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CELEBRATING
BEER & BARS; SPIRITS, MUSIC, FOOD & WINE, ...
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HOPPY
NEW BEER YEAR
SUDS,
WINE & SPIRITS NEWSPAPER
SWS 9 - "Winter
- Early 2012" Print Edition ready for deliveries
2011 was a wild one & 2012 looks like "more of
the same," maybe more insane.
We regained access to our website (old warhorse served just
died), so we've been updating our event calendars (again) daily,
so feed us your events.
A new bonus is that we'll have a new SWS website look in about a
month.
See you at some damn beer & spirits event really soon.
Cheers
"Whispering" Jeff
Want
to advertise with us ?
Reach out to - wjsws@sbcglobal.net
WHISPERING
JEFF’S NEWS, RUMORS & GOSSIP (TM)
DECEMBER 22
Holiday celebrations.
Yesterday, stopped at the new Olde Milwaukee Pub &
Grill and a visit next door at Steny's with owner Jerry.
Last night, Gino & the missus at Victorias, then
some beers at Burnheart's with Jim Hilton.
Tuesday, The Gig xmas & then a tour with John
E O, hitting Nessum Dorma & Foundation (Upland Dragonfly Black
IPA & a Mai-Tai)
Monday, Von Trier's with the Brewhaus Polka Kings,
partying with Jerry Patzwald from Spaten, and yakking with beer
industry wholesalers.
Saturday, Regano's 45th anniversary, with special
Pabst tied holuse plaque, then Frank's Power Plant Xmas (taco by
Alfonz) & Puddler's Xmas, with Mumblin' Bob's band.
Friday, Lo-Cash Live Xmas.
OMG, this weekend is Christmas !!!
With one loss, it;'s time for the Packers to wrap
it up.
Ah, whatta week !
It started out mildly enough.
A few stops on Thursday, hitting Lo-Cash Live, with a victorylap
burger & fries at O’Lydias.
Friday, I behaved (Oh, it was a battle).
Saturday AM, I caught Greyhound Express, hit Al’s # 1 Beer
for a regular dipped with Provalone & hit the Illinois Craft
Brewers Guild. Great to see Dr. David “Bubbles” Ryder
(VP-Brewing, SAB Miller) & his wife Vera; John Hall, Goose Island
founder; Randy Mosher, 5 Rabbits co-owner, …
Sunday, Uptown Savages last show with bassman Matt, the Ratt at
Frank’s Power Plant.
Monday was Alaskan-Brewery-in-Milwaukee day, so I savored the Smoked
Porter at the Rumpus Room.
Great catching Paul Moebius from Bell’s & his wife.
Tuesday, at The Gig, we sampled Clown Shoes.
Thursday, Rumpus Room, for Founders tasting with John Freyer.
OCTOBER 29
Tuesday was a special nite, with an Ommegang beer tasting, hosted
by Krone’s Fred Scheer.
Wednesday, I hit Benno’s, for the Leinie’s Russian Imperial
Stout re-release, paired withg oodies from Indulgence Chocolatiers.
Great seeing Greg Walter, Leinie 10th Brewmaster again.
Thursday, I attacked Stubbies, savoring Central Waters Coffee Stout,
plus I enjoyed a Ommegang’s Gnomegang sampler.
Friday, it was Milwaukee Brewing Company, partying with Jim McCabe
& eyeballing their new packaging.
OCTOBER 22
Saturday, back in the “Monk’s Cave,” after 2 escapes,
Thursday & Friday.
Thursday, after work, I caught Los Straitjackets at Turner Hall.
Great seein’ Dietrich (DJ, WMSE Gearhead Show; Nanners Nelson
& her family, …
Warmup included stops at Fitzgibbon’s, the 3-for-1 beers at
the Milwaukee Brat House (& I swear there was a 3rd, but …
I forgot)
Friday, I caught Project/Object at the Mirimar with Ike Willis &
Ray White. Ray & Ike were Zappa alumni. Great yakking with Ray
pre-show. I hear Frank Chandek & his lady are getting hitched
soon at the Mirimar.
OCTOBER 16
Saturday, I busted out of the "Monks Cave" ,,,
- First stop, Hamburger Mary’s new Milwaukee location, wishing
co-owner Brandon well.
- Next, a brief pitstop to Karl Ratsch’s
- Finally, a stop at Catch 22, congratulating Colin on Jeff Buetner’s
writup in the Shepherd.
Friday, post Zads, Col. Klink & I ventured into Riverwest, where
we hit Circle A, thanking Setser for his Milwaukee Music column, to
appear in the next SWS newspaper. Oh, yah, and had a few beers.
Next stop, The Uptowner, where we all watched the terrible terrible
Milwaukee Losers. OUCH.
Last Tuesday, The Gig, where we savored Barley Island’s beers.
On deck at The Gig this coming Tuesday is O’Fallon.
The week after that is Homebrew night, where we'll sample various
homebrewed beers as well as our "Drunkin’ Punkin”.
This week, I’ve got 2 music adventures ...
- Los Straitjackets at Turner Hall on Thursday.
- Project/Object with Zappa alumni Ike Willis & Ray White on Friday
at Mirimar Theater.
OCTOBER 8
Damn those Brewers. Hey, we’re still alive.
Thursday at Shakers Cigar Bar, Coors Batch 19 promo. Great meeting
Brad Johnson, Batch 19 brand manager.
Tuesday was The Gig’s Oktoberfest party.
Initial house crashing party this past Friday at Josh & Lindsay’s
pad in Walkers Point.
OCTOBER 1
Damn, it got cold fast.
It was too hot to even wear a jacket just last weekend.
The Independent Spirits Expo at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago on
Wednesday. Can’t beat a $2 RT Greyhound Express and a $5.75
Chicago CTA “Fun Pass,” eh ?
Warmup was at the Beer Bistro ($3 craft can Wednesdays) & victory
lap was at Revolution. Yah, I was a West Loop guy.
The Independent Spirits Expo Roundtable was very informative. Introduced
by Martin Duffy, The panel included Ed Hamilton, Ministry of Rum;
Will Kelly from Tenzig Wine & Spirits; Sonja Kassebaum at North
Shore, Sonnet Bernecker of Koval, Brain Ellison from Death’s
Door, Dave Speer, Indie co-founder & Redemption Rye creator;
Paul Hletko from brand new Few Distilling from Evanston (IL); Scott
Winters from American Spirit Exchange; Mike Miller from Delilah’s
(& Bottom Lounge); Shane InFine Spirits, and both Jerald O’Kennard
and Ron Montonera from the Beverage Testing Institute.
On the floor, great samplings, mostly I focused mostly on Ryes,
Bourbons & Scotch from many vendors, including New Holland,
Templeton, Redemption, Few, Yahara Bay, Compass Box, Breckenridge,
Cedar Ridge, Journeyman, Cooley, ….. In addition, I savored
some of Ed Hamilton’s Rhums and this recently re-released
Pumpkin Spirit from Great Lakes Distilling,
It was great seeing Alan Dikty from the Beverage Testing Institute
again, as well.
Coming up this Tuesday at The Gig will be our Oktoberfest celebration.
Plus, I’m looking forward to Josh & Lindsay’s house
breaking (I meant ‘warming’) party at their new Walkers
Point loft. Beer & BBQ … yum !
Tom Schwark, John E O & I threatened a Fall BBQ & music
fest.
Rad & I talked about a Wausau brewery tour in October &
I also proposed a beery Winter tour to NW Indiana.
Until then, I’m kinda in the ‘monk’s cave,”
laying low, assembling the “Fall” edition of the newspaper.
SEPTEMBER 27
Ahh, the end of September is roaring in.
Tonite, at The Gig, we do our Arcadia (MI) beer tasting, as well
as vote on our Drunkin’ Pumpkin homebrew bottle label.
Wednesday, it’s off to Bottom Lounge in Chicago for Martin
Duffy’s Independent Craft Distilling event at Bottom Lounge
in Chicago.
This past Saturday, despite the bookended rain, was a terrific Center
Street Daze event.
Congrats to Steve & Shawnette. 6 music stages, tones of food
& lotsa pals (real live friends, including Pete the Barber,
Dr. Bob, Frank from Oz, D Turner & R Turner, Sheronda, Josh
& Lindsay & Jeremiah, Andy & Kevin, Russ Klisch, Mumblin
Bob & Jackie, Stoney from the Psycho Bunnies, Fly, Rip Tenor
(alias Art Kumbalek), …)
Music highlights included Dave’s last show as Voot Warnings
and Dr. Chow’s Love Medicine under an assumed name, both at
the Uptowner stage; The Danglers at the Quarters stage, Mike “Freddie”
Fredrickson and Tom Schwark at the Café Centro stage and
some great bands at Club Timbuktu stage.
Victory lap including some of Chad’s home made mead at Erik’s
party, with Johnnie Krueger, John E O, Ken, Chad & Nicki, …;
followed by a stop at Stonefly, where Tony joined us; a return to
the Uptowner, where I grabbed Donna and we headed to Circle A to
catch some great tunes on the juke box.
SEPTEMBER 22
Ah, the Twin Cities. Great to visit again.
Taking the Metro Transit North on Hennepin, over the bridge &
seeing the old Grain Belt sign. The crowd hiking to the old Grain
Belt Brewery (beautifully restored). The bagpipes. The verycold
overcast day. Mmmm, the great beer.
The library & Jeff Lonto’s book on Grain Belt Brewery.
Barhopping (Gluek’s, William’s Peanut Bar, …)
Seeing (& hearing) Spider John Koerner live.
Monday, a glutton for a celebration, I hit the Beechwood Trade Show
at the banquet hall at the Harley Museum.
Tuesday, it was a Boulevard beer tasting at The Gig.
This weekend, Center Street Daze, Great Lakes Distilling’s
Pumpkin Fest & St. Francis Oktoberfest.
SEPTEMBER 16
Whatta Saturday.
“Pinball” Dave & I hit Oakcrest Tavern in Shorewood
as a warmup
Next, we joined
the line for the United German Societies Oktoberfest. Ahh, love
“The Alte Kamaraden Brass Band."
Great
to see Spaten’s Jerry (& his wife Christine) Patzwald
and Lakefront’s Russ (& his wife May) Klisch.
A glutton for a party with live music, Dave dropped me off at St.
Peter & Paul’s block party. Yakked with musicians Bob
Flemming (sax, keyboards & accordion) & Mike “Freddie”
Fredrickson backstage before the Paul Cebar show.
On my way
to buy some beer & food tickets, I bumped into folk musician
Colin O’Brien, and then settled into the center table with
Scott Johnson, his parents, wife & daughter, savoring the Cebar
show. Yah.
Staggering off toward the North Avenue bus, headed home, outside
Palermo Pizza was a musical mob, including DJ & former Wild
Kingdom leader Paul Finger & McTavisch’s Mark Shurilla.
At last, at The Gig this
past Tuesday, we’re doing the high-gravity Weyerbacher beers.
Sadly, the Weyerbacher grabber, Rad, lost a pal, and was unable
to attend.
Blastin’
off today, Friday for the Twin Cities
SEPTEMBER 10
“It’s Ein Oktoberfest
Time.”
Torn between Von Trier Oktoberfest & TosaFest, with Uptown Savage
pals Johnnie Z & Jack Stewart, I’ll take the State Street
bus West.
Saturday, “Pinball” Dave & I are headed to The Bavarian
Inn in Glendale, to enjoy the Alte Kamaraden Brass Band at the United
German Societies’ Oktoberfest.
Afterward, I want to hit Great Lakes Distilleries 5th Anniversary
Party, following by a bit of Paul Cebar at St. Peters & Paul
Block Party on Murray on the Eastside.
Lessee, what have I been doing before that ….
Oh yah, John EO grabbed me away from bartender Nanners at Zad’s
& we headed to The Gig, for a Tuesday Emmett’s Beer tasting.
Emmett’s is now in bottles (they told me they have a Meheen
bottle machine in the Emmett’s Palatine location).
Afterward, against our better judgment, we hit The Foundation for
a MaiTai (or 2 or 4 ?).
Mike Nelson stopped by earlier on Tuesday, handing me back my dufflebag,
which I left in his car. When was Mike’s & my tour ? Oh
yah, last week Friday. Let me rewind the tape. Yah, I was drinking
outside Zad’s with Colonel Klink & Mark, and then getting
ready to hop the bus home, when Mike pulled up. Mike’s the
dad of Harmony & a Riverwest pal. Anyway, it’s been a
while since (freshly retired) Mike & I partied. When he dropped
off my shit, he said “what did you do to me, man,” meaning
we did some serious beer slamming Friday.
Wednesday, it was my Milwaukee victory lap, wrapping up deliveries
of the “Summer” edition of “Suds, Wine & Spirits.”
EVENT REMINDER:
September 28, Wednesday, join me at the 1st Annual Independent Spirits
Expo, running from 6:30-9 PM - $55 ($75 VIP – 3-9 PM)
Special events include Micro-Distiller / Indie Bottlers Roundtable
(3-4:30 PM) & VIP / Trade Spirits Sampling (5-6:30 PM)
Bottom Lounge, 1375 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL – www.indispiritsexpo.com
New news is that I booked Greyhound Express for the ICBG Barrel-aged
Brewfest, plus I’m joining the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild
as an associate member.
Newer news is that I’m planning a “double-header”,
headed via Greyhound & IC Metra to Tribes Michigan Beer Fest
(45 taps from MI), camping overnite in Mokena, and hitting Chicago
Thursday, catching Terry Evans at Kingston Mines that PM.
We’ll see.
“So many beers, so many music events, so little time …”
SEPTEMBER 5
This past Saturday was a double-header. Bob & I battled the
rain & hit Oconomowoc & a "victory lap" into Madison,
ending with a tour of Page Buchanan's "House of Brews."
Bob dropped me off at Polka John's Annual Labor Day Backyard Polka
Party in West Allis. Lotsa polka guys from Chicago, Madison &
Milwaukee. John is the drummer in the Jeff Winard Band, playing
at at St. Francis Brewery's Oktoberfest.
