Boulevard?s made more than twice as much of the special brew, which was a big hit a year ago for Valentine?s Day.
Boulevard Chocolate Ale could be a sweet sellout again
ON THE WEB
• Go to inkkc.com to read an interview with Steven Pauwels and Christopher Elbow.
• Go to KansasCity.com for tips on how to get Chocolate Ale.
How to get Chocolate Ale
Although there’s more than twice as much Chocolate Ale to go around this year, there’s a good chance that the beer will sell out. Here’s how to maximize your chances of scoring some.
Do: Chat up the people who work at your favorite bar or liquor store, suggests beer lover Matt Wiggins of Fairway, who scored several bottles of Chocolate Ale last year. “Go in today,” Wiggins suggests. “Say, ‘Hey, I hear Chocolate Ale is coming out in a couple weeks. Will you get any?’ I get a better response face to face, when I’m already buying something.”
Do: Use Facebook and Twitter to connect to local liquor stores and bars. Wiggins says some businesses such as Royal Liquors in Kansas City share insider info about beer deliveries online.
Do: Follow local beer blogs and their comments sections for Chocolate Ale sightings. Wiggins likes KC Beer Blog. He also recommends Show-Me-Beer, Fatcat Kansas City and Beer KC, the website for the company that owns McCoy’s Public House, The Foundry and Beer Kitchen in Westport.
Don’t: Call Boulevard or go there looking for Chocolate Ale. Same goes for Christopher Elbow’s shops, Christopher Elbow Chocolates and Glace Artisan Ice Cream. They can’t sell Chocolate Ale at any of those places.
Don’t: Stalk Boulevard delivery trucks and the people who drive them. There’s no guarantee the truck has Chocolate Ale. Plus, it’s creepy.
Don’t: Elbow out other Chocolate Ale fans to snatch up a hundred bottles and then sell them for a profit, Wiggins says. He snagged eight bottles last year but shared them with friends.
Don’t: Pay more than $8-12 for a bottle. Last year, some liquor stores sold the beer for as much as $25 a bottle, versus the $8.99 suggested retail price. After all, it’s just beer.
ON INKKC.COM
Go to inkkc.com to read an interview with Boulevard brewmaster Steven Pauwels and his Chocolate Ale collaborator, Christopher Elbow. Plus, take a tour of Elbow’s mid-century modern home on the southern edge of Kansas City.
Chocolate Ale, the seasonal Boulevard beer that sold out almost immediately after its debut last year, will be back in Kansas City starting Jan. 31.
The chocolate-flavored beer, a collaboration between Boulevard brewmaster Steven Pauwels and local chocolate maker Christopher Elbow, inspired a craze in 2011 when it was released the week before Valentine?s Day. Some beer fans drove to multiple stores and stalked Boulevard delivery trucks to snag Chocolate Ale, which was selling for as much as $100 per wine-sized bottle on sites such as eBay and Craigslist. Despite their best efforts, some residents didn?t get a taste. The hype took Boulevard by surprise. ?It was a great idea that we completely underestimated,? Pauwels said. Last year, Boulevard produced just 19,200 bottles and 350 kegs of Chocolate Ale. This year, the brewery made 21/2 times that amount ? maxing out its facilities and setting a production record for its limited-release Smokestack Series. The brewery also concentrated distribution of Chocolate Ale in Kansas City, where thirst for it is the strongest. This year?s recipe is slightly different: Pauwels and Elbow added more cocoa nibs from French chocolate manufacturer Valrhona to the bottled Chocolate Ale so that it has as much rich flavor as Chocolate Ale on tap. The beer was approved by Boulevard?s tasting panel last week and has already made its way to other cities such as Wichita. Boulevard marketing manager Julie Weeks says though Kansas City distribution will begin Jan. 31, some bars and liquor stores might not get their delivery until the first few days in February. About 100 customers have already reserved the beer at Gomer?s Midtown, 3838 Broadway. Anyone can get on that list, but there?s a two-bottle maximum. Other liquor stores such as Royal Liquors at 801 Southwest Blvd. and Gomer?s South at 9900 Holmes Road plan to sell Chocolate Ale first-come, first-served. Local bars such as Beer Kitchen, 435 Westport Road, will get several kegs of the beer and pour it first-come, first-served too. The bar?s beer manager, Randyl Danner, says she thinks people are excited about the beer, but not as frantic as they were last year, mostly because there?s more of it to go around. Like all of Boulevard?s seasonal releases, once Chocolate Ale is gone, it?s gone. Well, at least until 2013.To reach Sarah Gish, call 816-234-4823 or send email to [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @sarah_gish.
All About Beer with Bill & Sheila
Chocolate with Bill & Sheila
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