Quick Follow Up: MSNBC Beer Summit?

I know I know three posts in one day, but I hadn't realized that a follow up had been written until today, but alas it has and I felt the need to not only post a link, but to discuss it. What am I talking about? Well last week James Dlugosch of MSNBC wrote what I called a pretty ignorant article regarding beer. Well he has posted an apology of sorts. I say of sorts, because it seems like he does it rather begrudgingly.
He starts off well stating:

I would have been much better served making my point by specifying that the big-name beers made by the large brewers taste the same -- and they do, as far as I am concerned. My mistake was suggesting that microbrews and varietals taste the same.

Well that is not at all what he said. He in fact specifically mentioned microbrewer's in the paragraph talking about all beer tasting the same. A recap if you will:

Despite what the microbrewers will tell you, all beer is pretty much the same. Consumers who pay a premium do so more for the experience than the taste.

But let's not stick to that topic, let's instead move on to what his point is, which its not that all beer tastes the same, its that Micro Brews can't make money and will go out of business he explains:

While it may be true that the microbrewers craft a wonderful-tasting product, it's not so certain that they make money.

I find that quote funny especially coming off the recent news of Saint Arnold's 22.9% increase in production. Pair that with the fact that the craft beer market continues to have double digit growth and I don't understand how the author can make that statement. Yes there is really only one craft brewery that is traded on the Stock market, Sam Adams (SAM), but that doesn't mean other's aren't making money. Brewers like Stone, Dogfish, New Belgium Saint Arnold's, and many others are making money. Are they making Billions? No, but I don't think they want to.
Mr. Dlugosch misses this point as well with this statement:

Specifically, can they make money, or are we forever destined to the very large and the very small?

Can't a brewery make money while at the same time staying "small" and local? Whats wrong with trying to stay local. Saint Arnold's has grown tremendously the last few years, however, any time you talk to owner Brock Wagner he continues to state he has no plans to move outside of Texas. If he can make money, whats wrong with that? Nothing in my mind.
I appreciate Mr Dlugosch's apology, but can't help feeling that he is still incredibly ignorant about the craft beer scene and what it means. He says he wants to have a beer summitt. I'd gladly take him up on it, have a craft beer and discuss the Craft Beer industry and that you don't have to be multinational global domineering company to make money. You can be local, small, regional, and still make a buck (or two).

Beer in the News

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably noticed that my favorite adult beverage has been all over the news these last few days. It seems its become quite the popular beverage. Initially I wasn't going to post anything regarding President Obama's beer meeting with Harvard Professor Gates and Boston Police Office Crowly, mainly because I think its been all over the news too much as it is. However, the last couple of days have really changed my mind, and its due to one reason, call it a missed opportunity. Again you'd have to be living under a rock to not know this, but at a meeting to discuss race issues, the President has invited the professor and the officer to a discussion over beer. For a few days the beer blogosphere was a twitter with what beers would be served? Unfortunately we were all left extremely disappointed: Bud Light, Blue Moon, and Red Stripe (or Beck's). No American owned beer, and only one beer actually brewed in the states. How do you have a meeting in the White House and not serve an American Brewed Beer? I know that the primary focus of this meeting is race relations as it should be, but if you're going to tell the world what beer you and the company are drinking, don't you as the president have an obligation to drink American? What does it say when the President himself doesn't choose an American owned beer? I'm not naive enough to think that everyone should be drinking souped up, hopped up Imperial IPA Craft beers, but there are a lot of easy drinking good solid American owned beers. Yuengling for one or Sam Adams for another would have been perfect choices, both promoting American owned companies, which in this economic climate is important. I want to continue on my Sam Adams choice for a second, especially since the issue at hand took place in Boston, wouldn't that have been appropriate? it seems to me that the President's communications team was a bit asleep at the wheel. A tiny itsy bitty thing has blown up, all because the President chose poorly. Like I said at the beginning, huge missed opportunity here. Me, I'll be drinking American tonight and raising a glass of Saint Arnold's Lawnmower to my lips and toasting what I hope is a very beneficial meeting at the White House tonight.

The second news worthy beer story came out today and I'll call it a case of beer idiocy or maybe the dumbest most ignorant beer article of the year. I know I shouldn't look to financial news stories for solid beer reporting, but today's Money Blog on MSNBC takes the cake for beer ignorance. The story is about the financial repercussions of MillerCoors new package offering of beer in a box. The author James Dlugosch steps in deeply right off the bat with this gem of a statement:

Despite what the microbrewers will tell you, all beer is pretty much the same. Consumers who pay a premium do so more for the experience than the taste.

