HOT TRUB/BEER BASICS:
A newsletter of special interest to brewers,
members of the brewing community, chefs, restaurateurs,
and members of the media that cover the beverage alcohol business.
Vol. 2 No. 30 --- August 9, 2001
Edited by: Peter LaFrance (peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com) author/journalist,
covering the beverage alcohol industry since 1985,
Author of:
Beer Basics (ISBN
0-471-11936-9) and Cooking & Eating with Beer (ISBN 0-471-31879-5).
If you wish to be dropped from this list please respond to this posting to peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
include
the word remove in the Subject: line.
===============================================
(The subscriber list is the sole
property of the publisher and will not be
sold, given or otherwise distributed.)
===============================================
=====================================
LATEST NEWS:
=====================================
Belgians Suffer Through Late Mussel Harvest
On Monday, Reuters reported that
“Belgium's gourmets are facing a prospect worse than English cooking -- a delay
to the mussel season.”
Where the national dish is moules
and frites, enjoyed with beer brewed by Trappist monks, mussel lovers are
fuming at being forced to wait an extra two weeks to enjoy their prized
shellfish.
According to the report, Belgian
newspapers are accusing Dutch growers of holding back their harvest of Zeeland
mussels to force up prices, making this people's delicacy more costly than
steak.
In April, Dutch mussel farmers
discovered ugly algae lurking in the Oosterschelde breeding area which killed
off part of their crop. Checks revealed the remaining moules did not contain
enough meat to satisfy the discerning Belgian consumer.
Although the Netherlands is the
biggest producer of mussels in Europe, only 14 percent of Dutch households eat
the shellfish compared to almost half their Belgian neighbors.
But there is more bad news from
Yerseke, which supplies most of the mussels served in the finest Belgian
restaurants and bistros. Not only will the season be delayed until Wednesday
(August 8), but this year's harvest will yield fewer moules, only about 450,000
tones or less than half the average amount collected each year. Prices at
auction suggest the consumer will pay up to 40 percent more for the delicacy.
"It risks becoming too
expensive a dish," complained Bernard Javraux, manager of Brussels' most
famous moule restaurant Chez Leon. "A few years ago mussels were a very
popular dish. Now a kilo of mussels costs much more than a kilo of steak --
it's not normal," he told Reuters Television.
SAM ADAMS LIGHT REDUX
A few weeks ago I had the
opportunity to visit the Boston Beer Company on Germania Street and tour the
brewery there. My guide was brewer Jim Pericles, whose enthusiasm for brewing
was most refreshing. During our conversation the subject of beers being
developed at the brewery was discussed. The topic of “Light” beer was neither
emphasized or ignored, rather, due to my lack of interest, left unexplored.
Later, that afternoon, at a
meeting of the local American Institute of Wine and Food chapter, also held at
the brewery, Jim Koch was asked if there was a light beer in the works. His
response was that no style was ever discarded out of hand.
Less than a month later he was
introducing Sam Adams Light to a group of journalists in Providence Rhode
Island, and week later in Maine.
Needless to say I immediately
followed up with requests for information from both Jim Koch and Jim Pericles.
The following is the response I received from Jim Pericles on Monday, August
06, 2001 2:28 PM
Peter,
Great to hear from you. I'll
attempt to answer your questions.
1) How would you describe
this beer?
Malty with a touch of caramel and
a very clean finish.
2) What makes this brew
different from the previous "Lightship"?
This is a very different beer than
Lightship. Lightship was very hoppy. This beer is more about maltiness. It is
also very light on the palate.
For a regular light beer drinker,
it will seem much more flavorful than other light beers. For a craft beer
drinker, it will seem extremely
drinkable. Lightship was 98
calories with a very low alcohol content. Sam Light is 128 calories and more in
line with other light beers in its
alcohol content, 3.2% by weight.
3) How did you make this a
"light" beer?
We started out with a lower
original gravity, and fermented it to a lower apparent extract. It is the only
light beer that is brewed with
100% 2 row malted barley- No
adjuncts. We also use traditional lager brewing techniques, like krausening and
aging the beer for smoothness.
We use excellent Noble hops, like
Spalt Spalter for a clean bitterness.
4) What grains, hops, and
yeast did you use to make this beer?
Two row Harrington malted barley,
Caramel malt, lager yeast and Spalt Spalter hops.
5) Where is Sam Adams
Light being brewed?
It was developed in Boston, and is
currently being brewed at The Samuel Adams Brewery in Cincinnati.
