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 ]

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 ]

Not everyone may know this, but we’re (KegWorks I mean) located in Buffalo, NY – a border town with a few bridges to Canada. It’s a wonderful thing, considering we have easy access to the best products that Canada has to offer – particularly the beer.

Around here, the staple beers that you’ll find at every event and every bar are Labatt Blue and Molson Canadian. When people move out of the area and they ask for a Blue Light, bartenders usually look at them like they have three heads.

We all took notice when a company called North American Breweries purchased Labatt USA awhile back. When that happened, the Department of Justice stepped in with a mandate that said that in order for the deal to go through, North American Breweries must switch Labatt’s US sourcing away from AB InBev’s Labatt breweries in Canada and they must do it within three years.

Yesterday, North American Breweries lived up to their end of the deal. According to reports they had launched a "pretty intensive investigation of the options, including building a brewery in Canada, buying a brewery or contract brewing." Some sources even say they made a few attempts at buying an existing brewery but that didn’t pan out. So, they decided to contract their business out to Molson Coors.

Sure, it’ll be invisible to customers, it won’t say anything about Molson Coors on the packaging, North American Breweries and Labatt brewmasters will still be in charge and the recipe will remain the same. Yet, I still can’t help but wonder what John Labatt would have to say about this. As Beer Business Daily said, it’s kind of like brewing Budweiser in Milwaukee. I can’t help but think of it as sleeping with the enemy.

Apparently, they will start transferring production to Molson Coors in the fourth quarter with test batches and the entire transition is expected to be complete within the next 9 months.

I read that this solution "allows Labatt to maintain its Canadian heritage" – and that the company thought brewing the beer in the US (here or in Rochester for example) could possibly hurt the brand, seeing as it would no longer be considered an imported beer. Sounds kind of silly to me.

I suppose as long as Buffalo keeps getting Labatt Blue and Labatt Blue Light, the world will keep on spinning – it just might be a little off kilter.

TAGS [ MOLSON | COORS | LABATT | NAB | BEER NEWS ]

Over the weekend I attended the kind of party that was so good, it makes normal parties look bad.

Not only were there good people, there was an insane spread of delicious food, great music, a bonfire, stellar atmosphere and craft beer galore.

Along with the invitation the host had asked all of his guests to bring a 6-pack of something great, to share. I was immediately fond of the concept and although I had a very important Elmo themed 1st Birthday party in Rochester that afternoon, I resolved to make the hour and a half drive back to Buffalo to attend the beer-themed grownup party too. I’m very glad that I did.

Even though I arrived a couple of hours late, to say there was a plethora of brews available would be a serious understatement. Most parties have coolers filled with ice and drinks but this one had a legit giant stainless steel trough, purchased at a farm equipment store. It was huge, it was awesome and it contained two layers of cold, tasty beer.

I realize this probably sounds incredibly corny but I felt like a kid who had free reign in a toy store. With every trip to the trough, I had a hard time choosing what to drink next.

In case you’re wondering, my contribution included Great Lakes Holy Moses and Orange Blossom Cream Ale from Buffalo Bill’s Brewery. Other notable choices included Lagunitas IPA (a personal favorite), Sackets Harbor Brewing’s War of 1812 Amber Ale, Brooklyn Oktoberfest, Otter Creek Solstice Ale, Bard’s Gold (a gluten free option), Sierra Nevada’s Tumbler Brown Ale, Abita Purple Haze, a bunch of different Long Trail beers and countless others. No matter what you like, those options sure beat the typical Bud, Bud Light and Bud Light Lime lineup.

The next time you throw a get together, I invite you to follow the same format. It’s win-win. Everyone feels like they’ve chipped in, your guests get to choose from an above average selection and at the end of the night you get to keep the leftovers. In my humble opinion, a few bottles of good beer are more exciting than half a bowl of taco dip.

If you like the trough idea, don’t rush off to your local petting zoo to make a deal just yet. I’ve talked to the guys in Purchasing and they’re going to look into bringing some in. We’ll keep you posted.

Happy Monday!

