A Texas judge’s ruling yesterday allows direct shipping by out-of-state retailers, without a permit. That’s all the detail I’ve been able to find out so far, so I’m not sure yet what this decision will mean. It doesn’t sound similar to the Washington Costco decision, but simply sounds like it will allow mail-order and web-based company shipments from outside the state. The headline read “Texas Throws Out Three Tier” but what little the story revealed seems to contradict that. Of course, the source was a Texas-based business catering to the larger players, so undoubtedly that’s the reason for the deceptive headline. I’ll update this as soon as I have additional information.
Festival Announcement: North American Organic Brewers Festival
The 2006 North American Organic Brewers Festival will be held June 10 from 12:00-9:00 p.m. at World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon.
I received the following information about the upcoming festival from Roots Brewing, who is putting on the festival.
North American Organic Brewers Festival
At the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon on June 10, 2006, from 12-9pm.
North America’s only organic beer festival will feature over 30 organic beers from the Pacific Northwest and as far a field as Germany, England, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Texas. From pale ales and pilsners to imperial stouts and dopplebocks, organic brewers are taking the craft beer revolution to the next level.
The North American Organic Brewers Festival is a celebration of sustainability and benefits Oregon Tilth, a certification body which supports organic farming, the Oregon Food Bank which feeds the hungry, the World Forestry Center, which is dedicated to sustainable forests, and My Father’s House a local shelter for homeless families. Local sustainability-oriented businesses, including organic produce delivery companies, garden centers, and green builders, will be on hand. Food vendors will include organic and free-range options from a range of international cuisines.
Family Friendly
An indoor children’s area will feature face painting, games and a soda pop garden, and the festival is adjacent to the Children‘s Museum, World Forestry Center, and Oregon Zoo.
Music
Music on the outdoor stage will be provided by Orkestra, the Stumptown Jug Thumpers, Baktune, Vivid Curve, Left Hand Monkey Wrench, Adair Village, and Wow and Flutter.
Cost
Admission to the festival is $4 which includes a mug, tickets for 4 ounce samples of beer will be $1. Attendees get $1 off admission with three cans of food for the Oregon Food Bank, a validated MAX ticket, or a World Forestry Center ticket. The Forestry Center will offer a $1 discount for festival attendees.
Location
The festival will be held at the World Forestry Center, which is located adjacent to the MAX light rail station, and attendees are encouraged to take public transportation.
Portland, Oregon not only boasts more breweries than any other city in the world, it is one of the greenest in North America. The city is a leader in recycling, green building, and livability. The festival’s stunning setting in Washington Park looks out over the fir forests of Portland’s West Hills, and Mount Hood, the source of some of the best drinking and brewing water in the country.
6.10
North American Organic Brewers Festival
World Forestry Center, Portland, Oregon
[ website ] [ e-mail ]
Fat Tire Grows Fatter: New Belgium to Expand Brewery
Today’s Fort Collins Coloradoan has two, count ’em, two stories about New Belgium Brewing’s expansion plans. On June 1, New Belgium will begin construction on its biggest expansion to date. In fact, the expansion is expected to cost $21.5 million ($11.5 million for the building and $10 million in new equipment) for a new 55,000 sq. ft. facility directly northeast of the exisiting brewing facilities.
From the Coloradoan story:
An automated, high-speed bottling line will be installed in the new building. KHS, a brewery equipment manufacturer based in Germany with a presence in the United States, was hired for the equipment installation.
By May 2007, the microbrewery will put out 700 bottles a minute, compared to the current 300 bottles per minute, said [Jim] Spencer.
The brewery is on track for an estimated 400,000 barrels produced this year, said [Bryan] Simpson. With the expansion, the microbrewery could eventually reach up to 800,000 barrels maximum per year.
The front of the present brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Using Google Earth, this is a satellite view of the brewery (bottom center). There are two possible spots I can see for where the new building will be situated. Either directly to the right or across the street and in the upper righthand corner of this view.
