Tips for a fun Brewery Tour - (Industry Class)

      I love, love, love going on brewery tours. Why? I love it because it’s a behind the scenes look into the magic, art, and science of how a brewery makes their beer. You get to see equipment, look at the processes, and get a true scope of what goes into that glass that you pour their brew into.

      I’ve lost track as to how many brewery tours I’ve been on (Not many really, maybe 40 at best) but I always go in with a fresh perspective regardless of how much brewery knowledge I think I know. Why? Simple – having an open mind allows you to reinforce what you know and ask more insightful questions.

     Many people believe that working for a brewery is fun all the time but it’s actually a lot of hard work. Sure there are good times and laughs to be had but it balances out in the long run. Brewery Tours are a great opportunity for the brewery to show the public what really goes on…and perhaps brag a little.

     I've put together some simple insights from my meager experience to help make the most out of your brewery tour experience, many of these are based on simple courtesy.

1) Check the brewery website 1st, then phone 2nd - Regardless of what the website says, I ALWAYS phone first and talk to a live body (talking to dead bodies gets a bit one-sided). Websites can change or not be up to date with brewery tour times. Maybe the brewery is having a special event on the day you and your friends want to go and won’t have tours available. It never hurts to double check to avoid surprises.  Some breweries expect you to have a group of individuals before they consider conducting a tour. 

     If the brewery either doesn't have a website (yes, there are breweries out there that don’t have one) or they don’t post tour times or say if they conduct tours, it’s a good idea to phone. I know I always want to be mindful that I don’t expect a tour on a during a brew day or cleaning day because it can be a bit hectic in there and you don’t want to be in the way of people doing their job.

2) Prepare safe travel – Brewery Tours are MUCH more fun with a friend or 5. I know my friends tend to stand back, watch, and laugh as I nerd out over a German made 6-roller mill, or the fact that the brewery has Cascade hops. One part of the fun is if you have prepared for a designated driver. Depending on the brewery location, you could try and use transit but some breweries are tucked away in industrial sections of towns or cities. If you can take transit, do so. Otherwise, make you have a Designated Driver (DD) or plan to use transit or the like to get safe travel to and from the brewery. Or you could connect with a company like this so that you can enjoy some tasty libations and they’re drive you around.

3) Please prepare to be early – Don’t wait until you jump into your car, plug in your GPS, and find out there is construction that will prevent you from arriving on time. Give yourself at least 15 minutes of extra time to find the brewery so your DD to locate a good parking spot.

This person didn't give obviously give themselves enough time to find a good parking spot before their scheduled brewery tour. Tsk, tsk. 

       The brewery staff are taking time out of their day to show you around their place of work. I've lost track as to how many tours I've been on where I've had to wait for inconsiderate dolts that show up late like they own the joint…those people should just stay home.  Some tours are first come, first-serve so you don’t want to be late.

4) Dress Accordingly – The vast majority of breweries will show you around regardless of what you wear and people want to be comfortable in the summer. If you read Step #9 in this blog post of mine then you'll see some parallels.  Do keep in mind that you’re essentially visiting a food production facility. I remember one particular tour where one woman was wearing a flowy dress that was getting caught on every piece of equipment she walked by and almost slipped a few times in her high heels trying to walk through a small puddle. She complained and belly-ached the entire time and made it seem like it was the brewery’s fault for having valves and hoses in specific spots. It pretty much was an accident waiting to happen.

      I’m not saying you need to wear steel toed CSA approved work boots but I know one particular brewery in Vancouver states on their website for their tours:

“Please Note: For compliance with BC Health and safety standards, all participants must wear close-toed shoes and be at least 19 years of age.”

5) Don’t expect the tour to be conducted by the Head Brewer or Brewmaster – To get a tour by the Head Brewer or Brewmaster is a real treat (at least it is for me) because you can ask more technical questions (i.e. nerd out) and get some unique insight. If the brewery conducts paid tours then it is likely one of the retail or sales employees will be conducting the tour. This is NOT to say that your brewery tour guide wouldn’t be a knowledgeable individual (They know their stuff and some are downright hilarious!). Many people tend to assume that the Head Brewer can drop what they’re doing to conduct tours at a given moment. Keep in mind, that it is certainly not for the lack of want that a brewer would like to talk about their facility, brewing, and even share a sample with you but these guys and gals have lots of other tasks to complete when they’re not brewing (Trust me on that).

Brewing Director Brian Smith of Wild Rose Brewery in Calgary taking time out of his day to  host a tour.
A pleasant surprise and very informative.

6) Don’t expect tons of beer  – Some breweries will provide you a sample to tide you over before the tour starts (which is why you get there early!). Some may wait until after the tour to provide samples to avoid glass breaking mishaps within the brewery. I remember one tour where a couple louts came in before the tour and said “When do we start drinking?!” I shook my head because these guys were here for the wrong reason. And you’re there to sample not to get rip roarin’ hosed. Remember, having a beer sample is a privilege not a right. I say this because recently I went on a brewery tour where no samples were provided at the end of the tour (that's right, none, nil, zip, zilch, rien, zero, nada, the list goes on). Sure, it was disappointing but I guess I shouldn't have had my hopes up in the first place.

