Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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The If You Were A Beer Test

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I’m a sucker for quizzes of all stripes, be they tests of trivia, intelligence or knowledge. To me, the best pubs are the ones that host a trivia night once a week. My local when I lived in Cupertino, California, many years ago, the Britannia Arms, had a trivia league Tuesday nights with regular teams and season standings leading to a grand prize winner. It was great fun, and my only point is that I love to take tests. Weird, I know, but I even like to take those mostly meaningless personality tests. Case in point, there are a number of these that claim to determine what kind of beer you are based on a few questions about your personality. The latest one I stumbled upon, The If You Were A Beer Test, is on OK Cupid, an online dating website and was created by a 25-year old female member living in New York City, Gwendolyn Books.

There are nine simple questions, and she’s divided the quiz results into dark & bitter, working class, and genuine, presumably three questions apiece since my own score was 66% dark & bitter, 33% working class, 100% genuine and my own beer was Guinness, which the quiz claims as follows:

Okay, we all know Guinness is the best possible score on any “What Kind Of Beer Are You” test, so you can just go on and pat yourself on the back now. Like the world’s most famous brew, you’re genuine, you’ve got good taste, and you’re sophisticated. What else can I say, except congratulations?

If your friends didn’t score the same way, get ready for them to say: Guinness is too heavy; it’s an acquired taste; it’s too serious — and they probably think those things about you at times. But just brush ’em off. Everybody knows Guinness is the best. Cheers.

I don’t who she means by “everybody” but, of course, I don’t consider Guinness to be anywhere near the best. It’s not a bad beer per se, but it’s certainly lost its iconic status in my eyes, though I realize quite a number of people do still revere it. My wife, sadly, got Corona which, to her credit, she finds every bit as disgusting as I do. And in the end, that’s why as much I love these kinds of things they always tend to disappoint, because the range of beer in these things is decidedly narrow, despite the following cute little ditty that appears just before your beer personality is revealed.

If you were a beer, which would you be?
A Guinness, Sam Adams, or Old Milwaukee?

Do you have a thick head? Are you dark, are you skunked?
Aged at the hands of obscure Trappist Monks?

Are you stout, are you bitter, oaky like Fall,
Or like most of my coworkers, with no taste at all?

However you are, here’s one test you can’t flunk,
All beers are okay, so long as you’re drunk.

At least she’s aware of Trappist Monks, Samuel Adams and the fact that beer can be skunked (especially popular brands like Corona and Heineken), and that put this quizmaster above most, if not all, of the other similar quizzes I’ve taken in the past. Still, I only have myself to blame. I guess I’ll have to add to my growing list of things I’d like to do in my copious free time making a quiz that’s more geared toward the many different styles of beer and the many different personality types. That could be fun. With my personality, though, I’d probably end up a sour beer.

What kind of beer are you? Not much here you’re fond of? I feel your pain.

Style Trends Through April 2007

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Here is a chart of the latest style trends broken out by the top 10 selling styles, based on a year’s worth of sales as of April 22, 2007, courtesy of DBBB, the Domestic Brewers Bottled Brands. They publish the book, “The Essential Reference of Domestic Brewers and Their Bottled Brands” and have a website, which offers monthly online updates of the book.

The chart is based on IRI Data showing sales of beer for the previous twelve months through April 22nd of this year by beer style. IRI is short for Information Resources, Inc., a company that surveys sales of beer (and everything else) from over 15,000 retailers (mostly groceries) in the U.S. As a result, their data is invariably skewed toward the national and regional brands since it doesn’t take into account direct sales and sales from small mom & pop stores. I used to get IRI data from almost every medium to large brewer who called on me when I was a beer buyer for BevMo. And while it’s not accurate for craft beer in specific, it does give you a general idea of certain trends, especially when you follow it over a period of time.

