Boulevard sales will aid Joplin relief

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Boulevard Brewing Co. announced it will donate a portion of its September sales in Missouri to aid victims of the devastating tornado that struck nearby Joplin on May 22.

For every barrel (31 gallons) of Boulevard beer sold in Missouri during the month of September, the company will contribute $1 to the American Red Cross to aid in its ongoing Joplin relief efforts. Irrespective of the Boulevard brand or package — a six-pack, a Smokestack bottle, or a pint at any Missouri bar or restaurant — money will be contributed to the humanitarian organization.

“We haven’t forgotten,” said John McDonald, Boulevard founder and president. “And with 40 percent of our sales taking place in the state, we hope to be able to make a meaningful contribution to the long road of restoration that lies ahead, helping our fellow Missourians rebuild their homes, their neighborhoods, and their lives.”

The tornado that destroyed one-third of Joplin was one of the worst natural disasters in Missouri history. It claimed 134 lives and damaged or destroyed more than 2,000 buildings. Analysts estimate the total cost of the disaster could top $3 billion.

New beers: Samuel Adams Rauchbier; MateVeza Morpho

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* Samuel Adams has included a new release in its Harvest Collection Variety 12-pack. As the name suggests, Samuel Adams Bonfire Rauchbier is brewed with barley smoked over a beechwood fire. The variety pack includes six beers. Beyond two bottles of Bonfie Rauchbier are two each of Harvest Pumpkin Ale, Octoberfest, Irish Red, Black Lager and Boston Lager.

* Help from The Boston Beer Company’s new microloan program for craft brewers, Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, made MateVeza Morpho Herbal Ale possible. The organic ale was brewed with yerba mate, hibiscus flowers and bay leaves. A collaboration with Mill Valley Beerworks, MateVeza’s newest limited release is an ode to the Morpho butterfly of South America.

Morpho Herbal Ale is modeled after gruits, unhopped beers from the middle ages. Gruits rely on a mixture of herbs to provide the bitterness resulting in zero hop bitterness. Morpho Herbal Ale’s bitterness is provided entirely by the yerba mate and bay leaves, providing a completely new and refreshing take on the style. “In a craft beer climate dominated by ales that push the limits of hop bitterness, Morpho Herbal Ale is a rare creature,” said Jim Woods, MateVeza founder and president.

New Beers: Deschutes Stoic; Breckenridge Autumn

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* Deschutes Brewery’s newest release, The Stoic, is described as a Belgian Quad. The recipe includes pomegranate molasses and sugar as well as Hallertau, Saaz and Northern Brewer hops. The beer was aged in Pinot Noir and Rye Whiskey barrels. 11% ABV, 21 IBU.

* Breckenridge Autumn Ale is now available in draft and 12-ounce bottles. The recipe was inspired by brewmaster Todd Usry’s memories of fall in Virginia where he grew up . . . the welcome break from summer’s heat, the earthy smells that kick up as one walks through fallen leaves, and the roasty aromas that fall brings as the air cools and folks start burning wood in their fire places again. Roasted barley is used to impart smokey/roasty characteristics and Munich malt for earthiness. 6.7% ABV

Stella Artois Draught Master competition returns

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Stella Artois has launched the U.S. portion of its World Draught Masters competition, which challenges entrants to master the Stella Artois 9-Step Pouring Ritual.

From Sept. 9 through Sept 30, seven U.S. cities — Miami, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Boston, Denver, New York and Washington, D.C. — will host live competitions in which beer enthusiasts are trained in the 9-Step Pouring Ritual, then have the opportunity to showcase their command of the process. U.S. hopefuls outside those markets can participate via the virtual pour competition on the Stella Artois Facebook Page.

“Stella Artois’ 9-Step Pouring Ritual brings the care and craftsmanship that go into brewing our beer to the connoisseurs who enjoy it, ensuring that each chalice of Stella Artois is perfectly poured and preciously presented,” said Alexander Lambrecht, the brand’s global marketing manager. “Our annual World Draught Masters competition celebrates the brand’s heritage and recognizes the most skillful Draught Masters from around the world.”

Winners from the seven semi-final markets, and one wild-card participant, will advance to the U.S. finals Oct. 7 in Washington, D.C. The wild-card winner will be randomly chosen from the top national scorers in the virtual 9-Step Pouring Ritual game on the Stella Artois Facebook page. To enter, fans can visit www.facebook.com/stellaartoisusa now through Sept. 15. Those achieving a score of 90 or higher may fill out the official online entry form for a chance to win the wild-card entry to the Stella Artois U.S. Draught Masters Finals in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. winner will represent the United States at the 2011 Stella Artois World Draught Masters global finals in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Oct. 26.

