How to Order Beer around the World

We published this on our website http://noreasterbrewing.com and it enjoyed lots of positive comments.

Today, why not learn a foreign language?  – Below, we outline the translation for beer for several countries around the world.  Next time you are traveling abroad, be sure to order a foreign beer in the native tongue!

Country: Translation for BEER

Afrikaans: Bier
Czech: Pivo
Dutch: Bier
Finnish: Olut
Filipino: Bir
French: Bière
Gaelic: Leann

German: Bier
Greek: Bere
Hawaiian: Bia
Hungarian: Sor
Indonesian: Bir
Irish: Beoir
Italian: Birra

Japanese: Biiru
Polish: Piwo
Portugese: Cerveja
Spanish: Cervesa

USA Micro Craft Beer Breweries Continue to Grow

Not since the thirteen dry years of prohibition has the USA witnessed more regional breweries.  In 1978 the USA had only 48 operating breweries;  it was about this time that several innovative home brewers began to expand outside their basements and introduced America to ‘Craft Brewers’. By last year, 2010, the Brewer’s Association confirmed nearly 1800 breweries, and almost 600 in planning.  The specifics of the survey included 1,033 brewpubs, 603 operating microbreweries (under 6Million barrels/year) , and 80 regional (larger) breweries. Although it is true that several breweries shut down each year (generally due to poor management, not quality of beer); however, many new breweries continue to open.

The demand for craft brewed beer also continues to grow, despite a declining overall American beer demand.  In fact, to compliment the newly formed breweries, many of the current operators have raised enough funding to expand their respect capacities to keep up with demand.  The Brewer’s Association reported that overall beer consumption (by volume) declined by nearly 1% in 2010, yet the craft beer segment increased by over 11 percent.  The craft beer market share is now exceeding 5%, while the larger macro operators (ABInBev, SABMiller, etc) as well as imports make up the remaining 95%.  Some predict, the craft beer portion could go to 10% of the market within 5 more years.

 The micro beer brewers are estimating that this robust, double digit,  growth will continue for several more years, than grow at a more modest rate.

How to Drink Beer

WOW, I am impressed anyone is even reading this release …..  but, as always thanks for your support!

-First, we assume you stored you beer in a cool environment (refrigerators do well here) and at 45F – 55F.  Temperatures much lower than this detract from the flavor and aroma and actually numb the tongue. I'll include a release soon on the recommended temperatures for each style of beer in a later release.  Also, your beer should be stored upright and not on the side.

-We generally endorse a cold (not frozen) CLEAN glass.  The proper glassware is a bonus, but not required, as long as the top is wider than the bottom to allow for release of aroma to the nose.

-We suggest you NOT tilt the glass throughout the pour, but rather gently pour the beer with the glass at a 45 degree angle until 50% full, than pour the beer straight into the glass for maximum foam (not overflowing) 1 – 1 1/2” of foam is perfect.

-Let the head settle, take a look at the shade, than place your nose close to the head and take a good sniff of the aroma.  FYI.  “We taste what we smell and see”.  This is one reason why craft beer only uses the finest of hops and malted barley.

-As you drink, breath through your nose to continue to smell the aroma

-Take notes on the style and brand for future reference. It’s fun to compare different craft beers.

-Drink and enjoy. 

I hope you do not consider the folks at Nor’easter Brewing Company snobby, but we endorse you drink our beers out of a glass and not directly out of the bottle …. Would you drink fine wine or spirit liquor directly out of the bottle?

Where Have all the Beer Drinkers Gone?

UBS released a report outlining the recent trend for a declining USA beer market.  They commented that the key demographic target for overall American beer drinkers is one that is 21-34 years old; typically male; has a clerical or blue collar job; is a minority; and also that has been successfully employed ... and now finds himself … unemployed.   

The USA beer consumption declined nearly 3% in May 2011 alone,  and over 1% for all of 2010, and sales were down 2% in 2009 (a decline is forecast for 2011 as well) - note: this is the first three year consecutive decline in beer sales since the prohibition!  The obvious thought is because this group has been hit hard by high unemployment and, accordingly, their buying power has severally been reduced.  This group, more than others, has lost a great deal of confidence in a stronger future economy and just stopped spending money.  UBS went on to say ABInBev sales for all of 2011 would be flat to down slightly, and predicted a decline of over 1% for SABMiller.

