A Very Small Beer Blog

Attention RSS Users

2011-04-22T12:48:00.000-05:00

The feed for this site has moved permanently to http://feeds.feedburner.com/AVerySmallBeer. Sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for reading!

Site Upgrades and Changes

2011-04-15T12:10:00.000-05:00

I will be converting the site from a strict blog to a more information friendly design this weekend. Expect some downtime and issues with links and photos. I will try to restore as much as possible as fast as possible. The new format should allow you better access to information.

Too Drunk

2011-04-15T07:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about bar responsibility, and as promised here is my post on consumer responsibility.

For todays entertainment post I was originally going to write about pairing, but given this weeks news that the 45 year-old son of Goose Island founder John Hall allegedly urinated in the middle of a bar I thought I would talk about social drinking. We all have done things we are not proud of while drinking. I admit it. I hurt people's feelings and acted like an ass on more than one occasion. While I know I apologized and said something to the effect of "I was drunk" on these occasions I know that is not good enough. Blaming it on the alcohol is not appropriate. You made choices and you must deal with consequences.

A minor isolated incident might not be cause of concern, but when actions rise to a more serious level being drunk is not an excuse. If the public urination allegation against Greg Hall is true, and had he been convicted he would be a sex offender. (At this writing no charges have been filed.) He also sat in a car waiting for a ride according to published reports. I asked a lawyer I know about this and sitting in a car with the keys is constructive possession and control which could result in a DUI conviction. In one night Greg Hall almost got labeled a sex offender and lost his driver's license for a DUI. I am not trying to pick on him; I am just trying to illustrate how poor choices can ruin a life.

What are your duties?

Know your limits and when it is time to go home.
Do not use alcohol as a cover for indecent or offensive behavior.
Respect the staff, other patrons and your friends.
Apologize like a man don't use Facebook pick up a phone or better yet go see the offended party.
Do not by any means get into a car.

These are simple duties. I know you can handle it. The most troubling thing for me out of this were the comments to the news stories. I was blown away by the number of people who excused his actions because he was drunk and secondly, by the number of people who felt it was common to act this way. More than one bartender made comments that it sounded like a typical Saturday night. Seriously people? I thought I left this behavior behind when I switched to craft and ditched the Natty Light.

Responsible Drinking Part 1: The Bar

2011-04-14T06:35:00.000-05:00

This week's Greg Hall controversy shed light on being responsible when alcohol is present. There are two parties who share responsibility: bars and drinkers. Over two days I will look at both. Many large breweries run a drink responsible campaign, but realistically if you think about it they don't want you to stop drinking. This is where an establishment has certain duties.

First and foremost, the bartender needs to know when to cut people off. I know many of you go out to get drunk. I am not saying bars need to shut you down at the first sign of tipsiness, but there is a line. A seasoned bartender can often scan a crowd and see who has gone too far, and offer a glass of water instead of the next drink.

Secondly, when a customer crosses the line bar management needs to take appropriate action. I was once in a bar where a man pulled out his genitals. He was quickly ejected and the police were called. Turns out he was a known sex offender. If you read the comments in response to the Tribune article many people acted like urinating in bars happens all the time. I go to a lot of bars and know a lot of people who work in bars. I have never seen someone do this. Urinating in the middle of the bar is crossing a line, and bar management should take swift action no matter who the customer is. While urinating is an extreme act there are other behaviors a bar should take action against. If a person's behavior is offensive or disturbing to the enjoyment of other customers they need to go out the door.

Finally, a bar is responsible for public safety. If an employee of a bar sees a patron who is intoxicated get into a car they need to step in. In this case the bar was under the impression Mr. Hall got into his car and drove off. I would note Greg Hall told the Tribune he waited in the car while his ride was on the way. Bar management should have called the police. Under Illinois dram shop laws Bangers and Lace could have been held liable if Mr. Hall drove home and caused an accident.

I started this post by saying responsibility is to be shared. Tomorrow I will look at what customers owe the bar and their fellow patrons.

Beer Review: Brown Angel by Clown Shoes

2011-04-13T07:03:00.001-05:00

Clown Shoes is a new brewery in the Chicago market. When I was deciding which of the four Clown Shoes beers to buy the label on Brown Angel caught my eye. I am not usually a sucker for labels, but I wanted to write about this one. The label has a woman in a bikini on it. Some breweries have been having issues with appropriateness of labels. To me the label indicates this brewery is not concerned about the possibility of attracting negative attention. Some other breweries like Flying Dog are in battles with regulators over labels. While this provided an excuse for me to buy this beer; don't worry I found excuses to buy the other three Clown Shoes beers as well.

