Click here to listen to episodes from Beer Notes’ 2018 season.

Black is Beautiful, an Imperial stout with 10% ABV and flavors of dark chocolate and fudge.  This week on Beer Notes, we are discussing this collaborative brewing effort to draw attention to social justice by breweries across the country.

Previously on Beer Notes, we discussed the All Together IPA, the first collaboration to raise money for those in the tourism industry hurt by the COVID closures.  All Together was the brainchild of Other Half Brewing in New York. 

Now, the originator of the Black is Beautiful Stout collaboration is the Weathered Souls Brewing Company in San Antonio, Texas. This is an African American owned brewery and co-founder Marcus Baskerville wants a portion of the proceeds from every brewery’s production of Black is Beautiful to go to social justice organizations. 

According to the BlackisBeautiful.beer website, *“The Black is Beautiful Initiative is to bring a collaborative effort amongst the brewing community and its customers, in an attempt to bring awareness to the injustices that many people of color face daily. Our mission is to bridge the gap around for ages and provide a platform to show that the brewing community is an inclusive place for everyone of any color. We are asking for all breweries and brewers far and wide to raise a glass with us in unison and participate in this collaboration.”

The recipe is online.  The labels are online to download.  The roadmap for breweries is clear:  brew this stout, show the world that you care, and make some great beer for your friends and your region that can make a difference.

The Other Half Brewing Company is one of the breweries already signed on.

Look for Black is Beautiful near you starting in July.

Re-opening across the country is a reported cause for an increase in optimism.  PPP loans helped stave off brewery closures so far.  85% of breweries surveyed applied for PPP loans and 96% of those that applied received this aid. 

Breweries report better sales, new sales channels, and the ability to decrease costs as also contributing to their increased optimism.

We aren’t out of the woods yet, but with our continued support of our local craft breweries, we are making a difference to an industry that is now vital to many of our ways of life.**

*https://blackisbeautiful.beer/

**https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/04/business/breweries-stout-racial-equality/index.html

The days are longer, the beaches are open again, and summer approaches.  This week on Beer Notes, we are highlighting the summer beers produced here on the Shore.

Craft beers full of flavor and lighter in color are popular as warm weather approaches.  Sours and fruited beers including the milkshake IPAs come into their own.  Porters and stouts are taking a back seat to pilsners, wit biers, and IPAs of all varieties.

Here on the Shore where local politicians say the sun kisses Ocean City first each morning, the ocean dominates our environment and our psyche, and so does summer.  

EVO craft brewing in Salisbury Maryland has the Delmarva Pure Pils, A supremely sessionable Eastern Shore take on a Czech-style pilsner.

Fin City, started in a crab house in West Ocean City, still serves crabs in working boats permanently docked at their pier all summer.  They take their location and fishing seriously.  With names like Angler Ale, White Marlin Pale Ale, Blackfin Black IPA, Catch of the Day IPA, and Backfin Blue Crab Stout to Marga Wheat A and  Marina Colada.  They even made a beer to support the creation and maintenance of artificial reefs off the coast of Ocean City for fishing habitat, OC Reef Red.  

3rd Wave-, a woman owned brewery in Delmar, a small village that sits astride the state border between Delaware and Maryland produces the SandStorm Belgian Tripel, BeachBreak Apricot Wheat, and ShoreBreak Pale Ale.

Crooked Hammock, nestled in among the beach resort towns of Coastal Delaware- produces BEACH ESCAPE and Hammock Easy.  Their neighbor in Lewes, Big Oyster Brewing has the Hammerhead IPA, a traditional west coast style that competes with the best  IPAs on the market.

As summer crests the horizon, make sure that your vision includes locally made craft beer with names and flavors that bring to mind all the places and activities you love about the season. 

“Breweries Slightly More Optimistic, But Challenges Remain” So begins Bart Watson’s new survey summary on the Brewers Association website.  This week on Beer Notes, we are reporting on more positive business projections from breweries as states start to reopen.

The Brewers Association reported that 53% of breweries believed they would be out of business at the end of three months if business conditions continued as they were at the beginning of the Stay at Home orders and business shut-downs.   

That was before the US Government stepped in with aid packages and PPP loans.  It was also before many of the breweries knew what they could do to increase sales in a world shut down by a deadly disease.  Innovation and aid, creativity and perseverance have changed this pessimistic outlook and we have NOT seen a massive surge in brewery closures.

On May 29, the Brewers Association re-surveyed over 850 breweries to take the business temperature of the industry.  Now, only 15 – 20% of breweries are unsure or actively pessimistic about their prospects.  Bart Watson, the Brewer’s Association economist, estimates that craft beer is down 20-25%, adjusting for likely survey biases.

Re-opening across the country is a reported cause for an increase in optimism.  PPP loans helped stave off brewery closures so far.  85% of breweries surveyed applied for PPP loans and 96% of those that applied received this aid. 

Breweries report better sales, new sales channels, and the ability to decrease costs as also contributing to their increased optimism.

We aren’t out of the woods yet, but with our continued support of our local craft breweries, we are making a difference to an industry that is now vital to many of our ways of life.

Pretzels and a good craft beer. What an image this statement invokes.   This week on Beer Notes, we are exploring the origin of pretzels and why they go so well with our favorite local brews.

The origin of pretzels are steeped in fable.*  Some attribute** the invention of the pretzel to the Catholics who had much stricter fasting rules for Lent.  Pretzel dough is a simple combination of flour, water and salt and could be consumed when meat, dairy, and eggs were forbidden.  Pretzels may have originally been called  bracellae or “little arms” in Latin, from which the Germans derived the word bretzel.  Alternatively, the name for pretzels may have come from pretiolas, meaning “little treat,” an incentive monks used to reward young children who remembered their prayers.  The Swiss used pretzels in their wedding ceremonies for good luck which may have been the origin of the phrase, “tying the knot.”  In Germany on New Year’s Day in the 17th Century, children wore pretzel necklaces for good luck and prosperity. Adults wearing these necklaces at beer festivals is a relatively new twist. 

Regardless of the derivation of the word, pretzels have been popular for centuries and nowhere more so than in beer houses. 

The reasons are probably multi-fold.***  Salt makes you thirstier and patrons drink more beer if they eat salty pretzels.  Salt enhances flavors, an obvious advantage to the craft beer connoisseur.  For those interested in trying many beers, pretzels can serve as a palate cleanser between samples.  Cleansing your palate between beers allows you to taste many different styles without having the flavors combine unpleasantly. Finally, a great Bavarian Style pretzel is as enjoyable as the beer, fills the stomach and allows you to carry on that conversation you are having.

I think it’s a perfect night for a local craft beer, a warm Bavarian pretzel, and a good conversation.

*https://www.history.com/news/the-pretzel-a-twisted-history

**https://www.newsweek.com/origins-pretzel-national-pretzel-day-1500126

***https://www.bottlemakesthree.com/2017/04/beer-and-pretzels-celebrating-national-pretzel-day/

For all craft beer lovers out there, there is good news and bad news.  First the bad news:  The Great American Beer Festival will not take place this year “in the form that beer fans know and love.” * This week on Beer Notes, we will be discussing the good news.

Innovation has been the hallmark of survival for many craft breweries through this COVID crisis.  Take out and delivery is balancing, at least to some degree, the loss of distribution to bars and restaurants for many breweries. Gatherings of craft beer lovers have moved online, like the new “Think the Shore, Drink the Shore” happy hours every Tuesday at 7 pm on Shore Craft Beer’s social media pages, and everybody is well-versed in improving their appearance for Zoom events.

The Brewers Association just announced that the Great American Beer Festival will now be held online on October 16 and 17, a month after their usual gathering in Denver.

The event has elevated craft breweries since its inception in 1982.  It started** as just part of the Homebrewers Association’s Annual Conference.  It attracted 800 people and 24 breweries.  In 2016, there were over 60,000 attendees and 780 breweries including many here on the Eastern Shore.  Sam Adams Boston Lager*** made their ascension in the craft beer world with “Best Beer in America” wins  in 1985 thru 1987 it  launched their successful grassroots marketing strategy according to Jim McGinnis, a previous Sam Adams employee.

We don’t know what the festival will look like online yet, but we have heard it will be “an immersive online experience”.****  We are confident that the hallmark of the event, the brewery competition, will be just as vibrant and exciting as it has been historically.  The Brewers Association announced that this year’s competition will include over 100 professional judges who will assess over 7,000 beer entries.  Stay tuned to the GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com website for more details.

