Popular, relatively low- cost and widely available beer products such as Bud Light, Miller Genuine Draft, Coors Light, and other products are rising in price faster than any other type of beer. The reason?- according to the Restaurant Sciences study, it is the result of increased popularity of Pabst Blue Ribbon more than anything else. This beer, however bland and unappealing it may be, is a big hit with hipsters, and that boost in popularity has convinced retailers to increase prices.

Chuck Ellis, head of Restaurant Sciences, says that Pabst Blue Ribbon has become “quite fashionable” and this fact, alone, has led to price increases. It is a simple matter of economics. If a product grows in popularity, even if supplies increase, a retailer can often get away with increasing the price because more people are willing to pay more for what they perceive as a desirable product.

“I believe the single biggest driver in sub- premium beer price increases is, indeed, specifically PBR”, said Ellis.

Prices have increased by about 6.8 percent for the sub- premium category, as the graph (courtesy of Restaurant Sciences) above illustrates. Other beer prices are up as well, but less significantly so and many are in- line with the rate of inflation and are thus not too much to worry about. Seven percent, however, is a sharp increase and if the research is accurate, Americans have the hipsters to blame.
 

The idea of Pabst Blue Ribbon having any sort of taste appeal to anyone is likely to make craft beer lovers cringe. But just because a product isn’t very good or is agreeably inferior to other products does not mean it cannot catch on as a cult favorite among certain demographics. It has happened before, not just in the beer industry but elsewhere, and it is bound to happen again.

Whether or not Pabst Blue Ribbon will maintain its popularity remains to be seen, but drinkers of cheap, flavorless brew should heed caution and perhaps broaden their horizons to craft beer and other, better products. If the price of Pabst Blue Ribbon and others continue to increase at this rate, the difference between these cheaper beers and craft beer will shrink, making the latter more affordable than ever. It could ultimately win over converts and push craft beer’s popularity higher in a beer market that has already been moving in this direction for many years.

Copyright 2013, Bryan Carey

What is American Craft Beer Week?

American Craft Beer Week is an annual event that has expanded tremendously since its founding. The event can be traced back to 2006 when the Brewer’s Association celebrated American Beer Month in July. The event was rescheduled to take place in May and was changed to a weeklong effort rather than a month in order to focus more intensely on the American craft beer industry.

Today, American Craft Beer Week is considered the most important week of the year for the industry and the timeline below, taken from Craftbeer.com, shows just how much this weeklong event has grown in participation over the years:

• 2006: 124 breweries
  hosted events
• 2007: 150 breweries
  hosted events
• 2008: 168 breweries
  hosted events
• 2009: 212 breweries
  hosted more than 500 events
• 2010: 341 breweries
  hosted 621 events with recognition at multiple retailers in 45 states.
• 2011: 1,521 events
  posted to the official ACBW calendar in 50 states.
• 2012: 1,368 events
  posted to the official ACBW calendar in 50 states.

What Events are Scheduled?

American Craft Beer Week is scheduled this week for May 13 through May 19. Events are taking place across the United States on multiple levels. Some breweries go all- out this week, with special tappings, pint nights, contests, and more. Home brew clubs,  brewpubs, distribution centers, taverns, restaurants, and anyplace else associated with craft beer are free to join the celebration.

How Can I Get Involved?

To find American Craft Beer Week events in your area, visit the web sites and Facebook or Twitter pages for your local breweries, brewpubs, beer clubs, etc. Events are usually updated in these sites on a regular basis. Another good way to find a wide variety of scheduled events is to visit Craftbeer.com, follow the links to American Craft Beer Week, and then search for events in your state.

America’s craft beer industry is large, strong, and gaining in influence. It has impacted both business and culture and it continues to change the way America drinks. American Craft Beer Week is all about celebrating the people and places that make craft beer such an important part of the adult beverage business. Find an event near you and raise a pint in celebration to the folks who help bring the delicious taste of hand- crafted beer to your home and your favorite tavern/restaurant each day.

