Brown Ale Beer Style

In that the Charter Oak Brewery is about to release our 1687 Brown Ale, we thought it prudent to update our releases with a section on the American Brown Ale style.  The demand, and knowledge, of this style is weak in comparison with styles such as IPA, Pale Ale, Stouts and Porters; however, this year round beer certainly has an important spot in the beer world!

 I find that many newer craft beer drinkers are afraid to even venture a sip of an American Brown Ale for fear that the dark brown body will yield a heavy bodied, robust flavor and one that may alienate most.  Unfortunately, this is a poor perception of a highly sessionable and delicious style.

The Brown Ale style was one of the original British beers and was introduced centuries ago. One should not be afraid to try this style.  In fact, the Brown Ale beer enjoys a medium body, just enough bittering hops to balance the sweetness generated from the barley, and is not high in alcohol content.  A typical Brown Ale has a flavor profile that has a somewhat roasted taste with a backbone of caramel and chocolate.  This style is sometimes also referred to as a ‘nutty brown’, because of the roasted flavor.  It is not as hoppy as the Pale Ale beer and typically a well poured Brown Ale has a light tan foam head which lasts until the last of the deep cooper to brown shaded pint is gone.

Some examples of Brown Ale include Pete’s Wicked Ale, Charter Oak 1687 Brown Ale, Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale, Pyramid Brown Ale, as well as Samuel Smith and Newcastle.

For the beer expert, this style profile range includes

4.0 – 6.4% ABV; 1.040-1.060OG;  15-26IBU

Stout Beer Style

In today's craft beer age, Stouts and Porters are often spoken in the same breath as being nearly the same beer.  I would have to say, today, this is true because the two styles have indeed overlapped one another.  However, back in the 1730’s when the first Stout was introduced in London, it was known as a Stout Porter, which was simply a stronger Porter beer.  This style soon enjoyed popularity throughout both England and Ireland. In fact, the Guinness Brewery was started, primarily brewing solely the Stout Porter style. It was not until the 1820s when Stout was separated from Porter to become its own style.  It was known as a darker, hopper, and higher gravity beer versus the Porter style. A typical Stout has an original gravity of 1.070-1.090, 90+ IBU and a shade exceeding 40SRM. The newly introduced black unmalted barley assisted brewers with this midnight black style. 

Today, although the Stout style is still a dark shade, it now is less in bitterness and the primary grains include crystal, chocolate and a roasted barley which allows for a balanced and interesting dry coffee, caramel, and chocolate flavor. I might argue that the modern Stout is once again very similar in style to the Porter style. The most popular Stouts have a full month feel as a result of nitrogen gas instead of the more typical CO2 for carbonizing. 

The American Stout, which has a slight citrus backbone, compliments a dish of Oysters well, but also, pairs well with a garden salad.  The Stout is a wonderful choice on a cold winter’s night with the fire a blaze!

Beer Growlers are Fun

Ever wonder why the craft beer brewers decided on strange packaging such as a growler or why it is named a growler?  While it is true that during the prohibition, the distillers pushing ‘moonshine’ had a container that appeared similar, the modern day beer growler traces its roots back to the 19^th century.  The growler was first used when a loyal pub drinker wanted to bring some beer home or sent his kids down to his favorite watering hole to fetch some beer.  They would fill small pails and as one carried the pail home it would hiss and rattle as the CO2 escaped…. also referred to as growling.

Today, the growler is generally brown in color, to prevent light from spoiling the craft beer, and holds 64oz or 4 pints.  Most growlers also have a handle for easy pouring.  Although nearly every craft brewery now markets growlers, it was Otto Brother’s Brewing (now Grand Teton Brewing) that introduced this container in 1989 into the USA.  Beer growlers are not only fun, they are reusable and therefore environmentally friendly.

The Legend and Our Story for our Beers

                           

There is perhaps no greater Connecticut legend than that of the Charter Oak.

In 1662, the colony of Connecticut, owned and governed by England, was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II. The “Connecticut Charter” permitted the colony to make some of its own rules and to elect certain officials. Charles’ death in 1685 brought his brother, James II, to the throne. James disapproved of the Royal Charters and demanded their return. The charters interfered with James’s plan to establish the Dominion of New England – a combination of the New England colonies and the colony of New York under the leadership of one royal official.

