Are you a fan of the World Cup? Twisted Pine is announcing special hours for the length of the World Cup series so you can watch with all your friends while enjoying a beer! Our brewery and kitchen will open at 8:00 in the morning. From 8:00 until 11:00 am we will be offering $1 off pints as well $5 breakfast burritos! After 11:00 am until 4:00 pm we have a special lunch menu offering a Turkey Swiss sandwich to fulfill your Thanksgiving desires.
What Makes a Roggenbier?
There is a style of beer that we don’t see all that often anymore. It had a quick rise and fall in the beer world in the 15th century. This specialty brew is the roggenbier. The roggenbier brewing technique has an extremely interesting history. This technique originated in Bavaria during the medieval period. During the middle ages it was common practice to produce beer with whatever grain grew best in your region. In the case of Bavarian society this was rye.
Unfortunately, after a few bad harvests in 1516, the Duke of Bavaria enacted the Bavarian Purity Law. This was to ensure availability for affordable prices of wheat and rye for food resources. At this time he also decreed that beer must only be produced with water, barley and hops. As a direct result of this law the roggenbier disappeared from the brewing world for almost 500 years. It wasn’t until 1987 when the European Court intervened, causing a severe loosening on restrictions.
In recent years roggenbier has gained popularity at breweries outside of central Europe. This style of brew has a delightful spiciness that pairs well with the sweetness of the weizen yeast. It finishes light and crisp, creating the perfect beer on an autumn day.
Our own brewer, Jeff, used this technique of brewing in his Rockin’ Roggen beer. This beer has a very low bitterness, testing at 5.6% ABV and 17 IBU. Its primary flavor components are clove and spiced rye with notes of banana. This is a light, yet very flavorful beer. Jeff was skilled enough in the brew to earn a silver medal at the Great American Beer fest, within the rye beer category.
(left) Twisted Pine co-owner Bob, (middle) General Manager Nick, (Right) Head brewer Jeff
Beer Spotlight - Hoppy Boy, American Pale Ale
What better way to commemorate the Fourth of July than discovering the origin of our crowd favorite, Hoppy Boy an American Pale Ale (APA).
The American Pale Ale is a slightly newer form of brewing that has taken the craft beer world by storm. This style of brewing began with small homebrewers opting to replace the British ingredients of Pale Ales with US ingredients. This resulted in a lighter, crisper and less malty version of ales.
American microbreweries officially began brewing and releasing this style to the public in the 1970s. The APA style of brewing originally was used to showcase the Cascade hop, which is still used in some of the top selling commercial APA brews available. Nowadays brewers use any variation of American hops, such as the Centennial, Simcoe and Amarillo hops, to highlight the variety of citrus and piney flavor that is unique to the American Pale Ale aroma. Using all of the different styles of American hops allows this style of brewing to not only represent the country's history, but each specific region within it as well!
Brewmaster, Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewing, has noted that breweries around the world have used the American Pale Ale framework of balanced color, malt and bitterness to compliment the local hop signature. So even though the American Pale Ale started out only using American ingredients, it has found its way all over the world to highlight a variety of hop families. This could be because most APAs use fairly neutral ale yeasts which allow the flavor of the hops to be the signature flavor.
What do you love about APAs?
Cheers!
The Origin of India Pale Ales
As your local brewery, it behooves us to educate our customers on the rich history of beer. And what better place to start than with our best selling beer style - the India Pale Ale.
Back in the 1700-1800s Britain had a large colonial influence over India. The sailors, soldiers and civilians at this time had a very large appetite for beer. The problem was that traditional beers would spoil during the long journey from the UK to India. George Hodgson was the first person to create a solution to this problem.
He began brewing pale ales, to accommodate the hot temperatures in India. He then realized that high levels of alcohol and hops would prevent the beer from spoiling over time. Adding more hops to a pale ale, that also maintained a higher ABV level, was found to enhance the beer over time! At this time the beer would gradually become paler and more refreshing on the journey and was found to perfectly suit the climate of India. This brewing style has only increased in popularity as time has gone on, creating the craze for an IPA.
Now go forth and impress all your drinking buddies with your beer knowledge! Preferably with a Twisted Pine IPA in hand.
