Beer Haiku Friday and American Craft Brewers Ponder

The weather in Wellington and indeed most of New Zealand in the last week has been, to use a meteorological term, "utter pants." There was sunshine yesterday which I note began at almost exactly the same time Manchester United lost the big match. I'm just saying people. Anyway, the outlook for the weekend is the subject of this lovely poem "Rain":

Rain, rain, go away.
Come again some other day.
My beer is outside.

Glass Tip - Beer Haiku Daily

Daniel Bradford, publisher of All About Beer magazine, has a very interesting piece on the recent craft brewers conference in America. There are a lot of parallels to the New Zealand market and some hints about trends we might be seeing soon. It is called "America's craft brewers pondering the future":

A subtext that continued to ripple through the conference was the ubiquitous presence of the domestic specialty brands, derisively called faux craft by the more vituperative members of the audience. These are craft type beers originating from major breweries. Blue Moon comes to mind. These beers, some are quite good actually, beg the fundamental question of the world of craft brewers and craft beer. If it’s really all about what’s in the glass, what’s the problem here. However, if it’s all about the crushing logic of capitalism, a preemptive strike by filling wholesalers’ warehouse and vital shelf space with another brand from a major brewery instead of a local craft, well then that’s an ale of a different hop.

Finally for this week, one of New Zealand's most famous new brewing icons is getting his own webpage. Exclusive previews are available here and suggestions for future content are welcome.

Beerly Writing - Winter Warmers and Beer Talk

The May Cellar Vate beer tasting looked at "Winter Warmers" in appropiately wintery conditions:

The theme of this beer tasting – Winter Warmers – was selected as the last vestiges of autumn still lay snugly over the Capital. By the time the anointed time arrived, the weather had conveniently provided a week of cold, gales and rain to really set the scene for a selection of darker, stronger, warming beers. Forty people tried a range of dark lagers, porters, stouts and dubbels in the Cabinet Room at the Backbencher.

Over at the Malthouse blog, the latest post, "Lets talk about beer", looks at the subtle art of beer writing and Cooper's Stout:

Liquor aficionado Frank Kelly Rich once penned a thoughtful piece on why beer appreciation (or “beer snobbery” as he called it) was superior in virtually every way to wine snobbery. Of course, Mr Rich considers anyone who drinks out of a glass rather than a furtive paper bag to be a bit of snob really. Fundamentally, he argued that beer snobs had it better because the dress code was more casual, there was no need to learn French and you could basically make everything up because no-one really knows what they are talking about when it comes to beer.

Glass Tips - The Backbencher and The Malthouse

Alcopops maker looks at pulling production back to NZ

New Zealand's Independent Distillers Group says it is looking at moving its Australian manufacture of popular alcohol mixed drinks such as Vodka Cruiser and Woodstock Bourbon to this side of the Tasman.

Founded in Auckland in 1987 as Independent Liquor (NZ) Ltd, Independent Distillers Group is a privately owned manufacturer distributing alcoholic beverages worldwide.

It makes beer, wine and spirits but its core business is its own ready to drink (RTD) brands and warned today that a tax hike on such "alcopops" in Australia is risking job losses there.

The company has a factory in Laverton in Melbourne's west, but executive Peter Murphy today warned that Australia's 70 percent alcopops tax hike had sparked a sales downturn that has already cost 23 jobs.

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Unpasteurised cheeses a step closer in NZ

Former beer baron Douglas Myers - currently resident in England, where he can snack on all the unpasteurised cheeses his $705 million fortune can buy - may soon find home a more palatable country.

Before he quit New Zealand, the former Lion Nation boss unsuccessfully fought bureaucrats over requirements for cheeses to only be made from pasteurised milk, saying raw milk cheese tasted better.

Now, a decade or so later, the nation's food safety experts look like rolling over on the issue and allowing the sale of some locally-made unpasteurised milk cheeses.

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Beer Haiku Friday and Challenging American Pale Ales

Given it is freezing cold, blowing a gale and pouring with rain outside, I'm seriously contemplating firing up my beloved balcony barbeque for lunch. Today's beer haiku captures my cooking philosophy in a poem titled "Preparing for the Grill":

As the grill heats up
And the pork loin marinates
I marinate too

My latest post on the Malthouse blog has also just gone up. In "The Challenge of American Pale Ales" I impersonate a ring announcer, announce the return of a brewing contest, provide another link to that great imp picture and, eventually, talk about Little Creatures Pale Ale:

The world has always loved a great battle - David taking out Goliath, the armies of Rome battling the Vandals, the Royal Air Force defeating the Luftwaffe, Ali versus Frazier, George W Bush against the English language… In July 2009, one of New Zealand’s most heated brewing rivalries will be re-kindled.

Glass tips - The fine fellows at Beer Haiku Daily and Colin the Handsome Scotsman at the Malthouse

Lion boss may leave on takeover

Lion Nathan chief executive Rob Murray rekindled speculation that he might leave the brewer once Japanese beverage maker Kirin finalises its takeover of the company in October, after giving guarded answers to questions about his future tenure.