6) What would you suggest
as a "perfect" food pairing with this beer?
Let's see...there are so many to
choose from...I think a mild weisswurst with some freshly grated horseradish
and whole grain mustard...after
all, it is a lager, crisp on the
palate yet flavorful enough to stand up to the richness and spiciness of the
dish. It would also be wonderful
with sushi.
I'd also like to say that we
approached the development of this beer like we do for all of our beers. We
looked at what was out there, and
thought we could do it better. We
challenged ourselves to deliver a light, drinkable product WITH flavor. This
was no easy task, and
considerable time and effort paid
off. Typical light beers are all about refreshment without the character and
body that defines better beers.
They have a high adjunct content
in order to minimize the malt character, and hop character that can only be
measured in the single
digits (in terms of BU's). Our Sam
Light offers light beer drinkers a flavorful alternative, and gives craft beer
drinkers a lighter choice.
Too many drinkers I've spoken with
tell me that they either want a full bodied beer like Sam Adams or something
that just goes down easy after
mowing the lawn, and until now
that meant a beer that was low in both beer character and flavor; now they can
have the best of both options.
As a brewer and beer lover, I am
very aware of beer choices available to me for my varied moods and tastes.
Lower gravity and lower alcohol beers
are popular in other parts of the
world, especially Germany and England, for different reasons, and only in
America did the larger brewers
approach the
"drinkability" challenge by removing character and flavor, by high
adjunct use, or by high gravity brewing that yields a watered
down taste. We just did what we do
best- use high quality ingredients and traditional brewing techniques to make a
quality light beer.
All The Best,
Jim Pericles
HopunionUSA Craft Brewery Division
Purchased
HopunionUSA, Inc. has recently entered into an agreement for
the sale of its’ Craft Brewery Division to six hop growing families. The
growers involved operate hop farms in both Oregon and Washington. Ralph Olson, who has directed the craft
brewery sales efforts for HopunionUSA, has acquired an ownership interest as
well and will serve as general manager of the new company. “I am pleased to announce that the Craft
Brewery Operations of HopunionUSA has been purchased by an enthusiastic group
of hop growers---most of whom I have sourced specialty hops from for many
years. In addition, our experienced
staff of trained professionals, including Ralph Woodall, will continue to serve
our brewery customers as in the past.”
Olson and Woodall have worked together in the hop industry since
1983.
Doug Weathers, an Oregon hop grower and spokesman for the
new owners adds, “Our ownership group is looking forward to working even more
closely with Ralph and his staff to continue the tradition of growing high
quality, specialty hops for craft brewers.
Having ownership farms located
in both Washington and Oregon gives us a unique opportunity to match hop
varieties to the growing area best suited to maximize their potential. We plan to focus our collective efforts on
the specialty hop market and continue providing exceptional quality and service
to North America’s craft brewers.”
The new company has been formed under the name “Hopunion
Craft Brewery Sales, LLC” and has taken over all operations as of August 1. The
existing hop pellet operation was also included in the purchase. The company location and phone numbers
remain the same. For further
information contact Ralph Olson at 509 453-4792. The renewed 2001-style growth,
after the all-out boom of the last few years seem based more on solid business
than a fad driven market.
=============================================================
PERFECT PAIRINGS:
(Edited for spelling, sometimes. Essential response is
unedited.)
=============================================================
Suggest a beer you would most enjoy with a dish that includes
steamed
clams, mussels and lobster, served with boiled potatoes and corn on
the cob.
This dish is served on the beach with friends.
From: Ed Chilleen [chili1@ix.netcom.com]
Sent: Friday, August 03, 2001 11:04 AM
To: Peter LaFrance
Subject: Re: From HOT TRUB/BEER BASICS - "Perfect
Pairings"
Chili Beer, of course, it is not a beer that you consume
huge quantities of but
it goes well with non spicy food. It fires up your endorphins (the pepper does
this) and makes food taste better.
Ed Chilleen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Fred Bowman [fbowman@portbrew.com]
Sent: Friday, August 03, 2001 11:03 AM
To: peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
Subject: Re: From HOT TRUB/BEER BASICS - "Perfect
Pairings"
Peter,
This is an easy one.
MacTarnahan's BlackWatch Cream Porter!
I have always enjoyed Porter with shellfish, particularly mussels. The slightly drier malt character of
BlackWatch makes it a nearly perfect beverage to accompany this meal. Other porters and stouts are either too
sweet or too hoppy to be entirely complimentary in this setting. Man, it's only 8:00 AM and you've got my
mouth watering for dinner!
