Why Not Host a Beer Tasting Party?

For your next party at the house, why not host a beer tasting event?  This is a great way to introduce your buddies to craft beer and have a fun, unique party. 

Here are a few suggestions

-It’s best to invite a small gathering, 4-10 people and mandate that the objective is purely to have fun!

-We suggest you pour 6 - 8 beers, and only fill each glass 1//3 of the way.  2 bottles of 12oz for each style per 8 people works well.

-The glasses should be clear (no plastic PLEASE) and large red wine glasses do just fine. Please be sure they are clean!

-Set up the tasting to start with the least %ABV (alcohol) and minimal hoppiness /flavor and proceed to the more robust beers

-Note, do not be concerned with shade; the darker the beer       has little to do with how robust the style is nor amount of alcohol.

-Have a pitcher of water to rinse both your month and the glass

-Also, crackers (unsalted) or bread might help to cleanse the palette between tastings

-Be sure not to serve the beer to cold – over chilled beer numbs the taste buds!

-Everyone should taste the same beer at the same time.  It’s more than fine to discuss the attributes of each beer with one another – why keep it a secret, if fact, this is encouraged and commenting on each beer is the objective to the party!

-You can certainly hand out a beer-rating sheet – there’s plenty of websites that do a good job presenting score sheets for you to print and distribute

-Lots of factors to evaluate and discuss – keep it simple … it’s a party

         -Presentation – shade, aroma, head, clarity

         -Taste- fruity, dry, sweet, bitter, smooth, yeasty, alcohol

         -Body – Thin/Thick, temperature, bubbly, mouth feel 
         -Drinkability – personal preference – no right / wrong answer here 
         -Overall impression – AKA would you buy a 6pack or dump it down the drain?

-May also be helpful, after the discussion begins, to present a professional description of the beer and style.  Folks like Beer Advocate and Rate Beer both do a fine job here.

Remember, the real trick is to remind everyone to have fun! The best beer is the one YOU like! 

Don’t forget to order more beer for everyone to celebrate AFTER the tasting

Cheers!

A look at Today's Beer Market

Nielson, the marketing survey company,  just reported on current beer sales and confirmed that craft beer is still growing, despite overall beer sales declining in the USA.  The report reviewed strong overall summer beer sales, although off-premise continued to be slower than normal.  Craft beers enjoyed a 16.8% increase by volume and an 18% increase in sales dollars for 52 weeks, ending September 17.  The average case of craft beer is now $31.72.  Note, craft beer only makes up 5% of the total USA beer market.


Neilson further commented on imported beers and that they too have declined 1.1%, while overall domestic beer volume in USA declined by 1.7%.  Of interest, is the 'below premium' beer (selling at $14.65/case average) fell by a whopping 3.9%.  Among the imports which was an exception were the Belgium beers, lead by Stella Artois - this country's imports actually increased for the same 52 weeks by 26% ! Although overall total beer sold in USA declined by volume, but dollar sales increased by 0.8%.  The average price for a case of beer rose 2.3% and is now $19.74/case.


Overall alcohol (beer, wine, spirits) prices, according to the US Consumer Price Index,  rose 1.4% for the year through September.  Overall, off-premise pricing for all alcohol was flat and on-premise increased by 3.5%.  By category, beer pricing increased 2.3% for on-premise and + 1.3% for off-premise.

The Proper Beer Glassware for the Perfect Craft Beer Experience

The shape of the glass is actually fundamental in delivering the aroma, and thus taste, of your beer.  Such attributes as the height of the glass, how wide or narrow the glassware is, and the shape of the mouth all effect the bouquet.  As outlined earlier on the Nor'easter Brewing website, your nose is important and, therefore,  taste and aroma are absolutely connected.  As a point of fact, smell (or aroma) enhances flavor. 

The primary objectives of the glassware chosen are four fold; namely, the  ability to retain the beer's head or foam, allow for aromas to enter your nose, the glass should control the temperature of the beer inside the glass, and, lastly,  provide a delicious and full taste for the style of beer you are drinking. 

TIP: Your craft beer will taste phenomenal no matter what glass you pour it into; however, the proper glassware WILL enhance your enjoyment. There are literally dozens of different types and styles of glassware available.  We include the most popular for your reading enjoyment.

Irish Imperial Pint

-My personal favorite!

Glass Shape Features - This glass shape includes a wide 'rounding' mouth tapering down slightly at the base. Most likely the glassware that comes to mind when you are traveling and say   ' I'll have a pint...'

