Roughly 100 people showed up at Warrenville's Rock Bottom Breweryon July 10, 2010 for the inaugural POP! Fest in which a brand-new, one of a kind beer was unveled. Made with our popcorn, POP! Popcorn Malt Liquor Beer was a HUGE success.
This great event was reviewed by the very popular beer video podcast, Hop-Cast:
"Davin Bartosch decided to have an event and invite other local brewers to bring a beer to be paired with popcorn. Many local breweries brought different styles of beer that were paired with one of the many flavors that Popcorn Palace’s gourmet popcorn offers."
Last Saturday, July 10, saw the world premier of the world's first popcorn beer. Brewed by Rock Bottom Brewery in Tennessee with popcorn from Popcorn Palace, this historic lager was unveiled at the POP! Popcorn Malt Liquor Festival Tapping festival in Warrensville, Illinois to great fan fare.
From Brewmaster Davin Bartosh, who came up with the idea after watching an episode about popcorn on Alton Brown's Good Eats. From his training at the Siebel Institute of Technology, he says that he realized that wet popcorn would be the perfect grain to brew malt liquor. Using 20 pounds of popcorn (basically the entire volume of his Toyota 4Runner) from Schiller Park's Popcorn Palace, he created a strong American-style lager dubbed POP! Popcorn Malt Liquor.
Here at Popcorn Palace, we love sharing! Every day on both Facebook and Twitter we share photos, tips, blogs, fundraising stories and jokes with our fans and followers.
And now, we want to share our delicious popcorn with you, for FREE!
During July, we'll be giving a way a free bag of popcorn to one of our social media friends whenever we meet certain follower and/or fan levels on both Twitter and Facebook.
To increase your chances of winning, follow and/or "Like" us and tell your friends to do the same. The more people that join, the more popcorn we will give away.
Facebook
For every 30 new "Likes" we get, we will randomly give away a free bag of popcorn (remember, we have 27 flavors to choose from) to one of our fans.
So "Like" us at www.facebook.com/popcornpalace and send out the following message to your friends to increase your chances of winning:
For every 30 new followers we get, we will randomly give away a free bag of popcorn (remember, we have 27 flavors to choose from) to one of our followers.
So follow us at www.twitter.com/popcornpalace and retweet (copy and paste) the following message to your followers to increase your chances of winning:
RT@popcornpalace Win FREE popcorn by following @popcornpalace. RT to increase your odds!
"I have done a few fundraisers but Popcorn Palace is the absolute best as far as product and profit!"
Homeward Bound Pug Rescue and Adoption of Oklahoma saves abandoned pugs and pug mixes, pugs that are in shelters and in danger of being euthanized, and owner surrenders. Kathy Highfill, who has been the fundraising coordinator for the organization for the past two years, explains how she became involved: "I have the most precious rescue pug who is a Homeward Bound baby. I flew from California to Wisconsin where he was being fostered as soon as I saw his picture. He is the reason I am so involved in pug rescue and specifically Homeward Bound."
Homeward Bound Pugs always needs help with the tremendous veterinarian bills incurred as a result of all the pugs being vetted and treated as soon as they are brought in. "Any obvious medical needs are addressed before they can be adopted," Highfill says. "Many come in with heartbreaking injuries and have obviously been abused and sometimes tortured by puppymillers and other heartless humans. Many are also heartworm positive."
Looking for a way to raise funds for the necessary medical treatment of these pooches, Highfill found Popcorn Palace online when she was searching for fundraising opportunities. "I'm so glad I did!" she exclaims. "I have done a few fundraisers but Popcorn Palace is the absolute best as far as product and profit!"
She runs the fundraiser over a period of several weeks and has several people willing to help. "I found many of my sellers from my Pug meet-up group. Most of my sellers are animal lovers and see the need and are more than willing to help. Each year I try to double my profit and have been successful so far. I haven't needed any incentive yet as this is such a fun product to sell."
16 billion quarts of popped popcorn are eaten annually in the United States!
By all accounts, what we call corn or maize was cultivated in Mexico thousands of years ago by domesticating a grass called teosinte. Corn was so important to the Native Americans who farmed it that they incorporated the vegetable into their religion and creation stories. In the United States, corn is valued as not only a food but for medical research purposes and as the key ingredient in ethanol, a biofuel.
