In this version of Hopinions, Mario and I discuss the Brew Dog’s Tactical Nuclear Penguin and Sink the Bismarck! super-strong ales. At such high alcohol levels, are these beers still beers? Are these beers any good or are they just good marketing? Is this even an issue worth caring about? Read on to find out!
A couple of weeks ago, Scottish brewery Brew Dog released what is now the world’s strongest beer: Sink the Bismarck! (StB), a quadruple IPA. Weighing in at a whopping 41% ABV, or 82 proof, this “beer” was brewed in reaction to the 40% ABV Schorschbock from German brewery Schorsbräu. In fact, both companies have been in a literal cold war trying to outdo each other for the past several months. Schorsbräu originally brewed up a 31% Schorsbock that Brew Dog countered with their much hyped Tactical Nuclear Penguin (TNP).
When I first heard about TNP, I was as excited as everyone else in the craft beer world. I wondered how they got the alcohol so high? I thought about how the beer would feel? Would it have a hot, alcohol quality or be extremely smooth? Most importantly, how would it taste? After all, the true measure of a beer is how it tastes and not how much alcohol it has. Sadly, I’ve yet to try TNP so I cannot comment on taste at the time of this post.
Strangely enough, when I first heard about StB, my initial thoughts were, “Really? 41%? Was this really necessary? What’s the point?”. I found my complete change in attitude surprising as I was all hyped up for TNP but StB seems a bit like… overkill. It’s one thing to have a concept of a beer you would like to make and quite another to make a beer to “one up” the guy next to you. Is the Brew Dog/Schorsbräu relationship really pushing the brewing envelope or is this just a pissing contest?
Strong beers are nothing new to the brewing world. Sam Adams Utopia used to be world’s strongest beer at 27% ABV, but it also tasted really, really good. Dogfish Head brews up two beers, their 120 Minute IPA and World Wide Stout, that both clock in at 18% ABV while Avery Brewing has their “Demons of Ale” series of beers that range from 14.5% - 15.1% ABV. You’d have to go all the way back to Samichlaus (~15% ABV) to find one of the earliest contenders to the title of World’s Strongest.
Brew Dog managing director James Watt has this to say about TNP and StB:
Beer has a terrible reputation in Britain, it’s ignorant to assume that a beer can’t be enjoyed responsibly like a nice dram or a glass of fine wine.
Many of the beers I’ve listed above are as strong as, maybe stronger, than many wines. The few I’ve had the pleasure of trying have been in small quantities, usually in snifter types of glassware usually reserved for distilled spirits. So while I don’t disagree with Mr. Watt, can beers such as TNP and StB still be be called beer? Especially when their alcohol percentages rival those of distilled spirits?
There are no yeast strains, that I am currently aware of, that will withstand alcohol percentages as high as StB, let alone those present in TNP. In order to get beers that high in alcohol, Brew Dog has resorted to the same techniques used to make Eisbocks. Eisbocks are made by freezing a strong beer then removing the ice. Because alcohol freezes at a much lower temperature than water, the remaining liquid is a concentrated and higher alcohol beer. This is essentially a distillation process, which is why you don’t see this type of beer at your local breweries in the United States. If you did, those breweries would also have a distillation license (Hello, Anchor Brewing? Dogfish Head?). This technique differs from your typical distillation process in that it is heatless and concentrates both flavors and alcohol as opposed to just isolating alcohol.
I think it’s all great marketing. BrewDog isn’t going to make their money selling bottles of Tactical Nuclear Penguin, Sink the Bismark or even their beer on the other end of the spectrum, Nanny State (a 1% ABV hop bomb).
What this race to the top does is give them an easy way to advertise their other products. Have you noticed the major push BrewDog utilizes along side these releases? Their videos on the beer are seen by far more people than those that actually get a chance to drink the beer. Even if you haven’t had the Penguin or Bismark, you’ll probably try some of their Punk IPA or other brands just for a taste of what all the hype is about.
I have to say, I don’t know what Schorsbräu’s angle is in all of this. Maybe it’s because I don’t speak German and can’t view their videos or read their blogs, but I haven’t seen anything from their end other than bigger, crazier beers. They aren’t marketing their releases in the same way, and maybe it’s just a matter of pride to hold the title “Strongest Beer in the World.”
Your question though was what do I think of all of this? I have no problem with it. They’re having fun and, from the taste of Penguin I had during SF Beer week, making interesting beers that are worth at least a sampling. Do these beers warrant the steep price put on them (even steeper for us in the US when you tack on shipping)? That’s hard to say, but I can’t knock them for trying.
From what I have heard about Sink the Bismark, it isn’t just a strong beer for the sake of being strong. It seems like a beer that has its merits. So where do you draw the line? If the beer’s quality diminishes I think it’s hard to encourage the breweries. Yet they are seemingly making quality beer at the 41% mark, so what’s wrong with that?
From: Peter at BetterBeerBlog
Well if they’re making a quality beer at 41%, then there’s nothing wrong with it. You bring up an interesting point with the marketing aspect of this story. A side effect to brewing such huge beers is the huge PR you get from them. All of a sudden, Brew Dog is on everyone’s tongue (literarily and literally). Whatever cost they spent making the beer they probably earned back with interest in the form of press. I don’t think they would’ve gotten nearly the same return had they took the same amount of dollars and invested it in traditional marketing. Let’s hear it for word-of-mouth.
