Okay. We've won the AHA Homebrew Club of the Year. That was cool. And yes, we hosted a homebrew competition of our own with the Drunk Monk Challenge. It was awesome. Now, what do we do for an encore? Sure there will be a DMC next year. And, it will be great. Defending our AHA title is surely on the agenda. But those two things just prove that we can walk and chew gum at the same time. To prove we are really the best, we might just need one more ball in the air to juggle. (Or maybe I just don't have a story for the front page, so this is all just so much filler). Whatever. You be the judge.
Has anybody else noticed that the monthly meetings have been more crowded? Is it because John stuffed two dart board machines in our meeting room ? Is it because he replaced the booths with chairs ? Or is it just that more members are attending meetings on a regular or semi-regular basis ? From my perspective it seems to be the later. Without counting heads, it certainly looks as though over half the membership is attending each meeting. In a few words - "that's good" ! It is the hope of the club officers and board of directors that you find the meetings to be valuable source of brewing information and knowledge sharing as well as an introduction to many different beer, cider, and mead styles you might otherwise never be exposed to.
Also note that the next two meetings (October and November) we will all have the opportunity to expand our sensory knowledge of hops via this year's all-club experiment which will heretofore be referred to as Hopsperiment. Since the middle of September, about a dozen of your fellow brewers have undertaken the challenge to brew a standard hop varietal pale ale using a variety of new and existing hop types. A few of those batches may be ready for consumption at the October club meeting. The full spectrum will be presented at the November meeting - mark you calendar now for Nov. 18 (note the date change due to Thanksgiving). The club thanks The Brewers Coop for their participation in this club activity by securing the hop order as well as assembling the ingredient kits and providing them at a reduced price.
Also at the November meeting we will possibly unveil a new club t-shirt which will commemorate our club-of-the-year honor. The design is currently in progress and will consist of a full front and full back pattern in two colors. Cost for the new shirt is expected to be the same as the current shirt - $15.
Looking far into the future, I'm pleased to announce that the site for Drunk Monk Challenge 2000 on March 4th (the annual UKG AHA/BJCP sanctioned homebrew competition) has been secured and will be Two Brothers Brewing in Warrenville. I thank Jim and Jason Ebel for their generosity and ongoing support of the club and its various activities and events. We look forward to another successful competition and a rewarding experience for all the volunteers who will participate.
So crank up those brew kettles and start planning your entries for DMC2K.
The company planning to resume beer-making at the former G. Heileman Brewing Co. has unveiled details of its first two brands, both with labels depicting a riverboat on the Mississippi River. " The significance of the riverboat is it' s a scene familiar to the people of La Crosse, " said Randy Smith, a former Heileman executive hired by investors to run the new company, City Brewing Co. The name refers back to the original business that grew into the Heileman brewery. Officials said City Lager and City Light will be the first brands of beer made at The City Brewery in La Crosse, with brewing expected to start as early as this month. Both labels depict a white riverboat heading down a blue Mississippi River toward the Cass Street Bridge in La Crosse. The artwork on the City Lager label has a green backdrop, and the artwork on the City Light label has a silver backdrop. Smith said the new brewery also plans to have four seasonal beers, one for each season, starting with a spring variety that he hopes will be available in stores starting in February. Although names for those haven' t been announced, Smith said, " Our intention will be to vary the scenery on the label with seasonal products. We' ll probably show scenes that are familiar to people during that time of year." Smith said he hopes the brewery also will make its own gourmet-type soda and apple cider sometime next year. Both alcoholic and nonalcoholic apple cider are being considered, he said. The closing date of the sale has been delayed a few days. The sale had been expected to be done by Thursday, but the purchase offer has been extended through Monday. " The buyers and sellers are trying to work out some last minute details, " said Smith, refusing to give specifics. Platinum Holdings, a New York investors group, offered to buy the plant from Stroh Brewery Co. of Detroit to make beer, soft drinks and possibly automotive fuel. The brewery had about 500 workers when it ceased production Aug. 8.
