I want to echo Mike's sentiment - thanks a ton! The Boreal Brewers hosted
a GREAT campout last weekend at Scenic State Park! I'm glad to have met
all you guys and gals, and look forward to our next intra-club meeting!
- Al
Original Message:
-----------------
From: Mike Behrendt MGBehrendt(a)mn.rr.com
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 09:20:31 -0500
To: cparson(a)bemidjistate.edu, mba(a)thebarn.com
Subject: Thanks!
Charlie,
Thanks for the great weekend!
--
//Mike Behrendt
MGBehrendt(a)mn.rr.com
Those are my principles, and if you don't like them...
well, I have others. Groucho Marx
--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .
Charlie,
Thanks for the great weekend!
--
//Mike Behrendt
MGBehrendt(a)mn.rr.com
Those are my principles, and if you don't like them...
well, I have others. Groucho Marx
Greetings,
I'm not a fan of putting fittings into kettles.
Seems the risks and the headaches far outweigh
any benefit.
HLT is an exception. Use a 1 inch half coupling for
the electric heating element.
A valve near the bottom of the HLT is handy, and cleaning
isn't much of an issue if it only sees H2O.
Try Twin City Windustrial. Hwy 100 to Excelsior Blvd
West to Powell. North to 7920.
Twin City Windustrial CO
7920 Powell Rd
Hopkins, MN 55343
952-933-5080
They have a very good selections of SS as well as Brass and
Copper fittings at good prices.
YMMV
Cheers,
Jim
Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2006 16:10:02 -0500
From: "William J. Haun" <haunx003(a)umn.edu>
Subject: Re: [SPHBC] cap punching tool
To: "St. Paul Homebrewers Club - Public Mailing List"
<sphbc(a)sphbc.org>
Message-ID: <44907B2A.1070901(a)umn.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
I still have to source the components. There is a steel place in town
that I can get a 6" stainless steel disc and 1/2" X 3" steel pipe for
$15 and $9, respecitively. Anyone know a potentially cheaper source?
Robert Gronemann wrote:
>I have a friend whos brother in law welds for a living. Im going to
>have him drill out and weld some nipples on a keg next week. Hes in New
>Richmond WI. Perhaps I could get it done at that time.
>
>Rob
Here's the latest info on the ALL-CLUB CAMPOUT at Scenic State Park this
weekend - it starts TONITE and goes thru Sunday, hosted by the Boreal
Brewers of Bemidji, MN. Charles Parsons from the Boreal Brewers provided
the following info - augmented by some maps and google directions, and
info from the MN DNR.
If you're looking for something to do this weekend, come on up! It should
be a gas!
- Al
"Charles Parson" wrote:
DIRECTIONS:
There will be signs pointing south off the main road to the MHA campout.
The park lies about six miles southeast of Big Fork.
FROM GOOGLE:
* North on 169 to Grand Rapids
* Left (west) on NE 4th St
* Right (north) on NW 3rd Ave (Hwy 38)
* Right on Hwy 38 at 38/286 Junction
* Right on Scenic Hwy, just before BigFork, MN
MASTER OF MALT COMPETITION SCHEDULE:
The competition
will have to take place at the neighborhood tavern, in Effie, Saturday
from noon to two, followed by the traditional tasting from 2 to 5.
...from Gera Exire LaTour (2005 Master of Malt winner)
2006 MASTER OF MALT
When: Saturday, June 17, 2006 - Noon
Where: Scenic State Park, near Bigfork, MN
The All-Minnesota (and North Dakota) Master of Malt Competition will be
held at the All-Club campout at Scenic State Park, near Bigfork, MN on
June 17. Last year?s Mistress of Malt winner, Gera Exire LaTour has
declared that the styles for the competition will again be:
Open Ales
Open Lagers
Open Belgians, and
Open Meads
ANY container is allowed (bottles, kegs, growlers, 2-liter PET bottles,
etc.), but the brewer is responsible for having a vessel from which to
server (pitcher, etc.) Each club must pick it?s champion to represent the
club in each category, then the champions of each club will go against the
other clubs champions. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be chosen, then in a
Best of Show amongst all first place beers in each category, judges will
select the Master of Malt for 2006, who will be presented with the Golden
Keg traveling trophy for the year.
In addition, there will be an OPEN CASK competition, not as a qualifier
for the Master of Malt. The requirements are as follows:
* Must be served by gravity feed or by a beer engine (just put an
airlock on the ?in? with no CO2 and tip the keg on its side and let the
beer feed out via gravity.
