A Visit to Hamburg Brewing Company

The first word that comes to mind after visiting the Hamburg Brewing Company is "corporate". It is not corporate. It is one of western New York's newest independent craft breweries. Located just off route 219 in Hamburg, the brewery boasts all the bells, whistles, and ambiance of a craft brewery that's exploded into a conglomerate. That's part of what makes this brewery hard to take in. For a start up brewing less than a year this place is posh. Everything from the brewing equipment to the pub is high end and new.

With time to kill and sans kids on a Saturday afternoon, we strolled down the way and dropped in on the brewery. Walking up the main entrance of the facility to the aroma of brewing makes for a strong first impression. Stroll down the hallway, past the brewing facility, to what can best be described as a cavernous, ski lodge-themed pub taken straight of the slopes in Vail or Banf or where ever the rich folk go in winter. It's beautiful if not daunting but at the end of the day people visit a brewery for one thing.

We sampled a few of the flavors including No Lux and OMS. Previously, we sampled the Oktoberfest while dining in the big city. All of the beers are solid if conservative. Hamburg Brewing Company strives for quality above all else. While they nail quality they lack in creativity. If you're looking for crazy experiment a la Dogfish Head you're looking at the wrong brewery. Hamburg Brewing makes the kind of beer you enjoy while your drinking but rarely seek out. We enjoyed the brews but it's hard to envision trolling the local beer stores asking for the latest from HBC.

What the brewery lacks is passion. Passion is the difference between quality and excellence. These guys obviously love craft beer and put up the bucks to prove it. The facility is impressive and the beer is spot on. The facility and the beer are also a little sterile. Nothing about the operation evokes an emotion - good or bad. The flip is they are new and starting out with quality is probably the single most important factor for the long-term viability of a craft brewery (well, after money). I don't know how or when they take the next step but there's potential. In fact, there's so much quality and potential that we took a growler of OMS home.

Why So Serious?

Though focused on the craft brew segment, we have a place in our hearts for Budweiser; a place that is growing smaller by the day. Those paying attention at home know that Bud is constantly battling with Bud in Europe. While we don't necessarily support the home team (home being relative now that the American Bud is owned by InBev) but we understand the obvious business issue. You can't have two Budweisers anymore than you can have two FoMoCos (hmmm....two Mustangs?).

We learned via HuffingtonPost that Budweiser is not taking the battle to wine by ordering Budini wine to stop using the name Budini. As it turns out, AB-InBev claims the "trademark for all alcoholic beverages beginning with letters BUD." We strongly encourage you to check out the story and find out why Budini importers, now importing Bodini, decided to cease and desist rather than fight Goliath.

All of this brings us back to our point that we like to have the occasional Bud. We grew up around Bud, enjoy it's taste now and again, and still think there's something inherently American and cool about ordering a bottle of Bud at the local dive. So, if you're from the Budweiser family and reading this please stop being a corporate bully. It's easy enough to hate global conglomerates (and non-conglomerates). We support buying local but don't make us go all hardcore because we're not cut out for cloth bags at the grocery store and living the "vegan lifestyle."

Nobody Circles the Wagons

A few months back we talked about the brewing renaissance in our adopted hometown.  Today, we're bringing you a brewing renaissance in our actual hometown, Buffalo, NY.  Sitting on the shores of Lake Erie, Buffalo has a rich brewing history.  Well, it did through the mid-1970s when the last brewery in town, the Iroquois Brewery, closed its doors.  But in it's heyday Buffalo boasted more than 35 breweries.

It's a tough economy in upstate NY but the people of Buffalo are tough too.  Since the collapse of the steel industry, the region has struggled to rebuild its economy.  Urban planning consists of little more than looking for a silver bullet (a great read is Power Failure).  The Adelphia Tower collapsed with the rest of the cable company.  Bass Pro was never coming.  The new Peace Bridge is coming next year, again.  NFTA still owns the waterfront.

Sounds pretty bleak but it's always darkest before the dawn and every cloud has a silver lining.  It's not clear if you can see the silver lining just before dawn but that's not the point.  The medical corridor has been quietly revitalizing parts of the city and seems to be poised for major gains.  Buffalo is a micro-financial center with headquarters for HSBC*, M&T Bank, and First Niagara.  Yahoo! opened a data center nearby and Verizon may be next.  Moog and Fisher-Price are nearby.  CNBC recently ranked Buffalo-Niagara the second best place to relocate to in the US.  Forbes called it the third most affordable to live in.

And, now Buffalo is rebuilding its brewing community.  Flying Bison is back and better than before.  The Blue Monk is open for business.  Pearl Street Grill & Brewery continues to be an anchor for downtown.  This long-winded ode to home leads us to Community Beer Works - the newest brewing endeavor in Buffalo.  We've mentioned CBW in the past but today we bring you a conversation with Ethan Cox, one of the founders of the company (special thanks to CBW's Dan Conley for pulling this together).  Enjoy!

Background

DB:  How did you get into brewing and how did it become a business idea?

CBW:  Well, there are nine of us collectively in this thing, and we vary from investors & advisers to homebrewers & jacks-of-all-trades.  So, we have varied paths to get here.  Myself, I’ve been homebrewing since college, though grad school and even still.  I’ve been a lover of all things beer for a while, and this was just a natural consequence of a bunch of things coming together.  Did I chose it, or did it choose me?  I wonder.

DB:  Can a nanobrewery really be profitable?

CBW:  We’re not anticipating being in the black right off the bat, like any startup.  And, it’s only sustainable, in our eyes, because we see a limited period of “sweat equity” (= no pay) and rapid growth.  That said, what’s “profitable?”  Some of these breweries are sustainable at a hobby level or slightly more, and I’m sure their owners are really happy with what they do and the level they’re doing it at.  Our business plan and financials will quickly allow some 4 to 5 of use to make a good living making good beer, and that’s essentially the minimum we’re shooting for.  Not like we’ll avoid exceeding expectations, mind you!

DB:  The raging debate in the craft industry is around defining a “nanobrewery”.  Care to provide your definition or is this much ado about nothing?

CBW:  We don’t want to get embroiled in a debate about categories--doesn’t that happen enough in beer already?--but, we are grateful that people before us have paved the way for making a startup of this size a viable idea, and for documenting the process.  We were reading about all these great brewers like Hess and Blind Bat, and we thought: “There it is, it’s for us, let’s do that.”  As to when, precisely Sam Adams is no longer “craft” and questions of the like- here: I like some of Sam’s beers and I buy them sometimes, and Hair Of The Dog, too.  Isn’t that good enough?

The Brewery

DB:  Who will make your system?

CBW:  All the BTUs and controls, and as well, the heat transfer system, are being fabricated by Chris Breimayer at Psychobrew, in Michigan.  We looked initially at a Sabco--who doesn't?--but thankfully, with some input from Paul at Blind Bat, we realized that maybe 10 gallon batches was too crazy, and that 1.5bbl was just crazy enough.  Then we had to shop for some stainless, and we found Stout tanks & kettles in Portland. John Watt’s products are just beautiful, and he was able and willing to build us the kettles we really wanted to have on the burners- it’s a RIMS, and it’ll be nice and precise.  The tanks he’s assembling are also custom-sized for our batches, and they’ll be air-cooled in bays we’re building off our walk-in cooler.  It’s a bit unconventional, perhaps, but we can rock it.

DB:  According to reports, CBW hopes to have a series of nanobreweries across the city.  Is CBW operating like a franchise?

CBW:  Well, for time time being, we just want to get one brewery open, for sure.  As for expansion, we’ll see exactly which way that goes when we can better analyze our growth curve.  We are interested in doing other projects in the area, but not necessarily a series of nano-breweries.

DB:  You getting any help from the good folks at Flying Bison?

CBW:  Oh, of course.  We’re trying to learn as much as we can on our our own, but Tim is an excellent brewer and a super resource, he’s very approachable.  As we continue our transition from paper to brick-and-mortar brewery, I know we’ll be drawing on all the brewing resources in the community. As a bunch of current and experienced homebrewers, too, I know we’ll be soliciting advice from both the industry and the hobby levels- I talk to Ian & Bert at Niagara Traditions homebrew shop frequently.

The Brew

DB:  Want to tip your hand on what you will brew?

CBW:  Our main beer will be an American Pale Ale, we just love a good session beer, and it is the quintessential American microbrew revolution beer, perfected in Northern California, but certainly something we can do and do well.  As homebrewers, we’re off and developing prototypes even now.  We like the style in part because it makes for a good, local beer, in that freshness really matters for good hop expression.  It is just a beautiful well-rounded and approachable brew.

We’re also going to have a saison right off the bat, which is because we love the complexity and depth of that style: it pairs with so many kinds of food, it’s a style with a great history, it has beer geek gravitas, and quite frankly, we all like to suck ‘em down.  They are a challenge to brew and will need some real attention, but we’ll also hand-bottle, cork, cage & label them initially and it’ll be a fun offering.

DB:  Is there a Dumbarton’s Ale in the business plan?

We’re definitely planning to do lots of one-off batches, that’s the beauty of a small and flexible beginning.  What kind of beer is a Dunbarton Ale?  I somehow suspect it is got some Scots to it, so that’s good because a slow, cold ferment is definitely a Buffalo-style beer: Let’s talk!

Activism

DB:  You’ve indicated plans of incorporating urban farms and community gardens.  How will they be incorporated into the work of the brewery?  Do you risk trying to do too much?

CBW:  We’re very much committed to responsible brewing and business practice- it’s just the kind of people we are but also we think it’s the way to be a successful business.  We’re far from the first brewery to incorporate green practices into the brewhouse, and we’ll be limited initially, too.  Green doesn’t mean DIY, all the time.  We’re looking at solar water for pre-heating our brewing water- this will save money on gas, primarily.  Worms will eat our spent grain, and that in turn will contribute to a aquaponic fish farm on the west side- it’s perfectly symbiotic, apparently worms love grain, so all we have to do is arrange the transfer.  As for gardens- on down the road, maybe some minimal hops, or specialty grains which we lovingly malt ourselves, enough for something like an “Urban Estate” ale?  We’ll see, but we’re not afraid to put our ideals into our business.

Last Thoughts

DB:  Planes, Trains, and Automobiles or The Natural?

CBW:  It’s gotta be Planes, Trains and Automobiles.  We’re comi-tragic!

DB:  Thoughts on the new Sabres uniforms?

Fuck Yeah!  Old School Rules!

DB:  What else should we know about Community Beer Works?

Our favorite air-guitar player is definitely Bjorn Turoque

Qualia Coffee, Qualia Beer

Right around the corner from the homestead is a little, locally-owned coffee shop.  If you're thinking Qualia Coffee is little more than a locally-owned Starbucks you couldn't be more mistaken.  Qualia is a coffee shop.  Starbucks is a retail store focused on a coffee product.  Qualia sells coffee and a few pastries.  You can get a cappuccino, a latte, tea, and coffee.Nothing more, nothing less.  If you want a dark cherry frappucino with extra whip you know where to go. 

Qualia Coffee is run by an area resident who knows coffee like we know beer.  Actually, he knows a lot more about coffee than we could ever hope to know about beer.  The owner, Joel, is in the shop every day of the week logging hours only small business owners can handle.  What really makes the shop is that every bean in the place is roasted on site.  You can't get a fresher cup of coffee inside the beltway.

It's great when you can live in the big city and find a nice locally-owned shop where you can meet the neighbors, have a great conversation with the employees, and swap some beer.  That's right - Qualia recently introduced a beer swap. (You didn't think this was going to be only about coffee did you?)  Every other Friday evening staff and neighbors get together after hours to enjoy a few cold ones and we don't mean ice coffee.

The rules are simple.  Show up around 8p with a six pack of any craft, American brew or a sampling of your home brew.  Drop said brew in the communal cooler.  Start drinking - your beer or any other in the cooler.

We attended the swap this past Friday.  Several of us braved the elements and we were able to sample 4 different beers, including a Scratch from Troegs and 2 home brews.  There was more to sample but we had our share.  In two weeks we'll be back for more.  In the meantime, we'll drop by regularly for our caffeine fix.

Made in America, Named for a Russian

It's taken us a couple of years to get around to Old Rasputin. The North Coast Brewing Company's one off Russian Imperial Stout has caught our eyes since version X. We were tempted but always found a reason to find something else - much to our chagrin. Fortunately, our trusty assistant had enough of our tomfoolery and picked up the 500 ml corked and caged XII anniversary bottle. There's a reason "trusty" is part of her title.

The North Coast Brewing Company ages Old Rasputin in bourbon barrels. Some prefer to pour it into a snifter or fancy after dinner drink glass but we're old school and pour everything into a pint. Old Rasputin pours black - not just dark. The head is rather thick but while it comes down your reminded of a light chocolate mousse. Long term, the head stays thin and chocolate looking - a nice offset against the black of the brew.

This is a somewhat complex beer. We've mentioned chocolate a couple of times for a reason. You will find it in the aroma and in the flavor. However, that's far from the beginning and end of the story. You get a hint of the bourbon in the aroma but it really comes across in the finish of the taste. You might also stumble upon a faint coffee flavor.

Old Rasputin is surprisingly smooth. The carbonation is medium and there is not a lot of bitterness; which is not to say there is no bitterness but there is just enough to offset the sweetness. This is a stout with strong flavor so you would expect it to be heavier but you will go through the 500 ml with surprising ease. At 11.2 percent alcohol it's best served when you're not driving home.

Needless to say we will snap up XIII if our paths cross. We tasted XII after it "aged" at home for about a month. We use the term "aged" loosely but it inspires us to purchase a couple of bottles of XIII - one for immediate consumption and a couple for long-term aging.

Flying Bison Sale Approved; Brewing in Queen City to Resume Soon

The Buffalo News reported today that Flying Bison, which had temporarily shut down production, is expected to start brewing under new ownership on March 1, 2010. According to the report, shareholders of FBBC approved the sale to FX Matt and brewing halted while the paperwork is finalized. Said Tim Herzog, "[w]e’ve got to have all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed before we can get some malt in here and start making beer again." (Note: we first reported the potential sale in late January).

On February 2, 2010, the Flying Bison Web site stated the retail shop and brewery would be closed until March 1, 2010. The Web site was updated today indicating no specific date for re-opening again noting the joys of paperwork.

The statement reads: "Despite stories to the contrary in the Buffalo News from February 23, FBBC is still neck deep in paperwork, and nothing is solidified at the moment. Please stay tuned here to find out the latest, and most accurate information regarding the future of FBBC.

Unfortunately, due to some unforseen circumstances the FBBC Retail Shop will continue to be closed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for your patience while we continue to dot "i's" and cross "t's". Stay tuned!"

Nothing creative brewers and entrepreneurs enjoy more than paperwork.

Overall, it appears the news remains positive about Buffalo's favorite brewery. The language noted above certainly sounds as if it's simply a matter of time before brewing starts. Further, the Buffalo News article reminds readers of FX Matt's vow to keep brewing FBBC in the Queen City.

Brewery on the Brink

Over the last 30 years the microwbrewing industry has grown exponentially. In 1990, there were less than 100 breweries operating in the United States. By 2009, that number increased to well over 1,500 breweries. Much of this growth is due to the renaissance of the local brewing company (craft brewing). In 2008 the craft brewing industry crew by nearly 6 percent by volume while producing some 8.6 million barrels of beer. In the first half 2009, the craft brewing industry continued its boom with growth of 5 percent by volume and 9 percent by sales. At the same time overall sales of beer were actually down 1.3 percent.

In 2000, a couple of hometown heroes in Buffalo, NY, Tim Herzog (pictured) and Patrick Mullins, started the Flying Bison Brewing Company. The first commercial brewery in Buffalo since 1972,* FBBC offered a unique flight line of brews from a couple of guys who got their start brewing at home. (Larry "Red" Mrozek was Mr. Herzog's original partner but he passed away before the brewery opened.)

Despite a slow start, FBBC started making headway in Western New York. Exported from Buffalo's Black Rock Neighborhood, the flight line can now be found in more than 100 stores and pubs across the region. Aviator Red is the standout of FBBC's 4 flagship brews. The company boasts an additional 6 seasonal brews and they recently unveiled Rusty Chain Beer; a collaboration with Green Options Buffalo, Buffalo Rising, and Buffalo MicroParks. Rusty Chain is a community effort promoting the positive impacts of bicycle riding.

We've had our share of FBBC brews, particularly focusing on Aviator Red and were disheartened recently to find the company in dire financial straits. The growth of the craft industry was not enough for FBBC to offset the difficult economy of Western New York (Buffalo is the 3rd poorest city in the US) and the skyrocketing costs of brewing ingredients. A craft brewer in the nation's poorest of cities can't simply raise prices on the consumer when the costs of raw materials go up.

According to reports in The Buffalo News, FBBC sales had been rising. According one report, 2008 sales increased by $25,000. It's just not enough to stay in the black and keep the lenders at bay, particularly when material costs increased by $35,000. Said one FBBC shareholder, "A couple of years ago, Tim was right on the edge of turning the corner and really making it."

Is there a silver lining to this dark cloud? Sort of. If you're the romantic entrepreneur type waiting for a Tommy Boy-like story you will be disappointed. If there's good news to report it's that Mr. Herzog offers a compelling product. So compelling that F.X. Matt Brewing Company in Utica, NY has already placed an offer to purchase the company and keep brewing operations in Buffalo for the immediate future. FX has the capacity to purchase raw materials for less and efficiencies can also be had in the bottling operations. “Utica is very efficient at doing long runs, Buffalo is very good at doing short runs,” said Steve Jackson, a shareholder and member of Flying Bison’s board of directors. “The two facilities would complement each other.”


According to reports, FX will brew Flying Bison in Utica with specialty runs of Saranac and FBBC to be brewed in the Buffalo brewery. FX CEO Nick Matt said "[w]e like Flying Bison as a Buffalo-based brand, and we think there is more opportunity for a Buffalo-branded product. Frankly, we think it can be a lot bigger than it is today."

The story is not quite over as the shareholders of FBBC must approve the sale to FX (the vote will occur on February 11, 2010). If approved, Mr. Herzog will be offered an employment contract. If the sale is not approved by shareholders, Sear Capital, an Austin-based investment firm with Buffalo roots, may submit an offer.



*Iroquois Brewing 1830-1972

Sources: The Buffalo News (January 20th and January 24th 2010), ArtVoice, Flying Bison Brewing Company. Statistics from the Brewers Association Craft Brewing Facts.

Scent of a Woman

Blue Marble Energy, based in Seattle, Washington, is creating perhaps the world's first beer perfume. Actually, they're not even using beer. BME is using the waste product that comes from making beer. EOS is being created by BME in conjunction with Seattle's Sweet Anthem. The EOS line is available for Her and Unisex. "Both are petrochemical-free, containing only bioderived and organic materials", and carbon neutral.

As the story goes, "James Stephens of Blue Marble Energy says the product is a viscous sludge - a mixture of about 50,000 different kinds of bacteria." This sounds a lot like the type of "perfume" any woman can get free of charge at a college pub crowded with underage men spilling beer while shamelessly trying to "hit that". Surely the average college student has 50,000 kinds of bacteria, particularly fraternity brothers. You know, the scent that makes women shower when they get home from the bars at 3am.

If you're a chump you can buy it here or you can simply send us $30 (cash only please) and we'll send you a 12 ounce bottle of skunked beer.

For giggles we bring you this not un-related homage to perfume:

Texas: Don't Mess with Shiner Bock

Yesterday we went on a work bender, day trip to Houston, Texas. The cab picked us up promptly at 5:30 am for a 7:30 am out of BWI. By mid-morning we were in Texas where remarkably few people wanted to discuss the possibility of secession. Back at the the George Bush Intercontinental Airport by late-afternoon we decided there is no better state than Texas to introduce our 50 Beers in 50 States agenda.

Councourse E of GBI Airport has Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen, which we understand to one of the gem's of Houston. You can't always find a local restaurant in an airport so we ponied up a seat and quenched our thirst with Shiner Bock. Shiner is not hard to find in our part of the country but it's a brewery worthy of kicking off this tradition. The Spoetzel Brewery has been in Shiner, Texas since 1909 and even today it's a small town of around 2,000 residents. Shiner Bock is a smooth beer (the brewers appropriately call it mellow) that's highly drinkable. It would make for a good, everyday beer for any self-respecting Texan.

You will not find a lot of details on the brew itself as this series is more about the beer complimenting the atmosphere. Drinking Bock in Houston - even if it's only in the airport, in a seafood kitchen rather than a steakhouse - makes you feel like a Texan. After several Bock's we took a long nap on the flight home dreaming of F-150's, ZZ Top, and our next trip to the Lone Star State.

Shaq Vs. The Environment

Nobody likes skunked beer but we all have a couple of bottles in the back of the refrigerator. You know, the ones from last summer's 4th of July blowout where you bet the neighbor that fireworks couldn't possibly take off a finger. Well stumpy, now we have a use for that old beer.

The folks at E-Fuel Micro Fueler (wonder if they make fuel?) claim that "fuel from old beer, leftover wine and other waste products and use it to run their vehicles." It can also be used to run generator systems taking your house off the electric grid. According to the Los Angeles Times article, the system includes a 250 gallon tank that converts waste to pure ethanol. The still itself also serves as a fuel pump. The only waste is distilled water.

GreenHouse International, the company distributing the fuel systems, has a contract with Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Gordon Biersch, and Sierra Nevada. The plan is for GHI to pick up wasted beer from the breweries and deliver it to home-based mircofuelers.

Sure, saving the environment is fun but this is America so let's talk about the bottom line. The E-Fuel system runs around $10,000. "Factoring in the $5,000 federal tax credit, an annual household fuel consumption of 2,080 gallons and a $2 charge a gallon, GreenHouse estimates the average consumer payback time is about two years." If you use it for your car you'll get a lower gas mileage (according to the E-Fuel Web site the long-term goal is to have your ethanol cost only $1 per gallon) but your ride will contribute 38 percent less CO2 on the road.

We give it the Dumbarton stamp of approval. Within a couple of years you break even, you're helping the environment, and you're weening yourself off the addiction to oil. It doesn't hurt that Shaquille O'Neal is one of the E-Fuel investors.

gone Dogfishin'

It's not quite like getting an exclusive with Lebron James but this is a big week for us. The Trusty Assistant and her gang of merry men kicked off DC's 2009 Beer Week at Brasserie Beck for the Dogfish Head Happy Hour.

The Beck is known for it's French/Belgian food and brew. Today, they made room at the bar for some of Delaware's finest. From 5:00 - 7:00p it was a first-come-first-serve attack on the brewery fast becoming known for international ingredients. Most know Dogfish Head for their IPAs and rightfully so. Raison D'Etra speaks for itself. However, the Dogfish is walking the cutting edge with ancient recipes and ancient ingredients. It's fast becoming their new niche and they do it well. Raison, Theobroma, and Fort were on tap at $5.50 per this evening.

We focused on Theobroma. The Dogfish Head Rep told us "it's not as hot as you think", which conjures up images of suicide wings and a dare we couldn't pass up. The other bonus of Theobrama is that it is based on cocoa - like all that is good in life. The flyer at the bar notes that this brew includes "Aztec cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, honey, chiles, and annatto." It's a beer and it's hot. Not suicide wings hot but it leaves the taste buds tingling.

We paired Theobrama with the lamb sandwich and some of the best fries in the District. The two make a good pairing but given the Beck's offerings you could pair just about anything with Theobrama. You might also try the Quiche Lorraine.

The only negative to report is that the Beck ran out of both Theobrama and Fort. Sure, Raison is a good brew but running out of the rarities puts a damper on the festivities. It was a two-hour event so there's no good excuse for not allowing patrons to drink and be merry.

By Life and Limb

DogFish Head and Sierra Nevada announced a collaboration that will result in two new beers. Limb & Life will be a draft only brew available in October. Life & Limb will be released in 24 ounce bottles this November. According to the Dogfish announcement both brews are dedicated to "the family of beer drinkers and enthusiasts worldwide who continue to support the little guys, iconoclasts, entrepreneurs, and pioneers who risk life and limb to shape the vibrant craft-brewing community."

Life & Limb will be 10 percent ABV and feature maple syrup grown on the Caglione family farm in Massachusetts and barley grown on the Grossman farm in Chico, CA. It will include birch syrup from Alaska and a yeast blended from both brew houses. The brewers describe it as "a sipper" where as Limb & Life is a 5 percent session brew featuring the residual sugar of the first brew.

DC Beer Week - This Time It's Official

In May, we brought you the unofficial beer week in Washington, DC that culminated in the SAVOR event at the National Building Museum. We are pleased to bring you the Inaugural DC Beer Week as mentioned in the Washington City Paper and detailed on the Fermentation Education group page on Facebook. The festivities kick off on August 16th and run through August 21st.

The highlights:

August 16th: “Unity Jam” at Rock & Roll Hotel - $20 gets you ten 4 oz. sample pours of rare craft beers.

August 17th: Dogfish Head Happy Hour at Brasserie Beck. 5-7 pm

August 18th: Rogue Oregon Oyster and Ale Festival at The Reef. 5-10 pm

August 19th: Belgian Beer Invades the Capitol at Capitol Lounge. 5 pm

August 20th: Brew at the Zoo After Party at Asylum, 9:30 pm

August 21st: Nationals v. Brewers - Drink the Nationals Park’s microbrews. Beer Week attendees receive 25 percent off tickets in selected areas.

There are many more events going on this week so make sure you check the DC Beer Week Web site. You will also find participating breweries and restaurants.

Cheers!

Don't Call it A Comeback!

If you ever lived in upstate NY you know Genesee Beer has been here for years. According to a Triangle Business Journal article, North American Breweries (formed by KPS Capital Partners after purchasing Labatt USA and Genessee Brewing Company) is investing $10 million into the Rochester, NY company. The money, some of which has already been invested, will be used for repairs, equipment upgrades, and investments that will increase efficiencies.

We are particularly excited about this development not because it's the rebirth of a glorious, high quality brand. Rather, it's an old school favorite in Western New York best known by our parents and grandparents...and maybe we cut our teeth on it during the prohibition years.


Cheers!

Rising Tide of Beer Lifts the Economy

Was there ever really any doubt? When the economy's good we celebrate with a cold one at the game. When the economy's bad we drown our sorrows in beer. More accurately, you might suggest that beer is an intricate part of the economy because beer is an intricate part of our culture. Like "Folgers in your cup", the Mudville Nine, Mark Twain, and fireside chats beer is America.

The NBWA states that the beer distribution industry alone accounts for more than 91,000 jobs in the United States. Overall, more than 1 million people work in the beer industry, which creates $28 billion in payroll. When the taxman comes, the beer industry contributes more than $41 billion to the federal, state, and local governments in the US.

According to one article, the beer industry brings $13.7 billion to the state of Colorado and accounts for $1.2 million of their state, local, and federal taxes. The Baltimore Business Journal reports that beer alone contributes $2.25 billion to Maryland's economy and $4.29 billion to Virginia. In the Washington, DC, the beer industry has 3,388 jobs. It also generates more than $121 in tax revenue (federal and local). See how beer impacts your state and local economy at Beer Serves America.

Man, we are really thirsty.
Cheers!

Cheers All Around for Labatt Blue

As part of the big agreement to purchase Anhieser-Busch, InBev was required to sell off some of its other brewing interests. Way back in November 2008, InBev announced that it would sell Labatt USA to make the folks at the Department of Justice happy.

Yesterday came word that the buyer is KPS Capital Partners, a private equity firm out of New York City (what Cerbus Capital is to Chrysler) with the added bonus that the US headquarters will remain in our beloved Buffalo, NY. In what is a rare upstate-downstate partnership KPS reportedly hopes to increase the number of jobs in the company (Editor's note: this is a promise oft made to Buffalo residents. See Adelphia case study).

So, one of our favorite Canadian brews will remain safely in the hands of upstate New York - for the time being.
Cheers!

Hell's Bells

Despite a previous post, we do have a love for Michigan's Bell's Brewery. Maybe it's because Bell's makes us think of AC/DC's Angus Young parading on stage in his darling schoolboy uniform while blasting through chords handed down by the guitar gods or maybe it's just that they make good beer. Despite being bitch-slapped by the real estate crash, the Detroit Lions, and the slow bleed of the big three, blue staters have Bell's as a point of pride. Today's choice - Kalamazoo Stout.

This was love at first sight - literally. The label includes a sketch of a grumpy looking old guy with glasses and substantial balding. You might mistake him for Red in That '70s Show. We admit it, sometimes we purchase beer because of the label. Television taught us well.

The beer itself pours very dark and finishes with a nice thick head that's somewhat dark brown. It really is the ideal stout. In other words, it makes for a great drink or a great meal. A good mix of nutty, chocolate, coffee, and perhaps molasses flavors. Kalamazoo starts sweet and finishes with a hint of bitter. It's 6 percent alcohol and, according to Bell's, comes in at a light 220 calories per bottle. Don't let the calorie count or the looks deceive you. It's hard not to drink this beer quickly because it goes down smooth.

Fortunately, it's brewed and available year round. Bell's lists 13 states where you can get Kalamazoo but we found ours in DC - which is not listed. So, keep an eye open for a grumpy old man in the beer cooler. If he's on the shelf grab him by the six pack. If he's in the aisle grab him only if he appears to have fallen asleep in his hoveround.

Love Hate Love

InBev, you continue to be the bane of our existence. You are the corporate version of that relationship everybody has once in life. She's relatively pretty or even hot, somehow mysterious (maybe it's the French accent or maybe she's goth), the sex is crazy, the partying is crazier, late nights and work hangovers are the norm. It's white hot for three minutes and you spend the next 6 months (sort of) trying to end things. Looking back you loved every minute of it. You hated every minute of it too. InBev, you are the destructive relationship we can't escape.
Why can't we let you go? It's the beer. Stella Artois (for telling the bar you are a beer snob), Hoegaarden (bitches n' hoes), Leffe (we don't know what "abbey beer" means but we like it), and Budweiser (back to our roots, American).

Why do we hate you? We gave the benefit of the doubt when you gobbled up Anheuser-Busch and you promptly thanked us by dismissing much of the St. Louis staff. Now we get the 1-2 sucker punch of price hikes and discontinued free beer at theme parks. Starting in march your prices go up a meager 3.5 percent but, in case you didn't notice, there's a recession going on (see this story on the 2.6 million jobs lost in 2008 as a primer). We don't have rugrats running around but we always assumed the best thing about kids was taking them Busch Gardens so they can hit the rides and we can get a free beer for our troubles. Thanks for ending that. Now the kids will get to spend more time in the library and at math camp.

Pour Some Out for the Homies

We're on the soapbox this morning - a bit delayed but that's because of the hangover. We were not thrilled with the InBev purchase of Anheuser-Busch but we played the stiff upper lip. It's still brewed in America, still headquartered in St. Louis, and there is still something American cool about going into a bar and ordering a Bud. Besides, it's the way of the world for the big brewers (ahem, MolsonCoors). And when big fish eat even bigger fish do beer lovers hear it?

We knew the winds of change were blowing but less than a month into this new venture comes the announcement that A-B will be cutting 1,400 jobs - 75 percent of which are located at the St. Louis headquarters. This does not include the 415 contractor jobs that are also being cut. This will save the company $1.5 billion and that's a lot of money. Part of this is our own fault. In the Wal-Mart world we live in everybody races to the lowest price quality be damned. We're over-simplifying two very complicated issues (1-InBev's job cutting and 2-the entire economy).

We had thoughts on calling for some sort of boycott but we're taking a different strategy. Don't boycott anything - buy. Buy American. Buy local. Everywhere you can purchase a product made in America - preferably if it's an American-owned company (thereby keeping profits in America). Keep the jobs here, the middle-class labor and manufacturing and engineering jobs. This doesn't mean you can't enjoy a Molson or Blue every now and again but think about what your buying before you buy - whether it's a beer, #2 pencil, or shovel from Home Depot.