The Stylebusters guide to Köln and it’s iconic Kölsch

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Brother Spargealot

Let’s be honest…at this point I am documenting our travels and experiences because at some point I probably won’t remember much about anything. Köln (or Cologne for us ‘Mericans) is a beautiful and tourist laden city on the Rhine known for, among many other things, having the tallest cathedral on the planet. It is also the birthplace of a particular style of hoppy, refined and normally very clear top fermented beer (ale) that bucks the trend in a country teeming with lagers. Technically the only Kölsch made anywhere on the planet has to be made within 50km of the city and according to specific brewing practices outlined in the Kölsch Konvention as defined by the members of the Cologne Brewery Association (Kölner Brauerei-Verband). In practice breweries all over the world make their own version of the beer and still call it Kölsch. What was interesting to me however is that many of the Kölsch I have had in countries outside of Germany haven’t varied much. They were all extremely pale, very lightly hopped and with moderate fruity esters from yeast strains that seem fairly standard. In Köln the beers sampled varied significantly in color, malt character, yeast signature, degree of attenuation and even hop bitterness. Some had mineral attributes possibly from the water supply or additions, others had some minor sulphur notes to remind you about the lagering process. All were unique and different, something I cant really say about many I’ve had in the US. If you go you might consider reading up on the etiquette and try to learn a few German phrases, the effort will pay off.

So on to the tour and my notes:

Gaffel:

Gaffel am Dom where it was served is newish and touristy, but the waiter was surprisingly nice. Our first stop and in the tourist center near the Rhine. The beer was bright, light straw with a very low SRM. Taste was slightly bitter, effervescent, moderate but perceptible floral esters, and exceedingly easy to drink. Residual bitterness lingered in aftertaste, but not in a bad way. Also perceived a little graininess later but again it wasn’t distracting.  Price for the quickly replaced 20cl was Euro 2.

Früh:

Tourist heavy, extensive number of rooms, nice ambiance. Service was fine until we put our coasters on the glasses, then it was a good 30 minutes and no eye contact, so I had to get in front of him to ask for the bill. The beer was significantly less bitter, SRM was possibly lighter, very effervescent, but subjectively it lacked much character and was perhaps my least favorite of all the ones we sampled. 20cl for Euro 1.90.

Peters:

Nicest and most “authentic” look and feel of any of the places we visited in the tourist zone. Beer was floral, but also malty. The body was a little heavy (almost flabby) compared to the last two. It still had some bitterness to balance but definitely a heavier expression. 20cl was I think Euro 2.15 – I lost track and almost no one takes credit cards in Germany.

Pfaffen:

Nice place to escape the crowds on some days. Very cute and cozy little place with carved wood paneling and weird statue tables. The beer was more lager-like than the others, definitely not malt forward. Some sulphur on the nose which purists might knock but I enjoyed. It seemed very sessionable. Subjectively it tied for first with Gaffel. 20cl for Euro 2…I think.

Mühlen:

It’s somewhat confusing but if you see the Malzmühl brewery hotel that’s the place. Nice place with a homey environment, stained glass windows depicting local churches etc, sufficiently far away from the tourists. The Malz Mühlen is malty, less bitter at first but more so when it warms, somewhat spicy hops nose borders on very faint phenols, not off putting but in aroma perhaps it could be for some people.  Subjectively nice and balanced but not a favorite. 20cl for Euro 1.90.

Reissdorf:

Nice place but it’s a fairly long walk from the Rhine and the tourists (thankfully). The beer was fresh, balanced, fuller bodied and malt forward. There was moderate hop derived character perceived on the nose. Definitely among the top samples we had. 20cl for Euro 1.70.

Scion:

Tasted on a ship in the Rhine – it’s made elsewhere. It was minerally, with fewer esters than other examples. Seemingly clean but not a standout subjectively.

Sünner:

The rather large brewery and keller is a long hike from the center but you can take the tram. The beer was brilliantly clear with somewhat more pronounced esters that seemed very floral. Also a minerally lager like character that was nice. A little heavier in body than some examples but the effervescence and carbonic acid compensated. Served in 30cl in the biergarten and both 20cl for Euro 1.70 and 30cl for Euro 2.60 in the Keller. They also had a nice bock that was Euro 1 for 20cl.

