Anheuser-Busch InBev Buys Goose Island Brewpub

February 19, 2016 By Jay Brooks

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The Chicago Tribune reported this morning that Anheuser-Busch InBev, who five years ago bought Goose Island Brewing, the production facility and the brand — but not the brewpubs — has announced the purchase of the original brewpub on Chicago’s Clybourn. Founder “John Hall said AB InBev was unable to buy the brewpub under Illinois law at the time of the first sale, in 2011, but also didn’t have much interest. ‘They didn’t understand the value, which they do now,’ he said.” Neither the price or terms were revealed, but apparently “Goose Island’s Fulton Street brewery will become the parent company of the brewpub on Clybourn, which Hall started in 1988 after a career in the corrugated box industry.” In December, the Wrigleyville brewpub closed, meaning ABI will now owns the entire Goose Island kit and kaboodle.

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James Beard 2016 Semifinalists Announced

February 19, 2016 By Jay Brooks

The 2016 semifinalist nominations for the James Beard Awards were announced Wednesday, and the good news is there are quite a few beer professionals among the nominees for “Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional.” If you’re not familiar with the prestigious food awards, here’s how the James Beard Foundation describe their annual awards. “Covering all aspects of the industry — from chefs and restaurateurs to cookbook authors and food journalists to restaurant designers and architects and more — the Beard Awards are the highest honor for food and beverage professionals working in North America.” Until very recently, the awards were almost exclusively food and wine-centric, but more recently “beverage professionals” has slowly been expanding to include craft beer and spirits, too. It’s been nice to see the prejudice against beer in the food, cooking and restaurant world finally beginning to slide away. Too slowly, perhaps, but still … it’s about time and nice to see.

The list released Wednesday is the semifinalists. On March 15, a smaller list of finalists will be announced from among the semifinalists and the award winners will be announced May 2. In the category “Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional,” six of the twenty semifinalists work in the beer world. Last year it was five and the year before there were seven beer professionals nominated. Hopefully, many of them will make the cut next month. Here’s the beer people for this year:

Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
Wayne Carpenter, Skagit Valley Malting, Burlington, WA
Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA
Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, Evil Twin Brewing, Brooklyn, NY
Jim Koch, The Boston Beer Company, Boston
Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, ME

Congratulations to all the semifinalists. It’s a great list, all deserving, though I’m especially pleased to see Vinnie Cilurzo, who’s a friend and neighbor.

Patent No. 398330A: Hop-Shovel

February 19, 2016 By Jay Brooks

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Today in 1889, US Patent 398330 A was issued, an invention of Benjamin F. Jacobs, for his “Hop-Shovel.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The invention relates to improvements in hop-shovels; and it consists in the constrution and novel combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth.
It has been the practice to remove the hops from the kiln by means of a rake, which is objectionable, for the reason that when the hops are first dried and yet warm they break up very easily and are very sensitive to the handling they receive. When raked out of the kiln, they not only break, but lose their dust, which detracts materially from their marketable value. The object of my invention is to obviate this difficulty by providing a bag to hold the hops and the dust when it is desired to remove the hops from the kiln.

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Beer In Ads #1825: Daniel O’Connell — “The Liberator”

February 18, 2016 By Jay Brooks

Thursday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1914, No. 8 in another series they did in 1914-15 called the “National Heroes Series.” The eighth one features Daniel O’Connell, who was “often referred to as The Liberator or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century. He campaigned for Catholic emancipation—including the right for Catholics to sit in the Westminster Parliament, denied for over 100 years—and repeal of the Act of Union which combined Great Britain and Ireland.”

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Patent No. 554806A: Filling And Bunging Apparatus

February 18, 2016 By Jay Brooks

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Today in 1896, US Patent 554806 A was issued, an invention of Marion Warren, for his “Filling and Bunging Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The object of my invention is to provide apparatus for filling packages with liquid and bunging the same expeditiously and securely, the same being especially adapted for the treatment of carbonated beverages, such as lager-beer, which by means of my improved apparatus I am enabled to place in the trade or selling package without material loss of gas or pressure.

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Beer In Ads #1824: Andreas Hofer — The Inn-Keeper Patriot Of Switzerland

February 17, 2016 By Jay Brooks

Tuesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1914, No. 7 in another series they did in 1914-15 called the “National Heroes Series.” The seventh one features Andreas Hofer, who “was a Tyrolean innkeeper and drover, who in 1809 became the leader of the Tyrolean Rebellion against the French and Bavarian occupation forces during the War of the Fifth Coalition. He was subsequently captured and executed. Hofer is still today venerated as a folk hero, freedom fighter and Austrian patriot.” Curiously, the ad states he was from Switzerland, while the sources I looked at all said he was born in a part of Austria that today is part of Italy.

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Beer Birthday: Wendy Littlefield

February 17, 2016 By Jay Brooks

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Today is Wendy Littlefield’s 60th birthday. Wendy, along with her husband, ran the Belgian export company Vanberg & DeWulf, until quite recently, when the business was sold, although they continued for the next year with the company before starting the next chapter. Their portfolio included such great beer lines as Dupont, Castelain and Dubuisson (Bush). They were also the original founders of Brewery Ommegang. Four years ago was their 30th anniversary of being involved in the beer industry and bringing great beer to America. Plus, they’re great fun to hang out and drink with, especially in Belgium. Join me in wishing Wendy a very happy birthday.