* No carbonation by CO2 is allowed ? carbonated with yeast in the keg
only.
* No bottle-conditioned beers will be considered ?Cask Conditioned.?
* Unlimited number of entries allowed per club.
EFFIE TASTING:
Eddie Jeff Cahill of Rennaisance Festival fame will provide music for
the Effie event. We will taste the first 24 products to appear, which we
hope will include some of the judged beverages. Tasting requires about 8
twelve ounce bottles, or equivalent.
SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER:
We will have dinner ready at the Park afterward, which will consist of
grilled or smoked turkey legs, beans, coleslaw, and cake.
CAMPSITE:
There is a hand pump at the group campsite and we are across the road on
our own lake, so you will not bother the "regular" campers. We will be
bringing local firewood and or scrounging other local sources. Our DNR
members don't have reservations about our local firewood for the
campfires. We just need to be a little cautious about displaying beers,
tappers, kegs, etc. We will have a couple of screen tents to help us be
modest with our brews. Some of the Boreal Brewers will be bringing
campfire wood and chainsaws to go scrounge more if we need it. That's
kind of a Jack PIne Savage ritual. Looking forward to lots of time
around the fire in the evening. Looking forward to seeing you.
FROM THE DNR:
Scenic State Park Group Camp - Accommodates up to 100 people.
This is an open area with scattered fire rings and picnic tables. It
is located on Lake of the Isles. Tents, campers and small trailers are
permitted. These are rustic facilities that include vault toilets, and
hand pump for water. No showers available.
...from Mike Moranz:
I did a little research and the group site is away from the main
campground,
all by ourselves for the most part, I believe drinking water is from a
hand
pump, we have our own lake, fishing pier, and we're about a mile? from the
main park.
FRI/SUNDAY KAYAKING TRIPS:
By the way, we will be kayaking the big fork river Friday afternoon
and probably again Sunday if anyone is interested. CP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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==============================================================================
Correction: The MASTER OF MALT competition will take place in the
NEIGHBORHOOD TAVERN in EFFIE, MN at Noon on Saturday...
- Al
Allan V Boyce/MN/USB
06/15/2006 10:45 AM
To
mba(a)thebarn.com, mnbrewers(a)yahoogroups.com, sphbc(a)sphbc.org,
ctblist(a)cloudytownbrewers.org, wayneat(a)citlink.net,
northernalestars(a)hotmail.com, peter.joseph.kovach(a)medtronic.com,
mike_hopman(a)yahoo.com, wayneat(a)citlink.net, thomp013(a)maroon.tc.umn.edu,
molson(a)midstate.tds.net, brewers(a)borealbrewers.org,
phc-club(a)yahoogroups.com
cc
Subject
All-Club Campout 6/15-18 - LAST CALL!
Here's the latest info on the ALL-CLUB CAMPOUT at Scenic State Park this
weekend - it starts TONITE and goes thru Sunday, hosted by the Boreal
Brewers of Bemidji, MN. Charles Parsons from the Boreal Brewers provided
the following info - augmented by some maps and google directions, and
info from the MN DNR.
If you're looking for something to do this weekend, come on up! It should
be a gas!
- Al
"Charles Parson" wrote:
DIRECTIONS:
There will be signs pointing south off the main road to the MHA campout.
The park lies about six miles southeast of Big Fork.
FROM GOOGLE:
* North on 169 to Grand Rapids
* Left (west) on NE 4th St
* Right (north) on NW 3rd Ave (Hwy 38)
* Right on Hwy 38 at 38/286 Junction
* Right on Scenic Hwy, just before BigFork, MN
MASTER OF MALT COMPETITION SCHEDULE:
The competition
will have to take place at the neighborhood tavern, in Effie, Saturday
from noon to two, followed by the traditional tasting from 2 to 5.
...from Gera Exire LaTour (2005 Master of Malt winner)
2006 MASTER OF MALT
When: Saturday, June 17, 2006 - Noon
Where: Neighborhood Tavern, Effie, MN
The All-Minnesota (and North Dakota) Master of Malt Competition will be
held at the All-Club campout at the Neighborhood Tavern, in Effie, MN on
June 17. Last year?s Mistress of Malt winner, Gera Exire LaTour has
declared that the styles for the competition will again be:
Open Ales
Open Lagers
Open Belgians, and
Open Meads
ANY container is allowed (bottles, kegs, growlers, 2-liter PET bottles,
etc.), but the brewer is responsible for having a vessel from which to
server (pitcher, etc.) Each club must pick it?s champion to represent the
club in each category, then the champions of each club will go against the
other clubs champions. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place will be chosen, then in a
Best of Show amongst all first place beers in each category, judges will
select the Master of Malt for 2006, who will be presented with the Golden
Keg traveling trophy for the year.
