Jack Curtin’s LIQUID DIET

You know, it strikes me that these folks are about to pass Hartranft-Maida in the churning-out-a-new-bar-every-few-months game. That’s impressive, but in this celebrity-focused world the former will surely maintain the top spot in public adoration once my movie script, Three Bars & a Baby, gets green-lighted. All we’re waiting for is Johnny Depp to agree to shave his head to play one of the leads (no, not the baby) and the money will come rolling in.

If you call yourself  a fan of Tröegs beers and a dog lover and you have not yet hauled your sorry ass over to Wayne to participate in this event, I really have to doubt your sincerity. And if you’re not one or both of those things, what are you doing here anyhow?

In the latest issue of Malt Advocate, fine Canadian gentleman Stephen Beaumont speaks the truth that has to have them squirming at Brewers Association headquarters in Denver: Boston Beer Company will cease to be a “craft” brewer this year because it has had the temerity to be so successful that it will pass the arbitrary BA limit of 2 million barrels produced. The nerve! As Stephen notes, the end result of this will be that the end-of-year figures for crafts, after a decade of steady increases, will likely be down around 15%. It will be fascinating to see how this is dealt with.

Staying with the Dead Tree Press, an article by H. Lee Murphy in the current issue of Market Watch , looks at how the immense creativity of and the multiple styles produced by craft brewers is creating a real issue in the world of wholesalers and retailers—too many brands.  Many are cutting down on carrying every variation of Bud or Miller which exists in terms of packaging, which is a good and sane thing, but that’s a mere bucketful of water being removed from a  major flood. As an example, Murphy notes that Dogfish Head has 71 styles listed on its website and is, quite logically, trying to get more of then stocked on retail shelves (they’re even big enough and important enough now to push for eye-level position in retail coolers. The number is misleading, of course, since a majority of those listed styles are not packaged and many available only at the Rehoboth brewpub, but the basic issue is a real one. Major craft brewers are pushing to get more and more of their beers on the shelves and the vocal good beer communities are demanding that they be there. But just how many SKUs can beer stores maintain and handle?

Here’s something that seems to have generally slipped under the radar, or at least my radar. Japan’s All Nippon Airways started serving draft beer on domestic flights last July 20. They worked with Hoshizaki Electric to develop a beer dispenser made especially for in-flight use. Now, if somebody can come up with an acceptable means and reason to serve beer to the folks in line at airport security gates, flying might actually be an appealing way to travel again instead of a depressing chore.

Every new brewery start up is scary and exciting and which of those emotions holds sway can vary from day to day. About the only sure thing is that it will tough going early and achieving real success will be a slow process. Then again…

Sometimes you can take off like a rocket..

A beer blog long thought moribund (stories had it that proprietor had disappeared into a whisky bottle and was not coming back) has sprung back to life and one of today’s new posts, all bright and shiny, is about a review of Kraftwork, a relative new Philly beer destination which has received nothing but raves. The Big Guy makes some interesting points about how beer is at the very core of what Kraftwork does and not merely there to enhance the (apparently also quite exceptional) food. And he goes on to rave about the beer menu they have for customers because of its complete and thorough presentation of not only the beers currently on offer but those which will soon follow.

I must admit that , after I clicked and enlarged an image of said menu nicely provided with the story, I experienced some of the same sort of…I guess “dismay” is the proper word…expressed by some local brewers during the celebration of Philly Beer Week.

Where are the local beers? On a list of 25 beers on tap, only three are local–Stoudt’s Maibock, Philadelphia Brewing Walt Wit and the PBW collaborative brew, Brotherly Suds from Sly Fox. And on the accompanying list of what’s on order, only the latter two of those appear. I mean, there’s a PBR tap, for heaven’s sake, which seems really out of place and unnecessary; couldn’t that al least have given way to a brew from Victory or Yards or Troegs or some other local option?

Perhaps I am overreacting here—I am surely in that sort of mood at present—but I get the impression that there are fewer and fewer dedicated taps for local beers in some of our most renowned and popular watering holes these days and I wonder if Philadelphia’s reputation as a great beer town is becoming more a matter of “look what WE can get” rather than “look at what WE can make.”