In 1687, Sir Edmond Andros, the Royal Governor of the New England Dominion, met with leaders of the Connecticut colony in Hartford. Debates continued for hours as the colonists steadfastly refused to give up the Charter. According to legend, all of the candles in the meeting house, Sanford’s Tavern suddenly blew out and, during the confusion, the 1662 Charter disappeared. Captain Joseph Wadsworth was positioned outside the tavern and in the chaos of the darkness rode off to George Wyllys farm where a huge Oak tree stood.  It was hidden in the trunk of a large white oak tree where it was protected from the King and from Andros.  .... known from this day forward as the Charter Oak tree and became Connecticut’s state tree.... not only did the tree become famous, but 325 years later, a craft beer was born.

Despite Connecticut’s resistance, it became part of the Dominion of New England for the next two years. In 1689 James II was overthrown and Andros lost power in the colonies. The Connecticut Charter emerged from hiding and was used to govern Connecticut until 1818, when the Constitution was introduced. In 2011, the Charter Oak Brewing Company was founded, A True Legend!

On August 21, 1856, the Charter Oak, estimated at nearly 1,000 years old and 33 feet circumference, fell down during a violent storm.  

BUT, the brewery lives on to tell the tale....

Connecticut Reviews Liquor Laws

Connecticut, the state Charter Oak Brewing Company operates in, has a new Governor and he is reviewing our liquor laws.  This was a long awaited event in that our state is surrounded by other states that have all updating their respective laws and the result has hurt sales in Connecticut.  You may recall, Connecticut is often referred to as the Blue Law state because of the tight regulations.  Governor Malloy initially proposed several modifications, but the final docket appears as follows

-State will now allow Sunday alcohol sales 

-Allow liquor stores to stay open on holidays (except Christmas)

-Grant breweries to sell a full case of beer on premise, also, permit beer tastings without having to take a tour  (growlers were always allowed)

-Package stores can now sell snack foods

-Permit an operator to now own up to 3 stores

-Bars/restaurants now able to stay open until 2am on Friday and Saturday.

-Retailers now able to sell up to one item at 10% under actual cost

These may not seem like large revisions, but if you had operated in Connecticut, they are all important.  The state will vote on these issues in late May.

A session with Jim Koch and the Boston Beer Company

We enjoyed a very productive session with Jim Koch and his team at Sam Adams / Boston Beer Company. In a word,  Jim Koch was fantastic.  He spent time with me and certainly understood all the challenges of starting up a business, especially in this difficult economy.  Jim shared many pointers regarding his start as an entrepreneur in 1984, brewing his first Sam Adam’s Lager and going into the market to sell craft beer.  I was also able to meet with Jim’s associates in public relations, branding, packaging, marketing, legal, and accounting and they all took the time to educate me as to how to improve Charter Oak's programs. I have benefited from many meeting in the past, but discussing my challenges and outlining potential solutions with all his managers exceeded all my expectations!

Clearly, the Boston Beer Company is an excellent model to replicate, and we hope to grow the Charter Oak Brewery just as Jim Kick succeeded with Sam Adams.

Charter Oak Brewing Company Anthem

In an era of extreme everything, the Charter Oak Tree quietly stands apart as a patriotic symbol of strength and truth. That’s why we chose Connecticut’s beloved tree to be the symbol of our dedication to brewing the most
honest, freshest and un-hyped beer possible.

Our ales are handcrafted from 100% natural ingredients: select malted barley, choice hops, special yeast, and using only the purest water for a unique and delicious taste. We never use any adjuncts or preservatives.
Each varietal is carefully brewed to be the ideal balance
of flavors for that style beer.

Our beers are entertaining and enriching. For the enjoyment of our beer lovers, on each variety and seasonal ale we have portrayed a different character or part of the historic Charter Oak legend.

We hope you enjoy our beers as much as we enjoyed brewing them.

Charter Oak,  A True Legend!

The Legend and Our Story for our Beers

There is perhaps no greater Connecticut legend than that of the Charter Oak.  This is why we named our brewery after this historic event and our beers after events from the tale.

In 1662, the colony of Connecticut, owned and governed by England, was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II. The “Connecticut Charter” permitted the colony to make some of its own rules and to elect certain officials. Charles’ death in 1685 brought his brother, James II, to the throne. James disapproved of the Royal Charters and demanded their return. The charters interfered with James’s plan to establish the Dominion of New England – a combination of the New England colonies and the colony of New York under the leadership of one royal official.

