Browsing articles tagged with " Homebrewing"
Eureka, CA, February 02, 2013 –(PR.com)– Humboldt County’s one-stop shop for home brewing supplies has begun working with Eureka CA-based Strategic eMarketing to update its web design and make its online presence more accessible to aspiring brewers.
In 2011, owners Jamie Ashdon and Josh Reed decided to put their 20 years of combined experience in homebrewing to good use and opened the homebrew supply store. Whether local homebrewers want to create the perfect Pilsner or IPA, Humboldt Beer Works in Eureka carries all the equipment they could ask for, along with a stock of 45 grains and dozens of hops and yeast strains.
However, the storefront is only the first phase of their brewing business plan, and a revamped website design that is SEO friendly will be one step toward future phases and expansions.
“Our initial phase of Humboldt Beer Works is a traditional homebrew supply shop,” Ashdon said. “As the business grows, we will add the highest quality organic hops, malt and other brewing ingredients for brewing organic beer. We are the one-stop shop for all things homebrew!”
Strategic eMarketing is working with Humboldt Beer Works to incorporate keywords to make http://www.humboldtbeerworks.com/ more easily accessible to the online searcher, along with a modern web design that will make it simple to navigate and look for new products. The beer blog where Ashdon and Reed have already been sharing brew news and tips will also be optimized through this project. The blog will continue to offer content Humboldt Beer Works customers can use to make better beers and learn more about the local brewing scene.
Humboldt Beer Works is located at 110 Third St., #D, Eureka CA.
About Strategic eMarketing:
This Eureka, CA based marketing and advertising company develops transactional marketing campaigns that integrate search engine optimization, social media branding and performance tracking through strategies that include local search, SEO, website design, social media, advertising and public relations. http://strategicemarketing.com/
This article originally appeared in Model D.
Stephen Roginson has been home-brewing since he was 19. The Midtown resident’s more than a decade-old hobby is becoming his profession now that he is starting Batch Brewing Co. He hopes to open his nanobrewery in Corktown midway through 2013.
“I am scaling my homebrewing to a new level and entering the market as a nanobrewery,” Roginson says. “As far as I know, I am the only nanobrewery in Detroit.”
A nanobrewery is often defined as a small microbrewery that produces four barrels or less of beer per batch. Batch Brewing Co plans to make batches of beers as small as 10 gallons. Some of the company’s brands include “Son of a Batch IPA” and “Global Domination Pilsner.”
“I am going to try and stay true to the style when I am brewing,” Roginson says.
Roginson and his two partners are aiming to open their operation at 1444 Michigan Ave in Corktown midway through next year. The brewery would be complemented by a weekly rotation of local food trucks serving their wares at the space.
Source: Stephen Roginson, co-owner of Batch Brewing Co.
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
Also on HuffPost:
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#20 – Great Lakes Brewing Company
strongLocation:/strong Cleveland, Ohio
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 120,000 — 31.9 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Dortmunder Gold
#19 – Long Trail Brewing Company
strongLocation:/strong Bridgewater Corners, Vt.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 120,000 — 10.1 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Double Bag Ale
#18 – Abita Brewing Company
strongLocation:/strong Abita Springs, La.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 125,000 — 14.7 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Abita Jockamo IPA
#17 – Shipyard Brewing Company
strongLocation:/strong Portland, Maine
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 129,000 — 31.6 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Shipyard Export Ale
#16 – Alaskan Brewing Company
strongLocation:/strong Juneau, Alaska
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 130,000 — 11.1 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Alaskan Amber
#15 – Brooklyn Brewery
strongLocation:/strong Brooklyn, N.Y.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 140,000 — 29.6 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Brooklyn Lager
#14 – Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
strongLocation:/strong Milton, Del.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 144,000 — 19 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong 60 Minute IPA
#13 – Stone Brewing Company
strongLocation:/strong Escondido, Calif.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 149,000 — 29.6 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Stone IPA, Arrogant Bastard Ale
#12 – Boulevard Brewing Company
strongLocation:/strong Kansas City, Mo.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 157,000 — 5.4 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Single-Wide IPA, Chocolate Ale
#11 – Lagunitas Brewing Company
strongLocation:/strong Petaluma, Calif.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 165,000 — 55.7 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Lagunitas IPA
#10 – Harpoon Brewery
strongLocation:/strong Boston, Mass.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 173,000 — 15.3 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Harpoon IPA, UFO Hefeweizen
#9 – Bell’s Brewery
strongLocation:/strong Galesburg, Mich.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 180,000 — 16.9 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Bell’s Lager, Java Stout
#8 – Matt Brewing Company
strongLocation:/strong Utica, N.Y.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 196,000 — 7.7 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Saranac
#7 – Deschutes Brewery
strongLocation:/strong Bend, Ore.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 223,000 — 9.9 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Red Chair NWPA, Mirror Pond Pale Ale
#6 – Magic Hat Brewing Company
strongLocation:/strong South Burlington, Vt.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 336,000 — 4.3 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong #9, Single Chair
#5 – Spoetzl Brewery
strongLocation:/strong Shiner, Texas
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 487,000 — 13 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Shiner Bock
#4 – Craft Brew Alliance
strongLocation:/strong Portland, Ore.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 635,000 — 8.5 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Widmer Brothers, Red Hook, Kona
#3 – New Belgium Brewing
strongLocation:/strong Fort Collins, Colo.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 713,000 — 7.9 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands: /strong Fat Tire, Lips of Faith
#2 – Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
strongLocation:/strong Chico, Calif.
strongBarrels Sold in 2011:/strong 858,000 — 9.2 percent increase since 2010
strongPopular Brands:/strong Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Ovila Abbey Ales
#1 – The Boston Beer Company
Location: Jamaica Plain, Mass.