Next time it's your round to buy drinks at one inner London bar, be warned -- a Belgian beer priced at more than 600 pounds ($1,000) a bottle might just, financially, be your last. Bierodrome, owned by British-based Belgo Group Plc, has put 15 litre (26-pint) Nebuchadnezzar bottles of Vielle Bon Secours beer on its bar menu at 635 pounds each. "It's a novelty, a rarity to find beer of that size and quality," said Bierodrome general manager Mack Plumpton. "We've sold six of these bottles to large groups and specialists -- people who buy the beer for the enjoyment factor," he added. Two waiters are required to pour pints from the heavy glass bottle, which itself is expensive to make. At 23 pounds per pint, the beer is well beyond the reach of the average tipplers. But, for those who do take the plunge, Bierodrome provides a free cab to cart the buyer and empty souvenir bottle home from the bar in Islington, a neighbourhood just north of the British capital's financial district. ($1=.6221 Pound)
Congratulations to Steve (Zemo) Holat whose Milk Stout was chosen as first place winner at the Roundhouse Oktoberfest held on Sept. 25. For his effort, Zemo received a gift certificate, t-shirt, pilsner glasses, and two tasting glasses. Entries were judged by distinguished representatives from Two Brothers Brewing, Founders Hill, America's Brewpub, and Glen Ellyn Brewing. Zemo's Milk Stout received an average score of 39 on a 50-point scale.
With a little trepidation I approached Navy Pier for the NBC&T on Thursday morning. The tradeshow was only eight hours on Thursday and Friday. To get to it one had to walk right past the Marketer's Convention (in Exhibition Hall A) and with all those polyester suits, cheezy grins, cell phones and pagers I felt a tad out of place. But the moment I walked in to Exhibition Hall B I knew I'd found the right place. About forty exhibits of every type and color but all about beer and brewing rivaled for attention. Joliet had borrowed something from the casino to attract attention. Several makers of brewing equipment had men who looked like panzer commanders. But most of the guys looked like typical brewmeisters. "Never trust a skinny brewer" I heard many times. I bypassed the sampling table for the most part, most of the beers were Chicago area. I did meet Ray Daniels, he offered to sign one of my books but he had to settle for an event coaster. Everything you'd need for a brewpub was there: half a dozen sites for sale or lease. Construction companies. New equipment of every scale from half a barrel to 25 barrel systems. Used equipment could be had to. I was intrigued by the gas mixing services available. Several companies were marketing devices which allowed you to mix C02 and N2 in different amounts. You can either nitrogenize your beer (ala Guiness) or keep the C02 pressure steady but drive the beer out of your kegs with constant pressure due to the N2. Naturally, the yeast companies showed. The cleaning chemical companies came too. Several different malt companies had large displays, I was quite amazed at the number of different malts available. Hoptown came and raffled off several pounds of hops. Keg cleaning machinery was also well-represented. As was scientific equipment and pub glassware. A wide variety of serving mechanisms were demonstrated as was a wood fired baking oven. The major brew schools both had displays. The highlights were provided by the speakers however. Everything from Begining your operation to Yeast choices was covered. And the questions asked were really pretty good. The thing that most stood out in my mind was the Brewmaster's Dinner discussion. One speaker mentioned that whatever you need to do to make an irrate customer's evening go well, is what you need to do. A complimentary pitcher, dinner on the house etc. Finally, Goose Island's head brewer opened up a great discussion on choosing beers to go with courses. His advice: line your staff up, let them taste each course with each beer and then vote on it, there are no real guidelines, unlike wine. Good beer should go with good food. I was able to acquire sample tastes of quite a bit of both. next year's conference is in Portland, Maine and I don't think I'll be going. (Incidently, I spoke to quite a few professionals about my Costa Rica brewpub plans. Most asked for specifics of available population, intended size of the operation, extraordinary costs, weather and my beer plans. I've researched all of these questions and have a budget ready. Every professional I talked with said that they thought I had a real opportunity. They acknowledged the risk and that brewing quality beer is not a get rich quick scheme, but I received no gainsaying comments.