*https://www.porchdrinking.com/articles/2020/05/21/great-american-beer-festival-pivoting-to-virtual-event-in-2020/

**https://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/news/then-and-now/

***https://www.samueladams.com/30-years/

****https://www.brewersassociation.org/press-releases/great-american-beer-festival-pivots-for-2020/

Small and independent American craft brewers are recognized as leaders in innovation and quality in what has become a global craft beer revolution.  So begins an article on the Brewers Association website.*  This week on Beer Notes, we will discuss the US exportation of craft beer.

The Brewers Association has an Export Development Program funded by the US Department of Agriculture.  The program helps quality production breweries identify opportunities for media promotion and expansion into international markets.  The program has increased 1400% since then., the total value of American craft beer exports  is well over 100 million dollars.**

Canada is the #1 importer of American craft beer, accounting for 51.3% of America’s total exports.  The United Kingdom imports 10.5% of the US exports and China imports 2.5%.  China, however, is the next frontier for craft beer.  Beer dominates the alcohol industry in China with a total value of over 108 billion in 2019, yet craft beer only represents 1% of the sales.***  In the US, craft sales account for approximately 20% of overall beer sales. 

Many businesses are working to help American craft breweries export their beer into China because High quality craft beers are a symbol of prestige and sophisticated taste to the middle class in this country.  And demand for American craft beer is growing. 

For American craft brewers, exports can be an economic bright spot in today’s beer world.

Sources

*https://www.brewersassociation.org/brewing-industry-updates/checklist-for-reopening-your-brewery/

**https://www.brewersassociation.org/press-releases/american-craft-beer-exports-surpass-125-million/

***https://www.mersolluo.com/craft-beer-china/

April 21, 2020 was a sad day for Lord Mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter.  It was the day he had to announce the cancellation of the largest folk festival in the world, Oktoberfest.   This week on Beer Notes, we are discussing how the Covid 19 pandemic has changed the landscape of 2020 and perhaps our world well into the future.

For now, breweries are open for take-out and even delivery.  Delivery was not an option prior to the pandemic and may continue as it makes it easy to stock up on local craft beers. 

When bars and restaurants are allowed to open, many may not have the seating they once were allowed.  The six foot social distancing will be the norm, between patrons and staff.

The Brewers Association announced best management practices in today’s covid world on April 27th.*  Recommended practices include stringent cleaning protocols, hand washing stations and posted notifications in addition to the social distancing guidelines.

Festivals could also chart new territory by spreading out over time and space.  The organizers of Oktoberfest hope for a return in 2021, but for 2020, we will have to be creative and celebrate State-side with our own local craft beers.

Sources

*https://www.brewersassociation.org/brewing-industry-updates/checklist-for-reopening-your-brewery/

What do you think when you hear, “Beer Cocktail?”  Craft beer purists may think that bartenders have too much time on their hands.  This week on Beer Notes, we may inform your opinion and  spark your imagination.

Cocktail, as we use the word today is purely American in origin.  According to the Oxford English Dictionary, in the early 1800s, it referred to a specific drink known as a Sling – spirits mixed with bitters, water and sugar.  By the mid 1800s, cocktail came to mean any alcoholic drink made by mixing a spirit or spirits with other ingredients such as a liqueur, fruit juice, etc.

The concept is not that new, however.  Purl was consumed in England in the 1700s.  It’s a mixture of hot ale, gin and sugar and is mentioned in several novels by Charles Dickens.

With today’s craft beer, the flavors and opportunities for interesting beer cocktails explode.  Hops add a bitter flavor, a traditional cocktail ingredient.  Carbonation is also familiar to many cocktail drinkers.  Malt flavors add depth and interest to the creative mixologist.  Then, consider the fruit flavors and smoothness of milkshake IPAs, the tartness of sours, the malt, coffee and chocolate in porters and stouts.  Think rum punches, margaritas and chocolate martinis. 

With a pedigree this long and the ever expanding flavor profiles in today’s craft beer, beer cocktails are definitely a rediscovered route for creative expression. 

The end of the work week is approaching and who can tell?  No brewery outings, no pints of cold craft beer in hand while sidled up to the bar, chatting with friends and colleagues.   This week on Beer Notes, we are highlighting how the New York State Brewers Association’s is coming to the rescue and how you can too.

One outcome of the stay at home orders in place across the country, is an upsurgence of fun ideas and creativity.  Virtual activities are becoming the norm even virtual happy hours.  In New York, virtual happy hours are not taking place on Zoom, but on Facebook.  Anybody can tune in at 6:30 pm to see a featured brewery host the hour.  The host gets to choose what they do during their hour.  There are games, prize giveaways, trivia contests, music, brewery tours and chats with the owners or brewers.  Viewers can send questions during the Live on Facebook Chat, and the hosts will answer these questions. 

You can’t see your friends, but you can see their comments and questions so you know they are there.  It’s fun to have the actual brewers and owners answering your questions. 

There are also Zoom happy hours and dance parties going on.  There are craft beer challenges which inspire and reward viewers for buying local craft beer.  We’ve even heard of virtual craft beer tastings and food pairings each week with a small group of friends on FaceTime.  They communicate with each other in advance as to which beer and foods to purchase.  Then, when it’s time for their virtual gathering, they can talk about the beer and the food pairings with common experience, as if they are in the same room.  The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity and options in this age of virtual social gatherings. 

Here’s to virtual camaraderie among friends aimed at supporting our local craft breweries until we can join each other in the breweries again! 

What do you get when you add milk sugar and fruit to a New England or Hazy IPA?  This week on Beer Notes, we are discussing Milk Shake IPAs.

It’s time to try a milkshake IPA if you haven’t already.  This style started in 2015 according to researchers quoted on VinePair and Hop Culture.  With the popularity of the hazy IPAs, adding fruit for even more haziness and then lactose, or indigestible milk sugars, for a smooth ,creamy, sweet taste was the next step in experimentation.

Jason Alstrom, a co-founder of Beer Advocate was not impressed with an early version of this style  He rated Hop Hands by Tired Hands Brewing Company a 2.74 out of 5 and called it a muddled mess.  The brewer was not discouraged, however, and ended up releasing 22 milkshake IPAs by the end of 2016.  His Hop Hands now has an outstanding score of 92 on Beer Advocate!

Today, any search for milkshake IPAs or smoothie IPAs, an almost synonymous moniker, delivers pages of results by breweries, large and small.  In the mid-Atlantic region, Big Oyster Brewing is known for their Dreamsicle series of milkshake IPAs with flavors like pineapple,, Tropical, and Vanilla Cream.. 

Lest you think the experimentation is over and milkshake IPAs  have settled comfortably into a fruit and cream style with descriptive names, you should try Dogfish Head’s 2019 entry in the milkshake IPA category which they say is a style-defying beer brewed in collaboration with Beer Advocate.  The name:  Possibly the Next Top Rated Beer on BeerAdvocate The description: “ a Double New England Maple Pastry Black Coffee Milkshake IPA. Brewed with maple syrup, toasted coconut, lactose, vanilla beans, cocoa powder and cold-press coffee, this beer draws inspiration from ingredients found in some of the top-rated brews found on the BeerAdvocate website.”  To that, all we can say is cheers!

The Covid-19 Crisis is having a tragic impact on local craft breweries.  Today on Beer Notes, we are going to explore this impact and ways that we, as consumers, can help.

The Brewers Association surveyed members and released the disturbing results on April 7th.

According to the study, the average drop in onsite sales was 65%.  While Packaged distribution was up 7.9%, the overall loss in total craft beer sales is a whopping 29% and for those breweries not able to package their beer, the numbers are much worse.  59.9% of breweries say they will not make it three months with current costs, revenues, and the current level of state and federal aid.

The Brewers Association will be working hard politically to find the best path forward. They are a  powerful friend, but as we have learned throughout this crisis, any friend is worth their weight in gold.

If we act quickly and consistently, we can all have an impact on our favorite local breweries.  It may not be enough, but at least we can all say we tried — and had fun doing it.  So, I urge each and every one of you to support your local craft brewery starting today and continuing every day of this crisis.    Buy local beer to go. Plan craft beer tasting happy hours on Zoom.  Promote your favorite beers and breweries on social media.  Encourage your craft beer loving friends to join in the fun. Benjamin Franklin said a small leak can sink a great ship, but for our local breweries, a small effort by a lot of craft beer lovers could float a local industry.

Another good news story in today’s environment comes from the Other Half Brewing Company in Brooklyn, New York.  Today, on Beer Notes we are discussing “All Together” IPA.

