Pennsylvania 6-pack battle resumes

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State Sen. John Rafferty, R-Montgomery, joined by the Pennsylvania Convenience Store Council and the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, has backed a new bill that they said would “make sweeping and historic changes to the way beer is sold in Pennsylvania.”

  • It would allow a six-pack, a 12-pack or a case of beer to be sold, for the first time, at convenience stores and groceries. Currently, most beer is sold by state-licensed beer distributors, and only by the case or keg; under the new bill, they also would be able to sell one or two six-packs.
  • It would strengthen efforts to make sure beer isn’t sold to underage youths. It would require “carding,” or the showing of valid ID, by everyone buying beer, regardless of how old they look. The system would use “electronic age-verification machines to ensure that minors are not buying alcohol illegally.”

    • Many taverns and restaurants in the state do have “R” licenses allowing them to sell one or two six-packs at a time. Also, a few large supermarkets — which have created sit-down restaurants inside their stores where beer is served for patrons’ consumption on site — can now sell a six-pack or two for takeout.

    The measure is destined to meet strong opposition. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the details.

    Mardi Gras, Magic Hat style

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    Mardi Gras comes a little later in Burlington, Vermont, than New Orleans, but then so does spring. The 15th annual annual Magic Hat Mardi Gras weekend begins Feb. 26, featuring music, moonpies, parades and community aid. This all-ages extravaganza is a “party with a conscience” to benefit the Women’s Rape Crisis Center of Chittenden County (WRCC), raising over $100,000 over the years.

    Festivities start at 9 p.m. Friday with Connecticut-based funk rockers Deep Banana Blackout on stage in the ballroom at Higher Ground. Pre-parade rituals begin at noon Saturday with be Caravan of Thieves, a swingin’ good Gypsy-inspired quartet. At the same time concert poster artist Jim Pollock, who will be signing and selling his specially designed Mardi Gras prints to benefit WRCC. Burlington’s own band of Afro-Brazilian music makers, Sambatucada, follow at 1 p.m. There’s a costume contest at 1:30, with the Magic Hat co-founder Alan Newman crowning the King and Queen of Mardi Gras, who will each win $500 cash!

    Thirty floats are expected for the parade along Church Street, beginning at 3 p.m. Per tradition, those on the floats will toss Lake Champlain Chocolates, moon pies and beaded baubles to those lining the bedazzled crowds lining the Church Street Marketplace.

    The Mardi Gras Parade Post-Party begins as soon as the last float has been filed away.

    Britain appoints minister for pubs

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    The British government has appointed a minister of pubs, who will be in charge of trying to slow the rate at which pubs are closing.

    Wentworth MP John Healey, also housing and planning minister, will head a five-minister task force. The Morning Advertiser reports he is considering tax breaks for pubs and giving tenants the right to buy pubs from landlords if they are threatened with closure.

    British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said the rate of pub closures slowed from 52 a week in the first half of 2009 to 39 a week, but remains a serious problem.

    The BBPA hailed the decision as “great news” and a “clear sign” that its campaigns, Axe the Tax and I’m Backing the Pub, had had an impact. “Pubs now have a strategic place in Government and we could not have asked for a better minister than John Healey,” said BBPA director of communications Mark Hastings.

    Healey himself said: “Pubs are often at the heart of community life. And they are important meeting places for many people. While we can’t stop every pub from closing it’s right we do everything possible to back them. But they need help now so I am determined to have a deal on the table with a package of practical help in the next few weeks.”

    New Goose Island Green Line is, well, ‘green’

    Posted In Beers, Breweries, Trends at   

    Goose Island in Chicago has rolled out a new beer called Green Line Pale Ale that is part of the brewery’s Green Line Project, an initiative to reduce the brewery’s environmental impact.

    Goose Island is making the beer available only on tap, which reduces packaging. The tap handles were made from reclaimed ash trees killed by the ash borer in Wilmette.

    “We had been thinking of ways to brew more sustainably for a while,” Goose Island brewmaster Greg Hall told the Chicago Tribune during and event to launch the beer. “So we did an organic beer for Whole Foods a few years back but we wanted to do something more local. We know that when you go into Chicago alleys you often see a lot of garbage, bottles and boxes for beer. We wanted to find a way to reduce that and so we figured one way would be to go with an all draft beer.”

    What does it taste like? From the Tribune story:

    “Monica Eng, who claims no beer expertise whatsoever, says: nice malty nose, a light refreshing flavor lovely corny finish.

