STARR HILL BREWERY INTRODUCES GRATEFUL PALE ALE

April 25, 2013

Sessionable, Hoppy Ale is Craft Brewer’s New Summer Seasonal Beer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (April 25, 2013):  Starr Hill Brewery, Virginia’s largest and most award-winning craft brewery, is kicking off the summer with the introduction of its new summer seasonal beer, Grateful Pale Ale.

Grateful is a medium-bodied session pale ale brewed with two-row and caramel malt.  The beer is also brewed and dry hopped with a mix of Topaz, Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops which produces a huge citrusy, piney hop aroma and flavor, but the beer is refreshing and easy to drink.

“Creating and brewing Grateful Pale Ale has truly been a labor of love,” said Mark Thompson, founder and master brewer of Starr Hill.  “Like so many craft beer drinkers, we love hops.  But sometimes on hot summer days, a big, hoppy beer is just too much.  Grateful Pale Ale is a perfectly balanced beer that’s very hop forward, but it’s also a bit lighter and easier to drink than traditional pale ales which we think make it an ideal choice for summer.”

Grateful Pale Ale will be available at retail beginning May 1 in six-packs (12-ounce bottles) and kegs (1/6 and ½ barrels).  The beer is 4.7 percent alcohol by volume, 26 IBUs and will be priced at parity to other Starr Hill brands.  Grateful Pale Ale is currently available in Starr Hill’s summer variety pack (12-pack) called The Life.  The Life contains three bottles each of Grateful Pale Ale, Northern Lights India Pale Ale, Starr Pils Lager and The Love (wheat beer).

Grateful Pale Ale will be supported with point-of-sale materials, glassware and a new on-premise campaign called “Be Grateful.”  As part of the sampling campaign consumers will be prompted to share what they are grateful for.  Consumers can submit videos or posts via Starr Hill’s facebook or twitter pages or write in on the Grateful Board during promotions at bars and restaurants.

“The idea behind the ‘Be Grateful’ campaign is to connect with our loyal Starr Hill consumers and let them share what they’re grateful for,” said Thompson.  “We are grateful to be able to brew great beer and share it with friends every day.  We’re excited to hear from Starr Hill fans, get to know what makes them tick and give them an opportunity win Starr Hill merchandise while sampling Grateful Pale Ale.”

Grateful Pale Ale will be available through July.  It will then be replaced by Boxcar Pumpkin Porter, Starr Hill’s fall seasonal beer.

At the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in 2011, Starr Hill was awarded a gold medal in the Vienna lager category for Jomo Lager, a light-bodied amber lager.  The company also won silver medals for two of its specialty beers, Monticello Reserve Ale (indigenous beer category) and Smoke Out (smoke beer category).  The company has won 17 GABF medals and two World Beer Cup medals since its founding.

Starr Hill Brewery was founded in 1999 in Charlottesville, Virginia by Mark Thompson and Kristin Dolan.  The company brews more than 20 brands of beer representing a variety of beer styles.  Starr Hill brands are distributed in Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, South Carolina, New Jersey and Delaware.

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A BREW WITH A LOCAL BUZZ

March 15, 2013

FLOYD — Thousands of people flock to FloydFest every summer to catch a glimpse of the country’s up-and-coming bands performing alongside headlining acts.

Backstage, Virginia companies work tirelessly to hand out samples of their latest products to artists and concert VIPs. Among the vendors are Charlottesville’s Starr Hill Brewery, a Virginia headliner, and Floyd’s own up-and-coming business, Red Rooster Coffee Roaster.

The two companies have worked side by side at the festival for the past three years and have recently partnered in a new venture — a coffee-flavored beer.

The duo introduced The Little Red RooStarr coffee stout March 1. The full-bodied milk stout, brewed with coffee, is a limited-release beer available only this month and April. It’s part of Starr Hill’s music-themed “All-Access” series.

Starr Hill founder and Master Brewer Mark Thompson and Red Rooster Coffee Roaster owner Haden Polseno-Hensley began brainstorming the beer last year. They saw symmetry in their products, brands and approach to business.

“It seemed like a perfect marriage of style and substance,” Polseno-Hensley said. “Both are high-quality, small-batch products from Virginia with strong brand recognition, so we decided to go for it.”

