Three-Year Deal

While our blog may be a little stagnant, BottleMark is far from it! We've been hard at work, wearing ALL THE HATS, bringing you the very best custom bottle caps technology can offer.

Okay, it's possible this hat wasn't for work.

And BottleMark just turned 3!

We're wishing for more brewers like you!

To celebrate, we're offering you a sneak peak into our near future: something very special, very sexy, and done the BottleMark way.

Motley Brüe is ready to rock!

Like us on Facebook for an exclusive "beta label deal" available only to our Facebook fans.

One-Day Sale and Homebrewing Freedom

As of midnight this morning, Mississippi's bill to allow homebrewing became law. With this final step, everyone in the United States of America can now brew beer at home without fear of the beer cops. WOOHOO!

"Excuse me sir, I'm gonna need you to drop the hops."

No joke. This was totally legally feasible in our country until today.

Wait...what? I bet most of you find this fact surprising. You thought your country was the land of the free. Well, not so much! Following Prohibition--our favorite WTF event in American history--the federal government had some new laws to write. In 1933, it technically allowed brewing at home IF AND ONLY IF the homebrewer paid alcohol's excise taxes as well as a penal bond like any other brewer. Yet wine making at home wasn't subject to any taxes. Which is ridiculous. It took 46 more years for us to realize this was ridiculous, when Jimmy Carter finally made brewing beer in small quantities for personal consumption free from taxes by 1979. Coincidence that the 1980s were the start of the Great American Beer Revolution? I think not.

But the federal homebrewing law still left room for the states to decide. Not everyone jumped on the bandwagon. But through lots of grass-roots efforts and awesome organizations like Alabama's Right to Brew, people nation-wide have slowly yet surely convinced their legislatures to legalize this great American tradition (yep: GW and TJ homebrewed, as did almost every colonial wife). Oklahoma took until 2010 to convince, and up until this year, Alabama and Mississippi remained the final bastions of the 1930s. NO MORE!

Mississippi passed its bill on March 18 to go into effect today, and Alabama's governor signed his state's bill on May 9, 2013. Today's the end of an era (a stupid era). And it's the birth of a new one! We're a new nation, conceived in responsible consumption and dedicated to the proposition that all beers are not created equal. Americans everywhere are standing up and demanding good-tasting, well-crafted beer.

Hatching a new generation

But the fight's not over, my friends, not by far. Some states make it illegal to consume your homebrew away from your home (I really have no idea what justifies this), thus making homebrew clubs and competitions criminal. And then there's South Carolina, which says you're illegal if you're brewing beer over 5%. And don't even get me started on alcohol laws in general! I fondly remember the 9 pm lock-down on beer at Wisconsin grocery stores. And why is it that I always need to go to the liquor store on Sunday? And then there was the time I was in Oklahoma, and all the grocery-store beer was "beer water" reduced to 4%: what the--?

Imprisoned.

The beer cops are still out there. 

Find out about your state's homebrewing laws here, and consider becoming an advocate for sane alcohol laws in your state. Seriously. Advocacy works! Texas recently had a major triumph for small brewers (who can now sell their beers on site, can you imagine?), thanks to craft beer drinkers like you coming together in groups like Open the Taps.

Tomorrow's another fight, but today, let's celebrate this moment. It's your moment, the homebrewer's moment, so we're giving you 10% off all orders of 50 custom caps or more ALL DAY TODAY until 12 am Pacific Time. Order one cap for each legal state, and celebrate!

Why? Because nothing's more American than a sale, of course! WAY TO GO, HOMEBREWERS OF AMERICA! (And our international friends? You can join the party, too.)

10% OFF 50+ CUSTOM CAPS TODAY ONLY
COUPON CODE: homeofthebrew

Freedom! (And a Sale): Coming July 1st

Get excited. Monday, July 1, 2013 will be a truly historic day in the United States. After way too many years of prohibition-esque inanity, all fifty states (yes, even you, Mississippi!) will have explicit laws on the books permitting homebrewing. Brewer activists in Alabama and Mississippi have been hard at work for years to de-demonize a hobby many in their states were pursuing anyway despite the illegal status. This legislative session, they finally met with success in both states.

To celebrate this watershed moment for our favorite avocation, BottleMark will have a One-Day Celebration Sale: 10% off orders of 50 custom caps or more on July 1. That's one cap in honor of each state! For we are about to become the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brew.

