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RBPMail 5.02, February 1999
Real Beer Page Mail (RBPMail) began as a modest update to craft-brew events on the WWW. It evolved into a news digest and sometimes editorial forum. We present its contents here much as they were emailed to subscribers. Often, links you will see are out of date, and businesses referred to may also be long gone.
In this issue:
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today at
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BRITISH BREWERY BATTLES GOVERNMENT OVER TAXES
Shepherd Neame, the oldest independent brewery in England is going to
court to challenge the government's decision to increase beer duty.
Stuart Neame, vice chairman of Shepherd Neame, told the BBC: "We had two
options, just to stand by and watch community pubs close and good
licensees go bankrupt, or to do something about it." The High Court
turned down the brewer's case last July. But since then another 1 pence
a pint rise in beer duty went into effect Jan. 1. Shepherd Neame is
using this to reinforce its claim that the European Court of Justice in
Luxembourg should decide the issue. Shepherd Neame claims that the
recent hikes in beer duty contradict the Treaty of Rome, which first
established the European Community. The Treaty sets out the need to
harmonize duties among member states. UK beer duty is equivalent to 33
pence a pint, more than six times the level in France and more than four
times the European average. The EU "target" is 7.5 pence per pint. Only
Finland (56 pence per pint) and Ireland (40 pence) pay more duty than
the UK.
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PILSNER URQUELL BREWERY SEEKS BREWING PARTNER
Plzensky Prazdroj, the maker of Pilsner Urquell, hopes to expand its
export business and take on a partner. Japan's Nomura Securities, the
majority owner of Prazdroj, is looking for distribution deals with some
larger global brewers to determine if one might work out as a future
owner of Plzensky Prazdroj. Vladimir Perina, Chairman and chief
executive of Prazdroj, said that the brewery wants "a strategic partner
from the brewing industry." Some of the brewers being considered include
Heineken, Anheuser-Busch, South African Breweries, Kirin and Guinness.
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EUROBIERE 99 OFFERS SPECIAL EVENTS FOR WOMEN
Eurobiere 99, an international beer and beverages show April 24-28 in
Strasbourg, France, has opened its doors to consumers as well as
industry members and is particularly focusing on women. One of the
themes for the fest will be "Woman, the future of beer," featuring
posters of on the theme of women and beer from classical times to the
present day. There will be a cooking-with-beer demonstration by famous
female chefs, and a blind tasting competition with an exclusively female
jury consisting of CEOs, master brewers, communication managers, export
managers, journalists and chefs.
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SLEEMAN BREWERIES ACQUIRES SHAFTEBURY BREWING
Sleeman Breweries is acquiring Shaftebury Brewing of Delta, BC, and its
brewing operation in Alberta. This move give Sleeman national
distribution in Canada's major beer markets. "Shaftebury's products will
continue to be brewed in British Columbia using the same ingredients and
recipes," according to the company announcement. Sleeman is buying only
the Shaftebury brands and not the brewing facility in Delta. Sleeman is
the largest craft brewer in Canada and now owns Okanagan Spring Brewery
in BC, Upper Canada Brewery (http://www.uppercanada.com) in Ontario, La
Brasserie Seigneuriale in Quebec and now Shaftebury.
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LABATT'S LEMON MALT DRINK OUTPERFORMS SALES FORECAST
Boomerang, the 6.1% alcohol lemon malt beverage introduced by Quebec's
La Brasserie Labatt, has been selling at ten times the rate predicted in
the original sales forecast. Plans are being considered to roll out
Boomerang across Canada.
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SARAJEVO BREWERY ON WAY TO POST-WAR RECOVERY
The Sarajevo brewery has begun to recover from the 3 1/2-year siege by
the Serbians, and sales advanced enough in 1998 to boost production to
50% of its pre-war level. The brewery, which had been founded in 1864,
stayed open throughout the siege. It produces Sarajevsko pivo, soft
drinks and mineral water. The brewery is jointly owned by its 450
workers and the state. The company hopes to be fully privatized this
year, which could attract interest from foreign investors.
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JAPANESE BREWERS PREDICT HIGHER SALES IN 1999
Kirin Brewery Co., Asahi Breweries Ltd., Sapporo Breweries Ltd. And
Suntory Ltd., Japan's top four brewers, have predicted that 1999 will
show at least a rise in shipments -- some as high as 16%. All but Asahi
produce "happoshu," a low-malt beer that has been selling in great
quantity. Part of the reason seems to be that the low-malt product comes
under a low tax bracket and therefore
costs the consumer less.
