Beer in the news

[the-mailman]

They need to crowd fund some lawyer fees. I'm sure there are lots of people out there that would contribute to see them stick to the man.

[RubberToe]

Keep an eye out for the next issue of The Coast (Thursday). It's the beer issue and maybe we'll see a Brewnoser in there somewhere.

[AngeSponge]

Article about one of our own in the Herald: http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1 ... n-the-mari" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers Angeline.

Thanks, Mark! Bill asked a few questions that made me a little nervous to see how it would play out in print, but I'm happy with it.

[mr x]

This craft beer startup uses some clever marketing tricks to win customers
Pop-up honesty bars boost sales for craft beer business
Kitchen table startup Honest Brew secured £250,000 from angel investors to fund development of its online craft beer subscription service

http://www.theguardian.com/small-busine ... r-business" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Andrew Reeve’s cramped London apartment wasn’t the ideal place to start a brewing business, with bubbling hops creating an unruly mess in his kitchen.

But it hasn’t stopped him launching his startup business, Honest Brew. Over a year on, he makes and sells his own beer. He also runs a subscription service, for customers who want craft beers – those made by small, independent brewers – delivered to their homes, every month.

By its very nature, craft beer is usually only sold in the area where it’s produced – limiting the number of people who can enjoy it. New Zealander Reeve is on a mission to make it accessible to more people – “online, with a really personalised service”.

The business, which started with just seven breweries on its books in January 2014, now has more than 50. Its success can be attributed, at least in part, to clever marketing.

Pop-up “honesty bars”, where customers pay how much they think a beer is worth, is one such example. The London Beer Hunt, a “cryptic pub crawl” around east London where participants are given a map, clues and the challenge of finding bottles of craft beer, is another. Then there’s the paper bottle opener subscribers get with each delivery – and the YouTube tutorial on how to use it.

The business, which received an initial cash injection from the government’s Start Up Loans initiative, has used a combination of online and offline strategies to develop sales. “It has been about getting in front of people, especially in the early days,” says Reeve. “We go to the London Brewers’ Market, we are there selling the beer and talking to people about craft beer.”

Honest Brew has a live chat service that customers can contact through a pop-up box on its website. “Hey I’m Frank. Talk to me about beer”, is the welcome message – “Frank” being a play on the word honest.

This unconventional approach to marketing has definitely boosted Honest Brew’s social media followers, says Reeve – in the last year its Twitter followers have more than doubled.

“We do a bit of Facebook advertising, but rather than being just about selling, we put our brand out there in a more amusing, cheeky way,” says Reeve.

Annabel Causer, co-founder and marketing director at Honest Brew, adds: “We really focus on giving the customer what they want. Every change we make to the website, every piece of marketing material we put out, is based around this, and that has really helped us to grow.”

Late last year, Honest Brew secured £250,000 in funding from food industry veterans and angel investors. In the coming months Reeve wants to collaborate more with his customers on the beers. This will involve asking for feedback on exactly what customers want to make the brewing process more exciting.

It’s a big change from the days when he was brewing beer in his kitchen. Did he expect the business to takeoff in this way? “We didn’t really know what to expect,” he says. “It was a bit trial and error but it has been surprising how fast we have grown.”

Sign up to become a member of the Guardian Small Business Network here for more advice, insight and best practice direct to your inbox.

[RubberToe]

The Coast's beer issue is out.

Here's an article on Angeline: http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/quite-th ... id=4565867" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's one on me: http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/beer-sci ... id=4565841" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have to find a hard copy somewhere between Dartmouth and Bedford.

[mr x]

Big breweries give cold shoulder to Ontario Liberal fundraiser

http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/ ... aiser.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

By: Rob Ferguson Queen's Park Bureau, Robert Benzie Queen's Park Bureau Chief, Published on Wed Mar 11 2015

The big foreign-owned brewers shunned the Ontario Liberal Party’s major annual fundraising dinner as Premier Kathleen Wynne threatens to end the Beer Store’s private monopoly.

The Wednesday night event — where a table of 10 cost $15,500 this year — draws Toronto’s business elite ,with corporations snapping up tickets to hobnob with Wynne, her cabinet ministers, MPPs and advisers.

It’s unusual for the major brewers not to buy tables, taking part in a ritual that sees corporations flocking to a variety of Liberal, Progressive Conservative and Conservative fundraisers both federally and provincially to keep tabs on the country’s political masters.

“Molson-Coors will have a few folks there as guests, but we did not buy a table,” Gavin Thompson, head of corporate affairs for Molson-Coors Canada, said in an email before the event.

Labatt also did not buy a table and neither did the Beer Store, which declined comment.

One senior Liberal said he’s “not surprised” the foreign-owned brewers that run the Beer Store chain — Labatt, Molson-Coors and Sleeman — took a pass this year on the fundraiser that drew 1,800 people and earned $2.75 million in a cavernous ballroom at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

They’re very mad at us,” said the insider, noting Wynne’s planned changes for the sale of beer and wine in Ontario are expected in Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s spring budget.

“We need to address fairness issues in terms of accessibility for customers and for brewers across the province,” Wynne told reporters after her dinner speech.

‎As the Star revealed last December, in 2013 and 2014, the Beer Store, its foreign-based owners, and the union representing brewery workers donated more than $525,000‎ to the Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, and New Democrats.

At the same time, MPPs from all three parties have held fundraisers in the downtown Toronto salons owned by Labatt and Molson. The venues and the beer were donated to the politicians by the big brewers.

The stakes are high with Ontario’s beer market worth $3 billion annually and public pressure increasing for a more consumer-friendly system of selling beverage alcohol, which has already seen Wynne allow sales of Ontario wine in farmers’ markets.

The premier said she wants more access for Ontario-based craft brewers — whose products are increasingly popular and eating into sales of mainstream beers — to the shelves the Beer Store’s 448 outlets and suggested a “franchise fee,” or royalty, be paid to the government.

“To build as we must, we need to find new dollars,” said Wynne, whose government has pledged to build more public transit while slaying a ‎$12.5 billion deficit before the next election in 2018.

“We are looking at recycling provincial assets . . . whether it is our alcohol distribution system or Hydro One,” she added, in a nod to the possibility of selling a piece of the electricity distribution company.

“I can’t give you numbers right now because we don’t have them. That’s just being worked out.”

The premier has said beer and wine could be sold in larger supermarkets, such as Loblaws, and big-box retailers like Costco, which would increase sales and revenues to the government.

Executives from Loblaw, which sells beer and wine at its stores in Alberta and Quebec, sat at a table with their Shoppers Drug Mart subsidiary at the fundraiser, where guests dined on Ontario beef tenderloin with mushrooms and bartenders served a mix of craft and mainstream beers including Steam Whistle, Budweiser and Miller.

The “franchise fee” was first suggested by former TD Bank chief executive Ed Clark, a trusted Wynne adviser who headed an expert panel reviewing ways to maximize the value of Ontario’s assets as the province struggles to eliminate a $12.5-billion deficit by 2018.

That fee would compensate the government, and in turn the taxpayers, for the value inherent in the private monopoly held by the Beer Store, whose outlets sell about 80 per cent of Ontario’s beer under a 14-year-old secret agreement — first uncovered by the Star Queen’s Park columnist Martin Regg Cohn — with the province and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.

The other 20 per cent of sales are through hundreds of LCBO stores, which are now limited to selling single cans and bottles and six-packs – not cases of 12 and 24. Clark recommended the LBCO be allowed to being selling 12-packs.

But the Beer Store balked at the franchise fee, saying it would result in increased costs for beer drinkers and announced reforms making it easier and cheaper for craft beers to sell through Beer Stores – a move many craft brewers dismissed as too little, too late.

[mr x]

Beer science: meet the homebrewer
A look behind the scenes at Brewnoser Rob Shortt’s basement beer factory

http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/beer-sci ... id=4565841" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rob Shortt is a mad scientist in his basement laboratory in Dartmouth. His experiments consist of mixing up small batches of craft beer to enjoy after work, or with his club of fellow homebrewers, the Brewnosers. The homebrew pastime is serious for Shortt. He has invested time and at least a few thousand dollars, not to mention creative energy, concocting ways of making his personal brewery efficient. Six years ago his interest began with some research and reading: "I read a book, How to Brew by John Palmer, it's, like, the bible for brewers," he says, and not long after he found himself brewing on his kitchen stovetop. Brewing beer isn't all difficult with the simple kits available at brew stores around the city for just $40 to $50, then the passion can grow from there. "It's enthralling," says Shortt.

