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May 20, 2012

Search Results Category: Domestic

January 3, 2012

Budweiser to Sponsor a new Reality Television Program

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Media, Breweries, Domestic, Macrobreweries — Tags: , , — No Comments

Beer and sports are natural accompaniments. It is widely known that beer companies rely on sports to help encourage beer sales and attendees at sporting events and viewers of sports on television do not need to look far to see and hear the names of specific brands of beer.

 

Among the brands promoted at sporting events, Anheuser- Busch InBev is the brewer whose advertisements are most widely seen so it may not come as a surprise to discover that the so- called “king of beers” is considering promoting its name through a somewhat different but related marketing channel. Starting in January, 2012, Anheuser- Busch InBev is going to sponsor its own reality program. Titled Budweiser: The Big Time, this reality program is going to focus on competitions in different sports and in different activities.

 

Now, what exactly would encourage Budweiser to sponsor a reality television program? Well, (more…)

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December 15, 2011

Full Sail Brewer’s Share Series goes National

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Media, Breweries, Domestic, Microbrews — Tags: , , — No Comments

Full Sailing Brewing, an Oregon craft beer operation with a national following, is going forward with its Brewer’s Share series with the first release expected next month.

Full Sail Lineup

 

Brewer’s Share is a series of craft beers created by Full Sail’s own employees and the idea actually originated back in 2008. At the time, Brewer’s Share products were sold only on tap and only in Full Sail’s exclusive pub. Now, the brewery is expanding the series to include 22 oz. bottles for sale on a national basis. The series will include a new, employee- inspired brew each season and will continue through the end of 2012 and possibly beyond.

 

The first offering planned is Extra Special Barney (ESB), a product created by Full Sail Brewing Supervisor Barney Brennan. According to Brennan, Extra Special Barney is going to be brewed in the tradition of an English style ale. It will be brewed with five different malts and Challenger hops, including one pound per barrel of dry hop. The product will weigh in at 6.5% alcohol by volume with a modest bitterness rating of 35 IBU.

 

Brewer’s share might seem like an unusual name for a series of employee- inspired beer products, but there is something behind the choice of title. When beer ages, there is a small portion that disappears from a barrel and it is often referred to as the “angel’s share.” The term “Brewer’s Share” was selected because it is considered an equally mysterious occurrence that appears during something special; in this instance, a moment of inspiration. The parallelism isn’t perfect, but it’s close enough that the name works.

 

Besides celebrating the creative talents of its employees, the Brewer’s Share series is also a means to support charity. Full Sail is choosing a designated charity for each Brewer’s Share and the charity will receive a portion of the earnings. Extra Special Barney will support the Columbia Gorge Arts in Education fund- a charity focused on K- 12 visual, literary, and performing arts in local schools. Other Brewer’s Share charities have yet to be announced.

 

Each Full Sail Brewer’s Share product will be offered in 22 oz. bottles and on draft. Once Extra Special Barney has run its three- month course8, it will be followed by such unique malt beverage delights as Phil’s Existential Alt, Chris’s Summer Delight Berliner Weisse, and Big Daddy J’s Malt Liquor.

 

Full Sail is an employee- centered company and the people who run the brewery are all considered partner’s in the business’s ultimate success. The Brewer’s Share series is an admirable gesture on the part of the company, both from the perspective of employee involvement and charitable giving, and it is nice that Full Sail is involving its employees in the production of new products. Look for Brewer’s Share bottles where Full Sail products are currently sold.

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December 8, 2011

Founders Porter: Sex in a Bottle

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Reviews, Domestic, Microbrews — Tags: , , , — No Comments

Think of Grand Rapids, Michigan and what comes to mind? If you draw a blank, you are not alone. Grand Rapids is a city with only minimal name recognition and even those who know the name are hard- pressed to discuss anything else related to this city in western Michigan. To the beer lover, however, Grand Rapids holds a special place in our hearts and palates, for it happens to be the location of one of America’s great craft breweries. The company is Founders Brewing and one of its many incredible products is Founders Porter.

