Hess Brewing

Tiny Brewery in San Diego.

60 Gallon Batches of Beer.

Come share a pint.

Posts

April 18, 01:16 PM
FAC no. 11
March 12, 03:06 PM
St. Patrick's Day.
We are going to be having one heck of a St. Paddy's Day Party.

We will be having food from MIHO Gastrotruck & Tabe BBQ. 

We will have plenty of beer including Fors Hiberniae, our coffee-infused oatmeal stout, plus all of the regulars Amplus Acerba, Intrepidus, Grazias... and one reprised beer from the past, sure to be a hit.

Two live bands: Mudgrass opening until 3 pm, and are stoked to have big-time blues talent Robin Henkel and the Big Jam play 4pm till close!

Never a cover, all ages welcome.
February 08, 02:28 PM
FAC number 10 Poster.





































We are having the 10th FAC this month! It is hard to believe, but here it is: FEBRUARY 17th.

Music from 56 Hope.


We will have two brand new beers out too!
April 26, 03:17 AM
The Great Nanobrewery List: From CA to MA.

II have been looking into nanobreweries throughout the United States. I am actually surprised at the number of nanobreweries popping up all over. I don't even think there is a true definition* for a nanobrewery (although the TTB does address their existence).  If you have any further information regarding the following breweries and/or want to write up your own info email me. Cheers.
 
Current Count: 82 in Operation - 50 in Planning.

 Updates to the List: (as of January 4th, 2012)
To the Operational List:

Lost River Brewing Co. - from Wardensville, West Virginia.

M.T. Head Brewing Co. - from Graham, Washington.

Two Rivers Brewing Co. - from Easton, Pennsylvania.

WnR Brewing - from San Diego, California.

To the Planning List:
Short Snout Brewing Co. - Milwaulkie, Oregon.

Old Redwood Brewing Co. - from Windsor, California.

Operating Nanobreweries:
Ancient Lakes Brewing Co. - from Quincy, Washington
They brew on a 2/3 BBL brewhouse and hand package into 1//6th BBL Corny kegs and into 22oz bottles.
Angry Cedar Brewing Co. - from Nashville, Indiana.
Their website is under construction but it appears they are making beer.

Ambacht Brewing - from Hillsboro, Oregon
Meaning "Handmade" in Dutch this nanobrewery makes small batch beers that are all primed with honey! Tom Kramer is the brewer and is looking into a bigger system alreay.
Automatic Brewing Co. - from San Diego, California
Lee Chase of Blind Lady Ale House (and many other great breweries) fame has started a brewery in the back of BLAH and is brewing on a 2 Hectoliter custom fabricated brewhouse! Sex Panther indeed.
Backstreet Restaurant and Brewery - from Guayabitos, Mexico
They brew on a 20 gallon More Beer Tippy Sculpture. Viva la MexiNano!



Baranof Island Brewing Co - from Sitka, Alaska.
Brewing up in Alaska on a 1.75 BBL system, this operation is run by Rick and Suzan.


Barrier Brewing Co. - from Oceanside, New York
Barrier Brewing Co. is a 1bbl brewery located in Oceanside, NY. 


Bat Creek Brewery - from Bowling Green, Missouri
Bat Creek Brewery was established in late 2008. It is owned by Jeremy Gilbert and Ryan and Heather Daffron. Their humble operation is run out of a machine shed. They have five year round brews on a smaller than one barrel brew system. 


Battenkill Brewing Co. - from Poulsbo, Washington.
The “Battenkill” barn that houses our brewery in Poulsbo, Washington is reminiscent of the Yankee Style barns that have been built throughout the Battenkill Valley and is the perfect size for either a small craft brewery or dairy milking house. We chose the brewery!
Beaver Brewing Co - from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.
They are an artisan NANO-brewery.   Beaver Brewing Company has a 1.5 Barrel system that ensures that every beer is hand crafted.  Every batch is tested before it is bottled.
Beetje Brewery - from Portland, Oregon.
Beetje (\'bea-cha'\) is a Flemish word that roughly translates to "little", or "little bit". This brewery will live up to that notion for the foreseeable future.


Beer Engine - from Danville, Kentucky



They brew lots of small batch beers available for growler fills or tastes at the brewery.
Bier Brewery - from Indianapolis, Indiana. 



Run by Darren, they have already implemented a sour program! That is rad.

Big Woods Brewing Co. - from Nashville, Indiana.
A pizza shop with a BrewMagic in the back. 


Black Husky Brewing - from Pembine, Wisconsin
They brew seven types of beer on a Brutus system. That's about all I can garner from their website.














BlackRocks Brewery - from Marquette, Michigan
This location is built inside of an old four square house. They don't serve food but have lots of great small batch beer on hand.
Blind Bat Brewery - from Long Island, New York
Started on a 10 gallon kettle system and has recently upgraded to a 3 barrel brew kettle. It is run by Paul Dlugokencky.
Blind Pig Co. - from Champaign, Illinois 
Brewing starts in the SW corner, with the 62 gallon English style single infusion brewhouse. From there the 'wort' is pumped to the fermenters, either in the NW corner or in the back room, where it spends several weeks. 
Boxcar Brewing Company - from West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Founded in 2008 by cousins, Jason Kohser and Jamie Robinson. Boxcar began selling its Original Ale to local bars and restaurants in April of this year. The brewery was officially announced in May. It is owned and operated by Chester County residents Jason Kohser and Jamie Robinson and their wives, Kristen and Kymberly respectively.
Breakside Brewing Co. - from Portland, Oregon.
Breakside Brewery is the invention of Scott Lawrence and Tony Petraglia. Some mutual friends introduced the two after learning they both had a desire to leave their corporate jobs in order to pursue their dream of opening a brew pub. With limited knowledge, they jumped in head first and committed their minimal financial resources and made it happen.

Brewer's Union - from Oakridge, Oregon.
The Brewers Union Local 180 brewery has been adapted from the equipment belonging to the former Hawks Brewing Co. out of Roseburg. It features a propane-fired 3 US BBL. 
Brimstone Brewing Co. - from Ridgeway, Ontario, Canada.
Jason and Rod run this 0.5BBL brewery out of the Great White North. 


Cave Mountain Brewing Co - from Windham, New York
Located in a ski town they have a nice restaurant with great deals and great nanobrewed beers.
Chappel Brewing Co - from Mariposa, California
Chappell Brewery is a small one man operation created with the help of some friends. For now I only sell tasters and bottles out of the Tasting Room Shop.
Cocoa Beach Brewing - from Cocoa Beach, Florida.
A Family owned and operated brewery and pub. They brew on a 1.5 BBL system with three 1.5 BBL stainless steel fermentors.
Cooper's Cave Ales - from Glen Falls, New York
Not only to they make handcrafted ales but they make gourmet soda and ice cream as well!


Copper Kettle Brewing Co - from Millmont, Pennsylvania
They produce around 50 BBLs per year, or at least hope to.


