Tag Archives: Covid-19

Adaptive Reuse, Beer Tourism, Craft Breweries

On The Road Again

July 29, 2021 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

Regular readers of this blog will know that I travel quite a bit and that in the course of these travels I take the opportunity to visit breweries. In 2018 and 2019, I visited 66 and 63 breweries respectively. For 2020, I had set myself the target of visiting 52 different breweries – an average of one per week. But as the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns, so astutely observed in his 1795 poem, To A Mouse, “the best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley”. Translation – “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. And so it was, with arrival of COVID-19 in the spring of 2020. Lockdowns, social distancing, and travel restrictions meant that my visits to breweries were severely curtailed. I did manage to visit 22 breweries/taprooms by the time the lockdown came into effect in mid-March. During the remainder of 2020, however, I was only able to add another four breweries/taprooms to bring my total to 26 for the year.

Thanks to the availability of COVID-19 vaccines and the easing of lockdown and other restrictions, however, I have started to travel again. Last month. my wife and I had a four-day trip that took us to Cincinnati, OH and Indianapolis, IN. While we did some sightseeing on the trip, for me it was an opportunity to visit some breweries. Our first stop was Cincinnati, where we spent the night and visited a childhood friend of my wife and her husband. After dinner and a pint of Belhaven Scottish Ale at the Cock and Bull Public House, we spent the remainder of the evening at the city’s March First Brewing. Billing itself as Cincinnati’s only brewery, cidery, and distillery, I was curious about its name – March First. Was it named that to honor the fact that the state of Ohio had been founded on March 1, 1803? Apparently not. As it turns out, the brewery’s name reflects the struggle that the owner had in coming up with a name. When completing some paperwork for the state of Ohio, the owner had to fill in the name of the company. Not yet having identified one, he looked around for a few seconds and saw from a wall calendar that it was March 1 – hence the name was selected.

The next day, my wife and I picked up our oldest daughter and her boyfriend, both of whom live in Cincinnati, and headed for Indianapolis, IN. This was a trip that we had talked about doing last summer, but COVID-19 meant that it never happened. It had been a number of years since I had been in Indianapolis, and I was keen to explore it again. It is a city with a burgeoning craft beer scene; it was recently ranked by Real Estate Witch as the second best metro area in the country for beer drinkers. Quite an accolade to live up to.

On our first evening in Indianapolis, we visited Ellison Brewing Co. It was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed several beers on the brewery’s patio. During the evening, we had the opportunity to have several conversations with our waitress. We learned a bit about the brewery’s history and the post-COVID-19 challenges of hiring staff. Ellison Brewing Co, was founded in 2015 by Iraq War Veteran Aaron Hansen who opened a combined brewery/distillery in Lansing, MI. The space occupied by Ellison in Indianapolis previously housed Tow Yard Brewing. When Tow Yard filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors in 2018, Hansen seized the opportunity to acquire the space and expand his brewery’s footprint to Indianapolis.

From the perspective of an Indianapolis resident, Ellison Brewery is an example of an “out-of-town” brewery that has opened its doors in their city. This appears to be a growing trend within the craft brewing industry. Earlier this year, Dogfish Head Brewery of Milton, DE announced plans to open a craft brewery in Miami, FL. When I was in Indianapolis, I noticed that Goodwood Brewery of Louisville, KY were in the process of converting a space that would give them a presence in the city. This expansion of what I term “branch breweries” is an interesting development within the craft brewing industry (maybe a topic for a future blog entry). As a footnote, since I returned from Indianapolis, the Goodwood Brewery has opened its doors and is serving pints to thirsty locals and visitors alike.