If you go to altogether.beer, you will find a love letter from Other Half Brewing Co.   This is a letter to the hospitality industry from one brewing company in an area hard hit by coronavirus.  It is addressed to the breweries of the world and it encourages every one of them to join in an “quote” open-ended beer collaboration created to raise support for the industry we love so much.” “end quote”

“The recipe is open source, the artwork is public, the name is yours to use. “ So goes the invitation to all breweries to make a beer and sell it so that a portion of the proceeds can go to supporting hospitality professionals in each brewery’s community. The rest should go to keeping each brewery in business during this age of social distancing.

Other Half Brewing is donating proceeds to the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to helping those in the hospitality industry who are struggling.

Altogether.beer also has a letter to beer drinkers of the world asking for support for all breweries and this new All Together beer.  The recipe is online.  The labels are downloadable.  As of this writing, 448 breweries in 40 states and 29 countries have signed on to participate. 

Hopefully in a few weeks, we can all access this beer, a product of a community love story.  Cheers to All Together, the people behind this effort , and to the hospitality workers it supports.

All the bad news on the air these days gets wearisome.  Today on Beer Notes, we have a silver lining story for you.

Parsonsburg, Maryland is home to Tall Tales Brewing and their creative and innovative head brewer, Eric Camper.  He had two beers in the works before the COVID-19 crisis changed our world. Eric decided to go ahead and launch these beers with new names and labels more relevant in today’s world which he hopes will make people smile:   The first is Social Distancing, an 8% ABV New England style IPA and the second is Quarantine Juice, a triple IPA with 10% alcohol by volume.

Both beers are hazy style India Pale Ales,  full of sexy hops and high in alcohol.  They are hopped dry and have IBUs of less than 15.  Eric said that while people are stuck at home and can’t go anywhere, it’s the perfect time to enjoy a 10% beer! 

When the coronavirus eliminated on site sales at the brewery and at many of the bars and restaurants that sell their beers on tap, Tall Tales decided to package 98% of all their beers.  While their orders for kegged beers dried up,  their demand for cans is extreme, more than doubling in the last few weeks.

Eric and his production staff are working full time or more just to keep up with the take-out and delivery business. Between noon and 7, area residents can order kegs, wine, liquor, pizza and as well as the 6 packs Tall Tales always sold for off-premise consumption.  Sales are strong.  Eric’s main concern at this point is that his servers are struggling. 

Sometimes, there are silver linings in the midst of hardship, uncertainty and fear.  Tall Tales Brewing is one such lining. I think I’ll go get some Social Distancing to enjoy at home.

As the coronavirus keeps us all at home, some of our local craft breweries that depend on on-site sales are struggling.  New ways to get beers normally reserved for tap rooms are available however.  Today on Beer Notes, we are looking at a Lucky Charms inspired beer that we can now enjoy at home!

In 2019 – Smart Mouth Brewing  in Norfolk, Virginia released Saturday Morning, a lucky charms inspired IPA which was meant to invoke all those great feelings of watching early morning TV in your pajamas and a bowl of cereal.  Smart Mouth said it was ridiculously delicious, playing on Lucky Charms’ Magically Delicious leprechaun description.  It got nationwide attention:  from Esquire, to Vinepair, to local and national news, the Food Network and even MarketWatch.

This year, Crooked Hammock in Lewes Delaware released their own version of a Lucky Charms inspired beer without as much fanfare.  The brewery intended to only sell this beer on tap in their brewery, but in this age of Coronavirus, they now allow us to buy it in crowlers.   

Untappd describes Crooked Hammock’s Savagely Delicious  as   “A magical hop concoction bursting with Citra, Lemondrop, and Azacca hops, this boozy TIPA is bright and citrusy with hints of lemon, passionfruit, and mango.”

‘Lucky Charms cereal was added with more marshmallows, and extra vanilla beans for extra complexity and deliciousness. “

Savagely Delicious is not unlike a Belgian Tripel and complements similar foods like Mexican or Thai. 

As we all shelter in place or socially isolate, getting take-out from your local brewery helps them and it helps all of us enjoy our Happy Hour at home.

It seems like the world has gone crazy.  Streets and shelves are empty.  People are sick and some are dying. Bars, restaurants, and breweries are being shut down for all but carry-out in many states and Almost nobody can find toilet paper.  This week on Beer Notes, we are looking at ways to weather the storm.

Maryland’s Governor  just announced that all bars, restaurants, movie theaters, and gyms must close down, making an exception only for take-out and delivery.  This age of coronavirus is a trying time but one that we can get through if we work together, follow the rules, and are creative in how we obtain our local craft beers.

Social distancing sends us to the local retail shop to buy our favorite beers. For breweries who distribute through these retail locations, this age of coronavirus may not dampen sales.  For breweries that depend heavily on tasting room sales, however, this crisis can be devastating. 

Burley Oak in Berlin, Maryland will be selling crowlers and growlers to go, filled with your favorite beers from their taproom .  They are also getting creative with this weekend’s can release.  Burley is selling tickets online for the beers being released and will extend pick up times and have your beer ready  curbside when you arrive. If you have to get out of your car, Burley is adhering to the Governor’s social distancing guidelines.

Many of our local breweries also offer gift certificates.  Consider buying these certificates online now to give to friends and family for any occasion, real or imagined.  When 67 cents for every dollar you spend on local craft beer stays local, your purchases matter .  Our breweries need us now more than ever, and we certainly need a good craft beer to weather this storm.

In this era of alternative facts, we wanted to address another area where belief is not always reality.  This week on Beer Notes, we are exploring attribution of beer sayings.

In researching this topic, I tried to find why people always like to use quotes.  We like to read them. We like to repeat them.  Some people even tattoo them on their bodies.   When it comes to beer, however, I think we like to know that others of great importance also valued beer.  It puts us all in elite company.  It validates our values.

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”  This is commonly attributed to Ben Franklin, who didn’t like beer very much and never said that.  He did write a letter to a friend that mentioned wine in a similar context.¹

Plato never said, “He was a wise man who invented beer.”  Plato didn’t believe anything could be truly invented, a form of beer existed and could be discovered.²,³

Shakespeare did say, “For a quart of ale is dish for a king.” in Act IV. Scene II of The Winter’s Tale. 

I like, “Anyone can drink beer, but it takes intelligence to enjoy beer.” by Stephen Beaumont.  He is the author or co-author of ten books about beer.

Our rule of thumb is to forget the attribution of many beer sayings.  Just enjoy them.   Craft beer lovers don’t need to have somebody tell us we are in good company.  We know it.

Sources:

¹https://sites.suffolk.edu/franklin/2016/03/24/beer-is-proof-that-god-loves-us-and-wants-us-to-be-happy/

²http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/~davpy35701/text/plato-things-not-said.pdf

³https://www.quora.com/Did-Plato-actually-say-He-was-a-wise-man-who-invented-God

St. Patrick’s Day has become synonymous with beer, for some that means lagers died green, but for others who love craft beer, the beers and their reasons for being paired with this most Irish of holidays are all different.  This Week on Beer Notes, we will explore recommendations from local craft breweries on which beer to choose and why on March 17th.

A cold pint of Guinness may be the first image to come to mind when you think of St. Patrick’s Day,, after the shamrock of course, but many local brewers have more creative suggestions.  Here are their choices and their reasons behind them:

Mike Anderson from Big Oyster brewery in Lewes, DE recommends their Shamrock Dreamsicle, an IPA with vanilla and mint.  The name says it all.

Burley Oak in Berlin, MD recommends their Rude Boy which is similar to a traditional Irish Red Ale but “with a lot more body and flavor”  according to Matt Dean, the brewery’s Sales Manager.  He also recommended their Bunker C Porter if you are looking for a darker beer.  “It has a distinct umami character that sets it apart from your everyday porter.”

Music comes into play with Claus Hagelman’s recommendation. He likes Mispillion’s Hagrid, an Imperial Stout with 11% ABV.   He recommends playing Flogging Molly very loudly and chasing the beers with a Jameson. 

Dani Dougherty with Blue Earl Brewing likes their Nitro milk stout, Thirsty Cow.  “It’s the perfect St. Patty’s Day beer because it’s low in alcohol, but high in flavor and pairs well with corned beef and cabbage.”

And EVO’s Lucky 7 porter is perfect for the Irish car bombs according to Clair Hushon.

Whether you choose one for a food pairing, the color of the can, the tradition, or the car bomb, local craft beer is the best way to go this St. Patrick’s Day. 