Tasting Notes:
Poured a nice shade of brown with one finger of head. Aromas of coffee, chocolate and sweet pine. The flavor was a bit smokey with a bold citrus. The hops were more present in this beer than in your typical Brown Ale. Smooth and moderately carbonated this beer goes down easy. While not your everyday Brown Ale if you are in the mood to explore give this one a shot.

Update: Clown Shoes' Gregg Berman will be in Chicago tomorrow April 14. Details here.

Greg Hall Poster Boy for Goose Island

2011-04-11T21:05:00.002-05:00

After my last Goose story I was prepared to steer away from Goose Island. Personally, I feel the topic is getting somewhat old, but the Hall's seem to have a miraculous ability to keep generating stories for this blog. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Greg Hall, exiting Brewmaster of Goose Island, son of the founder, and future brewing consultant to Anheuser - Busch (AB) mistook a pint glass for a urinal while standing in a bar.

The Tribune is reporting that Hall relieved himself in two pint glasses in the bar area of Bangers and Lace and then left the premises. Hall has allegedly admitted he acted inappropriately, but can not recall the entire evening as he was too inebriated. Hall did apologize.

I will be looking into the story more tomorrow as it is almost 9 pm here. I plan contact media relations at Goose Island, AB and Bangers and Lace. I would also like to know if this brazen public urination has been reported to Chicago Police Department, or does Bangers and Lace let people have a complete disregard for decorum and the law? Not only is Goose Island off my list of bars to hang out at, Bangers and Lace is looking that way to....

Check back for more updates or follow me on Twitter @verysmallbeer
Update: As I expected getting no comments across the board.

Tough Topic Business of Beer & Customer Relations

2011-04-11T13:47:00.000-05:00

As I discussed last Monday everything connected to beer is a business. What type of business depends on your relationship to beer. If you are a store, bar or restaurant you sell to consumers. Distributors have to convince those outlets to sell the beer they distribute, and brewers must convince distributors to carry their product. However, one group matters more than any other in that heap, customers.

The customer is more important than anything. If we are not buying a certain product no one will sell it. The key to getting the customer to buy into your product is building a relationship. We live in a time when social matters. I already wrote on brewers in social media, but interpersonal relations matter too. I buy local but I also buy from international faceless corporations. I buy from Amazon but not Wal-Mart. Heck, I would even buy beer from AB if it intrigued me.

One product I do not think I will buy again is Goose Island. The company has a tragic inability to foster strong customer relations. Years ago I met John Hall for the second time. He started fishing for compliments. I threw him a bone and then I explained an issue with the Clark St. brewpub. Without blinking he told me it made a bunch of money last year so he must be doing something right. Well, if he had got his head on the issue he might of made more. After they had their near closing scare they made some serious changes to the brewpub. Unfortunately, they were not responsive to customer complaints, and even started to have what many believe were contaminated draft lines. Finally, they sold to AB. That in and of itself did not mean I would not buy their beer again although it did piss me off. How they handled the situation is what irked me.

The final straw came last week. The Chicago Beer Society sent out a notice that Greg Hall would speak on the AB sale. I stayed for a while and I never heard him speak, although I waited two hours some say he did show up eventually. What I did see was John Hall come in 90 minutes after the event started, shake a few hands with people he was obviously acquainted with and go drink a beer with a bunch of suits at the bar. Many in the room were concerned about the sale. I would not of classified the atmosphere as hostile, but this is the group is some of your biggest and loyal customers. Many people ask these people for their opinion on beer. Goose Island had a chance for a major PR victory here. Instead they blew it off.

Beer + Ice Cream = Beer Cream

2011-04-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

I needed a desert for a meal the other day. To be honest I did not feel like baking which is my default. I was feeling lazy. I happened to read over the weekend about all these breweries making beer ice creams. I once enjoyed Edmund Fitzgerald Ice Cream and a Beer Float at Kona. My problem is I lack an ice cream maker, but I found a solution.

