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my occasional rants and raves about what is going on in the industry.
There are two more new hops in the pipeline (aka pre-commercialization stage) following in the footsteps of Sabro and Strata are HBC 586 and 638.
HBC 586 is a “bright, fruit-forward hop”.
HBC 638 is “complex and versatile. …with tropical fruit flavors”.
You might see some beers that mention in the marketing material those two numbers and then we will have to translate that to their trade names if they become popular and have enough acreage to be in larger runs of beers.
If it weren’t for the 1000 number in the middle, you could spend some time counting all the orange dots on the map to get to 1000.
Isn’t that crazy? Think about it. At one point it was a handful scratching out an existence on used dairy equipment and now you can find spots where you can walk from brewery to brewery or try to set a low Lyft fare record.
Of course with that number comes re-calibration. And that is for everyone in the independent California beer eco-system. Customers have incredible choice and need to wield it with care. Media needs to stop focusing on their influence and start working on enlightening. Breweries need to keep raising the quality and creative bar higher and those who move the beer need to do so fast, cold and in control.
The inevitable refrain of bubble may arise because some like singing that particular song but I think that it is more of a constant search for the right size of the industry. We had too many years of way under and no one really knows where the sweet spot is so maybe we should enjoy this time of plenty if it is indeed over that spot.
Are you ready to be scanned when you enter a taproom? Is speedee ordering worth it? I have read articles where license plates can be scanned to speed drive-thru ordering and now there is a new company that will take camera technology and add it to a bar to film customers as they enter so that the bartenders know who was in line first.
The company is DataSparQ and they began bar testing in London in June with more tests trials to come. More than facial data will be compiled as the company is selling how to track busy and slack times amidst other data points.
Seems just a skosh intrusive to me. Enough of my personal data is being stored in server farms enough as it is. I would rather come back to a bar at a less busy time rather than having my face be my ticket like I am at a busy deli. Serving # 90 now, the gentlemen with greying hair is next.
The hop formerly known as #06277 now has a trademarked name Sultana™. It is a three-way split of 50% Nugget, 25% Zeus, and 25% USDA male (un-named? Or just agricultural science speak?) When you start seeing it in beers look for pine. According to Hopsteiner it is a big pineapple hop with pine notes in the background.
Science. Dumb people don’t trust it but it can do amazing things given enough money, intelligence and time. Obsession too.
A recent POST on NPR’s website discussed a new coffee product that is beanless and bitter-less. This is on the heels of explosive growth for meatless burgers that has left supplies low.
But, this is a beer blog, Sean. Yes, but the increase of alcohol-free beers is growing and probably will continue to do so. Hops have gone from pellets to cryo to who know what in the future so why not a fake engineered flavor that is close to hops? Especially if it can consistently provide a flavor that the brewer wants.
Beer is based on agricultural products but considering our stewardship of the planet so far, beer may need to science its way out of a possible problem.
I didn’t see this POST on the CraftBeer.com website getting as much attention as such pressing matters as Pabst Hard Coffee, so I am urging people to take a moment and click the link to Bottleshare.
The money is super important in this charity but the last part of this chunk of their mission statement is super important too, “When a fellow craft beverage worker is experiencing an emergency or extreme hardship, we not only want to help them financially, we want to lift their spirits, give them something to celebrate, and share our story in such a way that they feel their very own hope renewed.”
I am hoping to see some L.A. breweries join into this mission.
File this under things I would love to see on the streets of Los Angeles. Well, actually, it would probably need to be safely stored on a bigger truck to avoid accidents from lookie-loos….
I know that the words excise tax either cause sleep or sleeplessness. The first due to mind numbing legalese that need to be carefully read to be understood and the latter because, well, no one likes paying taxes.
But stick with this post a minute. One of the few good things in the Trump “Don’t Tax the Rich but I Won’t Show My Tax Returns” plan was that there was relief for small brewers as well as other alcohol producers and importers. The bad thing, the tax was temporary.
That temporary status is on the road for a one-year extension with the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2019 which will be voted on by the full House of Representatives, then if all goes well, to the Senate and then for the Cheeto to doodle on before he realizes he has to sign it.
And if they do this enough times, maybe they can make it permanent.
Los Angeles has a thriving craft beer scene and one of the nation’s largest Hispanic populations, so bringing our flagship El Chingón IPA and El Grito Lager here is the perfect next step in the Four Corners Brewing Co. journey. We bring together the culture of craft brewing with Mexican-American bicultural heritage, creating flavorful craft beers accompanied by vibrant lotería-inspired branding. Four Corners is perched at the intersection of the growing popularity of traditional Mexican import beers and the innovative nature of craft brewing. This blend results in a craft brewery with the ability to appeal to L.A.’s wide range of culturally diverse beer drinkers.
2. Can you give us the origin story of Four Corners Brewing
Four Corners is our collective beer journey that has taken us from being better-beer enthusiasts and home brewers to launching and nurturing our brand in Texas for more than seven years. Four Corners was founded in 2012 in an effort to elevate craft beer culture in our hometown of Dallas. Our goal was to reflect the diversity of the neighborhood and bring together creative groups of people to celebrate a common passion.
Before founding Four Corners, Co-Founders Greg Leftwich, Steve Porcari and I had become enamored by the American craft beer movement and were inspired to share our passion with others. Our true beginning goes back to Porcari’s home garage where we gained a deeper appreciation of the styles, ingredients and brewing processes as home brewers.
We’re proud and excited that our journey now provides the opportunity to brew our bold, delicious beers in San Diego and raise a pint with the people of Los Angeles and Southern California.
3. What is the flagship beer for Four Corners and will it translate to the LA market?
We’re bringing two flagship offerings to Southern California– El Chingón IPA and new El Grito Lager. Both are available now throughout Los Angeles and San Diego in colorful seis-packs and on draft at popular bars and restaurants.
We believe our bold brews and Mexican-American inspired branding will appeal to Los Angeles’ bicultural beer drinkers as well as craft fans seeking new experiences. That’s what’s special about Four Corners — our beers hold their own against American craft brewers in terms of flavor and complexity and our vibrant branding attracts bicultural drinkers.
4. What is the Dallas craft beer scene like in 2019?
When we launched Four Corners in 2012 in Dallas,there were only a handful of breweries in the state and only two in the entire North Texas region. These days, there are more than 250 craft breweries in Texas. We’re proud that Four Corners helped pioneer and shape the burgeoning craft beer scene in North Texas and added a unique dimension to the Texas craft beer landscape.
5. What has been the impact of Constellation for the brewery?
We’ve embraced our partnership with Constellation Brands. It has provided the opportunity to share our beer with more people, first throughout Texas and now in Los Angeles and San Diego.
Our standard of brewing has remained unchanged because our management team and employees have continued delivering the same innovative and fresh flavors consumers enjoy today.
I think this is so cool that I had to give credit to the original Tweeter. Yeah, there are rules but I think that a lot of bottles fit the bill and this really makes a difference. Kudos to Bayern Brewing!