Less Choice… ?

Premier Midwest in Omaha has purchased Miller Brands of Omaha; Miller Brands will no longer exist after February 7^th.  Premier Midwest is the distributor of Lucky Bucket, Boulevard, Schell, and Coors products (to name a few).  Miller Brands is home to Leinenkugel, Samuel Adams, Weyerbacher, Lakefront, Mad River, Empyrean, Abita, North Coast, Spilker, Thunderhead and Miller products (to name a few).  The purchased is likely bad news for the craft beer drinkers of Omaha. 

It would be speculation as to what brands survive the acquisition.  I can assure you all will not.  In other words, it appears likely we will lose some brands in Omaha.  Maybe for a short-term, maybe for awhile (maybe for good); of course Brix will help in any way to keep these brands or encourage another distributor to pick-up anything that is lost. 

Still, at the moment, this appears to be bad news for craft beer lovers.

Leinenkugel Fireside Nut Brown

During the month of January (or while supplies last) we will be offing Leinenkugel Fireside Nut Brown for $5.49 a six-pack.  If that price sounds like a deal… full cases are $19.99.  That’s .83c a bottle!

Two Utah Breweries Now In Nebraska

The most famous beer from Utah (and there is such a thing) is now available in Nebraska.  Polygamy Porter from Wasatch arrived recently along with fellow label mates Devastator Doppelbock, White Label Wit and Pumpkin Ale.  Reviews for these beers on rating websites like BeerAdvocate.com are generally positive and hover around a “B” average.

Also from Utah is Squatters.  Currently only two of their offerings are in Nebraska, a Double IPA called Hop Rising and a Belgian-style beer called Hell’s Keep.  Hop Rising is sold in six-packs (unusual for a DIPA) and the latter is available in 750ml bottles.  Not sure on the timeline yet for the rest of the Squatters beers but the arrival of two fine Utah breweries is a welcome addition to the Nebraska beer scene.

Yuengling Expansion

From a press release: 

“Dick Yuengling, Jr., president and owner of D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., today announced the company has signed a letter of intent and is in serious discussions for the purchase of the Hardy Bottling Facility in Memphis, Tennessee, which will allow them to distribute Yuengling lager, their flagship brand and Yuengling’s much sought after portfolio of brands in select new markets in the United States.”

Okay, Yuengling fans there is at least some hope that Yuengling will make it to the Midwest.  Does that mean Nebraska?  Maybe… maybe not.  Some rumors suggest that Yuengling will push into the New England states, Texas, and Illinois.  Some in the industry think that between 6 to 12 new states will have Yuengling beer once they are up and running in Tennessee. 

If they expand to 12 states, which is a lot, I still think Nebraska won’t be one of the lucky ones.  But, at least, it is a step in the right direction.

Tenth and Blake Beer Company

MillerCoors has created an independent company to handle their craft beer and imports.  The company is called Tenth and Blake Beer Company.  At the moment the company’s brands include Blue Moon, Leinenkugel’s and Peroni Nastro Azzurro.

In the future their brewery in Denver and Milwaukee will produce beers for Tenth and Blake Beer Company.  So at some point we’ll likely see a MillerCoors IPA?  Imperial Stout?  Craft beer is clearly making some inroads if the “big boys” want to play along.  The only question is will they play fair?  Will these beers be good for consumers but bad for craft beer on the whole?

Some Samuel Adams News…

This fall Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA will be available in six-packs.  It is unclear at the moment if this will be a seasonal or a year-round beer (I believe I heard it will be year-round).  Also this fall the Harvest Collection mixed twelve-packs will feature Samuel Adams first ever attempt at a Pumpkin Ale.

Some other Samuel Adams scuttlebutt includes Cranberry Lambic leaving the Winter Classics mixed twelve-pack this holiday season.  It will be sold in six-packs which is a win-win.  Those that hate this beer (there are many) can avoid it and those who love it (there are just as many) can buy it in a six-pack.  Replacing the Cranberry Lambic will be Chocolate Bock.  Also new to the Winter Classics twelve-pack is White Ale which was replaced by Noble Pils as the spring seasonal.  I believe Samuel Adams Light will be removed to make room for the White Ale.  Nice additions, IMO.

Once again Samuel Adams will let the general beer drinking public decide what they are brewing next.  The Beer Lover’s Choice 2010 will feature “Sample A” a Belgian Style IPA and “Sample B” an American Rye Ale.  Stay tuned as Brix will be one of the locations in town where you can come sample these two beers and vote which you would like to see in six-packs. 

Lastly, Samuel Adams will not be releasing Utopias this year as they are sticking to the tradition of releasing it every other year (odd numbered years) so for many the wait continues…

Lucky Bucket IPA Bottles @ Brix

The long awaited arrival of Nebraska’s own Lucky Bucket IPA has hit store shelves.  Hopheads rejoice!  At Brix six-packs are on special for $8.79 or buy a case for $33.99 (which gets it down to the equivalent to $8.49 a six-pack). 

We expect after this initial order, of 50 cases, to see spotty outages for a couple weeks, per the distributor… so stock-up.  We are very excited to have another excellent IPA available at Brix.  Not to mention it is a local beer. 

Lucky Bucket IPA is 6.3% ABV.  65 IBUs.

Anchor Brewing Company… SOLD!

