More ‘Bud TV’ seems likely

Posted In Breweries, Trends at   

Advertising Age reports that Anheuser-Busch is getting into the content business.

The country’s largest brewer is launching its own in-house film and TV production company that will make humorous shorts and sitcom-type programs to be broadcast over the internet and to cellphones, according to four people familiar with the matter, and could branch into full-length films.

Like anything A-B does, don’t expect them to settle for halfway. But does that mean they’ll tap into the viral magic of the ‘net? So far, Miller’s “Man Laws” campaign seems to be attracting a lot more attention than A-B’s “Here’s to Beer.”

A-B might take a hint from Smirnoff. You’ll find its “Tea Partay” video at YouTube and of this morning had been viewed more than 800,000 views (in less than three weeks).

Celebrating GABF in style

Posted In Beer culture, Beers, Breweries at   

Two Colorado breweries have already taken steps to make the 25th anniversary celebration of the Great American Beer Festival a bit more special. Perhaps there’ll be news of more in coming weeks.

Dale's Pale Ale

You can already find special cans of Dale’s Pale Ale in many of the 13 states that Oskar Blues (in Lyons, just up the road from Boulder) sells its beer. The cans feature the GABF logo and information on the festival, scheduled for Sept. 28-30 in Denver.

The Brewers Association and Boulder Beer teamed up to produce a beer commemorating the 25th GABF. Boulder Beer also brewed a special high gravity ale to celebrate the inaugural GABF in 1982.

Boulder Beer was one of the original 22 breweries at the first GABF and has been a participant every year since.

Boulder will roll out its “GABF 25th Year Beer” in 11 states in early September – and, of course it will be available at the festival. it will first be served at Boulder Beer’s 27th anniversary party, The Goatshed Revival, Aug. 26 from 1 – 8 p.m. The Goatshed Revival is an annual outdoor celebration with proceeds benefiting the local Habitat for Humanity.

Best selling beers in US

Posted In Beers, Breweries at   

Among the e-mail questions we see most often is: “What are the top ten selling beer brands in the USA?”

Since the Information Resources Inc. that indicate craft beer sales are on fire also list the best selling beers overall we can provide an up-to-date ranking..

1. Bud Light
2. Budweiser
3. Miller Lite
4. Coors Light
5. Corona Extra
6. Natural Light
7. Heineken
8. Michelob Ultra Light
9. Busch Light
10. Miller High Life

These are sales in outlets that IRI tracks, mostly supermarkets with at least $2 million in sales, plus some convenience stores and retail liquor stores. But even if you could count everything else the order would be unlikely to change.

Craft beer and food

Posted In Beer & Food at   

The current edition of the various Brewing News publications (Southwest Brewing News, Midwest Brewing News, etc. – there are seven) includes A “Craft Beers Flavors” supplement.

Most of the stories are by Lucy Saunders (Beerkcook and Grilling With Beer), with plenty of information about pairing beer and food when dining and cooking with beer.

Also plenty of recipes. Well worth seeking out – you’ll usually find Brewing News in brewpubs, better beer bars and bottle shops – and you can’t beat the price (free).

Flying with alcohol

Posted In Trends at   

There’s been some chatter in the beer ranks about how the ban on flying with liquids, but hardly compares to the concerns of wineries.

British wine magazine Decanter reports “Liquid bomb threat: wineries and consumers get creative.”

Domaine Carneros, for example, is providing free insulated foam packaging for consumers who previously could carry a few bottles on board a plane.

The story also has nice information about the temperaturs to expect in the cargo hold.

Honey Porter or Smoked Lager?

Posted In Beers at   

Samuel Adams “Beer Lovers Choice” program is back.

This year one of the choices is Honey Porter, a retired member of the Samuel Adams family first brewed in 1994. The other beer in the competition is Smoked Lager.

Drinkers will have a chance to taste the two new beers and cast their vote during August and September at tasting events in local bars held in select cities nationwide. More information is available at www.samueladams.com.

The beer that receives the most votes will become part of the Samuel Adams Brewmaster’s Collection beginning in January 2007. This mixed 12-pack features a variety of Samuel Adams beers.