I should note before I slink away to await the slings and arrows that I have not yet been to Kraftwork and in no way intend this to be a comment on or review of Kraftwork. Indeed, I have heard enough extremely positive things about the establishment to have it high on my list of “gotta get there soon” spots. Their beer list just struck me because, impressive as it is, there is very little that is “Philadelphia” about it.

Stephen Beaumont had big news over at STILL Blogging… a couple of days ago about the purchase of Belgium’s De Koninck by Duvel Moortgat. These are  excellent tidings in general because the Duvel Moortgat folks know what they’re doing and probably even more excellent news for the Philadelphia region, where good Belgian imports arrive in more quantity and variety than anywhere else in the nation,* as the De Koninck pipeline becomes more reliable.

*You know, a few years back, I would have typed this without a second thought but now I wonder: is this still true today? Anybody think I’m wrong?

My Ale Street News cover story which was mentioned here earlier is now online at the ASN site. I’m prejudiced, of course, but I think it’s worth a read if only to get a peek into some of the backstage infighting that goes on about beer styles and who gets credit for same.

While you’re over there visiting, here are additional links to two stories I did last issue about the provenance of barrels used for aging beers. This story provides some background and this one is about the guy they call “the barrel guy’. Those too I feel comfortable in recommending to your attention.

I’m really enjoying writing for ASN these days. Going back to the Sherlock Holmes pastiche last December (online here),  every story of late has been interesting to research and fun to write. Given the rates beer writers are paid, those are two pretty enticing add-ons.

Heavens no, but when Harry Schuhmacher, America’s Most Beloved Beer Trade Writer (© Jack Curtin’s Liquid Diet 2010) checked in today from the latest Sierra Nevada Beer Camp with lots of of exciting news about forthcoming SN beers, he made a typo that gave me some early morning giggles, which is always a good thing (key phrase underlined for emphasis):

Sierra Nevada is growing another 10% so far this year, with every region of the country posting gains, and hot newish double IPA Torpedo draft isn’t even rolled out everywhere. Seasonals are up 21.1%, and Torpedo up 84% (the number one IPA now)….they will be rolling out, on allocation, a new hoppy beer called Hoptimum in 24oz bottles and 5 gallon kegs in January 2011. Also possibly look for a new Lime and Limb collaboration with Sam Calagione. But what got the most oohs and has was a new collaboration with a group of nearby Trappist Monastery to create an abbey dubbel ale called Ovila. Lots of action in the hopper for Sierra Nevada, and getting mighty close to breaking the million barrel mark.

Harry also did a nice summary of SN’s impressively green facility:

If you’ve never made it out to Chico to see the brewery, it is a sight to behold. Over 80% of their electrical needs come from solar power or their fuel cells. Every supportable roof has solar panels on it. They are below a 3:1 water to beer ratio, and they have their own hop and wheat fields for their estate ales. They also grow vegetables on the property for their restaurant, and a new composter is en route to turn bio-trash into rich soil, among many other innovations.

Good stuff, a story well worth Harry’s risking his …um…life and limb.

The August Sly Fox Newsletter went out an hour or two ago and it has lots of stuff most of you already know but it sure pretty and worth a look anyway.

The new news therein is a list of the beers that will be pouring at Sly Fox Phoenixville Friday through Sunday; 26 are listed (four as cask ales) and they promise 23 of them will be available at all times until and unless you drink enough to kill more than three kegs, which I suspect might happen earlier than they think.

I am really psyched about McBane’s Summer Solstheis and another shot at 2009 Panacea and Dale’s 10K. You can find descriptions of those and any other beers which you are not familiar on the Sly Fox website  beer page. Maybe you’ll get psyched too.

*I’m looking to win the bad pun of the year award.

Either way, it is happening in Texas (actually Austin, which I like to think of as not-really-Texas, just geographically challenged).