Thompson said he and other Starr Hill employees decided to make a coffee stout after trying several similar products in the market, and Polseno-Hensley’s coffee roast was a perfect match for what they wanted to do.

“We started kicking this idea around in November and talked to Haden about it,” Thompson said. “He brought us a pound of each of his roasts to sample. We made small batches of beer and mixed them in.”

After testing different concoctions, the coffee stout was born.

Polseno-Hensley roasts fresh coffee grinds and drives them up to the brewery in Crozet the same evening. Within days, Thompson said the beer is “very fresh” and ready to be packaged.

The Little Red RooStarr’s flavor, according to Starr Hill’s website, can be described as a stout that features malt sweetness, chocolate and caramel and is balanced out with roasted coffee.

Thompson said the first of two lots has been delivered and is likely sold out at most places. The second and final tank will be shipped by the end of the week.

There are several locations around Roanoke and the New River Valley that carry the beer, including Lucie Monroe’s in Christiansburg, Vintage Cellar in Blacksburg and Harvest Moon in Floyd. Floyd’s Dogtown Roadhouse and Oddfella’s Cantina & Tapas Bar have the brew on tap.

Polseno-Hensley said he never imagined he would see his company’s name on a beer sold in Southwest Virginia.

“I have a pretty wild imagination and have imagined a lot of things happening that I knew I would have to work for,” Polseno-Hensley said. “This fell into our lap, and it’s been a pleasant surprise.”

But the experience has been much more for Polseno-Hensley than having a beer named after his company. Polseno-Hensley said the beer is helping get his company’s name out and has benefitted Red Rooster Coffee Roaster in many ways, including sales.

“Starr Hill has treated our little company so well and with a lot of respect,” he said. “To work with people like that has been so amazing. The beer itself tastes better than my expectations.”

Thompson said Starr Hill will only brew two batches for March and April, but if customers missed their opportunity to purchase the beer, they might have one more chance to purchase it at FloydFest.

Thompson said Starr Hill is dedicated to helping local Virginia businesses, as can be seen in their own brewery, which hosts tours and tastings on weekends. Starr Hill also sells malt vinegar, chocolates and even soap at its brewery and online.

“It’s part of our DNA,” Thompson said. “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Now, Polseno-Hensley is looking to the future while he’s busy raising Floyd’s Red Rooster Coffee Roaster like his child with a little help from Starr Hill.
“They’re a reputable company with a good mission and a good product,” Polseno-Hensley said. “For a small company like us, those are the perfect footsteps to follow in. “

By Mike Shaw
The Roanoke Times
The Burgs

STARR HILL BREWERY EXPANDS TO NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE

February 06, 2013

Award-Winning Brewer Plans To Make Its Craft Beers Available Beginning in February

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. (Feb. 6, 2013):  Starr Hill Brewery, Virginia’s largest and most award-winning craft brewery, is expanding into New Jersey and Delaware beginning in February. 

Starr Hill will make many of its core brands available including:  Northern Lights IPA, Starr Pils, The Love (wheat beer), Jomo Lager, Dark Starr Stout, and Double Platinum (Imperial IPA) as well as the brewery’s seasonal beers, variety packs and All Access rotating draught and 22oz bottle series. 

“Starr Hill’s growth in Virginia and surrounding states has just been phenomenal, but entering New Jersey and Delaware is a real milestone for us,” said Mark Thompson, founder and master brewer of Starr Hill.  “Both states have vibrant craft beer communities filled with consumers who are always looking for new tastes and new styles of beer, and we believe our beers, brewed to the highest quality standards, are going to be well received.”

Starr Hill beers will be available on draught (1/2 barrels and 1/6 barrels) and in bottles (six-packs and 12-packs) at bars, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores.  In the future, Starr Hill will introduce packages extensions including cans (12oz and 16oz), loose 24 packages, and additional 22oz bottles.  In New Jersey Starr Hill will be distributed by:  Nash Distributors Inc.; Richie & Page; Konrad Beverage Company; Harrison Beverage and High Grade Beverage.  NKS Distributors Inc. will distribute Starr Hill throughout Delaware.

