Archive for January, 2008

‘Fried beer’ and hedge fund beer picks

Thursday, January 31st, 2008

Super Bowl Sunday could be called “National Beer Day,” according to one press release, because an estimated $12 million will be spent on beer for consumption before and during the game day.
Much of the discussion centers around Budweiser and Bud Light, since Anheuser-Busch is the Super Bowl’s biggest advertiser. And Miller has co-opted some of [...]

Why beer blogs are good even when things suck

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

Jens Dalsgaard puts it this way at Nanobryg: This is the end of Ølfabrikken.
Dalsgaard’s take on Gourmetbryggeriet acquiring the remaining 50% of Ølfabrikken is pretty despressing.
Look, I don’t care if I never drink another bottle of Ølfabrikken Porter (though I know just where to find several). I’m not thinking first about my beer drinking convenience. [...]

Gordon Biersch X 4: Compare and contrast

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008

“Brew” Blog reports that Costco has received label application approval to sell three beers under the Kirkland brand name.
This has all kind of implications. In brief:
- Costco is a poster child for “trading up.” You go there to buy products you are brand agnostic about in bulk (often the dependable Kirkland brand), leaving you money [...]

Hofbräuhaus Double Bock revisited

Monday, January 28th, 2008

Gee, I wish I’d received the press release before we were in Las Vegas and I went looking for a doppelbock to try for The Session rather than a few days ago.

For the second straight year, the Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas is pouring a draft beer that is truly special – even by the standards of [...]

Monday morning musing: A case for Mild

Monday, January 28th, 2008

Lots of catching up to do after a wonderful time in balmy St. Paul, Minn. Great beers, not so good beers. More important, great conversations and stories, not all of them about beer.
So just one bit of musing, then off to all that e-mail. First stop Thursday was The Muddy Pig in St. Paul, [...]

Women and beer: Let’s ask a woman

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008

I’m not sure (and neither is he) how Stephen Beaumont’s BeerTrends for 2008 #3: Chicks Dig Beer is going to turn out, but it looks like writing about marketing to women is a trend in the making. Witness:
- “6 women, 6 decades, 6 beers,” at brewvana, which is not about marketing but how women perceive [...]

Chances are the beer will be cold

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

You can decide what this might mean. And “nothing” is an OK answer.
Lew Bryson writes that he’s off to Miami, where he and Stephen Beaumont are both making presentations to beer industry members at the Cheers Beverage Conference. That’s Miami, as in Florida.
I, on the other hand, soon will be bound for Minneapolis-St. Paul, as [...]

Monday morning musing: Czech reality check

Monday, January 21st, 2008

I had planned to muse on women and beer this morning — it seems like such a pleasant way to begin the week. But that’s going to have to wait.
We start with good news for the Beer Blogosphere: Roger Protz has started blogging. (Thanks to Jeff Bell for the heads up.)
Protz’s credentials are impeccable, and [...]

New Beer Rule #8: More beer, less analysis

Sunday, January 20th, 2008

NEW BEER RULE #8: Always take beer more seriously than yourself.
This needs little explanation.
But to be clear, this is a beer rule. Not a life or work rule. The alternative version goes like this: Ask yourself if it’s the beer you are taking too seriously or yourself.
The rule popped into my mind not long after [...]

How expensive are hops? They’re on eBay

Friday, January 18th, 2008

We should have seen this coming. The “hops crisis” has reached the point that hops are up for sale on eBay.
Forget the bottles of Stone Epic Vertical and Lost Abbey Angel’s Share. Now you can buy the pure stuff. Just rip open the package and stick your nose in (somewhat like the drawing on the [...]