America loves Hooper's Hooch, and the folks at Joseph Huber Brewing Co. in Monroe couldn't be happier. For the uninitiated, Hooch is a malt beverage that comes in both lemon and orange flavors. Think of lemonade or orange soda with an alcohol kick. It originated in Great Britain and made its U.S. debut in 1997. Hooch sold in the United States is produced under contract at three breweries, including Huber. The Monroe facility began producing Hooch in May, and as a result expects an overall production increase of about 30 percent for 1999, said brewery manager Joe Pulizzano. "It's fairly significant," Pulizzano said last week, as Huber employees were producing another batch of Hooch. The increased production means the Monroe brewery -- best known for its Berghoff brand -- has added more shifts for its 27 employees.
Hooch was launched in 1995 by London-based Bass Brewers and quickly became a marketing success for the company -- now accounting for more than 25 percent of its profits, according to the company's Internet site. In the United States, Bass sold 250,000 cases of Hooch in 1997 when it was introduced in a limited number of markets. The U.S. marketing rights for Hooch were purchased in 1998 by United States Beverage, of Stamford, Conn., and the brand sold 600,000 cases as its distribution expanded, said Jerry Greenstein, U.S. Beverage executive vice president of sales and marketing. In 1999, U.S. Beverage expects to sell 1.8 million cases of Hooch -- the equivalent of roughly 131,000 barrels of beer. If Hooch were compared to specialty brewers -- such as Boston Beer Co., maker of Samuel Adams Boston Lager-- its expected 1999 sales would rank it among the nation's top 10, according to figures compiled by Beer Marketer's Insights, a trade publication. Boston Beer in 1998 sold 1.15 million barrels -- the leader among specialty brewers -- while San Francisco-based Anchor Brewing Co. was No. 10, at 99,000 barrels, according to Beer Marketer's Insights. Hooch would land at No. 7 -- ahead of such specialty brewers as Portland, Ore.-based Widmer Bros. Brewing Co., Seattle-based Pyramid Breweries Inc. and Fort Collins, Colo.-based New Belgium Brewing Co.
"It's had some really tremendous growth since we got involved," Greenstein said. U.S. Beverage's marketing efforts include radio ads for Hooch in four markets: Chicago, southern California, northern California and upstate New York. Greenstein said the growing popularity of Hooch is related to its taste. Lemon-flavored Hooch is somewhat tart, while orange-flavored Hooch is a bit sweeter. Neither version of Hooch tastes anything like beer. It reaches a much broader customer base than beer, Greenstein said, noting that 55 percent of Hooch drinkers are female. Hooch is generally priced between mass-produced beers and specialty beers. At the Jewel Food Store in Franklin, Hooch was recently priced at $4.99 for a six-pack of 12-ounce bottles. Samuel Adams Boston Lager was priced at $5.39 for a six-pack, while Miller Genuine Draft was $3.79. Hooch is one of several entries in the beverage category of low-alcohol refreshers, a group that includes various cider brands and such well-known malt beverage coolers as Bartles & Jaymes. That category sold 39.25 million cases in the United States in 1998, compared to 35.77 million cases in 1997, a 9.7 percent increase, according to figures compiled by Impact Databank.
Other entries in the category include Zima, a carbonated, clear malt beverage -- reminiscent of slightly sweetened tonic water -- launched nationally by Adolph Coors Co. in 1994. Zima had a successful debut, but then sales declined. The beverage drew ridicule from beer industry types and others, partly for the concept and partly for its ads, which used a lot of words beginning with the letter Z. Zima, however, has made a comeback in recent years. Coors, in its 1999 second-quarter results, cited Zima as one of three brands that were largely responsible for a 6.2 percent growth in sales for the nation's third-largest brewer. Coors spokesman David Taylor said Zima's improved sales are partly due to improved advertising. One television spot has hot, sticky lawn chairs dropping from the overheated bodies of people who find relief by drinking Zima. The company is now test-marketing Zima Citrix, which -- like Hooch -- has citrus flavors. "We do think there's going to be other players coming into the category," Greenstein said.
