Japanese “space beer”

Posted on May 30, 2008 by Al

The Seattle Times: Japanese brewery to make beer from space barley

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
The Associated Press

TOKYO — Japanese beer-lovers can anticipate an out-of-this-world brew: suds made with barley descended from grains that traveled in outer space.

The “space beer,” to be test-brewed by Sapporo Breweries Ltd., will come in a pilot edition of 100 bottles to be ready in November, said company spokeswoman Momoko Matsumura.

The beer will be made with barley — to be harvested this weekend — descended from seeds that spent five months in 2006 aboard the International Space Station.

“We’re really looking forward to tasting it when it’s ready,” Matsumura said.

The barley project started when Sapporo teamed up with Okayama University biologists working with the Russian space team. The team took 0.9 ounce of barley into space for storage inside the space station from April to September 2006.

The project is part of biological studies of the adaptability of plants to environmental changes and the impact from stresses such as space travel.

Sapporo planted 0.14 ounce of the barley grains that returned from space at its research farm northeast of Tokyo in March 2007.

The seedlings were harvested last November. The company expects to harvest 100 pounds of the third-generation grains on Saturday for use in the space beer.

Sapporo isn’t planning to sell the special brew, at least for now, and hasn’t decided how it will distribute the planned 100 bottles, Matsumura said.

So far, scientists have not found any difference between space barley and the Earth-confined version, she said.

That’s interesting and all, but I can’t help thinking that this could be part of the plot of a bad 1950s science fiction movie.

I’d like to see them devise a way to brew beer in space. Perhaps a modified Mr. Beer?

I’ll use this as an opportunity to segue into a link to one of my favorite sites: Astronomy Picture of the Day

Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy

Posted on May 29, 2008 by Al

We finally got some warmer weather here in Western Maryland. And, with all the rain we’ve been getting, the hill that is my backyard was starting to get overgrown. Sadly, the manual mower that I’ve been using for the last two years just isn’t up to the job, so I broke down and bought an electric mower.

$Leinenkugel\'s Summer Shandy$ So, after work this evening I took on the lawn, and the lawn won. Well, not really. But after I was done it seemed like the perfect time for a “lawnmower beer” and a comfy chair on my deck.

As a beverage, I chose Leinenkugel’s summer seasonal: Summer Shandy. The label proclaims it to be “beer with natural lemonade flavor”. I’m not sure what “natural lemonade flavor” is supposed to be; isn’t that lemon flavor? Besides sugar, what could anyone possibly be putting in their lemonade? The label also says it is “Weiss beer with lemonade”.

They say:

Get a taste of the freshest flavor under the sun – Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy. A shandy is a lemonade flavored beer, a European favorite during the warmer months. And the light, crisp flavor makes it a great summer refresher. Each batch is carefully brewed using the finest wheat, malted barley and just a hint of real Wisconsin honey. Then, our brewmasters mix in fresh lemonade and citrus flavors to create an adventurous taste that’s perfect for those lazy days of summer.

Well, anyway, it pours a very light color and very cloudy. Plenty of head, which quickly settles down and an aroma vaguely reminiscent of lemon dish soap.

Mouthfeel is light, and the underlying beer is very unobtrusive. I was expecting some tartness and even some sweetness from the lemon, and I didn’t get it. The flavor seems to be more like lemon zest than lemon juice.

My wife also tried it. Her impression: “It tastes like someone tried to make Crystal Light® using beer.”

I’m disappointed with this one.

Utica Brewery Burns in Toxic Fire

Posted on May 29, 2008 by Ron

Just hours ago, a fire broke out at the historic F.X. Matt Utica Brewery in upstate New York. The fire is believed to have started in the bottling portion of the plant where a machine is used to put plastic on six packs.

The roof and the 3rd floor have collapsed. Worse, the fire is burning plastics and other materials creating toxic fumes. Five blocks surrounding the brewery have been evacuated. Also troubling is a vat of ammonia which has the potential of exploding if the fire reaches it.

The building has many large cracks in it and firefighters fear it may collapse. The fire hasn’t yet spread to the main brewery next door.

The fire broke out just as the weekly Thursday evening Saranac Music event was getting started.

At least two people have been injured and have been sent to the hospital.

The FX Matt Brewery is primarily known for Utica Club and the Saranac line of beers, but they are also a large contract brewer for Brooklyn Brewery, Samuel Adams, and many others.

Look at the Observer-Dispatch for more coverage, photos and video.

Update: As of 11:30 PM, Thursday night, May 30 2008, the fire was not yet under control. The ammonia tank has not exploded which could level all of the buildings.

Update – 4-June-2008: The brewery is operational, although canning and bottling operations will need to be outsourced for a time. (via Dowd’s Brews Notebook)

Anheuser-Busch stock up on InBev acquisition rumor

Posted on May 23, 2008 by Al

Shortly before noon today, Anheuser-Busch’s stock price was up over 8 per cent based on rumors that InBev is putting together a $46 billion bid to buy it. That is one expensive beer run.

