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Homebrew contest winners enjoy Samuel Adams’ spotlight

Posted in Breweries, Homebrewing, Just for fun on   

Samuel Adams longshot“It’s a bit overwhelming. The weirdest thing was when [Samuel Adams] sent me pictures of my beer on the bottling line. I saw thousands of bottles with my face on it.”
         – Rodney Kibzey

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Rodney Kibzey’s friends call him a “beer rock star.” Because Kibzey was a winner in the 2007 Samuel Adams American Homebrew Contest a Weizenbock brewed to his recipe currently is on shelves across the country.

Each Longshot six-pack contains three bottles of Weizenbock and three of Grape Pale Ale from Samuel Adams employee Lili Hess.

Kibzey’s beer was one of two winners of a national homebrew contest. The other was an Imperial IPA and production of that one was delayed because of the hop shortage.

Grape Pale Ale is the 2007 champion of Samuel Adams’ annual employee homebrew contest. Attendees at the 2007 great American Beer Festival tasted the three employee finalists’ homebrew and voted Grape Pale Ale their favorite.

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This Bud’s for your . . . child’s name

Posted in Just for fun, Trends on   

Reports abound that actor Matthew McConaughey wants to name his unborn son “Bud,” after – you guessed it – Budweiser beer.

A source close to the actor said: “Matthew’s older brother Michael named his second son Miller Lyte because he loved the beer so much. And Matthew loved the name so much he really wants to name his son after his favorite beer. He is thinking of going for Bud after Budweiser beer.”

However, Brazilian model Camila, the boy’s mother, is less than impressed with his choice of name.

The source added: “Camila is pretty old-fashioned. She hates the name and won’t let Matthew push her into this.”

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Lawmaker would make ‘Bud’ official Missouri beer

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A Missouri legislator wants to make Budweiser the official beer of Missouri.

“We’ve got a state dinosaur, a state frog, a state reptile, a state flower, a state nut, but no one has given a thought to a company that’s been in Missouri for many, many years and is bringing prosperity to our state and manufacturing a product in our state that many people enjoy,” Rep. Curt Dougherty said.

He argues this might be good for tourism.

In a statement released Friday, an executive for Anheuser-Busch said the legislation was “flattering” but not requested.

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Amazon may partner with wine.com for online sales

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Amazon is ready to start selling wine in the US, the Financial Times reports.

According to Decanter, a UK-based wine publication, Amazon will work in partnership with wine.com.

It wouldn’t be simple, as the Motley Fool explains:

Pimping vino via cyberspace is a thorny issue. Moving libations over state lines is a regulatory challenge. That may explain why Amazon pulled the plug on its 1999 minority stake in WineShopper.com – which now simply redirects to privately held Wine.com – even before the dot-com bubble popped.

There is no mention in any reports about beer.

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Beer taps: ‘Behold, a new form of art’

Posted in Beer culture, Just for fun on   

The Seattle Times asks, “Does the tap handle tell you anything about what the beer tastes like? Or what’s in it? What the alcohol content is?”

Perhaps not, but tap handles are hot and this story profiles Renton-based Taphandles Inc., one of the country’s largest producers, which expects to ship half a million tap handles this year, mostly to American and Canadian brewers. It employs four designers at its Renton office who spend their days dreaming up designs to be made at its production facility in Guangdong province, China.

They can get a little crazy.

Some bartenders also think brewers might be going overboard. One tap handle for Maudite, a Belgian strong dark ale brewed in Quebec with a logo featuring a smug-looking devil, actually lit up when pulled. Another brewer offered an illuminated, working clock. “That was a little excessive,” says Ian Roberts of Brouwer’s Cafe in Fremont. “But think about it — it was the one lit handle on the entire bar.”

There is, of course, a bottom line. Notes one bartender: “Any attention-grabbing you can do is good. But if your beer’s no good, nobody’s gonna give you a second look.”

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Craft beer sales climb 12% in 2007

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Craft Beer Growth

The Brewers Association reports it estimates sales of what it defines as craft breweries rose 12% by volume in 2007 and 16% in dollars. Craft brewers’ share of the beer category is 3.8% of production and 5.9% of retail sales.

“Since 2004, dollar sales by craft brewers have increased 58 percent,” Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association, said in a press release. “The strength of this correlates with the American trend of buying local products and a preference for more flavorful foods and beers.”

The BA estimates the actual dollar sales figures from craft brewers at more than $5.74 billion, up from $4.95 billion in 2006.

More craft beer statistics from the BA.

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KLCC Brewfest fieldtrip report

Posted in Beer culture, Beers, Breweries, Just for fun on   

KLCC BrewfestBy Banjo Bandolas

A combination of bass and brass flooded the room as I entered Eugene’s KLCC Brewfest. Classic R&B from local UofO student band “The Essentials” played to the crowd who leaned more towards 40-somethings like me than beer guzzling 20-somethings. I found myself singing along to almost every song as I perused the program and checked my “must haves.”

