SABMiller said Friday that its joint venture with China Resources Enterprise will buy four Chinese breweries in separate transactions for $79 million.
Two breweries are in Liaoning province, one brewery is in Anhui and one is in Hunan province.
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Picture of Jesus holding beer causes uproar
A police report was lodged against a Tamil newspaper for publishing a front-page picture of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette in one hand and a can of beer in the other.
The report, lodged by a Puchong MIC member at the Tun H.S. Lee police station, alleged that the picture was a “threat to national harmony”.
Makkal Osai, a Tamil daily, printed the picture in its Tuesday’s edition with a caption quoting Christ as saying: “If someone repents for his mistakes, then heaven awaits them.”
This is a serious ruckus. The Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Murphy Pakiam, said: “It is very sacred to Catholics. As such, this caricature of Jesus is a desecration and therefore hurtful to the religious sentiments of Catholics.”
Dogfish Head celebrates 10 years of ‘exporting’
Ten years ago, to celebrate exporting the first Dogfish Head Brewery beer from Delaware, founder Sam Calagione built a sliding-seat rowboat and rowed a six-pack of Shelter Pale Ale 17 nautical miles from Lewes to a beach at Cape May, N.J.
He’s ready for the return trip, and this time on a bigger boat. Monday (Aug. 27) Calagione will host a trip on the Cape May Lewes Ferry.
Calagione wanted to deliver a keg when he sold his first beer outside Delaware in 1997, but soon figured that wouldn’t fit in the boat.
“It was a long, strange trip and pretty disorienting,†he said. “I couldn’t see land for about half the trip.†A party at a Cape May bar followed with Dogfish Head beer on tap. “But we all took sips from the six-pack that I rowed across the bay,†Calagione said.
To celebrate the anniversary, Dogfish and the Cape May Lewes Ferry are hosting a series of events Monday.
Calagione will host a beer & cheese sampling at the Rock Pile Bar in the Cape May terminal from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Along with selected cheeses, Calagione will sample the brewery’s Shelter Pale Ale, 60 Minute IPA, Indian Brown Ale and the 2007 release of Punkin’ Ale.
The boat will head for Lewes at 4:30 p.m. (check-in time us 4 p.m.). During the ride, Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale will be on tap in the Debraak Lounge. Calagione will be on hand pouring samples of some hard-to-find Dogfish Beers, talking with guests about the company, and signing copies of his two books, “Brewing Up A Business†and “Extreme Beer.†Books will be available for purchase.
Upon arrival at the Lewes, Delaware terminal, he will host a beer sampling from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Gerald’s Bar & Grill. Beers to be sampled include Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale, 60 Minute IPA, Indian Brown Ale and the 2007 Punkin’ Ale.
Tickets are now available and include round-trip ferry travel and beer sampling at listed locations.
Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 1-800-643-3779.
More data that beer can be chic
More good news for the beer industry, following last week’s data about craft beer sales going strong in the first half of 2007.
Beer sales from food, drug, liquor and convenience stores for the year ended June 2 grew 1.1% in volume, faster than spirits, which edged up 0.3% but trailed wine, which grew 2.7%, per Nielsen Monitor Plus. While Nielsen (which, like Brandweek, is owned by Nielsen Co.) touts that liquor and wine growth rates fell during that period, Impact, the New York-based trade publication, said all the categories grew in 2006 by more than 1% in volume.
BrandWeek also reports on a proprietary analysis for liquor clients by Information resources, Inc., which provided much of the information for last week’s press release from the Brewers Association. IRI found that consumers drinking less booze are substituting with high-end beer, light-calorie brews and wine. IRI figures show case sales of imports and craft beers increased 3.7% for the year ended July 15 while spirits slipped 1.1% and wine rose 4.4%.
Bump Williams, general manager of IRI’s beverage and alcohol unit, said craft beers are catching up with spirits in terms of cachet: “If they’re not drinking a martini or a vodka tonic, they want to be seen with a Corona, a Sam Adams or a Fat Tire. They’re unique, individual and chic.”
Nothing like feeling chic on a Monday morning, is there?
Steve Harrison, Sierra Nevada executive, dies
The body of Sierra Nevada Brewing vice president Steve Harrison, was found yesterday in the Sacramento River. Harrison, 54, had been missing for more than a week. There was no sign of foul play, according to authorities.