 

OK, that’s it. Maybe someone other than myself will read this one day, but honestly I don’t really care. At least I now know that what we think is a style in the US is once again pure fantasy. Prost!

 

Posted in Beery Happenings Beyond | Comments Off on The Stylebusters guide to Köln and it’s iconic Kölsch

The Sevilla Craft Beer Scene, a nascent surprise. Vale?

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Brother Spargealot

Taplist at Hops and Dreams

Not long ago it was difficult to find anything but the ubiquitous local pilsner Cruzcampo in Seville. If you were lucky you might stumble upon a bar that bucked the local trend and carried Grenada’s Alhambra pilsner (my personal favorite among the lagers of Spain). However, while it is very true that craft beer selection diminishes as you head South on the Iberian peninsula, the region as a whole is quickly adding new breweries and beer bars that cater to both tourists and a local population of mostly young people that are clamoring for a wider variety of beers. Don’t get me wrong Cruzcampo is actually much better than any American light lager, malty with a pronounced hop bitterness and $1 to $1.50 a caña (roughly 10oz) its fine with tapas at El Rinconcillo. Also don’t forget Southern Spain is home to fantastic wines including riojas and Jerez (sherry) along with other fortified wines such as Manzanilla and Vermouth, which are dirt cheap when compared to the Americas or the rest of Europe. However, if you are searching for craft beer I have a few recommendations. Most of the quality establishments are located on the North side of town within easy walking distance from each other with a few scattered but within walking distance.

 

In the Alameda de Hercules area –

Taplist at Bier Kraft

Bierkraft – A very relaxed corner bar that is dog friendly inside and out with a very well maintained tap list and several coolers of quality cans and bottles including everything from Cantillon to Cloudwater, Garage, etc. It is also one of the places that stay open in the afternoons and closes late.

Gigante Bar – This one is on the Alameda, which is a wide pedestrian area that gets crazy at night. They have a good bottle selection and a large patio area.

Maquila Bar – The town’s only brewpub which normally has three or four of their own beers on as well as several guest taps. Their food menu is very good as well. Be aware that they close during the afternoons as do many bars and restaurants. There is a single cooler with bottles and cans but no list so you have to look.

A very peaty well made Imperial Stout from Laugar at Hops and Dreams

Hops and Dreams – This was my feel-good place in Seville. Perhaps it was the half liters of unfiltered Pilsner Urquel for $4 or the various Garage beers they rotated through, or maybe it was the fact they stocked a number of great local Spanish imperial stouts in bottles. Ultimately it was that and the people who were extremely nice and informative, especially the owner Nasho. It’s a great place the local beer people stop in. While there I was fortunate to meet two local craft brewers.

 

In the Encarnacion area (just South) –

Viriato (aka Guevara & Lynch) – A decent tap wall with a few boring options as well as four or five more interesting options along with a well stocked beer fridge with options that are once again not on any lists. Nice atmosphere and centrally located with a varied food menu as well.

El Gallo Rojo – Walk out from Viriato and turn left and you are there, it is attached. From what I can tell it’s a co-operative workspace with a bar. Comfortable but rudimentary surroundings, no bottles at all (they are working on getting a fridge), but some good draft choices. Just be aware for the entire month we were there they never changed what was listed on their chalk drawn board and had to recite every beer they had on tap (maybe their wielder of chalk was on vacation all month).

La Jeronima – A bookstore, coffee shop and bar with a few good selections on draft and a small bottle selection with a very laid back Bohemian feel.

La Linterna Ciega – On a main pedestrian artery that leads towards the tourist area you will find this little gem tucked away with a few tables outside and a decent sized interior with a good tap selection and a small bottle fridge.

 

Further South and Near the Cathedral –

Cerveceria Internacional – Good draft list but it includes a lot of mainstream options most jaded beer snobs might find boring and the same goes for the bottle list, although within each you can probably find something you haven’t had. The place itself is great if you like old beer memorabilia. From what I gather this was the first beer bar in the city.

