Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Google Trends In Beer

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This morning Jonathan Surratt alerted me to a fun tool that Google has available, known as Google Trends Explore. You can use it to compare trends in virtually any search term and even topics (which is in beta). Jonathan was comparing “craft beer” to things like potato salad and mashed potatoes, but you can do all sorts of comparisons. So just for a bit of fun, I tried a few different ones. Most are comparing searches, but a few measure topics. Five is the most comparisons you can do at one time, but that still allows for some interesting pairings. In each case, the charts show the trends from 2004 through the present, which is over ten years of data.

First, here’s the difference between craft beer vs. beer. Just beer is beating the pants off modified beer. Good.
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Here’s Craft Beer, Beer and Wine compared. Wine is leaving us in the dust.
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And here’s just beer and wine. But it’s not that far apart and we are gaining on them.
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And this is beer vs. wine, but by topic instead of by searches. By topic it’s closer still, and we’ve even come up on top a few times closer to the present.
beer-vs-wine-interest

Here’s beer compared to four popular spirits. Vodka, not surprisingly, is leading the tightly packed spirits, but beer is besting all of them pretty handily.
beer-vs-spirits

And here’s five of the most popular beer brands.
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This is the same five beer brands but by topic.
top-5-brewery-interest

Patent No. 4160787A: Process For Extracting Bitter Flavoring Principles From Hops

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Today in 1979, US Patent 4160787 A was issued, an invention of Manfred Moll, Roland Flayeux, Pierre Dicesare, and Bernard Gross, for their “Process For Extracting Bitter Flavoring Principles From Hops.” Here’s the Abstract:

A process is described for converting the α- and β-acids of hops into the iso-α acids for use as a bitter flavoring principle ingredient for beers. The α-acids content of the hops is directly isomerized to the iso-α-acid, the bitter principle ingredient. The β acids in the hops extract is transformed to the α acid either after a direct separation step before the α-acid isomerization or the residual β-acids, after the isomerization, are then transformed and the resultant α-acid is isomerized. The β-acid transformation results from a radiation activation followed by an oxidation step with a per – acid.

The isomerization of the α-acid to the iso-α-acid is accomplished by reaction with an alkaline earth metal ethoxide preferably the magnesium ethoxide.

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Patent No. 677918A: Package For Holding Liquids

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Today in 1901, US Patent 677918 A was issued, an invention of Jacob F. Ansenheimer, for his “Package For Holding Liquids.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The object of my invention is to make a cheap, simple, and efficient cask or barrel that is, a tight package for holding liquids, such as beer -barrels, casks, wine-barrels, whisky-barrels, oil-barrels, and similar packages the parts composing the barrel to be made of pulp or analogous substances. It has been the desire for some time to produce such a package made of pulp; but so far no practical article has been produced. The desire to produce such a package has grown out of the fact that the wood out of which such packages are made is becoming scarce and each year the demand for a substitute is growing, the price of the wooden package increasing rapidly, and a package made of pulp will soon be a matter of necessity. Most inventors have aimed at producing a package made of one piece and only in some manner looking in the head. Even if such a barrel could be produced it would be too costly. In producing my new package I have worked on the principle of building a tight package as now in vogue.

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Patent No. 1031950A: Sanitary Vacuum Beer-Mug

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Today in 1912, US Patent 1031950 A was issued, an invention of Walter J. Miller, for his “Sanitary Vacuum Beer-Mug.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The main object of the invention is to provide a device especially adapted for use as a beer mug, in which the beer will be retained in fresh and sparkling condition for considerable time.’

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which, to a real extent, safeguards the liquid contained therein from contamination.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sanitary beer mug or drinking vessel which can be readily washed or cleaned both inside and out.

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Beer In Ads #1610: Slow-Brewed For Mellow Flavour

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Wednesday’s ad is for Brading’s Ale, from 1956. Brading’s was a Canadian brand that in 1930 merged with two other breweries to become part of Canadian Breweries Limited. The creepy man with the pipe looks like Laura Palmer’s father from Twin Peaks, played by Ray Wise. The tagline “At the flip of a cap, friendly pleasure,” seems somewhat odd, and I’m not quite sure what they were getting at. The unseen person was obviously flipping the cap like you would a coin, but what did the winner get? The beer? Did they have to pay the tab? Aren’t they in a fishing lodge, cabin or somewhere private, not a bar? “Mighty refreshing,” indeed. But the funniest of all is that last sentence. “Try a case!” While most marketers are happy if you try just one of their product, Brading’s is starting out by suggesting a case. After all, you can’t really be sure with just one bottle, or even ten. To really give it a fair chance, you need at least twenty-four bottles.

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Patent No. 5645190A: Aluminum Beverage Can

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Today in 1997, US Patent 5645190 A was issued, an invention of Norton Robert Goldberg, for his “Aluminum Beverage Can.” Here’s the Abstract:

An aluminum beverage can the top wall of which, and preferably the bottom wall as well, are substantially in the form of (1) a regular polygon of at least four sides, (2) a Reuleaux triangle, (3) an extended Reuleaux triangle, (4) a symmetrical curve of constant width derived from a regular polygon having an odd number of sides at least five in number, or (5) an extended symmetrical curve of constant width derived in the same way.

