Saint Arnold Brewing Company to Ship Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 2
HOUSTON, July 24, 2006 -- Nine months after an unprecedented scramble among beer connoisseurs for the limited supply of Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 1, Saint Arnold Brewing Company is putting the finishing touches on Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 2. Bottling of this single batch series was completed this week and shipments are expected to hit stores as early as Tuesday, July 25th.
Saint Arnold Divine Reserve is produced by Saint Arnold Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewery in Texas. It features small batches of high-quality, full-flavored beer. Each new batch, with the batch number appearing on the neck label, features a different recipe. Just 500 cases of Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 2 are being produced.
Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 2 will be available for a very limited time in Austin, Dallas and Houston. It is a Belgian-American Barleywine -- big, malty and sweet with the perfumy aromas associated with Trappist-style Belgian ales. It is meant to be slowly savored similar to a fine scotch, cognac or sherry so its subtle complexity can be appreciated.
When introduced in November, retailers reported that lines formed at some locations and supplies of Saint Arnold Divine Reserve were exhausted quickly. In some cases shelves were empty in less than 15 minutes. While brewery officials are pledging that the 50 percent increase in batch size will enable them to ship outside the Houston area, they predict that supplies will not last long.
"I had hoped that Divine No. 1 would be popular, but the stories of people driving all over town and fighting over six packs amazed me," said Brock Wagner, founder and CEO of Saint Arnold Brewing Company. "It''s exciting to play a part in fostering a real appreciation for the craft that goes into brewing high-quality beer, which is what Divine Reserve is all about."
The Saint Arnold Divine Reserve brand is a significant departure from beverage marketing tradition. It is among the first -- if not the only -- beer brand to market multiple styles under the same label. Saint Arnold Reserve No. 2 will be a barley wine from a brand new recipe. To give it a Belgian character, the Saint Arnold brewmaster took the unusual step of dividing the wort into two separate fermenters, one with American ale yeast and the other with Trappist ale yeast. Afterward, the beer from the two fermenters was blended prior to conditioning. This ensured that the Belgian character doesn''t dominate the beer.
Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 2 is expected to be available beginning July 25th and be priced between $12.99 and $13.99 per six-pack.
About Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Saint Arnold Brewing''s ten brews are made and sold by the company''s staff of 15 dedicated employees. The brewery is located at 2522 Fairway Park Drive and its free brewery tour and tasting is offered every Saturday at 1:00 P.M. For more information on Saint Arnold''s five year-round and five seasonal beers as well as root beer, log on to http://www.saintarnold.com.