Lartesana – In the Sta. Catalina area. Neighborhood bar frequented mainly by locals with 6 good taps (okay one was Estrella) and a fair number of bottles. The kind of semi-dive like place I like.

Very far out (as in get a taxi or Uber) – Rio Azul is the only brewery in town with a taproom (at the moment). It would be a very long walk from downtown, but it’s a short drive. The beers were mostly IPAs and while none were infected or flawed in a  big way we agreed all could use work. I hate to say it but the journey wasn’t worth it. In the future look for Hecatombe to open a tap room. In my opinion they made the best well rounded craft beer in the region and are the ones to watch. Otherwise you will find lots of beers from the North of Spain including Garage and Laugar that are world class.

Bottles at Bier Kraft

Posted in Beery Happenings Beyond, Blogroll | Comments Off on The Sevilla Craft Beer Scene, a nascent surprise. Vale?

A Subjective and Purely Biased Guide to Prague Beer

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Brother Spargealot

Tour guides will tell you the citizens of the Czech Republic drink the most beer per capita and it’s easy to understand why. After all this is the country where a German Brewmaster created the beer that made Plsn famous and inspired the most popular “style” on the planet. After making a name for itself producing what are essentially smash beers (“pilsner” malt and hops from Zatec) visitors might be surprised to learn that the country and Prague in particular are now home a diverse range of beer encompassing everything from some of the best lagers in the world to American style IPAs and barrel aged imperial stouts.

We first visited Prague in the late 1990s, a time when beer variety took the form of varying strength pale lagers. Budvar and Pilsner Urquell along with a few others offered mostly light colored pilsners differentiated by degrees plato indicating starting gravity. While many breweries still denote differences in their lagers the same way, others (mainly non-traditional craft brewers) are now simply listing beer styles such as IPA, stout, wheat, etc instead.  Stay vigilant for Uneticke if you like pilsners and names like Raven, Matuska and Falcon among many others if you are into craft. We also tried some really interesting Russian craft beer you probably wont see outside of Eastern Europe including beers by AF from St Petersburg. A half liter of great pilsner made by small regional breweries was about US $1.50 to $2 while most high quality craft offerings ranged from US $2 to $4 for 0.3L servings. Also keep in mind many bars take reservations so it sometimes appears there are few places to sit, but ask and the servers will often try to accommodate you. Today Prague is home to a very large number of excellent breweries and beer bars producing all kinds of beer and the list below includes some of my favorites.

B= Brewery

P= Pub

 

Hradcany and Mala Strana:

Strahov (B) – One of two Monasteries (along with Brevnov) within easy reach of Old Town that produce their own beer on site. In addition to very high quality light and dark lagers, at the time we were there they also had a very nice Spring lager as well as a solid IPA on tap. Take the tram to Brevnov (see below) then back track to Strahov before wandering down towards the castle and the hoards of tourists as you near the river.

Brevnov (B) – The other Monastery brewery mentioned above normally attracts fewer tourists but also serves very solid largers as well as ales. Wander around the beautiful grounds before moving on.

Letna Beer Garden (P)– Best view of Prague bar none, shared with countless others during the weekend but who cares, beers at the kiosk near the main beer garden are limited to Gambrinus, Kozel, Master and Pilsner Urquell, but you can find Staropramen dark, light as well as the unfiltered version at a bar about 5 minutes East across the park

U Hrocha (B) – If you find yourself near the castle and want an authentic pub this certainly fits the bill, although seating is very limited and they only serve Pilnes Urquell.

 

Old Town:

U Tri Ruzi (B) – Multi level brewpub that somehow isn’t usually inundated with tourists serving traditional food and several well made lagers and occasional seasonal such as a Belgian strong dark while we were there.

U Kunstatu (P) – Somewhat pricey beer bar with flights of both draft and also craft bottles. Visit the ancient basement.

U Zlateho Tigre (P) – Nostalgic Pilsner Urquell bar located right in the middle of things and near the two places listed above. Sit down and they will bring fresh PU until you scream for them to stop.

Lod Pivovar (B) –A brewpub on a boat moored at the North end of Old Town serving four or five varied lagers and a full menu.

