New Midwestern Wine Region is Biggest in U.S.
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
NAPA, Calif.—Quick, what's America's biggest wine region? If you answered California's Napa Valley, you're way, way off thanks to a federal ruling that creates a new one.It's the Upper Mississippi River Valley, covering a whopping 29,914 square miles (77,477 square kilometers) and encompassing portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. That's 39 times the Napa Valley's puny 759 or so square miles (1,966 square kilometers).The new region is huge news for midwestern vintners."I'm really excited about it," says Paul Tabor, of Tabor Home Vineyards Winery about 40 miles south of Dubuque. "Wine enthusiasts really do look at the labels for an appellation and now we can use that as part of our marketing story."American Viticulture Areas, or AVAs, recognize a unique grape-growing region that may be historically known and that contains specific geological features. The new region was created after area wine and agriculture officials petitioned the Alcohol Tobacco and Tax and Trade Bureau, which controls the designations.Use of an AVA isn't a stamp of approval, but many consumers like the idea of buying wine from a specific area, following the French concept of "terroir"—that wine should reflect the character of the land it came from.Though the image of the Midwest might be wide, flat plains, the new AVA falls in an area that was largely skipped by Ice Age glaciers, so instead of being flat it has the steep slopes and well-drained soil required to grow premium grapes.But there's no getting away from those really cold winters, meaning the familiar grapes of Europe - chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon—can't survive here. Wineries must either import juice or grow winter hardy grapes, many of them hybrids developed in France.Ninety years ago, Iowa was sixth in grape production in the U.S., but that was with the Concord grape, associated with sweeter wines, not today's drier, more food-friendly wines.The region's wine industry re-emerged in the last decade, surprising some with medals in national competitions, Tabor says."Six or seven years ago I got phone calls and e-mails from California wineries - 'What are these wines of yours winning competitions? We didn't know you could grow grapes in Iowa.'"Though the region is big, the wine industry there is small and growing. Tabor estimates there are about 50 wineries and maybe just 400 acres (162 hectares) of vineyards. The Napa Valley's way ahead there. Though only about 9 percent of the area is planted in vines, that still amounts to 45,000 acres (18,211 hectares).The new AVA knocks off former No. 1, the 26,000-square-mile (67,340-square- kilometer) Ohio River Valley AVA.Tabor and others say they had no intention of trying to be the biggest; that was just the region's natural contours.Once the industry matures, they would like to see the same kind of thing that has happened in California, where smaller regions have petitioned to be recognized as distinctive. Napa Valley, for instance, includes 14 sub-appellations.Warren Johnson, one of the people who led the quest for a new AVA, isn't expecting the Upper Mississippi River Valley to become Napa's rival any time soon. But he's happy nonetheless."It's a recognition of, 'Hey, we can go out and produce some good wines,'" he said. "The AVA designation should help put this region on the map."Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Beer Snobs now safe in West Virginia
Now Legal, Craft Beers Ease into W.Va. Markets
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
CHARLESTON, W.Va—In the nearly three weeks since a state law allowing craft beers to be sold in West Virginia went into effect, new labels are slowly making inroads into the state, officials say."We have people calling us daily, asking, 'When can we get this brand or that?'" Kathy Folio, president of North Central Distributors in Clarksburg, said Tuesday. "We're bringing new brands in slowly but surely."Unlike many distributors in the state, Folio pushed for passage of the craft beer legislation, which increased the maximum permissible alcohol level for beer sold in West Virginia from 6 percent by volume to 12 percent.Since many craft beers are brewed seasonally, Folio said they're getting requests for beers that won't be available until this fall or winter."These are things people have been looking for for a long time," she said of the requests.After years of having the legislation blocked by lobbyists for the West Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association, the craft beer bill finally passed the Legislature in April. The law went into effect July 9.Since then, the state Alcohol Beverage Control Administration has approved for sale 54 beers with higher alcohol levels, from eight different breweries or distributors, according to ABCA beer administrator Cindy Clark.Approved labels include such items as Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA, at 10.05 percent alcohol; Samuel Smith's Yorkshire Stingo Ale (8 percent); Trappistes Rochefort 10 Belgian Ale (11.3 percent); Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale (8.43 percent); Samuel Adams Imperial White (10.3 percent); Great Lakes Brewing Blackout Stout (9 percent); and Nosferatu Stock Ale (8 percent).Clark noted that ABCA approval doesn't necessarily mean all 54 brews are showing up on store shelves or in bars and pubs."It's up to the distributors whether they carry them," she said.Mark Grey, general sales manager for North Central, said demand for craft beers has been strong in some locations but weaker among large grocery and retail chains."The major retail chains aren't sure what direction they want to go with this," he said.He said it's also a matter of expanding consumer awareness of craft beers."Some areas, like Morgantown and Charleston, have very educated consumers," he said.Also, he noted that craft brewers, by definition, tend to expand slowly into new markets."Most of the craft brewers are very particular and very concerned about the quality of the product they produce," he said, noting that craft brewers cannot increase production levels on short notice, as mass-market brewers can do.Grey noted that the introduction of Yuengling beer into West Virginia this summer led many consumers to mistakenly believe it is a craft beer.However, he said the Pottsville, Pa., brewer's expansion into the market, after slowly expanding production capacities, is a blueprint craft brewers are likely to follow, he said."Yuengling is the model a lot of craft brewers strive to be," he said. "They were very slow and deliberate in their expansion into new areas."
