Island Brewing Company Offering Brewery Tours

Island Brewing Company Offering Brewery Tours

 

Ever wondered how beer is made? And what exactly is going on in all those big, shiny tanks in the back of the brewery? Island Brewing Company will be offering free, scheduled brewery tours throughout the summer. Brewery tours will be held twice a day during weekends at 2:00 and 4:00 pm on Saturday and Sundays.

 

The tour runs about 20 minutes and covers the history of Island Brewing Company, and explains the brewing process, ingredients, and offers a behind the scenes look at what's happening at the brewery. "As more people discover craft beer, and the difference in flavor fresh, local beer brings with it, there are more interested people in the brewing process and the history of beer, and we're happy to share that with them," says owner and brewer Paul Wright. Island Brewing Company is located at 5049 6th Street, Carpinteria, CA.  For more information, call (805)745-8272 or email paul@islandbrewingcompany.com

Summer Staples Arrive: Tropical Lager and Island Weiss

Summer Staples Arrive: Tropical Lager and Island Weiss

Well if you don’t already know, consider yourself informed: summer is here and with it comes the release of two of our most popular summer beers.

The wait is over for the Tropical Lager. This light and refreshing lager features organic malts. So light and refreshing it may make you want to do some yard work. So light and refreshing it may make you want to stop. Which will it be? A couple sips of 5.1% abv and 16 IBUs and you will know.

Next up is a beer we haven’t had in awhile, and apparently it’s high time for the Island Weiss. This is a Bavarian-style Weiss beer in all its unfiltered, 4.7% abv, and 17 IBU glory. The weiss yeast brings forth hints of banana and clove, and is served best cold with a little sun, a little sand, a little beach. But perhaps you have another serving idea. We’d love to hear it. Cheers.

Island Brewing Company Embraces American Craft Beer Week May 13-19

 

It's a big week for small breweries: We'll be celebrating American Craft Beer Week May 13-19th with above normal levels of camaraderie, special releases, prizes and events!

Monday: Rock Paper Scissors tournament. You read that right and you already know the rules.

Tuesday: We’ll be celebrating various levels of beer expertise with Beer Trivia.

Wednesday: Toast Off in which we’ll be judging the best toast makers among us.

Thursday: Blending competition and BBQ food truck.

Friday we’ll host a Vertical VIP Flight tastings as we raid the barchives.

Saturday: Live, live, live music.

Sunday: we’re setting sail and cruising the streets on Santa Barbara's only amphibious vehicle, The Land Shark. Imagine a couple dozen of your closest friends driving a tank like vehicle into the ocean with a few kegs of beer, 6:30-8:30. Sign up at the brewery!

More Big Doins: New Tanks and a Boiler to Boot!

More Big Doins: New Tanks and a Boiler to Boot!

 

It's been a couple of months of heavy lifting, literally and figuratively, as Island Brewing Company saw some major milestones through March and April 2013, the results of several years of strategic planning that will allow the craft brewery to both increase its capacity, efficiency, and beer style selection. “We’ve been interested in expanding capacity at the brewery for some time,” said owner and brewer Paul Wright. “Demand is up for craft beer and we’re pleased to have some major projects online in time for summer.”

Replacing the brewery’s original steam boiler with a new one will offer several benefits: faster brew times, a smaller carbon footprint, and increased efficiency. “Most people don’t think about the boiler when it comes to the brewing process, but it’s pretty simple: no hot water, no brewing,’ says Wright. The brewery’s new boiler features an increase in fuel-to-steam efficiency as well as lower electrical power consumption and a cleaner burner.

 

 

In with the new boiler.

 

 

New Tanks: Steady team, steady.

Something you don't see every day: Thanks to Colson's Towing!

Pallet Jack Powered

No one get squished please.

 

In the building and vertical. Repeat three times.

The new view

 

Island Brewing Company had also been interested in expanding its existing tank capacity to keep up with demand. The purchase of 3- 45 barrel tanks, two fermenters and one brite tank will allow the brewery to increase both the volume of its most popular beers and take some of the pressure off the existing tanks, freeing that tank capacity for a wider variety of seasonal offerings. “The investment represents a major increase in tank space for us. Stay tuned. We’re going to have more beer around here and more selection than ever before,” says Wright. “And those are all good things.”

Big Island: Now in Bottles!

The Big Island has been bottled! An intricate grain bill and heavy hand with the hops have produced an Impreial Pale Ale weighing in at 10% abv and 100 IBUs, all lovingly bottled into our 22 oz. bottles, waiting for you at the brewery, as well as some of the finer beer establishments around town. When they're gone, they're gone until next year which is a long winded way of saying that the time is ripe for you to make your way to Island Brewing Company and grab your fair share! See you soon if not sooner.

And if you've been hiding under a rock: Big Island and Little Island

And if you've been hiding under a rock: Big Island and Little Island Releases

 

It's finally here: our most robust, hoppiest offering of the year: The Big Island. If you are among the uninitiated, this is our Imperial Pale Ale. We're talking huge malt backbone and a balanced finish for 10% abv and a 100 IBUs (a big dose of Columbus and Cascade hops), served in a 13 oz. goblet to keep your reflexes intact.

 

Here's the story on the Little Island: So when we brew the Big Island, the resulting grain bed has enough fermentable sugars in it to brew another beer: and thus the Little Island was born from the second runnings of the Big Island mash.. This year's Little Island has grown up a bit when compared to Little Islands of yester year. Technically a Pale Ale with prominent Cascade Hops, the Little Island weighs in at 6.1% and 35 IBUs.

 

Which is for you? Only one way to find out. See you soon!





Attention Bourbon Barrel Aged IPA Fans

Attention Bourbon Barrel Aged IPA fans: You may want to mark your calendar. Correction: you will want to mark your calendar. Six months from now we will be releasing our next batch of Bourbon Barrel Aged IPA. If you had any of the last  Bourbon Barrel Aged IPA, you know why there is that little sense of urgency in this post. Consider yourself in the loop!