Today in 1975, US Patent 3927680 A was issued, an invention of Hermann Daum and Johann Stefan, for their “Machine For Picking Hops.” Here’s the Abstract:
This invention relates to a hop picking machine and more particularly to a hop picking machine which includes a device for performing a secondary picking operation.
Tuesday’s holiday ad is for both Narragansett Lager Beer and Ballantine, from 1979. Although the ads was created by the Narragansett Brewing Co., they did include a can of Ballantine in the ad, too, and mentioned it in the ad copy that accompanied that it:
Open up the holiday season with a
‘Gansett lager beer or a Ballantine Ale.
Or both if you’re expecting friends.
And speaking of friends, it’s loyal friends like you who have made Narragansett Lager Beer and Ballantine Ale traditional New England favorites.
And that’s a tradition we’ve been carrying on longer than any other New England brewery, thanks to you.
So, as the old year comes to a close, be sure to open the New Year with our best Narragansett Lager Beer and Ballantine Ale.
Today in 1942, US Patent 2305641 A was issued, an invention of John F. Silhavy, for his “Method of and Apparatus For Making Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
I have invented new methods of and apparatus for heating `and boiling wort in the brew or hop kettle which will be described in connection with My invention is easily adaptable to and can be easily installed in existing kettles. When steam at 25 pounds gage pressure is used as a heating medium in the coil or jacket of a brew kettle, the temperature of the steam is about 265 F. According to my invention I employ heating means and mediums for the brew kettle which range in temperature from about 600 F to about 2000 F so that high’ heating temperatures far beyond those attainable by steam at ordinary pressures are obtained and by this new heating I obtain new and distinct advantages. In my heating systems I use high temperature heating mediums or means which are at a temperature greatly in excess of steam as now used and the wort is contacted with extremely hot surfaces or extremely hot gases. I have shown several ways in which these high and increased temperatures may be obtained but I- am not to be restricted thereto as any heating medium or means which produces high temperature is burned below the surface of the liquid mixture in the brew kettle. In Fig. 2 I have shown a simple form of a burner 3 which can be used but other submerged burners providing submerged combustion with high temperatures can be used. The burner has a tubular portion 32 with a threaded end 33, a combustion chamber 34 and outlet ports 35 for the combustion gases adjacent the combustion chamber. Gaseous fuels are preferably used and such fuels may be mixed with air in stoichiometric proportions in an industrial carburetor or the like and then forced under pressure through the tubular portion 32 and through the burner, being burned in the combustion chamber. By using excess gas a reducing flame is produced and by using excess air an oxidizing flame is obtained. Preferably purified gases such as hydrogen, C2H2 methane, or the like are used. The mixture of fuel and air is burned beneath the surface of the liquid mixture in the brew kettle. The burner may be positioned at any suitable height in the brew kettle but the burner should be placed sufficiently deep in the liquid being heated whereby the combustion gases will give up their heat to the liquid as they bubble through the liquid Wort, and so that the gases of combustion in escaping will not carry off valuable heat. The ideal position of the burner is to have the temperature of the outgoing combustion gases and the wort about the same.
Sheesh, look what happens when I try to take a day off. For the third workday in a row, Anheuser-Busch InBev has announced yet another acquisition, this time it was Breckenridge Brewery of Colorado. This is becoming almost routine. Again, the price was not disclosed, and the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of next year. Last year, the brewery ranked No. 50 on the list of the Top 50 Craft Breweries and is expected to produce around 70,000 barrels this year. Here’s the press release from ABI:
Anheuser-Busch today announced it will acquire Colorado-based Breckenridge Brewery. With this agreement, Breckenridge Brewery is the seventh craft brewery to join The High End, Anheuser-Busch’s business unit of craft and import brands.
“We’re excited about the partnership and have been encouraged to continue on our path and become more innovative moving forward,” said Todd Usry, President of Breckenridge Brewery. “I’m a believer in what The High End is focused on accomplishing and we are flattered that our team was chosen to help guide that journey. We’re looking forward to utilizing resources like decades of research and brewing expertise as we continue to create new beers.”
Available in 35 states, Breckenridge Brewery will sell approximately 70,000 barrels of beer in 2015. The new brewery and Farm House restaurant in Littleton have positioned the brewery for future growth. The brewery will continue to make its unique portfolio of beers – ranging from their Vanilla Porter, to Agave Wheat, to their core brands, seasonal specialties and barrel-aged beers.