Barrels Sold in 2011: 2,440,000 — 8 percent increase since 2010
Popular brands: Samuel Adams, Twisted Tea
Tim Suprise
“We have been capacity- and space-limited at our facility in Battle Creek for almost three years now,” said Arcadia founder and CEO Tim Suprise. “The move into Kalamazoo is the result of a three-year study of how to expand our brewing capacity and where we should do it.”
Bell’s Brewery Inc., founded in Kalamazoo by Larry Bell in 1983, opened a new production plant in Comstock in May to increase capacity. The new plant includes an expanded grain-handling operation, 200-barrel brewing system, new fermentation vessels and a sophisticated energy storage system.
The plant has the potential to produce 500,000 barrels annually, said Bell’s Marketing Director Laura Bell, Larry Bell’s daughter.
Founders Brewing Co. last year opened a larger operation in downtown Grand Rapids. The company now employs more than 100. CEO and founder Mike Stevens expects the company to produce 140,000 barrels of beer next year, which would move Founders from microbrewery to regional brewery status.
Founders was one of the pioneers that brought microbrewing to Grand Rapids in 1997. It nearly went bankrupt a few years after opening. Stevens, a self-described “beer geek,” admitted that he and partner Dave Engbers made some bad beer decisions.
They were able to keep their doors open and their beer brewing by switching their strategy. Mike and Dave started brewing the kind of beer they wanted to drink.
“When you are fighting for something you really believe in, you tend to fight a little bit more,” Stevens said. “So, if times are a little bit tough, you just come out swinging.” Mike and Dave won that battle.
And a mere 15 years after Founders helped introduce Grand Rapids to beer brewing, the city tied with Asheville, N.C., for the title of “Beer City USA” in an annual nonscientific poll conducted by Charlie Papazian, author of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing and founder of the Great American Beer Festival.
And do the “macrobreweries” — industry heavyweights such as Anheuser-Busch — see a threat from the smaller craft brewers?
“We believe all segments of the beer category can grow at the same time,” Paul Chibe, Anheuser-Busch’s vice president of U.S. marketing, wrote in an email. “That’s why we’ve worked with retailers about the importance of having a balanced approach to the beer category and growing all segments.
“Additionally, we have a strong portfolio of brands to compete in all segments, and we’re committed to growing in the craft space. We have high-end brands and also own the brewer Goose Island and have provided resources to the Goose Island team to accelerate their growth.”
In Michigan, the craft brewing industry has gone through some “hyper growth” the past five years, Stevens said, adding, “I think the momentum will stick around for the next five years.”
Arcadia Brewing’s Suprise is also optimistic about the potential. “As long as the breweries that are coming online and those that are in an existing state of operation keep the primary focus on quality and good, sound business practices, there is plenty of room for continued growth,” he said.
However, like Graham, Stevens thinks the industry could get too big for its own good. He said it is possible that someday soon there could be too many varieties of beer and not enough shelf space in stores.
“Eventually, retail operations like Meijer or Spartan are going to throw their hands up and say: ‘Enough. We can’t get any more on the shelf.’ “
The beer section in some Meijer stores has as many as 900 “store keeping units” — a code used to identify each unique product. A six-pack of Labatt’s in bottles would have its own SKU, as would a 12-pack of Budweiser in cans.
Although retail shelf space is a finite commodity, neither craft brewers nor their customers have much to worry about at Walker-based Meijer Inc. “Having more choices in any category is a good thing for Meijer,” said Frank Guglielmi, the retailer’s director of public relations.
For the sake of the industry as well as their Barry County farm, the Steinmans hope it’s a long time before it’s last call for the craft brewing industry in the state.
“We both love Michigan beer and the craft brewing community, Bonnie Steinman said. “The camaraderie is very special. It is a community of people who really support each other.”
Chinese President Of The Beijing Homebrewing Society
Beijing’s first-ever Craft Beer Festival was held last month (Image: Elizabeth Phung)
Though China is the world’s number one consumer (and producer) of beer, craft beer consumption accounts for only a tiny drop in a very large bucket. Bot owing to a steadily rising number of drinkers in China looking for higher-quality beers (in line with demand for better wine and spirits), recent years have seen a number of micro- and nano-breweries — among them Beijing’s Great Leap Brewing and Slow Boat Brewery, Qingdao’s Strong Ale Works, and Shanghai’s Boxing Cat Brewery and the Brew — spring up along with a burgeoning homebrewing scene. This year, China’s emerging craft beer and microbrewing scene has gotten a boost from events like the first annual Shanghai Beer Week back in April and last month’s first annual Beijing Craft Beer Festival. This weekend, owing to the presence of Great Leap Brewing, craft beer will even make an appearance at the 14th China International Beer Festival in Dalian, alongside megabreweries like Budweiser and Asahi.
