BEER BASICS.COM
Vol.05 No.13 --- 5 May 2004
A newsletter of special interest to brewers, the brewing community, chefs, restaurateurs, and members of the beverage alcohol business media.
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Publisher: Peter LaFrance
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THE RANT
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Greetings,
Last weekend I had the good fortune to be invited to the 2004 TAP New York event at the Hunter Mountain Ski Bowl. The full details will be forthcoming once I get all the photos and quotes sorted out.
At that event I was asked by Tony Forder, publisher of Ale Street News, what I thought of the Unibroue situation. As it was rather noisy and my hearing is not what it should be, I thought he was asking about another Interbrew take over. My response “The bigger they are…” was probably a bit puzzling to him.
Now that I have had a chance to research the situation I am almost as puzzled as Tony must have been with my answer.
In short (the news reports can be found in their entirety using the links in the “News” section), it seems that a rather esoteric brewery was underutilized and the new businessmen owners are planning to set that right.
This brings me to the point of this week’s “rant.”
Why is it that the crafting, and marketing, of a product such as the unique beers of the Unibroue Brewery, or any other unique (and I do not use the word loosely) brewery, demand the steely-eyed, growth-at-all-cost, pump-the-profit, go-go frantic drive that infests all other manufacturing.
I understand the basics of capitalism. I understand the profit motive. I understand that brewing is a business. I do not accept that uniqueness and quality must be sacrificed to profit.
This may not be the case with the situation in Quebec. It may simply be a case of better business makes better beer. Maybe.
This said, I challenge all of you to point out to me a situation where a brewery taken over by “businessmen” has retained its unique character.
I hope you are all enjoying the new format of this newsletter. Please pass it along to anyone you might think might find it interesting.
As always, your comments and criticism are solicited.
Cheers!
Peter LaFrance
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FROM THE WIRES
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SLEEMAN ACQUIRES UNIBROUE
http://www.forbes.com/business/commerce/newswire/2004/04/16/rtr1335255.html
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/040416/b041672.html
http://www.forbes.com/business/commerce/newswire/2004/04/20/rtr1337905.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040420.wslee0420/BNStory/Business/
http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/280322316975514.php
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000082&sid=aDXKYGf7WKPU&refer=canada
BEST PIECE OF THE BUNCH:
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=f821cb3d-d2e8-42a5-87e7-53036ee8febc
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MORE NEWS
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SIEBEL INSTITUTE TO OFFER DRAFT COURSE IN MAY
The Siebel Institute has been asked by several people to hold another session of its Draught Technical Skills Certificate Program. To meet this demand, they are offering the 4-day Draught Certificate program from May 25th through 28th at the Goose Island Brewpub Wrigleyville facility in Chicago.
The Siebel Institute Draught Technical Skills Certificate Program immerses students in every area critical to draught beer service. Students study the theory of design, construction, and maintenance of each major type of draught beer system, and then put their skills into practice in our hands-on draught environment. This demanding 4-day program includes such topics as:
a.. System Design – Hardware, fluid dynamics, restriction, long-draw & short-draw configurations, delivery options and their effects on beer quality, refrigeration systems.
b.. Installation – New system installation, system replacement and upgrade, tools and accessories, new technologies and their effectiveness, glycol & forced air recirculation.
c.. Safety – Hazardous chemical use, compressed gas cylinder handling, keg transportation, CO2 gas hazards.
d.. Hygiene & Cleaning – The nature of draught system contamination, effective cleaning techniques, cleaning solution formulations, pump-driven recirculated cleaning.
e.. Troubleshooting – Eliminating loss due to foaming at service, refrigeration maintenance, sensory testing of draught beer, working with high-CO2 beer styles.
The focus of the Draught Technical Skills Certificate Program is to give technicians the knowledge they require to keep beer within the service standards set by the breweries. Through quality instruction and practical training in a real-world service environment, those students successfully completing the program earn the title of Siebel Institute Certified Draught Technician, assuring their ability to keep draught beer exactly as the brewer has envisioned from keg to glass.
