Can Can

The used caning line Matt scored for us arrived yesterday! It's a manual system capable of canning 20 cases an hour. Now we

just have to buy

some cans (minimum order: 85,000) and soon you'll see us in grocery stores -- and elsewhere...

Also yesterday, we put Universale into two cab barrels where they'll live for a year, turning into a subtle, oak & cabernet-inflected sour. Sours are the new thing, you know, and our head brewer, Matt Lincoln, produced some of the classiest sours when he worked at Goose Island in Chicago.

You might've noticed that we've been pouring cask beers at the Urban Beer Garden lately. Last week was a cask IPA and this weekend it's going to be a Porter. They haven't tapped it yet

though so I don't know how to describe its loveliness. Come on down and try it, why dontcha?

Last week's FRESH event with Theo Chocolate, Mt. Townsend Creamery and Whole Foods was a big hit among folks into sustainably-produced local food and beer (which pretty much covers half of Seattle, right?). Fun to party with our neighbors from Theo, who -- contrary to my Willy Wonka Oompa-Loompa associations -- are quite hip and hot.

(I'm pretty lame at formatting these posts and getting the photos where I want them. Above: Matt with canning line, barrels of Universale, the Theo team, Council President Richard Conlin speaking to the FRESH crowd, and Graham Day from Mt. Townsend Creamery -- the last 3 photos taken by Amy Benson.)