A lot more Oktoberfests events are on the website.
Did I miss any ? Let me know.
This past Wednesday, Bob was my wheelman as we hit Chicago, mostly
the Near Southside. Some delightful finds that I need to revisit.
I gotta Chicago trip via Greyhound Express ($2.50 RT this time)
to Martin Duffy's Independent Craft Distilling event on Wednesday,
September 28, at Mike Miller's Bottom Lounge.
Booked my hotel room for my upcoming Twin Cities - "Autumn
Brew Review" tour (a cheapy, by the airport. Access is just
a few blocks west of the Hiawatha trolley line.)
BTW: The winner of "how many beers at the Great Taste of the
Midwest is Drew Longmire, guessing 912.
AUGUST 28
Monday, Gino McKiernan’s crew from Barnacle Bud’s are
coming by to terrorize Terry Zadra at Zad’s.
Wednesday, it’ll be the “Chicago Victory Lap,”
as Driver Bob & I hit a bunch of joints that we missed, plus
do some re-stock. Brian’s already got his Chicagoland beer
articles started & I need to talk with Ed about the Valley for
our “Oktoberfest” issue.
Saturday, Bob & I do a re-stock in Madison, and Hillbilly Will
is grabbing the latest news for our October issue.
Once Specialty gets the papers to La Crosse, A-O-GB, Sheboygan,…
SWS8, the “Summer” edition, will be all delivered.
This past Sunday, it was “Mumblin’ Bob Night”
at the Wherehouse.
Last week Wednesday, Farmers Market, by the WE Energies offices,
great tunes by Johnnie & Susie, “Frogwater.” Love
their fiddle & guitar, ever since “Gillies.”
Don’t forget to hit the Suds City Beer Events & Midwest
Music Calendars (another 50 shows added, including David Lindley,
Deke Dickerson, Chris Hillman, Project-Object,…) for a gozillion
great events.
Oh, and, um, I finally joined Facebook.
Eddie B, a pal from my Cellar days, got me friended with Jeff Boyan,
from Saturday’s Children. “I was born on a Saturday;
Willy Jean; Sola;….” – great tunes.
‘Jeff, may you play
(& write) again soon.’
"Until we party again ...," WJ
WHISPERING JEFF'S BLOG
AUGUST 26
Last Tuesday at The Gig, we homebrewed a Pumpkin Ale.
Monday PM, I hit The Standard
(x-Circa) for some $2 Lagunitas IPSa, followed by BG Steve &
John E O party at the Irish Knot (me, LF IPA)
Oak Park Micro Brew Review ? Yah.
Remember the “rain, rain” bit ?
But, first things first. Bob & I loaded
up a bunch of bundles of SWS into Roughneck containers into his
Ranger pickup,, and then blasted South to Chicago, hitting a whole
bunch of (new to me) venues. Arrival into Chicago, it’s raining
like crazy.
Dummy Jeff forgot a raincoat, thinking “beer
fest,” not jumping in & out of a pickup.
Yup, I got really sopping wet. Ah, well.
It’s getting close to 2 PM Showtime,
so we head to Oak Park. It’s sunny, now, but mighty steamy,
too. (I got a Craft entry, an hour earlier, getting me samples of
the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild Repilcale. Good seeing Mike Rybinski,
now at Two Brothers Roundhouse, Kelly “Kool” Kuehl,
from Country Malt, Jim, brewmaster at Rockbottom Warrenville, &
eversobriefly, Wil from Goose Island.). Next, I wandered around,
having a great time with Ryan Clooney from Emmett’s, Josh
Deth from Rovolution, sampling his great brews; Limestone, Argus,
…
Too soon, I needed to blast off to the Greyhound
Station for my “8:30” departure., so I hopped the CTA
& headed East. At 8:45, we blasted off in one of those new Greyhound
buses, and flew, roaring through Chicagoland & North on the
freeway, arriving 10 minutes early. OK, I’m hooked on Greyhound
Express, especially since it only cost $5 RT.
On deck ? Hmmm. Actually, I’ve got
2 weekends off (surprise), and then, BAM, I’ve got the weekend
in the Twin Cities, hitting the Autumn Brew Review. Next, the secret
picnic in Chicago, followed mid-week by “Indi in the Windi
“ Craft Brew Fest at Bottom Lounge.
Then ? It’s time to assemble another
SWS edition.
Calendar-wise ? I just added another dozen
beer fests, and a bunch of great music.
Some music acts, like Terry Evans, Larry
McCray, Gogol Bordello and Marc Ribot, all in Chicago, look mighty
tempting.
Future trips ? Bob & I were talking
about catching some blues in Chicago, plus Peter & Rebecca &
I are planning a Wausau trip (finally,) and, there’s Eccentric
Day. I am also eyeballing the HopCat Hoptoberfest and, sameday,
FounderFest, in Grand Rapids.
See you at some damn beer bar, a music event
or a beer fest … real soon.
AUG 19
It’s cooling off, so I can finally burn some animal again.
Steaks & burgers; Chicken & Lambchops, oh my.
Can another pork shoulder be far away ?
At the Gigfest last Tuesday, we featured Chicago’s Metropolitian
Brewing Co.
Next week, unless we homebrew a pumpkin beer or savor Weyerbacher
(& other PA beers from Rad), we’ll be sampling Chicago’s
Half Acre Brewing Co.’s beers.
This past Wednesday, Bob & I toured & delivered “Suds,
Wine & Spirits” into Chicago, hitting about 70 places,
including West Lakeview Liquors, Twisted Spoke, Half Acre, …
We’ve got 2 more runs into Chicago, a re-stock in Madison,
post Great Taste, and then we’ve completed deliveries.
Looks like it’s time to create another issue. Our “Suds
Squad” of writers are hard at work, interviewing & touring,
to create our next batch of articles.
Caught Mumblin’ Bob at the Pick-N-Save. He’s got a music
gig on August 28 at the Wherehouse in Walkers Point.
This coming Saturday, Bob’s my wheelman again, as we hit another
70 places in Chicago, then, after a pit stop at Buona Beef (yummy)
on North Avenue, I’m hitting the Oak Park Micro Brew Review.
“Rain, rain, go away…”
It’s just about hop harvest time, so look for a lot of Hoptoberfest
& Wet hop beers & events coming up.
Just added another 15 Wisconsin, Illinois & Midwestern beer
events to our Suds City calendar
Looks like party day in Grand Rapids October 15, with Founders &
HopCat both hosting.
In addition, Surley Darkness & Summit’s 25th Anniversary
events are going on in the Twin Cities on October 22, too. Wow !!
We just added 2o+ additional music events to our “just add
music” calendar,” too.
My music picks ? I’ll be catching Freddie Lee, Project-Object,
Terry Evans, Los Straitjackets & Marc Ribot. How about you ?
AUG 15
Great Taste Recovery is nearly complete.
To rewind the tape …
Bob & I did another Milwaukee delivery blitz & I rode with
Jean, who was on her way back to La Crosse, to Madison. She dropped
me off just in time for the Bell’s party at Maduro. Paul Moebius
trows a hellofaparty.
I checked into my crash pad by the South Transfer Metro, then headed
back to the Capital Square.
Partied with Kirby Nelson at the Capital Tap Haus, then hit Old
Fashioned for the Hinterland Party, Tipsy Cow with New Holland’s
Fred Bueltmann, and had some Lagunitas at Coopers.
Headed out to Mason Lounge and after that, it gets … fuzzy.
Happily awoke at my hotel, and I headed
to Mickey’s Milk Bar for a breakfast base.
After a Farmers Market tour, I hit the Great Taste grounds.
Lotsa beers, lotsa fun, lotsa friends.
Highlights ? Matt Hall, now at Lift Bridge; John Hill, Broadripple;
the Vintage Lounge; Nick from 3 Floyds; the aged Russian Imperial
at Leinenkugel; the Wild beers everywhere, including Jolly Pumpkin
& Upland; John J. Hall from Goose Island; Jeff Spaeth &
Damien McCann at Summit; John Kainz, Wild Onion; Gary Luther; Russ
Klisch; John Harrison, Delafield Brewhjaus; David Edgar; Greg Browne,
Mickey Finn’s; Anello Mollica, Central Waters; Brent Weycker,
Titletown; Jeff from Brewery Creek; the folks at Granite City &
Rockbottom; Scott Hettig from St. Francis, Steve from Silver Creek;
Kim from White Winter; the folks at Town Hall & Fitgers;, and
a lot more.
Safe to say, I’m more fun early.
Badger bus home.
On deck:
- Wednesday, Chicagoland deliveries with Bob.
- Saturday,Greyhound Express ($5 RT) to Chicago & the Oak Park
Brew Fest, via CTA.
AUGUST 11
Great Taste Countdown. I'm off to Madtown Friday afternoon.
(Hit www.sudswineandspirits.com - "Suds City Events" for
Friday pre-Great Taste events.)
Tuesday, it was Gigfest, where we sampled Two Brothers Domaine Dupage,
Ebel's Weiss, Longhaul Session Ale & Cane & Ebel
Wednesday, Bob & I delivered into Racine and Milwaukee. We stopped
at Kewpees, and savored their vanilla malteds. Yum.
Next stop was Erv's Mug, where I had a Tommyknocker Black Rye. Erv's
has 32 craft taps. They are hosting "Erv Toberfest" on
September 11.
Wednesday, I met with Cindy from Alaskan Brewing Co. at Beer Capitol
in Sussex. Yes, Alaskan Brewing Company, with Original Gravity in
Minnesota, is launching in the Milwaukee market "September 1st."
Saturday was "Razz Fest" at John E O's, getting buzzed on daquaris,
and chowing down on ribs & pork shoulder.
Tonite, it's Mama Digdown Brass Band at Jazz in the Park.
AUGUST 5
While a “fair weather sports fan,” I’ve got to
admit, it’s nice to see the Brewers in 1st place in our division.
Kicking x-White Sox Manager Tony LaRussa’s St. Louis Cardinals
(hey, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad). Yah.
Wednesday, Bob & I toured metro Madison
delivering, catching Sun Prairie (Cannery’s Liquors, Edde’s
& Fuzzys). On into Madison, I hit all the breweries & brewpubs
(Ale Asylum, Great Dane, Vintage & Capitol), beer bars, Malt
House, Coopers, the new Tipsy Cow, Drackenberg Cigar, Maduro, Dexters,
Brasserie V, Essenhaus – Comeback Inn & Quivey’s
Grove & beer stores, like Star, Cork & Bottle, McFarland
Liquor, Trixie’s,… before heading back to Cheese-Town.
Great Taste weather rumors are that it may
be a bit rainy, but the coolest GT yet. Hell, I remember all those
90s-100s with not a breeze in sight. I also remember when Fred Bueltmann
was with Bell’s & he arrived on his beer keg barge.
Coming up, some delivery tours into Cedarburg
& West Bend, Waukesha & Brookfield.
JULY 31
Ah, Sunday, veg day.
Saturday, Driver Bill & I began our Chicagoland deliveries,
hitting North (Mickey Finn’s, Firkin, …); Northwest
(Emmett’s, …), West (2 Brothers Roundhouse, where I
just missed Mike Rybinski, now bar & entertainment manager);
West (Lunar, where Chuck is holding court as a bartender; Ronnie’s
Cigars & Stripes; Brixie’s, Palmer Place, …); Near
West (Beer Bistro, where PJ is GM for Bob, Haymarket, …);
Near North (Clark Street Ale House, Jake Melnik’s, …)
& North (Metropolitian, Hopleaf – watch for their remodel
as they go “double wide,” Edgewater Lounge’s 10
Anniversary in mid-August, Fireside's remodel, …), and then,
back to Cheese-Town.
Friday PM, Peter & Rebecca grabbed me
& we did some deliveries North (Sprecher, Big Bay, …);
East (Hooligans, Von Triers, …), Bay View (Melba served us
Triskele’s bread & soup, as we each savored a pint; Stone
Pub, …) and “down Airport way,” where Tim O’Keefe
at House of Hamburg was our beer host.
This coming Tuesday at The Gig will be a
Big Bay beer tasting.
On deck: Wednesday, Bob & I take our
1st Madison delivery tour.
Saturday is Razzfest at John E O’s;
T he following weekend is Great Taste (yup, I’m there Friday
PM to Sunday AM).
Marion Street is tore up by the Marion Street Cheese Mart, but the
block North of the “L” is open for the Marion Street
event in 2 weeks.
I booked a great Greyhound Express rate
to the Twin Cities, so mid-September, I’ll be hitting the
Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Autumn Brew Review.
Tales of Madison coming on Thursday.
"Until then, Cheers." from WJ.
JULY 23
Ahhh, it’s coooooler these past 2 days.
This past Thursday, John E O stopped by. We hadn’t partied
in a few weeks. He grabbed me & we did some touring.
First stop, Stubbies, where I had the Hop Rod Rye from Bear Republic.
Next stop, we hit Thurman’s, and bumped into not only some
Marquette High – Gasthaus Zur Krone alumni, but Thurman’s
owner Bill, as well. Beer du jour ? Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Last Tuesday, I hit the Irish Knot for a quick Lakefront IPA, then
on to the Imperial (high gravity, average 9.5% ABV) New Glarus Beer
tasting at The Gig.
The “Summer” edition of the newspaper hits the printer
on Monday, and deliveries begin this coming Friday.
Sunday, it’s Steve Earle at the Pabst Theater.
JULY 16
Friday, I wandered into Milwaukee Brewing Company, and enjoyed a tour
of their facilities.
Jim & Joe McCabe were there. Savored a terrific Gonzo Imperial
Wit and a Baltic Porter.
As always, a glutton for pleasure,
I hit Taylor’s for a Goose Island IPA, and headed into Cathedral
Square Park, catching Michael Doucet & his band Beausoleil.