Ah, the beer sample flight - it's a "nice to have" after the brewery tour but don't expect it.

7) Don’t touch anything…unless told to. – I can’t stress this enough. Even if you think you know what you’re doing, these pieces of equipment are very expensive and chances are that if you touch anything you could adversely affect an entire batch of brew. 

     I've witnessed this on a tour where one guy was leaning on a fermenter and had his hand on a butterfly valve. The guy conducting the tour didn't see but a few of us were ready to pounce on “Mr. Lean” in order to prevent a possible beer disaster. (and Peter if you're reading this, this was not "Mr. Lean" as in LEAN procedures) If the tour guide wants you to touch and hold malt, hops, or anything else – let them lead you through the process for your own safety.

8) Do ask questions – How else are you going to learn if you don’t ask? Take advantage of this opportunity and don’t be shy (usually a beer sample helps with that). I remember being on one tour where the mill had “SLAYER” written in dust on the side with a funny story to partner with it. Every brewery has a unique story or funny tale behind it that lends to its unique personality alongside their beers.

9) Show appreciation – Don’t forget to say thank you to your tour guide. (No, that doesn't give you the right to hug them regardless of how attractive you think they are.) Support the brewery further by taking home some of your favorite beer or some swag or both! (For me, brewery t-shirts and glassware with the brewery’s logo are my bane.) Tell your friends using social media! Lately I’ve been trying to remember the name of the tour guide so I can send people to that person specifically. A little goes a long way here.

10) Have fun! -  'Cuz that's what it's about right?

Do any of you have a unique tip that makes for a fun brewery tour? If so, post it in the comments. What are some of the most memorable and enjoyable brewery tours that you’ve been on? What made that experience fun?

Now get out there and go check out some breweries this up and coming summer and see for yourself how they put together some of your favorite beers.

Thanks for reading,

BeerLearner

Gluten Free Beers - Part 1 - Thoughts (Industry Class)

Disclaimer: In this article you may bump into, be nudged by, and potentially trip over a substantial amount of sarcasm. It doesn't happen that often but do be mindful while reading. After all, I take health and safety VERY seriously. 

You've been warned. 

     I was traipsing (that's right, traipsing...it's kind of like surfing with intent) across the internet the other day found this article. It's titled "How we all went crazy for gluten-free beer."  

     After reading the title I thought, "People went crazy?" I can understand excited but apparently in the UK, Gluten-Free beers are all the rage. I did read some points in this article that really need to be addressed. 

"But with two of the main ingredients of beer - barley and hops - containing gluten, is there really any point in making gluten-free beer?"

"Great Horny Toads! Them thar hops have that pesky gluten. Get 'em!"

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down there. I get that barley has gluten and we use barley to make bread...but hops? Really? Obviously the author doesn't drink beer because even the average light lager drinker knows that hops doesn't have gluten. 

But wait, maybe I shouldn't be so closed minded. Maybe there is a special strain of hop that has gluten and it's been sneaking its way into every beer out there. It's those SNEAKY hops that are causing all the celiacs to have problems...not just the grains.

Ok, maybe I'm wrong though. Maybe there IS gluten in hops as part of some eerie "gluten-is-hidden-behind-the-lupulin-gland-of-the-hop" science-y thing that I'm missing. So being the curious guy I am, I looked it up. Last time I checked, hops are essentially a flower & flowers don't have gluten...or do they?  I decided to look it up further in The Oxford Companion of Beer (page 459 to 460 if you're really interested) and it mentions the following:

• hops are perennial herbaceous plants (psst, that means plants like trees, shrubs, and vines, oh my! Yeah, you're trying to tell me a freaking TREE has gluten? I knew those bark sandwiches were bad for me!)

• they are called the "little wolf PLANT", named for the plant's tactile qualities

• hops belong to the family of Cannabinaceae (yep that includes Cannabis) (So technically wouldn't that mean that celiacs shouldn't smoke "the marijuana" as well?) 

I get it now! The gluten sensitive Orcs of Eisengard were only protecting themselves by cutting down all the trees that were full of gluten. Why would the Ents be upset by that? Can't we all just get along?

But don't just take my word for it. Here are a couple links for you to check out:

Are hops Gluten Free?

New Planet Gluten Free Beer

"Forget Craft Beers: 2015 will be the year that gluten-free grog made the mainstream"

(shaking head). Forget Craft beers? Craft Beer is undergoing another wave (kind of like surfing...yes, surfing...not traipsing). How can 18.72% (from the earlier math remember?) be construed as mainstream? Wouldn't that have to be a majority? So is this person saying that craft beer is mainstream? So does that mean that gluten-free beer is NOT craft beer? I'm getting sort of lost here. 

     I decided to ask a source so I promptly called up one of my favorite boutique liquor stores, Firefly Fine Wines and Ales in Maple Ridge, and asked them how many different beers they had in stock. I was informed that the store around 1200. That's really impressive! How many gluten free beers do they have? Twenty. 

(Here we go with the math again) So that means that 1.67% of their total beer stock consists of gluten-free brews. Now 20 different gluten-free beers isn't anything to sneeze at. Firefly has experienced such solid growth in the past 2 years that they have had to change from a small single shelf to 2 larger shelves. I also hear that this particular liquor store currently has the best selection of Gluten-Free beer in their area. That's awesome and great news for celiacs.