Pivovar Hostomicke (B/P) – Small outlet for Hostomicke beers made by the brewery located outside of the city. They serve three beers, two pale lagers and a dark lager. Escape the tourists crowds and enjoy some of the (subjectively) best lagers in the country.

U Supa (B) – Very touristy and surprisingly modern given its history. The beer was good but not outstanding.

T-Anker (P) – Head to the top of a soviet era department store for some of the best views of Prague to be had while sipping local craft beer.

Prague Beer Museum (P) – Not the one in the tourist center that’s a rip off, this one is near the river. Decent number of taps but only a few are rotating. Attracts a fair number of tourists.

 

New Town:

U Medvidku (B) –  Expansive brewpub with a labyrinth like layout serving Budvar beers as well as their own. Their own beer can be inconsistent – on one visit both the dark lager had pronounced acetaldehyde issues while on another visit several weeks later both the light and dark lagers were spot on with no perceived flaws.

U Fleku (B) – Probably the most renowned tourist attracting brewpub in the city serving one beer, a dark lager. Beer and food can be pricey here and watch out for the waiters who will push you to buy Becherovka and Mead shots that cost more than the half liters of beer. Also noted one tried to charge us for an extra beer on one visit.

Pivovar DUM (B)- One of the oldest craft brewpubs in the city that will remind America visitors of TGI Fridays, although the beers are good and often inventive. Try the green nettle beer.

Illegal Beer (P) – Small craft beer bar with a large number of taps as well as a modest bottle selection. Closed Sundays.

Craft House (P) – Very small hole in the wall with a solid but modest tap list of mainly local craft beer.

Mrtva Ryba (P) – Student bar with several mainstays on draft and often 3 rotating taps along with a good selection of distilled spirits at affordable prices.

U Sumavy (P) – Great locals place with a good selection of Czech beers including many you wont see elsewhere along with traditional food in an authentic setting.

Nubeerbar (P) – Good selection of 20 taps in what may seem like a Russian money laundering operation but they also have hamburgers and a decent bottle selection

Kulovy Blesk (P) – Make a reservation if you want to eat. Good selection with lots of local breweries represented in an interesting space with a closed in patio.

20 PIP (P) – Really well done beer bar with 21 taps plus bottles on two floors. Seems to attract a lot of Russians.

Maly/Velky (P) – Chill hole in the wall basement bar with about 8 rotating taps and a curated bottle selection with a few interesting finds.

 

Vinohrady and points East:

Tramway (P) – Awesome place that is well off the tourist track at end of tram 11…seriously step off and you’re at the front door

Zly Casy (P) – One of the first and still one of the best beer bars in town with several bars all serving different beers. They often have Uneticke 12, which many consider one of the best pilsners being produced today. Off tram 11 line which makes it convenient for a pub crawl that includes tramway.

U Cerife (P) – Traditional pub near Beergeek that is one of the last serving Kout na Sumave (sometimes).

Beergeek (P/B) – Fantastic beer bar with knowledgeable servers that can get quite busy on the weekends for good reason.  Look for the Siberian line of craft beer made by the owners.

Beergeek Bottle Shop (P) – Near the bar listed above carrying one of the best selection of bottles in town along with a few draft selections.

Bad Flash (P/B)– About 12 taps of good beers including lots of craft including some they make, very nice bottle selections behind the bar. Vibrant area

Day Trips:

If you go to Plsn visit U Parkanu – the only pub serving unfiltered PU outside of the brewery that I’m aware of

Posted in Beery Happenings Beyond | Comments Off on A Subjective and Purely Biased Guide to Prague Beer

