Big Year Brown 

The rumors are true! The Big Year Brown is back and can be consumed at our brewery pub.  It will also be making it's way to some of our regions finest bars and restaurants over the next few weeks.

If you recall this is the first release in the "Big Series" our 6.5% beers that are meant to showcase some of our favorite malts but in a bigger richer rounder style. Our "Big Series" focuses on the sweet point in beer when increased alcohol adds more depth to the flavor but you can still sit down and have a pint or two...three could be a bit much.  Don't forget we at the Civil Life serve Imperial Pints!  We, at the Civil Life, find it quite hilarious that our "Big Series" is a whopping 6.5%. We hope you find it har-dee-har-har funny as well.  Many micro-breweries seem to start at 6.5% and go up.  We seem to stop at 6.5%.  It's a to each his or her own drink world in our book.  

The Big Year Brown is a big version of our American Brown and has been widely thought of to be one of our top beers.
The following two beers in this years "Big Series" are the Big American Stout and a new to the market "Belgian Blonde." Both will be in exceptionally limited supply this year in the market.

The Big Year Brown was first named 3 years ago when I thought our sales were going to go through the roof and we would be flush with so much money, gold bars and bling that we could add on the building and also add the often requested canning line. We still haven't lost that sense of optimism as we approach this year and every year with a renewed sense of optimism in an increasingly competitive market.   We did make good progress towards this goal last year with the purchase of the St. Louis Auto-Body shop next door which prompted many people to believe we were going to start fixing your car while you drink in our pub.  Our lawyer and our insurance agent nixed this idea along with our day care idea.  Looks like we are sticking to beer and that's good because as you know, Genuine Civil Life beers are the finest beers to ever come out of Tower Grove South.  We are proudly Tower Grove's first brewery!   

We would like to wish you the best in 2016!  It will no doubt be our best year as a brewery because honestly an eternal sense of optimism works well for us.  We want to whole heartedly thank you for drinking Civil Life beer at the brewery and MOST IMPORTANTLY, asking for it and drinking it at your favorite restaurant and bar...even at your not so favorite restaurants and bars.   A Civil Life beer consumed at a restaurant or bar is as good as drinking it at the brewery as if people don't ask for our beers or order them when out we will no doubt go quietly and Civilly into the night.  

It's you who seek out our beers and believe in what we do that make running this place worthwhile.  People like Dan that go into bars and immediately order American Brown and then wonder out-loud when it isn't available.  Or Sean that goes into pubs asking for "The Angel and the Sword."  Or Mike and Lindsey, who calls the brewery their downstairs.  They moved up the street this year.  The Tower Grove South neighborhood has had an influx of Civil Life customers moving with-in walking distance of the brewery.  A coincidence...I think not.  We appreciate everyone's support more than you would ever imagine. 

People often don't understand why we haven't grown faster as if this is some sort of race.   Racing just isn't for me,  I suppose.  The truth is we are a small company and 9 full-time (3 part-time)  of us (Now including Mike, who returned to Florida!) run not only the whole brewery but also the pub.  We are small and nimble in business turns.  People often ask, "Who owns this place?" To which my stock answer is, "the bank, and under a 200 page agreement and 40 of my signatures I am able to continue working here 80 to 90 hours a week as long as I make a substantial payment to them each month."   I tell people, "We are growing the old-fashioned way by using money coming in to grow our business."  This too is an each to their own sort of world and I find no fault in other approaches I just know they just don't work for us.   This year we are considering taking on debt to grow and I no doubt will be spending the next 4 months trying to figure if it is the right thing to do. 

Any Civil Life beer consumed during this time helps me decide...  it's kind of like a vote for expansion.  More drinks at bars and restaurants and the percentage chance we add a canning line goes up.  More drinks at our pub and the percentage chance goes up that we move on the parking lot and expanding our premises.  It's the drink caucus we wish they'd have in Iowa.  But drink our beer not because you want us to grow but because you know we are putting out some of the finest beers in the country at a price you can afford.  Prices that allow you to have a pint or two or three and also save for retirement.  

So what does 2016 bring?  That's a good question...here's the current odds.  A new parking lot (80% chance)? A larger pub (60% chance) ? A canning line (41.9% chance)?   A phone number? (.011% chance) A big advertising budget? (.005% chance) A buyout by a large multi-national brewery operation? (-2598% chance) 

I'd say it be best to keep your ear to the ground and keep drinking Civil Life but not at the same time.  

Thanks for reading, thanks for drinking and all the best to you in 2016.  

Cheers,
Jake of Tower Grove South 
Captain of the Barley Ship