Beer Spotlight - Bohemia, a Classic Czech Pilsner
Like a true classic Czech pilsner our Bohemia is brewed with Moravian Hana malt and the Czech Saaz hops. It was found that the Hana malt could be used to produce the very first pilsners back in 1842. The malts' early claim to fame is due to Bavarian Brewmaster, Josef Groll at the Burgher Brewery in Pilsen, Bohemia. Hana is known for producing flavors of fresh baked bread with subtle malty notes producing a clean, smooth and sweet wort.
In 1843 the Czech Saaz hops were introduced to Bohemia by Antonin Horak, a monk from Bavaria. The Saaz hop is unique because it is not as bitter as other varieties. The Saaz variety has been prized for centuries because it does not impart such a strong bitter flavor in the beer, instead it maintains a light and crisp flavor. This hop tends to give off a citrusy, earthy and slightly peppery aroma. Utilizing these classic Eastern European attributes, our Bohemia has a crisp and refreshing flavor of sweet yeast maintaining the light citrusy afternotes.
On tap now at Twisted Pine Brewing! Try it out and let us know your thoughts.
Cheers!
The Boulder Love Project
An Update from Twisted Pine for 2021
To Our Twisted Family,
We have made the difficult decision to temporarily close Twisted Pine Brewing for on-site dining and food service until further notice.
We will be open for to go beer only on Friday from 4-7 PM and Saturday from 1-5 PM. Please keep an eye on our website and social media for updates.
We believe this decision is in the best interest of our staff, our guests, our suppliers and the public at large.
Throughout the year, our management team and staff have been diligent in ensuring our impeccable cleanliness standards are maintained and have been following all guidelines from federal, state, and local health agencies.
In the meantime, Boulder County, in conjunction with the state of Colorado is developing a program to allow indoor dining under a very limited capacity. We are monitoring the County’s progress in allowing for implementation of its’ 5 Star Program on a daily basis and plan on participating as we believe we can provide a safe and welcoming environment for our staff and guests.
We will keep you posted as the situation evolves and look forward to welcoming everyone back as soon as possible
Meanwhile, please stay safe and remember all those that are on the front lines fighting for us.
Here's to a better 2021!
Bob Baile
President, Twisted Pine Brewing Company
Changes at Twisted Pine Brewing this Winter
To Our Twisted Friends,
As COVID-19 continues to ravage our community so many businesses are facing painful decisions.
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. From keeping your money local to employing your friends and neighbors to supporting local charitable organizations.
Twisted Pine has always been proud of our commitment to the community and of the support we have received over the 25 years we’ve been in business.
Now, we too are needing make changes in order to get through a pandemic that is affecting so many.
We will be closing from Monday through Wednesday and be open Thursday through Sunday with outdoor seating, takeout, and delivery. As we have been doing, Twisted Pine will be following all federal, state, and local guidelines in order to keep our guests and staff safe.
Most importantly, please remember all of those in our community that are fighting this battle us. Front line workers in hospitals, police fire and EMT crews and grocery store workers are all working to allow us to go about our lives in some semblance of normal.
Take care and remember to wear a mask, wash your hands and keep your distance.
Together we’ll get through this.
Bob Baile
President, Twisted Pine Brewing Company
A LETTER FROM BOB
Winter is here.
After a harrowing 7 months that saw the closure of Colorado’s restaurants early on and a summer of learning how to operate during a pandemic we are finally at the point we’re inviting guests to join us inside. Of course, we’ll be keeping our patio open as weather permits and we’ve added enclosed tents outside to keep our guests cozy. Take a look at out Indoor/Outdoor dining guides to get an idea of what you can expect on your visit.
Since March, Twisted Pine has kept the safety and well being of our staff and guests our primary mission while providing an enjoyable experience for all. We are taking the approach of “slow and safe” regarding indoor dining. It’s our intention to bring you every experience you’ve come to know and love from Twisted Pine.
Our staff is one of the finest we’ve ever had and the beers are as good as ever including our popular fall seasonal Mr. Brown’s Pumpkin Ale (topped with whipped cream as an option). Stay tuned for some additional new releases including a few barrel aged beers that will be out in the next couple of months.
We would like to take this time to sincerely thank all our community for their support during these times. From our friends who have been customers for years to the one’s who have come in for the first time. Without you we couldn’t keep doing what we have for the last 25 years.
