Marty Jones
A beer journalist turned beer evangelist, Marty's our brewery frontman and eagerly serves as our chief promoter, media tickler and mojo developer. He thinks great beer and a job you love are crucial ingredients for a happy life. He believes craft brewers are cultural counterparts of Johnny Cash and the Ramones. He writes left and drinks right. A working musician and songwriter, his most recent composition is entitled “The Power of Positive Drinking.” Reach Marty at marty@wynkoop.com
Website URL: http://www.wynkoop.com
March 30, 2012 at 5 PM, we are hosting a party for the release of our latest fundraising beer, Cottonwood Organic White.
An unfiltered, American-style wheat beer, Cottonwood Organic White is made with organic malts and wheat, kaffir lime leaf and organic agave nectar. The custom-made beer is fermented with an American strain of wheat beer yeast and is 4.6% ABV.
Designed for springtime quaffing, Cottonwood Organic White is a refreshing yet complex beer with a creamy body, bready malt and wheat flavors, restrained hops and vibrant citrus notes.
“This beer needs no lime or orange slice added to it,” says head brewer Andy Brown. “The kaffir lime leaf gives it just the right amount of citrus character, built right into the beer.”
J. Wilson, a Prescott, Iowa writer, homebrewer, beer judge and beer blogger, is Wynkoop Brewing Company’s 2012 Beerdrinker of the Year.
Wilson won the title at our 16th annual Beerdrinker of the Year National Finals, Saturday, February 25, right here at Wynkoop Brewing Company. A raucous crowd was on hand to witness the event and see Wilson get the honor.
Wilson’s astute beer knowledge, beer ambassadorship (from a town of just 283 people) and a 2011 beer & water fast helped him win the big nod from our judges.
“He’s a person who really understands and promotes beer,” said Andy Brown, Wynkoop head brewer and one of five judges for the finals. “He also had a near-religious experience revolving around beer this year.”
Iowa writer, homebrewer and beer ambassador lands Wynkoop’s 16th crown for America’s ultimate beer nut
(Denver, Colorado) – J. Wilson, a Prescott, Iowa writer, homebrewer, beer judge and beer blogger, is Wynkoop Brewing Company’s 2012 Beerdrinker of the Year.
Wilson won the title at the Beerdrinker of the Year National Finals, held Saturday, February 25 at Wynkoop Brewing Company, Colorado’s first brewpub.
Wilson’s astute beer knowledge, beer ambassadorship (from a town of just 283 people) and a 2011 beer & water fast helped him win the contest.
“He’s a person who really understands and promotes beer,” said Andy Brown, Wynkoop’s head brewer and one of five judges for the finals. “He also had a near-religious experience revolving around beer this year.”
Our recent Collective Hoppiness beer project involved a custom-made beer brewed especially for -- and with the help of -- local members of the American Homebrewers Association.
Our brewers created a special recipe and brewing process that we think set a record for the most people involved in brewing a batch of beer. About 220 local AHA members pitched hops into the brew kettle. That’s communal brewing!
The beer was a big hit, a hybrid creation somewhere between a black IPA and an imperial red. All elevated to special heights by an addition of rye and a 70-minute addition of human-added hops.
Want to make it at home? Grab 200+ friends, the recipe (link to recipe) and read the inside scoop below from our ace brewer, Brad Landman.
Marty Jomes
Denverbrewpub boosts gorilla marketing with hand-canned fundraiser for Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund
(Denver, Colorado) – Wynkoop Brewing Company -- Colorado's first brewpub -- is releasing a second packaged beer, Silverback Pale Ale.
The hand-canned beer (named after the male leaders among Mountain Gorillas) is a unique version of American-style pale ale made with grains of paradise.
Fifty-percent of all profits from the sale of Silverback Pale Ale go tothe Denver-based Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund (MGCF).
"In today's economy," says MGCF's Frank Keesling, "private donations are hard to come by. Silverback will provide much-needed funds for our projects to survive, and create a great new way for us get our message out to more people."
Silverback Pale Ale is an artfully balanced beer with a citrusy aroma, crisp pale malt flavors and a satisfying hop character throughout. It has a refreshing hoppy finish, 40 International Bittering Units, and a comfortable 5.5% ABV.
"Silverback is hoppy and flavorful," says Charlie Berger, Wynkoop's Aleslinger/Brewer, "but it's very sessionable and won't put hair on your back."
The beer is made in small, 20-barrel batches with American two-row and specialty malts and four US hops. The beer's aroma comes courtesy of Wynkoop head brewer Andy Brown's homemade "Hopinator" hopback device, filled with whole-leaf Centennial hops.
Grains of paradise are an African spice that is a vital part of the mountain gorilla diet. In addition to adding flavor to beer, research shows the spice aids in reducing heart disease in these highly endangered apes.
