News

Brewmaster Larry Sidor is leaving Deschutes Brewery at the end of the year to pursue a lifelong dream of starting and running his own brewery. Sidor has been at the brewery for eight years, following 23 years at Olympia Brewing, then working in the hop trade in Yakima.

“My years at Deschutes Brewery have been incredible. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed leading and collaborating with the brewing team to hone and create its phenomenal portfolio of beers, but also originating new beer styles and brewing techniques,” Sidor said for a press release announcing the move.

“I will always be proud of the work we’ve accomplished together, and be grateful for the support of Gary (Fish) and the leadership team for taking creative risks. While I transition to the next phase of my career, over the next several months, my heart and head will be with the Deschutes Brewery team and will remain focused on their continued success.”

With Sidor at the head of the brewing department at Deschutes, the company has added many new brands to the portfolio including Hop in the Dark, Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale, Inversion IPA, The Abyss, The Dissident, and several barrel-aged specialty beers. Sidor will continue on at Deschutes Brewery through the end of 2011.

Gary Fish, Founder and CEO of Deschutes Brewery, said, “While we are sad to see Larry go, we are excited for him being able to realize his life-long goal. His contributions to the brewery are innumerable, and he will be missed by us all. Now, we’re announcing that one of the best jobs in the industry has just become available! We are looking ahead with excitement toward the future.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration named Deborah Carey, president of New Glarus Brewing Co., the Wisconsin Small Business Person of the Year for 2011 and runner-up for the national prize. She was also selected as a Champion of Change by the White House.

Deb Carey founded New Glarus along with her husband, Dan Carey, in New Glarus in 1993. Although the brewery does not sell its beer beyond the borders of Wisconsin, it sold about 92,000 (31-gallon) barrels in 2009.

In 2007, New Glarus completed a $21 million brewery on a hilltop that overlooks the village of New Glarus. The company now employs more than 60 workers.

Carey told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel she thinks New Glarus Brewing’s personnel policies figure in the attention she’s receiving.

The company covers virtually all of its employees’ health insurance costs, Carey said, with workers responsible only for a small co-pay. The firm pays tuition for work-related education, and its 60-plus employees average about $16 an hour.

Steve Wellington — the master brewer who helped resurrect several of the famous Burton beer brands — has announced he is retiring later this summer.

Wellington started working for Bass in 1965, a year after the Worthington’s brewery was demolished, and brewed both Bass and Worthington’s beers. He left Bass to run his own business, teaching people how to brew at home, then returned in 1994 to run the White Shield microbrewery as part of the Brewing Museum in Burton. He brewed some of the beers Burton had lost: Worthington’s E, Imperial Stout, Barley Wine, and the legendary Worthington’s White Shield.

Molson Coors, which since bought the brewery, gave Wellington what they call a “Christmas present” in 2010, a new William Worthington’s Brewery, constructed in listed buildings at the National Brewery Centre.

In a press release from Molson Coors, Wellington said of his time brewing in Burton:

“I’ve been brewing all my life and enjoyed every minute of it. I have worked with some of the most inspiring people in the industry and am honoured to have worked in some equally inspiring brewing environments, most recently at the new microbrewery in Burton. The industry is undoubtedly facing testing times, but while we continue to produce iconic beers such as Worthington’s White Shield, young aspiring brewers are guaranteed a fulfilling, rewarding career.”

Wellington was named “Brewer of the Year’ by the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group in 2007 and Guild of British Beer Writers’ Brewer of the Year in 2004.

The nine craft breweries located in Fort Collins, Colorado, will brew a collaboration beer for American Craft Beer Week.

Brewers from C.B. & Potts, Coopersmith’s, Crooked Stave, Equinox, Fort Collins Brewery, Funkwerks, New Belgium, Odell Brewing, and Pateros Creek will get together at two locations on April 22 to brew the beer.

“American Craft Beer Week is all about recognizing and celebrating craft brewers and craft beer culture,” Doug Odell, founder of Odell Brewing Company, said for a press release. “This collaboration lets us do that and have fun making something special for the craft beer drinkers in our hometown community.”

Brewers from each local brewery worked together to create the beer recipe and will participate in two simultaneous brews at Coopersmith’s and Equinox. The finished blend will be poured at each brewery during American Craft Beer Week May 16-22.

The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild (ICBG) stands in opposition to an amendment to Senate Bill 754 that hurts the state’s small brewers.

They’ve asked Illinois residents for their help. Here’s their message:

The amendment, which was supported by beer distributors, places extremely restrictive barrelage caps on craft brewers’ ability to self-distribute their beer, which was previously unlimited before a recent lawsuit involving beer distributors’ interests opposing Anheuser Busch InBev (ABI) interests. Small brewers and beer drinkers are becoming collateral damage.

The amended bill only provides for 7,500 barrels of self-distribution for craft brewers making less than 15,000 barrels a year. By comparison, Goose Island, which was just purchased by ABI, made 130,000 barrels of beer last year, over 8 times the proposed definition of a craft brewer. ICBG calls for a cap of 60,000 barrels of beer to allow for the state’s small brewers to grow their businesses through self-distribution.

The amended bill also strips out valuable language allowing brewpubs to self-distribute a small amount of beer (up to 50,000 gallons). The bill now requires brewpubs to open a second facility in order to self-distribute, which is not economically feasible.

Following the ABI vs. Illinois Liquor Control Commission decision, the Illinois General Assembly faces a court ordered deadline of May 31st to revise the Illinois Liquor Control Act or brewers of all sizes will lose their right to self-distribute their beer. There are currently 40 small brewers in Illinois and approximately 5 new brewers opening each year.

