2 Brewths Goes To Beer College

We’ve done it. We have finally rolled out of bed after almost of year of hitting the snooze button to sign 2 Brewths up for a proper college education. OK, so it isn’t matriculated, or on the roster, or even capable of attending classes, but a blog can dream, can’t it?

And what better way to realize your dreams than through obtaining an education, especially a free one in the form of an interview?! This week, 2 Brewths went to College. What we learned might, or might not surprise you, depending on how big your beer brain is.

Kendall College Assistant Professor John Laloganes, from the School of HospitalityManagement, not only shared with us his program’s attractively displayed infographic on craft beer (pictured below) but also took the time to answer some questions for us. Professor Laloganes gave us insight on the current and future craft beer environment, Kendall’s Beverage Management program, and what the professor has been recently drinking. Let’s see how 2 Brewths got schooled:

2 Brewths (2B): First, the infographic is great, but let’s talk about the definition of craft beer. Many people use different definitions. Some concern quality while others concern the size of a brewery and its ownership. How exactly would you define craft beer?

Professor Laloganes (LP): The term craft beer is not legally defined, but it is generally considered to be made with an annual production of less than 2 million barrels. However, craft brewers can arguably be any size of production but, more importantly, with a definite devotion to the integrity of their product. The industry has been evolving and even though overall sales decline, the craft segment has risen significantly along with an increasingly growing number of new breweries. According to the Beer Institute, at the end of 2012, there were more than 2,751 breweries operating in the United States—more than at any other time in American history.

2B: The infographic shows a growth in the market, as do other reports, but are there any worries that craft beer might be a bubble? If it were a bubble about to pop, what would be the best way for brewers and pub owners to be ready for that?

LP: Most everything will pop at some point. However, the growth of craft beer will continue to grow as Americans are learning to appreciate what "quality" beer or beer that reflects personality is about. High quality beer—which includes import, craft and specialty beers—have emerged from being nonexistent in the 1970s to now comprising up to 23% of the marketplace (Beer Institute, 2013). Despite craft beer’s unprecedented growth—high quality beer is not a fad, but a fundamental change in how people view and enjoy the beer category. The brewing industry originally began (and has recently been rediscovered) as a very local business; beer brands are deeply rooted in local communities—something craft brewers have been able to grasp from their early embryonic stage of development. Important for the beverage manager, and something we teach in Kendall’s Beverage Management program, is to gain some insights and practices on how to safeguard beer’s profit margins through introducing some key standards of revenue and cost control.

2B: The infographic also points out the division between a younger and older generation of beer drinkers. What kind of advice would you give to business owners looking to attract both age groups? Should they attempt to satisfy both, or try to turn older generations to the ‘craft side’?

LP: The venues that emphasize solid fundamentals in beer service are few and far between, particularly when taking into consideration the infinite outlets where beer is being sold and consumed. Beer-centric operations are ones that manage and sell beer with integrity—beginning with the development of an appropriate company culture that promotes a respect and natural curiosity for this adored beverage. Regardless of age, the desire to consume quality beer is associated with exposure. Venues should help customers understand what they like and guide them into available options. So, having options and some breadth of beer styles is important!

2B: How much of the brewing process do your students get involved in?

LP: Theoretically how to brew...a ton, but practically speaking very basic fermentation and beer production will take place. We are not trying to create brewers, but having them understand the management and service side of it. We spend more time tasting the different styles and ultimately being able to intimately understand them. They will learn how to properly serve, describe styles (as well as blind taste styles), and plan appropriate menus given the types of food being served.

2B: What was the last beer that you drank and what did you pair it with?

LP: The last beer I drank was today! It was a Two Brothers Domaine Dupage (Bière de Garde) served with a prosciutto club sandwich and cream of smoked tomato soup.

So there you have it, straight from the educated horse’s mouth. Craft beer looks like it is here to stay for the foreseeable future and we should hit the books to keep up with it. But what are your thoughts? We want to know how you read all the numbers, educated guesses, and pretty designs. Is craft beer a safe bet? Can an older generation be persuaded to try a new beer? Did the professor make the right choice with the smoked  tomato soup? Let us know what you think about any of it and don’t forget to check back to see where 2 Brewths goes next.

