June Lake Brewing
Beeramid ~

The pharaohs had the right idea: pay them with beer+food and they'll move mountains.  So in homage to those who've helped us get to where we are today we constructed June Lake's first ever Beeramid. Comprised solely of our first shipment of kegs, the JLB Beeramid was a marvel of modern engineering (not really, it was actually pretty sketchy).  Sadly we had to deconstruct it due to the possibility of Beeramid envy from neighboring businesses (actually I was scared it would collapse on our new-to-us beerlivery vehicle).  That's right we've now got 170 15.5 gallon and 174 5 gallon kegs that are in desperate need of filling with amazing beer.

So next steps are to get final county building permit signoff on our production area (this week) and then start the super major cleaning mission to get everything ready to test the brew system (next week), and proceed with full-on production (soon)!  That being said June 21st is looking better and better for an opening of grandeur.  So get your accommodations lined up, pick out your finest Guayabera shirt, and definitely reachout if you're looking for lodging/camping/vagrancy advise.

Thanks, and Cheers!
Justin/Sarah

June Lake Brewing
Funded ~

Another busy two weeks have elapsed and we're getting it done by the numbers:

1. Funding - Congratulations and welcome aboard to all our new JLB preferred stock holders.  The equity raise went swimmingly and we far surpassed our minimum, big thanks goes out to everyone involved and stay tuned as the dust settles.
2. Tanks - Our tanks have arrived and they look fantastic!  The brewhouse and all of our remaining equipment should arrive by the end of the month, so we're looking on track for a late June grand opening party (we'll provide the punch and pie, details below).
3. Remodel - Sparky (our electrician) has completed wiring the premise and Itchy Ed is doing his thing and getting the insulation thrown up.
4. St. Kramer's Day - We start putting up dry wall Monday March 17th (aka St. Kramer's Day), so come by and lend a hand (again we've got the punch and pie covered).  As a matter of fact if you're available anytime during the week of March 17th drop by the brewery (large ass warehouse directly behind the General Store) and we'll give you an interactive tour (read - free physical labor accompanied by verbal beratement and lunch).
5. Licensing - With everything filed we're expecting word on the inevitable approval of our Federal TTB (Alcohol Tabacco Trade Bureau) license any day.  Once this clears all our state and myriad of other regulatory clearances will follow suit.
6. June Grand Opening - That's right, we're going to open the doors to the public this June (pending absence of volcanic eruption and/or yeti attack).  Exact date TBD, but June 21st is looking pretty tasty.  I mean it is the longest day of the year so what better day to drink some supremely awesome JLB?

Aside from that we haven't got much going on so stop on by next time you're in town and say hi.

Cheers!
Justin/Sarah

June Lake Brewing
Frame it Out ~

Wow, it was so busy last week we didn't even have time to bust out the bi-weekly newsletter... Don't fear, we weren't neglecting our valued TestPilots, it was just busy.  From buying a used forklift (still deciding on a name/paint scheme) to framing out our entire tasting room, we had a lot going down.  Oh yeah, we also got a call from our brewery supplier asking if we could take delivery of our fermenters this week.  Suffice to say we've got a lot going on and we're getting closer to opening every single day.

So this week we're looking to receive three of our 30bbl conical fermenters, our 30bbl HLT (big hot water tank), start and finish our wiring, and get our framing inspection signed off.  Next week we plan to finish all our bathroom and internal wall plumbing, insulate the building and begin our 7k sqft sheetrock extravaganza.

The JLB equity offering is going well, and if you're at all interested in owning a piece of the awesomest brewery on Earth, be sure to reach out and ask us about the details before we close the offer in a little under two weeks on Monday March 10th.  Don't miss your chance (it may be the only one) to be a part of history!

Thanks, and Cheers!
Justin/Sarah

June Lake Brewing
Let it Snow ~

With two feet of fresh snow over the past week, winter has finally arrived!  After a frantic couple of weeks getting all our trench drains cut/broke/formed and poured, not to mention getting the all important bathroom plumbing installed/inspected and poured, we were ready for a little excursion into the wild... and Ullr provided with 24" of love!  Big thanks goes out to Joe Walsh, Ramon Camacho, Doug Nelson, Phillip Michael, Johnny Kimball, Jeff Kramer, Dave Tomaszewski, Shaun Paunch Maurer, Darth Hacker, Bobman, Aaron Dore, Fitz, Mark Fogg and everyone else that made it happen, now it's time for some framing.... and more snow of course!