Corcoran Brewing Co. - from Waterford, Virginia.
They brew on a 1/2 BBL system. 
Craft Brewing Co - from Lake Elsinore, California
Four home brewers have opened a great looking nanobrewery and appear to be brewing on a pair of brutus-style systems.
Cutter's Brewing Co. - from Bloomington, Indiana.









A small brewery run by two longtime friends. They bottle three beers: Monon Wheat, Half Court IPA and Lost River Summer Ale.


Dads N Dudes Breweria - from Aurora, Colorado.
They are brewing twice a day, seven days a week on their Brew Magic sculpture in the back of a pizza shop!





Dirty Bucket Brewing - from Woodinville, Washington.
A small brewery run by Steve, Sharon and Chris Acord that will be specializing in 4 standards and a rotating array of seasonal beers.


Draai Laag Brewing Co.  - from Millvale, Pennsylvania. 

Dunbar Brewing - from Santa Margarita, CA
Chris Chambers brews traditional Irish, Scottish and English Ales. He has a pub attached to the brewery where you can drink other beers as well.









Enegren Brewing Co - from Moorpark, California
A crew of nanobrewing captains: Chris & Matt Enegren and Joe Nascenzi. They brew on a 3 BBL system in Moorpark. Stop by and grab a pint or three!

Epic Ales Brewing - from Seattle, Washington
Located in SoDo ran by Cody Morris inside of a location previously used as a salon. He brews 1 barrel at a time.
Foggy Noggin Brewing - Bothell, Washington
Jim is brewing on a 1/2 barrel custom system.








Good Natured Brewing - from Hamilton, New York.
GNB is a nanobrewery located in Hamilton, NY. We handcraft fine-quality ales made from local hops and other fresh ingredients. 
Great South Bay Brewery - from Bay Shore, New York
Rick and Greg run this nano out of Bay Shore. 


Hank is Wiser Brewery - from Cheney, Kansas.
Brewing in the back of a pizza shop on a 3 keggle system.

Healdsburg Beer Co - from Healdsburg, California
My main man, Kevin McGee! There is more than enough wine in Healdsburg, just trying to level the playing field.








Idle Hands Craft Ales - from Boston, Massachusetts.
A Boston-based nanobrewery specializing in handcrafted, Belgian inspired ale.


Keg and Barrel Brew Pub - from Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Not only did they land on Draft Magazine's 150 best beer bars list they brew their own beer. Currently brewing on a homemade "Brutus Ten" with 30 gallon kettles all in a 120 square foot brewing area. They have two rotating taps for 26 brews yearly. The owner is John Neal and the brewer is Sam Sorrells. 
Keuka Brewing Co. - from Hammondsport, New York
Operated by Linda and Richard Musso.  It is the first Microbrewery on this breathtaking lake and the only microbrewery on the Keuka Lake wine trail. Surrounded by some of New York State’s best wineries, Keuka Brewing offers an alternate world-class epicurean experience for wary wine drinkers and beer connoisseurs alike. 
Lawsons Finest Liquids - from Warren, Vermont
Sean Lawson runs this one barrel brew system. Sean won a bronze medal at the World Beer Cup this year for his Maple Trippel.
Lefty's Brewing Company - from Bernardston, Massachusetts.
They brew on a two barrel vessel and have 16 barrels worth of fermentation space. 














Listermanns Brewing Co. - from Cincinnati, Ohio
Appears to be a online homebrew shop that brews small batch beer as well. 
Manchester Brewing - from Concord, New Hampshire
Brewmaster Kevin Bloom. They haven't updated their website since November 2009 so I am unaware if they are still operating, but let's assume they are...
Mattingly Brewing Co. - from St. Louis, Missouri
Not sure what size system they brew on, but apparently they are a nano brew pub.
Maine Beer Co. - from Portland, Maine
Maine Beer Company is a very small micro brewery located in Portland, Maine.  They don’t concentrate on any particular style of beer and donate 1% of their sales to environmentally friendly non-profits.
Milkman Brewing - from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.














A small operation made of beer lovers brought together by Chris Momberger. They are united by a common drive to make unique and intriguing beer, using hard work, the finest ingredients, and an insatiable curiosity.
Mt. Carmel Brewing Co - from Cincinnati, Ohio
Mike Dewey and his wife run this brewery... though their website is a bit hard to follow, I've been told they are in fact a nanobrewery.
Mt. Tabor Brewing - from Mt. Tabor, Oregon
Ran by Eric Surface and Brian Maher in the heart of the Montavilla business district he provides single barrel handcrafted ales to local restaurants.
Mother Earth Brew Co. - from Vista, California
Kamron and Daniel run this AWESOME home brew supply store and nanobrewery. They are currently on a 1.5 BBL system and make some tremendous beers. They also contract two of their beers from a local brewery.


New Boswell Brewing Co. - from Richmond, Virginia.
2.5 barrel open fire brewhouse with eight 3 bbl fermentors.





Mr. Grumpy Pants Brewing Co. - from Ouray, Colorado. 
They brew on a single barrel brew house. Good luck pronouncing their name!

Naked City Brewing - from Seattle, Washington
Don and Don run this three barrel DME system brewing exclusively for their Naked City Tap House.
Natian Brewing Co - from Portland, Oregon
Ian McGuinness and Natalia Laird are operating on a 1.3 BBL system while learning the ropes of the beer business. 
NW Peaks Brewing - from Seattle, Washington
NW Peaks Brewery is a” nano-brewery” located in Ballard.  They make less than one barrel of beer per batch. Instead of having a few flagship beers available at all times, we release two new beers each month. 


Oak Hills Brewing Co. - from Hisperia, California.
A tiny brewer located in Hisperia, California.


On The Tracks Brewing Co. - from Carlsbad, California.
A small family run brewery in Norther San Diego. Greg and Nicole are currently on a 1/2 BBL brew house.


Oyster House Brewing Co - from Asheville, North Carolina
They run on a 1/2 bbl Sabco Brew Magic system.


Parish Brewing Co. - from Lafayette, Louisiana.
Parish Brewing Co. was founded by Andrew Godley, an enterprising engineer who found beer fascinating.  In college at LSU he drank a lot of it.  Once a responsible adult, he decided to learn how to brew it.  This curiousity turned into a passion, which turned into extra fine beer - thus Parish Brewing Co. was born!
Piney River Brewing Co - from Bucyrus, Missouri 
Joleen and Brian Durham are renovating a 70 year-old barn in the Ozarks to house their nanobrewing facility. They are currently brewing on a 10 gallon Sabco Brew System.
Plan B Brewing - from Smithers, B.C. Canada
Mark Gillis and Glen Ingram run this nanobrewery out of the great white north. A strange brew indeed.
Red Jacket Brewing Co. - from Calumet, Michigan
They brew on a 1/2 BBL SABCO brewing system at their restaurant.














Rising Tide Brewing Co. - from Portland, Maine
Nathan Sanborn is a 90 gallon brewing operation out in Portland. They are distributing beer in 22 oz bottles throughout Southern Maine
Roth Brewing Company - from Raleigh, North Carolina.
Apparently they are very small. Hard to get any solid info from their site.


















