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RBPMail 2.09, September 1996
Real Beer Page Mail (RBPMail) began as a modest update to craft-brew events on the WWW. It evolved into a news digest and sometimes editorial forum. We present its contents here much as they were emailed to subscribers. Often, links you will see are out of date, and businesses referred to may also be long gone.
In this issue:
COORS TOPS TOXIC LIST
The Adolph Coors Brewing Co. tops the list of Colorado's top ten
firms and operations that use and release man-made chemicals that
could be reproductively harmful. The list of Colorado manufacturers
was attached to a report called "Generations at Risk," a description
of widely used industrial chemicals that carry reproductive risks.
The report was compiled from state public health records and
issued by Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Colorado
Public Information Group. Few of the 70,000 toxic chemicals in
widespread commercial use today are regulated or have even been
adequately studied, according to the report. But several worrisome
public health trends, including cancer rates, declining sperm counts
and other reproductive health problems are getting worse as the
public's exposure to toxins increases, the physicians' group warned.
A global study involving 15,000 men in 1992 concluded that the
average sperm count in healthy men has dropped by half in the
past 50 years. And in the United States, one in nine women develop
breast cancer. Researchers blamed undetermined environmental
exposures. Coors reported releasing 593,688 pounds of manganese,
a metal, and glycol ethers, which are solvents, in 1994, the last full
year that statistics were available. Coors spokesman Jon Goldman
said the 520,000 pounds of manganese used by Coors is
incorporated into the aluminum sheet metal alloy that is fashioned
into beer cans in the Golden plant or metal shipped out for
recycling. The alloy contains 1.1% manganese, which is just above
the regulatory threshold requiring the company to report its use, he
said. Coors advocates reduced regulation of manganese as a sheet
metal component. Samuel Cole, director of the physicians group's
Colorado chapter, stood behind the report. "There's solid evidence
that a number of these chemicals are potentially dangerous," he
said. "We need to be precautionary." (Source: Joseph B. Verrengia,
Rocky Mountain News, August 2, 1996, Friday, Local; Pg. 40A and
August 3, Saturday, Local; Pg. 19A)
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HEINEKEN & CARLSBURG BANNED IN BURMA
Burma's military government surprised dealers with a retaliatory
measure banning imports of beer made by the Netherlands'
Heineken NV and Denmark's Carlsberg A/S. The companies pulled
out of Burma last month following intense lobbying by human
rights organizations against Burma's human rights record and the
failure of the country's military rulers to allow a democratic
government. "Speaking financially, we distributors are going to
suffer the outcome the most because we have (beer) in stock," a
Heineken distributor said. Beer drinkers are expected to turn to the
local Mandalay Beer and Singapore's Tiger brand beer. Mandalay is
brewed by a private Burmese firm, Myanmar Yaung Chi Oo Pte Ltd.
Heineken and Tiger were the most popular foreign beers sold in
Burma, and until now held about 35% and 30% respectively of
market share. Mandalay has about 25% market share, and Carlsberg
10%. (Source: The Reuter Asia-Pacific Business Report, August 6,
1996, Tuesday)
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CAMPAIGN LOOPHOLES LET CASH FLOW
Conventions always have presented a chance for corporations and
other interests to lavishly entertain the politically powerful. "A
record amount of money is flowing this year," said Ellen Miller,
executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a
nonpartisan organization that tracks campaign contributions.
