The American craft beer industry is still at a very young age compared to that of other brewing giant countries like Germany, Belgium, and England. Regardless of the timeline, craft brewing here in America has exploded across the country in a relatively short period of time. It’s hard to fathom going into a bar and not being able to find some familiar local brews or some unique brewing creation from elsewhere. And if you’re like me, you typically don’t stay too long if you can’t. Craft beers win over consumers with their quality and diversity. But at times it can become difficult to expand and gain exposure without the same marketing budgets as the major brewing giants like Anheuser Busch or Labatt. A large portion of the overall success of craft brewing from a business standpoint can be attributed to the ever-growing internet phenomenon.

It’s hard to imagine that craft breweries could compete with mass marketed brewers outside of their own geographic areas if not for the use of all of the tools the World Wide Web has to offer. The internet provides brewers with alternative communication channels besides TV and print to expose their brands to a larger audience. With tools like websites, blogs, and social media, the Internet’s largest contribution to the craft beer industry is the opportunity for consumers to engage directly with the smaller brewers, and market beers themselves.

The use of websites allows consumers to research their favorite beers or maybe ones they’ve never heard of. They serve as great learning tools. Websites allow users to stay informed and gain more knowledge about the world of beer and the particular beers of their choice. Websites can also offer special promotions to encourage business. A great website often times serves as the face of the franchise so to speak, and can say a lot about the brewery itself. One of my favorites happens to be magichat.net.

The art of blogging has opened up an entirely new realm of exposure for breweries of all sizes. Blogs provide not only the brewery, but also the consumers, a forum to speak freely about their favorite, or maybe least favorite beers, brewers, and events. A brewer can comment on an event they are hosting or their latest creation in real time to a worldwide audience. Blogging also provides other internet users an opportunity to comment and contribute their own opinions to promote more craft brew conversation.

Beer lover websites give coverage to all brewers, and give small operations a spot in the limelight. Some brewers have limited advertising budgets. E-mags give them a chance to promote themselves directly to their target markets; even in areas of the country where they are not as prevalent. Much like a subscription magazine, beer lovers can visit sites like beeradvocate.com or ratebeer.com and find the latest news and reviews in the industry. Often times these websites will provide interesting articles and reviews that give readers a unique look at the craft brewing industry outside of the pint in front of you.

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter give craft brewers a unique gateway to receive immediate feedback from those who are following their activities. It serves as a communication channel between the business and the consumer that makes interaction simple and appreciated. These interactions are likely to create a better relationship between brewer and drinker. Consumers can almost feel like they play a small part in the whole process. Most major craft brewers have a Facebook and/or Twitter account like Schafly, Stone Brewing Co., and Dogfish Head.

Possibly one of the most unique uses of the internet related to craft beer is the national exchange of small or geographically constrained breweries through the mail. The premise is fairly simple. Beer lovers get in contact with other beer lovers from different parts of the country and trade brews that are exclusive to that particular area or region. Internet use makes meeting others who are willing to trade easy. Thousands of beer geeks actively participate in beer blogs or forums and are often more than willing to exchange for beers they can’t normally drink.

It’s hard to say where the craft brewing industry would be without every tool the internet has to offer. In my opinion, great beer will always find its way into the hands of those who seek it. But, not everyone is usually looking as hard as I am. My guess though is that the industry would still be growing, but at a much slower rate. Mainstream brewers would dominate and craft beers would be more scarce. If not for the exposure the internet provides craft brewers, both beer geeks and casual drinkers alike would have fewer options to choose from. Thankfully for all mankind we do have the internet, and it shouldn’t run out for at least another 20 years.

TAGS [ CRAFT BEER | BEER TRADE | BEER BLOGS | BEER SITES ]

As some of you may already know, Hannah (of KegWorks blog fame) makes killer Guinness cupcakes. She even shares her recipe, right here on the blog.

It seems that PubCakes, a new baking venture out of San Diego, is doing their best to show her up. According to their website, "each PubCake focuses on the flavors that complement the type of beer used. So whether you are a fan of Stout, Hefeweizen or IPA, there is a PubCake for you!"

Their menu proves it. Not only do they have the six flavor combinations below (including one for vegans), they use specific craft beers for each one.

Being the porter and coconut lover that I am, I’d really like to try a Stoned Portzilla. Sounds delish!