Glass Functionality - The tapered base allows for less heat transfer from the hands and the wider mouth encourages a tall head of foam and room for the hop aromas to escape and be smelled.

Perfect for these Beers - Stouts (although I use this glass for numerous styles)

'Nonick' Imperial Pint

-This is very similar in appearance to the Irish version above with the exception of a bulge about a quarter way down from the mouth of the glass.  

Glass Shape Features  - The bulge allows for a better grip (difficult to slip out of your hands), very good hop aroma is released from the wide mouth, and,  if the glasses are stacked (as bars and restaurants normally do), the notch prevents each glass from sticking together. 

Perfect for these Beers - Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Stout, ESB, Porter, IPA

Classic Pilsner Fluted Glass

-A very popular beer glass at fancy restaurants.

Glass Shape Features - This is a tall, slender, conical shaped glass with a narrow base and a wide mouth.

Glass Functionality - The narrow base design brings bubbles of hop aroma to your nose as you tip the glass back from each sip.

Perfect for these Beers - Kolsch, Pilsner, Scotch Ale

Tulip or Snifter

This is certainly the 'prettiest' beer glassware and borrowed from the world of spirits for Brandy.

Glass Shape Features - This tulip-like design creates a large round bottom on a stem which actually enhances the transfer of heat from your hand to the beer while allowing aromas to escape.

Glass Functionality - Encourages a warmer beer which creates a better tasting experience.  Meanwhile, the expanded mouth permits much of the aromas from the hops to penetrate your nose for the perfect taste.  This beer glass is ideal for strong beers over 8% ABV and strong malty craft beers.

Perfect for these Beers - Russian Imperial Stout, Strong Ales, Dopple Bock, Double IPA, Saison, Lambric, Tripel

Handled Glass Stien  (AKA 'The Mug')

-Probably the most traditional beer glassware.

Glass Shape Features  - This stien is typically made of thick glass with an easy gripping handle for drinking. The mug is approximately the same diameter from mouth to base.

Glass Functionality -The shape promotes easy drinking and the handle completely eliminates any heat transfer from your hands.

Perfect for these Beers - Vienna, Oktoberfest, Marzen, Dunkel.

American Shaker Pint

-By far the most common beer glassware in the USA ... known as the 'pint glass'.

Glass Shape Features  - This tall glass enjoys a slightly larger mouth than base to promote easy drinking, but fails to promote hop nor malted barley aroma and flavor.

Glass Functionality - Beyond the ease of stacking, this beer glass is strictly 'function over form' and should be avoided!

Perfect for these Beers - Wheat, Amber, light beers

Clean Beer Glass ... Please

Unfortunately, in our fast paced world of wanting everything NOW,  restaurants and pubs tend to throw a bunch of soap on a beer mug, maybe dip it in a sanitizer, and than rinse it in a nana second, and stick it on the rack.  This is not to say the glass is not ‘clean’ … but it is not beer clean!  A dirty glass can kill the taste of a great beer.  

One immediate tell tale is your beer appears flat – absolutely no head of foam and no bubbles floating to the surface – the mental image hurts!  If the glass is properly cleaned, the sides of the glass should have a lacing effect with every sip from the head of foam; the head should remain in tact for most of the beer; bubbles should constantly rise to the top; and no bubbles should cling to the side of the glass.

You certainly do not want to appear as a pushy beer drinker, but if your beer appears flat, it is most likely not enjoyable and should be sent back and exchanged for a beer in a clean glass.

Pairing Beer with Food

 Once the Nor’easter Brewing Company is in operation, we will revisit this release and recommend our specific beers for pairing with food. In the meantime, we wanted to document something now, because for ‘centuries’, it’s always been “which wine goes best with this meal”; today, beer has finally made it on to the menu.  In fact, more and more restaurants now boost a beer selection as large as the wine choices!  In fact, joining the ranks of wine experts at restaurants, beer sommeliers, or formally referred to as cicerones, have popped up in cities across the country in increasing numbers.

We, at Nor’easter, believe that beer may actually be more food-friendly than wine.  The carbonation from beer actually can serve as a cleanser to your palette and there are now so many beers and various beer styles to choose from.  It is our hope that you will soon discover that not only can beer enhance the flavor of food, but food enhances the flavor of beer as well.  Basically, delicate or light dishes work best with lighter bodied and noncomplex beers, and it is equally true that strongly flavored foods demand more assertive and heavy bodied beers. Intensity of beer flavor may involve many aspects: alcoholic strength, malt character, degree and variety of hop and its bitterness, sweetness, richness, body or mouthfeel, and so on.

