Walleye First
Published May 7, 2008

Minneapolis (May 5, 2008) -- Wherever anglers gather at the end of the day to swap stories about their catches, there's sure to be great beer. And now, there's a beer made by fishermen for fishermen - Lakemaid Beer™.

Rapala, the company known for its legendary Rapala fishing lures, and the August Schell Brewing Company, New Ulm, Minn., have teamed up to introduce a new, limited release brew designed specifically to quench the thirst of anglers throughout the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest. The new beer is the brainchild of a Twin Cities advertising firm, Pocket Hercules, which brought together Rapala and Schell's to create a beer specifically for anglers to enjoy at the end of a great day of fishing.

Lakemaid Beer is a classic American lager featuring a crisp, clean taste brewed to capture the flavor of fishing country, where legendary lakemaids swim. With a mild malt flavor, a Lakemaid lager goes down smooth like a summer breeze with the sparkle of hops that dances like the sun on the water. Served ice cold, at the end of a long day on the water fishing for walleye, bass, musky or pike, Lakemaid offers a taste so good, fishermen need never to exaggerate.

"Lakemaid Beer is a special recipe American lager crafted in the old-world tradition of other Schell's beers," said Ted Marti, president and brewmaster of Schell's Brewery and an avid angler. "We've brewed it to create a crisp, clear taste that captures the flavor of lake country."

	Miss Walleye

"Lakemaid Beer captures the essence of fishing, fun and savoring the great outdoors with your friends and family. It's sure to be a classic," said Jack Supple, a partner with Pocket Hercules, and a serious die-hard musky angler. "We hope to make Lakemaid Beer 'the angler's lager' in every sense of the word."

The Lakemaid brand is inspired by one of the better-known and sworn-to-be-true story of freshwater mermaids, known as lakemaids. Long ago, these beautiful creatures of the deep found their way inland from the oceans, down the St. Lawrence Seaway and up the Mississippi, to summer in the cool, pure waters of the North Country. Each year, on the night of the summer solstice, they reward anglers who have kept their lakes pure, with ice cold Lakemaid Beer, made fresh from the deepest, purest water they can find.

"Part of our inspiration comes from the Rainy Lake lakemaid - a freshwater mermaid sculpture dating back to 1932, which sits on a rock in the middle of beautiful Rainy Lake on the Minnesota-Canada border," added Supple. "As serious anglers, we believe that anglers deserve a really great beer at the end of a day of fishing. We brought together Rapala and Schell's to make this beer happen for serious anglers like us."

Lakemaid Beer is available in twelve packs, with each of the 12-oz. bottles featuring one of the twelve different lakemaids (Miss Walleye, Miss Muskie, Miss Northern Pike, etc.). The beer is only available in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The beer will be available in independent liquor stores throughout the Upper Midwest beginning in early May and will be available at select on-premise locations.

In keeping with its dedication to maintaining pristine water resources, a portion of the proceeds from Lakemaid Beer and Lakemaid Beer merchandise will be directed to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) to help gamefish research and freshwater conservation.

To learn more about Lakemaid Beer or to purchase merchandise visit lakemaidbeer.com. Lakemaid Beer Gear also is available at Gander Mountain stores throughout the Upper Midwest. Gander Mountain is a leading specialty retailer that serves the needs of outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts, with a particular focus on hunting, fishing and camping.

Lakemaid Beer asks anglers to drink responsibly and to adhere to all state, federal and provincial laws and regulations regarding drinking alcoholic beverages. Never drink and boat - your Lakemaid Beer will be waiting for you on dry land.

About Rapala
Dedicated to delivering memorable fishing experiences every time, the Rapala Group, based in Vääksy, Finland (Helsinki Stock Exchange: RAP1V), manufactures and markets fishing lures, fishing line, fishing rods, hooks, terminal tackle, knives and accessories under the Rapala, VMC, Blue Fox, Storm, Luhr-Jensen, Terminator and Williamson brand names. The company was unofficially founded in 1936 when Lauri Rapala invented the Rapala fishing lure. Rapala maintains its strict standards of quality and craftsmanship while delivering its fishing products to anglers in more than 140 countries. For more information, visit rapala.com.

About August Schell Brewing Company
The August Schell Brewing Company is a proudly independent brewing company based in New Ulm, Minnesota that has been brewing premium, hand crafted beers of distinction since 1860. The company was founded by German immigrants August Schell and Jacob Bernhardt and passed into the possession of the Schell family in 1866. It is the second oldest family-owned brewery in America. For more information about Schell's Brewery, visit schellsbrewery.com.

For more information, contact:
Stephen Dupont
Pocket Hercules
612-435-8313
stephen@pockethercules.com

3469