"You can't argue with the stats and 12 million Britons are now choosing gluten-free products, whether they need to or not."

     Ok, but when you mean "Briton", I'm sure you mean the UK. So that means out of an entire population of 64.1 million people (as per 2013) that means that 12 million are choosing gluten-free products? Unless my math is wrong, (No, I'm not using new math) that means that such is 18.72% which is a fair amount of people. Just because they are choosing gluten-free products doesn't mean they're choosing gluten-free beer. 

No, I didn't use new math to come up with my percentages. 

These people could simply be becoming vegetarians, vegans, valedictorians, whatever. Again, that does not mean they are going to reach for a gluten-free beer because they could be reaching for wine and / or cider. I'd be interested to see how many people on gluten-free diets reach for gluten-free beer, that way this can better tell the story. 

"Gluten-free beers tend to use alternative grains and grasses such as millet, rice, corn, buckwheat or sorghum in place of these during the brewing process. This can give the drink a slightly different taste, as the dominant flavour of a traditional beer is the hops (CELIA is one gluten-free option that is made with hops that are de-glutenized)."

     Well, the "slightly different taste"  is very subjective. Since when do you have to de-glutenize hops? When I visited Hop Union in the Yakima Valley this past September, I don't recall seeing a "deglutinizer" when it comes to hop processing in their facility. 

Again I decided to contact a source so I called up a buddy of mine who works at a hop-farm in BC. I asked him if there was a way to de-glutenize hops and the first thing he said was
 "(Insert Long pause)...........what? De-who-what?" 

I think this drives my point home. 

"Traditional beer is made with hops, but gluten-free beers often use other grains."

Hops are a grain? Then how come I NEVER see hop bread, hop muffins, hop croissants, hop crackers, or hop croutons?  Am I not looking hard enough? 

Hops: Apparently they have gluten. Who new?

     My additional counter-point to this comes from a video I saw on the Spinnakers Facebook page that had a panel during Victoria Beer Week in 2014. If you check out the vid, zip ahead to 23:00 because that's when they talk about gluten free beers. Keep in mind the panel consists of successful BC brewers. According to host and writer Joe Weibe (aka the Thirsty Writer (Super-talented guy btw)), he says that "17% of British Columbians claim a gluten-free lifestyle".

Hmm, that lines up with what is happening in the UK. Maybe the numbers are true, but I stand behind my point that those people may not be reaching for gluten-free beer. 

Keep in mind, Matt Phillips (Owner and head brewer of Phillips Brewing in Victoria BC), states there are 2 ways to make gluten-free beer:

1. To use non-gluten type ingredients (i.e. sorghum, rice, I've seen chestnuts). 
2. To use an enzyme that clarifies and removes proteins (mainly gluten). 

"My water is contaminated...it has gluten in it."

Both of these are problematic. This gets into the area of materials handling and proper storage protocols but more importantly: cross-contamination

That means you pretty much need to have an entirely separate brewhouse in order to keep from having any residual gluten from floating around...or wouldn't you? 

It seems that the enzymatic removal would be the way to go. But this leads into another point:

Are we going for gluten-free or gluten-reduced?

When my Mom was alive, she was a diabetic. When we were out grocery shopping together one day I had picked up some sugar-free product for her and she told me to put it back. After some discussion from my natural confusion she said this brilliant epiphany to me. 

"Just because something says 'sugar free' doesn't mean it's diabetic friendly."

With that being said, I say this to all you celiacs out there:

"Just because something is gluten-free doesn't mean it's celiac friendly."

But wait, the large majority of celiacs monitor their diet really well so you celiacs already know that. (No seriously! I'm not being sarcastic here)

     Now I personally know 7 people who are celiac and have varying degrees of sensitivity from "gluten makes me uncomfortable" to "OMG, I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO DIE!" For something to be considered gluten free, that means it has to have less than 20 ppm of gluten in it. My friends that are celiac have a hard time with beers that use enzymes to try and remove gluten below 20 ppm.

In fact, over this past summer I hung out with my pal Lisa and brought a bunch of gluten-free beers for her to try (all from my favorite liquor store). She stated that she couldn't have gluten-free beers that used enzymatic removal. My heart sunk. I thought I had hit the jackpot with being able to hang out on her decorated deck of awesome in the summer sun, catch up, and crush a few cold ones. Nope. 

I think there needs to be more research in order to completely get a beer to be gluten-free AND to be enjoyable for the conventional palate. Now, I've tried my fair share of gluten-free beer (which I'll do a follow-up post on), mainly because I want to find beers that my celiac pals and I can enjoy. 

If people want to have a gluten-free lifestyle (meaning they are NOT celiac) then power to them because healthy is good. But didn't we see the same sort of thing years ago and what happened to that? (**cough** Atkins **cough, cough**) 

Now I'm going to have a gluten-free beer, oh wait, I don't have any. Hmmm, cider is looking pretty good about now.

See ya!

BL

PS: I'm thinking of doing a follow-up post to this with a list of Gluten Free Beers that I've tried and can suggest to those celiac individuals. If you think it's a good idea, then please say so in the comments. Thanks. 

