Headlines: May 2008

The Beer Coffin

Bill Bramanti of South Chicago Heights, IL, loves Pabst Blue Ribbon. He really loves this beer. So much that he had a special PBR coffin made for the day he dies. The coffin looks like a giant can of PBR and until he dies, Bramanti will use the coffin as a beer cooler. And then? Corpus Beerum.

Posted: May 12, 2008

Hoegaarden Returns to Hoegaarden

International megabrewer InBev has decided that after June 1 all production of its world-famous witbier, Hoegaarden, will return to the brewery in the Belgian town of the same name. Currently, 20 percent of Hoegaarden is brewed at InBev’s Jupille brewery. At the end of 2006, InBev announced that it would close the Hoegaarden brewery and move all witbier production to Jupille. In Belgium, InBev also brews Jupiler, Stella Artois, Leffe and Belle-Vue.

Posted: May 12, 2008

Craft Brew Merger

Pyramid Breweries of Seattle, WA, and Magic Hat Brewing of South Burlington, VT (officially known as Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center), have announced plans for the magical member of the two craft breweries to acquire Pyramid. The deal is subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive merger agreement and all manner of due diligence reviews, consents and approvals of regulatory agencies and third parties and so forth. If that all goes according to plan, August 31, 2008, will be the date it is all put into place.

“The combination of these two well-established, high profile craft breweries will be very complementary given our respective brand portfolios and the geographies in which we predominantly operate,” said Pyramid CEO Scott Barnum. “Additionally, there will be a number of important benefits for Pyramid to be part of a private company versus continuing to operate as a stand alone public entity. This consolidation makes both good strategic and financial sense and is well timed, particularly as the beer industry’s competitive dynamics continue to intensify.”

Martin Kelly, CEO of Magic Hat said, “We have a great deal of respect for Pyramid’s brand heritage, award-winning beers and its dedicated employees, and look forward to consummating this transaction, which provides both strategic and financial benefits both to Pyramid’s and Magic Hat’s stakeholders.”

Pyramid Breweries brews beers under the Pyramid and MacTarnahan’s brand names. Pyramid also owns two alehouse restaurants adjacent to its full production breweries under the Pyramid Alehouse and MacTarnahan’s Taproom brand names in Berkeley, CA, and Portland, OR, respectively, and three alehouse restaurants in Walnut Creek and Sacramento, CA, and Seattle, WA. Magic Hat is a large East Coast brewer with a whimsical marketing style.

Posted: May 5, 2008

Pink Boots Society Launched in San Diego

Visit a brewery, and it’s usually easy to spot the brewer: he’s the guy in the black rubber boots. Unless, of course, he is a she.

Women are still very much a minority in the brewing industry, but Teri Fahrendorf, a well-respected and award-winning brewer, hopes to raise their visibility and numbers. She took the opportunity offered by the annual Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego last month to schedule the first meeting of the Pink Boots Society, dedicated to the interests of women in the beer world.

Twenty-two women—16 brewers and cellarwomen and six writers or members of the media—attended the luncheon meeting, but there was support from their male colleagues, as well. At the main trade conference, one brewer covered his work boots in fluorescent pink duct tape in a show of solidarity.

Posted: May 5, 2008

Champion Of Samuel Adams Patriot Homebrew Contest Wins Beer Lover’s Dream

Adam Walsh is a homebrewer from Massachusetts whose recipe for an IPA beat out entries from all over New England to win the 2008 Patriot Homebrew Contest hosted by The Boston Beer Co., brewers of Samuel Adams beers. With Walsh’s help, Samuel Adams will brew his Patriot Homebrew IPA at its Boston Brewery to be served at the Samuel Adams Brewhouse in Gillette Stadium during the entire 2008-2009 football season.

The Samuel Adams Patriot Homebrew Contest kicked off in August 2007 encouraging football fans who live in the six New England states to brew their own beers and submit them to the contest. The preliminary judging of all entries took place at Gillette Stadium, where five finalists advanced to the final judging, hosted by Boston Beer Co. founder Jim Koch on February 7, 2008, at the Samuel Adams Brewery in Boston.

Before submitting his IPA to the Samuel contest, Walsh tested seven batches. “I knew we were in the midst of a hops shortage and didn’t think an IPA had the chance to win,” Adam admitted. “At the last second I decided, why not?” Luckily for Walsh, Samuel Adams was able to source the hops needed for his recipe.

In addition to bragging rights and the opportunity to pour his own beer for friends and fans at Gillette Stadium, Walsh wins a cash prize of $2,000.

The 2008 Samuel Adams Patriot Homebrew Contest will kick off on August 8. Interested homebrewers can visit www.samueladams.com.

Posted: May 5, 2008

BeerMenus.com

New Yorkers who love beer now have a new way to search out their favorites. BeerMenus.com has just launched in The Big Apple. The brothers who created the site have a well-organized index of almost 1,300 beers, each cross-referenced with over 200 beer menus. Browsers can search by neighborhood, bars, prices, serving size and ABV, and it’s all backed-up with GoogleMaps. There’s a section for beer events, a beer blog and the site provides email updates. Manhattan bars lead the parade, but Brooklyn will be added the week of May 5.

Posted: May 5, 2008

TAP New York Awards to Best New York Breweries

The TAP New York beer fest on April 26 celebrated the best of New York’s breweries. Held at Hunter Mountain in the Catskill Mountains, the following breweries won awards:

The Matthew Vassar Cup—Best Breweries in the Hudson Valley
Brown’s Brewing, Troy, NY
Hyde Park Brewing, Hyde Park, NY
Olde Saratoga Brewing, Saratoga Springs, NY

F.X. Matt Memorial Cup—Best Breweries in New York State
Ithaca Beer Co., Ithaca, NY
Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
Southampton Ales & Lagers/Publick House, Southampton, NY

Best Individual Craft Beers in New York State
Gold: Ithaca 10, Ithaca Beer Co., Ithaca, NY
Silver: Flower Power IPA, Ithaca Beer Co., Ithaca, NY
Bronze: Brown Ale, Brooklyn Brewing, Brooklyn, NY

Best Individual Craft Beers in the Hudson Valley
Gold: White Ale, Olde Saratoga Brewery, Saratoga Springs, NY
Silver: American Style Triple, Captain Lawrence Brewing, Pleasantville, NY
Bronze: Mother’s Milk, Keegan Ales, Kingston, NY

Posted: May 5, 2008

The Day Beer Came Back

If you are an octogenarian, you may have vivid memories of this week 75 years ago.