Yes, it’s Bastille Days in Milwaukee. Wandered North, just
in time to catch some of my favorite locals, The Uptown Savages,
featuring Ace Chemical’s Crazy Jack Stewart on keys &
WMSE (91,7 FM) “Chicken Shack” DJ, Johnny Z.
Autumn Brew Review tickets went on
sale at Midnight, so I snared one for the early session. My plan
? Amtrak into St. Paul & tear up the Twin Cities in September.
Right now, Mark Deitrich is back
on his ‘MSE “Gearhead Show.” Mmm: Lotsa Surf &
60s stuff. Ever the gearhead himself, Mark has been spending time
this Summer in the tower at Great Lakes Dragaway.
JULY
14
Thursday, I headed to Vino 100 for the Lakefront Brewery beer tasting,
hosted by LF Sales manager Chris Johnson.
We yakked about the upcoming Autumn Brew Review in Minneapolis.
Next stop, Stonefly, savoring one
of Jakob’s brews, his IPA.
I’m hoping to do a Gig fest tour there some Tuesday.
Last stop, catching Juli Woods &
Stas Venglevski at
The Uptowner. In the audience, Robin Pluer & Peter Roller.
Rewinding the tape, this past Saturday,
I hopped the Amtrak & Metra, hitting the Barrington Brewfest,
just beside the stain station.
Always a pleasure to party with Ram’s Tom “Bubba”
Nelson and Tim Burns from Emmett’s.
Greedy for more, I hit Beer Bistro, jawing with PJ, enjoying a Rye
from one of new Chicagoland breweries, Finches.
Right now, I’m in the “monk’s
cave,” assembling the “Summer” edition of “Suds,
Wine & Spirits.”
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THE
GIG'S RIVERWEST BEER CLUB
The Riverwest Beer Club features homebrew,
beer songs, films, videos & beer tastings.
The Riverwest Beer Club meets Tuesdays,
6-10 PM - $5 to join - $5 weekly fee
The Gig, 1132 E. Wright, Riverwest, Milwaukee, WI.
WHISPERING
JEFF BABBLES (& PARTIES) ON !!!
FEBRUARY 7
Great, but scary Packers Superbowl win.
Since Riverwest is pretty much Lakefront’s neighborhood, I
started off at Uptowner with a Riverwest Stein. Not a Fergie &
Wil-E-M fan, I hit the Foundation for an IPA, caught Marty at Bremen
Café, talking about Drywall Tom in Duluth & the Nut Factory
open house next weekend, enjoying a Sierra Nevada Tornado. Figuring
half-time was over, I wandered over to the Gig, and savored both
the Packers victory & several LF Fixed Gear.
Thursday was John E O’s big 6-0 party, so we all
joined him at the backroom of Von Trier. Dah Beers ? Upland Dragonfly
and Paulaner Salvator. Yummy.
MARCH 3
Hellofaweekend. Peter,
Rebecca & I left from Milwaukee at 4 PM Friday, catching the
METRA to Chicago.
We grabbed our CTA 1-day “Fun Pass” (unlimited Ls, subways
& buses for $5.75) & traded our AMTRAK reservations for
ticket.
Next step, “Party until Dawn.”
Stops included Twisted Spoke, Green Door, Clark Steet Ale House,
Laschette’s, Resi’s & a victory lap (until 4 AM),
catching a jazz combo at Green Mill.
We cabbed back to the Union Station, but we were locked
out … homeless, so we did what any homeless person with a
“fun pass” would do in Chicago – we rode the subway
until 5:30 AM, when a local breakfast joint (to be un-named, as
the food was very terrible) opened up.
Next up, 7:30 AM Saturday departure to Kalamazoo. About
10:15, we got off at the Kalamazoo transportation center & hoofed
it a few blocks East, until we hit the Bell’s Eccentric Café,
where we were greeted by my pal Gary Nicholas, who hosted a brewery
tour and fielded some Q & A about Bell’s. (BTW Our thanks
to Bell’s Wisconsin agent Paul Moebius, who sponsored our
lunch & some yummy beers (me ? Wild One & Black Rye.))
At 11 AM, our AMTRAK bus connection hauled us 1.5 hours
North to Grand Rapids.
Courtesy of a handy party van, we toured Founder’s, HopCat,
25 Kitchen, BOBs & Logan’s Alley.
All great days need to come to an end, so we hit our hotel
& crashed for a few hours.
At 7:30 AM Sunday, the AMTRAK to Chicago departed, a 4
hour run.
We needed to think “positive thoughts” about
breakfast, so we hit Ann Sather’s on Belmont.
Then, the drinking 'begin – again' (apologies to
James Joyce).
We stopped by Sheffield’s to hoist a few & pay
resopects to Ric Hess, then hopped on the Brown Line, hitting Lincoln
Square (hey, I call it “Germantown”), stopping at Huettenbar,
Chicago Brauhaus & grabbing some goodies at Gene’s Meat
arket.
Back on the Brown Line, we jumped off at Fullerton &
hiked to Local Option.
Next stop, Haymarket, partying with Pete & Claire Crowley,
their partner John, & America’s Brewpub Brewmaster Mike
Rybinski & his wife. Lotsa great Pete beers.
Still had time to kill, so we hit Crossroads & 3rd
Rail on West Madison, before the METRA called us home.
Lotsa fun.
NOVEMBER 10
Tuesday, it was Gig Fest Beer Club
at The Gig, with German Oktoberfest beers as a feature.
After that, I headed to The Foundation for some Lakefront IPA, yakking
it up with bartender John.
Next stop, Nessum Dorma, where bartender Chris & I savored the
Victory Imperial Stout and I capped it off with Uplands Komodo Dragonfly
Black IPA. Yummy.
Last Friday, I headed to Zim's. Met Sprecher's Tom "The Crusher"
Strelka, shared some alcoholic beverages (turns out his wife's family
owns both the cleaners & Ouzo next door). Yakked it up with
owner Guy ehorst& his distiller Doug for a while.
After that, headed to the Firken Fest at the Bomb Shelter, catching
some Bomb Shelter customers & folks (owners, salesfolk, brewmasters,
...) from Milwaukee Brewing (Jim McCabe, Brewer Bert & Jason
Anderson), Sprecher (Don "Wambo" Wambach) & Lakefront
(Russ Klisch, Chris Johnson). Special guests ? Jim & Joan Klisch.
Saturday AM came too early (took a 6:55 AM bus, ugh), AMTRAKed
to Chicago, hit a Frietkoten, a Belgian "fry shack," and
then partied at The Beer Bistro with Dave Norton and several other
fellow beer junkies from Racine - Kenosha. Damn, too soon it was
"showtime," I headed 4 blocks away to the Festival of
Barrel-Aged beers. Sadly, I savored too many whiskey-beers, not
enough sour-beers. Yah, and too many "friendly servers."
Note to self: in the future, remember to "sip & savor."
Copped quite the buzz. I'm still trying to re-read my notes on the
program. I did meet a lot of consumer & industry folks (Goose
Island's John Hall, New Holland, Upland's Fred Bueltmann, Lagunitas'
Karen Hamilton, West Lakeview Liquors' Christine, ...), with us
all vowing to meet again real soon.
SEPTEMBER 27
Friday, “Pinball Dave”
& I headed to the Old Heidelberg Park, to catch the Alte Kameraden
Brass Band, playing at the United German Societies Oktoberfest,
especially the “Klinkhammer” song. Touring the grounds,
I spotted 3 Zur Kroners: Jerry, Bernie & Mike Schaefer. Had
a great time tossing down Lakefront’s Oktoberfest .
Saturday was a 3-ring circus, as I first join the folks
at Discovery World for their “Urban Archaeology Expedition:
Legacies of Milwaukee Brewing - Southside Brewing History"
bus tour. We toasted the 1st site, the Milwaukee – Lake –
Powell Brewery, with some Himbeer Weiss homebrew. Didja know that
Gray Brewing had a brewery in Milwaukee in 1863 ? Or that there
is a Pabst barrel plant, with Pabst logos, at 326 W. Florida ? Lunch
& beer break was at Milwaukee Brewing Co., with Jim McCabe &
Jason Anderson & then "Adios."
Next up, I did an early stroll through Riverwest’s
Center Street Daze, then stopped at Sprecher’s 25th Anniversary
Celebration, yakking with Brewers Craig, Bill & Jim “Chim-chim”
Olen. BTW: Nice Lambic-style Sprecher just released. A touch sweet,
a touch sour.
Back to Center Street Daze, caught some great bands, like
Dr. Chow's Love Medicine and a rare appearance of Voot Warnings.
Sidewalk Special ? Mumblin’ Bob’s band, across from
the Foundation. Oh, and partied with a bunch of neighborhood pals
& palettes. Ah, Riverwest, “where every day is Halloween
!!”
Sunday, Scott Ramone & I hit Windlake (DO visit B&B,
as new owner Amir has a TON of great craft beers in stock), Burlington,
Racine & Kenosha.
Tonite, Tuesday, it’ll be another Oktoberfest beer
tasting at the Gig’s Riverwest Beer Appreciation Society meeting.
Coming up this Wednesday, the featured brewery at the “Suds
Club” meeting at The Bomb Shelter will be Unibroue, a feature
in the current “Suds, Wine & Spirits.”
Saturday, it’s Mike & Diane’s backyard
Oktoberfest party.
Sunday, I want to hit the Milwaukee Food & Wine Fest,
especially the Craft Distilling seminar & savoring the craft
brews being offered.
I hope to squeeze in another Madison newspaper delivery
run this week, too.
BTW: Melba’s back from Kansas City, so I hope she’s
got tales of Beer & BBQ for us.
SEPTEMBER 21
Wednesday, Scott & I blitzed Madison, with a touch in Waukesha,
delivering the SWS “Fall” edition. Highlights ? Damn,
I’d say savoring Scott at Vintage, savoring his Cask &
Heather ales.
That PM, the Suds Club appreciation party, with a Spaten Oktoberfest
keg-tapping, followed by Anello Mollica tapping a 6-moth old Bourbon
Barrel Stout., both at The Bomb Shelter, backed up by brats &
tunes from the Squeezettes for a “Suds Club” appreciation
party.
Thursday, Melba rolled into Zad’s post – shift,
and I suggested a Bay View tour before she started bartending at
Sugar Maple. We grabbed some fantastic Lamb soup at Honeypie, then
joined Cameron Russell of Victory at Stone Pub, partying a bit with
Stone’s Christine & Sean. Great catching up with my pal
Jay, too. Next few stops were a blur, but I remember savoring a
few with my pal Steve at Highbury & getting caught up with PK
(Paul Kennedy) at Tonic. Melba, thanks again for the “rescue
ride” home.
My Friday was sort of a “victory lap” for Milwaukee
Beer Week. After post – shift partying at Zad’s with
a few friends, I did some light touring of the Eastside, including
a pair of Irish, hitting both Champions and Paddy’s Pub, before
joining Kyle Kozera, singing “Ein Prosit” in the Von
Trier Biergarden, with Kyle’s dad Grant, and the rest of the
Brewhaus Polka Kings.
Saturday was the Bay View Bash, commanded by Rebecca Ulcke-Meer
from Frank’s Power Plant, including a BBQ at Mumbling Bob’s
house with Patrick Coleman. Tons of friends on the street, and I
vaguely remember hearing Evil Kennever’s Lova Nova band playing
by Rushmor records.
Sunday ? It was the 1st of many Chicagoland delivery runs,
hitting the North, Northwest & West ‘burbs, and tearing
up Chicago. Great meeting Ronnie from Cigars & Stripes in Berwyn
too.
SEPTEMBER 11-12
Scott Ramone & I started deliveries of the “Suds,
Wine & Spirits” Fall edition, doing a nice saturation
blitz of Milwaukee. “All work & no play,…,”
so we included a stop at Great Lakes Distilling (sampling some “white
Dog,” and hearing about GLD’s upcoming Rye.)
Sunday morning, Scott & I hit West Bend & Cedarburg, taking
time to interrupt Silver Creek brewmaster Steve Roensch’s
Sunday brew session, and happily savoring his Imperial Maibock.
Later that day, Sugar Maple's Melba Morris-Page & I did another
Milwaukee deliver run, taking time out to party with Franky and
friends at Frank's Newport.
AUGUST
27
This past Thursday, I attended the
food pairing & beer sampling event at Ray’s in ‘Tosa
with New Belgium Brand Ambassador, National Sensory Trainer and
Master Blender, Lauren Salazar, hosted by Ray's Liquors John Edwards
in Wauwatosa.
Beers ranged from Fat Tire, through 1554 & Belgian Blonde, to
La Folie, with a stop at the new Hoptober.
Great to party again with New Belgium Wisconsin Ranger Kevin Kotwa.
Lauren told us that her favorite beers are Sours; that there are
10 Sour Beer Festivals this year and that New Belgian has 9 Sours,
all beginning at "Felix" (a light beer) & "Oscar"
(a dark beer).
Sadly, she won't be at the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild FOBAB, but
she said that her husband would.
Last Wednesday, was an 8 beer Lagunitas beer tasting at
The Bomb Shelter. Man, Founder Tony Magee is one crazy man. The
clear winner for the Suds Club voters was "Lagunitas Hairy
Eyeball Ale."
Next week is second IPA & Double IPA Suds Club Tasting. “We
will be getting you fucked up,” (Apologies to Governator Arnold)
Last week Tuesday, the Gig – based “Riverwest Beer Appreciation
Society” headed to Sprecher Brewery, for the Otto’s
Liquors beer & food pairing event. That was followed by an always
entertaining Sprecher Brewerty tour, hosted by Randy Sprecher.
NEWSFLASH: Rodney Kibzey is a repeat Samuel Adams Longshot homebrew
finalist, winning with his Black American IPA. Congrats !
NEWS FLASH: Casey from Slim’s alerted me that Mike Murphy
is retiring. Casey & his wife Shel, also a Slim’s bartender,
are taking over ownership.
NEWS FLASH: West Bend Lithia beer is back, contract brewed by Sprecher
Brewery.
