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HOT TRUB@BEER BASICS.COM

Vol. 03 No. 23 --- 25 September 2002

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.

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.)

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Publisher: Peter LaFrance

Editor: Deven Black

From Behind The Bar: Chris Halleron

On The Loose: Kurt Epps

On The Beat: Alan Wax

Travel: Sharon McDonnell

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

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LATEST NEWS:

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ADAMS REPORTS U.S. BEER CONSUMPTION UP FOR SIXTH STRAIGHT YEAR

Beer consumption in the U.S. recorded its sixth straight annual gain in 2001, despite the slumping economy, according to the recently released 2002 edition of Adams Beer Handbook published by Adams Beverage Group.

The publication reports that, “U.S. Beer consumption rose 0.6% in 2001 to 2.8 billion 2.25-gallon cases-the slowest growth rate in four years. Imports climbed (+8.8%) while domestics dipped for the first time in four years (-0.3%).”

According to the report, domestic premium beers and imports are slowly taking share from the lower end products. The super premium brands, microbrews and “light” brands all saw growth compaired to premium, popular priced brands and the “high test” malt liquer and ice brands.

"The appeal of premium, luxury products of all types have captured consumers, and beer is riding the wave. The strength of lights and imports has proven to be resilient over the course of the past decade," said Robert Keane, co-publisher/editorial director for Adams Beverage Group.”

The report hedges its bets on the so-called “malternatives.”

Contact: http://www.beveragehandbooks.com

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FOUNDERS FOOD & FIRKINS NOW GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY

The Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal reports that Founders Food & Firkins has changed its name to Granite City Food & Brewery. The parent company operates three restaurants under the Granite City name.

Steve Wagenheim, president and CEO, is quoted as saying that although he thought Founders, Food & Firkins "was a great name," it would be easier to monitor the stock if it matched the restaurant's name. "Nobody really knows us as Founders, Food & Firkins," he said. "You've got to change. You've got to be flexible."

The three Granite City restaurants are in St. Cloud, Fargo and Sioux Falls, S.D.

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LOOK OUT - PETA MILKING BEER… AGAIN

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has revived its anti-milk ``Got Beer?'' campaign, with advertisements in four college newspapers last week urging students to abandon dairy in favor of the brewery.

Last week the group ran a quarter-page ad in Penn State University's The Daily Collegian featuring a silhouette of a beer bottle and read: ``Got ... beer?! Better than milk, find out more at MilkSucks.com.''

The campaign is targeted at the 10 schools identified by Princeton Review as the nation's top party schools. In addition to Penn State, Indiana, Colorado and Florida State, the list included Alabama, Buffalo, Clemson, Florida, New Hampshire and Wisconsin.

PETA also planned to run the ad at five schools Princeton Review identified as ``stone-cold sober'': Brigham Young, Wheaton College and the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard academies. The Daily Universe at Brigham Young refused to run the ad.

(Perhaps someone ought to let the PETA folks know that most college students are not of legal drinking age. – Peter LaFrance)(Or that many brewers use isinglass, produced from the swim bladders of certain tropical fish, as a clarifying agent. – Deven Black)

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SPECIAL REPORT: The Story of C3

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By Peter LaFrance

While it is not unusual for a restaurant to have a “house” beer, it is most unusual to hear of a beer brewed specifically to pair with a restaurant’s menu. This is the story of such a beer.

Oleana, a James Beard Award winning restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, offers Eastern Mediterranean/Turkish cuisine and is known for its fine wine list. What makes this fine dining restaurant unique however is its C3, a unique beer brewed with cumin, coriander and cardamom, presented in 350 ml brown bottles with a distinctive label.

Early this month I had a chance to taste this beer paired with three of the restaurants better known dishes. The beer added depth of flavors to the tamarind glazed beef short ribs with the malty base and pungent spice flavors in the finish. On a lighter side, it blended the flavors of broiled baby sole with raki, crab and eggplant soufflé and refreshed the pallet with a hint of sweet finish rather than bitter hop flavors. With grilled lamb steak the malty finish, and the cumin, coriander and cardamom, emphasized the spices used to rub the lamb. I would have been hard put to choose a wine from their well-appointed list that could have done the same.

On a stifling Sunday afternoon three weeks ago, just before dinner service, I sat down with Chef Steve “Nookie” Postal in the garden of Oleana, to hear the story of C3.

First of all I wanted to know how Chef Postal “discovered” beer and just how serious he and Chef/Owner Ana Sortun were about the beers served at Oleana.

Postal’s appreciation of unique beer began five years ago when he was enjoying a night out with friends and choosing a beer from the tap list at the Toad in Porter Square, “It was Allagash White,” recalled Postal. “I remember how great it was the first time I had it. They had twenty beers on tap and I had never heard of it, so I figured I’d give it a try. It was like no beer I had ever tasted before. After that I made a real effort to try new beers.”