• Irish Carbomb: Guinness, Irish Cream frosting, and chocolate whiskey ganache
• Stoned Portzilla: Stone Smoked Porter, coffee ganache, and caramelized coconut
• Top Ten Cake: Karl Strauss Tower Ten IPA, cayenne caramel, cherry, and ancho chilies
• Beer for Breakfast: Alesmith Wee Heavy, bacon, and maple cream cheese frosting
• Cup O’ Hefen: Ballast Point Wahoo Wheat, coriander, and citrus buttercream
• Punkin’ Vegan: North Coast Brewery’s Old Stock Ale, pumpkin, and maple topping

As of right now, these tasty treats are only available in San Diego bars, select retail locations and online. Unfortunately (for us anyway) they’re not yet shipped outside of the city. The good news is that should change by 2011.

It’s suggested that you pair each cupcake with the beer that’s gone into it – which is an interesting concept. One I’d like to explore, actually.

TAGS [ BEER RECIPES | PUBCAKES | BEER CUPCAKES | BEER CAKE ]

Kickball probably conjures up images of grade school gym class or, if you were lucky, a grassy park and a pile of your closest friends, back when you were about seven. Fast forward twenty-two years; the idea of kickball most likely has not crossed your mind since then. That is unless, of course, you play in a kickball league.

I do and I love it.

My cousin brought us all together as Team Wolf (a clever pun on the Michael J Fox movie, back from about the time we first played kickball as kids) with the idea of knocking our friends’ team, Talking Proud, off of their three-year winning streak. Our first season this summer started out pretty rough; we made it to the playoffs, but only by the skin of our teeth. And we definitely got our butts handed to us by our buddies’ team. I mean, killed.

Monday night was the third game of our second season this summer, against none other than Talking Proud. Since we would be facing off against a team full of pals, my cousin decided to bring a keg of Labatt Blue for all of us to share. We always bring beer and whiskey, but this occasion called for a LOT of beer. Packed in the insulated keg bag and tapped with the Bronco beer pump I gave him for his birthday, our keg of lawnmower beer stayed cold and crisp for the entire game and beyond. Even after we kicked the keg, all of the ice in the keg bag was still in solid cube-form, despite the 90-degree heat. Plus, the cup holder on the keg bag kept our plastic cups clean and the kickball field tidy.

The best part of the night? We won! We actually beat Talking Proud and, just as we do every other Monday after the games, both of our teams headed to our favorite watering hole to celebrate. We look forward to meeting them on the field again too, in the playoffs.

GO TEAM WOLF!

TAGS [ KEG PARTY | KICKBALL | HOPS HOLSTER | BEER PUMPS | KEG BAG | BRONCO PUMP ]

Monday morning, a word graced the front page of our local newspaper for the very first time. That word is "nanobrewery." I’m going to go ahead and say that we should all get used to the term.

I actually used the word myself, when I blogged about Keuka Brewing Co., back in April. What I didn’t realize then, is that "nanobrewery" isn’t just a clever play on words, it’s a way to identify a growing entrepreneurial trend. Nanobreweries are launching all over the place. In fact, they seem to be the next big thing in beer.

So what is a nanobrewery? MSN put it well (although their article doesn’t seem to be available anymore) by explaining, "The nanobrewery concept allows one or a few good craft brewers to spend a few weekends a month brewing batches of beer that can be sold to pubs in their communities…The model isn’t one that focuses on eventual growth. The nanobrewer isn’t going to quit his day job. They are brewing because they love the process and want to share the results with the people in their neighborhoods."

The Buffalo News article that I referred to earlier details the concept and creation of Buffalo’s first nanobrewery, aptly named Community Beer Works.

Two of the men behind the operation are Rudy Watkins and Ethan A. Cox. They’re local beer enthusiasts/connoisseurs who are part of a group that is in the process of purchasing an old building on the West Side, which they will promptly turn into a small brewery. A nanobrewery.

As Cox explains in his interview with The News, "A nanobrewery is a beermaking operation even smaller than popular microbreweries, and they are popping up across the country."

From a legal perspective nanobreweries are still considered commercial breweries. That means they’re required to go through all of the city, state and federal licensing processes to conduct their business and distribute their products. So, even though the gears are turning and everything is in motion, Community Beer Works can’t plan on offering thirsty Buffalonians (myself included) their brews until the middle of next year (best case scenario).

Despite all of the time and work that goes into getting a nanobrewery up and running, the initial capital investment is relatively small. In fact, most start out operating on homebrew-sized equipment (or slightly scaled versions).

We did a little research on the Google machine and found the "Great Nanobrewery List: From CA to MA", compiled by the fine folks at Hess Brewing. It’s pretty awesome to see how just how many of these nanobreweries are already operating now and the growing list of brewing companies just getting started.