"There's a reason all of this money is being spent." It wasn't
supposed to be this way. Two decades ago, ITT Corp. created
controversy when it gave $400,000 to support the 1972 Republican
convention planned for San Diego at the same time the company
had an antitrust matter before the Justice Department. That
inspired Congress to pass legislation in 1974 providing future
conventions with public funding to avoid the appearance of relying
on regulated industries. This year, each convention received $12.5
million in federal money under that law. The 1974 law was
designed to limit the ability of corporations to influence legislators
attending conventions. But a simple loophole - designed to allow
local companies to promote their hometowns - has been opened
wide enough to drive a fleet of limousines through. And in recent
years the Federal Election Commission has broadened this definition
to allow out-of-state corporations doing business in the home
community to contribute as well. There is no hint of a quid pro quo
as there was in the case of the ITT scandal, but Miller and her allies
say that widening loopholes in election laws undermine gains made
by post-Watergate reforms. For $25,000 donations, corporate
sponsors were allowed to join Newt Gingrich and other high-level
Republicans on a 15-hour train ride to the convention. Donors
included a prison guard union, a liquor industry trade group, oil
companies and Miller Brewing, a subsidiary of tobacco giant Philip
Morris. So it is that the San Diego Republican Convention raised
$11.2 million of corporate funding, according to a study completed
by the Los Angeles Times. That towers over the previous record:
$6.5 million raised for the Democratic party's convention in New
York. (Source: Sharon Schmickle; Tom Hamburger; Star Tribune,
August 13, News; Pg. 1A)
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TOBACCO AND BEER, ROUND ONE
According to a study by Common Cause, the tobacco industry has
given $1.6 million to the GOP this election cycle, and more than
$700,000 to the Democratic Party. "It's surprising that Democrats
would take the money and it's surprising that tobacco companies
would want to be there." said Ellen Miller of the Center for
Responsive Politics, which studies political contributions. Philip
Morris spokesperson Darienne Dennis said it was a "great
disservice" to delegates to think "they are going to be swayed over
a hot dog and a beer." She said the company gives money and
sponsors parties for both party conventions "in the hopes of getting
fair and good government. Philip Morris, like other companies,
might not always agree with positions the administration takes but
that doesn't mean we're not going to be supporting the political
process." The company's Kraft General Foods Inc. subsidiary who
gave $100,000 to the convention host committee to underwrite
convention activities, is sponsoring a "Family Day" for delegates at
the Brookfield Zoo, and produced a special "Donkeys and Stars"
edition of Kraft macaroni and cheese for the goody bags given to
delegates and media. Miller Brewing Co., another Philip Morris
subsidiary, hosted a reception for conservative "Blue Dog" members
of Congress Monday and has provided free beer for a number of
parties. (Source: Ruth Marcus, Washington Post, August 28,
Wednesday, A Section; Pg. A30)
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TOBACCO
AND BEER, ROUND TWO
"If cigarettes today, why not beer tomorrow?" asks Richard Alm of
The Dallas Morning News in reference to President Clinton's decree
that bans tobacco company sports sponsorship. The government
banned tobacco advertising from television more than 20 years ago
and last year forced in-stadium signs to stay clear of television
cameras, so most sports have already weaned themselves from the
cigarette makers' money. Beer is quite another story. Beer
companies sponsor nearly every sport - from beach volleyball and
World Cup soccer to NCAA basketball and the World Cup of Hockey.