On the other end of the spectrum, I don’t think they’re necessarily advancing craft beer if these beers were brewed as a marketing stunt. For all the positive press they’ve gotten, Brew Dog has also received negative press in the form of criticisms from alcohol abuse watch groups.
Chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, Jack Law, told The Sun: “The fact that they have achieved a new world record is not admirable.”
“It is a product with a lot of alcohol in it - that’s all. To dress it up as anything else is cynical.”
Personally, I can guarantee that if I’m ever able to land my hands on a bottle, I will not be pounding back pints. This is definitely a sipping beer. I’m a little envious that you were able to taste a sample during SF Beer Week.
Your aforementioned Nanny State 1.1% ABV beer was a Brew Dog reaction to all the negative press they received from the media. I want to know why it takes negative criticism to prod a brewery to brew up a low alcohol or session-strength beer? OK, over generalization, but there’s always the impulse to “imperialize” a beer but not so much the other way. I’ll be surprised when I hear a brewer suddenly blurt out, “I’m gonna brew up big flavor, big aroma beer with huge hops and malt character… and then sessionize it!”
I will agree with you in regards to the enigma that is Schorsbräu. You’d think that brewing a huge, 30% ABV strongest beer in the world-type of beer would be call for yelling from the rafters but I didn’t even know about them until I heard them mentioned in the same breath as Brew Dog. Chalk it up to conservative German sensibilities?
Why does everything have to be in the name of advancing craft beer? BrewDog brews tasty beers and sells them. That alone “advances craft beer” in the fact that more craft beer is available. They don’t have to have a greater good in mind.
Those same groups who had a problem with Tokyo*, which is where all of this began, will tell you that BrewDog and their marketing style is aimed towards teenagers and that they copious amount of alcohol units in each bottle (that’s how the neo-prohibitionists measure alcohol in the UK) is conducive to binge drinking. Never mind the fact that teens couldn’t stomach the stuff or that even the biggest craft beer drinkers would prefer to split these bottles 5-6 ways, if not more.
That’s where Nanny State comes from. We don’t need the government telling us what we can or can’t drink.Does it not seem hypocritical that beer can be damned for selling 12 ounces of 18% beer (As Tokyo* was when released) but bottles of booze can be bought far easily at much lower prices in much larger quantities?
The fact is, high ABV beers are not for everybody. If you’re not interested in Sink the Bismark, there’s nothing wrong with that. Will I be drinking it? Once I get my hands on it, definitely. Has the whole arms race with Schorsbräu brought more attention to BrewDog? Without a doubt.
In the end you have to decide for yourself if you care or not.
Where did the year go? For many, this question is more than just rhetoric, it is a genuine inquisition as to where time has gone? A better question then is “Where didn’t my time go?”. Our lives are a series of consequences to questions, situations and opportunities presented to us. What we decide ultimately ripples through the rest of our lives, the year and through our relationships. I hope, dear reader, that the past year has been kind to you and that you have lived it with minimal regret spending your time where you wanted as opposed to where it was needed.
Where did the year go? Fortunately for me, I have this blog to look back on to answer that question. Much beer has been drunk, most of it good thankfully. Many festivals have been attended, some more memorable than others, all worthwhile for the new experiences they have brought us. An article was written and displayed on a national stage. Most importantly, many friendships have been made and maintained. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, beer may be the reason I come out but the people are why I keep coming back.
To end the year, we at BetterBeerBlog are hosting a “Bring One, Swap One” NYE party. Essentially, bring a bottle of beer to share, preferrably something interesting that you’ve never tried as well as another gift wrapped “mystery” bottle that we will unwrap under “white elephant” rules. Hopefully good bottles of beer will be brought but it wouldn’t surprise me if some mischievious soul brought a gift-wrapped sixer of Bud Light Golden Ale (I won’t even dignifiy this beer with a link). We’ll be live tweeting as the party goes on so follow me if you want in on the action.
To wrap up the year, I just want to thank all of you who came to my humble blog. I never expected this blog to have the readership it does and I can’t thank you all enough for reading, leaving your comments and your emails. I hope holidays were good to you and you received all that you wanted and more. Lastly, let’s all end not only this year but this decade on a happy and safe note. Happy and Safe New Year!
The Trevese Brewers Dinner featuring the beers from Devils Canyon Brewing Company (DCB) took place just about a week ago. I did the main write up on Beer Connoisseur (BC), you can read the post here. I’m not going to spend a great deal of time rehashing what I wrote about on BC. Everything I wrote there still stands but I’d just like to expand on a couple of things I just barely touched upon there.
Before I get into the criticisms, I’d just like to say that I think DCB did a great job at the Brewers Dinner. I can’t say enough good things about the people at DCB. Jason, Chris, Jim, John, Kristiann do a fantastic job brewing good beer in a relatively beer-desolate part of the peninsula. Their passion for craft beer shows whenever you talk to them and it shows in the final product. If you happen to see their taps around the Bay Area, don’t hesitate to support them. It’s through our continued support that small, independent craft breweries such as DCB can continue to make the craft beers we love to drink.
