American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
Hey, we get that we’re not Consumer Reports, but we do cover the craft beer scene 24/7 and as a result, beer-themed merchandise occasionally comes our way…And a variety of new products just arrived at the ACB compound, hoping we’ll spread the word – and none of them would have ever happened if it wasn’t for craft beer.
Fall Seasonal Beer Bucket
It was only a matter of time before the gourmet gift basket industry tapped the popularity of craft beer and started building artisan gifts specially targeted at its millions of fans. Maybe they already had, but it wasn’t until a Fall Seasonal Beer Bucket showed up at our office that realized this kind of thing even existed, let alone how canny they might be.
Designed by GourmetGiftBaskets.com, a family run operation based up in New Hampshire, the fall seasonal package is just one of several beer-themed gift ensembles that they offer (who knew?) and the beers that they chose to include we’re from well-known New England craft breweries. Okay we’re not talking beers from Hill Farmstead or The Alchemist here, but a Hop Harvest Oktoberfest from Peak Organic or the new Harvest Barn Ale from Long Trail are both appropriate to the season and far from naïve. And, in addition to Bavarian sausage, artisan crackers and regional cheeses, they’ve also included a special edition Oktoberfest beer from Germany’s acclaimed Warsteiner Brewery, a savvy choice that was totally unexpected and totally welcome.
A Trophy Bottle Opener
Bottle openers are essential tools that can become part of beer drinking’s many rituals. And just like the lighters that many who smoke become fond of, or that drug paraphernalia you treasured in college, you can get attached to the opener you use.
Now YETI an Austin, Texas-based manufacturer of outdoor lifestyle products such as ice chests, vacuum-insulated stainless-steel drinkware, soft coolers, and related accessories, has introduced a designer limited edition bottle opener that we have to admit, is impressive as it is artful.
Built to deliver ¾ lb. of cap-popping might (because as they explain, 1 lb. of pound of power would have been overkill) YETI Brick Bottle Opener is a beautifully designed cast stainless steel testament to “having just the right tool” – and we’re definitely not giving ours away.
Beer Hydration
Hydro Flask is the innovative producer of all-insulated bottles built for outdoor adventure and ensuring that the liquids they hold stay cold as a snow-fed stream.
Based in the beer Mecca of Bend, Oregon where the Cascade Mountains give way to the state’s high desert plateau, Hydro Flask launched in 2009 and fast became a world-wide insulated bottle leader and they’ve now turned their attention to craft beer and launched the first-ever insulated growler.
They sent us one of their award-winning Wide Mouth 64 oz. Growlers and we recently gave it a camping trip test run up in the Shenandoah Mountains. Before leaving we filled it with a fresh India Pale Lager from Atlas Brew Works. 12 hours later we opened it again – and the beer was as fresh as when we filled it and nearly as cold. Very cool…