Goodwood Brewery of Louisville, KY are opening an establishment in Indianapolis, IN

The next day, after our visit to Ellison Brewing Co, we visited three other Indianapolis breweries – Metazoa Brewing Co., Sun King Brewing Company, and St. Joseph Brewery & Public House. I was particularly looking forward to visiting Metazoa, In February 2020, I had met the owner of Metazoa, Dave Worthington, at the Beer Marketing and Tourism Conference in St. Petersburg, FL. Dave had told me that if I ever found myself in Indianapolis to drop in and say “Hi”. I emailed Dave about a week before we left for Indianapolis and arranged a time to visit Metazoa. Dave, who is a very busy individual, was extremely generous of his time and with beer-in-hand gave us a tour of his brewery’s space and also answered all the questions that we had about his experience in the industry. I will not say too much about Metazoa here (the next blog entry will be dedicated to Metazoa). Suffice to say that owner Dave Wotherspoon has a passion for animals and donates 5% of Metazoa’s profits to various animal welfare causes. Metazoa served as a reminder of the generosity of America’s craft brewing industry. Data from the Brewers Association showed that in 2016 America’s 5,600+ craft breweries raised $73.4 million for various charitable causes.

Dave Worthington (left), owner of Metazoa Brewing Co., gave us a tour of his brewery space

Metazoa Brewing Co. donates 5% of its profits to various animal charities

After Metazoa, we took to the streets and walked to Sun King Brewing Company. Established in 2009, Sun King is the second largest craft brewery in Indiana (3 Floyds in Muncie is the largest). Sun King was also our dinner stop. Inside the large Sun King Tasting Room is La Margarita, a Mexican-inspired food vendor, that has several locations throughout the city.

Sun King Brewing Company in downtown Indianapolis

After Sun King, we took an Uber to St. Joseph Brewery and Public House. As the name might suggest, this brewery is in an old Catholic Church, and provides an excellent example of adaptive reuse. Coming across a craft brewery in an old church is not an uncommon experience. Indeed, a quick foray into the recesses of my memory, revealed that St. Joseph was the sixth craft brewery in an old church that I had visited.

St. Joseph Brewery & Public House was established in 2015

Entrance to Sr. Joseph Brewery & Public House

Inside St. Joseph Brewery and Public House

So that was my trip to Indianapolis. It was good to be back on the road again. It was nice to spend a couple of days being a beer tourist. Notwithstanding any more travel restrictions I hope to make a few more trips similar to this throughout the remainder of 2021.

Covid-19, Craft Breweries

The Corona “Can”-demic

April 26, 2021 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

Back in February, I received a telephone call from Kevin Lynch, a reporter from the Daily Record, a newspaper in Wooster, OH. Kevin was writing a story about the beer can shortage that was the result of the Covid-19 pandemic. We’ll get back to that story in a minute, but let’s say a few words about the history of the beer can.

The world’s first beer can made its debut on January 24, 1935. On that day, the Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, NJ test marketed the beer can in Richmond, VA. Two different beers were available to thirsty Richmonders – Krueger’s Cream Ale and Krueger’s Finest Beer. The initial run was only 2,000 cans, but production increased after beer drinkers provided positive feedback on the new vessel. These first cans were made by the New Jersey-based American Can Company.

The world’s first beer cans contained Krueger’s Cream Ale and Krueger’s Finest Beer.

Compared with today’s cans, the first beer cans were heavy and had to be opened with a churchkey opener. With the passage of time, however, the humble beer can has evolved. In 1935, cone top cans appeared. These were followed by pull-tab cans in 1962, and stay-tab cans in 1975.

In recent years, canned beer has become increasingly popular among craft beer drinkers. This popularity has been driven by a number of factors. Cans can be taken where bottles are prohibited – for example the pool or the beach. They are also lighter than bottles, making them more portable and hence a preferred choice for outdoor activities such as hiking. Aluminum cans are also highly recyclable, more so than glass. According to data from The Aluminum Association, “nearly 75 percent of all aluminum produced in the U.S. is still in use today”. But what about taste? Does a beer in a can taste as good as the same beer in a bottle? A blind taste test conducted in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2016 demonstrated that beer drinkers could not tell the difference between canned and bottled beer.

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has created a demand for canned beer that was both unprecedented and unanticipated. The crux of the problem lies in the fact that Covid-19 forced many craft brewery taprooms to temporarily close. When they reopened, they had to do so at reduced capacities. Bars and restaurants, that sold craft beer, had similar restrictions placed upon them. Unable to sell their beer to taproom customers or to bars and restaurants, craft breweries had to either sell their beer on a to-go basis or via supermarkets and liquor stores. In either case, this meant that beer which was formerly put in kegs now had to be put in cans. The result – a significant surge in demand for aluminum cans.