Incase you’re wondering just how big (or small) a nanobrewery is, consider this; Community Beer Works is currently made up of nine individuals who specialize in homebrewing and marketing. They’re hoping to make up to 1,100 kegs in their first year (that’s about 6,000 gallons of beer) and within five years they plan to bump their annual production up to 34,000 gallons. One of their biggest (and most admirable) goals is to have a series of Community Beer Works in other Buffalo neighborhoods within the next 10 years. I too now share that dream.

One of my very favorite parts of this unique story (every nanobrewery has one) is the organization’s plan to utilize their own community gardens and urban farms. They’re working on transforming vacant lots in the neighborhood into brewers’ gardens where they’ll grow hops and specialty grains. Once they’re finished with the brewing process, they can give the spent grain back to the urban gardeners for mulch.

I don’t mean to get all sappy but I can practically hear the song "Circle of Life" playing as I write this. As cheesy as I feel saying that, I know it’s a really good thing for future grassroots campaigns. "Feel good" stories get much better.

Like most nanobrewery owners, Watkins and Cox don’t have grandiose dreams of getting filthy rich or becoming the next Dogfish Head (although Sam Calagione did start brewing on a 10 gallon system); they just want to make a difference in their city and make a living doing what they love. Think about it; if the beer bars in a region offer a nanobrewery’s beers on draft and they regularly fill growlers for their neighborhood’s beer lovers, that’s enough to keep their business going and growing.

One of the finest examples of nanobrewery success to date is Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Warren, Vermont. Their founder and brewer Sean Lawson has been an avid (and award-winning) home brewer for almost 20 years and he uses a small batch system to custom craft specialty beers for the Mad River Valley region. As Sean put it "there is real movement out there, all across the US, of very small community-based breweries that make beer in tiny batches for their very local customers." Well-said Sean.

If you’re wondering what a nanobrewery can do, just consider the fact that Lawson’s Finest Maple Tripple won a bronze medal in the "Specialty Beer" category at the 2010 World Beer Cup. With over 3,330 different beers from 642 breweries and 44 countries competing in 90 different categories, that’s quite an honor.

KegWorks is hereby pledging to do whatever we can to help Community Beer Works succeed here in our hometown. The only thing better than a good neighbor is a good neighbor with great beer. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on their progress!

TAGS [ NANOBREWERY | COMMUNITY BEER WORKS | BEER NEWS | CRAFT BEER ]

One of my very favorite classic cocktails is the Manhattan. I’m a bourbon girl through and through, but every so often, Scotch is the spirit I desire. Enter the Rob Roy, the "Scotch Manhattan."

Rob Roy
2½ oz scotch
1 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Ice cubes
Cherry, for garnish

Combine scotch, vermouth, bitters and ice into a mixing glass. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry and enjoy.

TAGS [ COCKTAILS | COCKTAIL RECIPES | CLASSIC | ROB ROY | SCOTCH ]

Wagner Valley Brewery is nestled in the Finger Lakes Region of New York, home to wineries and some of the most beautiful country found close to Buffalo. I had heard some really good things about their brews, especially this 8.5% doppelbock, and since doppelbocks happen to be one of my very favorite styles, I had to get my hands on some.

It poured a mucky, reddish-brown with a thin, quickly dissipating head. Despite how swiftly the head disappeared, this brew’s got legs. The aroma was lovely; molasses, bread and dark fruit (maybe cherries?) were present. Its malty-sweet aroma had my mouth watering for a taste.

When I poured the Sled Dog, it seemed thinner than what the mouthfeel presented upon taste. Full-bodied and smooth, with the perfect amount of carbonation to keep it from being viscous and instead, wholly enjoyable from beginning to end.

The aroma carried through in the flavor, with more focus on the sweet, slightly tart, dark fruit than the bread or molasses. I definitely taste cherries here. My nose did not steer me wrong. There is also a bit of hops in the finish of the sip, adding to the complexity of this doppelbock.

I really enjoyed this brew. I hope that one day I might be able to grab some of the Wagner Valley Sled Dog Trippel Bock too, especially since it’s one of Deron’s favorites.

Cheers!

TAGS [ BEER REVIEWS | DOPPELBOCK | WAGNER VALLEY | FINGER LAKES | SLED DOG ]

Beer cellar porn. You’re welcome.

Thanks for passing this video along, Deron. Holy.

TAGS [ CRAFT BEER | BEER CELLAR ]