 

Beer Bio:

 

Style: American Porter

Calories: Unknown

Carbs: Unknown

Alcohol Content: 6.5% by volume

 

Founders Porter is a dark brown/black malt beverage with a heavy, thick body. A good pour directed toward the center of a glass will result in a beautiful head of tan foam that emits aromas of coffee, chocolate, and light spices that stimulate the senses and pique the curiosity.

 

Tasting Funders Porter is even more amazing. The assortment of taste sensations include roasted malt, mocha, caramel, nuts, coffee, woodiness, and some vanilla. There are some dark fruits in the finish along with roasted notes and a touch of hop bitterness. The body of the beer is creamy and robust and a final analysis shows a bitterness rating of 45 IBU.

Founders Porter is an amazing American porter and one of the best examples of its style I have tried in a long time. The silk, rich, tantalizing body of this beer and its many delectable taste sensations and a treat to behold, and it is the type of beer that just keeps on giving and continues to amaze with each passing sip.

 
Porters are a somewhat varied style and the unfortunate fact is that too many breweries make their porters a little too much on the light side. They seem worried that too much flavor will offend the average drinker, but what they fail to remember is that lovers of porter are usually beer snobs to begin with and, if anything, are likely to be offended by products that are too light. The people at Founders Porter wisely understand this and they brewed their porter as a standout in the crowd. And stand out it certainly does, with complexity and flavor that is unmatched by few other American porter.

My time with Founders Porter is over now, but the memories continue and I plan to live the moment again in the future on a more permanent basis. No more one night stand next time- I want Founders Porter with me, beside me, and to guide me ‘til death do us part.  It is a world- class porter all the way and it has set new standard for this style.

 

 

Rating: 10 cheers out of 10!

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December 1, 2011

Yuengling Light: Good Light Brew from America’s Oldest Brewery

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Reviews, Beginners, Domestic — Tags: , , — No Comments

When you think about the taste of light beer, what is the first word that comes to mind? I have heard lighter brew referred to in many ways, but more often than not, the word of choice is “bland”. Light beers, as a whole, just don’t have much to offer in the flavor department and many feel the calories saved are not worth the taste sacrificed. However, there are some light beers that taste better than others and one good example is Yuengling Light, a low- calorie lager.

Yuengling Light

 
Beer Bio:

 

Style: Light American Lager

Calories: 99 per 12 oz. service

Carbs: 8.5 grams

Alcohol Content: 3.4 percent by volume


 
Yuengling Light is a beer that, based on appearance, seems exactly the way a light beer should be. The body of the beer has a golden/tan hue and a normal pour produces little to no foam. The aroma on this beer is light and sweet and while not offensive, doesn’t seem all that impressive. The taste, however, is a little better than the appearance would lead you to believe. Yuengling Light has a light caramelized malt flavor with a bit of a toasted character and very little hop taste. The body is light and the bubbly action keeps the beer at a refreshing level.

Yuengling Light lager has nothing unique to offer in terms of taste, but it has enough going for it to make it standout among other light beers. It is, as expected, a somewhat watered down (seemingly, based on taste) version of regular Yuengling. But Yuengling Light is actually a little better than the average light brew because the lightness factor is less pronounced. There is still some decent taste to be found in Yuengling Light, in contrast to other American light lager, which are often like yellow- colored water and seem very little like the regular beers they are supposed to represent.

Yuengling Light is a good option for those who count calories. It is one of the very few beer products with fewer than 100 calories per 12 oz. serving and since it does have more taste than average, consumers can save a few calories while not sacrificing a large degree of taste. I find it a little odd, however, that the product still has 8.5 grams of carbs because other light beer products with similar calorie levels have fewer carbohydrate grams. It also has a lower alcohol level than most. This combination of reduced alcohol and extra grams of carbs might explain why this light beer tastes better than others and still keeps the calories in check. 

Light beer is generally something I avoid, but Yuengling Light is a decent tasting light beer with a fair amount of character and some memorable moments. The direct taste of cereal grains and sweet caramelized malt are not necessarily anything special, but the flavor is, overall, better than other American light beer and it is certainly worthy of a try.

