Buffalo Wing Factory Releases First Beer Today

Buffalo Wing Factory releases Session IPA

If you are a frequent reader of this site then you know I have a deep affection and history with my friends over at the Buffalo Wing Factory. They’ve been a local staple in the Northern Virginian community for over 20 years and they are releasing their first beer today – Buffalo Wing Factory Session IPA.

5.3% ABV and 25.4 IBUs

The Buffalo Wing Factory, or BWF, is not a brewery so how will did they brew a beer? Beltway Brewing Company in Sterling, VA is a partner/contract brewery. That means that they make beer for other breweries or restaurants using their equipment. Locally-owned Crooked Run Brewing and Adroit Theory Brewing both use Beltway to brew larger batches of their beers. It’s still Crooked Run and Adroit Theory’s recipes but they just use Beltway’s industrial-sized equipment. This is what the Buffalo Wing Factory has now done as well.

BWF had a very small pre-release party on Tuesday where I got to try the new addition to their already packed tap lineup. And for all you Session IPA haters out there, it’s not your typical Session IPA. This beer clocks in at 5.3% ABV with 25.4 IBUs. It’s not hoppy to begin with but will finish with a hint of a bite. In comparison, Stone Go To IPA is 4.5% ABV with 65 IBUs and Founders All Day IPA is 4.7% ABV with 42 IBUs. So with the BWF Session IPA you’re going to get less of a bite, more maltiness up front with a sneaky higher ABV. It also has more body than other Session IPAs that I’ve had. A seasoned craft beer drinker should try this one out and see if they like BWF’s take on the style. This is also a good beer for any new craft beer drinker trying to transition into hoppy beers.

Me and Phuong at the pre-release party

Pre-release party fun

BWF is now crafting more than just great wings

Nick with the new BBQ sandwich

Today this beer will be $2 from open to close at 11:00pm at all four locations. Happy Hour is from 4:00-7:00pm where you can get other craft beers starting around $4. After today the BWF Session IPA will be $4 all day, every day. I’m not positive if they’ll be on the menu today but BWF has created two new menu items that use the beer. First is a beer cheese served with garlic bread, which everyone was raving about at the pre-release party. Second is a BBQ sandwich, which has the beer in the sauce if I remember correctly.

Head on out to your nearest Buffalo Wing Factory tonight and try their new Session IPA. I will most likely be at the Ashburn location around 5:00pm. Come say hi to me and make sure to be one of the firsts to check it in on Untappd too.

Cicerone Certified Beer Server Exam Study Guide Part IV – American Styles

This is Part IV of a series on knowledge for the Cicerone Certified Beer Server Exam. All information disseminated is from the syllabus provided by the Cicerone website and mixed with my own thoughts. I’m doing this to 1) help me learn the material and 2) share the knowledge with people who haven’t heard of the exam or are planning to take the exam.

Feel free to skip ahead to other sections. Here’s a list of all the study guide parts:

• Part I – German/Czech Styles
• Part II – Belgian/French Styles
• Part III – British Styles
• Part IV – American Styles
• Part V – Off-Flavors

This is Part IV on American Styles.

**Note – PB stands for Perceived Bitterness**

American Styles

Historical

American Lager (Light/Standard/Premium)

• PB – Low
• Color – Straw, very pale
• ABV – Lower to normal

California Common Beer

• PB – Pronounced
• Color – Light amber to dark amber
• ABV – Normal

Modern

American Wheat Beer

• PB – Moderate
• Color – Straw to gold
• ABV – Normal

American Blonde Ale

• PB – Moderate
• Color – Straw to gold
• ABV – Lower to normal

American Pale Ale

• PB – Pronounced
• Color – Gold to amber
• ABV – Normal

American Amber Ale

• PB – Pronounced
• Color – Amber to dark amber
• ABV – Normal

American India Pale Ale (IPA)

• PB – Assertive
• Color – Gold to dark amber
• ABV – Elevated

Imperial IPA

• PB – Highly assertive
• Color – Dark gold to dark amber
• ABV – High

American Brown Ale

• PB – Moderate
• Color – Light brown to dark brown
• ABV – Normal

American Stout

• PB – Assertive
• Color – Black
• ABV – Normal to elevated

Oatmeal Stout

• PB – Moderate
• Color – Black
• ABV – Normal

American Barleywine

• PB – Assertive
• Color – Light amber to light brown
• ABV – High to very high

Imperial Stout

• PB – Pronounced
• Color – Black
• ABV – High to very high

Happy studying and good luck on the exam! Remember to check out the other posts. Here they are again:

• Part I was on German/Czech Styles.
• Part II was on Belgian/French Styles.
• Part III was on British Styles.

If you passed the exam and used any of these posts as help, I’d love to hear about it. Leave your thoughts on them, the exam or anything else below!

Conversations with Beer Bloggers Ep. 4 – Nick McCormac of Drink. Blog. Repeat.

Meet Nick McCormac from Drink. Blog. Repeat. in episode four of Conversations with Beer Bloggers. Find out about the future of South Carolina beer and what’s inside Nick’s beer fridge.

“…it’s beer or cats more or less.”

Have you checked out the other episodes of Conversations with Beer Bloggers?

Meet Carla Companion — The Beer Babe

Meet Bryan Roth — This is Why I’m Drunk

Meet Ryan Mould — Mould’s Beer Blog

**If you enjoyed this post, please Like it below and share it!**

Cicerone Certified Beer Server Exam Study Guide Part III – British Styles

This is Part III of a series on knowledge for the Cicerone Certified Beer Server Exam. All information disseminated is from the syllabus provided by the Cicerone website and mixed with my own thoughts. I’m doing this to 1) help me learn the material and 2) share the knowledge with people who haven’t heard of the exam or are planning to take the exam.

Feel free to skip ahead to other sections. Here’s a list of all the study guide parts:

• Part I – German/Czech Styles
• Part II – Belgian/French Styles
• Part III – British Styles
• Part IV – American Styles
• Part V – Off-Flavors

This is Part IV on British Styles.

**Note – PB stands for Perceived Bitterness**

British Styles

English Ales

Pale Ales

Special/Best/Premium Bitter

• PB – Pronounced
• Color – Gold to amber
• ABV – Lower

Cicerone Certified Beer Server Exam Study Guide Part II – Belgian/French Styles

This is Part II of a series on knowledge for the Cicerone Certified Beer Server Exam. All information disseminated is from the syllabus provided by the Cicerone website and mixed with my own thoughts. I’m doing this to 1) help me learn the material and 2) share the knowledge with people who haven’t heard of the exam or are planning to take the exam.

Feel free to skip ahead to other sections. Here’s a list of all the study guide parts:

• Part I – German/Czech Styles
• Part II – Belgian/French Styles
• Part III – British Styles
• Part IV – American Styles
• Part V – Off-Flavors

This is Part II on Belgian/French Styles.

**Note – PB stands for Perceived Bitterness**

Belgian/French Styles

Trappist and Abbey Ales

Double/Dubbel

• PB – Low
• Color – Amber to brown
• ABV – Elevated