For more information, contact course designer/instructor Martin Schuster at martinschuster@comcast.net
To register, contact Lupe Zepeda by e-mail at lzepeda@siebelinstitute.com or by phone at 312-255-0705 Ext. 118.
Siebel Institute of Technology
1777 North Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL. 60614
Phone: 312-255-0705 Fax: 312-255-1312
E-mail: info@siebelinstitute.com
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AOB’S NEW JOURNALISM AWARD
The Association of Brewers, a trade organization representing America's 1400-plus breweries, has announced the creation of new awards for media coverage of American beer and breweries.
Thanks to sponsorship from Rogue Ales, the program offers a significant cash stipend plus travel to the Great American Beer Festival(R) in Denver for winning journalists.
The Association of Brewers Beer Journalism Awards were created to recognize the work of three journalists each year: one in the area of consumer print media, one for consumer broadcast media and one for trade and specialized beer and brewing media. The awards will be given each year at the Great American Beer Festival as a part of the annual awards ceremony recognizing the winners of the nation's largest competition among commercial brewers.
Journalists who win the awards will receive a cash stipend of $500 plus an expense-paid trip to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO.
This year's awards will recognize work published or broadcast between January 1, 2003 and June 15, 2004. The entry deadline is July 1, 2004.
For complete information about the awards and details on submitting entries, contact Ray Daniels at ray@aob.org .
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Letters to the Publisher
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From: Ambrew@aol.com
Subject: Distilling
From Saveur Magazine:
We've just heard the news that "ARMAGNAC may help prevent blood clots and maintain cardiovascular health." This comes from the University of Bordeaux in southwestern France, virtually the native region of the so-called French paradox--the attributes that apparently allow the French to eat steak frites, smoke Gauloises, and drink a bottle of wine a day without evincing any ill effects. Nicholas Moore, a researcher at the university, posits that Armagnac--which, like red wine, is high in beneficial polyphenols--has abundant antioxidants and a clot-reducing property similar to that of aspirin. What about cognac, its rival from slightly to the north? "The exact polyphenols depend on the oak that is used to make the casts.... [W]e have not yet tested cognac," says the good doctor.
Have a nice weekend,
Bill Owens
American Distiller
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From: hoptipslist@brewingnews.com
Subject: YBN Hop Tips! Beer Outbreak
Saturday, May 8 is the BeerAdvocate.com Art of Beer Fest! Check out http://www.BeerAdvocate.com/fests for all the details.
The fest will be held once again at The Cyclorama at The Boston Center for the Arts. Tickets for the limited connoisseur session I believe are sold out! You need to check the web site to be sure.
Session One and Two are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. There will be beer, guest speakers, beer, food, beer, cheese pairings, beer, home brew education, beer and I think possibly some very good craft beer. Also be sure to spank Brent Ryan on his bottom as it will be his 29th birthday.
,Speaking of beer and food, an upcoming event you should be aware of is a beer dinner presented by Wakefield Liquors and Wiley's Restaurant in Matunuck, RI on Thursday, 5/13. This is a great spot along the RI coastline for those of you willing to drive down route 1 or come from nearby Connecticut. The dinner will feature five unique and interesting beers from the B. United portfolio (see http://www.bunitedint.com/Collections/core.html) including Le Chouffe and Harviestoun's Engine Oil. The dinner will include a Louisiana Seafood Toss with crawfish and calamari, Cajun Salmon with a chipotle cream sauce, and a chocolate raspberry dessert. Please call Wakefield Liquors at 401-783-4555 to make a reservation as space is limited. The fun starts at 6:30 and Wiley's is located at 629 Succotash Road in East Matunuck which is just 4 miles from downtown Wakefield.
Uncle Frank
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK
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Name a brewery was taken over by “businessmen” and retained it’s unique character.