John Labatt Ltd. owns the Toronto Blue Jays. Molson owns the
Montreal Canadiens. Adolf Coors Co. put its name on the Colorado
Rockies' ballpark. Anheuser-Busch sold the St. Louis Cardinals last
year, but it is still a sponsor for many of the teams in baseball,
football, hockey and basketball. A ranking of advertisers in sports
for the first quarter of this year, compiled by Nielsen Sports
Marketing Service, shows Anheuser-Busch on top with $42.7
million and Miller Brewing Co. at No. 7 with $18.5 million. "The
Clinton administration hasn't yet targeted the connection between
beer and sports, but it's hard to see how the mindset that wanted
cigarettes out of sports could allow beer to stay in." (Source: Richard
Alm, The Dallas Morning News, August 26, Monday, Sports Day;
Sports Business; Pg. 2b)
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SPECIALTY BEER GROWTH TRACKED WITH OTHER INDUSTRIES
"Nobody expects beer drinking to come back as strong as it was in
the mid-1980s until sometime after 2000," said Peter Reid, editor
of Modern Brewery Age. "That's when a significant segment of the
population will hit their prime drinking years, 21 to 30. " Curiously,
the demographic shift hurting the megabrewers is helping
...specialty beers. In the fiscally priggish 1990s, consumers get their
thrills on the cheap, giving up expensive luxury items and splurging
in smaller ways. About one in three coffee drinkers, for example,
have traded their 50-cent-a-cup of wake-me-up mud for a $1.50 to
$2.50 shot of coffee made from gourmet beans. Similar changes
have come to ice cream, candy and bread. In all three industries,
so-called "premium" brands, most introduced in the past decade,
now account for 15 percent to 40 percent of the total market. Beer,
many believe, is in the midst of a similar change. (Source: Andre
Mouchard, The Orange County Register, August 23, Friday, Business;
Pg. C01)
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TOP 10 U.S. BEER MAKERS
Sales are 31-gallon barrels. Company 1995 sales % chg from 1994
1. Anheuser-Busch 87.50 million -1.1%
2. Miller Brewing Co.* 45.00 million -0.4%
3. Coors Brewing 20.31 million -0.2%
4. Stroh Brewery 13.40 million -5.8%
5. G. Heileman** 7.90 million -2.5%
6. Pabst Brewing** 6.30 million -6.7%
7. Genesee Brewing** 1.80 million -5.3%
8. Latrobe Brewing Co.** 1.20 million 9.1%
9. Boston Beer. Co. .96 million 37.3%
10. Pittsburgh Brewing** .92 million -0.4%
* Includes sales of Molson U.S.A. ** Estimated
Source: Modern Brewery Age
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********** WEB WATCH **********
BEER SITES TO SURF:
****************** Brand Spanking New!!! ******************
Hops Around the Web
Professional and Home Brewers and beer enthusiasts alike will
benefit from the wealth of hops-centric information available on
the Web. First to the web as a commercial hops provider is John I.
Hass. Advertisements from the 1950s American Brewer magazine
show these folks have been leading the industry for years. Find a
great page at:
http://www.John-I-Haas.com
Glenn Tinseth has organized an excellent page that includes his hop
calculator:
http://realbeer.com/hops
Shakin' Things Up in the Silicon Valley
If you work or travel to the Silicon Valley, here's a brewpub that
you have to drop in on: The Faultline Brewing Company. For people
in the East Bay Area, things are looking up. Faultline is about to
open their doors in Walnut Creek, too. Hit the epicenter at:
http://www.FLBC.com
Fly Me To The Moon
Greetings, Earthlings. We invite you to orbit the Brew Moon web
site. Hit the launchpad and download the moonrections if your
coordinates are locked in on Massachusetts. New sites are opening
around the Boston area and now around the WWW at:
http://www.BrewMoon.com
Beer Nerds Untie - uh - Unite
Back in 1987, when the Northampton Brewery had just opened, one
of their waiters recited the list of available beers to a customer. "No
thanks" the customer said, "I'll take an American beer." "Well,"
replied the waiter, going through his list again, "we brew all our
beers here. Today we have Golden Lager, Old Brown Dog, Pale Ale..."