Although there are many variations of corn, there are five main types: dent, flint, sweet, waxy, and pop.
Dent is the most common type and is white to yellow in color. This versatile corn is used for food as well as making plastics and absorbent materials such as diapers, soap and cosmetics.
Flint comes in all colors and its kernels shrink upon drying. The kernels become very hard and are used for purposes similar to those of dent corn.
Sweet corn has a high sugar content and is the variety that we eat the most as a vegetable, whether it be as fresh corn on the cob, frozen, or canned.
Waxy is named after its appearance. With a high starch content, it is used in food for its thickening properties, and used industrially in adhesives. Like dent, it is also used to feed animals.
Popcorn is the most fun variety of them all! With a hard outer skin and a soft starchy center, the kernels pop open when heated to a certain temperature. Popcorn is a favorite snack and a must at the movies.
Native Americans believed that each kernel of popcorn had an individual spirit in it. The spirit grew angry as the kernel was heated and finally burst out to evaporate in a puff of steam. The real science behind why popcorn pops is almost as intriguing; it starts with the precise thickness of the hardened hull. According to Popcorn.org, "Each kernel of popcorn contains a small drop of water stored inside a circle of soft starch. As the kernel heats up, the water begins to expand and turns into steam, changing the starch inside each kernel into a superhot gelatinous goop. The pressure inside the grain will reach 135 pounds per square inch before finally bursting the hull open. The soft starch inside the popcorn becomes inflated and spills out, cooling immediately and forming into the odd shape we know and love. A kernel will swell 40-50 times its original size!"
In ancient times, popcorn was used not only as food, but as a decoration, and still is used in that manner today! However, popcorn is best known as a healthy, versatile snack. It is most popular in the United States, where 16 billion quarts of popped popcorn are eaten annually! That breaks down to 52 quarts per every man, woman, and child. About 70 percent is eaten at home and the remainder in places such as movie theaters and stadiums, venues associated with fun. The main states were it and other kinds of corn are grown are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio.
Popcorn is not only yummy, it's good for you! Air-popped popcorn is only about 30 calories a cup, add 20 calories if cooked with oil. Popcorn is a whole grain, providing complex carbohydrates for energy and fiber.
Because it is so versatile, popcorn can be used in an endless number of tasty ways. Popcorn balls, made with melted marshmallows and butter, are a favorite treat in the fall. The popped kernels can be ground up and used as a flour in baking. Tasty confections can be made with the addition of an almost limitless combination of both sweet and savory flavors. Popcorn Palace, in fact, make 27 different flavors of popcorn. Find your favorite today!
"Caring for others is the only way you'll ever make it in this world, please believe it!"
Robert Alexander, a fundraising coordinator for four years, explains how he got into the fundraising business. "I used to be the go-to guy, the one that rallied everyone together to get a job done. So, somewhere around 2006-2007, I decided to get involved with children's school-related organizations on both the East and West coast to raise money according to kids' needs." He further explains, "I did this because parents in small towns, unlike the old days, would not come together and provide for the neighborhood kids whenever an issue with money came into effect."
Some examples of organizations Alexander has helped are: a cheerleading squad that needed to raise funds for uniforms, his nephew's Boy Scouts troop, and another Boy Scout troop whose captain had reached out to him for fundraising help.
Alexander says that he chose Popcorn Palace because he is a personal fan of the product. "I have never tasted popcorn this good EVER in my life! I have tried many types of popcorn, but I have yet to taste anything that comes close. I have tasted different, but not better," he enthuses. "Popcorn Palace makes it easy to sell their product because they make it so delicious! I spend much less time picking my teeth when I eat this popcorn, that's for sure! Great quality!"
Alexander, now with the assistance of others, knows that sometimes fundraisers go beyond the due date, meaning there's a request for the popcorn even after the money is raised. "It's easy to get someone to buy the popcorn. All they do is taste it and they're hooked. I tell them about the fundraiser efforts they can use for their particular organization."
Alexander is working towards one day being financially independent, so that if someone in his family has a legitimate need, he can provide the solution for them without them having to struggle and get it on their own. He shares his philosophy on fundraising: "I want to be able to give, because when I wasn't able to do for myself, someone helped me. Caring for others is the only way you'll ever make it in this world, please believe it!"
