I know you are all sick of hearing about Goose Island and the Anheuser Busch acquisition. I think every beer blogger, writer and news outlet wrote knee jerk responses. I stand by my previous post, but I wanted to write a more thoughtful post especially now that a discussion had occurred. I was faced with a difficult problem while writing on Monday. No one had made an argument for or against this acquisition This blog is not about me proselytizing, but rather about the conversation that occurs within the beer community in which I am one voice.
Beer enthusiasts have fallen into three camps. The people who think Goose Island's sale is a great thing, those who regard it as horrible and the wait and see camp. I think in some respects all three camps are correct. Yes, I think everyone is right. They are right for their own reasons.
The sale is great for Goose Island as a brand. AB will pump up production, and may even bring back some retired styles like Oatmeal and Nut Brown. The two Chicago brewpubs are unaffected, and I read in more than one article that they are evaluating their options. The Hall family got a nice chunk of cash for building the business. With AB at the helm I think people from coast to coast will see Goose Island in their stores over the next few years. No doubt this is a win for Goose Island as a business.
The people in doom and gloom land are right for the same reasons. These people do not like large corporations selling beer to them. They believe in environmental sustainability, drinking local, and the diversity craft beer has to offer. Craft trumps profit and they believe the industry is damaged.
The wait and see people are probably the most reasonable people. AB is promising to let John Hall retain control. They have also said the St. Louis brewery will not be used to produce Goose Island beer, but curiously did not mention the other AB facilities. The recipes will not change and everything will be the same. The question is whether AB holds true to their word or not. These are huge questions and time will tell. AB has not always followed this in the past, although they may have learned from mistakes.
Where do I sit? I believe in all three camps. This is great if your name is Hall or your a Goose Island production worker. Without a doubt a larger corporation is selling the beer. Goose is now a subsidiary. Make no mistake this is not the "partnership" some have tried to frame this as. AB owns Goose Island -do not be stupid. AB will look to make their money back, and they will look to find ways to cut costs. Will those changes come at the expense of quality? Only time will tell. I will put money on AB brewing 312 Urban Wheat Ale in giant brewkettles at their facilities within 3 years which may or may not affect quality.
The people who really need to be concerned are Metropolitan, Half Acre, Three Floyds and other Chicago brewers. Without a doubt AB will flex their marketing muscle to keep their new brand out in front. If AB is able to keep these breweries from expanding their taps and shelf space their business models went to hell. Now imagine if AB is able to go after 5% of a small brewers accounts. Metropolitan Chicago's only strict lager brewery is a strong up and comer. (My review) Metropolitan is sold in about 363 bars and restaurants in the Chicago area. AB would only have to successfully shut Metropolitan out of 18 outlets to hit that goal. Looking at the list it would not be that hard. You can watch the movie Beer Wars to see how the retail side of things works. AB may not need to shove them out, but imagine if Metropolitan's their shelf space went from two facings to one?
Many small startup breweries are running with debt right now. Their business models are built on ever increasing growth. Should AB flex their muscles many smaller craft brewers may be in trouble.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Beer Review: R&D Golden Ale by New Glarus Brewing Co.
Tasting Notes:
Poured into a tulip glass, Golden Ale was a cloudy golden color with thick white head and moderate lacing. There were aromas of horse blanket (an acquired taste) and orange peel. Brettanomyces sourness and malt on the tongue with very subtle hops. This beer had a very dry finish. Although this was a tasty beer I felt the flavor came and went in a flash. A more concentrated flavor would have satisfied me even more.
Final Note: Keep up the R&D!
Bottled 6-18-09; Purchased 3-25-11; Drank 3-27-11; Poured at 46F
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Beer Tool: Bottle Thermometer
The Menu wine bottle thermometer measures the temperature of the bottle or can and not the beer itself. The beer inside is likely one degree cooler. The device will sit flush with almost every bottle or can style with the exception of longneck bottles. In order to get it to sit flush I wrap a rubber band around it to hold it tight. Is this a tool for everyone? No. If you are really, really, really into beer (or an evaluator) I suggest putting it on a birthday list. If you can not justify buying one do yourself a favor and at least let your beer sit on the counter a few minutes before pouring.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tough Topic: Goose Island Changes Hands
On Thursday March 21 I posted a more thoughtful second look.
Given today's breaking news I have opted for a second hastily written Tough Topic post. You should still check out my post on Brewery Tours.