On a more positive note, UBS forecasted a continued yearly growth for the micro crafted beer brands and that the mass produced operators will begin to enjoy a transition to growth toward the end of 2012. The report also commented on the "Bud / Miller / Coors " breweries must now take a serious review of penetrating the craft segment more effectively.  The craft market, while less than 5% of all the beer drinkers, has been enjoying double digit growth.  The craft beer target market, mainly white males, still feel craft beer is an affordable luxury and a good alternative to wine and spirits.

How to Store Beer

Although most beer is best and the very freshest on the the day it is brewed, there are many beers, especially high alcohol (ABV), that taste better with age.  Most breweries stamp a ‘date brewed’ or ‘drink before date’ on the packaging. You should always look for this stamp.  If it is not immediately visible, ask the store associate. 

Storing beer at home the correct way is really very easy.

We recommend

-Store beer in a cool / cold environment.   

A dedicated beer refridgerator is very functional or , better yet, a cellar that maintains a consistent temperature.  Heat spoils beer over time and a consistent temperature is best.  Actually, I would argue heat and inconsistent temperatures is the very worst action you can do and will almost certainly ruin the beer.  Most beers can be stored at 50F-55F.  Stronger beer, those with more %ABV(over 7%) do well at 55F-60F.  Lighter %ABV (less than 5%) should be kept at 45F – 50F.

-Keep your beer out of the light …. especially sun light

Obviously, a refridgerator assists here.  But light is the #1 enemy of beer and will spoil beer.  This is one reason craft brewers chose to package in cans or amber or green bottle – they keep the light out!

-Store your beer bottles upright

This assures that the yeast remains at the bottom and will not leave a mark along the side of the bottle or can and also the yeast will not settle back into the beer.  Modern caps have a barrier layer to prevent oxidation – so storing beer on it’s side has no benefit.

Additional Comments: 

Generally, American craft beers can be stored up to 6 months without any decline in quality – although most brewers endorse drinking their beer within 90 days for best taste.  Imported beers can last up to one year and many have preservatives.  As mentioned earlier, beers with higher alcohol content actually do better with age and some breweries recommend storing over 5+ years.  Look for the brewers date.

Remember – store beer up right, cool, and out of light!

Will Beer Prices Increase this Fall?

Over the past few weeks, we have included several twitter releases commenting on the increase for raw materials that are affecting the cost to brew beer.  The trend has been for hop acreage to decline and this year weather has reduced harvests. A recent concern is aroma and bittering hops demand continue to grow by double digits each year.  This is especially taxing in that craft brewers will use well over 50% of the entire 2011 USA  hop crop, and estimates call for over 60% of the 2012 crop.

The difficultly with barley this year has been poor weather; initially, in the Spring,  it was flooding, and now both excessive heat and no rain are playing havoc.  Canadian farmers have already reported a poor yield.  This escalated raw material cost will surely cause an increase to beer production.

We are not only witnessing cost increases in hops and malted barley (the two biggest ingredients in beer), but also increases in energy and transportation.  It is quickly becoming a challenge for the craft brewer (especially the smaller crafter brewers) to absorb all these important increased costs.

Ironically, early in the season, flooding lowered the quality and quantity of barley crops in both Canada and Australia.  The forecasted decrease in supply immediately placed pressure for USA and European suppliers.  Many brewers fear the return of 2008, when hops pricing increased by 34%. 

Several brewery operators are estimating 20-25% increase on Barley and 15-20% on Hops.  Although many of the breweries confirm contractual agreements for both volume and price, they are short term.  Note, the ‘big brewers' such as ABInBev and MillerCoors contract out long term, and will not be immediately effected as the micro crafted breweries. 

What does this all mean to the beer drinker?  If the cost increases as outlined, the craft brewers will have no choice but to increase the street price.  We’ve heard forecasts of $0.50/six pack – or $1.00/12 pack.  Generally, the industry reviews costs and pricing in the Fall and announce the following year’s price in October.

Not sure who coined this phrase but …..the taste and quality of the craft beer will be remembered long after the price of beer will be forgotten!!