In the first minutes of April 7, 1933, legal beer was served for the first time in 13 years to tens of thousands in the 19 states that were legally ready. August Busch sent a beer wagon to the president, drawn by the now-famous Clydesdales, and paid tribute in a radio address at 12:01 to “good, wholesome beer which contributes so much to good cheer, good health and true temperance.” He added “It is a great pleasure to have released the first case of beer bottled in our plant in nearly fourteen years.” The night was fondly called “New Beers Eve.”

April 7, 1933 was not the repeal of Prohibition, that failed “noble experiment,” but it was the day that Congress—recognizing an unstoppable groundswell against a national ban on alcohol—took the first step and returned beer to the people, at least to most of them.

The legal end of Prohibition came on Dec. 5, 1933, when Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment, repealing the 18th Amendment, which enacted Prohibition. North and South Carolina voted against ratification.

Anti-alcohol sentiments had been part of our national make-up since colonial days, when citizens such as Benjamin Rush, a Philadelphia physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, championed the cause of temperance to the new country. At that time, temperance meant moderation in the use of alcohol, embracing beer and wine over spirits: only later did it connote total abstinence or teetotalism.

Alarmed by the social consequences of alcohol consumption—and by the influence of saloons in particular—temperance supporters presented the first petitions to ban alcohol in the early 19th century. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union and especially the powerful Anti-Saloon League stressed the damage done to families, the domestic violence, and the impoverishment of children caused when men frequented saloons. Despite the fact that most Americans did not support Prohibition, particularly in regions of the country settled by German and middle-European immigrants, the “wet” forces were no match for the temperance alliances. The Volstead Act was ratified in 1919, and went into effect one year later.

Anyone who goes to the movies has a sense of what followed. Prohibition, being a largely a rural movement, was laxly enforced in the cities, where alcohol consumption went underground. By 1929, there were over 32,000 speakeasies in New York City alone, twice the number of legal saloons that existed before Prohibition. Law-abiding citizens who otherwise revered the Constitution found themselves dealing with bootleggers and other criminals. Lawlessness and political vice flourished as criminal mobs fought for turf and profit. Clearly, the noble experiment was causing more harm than good.

Slowly, many of the original supporters of Prohibition changed their minds. Many women who had worried about alcohol’s effects on the family—the mainstay of the temperance movement—came to see violence and corruption as greater ills. Eventually, though, it was economic need rather than concern over either organized crime or contempt for the law that drove the forces of repeal. When the Great Depression struck in 1929, the need for both jobs and government revenue focused the forces for repeal.

As a candidate for president in 1932, Franklin Roosevelt campaigned vigorously against Prohibition. Early in his presidency, in 1933, he famously commented at a dinner “I think this would be a good time for a beer.” In February 1933, Congress passed the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, to repeal the 18th Amendment, the only amendment to rescind a previous amendment.

However, ratification would take many months, and Roosevelt wanted action. He urged Congress to use its power to amend the terms of the Volstead Act, effectively exempting beer.

The 18th Amendment affected “intoxicating liquors,” which were defined in other legal language as having an alcohol content of .5 percent or less (the definition of “non-alcoholic beer” today). After much discussion, the Congress revised the definition of “intoxicating” to 3.2 percent. Following a waiting period after the president signed the bill, any state that was legally “wet” could resume the production of 3.2 beer.

Whether you remember or it or not, it’s worth raising a glass to.

Posted: April 6, 2008

2008 World Beer Cup Winners

Brewers from five continents earned awards last week in the 2008 Brewers Association World Beer Cup. Judges from around the world judged beers from 644 breweries (58 countries and 45 U.S. states) in the seventh bi-annual competition. There were 2,864 beers entered in 91 beer style categories. The top three entries in each category won gold, silver and bronze medals. The competition also gave “Champion Brewery” and “Champion Brewer” awards in each of five brewery categories based on the medals won by each brewery.

Brewers from the United States won 185 of the 268 style category awards and four of the five Champion Brewery/Brewer awards.

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery
Small Brewpub Category
Bend Brewing Company, Tonya Cornett

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery
Large Brewpub Category
Pelican Pub & Brewery, Darron R. S. Welch

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery
Small Brewing Company Category
Port Brewing Company and The Lost Abbey, Tomme Arthur

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery
Mid-Size Brewing Company Category
Privatbrauerei Hoepfner GmbH, Peter Bucher

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery
Large Brewing Company Category
Blue Moon Brewing Company, Warren Quilliam

A detailed analysis of the entries and awards is available at: www.WorldBeerCup.org.

Posted: April 21, 2008

Brewers Association 2008 Achievement Award Winners

At the Brewers Association's annual Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego last week, several achievement awards were presented to beer business individuals.

The Brewers Association Recognition Award went to Dr. Michael Lewis, Professor Emeritus of Brewing Science at the University of California, Davis.

The Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Brewing was awarded to Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing.

The F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry award went to John Carlson, Executive Director of the Colorado Brewers Guild.

Posted: April 21, 2008

The Budweiser Rewards Visa Platinum Card

Anheuser-Busch and US Bank have partnered to create the Budweiser Rewards Visa Platinum Card. Cardmembers will earn three specialty rewards points for every $1 spent in net purchases at Budshop.com, Budweiser Genuine Collection consumer catalogs, Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tours & Gift Shops, Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks, Grant’s Farm, Kingsmill Resort & Spa and licensed Bud Shop retail stores. Cardmembers will also earn one point for every $1 spent in net purchases made with the card at Visa merchant stores. In addition, new customers will receive a 1,000-point bonus when they make their first purchase.

Posted: April 14, 2008

Walking and Beer

A recent study found the average American walks about 900 miles per year. Another study found Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of beer a year. That means, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon. Kind of makes you proud to be an American.

Posted: April 14, 2008

Michigan Brewers Guild—“The Great Beer State”

Just out from the Michigan Brewers Guild is the annual Michigan. The Great Beer State, a guide that showcases the state’s microbreweries and brewpubs. Included are:

Posted: April 14, 2008

And in this Great Beer State—No Free Beer with a Haircut

The UPI reported from Grand Rapids, MI that the state attorney general’s office has put a stop to a promotion that offered a free beer with a haircut. Thomas Martin, owner of Jude’s Barbershops, was prohibited from giving customers free beers while they had their locks shorn. Martin was trying to bring back a decades-old barbershop custom that seems to fly in the face of modern-day alcohol laws.

