The Independent in London has Michael Jackson write their obituary for John Young, long te venerable leader of London’s historic brewery. It should be read in its entirety but in case you need a nudge, here’s an excerpt.
He has been described, inadequately, as an eccentric. People thus identified are usually bores. Young was never boring. Barking, perhaps. If the rest of the world were sane, he would indeed have to be judged mad.
He was also a giant, which Jackson’s tribute makes clear.
Today’s Denver Post previews next week’s Great American Beer Festival. The focus is in the fact that it is the GABF’s 25th anniversary, and the story concludes with a quote from founder Charlie Papazian:
“It feels great. How many things can we say we’ve done 25 times and enjoyed it?”
Here at Beer Therapy Central we’re having toruble getting past the rather obvious answer.
What newspapers are writing about local breweries:
“‘Wet”‘ hops come to Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on East End Brewing’s Big Hop Harvest ale. West Coast breweries aren’t the only one serving fresh hop ales.
Getting ready for GABF. This story from the Idaho Statesman is being repeated hundreds of times across the nation this week (though not often in print). Two Idaho brewers send their beers off to be judged during the Great American Beer Festival, which celebrates its 25th anniversary next week in Denver.
More GABF. Kevin DeLange and Kevin Kellogg, owners of Dry Dock Brewing, offer readers of the Aurora (Colorado) Sentinel & Daily Sun tips for enjoying the festival. Their best advice? “Don’t be fooled. If there for the party, don’t let anyone trick you into tasting the contents of the dump buckets.”
It’s only Wednesday morning, but this has to be the quote of the week. From Boston Beer founder Jim Koch, speaking at the National Beer Wholesalers Assocation conference about watching the largest brewing companies in America duke it out:
“I feel like I’m a medieval peasant watching these armies marching across the landscape. I’m just hiding out in the forest still living on berries and acorns.â€
And beer we would hope.
[Via On the House]
The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) this week honored Bob Lachky of Anheuser-Busch for his efforts to promote beer and the role distributors play in the marketplace, with its Industry Service Award presented at NBWA’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. The award recognizes individuals who have made a contribution that enhances the malt beverage industry.
Lachky has spearheaded the “Here’s To Beer†campaign, which is ongoing.
John Young, long the chairman of the family run Young’s Ram Brewery in London, died Sunday. He was 85. The obituary from the British Guild of Beer Writers points out:
. . . his most successful brainwave was a decision, against all contemporary trends and advice, to promote traditional draught beer instead of the keg beers that most brewers were heavily supporting in the 1960s. The ploy paid off and Young’s sales rocketed well before the foundation of the Campaign for Real Ale in 1971.
His death comes in the week when Young’s beers are being brewed for the last time at Wandsworth. In May Young’s announced it would merge brewing operations with Bedford-based Charles Wells.
Did you know . . .
Oregon’s Full Sail Brewing puts rock, paper and scissors symbols on the underside of bottle caps on its Session lager, a quick way for beer-drinkers to decide who should buy the next round: paper beats rock, rock beats scissors and scissors beats paper. The brewery helps sponsor tournaments.
[Via The Seattle Times]
Maureen Ogle, author of the new book Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer, is “bracketing beer” for a book due out next March titled “The Englightened Brackologist: The Final Four of Everything.”
She offers a full explanation of what this means, including why after two days she had to take a break.
She’s down to a Final Two and about to make her decision, but it will be March before it goes public.
Meanwhile, if you need an immediate “Beer Bracket” fix we refer you to RealBeer.com’s Battle of the Beers (four tournaments, 2003-2005, the last three won by Dogfish head 90-Minute IPA).
Don Russell (Joe Sixpack) picks six American fall beers to take you from “the thin-bodied thirst-quenchers of summer to the strapping headbangers of winter.”
On first swallow, yes, these fall beers go down with the same sweetly smooth flavor you’d find in a typical Oktoberfest. But take a second, and you discover a distinctly American twist on a standard German beer.
Munich’s Oktoberfest begins tomorrow, so you may also want to lay in a more traditional Oktoberfest beer as well. Your call. Meanwhile, some other tasty choices posted in blogs this week:
– The Saint Arnold Brewhouse, one of the first blogs from brewers that we found but unfortunately off line for some time, is back.
Post fromt he brewhouse certainly capture the spirit of the brewhouse, like this one:
If you are at all disturbed by shocking images of elaborate machinery being assembled by unorthodox means, then don’t look here! (I think that one image probably voids our warranty, so look quick before Brock makes me remove it!)
– Added to FeedDemon (our reader of choice) today: Lost Abbey’s Brewer’s Blog. Tomme Arthur promises to be properly dangerous when posting here.
