A national listing of beer events, tastings, and festivals is here.
An archive of past issues of our e-newsletter is right here.
A short URL for this news page is http://tinyurl.com/yjgxadr.

• The Fast Forward Weekly of Calgary, AB, ran this article on gluten-free beers on Aug 12, 2010, calling Green's "the most exciting of the gluten-free breweries available in Alberta."

• This Beverage Dynamics article by writer Lew Bryson has a nice review of Zatec Dark - see the last chapter "On Safer Ground."

• August 4, 2010: Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen is arriving soon at a great beer spot near you! Here is a 339 KB .pdf with details, and here is a 4 KB text-only version.

• Here is an appetizing and detailed LA Weekly blog article on Orval Trappist Ale.

• We spotted a nice four-star "Excellent" review of Pinkus Organic Ur-Pils in the Aug - Sept '10 Ale Street News: ". . . Very balanced, very proper." See page 25-A.

• The September '10 All About Beer Magazine featured a number of MdV breweries: Julie Johnson's "99 Bottles of Beer" article featured Samuel Smith, Ayinger, Pinkus, Orval, Westmalle and Traqauir House; Samuel Smith and Pinkus appeared in Rick Lyke's article on green beer; and Zatec Dark Lager was reviewed in "Beer Talk," by Lew Bryson and Stephen Beaumont.

• Samuel Smith's Stingo is coming! This is the second vintage to arrive on US shores; look for it after August 1, 2010 - "Yorkshire Day." Here is a 371 KB .pdf with photos, and here is a 3 KB text-only version.

• Lindemans Cuvée René - ". . . one of the most artfully produced examples around" - received a score of 94 points in the Summer 2010 issue of Beer Connoisseur Magazine.

• Ayinger Brau-Weisse is a "Hefeweizen to look for" in author Bill Sysak's article on Hefeweizens in the July/August 2010 issue of Mutineer Magazine.

• Lindemans Faro Lambic was the subject of this detailed June 28, '10 article and review by writer Tom Bedell.

• Samuel Smith's Organic Cherry Ale got a nice review and photo in this article from the July/August '10 DRAFT Magazine.

• The United States Open Beer Championships 2010 winners: Out of over 700 entries, Merchant du Vin beers got the following medals, including two golds for Samuel Smith’s Organic Raspberry!
Gold: Traquair House Ale – “Strong Scottish Ale”; Pinkus Certified Organic Munster Alt – “German Alt”; Ayinger Brau-Weisse – “German Hefeweizen”; Samuel Smith’s Certified Organic Raspberry Ale – “Fruit/Vegetable beer”; Samuel Smith’s Certified Organic Raspberry Ale – “Best of Show Organic”
Silver: Orval Trappist Ale – “French/Belgian Ale”; Lindemans Cuvée René Oude Gueuze – “Belgian Lambic”
Bronze: Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout
See the complete list of winners right here.

• Samuel Smith's and Ayinger both sent official brewery emissaries to Philly Beer Week 2010, held in Philadelphia from June 4 - 13, 2010. Photos and more detail are right here.

• On June 29, '10, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ran an article on fruit beers & food pairings. Samuel Smith’s Organic Raspberry Ale is highlighted, and featured in the main photo at the top. The article is right here.

• Here is a nice review of Zatec Dark Lager from the Appleton, WI, Post-Crescent of June 17, '10.

• The June '10 issue of The Tasting Panel magazine recommended Lindemans Framboise, in "Gadd's Six-Pack," their beer column: "Nose redolent of a basket of fresh-picked raspberries . . . . my fête-champêtre beer of choice, but it will serve for a plain old American picnic." See p.72. (PS: There's a definition of "fête-champêtre" on our Facebook Page . . . )

• Beeradvocate Magazine reviewed Zatec Dark in issue #41: ""Bready. Toasty. Dry finish. A delicious, full-flavored brew . . ." See p. 45.

• The Daily Loaf features Ayinger Celebrator, Lindemans Kriek, and Lindemans Faro in this article on pairing beers with dessert.

• Courtesy Mr. Charlie Papazian, here is a recap of Mexico's first wine vs. beer dinner - where Lindemans Framboise won the dessert pairing by the highest margin in any category.

• MdV and Samuel Smith's are proud to announce: all-new, larger sized, detailed REAR LABELS!There's a news release as a 788 KB .pdf right here; a text-only version is right here. There's a page showing the labels as a 2.4 MB .pdf right here.

