Category: Beer Industry

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

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Beer Book!

I love books as much as I love beer so when you combine the two you get, Awesome! So when I saw this on the Thank Heaven for Beer blog, I was very interested…

“The Essential Reference of Domestic Brewers and Their Bottled Brands is the brain child of Micheal S. Kuderka, whose purpose in creating this reference book was “to be the industry recognized resource for information on all domestic beer and brands…” And let me tell you, he is is doing a great job.

This book is exceedingly exhaustive, easy to navigate, full of helpful charts and figure, and just what it aims to be: a great resource. The book walks the beer business man and the simple beer geek, like myself, through the domestic beer world starting with and alphabetical listing of breweries, followed by pages of color and bitterness charts, beer style index, state availability, geographic brewery index, commentary, supply charts, and full brewery portfolios. I do feel that in further editions, the book will add to the content, but already it is brimming with necessary information.”

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Widmer Brothers + charity

from Draft Magazine.…

Expressions of brotherly love usually involve punching, wrestling, or some kind of potentially dangerous physical activity. Widmer Brothers Brewing Company is celebrating Brother’s Day (Tuesday, August 11) in a slightly more healthy way.

Their collection of sarcastic e-cards are a great way of conveying brotherly affection while helping a good cause. One dollar will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters for each card sent before August 11. Widmer Brothers has pledged to raise $10,000 in an effort to recruit more volunteer Big Brothers.

“Our effort to support Big Brothers Big Sisters is a personal commitment,” Kurt Widmer said. “We know firsthand the value of strong role models and of course, the importance of brotherhood.”

So before that friendly sibling boxing match results in a pleasant trip to the emergency room, send your bro an e-card. And help give community kids an opportunity to experience the joy that can only come from getting matching casts with their brother.

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Beer DVD reviews

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Today, I watched “Beer Wars” and “The American Brew” back to back. I think that they both have their strong points but American Brew wins my Beer Oscar.

The American Brew is way too short (in a good way) and I really enjoyed the clips left on the cutting room floor. It shows the basics of making beer along with a brief history of beer in America. And it has great commentators including Daniel Okrent, Charlie Papazian, Fritz Maytag and Dick Cantwell among others. It has a specific aim and it hits it straight on. Since, I love educating people about beer and its turbulent history in America, this is a great tool to use.

Beer Wars on the other hand has a major beer flaw in it, though it is not a dramatic flaw. The focus is on Sam Calagione from the wonderful Dogfish Head and on the creator of Moonshot Caffeine Beer and Edison Light, Rhonda Kallman. To a lesser extent it is a screed against the three-tiered distribution system and the dominance of ABINBEV / SABMILLERCOORS.

Both Sam and Rhonda have wonderful entrepreneurial spirit. But Sam understands that he is a brewer first and second and third and a salesman fourth. Rhonda is all sales all the time and that hurts her. She becomes a product not a craft. I totally understand why the beer community is so mixed on this movie. On one hand it celebrates creative beer and then extols the wonders of marketed beer. It is good drama but not good beer.

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It could be worse…

…whenever you have had a bad beer or the barkeep is having a bad attitude day. Remember that it could be worse. You could be drinking….
miller clear

Clear Beer. That’s right. The most unholy of abominations. The forerunner to Zima and all things bad about corporate beer.

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So sad…..

… I walk into my local grocery store (o.k. it was Ralphs). On the way in, a couple is leaving and they are carrying (together) their beer for the party. I look down. Miller Lite. I cringe. Hopefully they did not see me make the “I am about to throw up face”. Then to add insult to injury. The person checking out before me has a case of Landshark Lager. In CLEAR BOTTLES!!!

When I get my business cards made, I may have to start handing them out to the clueless among us.

This is why I started this blog. People my age and younger should know better. No one eats Hot Pockets or pre-sliced cheese and likes it. So why do the same with beer?

Not to get all philosophical but we all need to honor the time we have on this earth. Don’t buy a McCafe latte when your local roastery can make you something out of this world. Go to your Farmer’s markets. Buy the organic meat. It may take more time and it WILL cost more money but I would rather have one FANTASTIC beer with a great hormone free burger than a case of MGD and a whopper.

Wherever you are there is a brewery that is local and trying HARD to make a great pint. Drive that extra mile and get it. Don’t be the lazy, Landshark guy!

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The BeerGauge

This is a great tool if you want to stoke controversy at your beer establishment of choice or if you just want to antagonize your barkeep.

The Beer Gauge measures the perfect pint for you and makes sure you do not get less than what you rightly deserve.

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It's a great day in Alabama

I give a large shout out to the folks at Free the Hops. They finally got the restrictive beer laws in Alabama changed!!!

According to the NY Times, “..You see, until last week, merchants in Alabama were not permitted to sell beer with an alcohol content that exceeded six percent. Alabamians could buy all the bourbon, vodka and Thunderbird wine they wanted, but mildly strong beer? Forget it.” and furthermore “…But now that has all changed. Last Friday, Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama signed a bill that raises the alcohol limit to 13.9 percent, although the container-size limit will stay in effect.”

Have a great weekend Alabamians!! Roll Tide!!

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2 Brooklyn Beer books

These two books are musts for any beer library.  You had better have a beer library or at least one book by Michael Jackson.  Beer School is a great business accented account of how the Brooklyn Brewery was born and nurtured to where it is today.  Very interesting on the intricacies of selling beer and creating a entreprenurial mind set.

To cover the beer and food pairing phenomenon, you have to read The Brewmaster’s Table.  It is an excellent guide to food and beer.  If you don’t learn something new, then you are the one true beer geek god.

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