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French likely homebrewing 2,500 years ago

Archaeologists have discovered proof that residents of southeastern France were making beer at home during the Iron Age.

Laurent Bouby from the Centre de Bio-Archeologie et d’Ecology in Montepellier, France, and colleagues unearthed the evidence of brewing in Mediterranean France as far back as the fifth century. Studying material collected at the Roquepertuse excavation site in Provence they found poorly preserved barley grains, suggesting germination, as well as equipment and other remains of deliberate malting in the home. Taken together, these findings suggest that, as well as regular wine making, the French had an early passion for beer brewing. The work has just been published online in Springer’s journal Human Ecology.

Previously, researchers had only found evidence of wine production in the region. Bouby and team analysed three samples of sediment from excavations carried out in the 1990s. One sample was taken from the floor of a dwelling, close to a hearth and oven. The other two samples came from the contents of a ceramic vessel and from a pit. There were carbonized plant remains in all three samples, dominated by barley.

The barley grains identified were poorly preserved and predominantly sprouted (90 percent of the sample), suggesting that they were carbonized at the end of the malting process and before the grinding of dry malt. The neighboring oven is likely to have been used to stop the germination process at the desired level for beer making, by drying and roasting the grain.

Based on the equipment found at the Roquepertuse dwelling, the authors suggest that the habitants soaked the grain in vessels, spread it out and turned it during germination on the flat paved floor area, dried the grain in the oven to stop germination, and used domestic grindstones to grind the malted grain. Then hearths and containers were likely used for fermentation and storage.

The authors conclude: “The Roquepertuse example suggests that beer was really produced within the context of domestic activities. Compared to other archaeobotanical and archaeological evidence, it contributes to portraying a society which combined an intricate use of various alcoholic beverages including beer, which was probably of long-standing local tradition, and wine, which was, at least in part, promoted by colonial contacts with Mediterranean agents.”

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Deschutes brewmaster stepping down

Brewmaster Larry Sidor is leaving Deschutes Brewery at the end of the year to pursue a lifelong dream of starting and running his own brewery. Sidor has been at the brewery for eight years, following 23 years at Olympia Brewing, then working in the hop trade in Yakima.

“My years at Deschutes Brewery have been incredible. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed leading and collaborating with the brewing team to hone and create its phenomenal portfolio of beers, but also originating new beer styles and brewing techniques,” Sidor said for a press release announcing the move.

“I will always be proud of the work we’ve accomplished together, and be grateful for the support of Gary (Fish) and the leadership team for taking creative risks. While I transition to the next phase of my career, over the next several months, my heart and head will be with the Deschutes Brewery team and will remain focused on their continued success.”

With Sidor at the head of the brewing department at Deschutes, the company has added many new brands to the portfolio including Hop in the Dark, Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale, Inversion IPA, The Abyss, The Dissident, and several barrel-aged specialty beers. Sidor will continue on at Deschutes Brewery through the end of 2011.

Gary Fish, Founder and CEO of Deschutes Brewery, said, “While we are sad to see Larry go, we are excited for him being able to realize his life-long goal. His contributions to the brewery are innumerable, and he will be missed by us all. Now, we’re announcing that one of the best jobs in the industry has just become available! We are looking ahead with excitement toward the future.”

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SBA, White House honor Deborah Carey of New Glarus

The U.S. Small Business Administration named Deborah Carey, president of New Glarus Brewing Co., the Wisconsin Small Business Person of the Year for 2011 and runner-up for the national prize. She was also selected as a Champion of Change by the White House.

Deb Carey founded New Glarus along with her husband, Dan Carey, in New Glarus in 1993. Although the brewery does not sell its beer beyond the borders of Wisconsin, it sold about 92,000 (31-gallon) barrels in 2009.

In 2007, New Glarus completed a $21 million brewery on a hilltop that overlooks the village of New Glarus. The company now employs more than 60 workers.

Carey told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel she thinks New Glarus Brewing’s personnel policies figure in the attention she’s receiving.

The company covers virtually all of its employees’ health insurance costs, Carey said, with workers responsible only for a small co-pay. The firm pays tuition for work-related education, and its 60-plus employees average about $16 an hour.