Posted: April 14, 2008

How to Start Your Own Brewery

The Siebel Institute in Chicago, one of the country’s oldest and most respected brewing institutes, is offering a Start Your Own Brewery course. Students in the three-day course will be able to study brewpub and microbrewery design and startup issues such as basic brewery design and operation, planning for capacity, utilities and brewery waste, packaging, planning and management, site selection, business plan development, financial measures and issues and distribution. Info is available on the Siebel website: www.siebelinstitute.com

Posted: April 14, 2008

Top 30 Beer Brand Performers in 2007

The IRI Beer, Wine and Spirits Practice has announced its Top 30 Beer Brand Performers in 2007, a look at the 30 fastest growing beer brands across the beer market. IRI analyzed volume growth, share of segment trends, everyday base pricing and incremental sales growth in 2007 versus 2006 to determine the brands with the strongest performance in the beer industry.

The number one brand goes to Blue Moon Belgian White Ale, brewed by Molson Coors Brewing. Number two is Samuel Adams Seasonal. Craft beer brands on the list include Samuel Adams Boston Lager, New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Shiner Bock. Big-name import brands include Heineken Premium Light Lager, Stella Artois Lager, Newcastle Brown Ale and Guinness Draught.

Posted: April 14, 2008

Authentic Belgian Family Brews

As Belgian-brewed and Belgian-inspired beers become increasingly popular, beer drinkers may need help making sense of the new choices on the shelves. Several years ago, the Trappist monasteries differentiated their beers from “abbey-style” brands. Now, the owners of traditional, family-run breweries have formed the Belgian Family Brewers Association to set their beers apart.

Xavier Van Honsebrouck, seventh generation owner of the Van Honsebrouck Castle Brewery, explained “Because of the success of Belgian specialty beers, a lot of Belgian breweries are inspired to introduce as many beers as possible to the U.S. market only with one goal in mind: volume.” Some breweries package the same beer under multiple names (known as private labels) for export purposes only.

Van Honsebrouck continues “When ‘beerloving’ US citizens come to visit Belgium and try to find and drink their favorite Belgian ale, they soon realize that it's impossible to find it…it doesn't exist!”

Beers produced by Belgian Family Brewers must be original: that is, not sold under multiple labels. Members must have been brewing beer for at least 50 years without interruption, and the breweries must be independent and family-owned. Beers that meet these criteria may display the BFB logo on their labels.

The 12 member breweries range from relatively young Sint Bernard, which took over the commercial brewing of abbey-style beers from the St. Sixtus Monastery in 1946, to Roman Brewery, which has been in family hands for 12 generations. Other members include Bavik, Bockor, Bosteels, De Koninck, Dubuisson, Dupont, Het Anker, Van Eecke, Van Honsebrouck and Verhaeghe. All 12 export to the United States.

Posted: April 6, 2008

Napa Valley Mustard Festival

What’s better than a mustard competition? How about a mustard competition with a spirits category? Especially when all three winners are beer-based mustards? These winners for 2008 at the Napa Valley Mustard Festival are:

Gold: Aviator Porter Smoky Mustard
Silver: Plochman’s Beer Mustard with Killian’s Red
Bronze: Sierra Nevada Stout & Stoneground Mustard

Posted: April 1, 2008

The Wrapkin

Don’t beer drinkers just hate that cold glass or bottle, slick with condensation? Well, maybe some do and some don’t. For those who just can’t stand that feeling, there’s now a product to make it all go away. The Wrapkin looks and feels similar to a real cloth linen napkin and it does all the jobs of a paper napkin, coaster and a drink sleeve. It slides on beer bottles, cans, pint glasses—heck, even on wine bottles. Hands are dry and warm and drinks are colder or warmer. And The Wrapkin is disposable and recyclable, and logos and ads can be printed on it. Can life get better?

Posted: April 1, 2008

Tabletop Beer Taps

Brand new in Atlanta sports bar STATS are tabletop beer taps at which customers can pour their own draft beer — a full pint or any amount they want. The taps each have two beer spouts and are hooked up to the bar’s refrigerated kegs in the cellar. A digital counter on the taps counts the number of ounces poured and can be set to shut down at any given number of ounces poured until a server comes by to re-set the unit.

Posted: April 1, 2008

A Beer Lunch at the Gourmet Magazine Private Dining Room in NYC

Gourmet Magazine recently teamed up with Anheuser-Busch and invited members of the New York media to a private luncheon at Gourmet’s private dining room in the Condé Nast Building at Times Square in midtown New York City. The five-course meal was presented with A-B’s specialty beers. George Reich, a fifth generation brewmaster, and Michael Green, Gourmet’s wine and spirits consultant, led the diners through the meal, discussing the qualities of each beer and how they paired with the food.

Posted: April 1, 2008

Competitive Brewing

The Brewers Association has announced the 2008 Beer Style Guidelines. Eleven categories were added to the guidelines this year, five of which are for barrel-aged beers. The guidelines are used for homebrew competitions and for the professional competitions, such as the Great American Beer Festival.

The new categories for 2008 are:

Fresh Hop Ale
Ales that are hopped exclusively with fresh and un-dried (“wet”) hops.

American-Belgo Style Ales
These beers portray the unique characters imparted by yeasts typically used in fruity and big Belgian-style ales.

Leipzig-Style Göse
The original versions of this style of beer were spontaneously fermented German ales, similarly to Belgian-style gueuze/lambic beers.

Belgian-Style Blonde Ale
Belgian-style blonde ales are characterized by low yet evident hop bitterness, flavor and sometimes aroma.

Australasian-Style Pale Ale
This style is a mild, pale, light-bodied ale with a color varying from light to amber. Hop bitterness and flavor range from very low to low.

Out of Category-Traditionally Brewed Beers
There are many excellent and popular beers that are brewed with traditional ingredients and processes, yet their character may vary from styles currently defined or included in these guidelines.

Barrel Aged Beer categories:

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer
Any lager, ale, or hybrid beer, either a traditional style or a unique experimental beer that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Pale to Amber Beer
Any classic style or unique experimental pale to amber beer that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Dark Beer
Any classic style or unique experimental style of dark beer beer that has been wood or barrel-aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer
Any strong classic style or unique experimental style of beer that has been wood or barrel-aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.

Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
A wood- or barrel- aged beer is any lager, ale, or hybrid beer, either a traditional style or a unique experimental beer that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood and has developed a bacteria-induced natural acidity.

The full version of the 2008 Brewers Association Beer Styles Guidelines can be viewed at: http://www.beertown.org/education/pdf/BA_Beer_Style_2008.pdf

Posted: March 25, 2008

Beer May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s

Aluminum is known to be neurotoxic and has been implicated as a causal factor in Alzheimer’s disease. At the University of Alcala in Madrid, Spain, researchers report that beer might protect the brain against this toxicity. Beer contains silicon, a substance that affects the bioavailability of aluminum. The study involved giving both an aluminum compound and beer to mice and later analyzing aluminum concentrations in brain tissue. Results found that the silicon in “moderately high” levels of beer intake—the equivalent of two beers per day—limited the ability of aluminum to damage the brain. The results were published in the January 2008 issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology.

