Union backlash on A-B InBev Merger

The WSJ reports today that union leaders are threatening action against the looming merger of the A-B and InBev….protectionism lives!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121193288177324589.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news

Add comment May 28th, 2008

A quick primer on Cascade hops

From the Brewers’ Connection website, a quick primer on one of my favorite ingredients…

“Cascade hops were developed in the USDA breeding program in Oregon and released as a U.S. aroma variety in 1972. Derived from a cross between fuggles and the Russian hop Serebrianker. It is characterized by a dark green elongated cone which contains low amounts of alpha acids. The aroma is of medium strength and very distinct. A pleasant, flowery and spicy, citrus-like. Good for flavor and aroma, but an acceptable bittering hop. Can be used for most any Ales and Lagers. It’s Alpha Acid can be as low as 4% or as high as 7.5%. Malt is the soul of beer and yeast gives it life, but the kiss of the hop is the vitality of that life!”

Add comment May 25th, 2008

What to drink tonight….

Brooklyn’s Summer Ale….light, slightly hoppy but very flavorful….a great “grown-up baseball beer” as Aubrey puts it.

Check out the Brooklyn Summer Ale beer description page at their site.

Add comment May 25th, 2008

There is a specter haunting the US….

that specter is InBev. Get ready folks, the largest beer company in the world is coming to grab up all those shares of Bud to create the world’s lone superpower of beer. It would cover all brands from Natural Light to Bass to Stella Artois.

Check this article out on the Bloomberg

Add comment May 25th, 2008

The onslaught of the Belgian Whites…

For some time now large production breweries, such as Molson Coors, have been trying to tap (no pun intended) into the premium beer market. Although some have tried to purchase the smaller breweries, most have tried producing their own. One style particularly is the Belgian White or Wit.
“Witbier” or White ale is usually wheat, top-fermented beer. It gets its name from the use of suspended yeast and wheat proteins which cause the beer to look cloudy, or white, while chilly. Witbiers are flavored by means of a intermingling of spices like coriander, orange, and - of course - hops. The flavor is consequently only somewhat “hoppish,” and is incredibly refreshing in the summer.
Major producers have picked up on this refreshing style and its burgeoning female fanbase. They in turn have constructed their versions. Some examples are Molson Coors’ Blue Moon and S.A.B.Miller’s Leinenkugel Summer Wheat (Miller has a controlling interest the regional brewer from Chippewa Falls, WI) It is worth noting that seeing and tasting wheat beers from the same producers of Natural Light and MGD is really refreshing.

I recommend the Leinenkugel Summer Wheat - An notable orange taste, slightly sweet - no, it’s much sweeter and less yeasty than the traditional Hoegardeen.

1 comment May 20th, 2008

What to drink tonight…

Officially, my favorite everyday beer is the Kenzinger….you just can’t go wrong with a refreshing Vienna style lager in the glorious traditions of Sam and Brooklyn Lager. Buy a six or a case (around $25 at West Goshen Beverage).

Add comment May 20th, 2008