NEWS FLASH: Sprecher planning 2 story brewery expansion
& new Bourbon beers. Their 25th Anniversary Party is September
25. BYTW, did you have their Bourbon Root Beer ?
NEWS FLASH: Per Claire (Mrs. Pete Crowley), Haymarket will be open
in October.
NEWS FLASH: Flossmoor Station is bottling their beer in-house.
NEWSFLASH: Half Acre’s latest brew collaboration is with Shorts
Brewery & Piece, creating a limited edition run of “Freedom
of ’78,” an IPA with Guava, in 22 ounce bottles.
NEWSFLASH: Rodney Kibzey is headed to GABF this year, as he is again
a Samuel Adams Longshot homebrew semi-finalist, with his Black American
IPA.
NEWS FLASH: Magic Hat sold.
NEWS FLASH: Goose IPA to be brewed at Redhook.
NEWS FLASH: St. Francis Brewpub growing, bottling soon.
NEWS FLASH: Milwaukee Beer Week roaring up pretty fast !!
AUGUST 23
Saturday, I took the
Amtrak & CTA to the 3rd Annual Oak Park Micro Brew & Food
Review on Marion Street, Downtown Oak Park.
Started off at Pour Phil’s, and a visit to the Marion Cheese
Mart.
On to the fest, where I partied with John Freyer, who with Chicago
Beer Society’s Roger Deschner, were serving Founders Durty
Bastard & Rye IPA.
Mike Rybinski was serving both his Blueberry & Chocolate beers.
Auditing the event (with a beer being served at the Illinois Craft
Brewers Guild Replicale tent, was Crown Brewing’s Steve Mazylewski.
Small world, as I was talking with Rodney Kibzey about Great Lakes
Brew Fest in Racine, and who walks up, but Curt Foreman, GLBF founder
& director.
AUGUST 20
This week was a pleasant
blur.
This past Wednesday, nice crowd at the Bomb Shelter for “Suds
Club, “ which featured 10 Summer beers.
August 17
Sunday was “music day” for me, as I caught
some of the “Sink Hole Oh My, Oh” Fest at North &
Oakland on the Eastside of Milwaukee.
Highlight was John Sieger, his brother Mike & Kelly Gonzales'
band “The Sub-Continentals.”
Bob, Sven (who is bringing "Mr. Blotto" from
Chicago to the Mirimar Theater on October 16) & I took a break
& caught accordion virtuoso Stas at The Uptowner.
Saturday, August 14, was mostly an overcast, mosquito-
(& beer-) filled day at Madison Homebrewers & Tasters Guild
24th Annual Great Taste of the Midwest in Olin-Turville Park, Madison,
WI. It started harmlessly walking clockwise (against the crowd)
at the Farmer Market on Capitol Square, then Mike Rybinski from
America’s Brewpub hauled me to the Great Taste site.
Friday, I took the Badger Coach to Madison, for about 8
Great Taste Pre-Parties & Brewery features.
I started out wandering clockwise “on the (Capitol)
Square,” hitting Francesco’s, catching Goose Island
CEO Tony Bowker and Goose sales guy Brian Loughrey.
Then, off to Cooper’s Tavern , for a Mark Stutrud
Summit event, where I spotted Jim McCabe & Jason Anderson from
Milwaukee Brewing Co.
Next stop, Local Option, which featured Dave’s Brew
Farm & Madison alumni Kevin Eichelgerger, now brewmaster &
co-owner of Wausau’s Red Eye. There, I partied a bit with
Mark Knoebl, Sand Creek Sales Manager & co-Owner, who introduced
me to Chris Schutz from Park Ridge Distributing.
Some more of my memories include partying with Chis Black
from Falling Rock (Denver Colorado’s #1 Beer Bar) at Maduro,
savoring a few crazy Bell’s beers, thanks to Bell’s
Paul Moebius, with Craig & Mary Schanning.
Then it was New Holland Fest, with Cowboy Fred Bueltmann
at the helm, where I joined Chicago Beer Society x-prez Frank Patino,
his buddy Mike, and Mickey Finn’s Brewmaster Greg Browne.
Since I was a “newby,” only getting to town
at 7:30 PM, the rest of my squad wre plumb worn out, so I hopped
a cab solo to Dexters, where Hippy Joe Katchever from Pearl Street
was holding court.
Next stop, Bill Roger’s Malt House.
Times a wasting, so for my “Victory lap,” I then cabbed
to Great Dane Hillside, for the last moments of their event before
GD brewmaster Don Vacca wheeled me back to my dorm.
AUGUST 6
Johnny
Z playing the Suddudes, Tony Joe White, ... on WMSE's "Chicken
Shack. Yah !
State Fair, Thursday, opening day. Warmup was catching Benno Weigel
& Pam @ Benno's Micro Tent.
Guess what ? It's now a Beer Hall !!.
Armed with a large Lakefront IPA, I headed to the Potawatomi Stage
to catch the opener, Ray Benson's "Asleep at the Wheel," with Milwaukee's
own Eddie Rivers on pedal steel. The main act was "Lyle Lovett and
his Large Band." Great show, with a team of all-stars like Leland
Skelar on bass & Russ Kunkel on drums. Hoping for Francine Reed
on backup vocals. Instead, the soul singers were Sweet Pea Atkinson
& Sir Harry Bowens (both Was, not Was alumni) and Willie Green (Ry
Cooder, …).
Last weekend, I and a bunch of friends were volunteers at a "work-in-progress,"
the too-successful, attendee-wise, Milwaukee Beer Fest.
Bonus was fatmouthing with several beer industry friends, like Mike
Christensen from Crispin ("On Ice") Cider; George Bluvas (Water
Street); Jason Anderson (Milwaukee Brewing); Dr. David Ryder, VP-Brewing
at Miller, and Troy Rysewyk, from the Miller Tech Center, where
I learned more about Coors Batch 19.
Mid-July was my 62nd birthday (drum roll, and cat-calls of "getting
pretty old, you fart,").
Almost a "victory lap," after the great show Sunday with Rick Miller
and "Southern Culture on Skids" at Cathedral Square Park, for WMSE's
Backyard BBQ, and some barhopping with Jenelle.
Night before that, caught Deb Pagel ("Eat Cake") at the John Doe
- Robbie Fulks show at Shank Hall, and then we rolled over to Cactus
Club for a great girrrl band.
Oh, yah, B-day. Texas Johnnie grabbed
me, and we headed off to Riverwest for a few Mai-Tai's at the Foundation.
Who do we catch biking up Booth Street but Leinenkugel 10th Street
Brewmaster Greg Walter. I twisted his arm and he joined us the following
Wednesday for the Bomb Shelter Suds Club beer tasting. Great session,
great stories
Razz Fest degraded (upgraded ?) into Rum-smoothie Fest, as John
E O's raspberry crop was a little … less this year. No harm, as
Johnny, Jenelle & I bought up Pete's Market, grapping pineapple,
blueberries, bananas, mangos, … After the pork shoulder was started
we savored a few daquaris, it was off to Brady Street Fest. It's
ended with the "Ceremonial Climbing of the Stairs" by
John E O.
JULY 17
Friday, post – Zad’s, my driver, Bill, &
I did a Milwaukee SWS delivery tour.
First stop, Milwaukee Brewing Company, yakking with Joe McCabe &
Brewer Bert.
After a million stops, we hit Groppi’s, where John Nehring
was hosting a wine tasting in their patio. Always a pleasure to
speak with Enjoli, Groppi’s wine & beer goddess.
Small world, as we hit the Nehring’s latest, “Thirst
& Vine” on Oakland in Shorewood, catching Ann Nehring,
Other stops included Swinging Door, Club Calazone, Von Trier, Rascal’s,
Hooligans and The Foundation, where John was our bartender &
drink specialist. While savoring a Bell’s 2 Hearted, it was
great to catch Omar from Club Timbuktu again, too.
JULY 12
Lessee, oh, it’s
Monday.(Sound of memory tape rewind)
This past Thursday, I hit Bastille Days, for a bit of Madison’s
Mama Diggdown Brass Band, and all the Milwaukee MILFs on parade.
Yah, ladies !!!
Saturday AM, I Amtraked it to Chicago, hopped the Metra (only $7
unlimited weekend pass) to the Barrington Brew Fest. Hot & steamy
day, serving Metropolitian’s Golden & Pale Ales. Next
to me ? Spencer King from Crispin Cider & Mike Brackett from
Magic Hat Pyramid. Other pals at the scene included Randy Smith
(x-tresident G. Heileman & City Breweries); Anthony from Lucky
Monk; Art from Flatlanders and Bubba from Ram – Schaumburg.
Great to meet John from Harpoon & Peter from the Wild Onion,
too.
Post Fest, it was off to Chicago, where I took the Red
Line to Reggie’s on State by Cermak for a (surprise, thank
you, “Reader”) Ike Willis “Zappa Show,”
savoring ½ price Founder’s Porters.
Night's not done yet, as I had a 24 hour CTA visitor pass,
so I hit Clark Street Ale House, Jake’s Pub and a few other
joints, as the #22 bus runs all night . I had wanted to “go
‘til dawn” and hit Green Mill for a jazz set, but damn
that heat. (No problem, as I'll be back late July to get even with
you, Chicago !!!)
Sunday AM, I did a photo – walking tour of Division
Street & Lincoln Avenue's bars & stuff, eyeing some new
places, before MegaBusing back home. (What was that drool tumbling
onto the passengers on the upper deck ?)
“Until we party again …”
Whispering Jeff
O'SO
EXPANDS
O'so Brewing
is expanding its operations, but it won't be setting up shop in
an existing building in Stevens Point or Plover.
The Plover upstart was considering a number of buildings in the
village and Stevens Point, including the former Bake-Rite Baking
building at 2601 Hoover Ave. But Marc Buttera, who owns the business
with his wife, Katina, said they've decided to build new instead.
Selling in more than 40 counties across the state, demand for the
company's assortment of mircobrews has outpaced what it can actually
make at its 4,000-square-foot location at 1812 Post Road, Buttera
said. Since O'so Brewing opened 21/2 years ago, the numbers of barrels
it produces has almost tripled. In 2008, it brewed about 350 barrels.
In 2009, it produced more than 1,000.
Stevens Point officials suggested some downtown locations for the
new brewery but Buttera said he decided it was best to keep the
business in the village. "I didn't want to compete. I didn't
want to start this big thing where we start competing with Guu's
(on Main) and Point Brewery. That's not our thing. We want to fit
in. We don't want to compete." Buttera said. Buttera said he
couldn't reveal where the new brewery will be yet, but did say he
has signed a letter of intent with an architect. "We are fine-tuning
the design of the building and the costing while we are dialing
in where it is going to be," he said.
The new location, anticipated to be about 15,000 square feet, will
have a brewing supply store, production space and an expanded tap
room. "Our tap room is pretty small," he said. "There
are times when a person will open the door and say, 'No way, I'm
not even dealing with that.' We are so cramped here. We can't add
one more fermenter. We have squeezed the lemon for all that it's
worth." Buttera plans to hire more employees to help staff
the new building.
(c) Cara Spoto - Wausau Daily Herald 2010
PETE
CROWLEY & HAYMARKET PUB & BREWING
The past year has been something
of a nirvana for local craft beer fans, as their local options increase
with the openings of Metropolitan Brewing, Half Acre Beer Company
and Revolution Brewing. If all things go well, a fourth microbrewery/brewpub
will be joining those ranks by late summer.
Construction is currently underway on Haymarket Pub and
Brewing, in the former Bar Louie space at 741 W. Randolph. The project
is a partnership between Pete Crowley, senior brewer at Rock Bottom
Chicago, and his friend John Neurauter. We'd been hearing rumblings
for weeks about Haymarket and Crowley, who's also president of the
Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, was more than happy to fill us in
on some of the details.
Crowley said that Haymarket will focus on "classic
Belgian and contemporary American ales and lagers paired with hand
made sausages, pulled pork, pizza and rotisserie chicken."
There are plans for an outdoor beer garden, full bar, dining area
with pool tables and games. About 600 square feet downstairs will
be allocated for a barrel room for aging and blending. The centerpiece
of the pub will be a walk through kitchen and brewery that leads
to a "drinking and writing" theater. This means that,
when Haymarket opens its doors, the long running and popular Drinking
& Writing series with Sean Benjamin and Steve Mosqueda will
have a home. Crowley is the "brewer" for Drinking and
Brewing.
(c) 2010 Chuck Sudo- Chicago-ist
No
Bamboozle Michigan becoming Friendlier to artisan distillers
WEST MICHIGAN – Step into the basement of
the taproom at New Holland Brewing in Holland, and one can see the
future of artisan distilling in Michigan sits in small, 5-gallon
barrels. Taking a novel approach to the process of aging spirits,
distiller Dennis Downing is turning to science and art to shorten
the time it takes to turn raw distilled grain alcohol into aged
goodness. Where traditional distilling utilizes 55 gallon oak barrels,
Downing uses barrels one tenth the size in the hopes that it will
speed the process, taking a process that takes years in large barrels
and accomplishing it in just months. “Very little work has
been done on small-barrel whiskeys,” said Downing. “We’re
interested in determining what taste components are extracted at
what rates.”
Getting to the point where New Holland Brewing could turn the grains
it’s used to brew beer into spirits has required a trip to
the laboratory and lobbying in Lansing. Through a private-public
partnership with Michigan State University, New Holland is gaining
the expertise and science to speed the development of their products
to market, said Brett VanderKamp, president of New Holland Brewing.
As the microbrew industry took hold in Michigan, many brewers looked
to take the next step into distilling, but found a series of laws
and regulations that prevented them from entering the market. Prior
to 1996, the state charged a $10,000 annual fee for distilleries,
effectively keeping small distilleries out of the game, explained
Kris Berglund, professor of chemical engineering at MSU’s
Artisan Distilling Program and a longtime proponent of artisan distilling
in the state.