Posted: March 25, 2008

A State Beer for Missouri?

Guess what that might be. A lawmaker in the Show Me State believes that Budweiser should be state’s official beer. The beer is of course brewed in St. Louis, MO, at the corporate HQ of Anheuser-Busch, a huge employer in the state.

Posted: March 25, 2008

Microbrewing Pioneer Starts New Brewery

Don Barkley, whose professional brewing roots go back to the late 1970s and Northern California’s first micro, New Albion Brewing of Sonoma (1976-1983), has started brewing at Napa Smith Brewing, an offshoot of a winery located at the site of the former Hakusan saké brewery in Napa. The brewery is named after the owner, Napa mortgage broker Kathy Smith, and wine is also produced at the location. The brewery will produce a wheat beer, a pale ale and an amber ale to be sold in 22-ounce bottles. Until last November, Barkley was the head brewer at Ukiah, CA-based Mendocino Brewing.

Posted: March 25, 2008

Left Hand Brewing Starts Women’s-Only Beer Club

Women make up 50.9% of the U.S population but the percentage of women beer drinkers is far below that number. Left Hand Brewing of Longmont, CO, wants to change that and has started Ales for Females—a women-only club “designed to reach out to women and educate them about all that craft beer has to offer.”

“We know from speaking to women in our tasting room to festivals to beer dinners, that a lot of women’s perception of beer is that yellow fizzy stuff,” said Cinzia Wallace, who has been in the craft beer industry for 15 years. We want to help our fellow women better understand the beauty of good beer,” Wallace said.

Posted: March 18, 2008

Vermont to Lower Drinking Age?

The legal drinking age in the U.S. has been 21 years of age for over two decades, but that may change if lawmakers in several states have their way. In the Green Mountain state of Vermont, a committee of the State Senate has approved a bill that will allow a task force to consider the issue and make a recommendation to the Legislature on whether or not to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. Some of the arguments in favor of lowering the drinking age are that 18 to 20 year-olds are allowed to die for their country in a war, but are not allowed to drink. It’s also argued that the higher drinking age hasn’t kept young people from consuming alcohol and has instead driven underage consumption underground, particularly on college campuses.

Posted: March 18, 2008

A Toast to Harry Caray

Harry Caray, the Chicago Cubs announcer who died 10 years ago, was toasted on February 21 by fans in every state and over 100 countries. At Caray’s restaurant in Chicago, the toast was made with a 100-gallon glass of beer. Harry’s widow, Dutchie, led the toast and there was a rousing round of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” the song Harry sang during the seventh inning stretch of every game.

Posted: March 18, 2008

2008 Beerdrinker of the Year

Matt Venzke, a beer lover from Yorktown, VA, was crowned the winner of Wynkoop Brewing’s 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year contest in February. Venzke, an aircraft maintenance manager, has entered the annual contest four times and was a semifinalist last year.

“For four years now,” Venzke said, “it’s been a dream of mine to win the Beerdrinker of the Year title. It’s great to now be recognized by the judges and previous winners. I’m proud to be among this very select group of beer lovers. I feel like I’ve been given a flag to carry for all of the great things beer has to offer.”

Venzke, whose home beer bar is The Taphouse on Queensway in Hampton, VA, is the second Virginia resident in a row to win the competition. Diane Catanzaro of Norfolk, VA, won last year.

Venzke beat out finalists J. Mark Angelus (Nehalem, OR) and Richard Pedretti-Allen (McKinney, TX). Venzke’s beery resumé includes visiting 454 breweries in 16 nations and 39 states. Over the past five years he’s recorded tasting notes on over 3,200 different beers from 69 different countries.

As the 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year, Venzke wins free beer for life at Wynkoop Brewing and a $250 beer tab at the Taphouse on Queensway.

Posted: March 13, 2008

Craft Beer Sales Grow Again

The newest figures from the Brewers Association show another year of double-digit growth for craft beer, which led all other segments in the beer category. The BA reported that estimated sales by independent craft brewers were up 12 percent by volume and 16 percent in dollars for 2007. Craft brewers’ share of the beer category is 3.8 percent of production and 5.9 percent of retail sales.

The Brewers Association estimates the actual dollar sales figures from craft brewers at more than $5.74 billion, up from $4.95 billion in 2006. Sales in barrels equaled 8,011,141 (one barrel is 31 U.S. gallons) up from 7,147,050 barrels in 2006. The 2007 increase totals 864,091 barrels, which is the equivalent of 11.9 million cases or 285 million 12-ounce bottles of beer.

Posted: March 13, 2008

St. Patrick’s Day A National Holiday?

Guinness is supporting Proposition 3-17, a national effort to make St. Patrick’s Day an officially recognized holiday in the United States. “Guinness supports the demands of adults around the U.S. to take a day off from work and celebrate their Irish spirit,” said Richard Nichols of Diageo, the corporate parent of the Irish brewery. “Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day are all observed, and now it is time for St. Patrick’s Day to have its place among these other important dates.”

If at least one million petitioned signatures are gathered by midnight on March 16, 2008, they will be presented the next day, St. Patrick’s Day, to Congress. The petition can be read and signed at almost any bar or retail store where Guinness stout is sold or on www.Proposition317.com (also by text with the word “SIGN” to 65579).

Posted: March 13, 2008

Grolsch Bottle Gets Global Makeover

The brown, swing-top Grolsch beer bottle introduced in 1897 is changing to keep up with the times. In April the Dutch brewery will launch a “contemporary” green version of the bottle that is sleeker, slimmer and taller. It will retain, however, its characteristic shape and swing-top seal.

Posted: March 13, 2008

A New Lambic Café at 3Fonteinen

The world-famous 3Fonteinen restaurant in Beersel, Belgium, just south of Brussels, is getting an addition. Armand Debelder, the lambic brewer, blender and co-owner of 3Fonteinen, is adding a lambic café where he’ll offer his vintage beers. The opening is scheduled for April 20, the first national Belgium Open Brewery Day.

Posted: March 13, 2008

Boston Beer Will Share Hops

As worries grow about the dwindling supply of hops and the possible adverse consequences particularly for smaller brewers, Jim Koch, the founder of Boston Beer Co., has extended his company’s help.

In a statement released last week, Koch said “We’ve looked at our own hops supplies at Boston Beer and decided we could share some of our hops with other craft brewers who are struggling to get hops this year. We're offering 20,000 pounds at our cost to brewers who need them.”