Beer ….. still an affordable luxury.  Let's hope.  CHEERS!!

Profile of an American Beer Drinker

I saw this is article by Lydia Saad in Business Insider and thought it was an excellent resource.  Although I am proud to always write original thoughts in this blog ... this is a 'cut and paste' . 

For only the second time in two decades, wine ties beer as the top choice when U.S. drinkers are asked whether they most often drink liquor, wine, or beer. Gallup now finds nearly as many U.S. drinkers naming wine (35%) as beer (36%), while liquor still registers a distant third at 23%.

The 36% of U.S. drinkers favoring beer in Gallup's July 7-10 poll ties for the lowest Gallup has recorded for the popular beverage since initiating this measure in 1992. The other low reading came in 2005, at the same time Americans' preference for wine temporarily surged to 39%. Beer regained a solid lead at the top spot, until this year.

The 35% now favoring wine and 23% liquor are near the record highs for these beverages, although preferences have generally fluctuated around the current levels since about 2003.

Preference for beer declined among all age groups this year, but it fell the most among young adults -- dropping to 39% today from 51% in 2010. By contrast, middle-aged adults' preference for beer fell just three percentage points (to 41% from 44%), and older adults' fell two points (to 27% from 29%).

Younger adults' decreased preference for beer is accompanied by slight increases in their preferences for liquor and wine. Additionally, 2% of young adults this year volunteered that they most often drink cordials, up from less than 1% in 2010 and in most prior years.

Men, Young Adults, Midwesterners Exhibit Strongest Beer Preference

Gallup continues to document strong demographic differences in drink preferences, particularly along gender, age and socio-economic lines.

Nearly half of male drinkers, 48%, say they most often drink beer, followed by liquor at 26%, while 51% of female drinkers prefer wine. This pattern is consistent with prior years, although the preference for beer is down slightly among both groups compared with 2010.

Older adults tend to prefer wine, while -- despite the recent decline among young adults -- the plurality of younger and middle-aged adults favor beer.

As a result of these distinctions by age and gender, there are extremely sharp differences in drink preferences between younger men and older women, with most of the former preferring beer, and the latter, wine. Older men and younger women have somewhat more varied preferences.

Geographically, beer enjoys its greatest popularity in the Midwest, while wine does best in the East and liquor in the South and West. Adults with no college education and those in lower-income households are also much more likely to favor beer. Nonwhites are more likely than whites to favor liquor.

Bottom Line

The predominance of beer as Americans' favorite drink has waned over the past two decades, but that decline was punctuated this year with a five-point drop in mentions of beer, from 41% to 36%. This was driven largely by a 12-point decline among younger adults. Beer's loss corresponds with slight gains in preferences for wine and liquor, both of which consequently register near their two-decade highs in 2011.

While meaningful, this year's shifts are not much different in magnitude from those seen in 2005 -- changes that proved temporary. Whether beer continues to lose ground to other forms of liquor or rebounds may depend on the future direction of young adults' drink preferences.

Session Beers have their Place!

Each year, I witness (and, must admit, enjoy) the craft beer breweries marketing hoppier and hoppier beers, as well as increasing the alcohol content and providing a more robust body.  I enjoy sipping on the ‘big beers’ such as the Imperial Stouts and the double or, now, ‘Quintuple’ IPAs, but I also like to sit down and have several lighter bodied, yet full mouth feel/full bodied and flavorful, micro crafted beers, especially in the summer.

Hence the session beer.

Simply put, a session beer is a beer with alcohol under 5%, hoppied, but well balanced with no single ingredient dominating your taste buds and not too complex a taste.  These are beers that are all grain craft beers, but you are able to drink several at one sitting.  I’m not talking about a light beer 'with only half the calories' nor a mass-produced BMC beer, but rather a beer with flavor, lighter month feel, and not taste like you are biting into a grapefruit, or a chocolate bar, or having an alcoholic cup of coffee.

Typically, the session beer is slightly more reasonably priced as well.  You will still enjoy the malted barley and hop taste, but able to drink several.  The session beer is also a good choice after you’ve had a big brew, say, with 100+ IBU and 8+% ABV.