In 1996, Berglund helped lobby for a low cost, $150 license for
wineries to add a brandy license to the “winery” license
that allowed them to sell fruit-based products on site. Eventually,
the state legislature voted in 2002 to allow grain-based distilling,
but levied a $1,000 licensing fee, and prevented the onsite sale
of spirits for distillers such as VanderKamp.“I had an interest
from the beginning of New Holland Brewing in making Michigan whiskey,”
VanderKamp said. “We all had a real interest in the whiskey.”
By 2008, artisan distillers were successful in bringing the onsite
sale of their goods and dropping the license fee to $100 for all
distillers. “The main issue was that you could make and sell
fruit-based spirits on premises, but you couldn’t make grain
or potato based spirits,” Berglund said. “We were able
to make the law raw material agnostic.
“There are a lot of things we don’t do right in Michigan.
This is not one of them. It is one of those man bites dog sort of
stories. Because of that, I am a little weary of taking another
bite of the apple.”
For Rifino Valentine, owner of Valentine Vodka, the learning curve
was lessened through the assistance of Berglund and the easing of
licensing restrictions. Valentine produces his vodka at the MSU
distillery at the 76,000-square-foot Michigan Brewing Company facility
in Webberville. “We are competing against the huge brands
out there, but we’ve grown our accounts to 500 accounts in
the last six months. While we are competing with the huge companies,
we have a niche,” Valentine said. “There are not a lot
of hand-crafted, small batch vodkas out there. I think we’re
making a good enough product to compete with what is coming in from
France, Sweden and Poland.”
VanderKamp says he is working to make the marketing and distribution
side of distilling more friendly to small-business owners. Consolidation
within the spirits industry distribution has meant that what New
Holland produces is hardly a drop compared to the big players.
Artisanal spirits compete for shelf space with those from the two
large-scale distributors in Michigan, General Wine & Liquor
and National Wine & Spirits Inc., which represent the world’s
best-selling brands. Offerings from small distillers go into “the
book,” a listing of thousands of brands, large and small,
and artisans’ wares frequently are lost in the shuffle, lamented
VanderKamp. “Tennessee whiskeys have their own section –
I don’t see why Michigan’s distillers shouldn’t
have their own category,” VanderKamp said. “The license
allows us to do many things, but market access remains a challenge.”
Berglund looks to distilling as a means to augment what Michigan’s
brewers have accomplished thus far. Michigan spends approximately
$900 million on spirits annually and artisan distillers could claim
a small portion of that market. “It has a potential for being
an important part of our tourism industry in Michigan,” Berglund
said. “We have good tourist destinations, breweries and wineries.
We have a wealth of raw material here in our fruits and grains.
We have a relatively friendly set of laws on the books. If we can
get a chunk of what’s spent on spirits to stay in the state,
it is not difficult to see the multipliers in the local economies.”
(C) 2010 MIBIZ.
HOOK
& LADDER BREWING CO. ROLLS INTO THE TWIN CITIES
The Twin Cities newest brew
gives back to local communities with its
“A Penny in Every Pint”® and “A Quarter in
Every Case”® donation program for Minnesota firefighters
and hospital burn centers
St. Paul, MN. – Hook & Ladder
Brewing Company, a Washington, D.C.-area venture started by a volunteer
firefighter and his business-minded brother, is bucking negative
economic trends and experiencing tremendous growth this year –
despite the fact that the mission-based business donates a portion
of all sales to charity and continues to face the industry challenges
of escalating transportation and ingredient costs. The company’s
recent expansion into Minnesota, a state with a rich craft beer
culture, demonstrates the Hook & Ladder brand’s ability
to distinguish itself within the expanding craft beer market. Hook
& Ladder’s brews will be available in the Twin Cities
February 1st, 2010.
Hook & Ladder was founded on the mission of building
a business while giving back to each community in which its beers
are sold. Hook & Ladder and local wholesale partner, Wirtz Beverage
Minnesota will provide donations to Twin Cities area burn centers
and firefighter burn organizations through the A Penny in Every
Pint® and A Quarter in Every Case® programs.
A Quarter in Every Case® donates 25 cents from each
case sold and A Penny in Every Pint® donates $4 from each barrel.
Rich Fleischer, a 15-year volunteer firefighter and head brewer
for Hook & Ladder states, “In addition to selling award-winning
beers, we’re also giving beer enthusiasts in Minnesota a chance
to give back to their local heroes in the fire and rescue service
every time they pick up a Hook & Ladder brew. That’s what
sets us apart from other beers in this extremely competitive industry.”
These efforts have raised over $75,000 in the past 30 months alone.
Hook & Ladder’s steady growth is gaining attention
in the brewing community. Initially distributed by just one wholesale
partner in only the Washington, DC area, Hook & Ladder is now
distributed by wholesale partners in 27 states around the country.
According to industry statistics by the Brewers Association, Hook
& Ladder experienced 688% growth in 2007, the biggest percentage
increase among craft brewers providing beers solely through a distribution
network.
Hook & Ladder brews two trademark beers. The Great
American Beer Festival Gold Medalist Golden Ale® and Backdraft
Brown®, which recently received a 95 point rating from Draft
Magazine. In March the company will be releasing their third style,
Flashpoint Pale Ale. Currently Flashpoint Pale Ale is only available
in their variety pack along with a limited edition Belgian Dubbel
Anniversary Ale that was brewed to celebrate their five-year anniversary.
For more information please go to Hook & Ladder’s
web site at www.hookandladderbeer.com
Owners
of Beer Capitol Distributing – Lake Country, LLC
Acquire W.O.W. Distributing Co., Inc.
Major Expansion Underway
at Sussex Facility
Beer Capitol Distributing – Lake Country, a limited
liability corporation jointly owned by local business leader Aldo
Madrigrano and Ronald Fowler, of San Diego, Cal., is acquiring W.O.W.
Distributing Co., Inc. All operations and employees of W.O.W. Distributing
will continue under new management at the Sussex facility as Beer
Capitol Distributing – Lake Country, LLC. Aldo Madrigrano,
majority owner of the new company, will serve as chairman and CEO.
Mike Merriman will serve as president. Madrigrano, Merriman and
Fowler also own Beer Capitol Distributing Co., Inc., headquartered
in Wauwatosa, which will relocate to the Sussex facility after completion
of a major expansion this summer. Fowler retains joint ownership
in both companies and will serve as a member of the board of directors.
“I couldn’t be happier to announce this acquisition,
as it represents a new milestone for our businesses and an opportunity
to enhance our reputation for exemplary customer service and sales
support by achieving shared operating efficiencies,” said
Aldo Madrigrano. The facility expansion, already underway, will
add about 120,000 square feet of state-of-the-art warehousing and
office space.
As part of the transaction, Thomas Madrigrano, Vice President for
W.O.W. Distributing, and Gina Madrigrano Friebus, Vice President
of Administration, will retire after 25 years of dedicated ownership
and service. “Both Thomas and Gina have been integral players
in developing W.O.W. into the industry and community leader it is
today, and for that I can only say thank you for all of their many
years of dedicated service,” said Madrigrano.
With the completion of the W.O.W. acquisition and relocation of
Beer Capitol Distributing Co., Inc. to Sussex, the companies will
offer Wisconsin retailers one of the industry’s broadest selection
of malt beverages including fine quality and domestic beers, mainstream
and premium brands, and popular craft beers. Beer Capitol Distributing
– Lake Country, LLC will serve retail customers in Washington,
Ozaukee and Waukesha counties (Dodge County assets of W.O.W. Distributing
were sold as part of the deal). Beer Capitol Distributing Co., Inc.
will continue to serve customers in Milwaukee County.
Brands associated with the companies include MillerCoors, Pabst
Brewing Co., Crown Imports, Heineken USA, Boston Beer Co., Mark
Anthony Brands (Mike’s®), Paulaner HP USA and local breweries
such as Lakefront Brewery, Capital Brewery, the Stevens Point Brewery
and Tyranena Brewing Co.
Beer Capitol Distributing – Lake Country, LLC and Beer Capitol
Distributing Co., Inc. will continue to maintain their reputations
as family-run businesses representing more than 70 years experience
in the malt beverage industry.
Beer Capitol Distributing – Lake Country, LLC is Wisconsin’s
second-largest beer distribution and wholesaling business headquartered
in Sussex, Wis. The company sells and delivers quality malt beverage
products to 1,900 responsible, licensed retailers in Waukesha, Ozaukee
and Washington counties. The company represents over 180 beer brands
crafted by the finest brewers worldwide.
Privately held Beer Capitol Distributing Co., Inc., founded in 1981,
is the largest beer wholesaler in the state of Wisconsin. The distributor
operates offices and warehouse facilities located at 1400 N. 113th
St. in Wauwatosa, Wis., and services 2,000 area accounts. Breweries
associated with Beer Capitol Distributing Co., Inc. include Crown
Imports™, Lakefront Brewery, Capital Brewery, Pabst Brewing
Co., MillerCoors, Mark Anthony Brands (Mike’s®) and Heineken
USA.
Act
Fast If You Want To Taste The World’s Most Expensive &
Anticipated Beer
Very
Limited Edition Fuller’s Vintage Ale Makes a Perfect Gift
LONDON…For true beer connoisseurs, it’s just
not the holidays without Fuller’s Vintage Ale, one of the
world’s most extraordinary – and expensive – holiday
beers. But this year, only 1200 cases of Fuller’s elegant
holiday ale will be available stateside, guaranteeing an early season
sell-out. To ensure beer lovers can find this seasonal delight,
they are encouraged to contact their liquor retailer now to request
the 2009 Fuller’s Vintage Ale.
What makes Fuller’s Vintage Ale so special? Crafted
with the year’s finest ingredients, Fuller’s Vintage
Ale is bottle conditioned and never pasteurized. This traditional
British ale process allows the slow, natural cask-style fermentation
to continue in each bottle of Fuller’s Vintage Ale. This year’s
offering is brewed with Tipple Malted Barley, Goldings Hops and
Fuller’s special proprietary yeast. Mashed and brewed under
the watchful eye of Fuller’s Master Brewer, John Keeling,
Fuller’s 2009 Vintage Ale will have a richly spicy noise,
crisp flavor, and mild Goldings hop finish. As with each seasonal
Fuller’s Vintage Ale, each bottle will be hand numbered and
individually gift-boxed. Only 160,000 bottles are expected to be
filled for the 2009 holiday season – and most of these bottles
will be in high demand by Brits, never reaching US beer connoisseurs.
Like a fine wine, Vintage Ale is often collected and enjoyed
years after purchase. Because of the active yeast that remains after
filling in each Fuller’s bottle, the taste of Vintage Ales
matures throughout its five to seven year life expectancy, again
much like cask ale. These constant flavor changes is part of the
savoury romance of Fuller’s Vintage Ale and its bottle-conditioning.
And to this aging process most collectors are keenly aware that
Fuller’s Vintage Ale should be stored upright, in a cool,
dark location to ensure proper bottle fermentation.
Fuller’s Vintage Ale is available through finer retail
stores for $7.99 - $11.99 per bottle. Each bottle then comes in
its own dark red carton, making for an elegant gift for the beer
aficionado, or an ideal holiday hospitality gift for everyone who
appreciates the finer libations in life. For more information visit
www.fullers.co.uk.
Paulaner HP USA, purveyor of the world’s finest beers,
is headquartered in Littleton, Colo., and imports Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr,
Fuller’s, O’Hara’s Irish Stout, Fruli, Birra Dolomiti
and Dixie beers and Vigna Dogarina and Cavallina wines. This list
of fine imports is now available throughout the United States at
upscale, on-premise establishments. For more information about Paulaner
HP USA visit www.paulanerhpusa.com.
AMERICAN DISTILLING INSTITUTE
www.distilling.com
CONTACT
: BILL OWENS, AMERICAN DISTILLER, BOX 577, HAYWARD, CA 94543
(510) 886-7418 - bill @ distilling.com
DISTILLERS OPPOSE PROPOSED WISCONSIN WHISKEY TAX
The 58-percent liquor tax hike being proposed by
the Wisconsin State Legislature will devastate the state's struggling
hospitality industry, eliminating more than 1,250 jobs on top of
4,200 hospitality jobs already lost in Wisconsin over the last year,
according to an economic analysis by the Distilled Spirits Council.
The tax hike is aimed at reducing drunk driving in Wisconsin.
The proposal, sponsored by State Sen. Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa),
would increase the liquor - though not beer or wine - excise tax
by 58 percent from around 86 cents per liter to $1.36 per liter,
making the total tax levied on spirits products in Wisconsin approximately
50 percent of the purchase price of an average bottle of liquor.
An economic analysis by Council chief economist David Ozgo showed
that increasing the liquor excise tax by 58 percent will cause retailers
to lose an estimated $84 million in retail sales and cause a loss
of 1,250 jobs across the state, mostly within the hospitality sector.
According to Ozgo, more than 4,200 hospitality jobs have already
been lost in Wisconsin over the last year due to the recession.
"This is no time to impose new taxes," Ozgo noted in the
report. "We support the Legislature's proposal to reduce drunk
driving, but the bill unfairly targets Wisconsin's 2.3 million responsible
drinkers. The ones who should pay for these programs are the ones
who are breaking the law by driving intoxicated."
The state's microdistilling industry expressed concerns over the
impact the proposed spirits tax hike.
"Now is the worst time for politicians to punish the state's
growing microdistilling industry with increased taxes on liquor,"
said Guy Rehorst, founder of Great Lakes Distillery in Milwaukee,
noting that his 3-year old distillery is already challenged by today's
economic environment. "Increased liquor taxes will make running
my small business difficult even in good economic times - but especially
devastating right now. It's wrong for legislators to target small
business owners like me who have invested so much already in the
state of Wisconsin."
(c) 2009 BizTimes.com
BINNY'S
BUYING SAM'S
Combination Ends Longstanding Rivalry
What had been shaping up as a battle between two Chicago
family-owned liquor chains came to a quiet end Thursday when Binny's
Beverage Depot agreed to buy rival liquor retailer Sam's Wines and
Spirits for an undisclosed sum, the Chicago Tribune has learned.