We’d also like to thank all the folks who are fighting this pandemic including doctors, nurses, EMTs and other health care associates. Your the best and we’re lucky to have you.
For those of you impacted by COVID-19 you are in our thoughts.
Stay safe and keep in touch.
Bob Baile
President, Twisted Pine Brewing Company
An Update from Twisted Pine Brewing
Dear Twisted Pine Family & Friends,
It’s with a heavy heart that we announce that starting on March 17th we’re temporarily closing our doors to in-house patrons due to a statewide closure of all dine-in restaurants and bars, to reduce people’s exposure to COVID-19. As of right now, we do not know how long this closure will last, but we expect it to go for several weeks.
Read more about it here: https://www.cpr.org/2020/03/16/polis-considering-statewide-closure-of-bars-restaurants-gyms-and-theaters/
Thankfully, we’re still able to serve our food to you by way of to-go curbside service (call us!) and delivery (via Doordash). Per Colorado liquor code, we’re unable to deliver beer, but we can still sell our to-go beer through curbside service. Small blessings, right!?
Even though we will not be serving you inside the ale house, we will continue to be vigilant in all of our cleaning and sanitation procedures.
We’ll keep you posted on updates as we get them.
Stay safe, and as always, Stay Twisted
- The Twisted Pine Brewing Staff
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Twisted Pine's Holiday Gift Guide
Twisted Pine Brewing Claims Silver Medal at the Great American Beer Festival®
Patio Pounder Wins Prestigious Brewing Honor in Session India Pale Ale Category
Boulder, Colorado • October 7, 2017 — Twisted Pine Brewing Co. received a silver medal at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition. Presented by the Brewers Association, GABF is the largest commercial beer competition in the world and recognizes the most outstanding beers produced in the United States. The top three winners in the competition’s 98 beer-style categories were announced October 7 at the Great American Beer Festival awards ceremony held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.
Photo © 2017 Jason E. Kaplan
Founder of the Brewers Association Charlie Papazian, left, with the Twisted Pine Brewing staff - Matt Crosson, Hannah Olbrich, Gabe Toth, Nick Wilson, and Kevin Mayer - at the Great American Beer Festival awards ceremony
“We're really excited about taking home some hardware. It's great vindication for our hard work," said Gabe Toth, Head Brewer at Twisted Pine Brewing. "This was a very competitive category and we're thrilled to see a beer that we really love get the recognition it deserves."
Twisted Pine Brewing Co. was recognized in the Session India Pale Ale beer-style category for Patio Pounder, a session pale ale that pours a beautiful deep gold with sweet, white grape and tropical fruit aromas. Patio’s refreshingly light body and approachable hop profile makes it the perfect companion for lounging the day away.
"It's really great timing," said Hannah Olbrich, Marketing Director at Twisted Pine Brewing. "We already planned on releasing [22 ounce] bombers of Patio Pounder on October 13th. Now people can take home an award-winning beer and enjoy it whenever they want." Bombers of Patio Pounder will be available to purchase at Twisted Pine Brewing's alehouse on Friday, October 13th.
The 2017 GABF competition winners were selected by an international panel of 276 expert judges from 7,923 entries, plus 118 Pro-Am entries, received from 2,217 U.S. breweries.
“Each year the Great American Beer Festival showcases the best that American brewers have to offer,” said Chris Swersey, competition manager, Great American Beer Festival. “With a record 8,000 + entries, this year’s competition was the most competitive to date. Congratulations to all the winners who truly demonstrated why the U.S. is the world’s best and most diverse brewing nation.”
For more GABF competition information, including the 2017 winners list and photos, visit GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com.
Twisted Pine Beer Guide to the Holidays
Thanksgiving is ready to pounce upon us like a panther stalking its prey, and the rest of the holidays are hovering over our heads. As much as the unseasonably warm weather in our neck of the woods has inspired thoughts of tanning rather than turkey, Twisted Pine Brewing Company has beers to pair with every mood and occasion.
"Carefully crafted beer has a vital place at any dinner table, no matter the occasion."
