Have Gun, Will Travel from left, Scott Anderson, Matt Burke, Danny Burke and J.P. Beaubien. PUBLICITY PHOTO
UPDATED 4/11: More great news for us lovers of craft beer and live music. Rock Brothers Brewing Company, a locally owned and operated craft beer business operating in Tampa, just issued its first official press release about its mission in general and debut beer created for Bradenton-based American band Have Gun, Will Travel.
Turns out, Rock Brothers plans to produce and distribute custom beers for various bands nationwide! The brewery will launch its first beer during High Road BeachFest April 28 at Postcard Inn in St. Petersburg when it debuts Have Gun's High Road Ale, a pale ale "featuring hints of orange peel."
Check out the new brew created for Bradenton band Have Gun, Will Travel
High Road Ale will simultaneously be introduced at about a dozen bars and music venues in the Tampa Bay area, including all World of Beer locations, Postcard Inn and Mandarin Hide.
Matt Burke, the leader of HGWT, has stated that High Road Ale is named after a song on the band’s fourth album, set to be released this summer.
“We’re not simply sponsoring a band or licensing its name,” Kevin Lilly, a founder of Rock Brother Brewing Company, explained in the email issued today. “We believe in the acts we’re partnering with, and our business model creates financial and marketing opportunities that will support the artist’s career for years to come.”
Rock Brothers plans to partner with bands beyond Florida’s border in 2014.
“We intend to build the brand in Florida over the next several months, then introduce branded beers for regional and national acts in markets around the country,” said Mark Zenow of Cord Management, a music management company that is helping Rock Brothers align with musicians and bands.
Each beer will reflect an act’s personal preference and be created in the "recipe room" of Tampa's award-winning Cigar City Brewing, a key partner of Rock Brothers Brewing Company.
“Great tunes and great beer belong together,” said Justin Clark, vice-president of Cigar City Brewing. “We enjoy fun projects and collaborating with our peers, so bringing craft beer and great music together was a no-‐brainer for us.”
The members of Have Gun, Will Travel are also excited.
“The Rock Brothers have a long history in the music industry and it’s clear they’re thinking about our interests,” said guitarist Scott Anderson of Have Gun, Will Travel. “They believe in us, and our fans, and they want to help spread the word about our music, as much as they want to sell our beer.”
Wayne Wambles is brew-master for Cigar City Brewing and said he worked closely with the band members to create a beer they could call their own.
"I wanted to make a beer that represented Have Gun’s music in a tangible liquid form," Wambles said.
High Road Ale will be available for the first time, on tap, at High Road BeachFest April 28 at the Postcard Inn on St. Pete Beach. It’s free to attend and runs from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Along with Have Gun, Will Travel, music acts Woody, Geri X, Danfield and DJ Marcos Udagawa will perform throughout the day.
UPDATED 4/8: More exciting news from Have Gun, Will Travel. The Bradenton band will release a single later this month to coincide with its beer launch followed by a new full-length. Bassist/vocalist Danny Burke told me Saturday they played a role in choosing the ale that bears their name and the album, recorded in the band's rehearsal space near downtown Bradenton, is almost ready. Here's the email issued Sunday by HGWT:
We're super stoked about this! Justin Clark, vice-president of Cigar City, described the beer as a "hoppy pale ale" with 5.5 percent alcohol by volume. The beer is named after our new song "High Road," which will be available in the coming weeks on a limited 7-inch vinyl release by Daddy Kool Records (in St. Petersburg).
We're having a Beer Launch/Beachfest on April 28th at the Postcard Inn on St. Pete Beach. Check out this write-up in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune for details.
In other news, we're hitting the road this week for some FL/GA shows with Athens, GA southern rock band Radiolucent.
WED, 4/10 - Jacksonville, FL @ Burro Bar
THU, 4/11 - Macon, GA @ The Hummingbird
FRI, 4/12 - Columbus, GA @ The Loft
SAT, 4/13 - Atlanta, GA @ Smith's Olde Bar
We recently wrapped up production on our fourth full-length album. This baby was mixed by our very own Scott Anderson, and mastered by the legendary Rodney Mills (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, etc). We're really happy with it and can't wait for you all to hear it. Details will be announced as they unfold.
For updates and shenanigans, follow us on twitter, yo.
Stay tuned.
Your pals,
Matt, Danny, JP & Scott
HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL
Original post from 4/5: This is a big one for the guys in Bradenton-based Americana band Have Gun, Will Travel; right up there with hearing their songs played and discussed on NPR or performing at venerable venues across the country or receiving rave reviews in national music publications.
Tampa's award winning Cigar City Brewing and Tampa Bay-based Rock Brothers Brewing have teamed up to create Have Gun, Will Travel's High Road Ale.
"We are really excited to be producing a beer with a local music act," Justin Clark, vice president of Cigar City Brewing, said when reached today by phone. "Craft beer and good music go so well together."
He described the beer as a "hoppy pale ale" with 5.5 percent alcohol by volume and explained that it's a "Rock Brothers Brewing beer produced by Cigar City."
"There's a release party Sunday, April 28 at Postcard Inn, St Pete Beach," reads the post by Have Gun, Will Travel on the band's Facebook page. "Available in select Tampa Bay Area bars the following day. Full details released soon!"
Check back for those "full details."