The deal, disclosed to top Sam's employees on Thursday,
is expected to close by Oct. 19, according to people familiar with
the agreement. It is widely expected that the Sam's name will be
mothballed and the stores converted to Binny's.
The purchase includes Sam's original store in Lincoln Park
and another in Downers Grove. Sam's had recently closed two stores:
its Highland Park store, which opened in 2006, closed in September
and Sam's South Loop store, which opened in 2007, shuttered in August.
The agreement brings to a close a longstanding
rivalry between two family businesses both founded in the 1940s
that became household names in Chicago. The two chains talked about
merging in the early 1990s, but the combination never happened.
Rumors of the latest deal surfaced in January. With
the acquisition, Binny's grows to 24 stores. The Skokie-based retailer's
annual revenue was estimated at $200 million in 2008. Sam's generated
about $60 million in sales in 2007, the most recent year for which
figures are available.
Both Sam's and Binny's embarked on expansion sprees at
the turn of the millennium in a bid to become Chicago's liquor superstore.
But they took different paths. Binny's doubled its size by building
stores and buying rivals. After adding one store in 2006, Sam's
turned to an outside investor. Arbor Investments,
a Chicago-based the private-equity firm, bought 80 percent of Sam's
from the Rosen family in May 2007, ending the family's control of
the business. Brian Rosen, the third-generation scion who stayed
on as president with a 20 percent ownership stake, left the firm
in December 2008 and became president of Food for Thought, a Lincolnwood-based
caterer. A disagreement in the Rosen family over the direction of
Sam's led to the sale.
Michael Binstein, whose nickname is Binny, took over the
business in 1995 after his father and founder Harold Binstein died.
The company, formerly called Gold Standard Enterprises, bought DiCarlo's
Armanetti Fine Wines & Liquors in 2005. Family
business expert John Ward said the merger could be good for what
is left of Sam's. "The new owner, being a
family business, will likely take a longer term view and infuse
the family culture back into the business," said Ward, clinical
professor of family enterprises at Northwestern University's Kellogg
Graduate School of Management. "Private equity firms are rarely
interested in taking a long term position."
Copyright © 2009, Sandra M Jones - Chicago Tribune
HALF ACRE NOW OPEN
Half Acre Beer, a local craft brewery located at
4257 N. Lincoln recently announced that after a long permit process,
that its store located at the brewery opened on October 5th
To quote "In Your Guts," the Half Acre
Blog...
The Half Acre store is not a bar and will not serve food. We will
sell our beer to-go and the beer & spirits of brewers and distillers
we want to support. We will have six draft lines that will allow
for sampling and the purchase of growlers (1/2 gallon jugs) to-go.
We'll also have a soda that we've made on draft as much as time
allows. You can buy our beer in 6packs, 22oz bottles, growlers,
1/2bbl kegs and 1/6th bbl kegs. We'll also sell Half Acre merchandise
to outfit your entire neighborhood. Enjoying what we do very much
and doing our best to continually offer new / different beer, we
will have things available here that might not be available at other
locations. Not everything we brew lands in bars, stores and restaurants
- it's time consuming and expensive to develop visual identities
and distribution paths. The store will allow us to share some of
the things that usually don't make it out of the brewery. Basically,
the store will grant us some flexibility to readily offer you Half
Acre Beer in as many forms possible in the freshest state imaginable."
As a fan of Half Acre's Over Ale and Daisy Cutter, I am
quite excited by this recent development. They will also begin to
offer formal tours Fridays at 5pm and add Saturdays in the next
few months.
(c) 2009 Gapers-Block.com
Ball
Corp. Acquires Fort Atkinson Can Manufacturing Plant
Ball Corp. has
completed its acquisition of four of AB InBev's U.S. beverage can
manufacturing plants.
Broomfield, Colo.-based Ball acquired the four plants and their
associated contracts for $577 million, subject to customary post-closing
adjustments. In addition to Fort Atkinson, the other plants are
located in Rome, Ga.; Columbus, Ohio; and Gainesville, Fla.
The facilities employ approximately 635 people and produce annually
approximately 10 billion aluminum cans and 10 billion can ends.
More than two-thirds of the cans are produced for leading soft drink
companies and the rest for AB InBev, a Belgium-based company that
was created when Interbrew acquired Anheuser-Busch Inc.
(c) 2009 BizTimes.com
MillerCoors
Tests Draft-Beer Box For Fridge
Product Is Among Latest Innovations
From Major Brewers Fighting for Business in a Jammed, Sluggish Market
MillerCoors LLC has begun testing the sale
of $20 draft-beer systems for consumers to drink at home, part of
a string of new products and package innovation from beer giants
grappling for market share in a crowded, slow-growing industry.
MillerCoors, the second-largest U.S. brewer by revenue,
has begun testing the 1.5-gallon "Home Draft" for its
biggest brands -- Miller Lite and Coors Light -- in about a half-dozen
cities, including Dallas, Phoenix and San Diego. The boxed product,
which is designed to fit into refrigerators for drinkers to consume
periodically, rather than for one-time party use, comes amid packaging
overhauls by the U.S. units of Heineken NV and Anheuser-Busch InBev
NV.
Sales of major U.S. beer brands are
struggling as some recession-weary consumers drink less or switch
to cheaper brews. Many of the top-selling brands showed declining
sales volume at retailers in the 13 weeks through July 12 compared
with a year earlier, according to market tracker Information Resources
Inc. Anheuser's Bud Light, the No. 1 brand, saw its sales volume
slide 5.5%, while Heineken, the No. 9 seller, fell 15%. (The figures
exclude sales at certain retailers that don't share data with such
research firms.) "In this economy, we are seeing an increase
in packaging innovation" in consumer-goods industries, said
Kara Gruver, head of the North America consumer-products practice
at consulting firm Bain & Co. "In many cases, it can be
less costly [than creating a new product] and a very effective form
of innovation."
Chicago-based Miller Coors, a U.S.
joint venture of SABMiller PLC and Molson Coors Brewing Co., is
testing home-draft packages at a time when one of its major brands,
Miller Lite, is mired in a prolonged slump. Despite a new ad campaign
this year aimed at revitalizing the brand, Miller Lite's retail
sales fell 7.5% by volume in the recent period tracked by Information
Resources. Sister brew Coors Light, on the other hand, continues
to post sales gains. Analysts attribute its long-running success
in part to innovations in packaging, such as "cold-activated
bottles," whose labels turn blue when the beer inside cools
to a certain temperature.
MillerCoors's new Home Draft systems
are meant to be placed upright in a refrigerator, which will keep
the beer fresh for about 30 days. The price per ounce is roughly
15% higher than for an 18-pack of the same beer, MillerCoors said.
The product, which is recyclable, is aimed at the 30% of beer drinkers
who say they prefer draft beer to the bottled or canned variety,
said Andy England, chief marketing officer at MillerCoors. "We're
really trying to meet that occasion when you just got back from
work and want to reward yourself," rather than "the party
occasion," he said.
Home Draft -- which carries about
5.7 liters -- bears some similarities to Heineken's five-liter DraughtKeg,
which the Amsterdam-based brewer introduced in the U.S. in 2005.
But the DraughtKeg generally is designed to consume all at once,
unless drinkers buy an optional BeerTender countertop chilling system,
which is sold at retailers for about $200. The performance of the
DraughtKeg may hint at the challenge MillerCoors could face to woo
consumers. The DraughtKeg enjoyed an explosive start in the U.S.,
but Heineken pulled back on distribution as sales cooled and the
company learned the product is most popular around holidays, the
football season and other social occasions. Heineken
this month began testing the sale of Newcastle Brown Ale in the
DraughtKeg format -- about $20 at retailers -- in Chicago, Minneapolis
and Southern California. The company continues to focus on innovation
in packaging "in a way that reinforces the premium nature of"
its brands, said Christian McMahan, chief marketing officer at Heineken
USA.
The U.S. unit of Leuven, Belgium-based
Anheuser plans to unveil new can and box designs for brands such
as Bud Light when the football season gets under way next month.
As part of the shift, the company says it intends to better leverage
its sponsorship of the vast majority of National Football League
teams by creating packages showing the colors or logos of teams
such as the Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile, it also will roll out
packages with generic colors tailored to college teams in specific
regions -- such as red-colored cans in Nebraska, home of the University
of Nebraska's Cornhuskers. "It's an opportunity to tap into
the passion people have for their teams," said Dave Peacock,
president of Anheuser's U.S. arm, which is the biggest American
brewer by sales. The company's research has shown that the most
loyal consumers of its light beers "associate with sports in
a dramatic way."
Brewers including Anheuser also plan
some new beers in addition to new packaging. Anheuser intends to
test Budweiser Select 55 -- a brew with just 55 calories -- in several
markets later this year, as it tries to compete better with MillerCoors's
MGD 64, a 64-calorie brew that is off to a strong start. Mass-market
brews such as Bud Light, Miller Genuine Draft and Budweiser are
roughly in the 100 to 140 calorie range.
(C) 2009 David Kesmodel
- Wall Street Journal
CO-OPS
FOR HOPS
Wisconsin brewers encourage local
crops
A year ago, Tyranena Brewery spent
around $30,000 on hops. This year Rob Larson, the brewmaster and
owner, says his bill for hops will approach $140,000.
Increasingly, "the small brewer needs a way to control
supply and cost of hops and barley," says Jon Reynolds of BrewPlan
Inc., a brewery consultant and one of the key organizers of the
new Wisconsin Brewers Guild Cooperative. Six breweries — Lake
Mills' Tyranena, Lakefront Brewery of Milwaukee, Sand Creek of Black
River Falls, Central Waters of Amherst, Bull Falls of Wausau and
South Shore Brewery of Ashland — have joined together to work
with Wisconsin farmers to grow barley and hops for their beer.
Their agreement is not a formal written contract, but rather,
the co-op works with farmers to estimate crop production costs and
what the market prices are likely to be at harvest. "If the
grain and hops that are grown meet processing requirements such
as the content of moisture, protein (barley) and alpha acid (hops),
then the brewers agree to take all of the product," Reynolds
explains.
Reynolds, a former partner in City Brewery of La Crosse,
would like to add members, find ways to reduce harvest and processing
charges further by helping farmers purchase equipment and work with
secondary processors such as maltsters.
Barley and hops are two of the most essential ingredients
in beer, along with yeast and water. Hop prices have risen due to
major crop failures in Europe; barley prices in part because of
the rising prices for corn. These increases jeopardize small craft
breweries especially.
Both hops and barley were major crops in Wisconsin in the
19th century. Hops never really rebounded in the state following
pest infestations and a collapse in the hop market in the late 1860s.
Barley fell from popularity as farmers here began to grow more profitable
crops. Today, much of the barley is grown in North Dakota, Montana
and Idaho. Hop production is predominantly in Washington, Oregon
and Idaho.
Reynolds attended an organic farming conference last February
and floated the idea of local producers working with nearby brewers.
He found five farmers who were interested in growing hops and another
three in barley. "The cooperative means [the ingredients] could
be more readily available, at a more stable price, and grown locally
— which is what consumers say they want," says Tyranena's
Larson. (For instance, Capital Brewery's Island Wheat, made from
grain grown on Door County's Washington Island, has quickly become
a major seller.)
Hops can take three years to establish, so despite five
growers planting around 35 acres, there were not enough flowers,
or cones, for any local beer this year. The cooperative is working
with growers to plant several different varieties of hops in organic
and conventional growing conditions. Members hope this will pay
off down the road. "I have a three-year contract with commercial
hop suppliers, but any hops I can get from the co-op will help,"
adds a cautiously optimistic Larson.
Weather was a factor this year, reducing barley yields
for most of the co-op's growers. But in Bayfield County, Eugene
"Bo" Belanger of South Shore Brewery and a local farmer
harvested over 65 tons of six-row Robust barley that will be transported
to Thunder Bay for malting within the week. Belanger says as soon
as the grain is malted and delivered to his Ashland brewery, he'll
start using it: "We're damn close to making beer with locally
grown barley. My silo is empty now!" He plans to use it in
the next batch of his flagship Nut Brown Ale, which should find
its way into many Madison beer stores within a couple of months.
"This helps farmers who are my neighbors," says
Belanger. "Growing it here in my backyard, you can look across
Chequamegon Bay and point to where the barley came from. This is
how you live up to the title of brewmaster. It's more than just
brewing — it's knowing what goes into your beer."
(c) 2009 - Robin Shepherd - The Ishmus
Participating
Breweries in the Midwest Hops and Barley Co-op:
- Bull Falls Brewery, Wausau
- Central Waters Brewing, Amherst
- Goose Island Brewery, Chicago
- Gray's Brewing, Janesville
- Lake Front Brewery, Milwaukee
- Sand Creek Brewing, Black River Falls
- South Shore Brewery, Ashland
- Sprecher Brewing, Milwaukee
- Tyranena Brewing, Lake Mills
Amber Ale: Brewing Beer
from 45-Million-Year-Old Yeast
An aroma like bread dough permeates Raul
Cano's lab. He has just removed the cover from a petri dish, and
the odor wafts up from several gooey yellow clumps of microorganisms
that have been feeding and reproducing in a dark cabinet for the
past few days. Cano, a 63-year-old microbiologist at California
Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, inspects the smelly
little mounds lovingly. "These are my babies," he says,
beaming. "My yeasty beasties." The dish
contains a variant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, known in culinary
circles as baker's or brewer's yeast. But Cano didn't get this from
Whole Foods. Back in 1995, he extracted it from a 45 million-year-old
fossil. The microorganisms had lain dormant since the Eocene epoch,
a time when Australia split off from Antarctica and modern mammals
first appeared. Then Cano brought the yeast back to life. This
reanimation of an ancient life form was a breakthrough, a discovery
so shocking that the scientific community initially refused to believe
it. It changed our understanding of what microorganisms are capable
of. It also gave the Cal Poly researcher a brief taste of fame.