CAMRA Collie Shangles*

Posted on February 6, 2018 by Brother Spargealot

There is a “raging” debate going on across the pond among CAMRA members (along with many non-members) regarding what is to become of the stodgy institution initially tasked with saving real ale in the UK back in the 1970s. Although the organization saw its membership climb in the last decade to roughly 185,000 members it struggled to find a purpose as the number of new breweries in the country skyrocketed. Members started to clamor for kegged beers and more ciders at festivals. Breweries ridiculed the rigid enforcement of their cask-only stance when it came to local production.  All of this came to a head as CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) undertook a Revitalisation Project to examine what the organization should stand for and where it should direct its efforts moving forward. Although the findings suggested some changes and admitted it was a somewhat antiquated, ultimately upon receiving member survey results  the study concluded its “core focus should not change”. For a look at the most recent document see https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/rp2016/Survey+3+results+analysis.pdf.  Roughly 90% of those that responded to the survey were aged 40 or older which probably explains why there was a slight majority in favor of maintaining the course when it comes to the organizations focus, but surprisingly most also agreed it was time to allow non-cask beer made in the UK into festivals in a larger way. There was also more consensus in promoting bars that serve quality beer but might not serve cask into guidebooks etc. Into the looming fray Bradley Cummings, Managing Director of award willing brewer Tiny Rebel in Wales threw in his hat to run for CAMRA’s National Executive. You can see his manifesto here https://drive.google.com/file/d/14S-kZzo-uNYYX-1dsJPZnQhUwcIpDytg/view. Basically Mr. Cummings contends the proposals do not go far enough, quickly enough and caters to a vocal minority within the membership – a salient point given the stated demographics. I won’t go into detail but if you are interested in the proposals check it out.

Since no one reads this I will throw out my concerns as a vocal outsider and sporadic CAMRA member. The craft beer revolution happening in the UK is nothing new to those of us that live in the US. I’ve been drinking crazy hopped DIPAs, flavored barrel aged stouts, and fruited wild sours for more than two decades.  Many markets in the US might be legitimately labeled as saturated.  I can see the same thing happening in the UK. The excitement for the next cloudy IPA or kiwi berliner weisse is real and there is nothing wrong with that.  Personally I still enjoy trying new beers, especially sours and heavy stouts. My only concern, one that I have maintained for many years, has focused on the preservation of a British brewing tradition that could fall victim to the success of an industry it helped revitalize through CAMRA. I could draw a comparison to what is happening in Germany which is undergoing a similar but comparatively slower growth spurt in the craft market. Do we want to supplant the Andechs and Schlenkerla’s of the world and relegate their stodgy old offerings to the history books?  We hope to return to GBBF this year after a three year absence, but I remember clearly the last time there we noticed there were far fewer old established breweries attending and a lot of the offerings deviated from standard beer styles by including various adjuncts or a large amount of American hops etc. One of the reasons I want to go back is to see if this trend continues. As for CAMRA perhaps it does need a complete overhaul. I don’t know if it should be called CAMRA at that point, but maybe CAMBER Campaign for Quality Beer. Regardless I hope they keep a subgroup that does remain focused on the preservation of quality real ale made using traditional ingredients and served by traditional means. Who knows, after a couple decades of drinking extraordinary craft offerings the imbibing public might find they want a well made pint of bitter.

*Collie shangles – Victorian term for a quarrel

Posted in Beery Happenings Beyond, Blogroll | Comments Off on CAMRA Collie Shangles*

BS arguments about BS arguments

Posted on May 21, 2017 by Brother Spargealot

No one reads this right? Just checking because I’m almost certain beer geeks everywhere will automatically disagree with me if they did so once again I am just using this as a semi-public way to vent. Today I read a lengthy piece about why breweries that sell out to large conglomerates like AB Inbev (well actually solely AB Inbev from what I read) are “capable of devastating the craft brewing industry”.  (https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/05/the-straw-man-arguments-of-craft-beer-sell-outs.html). Like a lot of people that appreciate beer I really don’t like it when subjectively “good” regional breweries sell out and most of the time I avoid their products out of principal. However some of the arguments cited in the article really don’t hold water. Specifically I still believe an owners decision to sell THEIR company is a fundamental right. In fact if the business has investors there might be a fiduciary duty to consider all offers regardless of who the potential buyer is. If the brewery is independently controlled and operated and the owners want to take what is perceived as a moral high ground then that is their prerogative and I applaud those businesses that have have shunned takeovers by giant conglomerates. As a business owner in a completely unrelated field it took twenty years and an initial 75% pay cut to get to where I am now and I would be incensed at the idea of people with no vested interest beyond that of a consumer trying to dictate when I can exit or to whom I can sell. Throughout the article the author focused on ABInbev and suggested there are other ways for owners to cash out. But are there? Is anyone but a giant company like InBev going to pay $1 Bln to get Ballast Point? I doubt it, why would they? He brings up other “alternative routes” that companies like Oskar Blues and Victory have taken and those types of consolidations are great if they make sense and are even available. It’s easy to assume there will be a lot more circling the wagon type joint ventures or less than a majority equity sales in order to remain competitive, but to make it sound like they are easy alternatives to a large sell out is very simplistic.