“Starr Hill brews a wide array of high quality award-winning craft beers, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring Starr Hill to Delaware,” said Tim Donnelly, president and chief executive officer, NKS Distributing Inc.  “Delaware has always had particularly sophisticated and well-educated beer consumers, and the demand for high-quality craft beer seems to have no end.  Starr Hill is going to be a great addition to our portfolio and retailers are equally excited to have the brands.”

At the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in 2011, Starr Hill was awarded a gold medal in the Vienna lager category for Jomo Lager, a light-bodied amber lager.  The company also won silver medals for two of its specialty beers, Monticello Reserve Ale (indigenous beer category) and Smoke Out (smoke beer category).  The company has won 17 GABF medals and two World Beer Cup medals since its founding.

“Mark Thompson and his team are well known and well respected throughout the craft beer community for the wide array of high quality and creative beers that they brew,” said Chris Natale, president of Ritchie & Page Distributing.  “We are excited to bring Starr Hill’s breadth of styles to the New Jersey beer community and to build the Starr Hill brand in this state.”

Starr Hill Brewery was founded in 1999 in Charlottesville, Virginia by Mark Thompson and Kristin Dolan.  The company brews more than 20 brands of beer representing a variety of beer styles.  Starr Hill brands are distributed in Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, South Carolina, New Jersey and Delaware.

Starr Hill Continues to Share The Love

January 30, 2013

Purchase The Love in February and make a difference.

Charlottesville, Virginia—January 29, 2013—Starr Hill Brewing and Virginia Eagle Distributing (VED) will once again partner locally with the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation (VBCF) to raise awareness and funds in support of a cure for breast cancer.

Beginning February 1st, both Starr Hill and VED will contribute a portion of proceeds from each case of The Love sold for the entire month.  With the help of a select group of local retailers and devoted Starr Hill consumers, this program was able to raise in excess of $5,000 in 2012.

“What a perfect connection.  A local brewery, with a great community connection, wants to support a group which helps combat a disease that has been devastating to many people in our local area,” said Mark Thompson. “We have all been touched by cancer in some form and Starr Hill is always looking for ways to give back and support when we can.”

This program entitled “Share the Love” was developed by Mark Thompson, Founder and Master Brewer at Starr Hill, and Scott Heinz, COO of Virginia Eagle Distributing.  The two believed that the connection between Starr Hill’s wheat beer known as The Love, February’s Valentine’s Day holiday and the fight again breast cancer was something that needed to be explored.  The plan was simply to offer a donation to the VBCF per case sold.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the response we received last year,” said Scott Heinz.  “From our employees to our retailers, everyone really wanted to help.  These types of programs truly bring everyone together and Virginia Eagle is very happy to support this worthwhile program once again.”

Click here to check out the various events where you can help raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness!

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Starr Hill Brewery Accomplishments:
• The brand has accumulated 17 medals from the Great American Beer Festival.  2011 medalist include Jomo (Gold), Monticello Reserve (Silver) and Smoke Out (Silver).
• The brand has received World Beer Cup recognition twice, including a Silver medal in 2008 for their Dark Starr Stout and a Bronze medal in 2002 for their Amber Ale.
• Dark Starr Stout has been the brands most awarded brew (5 GABF medals and a World Beer Cup medal) and is the most awarded Dry Stout in the country.
• Due to extreme consumer demand, Northern Lights went from a seasonal brew to a year-round product and is the best-selling Virginia-made IPA in the country.

Starr Hill is Proud to Share The Love with Breast Cancer Foundations

November 27, 2012

Craft Brewer Makes a Donation to Breast Cancer Foundations in Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina for Every Case Sold of its Award-Winning Wheat Beer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (Nov. 27, 2012):  Starr Hill Brewery, Virginia’s largest and most award-winning craft brewery, is making a donation to breast cancer foundations for every case sold of its award-winning wheat beer, The Love.

The program, “Share the Love,” took place throughout Virginia, North Carolina and in Nashville, Tenn.  Every time consumers purchased The Love at bars, restaurants and grocery stores, the brewery made a donation to a local breast cancer foundation.  The program was supported with promotions and point-of-sale materials.

