If you’re a fan of Ani DiFranco, you’ll know that lyric. It isn’t really a life-guiding statement for me, but more and more it seems like a good idea. Why? I don’t fully know, but it just seems necessary – and not just for beer. Reading a few blogs today got me thinking…
First, there was Jay’s bit on Cognitive Branding, which was really about another story, but as Jay tends to do, it all made sense in the end. The premise had a lot to do with A-B’s marketing success, or what makes their marketing a success – specifically related to Super Bowl ads.
The other post was by Lew as he passed on a story about Don Russell and his overall contribution to Philly’s beer scene. I read the piece and learned a few things about Don, being a younger guy in the beer blogging/writing world there’s a lot I still have to learn about those I casually know (or know of). You can also add to this pile of thoughtful contemplation yesterday’s post by Lew encouraging all to check out Pete Brown’s Blog, which I have now and then, but without any real dedication.
Anyway, where am I?
There are great beer writers out there, and beer bloggers who warrant the attention they get. Each with their own drum to beat, stories and information to pass on. They’re not leaving the telling to anyone else, and we’re the better for it! Imagine a world where all our beer knowledge came from A-B ads, or where everything we know of food comes from restaurant chains. We’re inundated with crap, everywhere we turn there’s misinformation, half-truths and “spin” – retelling stories in a way that meets an agenda. I guess you don’t really have to imagine too hard if you were around before this maturing anti-industrial culture – which I hear pre-dates the internet!
The world needs your story everyday, and that doesn’t mean we need your words on another blog (necessarily). You don’t need to be the fool nobody wants to be around, but each of us (I’m assuming a bit about the PBN audience) has something to say when it comes to beer, food, life. Why leave the telling to the Industrial Brewers, or even Jay, Stan, Lew, Pete or anyone else for that matter? Here’s a few things you can do to find your voice.
- Ask restaurant managers why they don’t have a local craft beer on tap. Be polite, but direct. Restaurants around the country have wine lists designed to impress, with a beer corner for those who just gotta have a beer – you know, the corner with B/C/M. In these places you won’t find Ernest and Julio Blush wine, so why do they insist on carrying the industrial swill that does little for the community, offers little flavor and doesn’t really go well with the 20 dollar plate you’re going to enjoy? Ask, challenge, engage.
- Do the same with grocers, corner shops and office parties. Too many grocers carry “what sells” when it comes to beer, but again carrying wines galore. Challenge that notion a bit, again as diplomatically as you can. Best selling wine in the US is something like Franzia or E&J Gallo, nothing any wine person would be proud to serve at dinner or to friends. Point that out, tell them that just like higher-end wines you expect to see beers of variety, character and depth. If it’s a good buyer, they’ll listen. Face it, they’ve really got little to lose and often welcome the suggestions – and your word may mean a whole lot more than the same exact words coming from the brewery reps that get paid to make face-time with this guy.
- Don’t be a dick. This may seem counter to what I mentioned above, but you’ll earn little points in a real life situation if you make a scene, belittle anyone for their taste in beer or disrespect someone for not catering to your consumer needs. I’ve witnessed too many ‘beer geeks’ rail on a guy who is just out to have a good time, or servers who have no control over what’s on a menu. Oh, and telling someone they’re going to lose your business is just silly, boycotting an establishment rarely gets anything done except make folks happy to see you walk away. While telling your story, remember who you’re talking to and who you represent.
- Oh, if you don’t like that last line, know that when you speak for better beer, you do represent a community of beer enthusiasts, the better beer industry and people who have the same end goals as you do (we all want the better beers on the shelf, on the menu). In a way I’d call us ambassadors. If you’re out only to represent yourself, well that’s your thing. Maybe you only want to see the beer you want because you want it – and I suppose that’s fine. But for me I speak because I assume the only beer-sense someone has is what they’ve seen on TV. Trust me, I have enough good beer at home to live a merry beer-rich life. I know that the fine brewers of the world don’t have the marketing budgets the industrial brewers have, so I see myself as their way to communicate to people outside their brewery.