Recently, Jing Daily contributor Philana Woo spoke with Hai Yin (银海), Chinese president of the Beijing Homebrewing Society (北京自酿啤酒协会), which is working to raise awareness of China’s craft beer and homebrewing scene and, hopefully, convert some Tsingtao guzzlers to craft beer enthusiasts.
Jing Daily (JD): How did you get into craft beer?
Hai Yin (HY): I’ve been a big beer drinker since high school, but it was all about Chinese commercial lagers. Six years ago, a friend who is a craft beer lover introduced me to this wonderful world. I remember the first time he brought back an American IPA from the US and said, “This is real beer.” The first sip blew me away, and I’ve been in love with real beer ever since, but at the time there were limited options in the city. I spent a lot on shipping beers from overseas.
In 2008, I lived in Ireland for work for two months. I was fortunate to meet a very experienced home brewer over there, and he pushed me further into the craft beer world. Brewing is the most fun hobby I’ve ever picked up. It’s just so enjoyable and requires a lot of practice, imagination, and innovation. The final outcomes are the best reward.
JD: What is your favorite craft beer?
HY: One of my favorites is Hardcore IPA from [Scottish brewery] BrewDog. It’s such a well-balanced craft beer and combines the character of both English and American IPAs perfectly. You can also easily find it in most “beer places” in Beijing. I also appreciate a pint of authentic Czech Pils, it’s the IPA of the lager world, but very rare in Beijing. I also enjoy the unique citrus and piney aroma of craft brews from the US.
JD: Who is your craft beer role model?
HY: Michael Jackson, not the performing artist, but the one who drank a lot of beer and whiskey and then wrote a lot about beer. I read a lot of his writings when I first got into real beer. And Gao Yan, the first Chinese brewmaster I met. He started a microbrewery in Nanjing several years ago and wrote the first home brewing book in Chinese published in mainland China last year.
Great Leap Brewing in Beijing
JD: How would you compare the beer drinking culture in China to the rest of the world?
HY: Beer drinking in China is all about gan bei (干杯, “bottoms up!”) at dapaidang (大排檔, street food vendors). The domestic tasteless yellow fizzy stuff dominates the beer market and most people don’t even realize that beer can be different. To most Chinese, beer is just a cold summer beverage as opposed to something that should be appreciated.
When I introduce imported craft beer to my Chinese friends, the first reaction they always have is: “So this can taste different?!”
JD: What are the differences between craft beer culture in China compared to the rest of the world?
HY: The craft beer scene is just taking off in first-tier Chinese cities, especially Beijing and Shanghai. Many craft beer shops and bars have popped up in Beijing in the past two years. More and more people are starting to realize the beauty of real beer.
At the moment, it’s still a very small group, but they are going to define the future craft beer scene in China.
JD: Can you give us some background on the history of craft beer in China?
HY: There is no history of craft beer in China, because everything is just happening from nothing. One of the most seminal moments was the founding of our Beijing Homebrewing Society, which is the first independent not-for-profit real beer hobby club and includes both Chinese and expat members. History will be made with these kinds of clubs, when there are more.
JD: Would you say craft beer is becoming popular in China? Do people know about it? What is the profile of your average Chinese who is interested in craft beer?
Hai Yin’s Black IPA, served at last month’s Beijing Craft Beer Festival
HY: At this moment, no, even in a city like Beijing, there are only several places dedicated to craft beer, and there is only a small group of people who really like it.
Many people know about “imported beers,” but there is just too much misleading information out there. For example, most Chinese are convinced that German beer is the best because of the “German Beer purity law,” (Reinheitsgebot) which actually has nothing to do with beer quality. Yet there are so many tasteless “German beers” that are nowhere near “craft beers,” so many people gave up on trying other “imported beers.”
When most Chinese people see me pour a glass of beer and take in the aroma, they think I’m being pretentious. Most Chinese people know nothing about beer at the moment and all the beer geeks I’ve met in China are either in the beer industry or have traveled extensively overseas.
JD: What would you say is the male to female ratio for serious (craft beer) drinkers in China?
HY: Our club has more than 20 Chinese members, but only three are female.
JD: You helped start China’s first homebrewing society. How many members are there? What percentage is Chinese versus foreign? How many had been interested in craft beer prior to joining?
HY: Jacob Wickham started the Beijing Homebrewing Society in January and I was the founding member, also the only Chinese back then. Several months ago I decided to organize a Chinese side meeting. We now have over 50 members, over 20 of whom are Chinese. Many of the foreign members have previous experience about beer, but nearly all the Chinese members are beginners who are just curious about beer and want learn more about it.
JD: What’s your day job?
HY: I’m an engineer.
JD: What do you think most attracts a Chinese consumer to craft beer?
The Boxing Cat Brewery, Sinan Mansions
HY: Curiosity is the most popular reason. When a Chinese person walks into a beer bar or shop, they usually notice the nice-looking bottles. If they’re fortunate enough to pick up the right bottle, they’ll start drinking more of it.
JD: What are some challenges to craft beer brewing in China?
HY: Ingredients are a very big issue. There are no homebrewing specialty ingredients shops, neither online nor offline, because the market is so tiny at the moment. Furthermore, the quality of domestic ingredients is limited. Equipment is not an issue, though. DIY (do it yourself) is a core tenet of the homebrewing spirit!