 

Bud Sales Still Slipping

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With August Busch IV poised to deliver his first big “State of the Company” address to investors next week, he may have to do a little dancing to satisfy the concerns of shareholders and the financial analysts. According to Wall Street, profits from beer over the past two years have fallen an average of 1%, while Anheuser-Busch‘s profits have dipped around 12% during the same period.

Despite efforts to get the numbers on core brands up, sales did not rebound as hoped, with revenue up only 5%. Goldman Sachs analyst Judy Hong laid the blame on imports and craft beers, though recent reports have indicated that import sales are suffering the same declines and slowing as mainstream beer, leaving the craft segment as the only shining star in an otherwise dismal beer industry snapshot.

Hong also said that “Anheuser-Busch largely sat on the sidelines as the global brewing industry underwent a massive consolidation, and prospects of capturing significant growth abroad appear limited,” which seems strange since they appointed Bob Lachky last fall to specifically manage their international business and snapped up new import brands for their portfolio — including beers from international brewing giant InBev — yet a Forbes article echoed similar worries, suggesting that “the company has focused on operations abroad, though the chance to gain real exposure to international beer markets may have passed.”

A separate Forbes article, meanwhile, placed the blame for A-B’s woes on a “shift in consumer tastes to wine, spirits and microbrews” — there’s the craft beer segment again figuring heavily in business analysis. Staff writer Tom Van Riper also indicated A-B was struggling to overcome its “passé image” by spending wildly to reach a younger customer, presumably on such projects as Here’s to Beer, Bud.TV and Mingle Now.

Wisconsin Wants More Beer Taxes

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Another state is looking to enhance their revenue by tapping brewers on the shoulder. According to a report in yesterday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “[t]wo Democratic legislators vowed Monday to try to tap the state’s beer drinkers by seeking approval of a fivefold increase in Wisconsin’s $2-a-barrel beer tax, which has not been raised in 38 years.” Berceau wants to raise the tax to $10 per barrel supposedly to fund programs to “fight drunken driving and treat alcohol addiction and mental illness.” As recent studies have indicated though, such raises rarely result in the goals intended. I’ll never understand why responsible drinkers and brewers who contribute positively to the economy are routinely targeted for this kind of punishment because of a few bad apples. We don’t tax sugar makers and soda companies to fund health centers to treat obesity. We don’t ask people who can enjoy one piece of chocolate cake to foot the bill for over-eaters and the health costs they add to society, nor should we. Berceau wants the tax on a six-pack to be 18 cents, up from its previous level of 3.6 cents, which would add as much as $48 million to the amount people would have to spend to buy the same amount of beer.

“Wisconsin’s beer tax hasn’t been raised since ‘man walked on the moon,’ said Berceau, whose efforts to raise the tax have failed in the past,” suggesting she’s been in bed with her sponsors for some time. Those sponsors, some of whom presumably have made campaign contributions, include “the Wisconsin Prevention Network; the American Society of Addiction Medicine; Mothers Against Drunk Driving; the Mental Health Association of Wisconsin; and the National Association for the Mentally Ill of Wisconsin.”

According to the national Beer Institute, Wisconsin ranked sixth in beer consumption in 2006, with an average of 38.2 gallons consumed for every person 21 and older. Wisconsin’s $2-a-barrel tax is third lowest in the nation, behind the 59-cent levy in Wyoming and the $1.86 tax in Missouri.

Squatter’s Brews Utah’s 1st Organic Beer

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Jennifer Talley, the head brewer at Squatter’s Pub Brewery, which is operated by Salt Lake Brewing, has brewed the state’s first certified organic beer, an amber ale. Squatter’s is already known for their ecological leanings, having been named a Utah recycler of the year in 2004. So creating an organic beer does seem like the next logical step for them to make. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Talley used “organic pale and caramel malted barley and aromatic hops,” using “barley is grown from organic seeds, using natural methods of pest control such as lady bugs and composting rather than chemical fertilizers.”