A big thanks to Professor Laloganes for his time and to Digital Third Coast for getting us enrolled into Beer College, at least at the pseudo-journalist beer blog level. 

Info picture magic brought to you by Kendall College and Digital Third Coast

Hello again! Introducing our '2 Brewths Goes To...' Series

Oh hey, we didn't see you there. That's because we've been piling up all of our paper work and junk and dirty laundry and empty bottles so high around us that we forgot that we even owned a Beer Blog! Now that we've cleaned up a little, we can join you in cyber beer society again. We've already done you a favor by not calling it cybeer society, but we're also sorry that we just typed it.

2 Brewths has embarked on a new journey we are entitling "2 Brewths Goes To". For the next several posts we will be traveling to all four corners to get the fullest picture possible of the beer world. We will be featuring interviews and case studies of places like breweries, homebrew shops, beer schools, supermarkets, brewpubs, and barley farms. We hope to explore as many aspects of the current beer landscape as we can to see what is happening now and what is expected for the future of beer. Any suggestions you might have as to where to go next or who we should talk to would be greatly appreciated. Send us your "2 Brewths Goes To" suggestions to 2brewths@gmail.com In the subject line, write "I think 2 Brewths should go to..."

Our first stop on the trip is Kendall College in Chicago, where their School of Hospitality is getting students learn-ed about the craft beer world. Join us very soon for our interview with Kendall as they educate us on the current trend of craft beer. There will even be diagrams! Bring a couple road beers for the ride if you like but hurry up, we have a lot of driving ahead of us.

Also thank you for being patient and waiting out our brief absence and thanks to all the new readers, we are gaining them every day for some strange reason. Keep 'em comin'!

The Bottle Battle Book...ehrr.. Blog Post

First it was lager. Then it was light beer. Then beer in cans. Beer with no flavor. Beer back in the bottles. Beer with too much flavor. Beer from your bearded friend down the hall. Beer from your own kitchen.

Beer has certainty gone through the cycles throughout it's American history. Now it looks as if it is turning the pages back to a play usually reserved for construction workers, your family's 4th of July BBQ, and/or all of your uncles. Cans are coming back. But not without the cool. refined twist that will be necessary to pull in as many beer drinkers from as many walks of life as possible. Today, we highlight some ways that beer is being packaged and ask you to weigh in on the issue.

Can-Can sales?

Cans are coming back for many reasons. The biggest seems to be beer quality. Bottles expose beer to light, which interacts with compounds and can ultimately 'skunk' your beer and leave bad flavors. Cans do not let any light in. Cans are also lighter, easier to transport, and spend a lot less time jabbing you in the foot when broken. They are much safer for beaches, camping, daycare centers, etc. and (for those of us not cool enough to open a bottle with a lighter, spoon, or tooth) cans do not need that pesky opener that you knew you should've brought to the park last night.

Two large breweries have recently announced the soon-to-be release of their new can designs. Bud will be sporting a 'bow-tie' design that is ergonomic AND contains 11.3 ounces instead of 12. Bud is lauding the smaller quantity by reminding customers that they will now be drinking less calories.

Sam Adams has been working on their own ergonomic and 'as-close-to-the-glass-without-being-the-glass' can for years now and is set to start selling their Sam Can in early summer. Some Sierra Nevada was in the can last year and is planning more while many smaller craft brewers around the country are following suit.

 

Bottlestar Galactica

The current can comeback is riding on the heels of it's previous reputation, that of low-quality and low-class. Craft brewers are still using the bottle, and some are moving more towards the big boys to pull in new clientele.

A not-so-recent NY Times article reported on the balancing act of big bottles: brewers are looking to make beers with expensive ingredients more profitable while also attempting to class-up the beer drinking experience to those who normally pop open a bottle of wine with dinner. The result is a more expensive beer in a 22 ounce or 750ml bottle. Those already drinking beer seem to be resisting. Big bottles cost a lot more and can be hard to finish in one sitting.