Independent Craft brewers are doing well against “Big Beer,”  but what does that mean? Craft beer is defined more by who owns the brewery than  it is by the sourcing of ingredients — and size does matter. Today on Beer Notes we are discussing the Independent Brewer’s Seal and what it means. 

The Brewers Association makes the Independent Craft Brewer’s Seal and defines who can use it by defining a craft brewer:

1. They must be Small – must have an annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less
2. They must be Independent – Less than 25% of the craft brewery can be owned or controlledby a beverage alcohol industry member who is not a craft brewer
3. And they must be a Brewer – must have a TTB Brewer’s Notice and make beer.

The Goliath that is Big Beer is really two companies, AB InBev and MolsonCoors. Together they dominate beer’s market share.  But, that market share is going down. Beer’s share of total alcohol servings went down 1% to 49% while sales of craft beer, which now comprises 24% of overall beer sales in the US, went up 4%.

Big beer has been buying up craft breweries.  If a big beer company owns more than 25% of the craft brewery, the small brewer loses its craft designation. This trend of craft brewers being purchased  by big beer is not popular with craft drinkers. 65% of weekly craft beer drinkers think ownership by independent craft breweries is important. So, this Independent Craft Brewer’s Seal becomes important.

If you like to support local craft breweries, look for the Independent Craft Brewers Seal.  It’s an upside down beer bottle which is supposed to be a symbol that the US craft beer movement has turned beer on its head worldwide.

Here’s to the US Craft Beer Movement.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisfurnari/2020/01/22/molson-coors-to-acquire-detroit-craft-brewery-atwater/#3e4e17fc30a7

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-craft-brew-alice-m-a-anheuser-busch/anheuser-busch-to-buy-out-craft-brew-alliance-in-321-million-deal-idUSKBN1XL2K5

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/03/fed-up-with-big-beers-incursion-independent-craft-breweries-push-back.html

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amid-craft-beer-boom-new-drink-offers-hard-competition-11578652200

https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/11/04/why-anheuser-busch-inbev-stock-plunged-15-in-octob.aspx

https://marker.medium.com/how-the-worlds-biggest-brewer-killed-the-craft-beer-buzz-e205a28ff632

Environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important throughout all industries, and craft beer is no exception. Today on Beer Notes, we examine efficiency and ecological responsibility in the craft brewing industry.

Small craft beer breweries are well known for revitalizing old buildings in downtowns.  They are also at the forefront of environmental sustainability.  From water usage and wastewater treatment,  through the disposal of spent grains, to packaging and recycling options, breweries are working harder.   As demand for a greener society grows, brewers must meet the needs for a greener beer.

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is Virginia’s first 100% renewable energy-fueled brewery and all their packaging stems from recycled material.

The Kona Brewing Company in Hawaii, has minimized its impact on the environment by, among other things, transforming spent grain from the brewery into housemade pizza crust.

Five & 20 Spirits and Brewing in Upstate New York donate spent grain to local dairy farmers.

Burley Oak Brewing in Berlin Md use local materials and craftsmen.  Their tap handles are still, after 9 years, made locally by hand, and they use local malted barley grown by Maryland malthouse Dark Cloud Malthouse. 

Are consumers willing to pay more for sustainably produce beer? Our survey say yes! US beer drinkers surveyed in 2018 said they are willing to pay on average $1.30 more per 6 pack for sustainably-produced beer, according to a survey done by Indiana University Bloomington’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Good news for Breweries and the environment alike!

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/10/13/656608166/consumers-say-theyre-willing-to-pay-more-for-beer-when-it-s-produced-sustainably

https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/sustainable-craft-breweries-beers

https://www.hopculture.com/craft-beer-environmentally-friends-sustainable-earth-day/

The Forecast for 2020?  Cloudy – so says Gene Muller, Founder of Flying Fish Brewing out of New Jersey during the Beer Tourism and Marketing Conference this week in St. Petersburg, Florida.  This week on Beer Notes, we will explore just what cloudy means.

Most people don’t love cloudy days, and many beer drinkers won’t love a prediction that cloudy or hazy beers will continue to grow in popularity in 2020.  Others, however, might be thrilled with the hope that all IPAs won’t be as bitter as the early entries to this beer style.

Cloudy or hazy beers, with New England IPAs at the top of the list, are beers that still have sediment in them.  This sediment consists of yeast or proteins that are produced during the brewing process or that are created by bottle conditioning.

Most traditional brewers spent the time to either pasteurize the beer or to filter it before bottling.  If you don’t do either, sediment ends up in the beer.  Many brewers today skip the filtering process in favor of a hazy beer.

Bottle conditioning can also create sediment, but again, it is a byproduct of fermentation.  Sugar or unfermented beer is added to beer containing live yeast.  The yeast eats the sugars, creating CO2 which keeps the beer fresher longer in the bottle.  Sediment is the byproduct.

For many, hazy means fresh.  For those of us who aren’t keen on the extremely bitter profile of the traditional IPA, New England, or Hazy IPAs use different hop varieties, keep the haze and come out full of the hop aromas without the bitterness. 

If you want to eliminate the sediment when you drink a cloudy beer, just pour your beer carefully into a glass after letting the sediment settle to the bottom.  Cheers to a cloudy 2020.

Sources:

https://www.flyingfish.com/about-2/

https://vinepair.com/articles/cloudy-beer-what-the-sediment-in-your-glass-is-all-about/

When time throws you an extra day, you make the most of it!  This week on Beer Notes, we are looking at craft beer, Leap Day, and how the two of them go together. 

In 46 BC, Julius Caesar added one day to our calendar every four years to make up for the discrepancy between the lunar and solar calendars. It took effect in 45 BC.   FeBREWary 29th is this extra day and it makes sense to pour it wisely because it has been a day of traditions, folklore and superstitions since its inception. In Britain, legend has it that St. Bridget convinced St. Patrick to allow women to propose, but they had to wait to Leap Year to do it.  Birthdays on Leap Day only come around every four years. If you were born on this day, you’d have to wait till you were 84 to celebrate your 21st and have your first craft beer! In Greece, getting married during Leap Year is bad luck so as many as one in five couples avoid Leap Years.

Breweries take a positive spin and are creating brews to celebrate.  Market Street Brewing in Corning NY brewed LEAP YEAR BEER. Three Sods Brewery in London offer a Leap Year Golden Ale.  Nickel Beer Company in California brewed a Leap Year IPA.

Checkerspot Brewing Company in Baltimore is planning “A Big Beer Leap Year,” serving kegs of every special edition they have brewed over the last two years***  The Maine Craft Beer Coaster is a train from Boston to the Winter Session 2020 festival in Portland Maine on Leap Day where 50 brewers will be waiting.**** 

Shore Craft Beer is hosting their Love on Tap festival in Ocean City on Leap Day. You can tour the Eastern Shore remotely while sampling over 40 beers from 16  local breweries.  

Whatever you plan to do with your extra day this year  make sure you save some time to relax with friends and family, and savor a local craft beer.

Sources:

https://www.timeanddate.com/date/leap-day-february-29.html

https://nickelbeerco.com/our-beers/

https://www.mt.cm/big-beer-leap-year

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/maine-craft-beer-coaster-leap-day-2020-tickets-82965489011

There is a lot of talk these days about our founding fathers, nobody seems to focus on their beer habits, however.  Today on Beer Notes, we are going to discuss just what Thomas Jefferson thought of beer and how it is relevant today.

“At Monticello, beer was a “table liquor” served during dinner, and Jefferson’s earliest designs for his plantation included spaces for brewing and the storage of beer.”  So begins an article on the website, monticello.org, the online home for information and research about our 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson and his Virginia home.  Jefferson was a known scholar and brewer, it appears. He used malt purchased from his neighbor, William Meriwether and hops bought locally. In 1805, he purchased the book, The Theory and Practice of Brewing by Michael Combrune which “introduced the use of a thermometer for malting and brewing practices.”  Jefferson even planted hops in his garden at home.

Beer was popular in Colonial America and readily accessible – from home brewed, to pub brewed, to local breweries and even imported.  Today, craft beer has become just as ubiquitous. The intelligence, curiosity, and preference for beer defines another of America’s presidents, Barack Obama.  He wanted an official White House beer and you can watch the brewing process for the White House honey ale and honey porter on the Telegraph’s YouTube page.  

Beer may have played a role in some of the weighty discussions of our Founding Fathers. Who knows what discussions were had or plans hatched over the homebrews of Jefferson and even George Washington.  Does it play a role today? Perhaps it should.  