I went to the store and bought a 1.5 quart container of Edy's Slow Churn Vanilla Bean. I took a 12 oz bottle of Barrel Aged Stout from Bluegrass Brewing Co. and headed into the kitchen. I allowed the ice cream to soften and started shoveling it in my stand mixer. When half the ice cream was in the bowl I added about a 1/4 bottle of stout. With the mixer running I added the rest of the ice cream. After I felt like it was mixed thoroughly I tasted, mixed in more beer and tasted again. I used a total of 1/2 a bottle. I recommend stopping the mixer occasionally to taste as you add the beer. If I added anymore it would of been over powering. If you lack a mixer letting the ice cream soften a bit more would mean you could use a sturdy spatula to blend it together. Once your happy with the taste pour (it will be a bit soupy) the mixture back into the container and place in freezer. It took my mixture about 2 hours to solidify.

Why this pairing?
I am of the opinion that bourbon and vanilla work together. I picked vanilla bean because the flavor really pops. The BBC Bourbon Barrel Stout was picked for a less grand reason. I had this beer at a beer festival some time back and remembered loving it. I bought a four pack about a year later and let the beer age for about nine months. The tastes was fine, but it was way over carbonated. I assume it was an aging issue. Mixing it with ice cream eliminated the carbonation problem and allowed the taste I like to come out creating a tasty treat. I found this to be a good way to get rid of a bottle of beer I did not want.

New Beer: Boulevard Brewing Coming To Chicago

2011-04-07T07:43:00.000-05:00

I know this is a bit of an old story. Several other beer news outlets put the word out that Binny's was ordering Boulevard. I have a source with a few more details including that Boulevard will be in stores the last week of April and exactly which beers will be brought to Chicago. Still waiting on word of a release party, but I hope to hear about one soon. I am looking forward to trying a new (to me) porter we need better representation of the style in Chicago. I also heard that there is much better than expected response from bars for this to be on top as well as strong orders for bottles.

Year Round Beers Coming to Chicago:

Unfiltered Wheat Beer
Pale Ale
Single-Wide I.P.A.
Bully! Porter

As it stands now the seasonals will not be making it to Chicago. I wish Boulevard the best as they break into what many call a difficult market.

Beer Review: Ten Fidy by Oskar Blues

2011-04-06T07:15:00.000-05:00

Ten Fidy is a solid heavy Imperial Stout with a mind blowing 98 IBUs. Like all Oskar Blues products, it is canned which I truly feel is better for your beer. This beer recently won a Gold Medal at the 2010 World Beer Championships.

I have no clue where the name came from. However, I did Google 10-50 and found out it means "under the influence of drugs" in police radio jargon. I find that hilarious, because with all these hops and 10.5% ABV you feel the punch.

Tasting Notes:
Poured pitch black from a can into a snifter glass with a couple fingers of deep brown head. It was full of smoke and ester with fresh dark fruits. The aroma was not overpowering. A bitter beer but not sour with plenty of roast, smoke and chocolate along with additional fruit notes. A very smooth and creamy mouthfeel warms you up and yes, it even makes you feel safe. Be careful with this one-you do not even know the alcohol is there.

Book Review: The Best of American Beer & Food by Lucy Saunders

2011-04-05T06:26:00.002-05:00

Anyone who reads this site quickly knows that I like food and beer pairings. One of my go to resources is The Best of American Beer & Food by Lucy Saunders. I feel this is a must buy for the recipes it contains. The book has two main sections Food and Beer Across North America and Cooking and Pairing Recipes.

Saunders who also writes beercook.com published this book in 2007. Judging by the content I am guessing the book was likely written in 2005/ 2006. There is a rather lengthy discussion on beer and food spanning about 80 pages. This look at beer and food had many short discussions on trends which seriously dated the book. I should mention that Saunders wrote this book as the beer/food revolution was beginning to really blossom. Reading the introduction is very much like a time capsule, but do not expect that the book that is going to bring you up to speed on the revolution. I did find the different regional beer and food discussions fascinating.

The bulk of the book is recipes and like I said makes this book worth buying. There are cheese and chocolate sections that began with rather lengthy introductions that really explained how the whole pairing concept works. I was rather disappointed the other food sections like salad, pasta or off the hoof had no introduction section.

Recipes were scattered throughout the first section. section II contained the bulk of the recipes. Each recipe had a few sentences about where the recipe came from. Many of which come from brewpubs or gastropubs. At no point did I see a name of a beer in here which I feel allows for the consumer to more easily identify the appropriate and locally available beer. I warn novice cooks that many of the recipes are not easy. That is not a criticism, but I feel as if you should be warned this book may challenge you. The recipes were laid out in a consistent manner making them easy to follow. Many had a picture so you knew what the dish should look like.

