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Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Travel + Leisure Chooses The Best American Beer Cities

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travel+leisure
Travel + Leisure magazine, in their July 2011 issue, made their picks for America’s Best Beer Cities. Actually, the title is a bit misleading. It’s not really the “best” cities so much as the most “popular;” and most popular according to the magazine’s readers; and not all of their readers but specifically the ones who took the time to answer the poll. Looking more closely, the readers polled were asked to choose among 35 pre-chosen cities, too, meaning there was no chance for any town not on the starting list, too. Asheville, NC, for example, was presumably not among the 35 cities on Travel + Leisure’s list.

So that’s a very different thing and probably accounts for what I can only describe as some odd, but interesting, inconsistencies with other similar polls. Certainly Portland deserves the top spot, though it probably goes without saying I’d place San Francisco a tad higher than ninth. But Philly fourth from the cellar — along with San Diego even lower? — that seems like a travesty.

It does, however, tell us how people who like travel enough to subscribe to a periodical devoted to it perceive which cities are best for beer. Undoubtedly, many people voted for their local city so in a sense it’s partly a reflection of the magazine’s geographic readership. But that probably doesn’t tell the whole story. When asked to rank 35 cities, most people (apart from the very well traveled) I’d wager have not been to all of the cities. That would mean they’d be inclined to go with what they’d heard or read about the cities they hadn’t personally visited. They’d make a value judgment based on that particular city’s perception of beer-worthiness. Seen through that prism, it’s a more interesting list, to me at least. It also means I need to visit Savannah. What’s your take on the list?

Travel + Leisure’s 2011 Poll: America’s Best Beer Cities

  1. Portland, OR
  2. Denver, CO
  3. Seattle, WA
  4. Providence, RI
  5. Portland, ME
  6. Savannah, GA
  7. Boston, MA
  8. Austin, TX
  9. San Francisco, CA
  10. Nashville, TN
  11. Kansas City, MO
  12. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
  13. Charleston, SC
  14. Chicago, IL
  15. Anchorage, AK
  16. New Orleans, LA
  17. Philadelphia, PA
  18. San Diego, CA
  19. Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ
  20. Houston, TX

Minnesota Government Shutdown Also Stops Beer Production In State

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minnesota
Here’s a weird consequence of our stunted economy; when the state government in Minnesota shut down July 1, MillerCoors “had 39 ‘brand label registrations’ that expired last month, and the employees who process renewals were laid off when state government shut down July 1 in a budget dispute,” according to an AP story published today online entitled MillerCoors becomes casualty of Minnesota shutdown. Area wholesalers and then retailers could be out of the effected brands in as little as a few days, the story cautions. Hopefully, there’s enough craft beer in the pipeline to satisfy demand and maybe even create a few converts in the process.

Beer In Ads #411: Time Out For Schlitz

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Monday’s ad is for Schlitz, from 1952. It shows a domestic scene where a couple is trying to decide what color to paint a room. But the husband seems far more interested in the color of his beer than any of the swatches on the wall. He’s taking “Time out for Schlitz.” And how about those red socks he’s wearing? I’m not sure he’s the best person to ask for color advice anyway.

Schlitz-1952-painters

Beer In Art #135: Michael Pacher’s Mary Of Burgundy

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art-beer
This week’s work of art is by an Austrian artist, Michael Pacher, who painted this portrait of Mary of Burgundy in 1490.

Mary_of_burgundy-1490-Michael_pacher

Mary of Burgundy “ruled the Burgundian territories in Low Countries and was suo jure Duchess of Burgundy from 1477-1482. As the only child of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and his wife Isabella of Bourbon, she was the heiress to the vast Burgundian domains in France and the Low Countries upon her father’s death. Her mother died in 1465, but Mary was on very good terms with her stepmother Margaret of York, whom Charles married in 1468.”

But today, for the beer lover at least, what Mary’s most famous for is that the Flanders red ale, Duchesse de Bourgogne, from the Brouwerij Verhaeghe, is named for her though the label is a different painting of Mary.

Their importer, Specialty Beer, describes the beer like this:

DUCHESSE DE BOURGOGNE from Brouwerij Verhaeghe is the traditional Flemish red ale. This refreshing ale is matured in oak casks; smooth with a rich texture and interplay of passion fruit, and chocolate, and a long, dry and acidic finish. After the first and secondary fermentation, the beer goes for maturation into the oak barrels for 18 months. The final product is a blend of younger 8 months old beer with 18 months old beer. The average age of the Duchesse de Bourgogne before being bottled is 12 months.

duchesse-glass

You can read Pacher’s biography at Wikipedia and there are more links about him at ArtCyclopedia. You can also see more of Pacher’s paintings at Artilim, Jitiky and the Web Gallery of Art.

Wyoming Beer

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wyoming
Today in 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state.

Wyoming
State_Wyoming

Wyoming Breweries

Wyoming Brewery Guides

Guild: None Known

State Agency: Wyoming Department of Revenue Liquor Division

maps-wy

  • Capital: Cheyenne
  • Largest Cities: Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie, Gillette, Rock Springs
  • Population: 493,782; 50th
  • Area: 97818 sq.mi., 10th
  • Nickname: Equality State
  • Statehood: 44th, July 10, 1890

m-wyoming

  • Alcohol Legalized: May 19, 1933
  • Number of Breweries: 14
  • Rank: 37th
  • Beer Production: 477,598
  • Production Rank: 49th
  • Beer Per Capita: 27.8 Gallons

wyoming

Package Mix:

  • Bottles: 44%
  • Cans: 47%
  • Kegs: 8.7%

Beer Taxes:

  • Per Gallon: $0.02
  • Per Case: $0.05
  • Tax Per Barrel (24/12 Case): $0.62
  • Draught Tax Per Barrel (in Kegs): $0.62

Economic Impact (2010):

  • From Brewing: $817,405
  • Direct Impact: $138,644,265
  • Supplier Impact: $26,743,631
  • Induced Economic Impact: $46,510,064
  • Total Impact: $211,897,960

Legal Restrictions:

  • Control State: No
  • Sale Hours: 6.00 a.m.-2.00 a.m.
  • Grocery Store Sales: No
  • Notes: Clubs holding liquor licenses may be exempt from the hours of operation here specified by local ordinance or regulation of the appropriate licensing authority, but it doesn’t seem to happen in practice.

wyoming-map

Data complied, in part, from the Beer Institute’s Brewer’s Almanac 2010, Beer Serves America, the Brewers Association, Wikipedia and my World Factbook. If you see I’m missing a brewery link, please be so kind as to drop me a note or simply comment on this post. Thanks.

For the remaining states, see Brewing Links: United States.

Beer In Ads #410: Kembang Bier

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Friday’s ad is for an old Japanese beer, Kembang, from Soerabaja, Fukushima & Co. Though I can’t be sure, it has the look of western ads from the late 1800s, though the script is art nouveau, which is a little later in the early 20th century. Apparently Soerabaja (Surabaya) is the name of a small town in East Java, Indonesia

Kembang-bier

Beer In Ads #409: Acme Quality Wins Again

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Thursday’s ad is from 1941, and is for Acme Beer, showing a decidedly western theme, showing a cowgirl and her horse. The slogan seems a bit confused, as I’m not sure what “Quality Wins Again!” has to do with the scene at hand. But I love the text under “Acme Beer.” It reads “* Dietetically NON-FATTENING” and the asterisk qualifies that statement with “* relatively so, compared with other foods.” The Main Institute would have a field day with that one, as their most recent campaign is against any perceived health claims made by alcohol companies, and the Acme Beer almost sounds like it might be good for you. Gasp!

Acme-quality-1941