Meanwhile, Lagunitas founder Tony Magee has derided the move to cans, attacking 'the popular trend of putting high-end craft beer in cans, saying the mining practices necessary to produce the aluminum are harmful to the environment.'

To even out our bottle news and our love of things completely ridiculous and unnecessary, Heineken has lit up it's bottles with 'Heineken Ignite'. The bottle lights up while you cheers, during your sip, and at certain decibels blinks with the horrible music you are listening to while drinking horrible beer (sorry Heinie and dubstep lovers...) Check out the commercial here for how it will probably <not> work at your nearest packed, overpriced club!

Your Call: Bottle or Can?

2 Brewths could go either way on this one. As one of us likes to say when asked if they need a glass for their beer; 'It's already in one.' We don't wanna say we'd drink out of anything, so we'll just end this sentence.

But what say you? Let us know what you prefer. Are there times that you like to drink out of one of these containers more than the other? We know, we know, we left out some options- the almighty beer glass, the ram's horn, the high school wrestling trophy. Whatever it is you prefer, let us know and thanks for staying with us after our hiatus!

Looks like the good doctor preferred the quick moving goblet.

 

Sex, Dragons, and Rock n' Roll

As if nerdy beer lovers and fantasy readers needed more (or any) shared nerd points, Brewery Ommegang has issued a limited release of their Game of Thrones-inspired Blonde Ale: Iron Throne for March. Working with HBO, Ommegang has attempted to combine the popularity of wintry sex, murder, sex, armor and sex with Belgian craft brew. Here's what Ommegang is telling us to expect:

"...a blonde ale at 6.5% ABV and brewed with a robust amount of pils, honey malt, aroma malts and red wheat...spiced with grains of paradise and lemon peel... finish is crisp, backed by a touch of spice and hops. Aroma is a bit grassy with a hint of lemon fruitiness from the lemon peel.'"

In other related beer crossover news, AC/DC is taking a break from stomping wine grapes (no joke: try some 'Highway to Hell Cab Sav') and slapping their name on a beer can. AC/DC Premium Lager claims to "come with a great beer-loving taste... brewed in accordance with the Rock`n Roll manifesto of 1973 and the German purity law of 1516."

Let's keep this one short, today, because, frankly, an AC/DC beer is too easy of a target. Give us your suggestions in the comments section for some beer and tv/rock band collaborations, because we all could use a little Breaking Brew'd: an "AMC/Schraderbrau joint effort, with notes of Los Pollos spiciness and plenty of crystal malt, all wrapped up in old-Winnebago novelty."

***For those who are waiting for their comments to finally pay off, the best collaboration suggestion wins a prize. The winner will receive not just the satisfaction of winning (although that should be good enough for you) but a real, hold-it-in-your-hand 2 Brewths gift! Good luck!***

Read more about Iron Throne and AC/DC beer at Bites on TODAY and Loudwire



Breaking Brewth



"Do I detect a hint of cage-free barley?" Local Farmers Grow Local Beer

'I'm sorry, could you tell me where and how this cucumber was grown? Can you introduce me to the craftsman who cut the parts for this Ikea bunk bed?' How comfortable was the sheep with him/herself before you sheared it to make the yarn for this sweater?'

Ah, the familiar sounds of the locavore. The attitudes towards organic and local products have dominated the past decade or so of food opinion, so it only seemed inevitable that they would intersect with the paralleled craft beer trend. Our news this week highlights the local farmers who are jumping onto the beer-wagon by producing locally grown, tenderly-cared-for malted barley and hops, for the guilty beer drinker in all of us.

Local maltsters in states like Massachusetts, New York, and North Carolina are producing malted barley for their regional breweries at a minuscule level compared to their national and international counterparts. Still, their efforts have offered a glimmer of hope to local farmers looking to sustain themselves within a new niche, one that supplies the burgeoning craft beer market. And it's not just barley. Hops cultivation is also seeing a resurgence in farming communities beyond California and Oregon as farmers in Michigan, Wisconsin, and New York follow the craft beer lead. These efforts are fairly new for small farmers, so workshops, trainings, kick starter funds, and economic stimulus money are all stepping in to support them as they sew those extra "organic" and "local" badges onto the craft beer sash.

