DRAFT Magazine

Sitting back with an ice cold brew is about so much more than just sitting back with an ice cold brew. There’s a calmness, the relaxation that comes from knowing you’ve done a good job and you deserve that drink.

Firestone Walker Brewing Co.’s dealing up the perfect beer to sip alongside your sense of satisfaction. Solace, the first seasonal release ever bottled by the Paso Robles, CA company, is a combination Hefeweizen and Belgian Saison. Brewmaster Matt Brynildson jokingly said, “I call it a Summertime Belgo-Bavarian Zwickle Saison.”

Regardless of the style, the beer features hints of banana and clove while finishing with a tang that will surprise you. You may even be inspired to get up out of your seat and complete another task just so you can find Solace once again.

We’ve scoured the country from Alaska to Hawaii and Portland, Maine to Portland, Ore., to find the bars where you’re guaranteed to sip unmatched suds. Romantic or boisterous, scuzzy or dressed to the nines, the flavor of the places where fine brew is served runs the gamut. Here, the 150 places where craft is king and fun comes in all fashions.

Today: Oklahoma.

James E. McNellie’s Public House
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Modeled after the public houses of Dublin, McNellie’s offers neighborhood friendliness alongside a world-class selection of beer and scotch. Browse the more than 300-strong beer menu to discover your next favorite U.K. brew (Thwaites Lancaster Bomber, anyone?) as well as beer from any number of former English colonies, and beyond. Come on Wednesday nights for $3 Burger Night, and stick around to see live music upstairs. This may not be the land of Joyce, but there’s no shortage of inspiration inside these walls.
409 E. 1st St.

Tapwerks Ale House & CAFE
Oklahoma City
More than 100 bottles and 212 taps give Tapwerks the largest selection of beer in the state of Oklahoma (as well as cred for its name). With this many labels, it’s really impossible to disappoint. Erdinger Kristall Klar, Westmalle Dubbel, and Left Hand Sawtooth Ale are just a few of the varied draft choices, while the bottle selection pretty much rounds off any of the loose ends. Check out live music from up-and-coming OKC bands upstairs, or just hang out and play trivia at the bar (tip: don’t miss out on the Guitar Hero tournies).
121 E. Sheridan Ave.

Whoa, big news on the craft beer M&A front. HMB Holdings, owned by beverage industry veteran Trey White, just announced it bought Anderson Valley Brewing Co. The move will allow the Boonville, CA brewery to expand. Hopefully it will keep its frisbee golf course. Press release? Press release.

Boonville, California Tuesday March 16, 2010

HMB Holdings and the Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville, CA today announced a definitive purchase agreement by which HMB Holdings, LLC will acquire the Anderson Valley Brewery. Terms of the transaction are undisclosed. Pending appropriate regulatory approvals, the deal will close in April, 2010.

Under the leadership of respected industry pioneer Ken Allen, Anderson Valley Brewery has been creating award winning craft beers in Boonville, CA since 1987.

HMB Holdings LLC is owned and managed by Trey White, a fifteen year veteran of the alcoholic beverage industry. Through his role as executive vice-president at United States Beverage, Mr. White worked with a variety of fast growing successful American craft beers including Goose Island, Rogue, Ipswich and SLO as well as selected imports including Grolsch from Holland. HMB will retain the current brewing and production facilities at Anderson Valley Brewery while expanding the sales and marketing capabilities.

“Ken Allen is a true leader within the American craft beer industry,” says Mr. White “The beers created by Anderson Valley are amongst the premier craft beers available in the world. Ken’s high-quality craftsmanship combined with his respect for the environment is a legacy we will respect and uphold. HMB is thrilled with the opportunity to grow consumer awareness and expand the distribution of the Anderson Valley family of world class award winning craft beers.”

Ken Allen says: “I have enjoyed immensely growing the Anderson Valley Brewery from a start-up operating a modest brew pub in Boonville into a world class regional craft brewery. The people and friends I have made in the industry will last a lifetime. I want to thank the many customers and brewery fans who have become key parts of the Anderson Valley Brewery family.

I have looked long and hard for the right person to whom to entrust our legacy and I could not have found a better partner in Trey White. His passion and knowledge of the craft beer industry, coupled with his respect for the brands we have developed, will make him the ideal person to take the Anderson Valley Brewery to the next level within the growing craft beer industry.“

Located in the bucolic Anderson Valley region, the environmentally friendly, solar powered brewery produces Boont Amber Ale and Hop Ottin’ IPA in addition to many other highly respected craft beers. Ken Allen was awarded the craft industry’s prestigious Small Brewer Association Recognition award last year for his decades of service to the craft beer industry.

HMB Holdings, LLC is a new company devoted to bringing hand-crafted, small batch produced beer to as many American consumers as possible.

Most craft breweries boast advertising budgets that rival, well, something very small. Eventually, however, some will grow big and strong and want to get the word out about their product using some form of media, perhaps television. When that happens, it might be wise to learn from Bud Light’s recent struggles.

Both Advertising Age and The Big Money skewer the brand for its “Drinkability” campaign. The former publication says it can be “considered a major factor in Bud Light posting the first full-year sales decline in its history.” Ouch.

