FYI, the hotel for the AHA Conference has changed again. It's now at
the Dallas Marriott Las Colinas instead of the Holiday Inn. The link
below has the details. I would suggest checking out the site
regularly in case they relocate again.
http://66.166.164.98/nhc2002/index.htm
Joe
Miller merger could be a good thing
The future of the industry: Article based on the keynote speech at the
Craft Brewers' Conference, in Cleveland, Ohio
You may be surprised to hear this, but I think mergers like that proposed
between Miller and South African Breweries are good news for craft beer.
It is a question of action and reaction.
Michael Jackson shows off a brewing paddle he was presented in
appreciation for delivering the keynote speech at the Craft Brewers
Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.
Quite simply, the bigger the major brewers become, the greater the number
of consumers who feel left behind, even alienated. These people want the
chance to exercise their individuality when they order a beer. They are
potential buyers of imports, microbrews and the products of brewpubs.
The first truly global brewers have begun to emerge in only the past few
weeks. South African Breweries already owns Pilsner Urquell, would like
to acquire Scottish and Newcastle, and is buying Miller.
With a relatively small U.S, presence (Rolling Rock) and a proportionally
far bigger one in Canada (Labatt), the Belgian parent Interbrew acquires
the mighty Beck's, Germany's best known export brewer. Almost as an
afterthought, it swallows the sizable Diebels, biggest producer of Alt.
These are not small beer. Interbrew, which already owned many breweries
in Central and Eastern Europe, is occupying new territories all over the
world with a view to being market leader in each This approach is quite
different from that of Heineken and Carlsberg. They are internationally
present as premium products (the beer world's answer to Peter Stuyvesant
or Rothman cigarettes), but have not so overtly sought to dominate major
markets.
As the battle to control the world intensifies, the new super-giants will
damage each other to the benefit of the micros.
As the battle to control the world intensifies, the new super-giants will
damage each other to the benefit of the micros. When companies merge, in
any business or country, two-plus-two rarely makes four. There are
usually customers who feel that their favorite product is no longer the
same, and who in consequence look elsewhere. As each brewery in the
merger may have a similar range of beers, those that sell least are
likely to be dropped. A manager running several breweries in different
countries cannot, however hard he tries, sustain local specialties
indefinitely to the same degree of individuality.
This notion of the global brewers' fallout benefiting the craft brewer
may seem Pollyanna-ish, but it has already been evident in the Nordic and
Baltic countries. Having never quite hacked North America, Carlsberg has
been building a dominant position in these countries. In precisely the
same period, Denmark has gained a beer movement, with an annual festival
and a crop of new products.
With the exception of Anheuser-Busch, which has grown organically, the
biggest brewers have sought growth by acquisition. Breweries available
for sale are usually big but less successful. Thus groups consolidate
over-capacity. They then close breweries, centralising production in
fewer plants and lengthening the road to market at a time when
preservatives and other additives are under scrutiny by the consumer. The
growth to global from national ambition also lowers the common
denominator of flavor. This is already so low that many young consumers
see aroma and flavor as being faults, distractions on the path to feeling
drunk. The same follows for "super-premium" vodkas and gin.
Making tasteless beer is not easy but the big guys have the experience,
skill, and technical knowledge to do it. They also have the marketing
budgets to persuade people that there is some point in drinking the
stuff.
Producing and promoting, a drink that looks like lemonade, or even club
soda, has little aroma or flavor, and makes people drunk, is an
invitation to restrictions on alcohol. In trying to make their products
wholly tasteless, the big brewers have devised, or adapted, Light Beer,
Dry Beer, and Ice Beer. Producing "malternatives" is even more of a
provocation to tougher laws.
Light beer is still successful. The other categories live in a
refrigerator somewhere, with Wine Coolers, Iced Tea etc. I believe that
even such "Techno Beers" and line extensions help the craft brewers, by
fragmenting the market. When I began writing about beer, there was only
one Bud brewed in the U.S. Then along came Light, Dry and Ice. Now the
consumer knows that there can be more to beer than Bud.
The big brewers made some very good specialty beers for a time, in an
effort to benefit from the success of the micros. Their head brewers knew
what they were doing, but the cost accountants and marketing people could
not think "micro".
For them, it seems to have been the road not taken. They chose "Beer as
Soda Pop". Craft brewers are "Beer as Wine". That is the road we must
take. We must stick to it, and climb higher along the way.
We have come a long way already. When I started writing about beer, there
were fewer than 50 brewing companies in the U.S. Back then, you could
count on your fingers the individual beer-brands that were not light
lagers: Champale, a couple of porters in Pennsylvania, the Ballantine and
Genny products, Little Kings, Rainier Ale, the Anchor range....
There are now more breweries in the U.S. than in any other country,
including Germany: about 1,500, making beers in more than 50 styles, many
more "authentic" than the European originals upon which they are modeled.
This is a remarkable achievement, an astonishing success story. Why don't
we tell the story?
This is a remarkable achievement, an astonishing success story. Why don't
we tell the story? Were we distracted by the opportunists who came into
the business when it was being hyped by Wall Street? Remember them? "Mr.
Jackson, I don't know much about brewing, but I know that Americans enjoy
a beer like Budweiser." I would point out to them that someone had
already noticed that market, a man named Busch. They were all going to
overtake A-B in two three or four years. They've all gone now, telling
the world that they got out just in time. It is their absence that makes
this such a pleasant conference - and the beers of Great Lakes (if only
the Conway Brothers would make their beers a bit more like Bud...).
"Everybody knows about micro-breweries," someone said at this conference.
No, they don't. I have even met people in Seattle or Portland, Oregon,
who are unfamiliar with the phrase "microbrewery". Far more are familiar
with the phrase, but unsure what it means. Or whether it is a good thing.
Some people still get a bit giggly about having been to a brewpub, as
though it were somehow not "normal" beer. Would they feel the same way
about visiting a cook-from-scratch restaurant, as opposed to a
McDonald's?
We understand the differences, because we love, live -- and no doubt
breathe -- beer. It is easy to forget that not everyone shares our
passion. Having earned my living by the pen since the age of 16, I am
passionate about writers. As a young television producer, I persuaded
James Baldwin and Norman Mailer to appear on a program. Thrilled with
achievement, I asked an aunt what she thought of the program.
"I liked the black man," she said, "but that feller with the curly hair
was a bit of a loudmouth." The names James Baldwin and Norman Mailer had
meant nothing to her. We have to allow for the fact that millions of
people drink without thinking, as though they were sleepwalking, but
could be awakened to the pleasures of good beer.
I joke about wine, but I love it. I love beer more. I could go through my
life without ever touching soda pop. Those are three categories of drink
that sell in high volumes.
First we need to persuade people to drink beer. Many of those who do
drink beer have only ever consumed a pale lager. We need to show them
that beer can mean more than that. We need to reassure them that small
can be beautiful. And we need to keep coming back to the most basic
points. I started to write a piece his week for the newspaper The
Independent, in London, then realised that I was assuming too much on the
part of the reader. I started again:
If you wanted bread with taste and texture, would you look for the
biggest-selling packaged brand, or seek out a mom-and-pop local bakery?
To accompany it with a characterful Cheddar, would you opt for an
internationally-known name on a pack of cheese slices, or would a
farmhouse producer hold more promise? To wash down your snack, would you
choose a brand-named wine made from a concentrate of unspecified grapes,
or might a named variety and vineyard better fit the bill?
Why didn't I put it that way before? I can't use the same introduction
every time, but I can remind myself that you don't have to be a geek to
enjoy beer.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, The 16th annual (lucky guess) MHBA campout is almost here. This is a reminder of the upcoming event and a test of the "BMEN" (beer makers emergency network). So what do we have in store? Funny you should ask.
The event occurs in early August which is also the time you will hear many Harlys traveling west toward Sturgis. All you have to do is drive west to Cokato MN and look for the signs. That's right - real signs. For those of you who are not familiar with the location, we will be camping in a group area which is on the east side of the Collinwood County Park.
There are limited facilities but the area does have a nice beach, important shelters, shade trees, and did we mention beer and food? Lots of beer and food.
Mike and I will be BBQueing up some tasty critters. Some may have feathers and others may have hooves. We believe in PETA (people eating tasty animals) so bring something to share, bring a few beers, bring a chair, and plan on spending the night.
Also available for it's first public usage is the new and improved Club Cooler. How can you improve something that has been around for so long? I'm glad you asked. The club cooler is a basic cold plate and two tap handles. Hidden inside the cold plate were three (that right three) unused circuits. So if you do the math, we had adequate plumbing for 3 additional tap handles. Kurt actually marked out three additional spots on the front of the cooler so all we needed to do was acquire the hardware, drill the holes, and connect the hoses.
During the research portion of this enhancement, we found out that the out fittings were very small orifices causing very slow product flow. Slow flow is good for something but not on a hot day so the orifices were replaced with the beer style. The original size was actually for soft beverages.
So there you have it. The dates are August 2,3,4. You go home on the 4th. I don't remember all styles of the competition but remember Open lagers was one of the competition styles.
So mark your calenders, mash your grain, add your yeast, clean your bottles, or just save a few partial kegs. We will have ample C02 and fittings for both Pepsi and Coke style tanks.
More information to come. This concludes the test of the BMEN. Should this have been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed to seek shelter in the closest beer serving establishment that is connected with the network.
Have a great afternoon and weekend and don't keep it so quiet.
Rick Oftel
Next WestSide meeting at the WaterTower Brewing in
Eden Prairie:
http://www.qwestdex.com/cgi/search.fcg?mq=Y&from=&listing_id=184727206&head…
We will be meeting 7:00 pm on Wed 6/19 @ 7:00 pm.
Your chance to ask Dave everything you wanted to know
but were afraid to ask about the Ringwood yeast of
legend and song.
Hope to see you there.
Cheers!
WH
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com
From: "Michael L. Smith" <mls(a)NORTHWESTERN.EDU>
Organization: Govt Pubs & Maps, Northwestern Univ Library
Subject: Beer on NPR
To: CBS-HB(a)LISTSERV.UIC.EDU
A recent piece appeared on Talk of the Nation, with Brooklyn Brewery
owner Garrett Oliver:
http://search.npr.org/cf/cmn/segment_display.cfm?segID=144383
----- End of forwarded message from Michael L. Smith -----
Rick writes:
> My wife has also questioned my expenses and every time this happens,
> I bring out the fishing literature, boat and motor books brochures,
> and the truck catalog. Somehow, the cost concern quickly fades.
I'll have to remember this. You can't believe how much 66 Shelby
Mustangs cost now days.
rick
66 Mustang coupe
Just remember, it all depends on how you account for your hobby. My hobby started as I kicked another habit: cigarettes. The first year of my "smoking allocation" went into stainless steel, burners, and general industrial junk most people would ignore. After absorbing those costs, my only current expenses are raw materials, cleaning chemicals, and energy. Water is a non-cost since our daughter is in college and the water bill actually dropped.
For a 15 gallon batch, I typically use 20-25 lbs of base malt ($10-$25), hops ($3), yeast ($4.25), energy ($2.50) which averages out to about $25 per batch. Now if I didn't enjoy my hobby, I would charge for my time but this would be kind of like trying to justify your time spent fishing. It is a value added activity that I enjoy - not a task that I dislike.
My wife has also questioned my expenses and every time this happens, I bring out the fishing literature, boat and motor books brochures, and the truck catalog. Somehow, the cost concern quickly fades.
Take care - will stop by Midwest this Saturday but we have a tight schedule with visiting relatives from Danmark.
>>> Mark Glewwe <mark(a)glewwe-castle.com> 06/05/02 06:28PM >>>
Have a heart, Steve. My wife has questioned the expense, but I think she
still believes it is an economical hobby. I'll let you all know when I get
below $10/bottle average expense. 8-)
Mark
At 09:04 AM 6/5/02 -0500, Steve Piatz wrote:
> From an economics point of view Rick's suggestion of using the store's
>mill is the wy to go but this is a hobby and based on economics I
>wouldn't have all the other equipmemt in the brewery - I would just buy
>beer :-)
Engineer, Gentleman, & Brewer,
Mark D. Glewwe
http://www.glewwe-castle.com/mark/
Mark you have to be kidding. I cant get the cost of a "bottle" under $40.00, mind you my bottles hold 15.5 gallons.
In a different vein please comment on the use of 151 proof rum as a sterilizing agent.
Greg
