The Beer Tap

The line starts here

New Belgium is continuing to expand into new markets across the US with its flagship beer Fat Tire.  Ad Age recently reported on the move into Minnesota that occurred on June 21st.  The beer was available first at 6 AM at a place called Surdyk's Liquor.  Here's the amazing part...there was a line of people two blocks long waiting to buy when the store opened.  More than 600 cases were sold in the first hour at a price of $40 each.  Amazing!  The owner of the liquor store had been fielding calls for years about when the brand would be available locally and realized that he could capitalize on this demand by being the first store selling the beer.  Here's a quote on his reasoning:

"'I'm old enough to remember people lining up for Coors,' said store owner Jim Surdyk, who opened his shop an hour early that June day to stake a claim to selling the state's first Fat Tire. He also hyped the beer in advance radio and print ads. 'After getting calls from people every day for years about whether we had it, I figured this could be the same sort of thing.' "

The article also goes on to talk about the success of Shiner as it moves to areas where large numbers of former Texans have moved.  Unfortunately they lump Shiner in with the overall craft movement, but I have a hard time including them in the category.  Shiner is owned by Gambrinus who also now owns the Pete's Wicked label and Trumer Pils among others.  You may also have heard of one of the brands they used to import in the Eastern US...a little brand called Corona.  I'm sure that those who imported that "stuff" have the same mind set as the folks over at New Belgium and other craft brewers. [Insert heavy sarcasm here!]

Belgian IPA, the Unconnected Life, and Homebrew Mishaps

Its been a tough week!  My Internet at home has been down for almost a week now.  I had forgotten what's it like not having instant access to sports scores, news, and weather.  I even tried a local coffee shop last night to get this post up, but they were also having issues.

Compounding the lack of connectivity was disappointment on the homebrew front.  2 of the last 3 beers I've made have been well below expectations.  An amber clone lacked the necessary solid malt backbone and was slightly tainted by some wild bugs along the way.  After handing out some advice on sanitation to the guys over at Monday Night Brewery, it seems only fitting that I would run into issues of my own.  Hoses have been replaced and the bleach is on stand by for use before my next batch (and no that's not going into the beer).  I also ended up with an IPA at the low end of the bitterness threshold while a bit heavy on hop flavor, but it was an experiment and I am less upset about that one.  It is still drinkable.  Luckily my kolsch finished up quite nicely after 2 months of lagering in the fridge.  I expect that keg to go quick!

Enough lamenting about my woes and on to some beer...Back two weeks ago I was at Cafe Hollander here in town which offers a solid selection of Belgian beers in the bottle and on tap.  In fact, the only American beers on tap are all Belgian Wheat beers with a few other European imports thrown in for variety.  So if you go, designate a driver, order up some Patat Frites, and work your way down the extensive beer menu.  On this trip, I was there with a couple of people from work and one of the guys was a homebrewer.  He recommended that we try this Belgian IPA he had sampled before.  Yeah...a Belgian IPA.  How could this be?  What would this taste like?  I was sold and the bottle of Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel by Brasserie d' Achouffe was ordered.  Here is the breweries description of the beer and its pertinent specifications:

A unique marriage between the English tradition of IPAs, the new American revolution of Imperial IPAs and the classic Belgian way of brewing. Houblon Chouffe, although very much hopped as it is, showcases the unique balance between a very strong IPA and a very special Belgian Tripel exclusively created for this ale (Big malty body, distinct dryness, expressive estery fruitiness). - IBU: 59, Original Gravity: 1092

The beer poured with an amazing head of thick creamy foam that rode all the way to the bottom of the glass maintaining a pyramid-like shape imparted from the special glass.  Rarely do I get too excited about head retention, but this was absolutely amazing and added to the enjoyment of the beer.  The beer was a pleasant mix of a Belgian tripel and the higher hopping rates typically found in IPAs, although not at the Imperial IPA level currently showing up here in the states.  Overall I found this to be an intriguing beer with a complexity of flavors that change as the beer moves from the front of your tongue to the swallow.  I didn't take detailed notes on the tasting, but wanted to share my general enjoyment of the beer nonetheless.  For more detailed reviews be sure to check out notes on Rate Beer.  Better yet, run by Whole Foods (I have seen it there in multiple cities) and pick up a bottle yourself.  You won't be disappointed!  If you do, be sure to come back and drop your tasting notes in the comments.

