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RBPMail 4.02, February 1998
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 Often, links you will see are out of date, and businesses referred to may also be long gone.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:
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ASIAN ECONOMIC WOES FOR DIAGEO
Diageo Plc, the British company formed from the merger of
Guinness and Grand Metropolitan, reported that trade in the
Asian Pacific markets, particularly Thailand, has slowed since
September, 1997, when those markets began experiencing
weakness. The report noted especially that trade had slowed in
Thailand. It was noted that their spirits business in Asian Pacific
markets was only 8% of Diageo's profits.
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LABATT BREAKING RECORDS AFTER 150 YEARS
Canada's Labatt Brewing Co. Ltd. ended its 150th anniversary
year with 15% annual increase in earnings. The company,
which is part of the Interbrew S.A. brewing groups, also reports
record profits in Canada, the United States, and the
Caribbean/Latin America.
http://www.labattblue.com
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DUTCH BREWERY RECALLS MYSTERY BEER
Amstel, a part of Dutch brewing entity Heineken, has recalled
all bottles of its non-alcoholic Amstel Malt beer marked "best
before May 1998" after several customer complaints about the
flavor. The brewery has reported that the off-flavor was
probably related to the new hop harvest, but the company was
still in the process of examining the beer. Over one million
bottles are involved.
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COORS BULLDOZES THROUGH HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD
Coors Brewing and Golden, Colorado chroniclers are wrestling
over Sam's Land Tavern, a local watering hole and landmark
recently purchased by Coors. Built in 1873, the establishment
was the oldest continually operating bar in Golden and one of
Adolph Coors' first accounts. Coors bought the venerable bar
in December and has announced plans to demolish it in April
of 1998. The tavern is the last German-built structure of the
once bustling enclave now buried under the brewer's parking
lots. "Coors has already destroyed maybe 80 percent of the
buildings in Goosetown," say Richard Gardner, of the Golden
Landmarks Association, "and because the neighborhood is so
decimated it's even more imperative to save the ones that are
left." To appease local historical groups, Coors offered to
donate the building to any non-profit group that could pay to remove it.
The deadline for removing the building is April 1, after which
Coors will begin demolition.
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CANADIAN BREWERY TO PURCHASE RIVAL.
Sleeman Breweries Ltd. announced it would launch a $27
million ($18.85 million U.S.) cash and share bid for rival Upper
Canada Brewing Co. Ltd. Upper Canada's chairman and CEO
would both tender their stakes, about 14 percent of the
company's shares, according to Sleeman. Sleeman Chair
John Sleeman stated that the arrangement would increase his
company's market in Ontario from 2.15 percent to over 3
percent. Sleeman plans to keep three of Upper Canada's six
brands, including the dark ale, lager and light beer. Some
critics have stated that the deal seems "a little expensive," and
point out that Upper Canada has lost money in the past two
years.
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SCOTTISH & NEWCASTLE LOSES SWEETHEART DEAL
Scottish and Newcastle Plc, Britain's largest brewer, will lose
its exclusive right to supply beer to the 4,300 pubs in the Grand
Pub Company. Since 1989, S&N brewing arm Scottish
Courage had the exclusive right to supply all the pubs in the
chain with its own or its agency beer brands. This deal will end
in March. The deal had been described as "uneconomic" for
GPC publicans as the prices they had to charge were based on
1989 rates when beer prices were much higher than today.
Analysts, however, feel that drinkers have gotten used to the
SC brands. The Grand Pub Company was formed in
September 1997 by Japanese investment bank Nomura after it
acquired the Inntrepreneur and Springs Inns chain of pubs
formerly joint owned by Australian brewer Foster's Brewing
Group Ltd. and Grand Metropolitan Plc.
