As many of you may already know, the judging for the 2nd Annual Olde Hickory Pro Am was held on Sat. April 30th. We had over 130 entries this year with the many fine entries from NC joined by some great brews from SC, TN and VA! Judging lasted 6 hours as some hard decisions had to be made.

For a full list of the results visit the Catawba Lager and Ale Sampling Society (CLASS) website at www.classhomebrewers.org. The Best of Show winners are:

BEST OF SHOW

1st Place
Jason McCammon – Munich Dunkel
“Dunkel My Schnitzel”

2nd Place
Alex Buerckholtz – American Barleywine
“Cheap Leather Jacket Part 2″

3rd Place
Jason Howard – Dark American Lager
“Black Hood”

with an Honorable Mention for:

Jason Howard – Vienna Lager
“Action Man”

We're looking forward to brewing Jason McCammon's Munich dunkel in a few weeks! Be on the lookout for it at the Olde Hickory Tap Room, Amos Howards, and other locations throughout NC.

Cheers!

The 6th Annual American Craft Beer Week is less than two weeks away! This event was celebrated nationwide by over 300 breweries in 2010 and runs from May 16th through the 22nd in 2011. The Olde Hickory Brewery will be joining in with several events both at the brewery itself and at the Olde Hickory Tap Room.

From May 16th though May 20th every night will be a Pint Night at the Olde Hickory Tap Room! Each night one of the great American craft beers on tap at the restaurant will be paired with matching glassware - buy a pint and keep the glass (one per customer, while supplies last- y'all know the drill).

The Olde Hickory Brewery has also delivered firkins to the Tap Room as well! 5 total - one each night from the 16th through the 20th. See some of our most popular ales in a new light! Among the firkins are a Table Rock, a Death by Hops and a Black Raven! Try a pint from a firkin and compare it to a sample on draft - it will give you a whole new appreciation for the the complexities of craft beer.

And to make the week extra-special the Olde Hickory Brewery will be open for tours from 5-6pm each night from the 16th through the 20th! We're don't currently have regularly scheduled tours, so this is a unique opportunity to see behind the scenes at one of NC's award winning breweries.

More events will be announced soon. We're looking forward to seeing everyone and celebrating American craft beer, the growth of the industry and the spirit of its supporters!

Cheers!