Hoppy Times
January/February 2007
"Online" Edition - Volume 14 Issue 1
Hoppy
Brewing Company
home of
Great Food · Awesome Beer · Cool People!!!
Topics In This
Illustrious "Online" Issue Are:
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HOPPY YEAR IN REVIEW!!!
HOPPY NEW BEER...
HOPPY RECENT EVENTS!!!
HOPPY UPCOMING EVENTS...
HOPPY FEEDBACK!!!
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HOPPY YEAR IN REVIEW!!!
SACRAMENTO, CA - According to statistics from the Association of Brewers based in Boulder, Colorado, there were 1,419 Regional Specialty Breweries, Microbreweries, and Brewpubs operating in the United States as of December 01st, 2006, showing just over an 11% percent industry growth for the first six months of 2006, and 9.47% growth for 2005. With that in mind, Hoppy continued its annual trend with a solid 6.4% growth in revenue from the previous year.
In the Brewing area,
with beer production on the continued upswing, Ed & Co. worked to keep
inventories fresh, while at the same time not running out of too many
brands for too long of a period of time. The crew continued to add to
their inventory of awards by taking several awards at the State Fair
this year, along with garnering a Bronze medal in the Robust Porter
category for the Total Eclipse™ Black Ale at the Great American Beer
Festival this past October. Hoppy logo bottle caps debuted on our
bottled products in June, which not only dress the bottle up nicely, but
also double for cute little magnets and pins when the hostesses feel a
little crafty... :)
In the coming year, look for continued wholesale growth in various retail outlets throughout California via more distribution. Gee...maybe this will be the year that the case boxes finally get imprinted, along with a label update for our bottled brands... :) Instead of looking to get a grain silo outside, which is a short-term fix to a long-term solution, instead we will work toward nailing down a redevelopment plan for not only our current location, but the rest of the four acres nearby that "need" to be re-developed - that is according to the City of Sacramento to meet their in-fill development criteria for any on-site improvements... One more time in English please... :)
In the Sales &
Marketing area, with Ms. Terri Burch at the helm, she did a wonderful
job adding new distributors to our wholesale network in California,
getting chain authorizations at the Beverage's & more stores,
Andronico's, Nugget Markets, and Whole Foods Markets, and even some self
distribution into the north Bay Area counties. Shelf Talkers and Door
Static's were added to the marketing inventory to give our products
greater visibility amongst the competition. She continued where Ms.
Jessica Karkoski left off by coordinating festival and charitable
donations, getting the staff involved, along with attending a number of
beer festivals, charitable events, promotions, and everything else when
it comes to people/organizations that want donations for some specific
cause, or even just want FREE beer from a local brewery.
In the coming year, look for Hoppy to continue supporting various local community philanthropic functions, more chain authorization in retail stores, more wholesale distribution, and possibly even some out of state wholesale distribution.
On the restaurant
side of the house, we have seen the business continue to grow from
serving a daily average of 439 people in 2005 to that of 446 this past
year - an increase of 1.5%. Basically we continued to grow in all areas
except for Lunch Monday through Friday, which was down 7.8%. This lack
of growth was attributed to construction issues next door with alley
access, lack of parking, and weather; along with other Quick Service
sandwich shops that opened nearby in the F65 project, and the fact that
we had pretty much hit the ceiling for Lunch customers during the week
with a "wait" list more times than not. However, we continued to
routinely make changes in the food and beer menu's to keep things fresh
and exciting, all while continuing to provide our customers with
interesting quality menu items.
In addition, we added a brick oven pizza in order to serve pizza in the evening, and we may have to add another one to keep up with the demand at certain times. We removed the spent oil bin by the dumpster area and installed a self contained fresh/used oil system via Restaurant Technologies. We also installed a new double deep fryer system with a built in filtration unit to extend the life of our deep fryer oil. We also installed a hood exhaust system in the dishwashing area to aid with airflow throughout the kitchen, and we installed a lovely new hot water heater. From the customer's point of view, the temperature sensors were moved to measure the return air, which essentially made the air throughout the restaurant more consistent and enjoyable, thereby reducing the number of issues with people being too hot and/or too cold. We also installed two sets of speakers above the bar area for customers at the bar who wish to have some volume on the TV without disturbing the rest of the customers in the restaurant. Lastly, the utility pole in the "middle" of the entrance was "finally" moved out of the way!!! :)
In the coming year, look to see non-trans fat oil being used in the kitchen, a new Server Station replacing the old one, continued menu changes, some paving and re-striping of the parking lot as construction next door comes to a conclusion, a display shelf behind the bar to further utilize space more efficiently for liquor, an even greater selection of merchandise, and possibly some retail packaging of some customer favorites, such as our red pepper aioli, house ketchup, and garlic basil vinaigrette... :)
On the catering side
of the house, Hoppy saw its busiest year in catering, highlighted by
partnering up with Larksburg Landing Hotel to showcase the monthly
Sacramento Chamber of Commerce mixer.