 

Rating: 6 Cheers out of 10

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November 24, 2011

Freetail Brewing: Texas Number One Brewpub

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Travel, Brewpubs, Domestic, Microbrews, Restaurants — Tags: , , , , , , — No Comments

Texas’ craft beer scene is still in its developmental stages but hundreds of ambitious men and women are working hard to make Texas the premier state in the union for microbrewed beer. One man who is helping the craft beer revolution is Scott Metzger, owner and CEO of San Antonio’s critically acclaimed Freetail Brewing Company. Here are the facts:

Freetail Brewing

Name:Freetail Brewing

Location:4035 North Loop 1604, Suite 105, San Antonio

Organization:Brewpub/Restaurant

Hours of Operation: Sunday, from Noon to Midnight; Monday from 4pm to Midnight; Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30am to Midnight

 

I visited Freetail Brewing in October, 2011 and found it easy to find, family- friendly, and every bit a restaurant as much as a brewery. The brewpub is located just outside the 1604 loop, in an elevated position that allows for nice views of downtown San Antonio and surrounding areas. A small windmill in back of the building makes it easy to find. The windmill, I was told, is non- functioning and only for show, but it does aid in the location process.

 

One of many pleasant surprises at Freetail Brewing is the large number of beer products offered. Freetail has produced dozens over its few years of existence and many have been retired and/or were featured only as seasonal products, but there are still a large number in the active rotation. When I visited, there were about twelve Freetail products on tap and a recent check of the Freetail website reveals the following malt beverages presently available:

La Rubia

Rye Wit

Freetail Ale

Self Regarde

Round Earth West Indies Pale Ale

Prickly Retail

Brettanolocator

Ate

Hypothesis E

Bandito

Tadarida Oscura

Rubio Fumondo

4shadow

Gremlyn

Prickly Fairy Peril

La Muerta 2011

La Muerta2010

Quite an impressive list, wouldn’t you say? Not all beers listed will be available at all times, but Freetail Brewing tries to keep ten to twelve products flowing at any moment. And the products themselves are just as interesting as their creative names. There is a pleasant surprise in every sip at Freetail Brewing Company.

Food is an important component to any brewpub and Freetail Brewing certainly takes its food seriously. The menu is divided among:

 

Appetizers

Salads

Specialty Pizzas

Sandwiches and Wraps

Desserts

 

Prices are reasonable at Freetail Brewing and many of the menu items seem tailor- made for a specific Freetail Beer. The stone- hearth pizzas are not only delicious and great with beer, they have been recognized by critics for their distinct craftsmanship and amazing taste.

Entertainment at Freetail Brewing is provided by nine high- definition television sets and two 100+ inch screens. With such a large number of screens, guests can treat themselves to non- stop sporting action and, depending on popular demand, other television programming as well. And if you would rather partake in an outdoor atmosphere, consider moving to the outdoor patio and watching the sun set while enjoying your food and brew.

Freetail Brewing is supportive of the craft brewing industry in Texas and it backs that support through its “guest” brewery taps: Kegs of craft beer from a Texas craft brewery, tapped and ready to drink. The guest brewery varies, but some of the featured breweries have included St. Arnold, 512 Brewing, Live Oak Brewing, Independence Brewing, Real Ale Brewing, Southern Star, and others. This is a nice gesture on the part of Freetail Brewing and it shows the businesses’ commitment to Texas craft beer industry.

Freetail Brewing presently maintains only its only location in San Antonio, but it has plans to expand in due time. Houston residents may recall that Freetail Brewing was planning to expand to the downtown area this year, but was forced to place its plans on hold. I asked owner Scott Metzger about this when I visited and he said that Houston has not been completely ruled out. The expansion has only been placed on hold until other concerns are addressed.

Freetail Brewing is certainly a place of distinction and it has several rewards and special recognition to prove it. Beer Advocate ranks it as the number one brewpub in all of Texas and it has been recognized by the San Antonio Express- News Critics Choice in 2009 and was awarded a Silver Medal in 2010 as the “Best Place for a Cold Beer.” San Antonio Magazine selected it as the “Best Place for a Beer” in 2009 and 2010, further solidifying its position as San Antonio’s finest craft beer establishment. Some of its malt beverages have also enjoyed special recognition and continue to win the hearts of critics and casual beer fans in San Antonio and beyond.