Keep in mind that matching food with beer is not an exact science, even for the pros.  But most tend to agree, lighter beers tend to go well with lighter foods, and, heavier beers with heavier foods.  I will note, although the majority of beer cicerones look for commonalities, that is a spicy dish with a heavily hopped IPA, or fish with a pilsner; while a few cicerones believe that contrasting flavors is a better compliment, that is a stout paired with chicken or fish, or an Imperial Porter with a salad.

Some beer cicerones might even recommend to simply thinking ethnic. Try bratwurst (complete with grilled onions and horseradish) with a German dark lager or an English Stout with Shepherd’s Pie; perhaps an American pilsner with raw or steamed New England clams. How about beer from Mexico with Quesadillas, or Italian beer with Pasta. How can you go wrong with this method?  I might add, this makes a wonderful theme for a ‘beer’ dinner party.

Another thought is to treat beer like wine ….OK, you wine lovers, still confused?  Some people say lager is like white wine and ale is like red.  Ales tend to be ‘heavier,’ fruity, more complex, and robust, while lagers are lighter, crisp, and comparatively delicate. Recall the age-old rule, red meat; you should have red wine, the new rule …. Red meat, you should have an IPA. With beer, it may be simply said heavy food, heavy beer - light food, a lighter beer.

We offer the following to assist you wine drinkers trying to convert -  

>If we agree that light body wines examples include -Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Barbera, Pinot Grigio


>Why not substitute these beers:  Lager, Pilsner, and Wheat

>Medium body wines examples include Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah

>Why not substitute these beers:  Ale, IPA, Bock

>Heavy body wines examples include: Cabernet Sauvignon, and Oaky Chardonnay

>Why not substitute these beers:  Stout, Porter, and Barley wine

I provide a simple chart created by Epicurious  -

Why not hang it up in the kitchen?

Ale:

Pair with: Burgers; buffalo wings; Asian food; Mexican food; spicy food; nutty food; fried food; pizza; steaks; Cheddar, Parmesan, or Romano cheeses.

Bock beer:

Pair with: Gruyère, Emmental, and Swiss cheeses; Cajun food; jerk chicken; beef; sausage; seared foods.

Lager:

Pair with: Shellfish; light seafood; sushi; grilled pork and chicken; not-too-heavy pasta dishes (without cream or meat sauces); Southeast Asian food; Latin food; Mexican food; spicy food.

Pilsner:

Pair with: American cheese; Muenster, Havarti, and Monterey Jack cheeses; salads; light seafood; salmon; tuna; trout; asparagus; Asian food; Mexican food; spicy food.

Porter:

Pair with: Smoked foods; barbecue; sausage; rich stews; meats; bacon; chili; braised dishes.

Stout:

Pair with: Roasted foods; smoked foods; barbecued/grilled foods; salty foods; oysters; rich stews; braised dishes; chocolate; desserts (ideally the beer is sweeter than the dish).

Wheat Beers

Pair with: Light soups and salads; vegetarian dishes; sushi; Gruyère cheese and Feta/goat cheese; sweet and fruity Asian dishes; citrus-flavored dishes, including dessert and salad dressings.

Above all else, remember, this is not a science and in the end, drink the beer YOU think is best with your meal. Reality is, like wine, drink what you like, truly, there are no right and wrong pairings.  Beer IS the new wine.

As outlined in prior Nor’easter Brewing Blogs, beer is normally served too cold, it is always best served between 40°F and 50°F.  Review our past releases for the perfect temperature for the beer style you choose.

Please drop us a comment on your thoughts for pairing your favorite craft beers.

What’s the Perfect Temperature for Beer?

The simple answer is the more you want to ‘taste’ the beer, the warmer it should be served, within reason.  Most beer is served too cold in the opinion of many craft beer drinkers.  One would attribute this cold temperature to the fact that over 85% of the beer market is Budweiser, Miller, and Coors and these lagers are all served ice cold.

As a general rule of thumb, the proper temperature for Lagers should be served between 40-50F and Ales slightly warmer at 54-60F.

Although, beyond waiting until the beer becomes warmer, one normally does not have much of a choice at a restaurant or bar, and if the beer is keep in a bucket filled with ice, the 32F beer might not warm up until it’s time to leave!