Whether you’re head chef or sofa king, you’re bound to get thirsty on Thursday. I spend most of my time in the kitchen that day, so in an effort not to cut my fingers off, I prefer pilsner to fuel my feast preparations. Pinky Ring is a light, crisp German pilsner with a full bouquet of floral and grassy hop notes, a snappy bitterness to cleanse and refresh the palate, and, at 4.8% ABV, it’s easy-drinking and approachable. Pilsner pairs perfectly with just about every traditional Thanksgiving dish as the crispness and bitterness mitigate the fatty richness of green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and the like, while the bready malt and noble hop notes complement even the most delicate piece of turkey, especially if the bird has been treated with the classic trinity of rosemary, sage, and thyme.
However, pilsner is not the only choice, or perhaps even the best choice. La Petite Saison is actually my personal favorite meal matchmaker. At 4.7% ABV and 25 IBU, neither the alcohol nor the hop character stands out, but the farmhouse yeast profile matches the intensity of a bonafide Thanksgiving bacchanalia. Sun-dried hay, overripe lemons, cracked white pepper, and a hint of fresh sourdough bread are the calling cards of this beer, creating a tantalizing tango of flavors as the spritzy citrus and subtle spice cut through even the most decadent gravy, while congenially mingling with the rest of the feast. In addition, its light body and dry finish elevate the cornucopia of taste and textures of a full Thanksgiving spread without further overburdening the palate. La Petite Saison is wonderfully complex in its simplicity, which is why it pairs so perfectly with the wide array of dishes on any holiday table.
"Pairing beer with food should be a transformative experience that enhances both components to create something new and unforgettable."
Carefully crafted beer has a vital place at any dinner table, no matter the occasion. While I tend to favor lighter, simpler beers for my main course, dessert is the perfect time to reach for some darker, richer, more robust beers. Pumpkin pie is as essential to Thanksgiving as turkey, and no other beer of ours compliments the flaky, buttery crust and sumptuously spiced filling as well as Big Shot Espresso Stout. Creamy, bold, and fecund cold-steeped Peruvian coffee permeates every sip and blends beautifully with the pumpkin spices, creating, simply, a sense of home.
Pairing beer with food should be a transformative experience that enhances both components to create something new and unforgettable. Save the imperial stout and double IPA to savor while cleaning the dishes and putting away leftovers; instead, focus on finding beers that will easily compliment and contrast the multitude of holiday dishes while also being exceedingly drinkable. Whether it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or just Tuesday night, matching the beer’s flavor intensity to the food’s is the first step to any successful pairing.
Cheers and happy holidays!
The Great American Beer Festival: A Brewer's Perspective
It’s that time of year again: beer lovers’ right index finger tendinitis is slowly subsiding after anxiously refreshing the Ticketmaster website over and over and over again in hopes of scoring tickets to the most anticipated bacchanalia of the year – the Great American Beer Festival. As important as the dog days of summer are for potential festival goers, late July and early August are crunch time for us brewers as we agonize over which beers to enter into which categories, most likely brew those beers so they are as fresh as they can be for judging, and bottle, deliver, and pray for our precious creations as they await their fate for six weeks in a warehouse before reaching a trained palate. GABF is a tremendous production, which the Brewers Association executes very well year after year, and Twisted Pine Brewing Company is quite pleased to once again participate in the competition and, above all, pour tasters for all you thirsty patrons.
By the time the festival rolls around, all the hard work for us is done. To me, GABF is sweat-drenched, stifling, late afternoons cleaning the kettle after brewing a beer I believe in. GABF is not pretzel necklaces and ooohing and aaahing about every single plastic tasting vessel clattering to the floor. The only thing I want around my neck is a medal. Let’s face it, as fun as it is to catch up with brewers from around the country and share a sip and a story or two with attendees from all over the world, GABF is really about hearing the sonorous voice of Chris Swersey, the Brewers Association’s MC, beckoning your brewery to take the stage. Every ounce of sweat in August could be worth its weight in gold come October.
As a lucky brewer, this year will be my fourth GABF, and despite having won three medals since 2012, I still have no idea what makes for an award-winning beer in the judges’ eyes, noses, and palates. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. Or, as one very successful veteran brewer once told me, “Beers don’t change, but judges do.” Winning a medal at GABF of any shade is very difficult. Last year, 275 total medals were split among 242 breweries. Judging certainly is not easy, and from what I have heard from those who have participated is that it’s almost like sprinting a marathon with one’s palate. Tasting one style after another for several hours a day over several days – no matter how properly ordered and spaced out they are – sounds pretty brutal and not all that enjoyable.
