Category: Beer in the news

Great articles that you should read.

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The ABCs of ABV


As I was scrolling through Netflix I came across a British documentary/news program about alcohol. The Truth About Alcohol was part education, part government propaganda and part reality TV.

There was some good nuggets of information throughout the sixty minute running time but I couldn’t shake the theory that this was a commercial for the health service that was basically saying that 14 units (2 units equal a pint of beer) was ALL you could safely drink in one week. Oh, the host would say that he drank and that you could drink more if you really wanted too but….

What also undercut the message was the fact that all beer was treated the same. A pint is two units. Doesn’t matter if it is a low alcohol bitter from the pub or an American barrel-aged Imperial Stout over 10% ABV. There was no problem talking about red vs white wine but the lack of beer diversity (for lack of better phrase) was a bit demeaning.

So, watch, but watch with a careful eye.

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Cantwell has Landed


Seems like two lifelines have been extended to Magnolia Brewing of San Francisco. One from Belgium. And one from New Belgium.

Magnolia has been struggling in a crowded San Francisco (for that matter, California market) and will now have both more financial power as a triumvirate of majority owner New Belgium, with Elysian Founder Dick Cantwell and Belgian lambic producer Oud Beersel as minority partners take over the rein.

Cantwell will take over the brewing tanks in his first gig since Elysian was sold despite his objections.

Magnolia has two brewing locations on Haight Street and Dogpatch from which Cantwell will brew. Oud Beersel will add their spontaneously fermented beers from Belgium and plans for an SF coolship are in the works.

I can see how New Belgium and Oud Beersel would play well together but I don’t quite know how Magnolia’s line-up fits into the puzzle.

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Bruery DC


Instead of draining the swamp, looks like the The Bruery is going to try to fill it. They will be opening an East Coast outlet (sans brewery) and call it The Bruery at Union Market.

It will be in an “urban village” which I assume is code for recently gentrified area.

This store will allow for online and offline beer pickup and purchases of beers from all three brands: Bruery, Bruery Terreux and Offshoot Beer Co. and there will potentially be up to 8 rotating taps for growler/crowler fills and the merch as well.

What caught my eye was at the end, that the Bruery @ Union Market would be a shared space with a retail partner. Food? Wine or Spirits?

Will this end up being a model for the Bruery in other locations?

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Build Border Bars Instead


We knew that Columbus would not be the only site for BrewDog in America. Other bars were hinted at but the first to be blogged about by them is on and over the edge.

BrewDog is planning to build a craft beer bar on the border between the USA and Mexico. Whether it comes to fruition or not. The sentiment and politics is strong and I think really cool.

From their post, “Our ‘Bar on the Edge’ will take back the great frontier between the US and Mexico before it is taken away forever. Half in each, with amazing beer from both. Heck, you can order up a four-beer flight and drink two Mexican craft beers in the US and two from our Ohio brewhouse south of the border.”

I hope my passport will still be valid by the time it is ready.

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Brewing Skills and Sales Skills

College Agriculture programs do the typical hands-on work and even sell some food items, such as cheese or jam but the liquor laws and the fact that a good percentage of college students fall under the 21 year threshold have probably made colleges rightly wary of embracing any type of alcohol.

But that may change if this story.

There is currently an exemption for wine, so if that has not caused harm, then maybe this will allow for more public feedback for aspiring brewers.

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The 7th Inning Mash


Mikkeller Brewing is growing like a weed and is fast leaving behind the gypsy brewer tag they had been labeled with a brewery in San Diego and now at Citi Field, home of the NY Mets.

Mikkeller had already been connected with the stadium providing a special beer for the baseball fans. Now they will take over a space
that had been used for ticket holder and fan hospitality near Right Field for a 20-barrel brewhouse and around 60 taps. (Yes, that is a large amount)

Unless the Mets make a really deep playoff push, the brewery and bar will debut next season.

More importantly, will this herald a resurgence of independent beer at stadiums. This seems to be a game that has see-sawed between the big bucks and marketing might vs. the curb appeal of having local beers on tap.

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Stock is Rising

screenshot from Facebook

Would you order a beer because the price went down? If you find yourself in Cincinnati, the Queen City Exchange could test your beer-onomic theory.

A beer choice could range in price from $3.50 to $9 based purely upon customer demand. Other than really testing the prowess of the bars beer buyer, this sounds fascinating as an experiment. I have seen the occasional Which keg kicks first contest, but this demand game would have me glued to a seat where I could see the cost rising and falling.

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Smog at 1%


July 1st of this year marked the official start date of Smog City Brewing partnering with 1% for the Planet.

This is a non-profit founded by Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chaunard, which uses business to help save the environment, which is kinda important to beer what with water and agriculture being essential to brewing.

Smog City will be the first 1% in Los Angeles county to join up and will commit 1% of their gross wholesale and Torrance taproom revenue to non-profits that protect the planet.

This is the next step for the brewery who has already been working with Food Forward already (exhibit A – Kumquat Saison) to harvest fruit that would otherwise go to waste.

Maybe this will be the start of more L.A. County breweries joining the crusade.

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200 Years in the US


Has it been that long? Not that I was here for all of it but if Guinness says they have been sending us their fine Irish stout for 200 years, then I will believe them. It would have been cool to see the Toucans flying above other American landmarks like the Grand Canyon or the Space Needle, or even the Hollywood Sign, dare I say.

Cheers to the next 200!

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New Reuben


Two big pieces of news from the “other” brewery in El Segundo. Rob Rubens Distilling and Brewing has hired a new brewer in Shawn Manriquez formerly of The Homebrewer in San Diego. Manriquez collaborated with breweries and distilleries such as Modern Times, Mason Aleworks, 32 North, SD Distillery, and more.

This will allow their starting brewer Jeremy to focus on the distilling side of the world.

The second item is that their 1st “Beerversary” is coming up on June 3rd where they will have a selection of limited release brews.