Unbeatable Exclusive Barleywine Special! Plus Meet Al and His Beautiful Beard! February 2014 Volume 3 Issue 3 Dear Ray's Craft Beer Lovers, This is going to be a special edition of the Newsletter for a couple of reasons. Possibly the most exciting reason is that we have an unbelievable special offer on one of the highest rated barleywines around. I'll leave you with just a teaser for now, but be sure to scroll down to read up on all the goodies so you don't miss out! Another reason why this is going to be such a fun newsletter is because we are going to start meeting the Gang at Ray's one cool dude (and dudette) at a time. This week it's Alex's time in the spotlight and he has a great beer recommendation for y'all. Al has been hanging out in the beer department here for about a year after coming from good ol Boulder, Colorado (which means he knows a thing or two about beer). Al's recent residence in Colorado also explains his love for and recommendation of this particular beer. Our hope is that you enjoy getting to know the folks at Ray's a little bit better and enjoy and trust their knowledgeable and passionate recommendations. So be sure to chat Alex up next time you bump into him! The other two beers that snuck into this newsletter are a pair of cellar suggestions (to compliment the super-awesome-incredible-special offer). One is a "barleywine" (and I'll explain later why I toss quotes around that) and the other is more of a wild child, but both are great staple bottles in any connoisseurs' cellar. Also, at the end of the newsletter we'll look at another fun beer event coming next week to Ray's Tasting and Education (we love knowledge here) Center. There's lots of good stuff tucked into this newsletter and I hope everyone enjoys it, so let's get to it! Cheers! -Kaleb Schwecke Meet Alex and his Beard. He's one of the friendly folks that is part of the family here at Ray's. He also has a great recommendation for a beer that you'll want to get to know. And be sure to say hey next time you see him hanging around the shop! Beers You'll Be Learning About: Meet the Gang: Alex Picks Avery's New World Porter Special Offer: Alaskan Barley Wine 2013 Avery Hog Heaven Dry Hopped Barleywine Goose Island Lolita 2013 Special Event: 3 Sheeps Beer Pairing with Carr Valley Cheese Meet the Gang: Alex Picks Avery's New World Porter Why Alex loves this beer: "What a great way to start the month of February! Avery Brewing from Colorado is back in Wisconsin! Avery's New World Porter can be a little confusing, but don't let the label fool you. The New World Porter is probably more accurately called a black IPA. Medium in body, this beer comes in at 6.7% ABV. It is dry hopped which is most notable in the aroma. Upfront you will taste sweet caramel and hints of dark chocolate like most porters, but it's mid-palate where things get interesting and hoppy. The big, roasted malts in this bold black IPA start to change into a subtle, citrus taste on the back end. If you have not tried the New World Porter, now is your perfect opportunity to! Cheers!" Special Offer: Alaskan Barley Wine 2013

