Who (or What) is "Making a Splash" at Imperial Beverage?
Suppliers, customers, products or employees
La Playa & CabCorp: A Contemporary Approach
 Northern California-based Cabernet Corporation is not your typical wine importer.
Its name is certainly different. While it sounds like a large corporation, the company has been privately owned by the Axelsen family since its inception in 1980.
And while it imports Cabernet Sauvignon, it also ships many other wonderful varietals, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Torrontés, Carmenére, Petit Verdot, robust blends, and 100-Year "Old Vine" Malbecs.
This year marks the introduction of dramatic new packaging for many of CabCorp’s core wines, including the La Playa Estate Series, La Playa Block Selection Reserve, and Don Rodolfo wines of Argentina.
Read More >
New Age: An Essential Part of the Summer Lineup
 New Age wines, offered in white and rose
varieties, are terrific warm weather finds at
any bar. But more exciting is the opportunity
for your establishment and its amazing bar &
service staff to gain some New Age notoriety!
Find out how to enter >
Exceptional Beers and Brewers Recognized in the
Largest Global Competition
IMPERIAL BEVERAGE DISTRIBUTED BRAUEREI PLANK AWARDED TOP HONOR AT CRAFT BREWERS CONFERENCE
BOULDER, CO –May 5, 2012—Brewers from around the world received awards from an elite international panel of judges in the 2012 Brewers Association World Beer Cup. The ninth bi-annual competition boasted the strongest field of entrants on record, with 799 breweries from 54 countries and 45 U.S. states entering 3,921 beers in 95 beer style categories. A 17.7 percent increase over 2010, the entries were eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards in their respective categories. Judges presented a total of 284 awards.
“It’s called ‘The Olympics of Beer Competition’ for good reason,” said Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association, the U.S.-based trade association that has put on the competition every two years since 1996. “The event brings together great brewers from all corners of the globe. Plus, the awards are highly regarded. A brewer who wins a World Beer Cup gold award knows that their winning beer represents the best of that beer style in the world. Congratulations to all the winners of the 2012 World Beer Cup. The Brewers Association and the proud sponsors of our event thank all participating brewers for their involvement.”
Says Imperial Beverage’s VP of Sales and Marketing Larry Cekola, “This is a huge deal for Imperial. As the exclusive distributor of Plank’s products in the state of Michigan, we couldn’t be more excited at our partnership.” He continues, “We’ve long-known that this 19th generation brewery was something really special. Their products are benchmarks for style and quality in the beer world. Now, the rest of the world knows, too!”
The 2012 judging panel was the largest and most international in the history of the World Beer Cup. Judges from 27 countries conducted blind tasting evaluations of the beers to determine the winners. Drawn from the ranks of professional brewers and brewing industry experts, these 211 judges came mostly from international breweries, with some 67 percent from outside the U.S. In addition to the judging panel, over 250 volunteers helped sort beer entries and steward the competition.
The judging criteria are exacting. Some categories are not given the full slate of awards if the panel decides that the entries do not merit recognition. Champion Brewery and Champion Brewmaster awards are given in each of five brewery categories based on the awards won by each brewery in the given size category.
Baurerei Michael Plank was awarded the Champion Brewery in the Small Brewing Company Category, and Gold Awards for their beers Dark Wheat Ale and Weizenbock. These are the highest possible awards to be obtained in the Brewing Industry.
The complete list of award winners is available for download at www.worldbeercup.org.
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Craft Brewers Among those Named Semi-Finalists for Prestigious James Beard Awards
The 2012 James Beard Awards semi-finalists list has been released, and more craft brewers than ever before have been nominated for this internationally recognized achievement in the category of Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professionals. Receiving a Beard Award is the highest honor...
See the complete list of Semi-Finalists Here >
Atwater Brewing: A Featured Michigan Brewery
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USA TODAY reports "An American Wine for Every Day of the Week"
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Fermented Fight Night
Contributed by IB Staff Writer Matthew J. Scott
Is it a frosty mug or a crystal glass that you desire? Though
trends and reports vary, they have always tended to favor the same category. For
twenty years strong, beer has remained the top preference for U.S. adults, but
their contemporaries are gaining strength...
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Coors Light Gains on the lead Domestics, according to Symphony IRI
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MSN.com reports "King of Beers Dethroned?" >
Wente and Food Network Collaborate for "entwine"
Wente Vineyard’s deep connection to food, embodied by their own on-site gardens that sustain the offerings of their area restaurant might raise eyebrows for some. If the passion of this family-owned house...
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A Rogue Collaboration: Artisanal Cheese made with Hops
In a "Collaboration of crafts", Rogue Ales & Spirits has released the first in a series of 2009 Bintage Cheddar and TouVelle cheese, made with hop varieties from the micro-hopyard at Rogue.
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Sake Made Simple
We all have favorites. A rich, luscious, buttery Chardonnay on a hot, hot summer day, served outdoors under an ancient shade tree. A stinky, spicy, tongue drying Cabernet served with our favorite carnivorous treat. But Sake?
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A Notable Supplier: The Other Guys
Widely recognized for its zealous approach to creative, cutting-edge marketing and unique...
Read more about The Other Guys >
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May 2012 