Earlier this year, I listened to a webinar presentation that Bart Watson, Chief Economist of the Brewers Association, made to the Economic Roundtable of the Ohio Valley. Bart presented a number of interesting statistics during his presentation, one of which was the growing popularity of cans as the preferred packaging for craft beer. In 2016, only 16% of craft beer (measured in dollar value) was sold in cans. By 2019, this percentage had increased to 38%, and by 2020 to 50%. So while Covid-19 created an increase in demand for beer cans among craft breweries, that demand was already rising steadily on a year-by-year basis. Indeed, as far back as 2015, a shortage of cans was already creating challenges for some craft brewers.

Covid-19 demonstrated how quickly demand for aluminum cans can increase. In March 2020, retail sales of canned drinks was up 24%, compared with March 2019. For individual breweries the shift to cans has been dramatic. For example, in 2109, draft beer accounted for two-thirds of sales for Wolf‘s Ridge Brewing in Columbus, OH. As a result of Covid-19, cans now account for two-thirds of Wolf Ridge’s sales. Prior to Covid-19, Booze Brothers Brewery in Vista, CA canned about 35 percent of its beer; that increased to 80% as a result of the pandemic.

Due to insufficient production capacity, it was not easy for suppliers to meet such an uptick in demand. This mismatch between supply and demand meant that the United States market was, according to one estimate, short 10 billion cans in 2020. As a result, some American companies looked to other countries, such as Brazil and Mexico, to import cans. In Brazil, in sharp contrast to the United States, Covid-19 resulted in a drop in demand for cans. This is because canned drinks in Brazil are upscale and are sold almost exclusively in bars and restaurants which, of course, shut down.

Increase in Retail Sales of Cans in First Six Months of 2020 (Compared with Same Month in 2019). Source: IRI-Wall Street Journal

The shortage has been exacerbated by the upsurge in popularity of hard seltzers, most of which are packaged and sold in cans. Add to that growing demand for energy drinks, kombucha, ready-to-drink cocktails etc. and the gap between supply and demand grows. In the United States 380 different beverages are packaged in aluminum cans.

The can shortage created significant challenges for craft breweries across the United States. During a shortage, it is the larger customers (Pepsi, Coke, Anheuser Busch, etc.) whose orders get prioritized. And when demand exceeds supply, prices can go up, which is exactly what many craft breweries, such as Barrel House Z in Weymouth, MA, experienced. And, it was not uncommon for breweries to run out of cans before the next shipment arrived.

Breweries who anticipated the can shortage, and had the necessary cash, stocked up on cans – many did not have the capital (or space) to do so, however. Those that did, were better able to weather the Covid-19 can shortage. Most small brewers purchase their cans through brokers, some of whom changed the terms of business in response to Covid-19. Minimum shipment sizes increased, which was problematic for smaller breweries. Some brokers, who previously provided free storage space for cans, no longer did so. As a result, some breweries had to sublet space to store cans. Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis, IN rented warehouse space four miles from its brewery, while East Brother Beer Co. in Richmond, CA sublet space from a co-tenant in its building. Unanticipated storage were not the only additional costs incurred by breweries who shifted from selling beer on-site to canning beer for to-go sales. Other costs included increased packaging costs and higher wages for former tipped bar staff who now assisted with the canning process. Additionally, canning beer requires a canning machine. Most breweries, including many who can beer, do not own a dedicated canning machine. Instead, they utilize a mobile canning machine which is provided by an independent firm. Mobile canning is used by breweries who do not have the money or space for a dedicated on-site canning machine, or who do not wish to can large volumes of their beer.