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HE'S STILL A BEER HUNTER FIRST
The flap over Michael Jackson's appearance on "Late Night With Conan
O'Brien" may have overshadowed the rest of a trip to the United States
in December, but he was busy tasting beer every day. For his notes on a
trip along the East Coast and into the mid-South, stop by The Beer
Hunter site.
http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000155.php
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STEPHEN BEAUMONT'S WORLD OF BEER
Hydrogen beer? Belching blue fireballs? Once again, Stephen Beaumont
goes the extra mile to keep readers abreast with all aspects of the
World of Beer. And he might be posting a new item in "Bright Beer" as
you are reading this.
http://worldofbeer.com
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PLEASE MR. POSTMAN, BRING ME A 6-PACK
There's a new store in BREWMall, the Beer Store. So if you are thirsty
for a beer not available at a store near you, and over 21 over course,
then you might want to check out the virtual shelves. BREWMall now has
more than 2,000 items in stock, so allow yourself some time for
browsing.
http://brewmall.com
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*****************REAL BEER PICKS***************
BREWERY OMMEGANG
A mere 387 years after Belgian brewers were recruited to sail on the
Mayflower, authentic Belgian brewing returned to the United States when
Brewery Ommegang opened in Cooperstown, N.Y. the brewery is a
partnership between importer Vanberg & DeWulf and the makers of
Affligem, Duvel and Scaldis. It's a farmhouse brewery on a traditional
site (a former hops farm) and a virtual trip will probably make you want
to visit in person. We hear Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount
already have books tours this summer.
http://www.ommegang.com
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BEER TRAVELERS
If you love the road and believe that the journey is as engaging as the
destination, you're going to love the Beer Travelers. The articles are
written by authors, Daria Labinsky and her husband, Stan Hieronymus, and
told with the joy of hearing a good story and sharing one's own. And,
they also have one of the best list of good beer places, from tap houses
to package stores, available anywhere. This month, the Beer Travelers
are turning their spotlight on The Big Easy, New Orleans, in tribute to
the coming Mardi Gras. Come party at:
http://www.beertravelers.com
Note: Stan's the editor at Real Beer, Inc. and is probably blushing that
we included this pick, but wait until you see the site. It's worth the
visit and hours you'll enjoy sifting through the expertise. As you'll
see, we *had to* hire him.
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QUICKIE EMAIL SURVEY
Thanks to all who have been replying to our Quickie Surveys. We draw one
winner each month for a prize, which this month will be a Real Beer T-
shirt. Last month's winner was Julie Jorgensen, who wrote: "Snowshoeing
is my favorite winter activity. Get a good workout, enjoy beautiful
scenery, and work up a good thirst for some great winter brews."
LAST MONTH'S QUESTION:
Last month we asked what single kind of activity you spend the most
amount of time with. Your answers reflected the diversity of RBPMail
readership. "Outdoors" received the most votes, but was followed closely
by "music," "online" and "books."
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*********** Brewed Fresh For You! **************
The Real Beer Page announces a diverse group of brew websites
to check out:
http://www.petes.com
http://www.newbelgium.com
http://www.safetap.com
http://www.spartanburgstainless.com
http://www.newcastlebrown.com
http://www.bestbelgianbeers.com/beerprd/lagr_st.htm
http://www.bestbelgianbeers.com/beerprd/whitvill.htm
http://www.bestbelgianbeers.com/beerprd/abbey.htm
http://www.bestbelgianbeers.com/beerprd/lambic.htm
http://www.gordonbiersch.com
http://www.johnsgrocery.com
http://www.beer-wine.com
http://www.monkscafe.com
http://www.irishpubtours.com
http://www.ecologiccleansers.com
http://www.brewersheritage.com
http://www.beerheads.com
http://www.maltbev.com
http://www.hwbta.org
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THE BIG GUYS IN 1998 - AND THE SMALLER GUYS
It depends whose numbers you believe, but they all point to one thing:
Anheuser-Busch increased its share of the U.S. beer market in 1998.
According to one report, A-B now has 46.7% of the market, while another
puts it at 46.2%. Miller Brewing Co. lost share in 1998, to about 21.2%,
as sales of Miller Lite, its flagship beer, fell 2.6%. Bud Light
continued to gain and may soon pass Budweiser in sales. Adolph Coors
increased its market share to 10.5%, while No. 4 Stroh Brewery suffered
the most. Stroh sales were off 14% from 1997 and it now has just 6.7% of
the market. A-B sales increased 3.1 million barrels for the year (to
92.7 million barrels, while the overall U.S. beer market grew by almost
3 million barrels.