In what is a historic announcement Goose Island's ownership sold the production brewery and beer portfolio to Anheuser-Busch. I have no qualms about saying this is historic. Goose Island was a pioneer in bringing craft beer to the Midwest. Several other breweries in the region, and even the nation are headed by brewers who cut their teeth at Goose Island. Goose Island has stood for quality and innovation in a tight knit drinking community.
Goose Island is not just where I became acquainted with craft beer, where I made friends or enjoyed the best beer I ever had. Over the last few years Goose Island really pushed the idea of drinking local with beers like Green Line, and helped fuel the trend for barrel aged beer with the Bourbon County Stout line of beers. While all this occurred Goose Island has had some issues, and long term customers were beginning to grumble about a drop in quality. (See here and here for details.)
I have met the Halls and I never doubted they were in this business to make money. I can not blame them. only idiots go into business to go broke, but a bottom line always seemed to pop up with them. Goose now claims that in order to keep up growth they needed to sell to Anheuser-Busch for $38.8M. Frankly, I think they undervalued the brewery, but I am just a humble blogger. BeerAdvocate has a press release where John Hall founder of Goose Island calls this a partnership. I find it hard to consider someone buying a 58% stake in the business a partnership when the founder is no longer really in charge.
The customary claims that nothing will change are being made and Goose Island will continue operations as is, but with additional support of the resources of AB. However Goose Island's current brewmaster is already stepping down and being replaced by Brett Porter. Brett is a well regarded brewer, but this is evidence of change, and I can only assume that positions will be eliminated. I already had a recently terminated Goose Island employee tell me he expects us to see many more pink slips.
What else will change? Beer selection. I expect to see the Michelob line of beer scaled back. Currently Michelob sells a line of craft style beers in in several traditional styles from English Pale Ale to Bavarian Wheat. Michelob struggled to gain a foothold in this segment and having beer drinkers adopt it as a viable choice. It would realistically make sense for AB to push Goose Island's current well rated and accepted line of beer into the same shelf space.
Harry Schuhmacher has reported on his Twitter feed that Dave Peacock the CEO of AB has stated they will not brew Goose Island's line of beers at the St. Louis brewery. I find the choice of words interesting given that AB operates eleven other facilities in the US and has access to InBev facilities overseas. At some point someone will make a decision that it is cheaper to begin doing runs of certain beers such as 312 or Summertime in a larger facility. I agree we will not see these changes right away, but they are coming. Once capacity opens up we may see the Oatmeal Stout and Nut Brown beers return or we may see less profitable beers disappear.
I do think the Chicago facility will continue operation, in fact AB is claiming to pump over a million dollars into the facility in the next year. However, I believe that this will be to focus on smaller batch beers such as Bourbon County and Matilda. It is just too easy to increase profits on some of these beers by transferring production to another facility.
What else will change? I do not think AB will change their position on honesty. I do think Goose Island will have a drop of sales in certain circles such as HopCat's announcement to discontinue sale (#3 Beer Bar on Planet Earth by BeerAdvocate). I do think their sales will likely increase, and Goose Island will sell coast to coast. I have not alway embraced the David vs Goliath philosophy and felt microbreweries biggest competition was each other and not the big guys. I think this acquisition needs to be closely watched by Dogfish Head and Brooklyn Brewery. This threatens them in a way they have not seen.
In any case the next 24 months will have a lot to show. Will this work? Will it grow or die? What will the effect on other establishments be? Come back and find out I plan to watch closely. Given Goose Islands increasing focus on Belgian style beer it is ironic they got bought up by a Belgian conglomerate.
Given today's breaking news I have opted for a second hastily written Tough Topic post. You should still check out my post on Brewery Tours.
In what is a historic announcement Goose Island's ownership sold the production brewery and beer portfolio to Anheuser-Busch. I have no qualms about saying this is historic. Goose Island was a pioneer in bringing craft beer to the Midwest. Several other breweries in the region, and even the nation are headed by brewers who cut their teeth at Goose Island. Goose Island has stood for quality and innovation in a tight knit drinking community.
Goose Island is not just where I became acquainted with craft beer, where I made friends or enjoyed the best beer I ever had. Over the last few years Goose Island really pushed the idea of drinking local with beers like Green Line, and helped fuel the trend for barrel aged beer with the Bourbon County Stout line of beers. While all this occurred Goose Island has had some issues, and long term customers were beginning to grumble about a drop in quality. (See here and here for details.)