• Ayinger Brau-Weisse took a bronze medal in the 2010 North American Beer Awards, announced June 5, 2010 at the 2010 Mountain Brewers Fest.

• Green's was joint winner in the gluten-free beer category at the UK's "Free From Food Awards 2010," held at London's Canal Museum on April 21, 2010.

• Men's Journal magazine ran a "pairing beer with food" feature on May 6, '10 - included in the short list were Samuel Smith's India Ale and Lindemans Framboise Lambic. Check out the article right here.

• Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout and Orval Trappist Ale are both in GQ Magazine's "50 Beers to Try Right Now," published April 23, 2010; then, CBS news invited GQ editor Adam Rapaport to bring six of the 50 to the CBS Early Show - and one of the six was Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout. Here is the video link. (Please note that CBS News' Harry Smith was mistaken about the location of Samuel Smith's Old Brewery - the brewery is in the village of Tadcaster, in Yorkshire, many miles north of London and Heathrow.)

• Lindemans Faro will soon be available throughout the US - look for at at great beer spots around June 1, 2010. A media release as a 275 KB .pdf is right here; a 2 KB text-only .html version is right here; there's a 157 KB .jpeg bottle shot right here.

• Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout won the Washington Post's 2010 "Beer Madness" competition, winning out over 31 other world-class and tasty beers. Here are the final brackets; the recap article is right here Congratulations especially to Samuel Smith's Brewery for reviving a style that's now considered a true classic!

• Zatec Dark Lager is arriving nowthe US - look for at at great beer spots around June 1. A media release as a 214 KB .pdf is right here; a 2 KB text-only .html version is right here; there's a 124 KB .jpeg of the beautiful bottle right here.

• Westmalle Trappist Tripel is on the cover of The Beer Connoisseur magazine, issue 2 - Spring '10. Inside we also spotted a mention of Zatec Brewery in Evan Rail's article on the Czech Republic - see p. 24.

• On March 16,'10 Men's Health magazine ran an article on organic foods, and called Samuel Smith's Organic Ale "Best Alcoholic Beverage." Here is the full article, courtesy CBS news.

• The March '10 Men's Journal recommends Samuel Smith's India Ale with chicken vindaloo and Lindemans Framboise with chocolate cheesecake in their "Pairing Beer with Food," article. Grab a copy and check out page 28.

• Traquair House got a very nice recap on Feb. 23, '10, in this Seattle P-I blog writeup.

• Pinkus Ur-Pils - USDA Certified Organic - was "Beer of the Week" on Feb. 8, '10 at golf & travel website "The A Position" - see the whole article, with photos, right here.

• On Feb. 13, '10, Lindemans Framboise got a mention in Press of Atlantic City (NJ), recapping a Feb. 6 chocolate festival held at Bally's.

• On Feb. 5, 2010, The Wine Enthusiast published this article on organic beer by writer Gregg Glaser - it features both Pinkus and Samuel Smith's organic beers, with a nice Pinkus photo.

• The March '10 All About Beer magazine features Lindemans Cassis in the "Lambic" article by K. Florian Klemp; as usual, Ayinger beers placed top in their BTI Buyer's Guide categories: Jahrhundert-Bier, 93; Oktober Fest-Marzen, 93; Celebrator 98. Also, on Jan. 26, '10, Rochefort Trappist 8 was chosen as All About Beer's "Beer of the Week"

• Here is a nice Traquair House recap, from a widely-read blog based on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. (Note: on Feb. 28, '10, the author of this blog was chosen as Wynkoop Brewery's "Beerdrinker of the Year 2010." Here is the full article.)

• The Jan/Feb '10 issue of DRAFT Magazine suggests Ayinger Brau-Weisse as a pairing for jalapeño poppers - see Sean Z. Paxton's article on p.58; also, Orval Trappist Ale and Westmalle Trappist Tripel were included in Draft's "Top 25 Beers of the Year 2009."

• The Nov/Dec '09 issue of DRAFT Magazine features Westmalle Trappist Tripel ("this perfect, 100-point Belgian tripel defines the style . . . ") in the "ultimate holiday season mix-pack," (p. 20); Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale in "A Dozen Holiday Beers," (p. 28); Lindemans Framboise in the "Get Razzed," recipe (p. 57); Rochefort Trappist 8 in "The 10 (Most Interesting Belgian) Beers of Christmas," (p. 73); and Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout with an "exceptional" rating and 90 points in Brew Reviews (p. 89).
Plus, there is this detailed article about the naming of Ayinger Celebrator doppelbock.

