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RBPMail 7.07, July 2001
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 Often, links you will see are out of date, and businesses referred to may also be long gone.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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INTERBREW WEIGHS OPTIONS IN BASS DEAL
Britain's Office of Fair Trading has raised the possibility that
Belgium's Interbrew could be allowed to keep a significant part of Bass
Brewers if it gives up Britain's biggest selling lager, Carling. This
was one of four potential "remedies" the OFT set out to address
competition concerns stemming from last year's purchase of both the
Bass Brewers and Whitbread's beer businesses. The Bass Brewers
acquisition was derailed by former Trade Secretary Stephen Byers
earlier this year, but the Belgian company won the OFT review after a
judge ruled Interbrew had not been given enough opportunity to put
forward alternative remedies to a straight sale of Bass Brewers.
Interbrew has countered the OFT proposals with a solution that would
allow it to keep control of Carling, seen as the jewel in the Bass
crown. It would also keep Bass Ale and some minor brands and brewing
capacity. In return, Interbrew would sell Bass Brewers' Scottish and
Northern Ireland businesses, including existing rights to the
Tennent's, Grolsch, Caffrey's, Worthington and Stones brands.
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ANHEUSER-BUSCH WINS BUD BATTLE IN RUSSIA
Anheuser-Busch has won the right to the Russian trademark for the "Bud"
name after Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar's appellation of origin
registration was rejected by the Russian Trademark Office. Budvar had
attempted to file for the name "Bud" under an appellation of origin
statute, but A-B successfully argued that "Bud" is not a geographic
term. Anheuser-Busch now has the rights to sell Bud through virtually
all of the former Soviet Union.
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LION NATHAN LOOKS FOR ALTERNATIVES IN CHINA
Brewer Lion Nathan said it is looking to boost capacity and perhaps
make products other than beer at its Chinese breweries. Chief executive
Gordon Cairns said the company was examining its options after ending
talks with potential brewing partners in China to sell them its
breweries. Cairns said Lion's Chinese breweries were operating at only
about 30% of capacity. "So (we've said), let's see if we can get some
(contract) brewing opportunities in China to try and fill the capacity.
And the second thing is, let's look at the facilities and see if we can
make more than beer there," he said.
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BRICK WILL SELL ALGONQUIN BRANDS TO MOLSON
Brick Brewing Co. has entered into a letter of intent with Molson
Canada to sell its Algonquin trademarks to Molson Canada, and to enter
into a production and distribution agreement with Molson whereby Brick
Brewing will continue to produce and distribute the Algonquin beer
brands. The Formosa brands and trademarks owned by Brick Brewing are
not part of the proposed sale to Molson.
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STELLA ARTOIS STILL NO. 1 IN THE U.K.
Stella Artois lager increased its lead over Carling as Britain's top
selling alcoholic beverage. Market research conducted by ACNielsen
indicated that Stella's U.K. retail market value rose 23% to 300.27
million pounds ($420.4 million) in 2000 while Carling beer increased
11% to 161.45 million pounds. Both Stella and Carling are owned by
Belgian brewing giant Interbrew, though current competition rulings
require Interbrew to dispose of Bass Brewers, maker of Carling. The
survey indicated that premium lagers and branded wines are growing in
popularity while traditional British drinks such as Scotch whiskey, gin
and ale are declining. "Spirit mixer" are also growing at a rapid pace.
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UNIBROUE KEEPS RIGHT TO CLAIM BEER GMO-FREE
Unibroue, based in Chambly, Quebec, recently won a legal battle with a
federal government agency concerning advertisements classifying its
beers as GMO-free. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency granted Unibroue
certification during 2000 declaring its beers did not contain
genetically modified organisms. When Unibroue used the certificate in
advertisements in Quebec, the food inspection agency claimed the
company broke food and drug laws, withdrew its approval and sought a
court injunction against Unibroue's use of the certificate. Quebec
Superior Court ruled in favor of Unibroue.
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INTERBREW TO CLOSE DEWOLF-COSYNS MALTINGS
Interbrew, parent company of DeWolf-Cosyns Maltings has announced it
will close the famous Belgian malting facilities in 2002. "Following an
in-depth study of the long term future of its malting business,
Interbrew decided to close its malting plants in Belgium," according to
a company press release. The move was expected.
