Beer Buzz 021: The Largest Beer Event in the Country? NOT.
Beer Tap TV News:
Beer Buzz is the weekly show that will keep you informed and updated on all the things going on in the beer world, from the noteworthy to the nutty. Know something we don’t (which is highly likely)? Email us at AlwaysHoppy@BeerTapTV.com and share the news… we just might use it.
Show Notes:
Beer Tap TV Tweetup @ Breckenridge Brewery
Don’t forget… the long awaited (and heavily requested) Beer Tap TV Tweetup is coming up! Come hang with us at Breckenridge Brewery & drink a FREE BEER. Some of the great things about this Tweetup:
- It’s in the actual brewery, not the tasting room, so this is a semi-private tweetup just for you tweeples!
- One free beer ticket is provided.
- A brewer will be onsite to give personalized, behind the scenes tours to anyone that wants them.
- There will be giveaways from Beer Tap TV and Breckenridge Brewery.
- The Beer Tap TV crew will be there taping a live-audience show that you will be involved in…taste beer with the brewers and the BTTV guys!
Hurry! Due to the free beer and limited space, we have to cap attendance at the first 100 Tweeples. But don’t let that stop you from coming because there will be plenty of overflow room in the tasting room to hang out.
Register your attendance on our Yahoo Upcoming Events page (http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/1823388/).
QUICK BEER NEWS UPDATES
Colorado Brewers Guild Rally and committee hearing on HB 1192 canceled
The Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG) Rally and committee hearing scheduled for Wednesday, February 25 was canceled. We’ll let you know when a new rally and hearing date has been rescheduled. In the meantime, please continue to contact your state representative and state senator and let them know about your opposition to HB 1192.
Bill Brand passes away from injuries
On Friday February 20th Bill passed away from the injuries sustained from being hit by a city Muni train. Please take a few minutes and post your thoughts and prayers on his beer blog, What’s on Tap.
All of us here at Beer Tap TV extend our sincerest condolences to his family and friends. Bill will be sorely missed, but never forgotten. To you Bill… wherever you may be, we hope there’s some good beer!
A beer community memorial was held for Bill this past Sunday. You can find the write up and some pictures on Jay Brooks Beer Bulletin
Utah HB 51 (legalizes homebrewing in Utah)
The Utah House passed HB 51 on Thursday, February 25th. It now moves on to the Governor to sign into law. Given how lopsided the victory was (67-2 in the House and 23-3 in the Senate), homebrewers are hopeful that Governor Huntsman will sign the bill into law. If signed the law will go into effect on May 12.
BEER NEWS
Philadelphia to host “the country’s biggest beer event”
The second Philly Beer Week kicks off this week (Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 15). According to the press releases we’ve received they have over 50 brewers, 120 beers, and 400 events planned.
These “beer weeks” are starting to sprout up around the nation as craft beer continues to become more popular. San Francisco had their beer week a few weeks ago, and several other cities around the country are doing the same.
Now don’t get us wrong… we absolutely love Philly and their beer drinking ways. However, we take exception to some of the PR spin that has been bandied about when describing their Beer Week. As all of us Beer Geeks know, there’s a friendly “we’re a better Beer State/Beer City then you are” rivalry that exists. Especially between Oregon, California, Colorado and Pennsylvania.
But the PR coming out of Philly about their beer week is absurd. “With a line-up that features over 50 of the biggest names in brewing and more than 400 events planned, it has become the country’s biggest beer event in its second year.”
Um… no it hasn’t. Not even close. See, part of the problem here is the term “event.” What does it mean exactly? Frankly, nothing. Sure, they may have over 400 “events” planned throughout the 10-days, but what defines an event? And who cares?
Philly is only going to have 50 breweries and 120 beers. That’s really nothing to brag about. Check out the stats from these two “events” that are, without any question, much, much bigger:
1) The Great American Beer Festival (now in its 25th year) last year had 432 breweries, 2052 different beers, 60+ exhibitors, 2600 volunteers, and over 46,000 people attended the 3-day “event.”
2) The Oregon Brewer’s Festival (now in its 22nd year) last year had 72 breweries (the only allow one beer from each brewery to be served), and 70,o00 beer lovers showed up during the 4-day “event.”
Philly is a great beer town, but come on… to call this, their second beer week, the biggest beer event in the country? Absurd. Not only do they have a very long way to go before this can be called “the country’s biggest beer event,” but they blatantly disrespect those events that are legitimately bigger and more prestigious.
Brewers Association Announces 2008 Craft Brewer Sales Numbers
Last week the Brewers Association (based in Boulder, CO), which tabulates industry growth data for U.S. breweries, announced that today’s small independent craft brewers are gaining alcohol market share due to a shift toward full flavor beer and increased support for local breweries.
Craft beers accounted for 4.04% of the U.S. market by volume in 2008, up 0.25% point from 2007. From 2007 to 2008, estimated sales by craft brewers were up 5.8% by volume and 10.5% in dollars. More than 1 million new barrels of beer were sold in 2008, and close to half of those barrels were beer from craft brewers.
“2008 was a historic year for beer with the large brewers consolidating and imports losing share, while the top ten selling beer brands dropped in sales. At the same time, small independent craft brewers continued to gain share and attention,” said Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association.
With total U.S. beer being more than a $100 billion industry, the Brewers Association estimates the actual dollar sales from craft brewers in 2008 were $6.34 billion, up from $5.74 billion in 2007.
Beer’s popularity as America’s favorite fermented beverage continued in 2008 with Gallup stating “beer is back to a double-digit lead over wine.”
A more extensive analysis will be released April 22 during the Craft Brewers Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. The Association’s full 2008 industry analysis, which shows regional trends and sales by individual brewery, will be published in the May/June issue of The New Brewer.
Ska Brewing Co. Announces Homebrewing Competition Winner
Ska Brewing Company recently announced the winner of their Osiris Homebrewing Competition. The OHC is an AHA/BJCP sanctioned event held a few weeks ago during the local Durango, Colorado festival of Snowdown. The OHC is a prelim for the 2009 Great American Beer Festival Pro/Am, and the winning recipe will be brewed in large scale for both production and judging at the Pro/Am. Additionally, it will be brewed as a Ska Local Series single batch to be sold at their brewery and in stores.
And the winner is…. Chris Vest, a 50-year old homebrewer and member of the Mesa Verde Mashers Homebrew Club from Dolores, Colorado! Chris beat out 60 other entries from around Colorado with his Merlot Stout, named for the Merlot-varietal grape juice used to prime the beer in the bottle. Vest will oversee production of his recipe at Ska’s new World Headquarters in Durango. “I’m ecstatic”, says Vest. “I’m a graphic designer and have actually placed in beer label design contests before, but never in a homebrew competition.”
Arizona wants to be #1 beer tax state in the country apparently
Arizona H.B. 2524, introduced by Rep. Tom Chabin (D-Flagstaff), is a “Liquor Luxury Tax” of $3.50 a gallon on all alcoholic beverages, up from the current 16 cents per gallon. This represents a 116% tax increase on distilled spirits and a mind boggling 2,185% increase on beer. And at $3.50 a gallon it equates to a $7.85 per case “luxury” tax on beer.
The proposed bill is framed as “Amending Title 48, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding Chapter 39; relating to the Drug and Alcohol Treatment District.
Again, these fools want the brewers to pay for drug and alcohol treatment. WHY?! They’re doing nothing illegal!
BEER RELEASES
Widmer W ’09 Belgian Style Ale – Widmer Brothers – Portland, OR
Newest in the W” Brewmasters’ Release Series (Availability: January – July)
IBUs: 26
ABV: 6.5%
OG: 14.0° PLATO
Malts: 2-Row Pale, Briess Caramel 10L
Hops: Alchemy and Sterling
Fort Collins Brewery – Fort Collins, CO
Dunkel Export Lager – The Export or Dortmunder lager originated in Germany’s steel and coal district in the early 19th century. It became the favorite beer of coal miners and industry workers. Often thought of as the cousin of the Bohemian Pilsner. Moderately hopped brew weighing in at 6.8%ABV.
13 Hour Wheat Wine – First venture into wine territory, named for it’s unprecedented long brew time of 13 hours. Brewed with a preposterous amount of malted wheat, a dose of Centennial for bitterness, and some Tettnang for aroma. Wheat wine is an American twist on the English barley wine that got its start during the early part of the 20th century. Characterized by a bready, biscuity flavor and a “fluffy” mouthfeel, plus a crazy passion fruit, pineapple, peach aroma and a flavor that features brandy and rum undertones. 9.2% ABV
Redhook Brewery – Woodinville, WA
Belgian Tripel – The Belgian Tripel will be the next beer in their limited series release. As you recall we had the Double Black Stout on an episode of Taste Buds – awesome stuff! – so this probably will be as well. We will definitely be having this on an upcoming episode of TB.
Slim Chance Light Ale – New year-round offering coming soon – blonde-style craft ale is brewed using a combination of premium 2-row Wheat, Munich and Caramel malts, and Alechmey and Willamette Hops.
IBUs: 18
ABV: 3.9%
OG: 1.038
Calories (12 oz): 125
Carbs (12 oz): 8.7g
Protein (12 oz): 1.5g
It’ll be arriving in stores nationally next month (Colorado will be a bit later; let’s call it late spring). But guess what? We have it right here, right now! In fact, it will be on an episode of Taste Buds this week, so stay tuned to find out how this “light” beer tastes.
BEER GADGET OF THE WEEK
Operated by Michelle Venzke, wife of the 2008 Beer Drinker of the Year Matt Venzke. Michelle makes a line of beer themed bracelets and earrings – or as we like to call ‘em, beerrings ! A little something for the gal Beer Geeks out there – Brau Fraus if you will!
The beerrrings are available for $13 each or 2 for $24. Also available is a matching earring bracelet set for $20.
BEER BLOG OF THE WEEK
Belgian Beer and Travel by Charles Cook
The intent of Chuck’s blog is to inform, educate, and entertain those who enjoy the brews of the greatest beer country, Belgium. He’s written for publications like Ale Street News, All About Beer magazine, Beers of the World magazine, Beeradvocate magazine, CAMRA What’s Brewing, Celebrator Beer News, Delta Sky, The Gotham Imbiber, and Great Lakes Brewing News, as well as the Beeradvocate and Ratebeer websites.
Chuck specializes in exploring, enjoying, researching, and writing about Belgium’s unique beers and beer culture, as well as Belgian-inspired beers, breweries and beer bars. Since 1994 he’s been to Belgium 18 times, and toured 88 Belgian breweries. He’s also visited all the Trappist Abbey breweries multiple times, with three visits each at Rochefort, Westmalle and Westvleteren, and two visits each at Achel, Chimay, and Orval, as well as the Dutch Trappist Abbey brewery, Koningshoeven (La Trappe.)
He knows his stuff.
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