The session beer is a nice alternative and most breweries market one!

Use the comment section below to list your favorite session beer.

Cooling Beer Fast

Ever forget to place beer into the refrigerator or cooler?  No one wants a warm beer, there's 'hope' for you yet....

 One fast way to cool down a few brews is

-Grab a large pot  (a cooler works well too if you have several beers to cools down)

-Fill the pot with some ice and plenty of water

-Pour a ‘palm’ full of sea salt into the ice water

-Place a few bottles of beer into the pot, stir gently with a spoon.

 ........ FYI  Did you know, Beer in cans cools faster?

-Within 5 minutes your beer will be very cold and refreshing!

-Bonus -  if you remember to place a mug in the freezer during this 5 minutes and pour the beer into the frozen mug - this will help!

UBS Reports Increased Sales for Beer

Consistent with Beer Business Daily, UBS also reported stronger recent beer sales – especially with July 4th falling on a Monday and relatively nice weather across the USA.  The 4^th represented the first positive holiday for beer sales in over a year with volumes at 4.9% of annual sales. 

Unfortunately, sales for the entire second quarter were not kind to ABinBev or SABMiller.  Their sales were down -3% and -2.4% respectively.   Meanwhile, craft beer sales continue to grow with loyal drinkers buying more and new craft drinkers entering the market.

The news also reported that ABinBev and SABMiller would most likely announce a Fall 2011 price increase of 2 to 4%.  The Big Two need more revenue to cover increased raw material costs and feel the gap between their mass produced beers and the premiums is too wide.

... Did you know, more beer is sold for July 4th weekend than any other holiday?    Follow our Fun Beer Facts on Twitter by clicking on @Noreasterbeer Twitter

How does a Brewer produce a Craft Brewed Beer?

Glad you asked, because the micro craft beers are as close to a handmade beverage as is possible.  Beer brewing has been around for centuries, without many modifications in the process along the way.  Beer production all starts with malted barley. The barley is ground up and slowly added to a large tank, called the MASH TUN.  Mashing is the process that allows the barley to release starch, which produces sugar for the yeast to convert into Alcohol and carbonation.  Once the ground malted barley is in the Mash Tun, water is added, which is heated to 140-160 degrees F.  It is at this temperature that the enzymes present in the barley become activated.  The Mash Tun has large; slowly moving rakes that circulate to assure all the barley comes into contact with the hot water.  This process can take up to 90 minutes.

After this time, the brewer releases the ‘sugar water’ (the liquid is referred to as the MASH) into a LAUTER TUN, which acts as a large strainer.  This process holds back the grain and allows only the liquid to enter the brew kettle.  This process is similar to sparging tea through a tea bag into your teacup – holding the tea leaves behind.  The liquid is now exposed to more heat and is boiled (approximately 212F) .  It is during this process that the hops are added.  Generally, the bittering hops are added initially, and the aroma hops are added in this process at the very end.  The duration of the boil is generally one hour.

Once the boil is complete (now the liquid called the WORT) the beer needs to be cooled as fast as possible down to 70 degrees.  The brew master will take several tests during all the processes, with specific attention to temperature, time and gravity.  When the brewer is satisfied, and the wort is chilled to 70 degrees, yeast is added (or pitched).  Again, it is the yeast that creates alcohol, carbonation, and influences the taste. 

FERMENTATION starts the moment the yeast is introduced to the wort.  The beer is stored at very exacting temperatures in fermentation tanks for a minimum of a few weeks, and beer could ferment for years, depending on style.   Commercial brewers use very sophisticated temperature controls to maintain desired temperature. 

PACKAGING is the final process.  Although most micro craft breweries either bottle or keg their beers, cans are becoming more popular. 

I was wrong, there is one more step ….. TASTING is an important process as well.  The brewer must be comfortable that his beer is consistent from batch to batch, and the age old taste test proves the most successful …. Drinking the beer!!

What goes into Beer?

The German Beer Purity Law" referred to as Reinheitsgebot, is the original law for the production of beer.  It dictated that only water, hops, and barley could be used in beer (later yeast was added to this regulation).  Today, the larger breweries use corn and rice. 