• Ayinger Brau-Weisse was "Bob Townsend's Beer Pick" on Dec. 29, '09 in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Drink blog.

• BevX chose Ayinger Weizen-Bock as "Beer of the Year" for 2009 in their 2009 Recap.

• BevX just reviewed winter seasonal beers, and they loved Ayinger Weizen-Bock (Five Stars, "Spectacular") and Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome (Four Stars, ". . . great balance and style. A classic . . . "). Check out "Holiday Brews 2009".

• Lindemans Peche is one of Bicycling.com's "top beers for fall and winter." Check the article online right here.

• Rochefort Trappist 8 is one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine's "Top 25 beers of 2009." The article is in .pdf right here.

• November 2009: Whether you are buying or selling holiday gifts, we can help with two excellent packages: the Samuel Smith's Selection Box, with three classic ales, coasters, and a brewery glass; and - new this year - the Lindemans Gift Box, with two bottles of Lindemans lambics and a brewery glass. There is a news release as a 236 KB .pdf right here; a 2 KB text-only .html version is right here.

• Changsha, Hunan, China - October 2009: Merchant du Vin is pleased to announce the formation of MdV-Asia Ltd. - a beer importing company based in Hong Kong and selling throughout China. Here is the full news release as a .pdf of 877 KB; a 3 KB text-only .html version is right here; this page has more photos from the kickoff.

• Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale 2009-2010 vintage is arriving at a great beer spot near you now. This year marks the 20th vintage of this classic, rich winter ale. A press release with this year's label is a 193 KB .pdf right here; a 2 KB text-only .html version is right here.

• Ayinger Weizen-Bock is here! This astonishing, strong wheat ale starting arriving in great beer spots in September 2009. A press release as a 112 KB .pdf is right here; a 2 KB text-only .html version is right here.

• Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale is featured in Fifteen Holiday Beers, in the Nov/Dec '09 issue of Draft Magazine.

• Orval is in the October '09 issue of "O", the Oprah magazine! Check out the article right here.

• In the Nov. 16, '09, issue of Nation's Restaurant News, Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale is Stephen Beaumont's "Beer of the Week." He writes,"Rich with floral maltiness on the nose and replete with orangey, toffeeish malt balanced by a dry, almost minerally hoppiness, this is an ale with wide appeal."

• The Cheeseburger Show is sort of a video adventure through the burgers of the Chicago area. As a recommended pairing to a turkey burger, Samuel Smith's Organic Lager was featured in October '09; watch at about 8:22 into the episode 10 video.

• On Oct. 2, '09, CBS News.com ran a feature on Oktoberfest, with info and recommendations from brewer and writer Garrett Oliver. The article includes Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen, with food-pairing suggestions.

• Ayinger Weizen-Bock was featured in the October '09 issue of Market Watch:

• On Sept. 25, '09, National Public Radio's "The World" ran a feature on "The Beer Economy," and we noted mentions of Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale as well as Traquair House. You can listen right here.

• Samuel Smith's Yorkshire Stingo was reviewed in the September '09 issue of Beer Advocate Magazine:

• The Baltimore Sun of Sept. 23, '09, featured fall seasonal beers, and included the top-rated favorites of 35 varieties, tasted blind. Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen was included, "Golden, a crisp, smooth balanced brew with pleasing nutty flavor." Here is the full article.

• MSN City Guides put Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen in their "10 Great Fall Beers" article in September '09 - check out the full article.

• On Aug. 16, '09, NBC's "The Today Show," hosted Food & Wine Magazine editor Gail Simmons to discuss pairing food with fine beer. The selections included Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale as well as Lindemans Framboise lambic. View the video right here.

• The Chicago Tribune of Sept. 9, '09, ran this detailed and glowing review of Samuel Smith's Organic Cider by Jerald O'Kennard. Highlight: "Golden amber color. Round dried apple and pear, caramel and nougat aromas. A round, rich entry leads to a dry-yet-fruity medium-full body of rich three-dimensional apple, pear skin and star fruitlike flavors. Finishes with a long, tangy, mouthwatering fade. A superb quenching style with lots of rich apple character and excellent balance."

• German consumer magazine Öko-Test (site is in German) reviews many products; when they analyzed and tasted beers from 46 top German breweries in August 2009, they chose Ayinger Jahrhundertbier as the "top beer in Germany." If you read German, check out the full article right here.

• Beer writer Chuck Cook has a detailed article in Lindemans Brewery at The Beer Connoisseur online; the full article is linked right here.