The Beijing Homebrewing Society: http://www.beijingbrewing.com
Hai Yin’s blog (Chinese): http://blog.sina.com.cn/brewinbeijing
Tag: beer,beijing,boxing cat brewery,brewing… , Morebeer,beijing,boxing cat brewery,brewing,craft beer,craft beer festival,great leap brewing,hai yin,homebrewing,slow boat brewery,strong ale works,wine
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, May 24, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Russell Brewing Company
/quotes/zigman/1490770 CA:RB
-16.67%
released today the Rick
August Russian Imperial Stout, Grand Prize Winner of the 2011 Golden
Stag Home Brewing Contest. This special single-batch beer was brewed
according to the exact homebrew recipe of Grand Prize winner, Rick
August from Saskatchewan. The recipe uses more than 10 types of
malts, two types of hops, a special yeast strain, juniper berries and
licorice root. At 10.8% ABV this strong beer is intensely dark and
extremely flavourful. Only 360 cases produced. This beer is available
now for a limited time during Vancouver Craft Beer Week, May 18-26,
2012, at specialty liquor stores in British Columbia.
“We are very excited to unveil the Rick August Russian Imperial Stout
during Vancouver Craft Beer Week – there’s no better time to
celebrate the rich diversity of craft beer and to recognize the art
of home brewing,” said Andrew Harris, President, Russell Brewing
Company. “At Russell Beer, we’re focused on constantly innovating and
delivering good, quality beer. The launch of this unique new
single-batch beer exemplifies this.”
In 2011 Russell Brewing partnered with the Vancouver Homebrewing
Association (Vanbrewers) to present the Golden Stag Home Brewing
Awards. More than 300 beers were submitted into 23 categories for the
contest and judging took place between April 27 and May 10, 2011. The
winner was announced at the Awards Ceremony at London Pub, May 11,
2011, during Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2011.
The Grand Prize was the unique opportunity to brew, package and
market a full batch of your own Home Brew recipe with Russell Brewing
Company and launch the beer at retail during Vancouver Craft Beer
Week, 2012. The winner would share in the profits up to a value of
$3000. Saskatchewan’s Rick August was awarded the Grand Prize for
“Best in Show” for his Russian Imperial Stout at the Awards Ceremony.
For a list of liquor stores that will be carrying the single-batch
beer, please visit:
www.russellbeer.com
About Russell Brewing Company
Russell Brewing Company is a premium small-batch brewery located in
the Strawberry Hill area of Surrey, British Columbia specializing in
brewing high-quality flavourful ales and lagers. Russell Brewing
Company in British Columbia and the Fort Garry Brewing Company in
Manitoba are wholly owned subsidiaries of Russell Breweries Inc. (tsx
venture:RB).
www.russellbeer.com
www.fortgarry.com
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as
that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts:
Russell Breweries Inc.
Brian Harris
CEO
Direct: 778-846-2335
bharris@russellbeer.com
www.russellbeer.com
SOURCE: Russell Breweries Inc.
mailto:bharris@russellbeer.com
http://www.russellbeer.com
Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
/quotes/zigman/1490770
Add to portfolio
CA:RB
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, May 24, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Russell Brewing Company
/quotes/zigman/1490770 CA:RB
-16.67%
released today the Rick
August Russian Imperial Stout, Grand Prize Winner of the 2011 Golden
Stag Home Brewing Contest. This special single-batch beer was brewed
according to the exact homebrew recipe of Grand Prize winner, Rick
August from Saskatchewan. The recipe uses more than 10 types of
malts, two types of hops, a special yeast strain, juniper berries and
licorice root. At 10.8% ABV this strong beer is intensely dark and
extremely flavourful. Only 360 cases produced. This beer is available
now for a limited time during Vancouver Craft Beer Week, May 18-26,
2012, at specialty liquor stores in British Columbia.
“We are very excited to unveil the Rick August Russian Imperial Stout
during Vancouver Craft Beer Week – there’s no better time to
celebrate the rich diversity of craft beer and to recognize the art
of home brewing,” said Andrew Harris, President, Russell Brewing
Company. “At Russell Beer, we’re focused on constantly innovating and
delivering good, quality beer. The launch of this unique new
single-batch beer exemplifies this.”
In 2011 Russell Brewing partnered with the Vancouver Homebrewing
Association (Vanbrewers) to present the Golden Stag Home Brewing
Awards. More than 300 beers were submitted into 23 categories for the
contest and judging took place between April 27 and May 10, 2011. The
winner was announced at the Awards Ceremony at London Pub, May 11,
2011, during Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2011.
The Grand Prize was the unique opportunity to brew, package and
market a full batch of your own Home Brew recipe with Russell Brewing
Company and launch the beer at retail during Vancouver Craft Beer
Week, 2012. The winner would share in the profits up to a value of
$3000. Saskatchewan’s Rick August was awarded the Grand Prize for
“Best in Show” for his Russian Imperial Stout at the Awards Ceremony.
For a list of liquor stores that will be carrying the single-batch
beer, please visit:
www.russellbeer.com
About Russell Brewing Company
Russell Brewing Company is a premium small-batch brewery located in
the Strawberry Hill area of Surrey, British Columbia specializing in
brewing high-quality flavourful ales and lagers. Russell Brewing
Company in British Columbia and the Fort Garry Brewing Company in
Manitoba are wholly owned subsidiaries of Russell Breweries Inc. (tsx
venture:RB).
www.russellbeer.com
www.fortgarry.com
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as
that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts:
Russell Breweries Inc.