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Patent No. 3454018A: Apparatus For Processing Beer Kegs

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Today in 1969, US Patent 3454018 A was issued, an invention of Maurice Ruddick, for his “Apparatus For Processing Beer Kegs.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

Apparatus for automatically washing beer kegs or like containers comprises a head which is applied to the bung hole or other opening of the container with the container inverted, pipes connected to the head for the supply of washing water and detergent for washing the container and steam for lblowing the water and detergent out of the container after washing and a drainage pipe through which the discharged water and subsequently the steam ows from the container. The supply of water, detergent and steam is controlled by pneumatically operated valves in the pipes and the supply of air to control these valves is controlled by solenoid valves operated by an electrical sequence controller. The drainage pipe has an electrical temperature sensitive device electrically connected to the sequence controller which prevents the sequence controller from operating said Valves to cause further washing water or detergent to be supplied tothe container until all previous liquid has been blown out by the steam and there is a flow of steam through the drainage pipe over the temperature sensitive device.

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Patent No. 3454199A: Keg Tapping Structure

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Today in 1969, US Patent 3454199 A was issued, an invention of Dell M. Malick, for his “Keg Tapping Structure.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

A complete tapping structure is disclosed. This tapping structure consists of a keg unit or keg valve and a tapping unit which is adapted to be coupled to the keg unit so that the contents of the keg may be exhausted. The keg unit is adapted to be held upon a conventional keg neck structure by cam means so as to be secured against undesired rotation by ratchet means. The tavern unit is adapted to be coupled to the keg unit by being located upon it and twisted. The tavern unit may be removed from the keg unit by being twisted without causing the keg unit to be uncoupled from the keg neck.

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AB-InBev Buys Pioneering Brazilian Brewery

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Cervejaria Colorado was one of Brazil’s first small breweries when it opened in 1995. I met founder Marcello Carneiro in Argentina when I was there for beer judging in 2011. He’s one of the most fun-loving people I’ve ever met and I’ve since seen him in Brazil and also stateside a few times. He announced earlier today on Facebook that AmBev would be acquiring his brewery. Here’s the Google translation of the announcement:

Dear friends of the bear, we are very happy to formalize you that now the Colorado it becomes part of the group Ambev, along the breweries beer! In 1995, our founder, Marcelo Carneiro, started his journey in the country and put the breweries Colorado on the international market, solidifying a company that today bill around $18 million per year. 20 years ago we work with dignity and fight for the cause brewery, we gain strength and tread a path of large awards, authenticity and it will now be even better! We will continue to develop Brazilian genuinely revenue, our DNA. The Union of the brands will make it possible to increase the capacity of distribution of Colorado and, of course, to our dear Marcelo to devote even more to research of ingredients. Our commitment to the lovers of good beer is still strong and the dream that unites the two pubs is the recovery of the Brazilian beer, with ingredients Brazilians and produced for consumers from north to south of the country. Unite is to make this dream a reality, the dream of the Brazilian school of beer! A toast and hug from bear.

AmBev, you may recall, is the Companhia de Bebidas das Américas, a Brazilian brewing company, and the largest in Latin America and 5th worldwide. It was established by a merger of Brahma and Antarctica in 1999. After more business dealings, mergers and acquisitions, today is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. AmBev makes Antarctica, Brahma, Bohemia, and Skol, and in addition has a controlling interest in the popular Argentine brand Quilmes.

AmBev also released a statement, which I’ve used Google Translate to make more understandable as my Portuguese is worthless:

COLORADO NOW IS THE TIME OF THE BREWERY BOHEMIA

Breweries unite the passion for beer and the search for innovation

The dream of creating a Brazilian school of beer, based on the valuation of culture and national ingredients, joined our Brewery Bohemia Brewery and Colorado. The mark of São Paulo is now part of our team, bringing their tradition, quality, passion and daring.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to achieve my dream with Cervejaria Bohemia. When I founded the Colorado 20 years ago, always wanted to give a national touch to recipes and create a Brazilian school of beer, as there is the German and Belgian. I know that together we will make it happen, “says Marcelo Cerneiro, founder of Colorado.

Wakswaser Daniel, director of marketing for Cervejaria Bohemia, also celebrates the partnership: “It’s a time of celebration for the Brazilian culture. Our union allows further spread the knowledge brewing across the country. Consumers will have more choices, varied beers, unusual income and undisputed quality. ”

The Colorado follows with manufacturing in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. All labels will be maintained and the union with Bohemia Brewery will bring innovation to the portfolio. With the alliance, the distribution of power increases, enabling the brand to bring more beer enthusiasts throughout Brazil.

So it appears that the acquisition will merge Colorado with AmBev’s premium division headed by Cervejaria Bohemia, just as Wäls did in February, when AmBev bought them, as well. Also, in May, they acquired the Bogotá Beer Co., which is/was Colombia’s largest craft brewer.” So it appears there’s some long term plan for Latin America, just as we’re seeing here in the United States, too.

Marcelo’s also announced what his role will be going forward. “My job is international consultant, for a minimum of five years. My task will be to open new roads for Colorado, talk to business partners, represent the brand that I fought for 20 years. My fight has always been and will continue to facilitate the consolidation of a typically Brazilian brewing school, and it will never be abandoned.”

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Bia Amorim, me and Marcello after a beer dinner in São Paulo in 2011.