Tattoosday (A Tattoo Blog): giveaways

Showing posts with label giveaways. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Brewsday Tuesday: Maui Brewing Edition

It's the return of Brewsday Tuesday on Tattoosday!

This installment features Maui Brewing Company (@mauibrewingco) based in Kihei, on the island of Maui in the great state of Hawai'i.

Having grown up on Oahu, I am thrilled to feature another great brewery from my home state. I may be a New Yorker now, but the Hawaiian Islands will always be home to me.

Our tattoos today come from Jon DuPont, Maui's Brewing Supervisor in Kihei. Jon has been with MBC for a little over four years, having originally applied to be a bartender in the new tasting room when they were moving production from Lahaina to Kihei. He ended up starting as a packaging tech and moved up in the organization into brewing and has been in his current role for about a year.

Jon was kind enough to share his Super Mario sleeve with us:

Jon credits this cool work to Kevin Reinert (@truetattoos1923) at Zen Tattoo Maui (@zentattoomaui).

Jon told us how this sleeve came into existence:

"It started as just the green 1-UP mushroom many years ago. I had been kicking around the idea of some kind of Nintendo-themed tat and my girlfriend (now wife) had just given me a little tin of mints (or something) that was shaped like the 1-UP shroom so it seemed like a good fit...my good friend had been planning to road trip (Coeur d'Alene to Boise, Idaho) to see one of his old artist friends so I tagged along for the ride and ended up getting the mushroom done with I was down in Boise with him. At that point it wasn't outlined, just had a little orange starburst around it that fell out pretty quickly. CdA to Boise is about 8 hours so I never had it touched up.

So fast forward about 8 years from that and I'm living on Maui and had become buddies with Kevin...our wives worked together just down the street from the MBC tasting room so we become drinking buddies pretty quickly. My wife ended up getting a big mandala back piece from him and I was digging his work so I plunged back in and started working on the sleeve piece by piece...Mario/Bowser/Luigi first combined with lining and touching up the mushroom. Next was Princess Peach followed by the flying goomba and bullet bill, and finally the background."

Thanks to Jon for sharing this cool tattoo with us!

As for Maui Brewing Company's beer, you'd think that I couldn't get Hawaiian beer in Brooklyn, but you'd be wrong. I was able to track down several of their brands for this Brewsday Tuesday:

I had previously had MBC's Coconut Hiwa Porter and their Big Swell IPA, but the Bikini Blonde Lager and Pineapple Mana Wheat were new to me. These are four of their year-round brands. Alas, the Pau Hana Pilsner and Double Overhead Double IPA eluded me. Jon said the Double Overhead, or as he called it, "Big Swell's Bigger Badder Brother," is really something special, and is the tattoo artist Kevin's favorite beer.

It was great to be trying these in August when the hot New York City summer made the Bikini Blonde lager really light and freshing.

The lager is super crisp and I could almost hear the surf while drinking it. And the Pineapple Mana was really nice, as well. I love pineapple, and the flavors are super subtle. It is not overpowering, but it definitely makes its presence known.

As for the Big Swell, I've had this before and it is a solid, great-tasting IPA.

With a 6.8% ABV and an 82 IBU, this has the perfect amount of hoppiness and flavor to give you a rock solid IPA.

As someone who is partial to darker beers, the Coconut Hiwa Porter was already on my radar and having an excuse to track down another one (they don't stay on the shelves too long in Brooklyn), was a treat.

This baby is smooth, and so robust with flavor. Just the perfect amount of coconut to give this 6.0% porter a nice touch of the islands. I can't recommend this enough.

Maui Brewing has some limited releases, as well, which I will be constantly on the lookout. Their Lilikoi Saison looks amazing.

Like in previous editions of Brewsday Tuesday on Tattoosday, Maui Brewing Company has been generous enough to throw a little swag our way:

So, you know how this works. Commenting on the post below will get you two entries into the giveaways (there will be at least two prize packages), social media likes will garner one entry, as well. There are hats, coozies, stickers, keychains and magnets to be had.

A hearty mahalo to the good folks at Maui Brewing Company for joining us in this Brewsday Tuesday post. Thanks, of course to Jon for sharing his tattoos, as well as to Marsha Hansen in MBC's Marketing for setting everything up, and lastly to Garrett Marrero, Maui Brewing Company's CEO.

Cheers from Brooklyn!

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Brewsday Tuesday: Left Hand Edition

Last summer we launched our Brewsday Tuesday on Tattoosday feature, and we're back with more great tattoos and beer (and a super prize giveaway) from the good folks at Left Hand Brewing (@lefthandbrewing) in Colorado!

Left Hand was founded in 1993 in Longmont, about 30 miles outside of Denver, and they have been an award-winning brewery ever since, racking up medals and awards and, most importantly, producing great beer.