Boulevard Brewing takes Smokestack beers East

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Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City is preparing to dip its toes into the Atlantic, with a September rollout planned for the state of Massachusetts. Boulevard has already enjoyed success selling its Smokestack Series in the Northwest and now will see how the specialty line will do in the Northeast.

“Adding an East Coast market to our distribution portfolio is a big step for the brewery,” said John McDonald, Boulevard founder and president. “The craft beer movement in New England continues to gain momentum, and we are eager to see how our brands will play in that part of the country.”

All year-round, seasonal, and limited-release Smokestack Series beers will be available, some in 750ml bottles and others in 12-ounce four-packs. Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale will also be sold in five-gallon kegs.

“We are very excited that Boulevard Brewing Company has chosen us to represent their brands,” said Bill Burke, president of Burke Distributing of Boston. “They are the first supplier to sign on with MBA, our recently formed distributor network, and we are fully committed to their success. Working with an organization like Boulevard, known for their integrity as well as their fine beer, is a real honor for us, and we look forward to a long relationship.”

Boulevard is set to begin another brewery expansion in October. A six-month, $3 million project will remove six original 105-barrel fermentation tanks, replacing them with eight 300-barrel vessels built in neighboring Springfield, Mo. Upon completion, Boulevard’s annual fermentation capacity will jump by approximately 20%, surpassing 200,000 barrels annually.

Japanese brewery buys cocktail maker

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Asahi Group Holdings has struck a deal to buy New Zealand beverage group Independent Liquor for $1.3 billion, giving the Japanese brewing giant a ready-to-drink cocktail maker to add to its stash of assets in the Oceania market.

Japanese brewers have been on an acquisition spree, using the strong yen to pick up foreign companies and to counter slowing sales in their home market. Beer sales within Japan have fallen 15% in the last decade.

Asahi bought all outstanding shares of Flavoured Beverages Group, the parent company of Independent Liquor known for its “Woodstock Bourbon” and “Vodka Cruiser” brands, from private equity firms.

Drinking more craft beer? You’re not alone

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The Brewers Association announced that sales of what it defines as craft beer grew 14 percent in the first half of 2011, with dollar sales up 15 percent.

Craft brewers sold an estimated 5.1 million barrels in the first half of the year.

“Craft brewers continue to innovate and brew beers of excellent quality,” said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “America’s beer drinkers are rapidly switching to craft because of the variety of flavors they are discovering. And they are connecting with small and independent craft brewers as companies they choose to support.”

The association reports that the number of breweries nationally has increased by 165 since June of 2010, to 1,790 breweries. Additionally, it lists 725 breweries in planning today compared to 389 a year ago.

“There is a growing interest in establishing new breweries,” Gatza added. “It seems like every day we are hearing about a brewery in planning. Will they all make it? No, but many will if they produce high-quality, interesting craft beers and can get them to market through self-distribution and beer wholesalers and beer retailers.”

Young’s sells brewing interest; focuses on pubs

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Young’s & Co. has ended its last ties with its historic London brewery.

Young’s began operations as the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth in 1831, and until 2006 — when it sold a majority stake to Charles Wells and closed its London brewery — claimed the site was the oldest British brewery in continuous operation, with evidence of brewing going back to the 16th century.

Young is selling its 40% share in the joint venture to Charles Wells for £15 million. The Young’s business now consists of 246 pubs, including 26 sites from the acquisition of gastropub group Geronimo Inns in December.

Hacker-Pschorr giving away Oktoberfest party

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German brewing giant Hacker-Pschorr is giving away a trip for six to the 2012 Oktoberfest in Munich. Consumers qualify for the contest hosting a Hacker-Pschorr themed Oktoberfest party and uploading five photos to the Hacker-Pschorr contest Facebook page.

Voting for best party photos begins when the contest entry period ends, October 1, and the 10 entries that receive the most votes will qualify for the second round.

A panel of judges will pick the winner from those 10. According to a press release, “Authenticity and enthusiasm will be rewarded!”

The winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Munich’s 2012 Oktoberfest. It includes airfare, hotel accommodations in Munich, a Hacker-Pschorr brewery tour and six seats at the Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Tent.

Beer news from our inbox

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Seventeen 17 brewer-cyclists from Avery Brewing, Oskar Blues Brewery, Ska Brewing and Sierra Nevada Brewing depart Monday from Avery Brewing Company in Boulder to kick off the Third Annual Tour of BoulDurango: a five-day, 470-mile bicycle odyssey over six mountain passes from Boulder to Durango.

