Category: Beer Industry

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

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Burton Unions New Home

Brewing history is important and that history includes both the knowledge and the equipment.  And earlier this month there was some positive news on that front as Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company has announced that they are taking some old Burton Unions and given them to Thornbridge Brewery and will also help with the set-up to get them going.

Burton-on-Trent was the Portland / San Diego and Asheville of its time. Basically the brewing town. You can go HERE to read all about Burton Unions.  (Firestone Walker used a modified tiny version up in Paso Robles.) Like most bespoke items, it was not modern day efficient and thus not being used by Carlsberg.

I have a feeling that Thornbridge will be able to make good use of the Unions.

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Peel the Label – Ballast Point Capacity Shift

In brewing, it is important to be in the right size home when it comes to equipment, space and beer in the tanks.  It is the Goldilocks Conundrum.

I have been thinking about this since the news broke that Ballast Point Brewing had released its Miramar facility to a new owner and that they were going to determine what the best brewing size fit would be for them.  And while that hunt is under way, some beers will contract brewed for them.

But how does one know what capacity is needed?  And also be flexible enough for minor fluctuations up or down?  I theorize that it was harder back when growth was flying upward because as the accelerator is pressed, you don’t know when you will run into traffic. Not wanting to miss out on sales, you press down on the gas in the form of second locations and more tanks and more people power.  

Now, in opposition, is a bit easier to predict because the growth has flattened and you can see a truer demand than before.  A local brewery can figure out how to keep 6-10 taps filled while canning a bit and selling kegs when there is not a block long line out the door.  

But too big can be good overall as it provides contract homes for those breweries that are testing proof of concept or do not have the full funding needed for their own space so a little wiggle room is beneficial.

It is an interesting question and we will see in the next few years who played their cards right especially if Ballast Point turns a corner.

Peel the Label is an infrequent series with no photos or links. Just opinion.

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Tip of the Hat!

Russian River Brewing does some really cool things for the craft beer industry.  Their latest is….THIS

..which is just a cool way to help an up and coming brewery. An if Pliny is brewed on that kit, there are some good vibes coming from that for sure.

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CCBG

Usually mergers and acquisitions occur and it is a net negative.  Especially when it is the big players in the beer industry.  A big brewery buys a small one and then proceeds to water down the product or distributors get bigger and bigger until they cannot service all the beer they have in their portfolio.

But the new Circle of Crowns Beverage Group Strategic Alliance is indeed that an alliance.  CCBG includes Inglewood-based Crowns and Hops, Fresno-based Full Circle Brewing and its sister brands Speakeasy Ales and Lagers and Sonoma Cider. All black owned breweries.

The two main prongs of the alliance are a combined sales force bringing not just one brewery but multiple to the table and second Full Circle will use their excess brewing capacity to brew Crowns and Hops beers which, I think, may change once the Inglewood brewery is up and running.

Owning your local market is quite important these days so the fact that each one is in a different sector of California will help as well. But the combined weight might just push growth so that these beers get more placement.

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More Small Print

There is the potential that beer labels will have to squeeze in a lot more information onto them in the future.  More specifically, allergens and nutrition information.  Which is not good for those, like me, who need major magnification just to read what hops are in the beer.  And though I like the idea of a QR code that leads you to more detailed information, what percentage of people are going to use that and then what percentage of those will understand the governmental gobbledygook that passes for information?

You can read more HERE from the Brewers Association. 

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May the Brew Be With You

I am not a homebrewer but I know the vital importance of having them around to push the recipe envelope without having to sell their beers and to be a minor league from which new breweries can spring with new ideas.

And a cool new idea for the Big Brew 2024 on May 4th is to have a theme.  That theme? Homebrew recipes inspired by Star Wars.

The recipes are Degobah Dunkel, Jabba Juice Hazy IPA, A New Hope Pale Ale, Empire Strikes Back Dark Ale and rounding out the OG trilogy Return of the Jedi Pale Ale.  All OK names but I hope to see some deeper cuts like Ahsoka Amber or Order 66 Betr-Ale.

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San Diego Spider

Tarantula Hill Brewing is making a big leap to the San Diego area, San Marcos specifically as the Thousand Oaks based brewery will utilize the space once used by the Draft Republic restaurant.  This news was first broken by Brandon Hernandez at SD Beer News.

Will an outer rim of L.A. brewery fly in San Diego County?

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The Return of Contract Brews

Back in the day, craft beer had brands that were contract brewed. Breweries, especially ones in expensive real estate markets (like Los Angeles) or without the capital for buying mash tuns and fermenters would either provide a recipe or brew alongside workers at a brewery usually far away from their physical location.

Now, those breweries were looked down upon a bit (even by younger, less knowledgable me) as having less skin in the game but as is seen in the bourbon world, contract brands are not seen as less than currently and maybe that might translate into craft beer.

Now there are always pros and cons as is demonstrated in this Vinepair piece about contract distilling. The biggest one for me is the lack of disclosure. You can contract brew an excellent beer but many are just middle of the road. And it is only fair to a consumer that they can easily see that a beer is contract brewed. That way I can find out that Contract Brewery A is only average while Contract Brewery Q is quite good.

And I think that if there were more contract brewing facilities that made it easier to actually have the brewer make the beer on essentially rented equipment close to where they sell to lessen shipping and environmental costs, it could increase quality.

Incubators would be a good model or co-branded taprooms and bars. San Diego has had some luck with the former and Los Angeles has seen shared taprooms in the past and currently with Eagle Rock and Party Beer. They can be effective ways to begin a brewery within financial constraints.

All roads that can lead to a successful brewery should be explored.

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Capital of Craft

I have not seen a Brewers Guild with a podcast but The San Diego guild has just started The Capital of Craft.  It is “a podcast that focuses solely on the San Diego beer industry.”

According to the podcast description it is “Curated for industry professionals, we will cover topics specific to our city and provide relevant conversations with guests from all walks.”

I have listened to episode 1 about distribution and though it may be a bit deep in the weeds but craft beer fans should be aware of what happens to get local beer to you. Learning about shipping rates alone is an interesting facet of the beer business.

I will be following to see what guests and topics come next.