When will the can-demic end? One forecast suggests that craft brewers may have to wait until August 2021 for a steady supply of cans to be available. Ball Corporation, the world’s largest manufacturer of aluminum cans, will open new production facilities in Glendale, AZ and Pittson, PA in the spring and summer of 2021 respectively. In the meantime, newly opened breweries, hoping to can their beer, may have to exercise patience as many brokers are not taking on new accounts. The pressure to supply existing accounts is simply too strong. In extreme cases, there was a fear that the can shortage may result in some breweries going out of business. In a can shortage advisory issued to its members in July 2020, the Brewers Association warned that the “can shortage may threaten the ability to survive the pandemic for some craft brewers.” Recent data released by the Brewers Association suggests that the number of breweries that closed due to Covid-19 may not be as high as first anticipated during the early days of the pandemic. This is good news. And as increasing numbers of people get vaccinated and States ease up on capacity restrictions for bars and restaurants, some of the pressure on cans is likely to start to dissipate.

Bars, Covid-19, Social Drinking

Covid-19 and the return of the Speakeasy

March 23, 2021 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

Hear the word “speakeasy” and you probably think of Prohibition; that 13 year period (1920-1933) when the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages were prohibited. The term speakeasy, however, predates Prohibition. Defined as “a place where alcoholic beverages are illegally sold”, the origin of the term has been traced to early 19^th century England, where the term “speak softly shop” denoted a place where smugglers could offload goods and avoid taxes. The term “speak easy shop” was used in Selsea, England in 1844 in reference to an unlicensed tavern. It was first used in the United States in 1889, when Kate Hester, a saloonkeeper in McKeesport, PA told some boisterous patrons to “speak easy, boys!” McKee was selling alcohol without a license.

Thankfully, America’s failed experiment with Prohibition ended with the ratification of the 21^st Amendment on December 5, 1933. Saloon owners could now open their doors without the fear of a visit from law enforcement officers in pursuit of those selling illegal alcohol. Alas, as the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us “ What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” And so, here we are, in 2021. The world is in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic and local and state authorities are circumscribing the gathering of people in bars and craft breweries. The objective is straightforward – to slow down the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Strategies employed by authorities vary from place to place and evolve with the passage of time in response to changing circumstances. When cases of Covid-19 spiked in the spring and summer of 2020, authorities ordered bars and craft breweries to close. When this occurred, curbside pick-up or home delivery were the only ways that impacted establishments could get their product into the hands of consumers. As restrictions eased bars and breweries were able to invite patrons back into their establishments. However, as Covid-19 infections spiked again, some jurisdictions introduced curfews. In my state of Ohio, for example, Governor DeWine introduced a 10pm-5am curfew on November 19, 2020. As Covid-19 numbers improved, Ohio’s curfew was extended to 11pm on January 28, 2021 and then revoked on February 11, 2021. The underlying logic was that by closing bars and breweries during their busiest hours the spread of Covid-19 could be mitigated. Breaking curfew in Ohio was a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine. During times that bars and breweries were legally open, social distancing rules had to be observed.

The illegal consumption of alcohol has seen an uptick in the use of the term speakeasy among the nation’s media. “Cops Raid 2 Illegal Clubs, Say Speakeasies Cropping up after State Enacted 10 p.m. Curfew” stated one headline on NJ.com. And my favorite – “Lap Dances, Karaoke, Late Hours: The Speakeasies of the Covid Era” read a headline in the New York Times.

So, what should we make of the emergence of 21^st century speakeasies? We certainly should not be surprised that curfew and social distancing laws and guidelines are being flouted. I say “not surprisingly” because if Prohibition taught us one thing it was that any legislation designed to dictate to Americans when and where they can consume alcohol is bound to be met with opposition and disregarded (at least by some members of the population). And so, it has been. Newspapers across the country are filled with stories about bars being visited by law enforcement officers and cited for curfew violations. I should note that breaking curfew to enjoy a beer at the neighborhood bar is not unique to the United States, as this story from South Africa illustrates. South Africa had one of the strictest (if not the strictest) Covid-19-related alcohol legislation – banning its sale and distribution completely. While some of us were content (or at least tolerated) virtual Happy Hours, others clearly wanted the real thing.