“‘Share the Love’ is something that’s very close to our hearts, and I can’t tell you how thrilled we are with the response from wholesalers, retailers and consumers,” said Mark Thompson, founder and master brewer of Starr Hill.  “I think almost everyone has been touched by cancer in some way, so we felt it was important to do what we could to contribute to local breast cancer foundations, and the results have just been phenomenal.”

The program ran through the month of October and raised more than $3,000 for local breast cancer foundations in Virginia, North Carolina and Nashville, Tenn.

“Starr Hill is a company committed to helping local communities where they do business, and we couldn’t be more pleased with ‘Share the Love’ and all the people that helped make it happen,” said Meg Shrader, Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation Board President.  “In the past few years so much progress has been made in breast cancer research and treatment, but we still have a long way to go.  Programs like this raise money and just as importantly, raise awareness which is critical for early detection.”

“Share the Love” originally began in February 2012 in Virginia.  Starr Hill and Virginia Eagle Distributing operated the program at participating retailers throughout Charlottesville and Harrisonburg.  The program raised more than $5,000 in just over a month for the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation.  Starr Hill will continue to support this program across its entire footprint in February to coincide with Valentine’s Day.

The Love is an award-winning German-style hefeweizen with hints of banana and clove.  Its hazy golden color and light body make The Love very refreshing.  The Love was awarded a silver medal in the German Hefeweizen category at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival.

Starr Hill Brewery was founded in 1999 in Charlottesville, Virginia by Mark Thompson and Kristin Dolan.  The company brews more than 20 brands of beer representing a variety of beer styles.  Starr Hill brands are distributed in Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

Founded in 1991, the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation (VBCF) is the only statewide non-profit organization in Virginia committed solely to the eradication of breast cancer through education and advocacy.  Each year we reach thousands of individuals at the community level with accurate, up-to-date information on breast cancer early detection, diagnosis, treatment, research, legislation, and survivorship.  To learn more about VBCF, please visit

Black Friday Sale in the Tasting Room!

November 20, 2012

GABF Time Again!

October 01, 2012

Here we go again!  It’s time for America’s brewers to gather in Denver and share the bounty of our industry with beer lovers from all over the world.  Starr Hill will be there as we always are, ready to compete in 11 categories and bring The Gift of Great Beer to the people who drive our industry…YOU!  All of our core beers will be competing, along with a few special brews.  Jomo Lager and Monticello Reserve Ale will be defending their success from 2011, and Double Platinum and Festie will be contenders coming off their recent success at the 1st Annual Virginia Craft Brewers Fest.

One special brew I would like to discuss is our annual Pro-Am entry.  Starr Hill has competed in this category since its inception, and it has yielded some great beers.  Smoke Out won the Silver Medal in the Pro-Am competition, and followed it up in 2011 by winning the Silver Medal in the Smoke Beer Category.  This year’s Pro-Am entry is a Belgian Pale Ale called “Loose Change.” This beer is an award winner originally brewed by Patrick Gibson, a local home brewer and member of Charlottesville’s local brew club, Charlottesville Area Masters of Real Ale (CAMRA.)  As usual, the challenge is to take Patrick’s five-gallon recipe and scale it up to be used on our equipment here at Starr Hill.  We enlisted one of our Technical Brewers Levi Erickson to handle the task of scaling up the recipe and executing it in the Brewhouse.

The brew date was set: Patrick and Levi met early on a Saturday morning to brew in the beer.  It was a special day for Patrick, as it would be for many home brewers, to get hands-on brewing experience with a professional brewer in a modern production brewery.  The brew day was special for visitors to our Tasting Room as well.  Those on the tours that day had the opportunity to see brewers at work, creating The Gift of Great Beer.

The finished product is really delicious, and I hope everyone gets to try some soon.  It will be available in our Tasting Room and in select locations in Virginia (draft only) so you will have to seek it out.

I, along with others from the brewery, will be in Denver, so come on by the Starr Hill booth and see us!  We will be glad to talk beer with our fans and beer enthusiasts at the largest gathering of breweries and beer lovers in America—maybe the world!

Cheers to you all!  Hope to see you in Denver!