In addition, there will be an OPEN CASK competition, not as a qualifier
for the Master of Malt. The requirements are as follows:
* Must be served by gravity feed or by a beer engine (just put an
airlock on the ?in? with no CO2 and tip the keg on its side and let the
beer feed out via gravity.
* No carbonation by CO2 is allowed ? carbonated with yeast in the keg
only.
* No bottle-conditioned beers will be considered ?Cask Conditioned.?
* Unlimited number of entries allowed per club.
EFFIE TASTING:
Eddie Jeff Cahill of Rennaisance Festival fame will provide music for
the Effie event. We will taste the first 24 products to appear, which we
hope will include some of the judged beverages. Tasting requires about 8
twelve ounce bottles, or equivalent.
SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER:
We will have dinner ready at the Park afterward, which will consist of
grilled or smoked turkey legs, beans, coleslaw, and cake.
CAMPSITE:
There is a hand pump at the group campsite and we are across the road on
our own lake, so you will not bother the "regular" campers. We will be
bringing local firewood and or scrounging other local sources. Our DNR
members don't have reservations about our local firewood for the
campfires. We just need to be a little cautious about displaying beers,
tappers, kegs, etc. We will have a couple of screen tents to help us be
modest with our brews. Some of the Boreal Brewers will be bringing
campfire wood and chainsaws to go scrounge more if we need it. That's
kind of a Jack PIne Savage ritual. Looking forward to lots of time
around the fire in the evening. Looking forward to seeing you.
FROM THE DNR:
Scenic State Park Group Camp - Accommodates up to 100 people.
This is an open area with scattered fire rings and picnic tables. It
is located on Lake of the Isles. Tents, campers and small trailers are
permitted. These are rustic facilities that include vault toilets, and
hand pump for water. No showers available.
...from Mike Moranz:
I did a little research and the group site is away from the main
campground,
all by ourselves for the most part, I believe drinking water is from a
hand
pump, we have our own lake, fishing pier, and we're about a mile? from the
main park.
FRI/SUNDAY KAYAKING TRIPS:
By the way, we will be kayaking the big fork river Friday afternoon
and probably again Sunday if anyone is interested. CP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electronic Privacy Notice. This e-mail, and any attachments, contains information that is, or may be, covered by electronic communications privacy laws, and is also confidential and proprietary in nature. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you are legally prohibited from retaining, using, copying, distributing, or otherwise disclosing this information in any manner. Instead, please reply to the sender that you have received this communication in error, and then immediately delete it. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
==============================================================================
A preview from Sunday's NY Times. I particularly enjoyed this: "Black Biddy
stout is made with carrigeen moss, used to fine the beer, a process that
causes solids to drop out."
Uh, over here we call that "Irish Moss." Oh well. Enjoy.
---
Microbreweries in the Land of Guinness
By JESSICA MERRILL
Published: June 18, 2006
RECENTLY, a couple of tourists walked into a postcard-worthy pub in the West
of Ireland, complete with a fieldstone fireplace, and asked for two pints of
Guinness. Nothing unusual there: Guinness is practically the national drink
of Ireland and a Guinness or two is an expected way to cap off the day, or,
in some cases, start it.
But the woman behind the bar - Fionnuala Garvey, who runs the pub with her
son, Niall - patiently explained to the two visitors that maybe they wanted
to rethink their order. The Biddy Early, the pub they had just entered, is
in fact a microbrewery.
>From the blank looks she got in return, she might have said that the Biddy
Early was out of beer.
Mrs. Garvey thought for a minute, then she picked up a menu and pointed to
the back. "See, we brew our own beer," she said. "If you like stout, we have
the Black Biddy, or we have the Red Biddy or Blonde Biddy, a lager. ... Or,
we have Guinness?"
"N-o-o-o! Two Black Biddy please," they said, finally comprehending. And
just like that, two more people were initiated into the world of the Irish
microbrewery.
None of Ireland's big stouts, Guinness, Murphy's or Beamish, are Irish-owned
today. Guinness (along with Smithwick's Ale and Harp lager) is owned by the
British beverage conglomerate Diageo, Murphy's by Amsterdam-based Heineken
and Beamish by the British brewer Scottish & Newcastle. Budweiser and the
Danish beer Carlsberg typically round out taps in Irish pubs from Dublin to
Doolin.
