Where have all the rock star brewers gone?

The brewer as rock starBecause the first edition of “The Complete Beer Course” was published in 2013 and this is 2023 and the second edition is about to land, it seems natural to look at how the content of the book reflects changes in beer, in brewing and how consumers may view beer.

In reviewing the book and speaking with Bernstein, both David Nilsen and Courtney Iseman both found their way to the subject of brewers as, well to dig back into a popular descriptor in the aughts, rock stars.

“When I think back to 2012, I mean, it was really this era of the brewmaster-end-all-be-all, you know what I mean?” Bernstein told Iseman. “So . . . all the information and all the beer knowledge came forth from them. It was kind of wild. If you think about it back then, the brewmaster as celebrity, that concept was huge. You almost needed these figureheads, I think, to be able to talk about what was happening . . .”

To Nilsen, he said, “The moment in 2013 was really about the brewmaster being exalted. “Back then we all prayed at the altar of Sam Caligione (Dogfish Head) and Garrett Oliver (Brooklyn) and others.”

As this not totally random post from 2008 illustrates, not everybody bought into this.

But it was a real thing, as an article in 2013 by Alan Moen titled “Craft Beer Rock Stars” for American Brewer magazine illustrates. Featured were Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River Brewing; John Maier, Rogue Ales; Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing; and Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.

In 2023, Bernstein chose to include brewery workers like sensory scientist Rachel McKinney at Fremont Brewing and packaging manager Marcus Crabtree at Kings County Brewing Collective. “I really want to give a voice to these people that are in the industry and show people that beer is more than just one single person, that breweries are miniature factories and everybody has different roles, and getting that beer into your hand requires a lot of hard effort and a lot of [teamwork],” he said to Iseman.

What does that mean for the exalted few?

Tod and Cilurzo are in the index of the latest edition; Maier and Calagione are not (although Dogfish Head makes multiple appearances).

Call it coincidence. Photos posted on Instagram from The Brewers Retreat this week prove plenty of fans are still willing to pay to hang out with their brewing heroes.

TWTBWTW: CBC and ‘big beer’ wokeness redux

Lest your think, based on last week’s links, that the Craft Brewers Conference had no redeeming qualities read what Stephanie Grant wrote in her newsletter. She witnessed shining moments as well as the less pleasant ones.

She’s not about to overlook the latter, writing, “But before we look at growth, we must fix the problems within the industry. We have to reduce harm to our most vulnerable members. Otherwise, we will lose incredibly talented people because, frankly, we couldn’t get our shit together.”

– One of the high moments for many was an event to introduce the National Black Brewers Association. The association plans to . . . promote the Black brewing community; increase the number of African Americans in the brewing industry at all levels of production, especially ownership and brewmaster; exercise political influence by developing and advocating for effective policy; and foster an understanding of the history and legacy of African American brewing in the United States.

The organization’s first initiatives will include organizing a National Black Brewers Day celebrated in ten jurisdictions (cities or states) on Oct. 10. The day will recognize Theodore Mack Sr., one of the first first African American brewery owners in the country. Coincidentally, Oct. 10 is Indigenous People’s Day.

Funding for NBBA got off to a good start when Boston Beer company announced it is donating $225,000 to the association.

By the numbers
Belgium suffers humiliation at World Beer Cup with only two awards
The Brussels Times story with the alarmist headline points out the competition had a total of 24 “Belgian-style” beer categories, for which US beers took home most of the prizes. But that was true across the board. US brewers entered 80 percent of the beers and won 87 percent of the medals. In 2018 they won 80 percent of the medals, and in 2022 83 percent. The number of non-US medalist dropped from 51 to 40 between 2022 and 2023. California brewers alone won 53 medals.

Why beer was cheaper in 1516
“According to ZipRecruiter the average wages for a day labourer in Virginia (in 2023) would be $130.88 per day. In terms of purchasing power, a Bavarian day labourer (in 1516)without keep, if he spent a whole day’s wage on beer could buy 18 litres of beer, or 38 16oz pints, while our modern labourer could purchase just shy of 19, basically half as much.”

Your turn, Miller Lite
Women drinking beer clothed
Have all the beers gone woke?
“Think of it this way, whatever your political inclinations: The beers are the drinking buddies you suspect really don’t have your best interests at heart when they suggest you order just one more at the bar before you head home. They’ve been putting all of the rounds on your tab, and are drinking with the other guy at the bar who really irks you.”

Thumbs down
This Beer Was Brewed Specifically for Shoving Up a Chicken’s Butt.
Bad Collaborations
“I’ll throw it to you. Beer Can Chicken Beer: brilliant synergy or embarrassing gaffe?”