    “Josh Noel, our beer correspondent’s take: Considering how good Goose Island’s higher end products are (Matilda, Sofie, Bourbon County Stout) and how middling the lower end stuff is (312, Honker’s Ale, IPA), I wasn’t optimistic about this pale ale. But it’s a winner. Green Line Pale Ale is so drinkable because it doesn’t try to do a lot. The hops are clear (more in the taste than nose), but don’t overwhelm. The malt is roasty, but appropriately restrained. It could stand to pop with a few more grapefruit notes like a good pale should, but a brewer said he expects future batches to be improved in this respect. Green Line will make a particularly fine warm weather beer for those who want a little more muscle than 312. It immediately vaults to the top of Goose Island’s more affordable beers.”

    And from blogger Andrew Gill:

    “I thought it was kind of like an India Pale Ale with training wheels. Brewmaster Greg Hall said his inspiration for Green Line was mixing 312 with Goose Island IPA at the Pitchfork Music Fest. I think that’s exactly what it tastes like – a session beer with just enough bitterness to be interesting.”

    Beerdrinker of the Year finalists set

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    Wynkoop Brewing Company’s judging panel has picked its three finalists for the brewpub’s 2010 Beerdrinker of the Year award.

    They will compete in the Beerdrinker of the Year finals on Feb. 27 at Wynkoop in Denver. The event is open to the public and admission is free. Two of the three were also finalists in 2007. They are:

    Phil Farrell, a Cumming, Georgia commercial pilot, homebrewer, and beer judge. He has tasted beer in every country in Europe, 1000 of the world’s pubs and 400 brewpubs. He’s known to many in the beer community as the “Chicken Man” because he’s hauled his homebrew club’s mascot, a rubber chicken, around the world and photographed it with thousands of beer people.

    His philosophy about beer: “Beer is first and foremost a social drink. It is the most flexible and universally affordable fine beverage there is. Every social gathering and every food item is enhanced with beer. Beer is the greatest gift ever given to the human race and meant to be shared with others.”

    William Howell, a Sterling, Alaska, college administrator, retired Navy officer, homebrewer, and beer educator. In 2007 he created a new course for Kenai Peninsula College entitled The Art and History of Brewing, and has traveled extensively across Alaska and the West in pursuit of great beer.

    His beer philosophy: “I have been a lover of craft beers since 1984 and a homebrewer since 1989. Since my retirement from active duty I’ve been really been able to “get serious” about beer. I decided it was time to start giving something back to the world of craft beer that had given me so much.”

    Logan Perkins, a Denver, Colorado beer enthusiast who has tried nearly 5,000 beers in 45 states, 21 European countries and 5 Asian nations.

    His philosophy of beer drinking: “Drinking beer is about enhancing the quality of life through flavors, feelings and friends. I love beer alone, but especially enjoy sharing it with others. I believe in handling, collecting and tasting beers with the same respect as a wine lover. I try to keep everything in moderation, including moderation itself.”

    ‘Beer Wars’ heads to home screens

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    Beer Wars, a documentary which played in theaters across the country for a single night last April and in limited screenings since, will be distributed for home viewing through Warner Bros. and Netflix.

    Ducks In A Row Entertainment offered details in a press release:

    In the U.S., Beer Wars is available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Cablevision, Charter, Insight, Bresnan, Verizon FiOS, AT & T U-Verse, Dish Network and DirecTV. It is also available for download on iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

    In Canada, the film is available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Rogers Cable, Cogeco, Videotron, Sasktel and Shaw.

    The film is also available on Netflix either on DVD or “Watch Instantly” beginning February 2nd. And the DVD is available for purchase from Amazon.

    More information is available at the company website.

    German beer consumption tumbles . . . again

    Posted In Beer culture, Breweries, News at   

    German beer sales continued their downward spiral in 2009, falling 2.8%. The drop was the biggest since 1998.

    The only break in the ongoing decline came in 2006, when Germany hosted the World Cup and sales rose marginally. Overall, beer sales have declined 30% in the past 20 years although consumption of alcohol, reduced to pure ethanol, has remained constant.

    Krombacher Brauerei, which brews Germany’s best-selling lager, expects beer consumption to decline in its home market this year, blaming an aging population that drinks less.

    German brewers export 14% of the beer they produce, mostly to nearby European countries.