"That's OK. Just give me an American beer." Thereupon, the waiter
pointed to the brewery tanks on the other side of the window and
said, "Sir, we brew all of our beers twenty feet from where you are
sitting. It doesn"t get much more American than that!" Meet the
original beer nerds of New Hampshire's Northampton Brewery at:
http://www.RealBeer.com/nohobrewery
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****************** Brewed Fresh For You! ******************
The Real Beer Page announces a diverse group of brew websites to check out:
Beer Is My Life http://beerismylife.com
Black Bear Brewing Co. http://www.realbeer.com/blackbear/
Brass Ring Brewing Co. http://www.realbeer.com/brassring/
Danse Skjold Brewing Co. http://danskol.com
European Brewery Adventures http://realbeer.com/eba/
Five Star Products and Services, LLC http://www.fivestaraf.com/
Great Providence Brewing http://www.americanbrewing.com/
Gritty McDuff's Brewpubs http://www.Grittys.com/
The Hart Brewing Co. http://www.HartCanada.com/
Malt of the Earth http://www.MaltBev.com
Mendocino Brewing Co. http://www.MendoBrew.com/
Real Beer Feedback http://realbeer.com/rbp/feedback.php
The Village Brewery http://www.realbeer.com/villagebrewery/
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INTRODUCING
STEPHEN BEAUMONT'S WORLD OF BEER
The Real Beer Page is proud to present the contributions of one of
the craft-beer industry's more outspoken and opinionated S.O.B.s
(Scribe Of Beer, of course). Stephen Beaumont, author of two books,
one audio cassette and prolific contributor to publications such as
the Celebrator, Southern Draft and All About Beer, joins our efforts
to bring timely, quality, updated information to you via the 'Net by
creating each month a new edition of "World of BeerTM". It's
charter is to bring you a highly opinionated, even-handed view of
beer happenings from around the globe as they happen to
Beaumont. Point of view you might not always agree with, but
should consistently challenge your assumptions about the beer
world. In this month's edition you will learn that Budweiser is
brewed with 65% malt (both 2-row and 6-row varieties) and 35%
rice. You'll also read about the world's largest brewpub, the new
Labatt Domincan Republic connection, paper made from beer
ingredients, select beer events and a beer tasting. Surf the WOB at:
http://www.realbeer.com/rbp/authors/beaumont
(soon to be at http://worldofbeer.com/)
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COORS
TO TASTE MORE LIKE BUD?
Coors Brewing Co. quietly changed the recipe of its Original Coors
beer as part of a marketing strategy emphasizing the brand's
heritage. The company confirmed that it returned to a 100% rice-
based adjunct recipe - the recipe that the company abandoned in
the mid-1970s. Coors began using corn starch in the mid-70s
because of "volatility" in the rice market, causing concerns about
price, quality and availability. Taste-test panels determined that
the company could employ corn starch without "affecting the taste,"
said Dave Taylor, the brewer's corporate communications manager.
Hoping to reverse the brand's 20-year sales decline, the Golden
brewer announced in the spring that it redesigned the packaging,
devised a fresh advertising campaign and improved the quality.
Coors debated the wisdom of publicizing the formula change in the
spring, deciding to de-emphasize it with the help of the "improved
quality" euphemism. "We didn't want to create the perception that
we were making radical changes," Taylor said. "Consumers might
not notice the difference in the recipe." (Source: Steve Caulk, Rocky
Mountain News, August 29, Thursday, Business; Pg. 1B)
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PABST SALES CREAMED BY LABOR DECISIONS
Milwaukee is abandoning their Blue Ribbon, as labor and financial
troubles flatten Pabst sales in its home city. Anheuser-Busch Inc.
has replaced Pabst in the No. 2 sales spot in the Milwaukee area for
the first time while Miller remains an overwhelming No. 1, also
gaining market share at Pabst's expense. Case sales for Pabst in
Milwaukee fell 22.2% during a four-week period ending July 12
according to the report by Information Resources Inc., a Chicago
company that tracks supermarket sales. And those figures don't
even reflect the angry consumer reaction expected to Pabst's
announcement last month that it plans to eliminate health benefits
for 750 (all past and present) retirees as of Sept. 1. In June, the
NLRB filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Pabst for
signing a contract with G. Heileman Brewing Co. to brew 60% of the
beer that had been brewed at Pabst's downtown Milwaukee plant.
