Category: Beer Industry

my occasional rants and raves about what is going on in the industry.

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Fuh-Ment


The Heritage Radio Network is home to the Fuhmentaboudit! podcast with co-hosts Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme of Cuzett Libations that is set to return in September with new episodes. And for now, a special episode was released to converse about women in craft beer and the Beers With(out) Beards Week in New York.

What perked my ears up and put this podcast on my to-listen list is the fact that they don’t want beer branding to change because if a brewery just has to put out some cringe inducing label that demeans women, it helps the discerning consumer to weed out the bad apples.

Once I have taken a listen, I will report back on how I like the podcast.

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PintPass

Other than sharing an unfortunate word with the failing MoviePass, I don’t quite know what to make of PintPass.

From what I have read on the About and FAQ pages lead me to think that this is powered by gathering data on those users who fill out the surveys. And that in exchange for that data, you get the equivalent of a busted credit card that a harried beertender will have to manually enter the numbers on at still to be determined breweries who will participate.

I have signed up just to keep the e-mails coming but will be watching from the sidelines to see how this plays out. Like MoviePass, I don’t know how long this can last.

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Fingerprint

After my first visit to the really cool Banc of California Stadium (I am now anxiously awaiting the adjacent food hall, The Fields), I knew that buying actual good beer is probably past my pocketbook’s capacity.

But maybe it is not past my fingertip if the latest tech that I read about on The Takeout makes its way into more locations and not just stadiums.

Basically you create a digital profile for a stadium so that contrary to Donald Trump in a grocery store, you won’t have to bring out your wallet at all for ID or payment.

Not to sound alarmist but what if hooligans see that you use the fingerprint scanner and then decide to cart you to a beer line and have your print buy their next round? And how hard is it to bring out two cards to buy a beer? Which leads to my next question. So, I set up an ID at a stadium. Take the time to link a credit card, keep it updated and presumably be able to add the event ticket as well but will that work in only one stadium. I can’t go to StubHub Center or Staples Center or the Rose Bowl?

Might be a good idea when implemented more but right now I don’t know.

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Zinke the Finke

Don’t TL:DR this PIECE in Politico.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke arrives to testify before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources at a committee hearing on the President’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2019, Tuesday, March 13, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. At right is Olivia Barton Ferriter, with the Interior Department. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

A) Who would drink a beer made from the polluted water that this oil cozy anti-interior of America secretary would make?
B) I can only imagine the horrible beer names coming from “Double Tap Brewing”

Maybe Zinke could help out the nation’s breweries by actually doing his job.

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1283 and 2573

Beer is in the California chambers of Sacramento power again. Two different bills are wending their way through the Senate and Assembly.

As the Brewbound website reports….
“Senate Bill 1283 would allow brewpubs with “Type 75” licenses — retail restaurant licenses with brewing privileges (between 100 and 5,000 barrels annually) — to sell their products for off-premise consumption. The bill would also give brewpub operators the chance to donate product to nonprofits, for beer festivals and other community events. The measure would also tighten the requirements for obtaining the license, however.”

Meanwhile, under Assembly Bill 2573, on-premise retailers would be allowed to accept up to 10 cases of free glassware per year from beer manufacturers. The bill caps the amount of glassware a bar or restaurant could accept at five cases per brewery, and prohibits retailers “from conditioning the purchase of a beer manufacturer’s product or products on the giving of retail advertising glassware.””

Thankfully the California Craft Brewers group has been involved to make sure that these bills would close loopholes and not give too much power to one set of constituents.

That first bill is being backed, in part, by the ABC group who would be able to sell their beer to-go. West & 6th beer in crowlers or Bluebird Brasserie Belgian beers in bottles. It also makes the benefit of that license tilt toward actual beer producers as opposed to being a back door to liquor sales. I read the latter bill thinking that someone at SABInBev had tried to sneak through a much higher glassware count and had their hand slapped to a much smaller amount, and that is exactly what happened. They will push wherever they can and hope no one is watching.

Look for these to be voted on sometime this month.

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42%


Just let that little statistic sink in. There is hand-wringing when spirits or wines seem to grab the zeitgeist but the fact is, the trends move freely among those two and beer. Zima is popular, then passe, then back as retro but still not cool. Wine has a moment be it organic or rose. Then whiskey roars back. Then hazy IPA.

