Showing posts with label Beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beer. Show all posts
Monday, March 25, 2013
Brewery will Use Beer to Power its Machines
Alaskan Brewery will Use Beer to Power its Machines
James Burgess | Wed, 06 February 2013
http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Alaskan-Brewery-will-Use-Beer-to-Power-its-Machines.html
Benefit From the Latest Energy Trends and Investment Opportunities before the mainstream media and investing public are aware they even exist. The Free Oilprice.com Energy Intelligence Report gives you this and much more.
The Alaskan Beer Company brews its award winning beer in Juneau, Alaska. In an attempt to reduce the cost of its brewing process it has decided to install a generator for producing energy from an alternative source.
Quite often for factories this alternative source would be in the form of solar panels or wind turbines; however the Alaskan Beer Co. have decided to use a source unique to them – waste beer.
The brewing process at the Juneau facility uses water, yeast, grain, and hops, amongst other ingredients, to produce its beer. The Alaskan Beer Company has bought a $1.8 million furnace that is able to burn the grain leftover after the brewing process has been completed. The burning grain is used to boil water and create steam, which can then power most of the brewery’s operations.
Normally breweries send their protein rich grain to local farms where it is used as animal feed for pigs, cattle, and chicken. Unfortunately there are only 37 farms in southeast Alaska where the brewery is situated and since its expansion in 1995 it has had trouble dealing with the excess waste grain.
Whilst this method of using grain to power its operations, works for the Alaskan Beer Company, I doubt it would be as enticing other brewers who have a plentiful supply of local farms demanding their used grain for animal feed. I imagine that the profit of selling the grain would be larger than using it to produce power and reduce the brewery’s energy bill.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
12 College Town Breweries Crafting Seriously Good Beer
December 20th, 2011
http://www.onlinecollege.org/12-college-town-breweries-crafting-seriously-good-beer
In college towns, you'll find a population dominated by college students, and within these towns are plenty of specialty businesses that cater to the student crowd: bars, book shops, inexpensive eateries, and coffee shops, to name a few. In some of the more fortunate college towns, you'll also find excellent breweries, some of them making beers that are sought after by beer geeks all over the world. Certainly, there's a link between academic excellence and great beer — we just haven't been able to prove it yet. And while not every college student appreciates a finely crafted beer, the growing ranks of enlightened college beer drinkers would be lucky to find themselves studying near one of these great breweries.
We've listed 12 of the best college town breweries out there, but we're certain there are even more worthy brewers out there, especially budding new breweries that have flown under our radar. Please be sure to share your favorite college town brewery in the comments.
Independence Brewing
As the capital of Texas and home to the University of Texas, Austin is also home to a dozen breweries and counting, with more in the planning stages. Even in this crowded market, Independence really stands out for its excellent beer portfolio. Standards include the Austin Amber Ale, Bootlegger Brown, Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout, and Stash IPA. We're thinking, though, that University of Texas students especially appreciate Oklahoma Suks, an American Amber/Red Ale that's brewed each year for the OU vs. UT game. Other special treats from Independence include the Jasperilla Old Ale, a French farmhouse saison called Epanoui, and Braggot, made with Texas wildflower honey. Also notable in Austin are North by Northwest, which earned a bronze at GABF for Barton Kriek, as well as Great American Beer Fest silver winners Austin Beerworks and Uncle Billy's Brew & Que.
Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, Colo., is another great college town with no shortage of beer. In this mountain town full of hippies and hipsters alike from the University of Colorado, you'll find Avery, Mountain Sun, Boulder Beer, Upslope, and Twisted Pine, all doing a great job of serving excellent beer. But Avery Brewing is really the star of Boulder with its reputation for putting out really amazing, adventurous beers. Two of Avery's beers, Fifteen and Brabant, have taken home medals from GABF in the Experimental Beer category, and standards Ellie's Brown, Avery IPA, Out of Bounds, Kaiser Oktoberfest, and Hog Heaven have all won awards as well. Students enjoy the brewery's cozy tap room, with themed nights, live music, and plenty of mind-blowing beer.
New Belgium
Colorado, in general, is rich with great beer, with the aforementioned Boulder breweries, several great ones in Denver, and plenty more scattered around the state, but Fort Collins is a great place to be if you're a college beer lover. The home of Colorado State University boasts not only New Belgium Brewing, but the up and coming Funkwerks, Odell, Crooked Stave, Left Hand, and more. New Belgium is a town favorite, though, for its ubiquitous Fat Tire, which can be found throughout Fort Collins and, really, college towns everywhere. But beyond this old staple are some really interesting beers, particularly in the brewery's Lips of Faith series, which highlights beers that push the envelope in terms of spices, barrel aging, and often, souring agents. New Belgium is a popular brewery not just in Fort Collins, but nationwide, and GABF judges seem to be fans as well: the brewery has earned no fewer than 25 GABF medals.
Squatters
Lots of people aren't even aware that Utah is allowed to have beer, much less produce awesome brews like those from Uinta, Red Rock, Squatters, and other Salt Lake City breweries. In fact, Draft magazine named the town, home of the University of Utah, a Beertown, USA, highlighting the city's great resources for beer lovers and those seeking an active lifestyle. College students, business professionals, and out-of-town conference attendees alike pack into the Squatters Pub & Brewery, which has won countless awards for its beers both under the pub name and through its Utah Brewers Cooperative with Park City's Wasatch Brewing. Some of the brewery's most popular beers are its Black Forest Schwarzbier, India Pale Ale, Provo Girl Pilsner, and Vienna Lager.
Vermont Pub & Brewery
Burlington, Vt., is a classic college town, with the University of Vermont, Burlington College, and Champlain College all located in the city limits. But it's also a beer town, rightly fitting for Vermont, which has more breweries per capita than any other state. Burlington boasts Vermont Pub & Brewery, the state's oldest craft brewery, American Flatbread, and the nation's eighth-largest craft brewer, Magic Hat. Since opening in 1988, Vermont Pub & Brewery has celebrated much success, with a gold GABF medal for their flagship Burly Irish Ale, as well as medals for Forbidden Fruit and Handsome Micks' Smoked Stout. Conveniently located near the city's community college, Champlain College, and the University of Vermont on, you guessed it, College Street, we're sure that the city's college students agree that this brewery is great and here to stay.
Cigar City Brewing
In Tampa, Fla., you'll find the University of South Florida, one of the largest individual college campuses in the United States. But perhaps more importantly, you'll find Cigar City, a brewery that is rated among the highest of the high with an A+, "world class" rating on Beer Advocate. Every college student should be so lucky to study in a city that's home to a brewery like this one. Cigar City is just three years old, yet has won the gold at GABF for both its Minaret ESB and Humidor Series IPA, while also becoming a favorite for craft beer lovers nationwide. Their bottles are among the most sought after in craft beer, and often quite hard to find, but University of South Florida students have the convenience of living right in the same city as this legendary beer, where the tap room is open every day and available for tastings, growler fills, and bottles to take home.
Foothills Brewing
In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, you'll not only find Wake Forest University, but also Foothills Brewing, an award-winning brewery that's been around since 2004. With several GABF wins, including a gold for their Bourbon Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout, Wake Forest students are lucky to have such a great beer resource right in the area. And students who are interested in learning more about beer can take advantage of Foothills' Beer School, a detailed class that discusses the brewing process, along with a brewery tour and samples of current beers. Also worth noting are Winston-Salem's neighbor, Asheville, which was named Draft magazine's 2010 Beer City USA, and the acclaimed Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery in Farmville (yes, there is a real Farmville).
Cambridge Brewing Company
Boston is a huge, bustling city that's bursting with colleges and breweries alike: there are more than 100 colleges and universities in the Greater Boston area and at least 25 breweries and brewpubs. Just north of Boston, the small town of Cambridge is known for its two most prominent universities, Harvard and MIT. Cambridge is not only blessed with an excellent educational pedigree, but also some pretty awesome beer. Within walking distance of MIT, you'll find Cambridge Brewing Company, a comfortable brewpub that's serving up awesome beer on a regular basis and earning a reputation for creatively pushing the envelope with beer. With several GABF medals under their belt, Cambridge is especially proud of its three gold medal brews: Arquebus, The Wind Cried Mari, and Triple Threat, all three of them experimental, specialty, or brewed with herbs and spices. But the great minds at Harvard and MIT aren't limited to just Cambridge Brewing Company. A new brewery, Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project, has begun to release critically acclaimed beers, and in the greater Boston area, you'll find Clown Shoes, Harpoon, Mercury, and even the legendary Sam Adams, all offering excellent beer for the college masses in the Boston area.
Terrapin Beer Company
Athens, Ga., is a college town that credits its initial growth to the University of Georgia, the first state-chartered university in the U.S. Terrapin Beer Company has wowed the college town and beer community with its beers from the very start: its Rye Pale Ale won gold at GABF when the brewery was just six months old in 2002, and it was the brewery's only offering at the time. Since then, Terrapin has put out some very interesting beers, including the Terrapin Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout (frequently referred to as Wake-n-Bake Coffee Imperial Stout), the Hopsecutioner, and Beer Gone Good. Terrapin has recently announced that it sold a 25% ownership to Tenth and Blake, a craft group from MillerCoors, which has understandably ruffled a few feathers, but we're thinking that the college kids in Athens can only be excited about the growth and expansion that will come from it.
Bell's Brewery
Western Michigan University has four campuses in Kalamazoo, and the town is home to Kalamazoo College as well. The most well known and celebrated brewery in Kalamazoo is Bell's Brewery, established way back in 1985, before most of today's college students were even born. But that doesn't stop them from enjoying the great beer that Bell's has to offer at the brewery's pub, Eccentric Cafe. Bell's has earned both awards (nine of them, to be exact), and the love of beer geeks and critics everywhere, particularly with its legendary Two-Hearted Ale, Hopslam, and Expedition Stout. Also close to campus is the very popular Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Dark Horse in Marshall, and Arcadia Brewing Company in Battle Creek, which is particularly well known for its Cereal Killer Barley Wine.