Really? There is no taste difference between Miller Light and a Stone Arrogant Bastard? Or for those more locally minded, a Lone Star and a Saint Arnold's Christmas ale? This guy is saying that those two beers taste exactly the same? Really? And he wants to be taken seriously from here on out? Oh but the yucks continue, and they aren't all beer related. Next up is this snobbish statement:

But there are some things I just won't do, including buying wine in a box.

Sorry bub, but we don't live in the world where the only boxed wine is Franzia. There are some actual good every day very approachable wines available in a box, so get your nose out of the air and try some. The last tidbit, is my favorite and again completely shows the ignorance of the author:

But for me, the issue is the bottle. I like drinking my suds from a cold bottle. Period.

Put it in a glass, and the experience just isn't the same.

Well I guess he's part right, put the beer in the glass and the experience isn't the same. Maybe this explains the author's initial comment. If all he is drinking is Bud, Miller, or Coors products freezing cold from the bottle, he's right there is no difference. But if here to take a finely crafted ale and pour it into its appropriate glass, I think his mind would be completely blown away by the complexity and nuances of the beer. Just imagine if I said I hate drinking wine out of a stemmed glass, its just not the same as drinking it out of a Dixie cup. Utter ignorance. So I challenge you Mr. Dlugosch, shoot me an email, I'll be happy to pour you a proper beer, and show you how good it can be out of the bottle, and how different beers are from each other.

Beer Wars: A review

Just got home from seeing the movie Beer Wars. Its the craft beercentric movie being labeled a David vs Goliath story. If you are in the craft beer scene it seems that you have been inundated with advertisements to this film (which is a bit like preaching to the choir don't ya think?). Well I went to my local theatre down here in the CLC, and if you've been following me on Twitter, you know that the theatre wasn't packed at all. In fact I'd put the number of people there at right around 20, so very very sparse. I'll be interested to hear if the theatres that were down town had a bigger crowd. Before the movie started, they showed a series of clips, and some beer trivia and 'beertoid's' which was kinda fun. Then when the LIVE event started it was at a theatre with writer, director, producure Anat Baron. She gave an intro to the film and thanked those that worked on it. Let me say she is not very comfortable in front of the camera and was pretty stiff (this should have been a warning for the film). Then the movie started. I won't go into every detail of the film, but I'll hit the highlights.
It mainly followed two people in the beer industry showing how they competed against the big guys. One was the great Sam Calagione of Dogfish, the other was Rachel Kallman who I think is the owner or marketing person for Moonshot Beer a beer made with caffeine. The documentary really shows her struggle of trying to get this product off the ground and into stores. They use the struggle to show the issues that all craft beer's have in wedging their products in between the ever expanding line up of Macro Brewers as well as the issues of getting beer distributors to pick up their products in the first place. Dogfish was shown as the brewery that has made good. That struggled and has overcome and is expanding beyond peoples wildest imagination. Throughout the film there are interview with 'beer people'. The great Charlie Papazian, Todd Alstrom of Beer Advocate, Greg Koch of Stone, Maureen Ogle, author of Ambitious Brew. The main points the film gets across is 1) The fact of Macro Breweries marketing beer, but not letting consumers know that they are behind it (think Stone Mill Organic Pale Ale. Can you tell that's an A-B product by the label?); 2) How the three tier system has made it hard for craft brewers to get into the market; 3) How the Macro Breweries work the retail stores to ensure they get the most space and the best location in the cooler; 3) How much power the Beer Industry/Distributors have in DC. All in all its an interesting film but one that I have a lot of issues with.
1) The pacing and narration of the film is pretty bad. Anat may be passionate about the subject but her narration is incredible stiff and almost jerky in its delivery.
2) I have to agree with Mr. Alstrom, why is a 'beer' like Moonshot in this film anyways? They could have chosen a much better subject to showcase a struggling brewer just trying to survive. There is a reason Ms Kallman is finding it difficult to market her beer, its crap. I hate to say it, but there it is, no one wants a Caffeine Beer.
3) I said it before, I'll say it again. I feel like its preaching to the choir. I don't think I really learned anything I didn't already know, and I'll bet for the most part that the people that went to see this film are already converts to the Craft Beer scene and support 'the little guy'. So whats the purpose of this film?