TAGS [ CRAFT BEER | MICROBREWS | BEER PARTY | BEER TASTING ]

So Miller-Coors has enjoyed the fruits of their Blue Moon and Leinenkugel’s "craft beer" brands so much that they’ve decided to start an entire microbrewery, called Tenth and Blake. [Milwaukee Business Journal]

This news begs the question…

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Feel free to sound off in the comments section, too.

TAGS [ TENTH AND BLAKE | CRAFT BEER | MICROBREWERY | MILLER-COORS ]

Recently I had a beer trade with a USMC Sergeant. Not only did we each send brews that the other has never had but also I received a rad selection of USMC stuff (my daddy was a Marine and I always wished I could’ve been too) and I sent out a few things from KegWorks that I thought he would love, including an IITYWIMWYBMAD? hat.

Sgt. Tony just sent me a guest blog post (below) about his experience wearing the hat in New Orleans. Enjoy!

IITYWIMWYBMAD?

A couple days ago I received a beer trade / care package from Hannah (KegWorks.com). Included in said package were some awesome beer selections, kegworks schwag and a tan hat with the following phrase:

IITYWIM
WYBMAD?

At first I didn’t know what to think of the phrase and just couldn’t figure it out so I did a little bit of research, and it equates to:

If I tell you what it means
will you buy me a drink?

Ohhhhh….really? In that case, this hat possibly becomes a great free drink tool, as people drunkenly contemplate what the heck your head says, and upon getting their verbal okay to buy said drink, it sets in. Friend duped = free drinks for you!!

Perfect!! I thought to myself. I’ll be in New Orleans next week and I’ll be able to test this hat thing out and see where it gets me.

The first night I put said hat on and went down to the hotel bar to have a round with my boss, but no takers on trying to decode the cryptic message, however the night is still young and people are still coherent, not to worry!!

After our sazeracs we got a call from some fellow co-workers inviting us out to the waterfront bar "The Crazy Lobster" and from their tone were already audibly drunk. Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to score?

Me and the boss arrived and were getting ready to order drinks with our already inebriated com padres, when the largest of the four of us (a large burly man), asked: "So what the heck does that mean?" he said. "Oh the hat? It’s a riddle, come on and figure it out!!" I said. And so it begins!! They each took turns and somehow ended up with: It something something "my bad" something. I finally replied with the key phrase, I took off the hat and pointed out the letters and they quickly caught on. Clever Fu!%er!!

This is where the free drinks come in right? Yes. Burly man agreed, but since he’s buying, he was feeling generous and decided to order me up a "Category 5 Hurricane." A great start to a great night. Taking my big sippy cup of hurricane to go - we continued hopping bar to bar and people everywhere were dumbfounded while I continued to score shots and drinks. I drank for free the entire night.

Thanks to Hannah for the great gift, and if you don’t have one of these hats yet, you’re probably paying too much for your drinks ;)

Kam Pai

Tony K.

——

I can’t thank Tony enough for sending this along. If you have a story about wearing your IITYWIMWYBMAD? gear out, please pass it along!

Cheers!

TAGS [ FREE DRINKS | BAR GEAR | IITYWIMWYBMAD? ]

The small town of Cooperstown, New York is home to the highly regarded Ommegang Brewery. When I told my friends of a weekend getaway to Cooperstown, the Baseball Hall of Fame is typically what they expected I was going for. But in a town historically known for baseball, it’s the beer that might be the area’s best-kept secret. Tucked away in the rolling green hills of Upstate New York, the Ommegang Brewery grounds are the site for the annual Belgium Comes to Cooperstown Beer Festival.

The immediate draw to BCTC (what the veterans call "Belgium Comes To Cooperstown") is the showcase of the best Belgian style beers from all across the U.S. and around the world. Being the fan that I am of Belgian brews, and beer in general, I jumped on the opportunity to go when it was presented to me. This was to be my first BCTC and first true beer festival. My anticipation was high going into the weekend.

Turns out I was wrong! I eventually figured out that the highlight of the weekend wasn’t what I’d anticipated at all. I know this might seem shocking but it wasn’t the beer. I have to say that I’d consider the extremely high quality "beer culture" the thing that made my first experience with Belgium Comes to Cooperstown so memorable. From what I’ve gathered, there are a few components to "beer culture" and you can measure its quality at events like these by the beer, the people, and the atmosphere.