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EU GRANTS EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO TERM 'BAVARIAN BEER'
The European Union has granted breweries in Germany's southern state
the exclusive rights to the label "Bavarian beer." Germany's minister
for consumer protection, Renate Kuenast, said EU authorities in
Brussels had allowed the breweries in the country's southernmost state
to protect the name after nine years of negotiations.
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SWEDEN ASKED TO STOP TAXING WINE MORE THAN BEER
The European Commission, which implements European Union policy, has
formally asked Sweden to stop taxing wine -- most of which is imported
from other EU countries like France and Italy -- at a higher rate than
beer, most of which is produced at home.
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****WEB WATCH****
WIN 10 CASES OF BEER BREWED JUST FOR YOU
Do you know just what you want a great beer to taste like? Tell Real
Beer about its flavors, talk about the ingredients if you want, discuss
how it pairs with food. An international panel of judges will review
the descriptions and pick the best two -- one a Belgian-style beer, one
the style of your choice. Those beers will be brewed made at world-
class breweries, and you'll receive 10 cases of this beer in custom-
labeled bottles. Michael Jackson will provide hand written tasting
notes.
http://www.realbeer.com/contest
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AMERICAN BEER MONTH
American Beer Month II launched officially June 29 in Philadelphia and
continues throughout the month. We've put together a list of events and
created 52 discussion forums so you can talk to others out in the
field, looking for great American beers, great brewpubs and outstanding
bars.
http://www.realbeer.com/spotlight/abm
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POPPING CORKS IN ANTWERP
Michael Jackson sits in on the first tasting of the Champagne-style
beer Brut Reserve, made by Belgium's Malheur brewery, and offers his
impressions. The beer has a secondary fermentation in the bottle, after
which the yeast is frozen and removed as in the Champagne method. It
will first be offered in the United States to members of Jackson's
Great Beers of Belgium beer of the month club.
http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-001558.php
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PHILOSOPHY OF BEER
A philosophy teacher tells his class: "If you spend all your time and
energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that
are most important to you. Take care of the rocks first -- the things
that really matter. The rest is just sand." But a student has something
else to teach him about life and beer. We don't want to spoil the
story, but you may read it at ...
http://www.worldofbeer.com/brightbeer/philosophy.php
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*****************REAL BEER PICKS***************
ARROGANT BASTARD T-SHIRT EXCHANGE
Hang your head in shame no more! Here's a rare opportunity for mass-
marketing victims to redeem themselves this July during Stone Brewing's
Fizzy Yellow Beer T-shirt Amnesty Month. Those seeking to reclaim their
self-respect can trade in their fizzy yellow beer T-shirts for the new
Arrogant Bastard Ale "Fizzy Yellow Beer is for Wussies" T-shirts by
following the simple steps at
http://www.stonebrew.com/amnesty
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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 is a Real Beer T-
shirt. The winner in June was John Eisenstein.
LAST MONTH'S QUESTION:
If certain lawmakers and their allies get their way, beer bottles will
soon be sporting much larger and brighter warning labels. We asked
readers if they thought such labels would hurt beer sales. An
overwhelming 92% said no. However, reader Brett Herman made a very good
point: "In this case, I think brewers should lobby for minimum branding
space on their containers and packaging. I pictured myself and the
missus at the local Safeway one day twenty years from now: 'Gimme the
flashlight, hon, I think I found the Guinness!' Further, I think all
this protective labeling treats me like a moron."
