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HOT TRUB@BEER BASICS.COM

Vol. 03 No. 24 --- 2 October 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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BOSCOS CLOSES MEMPHIS OPERATION

Boscos Brewing Co., the first brewpub in Tennessee, closed its original Germantown location Sunday after a thank-you party for customers. Chuck Skypeck, co-owner and founder of the brewpub, and his partners, Jeremy Feinstone and Bill Kinzel, are not renewing their lease in Saddle Creek shopping center. Their other location, in Overton Square, is remaining open, and it has been reported that they are looking for a location in East Memphis or another Germantown location.

Because the workforce at their other location is stable some of the Germantown employees will be let go. The brewing equipment will be sold.

On the bright side for the organization, a Boscos in the Riverwalk area of Little Rock is scheduled to open early next year.

http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/a_la_carte/article/0,1426,MCA_496_1435416,00.html

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CASTRO COOKING WITH BEER

Hundreds of American guests of Cuba’s leader, Fidel Castro, dined on filet of beef marinated in beer with guava and coffee sauce as he told them the giant agribusiness show in Havana they were attending was expected to generate $60 million in new contracts for U.S. food sales to Cuba.

Cuba's food import concern, Alimport, signed contracts for $18.5 million in American food during the first three days of the fair, which runs through Monday.

``The term historic could be used to describe an event taking place for the first time in over years - or the first time ever,'' said the 76-year-old leader.

http://www.sun-sen

.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-0929castro,0,2468885.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

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GUINNESS SPONSORS SOFTBALL OLYMPIANS

Erica Fahey, a senior at Olivet College in Michigan, knows what she'll be doing when she graduates in April. Fahey will go to Ireland as a member of the Irish women's fast-pitch softball Olympic team.

All of the women on the team are American-born except for one, who was actually born in Ireland.

The team's official sponsor, Guinness Beer, is assuming many of the expenses for travel and equipment.

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/news/stories/20020930/localnews/187577.html

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SPECIAL REPORT:

KOSTRITZER BEER - THE PRIDE OF GERMANY'S THURINGIA

By Sharon McDonnell

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Brewed by Köstritzer Schwarzbierbrauerei in the tiny town of Bad Köstritz near Weimar in the former East Germany, Köstritzer Oktoberfest was one of the half-dozen featured selections of German and American beers at a recent Oktoberfest beer and cheese tasting at Bierkraft, a gourmet beer and specialty food shop in Brooklyn, N.Y. It was paired with a smoked gouda from Vermont. Its slightly sweet, mildly caramely and malty flavor made a fine companion for the nutty, moderate smokiness of the Taylor Farms gouda.

One of Germany's oldest breweries, founded in 1453, Köstritzer produces four beers in addition to the seasonal Oktoberfest, including one major star, Köstritzer Schwarzbier. If you're a fan, you're in good company: Goethe, the renowned German poet who wrote "Faust," was an ardent fan. So was Bismarck, Germany's first chancellor. This Schwarzbier's ("schwarz" means black) strong distinct flavor and very dark hue are due to specially defined barley malt. Today, it's the market leader of Germany's booming black beer market, and exported to 28 countries, including the U.S.

For centuries the brewery's owners were the princely family Reuss. During nearly 40 years of Communist rule, the brewery continued to produce and export beer, and an entirely new building was constructed. After Germany was re-unified, Köstritzer Schwarzbier was re-launched in 1993, and immediately regained popularity.

Edel Pils, known for its fresh, tangy character, Kränich Bräu, with strong hop notes-- both found mainly in the former East Germany -- and Diät Pils, also with a tangy flavor, round out the Köstritzer line,

On my recent visit to Weimar, about 55 miles away, a group of us lunched on bratwurst with sweet mustard and potatoes with tall glasses of Köstritzer Schwarzbier at the Köstritzer Schwarzbierhaus, one of many restaurants which serves the brew. Weimar was Germany's intellectual capital in the 18th and 19th centuries, the home of Goethe for over 50 years, where Hungarian-born composer and virtuoso pianist Liszt was director of music, and the poet Schiller lived the final three years of his life. The influential Bauhaus architecture and design movement was also formed here by Walter Gropius.

