From: rbpmail <newsletter(a)realbeer.com> Reply-To: newsletter(a)realbeer.com To: rbpmail-out(a)realbeer.com Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 13:29:27 -0400 Subject: August Real Beer News: Beer can controversy-A faster beer pour-Ancient Brew Welcome to RBPMail 11.8, August 2005 Real Beer Page Mail, The Free Monthly Beer News Digest for the Online Beer Enthusiast. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. For subscription information, see instructions at the end of the newsletter. *****************ADVERTISEMENT***************** DEFY ORDINARY. DRINK REDHOOK The "tug o' war" is designed to humiliate P.E. students. The mudpit in the middle proves it. Which reminds me of the time we took the rope, tied Mr. Stripling to a goalpost, then pelted him with sack lunches. No more tug o' war after that. Defy Ordinary. Drink Redhook. http://www.redhook.com *********************************************** In this issue: * Craft Breweries Continue on Roll; A-B Struggles * Brewers Gold Strikes Gold at GBBF * Rogue Dazzles International Judges * Beer Can Controversy * North Carolina Senate OKs Stronger Beer * Bavarian Dirndls 'Safe' * Wine 'Wins' Poll * Web Watch - Belgium Came to Cooperstown - Portland: Beer Via Streetcars * Milwaukee Still Loves Beer * Gentlemen, Start Your Taps * Ontario Maps Craft Beer Route * 9,000-Year-Old Recipe * Narragasett Beer Heads 'Home' * Quote of the Month *****************ADVERTISEMENT***************** BREWERY OMMEGANG: AUTHENTIC BELGIAN-STYLE ALES Brewery Ommegang brews award-winning, authentic Belgian-style ales in a 140-acre farmstead brewery in Cooperstown, NY. The beers include Three Philosophers Quadrupel, Ommegang Abbey Dubbel, Ommegang Witte, Rare Vos Amber Ale, and Hennepin Farmhouse Saison. Brewery Ommegang is open for free tours and tastings seven days a week. Call 800-544-1809 for details http://www.ommegang.com. *********************************************** CRAFT BREWERIES CONTINUE ON ROLL; A-B STRUGGLES As American Beer Month drew to a close in July, the America's and the world's largest brewery announced bad news. On the flip side, the craft breweries indicated business celebrated in style, revealing figures that indicate grow continues at an impressive rate. The Colorado-based Brewers Association estimates that craft beers sales were up 7.1% in the first half of 2005, following 7% growth in 2004. Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch's second-quarter net income fell 9.9%, as the brewer suffered from volume declines amid stiffer competition from rivals. http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002643.php BREWERS GOLD STRIKES GOLD AT GBBF Brewers Gold, brewed by Crouch Vale of Essex, was judged to be the best beer in Britain by a panel of brewers, beer writers and journalists. The 2005 edition of CAMRA's Good Beer Guide describes the beers as, "Striking grapefruit nose leads to a beer of generally citrus hoppy character, underpinned by a perfumed sweetness and an aftertaste of orange wine gums." Brewers Gold was chosen first from more than 50 finalists in eight categories judged at the 2005 Great British Beer Festival. The results: http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002647.php ROGUE DAZZLES INTERNATIONAL JUDGES Oregon's Rogue Ales won a history-making four out of 11 gold medals at the 2005 International Beer Competition in London, England. Rogue also won the title of "Supreme Champion" for its Mocha Porter. Rogue also won a silver medal, when Shakespeare Stout finished second to Mocha Porter in Stouts and Porters. The Boston Beer Co. also captured five medals. The International Beer Competition (IBC) is unique in its approach to beer judging, and recognizes that for a beer to be successful in the off-trade, it not only must taste good, it must also be packaged in a unique and informative way. The results: http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002637.php BEER CAN CONTROVERSY Boston Beer Company's "Beer Drinkers Bill of Rights" ignited something of a controversy in the craft beer community. Oskar Blues Brewery - the nation's first hand-canning microbrewery - suggested Boston Beer founder Jim Koch "may have been kidnapped by aliens, and replaced with a clone." Boston Beer makes the Samuel Adams beers. Oskar Blues distributes Dale's Pale Ale and Old Chubb in cans. Among the ten rights listed in the new campaign for better beer is this requirement: "Beer shall be offered in bottles, not cans, so that no brew is jeopardized with the taste of metal." "The Jim Koch we know and admire wouldn't say such a thing," said Oskar Blues Brewery founder Dale Katechis. "We think it's some cloned, alien being that's running Samuel Adams and spreading this misconception about cans." Aluminum cans and their lids are lined with a water-based polymer - guarding them from a metal taste. Katechis points out that cans keep beer fresh by fully eliminating the damage from light, and holding extremely low amounts of dissolved oxygen. On June 29, a New York Times tasting panel picked Dale's Pale Ale as their favorite in a review of pale ales - and pointed out "the biggest problem we encountered was with freshness. ... Ales from well-regarded brewers showed signs of poor handling." http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002641.php NORTH CAROLINA SENATE OKS STRONGER BEER The North Carolina Senate paved the way for the sale of stronger beers within the state, giving final approval to a bill that raises the alcohol limit of malt beverages from 6 to 15%. The measure appeared to be on a fast track a little more than a month ago, but got hung up in committee and looked as if it might get squashed. The final vote was 27-21 in favor of raising beer strength. "We did it!" said Julie Bradford, of the nonprofit group Pop the Cap, which had worked for more than two years to change the law. Asheville's Highland Brewing Company has already brewed a batch of 8% Scottish-style ale, for which it will now seek permits to sell in North Carolina, said brewery founder Oscar Wong. Under the current law, which dated to the repeal of Prohibition, beers in North Carolina are limited to 6% alcohol by volume, although much stronger wines and potent liquors were permitted. Only six states still held beer to 6% alcohol. http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002650.php BAVARIAN DIRNDLS 'SAFE' Bavarians breathed a collective sigh of relief this week when they learned legislation would not force barmaids in beer gardens to cover up. Under the EU's Optical Radiation Directive, employers of staff who work outdoors in high-risk professions must ensure they cover up against the risk of sunburn. Rumors swept Bavaria early in the week that the law could mean the demise of the dirndl. Bavarian barmaids typically dress in a costume known as a dirndl, a dress and apron with a tight, low-cut top whose figure-hugging effect is enhanced by a short white blouse. Officials finally said that working in a beer garden is not considered a high-risk occupation - at least for sun exposure. http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002649.php WINE 'WINS' POLL; SALES FIGURES TELL DIFFERENT STORY Is wine really supplanting beer as America's favorite alcoholic beverage? A recent Gallup poll would indicate so, although sales figures provide a different answer. The Gallup survey found that 63% of Americans drink alcohol, and that 39% of them say they drink wine more often than any other alcoholic beverage. Beer drinkers account for 36% with spirits drinkers making up 21%. Last year the numbers were reversed, with 39% preferring beer and 33% wine. In 1992, only 27% said they drank wine on a regular basis. On the flip side, consumers spent $82 billion on beer in 2004, $49 billion on distilled spirits and $23 billion on wine. http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002634.php *******************WEB WATCH******************* BELIGUM CAME TO COOPERSTOWN Stephen Beaumont writes that in its second year as a beer festival, Belgium Comes to Coopertown has turned into quite a festival. He notes the 2005 fest proved that the events has become a draw for experimental brewers, led by none other than Ommegang's own Randy Thiel. http://www.worldofbeer.com/features/ PORTLAND: BEER VIA STREETCARS The weblog Rooftop Brew offers a very nice map of beer bars and brewpubs in downtown Portland that are accessible by streetcar. http://freed.dyndns.org/gis/BA_Map.pdf *****************ADVERTISEMENTS***************** AGER TANK & EQUIPMENT CO. We offer high quality used filling and packaging equipment for the food and beverage industries. We help companies dispose of equipment they have outgrown and replace that equipment with high quality machinery that better meets their needs. Check our vast inventory for reliable equipment you need for a fraction of the cost. http://www.ager-tank-equipment.com NORTH COUNTRY MALT SUPPLY Offers online ordering for a wide variety of world class brewing products for experienced homebrewers. Check out the site today and download our Home Brew Catalog. Commercial brewers, visit our special commercial brewers section or call for latest bulk quotes. Great prices for the freshest quality are just a click away. http://www.northcountrymalt.com WORLD BREWING ACADEMY WEB-BASED COURSES The World Brewing Academy Web-based courses bring world-class brewing training to you via the Internet. With extensive supervision by brewmaster Ian Stanners (formerly of Molson Brewing), you will get the professional brewing education you need without the expense of travel. Get complete information on our web site http://www.worldbrewingacademy.com ************************************************ MILWAUKEE STILL LOVES BEER Milwaukee remains true to its image as a beer-loving town, according to Scarborough Research. The New York firm called Milwaukee the top local market for beer drinkers, as more than 54% of consumers 21+ there drank beer during the past month. The Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) and Denver follow with 53% and 51% - then Albany, Boston, and St. Louis at 50%. Salt Lake City in Utah ranked last among metropolitan areas with beer consumption at 23%. Scarborough found beer drinkers are more likely to be between the ages of 21-34 and affluent. Its research showed 44% of U.S. adults ages 21 and older drank, and these consumers include more than half of all 21-34 year-olds. Today's beer drinkers are 23% more likely than all consumers to have an annual household income of $100k+. http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002627.php GENTLEMEN, START YOUR TAPS When you need a glass of draft beer fast, inventor Matthew Younkle says he has the solution. Younkle's TurboTap pours a 16-ounce glass in 2.5 seconds, compared to 8 seconds from other beer taps. More than 1,000 bars in the Chicago area, as well as both Chicago baseball stadium, have begun using TurboTap. Younkle came up for the idea 10 years ago when he was a student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Younkle, an engineering major, created a nozzle that slowed the descent of the beer and reduced the force of its impact. That means less foam, allowing bartender to pour faster. He produced a prototype in college and won an inventor's prize in a campus competition. http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002630.php ONTARIO MAPS CRAFT BEER ROUTE The Ontario Craft Brewers and the LCBO last week unveiled an Ontario Craft Beer Route, spotlighting 25 breweries between Windsor (Walkerville Brewing Co.) and Ottawa (Heritage Brewing in Carleton Place). "It's the next step in establishing a world-class beer experience right here in Ontario," said Brick Brewing Co. president Jim Brickman. Ontario has committed $5 million to the OCB for a five-year strategic plan to boost awareness about the province's brewing industry, encourage tourism and ensure local job creation. http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002644.php 9,000-YEAR-OLD RECIPE Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware has brewed another ancient beer, this time replicating one made in China about 9,000 years ago. The brewery turned a previous one, which was based on a 2,700-year-old recipe found in Turkey, into Midas Touch Golden Elixir, a regular beer in its portfolio. The most recent historic brew, Chateau Jiahu, was served only in the brewery's restaurant-pub and special dinners but a larger batch may be brewed in the fall and eventually go into regular production. The recipe for Chateau Jiahu included rice, honey, and grape and hawthorn fruits. Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione started with a formula from archaeologists who derived it from the residues of pottery jars found in the late Stone Age village of Jiahu in northern China. http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002633.php NARRAGASETT BEER HEADS 'HOME' A Rhode Island man hops to revive Narragansett Lager Beer, one of the most popular brands in the state's history. Mark D. Hellendrung, 37, of Middletown, the former president of Nantucket Nectars, was part of a small group of New England investors who last month bought the rights to the Narragansett beer brand from the Pabst brewing organization. Narragansett beer was especially popular in the 1960s with well-known slogans and jingles, such as "Hi neighbor, have a 'Gansett." Its Cranston brewery closed in the early 1980s, and production moved out-of-state. "I just wanted to bring it back to Rhode Island and do it right," Hellendrung said. http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002639.php *********************************************** QUOTE OF THE MONTH "We like extreme beers. But I tell people you don't drink those every day. Have a Mahr's (Ungespoundet Hefetr�b) Br�u, have two. It's a session beer. A beer should create an experience, leave you something to remember. This one's not going to be Tom Cruise in a movie, it's going to be a great supporting character." - Drew Hagen, beer manager at the Corkscrew Wine Emporium in Urbana, Ill. ********************************************** MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT To change your newsletter preferences at Realbeer.com please go to: http://www.realbeer.com/shared/subscribe Just sign in and make the changes you want. If you don't remember your password, you'll find a link to a page that will allow us to email it to you. 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