400-Year Old Ram Brewery to Close in Merger
Two rival British brewers, Charles Wells and Young’s announced today that they will be merging, effective October 2 of this year. The new company will be named Wells & Young’s Brewing Company Ltd. All operations will be moved to Charles Wells’ Bedfordshire brewery and the Wandsworth Ram Brewery will be closed.
| The Ram Brewery in Wandsworth (south London) is the oldest brewing site in England, having had a brewery at the location for over 400 years, since 1581, which was during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The Young’s family acquired the brewery in 1831 and have operated it there ever since. |
The BBC is reporting the closure will cost about ninety jobs and will leave London with only two brewing giants, Fuller’s and Anheuser-Busch.
Reports in This is Money, a UK financial site, and The Morning Advertiser, a website dedicated to licensee’s (pubs), both have additional details on the merger.
From the press release:
The company will be owned 40 per cent by Young’s and 60 per cent by Charles Wells, reflecting the assets being contributed by each shareholder, which for Charles Wells include the freehold land and production facilities of the Eagle Brewery.
Wells & Young’s will be operated as an independent company, at arms length from its two shareholders. Both Young’s and Charles Wells will continue to operate their pub estates independently of each other and both have entered into separate three-year rolling (five-year minimum) supply agreements with Wells & Young’s.
Paul Wells and John Young toast the merger of their two companies.
Latrobe Rallys to Save Brewery
According to local Pittsburgh television station, WPXI Channel 11, a rally will be held today in downtown Latrobe, Pennsylvania by local leaders to build support for the Latrobe Brewery and “find a buyer for the Latrobe brewing company plant in an effort to save 250 jobs.”
Anheuser-Busch announced last week that it was buying Rolling Rock and would be moving production of the brand to Newark, New Jersey. A-B also plans to sell the Latrobe Brewery, which was founded in 1883. It will most likely close this summer, sometime in mid-July seems likeliest.
Channel 11 plans on running a live report on their five o’clock report by news reporter Katrina Owens.
The Latrobe Brewer in downtown Latrobe, Pennsylvania, seen here in 2001.
First Radical Beer Open Winners Announced
The first annual Radical Beer Open, sponsored by Real Beer and Brewers Supply Group, and inspired by Randy Mosher’s book, Radical Brewing, was held last week in New Mexico. Brewers were only allowed two entries and were judged by a blind panel of commercial brewers and BJCP judges. The results were announced today, with Real Beer News writing the story.
Here is a list of the winners:
CATEGORY 1: 5% ABV & LESS
Gold – Witbier, Chama River Brewing Co., Albuquerque, New Mexico
Silver: Orange Blossom Wheat, Papago Brewing, Scottsdale, Arizona
Bronze: Ich Bin Ein Berliner Weisse, Nodding Head Brewery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
CATEGORY 2: 5.1-7.5%
Gold: Temptation, Russian River Brewing, Santa Rosa, California
Silver: Supplication, Russian River Brewing, Santa Rosa, California
Bronze: Cerise Cassée, Cambridge Brewing, Cambridge, Massachusetts
CATEGORY 3: 7.6% ABV & MORE
Gold: Three Philosophers, Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, New York
Silver: World Wide Stout, Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, Delaware
Bronze: Samuel Adams Double Bock, Boston Beer Co., Cincinnati, Ohio (brewery)
CATEGORY 4: WILD
Gold: Le Woody, Pizza Port, Solana Beach, California
Silver: La Folie, New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, Colorado
Bronze: De Wilde Zuidentrein, Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, Illinois
Randy Mosher’s Radical Brewing, which inspired the Radical Beer Open.
Heavyweight Brewing Down for the Count
In two articles posted Saturday and this morning, the BeerYard is reporting that New Jersey’s iconoclastic Heavyweight Brewing will be throwing in the towel sometime this summer, most likely in mid-July. They have three more beers to brew and that’s it, according to the report. They’ll also be selling off their remaining stock of bottled beers.
