Update: Bad timing on my post yesterday! Alpine Beer Co. sent out a newsletter last night telling more about the brews I wrote about Friday, Ichabod and BORIS, as well as news on Alpine Duet and Alpine O’Brien’s IPA growler fills. Let’s just say I wish I lived within a half hour of the brewery right about now. Rather than attempt to paraphrase this particularly informative edition of the newsletter, click ‘Continue On!’ below to read the full edition (in the blogosphere, that “Continue on”/”Read More” link is also known as the “jump”). Anyway, I recommend that you visit the brewery website to get these updates directly.

Duet has made its triumphant return to the open market. Our main West Coast single IPA made with Simcoe and Amarillo hops in harmony is available for growler fills at the brewery. We also delivered some to San Diego Brewing, O’Brien’s, Pizza Port Carlsbad and Breakwater Brewing in Oceanside.

O’Brien’s IPA, our other West Coast single IPA is also available for growler fills at the brewery. I am late in releasing this news but hey, I’ve been busy. Busy drinking it too because it is so, so good. It should be around another week so don’t wait too long to fill those lonely growlers.

The next specialty beer to be released is our annual Halloween beer called Ichabod, named after the infamous fictional character Ichabod Crane from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” This is a beer that is different every year. We start with a different base beer but use the same special ingredients of Pumpkin, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. Last year’s version, a Belgian sour brown aged in red wine barrels, won the Gold Medal at the most prestigious beer judging event in the world, the World Beer Cup, in the experimental category. This year’s version will start with a Bavarian Dunkleweizen as the base beer and then we’ll add the special ingredients. Most of this beer will be bottles in 22 oz. amber beer bottles. We’ll release it just before Halloween, in late October.

In November is the release of Boris which is a Heaven Hill Bourbon barrel aged Imperial Coffee Stout. I used: Premium oak bourbon barrels from 10 year old 130 proof real Kentucky bourbon. A 10% abv Imperial Stout, some call them Russian Imperial, with British roasted malt and roasted wheat. Cold brewed specially blended coffee using French roast and chocolate roasted coffee beans personally ground and steeped. It is being aged over six months with love. I used super high-end malt I don’t use in my other beers, some rolled oats, maple syrup for flavor, smoked malt for complexity, caramel malts for a rounder flavor and chocolate malt for health. Most will be in 22 oz. bottles for easy transport. Pick some up for the comrades.

The expansion made a big leap towards completion with the pouring of several concrete slabs. A new 12’ X 20’ coldbox has a place to sit now and the chiller that keeps the new fermentors temperature regulated can be placed and plumbed as soon as the concrete hardens. Our “posting” of the sign you’ve all seen in the windows of places wanting to sell alcohol has passed it’s 30 day period with no complaints. That means in just about two months our license should be expanded to include the pub and outside beer garden area, yippee.

That’s enough for now. GABF coming early next month, wish us luck. Stay safe from the Alpine Brew Crew – Pat, Val, Shawn and Steve.