I have met the Halls and I never doubted they were in this business to make money. I can not blame them. only idiots go into business to go broke, but a bottom line always seemed to pop up with them. Goose now claims that in order to keep up growth they needed to sell to Anheuser-Busch for $38.8M. Frankly, I think they undervalued the brewery, but I am just a humble blogger. BeerAdvocate has a press release where John Hall founder of Goose Island calls this a partnership. I find it hard to consider someone buying a 58% stake in the business a partnership when the founder is no longer really in charge.
The customary claims that nothing will change are being made and Goose Island will continue operations as is, but with additional support of the resources of AB. However Goose Island's current brewmaster is already stepping down and being replaced by Brett Porter. Brett is a well regarded brewer, but this is evidence of change, and I can only assume that positions will be eliminated. I already had a recently terminated Goose Island employee tell me he expects us to see many more pink slips.
What else will change? Beer selection. I expect to see the Michelob line of beer scaled back. Currently Michelob sells a line of craft style beers in in several traditional styles from English Pale Ale to Bavarian Wheat. Michelob struggled to gain a foothold in this segment and having beer drinkers adopt it as a viable choice. It would realistically make sense for AB to push Goose Island's current well rated and accepted line of beer into the same shelf space.
Harry Schuhmacher has reported on his Twitter feed that Dave Peacock the CEO of AB has stated they will not brew Goose Island's line of beers at the St. Louis brewery. I find the choice of words interesting given that AB operates eleven other facilities in the US and has access to InBev facilities overseas. At some point someone will make a decision that it is cheaper to begin doing runs of certain beers such as 312 or Summertime in a larger facility. I agree we will not see these changes right away, but they are coming. Once capacity opens up we may see the Oatmeal Stout and Nut Brown beers return or we may see less profitable beers disappear.
I do think the Chicago facility will continue operation, in fact AB is claiming to pump over a million dollars into the facility in the next year. However, I believe that this will be to focus on smaller batch beers such as Bourbon County and Matilda. It is just too easy to increase profits on some of these beers by transferring production to another facility.
What else will change? I do not think AB will change their position on honesty. I do think Goose Island will have a drop of sales in certain circles such as HopCat's announcement to discontinue sale (#3 Beer Bar on Planet Earth by BeerAdvocate). I do think their sales will likely increase, and Goose Island will sell coast to coast. I have not alway embraced the David vs Goliath philosophy and felt microbreweries biggest competition was each other and not the big guys. I think this acquisition needs to be closely watched by Dogfish Head and Brooklyn Brewery. This threatens them in a way they have not seen.
In any case the next 24 months will have a lot to show. Will this work? Will it grow or die? What will the effect on other establishments be? Come back and find out I plan to watch closely. Given Goose Islands increasing focus on Belgian style beer it is ironic they got bought up by a Belgian conglomerate.
Tough Topic: Knowing Why You Go On Brewery Tours
I go on a lot of brewery tours. I stopped counting after I went on over a dozen tours. Some places I even toured more than once. Every tour has some sort of beer drinking built in. Some include beer to sip during the tour, but most have beer at the end. Last week I went on a "Hard Hat" tour of New Glarus Brewing Co. On our tour a woman woman constantly asked where the beer samples were. She actually became pretty obnoxious about trying to move the tour along so we can get to the beer at the end. I said to the people I was with that she should have just gone to the bar instead.
During some tours, the beer samples are worth more than what you pay to go on the tour. For instance, Lakefront Brewing Company's website claims $7 gets you four 6 oz pours and a beer at the bar, but in reality I remember more along with a pint glass. New Glarus has a $20 tour that lets you free pour a selection of 6-8 beers into a souvenir tasting glass with cheese and crackers. Both places had great tours, but New Glarus did not give you the value of your money in beer, but that is okay with me. New Glarus provided value in other ways.
I do not go on tours to drink. If I only wanted to drink I head to a bar or tasting room and pull up a stool. Go on the tour to learn how beer is made. When you get to the point where you are able to glaze over the basics listen for finer details. For instance tours taught me that Two Brothers uses a forced carbonation system, Three Floyds relies on gravity not pumps to avoid agitation, and New Glarus has an open top fermenter. You can also learn so much about a breweries' philosophy and why they do what they do from choice in yeast to distribution.
My family specifically asks me to not take them on tours. They just want to drink but my friends like tours. So if your like my family or the obnoxious lady at New Glarus skip the tour and find a bar. We will both be happier that way.