The movement of work to Heileman led to the loss of about 200
local jobs, leaving just 160 active workers. John Sheehan, president
of Beechwood Distributors, predicted that Pabst sales troubles
would continue. "In the past, a lot of people bought it to support
local jobs." Roman Makarewicz, who retired from Pabst 13 years
ago, said many of the brewery's retirees are boycotting Pabst
products since learning their benefits were being dumped. "I'll
never drink Pabst beer again." The grocery sales report shows
Anheuser-Busch's market share rose to 13.4% in the latest four-
week measuring period while Pabst's share for all brands slipped to
13.2%. Milwaukee's Miller Brewing Co. remained well ahead of both
with a 53.1% share. (Source: Mark Savage, Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel, August 22, Thursday, News Pg. 1)
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MILLER DROPS BEARS SPONSORSHIP
In what local media officials call a surprising move, Miller is
dropping its local TV sponsorship of the Bears, which includes the
preseason games, as well as sponsorship of coach Dave Wannstedt's
weekly show, in what is considered to be about a $1 million to $2
million effort in this market. Miller officials said the decision will
allow the brewery to focus more of its effort on its national NFL
push and pointed to its recent announcement that it is extending its
NFL sponsorship for three more seasons. It also will continue local
Bears-based bar and store promotions for its brands. But Chicago is
the key market for Miller and one of the most hotly contested beer
markets in the country. Miller bucks national trends in the Chicago
market, with its Lite and Miller Genuine Draft brands commanding
the top two sales positions in supermarkets according to data from
Information Resources. Nationally, Anheuser-Busch is the No. 1
brand by almost a 2-1 margin. But nationally, Miller lost ground to
A-B in the second quarter, with operating profit declining 3.6% to
$159 million, from steep declines in its Red Dog brand and under
performance of its new Miller Beer brand. Insiders said A-B
probably would fill the space vacated by Miller, but a spokesman
for the brewery declined to comment. (Source: Jim Kirk, Chicago
Sun-Times, August 19, Sports Final, Pg. 45)
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SHIPYARD ALES SERVED AT REPUBLICAN FUNCTIONS
Shipyard ales were being served at several functions at the
Republican convention in San Diego. Denise Sposato, marketing
director for the Portland, ME -based microbrewery, said the
opportunity came through Miller Brewing Co., a subsidiary of which
owns part of Shipyard. (Source: Jeff Smith, Portland Press Herald,
August 13, Tuesday, Business Tuesday, Pg. 2C) See Shipyard online
at http://www.Shipyard.com
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REAL BEER PAGE SURVEY GRAND-PRIZE WINNER!
The Real Beer Page hosted a WWW-based survey from May 15 -
July 15. We will be publishing the results as they are compiled by
PSTAT (www.pstat.com). First action item upon completing the
survey was selecting a winner for our Grand Prize drawing trip to
Belgium and Holland with European Brewery Adventures
(http://realbeer.com/eba).
The winner is Jason Bennett, a graduate student at Tulane pursuing
his MSPH in Tropical Medicine. Jason's been homebrewing for the
last couple of years and heard about the Real Beer Page from
BrewingTechniques magazine
(http://www.BrewingTechniques.com) while at the annual AHA
conference in New Orleans earlier this year. If that sounds like a
long way around to the prize, the prize also takes Jason a long way
around to places of his youth. Jason will be traveling from
September 6-16 to the Artisan breweries of Holland and Belgium.
His father was in the military and so Jason traveled extensively as a
child. The tour's Maastrict destination brings him just 15-minutes
from where he spent grades 5-7 in school. Jason will have as his
guide Larry Bausch, Publisher of the Pint Post, founder of the
Microbrew Appreciation Society (206.634.1433), and long-time
columnist of North by Northwest for the Celebrator
(http://www.celebrator.com/). Several other beer luminaries are
rumored to be in attendance. When asked about his reaction to
winning, Jason said, "Beer me!"
Were you holding out from booking your trip to see if you won? If
you've got a passport and wild hair to travel this weekend, there's
still room to join Jason. Call 800.424.7289 to make your
reservations and plans ASAP!
If your vacation time is booked for this year but you want to be on
the mailing list to receive next year's catalogues, call European
Brewery Adventures at 800.424.7289.
Thanks to all who participated in our survey. We will be sharing
results from our survey over the next several months. We hope
that Jason will take lots of pictures so we can all accompany him
vicariously on the Web. Stay tuned.