Beer Education - There's always more to learn (Industry Post)

      We all know that craft beer is growing (if you didn't know, then just take my word for it) and the need for educated people is becoming more prevalent & even required in order to keep the consistency of craft beer to a high level. To fill the gap of needing well trained individuals, there are 4 post-secondary institutions in Canada (at least that I know of and at the time of this writing) that are offering brewing related programs as follows:

Niagara College - (in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario) started the proverbial ball rolling with their Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management Diploma program a few years ago. They have the luxury of a viticulture program (that’s wine-making there, folks) and a culinary program to boot to round things out.

Olds College – out in Olds, Alberta (Don’t know where that is? Think about 1 hour North of Calgary), they’re going to be graduating their first class of their Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management Diploma Program this April.  Located in the heart of barley country so they enjoy close proximity to high quality ingredients combined with a large impetus placed on hands-on learning. 

Kwantlen Polytechnic University – out in Langley, BC have started their Brewing & Brewery Operations Program in 2014 and the first program of their kind in British Columbia. With all the breweries that are opening in BC, this makes sense.

Simon Fraser University – this group in has 3 campuses in BC and are offering a Craft Beer & Brewing Essentials certificate that’s launching in October of this year.

     Now if you’re not quite ready to commit to a few years to expanding your technical brewing skills then look no further than Olds College because they are offering a 2-day Practical Microbiology for the Craft Brewer short course held at Olds College on May 2^nd & 3^rd (Sat-Sun).

Get in on this while you can, I hear that space is very limited. 

Who will be instructing this course?

It will be instructed by Dr. Jordan Ramey who is a microbiology guru, certified Beer Judge, professor for the Olds College Brewmaster & Brewery Operations Management program, brewing consultant, sensory scientist, and contributing member of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.

Why would you want to take this course?

This course would do well for people that may already be in the craft brewing industry (before all the brewery programs listed above came to be) and are looking to improve their lab skills.  Perhaps a craft brewery has brought onto their staff a talented home brewer and needs to introduce lab techniques to them? You could be part of a brewery and you’re building a lab and need to gain some skills.  

  

I have it on good authority that he will be assisted by Doug Cheknita who is part of the inaugural graduating class of the Olds College Brewing Program. A strong brewer specializing in Belgians, Sours, and wild fermentations, Doug has a special affinity for brewing microbiology and working with novel yeast and bacterial strains for creative flavor profile production. He has been working on a Special Project over the past year to isolate wild strains of yeast & brewing bacterias in Alberta. 

What should you expect?

Jordan & Doug are both patient, insightful, and bring a wealth of knowledge that will expand your scientific techniques with various microbiological assays that are commonly used in a craft brewery. Expect to learn about yeast counting & viability, Gram staining, media preparation, differential media use, micro QA/QC planning, and yeast library maintenance in a hands-on environment. Space is limited to only 9 participants so you’ll want to get in on this. Don’t expect to see scenes like the picture below, but that’s not to say that fun won’t be had. 

What do you think the caption for this should be? It's like a Meme waiting to happen. (and No, this isn't a picture of Jordan & Doug)

     As a brewing student that has taken Brewing Microbiology, learning about lab techniques that can be used in a craft brewery was a truly eye opening experience and truly rounded out my insight into the brewing world. 

     Now some of you may be thinking “Why the plug? What do you get out of it there, Beerlearner?” The funny thing is that I don’t get “anything out of it” short of satisfaction in helping get the word out to expand the knowledge of people in the craft brewing industry. Sometimes as a BeerLearner, it’s not just about my own knowledge gain but also spreading the learning to those motivated and interested people.

Enjoy!

BL

PS: In case you missed the link to check out this short-course, simply click here

The Bud Ad: Escalation or Damage Control? - (Industry Class)

Thanks for stopping by. Before you read this, grab a tasty beverage of your choice.

Now, I didn’t watch the Super Bowl (It’s because I tend to lose the bet on who wins and it late involves me wearing something embarrassing or no pants) so I didn't see the Budweiser ad that everyone has been talking about. I heard about it via social media. If you don’t know the ad I’m referencing, it’s in this article. 

     After I watched the ad, I confess my initials thoughts were of anger and irritation. I felt it was a blatant slam at the craft beer industry that I want to spend the rest of my life in. To sate my annoyance I wrote (actually typed) down some thoughts.

     After a craft beer and a good night’s sleep my mind was in a more rational place the next day.  I realized that the ad was meant to get a reaction out of craft beer enthusiasts across North America and I think it worked. Now that I've thought about it, I’m sort of “Meh” about the situation.  

There has been some retaliation of course in the form of counter-ads from the craft beer community such as this one. 

And this article really put together a lot of thoughts that I almost completely agree with. Paste magazine

Now I realize that’s a LOT of reading so I don’t blame ya if you skimmed a bunch of that stuff.

      My thoughts? Well a lot of those other blogs covered what I felt. I honestly feel that Bud is up against the ropes. Don’t believe me, read this – not right now, just later if you need to

Now the following was my initial & irritated reaction when I started writing and the other is my relaxed sort of chill reaction (well as “chill” as I get for those that know me). I thought it was worth posting as, not necessarily 2 polarized sides of my view, just two different ones. Why do such this way? After all, I'm only human...a passionate one at that.

