(Brooklyn Center, MN) – Presenting the 2010 label for Surly Darkness …

[9/3 Update: From the official Surly Facebook page, “We are gonna double the amount of bottles from last year, around 14,000 or so. There should be plenty at Darkness Day and for sale at local liquor stores. The bottles will be silkscreened as in the past and prints will be available at D-Day and on-line afterwards if any remain. See you then!”]

[10/20 Update: See below for release details. The brewery requests that those on Twitter use a #dday hashtag to report out on the day’s events. For gratuitous bottle shots, click HERE and HERE and HERE.]

OFFICIAL INFO ON RELEASE DETAILS (per Surly email newsletter):

Follow Surly Brewing on Twitter and Facebook for the latest.

-Darkness is being bottled, dipped and kegged this week!
-Darkness Day will occur this Saturday, October 23rd at Surly Brewing Company.
-Here are some of the details about Darkness Day 2010
-We will be selling about 7500 bottles of beer at the brewery on the 23rd.
-The first 1200 people in line will get wrist bands that allow them to purchase beer at Surly that day. Maximum number of bottles is 6 per person and $18/bottle. CASH ONLY!
-No rainchecks, holding bottles or any nonsense.
-Under 21 welcome with mom and/or dad.
-We will be selling another 7000 bottles of Darkness to local liquor stores starting October 25th. So if you can’t make it out on Saturday because of your kids soccer game, don’t worry, you can still purchase some.
-The gates to the brewery open up at noon on Saturday. The gates close at 6:00.
-Food will be available for purchase from the Chef Shack, Famous Daves, and the Salty Tart. CASH ONLY!
-Beer will be available for purchase at the brewery. CASH ONLY!
-Merchandise will be for sale at the brewery.
-Rain or shine. CASH ONLY!
-You will be able to leave your car at one of the local parking lots. Please plan on a ride or taxi if you need one.
-We will have bands playing – Kentucky Beltfight, Guzzlemug, Red Pens, Zebulon Pike.
-The brewery will be open for touring. If you want something to do during the day, bring a deck of cards.
-No, I don’t know when you should show up. It depends on when the other 1199 people show up.

ORIGINAL POST:

According to a brewery email sent in July, Surly Brewing‘s Darkness Day takes place on Saturday, October 23rd.

Click the pic for a bigger version.

Label copy: “The inception of Darkness was rather humble. In 2006, Todd Haug, Surly Head Brewer, told me he was going to brew twelve barrels of this Russian Imperial Stout. I wondered how we would ever sell 24 kegs of this giant brew to Twin Cities’ bars and restaurants. Given my faith in Todd, I did not stop him. Thank God. We soon heard of people pouring their beers into 12-ounce bottles, capping them and taking them home. Well, if bottles were what Surly Nation wanted, then bottles were what they would get! That year, two whole kegs -60 growlers- were sold.

In 2007, we ramped up production to 30 barrels, and Minneapolis-based artist, Adam Turman, designed the first label for a 750ml bottle. December 15th was the earliest we could label, fill and dip all 5,000 bottles: so we celebrated with bands, beer and donuts. We sold out quickly to the brave souls who weathered the cold to stand in line, and Darkness Day was born. In 2008, tattoo artist, Nik Skrade, designed the label and the event exploded ten-fold to 5,000 bottles. In 2009, local artist, Dave Witt was commissioned for the Darkness artwork, and the City of Brooklyn Center joined the party.

This year, Aesthetic Apparatus has designed the label and is beginning the new tradition of a yearlong series of original artwork for our beer. So, that’s how this humble little/big beer became the unexpected juggernaut you now hold in your hands. Let’s raise a glass to all the artists and beer geeks that have made it possible!”