The Brewer Blog
Beer is a big part of who we are at BJ’s, and each month our talented team of brewers will share their thoughts and insights into the wonderful world of beer in What’s Brewing at BJ’s.
BJ's Brewhouse Blonde® - American Craft Beer Week
Keep ReadingHoppy Scotsman™
Keep ReadingBJ's Goliath™ Imperial Red Ale in Round 2 of Draft Magazine's Beer Bracket Contest
For those of you who have enjoyed a pint of BJ's Goliath™ Imperial Red Ale, you know that this craft beer is something special. We feel so strongly about BJ's Goliath, that we entered Goliath in Draft Magazine's Beer Bracket Contest 2014! In Round 1 BJ's Goliath went up against Pilsner Urquell, and thanks to the support of YOU, our guests, Goliath slayed the competition receiving 61% of the votes and advanced to Round 2!
Keep ReadingBJ's Goliath™ Imperial Red Ale
Years ago, the Four Peaks Brewing Company in Arizona issued a challenge to all the breweries participating in the Arizona Craft Beer Week: brew a red ale with 20 SRM in color, original gravity of 20 Plato, and hop bitterness of 80 IBU’s. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse was among the participants, and our brewing team was eager to take on the challenge. Once we put our minds to it, we nailed it! Our red ale came the closest to the specs laid down by the Four Peaks Brewing Company, and created a great amount of buzz among all those who tasted it. With so many craft beer enthusiasts raving about this new champion of an ale, we decided to bring it back the next year. And thus, BJ’s Goliath™ Imperial Red Ale was born.
Keep ReadingGreen Beer and Keeping it Real
St Patrick’s Day is a day in America where everyone becomes Irish. It can be argued that St. Patrick's Day is celebrated here in the U.S. more than it is in Ireland. In the U.S. it is quite common to enjoy a pint, or several pints, of green beer on St. Patrick's Day. Why? Ireland is sometimes known as the Emerald Isle because it is richly green. Beyond that there is an old tradition known as “drown the shamrock” where a shamrock leaf is dropped into a shot of whiskey. It was believed that the 3 leaves of the shamrock represented the holy trinity. Some say that gave the whiskey a green tint but it is more likely due to the light reflecting off the shamrock.
Keep ReadingIPA Beer Tasting & Dinner Preview
If you haven’t been to a beer tasting and dinner at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, then you have seriously been missing out! A five course dinner paired with selections of various craft beers? What could be better, right!? Lucky for you, our next round of beer dinners are swiftly approaching at the beginning of March, offering you a new chance to sit down and be spoiled with craft beers and delicious dishes! Before we move on, keep in mind that these beer dinners sell out fast so you’ll want to make your reservations now!
Keep ReadingBJ's Abbey Normal® - The First Beer in the BJ's Seaonal 2014 Series
For those of you who don’t know, monks across Europe were rather fond of gathering up their malts and hops and putting on a good brew in addition to their monastery duties. And they were good at it; their “Abbey Ales” became greatly treasured throughout Europe. The Trappist Monks of Westmalle Abbey in Belgium began brewing a style of ale known as “Dubbel,” or Double Ale, a few hundred years ago. This light brown ale soon became one of the most popular styles of the Abbey Ales, so popular that it has been continually brewed throughout the ages! Sounds epic, right?
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