I also think the author failed to really address “illegal practices”.  This should be front and center with regard to reforms nationwide and the efforts of lobbying groups to change local alcohol codes. Stiffer penalties would ideally include expulsion from the marketplace. If bars can be shutdown for a week when caught serving a minor then why cant similar penalties be imposed on purveyors of alcoholic beverages. If an ABInbev distributor is caught trying to force out shelf space in a store chain in Harris County all of that brand is barred from being sold  for a week. Strip the shelves of Bud and see if the distributor ever tries that tactic again. Every state has exponentially more breweries than they had and the coffers of every brewers guild should be at record highs enabling them to make strategic contributions to lobbying efforts aimed at eliminating these practices and changing the rules.  The US over 5,000 breweries now and there is no excuse for not having a war chest. I don’t like ABInbev but they cannot and will not buy every brewery out there. The pace of their acquisitions is lowing as are the prices they are willing to pay. And as for those sports bars that the writer refers to carrying nothing but ABInbev brands, ten years ago those places would have only carried light lagers made by the same giant companies a decade ago. I didn’t frequent them back then and I don’t today.

Posted in Beery Happenings Beyond, Central Texas Beer Happenings, Houston Beer Happenings | Comments Off on BS arguments about BS arguments

11 Stream of Thought Beery Predictions for 2017

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Brother Spargealot

My apologies the one or two of you that might occasionally tune in. It has been some time since I’ve literally regurgitated but I suddenly felt the urge so here are my 11 beery predictions for 2017 in no particular order. Take them with a grain of salt, arsenic or whatever makes you thirsty. Why 11? Because I go to 11…