The taste, says brewmaster Jenny Talley, is a caramel-like maltiness with a hint of sweetness. Organic certification requires high levels of cleanliness and sanitation that already were in place, said Talley. But it also requires strict segregation of ingredients “from grain to glass.”

In addition to the Squatters Pub in downtown Salt Lake City, the new organic amber ale is also available at Park City and at the Salt Lake City International Airport. It will also begin appearing on grocery store shelves throughout Utah beginning this summer.

I’ve very much enjoyed Talley’s other beers and am glad to see yet another organic beer from a well-established brewery.

Jenny Talley, brewmaster at Squatters, shows off her Squatters Organic Amber Ale, the Utah’s only certified organic beer.
(Photo by Paul Fraughton, The Salt Lake Tribune)

NOTE: For some reason, the Squatters website requires a username and password, meaning no one can actually visit their website, or it give the following error message, “Insufficient system resources exist to complete the requested service,” with the same result. Hopefully, this is a temporary error and will be fixed shortly.

West Coast Brew Fest Awards Announced

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The results of the West Coast Beer Festival Commercial Competition have been announced. The winners are listed below. Each line below contains the category or style judged under the broad heading above it, the beer name, the brewery and where it’s located.
 

1. Light Lager

  1. German Pils, Pilsner, Radeberger, Germany
  2. Maibock, Maibock, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Helles, Lincoln Lager, Beermann’s, Roseville, CA

2. Dark Lager

  1. Schwarzbier, Black Lager, Krusovic, Czech Republic
  2. Vienna, Luna De Miele, SBC, Sacramento, CA
  3. Vienna, Dreher Vienna, River City, Sacramento, CA

3. Amber Ale

  1. Red Ale, Woodenhead Red, River City, Sacramento, CA
  2. Amber Ale, Thunderhead , Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Red Ale, Winter Ale, Shipyard, Portland, ME

4. Light Ale

  1. American Wheat, Marin Hefewies, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA
  2. Blonde Ale, Cascade, Deschutes, Bend, OR
  3. Cream Ale, Cream Gold, Sequoia, Fresno, CA

5. American Pale Ale

  1. American Pale Ale, Fire Rock, Kona, Kona, HI
  2. American Pale Ale, Slough House, Elk Grove, Elk Grove, CA
  3. American Pale Ale, Mt Tam, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA

6. English Pale Ale

  1. English Pale Ale, Chamberlain, Shipyard, Portland, ME
  2. ESB, Old Thumper, Shipyard, Portland, ME
  3. English Pale Ale, Scapegoat, Big Sky, Missoula, MT

7. India Pale Ale

  1. India Pale Ale, IPA, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA
  2. India Pale Ale, General Sherman, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. India Pale Ale, Inversion , Deschutes, Bend, OR

8. Brown Ale

  1. Mild Ale, Northern Mild, Brew It Up!, Sacramento, CA
  2. American Brown Ale, Moose Drool, Big Sky, Missoula, MT
  3. American Brown Ale, Downtown Brown, Lost Coast, Eureka, CA

9. Porter

  1. Brown Porter, Seadog Hazelnut, Shipyard, Portland, ME
  2. Robust Porter, Pt. Reyes, Marin, Larkspur Landing, CA
  3. Robust Porter, Plow Share, Lodi, Lodi, CA

10. Stout

  1. Oatmeal Stout, Oatmeal Stout, Brew It Up!, Sacramento, CA
  2. Sweet Stout, Grain Barrel, Elk Grove, Elk Grove, CA
  3. Foreign Extra, Industrial, Beermann’s, Roseville, CA

11. Wheat

  1. Hefewiezen, Hefewiezen, Blue Frog, Fairfield, CA
  2. Hefewiezen, Hefewiezen, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Hefewiezen, Umna Hefe, Lodi, Lodi, CA