Miller Brewing Co., the nation's No. 2 brewer, also has dabbled in this area. In 1996, the company test-marketed a clear, lemon-flavored malt beverage -- Wiley's Twisted Lemon Alcohol Drink -- in anticipation of Hooch's U.S. debut. Wiley's, however, never got beyond the test-marketing stage. Miller spokesman Pete Marino noted that by late 1996 -- after the disastrous launch of the new Miller brand beer -- company executives decided to re-focus on the brewer's core brands, namely Lite, Genuine Draft and High Life. "Our core brand focus continues today," Marino said.
Anheuser-Busch Inc., the nation's largest brewer, earlier this year launched Tequiza, a beer flavored with tequila and lime. While not a malt cooler like Hooch, Tequiza and other brands have helped build consumer acceptance for "alternative beverages," Greenstein said. "Not every consumer out there likes the taste of beer," he said.
And not everyone likes Hooch. In Great Britain, Hooch and similar carbonated alcoholic beverages -- known in that country as "alcopops" -- have been criticized by some public officials and others for supposedly encouraging underage drinking. Organizations like the Institute of Alcohol Studies and Health Promotion Wales have criticized the use of a cartoon-character lemon to advertise Hooch. The character was later dropped. A 1996 survey by Health Promotion Wales -- a Welsh government agency -- showed that among 15- and 16-year-olds, 30 percent of girls and 24 percent of boys reported drinking alcopops at least weekly. Drinks like Hooch "pose a threat not just to British children but to children across Europe and elsewhere," according to a statement by Derek Rutherford, director of the Institute of Alcohol Studies. Bass Brewers, on its Internet site, said Hooch doesn't target underage drinkers. The company also cited research conducted in 1997 by Great Britain's Office of National Statistics, which found little support for the claim that alcopops alone encourage children to drink. "Alcopops seem mainly to be an additional option for children who would have been drinking anyway," the study concluded. Greenstein said he doesn't expect the same type of debate over Hooch in the United States. He said U.S. Beverage isn't using a cartoon character to promote the brands. Greenstein also noted that other drinks in the category that includes Hooch -- such as sweet-tasting malt coolers -- have been popular in the United States for several years.In Great Britain, Hooch virtually created that category, he said.
The Hooch controversy that has raged in the British tabloids and the House of Commons seems far removed from the Huber brewery in Monroe, a small town in south-central Wisconsin. Huber won the contract to brew Hooch in part because of geography -- Monroe is just a few hours from the Chicago market. Also, Huber had a good reputation for producing quality beers, said Pulizzano, the brewery manager. "We kind of fit the bill," Pulizzano said. Huber is owned by the Weinstein family, which also owns Madison-based General Beverage Sales Co. and General Beer Distributors. Hooch is also produced at Lion Brewery Inc. in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and at Pabst Brewing Co.'s San Antonio facility. However, production at Pabst is close to being phased out because that company needs capacity for the brands it bought in April from Stroh. Hooch can be made much faster than beer, Pulizzano said. The fermentation period for its water, malt and hops mixture lasts just three to four days -- compared to seven to 14 days for beer, he said. Pulizzano said the fermented mixture is basically a starter for Hooch, which is created by adding more water and the lemon and orange flavors. Thanks to Hooch, Huber's expected 1999 production will be around 70,000 barrels, compared to around 55,000 barrels in 1998, Pulizzano said. As a result, Huber's veteran work force, which had been working about 30 hours a week, is now putting in a full work week. That's good news for a company that has gone through some financial trouble -- including a Chapter 11 bankruptcy organization in 1995. "They've weathered the storms," Pulizzano said.