When KLCC took the fest over in 2001 they had about 20 breweries…this year it was up to 48.The festival, KLCC’s biggest fund raiser of the year, is in its seventh year, and 2008 attendance is expected to top 3,700 people. (Thank god I got here early!)

The KLCC brewfest isn’t really very big as brewfests go, but Eugene, Oregon isn’t real big as cities go, so it’s size-appropriate. Attracting 48 breweries to our little berg is an indication of how strong the beer community is here. The breweries (half of which were from the Northwest) were a cross section of the big players in the craft brew scene, Widmer, Rogue, Lagunitas, Dogfish Head, Deschutes, as well as up and coming envelope pushers like Cascade, Ninkasi and Hopworks Urban.

Oregon beer gear was heavily represented on the attendees. Rogue Dead Guy Ale being the most popular T-shirt in the crowd, I gave up counting at 50.

I’d brought along my designated driver/wife Bonne, so I planned to enjoy a full lineup of craft brew. I figured a good place to start would be the festival’s collaboration brew. All five local Eugene breweries (Eugene City, Ninkasi, High Street, Steelhead, and Willamette) used the same base recipe and yeast (along with their own personal twists) to create a Bavarian Dunkelweisen.
A Dunkelweisen’s is a wheat beer, similar to a Hefeweizen, except it’s brewed to be darker (Dunkel = Dark). Most are brown and murky (from the yeast).

KLCC Brewfest

I quickly worked my way through all five (hey no lines yet!). They were all soft, bready, and smooth with small nuances that set them apart from each other, but none seemed remarkable. I guess this is what it’s like to be a beer judge. Maybe it was me, I’d just returned from the Rogue Imperial Red launch in Newport and my palate may have been suffering from the Impact of a lot of big beer.

“Okay, if that’s the case,” I thought as I made a beeline for the Deschutes table, “there’s no reason not to go right to the big guns.”

The Abyss is the second of the Deschutes Brewery’s Reserve Series launched last year with oak-aged Mirror Mirror. The Abyss is a Russian Imperial Stout aged in French oak bourbon casks and packing a whopping 11%abv. If I couldn’t taste it, all was lost. The pour was BLACK topped by a nice, well laced, tan head. The nose wasn’t what I expected, very light aroma with sweet notes of chocolate, smoke, and cherry. The flavor was strong. Bittersweet chocolate, molasses, spicy hops, coffee, and the slight burn of alcohol. Nice dry finish. Wow!

Obviously my taster was in working order so I moved on to the next beer on my list a couple tables away, Lagunitas Hop Stoopid. I love the fun themes Lagunitas uses in their marketing. This beer reminded me of the Frank Zappa IPAs, with little dryer finish. It’s a good sweet beer with lots of fruit at the entry balanced by a bitter finish. A very drinkable big session ale.

The band was really rolling now; did I mention it was a ten piece band with a brass section and everything? They were playing every song I’d ever danced to when I was young and I felt myself swaying to the beat as I moved from table to table. Looking around I noticed I wasn’t alone in enjoying the tunes and the open area in front of the band was filled with gyrating baby boomers.

One of my favorite Steelhead beers is Hopasaurus Rex, a recipe developed by brewer Jamie Floyd who now owns Ninkasi Brewery. So I had to try his Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA. The pour was a dark apricot with a soapy white head. Strong hops with citrus nose. Big hop flavor balanced well with the malt. Smooooooooth! Jamie’s double IPA is something even a non-hophead could enjoy.

I was starting to feel the impact of my selections so I decided to check out the LP, tape, and CD music sale in the corner. Cheap prices on hundreds of artists I’d never heard of. A friend came over and shared her Eugene City “100 Meter Ale, which is an anniversary brew celebrating the 100th batch of beer by Eugene native, Trevor Howard. Trevor combined two of his award winning recipes, Natty Red and Track Town IPA to create an ale he claims is the best of both. Nice floral aroma with slight fruit notes, definitely India style. Dark red with a tan head. Oh man, this is nice! The hoppiness of an IPA paired with the smoothness of red ale.

KLCC BrewfestThe hall was beginning to get kinda crowded and loud, time to finish my list and move on out. Hopworks Organic HUB Lager was a nice change after all the heavy beers I’d had. The beer pours a beautiful clear golden color with a tall white head. Crisp hop nose, spicy and floral, a great pilsner.

I attributed the long line at Lost Coast brewery’s table to its cult-like status with many beer enthusiasts and a taste of Downtown Brown was worth the wait. Lost Coast Downtown Brown pours a clear dark reddish brown. The taste is chocolaty with berry fruit notes and a mild hop finish. Love it!

