This guest post is the first part in a series showcasing the work of other beer bloggers. Nate does a fantastic job of covering the Nebraska beer scene at his Nebraska Beer Blog.
Here, Nate writes about the newest brewery in the state, Lucky Bucket Brewing. Some may be familiar with the name as Founder/Head Brewer, Zac Triemert, worked with Flossmoor Station and Fifty Fifty Brewing on Collaborative Evil, a well-received Belgian Strong Dark released in Illinois this past fall. I have attached an update at the end with a little more info on the beers coming in 2009. See Nate’s article below.
I had recently gotten a request for an update on
Lucky Bucket Brewing Company
and when we could expect to try their beer. I shot off an email to [Head Brewer] Zac T. and asked him if he could provide some details to further wet your appetites. He did more than that; he gave me a call and we talked for a bit about what is currently going on with Lucky Bucket, Solas Distillery and Upstream. He was very gracious and loaded me up and now I am going to download it to you.
First things first, I want to clarify some confusion on my part and probably on some of yours. Lucky Bucket is in no way a branch, subsidiary or in any way related to Upstream Brewing Company. Zac, Jason Payne a few other business partners have started a completely different company called Quaff that is the parent of Lucky Bucket Brewing Company and Solas Distillery. Zac and Upstream will continue to have a symbiotic relationship; however, Upstream is in no way financially involved. That was a big revelation to me. This is all Zac, his dream, his risk and money, so let’s be sure to support him with the same effort.
So who is brewing for Upstream now if Zac is on his own, well, Zac has been training his replacement, Mike Hall, who came from Oskar Blues in Colorado and comes with great potential and proven success. He was the creator of Ten Fidy, the latest canned beer from Oskar Blues, a Russian Imperial Stout. So he should fit in just fine.
Zac is almost on his own now and has been brewing test batches of beer for his first release. He is going to release a Pre-Prohibition Lager right out of the gate. He said he wanted to make an American Lager like it was when it had flavor. I applaud that effort and a good solid American Lager is a great thing and a great gateway beer for the non-geeks. It should be available at Whole Foods and Beertopia mid to late December.
His brewing operations are going to be at the Schilling Bridge Brewery and Winery [ed: Pawnee City, south of Omaha]. So the question is, is this a contract brewing deal? No it is not. Zac will be the brewer and will manage his beer all the way through the process. Schilling had excess capacity and Zac has worked out an arrangement to take advantage of that until he can build his own place.
After the Lager is released we will have to wait until Spring 2009 for the release of an IPA that Zac told me will blow our minds. I personally can’t wait for that! Then a few other beers will follow that are aging as we speak. His collaboration brew, Concentrated Evil, will have been aged over a year on oak and should be released in the Fall of 2009. He also wanted to remind everyone that an Ebenezer, that has been Oak aged in Cabernet barrels, will be released this month, so be on the lookout for that.
So it looks like we have a lot to look forward to. Websites for the companies will be up in the near future and I will let you know when. Solas Distillery should start up in March he hopes, delays on the construction of his still have set him back, and they should release Vodka in June 2009 and Rum in the Fall/Winter of 2009. Needless to say Zac unloaded on me and his enthusiasm was high and he can’t wait to get it going. Let’s go out and support a new Brewery like we have with our current ones.
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Update from Triemert:
Lucky Bucket Pre-Prohibition Lager
…will be released in draught-only on Jan 20 at the Crescent Moon in Omaha and will expand from there. We will be releasing 6-packs approximately 90 days after our first release. 4.5% ABV
Lucky Bucket IPA
(to be named)
…will come out in the spring or early summer. We don’t plan to rush the release as we plan to spend a ridiculous amount of time perfecting the recipe with a perfect hop/malt balance with terrific floral characteristics. It’s going to be pretty big too. This will be year round as well.
The Concentrated Evil is from the Collaboration, but our bottled oak-aged version will be release in Omaha-only for now.
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This guest post is the first part in a series showcasing the work of other beer bloggers. Nate does a fantastic job of covering the Nebraska beer scene at his Nebraska Beer Blog.