In 1687, Sir Edmond Andros, the Royal Governor of the New England Dominion, met with leaders of the Connecticut colony in Hartford. Debates continued for hours as the colonists steadfastly refused to give up the Charter. According to legend, all of the candles in the meeting house, Sanford’s Tavern suddenly blew out and, during the confusion, the  1662 Charter disappeared. Captain Joseph Wadsworth was positioned outside the tavern and in the chaos of the darkness rode off to George Wyllys farm where a huge Oak tree stood.  It was hidden in the trunk of a large white oak tree where it was protected from the King and from Andros.  .... known from this day forward as the Charter Oak tree and became Connecticut’s state tree.... not only did the tree become famous, but 325 years later, a craft beer was born.

Despite Connecticut’s resistance, it became part of the Dominion of New England for the next two years. In 1689 James II was overthrown and Andros lost power in the colonies. The Connecticut Charter emerged from hiding and was used to govern Connecticut until 1818, when the Constitution was introduced. In 2011, the Charter Oak Brewing Company was founded, A True Legend!

On August 21, 1856, the Charter Oak, estimated at nearly 1,000 years old and 33 feet circumference, fell down during a violent storm. 

BUT, the brewery lives on to tell the tale....

Beer Market Continues to Grow

Researchers are beginning to release sales and volume figures for 2011 beer sales in America and initial figures look promising.  The total USA beer sales increased by nearly 2% to $98.94Billion.  The Beer Institute reported that most of this growth was a result of strong performance by craft beer, imports, and premium beers.  Restaurants and bars (up 3% to $55Billion) witnessed increased demand despite a poor economy, while 'off-premise' stores such as convenience, liquor and supermarkets grew less than 1% or $43Billion.


Meanwhile, demand for Bud-Miller Coors domestic beers remain weak.  Several analysts believe this is a direct result of the poor economy in that it is primarily the middle income consumers that buy these beers, and many have felt the challenges of this recession. 

Although over all volume decreased 1.5% to 202.6Million Barrels (2.9Billion cases), we are happy to report, beer remains the #1 most popular alcoholic beverage in America.

Connecticut Blue Laws Under Review

After decades of operating under antiquated regulations, Connecticut, the state that the Nor’easter Brewing Company is headquartered in, is currently reviewing their infamous Blue Laws.  Although our state never actually ratified the 18^th amendment, calling for prohibition, Connecticut is often referred to as the Blue Law State.   Two examples of this reference include the lack of Sunday liquor sales which have been prohibited since 1933, and the confining serving hours of restaurants and bars only allowing liquor served until 1am Sunday through Thursday (2am on Friday and Saturday).  Accordingly, drinkers are flocking to neighboring states and this results in fewer sales for

Connecticut establishments.

Governor Malloy is currently lobbying to change many of the current regulations to permit liquor sales on Sunday, grant permission to bars and restaurants to remain open until 2am for all 7 days, and ease policies for grocery stores that sell alcohol as well as allow them to market beer until 10pm.  If 100% successful, other revisions to the law would include, small convenience stores being given the option of selling beer, as well as one person, or one LLC, allowed to operate more than only the two package stores now permitted.  One other modification Malloy is seeking includes the minimum bottle and quantity discount law, which the governor is interested in eliminated altogether. Removing regulations such as posted prices, quantity discounts, and depletion allowances could and would hurt the smaller proprietors; this grants regulated price levels allowing them to buy alcohol at competitive pricing to the bigger box stores.  If the removal is successful, this would also create great harm for the smaller craft beer brewers… more on this in another release, but it is NOT good!

The Governor recently reported that Connecticut is behind the times and losing important tax revenue because residents are buying their beer, wine and spirits across the border in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York.  We at Nor’easter Brewing think Gov. Malloy has several good points, and reducing many of these obsolete regulations should certainly assist with our states’ sales.  Why the push back?   It appears the local, smaller liquor stores and restaurant owners believe that sales will not improve, at least not to the extent that the additional sales will cover the extra costs of staying open.  They also believe DUI incidents will increase.  Lastly, but very important, eliminating price posting and promoting quantity discounts is NOT a beneficial idea, and would place the majority of smaller off premise stores at jeopardy as well as smaller breweries and wineries. 