Harrison was the first employee at Sierra Nevada and was friends with company-founder Ken Grossman before conception of the brewery.
More at ProBrewer: In Memory of Steve Harrison.
First pumpkin beer of the season spotted
Pay no attention to those thermometer readings in Dallas or Cincinnati, pumpkin beers are on the way and fall can’t be far behind.
Anheuser-Busch this week announced the return of Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale, first released in 2005. More pumpkin beers distributed nationally, regionally and locally will soon follow.
Brewed with seasonal spices and Oregon-grown Golden Delicious pumpkins at A-B’s Fort Collins brewery, Jack’s (5.5% abv) pairs with traditional dishes such as turkey dinnners and pumpkin bisque, but also others like like teriiyaki chicken and mild Italian sausages.
“For adults who’ve never tried a pumpkin beer before, we’d encourage them to experiment with Jack’s,†said Florian Kuplent, brewmaster, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “Because the pumpkin and spice flavors are so well-balanced and subtle, Jack’s doesn’t overpower foods and makes for an ideal culinary experience. Year after year this is one of our favorite beers to brew and we hope beer drinkers who enjoy trying new flavors will sample this seasonal ale.â€
Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale is brewed with two-row, caramel and carapils barley malts, a blend of imported and domestic Hallertau hops and domestic Saaz hops.
The tipping point, indeed
A few months agon Jack Curtin used the term “the tipping point” (which comes from Malcolm Glaldwell’s book with that title) in writing about the spread of what those of us around here understandably describe as “real beer.”
And today the Los Angeles Times joins the fray by headlining the story on the cover of its Calendar section “At the tipping point: Roll out the barrel, beer lovers are eager to taste local microbrews.” (Registration may be required.)
This look at how and why Los Angeles has finally come to “get beer” includes a lengthy list of places to drink these beers and a shorter one of brewery restaurants.
“Wine paved the way here,” Sang Yoon (of the Father’s Office, long a bastion for better beer) says. “The success of wine has opened the door for craft beer, as people now have a basic understanding of wine they didn’t have 20 years ago. People are realizing that beer can taste like peaches, or beer can taste like a coffee, or beer can taste like a chocolate milkshake. It’s a far broader palate than wine. It’s like suddenly being handed a big box of crayons.”
This story appears just a day after the Brewers Association announced craft beer sales were up 11% in the first half of 2007 and dollar sales up 14%.
And before we could even get the link to the LA Times posted, this in from the Sun Sentinel in Florida: The Sunshine State is making a name for itself with great craft brews.
What’s next, North Dakota?
Craft beer sales soar (again)
Repeat after us:
Craft beer sales soared in 2005.
Craft beer sales soared in 2004.
Craft beer sales soared in the first half of 2007.
It’s starting to seem like something other than news. But the Brewers Association did in fact have something new to report today when it released first-half data: For the first time ever craft beer has exceeded more than a 5% dollar share of total beer sales.
The volume of craft beer sold in the first half of 2007 rose 11% compared to this same period in 2006 and dollar growth increased 14%. Overall, the U.S. beer industry sold one million more barrels in the first half of 2007 compared to 2006, with 400,000 of these new barrels produced by craft breweries.
Scan data from Information Resources, Inc. provide confirm that craft beers sales are rocking. Craft sales in the supermarket channel through July 15 showed a 17.4% increase in dollar sales compared to the same period in 2006.
Helping the ocean one beer at a time
Alaskan Brewing Co. is committing one percent of proceeds from its newly released Alaskan IPA to improve the health of the Pacific Ocean and coastlines in an initiative called the Coastal CODE (Clean Oceans Depend on Everyone).
The CODE web site provides insights on ocean preservation; information on volunteer opportunities; ways to donate to the fund; and information about how to apply for Coastal CODE grants for such activities as beach cleanups, water quality improvement and ocean conservation education.
“Big problems like ocean pollution can feel overwhelming, but if each of us does something small, together we can make a big difference,” said Marcy Larson, co-founder of Alaskan Brewing Co. in Juneau. “We’re happy to do our part through the Coastal CODE and participating in beach cleanups. We chose ocean preservation because the ocean is such an important resource to us all.”