Boston Beer’s “Hops Sharing Program” will accept requests with no questions asked, trusting that brewers not in need will refrain from ordering, in order to get help to companies hardest hit by the hops shortage.

The craft brewing community is full of stories of brewers—potential competitors, in many cases—helping one another. Koch, as the largest of the craft brewers, has sometimes been viewed with skepticism by virtue of the success of the Sam Adams beers. This gesture of generosity towards his fellow brewers sets the record straight: Boston Beer has not left the craft world behind. In quality as well as community, Boston Beer exemplifies the best in the craft beer movement.

Posted: February 17, 2008

Big Game Brewery Bet Settled

As most football fans (and even those who could care less about the game) know by now, the Giants beat the Pats in Super Bowl XLII. That means that Steve Hindy, president of Brooklyn Brewery, won his bet with Boston’s Harpoon Brewery president Dan Kenary. The wager? The loser would have to pour the winner’s beer in his taproom. Not only was a keg of Brooklyn Lager tapped in Harpoon’s taproom on February 6, but Steve Hindy appeared in person for the event.

Posted: February 8, 2008

More Beer in the Movies

This time it’s a turn for Leffe, the Belgian abbey ale, to get screen time. In the new film, In Bruges, starring Colin Farrell, Leffe and other Belgian ales are seen throughout the flick, according to those who have seen the movie.

Posted: February 8, 2008

A Beer for the German Pope

Popes receive gifts whenever and wherever they travel. When Pope Benedict XVI visited the UK recently, the Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu, gave the Pope a beer. Not just any beer, however. This was a “holy beer.” Sort of. The Archbishop gave the Pope a bottle of Monty Python’s Holy Grail, a beer brewed by the Black Sheep Brewery located in Masham, England. This beer was originally commissioned to mark the 30th anniversary of the Monty Python TV program.

Posted: February 8, 2008

Costco Beer?

There have been reports all over the media in the last week that big-box discount retailer Costco of Issaquah, WA, will sell its own line of craft beers to be brewed by Gordon Biersch Brewing of San Jose, CA (under the name Hopfen und Malz Brewing Co.). Apparently, Costco has filed the necessary paperwork with the the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to sell amber ale, pale ale and hefeweizen under the “Kirkland Signature” brand name. A call for a comment to Costco went unreturned, and a Gordon Biersch spokesperson said “no comment.” Potential labels for the beers were part of the application process.

Posted: February 8, 2008

Big Game Brewery Bet

It’s New England’s Harpoon Brewery vs. New York’s Brooklyn Brewery. With Super Bowl XLII a few short days away, there’s a beer bet being waged between Boston’s Harpoon Brewery president Dan Kenary and his friend Steve Hindy, president of Brooklyn Brewery. If the Patriots win the Super Bowl, Brooklyn will pour a keg of Harpoon IPA in its tap room and if the Giants win, a keg of Brooklyn Lager will be tapped in Harpoon’s. On Monday, the brewery that wins the wager will ship a keg of its flagship beer to the losing brewery for tapping in the loser’s taproom.

Posted: February 2, 2008

Fried Beer for the Super Bowl

Just in time for the Super Bowl, Saint Arnold Brewing, the oldest craft brewery in Texas, has released a recipe for Saint Arnold Fried Beer. Developed by Houstonians Matt Schlabach, Daniel Glover and Josh Katz, Saint Arnold Fried Beer was the winning recipe in Saint Arnold’s One Pot Showdown this past weekend. Made with Saint Arnold Winter Stout, the recipe for Fried Beer is available at www.dpkpr.com/friedbeer. Second place went to the Guzzlin’ Gourmets for Amberized Green Chili; that recipe is posted at www.dpkpr.com/amberizedchili.

Posted: February 2, 2008

North Carolina Beer in the Big Apple

Who would have thunk it? The North Carolina Department of Tourism went to Manhattan last week and exposed a large group of “sophisticated urbanite” media types (mostly travel and food writers) to the delights of all things North Carolinian—the mountains, the Piedmont, the shore, museums, art, crafts, literature, foods (including tasty Carolina BBQ, of course), wines—and beer. Yes, that's right. The Department of Tourism had the wonderful forethought to invite Sean Wilson, president of Pop The Cap: North Carolinians for Specialty Beer, to join the party, realizing that NC beers would be a wonderful addition for the New Yorkers because, as Sean said, "North Carolina is the best beer state in the South." And it was a good decision.

The four sponsoring breweries were Weeping Radish (Jarvisburg), Triangle Brewing (Durham), Natty Greene's (Greensboro) and Highland Brewing (Asheville). Sean also brought a few singles of seasonal beers, including big beers from Carolina Brewing (Holly Springs), Duck-Rabbit (Farmville), Pisgah Brewing (Black Mountain) and a 2005 Highland Cold Mountain.

Posted: February 2, 2008

Light Beer in the U.K.

The new “light beer” is lighter than ever before. Five UK brewers—SABMiller, Scottish & Newcastle, Marstons, Wells & Young and Frederic Robinson—will save 3,800 tons of glass and 2,515 tons of CO2 a year with new lightweight beer bottles from the Waste & Resources Action Programme’s (WRAP) GlassRite initiative. The lighter bottles will reduce energy use, waste, cost and supply chain-related carbon emissions. GlassRite hopes to remove 60,000 tons of glass out of the waste stream by the end of 2008 through its work with brewers, wine companies and supermarkets.

Posted: February 2, 2008

Alcohol Laws on the Books for Decades Upheld in Washington State Court Case

In a case that has had brewers and winemakers (as well as the sellers of beer and wine) across the country riveted for months, a federal appeals court in San Francisco has basically said no to a challenge to laws that go back to the end of Prohibition. Costco Wholesale Corp., the giant discount retailer of Issaquah, WA, had challenged its home state’s distribution laws, seeking to buy beer and wine directly from producers and have it shipped to its own warehouses—thus bypassing the three-tier system put in place at the end of Prohibition. (This system mandated separately-owned businesses for the manufacture, distribution and selling of alcohol beverages.)

Last year a district court ruling in Washington State favored Costco’s challenge on several points, but the new ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit struck down most of the district court’s rulings. These included a ban on volume discounts and a rule keeping retailers from taking delivery of beer and wine at a central warehouse. In essence, this has become a victory for Washington State alcohol regulators. Costco has not yet said whether it will appeal the ruling.