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
CHARLESTON, W.Va—In the nearly three weeks since a state law allowing craft beers to be sold in West Virginia went into effect, new labels are slowly making inroads into the state, officials say."We have people calling us daily, asking, 'When can we get this brand or that?'" Kathy Folio, president of North Central Distributors in Clarksburg, said Tuesday. "We're bringing new brands in slowly but surely."Unlike many distributors in the state, Folio pushed for passage of the craft beer legislation, which increased the maximum permissible alcohol level for beer sold in West Virginia from 6 percent by volume to 12 percent.Since many craft beers are brewed seasonally, Folio said they're getting requests for beers that won't be available until this fall or winter."These are things people have been looking for for a long time," she said of the requests.After years of having the legislation blocked by lobbyists for the West Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association, the craft beer bill finally passed the Legislature in April. The law went into effect July 9.Since then, the state Alcohol Beverage Control Administration has approved for sale 54 beers with higher alcohol levels, from eight different breweries or distributors, according to ABCA beer administrator Cindy Clark.Approved labels include such items as Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA, at 10.05 percent alcohol; Samuel Smith's Yorkshire Stingo Ale (8 percent); Trappistes Rochefort 10 Belgian Ale (11.3 percent); Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale (8.43 percent); Samuel Adams Imperial White (10.3 percent); Great Lakes Brewing Blackout Stout (9 percent); and Nosferatu Stock Ale (8 percent).Clark noted that ABCA approval doesn't necessarily mean all 54 brews are showing up on store shelves or in bars and pubs."It's up to the distributors whether they carry them," she said.Mark Grey, general sales manager for North Central, said demand for craft beers has been strong in some locations but weaker among large grocery and retail chains."The major retail chains aren't sure what direction they want to go with this," he said.He said it's also a matter of expanding consumer awareness of craft beers."Some areas, like Morgantown and Charleston, have very educated consumers," he said.Also, he noted that craft brewers, by definition, tend to expand slowly into new markets."Most of the craft brewers are very particular and very concerned about the quality of the product they produce," he said, noting that craft brewers cannot increase production levels on short notice, as mass-market brewers can do.Grey noted that the introduction of Yuengling beer into West Virginia this summer led many consumers to mistakenly believe it is a craft beer.However, he said the Pottsville, Pa., brewer's expansion into the market, after slowly expanding production capacities, is a blueprint craft brewers are likely to follow, he said."Yuengling is the model a lot of craft brewers strive to be," he said. "They were very slow and deliberate in their expansion into new areas."