At the end of this post, I will have embedded two videos I stitched together from that night. Let me know if you found any value to them. It’ll help me decide if I should continue with the videos or if I should just focus on the other stuff.
Now, onto the criticisms.
This first item, it’s not really a criticism more than it is what happened. Outside of the DCB crew who attended the dinner, turnout was pretty small. Many things could have contributed to this. First, the date of the dinner kept on changing. It was originally supposed to be held on July 7th but kept getting pushed back for a variety of reasons. Eventually a stake was driven into the ground and July 21st was the hard date. Fortunately, Sammy and I were still able to make it. Second, I’m not sure if this event was promoted enough. I feel that I didn’t do enough on my own blog to support the event and I promise to do better in the future. Even so, one can’t really pin all your hopes on a single blogger. Third, I think the $100/person price tag was a huge hurdle for many people to jump over. I will readily admit that I was able to secure a discount to the event, which made it easier for me to attend. I’ll talk more about the price point a little later.
Having hosted several beer/food pairing events in the past, I can tell you first hand the South Bay craft beer scene is horrible. By no means am I pointing fingers at the South Bay brewers, it’s more a reflection of the general attititude people here have. There’s just no respect or appreciation for good beer. Most people I know get their beer education from the commercials on TV. It’s rare to get a great turnout for any of the South Bay beer events I’ve been to outside of beer festivals, so I would’ve been very surprised had the Trevese Brewers Dinner sold out.
My biggest criticism, and one I barely touched upon, was the lack of Trevese Executive Chef Mike Miller’s participation in the dinner. The press release stated that Chef Miller and DCB brewers would be out during the reception to talk to the guests as well as talk about the dinner as it progressed. DCB held up their share of the billing but Chef Miller was notedly absent. Not only was Chef Miller absent during dinner, it is my understanding he left right as dinner was over. I don’t even remember him coming out to thank us for coming out to his restaurant.
I can only speculate on why Chef didn’t make himself available during the dinner. I’m hoping that it’s because they were short handed and he needed to stay in the back to help out. I’m hoping he left early because sort of emergency popped up that he needed to take care of. Frankly, any other reason would leave me disappointed. At the very base level, I was expecting to be able to talk to DCB brewers as well as the Chef of Trevese and not all my expectations were met. DCB held up their end of the bargain but Chef Miller fell short on his end.
When the Executive Chef of a Michelin Star-rated restaurant skips out on his own event without notice, that doesn’t paint a really good picture of him or his restaurant by extension. As someone who really enjoys good food, I was looking forward to hearing Chef talk about the dishes, what was his inspiration and why he made the culinary decisions he made. Call me curious. His absence fills me with questions and doubt. You could tell from the way Jason talked about his beers that he has a real passion for what he does. I was looking forward to hearing the same from Chef Miller but obviously, it wasn’t to be.
Was it worth it?
This is a tough question to answer. Assigning worth or value to something implies it is in comparison to something else. That’s just how currency works and by extension, monetary worth. The short answer: no, it wasn’t. Let me explain further.
The first $100/person dinner I went to was the Gold Medal dinner I went to last year in Boulder, Colorado. The Gold Medal dinner was easily worth the $100/person cost, in fact, I would’ve paid more. The breweries in attendance were Allagash, Avery, Dogfishead, Russian River and Lost Abbey/Port Brewing. As you can imagine, Rob Tod, Adam Avery, Sam Calagione, Vinnie Cilurzo and Tomme Arthur (respectively) were all in attendence to talk about their beers indepth as well as relate a few stories of the time in Europe together. This was a 5-course meal paired with 2 beers per course from different breweries. It should go without saying but the food that night was awesome. Like I said, I would’ve paid more for that dinner so while $100/person may seem like a lot, it was a fraction of what the true value was. Still, the Gold Medal Dinner is the benchmark for future $100 beer dinners. Ridiculously high expectations, I know but would you be any different?
All that being said, I cannot honestly say the value of the Trevese dinner matched the Gold Medal dinner. Nothing against DCB but had there been 4 additional breweries that night, I would be 4 additional breweries closer to saying it was of even value. Both restaurants cook at such a high level that it would’ve been a wash had the number of courses matched up. Most importantly, the chef of The Kitchen in Boulder came out during every course to explain what he did and why. It was great to hear about the food portion of the beer/food dinner. Most of us were there for the beer anyway so to get background information regarding what we were eating was the proverbial “cherry on top”.
The thing is, I’m not even asking that Trevese lower their price. I’m not going to sit here and say that Trevese shouldn’t have charged what they did for the dinner. They know the price of their time and skill and that’s the the number they came up with. I am okay with that. I am mainly pointing out that my expectations weren’t met and that when compared to another $100 beer/food dinner, the other dinner provided more value for the same price. Maybe I’m wrong but I don’t think it’s too much to expect what was promised or to wish for more value for the cost.
Despite all this, I would support another Brewers Dinner at Trevese, assuming of course Sammy and I could afford it. There’s just not much happening in the South Bay with regards to beer and fine dining so when the opportunit presents itself, I do my best to support my local craft beer scene.
Now that Beer Connoisseur Magazine (BC) is officially online, I just wanted to take a moment to officially announce that I am their West Coast blogger. I am both proud and excited to be a part of the inaugural efforts to get this magazine up and running.