That about wraps up my review of the film itself, however next was the LIVE part of this event. After the film there was a panel discussion moderated by Ben Stein. The panel consisted of Mr. Papazian, Greg Koch, Sam Calagione, Rachel Kallman, Maureen Ogle, Todd Alstrom, and Ms Baron. This was a very interesting idea that was pretty shaky throughout and never really seemed to hit a good rhythm. Mr. Stein trying to guide the discussion was at times uncomfortable because it was evident he had no idea what he was talking about. At times he and Ms Baron didn't seem to have a clue as to what the next thing to do was. Were they going to show a clip or ask one of the panelists a question? After a while it got into a better groove and they actually had some good discussion. One of the better debates was between Ms. Ogle and Mr. Koch and Calagione. On one side you had Ogle saying that in America everyone strives to be the biggest and the best and that's historically how its been. Even A-B started small before they became this monolithic creature. On the other side you had the folks from Stone and Dogfish saying they didn't want to be big, they wanted to be able to be artisan and smaller. I think in a way Ogle is right and had one of the better lines of the night when she told them to come talk to her in 10 years and we'll see if they still think they won't grow to be huge companies.

All in all it was a good event and a rather decent documentary. It was shaky at times, but it had a very important point, especially in today's time. The point being at least in my mind is that it is hard for the small guy to make it in this world of huge corporations, and that as consumers we do have a choice. As American's a place where entrepeneurs have florished, don't we as consumers have an obligation to help support the little guys. Those people whether they are making bread, or cheese or beer and making it in a craft manner, isn't it better to support those people than the large corporations? The problem is, did the point get to the right people? Only time will tell.

Beer Wars, A reminder

A quick note to all who read this here blog. If your a lover of craft beer, or your getting interested in it, one of the most important movie releases is just two weeks away. Beer Wars, a movie detailing the rise of Craft Breweries and their fight against the big boys. This movie could be HUGE for spreading the Craft Beer word Unfortunately it's distribution is such that it will only be released one day, and one day only, April 16 at select theatres. For those like me that live in Houston here are the theatres its playing at:
AMC Gulf Point 30 Houston, TX
AMC Willowbrook 24 Houston, TX
Houston Maq*E Stadium plus IMAX Houston, TX
Cinemark Memorial City Hall Houston, TX
AMC Deerbrook 24 Humble, TX
Cinemark 19 Katy, TX
Cinemark 18 Webster, TX

For info on buying tickets go here.
I encourage everyone to go, and if you want to meet up at a particular theatre let me know and maybe we can get a group to attend.

A new Beer movie: Beer Wars

We've all seen beer portrayed in movies, but its usually not in a positive light, nothing more than somthing to guzzle in a teeny bopper movie. However that is not the case any more as there is a new movie out on beer. Not just any movie, this one could be the end all be all of beer movies. Director, produce documentarian Anat Baron has created a movie titled "Beer Wars." Its movie about the emergence of Craft Beer as they take on the big guys, BMC. From looking at her website and stuff being written about the movie (see this post in the Brookston Bulletin), this looks like an amazing film, something every lover of craft beer should go to. Except there is one catch. Right now it will be a one day showing: April 16th. One day only, for folks like you and me to have our voices heard and to see a film about a topic we love. She didn't get a huge rich distrubution deal, she's is doing this on her own. As she states in her blog we craft beer lovers are a passionate bunch so let's show the movie suits how passionate we can be by selling out every show on April 16th. For a complete list of theatres showing this film click here. For more on the flim, here's how Beer Wars website sums up the film:

In America, size matters. The bigger you are, the more power you have, especially in the business world.

Director Anat Baron takes you on a no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry that ultimately reveals the truth behind the label of your favorite beer. Told from an insider’s perspective, the film goes behind the scenes of the daily battles and all out wars that dominate one of America’s favorite industries.

Beer Wars begins as the corporate behemoths are being challenged by small, independent brewers who are shunning the status quo and creating innovative new beers. The story is told through 2 of these entrepreneurs – Sam and Rhonda – battling the might and tactics of Corporate America. We witness their struggle to achieve their American Dream in an industry dominated by powerful corporations unwilling to cede an inch.

This contemporary David and Goliath story is ultimately about keeping your integrity (and your family’s home) in the face of temptation. Beer Wars is a revealing and entertaining journey that provides unexpected and surprising turns and promises to change the world’s opinion on those infamous 99 bottles of beer on the wall.