I recently had a chat with Ryan Call, Left Hand's Western Regional Manager, and we talked beer and tattoos. First let's look at some of his tattoos:

That's a pretty cool koi swimming up Ryan's arm...

There are some great elements in this half sleeve.

Ryan told me that he had been a fan of traditional Japanese tattoo art, but he had been working for a distributor in Kansas that didn't allow tattoos. When he landed the gig at Left Hand, there were no such restrictions, so he celebrated and "went big" with this beautiful tattoo.

He credited Ron Miller (@miller.tattoo) at Ichiban Tattoo in Lawrence, Kansas . Ron has since opened his own shop, called Miller Tattoo, also in Lawrence.

Ryan also has another tattoo, as spotted in this photo:

That is a pocket watch on his wrist with a banner that says ...

"Live for Today."

Ryan told me that this watch in the tattoo is a family heirloom, that was handed down to him when his grandfather passed away. The watch has been in his family since 1888 and, since it's locked away in a safe deposit box, this way he gets to see it every day.

He got this as a walk-in at Mercy Seat Tattoo (@mercyseattattoo) in Kansas City, Missouri.

Thanks to Ryan for sharing his tattoos, photographed by Kearby Milliner at Left Hand.

Now, let's talk about the beer. Left Hand has a slew of brands and, as familiar as I am with some, I got a nice sample for this post:

I had a lot of fun drinking this beer, I can honestly say. I've been a fan of Left Hand's Milk Stout (far right) and, although I tend to favor darker beers, I found the lighter ones, like the Travelin' Light kolsch and the Polestar pilsner, to be crisp and flavorful. The Extrovert IPA is a solid brand with a great hoppiness that stands among the best IPAs out there. The shining gem in this family portrait, for me, however, was their Fade to Black (pictured second from left). This seasonal "foreign stout" is a palate-buster for me, with licorice notes that really made drinking this beer a treat.

Ryan told me his favorite brand is the Black Jack porter, which is one of their perennial brews that rocks a great espresso and dark chocolate flavor.

Left Hand has a solid lineup and it was a pleasure and honor to partner with them in this celebration of tattoos and brews!

They are also very generous, in that they have offered up a super "Ready to Rock" prize package for Tattoosday readers:

This includes, a Nitro Sherpa Hoodie, a Pour Hard Knuckles t-shirt, a Red Pour Hard Nitro t-shirt, a Colorado Trucker Hat, a 64 oz Ecovessel, a Left Hand cooler bag and belt pack! WHAT?! All apparel is size M.

Readers who comment below or on social media will be entered automatically into a random drawing and the winner will get this box of awesomeness shipped to their doorstep. Commenting with your favorite brand from Left Hand will double your chances, as I will count your entry twice.

Thanks to all the great people at Left Hand Brewing Company for making this an awesome Brewsday Tuesday! Special thanks to Sarah Watson for coordinating this with me, and to Ryan Call, for sharing his tattoos with us, as well as all the others on the Left Hand team that helped make this post possible.

Cheers!

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Brewsday Tuesday: Two Roads Edition

Brewsday Tuesday on Tattoosday is back with a post full of goodness from Two Roads Brewing Company (@tworoadsbrewing) in Stratford, Connecticut.

Appropriately, we're going to celebrate two-for-Tattoosday in double fashion, with tattoos from two folks from Two Roads, and I'll rave about at least two of the Two Roads brews.

I first connected with Emily, Two Roads' Social Media/Communications Manager, back in the fall, and she shared her tattoo of an empty nonic pint on her inner wrist:

She explained that the glass tattoo was a reminder "that that there will always be beer!" The piece was inked at The Parlour Tattoo (@theparlourtattoo) in Eugene, Oregon.

Since we started first started talking about Two Roads joining the Brewsday Tuesday roster of featured breweries, she has added another, this time a Belgian glass:

This tattoo was done at Forest to Shore Gallery (@ftsgallery) in Stratford, CT by Raquel Cude (@raquelcood).

Emily drew both of her tattoos. She is also the creator of Pints and Panels (@pintsandpanels), a really cool website (soon to become book) that takes a cartoonist's eye to the world of beer. Highly recommended!

In this photo, incidentally, she's holding a limited release of Two Juicy New England Style IPA. I had just recently been treated to one at The Lock Yard (@lock_yard) in Brooklyn last week, when I met Paul, one of Two Roads' sales managers.

Emily also introduced me to Colin, one of the brewing supervisors at Two Roads, who shared his beer-related tattoos:

Colin explained that the tattoos embody "water, malt, hops and fire - the ingredients needed to make beer (besides yeast)."

His artist is Jae Connor (@jaeconnor) from Electric Lotus (@electriclotustattoo) in Boonton, New Jersey.