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A day in the life
Martyn Cornell writes, “I will gladly put my hand up and say yes, I am a lucky fecker, there are very few other people who will get the opportunity to brew a collaboration beer at one of the best-known breweries, certainly in North America, possibly on the planet. What have I done to deserve it? I’d like to hope researching and writing more than 1.5 million words on the subject of beer and the history of beer over the past 35 and more years, which has bought me much pleasure, a few prizes, but little financial reward, at least entitles me to a jolly occasionally.”

Appalachian Mountain Brewery buys itself back
It doesn’t happen very often, but you can go home again. (It would be fun to know what the owners of AMB received when they sold their brewery in 2018 and what it cost them to buy it back from Anheuser-Busch, wouldn’t it?) In 1995, Miller Brewing bought Shipyard Brewing. In 2000, Miller sold the brewery back to its original owners. In 2003, I talked to principals Fred Forsley and Alan Pugsley about their experience for an article that appeared in The New Brewer.

Asked about the future (remember, 20 years ago), Forsley said, “I think there are going to be larger regionals that are successful and I think there are going to be smaller breweries that do well. In other words, I don’t think the middle size breweries will be there, that it’s difficult to survive. I think there’s room for people who are doing it for the love of beer, but not to have a growing business. But I think the economics are difficult for some of the people in the middle. The reality of life is that if you want to grow you have to feed the growth machine. You can stay small and be successful and be very happy, and I encourage that.”

Read this week’s beer links at your own risk

The Craft Brewers Conference happened last week in Nashville, with the not so shocking revelation that “To appeal to the younger generation—and female and BIPOC drinkers, in particular—breweries will need to take a hard look at what they’re doing.”

To appeal to female and BIPOC drinkers are words that will haunt the Brewers Association until something changes. What went wrong has been documented, so far, on Twitter and Instagram. The blowback is still blowing hard. I’ve tried to assemble a few of them in an order that makes sense.

Max Finnance wrote on Instagram:
“I had a (mostly) great time over the past week in Nashville hanging out with so many of my favorite people, but it came with some real lows. Lots of folks were less lucky.

“There are some amazing people at the @brewersassoc, including at least a few I consider friends, but organizationally I believe the BA is failing us as an industry. There seems to be a willful disconnect between its ‘identity’ as a trade organization and its mission to make Craft Beer a community welcoming to all. The desire to appease all members makes bad actors feel comfortable, and becomes hostile to the folks I most want to feel welcome at the table. If you left CBC ‘revitalized about working in the best industry in the world,’ you have your head in the sand. We have a terribly long way to go.

“I’ll be doing the work to help make this a better space, I hope you’ll join me.”

“Beyond offensive.”

“This industry is to incredibly broken.” Listen to everything Ren Navarro has to say. “The outrage you feel today is the outrage you should feel every day.” Read the highlights she put together.

“We demand more from an organization that leads our industry.” This is the sort of action that is needed.

“We highly encourage other breweries and attendees to ask for the same accountability directly with the BA to share their concerns as dues-paying members. There is power in our numbers and in performing direct action.” With a letter that shows how to do it.

Last month I wrote, “It’s not my goal to find less pleasant stories to balance the feel good ones, but some weeks that is pretty easy.” There were stories last week that you might label “feel good,” but by the time the week ended nothing felt very good.

TWTBWTW: Typicity, beer styles & all that jazz

Jaaz funeral parade at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

In the wine world, when talking about grapes, it is only a “matter of time until the notion of typicity comes up.”

Of course, wine is more dependent on a singular ingredient than beer. D’oh. But there is more to wine than grapes, and talking about typicity gets quickly complicated. Immerse yourself, if you will, or simply consider this, with two suggested changes in brackets.

“There are trends that influence and change wine [beer] styles in every region and with almost every grape [ingredient]; I think the older we get the more natural it is for us to shun new trends when the reality is we have been a part of all sorts of trends, and many have come before us.”

In the revised edition of “The Complete Beer Course” (ships in June), Josh Bernstein writes, “In the beer world, there’s an ongoing hullabaloo about the utility of style. Why do beers have to fit within neatly defined parameters? Short answer: they don’t. To me, styles prove their worth as a general framework, a reference point for discussion and a launch bad for endless future innovation.”

So it seems timely that Jeff Alworth posted this Thursday: “I’ve gone on and on [my note: indeed], so I’ll summarize and end this. Styles are not something actual, they’re a linguistic convenience. Beers are constantly changing, so any term will be a snapshot in time, and the more specific that term is (robust porter versus brown porter), the quicker it will stop describing what we find in the marketplace. And finally, there are far, far better ways to understand beers than as a catalogue of names with their associated stats.”

We spent 30 or so hours during the last four days at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, surrounded by our favorite music genres. Not once in the Blues Tent did I stop to think about the 44 blues sub-genres listed here, certainly not while listening to a zydeco version of “Rockin’ Robin.” Or if the music qualified as traditional or authentic. Or if it had to adhere to tradition to be authentic.