Former "mayor" Bosco, a deceased four-legged politician, has been memorialized in the quirky California town of Sunol with a life-sized beer tap which requires lifting one of the gizmo's hind legs to draw a pint. Local businessman Mike Cerny copyrighted Bosco's name in 1997, three years after the Rottweiler-Labrador mix passed on at the age of 15. He's been planning a restaurant he wants to call Bosco's Bones and Brew -- with the beer tap playing a prominent role. Bosco was elected in 1981 as honorary mayor, easily defeating two people for the job, and his political coup was reported far and wide. A newspaper in China, misunderstanding American humor, wrote an editorial deriding free elections and democracy. Bosco never had to sign any laws or slobber on any babies, since Sunol is unincorporated and has no city government. But that doesn't mean he wasn't top dog. "He was more than just a dog. He had a very strong personality," said Pat Stillman, whose son, Tom, was Bosco's last human. The restaurant is fine with her. It's the beer tap that's a bit hard to take. "I just think it's kind of tacky," Stillman said. "It looks like a caricature of Bosco." Her son thinks it's a fine idea, said Cerny. "Tom thinks it's a hilarious idea. He laughed for about 10 minutes when I told him about it." The tap was completed last week at a cost of $3,500. The Main Street restaurant should open in early September, Cerny said. Pat Stillman and Cerny say their disagreement is low-key. "I have no vendetta against Mr. Cerny," Stillman said. "I'm not concerned about the fact he wanted to build a place and I'm not terribly worried he will name it after Bosco. But (the beer tap) is an exploitation in very poor taste."
What we're going to do today, ladies and gentlemen, is shove a beer can up a chicken's patootie and smoke it until it cries "Uncle!" This is not a joke. I'm serious. Beer-butt chicken is the latest rage among professional barbecuers, and it is goo-o-o-od. I first heard about it a couple of years ago when sportscaster John Madden, the former Oakland Raiders Super Bowl coach, included the recipe in a cookbook on tailgating. I figured he was just funnin' us, but nope. Since then I've seen the recipe on the Internet and even in The New York Times. I had to try it to see if the beer can did anything for the bird except make it look ridiculous. It does. The beer jammed into the chicken's nether regions infuses the meat with a certain luscious, beery moistness while producing a crisp, picture-perfect skin. As I said, it's goo-o-o-od! After our picture was taken, the photographer and my friends pretty much demolished one of the birds at 10 a.m., with repeated grunts of "This is really delicious!" Here's how it works: A warm beer is popped open and about half the contents are drunk (OK, pour it down the drain, if you must). Half of a small diced onion and a clove of minced garlic are added to the beer remaining in the can. The whole chicken is rubbed all over with spices (I concocted a blend of herbs, ground peppers and brown sugar), and then kind of eased down over the beer can. The chicken-on-a-can is placed on a grill, where it perches upright on a tripod formed by the can and the two legs. The grill lid is lowered and the chicken smokes, grills and steams for about two hours, until it looks so lip-smacking good you can't stand it. It's done when the wings wiggle easily, or as one good ol' boy from Kentucky put it, when you can "shake hands with the chicken." Some barbecuers put a teaspoon or two of the spice rub into the beer, too. Some suggest substituting a can of lemonade for the beer, but that's going too far. This is not a hoity-toity tea-time recipe. It is a get-down, chug-the-rest-of-the-6-pack-while-barbecuing tailgater's recipe. While chugging beer and watching the smoke curl around the Weber kettle, take a peek every half-hour or so and add a few more briquettes. Toss in a few hickory chips, too.
2 whole chickens, about 3 pounds each
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 12-ounce cans beer
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
Trim chickens of any excess fat. Rinse inside and out; pat dry. In a small bowl, combine paprika, chili powder, oregano, salt, black and cayenne peppers, garlic powder, and brown sugar; mix well. Rub about a teaspoon of the mixture on the inside of each chicken. Rub remaining mixture over the surface of the chickens. Open beers and pour off about half of the beer. Stuff the onion and garlic into the cans. Ease the chickens over the beer cans, feet down, until chickens are resting on the cans and their legs. The beer cans must remain upright at all times. Scatter a handful of soaked hickory chips over hot charcoal that has ashed over. Place chickens and beer cans on the grill over the fire. Close lid, leaving vents open. Grill for about 2 hours, or until legs and wings wiggle easily, adding six to eight briquettes to fire every 30 minutes. Serves 8.