Shipyard Emporium - from Orlando, Florida. 
This is a small brew pub that is run in conjunction with Shipyard Brewing out of Portland Maine. 


Slippery Pig Brewing Co. - from Poulsbo, Washington.
From what I can gather this is a small brewery in a residential area.
Steffan's Aldergrove Brewery - Tulalip, Washington
This guy is brewing on a 1/3 barrel system (re: 10 gallons), but he brews five days a week to make up for it. That reminds me of Dogfish Heads early days.
Squam Brewing - from Holderness, New Hampshire.
Squam Brewery is a small, one barrel craft brewery operated out of a barn in Holderness, NH. They brew in a 55 gallon BoilerMaker kettle which They've retrofitted with two 5000 watt electric heating elements.  They ferment in 42 gallon stainless conicals (Blichmann Fermenators). They sell their beer exclusively in 22 ounce bottles to stores in the Lakes Region. 
Three Barrel Brewing Co. - from Del Norte, Colorado
As their name would imply they are brewing on a three barrel system.



Twisted Vine Brewing - from Des Moines, Iowa
The unpretentious little 1 barrel operation is tucked within the beautiful Madison County Winery located 
in the picturesque hills and valleys of south central Iowa.
Valholl Brewing Co. - from Poulsbo, Washington.
Looks like they are brewing on a Sabco Brew Magic Sculpture. 


Vertigo Brewing - from Hillsboro, Oregon
Brewing on a one barrel system in a warehouse. Both are named Michael. That is eerily similar to our nanobrewery operation. 
Washingtonian's Brewing Co - from Washington, DC
Cabot Boyd brews a Belgian Tripple in the heart of DC. 
White Birch Brewing - from Hookset, New Hampshire
Bill Herlicka runs this one barrel brewery. Each batch is bottle conditioned and aged at the brewery.


Wild Wolf Brewing - from Nellysford, Virginia



Wit's End Brewing - from Denver, Colorado
An impossibly small Denver nanobrewery in planning fueled by dreams and inspired by the limitless potential of craft beer.

Wolf Hills Brewing - from Abingdon, Virginia
A one barrel brew system fermenting six barrels a week. You can stop by and fill up a growler if you like.
Woody's Nanobrewery - from Reno, Nevada
Pat Wlodarczyk runs this small neighborhood nano recalling a time when brewing was done by a community or family.
Worst Brewing - from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
They are based out of South Philadelphia and brews very exclusive batches of specialty beers. It was started when three friends decided it might be fun to take some interesting twists on various beer styles and realized they weren't the only fools who would drink it. 
Worth Brewing Co - from Northwood, Iowa
Brew on a 10 gallon Sabco system and fermenting in a 27 gallon conical.


Nanobreweries that give their beer away because they are awesome like that:
Elizabeth Street Brewing - from San Francisco, California
SlumBrew - from Somerville, Massachusetts 

Planning a Nanobrewery:
 510 Brewing - from Fremont, California
Looks like they are just getting into the game up in Fremont.


BarnHouse Brewery - from Lucketts, Virginia. 


Baying Hound Ale Works. - from Rockville, Maryland
Intend on brewing about 80 BBLs per year but looking to expand.
Beltane Brewing - from Novato, California
Alan Artha is looking to have his nano up and running by mid-2011. Good luck!
Black Acre Brewing Co - from Indianapolis, Indiana.
A small batch artisan brewery and tap room starting up in downtown Indianapolis with a focus on unique, specialty beers along with a few traditional favorites.


Black Heart Brewery - from Binghamton, NewYork.
They will be brewing on a 10 gallon brutus type system.
Black Shirt Brewing Co - from Centennial, Colorado.
They are going to be making small batch beer that is everything a beer should be. Plus they are awesome!
Brickyard Brewing - from Strasburg, Ohio
They will be producing 1 barrel batches for sale in 1/6th bbl, 1/2 gallon and 22 oz bombers. 


Bucks County Brewing Co. - from Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
They are looking for funds to get their dream started. "Crowd-funding" 
Cape May Brewery - from Rio Grande, New Jersey.
Ryan and Chris will be opening up Cape May in April of 2011!
Cardinal Brewing Co - from Nashville, Tennessee 
A small backyard brewery located in East Nashville. Hoping to move out of the brew shed and become Nashville's first official nanobrewery.

 Chattahoochee Brewing Co - from Phoenix City, Alabama
Planning on re-establishing a historical brewery in Russell County Alabama. For now I think he is brewing small batches.


Chino Valley Brewery - from Ontario, California.
This nano will be opening up in the near future in the Inland Empire. They definitely need more craft brews out there.


Clara St. Brewing - from San Francisco, California
Bioengineering researcher turned home brewer turned nanobrewery? Huzzah!














Community Beer Works - from Buffalo, New York
A group of seven guys working on the brewery. Our 1.5bbl brewhouse is being made as we speak now, we have a location and hope to file with the TTB by early January and, if things go well, be serving by the end of the year. We're also looking to take the 'community' part of our name seriously, using local ingredients and partnering with grassroots organizations when possible.
Cosmic Frog Brewing Company - from Buffalo, New York.
Planning a brewery in the greater Buffalo area. It looks like they have secured a location!


Country Boy Brewing  - from Lexington, Kentucky.
They will be a 1.5BBL nanobrewery and tap room.


Fountainhead Brewing Co - from Kansas City, Missouri 
The founders/brewers, Andy Robinson and Michael Ojo, have been steadily creating new and classic beers with the hope of one day opening a microbrewery and taking beer-making to a higher level.

Gilligan's Brewing Co - Seattle, Washington
Currently a closed nanobrewery, but they are looking for a new location up in Seattle in the near future.
Hellbender Brewery - from Columbia, Missouri.
Jarrett Crader and his partner have been brewing together for a year and a half and are getting ready to launch a Kickstarter project to attain initial funding.
Hibbleton Brewing Co. - Northern Kentucky.
Still in the planning stages. Just started a website.

Hop Yard Brewing Co - from Indiana, Pennsylvania.
They grow their own hops for their small batch brew system.
Little Giant Brewery from Anna Maria, Florida
Michael Wagner is starting a tiny brewery in Florida. There can never be too many Michael's in the brewing industry.














LouBrew - from Louisville, Kentucky
A couple of homebrewers trying to start up a nano in Louisville.


Mellody Brewing Co. - from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 
Plans to operate as a 2 bbl brewery creating custom beers in draft form, with delivery via firkins or pins in a ‘real ale’ format. Core real ale offerings would include a Belgian Single or Patersbier, a Rye Brown Ale and a Maple Porter.


Naked Brewing Co - from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

1.5 BBL system, located in Northeast Philadelphia, has passed its first hurdle and been approved by the TTB.  PA state liquor control board is next on the list.  Looking to distribute to local bars by late January 2012.