Chef Postal admitted that Oleana is best known for its wine list. “Our beer list is for the non-wine drinkers who are looking for familiar brands, and for regular customers who know Turkish beers and ask for them by name. In fact we probably use more beer in our “beer batter” dishes than we sell. The fact is that we are known for our wine list and 85-90% of our customers drink wine. But everyone who has tried the beer has told us they loved it.”

He also admitted that, “After work on ‘the line’ all night in the kitchen I don’t want a heavy dark beer… My favorite is a cold Pabst Blue Ribbon.”

Nevertheless, from the beginning he and Chef Sortun were determined to have a house beer that would pair well with their cuisine. While working on the details in the beginning stages they started looking for a brewery that took brewing as seriously as they did cooking. They happened on Cisco Brewers on Nantucket Island and it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

As Chef Postal told me, “In November and December of 2001 we approached Randy and Wendy Hudson at Cisco Brewers (a seven barrel brewery) on Nantucket Island. I went out to visit with them and Jason “Jay” Harmon offered to show me how to brew. I stayed with them for a while to get a real understanding of the brewing process.”

From the beginning it was not smooth sailing. Postal said that, “The first experiment was with orange blossom water and rose rosewater but something happened during the fermentation and it didn’t work. Then, in May and June we tried another batch using fifteen pounds of organic rose petals. It was amazing how many rose petals make up fifteen pounds. That batch also ran into problems and, again, something went wrong with the fermentation.”

“Then we started thinking about hard spices,” said Postal. “We knew we didn’t want a “Christmas” style beer so we tried the three spices (cumin, coriander and cardamom) that we use in a lot of the dishes here at Oleana. The basic brew was an IPA and the spices were just enough to give it a unique flavor, but not overpowering. They brewed 65 cases the first time and in the eight or nine months we have had it on the beverage menu we have sold over sixty-one cases. We just ordered a second batch.”

“It is great working with the Cisco folks,” said Postal. “They not only brew the beer, they are willing to hold them for us in the right environment so all we have to do is go and get what we need.”

The entire process impresses Chef Postal and he made that clear when he told me quite bluntly, “I think they are true artisans.”

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Letters To The Publisher

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Hey Peter,

I wanted to point out one thing that appears in your newsletter this week, and that has really become my pet peeve.

Michelob, of course, has this new low-carb beer, Ultra. I think it's important to point out that, contrary to popular belief, ALL BEER IS LOW CARB. Beer gets a bad rap in this department, thanks to the term "beer belly" and an all around bad image.

Your item mentions that beer has about 6.6 grams of carbs per serving (I believe it's actually higher, about 12 grams). In any case, the average healthy male requires about 250 grams of carbs per day, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. So, according to my figures, you would need to drink almost a case of beer to get your daily allotment of carbohydrates (which, of course, is not recommended for a variety of reasons.)

In any case, I think this is an example of AB's marketing far overshadowing the truth of the matter and no one on the media has pointed this out in conjunction with Ultra's launch.

I wrote quite a bit about this topic earlier this year. You can find a particularly interesting piece at

http://www2.bostonherald.com/lifestyle/food_dining/beer06022002.htm

Kerry J. Byrne

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NEW PRODUCTS - PROMOTIONS – EVENTS – DINNERS:

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FILLER OPERATOR WANTED

Stone Brewing Co., located in San Diego County, is looking for top-notch candidates for a position as Filler Operator. We are a growing company that is willing to train the right individual to operate our 72-valve Cemco filler and associated equipment.

Filler Operator to be responsible for operation, maintenance and cleanliness of all bottling equipment.Duties include: Sanitize and lubricate machine prior to bottling, operate filler. During packaging, when filler does not need immediate attention, assist with the following: operating forklift, help with taping cases, date stamping, manual case palletizing and depalletizing. Clean-up of machine and packaging area after bottling, keeping equipment in good working order.

Attention to detail and sanitation a must! Mechanical aptitude and troubleshooting skills are necessary. Need to work well with crew and management to meet goals. We are a growing company in San Diego, CA (see www.sandiegonorth.com/) with a reputation for brewing assertive beers (see www.ratebeer.com). Salary DOE.
Contact Name: Lee Chase
Organization: Stone Brewing Co. -N. San Diego
Contact Email: lee@stonebrew.com
Contact Phone: please E-mail

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Magic Hat update

The Magic Hat Mystery 12-pack returns to stores in late October. Included in the package will be 4 bottles of heart of Darkness, 4 bottles of Fat Angel, 4 bottles of #9 and 4 bottles of a “mystery beer”.

November will be the time for return of heart of Darkness in 6 packs and draft.