But craft beer does still exist in Ireland - helped in part by a tax break
for small brewers that the Irish government put into effect in 2005 - and
the best way to find it is to go straight to the source. On a recent trip to
Ireland, my husband and I sipped our way across the country, sampling smooth
stouts, crisp ales and bold lagers, all made by small, independent brewers.
Our tour kicked off in Dublin at one of the country's largest
microbreweries, the Porterhouse, then ended at the Biddy Early in Inagh in
County Clare, conveniently located on the way to the Cliffs of Moher. In
between, we indulged our palates with hops and malts in the city of Cork and
a few small-town destinations, like Carlow and the pretty seaside village of
Kinsale. We discovered plenty of good beer, but we also stumbled into quirky
settings and ancient buildings that have been restored and converted for a
new use. Most were quiet pubs or tasting rooms, off the tourist map though
not exactly on the local circuit either.
The Porterhouse is one of Ireland's brewing pioneers. Two cousins, Liam
LaHart and Oliver Hughes, started brewing in 1996, and today the Porterhouse
encompasses several brewpubs around Dublin, the original in Bray and one in
London. When we walked into the Porterhouse in Dublin's trendy Temple Bar
neighborhood and saw 10 beers on tap, it felt as heartwarming as the sound
of an Irish band striking up "Danny Boy. "
"You don't serve Guinness, do you?" I asked the bartender behind the sleek
copper bar. "No, but we still get plenty of people in here who ask for it,"
she laughed. Then, she handed us a sampler tray of seven of the
Porterhouse's stouts and ales. There was Wrasslers 4X, a hearty stout made
to the recipe for an Irish beer brewed in the early 1900's; a biting oyster
stout brewed with fresh oysters; a lighter plain porter and a rich chocolate
stout that tasted more like dessert than beer.
A 10-minute walk along the River Liffey from the Temple Bar is another
brewery, Messrs. Maguire, in what was once an 1808 tavern and a rope
purveyor run by one William Maguire. It's less ambitious than the
Porterhouse, but with its original rose ceiling and dark nooks and crannies,
Messrs. Maguire is still a nice spot to enjoy a dose of character along with
a fresh pint: plain (stout), rusty (ale), haus (lager) and weiss (wheat).
>From Dublin, we headed southwest to County Carlow, once a local malt-growing
region, where the O'Hara family, the owners of the Carlow Brewing Company,
is continuing the brewing tradition. Housed next to the town's old stone
train station in the former goods store for the railway, Carlow looks like a
whistle-stop cafe.
Instead, it's where the O'Haras (the brothers Seamus, Eamon and Michael;
their sister, Siobhan, and Seamus' wife, Kay) produce a creamy, full-bodied
O'Hara's Stout, Curim Gold Wheat beer and Moling's Red ale. The day we
popped in, Michael O'Hara, the head brewer, was brewing a fresh batch of
stout, and the smell of malt swirled in the air.
"We wanted to have a building with character because we were trying to
revive an old tradition," Kay O'Hara said as she walked us through the
rustic stone brewery, pointing out where the old train tracks used to be,
before leading us into a polished tasting room. Seamus and Eamon started the
brewery in 1996 and found a niche by exporting beer to places like the
United States. Now, Seamus O'Hara said they were starting to see more
awareness from the Irish.
"People have traveled a lot more, people have opened up their minds a lot
more in terms of what they eat and drink," Mr. O'Hara said.
The Franciscan Well in Cork is located on the site of a 12th century
monastery and well. You can spot the brewery by its pleasing sign (a cheery
friar holding a pint). The brewer is a former New Yorker, Russell Garet, who
produces complex beers like Rebel Red amber ale, a creamy Shandon Stout and
a fruity Blarney Blonde. Franciscan Well's beers are poured at some pubs in
Cork, but it's worth the walk across the River Lee to the brewery for its
outdoor courtyard scattered with picnic tables and a view into the brewery.
Further south is the Kinsale Brewing Company, located in the heart of the
port town of Kinsale. The brewery hosts tours in the afternoons and has a
pleasant tasting room and a outdoor courtyard for sampling their stout,
lager and ale. The town hadn't yet geared up for the high tourist season
when we visited in early April. The brewery, too, was quiet, so Barry Kiely,
the owner, poured three beers and took a seat with us.
"What we tried to do was reconnect to three centuries of brewing tradition,"
Mr. Kiely said, growing animated when the topic of Ireland's brewing
heritage arose. He jumped up, saying, "I should show you ...." before
disappearing out the door.
He came back holding a floor plan dated 1854. It was for a brewery called
the Williams Brewery in the area of the Kinsale brewery. He pulled out
another document, this one a historical account of a stop Sir Walter Raleigh
made in Kinsale in 1617 before voyaging across the Atlantic. According to
this paper, Raleigh stocked up on Kinsale-brewed beer before hitting the
high seas.
"This town used to produce tons of beer," Mr. Kiely said with a wistful
smile.
It's nice to see history starting to repeat itself.
WHERE TO GO
Biddy Early Brewery, Inagh, County Clare, 353-65-683-6742; www.beb.ie. Red
Biddy ale is made with a locally grown wild herb, bog myrtle, in place of
hops. Black Biddy stout is made with carrigeen moss, used to fine the beer,
a process that causes solids to drop out.
Porterhouse Brewing Company, 16-18 Parliament Street, Dublin,
353-1-679-8850, www.porterhousebrewco.com. The brewery offers the widest
selection of beers among Ireland's microbrews. As many as 10 beers are on
tap, including seasonal specialties like a rich chocolate stout.
Messrs Maguire, 1-2 Burgh Quay, Dublin, 353-1-670-5777. On tap are a plain
stout, a fruity ale, wheat beer and a Czech-style pilsner, along with a
seasonal rotation.
Carlow Brewing Company, the Goods Store, Station Road, Carlow,
353-59-913-4356. Carlow Brewing makes O'Hara's Stout, Curim Gold and
Moling's Red. Curim is said to be a traditional Celtic-style beer once made
in the region, and the red ale is named after the Book of Moling by
sixth-century Celtic monks in South Carlow.
Franciscan Well Brewery, 14 North Mall, Cork, 353-21-421-0130;
www.franciscanwellbrewery.com. Franciscan Well serves a range of local
favorites (Rebel Red, Shandon Stout, Blarney Blonde, Rebel Lager and Friar
Weisse), complemented by seasonal specialties.
Kinsale Brewing Company, the Glen, Kinsale, 353-21-470-2124,
www.kinsalebrewing.com. With a new brewer on board, Kinsale is trying to
bring new beers to taps, but currently serves lager, stout, ale and wheat.
The crowd is swelling for the ALL-CLUB CAMPOUT this weekend at Scenic
State Park! The Bemidji beer club, the Boreal Brewers, are providing
dinner on Saturday night, so they need a head count. Any one else going?
Jonathan, do you know to whom in Boreal Brewers we have to get the
headcount?
Thanks!
- Al
Allan V Boyce/MN/USB
06/12/2006 03:09 PM
To
mba(a)thebarn.com, mnbrewers(a)yahoogroups.com
cc
Subject
All-Club Campout THIS WEEKEND, June 15-18!!
The annual ALL-CLUB CAMPOUT will be held this weekend, at Scenic State
Park, near Effie, MN. Folks RSVPing so far include:
Al Boyce & Beth Williams
Rick Oftel
Steve Piatz & Janis Sines
Mike & Sue Moranz
John Longballa
Gera Exire LaTour & Matt
Greg Vandemark
Wilbur ince
Mike Behrendt
Is anyone else coming? Should be a hoot!
(Details are in the June BOILER at
http://www.mnbrewers.com/newsletters/2006/2006_06.pdf )
- Al
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electronic Privacy Notice. This e-mail, and any attachments, contains information that is, or may be, covered by electronic communications privacy laws, and is also confidential and proprietary in nature. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you are legally prohibited from retaining, using, copying, distributing, or otherwise disclosing this information in any manner. Instead, please reply to the sender that you have received this communication in error, and then immediately delete it. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
==============================================================================
Surf over to http://sphbc.org for the latest stadnings, in which there
has been some movement after BUZZ down in Chi-town.
Next leg of the circuit is not 'til September: http://www.theschooner.org/
The annual ALL-CLUB CAMPOUT will be held this weekend, at Scenic State
Park, near Effie, MN. Folks RSVPing so far include:
Al Boyce & Beth Williams
Rick Oftel
Steve Piatz & Janis Sines
Mike & Sue Moranz
John Longballa
Gera Exire LaTour & Matt
Greg Vandemark
Wilbur ince
Mike Behrendt
Is anyone else coming? Should be a hoot!
