News

Events featuring Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ale include:

BRICKSKELLER STRONG BEER TASTING POSTPONED. The February 9th tasting has been postponed until February 23rd. We'll have a double digit lineup of double digit (well, maybe not all of the) strong beers. Worth digging out for!

Samaritan Ministry Mardi Gras Celebration, POSTPONED-- New Date is this Saturday February 13! Tickets are still available. For more information, click here .

Brewers Ball to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. March 6th at the US Chamber of Commerce. For more information click here.

NEWS:

(We'll be posting news here soon about the return of Tuppers' Pils in March. Now labeled Tuppers' Keller Pils (the "Hop Pocket Pils" was so very confusing), it has the same wonderful big-German-style bottle-conditioned pils flavor that won two medals at the GBBF.)

WHERE TO FIND IT:

Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ale is on shelves and on tap at select bars in the Washington DC area. But the first batch has already run out in much of Maryland. We think Virginia stores have a more reliable supply but it may disappear from some places there too before the next shipment arrives.

The good news is that the next batch is sitting on whole hops as you read these words. We're bottling on the 8th and 9th of February and it should reach the DC area shortly thereafter. After that, we'll be at full production of a 50bbl batch every two weeks, and stores and taverns in the DC area who want it should be able to get it. Loudoun county will be receiving its first shipments of THP in a few weeks.

DC Beer posted a nice review of our opening and included a list of where to find it. Click here to get to their story and list. But beware -- many places have already run out and there may not be more for a few weeks. Following are some additional places that we know of. But a word of advice on all these places -- call before you go!

Hard Times in Bethesda blew through a sixth keg Friday night in a "stealth" event in which customers had to ask for it to get it. When we left the keg was dead and there were still people wandering in in hopes of having some. So its gone for now, (click here for directions) but it will be back on tap there as soon as the second batch gets to the area. We'll post it's return here

As of Wednesday, January 27, Hop Pocket bottles were in good supply (and on sale at "only" $51.99 a case) at Chevy Chase Wine and Spirits on Connecticut Avenue --tell Larry we sent you. If you don't know the place, it has one of the best selections of beer in the mid-Atlantic and Larry Robinson is wonderfully knowledgeable about his vast stock. (click here for more information on Chevy Chase Wine and Spirits).

We think Norms in Vienna has some, and we've heard that most people who have tried to find it in Whole Foods have succeeded.

Bethesda Market (off Sangamore in West Bethesda) was scheduled to get Tuppers' Friday January 29. It's one of Montgomery County's best beer stores and they have an on premise license you can try a bottle of a new beer before you commit to a larger quantity.

We've been told the Quarry House in Silver Spring either has it on tap or will soon put it on tap.

Here are some places that are stocking it in Montgomery County. Call before you go to make sure it's in stock:

I.M. Wine, Fulton, contact
Vineyards Elite, Pikesville
Olney Village Beer & Wine, Olney
Gilly's Beer, Wine & Deli, Rockville
Bethesda Market, Bethesda
Roots Market, Olney, contact
The Wine Harvest, Gaithersburg
Belby's Beer & Wine, Rockville
Chevy Chase Supermarket, Chevy Chase
Cabin John Dispensary, Cabin John
Lesiure World Dispensary, Silver Spring

Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive in our two year hiatus. It is a joy to be back and to see so many of you again.

Bob

Older entries are below.

December 16, 2009

No Pocket for Christmas, alas. It's still there in Hampton, Virginia -- conditioning beautifully, but a packaging snafu -- mostly label printing problems-- kept us from bottling on schedule. We THINK that all of that will resolve itself by early January.

So... another few weeks. After over two years without it, I guess a few weeks doesn't matter that much. Keep looking here for updates. I'll post news when I have it.

In the meantime have a great Holiday season drinking the other guys' beers-- there are some really good ones out there. And the good news is, unlike the holiday beers which increasingly show up in September and are gone by December, the best new beer of this season -- Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ale-- will be an after-New-Year's present and keep on giving all year round.