Now, shifting gears, back to the beer, truth be told I have been a fan of Two Roads Brewing for a while. And not because they have cool, punny names for their brews. Their beer tastes great and they rank among my favorite breweries.

That said, it was a special treat when Emily introduced me to a new seasonal IPA called Zero 2 Sixty:

This was a really refreshing surprise - an IPA that is both hoppy and tart really does wonders to your taste buds and Two Roads is dead on when they describe this special brew as "an easy-drinking IPA with a nicely balanced tart 'chassis' that brings out the flavor and aroma of the hops." What's the secret? According to their site, "it is hopped with Comet and Chinook and then kettle-soured for a tart, balanced finished." Another winner, indeed!

I would be doing myself wrong if I didn't also praise one of my favorites from Two Roads, their Route of All Evil, a winter seasonal black ale that is a dark glass of rich, bold taste.

If you're not familiar with the Two Roads line-up of beer, you really should check them out. There's not a dud in their line-up, as far as I can tell.

For those readers who may not recall our summer Brewsday Tuesday posts, we are also fortunate to have some goodies from Two Roads. If you're interested in some Two Roads swag, all you have to do is comment on the post below, or comment on this post on either the Tattoosday Instagram or Facebook posts. Winners will be randomly selected. You also gen an entry if you just "like" the post, but you get extra points for comments, especially if you share your favorite Two Roads brand.

Thanks to Emily, Colin, Paul, and all the other great folks at Two Roads Brewing, for sharing their passion for beer and tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Brewsday Tuesday: Flying Dog Edition

It's time for another installment of Brewsday Tuesday on Tattoosday!

If you missed our initial post, this new feature highlights the body art of someone from an American brewery and shares, not only their tattoos, but a little bit about their company, their role, and a little beer talk, as well.

Today we are honored to be featuring Flying Dog Brewery (@flyingdogbrewery) in Frederick, Maryland!

Meet Heather Ault, who is Flying Dog's Director of National Accounts and Export:

Photo courtesy of Jessica Patterson Photography

Before we talk about Flying Dog, let's first take a look at some of Heather's tattoos.

We see she's got quite a bit of ink on her back, so let's take a closer look:

I asked Heather about the lilies on her back and she replied:

"...The lilies are ... Stargazer Lilies ... Funny enough, lilies actually represent purity…..which I would say I lost a long time ago. However, the Stargazers represent prosperity..and well…who doesn’t want to be prosperous? They are actually also my very favorite flower."

As cool as these lilies are, she shared this awesome owl tattoo, as well:

Heather explained the origin of this tattoo:

"There are few reasons behind the owl. First, my grandmother loves owls and has them around her house. Knick knack owls, not actual owls of course. Also, Athena, Greek Goddess Wisdom, warfare, and courage is often depicted with an owl on her shoulder. And, well, I would like to be wise and courageous. So it’s just a little reminder. I added the MD flag shield because I am born and raised in Maryland and I love my state and my flag."

Heather credited Gary Gerhardt (@ggtattoos) at Classic Electric Tattoo (@classicelectrictattoo) in Frederick, MD with both of the lilies and the owl.

Heather has been with Flying Dog Brewery for 11 years. Initially, it was Frederick Brewing Co, which was bought by Flying Dog about a year into her tenure there.

I first took notice of Flying Dog because of their labels. They stand out like works of art on the beer aisle, thanks to the brewery's partnership with the great Ralph Steadman. Steadman is most famous for his collaborative illustrations with the late great Hunter S. Thompson; his artwork for Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas is epic, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Heather raves "I would totally NOT be doing our brand justice if I didn't say something about our label art and Ralph Steadman, our artist." It's hard to disagree when she says, "I would argue that our labels are the best in craft beer because we have Gonzo Artist Ralph Steadman, an icon!"

Just take a look at the six-pack of Raging Bitch I bought:

I've had quite a few of the Flying Dog brands over the years, but Raging Bitch has become one of my favorites, and definitely tops among my favorite IPAs.

Heather was happy to sing its praises and explain why it's such an outstanding brand:

"Raging Bitch is a pioneer beer in the Belgian Style IPA category. Actually, THE pioneer. First of its kind. We were the first to use a Belgian yeast in an IPA and many other breweries have tried to make this style but I don’t think anyone has nailed it like we did yet. She’s very special to me."

I like it because it's not too hoppy, right in the mid-range of the IBU scale and it just has an amazingly pungent robust flavor. And at 8.3% ABV, it packs a good punch, like you would expect of something called Raging Bitch.

I encourage Tattoosday readers to head over to Flying Dog (www.flyingdogbrewerry.com) and check out all their brands, and the great labels, as well.