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BASS LOSES PART OF EMPIRE; GIVES BACK SHARES
British brewing-to-leisure conglomerate Bass Plc recently
announced its intention to return approximately 850 million
pounds ($1.4 billion) to its shareholders after agreeing to sell
over 1,400 of its leased pubs. The pubs were to be sold for 564
million pounds to a management team, BT Capital Partners
Europe. Bass retains its 2,500 managed pubs and plans to
spend about 300 million pounds on developing them, creating
about 4,000 jobs. A managed pub is wholly operated by Bass;
manager and staff are appointed by the company. A leased
pub is not owned by Bass; the building is. The building is
rented out to an independent operation. The brewery makes a
profit on the beer it sells and the rent it is paid.
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WHITBREAD CLOSING BREWERIES DUE TO UNUSED CAPACITY
Whitbread Plc, Britain's third largest brewer, plans to close two
of its five breweries in a move to cut costs. The company is
doing this because of declining beer sales, according to
industry sources and analysts. The total British domestic
market is, according to the release, 36 million barrels of beer a
year. The Whitbread share of that is about five million barrels
and one industry source is quoted as saying that Whitbread
does not need five breweries to produce that annual volume (5
million barrels).
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BRITS RENAME LOCAL PUBS AFTER DIANA
Two Young's Brewery pubs have been renamed as a memorial
to Diana, Princess of Wales. Both pubs were originally called
Prince of Wales (after Edward VII), one is located in Merton and
the other in Clapton. Princess Diana had been a patron of the
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in
Bloomsbury, of which John Young is a former chairman. On
hand to attend the ceremony of the unveiling of the new pub
sign in Merton were eight Americans representing Portland,
Oregon's Horse Brass pub, which is twinned with the new
Princess of Wales.
http://www.horsebrass.com
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GUINNESS GOES AFTER YOUNGER GENERATION
Guinness is interested in winning younger drinkers in the 20-
25 year-old age group. Currently their core group is the 25-35
age group. The approach Guinness is taking is to be proactive
in areas appealing to that age group specifically. A couple of
Guinness' projects have been sponsorship of the Fleadh
festival of Irish music in London and a chain of comedy clubs
called Jongleurs. Also, the Guinness Quarter-Day was held in
London in October, and is based on an ancient Irish pagan
festival. The company also plans to sponsor the Inter-Celtic
Watersports festival in Cornwall this coming summer.
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UK PARLIAMENT LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AGAINST BEER GLASSES
Britain's Labour MP (and former actress) Glenda Jackson is
spearheading the UK Labour Party's drive against alcohol-
related violence. Ms. Jackson's son lost an eye during a bar
brawl where beer glasses were used. The intention is to
outlaw "assault beer glasses"; customers will use toughened
glass containers instead. The problem is that when new, the
toughened glass shatters into granules, useless to use in a
brawl. However, after use and many washings, the glass
shatters into knife-like shards.
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HIGH TAXES DETER JAPANESE DRINKERS
According to a January 12 bulletin from Kyodo news service,
Japan's four major brewers reported shipments for 1997 were
down 2.2% from 1996. This was the first shipment drop in two
years. A factor in the drop was said to the consumption tax in
April of last year, which went from 3% to 5%. Kirin Brewery Co.
reported the largest share of the domestic market, 43%,
followed by Asahi with 34.7%, Sapporo, 17% and Suntory,
5.3%. Although market share rankings remained stable, the
gap between Kirin and Asahi narrowed from 16.3 percentage
points in 1996 to 8.3 percentage points in 1997. Asahi's Super
Dry accounted for 32.3% of total beer shipments. Kirin's Lager,
Japan's best-selling beer since 1954, lost 16 percentage
points to account for 25.3% of the market.
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UNEXPECTED TAX HIKE GIVES IMPORTS AN EDGE IN MEXICO
Mexico's conservative National Action Party (PAN) has stated
that it was in favor of reducing excise taxes on beer and other
alcohol after a recent increase. PAN's congressional
delegation indicated that it was taking this position following
the receipt of a petition from beer and liquor companies, who
had been taken unawares by the recent tax increase which
had occurred just before Christmas. Beer excise taxes had
been increased from 19% to 25% and liquor taxes from 50% to
60%; the increase was apparently a last-minute adjustment to
the 1998 budget. Also, the tax applies almost exclusively to
Mexican companies, giving an advantage to imports.