During some tours, the beer samples are worth more than what you pay to go on the tour. For instance, Lakefront Brewing Company's website claims $7 gets you four 6 oz pours and a beer at the bar, but in reality I remember more along with a pint glass. New Glarus has a $20 tour that lets you free pour a selection of 6-8 beers into a souvenir tasting glass with cheese and crackers. Both places had great tours, but New Glarus did not give you the value of your money in beer, but that is okay with me. New Glarus provided value in other ways.
I do not go on tours to drink. If I only wanted to drink I head to a bar or tasting room and pull up a stool. Go on the tour to learn how beer is made. When you get to the point where you are able to glaze over the basics listen for finer details. For instance tours taught me that Two Brothers uses a forced carbonation system, Three Floyds relies on gravity not pumps to avoid agitation, and New Glarus has an open top fermenter. You can also learn so much about a breweries' philosophy and why they do what they do from choice in yeast to distribution.
My family specifically asks me to not take them on tours. They just want to drink but my friends like tours. So if your like my family or the obnoxious lady at New Glarus skip the tour and find a bar. We will both be happier that way.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Post Break
Still trying to get caught up from being gone and sick. I apologize, but it looks like no new posts until Monday.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Beer Review: Light Lager by D.G. Yuengling & Son
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| Yuengling Light Lager |
The Light Lager is my Dad's lawnmower beer. It is that easy to go down beer that quenches your thirst. Now I know most of you think a lawnmower beer is required to have zero flavor. This is not the case with Yuengling it is full of flavor while still being light.
Tasting Notes:
When poured from a bottle into a pilsner glass Light Lager poured a dark amber with a solid three fingers of head. Aroma is composed of caramel, corn, grass and a hint of lemon. The taste follows the nose and has more flavor than others light lagers, but remember this is a light lager. Mouthfeel is almost watery, but that is within the style. Overall a very drinkable beer for a light lager, but if you can find it get the Traditional Lager from Yuengling instead.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
When Clean Matters
Yesterday, I was talking with a group of beer people and we were discussing bars shut down by the health department. When I wrote about Edgewater being closed a lot of people talked about how it was just the bathrooms. (btw I did request the sanitation records which have yet to arrive) We came to a consensus that if the management is not going to clean the toilets they likely are not cleaning draft lines. A clean draft line is essential to good beer.
Cleveland's NBC station had this investigative report on draft lines a few weeks ago.
Cleaning lines in states like Ohio is mandatory every two weeks and no bar should really go more than every three, although I think bi-weekly is a better minimum. Having someone come and clean the line can be a drag on the bottom line, but customers deserve it.
I do not know about you, but if the toilet is not being scrubbed I do not think draft lines are good either.
Cleveland's NBC station had this investigative report on draft lines a few weeks ago.
Cleaning lines in states like Ohio is mandatory every two weeks and no bar should really go more than every three, although I think bi-weekly is a better minimum. Having someone come and clean the line can be a drag on the bottom line, but customers deserve it.
I do not know about you, but if the toilet is not being scrubbed I do not think draft lines are good either.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tough Topic: How many Chances Do You Need?
Recently I told a bar manager I would come out and review his place. He told me I should visit more than once before writing a review. When I asked why he said you never know if the staff might make a bad impression. Seriously?
The more managers I meet the more I hear this concept echoed. They keep saying they need a break and it is not their fault if things do not go well. If you run a bar and you are not sure your staff is up to snuff then you either should not be running a bar or need to fire staff. Consumers who have a bad experience will likely not come back and you will not get a second chance review from me.
The more managers I meet the more I hear this concept echoed. They keep saying they need a break and it is not their fault if things do not go well. If you run a bar and you are not sure your staff is up to snuff then you either should not be running a bar or need to fire staff. Consumers who have a bad experience will likely not come back and you will not get a second chance review from me.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Happy Saint Patrick's Day
I hope all you celebrating have a nice holiday. I apologize for the drop in blogging and twitter a 102F fever can slow a man down. I hope to be up to full speed after today.
Last week's trip to Ohio means a review of Ray's in Kent and Winking Lizard in Canton will be getting reviewed. Also, I will be writing on my homebrew attempt number two which was a beer dedicated to my father. It turned out just like him...sour. (Sorry Dad the joke was too easy.)
Hope the luck of the Irish is with you, and be safe!
Last week's trip to Ohio means a review of Ray's in Kent and Winking Lizard in Canton will be getting reviewed. Also, I will be writing on my homebrew attempt number two which was a beer dedicated to my father. It turned out just like him...sour. (Sorry Dad the joke was too easy.)
