monday links

First up, this is not a place for breaking beer news. I like to think the RSS feeds I subscribe keep me in touch without paying much attention to social media. Thus I was surprised Sunday to come across the news, from several days earlier, that co-founder Marcus Baskerville is stepping away from Weathered Souls Brewery in San Antonio. So surprised that I did a quick search on X and saw only a single mention.

Here’s the news. The co-founder and head brewer who was the force behind the Black is Beautiful beer initiative that has raised millions of dollars will be doing something else soon. He told MySA “he’ll open up about his next steps, once he’s ready.”

LEDE OF THE WEEK

In 2010, U.S. craft beer was hurtling fast toward the mainstream. Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione had a reality show on the Discovery Channel, New York Magazine was writing about saison, and the Brewers Association was shifting its outreach into high gear with new advocacy campaigns. But as it gained popularity, craft beer remained a mostly white, mostly male business. In Chicago, a small brewery was a decade ahead of its time in trying to change that.

. . .

But 14 years after the dream of 5 Rabbit was born, its beers are just a memory.

— From “Chasing Rabbits — What Happened to the Latin American-Inspired Brewery in the U.S.?”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I have a theory about hip-hop, which is that you have to keep coming up with new theories.”

— This is actually a line from Questlove’s new book, “Hip-Hop Is History,” but let’s treat it as if he said it and then replace “hip-hop” with “beer.” Something to talk about next session at the pub.

DID SOMEBODY SAY CASK?

It appears that many words were spilled after Jeff Alworth asked What if CAMRA Had Valued Quality Over Romance? The nut:

Read more

Evan Rail writes about the size of the drink industry’s carbon footprint. Huge. “But don’t despair,” he writes, “there are ways to fix the carbon impacts of the drinks we love.”

And if this report is to be believed, beer drinkers are willing to help. In a survey of 3,500 drinkers, almost half said they would pay up to 30 percent more for a more sustainably produced beer.

More than 60 percent said “that the sustainability of their beer now directly affected their choices in pubs, bars and supermarkets. 80 percent believe that reducing waste is relevant to sustainable beer production, 76 percent cite a reduction in energy and 63 percent also note the importance of reducing water use.”

Pardon my skepticism, but a 30 percent increase makes a $7.50 pint (when you can find one at the price) at $9.75 pint. What if the question had been put to them that way? I am reminded about discussions with hop merchants and their efforts to sell more sustainable hops. “In our experience, brewers are interested in the information and want to support the general notion of sustainability. But, it’s a very rare brewer/brewery that will actually let this influence what varieties they use,” said Indie Hops co-founder Jim Solberg.

TAKING THE BAIT

Jeff Alworth writes that he is setting “set forth compiling a modern-day version of the Book of Lists here, on the subject of beer.” Is he serious, is this different from listicles like one about “overrated hazy IPAs” linked to below? But he started with hops, so how can I not comment?

I’m not above trying these exercises in the privacy of my mind, or even within a group of drinking companions. I get asked what my favorite hop might be all the time. Once, nearly six years ago, Jeff and I were in a group sharing beers at the Benedictine Brewery below the Mount Angel Abbey. I came up with a list of the “most significant” hops in history, based on the influence they played across time. (Sounds presumptuous, doesn’t it?)

Read more