The New Republic Brewing from College Station, Texas
Two friends starting a nano brewery with hopes of growing into a large production brewery down in Texas. I wonder if a nanobrewery is bigger in Texas...

No Where Brewing Co - from North Shore, Massachusetts.
They will be producing a number of artisanal hand-crafter beers for north Mass.
Old Hangtown Beer Works - from Placerville, California
They do not have a website, but Michael Frenn appeared on an episode of the Brewing Network to talk about his plans.
Petaluma Hills Brewing - from Petaluma, California.
Just getting into the planning phase. Keep an eye out!
Plan 9 Brewing - Las Vegas, Nevada
A two barrel system run by Steve Howe, he will be hopefully open by September 2010.

 Pipeworks Brewing - from Chicago, Illinois
The partners in crime are currently overseas (I think?) working at a belgian brewery with aspirations to open a brewery in Chicago in the near-ish future. I'm not really sure if they are going to be nano or micro-sized.
Reformation Brewing - from Atlanta, Georgia.
They will be brewing on a 1-2 BBL system in a state with a three tier law. That'll make things a little tricky for them.
Rueben's Brews - from Seattle, Washington
We will be brewing our award winning ales on a 3 BBL system available only through our taproom, aiming for a mid 2012 launch in Seattle. 
Rocky Point Artisan Brewers - from Long Island, New York
Three home brewers with one dream. Respect.

Santiam Brewing Co. - from Salem, Oregon.
They will be brewing on a 3 BBL system build by Stout Kettles

Short Snout Brewing Co. - Milwaulkie, Oregon.
Going to be a small brewery in the suburbs of Portland Oregon. Pug lovers too!

St. Benjamin Brewing Co - from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 
A small brewery from the place which is always sunny. 

Throwback Brewing Co - from North Hampton, New Hampshire.
They will be attempting to create beers in the pre-prohibition style. 

Trillium Brewing - from Brookline, Massachusetts 
Really dedicated homebrewer who operates a great blog and has aspirations to get into the brewing world soon.
Two Kilts Brewing - from Beaverton, Oregon
They have not updated their site in a while, I hope the dream is still alive!































Two Trees Brewing Co - from Ventura, California
A small homebrewer based in Ventura, CA that has big dreams. My goal is to sell some of my handcrafted beer to local bars and restaurants. Ventura NEEDS some local breweries.


Urban Jungle Brewing - from San Diego, California.
A collection of home brewers working to get a new nanobrewery option going in San Diego!
Valiant Brewing Co  - from Lake Forrest, California.
Valiant Brewing Company is a small craft brewery planned for Orange County, California, in the Lake Forest/Mission Viejo area.


VanHouten Brewing - from Marin, California
Johnny and Creek Van Houten, a husband and wife team, are the mainstays of the operation. Johnny's dad, Tom serves as consultant and works with Johnny to perfect recipes. Between the two of them, they have almost 20 years of homebrewing experience.

Previously a Nanobrewery: Once a nano, always a nano in my opinion!
Breaker Brewing Co - from Plains, Pennsylvania
They have five year-rounds and two seasonal brews. They have now moved on to a 4 barrel system... hardly a micro but outside of my criteria. Good luck and keep on trucking!
Heater | Allen - from McMinnville, Oregon.
Rick Allen started on a tiny system and has worked his way up to a full scale brewery. Inspirational? Yes.
Schooner Exact - from Seattle, Washington
Started as a nano but have recently expanded to a 10 barrel brew system.
Seven Brides Brewing - from Silverton, Oregon
This company is named after the founder's seven combined daughters. Since they are eventually going to have to pay for seven weddings they figure they need to make at least enough money off this project to fund them. Now they have a 16 bbl brewing system.
Two Beers Brewing - from Seattle, Washington
They moved up to a 7 bbl system. Still they have an awesome website and are really nice guys.
*I'm going to define it as any brewing system 3 barrels or less.
November 08, 02:42 AM
SDBW Super FAC 2011
One final beer week event:


We've had a hell of a week here at Hess. Last year, we did two events: New Brewer's at Pizza Port OB and a Phil's BBQ Event. What a difference a year makes: This year we'll have participated in one total tap takeover, two pint nights & two brewmaster's dinners, tapped three casks, poured four kegs at Guild Fest and had our first beer poured at Stone. In all, our little nano-brewery put out some 13 barrels of beer for beer week. Not bad considering that in our first quarter of existence we only made 14 barrels in total!

Join us for a great time this Friday the 11th as we close out SD Beer Week 2011 with our November FAC. We'll have 11 beers up, including fresh batches of Intrepidus (off the taps since August!!) and Amplus Acerba, our 11.3% San Diego Pale Ale.

56 Hope providing the Reggae tunes starts at 5:30, Ranchwood the awesome food (if you haven't tried it yet, come hungry, you will not be disappointed) will be here around 4.

Cheers to Beer Week and cheers to you! See you Friday.
September 27, 11:49 PM
2nd Annual OktoberHess
Oktober 15th, Saturday, Noon until 6 p.

Hard to believe, but true! It is time already for our 2nd Annual OktoberHess Festival.


We are bringing back our Festivüs Düsseldorf Altbier: The darker and hoppier rival of the Kölsch. A top fermented ale with lager-eqsue characteristics caused by the low temperature fermentation of the region. This is a “Sticke” variation which means it has a more complex flavor profile and a higher alcohol content, our is 6.8%.


We are also bringing out a new beer, we will be brewing up a batch of Scotch Ale: This is a full bodied, rich, and malty ale. To increase the wort gravity, carmelized sweetness and Maillard reaction, we boiled down the first 15 gallons of mash running to less than 7 in a secondary boil vessel (AKA Rhino's Keggle). This should be an ideal beer to sip as San Diego cools down from a scorching 72 degrees to a chilly 68 degrees.


We will also be having traditional Oktoberfest bites: Bratwurst, Giant Pretzles, Frankfurters with Sauerkraut and Mustard from our buddies at Ranchwood All Natural BBQ.
Ranchwood.
We are currently on the lookout for a traditional Oompah Band. If anyone has any leads let us know!

Wanted: Traditional Oompah Band.

September 22, 04:09 PM
FAC6 Poster.
September 08, 04:01 PM
FAC to fight MS.
At the next Friday Afternoon Club we will be donating $1 of every pint served to fight Multiple Sclerosis. 

Meet Ian. He is a retired, disabled U.S. Navy veteran who lost the use of his legs after being diagnosed with a mysterious muscular disorder.

He also happens to be 30 years old, the father of a 3 year-old boy, a tattoo artist, a poster artist, a DJ and a Poli-Sci major at UCSD. His disability hasn't slowed him down in the least. He is an avid hand-cyclist and his drive, determination, attitude and enthusiasm is an inspiration to everyone who knows him. He hails from Minneapolis, Minn. and has been a San Diego resident for the past 11 years. His mother, who has been a pillar of hope and strength to him during the last 9 years of this mysterious illness, was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis after suffering what was thought to be a brain aneurysm. Ian has decided to show his mother the same kind of love and support she has shown him by helping fight her disease by taking part in the two-day Bike to Finish MS Bay to Bay Ride on October 22 and 23, 2011. He is now raising money through donations and sponsorships and will ride 150 miles in her name on his hand-cycle from Irvine to San Diego. 