Monday, July 27, 2009
Future comes quick for wine
Pennsylvania Plans Wine Kiosks
Monday, 27 July 2009
You can buy soda pop, DVDs, ice cream sandwiches, even cigarettes out of a vending machine. Why not bottles of wine?That's what Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board officials are thinking as they prepare to place automated wine kiosks at Harrisburg-area grocery stores this fall."If the technology works, we hope to expand statewide with up to 100 kiosks," PLCB Press Secretary Nick Hays said.How soon -- or even if -- they'd be in northwestern Pennsylvania is not known yet."No other locations have yet been identified," Hays said.Each kiosk would be about 25 feet long, 10 feet high and can contain a couple hundred bottles of wine.Customers would purchase wine at one of the kiosks by inserting their driver's license into the machine. A video camera placed on the kiosk would allow PLCB employees in Harrisburg to see if the customer is, in fact, the person whose picture is on the license. The customer would also be required to blow into a device to ensure they are not intoxicated at the time of purchase.The kiosks would have limited hours. They would only be open when PLCB employees were working to identify customers."We foresee these machines being placed in supermarkets," Hays said. "We will work with the kiosk's manufacturer, Simple Brands LLC., to identify possible locations. ... Obviously, a grocery store would need to be interested in having the kiosk."At least one local supermarket isn't interested in hosting a wine kiosk.Wegmans, 6143 Peach St., already sells beer and a couple varieties of wine at its on-site cafe. A kiosk doesn't fit in with the company's philosophy, said Hallie Johnston, store manager."We stress customer service and sharing knowledge with our customers about things like pairing the right kind of beer with a meal," Johnston said. "A wine kiosk could affect our customer service."A local winery owner also expressed doubts about how wine kiosks could benefit the state's smaller wine makers."The bottles in the kiosk would probably be from the larger wineries, not ones like ours," said Doug Moorhead, co-owner of Presque Isle Wine Cellars. "So, having these kiosks wouldn't make a whole lot of difference to us."The kiosks and an effort to sell higher-priced wine at "boutique" stores located inside gourmet grocery stores are two ways the PLCB is trying to improve customer convenience, Hays said.Pennsylvania is known for having some of the strictest alcohol-buying laws in the country. Wine is generally sold only in state stores.Copyright (C) 2009, Erie Times-News, Pa.
Monday, 27 July 2009
You can buy soda pop, DVDs, ice cream sandwiches, even cigarettes out of a vending machine. Why not bottles of wine?That's what Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board officials are thinking as they prepare to place automated wine kiosks at Harrisburg-area grocery stores this fall."If the technology works, we hope to expand statewide with up to 100 kiosks," PLCB Press Secretary Nick Hays said.How soon -- or even if -- they'd be in northwestern Pennsylvania is not known yet."No other locations have yet been identified," Hays said.Each kiosk would be about 25 feet long, 10 feet high and can contain a couple hundred bottles of wine.Customers would purchase wine at one of the kiosks by inserting their driver's license into the machine. A video camera placed on the kiosk would allow PLCB employees in Harrisburg to see if the customer is, in fact, the person whose picture is on the license. The customer would also be required to blow into a device to ensure they are not intoxicated at the time of purchase.The kiosks would have limited hours. They would only be open when PLCB employees were working to identify customers."We foresee these machines being placed in supermarkets," Hays said. "We will work with the kiosk's manufacturer, Simple Brands LLC., to identify possible locations. ... Obviously, a grocery store would need to be interested in having the kiosk."At least one local supermarket isn't interested in hosting a wine kiosk.Wegmans, 6143 Peach St., already sells beer and a couple varieties of wine at its on-site cafe. A kiosk doesn't fit in with the company's philosophy, said Hallie Johnston, store manager."We stress customer service and sharing knowledge with our customers about things like pairing the right kind of beer with a meal," Johnston said. "A wine kiosk could affect our customer service."A local winery owner also expressed doubts about how wine kiosks could benefit the state's smaller wine makers."The bottles in the kiosk would probably be from the larger wineries, not ones like ours," said Doug Moorhead, co-owner of Presque Isle Wine Cellars. "So, having these kiosks wouldn't make a whole lot of difference to us."The kiosks and an effort to sell higher-priced wine at "boutique" stores located inside gourmet grocery stores are two ways the PLCB is trying to improve customer convenience, Hays said.Pennsylvania is known for having some of the strictest alcohol-buying laws in the country. Wine is generally sold only in state stores.Copyright (C) 2009, Erie Times-News, Pa.
German Woes?