Now, I know that not everyone is really cut out for this sort of advocacy – and trust me when I say that is more than OK. I just know that many of you have the ability, and even the desire to speak up sometimes when you feel it’s necessary. For those in the latter group, I ask again – Why leave the telling to everyone else?
About the Image: No explaining that one, it wasn’t anything close to what I was looking for, but seemed only mildly inappropriate for this post.
Filed under: Commentary
January 16th, 1920: Prohibition Begins
I read an interesting piece in Playboy recently about “Sex in America”, looking at how far we, as a nation, have come in the last 40-odd years. The story talked about TV families, like Lucy and Ricky, who loved eachother, but from separate beds. Then, there was the Brady’s, snuggling together in a shared bed. Now, today, well you know.
I was thinking about that piece and how it relates to alcohol, more specifically – beer. 88 years ago, it became illegal to buy and consume alcohol in the USA. Clearly we have come a long way, but have we arrived to a place we should be comfortable with? I don’t think so. Yes, the craft-beer resurgence is nothing short of fantastic for those of us who enjoy a good beer, but it seems we still rely on the industry’s apologists to defend our enjoyment.
To drive this point home there was an interesting thread on Beer Advocate asking how beer enthusiasts “feel” when they talk about their beer consumption. It seemed that the vast majority of people replying to the subject were responsible consumers, having one or two beers a day; however, an alarming number of people seemed uneasy sharing their beer habit with others – those who wouldn’t understand. Why is that?
Odd, isn’t it? In 2008 America will celebrate, albeit quietly, the 75th anniversary of Prohibition’s repeal, but how far have we come? In contrasting the comfort of our societies views on sex on TV (as PB pointed out, we see openly gay relationships, divorced, out of wedlock relations, flirts and – well, you watch TV), I find it a rare sight to see open drinking on network shows – with the exception of Medium, which seems to have a scene in every show with the husband/wife enjoying a beer in their home. Are we really more comfortable with sex than we are with alcohol? My gut says no, but my ears and eyes wonder. With shock jocks given free reign to talk about the sexual gossip of the day, it seems they only get in trouble when they ‘promote’ alcohol and tobacco. Sure, we saw the church rise up when Janet Jackson’s nipple popped out on national TV, but that seemed to not really materialize into anything substantive. On the other hand, beer and spirits are watched carefully for any adverts that may attract underage drinkers.
Now, let me back up a minute here. As a person exposed to the church of America, I know there’s just as much moral concern with regards to sexual morality – I feel, however, that the people of the church realize that they can’t legislate sexual morality. That said, there’s still a contingency who believes “regulating” alcohol is a good way to curve its consumption. In many ways I think that’s why the church is opposed to the morning after pill, not to get into religion/sex/alcohol too much.
In fact, if you listen carefully to the arguments surrounding sexual deviance in the US (their words), you’ll often hear off-based associations with alcohol – creating correlations where there ought not be. As pointed out here earlier, and by Jay this week, there are organizations out there asserting that alcohol consumption leads to rape, abuse and overall societal dysfunctions. Yes, right now they’re an annoying voice in the wilderness, but the voices are heard and the assumptions felt by those of us who legally and ethically enjoy our alcohol.
80 years ago the same arguments were made, the same off-based associations with society’s ills and alcohol. While we don’t see an overt push to ban alcohol entirely, there are movements afoot that are aimed at curtailing your beer consumption – mainly in the form of tax increases and legislation that makes it more difficult to buy your beer. Yes, we have come a long way in 80 years, but don’t forget that we still must make our case to the powers that be. For me, that signals we’ve still got a ways to go.
I read about this over at Brew Blog, although we’ve been hearing rumors about this for some time. A-B appears poised to follow Blue Moon (Coors) lead in the craft beer market with a Belgian White of their own – Shock Top. They don’t mention when this beer will be released, but just judging by the label (right) I’d guess this is a late Spring to early Summer release.
So, that’s the news portion for the morning. What follows is random musings about timing and the industry overall.