Posted: February 2, 2008

New Belgium Brewing Joins One Percent for The Planet

New Belgium Brewing of Colorado, brewer of Fat Tire Amber Ale and other Belgian-style beers, has joined One Percent for the Planet (1% FTP), turning a portion of its sales into a pledge to help the global environment. New Belgium was the first U.S. brewery to incorporate wind-power for electricity and is now the first brewery to join 1% FTP, through which it will support nearly 150 sustainability-oriented non-profits in 2008. 1% FTP, launched in 2001, is a global network of environmentally philanthropic members with more than 800 companies and more than 1,500 non-profit organizations. In 2007, 1% FTP members donated more than $7 million dollars, bringing the total to more than $30 million dollars since its inception.

Posted: February 2, 2008

The Most Expensive Beer in the World

A new beer from Denmark’s Carlsberg can claim the title as the world’s most expensive beer. Vintage No. 1 costs close to $400 a bottle (37.5-cl) and will be sold in just three Copenhagen restaurants. The 10.5% ABV beer was brewed in a limited edition of just 600 bottles. It has been stored in French and Swedish wooden casks. Tastings notes from the brewery said the dark brown beer has notes of “prune, caramel and vanilla flavors making it a natural pairing for cheeses and desserts.”

Posted: February 2, 2008

A Long-Watched International Beer Merger Finally Ends

It’s taken months and months, and people in the beer biz have watched this story unfold on almost a daily basis. It’s finally over. Scottish & Newcastle, the large UK brewer, has been acquired by Carlsberg of Denmark and Heineken of the Netherlands in a $15.4 billion deal. Scottish & Newcastle will be broken up, with its U.S. portfolio (including Newcastle Brown Ale) going to importer Heineken USA. In Eastern Europe, Carlsberg will gain total control of a joint venture it has had for years with Scottish & Newcastle in Baltic Beverage Holding.

Posted: February 2, 2008

Cheers Beverage Conference Manufacturer Awards

Cheers magazine has announced the winners of the 2008 Cheers Supplier of the Year Awards. The awards are presented to companies that supply products and services to full-service chain restaurants. In the beer category, the winners are:

Large Beer Company
Winner: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Honorable Mention: Coors Brewing Co.

Small Beer Company
Winner: The Boston Beer Company
Honorable Mention: Heineken/Star Brand Imports

A list of the other winners is available at www.cheersconference.com.

Posted: February 2, 2008

Fuller's London Pride in the Movies

The new blockbuster movie (how often in a beer news items can we use the word blockbuster?), National Treasure: Book of Secrets, has a scene that features Fuller's London Pride--sort of. In the scene, a car chase, actor Nicholas Cage drives his Mercedes through the narrow streets of London as beer kegs drop off the livery truck and explode in front of him. The kegs? Fuller's London Pride, of course. The Fuller's folks are understandably thrilled to have their beer featured in a major flick. However, Michael Campbell-Lamerton, Fuller's Export Manager, remarked, "It does pain me to see all that many Fuller's kegs being splashed. I guess you could say we take Pride in having National Treasure pave the streets of London with our Fuller's Ales."

Posted: January 28, 2008

Guinness on the Floor

A limited supply of wood planks originally used in Guinness vats at the St. James Gate brewery in Dublin, Ireland, have been acquired from Mountain Lumber of Ruckersville, VA. The company is bringing 25,000 board feet of the English brown oak planks to the United States, where they will be milled into "Entique" Guinness oak flooring.

Posted: January 28, 2008

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest Benches for Sale

And, while we're talking home furnishing, benches and tables from the 2008 Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest tent in Munich will be available to U.S beer wholesalers later this year, and some will mostly likely be raffled off to consumers. The benches and tables in all Oktoberfest tents are replaced every year, so Star Brand Imports, Hacker-Pschorr's importer, decided to bring some here. Later in the year, Star will import some never-before-seen-in-the-U.S. beers from Hacker-Pschorr. In March and April there will be Hacker-Pschorr Sternweisse, an amber wheat beer, and in November and December the release will be Anno 1417 Kellerbier, Munich's only unfiltered lager beer.

Posted: January 28, 2008

When is a Beer "Premium?"

In the United Kingdom, pub group Young's has removed Stella Artois (brewed by Belgian-based international brewing giant InBev) from its pubs, claiming the beer "wasn't premium enough." Brands such as Heineken, Amstel and Pilsner Urquell, which Young's has called "genuine premium imported" beers, are possible replacements for Stella, which is also commonly known as "Wifebeater" in the UK.

Posted: January 28, 2008

Blessed are the Big Beer Makers, the Chocolate Makers & the Cheese Makers

At the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival in Vail, CO, from January 11-12, a Big Beers, Cheese & Chocolate Challenge was held. The winners, determined by the audience after tasting each beer presented with cheese or chocolate (chosen by the brewer or cheese importer) were:

1) Peter Bouckaert, New Belgium Brewing (CO)--Mothership Wit paired with Grafton Aged Cheddar (1 year) from Vermont.
2) Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (DE)--World Wide Stout paired with Scharffen Berger 62% cacao, semisweet, pure dark chocolate with nibs.
3) Adam Avery, Avery Brewing (CO)--Mephistopheles Stout, also paired with Scharffen Berger 62% cacao, semisweet, pure dark chocolate with nibs.

Other pairings included Triple Karmeliet (Belgium) with Grafton Aged Cheddar, Chimay Grande Reserve (Belgium) with Scharffen Berger chocolate and YouEnjoyMyStout (Will Meyers, Cambridge Brewing, MA) with Scharffen Berger chocolate.

Posted: January 28, 2008

Hop Tea

No, this time the phrase isn't being used as a euphemism for a super-hoppy ale. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers are looking for ways to increase the size of the hop market through development of a hop variety that can be used to brew tea. The antimicrobial properties and potential health benefits of hops have caused the plant to be used in processed sugar, animal feed and now tea. Teamaker is a new hop variety released by scientists in the ARS Forage, Seed and Cereal Research Unit (FSCRU) in Corvallis, OR. It has an alpha acid content of 0.6 to 1.8 percent, giving it the lowest alpha acid concentration of any commercially available hop variety. In addition, its beta acid levels (5.4 to 13.2 percent) are significantly higher than those found in most varieties of hops. The bitter alpha acids also promote the yeast-brewing process and hinder bacterial growth. Beta acids also inhibit bacteria. Researchers said an extremely high beta-to-alpha ratio gives Teamaker all the health benefits of traditional hops without the bitterness.

Posted: January 28, 2008

Flying Dog Trots Off to Maryland

Denver-based Flying Dog Brewery is shutting down its brewery in Colorado and concentrating all its brewing operations at a state-of-the-art facility in Maryland where Flying Dog has had its beers brewed since 2006. Flying Dog, around since 2000, brews its last Denver beer this month but will maintain its corporate headquarters in Denver's LoDo section. Seventy percent of the Dog's beers are already brewed in Maryland. Colorado lovers of Flying Dog needn't howl in despair: they will see no reduction in sales of their favorite Dog beers at home.