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COOP'S MAPS WILL GET YOU THERE!
The online resource for maps leading to the nation's top brew spots.
For travelers or those who want to be reminded of where they have been.
Coop's maps offers a series covering the United States by region. To
complement these real world maps, check our interactive online mapping
feature by doing a search in the brewery database
http://www.coopsmaps.com
http://realbeer.com/rbp/brewtour.php
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FEBRUARY 1998 ISSUE OF WORLD OF BEER
The latest breaking news from Stephen Beaumont, our correspondent up North.
Tune in here for the latest musings on the state of the beer world, travels
and tastings.
http://worldofbeer.com
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CRAFT EVERYTHING ONLINE!
Everything you need to brew beer, make wine, make cheese,
grow mushrooms, create vinegars - and more! This site is one-
stop shopping for the do-it-yourselfers out there. It'll take you
some time to delve through the many products available here;
from books to equipment to homebrew kits as well as some
cool animated gifs throughout the site. You can have it all at:
http://www.beer-wine.com
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The South-Eastern Microbrew Invitational has grown into the
premier craft-brewing event in the South since its inception 5
years ago. In addition to the impressive array of beers from the
southeast and beyond, this year the festival twins with a
conference covering topical and ground breaking seminars
and forums touching on every aspect of the craft-brewing
industry. Surf through the web site to see photos from events
past, find out where to get your tickets, what beers you want to
sample, and how to get there.
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HOME BREW SUPPLY STORE ONLINE!
The Home Brew Supply Store online is the brainchild of the
Four Corners folk, a site that provides a model of internet
commerce and ease of online transactions. In addition to an
online shopping cart, you can check your order history, request
a refund and track your order. A partnership with amazon.com
brings you superfast online book orders, and an array of home
brew supplies. The web site is as worth visiting as the 4000 sq.
ft. real-life store in Northern Baltimore County, MD.
http://www.homebrewsupply.com
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Yakima Chief is a corporate name of several hop-growing
families in Washington's Yakima valley growing region.
Together, they farm over a fifth of the countries hop acreage.
The array of hop varieties is staggering, and a glossary is
there to assist the unschooled in their viney ways. Check out:
http://www.yakimachief.com
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Thanks to all who have been replying to our Quickie Surveys.
We draw one winner each month for the prize of Michael
Jackson's The Great Beers of Belgium distributed by Vanberg
& DeWulf (http://www.BelgianExperts.com), Importers of fine
Belgian beers and now brewers of Belgian-style beer in their
Cooperstown-based Brewery Ommegang. The lucky winner
this month is John Troxler jtroxler@cdc.net, who comments,
"I'm not really interested in eye candy for the Real Beer Pages.
Pack more content in my download time, but let those who
want more graphics and Java animations enable them."
Last month we asked you how your surfed the web, enabled for
graphics or text-only. Looks like most of you prefer to surf the
web ready to experience all the eye-poppin' wonder of images.