Breweries Glum as German Beer Consumption Dries Up
Monday, 27 July 2009
BERLIN — Beer's status as Germany's national drink of choice may be coming to an end, according to new data Monday from a brewery which says it does not even dare raise its prices for fear of ruining sales.The Veltins company said it believed German beer consumption declined more than 5 percent in annual terms in the first half of the year, with higher-priced brands like its own worst affected.Michael Weiss, vice president of the Federation of German Brewers, said it was the worst decline in the industry's modern history. The Czech Republic overtook Germany in per-capita beer consumption years ago.Among the premium German brands, Veltins, Warsteiner, Bitburger and Jever reported declines ranging from 4.6 to 7 per cent. Veltins did not expect any revival till 2012.Veltins regarded any price increases as too risky before the end of 2010, the company said.For years, beer has been gradually falling out of fashion in Germany as people switch to drinks like water or to other alcoholic beverages, such as wine.Copyright 2009 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
Monday, 27 July 2009
BERLIN — Beer's status as Germany's national drink of choice may be coming to an end, according to new data Monday from a brewery which says it does not even dare raise its prices for fear of ruining sales.The Veltins company said it believed German beer consumption declined more than 5 percent in annual terms in the first half of the year, with higher-priced brands like its own worst affected.Michael Weiss, vice president of the Federation of German Brewers, said it was the worst decline in the industry's modern history. The Czech Republic overtook Germany in per-capita beer consumption years ago.Among the premium German brands, Veltins, Warsteiner, Bitburger and Jever reported declines ranging from 4.6 to 7 per cent. Veltins did not expect any revival till 2012.Veltins regarded any price increases as too risky before the end of 2010, the company said.For years, beer has been gradually falling out of fashion in Germany as people switch to drinks like water or to other alcoholic beverages, such as wine.Copyright 2009 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Be on the lookout
Passed on by a friend. I guess Tampa beer drinkers really love their Mexican imports...
$70,000 worth of beerstolen
Updated: Wednesday, 22 Jul 2009, 10:58 PM EDTPublished : Wednesday, 22 Jul 2009, 1:32 PM EDT
Peter Linton-Smith
TAMPA - To some, it's the making of a joke: "what would you do with a truck loaded with beer?"
But for Hillsborough County fire investigators, the theft of two trucks loaded with Corona and Modela beer is no laughing mater.
"You've got thousands of bottles of beer," said sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway.
An estimated $70,000 worth of beer was taken sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning from K&N Trucking on East Adamo Drive in Tampa. The beer shipment originated in Lakeland and was due to be delivered in Naples Wednesday.
Since the theft, K&N Trucking is stepping up security.
"Put it this way, this will never happen again," operations manager Tobias Platts said.
"We are in the process of informing all of our drivers of the changes, and one thing, make them aware and vigilant about their surroundings," Platts said.
There have been a few jokes at the truck depot.
"When are the limes due in," Platts laughed.
Platts, like detectives, though, is taking the theft seriously.
"The organized effort of these thefts is for real, that's why we take it seriously," Callaway said. "Whether it goes to a port or stays locally and gets 'boot legged' and out on the black market, it just vanishes."
Tuesday evening, two of the cabs that were stolen were recovered along West Martin Luther King Blvd. in Tampa. The trailers and beer are still missing.
The trailers are described as a white Lufkin model cargo trailer and a white Wabash trailer, none of which had any markings on the exterior.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
$70,000 worth of beerstolen
Updated: Wednesday, 22 Jul 2009, 10:58 PM EDTPublished : Wednesday, 22 Jul 2009, 1:32 PM EDT
Peter Linton-Smith
TAMPA - To some, it's the making of a joke: "what would you do with a truck loaded with beer?"
But for Hillsborough County fire investigators, the theft of two trucks loaded with Corona and Modela beer is no laughing mater.
"You've got thousands of bottles of beer," said sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway.
An estimated $70,000 worth of beer was taken sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning from K&N Trucking on East Adamo Drive in Tampa. The beer shipment originated in Lakeland and was due to be delivered in Naples Wednesday.
Since the theft, K&N Trucking is stepping up security.
"Put it this way, this will never happen again," operations manager Tobias Platts said.
"We are in the process of informing all of our drivers of the changes, and one thing, make them aware and vigilant about their surroundings," Platts said.
There have been a few jokes at the truck depot.
"When are the limes due in," Platts laughed.
Platts, like detectives, though, is taking the theft seriously.
"The organized effort of these thefts is for real, that's why we take it seriously," Callaway said. "Whether it goes to a port or stays locally and gets 'boot legged' and out on the black market, it just vanishes."