San Antonio is a city loaded with historic charm in a state noted for its independence and colorful past. Brewing has a strong history in Texas and is presently in the midst of a full- fledged revival thanks to the brewing creativity and ambitions of hundreds of men and women across the state. Scott Metzger’s Freetail Brewing Company is a perfect example of what can happen when ambition meets creativity and his brewpub is one you don’t want to miss if you happen to visit the San Antonio area.

 

 

To read other articles like this, visit Examiner.com

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November 10, 2011

Widmer Okto Festival Ale: An Oktoberfest? Not Really

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Reviews, Domestic — Tags: , , , — 1 Comment

Fall is still hanging on and will be officially with us for the next several weeks. This means there is still plenty of time to sample some of the many Oktoberfest/Marzen style beer products produced and sold by America’s craft breweries and one Fall beer  that is certainly worth a try- and not too difficult to find- is  Widmer Brothers Okto Festival Ale.

 

 
Beer Bio:

 

Style: German Altbier

Calories: Unknown

Carbs: Unknown

Alcohol Content: 5.3% alcohol content

 
Widmer Brothers Okto Festival Ale is an amber/copper colored brew with a sweet, caramel nose. A moderate pour produces a nice amount of foam that leaves a good deal of lacing as you consume. Based on appearance, this beer easily scores several quality points.

 

Moving to the taste, Widmer Brothers Okto Festival Ale doesn’t disappoint. Multiple layers of complexity greet the palate with flavors that start with the taste of sweet, bready malts. Next, one can detect caramel followed by some fruity flavors such as citrus and even some dark fruit, like plums. The beer finishes with some floral hops and a long, pleasant aftertaste that is bread- like and highly enjoyable.  

Widmer Brothers Okto Festival Ale is a beer produced by Oregon’s Widmer Brothers, a craft brewery best known for its Hefeweizen. Okto Festival Ale is a step in a different direction; a seasonal beer that is promoted as a brew made for the cooler time of the year. A quick look at a fact sheet shows that this is not a true Oktoberfest/Marzen brew.  Widmer Brothers Okto Festival Ale is actually a German Altbier and is brewed using ale yeast. The not- quite- authentic nature of this beer might be a liability to some beer critics, but I can’t  hold this against  Widmer for one simple reason: Widmer doesn’t claim this beer  is Oktoberfest. Sure, the name leads you to believe that it is, but they don’t actually state this.

Widmer Brothers isn’t a brewery I rank among the all time greats, but considering that I have rated all of Widmer Brothers products as average or better, I must agree that Widmer Brothers does command respect. And Widmer Brothers Okto Festival Ale is a respectable beer; medium in body and with a good amount of character that doesn’t go too far in any direction. I recommended grabbing a six pack before the Fall season comes to a close.

Rating: 7 cheers out of 10

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November 3, 2011

Time to Party Like a Sam Adams Investor

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Media, Breweries, Domestic — Tags: , , , , — No Comments

Tea Partiers might have felt a sense of jublilation when they threw thousands of pounds of otherwise fine British tea into the ocean, but it looks like the real party is taking place at 1 Design Center, Suite 850, close to the Boston harbor.

Boston Beer Company, parent of the popular Sam Adams brand, is enjoying a great year financially and its management sees no end in sight. The company just recently reported net income of $16.3 million for the third quarter of 2011, or $1.19 per share, representing an increase of $850,000 or $0.10 per share compared to the same period in 2010. Total sales were also up, increasing to $134.80 million, which is 8% greater than the same period last year.

 

Volume increases are credited for the bulk of the sales gains. Core brands like Sam Adams Boston Lager are not enjoying year- over- year sales gains like they did in the past, but other Sam Adams styles are more than picking up the slack. The company continues to expand its portfolio and now produces and distributes about 25 different brands. Combined, these Sam Adams products are on pace to achieve their best year ever for sales and profits

 

Besides the new products, Samuel Adams started an improvement program this year aimed at reducing the time between packaging and purchase by consumers. Touted as the Freshest Beer program, it aims to reduce wholesale inventories and improve freshness. So far, the reduction in inventories has cut slightly into profits, but Boston Beer management is confident that the program will pay dividends in the very near future, thanks to improved customer satisfaction.

