MEDIA CONTACTS:
Mary Beth Weaver
Brave New Voice
press@bravenewvoice.com
760-459-7880
Brother James
Whiskey Shambles
james@whiskeyshambles.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Rivertown Brewing and The Whiskey Shambles’
“Shambling Southward” to be Tapped Next Week
Unique beer recipe celebrates the band’s pilgrimage to Memphis
for the International Blues Challenge later this month
CINCINNATI, OH – January 9, 2015: Many blues songs have been inspired (or at least influenced) by alcohol, but it’s rare that a libation has been inspired by a blues band. In honor of The Whiskey Shambles’ win at the Northeast Ohio Blues Association (NEOBA) Blues Challenge, which qualifies them to compete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January 2015, the band has worked with Cincinnati’s Rivertown Brewing Company to create “Shambling Southward – Dubbel Barrel Blues,” a Belgian Dubbel fermented with brandy-infused wood chips.
IMAGE: Label for Rivertown Brewing Company’s special release of Shambling Southward
(click image to download a printable version)
The beer will be tapped at a special event on January 16, 2015, at the Rivertown Brewery Taproom, with a performance by The Whiskey Shambles starting at 7:00pm.
EVENT DETAILS:
NAME: The Whiskey Shambles Beer Tapping
BEER: Shambling Southward – Dubbel Barrel Blues
ADMISSION: FREE SHOW, OPEN TO PUBLIC (21 & Over)
LIVE MUSIC BY:
The Whiskey Shambles – http://192.138.189.151/~h2d3c6y2z6w9g3j5
DATE: Friday, January 16, 2014 (Facebook event)
TIME: Doors 5:00pm, Tapping 6:00pm, Music 7:00pm
VENUE: Rivertown Brewing Company – http://rivertownbrewery.com
ADDRESS: 607 Shepherd Drive, Lockland, OH 45215
Rivertown Brewing Company, which has recently begun a transition to focusing on wilder varieties of beer (with an emphasis on Belgian and sour styles). Rivertown’s owner, Jason Roeper, encourages employees to brew smaller batches for the taproom. This allows the brewery to tap the creativity and imagination of all their employees and gives customers new beers to experience when they visit.
The recipe for Shambling Southward was developed by pilot brewer Rob Westendorf — the mind behind Rivertown’s very popular Jenneke Belgian Blond Ale, which has moved from a seasonal release to a year-round offering. Rob and his wife Roxanne (Rivertown’s Beer Evangelist) collaborated with The Shambles’ Brother James — the band’s resident beer geek — for several months to come up with the idea for a brew that could represent The Shambles and their music.
PHOTO L-R: Rivertown Beer Evangelist Roxanne Westendorf and Rivertown Pilot Brewer Rob Westendorf adding Belgian Ardennes yeast to the brew
(click image to download a printable version)
Roxanne explains this unique beer: “We took the genius of the Belgian Trappist Monks’ Dubbel and added brandy-soaked wood chips to the secondary fermentation stage, to make a beer that is inviting, but as bold as The Whiskey Shambles.”
“We’ve always described The Shambles sound as a loud, belligerent style of demonic hill-stomp blues that almost . . . but not quite . . . betrays an air of subtle sophistication lingering just around the edges,” Brother James clarifies. “This brew combines an exciting wallop from the brandy with the gentler refinement of the Belgian style, making it a perfect pairing with the band: a blast of what we’re calling, ‘Dubbel Barrel Blues’.”
About THE WHISKEY SHAMBLES:
The Whiskey Shambles are an original garage rock/basement blues band from Cincinnati, OH, formed in 2012 by Nathan Singer, of Starshaker and Absinthium fame, and Brother James, founder of the Cincinnati Entertainment Award-winning blues band Voodoo Puppet. Their sound has been compared to Screaming Jay Hawkins, The Black Keys, Ten Foot Polecats, The Heavy, Gary Clark Jr., Black Diamond Heavies, and The White Stripes. They have been described as, “R.L. Burnside and Black Sabbath jamming with Nina Simone in a burned-out rum shack, using opium for incense.”
The Shambles are currently working their way through the dive bars and juke joints of the Midwest and Rustbelt, with occasional trips to more exotic locales, like Nashville or Buffalo, New Orleans or Asheville, Atlanta or NYC. They won the 2014 Northeast Ohio Blues Challenge, and have been chosen to represent Northeast Ohio Blues Association at the 2015 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. They have also been invited to showcase at the 2015 Millennium Music Conference. The Shambles have been nominated for a 2014 and a 2015 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for best Blues act, and several of their songs have earned critical acclaim.
In 2012 The Whiskey Shambles released the EP, “ONE LAST BLAST: Live at Mad Frog.” September 2014 saw the release of a second live EP, “Stumbling Toward Beale Street.” Their first LP “Loose Change for a Broken Man” was released in November 2014, was named #23 of the Top 89 Albums of 2014 by WNKU, and several songs from it receive regular airplay on many college and AAA radio stations. The Shambles are already working on their second full-length album, with plans to head into the studio in spring of 2015.
Learn more about The Whiskey Shambles at http://192.138.189.151/~h2d3c6y2z6w9g3j5, including their Press Kit, Music, and Photos.
About RIVERTOWN BREWING COMPANY:
Rivertown Brewing Co. specializes in brewing handcrafted, flavorful ales and lagers, using only the finest and freshest ingredients available. Opened in 2009, the brewery produces a variety of brews, and recently changed its focus to wilder varieties of beer with a emphasis on Belgian and sour styles.
Rivertown is located in the Cincinnati suburb of Lockland, and has been growing steady for several years, most recently with its newly expanded tap room and new bottling line. More information: http://RivertownBrewery.com
# # #
The Whiskey Shambles won the 2015 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Best Blues Act. But that’s not the whole story…
very metal version of Sweet Little Harbinger), right before receiving the CEA for Blues! The irony is not lost on us.
The result was the heaviest, rockin-est set we’ve ever played. Faces were melted, blues fans were annoyed, and we scared the bejesus outta ourselves. What a way to end a helluva week!
