LET'S TALK CIDER: UNIQUE DOWN TO THE ROOTS

Craft breweries and cider houses, amongst the traditional breweries, have been increasingly popping up all across the U.S. —- and yet none of them are quite comparable to one another. When it comes down to it, brewers are putting their best foot forward to stand out from the crowd in a highly competitive industry. It’s all about being unique, and for many brewers, the cultural influences of where they reside on the map is one of their biggest inspirations. For brewers who have set up shop here in New England, some of that inspiration may be a main ingredient of local apples fresh from the orchard to set their brew apart from the rest. That’s right —- we’re talking about Far From The Tree, located here in our own backyard in Salem, MA.

Far From The Tree is a local cider house that started back in the Fall of 2013, and has been a standout favorite since it’s first cider release in 2014. Owners, Al and Denise Snape, brought the business to life with their mutual dream of opening a cider house after returning from England, where Al pursued a degree in winemaking. After all of their travels, they decided to ground themselves in Salem, MA after finding their perfect home for their cider house —- and we are so glad they did. 

The cider house is located on the corner of Jackson St. in Salem, MA and you quite literally can’t miss it. The building’s bright red exterior and custom signage is punchy and welcoming, and seriously feels like home. While the cider house, with it’s open concept and outdoor seating, is great for the warmer months, the taproom is open during the winter months from Thursday through Sunday at varying times for tourists and locals to satisfy their cider sweet tooth. While Al and Denise keep rolling out new ciders, they all have one thing in common, and that is that they are all made from local orchard apples right in central Massachusetts. Not only that, but the apples are brought straight to their cellar after being pressed.

Far From The Tree is unique to it’s ROOTS, appealing to locals and tourists alike with it’s true New England influences, from their branding, to their ingredients, and all the way down to their staff. We know where to go to grab a taste of home and have a good time, and that’s at Far From The Tree.

Happy National Beer Day!

Today is National Beer Day! April 7 marks the day prohibition ended in the United States in 1933 thanks to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Although the law didn’t officially go into effect until December 5, the brewing and sale of beer was legal again as of April 7, as long as it was <3.2% ABV.

Didn’t know the meaning behind National Beer Day? That’s alright. Don’t know much about prohibition? That’s alright, too! We’ve made this “beergraphic” for you highlighting just some of the more interesting facts about prohibition.

Cheers!

“SPRING”-ING UP: THE GROWTH OF LOCAL BREWERIES

Aside from the happy and hoppy cheer that March embodies thanks to St. Patty’s, let’s be honest, there’s not much going on this month. But as of the 20th, Spring has sprung and in a similar fashion, so are two of the best local breweries in Massachusetts…for a second time! Following the nationwide increase in craft breweries ­­– there are now over 4,000 and counting ­– Tree House Brewing Co. of Monson, MA and Trillium Brewery of Boston, MA have both decided to open up a second location here in our great state. The addition of these new locations makes for an exciting time for New England natives and craft beer lovers alike.

Tree House Brewing Co.'s second location is set to open in Charlton, MA in 2017. Still a relatively new brewery, Tree House began in 2012 as a one-man operation based out of a garage. Their expansion, set to be underway in 2016 and finalized in 2017, is sure to only increase their popularity, as beer fans continuously line up for weekend beer tastings and growler fills of some of Tree House’s most unique and flavorful brews. Tree House co-founder, Nate Lanier, is more than looking forward to the opening of the second location, calling it their “dream brewery.” Lanier states that the new location in Charlton, MA is a great mesh with the aesthetic of the Tree House brand; rural, serene, and woodsy. The 45,000 square foot location will include yet another new addition of a retail shop alongside the brewery itself.

Trillium Brewery of Boston, MA is another one of Massachusetts’ finest craft breweries to open up a new location. Their second location in Canton, MA opened last year, which expanded their family owned and operated brewery and increased their production. Trillium’s original brewery resides in Fort Point, one of Boston’s unique historic waterfront neighborhoods, that intertwines incredibly well with the rooted and cultural facets of the Trillium brand. Trillium co-founder, JC Tetreault, notes that the Fort Point location is to operate as a pilot brewery, with the new Canton location being their primary facility. Similarly to Tree House Brewing Co., Trillium’s move to the rural and historic Canton area is seen to be a great fit for the brewery’s future plans. 

Craft beer enthusiasts everywhere, brace yourselves. Local breweries are springing up everywhere, every day. For those not native to the area, the increase in craft breweries makes an obvious need for a trip to the Bay State. For Massachusetts residents, it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy some of the greatest craft beers right in your own backyard or neighborhood brewery.