Anheuser Busch Stock Surges on Report of Possible InBev Bid (AP)

Both companies were, as is typical, mum on the rumor. Look for something definitive very soon.

They’d be crazy to announce it this weekend though. The idea of an American institution being bought up by a European rival, on Memorial Day weekend no less, would anger a lot of patriotic types.

Session #16 announced: Beer festivals

Posted on May 16, 2008 by Al

The Session - Beer Blogging Friday The Session is a monthly one-day event held by beer bloggers around the world, where they each post their thoughts on a unified theme.

That theme, for June, is Beer Festivals hosted by Geistbear Brewing Blog.

As Summer approaches we are in full swing of beer festival season, so it seemed the perfect topic for the June Session. Do you have a favorite beer festival you like to attend or a particular memory of inspirational moment at a festival? Or perhaps talk about what you would like to see out of festivals or perhaps the future of them.

This episode of the Session will take place on June 6, 2008. Details here: Announcing the Session #16 – Beer Festivals

American Craft Beer Week, May 12-18, 2008

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Al

Just a quick note that we are in the midst of American Craft Beer Week. This is an event, sponsored by the Brewers Association, that “highlights the industry and culture of craft beer.”

This year there is a focus on brewers’ charitable efforts. From the official press release:

This year, breweries and beer makers will also recognize their collective charitable contributions. For the first time ever, the Brewers Association announced U.S. craft breweries’ charitable contributions, and for 2007 they are estimated to be more than $20 million.

“In addition to being recognized for making world-class beer, independent craft brewers are amazing community citizens,” said Julia Herz, a spokesperson for the Brewers Association. “Craft brewers are an integral part of many communities’ charitable efforts. They donate to everything from fire departments, disaster relief efforts, local events, educational fundraisers and so much more.”

There is also a list of events (organized by state) at the ABCW site.

I’ve been doing my part by drinking craft beer this week. I’ll be topping it off on Saturday by enjoying the beers from the local brewpubs served at our minor league baseball team’s game. (It also happens to be my birthday.) I’ll even see about getting a hot dog and some apple pie.

What are you doing for American Craft Beer Week?

Hops shortage on Wired.com

Posted on May 12, 2008 by Al

You and I and everyone who reads blogs like this know it already: Craft brewers are trying many different ways to deal with the shortages of hops. Their—and, by extension, our—plight has even been examined in the mainstream media.

Well, now it’s serious. The issue has now been covered by that paragon of journalism for geeks: Wired.com.

Craft Brewers Reformulate Beer to Cope With Hop Shortage

The beer-brewing situation demonstrates how the global-commodity shortage is spilling over to affect diverse industries in unexpected ways. The hop shortage lives on the outer edges of a food crisis that’s prompted riots across the planet, and last month led U.N. Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon to implore the world’s governments to increase food production to stave off a 40 percent jump in the cost of staples.

While nobody in the craft-beer industry is going hungry, they are being forced to adapt. There’s no replacement for hops in beer — they give the brew its flavor. But other key ingredients are in short supply, as well. Malt, which comes from sprouted barley, produces the alcohol and body of beer — its prices have doubled along with hops. The price of rice, used by industrial brewers, has charted a similar course.

(via Boing Boing)

Beer Blog Search expansion continues

Posted on May 12, 2008 by Al

I figured it would be a good time to update you on the Beer Blog Search Engine. I keep finding more and more quality blogs to add. Who knew there were that many people out there blogging about beer?

Anyway, here are some recently added blogs (in no particular order):

For more information on the Beer Blog Search Engine, see:

As always, if you know of any others that would be good additions, don’t hesitate to drop us a line.

Anheuser-Busch getting greener

Posted on May 7, 2008 by Al

I heard a report this morning about ClimateCounts.org, a non-profit organization with the stated aim of bringing “consumers and companies together in the fight against global climate change.”

They’ve released their 2008 Scorecard, which summarizes 56 large companies’ self-reported efforts at environmental friendliness. Anheuser-Busch was one of the most improved companies, jumping 21 points from their 2007 score to 50 points (out of 100).

Scorecard Sectors: Beer

Of course, since ClimateCounts.org focuses on large—primarily American—companies, only three companies are listed in that sector.

Anheuser-Busch: 50/100 (+21)
SAB Miller: 48/100 (0)
MolsonCoors: 34/100 (+14)

Certainly, these are awfully modest numbers and there are smaller brewers who would score significantly higher on ClimateCounts.org’s criteria. Still, considering the absolute volume produced by these three corporations, and the positive direction of their scores, kudos are warranted. Not that there isn’t room for improvement, of course. As I say to my kids when report cards come out: “Great job! Now, keep it up.”

Hop Talk

Beer. Life. Blog.

Monthly Archives: May 2008