Category: Beer in the news

Great articles that you should read.

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Give and Get

I am a day late but you can be not a dollar short if you do a simple thing from now through December 15th.

In the spirit of giving, this holiday season, the American Homebrewers Association is launching a Give Back program where the organization will donate $5 to one of three nonprofits for every one- or three-year AHA membership purchased. This applies to all new and renewing memberships.

The three nonprofit organizations to choose from this giving season are:

  • Beers 4 Boobs: Beers 4 Boobs collaborates on unique beers and events to further generate awareness and funding for breast cancer and cancer patients. 
  • Soldiers’ Angels Hops for Heroes: Soldiers’ Angels Hops for Heroes™ is an annual campaign that rallies the support of craft breweries to support U.S. service members, veterans, and their families. 
  • Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing & Distilling: Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing & Distilling funds scholarship awards for technical education in beer and spirits production for people of color in the brewing and distilling industries.
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2 to 4 and 6 to 8

Normally, when a politician posts something on social media, I groan and flip past as fast as I can. But in the case of Assembly Bill 2307 and Assemblyman Marc Berman, I paused and read.

2397 increases the number of satellite locations that a brewery can have from six to eight. Of the six, only two of those locations can be a full restaurant kitchen Berman’s bill raises that cap to four.  

Kudos to the California Craft Beer Association which keeps pressing for brewers across the state.

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To the Land

I should start posts with the “Steal This Idea” name, The Oregon Agricultural Trust (the aptly named OAT) has partnered with nine Oregon breweries on the Cheers to the Land beer series.  Each of the new beers are made with Oregon-sourced ingredients. The goal is to safeguard Oregon’s farm and ranch lands from development.

Here are the murderers row of breweries and the beers that will donate part of the sales proceeds to OAT….

  • Barley Brown’s Brewing – Pale Ale brewed with barley grown in Enterprise and malted at Gold Rush Malt in Baker City, Mosaic and Citra hops from B&D Farms in St. Paul, Oregon and a blend of other Northwest hops.
  • Block 15 Brewing – West Coast India Pale Ale featuring Gold Rush Malt from Baker City, OR and Zappa and Comet hops, both grown at Crosby Hop Farm in Woodburn.
  • Gorges Beer Co. – Golden Ale fermented on 120 pounds of apricots from an orchard in The Dalles. Aged for two months till perfection.
  • Falling Sky Brewing – Cascadian Dark Ale with Oregon-harvested spruce tips, Salmon-Safe malt from Goschie Farms in Silverton, and Salmon-Safe hops from Crosby Hop Farm in Woodburn.
  • Ferment Brewing – Hoppy Pale Ale brewed with Mecca Grade malts from Madras, oats, and hops grown on Oregon trellises.
  • Fort George Brewing – Double India Pale Ale utilizing Salmon Safe Hops and Grain. This beer pushes ABV and flavor profile all while using responsibly grown Oregon ingredients.
  • ForeLand Beer Co. – Dry-hopped Pacific Northwest lager with Salmon-Safe Lorien and Sterling hops, and Oregon-grown Salmon-Safe malt from Mainstem Malt.
  • Pelican Brewing – A 503 Pale Ale with ingredients grown entirely on Goschie Farms — Pilsner Wintmalt and Willamette, Fuggle, and Santiam hops.
  • Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery – Mixed culture rye pale ale made with Oregon-grown Mecca Grade malt, aged in casks with Willamette Valley Robada apricots.
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Onto the Next Lupulin Rush

I am going to drop a couple hop names your way for you to file away for later. Luminosa (a daughter of Sorachi Ace) and HBC 586 (which will probably get a fancy name later).

These are two to be on the lookout for in future IPA’s and pale ales.  Will either be a breakout star like Citra or Strata?

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A New Sticker

As far as radical label re-designs go, Westvleteren has probably caused a stir by simply adding labels on all of their bottles.

Why? It is for the first time in 75 years. Personally, I think the round splash of color is distinctive and classy and different from bottles out there.

I wonder the reaction if the ever decide to can Westy 12.

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Documentary Conditioned

Beer documentaries are always welcome to me which is why I hope the year in a Lambic life movie, Bottle Conditioned is on my list to find. Below is the blurb from the production…

“This film chronicles an entire year of lambic production, while getting to know the brewers and blenders in the Zenne River Valley of Belgium. Bound by a common passion for lambic beer, their approach and ideologies differ when it comes to upholding traditional methods of brewing and protecting this heritage. Moreover, with the recent rush in demand for this beer, new lambic brewers and blenders are emerging- something inconceiveable ten years ago- and they’re pushing the bounderies of tradition. This leaves the question: what does the future hold for this community, in a region defined by its traditions?”

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Sewage

NEWBrew from Singapore has a new blonde ale. How is that news, you say? It is brewed using recycled sewage.  You read that correctly.

It is a joint effort between Brewerkz, a local craft brewery, and Singapore’s national water agency.