Brian Harris
CEO
Direct: 778-846-2335
bharris@russellbeer.com
www.russellbeer.com
SOURCE: Russell Breweries Inc.
mailto:bharris@russellbeer.com
http://www.russellbeer.com
Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.
/quotes/zigman/1490770
Add to portfolio
CA:RB
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Although the honor is largely symbolic, the new crown bestowed on Grand Rapids by the power of the Internet may have some very real economic benefit.
Just ask Asheville, N.C., a multiple-year winner of the “Beer City USA,” title, which they are sharing with Grand Rapids this year after voting closed Sunday in a dead heat tie.
“Being known as “Beer City” has helped our restaurants, our hotels and our tax collections,” said Mike Rangel, president of Asheville Brewing Co. and secretary for the Asheville Brewers Alliance.
“Hopefully, the same thing will happen in Grand Rapids.”
Voting closed Sunday at 11:59 p.m. for the annual poll, started in 2009 by home-brewing legend Charlie Papazian, who officially called it a tie on Monday afternoon.
Nearly 56,000 votes for 31 cities around the country were cast in the 13-day non-scientific poll, which ended up being a neck-and-neck horse race to the malty end between Grand Rapids, a first-time challenger, and craft brew behemoth Asheville.
The finally tally: Grand Rapids and Asheville each with 17,849 votes. Next in line was St. Louis, Mo., with 3,451 votes and Bend, Ore., with 2,270 votes. Papazian built a 3 percent margin of error into the results, thus resulting in a first place tie.
“It was genuinely that close,” he said. “Statistically, there’s a good reason to do that.”
Papazian, who penned the “Complete Joy Of Homebrewing” in 1984 — basically, the home brewer’s Bible — said West Michigan popped onto his radar when the American Homebrewers Association chose to book their 2013 national conference in Grand Rapids.
“I have begun to hear good things” about Grand Rapids, said Papazian, who started the poll to highlight the community support that craft brewers tap into.
MLive file photoDaniel Vanbeek drinks out of an ice mug as beer festival goers enjoy 450 different kinds of beer Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival at Fifth Third Ball Park in Comstock Park.
That support is becoming increasingly evident in Grand Rapids. The city is experiencing a renaissance in craft beer brewing. The city hosted its first Beer Week in January as a lead up to the growing annual Winter Beer Festival at Fifth Third Ballpark.
“I think it’s kind of fun,” said Dave Engbers, vice president and co-founder of Founders Brewing Co. “It’s very representative of our industry right now.”
Founders, once teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, has grown in less than a decade into the state’s second-largest brewer and has earned such accolades for its beer’s uniqueness and quality that craft brew enthusiasts regularly travel from far-flung states just to visit the company’s destination brewery.
Founders’ beer is sold in more than 20 states and much of the credit for the title of “Beer City” can be laid at the doorstep of the company’s Grandville Ave. taproom.
But it was HopCat that really trumpeted the Beer City contest.
“We really took a proactive stance on trying to win this vote,” said HopCat owner Mark Sellers, who is celebrating the honor by selling pints of all Michigan beers on tap next Monday for just $1.50 — a carrot he dangled in front of the bar’s substantial social media following.
Founders, HopCat and the new Brewery Vivant were oft-cited reasons among poll commenters as to why Grand Rapids ought to win the title, but they are not the only elements to the craft brew culture in Grand Rapids that helped the city eek out a win.
The strength of the homebrewing community is reflected in the success of specialty beer shops like Siciliano’s Market and O’Connor’s Home Brew Supply in Grand Rapids, and the Copper Vine in Grandville, which provide outlets for the hop-heads.
Related: Early look at beer history exhibit at Grand Rapids Public Museum
A group of home brewers is even starting the High Five Co-Op brewery this year.
“We’ve been talking it up,” said Stephen Siciliano, owner of the West Side market that recently expanded into adjacent space in order to stock more home-brew supplies. The market hosts a well-attended home brewing competition each year and maintains a popular blog.
MLive file photoStephen Siciliano, the owner of Siciliano’s Market in Grand Rapids, which is a destination for home brewers and craft beer lovers.
“I think it’s wonderful that we’re being talked about like this on a national scale,” he said. The market has kept a sign with the poll web address on the counter for customers.
His son, Chris, maintains the market’s blog and Facebook page and said the two cities share some similarities despite Asheville having less than half the population of Grand Rapids.
Siciliano’s would compare to Bruisin’ Ales in Asheville, Siciliano said. HopCat, with 48 craft brew taps, would compare to Ashville’s Thirsty Monk, which has 30 taps.
“Everything that makes Grand Rapids exciting right now is present in Asheville,” said Chris Siciliano, who has visited the city nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the confluence of the Swannanoa and the French Broad rivers.
“Because it’s in the mountains, it feels hemmed in a little,” he said. “It’s almost like a big Saugatuck.”
Papazian, Engbers, Rangel and Siciliano each separately said the size of Grand Rapids and Asheville have likely helped establish both a vibrant craft beer culture and a strong base of enthusiasts necessary to garner enough votes. This could explain why heavyweight beer cities like Portland, Ore., or San Diego did not dominate the vote.