It's obvious that the locavore and craft beer scene would mingle at even the most basic level. Brewers and beer drinkers (2 Brewths claim to be both) understand the importance of good ingredients in beer, so the quality standpoint of local maltsers and hop growers is a given. Also, if you are a home brewer, you might have gotten to that point in the hobby where you want to take more control over the brewing process. You might say, 'screw it, I can grow these hops all by myself.' If you've been there, you're only a step or two away from hand-blown glass bottles. Craft breweries might see their local collaboration with farmers as another step towards truly owning the brewing process.

Finally, helping local farmers is an extremely positive side-effect of the craft beer trend. If you grew up in a dwindling farming community, you understand the current situation that small farmers find themselves in. More local involvement would be a boon to those struggling farming families. Plus, adding local character and community relationships to craft beer makes it that much more craftier (that is the point after all, right?) But do we have to dig through all of our beers, food, and emotionally stable sheep's wool to feel good about what and how we drink? (Check out a great Freakonomics podcast on locavorism when you're done with our rant.)

That's the question for you today. What are your thoughts on the local breweries in and around your area? Do you feel that drinking local beer from local ingredients is important? And do you have any allegiances, blind or otherwise, to your local brews, kind of like a New Yorker just has to pull for the Giants (you poor, poor bastards)? Share your local beer experiences with us and remember to tell us where you are writing from. Now would be a great opportunity to plug your local beer scene-  let the solicitations begin!



Cutting out the middleman- From land to liver.



Big Buds getting even closer: InBev/Modelo Merger

Original article from the Associated Press, Feb. 5th, 2013: Budweiser Corona Merger Challenged over Competition Concerns

As if Budweiser wasn’t satisfied with brewing the most ‘satisfying’ beer on Earth, it is now looking to add the most popular and ‘satisfying’ American import--Corona--to its massive ownership of the beer market. And we really feel ‘sorry’ that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has put the brakes on such a seemingly ‘legit’ deal between Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) and Grupo Modelo.  Really, we’re just ‘broken up’ about ‘it’… ‘.’

Budweiser is looking to buy the one company that has kept the two Big Brewers--ABI and MillerCoors--from controlling beer prices in the US. As the two big boys control around 70% of the US market and attempt to work together for price manipulation, Modelo has always competed by maintaining lower prices. The DOJ has stated that the merger would monopolize the beer industry. ABI would creep towards 50% ownership of the market and drive beer prices up, because God forbid you pay $2.00 for a Bud Light Select tall boy rather $1.50.

Lest we forget that InBev is already half owner of Grupo Modelo to begin with, so you’ll find Coronas and Buds commuting together in every major city. Lest we forget that Budweiser already owns dozens of breweries across the US and the world, some of them quite good ones. Lest we forget that pesky but valiant 25% of the beer market that includes craft breweries; whose creativity, quality, and higher alcohol content have inspired ABI to launch Bud Black Crown… the dark corporate wizard of beers. Lest we forget that we still have a blog to write.

What could this merger possibly mean for those of us who define summer with a lime-wedged Corona, or those of us who avoid the long cooler filled with the King of Beers all together (or pick up some Buds because we didn’t lest-we-forget our wallet at home)? Does any of this merger noise even matter?

Us 2 Brewths don’t have vast amounts of economic knowledge, but let’s pretend that you think we do. If Bud and Modelo actually buddy up, then prices might increase. But if craft beers hold their prices, the market might just swing their way. Why bother spending X amount of dollars when the alternative is only X.75? As effective as InBev's behemoth of an advertising campaign is--with its talking animals, ethnically diverse raves, and football-to-the-groin humor--the dark sinister label of monopoly might scare away a few Americans from drinking such a threat to the marketplace. Americans might look for a more honest alternative. Remember, we’re still pretending we know what we’re talking about.

So what’s your take on it all? Do you have any scruples with Big Beer? Would such a merger change the way people buy beer and if so, how? Also, what is your go-to Big Brew and when do you drink it? Finally, since we are all in need of some happy weather thoughts- what is your preferred beverage for the summer, alcoholic or not?