Is this the perfect time for A-B to do this? Yes. If you’re a shareholder for the company, this is great news I would think. Beer prices are rising in the craft beer market, that’s no shock. What’s more, there are a ton of new (newish) labels out there. You see this every time you walk down a beer aisle in a grocery store. I can’t help but imagine that with their strangle hold on distribution in the US, A-B is poised to put their crafts in every market. Your local bar with 4 Macros and 2 Micros… well, it isn’t a stretch to think you’ll lose one of the micro’s in place A-B’s product. Reps will push it, signage will be provided and the incentives overall to switch will speak loudly to bar owners.
I saw this a couple years ago in Northern California with Bare-Knuckle stout (another A-B craft). Bars in my area all of a sudden had this new stout nobody had heard of, posters were on the walls and glassware was provided for those willing to try this new beer. In one bar, in Auburn, the Bare Knuckle replaced a regional micro brewed stout. Who will they go after with Shock Top? I actually can’t help but think they’re going after Blue Moon, but I also can’t help but think that more than a handful of publicans will drop regionals like Great White or even national brands like Widmer.
Will it work? I think it will, to a certain degree. I don’t have the stats to back me up here, but I have a feeling that many of those buying craft beers don’t have any sort of strong loyalty to micro brewers as a whole. I was talking with a beer buyer for a great store in Souther Oregon last week and he was amazed at how many 20-somethings were buying craft beer nowadays. What was more amazing to him was that a majority (his word) would walk up and buy a 22-ounce craft-beer and with the other hand buy a 12-pack of PBR. That doesn’t mean much of anything, except that I believe such buying habits benefit A-B.
Will it hurt the Craft Beer Movement? No, I don’t think so. If anything, I suppose shelf space in chain grocers and convenient stores will opt to carry the A-B products. Beyond that (and don’t get me wrong, that’s not a small thing) I think we’ll still be able to support the movement in specialty stores and on-premise sales. This could potentially slow growth for budding brewers, but as a whole I see the industry continuing to grow in double digits this year.
So, in conclusion, here’s a summary of what I was trying to say. I think this is good for A-B because:
- A plethora of brands exists, and A-B is a trusted name for most beer buyers. When I did business consulting I used to tell companies if they had more than 5 goals, they didn’t have any goals. I think this works for choice too, with a whole lot of buyers. Overwhelmed with variety, not wanting to make the ‘wrong’ choice, it’s just easier to buy from a name you trust.
- Rising prices in craft beer (and macros, but buy smaller margins) means something for so many people out there now, worried about employment, debt and interest rates…
- A-B understands more about buying habits than most of us care to admit.
I have a job that demands I ship beer from point A to point B on a consistent basis, but laws and rules in the private sector don’t allow shipment of beer for folks like me. In fact, as I learned today, they don’t allow for shipment of beer by most anybody. Stay with me, this could be a rough ride.
Today I went to FedEx to ship beers to the office to be photographed. I brought in a single box to the office and began to fill the out the paperwork when I was asked what was inside the box. Knowing I can’t ship beer I told the lady behind the counter I was shipping ’stuff’, I can’t really remember if I said “yeast samples” or “books” or “cds”… but it wasn’t ‘beer’. [The beers weren't rattling, there was nothing to provoke the following actions of the help.] She proceeded to open the box of beer, revealing the true contents for her and others to see. A gassed, she explained how what I was doing was against state and federal laws and could wind me in jail for 10 years or a fine of 25k dollars. I tried to explain that these weren’t for consumption and that they weren’t being illegally sold or moved. To no avail, I was busted, flagged and ‘let off with a warning’ (a phrase I remember a cop telling me in my adolescence).
To say I left there upset would be a gross understatement, I was embarrassed, mad and bordering on tears of frustration for the way they made me feel. Sadly, the more I thought about this the more angry I became, realizing that I had been made a criminal by laws that have little more purpose, rules that aren’t for governing so much as they’re for controlling. How is it that I can be of legal age and rightfully in possession of this product, yet unable to ship it to another individual who is of age and in all ways ‘legal’? What gives?
