Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer In Ads #338: Schaefer, Bring Home A Winner

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Thursday’s ad is a baseball-themed ad, because it’s the start of the 2011 season. The ad is for the F & M Schaefer Brewing Co. of New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. But given the Mets sponsorship, I assume it was for the New York location. My grandparents took me to Shea Stadium when I was a kid to see a Mets game. It was actually the first time I ever saw — and played — pong. There was a stand alone coin-operated pong machine by itself on the concrete walkway. Anyway, I was more of an Orioles fan back then — Brooks Robinson was my favorite player — though these days I’m a Giants fan first, and a Phillies fan second.

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“Beer Hunter: The Movie” Seeking Donations

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There is an effort underway to create a film about the legacy of beer writer Michael Jackson’s. Here’s some information about the film, from the website:

Michael Jackson, beloved beer journalist, inspired thousands of brewers and beer enthusiasts with his books and television series, “The Beer Hunter.” He achieved cult status in the U.S., but many don’t realize his fame within the world of whiskey writing and tasting.

Filmmaker J.R. Richards traveled extensively with Michael throughout the United States and Europe, filming Michael as he got the story behind the world’s greatest beer and whiskey. Through this footage and interviews with leading brewers and beer enthusiasts, we are treated to an intimate picture of Michael: his enigmatic personality, his extraordinary life, his remarkable contributions, and his secret struggle with Parkinson’s Disease.

And here’s an early trailer:

But the filmmakers need your help to finish the movie and bring it to the world, helping to preserve Michael’s legacy. Please consider a small donation — just $10 will be appreciated — though if you want to be more generous, that will be appreciated as well. Donations of any amount can be made online through PayPal.

Jack McAuliffe Visits Russian River

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Quite by accident yesterday I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with Jack McAuliffe, founder of New Albion Brewery. I had to meet some new friends from Argentina at Russian River Brewery (more on that later) and when I arrived, I found out that Jack was coming by to have lunch with Russian River owners Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo. I knew Jack was still in California because at CBC last week, where I met him for the first time (more about that later, too), he’d said as much. And I knew Natalie had invited Jack to come by their brewpub, where the original New Albion sign (that I later learned Jack made himself) hung behind the bar in a prominent place, but I didn’t know any of the details.

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Vinnie and Natalie with Jack McAuliffe and his friend Pat Crisco.

Vinnie and Natalie generously invited me join them for lunch with Jack and a friend of his, Pat, who he was staying with for the week. We sat below the New Albion sign and talked, drank and ate. For an amateur beer historian, it was nothing short of remarkable. Jack told great stories about his early days in brewing — some can be retold, others perhaps not — but all of them colorful and entertaining. I knew as much of New Albion’s story as had been told, but to hear it from the man who lived it was such a treat, plus Jack added many personal details that I’d never known before which was amazing to hear. Anyway, at some point, Jack pointed up at the old sign and asked Vinnie if he’d like him to sign it. I’m not sure we all believed he’d do it, but we got out the ladder and up he climbed, sharpie between his teeth like a beer pirate.

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Jack up on the ladder signing the New Albion sign.

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Signing it up close.

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Signing the sign.

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The finished old sign, now new again with Jack McAuliffe’s signature.

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Jack and me at Russian River. What a great afternoon.

UPDATE: During Jack’s visit to Russian River, I met Peter Stetson who does social media for the town of Calistoga, and he also took some photos and captured some video of Jack signing the New Albion sign. Thanks, Peter.

Beer In Ads #337: Red Tower, Famous The World Over

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Wednesday’s ad is for a British beer, Red Tower Pilsner Lager from Manchester. The illustration is amazing. I love the details of the tray and all the little things on it. I have no idea when the ad is from, but it must be after 1933, when Walker & Homfray renamed its Royal Brewery for their popular new beer, the Red Tower Lager Brewery Ltd. By 1956, the brewery had been acquired by Scottish & Newcastle, so it seems likely the ad is from between 1933 and 1956.

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Beer In Ads #336: Better Than A Hole In One

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ad-billboard
Tuesday’s ad is for Rheingold beer and looks to be from 1954. It features a smiling Dean Martin holding a glass of Rheingold after, presumably, a hard day on the links. He’s in the clubhouse, with his putter and a wedge next to him. Apparently someone has dropped off a tray with the Rheingold. Obviously, I’m not playing golf in the right places, because I have to fetch my own beer.

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Beer In Ads #335: The Ballantine Eskimo

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After a week on hiatus during the Craft Brewers Conference, Monday’s ad is a Ballantine ad from 1950, and features a snowy scene near the north pole. Three stages of the aurora borealis add the Ballantine rings in glorious shimmering color while an Eskimo looks on, making Ballantine’s three fingers and the “okay” sign with his hand — which signifies “three rings.”

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Moylan’s Releases Orange & Black Congrats Ale! For Giants’ Opener

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As the Giants get ready to take on the Athletics in the annual Bay Bridge Series that begins tonight, a local brewery gets set to release a new beer to honor San Francisco’s world series victory last year. Moylan’s, in Novato, California, will release Orange & Black Congrats Ale! on March 31 to coincide with the start of the regular baseball season. The special limited release is an American black ale, 6% a.b.v. and 32 IBUs. It will be available on draft, in growlers from the brewpub and in 22 oz. bottles.

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From the press release:

In honor of the World Champions at the Cove, Moylan’s has created a smooth, American Black Ale brewed with orange zest. A hearty brew for the bleacher bums, the gardeners of turf and patient fans who have endured 54 years of pine-grabbing torture. This ale is a reflection of the many dedicated hearts and minds needed to brew a quality beer. It is made with Montana-grown pale two-row barley malted by Malteurop, crystal and black malted barley grown and roasted in Bamberg, Germany by Weyermann Specialty Malts. The robust flavors in the Black and Orange beer also include Canadian-grown barley supplied by Gilbertson and Paige and Mt. Hood and Liberty hops grown in the Yakima Valley by Puterbaugh Farms for Hops direct.

All the oranges used in this brew were grown locally in the California sunshine. Moylan’s offers an adult beverage to salute the Bat, the Stick, the Rally throng, the Crab, the Seal, the Golden voices in the box and all of the San Francisco legends that helped them see the dream become reality. The Orange & Black beer will be officially released on the Giants Opening Day on March 31st and will be available for a limited time. Alcohol by Volume 6.0%, total IBUs 36, 1.068 Original Gravity. This beer will be seen on draft at the pub and in select locations throughout the bay area.

This should be the perfect beer to enjoy as the Giants begin their run for back to back world series victories.

Top 10 Alcohol Drinking Cities

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I’m not sure where the source data comes from, but the latest issue of Playboy — in the Raw Data section — had an interesting Top 10 list of what they referred to as the “Tipsiest Towns in the U.S.” The list is “based on the average number of alcoholic drinks consumed per person.”

  1. Milwaukee, WI
  2. Fargo, ND
  3. San Francisco, CA
  4. Austin, TX
  5. Reno, NV
  6. Burlington, VT
  7. Omaha, NE
  8. Boston, MA
  9. Anchorage, AK
  10. San Diego, CA

Anheuser-Busch InBev Buys Goose Island

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I received a press release this morning that Anheuser-Busch InBev is buying a controlling interest in Goose Island Brewing. ABI will pay $22.5 million for a 58% share of the Chicago brewery and the remaining 42% currently owned by the Craft Brewers Alliance will be sold to ABI for an additional $16.3 million in cash, bringing the total price of the sale to $38.8 million. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that “[a]n additional $1.3 million will be invested to increase production at Goose Island’s Fulton Street brewery” and that the “transaction is expected to close by the end of June.”