Excuse me sir, can I see your beer license?

Original article here: Irish council in Kerry bid to relax drink-drive limit, 22 January2013- from BBC World New Service

It is probably most appropriate for our brew news discussion to start in Ireland (sorry Ireland, you did this to yourself), where local politicians in Kerry County attempted, and failed, to pass a vote to increase the ABV limit for drivers and, yes, even issue drunk-driving licenses.

Before we get all MADD on these fellers, let’s take a look at the circumstances. The argument for the limit increase comes from Councilor Danny Healy-Rae. He says that the proposed changes would not affect the driving safety of the region, whose mainly-countryside roads wouldn’t let you “do any more than 20 or 30 miles per hour… it’s not a big deal.” Healy-Rae also laments that many of the older residents do not want to risk losing their license by going out to the pub and therefore end up staying in, causing loneliness and depression. As the younger Irish drink and socialize at the pub, the older generations sit at home:

"All the wisdom and all the wit and all the culture that <these old drunk people> had, the music and the singing, that's all being lost to the younger generation because these older people might as well be living in Japan and Jerusalem because the younger generation don't see them at all anymore.”

- Danny Healy-Rae, Councilor of Kerry County, Ireland

Of course the opposition probably aligns with most of our knee-jerk reactions when someone suggests something like a drunk-driving license. Kerry County Mayor Terry O’Brien (you were waiting for an O’Brien, weren’t you…) contended that these measures are bogus. O’Brien states, "It is incredibly dangerous. I don't know how anybody can be allowed to say: 'You've had two pints, so you're justified to drive.” Also, we don’t need to quote the beerzillion studies that link alcohol to depression and anxiety… do we? OK, maybe we do. (1)

So, my first thought on this was that it’s kind of ridiculous.  There have got to be other ways to avoid depression while living alone or secluded.  This seems like an awkward band-aid to cover up what might be a more serious mental health problem.  I realize that the drinking culture in Ireland—especially the pub culture—is a lot different than it is in the U.S.  In Ireland, they go to the pub as more of a social activity; it’s just as important to hang out with family and friends as it is about getting drunk.  I guess my question is why do these people, who live so secluded from everyone else, have to get drunk to enjoy hanging out with their friends?

Ireland has certainly paved the way for the drinking arch-stereotype, but recent laws in the country have considerably lowered the number of drinking related accidents and fatalities. But let’s try to wipe away all the shamrocks and Leprechauns and Leprechaun 6: Back 2 tha Hoods and look at the actual issue faced by these councilmen, many of whom are actual pub owners (not an Irish joke).

What we have here is an honest concern. With younger generations becoming increasingly unavailable to the older ones, we see the disappearance of traditions, which means they miss out on some cool stories. Just remember the last time you were in a pub and had a brief conversation with an old, slightly whimsical person sitting at the bar. If the conversation wasn’t of some odd, sexual nature, then I bet that it was a fascinating discussion. These moments are actually quite interesting ones and it would be a shame to lose them. Let’s face it, these old people are going to drink whether they sit at home or are clubbing to the newest DJ Whazzhisname set. Of course, youngins don’t want grandpa hanging around the club or the bar… but maybe there is a place for younger and older people to actually drink and socialize together beyond Ruby Tuesdays.

My second thought is that that the culture of drinking in these places may need to change.  I have always been a proponent of teaching children the effects of alcohol and how to drink appropriately.  I think it causes too many problems to enforce a blanket prohibition on booze to younger people. Once they reach an ambiguous age, they are tossed into a public drinking culture, wholly unprepared to handle it properly.  As they grow they develop a personal culture of getting drunk at the pub because it’s what they believe they should do.

Third thought (this might be a record) is that these people knew the risks of driving drunk and decided to take them anyway.  They made a conscious decision to live in secluded areas.  They knew that they had to drive to the pub, and they knew that drunk driving was illegal and dangerous.  They chose to drink and drive anyway.  I’m not hating on them. We’ve all had to make those decisions, too, but we have to constantly remind ourselves of the consequences.  We’ve got to be more conscious of our own personal limits. No amount of fun is worth making a mistake and seriously hurting someone else in an accident. 

