I’m very excited that our long overdue, updated Napa Smith Brewery website, is live!  www.napasmithbrewery.com This integrates our various social media platforms Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , among others.  You can now click on any of our beers and go right to a page with a video of master brewer Don Barkley giving you the lowdown on that beer.  We also have recently introduced QR codes into our packaging (we think we are the first craft brewer to roll this out, let me know if there are others).  You scan the QR code on the 4 pack holder and it takes you right to that brand’s page and Don’s video.  Way cool!

Check it out and let me know any suggestions as we continuously work to improve it!

Kind Regards,

Smoke

Exciting news today for Paddington Brands and Napa Smith Brewery!  Entering the Swedish market!

Napa Smith to Launch in Sweden After Organic IPA Wins Monopoly Listing

TOMP Beer, Wine & Spirits appointed exclusive Swedish distributor for Paddington Brands portfolio.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, January 12, 2012 /PRNEWSWIRE/ – Paddington Brands and TOMP Beer, Wine & Spirits announced today that they will partner to bring Paddington’s brand portfolio to the vibrant Swedish market. TOMP will start by launching the Napa Smith craft beer portfolio and in particular the award winning Organic IPA, which will be featured in 100 Systembolaget stores from 2nd of April 2012.

J. Smoke Wallin, Chairman & CEO of Paddington Brands, said, “We have a very focused growth strategy with very few international targets – Sweden is one of these. So I am delighted to be partnering with Tommy Olsson and his team at TOMP to launch our brands there. TOMP is hugely respected and the perfect partner for us in what is a tough market to crack. I look forwards to a successful launch of Napa Smith’s beers and a long and fruitful relationship. We could not be more thrilled.”

Napa Smith brews a portfolio of award winning beers in Napa, California. Its portfolio is available in 30 states within the US with plans to be available nationally by early 2012. Sweden will be the first international market. Napa Smith is proud to number Whole Foods, Safeway, Beverages & More, Total Wine, Publix and now Sweden’s Systembolaget amongst its many retail partners.

“We first tasted Napa Smith’s beers 2 years ago and we were convinced that they would be a great addition to our portfolio. So winning the tender and setting launch dates is very exciting for us. Organic products are very important to the monopoly and the Napa Smith Organic IPA is utterly amazing,” said Tommy Olsson, Managing Director of TOMP Beer Wine & Spirits.

“Winning the recent IPA tender into Systembolaget is further testament to the genius of our Master Brewer, Don Barkley, coming as it does on the back of our huge success at the Great American Beer Festival. IPA the hottest segment of the US craft beer category, but many IPAs lack complexity and balance. This is proof that it is possible to brew a benchmark IPA that is drinkable and food friendly,” said Steve Morgan, President of Napa Smith Brewery and Winery. He continued, “In addition our beer is also certified organic, which makes this achievement even more noteworthy. I am confident that Sweden’s exciting craft brewing scene will take Napa Smith to heart.”

About Napa Smith Brewery
Napa Smith Brewery is located at the southern gateway to Napa Valley, just south of the town of Napa. Napa Valley is internationally known as a destination for those individuals who seek the best that life has to offer. Napa Smith is proud to contribute to the Napa tradition of hard work, craftsmanship, and artistry with the introduction of its unique family of beers. It creates its beers using proprietary recipes developed by Master Brewer Don Barkley – the most experienced brewer in the craft brewing industry. Come visit us at our newly opened Brewpub in Napa or on the web at www.napasmithbrewery.com.

About Paddington Brands
Paddington Brands (www.Paddingtonbrands.com) manages a portfolio of owned and agency premier import and craft beers, artisanal spirits and fine wines. Paddington owns the Napa Smith Brewery & Winery and 3 Amigos Tequila. It imports a portfolio of beers, wines and spirits including Agoston Wines (Spain), Chase Distillery (UK), Calatrasi (Italy), Gemtree Vineyards (AU), Marisco Wines (NZ). Paddington is headquartered in the Indianapolis, Ind., metro area with offices in the United Kingdom and Napa, Calif., and a sales team covering the U.S. market and select international markets.