“I wouldn’t even pretend we’re more of a beer city than Portland,” said Rangel. “Grand Rapids and Asheville are sort of like the teenagers in this whole beer thing — kind of young and exuberant.”
Rangel said the craft beer culture in Asheville has surged since about 2004. The area is currently home to 10 breweries with several more in various stages of development. Hospitality is strong in Asheville, which boasts an impressive restaurant scene, said Rangel. The “foodie” and farm-to-table movements “are really strong here.”
Similar to the way West Michigan brewers can take advantage of abundant fresh water resources, Asheville has the nearby Black Mountain aquifer to tap into. The water (and the reputation) likely helped Sierra Nevada and New Belgium breweries decide to announce facilities in Asheville this year. Oskar Blues Brewery is also locating in nearby Brevard.
Beer tourism is a big economic driver, said Rangel — something Grand Rapids is also starting to benefit from.
MLive file photoBrewery Vivant co-owner Jason Spaulding.
“Every Saturday we get a lot of beer tourists,” said Jason Spaulding, co-owner of Brewery Vivant, which opened late 2010 and is expanding distribution this year into Illinois. “There are a lot of people who come to Grand Rapids and make sure to hit three stops: Founders, HopCat and us.”
Despite the national recognition, Spaulding said the brewery sales are still strongest in the local market. “There’s so much pride in local beer around Grand Rapids,” he said. “People that know beer know they’ve have got it pretty good here.”
In the end, despite some trash-talking by folks under the poll, there’s no apparent sour grapes between the Grand Rapids and Asheville beer communities. On Monday morning, Rangel emailed Engbers an invitation to their city’s Brewgrass Festival in September.
“Huge congratulations to GR,” he said. “Any town that loyal to their beer is a great place. You’ll definitely be seeing some pilgrimages from Asheville up there.”
Engbers said he’s “kind of glad there was a tie — it gives me a good excuse to head down to Asheville and do some events down there.”
Email Garret Ellison or follow him on Twitter.
slideshow
By Melody Guyton Butts
mbutts@heraldsun.com; 919-419-6684
DURHAM – It was four or five years ago that Chris Creech and four of his buddies – “broke college kids,” he says – each chipped in $20 to purchase some rudimentary beer-brewing supplies. One of those friends had mentioned that beer-brewing was on his bucket list, and it seemed an easy enough item for the UNC students to cross off.
So they did, and everyone else moved on to other things after graduation. But Creech kept brewing, taken by the magic of turning simple ingredients – grain, hops, yeast, water and occasionally something unexpected – into something special. On Saturday, he shared two of his latest creations – a peanut butter sour ale and a cask-conditioned English bitter – with hundreds of beer enthusiasts at the BrewDurham homebrewers festival.
Thirty homebrewers offered tastes of close to 80 ales, ciders and lagers to a crowd of more than 300 split between two sessions.
“It’s getting to create something that’s yours,” Creech said in explaining why he brews. “There are so many people whose job is to sit behind a computer, and that is work – but there’s not a real product at the end. That’s why there’s this whole DIY (do-it-yourself) movement, and homebrewing is a part of that.”
Saturday was the second round of BrewDurham, a fundraiser for the Scrap Exchange that was first held in October. The first event raised about $5,500 for the nonprofit, but with all 300 tickets sold out, Saturday’s event was expected to raise about $9,000. That money means a lot to the creative reuse center, which is still settling into its new digs in the Cordoba building after a partial roof collapse at Liberty Warehouse.
“This location is absolutely fabulous, but it’s twice as big as our other location, and our monthly rent is three times as much as it was before,” explained Ruth Warren, the Scrap Exchange’s marketing and events coordinator. “Our operating costs have increased so significantly across the board that fundraisers like this are helping us fill the gap.”
The event was coordinated by Keil Jansen. To fellow homebrewers, he said, opportunities like BrewDurham are “everything.”
“Nothing could make people want to do this unless they want to themselves,” he said. “We don’t pay anybody. We are having a little competition, and there are some prizes, but I could charge homebrewers 10 bucks a pop, and they’d still come – because people love to share their beer. They love to talk to people about it.”
Quin Melvin, a Scrap Exchange employee, said he was enjoying the variety and creativity presented by the homebrewers.
“It’s fun seeing (the homebrewers’) faces light up when you take that first sip,” he said. “I’m an artist, and I know the feeling of when you show someone your work.”
Soaking in the late-afternoon sunshine with Melvin was his friend Jen Kelley, who couldn’t help but rave about Creech’s peanut butter sour ale. She’d had his peanut butter porter at the Homebrew for Hunger festival in Chapel Hill last fall, but she thought the latest incarnation – created by aging five gallons of that porter for several months and mixing in some wild yeast and bacteria – was even better.
“The peanut butter hits you at the end. It’s amazing,” she said. “You’re tasting this beer, and all of a sudden, the peanut butter comes in and says, ‘Hello, I’m the peanut butter!’ ”
By the end of 2012, Creech hopes to open a brewery somewhere in the Triangle. He already has a name: Fortnight Brewing Company, in reference to the two weeks that it takes for beer to ferment. His plan is to create easy-drinking, approachable English-inspired ales.
While he has plans to go pro, many of the brewers seemed content to keep their operation at home.