From the press release:

Chicago-based Goose Island, one of the nation’s most‑respected and fastest-growing small brewers with sales concentrated throughout the Midwest, today announced it had agreed to be acquired by Anheuser‑Busch, its current distribution partner, in a move that will bring additional capital into Goose Island’s operations to meet growing consumer demand for its brands and deepen its Chicago and Midwest distribution.

Goose Island’s legal name is Fulton Street Brewery LLC (FSB). Anheuser-Busch reached an agreement to purchase the majority (58 percent) equity stake in FSB from its founders and investors, held in Goose Holdings Inc. (GHI), for $22.5 million. Craft Brewers Alliance Inc. (CBA), an independent, publicly traded brewer based in Portland, Ore., that operates Widmer Brothers, Redhook and Kona breweries, owns the remaining 42 percent of FSB and reached an agreement in principle to sell its stake in FSB to Anheuser-Busch for $16.3 million in cash. Anheuser‑Busch holds a minority stake (32.25 percent) in CBA.

Goose Island sold approximately 127,000 barrels of Honkers Ale, 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Matilda and other brands in 2010. To help meet immediate demand, an additional $1.3 million will be invested to increase Goose Island’s Chicago Fulton Street brewery’s production as early as this summer.

“Demand for our beers has grown beyond our capacity to serve our wholesale partners, retailers, and beer lovers,” said Goose Island founder and president John Hall, who will continue as Goose Island chief executive officer. “This partnership between our extraordinary artisanal brewing team and one of the best brewers in the world in Anheuser-Busch will bring resources to brew more beer here in Chicago to reach more beer drinkers, while continuing our development of new beer styles. This agreement helps us achieve our goals with an ideal partner who helped fuel our growth, appreciates our products and supports their success.”

Hall will continue to be responsible for Goose Island beer production and the expansion of Goose Island’s Chicago brewery, where production will continue and its business will still be based.

“The new structure will preserve the qualities that make Goose Island’s beers unique, strictly maintain our recipes and brewing processes,” Hall said. “We had several options, but we decided to go with Anheuser‑Busch because it was the best. The transaction is good for our stakeholders, employees and customers.”

Anheuser-Busch has distributed Goose Island brands since 2006 as part of an agreement with Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. of Portland, Ore., a co-founder of CBA, that provides Goose Island access to the network of independent wholesalers that distribute Anheuser-Busch beers. Anheuser‑Busch also provides logistical support to all Anheuser‑Busch wholesalers distributing Goose Island and CBA beers as part of that agreement.

“These critically acclaimed beers are the hometown pride of Chicagoans,” said Dave Peacock, president of Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “We are very committed to expanding in the high‑end beer segment, and this deal expands our portfolio of brands with high-quality, regional beers. As we share ideas and bring our different strengths and experiences together, we can accelerate the growth of these brands.”

The two Goose Island brew pubs are not part of the deal, but will continue in operation, offering consumers an opportunity to sample Goose Island’s award-winning specialty beers and food selections.
As part of CBA’s agreement to sell its 42 percent block in FSB to Anheuser-Busch, in addition to cash, Anheuser-Busch will provide enhanced retail selling support for CBA brands, will reduce distribution fees payable by CBA to Anheuser‑Busch and will provide CBA additional flexibility with respect to future acquisitions and divestitures.

In a separate press release today, Goose Island announced that Brett Porter will become Brewmaster of the production facility, replacing longtime brewmaster Greg Hall. Porter’s most recent brewing job was with Deschutes and he’s also brewed at Portland Brewing and a couple of UK breweries.

UPDATE: Goose Island founder John Hall has released a short statement about their acquisition by ABI, which they call a Special Announcement.

Beer In Art #120: Eddie Morman’s Abita Bottles

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This week’s work of art is by Eddie Morman, created for Abita Brewing. Of the four works available at Abita’s online store, two are paintings of Abita beer bottles. The first painting is of an Amber bottle.

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And the second is for Purple Haze.

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There isn’t any information about the artist, sadly, but I suspect he’s a local and the two works are fairly recent.