“Breckenridge Brewery has a long history of innovation and they continue to brew new and exciting beers, from their specialty brews like the Mountain Series that celebrates the brewery’s origin as a ski town brewpub, to their planned nitro can series,” said Andy Goeler, CEO, Craft, The High End. “They are innovative and have built an amazing business that’s enabled them to get their great beers to fans across the country. We look forward to even more growth together.”
Breckenridge Brewery will join Goose Island Beer Company, Blue Point Beer Company, 10 Barrel Brewing, Elysian Brewing Company, Golden Road Brewing and Four Peaks Brewing Company as part of The High End’s craft beer portfolio.
The partnership includes the company’s new production brewery and Farm House restaurant in Littleton, and original brewpub and current innovation center in the mountain town of Breckenridge.
The current management group, Breckenridge-Wynkoop will continue to own and operate its remaining businesses including: Ale House at Amato’s in Denver, Breckenridge Ale House in Grand Junction, Breckenridge Colorado Craft in Denver, The Cherry Cricket in Denver, Mainline in Fort Collins, Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. in Colorado Springs and Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver.
In addition, Breckenridge posted a letter on their website blog entitled A Letter From Your Friends at Breckenridge Brewery:
Today’s announcement of our acquisition by Anheuser-Busch’s craft and import division may come as a surprise to many of you. We want to share with you how we came to this decision, what it means to Breckenridge Brewery and to those who’ve supported us for so long.
We’ve been in this creative and dynamic industry for over 25 years, loving everything about it. That won’t change. The passion for quality and culture that got us where we are today isn’t going anywhere. We’re proud of the fact that you can find our beers in 35 states; we’ve worked hard to get our beers to as many of you as possible throughout the years. The High End, Anheuser-Busch’s craft and import division, shares the same excitement for our category and commitment to quality. We will join a group of established and innovative craft brewers as part of The High End, and we look forward to what opportunities these relationships will bring to us.
Our brewpub in Breckenridge, our Littleton brewery and its Farm House restaurant are all part of this new entity. Other properties under the Breckenridge-Wynkoop umbrella will continue to be owned and operated by B-W and are not part of this arrangement.
Of course, the same great team who helped build Breckenridge Brewery won’t be going anywhere. We are excited about the opportunity this partnership brings to all of us. We’ll continue to own decisions about the beers we create and the ingredients in them. What people relate to in this industry is authenticity. If there were plans to come in and change our employees, our culture, and our recipes, well, that would completely undermine the reason for the partnership at all. What this new partnership does offer us is access to resources that will help us continue to innovate and bring our beer to more people.
We ultimately owe our success to you, our followers and supporters. I hope you will give us the chance to prove to you over time that we will continue to be Breckenridge Brewery.
At this point, the only question is who will it be tomorrow?
Today in 1914, US Patent 1121930 A was issued, an invention of Lewis V. Mather, assigned to Enameled Steel Package Corp., for his “Metal Keg or Cask.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
This invention relates to kegs or casks and has for its object a cask in which the hoops and the head rings are applied to the shell in an improved manner.
This invention consists essentially in the utilization of spring tongues on the shell or staves of the cask which spring out and lock with the hoops and the. head rings when the latter have been slipped into place.
Monday’s holiday ad is for Budweiser, from 1952. What could be “something more than beer….?” Apparently it’s “A tradition in hospitality.” The wagon with Santa is great though. Instead of eight tiny reindeer, it’s eight not-so-tiny Clydesdales and the sleigh is pulling beer in bottles and kegs, though I suppose those are toy of a sort.
Today in 1976, US Patent 3998761 A was issued, an invention of Herbert H. Gary, William Bess, and Frederick Hubner, assigned to the Bristol-Myers Company, for their “Shampoo Compositions Containing Beer Solids.” Here’s the Abstract, along with some additional claims:
Shampoo compositions containing beer solids.
What is claimed is:
1. A shampoo composition suitable for conditioning hair comprising at least one detergent and a waste liquid beer sludge concentrate distributed in an aqueous medium, the beer solids contained in said composition comprising from about 4% to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the shampoo composition and wherein said detergent comprises about 10 to 20% based on the total weight of the composition.
2. A shampoo composition according to claim 1 wherein the beer solids contained in said composition range from about 6% to 9% by weight based on the total weight of the shampoo composition.
I’m not sure if this is the shampoo that resulted from this patent, but this was sold in the 1970s.
Today in 1971, US Patent 3628701 A was issued, an invention of Thomas L. Kissel, for his “Tapping Apparatus for Beverage Kegs.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:
The principal object of the present invention is to provide tapping equipment which will not cause any escape of liquid during tapping of the keg.