This is a place where “trad jazz” has its own tent. In a city where jazz funerals are an integral part of its culture. (The photo at the top is from the parade at Jazz Fest celebrating the life of Walter “Wolfman” Washington.) And one where there is always something new (that includes food as well as music).

We’ve been coming to Jazz Fest since 1990, although not every year, and change is constant. We’ve never seen anything as spectacular as what Jon Baptiste put together Saturday. He was joined on stage by “30-odd members of his St. Augustine High School alma mater’s Marching 100, the Gospel Soul Children choir, the four members of The Boyz pow-wow band, his own band, four dancers and a couple of dudes painted gold.”

To return to typicity and beer styles, I spend little time thinking about competition categories. I look at them when I judge, and for the record, the BJCP guidelines are much broader, inclusive if you will, than they once were. I’m more interested in the process that results in excellent beer, past and future tense.

Sentences that include “I think the older we get the more natural it is for us to shun new trends when the reality is we have been a part of all sorts of trends” make me stop and think. Saturday, when Jon Baptiste yelled “jump,” I saw plenty of people almost as old as I am leap into the air, raise their hands and sing “freedom” along with him.

Let’s be honest, music has magic powers that beer does not. Still, talking about music, beer, or even Texas barbecue, tradition and categories aren’t what muzzle creativity.

What sets it free? Place seems to play a role.

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Nobody Cares About Sustainable Beer. And, just like that, I feel like a nobody. Seriously, I know many brewers who do care. They are waiting for consumers to catch up.

Craft, or artisanal? “I am perfectly happy to own the possibility that this mindset is purely a VelkyAl thing.”

Beer’s Most Despised Glasses: Are the Shaker and Teku Really That Bad? Exactly my thought before I even started reading the story: “Neither are worthy of much loathing (I mean, they’re just glasses, people).”

Cask culture for the future. “Accessible, consistent beers. We’ve never chased the latest faddish trends, with no disrespect to those breweries that do… but that’s just not our style.” Citra and Galaxy hops once screamed innovative, and they still can be used that way. But it seems Fuggle may serve a similar purpose.

Pub etiquette. The story begins, “Two men get up, put on their coats, and slip out of the door. They leave two pint glasses on the table, each with less than an inch of beer.” Read on.

Craft Beer Investor Psychology. “It sounds unfathomable to be investing in craft beer right now with the economy such a question mark and breweries having surpassed their saturation point, but that’s exactly how market psychology works.”

Strange brew: Why negative branding is fueling the craft beer industry. Finally, I missed this last month while traveling. There are some fact issues – “in 2011 there were zero taprooms and 1.4 million micro-breweries in the U.S. and by 2021 those numbers had grown to 2 million taprooms and 4.5 million micro-breweries.” Huh? But it’s amusing to read hypothesizing from outside the bubble.

Australian hop production increases 9.9%

Australian hop fields

Hop Products Australia announced that its farms harvested 9.9 percent more hops in 2023 than 2022. HPA produces most of the hops grown in Australia, including proprietary varieties such as Galaxy, Vic Secret and Eclipse.

Overall, growers picked 1,821 metric tons (about 4 million pounds). For perspective, farmers in the American Northwest harvested more than 45,800 metric tons in 2022, about 25 times more.

(More perspective: Citra production was 17 million pounds despite low yields because of weather conditions, and Citra accounts for almost 17 percent of the Northwest crop. HPA produced about 2.4 million pounds of Galaxy, 60 percent of its crop. Oregon farmers harvested almost as much Strata in 2022; a number that will be lower in 2023 because as much as 30 percent of Strata acreage is being idled).

HPA recently expanded acreage and production capacity, and the 2023 increase reflect plants reaching commercial maturity. Gains would have been greater were it not for a third consecutive La Niña weather pattern. Below average temperatures and above average rainfall early in the growing season slowed plant growth. Record low levels of solar radiation for the fourth straight year also impacted maturity.

A press release states that a portion of this year’s crop will be reserved for commissioning a new production facility in Victoria. “This will allow us to double our current processing capacity while retaining higher average oils in the finished pellets at a lower average HSI.” said Owen Johnston, head of sales and marketing.

HPA expects this will result in an increase in quality, a reduced spread of analytical data, and more consistent performance in beer. Unstated is the fact that some brewers have complained about the inconsistent quality of Galaxy.

Farmers harvested 1,096 metric tons of Galaxy (+8.8%), 320 (+10.3%) of Vic Secret, and 161 (+70%) of newcomer Eclipse. A metric ton equals 2,204 pounds.

Average oil content was equal or above the five-year average for all proprietary varieties. Content increased about 20 percent in Eclipse, to 3.2 mL/100g on average. “Eclipse had a particularly strong showing that should lead to an exceptional year of performance in beer,” Johnston said.