The following popcorn lovers won popcorn for their Dads this Father’s Day.
Recently, Popcorn Palace ran a contest to celebrate fathers across the USA where entrants entered to win a tin of gourmet popcorn via Twitter (@popcornpalace) and Facebook. To win, they had to tell what made their Dads great and why their father’s deserved the gift of popcorn.
Here are our five wining entries (In no particular order):
Barbara Wright: I want to give my Dad the gift of popcorn because he can fix anything. And not only can he fix stuff, but he doesn't give me a hard time for not learning how to do it myself!
Lisa Wolter Anderson: I want to give my Dad/Father the gift of popcorn because he has been my rock since my Mom passed away 24 years ago. He is always there for me through thick & thin! He has also become the father figure for my 9 yr old since her father is not in the picture. My Dad always thinks about other people before himself. I have many great memories growing up and he would be making popcorn on the weekends with an old kettle popper.
Joanne Schultz: I want to give my Dad the gift of popcorn because he's worked hard all his life to provide for his family, sent 2 kids to college, maintained their house and cars, so he deserves a treat!
@2boysblue: My dad deserves #poppalace because he is such a sweetie and loves his munchies and movies.
Julie Jones:I want to give my dad the gift of popcorn because he's a movie freak and loves popcorn. And for me these two things just go hand in hand. Mmm. Thanks!
Well done to our winners. We sure hope your Dads shared their delicious gourmet popcorn with you!
Lisa Wolter Anderson: "My Dad loved the tub of popcorn that I won for him for the Father's Day contest. Thank you so much!"
Homeward Bound Pug Rescue and Adoption of Oklahoma saves abandoned pugs and pug mixes, pugs that are in shelters and in danger of being euthanized, and owner surrenders. Kathy Highfill, who has been the fundraising coordinator for the organization for the past two years, explains how she became involved: "I have the most precious rescue pug who is a Homeward Bound baby. I flew from California to Wisconsin where he was being fostered as soon as I saw his picture. He is the reason I am so involved in pug rescue and specifically Homeward Bound."
If you have a cause that you need to raise funds for (or you just love the taste of gourmet popcorn) visit Popcorn Palace today!
By all accounts, what we call corn or maize was cultivated in Mexico thousands of years ago by domesticating a grass called teosinte. Corn was so important to the Native Americans who farmed it that they incorporated the vegetable into their religion and creation stories. In the United States, corn is valued as not only a food but for medical research purposes and as the key ingredient in ethanol, a biofuel. 
Native Americans believed that each kernel of popcorn had an individual spirit in it. The spirit grew angry as the kernel was heated and finally burst out to evaporate in a puff of steam. The real science behind why popcorn pops is almost as intriguing; it starts with the precise thickness of the hardened hull. According to Popcorn.org, "Each kernel of popcorn contains a small drop of water stored inside a circle of soft starch. As the kernel heats up, the water begins to expand and turns into steam, changing the starch inside each kernel into a superhot gelatinous goop. The pressure inside the grain will reach 135 pounds per square inch before finally bursting the hull open. The soft starch inside the popcorn becomes inflated and spills out, cooling immediately and forming into the odd shape we know and love. A kernel will swell 40-50 times its original size!"
In ancient times, popcorn was used not only as food, but as a decoration, and still is used in that manner today! However, popcorn is best known as a healthy, versatile snack. It is most popular in the United States, where 16 billion quarts of popped popcorn are eaten annually! That breaks down to 52 quarts per every man, woman, and child. About 70 percent is eaten at home and the remainder in places such as movie theaters and stadiums, venues associated with fun. The main states were it and other kinds of corn are grown are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio. 
Robert Alexander, a fundraising coordinator for four years, explains how he got into the fundraising business. "I used to be the go-to guy, the one that rallied everyone together to get a job done. So, somewhere around 2006-2007, I decided to get involved with children's school-related organizations on both the East and West coast to raise money according to kids' needs." He further explains, "I did this because parents in small towns, unlike the old days, would not come together and provide for the neighborhood kids whenever an issue with money came into effect." 
Well done to our winners. We sure hope your Dads shared their delicious gourmet popcorn with you! 