We are trying to get Ian's name and his cause out to a wider base of supporters by helping to sponsor him. And this year he will not ride alone, since several friends and family have signed up to ride with him. The Quichrbichn jerseys are great and if you want to buy one, contact us directly.
This year, any shirt sold from now until the race is over, means proceeds to Ian's cause. 
Make sure you come support him during the race. Look for more details to come regarding the course, the shirts and where we'll be. Don't forget to check out our facebook page for the latest info.
September 08, 05:22 PM
Anno Unum: Our 1st Anniversary.
It's been one year in the making and we're finally ready to release our first packaged beer, and we think it was worth the wait. 


Anno Unum is our latest creation, an Imperial IPA fermented with a Belgian yeast strain, hopped with distinctly US hops (Chinook and Falconer's Flight) and, in a throwback to tradition of IPAs from yesteryear, it is oaked.

It is also delicious and at 9.2%, it lacks for little.


We packaged this beauty in a 750 mL bottle, capped it and waxed the top, and just to make it special, each label is individually numbered, 001 through 200. 
Digital Mock Up.
That's right, there are just 200 of these. So how do you get one? 


Click on this Link!



Bottles go on sale WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10th, at High Noon. $25 each, limit two per person.


We are also having a little party on Saturday, August 13th from 12:00-6:00 PM.


More information available here.



July 28, 02:19 PM
Anno Unum Poster
One with the Beer.
July 13, 10:44 PM

Friday, July 22nd 4pm until 8 pm
F.A.C. = Friday Afternoon Club

Summer is well underway and FAC is warming up! We again invite all our friends, fans and friends of fans for an afternoon of live entertainment, killer barbecue and terrific craft beer at FAC5. Never a cover. Always a blast. 

The July edition of FAC features:

The Barnacles : Back at Hess for some jammin' tunes.

Some serious gnoshing from our friends at Rotisserie Affair.

And as always Hess Brew! We should have a fresh batch of Jucundus, our Honey Orange Wheat up, as well as your favorites PLUS will be releasing our Robust Porter (name TBD) in two varieties: One is straight up Robust Porter. The Second is a Coffee & Tea Collective beaned version with ample amounts of freshly roasted organic Bolivian coffee beans.

Click Here or on the flyer below for a large version, print it out and pass out to your friends! 


New to this event will be the introduction of tables, chairs and shade! Feel free to bring your own however.
Finally, we would be remiss to not address the other line - that for the bathroom, so look for a PortaJohn to be set up on site to help alleviate the need...

As usual, bring your Hess Brewing honest-pint pub glass and a chair to relax in if you’d like to sit outside our venue.
One final note: we continue to look for bands - so singer-songwriters, indie bands, blues dudes - if you are looking for a venue, or if your friend's band is looking for a venue, look no further - we'd love to feature you here at Hess Brewing! Send an email to mike@hessbrewing.com if you're interested!

FAC5 – It's July. Time to get to Hess!
July 15, 02:49 PM
AB 1014 (Fletcher) - Drink Local!
As anyone following our blog can recall, a while back we hit a HUGE snag in opening up Hess Brewing when we tried to get approval from the local health department... AND you may remember the health department realizing they had never regulated a brewery's tasting room in San Diego's long and storied history of brewing.  After they realized their mistake they decided to finally "regulate" a number of local breweries; this created a quite the brouhaha. 

Thanks to support (and righteous fury) from local breweries and local beer drinkers, the San Diego Department of Environmental Health (DEH) decided to call up the California Department of Health who proceeded to tell them they did NEED to regulate breweries since they were similar to wineries. It was at their discretion. The San Diego DEH backed off and the brewing world in San Diego has been peaceful ever since.

Unfortunately for our brothers and sisters up north, that is, every other county other than San Diego, they still have to conform to some very unnecessary and expensive rules. Check out Enegren Brewing's blog to see what other counties still demand.

Fortunately after our go-round with the DEH we decided to contact our local rep, Nathan Fletcher, and see if he couldn't do something about the great divide between wineries and breweries in terms of Department of Health language. 


From Nathan Fletcher's Office:

The bill will be headed to the governor next week, and we want to ensure that he understands how important this bill is to the industry. AB 1014 removes the requirement that brewery tasting rooms comply with the same requirements as restaurants (industrial sinks and plumbing, raised appliances, special paint, etc) when only beer and snacks are served. Wineries received this exemption some time ago, but breweries were not included. The bill exempts beer tasting rooms from those food facility regulations, instead creating a requirement that glasses are cleaned between uses (the bill’s sponsor, the California Small Brewers Association, agreed to take that amendment at the recommendation of Senate Health Committee)

To help support this effort feel free to copy the following quote just fill in the date and your name and mail it to: 

State Capitol, Suite 1173, 
Sacramento, CA 95814 
ASAP!

DATE


Legislative Affairs

Governor Edmund G. Brown

State Capitol, Suite 1173

Sacramento, CA 95814


Re:            AB 1014 (Fletcher) – Request for Signature


Dear Governor Brown,


On behalf of California Craft Beer Drinkers, I write to express our strong support for your signature on Assembly Bill 1014, which would greatly improve the regulatory oversight of craft brewery tasting rooms.


I would appreciate this important effort from the legislature to align beer tasting safety regulations with those for wine tasting. Current law requires breweries to expend significant resources to be compliant with regulations written for restaurants and food preparation facilities, regulations that have no relation to the health and safety of customers in a tasting room. Assembly Bill 1014 aligns beer tasting regulations with those for wine tasting, improving customer safety while lowering costs for local breweries.


This bill will greatly help my local breweries and California’s burgeoning microbrewery industry continue to provide great products, jobs, and tourism opportunities across the state. I, as a local consumer, strongly support these legislative efforts and urge a signature for Assembly Bill 1014.


Sincerely,


NAME


July 20, 01:40 PM
Comic Con
I just had to showcase our sweet Comic-Con flyer.
June 07, 12:56 PM
F.A.C. #4


Friday, June 24th, 4-8PM
FAC is Friday Afternoon Club

June gloom? June schmoon. It's never gloomy here at Hess, especially when the craft beer is flowing, you're getting your groove on with Andrew Fodor and the Psydewinders (back by popular demand!) and your belly is full of delish BBQ nachos and pulled BBQ sandwiches.
Our monthly event, FAC, we again invite all our friends, fans and friends of fans for an afternoon of live entertainment, killer barbeque and terrific craft beer at FAC4.
Heck ya, that's a slide guitar...
Like all previous FACs, we continue to fine-tune the process of putting a delicious beverage in your hand. So, enter the return of the TICKET BOOTH, where you can buy tickets outside, and exchange them for beer on the inside. For those of you who were there at OktoberHess, you'll recall we used this back then and it worked well. No money will be exchanged inside the brewery, just tickets and beer.