The “Elysian Effect”

Irritated reaction: If I was an Elysian employee and I was nursing my wounds because the craft brewery I worked got bought out by Bud (and many of them didn’t know about it), I’d be pretty choked with the ad. Not so much with the whole depiction of the hipster-like guys in the ad but moreso that they said “Let them sip their Pumpkin Peach ale”. Bud obviously paid a TON of money for that ad and they knew exactly what they were doing. Not only did they kick the people that they financially took over down but they also hit below the belt at the fact that Elysian makes a Pumpkin Peach beer. That’s just too much insult to injury to me that it appears that Bud has little to no respect for their latest financial acquisition. The tragic thing is that most people don’t know about this somewhat recent news.

       So Bud, you may be the "King of Beers" doesn't mean you have to act like a tyrant. 

My ambivalent reaction:  I do know of one Canadian Northwest craft brewery that got bought out by a big macro-brewery some years ago. All in all, their product quality hasn’t dropped that much (just my opinion) but I will always try their seasonals…and a fair share of those seasonals more than once. Maybe this latest example will go the same way. Mind you, the Canadian macro brewery that bought the craft brewery didn't make fun of them for putting raspberries in their beer. So what does that tell you? Maybe it's 'cuz us Canadians like to play a bit nicer than our neighbors to the south.

“We’ll be brewing us some golden suds”

Irritated reaction:  Bud isn’t the only company that brews “golden suds” there ABI.  This just makes it sound like only you do and anything that is ‘dark’ is pretentious and prissy. Let’s count the number of styles that are not just adjunct lagers (like you are) out there that could be considered “golden”:

Blonde Ale, Hefeweizen, Belgian Tripel, Munich Helles, Dortumunder Export, German Pilsner, Bohemian Pilsner, Kölsch, Weissbier, Saison, Berliner Weisse, Belgian Blond Ale, Belgian Golden Strong Ale...I can keep going, but I think I lost you at "Belgian"  Wait, no I didn't, look who owns you. 

Ambivalent reaction:  When I think “suds”, I think soap. Bud & suds? Is that what is meant by ‘clean’ taste? I guess if you want to keep to one brand and not diversify then that’s your choice. I know my Brewing Industry Prof would not be keen on a brewery only having one brand. But then again, it seems to work for Steam Whistle. So power to ya. 

The Use of Beechwood Aged

Irritated reaction: Here you're making it sound like you're making whiskey or a high end spirit and playing on the lack of knowledge by the average consumer. I can’t deny that. But if aging with beechwood was full on used today wouldn’t it add an abundance of wooden tones to the beer that would be off putting to the normal consumer due to the lighter body of the lager? Some vital info is being left out here.

This is Randy Mosher and the book I'm referencing.
Well, my copy is a lot more worn out 

Ambivalent reaction: Why both adding anything here which hasn't already been said by Randy Mosher in his book Tasting Beer (which is an awesome book by the way) about Beechwood Ageing as follows:

“At one time, most American breweries aged their lagers in “chip tanks” with a pile of wooden slats in the bottom. These are stripped of any wood character before going into the tanks and do not impart any wood flavor to the beer. 

Their real purpose is to provide the additional surface area for the yeast to settle on and this may have benefits for the conditioning of the Beer. Anheuser-Busch has found it is worth the considerable trouble for their yeast and their beers, but few breweries feel the same these days.
Verdict: Nice nod to tradition, but not what it sounds like.”

The “Enemy of my Enemy” - My reaction to MillerCoors getting out of the line of fire. 

You may need to enlarge this a bit but it's worth reading. 

Irritated Reaction: I saw this poster from MillerCoors and it appears  MillerCoors is just now sitting there with their palms facing up looking at the craft beer community going “Don’t look at us guys & gals, we didn’t say it! (We may have been thinking it) We’re cool though right?” [Holds out hand expecting a fist-pound.] Hey MillerCoors, I think it’s only time before you buy yourselves another craft brewery yourselves.

Ambivalent Reaction: Nicely said MillerCoors, (No, seriously) even coming out with some transparency about the Blue Moon brand. But part of me wonders if MillerCoors is not secretly kicking themselves for not doing that commercial first.

”After years of trashing macros, why would any of us be surprised that they bite too!?”

Irritated Reaction: Because if you're going to go big, then you better be prepared for the naysayers and the haters. I remember hearing that in my Brewing Management class and being told "That's part of doing big business".  When the Golden Arches got nudged, poked, & prodded, about the quality of their burgers, you didn't see them attacking the small burger joints. No, they took the higher ground and adjusted their menu accordingly…not that I eat there. Nor do you see Kraft or Maple Leaf taking shots at artisanal cheeseries or the small town butcher.

          Besides, if Bud's beer is SO good, then why should they care about what the “little” guys & gals are doing? Oh yeah, I forgot – maybe it’s ‘cuz they’re starting to feel the pinch in the market? Furthermore, not every craft brewery trashes macro beer but of course, they get lumped into the lot.

Ambivalent Reaction: (Shrug) Yeah I guess if you poke a dog the size of house often enough with a limp noodle it will get sorta choked…and then attack you and eat your face. I guess having at least losing 1.1% market share from 2012 to 2013 (I got those figures here) but still being a dominant majority, is enough to drop the hammer. (Sorry, don’t step in the pile of sarcasm). I mean sure, that's a big chunk of change to lose over time. Looking back, I can see why Bud took this road.