Many of the innovative microbreweries are beginning to experiment with different adjuncts such as fruit, spices, and other ‘natural’ ingredients.  We find that merely adjusting quantities and varieties of the four primary ingredients as well as brewing time and temperatures can totally modify the taste of the beer. We note that if two breweries in two different areas of the world brewed the exact same recipe, the two beers could be very different with various hops, water, barley and yeast as well as time and temperature ranges.

WATER. Like so many other foods, is a key ingredient in the brewing process.  Water contains many elements and can be completely different tasting from town to town, city to city, and state to state. Water is something that must be checked constantly. It is important to use only the purest of water in the beer making process!

BARLEY is a grain that must be malted which means it is germinated by soaking it in water, than placed in an oven for baking it.  There are dozens of varieties of barley – all yielding very different beers.  Barley comes in both two row and six row varieties.  Barley provides flavor, aroma, appearance, and together with yeast, alcohol. 

HOPS provide the bitterness and balance to the sweet taste from the Barley.  There are many many types of hops, each producing a different aroma and flavor.  A hop is a flower that appears like a small, soft, green pine cone.   They grow on vines mainly in western USA, Germany, UK, Czech Republic and Australia.  It is important that the brewer knows what bittering, aroma, and flavor the hop will yield to conform for a well balanced finished beer.  Most craft beers have a combination of hops.

YEAST is seldom spoken about when describing a beer, but it is a very important component.  During the fermentation stage, Yeast converts the sugar from the Malted barley into alcohol and also carbonates the beer.  Yeast also adds to the flavor of the beer.  There are dozens of different yeast strains, and the brewer must be sure to use the proper yeast, or his beer will not be consistent.  

What’s Brewing with Craft Beers

This year, 2011, the craft brewing market now comprises of nearly 2000 breweries and several hundred more formally announced as ‘in planning'.  The craft brewing industry makes up only a small portion of the $100Billion USA beer industry sales, at 7.6% or $7.6Million.  This equates to slightly less than 10Million barrels. I contrast this to America's #1 selling beer, Bud Lite that this one brand alone market over 40Million barrels!  However, the craft beer brewer’s sales by both volume and dollars are growing.  Last year, the craft segment made up the fastest growing group, with sales dollars up 12%.  I note the entire USA beer market was actually down 1%.

The craft beer brewers continue to be innovating, with full-bodied, full tasting brews.  Not one to be complacent, they continue to experiment and market unique beers.  Big brewers are well aware of these trends, which is why they are seeking to carve out their own craft space: MillerCoors with its Tenth and Blake division, which markets brands such as Blue Moon, Leinenkugel’s, Pilsner Urquell, Peroni, Killian’s, Henry Weinhard’s, Grolsch, Tyskie, Lech, Cristal, Cusquena, Aguila, Batch 19, Kasteel Cru, and AC Golden brands.   

Meanwhile, newly created giant Anheuser-Bush/InBev is not one to stand still with ownership in several craft breweries such as Goose Island, Redhook, Widmer, and Kona…. and to name a few more …
Stella Artois, Becks, Hoegaarden, Leffe, Alexander Keith’s, Antarctica, Aqua Fratelli, Vita, Astika Fine Quality Lager, Baisha, BagBier, Bass, Belle-Vue, Boddingtons, Bohemia, Boomerang, Caracu, Castlemaine XXXX, Chernigivske, Diebels, Diekirch Dimix, Dommelsch, Double Deer, Franziskaner, Gilde Ratskeller, Guaraná Antarctica Guaraná Brahma, Haake-Beck, Harbin, Hasserõder, Hertog Jan, Jinling, Jinlongquan
Julius, Jupiler, KK, Klinskoye, Kokanee, La Bécasse, Lakeport Pilsener
Liber , Löwenbräu , Mousel , Murphy's , Oranjeboom , Paceña , Permskoye , Gubernskoye , Piedboeuf , Phoenix
Quilmes Cristal , Red Shilliang , Rifey , Rogan , Safir , Santai, Sedrin , Sibirskaya Korona , Skol , Spaten, , St. Pauli Girl , Sukita , Tolstiak , Vieux Temps , Yali , Yantar
Zizhulin , and Zhujiang.     Honestly, there's more .....