Pretzels and a good craft beer. What an image this statement invokes.   This week on Beer Notes, we are exploring the origin of pretzels and why they go so well with our favorite local brews.

The origin of pretzels are steeped in fable.*  Some attribute** the invention of the pretzel to the Catholics who had much stricter fasting rules for Lent.  Pretzel dough is a simple combination of flour, water and salt and could be consumed when meat, dairy, and eggs were forbidden.  Pretzels may have originally been called  bracellae or “little arms” in Latin, from which the Germans derived the word bretzel.  Alternatively, the name for pretzels may have come from pretiolas, meaning “little treat,” an incentive monks used to reward young children who remembered their prayers.  The Swiss used pretzels in their wedding ceremonies for good luck which may have been the origin of the phrase, “tying the knot.”  In Germany on New Year’s Day in the 17th Century, children wore pretzel necklaces for good luck and prosperity. Adults wearing these necklaces at beer festivals is a relatively new twist. 

Regardless of the derivation of the word, pretzels have been popular for centuries and nowhere more so than in beer houses. 

The reasons are probably multi-fold.***  Salt makes you thirstier and patrons drink more beer if they eat salty pretzels.  Salt enhances flavors, an obvious advantage to the craft beer connoisseur.  For those interested in trying many beers, pretzels can serve as a palate cleanser between samples.  Cleansing your palate between beers allows you to taste many different styles without having the flavors combine unpleasantly. Finally, a great Bavarian Style pretzel is as enjoyable as the beer, fills the stomach and allows you to carry on that conversation you are having.

I think it’s a perfect night for a local craft beer, a warm Bavarian pretzel, and a good conversation.

*https://www.history.com/news/the-pretzel-a-twisted-history

**https://www.newsweek.com/origins-pretzel-national-pretzel-day-1500126

***https://www.bottlemakesthree.com/2017/04/beer-and-pretzels-celebrating-national-pretzel-day/

For all craft beer lovers out there, there is good news and bad news.  First the bad news:  The Great American Beer Festival will not take place this year “in the form that beer fans know and love.” * This week on Beer Notes, we will be discussing the good news.

Innovation has been the hallmark of survival for many craft breweries through this COVID crisis.  Take out and delivery is balancing, at least to some degree, the loss of distribution to bars and restaurants for many breweries. Gatherings of craft beer lovers have moved online, like the new “Think the Shore, Drink the Shore” happy hours every Tuesday at 7 pm on Shore Craft Beer’s social media pages, and everybody is well-versed in improving their appearance for Zoom events.

The Brewers Association just announced that the Great American Beer Festival will now be held online on October 16 and 17, a month after their usual gathering in Denver.

The event has elevated craft breweries since its inception in 1982.  It started** as just part of the Homebrewers Association’s Annual Conference.  It attracted 800 people and 24 breweries.  In 2016, there were over 60,000 attendees and 780 breweries including many here on the Eastern Shore.  Sam Adams Boston Lager*** made their ascension in the craft beer world with “Best Beer in America” wins  in 1985 thru 1987 it  launched their successful grassroots marketing strategy according to Jim McGinnis, a previous Sam Adams employee.

We don’t know what the festival will look like online yet, but we have heard it will be “an immersive online experience”.****  We are confident that the hallmark of the event, the brewery competition, will be just as vibrant and exciting as it has been historically.  The Brewers Association announced that this year’s competition will include over 100 professional judges who will assess over 7,000 beer entries.  Stay tuned to the GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com website for more details.

*https://www.porchdrinking.com/articles/2020/05/21/great-american-beer-festival-pivoting-to-virtual-event-in-2020/

**https://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/news/then-and-now/

***https://www.samueladams.com/30-years/

****https://www.brewersassociation.org/press-releases/great-american-beer-festival-pivots-for-2020/

Small and independent American craft brewers are recognized as leaders in innovation and quality in what has become a global craft beer revolution.  So begins an article on the Brewers Association website.*  This week on Beer Notes, we will discuss the US exportation of craft beer.

The Brewers Association has an Export Development Program funded by the US Department of Agriculture.  The program helps quality production breweries identify opportunities for media promotion and expansion into international markets.  The program has increased 1400% since then., the total value of American craft beer exports  is well over 100 million dollars.**

Canada is the #1 importer of American craft beer, accounting for 51.3% of America’s total exports.  The United Kingdom imports 10.5% of the US exports and China imports 2.5%.  China, however, is the next frontier for craft beer.  Beer dominates the alcohol industry in China with a total value of over 108 billion in 2019, yet craft beer only represents 1% of the sales.***  In the US, craft sales account for approximately 20% of overall beer sales. 

Many businesses are working to help American craft breweries export their beer into China because High quality craft beers are a symbol of prestige and sophisticated taste to the middle class in this country.  And demand for American craft beer is growing. 

For American craft brewers, exports can be an economic bright spot in today’s beer world.

Sources

*https://www.brewersassociation.org/brewing-industry-updates/checklist-for-reopening-your-brewery/

**https://www.brewersassociation.org/press-releases/american-craft-beer-exports-surpass-125-million/

***https://www.mersolluo.com/craft-beer-china/

April 21, 2020 was a sad day for Lord Mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter.  It was the day he had to announce the cancellation of the largest folk festival in the world, Oktoberfest.   This week on Beer Notes, we are discussing how the Covid 19 pandemic has changed the landscape of 2020 and perhaps our world well into the future.

For now, breweries are open for take-out and even delivery.  Delivery was not an option prior to the pandemic and may continue as it makes it easy to stock up on local craft beers. 

When bars and restaurants are allowed to open, many may not have the seating they once were allowed.  The six foot social distancing will be the norm, between patrons and staff.

The Brewers Association announced best management practices in today’s covid world on April 27th.*  Recommended practices include stringent cleaning protocols, hand washing stations and posted notifications in addition to the social distancing guidelines.

Festivals could also chart new territory by spreading out over time and space.  The organizers of Oktoberfest hope for a return in 2021, but for 2020, we will have to be creative and celebrate State-side with our own local craft beers.

Sources

*https://www.brewersassociation.org/brewing-industry-updates/checklist-for-reopening-your-brewery/

What do you think when you hear, “Beer Cocktail?”  Craft beer purists may think that bartenders have too much time on their hands.  This week on Beer Notes, we may inform your opinion and  spark your imagination.

Cocktail, as we use the word today is purely American in origin.  According to the Oxford English Dictionary, in the early 1800s, it referred to a specific drink known as a Sling – spirits mixed with bitters, water and sugar.  By the mid 1800s, cocktail came to mean any alcoholic drink made by mixing a spirit or spirits with other ingredients such as a liqueur, fruit juice, etc.

The concept is not that new, however.  Purl was consumed in England in the 1700s.  It’s a mixture of hot ale, gin and sugar and is mentioned in several novels by Charles Dickens.

With today’s craft beer, the flavors and opportunities for interesting beer cocktails explode.  Hops add a bitter flavor, a traditional cocktail ingredient.  Carbonation is also familiar to many cocktail drinkers.  Malt flavors add depth and interest to the creative mixologist.  Then, consider the fruit flavors and smoothness of milkshake IPAs, the tartness of sours, the malt, coffee and chocolate in porters and stouts.  Think rum punches, margaritas and chocolate martinis. 

With a pedigree this long and the ever expanding flavor profiles in today’s craft beer, beer cocktails are definitely a rediscovered route for creative expression. 

The end of the work week is approaching and who can tell?  No brewery outings, no pints of cold craft beer in hand while sidled up to the bar, chatting with friends and colleagues.   This week on Beer Notes, we are highlighting how the New York State Brewers Association’s is coming to the rescue and how you can too.

One outcome of the stay at home orders in place across the country, is an upsurgence of fun ideas and creativity.  Virtual activities are becoming the norm even virtual happy hours.  In New York, virtual happy hours are not taking place on Zoom, but on Facebook.  Anybody can tune in at 6:30 pm to see a featured brewery host the hour.  The host gets to choose what they do during their hour.  There are games, prize giveaways, trivia contests, music, brewery tours and chats with the owners or brewers.  Viewers can send questions during the Live on Facebook Chat, and the hosts will answer these questions. 

You can’t see your friends, but you can see their comments and questions so you know they are there.  It’s fun to have the actual brewers and owners answering your questions. 

There are also Zoom happy hours and dance parties going on.  There are craft beer challenges which inspire and reward viewers for buying local craft beer.  We’ve even heard of virtual craft beer tastings and food pairings each week with a small group of friends on FaceTime.  They communicate with each other in advance as to which beer and foods to purchase.  Then, when it’s time for their virtual gathering, they can talk about the beer and the food pairings with common experience, as if they are in the same room.  The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity and options in this age of virtual social gatherings. 