Zymurgy's Best Commercial Beers in America

Earlier this month, Zymurgy magazine released its annual list of the best commercial beers in America as voted on by members of the American Homebrewers Association.  Last year, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and New Belgium Fat Tire tied for the best beer in the country.  This year, 1,100 voters decided to hand the distinction over to Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA.  The exact method of voting and ranking isn't revealed in the article, but I imagine it to be fairly consistent over the 5 year period that the survey has been completed.

Let's look at the top 10 beers as ranked by this group of homebrewers:

• First: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
• Tied for Second: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Stone Arrogant Bastard
• Tied for Fourth: Alaskan Smoked Porter, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Guinness Draught, North Coast Old Rasputin, Schneider Aventinus, and Sierra Nevada Celebration

No surprise here that the top ten is dominated by flavor packed beers with 5 being centered around hop flavor and bitterness.  In fact, when I look at the entire list of 61 beers provided, 22 are hop-centric as classified by me.  Should it be any surprise that more than a third of the top beers are hop heavy?  Of course not!  Home brewers have been piling hops into beers for years testing the limits of drinkability in search of the perfect "hop bomb".  Other stats from the list of 61: 12 Belgian style beers, 5 imperial/high alcohol stouts, a number of barley wines, and only 6 non-Belgian imports.

An interesting peak into the minds of what homebrewers are drinking these days.  Obviously there are many other great beers out there, but unfortunately they are not all equally distributed across the US.  Some less widely available beers certainly got votes, but not at a level sufficient for them to make the list. 

Another interesting award handed out by the magazine was the Spirit of the Homebrewer Award.  The total number of votes received by a brewer is divided by the total production in barrels.  This years winner was AleSmith Brewing Co of San Diego.  I have been to the brewery and can honestly say that they pump out 1,200 barrels of beer from the smallest space possible so this award is very appropriate.  AleSmith also produces some wonderful beers including Speedway Stout which tied for 34th.  I picked up a bottle in LA last weekend and look forward to drinking it sometime this week.

Diagree with this list?  Then, what are your top five beers?  Or even ten?  Leave your list in the comments section so I can see what my readers prefer to drink.

Craft Brew Kicking Ass and Taking Names - Part 2

According to a recent report by AC Nielsen, craft beers are gaining share in supermarkets thanks to increased distribution.  Craft brews increased their share by 0.7 share points compared to the prior year for the 4 week period ending 7/7/07.  And its not just this one 4 week period that has been strong.  This was the 6th consecutive 4 week period of growth!  I know I have been buying a lot lately, but that isn't just me helping to increase performance.  According to the report, supermarkets are devoting more shelf space to craft style beers (note they include Sam Adams and other large brewers within the craft category) with the average supermarket carrying 22.5 percent more craft items during the latest four week period.  This increased availability is being credited as one of the main drivers of share growth.  That could be trouble for the big brewers if people continue to develop a taste for fuller flavored beer.  In fact, I also recently read that supermarket scanner data has shown a number of people buying both an economy light beer (Keystone, Natty Light, Best, etc.) and a craft style beer in the same trip to the grocery store.  Wow!  Here's how I read that....the consumer has decided that if they are going to drink a light American lager then they are going to go cheap.  Then they will treat themselves to a craft style beer rather than the macro brewed American "Premium" that may have been the normal purchase in the past.  That could spell trouble for mass beer marketers looking to differentiate through branding.  The consumer is seeing less differentiation between economy beers and Bud Light, Miller Lite, and Coors Light as the full flavored crafts have helped to change the definition of "different".  Now of course this is on a smaller scale....right now.  Will it ever reach critical mass?  Probably not, but I do expect it to be enough of a problem for the big three to take notice.  After all...craft beer just tastes so gooooood!     