The legislation will be reviewing Governor Malloy’s requests in the current session and we will report results as they occur.   We would enjoy hearing comments from our readers.  These state government discussions are occurring now and we can incorporate your ideas into our presentations to the state.

More on State of the Beer Market

Earlier this month we reported on the reduction of sales in the USA for the big four world leaders; Anheuser-Bush, Miller, Heineken, and Carlsberg.  More 2011 figures have been confirmed and we thought we would share these with our readers.
-2011 beer shipments were the lowest since 2003
-Worldwide, beer shipments down 2.9Million barrels (nearly 40Million cases) or 1.4% from 2010
-Budweiser shipments fell 2.9Million barrels (2.9%) to less than 100Million barrels (actual 98.8Million).             
This is the first time Anheuser-Busch dropped below 100Million in 10 years!
-MillerCoors shipments fell 3% to less than 60Million barrels
-ABInbev USA market share reduced to 47%, and MillerCoors now at 28.5%
-Heineken USA shipments fell 4%
-Craft beer continues to increase in volume and market share in USA
-Yuengling sales grew 16.9%  (now USA largest brewery)
-Boston Beer (Brews Sam Adams) increased 8%
-2011 ended with over 1800 operating breweries and nearly 700 in planning!

Kolsch Style Beer

The Kolsch styled beer was first brewed in Cologne (Koln), Germany and will be offered as a seasonal beer by Connecticut's  Nor'easter Brewing Company as a summer seasonal selection.  This style is not a widely offered beer here in the United States; however, it is a perfect brew for a warm summer's day or evening.  The light body, pale golden shade, and crisp, dry finish make this a perfect choice.


Although most German brewed beers tend to be bottom fermented Lagers, the Kolsch style is brewed as an Ale.  Typically, the base malt is a Pilsner barley with up to 15% malted Wheat.  In fact, I understand most beer drinkers mistake this for a pilsner, but this style is unique. The special blend of barley, together with the noble hops and two stage fermentation (including over two months in cold storage) yield a soft malt flavor and slight undertone of bitterness.  The Kolsch beer pours out with a delicate, snow white head of foam and boosts a medium to medium high carbonation.  In Germany, Kolsch Beers are served in a tall, cylindrical glassware called 'stange'.

The Kolsch style is generally brewed to an Original Gravity of 1.044-1.050 and a low bitterness of 20-30IBU with a pale golden shade of 3.5-5SRM.  It has a low alcohol rating of 4.4-5.2%ABV.  This beer style is outstanding along side a seafood dinner and will make a salad pop.

The World Outside Craft Beer

Although the standing in world rankings remain the same with Anheuser-Busch InBev solidly at #1, SAB Miller in second place, followed by Heineken and Carlsberg; the dynamics in the USA are changing. While it is still true that ABInBev (AKA "the king of beers" ) still commands first place for it's Bud Lite brand, as well as over all beer sales, it has recently been nudged and perhaps awoken.  For the first time in recent memory, the flagship brand with the familiar white, red, and blue label which had enjoyed second place, was just passed by Coors Light (18.2Million barrels-over 250Million cases versus the Budweiser label at 17.7Million barrels-nearly 245Million cases).  I might make note of the fact that since 1988, shipments of Budweiser's 'go to' beer has slipped a whopping 60%. AB (now known as the King of Beer - drop the final s for losing market Share) has controlled the number one and two spots for over 20 years. 


Research indicates that Budweiser has witnessed a sales drop of 4.6% overall last year for all brands, and 2009 and 2010 were no picnics for the company.  In fact, all the big beer companies are losing sales. Many of the premium imported beers are down as well. The shining star in the USA is the craft beer breweries - with double digit growth. 


Many forecast that the  Bud-Miller-Coors breweries will begin to focus on the growing craft beer market; however, the reality is they are already playing in this field - note Blue Moon, Goose Island, Leinenkugel, Red Hook, Kona, Rolling Rock, Alexander Keith's, Killian (the list goes on). This strategy does not appear to be working.  Maybe more multi-million dollar Super Bowl advertisements or additional acquisitions in a current successfully operating micro brewery? 
Truly, this is a turn of events. 
Could the Boston Brewing Company, brewer of Sam Adams,  become the next King of Beers?
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