Check back first thing on July 1 for the special coupon code.

I may disagree with your beer, but I will defend to the death your right to brew it.

2 Years and Growing

BottleMark officially turns two today!

And we're (ahem) pretty excited about it.

We're very busy printing caps and destroying cakes today, but we wanted to take the time out to invite you to celebrate with us. So we'll let you in on a little secret...

Yellow Labs: Coming Soon

SHHH! It's a secret to everybody.

Bullard's Brew-gift

Every job comes with its perks: maybe it's a company car, cheap pitchers, or unsupervised reddit time. But here at BottleMark, the big company perk is our customers. Brewers are just the nicest people out there.

We recently made a homebrewer so happy, he insisted he share the love. So we got two of our custom caps back, but with the brews attached!

Our caps fulfill their destiny

Josh Bullard reports, "I get inspiration for my beers from experiences, crazy ideas, friends/people I meet, music, art...weather patterns." I lol'd. I'd like to see a whole brewery be weather patterned-themed.

For the first beer, Josh was dreaming of a heavy-hitting wheat when the song "Bombshell" by Operation Ivy played, and so this Imperial Wheat was born. He completed it with a punk-rock anarchy cap.

The second is a special brew made for Josh's friend Natalie. She's fond of honey beers but not so much of hoppy beers, and so with the help of some local honey, Josh created a nicely balanced Honey Pale Ale. Natalie got pride of place on the cap and christened it Bumble Brew.

And for the first time I can actually report back that "nicely balanced" isn't just Josh's claim: it's mine, too! We hoarded the gifts for a special occasion at the Cooper household...what better night than chicken fajita night! Here I am hamming it up with the Bumble Brew Honey Pale Ale.

Natalie's not the only one who can make quirky faces!

This beer had a forward honey-induced sweetness that the hops at the end kept from turning too sweet. And here's Cameron with some delicious fajitas and She's A Bombshell Imperial Wheat.

He grew those sideburns for a play, I swear!

The Imperial Wheat had a lovely nutty taste, wasn't super-wheaty, and was super-drinkable for 8% ABV.

And here's the brewer!

(on the right)

While BottleMark can't exactly accept payment in beer, we're certainly open to company donations. Thanks, Josh, for some great homebrew! What's next? A Cumulus Cloud Cream Ale, perhaps?

Bottle caps and Bardolatry

For those of you who know me in the real world, you know I've got one of the quirkiest combinations of passions. It's time to confess to you all: I make custom bottle caps for a living, and I do Shakespeare. Wait, what?

Forsooth, I speak the truth! In fact, Shakespeare got me into bottle caps: I met Cameron through Rice University's Baker Shakespeare program, and he even proposed dressed as Prospero at the end of a Tempest rehearsal with a Shakespearean line he said on stage to me two years before ("Will you have me, lady?"). Thankfully Shakespeare left me free to give my own answer that time. When you have the Bard to thank for both your living and your love, you call it Bardolatry.

For the last ten weeks, I've been hard at work every evening directing The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare's most controversial play, for Baker Shakespeare at Rice University. At this Saturday night's cast party, we're popping the top on these bad boys.

An ESB brewed with a vengeance.

An English Brown Ale: as beer as beer gets!

So if you're in Houston, TX this weekend, consider catching our last three performances of The Merchant of Venice!

In this most problematic of Shakespeare's comedies, Shylock the Jew seeks a pound of flesh from Antonio the Christian while three couples fall in (and out of) love. All that glisters is not gold in this equal parts funny and frightening production, set in all the opulence and prejudice of Renaissance Venice.

Remaining Performances: This weekend only!
March 14, 15, 16 @ 8pm
Baker Residential College, Rice University
6320 Main Street

Tickets:
$5 Students
$7 Alums/Faculty/Staff
$10 Public

LINKS
Show info with maps and parking: http://www.bakershake.org
Rice Thresher Review
Meme

The Bottle Cap Bar of Dodge Brewery

After four and a half years of brewing, Eric Dodge finally has all the badging of the pros. He's put his family crest logo on t-shirts and labels before, but nothing says "official" quite like a bottle cap.

Classy? Quite. 