On the beer front the second 1bbl test batch of Alpers Trout Pale Ale was bottled last week by our trusty line of bottling chimps and it turned out swimmingly.  If you're in the June Lake area hit us up and swoop by the house for a taste of this approachable pale crafted from Pilsner/Wheat/Munich/Crystal malts and Cascade/CTZ/Crystal/Mt. Hood hops... it is delicious!  Last weekend we brewed the second 1bbl test batch of our well received Hütte Double IPA and it's fermenting along nicely.  With an OG of 1.090 and a expected final gravity of 1.018 this should yield a 9%+ DIPA with a palate annihilating 128 IBU!  Oh yeah and we plan to dry hop this monster with a pound of Citra hops.

To wrap it up, our equity offering and term sheet is ready to rock and we will be reaching out to those who've expressed interest in becoming a stock holder in June Lake Brewing by way of equity investment this week.  We'll be hosting meetings with potential investors this week in June Lake, and Sarah will be in the San Diego area next week to do the same down south.  If you've already expressed your interest in investment you'll hear from us.  If you're interested and haven't reached out, email [email protected] or [email protected] for more info.

Thanks, and Stay Awesome!
Justin/Sarah

June Lake Brewing
Waiting for Snow ~

Huzzah, our test batch of Not So Hoppy Holiday Ale has been very well received by all those who've partaken!  If you haven't tried it, venture over to June and give us a holler, but you better hurry cuz there isn't much left.  Getting ready to brew our second test batch of JLB Alpers Pale Ale we're toning down some of the Caramunich malts to give the brew a lighter hue, but it will still pack that same malty body balanced with a mild hoppy bite courtesy of Cascade and Mt. Hood hop additions.

Waiting for our remodel permit, we're ready to get ripping on our location buildout.  First order of business after we get legit is cut our trench drains and bust out some concrete (get ready to drop some more hammers boys).  On the funding front we're working on putting together a private equity offering to raise the final cash we need to finish the remodel, acquire our super bitchen brew machine, and get to making beer.  So if you're interested in owning a piece of the most awesome brewery ever in the coolest location in the world, stay tuned...

Lastly June Mountain is open to the top, but we're still waiting for the weather to wake up.  As it turns out Ullr (Old Norse patron saint of skiers and snow) had been seen hanging out on the beachs in SD catching some rays.  So we went to find him... After much searching we came across some killer sunsets and beyond awesome beer, but no Ullr.  Rumor had it we'd just missed him and he was already off to go party with his buddy Santa up at the North Pole before ramping up our much needed winter.  So fear not, snow is on it's way!  Until then enjoy some fine holiday spirits. 

Hoppy Holidays!
Justin/Sarah

June Lake Brewing
Open June Mountain ~

Mountain Life Update: Mark your calenders because June Mountain Ski Area is set to open this Friday the 13th!  We're really excited to get back up on the hill, so find us on Friday or Saturday for a little post ride/ski beer in the village.

Progress Update: our intrepid team of design professionals have addressed the comments that came back from plan check regarding our remodel permit and have resubmitted an updated design.  What this means is we should hopefully have our final building permit by the new year, and will be able to start our interior build out in preparation for equipment acquisition (currently on order) set for late spring of 2014!

Beer Update: Our tasty "Not So Hoppy Holiday Ale" is back this year as one of our last pre-launch testbatches.  Brewed with Pale 2-Row, Munich, Aromatic, Carmel/Crystal, Chocolate, White and Torrified Wheat malts, along with nutmeg, vanilla bean, fresh ginger, cinnamon, juniper berries, seeds of paradise, sweet orange peel, cloves, honey and holiday spirit.  This 6.1% ABV beer is our favorite way to kick-off the holiday season, and it deviates from our rather hoppy disposition. Kickstarter Update: As you probably know from our MEGA barrage of updates and emails we gave it a valiant effort, but in the end didn't hit our JLBKickstarter goal.  This means none of the pledgers are being charged, and even worse we won't be receiving any of those pledges.  Overall it was a great experience and we accumulated 300+ new Facebook friends.  That being said we're still starting this brewery, and have had 72 pledgers commit to over $10k of our original pledge amount.  That's almost 50% of the amount reached during the campaign!  So if you pledged to the campaign and you're still interested in fulfilling that pledge email [email protected] and we'll make this thing happen.
 
