Lyons, Colorado (November 2007) -- This month Oskar Blues Brewery is wrapping up the fifth year of its pioneering microcanning effort. The scrappy little brewery sold its first can of Dale’s Pale Ale in November of 2002.

The move made Oskar Blues the first US craft brewer to brew and can its own beer. It has also fueled some of the heftiest growth in the US craft beer trade. Oskar Blues’ beer production has grown by 2000% over the past five years.

Prior to filling its first can of Dale’s Pale Ale on a table-top, two-cans-at-once filler, the brewery produced 700 barrels of beer. This year Oskar Blues will craft 14,000 barrels of beer. (Up from 8,100 barrels in 2006.)

“It’s been an incredible run for us,” says founder Dale Katechis. “We launched our Canned Beer Apocalypse as something of a joke, and a way to draw attention to our brewpub. Some of our peers thought we were nuts at the time. But we heard from many retailers and consumers back then who loved the irreverence and practicality of the idea.”

“It’s still a gut buster for us,” Katechis adds, “but it’s turned into a much bigger adventure than we imagined five years ago. We've changed the reputation of the aluminum can, and enabled serious beer lovers to buy canned beer without shame. And we’ve had a load of fun and success along the way.”

To celebrate its fifth year of microcanning, Oskar Blues has now put the first cans of its winter seasonal beer, Ten FIDY Imperial Stout, on shelves of select stores in Colorado.

Fourpacks of the viscous, ultra-rich and roasted beer retail for $12.99. A small amount of canned Ten FIDY will reach other states in the Oskar Blues roster next month.

On December 1, from noon - 4 PM, the brewery will have a party to celebrate its first five years of microcanning. The affair will feature a Cajun buffet and crawfish boil, live music, and specials on all Oskar Blues beers.

The event will also serve as the official roll out of a limited-release batch of 5-liter/1.3 gallon mini kegs of Dale’s Pale Ale. The keg cans (with built-in taps) will reach select stores along the Front Range starting December 3. They will retail for around $24.

Visitors to the Oskar Blues pub in Lyons can buy these cans filled with Dale’s Pale Ale, as well as Old Chub Scottish Style Ale, Gordon, Ten FIDY and the brewpub’s other-in-house beers. These cans have replaced the traditional glass growler at Oskar Blues.

This summer Oskar Blues announced details on its building of a second, 35,000-square-feet brewery in Longmont, Colorado. The new brewery will produce all of the company’s canned beers and have an initial annual capacity of 30,000 barrels. The new brewery is expected to serve its first beers in March.

Oskar Blues Brewery’s beers are now in Colorado and 16 other states (AZ, NM, ID, WA, WI, VA, GA, NC, FL, NJ, NY, PA, MA, MD, CT and RI). Oskar Blues Brewery is located in Lyons, Colorado (pop.1500), a small mountain town 18 miles northwest of Boulder, Colorado. The brewpub and music venue was opened in 1997 by Katechis and his wife, Christi Katechis. Oskar Blues Brewery’s beers are canned five cans at a time on equipment from Cask Brewing Systems in Alberta, Canada. Get details at www.cask.com.

For more information visit www.oskarblues.com.

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Seattle, Wash., and Portland, Ore. — Two of the country’s leading and pioneering craft breweries announced today that they have agreed to combine their businesses and become one company. Redhook Ale Brewery, Incorporated of Woodinville, Wash., and Widmer Brothers Brewing Company of Portland, Ore., will merge to create a combined company called Craft Brewers Alliance.

Kurt Widmer will serve as the company’s chairman of the board and Paul Shipman will serve as chairman emeritus. Dave Mickelson, Redhook’s current president and chief operating officer, and Terry Michaelson, president of Craft Brands Alliance, Redhook and Widmer’s sales and marketing joint venture, will serve as co-CEOs of the company. The combined company will continue to be publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol HOOK and will have management offices in both Portland and Woodinville.

“I believe that the merger will allow us even greater opportunity to deliver unique and great-tasting beers for our customers,” said Kurt Widmer, president and brewmaster of Widmer Brothers. “The two companies have a common goal—we both strive to brew the best possible beer for our customers.”

The companies see the merger as a natural next step for the two businesses that already operate partnerships in brewing, sales and marketing. Following the merger, the Redhook and Widmer beers will remain separate brands in the marketplace.

