Category: Opinion

my humble and correct opinion

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Breathing: Conversations

Finback Brewing has added their voice and platform to a new initiative that I hope will spread across the country, Breathing: Conversations.

Here is the gist of their idea, “We invite all breweries to participate in this conversation and we invite all people to join the dialogue by speaking to each other, telling us your stories and linking all our voices in a collective conversation by using the hashtag #BreathingConversations. The topic of race is a challenging one, potentially uncomfortable, awkward and vulnerable, but it is a conversation we must have. We must hear each other and listen to the voices of the oppressed, of people of color and create a more equitable future.”

Below is an example from Cascade Brewing…

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The Firkin for July 2020

The State of Oregon is mulling over the possibility of allowing beer delivery (other alcohol too) after this pandemic is over. I think the Golden State should put this on the table too.

One of the few bright spots in this virus hiatus has been the Alcohol and Beverage Commission (ABC) stepping up to the plate and changing regulations to help the producers in the state. Granted the must buy food rule is off base, but overall they have made a difference and done so quickly.

The financial pain will not end when a vaccine is found though. Red ink will still be on the books for breweries and constricting sales options again will not help. And it certainly will not get more employees back on the job.

My vote is to run a temporary year-long test and see if shipping and delivery has any adverse longer term effects. Maybe the economy will roar back to life and it won’t be needed but it would be great to have delivery as an ace in the hole if needed to help these small brewery business owners.

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Can It Get Much Higher

Back in the day, there were some weird gimmicks / marketing / boundary pushing beers. And one of the weirder chapters in the craft beer history book was the high ABV battle between BrewDog and Shorschbrau. Scotland V Germany to create a beer higher in alcohol than some spirits.

There was Tactical Nuclear Penguin at 32%. Then the Germans countered with their Bock at 40%, BrewDog came back with Sink the Bismarck which tipped in at 41%. The Bock returned at 43% before The End of History arrived at an eye popping 55%.

All that is preamble to the fact that the two breweries have joined forces (via Zoom) to create a new beer. More news on what it will be is coming.

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Ups & Downs

Since lockdown I have found the pleasure in small things, one of which is the happy hop newsletter (what I call it) from Stan Hieronymus that pops into my inbox.

The latest missive had the usual science deep dives but what caught my eye was this set of planting statistics….

Going up:
Variety                      2019                 2020             % change
Citra                          9,035              11,201            +24%
Mosaic                      4,225                5,559            +32%
El Dorado                    993                1,605            +62%
Strata                          253                   764             +202%
Sabro                          724                 1,175            +62%
Idaho 7                        473                   904             +91%
 
Going down (some more than others):
Variety                      2019                 2020             % change
Simcoe                     4,365                4,140            -5%
Amarillo                    2,369                2,112            -11%
Cascade                   5,280                3,998            -24%                                              
Centennial                3,680                2,891            -21%
Willamette                   889                   802             -10%              
 
Comparing five years ago to today:
Variety                      2015                 2020             % change
Cascade                   6,952                3,998            -42%
Centennial                4,463                2,891            -35%
Amarillo                    1,700                2,112            +24%
Simcoe                     2,916                4,140            +42%
Mosaic                      1,800                5,559            +209%
Citra                          2,993              11,201            +274%

As you can see, don’t be expecting many single hop Cascade IPAs and ready your palate for Citra and Mosaic. The bright spot for me is the growth in Strata which is a hop that I have taken a liking to.

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Aftermath – Part 11

Thanks to the always orange and angry one, masks are now somehow equated as an attack on freedoms by some even though it is simply a Don’t Share Your Air health issue. And since the jolly old USA didn’t start wearing masks soon enough or often enough we are stuck in a cycle of high infection rates.

Does that excuse a business owner from going on social media and venting his frustration? Part of me says no because social media is not the place to go to for courteous discourse and adding to the anger isn’t going to solve anything. But since seeing people on ventilators and seeing graphs going upward doesn’t seem to affect these “anti-maskers”, maybe the jolt of being told to fuck off will.