In the coming year, expect to see more Hoppy at various functions around the Sacramento metropolitan area.
Our busiest quarter
of the year was the first quarter, which just beat out the second by an
average of one cover per day. In addition, we did see the usual
seasonal slow down for the third quarter as expected, but outside of
Lunches being down during the week it was a pretty consistent year
across the board, and basically nothing too news worthy for writing home
to mom about... ;)
So what else is on
tap for Hoppy in 2007 you might be asking yourself??? Look for Hoppy
to:
* continue working very hard on making the brewpub operate
as efficiently as possible - the list is getting shorter...
* continue working on putting the structure in place so
that maybe a second location could be open before the
end of the year - or when opportunity knocks...
* continue systematizing all of the departments and
providing better training and guidance for new employees
and managers - Human Resource/Administration Manager, Ms.
Jennifer Rembert made "real" progress in this area this past year.
* continue to improve our customer service, which by the way,
providing the very best customer service possible is the
biggest objective for Hoppy.
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HOPPY NEW BEER...
SACRAMENTO, CA - With the New Year starting off like the first day of spring, the following brews due on tap for January are:
1) HoppyScotch Ale: This beer is a returning favorite in the "winter strong stuff" category. Barley Wines and Imperial Stouts have their passionate and tiny minorities of fans, but this Scotch Ale (or Wee Heavy as some would have it) has performed the best of all of our January offerings. Scotch Ale itself is a traditional style that stands at the heaviest end of all of the Scottish ales. It is predominantly malty, and the clean-fermenting yeasts generally used are well imitated by our own house strain. We add a slight hint of a non-traditional secret ingredient just to juice the sweetness a bit (our local paper might give you a clue).
This Wee Heavy is brewed with Maris Otter and Caramel malts with a touch of Roasted Barley. It is hopped with just a little bit of Willamette hops to stand in counterpoint to the robust maltosity. Alcohol is about 7.3% by volume - at least from last year's batch. It is comparable to: McEwan's Scotch Ale and Traquair House Ale.
2) Two Face Double IPA: is made using Carapils, Wheat, Caramel 80L and Caramel 120L malts with Nugget, Cascade, and Liberty hops, just like in the Hoppy Face Amber. All in the same amounts, but in making the Double IPA he will just stop collecting wort halfway through. Basically this means that we have all of the strong first wort, and we do not bother with the weaker last runnings. Therefore, if a normal batch starts at about 24% sugar, runs down to 2%, and the resulting mixture winds up at 14%, he will start the Two Face at 24%, and cut it off at somewhere around 10%. This gives a stronger mixture, and ultimately more alcohol (not twice as much as the name of these beers would seem to suggest, but what can you expect from a Two Face)???
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HOPPY RECENT EVENTS!!!
*** WINNER ***
Our Lucky Dinner Winner for the month of January is Mr. Zack Olmstead,
who is a Homeless Policy Advocate for Housing California.
Congratulations Mr. Olmstead!!! We look forward to serving you and your
friends a complementary dinner for up to four friends and/or family on
any weekend!!!
*** WINNER ***
Looking for a place to watch a Kings game when it is not on regular TV??? As usual, Hoppy Brewing will be showing all of the Sacramento Kings games (if they are not blacked out by the NBA) via the NBA League Pass. In addition to just the Kings games, we will once again have the option to watch any NBA game this season. Also, as usual, we will suspend reservations during Kings games in the main dining area. NEW to Hoppy this year is the NHL Center Ice package. Therefore, if you have an ounce of hockey blood in you, make sure to visit Hoppy when the urge for a puck moment strikes you. Therefore, if you have a group of people and want a great seat for the game, then make sure that your entire group arrives early...
Our brewpub is open daily during the week at 11:00am serving some of the best valued Lunches, Dinners, and Daily Specials in the area, and on weekends at 10:00am serving Brunch until 3:30 followed by Dinner at 4:30. If you have not seen our menus lately, feel free to check them out online at http://www.hoppy.com/sacramento/menu.htm, or just stop in and see us. We are always looking forward to sharing our day with our valued customers. However, as some of you already know, Lunch can get quite busy from time-to-time during the week; so if you are on a tight schedule, please try to avoid the noon hour for sharing if possible - especially if you have a large party.
Also, in addition to our normal "daily" Hoppy Hour from 3-6pm, and our LATE-NIGHT Hoppy Hour from 10:00pm till Close, featuring $3.25 pints and $11.00 pitchers, we have a number of other incentives here at our brewpub for you to enjoy:
* On weekends from
10:00am to 3:30pm, we feature a tasty
Brunch Menu with $5.00 Belvedere Bloody Mary's.
* On Sundays we feature the BEST deal in town, where we
include a bottle of Hoppy brew to go with every
Brunch/Lunch/Dinner entree purchased. PLUS - we have
Hoppy Hour prices from 3:00pm until we close!
* On Sundays & Mondays we feature $0.99 children's meals
with an adult meal purchase.
* On Mondays we feature $3.25 pints & $11.00 pitchers all day
from when we open until we close.