But wait...it gets even classier. Saddled with an outdated bar in his basement, Eric Dodge decided to jazz it up with bottle caps. He edged it in wine corks, laid out a substantial collection of bottle caps, and covered the top with half-an-inch of clear resin for a solid top surface.

The ultimate basement accessory.

Check out the cork siding.

A custom cap in action!

Dodge's only regret? Not using more custom caps. My only regret? Not having a basement where I can have my own bottle cap bar.

If you collect or otherwise craft with custom caps, check out our quarter technique tutorial—by far the best way to remove a bottle cap without damaging it.

Euclid Hall

If you're a beer lover and lucky enough to live near Denver, get thee to Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen. After indulging in Steak Poutine with an Avery Reverend Belgian Quadrupel or perhaps one of their house-made, hand-cranked sausages and a Dry Dock Double IPA, you'll receive your check and one of these beauties.

Euclid Hall prides itself on high-quality, innovative pub food and the best of beer menus. Beer nerds will get a kick out of the bottle listing, organized into increasingly-challenging categories: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, and Quantum Mathematics (full of Dubbels and Quadrupels). They also feature a few creative beer cocktails, like a Zeus's Brother (Great Divide Hades, Broker’s gin, Pimms, lavender simple syrup, lemon juice). I've had almost every variety of beer one can get in Houston, but I can safely say I've never tried that!

Also serving plenty of liquor.

New in 2010 yet housed in a historic 1883 building, Euclid Hall earned Westword's 2011 awards for Best New Restaurant, Best Late-Night Menu, Best Rising-Star Chef, and reader's choice for Best New American Restaurant and Best Bottle Beer List. Oh yeah, and they're open until 2.

Did I mention the house-made sausage?

Wanna go? Head to Denver's 14th street, and look for the giant tap handle. You'll get a bottle cap and an absolutely gastronomical experience.

BottleMark in Denmark

BottleMark recently received the honor of a feature in the April/May Danske Olentusiaster. That's right: the Danish Beer Enthusiast Magazine!

The cap on this cover could use an upgrade!

I confess I can't make heads or tails of the article, but our trusty Dane Tim Karll reassures me the content's positive. Who knows? Maybe we'll open a European branch someday. So here's to our international friends. Skål!

Rufus Bearcrusher

Some caps are cute, some are clever, but only once in a while do we have the honor to print something truly epic.

There are no words.

When I queried creator Joseph Stanfield of Bearcrusher Brewery about the story behind this awesome, I received the following, equally epic reply:

The design is a picture of my rescue basset Rufus Bearcrusher. When we got him he had scars all over his body and head. There was no story or explanation behind them so we hired a professional investigative team of ninja squirrels to find the truth. After months of searching for answers and many battles with the samurai wombats of of the North, the search lead them to the snowy Icelandic Regions. It was here that they discovered the Bearcrusher Kingdom and the true identity of Rufus Bearcrusher, king of the Viking Horde. And now we wait, for once his memory is regained he will once again rule these lands and their people and lead them to glory razing, pillaging and looting the nearby lands. And when he dies, he will die an honorable death in battle and dine with the gods on the finest kibble and milk bones.

Until then, the government is utilizing him in their classified Counter Terrorism Unit. At least, I believe this is still classified, so it might be wise to keep that quiet until

***TRANSMISSION INTERCEPTED***
***CARRIER LOST***

Proof

QR Codes

Every business has a QR code somewhere on display these days, but does yours come on a bottle cap?

Not a rickroll. I promise.

Whether you've got a brewer's site, a homebrew blog, a quirky business, or a hilarious meme you want to share at a party, QR Code bottle caps are a great way to send people straight to it. There are lots of websites that create codes for free; combine them with BottleMark's simple upload tool, and you've got a totally unique way to market your business, beer, blog rants, or skiing ostrich.

Try the QR Code in our new publicity photo.

Mercier Literacy for Children

Mercier Literacy for Children works hard year-round providing high-quality reading and writing instruction to Rochester's at-risk kids. So naturally, the program needed a set of bottle caps.

Can you identify them all?

Agathi Consulting recently organized a fundraiser for Mercier Lit called "Uncork Your Imagination." The event featured dishes and wines from local restaurants inspired by classic children's books. The Jack and the Beanstalk booth served an organic bean spread, the Snow White table offered cider-brazed pork stuffed with apple--you get the idea: YUM! And to go with every glass of wine, guests received a unique storybook wine charm, handmade from BottleMark caps.