"Our goal with this beer," Brown says, "was to put a unique twist on the American pale ale style. The grains of paradise provide an extra layer of flavor and give the beer a lemon-pepper like finish."
The beer will be available in the Denver area in sixpacks of 12-ounce cans and 15.5-gallon kegs.
The first cans of Silverback Pale Ale will debut on June 17 at the Do at the Zoo, an annual fundraiser held at the Denver Zoo. Sixpacks of the beer will appear in select Denver area stores on Friday, June 18, and in all Wynkoop Brewing Company retailers in the weeks ahead.
Ruth Morris Keesling founded the MGCF in 1985 at the request of the late Dr. Dian Fossey, the pioneering gorilla researcher and subject of the movie "Gorillas in the Mist". Fossey was murdered by gorilla poachers in 1985 while conducting her research.
Frank Keesling (Ruth Keesling's son) now heads up the MGCF and its efforts in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of The Congo. Keesling says that beyond its flavor, the beer provides other pluses for retailers and beer lovers.
"Retailers," Keesling notes, "can provide a unique product to their customers and reap the goodwill that comes from supporting gorilla conservation. Beer lovers can enjoy a great beer and help an endangered animal at the same time."
The MGCF has been a longtime benefactor of funds from the sale of Wynkoop's Silverback Smoked Porter. Monies from the beer's sales are helping to build a new veterinary education center in Uganda.
Wynkoop also partners with the MGCF on the annual Denver Gorilla Run each fall, the MGCF's primary annual fundraiser. Last year's run set a Guinness Book of Records high mark for the "most number of people dressed as gorillas", when 1061 people took part in the run. It raised over $70,000 for the MGCF.
Today there are only an estimated 740 mountain gorillas alive in the wild. None are in captivity. The numbers have been slowly increasing thanks to the work of the MGCF and its allied gorilla-protection partners.
This is the second hand-canned beer for Wynkoop Brewing Company, joining its longtime flagship Rail Yard Ale in cans. Wynkoop is now self-distributing these beers and the brewpub's other draft beers to retailers in the Denver area.
The beers are canned one can at a time on a tabletop machine from Canada's Cask Systems.
Wynkoop Brewing Company was founded in 1988 by Denver mayor John Hickenlooper and a group of urban pioneers that included Mark Schiffler (current Wynkoop COO) and Ron Robinson, Wynkoop's current GM.
Members of the media seeking more information, photos, samples and interviews can contact Marty Jones at 303-860-7448.
Beer nuts from New York, Iowa and Nevada will compete for 16th Beerdrinker of the Year title on February 25 at Wynkoop
(Denver, Colorado) – Wynkoop Brewing Company’s judging panel has picked its three finalists for the brewpub’s 2012 Beerdrinker of the Year award.
The annual search seeks out and celebrates America’s most passionate beer lovers. Entrants must have a deep understanding of how beer is made, its many styles and its importance in advancing civilization. They must also have a vast array of beer tasting experiences and be good ambassadors for the culture of fine beer.
The 2012 finalists will compete in the Beerdrinker of the Year finals on February 25, at 2 PM, at Wynkoop Brewing Company. The event is open to the public and admission is free.
The top three entrants in this year’s resume pool are:
Warren Monteiro, a New York City beer traveler, homebrewer and BeerSensei contributor for Alestreet News. Monteiro has sampled beers in Europe, Central American, India, Sri Lanka, numerous other nations and throughout the United States. In 2011 he visited breweries and beer festivals in England, Belgium, the Netherlands and the US. He samples an average of 350 beers each year.
His philosophy of beer drinking: “It’s not a habit, it’s a lifestyle. This is why I constantly travel – to get a taste of a new brew or one I’ve been missing, and to find a way to share it whenever possible. I consider creative beer drinking to be an essential part of the tapestry of art and fellowship contributing to a full life. The beauty of beer hunting now as opposed to the early ‘80’s is that I’ll never catch up!
His home beer bar: Blind Tiger Ale House, New York City.
Greg Nowatzki, a Las Vegas, Nevada accountant, home brewer and beer judge. Nowatzki has tasted over 13,600 beers from 84 different countries and all 50 states in the US. He has visited over 500 breweries in 32 different states and the District of Columbia, and attended over 150 beer festivals in 8 states. In 2011 he visited 16 beer festivals (including an 11th consecutive Great American Beer Festival) and visited over 100 different breweries in 7 states.
His beer philosophy: “Everyone likes beer. Some just haven’t tasted enough to find the ones they like yet.”
His home beer bar: Big Dog’s Draft House, Las Vegas, Nevada
J. Wilson, a Prescott, Iowa writer, homebrewer, beer judge and beer blogger. He has a 3-tap, 8-foot home bar supplied by a 10-gallon brewing system in his basement. An advocate for beer for 15 years, he organized numerous beer events in his hometown in 2011. The past year was highlighted by a research project in which he fasted for 46 days on water and a dopplebock he brewed with a local brewery. It became a book, Diary of a Part-Time Monk.