“Our combination of talented people, high-quality beers and first-class brewing operations presents tremendous advantages for the combined company,” said Paul Shipman, founder and chief executive officer of Redhook. “The two breweries have worked well together over the past few years, and I’m confident that we will be even stronger as one company.”

Although Redhook and Widmer have agreed to merge, the agreement is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval. The merger is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2008. The terms and conditions of the transaction are summarized in a report on Form 8-K that Redhook is filing today with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Merging Redhook and Widmer will bring together two like-minded craft brewers who are industry pioneers and deeply passionate about brewing great beer. As one company, they plan to share ideas, build on their legacies and continue crafting innovative beers for their customers. In addition, the company will be better positioned to compete on a national basis in the increasingly popular and fast-growing craft beer industry. The combined company will have breweries in Portland, Woodinville and Portsmouth, N.H.

The all stock transaction will result in Widmer shareholders and existing Redhook shareholders each holding approximately 50% of the outstanding shares in the combined company. Anheuser-Busch is expected to remain a strategic distribution partner for Widmer and Redhook products and will continue to hold a minority equity stake in the company following the merger.

About Redhook – Redhook Ale Brewery, Incorporated (NASDAQ: HOOK) is one of the leading independent brewers of craft beers in the United States and has been at the forefront of the domestic craft brewing segment since its formation in 1981. Redhook brews its specialty bottled and draft products exclusively in its two company-owned breweries, one in the Seattle suburb of Woodinville, Wash., and the other in Portsmouth, N.H. Redhook distributes its products nationally through a network of wholesale distributors, Craft Brands Alliance LLC, and a distribution alliance with Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

About Widmer Brothers – Kurt and Rob Widmer founded their brewery in 1984 in Portland, Ore. They’ve since honed their craft and passion into one of the leading craft breweries in America and some of the most unforgettable beers around. Widmer Brothers Brewing Company was ranked 11th largest US brewery in 2006; its brews are distributed in 48 states. Widmer has received numerous awards for brewing excellence and was named mid-sized brewery of the year at the Great American Beer Festival in 2002 and again in 2004. Widmer Hefeweizen, an unfiltered wheat beer that is typically served with a lemon, is the company’s flagship beer.

Additional Information About the Merger and Where to Find It

Redhook Ale Brewery, Incorporated intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Form S-4 that will include a joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents regarding the proposed transaction. Investors and security holders are urged to read the registration statement on Form S-4 and the related joint proxy statement/prospectus (including any amendments or supplements to those documents) and any other relevant materials when they become available, because they will contain important information about Redhook, Widmer and the proposed transaction. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents (when they are available) and other documents filed with the SEC at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Redhook by directing a request by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by mail to Redhook Ale Brewery, Incorporated, 14300 NE 145th Street, Suite 210, Woodinville, WA 98072, Attn.: Investor Relations. In addition, investors and security holders may access copies of documents filed by Redhook with the SEC in the Investor Relations area of Redhook’s website at www.redhook.com.

Participants in the Solicitation

Redhook and its executive officers and directors may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Redhook in connection with the proposed transaction. Information concerning the interests of these executive officers and directors in the transaction including their beneficial ownership of Redhook common stock will be included in the joint proxy statement/prospectus referred to above. Additional information regarding the executive officers and directors of Redhook is included in Redhook’s proxy statement for its 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 20, 2007, and in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, which was filed with the SEC on March 23, 2007. These documents are available free of charge at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) and from Investor Relations of Redhook at the email and mailing addresses shown above.

Forward-Looking Statements

The foregoing information regarding the proposed merger includes forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the possibility that the proposed merger may not ultimately close for a number of reasons, such as either company not obtaining the requisite shareholder approval or the inability to obtain the approval of Anheuser-Busch Incorporated; that prior to closing of the merger, the businesses of Redhook and Widmer, including the retention of key employees, may suffer due to uncertainty; that, in the event the merger is completed, the combined company may not have greater opportunities and advantages; that the combination of Redhook and Widmer may not result in a company better positioned to compete on a national basis; that the technologies of the two companies may not be compatible; and that the parties may be unable to successfully execute their integration strategies or realize the expected benefits of the merger. Other factors that could create or contribute to other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in Redhook’s filings with the SEC, including, but not limited to, Redhook’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Redhook and Widmer expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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Cape Cod Beer’s Berry Merry Holiday Ale Pairs Perfectly with Thanksgiving
Amber Ale Infused with Cranberry, Orange & Cloves

