Scottie Knows Beer » Beer News

Philadelphia Beer Raids

Scottie — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:19:42 +0000

I want to preface this post with the fact that I am not a lawyer, nor have I studied the liquor laws of Pennsylvania (where I was born and raised and visit on occasion). The facts I list below are based from articles that I have read and my personal opinion on the matter. Without further adieu…The Philadelphia Beer Raids.

Over the past two weeks (beginning on March 4, 2010), armed State Police officers raided three popular Philadelphia bars (the Memphis Taproom, Local 44, and Resurrection Ale House) and one distributor (Origlio’s Beverage) based on an anonymous tip. The State Police confiscated thousands of dollars worth of untouched craft beer and are currently holding it (ransom?) at an undisclosed location (sounds like something from a movie).

The raided bars and lone distributor allegedly purchased beers that had not been properly licensed in the state of Pennsylvania; a process that requires the brewers or their importers to pay a $75 registration fee per brand.

Fines for selling unregistered beer can range from $50 to $1,000. An establishment’s liquor license may also be suspended or revoked, depending on the severity of the violation and any prior violations.

Leigh Maida, who runs the three raided bars with her husband Brendan Hartranft, estimated that $7,200 worth of craft beer had been confiscated and that more than half the beer removed by the State Police was indeed properly registered.

For instance, the cops confiscated Monk’s Cafe Sour Flemish Red Ale, a beer brewed in Belgium specifically for the Philadelphia bar donning the same name, “Monk’s Cafe”. The problem is that the beer appears on the state’s list as “Monk’s Café Ale.”

Even more puzzling, the State Police also confiscated bottles of Duvel, a very popular Belgian beer. The beer appears on the PLCB list as “Duvel Beer,” while its label reads “Duvel Belgian Golden Ale.” This one shocked me the most. Almost every beer-centric bar I have been to in the state of Pennsylvania serves Duvel. How could the State Police not figure this out? (Um…no comment.)

The Philly beer distributor Origlio’s Beverage, had about a dozen cases of beer confiscated and was ordered to stop selling beers from several well-known breweries, including Duvel, Russian River, Hacker-Pschorr, Paulaner, and Monk’s Cafe Ale.

Vinnie Cilurzo, owner of Russian River, does admit that some of the beers may not have been properly registered in the state of Pennsylvania.

“We are a small mom-and-pop brewery and every once in a while something slips through the cracks.”

At least one person in politics feels that the State Police and PLCB went too far.

Rep. John Taylor, whose legislative district includes one of the bars, the Memphis Taproom, said that the State Police engaged in “a ridiculous use of enforcement manpower” last week.

“I don’t know why they would use that many people to track down an issue like this that could have been handled with a routine inspection,”

“There are other important things those personnel could be doing,” Taylor said. “Over the years we’ve had problems [in bars] with gun sales, prostitution, drug sales, after-hour operations, sales to minors – serious issues of concern to the community. I don’t think this is one of them.”

The Pennsylvania liquor registration laws are intended, in part, to protect the consumer from purchasing “counterfeit” beer. After reading several articles from different sources, I feel that the PLCB’s records need to be updated at the very least, especially since registered beers like Duvel were confiscated. Click here for the official list of registered beer in Pennsylvania.

Since beginning this blog, I have met so many kind and giving people in the craft beer industry. One of the words often used when describing the industry is brotherhood. Did an envious “brother” and owner of a competing bar contact the PLCB to try to bring down a competitor’s business? If so, that’s going against everything the craft beer industry stands for.

So who is to blame? The bars? Distributors? Brewers? The asshole who ratted out these establishments?

Are the Pennsylvania State Police and PLCB a mob of beer haters on a power trip? Or are the PLCB’s laws are outdated and no longer relevant today?

I’d like to hear how people feel about this situation. Feel free to send me your opinions, additional facts, and what-not’s regarding the raids.