Cheers!

Bob

November 25, 2009

Hop Pocket may still be here before Christmas.

Oh.... the hops are so aromatic, the taste is so clean. I had almost forgotten how good this beer is. Santa, you know I haven't been that good this year.

Ellie and I stopped off at St. George Brewery last night for a quick sample from the fermenting tank. Brewing is right on schedule; we're now awaiting the arrival of packaging. We have some details to be worked out in distribution, but we're still hoping that the first Tuppers' Ale will be arriving in Montgomery County sometime in December. We think it should be available in the District and Northern Virginia in January. While supplies will be limited and prices will be "premium" (but then so is this beer, believe me), the long drought is nearly over.

We can't wait for this batch to be ready. Almost all of you who tasted the test batch last spring agreed with us that it was a wonderful beer, but we've tweaked the process a bit and this batch should be even better. One of the problems that bedevils breweries around the world that use the labor-intensive dry hopping process is how to make sure the hops don't clump at the top of the conditioning tank. Old Dominion used a semaphore-like system with porous bags arrayed on a line anchored to the bottom of the tank. The former OD tanks that St. George is using allow us to do the same, but in addition St. George has come up with some new wrinkles I've never seen used anywhere else. I think the result is going to be some hop nuances that will make the beer even more complex and interesting than it has ever been. The malt base still provides our characteristic smoothness. So it's an intriguing delicious beer for hopheads (me) and yet smooth and inviting for those with more balanced personalities (Ellie).

We'll keep you posted.

November 7, 2009

This is the update I've been waiting to make for two years: Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ale is now in regular production at the St. George Brewery in Hampton, Virginia!

But it's not "fast beer," so you still won't see any for several weeks, and you won't see nearly enough of it until sometime after New Year's Day. We kraeusen our beer by adding newly fermenting beer to the beer that is entering final conditioning. That allows us to produce a bottle-conditioned unfiltered-style beer and still achieve consistency from batch to batch. But the kraeusening requires that we have a newly brewed batch ready whenever we're about to package a batch that's finishing its long dry hopping and conditioning phase. This scheduling headache is one more reason why more breweries don't brew beer that tastes like ours.

But the schedule is set and we'll be brewing a nice steady stream of beer in 2010. For the present, St. George can't brew as much as Old Dominion was producing, but it's worth remembering that OD bought tanks and expanded the brewery several times in the decade we were with them. While it will be somewhat scarcer, you'll be able to find it in 2010 if you're willing to drive a bit to get it. When we revamp this website (that's also scheduled to be up and running sometime in January), we'll include a better feature to help you find it.

Check back here for where we'll sending the first batch. We're really looking forward to sharing a pint with those of you who have been so supportive for the past two years.

Cheers!!

June 28, 2009 -- It's great to see you!!

If you're reading this on Sunday June 28, turn off your computer, get to your car and drive to Morven park in Leesburg to get a taste to the first batch of Tuppers' Hop Pocket from St. George-- it's worth the drive. We have one and only one keg left. We'll be pouring it starting at 11AM from an unmarked tap at the St. George brewery for about an hour -- so that those who know it's there will be sure to get some. But at noon, we put up the sign and screw on the Tuppers' tap (and I put on my Tuppers' Tee Shirt) and I don't imagine it will take too much time to kill the keg. After that you'll have to wait some more. I'll keep you posted here when I know when the next public appearance will be.

A huge thank you to everyone who sought us out on Saturday to say hi and give us feedback on the beer. We know we need to do a bit of tweaking, but what most of you are saying is "don't change much!" and we won't. I can't tell you how lucky we were to find a brewery that was willing to take such care to bring this beer back. And we also received a great deal of support from former Old Dominion brewers. This is a wonderful community to be a part of.

Stay tuned-- I should have more news about when and where we'll be back in regular production later this week.

CHEERS!!!! -- Bob

IT'S BACK!!!!! umm, sort of....

