Mendocino Brewing Company

I've seen Mendocino Brewing Company's White Hawk Select IPA on local shelves for quite some time, I figured it was about time I tried it. This micro-brew is actually pretty big considering that it is in fact made by a microbrewery. It can be found in large chain grocery stores and local liquor stores alike. I figured since the brewery is popular enough to be distributed in large grocery chains, it must be good.

Description

The beer poured a medium gold color with a bright white lingering head. There were plenty of micro-bubbles,  the head kept through half the pint. The aroma was not too strong. There was a distinct citrus smell, but overall I was not impressed with the scent . The taste was a lot like the smell. Although there was a distinct hop flavor, I felt like the whole experience was rather bland. It almost tasted like a watered down IPA. Although I wouldn't consider myself a total "hop head" I would say that this beer just wasn't complex enough for my taste. With that being said, I understand why this beer seems so popular. Many people are not big on bold flavored beer, in fact I know people who turn their nose at any smell of hops. For those people, a mild IPA would be better for them to cross over from light yellow fizzy beer into a "mans" beer. If I wanted to drink three or four IPA's then this could be a go to beer, being not as bold as others I wouldn't be bombarded with hops from drinking multiple.

The Brewery

Mendocino Brewery is located in... you guessed right, Mendocino California. The brewery is big for a microbrewery, they distribute to many different grocery chains. For that reason they must brew large quantities of beer to keep all their accounts stocked. The brewery started in 1983, making it a relativity young beer company compared to many others. All of their year round beers are named after birds (namely hawks except for their Blue Heron), for example Red Tail Ale, and White Hawk IPA. Their website is outdated and hard to navigate. Hopefully in the near future, they make a more up to date homepage.

Tailgate Beer: A Promising Venture

I have chosen to devote my blog site to various craft beer companies that are located in San Diego. It just so happens that I have an old friend whom has successfully started up his own beer company called Tailgate Beer. It is for that reason that my first blog entry will be on Tailgate Beer's new media marketing strategy. Tailgate Beer's innovative idea is to create a great tasting craft beer that is both affordable and well suited for the tailgating crowd. Wesley Keegan, the owner of Tailgate Beer, has successfully sold his beer to different bars and establishments in the San Diego region. Tailgate Beer has their own website, Facebook fan page, and Twitter site, which helps to keep them connected to their fans. These various social networking sites are examples of new media strategies which help keep people informed and up to date on Tailgate Beer's product. Networking is a key aspect of a successful company, Tailgate Beer understands this. The company has been featured in many newspaper and magazine articles throughout San Diego, and was featured in this month’s Maxim Magazine. Another strategy which Tailgate Beer has just started utilizing is the production of their beer in cans. This is the first craft beer company out of San Diego which has started doing this. By canning their product, people are now able to enjoy Tailgate Beer in places which have a no glass bottle policy, such as the Qualcomm Stadium. Tailgaters everywhere can now rejoice, no longer does one have to sacrifice the quality of a craft beer in situations where glass is not allowed, all they must do is pop the top of Tailgate Beer's new cans.

Website-  http://www.tailgatebeer.com

Facebook Fan Page- http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/TailGate-Beer/97561420950 

Twitter- http://twitter.com/tailgatebeer