Repeal Day Videos

Not a video from our event but it's a funny newsreel. Stay Wet.

The day after: recollecting Repeal Days past

I did some research to try and compare the valley's first repeal day celebration of 1933 with our most recent attempt honor the day...

This photo appeared on the Sharon Herald's 12.6.2007 front page, with the following caption:

Mike Erme pours a beer sample for a patron at the Repeal Day beer tasting and fundraising event at Chestnut Street Cafe in Sharon. The benefit Wednesday for Shenango River Watchers marked the anniversary of the day Prohibition was repealed in 1933. As well as beer samples, the event featured a silent auction and music by the band Stretch.

Photo taken by Jason Kapusta/Herald

The 12.6.1933 edition of the Herald story was titled, "State Receives Repeal Calmly: Wild Demonstrations Fail to Materialize". As it turned out, our forefathers did not have the time that we did to plan an event, and it was difficult to secure any real quantities of good liquor. The Pennsylvania general assembly was slow to define how they would control (restrict) the distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages. Their act actually passed the day after the repeal of prohibition. Leave it to Pennsylvania to miss the first Repeal Day.

I had a great time at our event, to be known as the 74th, even if it lacked wild demonstrations.

Repeal Day '07

Thanks for coming out to celebrate Repeal Day with the BOARD!

Thanks to all the staff at Chestnut Street Cafe, Mayor Bob Lucas, M&M Beer, Erme's, Vecenie, and Glenwood distributors, as well as Penn, Yuengling, Erie, North Country, Great Lakes, and Voodoo Brewing Companies!

The countdown to next year has already started!

Cheers!

The Repeal IS Real!

Two enjoyable videos: (Let us prohibit you) & (Repeal is real). Enjoy todays national holiday! Looking forward to the celebration this evening.  Raise your glasses, its your day. "Here's to the future!"

New Beers Eve...

Repeal Day Making News....

The Sharon Herald ran a great article on our event today.

http://www.sharon-herald.com/homepage/local_story_332172455.html?keyword=leadpicturestory

If you need tickets contact the BOARD at repealday@gmail.com. Thanks and see everyone Wednesday night.

Beer Sighting: Holiday Seasonals

We are well into the time that the holiday seasonals will be appearing.

I found 3 at Chestnut Street Cafe:
The St. Nikolaus Bock (Penn Brewing), Celebration Ale (Sierra Nevada), and Christmas Ale (Great Lakes) are all pouring.

I have it on good authority that as of this post, Our Gang's is putting on Erie Brewing's Ol' Red Cease and Desist Wee Heavy Scottish Ale. Georgia's City Lights also put this on tap last week. It's quite strong at 10.1% ABV, so be careful as to not shoot your eye out.

First American Brewery to Produce a Lager

Believe it or not, the Iron City Brewing Company was the first Amercian Brewery to brew a lager. I know, it's hard for me to believe it too. They are also the second oldest brewery in the United States. IC features nine beers. According to their website, they are the inventors of aluminum beer bottles.

http://www.pittsburghbrewingco.com/index.php


I also found this site that list for Pennsylvania Brewpubs and Microbreweries:
http://www.beer100.com/brewpubs_o_to_z/pennsylvania.htm
This is a pretty cool site.

Remember our email: repealday@gmail.com for Repeal Day Beer Taste Tickets.

Less Than 3 Weeks to Repeal Day Celebration!

Tickets are available at M&M Beer, Erme's, and Chestnut Street Cafe.
Since it is highly likely that ticket availablility at the door will be limited, get yours now.

Stretch will be providing the jazz for the evening, catch a preview here:
http://www.myspace.com/stretchjazz

Santa’s Private Reserve

With the Holidays right around the corner, why not start sampling the Christmas Brews. This week's brewery feature takes us to Newport, Oregon. Home to the Rogue Brewery. They offer a Holiday beer called Santa's Private Reserve. It is a lot like their Saint Rogue Red but has double the hops. If you're not in the mood for something seasonal don't fear, Rogue most likely has something you will enjoy. They offer a Chipolte Ale, Chocolate Stout and many more. Check out their site.

http://www.rogue.com/index.html

Another note, for anyone interested the BOARD is meeting againt this Thursday night at the Chestnut Street Cafe in Sharon. We would love to see you there. We'll have tickets to the Repeal Day Event with us, so it would be a great time to grab a couple tix. They are going fast and we do have a limited number so don't be shut-out.