In the BeerYard’s exclusive interview, owner Tom Baker indicated that he and his wife (and business partner) Peggy will most likely be looking to open a brewpub/good beer bar in the near future, probably in the Philadelphia area. So the news is bittersweet. While it’s sad news indeed that a craft brewer who made such interesting and delicious beers — I don’t think I ever had one of Tom’s beers I didn’t like — is closing, it sounds like there will still be a forum for Tom’s great beers, which is cause for great joy.
Heavyweight Brewing’s owners, Peggy Zwerver and Tom Baker.
Alaskan Brewing Finalist for Business Awards
Okay, I admit it. I’d never heard of the American Business Awards or the coveted Stevie Award — Greek for “crowned” — before I received the press release from Alaskan Brewing Co.
But out of 1,500 companies who entered, Alaskan Brewing is a finalist in four categories: Best Marketing Team, Best Creative Team, Best Marketer and Best Corporate Communicator. That last one made me chuckle, because my friend Kristi Monroe is the person nominated for that award and she’s also the person who sent out the press release telling me about it. But she deserves to win, so I’ll be rooting for her to win. Founders Geoff and Marcy Larsen are great people and they’ve managed to assemble a great group of people.
Oh, and they make great beer, too. Geoff, who also literally wrote the book about smoked beers, makes one of the best smoked beers in the world. The Alskan Smoked Porter is one of those rare beers that continues to improve dramaticially with age. I did a great lateral tasting of four vintages of the Smoked Porter a number of years ago put on by All Saints Brands at GABF.
From the press release:
The Alaskan Brewing Company is a finalist in every category it entered in its first year competing for the coveted Stevie Awards. Winners will be announced at the Fourth Annual American Business Awards in New York on June 12.
Citing innovative marketing programs and collateral materials, Alaskan Brewing is a finalist in four categories: Best Marketing Team, Best Creative Team, Best Marketer and Best Corporate Communicator.
“Our Brew Crew put together a series of highly effective marketing programs that catapulted Alaskan Brewing growth, making it the leading West Coast craft brewer during 2005,” said Sales and Marketing Director, Fred Hees, finalist in the Best Marketer category.
Hailed as “the business world’s version of the Oscars” by the New York Post (April 27, 2005), the American Business Awards are the only national, all-encompassing business awards program honoring great performances in the workplace.
“With 1,500 nominees submitted for consideration, we are so excited to be recognized with the likes of Microsoft and other large corporations,” said Kristi Monroe, finalist for Best Corporate Communicator. “Despite being a small business on a conservative budget in a remote location of Alaska, we are producing quality programs and obtaining successful, measurable results.”
“Among the work recognized are our partnerships with the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, Alaska Airlines and Alaska Seafood,” said Brand Manager Cindy Burchfield, a key member of the Creative and Marketing teams, both of which are finalists. “We are thrilled to share this honor with these friends of Alaskan Brewing and our longtime supporters.”
Good luck guys, I’ll be rooting for you.
A-B Buys Rolling Rock
Last week it was just a rumor, today it’s now official. Anheuser-Busch, in it’s drive to pick up new brands, has agreed to purchase the Rolling Rock brand from rival brewing giant InBev for $82 million.
Since Rolling Rock is not technically a craft brewer, buying them is perhaps a little more curious than their courting of other craft brands. But Rolling Rock was sold, nationally at least, beginning in the 1980s as if it were a microbrewery. This was done quite successfully and it did in fact create a pretty good image for itself when their weren’t very many national micros. Those of us who grew up in Pennsylvania weren’t fooled but generally speaking the unsophisticated beer consumer believed — and perhaps still believes — Rolling Rock is a craft beer. And I think it’s that very quality, it’s status as essentially a faux micro, that makes it ideal as an A-B product. A-B is very good as selling brands as much more than they are in reality so this will, I think, be a marriage made in heaven, albeit a heaven with no real beer.