Here’s to virtual camaraderie among friends aimed at supporting our local craft breweries until we can join each other in the breweries again! 

What do you get when you add milk sugar and fruit to a New England or Hazy IPA?  This week on Beer Notes, we are discussing Milk Shake IPAs.

It’s time to try a milkshake IPA if you haven’t already.  This style started in 2015 according to researchers quoted on VinePair and Hop Culture.  With the popularity of the hazy IPAs, adding fruit for even more haziness and then lactose, or indigestible milk sugars, for a smooth ,creamy, sweet taste was the next step in experimentation.

Jason Alstrom, a co-founder of Beer Advocate was not impressed with an early version of this style  He rated Hop Hands by Tired Hands Brewing Company a 2.74 out of 5 and called it a muddled mess.  The brewer was not discouraged, however, and ended up releasing 22 milkshake IPAs by the end of 2016.  His Hop Hands now has an outstanding score of 92 on Beer Advocate!

Today, any search for milkshake IPAs or smoothie IPAs, an almost synonymous moniker, delivers pages of results by breweries, large and small.  In the mid-Atlantic region, Big Oyster Brewing is known for their Dreamsicle series of milkshake IPAs with flavors like pineapple,, Tropical, and Vanilla Cream.. 

Lest you think the experimentation is over and milkshake IPAs  have settled comfortably into a fruit and cream style with descriptive names, you should try Dogfish Head’s 2019 entry in the milkshake IPA category which they say is a style-defying beer brewed in collaboration with Beer Advocate.  The name:  Possibly the Next Top Rated Beer on BeerAdvocate The description: “ a Double New England Maple Pastry Black Coffee Milkshake IPA. Brewed with maple syrup, toasted coconut, lactose, vanilla beans, cocoa powder and cold-press coffee, this beer draws inspiration from ingredients found in some of the top-rated brews found on the BeerAdvocate website.”  To that, all we can say is cheers!

The Covid-19 Crisis is having a tragic impact on local craft breweries.  Today on Beer Notes, we are going to explore this impact and ways that we, as consumers, can help.

The Brewers Association surveyed members and released the disturbing results on April 7th.

According to the study, the average drop in onsite sales was 65%.  While Packaged distribution was up 7.9%, the overall loss in total craft beer sales is a whopping 29% and for those breweries not able to package their beer, the numbers are much worse.  59.9% of breweries say they will not make it three months with current costs, revenues, and the current level of state and federal aid.

The Brewers Association will be working hard politically to find the best path forward. They are a  powerful friend, but as we have learned throughout this crisis, any friend is worth their weight in gold.

If we act quickly and consistently, we can all have an impact on our favorite local breweries.  It may not be enough, but at least we can all say we tried — and had fun doing it.  So, I urge each and every one of you to support your local craft brewery starting today and continuing every day of this crisis.    Buy local beer to go. Plan craft beer tasting happy hours on Zoom.  Promote your favorite beers and breweries on social media.  Encourage your craft beer loving friends to join in the fun. Benjamin Franklin said a small leak can sink a great ship, but for our local breweries, a small effort by a lot of craft beer lovers could float a local industry.

Another good news story in today’s environment comes from the Other Half Brewing Company in Brooklyn, New York.  Today, on Beer Notes we are discussing “All Together” IPA.

If you go to altogether.beer, you will find a love letter from Other Half Brewing Co.   This is a letter to the hospitality industry from one brewing company in an area hard hit by coronavirus.  It is addressed to the breweries of the world and it encourages every one of them to join in an “quote” open-ended beer collaboration created to raise support for the industry we love so much.” “end quote”

“The recipe is open source, the artwork is public, the name is yours to use. “ So goes the invitation to all breweries to make a beer and sell it so that a portion of the proceeds can go to supporting hospitality professionals in each brewery’s community. The rest should go to keeping each brewery in business during this age of social distancing.

Other Half Brewing is donating proceeds to the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to helping those in the hospitality industry who are struggling.

Altogether.beer also has a letter to beer drinkers of the world asking for support for all breweries and this new All Together beer.  The recipe is online.  The labels are downloadable.  As of this writing, 448 breweries in 40 states and 29 countries have signed on to participate. 

Hopefully in a few weeks, we can all access this beer, a product of a community love story.  Cheers to All Together, the people behind this effort , and to the hospitality workers it supports.

All the bad news on the air these days gets wearisome.  Today on Beer Notes, we have a silver lining story for you.

Parsonsburg, Maryland is home to Tall Tales Brewing and their creative and innovative head brewer, Eric Camper.  He had two beers in the works before the COVID-19 crisis changed our world. Eric decided to go ahead and launch these beers with new names and labels more relevant in today’s world which he hopes will make people smile:   The first is Social Distancing, an 8% ABV New England style IPA and the second is Quarantine Juice, a triple IPA with 10% alcohol by volume.

Both beers are hazy style India Pale Ales,  full of sexy hops and high in alcohol.  They are hopped dry and have IBUs of less than 15.  Eric said that while people are stuck at home and can’t go anywhere, it’s the perfect time to enjoy a 10% beer! 

When the coronavirus eliminated on site sales at the brewery and at many of the bars and restaurants that sell their beers on tap, Tall Tales decided to package 98% of all their beers.  While their orders for kegged beers dried up,  their demand for cans is extreme, more than doubling in the last few weeks.

Eric and his production staff are working full time or more just to keep up with the take-out and delivery business. Between noon and 7, area residents can order kegs, wine, liquor, pizza and as well as the 6 packs Tall Tales always sold for off-premise consumption.  Sales are strong.  Eric’s main concern at this point is that his servers are struggling. 

Sometimes, there are silver linings in the midst of hardship, uncertainty and fear.  Tall Tales Brewing is one such lining. I think I’ll go get some Social Distancing to enjoy at home.

As the coronavirus keeps us all at home, some of our local craft breweries that depend on on-site sales are struggling.  New ways to get beers normally reserved for tap rooms are available however.  Today on Beer Notes, we are looking at a Lucky Charms inspired beer that we can now enjoy at home!

In 2019 – Smart Mouth Brewing  in Norfolk, Virginia released Saturday Morning, a lucky charms inspired IPA which was meant to invoke all those great feelings of watching early morning TV in your pajamas and a bowl of cereal.  Smart Mouth said it was ridiculously delicious, playing on Lucky Charms’ Magically Delicious leprechaun description.  It got nationwide attention:  from Esquire, to Vinepair, to local and national news, the Food Network and even MarketWatch.

This year, Crooked Hammock in Lewes Delaware released their own version of a Lucky Charms inspired beer without as much fanfare.  The brewery intended to only sell this beer on tap in their brewery, but in this age of Coronavirus, they now allow us to buy it in crowlers.   

Untappd describes Crooked Hammock’s Savagely Delicious  as   “A magical hop concoction bursting with Citra, Lemondrop, and Azacca hops, this boozy TIPA is bright and citrusy with hints of lemon, passionfruit, and mango.”

‘Lucky Charms cereal was added with more marshmallows, and extra vanilla beans for extra complexity and deliciousness. “

Savagely Delicious is not unlike a Belgian Tripel and complements similar foods like Mexican or Thai. 

As we all shelter in place or socially isolate, getting take-out from your local brewery helps them and it helps all of us enjoy our Happy Hour at home.

It seems like the world has gone crazy.  Streets and shelves are empty.  People are sick and some are dying. Bars, restaurants, and breweries are being shut down for all but carry-out in many states and Almost nobody can find toilet paper.  This week on Beer Notes, we are looking at ways to weather the storm.

Maryland’s Governor  just announced that all bars, restaurants, movie theaters, and gyms must close down, making an exception only for take-out and delivery.  This age of coronavirus is a trying time but one that we can get through if we work together, follow the rules, and are creative in how we obtain our local craft beers.

Social distancing sends us to the local retail shop to buy our favorite beers. For breweries who distribute through these retail locations, this age of coronavirus may not dampen sales.  For breweries that depend heavily on tasting room sales, however, this crisis can be devastating. 

Burley Oak in Berlin, Maryland will be selling crowlers and growlers to go, filled with your favorite beers from their taproom .  They are also getting creative with this weekend’s can release.  Burley is selling tickets online for the beers being released and will extend pick up times and have your beer ready  curbside when you arrive. If you have to get out of your car, Burley is adhering to the Governor’s social distancing guidelines.

