Beer in the news

[mr x]

Yeah, I don't understand that either.

[mr x]

Chicago’s Goose Island craft beer brands flying north to Ontario
http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/04/15 ... o-ontario/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

After the venerable Chicago craft brewery Goose Island sold a majority stake of its holdings to global superbrewer Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2011, we sort of figured it would only be a matter of time before the classic American craft brand started popping up elsewhere. Now the first flock is migrating north, just in time for barbecue season.

Thanks to a tie-up between Goose Island and Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Labatt Breweries division, co-owners of The Beer Store monopoly in this province, Ontarians will get their first taste of the label’s Vintage Ales collection this spring in the form of Sofie (6.5%ABV; $9.95) and Matilda (7%ABV; $9.95), two Belgian-style ales that will be available at select LCBO locations beginning in early May, on a “permanent” basis. The bottle is a fancy 765mL affair, suitable for a formal dinner table. Indeed, that’s part of Labatt’s plan for Goose Island’s launch here; having seen the explosion of small-batch craft brewers in recent years in the province, as well as its global competitors Molson-Coors gobble up craft brewers such as Creemore Springs and Granville Island, Labatt is looking to carve out its own niche by piggybacking on the established reputation of the Goose Island brand in the craft beer world.

“We know that there is a demand for beer that specifically pairs well with food and Goose Island’s focus on the brewed for food concept marries this perfectly,” said Arielle Loeb, marketing director for high end premium brands at Labatt, in a company release.

In addition to the two Belgian-style ales, Labatt will also be offering a limited quantity of Pepe Nero (6.4%ABV $14.95), a farmhouse ale brewed with black peppercorns, and Pere Jaques (8.7%ABV; $14.95), both styled after Belgian Dubbels, and promising big, fruity, yeasty and malty flavours meant to be quaffed with grilled meats, smoked barbecue and at the ends of large meals in place of Porto or other dessert wines. They come in the 765mL format as well.

[Tim Gregory]

This is brilliant:

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/budwei ... 54724.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[GAM]

The design is intended to appeal to trend-seekers and " young adults who haven't yet tried a Budweiser," the Post-Dispatch's Lisa Brown wrote.

I don't think I know any of these people.

Sandy

[mr x]

"We're consciously working to bring innovation to the packaging side.”

[erslar00]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/taste-of-b ... -1.1243051

Finally science has proven what we arleady knew!!

[Araxi]

http://now.msn.com/elephant-poop-beer-u ... en-brewery" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ummmm elephant poop.

[mr x]

Halifax breweries bracing for water rate increase
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scot ... rates.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Garrison Brewing says an expansion this summer will include on-site waste water treatment as Halifax breweries struggle to cope with rising water rates.

The Halifax microbrewery is facing a 50 per cent increase in its water bill.

"There's no easy way to skirt around this," said Brian Titus, the president of Garrison Brewing. "If you are going to become compliant you pretty well have to have a scaled down water treatment plant."

The company is spending $2.5 million on an expansion that will allow it to triple production from 7,000 hectolitres to 20,000 hectolitres.

"Ultimately, we will collect all discharge to a single point to deal with it. We'll analyze it and do advanced screening. Eventually we will be able to put systems to specifically treat the waste water," Titus said.

"It won't be cheap and it won't be easy but it will bring us into compliance."
Potential rate hike

Right now, Garrison's water bill is around $20,000 a year. That could hit $30,000 or more, annually, if provincial regulators approve the water rate increases sought by Halifax Water.

This week, the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board is hearing an application from Halifax Water to increase its water rates over two years by 30 per cent for residential customers, to 50 per cent and higher for businesses.

Beyond higher rates for water consumption, breweries are concerned about the introduction of higher charges for the treatment of waste water, especially organic effluent that exceed allowable limits.
Surcharges add up

Nova Scotia's largest brewer — the Oland Brewery — said it's facing a $1 million increase in its water bill if all the rate increases are approved.

The Oland Brewery already pays a surcharge for its effluent. Those surcharges are set to increase by 396 per cent for oxygen depleting pollutants known as BOD and 320 per cent for total suspended solids.

Oland said costs at its Halifax brewery are the second highest in its Canadian chain, only behind St. John's. The company is asking regulators to freeze those surcharges while it comes up with ways to treat its waste water.

"It's a complicated process. We're working with consultants to find ways to treat the waste water," said Kirby Dumaresque, the general manager of Oland Brewery. He testified at a Utility and Review Board hearing this week.

But Halifax Water is losing patience with the big brewery, noting it has exceeded pollution limits for years and missed a deadline to correct the problem.
Looking forward

At Garrison Brewing, Titus said his company is not paying a surcharge yet, but he's certain Halifax Water will charge him sooner or later. That’s why he's considering his own waste water treatment.

Another Halifax microbrewery — the Propeller Brewery — is also expanding. John Allen, the president, said his company is paying a water effluent surcharge. Allen said Halifax Water should phase in increases for waste water treatment.

Halifax Water is asking for the price hike because its system is in desperate need of upgrades.

[mr x]

Too sexy for Sweden? Liquor bigs ban 'Lust'-themed beer label
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/e ... z2QrbjXaTq" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mr x]

US beer prices expected to rise in wake of Busch-Modelo deal
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/c ... bJkEEtgNBK" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

US beer drinkers may be forced to dig a little deeper for their favorite brew later this year.

As regulators and Anheuser-Busch InBev officially ended their antitrust legal battle yesterday, a key block on higher beer prices was removed.

Without the block, experts said yesterday, beer prices are more likely to go up this year.

“The Justice Department is hoping that [by creating] an independent competitor, they will keep prices low, but it is very possible they will look to maximize the profits,” said a DC source close to regulators.

The block came off as A-B and the Justice Department filed papers in court ending Washington’s opposition to the $20.1 billion buy of Mexico’s Grupo Modelo by A-B.

Under the deal, ownership of Modelo’s US brands, including Corona and Modelo, will switch to Constellation Brands.

The brands had been owned by Crown Imports, which is owned by Grupo Modelo and Constellation.

US regulators said the sale of the brands to an independent Constellation would save beer drinkers plenty.

“If this settlement makes just a 1 percent difference in prices, US consumers will save almost $1 billion a year,” DOJ Antitrust Chief Bill Baer said in a statement. But that 1 percent savings could be calculated off higher prices — hardly a bargain.

Experts said beer prices were more likely to rise because Grupo Modelo will no longer control the Corona and Modelo brands.

Under a now-defunct deal, Grupo Modelo could have exercised an option at the end of 2013 to acquire in 2016 the half of Crown it did not already own.

So, it kept Modelo’s US prices flat, partially so it could exercise that option at a relatively low price, sources following the situation said.

Justice, in its January complaint to block A-B’s buy of Modelo, said it was Crown that kept US beer prices low.

“As the two largest brewers, A-B and MillerCoors often find it more profitable to follow each other’s prices than to compete aggressively for market share by cutting price,” the DOJ alleged.

In contrast, since 2008, Modelo has resisted price hikes led by A-B.

The DOJ also alleged, “A-B internal documents acknowledge that Modelo has put ‘increasing pressure’ on A-B by pursuing a competitive strategy directly at odds with A-B’s well-established practice of leading prices upward.”

Crown Imports partner Constellation Brands objected to the price war.

“In August 2011,” the DOJ said, “Constellation’s Managing Director wrote to Crown’s CEO: ‘Since A-B has already announced an October general price increase I was wondering if you are considering price increases for the Modelo portfolio? . . . From a positioning and image perspective I believe it would be a mistake to allow the [price] gaps to be narrowed.’”

Modelo resisted Constellation’s requests to raise prices.

Now, Constellation will be in control — and prices could be set to jump.

A Constellation spokeswoman told The Post yesterday, “We have no comment on how [the acquisition] will impact pricing.”

The DOJ, while stopping A-B from buying Modelo in the US, has little authority to dictate prices, sources said.

[canuck]

Top 50 craft breweries in the US, based on sales volume.

http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages ... es-of-2012" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tony L]

Don't recall seeing this here http://www.canadianbeernews.com/2013/04 ... n-brewing/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[erslar00]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/ ... RN20130410

[mr x]

A Montana Loophole Leaves a Bitter Taste With Bar Owners

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/us/mo ... .html?_r=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mr x]

Montreal craft brewer steps away as competition quickens


http://business.financialpost.com/2013/ ... an-brewer/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Beer giant Anheuser-Busch Inbev NV did something earlier this spring that most of Canada’s business press missed but craft brewers and bloggers watched with fascination.

The company’s Nova Scotia-based sub-unit Alexander Keith’s launched three new ales featuring hop. Hop is the flowering vine that provides beer with much of its taste and aroma, and each of these new beers has a distinct variety of the ingredient that generates a unique flavour.

Keith’s, whose flagship product is the popular India Pale Ale, calls the new ales “a labour of love” and is pledging to educate Canadians on different hops during a cross-country marketing tour now underway. Independent brewer Peter McAuslan calls them a significant break with brewing strategy, a desperate experiment by a big producer scrambling to give consumers more choices as it tries to appeal to sophisticated drinkers while retaining its loyal customers of old..........

[jeffsmith]

I'd say Peter hit the nail on the head.

[mr x]

There were a few interesting comments in there...

[McGruff]

I have to make a list of what the big brewers own as to never, ever buy a beer made by them. Sorry big brewers, you have been making shit beer for years and years and forced me to make my own. If you think I am going to start drinking your shit now, you are crazy in the head.

[chalmers]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anheuser-B ... Bev#Brands" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SABMiller_brands" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heineken_brands" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlsberg_Group#Brands" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not sure of an easy way to make the full list, but here's a decent place to start.
Frankly, it would be easier to go through the NSLC list and pick out what ISN'T a subsidiary of the big guys. Very short list.

[pet lion]

http://firstwefeast.com/drink/15-things ... body-says/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[brufrog]

My story on Propeller's expansion in the latest TAPS. Mainly, it is an interview with John Allen. http://tapsmagazine.com/in-this-issue/t ... -spinning/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry if someone already posted...I didn't see it.

[NASH]

Decent!

But..... a bbl of beer in North America is 117.4 L

[pet lion]

http://grist.org/food/beyond-the-pale-a ... able-beer/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[brufrog]

And from the megabrewers:

Molson Canadian Wheat debuts in Canada

Molson Canadian Wheat is a wheat beer with a Canadian twist. It offers a highly drinkable and approachable lager in a style of beer that is most commonly offered as an ale. It has a wholesome wheat taste without the signature citrus, spicy flavour of Belgian-style wheat beers or the clove-like character of some German-style wheat beers.

Doing what they always do with beer - take a great idea, and take all the flavor out of it. Another sure-fire hit.

here is how I described this beer. fair?

"clean, easy drinking, but there is no noticeable character from wheat, yeast, or...anything, really."

Not sure why it is cloudy, but I suspect it isn't because it is "natural" as implied in ads. How do they do it? Do they have a way to just add back some sterilized protein?

[mr x]

I'll probably never try it, but I'll trust your judgment.


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