Stone Brewing Co.
Coordinates: 33°06′57″N 117°07′12″W / 33.1157°N 117.1199°W
 | |
| Location | Escondido, California |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1996 |
| Key people |
Greg Koch (Executive Chairman)[1] Dominic Engels (Chief Executive Officer[2] Steve Wagner(President)[1] |
| Annual production volume | 325,645 US beer barrels (382,137 hL) (2015)[3] |
| Employees | 1,100[4] |
| Website |
stonebrewing |
Stone Brewing is a brewery headquartered in Escondido, California, USA. Founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California,[3] it is the largest brewery in Southern California.[5] As of 2015, it was the 10th largest craft brewery in the United States and 15th largest brewery overall, based on sales volume.[6]
The brewery's first beer was Stone Pale Ale,[7] which the company considers to be its flagship ale.[8] The company's best known brand is Arrogant Bastard Ale, which has been described as a "watershed beer" that "put San Diego on the craft brew map."[9] Since 2015 Arrogant Bastard has operated as its own product line, Bastard Brewing, produced at multiple breweries around the country.[10] Most of Stone's beers are characteristic of west-coast craft brews, meaning that they have a high hop content. Compared to the macro-produced lagers, many Stone brews feature alcohol percentages that are well above average. The alcohol-by-volume content of Stone brews ranges from 4.8% to 13%.[11]
Stone Brewing is rated as a "world class brewery" by the two largest beer enthusiast websites, RateBeer and BeerAdvocate.[12][13] Stone Brewing has been voted by the readers of Beer Advocate as the #1 "All Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth."[14]
History
Stone opened in San Marcos in 1996 at the location currently home to Port Brewing Company and The Lost Abbey.[7] Local designer/illustrator Thomas K. Matthews created the original gargoyle in 1996. He also drew the Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone Ruination IPA and Stone Levitation Ale gargoyles, as well as barley and hops motifs. In 2006, Stone relocated from the original brewery to a new, custom-designed facility in Escondido. In 2013 the company opened a packaging hall just south of the brewery which houses the bottling and keg lines. The brewery in Escondido produced 325,645 US beer barrels in 2015. The site is also home to a restaurant, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens - Escondido, a 8,500-square-foot (790 m2) restaurant with a large outdoor patio and 1 acre (4,000 m2) of gardens. The brewery also houses a Stone Company Store which sells Stone merchandise as well as 1- and 2-liter growlers and 40-ounce and can that can be filled with Stone's year-round beers and special releases.[15]
In May 2013 a second Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens opened in the Liberty Station development in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego. The 23,500-square-foot (2,180 m2) facility cost $8 million and can seat 700 patrons. It is housed in the former mess hall and several other historic buildings of the former Naval Training Center San Diego.[16]
In 2013 Stone opened a location in Terminal 2 of the San Diego International Airport.
In addition to the locations at Escondido and Liberty Station, there are Stone Company Stores in Oceanside, Pasadena, and in San Diego's Little Italy community. The stores sell beer in bottles, kegs and growlers.[5]
In June 2008, Stone Brewing covered the roof of the brewery with solar panels, cutting their energy costs nearly in half. The 1,561 roof-mounted solar modules will offset more than 538,000 pounds (244,000 kg) of carbon emissions over its lifetime, which is equivalent to planting 204 acres (0.83 km2) of trees.[17]
In Summer 2014, the company announced plans to open Stone Brewing Berlin in the German capital.[18] A 100 hectoliter brewery with onsite can filling in Berlin Mariendorf went into operation in June 2016. At that time, Stone Berlin began distributing Stone IPA and Arrogant Bastard Ale to Austria, the Baltics, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. As of May 2016 a corner of Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens - Berlin called "The Library Bar" opened to the public. The full restaurant and gardens will open in summer 2016.