Aromatic beers that are brewed with more ingredients – Pale Ales for example --should be served around 40 F to 42 F, while beers with big flavor, such as Belgian ales, will not even release their aromas until they hit about 50 F.  Temperature will certainly influence the drinker’s experience. A difference of even 10F could yield an enormous difference.

I include some material from Michael Jackson-

He proposed a five-level scale for serving temperatures: well chilled (7 °C/45 °F) for "light" beers (pale lagers); chilled (8 °C/46 °F) for Berliner Weisse and other wheat beers; lightly chilled (9 °C/48 °F) for all dark lagers, altbier and German wheat beers; cellar temperature (13 °C/55 °F) for regular British ale, stout and most Belgian specialties; and room temperature (15.5 °C/59.9 °F) for strong dark ales (especially trappist beer) and barley wine.

Ratebeer documented the following

Very cold (0-4C/32-39F): Any beer you don’t actually want to taste. Pale Lager, Malt Liquor, Canadian-style Golden Ale and Cream Ale, Low Alcohol, Canadian, American or Scandinavian-style Cider.

Cold (4-7C/39-45F): Hefeweizen, Kristalweizen, Kölsch, Premium Lager, Pilsner, Classic German Pilsner, Fruit Beer, brewpub-style Golden Ale, European Strong Lager, Berliner Weisse, Belgian White, American Dark Lager, sweetened Fruit Lambics and Gueuzes, Duvel-types

Cool (8-12C/45-54F): American Pale Ale, Amber Ale, California Common, Dunkelweizen, Sweet Stout, Stout, Dry Stout, Porter, English-style Golden Ale, unsweetened Fruit Lambics and Gueuzes, Faro, Belgian Ale, Bohemian Pilsner, Dunkel, Dortmunder/Helles, Vienna, Schwarzbier, Smoked, Altbier, Tripel, Irish Ale, French or Spanish-style Cider

Cellar (12-14C/54-57F): Bitter, Premium Bitter, Brown Ale, India Pale Ale, English Pale Ale, English Strong Ale, Old Ale, Saison, Unblended Lambic, Flemish Sour Ale, Bière de Garde, Baltic Porter, Abbey Dubbel, Belgian Strong Ale, Weizen Bock, Bock, Foreign Stout, Zwickel/Keller/Landbier, Scottish Ale, Scotch Ale, American Strong Ale, Mild, English-style Cider

Warm (14-16C/57-61F): Barley Wine, Abt/Quadrupel, Imperial Stout, Imperial/Double IPA, Doppelbock, Eisbock, Mead

Hot (70C/158F): Quelque Chose, Liefmans Glühkriek, dark, spiced winter ales like Daleside Morocco Ale.

Women Healthier with a Drink of Alcohol

Harvard University recently reported on the results from data taken on women in their 50's and the relationship on alcohol.  The study concluded that their minds were sharper, bodies fitter, and they were in better mental health!  The women in the study had an average age of 58. The researchers stated that the equivalent of four small glass of wine, 4 single measurements of spirits, or a few beers boosted the odds of a healthful life.  The study went on to show that daily drinking is more beneficial than just once or twice a week.
Although Harvard researchers expected similar benefits for men, there was no convincing evidence. 

So, I guess the moral of the study is drink responsible, have fun, and you will live a longer, happier life!  I'll certainly drink to that! Cheers!

Testing the Limits of Alcohol

Many people figure a few beers at a ballgame or a couple of glasses of wine with dinner won't put them over the legal limit for driving. But how alcohol affects people is highly individual, with a number of factors in the mix.

A few  comments

-Quick shots effect the blood stream faster than sipping

-Drinking on an empty stomach impairs reflexes

-Women and older drinkers reach intoxication faster than men and younger drinkers

-Conditions of stress, fatigue and depression increases the impact of alcohol

-Heavier drinkers can tolerate more alcohol than skinny folks 

-People that drink often are able to drink more before becoming intoxicated than those that only occasionally drink.

Drinkers who think they can tell when they have had enough are very often wrong . Further, in America, it is illegal for adults to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above .08%, which represents the percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream. For drivers under 21, any alcohol in the blood is illegal. Most experts agree, consuming one drink slowly over an entire hour is unlikely to make a person inebriated.   

Remember, drink your craft beer responsibly and have a designated driver .... just in case.

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.