The publications focus on the use of marketers and consulting firms to help advertising agencies figure out what consumers want. The upshot? These so-called experts have no idea, but will happily take your money pretending they do. Small brewers take note: Stick to your guns, trust your gut, and go for it. You know your brand better than they do.

That said, we honestly didn’t hate the Drinkability campaign, but what do we know? An example spot is below. Yeah, it could be better.

Oh, how we miss those fast and loose days of last August when breweries couldn’t help but make money hand over fist. Yeah, that’s a thing of the past indeed.

Boston Beer Co. announced its fourth-quarter results after trading Monday and although the makers of Samuel Adams announced profits of 52 cents per share and a three percent revenue growth, the stock still fell sharply in after hours trading. Why? Because analysts predicted a 58-cents-per-share profit and higher revenue as well. D’oh.

Still, would you rather own a piece of Boston Beer or some soul-sucking corporation like Wal-Mart?

The downside of loving beer, of course, is that it’s hard to love the massive beer gut you may acquire as a side effect. We try to help you get rid of it — our Beer Runner has some ideas — but the Telegraph’s LifeCoach wants to help as well.

The paper put together a panel of experts — Dr. Dan Rutherford, Sarah Stanner, and Tony Gallagher (trust us, they are experts) — who offer up their thoughts on shrinking the ole gut. The suggestions are quite extensive, more an entire life redo than simply a plan for losing some weight, but we could all stand to get in better shape, right?

Thumbs up indeed!

We’ve scoured the country from Alaska to Hawaii and Portland, Maine to Portland, Ore., to find the bars where you’re guaranteed to sip unmatched suds. Romantic or boisterous, scuzzy or dressed to the nines, the flavor of the places where fine brew is served runs the gamut. Here, the 150 places where craft is king and fun comes in all fashions.

Today: Ohio.

Buckeye Beer Engine
Lakewood, Ohio
Created as a springboard for owner/brewer Garin Wright’s Buckeye Brewing Co., The Beer Engine has since honed its beer list to include a slew of uncommon crafts. Aficionados will park themselves close to the 27 taps, where brews from Heavy Seas, Klokke, and Boulder Beer pour alongside a regular cask that often drips Jolly Pumpkin. Another 200 bottles range from American classics to European oddities. Naturally, Buckeye makes an appearance, too, both on tap and at regular beer dinners.
15315 Madison Ave.

The Comet
Cincinnati
Sometimes you want to quietly ponder the complexities of your Trappist ales; other times, you simply want to down your IPA in the presence of a great band and a monster burrito. The Comet’s a good spot for the latter, with 200 American and European microbrews, local and national acts most nights, and a Mexican menu touting bean, chicken, beef and tofu burritos, and a salsa of the month. The local art display and vintage black-and-white photo booth make The Comet truly otherworldly.
4579 Hamilton Ave.

McNulty’s Bier Markt
Cleveland
Bier Markt officially transgressed from tavern to compound when it opened Speakeasy, a Prohibition-themed cocktail bar, in its basement last year (the building also houses the wine-and-pizza spot Bar Cento). On the main floor, you’ll still find the original pub’s killer collection of nearly 100 Belgian bottles, and 18 wise taps that permanently include Gulden Draak, Ommegang Rare Vos, Brooklyn IPA, and $1 PBRs. Bartenders will employ a three-step Perfect Pour system for whatever you choose.
1948 W. 25th St.

Nicholson’s Tavern and Pub
Cincinnati
Owner W.N. Sanders’ extensive research throughout the U.K. resulted in this elegant Scottish public house, a 7,500-square-foot ode to the Highlands. Nicholson’s boasts an 80-foot mahogany bar, two patios, and a cozy fireplace room; what anchors the pub, however, is the largest selection of single-malt Scotch in the region and Sanders’ hand-selected tap list. Twenty-five brews pour the likes of Belhaven and Brewdog, and a cask rotates regularly.
625 Walnut St.

Winking Lizard Tavern
Bedford, Ohio
This reptile-themed beer bar has spawned 13 other Ohio locations, but the original Lizard in Bedford remains our favorite. Sure, the pub’s got a packed menu of American bar faves and a host of taps and bottles, but the main draw is the annual World Tour of Beers, a trek for the palate of 150 far-reaching taps and bottles (think Moretti La Rosa from Italy and St. Ambrose Oatmeal Stout from Canada). Patrons who reach 100 brews sipped score the coveted World Tour jacket and an invite to the end-of-tour party in January.
25380 Miles Rd.

It seems as though every time we turn on the news — which, admittedly, is rare — there’s some horror story about bad weather. New England can’t get away from terrible winds, there’s a hurricane about to smash into the Southern coast, Hawaiians are waking up at 6 a.m. to tsunami warnings. It’s like 2012 all up in this world.

What’s a person to do? Sit back with a beer, obviously. But what’s the correct choice? Do you want to go with something light in case you need to run for your life? Or are you trying to drown yourself in alcohol before the water invades your living room? So many choices, so little time.

Tweet at us, email, or leave your thoughts in the comments. The best answer gets a shout-out on Friday. There’s no better way to impress your friends.