Category: Beer in the news

Great articles that you should read.

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Ladyface Down

The last of the pioneering Los Angeles breweries and the second this year has called it quits.  Ladyface Ale Companie which changed over to Tavern Tomoko + Ladyface Brewery will be closing just before Christmas on 12/22.

Ladyface Ale Companie & Brasserie was established in late 2009 by Cyrena Nouzile.  That year brought us Strand Brewing and Eagle Rock Brewery as well.  Brewmaster Dave Griffiths was at the controls of award-winning Belgian, French and American style ales. La Blonde, La Grisette, Blind Ambition Abbey Ale, Trois Filles Tripel, and seasonal ales such as La Trappistine Belgian Dark Strong Ale, Blue-Belly Barleywine and Dérailleur Bière-de-Garde which was a favorite of mine.

Nouzile and Ladyface Ale Companie were proudly independently owned and operated and an active member of the Brewers Association, California Craft Brewers Association and especially the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild.

Pete Lee, turned from a Ladyface customer to owner when he bought the brewery and restaurant from Nouzile and channged the Brasserie to Tavern Tomoko while still keeping the beers under the Ladyface banner which I thought was a confusing choice.  

Later beers such as Animé, a Japanese pale ale brewed with jasmine rice and Sorachi hops and Atlas Shrugged, a barrel-aged dark strong anniversary ale did not get wide distribution and much like the other ’09ers, they could not re-create the buzz they had in early years.

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Wisco Expansion

In a sea of mostly negative news when breweries are concerned, here is a bit of positivity.  New Glarus Brewing will be adding space to their campus in Wisconsin.  It will take a few years for this expansion to be completed so plan your midwest brewery vacation accordingly.

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The Darkness

The aroma hop HS16660 now has a name, Erebus™ . Not the worst name around but I do not think that “the primordial deity of darkness in Greek mythology” would be into the aroma therapy of blueberry, citrus, candied fruit, and floral rose. But maybe Hopsteiner knows something about it that I do not.

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Celebrity Day – Welcome to Welsh Lager

Wrexham Lager has some new co-owners in Red Dragon Ventures.  News like that might strike craft beer fans as an “oh no” moment but RDV is actually Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney + the Allyn family — which very recently became a minority investor in Wrexham’s soccer teams. 

Wrexham Lager was founded in 1882 and now is on the verge ( as I previously posted about ) being sold in America as well as in countries across the world.

The Roberts family, which revived Wrexham Lager in 2011, eleven years after production had halted, will remain a co-owner of the brewery alongside Reynolds and McElhenney.  Both of whom have past experience in the drinks sector in spirits with gin and Irish whiskey.

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Celebrity Day – Spider Beer

Looks like another celebrity is entering the beer game but with an N/A twist.  Tom Holland is founding a company with the un-Marvel name of Bero and will have three non-alcoholic beers initially.  Kingston Golden Pils, Edge Hill Hazy IPA and Noon Wheat.  Nary a spider pun to be found but certainly some British influence.

It will be direct to consumer via their website with plans to launch in Target next year. Holland has discussed his sobriety which makes a venture into near beer a good call.

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The Pitch

It is safe to say that I enjoy a good entrepreneur story and if you don’t like the personalities of Shark Tank there is a different show that you can listen to as a podcast or on YouTube called The Pitch and recently they had a beer episode.

The founder of Hoplark which makes hop water and hop teas is branching out into brewing efficiency.  ReCraft has engineered a way to get more utilization of hops and water that might save some money for a brewery.  

Take a listen (or watch) HERE.

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Catering

Anytime the craft beer industry can catch a break, that is a good time and here in California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2174 (Aguiar-Curry) into law.  This change allows breweries to sell their beer at events through the use of a new Beer Caterer’s Permit.

Kicking in on January 1st of next year, breweries can use a type 01 or 23 license to apply for a Beer Caterer’s Permit to sell their beer for consumption at events held off their licensed premises.  As long as that event has been approved by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). The BC permit allows the brewery to sell up to 124 gallons of beer at each event for a maximum of 36 events per calendar year.

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Pouring for NC

The scenes of devastation from Hurricane Helene are incredibly sad but even in an election year with such a yawning divide in the country, one of the things thats has always made the U.S. strong is their response to natural disasters.  

Beer fans can help by heading to the Untappd shop as they will be donating proceeds from sales from their shop directly to the Foundation For The Carolinas who will be financially assisting those left in the wake of the storm.

I also want to commend the North Carolina Brewers Guild who have been quick to add a page of resources for breweries and in getting a Pouring for Neighbors program up and running with a free special tap handle to use. That is some serious boots on the ground work.

We Angelenos come from all over the country so we know helping out may well be helping an actual neighbor who is from NC or someone we work with or are related to.  Combine that with the fact that beer people are fast to help and we can give this rebuilding effort a real jump start.

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Tilray Did What?

Like so much spent grain, Canadian cannabis company, Tilray is dumping a who’s who of Oregon brewing talent from 10 Barrel Brewing in Bend.

Gone is former Barley Brown’s brewmaster Shawn Kelso, former brewmaster Jimmy Seifrit, former Bend Brewing brewmaster Ian Larkin and most notably GABF medal machine, Tonya Cornett.

You can write a book (others have) about the malfeasance of SABInBev but at least they were not stupid enough to cut loose that murderers row of brewing know how.  It would be the equivalent of the Kansas City Chiefs, waiving Mahomes, Kelce and Coach Reid in one fell swoop.

This is, unfortunately, typical corporate shortsightedness.  Keeping talent happy and hoppy is not valued as much as profit.  And what is thought of now as cost savings is going to end up losing them customers in the short term and will also introduce more competition in the long term as those brewers either start their own places or go to a brewery and bring their ‘rizz with them.

It takes a special attitude for a large corporation to grow a small company under its banner and most do not have the people skills or vision to accomplish it.  Tilray has shown their true colors.