Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Bahrain Beer

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bahrain
Today in 1971, Bahrain gained their Independence from the United Kingdom.

Bahrain
bahrain-color

Bahrain Breweries

Bahrain Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.00%

bahrain

  • Full Name: Kingdom of Bahrain
  • Location: Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
  • Government Type: Constitutional monarchy
  • Language: Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu
  • Religion(s): Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8%
  • Capital: Manama (Al Manãmah)
  • Population: 1,248,348; 157th
  • Area: 760 sq km, 188th
  • Comparative Area: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
  • National Food: Machboos
  • National Symbol: White-cheeked Bulbul
  • Affiliations: UN, Arab League
  • Independence: From the UK, August 15, 1971

bahrain-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 18
  • BAC: Zero Tolerance
  • Number of Breweries: 0

bahrain-money

  • How to Say “Beer”: beereh (biræ) جعة / شراب من الشعير / جعة / المزر شراب نوع من الجعة / بيرة
  • How to Order a Beer: Waheed beera, meen fadleek
  • How to Say “Cheers”: Bismilah / Fi schettak or Fisehatak (“to your health”) / في صحتك
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

bahrain-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 52%
  • Wine: 14%
  • Spirits: 34%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 3.56
  • Unrecorded: 0.10
  • Total: 3.66
  • Beer: 1.91

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 3.56 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Stable
  • Excise Taxes: N/A
  • Minimum Age: 18
  • Sales Restrictions: N/A
  • Advertising Restrictions: N/A
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: N/A

Patterns of Drinking Score: 3

Prohibition: Yes

bahrain-asia

Beer In Ads #672: Watch Out, You’ll Drop The Schlitz

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Tuesday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1947. It’s from the series of mishaps where people are more concerned that nothing happens to the beer than whatever else is going wrong. In this one, it’s a windy day and a man carrying not one, but two, six-packs of Schlitz has just lost his hat. He could reach for it … or he could save the Schlitz from falling. The three by-standers all seem to be reaching to save the beer. It must have ben weird to live in a time when you expected to wear a hat at all times outdoors.

Schlitz-1951-windy

“Craft Beer” Added To Webster’s Dictionary

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webster
The interwebs are all abuzz with the news this morning that the term “craft beer” has been added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. I know very few people who are happy with the term already, so this is probably not going to help. The definition they chose doesn’t seem to quite work. I know they were trying to generalize a term that itself has struggled to be defined, and there are already many differences of opinion about what the term means, so it was no easy task. Even so, it seems like a fail. It will apparently be in the next print edition of the dictionary, but has already been added online. Here’s the entry:

craft beer noun

Definition of CRAFT BEER

: a specialty beer produced in limited quantities : MICROBREW

First Known Use of CRAFT BEER

1986

That definition suffers from the vagueness of what it means to be “a specialty beer” — which itself needs to be defined — and that it includes only beers that are brewed “in limited quantities.” As opposed to those beers in unlimited quantities? Does that mean year-round beers cannot be considered “craft beer?” Probably not, but my point is this is a pretty inelegant attempt at defining craft beer. It’s simple, at least, but hanging what it means to be a craft beer on it being “special” and “in limited quantities” is not exactly doing anybody any favors.

But other dictionaries have also tackled “craft beer” with mostly the same uninspired results. Here’s a few others.

American Heritage Dictionary: A distinctively flavored beer that is brewed and distributed regionally. Also called craft brew, microbrew.

Dictionary.com: an all-malt or nearly all-malt specialty beer usually brewed in a small, regional brewery.

Oxford English Dictionary: a beer with a distinctive flavour, produced and distributed in a particular region.

Stan had a post a couple of years ago about Craft beer: The 1986 definition that explores its origins. A lot of terms have come and gone, picked up and fallen out of favor, and there’s a twitter discussion swirling about what the next term will be, with Ray Daniels suggesting “Artisan Brewer” as the “next big thing.” Here are a few that have been, and continue to be, used to describe beer that’s not “good old macrobrew made in vats the size of Rhode Island” (however we define that, too), and at least one suggested this morning just in jest:

  • Artisan Beer
  • Authentic Beer
  • Boutique Brewer
  • Cool Brewer
  • Cottage Brewery
  • Craft Beer
  • Craft Brew
  • Flavor Beer
  • Hand-Crafted Beer
  • Handmade Beer
  • Microbrewery
  • Nanobrewery
  • Picobrewery
  • Real Beer
  • Regional Brewery
  • Small Batch Beer
  • Small Brewer
  • Specialty Beer
  • True Beer

Did I miss any? Are there any you think should be added for consideration? What do you think we should call this stuff we all love? Maybe just call it “beer” and be done with it?

Pakistan Beer

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pakistan
Today in 1947, Pakistan gained their Independence from British India.

Pakistan
pakistan-color

Pakistan Breweries

Pakistan Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: Falls under Drink and Drugs, S. No 14. No Set limit. 8 Penalty Points.

pakistan

  • Full Name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
  • Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
  • Government Type: Federal Republic
  • Language: Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Saraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%
  • Religion(s): Muslim (official) 95% (Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 5%
  • Capital: Islamabad
  • Population: 190,291,129; 6th
  • Area: 796,095 sq km, 36th
  • Comparative Area: Slightly less than twice the size of California
  • National Food: Biryani, Nihari
  • National Symbols: Markhor (national animal), Chukar (national bird); Jasminum officinale (“Poet’s Jasmine”); Mango (Summer fruit) and Guava (Winter fruit); Deodar (Cedrus Deodara); Minar-e-Pakistan (Tower of Pakistan); Star and crescent; and the Indus River (Sindh) (unofficial)
  • Affiliations: UN, Commonwealth
  • Independence: From British India, August 14, 1947

pakistan-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 21 (Illegal for Muslims)
  • BAC: 0.00%
  • Number of Breweries: 1

pakistan-money

  • How to Say “Beer”: bir sharab
  • How to Order a Beer: ikk bir sharab, khush karna
  • How to Say “Cheers”: jai jaikar
  • Toasting Etiquette: There are no toasts in Pakistan

pakistan-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: <1%
  • Wine: <1%
  • Spirits: <1%
  • Other: 100%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 0.01
  • Unrecorded: 0.05
  • Total: 0.06
  • Beer: 0.00

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 0.01 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Stable
  • Excise Taxes: No
  • Minimum Age: 21 (Illegal for Muslims)
  • Sales Restrictions: Yes
  • Advertising Restrictions: Yes
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: Yes

Patterns of Drinking Score: 3

Prohibition: Pakistan allowed the free sale and consumption of alcohol for three decades from 1947, but restrictions were introduced by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto just weeks before he was removed as prime minister in 1977. Since then, only members of non-Muslim minorities such as Hindus, Christians and Zoroastrians are allowed to apply for permits for alcohol. The monthly quota depends on their income but is usually about five bottles of liquor or 100 bottles of beer. In a country of 180 million, only about 60 outlets are allowed to sell alcohol. Enforced by the country’s Islamic Ideology Council, the ban is strictly policed. However, members of religious minorities often sell their liquor permits to Muslims and a black market trade in alcohol continues.

pakistan-asia

Anderson Valley Teams With Wild Turkey To Make Bourbon Barrel Beers

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avbc-new-2
Boonville’s Anderson Valley Brewing announced today that they’re partnering with the bourbon maker Wild Turkey to develop bourbon barrel-aged beers. The first will be made using their Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout.

0612 Fal Jimmy Eddie Kettles
Fal Allen, with Jimmy and Eddie Russell at Anderson Valley’s brew kettles.

From the press release:

As part of an exclusive partnership and licensing agreement, the Anderson Valley Brewing Company and the famed bourbon brand Wild Turkey® announced today that they will be teaming to facilitate the brewing of world-class Bourbon-barrel aged craft beers using repurposed American oak barrels from the Wild Turkey Distillery in Kentucky.