The Rise of Hard Soda

There’s no denying the impact that Not Your Father’s RootBeer has had on the beer market over the last year. It was the third top-selling craft beer brand in the U.S. between January 1 and November 29, 2015, selling more than long-time craft brands like Samuel Adams Boston Lager. That’s an incredible feat for a product that was virtually unknown before last summer – and the brewing industry has taken notice.

Both small and large brewers have begun releasing their answers to this hard root beer phenomenon. Boston Beer Co. (owner of Samuel Adams and Angry Orchard) threw their hat in the hard root beer ring with Coney Island Hard Root Beer, which is now the second highest selling alcoholic root beer. Anheuser-Busch also joined in with their root beer offering, Best Damn Root Beer.

Root beer is just the first step in the hard soda category. With the success that these products have had in the market, brewers have started releasing other hard soda flavors, like Henry’s Hard Orange Soda and Ginger Ale by MillerCoors. Released earlier this month, Henry’s Hard Soda is bringing a new twist to the segment, by producing more refreshing, lower-alcohol offerings aimed at Gen Xers.

So what has caused this rise in hard soda’s popularity?

Consumers are always looking for new and interesting beverage choices, especially in the craft beer community. Hard sodas have offered the less hop-headed drinkers a sweeter alternative to beer. Non-alcoholic carbonated soft drinks sales have been declining steadily, as people have become more health conscious. Many consumers feel that if they are going to indulge in soda, they would prefer for it to have alcohol in it.

Is the hard soda category sustainable, or will it be a passing fad? It’s still too early to tell, but with the prominent success of Not Your Father’s Root Beer and other brands, we are just seeing the beginning of the hard soda explosion. Expect much, much more in 2016.

Check out our Hard Soda recipe Pinterest board here!

We enjoyed making some Not Your Father's Root Beer floats today in the office! 

CNBC

Chicago Tribune

New Beer New Me, Happy 2016!

New Year’s Resolution

/njuːˌjɪəzˌrez.əˈluː.ʃən/

noun

·      A promise that you make to yourself to start doing something good or to stop doing something bad on the first day of the year:

“Have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet, Sam?” “Yes, I am going to start trying new beer!”

Happy New Year! Sure, you can caption all your 2016 photos with, “New Year New Me.” Add a hashtag to the phrase, follow the trends, and get those likes. It’s a new year, you’re a new you. What makes you new?

Come January 1^st, the gyms are packed, fruits and veggies are a bit scarce at the grocery store, and your uncle decided to stop smoking cigarettes for a while. Don’t have a New Year’s resolution for yourself yet? Here is an idea that may be a bit outside of the box… drinking new styles of beer. We know you probably have your favorite ‘go–to’ six pack, but try being more adventurous! There are many different styles of beers out there just waiting to be taken off the shelves.  Not sure what you think you should try? We made you a little cheat sheet to help you out.

Enjoy and drink responsibly!

All of Your Favorite Holiday Classics...

Happy Holidays! We would like to take the time this holiday season to thank our clients for working with GAP. We truly appreciate your business, your loyalty, and your friendship.

This season is a time of traditions, both old and new. Here at GAP, we have many holiday traditions we partake in with friends and family during this time of year. A popular favorite among our team members is watching classic holiday movies, and we wanted to show just how much we enjoy this tradition...

We hope everyone has a festive holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Our Holiday Beer Ratings!

Last Friday, we had a holiday beer tasting here at our office, featuring a wide variety of craft beers (and one cider) for everyone to taste and rank. Each season, we choose a handful of beers and ciders that are popular based on the time of year. With winter and the holidays upon us, we tried beers that truly celebrated the season. Around this time of year, many of the beers are dark and malty stouts and barleywines, so we were sure to include some hop-forward beers like the Stone Enjoy By series. Head out to your local craft beer retailer and let us know what your favorites are! Check out GAP Promo’s results here:

#1 Downeast Winter Blend Cider, Downeast Cider House

#2 Stone Enjoy By 12.25.15 IPA, Stone Brewing Co.

#3 Uinta Yard Sale Winter Lager, Unita Brewing Co.

#4 Anchor Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Winter Warmer, Anchor Brewing  

#5 Lagunitas Brown Shugga Strong Ale, Lagunitas Brewing Company

#6 Berkshire Brewing Co. Holidale 2015 Barleywine, Berkshire Brewing Co.

#7 Port Brewing Santa’s Little Helper Imperial Stout, Port Brewing Co.

#8 TIE between SlumBrew Yankee Swap 2015 Belgian Quad,  SlumBrewSomerville Brewing Company & Revolution Brewing Fistmas Ale, Revolutionary Brewing

#10 Troegs Mad Elf Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Troegs Independent Brewing
#11 Stone Enjoy By 1.1.16 Black IPA, Stone Brewing Co.