Homebrewers Compete to Have Recipe Brewed as Saint Arnold Divine Reserve

HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - May 6, 2008) - Bottles of beer brewed in basements and garages throughout Texas and nearby states are being carefully packaged, ready to be entered in the 13th Annual Big Batch Brew Bash, hosted each year by Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Texas' oldest craft brewery. This year's contest challenges homebrewers to submit their best example of the Weizenbock style of beer for judging.

Sanctioned by the American Homebrewers Association and organized by the Kuykendahl Gran Brewers, the 13th Annual Big Batch Brew Bash is the biggest single style brewing competition in the world. In addition to Saint Arnold Brewing, supporters include DeFalco's Home Wine & Beer Supplies and Brew It Yourself.

The Weizenbock style is a strong Bavarian wheat beer, featuring many of the same characteristics of the Weizen style but with greater intensity of malt flavor, fuller body and a higher alcohol level. The style marked its centennial last year.

The winning homebrewer will have the additional honor of having his or her recipe brewed as Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 7. Divine Reserve is a series of single batch beers from Saint Arnold, each brewed with a completely different recipe. These releases typically sell out in 24 hours at most stores. It is also critically acclaimed; Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 4 recently won a Gold Medal at this year's World Beer Cup.

"We love supporting and being a part of the homebrewing community because it builds an appreciation of the passion and craftsmanship involved in brewing really good beer," said Brock Wagner, who got his start as a homebrewer before establishing Saint Arnold Brewing nearly 14 years ago. "We look forward to welcoming the winner as a 'brewer for a day' to get a taste of what making beer for a living is like. They'll do fun stuff like mashing, squeegeeing, pouring hops into the kettle, squeegeeing, cleaning up, squeegeeing and sampling."

Entering the 13th Annual Big Batch Brew Bash is free, but restricted to those 21 or older. The entry deadline is May 10, 2008. Each entry must consist of three bottles along with a completed recipe form. Recipe forms are available at www.thekgb.org. The judging and awards ceremony will be held Sunday, May 18 starting at 1 p.m.

About Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Saint Arnold Brewing's ten brews are made and sold by the company's staff of 21 dedicated employees. The brewery was listed by USA Today as one of the "10 great places to see what's brewing in beer." It is located at 2522 Fairway Park Drive and its brewery tour and tasting is offered every Saturday at 1:00 P.M. For more information on Saint Arnold's five year-round and five seasonal beers as well as root beer, log on to www.saintarnold.com.

Contact Information: Contact: Dan Keeney, APR DPK Public Relations (832) 467-2904