“I’ve been familiar with Anderson Valley Brewing for some time, and I’ve always admired the pride and care they take in crafting and brewing their beer,” said Jimmy Russell, Wild Turkey Master Distiller. “It’s similar to the approach we take with our bourbon, which made this partnership such a natural fit. Now I finally have a good excuse to drink a great craft beer!”

“The opportunity to partner with the Bourbon Hall of Fame Russell family and Wild Turkey is tremendously exciting,” said Trey White, Anderson Valley owner and CEO. “We have done some trial brews with a limited number of Wild Turkey barrels over the past several months and the beers to date have been awesome. We cannot wait to create some truly special craft beers with hundreds rather than a handful of barrels. The relationship with Wild Turkey provides Anderson Valley with a world class, consistent source of barrelage rather than randomly sourced barrelage in limited quantities. Anderson Valley, working with the Russell’s, will explore new frontiers in barrel aged craft beer.”

The initial production from this first-of-its-kind collaboration will be a Bourbon barrel aged Stout featuring Anderson Valley’s award-winning Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout. Aged for three months, the resulting beer will be deep ebony in hue with a beautiful mahogany head, an aroma of fresh-baked bread, toffee, and espresso mingling with the woody vanilla notes of Bourbon whiskey and the rich roasted flavors wrapped with Bourbon.

“We chose to work with Wild Turkey not only because their whiskey is so outstanding — they are also the only major Bourbon producer to use a #4 “alligator” char on their barrels. This helps to introduce way more flavor to the Bourbon, and therefore way more flavor to our famous Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout,” continued White.

This draft-only production will be released in the fall and will be followed by packaged products in early 2013. Anderson Valley and Wild Turkey personnel will work jointly in the coming months on a variety of exciting promotional opportunities both on and off premise to expose their respective consumers to the quality and authenticity of Bourbon barrel aged products.

So that should be interesting. Autumn has always been my favorite season, now there’s one more reason to look forward to it.

0612 hops bbl

Beer In Ads #671: It’s An Old American Custom

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Monday’s ad is also for Ballantine Ale, this one from 1948. There’s a nice illustration of a bottle of Ballantine Ale and two beer glasses in the foreground. The background shows a well-dressed couple out to dinner, with the waiter presenting a bottle of beer like wine, which is both weird and awesome at the same time. It may be “an Old American Custom,” but somehow I don’t see them looking for the Borromean rings on that white tablecloth.

Ballantine-1948-2

Beer Birthday: Tom Nickel

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obriens
Today is Tom Nickel’s birthday, who turns the big 4-0 this year. Tom was a brewer at Oggi’s in San Diego and now owns O’Brien’s, one of the best beer bars in San Diego. Join me in wishing Tom a very happy birthday.

tnick-1
Tom (third from the left) at OBF with John Harris from Full Sail to his left and Tom’s former girlfriend Becky on his arm. I don’t recall who the fellow is on the far left.

tnick-2
Tom in the dunk tank to raise money for the brewer’s guild the night before OBF at the brewer’s dinner.

Tom Nickel & Will Turner @ Wynkoop
Tom with Wil Turner, from Goose Island, at a GABF brewer’s reception a few years ago.

thurs05-6
Tom and me at GABF in 2005.

Drinkers Half As Likely To Get Lou Gehrig’s Disease

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lou-gehrig
Though contracting ALS (or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is relatively rare, according to a new Dutch study, your risk is cut in half if you drink moderately, when compared to abstainers. Better known, at least in North America, as Lou Gehrig’s Disease — since the New York Yankees first baseman famously contracted it in 1938 — the ABMRF is reporting about the new study. According to their information, the Risk of ALS Seen to be Lower in Drinkers than Abstainers. Their full article is below:

A Dutch population-based case-control study of the rare but devastating neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) suggests that the risk of such disease is increased among smokers, as has been shown previously. However, surprisingly, the risk of ALS was seen to be markedly lower among consumers of alcohol than among abstainers.

The study conducted between 2006 and 2009 included surveying 494 patients with incident ALS, a large sample for the rare disease, and 1,599 controls. Investigators compared results with those from cohorts including patients with prevalent ALS and referral patients.

Results highlight the importance of lifestyle factors in the risk for ALS. Current smoking is associated with an increased risk of ALS and a worse prognosis. However, alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of ALS, as the risk among drinkers was about one half that of non-drinkers.

You can see the abstract for the study itself, Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and the Risk of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Population-based Study, at PubMed.

Central African Republic Beer

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central_african_republic
Today in 1960, Central African Republic gained their Independence from France.

Central African Republic
central-african-republic-color

Central African Republic Breweries

Central African Republic Brewery Guides

Other Guides

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.08%

central-african-republic

  • Full Name: Central African Republic
  • Location: Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Government Type: Republic
  • Language: French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
  • Religion(s): Indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% [Note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority]
  • Capital: Bangui
  • Population: 5,057,208; 117th
  • Area: 622,984 sq km, 45th
  • Comparative Area: Slightly smaller than Texas
  • National Food: Spinach Stew and Fufu
  • National Symbol: Elephant
  • Affiliations: UN, African Union
  • Independence: From France, August 13, 1960

cen-afr-rep-coa

  • Alcohol Legal: Yes
  • Minimum Drinking Age: 18
  • BAC: 0.08%
  • Number of Breweries: 2

cen-afr-rep-money

  • How to Say “Beer”: bière
  • How to Order a Beer: Une bière, s’il vous plait
  • How to Say “Cheers”: Santé
  • Toasting Etiquette: N/A

cen-afr-rep-map

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

  • Beer: 13%
  • Wine: 1%
  • Spirits: 2%
  • Other: 84%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

  • Recorded: 1.65
  • Unrecorded: 1.70
  • Total: 3.35
  • Beer: 0.21

WHO Alcohol Data:

  • Per Capita Consumption: 1.7 litres
  • Alcohol Consumption Trend: Stable
  • Excise Taxes: Yes
  • Minimum Age: 18
  • Sales Restrictions: No
  • Advertising Restrictions: No
  • Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: No

Patterns of Drinking Score: 3

Prohibition: None

cen-afr-rep-africa

Guess What The Next Session Will Be?

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session-the
For our 67th Session, our host, Derrick Peterman, who writes Ramblings of a Beer Runner, has chosen a topic that requires you to take out your crystal ball and gaze five years into the future and make some beery predictions. Among many other unknown questions about what the future of the brewing industry holds, predict How Many Breweries [There Will Be] in 2017?. Here’s how to think about your immediate future (at least as far forward as Friday, September 7, when this next Session will take place):

There’s been much cheering and fanfare reverberating throughout the brewing community about the latest brewery numbers recently released from the Brewer’s Association, who counted exactly 2,126 breweries in the United States. To put that into context, you have to go way back to 1887 when the United States had that many breweries. It’s an astonishing 47% increase from just five years ago in 2007 when the tally was a mere 1,449, despite the United States slowly recovering from a serious recession over this period. And according to the Brewers Association, another whopping 1,252 breweries are in the planning stages.

Where is it all going? The growth shows no sign of stopping and the biggest problem most breweries have is that they can’t brew beer fast enough. But can the market really absorb all these new breweries? Are we headed for a cataclysmic brewing bubble where legions of brewers, their big dreams busted, are left to contemplate selling insurance? Or is brewing reaching a critical mass, only to explode even more intensely in a thermo-nuclear frenzy of fermentation?

Now you have a chance to weigh in on these questions. For this month’s Session, tell us how many breweries the Brewer’s Association will count five years from now in 2017, and why you think it will be that number.

So grab your crystal beer glasses, and start peering into them, or better yet start pouring something into them. Then start predicting.

beer-prediction

Hopefully, you’ll have figured it all out and you can say with unwavering certainty where we’ll be in five years by Friday, September 7. And here’s one more more incentive, from this Session’s host. “If five years from now your prediction is the most accurate one, in addition to enjoying beer blogger bragging rights, I will personally buy you a beer.” So you’d have that going for you … which is nice.