In my steaming anger I called FedEx to figure out a few things. Now keep in mind here that I wasn’t calling to complain, my call was to simply ask “how” I could send beer legally from point A to point B. According to these guys, I can’t. “I can’t ship alcohol in this country, legally?” I asked the help on the phone. “Rules state you can ship wine, but only from the winery to licensed vendor” was her answer, followed by “beer and other hard alcohol is not allowed”. I quizzed bit at this point, blood boiling and mind collapsing. “So, can a winery ship sparkling wine”, thinking perhaps they had fears of carbonated alcohol in bottles, thus the rules banning beer. “Yes, as long as it is wine”, she replied. This next question was just me being a dick, I know. “What about champagne?” She answered, “No, I don’t think that’s allowed either.”
Not even getting to the lack of help offered at this point, I’ll just say that I find it hard to imagine that we can’t ship beer legally in this country. I was, at this point, dumbfounded. I didn’t know what to say, what I could do, so I just kept talking, trying to find a way to get my job – they way I make my living now – done.
As I type this, many hours later, I can’t recall exactly how I got transferred to the Hazardous Materials Dept of FedEx, but I did. “If you really wanted to, you could burn beer” the new voice on the phone explained, telling me why exactly beer wasn’t allowed. “Actually, no you can’t. It’s a different kind of alcohol.” I replied, at this point quite calm and collected (I admit, at this point I knew I was getting nowhere and that I wasn’t going to change anything – I just don’t give up that easily). The guy seemed genuinely pleased to hear you can’t burn beer, saying something along the lines of “then it isn’t a hazardous material, let me transfer you to someone who can help you.” Thus, he did.
“International Delivery, my name is [blank], how can I help you” was my greeting from helpful voice number three. Again, I told her that I had to ship beer from point A to point be, for work, and needed to figure out how I can legally do this. Clearly my brain’s collapse was in full effect now because I don’t even remember how this call ended, except that apparently shipping beer in the US is a cross between smuggling heroine and c4 explosives to toddlers. I know I have sputtered more swear words tonight than I have in a really long time, I simply cannot express in any better way the way I feel right now, except to say “fuck!”.
How can this be? I know you know tips and tricks to get around this, but what does that say? We have rules in the books that make you, me and others like us (tens of thousands at least) criminals! I am not a drug dealer. I don’t distribute child porn. I don’t even sell cheap Viagra. So, why then do I need to sneak around like a common criminal to send a few beers to my office in Phoenix, just so they can be photographed? Why?!
Yes, there are bigger problems in the world today and in the whole big scheme of life, this is but a drop in a very large bucket. However, I feel ashamed, violated and uneasy about the next time I ship a beer to work – let alone the idea of trying to pass on to a friend across the country a gift of thanks or genuine appreciation. Congress, if you’re worried about your tax revenue, I’ll fill out a form and probably accept a tax for this privilege. There must be a way this can work, there’s just no good reason it can’t, right? Our current three-tier system won’t really allow a compromise or deal with brewers around the country, so why not do SOMETHING that makes sense for all parties involved?
I ship a lot of beer, have for a while now. This is the second time a package has been opened and I’ve been made to feel this way. I can’t help but wonder what would happen if some nimrod really had it out for folk like me, how far would they press and would they stop at anything less than the 10 year 25k punishment, or is this a perpetual slap on the wrist in a lame effort to enforce laws that simply don’t make sense?
Filed under: Commentary
As an unofficial charter of Pacific Brew News I say that I am about ‘promoting’ craft beer, which is one reason you’ll not find poor reviews on this site or our podcast (for the most part). However, there is a subject I’ve been trying to ignore for far too long now, something I just didn’t know how to approach.