Levi Duncan, Lead Brewer

NEW Tasting Room Hours of Operation

September 30, 2012

Starr Hill Brewery Expands Distribution To Philadelphia

September 27, 2012

Award-Winning Brewer Plans Make Its Entire Core Lineup of Craft Beers Available Beginning in October

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/—Starr Hill Brewery, Virginia’s largest and most award-winning craft brewery, is expanding into the Philadelphia market beginning in October.

The craft brewery plans to make its entire core lineup available which includes:  Northern Lights IPA, Boxcar Pumpkin Porter (fall seasonal), The Love (wheat beer), Jomo Lager, Dark Starr Stout, Festie (amber lager), Starr Pils, and Double Platinum (Imperial IPA) as well as the brewery’s variety packs and All Access rotating draught-only series of beers.

“Twelve years ago it was our dream to open a world-class craft brewery in Charlottesville, Virginia, and that dream became a reality,” said Mark Thompson, founder & master brewer of Starr Hill.  “We’ve been successful in Virginia and some surrounding states, but entering Philadelphia is taking the dream to a new level.  Philadelphia is one of the most sophisticated craft beer markets in the country, and I can’t tell you how excited we are to introduce Philly beer lovers to Starr Hill.”

Starr Hill beers will be available on draught (1/2 barrels and 1/6 barrels) and in bottles (six-packs and 12-packs) at bars, restaurants, beer distributors and delis.  The beers will be distributed by Penn Distributors, Inc. (Philadelphia) and Gretz Beer Company (Norristown, Penn.).

“Starr Hill is based in Charlottesville, but they have been well known and well respected throughout the craft beer community for years,” said Mike Gretz Sr., president and chief executive officer, Gretz Distributing.  “Mark Thompson and his team brew a wide variety of craft beer styles, and they’ve been successful wherever they’ve gone.  We’re thrilled to welcome them to Philadelphia, and we look forward to working with them to build the Starr Hill brand.”

“Starr Hill coming to Philadelphia is great news for anyone who is passionate about great craft beer,” said Matt Funchion, president and chief operating officer, Penn Distributors, Inc.  “Mark Thompson is one of the most respected brewers in the country, and we could not be happier to be distributing Starr Hill’s full lineup of award-winning beers.”

At the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in 2011, Starr Hill was awarded a gold medal in the Vienna lager category for Jomo Lager, a light-bodied amber lager.  The company also won silver medals for two of its specialty beers, Monticello Reserve Ale (indigenous beer category) and Smoke Out (smoke beer category).  The company has won 19 GABF medals since its founding.

Starr Hill Brewery was founded in 1999 in Charlottesville, Virginia by Mark Thompson and Kristin Dolan.  The company brews more than 20 brands of beer representing a variety of beer styles.  Starr Hill brands are distributed in Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

For further information, contact:
Paul Byrne (314) 737-1847
Paul.byrne@byrnecommunicationsllc.com
Twitter: Byrnepr

Check out the original Press Release here.

The Return of Cryptical

September 24, 2012

Our All Access line for 2012 is coming to a close in December, but fear not, it will return in 2013!  Mark Thompson decided to end this year with two big beers, perfect for the cold dreary months ahead (like February).  We make a new All Access batch of beer every other month; some are available in bottles, all are available on draft.  Your best bet to get some is to swing by the Tasting Room or seek it out at better beer bars and restaurants in our Mid-Atlantic distribution area.  This year’s All Access beers so far have beer Tripel (Dec 2011), Wee Heavy (Jan 2012), Belgian IPA (March 2012), Saison (May 2012), and Belgian Strong Ale (July 2012).  For September…Cryptical is back!

Cryptical is our Russian Imperial Stout offering.  We first brewed it at the end of 2009 and again in early 2010 for barrel aging.  The response was great, and people have been asking for it ever since.  After 18 months, we finally brewed another batch, and it is The Gift of Great Beer indeed!  We are hand bottling it as well, so if you come by the Tasting Room, you might be able to secure a couple of bottles.

One beer nut to another: I have a couple of bottles left from last time in my cellar at home, and I pulled one out with a couple of friends to try… Let me tell you, it was fantastic.  This beer keeps very well, so buy one to enjoy now and one to age.  The aging process produced a super smooth stout; believe me: it is worth the wait.  The question will undoubtedly arise: when are you making Cryptical again?  The answer will be: we don’t know.  Starr Hill is a brewery that makes a specific line of core beers every day, so when we get a chance to embrace creativity, we are hard-pressed to do something again without being overwhelmed by the demand.  Therefore, we present the return of Cryptical!