A few fun facts I found from Nielsen Research include

- The average mainstream light or regular (mass produced) beer drinker had 11.8 beers per week, compared with 8.5 for the average mainstream craft beer drinker.

- The craft beer drinkers insists his beers are more interesting and unique

than the regular mass produced beers, as well as fuller flavor, and yes…. more expensive

- The average craft drinker spends $60.16 per bar and restaurant check on food and drinks, compared with $44.18 for the average premium light-beer drinker.

-The average craft beer drinker is 24-35 and is a male with ‘higher education’.

Keep checking back to the Nor’easter Blog, we’re trying to update often.  We’d enjoy hearing your comments as well.  Feel free to follow us on Twitter by clicking on @Nor'easter.  This is updated daily with fun beer facts.

Alcohol is Alcohol. A Drink is a Drink … WRONG

The Beer Institute recently generated a report comparing beer and hard liquor to make a point that the alcohol in beer and the alcohol in a cocktail with hard liquor are very different.

According to BI, the fact is, beer, wine, and hard liquor ARE different.  One alcohol beverage can have significantly more or less alcohol content than another.  Even liquors themselves can have dramatically different levels of pure alcohol.   As a result, two different drinks can have dramatically different effects on a person's sobriety, and hence ability to operate a car or piece of equipment.

Many brewers in the industry were upset because a campaign to convince policymakers at both a state and a federal level had been launched in recent years by the hard liquor lobby. It's time to put a stop to the propaganda and look at the facts.

Alcohol for a regular drink-

Regular beer  .60 ounces

Light Beer .45ounces

Martini has over 1.5 ounces

Mohito 2 ounces

Note: regular domestic beer contains about 14 grams of alcohol; compare that to some Cocktails with more than 40 grams of alcohol per drink! 

One should never drink and drive, and we are not supporting the opposite is true.  Consumption and intoxication also depends on several factors, such as weight; however, clearly, having two beers or two cocktails or two glasses of wine result in a very different mindset.  I hope this release is obvious, and that the lobbyists for the spirits industry agree. All drinks are NOT created equal!

Oregon Loves Craft Beer!

Did you know, Oregon is the second-largest producer of craft beer in the USA, (the city of Portland itself has 36 breweries),  the second largest producer  of Hops in the country, and the fourth largest craft beer market in the country despite having only the 27th largest population?

How to ‘Taste’ Beer

Did you know there are well over 200 ‘official’ styles of beer as outlined by BJCP – Beer Judge Certification Program?  It is becoming increasingly more and more of a challenge to the novice to differentiate and confirm which style of beer one is drinking.   It has been said that over 85% of what we describe as "flavor" is actually aroma. Hence, the smell of a beer plays a very big part in your overall experience.

Although most of us will never spend the time to become beer aficionados, I thought I’d grab a few pointers from the well-respected Ray Daniels, a former Chicago home-brewer expert who runs Cicerone, one of the country's only beer sommelier certification programs.  One large challenge for us mere mortals is the basic complexity of malt, hops, yeast and even the water used. Unfortunately, our mouths can handle just five basic tastes: sour, sweet, salty, and bitter  …. and most of us have a problem telling one from the other!

Beer aficionados are taught to swirl, sniff, sip and swish the brews around their mouths, breathing back in as they swallow. That's to get what Daniels call retro nasal smelling, the technical term for the aromas that you can only pick up at the back of your nose and throat.  Surely, you and I can swirl and sniff (I know I can sip) so we too can look the part!  However, here comes the challenge - pay attention to what you're smelling and tasting and feeling. Also, characteristics from beer color ("is it brick or tawny brown?"); to flavor ("is it tart and crisp?"); to characteristics of malt (toasty, caramels) and hops (pine, citrus/grapefruit, oregano) to mouth feel (silky, oily, airy, hollow).  These are all important attributes when one must describe a beer (much less identify a style!).

One of the biggest sins we common beer drinkers are accused of is drinking out of the can or bottle. Ray Daniels may ask (and rightfully so) would you drink wine from the bottle?   All beer drinkers need to pour your beer into glass, and not just any glass (more on this subject on another blog – for now refer to list of proper glassware at BeerAdvocate.com and a discussion of  the proper beer temperatures on RateBeer.com.)