• The July/Aug. '09 issue of Beverage Spectrum discussed how rising craft beer sales also include fine imports - including Merchant du Vin's fine beer portfolio. Here is the full article.

• This Aug. 12, '09, article from newjerseynewsroom.com included Samuel Smith's Organic Fruit Ales in their summer beer recap.

• On Sept. 9, '09, the Palm Beach FL Sun-Sentinel ran a feature on fine beer, and included Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. Read the full article right here.

• The Sept./Oct. '09 issue of Imbibe Magazine listed "100 of the best bottled beers in the world," and included Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock as well as Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout. See p. 43.

• On Aug. 7, '09, food & drink writer Tim Rutherford of Connect Savannah reviewed Samuel Smith's Organic Cider and the recently-released Samuel Smith's Organic Fruit Beers. The article is detailed and worth a read - it's linked right here.

• James "Dr. Fermento" Roberts reviewed Samuel Smith's Yorkshire Stingo in the Anchorage Press of Wed. August 5, 2009; the article gives great info on Yorkshire Squares, barrel aging and limited-release beers.

• Here is a detailed review of Lindemans fruit lambics from Alister & Paine Magazine.

• We spotted a detailed article on gluten-free beers by Rick Lyke in the Sept. '09 All About Beer magazine, including a nice photo of Green's Endeavour Dubbel - see page 68.

• When six very respected American craft brewers were recently asked to choose their "last beer on earth," only one beer was chosen by two of the six: Orval. The full recap is right here.

• Here is a detailed and interesting BeerConnoisseur.com article by Carolyn Smagalski that explains Yorkshire Squares in some depth, and also discusses Pinkus Brewery, the Certified Organic Samuel Smith beers, Winter Welcome, and Stingo. (Carolyn also writes regularly at BellaOnline.)

• Samuel Smith's Organic Strawberry Ale was the Gold Medal Fruit Beer at the 2009 U. S. Open Beer Championships, held in June 2009. Ayinger Celebrator won a silver medal, and Samuel Smith's Pale Ale and Lindemans Framboise each took bronze.

• For the third year in a row, Ayinger was selected "Top Imported Lager" at the 2009 Calgary (AB) BeerFest: in May '09, Oktober Fest-Märzen won; it was Ayinger Celebrator in '08 and Jahrhundertbier in '07. It's a fairly large .pdf at 931 KB, but we put details right here.

• We spotted Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter and Westmalle Trappist Triple in the "Taste Test" section of the May/June '09 Beer Magazine. They scored 93 and 97, third place and first place of all the beers reviewed in this issue.

• There's a nice recap of Samuel Smith's Organic Fruit Beers in the "Import Report" column, by writer Don Cazentre, in the June/July '09 Great Lakes Brewing News, as well as a sidebar on Green's gluten-free beers. See p. 9.

• We've determined that Kelly from Plano, TX, is a fan of Orval Trappist Ale:

The Orval logo, with the gold ring and trout, is based on the Legend of Matilda: In 1070 AD, Countess Matilda was passing through the forest when she and her retinue stopped at a clear spring. Matilda trailed her hand in the water, and her wedding ring accidently slipped off her finger and sank. Distraught, she prayed fervently for its return . . . and a trout swan to the surface with her ring in its mouth. Matilda declared this a "Valley of Gold" (In French, "or" means "gold") and gave the land to the church. "Matilda's Spring" can still be seen at Orval; here is a link to the Abbaye Notre Dame d'Orval website and here is our Orval page.

• May 6, '09: The Anchorage Press thinks Samuel Smith's Organic Fruit Beers are "nothing short of incredible" - read the article by James "Dr. Fermento" Roberts right here.

• The March/April '09 Draft Magazine has a feature on "Eggs and Beer" by noted chef and beer writer Sean Paxton. Recommended with traditional eggs benedict? Westmalle Trappist Tripel. The feature is on p. 56.

• Orval Trappist Ale is a recommended "Summer Ale" in the current issue of Celebrated Living magazine, from American Airlines: "Pour gently, approach reverently, enjoy wholeheartedly." Read the feature and see the nice photo right here.

• April 20, '09: The Chicago Tribune mentions Green's gluten-free ales (with a nice photo) in their coverage of the Thrive Allergy Expo, held April 18 & 19 at Chicago's McCormick Place. Read the full article right here.