Meanwhile, the Institute of Brewing Studies is totaling the growth
figures for the craft-brewing industry and expects growth in that
segment will be up 1% to 2% for the year. Preliminary numbers show 41
microbreweries opened in 1998 and 43 closed, while 115 brewpubs opened
and 69 closed.
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SUPER BOWL SWEEPSTAKES LAST HURRAH IN CALIFORNIA
A California law that goes into effect April 1 effectively ends all
sweepstakes and prizes linked to beer, wine and distilled spirits. While
recent attention was focused on Miller Brewing's successful legal
efforts to conduct its Miller Lite Super Bowl Sweepstakes, that was a
temporary victory. The California law bans the offering of free goods
that are worth more than 25 cents for beer-related contests, $1 for wine
and $5 for distilled spirits.
The statute limiting sweepstakes has been on the books since the end of
Prohibition in 1933. Regulators considered it unenforceable until two
years ago when Anheuser-Busch's Bud Gear campaign allowing consumers to
redeem Budweiser bottle caps for merchandise sparked action. Critics
called it a frequent drinker program. "Some of these sponsorships are
clearly targeted at young people and make drinking look 'cool,'" said
Harvey Chinn of the California Council on Alcohol Problems. "We think
the state has a responsibility to protect the welfare of its citizens."
Winemakers are no happier than brewers with the ban. Many have major
promotions planned in connection with the arrival of the Millennium. "We
have a huge, year-long sweepstakes going on" with prizes like vacations,
air travel, cruises and big-screen TVs, said Margie Healy of Korbel
Champagne Cellars in Guerneville. "But we can't even hold it in the
state where we produce our champagne, pay taxes and employ 500 people."
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Anheuser-Busch has been exploring the use of daytime TV advertising
since early last year, when it tested marketed Catalina, a low-alcohol,
low-calorie beer intended for females, middle-aged men and senior
citizens. Now the brewery plans to advertise its Michelob Light to
daytime TV viewers as well. The new ads target female audiences
specifically. While almost all beer TV marketing has been aimed at a
male audience, women represent nearly 20% of the beer market.
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HEINEKEN LAUNCHES $42 MILLION PROGRAM
Heineken USA is backing its flagship beer, Heineken, with a record $42
million marketing and advertising plan in 1999, twice what it spent in
1998. Heineken was replaced by Corona as the top US import in 1997 and
fell farther behind the Mexican beer in 1998. Heineken claims that this
will be the largest marketing program ever for an imported beer brand.
Skewed heavily to television, its ads debuted on the NFC and AFC pro
football playoff broadcasts. Heineken also will spend millions of
dollars as part of the promotion for the movie, "Austin Powers -- The
Spy Who Shagged Me." In addition, the importer will expand its marketing
to the U.S. Hispanic market, sponsor major musical events and continue
to sponsor the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.
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MILLER'S HISPANIC 'HUMOR' UNDER ATTACK
A longtime California political activist has threatened to lead a
nationwide boycott of Miller Lite beer because he calls a company's
attempt at humor insulting and racially discriminatory. Reuben Martinez
of Santa Ana, Calif., wrote Miller in protest because the company
printed the Spanish words meaning "Do not use in pinatas" on the bottom
of cans intended for sale to the Hispanic market. A Miller spokesman
said the message was intended as light-hearted humor. Marketing
strategists noted that Miller's target audience, young Hispanics,
probably won't be offended by the off-beat humor and the company was
unlikely to alter its packaging.
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CUMBRIAN BEER CHAMPION WINTER BEER OF BRITAIN
'T'Owd Tup' from Cumbrian brewer Dent was chosen the Supreme Champion
Winter Beer of Britain 1999 by a panel of expert judges during last
month's Great British Winter Beer Festival. The stout is described as
having a roast coffee aroma with a warming sweetness and a raisiny,
fruitcake taste. Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Director John Holland
congratulated Dent on its ability to produce beers to perform on the
national stage with companies a hundred times their size. The Silver
prize went to Norfolk brewers Woodforde's with their old ale, Norfolk
Nog and the Bronze award went to Daleside brewery from Harrogate for
their hoppy and fruity strong ale, Monkey Wrench. The competition was
judged by a panel of CAMRA experts and beer writers at the Great British
Winter Beer Festival in Manchester.