In addition to Delta Blues and Barbeque, we also are stoked to announce the much anticipated re-boot of Jucundus, our refreshing honey orange wheat ale. 5.25% never tasted so yummy.




Finally, we would be remiss to not address the "other" line - that for the bathroom, so look for a PortaJohn to be set up on site to help "alleviate" the need...
BBQ - it's not just for breakfast anymore...
Meat lovers and vegetarians alike, take note: Tony and his crew are back with some of San Diego’s best BBQ and they will be serving up some vegetarian-friendly chow as well. Ranchwood will feature their world famous BBQ parfait, barbeque nachos, tri-tip and other assorted great eats.

As usual, bring your Hess Brewing honest-pint pub glass and a chair to relax in if you’d like to sit outside our venue.


Print this out and post at work! Invite your friends!!
One final note: we continue to look for bands - so singer-songwriters, indie bands, blues dudes - if you are looking for a venue, or if your friend's band is looking for a venue, look no further - we'd love to feature you here at Hess Brewing! Send me an email at mike@hessbrewing.com if you're interested!

FAC4 – Just say NO to June Gloom and Yes to Hess at Hess Brewing.
May 20, 01:59 PM
F.A.C. #3
Friday, May 20, 4-8PM
Mark your calendars – FAC3 is this week!
Come out to Hess Brewing this Friday to celebrate Craft Beer Week. While you're there, sign our GIANT Declaration of Beer Independence!
I do declare....
Our monthly event, we again invite all our friends, fans and friends of fans for an afternoon of live entertainment, killer barbeque and terrific craft beer at FAC3.
For our third FAC, we've made even more improvements as the evolution continues! For starters, we’re sliding the band to the right, now starting at 5 pm to make sure they stay late (till 8!) so you can all enjoy the tunes longer. Big thanks to The Barnacles!

Second, we’re featuring several new beers, including a special release (just one keg) of Lucidus, our collaboration beer brewed with homebrewer Kelsey McNair for the AHA convention in town next month. This is a 4.5% ABV session German Rye Pilsner.

Also up will be Trinitas, our Belgian Strong Pale, clocking in at a smooth 10.10%. Spiced with three mystery kettle additions, the straw-colored ale is estery and yummy and oh, so Belgian-y.

Finally, our Glen Falconer tribute beer, Venator, a hoppy Imperial Red, with four kettle hop additions and dry hopped with Faconer’s Flight hops, a proprietary Pacific Northwest hop blend. 9% ABV and using an imperial IPA hop schedule.

COME HUNGRY!
Tony and his crew are back with some of San Diego’s best BBQ. Ranchwood will feature their world famous BBQ parfait, tri-tip and other assorted great eats.

As usual, bring your Hess Brewing honest-pint pub glass and a chair to relax in if you’d like to sit outside our venue.

One final note: we continue to look for bands - so singer-songwriters, indie bands, blues dudes - if you are looking for a venue, look no further - we'd love to feature you here at Hess Brewing! Send me an email at mike@hessbrewing.com if you're interested!


FAC3 – celebrate Craft Beer Week and unwind after a hard week at Hess Brewing.
April 04, 12:03 PM
Tax-Day F.A.C. Bigger, Badder, Better.

Friday, April 15th, 4-7PM

Mark your calendars - FAC is back. As promised, Hess Brewing is hosting all our fans for an afternoon of live entertainment, killer barbeque and terrific craft beer. Bigger, badder and better - two taps for all the beers means no long wait. Sorry about that last time - we were overwhelmed by your response, but we think we've got it figured out now! Tell your friends and bring 'em out.

 The Fab Lushes will be providing two live sets, the first will be at 4 PM. A well-blended cocktail of an act that will cut you a slice of groove with a side of tasty licks. Music has never sounded so good as it does mixed into a tall, cool drink of blues influenced rock'n'roll.

The Fab Lushes
Back again by popular demand is Tony and his crew from Ranchwood All-Natural Deli, featuring their world famous BBQ parfait and other assorted goodies.
Say, is that a meat parfait you're holding?

April 15th is Tax Day, so this will be Tax Free* F.A.C. We will pay your taxes on pints! Ok, sure, the government extended it this year to the 18th, but we can't have FAC on Monday. So, 50 cents off all your pints between 4 and 7 in your Hess Brewing pub glass. Bring your glass!

Tax-free pints in this glass on the 15th

We're still looking for bands, so singer-songwriters, indie bands, blues dudes - if you are looking for a venue, look no further - we'd love to feature you here at Hess Brewing! Send me an email at mike@hessbrewing.com if you're interested!
FAC - unwind after a hard week and have a blast with Hess.


*TTB/ABC we will still be paying our taxes too, don't worry!
March 07, 02:50 PM
St. Paddy's Day Stout
St. Patrick's day is right around the corner. Corn beef, leprechauns and green beer. Who doesn't like green beer? So guess what, we're doing green beer this year - with a twist though, naturally. Not of the green algae variety like our delaware-based compatriots.

Into our lucky pot o' gold, I mean, mash tun, we combined light and dark malts, a dozen or so pounds of oats. We added a variety of hops to the kettle and allowed fermentation magic to happen, but for old St. Patrick that wasn't enough. We decided to add nearly 4 pounds of coffee beans to the mix post-fermentation as well. How is it "green" you say? It's 100% Organic, all the way through. We might not be wind-powered but this is the greenest beer we've ever made.
100% Organic, hops and all.
Seven Bridges Cooperative, specializing in organic brew ingredients supplied the malt and the hops (even though the organic label does not require organic hops until 2012!) - but the coffee we sourced locally.


San Diego's newest coffee roasters Coffee and Tea Collective stopped by on the 23rd to "dry-bean" our coffee with us. Before we could add the coffee to the fermenter though, we had to have a cupping of course.

Hand-powered, Ceramic Grinding.
They hooked us up with the Ethiopian Harar bean less than 24 hours after they roasted it at their pico-roaster. It provides an enormous coffee aroma and flavor. If you like stouts and/or black coffee this beer will be right up your alley, main thoroughfare and side streets ahead.

Japanese Siphon Brewed.
So, what's it all mean? On Saturday the 19th, we're celebrating St. Patrick's Day at Hess. Music, food, all our awesomely regular beers and Fortuna Hiberniae (Luck of the Irish). We're even trying something new - nitrous. That's right, we're souping up this concoction with a 30 pound boost of nitrous-dioxide, all for your drinking pleasure.

That's fresh, baby.

We're making changes here at Hess, and one of them is better flow at the taps. We'll have two taps for all the beers up (including one regular tap for Fortuna and one on the nitro) so the line for beer should be at a minimum. We're trying our best to make sure you have a great time. To that end, we're bringing back Family Wagon who rocked for us at our grand opening back in August. For food this time we will have BBQ Republic featuring the following:
Babyback Ribs.
Two Pulled Pork or Chick BBQ Sliders, Two Pulled Pork or Chicken Tacos, or Three Meaty Babyback Ribs all feature BBQ beans on the side.