Boston Beer president/founder Jim Loch knows the realities of small business ownership all too well since he, too, was denied funding when he launched the Samuel Adams product line almost three decades ago: “When I was starting The Boston Beer Company, I applied for numerous bank loans so I could build a brewery, but each bank turned me down. The bankers wanted me to demonstrate that people would buy the beer before they would give me the money to build a brewery. They were right, so I rented space in a great old brewery and launched my company”, said Koch.

“I haven’t forgotten how hard it is for the ‘little guys’ to get started”, Koch continued. “Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream stems from this kind of innovative business spirit, and it is designed to give assistance and good advice to small business owners who want to pursue a similar passion and their American dream. I want to give them the means to succeed”.

Brewing the American Dream has already achieved much success. It has provided more than $2 million in loans to 230 small businesses nationwide, creating new jobs and helping businesses find the assistance they need where traditional options have failed or come up short. This new initiative expands the program by offering $1 million in loans to 100 small businesses as well as expanding speed coaching events and mentoring.

In addition to the greater access to loans and coaching, Samuel Adams is also launching “Raise a Pint, Brew a Dream.” Between April 15 and May 31, every time drinkers purchase a Samuel Adams Boston Lager at a participating retailer, Boston Beer Company will donate 5 cents to the cause. The goal is to raise $250k through this initiative and there are hundreds/thousands of participating retailers across the USA. A quick visit to the site http://btad.samueladams.com/ is all that is necessary to learn more about the program and its participants.

Another part of the Brewing the American Dream program is the Pitch Room contest. The Pitch Room helps small business owners find better ways to pitch their products to consumers and along with the educational aspects, a winner will be selected by region. At the end of the year, the regional winners will go to Boston for the finals. The final winner will have his/her product featured in a national retailers’ store.

Starting any type of small business can be difficult but Boston Beer wants to make the process a little easier for food and beverage businesses through its Brewing the American Dream program. Visit a participating establishment near you, order a glass of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, and help support small businesses that could really use a helping hand. The next Boston Beer company could be just around the corner.

For more information about the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, visit http://btad.samueladams.com/.

Stone Brewing Senior Vice President of Sales Arlan Arnsten helped push for distribution in Puerto Rico after paying a visit to the island- a visit that further convinced him that Puerto Rico was ready for an introduction to Stone beer. “After taking a recent trip to Puerto Rico, I found interest in craft beer was far greater than what I expected,” said Arnsten. “Retailers, restaurants and bars are devoting space to craft beer, and people are eager to taste and learn more about these special brews. We had been interested in entering the Puerto Rico market for some time but needed a distributor that understood the importance of promoting artisanal craft beer. We selected Craft Beer Distributors Puerto Rico because they are passionate and diligent about spreading awareness for craft beer throughout the island. They are a perfect partner for our joint goal to provide quality craft beer in Puerto Rico.”

Stone beer is already distributed in 37 U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C. and five countries. The Stone products soon to be found in Puerto Rico include:

• Stone Pale Ale
• Stone Smoked Porter
• Stone IPA
• Stone Levitation Ale
• Stone Ruination IPA
• Arrogant Bastard Ale
• OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale
• Stone Cali-Belgique IPA
• Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

To help celebrate and spread the word, Stone has planned meet and greet beer tastings, food pairing events, and other activities along with plenty of samples for curious fans in the making. Here is a quick summary of the dates and places scheduled for Stone Brewing’s Puerto Rican debut:

Tuesday, May 14: 
Taberna Lupulo at 7 p.m. – 151 Calle San Sebastian, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Wednesday, May 15: 
Beer Box from 4 to 6 p.m. – Gate 5 Plaza Carr 110, Km 9.8, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Downtown Bar and Grill at 7 p.m. – Calle Arterial B, Hato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Thursday, May 16: 
One-Ten Thai at 7 p.m. – Carr. 110, Gate 5, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

Friday, May 17: 
Taberna Boricua from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. – Agueybana #418, El Vedado Hato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico

To learn more about Stone Week in Puerto Rico and find more specific information relating to each of the above events, visit the Stone Brewing web site at stonebrewing.com/PuertoRico/.