Spread The Gift!
Cheers,
Levi

P.S. As an aside, I find it difficult not to see the scene in my head of a bottle of Dark Starr Stout looking at a big bottle of Cryptical saying, “Cryptical: I am your father.”

Enter the FloydFest Lovers Rock Starr Hill Contest

April 30, 2012

Starr Hill is teaming up with FloydFest to offer you a chance to WIN A VIP WEEKEND FOR 2!

The Grand Prize Winner will receive:

Two (2) FloydFest VIP Weekend Passes, including:
*Premium camping, early arrival, on-site parking
*Full backstage catering, including beer, wine and beverages
*Up-close-and-personal on-stage experience during performances
*Massage, commemorative photobooth, dedicated shuttles

Two (2) Starr Hill Summer Tour T-shirts and other Starr Hill swag

Two (2) FloydFest Klean Kanteens

Two (2) ENO Hammocks

Five (5) second place winners will receive one (1) Weekend General Admission ticket.

Contest ends June 30th, 2012, and winners will be notified July 2nd, 2012.

The World Beer Cup and Going for Two

March 26, 2012

Every two years, the world’s breweries are invited to take part in The World Beer Cup in Chicago.  This is the premier beer competition in our industry today.  According to organizers, there will be 828 breweries from 57 countries submitting over 4,000 entries in 95 categories.  Do the math—it is exceedingly difficult to medal; the best beers will be selected among numerous competitors.  We, as usual, will be competing.  Starr Hill has won twice at the World Beer Cup; Amber Ale won Bronze in 2002, and Dark Starr Stout won Silver in 2008.

This year we have made a few entries, including our GABF Gold Medal winner Jomo Lager and our Silver Medal winner Monticello Reserve Ale.  We would love to see them medal in two competitions in a row! Results will be available on May 5th.

The importance of beer competitions cannot be overlooked.  This is an opportunity for us as a brewery to see how we stack up against our peers from around the world.  It is also important for the industry in general, as it helps build public awareness of the craft beer movement, and it gets people excited to try the medal winners at home.  A fun thing to do is to choose your favorite categories, track down the three medal winners at your LOCAL craft beer outlet, and try them side by side.  We in the industry do a similar tasting in sensory panels with blind tastings of your brewery’s beer and your competitors to constantly monitor the quality and presentation.  Craft beer customers frequently try multiple brands of beer throughout the year, but few seem to take it to this level.  Tasting multiple examples of the same style in one sitting is a great way to train your palate and increase your knowledge of the liquid we love so much.  This can also give you a feel for what the 216 judges experience during a competition.

“Great beer is such a gift.”  That statement launched a mindset that has driven our brewery since the beginning.  Kristin was right: our main focus is quality.  We keep that the focus of everything we do every day.  Competitions make everyone better. If you do poorly, it makes you reevaluate your process or products.  Doing well does not mean you can be complacent either.  As brewers we know we are going to make our best beer tomorrow with what we learned today, competition just defines your learning curve.  Starr Hill has a history of competing well because we take our company’s mission seriously.  The Gift of Great Beer indeed.

Cheers,

Levi

Share The Love Is A Success!

March 13, 2012

Check out this press release from Virginia Eagle Distributing!

Charlottesville, Virginia—March 13, 2012—Starr Hill Brewery recently concluded a very successful program designed to raise funds for the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation (VBCF).  With the help of Virginia Eagle Distributing, a select group of local retailers and devoted Starr Hill consumers, the brewery was able to raise in excess of $5,000 in just over a month.

This program entitled “Share The Love” was developed by Mark Thompson, Founder and Master Brewer at Starr Hill, and Scott Heinz, COO of Virginia Eagle Distributing.  The two believed that the connection between Starr Hill’s wheat beer known as The Love; February’s Valentine’s Day holiday and the fight again breast cancer was something that needed to be explored.  The plan was simply to offer a donation to the VBCF per case sold.