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Press Releases, Promotions, Events, and Tastings
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AMERICAN BEER MONTH AUCTION AT AOB CRAFT BREWERS CONFERENCE
Attendees at the 21st annual Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America in San Diego April 14-17 participated in spirited bidding to raise more than $5,500 for American Beer Month. Participants bid on nearly 100 different items donated by brewers and suppliers to the beer industry during a two-day silent auction. The items included more than 70 different brewery posters handsomely mounted by Creative Images of Hasting, FL (http://www.crimages.com) as well as a number of promotional items and merchandise donated by industry suppliers.
Several items attracted intense attention from bidders including the COOLit
+ ROTOTAP three-tap dispense head donated by Metallocraft, the Master of
Beer Styles & Evaluation course donated by Siebel Institute of Technology and the Chiller System Maintenance Kit donated by Pro Refrigeration, Inc. In addition to these valuable merchandise donations, a neon and large bar mirror donated by the Anchor Brewing Company garnered high-value bids as well.
The money raised by the auction goes to help fund promotion of American Beer Month, an industry-wide marketing program aimed at furthering the knowledge and awareness of consumers about American beer. For more information on American Beer Month, contact Ray Daniels t( ray@aob.org) or 303-447-0816 x 125.
The American Beer Month committee would like to thank Creative Images for donating the mounting of the posters for this event as well as the many suppliers who donated valuable items to the auction.
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AHA HOME BREWERS CONFERENCE HEADS TO VEGAS
Five hundred of America’s most passionate home brewers will gather in Las Vegas June 17-19 for the 26th Annual American Home brewers Association (AHA) National Home brewers Conference – the world’s best-attended home brewers conference.
The 2004 AHA National Home brewers Conference – Beer and Loafing in Las Vegas – will be a fun, educational gathering designed to enhance home brewers’ brewing skills and knowledge and increase home brewing camaraderie.
Charlie Papazian, home brewing guru, best-selling author and Association of Brewers founder, will address attendees June 17 as the keynote speaker. Other presenters include professional craft brewers Geoff Larson of Alaskan Brewing Co., Michael Ferguson of Barley’s Casino & Brewery, Tom Nickel of Oggi’s Brewing Co., Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Co., Tomme Arthur of Pizza Port – Solana Beach Brewery, and Peter Zien of AleSmith Brewing Co. Topics include optimizing extract beers, botany of beer, radical brewing, the presentation of Beer Judge Certification Program styles, cask beers, beer & desserts, and more to come.
Conference attendees save money when they register by May 14, 2004. American Home brewers Association members receive additional registration discounts. To register, visit www.beertown.org or contact the Association of Brewers at 888-822-6273 (U.S. and Canada only) or 303-447-0816.
The organizing committee includes SNAFU (Southern Nevada Ale Fermenters Union) from southern Nevada, QUAFF (Quality Ale Fermentation Fraternity) from San Diego, CA, and Maltose Falcons from Woodland Hills, Calif.
The 2004 sponsors: Rogue Ales, www.rogue.com ; Beer, Beer, & More Beer, www.morebeer.com ; The Beverage People, www.thebeveragepeople.com ; BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery, www.bjsbrewhouse.com ; Briess Malt & Ingredients Co., www.briess.com ; and Wyeast Laboratories, Inc., www.wyeastlab.com .
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BELGIAN BEER DINNER AT BELMONT BREWING COMPANY
It's time for another Belgian Beer Dinner at the BBC. We have a special guest speaker returning for his seventh year in a row! A Belgian himself, Johnny Fincioen will be talking about (while you're enjoying them) five of the Belgian beers he imports into the United States. The name of his importing company is Global Beer Network; more information is available at www.globalbeer.com
Here is the menu, featuring 5 courses and 5 Belgian beers:
Monday, May 17th, 2004
Reception at 6:30, Dinner at 7:00
Reception and Appetizer
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Wittekerke Belgian Wit
Salad
Citrus Salad with Belgian Endive
Pilaatbijter Blond
Soup
Chilled Potato Leek Soup with Caviar
Piraat Triple IPA
Main Course
Petit Filet on a Portobello Mushroom with Oven Roasted Potatoes
Bournem Double Abbey Ale
Dessert
Beggar's Purse
Cherish Raspberry Lambic
$45.00 plus tax & tip - reservations required - call 562-433-3891 or
eEmail royrausch@belmontbrewing.com
Belmont Brewing Company
25 - 39th Place,
Long Beach, CA 90803
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BJ's BEER APPRECIATION NIGHT: GREAT PILSNERS OF THE WORLD
Originating in the Bohemian city of Pilsen, the first pale lager, "pilsner" became the most popular beer style in the world. For the most part, only German and Czech pilsners remain true to the style. But there are exceptions, as you'll find out at BJ’s May Beer Appreciation Nights In Brea and Woodland Hills, NJ. We'll experience what real pilsner is all about, from classic German and Czech pilsners to some of the few great pilsners from the rest of the world.