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Lion Nathan warns of beer price rises

Brewer Lion Nathan is warning further price rises are likely this year to recover significant historic cost increases.

Reporting its half-year results today, the Australian-based company said a price increase in this country in March would only alleviate some of the cost pressures and partially restore beer margins.

Beer raw material costs, particularly aluminium, sugar, barley, glass, and energy, had risen significantly in recent years and well ahead of the consumer price index, Lion Nathan said.

The reasons for further price rises included the impact of exchange rate movements on foreign-priced input costs.

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Bacon sandwich really does cure a hangover

Researchers claim food also speeds up the metabolism helping the body get rid of the booze more quickly.

Elin Roberts, of Newcastle University's Centre for Life said: "Food doesn't soak up the alcohol but it does increase your metabolism helping you deal with the after-effects of over indulgence. So food will often help you feel better.

"Bread is high in carbohydrates and bacon is full of protein, which breaks down into amino acids. Your body needs these amino acids, so eating them will make you feel good."

Ms Roberts told The Mirror: "Bingeing on alcohol depletes neurotransmitters too, but bacon contains a high level of aminos which tops these up, giving you a clearer head."

Researchers also found a complex chemical interaction in the cooking of bacon produces the winning combination of taste and smell which is almost irresistible.

The reaction between amino acids in the bacon and reducing sugars in the fat is what provides the sandwich with its appeal.

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Good Bastard has Swipe at Radler Debacle

“Who do this arrogant bastards think they are.” Is the comment from a bemused Paddy Sweeney at the Thirsty Bloke Bottle Shop in Victoria Street.

Often referred to as the original Good Bastard, Sweeney is referring to the German owned DB and their subsidiary Montieths and their registering the German beer style Radler and the subsequent fallout with the Green Man Brewery in Dunedin.

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Beerly Blogging - Waiter there's an oyster in my beer

The latest Malthouse blog has a look at unusual ingredients in beer and Three Boys Oyster Stout. It is called "Waiter there's an oyster in my beer":

You can, technically, put pretty much anything into beer if you really want to. Off the top of my head I’ve had beers made with cherries, raspberries, peaches, plums, lemon, lime, pineapple, pumpkin, heather, rimu, spruce, elderberries, bog myrtle, coriander, cumin, thyme, lemongrass, chilli, honey, cinnamon, kawakawa, candy sugar, wheat, oats, rice, rye, peat smoked malt, chocolate, liquorice, coffee, caffeine, caramel, bourbon, whisky, wild yeast, guarana and Food Acid 330.

Of course, just because you are able to put an ingredient into a beer doesn’t mean that it is a necessarily a good idea.

Glass Tip - The Malthouse

Beer Haiku Friday and More British Brewing Adventures

Beer Haiku Friday gets topical today with a short poem called "Recession Toast":

Here’s to still having
A job to complain about.
Here’s to those that don’t.

Keith Galbraith has also advised that Galbraith's Ale House has been invited to England to brew beer for Wetherspoons. He says "we will be brewing 3 x 15,000 litres of Mr. G’s Luncheon Ale (3.7%) at Everard's Brewery in September for Wetherspoons October beer festival. Mr. G’s will be available at their 723 pubs throughout England. Wetherspoons have particularly requested it."

Congratulations to Keith and his brew team.

Glass Tips: Beer Haiku Daily and Keith Galbraith

Brewers Guild to honour classic Kiwi beer styles

New Zealand’s indigenous beer styles will be honoured with two new trophies at this year’s BrewNZ Beer Awards to be held in Wellington in August. Best in class trophies will be awarded to the highest rated entries in both the classic New Zealand Draught and the Golden Lager style categories.

Brewed using a combination of ale and lager brewing techniques, New Zealand Draughts and Lagers are hybrid styles that are unique to this country.

In announcing the new awards, the Brewers Guild of New Zealand (BGNZ) has recognised the importance of this country’s classic beer styles. BGNZ Chairman David Cryer says, “These new awards emphasise the significance of this country’s classic beer styles on the world stage and highlight New Zealand’s status as a strong brewing nation.”

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Beer Haiku Friday and Galbraith's SPA

Today's beer haiku is simply titled "ahhh":

Anticipation.
The aroma of hops as
my beer fills my glass.

And now a beer review which Blogger, in its infinite wisdom, has failed to publish the last two times:

Keith Galbraith, owner and head brewer at the iconic Galbraith’s Ale House in Auckland, is not a man who is easily puzzled in life. However, during a recent trip to Britain he sampled a selection of beers from a range of micro-breweries which all seemed to have a particular quality he thoroughly enjoyed. At first glance, there did not seem to be any linkages between the breweries or the beer styles and this puzzled him. After some persistent research, Keith found the connection – all the beers used one particular malt. This high-quality malt grew on the chalky soil of the Salisbury Plains and was traditionally floor-malted nearby. Something about the soil seemed to make the resulting malt ideal for brewing.