The Turnkey Brewpub is a concept that is taking off here in Northern California. In fact, here in my home city of Roseville there are at least three such operations: Main Street Brewing; Owl Club and La Provence. These are a varied mix of establishments, ranging from high-end dining to the dirtiest bar in town. They’ve all installed ‘micro breweries’ in the last five years or so and each of them makes the most god-awful excuses for beer you’d imagine. Sadly, a couple places seem to attract large audiences of misguided and misinformed beer enthusiasts. I have so much distaste for these establishments, even though two of them serve otherwise good beers on tap. I’d love to rail on these owners a bit, and perhaps I will, but my harshest views are reserved for those selling this crap.
To begin, let’s look at the sales pitch:
- No over-priced brewpub system
- No large floorspace needed
- No grain storage or grinding
- No spent grains to get rid of
- And Most Important-No Brewmaster!
Just Real Profits For Your brewpub
No over-priced brewpub system… that’s rich! These cheap-o uni-tanks only run you 36-82k, depending one how cheap you care to be. Of course, if you use their ingredients and their methods, you can make and serve beer that only costs you 30 cents a pint!
Does this list piss you off as much as it does me? No spent grains to get rid of… how nice, I wonder if Vinnie at Russian River knows of this? Oh, wait, no Brewmaster either… we’ll keep that a secret from him for today at least. Just real profits… without the hassle and fuss of actually having to brew beer at your new brewery.
I’ve dubbed these systems “dump and stir”, based on the fact the only thing you need to do is open the bucket-o-powder, dump it in the magic beer maker and let is sit for five days. After this time you too can dupe your customers with cheap beer with good profit margins. I hate these. If I see them in a bar, my stomach turns. I wish I could round every last one of them up and throw them off the Bay Bridge. But, sadly, it appears they’re here to stay and the only thing I can do is bitch and bellyache.
BACKGROUND
It doesn’t take a math wiz to figure out why these systems are popping up all over Northern California, they’re going for a ‘brewery’ license that allows restaurant owners to sell beer, wine AND spirits for far less money than the traditional liquor licenses we know well. I’ve tried to find the exact license for this online, but haven’t had any luck. However, I’ve talked with owners for two facilities that have confirmed the installation of these systems was directly linked to a license that would allow them to bring in hard alcohol. The tanks take up nominal space and require absolutely no background with the process of brewing. Essentially, if you can make Kool-Aid you can make ‘beer’ on these monstrosities.
Somehow all this seems appealing to those who are out to make a buck, damn the fact that they’re back-handing the world of true micro-brewers that work and sweat their asses off to make a real beer with real flavor.
WHY I CARE
I’ve been to these places too many times, seen young beer drinkers get their first ‘craft beer’ for two bucks and immediately long for the Coors they gave up for this. It embarrasses me to hear about a new ‘craft brewer’ in my city from eager and naive drinkers who are mainly happy a craft beer is the same price (often cheaper) than their favorite macro-beer. It embarrasses me more when I hear from the barkeeps how the place makes their own beer and that they can make all types of beer – “light and dark”.
If you’ve not had the pleasure of sampling one of these beers, I can tell you they all pretty much taste of green apples, have no body and nothing going on for them. One may be yellow and the next a darker shade of yellow (I’ve yet to see one that I’d actually call brown). I have been asked to look at a couple of these to see how I can improve the products, and without an actual ability to boil water or (often) control the fermentation temperatures, the folks are just SOL.
Of course, you and I both know the deal here and we can get angry together at what we see, but what about those whose only beer knowledge comes from a TV ad? What about the patrons who we all know, those we frequently encourage to just try a craft beer? You think their first impression of the industry and beers we love will be glowing, or even better than shitty? I don’t, and I can’t really convey how that makes me feel.
SO WHAT?
I don’t have the answer. I fear any complaints to the state would only trigger more dumbass inspections or retooling of the permit process – and that isn’t good for anyone. I don’t begrudge anyone the right to make a buck, after all, but where is the line in all this from an ethics perspective? I assume the owners know they’re making crap (and selling crap), so perhaps ethics isn’t an issue they’ll care too much about. I don’t have an answer, so I guess I’ve only got complaints. Sorry, sort of hate to be that way.