Here's the lineup of great pilsners:
Pilsner Urquell
Czechvar
Bitburger
Mahr's
Spaten
Veltins
Warsteiner
Weltenburger
Allgauer
Bavik
Christophel
Tusker
In addition, we'll taste some authentic examples of pilsner brewed domestically, including BJ's own Pook's Pilsner, our German-style pilsner brewed for the first time in Southern California.
Where and when:
BJ's in Brea on Tuesday, May 4, 7:30pm
BJ's in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, May 5, 7:30pm
Admission:
$18 per person (pay at the door). Includes all beer samples, handouts and a souvenir glass. Yes, everyone gets a collectible beer glass to take home! Must be 21 years of age. Designated drivers welcome at no charge.
For more info:
714-990-MALT (Brea)
818-340-4513 (Woodland Hills)
714-848-3747 x226 (Alex Puchner)
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10th ANNUAL PA MICRO FEST AT PENN BREWERY
Advance tickets are now on sale for the 10th annual Pennsylvania Microbrewers Fest to be held on Saturday, June 5, 2004 at the Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh. The Fest kicks off a summer of Penn Brewery events, with more than 100 craft brewed beers—along with brewing experts, great food and live music.
The Pennsylvania Microbrewers Fest—with three different (three-hour) sampling sessions starting at Noon, 3:30 PM and 8 PM—ranks as one of the country's premier annual beer events.
Tickets are now on sale at the restaurant, by mail, fax or e-mail. Send your name, address, telephone, number of tickets and which session (noon, 3:30 or 8 p.m.). Send a check for $31.00 per person; or credit card information including expiration date and signature.
CONTACT:
PA Microbrewers Fest,
800 Vinial Street,
Pittsburgh, PA 15212.
Call 412-237-9402
Fax 412-237-9406.
E-mail address: pennbrew@hotmail.com
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THE 7th ANNUAL E.T. BARNETTE HOME BREW COMPETITION!
This is an AHA sanctioned competition. [PETER: WHAT IS AHA?]
The grand prize for Best of Show is $500!!!
Great prizes and custom medals will be awarded to
the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each of the
six judged categories.
Entries will be accepted: July 5 - July 14, 2004
Entry fees: Submit three 12-16 oz brown or green
crown capped bottles and a check or money order for
$5.00 in U.S. funds to Scott Stihler.
Judging: The first round of judging will take place
on July 17th starting at around 10:00 a.m. or so.
Location: Fox, AK (~10 miles north of Fairbanks)
More information as well as Entry and Bottle ID
forms may be found at the following URL: http://www.mosquitonet.com/~stihlerunits/ScottsDen/Beer/Events/Events.html
Should you have any questions or be edinteresting in
,judging contact Scott Stihler at (907) 474-2138 or stihlerunits@mosquitonet.com .
Cheers,
Scott Stihler
Fairbanks, Alaska
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THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL “THE BAR SHOW”
This will be the fifth year that the folks at Bartender Magazine have held “The Bar Show” at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. The event will be held on Sunday and Monday, June 20 and 21, from noon to 6 p.m.
For information contact: info@rdpgroup.com
The show brings together thousands of owners, managers, bartenders and their staffs from bars, nightclubs, taverns and restaurants throughout the country and the world to meet with the finest suppliers of products and services to the bar and restaurant industry. Last year’s event was attended byover 8,000professionals.