Beer Advocate...the mag

Last week I had the opportunity to borrow a copy of the new Beer Advocate magazine from a co-worker.  I had received all of the emails inviting me to be a founding subscriber, but for some reason just couldn't get excited about shelling out the $20 for 12 issues.  I already get Brew Your Own and Zymurgy and a number of other non-beer magazines do maybe I felt I was at my limit for monthly reading.  But with the opportunity to read an issue for free, I decided I could sneak the BA into the rotation.

On Wednesday night I sat down with a pint of homebrew and read the July issue cover to cover.  The look and feel of the magazine is definitely upscale and you can tell that there was a good bit of thought around the design, graphics and photos.  The Alstrom brothers, founders of Beer Advocate.com, are trying to help raise beer to a new level so it is no surprise that the form of the magazine is so impressive.  (Although I was a little surprised by the number of times the last line of a story was cut off leaving me to fill in the end of the last sentence.  A little annoying after a while!)

This issue contained a decent selection of articles including a pseudo-interview with Rob Tod of Allagash, an editorial on faux craft beer from the big guys, a couple tidbits of beer in the news, and of course a healthy dose of beer reviews.  However, I was most impressed with an article on 5 of the best beer chefs in the US.  Not only do they discuss the history of each chef and how they became focused on beer, but the author was also able to get a number of their recipes to share.  One of the chef's profiled, Sean Paxton, even has a website where you can find additional recipes: homebrewchef.com.  I looked through the listing and think that there are enough recipes there to keep me busy experiementing in the kitchen for a while.  The article has also given me a few places to visit next time I am near any of the 5 restaurants.  In fact, next weekend I'll be in SoCal and will probably make my way to Stone World Bistro for lunch on Sunday.  The restaurant was not open when I moved away and I am anxious to see how the space and the menu came together.  All over a Ruination IPA of course!

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the magazine and am glad I found a chance to get my hands on an issue.  I might even have to subscribe...unless it keeps showing up on my desk for free of course! 

Vertical Epic 07.07.07

I was just about to start a countdown here on the blog on the upcoming release of Stone's 07.07.07 Vertical Epic only to find out that the beer was in stores this week throughout California and a few other select markets.  For those of you not familiar with the project, Stone has created an annual series released each year when the month, day, and year all match.  The first beer was released on 02.02.02 with a new beer following a year, a month, and a day later.  Each beer has been designed to withstand aging in the bottle until the calendar hits 12.12.12.  At that time each beer can be sampled in a vertical manner to see how each year has changed and held up over time.  None of the beers are brewed to be identical, so it isn't technically a true vertical tasting across vintages as one would see with wine.  Yes, I could be technical and say that wine isn't the same every year due to variance in grape quality, but a wine maker is striving to make more or less the same wine with the best grapes possible.  With Stone's Vertical Epic they are purposefully making changes to the recipe and method to build a full library of aged beers all with different characteristics.   

The 07.07.07 "chapter" in the epic was inspired by two different Belgian styles: Saisons and Golden Tripels.  The bottle describes the beer flavor as "spicy, fruity, complex and refreshing" with an ingredient list that includes Glacier and Crystal hops, four different malts, ginger, cardamom, grapefruit peel, lemon peel, orange peel and a "special" Belgian yeast.  The 07 certainly sounds like an interesting creation and I look forward to getting my hands on a few bottles.  I'll taste a few now and store 2 or 3 away to drink sometime in the future. 

At the time of writing this post, a couple of the older VE's are available on Ebay for anyone looking to backfill their collection.  I found an 04.04.04 currently bid on at $9.99 and a 03.03.03 going for $36.00.  From what I have heard 02.02.02 is next to impossible to find with even Steve Wagner, one of the founders, lamenting that he would like to get his hands on a few bottles.  I currently have 04.04.04, 05.05.05, and 06.06.06 aging with plans to collect the rest through 2012.  Note to my employer at that time, I will be taking December 13, 2012 off since the 12th falls on a Wednesday.  Yep...I'm a geek.  I actually checked the calendar.  Beer is important and deserves some planning!

Special Delivery

Yesterday I came home to find that UPS had left me a package on my door step.  It seems that since I blog about beer, I have "earned" the right to free samples when Flying Dog releases a new beer.  Its certainly not why I started blogging but I am happy to accept any beer that comes my way.  As a marketer, I have to admit I impressed by Flying Dog's attempt to reach out to the beer drinking community through alternative means such as blogs.  Let's face it....they will probably never have the budget that A-B has to produce commercials, to purchase endless signs, to print millions of POS posters, and to sponsor the Super Bowl.  However, I would also venture that 99% of all microbreweries have no desire to head down that path.  Instead, they focus on producing high quality beers made from quality ingredients and then attempt to get the word out.  From there its all about taste and continuing to produce quality.  The brewer(s) or owner(s) often personify the brand or at least set the values of the company which ultimately end up guiding the brand message.  Not exactly complicated and very much "what you see is what you get" which I believe people find refreshing in today's ad filled world.

Neal Stewart, Director of Marketing at Flying Dog, appears to be embracing the blogging world as one way to share news of new brews.  The latest release from Flying Dog is a Belgian-style Wit Beer called Woody Creek White and was nestled down in the box I found at my door.  I am assuming that a sample went out to a number of bloggers, beer writers, and other press in an attempt to generate stories on the brewery and the new beer.  Well, Neal...it worked with me.  Thanks for judging to be worthy of helping to spread the word and feel free to keep them coming!

Now on to the beer.  In preparation for tonight's tasting, I decided to calibrate my palate last night by having a Hoegaarden.  This beer by originally by Pierre Celis helped revive the style in Belgium and I thought it would be an appropriate anchor for sampling the Woody Creek.  Plus it was a hot day and I find Belgian Wit beers to be very refreshing!  Here are a few details on Woody Creek and my tasting notes:

• Alcohol Content: 4.7% ABV
• OG: 1.047
• IBUs: 14
• Ingredients: German Pilsner, Unmalted Wheat, Oats, German Hallertau hops 
• Appearance: Cloudy pale yellow, white creamy foam that fades to a thin strip that rides to the bottom of the glass leaving a nice lacing
• Aroma: Citrus, orange, coriander spice
• Taste: Orange, light sweetness, and spice up front that quickly fades into some faint wheat flavors; very light, crisp finish; Not quite as carbonated as Hoegaarden but not flat either; Also less focus on coriander

Overall, I think that Woody Creek is a very refreshing beer that stands up to the goal of being "perfect for drinking on those hot summer days."  Personally I think that slightly stronger flavors would be good, but that is personal preference. I do like the subtleness around the coriander and spice flavors and probably just want a little more wheat to come through.  Nonetheless, the beer is very enjoyable as is and should be fairly successful.  Add a few Woody Creeks to the cooler and you should have some happy guests at your picnic this summer. 

Editorial Note:  While Flying Dog did provide the sample to me free of charge, I was in no way paid for this blog post.  The opinions on the beer are mine and mine alone. 

Biofuel vs. Beer

We are hearing more and more these days about energy efficiency and global warming and the quest to discover alternative fuel sources.  In my mind, there is no doubt that we need to explore new options but the sudden rush to biofuels is starting to have an impact on how farmers are running their businesses.  The other day I read an article about how German farmers are choosing to move away from barley to rapeseed and corn which can be made into ethanol and biodiesel.  As a result, the price of barley has doubled over the last two years leading to a 40% increase in malt prices.  So far, German brewers have absorbed much of this cost increase but it appears that increase in cost is beginning to make its way to the consumer.  The article also mentions that Germany is the largest European consumer of bioenergy while also a leader in producing wind energy and recycling refuse.  I remember the heavy emphasis on returnable bottles and recycling on my trips to and through Germany so it comes as no surprise to me that the Germans have embraced this new energy source.  The question is how will an increase in beer prices affect their dedication?  Will the government step in to help ensure that enough barley is also planted to stabilize barley/beer prices?  An increase in barley prices should help keep some farmers from switching or maybe even attract farmers from other non-biofuel crops without any government intervention.  Its an interesting problem that Germany and the rest of the world, including the US, will face as they adopt biofuels.   

Flying Dog Open Source Beer Project

I received an email from Flying Dog last night announcing a new effort they have under way to brew an "open source" beer.  The goal is to take user input on hops, yeast, malt, and brewing methodology to develop a Dopplebock for release in October as part of their "Wild Dog" series.  It will be available in 750 mL hand corked bottles with only 5,000 bottles available nationwide.  According to comments on their website, this is not the first effort of its kind, but I think it may be one of the first established, commercial breweries to undertake such a project.  Personally I think it is a great idea and a great way to get the homebrewing community involved with Flying Dog.  However, I wish they had not forced a style on the project and had instead allowed the community to decide.  It might even have evolved into a totally new style or a hybrid of two existing.  Of course, no guidance at all might leave the project headed in 20 different directions right out of the gate.  In keeping with the "open" parallel to software, I guess you have to decide whether you want to create the next iTunes or Excel.   

So if you want to help shape this future release, be sure to check out their dedicated website: Open  Source Beer Project.  I know I plan to check back on a regular basis to see how the development is going.

 

Beer Tax Increases?

Last night I was watching the news and I heard that a proposal was on the table to raise beer taxes in the state of Wisconsin.  I have seen a number of stories on blogs about similar proposals in other states, but since I live here I paid more attention to this story.  After all, this is the state with the "Brew City" where beer reigns supreme.  How could they even think this would be accepted by the people?  I went to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to get more details and here is some of what they had to say:

'Two Democratic legislators today vowed to try again to raise the $2-per-barrel beer tax, which has been unchanged for 38 years, despite a warning they are taking on a "sacred Wisconsin beverage."

"I am not predicting it's going to pass," Democratic Rep. Terese Berceau of Madison said of her proposal to boost the $2 tax to $10 per barrel to fight drunken driving and treat alcohol addiction. "I'm kind of fooling around with holy water here."

Her beer-tax increase would raise the tax on a six-pack from 3.6-cents to 18-cents. Overall, it would cost beer drinkers between $40 million and $48 million more a year, she said.

The Assembly leader of her own party has panned her proposal, however.

Senate President Fred Risser (D-Madison) defended the increase, noting it essentially was indexing the beer tax for inflation since its last hike 38 tears ago. In 1969, Risser voted to raise the tax from $1 per barrel to $2, and he said none of the predictions then that it would devastate the state's economy came true.

Wisconsin's $2-per-barrel tax is third lowest in the nation, behind the 59-cent levy in Wyoming and the $1.86 tax in Missouri, home of Budweiser. Legislators said the highest beer tax in the nation is $33.17 per barrel in Alaska.'

The proposed increase would equate to a 3 cent increase per bottle.  Its hard to believe that any retailer would not pass on that kind of increase to the consumer even if in stages.  Why the desired increase?  To help fund programs to fight drunk driving and alcohol addiction.  What?!?! I am not saying that these are not important issues.  I just think that this is the wrong way to fund programs to address them.  Many people throughout the US are able to drink responsibly and should not be forced to fund programs for those who cannot.  Why punish everyone who is able to handle alcohol consumption responsibly?  Something tells me the amount of money needed to make a difference with these programs could easily be worked into the state budget without the tax.  Plus there is a lot that can be done through education by parents at home which is absolutely free.  Parents can have a large influence on how their kids view alcohol which I believe will translate into healthier drinking behaviors once they reach the legal drinking age.   

In the end I do not think the tax will pass, and it looks like there are groups ready to help fight (from the Capital Times):

Scott Stenger, lobbyist for the Wisconsin Tavern League, doesn't think the proposal will generate a lot of support in the Legislature.  "Part of the reason we have a low beer tax is because of the jobs generated by the beer wholesalers and retailers," he said. "Wisconsin is unique compared to most other states in that our economy is really intertwined with the brewing industry. More bars per capita generate jobs, income and taxes."

"To think that raising the tax five-fold won't negatively impact that just isn't accurate," he added.

I'll add in another argument as well...excise taxes are regressive and unfairly tax the poor and lower middle class.  As a percent of income, the poor and lower middle class end up paying a heavier tax burden.  The graph you see here shows the break down of taxes by income level including the effects of both property and excise taxes.  Just in case you need some Economics 101 to help convince you that higher beer taxes are the wrong way to go.

Alright....time to get off my soap box and to responsibly enjoy a pint.