To answer the most obvious question, no, BetterBeerBlog is not going away. If anything, I have plans in the works to help improve the content on this site as well. The lion’s share of my writing will still be for BetterBeerBlog but I’ll be contributing to Beer Connoisseur as well. So expect to see the same sort of content on here that you are accustomed to seeing while the stuff I write about on BC will have a different slant on it.
For the most part, I will still be my own “boss”. I get to write about topics I feel are BC-oriented (not so much with the homebrew topics) and I keep my own schedule. I do have an editor of sorts though who goes overy my work. It’ll be a slightly different experience as I’ll have an editor to answer to. It’s all part of the deal though and if I have any future inclinations to write professionally, then having an editor and deadlines is something I’ll have to get used to.
The ironic part of this whole adventure is that I have never considered myself a “beer connoisseur”. In fact, people would often call me that and I’d correct them by asking them to call me a beer geek instead. If you know me personally or have hung out with me for any given amount of time, you’ll know that I am anything but “snobbish” about my beer. I am still not snobbish about beer. My goal with writing for Beer Connoisseur is to bring light to the Bay Area brew scene on a national level. I believe that we have an excellent brew scene here and it’s time the everyone else were to know.
That being said, if you are reading this and are in the craft brewing industry, shoot me an email (betterbeerblogATgmailDOTcom) if you have event you would like me to cover or promote. I can do so either here on BetterBeerBlog or on Beer Connoisseur, depending on the nature of the event.
In any case, thank you for coming to BetterBeerBlog and reading what I have to say about the craft beer world. There are a million other voices in a million other blogs, all of them dying to be heard amongst the crowd. Know that I truly appreciate the time you spend here and the comments you leave.
Mabuhay!*
*In tagalog, my second language, mabuhay loosely translates to “long live”. We often use this when toasting and in that instance it is the equivalent of cheers or prost.
During my latest trip to Santa Rosa, I finally got a chance to visit 3rd Street Aleworks (3AW) in downtown Santa Rosa. I have often forgone visiting 3AW in the past because of all your other choices for beer in the area. Russian River Brewing Company is but a block away. Flavor Bistro, a restaurant that serves as an unofficial tasting room for Moonlight Brewing, is right across the street (fantastic food, absolutely awesome). If you’re looking for the local bar to hangout at, Sweet Spot Pub & Grill is also within walking distance and serves all the latest Lagunitas beers on tap.
As I said, downtown Santa Rosa is not lacking for good beers. It’s definitely not too difficult to see how I keep leaving out 3AW on my Santa Rosa excursions. This time though, I decided to hit 3AW and see what I’ve been missing.
3rd Street Aleworks, 601 3rd Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 map
3AW is located in a kinda dated but industrial looking building. Brick makes up the street facing wall of the building while corrugated steel makes up other portions of the exterior that are interior facing. Inside 3AW has the feel of many other brew pubs. There’s a hustle and bustle in the atmosphere that is expected on a Friday night. While brew pub looks full, Sammy and I manage to grab a spot near the bar. The interior of 3AW leaves you to believe someone with multiple-personality disorder decoreated the place. There are old, kitchy marketing materials on the wall from other breweries, there’s a very stylized mural up on one of the walls and throughout the place, you’ll see various modes of transportation all emblazoned with the 3AW logo or something brewery related. There’s a bike, one of those long-ass skateboards, a kayak (?), a surfboard and a snowboard. Most places tend to focus in on a singular aspect and run with it. Nuh-uh for 3AW, they’ve taken everything. Having already had dinner, Sammy and I are fine with just ordering two beers, one each.
Sleeperwave Wee Heavy, 7.9% ABV
I order the Sleeperwave Wee Heavy. A wee heavy is a Strong Scotch Ale. This will be a very malty beer, low in hops, with an ABV ranging from 6.5% - 10%. Historically speaking, Scottish beers tended to be low in hops because Scotland was a crap place for growing hops. Scottish brewers, by necessity, had to import all of their hops from continental Europe. Unfortunately for them, hops were taxed heavily. Rather than throw in the towel, Scotch breweries instead developed their own style of beers to compensate.
Sleeperwave pours out a very dark brown with brownish-red hues and a thin, off-white head. The aroma is sweet and has a caramel-ish malt character. The flavor echos that of the aroma with the addition of a medium-low roasted malt component to the flavor. Hops bitterness is low, this is definitely a showcase for the malt. The beer is full bodied with medium carbonation. It really toes the line when it comes to being cloying, it’s almost there.
Stonefly Oatmeal Stout, 6.5% ABV
Sammy orders the Stonefly Oatmeal Stout. Well, she started off with this beer but ended up drinking the rest of mine. Nothing particularly wrong with the Stonefly, Sammy’s just more of a malt girl.
Stonefly Oatmeal Stout pours out nearly black with a thin, beige head. The beer is slightly sweet with a deep roasted/burnt malt aroma and flavor with black coffee undertones. Hop flavor is low but the hop bitterness is enough to match the level of malt sweetness of the beer. You don’t think it’s all that hoppy because some of the other flavors mask the bitterness but it’s there. This is a full bodied beer with medium carbonation that has a smooth mouthfeel from the oats used in brewing.
