Thursday’s ad is yet another one for Detroit’s Goebel beer, from 1948. I figure I may as well keep the inadvertent theme going. I miss the small bottle, which they call a “bantam.” Except for a few extreme beers, you rarely see them anymore. Even Anchor had to abandon that small bottle they used to use for Old Foghorn. I’m told the bottle just became too expensive. But back to the ad. No time to drink 12 ounces? Surely you can drink a 7 ounce bantam weight beer and still make the train.
Harry Schuhmacher’s Beer Business Daily earlier today published the results of their BeerNet Power 20. Essentially they polled his many beer business subscribers and asked them to vote for the most powerful people in the beer business. It’s the beer equivalent of Entertainment Weekly’s annual power issue. They cut off the voting last night at 5:00 p.m. and stayed up late counting ballots. It’s their first Power 20 poll since 2006, and quite a bit has changed since then. For those on the list in both 2006 and the new ranking, I’ve included their older ranking in parenthesis.
Here’s some observations from Harry about the makeup of this year’s list:
This is the first year that a Busch isn’t on the list. And this is the first year that a craft brewer has achieved the Power 20’s coveted Number 1 poll position: Jim Koch. In fact, in the last Power 20 four years ago, there were only two craft brewers on the list. This year, there are six. And a few Brazilian names have made the list for the first time, and a big investor who is only tangentially in the beer business, Warren Buffet, signaling that readers think he will be a bigger player.
The Top 3 in 2006 were 1) Craig Purser, National Beer Wholesalers Association, 2) August A. Busch IV, Anheuser-Busch Companies, and 3) Bill Hackett, Crown Imports. Curiously, Brewers Association president Charlie Papazian was ranked #13 in 2006, but isn’t on the current list.
Today in 1912, New Mexico became the 47th state.
New Mexico
New Mexico Breweries
New Mexico Brewery Guides
Guild: New Mexico Association of Small Brewers
State Agency: New Mexico Alcohol and Gaming Division
Package Mix:
Beer Taxes:
Economic Impact (2010):
Legal Restrictions:
Data complied, in part, from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac 2010, Beer Serves America, the Brewers Association, Wikipedia and my World Factbook. If you see I’m missing a brewery link, please be so kind as to drop me a note or simply comment on this post. Thanks.
Wednesday’s ad is another one for Detroit’s Goebel beer, from 1953, and the last of the overtly winter ads I have. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been driving up to the house in my sleigh just hoping someone would be holding a tray at the window with a freshly-poured beer. It’s good to have dream.
Tuesday’s ad for Detroit’s Goebel beer is presumably meant for the summer, despite showing a winter scene. The “Midsummer Day’s Dream” slogan is the dream apparently brought about drinking a cold brew. Drink Goebels and you’ll be transported to a winter wonderland. Better bring a coat.
Today in 1890, Utah became the 45th state.
Utah
Utah Breweries
Utah Brewery Guides
Guilds: None Known
State Agency: Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
Package Mix:
Beer Taxes:
Economic Impact (2010):
Legal Restrictions:
Data complied, in part, from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac 2010, Beer Serves America, the Brewers Association, Wikipedia and my World Factbook. If you see I’m missing a brewery link, please be so kind as to drop me a note or simply comment on this post. Thanks.
For the remaining states, see Brewing Links: United States.
I just heard about a new brewery being planned for San Diego, the Societe Brewing Co. The new venture is a partnership between two brewers, one of whom is Travis Smith. If you haven’t heard of Travis, you will. He brewed at Russian River Brewing for a number of years, before moving south, where he brewed at both The Bruery and the La Jolla Brewhouse.
As of today, he’s just getting started, and when I wrote to ask how far along, here’s what he had to say.
Basically still working on everything. We have money to start but are still raising more capital. We have the concepts done, and are now in the phase were I just need to do it all. I feel like there is so much to do I don’t know where to start.
No estimated opening date yet, but I’ll continue to update Societe’s progress. Join me in wishing Travis the best of luck. Hopefully, we’ll be drinking his beer soon.
Travis “MacGyver” Smith showing off the cork gun he made with spare brewing parts lying around the Russian River brewery. It shot a beer cork a pretty fair distance and would pierce cardboard at 100 feet.
Here’s an odd new innovation (sent in by my friend Mike C.) from GrinOn Industries of Montesano, Washington. They’ve created the Bottoms Up Draft Beer Dispensing System. As they claim, “GrinOn’s proprietary Bottoms Up Dispensing System is the fastest dispensing system in the world and fills at a rate of up to nine times that of traditional beer taps.” Take a look at in action below.
GrinOn lists a litany of benefits to their system, though the most obvious is that it “improves speed-of-service increases customer satisfaction and sales.” I don’t know about the “customer satisfaction” but an increase in sales makes sense in the right setting, such as an environment where long lines make speed a real issue, and one where plastics cups are the only option. It seems ideal for a sports stadium or a fair. The homepage features a video showing two people filling 44 cups of beer in one minute, without even breaking a sweat. There are also a number of additional videos on a separate page.
Below is what the dispenser base looks like.
They also claim that their system “reduces the stress and cost of ‘foamy beer problems.'” Filling the beer from the bottom does seem like it would produce head in a very different way, though in the video it certainly seems adequate for the type of beer being poured. It also must use a proprietary cup, though the website talks about there being a FDA approved MAG™ — a round magnet — at the bottom of the cup which seals the cup. It apparently can also be used after you drink the beer as a refrigerator magnet, and they even can sell you a customized magnet that can be a souvenir after the fact or otherwise used promotionally.
I can’t see it being used by small breweries or brewpubs, or even most beer bars, but where volume of just a couple of different beers — the big macros and high volume micros seem likeliest — is the key to the business, then it seems like it could be viable. What do you think?
Monday’s ad for is Rheingold beer from 1949, featuring Miss Rheingold for that year, Pat McElroy. With a broad smile on her face she’s threatening us with a snowball, and with at least one in reserve by her left hand. I’m not sure if her little dog, too, is part of her strategy, but I’m not picking a fight with Pat.
Today in 1959, Alaska became the 49th state.
Alaska
Alaska Breweries
Alaska Brewery Guides
Guild: Brewers Guild of Alaska
State Agency: Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
Package Mix:
Beer Taxes:
Economic Impact (2010):
Legal Restrictions:
Data complied, in part, from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac 2010, Beer Serves America, the Brewers Association, Wikipedia and my World Factbook. If you see I’m missing a brewery link, please be so kind as to drop me a note or simply comment on this post. Thanks.