Jolly Pumpkin
Another great college town in Michigan, Ann Arbor is the home of the University of Michigan. A much-loved brewery, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, is located less than 20 minutes away in Dexter, but fortunately for Michigan students, they've got an Ann Arbor brewpub as well. Jolly Pumpkin is best known for their celebrated Belgian- and French-style beers, which also happen to be their most awarded: Oro De Calabaza has earned GABF gold, as well as Belipago. The brewery's style is typically described as farmhouse, or rustic country, due to the brewery's unfiltered and unpasteurized treatment. Michigan students and regular beer lovers alike are treated to the unique beers that Jolly Pumpkin puts out, including Bam Biere, La Roja, Luciernaga, and Calabaza Blanca.
Ninkasi Brewing Company
Eugene, Ore., also known as the "Emerald City," is known for its natural beauty, arts, and outdoor recreational opportunities, as well as the University of Oregon. And college students in the know also recognize Eugene as the home of Ninkasi Brewing Company. Named for Ninkasi, the ancient Sumerian goddess of beer, the brewery is certainly educational for University of Oregon students. Ninkasi's Radiant IPA earned bronze in the latest GABF awards, and other popular beers include Total Domination IPA, Tricerahops, Believer Double Red, and Oatis Oatmeal Stout. The brewery opened a tasting room in 2009, welcoming college students and visitors to try both their flagship beers and seasonals. Other notable breweries in the state, primarily located in Portland, include Deschutes, Bend Brewing Company, BridgePort, Full Sail, and Rogue Ales.
http://www.onlinecollege.org/12-college-town-breweries-crafting-seriously-good-beer
In college towns, you'll find a population dominated by college students, and within these towns are plenty of specialty businesses that cater to the student crowd: bars, book shops, inexpensive eateries, and coffee shops, to name a few. In some of the more fortunate college towns, you'll also find excellent breweries, some of them making beers that are sought after by beer geeks all over the world. Certainly, there's a link between academic excellence and great beer — we just haven't been able to prove it yet. And while not every college student appreciates a finely crafted beer, the growing ranks of enlightened college beer drinkers would be lucky to find themselves studying near one of these great breweries.
We've listed 12 of the best college town breweries out there, but we're certain there are even more worthy brewers out there, especially budding new breweries that have flown under our radar. Please be sure to share your favorite college town brewery in the comments.
Independence Brewing
As the capital of Texas and home to the University of Texas, Austin is also home to a dozen breweries and counting, with more in the planning stages. Even in this crowded market, Independence really stands out for its excellent beer portfolio. Standards include the Austin Amber Ale, Bootlegger Brown, Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout, and Stash IPA. We're thinking, though, that University of Texas students especially appreciate Oklahoma Suks, an American Amber/Red Ale that's brewed each year for the OU vs. UT game. Other special treats from Independence include the Jasperilla Old Ale, a French farmhouse saison called Epanoui, and Braggot, made with Texas wildflower honey. Also notable in Austin are North by Northwest, which earned a bronze at GABF for Barton Kriek, as well as Great American Beer Fest silver winners Austin Beerworks and Uncle Billy's Brew & Que.
Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, Colo., is another great college town with no shortage of beer. In this mountain town full of hippies and hipsters alike from the University of Colorado, you'll find Avery, Mountain Sun, Boulder Beer, Upslope, and Twisted Pine, all doing a great job of serving excellent beer. But Avery Brewing is really the star of Boulder with its reputation for putting out really amazing, adventurous beers. Two of Avery's beers, Fifteen and Brabant, have taken home medals from GABF in the Experimental Beer category, and standards Ellie's Brown, Avery IPA, Out of Bounds, Kaiser Oktoberfest, and Hog Heaven have all won awards as well. Students enjoy the brewery's cozy tap room, with themed nights, live music, and plenty of mind-blowing beer.
New Belgium
Colorado, in general, is rich with great beer, with the aforementioned Boulder breweries, several great ones in Denver, and plenty more scattered around the state, but Fort Collins is a great place to be if you're a college beer lover. The home of Colorado State University boasts not only New Belgium Brewing, but the up and coming Funkwerks, Odell, Crooked Stave, Left Hand, and more. New Belgium is a town favorite, though, for its ubiquitous Fat Tire, which can be found throughout Fort Collins and, really, college towns everywhere. But beyond this old staple are some really interesting beers, particularly in the brewery's Lips of Faith series, which highlights beers that push the envelope in terms of spices, barrel aging, and often, souring agents. New Belgium is a popular brewery not just in Fort Collins, but nationwide, and GABF judges seem to be fans as well: the brewery has earned no fewer than 25 GABF medals.
Squatters
Lots of people aren't even aware that Utah is allowed to have beer, much less produce awesome brews like those from Uinta, Red Rock, Squatters, and other Salt Lake City breweries. In fact, Draft magazine named the town, home of the University of Utah, a Beertown, USA, highlighting the city's great resources for beer lovers and those seeking an active lifestyle. College students, business professionals, and out-of-town conference attendees alike pack into the Squatters Pub & Brewery, which has won countless awards for its beers both under the pub name and through its Utah Brewers Cooperative with Park City's Wasatch Brewing. Some of the brewery's most popular beers are its Black Forest Schwarzbier, India Pale Ale, Provo Girl Pilsner, and Vienna Lager.
Vermont Pub & Brewery
Burlington, Vt., is a classic college town, with the University of Vermont, Burlington College, and Champlain College all located in the city limits. But it's also a beer town, rightly fitting for Vermont, which has more breweries per capita than any other state. Burlington boasts Vermont Pub & Brewery, the state's oldest craft brewery, American Flatbread, and the nation's eighth-largest craft brewer, Magic Hat. Since opening in 1988, Vermont Pub & Brewery has celebrated much success, with a gold GABF medal for their flagship Burly Irish Ale, as well as medals for Forbidden Fruit and Handsome Micks' Smoked Stout. Conveniently located near the city's community college, Champlain College, and the University of Vermont on, you guessed it, College Street, we're sure that the city's college students agree that this brewery is great and here to stay.
Cigar City Brewing
In Tampa, Fla., you'll find the University of South Florida, one of the largest individual college campuses in the United States. But perhaps more importantly, you'll find Cigar City, a brewery that is rated among the highest of the high with an A+, "world class" rating on Beer Advocate. Every college student should be so lucky to study in a city that's home to a brewery like this one. Cigar City is just three years old, yet has won the gold at GABF for both its Minaret ESB and Humidor Series IPA, while also becoming a favorite for craft beer lovers nationwide. Their bottles are among the most sought after in craft beer, and often quite hard to find, but University of South Florida students have the convenience of living right in the same city as this legendary beer, where the tap room is open every day and available for tastings, growler fills, and bottles to take home.
Foothills Brewing
In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, you'll not only find Wake Forest University, but also Foothills Brewing, an award-winning brewery that's been around since 2004. With several GABF wins, including a gold for their Bourbon Barrel Aged Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout, Wake Forest students are lucky to have such a great beer resource right in the area. And students who are interested in learning more about beer can take advantage of Foothills' Beer School, a detailed class that discusses the brewing process, along with a brewery tour and samples of current beers. Also worth noting are Winston-Salem's neighbor, Asheville, which was named Draft magazine's 2010 Beer City USA, and the acclaimed Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery in Farmville (yes, there is a real Farmville).
Cambridge Brewing Company
Boston is a huge, bustling city that's bursting with colleges and breweries alike: there are more than 100 colleges and universities in the Greater Boston area and at least 25 breweries and brewpubs. Just north of Boston, the small town of Cambridge is known for its two most prominent universities, Harvard and MIT. Cambridge is not only blessed with an excellent educational pedigree, but also some pretty awesome beer. Within walking distance of MIT, you'll find Cambridge Brewing Company, a comfortable brewpub that's serving up awesome beer on a regular basis and earning a reputation for creatively pushing the envelope with beer. With several GABF medals under their belt, Cambridge is especially proud of its three gold medal brews: Arquebus, The Wind Cried Mari, and Triple Threat, all three of them experimental, specialty, or brewed with herbs and spices. But the great minds at Harvard and MIT aren't limited to just Cambridge Brewing Company. A new brewery, Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project, has begun to release critically acclaimed beers, and in the greater Boston area, you'll find Clown Shoes, Harpoon, Mercury, and even the legendary Sam Adams, all offering excellent beer for the college masses in the Boston area.
Terrapin Beer Company
Athens, Ga., is a college town that credits its initial growth to the University of Georgia, the first state-chartered university in the U.S. Terrapin Beer Company has wowed the college town and beer community with its beers from the very start: its Rye Pale Ale won gold at GABF when the brewery was just six months old in 2002, and it was the brewery's only offering at the time. Since then, Terrapin has put out some very interesting beers, including the Terrapin Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout (frequently referred to as Wake-n-Bake Coffee Imperial Stout), the Hopsecutioner, and Beer Gone Good. Terrapin has recently announced that it sold a 25% ownership to Tenth and Blake, a craft group from MillerCoors, which has understandably ruffled a few feathers, but we're thinking that the college kids in Athens can only be excited about the growth and expansion that will come from it.
Bell's Brewery
Western Michigan University has four campuses in Kalamazoo, and the town is home to Kalamazoo College as well. The most well known and celebrated brewery in Kalamazoo is Bell's Brewery, established way back in 1985, before most of today's college students were even born. But that doesn't stop them from enjoying the great beer that Bell's has to offer at the brewery's pub, Eccentric Cafe. Bell's has earned both awards (nine of them, to be exact), and the love of beer geeks and critics everywhere, particularly with its legendary Two-Hearted Ale, Hopslam, and Expedition Stout. Also close to campus is the very popular Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Dark Horse in Marshall, and Arcadia Brewing Company in Battle Creek, which is particularly well known for its Cereal Killer Barley Wine.