  

On another note, I know there is a letter that a brewery in Europe send to Bud inviting them over for a beerfest. I couldn’t find the it for the life of me using various Boolean operators and search criteria. If someone finds the link, please post it in the comments. Thanks.

I guess for me what this really boils down to is transparency. Transparency of ingredients (e.g. corn & rice use vs. Belgian candi sugar), people (e.g. letting people know what's going on), the brewing process (e.g. using machines to dose pellet hops vs. using whole hop cones), and ownership (e.g. overseas companies vs. employee profit sharing). 

My pipe dream is for all the breweries to just flat out tell their customers all the stuff that goes in their products like laying out a poker hand when someone says “Call”.  If the customers out there get all the info laid out to them and still make their choices for their brands knowing the whole picture then I will wholeheartedly respect that. I will even say "Cheers" as we 'clink' glasses in a pub as fellow beer lovers. Then we can get down to some fun story telling. 

Yeah, yeah, - I know that’s too hard to ask and that's NEVER going to happen, but a guy can dream right?

After all this I leave you with a quote from the book Beer & Philosophy that I challenge you, the reader, to disagree with.

"As craft brewers, we are not in the business of growth - we are in the business of making world-class beer. Growth is just a by-product of our business. Money is a means to our end and not an end in itself." - Sam Calagione of Dogfishhead Brewery

Thanks Sam. 

BL

Sell-out or “Crafty” Business Deal? - Industry Class

This past Friday, I saw on Facebook (Thanks BeerWrangler) and heard from a respected member of the Alberta craft beer scene (Thanks Hoperella) that Elysian was bought out by Anheuser-Busch. Check it out here.

There is a fair amount of hubbub about this but this isn't the first time a larger brewing conglomerate has purchased/indoctrinated/financially acquired a craft brewery. Here's an example. 

And just in case you need one more example. This one has some interesting twists. Ok, now I'm sure you're done with all that reading but bear with...hell, grab a beer if you want but come back. I'll just play this music while I'm waiting for you to get your tasty beverage. 

Hey! Welcome back! I know some beer enthusiasts out that are seriously cheesed off and are boycotting Elysian and getting the word out with social media. I've already been asked a few times: What’s my take on this whole situation? 

Well here we go with my ever favorite and convenient list o' reasons:

Consider the source – Elysian now joins the morass of other breweries out there that the average beer consumer has no idea that they have “big brother” owners. I still get a kick out of telling people, particularly my relatives back east, that their favorite domestic brand may not brewed in the country or the region that they think it is. This list of breweries is extensive (future blog post perhaps?) I confess that I get a perverse pleasure telling people that a certain Winter Ale named after a jungle cat isn't made in that small brewery anymore and is owned by a bigger company. After I inform them of such, does that deter them from drinking that beer? Nope. And that’s fine, if they like it, then who am I to judge? I just can’t handle the amount of vanilla that is in that Winter Ale nowadays – it’s just too much. (On a different note, that brewery does make some seasonal brews that I certainly respect, admire, and enjoy!)

I’ll probably still drink their new releases –  Speaking of seasonals and new releases, I have the same attitude about Goose Island Beer Company. I haven’t tried many of that brewery's beers but I’d like to. Will I go seek them out? Not likely, considering all the choice out there. Will I turn down the chance to try a sampler or split a bomber of Goose Island or Elysian that I haven’t had yet? Not likely. Does that make me a hypocrite? I don’t know…maybe? (cringe) Can’t a guy just try new beers without judgment? I know I’m going to try.

Speaking of hypocrites – Here is a jaded press release about Elysian Brewing's Loser Pale Ale.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/washingtonbeerblog/2011/02/22/elysian-announces-the-pending-release-of-loser-pale-ale/

If you look closely it says "Corporate Beer Still Sucks" and not even in psychedelic distracting colors.

As you can see in the picture above, it’s hard to miss the motto “Corporate Beer Still Sucks”. To me, that’s a sizable "#$%& you!" to the “Big 3” if I ever saw one. I didn't know that the label was in honor of an independent record label in Seattle until recently. I wouldn't be surprised if the average beer consuming customer (craft beer or otherwise) doesn't know that either. So what is the message being sent by a craft brewery that flips the bird with one hand to “Corporate Beer” then shakes hands with them with the other?

The one article above states by Dick Cantwell, Elysian co-founder and head brewer:

 "Cantwell acknowledges that now the joke has another layer, but says the Elysian will keep brewing Loser Pale Ale after the acquisition is complete"

I feel like I'm missing the joke here because I’m not getting the punchline. Is this American capitalist humour that this Canadian may never get?  If Elysian didn't have this product, then I highly doubt I'd be this uncomfortable about the whole situation. All I know is that it leaves a bad taste in my mouth much like the domestic light lagers out there that tout the use of colder temperatures to move their product. 

It was bound to happen – I’m pretty sure there are a ton of successful craft breweries that are in the sniper sights of the “Big 3” to financially acquire. Everyone has their price. (Yes, even me but good luck being able to pay up.) 