From the press release:
Introduced in 1939 by Latrobe Brewing Co. and acquired by InBev’s Labatt U.S.A. in 1987, Rolling Rock is an historic American lager that is well-known for its distinctive, full-bodied taste and painted green bottle. Rolling Rock has established itself as an authentic, iconic American lager with a loyal following.
Anheuser-Busch acquires the Rolling Rock brands and recipes with the transaction, and will now start to work with the existing Rolling Rock wholesaler network and Anheuser-Busch wholesalers to define plans for the future. Anheuser-Busch will begin brewing Rolling Rock and Rock Green Light in August using the brands’ same time-honored recipes, maintaining Rolling Rock’s craftsmanship and heritage that its fans expect and appreciate. Internationally, Rolling Rock will continue to be sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
“We have an ideal opportunity to grow this historic brand,” said August A. Busch IV, president of Anheuser-Busch Inc. “This beer is not like others, and its consumer following is equally distinctive. We live in a diverse world where consumers are hungry for variety. Acquiring Rolling Rock enables us to reach a new audience and to continue building our broad portfolio of products that meet the wide-ranging needs of consumers.”
InBev plans to sell its brewery in Latrobe, Pa., separately to focus its U.S. business on imported beers. It is in discussions with potential buyers to determine the best available options for the brewery and its employees.
“The decision to sell the Rolling Rock brands was based on InBev’s strategic approach to the U.S. market, which is to focus on the high-growth import brands in our portfolio,” said Doug Corbett, president of InBev USA. “Our sales and marketing efforts will emphasize our leading imported beers, including Stella Artois, Bass Pale Ale, Beck’s, Brahma and Labatt Blue.”
Glen Hay Falconer Foundation Scholarships Announced
The Glen Hay Falconer Foundation announced today the two recipients for this year’s brewing scholarships to the Siebel Institute in Chicago. This year congratulations go to Chad Kennedy, the newly named head brewer of Laurelwood Public House & Brewery and Ben Millstein of Kodiak Island Brewing. Kennedy and Millstein will attend the World Brewing Academy’s Concise Course in Brewing Technology held at Siebel Institute of Technology’s Chicago campus this November.
From the press release:
The Selection Committee, consisting of Tom Dalldorf of Celebrator Beer News, Jamie Floyd of Ninkasi Brewing Company, John Harris of Full Sail Brewing, John Maier of Rogue Ales, Ralph Olson of Hopunion, Shaun O’Sullivan of 21st Amendment Brewery, and Chris Studach of Cascade Brewers Society were tasked with selecting only two recipients from a deep and talented group of 25 deserving candidates. Speaking for the entire committee, one member highlighted the challenge: “The group of applicants was just too big and too talented to chose only two. It was the toughest decision that I have faced in years!”
In making its final decision, the Selection Committee members were impressed by Chad and Ben’s demonstrated accomplishment and dedication to furthering their brewing skills. In the words of a committee member: “Chad’s accomplishments in a fairly short time are only overshadowed by his clear desire to succeed in brewing. Perhaps even more important is his understanding of the open and sharing nature of the brewing community and his strong motivation to give something back to it.” And for Ben: “Ben’s dedication to the art of brewing is hugely obvious. To overcome the obstacles he has from a beginning homebrewer in remote Alaska, to successfully found and operate a homegrown, Alaskan brewery is inspiring.”
The Foundation extends congratulations to Chad and Ben and sincere appreciation to all the applicants for their interest and enthusiasm for the brewing scholarships. The Foundation also thanks the Selection Committee for its dedication and energy and wishes to express its deep gratitude to the Siebel Institute for its co-sponsorship and its continuing support for the Foundation’s brewing scholarship program.
The foundation honors the memory of iconoclastic brewer Glen Falconer, who died in a tragic accident in 2002. He brewed at Wild Duck Brewery in Eugene, Oregon.