Beer Bio:

Beer Style: Hefeweizen

Calories: 125 per 12 oz. serving

Carbs: 16 grams

Bitterness Rating: 16 IBU

Alcohol by Volume: 4.1 percent

Schlafly Hefeweizen pours to a yellowish color with a cloudy body and a decent head of foam that leaves some spotty lacing as you drink. The nose on this beer is weak but the scent of wheat malt is obvious.

Schlafly Hefeweizen is a direct type of beer with a flavor that combines wheat malt, wheat flour, bread, yeast, and a touch of lemon. The body is light and there is little hop character or bitterness.

This beer reminds me of many other Schlafly products in both body and taste. There isn’t much complexity and the taste is acceptable, although not particularly memorable. The flavor of wheat malt and flour make this beer very standard in overall taste and this could be why so many people choose to add a slice of lemon. I don’t normally like to add fruit to my beer, but with such lack of complexity, it almost begs for something additional.

One thing I did notice with this beer that is important to share with others is the importance of proper pouring. St. Louis Brewing recommends pouring out most of the beer into a glass, but then swirling the last third (or so) of the bottle in order to get the yeast sediment mixed in with the beer, then pouring the remaining beer into your glass. If you do not do this, you will end up with beer that is less cloudy and not as flavorful. I did this with my first bottle and noticed quickly that something was wrong with the taste. I then noticed the instructions on the bottle to swirl and pour at the end and the taste did improve.

Still, even with the swirling and possibly an added slice of lemon, Schlafly Hefeweizen is a very basic hefeweizen that is fine for a craft beer newbie, but will likely prove dissatisfying to most everyone else. The wheat flavor is what you notice more than anything and the direct/non- complex taste is a little on the boring side. Try it, but don’t be surprised if you come away unimpressed.

Rating: 5 cheers out of 10 

Based on official Brewers Association figures, craft beer has grown faster than its non- craft competition and now represents more than 6 percent of the total beer market in terms of volume and just over 10 percent of the total beer market based on dollar sales figures. The increase has been steady and the above percentages are the highest in history. Here is a list of the largest craft breweries in the United States, based on volume, according to the Brewers Association report:

1. Boston Beer……………………………………Boston, MA
2. Sierra Nevada………………………………..Chico, CA
3. New Belgium Brewing……………………Fort Collins, CO
4. Gambrinus……………………………………San Antonio, TX
5. Deschutes Brewery…………………………Bend, OR
6. Lagunitas Brewing………………………….Petaluma, CA
7. Bell’s Brewery………………………………..Galesburg, MI
8. Matt Brewing…………………………………Utica, NY
9. Harpoon Brewery…………………………….Boston, MA
10. Stone Brewing…………………………Escondido, CA
11. Brooklyn Brewery………………………Brooklyn, NY
12. Boulevard Brewing…………………….Kansas City, MO
13. Dogfish Head Brewery………………..Milton, DE
14. Abita Brewing………………………….Abita Springs, LA
15. Shipyard Brewing……………………..Portland, ME
16. Alaskan Brewing………………………Juneau, AK
17. New Glarus Brewing……………….….New Glarus, WI
18. Long Trail Brewing………………….…Bridgewater Corners, VT
19. Great Lakes Brewing……………….…Cleveland, OH
20. Firestone Walker Brewing…………….Paso Robles, CA
21. Anchor Brewing………………………..San Francisco, CA
22. Rogue Ales……………………………..Newport, OR
23. Summit Brewing……………………….St. Paul, MN
24. Full Sail Brewing……………………….Hood River, OR
25. Sweetwater Brewing…………………..Atlanta, GA
26. Victory Brewing………………………..Downingtown, PA
27. Oskar Blues Brewing…………………Longmont, CO
28. Cold Springs Brewing……………… ..Cold Springs, MN
29. Flying Dog Brewery…………………..Frederick, MD
30. Founders Brewing……………………Grand Rapids, MI
31. Ninkasi Brewing……………………….Eugene, OR
32. Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries..Chattanooga, TN
33. Odell Brewing………………………….Fort Collins, CO
34. Bear Republic Brewing……………….Cloverdale, CA
35. Stevens Point Brewing……………….Stevens Point, WI
36. Blue Point Brewing……………………Patchogue, NY
37. Southern Tier Brewing……………….Lakewood, NY
38. Lost Coast Brewery…………………..Eureka, CA
39. Karl Strauss Brewing…………………San Diego, CA
40. BJ’s Chicago Pizza and Brewery……Huntington Beach, CA
41. Breckenridge Brewery……………….Denver, Co
42. North Coast Brewing…………………Fort Bragg, CA
43. Left Hand Brewing……………………Longmont, CO
44. St. Louis Brewery…………………….St. Louis, MO
45. Saint Arnold Brewing…………………Houston, TX
46. Ballast Point Brewing…………………San Diego, CA
47. Big Sky Brewing………………………Missoula, MT
48. Allagash Brewing……………………..Portland, ME
49. Uinta Brewing…………………………Salt Lake City, UT
50. Troegs Brewing………………………Hershey, PA