By JANE SNOW
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL
Specialty Quest and Hail to Ale club-only competitions - Frank Dobner
Windy City pub crawl report - Chris Campanelli
24 members and guests visit:
England, The Land of Real Ale - Kevin Spealman
Trip "headquarters" was Hotel Russell in London. Pub tour lead by London Walks visited the Surprise, King's Head & Eight Bells, Fox & Hounds, and the George Inn. At Stratford-Upon-Avon, stopped in at the Queen's Head where the noteworthy selection was a guest beer called Hook Norton's Old Hooky. Other London pubs visited included Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, the Salisbury in the theatre district, the Moon Under Water in Liecester Square, and the Sherlock Holmes near Trafalger Square (a must-see for any Conan Doyle fans). Took Britrail to the Lake District. Visited the John Peel in Bowness-on-Windermere for a Theakston's Old Peculiar on hand-pump and The Black Swan in York for a steak and mushroom pie along with a pint of Timothy Taylor's Landlord, also on hand-pump. Highlight of the trip was a tour of the Samuel Smith Brewery in Tadcaster. Other members of the tour group included employees of John Courage's Magnet Brewery, also located in Tadcaster.
James Page Brewing Co. recently hired a junk bond analyst as the company's chief financial officer. David Gilson, 37, of Bloomington, said he would assume the full-time position in two weeks. His identity was kept secret last week when the company announced that it would hire as CFO an investor who promised to buy $200,000 in stock "I wanted to get with a company that has meaningful growth potential," Gilson said.
He said the Minneapolis micro-brewery -- a distant second in market share to local rival Summit Brewing Co. of St. Paul -- has potential for "explosive" sales growth. Enjoying its first year of more than $1 million in sales, James Page has the potential to generate $25 million a year in revenue, Gilson said.
"I don't want to be stuck in a small company," he said. Gilson has no particular affinity for the beer business. He said the brewery's financial appeal is what drew him, but only after close inspection. "I'm a trained skeptic," he said.
If you're like me, you're always hunting for handpumped real ale. Goose Island and Mickey Finn's are well known around here. Business travel takes me to many places in the US, where I often find time to hunt. If you're ever in the area, it would be well worth your while to get to the following two places:
1) Milford, New Jersey. It is on the Delaware River (Jersey side) about 20 miles east of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There's a British restaurant there called the "Ship Inn". It is a British in its food, and especially in its beer. The brewery is in plain view. The system (the "coppers") all came from England. The brewmaster was trained by the Brits that helped install the system. They have a regular rotation of bitter, mild, pale, porter, stout, plus a seasonal. No fewer than four on tap at a time. They've got guest brews, but all of their own are handpumped from cask. I can not stress enough the quality of their beers. Very fresh, very true to style, obvious use of all-british ingredients such as Goldings hops and Ringwood yeast. Their quality rivals Mickey and Goose. Once I was sitting at the bar conversing with the bartender (about beer, what else?), when I heard a knocking. The bartender excused himself, stepped off the floor he was standing on, and then proceeded to lift up a large trap door. Out climbed the brewmaster who had been tending to the casks. My curiosity was evident in my expression, so the bartender let me climb down the ladder to see how the casks were set up. The trap door under the bar is a very common practice in England. Very interesting.
2) Rochester, New York. Upstate New York. The "Old Toad" on Alexander and a new place (can't remember the name) also on Alexander are worth the visit. The wait staff, bartenders, furniture, decor, everything in the Toad is from England. They always have a half-dozen british ales on handpump. Some of the beer is from England (though they're not always fresh), and the rest is from nearby craft brewerys. Though some come from a cask, they have an interesting twist to the "real ale" definition. Trucks from the local craft breweries fill large tanks behind the Toad's bar with not-yet-done-fermenting ale. It finishes fermenting in the tanks, is not artificially CO2'd, so I guess it meets the definition. I think the Wrigleyville Goose is doing something like that now as well.
Dave Hahne
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Last modified 07/04/02.