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Master brewer Steve Wellington to retire

Steve Wellington — the master brewer who helped resurrect several of the famous Burton beer brands — has announced he is retiring later this summer.

Wellington started working for Bass in 1965, a year after the Worthington’s brewery was demolished, and brewed both Bass and Worthington’s beers. He left Bass to run his own business, teaching people how to brew at home, then returned in 1994 to run the White Shield microbrewery as part of the Brewing Museum in Burton. He brewed some of the beers Burton had lost: Worthington’s E, Imperial Stout, Barley Wine, and the legendary Worthington’s White Shield.

Molson Coors, which since bought the brewery, gave Wellington what they call a “Christmas present” in 2010, a new William Worthington’s Brewery, constructed in listed buildings at the National Brewery Centre.

In a press release from Molson Coors, Wellington said of his time brewing in Burton:

“I’ve been brewing all my life and enjoyed every minute of it. I have worked with some of the most inspiring people in the industry and am honoured to have worked in some equally inspiring brewing environments, most recently at the new microbrewery in Burton. The industry is undoubtedly facing testing times, but while we continue to produce iconic beers such as Worthington’s White Shield, young aspiring brewers are guaranteed a fulfilling, rewarding career.”

Wellington was named “Brewer of the Year’ by the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group in 2007 and Guild of British Beer Writers’ Brewer of the Year in 2004.

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Tennessee woos Sierra Nevada

The Blount Daily Times and other new sources in Tennessee are reporting extensively about the possibility that Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. will build a brewery in the city of Alcoa.

Alcoa City Manager Mark Johnson said Tuesday the brewing company is also looking at two other eastern U.S. sites in other states.

“Not just Alcoa, they’re looking at the entire region. Once they landed here, literally, they liked the community,” he said.

To enhance the city’s chances of landing the brewery, the state Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted 10-0 to advance a bill establishing state guidelines for high-alcohol beer to a full floor vote. The measure would ease laws restricting the production of beer stronger than 5% by weight (6.25% by volume).

Sierra Nevada currently produces about 800,000 barrels a year and may reach capacity at its Chico, California, site within three years. Sierra Nevada Communications Coordinator Bill Manley said the company began considering a second brewery several years ago because of the environmental impact of shipping across the entire country.

“We started with a couple of hundred sites, and have narrowed it down to a handful,” Manley said.

The second brewery would brew many of the beers currently also made in California, but not necessarily all specialty beers. It would also be a hub for east coast distribution.

Representatives of Sierra Nevada recently toured potential sites in Alcoa. Manley said they were impressed by the closeness to the mountains, just like the California brewery, and an attention to environmental concerns as exemplified by the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) requirement for the Pellissippi Place business development park.

Alcoa City Manager Mark Johnson said the company wants its eastern facility to be a tourist destination, and the proximity of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a natural fit. Other pluses include an abundant water supply and logistical issues such as interstate connections and McGhee Tyson Airport.

“Quality of life, conservation issues, being green. They’re a very environmentally conscious company,” Johnson said.

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Nine Fort Collins breweries to collaborate

The nine craft breweries located in Fort Collins, Colorado, will brew a collaboration beer for American Craft Beer Week.

Brewers from C.B. & Potts, Coopersmith’s, Crooked Stave, Equinox, Fort Collins Brewery, Funkwerks, New Belgium, Odell Brewing, and Pateros Creek will get together at two locations on April 22 to brew the beer.

“American Craft Beer Week is all about recognizing and celebrating craft brewers and craft beer culture,” Doug Odell, founder of Odell Brewing Company, said for a press release. “This collaboration lets us do that and have fun making something special for the craft beer drinkers in our hometown community.”

Brewers from each local brewery worked together to create the beer recipe and will participate in two simultaneous brews at Coopersmith’s and Equinox. The finished blend will be poured at each brewery during American Craft Beer Week May 16-22.

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Illinois small brewers ask state residents for help

Support Your Local BreweryThe Illinois Craft Brewers Guild (ICBG) stands in opposition to an amendment to Senate Bill 754 that hurts the state’s small brewers.