For some reason, I have a feeling this is not the last time the liquor laws of Pennsylvania come into question……………………

An ABV Showdown – Scotland’s BrewDog vs. Germany’s Schorschbräu

Scottie — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:41:34 +0000

BrewDog's James and Martin with a couple bottles of Sink the Bismark

James Watt and Martin Dickie, those innovative and competitive Scots from BrewDog Brewery, have created the world’s strongest beer….again; but when is a beer no longer a beer? At 41% ABV, many question whether BrewDog’s latest high alcohol concoction should even be considered a beer at all.

Last year, BrewDog unveiled the Tactical Nuclear Penguin, a 32% ABV (alcohol by volume) brew that broke the record for the world’s strongest beer ever brewed by humans…or penguins for that matter. Recently, Kleinbrauerei Schorschbräu, from Germany, one upped the Scots with their ridiculously strong Schorschbock, a behemoth of an Eisbock with 40% ABV.

Not to be outdone, Martin and James have waged war on the Germans and their new weapon is Sink the Bismark. Sink the Bismarck is a quadruple IPA that is frozen four times to drive the alcohol content to an astounding 41% ABV (not that the previous record holder’s ABVs weren’t astounding).

So what is this new ABV champion all about? Here is how BrewDog describes their new beer:

This is IPA amplified, the most evocative style of the craft beer resistance with the volume cranked off the scale. Kettle-hopped, dry-hopped then freeze-hopped for a deep fruit, resinous and spicy aroma. A full-out attack on your taste-buds ensues as the incredibly smooth liquid delivers a crescendo of malt, sweet honey, hop oils and a torpedo of hop bitterness which seems to last forever.

How much alcohol is too much? Have the Scottish punks (they are the self-proclaimed punks of the beer industry) gone too far? Well, this isn’t the first time that BrewDog has created a controversial beer. Their Tokyo (an 18.2% ABV Imperial Stout) was removed from some UK retailers because the messaging on the label was said to promote binge drinking. One can only imagine what the “watchdogs” think of BrewDog’s latest super brew.

Not many people are going to be able to afford to binge drink the Bismark though, since this rare beer will set you back a cool £40 for a 330ml bottle. BrewDog also provides an explanation of their sometimes misunderstood approach to brewing.

We want to do all we can to promote a new and responsible approach to beers in this country. We want the public to learn to understand, appreciate and respect beer. At BrewDog, we want to highlight a different approach to beer, one which focuses on quality ingredients and craftsmanship and not marketing budgets, volume sales and binge consumption. Many fall down the monolithic corporate brewers rabbit hole, we are on a mission to open as many people’s eyes as we can.

So when is a beer no longer a beer? I say if a beer is brewed with the four traditional ingredients – barley, hops, water, and yeast – then it should be considered a beer, regardless of the ABV. These Scots are always pushing the envelope of what is possible. They create beers (whether it be 6% ABV or 41% ABV) that they want to brew and they certainly don’t give a damn what anyone thinks, which I find refreshing.

Congrats to BrewDog for once-again redeeming the crown as being the brewer of the world’s strongest beer! Now all I have to do is get my hands on one of these comatose-inducing concoctions.

Beer Wars

Scottie — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:25:09 +0000

Beer Wars

Beer Wars is a documentary that provides a behind-the-scenes examination of the ultra competitive beer industry. Director Anat Baron, former General Manager of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, reveals the obstacles small breweries must overcome to make their mark in an industry dominated by an evil empire of mega breweries.

The documentary reviews a brief history of the beer industry in America over the past century. Highlights include Prohibition, the rise of TV advertising, the decline of the local brewery, and the emergence of the three mega breweries – Anheuser-Busch, Miller Brewing, and Coors Brewing Company (movie filmed before recent mergers). This is the real story of beer in America – how it went from good to bad, and how demand for good beer is changing the market once again. If you like cold hard facts and random statistics, this movie is for you.