This is possibly one of the most exciting opportunities that we've had in the beer world. We got an unbelievable deal on an unbelievably delicious barley wine and we hope that you folks make the most of this unbelievable offer. Alaskan Barley Wine is one of the most respected beers within the style with plenty of medals, accolades, and awards to prove it (16 and counting with a full list here). It is rated 99 Points on RateBeer and is described as "Outstanding" on BeerAdvocate. The 2013 vintage pours out a bright, clear ruby with a frothy off-white head that slowly settles. Its aroma is as complex as the beer itself and has layers upon layers of dark fruits, sweet caramel, soft vanilla, bright cherries, and a woodsy pine scent from the still fresh hops. There's also a slight nip of alcohol that tingles the nostrils. The flavor follows the nose with chewy caramel upfront that is backed by cherries, raisins, and vanilla. Warming alcohol peeks through mid-palate and glows all the way down into the gullet. The back end is balanced by piney, resinous hops that lingers pleasantly on the tongue with a tingle of alcohol as well. This beast weighs in just under 11% ABV so sip slowly and be sure to let the beverage warm to allow the deeper flavors to emerge. Now that you understand how incredible of a Barley Wine specimen this is, what's about to follow will be all the more unbelievable (I know I keep using that word, but, well, it's very aptly used). A 22oz bottle of this beer usually retails for $8.99 or as much as $9.99 at some places. Well, since y'all are craft beer connoisseurs and faithful friends of Ray's, the unbelievable part is that you now have the opportunity to scoop up bottles for ONLY $4.99 each (that's almost 50% OFF for you math geeks out there)! We did get a good supply, but at such an unbelievable (sorry, I'll buy a thesaurus for the next Newsletter) price we don't expect it to last very long. So, as a way to spread the love, there will be a limit of four bottles per person and it will be a 'first come, first served', 'while supplies last' kind of deal. The only way to get this special pricing is to let the folks at the register know that you read the newsletter (maybe we should have a secret password like "Al's Beard is Beautiful" or something silly like that) or else the beer will ring up at the regular price. The great part about all of this is that "Like many fine wines, Alaskan Barley Wine may be aged in the bottle and gains deeper malt complexity and smoothness over time" (to quoteth the brewer). So enjoy one bottle now and save the other three bottles in your cellar for the coming years. Our hope is that everyone will be able to take advantage of this fantastic offer, but it won't last long, so don't dawdle! Avery Hog Heaven Dry Hopped Barleywine This is the second Avery beer that is featured in this Newsletter, probably because the Gang is so excited to have the brewery back in Wisconsin! Apparently everyone loves Avery because a couple of years ago they were not able to brew enough liquid to satiate the demand and they regrettably pulled out of the state. But, as of this week, they are back and we couldn't be happier! I had the honor to hang out with Dustin from the brewery yesterday (and imbibed a couple glasses of "Tweak", an aptly named 16%, HIGHLY caffeinated espresso stout that was tapped at Sugar Maple last night) and he explained that even though "barleywine" is on the label, that might not be the most accurate name for it. He said that back in the day when this beer was conceived, "double IPAs" or "Imperial IPAs" weren't really a thing yet despite those being more accurate titles. This beer is beautifully bitter at 104 IBUs but perfectly balanced by a beastly malt backbone. Its 9.2% ABV is well hidden underneath the richness of caramel, candied sugar, dark fruits, and a slight nuttiness. The malts are quickly swarmed by citrus, pine, and resin from the heavenly hop profile. It finishes clean and dry with dank, earthy hops. If you crack into this bottle understanding that it's better suited for hop heads than barley bums, then you're in for a great experience. This is also a great cellar suggestion because the longer this bottle is laid down, the less dominant the hops will be. So if you do favor the malty, richness of typical barleywines, give this guy a couple years in your cellar and when you pop the top you'll have quite the sweet treat. Oh, and 99 Points on RateBeer means that a few other folks love this beer as much as we do here at Ray's... Goose Island Lolita 2013 Lolita might be one of the most beautiful beers you'll ever lay eyes on. It is a radiant, red ruby with a pillowy, white head. Your glass will overflow with jammy raspberries and other vinous fruits. A pleasant funk wafts up your nose as is typical with good wild ales. The taste is juicy with tart raspberries up front that is supported by a light doughiness. It has lively acidity (which makes it incredibly food friendly. Cheeeese please!) and tickles the back of the tongue. The finish is dry with oak (from the wine barrels it was aged in) but still dripping with plump raspberries. Personally I always hide a few bottles of this beer away, because with a couple years on it, (for my tastes it peaks around 3-4 years) it really dries out and sours up. The jamminess starts to fade after a couple years and, as I'm a sucker for sours, that's when I really start to fall in love with Lolita (my wife already knows about the affair so don't fret). Here's what the brewer has to say about it, and I guess he knows a lil bit about it. "Lolita is a pink rose colored Belgian style pale ale fermented with wild yeast and aged on raspberries in wine barrels. Aromas of fresh raspberries, bright jammy fruit flavors and crisp, refreshing body make Lolita ideal for beer drinkers fond of Belgian Framboise." Man, and yet another great beer that pulled down a 99 Point score on RateBeer. So many good brews to choose from this week! Special Event: 3 Sheeps Beer Pairing with Carr Valley Cheeses Next Thursday, February 13th at 6:30. Come and hang out with the folks from 3 Sheeps and the Gang at Ray's for a special beer and cheese pairing! The fantastic 3 Sheeps beers will be paired with unbeatable cheeses from Carr Valley. Think wine and cheese go well together? Then wait until you try some of these creative combinations! As a special treat they are bringing down a unique cask just for the event. They asked us to keep it a secret, but we can say that the liquid has some great roots right here in Milwaukee (not far from Ray's). Sign up early to make sure you won't miss out on this special event. Cheers and see y'all there!

Only a few seats left, so don't miss out! To make a reservation please visit the site, call Ray's at 414-258-9821 or email paule@rayswine.com. Reservations are Required! Thank you! Save 10% Receive 10% off all beers featured in Volume 3 Issue 3 of the Ray's craft beer newsletter. Thus, it is limited to: -Avery's Hog Heaven 22oz

-Avery's New World Porter 6 pack -Goose Island Lolita 765mL



Please Note: The 10% off does not apply to the Alaskan Barley Wine as well. The final sale price will be $4.99 per bottle.

No limit (except the 4 bottle limit on AK Barley Wine). Not redeemable with any other special offers. Offer Expires: Tuesday, February 11th at 9:00pm Thanks again for subscribing to and reading Ray's craft beer newsletter. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to email me at kaleb@rayswine.com.



Lastly, for up to the minute beer arrivals and release information, be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. We have also added lots of great craft beer events (in addition to excellent wine and spirit ones, too) in our upstairs tasting room. A full list can be found here.

Cheers!

Kaleb & the gang at Ray's