Jolly Pumpkin
Another great college town in Michigan, Ann Arbor is the home of the University of Michigan. A much-loved brewery, Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, is located less than 20 minutes away in Dexter, but fortunately for Michigan students, they've got an Ann Arbor brewpub as well. Jolly Pumpkin is best known for their celebrated Belgian- and French-style beers, which also happen to be their most awarded: Oro De Calabaza has earned GABF gold, as well as Belipago. The brewery's style is typically described as farmhouse, or rustic country, due to the brewery's unfiltered and unpasteurized treatment. Michigan students and regular beer lovers alike are treated to the unique beers that Jolly Pumpkin puts out, including Bam Biere, La Roja, Luciernaga, and Calabaza Blanca.
Ninkasi Brewing Company
Eugene, Ore., also known as the "Emerald City," is known for its natural beauty, arts, and outdoor recreational opportunities, as well as the University of Oregon. And college students in the know also recognize Eugene as the home of Ninkasi Brewing Company. Named for Ninkasi, the ancient Sumerian goddess of beer, the brewery is certainly educational for University of Oregon students. Ninkasi's Radiant IPA earned bronze in the latest GABF awards, and other popular beers include Total Domination IPA, Tricerahops, Believer Double Red, and Oatis Oatmeal Stout. The brewery opened a tasting room in 2009, welcoming college students and visitors to try both their flagship beers and seasonals. Other notable breweries in the state, primarily located in Portland, include Deschutes, Bend Brewing Company, BridgePort, Full Sail, and Rogue Ales.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Miller Buys Foster's
From Business Week:
SABMiller Plc clinched Foster’s Group Ltd. with a sweetened A$9.9 billion ($10.2 billion) offer for Australia’s biggest brewer after three months of pursuit.
The U.K. company will pay A$5.10 a share in cash for the Melbourne-based brewer, SABMiller said today in a statement. The offer was previously for A$4.90 minus dividend payments.
The purchase will be the biggest ever by SABMiller and give it access to about half of the Australian beer market.
SABMiller’s initial attempts to nab the maker of Victoria Bitter were rebuffed by Foster’s management as undervaluing the brewer, one of the world’s most profitable...
SABMiller to Buy Foster’s After Raising Bid to A$9.9 Billion
Clementine Fletcher
September 21, 2011
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-09-21/sabmiller-to-buy-foster-s-after-raising-bid-to-a-9-9-billion.html
SABMiller Plc clinched Foster’s Group Ltd. with a sweetened A$9.9 billion ($10.2 billion) offer for Australia’s biggest brewer after three months of pursuit.
The U.K. company will pay A$5.10 a share in cash for the Melbourne-based brewer, SABMiller said today in a statement. The offer was previously for A$4.90 minus dividend payments.
The purchase will be the biggest ever by SABMiller and give it access to about half of the Australian beer market.
SABMiller’s initial attempts to nab the maker of Victoria Bitter were rebuffed by Foster’s management as undervaluing the brewer, one of the world’s most profitable...
SABMiller to Buy Foster’s After Raising Bid to A$9.9 Billion
Clementine Fletcher
September 21, 2011
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-09-21/sabmiller-to-buy-foster-s-after-raising-bid-to-a-9-9-billion.html
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Konformist Book Club: Yeast
Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation Jamil Zainasheff
Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation is a resource for brewers of all experience levels. The authors adeptly cover yeast selection, storage and handling of yeast cultures, how to culture yeast and the art of rinsing/washing yeast cultures. Sections on how to set up a yeast lab, the basics of fermentation science and how it affects your beer, plus step by step procedures, equipment lists and a guide to troubleshooting are included.
"Loads of sound information and techniques that will work for brewers at all levels, from beginning homebrewers to production brewers at any sized brewery. Included are fantastic tips for working with all kinds of yeast strains and beer styles, introducing new strains, and how to use best brewing and lab practices to keep your yeast healthy and your beer tasting great."
Mitch Steele, Head Brewer/Production Manager, Stone Brewing Company
Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Brewers Publications (October 16, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0937381969
ISBN-13: 978-0937381960
http://www.amazon.com/Yeast-Practical-Fermentation-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381969/thekonformist
Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation is a resource for brewers of all experience levels. The authors adeptly cover yeast selection, storage and handling of yeast cultures, how to culture yeast and the art of rinsing/washing yeast cultures. Sections on how to set up a yeast lab, the basics of fermentation science and how it affects your beer, plus step by step procedures, equipment lists and a guide to troubleshooting are included.
"Loads of sound information and techniques that will work for brewers at all levels, from beginning homebrewers to production brewers at any sized brewery. Included are fantastic tips for working with all kinds of yeast strains and beer styles, introducing new strains, and how to use best brewing and lab practices to keep your yeast healthy and your beer tasting great."
Mitch Steele, Head Brewer/Production Manager, Stone Brewing Company
Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Brewers Publications (October 16, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0937381969
ISBN-13: 978-0937381960
http://www.amazon.com/Yeast-Practical-Fermentation-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381969/thekonformist
Saturday, May 28, 2011
George Washington's Beer Recipe
5-5-11 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/05/george-washington-beer_n_858030.html
In between running the country and helping to draft the Constitution, turns out George Washington managed to squeeze some time in to perfect his beer recipe. And, in honor of New York Public Library’s centennial, which houses a collection of his papers (including his beer recipe), 15 gallons of the brew will be offered for tasting.
The NYPL has teamed up with Shmaltz Brewing Company to create "Fortitude’s Founding Father Brew." Shmaltz brewer Josh Knowlton admits that the recipe is not an exact replica. “Back then, they didn’t really have quite the same understanding of brewing science that we do now,” he says.
The original recipe is as follows:
Take a large Sifter full of Bran Hops to your Taste. - Boil these 3 hours. Then strain out 30 Gallons into a Cooler, put in 3 Gallons Molasses while the Beer is scalding hot or rather drain the molasses into the Cooler & strain the Beer on it while boiling Hot. Let this stand till it is little more than Blood warm. Then put in a quart of Yeast if the weather is very cold, cover it over with a Blanket & let it work in the Cooler 24 hours. Then put it into the Cask - leave the Bung[hole] open till it is almost done working - Bottle it that day Week it was Brewed.
In between running the country and helping to draft the Constitution, turns out George Washington managed to squeeze some time in to perfect his beer recipe. And, in honor of New York Public Library’s centennial, which houses a collection of his papers (including his beer recipe), 15 gallons of the brew will be offered for tasting.
The NYPL has teamed up with Shmaltz Brewing Company to create "Fortitude’s Founding Father Brew." Shmaltz brewer Josh Knowlton admits that the recipe is not an exact replica. “Back then, they didn’t really have quite the same understanding of brewing science that we do now,” he says.
The original recipe is as follows:
Take a large Sifter full of Bran Hops to your Taste. - Boil these 3 hours. Then strain out 30 Gallons into a Cooler, put in 3 Gallons Molasses while the Beer is scalding hot or rather drain the molasses into the Cooler & strain the Beer on it while boiling Hot. Let this stand till it is little more than Blood warm. Then put in a quart of Yeast if the weather is very cold, cover it over with a Blanket & let it work in the Cooler 24 hours. Then put it into the Cask - leave the Bung[hole] open till it is almost done working - Bottle it that day Week it was Brewed.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Bacon-Flavored Beer. Enough Said.
Beg for detention at Downtown's beer school
http://rundown.com/article.php?article_id=1878
A locker-lined window display points the way to Public School 612, a gimmicky gastropub your junior-high former self would deem rad.
The full bar’s true star is the beguiling beer menu courtesy of the Beer Chicks. The staff knows their brew and may rightly suggest an earthy Belgian Saison Dupont on tap or a bottle of Germany’s Aecht Schlenkerla Märzen, which smells and tastes, remarkably, like bacon.
You get the sense one round won’t be enough, after reading flavor descriptions as precise and poetic as any wine snob’s cheat sheet.
The upmarket pub grub gives a subtle lunch-lady wink. Homemade fried chicken pieces are poppable nugget size, while fries are served in a standard-issue brown lunch bag.
The Croque Madame is the grown-up answer to a ham and cheese, and the burger is practically inhalable thanks to balsamic-drenched sautéed onions.
With so many beers to try, you’ll want to settle in with your crew for a while, making the dart boards in back a nice addition.
Winner gets cookies and milk for dessert. Loser gets a wedgie.
Public School 612
612 S. Flower St. (213) 623-1172
publicschool612.com
Price: 2 (out of 4) Noise: 2 (out of 4)
Parking: $7 valet, street parking or public lots
Scene: Where Daily Grill patrons’ way cooler offspring hang.
Best bets: Bacon-flavored beer; fried chicken; pub burger; PB&J cookies
Hot seat: Any high top within sight of the televised game.
Teacher’s pet: Grab a shiny red apple to go from the wire basket on the bar.
Nearby: The Standard; Staples Center/L.A. Live; Seven Grand
The Rundown's restaurant reviews are based on anonymous visits by reporters, not press releases.
http://rundown.com/article.php?article_id=1878
A locker-lined window display points the way to Public School 612, a gimmicky gastropub your junior-high former self would deem rad.
The full bar’s true star is the beguiling beer menu courtesy of the Beer Chicks. The staff knows their brew and may rightly suggest an earthy Belgian Saison Dupont on tap or a bottle of Germany’s Aecht Schlenkerla Märzen, which smells and tastes, remarkably, like bacon.
You get the sense one round won’t be enough, after reading flavor descriptions as precise and poetic as any wine snob’s cheat sheet.
The upmarket pub grub gives a subtle lunch-lady wink. Homemade fried chicken pieces are poppable nugget size, while fries are served in a standard-issue brown lunch bag.
