STEVENS POINT, Wis.  (March 16, 2009) – Beer and wings are a classic combination and two Wisconsin companies, Stevens Point Brewery and Brakebush Brothers, Inc., have teamed up to provide the perfect pairing: Tappers Beer Battered Wings featuring Point Amber Classic.

Brakebush Brothers, a leading supplier of chicken products for foodservice and consumers based in Westfield, Wis., uses Point Amber Classic in the batter for Tappers, resulting in a hearty, yet delicately crisp and tasty coating with a hint of hops and a distinctive amber color.

Tappers Beer Battered Wings, the only beer-battered wings on the market, are sold to restaurants, pubs and taverns nationwide.  Point-of-sale advertising materials for Tappers Beer Battered Wings, including table tents and posters, features the Point Amber Classic logo along with images of a frosty pint glass and pitcher filled with the appealing red-colored lager.

“This new partnership opens an exciting new chapter for our brewery and gives Point Amber Classic valuable nationwide exposure,” Martino said. “We’re thrilled with Brakebush Brothers’ choice of Point Amber Classic to make their new Tappers Beer Battered Wings.”

Both companies have long histories in Wisconsin, Martino noted.  “Stevens Point Brewery has been brewing quality handcrafted beers since 1857 and the Brakebush brothers, Bill and Otto, founded their business with a single delivery truck in 1925,” he said.

Portrait of a Classic Brew

Introduced in 1994, Point Amber Classic is a true American-style amber lager.  Roasted caramel malts give the beer its reddish copper hue and a subtle caramel character while crystal malt imparts a soft sweetness, according to John Zappa, Stevens Point Brewery’s brewmaster.

“We use American Tettnanger, Hallertau and Cascade hops to give Point Amber Classic a complex, but well-balanced hop flavor,” he said.

Point Amber Classic has garnered its share of awards over the years. It earned a World Beer Cup Gold Award in 1996 and a Silver Award in 2002.  The annual World Beer Championships sponsored by the Chicago Beverage Testing Institute honored Point Amber Classic with a Silver Medal in the 2001 judging and a Bronze Medal in 2008.  Finally, Point Amber Classic won a Bronze Medal in the American-style Dark Lager category at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival in 1997.

Brakebush Brothers

Brakebush started its business in 1925 and today still thrives on the solid, innovative spirit of its founders. Brakebush offers a wide variety of further processed chicken products to Foodservice establishments nationally and grocery stores in the Midwest.  A sizable plant expansion in 2006 ensures they will remain a state-of-the-art chicken processor.  For further information, visit www.brakebush.com or call 1-800-933-2121.

The Stevens Point Brewery

Stevens Point Brewery, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2007, is one of the oldest breweries in the United States, using only the highest-grade barley malts, specialty malts, grains and the choicest hops to brew our handcrafted beers.

In addition to Point Amber Classic, the Stevens Point Brewery’s year-round brands are Point Special Lager, Point Horizon Wheat, Point Cascade Pale Ale, Point Belgian White and the brand new Point Burly Brown American Brown Ale, introduced March 1, 2009.