Each evening, after the day’s riding is finished, the brewers are teaming up with other craft breweries along the course to hold fundraising parties, with profits from pint sales, raffles and auctions going to local charities. Participating breweries along the route include: Tommyknocker Brewing, Breckenridge Brewery, Eddyline Brewpub, The Brick Oven Restaurant, Ouray Brewing, Colorado Boy Brewery.

* Importer Merchant du Vin has announced that Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo will be available in many markets Aug. 1, “Yorkshire Day” in England. In November 2010, DRAFT Magazine awarded Stingo, which is barrel-aged and 8% abv, a 100-point score: “Perfection in a glass.” Beer writer Tom Bedell provides a complete review here.

Deschutes Black Butter Porter* Deschutes Brewery has released new packaging and label designs for four of its year-round brands. The new designs use original label artwork to highlight the landmarks around the region and places brew names in a banner for heightened readability. This new packaging design was tested last year on the brewery’s seasonals Twilight Summer Ale and Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale.

“This project is really an evolution of our existing labels,” said Mark Hegedus, director of sales and marketing for the brewery. “It retains brand recognition, while also positioning our products better at the retail level. We were pleased with the response to our test labeling and packaging last year, which is why we have extended the redesign to our year-round brands.”

New labeling and packaging is currently rolling off of the bottling line for Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Inversion IPA and Obsidian Stout. The new design template will soon carry forward to Green Lakes Organic Ale and future brands.

* Breckenridge Brewery of Colorado announced production was up 39% in the first half of 2011 over the same period last year. “We’ve invested more than ever in sales, production, and marketing in the last 18 months, and we’re seeing real results,” said brewery director Todd Usry. “We expanded in the northeast this year, but we’re growing our existing markets as well.” For instance, sales in Denver are up 35% over last year.

* Summit Brewing Company’s newest beer is a tribute to many things, but among them – brewer Sam Doniach’s upcoming nuptials. Created by Doniach, Honeymoon Saison features real Minnesota honey and is the seventh beer to be released in Summit’s limited-time-only Unchained Series.

Doniach’s ale also honors the Saison ales that were originally brewed in French and Belgian farmhouses to refresh workers during long hours in hot fields throughout harvest season. Honeymoon Saison became available on draught this week and will be sold in bottles beginning July 25.

GABF Rare Beer Tasting almost sold out

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More than 90 percent of the tickets for the Denver Rare Beer Tasting III on Sept. 30 in Denver have already been sold, even as organizers work to finalize what beer will be served.

Here is a partial list of confirmed participants and beers: Alaskan Brewing 2009 Baltic Porter with Cherries and Vanilla Beans; Avery Brewing Dihos Dactylion Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel-Aged Sour Ale; Big Sky Brewing 2006 Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Belgian Triple; Brooklyn Brewery Cuvee de la Crochet Rouge; The Bruery The Wanderer Dark Sour Ale; Cascade Brewing Borbonic Plague; Cigar City Brewing Neilsbohrium Imperial Raisin Sweet Stout Rum Barrel-Aged; Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Olde School Vintage 2004; The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery The End of Reason; Foothills Brewing TBD; Highland Brewery PSA Pilsner; Laughing Dog Brewing St. Benny’s Labby Ale Bourbon Barrel-Aged; Left Hand Brewery Fade to Black Vol. 1 (2009); Lost Abbey/Port Brewery Deliverance; New Belgium Brewing Leopold Bros. Whiskey Barrel-Aged Sour Beer; New Holland Brewing Rum Barrel-Aged Pilgrim’s Dole Wheatwine; Rogue Ales Charlie 1981; Samuel Adams Utopias; Sierra Nevada Brewing 30th Anniversary Rum Barrel-Aged Fritz and Ken’s Stout; Stone Brewing 2010 Stone Imperial Russian Stout Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Barrel-Aged; Wynkoop Brewery Metacool Maltuwanna Imperial Amber Ale.

“The breweries represent a slice of America’s finest craft beer makers and each will bring a rare, limited release brew to the Denver Rare Beer Tasting,” said Rick Lyke, founder of the Pints for Prostates campaign. “The brewers understand the reputation the first two Denver Rare Beer Tastings created and they will pour incredible, exotic brews. This is a special day for true beer fanatics.”

Tickets for the Denver Rare Beer Tasting are $80 and include unlimited samples of 28 hard to find brews, hors d’oeuvres, a commemorative tasting glass, event program and the chance to meet the men and women who created the special beers. The tasting place at Wynkoop Brewing on 18th Street in Denver on Sept. 30 from 1-4 p.m. Only 500 tickets will be sold for the event.