“What a perfect connection.  A local brewery with a great community connection wants to support a group that helps combat a disease that has been devastating to many people in our local area,” said Mark Thompson. “We have all been touched by cancer in some form.  Starr Hill is always looking for ways to give back and support when we can.”

The program was simple, but effective.  Virginia Eagle retailers were happy to join the cause.  The Love was everywhere.  The Winchester and Northern Virginia markets promoted the program with catchy displays and drink specials, while the southern territories conducted more than 20 restaurant/bar promotions throughout Charlottesville and Harrisonburg in February.

The month’s most successful single event was a President’s Day weekend promotion at Massanutten resort, which resulted in more than $1,000 in donations.  Great Eastern Purveyors (GEP), Massanutten Resort and Starleigh Entertainment put together a mountain party that brought together homeowners and guests to support the cause. “Our Massanutten community, GEP and Starleigh really stepped up,” said Sarah Elson-Staniunas, Business Relations Director for Massanutten resort.  “I was not surprised to see this type of response.  Our community of owners and guests are always very supportive.”

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the response we received,” said Scott Heinz.  “From our employees to our retailers, everyone really wanted to help.  These types of programs truly bring everyone together, and Virginia Eagle will continue to look for ways to support projects like this one.”

Starr Hill Brewery Accomplishments:
• The brand has accumulated 17 medals from the Great American Beer Festival.  2011 medalist include Jomo (Gold), Monticello Reserve (Silver) and Smoke Out (Silver).
• The brand has received World Beer Cup recognition twice, including a Silver medal in 2008 for their Dark Starr Stout and a Bronze medal in 2002 for their Amber Ale.
• Dark Starr Stout has been the brand’s most awarded brew (5 GABF medals and a World Beer Cup medal) and is the most awarded Dry Irish Stout in the country.
• Due to extreme consumer demand, Northern Lights went from a seasonal brew to a year-round product and is the best-selling Virginia-made IPA in the country. 

NOTE TO MEDIA:

• A limited number of check presentation invitations will be available for media.  If you would like to cover the event, then please forward your request to rsnook@vaeagle.com .
• For more information from Starr Hill, contact Allie Hochman at 434-823-5671, allie@starhill.com or www.starrhill.com.
• For more information from Virginia Eagle Distributing, contact Scott Heinz 901-210-2143 or visit www.vaeagle.com.

A Busy March Ahead

February 09, 2012

As some folks know, I moonlight periodically as an instructor at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville.  The time has come for my next class to begin!  This semester I will be teaching a course called “The Brewing Process.”  As opposed to the fall class, “Intro to Brewing,” this course is going to be very in depth.  We are going to cover all aspects of the brewing process, from barley cultivation all the way to finished beer.  The course will include scientific discussion about WHY we do things in the brewery, as well as what we do.  If you want to completely geek out on brewing, this is the time.  As always, I am flexible with the subject matter, so if we find an area of interest that the class wants to pursue, so be it, we will.  Anyway, it is fun!  The class will be the first four Monday evenings in March, 6-8 PM.

March also marks a yearly transition from our winter seasonal brew The Gift to our summer seasonal.  This year that will be Starr Pils, and take it from me, it’s really good! You can really taste the malt in it, and it’s got a big aroma from the hops—just good beer for a hot day.

We also are releasing the second of six different real ale firkins for 2012.  This one is going to be Dark Starr Stout with whiskey-soaked oak chips, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day at your local pub.  Keep your eye out for this Brewer’s Choice series!

The last new brew this month is an Imperial Belgian IPA.  This will be available on draft only at this point, so bring your growlers to the Tasting Room and fill up!  It won’t last long.  Belgian IPA is obviously a very American take on blending two kinds of beer together into a style that doesn’t officially exist (yet), I wonder what the next big thing will be?  Cascadian Ales seem to have slowed in popularity while good old American-style IPA continues to rule our industry and apparently the American palate.  The new rages all seem to revolve around hoppiness, but none are sticking …is it time for a reversal?  A real live session ale that is brave enough to leave most of the hops in the hop locker?  We shall see… Opinions?

Cheers,

Levi

Share The Love and Fight Breast Cancer!

February 01, 2012