    New beers: Jubel 2010, Top Sail Bourbon Barrel

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    Deschutes Brewery in Oregon has bottled a beer otherwise known “Super Jubel” for the first time in 10 years, with Jubel 2010 set to reach store shelves soon.

    A brewery press release explains the orgins: “Jubel was discovered by accident two decades ago when a clumsy burglar didn’t realize the weight of his stolen keg of Jubelale (the brewery’s winter seasonal). He dropped it outside to freeze in the season’s sub-zero temperatures – only to be discovered the next morning by Gary Fish, Deschutes Brewery owner. More than half the liquid in the keg had frozen and the remaining beer was a very cold, highly concentrated ‘Jubelale on steroids.’ It was so good that the brewers set about recreating it, coming up with an annual ‘Super Jubel’ that is aged in Oregon oak pinot barrels.”

    Deschutes usually sells the beer only at its pubs around the holidays, previously bottling Jubel 2000. A limited amount of Jubel 2010 will be available in 22 ounce wax-dipped bottles and on draft all over the west. The beer contains 10% alcohol by volume.

    – To celebrate the release of Top Sail Bourbon Barrel Porter Oregon’s Full Sail Brewing will host two horizontal tastings next week. The imperial porter (9.85% abv, IBU 65) was brewed in February 2009 and aged almost a year in bourbon casks from Maker’s Mark, Stranahan’s and Four Roses.

    The special tastings will feature the components as well as the 2010 release. “Since Top Sail is a blend of the three barrel varieties, we thought it would be interesting to try a bit of each before blending, so
    we kegged off a very small stash of each variety for the release,” said executive brewmaster Jamie Emmerson.

    The special tappings are set for 5 p.m. Monday at Full Sail’s River place brewery in Portland and Feb. 4 at the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River.

    Beer Label Evolution

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    Below is, as far as I know, the most recent label for Budweiser, updated in 2000. We all know that labels change over time, sometimes dramatically, but usually more subtly with just small tweaks from time to time. But even small changes over a long period of time become dramatic in the long view. So this is a fascinating peak into those changes.


    budlabel

    Etiquette Systems, a label manufacturer, has an online gallery showing what they call the Evolution of America’s Most Famous Beer Label. It shows a dozen different versions of the Budweiser label, from the first 1876 version up to the 2000 latest one, with all of the changes in between.

    Belgian beer blockade holds strong

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    Belgian beer union officials are talking about intensifying their strike against Anheuser-Busch InBev’s plants in Leuven and Liege although the company said it plans fresh talks with the union today.

    A second round of talks ended Tuesday ended without agreement. Staff at the AB InBev plants have been blocking the plant entrances for two weeks.

    Production at its Belgian breweries has come to a complete standstill. Company spokeswoman Karen Coeck said walls of beer crates erected since Jan. 7 have prevented the company from bringing raw materials, empty bottles and packaging goods into the plants.

    “Also, the storage facilities are full of beer that cannot be shipped out,” Coeck said.

    A Belgian union official said it was calling on the company to withdraw its restructuring plan, which would cut about 800 jobs in Europe, including 263 in Belgium. “We will continue with the blockades and will discuss whether to intensify our action,” he said.

    In announcing new talks today AB InBev said the possibility of up to 150 early retirement plans and 70 new positions would considerably lesson the impact of the job cuts.

    Zwickelmania: The perfect Valentine

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    How’s this for some back-to-back romance in Oregon?

    Feb. 13: Zwickelmania.

    Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day.

    Close-toed shoes required.

    The Oregon Brewers Guild has extended the scope of the Zwickelmania Oregon Brewery Tour after last year’s successful debut. Breweries across the state will host open houses and special tastings From 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Feb. 13.

    “Last year we had more than 10,000 visitors from across the state participate in Zwickelmania,” Oregon Brewers Guild Executive Director Brian Butenschoen said for a press release. “This year we have extended the hours to make the experience more enjoyable and allow participants to experience more breweries.”

    Zwickelmania takes its name from the zwickel, or sample valve which is mounted on the outside of fermentation or conditioning tanks and allows brewers to take samples for quality assurance and control.

    Admission to all Zwickelmania events is free, with some breweries offering complimentary sample tastings, food pairings and other activities. The guild will provide buses in Portland and Eugene to shuttle visitors to multiple breweries throughout the city. Close-toed shoes will be required for any visitors entering brewing facilities.

    For a complete list of Oregon breweries participating in Zwicklemania and sample itineraries visit the guild website.