Another factor to consider in trying to understand the breaking of alcohol curfews is that visiting a bar or brewery is a key activity in the social life of many individuals. Back in the 1980s, urban sociologist, Ray Oldenburg, introduced us to the concept of the Third Place. Third Places exist in contrast to First Places (home) and Second Places (work) and are those places (bars, coffee shops, bowling alleys, etc.) where we go to gather with friends to unwind. As a result of Covid-19, many Americans have been confined to their First Place (home), with access to Second Places (Work) and Third Places (Social Gathering Places) restricted and denied. Social isolation, forced upon us by Covid-19, has exacerbated loneliness. In an article in the Wall Street Journal, Janet Adamy and Paul Overberg cite research which finds that “loneliness takes a physical toll, and is as closely linked to early mortality as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day or consuming more than six alcoholic drinks a day. Loneliness is even worse for longevity than being obese or physically inactive.” In 2018, The Economist called loneliness a serious public health problem. Today, single person households comprise 28% of all American households.

In his book, The Great Good Place the Urban Sociologist, Ray Oldenburg, wrote about the importance of Third Places in the social life of communities

The highly respected British Anthropologist, Robin Dunbar, has studied the social and mental health benefits of going to a pub. Numerous studies conducted by Dunbar has led him to conclude that “there are social and well being benefits to be derived directly from drinking alcohol, especially in relaxed social environments”. According to Dunbar, hanging out with friends in a bar, drinking beer, telling jokes, exchanging gossip, etc. releases endorphins in the brain. These endorphins “generate a positive feeling in a person, similar to that of morphine. So we feel good. And crucially, alcohol also activates the endorphin system, which in itself will enhance social bonds among those who indulge together.” Dunbar also cites research that shows that the probability of still being alive twelve months after a heart attacks was higher for people with vibrant social networks. To quote Dunbar, “our social networks play a central role in our ability to survive the worst traumas that life can throw at us. And those networks are very clearly enhanced by the use of alcohol”.

Robin Dunbar, the respected British Anthropologist, writes eloquently and convincingly about the social and health benefits of drinking alcohol

For many of us, Covid-19 is the worst trauma that life has thrown at us. Social isolation has taken a huge toll on human society. Within that context it is perhaps understandable why curfews (and even social distancing) laws have been flouted, and why the speakeasy has reappeared, albeit temporarily, as part of the American vernacular.

Drinking Local Beer

June 30, 2020 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

This is the fourth blog entry I have written that has been inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic. For me and many Ohioans, we really started to feel the impact of Covid-19 on Sunday March 15. That was the first day that bars and restaurants in the state were closed (starting at 9.00pm) for regular business. They would be closed for a full two months, reopening for outdoor seating only on May 15 and capacity-restricted indoor dining on May 22. During that time most bars and restaurants (including craft breweries) survived by selling food and beer for delivery and/or curbside pick-up. Denied taproom sales, many breweries experienced a significant drop in their revenues; surviving Covid-19 quickly became the primary objective.

Once craft brewery taprooms in Ohio were closed for business, and I realized that they were going to face a significant drop in revenues, I made the decision to drink beer from local breweries only. Before going any further, I should note that I am not a “Buy Local” zealot. I understand Ricardo’s Theory of Comparative Advantage, and the reasons why we purchase and consume products that are made in other places (be they other cities in the United States or other countries). However, for a couple of months at least, I thought it would be fun and interesting to drink only beers made by local breweries. That, of course, begs the question as to what constitutes a local brewery? Does the brewery have to be located in the city of Toledo to be considered local? Or could that be broadened to include the entire county (Lucas County)? What about defining local as any beer produced in the state of Ohio? An alternative to using political jurisdictions (City, County, or State boundaries) to define local, is delimiting breweries within a certain radius of where I live. But what radius should I use – 10 miles, 20 miles, 50 miles?

The question of what constitutes “local” is one that has been debated by both academics and policy makers. According to the 2008 Farm Bill any food produced within a 400 mile radius is considered locally or regionally produced. In Canada, food is considered local if it is produced in the province or territory in which it is sold or (if sold across provincial borders) is purchased within is 50 km (31 miles) of its originating province or territory.