So from Noon till 6:00PM, bring your glass, a chair if you want to and let's celebrate St. Patrick's life and death.

March 18, 10:54 AM
A Blog About a Blog About Another Article About Another Article
Perplexed about the title?


A few weeks ago I received an email from Bob Batz Jr. of The Pittsburg Post-Gazette. Bob was wondering if he could reference our "Great Nanobrewery List" for an article he was writing about some up and coming Philly nanobreweries.


It was a fun list to compile over the last 18 months and I think it has been well received.


But then on Friday Beer Briefings scribe, John Holl, read about his Brewer's Association Craftbeer.com article being quoted and he had this to say about it:
Confused by the headline?
A few weeks ago I wrote an article for Craftbeer.com about the growing trend of nano breweries in the United States.
It was a lot of fun to write and I think it was well received.
On Thursday, friend of the Beer Briefing Julia Herz sent me an email with a link to an article in the Pittsburg Post-Gazette on the rise of nano-breweries in the Keystone State.
....
I love it! It’s an article quoting an article. Now, I’m mentioning it on the blog.
It’s all about sharing the news about good beer.
Now, we just need to see if we can get someone to write a blog about this blog which is about an article inside an article…
I love it! It's a blog quoting an article quoting another article. I couldn't help but take up his torch and continue to quote a quote of a quote. While I'm at it I'll include my quote from the Post-Gazette for prosperity's sake.


From the Philly Post-Gazette:

Michael Skubic, of Hess Brewing Co., "San Diego's first licensed nano-brewery," keeps a list of other nanos on its blog, hessbrewing.blogspot.com. As of the end of February, he was tracking 54 in operation and 39 in planning (including Saint Benjamin Brewing Co. in Philadelphia).
"It does appear to be a trend with no clear end in sight," he says, noting that "there are probably dozens more of active 'nano' breweries that I have not found yet."
Of course some little breweries don't stay little for long. Since Mr. Skubic started "The Great Nanobrewery List: From CA to MA" a year and a half ago, he's seen numerous ones outgrow his three-barrel definition of a nano.
Now it's official. It's a blog quoting a blog quoting an article about another article. So hopefully the title makes sense.

But I plan to further deepen this rabbit hole by quoting Jon's original article here as well:



"It's got to be a side job," said Mike Hess the brewer and president of San Diego's Hess Brewing, which produces about 1.6 barrels of beer per batch. "Producing this low of a volume of beer wouldn't support many lifestyles or raising a family."
Hess, who works in the financial services industry, opened his nano-brewery in July 2010. He estimates that he spends about 20 hours a week brewing in an 800-square-foot garage that also serves as a tasting room.
All joking aside. It is pretty awesome how many nanobreweries are in planning and/or opened throughout the USA and beyond. I have a few more to add to the list this month!


Now if I could just get someone to re-tweet about the tweet I am about to tweet about this blog...


Read John's full article here and Bob's full article here.


Cheers Bob and John!
February 21, 12:46 AM
We're Starting a New Tradition: FAC
F.A.C. = Friday Afternoon Club
When I was a student at dear old CU (that's University of Colorado, Boulder - the one where they filmed Mork and Mindy in the end zone), I fell in love with Craft Beer during my senior year. Walnut Brewery (the original Rock Bottom) opened their first location about a mile from my rental house. They were an instant hit with me and my friends and we couldn’t believe the great beer coming from their taps.
Where it all started for me.

However, long before I fell in love with Devil’s Thumb Stout, I drank my unfair share of cheap yellow beer and a lot of that was consumed on Friday afternoons, out on the terrace at the UMC (the student center). FAC we called it. I understand that now that CU is essentially a dry campus (officially speaking anyway), there is no more FAC – or certainly not what it was when I was there. Hundreds of us soaking up the sun, drinking from plastic cups, jamming to bands like Big Head Todd or The Samples.
Site of many years of the original FAC, the UMC terrace. Good times.

I hadn’t thought much about FAC since I left CU back in ’90, until summer before last when I was vacationing in Vail with my family and found out that Vail had FAC up on top of the mountain. Everything I had remembered about FAC…beer, music, sun, and hundreds of friends. I knew then I had to bring FAC to San Diego. So we are.

Starting Friday the 25th of February, FAC comes to Hess Brewing. And, if we can keep up, and you like it, we’ll do it again in March, and April, and May – well, you get the idea. For now, we’ll keep it reasonable - one Friday a month. Live music, food, hundreds of friends, sun … but instead of Duff or Duff lite, we’ll have Hess Brewing craft ales (and maybe the occasional guest tap, too).
The new F.A.C. site: The Hess Brewing "Terrace"

At our first FAC we'll be featuring $3 draughts for three hours - from 4 until 7 pm - but only in our Hess Brewing pub glasses. Already own a glass? Great, bring it. We'll fill it for $3. Don't own one yet? No problem, for $8 you get your own honest pint keeper full, and refills are $3. FAC at CU was all about the plastic cups; this one is not. So bring your glass!


Ranchwood Deli and Catering (who rocked it for us at OktoberHess) will be reprising their role as food purveyor extraordinaire and we've got two music acts lined up. Psydewinders, a local trio playing Delta Blues will be providing the main groove, and during their set break, local acoustic guitarist Kevin White will keep the vibe going.

(By the way, singer songwriters, indie bands, blues dudes - if you are looking for a venue, look no further - we'd love to feature you here at Hess Brewing!)

We're still open our regular hours too, but come to FAC and have a blast.
January 14, 04:08 PM
Nano Spotlight: EPIC ALES - Seattle, WA
I had the good fortune of visiting Cody Morris's Epic Ales while on a trip to Seattle last month. Cody brews one barrel batches of beers using extremely interesting gastronomically inspired ingredients. My personal favorite (though they were all quite enjoyable) of the four beers he had on tap was his Terra-Saurus, a Shitake Mushroom brewed beer, that is wonderfully complex, perplexing and highly satisfying. If you find yourself in Seattle on a Friday between the hours of 3:30 and 8:00 PM do yourself a favor, stop in to say "hello" and have a drink.

This is the first in my hopefully many Nano Spotlights. Never mind the bullocks, here is the interview:

Cody Morris, EPIC Ales
What made you decide to take the leap into opening your own brewery?
I fell in love with brewing my last year of college, I finished with a BA in philosophy and history. That gave me a lot of room career-wise. I noticed that few people in the brewing industry had degrees in brewing, so I figured I could learn on the spot via a job. I ended up at a homebrew shop for a few years, which was great. From there I worked with wine, specifically pairing food with it. I decided I wanted to make food friendly brews to help compliment the growing food consciousness that is happening across the US. The recession was very real and very scary and my idea was pretty left field so I decided to start small.
Epic Bottling Line
What was the most difficult aspect of opening Epic Ales?Paperwork. I'm what a lot of people call a right-brained personality. I can focus on cleaning a tank perfectly but I hate paperwork. Luckily this year I have a book-keeper. I think as a business grows, the most difficult part will be delegating tasks to other people. At this point in time I need to remind myself that with trust in others I can have a day off.