Charming! (Photo courtesy of DK Photography)

Agathi and her interns made these unique giveaways with simple ingredients: recloseable hoops, colorful accent beads, and pre-punched custom caps. And no charm was left behind! At the end of the night, the event was a huge success, raising over $17,000 for Mercier's literacy programs. And giving BottleMark a new idea...custom cap wine/beer charms, coming soon to our shop!

Find out more and help support Mercier Literacy for Children.

Bottle Caps Prevent Soap Slime

There's a life pro-tip circulating around the Interweb that BottleMark just had to share.

Redditor "Pavement_ist_rad" recommended twisting a metal bottle cap into a bar of soap so that the bar rests on the cap, thereby preventing the accumulation of soap slime.

From bar to bar soap: the life cycle of a bottle cap.

And of course what would look better than a custom bottle cap on that bar of soap? Make your bathroom decor complete!

We're mostly kidding. Mostly...

This is a great way to reuse caps, custom or not. Remember to change out the bottle cap every once in a while before it begins to rust, and recycle when they've had it!
(Credit to awesome friend Nathan W. for pointing out this story.)

Gilmore Car Museum

I'm always on the look-out for creative uses for custom caps, and the Gilmore Car Museum came up with a truly unique idea.

Not fated for bottling.

The Gilmore Car Museum crew recently hosted their first annual "A Pint with the Past" fundraiser. 

Fresh beer and historic cars. (Credit to John A. Lacko, Kalamazoo Gazette)

Over 150 people flocked to the event to enjoy good beer and a taste of history in the newly completed Gilmore Heritage Center, designed in the style of a turn-of-the-century brick factory.

Of course, they couldn't give out unlimited pints, so they needed some form of drink token. What could speak more to the purpose and the theme than logo bottle caps?

The result was a huge success. Some guests even hoarded their allotted tokens as souvenirs instead of making the exchange for beer. Remaining bottle caps were shipped off to the gift shop to be sold as souvenir magnets. The caps also served as great centerpieces in photos promoting the event.

Cover page of the Battle Creek Enquirer's Weekend Entertainment

Publicity shot

If you're ever cruising around Michigan, check out the Gilmore Car Museum. You'll see over 200 historic vehicles, an 1899 locomobile, a recreated 1930s Shell gasoline station, a 1940s diner, and now bottle cap magnets in the gift shop!

New Caps in Design Library

Here at BottleMark, we've been hard at work expanding our little business (not to mention fulfilling orders), and now the design library reflects our all-new printing process.

Lookin' good, dawg.

White caps. Matte finishes. Colors that pop. All at the same ridiculously low price. Whether you're ordering from the library or creating your own custom masterpiece, check out just how good our bottle caps look: BottleMark Design Library.

We've also added a few new designs...
Our Brew Date design features the beer style, a barley graphic, and plenty of space to date your beer with a sharpie. Great option if you brew a lot!

Because you still like using sharpies on your caps.

New Homer Simpson beer quote cap:

Because it's a classic.

If I had my way, I would spend my whole day adding meme caps to the library. But for now, I limited myself to only one:

Because we're all brewing beer better than Dos XX.

Got a great idea for a library design? You know where to find me.

North Bay Brewery Tours

James from North Bay Brewery Tours piqued my interest with this cap.

Turns out he and a couple of friends started a business transporting the thirsty to craft breweries in Sonoma County, California. Forget winery tours! Free lunch, lots of draft tastings, and even some homebrew education: a Saturday well spent.

Each day tour visits 3-4 different breweries. A sampling of some of the locales:

Lagunitas Brewing Company

Bear Republic Brewing Company

Broken Drum Brewery

Stumptown Brewery

Third Street Aleworks

The Beverage People (Homebrew Supply)

Fun photos, courtesy Scott Manchester for the Press Democrat.

North Bay's tour bus unloads at Lagunitas

The chalkboard at Lagunitas. Thirsty yet?

This is why you take a bus.

We like the way you roll, North Bay. 

With some magnets, glue, and BottleMark-made custom caps, North Bay Brewery Tours now have awesome (and affordable) "schwag" to hand out to their guests.

If you're visiting northern California, take the tour! http://northbaybrewerytours.com/