On October 8, 2014 sources indicated Stone Brewing had chosen Richmond, VA as the site for its first brewery in the eastern United States. The other two finalists for the brewery were Columbus, Ohio and Norfolk, VA. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe made the formal announcement about the new brewery on October 9, 2014.[19] The brewery held the opening of the Stone Company Store Richmond in March 2016 and began brewing, kegging and bottling Stone IPA in July 2016.
In May 2016 the company announced plans to open a tap room and 10-barrel brewing system in Napa, California, the heart of California's wine country. The new facility will be housed in the historic Borrero building in downtown Napa and is expected to open in 2017.[20]
Beers
Stone beers are bottled in 22-ounce and 12-ounce bottles, 12-ounce and 16-ounce cans and occasionally 750 ml and 3-liter bottles.[21] The beers available in six-packs are the Stone Pale Ale 2.0, Stone IPA, Stone Delicious IPA, Stone Cali-Belgique IPA, Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 and select seasonal releases. Stone uses 22-ounce bottles to feature their "bigger character" beers and Stone Special Releases.[21]
Year-round beers
| Name | Style | ABV | Hops | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Pale Ale 2.0 | California-style Pale Ale | 6% | Magnum, Herkules & Mandarina Bavaria | The recipe was changed in 2015 to use German hops, as a salute to the country's brewing history and a nod to Stone's new brewery and bistro in Berlin. |
| Stone IPA | IPA | 6.9% | Magnum, Chinook & Centennial | |
| Stone Ruination Double IPA 2.0 | Double IPA | 8.5% | Magnum, Nugget, Centennial, Simcoe, Citra & Azacca | |
| Stone Cali-Belgique IPA | West Coast style IPA | 6.9% | Magnum, Centennial & Chinook | Sometimes spelled "Cali-Belgïe", brewed with Belgian yeast, a cross between an IPA and a Belgian ale |
| Stone Go To IPA | Session IPA | 4.8% | Ahtanum, Amarillo, Cascade, Chinook, Citra, Crystal, Magnum, Mosaic, Sterling and Hopsteiner 06300 | |
| Stone Delicious IPA | IPA | 7.7% | Nugget, Calypso, Lemondrop & El Dorado | Brewed to reduce gluten |
Seasonals
| Name | Availability | Style | ABV | Hops | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone Imperial Russian Stout | March/April | Russian Imperial Stout | Varies | Warrior | |
| Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine | February | Barley Wine | Varies | Varies | |
| Stone Enjoy By IPA | Varies | IPA | 9.4% | Nugget, Super Galena, Simcoe, Delta, Target, Amarillo, Cascade, Galaxy, Citra, Nelson Sauvin, Motueka & Helga | Occasionally released unfiltered or with tangerines |
| Stone Enjoy By Black IPA | Varies | Black IPA | 9.4% | Amarillo, Super Galena, Centennial, Cascade, Vic Secret, Ella & Galaxy | |
| Stone RuinTen Triple IPA | June/July | Triple IPA | 10.8% | Magnum, Centennial & Citra | Originally released in 2012 as Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA, commemorating the 10th anniversary of Stone Ruination IPA and is now a yearly release |
| Stone Xocoveza for the Holidays and the New Year (pronounced "sho-co-VAY-zuh") | Fall/Winter | Mocha IPA | 8.1% | English Challenger & English East Kent Golding | Brewed with coffee, cocoa, nutmeg, vanilla, and pasilla peppers. |
| Stone Anniversary Ale series | Summer | Varies | Varies | Varies | Each year uses a different recipe and bottle design (although usually an IPA) |
Stone Vertical Epic Ale series
Between 2002 and 2012, Stone released a series of eleven beers under the Stone Vertical Epic Ale header. Each one uses a different Belgian Strong Ale recipe and is designed, when the release is complete, to complement its partners in a tasting of all eleven, one after the other (a "vertical tasting"). Each is released one year, one month, and one day apart, beginning with the first on February 2, 2002 (02.02.02 in a common date format on the Gregorian calendar); thus, the second was released on March 3, 2003 (03.03.03), the third on April 4, 2004, and so on. The last in the series was the Stone 12.12.12 Vertical Epic Ale.[22]
| ABV | Brewed With | |
|---|---|---|
| 02.02.02 | 7.5% | Orange peel, coriander, and black pepper |
| 03.03.03 | 9% | Coriander and grains of paradise |
| 04.04.04 | 8.5% | Kaffir lime leaves |
| 05.05.05 | 8.5% | Belgian candi sugar |
| 06.06.06 | 8.66% | |
| 07.07.07 | 8.4% | Grapefruit, orange, and lemon |
| 08.08.08 | 8.6% | Dry hopped with Simcoe and Amarillo hops |
| 09.09.09 | 8.6% | Vanilla bean and French oak |
| 10.10.10 | 9.5% | Chamomile-spiced with white wine grapes |
| 11.11.11 | 9.4% | Cinnamon and New Mexico chile |
| 12.12.12 | 9.4% | Cinnamon, allspice, clove, orange peel, and rose hips |
Collaborations
Since 2008, Stone has released a series of collaboration beers jointly with other brewers.