Why on earth would they lie on the label about where this beer is brewed and bottled? They have their address at the upstream out west but the beer is made and bottled in Pawnee City, not Omaha. I’m pretty sure this is aginst the law, they might want to check into this before they start selling it.
I would like to bring some clarity to Austin’s statements. And while there is a lot of detail and history to our company, here is the bottom line: we at Lucky Bucket Brewing Company are an Omaha company, licensed to brew by the federal government and the State of Nebraska as well as have our Federal Label (COLA) approval. Our corporate office is in Omaha and we are licensed as an “alternating proprietorship” at the SchillingBridge Winery and Microbrewery, which allows Jason, Brian and I to brew our beer there. This is a common practice for start-up breweries since building a brewery is so expensive. Some of the greatest regional and nationwide craft brewers have started out this way. Our legal address started out at Upstream Brewing Company because this was the planned site for the Sòlas Distillery. Our plans have changed and now we are building the distillery in an Omaha warehouse near I-80. This new plan gives us much more room to grow. This new location will also be home to Lucky Bucket’s new brewery. Until we are able to afford to build that new brewery, we will use excess capacity at the SchillingBridge Winery and Microbrewery. We don’t feel this makes our beer any less Omaha because we live in Omaha, office in Omaha, developed the beers in Omaha and can’t wait for the day to build our production facility in Omaha as well. We are brewing the beers ourselves, not contracting out the production. While we are brewing our beer for all Nebraskans, for the moment, the only place to get Lucky Bucket ‘pre-prohibition’ Lager is in Omaha.
Right now it is available at the Dundee Dell, 7-Monkeys, and the Qwest Center. In the next two weeks it will also be on tap at the Crescent Moon, Tanners, Two Fine Irishmen, Old Chicago (Old Market), Bill Frogg’s (Papillion), both Fox & Hound locations and the Homy Inn. We plan to release our beer in 6-packs in approximately 90 days. The release of our IPA should follow soon after.
I’m thrilled with how this beer has turned out. It is super drinkable (a true session beer, though with actual flavor), has a perfect hop/malt balance, and is dry hopped for a great floral aroma.
Please check out http://www.luckybucketbrewing.com . While we only have a splash page up, the full website is coming soon. Book mark it and watch for some fun stuff.
Cheers,
Zac
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I have to say I agree with Austin, your label is off putting in a way. Admittedly if I was starting a brewery I would do it the same way you guys are and I think what you are doing is pretty cool. I get that legally you can say the beer is brewed and bottled in Omaha because of the “alternating proprietorship” but you know and I know that its brewed and bottled in Pawnee City and that’s fine but as a customer I want to buy products from a company that is honest. It just seems you are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the citizens of Omaha. Also if you made the label while your location was at the Upstream where they have brewing equipment and you moved your head quarters to a location without brewing equipment does that “alternating proprietorship” rule still apply since its impossible for you to actually brew at the Omaha location. I really don’t care about where its made (as long as its in NE) or the legal justification for what you have on the label but if its brewed and bottled in Pawnee City just leave it at that.
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Bravo !!!!! Zac Keep it coming
Zac,
I tried your beer last weekend at the 94/95 Sports Grill. I wanted to tell you, it was one of the best beers I have ever tasted. Does anyone know of anyplace this beer can be bought?
Josh
Hi Josh, I will send you a quick email so that you can reach Zac directly. Cheers, Adam.
Got a sixpack at 84th street Hyvee here in Lincoln. Very good!
Will Omaha,NE, open brewery I worked for Anheuser Bush Inc. In St.Louis,Mo.for 17 yrs. And would be proud to work for this company please email where applications canbe filled out.
I was reading a article about lucky lager beer,and would like to know if a brewery is opening here in Omaha,NE., If so I operated fork lifts for ANHEUSER BUSCH,INC. For 17 yrs. loading and unloading trains as well as tractor trailers if jobs are open ,were could applications be obtain .