    Narragansett tie design contest deadline near

    Posted In Breweries, Just for fun at   

    The deadline for Narragansett’s Third Annual Father’s Day tie design contest is Friday.

    The winning design will be featured online at www.NarragansettBeer.com and ties will be distributed throughout New England’s package stores in June. Judges will choose winners based on three main criteria: creativity, wearability and overall ‘Gansettness. Therefore all designs must incorporate Narragansett Beer elements and imagery

    Winners will be announced Jan. 30 at a ‘Gansett Unveiling Party in Providence, Rhode Island.

    For full rules and regulations and to review last year’s winners, visit the company website.

    A-B InBev bosses taken hostage

    Posted In Breweries, News at   

    Workers at an Anheuser-Busch InBev brewery in eastern Belgium briefly took some bosses hostage after the world’s largest brewery announced layoffs, local media reported.

    The company will cut 800 jobs across western Europe, 10% of its 8,000 workforce in the region. It said the move was a response to falling beer sales, with the layoffs spread across Belgium, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

    RTBF radio reported that about 10 managers at the Jupiler brewery were held in a meeting room in an office building located next to the plant.

    “We are demanding that the (company’s) senior managers come here and call off the lay-offs,” Marc Devenne, a union representative was quoted as saying by the Belga news agency. Denis Gobert, another union spokesman, later said the managers had been released.

    Anheuser-Busch InBev was formed in 2008 when Belgium-based InBev bought Anheuser-Busch.

    Here come the bocks – and other releases

    Posted In Beers, Breweries at   

  • The Spoetzl Brewery’s latest seasonal is the new Shiner Fröst, inspired by lagers brewed in Dortmund. From the press release: “Shiner Fröst has a rich malt aroma, a firm body with a bittersweet finish and a late burst of hops. Two-row malted barley, malted wheat and Munich malt plus Hallertau Tradition and Spalter Select GR hops all combine to create a clean, crisp, full-bodied flavor that is perfect for this time of year. Fröst has 5.5 % abv, an original gravity of 13.5 Plato and and 25 IBU.”
  • Leinenkugel’s 1888 Bock will be available through March nationwide. The brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, first made the beer in 1888 after one of the harshest winters anybody in the region could remember. It was the brewery’s first seasonal brew after 21 years of operation. From the company press release:

    “Leinenkugel’s 1888 Bock’s robust head seizes the rich aroma of toasted and caramel malts. The flavor of this full-bodied brew is heavily defined by the Munich malts and the 20 to 25-day cold lagering process, which creates a smooth, toasted malt flavor. Leinenkugel’s 1888 Bock also features Caramel, Pale and two-row Chocolate malts while Cluster hops add a touch of citrus character.

    “‘For 142 years Leinenkugel’s has been sharing adventurous craft beers with our loyal fans and we’re delighted to bring back the original Leinenkugel family bock recipe again this year,’ says Jake Leinenkugel, fifth generation brewer and president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. ‘1888 Bock brings to life the flavors of Leinenkugel’s five generations of brewing history and the brew’s robust, yet smooth character makes it ideal as we move from winter into spring.’”

  • Mendocino Brewing’s Spring Bock becomes available next week. From the press release: “This Limited Edition Spring Seasonal Bock Beer is a rich, malty, full bodied and traditionally brewed pale lager. This golden hued lager has been created to celebrate the coming of Spring and the start of a year that is replete with the promise of things to come. Our Spring Lager is brewed with the finest malted barley and a luscious blend of aromatic noble hops for a unique drinking sensation. At 7.0% abv, this lager is a perfect compliment to those days when the cool crispness of spring blends deliciously with the oncoming warmth that will herald the earth renewing herself once again.”

  • Aspall Cyder House of Suffolk, England and SBS Imports of Seattle have announced Aspall Cuvee Chevallier Double Fermented Cyder has been added to the Aspall lineup that includes Aspall Dry, Semi-Sec, Organic, and Perronelle’s Blush cyders.

    From the press release: “Cuvee Chevallier is produced from apples that are higher in acid and lower in sugar content – much like the grapes used for Champagne. The double fermentation process increases alcohol content but also provides greater structure and mouthfeel. This production method was first explored at
    Aspall in the 1920s & ’30’s by ancestor JB Chevallier and was only recently rediscovered after a visit by one of JB’s assistant cydermakers.”

    Cuvee Chevallier sells in a cork-finished 750ml champagne style bottles at a suggested retail price is $15.99 per bottle. It contains 11% abv.