So what can Kerry County do? Should there be licenses? Should rural Ireland change their drinking habits and culture? Should they just suck it up and deal with the reality of the law? 

How about organizing a volunteer Designated Driver program? Have younger people take one night a month off so they can bring the older residents to the pub. I can guarantee you that if the stories aren’t very interesting on the ride there, they’ll be more interesting driving back home. It would be a positive solution that connects people while keeping them safe. It’s a win-win, if you can stand a group of old Irishmen singing jigs in the back of your paddy wagon (I had to get couple more in there.)

I guess that my final reaction (for now, anyway) is that the law to make driving drunk legal is fucking stupid.  People who drink and drive know the consequences.  There have been plenty of anti-drinking and driving campaigns, enough that a reasonable person would understand the risks.  So, if you get caught, tough shit, take it like a man.  

2 Brewths has TWO questions for you this time around: First, how do you think Kerry County should solve their issue- Keep trying for the drunk-driving license, or can they do something else? Secondly, what are your experiences with drinking with another generation; whether it is older or younger, how do you think these situations shape both our drinking habits and traditions in general?

---

(1) So we only have a handful of sources, but we will pick up this topic in another 2 Brewths post:

Royal Collegeof Psychiatrists, UK- Alcohol and Depression
  
The JED Foundation: ULifeline Project

The Better Health Channel: The Rural Issue- Alcohol and Depression

The Oxford Journal: Alcohol and Depression

We could always just visit Mee Maw at home...

The Whole Brewth and Nothing but the Brewth

Before we explain ourselves to the world wide web, we want you to do something: think back to the very first time you had a beer. Think of where you were, who you were with, why on God’s earth you were drinking a warm Coor’s Light in my friend’s dad’s garage. Step back into those tender shoes -Airwalks, PF Flyers?- and imagine what that exact moment meant to you at that age and in that place.

Are you there? Can you see it? OK, get the hell out of there quick. We want you now to go waaay back to the LAST beer you had. Again, picture the setting, think about how you might've paid for it yourself instead of your cool but creepy uncle Ted. Survey your surroundings and try to capture that meaning, the feeling that was your last beer, even if you haven't finished it yet.

One of the central questions that we are going to try to answer on this very blog involves what you have so obediently done for us. We want to examine the question- what happened in between those two beers? What changes our drinking habits? How did we decide one day that, ‘you know what, dang gummit? I think I’ll try that fancy lookin’ beer over there… and I’ll only have three instead of thirty!’ We will look at why people drink a certain way in, oh I don’t know, Ukraine as opposed to a slightly different place like…let’s see, Fort Collins, CO. Like most questions there is an easy answer, but we are going to look at all of the sweet, syrupy complexities that come along with the questions. Like how and why do we drink? What are some of the differences between various people, cultures, and laws concerning drinking and brewing and why do they occur? What is happening in our bars, pubs, restaurants, and communities concerning beer and alcohol?

2 Brewths and a Lie consists of two friends who have spent time drinking, making, and talking about beer and the discussions that go along with that. Our goal is to open our conversation to you, through beer and drinking topics from the news, so that we can all have discussions together about one of the most divisive issues in society. We hope that you enjoy our thoughts, rants, and any other type of communication we decide to slap onto 2 Brewths. This blog isn’t necessarily for beer or alcohol drinkers. It is intended to spark conversations about the social, cultural, and legal practice of drinking, no matter what your feelings are towards booze.

So please join us by responding to our first homework assignment. (OK, this assignment IS for beer drinkers, but we promise they won't all be.) Tell us in the comments about the first and the last beer that you drank and let us know what happened in between those two beers. How did you get from the first to the last? What is different about them? Who was around for the first one, and were they still around for that last one? Whether they are the same beer in the same place at roughly the same time of day, or they are completely different for different reasons, thank you for sharing your experiences with us already, because let's face it- you don't even know us yet.

Keep checking in, we have so much more to talk about.