• The Philadelphia Daily News of March 13, '09, featured this photo:

Appearing in Don "Joe Sixpack" Russell's column, the photo was taken at a Philly Beer Week tasting event - the "Wheat Beer Breakfast of Champions" - hosted by beer writer Lew Bryson. The full article is on Joe Sixpack's website right here.

• Westmalle Trappist Tripel got a four-star review in the April/May '09 Celebrator Beer News, " . . . sweet malt flavor, complex yeasty spiciness and a long, rich lingering finish."

• On Monday, March 9, '09, Iowa's Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier featured this article on Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout.

• We spotted this article on Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout in the Appleton (WI) Post-Crescent and also in the Lafayette (LA) Times . . . Smith's Oatmeal Stout is "so good that if it had been around during Shakespeare’s time, he no doubt would have worked a mention of it into one of his plays."

• The Jan/Feb '09 issue of DRAFT magazine gave Orval Trappist Ale a 98-point score, highest-rated of 32 beers sampled. A 285 KB .pdf is right here.

• The March/April '09 issue of "Imbibe" magazine features an article on doppelbocks, and Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock was top-rated. There's a 583 KB .pdf of the article right here.

• Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale is mentioned in this March 4, '09, Providence (RI) Journal article, featuring a recipe for "Hunter's Chicken," paired with brown ale.

• On Friday, Feb. 20, '09 Green's gluten-free beer was featured on Fox News in Washington, DC, as part of noted gluten-free chef Jules Shepard's recipe for gluten-free chocolate cake. You can view the video right here.

• Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale was featured on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday, Jan. 30, '09 - a perfect pairing for Super Bowl wings. You can view the video right here.

• Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout was featured - with a photo - in the Feb/March '09 issue of "Fine Cooking" magazine. Check it out as a 455 KB .pdf right here.

• The original imported winter ale, Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale, is at great beer spots now. This rich, rewarding ale is a reason to look forward to shorter days and cooler temperatures. Here's the Sept. 16 news release as a 379 KB .pdf.

• On October 15, '08, the Baltimore Sun tasted apple beers, and writer Rob Kasper picked Lindemans Pomme as his favorite. The full article and a nice photo is right here.

• On Jan 14,'09, Maryland's TheGazette.net ran a detailed article on porters that featured Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter - there's a photo too. The full article is linked right right right here.

• Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale shares the spotlight with Hilary Duff in the Jan. '09 Maxim magazine - it's one of "the best beers on earth." Check it out in .pdf right here.

• BeerAdvocate magazine reviewed Pinkus Jubilate, organic dark lager, in Dec. '08: "Lovely stuff it is - put it on your must try list." Here is the full review.

• The January '09 Men's Health magazine thoughtfully provided six items to help pass a snow day, and Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock is there: "Drink Winter's Best Brew." Here is the article in .pdf.

• On Jan. 12, 2009, Modern Brewery Age recapped the "Top 15 Import Beers" that they tasted in 2008, and three of them were from Merchant du Vin: Ayinger Brau-Weisse, Pinkus Organic Jubilate, and Ayinger Ur-Weisse. Check it out right here.

• BeerAdvocate magazine published a list of the "All-Time Top Beers on Planet Earth" in Dec. '08; we were pleased to see that some beers imported by Merchant du Vin made the list. Here is the full listing in .pdf.

• The Philadelphia Daily News recapped Winter Beers on Nov. 14, 2008, in beer writer Don "Joe Sixpack" Russell's column. Under "essentials" we noted Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome with a nice label photograph. The full article is linked right here.

• Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale is featured - with a photograph - in the Jan. '09 Men's Journal magazine, in an article on "the Perfect Shepherd's Pie." You can see the article in .pdf right here.

•Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome was voted "Best Holiday Beer" at TheFullPint.com's "Best Holiday Beer" poll.

• As published in the Nov. '08 All About Beer magazine "Buyers Guide for Beer Lovers," Ayinger again placed first in both categories entered, Hefe-Weizen (Brau-Weisse, "Platinum Medal," 97 points) and Dark Wheat (Ur-Weisse, "Gold Medal," 95 points) . . . In Jan. '08, Lindemans Cuvée René was the top-rated gueuze lambic, with a gold-medal 93.

• Epicurious.com's Top 5 Holiday Beers include Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale; the article is by noted beer author & speaker Stephen Beaumont.

• Modern Brewery Age gave Pinkus Jubilate Organic Dark Lager a five-star review and "best of the tasting" on October 27, '08; the review is a 247 KB .pdf right here.