Read the news release:

THE GRIFFIN GROUP ACQUIRES ANCHOR BREWING COMPANY AND ESTABLISHES ANCHOR BREWERS & DISTILLERS, LLC

(San Francisco, CA) – April 27, 2010 – The Griffin Group, an investment and consulting company focused on beverage alcohol brands, announced its acquisition of Anchor Brewing Company which includes its portfolio of craft beers and artisan spirits, including the award winning Anchor Steam Beer.

The Griffin Group is led by beverage alcohol veterans, Keith Greggor and Tony Foglio, two longtime San Francisco residents who have been working with Anchor Brewing Company’s owner, Fritz Maytag to maintain the iconic brewery and distillery in San Francisco.

“Anchor Brewing Company has a long history in San Francisco and The Griffin Group is ushering in an exciting era while maintaining our proud, time-honored history,” said Fritz Maytag. “Combining Keith and Tony’s passion for the Anchor Brewing Company, their industry experience and expertise only means that Anchor will be enjoyed in San Francisco for generations to come.”

“Since 1896, Anchor Brewing Company has been an icon of San Francisco’s history and culture,” stated Griffin’s Founding Partner, Keith Greggor, “I am honored to bring Anchor Brewing Company into our family of craft beers and artisanal spirits through establishing Anchor Brewers & Distillers, LLC.”

Anchor Brewers & Distillers intends to establish a “Center of Excellence” in San Francisco for craft brewers and artisan distillers from around the world. An epicenter of development, education, entertainment and innovation, all designed to further contribute to the culture and heritage of craft beer and artisan spirits.

“San Francisco is the perfect place to establish this center,” stated Tony Foglio, “Through our extensive portfolio of craft beers and fine spirits our focus will be to educate and satisfy the increasing consumer demand for authentic, quality and natural products that reflect the passion of their creators.”

Continuing the Anchor heritage, Mr. Maytag has been named Chairman Emeritus of Anchor Brewers & Distillers.

The Griffin Group operates as both boutique merchant and investment bank for premiere craft beers and artisan spirits. In addition to the Anchor Beers, The Griffin Group will assume control of the spirits brands including Old Potrero Whiskey, Junipero Gin and Genevieve Gin through the acquisition of Anchor Brewing Company. Additional affiliated companies to be held under Anchor Brewers & Distillers include Preiss Imports, a leading US specialist spirits and beer importer, and BrewDog USA, LLC, the US division of the leading UK craft beer.

The Griffin Group is headquartered in Novato, Marin County, California.

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It is the end of an era.  I guess only time will tell what will happen with the brand.  Just because the brewery has been sold it doesn’t mean the beer will suffer.  Still, it is sad news to see such an iconic brewery and brand change hands.   Surely more old school breweries (and owners) will select the same fate for their beers.

Happy 494th Birthday Reinheitsgebot!

On April 23, 1516, the most famous piece of beer legislation was passed.  The Reinheitsgebot (“the beer purity law”) was ushered in by the co-rules of Bavaria, Duke Wilhelm IV and Duke Ludwig X in the town of Ingolstadt (60 miles north of Munich).  The Reinheitsgebot gave the Bavarian government (and later all of Germany) the ability to regulate the ingredients and process of brewing beer as well as levy taxes.  The Reinheitsgetbot is the oldest, still valid consumer safety law in the world.

The law was created to keep cheat (and sometimes dangerous) ingredients added to beer like mushrooms, tree bark, and animal byproducts!  Here is an excerpt of the original text translated into English:      

“Furthermore, we wish to emphasize that in future in all cities, markets and in the country, the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops and Water. Whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance, shall be punished by the Court authorities’ confiscating such barrels of beer, without fail.”

Notice there is no mention of yeast as the brewing process wasn’t fully understood.  Later the law was amended for the addition of yeast.  Likewise, it was later allowed that ales could be brewed with wheat (which is, obviously, a key ingredient in hefeweizens).   

And here is an interesting tidbit from the German Beer Institute: 

“To the dismay of German brewers, the Reinheitsgebot, with its narrow selection of ingredients, was struck down by the European Court in 1987 — as a restraint of free trade. The restrictions it contained were held not permissible in the newly integrated European market.

After centuries of ensuring beer quality, the Reinheitsgebot, therefore, fell victim to the triumph of form over substance. Since the ruling, it has been legal to import beers into Germany that are brewed with adjuncts (corn, rice, non-malted grains and sugar) and treated with chemicals for an artificial head and a longer shelf life. German brewers, however, still adhere fiercely to the Reinheitsgebot as a matter of pride and tradition. German beer labels and advertisements still proudly proclaim the purity of the local brew, and many a German imbiber would not think of letting anything but a “pure” beer pass his or her lips.”

Still, the Bavarian Beer Purity Law of 1516 is a remarkable piece of legislation.  Prost!  Here is to another 494 years of clean, pure German bier!

Lucky Bucket News & Notes

A couple tidbits from Zac Triemert…

• The new launch date for Lucky Bucket IPA in six-packs is now May 13^th.  This date seems solid.
• The local distributor has run out of Certified Evil, what is on store shelves (including Brix) is all there will be until the fall.
• Lucky Bucket Oktoberfest, draft only, will return again this fall.
• The good folks at Lucky Bucket are kicking around the idea of launching a third year-round beer in the spring of 2011 (it will be bottled).

Stay tuned for information of the Lucky Bucket IPA release rollout at Brix!  If you love IPAs and you haven’t tried Lucky Bucket IPA start drooling because it is one excellent IPA.