This event collaboration with Brooklyn Brewery and local patisserie, lucettegrace featured rare vintages of the brewery’s Black Ops that The Raleigh Times had in their beer cellar. Black Ops is a special and extremely rare limited release beer from Brooklyn Brewery aged for four months in bourbon barrels, bottled flat, and re-fermented in the bottle with Champagne yeast. Its notes of chocolate and coffee notes that pair well with the pastries prepared by lucettegrace
I am not a beer drinker, let alone a connoisseur, so for inspiration I went to the Brooklyn Brewery website to learn all about Black Ops. At the time the website’s description of Black Ops told the story of how it was brewed in secrecy and its very existence may only be a rumor. I took hold of that backstory and the Black Ops name and went all in with the mystery theme for promoting the event. Since the star of the event was these rare beers and the event had limited seating, I wanted to create an experience, or rather a mission for guests. Does Black Ops exist?
I prepared mini dossiers with tasting sheets, bio’s of the beers complete with “mug shots” that I photographed and gave a spotlight “interrogation room” look. The file also contained the menu for the evening and sheets for tasting notes.
I hand-made each of the 30 dossier folders. I printed the event logo I designed and a dieline for the cutout at the top on kraft paper, then hand cut the notch at the top and applied the self-adhesive paper holders. I designed and printed all the interior pages, cut, punched and assembled them into the dossier. The Brooklyn Beer rep who we partnered with and attended the event, told me loved the idea and requested a copy to share with his marketing team.
Again taking inspiration from the Black Ops page of the Brooklyn Brewery website, I drafted the copy for the Eventbrite posting and social media posts promoting the event.
Event Description
1 NIGHT ONLY | 4 RARE VINTAGES | 5 DELECTABLE COURSES
For one night only in our upstairs bar, we open up our Brooklyn Brewery Cellars for a tasting featuring 4 vintages of the mythical and very rare Brooklyn Black Ops as well as the elusive Better Angels.
We’ve enlisted the assistance of lucettegrace Chef Daniel Benjamin, to prepare delicious pastries to complement these unique vintages.
Now we are recruiting our team of tasters. An event like this requires a highly specialized team with refined palates. (And by highly specialized, we mean must like beer and tasty food). This is a unique opportunity to sample 4 vintages of the mysterious Black Ops and uncover the nuances of each year, all while feasting on delectable fare from lucettegrace.
Qualified tasters will be briefed on the merits of the menu offerings as they are presented and Special Agents from Brooklyn Brewery will provide background intel on each brew.
Your mission: devour, drink, and determine your favorite vintage of Black Ops and discover your new favorite pastry.
Are you up to the job?
Can you handle this five-course menu?
Do you have $60?
***ALERT****
We've just received new intel that a silent auction for 2 bottles of Black Ops 2013 will be held, and a third bottle will be given away to one lucky taster. Our inside source at Brooklyn Brewery indicates that they know of no other bar that is in possession of 2013 or 2014 bottles of Black Ops in stock. This may be your only opportunity to sample these vintages. Brooklyn bomber bottles will also be available to purchase at a discount.
***ALERT***
Still here?
Good, we have reports of chatter that there may be a limited supply of Brooklyn Black Ops available to purchase at the event, so come prepared.