The Croque Madame is the grown-up answer to a ham and cheese, and the burger is practically inhalable thanks to balsamic-drenched sautéed onions.
With so many beers to try, you’ll want to settle in with your crew for a while, making the dart boards in back a nice addition.
Winner gets cookies and milk for dessert. Loser gets a wedgie.
Public School 612
612 S. Flower St. (213) 623-1172
publicschool612.com
Price: 2 (out of 4) Noise: 2 (out of 4)
Parking: $7 valet, street parking or public lots
Scene: Where Daily Grill patrons’ way cooler offspring hang.
Best bets: Bacon-flavored beer; fried chicken; pub burger; PB&J cookies
Hot seat: Any high top within sight of the televised game.
Teacher’s pet: Grab a shiny red apple to go from the wire basket on the bar.
Nearby: The Standard; Staples Center/L.A. Live; Seven Grand
The Rundown's restaurant reviews are based on anonymous visits by reporters, not press releases.
Imagine Free Beer At Your Office, But...
You Are Recorded For How Much You Drink…
Posted by Pelliciari on March 27, 2011
http://www.disinfo.com/2011/03/silicon-valley-workers-tap-ipad-linked-kegerator-at-the-office
Ryan Flinn reports for Bloomberg:
At Yelp Inc.’s San Francisco headquarters, a keg refrigerator provides a never-ending supply of beer to employees, letting them drink as much as they like.
They just have to be comfortable with full disclosure: Workers badge in to an iPad application attached to the keg that records every ounce they drink.
“If you’re at the top of the leader board consistently, I don’t know if that’s a place that you’d want to be,” said Eric Singley, director of Yelp consumer and mobile products. “Luckily, that hasn’t really even been an issue.”
In a contemporary version of “Mad Men” and its bibulous ad executives, more dot-coms are embracing the idea of drinking at work. That means keeping bars stocked at all hours, installing kegerators and letting programmers tip back a few while they code. It also raises questions about the effect of alcohol on productivity and the safety of employees.
Posted by Pelliciari on March 27, 2011
http://www.disinfo.com/2011/03/silicon-valley-workers-tap-ipad-linked-kegerator-at-the-office
Ryan Flinn reports for Bloomberg:
At Yelp Inc.’s San Francisco headquarters, a keg refrigerator provides a never-ending supply of beer to employees, letting them drink as much as they like.
They just have to be comfortable with full disclosure: Workers badge in to an iPad application attached to the keg that records every ounce they drink.
“If you’re at the top of the leader board consistently, I don’t know if that’s a place that you’d want to be,” said Eric Singley, director of Yelp consumer and mobile products. “Luckily, that hasn’t really even been an issue.”
In a contemporary version of “Mad Men” and its bibulous ad executives, more dot-coms are embracing the idea of drinking at work. That means keeping bars stocked at all hours, installing kegerators and letting programmers tip back a few while they code. It also raises questions about the effect of alcohol on productivity and the safety of employees.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Beer Cans Turn 75
On January 24, 1935 the first can of beer was sold in Richmond, Virginia by Gottfried Krueger Brewery. 37 breweries joined the fad by the end of the year. This news deserves a drink in tribute...
Jan. 24, 1935: First Canned Beer Sold
Danielle Venton
January 24, 2011
http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2011/01/0124first-us-canned-beer
Jan. 24, 1935: First Canned Beer Sold
Danielle Venton
January 24, 2011
http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2011/01/0124first-us-canned-beer
Friday, October 15, 2010
First Beer Brewed For Drinking in Space
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-09/space-beer-being-tested-supplement-space-tourism
First Beer Brewed For Drinking in Space Will Undergo Testing in Low-Gravity Pub
Julie Beck
09.30.2010
With the announcement that Boeing plans to take tourists into space in five years, it was really only a matter of time before somebody started thinking about refreshments. Because where would space tourism be without space beer? Luckily, Astronauts4Hire, a non-profit space research corporation, has the situation in hand. They are about to test an Australian beer that's brewed and bottled especially for consumption in microgravity.
One of the problems experienced by astronauts is numbing of the taste buds, causing even the finest Earth beer to taste bland. Astronauts have been known to douse their food in hot sauce when on missions to make it tastier. According to Ben Corbin, PR director for Astronauts4Hire, this particular brew is a stout with all the naturally darker chocolaty flavors amplified for the astronauts’ less-than-refined palates.
The carbonation in beer also poses a problem for drinkers in space. Bubbles that normally rise up and escape from a beverage on Earth simply stagnate in microgravity. Without the buoyancy force that Earth’s gravity provides, carbon dioxide stays in the liquid and prevents astronauts from burping, adding additional discomfort to the lives of people whose fingernails already come off inside their gloves. To combat this, the carbonation of this beer will be lower than most. Since this is a stout, though, which naturally has less carbonation than lighter beers, not too much has to be sacrificed.
Testing for the space beer will begin this November in the simulated weightless environment on board Zero Gravity Corporation’s Boeing airplane. Specially designed packaging will prevent it from spraying all over the place and ruining space station equipment, but at present Corbin says he is "not at liberty to talk about" that.
First Beer Brewed For Drinking in Space Will Undergo Testing in Low-Gravity Pub
Julie Beck
09.30.2010
With the announcement that Boeing plans to take tourists into space in five years, it was really only a matter of time before somebody started thinking about refreshments. Because where would space tourism be without space beer? Luckily, Astronauts4Hire, a non-profit space research corporation, has the situation in hand. They are about to test an Australian beer that's brewed and bottled especially for consumption in microgravity.
One of the problems experienced by astronauts is numbing of the taste buds, causing even the finest Earth beer to taste bland. Astronauts have been known to douse their food in hot sauce when on missions to make it tastier. According to Ben Corbin, PR director for Astronauts4Hire, this particular brew is a stout with all the naturally darker chocolaty flavors amplified for the astronauts’ less-than-refined palates.
The carbonation in beer also poses a problem for drinkers in space. Bubbles that normally rise up and escape from a beverage on Earth simply stagnate in microgravity. Without the buoyancy force that Earth’s gravity provides, carbon dioxide stays in the liquid and prevents astronauts from burping, adding additional discomfort to the lives of people whose fingernails already come off inside their gloves. To combat this, the carbonation of this beer will be lower than most. Since this is a stout, though, which naturally has less carbonation than lighter beers, not too much has to be sacrificed.
Testing for the space beer will begin this November in the simulated weightless environment on board Zero Gravity Corporation’s Boeing airplane. Specially designed packaging will prevent it from spraying all over the place and ruining space station equipment, but at present Corbin says he is "not at liberty to talk about" that.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Deep-fried beer invented in Texas
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/7973944/Deep-fried-beer-invented-in-Texas.html
Deep-fried beer invented in Texas
A chef in Texas has created what he claims is the world's first recipe for deep-fried beer.
Nick Allen in Los Angeles
31 Aug 2010
Ravioli like pieces of pretzel dough are deep fried for about 20 seconds
The beer is placed inside a pocket of salty, pretzel-like dough and then dunked in oil at 375 degrees for about 20 seconds, a short enough time for the confection to remain alcoholic.
When diners take a bite the hot beer mixes with the dough in what is claimed to be a delicious taste sensation.
A recession for the many, not the fewInventor Mark Zable said it had taken him three years to come up with the cooking method and a patent for the process is pending. He declined to say whether any special ingredients were involved.
His deep-fried beer will be officially unveiled in a fried food competition at the Texas state fair later this month.
Five ravioli-like pieces will sell for $5 (£3) and the Texas Alcoholic Commission has already ruled that people must be aged over 21 to try it.
Mr Zable has so far been deep frying Guinness but said he may switch to a pale ale in future.
He said: "Nobody has been able to fry a liquid before. It tastes like you took a bite of hot pretzel dough and then took a drink of beer." Mr Zable previously invented dishes including chocolate-covered strawberry waffle balls and jalapeño corndog shrimps.
Last year's winner of the Texas state fair fried food competition was a recipe for deep-fried butter.
Deep-fried beer invented in Texas
A chef in Texas has created what he claims is the world's first recipe for deep-fried beer.
Nick Allen in Los Angeles
31 Aug 2010
Ravioli like pieces of pretzel dough are deep fried for about 20 seconds
The beer is placed inside a pocket of salty, pretzel-like dough and then dunked in oil at 375 degrees for about 20 seconds, a short enough time for the confection to remain alcoholic.
When diners take a bite the hot beer mixes with the dough in what is claimed to be a delicious taste sensation.
A recession for the many, not the fewInventor Mark Zable said it had taken him three years to come up with the cooking method and a patent for the process is pending. He declined to say whether any special ingredients were involved.
His deep-fried beer will be officially unveiled in a fried food competition at the Texas state fair later this month.
Five ravioli-like pieces will sell for $5 (£3) and the Texas Alcoholic Commission has already ruled that people must be aged over 21 to try it.
Mr Zable has so far been deep frying Guinness but said he may switch to a pale ale in future.
He said: "Nobody has been able to fry a liquid before. It tastes like you took a bite of hot pretzel dough and then took a drink of beer." Mr Zable previously invented dishes including chocolate-covered strawberry waffle balls and jalapeño corndog shrimps.
Last year's winner of the Texas state fair fried food competition was a recipe for deep-fried butter.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
"I Love Peter Cetera"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37313618/
New Campaign From Heineken Light Encourages Consumers to 'See the Light'
First Campaign for Heineken Light With Euro RSCG; Ads Directed by Matt Aselton
Mon., May 24, 2010
WHITE PLAINS, NY - Heineken USA premiered a new episodic-style advertising campaign this week for its Heineken Light brand that showcases a series of clever ways consumers can experience the 'stepped-up' life. The lighthearted campaign urges consumers to move beyond their old ways of thinking to "See the Light" -- the new tagline for the brand -- and take their lifestyle and their light beer choice to the next level.