And the trailer:

Quick Hits

A Tuesday evening edition of Quick Hits coming your way.
- As most folks know I'm a huge fan of good beer and good food. I also like seeing craft beer show up in TV shows as it shows good beer going mainstream. We're always used to just seeing BMC products on TV its nice to see something else for a change. Well these two things have merged in the current season of Top Chef on Bravo. For those familiar with the show, at the end of the show while the contestants go in front of the judges table, other's are shown in the back drinking beer. In the past its usually been Michelob products, however this season its being filmed in New York, the chefs are drinking Brooklyn Brewery Beer. That's some amazing product placement those folks have gotten. I think I've seen their Summer Ale and Lager shown the most. I'm really glad the Top Chef folks have moved from Michelob to something much better like Brooklyn's line up. Chef's love good food and good wine we all know that, but I also know that they love good beer and its about time that is shown on TV.
- My second and last note is a reminder that this Friday marks the 75th anniversary of the passing of the 21st Amendment that repealed prohibition. Friday also marks the date of next session, which is hosted by the folks at 21st Amendment brewing. The theme is "What does the repeal of Prohibition mean to you and how will you celebrate?"

New Yorker Beer Article

You know craft beer is getting bigger, when a magazine like the New Yorker has an 11 page article on craft beer. This is an extremely interested article, not only for what it says but for how people have interpreted it (more on that in a bit). The basis of the article is on Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head fame. Now I have made no secret of my love of his beers as I think he's a mad genius so I was happy to see the love he got in this article. Besides going into a lot of detail into two of Sam's latest beers, the already tasted here Palo Santo Marron, and the I can't wait to taste Sahtea it covers some history on extreme beers. From the early days of American Beer we've had beers that some folks would call extreme, however as of late we've taken that to another level. From Dogfish's beers, to Sam Adams Utopia we yearn for bigger and bigger flavors (this is no different than in the wine industry with bigger and bigger Cabs). While I agree with what the article says and for the most part think that its very well written there is one thing that struck a nerve (along with other folks) and that was how it portrayed the great Garret Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery. Again I've made no secret of my admiration of Mr. Oliver as I think he's a fine brewer, but more importantly an advocate for not only great beer, but great beer and food pairings. The article, fairly or unfairly portrays Mr. Oliver as someone who not only doesn't like "extreme" beers, but thinks they are bad for the industry. Now I don't think that's true at all, and sure enough it isn't. This article has created quite the fervor on the Beer Advocate Forums with Mr. Oliver, Mr. Calagione, and the author of the article, clarifying what was said, what was meant, and the context of the quotes. Like I said I thought this article was well written, but at the same time you have to have your doubts if it takes as much as it has to clarify all the issues inside. The lesson here of course is don't believe everything you read. As always make up your own mind and go check out the article, and then go checkout the BA forum (Sam even name drops Houston's own Brock Wagner).

2 Very Quick, Very late hits

I know I'm late in posting on both of these things, but I figure better late than never and maybe just maybe some of this may be news to you.
- First news from the Houston Press regarding a new Rice University Biology Study. Rice Biologists are working on a BioBeer to create a "A brew which has modified yeast that creates resveratrol – the cancer-preventing ingredient in red wine that has also been linked to lowering risks of heart disease in lab animals."

- Secondly its Battle Beer time!!! On a recent episode of Food Networks Iron Chef the secret ingredient was Beer. The chef's had 60 minutes to create at least 5 dishes using the secret ingredient. I think its awesome that Beer and food is getting this main stream, however there were good things and very bad things about this episode. First the good: One of the judges was the great Garret Oliver. There was a really nice beer selection: Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout, Bire De Miel (a mead), Ivanhoe IPA, Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, and last but not least Shiner Hefeweizen. Lastly the food made from the beer ranged a pretty broad gamut from traditional Brats, to more complex deserts and cakes. The bad of course was the knowledge of beer by the hosts and the other two judges. Kevin Brauch who has hosted booze related shows in the past said that the Shiner was brewed in Austin! Also the host Alton Brown seemed to know nothing about beer. In other shows he seems extremely well researched and while that may be production and an artifact of the show, why not show the same respect towards Beer that they have shown towards other ingredients? Lastly the other judges seemed to distain the taste of beer, and not really understanding nor appreciating its complex flavors. Having said all that, even with the negatives it was extremely nice to see a show like this focusing on beer and food.