RUNNER
UP WINNERS:
Second-prize winners will receive a copy of Michael Jackson's "The
Great Beers of Belgium" distributed by Vanberg & DeWulf
(607.547.8184) and some great Real Beer Merchandise
(http://www.realbeer.com/rbp/rbp.rbpmerch.php). Winners include:
* Stanley Babb, Tulsa, OK
* Mark Sharp, Seattle, WA
* Ken Howen, Richmond, VA
QUICK SURVEY TIDBIT
Of the 3500+ survey respondents, 37% will pay $7.00+ for a six pack
for themselves. When buying beer for friends, only 28% are willing
to pay over $7.00!
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ASAHI, MILLER TO PITCH LOW-CALORIE BEER TO WOMEN
Asahi Breweries Ltd. and Miller Brewing Co. of the U.S. beginning
next month will market a low-calorie beer targeted at women,
Asahi officials said. The new First Lady brew, which the companies
developed together, will be sold in Japan and the U.S. under the
Asahi brand, the officials said. It is the first product of the
partnership the two brewers announced in July 1995. Asahi and
Miller have reduced both the calorie count and the bitterness of
First Lady by about 20% compared to Asahi's other beers. The two
target sales of 1.5 million cases in Japan and the U.S. within this
year. Miller's Los Angeles brewery will produce First Lady. (Source,
The Nikkei Weekly, August 12, Industry Digest; Pg. 10)
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MILLER
LITE SPOT OFFENDS NEWPORT, RI
A Miller Lite beer commercial featuring young people reveling in
the city has angered some residents, and the brewing company has
agreed to pull the ad from local radio stations. "It's just like trying
to say, 'It's in your face, Newport,"' said Arthur Palmer, 39, of the
commercial. Palmer is among residents who have said young
people who rent summer houses and make noise late at night have
disturbed the peace of their neighborhoods. The advertisement,
which was played on local stations, featured the voices of women
who say, "We're at The Landing in Newport and life is good because
18 of our best friends are here with us partying for the summer in
one house, drinking Miller Lite." City zoning ordinances prohibit
more than five unrelated people from living together in one
dwelling unit. In recent years, residents have become increasingly
upset with young people who rent summer homes and party late
into the night. (Source: The Patriot Ledger, August 10, Saturday,
News, Pg. 17)
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RED DOG SPOT OFFENDS PSORIASIS SUFFERERS
"Psoriasis is an incurable disorder that lasts a lifetime," explained
The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) when Miller's Red Dog Beer
advertising campaign had the unintended effect of making psoriasis
seem laughable. The brewer halted its Red Dog radio ads after
learning that psoriasis affects 5 million people in the United States,
is painful and can disable, and has life-threatening forms that can
be fatal. In a letter quoted in the July/August issue of the NPF's
membership journal, the Bulletin, a Miller spokesperson assured
the NPF that "We never intended to be perceived as being
insensitive to those battling psoriasis." The Red Dog promotion
included "the heartbreak of psoriasis" among lighthearted
references to commercial slogans of the past. The phrase, used in
ads for an over-the-counter skin and dandruff remedy, has not
been used in print since 1981 or on television since the 70s. Miller
spokespersons said the ad campaign meant to poke fun at the
advertising community. The ads mentioned psoriasis along with "a
bad hair day" and other trifling tribulations.
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********** FEST WATCH **********
Great American Beer Festival. Denver, CO. September 26-28. Watch
us cover the event or visit our booth (first ten to bring a page of
this newsletter to us at the show win a nifty prize). Brewers,
brewery owners and personnel, and industry professionals are
invited to our annual Stogie and Stout Smoke Out (cigars and non-
smoking space available) on Thurdsay night. Call or email us to get
on the guest list: 415.387.4356. ssguest@www.realbeer.com
http://www.realbeer.com/rbp/gabf/
Berkeley Beer Festival
http://realbeer.com/berkeleybeerfest/
Brews By The Bay
Festibiere de Chambly. Chambly, Quebec. September 5-8. Chambly
is a Montreal suburb that hosts the largest festival in Canada each
year. 514-658-8133.