If you want more beer choices in Illinois, please take these three steps TODAY:

1. Call your State Senator (look up who represents you here)
2. Ask them to oppose Senate Bill 754 as amended
3. Tell them you want more, not fewer, beer choices and fair laws for craft brewers in Illinois

Thank you!
Illinois Craft Brewers Guild

Boston Beer Co. announced it will expand its “Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream” program to include craft brewers.

“Our goal with this element of Brewing the American Dream is to support small business owners in our niche of craft brewing who are also facing hurdles around starting or expanding their nano or microbrewery,” Boston Beer founder Jim Koch said.

The company plans to loan $100,000 to small brewers in 2011, and craft brewers can apply for loans that range from $500 to $25,000.

Additionally, Samuel Adams will offer one select brewer the chance to receive a year-long “Brewing & Business Experienceship.” Designed to focus on different aspects of the beer business, the “Experienceship” will provide the brewer extended coaching tailored around his or her specific areas of interest from Samuel Adams employees.

Details on how to apply at are the company website.

Launched in June 2008 in partnership with ACCION USA, the “Brewing the American Dream” program has already loaned $540,000 to 60 businesses – largely in New England – with the goal of reaching $1,000,000 by the end of 2011. Food, beverage and hospitality small business owners can apply for loans to be used for a variety of business purposes including expansion, equipment, and marketing, with all loan payments recycled back into the fund.

The Brewers Association reports that exports of American craft beers increased 28% in 2010.

The BA’s recently-concluded annual export survey revealed that for the eighth consecutive year (representing all years for which data has been collected), U.S. craft beer exports increased substantially. In 2010, BA Export Development Program (EDP) subscribers exported more than 1.8 million gallons of beer.

Canada, Sweden and the UK represent the largest markets for American craft beer.

“The 28 percent increase in the export of U.S. craft beers reflects the increasing consumer thirst across the globe for the world class beers that U.S. craft breweries are creating,” said Brett Joyce, CEO of Rogue Ales and EDP steering committee chair.

The Brewers Association’s Export Development Program began in 2004 with a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Market Access Program. Since its inception, objectives for the Export Development Program have remained unchanged. These include:

* Educating international trade and media about the quality and diversity of products offered by the U.S. craft beer industry and about U.S. craft beer culture.

* Informing member breweries about opportunities for their products in key international target markets.
Complementing the industry’s own efforts to increase international distribution.

* To date, the Export Development Program has successfully promoted its members’ beer in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, China, Japan, Brazil, Philippines, Singapore and Australia.

City Brewing Co. in Wisconsin will buy a Memphis bottling plant, update the facility and begin beer production there this summer.

City is buying the Hardy Bottling facility for $30 million and will invest another $11 million, eventually creating 500 new jobs in Memphis, Mayor A. C. Wharton and company officials said. The company said the new jobs are expected to create an average wage of $41,705 per year and include a benefits package.

City Brewing makes and packages beer, primarily under contract, producing tea and energy drinks for large beverage companies. Parke said the company was looking for a third facility because its other locations in the Wisconsin cities of Latrobe and La Crosse are at or near capacity. The Memphis facility will be renamed Blues City Brewery.

The company is receiving a $5.7 million tax break over 15 years.

The plant was built in 1971 and has been owned by various brewing concerns since. A tornado damaged the plant in February 2008. It currently bottles only non-alcoholic beverages.

Legislation that would reduces the taxes small brewers pay has now been introduced in both chambers of Congress.

The Senate bill, S. 534, was introduced on March 9 by U.S. Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). S. 534 would reduce the small brewer tax rate on the first 60,000 barrels by 50 percent (from $7.00 to $3.50/barrel) and institute a new rate $16 per barrel on beer production above 60,000 barrels up to 2 million barrels. Breweries with an annual production of 6 million barrels or less would qualify for these tax rates.

The Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act, H.R. 1236, was introduced by Representatives Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) and Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.) Tuesday. Like its Senate counterpart, the House’s Small BREW Act would enact a graduated beer excise tax rate of $3.50 and $16.

“With the economy sputtering, Congress must create conditions that allow small businesses to become more competitive, protect existing jobs and create new employment opportunities,” Rep. Gerlach said.

Promoting support for the legislation, Brewers Association president Charlie Papazian said, “The 1,700-plus small American breweries account for about five percent of all the beer enjoyed in the United States and 50 percent of brewery jobs. The bipartisan support the Small BREW Act engenders will help assure a positive impact on agricultural, manufacturing, hospitality and distribution jobs for the future.”

Deschutes Brewery this week announced that it has finalized plans to expand its brewery headquarters in Bend, Oregon. Deschutes will add five fermentation tanks to keep up with growing demand. The brewery will also remodel its tasting rooms and gift shop.

“Demand is rising in our local market and among our loyal fans in the states where we sell our beer,” said Gary Fish, president and founder of Deschutes Brewery. “This expansion is an investment in our future to make sure that we are ready for the increased demand.”

The will create a new building to house the fermentation tanks, a new two-story building that will hold future processing equipment, an electrical control room and new restrooms and showers for the staff. The expansion will allow Deschutes to produce an additional 105,000 barrels per year, along with enhanced processes to continue ensuring beer quality and consistency. This will be the first phase in a two-phase expansion. The second phase will take place in several years and include five more fermentation tanks.

Water and energy efficiencies are built in to the new design, including the installation of a continuous use cleaning system and the addition of a water re-use tank which will save thousands of gallons of water and energy per year. Additional sustainability features include a heated warm rinse tank, which will save hot water and steam for tempering tanks between cycles. The brewery will continue with designs to capture CO2 from the fermenting process and decrease waste to the city sewer system.

Construction on the space is slated to begin mid-May 2011.