Posted: January 28, 2008

New Labels Proposed for Beer, Wine and Distilled Spirits

The Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is in the process of taking public comments on proposed rules to mandate standardized labeling information on beer, wine and distilled spirits. The proposed labels would list the percentage of alcohol by volume, the serving size, the amount of alcohol per serving, the definition of a "standard drink" and the number of standard drinks per container. In addition, labels could contain information about each beverage's calorie content, carbohydrates, fat and protein. A final item could be a listing of the Dietary Guidelines' advice on moderate drinking, which is defined as up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks a day for men. A standard drink is defined as containing 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol, which translates into 12 fluid ounces of regular beer, 5 fluid ounces of wine or 1.5 fluid ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. It hasn't been determined if after labeling all this information, there would be room left on bottles for the beverage's name, style or producer.

Posted: January 28, 2008

Which Presidential Candidate Would You Like to Have a Beer With?

The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) has launched a campaign asking voters to cast ballots for the candidate they would most like to sit down and chat with over a beer. Voters (of legal drinking age, of course) can pick a candidate online at www.nbwa.org or www.whodoyouwanttohaveabeerwith.com throughout the election season.

Posted: January 21, 2008

An Award for Craft Beer Distributors

The National Beer Wholesalers Association and the Brewers Association have announced the creation of the Craft Beer Distributor of the Year Award. The award will recognize the beer distributor in America who does the most to market, sell and promote craft beer in their market. There will also be a Craft Beer Distributor Achievement Award and a Craft Beer Distributor Recognition Award. Only craft brewers, beer distributors or representatives of NBWA and the BA can make nominations. The winners will be announced on October 13 at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO.

Posted: January 21, 2008

Craft Beer Keeps Getting More Mainstream

Craft beers from brewers such as Samuel Adams, Sierra Nevada, Rogue, Widmer Brothers, Abita, Dogfish Head, Flying Dog and Magic Hat are now available at Ruby Tuesday, a national restaurant chain with more than 900 locations in the U.S. The chain will also offer a draft of the day and a draft flight with three of its most popular handcrafted beers in locations where local laws permit such wonderful things. Ruby Tuesday bartenders have received training at the company's Center for Culinary Excellence from The Boston Beer Company (brewers of the Samuel Adams beers) on how to store, pour and care for beers.

Posted: January 21, 2008

Mouse Beer

A news report from Romania said a man was rushed to the hospital with food poisoning after he found a dead mouse in his bottle of beer. It seems he opened the bottle, poured it into his glass and drank some without noticing the mouse. He did, however, notice a strange taste. Then he saw the mouse floating in his glass.

Posted: January 21, 2008

Striking Writers Eat Chili and Drink Draft Beer

Barney's Beanery, famous as an eating and drinking spot for the Hollywood crowd, has been offering a free bowl of its chili and a free glass of draft beer to WGA card holders who decide to take a break from picket lines. Barney's co-owner, David Houston, was quoted as saying, "Barney's has been around nearly a century largely because of Hollywood, so this is our way to give back to an industry which seems to be in the middle of a technology crossroads right now. We are never political; we just want to show our support."

Posted: January 14, 2008

Year in Beer

Husband/wife team Chris Nelson and Merideth Canham-Nelson travel the world looking for their next great beer experience, visiting pubs, breweries, microbreweries and brewpubs. They document their experiences on www.thebeergeek.com in blogs and on www.beergeek.TV. They have "officially" declared 2008 the "Year in Beer." The two plan to attend a major beer event or destination each month of the year in the United States and Europe. The culmination of their travels will be a book planned to be released in 2009.

Posted: January 14, 2008

Mel Gibson Shuts Down 'Braveheart' Beer

The tiny Danish brewery Midtfyns Bryghus brewed a beer named Braveheart. Hollywood producer and actor Mel Gibson once produced a film with the same name, about Scottish patriot William Wallace. Gibson objected to Midtfyns' use of the name and threatened a lawsuit. The brewery's 72-year-old owner, Keld Andersen, initially refused to give in to pressure from Gibson, but backed down after consulting with the Danish Patent and Trademark Council.

Andersen believed Gibson couldn't copyright the name because a Romanian king from the 15th century was also called Braveheart and because a silent film from the 1920s was titled Brave Heart. He told reporters, "I was certain I had a good case against those big guys in Hollywood, but evidently it wasn't enough. Gibson gets his way and the brewer admits defeat. There's nothing we can do, so we'll stop making the Braveheart beer."

Posted: January 14, 2008

Ancient Irish Beer

Archaeologists at a 3,000-year-old stone mound site near Galway, Ireland, decided last December to test their theory that the site was once a brewery. Billy Quinn and Declan Moore heated the stones and used this heat source to brew a pale ale, which by all accounts was tasty.

Posted: January 14, 2008

A Seatbelt for the Beer

Alexsandr Gritsyuk of Citrus Heights, CA, had an auto accident in early January. He lost control of his car and struck a tree. When found by the police and paramedics, Gritsyuk was not wearing his seatbelt, but a 12-pack of beer was nicely tucked in and buckled down.

Posted: January 14, 2008

The Heineken-Krups BeerTender

Heineken and appliance maker Krups have begun selling the BeerTender in the U.S. Already sold in Europe, the BeerTender is a device for storing and pouring draft beer at home. It's glossy black and has an LCD display for temperature and the amount of beer left in a five-liter Heineken keg. It will be available initially through Williams-Sonoma in March and in other stores nationwide on April 1 for a suggested retail price of $400.

Posted: January 14, 2008

Brewery Wastewater Becomes High-Protein Fish Food

New Belgium Brewing in Colorado has decided to feed fish as well as "water" humans with its beer. Working with Oberon FMR Inc., which produces a fishmeal replacement for farm-raised fish, and the Colorado School of Mines, New Belgium will "brew" the fish food at a pilot production plant at its Fort Collins brewery. Protein-laden bacteria from New Belgium's brewing wastewater will be changed into a protein-rich biomass that will be dried into granules and added to fish feed, reducing the need for fishmeal.

Posted: January 14, 2008

Dixie Brewing Rises from Katrina

When Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans in August 2005, Dixie Brewing had beer in the tanks. It didn't last long. Flood waters, which were brackish and included sewage, climbed 10 feet up the ground floor walls. These waters took almost three weeks to recede, during which time they damaged the bottling line and packaging equipment.