For a while, he thought it might make him rich. It didn't. Now,
just when it seemed his babies would be forgotten, Cano has found
a way to share them with the world.
Born and raised in pre-Castro Havana, Cano still has a
noticeable Cuban accent. After the revolution, his parents were
unable to escape the country, but they managed to secure him a visa
and a plane ticket to Miami in early 1962. His parents would eventually
follow him to the US, but for a few years Cano was on his own in
a strange new country. "I was 16 at the time," he says.
"I went from foster home to foster home." His
scientific aptitude was not immediately apparent. "I wasn't
a remarkably good student," Cano says. "I went to community
college." He eventually transferred to Eastern Washington University,
and there he discovered his calling in a microbiology class. "It
was taught by a fungal geneticist," he says. "He was terrific.
He became my mentor." Cano got his master's and went on to
earn a PhD in microbiology at the University of Montana. In
1974, Cano went to work at Cal Poly, starting out as a fungus specialist.
But by the early '90s, he was making a name for himself by examining
the contents of fossilized prehistoric tree resin—more commonly
known as amber.
Scientists have been cracking open the translucent caramel-colored
rock for nearly two centuries in an attempt to unlock the history
of the earth. All manner of flora and fauna got trapped in the dribbling
sap, and once it solidified and fossilized, the contents were preserved
for aeons. "It's a time capsule," Cano says. "Like
a Kodak moment from when the amber was formed." The first study
of the contents of amber, made public in 1856, yielded 163 species
of ancient plant life. More than a century later,
amber became sexy again with the advent of gene sequencing and cloning.
A 1982 paper by entomologist George Poinar explored the potential
for extracting DNA from preserved creatures. The paper caused a
stir in the scientific community and inspired Michael Crichton to
write his best-selling dinosaur-cloning novel, Jurassic Park, which
came out in 1990.
In 1993, Cano worked with Poinar and others to remove DNA
from a 125 million-year-old Lebanese weevil entombed in amber. They
were able to sequence segments of the bug's genome. But even if
they had the full genome, science couldn't—and still can't—clone
it back into existence. (Just as well—it's hard to imagine
Steven Spielberg creating a blockbuster f/x extravaganza about reanimated
weevils. Unless he made them 30 feet tall. With a taste for human
blood.)
Two years later, however, Cano actually did manage to pull
off an astonishing first—he brought back to life something
that had been trapped in amber for more than 25 million years. It
started with a chunk of fossilized resin from the Dominican Republic.
Trapped inside was an extinct breed of stingless bee. It was dead,
of course, but Cano theorized that microorganisms in the resin might
simply be dormant. After all, he reasoned, some single-celled creatures
are known to enter a hibernation-like state and survive for years
with no air or food. Still, few believed that anything could survive
after lying dormant for so long. Cano wanted to
find out. He took the contents of the ancient bee's stomach, suspended
it in saline, and spread it on a growth medium. Amazingly, something
woke up and began propagating in the petri dish. Cano identified
it as a bacterial spore related to the modern Bacillus sphaericus,
which is used to kill mosquito larvae.
Cano's discovery changed science's understanding of just
how extraordinarily resilient microorganisms are. "They're
the quintessential survivors," he says. "They started
when the planet was born, they're going to stay around until the
planet is dead, and then they'll just go somewhere else." After
publishing the results of his experiment in Science, Cano found
himself the center of national attention from scientists and eventually
the media. This was the closest humanity had come to the discovery
imagined in Jurassic Park.
Over the course of the next year, Cano would crack open
several more pieces of amber and bring hundreds of strains of ancient
bacteria back to life in his lab. In the process, he began to think
there might be a practical use for these creatures. He launched
a company, Ambergene, to explore potential biomedical applications.
The premise for the venture was that ancient organisms might have
antibiotic potential—they'd been out of the ecosystem for
so long that nothing today would have a resistance to them. At the
time, the approach—dubbed natural product discovery—was
very much in vogue. Major players like Merck and Eli Lilly were
making serious investments.
Creating a life-saving drug was appealing. Fabulous riches
would be a nice side effect. "Altruism's great, but it's not
that great," Cano says. He possessed the only known samples
of these strains, and he patented his revivification process to
further cement his control over them. As the cofounder, part-owner,
and chief scientific officer of Ambergene, Cano stood to earn a
hefty chunk of any windfall that might result.
To reassure potential investors, Ambergene's board of directors
decided to confirm Cano's claims of reanimation. He wasn't the first
to attempt to bring tiny beings back to life in this manner. But
every previous reported success turned out to be a case of modern
bacteria contaminating the amber during the extraction process.
How to Reanimate Prehistoric Microorganisms
Raul Cano proved that single-celled creatures like yeast and bacteria
can be revived after lying dormant in amber—fossilized tree
resin—for tens of millions of years.
Here's how it's done:
STEP 1 - Procure
Amber is found all over the world and can be bought from brokers
(or even on eBay). Prices can reach into the thousands of dollars,
depending on size and biological matter trapped inside. (Chunks
with insects are most likely to yield microorganisms.)
STEP 2 - Sterilize
To avoid contamination by modern microbes, sterilize the lab environment
and clean the amber thoroughly by soaking it in disinfectants, giving
it an ultrasonic wash, then dousing it in ethanol and lighting it
on fire.
STEP 3 - Shatter
To open the amber, place the sample in liquid nitrogen, where it
will freeze and become brittle. At this point, the specimen can
be shattered by dousing it with sterilized warm saline. It can also
be smashed, ground up, or drilled.
STEP 4 - Grow
Spread the contents of the amber onto a petri dish containing a
microorganism food like starch or soy. Not every piece of amber
harbors dormant microorganisms—if the petri dish yields nothing,
go back to step 1 and try again.
"I was very skeptical," says Chip Lambert, a
microbiologist tapped by Ambergene to try to duplicate Cano's results.
The company provided him with amber and all of Cano's sterilization
and extraction protocols. Lambert doubled all of the cleaning processes
and added some of his own. He was still able to duplicate Cano's
discovery. Cano didn't mind the company checking
his work if it helped Ambergene win financing. He ended up being
impressed with Lambert's efforts. "We became friends,"
Cano says. "I enjoy his company. Besides working with him on
some of his projects, we'd socialize, get dinner, maybe grab a beer."
(Another team of researchers working with Cano has also been able
to duplicate the results.)
In April 1995, during his amber-cracking spree, Cano made
another important discovery. A piece of fossilized resin from Burma
yielded something that looked very similar to Saccharomyces, brewer's
or baker's yeast. This single-celled fungus feeds on sugars and
reproduces frequently—if it has enough to eat, a culture can
double in population in 90 minutes. "Yeasts are found in all
kinds of vegetable matter—plants, fruits, stuff like that,"
Cano says. "It was fortunate for that yeast to be there at
the time so it could become part of history." Cano
was fascinated by his find. Unfortunately, this ancient strain of
yeast didn't have commercial applications that Ambergene could exploit.
And none of Cano's other discoveries were yielding biomedical breakthroughs,
either. "We did find two or three microorganisms that produced
some new chemical compounds," Cano says. "But they were
never pursued, because the company was broke. I was really disappointed."
Ambergene folded in 1997. Cano went back to his lab and
pursued other research, like testing petroleum-degrading bacteria
in sand dunes. That project scored enormous grants for Cal Poly,
as did many of Cano's other research efforts. But he couldn't forget
his brush with fame and fortune. "It was a scientific wild
ride, like an E ticket at Disneyland," he says. "As you
grow older, the thrill of the hunt becomes more and more acute,
at least for me." Meanwhile, his ancient yeast—suspended
in glycerol and nutrients—lay dormant in a deep freeze.
In March 2006, Chip Lambert happened to meet a guy named
Peter Hackett at a ski resort in Lake Tahoe, California. Hackett
is a Northern California pub owner and brewer. Before long, the
conversation turned to ancient yeast. "It started as a very
casual, noncommittal, you-must-be-out-of-your-mind conversation,"
Hackett recalls. "He told me the story of how Cano revived
the yeast, how it resembled brewer's yeast. And then he said, 'Wouldn't
it be interesting if we could make beer with it?'" Lambert
and Cano had toyed with the idea for 12 years. Before Ambergene
went under, the company made a batch on a lark. "We called
it Jurassic Amber Ale or T-Rex Lager or something, and it was pretty
good," Cano says. It was served at his daughter's wedding,
and they even sent some to the Jurassic Park 2 cast party. That
experiment had Cano and Lambert itching to release a beverage commercially.
But they wanted it to be something respectable.
"Brewing beer is a biotechnological process,"
Cano says. "I know the essentials; I've taught it in classes.
But the skills you need to actually make a quality beer? I had no
clue." They needed a professional brewer to take their yeast
for a serious test drive. But unable to interest one, they had put
the idea on ice.
Hackett, 44, was a cocky upstart in the microbrew world,
known for unique recipes like Bushwacker Wheat (made with tangerines,
blackberries, and sun-dried mandarins). He hadn't really wanted
to spend a cold, miserable afternoon discussing yeast from the Eocene.
"But Chip is a very persistent man," Hackett says. "It
was the only way I could get him to leave me alone." After
some cajoling, the brewer agreed to try making a batch of beer with
Cano's yeast.
But Hackett had his doubts about the 45 million-year-old
Saccharomyces. Beer is the result of a chemical process that takes
place when yeast gobbles up sugars and excretes carbon dioxide and
alcohol. The flavor depends heavily on the type of Saccharomyces
doing the eating, and very few strains perform well in the hostile
anaerobic conditions inside a brewing tank. "It requires a
robust cell," Hackett says. "My boss is a single-celled
organism. If it's not happy, it will let me know."
Hackett combined the yeast with all the other ingredients
that make up his popular Rat Bastard pale ale recipe, so he could
easily taste its distinguishing characteristics. During the brewing,
the ancient yeast's behavior was unusual, to say the least. "It
ferments violently at the start," Hackett says, "then
it falls out of suspension and the beer becomes almost clear."
From a brewer's perspective, its behavior was schizophrenic: It
began like a yeast used in ales, floating at the top. Then it began
to act like yeast used in slow-fermenting lagers, settling to the
bottom of the tank but not going dormant.
Normally, Hackett ends the primary fermentation process
by "crashing the tank"—lowering the temperature
to shock the yeast into dormancy. But that didn't work on Cano's
yeast. "It was just sitting on the bottom and nibbling on the
sugar like a couch potato," Hackett says. A strain that had
survived 45 million years in suspended animation was not about to
go quietly.
Hackett was prepared to pour the batch down the drain if
it tasted awful. But he discovered that the flavor of the resulting
ale was unique, and not in a bad way. It was light and crisp with
a citrusy, gingery tang. It was definitely worth exploring further.
The brewer began experimenting with the ancient strain.
He indulged its idiosyncratic behavior, letting it ferment for an
extra month in a cold storage tank. He modified the hops, a plant
that adds a characteristic bitterness to beer, to complement the
flavor imparted by the yeast.
Cano's Saccharomyces coupled with Hackett's know-how to
yield a very tasty libation, which is now made and distributed under
the name Fossil Fuels Brewing Company. "We won the lottery,"
Hackett says. "It's such a random thing. A yeast cell, captured
in amber, found by a mad scientist. For it to perform well, for
it to perform uniquely ... I wouldn't have bet on it."
Fossil Fuels pale ale caused a stir among beer aficionados
like William Brand, a former critic with The Oakland Tribune who
raved about it on his blog. He noted its "light copper color
and an intense clove aroma." He liked its sweetness and the
"intriguing, very odd spicy note" in the finish.
Celebrator Beer News described the ale as having a "complex
and well-developed taste profile" with "fruity flavor
characteristics and just a touch of lemony sweetness. The fact that
it is made with such old yeast is fascinating, and given how good
the beer is, no mere novelty."
A 5-gallon glass jug containing hundreds of millions of
Cano's yeast cells is sitting on the back porch of Hackett's brewpub
in Guerneville, California, 70 miles north of San Francisco. Every
half-hour or so, Hackett goes outside and shakes it up a bit. When
the sun warms the contents of the jug to 70 degrees Fahrenheit,
it'll be ready.
Hackett has been stirring malted barley into 150-degree
water in an enormous stainless steel tub. The hot water will break
down the starch in the grain, turning it into a sugary substance
called wort, which is then diluted, boiled, and transferred to a
fermentation tank. When the jar of yeast has warmed up sufficiently,
Hackett dumps it into the tank, where it begins to gobble up the
wort.
Normally, Hackett could reuse this yeast after separating
it from the freshly brewed batch of beer. New characteristics may
begin to present themselves as the tiny fungi go through tens of
thousands of generations. "Over time, genetic drift can occur,"
Hackett says. "It mutates and evolves." But
for Fossil Fuels' brew, Cano prefers to create new colonies that
are as close as possible to the original generation he reawakened
from the chunk of amber. His yeasty beasties may not have made him
a pharmaceutical millionaire, but he has finally discovered a use
for them, and he wants to stay involved in the brewing process.
As Hackett finishes preparing his latest batch, Cano arrives.
He has driven up from San Luis Obispo to get a pony keg of pale
ale for his own personal use. And Lambert has come up from the East
Bay. The scientists sit on stools as Hackett brings out pints of
their beer, as well as fries, shrimp, and egg rolls hot from the
brewpub's kitchen. They're soon ready for a second round of beer.
Fossil Fuels Brewing will start selling its beer in pubs
and restaurants throughout California this fall. The company is
creating beer-tap handles with hunks of amber embedded in the tip.
A bigger brewery—one capable of bottling the beer when they're
ready to put it on store shelves—has been enlisted to take
on the commercial production duties.
Cano is delighted with the burgeoning success of Fossil
Fuels ale. It'll earn him a little bit of money, and every pint
or bottle sold could kick off a conversation about his momentous
discovery 14 years ago. His only worry is that the unfiltered nature
of this beer means that some of his yeast will invariably settle
to the bottom of the glass or bottle, and an unscrupulous brewer
could collect that and use it in another beer. The microbiologist
has applied for a patent on his strains and has sequenced the genomes
so he can tell if someone else has stolen it. "I am the keeper
of the family jewels," Cano says. He isn't about to let them
fall into the wrong hands.