I am neither overwhelmed or underwhelmed by either beer. The Sleeperwave Wee Heavy seemed to get sweeter as it warmed up but also lacked a depth of malt character I’ve had in other Strong Scotch Ales. The Stonefly Oatmeal Stout, like the Sleeperwave, is a solid beer with no major faults but it’s not that interesting either.
So far the jury is out on 3AW. The two beers Sammy and I had are both solid ales but I wish I could’ve tried more beers. I don’t order the sampler because it’s never enough beer for me to get an accurate sense of the beverage. I’ll opt instead to get a full pint or a half-pint if they’re offered. We didn’t order any food either so it’s hard to say what the quality of their kitchen is like as well. Our waitress, while very visible, didn’t really attend to us all that much, then again, it didn’t seem like she was really attending to her other tables with any more zest either.
Toad in the Hole
For dinner, Sammy and I decided to stop by Toad in the Hole. I’m not really going to write a full review of the place or our experience there this time as it was similar to the first time we were there minus the two African guys. I would say the main difference between this trip and the last trip was that we actually met the owner, Paul, while we were camping out in Boonville this year.
When we first walked in, Sammy and I noticed Toad in the Hole cook Jamie hard at work in the kitchen. It’s a busy night at the Toad and he definitely has his hands full. While Sammy is having a short chat with him, I find us two seats at the bar. Paul greets us with a big smile and makes room for us at the bar. In all honesty, it’s great that he remembers what we looked like but I don’t think he remembered our names. It’s all good though as I’m horrible with names myself.
We order two beers to have with our dinner. Despite my love of beer and food pairings, I order the most interesting thing on the board knowing full well it will probably obliterate my dinner while Sammy has an old familiar.
Drunken Horn Bourbon Barrel English Barleywine, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, 10% ABV
To me, the most interesting thing on the board is AVBC’s Drunken Horn Bourbon Barrel. This is a pretty big beer at 10% ABV and I already know this is going to smother my cornish pasty but I order it anyway. I talk to Paul about this beer and he tells me it’s been aging in the barrel for about 2 years now.
Drunken Horn pours out a cloudy, reddish-brown color with a thin, off-white head. There’s a sweet, malt aroma that has a noticeable bourbon/wood note and is low in hop aroma. the flavor is similar to the aroma. The beer is sweet and malty with wood flavors and a mellow bourbon character. There are also signs of “good” oxidation that have materialized themselves into hints of soy sauce and sherri. It’s not unusual for stronger, maltier beers to oxidize and while considered a flaw, there’s a fine line between good oxidation and horrible oxidation. Good to taste this beer is on the side of the angels. Drunken Horn is medium-bodied with medium-low carbonation. After the beer warms up, the alcohol qualities make themselves more readily apparent. Pretty good beer that seems to be hitting its stride.
It was great to have gotten out and visited someplace new this time around. Yes, I’ll readily admit that we’ve already been to Toad in the Hole but that’s what you do with businesses people you know and like own. You patronize them, spend your hard-earned money there, and hope they’re still around when you come back.
I got a link to an awesome, and what I feel inspirational, video off of Twitter today. The shortened link was provided by @IAACB and it is of the opening video for the keynote speaker from the 2009 Craft Brewers Conference. Here are the details to this video:
“I Am A Craft Brewer” is a collaborative video representing the camaraderie, character and integrity of the American Craft Brewing movement. Created by Greg Koch, CEO of the Stone Brewing Co. and Chris & Jared of Redtail Media…and more than 35 amazing craft brewers from all over the country. The video was shown to a packed audience of 1700 craft brewers and industry members at the 2009 Craft Brewers Conference as an introduction to Greg’s Keynote Speech entitled “Be Remarkable: Collaboration Ethics Camaraderie Passion.” As is tradition for the CBC Keynote, a toast to the audience was offered. This time, the beers offered for the toast were all collaboratively brewed craft beers including Isabella Proximus, Collaboration Not Litigation, AleSmith/Mikkeller/Stone Belgian Style Triple, Jolly Pumpkin/Nøgne-Ø/Stone Special Holiday Ale, and 2009 Symposium Ale “Audacity of Hops.”
I got word of this article from @MustLoveBeer off of Twitter. Our old “friend” Jim Beall Jr. is back at it again with his newly proposed beer tax. His last attempt received so much criticism that it was, thankfully, shot down before it could gain any sort of momentum. The devil is in the details, as they say, and Beall’s Bill may have a better chance of passage this time. Read the Assembly Bill 1019 below:
In an article written by Mike Zapler of the San Jose Mercury News, the new bill would add 10 cents to every pint of beer, glass of wine or shot of distilled spirit. Unlike the last time, Beall has written this new increase as a fee versus a tax. The difference, and it’s a major one, is that fees need only majority vote to pass while a tax would require a 2/3rd supermajority to be implemented. In addition, Beall may have the support of the Governator as Schwarzenegger proposed a 5-cent increase in the past. Monies raised by the new fee would be used to back alcohol and drug related programs.
Dan Gordon, the “Gordon” part of Gordon Biersch, opposes the new bill. Even though the fee will be charged to wholesalers, Gordon argues that there will be a trickle down effect and when the buck finally stops, it will be the consumer who has to food the bill. Another thing that is on our side is that the bill targets more than just beer, the wine and distilled spirits industries will be hit up as well. You can bet your bottom dollar that beer, wine and distilled spirits will be putting their considerable resources together to try and stop this bill from passing.
