beer news bits
J2jurado
Belgium's rising breweries
Wednesday, May 10, 2000
By TONY FORDER
There was one day on my recent weeklong trip to Belgium that stood out above
all others. Our bus headed south, almost the length of
Belgium, to the Trappist monastery of Orval near the French border.
Orval, the beer brewed at the monastery, is different from the dark heavy brews
of Belgium's five other Trappist monasteries; it is light in color, abundantly
hopped, and has a dryness reminiscent of a white wine. I had met Francois de
Harenne, Orval's marketing director, in New Jersey. It was thus that we were
able to have a tour of the brewery, which is normally closed to the public.
Both the cleanliness and the modernity of the brewery were impressive, as was
its size. The open fermentation could be watched on a wall-mounted video
screen. Cases of beer stretched to the ceiling in the conditioning room.
Brewing is mostly secular at the monastery -- only one monk is involved.
On the way to our next destination, Brasserie d'Achouffe, hard in the Ardennes
hills (beyond which lies Germany), we stopped in Bastogne, site of the Battle
of the Bulge. There was a small American World War II tank in the square to
commemorate the 1944 battle. The air was cooler, the ground higher, and spring
had not yet arrived as it had in the north.
Owner and brewer Chris Bauweraeris greeted us at d'Achouffe, another brewery on
the move. After a quick look at the brew house, we jumped back on the bus to
d'Achouffe's new state-of-the-art bottling plant. After fermentation, the beer
is dosed with yeast for its secondary bottle fermentation and transferred to a
tanker for the short ride to the bottling plant. In this way Bauweraeris
reckons he can double his output (currently about 20,000 barrels a year) at the
original location. After that, he'll have to build a new brew house.
Bauweraeris told us that Achouffe translated means "gnome," which explains the
mischievous character that adorns the brewery's bottles. Tongue-in-cheek
folklore is that a monk came to the Ardennes and the gnomes showed him how to
make beer. At the brewery's cafe, we tasted the spicy, orange-colored La
Chouffe; the heavier McChouffe, the brewery's take on a Scotch ale, and the
spring seasonal, Biere de Mars. These beers are available in the United States
in 750-milliliter bottles, imported by B. United International, (914) 238-7100.
http://www.ohio.com:80/bj/business/docs/006738.htm
Specialty brews fizzling out
Market thins out following onslaught of breweries
BY DAVID SHARP Associated Press
PORTLAND, MAINE: Just a few years ago, connoisseurs thought small
breweries and their tasty pale ales, amber lagers and dark stouts were going to
transform the beer industry. But the country's thirst for specialty beers has
never fulfilled expectations and many
small breweries are cutting back after an industry shakeout. Nationwide, more
than 300 brewpubs and breweries have shut down since 1996, the year sales
peaked for four of the largest specialty brewers, Boston Beer Co., Pete's
Brewing Co., Redhook Ale Brewery Inc. and Pyramid Breweries Inc.
The latest casualties include Vermont's finest brewery, the Catamount Brewing
Co.,which shut down last month. And the Miller Brewing Co. has given up its
stake in Maine's largest brewer, The Shipyard Brewing Co., after distribution
was scaled back in the Midwest and the Middle Atlantic states.
Some brewers learned the hard way that they should have focused on their local
audiences instead of trying to grow too fast.
``The lesson is: Devote your time, your money and your effort to your core
market,and you'll be fine,'' said David Geary, who in 1986 opened D.L. Geary's
Brewing Co. in Portland.
Cleveland's Great Lakes Brewing Co. has lasted 12 years in part because it
hasn't tried to grow too fast, said Eric Barone, one of the managers in the
firm's restaurant.The company is expanding, though, he said, and has invested
millions to increase production of its nonpasteurized beers that need to be
kept refrigerated.
Great Lakes Brewing just began distributing its beer in the Pittsburgh area, he
said. It also sells throughout Ohio, and in parts of Michigan and northern
Kentucky -- and may go into Chicago in the next six to eight months, he said.
``I think the key to success in the market is to produce consistently good beer
across the board,'' Barone said. ``When you come down to it, it's all about the
beer and the food.''
But some closings were inevitable because the market could not support the
entry of more than 900 brewpubs and microbreweries over a three-year period
leading up to 1998, when sales went flat, said David Edgar of the Institute for
Brewing Studies in Colorado.
Back then, observers thought specialty or craft beers could obtain as much as
10 percent of the national beer market, but the market share of these beers
remainsbelow 3 percent.``I think what you're finding in this segment of the
beer market was more of a flash in the pan,'' said Skip Carpenter, an analyst
at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette in
New York.
What exactly constitutes a craft beer is murky, but connoisseurs say they know
it when they taste it. Geary defines it as traditional beer brewed by
traditional methods with traditionalingredients. Edgar says craft beer is
produced with 100 percent malted barley instead
of 30 percent to 40 percent rice or corn found in the nation's top-selling
brands.Another difference is price, about $6 to $7 for a six-pack of craft
beer, compared to about $4.50 or $5 for a six-pack of traditional American
brews in 12-ounce bottles.
The cluttered marketplace was one of several problems facing the new entrants.
Analysts said some of the companies lacked a hands-on knowledge of the
industry; they didn't have a good handle on large-scale transportation and
distribution issues, and the quality of the beer suffered.
Meanwhile, some fair-weather beer drinkers moved to the next fad, flavored
drinks like ``Hooper's Hooch'' and ``Bodean's Twisted Tea'' that are filling
shelf space to the detriment of brews.
For breweries, it was a case of the survival of the fittest, and that's not
necessarily a bad thing for the 1,447 brewpubs, microbreweries and regional
specialty brewers still in business, analysts said. Scaling back means many of
the breweries are getting back to their original goal of producing local beer
for local people, according to
Geary.
``It's fairly clear that when people get excited about something being good,
they think, `If some is good, more is better,' '' he said. ``That's not the
case.''
Akron's Liberty Street Brewing Co. has been able to thrive because it
considersitself a restaurant first, said co-owner David Russo. The brewpub has
been open for five years and has won national awards for its beers. ``We don't
mass produce beer. We supply it to ourselves,'' Russo said. Thebrewpub attracts
a wide range of customers who can pick from a diversified menu -- anything from
pizza and sandwiches to fancier steak and fish dinners, he said.
Brewpubs nationally were a big deal six or seven years ago, Russo said. But a
lot of brewpubs that he visited were virtually carbon copies of each other,
with limited menus, he said. Now, ``the ones that aren't doing something
exceptional are gone,'' he said. ``I think the reason we're here is that we're
looked at as a restaurant.''
But, he added, there are a lot of people who come in just for the beer.
http://www.discoveringarchaeology.com:80/0800toc/8randn7-king.shtml
King Midas' Wake
Table Scraps at a Ruler's Tomb Record an Iron Age Menu
Spicy lamb and lentil stew washed down with a heady,
alcoholic brew. Such were the makings of the funeral
feast that sent King Midas, the famous Phrygian ruler
with the golden touch, into the afterlife some 2,700 years
ago. The king's sloppy mourners left enough food and
drink lying around his tomb for modern chemists to
divine what delicacies were consumed at that long-ago
wake.
Patrick McGovern, senior research scientist at the University of Pennsylvania
Museum's Applied Science Center for Archaeology and colleagues Donald Glusker
and Lawrence Exner found that the mourners drank a fermented mix of grape wine,
barley beer, and honey mead. The meal featured wine seasoned, barbecued sheep
or goat, lentils, olive oil, honey, and wine.
Midas ruled the Phrygian civilization, in what's now central Turkey, in the
eighth century B.C.
His tomb revealed elaborate, inlaid wooden furniture, some of the earliest
known, plus hundreds of elegant, wrought-bronze serving vessels and drinking
bowls —the most comprehensive Iron Age drinking set ever found.
http://www.travelmag.co.uk:80/features/feat18.htm
A Bavarian Appreciation by Ronald L Harmon
The winter weather with its pewter gray sky hung oppressively cold. Feathery
snowflakes rode down on wind that burned my cheeks with its frosty kiss. My
friend Thomas and I pushed our way through the heavy wooden door into the
Haufbrau Haus, one of the most famous beer halls in the city of Munich.
Inside the big room with its tan colored columns and walls, ornate vaulted
ceilings, and hanging antique metal lamps; people sat on benches at long
wooden tables eating, smoking, and talking. In the middle of the room, a band
of men dressed in Bavarian clothing played brass instruments as they pumped
the area with the "um pa pa" that is a musical expression of this part of
Germany. The aroma of cooking onions and the essence of brew mingled together
though out the room in a symphony of smells.
I was in Germany for my annual visit and arranged to spend a day with my German
buddy, Thomas. He lives in Munich (the one time capital of the state of
Bavaria) and claims to know the city like the back of his hand. I like to
experience the culture of a place through its food. Knowing this my friend
thought it a good idea to visit the Hof Brau Haus, which he told me, is owned
by the city. They serve all kinds of beer and food which represents part of the
ethnicity of this district in Germany.
We sat at one of the rows of long tables that edged the wall as we came in the
hall. Thomas ordered a Weiss Bier, (wheat beer) for us. Two of my favorite
German foods are Leber Knödel soup (liver noodle soup) and Wiener Schnitzel.
Thomas, showing off some of his American slang, promised me I could "sink my
teeth" into both of my favorites at the Hofbrau Haus.