Honestly, when I first thought about Tattoos and Beer together on Tattoosday, Flying Dog was one of the first to come to mind, because their visual art seems ideal for tattoo enthusiasts. In fact, Flying Dog just celebrated "National Tattoo Day at the Brewery" on Sunday, July 17. Customers visiting their tasting room receive a 25% discount for life, just by showing a Flying Dog tattoo. They even had artists on hand to ink customers. See the flash, and the details about the event here. Maybe I'll drop in next summer!

I want to thank Heather Ault from Flying Dog for sharing her tattoos and her thoughts on working at the brewery. "My favorite part about working with Flying Dog is that I can be myself," she told me, and then added one of their mottos, "Flying Dog is made up of a small, dedicated band of craft beer mavericks who stand tall and never eat shit."

Also thanks to Rohry Flood, Flying Dog's "Master of the Content Universe," for helping me assemble this feature with Heather.

And as a thanks to Tattoosday readers for visiting Brewsday Tuesday, Flying Dog is giving away a special gift pack with a t-shirt, koozie, and bottle opener. All you have to do to enter is either a) comment on the post naming your favorite Flying Dog Brand; b) comment on the post on Tattoosday's Facebook page here, or on Tattoosday's Instagram (@tattoosday); or c) re-tweet this post. How cool is that!?

Cheers!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Pantera Giveaway

I was never a huge fan of the band Pantera, as they peaked just as my love of metal was on the downswing. I'm more of an 80's metal guy. However, as time has passed, I have grown to appreciate the band and regarded their breakthrough album, Vulgar Display of Power, as a classic.

So when the opportiunity presented itself to help promote the 20th anniversary of Vulgar Display of Power, I couldn't resist.

"But wait," you might be saying, "this is a tattoo blog not a music site." True, but I can tie anything to ink, it seems, so let's go down memory lane and revisit an old post from July 2009:

I was talking to a guy named Izzy on the R train. My wife Melanie was sitting next to me as he was telling me about his tattoos.

"Ever hear of a band called Pantera?" he asked.

Melanie laughed, the tattoo made sense, I knew what the crux of it was immediately - Izzy had the autograph of Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell forever inked on his flesh. Sadly, for those who don't know, in 2004, Dime was murdered on stage by a crazed fan.

Above Dimebag's signature is the logo CFH from their debut album Cowboys from Hell and below it is a guitar drawn by the legendary musician.

Izzy met Dime about 11 years ago [1998], outside of the building where Howard Stern was broadcasting his radio show. Dime drew it all on with a Sharpie and an artist named Eric tattooed it in the back of Bleecker Bob's Records.

Read the full post here.

Earlier this month, Rhino/Atco released the 20th anniversary edition of Vulgar Display of Power.
The new package includes the original remastered album, with the addition of "Piss," a recently discovered unreleased track from the recording sessions. It is packaged with a DVD that contains an unreleased live performance filmed in Italy in September of 1992, with the addition of the three official music videos from the album.

Check out the clip from the new video for the new track "Piss":

This is classic Pantera at the height of their game, and the live DVD performances are just phenomenal shots of pure adrenaline and power.

In conjunction with Rhino/Atco, we here at Tattoosday are giving away four copies of the 20th anniversary 2-disc combo. How cool is that!? So, if you are interested, please leave a comment on this post (making sure I have a way to contact you if you win) or, if you prefer, go to our Facebook page (here) and post a comment on the Pantera post to be eligible. I will use a fancy randomizer to help pick the winners and will announce them here on Friday, so enter by Thursday at midnight, EDT.

And, if you don't win, you can snag the CD from iTunes here or Amazon here.

In the mean time, you can also listen to some of the tracks streaming from the record by clicking this link:

Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

Good luck to all!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Bonafide Bags Winners and Special Discount for Tattoosday Readers!

Congratulations to the following readers who were among the winners selected among the 51 commenters on the original Bonafide Bags post.

American Pride winners:

Theresa Senato Edwards
Beverly Cornell
Thumper

Day of the Dead winners:

Kristina V.
Jason
Alex

Koi Winners:

Alicia
Crackle
Sammie K

American Traditional Winners:

Virginia
Sarah
KC

I will be emailing winners by Monday. If you are a winner and don't hear from me, please follow up with me at tattoosday@gmail.com.

For those of you who didn't win, I thank you for participating and suggest you check out this amazing offer from the folks at Bonafide Bags:

We also thought we would like to reward your readers for participating and give them some incentive as well to get some bags whether they win or not. We created a discount code specifically for the readers of Tattoosday to receive an additional 10% off any order of at least $20. They can get the savings by entering the following code in the voucher section of the checkout page, the code is "tattoosday". This code is good through March...if we want to create new designs and keep pumping them out from lots of different artists, we have to sell these to make that happen.

Please take advantage of this great offer and head over to Bonafide Bags and get some!

Thanks to all of our readers who made this giveaway so much fun for all! And thanks to the good folks at Bonafide Bags.

Tattoosday (A Tattoo Blog)