12. Fruit Beer

  1. Fruit Beer, Orange Blossom, Lodi, Lodi, CA
  2. Fruit Beer, Raspberry Brown, Lost Coast, Eureka, CA
  3. Fruit Beer, Apricot Wheat, Shipyard, Portland, ME

13. Strong Ale

  1. Imperial Stout, Abyss, Deschutes, Bend, OR
  2. Strong Ale, Imperial Red, SBC, Sacramento, CA,
  3. Barley Wine, Bourbon Barrel BW, Beermann’s, Roseville, CA

14. Mixed

  1. California Common, California Common, Schooners, Antioch, CA
  2. Kolsch, Kolsch, Sequoia, Fresno, CA
  3. Alt, Alaskan Amber, Alaskan, Juneau, AK

15. Belgian Ales

  1. Wit, Allagash White, Allagash, Portland, ME
  2. Wit, Skinny Dip Wit, New Belgium, Ft. Collins, CO
  3. Belgian Dark Ale, 1554, New Belgium, Ft. Collins, CO

16. Cider

  1. Pear Cider, Pear Cider, Fox Barrel, Colfax, CA
  2. Pear Cider, Perry, Two Rivers, Sacramento, CA
  3. Apple Cider, Hard Cider, Fox Barrel, Colfax, CA

17. Other

  1. Eisbock Aged in Sherry Barrel, Barrel Aged Eisbock, Lodi, Lodi, CA
  2. Smoked Porter, Smoked Porter, Alaskan, Juneau, AK
  3. Coffee Stout, Coffee Stout, SBC, Sacramento, CA

 
Congratulations to all the award winners.

Eric Rose’s Hollister Brewery Open

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For eight years, Eric Rose was the head brewer at Santa Barbara Brewing. And life was good. But Eric, like many brewers, dreamed of opening his own place one day. That day was Sunday, when his Hollister Brewing opened its doors to the public for the first time.

Situated in a modern strip mall setting in Goleta, a high-tech suburb of Santa Barbara, the new building, brewery and restaurant was built from scratch. I was in Santa Barbara over St. Patrick’s Day weekend (the missus had business that took her there for a long weekend) and hooked up with Eric for my regular column in Ale Street News, the Left Coaster. I’ve always liked Eric’s beers and feel like he often doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, despite winning awards for his Belgian-style beers and hoppy west coast IPAs.

Rose is installing a brand-new 10bbl system and will offer twelve of his own beers — all of them organic — in a wide range of styles along with eight guests taps featuring his friends’ beers. After he’s up and running, he also expects to start doing some barrel-aged beers in small quantities.

Also from my Ale Street News column:

His new brewpub, named Hollister Brewing Co. for the street in the Santa Barbara suburb of Goleta where it’s located, will be something of a Gastropub among chain restaurants. They’ll serve reasonably priced upscale food made for all-local ingredients prepared by the former chef from Bouchon, one of the most well-respected local restaurants. The menu will feature eclectic brew food with homemade sauces, specialty pizza and six daily lunch specials to cater to the high-tech industry nearby.

As Rose tells me, “there used to be a time when you had to choose between being green and good taste.” But now that you can have both, he believes more people will make the responsible choice that gives them both great taste and the feeling that they’re doing the right thing, too. Organic beers have truly come of age.

So far in the first few days he’s getting some good reviews from locals and the local paper, the Santa Barbara Independent has written favorably about the opening.

I’m really looking forward to tasting what Eric will be brewing at his new venture. If you visit Santa Barbara, be sure to stop by his new place and give it a try.

From the Independent article:

Located at the northeast corner of the Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta, the new brewery is replacing Camino Real Café. The three looked at a number of different locations, but decided on the Camino Real Marketplace because of the activity surrounding the area. “It’s a very important part of the Goleta Valley,” Rose said. With traffic being generated by a movie theater, Home Depot, Starbucks, and Borders, the trio envisions the brewery as another option for older college students and researchers to enjoy a nicer beer, as there is nothing of the sort in Goleta. The brewery has “enough TVs to make sports fans happy,” but is low-key enough that it isn’t a sports bar, Rose said.