When I look at it from both sides, my final conclusion is that you post happy and scream internally. My post would have read: Due to soaring Covid19 cases and a non-soaring mask wearing rate, we will not be open. When mask wearing becomes a task done for the good of the people around you, cases will drop and we can open. Join with us in making or Courtyard community safe and healthy.

Then let people like me bark at people for having not been in line for brains.

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Yet Another Orange Tinted Problem

When I moved to Los Angeles from Portland, (to be more precise Milwaukie to Glendale) I would get a call from my Mom if news reached the NW of earthquakes or fires. Most of the time, the natural disasters associated with L.A. were far from my doorstep. The headline she saw read Los Angeles so she naturally worried.

I see this scenario playing out but in reverse as the federal thugs unleashed by what we all recognize as the worst President ever (by a country mile) has whipped up another problem as if we needed another one right now. Now I am looking at Portland when truly the problem is with one small section.

Portland is not a war zone. It has been a democracy zone. And if left alone, the peaceful protests would have continued downtown and if you lived just south in Milwaukie would not have been any sort of problem. It would at most mean a detour around a closed street or two.

But the Orange one wanted to score points. Either he thought it would be a quick sweep and protests done or it would be a standoff showcasing the strength of Trump. Neither is in the cards. It has only reinvigorated the protests bringing out Moms and Vets. With the not unexpected results of a veteran getting his hand busted up by the thuggish federal police officers “walking on him”.

His base can willfully ignore a lot of shit but a veteran (a white male one) getting maimed and mothers being tear gassed (more mostly white ones) are images that will peel off voters who will most likely just not vote causing a drag on downstream races. And considering he lost the lost election, the Orange one can’t afford losing any group of voters.

Yes, this is a beer blog but we all (fans, brewers, employees) are living in a diminished world due to the actions of someone who gets mashed potatoes in his hair at family gatherings because he is such a little brat.

And I would argue further, that Portland being a major light in the beer world means that beer people should be caring about this issue. This could cause less tourist visits and that could lead to breweries going under.

So, please keep talking about it. The longer it stays news, the sooner we can get a competent person in charge and that leads to us getting better Covid care at least and maybe bring changes that will allow beer to flow from taps freely.

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TTB v AB

When people ask me why I am not fond of SABInBev, I do mention that the beer is the equivalent of tacos to Taco Bell but that primarily they seem to enjoy being the bully.

Sometimes bullies get popped on the nose though. Case in point the $5 million compromise fine levied by the TTB.

The payment is for alleged violations of the Federal Alcohol Administration (FAA) Act occurred way back in time between July 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018. Most involving stadium and arena concessions which they sure aren’t making 5 million on right now.

Shitty little actions such as giving sponsorships but only if they can be the sole vendor, providing equipment in exchange for sales, paying for new draft systems, giving product for less than market value, hiding behind a third party to do the same.

Now, this fine is not much to SABInBev. But they do need to be reminded, like bullies everywhere, that they have to toe a least “a line”.

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Scholar

This announcement is a fantastic building block to creating a base of great brewers who can then go out and become brewery owners and creating a virtuous cycle that we need.

Two more screen shots to get some history and extra information…

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Out in a Flash

When Alpine Beer Company became part of Green Flash, I thought it was a good fit. Fast forward and I was ever so wrong. You could probably say that the downfall of Green Flash kinda began with that acquisition. Fast forward again to 2020 and it looks like, if things break right, that the father and son duo Patrick and Shawn Mcilhenney might regain the ol’ system that that was Alpine’s home from 2002 to 2014.

The new company is Mcilhenney Brewing and they will start up again “after the current tenant vacates.”

The renter is of course Green Flash and once they move out, the new can begin.

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Contessa

Looks like the folks at Hopsteiner have settled on a trade name for the experimental hop 01490. And Contessa is as good as any but I would say that the major flavor components are more the draw. Lemon and lemongrass can be found in other hops but the combo of pear and green tea is really intriguing and I think could really work in a lower alcohol hazy.