The Belfast Beer Festival. Belfast, Northern Ireland. September 17-
20.Call 011 44 1820 671 452
For more festivals, homebrew competitions, beertastings and more,
check out the Real Beer Page events section at:
http://realbeer.com/rbp/rbp.events.php
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"COORS
ARENA" ON THIN ICE
The Church of the Latter-Day Saints on Wednesday condemned a
proposal to name a new hockey facility near Salt Lake City "Coors
Arena." "Should this proposal be accepted, the (West Valley) city
officials would be in the position of officially sponsoring the sending
of a negative message..." reads the Mormon statement. "Alcohol is
a leading contributor to homicides, suicides and traffic fatalities...
Naming the arena for such a product would perpetually promote
consumption and negatively impact the health and safety of the
community." Coors Brewing Co. countered, "Coors has no serious
interest in naming rights for this arena and never has had any
interest in it." (Source: Steve Caulk; Rocky Mountain News, August
29, Thursday, Business; Pg. 3B) Coors dealt with naming
controversy six years ago over the fieldhouse at the University of
Colorado at Boulder the Coors Events Center. In that case, it was the
Coors Foundation that donated $5 million for the CU athletic facility,
not Coors Brewing Co. Some opponents of using the Coors name on
the fieldhouse said it would encourage alcohol consumption by
those who are not legally permitted to drink. But in November
1990, CU students overwhelmingly approved the Coors Events
Center name in a campus referendum. Coors Brewing's purchase of
naming rights for Denver's new baseball stadium was not
controversial; it was merely a business decision. The company paid
about $10 million for the naming rights to Coors Field and later
boosted its total investment in the Colorado Rockies to about $30
million when the company became a limited partner in the ball
team. (Source: Jeffrey Leib, Denver Post Business Writer, August 17,
Saturday, Business; Pg. D-01)
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ETHNIC MARKETING MESSAGE AND TARGETING
This year major brewers pushed ambitious marketing programs
targeting what still remains a refuge of brand loyalty as general-
market consumers get increasingly fickle in their allegiances. Luz
de Armas, chief creative officer and managing partner at Saatchi &
Saatchi's Conill Advertising unit in New York, says "Hispanics are
very loyal consumers for those who offer original and relevant
creative and take time to understand the market." De Armas cited
Anheuser-Busch for breakthrough ads for Bud Light that reflect the
ways in which the Anglo and Hispanic cultures are increasingly
intermingling. Recent spots breach a longstanding taboo by
featuring Anglo characters speaking English (with Spanish
subtitles): two guys pick up enough words from a TV lesson to
order Bud Light in Spanish at a trendy Hispanic nightclub. "Excuse
me?" replies the bartender. "The Hispanic experience has been in
vogue. We wanted to take an approach that honored that Hispanic
experience and show that the general market is willing to immerse
itself in our Hispanic experiences," said Alejandro Ruelas, A-B
senior manager for ethnic marketing. "But it's not demeaning, and
it's consistent with the general-market strategy that people are
willing to do anything to get a Bud Light." (Source: Gerry
Khermouch, Brandweek formerly Adweek Marketing Week, August
5, 1996, Ethnic Marketing; Pg. 22)
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ROGUE TO SELL ASHLAND BREWPUB
Rogue Ales/Oregon Brewing Co. has placed its original brewpub in
Ashland, OR for sale. The property -- much of which is deck seating
with park and creek views -- includes the 150-200 seat brewpub
lease, a "top-end," 10-barrel JV Northwest system and formulations
for the Siskiyou beers brewed at the site. Rogue President, Jack
Joyce, says "The brewpub is 5-6 hours away from us and we've
been there since 1988. It's a great location with a year-round 16-
20,000 person community and huge tourist trade. But it really
needs some local attention. It needs someone on-site to manage it."