If you’re considering opening a joint, or know someone who is, please steer clear of this practice. About the only place I could appreciate this system would be Taco Bell, or maybe KFC. To seriously believe you’re buying a brewery with this is nothing short of absurd.
Last night my wife, Tracy, had a “social” with her classmates at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, which seems to be a quarterly event for the school and typically features pretty drinks and well mannered establishments. This night saw us arrive, for my first time, to Sacramento’s Hangar 17, a hip industrial place in mid-town that features dimly lit tables, a long-ass bar, good finger foods and lots of flat-screen TVs. Sadly, the place had an awful beer selection, so I chose to enjoy the only decent offering of the 20+ bottles offered – Black Butte Porter. Luckily, I had been beer shopping earlier in the day so there was a Hopsickle that came in handy shortly after the BBP was consumed.
Not shockingly the management wasn’t pleased with me bringing in a beer of my own and for a few minutes there was some tension until I finally convinced him I’d be ‘more than happy’ to pay a ‘corkage’ fee for the opportunity to drink a beer I would enjoy while there. I guess I don’t get this, never have. I don’t want to be a dick, but I also know my tastes and would rather have a good time with friends and a beer I love – rather than settling for something different. Wine folks seem to have a free pass on this, they frequently bring wine in to establishments and pay the nominal corkage fee while nobody bats an eye, and it is frustrating to have to justify this same practice with better beer.
What is more frustrating to me, however, is the fact that far too many ‘up-scale’ places skimp out on beer options. I honestly can’t comprehend this! I’ve been to good beer bars and paid the price for a really good bottle of beer, just like I have done with wine or a well made mixed drink. I’m going out, after all. If I was all that worried about a few bucks, I’d stay home. Mark the beer up, I am not going to worry about it in a place and situation like this. Sell me a Belgian Dubbel or American IPA for 8 bucks, or provide a Lambic for 20 – that won’t hurt or offend me and it may just encourage me to come back again. But to offer a vast selection of high-end booze and fine wines to compliment a horrid beer selection (no, quantity doesn’t impress me when all your imports and American lagers all taste the same) is absurd. By the way, I blame the distributors and reps for this one. Case sales drive the reps business and they’re focus is, perhaps rightfully, on the grocers and markets of the community. There is nobody going to a proprietor of fine dining and selling them on the value of better beer. Want to talk margins? I don’t think offering a top-notch beer selection will hurt you in that area. Sorry.
Anyway, the place was nice (really, it was a great time) and we were there for several hours enjoying the Kings game (they lost to the Clippers), a seemingly endless supply of appetizers (all good) and good company. I eventually moved from my beer obsession to a top shelf margarita and the night never sucked.
From here a group of students decided to go and check out the ‘new bar’ in town, Whiskey Wild on Q and 21st. This is where life got interesting. Walking in to this swank 20-something hangout you’re immediately impressed by the line of ladies on the bar in some odd and awkward attempt to relive Coyote Ugly. Immediately feeling sad for them and their obvious unease at this part of their job, I wasn’t sure this place and me would work too well together – it was crowded, it was loud and I just wasn’t convinced they’d have a drink for me. I was wrong.
Turns out there’s three sections to this bar, thankfully. The front features ladies with low-cut shirts and men with low hanging pants, each trying to act as if nobody notices anybody and nobody cares (man, I’m so happy not to be in that life anymore). The back bar is quieter, seemingly made for the 30-something crowd I am now part of, with couples and groups of friends all gathered around enjoying conversations and good drinks (more on that soon). Finally, there’s an outdoor patio that was underutilized on this cold night in Sacramento, a place of solace for me as I regained some hearing in my blasted ears.
Then, there’s the drinks. Turns out this place has some pretty high end whiskey and tequila and a very impressive offering of bottled beer. Now, I know I don’t know what constitutes a good whiskey or a fine tequila, so my assumptions are based on price and my own limited experience. For whiskey, it was a bit of a surprise to see Bookers available for sipping or adding to top shelf drinks, and that wasn’t cheap. However, at this point my interest was back to beer – which surprised no one.
