Bud To Cost More

Bud LightThe big guys are feeling the hops crunch just like the small guys.  To offset the rising cost of ingredients, Anheuser-Busch announced plans to increase the price of its beer.  The nation’s biggest brewer also announced plans to increase advertising spending to promote its flagship brands, Budweiser, Bud Light, and Michelob.

(Read the full report in the Chicago Tribune.)

November 30, 2007 | Filed Under Beer, Domestic | Leave a Comment 

Hops Shortage Regional Roundup

We’ve posted a number of local stories on the hops shortage that’s sure to impact the price of craft beer. Now, here’s a sampling of beer price crisis stories from around the region:

Wisconsin (and Chicago)

TheNorthwestern.com - Brewers scramble for hops varieties

The operators of Rowland’s Calumet Brewery didn’t think they’d ever have a hard time finding key ingredients for brewing beer.

WISC - Microbreweries Face Rising Production Costs

When it comes to beer, microbrews are becoming more and more popular. However, as more neighborhood breweries pop up across the country, the hand-crafted beer is becoming harder to produce.

Chicago Tribune - On tap for beer drinkers: Price hike

Fans of Snipes Mountain Brewery’s cloudy Hefeweizen relish the subtle wheat flavor of the bright, summery brew, and like beer drinkers everywhere, they know when their favorite brew tastes a little too hoppy or bitter.

Iowa

Cedar Rapids Gazette – Short on hops

A dwindling supply of hops is brewing up trouble for the area’s microbreweries.

KGAN – Hops shortage could have drinkers crying in their beer

Beer drinkers beware: A shortage of hops could force your local microbrewer to raise prices and limit production of some beers.

KCCI - Hops Shortage Hits Iowa

Beer drinkers beware: A worldwide shortage of hops could force local microbrewers to raise prices and limit production of some beers across the state.

North Dakota

KXMC - Small breweries cope with shortage of hop, a key beer ingredient…

A shortage of the beer ingredient hop could pose challenges for local breweries.

November 24, 2007 | Filed Under Beer, Craft/Speciality | 1 Comment 

No Beer, No Goat

Just another weekend in Wisconsin:

After returning home from a hunting trip and finding his family’s two pet goats wandering in the yard, a Wisconsin man became so enraged at his wife’s refusal to get beer for him that he shot one of the goats.

What happened to the goat?  Read the full story.

November 24, 2007 | Filed Under Beer | Leave a Comment 

MPR Reports On The Hops, Barley Shortage

In a report that features Ryan Anderson from MNBeer.com, Chris Laumb from McCann’s Food and Brew, and Dustin Brau from Brau Brothers Brewing, MPR gives a local take on the hops and barley shortage that’s driving up craft beer prices.

The increase in the price of ingredients is toughest on small brewers. But brewer Dustin Brau admits paying more for ingredients is better than not being able to buy them at all.

“We look good until mid to late next year. That’s when we’re going to be nervous,” Brau says.

Brau is the brewmaster for Brau Brothers, a family-owned microbrewery in the small town of Lucan in southwestern Minnesota. Brau hopes a better harvest of hops worldwide next fall eases the shortage. But in the meantime, he and his brothers are planning to grow some hops of their own.

Read or listen to the full story here.

Check out Ryan’s review of the report on MNBeer.com.

Finally, Chris mentions the interview on his blog, The Brewers Diary.

November 23, 2007 | Filed Under Beer, Craft/Speciality, Local Brew | Leave a Comment 

Top 10 Beer Gifts

It’s Black Friday, and I hope that you’re enjoying it in front of the TV, like I am.  Now would be an excellent time to put together your Christmas gift wish list, and About.com’s Bryce Eddings has a provided a nice start with his Top 10 Gifts For Beer Lovers list.

Here’s a sample:

10. Beer Travel

The ultimate beer lover’s gift has to be an entire vacation based around beer. This growing niche of the tourism industry can take you all over the world in pursuit of the ultimate beer trail. As a gift, of course, it is beyond pricey but if eternal gratitude is what you’re looking for, then a beer based holiday is perfect.

 

November 23, 2007 | Filed Under Beer | Leave a Comment 

Pair That Turkey With A Beer This Thanksgiving

If you’re looking for a unique twist on your traditional Thanksgiving meal, the Beer Association has some tips for you at their www.beerandturkey.org Web site.

Traditional Roast Turkey:   The roasted and caramelized skin matches well with amber ale, a strong golden ale or an amber lager in the Vienna style. 