What is This Organization About?

Breweries, Bars and Beer Food is all about brewing operations, night spots, great food, and the people behind the scenes who work tirelessly to bring the food and drink to the public. The main focus of Breweries, Bars and Beer Food is going to be a television program hosted by the organization’s founder, Houston native Chris Spradley. The filming of the first ever episode is taking place this week at Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon. Deschutes is one of the largest craft breweries in the country and a great place to
introduce fans to the operations and other behind the scenes actions that take place in a craft brewery each day.

Besides the beer, Breweries, Bars and Beer Food is also about great food and the show will feature chefs and others who live and work in the nearby vicinity to each featured brewery. These chefs will share their culinary creations, offer advice on beer/food pairings, and share some of their favorite recipes with the viewer.

When will the Program debut on Television?

The goal at this time is to broadcast the program in the summer of 2013. Plans such as this are always subject to change, but the goal at the moment is to televise Breweries, Bars and Beer Food within the next several months.

What other Breweries are slated for Filming?

Breweries, Bars and Beer Food maintains a wish list of breweries that it would like to feature on a future program. The list will likely continue to grow as the program increases in popularity. At present, the wish list includes:

• Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, NY
• Firestone Walker , Paso Robles, CA
• New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, WI
• The Bruery in Placentia, CA
• Karbach Brewing, Houston, TX
• Sierra Nevada, Chico, CA
• NOLA Brewing, New Orleans, LA

How can I learn more?

To find out more about Breweries, Bars and Beer Food, visit the organization’s web site by clicking here. Also, be sure to check out the Facebook page at:

www.facebook.com/BreweriesBarsandBeerFood

The Facebook page presents a great way to keep track of current happenings and to see some pictures from the recent filming at Deschutes Brewery. You can also follow by visiting the Twitter page at:

https://twitter.com/BreweriesBarsBF

Nearly 100 million in the United States profess their love of beer and the craft beer segment continues to grow rapidly. Learning about the brewing personnel who work so hard to bring great craft beer to the masses and the chefs who create such amazing meals is both fun and informative. Breweries, Bars and Beer Food aims to bring the inter- workings of your favorite breweries and restaurants right into your living room with interviews, demonstrations, and related information on great beer and delicious food. Check out the web site, Facebook, and Twitter pages today and learn more about this craft beer/food enthusiast organization and its worthwhile mission.

Note: Article originally published at Examiner.com

Madtree Brewing, a Cincinnati- based craft brewery, is now packing its PsycHOPathy IPA in aluminum cans. The move to cans makes MadTree the first Ohio craft brewery to package its products in metal and the first Ohio brewery of any kind to use cans since the days when Hudephol and Burger beer were Queen City mainstays.

MadTree Brewing’s canning machine is efficiently filling cans at the rate of about 27 per minute, according to a report posted in the Ohio Beer Blog by craft beer fan Rick Armon. The first batch of cans is headed to Great American Ballpark where it will arrive just in time for the Cincinnati Reds home opener against the Los Angeles Angels.