Don't let that adorable face fool you - your favorite craft brewery might be next. 

Would I look down upon one of my favorite craft breweries if they were bought up by one of the massive Brew-glomerates? I could go either way but it really depends on the situation which leads to my next point.

What are the real reasons? – Do you honestly think the owners and brewmasters of any financially acquisitioned craft brewery are going to tell the general public the true reasons what went on? If you think such then I have a bridge to sell you. Money talks, we all know that. But maybe, just maybe, that money from the acquisition will somehow help with charity? Better environmental initiatives and research? (One of my profs would go crazy over that!) One can hope right?

Cantwell also says "We have some loyal fans that are questioning it, but we are hoping they will take a breath ... and see that what is still in the glass is amazing,"  That’s fair, as long as they don’t start making their beer with extra vanilla to appeal to the already rotten North American sweet tooth, then I’ll reserve any further judgment as best I can.

Obviously brewmasters are going to join up with larger companies if it means better distribution, stronger market reach, access to greater advertising budgets and a myriad of other financial advantages that their brewery may not reach. 

So what does this bode for the rest of the craft beer industry? Will craft breweries be eventually swallowed up by large brewing conglomerates? Or will craft breweries unite and form their own alliances and confederates in order to somewhat protect themselves? 

I do know that even non-brewing conglomerates buy into other industries. A certain big company comes to mind, with a certain mouse as its mascot, that made a hockey team a few years back (a favorite of one my fellow brew colleagues actually). Since this mouse obviously likes beer (as you can see in this photo) don’t be surprised if you start seeing his face in the brewing industry. I wonder what kind of operation he'd run? :P

As always, thanks for reading.

BL

PS: How was that beer you were having? If you like, please tell me about it in the comments below. 

Disclaimer: As always, these latest blog posts are merely my thoughts, musings, and viewpoints. These posts are from me alone and don’t represent anyone, any business, company, institution, or alien star system. Unfortunately, I have limited time to conduct extensive research on all the topics due to my course load and would enjoy to hear from you, the reader, as to what you've found regarding any of the topics I touch on. It’s about learning right?  

More Canadian BrewSchools Opening - Part 1: A brewstudent perspective (Industry Class)

Disclaimer: The following is my own musings, ponderings, and thoughts with a twist of viewpoint plus a dash of genuine concern. That’s it. That’s all. No put-downs. Just me thinking...and keeping the voices at bay. :)

     A few years ago when I was looking to go to a post-secondary institution to learn brewing. I reviewed the program at Niagara College but because I was living in BC at the the time, the prospect of traveling all that way seemed a touch daunting. To make a long story short, I applied and got accepted into the Brewmaster & Brewery Operations Course at Olds College, in Olds Alberta. 

     After my 1^st year in the program, I received news from my friends back in BC that Kwantlen University was opening up their own program in BC (see article here). I lost track as to how many of those friends asked me “What do you think?”, “Are you going to transfer there?”, “Is it the same program? It looks the same.", "Should you have waited a year before going to beer school?". I gave those questions some solid thought and here are the reasons why it's good for me (and I suppose I should toss 'myself', and 'I' in there for good measure) that I'm at Olds. 

Money - This question got tossed to me a few times, “Would I save money if I stayed in BC?”  I don’t think so. I’d likely be spending the same amount if not more. The cost of living appears to be cheaper in Alberta than BC (no GST will do that!). Fuel is much cheaper out here, not that I commute much (It’s nice to have a 3 min drive to the college or a 20 minute walk if the weather co-operates).  With all the breweries opening up in BC, I’d likely spend more money on all the new beers that are popping up from all the new breweries. I know from experience that such can kick around one’s wallet pretty harshly. 

                I’m also hearing from specific people (some homebrewers) who have signed up for the new SFU Craft Beer Certificate Program that the tuition fees vary in price between the institutions.  I won’t quote numbers here (maybe in a later blog post when I compare the programs) but even from what they are saying, I know I’m paying a lot less out here in Olds. Sure there is value attributed to high price and quality combined with the “you get what you pay for” analogy, but at the end of the day, who doesn’t like to save a bit of money? 

               The money I think I saved allowed to go to Ontario and visit my family (& meet my new nephew Jake!) over the Christmas Holidays. 

Distractions & Focus – Even when I lived in the Fraser Valley in BC, I found it very difficult to go to all the craft beer related events that I wanted to attend; namely because the majority of them are in Vancouver. Although I lived a mere hour or so East of Vancouver, those that live in the Fraser Valley know it’s not that easy to attend a beer-related event with the current state of available transit to and from Vancouver.  

                I would also want to be homebrewing with my friends in the area or conduct beer tastings etc. which would also bite into my time.  Out here in Olds, there is very little to distract me…and I need that. Sure I could dash into Calgary (a mere hour south of Olds) but I find that the adage “Out of sight – out of mind” has been helping me focus on my studies. 

                Now don’t get me wrong, Calgary has been putting on some fun beer-related events and I go when I can…but I’m shelling out the coin for my education. Beer events come and go and tend to be annual.  I can always hit them up again the following year...regardless of how others brag about such on their Twitter feeds. 