The campaign centers on two young guys who relocate to Florida, and then get schooled by three old pros on how to live the good life. The series kicks-off with a movie-style trailer that sets up the premise followed by a roll-out with four back-to-back TV spots supported with innovative digital activations throughout the summer. Each "episode" delivers a clever life lesson, from slowing down your golf swing to why it's cool to like Peter Cetera.
"The new Heineken Light campaign is centered on the concept of living a more 'stepped-up' life," said Christian McMahan, Chief Marketing Officer of Heineken USA. "Every day our target consumers have a choice to give up on their old ways of doing things, and embrace what's next. Better relationships, more interesting friends, new styles of clothes. Heineken Light is the beer for those who know how to enjoy their better selves."
The integrated campaign, created by Euro RSCG, features a mix of television, print, cinema, out-of-home and digital story lines. The broadcast creative, helmed by award-winning director Matt Aselton, kicks-off on May 24 with two 30-second spots, titled "Poolside" and "Peter Cetera." These will be followed by two additional 30-second spots, titled "Dog Track" and "Golf," later in the summer. The 60-second trailer will debut online on May 24, and in movie theatres nationwide before select R-Rated films on May 28.
360° Campaign
The TV campaign takes the two lucky guys, Jamie and Gavin, to poolside at a premium beach club, a plush golf course and luxury seats at the dog track. It is poised to amuse consumers with memorable lines, especially from seasoned ladies man, Maurice. When questioned why he has a Peter Cetera album, Maurice replies, "The ladies love Cetera and if you love the ladies, by default, you love Cetera."
In the print space, the brand is launching with three creative executions in national and targeted local publications that feature Heineken Light during stylish, outdoor and sun-drenched beer drinking occasions. Headlines encourage consumers to evolve from their domestic light beers into the stepped up world of Heineken Light with lines such as: "The Good Life Requires a Bottle Opener" and "Not Available in Red Plastic Cup." Similarly, new horizontal out-of-home executions focus on establishing the new tagline, "See the Light," within the stepped up Heineken Light world.
Heineken Light will also be running a series of integrated digital campaigns in high-profile online outlets including ESPN.com, Gawker.com, hulu.com, Thrillist.com and UrbanDaddy.com offering readers opportunities to step up their summer with premium upgrades and experiences.
Adult consumers can visit the Heineken Light Facebook page at www.heinekenlight.com, or the brand's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/heinekenusa to view exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and all four new TV ads.
About Heineken USA
Heineken USA Inc., the nation's premier beer importer, is a subsidiary of Heineken International BV, which is the world's most international brewer. Brands imported into the U.S. include: Heineken Lager, the world's most international beer brand; Heineken Light; Amstel Light, a leading imported light beer brand; Newcastle Brown Ale, the leading imported ale in the United States; and Buckler non-alcoholic brew. Heineken USA is also the exclusive USA importer for the Tecate, Tecate Light, Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands from FEMSA Cerveza of Mexico. For a safe ride home, download the Heineken USA-sponsored Taxi Magic™ application from your smartphone. Please visit:
http://www.enjoyheinekenresponsibly.com/
New Campaign From Heineken Light Encourages Consumers to 'See the Light'
First Campaign for Heineken Light With Euro RSCG; Ads Directed by Matt Aselton
Mon., May 24, 2010
WHITE PLAINS, NY - Heineken USA premiered a new episodic-style advertising campaign this week for its Heineken Light brand that showcases a series of clever ways consumers can experience the 'stepped-up' life. The lighthearted campaign urges consumers to move beyond their old ways of thinking to "See the Light" -- the new tagline for the brand -- and take their lifestyle and their light beer choice to the next level.
The campaign centers on two young guys who relocate to Florida, and then get schooled by three old pros on how to live the good life. The series kicks-off with a movie-style trailer that sets up the premise followed by a roll-out with four back-to-back TV spots supported with innovative digital activations throughout the summer. Each "episode" delivers a clever life lesson, from slowing down your golf swing to why it's cool to like Peter Cetera.
"The new Heineken Light campaign is centered on the concept of living a more 'stepped-up' life," said Christian McMahan, Chief Marketing Officer of Heineken USA. "Every day our target consumers have a choice to give up on their old ways of doing things, and embrace what's next. Better relationships, more interesting friends, new styles of clothes. Heineken Light is the beer for those who know how to enjoy their better selves."
The integrated campaign, created by Euro RSCG, features a mix of television, print, cinema, out-of-home and digital story lines. The broadcast creative, helmed by award-winning director Matt Aselton, kicks-off on May 24 with two 30-second spots, titled "Poolside" and "Peter Cetera." These will be followed by two additional 30-second spots, titled "Dog Track" and "Golf," later in the summer. The 60-second trailer will debut online on May 24, and in movie theatres nationwide before select R-Rated films on May 28.
360° Campaign
The TV campaign takes the two lucky guys, Jamie and Gavin, to poolside at a premium beach club, a plush golf course and luxury seats at the dog track. It is poised to amuse consumers with memorable lines, especially from seasoned ladies man, Maurice. When questioned why he has a Peter Cetera album, Maurice replies, "The ladies love Cetera and if you love the ladies, by default, you love Cetera."
In the print space, the brand is launching with three creative executions in national and targeted local publications that feature Heineken Light during stylish, outdoor and sun-drenched beer drinking occasions. Headlines encourage consumers to evolve from their domestic light beers into the stepped up world of Heineken Light with lines such as: "The Good Life Requires a Bottle Opener" and "Not Available in Red Plastic Cup." Similarly, new horizontal out-of-home executions focus on establishing the new tagline, "See the Light," within the stepped up Heineken Light world.
Heineken Light will also be running a series of integrated digital campaigns in high-profile online outlets including ESPN.com, Gawker.com, hulu.com, Thrillist.com and UrbanDaddy.com offering readers opportunities to step up their summer with premium upgrades and experiences.
Adult consumers can visit the Heineken Light Facebook page at www.heinekenlight.com, or the brand's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/heinekenusa to view exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and all four new TV ads.
About Heineken USA
Heineken USA Inc., the nation's premier beer importer, is a subsidiary of Heineken International BV, which is the world's most international brewer. Brands imported into the U.S. include: Heineken Lager, the world's most international beer brand; Heineken Light; Amstel Light, a leading imported light beer brand; Newcastle Brown Ale, the leading imported ale in the United States; and Buckler non-alcoholic brew. Heineken USA is also the exclusive USA importer for the Tecate, Tecate Light, Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca and Bohemia brands from FEMSA Cerveza of Mexico. For a safe ride home, download the Heineken USA-sponsored Taxi Magic™ application from your smartphone. Please visit:
http://www.enjoyheinekenresponsibly.com/
When Is a Craft Brewery Just a Brewery?
http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/05/when-is-a-craft-brewery-just-a-brewery/57211/
When Is a Craft Brewery Just a Brewery?
May 25 2010
Clay Risen is a New York City-based editor and writer. He is the author of A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King Assassination.
Beer isn't exactly a subject prone to philosophical musings, but here's a deep thought that's been haunting the brewhead bulletin boards of late: what makes a craft brewery a craft brewery? According to the Beer Association, an industry group representing small brewers, a craft outfit makes less than 2 million barrels of suds annually, and 25 percent or less of it is owned or controlled by a non-craft brewer—i.e., MillerCoors or InBev.
Problem number one: any month now, the Boston Beer Company, the company that makes Sam Adams, will top 2 million barrels in annual production. Technically that will disqualify it as a craft brewery, even though Jim Koch, the founder of Boston Beer Co., is a godfather of the craft beer movement and a board member of the Beer Association.
Problem number two: in 2007 a brewery in Golden, Colorado called AC Golden started operations. AC Golden brews beer in small batches with local ingredients—including Colorado Native Lager, which you can only get in-state. Its beers have received respectable ratings on beeradvocate.com. It's got everything a promising craft brewer could want. But AC Golden is careful not to call itself a craft brewer, because, at least according to the Beer Association, it's not: it's controlled by MillerCoors, the second largest brewer in the country.
If the Boston Beer Company kicks it up to 2.5 million barrels, is it no longer a craft brewer? Can a macro brewer ever mimic a craft brewer closely enough to call its product a craft beer? Is size the only determinant of quality?
The craft community is split. On the one hand, since when is size a bad thing? "The size of a brewery has nothing to do with the quality of the beer being produced inside of it," wrote one commenter on beeradvocate.com. "Good beer can be produced on a large scale." Added another: "Not only can it be done, but I'm sure it can be done a lot easier." By many reports, AC Golden is run by just a handful of brewers, largely cut off from the MillerCoors mothership. So it's all good, right?
Not everyone agrees. There's no question about why MillerCoors wants a cut of the craft beer market—although overall beer sales were down 2.2 percent in 2009, its worst performance in years, the craft market was up 10 percent. But there's a deeper question involved. "Craft beer being produced inside a macro brewery is the equivalent to health food being produced at McDonald's," wrote one poster. It's almost spiritual criticism: Even if the beer is good now, the corporate values (or lack thereof) inherent in MillerCoors's control will destroy the soul, if not the quality, of the beer.
Craft brewers themselves are likewise divided. Over the last year I've chatted with dozens about the craft-ification of Big Beer. Some say it's a matter of rising tides: if MillerCoors uses its economic power to convince Joe Sixpack to buy better beer, then some of those Joes will venture farther afield. Others celebrate the fact that they have had enough of an impact on the market to force the big brewers to step up their game.
