Jeff Alworth and Betsy Lay in conversation at Lady Justice Brewing.
This past week in her Hugging the Bar newsletter, Courtney Iseman expressed frustration with beer consumers who continue to support toxic breweries. She also suggests that there are many beer influencers act who should act more responsibly. A code of conduct for influencers — now, that’s an interesting idea.
But to return to the question she asks, “How do we get [consumers] to give a shit?”
Spoiler alert, her suggestion: “All I can think of right now is just to keep the conversation going. Because I do know so many people, who have nothing to do with craft beer and so don’t know all “the news and updates, but who love drinking it, who have been immediately receptive upon learning about issues with certain breweries. So, whenever you’re not too utterly exhausted, keep spreading the word and steering friends and family away from the baddies and toward the breweries and brands contributing to a better industry for all.”
If a change it going to come, that must be part of it. To that end, links to three posts worth talking about:
– An article — published in Civic Eats, so outside the beer bubble — to print out and keep for reference purposes. It is time to help make sure Betsy Lay is right when she says, “The door has been opened. It’s going to be very hard to shut it now.” That’s Lay at the top beside “The Beer Bible” author Jeff Alworth. Alworth was at Lady Justice, where Lay makes the beer, as part of a book tour promoting the second edition of his book. Not surprisingly, the conversation turned to just this topic. The next day, Alworth posted this:
– “When breweries behave badly like Mikkeller has, I put them in a mental penalty box. I won’t write about them nor visit their pubs nor drink their beer. I often see fans complain that such breweries shouldn’t have their businesses destroyed; they deserve an opportunity to improve. In some cases, companies should quietly go away (no brewery is too precious to fail), but mostly this is accurate. But a company with toxic culture no longer gets the benefit of the doubt. They have to do the work and demonstrate real change. It’s not “cancelling” a brewery, it’s holding them accountable for behavior they admit was wrong.
– Breeze Galindo has initiated the Other Half Women’s Forum at the Brooklyn brewery with a cult following. “Other Half has a very dude-ish vibe,” she says. “The women’s forum is like a bat signal. It catches your attention.”
Hyperlocalism
A prediction from Trey Malone, an assistant professor in the Michigan State University agricultural: “I think craft beer over time will become more synonymous with hyperlocalism. Most of those small breweries are basically bars that make their own beer. It’s like we’re going back to the 1800s.” Hmmm. There are thousands of brewery owners who think there is a space between hyper local and Sierra Nevada for them.
Lager Lager Lager Lager
When Goose Island Beer Company, not the first post-New Albion brewery in Chicago but the most influential, opened in 1988, lagers accounted for more than 70 percent of its sales. Then they didn’t. Now, “After years in the shadows, lagers leap to the forefront of Chicago’s brewing scene.”
Made in Maine
– Malt [via Good Beer Hunting]
– Hops [via Gorham made]
Just because
Passing this along as a reminder that NPR writes about beer-ish things that occur outside the craft beer bubble.
Ancient beer pairing
Blue cheese and beer.
The driest state
In Arkansas, 34 out of 75 counties are dry, meaning it is illegal to sell alcoholic beverages in them. This story is full of nuggets to share over a beer. Two examples: a) Studies have found that dry counties in places like Arkansas and Kentucky have higher rates of alcohol-related fatalities than wet counties. b) In 2012, Walmart had thrown its weight behind a campaign to turn dry counties in its home state wet — and even with more money than God, it lost.
Beergame App
Not a drinking game, but a teaching tool.
Always for pleasure
“There’s no word on whether (Tesla Giga Bier) will be self-drinking, but let’s hope not. That wouldn’t be any fun.” [Via Texas Monthly]