Asking price is around $400,000.
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NEW AT REAL BEER, INC.
Real Beer, Inc. publishers of the Real Beer Page and this RBPMail
proudly announce the hire of Carrie Sue Weston as Executive Vice
President of Operations. Carrie Sue brings over 15 years of high
tech, recruitment, corporate and brand communications experience
to Real Beer, Inc. and its growing list of clients. "Our clients have
challenged us to deliver a broader range of services, and we believe
that Carrie Sue brings these new capabilities to our company," said
Real Beer president, Pat Hagerman. Ms. Weston comes to Real Beer
from Bernard Hodes Advertising (www.hodes.com), where much of
her past two years were occupied with managing client Web
projects. While at the agency, she supervised the account service of
clients from the Silicon Valley such as Tandem, Symantec and
National Semiconductor.
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THE POLITICS OF BEER - EDITORIAL
Considering the election-year climate in the U.S., it's probably not
surprising that the editorial content will shift towards politics. As
consumer advocates, we find that labor and environmental issues
inevitably edge into the conversation about practices that affect our
communities. If we as consumers stay true to our praxis and
communities, then the debate should also inform our consuming
habits.
On a recent visit to New York, we visited with the good people from
the New York City Beer Guide (http://www.nycbeer.org), who shed
some light on some consumer attitude there:
"We have the best of everything from around the world here in
New York, so we may not be as appreciative of local product that
doesn't reach world-class status." said one of the NYCB editors.
"You'll be hard-pressed to find local product in the most popular
tap-houses."
My disapproval that followed was misdirected, as NYCB consistently
supports local craft brewers and I was simply being told about a
larger force at work in the area. So, I realized that the challenge is
not one of having believers, but having these passionate few
influence the debate.
"So many people can, but don't" says the late Charles Bukowski
(http://realbeer.com/buk/) in a poem about a prize fighter
unwilling to finish an opponent. Our recent survey showed that 90%
of Real Beer Page viewers have college degrees. That means we
have the ability to articulate our politics about beer, and too often
we discuss preference over politics. "This is my favorite beer"
instead of "This beer was made by a brewer serving the immediate
community."
Media coverage and market analysis of the craft beer segment talks
about diversity and aging of demographics. What most fail to note
is the political aspect of the specialty beer market. Part of the
enthusiasm and passion coming forth from this segment can be
described as reactionary to the over-standardization and over-
production of industrial goods. The predictable, manufactured
product drives consumers toward an authentic, crafted experience.
We believe that the growth of hand-crafted goods is as much an
eschewing of industrial imposition as it is a natural process of
exploration and discovery, along with their attendant risks and
responsibilities.
Some of the pride of the segment comes from knowing those that
produce the product. We know that microbrewed and brewpub
beer consumed near the brewery is fresh and produced with local
labor and resources. And we prefer to support the businessperson
in the community over sending money to a corporate officer sitting
thousands of miles away.
Part of the enthusiasm comes from the discovery of an entirely
uniquely crafted beer that may be cost-prohibitive on a mass-
production scale. And another part of the fervor derives from the
lack of adjunct materials and industrial-scale processes from which
most microbrewers steer clear. These materials and processes
create byproducts of waste within ecological, labor, economic,
political, consumer and distribution systems.
How does this play into the politics of beer? Craft brewers are
creating for their communities. Many have production limits
imposed by anti-competition legislation effectively maintained and
supported by larger breweries and their lobbyists. They are not
creating excess, pollution and stagnating free trade with anti-
competitive legislation.
Each informed consumer possesses the responsibility to articulate
the politics of supporting local crafts-persons to their spheres of
influence. They have a responsibility to try new products and
return ones that fail to meet expectations. And invest in the risk of
trying the local craft-brewer's product again should this happen.
This election year, you don't have to worry about a single day of
selecting a candidate that closest represents your views -- you can
vote every time you go to your local tavern or grocery store to pick
up some beer. Vote with your pocket book.
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