In due time, MadTree Brewing plans to can its Happy Amber, Gnarly Brown, and other products. The brewery sells six- packs directly to consumers who are encouraged to stop by the main brewery location at 5164 Kennedy Ave, Cincinnati Ohio, for some fresh, delicious canned brew to go. The first store slated to receive cans is Jungle Jims, which will carry Madtree Brewing beer in mid- April.

Many consumers are still wary of cans, but usually for completely irrational and/or outdated reasons. Probably the greatest worry voiced by consumers is that canned beers taste like metal. Go back about thirty or forty years and there was some truth to this claim, but today’s cans are vastly improved and the worry about a metallic flavor should no longer be a concern. Anyone who has tasted beer from Colorado’s Oskar Blues Brewery- the craft beer pioneer in canning- can vouch for the benign nature of modern metal packaging.

Look for other Ohio breweries such as Fat Heads and Jackie O’s to release beer in cans sometime in 2013.

Beer Bio:

Beer Style: Altbier

Calories: 165 (est.) per 12 oz. serving

Carbs: Unknown

Bitterness Rating: 24 IBU

Alcohol Content: 5.5 percent by volume

This beer pours from the bottle to a dark brown color and perfect clarity. There is no sign of chill haze, sediment, or anything else to block its handsome, brown hue. The nose on this beer is one of sweet, lightly roasted malt and caramel. The foam level is a little below average, but there is enough there that most will not notice.

Flavor- wise, this is a good- tasting beer that hits your taste buds from a few directions. The taste of caramel malt is most obvious, but there is also a touch of chocolate, roasted malt, and toffee. There are some slightly bitter, earthy notes in the finish but the beer leans toward the malty side overall.

I like a good brown ale and I expect my brown ale to lean toward the sweeter side and this brown ale does exactly that. It is supposedly a hybrid of three different styles (hence the name, Three Blind Mice) and I can certainly detect some of the qualities of each as I drink.  I’m not so sure I would refer to this beer as a German Alt, as many beer sites do. It is best described as an American brown ale, since the term is generic enough to fit.

Three Blind Mice is a little lighter bodied than other brown ales or German altbier, but it is still sufficient in body that most will not mind. It makes a good session brown ale for general consumption and it’s the type of brown ale that most will find to their liking. It’s a little more direct in taste than some of the great brown ales, but it still has enough good taste and character to recommend.

Rating: 7 cheers out of 10

Beer Bio:

Beer Style: American Blonde

Calories: 177 (est.) per 12 oz. serving

Carbs: Unknown

Alcohol Content: 5.9 percent by volume

Poured from the bottle, 16 Mile Blues Golden Ale is golden/straw in hue with a slight chill haze and a nose that is one of light spice, grassiness, honey, and biscuits. The white foam looks nice at first, but it does fall apart a little faster than the average beer of this style and it leaves no lacing.

16 Mile Blues Golden Ale offers a clean, crisp that that combines flavors of pale, toasted malt with some herbal character and a small amount of vegetable coming through, mainly corn. There is some biscuit like flavor as well and the beer finishes with a slightly bitter/herbal sensation that gives way to the sweet taste of pale malt and honey in the aftertaste.

16 Mile Blues Golden Ale was named for the Delaware Blues, a group who fought in most all of the battles of the American Revolution and, like other 16 Mile products, it seems a little on the mild side and a little tamer than the typical golden ale. For these reasons, it may not be appreciated as much by some craft beer extremists. But as I said in my opening paragraph, it does seem like a good introductory beer for those who are trying to break away from mass- produced American lagers but find the majority of craft beers a little too scary. There is just enough craft beer character with this product to let you know that a craft beer is washing over your taste buds, yet not so much flavor that the taste buds are shocked or over- stimulated.

Like with other 16 Mile products, 16 Mile Blues Golden Ale seems like a good session beer and one that would make a good choice for everyday consumption or for drinking with many common foods. It seems like a good beer to quaff down with a slice of pizza or to reach for when you want something of a craft nature without taking flavor and other factors too far. It’s not an amazing beer, but it has enough going for it to earn a small recommendation.

Rating: 6 cheers out of 10