The beer geeks might tell you that the beer not poured correctly into a proper glass could be too cold and absolutely all the aroma is trapped inside a bottle, and therefore, most of what you perceive as taste is not free to float into your nose!   SO, if you wish to ‘look the part’ always pour your beer into a glass! Also, swirl, sniff, sip and swish.

The final advice we offer here on this Nor’easter Brewing Blog is to attempt to isolate one flavor characteristic at a time.  Many craft beers are ‘complex’ which means there is a lot going on – from a variety of malted barleys, to a combination of hops, to an unique strain of yeast, to elements and different tastes found in the water.  

Clearly the important part is to enjoy your beer, but with all the hard efforts a micro craft brewer spent of hand crafting your beer, it is nice to spend the time evaluating it. 

US Legislation still Reviewing Excise Tax for Brewers

Two bills, which were recently under review by Congress, include redefining what a small craft beer brewery is and the reduction of the federal beer excise tax.   Currently, a small USA brewery is required to pay $18/barrel (31 gallons) in federal exercise tax for each barrel produced beyond 2Million barrels.  Small breweries now pay only $7 per barrel on the first 60,000 barrels brewed and the regional breweries pay $18/barrel above the 60,000 to $million.  Much like our country's income tax system, the more you make, the more you pay …..

The new bill would redefine a small brewery from those that produce less than 2Million barrels, and increase this level to 6Million barrels.  The bill would also reduce the excise tax from $7 to $3.50/barrel on production up to 60,000 barrels, and also from $18 to $16/barrel over the 60,000 to 2million.

Beyond allowing breweries to reduce the price of beer to the consumer, this bill would also allow additional revenue to the brewery for expansion and hiring additional employees.  This would serve as one more initiative to improve the economy. 

Nor'easter Team Hard at Work

The Nor'easter Brewing staff is in discussions with the State of Connecticut and the Federal Government to confirm all the various forms and licenses which are required for a new brewery as well as labels for new beers.  The laws are reams thick, and if our application is not completed with 100% accuracy - we start all over again!  We were told the process could take 'months'. Please follow our site by bookmarking the Happenings tab on our main Nor'easter Brewing Company LLC ( NEBC ) website

Craft Beer Sours and Black IPA are the new Trends

The Craft Brewers are always trying to be unique.  Although most stick to the basic ingredients of beer (and as defined by the German purity law - Reinheitsgebot) as Barley, Hops, Yeast and Water – now many are varying off with both materials and process.  The two newest trends are Black IPA (sometimes called Cascadian IPA) and the Sours (which have actually been around since the early 2000).

The Sours are a traditional Belgian tradition, and might include Lambics, Gueuzes, and Flemish Sour Ales.   The perception is off flavor or tart, but this is not necessarily the case.  These beers are brewed with wild yeasts, and in some cases, bacteria is introduced.  In America, these beers are generally aged for many months, or even years in wooden barrels.  If you have not had a sour, you should.  They are absolutely different than a traditional Lager or Ale, but very good.

Brewers have also been adjusting the IPA style to the ‘dark side’.  This new style, sometimes referred to as Cascadian Dark Ale, or simply Black IPA is a cross between a Port or Stout and an IPA.  It has plenty of Citrus and Floral hops, yet notes of Coffee and Caramel or Cocoa.  While it is a chore for the brewer to maintain balance, the hops and malt does generate a nice bitter beer.

These two styles, for the most part, are brewed with traditional ingredients and not adjuncts.  I’ve had both and I find them very good.  Try them at your next beer festival – I’m sure someone is offering both!

Nor'easter Brewing adds more details on Beers to be Marketed

The Nor'easter Brewery team has been extremely busy in an effort to create truly unique recipes for their flagship beers.  We offer a sneak peak at the year round beers and hope fellow beer drinkers will enjoy them. 

-Nor’easter Pale Ale – A light and refreshing classic beer, golden yellow beer with light floral aroma from choice hops.  This will be an easy to drink light bodied beer.

-Nor’easter IPA – Our IPA beer (India Pale Ale) will be a crisp, medium bodied, beer with a dark copper shade.  Plenty of choice, high Alpha hops, yet well balanced and not too intense for the best IPA from our select malted barley.

