Fans of 3 Stars Brewing Company will be able to get their fix of Pandemic Imperial Porter in 750 mL bottles starting this week. After the successful release of two beers in their members-only Illuminati series, 3 Stars will give the general public the chance to buy bottles from select on- and off-premise accounts and during growler hours.
3 Stars President Dave Coleman notes that they will initially be working with off-premise venues like Dupont's Cairo Wine and Liquors, 1 West Dupont Wine and Liquors, and Connecticut Avenue Wine and Liquors and Adams Morgan's Metro Wine and Spirits. Additionally, some on-premise accounts like The Big Hunt, RFD, Little Red Fox (5035 Connecticut Avenue NW), and Glen's Garden Market will take delivery this week. Additionally bottles will go on sale this Saturday at growler hours.
"Mike and I have been looking forward to unleashing the Pandemic since the first time we brewed it over 5 years ago. This is a big day for us over here at 3 Stars, and we couldn't be more excited," said Coleman via email.
The number of bottles released will be limited by a few factors. Coleman notes that there's only so much beer they can devote to bottling given the demand they're facing for kegs and casks. Additionally, the bottles are corked and caged by hand, which makes the process labor-intensive.
Bottling became possible after the acquisition of a 12-bottle filler from Climax Brewing in Roselle Park, New Jersey. 3 Stars CEO Mike McGarvey took the system completely apart to ensure that all of the gaskets and valves were properly serviced. Satisfied that the machine would function properly, Pandemic was bottled Monday morning, and a little over 70 cases were produced.
Coleman notes that the brewery's Peppercorn Saison wil be the next beer to get the bottle treatment.