Fred
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: halesales [halesales@msn.com]
Sent: Friday, August 03, 2001 1:41 PM
To: Peter LaFrance
Subject: Re: From HOT TRUB/BEER BASICS - "Perfect
Pairings"
A Hale's Pale Ale would do justice to this menu, or Hale's
Drawbridge
Blonde. Both of
these classic English style ales are crisp enough and clear
enough to allow the fresh flavors of the sea to come through
the clams and
mussels. Both also
have enough hop character to cut though the rich lobster
which will probably be dipped in butter giving the diner a
clean pallet with
each bite, yet not overpowering in hop character to fight
the delicate
sweetness of this seafood dish. The Hale's Pale Ale and the Drawbridge
Blonde carry a light malt flavor enhancing the corn on the
cob and potatoes
which in turn bring out the sweeter character of the
ales. They are the
perfect pairing to create a refreshing and memorable dining
experience.
Kathleen Hale
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Fryorama@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 10:08 AM
To: peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
Subject: Perfect Pairing
I'd suggest Hocus Pocus made with Blood Orange by Magic Hat,
in Burlington,
VT. The mango
character and delicate spiciness would be light enough to chug
on the beach and tasty enough to accompany any kind of
seafood boil.
John Freyer
3 Floyds
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: ramstein@juno.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2001 12:28 PM
To: peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
Subject: Re: From HOT TRUB/BEER BASICS - "Perfect
Pairings"
Peter,
Tim Schaffer (Brewchef), of Tim Schaffer's Cuisine in
Morristown, NJ, has
been making Prince Ed. Isld. Mussels steamed in Ramstein
Blonde. He has
had it on his menu for at least 3 years. The NY Times reviewed his
restaurant about 2 years ago. The Times featured that dish
in Highlight
section of dishes that are recommended. Bottom line the "spicy
herbaceous notes" of our unfiltered weissbier marry
incredibly well with
the mineraly notes from the mussels. The broth/sauce is delicious with
an interesting complexity from notes of the mussels, herbs
and spicy
esters from the beer.
Check out Brewchef.com for the details.
Cheers,
Greg
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: RKLIMOVITZ@aol.com
Sent: Friday, August 03, 2001 1:07 PM
To: peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
Subject: Re: From HOT TRUB/BEER BASICS - "Perfect Pairings"
Hi Peter....Leinie's Honey Weiss would be my choice....extremely
drinkable
with a nice crisp finish and not sweet....it goes very well with
shellfish....it's been my favorite beer ever since I moved to Chippewa
Falls....I only wish that I had a bushel of steamed Maryland blue crabs to
really test it with!
Ray Klimovitz
Technical Director
Master Brewers Association of the Americas
=======================================================
EVENTS, OPENINGS & PROMOTIONS
======================================================
*AD (American Distiller) a digital newsletter from Bill Owens - sign up at ambrew@aol.com
In early October the Museum of Beer & Brewing will hold its
grand opening. It will house continuous displays and features, with 2 major
exhibits a year. A noteworthy group of brewers, historians and beer
enthusiasts have joined together to create this unique museum in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. The Mission of the Museum of Beer & Brewing is to preserve and
display the proud history of beer and brewing throughout the World and
particularly in North America.
The group is currently
assembling a treasure trove of breweriana: rare and vintage photos, beer labels
and containers, advertising materials of all kinds, as well as unique brewery
related artifacts on loan or donated by historians, collectors , and by
breweries, both large and small, throughout North America and the World.
The Museum of Beer & Brewing
is affiliated with the Wisconsin State Historical Society.
The Museum of Beer & Brewing
has applied for 501(c)(3) educational non-profit status.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
-Gary Luther, retired Miller
Brewing Company, brewing consultant, executive MBAA
-Marjorie Volke, Brewers
Bulletin & Brewers Digest
-James C. Haertel, Enthusiast
-Frederick Gettelman, Jr., son
of last owner of the Gettelman Brewery
-Karl Struss, retired Pabst
Brewery, brewing consultant
-Jerrold Hilton, Hilton Company,
S.S. Steiner Hops
-Jeff Platt, Cream City Suds
-Jim Kupferschmidt, Collector,
Historian & Author
-David Keating, Enthusiast
-Phil Pospychala, Collector,
Historian & Author
-Paul Bertling, Enthusiast
Members and Supporters include
Mary Ann Gruber of Briess Malting; Herb & Helen Haydock,
Collectors & Historians; Dr.