June 20, 2009. The first batch of Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ale in over a year and a half is now in kegs. But it's a single batch and there isn't nearly enough to begin regular distribution. The good news is that you can try some at a few festivals and special events, beginning with the Northern Virginia Beer Festival June 27 and June 28 at Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia. Click here for festival details. Ellie and I will be at the St. George Brewery's tent pouring three kegs of this inaugural edition of Tuppers'. But when it's gone, it's gone; unlike the old OD festivals (sigh), we can't send a forklift back into the warehouse to get more kegs.

HERE'S THE FULL STORY--- Over the past two years we've had numerous discussions with brewers who were really enthusiastic about brewing our beer -- until they learned how our beer is brewed. Instead of the usual 9 day journey to the kegs, ours takes 6 weeks before it's ready for market, tying up valuable tank space. We not only dry hop, we insist on whole flower hops (more flavor and less edgy oiliness). That dry hopping involves some of the toughest work the brewer does, and it's also hard to get right. It's as if you were trying to make a pot of tea that holds 7360 cups-- it's just hard to figure out how to get the leaves to mix with the water and then get the leaves out of it when it's ready.

Andy Rathmann, St. George's head brewer, said to us, "Brewery employees who object to that kind of hard, messy work must have forgotten why they wanted to become brewers," and welcomed the challenge. And he did a simply beautiful job with the first batch. Most of those with whom we've shared samples have simply smiled rather goofily at us. But Andy knew when he took out the wet used hops that we hadn't gotten all the aroma we could have. If the wet leaves are very aromatic, the full benefit has not been realized. It wasn't a new story for us. Old Dominion had to modify its tanks specially to allow Tuppers' to reach its full potential.

**** This sounds like a Michael Jackson digression, but bear with me. We had a "blizzard rule" in our house when Laurie was growing up. When there's a blizzard we know that someone is going to die shoveling snow and there are going to be some automobile accidents. If I could stop that blizzard and save those lives I absolutely would do so. But I can't. So I get to enjoy making snowmen with my kid and get a day off school and enjoy it. Feeling guilty about it does no good to anyone.

There's been considerable buzz on the Net about "vultures" who seemed to be joyously snapping up pieces of the Old Dominion brewery. It broke our hearts when the Old Dominion brewery closed at Ashburn-- we have more memories tied up in that place than I could fit in a book. But forces far beyond our control made that decision and we couldn't do a thing to stop it. Blizzard rule. With good sense, not joy, St. George's Brewery, with our enthusiastic encouragement, bought several of the tanks that were used to produce Tuppers' beers-- ones specifically modified to make the dry hopping more effective. **** We now return to our narrative.

The new tanks will allow St. George's to begin regular production of both Tuppers' Ale and Pils. The plan is for them to be installed and in use by the first half of July, which should mean we see sustained regular production of both beers in late August or early September. (See paragraph #1 for how daggone long it takes to make these beers.) We'll have kegs and bottles, and St. George is filling sixth-barrels which will allow some multi-tap bars who can't deal with the larger half-barrels to have it on tap. When we get rolling, the next step will be to finally start working on those additional beers we've been promising you for years.

Thanks again for all your emails of support. In the meantime, check this site for where you can get a preview tasting. (Though there will be one event at which we will be a surprise addition.)

older articles below

REALLY!

Now fermenting at a brewery near you........

It happened!! On Tuesday, April 14, 2009, Andy Rathmann and Conor Halfpenny brewed the first batch of Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ale since October 2007. The ale is fermenting even as you read this and pils shouldn't be far behind. They should be available in early June at selected restaurants and taverns in the Washington DC area.

Andy tells us that the brew went off without a hitch. They used dozens of pounds of hops in the 25 bbl brew there are more hops just waiting for the dry hopping that will be coming later.

Thanks to our friends at HopUnion, we are able to brew beers with exactly the same hops we have always used-- including whole leaf Cascade and Mount Hood for the ale and whole leaf Mount Hood and Saaz for the Keller Pils.