Hope the luck of the Irish is with you, and be safe!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Support Japanese Breweries
I want to start out by saying this blog has had a consistent Japanese readership, and my thoughts are with all those currently in Japan. You can make a donation here via the American Red Cross to be specifically placed in the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Fund
The earthquake and tsunami had considerable impact and slowly the country and the world is taking stock of just what the total damage will be. Japan will soon begin to transition from emergency response to long term recovery, and my guess is in some areas this process has already begun. The most difficult phase of any disaster is recovery. Several Japanese brewers were damaged in the disaster. Not only were the facilities at Kirin, Sapporo, Asahi, Kiuchi (Hitachio Nest) damaged, but countless staff were impacted. Kirin seems to be the most severely impacted.
These companies have a number of issues to handle. First, staff and and facilities need to be cared for. While this is occurring we will see shortages in Japanese produced beer. Even those breweries such as Kiuchi which seem to have faired well have ceased production and shifted to potable water production for humanitarian relief. Even once they return to brewery production shipping methods will be impacted for the foreseeable future. The longterm health of the Japanese brewing industry really needs your help in order to make the smoothest transition.
What can stores do?
When a store has trouble keeping a certain product in stock for long periods of time that beer often looses its allocated shelf space. I understand why stores do this, and I ask them to please realize for the next several months it is not the breweries fault, and I understand you have a bottom line. Please when the situation changes make sure you have these beers back on your shelves and do not banish them.
What can a consumer do?
Continue to purchase Japanese made beer. A consistent influx of cash will provide jobs and the necessary capital to allow rebuilding. Secondly, when you notice your favorite Japanese import no longer having a space on your local shelves ask the manager about it.
I do not think any of these brewers will be forced to close, but I would think that some are going to be damaged for the foreseeable future, and some distribution channels will dry up. I wish everyone the best.
The earthquake and tsunami had considerable impact and slowly the country and the world is taking stock of just what the total damage will be. Japan will soon begin to transition from emergency response to long term recovery, and my guess is in some areas this process has already begun. The most difficult phase of any disaster is recovery. Several Japanese brewers were damaged in the disaster. Not only were the facilities at Kirin, Sapporo, Asahi, Kiuchi (Hitachio Nest) damaged, but countless staff were impacted. Kirin seems to be the most severely impacted.
These companies have a number of issues to handle. First, staff and and facilities need to be cared for. While this is occurring we will see shortages in Japanese produced beer. Even those breweries such as Kiuchi which seem to have faired well have ceased production and shifted to potable water production for humanitarian relief. Even once they return to brewery production shipping methods will be impacted for the foreseeable future. The longterm health of the Japanese brewing industry really needs your help in order to make the smoothest transition.
What can stores do?
When a store has trouble keeping a certain product in stock for long periods of time that beer often looses its allocated shelf space. I understand why stores do this, and I ask them to please realize for the next several months it is not the breweries fault, and I understand you have a bottom line. Please when the situation changes make sure you have these beers back on your shelves and do not banish them.
What can a consumer do?
Continue to purchase Japanese made beer. A consistent influx of cash will provide jobs and the necessary capital to allow rebuilding. Secondly, when you notice your favorite Japanese import no longer having a space on your local shelves ask the manager about it.
I do not think any of these brewers will be forced to close, but I would think that some are going to be damaged for the foreseeable future, and some distribution channels will dry up. I wish everyone the best.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Welcome New Readers
Over the last two weeks I have had an explosion in readership. I would like to welcome all the new readers. Comments and suggestions are always appreciated. I would like to remind you the blog attempts to follow the following schedule:
- Monday- Tough Topics in the industry
- Tuesday- A variety of short series
- Wednesday- Beer Reviews
- Thursday- Event, Bar and Brewery Reviews
- Friday- Entertaining with beer
Friday, March 11, 2011
Glassware: Snifter
Snifters are appropriate for beers over 8% ABV, Imperial IPAs, Barleywines, and Russian Imperial Stout.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Event Review: Day and Night of The Living Ales
Each year the Chicago Beer Society (CBS) holds the Day & Night of The Living Ales: A Celebration of Real Ale. This event features real ale, also known as cask beer. Real ale has no carbon dioxide added and the beer naturally carbonates, additionally the yeast in this beer is still active almost up until the time you drink the beer. The beer also likes to exist around 53F so festivals like this can be a bit chilly. Normally CBS finds a deli or other caterer to put out a small selection of higher end meat and cheese to munch on.
