(Portsmouth, NH) – Peter Egelston, Owner of The Portsmouth Brewery and Smuttynose Brewing, just sent out a newsletter. Kate the Great and Gravitation release info is here. I’d hold back some but have come to realize these things get published verbatim on the boards so here goes…

Portsmouth Kate the Great

The next tapping of our famous Kate the Great Imperial Stout will take place on Monday, February 9, 2009, at precisely 1:14 PM. That’s 34 days, 12 hours, 21 minutes and 4 seconds from now, give or take.

We’ve changed the ground rules somewhat, so here’s the scoop:
· Approximately ten barrels were brewed, which will be divided evenly between bottles and draft. Bottles will be made available at the same time as the tapping, and not a moment sooner.
· Due to the high demand and limited quantity (about 900 bottles), we are limiting bottle purchases to two per person. This time, in order to spread the Kate love, we won’t be selling additional bottles to Pint Club members. Last June, we sold out our entire stock of bottles the first day, and we’re hoping to stretch things out a bit this time.
· No Growlers of Kate will be filled.
· Same as last time, we will issue numbers to people in the order in which they arrive. Your number holds your place in line, freeing you up to wander about freely until 1:14.
· If you’re just coming in for a glass of Kate and aren’t interested in purchasing bottles, don’t worry about arriving early or getting a number – we should have plenty of draft Kate, at least for a couple of days.

Portsmouth Kate the Great contest

In order to win a case of Kate, you must impress us and your fellow beer lovers with your literary prowess by authoring a beer-related poem, essay or short story.
· Works must be original and can be either about beer, inspired by beer or otherwise relating to beer.
· Seven First Prizes, single bottles of Kate, will be awarded to winners in the following categories:
– Poems: sonnet, haiku, limerick, ballad or free verse
– Essays: between 500 and 2,000 words
– Short fiction: between 500 and 2,000 words
· A Grand Prize of a case of Kate will be selected from among the First Prize winners.
· Entries will be read by a panel of local literary luminaries and barflies and will be judged for originality, adherence to form, and how much the panel likes them.
· Entries must be submitted by email, regular mail or in person by midnight on February 2, 2009.
· Winners will be announced on Kate Day. Winning entries will be posted on our website and displayed in our front window.
· Winners do not have to be present on Kate Day, but must pick up their prize in person by the end of February.
· Entries must have sufficient merit in order to receive a prize. In other words, if yours is the only sonnet submitted, you may not win simply by default; we reserve the right to withold prizes if no entries in any given category are deserving.

Smuttynose Gravitation Quad

^ (bigger label pic)

The next edition of our Big Beer Series, Gravitation is our Quad, due to begin shipping at the end of January.

We are on track to begin shipping to Georgia by the beginning of February, and to Florida shortly thereafter. (We’re still waiting on paperwork in both states.)

Our Star Island Single, currently available on draft in select locations, will be released in bottles in March. Stay tuned for more details.

And don’t forget about the Big Beer Series Subscriptions which are still available.  See if a friend or two will go in on it with you.