Another and equally important object is to provide tapping equipment which will be less cumbersome, easier to operate and easier to fabricate than similar equipment used heretofore.
These objects are attained by providing a centrally apertured plug which is pushed into the taphole to partially push the stopper into the keg. The plug has two external O-ring seals which provide a seal between the taphole and the plug. An internal O-ring seal is located in the central aperture and provides a seal between the inside surface of the aperture and I the tap rod as it is inserted into the plug and is pushed downwardly against the stopper. The clearance between the tap rod and the aperture is fairly small, and as the stopper is removed the upward flow of the beverage and released gases is restricted to the narrow passage between the tap rod and aperture sidewall. For this reason, the O-ring seal is sufficient to prevent any beverage spray or leakage, which was encountered with prior commercial taps. The passage is, however, ample to permit a flow of gas under pressure from an entry port below the internal sealing means to the keg to, thus, permit the beverage to be maintained under sufficient pressure for operation of the tap.
Anheuser-Busch InBev announced this morning that they were buying British brewer Camden Town Brewery, located in London. Despite having recently raised over £2.75 million through a crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube (nearly doubling their £1.5 million target), which was purported to fund a second London brewery, Camden Town is quoted in the Guardian that “the businesses needed a major investor to fund the construction of a second brewery that will create 30 jobs.”
Jasper Cuppaidge, who founded the brewery just five years ago, also posted a short statement on their website:
The ‘craft’ brewing movement has seen incredible growth driven by innovation, quality and daring. Camden Town Brewery has been at the forefront of this revolution. The success and reputation we have built has been nothing short of incredible. That has been thanks to all of you and the great beers we’ve brewed.
To stay at the forefront of this movement and secure our future success, we have to build a bigger brewery, employ more people and gain access to an international distribution network.
We can’t do this on our own. That’s why I’m proud to say I’ve signed a deal with AB InBev.
This partnership is going to help us deliver our plans to grow. With AB InBev’s support we will expand our operations, create more jobs in London and continue to brew our great beer and get it to more drinkers. Read more here.
We are really excited about taking this opportunity to turn Camden, and the quality it stands for, from being an outstanding London brewer, to being a world famous one. We hope you are too.
If you’re one of our shareholders, we’ll be in contact soon with more details about what the news means for you. We’ll also be updating the investor site shortly with answers to questions you may have.
The terms of the deal, and the price, were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close quickly, by January 7. Camden Town also posted a more traditional press release:
Camden Town Brewery today announced that it is partnering with Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) to pave the way for further growth and expansion. The partnership will enable Camden Town Brewery to expand its operations, bringing more of its popular canned, bottled and kegged beer to more people. The deal will see AB InBev acquire Camden Town Brewery.
Founded by Jasper Cuppaidge, the owner of The Horseshoe pub in Hampstead, Camden Town Brewery started full production in 2010. From an original staff of three people, it now employs a team of 95 and has sold 12 million pints in 2015. Their beers are available in over 1000 pubs, bars, restaurants and retailers around the UK, as well as further afield in Sweden, Australia and Japan.
The deal follows a successful bid by Camden Town Brewery to raise capital via crowd funding and will support the company’s plan to build a second brewery in London, employing 30 more people and meeting growing demand for its products. The partnership will enable Camden Town Brewery to brew more of its own distinctive beers and continue to innovate, while maintaining its focus on quality.
Jasper Cuppaidge said: “Our growth has been phenomenal. To keep up with the demand for our distinctive beers we’ve had to look at expanding our brewing capacity and team. AB InBev is going to be our strategic partner, helping us maintain the character and quality of our beers, while giving us access to the investment we need to drive Camden to being ever more successful at home and abroad.
“Opportunities like this come rarely. We believe we must have the ambition to grab this opportunity and turn Camden Town Brewery, and the quality it stands for, from being an outstanding London brewer to being a world famous one.”
Iain Newell, European Director of Specialities & Craft, AB InBev, said: “We have a passion for great beer. Camden Town is a creative business with a great range of brands that will complement our existing portfolio. We will support their ambitious plans for the future, using our expertise and global distribution network to help them get their great beer to more people.”
Sunday’s ad is for Guinness, from 1952. I like the idea that Santa gets a bottle of Guinness at Christmas Eve instead of the more traditional milk for his cookies, although the addition of an evil (or at least mischievous) kinkajou seems a strange way to go. I’m not sure that Santa Claus versus the Kinkajou makes a great deal of sense, but I guess it’s a least a different approach.