Miraculously, Keith managed to obtain some of this malt and has used it o create his latest seasonal beer, Salisbury Plains Ale (5.5%). SPA is broadly in the old-school pale ale style and I had the chance to sample it at Galbraith’s last week. I don’t wax lyrical about a beer’s colour very often but the appearance of the SPA is exceptional. It is lustrous and seems to glow from within. There is a huge, luscious, deep, rounded malt sweetness in the glass. Just as you begin to worry it might be all mouth and no trousers your palate is suddenly aware of an exceptionally late real hop bitterness.

SPA was outstanding. I would recommend trying it with the new Scotch Quail Eggs which are probably my new favourite bar snack in the world. The introduction of the Scotch Eggs is timely as my usual snack, the Pork Pie, is sadly having to be removed from the menu. Good Bye Pork Pie.

Glass Tips - The great Beer Haiku Daily and the legendary Keith Galbraith

REVIEW: Hop harvest ale has legs

Beer reviewer Ric Oram samples Emerson's celebration of the annual hop harvest, the Harvest Fresh Hop Ale, and tests Green Man's improved Pils.

If you like the smell of buttered popcorn or butterscotch, you will be disappointed to know that Dunedin brewery Green Man's Pils (5.4%) now has a fresher aroma.

Previous batches smelled of diacetyl, which is naturally produced early in the fermentation but which usually disappears by the end of the process. The brew is now being allowed to rest before bottling, allowing the butter/butterscotch smell to dissipate.

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Lion stays mum on pub chain collapse

Lion Nathan is keeping quiet about its exposure to the collapse of New Zealand’s biggest pub chain.

A group of companies under the CEA banner went into receivership last week.

CEA owns 20 bars and clubs in Wellington and the South Island, including the Shooters’ bars in Christchurch, Nelson and Wellington and the Holy Grail Sports Bar in central Christchurch.

It is 50% owned by Australian resident Jugeshinder Singh; the other half is split into three tranches, all of which are owned by companies associated with Australian private equity firm Investec Wentworth.

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Big guns to fire for small NZ brewery

Beer boffins have enlisted some high-powered legal help to fight one of New Zealand's brewing giants over a trade mark.

The Society of Beer Advocates (Soba) has filed a legal application to invalidate DB Breweries' trade-marking of the beer term "radler".

The move comes after a leading firm of patent attorneys, James & Wells Intellectual Property, waded into the brewing industry stoush, originally reported in the Waikato Times on April 4, by offering the services of its specialist intellectual property litigation group on a pro-bono basis.

Earlier this year DB Breweries forced the small entrepreneurial Green Man Brewery to stop using the generic term radler and re-label its bottles, because it had trade-marked the name in New Zealand in 2003.

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Beer Network News - Galbraith's SPA

Keith Galbraith, owner and head brewer at the iconic Galbraith’s Ale House in Auckland, is not a man who is easily puzzled in life. However, during a recent trip to Britain he sampled a selection of beers from a range of micro-breweries which all seemed to have a particular quality he thoroughly enjoyed. At first glance, there did not seem to be any linkages between the breweries or the beer styles and this puzzled him. After some persistent research, Keith found the connection – all the beers used one particular malt. This high-quality malt grew on the chalky soil of the Salisbury Plains and was traditionally floor-malted nearby. Something about the soil seemed to make the resulting malt ideal for brewing.

Miraculously, Keith managed to obtain some of this malt and has used it o create his latest seasonal beer, Salisbury Plains Ale (5.5%). SPA is broadly in the old-school pale ale style and I had the chance to sample it at Galbraith’s last week. I don’t wax lyrical about a beer’s colour very often but the appearance of the SPA is exceptional. It is lustrous and seems to glow from within. There is a huge, luscious, deep, rounded malt sweetness in the glass. Just as you begin to worry it might be all mouth and no trousers your palate is suddenly aware of an exceptionally late real hop bitterness.

SPA was outstanding. I would recommend trying it with the new Scotch Quail Eggs which are probably my new favourite bar snack in the world. The introduction of the Scotch Eggs is timely as my usual snack, the Pork Pie, is sadly having to be removed from the menu. Good Bye Pork Pie.

Beer lovers to take on DB Breweries over trademark

In response to the frustrations expressed by the Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA) Inc about DB Breweries trade marking and preventing others from using the generic term “radler” in relation to their beer, James & Wells Intellectual Property has offered SOBA Inc the services of its specialist intellectual property litigation group on a pro-bono basis to invalidate DB Breweries' trade mark registration for RADLER.

SOBA campaigner Greig McGill says “We greatly appreciate James & Wells' involvement. As a young organisation, we couldn't have afforded to challenge this cynical misuse of trade mark law without their assistance. We look forward to justice and common sense prevailing, and the return of radler to a generic term defining a style of beer, as it should be.”

DB Breweries seems to have made a habit of trying to monopolise generic terms for beer styles and along with Radler, has also sought to register “Oud Bruin” and “Saison” with mixed success.

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