• Great beer on national TV! On Monday October 13, '08, The Today Show featured Food & Wine editor Ray Isle discussing & tasting fall beers - among the fine beers tasted were Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen and Lindemans Pomme lambic. Watch the video right here.

• Draft magazine gave Lindemans Cuvée René gueuze a 97-point review in the Nov/Dec '08 issue. The review is a 368 KB .pdf right here.

• Beer writer David Gadd, writing in The Tasting Panel magazine, really liked Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock and found some adjectives that are rarely seen in beer reviews. Check it out for yourself in .pdf right here.

• We were pleased to see Samuel Smith's Organic Cider chosen as the Beverage Testing Insitute's "Beer of the Week," and featured on their front page. The full review is right here.

• Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen is in the Sept. 17, '08, Seattle P-I, with a nice photo. The article by beer writer Geoff Kaiser is on fall beers and is linked right here.

• It's in The Enquirer . . . Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale, that is. The Sept. 15, '08, issue of The National Enquirer has an article about Paul Newman, and mentions that he recently enjoyed one of his favorite beers, Nut Brown Ale, at a restaurant in Westport, CT. Here's a .pdf. (Mr. Newman died Friday, September 26, at age 83 - after this article was published.)

• The September '08 issue of Delta Sky magazine has a nice review of Samuel Smith's Organic Cider. Noted drinks writer F. Paul Pacult calls it lovely & crisp, with a ". . . clean, yeasty flavor, apple-pastry aroma, saber-edged aftertaste . . . " See pp 57 - 59.

• From Beeradvocate Magazine, Vol II / Iss 8 (Sept '08) on page 38:

• This August 11, '08 Chicago Sun Times article features a nice photo of a happy beer lover with a glass of Ayinger Brau-Weisse, authentic Bavarian Hefe-weizen. The article appeared on page three of the print edition.

• Paste Magazine, an excellent music publication, mentioned Rochefort Trappist 10 in this feature from the September '08 issue.

• Orval Trappist Ale and Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock, with other great beers, were on NBC TV in Philadelphia on Aug 19, 2008. Thanks to beer writer Jack Curtin, you can watch the video right here.

• Rochefort 10 Trappist Ale got a nice photo in the July 27, 2008 issue of Boston Uncommon magazine (Boston Globe). The article is linked right here.

• Boston's "Weekly Dig" magazine featured a nice review of Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen in August '08, written by brothers Jason & Todd Alström. View the article online right here.

• We spotted Samuel Smith's and Pinkus beers on the Oklahoma City TV news on July 23, 2008, in their "Summer in the City" feature. The beers are about 55 sec. in to this video clip.

• Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale and Ayinger Brau-Weisse are listed as "Best Summer Beers," on p. 84 of the August 2008 Men's Health magazine; the review is in .pdf right here.

• Samuel Smith's Organic Cider is featured in the July 2008 Nightclub & Bar magazine - here is a copy in .pdf.

• The August 2008 Pilates Style magazine covers organic beers in some detail, including Samuel Smith's Organic Ale and Organic Lager, Pinkus Organic Hefe-Weizen, Organic Munster Alt, and Organic Ur-Pils. The full article is a 569 KB .pdf right here.

• Samuel Smith's Organic Cider is in the July 2, 2008, Boston Herald, in writer Kerry Byrne's column. The complete article is linked right here.

• Jules Shepard is a leading expert in gluten-free cooking, and she uses Green's gluten-free Belgian beer in her Chocolate Beer Cake. Her website is Nearly Normal Cooking, and here's the full recipe for the cake.

• Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock and Samuel Smith's Pure Brewed Lager are featured in Forbes Life magazine's article on lager beer, "Czech Mate," by Richard Nalley. The article, with a nice quote from Ayinger Brewery's Gertrud Hein-Eickhoff, is linked right here.

• Samuel Smith's Organic Cider is featured in the NaturalFoodNet's weekly newsletter on June 23, 2008 - scroll to the first "This Week's Top Product Announcements" right here.

• In the May/June '08 Draft magazine, we spotted Green's gluten-free beers twice (p. 61 and p. 112 - here is the p. 61 review in .pdf); a nice review of Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale (p. 101); an article on Trappist beers by Stan Hieronymous; and another tale of how Samuel Smith's helped an American brewer turn pro ("Women Who Brew," p. 84). As noted on the magazine's front cover, Draft gave a beer a 100-point rating for the first time. Their choice? Westmalle Trappist Tripel. The review is in .pdf right here.

• Zatec Czech lager was the "overall favourite" at a sushi-and-beer pairing event held at London's five-star Royal Garden Hotel. The full article from the May 30, '08, Newcastle Journal is linked right here.