See what I mean? Ebb and flow will always occur. Price will be a major component of the percentages above with the low leader grabbing a higher share. But as long as each of the three elements are staying creative and true to the beverage, they will find the latest new, new thing and ride the wave.

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New or Old

There are a few real estate spots in Glendale that are restaurant graveyards. Spaces where the turnover in signage is hotter than an actual turnover.

But this post over on the Tavour blog got me to thinking about the same concept but with a brewery. And here in Los Angeles

The Stalking Horse took over the old Steingarten spot on Pico and with a brewing system and a new British theme have made the spot their own but that is within a restaurant. What happens if an L.A. brewery changed hands? What would need to change to attract a growing clientele to a “new” taproom?

I would say that the beer would have to be easily seen (and tasted) as better. Most beer consumers (heck, most consumers overall) don’t know who is running where they are buying from and might assume that it is a simple name change or brand change. A change in beer style won’t move the needle in my opinion without that quality going up. I am not discounting the powerful effect of branding or a re-design of a taproom space but those get people in the door for one visit.

I think that L.A. will see more “new breweries – old spaces” in the coming years as a way to get over the barrier of entry that creating a whole new brewery in Los Angeles makes you leap. But the outreach needed to get better beer into the hands of buyers will be great.

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State Stats

The statistical arm of the Brewer’s Association put up a handy set of graphics for each state that gives a snapshot of brewing activity in the state.

This time around, I want to point out the rankings that are in smaller print underneath the headline numbers. And what I want to specifically call to attention are the per Capita numbers. California has the most breweries in the Union but factoring in our large population we fall to middle of the pack at 22nd. Same with economic impact, we fall from 1st to 27th.

Those aren’t to be read as negative because, we may have a higher proportion of tiny breweries. And ranking higher in per Capita breweries might strain the infrastructure and lead to unhealthy amounts of competition.

The last important number is that economic impact. If that continues to grow, even if the other numbers do not, then the clout that our brewer’s guilds can wield will grow.

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CANarchy in Inglewood


The news broke yesterday that Three Weavers the fast growing brewery in Inglewood has joined forces with the CANarchy Collective.

Per Lynne Weaver, Three Weavers Founder and CEO. “Now more than ever, it is vitally important for craft breweries to band together to preserve our collective livelihoods and legacies and grow the overall industry. By joining the CANarchy collective, Three Weavers will continue to support our community – the craft beer industry, fellow craft breweries, independent beer, and of course, local craft beer drinkers. We are truly excited to partner with the entire CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective and look forward to what we will accomplish together in the coming years.”

The CANarchy portfolio includes Oskar Blues Brewery, Perrin Brewing Company, Cigar City Brewing, Squatters Craft Beer, Wasatch Brewery and most recently, Deep Ellum Brewing.

Now, YOUR view of this will be primarily colored by your trust level of Weaver and head brewer Alex Nowell. It will also be colored by the street cred of the brewers in the list above. I am no finance guy who can tell you about the Fireman Capital Partners that are in the background. But these “collectives” are fast becoming the norm. And they will include growing, in demand breweries in geographic sweet spots. Duvel Moortgat has their nationwide trio. Constellation realized after paying big for Ballast Point that they needed a group and not just one brewery. I would not be surprised in the least if there is an IPA collective, a sour collective and other niche groupings.

Remember, the best way to measure the impact of a sale is to taste the beer before and then after and then after again. Money is not evil. Big is not bad. But you do have to be watchful because it can change how things are done.

Personally, I will be granting Three Weavers a long leash on this.

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Everyone Means Everyone

Unfortunately, Los Angeles has had some red-hatted haters slinking into places that beer lovers frequent. A taproom or bar shouldn’t be forced to throw out or throw down with those (primarily) white males who are feeling so threatened nowadays that they have to spew their fucked up shit at those who aren’t lily white and male.

Which is why I was REALLY glad to see this initiative in the UK from noted beer writer Melissa Cole. It is the Everyone Welcome Initiative.

In a nutshell, anyone who wants a pint, should be able to order one and enjoy it without being Fox News’d by some un-evolved ignoramus.

Tossing this action plan out there, maybe the L.A. Brewers Guild should do a version to have posted at member breweries?