Tuesday evening, two of the cabs that were stolen were recovered along West Martin Luther King Blvd. in Tampa. The trailers and beer are still missing.
The trailers are described as a white Lufkin model cargo trailer and a white Wabash trailer, none of which had any markings on the exterior.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Who is the real brewer?
It has long been a facet of the consumer that shows beer is like most products: if the people like it and it has good advertising, the product will sell.
Thus you have beers like Foster's, which is currently made in Virginia and prior to that Canada, despite its "Australian for Beer" tagline. Or Bass, which most English will tell you is no longer brewed. Then there is Corona, which for years trailed Tecate in Mexico, but is overtaking it due to the American consumer.
But it is not just imports that practice small deceptions. It was only a few years ago that Sam Adams actually brewed its own products. And several other brands are strictly marketing ideas, having their beer brewed under contract by another company. Longtime regionals are guilty of this too, evidenced by Pittsburgh brewing 's Iron City recently turning to Latrobe Brewing (former home of Rolling Rock, which is now produced by AB/In-Bev in Newark, NJ) for its production.
This is not meant to slight anyone or any product, it is merely just a fact of industry and global industry at that. Manufacturers are looking at the best ways to produce their products, to ensure that they reach the consumer in the best way possible and at the best price. But beware of pushing that Milwaukee beer, that may have been brewed in Texas or that PA beer from NJ or even an Austrailian beer made in the US. It is still beer, it may be very good and it may be your favorite, but you may not be as knowledgeable as you thought.
Thus you have beers like Foster's, which is currently made in Virginia and prior to that Canada, despite its "Australian for Beer" tagline. Or Bass, which most English will tell you is no longer brewed. Then there is Corona, which for years trailed Tecate in Mexico, but is overtaking it due to the American consumer.
But it is not just imports that practice small deceptions. It was only a few years ago that Sam Adams actually brewed its own products. And several other brands are strictly marketing ideas, having their beer brewed under contract by another company. Longtime regionals are guilty of this too, evidenced by Pittsburgh brewing 's Iron City recently turning to Latrobe Brewing (former home of Rolling Rock, which is now produced by AB/In-Bev in Newark, NJ) for its production.
This is not meant to slight anyone or any product, it is merely just a fact of industry and global industry at that. Manufacturers are looking at the best ways to produce their products, to ensure that they reach the consumer in the best way possible and at the best price. But beware of pushing that Milwaukee beer, that may have been brewed in Texas or that PA beer from NJ or even an Austrailian beer made in the US. It is still beer, it may be very good and it may be your favorite, but you may not be as knowledgeable as you thought.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Exit Beer?
Posted from Beverage World
NJ Brewery Draws Ire for Naming Beers After Exits
Friday, 10 July 2009
CHERRY HILL, N.J.— A New Jersey brewery is using the state's congested and often-derided turnpike to promote its beer, an idea that concerns the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and a group that opposes drinking and driving.Cherry Hill-based Flying Fish Brewing Co. (motto: "Proudly Brewed in New Jersey: You Got a Problem with That?") has undertaken an ambitious project of releasing a special beer in honor of turnpike exits, one at a time.The beers are being made in limited runs and sold in 750 milliliter wine-size bottles.The first, a Belgian-style ale, came out earlier this year in honor of Exit 4, the exit nearest the suburban Philadelphia industrial park that Flying Fish calls home.The next beer, Exit 11 Hoppy American Wheat Ale, is scheduled to start hitting bars and stores in the region on July 15. The intersection of styles is a tribute to Woodbridge's exit, where the Turnpike meets the Garden State Parkway.Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said it's a bad idea to associate a highway with alcohol. Flying Fish has answered the authority's concerns with disclaimers that the beer isn't endorsed by the authority."There's been a brokered peace here," Orlando said. "But don't expect to see it in any of our rest areas."That doesn't satisfy Mindy Lazar, executive director of New Jersey's chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "The combination of a roadway and advertising for any kind of a beer doesn't make any kind of sense," she said. "This is almost a mockery."Brewery president Gene Mueller said that's not the case. "The one thing that both of us agree is drinking and driving is never an option," he said.The company plans to introduce more exit beers every few months.Mueller, who founded Flying Fish in 1995 and overseen its growth into the biggest New Jersey-based brewery, said he's not sure if all 29 exits will get their own beers.Mueller said he hopes its fans will help come up with future beer concepts linked to the exits, which are near malls, the Meadowlands sports complex and peach orchards, not to mention right under the approach of planes landing at Newark Liberty International Airport.That's a change from the original idea. Mueller said initially he wanted to have each beer's alcohol content match the exit number - Exit 6 beer, for instance, would have 6 percent alcohol. Most beers have about 5 percent alcohol."But then we thought pretty quickly that Exits 1, 2 and 3 were going to be pretty boring for brewing, and then Exits 16, 17 and 18 were going to be really dangerous."Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
NJ Brewery Draws Ire for Naming Beers After Exits
Friday, 10 July 2009
CHERRY HILL, N.J.— A New Jersey brewery is using the state's congested and often-derided turnpike to promote its beer, an idea that concerns the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and a group that opposes drinking and driving.Cherry Hill-based Flying Fish Brewing Co. (motto: "Proudly Brewed in New Jersey: You Got a Problem with That?") has undertaken an ambitious project of releasing a special beer in honor of turnpike exits, one at a time.The beers are being made in limited runs and sold in 750 milliliter wine-size bottles.The first, a Belgian-style ale, came out earlier this year in honor of Exit 4, the exit nearest the suburban Philadelphia industrial park that Flying Fish calls home.The next beer, Exit 11 Hoppy American Wheat Ale, is scheduled to start hitting bars and stores in the region on July 15. The intersection of styles is a tribute to Woodbridge's exit, where the Turnpike meets the Garden State Parkway.Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said it's a bad idea to associate a highway with alcohol. Flying Fish has answered the authority's concerns with disclaimers that the beer isn't endorsed by the authority."There's been a brokered peace here," Orlando said. "But don't expect to see it in any of our rest areas."That doesn't satisfy Mindy Lazar, executive director of New Jersey's chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. "The combination of a roadway and advertising for any kind of a beer doesn't make any kind of sense," she said. "This is almost a mockery."Brewery president Gene Mueller said that's not the case. "The one thing that both of us agree is drinking and driving is never an option," he said.The company plans to introduce more exit beers every few months.Mueller, who founded Flying Fish in 1995 and overseen its growth into the biggest New Jersey-based brewery, said he's not sure if all 29 exits will get their own beers.Mueller said he hopes its fans will help come up with future beer concepts linked to the exits, which are near malls, the Meadowlands sports complex and peach orchards, not to mention right under the approach of planes landing at Newark Liberty International Airport.That's a change from the original idea. Mueller said initially he wanted to have each beer's alcohol content match the exit number - Exit 6 beer, for instance, would have 6 percent alcohol. Most beers have about 5 percent alcohol."But then we thought pretty quickly that Exits 1, 2 and 3 were going to be pretty boring for brewing, and then Exits 16, 17 and 18 were going to be really dangerous."Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Recent Tastes
One night last week while out in Chicago, I finally got to taste the "new" Schlitz. When compared to the PBRs also consumed that night, I thought PBR won out. The Schlitz was still easily drinkable, but I don't believe that it will be able to push itself into a craze like PBR has.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
News
Heineken has apparently decided to play around with Newkie Brown. It seems they are testing a draft only Newcastle Summer Ale with an Oktoberfest to follow. Denver is definitely being used as test market, though I don't know if there are others. This seems strange to me and the colleague of mine who tasted the product did not like it.
I realize that Heineken USA kind of got saddled with Newcastle and its not very high on their priority list (Heineken, Amstel, Dos Equis obviously coming first), but to attempt the seasonal route, as if Newcastle was a craft brewery seems to follow a bit of the dart board approach.
With a tough import market going on and the recent closing up shop of Heineken USA's Star Brands portfolio, I believe the going is going to get tougher for America's once top selling import.
I realize that Heineken USA kind of got saddled with Newcastle and its not very high on their priority list (Heineken, Amstel, Dos Equis obviously coming first), but to attempt the seasonal route, as if Newcastle was a craft brewery seems to follow a bit of the dart board approach.
With a tough import market going on and the recent closing up shop of Heineken USA's Star Brands portfolio, I believe the going is going to get tougher for America's once top selling import.
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