-Nor’easter Brown Ale – This will be a medium body, brown beer brewed with the finest two row barley with soft but serious aromas of hops.

-Nor’easter ESB – Extra Special Bitter  - A darker copper colored yet full bodied Ale, with high bitterness and mild carbonation. Not overly hopped, but rather well balanced.

Nor'easter Brewery Announces Styles to be Brewed

Nor'easter Brewing Company LLC (NEBC) will offer four year round flagship beers which are Ales and will be easy drinking, session beers. NEBC will also market four seasonal beers which will enjoy a more complex, robust body,  and higher alcohol content.  All our styles will be Hand Crafted Beers and will be the freshest, most delicious beers available.

The brewery and our brews are currently in the planning stages for our Southwestern Connecticut beer brewery.  Our initial plan is to offer four year round flagship brands, IPA (India Pale Ale), Pale Ale, Brown Ale, and an ESB (Extra Special Bitter) as well as four more complex and robust seasonal brews – one for each season of the year.  All our hand crafted beers will only use the freshest barley, choice hops, and brew with only the purest of water.  

SAVOR Craft Beer 2011 Event

Last Saturday, June 4, the Brewers Association hosted the second annual SAVOR: an American Craft Beer and Food Experience at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. We can report that the 2011 SAVOR event was a real high light for the Nor’easter Brewing Company team members that attended. We walked the floor and tasting many of the craft beers and chef prepared paired foods (and hope to be pouring our beers at a future SAVOR beer/food pairing) . The event had fantastic food, great craft beers, and 'real' beer connoisseurs! After walking the floor, in an attempt to taste all the craft beers, we found it difficult to pick 'the very best’ beer or brewery!

Another terrific attribute of this event was most of the tables had either the owner, head brewer, or both pouring beers and entertaining all the fellow beer drinkers. This should be an event whereby anyone that truly appreciates craft beer should attend at some point in their lives.

The evening was complete with educational salons and private tastings for those that wanted this; virtually every style of beer was represented on the main floor from some of the top brewers in the country, sharing some of their rarest beers

The Brewer’s Association did a wonderful job selecting a unique list of breweries and a few brewpubs – all with stellar craft beers to please the vast array of beer and food enthusiasts in attendance.

All in all, the organizers at the Brewer’s Association did a fine job assuring that this year’s SAVOR offered unique craft beers and fine food pairings, educational sessions, and private tasting salons. After just the second anniversary, it’s become a must-attend for lovers of fine food and quality microbrews, and a standard-setting affair. The event has sold out quickly this year, so keep your eyes on promotions for dates for 2012 SAVOR.

Statistics from BA
Craft breweries: 72 Beer Styles / Offerings: 144
Menu items prepared (not including cheese, oysters or sushi): 82,000 pieces
Craft beer at the event: Over 1,705 gallons (that’s ½ gallon each!)
Ice required to cool the beer: 20,000 lbs
Attendance each night: 2,000 smiling faces
Artisan cheese for sampling: 250 lbs
Sushi rolls: Nearly 2,000
Artisan chocolate truffles: 2,200
Oysters: 2,600

Pouring the Perfect Beer

-Hold the glass at an angle slightly over 45 degrees under the bottle, pouring the beer slowly and allowing it to roll on the bottom of the glass. This provides a nice aeration and lots of head. As the glass fills, pour the beer faster and slowly bring the glass to an upright position.

-Allow the foam/head to slightly 'fall' down the glass and while the foam is cascading over the glass (hopefully you are doing this near a sink) use a head cutter (straight edge) to take the top layer of foam off the glass. This seals the beer.

-Clean the sides of the glass before serving and inspect the head of foam. The perfect pour yields approximately a 'two finger' head.

-Present the beer to your fellow micro craft beer drinkers. NOTE: I like to bring the bottle with me to show the label.

TIP: Be sure the glass is clean. A chilled glass is a bonus!

Have you ever been with a group of folks or to a beer festival and everyone appears to be a beer expert? Well, here’s a few easy tips on tasting beers-

TIP: It is normally best to evaluate more than just one beer at a time, so you can compare.