There was in interesting profile of Stone Brewing in last week’s San Diego Business Journal. The article begins by suggesting that “San Diego has earned the distinction of being one of the top craft beer capitals in the country” which is correct, but it’s still nice to see it acknowledged by the business press.
Gordon Biersch Releases Hefeweizen in Bottles
Gordon Biersch has just released their German-style hefeweizen in 12-oz. bottles. Currently, they are available throughout northern California and parts of southern.
From the press release:
“Natural fermentation imparts distinctive notes of citrus and a magnificent effervescence, making our Hefeweizen the perfect beer for spring and summer,” said Dan Gordon, Gordon Biersch co-founder and director of brewing operations. “Hefeweizen has been one of our most popular seasonal draft brews for years. Crafted using traditional Bavarian brewing techniques and ingredients, it has a crisp taste and aromatic character that captures the essence of Bavarian-style unfiltered wheat beer unlike any other Hefeweizen on the market.”
Translated from German, Hefeweizen means “yeast and wheat.” Gordon Biersch uses a unique Bavarian yeast strain, 67% malted wheat and 100% Bavarian Hallertauer hops to achieve a fresh, effervescent beer with a distinctive flavor profile that includes hints of banana, bubble gum and clove. Naturally carbonated to a level 20% higher than most beers, it is a refreshing beer, perfect for warm weather.
Dan Gordon was the first American in more than 30 years to graduate from the prestigious five-year brewing engineering program at the world-renowned Technical University of Munich. Under his watchful eye, Gordon Biersch adheres to the strictest brewing standards in the world, using only the highest quality two-row malted barley, Hallertauer hops, and German yeast from Weihenstephan to brew its celebrated beers. In 1997, Gordon Biersch began bottling and distributing its famed brews with the opening of its 114,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art brewing and bottling facility in San Jose, California. The Gordon Biersch Brewing Company is now largest brewery in the Bay Area.
Arrogant Bastard Oxide April Fool’s Day Hoax
The date I received the press release for Stone Brewing’s arrogant Bastard Oxide Energy Ale — April 1 — was already a clue. But the press release and website was done with such a straight face and so professionally that it did give one pause; at least enough to read on, if for no other reason than to confirm that it was a hoax.
The real kickers came in the list of ingredients:
And the warnings:
Pretty funny stuff. Good joke Greg.
Green Valley Brewing at the Natural Foods Expo
I got an interesting e-mail this morning from a brewer I know who also makes organic beers. He’s just returned from the Natural Products Expo West, which was held this weekend in Anaheim, California. A quick search of the expo’s website reveals that Green Valley Brewing Co., Anheuser-Busch’s dba for Wild Hop Lager, was indeed there at booth #4580. This is the blurb about the company listed there:
Wild Hop lager is a proud supporter of the Organic Farming Research Foundation. The certified organic co-ops our ingredients are harvested from use holistic farming practices and follow strict guidelines to harvest pure, flavorful barley.
Again, there was nothing to indicate that this is an Anheuser-Busch product. More curious, though, is my friend’s e-mail mentioned that there was another beer booth, this one located outisde the beverage tent, with an organic pale ale from a brewery by the name of Crooked River Brewing Co. of New Hampshire. The beer is named Stone Mill Pale Ale, which evokes a natural, almost folksy, mental picture. Unfortunately, it’s also made in Fairfield, California. And while I have even less information about this brewery, it is definitely another Anheuser-Busch product masquerading as a small brewery from the Granite state.
The only information I have is from the Natural Foods Expo, which is as follows:
Stone Mill Pale Ale is brewed from certified USDA organic barley malt, hops, yeast and water. Our ingredients are hand selected from the lush, organic co-ops of Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
So it appears that they really are attempting to pass both products off as eco-friendly, which in fact they may be. I can’t honestly say they’re not; the USDA did certify the beer, after all. But I can say that the average consumer of organic products, depending on their own personal reasons for buying organic, might want to know that the organic beer they’re buying, which looks like it’s from a small, concerned, organic brewery, is actually the product of the largest brewery in the world, a huge multi-national corporation. And I personally believe that is information they ought to have so they can make an informed decision about what beer to drink.