The Weimar Republic, Germany's short-lived democracy -- whose Constitution was written in 1918 in the German National Theater, where Goethe as theater director premiered Schiller's plays -- was named after the town, as any "Cabaret" theatergoer knows. With only 6,000 residents during the time of Goethe, who moved here in 1775, it's affected German history out of all proportion to its size.

"Where else can you find so many good things in such a small space!...From here the gates and roads lead to all corners of the world," Goethe once praised Weimar. A small, pretty city of about 66,000 people with many colorful houses in its old town, a serene park on the Ilm River and castles, Weimar surprises many who expect the former East Germany to look gray and grim.

Goethe's spacious yellow townhouse, filled with an astounding variety of Italian and Greek sculptures -- his collection amounted to 26,000 art works by the time he died -- is an inspiration to writers everywhere. No starving artist poses for Goethe -- named minister of state at the court of Duchess Anna Amalia in Weimar, he attracted such groupies a fan was once found drowned in the Ilm River clutching "The Sorrows of Young Werther," to copy the protagonist's suicide. Goethe's beloved summer cottage, the Garden House, where he did much of his writing, is nestled in a meadow-like setting in the park on this river.

The Bauhaus Museum is a must for any lover of contemporary design, and many classic examples of Bauhaus-style furniture and home object design are found here. While the design movement was formed in 1919 at a school here, most Bauhaus practitioners later moved to Berlin and eventually to the U.S. when they became unpopular with the German government.

Weimar's Market Square, bombed during World War II, has been beautifully restored and is lined with pastel buildings, and its Neo-Gothic Town Hall with a carillon of Meissen porcelain overlooks a thriving flower and vegetable market. (The high-quality porcelain produced in the nearby town of Meissen came about because an 18th century ruler, Augustus the Strong, ordered alchemists to find a way to create gold, which he sorely needed to replenish his treasury. They didn't, but porcelain has since been nicknamed Germany's "white gold.")

Both Weimar and Bad Köstritz are in the central German state of Thuringia, famed for Wartburg Castle, a 12th century fortress which towers over the town of Eisenach, a UNESCO World Heritage site where Martin Luther translated the Bible into German, and whose court singers' hall inspired Richard Wagner's 'Tannhauser." You can also do a self-guided classical/romantic music heritage trail here. Bach was born in Eisenach -- where a museum with Germany's second-biggest collection of Richard Wagner memorabilia (after Bayreuth) is located --and worked in Weimar among other cities. Thuringia is also filled with medieval cities, picturesque villages, and a legend-filled, reportedly haunted forest.

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SPECIAL REPORT:

HOOK NORTON and ROBINSON’S ARRIVE IN UNITED STATES

By Tim Hampson

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Two of Britain’s oldest family brewers are celebrating export firsts to the US.

Hook Norton and Robinson’s have each shipped their first consignments of 1,000 cases of beer to America for distribution by Capital Brewing in Madison, Wisconsin.

The beer will go on sale in Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. The orders came about as a direct result of British Beer Exports Trade Mission to NYC earlier this year.

Robinson’s export manager Oliver Robinson said: “We have developed two beers specifically for the American market, Double Hop, 5% abv and Northern Glory, 4.4% abv. We are initially sending eight pallets of these to Capital and will follow this up with four pallets of Old Tom, 8.5% abv, in about four weeks time. We felt we had to develop new brands as the names, packing and labeling we use in the UK were not right for the American market.

The Stockport based company, which was founded in 1838, is in the north west of England. They also plans to sell Double Hop and Northern Glory on tap in America beginning in Spring 2003. Beer will be sent in bulk by sea to New York and then overland for repackaging in kegs by Capital in Wisconsin.

Double Hop has a complex and refreshing palate formulated to give an interesting balance of both the Kent aroma hops, which is complemented by a crisp dry roasted malt finish. And as the name suggests the beer is doubled hopped, with hops added into the copper and a second time when the beer is conditioned when some dry hops are thrown into the fermented brew.

Northern Glory is a traditional warming and full-bodied northern bitter which just bursts with flavor of sweet, malty bitter and roasted tones.

Old Tom is for people who like their beer rich and strong. A full-bodied dark beer, it has malt, fruit and chocolate in the aroma. A delightfully complex range of flavor leads to a long, bittersweet aftertaste. It has a deep port wine finish and has won numerous awards including the Campaigns for Real Ales Supreme winter beer of Britain.