Bahama resident Bob Allegretti began brewing about five years ago, mostly serving his creations at family gatherings. With a focus on simple, high-quality beers, he usually brews in bulk, so BrewDurham’s 10-gallon requirement wasn’t a problem. On Saturday, he served up two-ounce samples of his English northern brown ale.
Allegretti, who also participated in BrewDurham last fall, said it’s a great way to meet new people and – of course – talk about beer.
“Everybody’s interested and wants to learn. According to them, I’m pretty smart,” he said with a chuckle.
CHRIS MONTGOMERY TTN Junior business major Jake Daly stands in his home. Daly recently brewed his own Jalepeño lager.
Home Sweet Homebrew serves as a Center City homebrewing mecca, with the supplies needed for every step of the process.
As Philadelphians have tapped into the craft-brew scene in the last decade, the popularity of homebrewing has grown, too. For those looking to get acclimated to the process or perfect their brews, Home Sweet Homebrew at 20th and Sansom streets is a one-stop-shop.
“[Homebrewing] has a lot of benefits, and it’s also a part of the way people like to live,” store co-owner George Hummel said.
Business Brewing
Hummel and his wife, Nancy Rigberg, bought the store in the early ‘90s.
“People make their own breads, their own foods from scratch, and if you’re living that aspect in other areas of your life it kind of comes right into play,” Hummel said.
The shop opened in 1986 and Hummel said that a lack of good beer available on the market at the time was the catalyst for the homebrewing trend in the mid-‘80s.
“People would travel and taste the burgeoning craft brew scene on the West Coast, in Europe, and what you could find in terms of imports at the time on the market was often stale,” Hummel said. “So people interested in different kinds of beer would often end up making it.”
Today, while many craft brands and imports beyond mainstream staples flow freely through the city, Hummel said there’s still a place for homebrewing, beyond acting as the sole source of quality beer.
“Now, it’s more of an aspect of appreciation of beer rather than being driven by a lack of product,” Hummel said. “Just because I brew my own beer doesn’t mean every drop I consume is something that another homebrewer makes, because I like good beer and that’s what brought me here in the first place – it’s great that it’s out there now.”
Home Sweet Homebrew has supplies for every step of the process, both equipment and ingredients, from barley to bottle. It also stocks some wine-making products, and both beverages come in prepackaged kits for novices.
Hummel said customers come from a fair mix of expertise levels – from “people with grocery lists,” to first-timers looking for boxed kits, to people looking to build their own recipe based on the parameters of what they like to drink.
Hummel is happy to explain and discuss the process with everyone because in addition to the products they sell, homebrewing guidance comes free. And both he and Rigberg are certainly the people to talk to on the subject – their credentials span further than the strand of ribbons won from years of competitive brewing that hangs in their shop.
In 2009, Hummel’s recipe won a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival. Although he said he no longer aggressively enters competitions, both his and Rigberg’s role as educators have been confirmed more formally. Their writings have appeared in publications including “Beer Philadelphia” and “Mid-Atlantic Brewing News,” and they’ve frequently spoken publicly on the subject. They received the Pennsylvania Governor’s Award in 2008. Hummel has taught beermaking classes at Temple and Drexel.
Past clients include now-established microwbreweries, both local and national, including Victory, Flying Fish, Yards and West Coast establishments like Taps in Brea, Calif.
Hummel asserts that the opportunity to pass on his guru-like knowledge and interact with customers both plays into and is a result of the way the business operates. His knowledge, and eagerness and ability to share it is aptly a reflection of the delicacy behind the homebrewing process itself.
“One thing we’ve really liked over the years is that we’ve kept it intimate,” Hummel said. “When people come in to talk, Nancy or I are usually here. Anybody can get the same products we sell, and other than keeping prices fair and competitive, there’s really nothing else we can sell but the skill and expertise we try to back our products with.”
Homebrewing Endeavors
A number of new fads regarding alcohol emerge in every generation whether it’s bootlegging, the rise of 40-ounces, or the sudden popularity of Four Lokos, however, this generation has discovered that the benefits of homebrewing can also include saving money and avoiding the frustrations of being underage.
Thanks to directions fed through books, the Internet and easily purchased beer-brewing supplies, many students have taken to brewing in their own homes instead of paying high prices for a small amount of beer. Others, though, decide to self-brew for different reasons.
“I started when I was 16 and I couldn’t buy it,” said Jake Daly, a 21-year-old junior business major. “It’s easier than you think,” he added as he sipped his own self-brewed Jalapeño lager. “About the same as baking a cake.”
Daly has been brewing since high school and started off with simple beers before moving up to more creatively flavored ones including his aforementioned Jalapeño lager.
“I do it in my kitchen and it takes about six weeks to finish it,” Daly said. “From the pot to the fermenter about six hours, from the fermenter to the bottle about four weeks, then the bottle to the mouth about two.”
Junior biology major Gabe Bartlett also acknowledged the simplicity of the process.
“I do it in my basement and in my opinion, the longest part is waiting for it to carbonate,” Bartlett said. “It sucks sitting there watching it in bottles, but not being able to drink it.”
Bartlett only began brewing about a year ago, but unlike Daly, he did not start doing it because of young age.
“I really didn’t start until after I turned 21 and my friend taught me,” Bartlett said. “I was just tired of spending $10 on a good six pack when I could just brew a bunch on my own.”