Metro New York has the heaviest concentration of bars , clubs and restaurants in the world. Thethe latest spirits, beers and wines, as well as promotional items, and insurance, financial and other bar products will be presented by some of the leaders in the industry.
This year, attendees will have the opportunity to taste wines from around the world at “The Wine Cellar,” featuring Ron Kapon, Vice President of Tasters Guild International and Director of Tasters Guild New York. Mr. Kapon will officiate a wine tasting in “The Wine Cellar” right on The Bar Show floor.
Admission is $30 at the door for industry professionals.
Contact: Sharmayne Wesler, Vice President
800-243-9774
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CALENDAR 2004
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APRIL
23/24 - Border Beer Bust, [CITY?] GA
Contact: Tres Watson
Phone: 706-823-3435
Email: treswatson@hotmail.com
24 - 21st Annual San Francisco International Beer Festival, CA
Contact: Erin Bedley Giordano
Phone: 415-820-3905
Fax: 415-421-3313
Email: bedleygiordano@sbcglobal.net
MAY
2 - 7th Annual Great Petaluma Chili Cook-Off, Salsa & Beer Tasting, CA
Contact: Laura Sunday
Phone: 707-763-8920
Fax: 707-763-8929
Email: info@cinnabartheater.org
5 - Spirit of Mexico. Metrazur's Balcony, Grand Central Station, NYC - 6:30 p.m. www.happyhourspro.com/web/mexicospirit
8 - Maryland Brewer's Spring Beer Fest, Fredrick, MD
Contact: Alicia Adams
Phone: 410-769-8223
Fax: 410-769-8112
Email: aadams@mooreamarketing.com
www.mdbeerfest.com
15 – Ortlieb’s Brews, Blues & BBQ Beer Fest. Pottstown, PA
Phone: 610-326-640.
15 – Iron Hill Craft Brewers Festival. Media, PA
Phone: 610-627-9000
21 – The Wiener Schnitzel Bark n’ Brew. Penn Brewery, Pittsburgh, PA
5:30-8:30 p.m.
Phone: 412-566-2103 x 241
June
12-13 – The 2004 Great Eastern Microbrew Invitational. Stoudt’s Brewing Co, Adamstown, PA
Phone: 717-484-4386.
19 – The Harrisburg Brewer's Fest, Harrisburg, PA
Phone: 717-671-4000.
27 – The 2004 Garden State Craft Brewers Fest, Waterloo Village, Waterloo, NJ.
CONTACT: www.njbeer.org
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CHECK THESE OUT:
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The Food Reference Newsletter
Food History, Trivia, Quotes, Humor, Poetry, Recipes
James T. Ehler, Editor
james@foodreference.com
http://www.foodreference.com
Lew Bryson's Home Page
Beer maven Lew Bryson has a site that deserves a hit or two.
Of special interest is the Pennsylvania Breweries Update Page, for those who have his book Pennsylvania Breweries. Lew Bryson's website also offers frequent updates to his new book, NY Breweries.
www.LewBryson.com
SALUT! (The Webb site.)
This site includes a recipe of the month (all beer-based recipes), a substitution chart so that those not lucky enough to have access to Quebec’s great beers can use an alternative beer, a brief history of beer in Quebec, and a Question & Answer section with Raymond Beauchemin.
Nat Decants Free Newsletter
Wine tips, sips and articles from award-winning wine writer Natalie MacLean. There are no ads and all e-mail addresses are kept confidential.
Contact: natdecants@nataliemaclean.com or http://www.nataliemaclean.com/
Culinary Cultures LLC
For chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals.
Chef Ron L. Askew, Executive Director
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DIRECT ACCESS
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1) BridgePort Brewing Co. www.bridgeportbrewing.com
2) Pete's Brewing Co. www.peteswicked.com
3) Spoetzl Brewery Inc.,Shiner, TX: www.shiner.com
4) Gambrinus: www.gambrinus.com
5) Rogue Ales www.rogue.com