They’ve asked Illinois residents for their help. Here’s their message:

The amendment, which was supported by beer distributors, places extremely restrictive barrelage caps on craft brewers’ ability to self-distribute their beer, which was previously unlimited before a recent lawsuit involving beer distributors’ interests opposing Anheuser Busch InBev (ABI) interests. Small brewers and beer drinkers are becoming collateral damage.

The amended bill only provides for 7,500 barrels of self-distribution for craft brewers making less than 15,000 barrels a year. By comparison, Goose Island, which was just purchased by ABI, made 130,000 barrels of beer last year, over 8 times the proposed definition of a craft brewer. ICBG calls for a cap of 60,000 barrels of beer to allow for the state’s small brewers to grow their businesses through self-distribution.

The amended bill also strips out valuable language allowing brewpubs to self-distribute a small amount of beer (up to 50,000 gallons). The bill now requires brewpubs to open a second facility in order to self-distribute, which is not economically feasible.

Following the ABI vs. Illinois Liquor Control Commission decision, the Illinois General Assembly faces a court ordered deadline of May 31st to revise the Illinois Liquor Control Act or brewers of all sizes will lose their right to self-distribute their beer. There are currently 40 small brewers in Illinois and approximately 5 new brewers opening each year.

If you want more beer choices in Illinois, please take these three steps TODAY:

1. Call your State Senator (look up who represents you here)
2. Ask them to oppose Senate Bill 754 as amended
3. Tell them you want more, not fewer, beer choices and fair laws for craft brewers in Illinois

Thank you!
Illinois Craft Brewers Guild

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Brewing innovator Pierre Celis dies

Pierre Celis, the man credited with reviving the white beer style in Belgium and later fueling interest in Belgian “style” beers in the United States, has died in his home country at the age of 86.

Celis founded the Celis Brewery in Austin, Texas, in 1992 after selling the Hoegaarden Brewery to a larger brewing company that later became part of what is now Anhueser-Busch InBev. His Texas beers, starting with the signature Celis White, were an immediate success, as he introduced American drinkers to “Belgian flavors.”

In 1995 he sold a stake in the Celis Brewery to Miller Brewing, and his family sold the rest of the interest in 2000. Shortly thereafter Miller closed the brewery, selling the equipment and brand to Michigan Brewing. Michigan Brewing continues to make Celis White and other Celis brands, while Van Steenberge in Belgium has brewed Celis White for sale for distribution in dozens of other countries.

Celis returned to Belgium after selling the Texas brewery and remained involved in brewing. His projects included a cave-aged beer, called Grottenbier, made under contract at various Belgian breweries.

Celis was 40 years old and delivered milk for a living when he decided to found Brouwerij Celis in the town of Hoegaarden in 1966. The town once supported 38 breweries, but by the 1930s had only four and none after the Tomsin Brewery closed in 1957. According to Celis, eight years later while listening to others lament the loss of the brewery and the white beer style the region was once known for he started thinking about opening a brewery. His brewing resume included only a little time he spent helping Tomsin when he was younger.

Celis brewed his first batch of Oud Hoegaards Bier in 1966, and five years later was producing a modest 1,500 hectoliers (about 1,200 American 31-gallon barrels). His brewery continued to grow, notably after he changed the name to De Kluis — meaning “The Cloister,” and creating a valuable monastic connection in the mind of consumers — in 1978. By 1985 his brewery sold 75,000 hectoliters annually and employed thirty-eight workers. Although he brewed a variety of beers, the white was the most famous and soon imitated by breweries across Belgium and the Netherlands. Even Heineken followed suit with Wieckse Wit.

A fire gutted De Kluis in 1985, which was disastrous for Celis because he carried little insurance. He sold a majority stake in the company to brewing giant Artois to finance reconstruction, then expansion and growth resumed at an even quicker rate. By the time he retired in 1990, selling his remaining 40% to Artois, the brewery now called Hoegaarden produced 300,000 hectoliters (more than a quarter-million barrels) a year and was about to grow far bigger. Today brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev owns the brewery and production exceeds a million hectoliters annually.