The results were:
Disabled - 9%
Text Only - 7%
Fully Loaded - 84%
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- The Real Beer Page announces a diverse group of brew websites
to check out:
- http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com
- http://cornucopia1.com
- http://worldofbeer.com
- http://mendobrew.com
- http://hopunion.com
- http://dmebrewing.com
- http://labattblue.com
- http://spatenusa.com
- http://leinie.com
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SOUTHEAST FESTIVAL MAKES ITS MARK AS ANNUAL EVENT
The premier craft beer event in the southeast, The
Southeastern Microbrewers' Invitational and Conference
readies for its fifth annual celebration of American craft
brewing. The 1998 Southeastern Microbrewers' Invitational
and Conference, presented by T.S. Elliott's City Market Bistro-
Groundhog Tavern and The Real Beer Page on the Internet at
www.realbeer.com, is scheduled for April 10-11, 1998 at the
Omni Durham Hotel and Durham Civic Center in Durham,
North Carolina. A portion of all proceeds will benefit Visual Arts
Exchange of Raleigh, North Carolina. Information and ticket
locations are available at (919) 484-1128 or
http://microbrew-invitational.com
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BEER CAMP IS BACK FOR 1998
It's almost time for the Spring 98 edition of Oldenberg's Beer
Camp. Cost for Beer Camp is $369 per person, double
occupancy. Camp is held at the Oldenberg Brewery in Fort
Mitchell, Kentucky, with accommodations at the adjacent
Drawbridge Inn. The spring version (you can also camp in the
Fall) will be held over the weekend of March 6-8, 1998. Call 1-
800-323-4917 for more information or to make reservations, or
visit the website at:
http://www.oldenberg.com
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BLUE LAWS KEEP FANS FROM THEIR GAME-TIME BEERS
Alcohol will not be served at the Boston Red Sox opener on
April 10. The game, which starts at 3:05 p.m. falls between
Good Friday afternoon church services and the first night of
Passover. The team had attempted to reschedule, but could
not. The Red Sox, which have the highest ticket price in the
major leagues, also has the smallest ballpark in the majors.
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SCOTCH WHISKEY ACADEMY HITS THE ROAD
John Hansell, publisher of Malt Advocate magazine has
announced a ten-city Malt Advocate Scotch Whisky Academy,
between February and April 1998. The Academy, designed to
promote the Scotch whisky industry and educate consumers
about single malt scotch, will consist of a two-hour classroom-
style lecture, tasting and slide show. Seven different single
malt whiskies will be tasted during each event. Attendance is
limited to 100 people. Proceeds from the $20 admission fee
will be donated to charity. Admission includes hors d'oeuvres,
tastings, seminar, handouts and certificate. Advance
reservations only. For information, contact Amy Westlake, 620-
967-1083. To order tickets, phone 1-800-610-MALT.
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OMMEGANG USES GATE-MAKER TO THE STARS
Wendy Littlefield tells BeerWeek (http://www.beerweek.com)
that the man who designed gates and other ironwork for Yoko
Ono, Bette Midler and Gwyneth Paltrow is creating ironwork for
Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York. Ommegang,
built to make Belgian-style beers, commissioned Roland
Greefkes to do design work for them. At this time he is making
handles for the brewery.
http://www.belgianexperts.com
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MOLSON BRINGS HEINEKEN TO WESTERN PROVINCES
Molson Breweries announced on January 5 that they have
been awarded the marketing and selling of Heineken in
Canada's four western provinces, Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Alberta and British Columbia. Molson will offer Heineken in
Western Canada in early 1998. Currently, Molson markets and
sells Heineken in the rest of Canada. In Ontario and Quebec,
sales have tripled over the past four years (under Molson's
management). Adding Heineken to its roster means a
strengthening of position in the super premium import
category. Heineken competes mostly against those beers, at
the same time complementing Molson Breweries beer roster.
Also, Molson's will now carry Murphy's Irish Stout, produced in
Ireland.
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REDHOOK SCALES BACK OPERATIONS AT SEATTLE BREWERY
As a cost-cutting move in response to losses in the fourth
quarter and for the full year, Redhook Ale Brewery (Nasdaq:
HOOK) said it will scale back operations at its Seattle Brewery
and re-locate corporate offices to that building. The landmark
Trolleyman Pub at the Fremont Brewery will remain open and
tours of the brewery will continue, president Paul Shipman
said. However, he added, the scale-back will force the
company to lay off approximately ten employees. While the
Fremont Brewery's equipment will be maintained and there will
be periodic brewing on a limited basis, almost all of Redhook's
brewing for its markets in the western U.S. will now take place
at the Company's brewery in Woodinville, Washington, a
suburb of Seattle. Redhook's brewery in Portsmouth, New
Hampshire, which serves the eastern U.S., will not be affected
by the Fremont consolidation.