• Western Canada's beverage trade magazine Vendor liked Samuel Smith's Organic Lager, calling it ". . . medium in mouth-weight and complex on the palate, but clean in the long finish," in their most recent issue.

• Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale is a "Summer Beer Suggestion," right here at RealSimple.com.

• This Washington Post article on organic beers by Greg Kitsock, published on May 7, 2008, features both Samuel Smith's Certified Organic beers and Pinkus. Merchant du Vin's Joe Lipa is quoted as well.

• Samuel Smith Organic Lager and Pinkus Organic Munster Alt are both featured in "Great Organic Beers for Summer BBQs" right here at The DailyGreen.com.

• Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter is featured in the brand new Winter 2008 issue of Beer & Brewer - Australia & New Zealand magazine - see page Mr. Derek Walsh's article on porter, beginning on p. 26; there's also a nice review of Nut Brown Ale on page 91. ("Winter 2008" in May? Yes, in the southern hemisphere . . . )

• Green's gluten-free beers are featured, with a photo, in the June/July 2008 issue of Living Without magazine, a lifestyle guide for people with allergies and food sensitivities. See page 59.

• Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock was the Best International Lager at the 2008 Calgary Beer Fest, April 25 & 26, 2008.



(In 2007, the Best Int'l Lager was Ayinger Jahrhundertbier.)

• Congratulations to Westmalle Trappist Brewery for their bronze medal for Westmalle Tripel in the 2008 World Beer Cup. Westmalle originated the tripel style in the 1930s.

• Orval is big in Japan: the April 12 '08 edition of Japan's Nikkei Plus One newspaper reviewed dozens of Belgian beers, and picked Orval as the top Belgian beer available in Japan. The full article (in Japanese) can be seen as a 168 KB .pdf right here.

• The April '08 The Tasting Panel magazine features beers from Scotland in David Gadd's column, "Gadd's Sixpack." Traquair House Ale is featured, with a photo; the full article can be seen in .pdf right here.

• The March/April '08 Draft magazine has arrived, and we spotted MdV beers throughout: Bruce Paton's "Sashimi and Beer" feature recommends Orval Trappist Ale with Ikura (salmon roe sushi) on p.56; Tim Cigelske's article on organic beers included Samuel Smith's Organic Lager and Organic Ale in the pp. 77 & 78 photos; Ayinger Celebrator, Lindemans Peche, Zatec Bright Lager, and Pinkus Organic Pils were all reviewed, with Celebrator & Peche earning "Exceptional" recommendations.

• Beeradvocate Magazine Vol. II Issue II features an article by Don Russell on Oatmeal Stout, which includes Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout - see p. 14; (Past BA mag issues covering MdV beers: December '07 included Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome; Rochefort 10; Rochefort 8; Sam Smith's Imperial Stout, Oatmeal Stout, and Taddy Porter; Traquair House Ale, Traquair Jacobite Ale; Ayinger Celebrator and Ayinger Brau-Weissse. September '07: Westmalle Dubbel; Green's. And June '07 features a great article by Jay Brooks and Lew Bryson called "Nine Great Beer Towns You Didn’t Know Were Great Beer Towns," featuring Innerleithen, Peeblesshire, Scotland (pop. about 2,500) which is walking distance from Traquair House.)

• In March '08, many beer bloggers discussed organic beers. Here is a review of Samuel Smith's Organic Ale; here's one of Pinkus Organic Munster Alt.

• Rochefort Trappist 8 ("Best Dark Malt"), Samuel Smith's Organic Ale, and Lindemans Framboise are all included in "Beer, With Benefits" from the March '08 Men's Health magazine, linked right here.

• Rochefort Trappist 8 is "Beer of the Week" in the Feb. 25, '08 Nation's Restaurant News, in Stephen Beaumont's column on page 36. (Mr. Beaumont's website is right here.)

• The Vue Weekly (Edmonton, AB, Canada) tasted and recapped gluten-free beers in the Feb. 21, 2008 edition; they were pleased to discover Green's and discussed it in some detail. The article, with a photo, can be viewed right here.

• The Feb. 14, '08 Grand Rapids (MI) Press ran a nice Valentine's Day feature that included Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock in the photo and recommendations. Check out the article, called Beer + Chocolate = Love.

• The Feb. 2008 Wine Enthusiast magazine ran a great feature on Winter Beer Cocktails, including Samuel Smith & Lindemans. It's linked as a 147 KB .pdf right here.