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*********** Brewed Fresh For You! **************
The Real Beer Page announces a diverse group of brew websites
to check out:
http://www.bass-museum.com
http://www.brewguild.com
http://www.bobbrews.com
http://www.brewtek.com
http://www.beerbrew.com
http://www.neoncentral.com
http://www.soundbrew.com
http://www.hopfweisse.de/en
http://www.beachchalet.com
http://www.bigsys.com
http://www.homebrewhq.com
http://www.meheen-mfg.com
http://www.wildales.com
http://www.sapporobeer.com
http://www.spartanburgstainless.com
http://www.thirdstreetaleworks.com
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ROLLBACK ON BEER TAX PROPOSED
The beer industry is mounting its most aggressive effort in years to
roll back an increase in the tax on beer imposed in 1990. The rollback
would benefit larger breweries more than the smallest. Congress doubled
the tax to $18 a barrel -- about a dollar a case -- in 1990 when it
also passed tax hikes on luxury items such as planes and yachts. Three
years later, most of the luxury taxes were rescinded, but the beer tax
remained. "It's an equity argument," Miller Brewing Co. spokesman
Michael Brophy said. "It's certainly not a luxury item, and it's
already taxed at the state level and will still be taxed at the federal
level. There's a basic fairness issue." Rep. Jerry Kleczka (D-Wis.),
one of the bill's 150 co-sponsors, admitted that chances of passage are
slim. When the law increasing the tax passed in 1990, small brewers
retained an exemption that taxed their production at $7 per barrel for
the first 60,000 barrels sold. Therefore, breweries that do not produce
60,000 barrels will not benefit, and the gains for those making more
than 60,000 per year would relate to how much more than that figure
they produce.
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BRISTOL BREWING BREWER DIES IN RACING ACCIDENT
Bristol Brewing Co. head brewer Ralph "Chandler" Bruning Jr. -- an
immensely popular figure in both racing and brewing circles in Colorado
-- died in an accident June 28 while driving his super stock car up
Pikes Peak during a qualifying run for the 79th Pikes Peak
International Hill Climb. Co-workers said they took some comfort in
knowing that Bruning died racing his car -- doing something he loved,
and learned from his father. Ralph Bruning, was the race's greatest
driver, winning the event's stock car division a legendary eight times.
Chandler Bruning's friends said they imagined what it must be like for
the little boy who stood on the mountain to see his father, his hero,
again. "I'm sure Chandler is up there trying to tell his dad about
everything that happened in the last 18 months," Hanlon said, "and
Ralph is saying, 'Yeah, Chandler, I know. I've been watching.'"
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MAGIC HAT BEER HONORS VERMONT'S JEFFORDS
Vermont's Magic Hat Brewing Co. has added a beer called Jeezum Jim to
its lineup of craft beers, named in honor of Sen. Jim Jeffords.
Jeffords recently left the Republican Party to become an Independent,
thereby giving control of the U.S. Senate to the Democratic Party.
"This beer is for everyone who follows their convictions," said Alan
Newman, co-founder of Magic Hat. Magic Hat originally brewed the beer
for this spring's Jazzfest in Burlington, VT. The brewery decided to
make a commemorative batch of 1,000 cases after receiving inquiries
from across the nation.
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NEIGHBORS WANT TO KEEP VAGRANT DRUNKS IN PUBS
Camden Council in North London, where residents complain about the high
number of drunks congregating, plans to set up clubs to end the
nuisance. It hopes to secure sponsorship from breweries to sell
discounted cans of beer. Julian Fulbrook, chairman of the social
services committee, said: "We're not trying to encourage anyone to
drink, certainly not to excess.... If they come inside, we can provide
them with some medical attention, housing and benefits advice and, if
they want to take advantage of it, we can set them on the road to
recovery." Many experts on alcohol addiction are properly concerned
about the plan. "These people need advice and counseling, not cheap
alcohol," said one.
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BELGIAN SCHOOL CHILDREN MAY DRINK BEER AT LUNCH
Beginning this September, schoolchildren in the Limburg province of
Belgium will have the choice of low alcohol beer for their lunch. The
beer, 2-2.5% brews known in Belgium as tafelbier or "table beer," was
made available to students this spring in a pilot project instigated by
the local beer appreciation group, De Limburgse Biervrienden. More than
80% of the children who took part in the scheme preferred the beer to
soda pop and the project is expected to be expanded to other schools
this fall.
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BEER THAT BENEFITS FISH TO EXPAND FROM QUEBEC TO ONTARIO
Two young biologists who have raised more than $20,000 for an
endangered Quebec fish by selling beer will take their style of
environmental activism and beer marketing to Ontario next year. Alain
Branchaud and Andree Gendron launched Rescousse (Rescue) beer in Quebec
two years ago. They convinced Le Cheval Blanc, a Quebec microbrewery,
to brew the beer and to donate a portion of profits to a provincial
environmental organization working to save the copper redhorse, a large
copper-colored fish found nowhere in the world but a few rivers in
Quebec. A decision has not been made yet what species to feature when
Rescousse is launched next year in Ontario.