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COLORADO BREWERY RESURRECTS FEUD WITH LIQUOR BOARD
Broadway Brewing LLC announced on January 12 that a
complaint had been filed on its behalf in Colorado State Court
against David Reitz, Director of the Colorado Liquor
Enforcement Division. The complaint was over the banning of
the original Road Dog (TM) label in September 1995 on
grounds that the label was deemed obscene. The complaint
was filed by the Colorado affiliate of the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU). The label, created by famed illustrator
Ralph Steadman, contains the phrase "Good Beer . . . No Shit."
The lawsuit alleges that Reitz has violated the First Amendment
and seeks an injunction to permit Broadway to resume the
original Road Dog label. When the label was first created, the
brewery had already produced 1,200 cases. When the label
was submitted for approval, it was found to be obscene, but the
brewery was allowed to sell any remaining ale that had been
produced. The label was changed temporarily to "Good Beer . .
. No Censorship."
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BEER CONNOISSEUR FOLDS AFTER FOUR ISSUES
Adams Publishing, New York, NY, has suspended publishing
Beer Connoisseur Magazine effective immediately. Sources
also suggest that several parties have inquired about the
property and that a sale may be pending. Beer Connoisseur
had published four issues of the "beer life-style" magazine
before suspending publication and laying off their staff.
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MINNESOTA BREWING FILES FOR PERMITS TO PRODUCE ETHANOL
Minnesota Brewing Company has announced that it filed for
state permits to produce ethanol in commercial quantities at its
Saint Paul, MN, plant. In a statement, the brewery said it has
not as yet made a firm decision to convert a portion of its
facilities over to the production of ethanol.
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BAA LOOKING FOR LEADERSHIP
The Brewers' Association of America (BAA) has formed a
search committee to find a successor to President Henry King,
who is stepping down after six years. Serving on the search
committee are FX Matt, FX Matt Brewing, Fritz Maytag, Anchor
Brewing, Richard Doyle, Harpoon Brewing, and Henry King.
The BAA was founded in 1942 and is the voice for small and
regional brewers in the United States. For further information
on the position of president, contact Richard Doyle, 617-574-
9551.
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HOLD ONTO THOSE BEER MUGS FOR A COUPLA YEARS...
A very rare pre-prohibition etched glass from North Star
Brewing Co., St. Paul, MN, was sold during the 18th mail,
phone and FAX auction held by Glasses, Mugs & Steins on
November 29, 1997. Over 1,500 items were up for bids.
An Anheuser-Busch "Faust's Own" pre-prohibition stein
sold for $454. It had been made in the late 1880s for
Faust's Restaurant in St. Louis, MO.
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NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR BEST HOMEBREWERS
Entry dates for the first round of the National Homebrew
Competition are between Monday, May 4 and Friday, May 15,
1998 at eight designated sites nation-wide. The final rounds
will be held at the 1998 Homebrewers Conference in Portland,
Oregon, July 22-24, right before the Oregon Brewers Festival.
The American Homebrewer's Association 1998 National
Homebrew Competition Rules and Regulations and 1998 AHA
Style Guidelines are available by contacting Amahl Turczyn at
(303) 447-0816 ext. 116, e-mail: amahl@aob.org.
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Guest Editorial: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington & Beyond
by Gregg Smith
When beer drinkers think back over the past year or so, they'll
recall a period unlike any other in beer history. What made it so
different had nothing to do with the state of the industry. There
were no great leaps in brewing technology, no introduction of
fabulous new beer styles, no reductions in craft beer prices,
and congress passed no brew-friendly legislation. What was
notable were the release of several scientific studies. Of benefit
to the consumer, the reports verified what we thought all along
- Beer's good for you.