My two absolute favorites from this book include:

Jicama, Apple, Fennel, Sweet Pepper, and Orange Salad with a Beer/ Mint Vinaigrette. I use apple ale and it is a hit every-time.
Fudge Stout Brownies which include Coffee Stout and bourbon.

I usually whip out these two recipes to blow people away when it is a first time having a beer dinner with me.

Contest Reminder

2011-04-04T20:19:00.000-05:00

Don't forget you can enter here to win a New Glarus Bottle Opener Keychain.

Tough Topic: Beer As A Business

2011-04-04T07:17:00.001-05:00

Alright-you should be sitting down for this: Beer is business.

It has become more and more obvious that breweries are big money makers. Sales at places like Dogfish Head and Allagash have increased so much that in order to meet demand they shrunk their distribution territory. Goose Island became such an attractive investment that it sold to Anheuser-Busch. The price of a pint is no longer under $5 and a six pack is hovering around $9. Analysts predict the craft market will account for 20% of beer sales within ten years from the roughly 5% it is now. Some breweries are doing all they can to get customers in the door, but others are just praying they can keep up with demand. Furthermore the idea that craft beer is a community in my opinion is on very shaky ground.

The Tough Topic series found here on Mondays will begin to take a much deeper look at some of what is going on. Next week I will examine the deeper implications of the introduction of lawyers into breweries. Other topics to be examined include beer writers, labels, definitions, trade secrets and community.

I know many of you are probably thinking today's post is not that hard hitting. I am throwing a softball here because so many people are just not convinced craft beer is a business. Many have commented this week that Goose Island sold out, but in reality who wouldn't? I know not everyone would, but if a publisher offered me a million dollars for this blog I would probably quit my job, finally write a book and drink all day. I have seen more than one person screw someone over in this community and it is about time we start talking about this. It is not personal-just good business.

A Look At March

2011-04-03T11:06:00.000-05:00

Wow-March blew me away. Very Small Beer had a one month record of 2,770 hits with a one day record of 435 hits on March 28 when the Goose Island buyout story broke. If you missed it you can still read my initial and more thoughtful reactions.

A story readers were highly interested in was posted here and here covering the Edgewater Lounge being temporarily shut down. I wrote the initial post from a smartphone which I never did before. I am still trying to get the City of Chicago to release the official documents regarding the closure before writing more, but remember clean matters.

Finally, I was a bit disappointed when readers seemed uninterested in New Glarus R&D Golden Ale. Here is a brewer doing extremely small test batches and asking for feedback. We do not see that often.

As always if you have a topic you would like explored leave a comment. Comments are always approved unless they come from rich Nigerian widows looking to sell me a stake in a very important business opportunity. April has my first contest so be sure to enter, and check back tomorrow asI am ready to start seriously tackling the business of beer.

New Glarus Key-Chain Giveaway

2011-04-02T15:37:00.001-05:00

This contest is now closed the winner was Liz with the answer of Sweetwater Brewery.

When I went to New Glarus last week I purchased the nifty key-chain you see here. Sorry this is the best photo I could get, but it has the Drink Indigenous logo on the front. It could be yours. To win all you need to do is answer one simple question: What is your favorite brewery?

Put the brewery name and a way to contact you in the comments and I will randomly select one winner who answered next weekend. No comments made after April 9, 2011 at noon Central Time will be accepted.

What To Put With That Beer

2011-04-01T06:07:00.000-05:00

This weekend when you go to eat a meal or have a snack and want a beer think about it. Think about how that beer will taste alongside the dish your eating. Consider whether it would make your spicy food spicier or cool it down. Maybe it is the sweet to go with the salty dish.

Now it is time for your homework. I want you to go try some pairings, and come back leave the pairing in the comment. I know that is tough homework, drinking beer, but some people need sugestions to understand how beer and food go together.

Goose Island Sale Will Damage Small Brewers

2011-03-31T07:22:00.000-05:00

I know you are all sick of hearing about Goose Island and the Anheuser Busch acquisition. I think every beer blogger, writer and news outlet wrote knee jerk responses. I stand by my previous post, but I wanted to write a more thoughtful post especially now that a discussion had occurred. I was faced with a difficult problem while writing on Monday. No one had made an argument for or against this acquisition This blog is not about me proselytizing, but rather about the conversation that occurs within the beer community in which I am one voice.