31 Gallon Ferminators


You ferment beers using a very interesting yeast, could you go into detail on how you got started using it and why?
I use a sake yeast. It's called #9 or the Fuji strain. I began using it in my super experimental homebrewing phase. I fell in love with it. It's very dry, Simply Summer finishes at 1.002. Depending on the temperature you get totally different flavor profiles. This is true of all yeast. However, few taste good when fermented up to 115 degrees. I love how Belgian brewers use their yeast as a medium for distinguishing themselves from the neighbors. I never want to copy the great beers of Belgium but I'm certainly influenced by their embrace of the unique. I always tell people my beers are Belgian inspired, not Belgian.

Future plans for Epic Ales?
Growth! I love being a nanobrewery, and I would never change how I started Epic Ales. When I first opened I talked to Matt at Schooner Exact who started on a 1/2 barrel system, he flatly told me I'd want a bigger system in less than a year. He couldn't be more right. It's not that I want to be the next Deschutes or Stone. But I'd love to have a 4-10 bbl system with a cafe. It'd be great to cellar something, I'd love to get a bunch of barrels and play with sours. I hope to in the next year have a location where you can get a pint and some amazing grub that pairs with it. Beer Tapas.


Brothers in Tiny Arms.
What has been your favorite part about opening up Epic Ales?
The amount of support has been breath-taking. Not just from other brewers, but from the beer drinkers of the sound. When you make beers as kooky as mine, you'd think people would have to dare each other to try it. Folks are really into exploring what beer can do and with the home brew culture being so strong I get bottles from local homebrewers all the time. It's really cool. The retailers have been amazing as well. I just brewed Full Throttle Bottles 3rd anniversary beer. It's a beautiful rich sweet stout. The level of excitement on such projects is wonderful to be part of. Also naming a beer after my dog was pretty cool.


#End Transmission 
December 18, 03:51 PM
Ordeum Rex
Ordeum Rex
Barley Wine
King of Barley.
This high alcohol, highly hopped barley king is a rare treat. Made with 100% barley, meaning no adjunct sugars. It is malty, hoppy and strong.  We only managed to brew 25 gallons of this beer due to its large grain bill and extended boil down. Coming in at 133 IBUs to balance the high malt bill it is a pleasant drinking experience.  Served only in our specialty 8.45 ounce tear-drop goblet.

OG 1.108 – 
11.5% ABV –

133 IBUs

December 06, 07:05 PM
TapHunter Award Celebration!

Thanks to all our fans' and friends' support we managed to take second place in the first annual TapHunter SD Brewery Awards. Read more about it on WestCoaster SD.


Because of this we decided that we will be having a party this Friday the 10th from 6-8PM.

Show up early as TABE BBQ will be there at 5PM selling their AMAZING tacos.
Stoked!

In a show of appreciation to the other breweries that won the award alongside us we will be having three guest beers from them on tap.

Stone Smoked Porter:
53 IBUs - 5.9% ABV

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA:
70 IBUs - 7% ABV

AleSmith Grand Cru:
N/A IBUs - 10.5% ABV

More information is available here at the TapHunter Facebook Event Page or at ours.

See you there!
November 04, 11:54 PM
What's On Tap?

I know there is a lot of chatter around the interwebs and/or water cooler about what there is to drink at Hess Brewing at any given time. There have been traditionally two ways to find out. a) Call us (619 887 6453), or, 2) Come in and find out.

But now, thanks to the inspired idea from Jeff and Melanie Gordon you now have a third option: TapHunter.com

More specifically our page on TapHunter.


So, if you find yourself thinking, "Self, I wonder if Hess has that awesome (insert your favorite Latin beer name here) on draught?", wonder no longer. Just check out TapHunter. We'll do our best to keep our tap list 100% accurate. And, if we run out or add something new to our handles we'll get it up on TapHunter minutes later.

And if that isn't crazy enough, check out this ridiculous-nutso video by TapHunter and our friends at WestCoasterSD.


October 26, 08:37 PM
OktoberHess 2010
Our 1st annual Octoberfest Party is this Saturday the 23rd from Noon-6PM.

We will have a new seasonal beer on tap!
For the Rest of Us.
Festivüs Düsseldorf Altbier: A traditional rival of the Kölsch. A top fermented ale with lager-eqsue characteristics caused by a low temperature fermentation of the region. This is a “Sticke Alt” variation which means it has a more complex flavor profile and a higher alcohol content, 6.8% ABV.

Ranchwoods All Natural BBQ will be outside the brewery with a great authentic line-up for you too!
Beer Basted Bratwurst with Sauerkraut or Onions.
Giant Pretzels with German Mustard.
Frankfurters.
Kielbasa with Sauerkraut and German Mustard.
German Potato Salad.
Black Forest Chocolate Cookies.

These will all pair great with our German-style beers and Ex Umbris should go quite nicely with the Black Forest Cookies.


And like our opening, great tunes from The Barnacles!!!

October 13, 09:24 PM
Squaring Up.
Will that be Cash or Credit?

If you’re like Mike and me, the only thing you use your wallet for is to hold all your plastic cards and your driver’s license. Your pockets, otherwise, are full of your car keys, lint and maybe an odd wadded-up credit card receipt or two from lunch and the gas station…


Cash? What’s cash? Well, visitors to Hess Brewing well know that cash has been the only accepted exchange…but that’s all changed now!

We’ve been waiting patiently since June to get hooked into “the next thing” for small businesses, courtesy of Twitter’s founder, an app called Square. After signing up this summer and validating our bank account (by making a couple of small, 13 and 21 cent deposits) Square put Hess Brewing in the queue.

Works on iPad, iPhone and Android.


Fast forward 4 months…and guess what shows up!? Our very own "Square Reader". This little gizmo-jobber (technical name) or whatever you want to call it is a plastic, dice-shaped cube that plugs into our Smart Phone (Michael: iPhone, me: Android) or the tasting room’s iPad headphone jack.


Seriously, that's it. The Magic of Square.


Through the magic of the interweb thingy, information is transmitted from a credit card swipe into a signal that Square then approves, charging the user’s card. A day or two later, Square ‘squares’ up with us, transferring money into our bank account.


We should mention the killer interface that the folks at Square put into the iPad app. We have set up our iPad as a POS – a point of sale – device, which allows us to touch the picture/icon of the good purchased – taster flight, pub glass, growler, fill, etc and it tallies up the total, etc.

We have all our items for sale built into the Square POS.


Want a receipt? No problem – after you sign, using your finger on the screen of the device, enter your email address and we’ll send one to you. How slick is that?

No pen, no problem.


So, next time you’re running out to Hess Brewing to enjoy a cold one, don’t worry about running to the bank first. Come on in, and swipe away!


Cheers!

The Hess Brewing Odyssey
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz