Yankee Brew News Archive

Below the Frost Line

Originally Published: 03/95

By: Kerry J. Byrne

How many times have you seen a restaurant or pub boast that they have so many kinds of "beer and ale"?

Don't they know that ales, like lagers, are a major branch of the beer family tree, not some altogether different beverage?

Imagine going to a restaurant and the waiter says to you, "Would you like to see our wine list? We have 25 kinds of wine and reds."

Or how about a convenience store that carries 25 kinds of soda and Pepsi. Maybe we can find a bookstore that sells literature and novels.

I just think it's funny when you go to a bar that boasts of its beer selection yet they can't define the most basic of beer terms. Even worse are those restaurants that try to capitalize on the popularity of the craft-brew movement by saying that they have a selection of great ales, like Samuel Adams Lager. I actually had a waitress at an upscale restaurant say that to me.

"Do you have Samuel Adams Lager?" I asked.

"No we don't carry any ales," she said as the tired little birdy in her head let out a squeak.

Maybe I shouldn't make fun of these people just because they don't understand beer, but I needed some sort of way to ease into the following tale of misunderstandings-on-the-mend:

Massachusetts

A "get-to-know-each-other" meeting took place at the Ipswich Brewing Company in January between Massachusetts brewers and Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission officials such as chairman Stuart Krusell, commissioner Pam Nourse and assistant Janet DeCarlo, and the Commonwealth's Secretary of Consumer Affairs, Priscilla Douglas.

According to Ipswich's Paul Sylva, who organized the meeting, "There was no specific agenda, but certain issues, such as speed, or lack thereof (in terms of filing papers with the ABCC), did come up." It has been a long-time grievance of brewers and small-brewery owners that it takes far too long to complete the paperwork needed in order to run a brewing operation.

Sylva felt that the meeting helped to promote "a greater understanding on both sets of issues, and, if nothing else, helped each group put a face with a name."

Krusell, who himself has a small-business background, said his group wanted to "basically touch base with the people doing the brewing and see what they feel.

"We're trying to help these new concepts deal with the laws as they exist and get into business. We've done it with micros, with beer-by-mail businesses, and with beer tastings and beer festivals."

Krusell acknowledged that problems do exist for new brewers. "The microbrewery movement is kind of shoe-horned into the farmer's license category. In some places this fits but in others it doesn't. We wanted to see areas where we could help out.

"The problem for micros is they have to do the BATF bit, the state bit, and deal with local laws if they are selling retail. Each level has its own formula. We try to streamline it and keep it as simple as possible, but when you hit a buzz-saw of regulations it can be frustrating for these businessmen.

"Whether or not we agree with the laws we have to enforce them," he added.

Sylva's Ipswich Brewing Company will introduce its first Oatmeal Stout in March.

Sylva is serious about his latest product. "When we say stout we mean it. We like to joke that a stout should be served with a fork."

The stout will be unique in that it will come in one liter bottles imported from Germany. "It has a spring top (the tops are from a different company than the bottles) and will remind people of a large brown Grolsch bottle," said Sylva. "We will be the only one in the country, that I know of, that has such a bottle."

Ipswich will use recyclable bottles, tops and plastic cases.

Boston Beer Works has purchased a building on Canal Street near the Boston Garden. The location is notable because it is just two blocks from the Commonwealth Brewery.

What does Commonwealth think of the idea of a potential brew war? Well, they seem to welcome the move. In fact, Commonwealth owner Joe Quattrocchi spoke up for Beer Works when the move was opposed by members of the Downtown North Business Association. "I just kinda said that if anybody's gonna be impacted by this it's me," said Quattrocchi. "They figured if Joe's not gonna be opposed to them then we're not gonna be opposed to them. In fact, I made the motion to allow them to come in to the area."

Just a couple of months ago the city of Boston turned down Quattrocchi's request for a beer and liquor license, forcing him to abandon his proposal for a new brewpub on tony Newbury St. He is still looking for a location in the Back Bay.

By the way, Commonwealth brewer Tod Mott has developed an Imperial Stout for the spring. Based on Mott's track record, I suspect the new brew will be superb.

Also in an expansionist mood are John Harvard's Brew House owners Gary Gut and Grenville Byford. A few months ago the owners of the Cambridge brewpub received a $5 million loan to use towards building new units.

"[The expansion] is kind of day-to-day," said brewer Tim Morse. "They've been looking at sites all over southern New England. I don't know any particulars, but I have been told to get bids on four different brewing systems. I've been told to replicate a certain number of our beers and then look around at the area and see what else we should brew."

Looking at an in-house expansion is Sunset Grill & Tap's Marc Kadish, who says he's "looking to add up to 50 new taps in the next year to bring us over 100." The Grill currently boasts over 70 taps.

"I'd rather be selling drafts than bottles. It'll take a chunk out of our bottle sales, but who cares?" That's the spirit, Marc.

And, in a sign of the ever-increasing savvy of New England's beer drinkers, Kadish said he's looking to do a "serious" system for cask-conditioned ales. "We're going to do it up right because people come to Sunset expecting us to know about beer," he said. "We're looking at several systems - we'll probably go with one from DME."

Another place looking to make cask-conditioned beers available is Somerville's Redbones, perhaps the most eclectic - one part Southern barbecue joint, one part microbrew heaven - restaurant in New England.

They're building a system that will allow them to carry Atlantic Coast Brewing Company's cask products. "They're really going all out," said Atlantic Coast's Alex Reveliotty. "They came down to our brewery and said 'What do we have to do to do cask beer the right way?'"

Clean Beer has been hired to install the system. "You couldn't put in a nicer cask system," said Reveliotty. ACB's cask products, Tremont Best Bitter and soon a Porter, will be kept in a separate cooler and served at the proper cellar temperature.

In yet another addition to the Boston brewpub scene, veteran local brewer Jack Streich will be brewing at the upcoming Broad Street Brewing Company on the street of the same name in the financial district, The brewpub, which will utilize Harpoon's old brewhouse, which was sold when they upgraded and expanded their system, will reputedly be the city's largest. Streich said the pub will make lagers as well as ales, will have off-premise draught accounts, and may have up to three full-time brewers.

In the confusing names category: Old Salem Brewing Company is still under construction on Salem's downtown Derby Street. Word is that construction of Witch City's first brewpub is going slow.

The Salem brewpub is not to be confused with the Olde Salem Village Brewing Company, a cottage brewery, located in nearby Danvers.

Problems could also arise in Worcester as plans continue for the creation of the Blackstone Valley Brewing Company and the Blackstone Brewing Company.

The Main Street Brewing Company may become Worcester's first brewpub.

"We hope to open in mid-June," said Eric Persons, who will run the pub along with the Abrams family - Mitch, Mark, Howard and Paul. Persons said that it will have three floors - a brewery and bar, a restaurant, and a pool hall.

As of press time they were still deciding on a brewer. They hope to have four to six standard beers.

Homebrewers should know that Lowell Brewing Company will be holding a homebrew contest near the end of April. The winner will be able to oversee the production of a 40-barrel batch of his or her brew using LBC's equipment. The beer will then be bottled and sold by Lowell as their summer beer.

A couple of caveats: the contest will be limited to IPAs and American Wheat Ales and when Lowell brews the winning batch they must use their own yeast.

Interested homebrewers should call the brewery at 508-937-1200.

Head brewer Paul McErlean said that they will try to incorporate the winner's name on the bottle.

Lowell will soon come out with an Oatmeal Stout. McErlean said they were "looking to do something different from what we've brewed in the past. We hope the stout will attract new people to our products."

The mild winter has affected at least one southern New England brewer. Wachusett Brewing Company (see feature story elsewhere in this issue) was doing 25 percent of their business at the lounges of the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area before January's lack of snow caused the resort to shut down.

Fortunately, this hasn't caused a drop in the sales of Wachusett's Country Ale. They have been able to sell the beer at other accounts that they had hoped to move into after their production capacity increased. This has led to more exposure than they had anticipated throughout northern Worcester county.

The Lenox Pub at the Lenox Hotel in Boston's Back Bay shut down in February and re-opened March 6 as the Samuel Adams Brewhouse. The hotel will run the pub and has been licensed by the Boston Beer Company to use the Samuel Adams name.

It is my understanding that the new brewhouse will be similar to the Brews Keller, located beneath the Marketplace Cafe at Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

The Brewhouse claims that they will tap all their kegs within 48 hours of arrival and that they will remain tapped for no longer than 72 hours in an effort to provide only the freshest beer possible.

If my experience at the Brews Keller is any indication, this policy is true. While there one night I had the single freshest pint of Sam Adams Lager I have had outside the brewery. I was impressed, although I couldn't figure out why so many people at the bar were nursing Buds. Jim Koch takes a lot of heat from people in the industry, but his beers, when fresh, are spectacular.

The Old Harbor Brewing Company's new facility in Hudson was set to start brewing in mid-February. The 15-barrel (not 30, as was reported here last issue) system will allow Lou Amorati to brew his flagship Pilgrim Ale, Pilgrim Cream Ale, an ESB, Stout and an IPA in the fall made with "native New England hops."

Springfield's Pioneer Valley Brewing Company did not open in January as was planned. "Hopefully St. Patrick's Day," said the brewpub's manager, John Sullivan, when asked what their new target date was.

The Boston-based American Hard Cider Company's flagship product, Cider Jack, will soon be available throughout the eastern half of the United States.

The two-year-old company's cider can already be found throughout Greater Boston and in New Hampshire, Washington D.C., Tennessee, Georgia, Illinois, and both Carolinas. Owner Ned Flynn says he is working on making Cider Jack available in Virginia, Ohio and Alabama.

"Sales were up by 500 percent last year," said Flynn.

Connecticut

As of press time, the "Brewpub Bill" was before the state legislature. If passed, the law will allow the Hartford Brewery to sell its beers in two-liter bottles for consumption off premises.

Several sources said that it appeared the bill would pass. "Things look good. We've got backing of the Connecticut Beer Wholesalers," said Phil Hopkins of the Hartford Brewery. He added that the "bill was proposed by the Speaker of House [Tom Ritter]." The last time the bill was proposed it died in committee.

In the 'I'm off on a tangent category:' If you take a tour of one of Connecticut's several wineries, you're free to buy a bottle or two of wine to take home with you. So it only stands to reason that after a tour of one of the state's microbreweries or brewpubs you can walk home with, oh, maybe a six-pack of freshly brewed beer, right?

No, no, no, you silly. Only wine drinkers have the common sense, the inner fortitude, the decency, the certain je ne sais quoi it takes to successfully negotiate a ride home with unopened bottles of alcohol-containing beverages in their automobiles.

How lucky we are that we have the government to protect us from all those wild, testosterone-filled teenage boys who flock to microbreweries every day in order to fill up on cheap booze.

I feel a lot better now. Thank you, government, for making me realize what a schlep I am because I drink beer.

Look soon for a German influence in the beers made at the New England Brewing Company.

The Norwalk-based micro recently hired a German brewmaster, Ralph Wittkopp, who studied at the Weinstephan Institute. When their new facility opens in late spring or early summer it will feature a 45-barrel system that uses kettles imported from a Bavarian brewhouse in Alleen, Germany. The new system will increase New England's capacity from 5,000 to 15,000 barrels per year, according to sales manager Chris Palumbo.

He said to expect a summer Wheat and an Octoberfest somewhere down the line.

New England has also hired Keith Symonds, one of this country's 11 master beer judges, to help keep their beers consistent during the cross-town move.

According to one source involved in consulting the project, a micro slated to be built in Hartford is still at least a year away.

Rhode Island

An observation: With wealthy tourists flocking to Newport every summer, it seems a brewpub in this town would be an instant hit. Imagine sitting on an ocean-side deck sipping cool pints of America's Cup Ale, Vanderbilt Pilsner and Yachtsman Alt as the August sun sets over Narragansett Bay.

It has been a rule that areas loaded with people with money have been overwhelmingly supportive of brewpubs. Note Harvard Square, the Back Bay, Burlington, Vermont, Northampton, Massachusetts. and downtown Providence. If Newport isn't loaded with money then nowhere is.

Another thing: Have you ever tried to get into a bar - any bar - in Newport at around 9 o'clock on a Friday night in July? Forget about it. If you're not in line by 7 p.m. you wait outside for hours, literally. Granted, it's seasonal, but the town could certainly support another drinking establishment.

So what's the hang up?

According to some people I've talked to, the city's officials are cool, to put it mildly, to the idea of licensing a brewpub.

Some feel there is no push within the business community to develop a place that would brew good beer. Kurt Musselman, who is head brewer at Providence's Trinity Brewhouse, said he talked to one bar owner about the idea and "his whole thing was how cheap can I make beer. He wanted it to be cheaper than what he pays for cases of Budweiser," said Musselman.

With that said, the nearest thing to a Newport brewpub, Middletown's Coddington Brewing Company is still under construction. A targeted opening this spring appears unlikely as owner William Christy is still waiting on equipment.

Agauam Ale, a blonde ale, is the latest offering from West Warwick's Emerald Isle Brewing Company, the only micro in New England to produce only cask-conditioned ales. The Emerald Isle list now includes a Nut Brown Ale, a Porter, and a flagship ESB called Bank Street Ale.

Anyone with news of beer happenings in Rhode Island, or any part of southern New England, can call Kerry Byrne at 617-361-6106 or 617-471-4203.