Let’s just call Assembly Bill 1019 what it really is: prohibitionism in the form of a sin tax. Didn’t we learn our lesson already? Prohibition didn’t work the first time and it won’t work now. Even then, sin taxes are discriminatory, unfair and target personal behaviors that governments should not be butting their noses into anyway.
But why target alcohol alone? Jim Beall argues that alcohol is a killer, that it is a factor in many other crimes and that it is a drain on our resources. These are all points I cannot disagree with. Yet if you look to the Center for Disease Control, the following are the leading causes of death in the United States:
Heart disease: 652,091
Cancer: 559,312
Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 143,579
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 130,933
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 117,809
Diabetes: 75,119
Alzheimer’s disease: 71,599
Influenza/Pneumonia: 63,001
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 43,901
Septicemia: 34,136
If Assemblyman Beall is going to make it a point to punish alcohol (and tobacco) for the issues they cause, his efforts would be better off served taxing the McDonalds, Burger Kings and Taco Bells of the world for their roles in contributing to heart disease. Might as well as fine corporations and cut funding to schools that don’t mandate exercise for their roles in contributing to heart disease. Impose “fees” to Hostess, Coca-Cola and Pepsi for their roles in diabetes. If Assemblyman Beall targeted the industries that contributed to diabetes alone California would be out of debt.
The problems that alcohol causes are real and serious, no one disputes that. I don’t profess to know the answer to solve those particular problems and I would question anyone who says they do. What I do know is that Assemblyman Beall’s newly proposed alcohol fee is not the answer. I urge my fellow beer lovers, wine enthusiasts and distilled spirit connoisseurs to write to Jim Beall, or their respective representatives, and let them know of your opposition to this bill. These are our elected officials and we should never forget that they work for the us. Alone, there’s not much I can do. Together, there’s nothing we cannot accomplish.
In this edition of Hopinions, Mario and I take the time to remember the late Bill Brand.
From: Peter at BetterBeerBlog
SF Beer Week ended a little more than a week ago. While I like to think the overall event was a success, this silver lining is not without a cloud. Former Oakland Tribune columnist, beer writer and blogger William “Bill” Brand passed away after a tragic accident during the festivities. As you know, a memorial event will be held at the Trappist on March 1, 2009 at about 1pm where we’ll be raising our glasses up in a collective toast to Bill. I thought we could take this opportunity to recall our memories of Bill.
I started going full time with BetterBeerBlog around November of 2007. Back then, I didn’t know squat about squat. I was isolated and worked alone completely oblivious to the beer culture that surrounded me. I remember reading the Mercury News online and was happy to see they had started a beer column. Right after the first article was posted, I left a comment saying how this was far overdue and that it was about time beer started to get its due. As you can easily guess, Bill Brand was the writer of that very first column. That article led me to his blog which in turn ended up being a gateway to the rest of the beer community here in the bay area.
I remember the first time I saw Bill was at the Double IPA festival at the Bistro in early 2008. It was late in the day and in strolls Bill. My first thought was, “he’s shorter than I expected”. With an ease and familiarity, he made the rounds talking to people he knew and sampling the beer. All the while, he was scribbling in his notepad. I carry a little notebook with me just about everywhere I go because I’m old school that way. I’ve tried the digital voice recorder thing but was never comfortable with it. It’s been suggested to me by many that I should at least get a smart phone so I can take notes that way but there’s just something about a pen and a pad that seems right. It’s old school. Bill was old school and I felt vindicated everytime I saw him scribbling away in his notepad. I marveled at the way he was able to sample a beer, jot down a few notes and go on to the next. When I would go back to his blog and read up on his take of things, I was impressed by how much information he would have from what appeared to be just a few notes. I’m sure he’s honed his skills as a journalist over the years and this was all second nature to him but for a n00b like me, it was impressive.
I never introduced myself to him at that event, or at the many other events I saw him at afterwards. The very first time, I was a bit star-struck. This was a writer I followed regularly and respected and to see him in person left me a little intimidated. Since I was just starting out with my writing at the time, I felt that I needed more content on the website before I spoke to him. I felt that I needed to increase my knowledge of beer before I felt I could talk to him as a peer and not just a fan. In retrospect, I could’ve been both. I’m sure he would’ve just laughed all this off as he always seemed so down to earth and very personable but I’ll never know for sure.
For me, it’s only fitting that the memorial to Bill will be at the Trappist, as it was where I first met him. I wrote about that a while ago, but my first introduction to Bill was actually through Northwest Brewing News.
At the time I lived in Oregon and loved reading about the beer scene back at home. I didn’t know Bill at the time, nor did I seek out his writing, I just knew I liked the coverage of the Bay Area. One article in particular stands out in my mind where he was searching the Bay Area for hidden gems. Specifically, there was a hole in the wall store that had an epic bottle selection. I remember Bill describing it as a kid in a candy store kind of situation. The place was described as being at the end of Highway 4, but I don’t recall if this meant East or West. I had saved the issue in hopes of tracking this place down once I returned to California, but it got lost among my belongings in the move and I have yet to see it again.