A bottle of Full Sail Session? Good start. Alaskan IPA on tap? Even better. Green Flash’s West Coast IPA in a bottle, better yet. Now, I only ordered the West Coast IPA, mainly because I didn’t want to overdo a fun night with friends, but it was good to know that a place like this didn’t forget about the good beers of the world. Oh, just so you know, there was a lot more beer and many more good options to choose from.
How was the night? For my tastes, I don’t plan on hitting Hangar 17 anytime soon, but Whiskey Wild could be a good place to meet friends on nights when quiet and calm are not on the menu, but good times and good drinks are.
You’re likely growing weary of the pleas to be generous this time of year, but this message may just be something you won’t mind doing. Modern Drunkard has an old story, called 40 Things, with a list of things the cool drunkard will do before moving on. Two of them you might try to cross off your list this holiday season.
10.) Extravagantly overtip a bartender.
The next time a bartender is especially kind or proficient, lay a massive tip on her. I mean, massive. You must be relatively sober or they’ll discount the act as drunken foolishness. Say something smooth like, “You’re the best of your kind,” drop the bomb, and—this is important—walk out of the bar without another word. With this single act of unexpected generosity, you will restore a bartender’s faith in humanity and give your own self-image a healthy boost.
I bet many of you have plans to visit a place or two that serves alcohol this time of year, maybe this is a good time to cross this off the list of things to do.
This next piece has a story to go along with it from our local news personalities.
26.) Give a hobo twenty bucks.
Make him promise he’s going to spend it on hooch. It won’t be a hard sell. Twenty bucks is the price of a crappy shirt to you, to our alley brethren it’s a gift from the gods.
Just before Thanksgiving a Sacramento “morning news” TV personality gave a case of beer to a homeless person, which drew venomous attacks from those who thought it was mean, cruel, demeaning or otherwise tasteless. One such attacker was noted to say something along the lines that it was probably alcohol that led the the person’s plight.
As someone who has a bit of experience working with this population, I don’t think there’s any harm in the generous giving of booze to someone on the street. I mean, we give gifts of beer and wine to those we love, how much more charitable is it to pass on this same gift to someone we don’t know? Just a thought. I mean, what else were you going to do with that 20 bucks?
The ‘40 Things’ list is a good, fun read for a dreary Tuesday afternoon. If you choose to pursue a life that sees you happily crossing off everything on the list, I hope you are a good writer because the adventures could prove to be fun reading.
Filed under: Commentary
Well, this piece of news is certainly a bit off-beat, but beer-blog appropriate. According to a Christian Net poll, a whopping 51% of Christians surveyed believe drinking beer is not “wrong”. Now, I’m no mathematician here, but does this mean that 49% of Christians polled believe, as the question is stated, it is “wrong for a Christian to consume beer.” Evidently, according to the Christian News Wire, 38% of those surveyed did, in fact, believe that drinking beer was “wrong”.
Filed under: Commentary
So, a friend emails me a story about the new European IPA by Greene King, called St Edmunds. The story was obviously structured from a press release, talking about the cool new ’system’ that would let consumer choose if their beer would be “Northern” (with head) or “Southern” (without head). OK… that’s odd. So, being naturally curious, I check out the Greene King press release to learn more about this magical system that can pour a beer with head or without, depending on my mood. Ugh.
Why, oh why, do large brewers insist on cheapening the beer experience? Is it that hard to pour a beer with head, or to pour one without? Oh, wait, it gets better! Turns out their marketing the headless beer as a CASK version! From the same keg, nonetheless! Oh dear.
What we have achieved is the holy territory – an ale that’s as easy to drink as a lager, with the premium cues of Guinness and the provenance of cask.
That’s Justin Adams, who has the job of Director of Brewing and Brands for Greene King. I really don’t even know what Justin was saying there, but I suppose it sounds good to someone.