Nonetheless, the festival always lives up to its name. The number of beers to sample is, quite frankly, overwhelming. Every year, I’ve made a list of specific breweries to check out, and every year I have failed to get to most of them because I was sidetracked by so many other tasty options. With so many breweries in attendance, waiting in line for any one of them is ludicrous to me. Spending ten minutes or more of a single session on one ounce of one beer is both dedicated and shortsighted. Trying a beer from an unknown brewery and finding a few hidden gems in the ocean of beer is often more rewarding than catching whales and figuring out if a brewery is worth the hype.
Twisted Pine Brewing Company is excited to spend time and share tasters with all of you, and just like last year, we will be pouring in the Meet the Brewer Section, meaning instead of volunteers doing all the hard work, it will be one of us. After all, we’ll be there to do what we love most- meet consumers and enjoy beer together. Hope to see ya’ll in October. Cheers!
An Open Letter to Twisted Pine Consumers
Dear Twisted Pine Patrons,
As Twisted Pine Brewing Company is approaching its 21st birthday, we have made the life-changing decision to shed the shackles of wide-scale distribution and embrace who we really are: proud brewers who want to serve our Boulder community one pint at a time. From a brewer’s perspective, focusing solely on supplying our 24-tap alehouse is a dream come true because instead of packaging our core products, we are planning new recipes for our ever-rotating specialty taps. Furthermore, by serving every drop of our beer across the bar instead of in liquor stores near and far, we are able to ensure that our patrons are enjoying our beer the way we as brewers intended—fresh, unique, and of top quality.
To me, brewing is about control, creativity, and pride. We control our brewing parameters as tightly as possible to craft the best beers possible. Packaging and distribution rob us brewers of control because we don’t know if our beers are being cared for the way we cared for them in the brewhouse and in the cellar. We have no control over what our patrons’ experience will be once our precious creations leave our brewery.
Distribution hems creativity because it dictates the production schedule, leaving fewer opportunities to experiment with new ingredients, processes, and beer styles. Billy’s Chilies is one of our most sought-after beers, Ghost Face Killah is a one-of- a-kind creation, Big Shot Espresso Stout has won more awards than any other of our beers—all are wonderful in their own right—but those beers shouldn’t define us as brewers by virtue of their wide distribution. We’re hop heads. We adore lagers. We like to keep beers simple and sessionable.
We’re proud of all the beers we brew, but distribution has a way of eroding that aspect of brewing as well. For better or for worse, I consider beer to be extremely personal. It’s not only a personal expression of the brewer. Everyone’s palate is nuanced, people’s taste preferences can be just plain different, and sometimes the same beer will taste different based on one’s mood—seriously. Whether it’s praise or pooh-poohing, receiving instantaneous feedback from our patrons by exclusively serving our beers in the taproom makes us better brewers. As much as we, the brewers, love the beers we choose to brew and present to our patrons on tap, YOUR satisfaction is the lifeblood to the company and the key to a brewer’s heart. We take tremendous pride in our beers and the community we serve them to, and the best way to enhance both is by sharing as many pints and experiences in the cozy confines of our taproom as possible.
- Kay Witkiewicz, Head Brewer
FEBRUARY'S PARTY WITH A PURPOSE - IMAGINE! ART SHOW
On Thursday, 2/25, we will have the pleasure of hosting an art show for Imagine! as our February Party with a Purpose. The event will run from 4-8pm and feature works created by Imagine! artists that work for Twisted Pine and others that participate in this great organization’s art program. Artwork will be displayed and available for purchase through a silent auction -- plus we’ll have a live art display by one of our crafty coworkers!
Over the past five years of working with Imagine!, we’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing individuals and have really grown to appreciate the tremendous efforts of this local, Boulder County non-profit. Gerald Stopa, who works here as our Beer Inventory Specialist and is one of our dearest friends, was recently honored at the Imagine! Celebration where this video was debuted. It’s a nice glimpse into the life of a strong man with a powerful will, and we’re proud to have him employed here.
See you all next Thursday for good cheer and great beer!