CBS splits the day into two sessions the Day and the Night. There is no real difference except time of day. The organizers try very hard to make sure beer is held in casks for the second session. Occasionally one will run out, but not usually half way into the second session. A benefit of the second session is you can call people you know at the first session and know what is worth it and what is not. Personally I am done for the day after drinking for hours so I typically crawl into bed after an event like this.
In 2011 there were 45 beers available and for the most part were very good. Chicago brewers dominate at this event, but there was a fair sprinkling of brewers from elseware. Metropolitan had an intriguing ginger infused alt and Piece had smoked chocolate porter that reminded me of cocoa puffs. The bad side of cask events was evident in Revolution's Village Green Bitter which had some off flavors. This can happen easily and I would note their Eugen Porter was above average. With the ale be alive right up to the end it is hard for a brewer to ensure the perfect flavor. I do not know if this was the situation with Village Green, but many brewers never get to crack open the cask until the event itself making it near impossible to provide the level of quality control we have become used to.
CBS also gives awards at this event and Firestone Walker's Double Jack Double IPA won the Golden Tut Award for being the beer that best exemplified the cask experience. Attendees also vote for their top beers. This year first place went to Goose Island's production facility for Scully an oak aged saison with strawberries, honey and Champagne yeast.
Overall, this is one of the better events on the annual beer calender, and does sell out. I try to attend each year as I never know what I may find. I have done both the day and night sessions, and I lean towards liking the night better. CBS holds Living Ale each March and I hope to see you there next year.
CBS splits the day into two sessions the Day and the Night. There is no real difference except time of day. The organizers try very hard to make sure beer is held in casks for the second session. Occasionally one will run out, but not usually half way into the second session. A benefit of the second session is you can call people you know at the first session and know what is worth it and what is not. Personally I am done for the day after drinking for hours so I typically crawl into bed after an event like this.
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| Night Session 2011 |
CBS also gives awards at this event and Firestone Walker's Double Jack Double IPA won the Golden Tut Award for being the beer that best exemplified the cask experience. Attendees also vote for their top beers. This year first place went to Goose Island's production facility for Scully an oak aged saison with strawberries, honey and Champagne yeast.
Overall, this is one of the better events on the annual beer calender, and does sell out. I try to attend each year as I never know what I may find. I have done both the day and night sessions, and I lean towards liking the night better. CBS holds Living Ale each March and I hope to see you there next year.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Beer Review: Trader Joe's Vintage 2010
Tasting Notes:
This Belgian Strong Dark Ale poured a brownish black and had nice head. The aroma reminds me of Unibroue's other beers. Which means I was not a fan, but that is a personal taste issue and not a brewery defect. There were aromas of spice, dark fruits, and of course esters. Full of flavor this beer coats your tongue in dark fruit, clove and candy sugar. It was very carbonated which tickled the tongue. I aged mine for about 3 months, but you could age it for about 3 years. I would likely try this again next year, but age for a couple years.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Beer History: My Dad Turns 60
The last few weeks on this blog have been focused on Beer History. Continuing on that trend I would like to discuss my father's old age, 60. He used to be a Busch guy and then he went onto Bud Light. From Bud Light he went to American Ale by AB and now loves Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale. My brother and I have been working to change his taste his horizons are rapidly expanding .
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| I think Dad owes me $101.93 for this. |
Monday, March 7, 2011
Tough Topic: Young Adults and AHA
Last week Ray Daniels the founder of the Cicerone program asked for suggestions on how to improve the 21-30 age group participation in the American Homebrewers Association (AHA). I thought for a few days on this topic and have a few suggestions:
1. Make Yourself Known
This weekend at Night of the Living Ales I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt from a brewing group in a city I lived in for eight years. I had no clue the organization existed. If I knew it was there, I would have joined. While it is in part the individual homebrew clubs job to publicize itself, promotion by AHA would be a good step in the right direction.
2. College Involvement
College involvement may result in quick growth, but comes with its own set of headaches. Setting up school sanctioned homebrew clubs on college campuses may be met with some resistance from college administrators. I believe establishing school groups would be a great way to let people know who and what you are. Additionally, I am a firm believer that we live in a country that does not understand alcohol. College groups may be able to teach alcohol responsibility.