About TOMP Beer, Wine & Spirits
TOMP is one of Sweden’s leading beer, wine and spirits importers with a portfolio that includes brands such as [yellow tail], Fish Hoek, Chang Beer and their own successful beer, Guldkallan. TOMP operates a national sales force from it base in Orebro. Seewww.tomp.se.

I had the great pleasure of having a grand dinner with with former White House executive chef, Walter Scheib.  In October a bunch of YPO/WPO members of the Food & Beverage Network and the Beer, Wine & Spirits Network (I chair) got together in Chicago for 3 days of learning and networking.  It was a fantastic event, with best of the best resources, speakers, and activities.  One highlight was our evening with Walter Scheib.

Here is a little background on Walter from his website The American Chef.

Walter Scheib
(White House Executive Chef, 1994 – 2005)

“For the last eleven years, I have had the honor of doing daily what most chefs would be lucky to do once in their life time. That honor was serving the First Family of the United States.”

- Walter Scheib, March 2005
Walter Scheib has quite a story to tell. In fact, he has two stories to tell. The first involves the rise of an American chef to the most storied position in the land. The second offers an intimate, human view of two First Families, the corridors of political power, international personalities, and the most famous building in the United States, from a unique vantage point: The kitchen.

In April 1994, after a lengthy application and screening process, Walter Scheib became the chef to America’s chief executive and the First Family. First Lady Hillary Clinton, impressed by the comprehensive spa menu Scheib had developed for the Greenbrier resort, as well as his highlighting of American cuisine, personally hired Scheib. For 11 years, he prepared everything from simple family meals to elaborate and formal State Dinners. His culinary creations dazzled and delighted White House guests including Nelson Mandela, Emperor Aikihito, Jacques Chirac, Boris Yeltsin, Vaclav Havel, Lady Diana Spencer, Tony Blair, Vicente Fox, and others, not to mention the thousands of congressional members, journalists, and other House visitors who got to know his food.

A highlight of Scheib’s White House achievement was his creation of a distinctly American repertoire for the nation’s First House. He continues to speak with eloquence and pride about America’s bounty today, praising the artisan cheese makers, green grocers, mushroom foragers, master bread makers, fishermen, ranchers, and farmers who have helped our national market basket evolve, and make quality cooking more accessible than ever. “America is rich in amazing produce, meats, and fish,” Scheib say

The White House Chef - YPO/WPO Menu

s. “Using just a few excellent ingredients, anyone can make a perfect meal with very little formal training.”

Chef Scheib was very personable and probably the coolest part of the our evening together was all the interesting stories from his days in the White House for both President Clinton and Bush. There were many funny ones.

The meal was excellent and creative.  Menu at right.  Jay Wright the EVP and COO of Constellation Wines hosted our reception with a fun tasting of some of their wines from around the world.  Constellation Wine worked with Chef on the pairings. I was not a fan of everything, but it was a great experience.  My favorite dish was the first course – Seasame crusted Halibut with Red Curried Sweet Potato Soup.  This was paired with the 2010 Nobilo “Icon” Sauvignon Blanc.  Nice.

The best part was hanging out with Chef afterwards.  He joined us at our “afterparty” that I hosted with 3 Amigos Tequila and Napa Smith Brewery.  We enjoyed a Napa Smith Organic IPA together and chatted about his current business, travels and great food.  He is a big fan of great beer and agreed with my contention that a beer dinner is easier to create than a wine dinner as beer actually can accompany more foods in a more complimentary way.  Don’t get me wrong, I love wine, but we are seeing more and more of this kind of thinking.  Its great to get confirmation from a talented chef like Watler Scheib.

Chef Scheib’s book is called “White House Chef”.  It is far more than a cook book.  It is an interesting look into life inside the White House.

White House Chef