David Ryder of Miller Brewing Company; and Robert Jaeger, past secretary,
NABA;
For more information contact: info@creamcitysuds.com
Or:
MUSEUM OF BEER
& BREWING
P.O. Box 203, Thiensville,
WI 53092
(262) 966-7567
MUSEUM OF BEER & BREWING
EVENTS:
2- 12 AUGUST -- Museum of Beer & Brewing Exhibit, Wisconsin Craft Brewers Guild Tent
Wisconsin State Fair, West Allis, WI
11 AUGUST -- Museum of Beer & Brewing Exhibit, Great
Taste of the Midwest, Olin-Turville Park
Madison,
WI
17 AUGUST -- "BEER TASTING IN THE BIER GARDEN"
Museum of Beer & Brewing Fund-Raiser & Beer Tasting Event,
Old Heidelberg Park, 700 W.
Lexington, Glendale, WI
6 - 10 PM $10.00 minimum donation, includes beer & music
Hosted by Shepherd Express, Lakefront, Sprecher, Bitburger, Beer Capitol and
Cream City Suds. Enjoy beers from Lakefront, Sprecher, Bitburger, Gosser,
Huber-Berghoff, and many more.
GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL
The Museum of Beer & Brewing will have an exhibit at the
Great American Beer Festival.
Philadelphia
Beer Classes
Philadelphia beer maven Jim Anderson will again be presenting educational
events to educate and enlighten those interested in exploring the various
nuances of beer styles, flavors and compatability with foods. The following
sessions are now available.
-- 3 different 2-session classes at The Restaurant School in Philadelphia
(throughout November 2001, call 215-222-4200 for info)
-- 2 different 1-session classes at La Campagne in Cherry Hill, NJ
(10/16/01 & 11/6/01, call 856-429-7647 for info)
BOSTON RESTAURANT WEEK
August 20-24, 2001 - (five
days) - Boston, MA
TAKE A BEER OUT TO LUNCH BEER AT "BOSTON RESTAURANT WEEK"?
Location & Time: Boston - Lunch
Price: Prixe-fixe
From Monday, August 20 through Friday, August 24, 2001, participating
restaurants will offer a three-course prix-fixe lunch menu for $20.01. at
over 40 of Boston's best restaurants. The program benefits the Anthony
Spinazzola Foundation.
Starting August 6th, participation restaurants will be taking reservations for
this event. Interested diners should call individual restaurants
directly to make reservations. The $20.01 prixe-fixe menu does not include
beverage, tax and gratuity. A complete list of participating restaurants
follows. For more information about Boston Restaurant Week, call 1-888-SEE
BOSTON or visit www.BostonUSA.com for a list of all
participating
restaurants. (Go to the site and then click on the upper link marked "for
more information..." on the right of the screen.)
EDITORS NOTE: If I lived in Boston and had the opportunity to take
advantage of this event I would make an effort to pair the beers available
at these restaurants paired with the prixe-fix menu. It would be a real
chance to discover how beer can pair quite well with white tablecloth
cuisine.
=====================================================================
AUGUST
10-12--Toronto's Festival of Beer, Toronto, Ontario, 877-427-0235,
www.totalbeer.net
10 -- Cream City Suds - Mad City
Suds "Suds Show" Great Taste Preparty, Capital Bier Garden Middleton,
WI 5-7 PM
10 -- Cream City Suds - Mad City
Suds "Suds Show" Great Taste Preparty, Come Back Inn Madison, WI 9 -
11 PM
11 -- Northstar BCCA Trade Session Trade Session in Jacob Leinenkugel Parking Lot
Conjunction with Chippewa Pure Water Days Chippewa Falla, WI 9 AM - 3 PM
11--4th Annual IPA Festival,
Hayward, CA, 510-886-8525
11--15th Annual Great Taste of the Midwest, Madison, WI, www.mhtg.org
17 – 18 -- Stevens Point's Brews, Brats & Bands, Steven's Point, WI,
715.344.9310
18--Microfestivus, Roanoke, VA, 540-855-3644, www.squaresociety.org
18 -- Chicago Beer Society 7th Annual Brews & Blues Cruise - 847. 692.2337
18 –19 -- United Donauschwaben Oktoberfest, Menomonee Falls, WI – 262.252.4100
