Draft Punk debut at Punk's Backyard Grill, Annapolis May 16th UPDATED

I'll give David McCabe credit: he knows how to cut to the chase.  When he sent this press release, he said, "We think press releases are boring and I'm certain you probably get 100 sent to you every day."  Well not quite, but it's been close a couple days.  But let's go to the news from the Annapolis restaurant:

Punk s Backyard Grill  is kicking off American Craft Beer Week with the release of its own collaboration beer, “Draft Punk,” brewed with Oliver Ales. To celebrate the release of “Draft Punk,” Punk’s Backyard Grill is offering $3 pints, souvenir glassware, and 20% off of all food from 6:00pm – 10:00pm on Monday, May 16th.  Punk’s and Brewmaster Steve Jones from Oliver Ales will be tapping traditional kegs as well as a firkin for this event.
  
The recipe for “Draft Punk” was created by Brewmaster Steve Jones of Oliver Ales in collaboration with David McCabe, one of the owners of Punk’s Backyard Grill.  The final product is a 7.0% ABV American IPA that was bittered with Chinook hops and finished with whole leaf Cascade hops.  It was then dry hopped in the conditioning tank with additional whole leaf Cascades. The beer will be available at Punk’s Backyard Grill in Annapolis, the Pratt St. Ale House in Baltimore, and a few select bars and restaurants in the Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD region.

 “We were thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a talented brewer, and we had a great time brewing this beer,” says McCabe.  “Draft Punk is a wonderfully balanced, fresh and fragrant IPA that will be our house beer at Punk’s all summer.”

So why did an Annapolis pub come to Baltimore, and an already-overworked brewer, for a custom brew, instead of asking about in Annapolis, home to two "brewpubs" of its own?  McCabe said  "I actually called [Castlebay] before reaching out to Steve at Olivers.  I spoke first with a bartender there who told me that they haven't brewed in about 3 years and that their house beer is outsourced. I called back and talked to the owner who steadfastly refused to take my money in exchange for an opportunity to brew there. He mentioned to me, grudgingly, that he was hoping to move the brew equipment out of the restaurant.  Not sure what he is planning to do with it.  I also talked to the folks at Ram's Head and they haven't brewed in Annapolis in about 3 years either."


They also made this available for our perusal; if you haven't been in the basement of the Pratt Street Ale House, here's a look at what the "dungeon" and the "Hunchback Brewers' Universe" looks like: