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A newsletter of special interest to brewers, the brewing community, chefs, restaurateurs, and members of the beverage alcohol business media. If you wish to be dropped from this list, please respond to peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com . Include the word "remove" in the Subject: line. (The subscriber list is the sole property of the publisher and will not be sold, given or otherwise distributed.) ============================== Publisher: Peter LaFrance ============================== BEER BASICS.COM Vol.010 No.003 --- 13 June 2009 A newsletter of special interest to brewers, the brewing community, chefs, restaurateurs, and members of the beverage alcohol business media. If you wish to be dropped from this list, please respond to peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com Include the word "remove" in the Subject: line. (The subscriber list is the sole property of the publisher and will not be sold, given or otherwise distributed.) ============================== Publisher: Peter LaFrance ============================== The Rant... Greetings, It is good to get BeerBasics back in semi-regular publication. It is also good to hear from so many of you regarding where things are going at BeerBasics. Let me assure you, we are still an active publication. In fact, this issue is the second of four test issues before evolving into a two-part publication. The last Sunday of each month will still see the recently redesigned BeerBasics, consisting of "The Rant", "News & Views", and "Tasting Notes." Starting in September the second Sunday of each month will be the publication day for "BeerBasics talks to..." a special issue that will feature three interviews of particular interest. One chef, one brewer and either a brewery/brewpub owner or importer will be featured. Regular paid subscribers will receive both issues. Non-paying subscribers will only receive the edition published on the last Sunday of the month. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead and hope you enjoy the trip also... Cheers! Peter LaFrance
Tasting notes for 010 003 - Click on the name of the beer to go there. Angle City Vitzen - Angle City Brewery - Torrance, CA Charlie Parker Pale Ale - Angle City Brewing Co. - Torrance, CA Guinness 250 - Guinness Brewing Co. - Ireland Gnome (the) - Smutty Nose - Portsmouth, NH Jenlain Blond - Brasserie Duyck - France Lost Continent - Grant Teton Brewing Co. - Victor, ID Odd Notion Summer 2009 - Magic Hat - South Burlington, VT Twilight Seasonal Ale - Deschutes Brewery - Bend, OR And... Wacko - Magic Hat - South Burlington, VT
SPECIAL: Craft Brewers Conference 2009 (Part One of Three) The Craft Brewers Conference 2009 This year the Craft Brewers Conference was held at the World Trade Center in Boston, from 21 through 24 April. The proximity, and the prospect of a train ride, left me no logical excuse not to attend. The train ride was a major selling point. I enjoyed the trip to South Station and found both lodging and watering-hole at the same time, in the same place. The celebration of a damp, misty, Patriot’s Day Boston Marathon was winding down so I was lucky to find room at the bar of the English-Irish-styled pub/restaurant that shared a “guest’s door” to my hotel. There I sat and, after ordering a pint, began a review of the conference schedule. It was almost overwhelming, however I was drawn to the first day seminars “Little Fish in a Big Pond” and the “Craft Brewers Are From Mars; Wholesalers Are From &*@<!”. If I read the promotional material right, these two seminars would dove-tail and might make an interesting case for the tired old “compare and contrast” article. Wednesday night there was a Boston Beer Brewery Party scheduled at the Jamaica Plain brewery. The guidebook simply noted “an evening of good beer and good friends.” Past experience with the folks at Boston Beer would probably make the quoted note a serious understatement. Thursday would begin with an 8:15 a.m. lecture by Dr. Arthur Klasky, of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, on “Beer & Health.” With the printed outline materials that had been posted online, I felt fairly comfortable that I could follow his lecture. Then according to all the instructional and promotional materials, there was a bit of a gap in the program until later in the afternoon. That seemed to be the perfect time to visit the display floor of the convention and see what brewers are being told they need. That afternoon “Beer According to Women: How Women Brew, Present, Pair and Sell Beer (yes, gender matters!)” offered an impressive panel. (I had recently had a conversation with the Rhodenbach brewer in which the topic of the differences in taste perception between men and women was brought up.) Later that afternoon, there was a panel discussion they called “Keeping It Real: Brewery Owner’s Perspectives” with Sam Calagione, Larry Bell, Kim Jordan, Rob Tod, and Dave Walker. That promised to be very interesting. (With my hand-held mp3 recorder I hoped the arena would have a good sound system.) That evening there was a Cask Beer event at Harpoon that looked like something not to be missed. However, I did have a sentimental journey to make… a dinner at the bar at Upstairs on the Square, in Cambridge. The last day, Friday, seemed to be the most interesting for me. The “Mining the Floor” presentation caught my attention and, I must confess, a presentation by Garrett Oliver, who I have known since he was a novice home-brewer, to be an event not to be missed. Ergo, I would have to wait for his “Beer at The Restaurant Table” while marketing beer to women was explored from 12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. with Ginger Johnson hosting, “Where’s the Other 50%?! Developing and Serving the Female Craft Beer Enthusiast Market.” Finally, conveniently scheduled in the same room as Mr. Oliver’s panel, a presentation by Chris Lady of Moon River Brewing Co., presenting what I anticipated would be the perfect match for the morning “Mining” presentation… “Server Education: Helping Servers Know Their Beer AND Food Better.” By the time the above schedule had been cobbled from the various lists and folders I had finished a full pint of Old Thumper, consumed one bowl of onion soup, a small mound of hot smashed red skin small potatoes, about a dozen crispy steamed green beans and a grilled slice of beef. Another pint, a Guinness, was needed to recover from all that work. Would all of this go off as scheduled? The answer would have to wait until Wednesday… first was the Tuesday all-day brewery tour. My tour bus #5 would visit the breweries and brewpubs of the Boston area: Boston Brew Works, Watch City (Waltham, MA), Rock Bottom, Cambridge Brewing Co., and Boston Beer Company (Jamaica Planes, MA). TUESDAY 21 APRIL 2009 The 2009 Craft Brewers Conference Brewery Tour #5
The moist weather of the day before continued on the morning of the brewery tours. There were five buses and each had a different set of breweries to visit and then return to the hotel by 5:00 p.m., more or less. The five breweries on the “Boston” tour were already familiar to me with the exception of the Boston Brew Works, if I don’t count a visit in 2000 to the Boston Brew Works across from Fenway Park. After picking up my press credentials at the convention center it was a short walk across the street to the conference hotel and up to the tour assembly area. I was impressed that the tour departed on time and with all aboard who were supposed to be aboard. The first stop was the Boston Beer Works at North Station. Road construction made it impossible for the bus to get any closer than two blocks from the brewery so we actually got the soles of our shoes wet. Boston Beer Works
Boston Beer Works was ready for us and the early hour meant no stumbling over customers. For the first beer brewer Jeff Handler suggested a taste of Gruit, flavored with dandelion, and yarrow...
It was a murky orange/brown brew with a fine dense custard yellow head. What herbal aromas there were in the first impression they were definitely not hops. The body was full and the dominant malt flavors were well attenuated leaving a very dry finish. It should be noted that they had just finished the morning cleaning and there was more than a hint of ammonia in the air. The second sample was the Back Bay I.P.A. hopped with Centennial and Cascade hops. It was a clear kettle copper colored brew with a thin sandy brown head of well packed small bubbles. The first aromatic impression is deliberately more hop than malt or esters. (Note that the mash tuns were then into operation and there was more than a hint of grain in the air.)
The body was not light-weight and the hop flavors echoed the aromatics. There is a solid floor of malt for all the hop intensity. The finish could only be called a draw between the sweet and grainy malt and the crisp and citric spikes of flavor the hops countered with. Of special interest were the open fermenters, yeast retrieval system and the promise of a bottling line.
The next stop on the tour was Watch City of Waltham, Massachusetts. The conversations on the bus touched on the fermenters and yeast propagation, as well as swapping names, addresses and opinions on beer, brewing, and mutual friends. WATCH CITY (Waltham, MA)
This was my third visit to this brewpub. This third time was just as much fun as the previous visits. The brewery in the window is eye-catching and the space of the restaurant with its central bar is easy to get around. The brewhouse is a simple system but the space presented a number of challenges, particularly the cellaring and bright tanks. The brewers on the tour seemed especially interested in the fermentation system and turn-around.
Pictured above is the selection of brews I tasted while I was there. No, those are not pint glasses. They are four ounce tasting glasses eh? From left to right there are Hops Explosion I.P.A., Skye High Scotch Strong Ale, Rye, Rye Captain Ale, and Chocolate Thunder Porter. The Hops Explosion was a burnished gold, lightly sparkling brew topped with a thin head of medium sized bubbles knit into a loose construction. The first aroma impression was citric, followed by a more intense blend of hop aromatics. The body was stylistic and the flavors followed up the aromatic impression and then some. The finish was very floral with a hint of citric. Skye High Scotch Strong Ale was a deep dark almost black brew topped with a sandy brown, fairly dense head of closely knit small bubbles. The first aromatic impression was of burnt barley and the second impression echoed that flavor. The roasted and toasted malt flavors were the main flavors. The finish offered a slightly sweet caramel hiding under a dry warm impression. Rye, Rye Captain Ale was also “spiked” with caraway seeds. The result was a golden colored sparkling brew with a very thin head of small bubbles. There were almost no aromatics in the first and second impressions, the flavor impressions reflected the aromatics. In the end, the finish offered a slight hint of mint and ended very dry. The Chocolate Thunder Porter was billed as a “robust porter enhanced with 55 pounds of locally made Taza Stone Ground Chocolate.” In the context of the preceding brews this one received the least attention according to the notes I wrote down. It is noted to be of the deepest dark brown color with a full head of tan. The aromatics revealed roasted and patent malt with flavor profiles fitting the style. If there was a true chocolate flavor there it hid behind the patent malt and I almost missed it. The next stop scheduled was one of the Rock Bottom brewpubs, this one in Boston, where I swear there once lived a Brew Moon brewpub. The bus ride back into Boston and the mist had become a real rain. ROCK BOTTOM BOSTON
Once again it was civil construction projects that necessitated a walk in the raining New England sunshine. As I mentioned earlier, this place seemed haunted to me. My fellow travelers were fascinated… a brewhouse smaller than Watch City and a much larger restaurant.
The brewhouse is behind the bar in an area no more than 300 square feet. The unitank system looked serviceable and the brewers’ system of storage was admirable. The picture below shows nine brews on tap and two on cask.
The configuration of the tap lines from kegs to faucet was a sight to see.
The challenge of making a small space into a brewhouse with enough capacity to meet customer demand at a place like the Boston Rock Bottom is formidable. Nevertheless, the harried brewer seemed to take a great deal of pleasure in his predicament. The cask brew I tried, Improper Hopper IPA was a bit less hoppy and fuller in body than “style” dictates. There was no Pale Ale on the board so I settled for the East Asian cousin.
Please note that, from the beginning of this trek I have been making an effort to taste the Pale Ale offered. This is a good way to determine what manner of brewer is running the show. Of all the styles of fermented malt beverage, Pale Ale has perhaps the greatest latitude in color and flavor profile. The only common factor in the style seems to be an alcohol content of 4-5% by volume. Other than that the brewers inspiration and disposition determines what he wants a Pale Ale to be. The results can be very interesting. The next stop on the tour was Cambridge Brewing Company. Once again I was no stranger to the bar, restaurant or brewery at Cambridge. What I was not prepared for was the cellar… CAMBRIDGE BREWING COMPANY
The day had progressed well into the afternoon when we arrived at Cambridge Brewing Company. A lunch was scheduled to be served here and as I knew first hand of the culinary capabilities of Cambridge my anticipation was considerable. The sense of intelligent design catches your attention, either intellectually or subliminally, on entering Cambridge Brewing Company.