Out of pure luck, I stumbled across Bill’s blog and started talking to him via email. Still not connecting the dots that he had actually written that article, I asked him if he had heard of this place. In response, I got a story of a family outing to a beer store which was overrun with Hell’s Angels. Bill gave me all the information I’d need to find this place, yet I never took time to record it to memory, and my inbox has long been emptied.
Bill was a good friend and while we rarely got a chance to interact in person, it seems like he was the first person I’d text when I found a great beer or when I had a question about beer, blogging, the economy, or any of the other issues that may have popped up over the course of the day. I’ve found myself, more than a couple of times, instinctively reaching for my phone to shoot him off a text message just to end up putting the phone back in my pocket.
I know you won’t be able to make the memorial this Saunday, so how about you share one more memory you have of William for us right here. Any articles he wrote that stood out to you?
From: Peter at BetterBeerBlog
Much of my interactions will Bill have been limited to a few email exchanges here and there as well as a few “sightings” at the various beer events I am able to go to. At every event, that I saw Bill at, you could bet your bottom dollar that he was enjoying himself. If he wasn’t talking to industry people or friends, he was enjoying the beers on hand, always scribbling into his book.
The very last time I saw Bill was at the Anchor Event in San Francisco that kicked-off SF Beer Week. Never having been to Anchor Steam before, I was really excited to go. What made the experience even more memorable for me was that this was basically and “industry” event. For the first time since starting the blog, I felt like I was accepted by the beer community. It was a privilege to have been invited. I spent the beginning of the evening getting familiar with the Anchor Steam line of beers and right when Fritz Maytag was about to speak, I noticed Bill right in front of me, notebook in hand. For a brief moment, I had thought to myself that I would finally introduce myself to Bill and chat him up a little bit before the big speeches began. But, as with every single opportunity prior, I had come up with some excuse not to. “He looks busy.” “There’s always the Beer & Chocolate Dinner at Firehouse.” “I should probably set up to take a better shot of the speeches”. Always something to keep putting it off, always something to hold me back. And now I have nothing to show for all those “somethings”. This moment left unseized is a bittersweet reminder to grab each opportunity that presents itself. I’m just sad I had to learn this lesson this way.
Believe it or not, the one story that sticks out in my head the most from Bill Brand’s blog is his review of the new (at the time) Anheuser-Busch American Ale. For years we in the craft beer community have rallied against A-B (Coors and Miller to a larger extent). We’ve campaigned against the “evil empire” and denounced the pale, yellow, fizzy excuse of a beer they call Budweiser. All of a sudden, American Ale comes out and one of our champions, Bill, comes out and says what few might’ve been willing to acknowledge: “I like it, and that’s the rub.” You have to give it to Bill, he was opinionated, but he was always fair.
So while everyone else will be at the Trappist sharing stories of Bill while drinking full-flavored craft ales and Belgian ales, my “tribute” post to Bill will automatically be posted with a review of Budweisers American Ale. Here’s to you, Bill! Cheers!
I keep thinking about the night of that Anchor event. We met up at The Trappist that night and I had planned on inviting Bill since I know you hadn’t met him yet. I decided against it thinking there would be another time and coordinating two people coming from Anchor with another person coming from another event would be far too much of a headache.
Personally, I’ll be bringing a bottle of Oak Aged Yeti from Great Divide to The Trappist this Sunday. Back in 2007, Bill wrote an article about how much he loved the beer and how he had hoped to bring a bottle home. Apparently, Homeland Security had other ideas, and as his bags were already checked, Bill took down that bottle right there in the Denver Airport. It broke my heart to imagine someone chugging such a fine beer, and even more so know it was Bill, who doesn’t chug beer, and would also be heart broken thinking his souvenir would be treated in such a manner.
Having friends in Denver I arranged for a bottle to be shipped out to me. Bill and I were to meet up a few times which fell through for me to give him the beer. We even tried to enlist help from his daughter who lived in Sebastopol at the time. All attempts proved futile and I eventually drank the beer by myself. It was fantastic.
And with that, I also say, “Cheers!” to Bill. Thanks for bringing up the topic again Pete, as I could write about Bill all week and still have more to say. He set a bar for amatuers such as us to aim for, and will be sorely missed in the Bay Area.
Just a friendly reminder that SF Beer Week is starts this Friday! Many people have been working hard to organize and put together a number of beer-related events, including yours truly. Just in case any of you were curious or wanted to join us, I will be posting the events that BetterBeerBlog will be at during SF Beer Week. I’d be great if I could go to all the events but I can’t be five places at once, nor do I have enough money to do so.
Also wanted to remind you that we here at BetterBeerBlog are having our own SF Beer Week event on Monday, February 9, 2009. It will be a 4-course Beer and Dessert Event happening at Wine Affairs, right on the Alameda in downtown San Jose. Here are the essential details:
Beer and Dessert Tasting Event Wine Affairs, 1435 The Alameda, San Jose, CA map
February 9, 2009, 7pm
$35/person
Space at this event is limited. To reserve your place, call Wine Affairs at (408) 977-0111.
I just got an email from Diane at Wine Affairs and she tells me the event is about 50% booked, so if you still want to attend, call and make your reservations today.