Many of our local breweries also offer gift certificates.  Consider buying these certificates online now to give to friends and family for any occasion, real or imagined.  When 67 cents for every dollar you spend on local craft beer stays local, your purchases matter .  Our breweries need us now more than ever, and we certainly need a good craft beer to weather this storm.

In this era of alternative facts, we wanted to address another area where belief is not always reality.  This week on Beer Notes, we are exploring attribution of beer sayings.

In researching this topic, I tried to find why people always like to use quotes.  We like to read them. We like to repeat them.  Some people even tattoo them on their bodies.   When it comes to beer, however, I think we like to know that others of great importance also valued beer.  It puts us all in elite company.  It validates our values.

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”  This is commonly attributed to Ben Franklin, who didn’t like beer very much and never said that.  He did write a letter to a friend that mentioned wine in a similar context.¹

Plato never said, “He was a wise man who invented beer.”  Plato didn’t believe anything could be truly invented, a form of beer existed and could be discovered.²,³

Shakespeare did say, “For a quart of ale is dish for a king.” in Act IV. Scene II of The Winter’s Tale. 

I like, “Anyone can drink beer, but it takes intelligence to enjoy beer.” by Stephen Beaumont.  He is the author or co-author of ten books about beer.

Our rule of thumb is to forget the attribution of many beer sayings.  Just enjoy them.   Craft beer lovers don’t need to have somebody tell us we are in good company.  We know it.

Sources:

¹https://sites.suffolk.edu/franklin/2016/03/24/beer-is-proof-that-god-loves-us-and-wants-us-to-be-happy/

²http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/~davpy35701/text/plato-things-not-said.pdf

³https://www.quora.com/Did-Plato-actually-say-He-was-a-wise-man-who-invented-God

St. Patrick’s Day has become synonymous with beer, for some that means lagers died green, but for others who love craft beer, the beers and their reasons for being paired with this most Irish of holidays are all different.  This Week on Beer Notes, we will explore recommendations from local craft breweries on which beer to choose and why on March 17th.

A cold pint of Guinness may be the first image to come to mind when you think of St. Patrick’s Day,, after the shamrock of course, but many local brewers have more creative suggestions.  Here are their choices and their reasons behind them:

Mike Anderson from Big Oyster brewery in Lewes, DE recommends their Shamrock Dreamsicle, an IPA with vanilla and mint.  The name says it all.

Burley Oak in Berlin, MD recommends their Rude Boy which is similar to a traditional Irish Red Ale but “with a lot more body and flavor”  according to Matt Dean, the brewery’s Sales Manager.  He also recommended their Bunker C Porter if you are looking for a darker beer.  “It has a distinct umami character that sets it apart from your everyday porter.”

Music comes into play with Claus Hagelman’s recommendation. He likes Mispillion’s Hagrid, an Imperial Stout with 11% ABV.   He recommends playing Flogging Molly very loudly and chasing the beers with a Jameson. 

Dani Dougherty with Blue Earl Brewing likes their Nitro milk stout, Thirsty Cow.  “It’s the perfect St. Patty’s Day beer because it’s low in alcohol, but high in flavor and pairs well with corned beef and cabbage.”

And EVO’s Lucky 7 porter is perfect for the Irish car bombs according to Clair Hushon.

Whether you choose one for a food pairing, the color of the can, the tradition, or the car bomb, local craft beer is the best way to go this St. Patrick’s Day. 

Independent Craft brewers are doing well against “Big Beer,”  but what does that mean? Craft beer is defined more by who owns the brewery than  it is by the sourcing of ingredients — and size does matter. Today on Beer Notes we are discussing the Independent Brewer’s Seal and what it means. 

The Brewers Association makes the Independent Craft Brewer’s Seal and defines who can use it by defining a craft brewer:

1. They must be Small – must have an annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less
2. They must be Independent – Less than 25% of the craft brewery can be owned or controlledby a beverage alcohol industry member who is not a craft brewer
3. And they must be a Brewer – must have a TTB Brewer’s Notice and make beer.

The Goliath that is Big Beer is really two companies, AB InBev and MolsonCoors. Together they dominate beer’s market share.  But, that market share is going down. Beer’s share of total alcohol servings went down 1% to 49% while sales of craft beer, which now comprises 24% of overall beer sales in the US, went up 4%.

Big beer has been buying up craft breweries.  If a big beer company owns more than 25% of the craft brewery, the small brewer loses its craft designation. This trend of craft brewers being purchased  by big beer is not popular with craft drinkers. 65% of weekly craft beer drinkers think ownership by independent craft breweries is important. So, this Independent Craft Brewer’s Seal becomes important.

If you like to support local craft breweries, look for the Independent Craft Brewers Seal.  It’s an upside down beer bottle which is supposed to be a symbol that the US craft beer movement has turned beer on its head worldwide.

Here’s to the US Craft Beer Movement.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisfurnari/2020/01/22/molson-coors-to-acquire-detroit-craft-brewery-atwater/#3e4e17fc30a7

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-craft-brew-alice-m-a-anheuser-busch/anheuser-busch-to-buy-out-craft-brew-alliance-in-321-million-deal-idUSKBN1XL2K5

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/03/fed-up-with-big-beers-incursion-independent-craft-breweries-push-back.html

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amid-craft-beer-boom-new-drink-offers-hard-competition-11578652200

https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/11/04/why-anheuser-busch-inbev-stock-plunged-15-in-octob.aspx

https://marker.medium.com/how-the-worlds-biggest-brewer-killed-the-craft-beer-buzz-e205a28ff632

Environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important throughout all industries, and craft beer is no exception. Today on Beer Notes, we examine efficiency and ecological responsibility in the craft brewing industry.

Small craft beer breweries are well known for revitalizing old buildings in downtowns.  They are also at the forefront of environmental sustainability.  From water usage and wastewater treatment,  through the disposal of spent grains, to packaging and recycling options, breweries are working harder.   As demand for a greener society grows, brewers must meet the needs for a greener beer.

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is Virginia’s first 100% renewable energy-fueled brewery and all their packaging stems from recycled material.

The Kona Brewing Company in Hawaii, has minimized its impact on the environment by, among other things, transforming spent grain from the brewery into housemade pizza crust.

Five & 20 Spirits and Brewing in Upstate New York donate spent grain to local dairy farmers.

Burley Oak Brewing in Berlin Md use local materials and craftsmen.  Their tap handles are still, after 9 years, made locally by hand, and they use local malted barley grown by Maryland malthouse Dark Cloud Malthouse. 

Are consumers willing to pay more for sustainably produce beer? Our survey say yes! US beer drinkers surveyed in 2018 said they are willing to pay on average $1.30 more per 6 pack for sustainably-produced beer, according to a survey done by Indiana University Bloomington’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Good news for Breweries and the environment alike!

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/10/13/656608166/consumers-say-theyre-willing-to-pay-more-for-beer-when-it-s-produced-sustainably

https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/sustainable-craft-breweries-beers

https://www.hopculture.com/craft-beer-environmentally-friends-sustainable-earth-day/

The Forecast for 2020?  Cloudy – so says Gene Muller, Founder of Flying Fish Brewing out of New Jersey during the Beer Tourism and Marketing Conference this week in St. Petersburg, Florida.  This week on Beer Notes, we will explore just what cloudy means.

Most people don’t love cloudy days, and many beer drinkers won’t love a prediction that cloudy or hazy beers will continue to grow in popularity in 2020.  Others, however, might be thrilled with the hope that all IPAs won’t be as bitter as the early entries to this beer style.

Cloudy or hazy beers, with New England IPAs at the top of the list, are beers that still have sediment in them.  This sediment consists of yeast or proteins that are produced during the brewing process or that are created by bottle conditioning.

Most traditional brewers spent the time to either pasteurize the beer or to filter it before bottling.  If you don’t do either, sediment ends up in the beer.  Many brewers today skip the filtering process in favor of a hazy beer.

Bottle conditioning can also create sediment, but again, it is a byproduct of fermentation.  Sugar or unfermented beer is added to beer containing live yeast.  The yeast eats the sugars, creating CO2 which keeps the beer fresher longer in the bottle.  Sediment is the byproduct.

For many, hazy means fresh.  For those of us who aren’t keen on the extremely bitter profile of the traditional IPA, New England, or Hazy IPAs use different hop varieties, keep the haze and come out full of the hop aromas without the bitterness. 