The “I Love Me” wall is also impressive.
There are nineteen brews on draft and, as noted, the food is noteworthy. The area arranged for the lunch was adjacent to the brewhouse and a selection of the most interesting brews were presented in a series of tall clear plastic pillars of beer. It was a good way to give brewers in particular the beers as fresh from the cask, “au natural” so to speak, gravity fed and all.
The sampling of the beers commenced and the orders for lunch were taken. A deceptively simple selection of dishes included: Poached Maine Shrimp Salad with romaine, avocado, black beans, tortilla, tomato, shaved red onions, and chili lime vinaigrette; CBC Burger with amber ale glazed onions, Vermont Cheddar and either French fries or mixed greens; Pulled Chicken sandwich with pale ale barbeque sauce and French fries or mixed greens; and my selection - Penne Pasta and Spring Vegetables with a barley wine cream sauce.
The real treat for the visit was a trip to the cellar… Below the room where folks were lunching and enjoying a draft brew or two, casks and carboys cradle elixirs only dreamt of… In Buffalo Trace barrels, and barrels that once held pinot noir wine are libations labeled; Cerise Criadera, Gueze OB1 and Resolution 10/07. (And then there are the five gallon carboys labeled “madeirized”…) If patience is a virtue then these kids are saints.
BOSTON BREWING COMPANY
The last stop on the tour was probably the most well-known, The Boston Brewing Company (Sam Adams). This was my third time visiting this brewery and once again I came away knowing more than I did walking in. Without a doubt Sam Adams knows how to make folks feel welcome. Entering just under the keg greeting visitors, there are a number of specific paths that individuals or groups of individuals can follow. Gift shop is to the front and left, the hospitality rooms to the center and the brewhouse to the left… more or less. What seems to be quite random is actually well designed to handle numbers of groups as well as individuals. Our tour was well managed and intelligently delivered. The first stop was the hospitality room for a taste of brew and then it was off to the traditional starting point for tour groups… the ingredient room.
Here samples of the grains and hops used in brewing the beers of the Sam Adams line are offered, in their freshest raw state, for tasting and inspection. For non-brewers this is an important introduction to beer and the brewing process. For brewers it was only a moment to pause, take a head count, and proceed to the brewhouse.
The brewery is not a built-for-tourists operation. It is a fully operational brewery that produces a wide range of beers for draft and cask customers. What may be more significant is that it is the home of the Sam Adams power beers; Sam Adams Utopias (27% alcohol by volume), and Millennium (21% alcohol by volume), a single release brew made by Sam Adams in 1999. After an explanation of the brewhouse and a brief question and answer period, it was off to the cask room.
Here is where the Utopias and other wood cask conditioned brews sleep. Huge custom built casks and traditional casks fill this atmosphere controlled space. And here was when I saw something I thought I would never see in my life… a person serving pitchers of Utopias brew. And then there were more pitchers of Utopias… There was still a bit of New England sunshine falling from the sky as we departed Jamaica Planes for the return to the hotel in Boston. The day had been well spent and the welcome reception at the New England Brewing Company (Harpoon) was on most go-to lists. And then, of course there was the actual beginning of the Craft Brewers Conference tomorrow. That’s another story… SPECIAL: A friend in fermentation... Clement Ojugo About the author:
Clement Ojugo obtained his degree in Accountancy from the London School of Accountancy and is a fellow of The Association of Costing and Executive Accountants. After many years of practical and teaching experience, he has distinguished himself in the Hospitality and Foodservice Industry. A widely published writer, Clement Ojugo has authored several texts and references for the Hospitality and Foodservice Industry. He is well known by members of the Hospitality Industry through his speaking engagements and journal publications. He is currently the Regional Financial Controller for Delaware North Companies, Parks & Resorts. Clement Ojugo taught at San Francisco State University and Monterey Peninsula College.
Do you have any idea about the importance of beer to your profitability? It just happens to have the potential to be the most profitable item in your restaurant or retail-grocery outlet. There is a growing demand for beer according to the statistics from the Beer Institute. In the U.S. beer drinkers 21 and older averaged consuming more than 30.5 gallons of beer in 2007, up slightly from 2006. This growth in consumption has increased costs due to the demand for malting barley, a key ingredient. Additional pressure on the price of barley has resulted from the push to obtain ethanol from corn a traditional livestock feed. As more of the nation’s corn crop is consumed by ethanol production less is available for feed and results in the substitution of barley and other grains. As the economic environment has become more severe remaining competitive and profitable requires efficient dispensing and pricing strategies without sacrificing quality. A one-size-fits-all pricing strategy leaves margin behind and creates competitive vulnerability. Your beer pricing strategy must address the questions of “which product and which market? The answers to draft or bottle and sports bar or restaurant etc. will dictate your pricing strategy and resultant profitability. Take for example the profit model of one keg: Cost $81 (½ barrel). Selling price $3.50 per serving. Each 15.5 gallon keg (½ Barrel) contains 1984 ounces of beer. Our standard is 140 servings from 16 oz pints glass… with ¾ inch headroom; we pour 14 oz of beer. This is possible in part because our draft beer systems are properly balanced, calibrated and maintained. Net Profit of one keg: Sales (price $3.5 x 140) $490 Less cost $81 Net profit $409 This is equivalent to a profit margin of 83% ($409 ÷ $490) and a markup percent of 504.94 ($409 ÷ $81). Note: Not all beer “mark up” is at the above rate. Some are lower while others are higher depending on a sliding scale. In this strategy, when the cost of an item rises the percentage of cost drops even though the actual amount of markup is still significant).
============================================================ CHECK THESE OUT: ============================================================
Cask Ale Resource Link- Alex Hall has put together a very helpful link to on-premise establishments that serve real cask ale. http://www.cask-ale.co.uk/us/statemenu.html
Culinary Cultures LLC For chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals. Chef Ron L. Askew, Executive Director
The Food Reference Newsletter Food History, Trivia, Quotes, Humor, Poetry, Recipes James T. Ehler, Editor
Lew Bryson's Home Page Beer maven Lew Bryson has a site that deserves a hit or two. Of special interest is the Pennsylvania Breweries Update Page, for those who have his book Pennsylvania Breweries. Lew Bryson's website also offers frequent updates to his new book, NY Breweries.
Nat Decants Free Newsletter Wine tips, sips and articles from award-winning wine writer Natalie MacLean. There are no ads and all e-mail addresses are kept confidential. Contact: natdecants@nataliemaclean.com or http://www.nataliemaclean.com/
SALUT! (The Webb site.) This site includes a recipe of the month (all beer-based recipes), a substitution chart so that those not lucky enough to have access to Quebec’s great beers can use an alternative beer, a brief history of beer in Quebec, and a Question & Answer section with Raymond Beauchemin.
============================================================ DIRECT ACCESS ============================================================
1) BridgePort Brewing Co. www.bridgeportbrewing.com Paula Johnston, Marketing Manager, 503-241-7179, paula.johnston@bridgeportbrew.com
2) Pete's Brewing Company (www.peteswicked.com) 3) Spoetzl Brewery (www.shiner.com) 4) Trumer Brauerei-Berkeley (www.trumer-international.com)
(FOR INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE THREE BRANDS CONTACT...) Charlie Paulette charlie.paulette@gambrinus.co Jim Hughes jim.hughes@gambrinus.com
5) Rogue Ales www.rogue.com Michele Becker, Marketing 503-241-3800 x4 michele@rogue.com
6) Boston Beer Company www.bostonbeer.com Michelle Sullivan 617-368-5165 michelle.sullivan@bostonbeer.com
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And from the folks at Avery...