Thanks for all the support, and Cheers!
Justin/Sarah

June Lake Brewing
ABC Here We Come ~

Huzzah, and cheers to forward progress!  Big thanks goes out to all of you for supporting the unanimous approval of our Conditional Use Permit by the Mono County Planning Commission.  We'd also like to thank Ted Carleton and everyone at The Sheet News in Mammoth for spreading the word with our first news editorial (pictured below)! Adulation aside, we've compiled a list of what has been done, and what needs to happen to make JLB come to life:

1. Move to June Lake - DONE
2. Brew at altitude - DONE
3. Establish June Lake Brewing LLC - DONE
4. Find a location and sign a lease - DONE
5. Obtain a Conditional Use Permit - DONE
6. June Lake Fire Dept. permit - DONE
7. Public Utilities District permit - DONE
8. Financing (SBA loans) - Applied/TBD
9. CA ABC Type 23 License - Applying Wed!
10. Federal TTB License - Applying Fri!
11. Deposit on equipment - By Nov. 1!
12. Dig and connect water/sewer - By Nov. 1!
13. Launch Kickstarter - Tentative Nov. 5!
14. Obtain remodel permit - Working on app.
15. Remodel/buildout - Pending permit
16. Installation and calibration of equip. - 2014
17. Begin brewing for real - 2014
18. Obtain CA Sellers permit - 2014
19. Feakin Amazing Grand Opening Party - 2014!
20. Staying Awesome - PERPETUALLY!

Also of note is our first experimentation with Kilmister Ginger Beer, a gluten/dairy free champagne yeast fermulation made with sugar, honey, fresh ginger root, lemon, apples and love for glutards everywhere!  Lastly if you're around June Lake today come down to our future location, the large warehouse behind the General Store, and help us clean out all the old stuff in preparation for JLB.

Cheers!
Justin/Sara

June Lake Brewing
Autumn is Here ~

Big thanks to everyone that made it out to the first annual June Lake Autumn Beer Festival, it was an event not to be missed!  We poured through all the beer, made some money for the June Lake Chamber of Commerce and a number of other local charities, and had an amazing stein holding contest!  If you didn't make it out, check the video links below, and block off your calendars for next year.

Well after months of searching, then a couple more waiting, our proposed location is finally going in front of the Mono County Planning Commission this Thursday at 10am.  This meeting is a super big deal, and will dictate whether we're able to move forward with our plans to bring the first brewery to June Lake.  As our biggest supporters we very strongly urge you to make your voice heard and let the Planning Commission know how badly you need a brewery in June Lake.  We know 10am in the middle of the work week makes it hard for many of you to represent in person, so we've devised three options for you to let the powers that be know how it is:

1. Show up in person to either the Bridgeport County Courthouse, or the Mono County offices in Mammoth Lakes (Sierra Center Mall, Vons shopping center above Giovanni's) at 10am sharp this Thursday in your finest JLB attire
2. Write a short email to the Mono County Planning Commission letting them know without JLB you may be forced to riot - [email protected]
3. Take it back to the old school and hand write a letter to the Mono County Planning Commission basically telling them you're so committed to getting a brewery in June Lake you will write your Senators if your views are ignored - PO Box 347, Mammoth Lakes, CA  93546

If you're thinking about attending, let us know and we can organize carpools, JLB attire, etc.  If the timing just doesn't work, writing an email will literally take 60 seconds, and can be as simple as "Hey Mono County, we need a brewery in June Lake, and we will cry if it doesn't happen."  We aren't expecting opposition, but every little bit helps push The Man to fast track this thing and get us a friggin awesome brewery in June Lake!

Thanks, and Cheers!
Justin/Sarah

June Lake Brewing
Bonzai!

Wow, Mammoth Mountain Kamikaze Games was friggin amazing!  Our JLB DH TestPilots where dropping podiums left and right, and holding it down for the Eastern Sierras.  Big shout outs to JLB TestPilot Johnny "Nipple" Kimball with a first place in the Cat2 division of the Kamikaze 2.0 race on Friday, and then another first place Saturday in the Cat2 DH race on Follow Me.  Come next year Johnny will be looking to get his pro card and send it with the best of them.  Also props go to Johnny Widen, Thomas "Alex" McCoy, and the rest of the JLB cats holding it down.  Check the visual evidence for a taste of the complete gravitational domination (to the right and below), and be there next year!

We're moving forward with our quest for a location, and we're excited for our October 10th hearing with the Mono County Planning Commission.  If you're in the Mammoth area Thursday October 10th, please come by the County Offices and show your support.  Once the Planning Commission weighs in we hope to move forward with our permitting process and begin our renovations to make our location the most awesomest brewery/beer tasting establishment that June Lake has ever seen!

On the beer front we're pushing forward with planning for the 1st Annual June Lake Autumn Beer Festival on October 5th, so get your reservations lined up cuz our brewery lineup is pretty sweet!

Cheers!
Justin/Sarah