Beer enthusiasts have fallen into three camps. The people who think Goose Island's sale is a great thing, those who regard it as horrible and the wait and see camp. I think in some respects all three camps are correct. Yes, I think everyone is right. They are right for their own reasons.

The sale is great for Goose Island as a brand. AB will pump up production, and may even bring back some retired styles like Oatmeal and Nut Brown. The two Chicago brewpubs are unaffected, and I read in more than one article that they are evaluating their options. The Hall family got a nice chunk of cash for building the business. With AB at the helm I think people from coast to coast will see Goose Island in their stores over the next few years. No doubt this is a win for Goose Island as a business.

The people in doom and gloom land are right for the same reasons. These people do not like large corporations selling beer to them. They believe in environmental sustainability, drinking local, and the diversity craft beer has to offer. Craft trumps profit and they believe the industry is damaged.

The wait and see people are probably the most reasonable people. AB is promising to let John Hall retain control. They have also said the St. Louis brewery will not be used to produce Goose Island beer, but curiously did not mention the other AB facilities. The recipes will not change and everything will be the same. The question is whether AB holds true to their word or not. These are huge questions and time will tell. AB has not always followed this in the past, although they may have learned from mistakes.

Where do I sit? I believe in all three camps. This is great if your name is Hall or your a Goose Island production worker. Without a doubt a larger corporation is selling the beer. Goose is now a subsidiary. Make no mistake this is not the "partnership" some have tried to frame this as. AB owns Goose Island -do not be stupid. AB will look to make their money back, and they will look to find ways to cut costs. Will those changes come at the expense of quality? Only time will tell. I will put money on AB brewing 312 Urban Wheat Ale in giant brewkettles at their facilities within 3 years which may or may not affect quality.

The people who really need to be concerned are Metropolitan, Half Acre, Three Floyds and other Chicago brewers. Without a doubt AB will flex their marketing muscle to keep their new brand out in front. If AB is able to keep these breweries from expanding their taps and shelf space their business models went to hell. Now imagine if AB is able to go after 5% of a small brewers accounts. Metropolitan Chicago's only strict lager brewery is a strong up and comer. (My review) Metropolitan is sold in about 363 bars and restaurants in the Chicago area. AB would only have to successfully shut Metropolitan out of 18 outlets to hit that goal. Looking at the list it would not be that hard. You can watch the movie Beer Wars to see how the retail side of things works. AB may not need to shove them out, but imagine if Metropolitan's their shelf space went from two facings to one?

Many small startup breweries are running with debt right now. Their business models are built on ever increasing growth. Should AB flex their muscles many smaller craft brewers may be in trouble.

Beer Review: R&D Golden Ale by New Glarus Brewing Co.

2011-03-30T08:19:00.000-05:00

New Glarus sells very small batch beers from their Hilltop Brewery Beer Depot called the R&D series. This series is composed of beers the brewery is considering making, and looking for customer feedback. I find this idea thrilling that a brewery is actively looking for feedback on potential beer. Currently, the only R&D series for sale is their Golden Ale. My only complaint is the series has no information on their website and no direct way to give feedback, although I am told they scout out opinions on blogs and message boards for feedback. One suggestion I have is postcard attached to the bottle at point of sale may encourage customer feedback. Postcards are not a necessity as beer folks love to post their opinions on the internet. A webform would result in the same kind of situation by allowing more direct feedback. I think breweries should always look for different ways to interact with customers and differentiate themselves.

Tasting Notes:

Poured into a tulip glass, Golden Ale was a cloudy golden color with thick white head and moderate lacing. There were aromas of horse blanket (an acquired taste) and orange peel. Brettanomyces sourness and malt on the tongue with very subtle hops. This beer had a very dry finish. Although this was a tasty beer I felt the flavor came and went in a flash. A more concentrated flavor would have satisfied me even more.
Final Note: Keep up the R&D!
Bottled 6-18-09; Purchased 3-25-11; Drank 3-27-11; Poured at 46F

Beer Tool: Bottle Thermometer

2011-03-29T07:57:00.000-05:00

Yes, I said a bottle thermometer. I do not use this tool everyday, but a thermometer comes in handy when you are trying to get the best tasting result of a particular beer. I try to use the thermometer before writing any beer review. I feel I owe it to the brewer to serve the beer at the proper temperature before I give my thoughts. Also, if I am opening a pricey beer it gets a little more special treatment. I know person after person who insists on the proper glassware for each beer they drink, yet many take a beer straight out of an ice cold cooler or sub 40F degree refrigerator and drink away. Many beers, especially more complex ones, benefit from being in the 50-55F degree range. In some cases temperature is suggested on a bottle or you can consult style guidelines for proper temperature. I would say most beer should be consumed in the 45-50F degree range and barrel aged beers are likely best in the 50-55F range.