Little more than a year ago drinkers were stunned by a
Department of Agriculture announcement that consumption of
one alcoholic drink per day promoted health. Shortly after,
officials from human services issued a supporting statement.
Suddenly the government was saying it was okay to drink.
It leaves us wondering - 'what took so long?' Over 200 years
ago Dr. Benjamin Rush was credited with undertaking the first
scientific study on the consequences associated with drinking.
Rush was appointed the country's first 'Physician-General of the
Continental Army', a fore-runner of today's 'Surgeon General',
and he issued a pamphlet entitled "Inquiry into the Effects of
Spirituous Liquors on the Human Body and Mind." Within his
work Rush suggested beer produced no harm; furthermore, he
postulated that moderate consumption improved health and
enriched life. In the wake of the government reports it seemed
as though Dr. Rush was finally acknowledged. Of more
importance, supportive findings quickly appeared. First was a
report that beer had an equal or better effect on health than
red wine. Authorities confirmed that moderate amounts of
alcohol, such as that obtained from beer, enhanced physical
well being. Throughout the country bottle caps popped in
celebration of the news, but the best was yet to come.
In early December of '97 the American Cancer society
revealed findings generated by the largest study ever
conducted on the effects of drinking. Unique in its approach,
the researchers attempted to consider both positive and
negative effects of drinking and to calculate the overall effect
on human health. Negative influences of consumption were
reviewed and risk factors associated with increased chance of
liver damage, breast cancer and the like were weighed
against any good derived from alcohol.
Surveying 490,000 people over a nine year period, the
American Cancer Society calculated the results only when
10% of those enlisted in the study died. What they found was
astonishing. After adjusting the figures to include the full impact
of negative effects they discovered that men and women who
had at least one drink a day averaged a 21 percent lower risk
of death than nondrinkers. Moreover, drinkers reduced their
risk of heart disease by 30 to 40 percent. In part, the lower
chance of heart disease was attributed to higher levels of HDL
cholesterol (the good cholesterol) produced through moderate
alcohol consumption. In fact, contrary to previously held beliefs,
those who already suffered from heart disease had the greatest
gain from drinking. Additional figures provided further
encouragement.
What if you sometimes exceed that drink-a-day advice, or what
if you "save" them up to happily guzzle all at once during the
weekend? Breathe easy, the report also contained good news
for you. Averaging four or five drinks a day continued to reduce
the likelihood of death by over 10 percent.
Responses from those usually voicing opposition was
unexpectedly conciliatory. Head of the National Institute on
Drug Abuse, Dr. Enoch Gordis, was quoted as saying "...since
it was done so carefully with a large number of people. I think it
is a valuable piece of work." Indeed, the figures were backed
by independent research conducted in the Nurses Health
Study and Physicians Health Study associated with Harvard
University. Their study found a 17 percent lower chance of
death in women drinkers and a corresponding 22 percent
lower death rate in men, well in step with the 21 percent
reduction found by the American Cancer Society. Of course the
reports all indicate the best results were obtained through
moderate drinking, a position supported for years by this
publication. It's great news. Remember Grandma saying the
greatest gift of all was good health? Maybe she knew even
more than we thought. Regardless, it makes the past year or so
one of significance for beer drinkers. It vindicates our enjoyable
consumption; it literally says that not only is beer good for what
'Ales' you, it's a part of good health.
_________________________________________
The views expressed here are those of the authors and not
necessarily the publisher. But they probably are... We're
working on expanding the debate about the wide breadth of
beer culture at large. If you have thoughts or comments you
wish to respond to this editorial, post them online at:
http://probrewer.com/cgi-bin/probrewer/message.cgi
Gregg Smith was named the "1997 Beer Writer of the Year" by
the North American Guild of Beer Writers. His third book "The
Beer Drinker's Bible is available from Brewers Publications.
You can find his archive online at:
http://www.realbeer.com/rbp/authors/smith/
Cheers!
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