Beer News Blog

Unfortunately beer drinkers have not been turning Japanese, at least not at the rate they were last year.  Recently, Kirin Holdings Co. reported lower-than-expected semi-annual earnings.  Compared to the same time period in 2006 Kirin Holdings, which owns Australian Lion Nathan and Philippines San Miguel Group, reported that sales in 2007 are down 12%.  Sighting an unforseen rise in the cost of raw materials and slower turns of their numerous brands over the last six months.

Kirin President Kazuyasu Kato explained, “We had a much higher-than-expected impact on our earnings from higher raw material expenses.”  The Japanese beer giant hoped efforts of its Marketing Departments through cross-promotion and increased point of sale merchandise would carry them through the increased raw material spend.  However, this strategy ultimately fell short of its target.

Kato mentioned that he did not foresee the cost of raw materials to drop down to their 2006 price range.  He has not ruled out the option to raise the cost of their products, but hopes further marketing plans will bring Kirin’s sales back toward their 2007 forecast.  To make matters worse, rival Japanese brewer Asahi took over the top spot as Japan’s number one beer.

Although not mentioned in the release, another reason why many large brewers and well-known brands have been struggling in 2007 is due to the growth of the craft beer industry.  More and more beer enthusiasts are buying outside of the traditional brands.  Although import brands have seen steady growth over the last few years, tried and true brands like Kirin and others are beginning to suffer as consumers are venturing out to newer, smaller and local beer brands.

Successful food and beverage pairings are the source of some of the greatest pleasures of modern culture.

A fine steak with a full-bodied cabernet sauvignon, a delicate filet of sole matched with a chilled pinot grigio, BBQ and lemonade, a burger and a Coke, even milk and cookies. But a true American favorite has long been pizza and beer.

Almost without exception beer provides the most satisfying match with nearly every conceivable pizza topping. It matters not whether a crust is thick or thin, the top is all vegetables or as meaty as can be, beer will wash it down superbly.

In its earliest beginnings beer itself was often brewed bread as an important ingredient, giving the yeasts something to eat during the fermentation. This archeological crumb gave rise to an idea—why not brew beer that actually tastes like pizza? A beer that actually contains pizza?

Tom Seefurth, a home brewer in St. Charles, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, has now done just that. His ‘Mama Mia’ brew contains fresh tomatoes, fresh pizza dough, fresh oregano, fresh garlic, and ground pepper.

If the combination sounds a little off-putting, maybe you could order pepperoni, peppers and sausage, or even a BBQ chicken. So far no word yet from anyone who’s tried it, but it’s being sold at Walter Payton’s Roundhouse in Aurora.