Anat Baron features the stories of micro and craft breweries. One of the craft breweries highlighted is Dogfish Head, a personal favorite. Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head founder) discusses his passion for beer as well as the unruly competitive tactics of the three mega breweries. He has created a niche market for beer drinkers that appreciate not just good beer, but great beer. Dogfish Head stands out from the competition by creating quality beer made from the highest quality ingredients. They also focus on taking an innovative approach to old world recipes. “If it’s already on the market, we aren’t interested in making it,” says Sam Calagione.

Dogfish Head and every other brewery featured in this documentary tell the same story – an unfair marketplace for small breweries in North America. It’s truly David vs. Goliath. These mega brewers have an unlimited amount of resources in terms of marketing and advertising budgets, but they also seem to control much more, i.e. politicians in their pockets?

What’s to come for the privately-owned craft breweries and micro breweries in America? Only time will tell, but there has definitely been an emergence of new breweries entering the marketplace since this documentary was created. Could the rise of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook be the ultimate tool of promotion for smaller breweries? Maybe Beer Bloggers and Beer Evangelists will continue to gain the attention of beer drinkers in America? Let’s hope.

Beginning today, Beer Wars is available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Cablevision, Charter, Insight, Bresnan, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Dish Network and DirecTV. It is also available for download on iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Beer Wars definitely opened my eyes to the challenges that micro and craft brewers face when taking on the mega breweries. Here’s an idea, count how many beer commercials will be featured in the Super Bowl next weekend? The cost of one commercial airing during the Super Bowl outweighs the typical marketing budget of a micro brewery for an entire year. This is a movie that all beer drinkers need to watch.

Beer Wars website: http://beerwarsmovie.com/

Equity for Punks

Scottie — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:00:37 +0000

BrewDog

BrewDog Brewery, created by those innovative punks from Scotland, is giving all EU residents (which is a complete drag for us Yanks) the opportunity to own a stake in their company. BrewDog is the fastest growing and largest independent brewery in the UK. They have formalized all the legal paperwork to build a state of the art brewery that will be powered by windmills and powermass generators, making it completely self-sufficient.

Needless to say, this two year old brewery is positioning itself to become a leader in the growing international craft beer scene. They have already collaborated with the likes of Stone, Cambridge Brewing, and the Danish brewers at Mikkeller.

So why should you (once again, only if you are an EU resident) invest in BrewDog?

Some benefits to being a shareholder:

Full Dividend Entitlement, equal to that of existing shareholders
20% Lifetime online shop discount
Owning your very own part of BrewDog
Owning part of our awesome new energy self sufficient brewery
Owning part of our new BrewPub in Aberdeen and subsequent BrewPubs
Sell and trade your shares on www.equityforpunks.com or at a potential later listing
Having your say in how the company is run and vote on key decisions online

Here is what BrewDog says officialy on their site:

“We are looking for 10,000 BrewDog loving individuals to purchase shares in our company. This is your chance to buy into the BrewDog dream and share in our vision.

We believe the best way to further the growth of BrewDog is to ask you, the people who enjoy our beers, to be involved in BrewDog’s future.

By investing in BrewDog when we are just two years old, you will not only be involved in our future successes and long term growth but also have a great time owning a share in a fast-moving, fun-loving and dynamic young business.

BrewDog is redefining the UK beer scene, your share will buy you a piece of the Company.

BrewDog is about breaking rules, taking risks, upsetting trends and unsettling institutions but first and foremost, great tasting beer.”

Equity for Punks from BrewDog on Vimeo.

BrewDog is an exciting example of where the international craft beer scene is headed. They have quickly become one of my favorite breweries and I am looking forward to watching these innovative Scots continue to push the envelope of what is possible. A perfect example is their 32% ABV Tactical Nuclear Penguin beer. The strongest beer ever brewed by humans or penguins.

Brewery website: http://www.brewdog.com/