The Menu wine bottle thermometer measures the temperature of the bottle or can and not the beer itself. The beer inside is likely one degree cooler. The device will sit flush with almost every bottle or can style with the exception of longneck bottles. In order to get it to sit flush I wrap a rubber band around it to hold it tight.

Is this a tool for everyone? No. If you are really, really, really into beer (or an evaluator) I suggest putting it on a birthday list. If you can not justify buying one do yourself a favor and at least let your beer sit on the counter a few minutes before pouring.

Tough Topic: Goose Island Changes Hands

2011-03-28T12:59:00.001-05:00

On Thursday March 21 I posted a more thoughtful second look.

Given today's breaking news I have opted for a second hastily written Tough Topic post. You should still check out my post on Brewery Tours.

In what is a historic announcement Goose Island's ownership sold the production brewery and beer portfolio to Anheuser-Busch. I have no qualms about saying this is historic. Goose Island was a pioneer in bringing craft beer to the Midwest. Several other breweries in the region, and even the nation are headed by brewers who cut their teeth at Goose Island. Goose Island has stood for quality and innovation in a tight knit drinking community.

Goose Island is not just where I became acquainted with craft beer, where I made friends or enjoyed the best beer I ever had. Over the last few years Goose Island really pushed the idea of drinking local with beers like Green Line, and helped fuel the trend for barrel aged beer with the Bourbon County Stout line of beers. While all this occurred Goose Island has had some issues, and long term customers were beginning to grumble about a drop in quality. (See here and here for details.)

I have met the Halls and I never doubted they were in this business to make money. I can not blame them. only idiots go into business to go broke, but a bottom line always seemed to pop up with them. Goose now claims that in order to keep up growth they needed to sell to Anheuser-Busch for $38.8M. Frankly, I think they undervalued the brewery, but I am just a humble blogger. BeerAdvocate has a press release where John Hall founder of Goose Island calls this a partnership. I find it hard to consider someone buying a 58% stake in the business a partnership when the founder is no longer really in charge.

The customary claims that nothing will change are being made and Goose Island will continue operations as is, but with additional support of the resources of AB. However Goose Island's current brewmaster is already stepping down and being replaced by Brett Porter. Brett is a well regarded brewer, but this is evidence of change, and I can only assume that positions will be eliminated. I already had a recently terminated Goose Island employee tell me he expects us to see many more pink slips.

What else will change? Beer selection. I expect to see the Michelob line of beer scaled back. Currently Michelob sells a line of craft style beers in in several traditional styles from English Pale Ale to Bavarian Wheat. Michelob struggled to gain a foothold in this segment and having beer drinkers adopt it as a viable choice. It would realistically make sense for AB to push Goose Island's current well rated and accepted line of beer into the same shelf space.

Harry Schuhmacher has reported on his Twitter feed that Dave Peacock the CEO of AB has stated they will not brew Goose Island's line of beers at the St. Louis brewery. I find the choice of words interesting given that AB operates eleven other facilities in the US and has access to InBev facilities overseas. At some point someone will make a decision that it is cheaper to begin doing runs of certain beers such as 312 or Summertime in a larger facility. I agree we will not see these changes right away, but they are coming. Once capacity opens up we may see the Oatmeal Stout and Nut Brown beers return or we may see less profitable beers disappear.

I do think the Chicago facility will continue operation, in fact AB is claiming to pump over a million dollars into the facility in the next year. However, I believe that this will be to focus on smaller batch beers such as Bourbon County and Matilda. It is just too easy to increase profits on some of these beers by transferring production to another facility.

What else will change? I do not think AB will change their position on honesty. I do think Goose Island will have a drop of sales in certain circles such as HopCat's announcement to discontinue sale (#3 Beer Bar on Planet Earth by BeerAdvocate). I do think their sales will likely increase, and Goose Island will sell coast to coast. I have not alway embraced the David vs Goliath philosophy and felt microbreweries biggest competition was each other and not the big guys. I think this acquisition needs to be closely watched by Dogfish Head and Brooklyn Brewery. This threatens them in a way they have not seen.