1 Shortt pours himself an Extra Special Bitter, known in short as ESB. A modified deep-freezer is the treasure chest that holds eight small kegs of his creations, along with beer lines and a tank of carbon dioxide. The wooden strip between the bottom and door of the deep-freeze-turned-fridge adds more height, and room for taps. Kegs are a better option for small-scale brewers, because they involve less unnecessary work and cleaning.

2 A handmade paddle, not unlike those in Dazed and Confused, is used to mix the mash during its 60 minutes in the brew pot, says Shortt.

3 Nine medals, from all over the country, can be found in Shortt's basement, small tokens of recognition for the time and love put into his beer.

4 A process called the mash, in which the water, grain and hops are stirred and heated to make the wort, takes place in jacketed temperature regulated brew pots, built by Shortt. Once the solids need to be removed from the wort for the next step of brewing, Shortt uses a pulley to lift a net that lines the tank, like a large beer ingredient teabag.

5 This fermentation tank cost around $500, but before Shortt bought it he would use sealable plastic buckets that only cost about $20.

[LeafMan66_67]

Looks to be a great issue this week.

[mr x]

Greg Nash, no filter
“I’m doing it fuckin’ my way”—Greg Nash, the king of hops, brings Unfiltered Brewing to North Street this summer.

http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/greg-nas ... id=4565835" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Greg Nash has left his mark on just about every microbrewery and brewpub in the province. So while it's no surprise Nova Scotia's undisputed king of hops is finally opening his own brewery, it's pretty damn exciting.

"It's been something I've been trying to do for, like, 12 years," says Nash over an IPA. "I have a reputation [for] pushing high hop levels over the top, brewing with different spices and weird ingredients. At heart, that's not what I do. I like to experiment, and it was fun but at the end of the day it's not what beer geeks really want...they also want to be able to grab their favourite beer at any time."

They also want quality. "The new brewery won't be nearly as experimental. That's not how you make good beer," he says. "What I mean by that is, with all these experimental beers, they're mostly one-offs. If I brewed 100 beers, 94 would never be brewed again." What Unfiltered Brewing brings to the table is a serious long-term relationship with beer.

"It'll be good solid beer—I want people to be able to depend on it.... I just won't be coming out with a fuckin' new beer every month. That's not what I want."

As for what to expect, Nash puts it simply: "A lot of fuckin' hops and a lot of f-bombs." Though he's mum on specifics, the brewery will feature flagship beers and seasonals. "I'm most well known for hops obviously, so most of the stuff I make is probably going to be hoppy," he laughs. "That's no surprise obviously."

Because he owns his Hart & Thistle recipes, you could see the return of a few favourites, but otherwise Unfiltered Brewing is a blank slate. "Everyone is going to have a lot of fun with some of the stuff we're doing," he says. "We're bringing some new ideas to the area that nobody's done before."

As for the name, it's more than snappy branding—Nash doesn't filter his beer, and never will. "I hate everything about filtration," he says. "You lose flavour, you lose body, you lose nutrients. A lot of craft breweries filter their beer, and they are of the belief that it makes better beer, it makes cleaner beer...and to me, it's an unnatural process that's not required. I want my beer raw; I want people to have it in the raw."

Nash compares it to seeing a musician play in a tiny pub versus the stage production. With Unfiltered, Nash is offering the unplugged version. He's also "all about being local." He sees the brewery as a community hub where people can stop in and fill a growler of "the usual"—he won't be bottling. "So...if you want my fucking beer, you're coming to me."

At 1,200 square feet, the brewery—which will open at 6041 North Street—is small, but Nash designed it for efficiency. "The overall capacity for throughput is really fuckin' high for a space that size," he says. "We've got a lot of specialized equipment in there. I'm skeptical you'll find a brewery as highly customized in eastern Canada...I'm setting it up to put an awful lot of fluid through there."

Attached to the brewery will be a small (800 square feet) taproom where beer lovers can grab a pint and snacks. Nash's business partner Andrew Murphy, a professional photographer, requested "epic natural lighting." So the space will be a reflection of the beer: natural, functional.

While Unfiltered will open by June 1, the taproom will follow a few months later, to allow Andrew Flood of Five by Five Renovations time to revamp the space.

For Nash, it's worth the wait. "The day we open, I'm gonna be prepared for a big fuckin' lineup," he says. "It's been a long-time source of frustration for me, working for other people. Well now, I'm doin' it fuckin' my way."

Unfiltered Brewing
6041 North Street, opens June 1

[mr x]

Bad Apple does good
Bad Apple Brewhouse isn’t just making great beer with its award-winning Mosaic Double IPA, its making a difference too

http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/bad-appl ... id=4565847" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Charity isn't a new concept for Jeff Saunders and wife Kari Smith of Somerset's Bad Apple Brewhouse. Last year, about 80 percent of the microbrewery's proceeds went to the Halifax Nova Scotia Down Syndrome Society.

In late December 2013, Saunders and Smith's lives were deeply changed. Their six-month-old son was diagnosed with Mosaic Down syndrome, a rare form whose prognosis is unpredictable. Once the initial shock abated, fate intervened. Saunders recalled he had purchased and frozen some Mosaic hops, a variety "not common locally," the previous summer.

"We [had always] joked about making a beer to name after our kids," he explains. "We learned a lot more about what Mosaic Down syndrome was and I said, 'I'm gonna make a Mosaic beer.'" With the help of Greg Nash, Mosaic Double IPA was born, with sales benefitting Down syndrome charities.

And it was a hit. Saunders sold or gave away every last bottle, and had to borrow enough to submit to the 2014 Atlantic Canadian Brewing Awards. Good thing, too: it won best IPA.

This year, Saunders has even bigger plans: multiple batches, and enough proceeds to pay for any Down syndrome child who wishes to attend Camp Brigadoon this summer. But he's just the man behind the brew kettle.

"I don't want to promote [Mosaic] to toot my own horn," he says. "I want to do it for the kids, to give them an opportunity."

And for Saunders, brewing has always been about others. "I really enjoyed the fact that I could make something that makes people happy," he says. "I'm creating something that people are enjoying, and to me, that's worth more than money."

Mosaic DIPA will be available on tap in Halifax, and in growlers and bottles, by March 21, World Down Syndrome Day.
Bad Apple Brewhouse, 515 Parker Condon Road, Somerset, NS

[CorneliusAlphonse]

Good articles ladies and gents

[chalmers]

A busy week for local beer makers and lovers. Well done!

[GAM]

Nice on both of you.

S

[HPhunter]

The Butterfly Effect will start with deliveries on Monday. Toms Little Havana, Lion & Bright, Stillwell, Stubborn Goat just to get started. Hope you folks get a chance to give it a hook!

[HPhunter]

Fucking turn your head if it looks funny!

[Jayme]

Fucking turn your head if it looks funny!

I did tilt my head, but now instead of it being sideways, it's upside down. I'll be damned if I gotta tilt my head in the opposite direction yet

[CorneliusAlphonse]

Nice! How do we get a glass?

[mr x]

Yeah, very cool glasses!

[Keith]

The Butterfly Effect will start with deliveries on Monday. Toms Little Havana, Lion & Bright, Stillwell, Stubborn Goat just to get started. Hope you folks get a chance to give it a hook!

What's up with the fuckin coaster?

[Celiacbrew]

Pretty fucking sad on Bell's part.

http://www.freep.com/story/money/busine ... /24732355/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Looks like it might be Bell's who are in the right...sort of. They are protecting the word innovation from being trademarked by the small brewery. If the small brewery were to get the trademark then Bells wouldn't be able to keep using their existing marketing materials that mention innovation and anyone else who wants to mention the word innovation in reference to beer would also be prohibited from using that word. Seems like a pretty common word to be trademarking so I think I agree with Bells' position. And I definitely agree with how they have handled it, by asking the other brewery to play nice in a million different ways.

http://beervana.blogspot.ca/2015/03/whos-villain.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[LiverDance]

Yeah seems like Bells is doing the "craft beer spirit" thing here and not some much the small guy.

[TimG]

Yup, big week for local brews, great articles!

[mr x]

How to open a bottle of beer with a piece of paper

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filt ... paper.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mckay75]

http://www.trurodaily.com/Business/2015 ... -on-site/1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[chalmers]

Neat, though I think they're using this: http://www.smartbrew.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(Ferment on Premise)