-HARBOR CITY

-KANSAS TOUR

HARBOR CITY BREWING COMPANY
Harbor City Brewing Company is a family owned brewery established in 1996. Founder and Brewmaster, Jim Schueller began his career in the brewing industry working for his cousin, Jeff Lebesch at New Belgium Brewing Company in Colorado. When New Belgium completed building their new facility in 1995, Jim, his dad and brother bought New Belgium’s original equipment, loaded it in Ryder trucks and brought it back to Port Washington. Over the next few months, they converted an old ice vending building into a quality conscious brewing facility. The first batch of Mile Rock came out of the 20 barrel brewhouse in April of 1996 and hasn’t stopped flowing since. This “hometown” brewery has continued to produce high quality ales and grow steadily year after year.

In the Spring of 2000, the family brought Matt Thompson on as their Brewery Sales Rep to work with the distribution network and grow the brands. “We are currently distributed throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, Madison, the Fox Valley, and Central Illinois”, says Thompson. “We make some great beer ~ our challenge is getting the Harbor City name out there and having people remember us.” You can find retail locations in your area to purchase Harbor City Products by accessing the beer locator on their website at www.harborcitybrewing.com.

The Harbor City Brewing lineup currently includes (4) wonderful selections:

Mile Rock Amber Ale has been the #1 seller and claim to fame since its inception in 1996. This amber is nicely balanced with a slightly assertive hop flavor. It is great with almost any kind of food or just hangin’ around with your pals.

Full Tilt IPA launched October of 2003 and it quickly became a strong #2 beer. Full Tilt’s assertive aroma and flavor are derived from the generous use of fresh hops. The five different specialty malts give it depth of flavor and a surprising mouth feel. Its Bold, its Hopped, its Good ~ Its Full Tilt!

The Main Street Brown Ale is an English-style brown ale. This classic ale is malty and smooth made with English hops that add a level of complexity to the beer. The subdued hop character blends nicely with the roasted finish to create a very full flavored beer that is surprisingly light in body.

Raspberry Brown Ale, a popular Winter/Holiday seasonal, is in stores now. Jim puts 400 lbs. of fresh raspberries into each 20 barrel batch to produce a crisp, refreshing beer with a subtle raspberry aroma and a hint of raspberry sweetness.

As Spring rolls around, look for the launch a new beer from Harbor City ~ a light bodied ale, perfect for summertime consumption.

“We are committed to producing high quality beers for your taste buds and creating memorable experiences for your mind”, says Thompson. “We are working on a number of great promotions for 2004 including an upcoming beer dinner in March and a possible association with the Madison Mallards. Watch for us around town and check our website frequently to get the latest.”

Harbor City has tours and tasting on Saturday’s from Noon until 4pm. Come talk with Jim the brewing guy and enjoy ample samples. There is a small gift shop with Pint Glasses, T-Shirts, Hats and more. Visit www.harborcitybrewing.com and sign up for the ‘A-List’ and receive special deals, get brewery news, and stay updated on promotions and events planned throughout the year.

For more information about HARBOR CITY BREWING CO., contact Matt Thompson (535 W. Grand Ave, Port Washington, WI 53074 ~ 262-284-3118 or 414-333-4123)

TAKE A TOUR OF KANSAS, THE WHEAT STATE
By WARREN CROUSE
When you think Kansas, you may not instinctively think of hand-crafted beer that can be found at a microbrewery or brewpub. Well that couldn't be farther from the truth. While Kansas has just a handful of locations where you can find the kind of quality indicative of small-batch brewing, they more than make up for quantity with quality. You may need to drive a littler further, but the drive is more than worth it.

FREE STATE
Free State Brewing, located in Lawrence, became home to the first licensed brewery in the state in 108 years. Free State opened in 1989, and has been brewing beer ever since. Owner Chuck Magerl and Brewmaster Steve Bradt keep 8 beers on 12 taps, with the flagship beers being Wheat State Golden (2004 Bronze GABF winner), Copperhead Pale Ale, Ad Astra Ale, and Oatmeal Stout. Come in March and try out one of their many seasonals: Irish Ale (Mar); John Brown Ale; Crimson Berry Ale, and Wakarusa IPA lager, an Indian name for a river in Lawrence
Stop in at the right time and maybe you will be lucky enough to try the Barley Wine (2004 Bronze GABF winner), or Owdmac Imperial, which is barrel-aged in McCormick barrels. The catch? They only put those two on one keg at a time.

BLIND TIGER
Blind Tiger is Kansas's largest brewery, seating 450 people on eight levels. The Blind Tiger was named after the Prohibition-era custom of displaying stuffed tigers to alert patrons to speakeasies or the availability of alcohol. Brewmaster John Dean keeps 12 to 15 beers on tap at anytime, helping them move 1000 barrels last year. It isn't just the number of taps, or the square footage that moves beer. It is a combination of solid flagship beers and the 6 to 7 seasonals that are on tap at any time. A couple of new beers are rotated in each month. Their flagships are Raw Wheat (2002 Gold Medal), an American-style non-malted wheat beer; County Seat Wheat, an American-style filtered wheat; Raspberry Wheat, Holy Grail Pale Ale, an American-style pale ale; Blind Tiger Amber, an American-style amber ale; and Tiger Paw Porter. The upcoming list of seasonals is astounding: Goldrush, a California common beer; Blarney Irish Ale (Mar); Grandma's Whiskey Stout, an Imperial Stout aged in used bourbon barrels (Mar); Statehouse Stout, an oatmeal stout; Liberty Pilsner, a German-style pilsner (Mar), Razzamatazz, a raspberry lambic; and Celebration Ale, a super-hopped Imperial IPA, which they do every year.

LITTLE APPLE
In Manhattan, The Little Apple Brewing Company pumped out 823 barrels from a 6 barrel system last year. The team of Don Darfler, General Manager Russ Lour, and Brewmaster John Briden keep the place rolling with 5 flagship beers: an Oatmeal Stout; Prairie Pale Ale; an American strong pale ale, which is a house favorite; Wildcat Wheat, an American-style wheat, which is the best seller; Amber; and Brown Porter, which has hints of chocolate. They keep 2 to 3 seasonals on tap, adding 2 a month. The upcoming beers are: Marzen (mid-Mar), and the Nut Brown Ale (end-Mar). Little Apple has a fun club going called the Beer Drinker's Hall of Fame. Patrons submit resumes with the best beer story, the best beer joke, obscure beer knowledge, or places visited, and 5 Hall of Famers are selected. From those five, one beer drinker of the year is selected. The winner gets dinner and bragging rights for the year.

HIGH NOON SALOON
Leavenworth, which housed the last brewery to close its doors after state prohibition was enacted in 1881, is home to the High Noon Saloon. The planked floors and the rough-hewed tables give the place the feel of an old-style saloon. Owners R. D. Johnson and Bruce Kidder keep 9 beers on tap, with the following flagship beers: Lewis and Clark Lager, Tonganoxie Honey-Wheat, Oregon Trail Raspberry Wheat (1998 Gold GABF winner), Annie's Amber Ale, and Stampede Stout.

RIVER CITY – WICHITA
Other places to visit are the River City Brewing Company in Wichita, where Head Brewmaster Daniel Norton serves up patrons with the Old Town Brown Ale, Rattlesnake Ale, Emerald City Stout, Rock Island Red, and Harvester Wheat Ale.

PONY EXPRESS
If you are a Pony Express fan, an old favorite is back. Pony Express has
reopened under Jason Weiser. Stay tuned for more informationon that and other upcoming information to help you in your tour of Kansas.