In any case the next 24 months will have a lot to show. Will this work? Will it grow or die? What will the effect on other establishments be? Come back and find out I plan to watch closely. Given Goose Islands increasing focus on Belgian style beer it is ironic they got bought up by a Belgian conglomerate.

Tough Topic: Knowing Why You Go On Brewery Tours

2011-03-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

I go on a lot of brewery tours. I stopped counting after I went on over a dozen tours. Some places I even toured more than once. Every tour has some sort of beer drinking built in. Some include beer to sip during the tour, but most have beer at the end. Last week I went on a "Hard Hat" tour of New Glarus Brewing Co. On our tour a woman woman constantly asked where the beer samples were. She actually became pretty obnoxious about trying to move the tour along so we can get to the beer at the end. I said to the people I was with that she should have just gone to the bar instead.

During some tours, the beer samples are worth more than what you pay to go on the tour. For instance, Lakefront Brewing Company's website claims $7 gets you four 6 oz pours and a beer at the bar, but in reality I remember more along with a pint glass. New Glarus has a $20 tour that lets you free pour a selection of 6-8 beers into a souvenir tasting glass with cheese and crackers. Both places had great tours, but New Glarus did not give you the value of your money in beer, but that is okay with me. New Glarus provided value in other ways.

I do not go on tours to drink. If I only wanted to drink I head to a bar or tasting room and pull up a stool. Go on the tour to learn how beer is made. When you get to the point where you are able to glaze over the basics listen for finer details. For instance tours taught me that Two Brothers uses a forced carbonation system, Three Floyds relies on gravity not pumps to avoid agitation, and New Glarus has an open top fermenter. You can also learn so much about a breweries' philosophy and why they do what they do from choice in yeast to distribution.

My family specifically asks me to not take them on tours. They just want to drink but my friends like tours. So if your like my family or the obnoxious lady at New Glarus skip the tour and find a bar. We will both be happier that way.

Post Break

2011-03-24T11:28:00.000-05:00

Still trying to get caught up from being gone and sick. I apologize, but it looks like no new posts until Monday.

Beer Review: Light Lager by D.G. Yuengling & Son

2011-03-23T08:53:00.000-05:00

Yuengling Light Lager

Yuengling is America's Oldest brewery and unless you live in one of the original colonies it seems it is impossible to get their beer. I respect Yuengling for their decision to remain truly regional, but it does get frustrating not being able to buy their lager.

The Light Lager is my Dad's lawnmower beer. It is that easy to go down beer that quenches your thirst. Now I know most of you think a lawnmower beer is required to have zero flavor. This is not the case with Yuengling it is full of flavor while still being light.

Tasting Notes:
When poured from a bottle into a pilsner glass Light Lager poured a dark amber with a solid three fingers of head. Aroma is composed of caramel, corn, grass and a hint of lemon. The taste follows the nose and has more flavor than others light lagers, but remember this is a light lager. Mouthfeel is almost watery, but that is within the style. Overall a very drinkable beer for a light lager, but if you can find it get the Traditional Lager from Yuengling instead.

When Clean Matters

2011-03-22T10:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I was talking with a group of beer people and we were discussing bars shut down by the health department. When I wrote about Edgewater being closed a lot of people talked about how it was just the bathrooms. (btw I did request the sanitation records which have yet to arrive) We came to a consensus that if the management is not going to clean the toilets they likely are not cleaning draft lines. A clean draft line is essential to good beer.

Cleveland's NBC station had this investigative report on draft lines a few weeks ago.

Cleaning lines in states like Ohio is mandatory every two weeks and no bar should really go more than every three, although I think bi-weekly is a better minimum. Having someone come and clean the line can be a drag on the bottom line, but customers deserve it.

I do not know about you, but if the toilet is not being scrubbed I do not think draft lines are good either.

Tough Topic: How many Chances Do You Need?

2011-03-21T06:47:00.000-05:00

Recently I told a bar manager I would come out and review his place. He told me I should visit more than once before writing a review. When I asked why he said you never know if the staff might make a bad impression. Seriously?

The more managers I meet the more I hear this concept echoed. They keep saying they need a break and it is not their fault if things do not go well. If you run a bar and you are not sure your staff is up to snuff then you either should not be running a bar or need to fire staff. Consumers who have a bad experience will likely not come back and you will not get a second chance review from me.