Hyannis, MA – For years people have beer asking, “What wine pairs perfectly with turkey”? Truth be told,
according to the people at Cape Cod Beer, beer pairs better with turkey. And if it’s a beer that’s infused with
cranberries, orange and cloves – flavors that naturally compliment Thanksgiving - the result is a beer that pairs
nicely with both turkey and stuffing AND the famous Thanksgiving desserts. Cape Cod Beer’s Berry Merry
Holiday Ale, an Amber Ale infused with Cranberry, Orange and Cloves will be available starting Friday
November 16th, so that people can stock up in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Berry Merry Holiday Ale will be
available exclusively between November 16th and December 31st and is available at the brewery only.

“This is an enormously popular beer for us” explains Brewmaster/owner Todd Marcus. “Maybe because it is so
drinkable – with a not too sweet, not too bitter combination of those flavors everyone is looking for this time of
year. It pairs well with most foods and even self-professed non-beer drinkers seem to enjoy it. We are actually
releasing this beer earlier this year - before Thanksgiving – because the demand for it is so high. We hate to
disappoint people – especially those who have already been asking for it for weeks.”

The Craft Beer Industry as a whole has been promoting the pairing of beer and turkey in its new website called
www.beerandturkey.org which encourages people to purchase local brews and to share them with friends and
family over the holiday season. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Cape Cod Beer will be producing 4 beers
that will each pair nicely with Holiday foods. Such suggested meal pairings include:

Traditional Roasted Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings paired with Berry Merry Holiday Ale
Pork Tenderloin with Fall Vegetables and Cranberry Chutney and Paired with Cape Cod Red
Pepper Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce paired with Cape Cod IPA
Hearty Beef and Vegetable Stew served in bread bowls paired with Cape Cod Porter

However you plan to celebrate the holiday season, Cape Cod Beer hopes that you will consider supporting your
local brewery by buying, bringing and giving Cape Cod Beer this year!

Cape Cod Beer is Cape Cod’s only distributing microbrewery located at 1336 Phinney’s Lane in Hyannis with
beer on tap in over 120 locations and in 70 package stores throughout Cape Cod and Plymouth. Brewery hours
are Monday through Friday Noon to 6pm, as well as Saturday 11am to 2pm. Brewery tours are given on
Saturday at 1pm. To find out more about Cape Cod Beer, please contact us at 508-790-4200 or see our website
at www.CapeCodBeer.com. For photos and logos please see www.capecodbeer.com/BerryMerryPR.htm
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Well, I know you may have heard about the new beer from Allagash Brewing Company, and I told you it's in the tanks, but it's even more official now. Here's the label for the new Allagash Black, their Belgian Style Stout. I'm really stoked about this brew! I also really like the label. This will definitely stand out in their row of otherwise bone colored labels.

750 ml Bottle
7.5% abv

And, straight from the mouth (or, rather, keyboard) of Larry Bell, here is the news that makes our last two Bell's stories make sense! 

Bell's is currently in negotiations with two wholesalers to bring beer into Illinois. These two wholesalers would cover a very specific territory and distribution would not cover the entire city of Chicago. Initially, a handful of draft accounts will be started. At that time we expect to be sued by National Wines and Spirits of Indianapolis to stop distribution. The Executive VP of NWS has told me he intends to make a lawsuit as lengthy and as costly as possible. It will be up to the judge. So.. we may be back as Kalamazoo, we may be back as some other name, or we may not be back at all. Thank you to all who have been driving to Woodman's and others in WI, IN and southern Michigan. Please do not beermail me, as I will not be able to answer them for awhile. Just stay tuned as this thing plays out.

Larry Bell
President
Bell's Brewery, Inc.

Past stories on this:
Bells Brewing Company Introducing Two New Beers...For Illinois?
Another New Bell's Beer for Illinois?

 We here at DrinkCraftBeer.com say good luck Larry and Co.! Someone needs to work to make franchise law more fair! Distributors shouldn't have all the power. It's a system that worked in the past, but is now outdated and needs to be looked at again.

Remember this article we wrote a while ago about Bell's making beer that said, "Brewed especially for the people of the great state of Illinois"?

Well, looks like they've added a porter to that series: