A Working Vacation

The New York Times Travel section features a wonderful vacation option for brew geeks. Very few microbrew lovers (or home brewers) can afford the start up costs for their own brewery. Others can but prefer to keep beer as a hobby. Regardless of where you are on the brewing continuum one option is working at a brewery while you're on vacation.

The Times traveled to New Hampshire's Woodstock Inn Station and Brewery to speak with folks learning about the brewing process while making life easier for brewer Errol Chase. Of course, Dogfish Head has been offering a similar program for some time. The article also highlights unique vacation offerings by Sam Adams, Anheuser-Busch, and Rogue. You can find links to these programs in the article.

One option close to Washington, DC is the Shenandoah Brewing Company. While you can't help out the Brewmaster at Shenandoah you can check out the facility and make some home brew on site (with guidance from the experienced staff). You can also pick up some of their brews and requisite merchandise. All of this can be accomplished in a day trip to Shenandoah. You have to come back for a second visit within a couple of weeks to pick up your home brew.

Road trip anybody?

(SAVOR) Tickets Sold Out!

The ultimate craft beer and food experience in Washington, DC, SAVOR, returns to the National Building Museum on June 5, 2010. Tickets went on sale to the general public at 10:00 a.m. this morning and the event is already sold out.

So, if you haven't already purchased your tickets you're going to miss out on the likes of Deschutes Brewery, Lost Abbey, and Stone Brewing Company. The beer menu is not up yet so at least you can't see what you won't be drinking.

Hey, there's always Craigslist - that's how we found tickets to the first SAVOR event.

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.

A Splash in the Face of Beer Madness

It's back - The Washington Post's fourth annual Beer Madness tournament. In case you missed it, Beer Madness is a fun rip off of the NCAA's March Madness basketball tournament; except with beer instead of basketballs. Last year's winner, Ommegang Hennepin, trounced Troegs HopBack Amber 7-2 (read the summary here).

Panelists will help The Post's Greg Kitsock and Fritz Hahn of the Going Out Gurus whittle 32 beers down to one champion. They are unpredictably going with an Olympics theme.

Follow all the fun on the Washington Post Web site or, you could participate in Dumbarton's First Annual Beer Splash Tournament (hey, if it's OK to rip off the NCAA it's OK to rip off the Post).

While we are still compiling our participating brews the Divisions will be as follows:

Division I: Cans

Division II: Locals*

Division III: Whatever Is Left in Our Refrigerator

Division IV: Big Bottles

The tourney will have 4-6 brews in each Division. Stay tuned for participants (please send along recommendations). We will uncork the tournament on March 1, 2010 and hold the finals when we get around to it. With any luck we'll be more successful than our Seven Beers of Christmas.



*within 75 miles of Washington, DC

Blizzard 2010

This is what we did about it...

The Bases Are Loaded - So Are the Players

This may come as no surprise to the experts at Gheorge but we at Dumbarton's Beer just learned that Major League Baseball allows alcohol in the players' clubhouse. Clearly a trend suggested by George H. Ruth, FoxSports reports on the issue by highlighting Miguel Cabrera's battle with alcoholism. According to writer John Paul Morosi, approximately half of MLB clubhouses make alcohol available in the clubhouse after games (generally the beverage is beer).

The National Football League, by contrast has a very different policy. "Roger Goodell has a simple, easy-to-remember policy: If you’re in the locker room, bus or airplane of an NFL team, you can’t drink. Period."

Sure, it's entirely possible the other teams in the league will see the writing on the wall and eliminate alcohol from the clubhouse but we're skeptical. Morosi thinks Bud Selig, arguably the worst commissioner in sports and in the history of MLB, could take a stand. Of course, this is MLB and their approved methodology is to turn a blind eye to any drug issue until one of their own writes a tell all book.

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.