 

Investors are certainly enjoying Boston Beer’s financial success. Those who purchased Boston beer common stock in March, 2009, when the Dow Jones and other indices were at multi- year lows, would have paid in the $19 to $20 range per share. That same stock today is worth close to $100 per share. Doing some simple math shows a return of more than five times over the course of about 30 months. Few, if any, American beverage companies have achieved financial results like this and many financial analysts still believe the share price has room to grow.

 

Sam Adams is the best- known craft beer brand in the United States and its products, while not necessarily rated the absolute greatest by beer fans, are still highly respected by the beer drinking public. The company is considered the market leader for American craft beer and positive financial news like this is good for the micro- brew industry in general because it demonstrates the continued trend toward preference for craft beer products.

 

The big brewers have barely held their own during the past year and many have witnessed small declines in sales volume as consumers seek out more flavorful products. But for craft beer market leader Sam Adams, the party is just beginning and it should continue well into 2012 and beyond.

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October 27, 2011

American Beer Day: A Time to Reflect

by bryancarey — Categories: About Beer, Beer Media, Breweries, Domestic, Macrobreweries, Microbrews — Tags: , , , , — No Comments

October 27 isn’t just the day that falls four days before Halloween. It is now recognized as American Beer Day- a day to celebrate the brewing industry, its history, its influence, and the many great contributions American beer has made to our quality of life.

 How important is beer? Well, consider these facts: Beer is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the United States, where more than 1,700 breweries produce more than 6 billion gallons of beer each year.  Breweries across America include large, well-known macro- breweries such as Anheuser- Busch InBev, Miller, and Coors as well as regional brands and locally brewed craft beer brands. American pale lager is still the most popular style, but American breweries produce products of distinction across the spectrum.

 

Industry- wide, the trend is toward craft beer. The big breweries still control the market, but their dominance is waning. The craft beer industry gained momentum in the 1980’s, surged in the 1990’s, fell back a little in the early 2000’s, and is now expanded rapidly again in this, the second decade of the twenty- first century. As tastes continue to mature, there is no reason to believe that this trend will reverse in the coming years.

 

The American brewing industry has gone through many different phases and has experienced many highs and lows. Yes, the brewing industry was forced to endure the thirteen years of anti- American, anti- freedom insanity known as prohibition during the early part of the 1900’s. But America repented for this ghastly sin and repealed the prohibition amendment in 1933. Today, the industry is back on its feet and thriving like never before, with new breweries opening weekly and with malt beverage products that rival the finest in the world.

 

So, as October 27 winds down, take some time to reflect on the brewing industry and what beer means to you personally. Pay a visit to your local brewery, buy a six pack of your favorite brand, or otherwise find some way to pay your respects to the world’s greatest beverage and the men and women who work hard to brew, package, and distribute your favorite brands each day.

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October 13, 2011

Harpoon Octoberfest: Not True to Style, but Good

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Reviews, Domestic — Tags: , , , , — No Comments

Seasonal beers offer a nice change of pace from our usual brands and the fact that they are released on an infrequent basis adds to their anticipation and appeal. Since Fall is upon us, the seasonal beer for the moment is marzen style Octoberfest and one good tasting example is Harpoon Octoberfest, a seasonal beer from the popular Boston craft brewer.

 

Harpoon Octoberfest

Beer Bio:

Style: Marzen (Octoberfest) ale

Calories: Unknown

Carbs: Unknown

Alcohol Content: 5.5 percent by volume

 
Harpoon Octoberfest is a ruby/copper colored beer with a nose that is enticing, combining scents of sweet malt, nuts, plums, and cherries. A good pour produces a good deal of foam that eventually settles down to a thin layer. The body of the beer is completely clear and this combination of qualities makes for some self- evident appeal to the visual and nasal senses.

Moving to the taste, Harpoon Octoberfest offers a good deal of complexity with flavors like bread, nuts, a small amount of chocolate, earthy notes, toasted malt, caramel, and fruit vying for attention. The beer is medium in body, a tad salty, and offers a mild bitterness. Harpoon brews it using Munich, pale, and chocolate malts along with willamette hops.
 