Hollister Brewer Eric Rose in March.

All A-Gush for Allagash

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Beer Chef Bruce Paton’s next beer dinner next year will feature brewmaster Rob Tod and the beers of Allasgash from Portland, Maine. It will be a four-course dinner and well worth the $85 price of admission. It will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel on Friday, May 25, 2007, beginning with a reception at 6:30 p.m. Call 415.674.3406 for reservations. Make your reservations soon, because the dinner, as usual, should fill up fast and this is yet another dinner you won’t want to miss.
 

The Menu:

 

Reception: 6:30 PM

Beer Chef’s Hors D’Oeuvre
Hugh Malone Ale

Dinner: 7:30 PM

First Course

Chef’s Selection of Cheeses with Traditional Accompaniments

Beer: Allagash Interlude

Second Course:

Medallions of Dayboat Scallop with Anise Cured California King Salmon, Fennel, Corn and Morel Mushrooms

Beer: Allagash Odyssey

Third Course:

Cutlets of Slow Roasted Lamb with Fingerling Potato Risotto and Bing Cherry Compote

Beer: Allagash Inoculator

Fourth Course:

Banana Upside Down Cake with Butterscotch Mascarpone

Beer: Allagash Curieux

Three of the beers that will be served at the Allagash Beer Dinner.

 
5.25

Dinner with the Brewmaster: Rob Tod of Allagash

Cathedral Hill Hotel, 1101 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California
415.674.3406 [ website ]

Tomme “Moses” Arthur Releases 10 Commandments

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Tomme “Moses” Arthur, Director of Brewing Operations for Port Brewing and the Lost Abbey, today announced their newest seasonal release. The new seasonal is called the Ten Commandments, a big, complex beer to mark their first anniversary.

From the press release:

While not exactly descending the mountain with two stone tables, Port Brewing / Lost Abbey’s award-winning brewmaster Tomme Arthur did make his mark on the craft beer world today with the release of Ten Commandments, a Belgian-style dark farmhouse brewed with raisins, fresh rosemary and honey. As an added twist, a secondary wild yeast was also added to the brew during bottling.

The craft brewer’s anniversary issue, Ten Commandments is a mocha-garnet-colored ale that offers a rich, rustic texture with strong notes of banana and fig, invoking the complexity and character of the artisanal beers of the southern Belgian countryside.
“I’ve always been inspired by the unpredictability and artistic style of Belgian ales like Fantôme’s Black Ghost,” said head brewer Tomme Arthur. “In creating Ten Commandments I wanted to emulate that perspective but add an unexpected touch. Using mercurial yeast like Brettanomyces in combination with raisins, herbs and honey delivers a pleasant, full-bodied profile and mélange of flavors unlike any other beer.”

Ten Commandments is 9 percent alcohol by volume and ships in 750ml cork-finished bottles. Brewed in limited quantities (280 cases in 2007) and released annually during the brewery’s anniversary, it is available directly from the brewery and in Port Brewing markets May through September.

About Port Brewing / Lost Abbey

Founded in 2006, Port Brewing Company produces a line of award-winning American ales as well as the groundbreaking Lost Abbey family of Belgian-inspired beers. Craft brewed under the direction of co-founder and two-time Great American Beer Festival brewer of the year, Tomme Arthur, four beers are issued under the Lost Abbey label year-round: Avant Garde, Lost and Found, Red Barn and Judgment Day. Additionally, a number of seasonal and specialty releases including Ten Commandments, Cuvee de Tomme and the Angel’s Share, are offered at various times throughout the year. As many of these are blended and aged for up to 18 months in French Oak, Brandy and Bourbon barrels, Lost Abbey beers are universally recognized for their complexity, unique flavors, and bold, boundary-pushing styles. Port Brewing is located at 155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069, USA., web: www.lostabbey.com.