Hook Norton is sending three beers to the States, Best Bitter, 3.4% abv, Generation, 4.0% abv and Old Hookey 4.6% abv - all in 500 ml brown glass bottles.

Hook Norton’s export sales manager Richard Parsons said the next consignment would be leaving in four weeks time.

“It has taken a lot of hard work to set the deal up, but by working together we have managed to create a market for our beers, which we hope will now grow.

“Capital head brewer Kirby Nelson came over and gave us a lot of advice about selling our beers in the States. He even came into the brewery at 6.30am to mash one of the beers and helped bottle some of the beers that are in the first shipment.”

The Oxfordshire company can trace its roots back to 1849 and much of its current brewing equipment was installed in 1896, when its historic six-storey Victorian tower brewery was built, including a 25hp steam engine that still provides most of the brewery’s motive power.

It too has adapted its packaging for export and no longer uses clear glass bottles, a change also reflected in beer it sells in the UK.

All Hooky's beers are brewed with water drawn from its own well beneath the brewery and normally use Maris Otter malt and English Challenger, Fuggles and Goldings hops.

The Best Bitter is a well-balanced golden bitter, with a fruity and hoppy aroma, as a result of dry hopping. It is dry and bitter on the palate with a malty aftertaste.

Generation is a robust pale beer brewed with proportions of amber malt and First Gold hops, giving the beer a unique character.

Old Hookey, which uses pale and crystal malt, is an unusual reddish brown beer with a strong nutty aroma and palate balanced with fruitiness. It is full-bodied with a bitter sweet after taste.

And both companies are keen help develop the market for their beers, which they hope will become prized among connoisseurs.

“It taken us a long time to begin exporting and we want to make sure that we get it right,” said Richard Parsons.

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Letters To The Publisher

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Peter,

Based on my most recent university experiences (CA & NM) , today's

demographics have changed significantly from the past. These days the

median age of university students is often around 27, due to new majority

of "non-traditional" students. A related statistic would have "most"

students now of legal drinking age in the 50 U.S. states (junior colleges

excepted). Thus, the excuse for censoring advertisements in college

newspapers is probably not valid. The Utah example shows how much that

state's institutions value the American principle of (commercial) free

speech when it conflicts with the religious doctrine of the ruling party.

Tom

Tom Ciccateri

tciccateri@kcbiermeisters.org

www.realbeer.com/nmvbp

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NEW PRODUCTS - PROMOTIONS – EVENTS – DINNERS:

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ALASKAN WINTER ALE AGAIN

Alaskan Brewing Company will re-release Alaskan Winter Ale, brewed

with Sitka Spruce tips, throughout the Pacific Northwest in October.

Alaskan Winter Ale is in the style of Elglish Ole Ale, and

Uses Sitka Spruce tips for flavoring.

"There is a misconception that spruce tips are piney. Instead they offer a

light, fresh aroma and flavor," said Lead Brewer Brent Kesey.

Alaskan Winter Ale will be available throughout Alaska, Washington, Oregon,

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Northern Nevada and Northern California for a

limited time this fall and winter. The Juneau-based brewery also brews Alaskan Amber, Pale, ESB and Stout year round.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Kristi Monroe, Alaskan Brewing Co. (907) 780-5866 Digital images and

labels available to media representatives upon request.

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ROGUE TO HOST ARTISAN BEER AND CHEESE TASTING

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A Slow Food and Beer Extravaganza is planned for October 14th at

the Rogue Flanders Street Pub in Portland, OR. The Portland

Slow Food convivium has organized an evening of ten craft beers

paired with ten artisanal cheeses.

The event will be hosted by local homebrewing/craft beer/cheese/sake

guru Fred Eckhardt. Tickets are available at

the Rogue Pub 1339 NW Flanders,

by calling 503-222-5910,

or email michele@rogue.com with your credit card.

Cost: $20 for Slow Food members, $25 for the public.

Fred has hosted two previous beer and cheese tastings at the

Rogue PDX pub. A review of one memorable evening in 2001

is on-line on Lucy Saunder's Beer Cook web page:

http://www.bookcook.com/beercheese/roguecheese.html

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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