His philosophy about beer: Living life in search of brewvana (an ideal condition of harmony, beer and joy), I seek to educate and advocate on behalf of craft beer, folding good beer into a good life.
His home beer bar: El Bait Shop, Des Moines, Iowa
On February 25 at 2 PM at Wynkoop Brewing these finalists will be grilled by a panel of previous Beerdrinker of the Year winners and national beer experts. The judges (in traditional jurist wigs and robes) will challenge the finalists with difficult beer questions, and then choose the 2012 Beerdrinker of the Year.
The winner wins free beer for life at the Wynkoop Brewing Company, $250 worth of beer at their local brewpub or beer bar, and clothing proclaiming them the 2012 Beerdrinker of the Year.
They have their name engraved on Wynkoop’s Beerdrinker of the Year trophy, and earn the mighty acclaim that comes from being recognized as America’s greatest beer lover.
While in Denver (at Wynkoop’s expense) they will stay at Denver’s famed Brown Palace Hotel.
Phil Farrell of Cumming, GA is the reigning Beerdrinker of the Year and will be a judge at this year’s Finals. Wynkoop is now serving Beerdrinker Imperial Stout, a whiskey-barrel-aged, extra-strength stout Farrell brewed last fall with Wynkoop head brewer Andy Brown.
For interviews with this year’s Beerdrinker of the Year finalists, copies of their beer resumes and more information contact Marty Jones at martysjones@att.net">martysjones@att.net or marty@wynkoop.com">marty@wynkoop.com.
(Denver, Colorado) – Since June of 2011, Wynkoop Brewing Company (Colorado’s first brewpub) has been at full brewing capacity and unable to pursue new accounts for its small-batch draft and hand-canned beers.
Despite that scenario, the pioneering brewpub (founded by Colorado governor John Hickenlooper) boosted its annual sales for distributed beer by 33% over 2010.
The brewery also produced 3870 barrels of beer in 2011, up from 3500 barrels in 2010.
To help increase the supply of Rail Yard Ale, Silverback Pale Ale and its other beers, Wynkoop has just completed its first brewery expansion in 13 years.
The company’s four classic “open” fermenters have been moved from the main-floor brewhouse to a newly built space downstairs in the Wynkoop beer cellar.
In place of those fermenters, Wynkoop has installed two 20-barrel unitanks in the main floor brewhouse. Later this year the brewhouse will receive two more 20-barrel tanks.
The two new tanks increase Wynkoop’s brewing capacity by 20% and allow for more aging time of the company’s lagers and specialty beers.
“We’re making the best beer of our 23-year history,” says head brewer Andy Brown, whose brewing team landed a pair of medals at last year’s Great American Beer Festival. “The expansion helps us continue that improvement and gives us a better chance to meet demand for our liquid art.”
With this additional capacity Wynkoop will also be able to produce a new line of extra-limited-release canned and kegged beers the brewery had hoped to begin producing last year.
Those beers were postponed due to high demand for its canned microbrews.
Wynkoop beers are currently hand-canned one can at a time on a tabletop machine from Canada’s Cask Systems.
Wynkoop Brewing Company was founded in 1988 by former Denver mayor and current Colorado governor John Hickenlooper and a group of urban pioneers that included Ron Robinson, Wynkoop’s current GM.
Members of the media seeking more information, photos, samples and interviews can contact Wynkoop’s Conductor/Idea Man, Marty Jones at martysjones@att.net">martysjones@att.net or marty@wynkoop.com">marty@wynkoop.com.
Our panel of US and CO beer experts has picked the three finalists for our 2012 Beerdrinker of the Year award. Warren Monteiro, Greg Nowatzki and J. Wilson will compete in the Beerdrinker of the Year finals on February 25, at 2 PM, at Wynkoop Brewing Company. The event is open to the public and admission is free.
Since June of 2011, we've been at full brewing capacity and unable to pursue new accounts for our small-batch draft and hand-canned beers. Yes, a good "problem" to have in these tough times. And we're not complaining.
But despite that scenario, our pioneering brewpub (founded by Colorado governor John Hickenlooper) boosted its annual sales for our self-distributed liquid art by 33% over 2010. We also produced 3870 barrels of beer in 2011, up from 3500 barrels in 2010.
It's true: we're now rolling out cases of our third small-batch, hand-canned beer, the mighty B3K Black Lager.
A luxurious German-style schwarzbier, it's a two-time medalist at the Great American Beer Festival. ln 2008 it won a gold medal in the German-Style Schwarzbier bracket, and at last year's GABF it earned a 2011 bronze medal in the Kellerbier/Zwickelbier category.