Craft brewers aren't stupid—the best, at least, are at least at good at selling their wares as making them. But with 10 percent annual growth and the overhang of a "movement" identity still shaping the sector's ethos, there's still a naiveté about what kind of heat the likes of MillerCoors can bring. According to AC Golden, Colorado Native Lager was in 600 stores just six weeks after its release, placed alongside Avery, Great Divide, and other Colorado microbrews. Nothing on the label identifies it as a MillerCoors product. As long as 10 percent growth is the rule, there might be room for corporate pretenders. But that growth will top off at some point, and craft brewers will suddenly find themselves struggling for shelf space, even in their own niche market, with the mega-brewers. True small-timers may have a superior product, but are they ready for this fight?
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Beer Baron
http://www.newsweek.com/id/237904
Beer Baron
How the founder of Sam Adams bottled lightning.
Josh Hyatt | NEWSWEEK
May 14, 2010
From the magazine issue dated May 31, 2010
Jim Koch loves to talk about little companies that take on the Big Guys: artisanal-cheese makers who battle importers, the microdistillers who taunt liquor giants—and, most of all, the tiny microbrewer who elbows aside industry behemoths with a full-flavored beer and a well-crafted marketing pitch.
That last one is Koch himself, of course. When he launched Samuel Adams Boston Lager in 1984, there were fewer than 10 microbreweries in the U.S. Store shelves were dominated by bland beers made by Miller Brewing Co. and Anheuser-Busch. By last year the number of microbreweries (companies that make fewer than 2 million barrels a year) reached 1,500, according to the Brewers Association, accounting for about 4.3 percent of total sales. And while Sam Adams may not have been the first craft brew out there ("Apple wasn't the first company to produce a PC, either," says Koch), it is the most successful. Sales reached $415 million in 2009, making it the country's largest craft brewery. "Jim Koch was the one who led the revolution for all of the other entrepreneurs who wanted to create beers," says Gerry Hills, professor of entrepreneurship at Bradley University.
Koch (pronounced "cook") was working at the Boston Consulting Group when he began brewing suds in his kitchen. He had received three degrees from Harvard (B.A., M.B.A., J.D.), but brewing was in his blood. His father and grandfather were in the business; Koch used a recipe from his great-great-grandfather. Before long, he scraped together $240,000 and launched the company. Although he named his beer after a Boston patriot, he made it at a big brewery in Pittsburgh, which allowed him to control quality better than most small brewers. "The idea of a high-quality American beer had become a complete oxymoron," says Koch. "Coming from a brewing family, I knew that wasn't true."
He originally sold beer in unlabeled bottles from his briefcase, kept cold with a chill pack. He coaxed bartenders to try them with a 10-second pitch: "Try this new beer. It's handcrafted in small batches. You'll like the taste."
Almost from the start, he annoyed rivals large and small. He took on the big brewers directly, spending big on TV, radio, and billboards. Koch added easily readable freshness dates to his labels, and pointed out that consumers couldn't easily tell if his competitors' beers were old and stale. "Instead of sexy twins or talking animated animals, he talked about the quality of the liquid," notes Sam Calagione, who founded Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in 1995.
But Koch's tactics didn't always go down smoothly with his fellow small-batch brewers, either. He had positioned Sam Adams as a quaint Boston company, but the fact that he didn't even own a brewery irked some microbrewers. Six weeks after Koch launched Sam Adams, the brand was crowned best beer by attendees at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Rumors quickly spread that Koch had worked the crowd unfairly, offering tickets to the event in return for votes, according to Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at the Brooklyn Brewery. But Oliver says early jealousy has since fermented into admiration. "From day one, he was pugnacious and he ruffled feathers," recalls Oliver. "But very quietly, we've all learned a lot from him."
Koch, now 61, says he tries to follow the advice his father gave him when he was starting Sam Adams. "He told me, 'People don't drink the marketing, they drink the beer,' " Koch recalls. He still travels to Bavaria once a year to handpick the high-quality hops his company uses. "I knew I could put the best glass of beer in front of the American beer drinker," he says. "I didn't know how big the market would get, or what the challenges were, but I knew I could do that." And that's no small achievement.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Advertising Slogan of the Year
"This little maneuver is entirely ill-conceived. Well done." Heineken Beer
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1315793544?bctid=72755678001
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1315793544?bctid=72755678001
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Super-High-Alcohol Beer Heads to the U.S.
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1978705,00.html
Super-High-Alcohol Beer Heads to the U.S.
Sean Gregory
Saturday, Apr. 10, 2010
Thanks to a war among European brewing companies, it's never been easier to catch a healthy beer buzz. Or get yourself totally sloshed. In November, BrewDog, a three-year-old Scottish microbrewery, released a new brand, dubbed Tactical Nuclear Penguin. The beer set a new record by weighing in at a scary 32% alcohol by volume (ABV), more than six times the strength of familiar domestic brands like Budweiser. As explained in a cheeky video on the company's website (warning: the clip contains simulated penguin sex), the brewery was able to attain the high alcohol content by freezing the beer at a local ice cream factory, at temperatures as low as -6°C (21°F), for 21 days. Alcohol freezes at lower temperatures than water, and removing water from the solution increased the alcohol concentration.
Jim Watt, one of BrewDog's co-founders, says that some 400 bottles of Tactical Nuclear Penguin are in the process of being shipped to a few stores in California and New York City, including a Whole Foods location; about half of the consumers buying beer from the BrewDog website are from the U.S. Watt's eyes are clearly fixed on the American market. "We're keen to push the envelope," he says, "and challenge people's perceptions of how beer can be enjoyed."
A warning label on the Tactical Nuclear Penguin bottle does state, "This is an extremely strong beer; it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance. It is exactly the same manner you would enjoy a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost."
Some alcohol-watchdog groups aren't laughing. The chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, Jack Law, has blasted BrewDog's high-alcohol products as "irresponsible," especially at a time when Scotland is experiencing "severe alcohol-related problems." In December, BrewDog received a slap on the wrist from a British alcohol regulatory body, the Portman Group, which ordered that retailers pull the company's 18.2% Tokyo beer brand off shelves because of its marketing tactics. A note on the Tokyo label says, "It is all about moderation. Everything in moderation, including moderation itself. What logically follows is that you must, from time, have excess. This beer is for those times." After the beer was pulled, BrewDog came out with a 1.1% ABV brew meant to tame the critics. Its name: Nanny State.
The drinking games continued in February when a German brewer, Schorschbrau, released a 40% ABV beer called Schorschbock. The BrewDog boys fired back a few weeks later with high-octane concoction Sink the Bismarck!, which checks in at 41%, enough to reclaim the "world's strongest beer" mantle (the name is a not-so-subtle reference to the famous German battleship deployed during World War II).
For now, Sink the Bismarck! is only available for purchase on BrewDog's website, and the 500 or so bottles that BrewDog has produced are already sold out. Watt promises that more are on the way. Because of the painstaking process involved with producing such a strong drink, an 11.2-oz. bottle of Sink the Bismarck! costs some $60, minus shipping. Tactical Nuclear Penguin costs about $53 a bottle, and can also be ordered online.
Even if these brands end up being carried by more bars and retailers, Watt firmly believes that the high prices will prohibit unsophisticated drinkers (read: high school kids at a kegger, or college students on spring break) from just picking up the stuff and chugging it. But you can't deny that if the beer becomes more widely available in stores, or if other brewers mimic BrewDog's strategy, it could become hazardous. Since most drinkers don't check the alcohol level on the label like they would the expiration date on a milk carton, an unsuspecting soul with money to spare could sip a little too much strong stuff.
"We're all for responsible consumption," Watt says. But as we all know, beer and responsibility often don't mix. So enjoy the beer wars at your own risk.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Boston brewer pushes new limits on extreme beer
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gHwko0CDgwNp0xw_y6HyStWpzTbAD9C9QIRG1Boston brewer pushes new limits on extreme beer
By RUSSELL CONTRERAS
11-30-9
BOSTON — It is banned in 13 states and sure doesn't come in a six-pack.
The maker of Samuel Adams beer has released an updated version of its biennial beer Utopias — now the highest alcohol content beer on the market. At 27 percent alcohol by volume and $150 a bottle, the limited release of the brandy-colored Utopias comes as more brewers take advantage of improvements in science to boost potency and enhance taste.
"Just part of trying to push the envelope," said Jim Koch, founder and owner of the Boston Beer Co. the maker of Sam Adams. "I'm pushing it beyond what the laws of these 13 states ever contemplated when they passed those laws decades ago."
Since the 1990s, craft brewers like the Boston Beer Co. and the Delaware-based Dogfish Head have produced a number of "extreme beers" that challenge old notions of beer and the decades-old laws that have governed them.
By law, these specialty drinks still are classified as beer when they are based on fermented grain. And despite the hefty prices of the high-scale beer, brewers still have to pay the required nickel deposit on bottles.
Paul Gatza, director of the national Brewers Association based in Boulder, Colo., said new yeast research allowed brewers to experiment with the emerging science that pushed the traditional cap of 14 percent alcohol by volume for beer.
"As a result, these new beers, like Utopias, balance sweetness, higher alcohol content and more ingredients," Gatza said.
A few states also have moved to adapt their laws to allow for the emerging craft brew market. For example, Alabama and West Virginia recently passed laws to allow higher alcohol content in beer. Lawmakers in Iowa and Mississippi are considering similar legislation.
Gatza said consumers are also pushing for the changes.
That's what sparked a brew battle between the Boston Brewing Co. and Dogfish Head.
In 1993, Koch set a new bar by creating Triple Bock, a beverage with 17.5 percent alcohol by volume. In the early 2000s, Dogfish Head responded with beverages of their own that went to 22 percent.
But the latest Utopias alcohol volume gives Koch and Boston Beer Co. the clear title of having the strongest beer, said Sam Calagione, president and founder of Dogfish Head. "I must bow before him for Utopias," Calagione said. "I don't think we'll be brewing a beer that strong for a while."
Utopias has reached its unique strength through a 15-year aging process in barrels at the Boston Beer Co.'s brewery in Boston. It's aged and finished in wooden containers like Scotch whisky barrels and sherry casks. The drink's yeast strains are regularly used in making malts and champagne.
A quick sip unveils a cognac-like hit combined with vanilla, honey, and maple flavors.
The long production cycle is what limits its availability to once every two years. This holiday season, for example, Koch is only releasing 10,000 bottles with the suggested retail price of $150 apiece.
"It's like making 21-year-old Scotch," Koch said. "Yeah, you can make more. You just can't have it for 21 years."
The drink comes in a ceramic-and-copper bottle that resembles a tiny brew kettle. Thirteen states prohibit its sale because its alcohol content exceeds the legal limit for beer: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington.
Chuck Hurley, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said the group in general doesn't have a problem with extreme brands of beer like Utopias. However, he hopes the beverage's higher alcohol content is properly labeled and that it isn't marketed to minors.
"Right now, we're reserving judgment," Hurley said.
Koch said the Boston Beer Co. is presenting Utopias as an exclusive beer for sophisticated drinkers that should be consumed like champagne. He said it's not a beer for the weekend football game or for a regular dinner.
He would not speculate whether he would try to get more extreme with future brews, but noted that no one ever thought there would be an "insane brewer" who would be making such a strong Utopias.
"We'll see," he said.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Wired.com Built Beer Robot, Our DIY Kegerator
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/09/beerrobot/How Wired.com Built Beer Robot, Our DIY Kegerator
By Betsy Mason
September 4, 2009
This is the story of Beer Robot, an ugly old fridge that grew into a super geeky kegerator.
It started out innocently enough. After work one day at the local brewpub, three Wired.com staffers had a revelation: “What our office really needs is a kegerator!”
How to Make a Kegerator
We didn’t know this passing idea, the kind you often have after several beers but never follow up on (”Dude, we should totally road trip to Jazzfest this year!”), would culminate in a keg party at that same brewpub to celebrate the public debut of Beer Robot.
But at the next editor’s meeting, we suggested converting a fridge into a kegerator for our How-To Wiki. Who’s going to say no to that? Nobody in that meeting anyway. Soon we had dreamed up a super geeky, tricked-out kegerator that would have all sorts of functions involving everything from a Twitter stream to a Wii.
With a budget of $200, we quickly determined that the fridge would have to be free, because the cheapest conversion kit we could find was $192, on sale. Fortunately, there is a lot of free stuff on Craigslist, where we found a fridge that was just right: a homely, but working, almond-colored fridge that had been left on the sidewalk in Alameda to make way for a newer model.
It turns out converting a fridge to a kegerator is pretty easy. You only need a conversion kit and a few tools, and there’s really only one step you can mess up, which we discovered by messing it up. We were only on step five of 32 steps when we drilled a hole that was too big. But we managed to recover using only our wits and a broom handle.
A keg of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale materialized and… success! The beer was cold, and it flowed. Perfect pints, with lovely head, at the ready. Mmmm… beer.
On to the pimping.
With our budget wiped out, we turned to our readers and Twitter followers for help pimping our kegerator. We received tons of good ideas, a few volunteers and even some free stuff (some are included at the end of the story). Our readers had similar geeky, gadgety ideas involving wheels and lights and twittering how much beer is left. Professional motorcycle airbrush artist Robb Ortel of Orange County Choppers even offered to “pimp that bad boy with some cool paint,” but unfortunately we couldn’t send Beer Robot to him in New York because, well, there was already beer flowing.
Fortunately we also received an awesome offer from Jeff Stallings of Print NW to make and send us a custom vinyl wrap for Beer Robot with whatever design we could dream up. We decided to stick with the gadget theme. After all, a kegerator is really just a big, awesome gadget that serves cold beer.
We are lucky at Wired.com to have a talented designer on staff, Dennis Crothers, who is apparently easily duped into doing a load of extra work. He patiently turned our many ideas, good and bad, into beautifully designed parodies of an iPhone, Sony PSP and Flip Mino, and never once cursed us (to our faces) when we changed our mind about what the apps should be or the Space Invaders score.
The end result turned out better than we ever imagined. The front, iPhone-like face of Beer Robot displays 13 “apps” including Top 10 List Generator (useful for coming up with story ideas), Frosty Mugs, The Tap Store, /root beer (for the tap) and just above that, iFoam. The Flip side has a HAL 9000 eye where the lens should be, and almost every number we used on all three sides has some sort of geeky significance.
Somewhere along the line, the kegerator project grew to include testing two commercial kegerators. With so many hungry taps to feed, we began looking for help from some of our favorite local brewers. The folks at 21st Amendment, just a block away from the Wired office, loved our idea. Rather than just filling a kegerator for us, they threw a debut party for Beer Robot at the pub. This involved wheeling Beer Robot across streets, through a park and up the stairs to the mezzanine level of the pub as seen in the video below. Not surprisingly, San Franciscans barely blinked at the sight of a giant iPhone kegerator parading down the sidewalk.
Wired staff, family, friends and Twitter followers of Beer Robot (which has been tweeting since before it could even serve beer) and Wired gathered to admire the kegerator and enjoy several kegs of 21st Amendment’s Brew Free or Die IPA.
In a contest to identify the significance of the numbers on Beer Robot, only one person got them all. Perihan Cumali, who learned of the party by following @beerrobot, took first prize (which was this paragraph right here) by being the only one to know that 37 is the UHF frequency reserved for radioastronomy.
“I had a vague recollection about 37,” Cumali said. “I did reinforce my cloudy knowledge with my iPhone. But I did take astronomy at RPI!”
WHAT’S ON TAP?
What’s a kegerator without beer? We tested several kegs provided by local breweries.
Brew Free! or Die IPA from 21st Amendment Brewery is a pretty typical California-style IPA. A deep, golden brown beer, it has a nice hoppy kick to it without going over the top or veering into more fruity and floral territory. A strong malty undertone balances this beer out nicely, distracts you from its 7.2 percent alcohol content, and can lure people who normally shy away from hops without scaring off serious IPA fans.
Brother Thelonius from North Coast Brewing Company is a serious beer without all the hoppy pretensions. Though it’s Belgian-style — high in alcohol (9.5%), expensive, and kinda sweet — it packs a bit of the beefiness of a porter into its front-end taste. There’s even a hint of coffee in the aftertaste. All in, Brother T plays a brilliant variation on the classic Belgian head, and every note that might seem stray at first, ends up hitting just the right spot.
White Lightning American Wheat from Speakeasy Ales and Lagers is a crisp, blonde filtered wheat beer that beckons on a hot day. It looks and feels cleaner than the more prevalent unfiltered Hefeweizen style beers, and is also a little less sweet. Smooth and refreshing up front with a nice wheaty aroma, it follows with a pleasantly bitter, hoppy bite. This 5.2 percent alcohol brew goes down easy. Maybe too easy!
For the tap-to-tap kegerator competition between Beer Robot and the commercial kegerators, North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, California provided a keg of Brother Thelonius and Speakeasy of San Francisco provided a keg of White Lightning American Wheat. We rounded out the trio with a keg of Deschutes Brewery’s Mirror Pond Pale Ale from Oregon.
We wanted to see how our $200 conversion stood up to the budget Edgestar KC2000 ($425) and the fancier Sanyo BC-1206 ($650) kegerators. The commercial kegerators put up a good fight and performed well, but according to all who attended the competition, Beer Robot was the clear winner. Though we are clearly biased. We love Beer Robot. A lot.
The geekifying of our fridge is an ongoing project. One of Beer Robot’s fans, bioengineer Bryan Hermannsson installed a flowmeter that will keep track of how much beer has been poured, and has a digital readout of how many pints are left. As I write this, Hermannsson and genomicist Tim Reddy are working on hooking this device up to the internet and writing a program to convert the information into tweets.
“Programming has never been more fun,” Reddy said. “Trying to maintain the optimal level of sobriety was a real challenge. I think we went passed it a couple times.”
A web cam will soon be installed, pointing at the tap of course — we don’t want to discourage people from visiting Beer Robot. And we hope to get more ideas from our readers for other upgrades. Keep ‘em coming!
Beer Robot is a work in progress, but already it has exceeded even our wildest drunken expectations. And to think, just two short months ago, our glorious kegerator was just a sad, lonely, almond-colored refrigerator abandoned on the side of the road.
Selected Reader Suggestions for Beer Robot:
Perhaps a Roomba robot kit that will automatically dock at the fridge, be filled with the tap and then be able to be remote controlled back to the beer drinker ? — Adrian Walleigh
I think the front of beer robot should look like Han Solo frozen in carbonite. Now that’s cold! — Adam Price (We did consider this idea, but found that the tap would have a rather unfortunate location in Han Solo’s crotch.)
Put an RFID activated nozzle that only allows WIRED authorized mugs with RFID embedded chips to get beer, and then measures the amount dispensed, so it knows when it is time to send out a re-order notice to your local beer distributor. It could also send out Tweets when it is getting dangerously low on suds. — John Azevedo.
Now, this may not sound very Canadian style, but it’s how everybody would have a Kegerator up north. First we need some sort of weight system to determine when the Keg is near empty. This would submit a signal to Twitter posting a Tweet that we need more beer. But this weight system gets better. When a new keg is placed, the weight system will be aware of this and initiate what is called the “Party Mode.” First a tweet is posted again to update everyone on a potential crisis averted with the replacement of the keg. Then, with the use of Bing travel, a 747 is chartered from Moscow, Russia to San Francisco full of Russian Strippers. Then a private jet is chartered to Toronto so that I (The genius behind this entire plan) can be picked up and brought to the party. And no recession will ever put a stop to our party, as the Bing Account will be linked to the White House’s Visa Card as It has proved time and time again, able to bail out anybody in their time of need. I expect my Jet on the tarmac by June 31st. — Jon Bianchi.