My fellow Brew Students – I’ve mentioned the blog post here, that the individuals in my class I call the “Brew Brothers” (Yes, even Lisa!) are some of the most talented individuals I have met. Imagine hanging out with beer aficionados every day! I learn TONS from these people who come from various provinces across this country. If I attended a brew program in BC,  I feel that the majority of the people attending that program would be primarily from BC. That’s not a bad thing but I’m learning a LOT about how the industry varies in different provinces and it truly provides a unique perspective. 

Olds College itself – Now this is going to sound like a testimonial, and maybe it is, but the faculty at Olds College are completely dedicated to the well-being of the students. I’ve witnessed such across various departments within Olds College itself. From talking with my friends back in BC about their post-secondary experiences, I’ve been told that such commitment to students isn’t always the case.   

      Sure, there are the situations of ‘red tape’ (which organization doesn’t have its fair share of that good ol’ fun-lovin’ bureaucracy? – Psst, that was sarcasm in case you missed it) but all in all, us inaugural OC brew students (aka The OC BrewCrew) have had the opportunity to minimize challenges with constructive feedback. I hear from my friends who have attended post-secondary institutions that not many colleges or universities are that open-minded to such forward thinking and change. 

Opportunities – Our profs have worked very hard to provide us with a myriad of guest speakers from various businesses and breweries in order to shed different perspectives upon the beer industry. We have been able to tour Canada Malting in Calgary, Rahr Malting in Alix, and I got to go down to Yakima, Washington TWICE for hop harvest in September. These and other opportunities would not have been available to me if I didn’t go to ‘brewschool’. Do other brew schools offer these trips? I’m not throwing a gauntlet down – it’s merely a question.  If they do, then awesome...I'm glad to see a bar has been set. 

Giving Back (even a little bit) – I really enjoy giving back to community whenever I can. Call it what you will (One of my profs calls it "do-gooderism") but it makes me feel better.  Here in Olds, I’ve had the chance (when my course load gives me a touch of breathing room) to give some time back to Olds College and the area. I volunteered my time in the following areas (and this doesn't cover all of the stuff I've managed to help with):

• 3 fellow OC Brew students & I sold raffle tickets last year at the Banff Mountain Film Festival which raised $800 for the Olds Hopsice Society (hopefully I’ll be able to fit that in again this year)

• Participating on a Student Panel to answer questions to prospective interested students in the program

• Volunteered at the first Oldstoberfest. The bunch of us wore lederhosen and really pumped up the event. 

Members of the OC BrewCrew (mix of 1st & 2nd yrs) getting ready to entertain attendees at Oldstoberfest 2014

• Served Olds College beer in the Beer Garden with fellow first year students Ainsley & Jake (You guys rock!) at the Olds Mud Run to participants

• Helping with the Open House where I assisted with brewery tours and answered questions about the program to prospective students.

OC BrewCrew volunteers with our Brewmaster Dave Mozel and Cicerone Host Kirk Bodnar at the Olds College Brewmaster Dinner. Dave made a special cask for the event. Yeah, good times.

• Another brew colleague John & I organized, hosted, and ran the Brewmaster’s Dinner focusing specifically on Olds College Beer. Where else could I get such an opportunity on that scale? (Thanks again John!) Brewstudents volunteered, people attended, food was eaten, smiles were had, beer was tasted...all was good. 

• I write an article called “OC Brew News” for the Olds College Student Association monthly publication, the “Grass Roots”. It’s a lot of fun as I get to inform the campus about what we do in our program.

     Would I receive these opportunities at another school? Or would I get lost in the crowd?

So with that being said, I’m glad I made this decision to come to Olds. I’m not that far from BC but I get to witness firsthand how the craft brewing industry is growing in Alberta. It’s exciting to watch. 

          To me, more schools will raise the bar of education and training that goes into the beer industry. That's why for me, I'm always going to strive to learn more. My learning is like a slow but steady investment. It takes me a few passes to get a concept or technique but once I do, I have it locked and loaded with consistency. What I mean is: If a company (Psst....or brewery) wants to bring me on board and takes the time to properly train me (that means NOT "throwing me in the deep end") with a bit of patience, they WILL see a return on their investment. 

     Yet, there is a thought that orbits my brain like a gray cloud making that really annoying buzzing noise that only mosquitoes make (Grrr, I HATE mosquitoes!)  At the rate of schools offering brewing related programs in Canada, when will the market saturate with too many brewers? Will it saturate? In order to stem the buzzing in head, this is something I’m going to have to research. All I know, is with Niagara College putting out 3 intakes of students for their brewing program, Olds College looking to put out a class every year, Kwantlen with their program and strong technical back ground putting out a group, and now Simon Fraser University getting on board (with an very interesting program I might add) and so on...I may have some stiff competition ahead of me. 

      Another thought, will my fellow brew students and I stay decent friends? Or do the gloves come off when we graduate this April? I see brewers in the industry being very collegial to each other but will that change if the competition gets stiffer? 

If I had it my way, I'd make the brewing industry a "No Gauntlet Thrown Zone"...unless it's a brew-off! (That's different)

       All I know is that I have a touch more than a year to get established in the industry before approximately 40-50 or so more people hit the ground running from various brewing programs. On that note, this brew student better get back to hitting the books.

Thanks for reading,

BL