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Samuel Adams to fund brewing dreams

Boston Beer Co. announced it will expand its “Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream” program to include craft brewers.

“Our goal with this element of Brewing the American Dream is to support small business owners in our niche of craft brewing who are also facing hurdles around starting or expanding their nano or microbrewery,” Boston Beer founder Jim Koch said.

The company plans to loan $100,000 to small brewers in 2011, and craft brewers can apply for loans that range from $500 to $25,000.

Additionally, Samuel Adams will offer one select brewer the chance to receive a year-long “Brewing & Business Experienceship.” Designed to focus on different aspects of the beer business, the “Experienceship” will provide the brewer extended coaching tailored around his or her specific areas of interest from Samuel Adams employees.

Details on how to apply at are the company website.

Launched in June 2008 in partnership with ACCION USA, the “Brewing the American Dream” program has already loaned $540,000 to 60 businesses – largely in New England – with the goal of reaching $1,000,000 by the end of 2011. Food, beverage and hospitality small business owners can apply for loans to be used for a variety of business purposes including expansion, equipment, and marketing, with all loan payments recycled back into the fund.

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Craft brewers’ exports grow 28%

The Brewers Association reports that exports of American craft beers increased 28% in 2010.

The BA’s recently-concluded annual export survey revealed that for the eighth consecutive year (representing all years for which data has been collected), U.S. craft beer exports increased substantially. In 2010, BA Export Development Program (EDP) subscribers exported more than 1.8 million gallons of beer.

Canada, Sweden and the UK represent the largest markets for American craft beer.

“The 28 percent increase in the export of U.S. craft beers reflects the increasing consumer thirst across the globe for the world class beers that U.S. craft breweries are creating,” said Brett Joyce, CEO of Rogue Ales and EDP steering committee chair.

The Brewers Association’s Export Development Program began in 2004 with a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Market Access Program. Since its inception, objectives for the Export Development Program have remained unchanged. These include:

* Educating international trade and media about the quality and diversity of products offered by the U.S. craft beer industry and about U.S. craft beer culture.

* Informing member breweries about opportunities for their products in key international target markets.
Complementing the industry’s own efforts to increase international distribution.

* To date, the Export Development Program has successfully promoted its members’ beer in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, China, Japan, Brazil, Philippines, Singapore and Australia.

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City Brewery buys Memphis facility

City Brewing Co. in Wisconsin will buy a Memphis bottling plant, update the facility and begin beer production there this summer.

City is buying the Hardy Bottling facility for $30 million and will invest another $11 million, eventually creating 500 new jobs in Memphis, Mayor A. C. Wharton and company officials said. The company said the new jobs are expected to create an average wage of $41,705 per year and include a benefits package.

City Brewing makes and packages beer, primarily under contract, producing tea and energy drinks for large beverage companies. Parke said the company was looking for a third facility because its other locations in the Wisconsin cities of Latrobe and La Crosse are at or near capacity. The Memphis facility will be renamed Blues City Brewery.

The company is receiving a $5.7 million tax break over 15 years.

The plant was built in 1971 and has been owned by various brewing concerns since. A tornado damaged the plant in February 2008. It currently bottles only non-alcoholic beverages.

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Bill to cut taxes for small brewers introduced in House

Legislation that would reduces the taxes small brewers pay has now been introduced in both chambers of Congress.

The Senate bill, S. 534, was introduced on March 9 by U.S. Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). S. 534 would reduce the small brewer tax rate on the first 60,000 barrels by 50 percent (from $7.00 to $3.50/barrel) and institute a new rate $16 per barrel on beer production above 60,000 barrels up to 2 million barrels. Breweries with an annual production of 6 million barrels or less would qualify for these tax rates.

The Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act, H.R. 1236, was introduced by Representatives Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) and Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) Tuesday. Like its Senate counterpart, the House’s Small BREW Act would enact a graduated beer excise tax rate of $3.50 and $16.

“With the economy sputtering, Congress must create conditions that allow small businesses to become more competitive, protect existing jobs and create new employment opportunities,” Rep. Gerlach said.