After giving it some thought I decided to restrict my beer drinking from breweries located in the states of Ohio and Michigan. I live in Ohio, of course, but am very close to Michigan. From my house I can be in Michigan in approximately twelve minutes. I have visited a good number of breweries in Ohio and Michigan and feel a strong affinity to the craft beer movement in both states. Of course, some of the breweries in both states are pretty far from my home. For example, Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery in Athens, OH is 219 miles from my home, while Ore Dock Brewing Company in Marquette Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is 490 miles away – not exactly local.

Ore Dock Brewing Company in Marquette, MI is 490 miles from my home

Not surprisingly, I am not the first person to commit to consuming local food and drink. In 2005, Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon pledged to eat only dishes made from ingredients harvested within a 100 mile radius of their Vancouver, BC home. In 2007, Barbara Kingsolver moved her family from Tucson, AZ to rural Virginia, where they spent the year eating food grown/reared by themselves or by someone in their neighborhood.

Restricting myself to Ohio and Michigan beers has not exactly been a penance. According to the Brewers Association, there are 400 craft breweries in Michigan and 311 in Ohio. Of course, not all 711 sell their beer in the Toledo market, but enough do that I never lacked choice or got bored with the beers I was drinking. In fact, if I had to, I could probably drink Ohio and Michigan beers for an entire year and not feel hard done by. I did sneak in a few non Ohio and Michigan beers in over the last couple of months – but these were beers that were already sitting in my basement refrigerator and whose “consume by” date already here or rapidly approaching. Most of these beers were consumed on my back deck, while enjoying the warm rays of the spring sunshine. I have created a two galleries highlighting some of the Ohio and Michigan beers that I consumed.

Blueberry Kolsch, Double Wing Brewing, Madison, OH
Summer Teeth Lager, Columbus Brewing, Columbus, OH
Mexican Lager, Great Lakes Brewing, Cleveland, OH
150 Candles, Streetside Brewery, Cincinnati, OH
Raspberry Cream Summer Wheat, Earnest Brew Works, Toledo, OH

Amber Ale, Bell’s Brewery, Comstock, MI
Double Crooked Tree IPA. Dark Horse Brewing, Marshall, MI
Lager of the Lakes, Bell’s Brewery, Comstock. MI

Covid-19, Names

Inspired By Covid-19

May 29, 2020 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

Craft brewers are highly creative and innovative individuals. In addition to a love of beer, I would argue that the opportunity to be creative and innovative is what attracts many individuals to become home brewers, keeps them engaged in the hobby, and eventually propels them to open their own commercial brewery. Every brewer, with whom I have had a conversation, stresses the joy they get from brewing a new beer using a recipe that they concocted themselves. But creativity and innovation in the brewing world extends well beyond that of creating a new beer. Indeed, the next time you step into a brewery, you will see evidence of creativity everywhere – from the tap handles, to the designs on beer cans, to the very names of the beers themselves.

When it comes to beer names, many brewers choose beer names that connect the beer drinker with the brewery’s local community, whether that be a historical event, local landmark, or famous person. Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland, OH do a particularly good job at this. Their portfolio of beers include Elliot Ness Amber Lager (named after the American Prohibition Agent who was hired as Cleveland’s Safety Director in 1935), Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (named after the freighter that sank during a storm on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, with the loss of its entire crew of 29), and Ohio City Oatmeal Stout (named after the Cleveland neighborhood where the brewery is located). Other breweries have named beers after people, events etc. that have no connection with their community. For example, a number of breweries released beers to recognize the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong being the first human to set foot on the moon. These include Schlafly Brewery in St. Louis, MO who released their Lunar Lager variety pack. The pack included Lift-Off Lager, Apollo’s Orbit Black Lager, Moon Walk Dunkel, and The Eagle Has Landed American Lager.

Given the penchant of craft breweries to name beers after historically significant people or events, it should come as no surprise that the current Covid-19 pandemic has spawned several appropriately named beers. Here are some of the ones I came across while browsing the web.