(c) 2009 - Erin Biba - Wired Magazine
STARBUCKS ADDS BOOZE TO
MENU
I'll Take A Venti Beer, Please
After building an empire based on caffeine, Starbucks is
mixing it up and giving beer and wine a shot.
Taking a page from Europe's coffeehouse playbook, Starbucks is hoping
alcohol may be the silver bullet to boost its stagnant stock price.
The grand experiment begins next week in Seattle with a new store
called "15th Ave. Coffee and Tea inspired by Starbucks,"
USA Today reported. Starbucks plans to create two more similar stores
in the Seattle area at locations that aren't currently Starbucks
stores. And if the concept works, it could be tested in other cities,
says Major Cohen, senior project manager at Starbucks.
For Starbucks, which has suffered a humbling mix of closed
stores, employee layoffs and same-store sales declines during the
recession, the move is an attempt to extend the brand into the evening,
when business is typically at its slowest. CEO of consulting firm
Brandstream and former marketing chief at Starbucks, Scott Bedbury,
said alcohol is common at European coffeehouses.
But Americans may not be ready for European-style coffeehouses,
and if not, we may never see booze at our local Starbucks. This
experiment could go down in the beverage history books as just another
New Coke.
So for now, the lone test store will serve a half-dozen
kinds of beer and wine, ranging in price from $4 to $7. If all goes
according to Starbucks' plan, this could be a much-needed edge in
the so-called coffee wars. The caffeine giant has been in the crosshairs
of McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts for some time now. Perhaps it won't
be long before we see the McWine Cooler.
(c) 2009 Olsen Ebright - NBC New York
New
Beer Honors Milwaukee Baseball Legend Spahn
Warren Spahn, former Milwaukee
Braves pitching legend who played from 1953 until 1964 and won 363
games over his 21 seasons, is being honored with a new beer that
pays homage to his nickname and his impressive record.
Spahnie 363 LLC and its affiliate, Oklahoma-based Choc
Beer Company, is producing the beer, which will be distributed in
the Milwaukee area exclusively through Beer Capitol and W.O.W. distributing
company.
Joe Prichard, owner of Choc Beer Company, co-owns Spahnie
363 LLC with Greg Spahn, Warren Spahn's son. The two became friends
growing up.
"I fondly remember when dad would pack up the family
and hit the road with several cases of Choc beer in the car to visit
the Spahns in Milwaukee during the summer," Prichard said.
"So came the inspiration to produce a beer that would pay tribute
to the American legend Warren Spahn and the legacy of the friendship
between a great beer maker and a legendary baseball player.”
Spahnie 363 is the first kolsch-style beer brewed by Choc
Beer Company in Krebs, Okla. Brewmaster Michael Lalli has combined
Wisconsin malt, imported German hops, proprietary German yeast and
bottled conditioning to achieve a smooth, crisp ale that is wonderfully
refreshing and serves as a great companion to German cuisine, earthy
cheeses and smoked and grilled meats. Spahnie 363 will be available
year-round in Milwaukee, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Man On Lawnmower During Beer Run Charged With DUI
With a revoked license because of a previous
drunken-driving conviction, Dennis Cretton shouldn't drive. But
authorities said that didn't stop the 49-year-old man from drunkenly
driving up to a gas station for more beer — on his yellow
riding lawnmower. Cretton was charged with felony aggravated driving
under the influence after neighbors reported he was weaving in and
out of traffic on his lawnmower Friday night. When deputies tried
to stop him, authorities said Bretton drove the mower into his home's
front yard, his 12-pack of Milwaukee's Best spilling onto the ground
along the way. Cretton was free on $10,000 bond. Calls to his home
went unanswered Tuesday.
(C) 2009 Belleville News-Democrat
DRINKING
BEER AFTER EXERCISE BETTER THAN WATER
Researchers at Granada
University in Spain have come across a discovery that will undoubtedly
please athletes and sports enthusiasts - a pint of beer post-workout
or match is better at rehydrating the human body than water. Professor
Manuel Garzon, a member of Granada's medical faculty, made the finding
after tests on 25 students over several months. Researchers believe
that it is the sugars, salts, and bubbles in a beer that may help
people absorb fluids more quickly. The subjects
in the study were asked to run on a treadmill at temperatures of
104F (40C) until they were close to exhaustion. Once they had reached
the point of giving up, researchers measured their hydration levels,
motor skills, and concentration ability. Half of
the subjects were given two half pints of Spanish lager to drink,
and the other half were given just water.
Garzon said that the rehydration effection in those who
were given beer was "slightly better" than those who were
given only water. He also believes that the carbon dioxide in beer
helps quench thirst more quickly, and that beer's carbohydrates
replace calories lost during physical exertion. The
average person loses around 1 liter (33oz) of water for every hour
of exercise in sweat. Rehydrating after a workout is crucial, as
a lack of hydration is more likely to make one feel tired, fuzzyheaded,
and suffer from headaches. Based on the results
of the study, researchers recommend moderate consumption of beer
as a part of athletes' diets. "Moderate consumption" for
men is 500ml per day, and for women is 250ml per day.
So that explains why Babe Ruth was so good. His method of
training was nearly 100 years ahead of its time.
(C) 2009 Cleveland Leader
BAY VIEW
BREWHAUS
If
you're looking for a part of town offering up homemade brews or
live music, Bay View might just be atop your list. And now, the
newly opened Bay View Brewhaus wants to lift a bit of the burden
and offer you both in the same location. Steve Fix and his father
purchased the large ominous building on the corner of Kinnickinnic
Avenue and Otjen Street last spring with a vision of transforming
the first floor from a wedding reception hall to a hot spot for
live, local bands. The building, which still houses a Chinese restaurant
in the basement, was completely devoid of windows and natural light.
That was until Fix and his father started to make changes. Fix began
the transformation of the space by cutting floor to ceiling holes
to add large, expansive windows along two walls. The original bar
still lines the back wall but Fix added a large walk-in cooler,
custom-made wood tables and equipment for a future brewing operation
set to start processing sometime in the next couple of months. Fix's
main focus, live music, is, aptly, the main focus of the large open
space. Adding a center set raised stage, Fix plans to feature local
bands, singers and musicians weekly. As he explains, he doesn't
intend to mimic what places like the Cactus Club or Frank's Power
Plant are already doing. He says his goal is to add to the mix by
bringing a broader range of genres to Bay View. As his father reiterates,
there's certainly room for each of the venues to collaborate and
carve out an individual niche. Fix previously owned and operated
a bar in downtown Waukesha. As one of the first to bring live music
to the area, Fix says he found it difficult to charge any sort of
cover for shows and saw the scene move toward DJs rather than live
music. Perceiving Bay View as a community supporting live music
venues, Fix made the move Downtown. The Bay View Brewhaus is currently
open evenings with set hours to follow.
(c) 2009 Maureen
Post - OnMilwaukee.com
AMERICAN DISTILLER
www.distilling.com
CONTACT : BILL OWENS, AMERICAN DISTILLER, BOX 577, HAYWARD, CA 94543
(510) 886-7418 - Bill @ Distilling.com
CARS & STUFF
Tune in to WMSE (91.7 FM) for Mark Dietrich’s
Gearhead Show every Saturday from 6-9 AM.
Won’t be long before Mark’s in the tower, calling the
action at Great Lakes Drag-Away.
Inspired ? Visit both our "Car Stuff"
homepage and our Car Show
Calendar.
GREAT FOOD
Coming back strong will be our Food coverage, including Cooking
Classes, Demonstrations, Specialty Food Samplings and Dinners, plus
Press Coverage on Cooking, Growing & Dining.
Want to see several Food Events ? Hit our Chowtime
Food Events Calendar
How about our Food Blog, as we wax ...poetic about Foods
we like ?
Visit our Food Times Page
NEW DIRECTIONS FOR SWS.COM
Look
for this website to get "livened up."
While
we've been updating our Beer & Music calendars (almost) daily,
much of the rest of our website will become "re-actived,"
as well. There's a lot of homepages here, folks.
We'll be adding a mini-blog on this homepage several days a week;
Offer you increased coverage on Wine & Spirits, Food, Music,
and soon: Cars (& Alternative Fuels), and a few other things,
... besides offer our strong, and soon stronger, Beer & Music
coverage.
"Wine & Spirits ?" We've always liked Spirits
& have recently rekindled our Wine appreciation. We'll be talking
about wines, growers, importers, retailers and wine events.
"Food ?" We plan to add a lot more articles
on Growing, Eating, Cooking & Dining.
"Music ?" We plan to talk about bands and musicians
before they perform, to help lure you out more often.
We plan to talk about musicians and their instruments, as well.
Another reason for "Food & Music" is that both are
served at venues that sell and serve Beer, Wine & Spirits.
"Cars ,...?"
With the price of oil rising to $100 a barrel, horsepower ratings
and "fun cars" will soon be a thing of the past. The key
now is how to keep mobile, have a nice ride & not spend a fortune.
The glory days were, of course, the 50s & 60s ... The days of
the Custom Car, Hot Rod and Restoration.
How do we combine the two (car culture & economy ? )
Several groups are trying, from the 100 MPG prize to Biodiesel conversions,...
E ven musician Neal Young in transforming his 70s Lincoln to electric
power.
We'll try, on this website, to let you know more !
Since car design (& restoration) is a form of art, we'll most
likely be adding art gallery information in the near future, too.
Fear not: Beer still continues to be a favorite of ours.
We just plan to offer more diversity.
We promise to keep you entertained !!
WJ
BELT
BUCKLES
Since 1971, my alternate career has been in
metal castings, mostly Belt Buckles.
The 70s were a really hot time for buckles. I was in design &
sales. The companies I worked for created & sold over 100 new
designs every year.
I've got some I'd like to market.
Some are one-of-a-kind, and with other styles, I have a some depth
in inventory.
Visit Belt Buckles on the left for
a partial list.
I also do Custom Belt Buckle Design & Production, with runs
as short as 100.
Interested ? Contact me.
MILWAUKEE BEER HISTORY
Visit our Milwaukee
Beer History tour page.
We've got lots of photos, including the 2005 & 2006 Museum of
Beer & Brewing Miller Caves Dinner and the original Miller Caves
dinner photo from 1954, which was our inspiration; the Obermann
Brewery today; Pabst Sternewirt; Schlitz photo from 1972; Blatz
Brewkettles & Tasting Room bar; Pabst Mansion; Gettelman Brewery;
Forest Home & Calvary Cemetery Beer Barons Monuments; "Ghost
Signs;"Wisconsin DOT sign, commemorating Wisconsin's brewing
heritage, ...
Visit
our Suds
City (Beer), Spirited Event,
Food, Music &
Wine Calendars, as we've got a lot
of events listed
Tune in at least once-a-week (or
even daily) for our “Whispering Jeff”
updates !!
Visit "Whispering Jeff's"
New, Rumors & Gossip for archived babbles !!
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SUDS CITY
UPCOMING
BEER EVENTS:
TUESDAYS
Riverwest Beer Club - Homebrew, Beer Songs & Tastings
The Gig, 315 E. Wright, Milwaukee, WI
TUESDAYS
Stein Club Night with Brewhaus Polka Kings
Weissgerber's German Beer Hall, Milwaukee, WI
For More Details & Many
More Events, Visit our SUDS
CITY BEER CALENDAR, updated DAILY
!
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JUST
ADD MUSIC
UPCOMING MUSIC EVENTS:
TUESDAYS
Stein Club Night with Brewhaus Polka Kings
Weissgerber's German Beer Hall, Milwaukee, WI
FRIDAYS
Brewhaus Polka Kings
Lakefront Palm Garden, Milwaukee, WI
For
more details about these & over a hundred more Milwaukee
& Midwest
Music Events, visit our
MUSIC CALENDAR, ..Updated Updated
Daily !
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CHOWTIME
To learn about all the Food Events in
Milwaukee and throughout the Midwest, visit Chowtime,
our Food & Dining Calendar...Updated
DAILY!
GREAT DISTILLATIONS
(www.greatdistillations.com)
To learn about all the
Spirits Events in Kentucky, Chicagoland,
Madison, Milwaukee and throughout the Midwest, visit
our SPIRITED
EVENTS CALENDAR...Updated DAILY!
THE-GRAPE-VINE
(www.the-grape-vine.com)
LAST MONDAYS
Wine Tasting - 6 PM - $25
Swig, 1227 N. Water St., Milwaukee WI - Reservations:
(414) 431-7944
THIRD TUESDAYS
Third Tuesday Tastings
Randolph Wine Cellars, 1415 W. Randolph St., Chicago
IL – (312) 942-1212
SECOND WEDNESDAY
Bin 36 Tastings - $25
Bin 36, 339 N. Dearborn St., Chicago IL –
(312) 755-9463
EVERY THURSDAY
Mas “Wine University” Dinner –
7:30 PM - $50
Mas Restaurant, 1670 W. Division St., Chicago
IL - Reservations (773) 276-8700
FRIDAYS
Wine Down Fridays Wine Tasting & Appetizers - 5-7
PM
The Social, 170 S. 1st St., Milwaukee, WI
- Reservations: (414) 270-0438
EVERY FRIDAY & SATURDAY
Wine Tastings – 5-8 PM Friday – Noon–5
PM Saturday
Wine Merchant Ltd., 20 S. Hanley, St. Louis,
MO - (314) 863-6282
SATURDAYS
Famous Liquors Wine Tastings - 1-4 PM - Free
Famous Liquors & Market, 105 E. Roosevelt,
Lombard, IL - (630) 629-3330
To learn more about Wine Tastings & Wine Dinners
in Milwaukee, Chicago and throughout the
Midwest, visit our WINE
EVENTS CALENDAR
We update Daily !
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