Repeal Day Breweries

Tonight, let's highlight the Breweries that will be featured at this year's Repeal Day Beer Taste. First, most of us know about the Old Country Brewery in Slippery Rock. I profiled them a couple of weeks ago. Here is there website again.....http://www.northcountrybrewing.com/welcome.htm

Next is the Dogfish Brewery which offers 7 craft beers year round. They include 90 and 60 Minute IPA as well as one called the Lawnmower. The Lawnmower is draft only brew that is descripted as a starter beer....http://www.dogfish.com/

How about the Erie Brewery up north. They have three standard beers, the Railbender, The Presque Isle Pilsner and the Mad Anthony's Ale.....http://www.eriebrewingco.com/

The Victory Brewery features Hopdevil, Prima Pils, Golden Monkey and Victory Lager.The Golden Monkey won a gold medal at the LA county fair. It also has a 9.5% alcohol content...http://www.victorybeer.com/

VooDoo Brewery as eight solid beers from the White Magick of the Sun to the VooDoo Love Child. They also have a great photo on their homepage of three guys brewing....http://www.voodoobrewery.com/

For more on any of these brews check out their websites and remember this time of year is great for seasonal beers. Try something new. Plus this just in...A man named Jeffrey Morgenthaler has a website that tells the story of Repeal Day very well. Check this site out....http://www.repealday.org/.

If you would like more information on the B.O.A.R.D. or tickets to the Repeal Day event email us at repealday@gmail.com.

A Holiday in the Making...

Although no members of the B.O.A.R.D. have been nominated to the Council of Legendary Figures just yet, plans for the Valley's first Repeal Day Celebration since 1933 are taking shape and tickets are selling rather well.
Just tonight I dropped off tickets and signs to M&M Beer and Chestnut St. Cafe. I'll get them to Erme's tomorrow. John, the signs and tickets look great!
Beers for the event will be provided through the generosity of M&M Beer, Vecenie and Erme Distributors, as well as the Dogfish Head, Erie, North Country, Victory, and Voodoo Breweries.

More to come. Stay Tuned.

Media Coverage about Repeal Day Beer Taste

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette has a small item on it's website. Check it out. It's near the bottom of the webpage.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07291/826262-389.stm

Also, here is the Press Release for anyone looking for more information on the Repeal Day event.

The "BOARD" of the Shenango Valley is happy to announce...their 2007 Charity Repeal Day Celebration with all proceeds benefiting the Shenango River Watchers.

WHAT: 1st Annual Charity Repeal Day Celebration and Beer Tasting.
WHEN: Wednesday, December 5th from 6 to 10pm
WHERE: Chestnut Street Cafe, Downtown Sharon, PA
WHY: The event will raise money for the Shenango Valley River Watchers while promoting an appreciation for fine craft beers made available through local beer distributors and microbreweries.
WHO: The BOARD (The Brotherhood Of Appreciating Repeal Day)

The history behind the BOARD...
The B.O.A.R.D. is a loosely affiliated fraternal organization founded by a small group of friends who enjoyed good beer and good times with higher a goal to make Repeal Day an annual celebration with a noble cause.

Repeal Day marks the repeal of the 18th amendment to our constitution, representing the end of a 13 yearlong ban on the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcoholic beverages in the United States. With the help of several local distributors and microbreweries, we have put together Western PA's first Repeal Day celebration since 1933. Participants will enjoy samples of a wide array of craft brews poured by experts that pride themselves on the craft. Live music, pub snacks, and a silent auction of beer paraphernalia will provide diversions for all.

The Shenango River Watchers are a non-profit watershed group founded to clean up, preserve and protect the environmental, scenic and recreational attributes of the Shenango River. For more information about the River Watchers visit their website at http://www.shenangoriverwatchers.org/.

For more information or if you are looking to purchase tickets please feel free to contact the BOARD via email at repealday@gmail.com. Or call John Mikulas (Media Contact) at 330-502-9415.