"It was very difficult," said Kendra Bruno, who with her husband, Joe, owns Dixie. "The looters even stole the staircase." That wasn't all the looters carted off. Gone were the 10 outside storage tanks, the huge copper brew kettle, the 100-year old cypress barrels (cut into pieces before being carted away) and all the lab equipment. Even the copper wiring in the fuse boxes was stripped clean. Everything was stolen "piece by piece," Kendra said. The historic Dixie Brewing building, opened on October 31, 1907, was in shambles.

Unbowed, the Brunos and their brewmaster, Kevin Stuart, who has been with Dixie since 1987, have brought Dixie Lager, Blackened Voodoo Lager and Jazz Amber Light back to the market. These beers are being brewed under Stuart's supervision at the Minhas Brewery in Monroe, WI. Joe Bruno, who also travels to Minhas, said it's important to make sure the Dixie beers have "the pizzazz and New Orleans flavor."

The Brunos' proposed new Dixie Brewing would restore the landmark building to its original plans, Kendra said, as well as add new features. The old 250-barrel brewhouse will be replaced by a state-of-the-art 50- to 60-barrel brewhouse. An "Old World Bier Garten" is planned for the rooftop, plus some condos on the upper floors. Dixie beers are now on track to be sold in 48 states by the end of the year.

"This brewery has been a labor of love," Kendra said. "I guess we have to be half insane to keep it going."

Hops Shortage

With the words "So this is one of the saddest things I've ever had to type," Big Boss Brewing Co. in Raleigh, NC, announced it has suspended production of its namesake beer, an IPA with a ferocious hop attack.

And here's a typical posting on the Brewers Association website: "We are in need of 100 lbs of US Tettnang whole leaf hops. Does anyone have any they can spare? We are willing to buy or trade with Cascades!"

Blame the hop shortage.

Worldwide, the brewing industry is facing a shortage of hops, that magical vine whose tiny cones give beer the bitterness to balance the sweetness of malt. This shortfall doesn't just mean higher beer prices ahead: it means hops may be so hard to come by that the most extravagant users - our craft brewers - will have to scale back the recipes of their hoppiest, and some of our favorite, beers.

How, when craft beer growth is the most robust in the beer world, and when high-hopped beers are the darlings of the moment, can this have happened?

First, agricultural inputs for beer have been hit with cost increases across the board. Along with hops, barley and wheat-the principal brewing grains-have confronted rising fuel prices and some lousy weather, especially in Europe where rogue hail storms have had devastating local effects. In addition, grain farmers have been shifting production to corn to meet the demand for ethanol.

But hops farmers have had their own individual issues. This vital beer ingredient has been in surplus for a decade, pushing prices down and driving many hop farmers either out of business or into other crops. The acreage devoted to hops production has fallen by as much as 30 percent worldwide. Here in the United States, the Department of Agriculture estimates that our hops stores are down 22 percent from this time last year, the lowest point in over 25 years.

Farmers still in the hops business are hardly crying over prices that are up by 20 percent for widely grown varieties and up to 80 percent for specialty hops-the varieties prized by craft brewers.

Still, there is a one-on-one relationship between hops and brewing, virtually the only industry where this product is used. Otmar Weingarten, director of the German hops growers association, may be shedding crocodile tears about the soaring prices, but he knows his members' long term interests are in synch with brewers'. "High prices aren't really good for hop growers. They lead to less hop use, isomerized hops [chemically processed hops] for efficiency, and worse beer-which is all bad in the end."

Facing the shortage, farmers are scrambling to re-plant hops fields. But the rangy vines take at least two to four years to reach maturity, which leaves some thirsty years ahead in 2008 and 2009.

Big brewing companies, who use a huge volume of hops, though with great restraint, generally have futures contracts with hop growers that will keep prices and supplies relatively steady.

And, when it comes to economic strength, China, now the biggest beer market in the world, is taking a massive bite of the hops market. Rumors abound of Chinese brewery representatives offering cash for any hops available.

What does this mean for the little guys? First, many of them don't have the economic muscle to buy ahead: futures contracts may not be an option. Second, as supplies run short, the big brewers are buying up specialty hops and using them for large-scale industrial brewing. Specialty brewers are dismayed to see the distinctive aroma hops essential for the most characterful beers being diverted to big brewers to be used for their more mundane bittering qualities.

Craft brewers, whose output is less than 5 percent of the American market (albeit the most vibrant sector), are facing some tough options. They'll have to charge more for their beers-and we'll have to pay it and not whine. The most flamboyant hop hounds among them will have to think hard about whether the profligate use of hops in the kettle really comes through in the finished brew.

And look for a shift in beer styles. From porter to Japanese happoshu, beer production has always been influenced by economic factors-and why should we be different today? So, in 2008, watch for beer writers touting the virtues of a new round of mellow, low-hop, malt-accented brews. Beer drinkers always find a way to adapt.

"Beer is one of life's pleasures." - Jake Leinenkugel at The Ginger Man in NYC

Dick and Jake Leinenkugel of Leinenkugel Brewing of Chippewa Falls, WI, were in New York City at The Ginger Man in early December to launch Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss and Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss in the New York market. The brands join Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat, which has been sold in NYC since 2006 and is now in 42 states. Leinenkugel is bringing Honey Weiss and Berry Weiss to markets where Sunset Wheat is doing well. In April, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy will appear. This is a lemonade-flavored, light-bodied beer with a bit of Wisconsin honey and citrus flavors. Additional seasonal beers will appear throughout the year.

In the upper Midwest, Leinenkugel has had success with a beer that's the polar opposite of its wheat-based beers. In the Big Eddy series, the latest beer is Russian Imperial Stout, brewed at Leinenkugel's 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee. The previous Big Eddy beer was last summer's Imperial IPA (8.9%, 71 IBUs). Jake Leinenkugel said the decision with Big Eddy was to counter the wheat beers with a beer that was "...off the charts and bold. This imperial stout is 9.5% abv, and pours out like 30-weight," he said. "It's difficult and expensive to brew. When I saw the malt bill for this batch, I was shocked, but we wanted to find out if we could do it. It gives us some credibility with beer enthusiasts, in that they see we can brew some really big beers. And it really tested us and our brewmasters."

August Schell Brewing-147 Years Old & One Million Cases

August Schell Brewing of Minnesota, the second oldest family-owned brewery operating in the U.S., turned 147 years old in 2007 and also brewed one million cases of beer in a year for the first time. In honor of the milestones, Schell president Ted Marti decided to deliver a case of Schmaltz's Alt, named after his father, Warren Schmaltz Marti (who headed the brewery from 1965 to 1986), by an old horse-drawn wagon to local customers.