It’s always fun when you walk into a liquor store to buy a six-pack of Guinness while you’re wife’s waiting in the car with your three-month old daughter. The moment you step foot in the store, you know the clock’s ticking and your consumer experience is now more akin to a severely-shortened episode of “24″ than a leisurely stroll through the mall.
But, for some strange reason, I forgot the clock was ticking when I saw a big bottle of Arrogant Bastard Ale sitting on the shelf. Not only did it have a great name, but the fact that the label stared at me with a mocking “You’re Not Worthy” told me that this was a beer I was destined to try. It was meant to be, although my wife probably wasn’t thinking that as I read the entire description while standing in aisle one:
“This is an aggresive beer. You probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to the safer and more familiar territory - maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it’s made in a little brewery or one that implies that their tasteless, fizzy yellow beer will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps yo uthink multi-million dollar ad-campaigns make a beer taste better. Perhaps you’re mouthing your words as you read this.”
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On April 7th, 2008, brewers, beer importers, distributors and beer lovers across America will celebrate 75 years of beer that has been flowing legally since the end of Prohibition. The date will be marked with specially brewed commemorative beers, brewery tours and events at breweries across the country.
Historians note that Prohibition officially ended on December 5, 1933, with the ratification of the 21st Amendment. But earlier that year, newly-elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt (the greatest president in the history of beer!) took steps to fulfill his campaign promise to end the national ban on alcohol. He spurred Congress to modify the Volstead Act to allow the sale of 3.2 percent beer in advance of Prohibition’s ratification.
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This almost feels like a tree falling in the woods if no one is around to hear it.
So, if craft beer is, by definition, meant to be brewed in small batches with limited distribution, what happens when the nation’s second largest brewer takes its best-selling beer and serves it up, craft-style? Can it still really be called a craft beer?
Let the debate begin as Miller Lite is bringing its ”Brewers Collection,” featuring three craft-style light beers, nationwide in September. They’ve been available in Baltimore, Charlotte, N.C., Minneapolis, and San Diego since February with strong initial sales.
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The IRI Beer, Wine and Spirits Practice, an independent company which provides manufacturers, distributors and retailers with market information, announced its “Top 30 Beer Brand Performers in 2007″ and “Top 15 New Beer Brands in 2007.” The lists provide a look at the industry’s 30 fastest growing beer brands as well as emerging new brand entries.
For the Top 30 Beer Brand Performers ranking, IRI analyzed volume growth, share of segment trends, everyday base pricing, and incremental sales growth in 2007 versus 2006 to determine the brands with the strongest performance in the beer industry. (Or, if you’ve had a couple already today, that’d be a ranking of the brews which saw the biggest growth in 2007, not necessarily the brands that sold the most overall.)
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It’s been known as “The beer that made Milwaukee famous” as well as a bunch of other things I’ve heard it called throughout college, but now it’s back for more. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back to the stage: Schlitz!
Yes, I know what you’re thinking and I’m probably thinking the same thing too, but let’s put aside our beer snobbiness and see what we’ve got here.
On the 75th anniversary of its return to Chicago following Prohibition, Pabst Brewing Company is re-launching Schlitz “Classic 1960s Formula” based on the original recipe and packaged in traditional “Brown Glass” throughout the city. Chicago is third in a phased re-launch of Schlitz that included Florida and Minnesota markets late last year. The initial roll-out of six- and twelve-pack varieties, priced comparable to other premium domestic brands, will initially be available at select locations with a planned citywide expansion slated for 2009.
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