18 Jul Christmas in July: Flat12 Bierwerks Second Annual Pinko! Celebration Party
By Mathew Muncy
Christmas is coming early for the second year in a row, at least for fans of Flat12 Bierwerks. This Saturday, July 23, 2016, Flat12 is throwing their second annual Christmas in July party at their Indianapolis and Jeffersonville locations.
Christmas in July is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at both locations and you will need to purchase a ticket, which will set you back $15. However, you can expect Flat12 to make the entry price well worth it. Your ticket buys you a commemorative glass which you will use throughout the day. You will also receive three tickets for beer samples, as well as a ticket for a half pint of your choice. Additional half pints can be purchased, too.
As is tradition, Flat12 will release their newest version of Pinko! Russian Imperial Stout at the party. Each year they add a variance or two to the recipe. Director of Brewing Operations Sean Manahan told me they included flaked rye in the grain bill and used a different yeast.
Along with the 2016 Pinko! attendees will have several other variations to choose from, but those variations will differ depending on which location you go to.
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Pinko! has been part of the Flat12 beer stable for quite a while now, but Manahan and his crew gave the beer a boost by creating the different barrel aged version through their Woodwerks program. Pinko! went into different barrels—bourbon, rum, red wine, etc.—and out came beers fit for Christmas presents.
Manahan said the idea of Christmas in July came from wanting to do two high-gravity beer releases throughout the year.
“I had an idea for the Twelfth, which is something we release in December, so now we kind of have these polar opposites where we are doing these high-gravity beer releases. July made sense, so Christmas in July came to be.”
While everyone will be talking about 2016 Pinko! and the countless barrel aged version, it’s likely the newest, tiniest member of the Pinko! family will overshadow the entire event. Enter the 8-ounce can of 2016 Pinko!.
Manahan explained the idea for the 8-ounce version of Pinko! came about because he had a “hankering” for soda, and bought 8-ounce cans of Sprite to quench his thirst. He then proceeded to show me an 8-ounce Sprite can crudely wrapped in a Pinko! label.
“I grabbed a Sprite can, and these are the labels we used to use on our four-pack of 12-ounce bottles. So I wrapped it around, and was like, ‘Man, wouldn’t this be awesome?’”
He sold his crew and began contacting the other parties who would be essential in bringing his dream into reality.
“My best friend, met him when we first started working at a liquor store in Lafayette, by the name of Alan Coon. He actually works for Wild Goose Engineering who builds the lines that fill these. And when I first thought about it, I thought ‘who else better to talk to than Alan?’ He gave me a bunch of BS, but lo and behold, yes, a lot of their machines are geared to do that.”
Knowing the machines existed, Manahan moved on to Michigan Mobile who provides the canning services for Flat12. The guys at Michigan Mobile said their Indiana lines did not have the 8-ounce set up, but their Michigan lines did.
“They said they would love to do it. They’ve never done anything like it before,” said Manahan on Michigan Mobile buying into the idea.
Manahan then contacted Mossberg & Co., the company who provides their can wraps. Mossberg was on board but cautioned that their can supplier, Crown, only produces 8-ounce cans once a year and they don’t distribute them a lot.
“I got the go-ahead from Michigan and Indiana Mobile canning. So I started talking to my board, and I said, ‘We have the capacity to do this now. We either need to decide if we are doing the 8-ounce cans or the 12-ounce bottles like we have in the past. And they said if it’s going to work, let’s do it.”
“When I got ahold of Mossberg, they got ahold of Crown, and lo and behold at the very 11th hour Crown was producing 8-ounce cans. So it was very serendipitous.”
The 8-ounce Pinko! cans will be available in six-packs, at both locations, for $15.99 (two six-pack limit). You will also be able to purchase limited edition 2015 Pinko! bombers—Bonus Cup, Solid Bold, Vin Ours, and Death Bear—which will come with a special cherry wood veneer label, made by MPI Labels.
Tickets are still on sale, and you can purchase them from Eventbrite: Indianapolis and Jeffersonville.
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