Daly said he’s purchased supplies at Home Sweet Homebrew in the past, as well as the online store Midwest Brewing Supplies. He spoke highly of his experiences at Home Sweet Homebrew.
“They help you figure out to make everything and how to do so cheaply,” Bartlett said. “That was the first place my friends told me to check out when I started brewing and they were real helpful.”
Both Bartlett and Daly mentioned brewing attempts turned failed experiments, and Daly spoke to the importance of keeping brewing equipment clean.
“It really all depends on if you follow the recipe right, because you could mess up one thing and ruin the entire batch of beer you’re brewing,” Bartlett said.
Daly said that he’s still a fan of other microwbreweries’ creations, especially strong IPAs, which he dubbed “a lot better than mine.”
They both said that when the process goes smoothly it couldn’t be more satisfying.
“It’s really cool to drink something you made and better when you have a party and everyone’s drinking your beer,” Daly said.
“There’s nothing like sitting in a room with your friends and having them comment on how good your stuff is – it’s the best feeling,” Bartlett said.
Alexsia Brown and Kara Savidge can be reached at artsandentertainment@temple-news.com.
Two new bills are being considered in the coming months by the
Wisconsin Senate involving home brewing. One bill applies to
homebrew stores, while the other applies to home brewers. Both will
affect how homebrewed beer, wine, cider and mead are treated in the
future.
For years, homebrew club members have promoted the craft with
events such as “Big Brew” and “International Teach a Friend to
Homebrew Day.” Beneficiaries of Belle City Club events have been
Safe Haven, HALO, the Food Bank and the Racine Kilties. Our state
statute was vague regarding the use of homebrew outside the home,
but homebrewers were doing things expressly allowed by federal
statutes.
In the past few years, the state Department of Revenue began to
threaten these homebrew clubs and fundraisers with a $10,000 fine
if homebrew was taken outside the home. It selectively continued to
allow certain events like state-sponsored State Fair brewing and
winemaking competitions.
A law not fairly applied is an unjust law. Not only was our
state cutting funding to many much-needed programs, it was also
restricting fundraising activities at a time when many agencies
sorely needed new funding sources. The DOR attempt to discourage
homebrewers by threatening huge fines spurred Wisconsin homebrewing
and winemaking clubs to take action, and Senate Bills 205 and 395
were drawn up to address the issue.
Current DOR “opinion” makes Wisconsin’s homebrew statute one of
the most restrictive in the country.
Bill 395 makes it expressly legal for homebrewers to participate
in events such as contests, fundraisers, club functions and city,
county and state fairs as long as the homebrewer does not receive
compensation for his donations. It removes the “gray area”
Wisconsin’s DOR was using to shut down many charitable events and
fundraisers, such as the Homebrew Island part of Racine’s Brewfest
and the locally held Schooner Homebrew Contest. As hosts for the
Schooner event from 2006 to 2010, an event which annually brings in
more than 600 entries from more than 20 states, we were dismayed by
its move to another city in 2011. Local officials’ reaction to DOR
“opinion” caused organizers to move the event from Racine.
Bill 205 applies to homebrew and wine supply shops. As a shop,
we are obligated to teach the fundamental methods of sanitation and
brewing and winemaking techniques to our customers. We alert people
to common mistakes made, and teach about the many styles of beer
and wine, mead and cider.
Tasting is mandatory to discern the styles and/or faults. To
promote the craft, club tasting events were held regularly. All
were recently deemed illegal in our state’s eyes, and put a sizable
dent in our business. SB205 makes it expressly legal for homebrew
shops to teach their craft as they had been doing in the past, and
both bills more closely mirror what federal statutes expressly
allow.
If you believe in Wisconsin citizens’ right to brew and make
wine for use without compensation, contact your state senator and
ask him/her to support these to bills. If you think it ridiculous
that an individual could not make a bottle of beer or wine and then
give it as a gift to anyone without threat of a $10,000 fine for
tax evasion, contact your senator and ask him/her to support these
bills. If you believe that shop-owners should be allowed to teach
correct techniques in home brewing and winemaking, contact your
senator and ask him/her to support these bills.
Nearly 1 million Americans make wine or beer at home, and more
than 300 home-brew contests take place annually across the country.
There are about 30 homebrew supply shops in Wisconsin, and current
membership in the Racine Club approaches 60 individuals. The local
Hop To It store has more than 100 loyal customers. Your endorsement
will be appreciated by many.
Mark Flynn is a member of the Wisconsin Homebrewers
Alliance, a group of about 30 individuals from across the state
assembled to amend the statutes due to their current state
interpretation. Hop To It Brewing and Winemaking Supplies has been
a department within D.P. Wigley Co. since 2006 and is operated by
Mark and Chris Flynn, owners of D.P. Wigley Co., a feed and grain
mill established in the 1890s and purchased by the Flynns in
1998.
Contact your state senator
Sen.Cowles@legis.wisconsin.gov, (608) 266-0484
Sen.Kedzie@legis.wisconsin.gov, (608) 266-2635
Sen.Wanggaard@legis.wisconsin.gov, (608) 266-1832
Sen.Wirch@legis.wisconsin.gov, (608) 267-897
Sen.Hansen@legis.wisconsin.gov, (608) 266-5670