  1. Craft beer markets in the US will finally reach a saturation point as supply exceeds demand – duh, some of us have been saying this would happen for years. Now other pundits are finally chiming in when they can see the flaming 747 heading towards them. Only, we know it won’t be a clear cut apocalypse. Just as we suggested using more mature beer markets such as Portland, Denver and San Diego as examples as to how saturation develops, the level of saturation will vary greatly by geographic region. A short trip across the US Southeast late last year reminded me of how disparate each market really is. Aside from a few standouts, major metropolitan areas in places like Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky are all at a stage of development similar to most of those in Texas one or two years ago (or for that matter where Portland was ten years ago J).  So in other words if you are in places like California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado or Texas and you make beer to sell off site things are probably already getting difficult – there are just too many brands competing for a finite number of taps. In less developed states like Alabama watch for a large distribution oriented push and less relative competition in the near term (although your time is coming).
  2. In desperation many distribution oriented micros experiment with different styles and serving techniques. We’ve already seen large companies like Sam Adam who’s sales stalled a couple years ago delve into a nitro can line and more will follow in an attempt to be different and capture niche market share.
  3. Breweries looking at expansion decide to call off their plans to do so. It happens all of the time in the manufacturing sector when the economic landscape changes and while some breweries don’t seem to pay much attention to forecasting others might take a more conservative approach.
  4. Breweries with excess capacity will solicit contract brewing opportunities. Again, something we predicted and has already started in earnest among many breweries that just aren’t selling enough of their own product to keep their expensive brewery busy. TGI Friday brand Pale Ale? Why not, you’ve seen Landshark right?
  5. Brewpubs that ventured into distribution will pull back resources to focus on their taprooms. IN Colorado Twisted Pine already did it. In Texas the smart people at Jester King realized long ago it was better to make less, charge more and sell it out the door (sounds like a rhyming mantra everyone should memorize). When selling kegs through a distributor or even direct to a bar becomes highly competitive in terms of price and effort companies will realize their chances at survival improve when focused on selling beer on site.
  6. Both domestic and international breweries will extend into distribution channels that seemingly make little sense because there are few new avenues for growth. Will New Glarus move outside of Wisconsin? I will put money on it. Will Russian River Pliny end up on the shelves in places like Texas – again, I have no doubt. Will we see more Cantillon? Now that’s a tough one…
  7. Beer bars will also suffer as their pool of patrons fails to grow as fast as the number of similar beer oriented bars opening up. Also keep in mind a lot of hole in the wall dives that once had little interesting to serve beyond ice cold cans of PBR now offer local craft beer – so if you can go to an interesting bar AND have great beer…
  8. Beer industry personnel will flood the market. A lot of people are enticed into making their living in the beer industry because it seems like a lot of fun. In reality it’s often underpaid work involving long hours and being around beer when beer is the last thing you want to be around. I’ve met a lot of people in the industry and they are some of the best people know, but I am equally sure some would be making a better living applying their skills doing something completely different. Unfortunately if the markets within which they work reach a saturation point many will have to transition by necessity.
  9. It might come as a mixed blessing to beer snobs but it is less likely gigantic conglomerates like AB Inbev and MillerCoors are still interested in your regional brewery. There might still be a few acquisitions in the making but to be honest the big guys employ very smart people that realize they don’t need that many bands to dominate a given market once a saturation point is reached. They will however remain more profitable due to their economy of scale and relative buying power so it is conceivable some smaller independent craft breweries could decide to combine in an attempt to improve their relative economics with regard to raw material buying power or even distribution costs (by brewing each other’s brands in different parts of the country etc). We’ve already seen some of this.
  10. In addition to quality product, post saturation brewpubs and taprooms will need a healthy repeat walk in business focused on location. If you can walk to a place with beer just as good as one down the road why wouldn’t you (all other things being equal)
  11. Post saturation brewpubs will benefit from a niche. The trend lately seems to be a build out focusing on modern interiors with industrial fixtures, exposed brick or wood, open seating and eclectic art with perhaps some old neon thrown in. Once you have been to three or four they start to lose their own identity. I’m not saying we need to go back in time and resurrect Superhero themed restaurants with wait staff dressed as Batman and Wonder Woman, but when so many people hire the same designers to fashion a brewpub it gets monotonous. Those that are creative and think outside the box will probably fare better by comparison. At least they will stand out among the multitude of industrial boxes.

 

Anyway, those are my hastily scribbled stream of consciousness predictions for 2017. Enjoy, the one or two of you reading this.

Posted in Beery Happenings Beyond, Central Texas Beer Happenings, Houston Beer Happenings | Comments Off on 11 Stream of Thought Beery Predictions for 2017

GABF – How will it die?

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Brother Spargealot

GABFIn an hour we will take a very responsible bus ride to the Denver convention center in order to attend the Thursday session of the 2016 Great American Beer Festival, an event billed as the largest of its kind. But what does that really mean? In the last few years the number of breweries has exploded making it increasingly difficult to attain a slot at GABF. Many well known and recognized breweries like Hill Farmstead, Prairie Artisan Ales, and Crooked Stave don’t seem to feel a need to participate in part because the event is so incredibly huge its hard to really quantify any measurable benefit to serving there. From a consumer standpoint ticket prices are higher and to be honest the quality of beers among many professional breweries these days is severely lacking. This year at the GABF 7,227 beers were judged by 264 judges, of these over 3,800 beers will be available on the GABF floor.  When will they admit this is overkill? Several years ago I suggested the Brewers Association should create regional competitions like they do on the homebrewers side of their business – let the best of the best make it to the final competition and festival. What we have now is a smorgasbord of great, mediocre and quite honestly some of the worst beer I’ve ever tasted (counting both commercial and home brewed concoction). People that work with the BA contend it would simply be too difficult to create regional competitions, but I suspect it has more to do with a general lack of will. After all the BA along with brewers guilds across the country are more focused on how much money they are raking in from of new dues to care about the consumer. I truly wonder where this will end? Will the GABF continue to expand every year moving forward to encompass another 1,000 booths? There are over 4,000 breweries in the US now and we are in uncharted record territory.  Since 2011 the number of breweries doubled…will it double to 8,000+ in another five years? If the BA doesn’t want to create regional competitions that feed into the GABF making it more meaningful and manageable then I hope it considers at least vetting prospective breweries and their offerings, otherwise its future as a well respected world class event could be in jeopardy. Like many acquaintances that no longer go to GABF I too might decide targeted events like What the Funk and the Denver Rare Beer Tasting are more worthwhile. Perhaps all sessions of GABF will devolve into the scene normally encountered on Saturday nights as more discerning drinkers make way for a crowd of obnoxious drunks that care more about getting trashed than they do trying innovative or well made beer.  At that point I think we can toll the bell, for GABF as we once knew it will truly die.