3. Mentorship
Establishing a mentorship program, while labor intensive to set up and manage, may reap the greatest rewards. By having new members pair up with a more experienced hombrewer newbies may learn much quicker and make the connection to the craft. Mentorship could work in a few different ways. One option would be for the mentor to coach the mentee through his or her first batch. A better option would be to have a mentee head over to the mentors to brew a batch together. I would point out that a mentee should not be a free loader and should help pay their own way. Additionally, I think the pair should meet in a bar ahead of time and discuss what kind of beer they would make and to ensure personality compatibility. Either way the relationship has to be one both participants are comfortable with.
4. Anxiety Reduction
Finally, AHA and the beer community needs to reduce the anxiety. All to often I have come to events and had trouble breaking into a clique. At least for me, that anxiety transfers to a homebrew club. How can I join a group where I literally have no clue what I am doing? I personally feel apprehensive to show up at an event where I have no good beer to share, and can not help. One solution would be to suggest to homebrew clubs or the AHA itself in larger metro areas to host New Brewers Nights. A mixer/ educational evening or weekend afternoon would allow people a place to come and know they do not need to prove they should be there.
I know some of these suggestions will not be easy to institute and may take some time, but I hope those at AHA take a look at them and give them some consideration. Craft beer and homebrewing are quickly becoming a force in modern society. To keep the concept of flavorful beer, made locally going in the right direction we need new brewers. AHA does some great things, and I feel they have some big goals on the horizon. I wish them luck.
- Make Yourself Known
- College Involvement
- Mentorship
- Anxiety Reduction
1. Make Yourself Known
This weekend at Night of the Living Ales I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt from a brewing group in a city I lived in for eight years. I had no clue the organization existed. If I knew it was there, I would have joined. While it is in part the individual homebrew clubs job to publicize itself, promotion by AHA would be a good step in the right direction.
2. College Involvement
College involvement may result in quick growth, but comes with its own set of headaches. Setting up school sanctioned homebrew clubs on college campuses may be met with some resistance from college administrators. I believe establishing school groups would be a great way to let people know who and what you are. Additionally, I am a firm believer that we live in a country that does not understand alcohol. College groups may be able to teach alcohol responsibility.
3. Mentorship
Establishing a mentorship program, while labor intensive to set up and manage, may reap the greatest rewards. By having new members pair up with a more experienced hombrewer newbies may learn much quicker and make the connection to the craft. Mentorship could work in a few different ways. One option would be for the mentor to coach the mentee through his or her first batch. A better option would be to have a mentee head over to the mentors to brew a batch together. I would point out that a mentee should not be a free loader and should help pay their own way. Additionally, I think the pair should meet in a bar ahead of time and discuss what kind of beer they would make and to ensure personality compatibility. Either way the relationship has to be one both participants are comfortable with.
4. Anxiety Reduction
Finally, AHA and the beer community needs to reduce the anxiety. All to often I have come to events and had trouble breaking into a clique. At least for me, that anxiety transfers to a homebrew club. How can I join a group where I literally have no clue what I am doing? I personally feel apprehensive to show up at an event where I have no good beer to share, and can not help. One solution would be to suggest to homebrew clubs or the AHA itself in larger metro areas to host New Brewers Nights. A mixer/ educational evening or weekend afternoon would allow people a place to come and know they do not need to prove they should be there.
I know some of these suggestions will not be easy to institute and may take some time, but I hope those at AHA take a look at them and give them some consideration. Craft beer and homebrewing are quickly becoming a force in modern society. To keep the concept of flavorful beer, made locally going in the right direction we need new brewers. AHA does some great things, and I feel they have some big goals on the horizon. I wish them luck.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Bar Alert: Edgewater Update
See the original post here.
I spoke with a person familiar with The Edgewater Lounge situation. I was told the restaurant and bar were inspected by the City and given two weeks to shape up or face closure. They were given a number of small violations to fix. When the City returned the next week many were fixed and I was told the City found more violations.
Unfortunately, the City being so anxious to take tax dollars has not updated their inspection website since last summer so I have no way of confirming what I was told. I am taking this story with a grain of salt until I can confirm this.
There is a sign saying they are closed for maintenance and apologizing for the inconvenience. I am holding out hope the story above is wrong. I doubt I will ever go back if they can not run a clean ship. Crossing my fingers that there is not a disgusting explanation.
More information to come when I can get the office Health Department explanation.
I spoke with a person familiar with The Edgewater Lounge situation. I was told the restaurant and bar were inspected by the City and given two weeks to shape up or face closure. They were given a number of small violations to fix. When the City returned the next week many were fixed and I was told the City found more violations.