Last year drinkers chose Sam Adams Brown Ale over a bohemian pilsner in similar voting.

Flying Fish needs bigger pond

Posted In Breweries, Trends at   

Flying Fish Brewing – a brewery “founded on the Internet” in 1995 – has outgrown its home in Cherry Hill, N.J., and will likely move to nearby Burlington City.

“We’ve been looking for a new site for quite a while because we have outgrown our present location. I only want to move once,” founder Gene Muller told the Courier Post.

A move would leave Flying Fish room to triple its current capacity of 10,000 barrels.

As the company notes at its website: “When we started on the web in 1995 most folks weren’t on line. There was no spam and no illegal file sharing. There was also no Amazon.com and no Netflix. So step way back in time to the end of the last century and see how far we’ve come from virtual brewery to real brewery to real big (for us) brewery.”

Pennsylvana distributor, InBev duke it out

Posted In Beers at   

Pennsylvania specialty beer wholesale Shangy’s has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that InBev USA has failed to honor a 1998 agreement ensuring Shangy’s would be the sole wholesaler of Hoegaarden and other InBev products in a 17-county region that includes the Lehigh Valley, the Poconos and Philadelphia.

The Allentown Morning Call puts it this way:

The David versus Goliath battle pits one of the last of the state’s independent wholesalers against a corporate beer behemoth seeking to streamline distribution of its specialty beers with its major brands such as Beck’s, Bass and Lowenbrau.

The battle could decide the future of Shangy’s and, Nima Hadian says, ultimately reduce the number of specialty beers available to Pennsylvania consumers.

A business story with serious implicatons.

The Rock no longer rolls

Posted In Beer culture at   

Not sure how I came across this blog post but the headline sucked me in and the message reflects the mood of many who have posted responses to other entries here about Rolling Rock production heading to Newark, N.J. (further documented yesterday the the New York Times).

Anyway, from the blog:

Funny. I always thought that the reason Bud tasted the same no matter where it’s brewed is because it’s “beer” who’s recipe has been watered down over the years to the lowest, most generic piss-water common denominator for the hordes of sheep who fall for sophisticated, multi-billion dollar advertising campaigns.

Amazing the emotions beer brands can evoke.

Las Vegas man drinks lucky 7,777

Posted In Beer culture, Just for fun at   

After 7,776 beers how do you make the next one special?

Greg Nowatzki consumed his on July 7, at seven seconds after 7:07 p.m., at Big Dog Brewing Co. in Las Vegas. Big Dog brewer Dave Otto made a beer especially for the occasion called Quad 7. Otto used seven different malts, seven different hops, 77 IBU’s – International Bittering Units – and 7.7% alcohol.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has the story.

Brewery stays in New Glarus

Posted In Breweries at   

New Glarus Brewing will be staying in New Glarus, Wisconsin.

Before you say “of course” read the report from the Capital Times. The brewery had threatened to pull up stakes and build on an alternative site.

The dispute was settled last night when the village board agreed to provide an economic development incentive of $2 million toward infrastructure costs of the new facility through tax incremental financing.

In exchange, the village will receive property tax revenue from the plant, which is guaranteed to have an assessed value of at least $8 million, as well as benefit from retaining the popular attraction and contributor to the village’s economy.

Bidding war for Sleeman?

Posted In Breweries at   

The Globe & Mail reports that that four beer makers were expected to make their bids for Sleeman before the company’s self-imposed deadline – and that a bidding war may arise.

Prospective buyers include Molson Coors Brewing Co. and Labatt Brewing Co. Ltd., as well as Royal Grolsch NV of the Netherlands and Sapporo Breweries Ltd. of Japan, two overseas companies that distribute in Canada through Sleeman.

Other deals also seem possible.

While speculation swirls around which company might be the winning suitor, Blackmont Capital analyst David Hartley suggested independent brewer Moosehead Breweries Ltd. could sneak in and merge with Sleeman, although Moosehead says it has no such plans.

Sleeman, Canada’s third-largest brewer with 7 per cent of the country’s beer market, said in May it would begin a “strategic review” that could involve a sale.