 

Posted in Beery Happenings Beyond, Blogroll | Comments Off on GABF – How will it die?

The End is Nigh!

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Brother Spargealot

animal-housePerhaps I am being a little over dramatic, but for the last several months signs of the great US craft beer apocalypse keep reappearing.  Today I will go out on a limb and say that in several states the crest of the latest cycle has been reached and market saturation will start to impact growth in a very real way. If you are a student of economics then you know paradigm shifts don’t happen overnight, but there are always signs that a market will correct. As I mentioned in the past market dynamics will impact some breweries more than others.  Those relying on distribution for a majority of their net income might find the next few years difficult, especially if they are less competitive due to inadequacies with regard to marketing, distribution or product. Destination breweries and brewpubs are insulated to a large degree, but breweries seeking to sell most of their volume off premises will find the market competitive. in places like Texas there might be more opting to transition to a brewpub status. In places like New Mexico a microbrewery can distribute to as many as three offsite “tap rooms” which also makes them somewhat insulated and essentially provides them with access to a self contained market within a particular geography (something I hope guilds in places like Texas are working on). So here are some current signs of the coming beer apocalypse in my very subjective and jaded opinion:

  • There are now more breweries operating in the US than at any time in history and the number continues to grow into uncharted territory (PS don’t listen to the cheerleaders that claim all is well – they are the Kevin Bacon character in Animal House that gets trampled at the end).  How many people do you know working on opening their own brewery?
  • Imports are also growing as new craft brewers startup overseas and established brands start to export to the US – where will all of these new brands go?
  • Tap space is finite – go to any bar and ask if they are adding taps to accommodate all of the new breweries popping up…they aren’t
  • Craft breweries in some regions are discounting kegs to remain competitive and keep their beers on at some accounts – beer at some level IS a commodity and this dynamic in particular is very telling
  • Sales among establish craft breweries is slowing – look at Sam Adams which grew 3.6% last year (in part due to Angry Orchard and Twisted Tea products) after growing 17% from 2013 to 2014. Net sales for Craft Brew Alliance also grew about 4% last year with sales in Q4 reportedly flat as compared to growth of about 10.5% in 2014
  • Breweries starting new brands or buying existing brands as a means to grow
  • Breweries building new plants in other geographical areas as a means to grow – like Lagunitas, Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues, New Belgium, BrewDog, Stone…
  • Regional breweries are entering into out of state distribution deals – why give way margin if you can sell it locally? Remember stories like this – http://beerpulse.com/2011/04/avery-brewing-exits-eight-states-seven-partial-markets/? Now we have companies like Avery (with bigger plants) not only back in markets they once exited but eager to find new markets even if that means giving away more due to freight costs.

 

There are more signs foreshadowing the great US beer apocalypse, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Consumers should rejoice as the fallout should (in theory) weed out producers of subjectively “bad” beer, the only caveat to that being sometimes those with the most marketing dollars are the ones inexplicably left standing. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen however by introducing your friends to good beer and teaching them about off-flavors – the future is in your hands.

Posted in Beery Happenings Beyond, Blogroll, Central Texas Beer Happenings, Houston Beer Happenings | Comments Off on The End is Nigh!