Today Don Russell compares the Miller Lite Brewers Collection to Kenny G.
I’ve previously written something similar about Coors Blue Moon White Ale and Peter, Paul & Mary.
The difference would be that I was arguing Peter Paul & Mary are authentic, and Don is making no such case for Kenny G. Just that his stuff sells. […]

Don Barkley, arguably the closest active link to America’s original microbrewery, is returning to small-scale brewing. The North Bay Business Journal has the scoop.
Visionaries from Mendocino County are looking to break down the walls between fine wine and craft beer in wine country. Don Barkley, a legend in U.S. craft brewing, left his post as […]

No surprise. The Brewers Association announced craft beer sales we up 12% in 2007, pretty much the same numbers that IRI revealed last week.
The story is here, but I wanted to draw your attention to this nifty looking chart. Much cooler than my photo with pieces of change earlier this week.

We can niggle about the […]

Continuing from yesterday, you and I will not determine if one or all three of the beers in the Miller Lite Brewers Collection survives testing and ultimately thrives or not. Light beer drinkers, or consumers not currently drinking beer, will.
Presumably it will be on flavor, but certainly marketing will be a factor. The other day […]

That’s us on the right. The nickel, if for some reason you can’t see the image.
Those are the light beer drinkers on the left. The two quarters.
If you had something to sell which group would you market to?
The context for this question is that tomorrow I’ll have details about the Miller Lite Brewers Collection […]

I’ve been waiting for “jolly” Lauren Clark’s wonderful column in the current Ale Street News to pop up online, so I could point you to it: The Pink Elephant in the Room.
She begins: “Ever notice that beer writers never talk about getting drunk?”
And concludes (among other things): “And so we’ve been policed, and have policed […]

When Stephen Beaumont commented yesterday that “the Italians are currently at a crossroads between innovation and expertise” I don’t think he was talking about quality control. It’s something to consider, though, given that most of these breweries haven’t been around 10 years, so they are focused on figuring out flavors rather than packaging.
I stand by […]

The Italians are coming. The Italians are coming.
If all he hype is correct then Birrificio is going to become part of any good beer geek’s vocabulary. Cancel that trip to Wallonia; I’m headed to Piedmont.
Goodness. These things happen quickly. Just a little over two years ago during the Great American Beer Festival the Brewers Association […]

“Craft” beer sales were way up in 2007. No matter how you want to define “craft” beer we already knew the numbers were going to be good, but the news is still a joy. Details in a moment.
What about 2008? What about the rising cost of ingredients forcing brewers to raise prices just at a […]

When Avery Brewing founder Adam Avery passes through Albuquerque he usually stops at Chama River Brewing, not only because it’s handy to Interstate 25 but because he likes the beers, particularly the hop-accented ones. Try to look surprised.
Last April I met him there for dinner about a week before the Craft Brewers Conference in Austin. […]