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WINERY GETS OUT OF THE BEER BUSINESS
Sonoma Mountain Brewery of Glen Ellen, Calif. announced that it is
discontinuing beer making and will convert the brewery property to high-
end wine production for the Benziger Imagery Series. The Benziger
winemaking family committed their full resources to the brewery project,
which opened July 11, 1997, but recently realized that the timing of its
entry into the beer industry proved to be too great a challenge. "When
we were building, the industry was robust. Had it not been, we might not
have gotten involved," brewery CEO Tim Wallace told BEERWeek when the
announcement was made. The 50-barrel brewhouse and fermentation
equipment will be converted to wine production. The bottling line may be
sold or converted, according to Wallace.
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HISTORIC REGIONAL BREWERY SHUTS DOWN
The Dubuque Brewing Co. in Dubuque, Iowa, has ceased brewing beer.
Dubuque is owned by MicroStar Breweries Inc., a recently dissolved
corporation based in the state of Washington. When MicroStar dissolved,
Dubuque lost sales and marketing dollars, and company president Ron
McCarl attributed the brewery's problems to lack of marketing. He said
he hopes somebody will purchase the brewery locally. Dubuque produced
25,000 barrels of beer in 1995 and 1996 when it was brewing beer for
national chains such at TGI Friday's and the Marriott hotels, but brewed
just 5,000 barrels in 1998. The building that houses Dubuque has been a
brewery under various owners for nearly 100 years. As well as making
beer for other brewers, the brewery also produced local brands such as
Dubuque Star, Big Muddy Red Ale and Ice Harbor Lager.
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Hudepohl-Schoenling, the oldest link to Cincinnati's long beer-brewing
heritage, is selling its name and its beer brands to a newly formed
Cincinnati company. Royal Brewing has agreed to acquire
Hudepohl-Schoenling's beer division. Royal will do business under the
Hudepohl-Schoenling name and continue making the historic brewer's
traditional brands. "We're very satisfied with the taste and
brewing quality of these brands and consumers can rest assured
that their Hudy Delight, Little Kings and Christian Moerlein will
not change," a spokesman said. The main Hudepohl-Schoenling brands
will continue to be brewed under contract by Boston Beer Co., which
purchased Hudepohl-Schoenling's brewery in 1997. Hudepohl was founded
in Cincinnati in 1885. The Schoenling Brewing Co. was founded in 1933
after the repeal of Prohibition, as was Burger Brewing Co., still a
company brand. Later, Hudepohl and Schoenling merged.
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BARDO RODEO CLOSES, TO RELOCATE
Bardo Rodeo, one of the nation's most unusual and best-known brewpubs,
has packed its brewing kettles and left Arlington, Va. Bardo will
collocate with an Italian restaurant in nearby Falls Church. The
transformation should be complete in the spring. Opened in early 1993,
Bardo was once one of the largest brewpubs in the United States.
Occupying the premises of a defunct Oldsmobile dealership, the brewpub
had recently shrunk significantly in size, and the brewery was moved to
owner Bill Stewart's farm in rural Rappahannock County. The new Bardo
will feature a pool room and beer garden.
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CHANGES ON BEER NOTES ROSTER
Beer Notes, Inc., publishers of Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Northwest
Beer Notes, has newly appointed Bill Urseth as president and John North
as Northwest advertising representative. Bill Urseth has an extensive
background in marketing and advertising and has been involved in the
craft brewing industry for some time. He was an early investor in the
Summit Brewing Co. of St. Paul, Minn. He founded Upland Global
Corporation, a publicly-traded Canadian company which has purchased the
Hart Brewing Company of Ottawa and Le Chaudron Brewing of Montreal. Tod
Fyten, a long-time advertising consultant, has left to open his own
microbrewery in St. Paul, Minn. "He's done a lot to make Beer Notes what
it is today," managing editor Mike Urseth said. "We wish him well. Look
to Beer Notes for news about the progress of the Fytenburg Family of
Beers." For more information write Mike Urseth at:
[email protected]
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NEW NATIONAL HOMEBREW FINALS THIS MONTH
The first year of a new "national" homwww.ebrew.competition comes to
fruition next week in Houston when the final judging is held Feb. 12-13
for the Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing (MCAB). MCAB is the new
"national" homwww.ebrew.competition (including both the United States and
Canada) whose method of selecting top honors for North America's best
home brewers aspires to the highest standards in organization and
judging. MCAB uses a "masters" format for the competition. Beers qualify
to enter by first winning in any of 11 regional qualifying events, held
throughout the year. North America's best home brewers convene in
Houston for the chance to win top honors in the final masters round. All
entrants are admitted based on their previous wins in qualifying events,