• British drinks magazine Imbibe covered Czech beers in their Jan-Feb 2008 issue - they rated Zatec highly, and interviewed Mr. Martin Kec, Zatec Brewery Director. The full article is a .pdf of 4.5 MB right here.

• Pinkus and Samuel Smith were both featured in an organic beer tasting at Sprig.com on Jan. 21, 2008; Pinkus Pils was top lager and Samuel Smith Organic Ale was the best of the darker ales. Watch the video right here.

• The 3.8 million readers of Family Circle magazine saw Lindemans Cuvée René depicted with the "Curried Nuts and Apricots," recipe, page 184 of the December '07 issue. The recipe recommended "sparkling wine or aperitif," and we agree that Cuvée René would be a great pairing . . .

• Samuel Smith's Organic Lager was in an article on organic beers in the Baltimore Sun on Jan. 9, 2008. Writer Rob Kasper found it "Clean, light on the tongue, yet malty."

• Samuel Smith India Ale was featured in the Jan./Feb. 2008 Beer magazine, with photos on pp. 21 & 22 . . .

• In November 2006, Belgium issued a new series of stamps that commemorate Belgian food and drink: waffles, chocolate, Belgian endive, mussels . . . and two of the ten items are beer! For the second time in 80 years, Orval is on an official Belgian postage stamp. (The first time was in 1928 . . . ) There are pictures on beer writer Jay Brooks' website, right here.

• On September 6, '06, the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran an article anyone interested in draft beer may want to view: a feature about the SmartStrip. This device, produced by Tony Hadala and his business partner, Merchant du Vin's own John Staunton, is an innovative tool that helps with draft beer dispensing. The full article, with photos, is a 790 k .pdf right here and the SmartStrip can be purchased at Micro Matic USA. <

• Here are some archived previous press releases:

January '10: The perfect beer for Valentine's Day? To provide maximum happiness for this cheerful holiday, we suggest Lindemans fruit lambics - here is a news release as a 174 KB .pdf; here is a 2 KB text-only .html version.
July '09: A very special, very rare beer is at American restaurants, bars, and stores now - aged in oak barrels; bottle-conditioned; exquisite: Samuel Smith's Yorkshire Stingo. A press release as a 440 KB .pdf is right here.
March '09: Merchant du Vin and Samuel Smith's Brewery are pleased to announce that Samuel Smith's Organic Fruit Beers are at your favorite beer spot now. There's a detailed press release as a 171 KB .pdf right here.
February '09: We suggest that there is a perfect beer for Valentine's Day (Sat Feb. 14, '09): Lindemans. We have more as a .pdf of 141 KB right here; we also posted a fun photo right here.
September '08: The original imported winter ale, Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale, is at great beer spots now. This rich, rewarding ale is a reason to look forward to shorter days and cooler temperatures. Here's the news release as a 379 KB .pdf.
September '08: Merchant du Vin and Pinkus Brewery are very pleased to announce the arrival of Pinkus Jubilate, a Certified Organic dark lager, first brewed to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Pinkus Brewery, in 1966, but never before available in the US. A news release as a 442 KB .pdf is right here; look for Jubilate to arrive at your local great beer spot soon if it isn't there already.
May '08: Merchant du Vin and Samuel Smith's Brewery are proud to announce that Samuel Smith's Organic Cider is now available at great stores, bars and restaurants across the US. A news release in .pdf can be found right here.
  Samuel Smith's Organic Cider is a bright straw-gold with excellent clarity, presenting a light body with brilliant conditioning, a crisp clean flavor, and a dry finish. The bouquet offers fresh apples with a soft floral note.
  Naturally gluten-free & high in antioxidants, cider also fits perfectly into American beer culture - in recent years, beer spots have noted strong growth in cider sales.
June, '07: Green's gluten-free Belgian Ales are now being distributed in the United States. A press release as a 114 KB .pdf is right here.
May, '07: Zatec Bright Lager from the Czech Republic is in the US now. Detailed press release as a .pdf of 199 KB right here.

• During the Craft Brewers Conference in Seattle, April 11-14, 2006, we were very pleased to host a number of beer-industry musicians on stage at the Pike Pub. You'll have to take our word that the music was great, but you can see pictures right here.

• Seattle's Museum of Flight has added a Concorde to its world-class collection of significant aircraft, and British beers from Samuel Smith and Melbourn Bros. were poured at the VIP reception on Nov. 5, 2003. See the photos here.