Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #1591: Land Of Sunshine

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Friday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1954. Starting with the tagline “Traditionally the Finest,” the ad equates Florida with vacationers and the state’s fame as “a center of hospitality.” And this is seventeen years before Walt Disney World opened and transformed the state, so I’m not so sure about that claim. I remember a driving vacation my family took when I was fourteen (in 1973) from Pennsylvania to the Sunshine state and we didn’t even consider going; we drove right on past to Miami and the Keys. At any rate, I have a hard time thinking of Florida as an “enchanted land.” Though to be fair, beer-wise, things are a lot better there now than went I flew there once a month when BevMo opened a couple of stores in south Florida thanks to Cigar City and other new breweries.

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Patent No. 28771A: Beer-Pitcher

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Today in 1860, US Patent 28771 A was issued, an invention of Oliver Z. Pelton, for his “Beer-Pitcher.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it states that Pelton has “invented a new and Improved Beer-Pitcher,” with additional information:

A represents a beer pitcher or can constructed of tin, britannia or any other suitable material, and of any desirable size. cover B, is attached to the body of the same by means of a hinge a., and a knob b, serves to open and close said cover.

The cover shuts down into a rim c, on the top edge of the pitcher, and in order to make it close tight, it is provided with a groove (Z, near to its edge to receive a ring e, of india rubber or any other suitable material. This ring projects slightly beyond the surface of the cover, and if the cover is closed, it shuts down perfectly tight, so that no part of the contents of the pitcher can escape.

The contents of the pitcher are poured out through the spout C, which is furnished with a strainer f in the usual manner. Behind the spout is the movable partition D, which tits into grooves or gnides g, so that it can be drawn out and put in at pleasure. Instead of making this partition to fit into the guides g, it might, however, be attached with a hinge or in any other convenient manner, enabling the same to be brought into such a position that it can easily be cleaned. I prefer, however, to arrange it in such a manner that it can be taken out altogether, so that the inside of the pitcher, as well as the partition itself, can be reached everywhere.

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Patent No. 2750945A: Hop-Picking Machine

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Today in 1956, US Patent 2750945 A was issued, an invention of Millard E. Crowley, for his “Hop-Picking Machine.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

Having set forth the invention broadly, included among the objects thereof are the following: to provide a hop picking machine capable of the simultaneous raking of hops from vines and short arms; to provide apparatus capable of multi-directional combing of hop vines and arms; to combine in a single machine, functions heretofore deemed characteristic of separate machines, as well as, to produce additional functions without the necessity of employing all parts required by the separate machines; to combine in a single machine, capable of continuous operation over extended time intervals, the functions of hop vine and arm picking; and to provide a short arm picker per se capable of optimum picking action.

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Patent No. 1029727A: Tap

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Today in 1912, US Patent 1029727 A was issued, an invention of George Stroh, for his “Tap.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to taps and bushings and more particularly to that class wherein the bushing is permanently secured in a beer keg or barrel. and-a tap, so called, is arranged for coupling therewith. In such devices it is desirable that the tap be so constructed that it may be readily coupled with the bushing, and -a tight joint made therewith without the use of tools, as the coupling of the parts is usually effected when the barrel or keg is in a store room or cellar or other dark place and as the help available is usually unskilled. Furthermore it is of great advantage to have the tap constitute a single structure bodily removable from the bushing, and so arranged that the packing rings and like parts which form an essential feature of the device are not readily lost.

This invention relates more particularly to a construction of a tap sleeve whereby the coupling with a barrel bushing is readily effected by the use of the hand alone and whereby there are no loose tap parts which may be shaken off or otherwise displaced.

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Patent No. PP23674P2: Hop Plant Named “Delta”

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Today in 2013, US Patent PP23674 P2 was issued, an invention of Roger D. Jeske and Paul D. Matthews, assigned to S.S. Steiner, Inc., for their “Hop plant named ‘Delta.'” Here’s the Abstract:

A new and distinct aroma variety of hop plant, Humulus lupulus L., named ‘Delta’ is characterized by its good cone yield, nice aroma (characterized as mild citrus/spice), 1:1 ratio of alpha-acids to beta-acids, low CoH, high Linalool, good storage stability, and resistance to hop powdery mildew. The new variety resulted from cross-pollination performed in 2003 in a field in Prosser, Wash., United States and has been asexually reproduced in a nursery in Prosser, Wash., United States.