We've waited too long to hurry this beer -- it will be several weeks before it's ready, but it's on its way (the six week process was a major reason so many breweries didn't want to do it.) We'll keep you posted on this site

A "RETURN TO LIFE" CELEBRATION

BEER TASTING EVENT!

Sometime in late August to Early September----Keep an eye on this site for details about a special event to benefit one of the charities we have been supporting through sales of our beers. Our checks to those organizations have been pretty meager lately (half of nuthin' is ... pretty close to nuthin') and we're hoping to make it up with a one-time tasting of FOUR Tuppers' beers in which every penny of the admission fee will go to support Samaritan Ministries.

older articles below

FINALLY!

Tuppers' Hop Pocket Brewing Company and the St. George Brewing Company have agreed to work together to return Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ale and Tuppers' Hop Pocket Pils to the market. The tentative target date is late May. The Ale will return first, followed shortly by the Pils-- both will be on draft before they return in bottles. Initial distribution will focus on the Washington metropolitan area, but plans are to expand to the area in which the beers were formerly available and then expand to further markets.

Brewmaster Andy Rathman and assistant Conor Halfpenny at The St. George Brewing Company turn out consistently excellent beers under the St. George and Olde Richmond labels. Their skill and energy, and Andy’s remarkable depth of knowledge, ensure that those who have waited patiently for Hop Pocket’s return will not be disappointed. Beers will be made according to the Tuppers’ original specifications when they were brewed at Old Dominion—plentiful hops, including huge amounts of whole flower Mount Hood hops, an unusually long conditioning period for smoothness, and bottle and keg conditioning for a fresher taste and additional smoothness. The ingredients and processes needed to make Tuppers’ beers are costly and labor intensive, but Bob and Ellie Tupper’s intent was always to put beers on the market that no one else was willing or able to do. The Tuppers will continue to bring you distinctively wonderful brews with even more extravagantly daring beers planned for the future.

A personal note from Bob and EllieTupper

Thanks so much to all of you who emailed us and continued to support us over the past 15 months of commercial inactivity. We’ve been searching for a brewery that would fully commit to making our beers in the difficult and expensive way they have always been made. In the end we had a choice between uncompromised quality or producing a quantity that would allow us to return at previous volumes and lower prices. For us, it seemed a pretty easy choice. Our day jobs continue to guarantee that we won’t cut a single corner to make an extra buck and your enthusiasm has reminded us that if we make it right you’ll keep us in business.

The St. George Brewing Company is even smaller than Old Dominion was when we first started there, but they turn out wonderful beers. We won’t have economies of scale, at least in the near future, and hop prices have skyrocketed since the last batch of Tuppers’ was brewed. So it won’t be cheap and it won’t be easy to find for a while. But you’ve probably noticed that no really good beer is cheap these days, and a beer just like Tuppers’ has been impossible to find for the last year.

We’re excited beyond words to get back into the market. We’ll be able to give some help to some organizations that really need it, especially in these tough times, and we’re looking forward to being able to drink a beer that’s brewed just the way we like it (how lucky can two people be?). But most of all, we’re looking forward to the pleasure of sharing our beers with all of you.

Keep watching tuppersbeers.com for updates and details of some special events when we return. We can’t wait to see you.

Cheers!

Bob and Ellie

New Beer from Tuppers!

On January 31, we traveled to Roseland, Virginia, to the Devils Backbone Brewery to brew a beer with Jason Oliver. We're calling it "Tuppers' Deep Pockets" (because in these hard times we all need deep pockets). It's now on tap at Devils Backbone.

We made the beer with a variety of barley malts with just a touch of wheat and what we officially measured out to be "a whole bunch" of hops. Jason drove through last week's ice storm to procure our signature Mount Hood Hops and a local farmer just happened to drop of a variety of local whole hops on the morning we brewed. Much of the hop profile is similar to the original Hop Pocket Ale -- some Cascades, lots of Mount Hoods, and Willamette but we added some Amarillo to put just a bit of a different spin on it. We used the whole flower mix in the whirlpool and we'll dry hop it with Mount Hood hops in the fermenter.