To keep the all caps NEW going, NEWBrew uses NEWater. According to an article at FoodBeast, “NEWater is made using ultraviolet light to disinfect sewage followed by passing the liquid through advanced membranes and removing contaminant particles. What remains after the process, the brand asserts, is simply clean water.”

Considering that many breweries alter water based on their supply or a particular beer style, if this NEWater is neutral and has proof of no other issues, it might be worth trying.

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1/4

Even though Milwaukee is spelled a little oddly to this writer’s eyes since I am from Milwaukie, the cause espoused is in need of attention so I band together for this new collaborative charity beer.

“This October, Third Space Brewing will release an IPA called One In Four to raise funds and awareness for domestic violence prevention.

One in four women and one in nine men have experienced some form of domestic violence, according to the CDC. “We chose this staggering statistic for the name of the beer to help start conversations within local communities about the prevalence of domestic violence” said Matt Cisz, Lead Brewer at Third Space Brewing and creator of One In Four. “When you lose a family member to domestic violence, all you want to do is find a way to prevent it from happening to anyone else,” shared Cisz.

Third Space Brewing is encouraging breweries across the country to join the effort by brewing the One In Four collaboration beer to be released in October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Breweries wishing to join the project may sign up HERE. Third Space Brewing will share the recipe and label artwork with participating breweries. Industry partners Malteurop Malting Company, Yakima Chief Hops and Blue Label Packaging will also join the effort by offering discounts on materials for brewing and packaging One In Four.

Participating breweries are encouraged to donate proceeds to the National CoalitionAgainst Domestic Violence (NCADV) or a local organization of their choosing that supports those who have been affected by domestic violence or intimate partner
violence. Third Space Brewing will donate all profits from the sale of its One In Four beer to Sojourner Family Peace Center, the largest nonprofit provider of domestic violence prevention and intervention services in Wisconsin.”

And don’t claim burnout from charity beers, you have the easy job of buying and drinking.

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Interview with Brian Waters of Figueroa Mountain Brewing

Last month, big beer news hit Los Angeles with Figueroa Mountain moving into manage four locations around the city previously held by Tony Yanow’s Artisanal Brewers Collective

I emailed brewer Brian Waters some questions about himself, hops and FMB in L.A.

1. What is your brewing background and history?

Before I was brewing I was working as a video editor for an online publication/events company. The company unfortunately went out of business. I freelanced for a while, but found that video editing was no longer terribly satisfying. In the meantime, my cousin received a home brew kit as a wedding gift, so he and I and his wife made a one-gallon batch of a West Coast IPA. It actually turned out pretty nice. I continued to make beer on my own until one day I saw a job posting for an assistant general manager position at a brewpub that was opening up in Hancock Park. I sent them a resume and cover letter telling them that I wasn’t interested in the AGM position but if they needed an assistant brewer I’d love the opportunity. Two weeks later the head brewer hit me up and the rest is history. I started as a draft tech and worked my way up.

2. Which brewer or brewery is your brewing role model?

That’s a question that has too many answers! We are spoiled for choice just here in LA alone. For now I’ll go with a few SoCal locals: Green Cheek, Highland Park, Enegren, Societe, and Burgeon make outstanding stuff. But there are so, so many others home and abroad that I love and whose beers I look to for inspiration. 

3. Will the Los Angeles breweries have a different guiding principle than the main brewery in Buellton? Will it be clear that beer is an L.A. brewed one vs a Buellton one?

The goal for the beer brewed in LA is the same — to brew outstanding, high-quality beer. Each of the spots will have its own flair, and will focus on producing consistent, exceptional brews. All of our bartenders will know which beers are brewed on site and which are brewed at the mothership in Buellton. 

4. How much freedom will you have to pursue seldom done styles at the Broxton R&D brewing system?

We are lucky to have the freedom to pursue whichever styles we like. However, it will always be a balance of brewing fun, experimental beer, but also brews that people are interested in drinking. We probably won’t make any grodziskie or chicha. But who knows, we may get a little out there and do something like a Kentucky Common. 

5. Is there a new hop varietal or new malt has you excited to try?

There are a few hops that I’ve had my eye on. They aren’t necessarily new, but I’ve yet to try them. HBC 586, Vista, Eclipse, and a couple of French varietals. Can’t wait to get my hands on them! 

6. Is there a beer style that to you is quintessentially L.A.?

If I had to choose only one I think I’d go with a hoppy lager. I think some of the best producers of the style are right here in town, and it’s exciting to see more and more breweries put their best versions forward. 

7. Will there be experimentation with new old world lager trends like side pours, slow pours and milky pours? And what is your take on these trends?

We are definitely going to have a couple of side pour handles at the Lagerhaus! We are super excited to take a deep dive into a style that we love. Each of those trends has their own value, and while I consider myself more of a Hladinka kind of guy, I do also really love a slow pour.