The Beer

Who am I kidding? As much as I love the people and the place, the brew is king. Speaking of "kings," feel free to leave your 30-pack of Bud Light at home (for your own safety.) With 39 breweries and distributors on site, I experienced some of the highest quality beers I’ve ever had on tap and there was plenty to choose from. Depending on the crew that you’re with, chances are there will be a healthy selection of beers to choose from before, during, and after the scheduled tastings, too. To be honest I think I drank more before the actual tasting began than I did while it was going on. Specialty homebrews litter the camping areas and most patrons aren’t shy about sharing.

The People

That leads me into my next component. The fellow beer lovers that I had the pleasure of "tasting" with made my experience so much more than I’d expected. Our particular pack was a riot. All BCTC vets with an extreme passion for beer, copious amounts of water for rinsing glasses (not consumption), BBQ grills, and arguably the best camping area at the festival. Even though I was a rookie, after a few minutes of my groveling they welcomed me to the fold and sincerely spoiled me rotten.

The crowd in general ties into this particular component as well. It was a more unique crowd than I really expected. Men AND women (see visual evidence below), old and young, home brewers and brew masters, beer reps and bar regulars, all sharing a passion for true craft brew. I encountered plenty of characters along the way. Clad with orange oversized cowboy hats, fitted beer goggles, and even a draft beer dispensing pick-up truck. That last one was pure genius.

The Atmosphere

That brings me to final, but possibly the most important, beer culture component. Atmosphere. I can’t say enough about what a bang up job Ommegang does with this festival. First of all, the brewery has a fairy tale like quality to it. It looks like a medieval farmhouse, set back in the forest, surrounded by open fields. If Mother Goose were a beer geek, she’d be at Ommegang. The environment was perfect. Because of the location and limited number of tickets available, BCTC really has an exclusive feel to it. I honestly felt privileged to be there.

The entire weekend begins Friday night with a VIP dinner. Dinner includes a delicious 5-course meal complete with the best brews from Ommegang, Duvel, A’Chouffe, and Maredsous.

The next morning patrons start buzzing early and the unofficial tasting begins. One by one everyone takes turns unleashing their latest home brew creation or rare craft brew from their coolers. Each contributor seems to try to one up the beer before with something even better. As an innocent bystander, I quickly realized the beauty of such a system. While I don’t remember everything I tasted, there was a homebrewed Saison brewed with 7 pounds of honey and a bottle of New Glarus Red Cherry Ale that blew me away. Kudos to those who brought them.

The official tasting began at 3 and ran until 7. The schedule gave me more than enough time to enjoy a plethora of Dubbels, Tripels, Quadrupels, Sours, and Saisons and also indulge in the fruits of the Belgian waffle stand. The operation is so well run that the crowd was never an issue. People are there to enjoy great beer, not fight over girls. As a recent college grad, this amazed me. The lack of congestion made walking around a breeze and allowed for maximum tasting. The most difficult part of my day was deciding what to try next, and with certain brewers pouring beers made especially for BCTC it was hard to choose.

Perhaps the most interesting table was the vertical tasting of Ommegang Three Philosophers. This included samples of the famous Three Philosophers Quadrupel aged from the years 2004-2009. They were all delicious, but I had a soft spot for 2005. After the tasting concluded, patrons returned to their campsites and let the corks and bottle tops fly. We just picked up where we’d left off that morning. The night concluded with a late night showing of Caddyshack and a bonfire to put an exclamation point on an exciting day. The fact that they let people camp out on the grounds makes the event that much more unique.

Tips for Next Year

I couldn’t have asked for more. I hope you understand now what I mean by "beer culture" because this event truly showcases it the best. Before I conclude I not only encourage you to experience Belgium Comes to Cooperstown yourself, but I’d like to offer a few tips for potential rookies.

1. Bring a growler.

2. Bring a dish to pass.

3. Get a VIP pass.

4. Don’t forget your business cards.

Cheers!

TAGS [ BCTC | BELGIUM COMES TO COOPERSTOWN | BREWERY OMMEGANG | BEER FESTIVAL | BEER FESTS ]