The following people contributed to this project: Jon Snyder — originator, namer, photographer. Betsy Mason — originator, coordinator, laborer. Dennis Crothers — designer, watchdog, wrapper. Dylan Tweney — geekifier, utility player. Danny Dumas — geekifier, rim shooter. David Kravets — originator, partaker. Evan Hansen — decider, protector, supplier. Chris Becker — converter, handyman. Fernando Cardoso — videographer, partaker. Michael Lennon — videographer, choreographer. Brian Chen — partaker, stalker. Stephan Leckart — partaker, loiterer. Alexis Madrigal — keg lifter, beer getter, partaker. James Temple — loader. Jim Merithew — unloader. Terrence Russell — partaker, backstop. Chuck Squatriglia — cheerleader, supporter. Michael Calore — consultant. Hadley Leggett — cheerleader. Shaun O’Sullivan — beer supplier, sponsor. Rob Strasser — event planner. Bryan Hermannsson — geekifier, partaker. Tim Reddy — programmer, partaker. Jeff Stallings — wrapper, sponsor.
Follow us on Twitter @betsymason, @beerrobot and @gadgetlab.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Pizza and beer now cost an arm and a leg
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23415510/
Pizza and beer now cost an arm and a leg
Sure sign economy is headed for trouble: Even cheap eats are hard to find
By Al Olson
MSNBC
Fri., Feb. 29, 2008
If you’re looking for a sure sign the U.S. economy is headed in the wrong direction, all you need to do is look at the skyrocketing price of “recession-proof” foods: pizza, hot dogs, bagels and beer.
For many Americans, the credit crunch and the mortgage mess have left their pocketbooks – and their cupboards – bare. These same consumers, many living paycheck to paycheck, have relied on these cheaper foods to keep their expenditures down. Not anymore.
In the past few months, the news has gone from bad to worse:
Pizza makers have seen their cheese costs soar this year from $1.30 a pound to $1.76 a pound. Even worse, the flour used to make the dough has gone from $3-$7 dollars a bushel to $25 a bushel in less than a year.
Beer makers have been forced to raise their prices because of the skyrocketing price of hops – one of the principle ingredients. The price of hops has gone from about $4 a pound in September to $40 a pound. The price of barley, beer’s other main ingredient, has nearly doubled.
Bagel shops have struggled to hold the line on prices and keep their customers. The exploding wheat prices have made the $1 bagel a fact of life in big cities such as New York. Donuts are averaging $1.50. And many shop owners fear a wheat shortage will drive prices even higher.
Even the lowly hot dog is getting more expensive. Gray’s Papaya, a New York hot dog institution, will be jacking up the price for its $3.50 “Recession Special” – two hot dogs and a 14-ounce drink. Nicholas Gray, owner of the frankfurter chain, has yet to set the price increase, but he indicated it is coming soon.
Overall, retail food prices rose 4 percent last year – the biggest jump in 17 years. The USDA officials predicted another 3 percent to 4 percent increase this year and continuing price hikes, faster than the pace of inflation going into 2010. And the price pinch has hit the lower-income shoppers hardest.
Why is this happening? Call it the perfect storm of inflationary pressures.
Bob Goldin, executive vice president of Technomic Inc., a food industry consulting firm, described the cost increases as a "disaster scenario," with no real end in sight and limited ability for most to pass on the bulk of the costs to consumers.
Surging energy costs have driven up the price of transporting goods from farm to storefront. The national average for a gallon of gas jumped to $3.164, creeping closer to last May's record of $3.227, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Diesel prices jumped 1.5 cents to a new record national average of $3.642 a gallon.
While most Americans fuel their cars with gasoline, most of the products they buy are transported by trucks, trains and ships that burn diesel. While gas prices are unlikely to rise as high as $4 a gallon, diesel may well pass that psychologically important level this spring, boosting prices of virtually every consumer product, said Tom Kloza, publisher and chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service in Wall, New Jersey.
"It's everything that gets shipped," Kloza said of diesel fuel's impact on the economy. "That is the one that is much scarier."
Another reason for the sharp hike in food prices is the increasing demand for ethanol, which has driven up the price of corn – and at the same time created a shortage of wheat as farmers shift their crop to the more lucrative corn.
“There are several reasons [for higher food prices], but at the core is corn, the largest and most important of agricultural commodities,” said Bill Lapp, president of Advanced Economic Solutions.
Which brings us back to the price of flour — and the pricier pizza. Jimmy Ferrell, owner of the four Fat Jimmy's pizza restaurants in Louisville, Ky., said the price of flour has forced him to pass the cost onto his customers. "You have to raise (prices) a couple times a year just to keep up," he said.
Ferrell thinks the rising flour prices have hurt small operators more than national chains.
"The national chains have a lot more pull and they can negotiate prices. I don't think we have the same buying power that a Papa John's or a Domino's obviously has."
Food industry consultant Goldin doesn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. "There are no simple solutions," he said. "The trend will be to reduce product costs, and some of that may very well affect quality.”
So, how can budget-conscious consumers stretch their dollar? There is one – albeit artery-clogging — alternative.
Fast food companies, looking for a way to attract budget-conscious customers, are increasingly offering more food for less money. The “dollar-menu” option is growing at chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King and Quiznos.
That's good news for diners like Boston resident Shekia Scott. While lunching with friends at a Burger King, Scott said higher prices for food and gas were hurting her budget. But, she added, "the dollar menu's been a help."
So there you have it. Your best option for cheap eats is a gut-busting McDonald’s double cheeseburger for a buck. Makes you want to cry in your beer … if you can afford it.
The Associated Press and CNBC contributed to this report.
Pizza and beer now cost an arm and a leg
Sure sign economy is headed for trouble: Even cheap eats are hard to find
By Al Olson
MSNBC
Fri., Feb. 29, 2008
If you’re looking for a sure sign the U.S. economy is headed in the wrong direction, all you need to do is look at the skyrocketing price of “recession-proof” foods: pizza, hot dogs, bagels and beer.
For many Americans, the credit crunch and the mortgage mess have left their pocketbooks – and their cupboards – bare. These same consumers, many living paycheck to paycheck, have relied on these cheaper foods to keep their expenditures down. Not anymore.
In the past few months, the news has gone from bad to worse:
Pizza makers have seen their cheese costs soar this year from $1.30 a pound to $1.76 a pound. Even worse, the flour used to make the dough has gone from $3-$7 dollars a bushel to $25 a bushel in less than a year.
Beer makers have been forced to raise their prices because of the skyrocketing price of hops – one of the principle ingredients. The price of hops has gone from about $4 a pound in September to $40 a pound. The price of barley, beer’s other main ingredient, has nearly doubled.
Bagel shops have struggled to hold the line on prices and keep their customers. The exploding wheat prices have made the $1 bagel a fact of life in big cities such as New York. Donuts are averaging $1.50. And many shop owners fear a wheat shortage will drive prices even higher.
Even the lowly hot dog is getting more expensive. Gray’s Papaya, a New York hot dog institution, will be jacking up the price for its $3.50 “Recession Special” – two hot dogs and a 14-ounce drink. Nicholas Gray, owner of the frankfurter chain, has yet to set the price increase, but he indicated it is coming soon.
Overall, retail food prices rose 4 percent last year – the biggest jump in 17 years. The USDA officials predicted another 3 percent to 4 percent increase this year and continuing price hikes, faster than the pace of inflation going into 2010. And the price pinch has hit the lower-income shoppers hardest.
Why is this happening? Call it the perfect storm of inflationary pressures.
Bob Goldin, executive vice president of Technomic Inc., a food industry consulting firm, described the cost increases as a "disaster scenario," with no real end in sight and limited ability for most to pass on the bulk of the costs to consumers.
Surging energy costs have driven up the price of transporting goods from farm to storefront. The national average for a gallon of gas jumped to $3.164, creeping closer to last May's record of $3.227, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Diesel prices jumped 1.5 cents to a new record national average of $3.642 a gallon.
While most Americans fuel their cars with gasoline, most of the products they buy are transported by trucks, trains and ships that burn diesel. While gas prices are unlikely to rise as high as $4 a gallon, diesel may well pass that psychologically important level this spring, boosting prices of virtually every consumer product, said Tom Kloza, publisher and chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service in Wall, New Jersey.
"It's everything that gets shipped," Kloza said of diesel fuel's impact on the economy. "That is the one that is much scarier."
Another reason for the sharp hike in food prices is the increasing demand for ethanol, which has driven up the price of corn – and at the same time created a shortage of wheat as farmers shift their crop to the more lucrative corn.
“There are several reasons [for higher food prices], but at the core is corn, the largest and most important of agricultural commodities,” said Bill Lapp, president of Advanced Economic Solutions.
Which brings us back to the price of flour — and the pricier pizza. Jimmy Ferrell, owner of the four Fat Jimmy's pizza restaurants in Louisville, Ky., said the price of flour has forced him to pass the cost onto his customers. "You have to raise (prices) a couple times a year just to keep up," he said.
Ferrell thinks the rising flour prices have hurt small operators more than national chains.
"The national chains have a lot more pull and they can negotiate prices. I don't think we have the same buying power that a Papa John's or a Domino's obviously has."
Food industry consultant Goldin doesn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. "There are no simple solutions," he said. "The trend will be to reduce product costs, and some of that may very well affect quality.”
So, how can budget-conscious consumers stretch their dollar? There is one – albeit artery-clogging — alternative.
Fast food companies, looking for a way to attract budget-conscious customers, are increasingly offering more food for less money. The “dollar-menu” option is growing at chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King and Quiznos.
That's good news for diners like Boston resident Shekia Scott. While lunching with friends at a Burger King, Scott said higher prices for food and gas were hurting her budget. But, she added, "the dollar menu's been a help."
So there you have it. Your best option for cheap eats is a gut-busting McDonald’s double cheeseburger for a buck. Makes you want to cry in your beer … if you can afford it.
The Associated Press and CNBC contributed to this report.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