19 -- Foundation-Beer City-Cream City Suds Homebrew Competition Judging &
Celebration
3-8 PM 2718 N. Bremen, Milwaukee, WI,
414.374.2587
21 -- Emmett's Tavern & Brewing Co. Brewmaster Dinner, Emmett's Tavern
& Brewing
128 W. Main, West Dundee, IL, 847.428.4500
23-25--Sam Adams Grill & Groove, Boston, MA, 617-368-5000, www.samadams.com
24--Great Southern Beer Festival, Memphis, TN, 901-634-4444, www.memphisbrews.com
25-- San Marcos Invitational Beer Wine & Food Fest. San
Marcos, CA (San Diego County)
Admission: $15 to
the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce http://www.san-marcos.org/
760/744-1270
25--8th Annual Colorado Springs Microbrewers Exposition,
Colorado Springs, CO, 719-442-0088
25--6th Annual Summer Eve in the Park Festival & Beer Tasting, Grandview,
WA, 509-786-1310/509-837-5741
25--Ale Fest Dayton, Dayton, OH, 937-298-4545, AleFest@aol.com
25 – 26 -- United Donauschwaben Oktoberfest, Menomonee Falls, WI, 262.252.4100
26 -- 22nd Annual Beer Stein & German Antique Sale & Show, Menomonee
Falls, WI, 414.764.0145
27 -- August Schell's Bottle Cap Open golf tournament, New Ulm, Info: Tim
Huffman 507.354.8896
SEPTEMBER
8 - 9--Tavern Days Celebration, Croton-on-Hudson, NY, 800-656-1212, www.belgianexperts.com
9-11--NBWA Conf. & Trade Show, Las Vegas, NV, www.nbwa.org
9-11--Pac-Expo, Las Vegas, NV
13-16--Mt. Angel 36th Oktoberfest, Mt. Angel, OR, 503-845-6882
14-16-- Uncle Otto's Oktoberfest, Portland Brewing Co. 2730 NW 31st Ave.,
Portland, Oregon www.portlandbrew.com
15--Capitol City Beer Festival,
Harrisburg, PA, 717-221-1080, www.abcbrew.com
23-24--Fremont Oktoberfest, Seattle, WA, 206-706-9869, www.washingtonbrewfest.com
22--7th Annual California Brewers Festival, Sacramento, CA, 800-754-2261, www.calbrewfest.org
22
-- Stone Brewing 5th Anniversary Open House. San Marcos, CA (San Diego County) http://www.stonebrew.com/
760/471-4999
Admission: $10 donation to the Surfrider Foundation.
22--WQPT's Brew-Ha-Ha, Moline,
IL, 319-355-9494
24 -- Beer & Chinese Food with Mat Schaffer and Kerry Byrne
--- The Boston University Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center
presents Mat Schaffer, Boston Herald food critic, and Kerry Byrne, beer
writer for the Herald, as they pair beers with a Chinese banquet prepared by
the staff of the King Fung Garden in Boston's Chinatown. Contact:
617.353.9852
27-29--Great American Beer
Festival, Denver, CO, 303-447-0816, www.beertown.org
OCTOBER
5--Rock, Rhythm & Brews, Newport, OR, 503-241-3800, www.rogue.com
6--World Beer Festival, Durham, NC, 800-977-BEER, www.allaboutbeer.com
6 -- Waffles and Puppets at Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY, 607-547-8184, www.belgianexperts.com
6-8 9th Annual NBC-10 International Oktoberfest, Newport, RI, 401-846-1600,
ext. 221, www.newportfestivals.com
6-9 Brewers' Association of America Conference, Chicago, IL, 919-530-8140, www.brewersadvocate.org
7-19 MBAA Brewing & Malting Science Course, Madison, WI, rjacobson@mbaa.com
13 -- 10th Great Eastern Invitational Microbrewery Festival, Adamstown, PA,
717-484-4385, www.stoudtsbeer.com
13-14 Grand Old Portsmouth Fall Brewers Festival, Portsmouth, NH, 603-422-7503
23 -- 4th Annual WhiskyFest, Marriott Marquis, NY Contact 800/610-6258 or visit
www.maltadvocate.com
27 -- ASH Octoberfest, Tempe, AZ, 480-775-2660, www.azbrewers.com
NOVEMBER
4-7 MBAA Annual Convention, Guadalajara, Mexico, 414-774-8558, www.mbaa.com
9-10 --- 8th Annual Great Northeast International Beer Festival & 4th
Annual Northeast Beer & Cider Competition, Providence, RI, 407-274-3234,
www.click2beers.com
17 ---2nd Annual Whiskies of the World Expo, San Francisco, CA, Contact:
888-748-2400, www.celticmalts.com
###