The brewery also announces their annual 'Night of the Living Dead' birthday party planed for October 25th at Memorial Auditorium in downtown Burlington, VT.

Tickets are $15 through their web-site www.magichat.net or by phone 800-965-4827

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GREAT INTERNATIONAL BEER FESTIVAL & GREAT INTERNATIONAL BEER COMPETITION

The Great International Beer Festival and the Great International Beer Competition return to Providence, Rhode Island on November 8 and 9. This year marks the ninth year for the festival and the sixth year for the competition, both held at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Previously named the Great Northeast International Beer Festival and the Great Northeast International Beer Competition, the two events are greatly expanded in scope this year, bringing in more beers from around the country and around the world. This expansion necessitated the dropping of the word Northeast from the events' names.

The Great International Beer Festival, held on Saturday, November 9, expects to attract approximately 5,000 people during the afternoon and evening sessions. Over 300 beers will be offered from at least 60 breweries.

The Great International Beer Competition, taking place on Friday, November 8, expects to draw several hundred professionally brewed domestic and imported beers and ciders. The beers and ciders will be judged in blind tasting panels by professional brewers. Gold, silver and bronze awards will be awarded in style categories.

Information about the Great International Beer Festival and the Great International Beer Competition is available from Festivals of America: www.click2beers.com, 401-274-3234. Brewing News.com is the media sponsor for both events.

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OCTOBER

3-5 – Great American Beer Festival, Denver, CO, 303-447-0816, www.beertown.org

3-5 – 4th Twickenham Beer Festival, Twickenham, England,

www.jobin.freeserve.co.uk/camra4.htm

4 – Brewfest at the Beach, New London, CT, 860-447-0425, www.jayhayes.com/rotary

4-6 – Harpoon Oktoberfest, Boston, MA, 888-HARPOON, x31, www.harpoonbrewery.com

4-6 – Pilsner Fest 160, Plzen, Czech Republic, www.pilsner-ququel.com

5-6 – Greater Saint Louis Beer Festival, St. Louis, MO, 314-576-2727 (*call first,

may be canceled), www.mhcc.com

11-19 – Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario, Canada,

888-294-HANS, www.oktoberfest.ca

12 – Waffles and Puppets at Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY, 607-547-8184,

www.belgianexperts.com

12 – Acadia's Oktoberfest and Food Festival, Southwest Harbor, ME, 800-423-9264,

www.acadiachamber.com/oktoberfest.html

12-13 – Harpoon fest in Vermont, 888-HARPOON x31, www.harpoonbrewery.com

17-20 – Tulsa Oktoberfest, Tulsa, OK, 918-744-9700, www.tulsaoktoberfest.org

18-20 – MBAA Annual Convention, Austin, TX, 414-774-8558, www.mbaa.com

19 – Shiner's BOCKTOBERFEST, Shiner, TX, 713-867-3135, www.shiner.com

19 – 11th Great Eastern Invitational Microbrewery Festival, Adamstown, PA,

717-484-4385, www.stoudtsbeer.com

25 – 9th Annual Charleston International Beer Festival, Mt Pleasant, SC,

843-689-3440, www.bearfootsports.com

25-27 – 25th PINT-Bokbierfestival, Amsterdam, www.pint.nl

26-27 – Washington Cask Beer Festival, Seattle, WA, www.washingtonbrewersguild.org

NOVEMBER

1-3 – 25th PINT Bokbierfestival, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, www.bbf.htm

2 – 4th Annual AHA Teach A Friend to Homebrew Day, Anywhere You Happen To Be,

888-822-6273, www.beertown.org/AHA/

2 – Maine Brewer's Festival, Portland, ME, 207-771-7571, www.mainebrew.com

8 – 9 -- The 6th Annual Great Northeast Beer & Cider Competition/ 9th Annual Great Northeast International Beer Fest, Providence, RI.

Contact: Competition Director: Gregg Glaser, 203-834-0800;

Contact: gregg@yankeebrew.com

Festivals of America: Maury Ryan, 401-272-0980;

Contact: ryan@lovecraft.com

22-23 – 10th The Great Canadian Beer Festival, Victoria, British Columbia,

250-383-2332, www.gcbf.com

DECEMBER

6-7 – Harpoon Christmas Party, Boston, MA, 617-574-9551 ext 3,

www.harpoonbrewery.com

14-15 – 7th Annual Kerstbierfestival (Christmas Beer Festival), Essen, Belgium,

http://home2.pi.be/gmarch/eng/kerst_eng.htm

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CHECK THESE OUT:

THE FOOD REFERENCE NEWSLETTER

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James T. Ehler, Editor

james@foodreference.com

http://www.foodreference.com

HELLEN’S BRITISH COOKING SITE

“I hope my site reflects the rich tradition of British cooking in its broadest sense.”

http://www.hwatson.force9.co.uk/index.htm