Ham:  Like the fruit and cloves often used to prepare ham, the fruity, clove notes in weizen or the stronger weizenbock complement ham at the dinner table. 

Duck:   The darker meat of duck offers a richer flavor than turkey and can stand up to a richer beer as well. Here a Belgian-inspired dubbel or a hearty Oktoberfest lager would go well.

Goose:  Here too a richer beer than you would choose for turkey is in order. A Belgian-style triple or biere de garde would work well as would a bock or Scotch ale.

Salmon:   A dunkel lager or Scottish ale can offer a clean toasted malt note to offset the firm flavors of salmon without a lot of bitterness that would overwhelm the fish. Other options would include a mild ale or steam beer.

Leg of Lamb:   Pale ales provide a pleasant foil to lamb with a spicy or herbal character to complement the character of the meat along with some toasted malt notes. Or for more harmony with the roasted flavors of the meat, try a hoppy brown ale or porter.  

Beef Tenderloin:    This rich hearty cut of meat deserves a robust beer as a counterpoint but also calls for some contrast to clear the palate between bites. The ideal companion would be an IPA or Imperial IPA.  Other options might include a tripel or old ale.

November 20, 2007 | Filed Under Beer, Craft/Speciality | 4 Comments 

Anheuser-Busch To Up TV Ad Spending By $100 Million

Can’t get enough of those hilarious Budweiser frogs? Well, you’re in for more of them. Maybe a lot more of them.

From The Milwaukee Business Journal:

Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. plans to increase spending by at least $100 million on television advertisements next year for its four core brands while reducing its spending on its small brands, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD), the top rival to Miller Brewing Co. of Milwaukee, will spend about $70 million more than it has this year on advertisements for its top-selling beers, Bud Light and Budweiser, according to the Journal’s online story. Its other two core brands, Michelob and Michelob Ultra, will receive about $30 million in ads focusing on the traditional way Busch brews the beer.

November 19, 2007 | Filed Under Beer, Domestic | Leave a Comment 

A Holiday Update From Surly

We figured you would probably need a break from the family over the holiday season, so we have a number of cask events to help out, and Darkness info.

November 21st – Mackenzies Pub. Tea-Bagged Furious, tapping around 7:00. Pints for $4.

November 23rd – Café Twenty-Eight. Oak-Aged Cask Bender and Darkness. New late-night menu! 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

November 28th - Rix Bar & Grill. Oak-Aged Furious on Cask at Rix and some Darkness. Order some grub and get a free cask beer. 7:00 pm

December 4th – Muddy Pig. Official release of “Smoke”, our oak-aged, smoked Baltic porter.

December 15th – Surly Brewing Company. Sale of Darkness in 750 ml bottles. Sale time will be afternoon/evening. 2 bottles per customer. Many more details to follow at www.surlybrewing.com. We will not be taking any reservations or holding bottles for people. We should have 480 750s available for sale.

See you drinking,
Omar

November 19, 2007 | Filed Under Beer, Local Brew | Leave a Comment 

Miller To Buy Grolsch

The big continue to only get bigger:

SABMiller plans to buy Royal Grolsch for $1.2 billion, with plans to expand sales of the 392-year-old Dutch beer brand in Latin America and South Africa.

Grolsch accepted a bid - subject to shareholder approval in January - of 48.25 euros a share in cash, London-based SABMiller said. That’s a premium of 79% over its previous closing price.

Read the full story at RealBeer.com.

November 19, 2007 | Filed Under Beer, Domestic, Imports | Leave a Comment 

Oakdale’s Cork & Barrel Sale

Look for these beer specials at Oakdale’s Cork & Barrel liquor store through November 24.

Cork & Barrel
Beer Qty Price
Summit – all crafts 12 Pack Bottles $9.99
Grolsch – all types 6 Pack Bottles $5.79
Miller – MGD, MGD Light, and Lite 24 Pack Cans $13.99
Heineken 5 Liter Keg $16.99
Budweiser, Bud Light , and Bud Select 24 Pack Cans $14.99
Coors and Coors Light 24 Pack Cans $14.99
Miller High Life and High Life Light 24 Pack Bottles $11.99
Leinenkugel’s 24 Pack Bottles 12.99
Hamms – all types 24 Pack Cans 9.99
Sessions Lager 12 Pack Bottles 7.99
Schlitz Lager 12 Pack Bottles 9.99

November 17, 2007 | Filed Under Beer, Northern Suburbs | Leave a Comment 

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