Promoting support for the legislation, Brewers Association president Charlie Papazian said, “The 1,700-plus small American breweries account for about five percent of all the beer enjoyed in the United States and 50 percent of brewery jobs. The bipartisan support the Small BREW Act engenders will help assure a positive impact on agricultural, manufacturing, hospitality and distribution jobs for the future.”

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Flying Dog files suit to overturn label ban

Flying Dog Raging Bitch label

Flying Dog Brewery, with the support of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, has filed suit in U.S. District Court to overturn the Michigan Liquor Control Commission’s ban on the sale of a popular beer it calls Raging Bitch. The suit also seeks to recover damages from the loss of Flying Dog sales under the statewide ban.

A press release explains:

The brouhaha began in September 2009, when Flying Dog Brewery applied for a license to sell Raging Bitch, the company’s 20th anniversary commemorative beer, in the state of Michigan. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission barred the sale of Raging Bitch, claiming that the beer’s label — designed by renowned British artist Ralph Steadman — is “detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.”

Flying Dog Brewery disagrees. “Regrettably, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and its members have taken it upon themselves to control not merely alcoholic beverages, but speech as well,” said Flying Dog Attorney Alan Gura of Washington, D.C.-based Gura & Possessky, PLLC. “The defendants arbitrarily imposed their personal tastes in banning Raging Bitch, clearly violating Flying Dog’s First Amendment right to free expression.”

Gura and Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso announced the filing of the case at Crunchy’s, a craft beer pub near the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing.

Caruso called the pending legal action about more than a beer label. “It’s about regulators gradually morphing into self-appointed thought police,” he said. “We believe not only in freedom of speech and artistic expression for both businesses and individuals, but also in the individual’s fundamental right to choose or reject books, art, literature, artisanal craft beer, and other forms of artistic expression based on their personal preferences.”

Flying Dog created Raging Bitch, a Belgian-Style India Pale Ale, to celebrate the brewery’s 20th anniversary in 2010. Steadman’s Raging Bitch label depicts a female dog drawn in the style for which he has been internationally celebrated. Steadman does the label art for all the Flying Dog beers.

Alan Gottlieb, president of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, said that his organization “has joined this important legal case because the issues raised have a profound impact on the right to freely engage in the marketplace.”

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Stella Artois introduces ‘chalis’ cans

Stella Artois is rolling out 440ml (14.9-ounce) aluminum cans the first day of April.

The silver can features the silhouette of Stella Artois’ signature chalice glass, and will be sold nationwide in 4- and 10-pack configurations. The 10-pack will be called “Pour le Fridge” (French for “for the fridge”).

This the first time Stella Artois has been available in cans. The brewing company continues to suggest the best way to serve Stella is in its signature chalis, but this makes available for outdoor occasions where glass is not permitted.

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Deschutes Brewery boosts capacity

Deschutes Brewery this week announced that it has finalized plans to expand its brewery headquarters in Bend, Oregon. Deschutes will add five fermentation tanks to keep up with growing demand. The brewery will also remodel its tasting rooms and gift shop.

“Demand is rising in our local market and among our loyal fans in the states where we sell our beer,” said Gary Fish, president and founder of Deschutes Brewery. “This expansion is an investment in our future to make sure that we are ready for the increased demand.”

The will create a new building to house the fermentation tanks, a new two-story building that will hold future processing equipment, an electrical control room and new restrooms and showers for the staff. The expansion will allow Deschutes to produce an additional 105,000 barrels per year, along with enhanced processes to continue ensuring beer quality and consistency. This will be the first phase in a two-phase expansion. The second phase will take place in several years and include five more fermentation tanks.

Water and energy efficiencies are built in to the new design, including the installation of a continuous use cleaning system and the addition of a water re-use tank which will save thousands of gallons of water and energy per year. Additional sustainability features include a heated warm rinse tank, which will save hot water and steam for tempering tanks between cycles. The brewery will continue with designs to capture CO2 from the fermenting process and decrease waste to the city sewer system.

Construction on the space is slated to begin mid-May 2011.