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DIAL-A-BEER QUIZ
About 500 pubs in the U.K. are now offering a text-messaging trivia
quiz. Here is how it works: Players are asked to ring a number on their
wireless phones and are then sent a series of text messages, these
contain a trivia question with a choice of three possible answers; the
player has to pick the correct answer and send it back, also via text
message; and players who manage to answer three consecutive questions
correctly will win a free pint of beer.
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NATIONAL HOMEBREW COMPETITION RESULTS
Steve Jones of State of Franklin Homebrewers in Tennessee won
Homebrewer of the Year in the American Homebrewers Association annual
National Homebrew Competition, Brian Cole of the Mountain Ale & Lager
Tasters (MALT) in North Carolina won the Ninkasi Award and the Kansas
City Biermeisters repeated at Homebrew Club of the Year. Complete
results:
http://beertown.org/AHA/NHC/2001/final_winners_01.htm
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EDITORIAL: AMERICAN BEER MONTH II
As we celebrate American Beer Month this July let's not overlook the
fact that American beer drinkers have fueled the unprecedented beer
renaissance of the past 30 years
When industry members gathered in Philadelphia June 29 to kickoff the
second American Beer Month, Institute for Brewing Studies director Paul
Gatza, said, "The quality and diversity of American beer has never been
better ... The only time it may be better is perhaps tomorrow."
He's right, but it wouldn't have happened had American beer drinkers
not reached into their wallets to support brewers who make styles from
around the world, make them well, and aren't afraid vary from the
recipe produced by Hans the Brewer down the street.
These drinkers are everywhere. Yes, as you would expect they frequent
brewpubs, multi-taps and bars that are staunchly pro craft beer
(whether it comes from smaller brewers in the United States or
elsewhere). But they are also on the barstools next to the drinkers who
still favor mainstream beers, and they remind us that this is not an
elitist movement.
It's not possible, for instance, to visit the Grey Lodge Pub in
Northeast Philadelphia and not be optimistic about the future of
American Beer. Few of those who ventured to Philadelphia June 29 for
American Beer Month's opening ceremonies made it to the Grey Lodge, but
those who did discovered these beers on tap:
Dogfish Head Aprihop, Heavyweight Two Druid's Gruit, Flying Fish Summer
Farmhouse Ale, Victory Whirlwind, Yards Saison, Yuengling Lager,
Woodchuck Cider, Budweiser and Coors Light (one tap was open). Who
can't find a beer to drink on that menu?
There's one cooler with craft beer, both American and imported, and
another with industrial lagers (because of Pennsylvania liquor laws,
bars are one of the best places to buy beer by the six-pack). The food
is basic -- although the tomato pie at $4.50 is both a bargain and
strangely intoxicating -- and the setting (mostly) blue-collar bar.
There are electronic and video games, including shuffle bowling, board
games, TVs and a few animal heads. The tile floor isn't in very good
shape, and the upholstery on the semicircular booths is well worn.
These are things nobody mentions when the recommend the Grey Lodge.
They send you there for the beer and to see the smallish bathrooms,
which are lovingly decorated with art tile featuring beer quotes.
This week the pub hosts Friday the Firkinteenth, which happens whenever
there is a Friday the 13th. The Grey Lodge will offer 10 cask-
conditioned ales from breweries throughout the region, and the event
will draw beer drinkers from all around Philadelphia for good reason.
These kind of events are good for both the pub and the breweries, but
may be no more important than an average Tuesday evening, when one
customer might be drinking a beer from Yards Brewing while the guy next
to him has a Coors Light.
That first customer could be a former Coors Light drinker, but there's
little chance the second switched from Yards to Coors. Think about it,
and you'll understand why we suspect the next 30 years of American Beer
can be even more exciting than the last 30.
P.S. Pictures of the bathrooms are at www.greylodge.com/restrooms.htm.
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