Oldest Brewery in the World

This week's brewery tour takes us to Germany. Home to the Weihenstephan Brewery which claims to be the oldest brewery in the world. It started brewing beer in 1040. I had the pleasure of tasting their German style Hefeweizen beer last weekend and really enjoyed it. Their Crystal wheat beer was the Grand Champion of the Australian International Beer Awards 2007. Check out their site. Watch the intro if you have a minute. It features some great pictures and German style beer music.

http://www.brauerei-weihenstephan.de/index.php

Beer Sighting: Our Gang's Lounge

Just want to express my endorsement of a sweet lineup of four fine beers at this Sharpsville Avenue establishment:

Left to Right from the patron end of the bar you'll find Blue Moon, Dogfish Head 60 min IPA, Stoudt's Oktoberfest, and the Heritage Alt of Erie Brewing CO...

Certainly something for everyone and all the beers appear to be moving to assure a fresh pint.

I had not been there for a while, they've installed a new smoke-eater system, and the place has an overall new look. Check it out.

Also, Repeal Day plans are solidifying... So far we have confirmed Erme's, Vecenie, and M&M Beer as supporting distributors. Our breweries consist of Dogfish Head, North Country of Slippery Rock, and Erie Brewing Company!!! Tickets are being printed and will be available soon.

Weekly Brewery Profile

In an effort to add something new and fun to the site, I am going to feature a different brewery each week. A new brewery profile will be added every Monday night.

Tonight, the blog will feature a local favorite The North County Brewing Company.

http://www.northcountrybrewing.com/welcome.htm

Located in Slippery Rock, PA. Jodi and Bob McCafferty turned the old coffin making shop into the brewery in 1998. Gregg Kristophel did a great job with the woodwork inside the building. With more than a dozen beers to choose from everyone will find something they will enjoy. Your best bet is to order the sampler. You get to taste just about everything and the staff also has a strong knowledge of their beers. I know most of the BOARD has visited the brewery at least once. I would give The North County Brewing Company 5 out of 5 kegs.

And if anyone is looking for tickets for the Repeal Day event, you can contact the BOARD at repealday@gmail.com. Thanks.

Local Beer Tournament

I haven't made it out to any local places this month but just wanted to add something to the Blog. I did, however, run across a new brew (new to me at least). I really enjoyed. It's called Yuengling Premium from the oldest brewery in the country. I've added the link to the brewery's website.

http://www.yuengling.com/index.htm

Also, last year the Washington Post ran a "March Madness" type beer tournament. I just wanted to pass along the link.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/08/AR2007030801737_pf.html

I think the BOARD would have fun running our own tournamnet sometime in the future.

Temporary Itinerary for Repeal Day

Win for Trying.

No, this is not a photo from the last B.O.A.R.D. Meeting. This is the staff of the Union Brewing Company of Sharon, Circa. 1905, who proudly produced 50,000 barrels of their ales and lagers annually. Most of these guys would have lost their jobs when prohibition hit in the following decade.

Down on Chestnut St. there is work underway on a new 6-pack shop that is due to open soon.

We will host our October meeting there on Thursday the 18th.

Thinkers, Not Just Drinkers

Welcome!

This site is dedicated to our pursuit to indoctrinate the annual celebration of Repeal Day into our valley’s culture. Repeal Day, or the anniversary of the repeal of the 18th amendment to our constitution, represents the glorious end of a 13 yearlong ban on the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcoholic beverages in the United States.

It all started with a few (or more) really great beers, some great friends, and a notion to celebrate both on some higher level.

With that…

Be it resolved that this Brotherhood of Appreciating Repeal Day, also known as the B.O.A.R.D., shall exist to fuel the ongoing appreciation, respect, and passion for quality beer and to celebrate, as its high-water mark, the annual observance of Repeal Day in this fair Shenango Valley, western Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio.

So now that the formalities are safely out of the way, I want to thank all the B.O.A.R.D. members that made it out to Chestnut last night. I had a great time and it appears that we're making progress in planning a great event. With proceeds helping out the Shenango River Watchers, we can rest assured that there will be clean water for the all beers brewed downstream.

http://www.shenangoriverwatchers.org/

Details to follow, stay tuned, and mark your calendars for December 5, 2007.

Cheers!