Beer News Blog

Now that the cobwebs are gone from the celebratory hangovers that struck St. Patrick’s Day revelers the morning of March 18th, it’s time to reflect on Ireland’s deepening national tragedy. No, not the well-known “Troubles”, but something that hits even closer to home here in America.

The beverage most associated with Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day—and by that I mean Guinness Stout—is suffering steeply declining sales in its homeland.

Completely unthinkable! Totally unacceptable!

Imagine milk declining in popularity in Wisconsin, or Budweiser losing ground in
St. Louis. We’d be calling out the National Guard.

But it’s true. According to reports, the 7% decline in Guinness sales between 2005 and 2006 is due to several factors.

One, a switch to wine, is a shocker in Ireland, the veritable homeland of stout and Irish whisky. Another, equally stunning, is a thirst for imported beer, mainly from other European countries. In addition, younger, less patient drinkers are going for instant gratification, ordering easier to appreciate stuff like lagers, ciders, and spirits.

But the final blow, undermining our entire perception of Old Country life, is that growing numbers of Ireland’s young—and it’s newly-arrived immigrants—are unwilling to wait the extra minute or two for the perfect Guinness to be drawn. Now THAT hurts!

There is hope, however. Diageo, the parent of Guinness, reports that sales are cruising along very well outside Ireland, especially North America and West Africa. In North America, Guinness is associated with chest-thumping manliness. In West Africa it’s apparently well know to enhance male prowess.

The Guinness people have so far refused to comment on that last one.

April 7th may not mean much to you, perhaps its just another day in April. But if you are a member of the beer drinking community, you should know this date quite well. April 7th, 1933 was the day that prohibition came to an end, the day beer drinkers were free to consume their favorite beverage again. It was a day where all rejoiced, after having spent 13 years stomaching gin fermented in bath tubs and beer brewed in dark basements.

On January 16th, 1920 the United States Government ratified the 18th Amendment to the Constitution by a vote of 140 to 64, and the era of prohibition was upon us. For the next 13 years police departments throughout the country were forced to shut down any and alcohol distribution, sales and consumption. Suffice to say this was a very dark time in American history. But then came President Roosevelt, and on December 5th, 1933 the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was ratified and the sales of 3.2 beer and light wines was legal again. On March 23rd of that year President Roosevelt signed the it into law and on April 7th beer was rolling again. This historic date was commemorated when the first “legal” beer in 13 years was delivered to the White House gates.

To celebrate the end of prohibition and the holiday of April 7th, the Brewers Association’s Brew Year’s Eve is once again almost at hand. You can celebrate this holiday at your local brewery. This Saturday, April 7th, hundreds of breweries throughout the country will be promoting the holiday with drink specials, unique brews and other fun and exciting activities. By visiting the Web site www.brewyearseve.com you can find participating breweries in your area. Just use the simple drop down to find out which breweries will be celebrating in your area. Brew Year’s Eve is a great way to get to know your local brewery and spend time with beer enthusiasts just like you!

This weblog is always bringing you important news about beer…we recently revealed that a cattle farmer in England has begun to serve beer to his cattle hoping to create a more “Kobe-style” beef. That and the daily massages, it is hoped, will produce a more tender and higher-priced product. I even connected that with the “Happy Cows” featured in California’s cheese marketing campaign, suggesting they could be even more content with a liberal allowance of beer.

I never though the twain would meet, but they have. Now, in an incredible twist to the bovine-beer connection, an enterprising Japanese brewer has teamed up with a local dairy farmer who has surplus milk on his hands (so to speak) and now includes milk as a principal ingredient in one its beer offerings.

Milk has never figured very large in the Japanese diet, so that may explain the excess milk supply.

Beer, however, has long been important to Japan’s culture. The beer industry and the banking industry have been partners for a long time. Beer and sake are the national beverages of Japan.

So, it’s all too true—the Abashiri Brewery on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido has begun production of “Bilk”, a name not calculated to generate much sales here in the States. It’s hoped Bilk’s flavor (described as “fruity”) will appeal to women. Since one-third of the beer is milk, will Japanese mothers decide it’s OK to give it to their growing children? That’d give it some market penetration potential.

As only 6 stores are offering it and they are all in the same town, it’ll take a trip to Japan taste it.

I’ll see you in Nakashibetsu, Hokkaido!

Around here, we love a fresh idea, especially when it has to do with our favorite beverage - BEER!  Lion Nathan, a New Zealand-based brewer has created a line of beer intended to be viewed as … well … different.  At a time when most of the beer world is scrambling to differentiate themselves, or purchase brands that differentiate themselves, Lion Nathan is out there getting it done. 

Their new line up, dubbed “MASH”, offers three new brews that will be introduced in the New Zealand market shortly.  The MASH lineup consists of MASH Golden Lager, MASH Citrus Lager and MASH Energy Lager.  MASH Golden Lager is a smooth and refreshing beer, MASH Citrus Lager is similar, yet offers a hint of lime flavor and MASH Energy Lager contians guarana, a supplement used as an energy boost. 

“MASH is unlike an other beer currently available, both in terms of brand personality and actual beer.  The brand launch is just the beginning of a new era in beer innovation at Lion Nathan that is completely driven by customer need,” says Ben Wheeler, MASH marketing manager. 