Harpoon Octoberfest has been around since 1990, but I havent tried it and, consequently, haven’t bothered putting my feelings to paper until this year. I see this product every year on the store shelves, but I haven’t reached for it until this year. Part of my reluctance is that I am not a huge fan of the Marzen/Octoberfest style. I have tasted many versions that simply missed the mark, but at the same time, I agree that there are some notable Octoberfest beers and so I decided to try Harpoon Oktoberfest and hope for the best.
Now that I have sampled a few bottles of Harpoon Octoberfest, I can say that this is a good tasting beer and one worth trying if you haven’t already. I found that I liked this beer a little more with each passing sip and I found it interesting in its complexity. I like the different combination of nutty, toasted malt, and caramel notes and I can agree that this is the type of Octoberfest that most will find acceptable at worst and very good at best.

Harpoon Octoberfest has its plusses, but it isn’t without a few faults and chief among them is the glaring fact that this beer is brewed as an ale and thus it isn’t a true representative of its style- a style that is traditionally brewed using lager yeast. Second, it is a little fruitier in taste than I prefer for this style. Among the Octoberfests I like, the reason I like them is usually due to their bready- like aroma and taste. This beer doesn’t have that nice, liquid bread character and isn’t really the best example of its style.

On the other hand, if you can get past the word “Octoberfest” on the label and rate this as a generic beer, you will find that this is a good malt beverage product.  I was a little offended at first that Harpoon decided to call this a marzen brew even though it is brewed as ale, but once I got past my purity standards, I found myself liking this product for what it is. It could be better if the recipe was tweaked just a tad, reducing the fruity component and increasing the taste of bready malts. But Harpoon Octoberfest is still a good tasting beer and a nice change of pace during the cooler time of the year.

 

Rating: 7 cheers out of 10

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October 9, 2011

Anheuser- Busch and SABMiller, Together as One?

by bryancarey — Categories: Beer Media, Breweries, Domestic, Macrobreweries — Tags: , , , , , , — No Comments

Anheuser- Busch InBev, the largest brewing operation in the world, has reportedly been in talks to purchase the second largest brewer, SABMiller, in what would be one of the largest takeovers in corporate history.

 

 

According to the Brazilian news website IG, SABMiller has been talking with Anheuser- Busch InBev for some time about a potential sale of the business to its larger foe. Spokespersons on both ends decline to comment on the deal, but SABMiller shares spiked in price last week when the news hit the street.

 

The thought of a merger of any type between Anheuser- Busch InBev and SABMiller doesn’t sit well with many people for numerous reasons. For one, the partnership reeks of potential monopoly. Both companies are already very big and the idea of them becoming one would be like Toyota purchasing Ford Motor. These two businesses are not based in the United States anymore so any merger between the two would not be subject to U.S. anti- trust overview, but it still concerns some people just the same.

 

Then, there is the mere idea of old rivalries joining together in unison. As anyone in the United States knows, Miller and Anheuser- Busch were bitter rivals for decades and the thought of these two enemies becoming a single company just doesn’t feel right. Add to this the fact that SABMiller owns a portion of Molson Coors and the feelings of uneasiness become even more vivid. Anheuser- Busch, Miller, and Coors products sold by the same company?- the thought sends shivers down my tall boy.

 

Most financial analysts say there is no reason to worry about this deal going through because, among other things, the cost would be staggering. Anheuser- Busch InBev would have to cough up somewhere in the neighborhood of $70 to $100 billion to seal a deal this large. InBev had to borrow a huge sum of money when it purchased Anheuser- Busch back in 2008 and, as of June 30, 2011, still has more than $40 billion in debt. Given a debt load this large, coupled with the difficult global economy, it is unlikely that Anheuser- Busch InBev would be able to purchase its closest rival, even if it wanted to.

 

No one has confirmed or denied any rumors yet, so there is still an outside chance that this marriage may actually reach consummation. I don’t believe it will, but be prepared for the pitter-patter of Anheuser- Busch/Miller/Coors feet if the deal becomes reality.

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