We debuted it last night at the Strong Beer Tasting at the Brickskeller. We also will feature it at the Brewers' Ball (click here for details of the event.). We're holding a keg in reserve to feature when we return to the market with Tuppers' Hop Pocket Ale and Tuppers' Hop Pocket Pils.

see pictures below

Some pictures of brewing day for

TUPPERS' DEEP POCKETS IMPERIAL IPA

at Devils Backbone Brewery, Roseland, Virginia

Bob adds the first bag of malt to the mash tun.

An early small addition of hops for bittering

Ellie adds the big bucket of hops 30 minutes before knockout.

Ellie and Jason tie the sack that holds the whole flower locally grown hops.

Mount Hood, Amarillo and local whole flower hops are in the whirlpool ready for the hot wort from the brew kettle.

VETERAN'S DAY UPDATE

I wish I had some real news to post, but our efforts to get back in the market the right way are just taking time.

Contrary to some rumors, we don’t have a deal with anyone yet, and there is certainly no fixed price at which we will return, although it’s certain to be about 50 cents higher than “ouch” and it may even be 50 cents higher than “yowie!” I promise you that’s as specific as we’ve gotten on pricing.

But we are making progress. We are in late-stage negotiations with two brewing companies, who together can meet any probable demand. (Though at 50 cents higher than “yowie” we may not need as much capacity as we used to.)

The core of any agreement we reach will include the following:

Beers will be made to our specifications—no short-cuts to reach a price point. The ale and pils recipes will not change except to adjust to changing flavors and intensities of hops and malts—adjustments we had to make several times when we were with Old Dominion. Any agricultural product has to run hard to stay in the same place.
The breweries will work with us to develop other beers including some seasonal and one-off products.

Working with two breweries presents some legal complications that we did not have when we were permanently moored to the OD dock. Right now we’re working through the details—trying to get a label that will work both in the short run and in the long run, change the way our corporation operates, contract for some quasi-secretarial assistance, and re-establish a distribution network. We hope to have beer in the tank soon and return to the shelves sometime early in 2009.

THREE CHEERS FOR AMERICA

I try to keep this site apolitical, but I can't resist shouting "hooray" from every rooftop I can find this week. Left or right, blue or red, it's hard to deny that the American democratic experiment became at least a bit more inclusive this week and that's good for all of us. Other reasons to celebrate include:

The beginning of another peaceful transfer of power-- few in the world believed that John Adams would simply leave the White House when it was time. Some still find American transitions quite remarkable.
McCain's concession speech. Losing candidates often seize one last chance to campaign for their agendas. McCain chose to celebrate Obama's achievement and begin a healing process
Obama drinks beer. One of the dirtiest of all dirty tricks this campaign was a rumor that Obama only sipped a beer for show-- a falsehood Obama strongly denied. Cheers, Mr. President-elect!

TUPPERS' INDEPENDENCE DAY UPDATE

July 3, 2008-- I remember how Uli Benewitz, who founded the Weeping Radish over 20 years ago, regaled us with stories about how much harder it was to actually brew beer than it should have been. It hasn't changed much in 20 years even if you don't try to build your own brewery. But for every step back there has seemed to be two steps forward lately.

We've been assured we can get hops, independently of any brewery. We may not be able to get the exact hops we used at OD, but we and our source believe we can come very very close. It will be expensive, but not as awful as we thought. Our hope is to come so close that we won't be able to tell the difference. If you can.... too bad.

But that means we're dealing with a different situation with the breweries we've been talking to and we haven't had a chance to see how this supply of hops will change whatever arrangements they had in mind. So a bit more of a delay, but one that should ensure a product that's much closer to the original Hop Pocket than we thought we could do.

So as we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, it has something of a special meaning for us this year. The hops free us from whatever hops a given brewery has lying around and didn't want to use on their own products. And, of course, we look back on the past year and some tough decisions--and continue to be grateful that when we do come back, we'll have our independence -- and full control of what is brewed under our name.