The idea behind MASH, is that the brand allows its consumers to mash their beer with other elements of their lifestyle.  As Lion Nathan mashes new ingredients and flavors into their brews, so too should consumers find new ways and new situations to incorporate beer-drinking into their lifestyles.  If you feel like having a beer with lime, reach for MASH Citrus. If you feel like partying all night long, have a MASH Energy.  If you feel like enjoying a good quality beer, have a MASH Golden Lager.  But more importantly, the brand asks the consumer to create their own occasions and instances when a MASH product should be consumed.

This is a unique marketing approach, certainly a departure from the “drink a beer with your buddies while watching the game” notion that has been pressed upon beer consumers for the better part of a century.  Brands like A-B, Miller and Coors have spent billions associating their brands with sporting events, while the thought behind the MASH brand is that the consumer will find new ways to enjoy beer. 

It will be interesting to see how the brand goes over amongst New Zealand’s beer drinking community.  If you see MASH at your local grocery or liquor store, chances are it went well.  If this is the first and last time you hear about MASH, I’ll bet Lion Nathan gets a new marketing manager.

We’ve discussed the growth of craft beer on this site numerous times, and today will be no different!  As the awareness of “better tasting beer” continues to spread amongst American consumers, craft beer companies are posting huge gains.  Popular craft beer brand, Boston Beer, is the latest to see their sales jump in the double digits.  Posting a 17% jump in sales during their fiscal 2006, Boston Beer is poised to gain an even larger market share in the next year.  As a result “crafty” investors are beginning to take notice, and make some nice dividends.

Boston Beer, known mostly for their popular Samuel Adams brands, has seen its second consecutive double digit gain after growing 12% in 2005.  After selling a then mind-blowing 1,364 barrels of their brew in 2005, Boston Beer saw that number grow to 1,612 in 2006.  “We believe we gained share of both the ‘Better Beer’ and ‘Craft Beer’ categories in 2006,” said Jim Koch, chairman of Boston Beer and prominent figure in the company’s “small business”-style advertising campaign.

Perhaps the idea of a small company is what appeals to consumers.  There has been an undeniable shift in the last two years away from the “big beer brands” such as Budweiser, Miller and Coors.  As more and more beer enthusiasts become familiar with smaller breweries and the idea of craft beer, their dollars are increasingly being spent in this segment.  In 2006 Boston Beer reported a net income of $18.2 million or $1.27 per share, up from 2005’s $15.6 million or $1.07 per share.  Similarly, overall revenue climbed to $315.3 million in 2006, up from $263.3 the year before.

Although their brewing operations take place in Cincinnati, Boston Beer is considering opening a new brewery closer to the company’s namesake of Boston, Mass.  Boston Beer has an option on land in Freetown, Mass.  The move would do much for their “hometown”, “small business” image, a marketing ploy that could bring their business to their projected $1.42 per share in 2007.

Boston Beer Inc. is a craft brewer whose brands include Samuel Adams Beer and Twisted Tea.

There are times in all of our lives when we need a little help along the way. In the wake of the catastrophic events surrounding Hurricane Katrina, many people wanted to help the residents of the New Orleans, but few knew how to help. The Brantley Baptist Center, however, knew exactly what needed to be done - they needed to get displaced residents into a safe, comfortable environment as soon as possible. Bringing those who had lost everything in the storm back to a sense of normalcy by putting a roof back over their heads and good, nutritiuos foods back into their bellies.

A chance meeting between Micro Matic and the Brantley Baptist Center occurred when the Micro Matic staff was in New Orleans for the 2007 Cheers Beverage Conference, an event for foodservice and hospitality executives that was held January 29th and 30th. It just so happened Micro Matic had brought a walk-in refrigerator to the show as a part of their exhibit. At the show, exhibitors and attendees saw first hand the devastation left in the wake of last year’s hurricane season. Micro Matic was introduced to a representative of the Brantley Baptist Center and learned about the incredible work they were doing for the people of New Orleans.

They had provided lodging and other amenities for hundreds of displaced New Orleans residents because they were fortunate enough to have avoided the flooding that had damaged the vast majority of the city. Unfortunately, their walk-in refrigerator and cooler were destroyed in the storm, limiting their ability to serve meals to those who so desperately needed their help. That’s when it donned on Micro Matic to donate the walk-in refrigerator they had brought to the show.

“It made perfect sense for us to donate the walk-in refrigerator, which we had shipped to New Orleans to use as an Exhibitor at the Cheers Conference, to a local organization that has done so much for victims of Hurricane Katrina and could benefit from its use.” said Peter Muzzonigro, Micro Matic President. “We were happy to offer a helping hand to The Brantley Center, whose mission is to provide aid to so many in need.”

“This donation will be very useful to our work. Our center did not suffer the flooding that struck 85% of New Orleans - but we did lose both our walk-in refrigerator and freezer to Hurricane Katrina.” says Dr. Tobey Pitman, Executive Director of The Brantley Center.

The Brantley Center, which also serves as a dormitory that provides food and shelter for volunteers from all over the country who have come to help the victims of Katrina, received the refrigerator at the conclusion of the Cheers Conference when Micro Matic employees disassembled it, transferred it to the center and reassembled it for the center’s staff, volunteers and the residents. The 6 x 8 x 10 foot refrigerator, which has a fully galvanized stainless steel and aluminum exterior and interior walls, is typically used by full-service restaurants throughout the United States. Today, the refrigerator is being used to restore order and normalcy to the lives of hundreds of New Orleans residents struggling to get back on their feet. We hope our small donation goes along way for the amzing workers, volunteers and residents of The Brantley Center.

If you would like to make a contribution to the Brantley Baptist Center you can do so by contacting them at:

Brantley Baptist Center 201 Magazine St. New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 504-523-5751