Primo Lager, Primo Brewing & Malting Company, Honolulu, Hawaii
I was having dinner at Hukilau one night when I looked up on their draft beer list and saw Primo. Having never heard of the beer before, I asked our server about it. She said it’s “kinda like Stella”, while not exactly my favorite type of beer, I ordered one anyway hoping to be pleasantly surprised.
Primo pours out brilliantly clear, gold with a white head. Low pils malt aroma with slight citrus notes… some DMS and slight “green apple” aromas come on when the beer warms up. The flavor is much of the same slight characteristics in the aroma. Sammy was able to pick up slight corn flavors as well. Hop bitterness is medium-low, body is medium with a high level of carbonation.
I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised but the only thing I was surprised about was that Primo Brewing & Malting Company is a division of Pabst Brewing Company, the same company responsible for PBR. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was PBR, just rebranded. So if you’re into PBR, then Primo is pretty much the same thing, just with a touch of “aloha” brewed into every bottle. Well, as much “aloha” as you can get from Illinois.
Rock Bottom just tapped this beer last week. While I was late for the start of the party, I was there for the finish. Anniversary Ale is an example of and Imperial Red Ale, which is just beer speak for a stronger American Amber Ale.
This is a clear, brown beer with ruby hues and an off-white head. Slightly nutty, malty aroma with a citrus-like hop aroma. The flavor is sweet malty, with a low level of nuttiness, slight roast with citrus hop flavors. This is a fairly balanced beer with a medium/medium-high hop bitterness. Medium-high body, high carbonation and noticeable alcohol warming.
This is a pretty good beer. We had just discussed the American Ale category the night before and covered Amber Ales so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect for the style. If you happen to be at Rock Bottom, this is a pretty good beer to have, although it is 7.8% ABV so enjoy in moderation.
Very dark brown beer, almost black, with a creamy, lasting brown head. Deep roasted barley aromas on the nose with slight chocolate undertones. The flavor is a mixture of bittersweet chocolate, deep roasted barley (almost burnt) flavor with black coffee notes. There’s enough hops to balance but it can be difficult to pick out from all the other flavors. This is a full bodied beer with medium-high, creamy carbonation. Even though Stillwater Stout weighs in at 8.5% ABV, it hides is weight well. I thought this was an excellent beer. If you’re going to have two, you’d better have a designated driver.
Boulder Creek Pale Ale is a clear, amber colored beer with an off-white head. The hop aroma is a mixture of floral and citrus with a slight spice underneath it all. The flavor is is similar to the aroma with a citrus and floral hop flavors and a tinge of hop spice in the finish. The malt is clean and enough to support the hop bitterness which is medium-high. This is a medium bodied beer with high carbonation.
It’s too bad that I had this beer last as it was my least favorite of the 3 Rock Bottom beers I had that night. I’m not saying it was a bad beer, because it’s not, but when I compare them to the other two I felt this beer just didn’t measure up. A 6.0% ABV pale ale is a robust pale ale but it’s a drop off from the 8.5% ABV Stillwater Stout I had prior.
I got an email in my mailbox today from Mario who has his own beer blog, Brewed for Thought. In his email, he asks me a question that I get asked often, “Should I age my beer?”. The short answer, it depends. I’ve copied and pasted my reply below so you can read it and see what my thoughts are on the subject.
Speaking very generally, I’ve always believed that beers should be drunk as fresh as possible. In no other time will a beer be closest to what the brewer intended it to be than at it’s freshest. The flavors will be the brightest and the aroma most true.
That being said, whenever I am asked about cellaring, I say that some styles are more adept to cellaring than others but the main distinction would be the alcohol content. 8% seems to be a nice number on which to base whether or not to cellar a beer. From experience, personal and anecdotal, maltier beers seem to age much better than their hoppier bretheren. Hop flavors diminish quickly with time, even under the best of conditions.
Country or style of origin must be taken account when thinking about cellaring/aging beers. I would argue that lagers should age pretty well (under ideal conditions), it is in their name after all. Marzens, traditionally brewed in March, would need to be cellared for a minimum of 6 months before they were consumed in the fall and this particular style ranges in ABV from 4.8% up to 5.7%, which is well below the 8% threshold. Belgian beers, as you probably already know, arguably age the best of all beers. A huge reason for this is because most Belgian ales are bottle-conditioned and the yeasts have a preservative quality because they consume the oxygen in the headspace of the beer after bottling.
At the end of the day though, it’s entirely up to the person cellaring the beer. In the case of Christmas/holiday beers, it’s fun to buy and extra sixer and age it over the course of 6 years and see how the beer holds up during that period as well as contrasting it to beers from later vintages. It is nearly impossible to predict how a beer will mature over time as there are many variables to consider. Even if you did take the time, care and effort to maximize cellaring conditions, there’s no telling what kind of shape the beer was in when it first arrived at the bottle shop/grocery store/bar/gas station you first purchased it from.
Personally, I don’t cellar very many beers. I just don’t have the discipline to not drink a good beer. : )
Now that I’ve stated my two cents, I’m interested in hearing what any of you have to say on the subject. While not as polarizing as “less filling vs. tastes great”, I think the idea of cellaring something that really doesn’t age very well would make for a good discussion. Hopefully some of you will chime in.