If you want to eliminate the sediment when you drink a cloudy beer, just pour your beer carefully into a glass after letting the sediment settle to the bottom.  Cheers to a cloudy 2020.

Sources:

https://www.flyingfish.com/about-2/

https://vinepair.com/articles/cloudy-beer-what-the-sediment-in-your-glass-is-all-about/

When time throws you an extra day, you make the most of it!  This week on Beer Notes, we are looking at craft beer, Leap Day, and how the two of them go together. 

In 46 BC, Julius Caesar added one day to our calendar every four years to make up for the discrepancy between the lunar and solar calendars. It took effect in 45 BC.   FeBREWary 29th is this extra day and it makes sense to pour it wisely because it has been a day of traditions, folklore and superstitions since its inception. In Britain, legend has it that St. Bridget convinced St. Patrick to allow women to propose, but they had to wait to Leap Year to do it.  Birthdays on Leap Day only come around every four years. If you were born on this day, you’d have to wait till you were 84 to celebrate your 21st and have your first craft beer! In Greece, getting married during Leap Year is bad luck so as many as one in five couples avoid Leap Years.

Breweries take a positive spin and are creating brews to celebrate.  Market Street Brewing in Corning NY brewed LEAP YEAR BEER. Three Sods Brewery in London offer a Leap Year Golden Ale.  Nickel Beer Company in California brewed a Leap Year IPA.

Checkerspot Brewing Company in Baltimore is planning “A Big Beer Leap Year,” serving kegs of every special edition they have brewed over the last two years***  The Maine Craft Beer Coaster is a train from Boston to the Winter Session 2020 festival in Portland Maine on Leap Day where 50 brewers will be waiting.**** 

Shore Craft Beer is hosting their Love on Tap festival in Ocean City on Leap Day. You can tour the Eastern Shore remotely while sampling over 40 beers from 16  local breweries.  

Whatever you plan to do with your extra day this year  make sure you save some time to relax with friends and family, and savor a local craft beer.

Sources:

https://www.timeanddate.com/date/leap-day-february-29.html

https://nickelbeerco.com/our-beers/

https://www.mt.cm/big-beer-leap-year

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/maine-craft-beer-coaster-leap-day-2020-tickets-82965489011

There is a lot of talk these days about our founding fathers, nobody seems to focus on their beer habits, however.  Today on Beer Notes, we are going to discuss just what Thomas Jefferson thought of beer and how it is relevant today.

“At Monticello, beer was a “table liquor” served during dinner, and Jefferson’s earliest designs for his plantation included spaces for brewing and the storage of beer.”  So begins an article on the website, monticello.org, the online home for information and research about our 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson and his Virginia home.  Jefferson was a known scholar and brewer, it appears. He used malt purchased from his neighbor, William Meriwether and hops bought locally. In 1805, he purchased the book, The Theory and Practice of Brewing by Michael Combrune which “introduced the use of a thermometer for malting and brewing practices.”  Jefferson even planted hops in his garden at home.

Beer was popular in Colonial America and readily accessible – from home brewed, to pub brewed, to local breweries and even imported.  Today, craft beer has become just as ubiquitous. The intelligence, curiosity, and preference for beer defines another of America’s presidents, Barack Obama.  He wanted an official White House beer and you can watch the brewing process for the White House honey ale and honey porter on the Telegraph’s YouTube page.  

Beer may have played a role in some of the weighty discussions of our Founding Fathers. Who knows what discussions were had or plans hatched over the homebrews of Jefferson and even George Washington.  Does it play a role today? Perhaps it should.  

Life in a brewery town:  Anyone who has grown up on Delmarva, the Eastern Shore of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia,  has seen firsthand how a brewery can change a place. Most Americans have seen this too since 80% of Americans over the age of 21 live within 10 miles of a brewery.  This week on Beer Notes, we are going to examine the effect of a brewery on a small town. To read the transcript for this Beer Notes, please click here.

Coffee Beers:  This week on Beer Notes, we look at how coffee is being added to more styles of beer because brewers love to experiment and we love to taste something new. To read the transcript for this Beer Notes, please click here.

Crowlers and Growlers:  This week on Beer Notes, we look at different ways to take your favorite new craft beer home with you.

Best Glasses:  This week on Beer Notes, we look at some of the facts surrounding craft beer.

Best Glasses: This week on Beer Notes, we will introduce you to some of the best glasses that will help you appreciate all the aromas and flavors of your craft beer.

Shaker pints – not the best choice to serve your beer. While you have probably enjoyed many wonderful beers served in a shaker pint, they may not always be the best glass choice.

Craft beer months in every state. Craft beer months encourage beercations and tourism while stimulating the local economy. Your state probably has a craft beer month of its own!

Alcohol-free craft beer. Alcohol-free beer was once stigmatized for lacking flavor and taste, but alcohol-free craft beer offers a complex and unique alternative to boozier beers.

Independent Craft Seal. Happy Fourth of July! We like our beer how we like our country: independent. But what exactly does it mean to “seek the seal”?

Low calorie sours to try this summer. Because it’s the beer of the season.

Cask ales vs. Kegged. Whether you’re in a British pub or an American brewery with cask ales on tap, give the ‘real ale’ a try – and don’t be surprised when it’s a little warmer and slightly less carbonated, but possibly more flavorful, than your usual craft draft.

The Growing Popularity of Culinary Beer. The ingredients you’d find in a chef-prepared meal are starting to show up more and more in craft beer.

Diversity in Craft Brewers. Expanding the demographics of craft beer drinkers and brewers is good for business.

The Health Benefits of Drinking Craft Beer. An Ohio Army Veteran lost 44 lbs in 46 days — by drinking craft beer. He wouldn’t recommend the all-beer diet, but what *is* the nutritional value of craft beer, anyway?

Shifting Demographics in Craft Beer Drinkers. Demographically, the make up of craft beer drinkers is changing… Slowly.

Where Craft Beer Gets its Color. Beer colors range from pale to almost black, and there are a number of factors that contribute to color. How you perceive color can alter how you perceive taste, too.

What is Craft Beer? The definition has changed a bit over the years, but ultimately the ‘craft’ designation in craft beer comes down to three main criteria.

Glitter Beer Sparks Controversy. Last spring, the sparkling new glitter beer was the talk of the town. This spring, it was added to the official Beer Style Guidelines… Kind of.

What’s in a (craft beer’s) name? The taste can only get you so far. On a crowded liquor store shelf, the creativity and local appeal of a craft beer’s name counts for a lot.

A Very Short History of the Brut IPA. Its history may be short, but the Brut IPA, a new, dry take on the India Pale Ale, has already proved itself a force to be reckoned with.

All about Maibocks. One of our favorite springtime beers, the maibock or “helles bock” is pale, hoppy, and traditionally enjoyed after a long winter of strong, roasty bocks and doppelbocks.

How did we end up with sour beer? First all beer was sour, and then none of it was, but now, sometimes, it is again. And we like it.

The importance of water in the brewing process. Water makes up about 90-95% of the total makeup of your craft beer, so the water you brew with is pretty important.

Ales vs Lagers. The lager is predicted to be a major trend in 2019. This week on Beer Notes, we discuss what makes the lager different from the traditional ale.

Combining cannabis and craft beer. The fascination with cannabis continues, and not surprisingly, craft brewers are finding creative ways to infuse this plant into their (nonalcoholic) beers.

The History of the IPA. America’s favorite craft beer, the American India Pale Ale, had its heady start in the British Empire in the 18th century.

Corn Syrup in Craft Beer. If you saw Bud Light’s commercial in Super Bowl LIII, you might be wondering… Why is there corn syrup in some beer? And is it a bad thing?

Camp Fire’s “Resilience Butte County Proud” IPA. Over 1,400 breweries across the U.S., under the leadership of Sierra Nevada, teamed together to brew the same beer. All to raise money for the northern California “Camp Fire” relief.

Craft Breweries and the Government Shutdown. When the U.S. government shuts down, furloughed federal workers and government contractors aren’t the only Americans affected — many small businesses, including craft breweries, also suffer.

Sustainable Craft Beer. Environmentally-friendly craft breweries are changing the landscape of beer, from the ingredients to the packaging to the brewing process itself — some going as far as brewing with “upcycled” food that would’ve otherwise been thrown away.

Beer and All the Senses. Don’t just taste your beer — see it, smell it, feel it, even hear the bubbles fizzing to enjoy its full effect and optimize the beer-drinking experience.

Food Pairings. Pairing beer with food is a science and a form of art, so you’ll be the talk of the town once you start inviting your friends and family over for hand-picked beer pairing dinners.