Nearly every seat was taken. The loud brass music and all the people talking
at the same time made it difficult to hear. But the atmosphere and the warmth
of the room with its offerings of food and drink, music and camaraderie
attracted people and made a nice contrast to the cold day outside. This was
Gemütlichkeit (coziness) in the real sense of theGerman expression.
A bouncer stood near the door just inthe case someone got drunk and started
enjoying himself too much.Teasingly, I told Thomas I wasn't interested in being
thrown out by this muscle man and he should try to be a "good boy".
Our beers came. After all, we were in one of the public houses in a city that
is famous for its beer and we, of course, needed to have a sample. The golden
liquid filled huge liter glasses with a handle on the side that dropped from
the top to the bottom. A guest slipped their hand between the handle and the
stein itself. Even at that, the drinker still wrapped their hand around the
drinking container.That grip acted as a sort of extra insurance needed to get
the heavy mug up to ones mouth. Thomas pointed out that regulars who come to
the beer hall had reserved pewter tankards with their name engraved on it. They
were kept in a special area of the hall under lock and key.
We ordered food and then sat back to look around the room. I enjoyed the
painted vaulted ceiling and listening to the German band playing songs like
"Der Alte Peter", and "Münchner Schäfflertanz" which I had learned over the
years during my visits in Germany.
My Leber Knödel soup came. The soup of beef broth with its big round dumpling
made from liver and bread crumbs tasted wonderful. My Schnitzel, done in a
local style, was a very slim piece of pork, dipped in a batter of egg and dried
bread crumbs and fried to a golden color. Thomas had said that I wouldn't be
able to tell the difference between the Munich style Schnitzel, and the Wiener
Schnitzel which is made from veal, and cooked in the famous Viennese style. He
was right, I couldn't.
Thomas ordered a roasted pork fillet with a Knödel (a specially made bread
ball) covered with gravy and a small salad. His meal looked good. In fact, I
haven't tasted anything in Germany I don't like; and it is difficult to say
which dish is my favorite.
Next to Thomas sat a curly blonde haired woman with her boy friend. Soon the
band played a special song, the woman grabbed Thomas' arm and the three started
rocking back and fourth. Everyone in the beer hall was rocking. This is a
custom called schunkeln. I took a couple of photos as thegroup rocked back and
forth to the music. It was really fun for me and in a way I was glad I didn't
have to schunkel. Thomas seemed really shy and I could tell by the expression
on his face he was nervous.
After lunch we continued to sip our beers. A man passed by our table with a
large open box of Ausgezogene. They are a pastry about three inches in
diameter, a half inch thick, and are sort of doughnut like. They look light
and airy and are covered on top with powdered sugar. I wanted to try one since
they are another Bavarian tradition. Thomas bought two of them for us.
Later on, Thomas decided we should order beer and dessert. He ordered ice cream
and I had a Bavarian Dampfnudel - a big ball of sugared bread-like material
that had Vanille Sosse over it.
In a few hours, Thomas and I were again walking the snowy streets of Munich.
The cold was bone chilling. As I walked along, I thought about the afternoon.
I'd eaten authentic Bavarian food, listened to a brass band play traditional
Bavarian music, and sat in the warmth of a huge beer hall that had paintings
and decorations which have been on the walls for perhaps hundreds of years. I
pulled my collar up to protect my face from the wintry wind and reflected that
if this was a typical afternoon in Bavaria I was going to put on weight.
http://www.herald.com:80/content/wed/news/brknews/docs/085907.htm
350-pound man accused of suffocating wife
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- (AP) -- A 350-pound man who had argued with his wife over
her drinking may have suffocated her by lying on her for up to 15 minutes,
authorities said.
Darrell Moore, 30, was jailed without bail on suspicion of murder in the death
of his 32-year-old wife, Bonita.
She was pronounced dead at a hospital Friday shortly after her husband called
for help because she wasn't breathing, police said. Officers found her
unconscious on the living-room floor of the couple's apartment.
``They were having a fight,'' Sgt. Gary Condreay said. ``They pushed each other
and he wound up on top of her on the ground.''
The coroner listed the cause of death as asphyxia from chest compression.``They
were arguing over her spending the rent money and drinking. She had been out
buying cheap beer. The argument started when she came home,'' Condreay said.
http://www.ireland.com:80/newspaper/ireland/2000/0510/hom14.htm
Supermarkets say drink Bill anti-competitive
By Carol Coulter, Irish Legal Affairs Correspondent
The Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2000, which was published recently by the Minister
for Justice, will face a complaint to the EU if it goes through in its present
form, according to a lobby group for independently owned supermarkets.
Mr Paddy Early, spokesman for the Independent Liquor Licensing Reform Group,
said the Bill discriminated against the consumer by not allowing
opencompetition and letting the market decide, as happened in every other
sector ofthe retail trade.The group objects to the fact that its shops are
prevented from selling beer and spirits without purchasing a pub licence. They
may sell wine if they obtain a
restaurant licence.
Mr Early said there was a huge need for small pubs and off-licences in all
urbanareas to cater for sprawling housing estates, yet the Minister had
effectively ceded control of all drink licences to the powerful and wealthy
publican lobby. He said the Bill discriminated against tourists who were
unable to buy beer or spirits in shops in small towns and villages where there
are often no offlicence facilities. "We believe that any Bill which favours
only one powerful group against the interests of so many others must be
constitutionally unsound. Our advice is that it certainly contravenes EU
competition rules and would not stand up to a complaint to the EU, which will
certainly follow if it goes through in its present format," he said.
Meanwhile, the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, which represents publicans
outside the Dublin area, is looking for changes in the Bill to allow pubs to
remain open until 12.30 a.m. on Sundays, as well as Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays. At its a.g.m. in Wexford yesterday the president of the federation,
Mr Dick Dunne, also criticised the proposal in the Bill to close down premises
where the publican was found to have served alcohol to a minor.
However, he said that in general the vintners welcomed the publication of the
licensing reform Bill. Referring to the Sunday opening hours, he said: "Sunday
night is an important sporting day in the country, and people want to have
drinks after matches with
freedom of staying a little later if they wish." He said the federation wanted
a halt to moves to take the word "knowingly" out of the Bill, referring to
serving drink to minors. If this word was absent from
the legislation, it would allow for closure even when the publican did not know
the person to whom alcohol was served was under age.
"If this proposal is to go ahead, there must be a mandatory national identity
card to enable publicans to legally establish a person's age," he said.
JW Steve
>She had been out buying cheap beer. The argument
>started when she came home,'' Condreay said.
First gonorrhea, now murder...
jw steve
Joel Plutchak
J2jurado <j2ju...@aol.com> wrote:
>Great Lakes Brewing just began distributing its beer in the Pittsburgh area, he
>said. It also sells throughout Ohio, and in parts of Michigan and northern
>Kentucky -- and may go into Chicago in the next six to eight months, he said.
Sure, bury the good stuff way down in the article. Hope by
"Chicago" they mean "Illinois," but in any case it's still
closer than Cleveland.
>Spicy lamb and lentil stew washed down with a heady,
>alcoholic brew. Such were the makings of the funeral
>feast that sent King Midas, the famous Phrygian ruler
>with the golden touch, into the afterlife some 2,700 years
>ago.
The more things change... sounds like dinner at my house.
--
Joel Plutchak "I said nothing, because I knew that this spited him more
plutchak@[...] than any retort, and that every time he shouted at me he
lost face." - from _Fifth Business_ by Robertson Davies
Steve Jackson
>Date: 5/10/2000 6:27 PM US Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <20000510192708...@ng-cg1.aol.com>
>
>
>http://www.ohio.com:80/bj/business/docs/006738.htm
>
>Specialty brews fizzling out
>
>Market thins out following onslaught of breweries
>
>BY DAVID SHARP Associated Press
>
>PORTLAND, MAINE: Just a few years ago, connoisseurs thought small
>breweries and their tasty pale ales, amber lagers and dark stouts were going
>to
> transform the beer industry. But the country's thirst for specialty beers
>has
>never fulfilled expectations and many
>small breweries are cutting back after an industry shakeout.
<snip>
I can't say I'm terribly surprised. That's not to say I'm not at least a little
disappointed.
Every new industry goes through its periods of fast growth and then a weeding
out of the weaker members of the herd. And I would argue that the craft brewing
industry qualifies as "new," since despite a long-ago history of good beer,
there was a long enough gap where small breweries were essentially non-existent
that it makes sense to call the craft brewing biz a new one.
The weeding out goes on in every new field. Witness the number of auto
manufacturers 80 years ago compared to today. Radio manufacturers. TV networks.
Etc. Same thing is going on in the dot-com field today (as I am more than
painfully aware these days....).
It was inevitable that the same thing would happen to the craft beer industry
at some time. Let's face it, there were a good number of mediocre to poor
breweries and brewpubs that needed to be weeded out. The unfortunate thing with
any shakeout is that some of the ones that don't deserve to die, like
Catamount, do. And, unfortunately, some of the ones that deserve to die don't.
Such is fate.
>
>Great Lakes Brewing just began distributing its beer in the Pittsburgh area,
>he
>said. It also sells throughout Ohio, and in parts of Michigan and northern
>Kentucky -- and may go into Chicago in the next six to eight months, he said.
I hope those trucks decide to make a stop in Indiana. After all, it's right on
the way.....
-Steve