(Details are in the June BOILER at
http://www.mnbrewers.com/newsletters/2006/2006_06.pdf )
- Al
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Electronic Privacy Notice. This e-mail, and any attachments, contains information that is, or may be, covered by electronic communications privacy laws, and is also confidential and proprietary in nature. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you are legally prohibited from retaining, using, copying, distributing, or otherwise disclosing this information in any manner. Instead, please reply to the sender that you have received this communication in error, and then immediately delete it. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
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There's two beer stories here in one Chicago Tribune article. The first
is old news for us, and they seem to be telling the same story that we
already knew, though the Widmer connection is a new twist.
The big new news is of Pabst moving its headquarters from San Antonio to
Chicago. Pobably wanted to get closer to Wrigley Field, where more of
their Old Style beer is sold than anyplace else on earth. Now, we can
call PBR "local"!
Roger Deschner Listmeister, Chicago Beer Society rogerd(a)uic.edu
---------- Forwarded message ----------
THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
This story was sent to you by: Roger Deschner
--------------------
Brewer takes stake in Goose Island Beer
--------------------
Bud distributors will deliver the local brew
By John Schmeltzer
Tribune staff reporter
June 8, 2006
An Oregon brewer with ties to the nation's largest beer company has
agreed to acquire a large stake in Chicago's Goose Island Beer Co. in a
deal that will allow the local brew to be delivered by Budweiser
distributors.
"It is a minority investment," said John Hall, owner of Goose Island.
"Thirty-five percent is reasonably close," he said declining to be more
specific or to provide the amount of money being invested by
Portland-based Widmer Bros. Brewing Co. Hall said the deal has yet to be
finalized.
He said the investment would allow him to return the money the original
investors made in the brewery when it opened in 1988.
Rob Widmer, an owner of Widmer Brothers, of which Anheuser-Busch Inc.
has been 40-percent owner for nearly a decade, said the deal will permit
Goose's products to be purchased throughout the Chicago area.
"There are 8,000 accounts in the Chicago area and the AB distributors
call on all of them," said Widmer noting that the current Goose
distributor only called on 1,000 of the accounts.
Hall said Anheuser-Busch is "the king of beers and their distribution
network is one of the best. I am very pleased to be part of it."
The announcement came at the same time that Pabst Brewing Co., a brewery
that is synonymous with Milwaukee, said it is moving its headquarters to
west suburban Woodridge. It has been headquartered in San Antonio for
more than two decades.
Pabst, in addition to its namesake Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and 40 other
malt beverages also brews Old Style, Special Export and Schlitz. While
it is the nation's fourth-largest beer company, it closed the last of
its own breweries in 2001. Since then it has contracted brewing of its
brands largely to Miller Brewing Co.
Pabst is expected to spend about $2.4 million on the move, of which $1
million is to be covered by a state grant from the Illinois Department
of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The beer company said it will
create 31 jobs as a result of the move.
Kevin Kotecki, chief executive of Pabst, which is owned by a charitable
trust, said a major reason for the move was that "most of our brands
were born in the Midwest."
In addition, it is No. 3 in beer sales in Illinois.
The deal allowing Goose Island to switch to Budweiser distributors from
Union Beverage Co., which is being paid to give up its distribution
rights, is being facilitated by Anheuser-Busch. Anheuser has agreed to
provide logistical support and reportedly as much as $12 million to buy
the distribution rights.
Budweiser distributors--including River North Sales & Service; City
Beverage, owned by Soave Enterprises of Detroit, which has warehouses on
the South Side and in the northwest and south suburbs; and Superior
Beverage Co., in the western suburbs--took over distribution on
Wednesday.
"We are proud to include Goose Island among the high-quality,
distinctive brands we carry," said August Busch IV, the president of
Anheuser-Busch Inc.
"The relationship between John Hall and the Widmer brothers . . . will
help John achieve his original vision by making his great beers more
widely available," Busch said.
The investment by Busch-affiliated Widmer comes as the St. Louis giant
has ramped up its efforts to expand into the micro and craft beer
segments due to the slowing of beer sales.
Last month Busch acquired the Rolling Rock label as part of its push
into the craft segment.
Shipments of Busch products, mainly Budweiser, Budweiser Light and
Michelob, fell 2 percent in 2005 to 101.8 million barrels, according to
data compiled by Beer Marketer's Insights. Overall, sales by
microbrewers grew about 9 percent in 2005, compared with sales of
domestic beers, which fell 1.6 percent.
Last year sales of Goose Island grew 24 percent, led by its signature
brew, Honkers Ale. According to Chicago-based Information Resources
Inc., a market information company, Goose sold $4.2 million in beer, up
from $3.4 million in 2004.
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