Drew’s beer was a perfect beer for the holiday season and soon his beer will be available in bottles in select Schnucks locations.  This is a great honor for a brewer.

So congrats to Drew and Julie for what I’m sure will be a wonderful wedding and a great keepsake.

I can always tell when The Stable’s Beverage Manager Jerad Gardner is excited about a new release, he calls me.  So what’s got him so excited that he takes the time out of his busy day to give me a ring?  Here’s what to expect tonight at The Stable:

• New Holland – Existential (Double IPA)
• Bear Republic – Late Harvest (Marzen)
• Bear Republic – The Grizz (10% American Brown)
• Bear Republic – NorCal California Style Bitter
• Bear Republic – Racer X

According to Jerad, these should all be available this evening. He didn’t know what the Northern California Ale was and there is no record of it online. So I’ll guess we’ll just wait and see! Some information about the NorCal beer from John:

RateBeer has an entry for Bear Republic NorCal California Style Bitter that is listed as a 4.6% California Bitter session ale.

Thanks John!

The Mattingly Brewing Company continues it’s successful run of Peek-a-Brew Wednesdays this evening with two new beers from Head Brewer Drew Huerter.  Tonight Drew will be offering a 1984 Classic American Cream Ale on draft and a 90 Schilling on cask.  Drew describes the Cream Ale as a pre-Prohibition style cream ale on draft and the 90 Schilling as between an 80 Schilling and Wee Heavy at 6.6%

If you’re in the mood to celebrate the holidays by trying new beer, then you’re in luck.  According to the Mattingly Brewing Blog, they’ll be offering Peek-A-Brews on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve as well.

December 24th: Black Sky Stout Porter on draft and HOPtimal Munition APA double dry hopped on cask (as in dry hopped in the fermenter, then again, in the cask).

December 31st: 90 Schilling on draft and another cask of Double Dry Hopped HOPtimal Munition APA…plus some other surprises…possibly big ones!

These events are a lot of fun and you’re surrounded by a lot of STL Hops regulars. For those of you who haven’t been, check out some of the photos below to see what you’ve missed.

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