New Belgium boosts canning capacity

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New Belgium Brewing will add a 16,000 square foot canning facility to its bottling hall in Fort Collins, Colo. The addition will increase New Belgium’s canning volume capacity six fold.

“Cans have been a great addition to the packaging portfolio for us,” said New Belgium spokesperson Bryan Simpson. “We first introduced Fat Tire cans in 2008 and we’ve since added Sunshine Wheat and Ranger IPA. Sales have been ahead of projection and we’re fortunate to be able to accommodate demand.”

The new 40-head filler will be capable of filling 360 cans per minute and can package 12-ounce and 16-ounce cans. New Belgium expects it will begin running early in 2012.

Alaskan Brewing denies acquisition rumors

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Alaskan Brewing issued a press release Wednesday to make it clear the Juneau company will remain independent.

“Despite claims in a July 6 special edition of the Craft Brew News (CBN) that an acquisition deal was being discussed between North American Breweries (NAB) and Alaskan, the brewery unequivocally assures its many loyal customers that Alaskan is not in negotiations, nor do they plan to enter into negotiations with NAB or any other entity,” the press release began. Craft Brew News is an e-letter published by Beer Marketer’s Insights.

“We have no earthly clue where this rumor came from,” Alaskan co-founder Marcy Larson said for the release. “At first we thought it was a joke, that maybe someone had hacked into the CBN.”

The report pointed out that Alaskan sales recently have grown at a slower rate than many other craft breweries. Alaskan leadership explained that was a result of conscious decisions.

“We have not engaged in the price wars or rapid expansion of other craft brewers and we have remained profitable,” co-founder Geoff Larson said. “Over the last ten years, the price of oil, a cup of coffee and nearly everything else has gone up. Even the price of mass-produced beer has gone up, yet craft beer pricing remains at levels lower than those of a decade ago. In 2010, we chose a sustainable pricing strategy over the volume chase and are happy with where we ended up. We are proud to say that our growth has allowed us to issue profit sharing to our employees and investors for the last 15 years running and we are investing in state of the art brewing technology to help us remain a sustainable, profitable and independent brewery in Alaska for years to come.”

The company also announced that as part of its celebratioin of 25 years of operation the brewery will release a limited-edition Russian Imperial Stout brewed with alder-smoked malt, birch syrup and fireweed honey from Alaska. Named for the local mining history and the unique challenges of brewing award-winning craft beer from a remote Alaska town, Alaskan Perseverance Ale will be available in September.

Michigan ends ban on Flying Dog Raging Bitch

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The Michigan Liquor Control Commission has reversed its decision banning Flying Dog Brewery’s Raging Bitch Belgian-Style India Pale Ale from the state.

In a press release, the company explained the move came three weeks after Flying Dog’s first hearing on the case before the federal court in Grand Rapids. Flying Dog argued that the original decision by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission violated the company’s First Amendment rights and sought a preliminary injunction to lift enforcement of the commission’s ban while waiting for a final judgment from the court. Michigan reversed its decision to ban Raging Bitch in the state before the court ruled on Flying Dog’s request for an injunction.

“The Michigan Liquor Control Commission’s involuntary reversal of opinion is a victory for craft beer,” Flying Dog CEO and general partner Jim Caruso said for the press release. “Now, the great people of Michigan are no longer denied access to Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA, Flying Dog’s top-selling beer. But the fight for First Amendment rights in Michigan continues to rage on.”

Although the commission approved the sale of Raging Bitch in the state, Flying Dog will not drop its First Amendment lawsuit. Flying Dog originally filed suit in U.S. District Court on March 25 not only to overturn the commission’s regulation banning Raging Bitch, but to establish that allowing the commission to ban any beer label they simply find offensive would be unconstitutional. The suit seeks to recover damages from the loss of Flying Dog sales under the rule.

The controversy began in September 2009, when Flying Dog Brewery applied for a license to sell Raging Bitch in Michigan. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission barred the sale of Raging Bitch, stating the beer’s label is “detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.”

Brewing chemists honor Charles Bamforth

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The American Society of Brewing Chemists recently honored Charles Bamforth with their 2011 Award of Distinction. Bamforth is the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences in the Department of Food Science and Technology and also serves the brewing industry in several other ways.

Bamforth began his work in the brewing industry in 1978. Before arriving at UC Davis in 1999, he was the deputy director-general of Brewing Research International and research manager and quality assurance manager of Bass Brewers.

In addition to his faculty appointment at UC Davis, he also serves as a special professor in the School of Biosciences at the University of Nottingham, England, and is a fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, the Society of Biology, and the International Academy of Food Science and Technology. He is editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists and has written several books.

The award was presented recently during the society’s annual meeting in Florida.