I saved my last taste for Pelican Brewery where my buddy Darron Welch is brewmaster. MacPelicans Wee Heavy Ale – a Wee Heavy” Strong Scotch Ale. This ale is a batch of MacPelican’s Scottish Ale brewed with half the water and twice the boiling time, creating a massive malty flavored beer with a deep red color. The nose is rich caramel, cocoa, and fruit. The taste is sweet with a slightly dry finish. Dangerously drinkable at 8%a bv and a sweet relief after an evening of powerfully complex beer. And I’m done! (in more ways than one! Thank god I’ve got a Designated Driver)

What did I think of the KLCC Brewfest? Good tunes, great brews, and low impact crowds. What’s not to like?

KLCC BREWFEST PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNERS
1st Place: Lagunitas – Hop Stoopid
2nd Place: Willamette – Espresso Stout
3rd Place: Ninkasi – Tricerahops Double IPA


KLCC Homebrew competition winners.

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Matt Venzke 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year

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Beerdrinker of the YearMatt Venzke of Yorktown, Va., has won Wynkoop Brewing Company’s 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year contest.

Venke, an aircraft maintenance manager, is the second straight Virginia resident to win the competition. Diane Catanzaro of Norfolk won in 2007.

Venzke beat out finalists J Mark Angelus Oregon and and Richard Pedretti-Allen of Texas.

As the 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year, Venzke wins free beer for life at Wynkoop, a $250 beer tab at the Taphouse on Queensway and clothing proclaiming him the 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year.

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Colorado may OK Sunday beer sales

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The Colorado Senate has approved a bill that would allow Sunday alcohol sales. Sponsor Jennifer Beiga said that when the old law was passed, most businesses already were closed Sunday. Now, she said, Sunday has become a day when consumers do a large amount of their shopping and businesses get a sizable amount of their revenue.

The measure must still pass another vote in the Senate and then would move on to the House, however Friday’s vote indicated a change from three years ago, when the proposal never made it to the Senate floor.

More liquor store owners support Sunday sales this time. They see it as an alternative to allowing supermarkets to sell full-strength beer and wine.

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A-B upbeat about 2008 outlook

Posted in Breweries, Trends on   

Anheuser-Busch August A. Busch IV presented analysts with a positive outlook for 2008 despite the increasing price of production.

Busch told analysts at a conference in Boca Raton, Fla., that A-B is focused on raising U.S. beer sales and strengthening its core brands such as Budweiser, Bud Light, Natural Light and Busch beer.

The country’s biggest brewer plans to boost its total media spending by 10 percent this year. Together, Budweiser and Bud Light will get a 24 percent boost. Spending on digital media will jump by 55 percent this year.

“We believe we are adapting well to the changing landscape” of the U.S. beer industry, said Busch.

Busch also said A-B will change its exclusivity incentive, known to demand “100 percent mindshare.” The long-standing program was designed to entice beer distributors to focus only on Anheuser-Busch brands. He said the program’s current configuration may work against the brewer, because competing wholesalers were able to add more profitable beers. He did not give details of the planned changes.

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Heineken prices going up, but not in U.S.

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Heineken expects the cost of producing beer to increase 15% in 2008 and plans to pass those costs along to consumers, reports the Morning Advertiser in Great Britain.

Heineken’s announcement is the third warning of rising beer prices in two days following Carlsberg and S&N yesterday.

Heineken said the intended acquisition of S&N’s UK business would help it drive “premium Heineken brand growth.”

It said: “The acquisition will also add attractive brands such as Newcastle Brown Ale, Foster’s, John Smith’s Bitter and Strongbow cider to Heineken’s brand portfolio.”

The list is noteworthy for the brand not mentioned —Kronenbourg. Speculation is that the brand will be axed in the UK in favor of Heineken.

Added later Feb. 20: The Associated Press reportts that in the United States Heineken already raised wholesale prices, leading to a 5.5% increase for consumers at the cash register.

“Seeing that the domestic brands are not following that, we have not planned a price increase in the USA for 2008,” a spokesman said.

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Sam Adams shares hops with smaller breweries

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Boston Beer founder Jim Koch revealed a plan Thursday to supply smaller breweries with 10 tons of hops they might not otherwise have access to.

“. . . we looked at our own hops supplies at Boston Beer and decided we could share some of our hops with other craft brewers who are struggling to get hops this year.”

Details about the offer have been posted at the Samuel Adams website – look for “Hop-Sharing Program.”

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S&N will shutter largest UK brewery

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Scottish & Newcastle, the biggest brewer in Britain until it gets taken over by Carlesberg and Heineken, will close its largest brewery in the UK and eliminate 362 jobs.

The brewery at Reading produces 6 million hectoliters (more than 5 million U.S. beer barrels) of S&N’s biggest selling UK brands, Kronenbourg and Fosters. About 3 million hectoliters will be outsourced to Molson Coors, while the rest will be made at remaining S&N breweries.

“It is well documented that there is general over capacity in the UK brewing sector, and these proposals have been put in place to address this issue,” said S&N operations director Stephen Glancey. “The nature of the Reading site, the amount of investment required to make it competitive and its relative cost compared with other UK facilities means there is a strong case for closure.”

Reading is the 48th major brewery to close since 1990, according to figures from the Beer and Pub Association.