World video travel guide

NewsArkansasUnited States • 2011-05-17

Select the country and object's type Diamond Bear Brewery Bound for Prestigious Event in D.C.

Some of the best brewers in the country are highlighted at Savor, a premier craft beer showcase in Washington D.C. This year, Arkansas based brewery Diamond Bear is among them.

“It’s a huge deal, it sells out every year,” said Russ Melton, who (along with his wife Sue) founded Diamond Bear in 2000. The event is an opportunity to spread the word about Diamond Bear and get face time with not only beer enthusiasts but colleagues from breweries like New Belgium and Sierra Nevada. “This is big,” said Melton. “It’s putting Arkansas’s little brewery right in there with well known ones.”

During the popular event (which has already sold out again this year), attendees sample craft beers from 72 independent craft brewers from across the nation. The event is known as the biggest national gathering of gourmet beer and food -- each craft beer is paired with its own dish.

Diamond Bear, the only production brewery in the state, produces several types of beer and has won seven national and international awards to date. This will be the brewery’s first showing at Savor, where they will showcase their Two Term Double IPA and Paradise Porter.

So how did they land the invite? “It’s based on our track record of producing great beers, winning many medals, and being one of the premier breweries in the South,” said Melton. Diamond Bear beer is hand brewed in the state. It’s produced via the traditional methods of European brewers using ingredients that include two-row malted barley, hops, yeast, and Arkansas water. The Pale Ale is the signature beer of the company and has won gold medals at both the Great American Beer Festival and (twice) at the World Beer Cup.

Other big news for the brewery includes an upcoming relocation to North Little Rock. The new site (on the Arkansas River a couple of blocks west of Dickey-Stephens Stadium) will nearly triple their square footage and capacity. Plans include a much larger tap room, a brewseum with a rundown of the history of beer in Arkansas and the U.S., a small restaurant, a deck overlooking the river and public weekend tours of the brewery. Melton said at the moment the company is in a transition phase in anticipation of the big move. Currently the brewery is still located three blocks east from the State Capitol at Fourth and Cross streets in Little Rock.

So how did Diamond Bear come to be? It started in 1979 when Melton, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army at the time, was transplanted from his home in rural Arkansas to West Germany. It was here that Melton’s interest in craft beer started. Years later an employer transferred him to Kansas City, Missouri where he became impressed with a brewery there: Boulevard Brewing Co., now the biggest specialty brewery in the Midwest. Melton made it back to his home state and over the next several years one question kept popping into his mind, “Why not Arkansas?” Shortly after, the Melton’s began the process of starting the brewery.

The name also has an interesting backstory. Arkansas has had a number of official nicknames since becoming a state in 1836. The first was the “Bear State”, due to the state’s frontier reputation and large population of bears. After diamonds were discovered in 1905, the “Diamond State” became the new nickname. So “Diamond Bear” was the result of combining these first two nicknames.

Business seems to be booming in the field. According to the Brewers Association, the number of breweries in the U.S. last year was 1,753-the highest total since the late 1800s. Diamond Bear beer is distributed throughout Arkansas and Mississippi. Other breweries in Arkansas include Hog Haus Brewing Co. in Fayetteville and Vino’s Pizza Pub Brewery, Bosco’s, and Refined Ale Brewery in Little Rock.

For more information about Diamond Bear and brewery tours call 501-708-BREW (2739) or visit www.diamondbear.com. Now in its fourth year, Savor is presented by the Brewers Association, organizers of the Great American Beer Festival. Visit www.savorcraftbeer.com/ for more details.

RSS RSS All news

 

Related objects

United States

World Countries United States

A trip to the United States will bring pleasure to the most sophisticated tourist. It is a country of immense size and capabilities

Eureka Springs

Cities Eureka Springs

Eureka Springs is a tiny piece of good old alpine Europe in the heart of Arkansas. It’s a nice destination with Victorian buildings and lifestyle.

Arkansas Folk Festival Mountain View

Traditions and Crafts Arkansas Folk Festival Mountain View

The Mountain View Folk Festival is being held annually on the third weekend of April since 1963. Oceans of folk music and sheer fun are guaranteed.

Buffalo River State Park

National parks, Nature reserves Buffalo River State Park

Buffalo River is a real treasure of U.S. with no dams along all the 135 miles of length. You can enjoy its beauty in the Buffalo River State Park.

Crater of Diamonds State Park

Popular tourist places Crater of Diamonds State Park

Crater of Diamonds State Park has the unique policy of «finders keepers»: if you find a gem, you can keep it – no matter how valuable it is.

Hogskin Holidays, Hampton

Traditions and Crafts Hogskin Holidays, Hampton

The Hogskin Holidays are your chance to take part in lots of contests, see the vintage tractor exhibition and taste a delicious pork barbecue.

Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie, Stuttgart

Museums, historical monuments Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie, Stuttgart

The Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie is home to more than 10,000 artifacts which tell visitors about the history of farming in this region.

Riddle`s Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary

Animal World, zoos Riddle`s Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary

In the Riddle's Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary visitors can not only see Asian and African elephants and learn about them but also “adopt” a one.

Terra Studios, Fayetteville

Traditions and Crafts Terra Studios, Fayetteville

Do you want to catch your personal Bluebird of Happiness? Then go to Terra Studios near Fayetteville and get the one from glass and pottery masters.