Category: Opinion

my humble and correct opinion

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Through Dec. 31

Per the Los Angeles Times, California will continue to allow sidewalk alcohol through the end of 2021.

You can read the full story HERE.

But why is this important?

Because, unfortunately, this may not be the last time a pandemic wreaks havoc. Variants abound as I type this and the US probably won’t ever reach true herd immunity due to laggard states.

Since California is a tourist destination, what are temporary work arounds, will need to be permanent options for visitors and to make safe the restaurant workers that remain.

I do think that more imaginative outdoor dining set-ups can be found but without the certainty that they willbe viable in the future means that many may be slapdash as opposed to creative.

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Festivals are Back

Even the most casual of beer fans has probably noticed that a few beer festivals have started to make their way onto calendars.

That means that I will start posting about the events that look to be worthy of the entrance fee.

It does not mean that I know of their Covid precautions however. If I find any FAQs, I will point then out. I will endeavor to add more information than normal as we transition back to enjoying beer from a taster glass in a park.

Having just recently achieved fully vaccinated status, I am just now dipping my toe into travel plans and if there is a movie I want to see after a year plus hiatus from being inside an auditorium. Which means, I am still hesitant about bring around a beer-load of people, even if outside.

Take care out there.

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Euro (now) 2021

Fresh off the Champions League, we enter into the European contests to see which country is the best in Europe.

Round 1 is done and now, I find myself looking for beers to drink with games or the highlights of goals and other than a proper pub bitter, a simple German beer sounds good and if I could find this Fussball Edition from Bitburger, that would be perfect…

..

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A Dogfish in Miami

It appears that Dogfish Head Brewing is taking their talents to Miami.

Dogfish Head Miami is billed by owner Sam Calagione as a “multi-sensory experience” that will include a “SeaQuenching Engine,” to control a sour wort’s pH and acidity levels. They are also partnering with the University of Florida Agricultural program as well as a record label.

Dogfish Head Miami opened on May 21st.

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Less Can – More Anarchy

First Deep Ellum Brewing filed suit against the CANarchy group and now another defection, this time close to home as Three Weavers Brewing is buying back what was sold a previously so the collective seems to be splitting at the seams.

Three Weavers and Inglewood have a SoFi growth spurt in front of them as the state and city re-open and in advance of Olympics in a few years time so that was probably part of the decision making process.

And does this mean that collectives are just not conducive to craft beer?

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Keep Acting Better – Action # 1

It is a new month but that doesn’t mean that we file away the last one and forget about it.

The whole beer world has to keep acting better and we can use this new month to learn new practices.

This month, I will touch upon what can actually be done to make improvements. Some of which I touched upon in my first post about the craft beer reckoning with the horrible treatment of women.

First, create your own damn spreadsheet. Why did men need women to track all the offenses? That just removes men from the process that they should be involved in.

Here is what you do. Go HERE to find the spreadsheet. Take notes on the breweries who appear on it and match that with the breweries in your area. Are any that you go to on the list? Are any in your ‘fridge that is on the list?

Make your own spreadsheet. Check to see if the brewery or person on your list has apologized and taken action. Also read the accounts linked to them to prioritize. If a brewery is cited multiple times and it is one that you have gone to many times, and they are silent about it, now you know to not go there to start and you can develop a plan as to what additional steps can be taken.

An example, I received a media package from BrewDog during the first week this news was coming to light. I checked the spreadsheet and they were on it. So I reached out to the PR firm that sent the beer asking what BrewDog had to say.

The person I e-mailed with answered honestly, appalled at what had been posted and said that I would get answers when they got them from BrewDog. So I posted a photo on Instagram and until I get the answers, that is all I will be doing. If no answers come then no posts from me even if the founders rescue a thousand cats from a thousand trees that they planted to save the rainforest.

I will also be checking that spreadsheet to make sure that I don’t post about the places and people in the future. Because, I am not here on a high horse dictating tactics. We all need to be in the field.

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The Firkin for May 2021

I have been thinking about how to get the vaccine hesitant jabbed with any of the three medicines. Concurrently, I have seen breweries hosting vaccine pop-ups.

And I hope to see more of that so we can drag that vaccinated number up to at least 75%.

But here are some “fun” ideas as to using beer to increase vaccination rates…

  1. Only non- hopped beers if you can’t show your vaccination card. As much as people claim to love historical styles, no one seems to drink them.
  2. The three lowest states in vaccination rates cannot sell hard seltzer. See how fast White Claw and Truly line-up to get people Moderna.
  3. The unvaccinated will be allowed into festivals but they get special wristbands and can only drink through a straw.
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Another Season Ends with The Champions

I believe that most pundits and the sportsbooks would have pegged the sky blue of Manchester City to win the Champions League title in a year where the whole competition was called into question and the two finalists had backed out of leaving it earlier this year.

As if the Covid year wasn’t strange enough, right. Well, Chelsea of London won 1-0 on a Kai Havertz first half goal.

What does this have to do with beer? Well this was the first championship with fans in a while. Yeah, the Super Bowl had people but the outlook was much worse in February.

Now, beer and sports and tailgating are on the return with fans at NBA playoffs now too. That means the return of session beers. The return of beer in plastic cups. Spilling beer as you return to your seat. Paying $15 for 12ounces of beer. All stuff that I bitch about but really wish I could do. Be it in Porto, the Etihad or the home of Champions, Stamford Bridge.

With the end of the European season, now we can turn our attention to MLS and watching my Timbers play the Galaxy or LAFC.

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Ship it USPS (Maybe)

The Brewers Association recently announced news of legislation that would (finally) allow the United States Postal Service to ship beer. Now this wouldn’t be a blanket across the US thing. Here are the details:

“On Monday, May 17, Representatives Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced the United States Postal Service (USPS) Shipping Equity ActOpens in new window, bipartisan legislation that would allow the USPS to ship alcohol in states where it is currently legal to do so.

Through the COVID-19 pandemic and government-mandated business closures and restrictions, small and independent breweries have seen consumer demand increase for products delivered directly to their front door. A consumer survey by SOVOS Ship Compliant and Harris Poll found that 84% of regular craft beer drinkers – defined as those who drink craft beer at least once per month – want to be able to legally purchase beer via direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping to their homes. Additionally, the survey found that more than 73% say the pandemic has increased their interest in purchasing craft beer via DtC shipping.

To meet that demand, we have seen state laws expanding to allow shipping and delivery of alcohol products, as well as allowing alcohol “to-go” at restaurant and bars. The USPS Shipping Equity Act would help small and independent breweries, wineries, and distilleries meet that demand by allowing the postal service to provide another method of getting their product to market.”

The TL:DR of it, is that rules that have been bent for Covid should stay this way so that shipping beer can become a standard business right.