The second anniversary

In a little over a month, we’ll have been open for two years.

Wow, right? The time just flies.* It flies even faster when you realize our second anniversary party is not on the 20th itself, or in the few days before or after: April is basically nonstop travel for one of the CBW owners or another, and so we’re pushing it all the way up to Saturday, April 5th. As with each of our April celebrations it’s hosted at the twin quasars of Elmwood beer, Cole’s and Mister Goodbar.

It wouldn’t be a party without a little something special with which to celebrate, now would it? In addition to our usual offerings, last week we announced The Snow, the 2014 vintage of our imperial stout. What’s this week’s revelation?

How about a bit of Mr. Superfantastisch, our berlinerweisse, that we’ve been saving for a special occasion?

There’s more beer to announce — much, much more — but I hope you won’t begrudge me a little pomp and circumstance.

The second book club

We came, we saw, we read The Audacity of Hops. I wrote about it.

Now it’s time to look ahead. Paradoxically, by looking backward. Our second book club will be for what I consider the spiritual prequel to Audacity: Maureen Ogle’s Ambitious Brew.

If you’d like to get in on the group preorder, send me an email and I’ll add you to the list. We’re ordering from Talking Leaves yet again, because a local, independent brewery should partner with a local, independent bookstore, don’t you think?

The second round of the second NIPAC

Well, our second NIPAC, at least. Last year was our first time in the Brewing News‘ National IPA Championship. 128 IPAs entered and were judged head to head in a bracket style competition. Each week we’d face a brewery, the heavyweights of the industry, and each week we’d emerge victorious. Eventually we came in second place, losing to Barley Brown’s Pallet Jack IPA. Which was totally fine, considering Pallet Jack went on to win the IPA gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival.

This year we not only entered The IPA in NIPAC, we also entered The Double IPA in NIIPAC, the National Imperial IPA Championship. So, how’d we do?

NIPAC

Round 1: The IPA faced off against Starr Hill Brewery’s Northern Lights. And… we won!

Round 2: We were up against The Brew Kettle Production Works’ White Rajah. In the battle of the Works… well, we lost.

But, hey: consider that White Rajah went up against Pallet Jack in round four and was defeated. Pallet Jack is still competing, currently against Three Creeks Brewing’s Vacquero IPA in round five. Flying Bison, Gene McCarthy’s, Ithaca, Three Heads and CB Craft Brewers are also out, so sadly there’s no more WNY presence in the competition.

But what about NIIPAC?

NIIPAC

Round 1: The Double IPA was up against Elysian Brewing’s Yippee Ki Yay. We won!

Round 2: It was us vs Tamarack Brewing’s Cross Eyed Christmas White IPA. And… we lost.

So, okay, rounds two were not very kind to us. Similarly, CB Craft Brewers, Three Heads and Southern Tier have also been eliminated. There’s a distinct lack of WNY in both facets of the championship!

That’s fine, though! Both of them were fun, and I look forward to entering next year.

* Also consider that as of July I’ll have been blogging weekly for four years! I do so love the sound of my voice.