Patented only two years ago (filed four years ago), I haven’t seen any mention of this hop being used by any breweries. Anyone know of it being used by anyone?
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Homebrewers Pick The Best Beers In America 2015

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For the 13th straight year, the readers of Zymurgy magazine were asked to send in a list of their 20 favorite commercially available beers. With a record number of votes in the poll’s thirteenth year, over 1,900 different breweries were represented in the voting. The results were not exactly shocking, and most of the beers and breweries that got the most votes were what you’d expect, I think, but it’s an interesting list all the same. The results are, as usual, printed in the latest issue, July 2015.
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Top Rated Beers
KEY: T indicates tie / (#) indicates rank last year / [Arrow indicates their movement over the previous year].

Four of the top ten are California beers (the same number as last year), with again 24 making the list. This is the seventh year in a row AHA members chose Pliny the Elder as the top beer. This also the sixth consecutive year that Bell’s Two Hearted Ale came in second.

1. Russian River Pliny the Elder [↔]
2. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale [↔]
3. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA [↔]
4. Stone Enjoy By IPA (8) [↑4]
5. Founders Breakfast Stout (9) [↑4]
6. The Alchemist Heady Topper (5) [↑1]
7. Bell’s Hopslam Ale (4) [↓3]
8. Three Floyds Zombie Dust (14) [↑6]
9. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (7) [↓2]
10. Firestone Walker Wookey Jack (13) [↑3]
11. Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA (not on last year’s list)
T12. Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro (not on last year’s list, though plain Milk Stout was 29)
T12. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale [↔]
T12. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA (20) [↑8]
15. Goose Island Bourbon Country Stout (10) [↓5]
16. Russian River Blind Pig I.P.A. (22) [↑6]
T17. Arrogant Bastard Ale (18) [↑1]
T17. Founders KBS (11) [↓6]
T19. Russian River Consecration (39) [↑20]
T19. Russian River Supplication (30) [↑11]
21. Deschutes Black Butte Porter (23) [↑2]
T22. Firestone Walker Parabola (not on last year’s list)
T22. Firestone Walker Union Jack (18) [↓4]
T24. Firestone Walker Double Jack (15) [↓9]
T24. Odell IPA (49) [↑25]
T24. Tröegs Nugget Nectar (39) [↑15]
27. Founders All Day IPA (34) [↑7]
T28. Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (27) [↓1]
T28. Sierra Nevada Celebration (15) [↓13]
30. Lagunitas IPA (38) [↑8]
31. North Coast Old Rasputin (23) [↓8]
32. Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ (15) [↓17]
T33. Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin (not on last year’s list)
T33. Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale (25) [↓8]
35. Surly Furious (32) [↓3]
36. Stone Ruination IPA (26) [↓10]
37. Deschutes The Abyss (41) [↑4]
38. Green Flash West Coast IPA (31) [↓7]
39. Oskar Blues Ten Fidy (44) [↓5]
40. Cigar City Jai Alai (42) [↓2]
T41. Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (47) [↑6]
T41. New Belgium La Folie (33) [↓8]
43. Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale (36) [↓7]
44. Founders Backwoods Bastard (49) [↑5]
T45. Victory DirtWolf Double IPA (not on last year’s list)
T45. Fat Head’s Head Hunter (not on last year’s list)
T45. Lagunitas Sucks (6) [↓39]
T45. Stone IPA (37) [↓8]
T49. Odell Myrcenary (not on last year’s list)
T49. Russian River Pliny the Younger (28) [↓21]
T49. Ballast Point Victory at Sea (not on last year’s list)

Brewery Rankings

Brewery rankings are based on total votes received by each brewery’s beers. This year’s top brewery is the same as last year, Russian River Brewing Co., in Santa Rosa, Calif. Russian River placed five beers in the top 50, including both its Plinys. Stone Brewing finished second, while Bell’s Brewery came in third, exchanging places from last year.

finished second, while last year’s winner, Stone Brewing Co., came in third this year. Eight California breweries made the list (one more than last year), with five from Colorado, and two each from Michigan and Pennsylvania. Again, (#) indicates their rank last year, while [Arrow indicates their movement over the previous year].

1. Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA [↔]
2. Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, CA (3) [↑1]
3. Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI (2) [↓1]
4. Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids, MI (6) [↑2]
5. Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA (7) [↑2]
6. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA & Mill River, NC (5) [↑1]
7. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE (4) [↓3]
8. Lagunitas Brewing Co., Petaluma, CA & Chicago, IL [↔]
9. Ballast Point Brewing, San Diego, CA (13) [↑4]
10. Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR (9) [↓1]
11. New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, CO (10) [↓1]
12. Avery Brewing Co., Boulder, CO (20) [↑8]
13. Odell Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO (14) [↑1]
14. Three Floyds Brewing Co., Munster, IN (11) [↓3]
15. Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO (17) [↑2]
16. Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL (12) [↑4]
17. New Glarius Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI (18) [↑1]
18. Surly Brewing Co., Minneapolis, MN (21) [↑3]
19. Tröegs Brewing Co., Hershey, PA (not on last year’s list)
20. The Bruery, Placentia, CA (not on last year’s list)
21. Green Flash Brewing Co., San Diego, CA (not on last year’s list)
22. The Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA (15) [↓7]
T23. Great Divide Brewing Co., Denver, CO (22) [↓1]
T23. Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL (not on last year’s list)
T25. Victory Brewing Co., Downington, PA (19) [↓6]

Best Portfolio

They also determined which breweries got the most votes for different beers that they produce, and called that list “best portfolio.” The number following their name is how many of their beers got at least one vote. (#) indicates their rank last year, while [Arrow indicates their movement over the previous year].

1. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. [60 Beers] (3) [↑2]
2. Stone Brewing Co. [54 Beers] (5) [↑3]
3. Bell’s Brewery, Inc. [52 Beers] (6) [↑3]
4. New Belgium Brewing [47 Beers] (1) [↓3]
5. Avery Brewing Co. [39 Beers] (10) [↑5]
T6. Goose Island Beer Co. [37 Beers] (10) [↑4]
T6. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery [37 Beers] (4) [↓2]
T8. Firestone Walker Brewing Co. [35 Beers] (not on last year’s list)
T8. The Boston Beer Co. (Samuel Adams) [35 Beers] (2) [↓6]
T8. The Bruery [35 Beers] (9) [↓1]

Top Imports

With a few ties, several imports also received votes as readers’ favorite beers. For at least a second year in a row, Unibroue’s La Fin du Monde claimed the number one spot among imports. Again, (#) indicates their rank last year, while [Arrow indicates their movement over the previous year].

1. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde, Canada [↔]
2. St. Bernardus Abt 12, Belgium (3) [↓1]
3. Rodenbach Grand Cru, Belgium (5) [↑2]
4. Guinness Draught, Ireland (1) [↓3]
5. Saison Dupont, Belgium (not on last year’s list)
T6. Orval, Belgium (not on last year’s list)
T6. Chimay Grande Reserve/Blue Label, Belgium (not on last year’s list)
8 Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, England (not on last year’s list)
T9. Weihenstephan Hefeweissbier, Germany (not on last year’s list)
T9. Cantillon Gueuze, Belgium (not on last year’s list)

Patent No. 541431A: Hop-Picker

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Today in 1895, US Patent 541431 A was issued, an invention of Charlon E. Easton, for his “Hop-Picker.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to machines for picking hops-that is, a machine for picking each strobile or oatkin from the vine,and the object of the invention is to produce a machine that will remove the catkins from the vine or stem thoroughly, rapidly, and without injury.

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Patent No. 2245650A: Grain Separating Machine

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Today in 1941, US Patent 2245650 A was issued, an invention of Ovie N. Christopherson, for his “Grain Separating Machine.” There’s no Abstract, but it’s described generally as and “invention provid[ing] an improved highly efficient machine for the separation of various grains or seeds according to their thickness or transverse diameter,” making two claims:

1. In a separating machine, a separating screen, means for simultaneously imparting to said screen endwise reciprocating and transverse movements, said screen having elongated slots extended in the direction of its longitudinal reciprocating movement, the transverse movement thereof :being crosswise of the direction of said slots.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said screen is in the form of a rotary drum and the transverse movement thereof being in a constant direction.

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