Unfortunately, the City being so anxious to take tax dollars has not updated their inspection website since last summer so I have no way of confirming what I was told. I am taking this story with a grain of salt until I can confirm this.
There is a sign saying they are closed for maintenance and apologizing for the inconvenience. I am holding out hope the story above is wrong. I doubt I will ever go back if they can not run a clean ship. Crossing my fingers that there is not a disgusting explanation.
More information to come when I can get the office Health Department explanation.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Bar Alert: Edgewater Lounge
Hey Northsiders! Edgewater Lounge on N Ashland in Chicago is closed. Closure was ordered by the Dept of Public Health. Edgewater is known for their unusually large Rogue selection. As of now no reason has been publicly disclosed for the closure. I will update when more information is available.
More information available here.
More information available here.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Event Review: Chicago Craft Beer Week
Last week I talked about American Craft Beer Week, but this week I want to talk about a local event, Chicago Craft Beer Week. Why do I like Chicago Beer Week?
The first thing I like about Chicago Craft Beer Week is the ownership. This is our week. This is the week for our people our town and our beer.
Secondly, the people come. Each year there seems to be a distribution announcement by another big brewery in Chicago. Famous brewers also come in and put on dinners and tastings, or randomly just show up in a bar.
You can expect events at brewery in the city and suburbs. Also, many of the beer bars will likely be holding events paired with local and out of town breweries. I will try to post updates on some of the better events here, but you should head on over to the Chicago Craft Beer Week website and sign up for email updates.
What else can you expect:
The first thing I like about Chicago Craft Beer Week is the ownership. This is our week. This is the week for our people our town and our beer.
Secondly, the people come. Each year there seems to be a distribution announcement by another big brewery in Chicago. Famous brewers also come in and put on dinners and tastings, or randomly just show up in a bar.
You can expect events at brewery in the city and suburbs. Also, many of the beer bars will likely be holding events paired with local and out of town breweries. I will try to post updates on some of the better events here, but you should head on over to the Chicago Craft Beer Week website and sign up for email updates.
What else can you expect:
- Passport for sale on April 26 for exclusive events
- iPhone App to guide you also available April 26 (no word on an Android version so may trade phones with Beer Bitch)
- Rumors of Chicago History Museum Events
- 80 participating establishments
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
#16 of 1001 Brains Dark by S.A. Brain & Company
. This is the 16th beer in my 1001 beers blogging series.Brains Dark is known as a mild. It was popular with blue collar workers throughout the UK until there was a decline in industry in the mid-20th century. The style has remained popular in some areas such as Cardiff home to the S.A. Brain & Company brewery. Brains claims the brew is the largest selling dark milk in Wales and was named one of the Top 50 Beers at the International Beer Challenge 2008.
Tasting Notes:
Pours a very dark brown almost black and creates a creamy head. Aroma of chocolate and roasted malt. There is slight smokiness mixed with more roasted and chocolate flavors. The beer is thinner than you would expect, but overall a decent dark mild.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Beer History: Medicine & Health
Beer has played a role in medicine and health since it was invented. Everyone knows you are supposed to eat your grains daily, and early beer was a source of grain based nutrients. It is even possible the first beer was consumed like porridge or gruel. The recipe used by Ancient Egyptians contained tetracycline a powerful antibiotic. (A cruel twist of fate- this site stole my thunder yesterday.)
It is also important to note the role beer played in preventing illness from E. coli and other bacteria. People moved into cities and water supplies became contaminated. The idea of pathogens had not been thought of. People knew water could make them sick, but beer did not. What many did not realize is the boil stage of brewing was killing bacteria. Beer saved thousands if not millions of lives. Everyone drank beer as it was the only known safe beverage in Europe.
While we do not think of beer as health food today, it was likely more nutritious back then. Beer today lacks nutrition and the filters and ingredients used by many brewers likely do not yield the same punch. However, it is important to remember where beer played a role in history.
It is also important to note the role beer played in preventing illness from E. coli and other bacteria. People moved into cities and water supplies became contaminated. The idea of pathogens had not been thought of. People knew water could make them sick, but beer did not. What many did not realize is the boil stage of brewing was killing bacteria. Beer saved thousands if not millions of lives. Everyone drank beer as it was the only known safe beverage in Europe.
While we do not think of beer as health food today, it was likely more nutritious back then. Beer today lacks nutrition and the filters and ingredients used by many brewers likely do not yield the same punch. However, it is important to remember where beer played a role in history.
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