| Name | Brewed In | ABV | Style | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AleSmith/Mikkeller/Stone Belgian Style Triple Ale | 2008 | 9.5% | Belgian-Style Tripel | |
| Jolly Pumpkin/Nøgne Ø/Stone Special Holiday Ale | 2008 | 9% | Winter Warmer | |
| BrewDog/Cambridge/Stone Juxtaposition Black Pilsner | 2009 | 10% | Black Pilsner | |
| Ken Schmidt/Maui/Stone Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter | 2009 | 8.5% | Porter | Winner of the Stone AHA rally |
| Dogfish Head/ Victory/Stone Saison du BUFF | 2009 | 6.8% | Saison | Brewed with parsley sage, rosemary & thyme. The three breweries take turns rebrewing. |
| 21st Amendment/ Firestone Walker/Stone El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale | 2009 | 9.5% | Black Ale | Brewed with fennel, chia, peppercorns, and mission figs |
| Ballast Point/Kelsey McNair/Stone San Diego County Session Ale | 2010 | 4.2% | Pale Ale | Winner of the 2010 Stone AHA rally |
| Green Flash/Pizza Port Carlsbad/Stone Highway 78 Scotch Ale | 2010 | 8.8% | Scotch Ale | |
| Baird/Ishii/Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA | 2010 | 9.2% | IPA | Proceeds were donated to tsumani & earthquake relief via the Japanese Red Cross.[23] Rebrewed in 2015 |
| Jason Fields & Kevin Sheppard/Tröegs/Stone Cherry Chocolate Stout | 2011 | 7.3% | Stout | Winner of the 2011 Stone AHA Rally |
| Bruery/Elysian/Stone La Citrueille Céleste de Citracado | 2011 | 5% | Amber Ale | Brewed with pumpkin, yams, toasted fenugreek, lemon verbena & birch bark |
| The Alchemist/Ninkasi/Stone More Brown Than Black IPA | 2011 | 7.4% | IPA | Proceeds donated to the Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund, a nonprofit organization aiding victims of Tropical Storm Irene. |
| Bear Republic/Fat Head's/Stone TBA | 2012 | 7.1% | Brown Ale | |
| Ken Schmidt/Iron Fist/Stone Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout | 2012 | 9.6% | Imperial Stout | Winner of the 2012 Stone AHA Rally |
| Evil Twin/Stillwater/Stone "The Perfect Crime" Black Smoked Saison | 2012 | 6.8% | Saison | |
| Aleman/Two Brothers/Stone DayMan Coffee IPA | 2013 | 8.7% | Coffee IPA | Brewed with coffee roasted by Two Brothers Brewing |
| Drew Curtis/Wil Wheaton/Greg Koch Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout | 2013 | 13% | Imperial Stout | Brewed with rye, wheat malt and pecans and partially aged in bourbon whiskey barrels. Now an annual release, launching at Hop-Con, Stone's San Diego Comic Con event. |
| Robert Masterson & Ryan Reschan/Rip Current/Stone R&R Coconut IPA | 2013 | 7.7% | IPA | Winner of the 2013 Stone AHA Rally |
| 10 Barrel/Bluejacket/Stone Suede Imperial Porter | 2013 | 9.6% | Imperial Porter | Brewed with avocado honey, jasmine and calendula flowers. |
| Kyle Hollingsworth/Keri Kelli/Stone Collective Distortion IPA | 2014 | 9.3% | Double IPA | Brewed with elderberries and coriander |
| Beachwood/Heretic/Stone Unapologetic IPA | 2014 | 8.8% | Double IPA | |
| Stone w00tstout 2.0 (Drew Curtis, Wil Wheaton, Aisha Tyler) | 2014 | 13.5% | Imperial Stout | Brewed with rye, wheat malt, pecans, and stone-ground chocolate and partially aged in bourbon whiskey barrels. |
| Chris Banker/Stone/Insurgente Xocoveza Mocha Stout | 2014 | 8.1% | Milk Stout | Winner of the 2014 Stone AHA Rally. Brewed with chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, chile pepper, coffee, and lactose. Now an annual winter release. |