* On Tuesdays we feature $2.00 tacos for dinner and at
10:00pm a quick session of trivia.
* On Wednesdays we have half price appetizers from
9:00-10:00pm, and a South Park special with $3.25 pints &
$11.00 pitchers starting at 10:00pm with South Park.
* On Saturdays we feature $3.25 pints & $11.00 pitchers from
the time we open at 10:00am until 6:00pm.
Also, our logo gear (i.e., fleece, polo shirts, t-shirts, pint glasses, ball caps, beanies, and etc.) can make for a GREAT gift any time of year. However, if you are not sure about our merchandise as a gift, we also have Hoppy Logo Gift Cards available in your denomination of choice for use here at our brewpub to give as a present as well...
Lastly, we usually have some space available for your company parties, or for that special birthday gathering in our brewpub; so if you have an interest in having your party here at Hoppy's, just call 916.451.4677 and speak with Mr. Kenny Turner to plan your next party or event as soon as possible. In addition, if you, and/or your party, desires FREE wireless Internet service, just ask your server for the WEP key code.
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HOPPY UPCOMING EVENTS...
Coming this Saturday is the monthly return of The Spillit Quikkers!!! Yes ladies and gentlemen, it is that time again, and it is time to show up on Saturday between 11:00am and 1:00pm to catch some of the hippest, coolest, grooviest, acoustic tunes this side of the Mississippi River. Make plans to show up, grab some grub and suds while kicking back and listening to the TSQ's do their thing...
*** HOLIDAY ALERT ***
With Martin Luther King Day right around the corner on the 15th, do not
forget that Hoppy will be open for Brunch starting at 10:00am for those
of you looking for some scrambled eggs until 3:30pm. In addition, the
$3.25 pint & $11.00 pitcher special will be in effect all day for you to
enjoy, along with "the kids eat FREE too" for a holiday special.
*** HOLIDAY ALERT ***
The SUPER BOWL of the NFL in HI-DEFinition, or really the GRAND POOHBAH of all organized sporting events, is set for February 04th at 3:30pm PST in Miami, FL. Therefore, if you have not marked your calendars, or made up your mind as to where to watch this major sporting event in Hi-DEF, make sure to mark your calendar with a big fat HOPPY on it!!! We will be having $3.25 pints & $11.00 pitchers, half price appetizers, and other exciting stuff all day, so make sure to come early and stay late for all of the fun. Also, if you are planning on having a party at your house, remember to put your keg order in early so that we can have it ready for you.
*** NOTE ***
Speaking of parties, following the Super Bowl, Hoppy will be having its
own company holiday party. Yes, the holidays are over - so what better
time is there to have a party??? Hoppy's kitchen will close early that
day - 7:30pm and the Bar will close by 8:30pm.
*** NOTE ***
With Valentine's Day fast approaching on Wednesday, February 14th, make sure to book your reservation early so that you can have the greatest likelihood of getting your first choice of time/location to celebrate that special day with someone special. The menu feature for that evening has yet to be decided, but if it is anything like it has been the last couple of years, you will not be disappointed. Also, the KINGS play early that day at 5:00pm, so if you want to catch the end of the (or miss the end of the) game, then remember to time your reservations accordingly. In addition, and not to be forgotten, but for the "unattached" on this day, we will be serving a very tasty special as well...
On the order of something different, here is a nice twist to help celebrate Mardi Gras, which is Tuesday, February 20th. Just bring in your favorite set of beads, and if they meet with the Bartender/Server's satisfaction, we will exchange them for a pint of Hoppy. Only one set of beads per person will be accepted for this special offer...
In addition, if you would like a complete listing of what we currently have on our calendar, please click on the following web address.
http://www.hoppy.com/future.htm
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HOPPY FEEDBACK!!!
If you are interested in sending us a note on something that caught your attention and you want to let us know about it (i.e., a positive, a negative, a suggestion, and etc.), just click on the link below and send us some feedback. We really do read what you send us... :)
http://www.hoppy.com/register/feed.htm
Remember...the craft brew industry is very competitive, and we can always use
your help when you are out there in the bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and
etc. How can you help us you may be asking yourself??? Well...ask your local
retailer(s) for our products (to the point of bugging them if necessary), so
that you are able to buy the products that you "really" want - not just what is
on the store shelf, or on-tap, at the moment...
You, the consumer, have more power than you may know. Speak up, speak clearly,
and your earnest taste buds may reap those proactive rewards. If you do this,
then we are sure it will not be long before you will be able to enjoy our Liquid
Sunshine™ Blonde, Hoppy Face™ Amber, Stony Face™ Red, and Total Eclipse™ Black
Ales outside of attending a local festival, or even visiting us here in
Sacramento...
Thinking Globally - Brewing Locally!!!
"Every product we make greets you with a Smile"™
Copyright (c) 2007 Hoppy Brewing Company, All Rights Reserved.
©
Copyright 2007 HBC - All Rights Reserved.