This is from a Press Release
Greene King, the brewery, is piloting a new premium chilled cask beer called St Edmunds to target men and women who are exploring new beers other than lager.The new chilled beer, served below six degrees Celsius, is being rolled out across 100 selected pubs in south east England over a three month trial period from November.
Got to love that, eh? Another “chilled” beer hits the market. Want more?
Greene King managing director Justin Adams said the new product aimed to reinvigorate the declining casked ale market by creating an ale with a “gold, fresh, crisp finish” and “provide a great consumer experience by giving more theatre”.
More theater (sp), that’s just what I’m looking for in a beer… right up there with a gold finish.
When will this madness end? I find it hard to believe that we, as human beings, continue to fall for the newest “innovation” in brewing, especially when the innovations have nothing to do with brewing! In fact, the best innovation I’ve seen in years in this industry is the Merlin kettle I saw at New Belgium! Stop creating high tech labels, pseudo cask ale and beer dispensers that promise to be the coldest in town! They’re not that cool, and 99% of your innovations are junk in 18 months or less.
Please, for the love of beer, focus your creativity on the product (beer), its history and overall quality. To do anything less serves only to cheapen the beverage you claim to be all about.
Filed under: Commentary
File this under Things that Annoy Me
Part II
Have you noticed how IPAs and (especially) Double IPAs are getting darker and darker? This bugs the hell out me. I hate to be “that guy”, but is it purely the need to put the word ‘double’ on something that stops many brewers from calling their uber-hopped caramelized product a stock ale, or barley wine? You see, I like a light colored hop bomb, they generally showcase the hops more appropriately for the consumer than those with a bit more ‘balance’, even though that also sticks in my craw.
Over the weekend I was fortunate to judge the Bistro’s Double IPA Festival and throughout the judging beers would pass my way that were deep golden to brown in color. The aromas in the darker beers had hints of toffee, a mess of alcohol and hops. That’s just not what I want in my DIPA. Instead, give me a PALE beer, bready up front and ultimately nothing short of a hops showcase.
Are the darker versions good beers? You bet your ass they are! I seriously love some of these messy monsters, many of them beers I’d seek out on a regular basis if I could. I just can’t help but think about the P part of the IPA abbreviation (pale, just in case). Sure, it can be deep golden in color, that’s appropriate, but getting toward the brown and mahogany hues generally carries with it more malt character than I want in my DIPA.
Why does this matter? It doesn’t. Not one bit. Just thought I’d share my thoughts on the subject.
While I’m at it. Have I mentioned my loathsome attitude toward the idea of having an Imperial IPA as a name for a style? You can throw Double IPA in there too. I still have no idea why our wonderful US brewers aren’t pushing to have a style of their own, something that respects their ingenuity and our tastes/ingredients. IPA, of course, carries with it a heritage from the Old World, a heritage that is rich and beautiful. I don’t have any troubles with having an American IPA, after all it began as a beer made with the same basic ingredients and ratios of the English versions, only using American hops and ingredients. It’s my opinion that the Double/Imperial versions have absolutely nothing to do with this heritage. Of course, choosing a name for the style would be a battle, but I’ve liked Cascade Strong Pale (more to do with the region than the hop), American Strong Hopped Pale Ale, something that is as American as the beers themselves.
Now, it should be noted I have less issue with the term “double” than I do “imperial”. I just can’t wrap my head around what this really means to anyone! What Imperial court are we making this beer for? When did the US jump on the ‘imperial’ bandwagon and… why? I can only assume that people didn’t really understand the history behind the naming of “Russian Imperial Stout”, assuming it was imperial because it was big? Baffling. Simply baffling. Then of course, the idea that a brewer’s double IPA isn’t actually twice the ABV, IBU or price as their ‘regular’ IPA leaves me wondering about ‘double’. In fact, it should be required that if a brewer has a double IPA and an IPA, the ‘double’ should seriously just be twice the grain bill and hopping – exactly twice the amount. Of course, I’d expect to pay double the amount for that too, right?
Yeah, it’s a slow day and these are the things that pop into my cramped brain. Thanks for playing.