| Ecliptic/Wicked Weed/Stone Points Unknown IPA | 2015 | 9.5% | Double IPA | A blend of a traditional Belgian-style tripel aged four months in oak barrels that originally housed red wine, then tequila and a freshly brewed West Coast double IPA. |
| Juli Goldenberg/Monkey Paw/Stone 24 Carrot Golden Ale | 2015 | 8.5% | Belgian-Style Ale | Winner of the 2015 Stone AHA Rally. Brewed with carrots, raisins, cinnamon, and lactose sugar. |
| 4 Hands/Bale Breaker/Stone Sorry Not Sorry IPA | 2015 | 9.3% | Double IPA | Brewed with puréed peaches. |
| Stone & Sierra Nevada NxS IPA | 2015 | 8.2% | Barrel-aged Double IPA | A blend of gin-infused bourbon barrel aged & rye whiskey barrel aged IPA with the same fresh IPA. |
Arrogant Brewing
In 2015 Stone Brewing announced it would separate Arrogant Bastard into its own product line, to be produced "on the road" in conjunction with other breweries including Great Divide, Maui Brewing, Brew Dog, and Maine Beer Company.[10]
| Name | ABV | Style | Availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrogant Bastard Ale | 7.2% | American Strong Ale | Year-round | The beer is promoted with an appropriately arrogant slogan: "Hated by many. Loved by few. You're not worthy." |
| Who You Callin' Wussie | 5.8% | Northern German Pilsner | Year-round | |
| Bourbon Barrel Aged Arrogant Bastard | 8.1% | American Strong Ale | Year-Round | |
| Bastard's Midnight Brunch | 12.7% | American Strong Ale | Very Limited | Double Bastard Ale, aged in bourbon barrels & maple syrup barrels |
| Double Bastard Ale | Varies | American Strong Ale | Fall | A more intense version of Arrogant Bastard, with a higher ABV. |
| Depth-Charged Double Bastard | 1 | American Strong Ale | Fall | Double Bastard Ale, brewed with espresso beans |
| Lukcy Basartd Ale | Varies | American Strong Ale | Fall, biennially | A blend of Arrogant Bastard Ale and Double Bastard Ale that is then oaked and dry-hopped. It is released only in even-numbered years, and Stone emphasizes that it should be consumed fresh, unlike Double Bastard which can be aged. |
| Crime | 9.6% | American Strong Ale | Fall | Ale with peppers added & aged in bourbon barrels |
| Punishment | 12% | American Strong Ale | Fall | Ale with peppers added & aged in bourbon barrels |
| Double Bastard in the Rye | 13.5% | American Strong Ale | Fall | Double Bastard Ale, aged in Templeton Rye whiskey barrels |
| Southern Charred | 12.6% | American Strong Ale | Fall | Double Bastard Ale, aged in bourbon barrels |
| OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale | 7.2% | American Strong Ale | Varies | Arrogant Bastard aged with oak chips, and has been produced in limited release 3 Liter bottles with a lock three times: November 2004, 2005 and 2006. (discontinued in 2014) |
Awards
Stone has won several awards at major international beer competitions.[24][25]
| Name | Style | Honors |
|---|---|---|
| Double Bastard Ale | Strong Ale | 2005 Great American Beer Festival Silver |
| Levitation Ale | Amber Ale | 2007 Great American Beer Festival Gold |
| Old Guardian | Barley Wine | 2000 Great American Beer Festival Silver |
| Pale Ale | ESB | 2008 World Beer Cup Bronze, 2006 Great American Beer Festival Bronze |
| Ruination | India Pale Ale | 2006 World Beer Cup Bronze |
| Smoked Porter With Chipotle | Chile-spiced beer | 2010 Great American Beer Festival Silver |
| Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale | Black India Pale Ale | 2010 Great American Beer Festival Bronze |
| Imperial Russian Stout | Imperial Stout | 2014 U.S. Open Beer Championship Gold |
| Go To IPA | Sessions Beer | 2014 U.S. Open Beer Championship Gold |
See also
References
- 1 2 "Staff Page". Stonebrewing.com.
- ↑ Hirsh, Lou (October 16, 2016). "Stone Brewing Laying Off 5% of Workforce". San Diego Business Journal. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- 1 2 "Press Room". Stonebrewing.com.
- ↑ Morris, Chris. "Shakeup at craft beer giant Stone Brewing". Fortune. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
- 1 2 Rowe, Peter (May 18, 2011). "Stone announces new Point Loma brewery restaurant, expansion". Sign On San Diego. Retrieved 2011-05-18.
- ↑ "Top 50 Breweries". Brewersassociation.org. 2015.
- 1 2 "Pre-History". stonebrew.com. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ↑ "Stone Pale Ale". Stone Brewing Company. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- ↑ Hernandez, Brandon. "Rising Tide in San Diego". The Beer Connoisseur, archived at Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- 1 2 Ramsay, Reid (October 28, 2015). "Not Stone, but Arrogant Bastard Brewing". Beer Street Journal. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ↑ "Beers Overview". Stone Brewing Company. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens". RateBeer. Retrieved 2011-05-25.
- ↑ Kitsock, Greg (June 20, 2007). "A Bitter Divide". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
- ↑ "The People Have Spoken!". BeerAdvocate Magazine, Volume II, Issue XI, posted at Stone Brewing:News. August 12, 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
- ↑ Fikes, Bradley J. (March 5, 2006). "Stone Brewing Co. grows in Escondido". North County Times. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
- ↑ Rowe, Peter (May 16, 2013). "Liberty Station's Stone age begins". San Diego Union Tribune.
- ↑ "Stone Brewing Co. Harnesses the Power of the Sun with a Solar Electric System Installed by Borrego Solar Systems, Inc., Financed by Bank of America" (Press release). Bank of America. July 1, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
- ↑ Verive, John (July 19, 2014). "Escondido's craft brew giant Stone announces plans for a Berlin expansion". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- ↑ "Stone Brewing Co. Names Richmond, Virginia, as Future Home for New Brewery and Destination Restaurant - VA Beer Trail". VA Beer Trail. October 9, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
- ↑ Hirsh, Lou (May 22, 2016). "Stone Brewing Expanding to Wine Country with Napa Tap Room, Brewery". San Diego Business Journal. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- 1 2 "Getting Beer At The Stone Company Store". Stone Brewing Company. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
- ↑ Alstrom, Jason Todd (July 27, 2007). "Stone 07.07.07 Vertical Epic Ale". dig Boston. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
- ↑ "Green Tea". Allaboutbeer.com. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ↑ "Stone Brewing". GABF Medal Winners. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
- ↑ "Stone Brewing search results". World Beer Cup. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
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