It’s at least a little amusing that they feature the drawing of a monk writing in his journal, beer at his side, that adorns the bottle of Lost and Found Abbey. Shouldn’t he be at the keyboard, banging out a blog post?
– You can count on a post at the Flossmoor Beer Blog about every two weeks. Ones like this are worth the wait.
25th Great American Beer Festival, 14 days and counting . . .
The GABF has announced a new feature – Inside the Brewers Studio, patterned after the television show “Inside the Actor’s Studio.” The shows will be presented in the Brewers Studio Pavilion at the center of the festival floor. Tom Dalldorf of Celebrator Beer News moderates each of them.
Thursday, September 28, 7-7:30 p.m.
Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Co. and Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker Brewing Co. discuss their brewing adventures in Northern and Central California.
Thursday, September 28, 8-8:30 p.m.
Rob Tod of Allagash Brewing Co., Adam Avery of Avery Brewing Co., Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing Co. and Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Co. all traveled to Belgium together in March, even taking along their own beer for Belgians to sample. They’ll share stories about the trip.
Friday, September 29, 7–7:30 p.m.
Garrett Oliver and Mitch Steele are both veterans of American brewing. Oliver is the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery and author of The Brewmaster’s Table. Steele recently became brewmaster of Stone Brewing Co. after brewing more than 10 years for Anheuser-Busch. They’ll interview each other about their careers, “talk some East/West smack”, and answer questions.
Friday, September 29, 8–8:30 p.m.
Charlie Papazian, founder of the GABF and president of the Brewers Association, and Boston Beer Co. founder Jim Koch will share stories about the last 25 years of craft beer.
Following up on last year’s “Big Ad” for Carlton, Foster’s has rolled out “Flashbeer.”
Half a million people saw “Big Ad” in the first week of its life on the Internet and Foster’s hopes to surpass that figure before the ad launches on TV.
The ad features a prospective Carlton brewer who wins over the brewery’s recruitment panel through the “power of ’80s dance” with his rendition of a scene from the 1983 movie Flashdance.
The deal to keep Latrobe’s brewing plant – long the brewery for Rolling Rock – open has hit a possible snag.
City Brewing out of La Crosse, Wis., plans to make not only beer in Latrobe, but sports drinks and other beverages like Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Arizona iced tea, drinks containing sugar and other additives that may be too much for some sewage treatment plants to handle.
“The proposed waste that’s coming in from the new facility is approximately five times strong than the existing waste now,” Water Authority consultant Mark Gera told ThePittsburghChannel. “So for them to reach their ultimate capacity, we have to be able to provide treatment capacity for that.”
Brewing officials said the issue is not a deal-breaker.
A new beer (you’ll have to wait; it hasn’t been brewed yet), the return of a seasonal, and wider distribution:
– Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant’s founding partners Kevin Finn, Kevin Davies and Mark Edelson will gather in the brewhouse at their Newark, Del., original location later this week brew their first ever collaborative beer in honor of Iron Hill’s 10th Anniversary. They’ll a Belgian/Trappist-inspired ale, similar to a Rochefort 10, a strong brown ale with an alcohol content of 10% percent or more.
The beer will be bottled and ready for consumption on Nov. 14 for Iron Hill’s 10th anniversary celebration. “After 10 years, I’ve finally convinced my partners to join me in the brewhouse,†said Edelson, director of brewing operations. “It will be a significant occasion, because it’s our first attempt at this type of Trappist ale, and the first time the three of us have brewed together.â€
– Anheuser-Busch begins the second year of its seasonal beer series by bringing back Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale. Previously only available on draught, this seasonal offering will now also be sold in bottles, beginning Wednesday. “Given what a passionate following Jack’s had last year among beer lovers, we’re excited about brewing it for them again,†said A-B brewer Florian Kuplent.
Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale is brewed with two-row, caramel and carapils barley malts and a blend of imported Hallertau and domestic Saaz hops. It is also brewed with seasonal spices and Golden Delicious pumpkins from the Stahlbush Farm in Oregon. Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale is brewed at the Anheuser-Busch Fort Collins, Colo., brewery and has 5.5% alcohol by volume.
– Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is expanding beyond regional distribution to several new markets. The subsidiary of Miller Brewing is rolling out Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat in Atlanta, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia and Tampa/Jacksonville.
Launched in Spring 2006, Sunset Wheat is already one of the fastest growing craft beers in the country. Leinenkugel’s anticipates Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat will appeal to both male and female consumers.
The American Breweriana Association has given Gregg Smith its 2006 “Excellence in Literature†award for his latest book, titled “A Beer History: A Day at a Time Through the Year.â€