Plans underway for co-operative owned and run brewery in Austin

The world’s first cooperatively owned and operated brewpub, Black Star Co-op Pub & Brewery, is hosting an event to unveil their new Austin location with a beer social on November 14th. The company has organized a professional design team of volunteer member-owners with experience in architecture, construction, and engineering to plan the build-out and finishing of the property.

The beer social event for media and members is to introduce the worker-managed brewpub concept, as well as to show off the future home of the co-op. The brewery is located 4 miles from the University of Texas, 12 minutes from downtown Austin, and in close proximity to several transit options

The company states that they have a membership of more than 1,000 people.

That’s from a posting on the ProBrewer Interactive website; one of the organizers of the project posted a reply yesterday saying the opening will be in September.

I’m on the “cool idea” side of the fence for now. I could see this being a model for similar enterprises around the country and it seems really in tune with the “drink local” gestalt.

Also, if t just becomes a mechanism for keeping beer geeks off the streets, it will be more than worthwhile.

The state of things today from the retailer perspective, in the words of Bump Williams, an industry consultant whose judgment I trust, from an interview in this morning’s Beer Business Daily —as always, courtesy of Harry Schuhmacher,America’s Most Beloved Beer Trade Writer (© Jack Curtin’s Liquid Diet 2010):

The sales trends are healthier on wine and spirits than on beer. There’s a bunch of legislation proposed to allow wine and spirits to be sold in beer outlets, or expanding time sold. I know it sounds like I’m pessimistic, but that can’t be further from the truth. I’m just saying we’ve got some challenges. If people bury their heads and think this is going away, I think they’re mistaken. I think retailers are waiting for a cohesive strategy to reinvigorate and revitalize the beer category from our industry leaders. Now, is Dick Yuengling our industry leader? Perhaps. It’s one of the fastest growing beers in America. Is it Jim Koch with his seasonal offerings and Twisted Tea? Lots of velocity turns. Perhaps. Is Kenny Grossman the new savior? Perhaps. His flagship is growing, and he’s got a lot of new offerings that are growing. Is Pabst Brewing Co going to step up and be a leader, with its new owners.? It’s another strong growth story. Is it going to be a coalition of strong craft players, like New Belgium, Dogfish Head, Brooklyn Beer, Allagash, Odell, Stone, Firestone Walker, Oskar Blues, etc…..are these guys going to get together and take advantage of the hot hand they’re being dealt right now. I think they should.

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The beer category turns five times faster than the wine category, six times faster than spirits. We have several tremendous growth brands, and we have some room to grow with certain brands on distribution, like Dos Equis, Tecate, DG Yuengling portfolio, I expect New Belgium to be opening new markets shortly, Alaskan, Deschutes, and even an unsung hero, Woodchuck Cider, just to name a few. These brands are high margin, they are on the shopper must-have list, and they are on the retailer wish list. It’s time for the wholesalers to take ownership of their own future, and it’s time for the big brewers to talk to their big customers about their growth strategies, and it’s time for the craft brewers to talk about how to get to a ten share. The time is now.

The above is cherry-picked out the whole but I don’t think it in any way distorts what he has to say and its the most pertinent portion re: crafts. In the broader piece, Bump talks about wholesaler and retailer concerns about customer loyalty, finding shelf space from all the craft beers they now realize are important to them and, most of all, the effects of the forthcoming across-the-board, in all states price increases by A-B which, as he notes, might lead to an overall more profitable situation for the brewing conglomerate but will surely take a bite out of wholesaler and retail profits.

Good stuff, but I am particularly intrigued by that suggestion that the largest and most successful crafts need to get together to take advantage of what everybody acknowledges is the segment’s “hot hand.” He says this is the time, but…the time for what exactly? And what role, if any, does the Brewers Association have to play?

I just posted news of new fermenters and impressive 2010 sales for Victory Brewing Co. over at that place where I post news of such things. In that story, Bill Covaleski notes the success of Summer Love Ale as an example of how customer demand drives such major expansion; the production of the new brand has been double that originally expected.

I can definitely understand why. I have my first pint of Summer Love at Craft Ale House last night and that is one mighty tasty brew. Fine drinking indeed.