What beer are you drinking now? #4941

OK, a quick check in before my Josh Ritter concert tonight...

Was at Blue Tuba...a fusion Euro restaurant that is kind of a mess of a lot of different things. But they do $5 Pilsner Urquell's that are always uber fresh..so yeah that works.



With a smoked kielbasa, and a plate of mussels...



The restaurant is basically across the street from the theater I'm going too...but that is also just a few block from my condo...so for now, taking Moe on one last walk before I'm gone for the rest of the night...I'll try and do a post after the concert as well

Thin Blue Flame...one of the best protest songs written over the last few decades.

 

1. Stone Brewing was sold by Sapporo to Duvel Moortgat (2026)
Industry giant Duvel Moortgat USA reached an agreement to acquire Stone Brewing from Sapporo Holdings, which had previously bought Stone in 2022.

2. Stone beers will no longer be made in Richmond
After the sale, the Richmond production facility will stop brewing Stone beer and instead become a full‑time Sapporo USA production facility.

3. The Richmond taproom is closing
Stone Brewing announced that its Richmond taproom at 4300 Williamsburg Ave. will have its final day on May 14, 2026.

4. The facility will be rebranded as a Sapporo taproom
Sapporo plans to rebrand and retrofit the public-facing space as a Sapporo taproom later in the year.

Sapporo kept the Richmond facility, while Duvel took the Stone brand.

 

It was a rookie mistake. The beer menu did not list the prices. I saw the beer and wanted to try it but forgot to ask how much the pour was. I'm used to seeing $8 to $10 for something similar. I wouldn't have tried it otherwise at that price. It was a dumb mistake on my part. Oh, well I deserve everyone to pile on for my stupidity. Sheez.

 

Don't despair, Ian. You have all the right stuff and you'll find the right situation. In the meantime, keep on improving your intellect with all the reading!

 

One great thing about beer writing is joining in some of the fun of other beer drinkers within your circle. Such is the case with our office manager's son-in-law, another lover of the brewed arts!

Today's beer excursion finds him, er, us enjoying a Peroni in Naples, Italy of all places. He seems to have taken a liking of this stuff, and has been drinking it his entire trip! Now I've had Peroni here in the States, and it's a great Italian beer. I have to say one thing however, the glass bottles they serve in Italy are a heck of a lot darker than the pale green glass they serve to us 'Mericans! Obviously, they hate us! I've been calling for darker glass from our European brewers for years, and here they're taking care of themselves and not us!

Well let's see what else is on the agenda for today. Oh yeah, before I forget, I've pulled from the depths of the expansive and temperature-controlled Beermeister32 Bierhoard, one of my perennial favorites, Trumer Pils. As I've been lamenting all month, Trumer production is heading to Firestone Walker, so these Berkeley-produced Trumers are dinosaurs. I'm sure they'll be great coming out of Firestone Walker. Hey, hey, F-W has plenty of brown glass! Maybe there's an opportunity to dump TRUMER'S dumb green glass at the same time! Yes, Trumer shipped some of their local Pilsner in green glass, an offense that Beermeister32 can't pass off lightly!

So we're pondering two USA offenses in the same blog. Peroni green glass and Trumer green glass. What's the common thread here? All I can think of is this Euro-centric marketing thought pattern that still thinks we buy Euro beers for the historic green glass, versus the brown glass that we know has been superior since Schlitz was pushing the issue in the 1910's! C'mon marketing people! Clue in!

 

@LarryV nailed it. Also is a thread on this if interested in reading
https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...following-sale-to-belgian-giant-duvel.683147/

 

The Thrower from Black Horizon.

 

Union Jack on the patio. Leftovers for dinner (burritos).

 

Cool!!!

 

Stone beer production is moving elsewhere

Under the new ownership structure:

• Firestone Walker’s Paso Robles facility will brew Stone for the western U.S.
• Duvel’s Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City will brew Stone for the eastern U.S.

Because of this shift, Stone will eventually stop being brewed in Escondido, but that’s due to Sapporo’s decisions, not Duvel’s.

4. Sapporo will continue brewing there temporarily

Sapporo will keep brewing Stone products in Escondido through the end of 2026 during the transition period.

After that, the facility’s future depends entirely on whether Sapporo finds a buyer.

 

Live action...

Banger while whipping up dinner.

Cheers..

 

Finding Stone fresh round here has been difficult. I loved Stone in its day, but all the Stone beer I see in this area is at least 4 months old, usually older like around 5 or 6 months. I quit buying it for that reason.

 

Cheers!

 

That doesn't surprise me, I've had one St. Arnold beer - a Marzen - that @DavyJonesXXX sent me in a trade and it was excellent. They seem to have a solid German style beer game. Isn't Weizenbock a great beer style. It amazes me that more people who like the higher ABV stuff don't ask for it; except the yeast byproducts are unique and some just don't like it. I guess I answered my own question. But I find wheat beers in general to be some of the best drinking, unique beer on out there. And Weizenbock is lovely.

 

Same . love that IPA at 4-6 weeks old and also can only find it a 3 months out. I do however find fresh Union Jack, Maybe soon i will get fresher Stone IPA from FW?

 

Got home did 30 mins on the elliptical and 45 mins weights. Trying to get back into shape at almost 64 ain't easy but I'm stubborn and will continue. Which means drinking less beer unfortunately. Chix for supper.

 

Howdy BAs
I’m having this Double Nug to honor David Allan Coe’s legacy. Cheers DAC

He consulted on arguably the most perfect country western song with Steve Goodman

 

That would be a big plus!! For the East coast, Boulevard will be brewing it. I don't have high hopes.

 

Youngest pitched his first complete game tonight. Three innings then the rain came. Got the W though. Joining @Shanex with a Sip of Sunshine also canned in March. Mine just has a lot less miles on it haha. Cheers!

 

Mrs. Mac and Chambo are down the shore. I'm heading down tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm holding down the fort, doing laundry, have the dish washer going, and still manage to drink a Heady. Not braggin'.