but have been free to brew a fresh beer -- even a different recipe --
within the same style category that qualified them for MCAB. More
information about the event (as well as a list of competitions where
beers qualify for the MCAB finals in 2000) is at:
http://hbd.org/mcab
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SELECTED BEER EVENTS FOR FEBRUARY:
For up to the minute event listings of your area and wherever you may
travel, check out:
http://realbeer.com/rbp/rbp.events.php
February 6, 1999 - Blenheim, New Zealand
Blues, Brews and BBQ's Beer Festival
Contact Email: [email protected]
http://www.brewing.co.nz/
February 6, 1999 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Food & Froth Fest Beer Festival
Contact Phone: (414) 278-2728
February 7 - 13, 1999 - San Francisco, California
Toronado Barley Wine Festival
Contact Email: [email protected]
http://www.toronado.com
February 12 - 13, 1999 - Woodstock, Ontario, Canada
Parade of Beers Beer Festival & Technical Conference
Contact Email: [email protected]
February 17, 1999 - Washington, Washington DC
Redhook Tasting with Paul Shipman at the Brickskeller
Contact Phone: (202) 293-1885
February 27, 1999 - Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
"At The Hops" MicroBrewery & Leisure Festival
Contact Email: [email protected]
February 27, 1999 - Berkeley, California
Beer Festival, Dinner & Bash
The Celebrator Beer News 11th Anniversary Party
Contact Phone: (800) 430-2337
http://www.celebrator.com
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EDITORIAL: THE PUB UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE
Imagine the fuss that would follow if a scientific commission for
education spent U.S. public funds in taverns. We wonder because in the
UK, a program called "The Pub Understanding of Science" has been
launched in 50 British pubs. And frankly, we think it's appropriate and
brilliant.
A science-book illustrator and a plant biologist cooked up the idea and
received a $19,000 millennium grant from Britain's Millennium
Commission, which funds projects to bring science to local communities.
Each week, coasters ("drip mats" in England) are printed with a science
question and distributed to pubs in Britain's north and southeast. The
answer is posted on the pub menu boards a week later.
The creators picked pubs first of all because they spend time in their
locals. "Most people, after a few beers, have discussions about cosmic
things," Mic Rolph (the illustrator) said. "When the Hale-Bopp comet
came, there was debate in my local pub about how fast it was going." The
Millennium Commission simply saw the program as an opportunity to
promote science. "Science is seen as very highbrow, but this shows that
it doesn't have to be all equations," said Judith Moore, a commission
spokeswoman.
The questions are usually alcohol-related. For instance, one asked what
you would get if you could join two atoms of carbon together and add six
atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. The answer is alcohol.
We fear such a program stateside would be greeted by howls from neo-
Prohibitionists who would cry that public money was being spent to
promote drinking. After all, mom or dad might take the coaster home,
figuring Johnny would learn something and next thing you know he'd be in
the basement putting together a still.
Next, somebody would suggest a compromise to save the program, like
making sure the questions and answers always emphasize information about
the ills of drinking. Or perhaps the coasters could also include a chart
that combines information about body weight and beers consumed to give
you an idea of how much alcohol is probably in your blood stream. We
think such compromises are silly.
Of course, we don't support driving while intoxicated. The fact that we
have to include this kind of a comment suggests we're proactively
parrying the dumbed-down and anticipated counter-arguments of the neo-
prohibitionists. It seems as if you advocate alcohol communications or
awareness, you've got to tag on one of the moderate messages as well.
Fact is, we're adults talking to adults. You can make up your own mind
about responsible enjoyment. We believe that anyone more informed and
educated about a subject tends to treat it with greater respect.
So, yes, we think it is fine to put those charts on the menu, on the
chalk board, wherever. But that's not the point. The point is that a
pervasive alcohol temperance attitude exists among U.S. policy makers
and influencers. President Clinton's recent push for national .08 BAC
restrictions demonstrates what one wine industry expert asserted in a
recent address: "Prohibition still works in the halls of Congress." A
program like Britain's The Pub Understanding of Science" would be great
on this side of the pond (this is the part where we raise our voice)
without changing a thing.
"When you're in a bar, waiting for a friend, you can read the beer mat
and appear to be occupied," Rolph said. "You might even strike up a
conversation with your neighbor -- 'Do you know the answer to this?' It
gives you that kicking-off point."
The Pub Understanding of Science promotes science and conversation, and
hence civility. That's good enough for us.
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