The small craft brewery is involving others, calling on ocean-minded organizations to help create the Coastal CODE, which began by surveying more than 500 Pacific Northwesterners about the Pacific Ocean. Nearly 100 percent of respondents said they are concerned about the health of the world’s oceans and more than 50 percent think the condition of the Pacific Ocean and western coastline is poor or at-risk.
German kosher beer sells out quickly
A small brewery in eastern Germany has gone so far as to employ the services of a rabbi to make sure its beer is kosher, and has so far benefited financially.
Almost all German beer brewed to the Reinheitsgebot is technically kosher — fit for consumption according to Jewish law. However, Brauerei Hartmannsdorf has Berlin Orthodox Rabbi Yitshak Ehrenberg oversee the brewing and bottling process and give it official kosher certification.
“For very religious Jews the availability of kosher beer is tremendously important,” a psokeman said. “The certification takes it to the next level.”
The Jewish organization Saxonian Friends of Israel and SCHALOM, a Jewish restaurant in Chemnitz, came up with the idea of producing a certified kosher beer and approached the brewer at the Brauerei Hartmannsdorf in Saxony for help.
National Organic Homebrew Challenge
Seven Bridges Cooperative, a certified organic homebrew supplier, is hosting the worlds first all organic homebrew competition which is open to home brewers of beer throughout the United States.
This is the first time a contest has been held for beer brewed at home using only organically grown ingredients, GMO free yeast (most yeast packaged for homebrewers, including White Labs and Wyeast brands, is GMO free), and no chemical or artificial additives. By accepting only organically brewed beer entries, the contest represents the first opportunity organic homebrewers have had to compete fairly against other organic brewers in an AHA/BJCP sanctioned competition.
National Organic Homebrew Challenge winners will get a chance to brew in at commercial breweries that produce organic beer. One winner from the western side of the country will be selected to brew their winning recipe at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery in Santa Cruz, Calif. One winner from the Eastern side of the country will brew their winning recipe at Otter Creek Brewery in Vermont, home of the Wolavers brand organic beer which is distributed nationally.
The winning recipes will be selected from the top scoring entries that also meet the requirements of the breweries which have limitations on what styles can be brewed on the brewery equipment and a limited range of organic ingredients that qualify as USDA certified organic. Other prizes will also be awarded, including organic ingredients, T-shirts, brewery merchandise, and pint glasses.
The contest rules will differ slightly from other homebrew contests because all of the ingredients will have to be verified organic. Just as professional brewers of certified organic beer have to show documentation that all ingredients are USDA certified, the entries will have to include a complete recipe listing the source of each ingredient.
Sacramento Brewing shines at California fest
Sac-squatch Scottish 80 schilling from Sacramento won Best of Show in judging as part of the California Brewers Festival. The festival itself is Sept. 15 in Sacramento.
Nectar IPA, brewed at Firestone Walker, and Allagash White were awarded honorable mention in the BOS judging. Nectar IPA won the IPA category and Allagash White was the top wheat beer. Judging took place in 13 categories.
The ‘Latinization’ of American beer
Don Russell (Joe Sixpack) reports on the “Latinization” of America, specifically American beer.
So, what’s driving Latin American beer sales? Immigrants surely are a big part of it.
An estimated 45 million Latinos live in the United States. Naturally, many reach for familiar brands from their homelands. But that isn’t the only reason you see more and more people with limes stuck in their longnecks.
Russell suggest that the melting pot in action is “something that should be welcomed by every beer lover.”
He’s also candid about the beers themselves, writing: “As explorations go, Latin American beer isn’t exactly Mount Everest.”
Hops 401
“It’s kind of like the Lollapalooza of every chemist, scientist and brewer.”
– Tom Shellhammer, associate professor of brewing and food engineering at Oregon State.
The first international brewers’ symposium to focus on the crucial role hops plays in beer-making began yesterday at Oregon State University.
Officially it is known as the 1st International Brewers Symposium Hop Flavor and Aroma the meetings include seminars on subjects such as What is an “IBU†and Where Did It Come From? and Humulene Oxidation and Its Role in Hop Aroma.
More from the Ashland Daily Times.
Beer bound for GBBF stolen
The BBC reports that beer bound for the Great British Beer Festival was stolen off a delivery truck, not for the real ale but the kegs.
The beer was in 18-gallon barrels which brewing industry experts believe will be melted down and sold for scrap.
Just like in the United States, because of high scrap metal prices barrels are disappearing right and left.