Lost Abbey Brew News

Around the Brewhouse
Greetings from Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey. Our beloved Director of Brewery Operations is taking this issue off from his column as he’s on the East Coast this week doing several special appearances (or, as we call it: “Being Tomme Arthur”). Not to worry, however, as we’ve still got a lot of news for you. Read on.

Expansion Updates
First off, our tasting room expansion is nearly complete. As you’ve probably read in previous newsletters, via the website, Facebook, etc., back in late November we began a major expansion of our tasting room and warehouse / barrel room / cold storage. We’re please to report that the expansion – save a few minor details – is complete. With the construction of the new warehouse and barrel room across the lot from the brewhouse and tasting room, we’ve not only been able to bump our barrel library to 800-plus barrels, but also nearly double the size of our tasting bar to 42 feet, add 14 more taps for fresh beers, and create a vintage bottle list for visitors who would like to sample some our rarer delights. Combine that with our swanky lighting, new bottle cabinetry and hip bistro-style barrel tables, and you’ve got a tasting room experience quite unlike anything else. You can learn more about our tasting room on our website here:
http://www.lostabbey.com/tasting-room/

A New (Old) Face
Along with our with our new tasting room, we’re also pleased to announce our new tasting room and special events manager, Terri Osterfeld. Those of you familiar with Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey know that Terri (aka: “Beer Molly”) has been a staple behind the bar on weekends since late 2006. But with our fancy new digs and the ever-expanding crowds, we started needing her here a lot more than just weekends. So as of January 1 Terri became a full-time employee in charge of the tasting room, merchandise, special events, and online sales. Now she’s here Wednesdays through Sundays, serving beers, filling orders, coordinating tours and basically keeping the public side of our operation running smoothly. If you ever have a chance to drop by the brewery or purchase anything from our online store, Terri’s the girl who handles it for you, so make sure to say hi. She can be reached at terri@lostabbey.com or through our website at:
http://www.portbrewing.com/visit-us/contact-the-tasting-room/

Extended Tasting Room Hours
Oh, and speaking of Terri, now that she’s on board fulltime, we have newly extended tasting room days and hours. They are as follows:

Wednesday: 1pm to 5pm – Growler Fills & Bottles Sales only
Thursday: 12pm to 5pm – Growler Fills & Bottles Sales only
Friday: 2pm to 8pm – Full Tasting Room (Tasters, Pints, Growlers & Bottles)
Saturday: 12pm to 5pm – Full Tasting Room (Tasters, Pints, Growlers & Bottles)
Sunday: 12pm to 4pm – Full Tasting Room (Tasters, Pints, Growlers & Bottles)
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: Closed

You can all the info on our tasting room (beers on tap, vintage bottles, special events, etc.) by visitng our website at:
http://www.lostabbey.com/tasting-room/

Barrels for Sale
As you’re probably aware, we have quite an extensive collection of barrels in which we age beers. What you might not know, however, is that many of those barrels — especially our spirit barrels (bourbon, brandy, sherry) — we only use once. Oh, they still impart lots of flavor and character, but the style of beer combined with the volume we’re producing really dictates that we used fresh distilled spirit barrels. As a result, we have a regular supply of whole (empty) barrels that we’re willing to part with for very little. Not only do these barrels have great flavor, but there color and character are something to behold too. So if you’re a homebrewer, a gardener (yes, they make great planters), a craftsman, or any one of hundreds of other people who has use for gently-used spirit barrels, these are just $25 each (whole 33gal barrel) when you pick up it up. If you’re interested, visit our website here:
http://www.portbrewing.com/buy-our-beers/buy-a-barrel/

Upcoming Events ~ Carnevale di Lost Abbey
Saturday, February 27th is our 3rd Carnevale di Lost Abbey Masquerade party. An annual bash held in honor of the release of our 2009 GABF Gold Medal-winning Carnevale Ale, we’ll be serving up food by our house chef Vince, live music by the Professors, and a huge tap and bottle list of great Port Brewing and Lost Abbey beers. The masquerade is from 7pm to 11pm and food and music are free for everyone who shows up in costume and mask. It’s $10 for those without a costume (we will, however, provide you with a mask). Beers are all regular price. More information, visit the Lost Abbey website at:
http://www.lostabbey.com/3rd-annual-carnevale-di-lost-abbey-masquerade-party/