Fauci Spring: Brewed by Wild Heaven Beer in Avondale, GA, this Açaí Pale Ale (ABV 4.25%) recognizes Dr. Anthony Fauci. As Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Fauci has been a critical member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Most evenings he appears on our television screens during the daily Task Force Press briefings.

Fauci Spring Açaí Pale Ale (Wild Heaven Beer, Avondale, GA)

Don’t Stand So Close To Me: In efforts to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and flatten the curve we are all encouraged to maintain our social distance (six feet) from other people. Social distancing has provided inspiration for several new brews. The aforementioned Wild Haven Beer have produced a German-style Lager which they called Don’t Stand So Close To Me, a German-style Lager.

Don’t Stand So Close To Me German Style Lager (Wild Heaven Beer, Avondale, GA)

Social Distance: Brewed by Hop Springs in Murfreesboro, TN Social Distance is another beer that encourages people to keep at least six feet apart. Part of the profits from this Tennessee Ale (think a hoppier Hefeweizen) goes to support workers in the local hospitality industry who are not working because of Covid-19.

Social Distance (Hop Springs, Murfreesboro, TN)

PPE: Many of us have become familiar with the acronym PPE. It stands for Personal Protective Equipment and refers to a variety of products such as face masks, gowns, gloves etc. that protect the wearer against infection. Much of the news during the Covid-19 pandemic has focused on the shortage of PPE. Water’s End Brewery of Lake Ridge, VA and Beltway Brewing of Sterling, VA have come together and collaborated to produce PPE, an IPA with an ABV of 6.4%. In the case of the beer, PPE stands for People Performing under Extreme Conditions. Six dollars of every six pack sold is contributed to the Inova Covid-19 Emergency Preparedness Fund. Inova is northern Virginia’s leading nonprofit healthcare provider.

PPE (Water’s End Brewery, Lake Ridge, VA and Beltway Brewing, Sterling, VA)

Thank You Note: Brewed by Slow Pour Brewing Company of Lawrenceville, GA, Thank You Note is an IPA. Any frontline worker (nurses, doctors, truck drivers, grocery store clerks etc.) are able to stop by Slow Pour’s tasting room and, with an ID, can get a free six-pack of the beer. This beer is a true Thank You Note to frontline workers who are working so hard, often under stressful conditions, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thank You Note (Slow Pour Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA)

Stir Crazy: During the stay-at-home orders issued by most states, many of us went a little stir crazy right. Recognizing this reality, Boomtown Brewery of Los Angeles, CA are brewing a Hazy IPA named Stir Crazy. It has an ABV of 7%.

Stir Crazy (Boomtown Brewery, Los Angeles, CA)

For The Front Line: Harpoon Brewery in Boston, MA has released a an IPA (ABV 5%) that it is calling For The Front Line. The beer is, in fact, a re-release of its Harpoon Ale, which it first brewed back in 1986. A portion of the profits made from selling the beer will be donated to charities in both Boston and Vermont that support frontline and hospitality workers.

For The Frontline (Harpoon Brewery, Boston, MA)

Donate To Service Industry Workers By Drinking This Beer: This is perhaps the Covid-19 inspired beer with the longest name – Donate to Service Workers by Drinking This Beer. Brewed by Hi-Wire Brewing of Asheville, NC this IPA (ABV 5%) gets straight to the point. Sales of this beer will benefit unemployed hospitality workers in both North Carolina, as well as in other parts of the country. Hi-Wire will donate some of the profits to the USBG National Charity Foundation and the North Carolina Restaurant Workers Relief Fund.

Donate to Service Industry Workers by Drinking this Beer (Hi-Wire Brewing, Asheville, NC).

FVCK COVID: Ale Asylum in Madison, WI leaves you in no doubt about how they feel about Covid-19. Their new beer, FVCK COVID, a Pilsner (ABV 4%), conveys a straightforward message. Some of the profits from the beer will go to support health care workers at local hospitals, as well as unemployed hospitality industry workers.

Lifesavers and National Heroes: Covid-19 inspired beers are also appearing on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The London Beer Factory in London, UK have brewed two beers that honor frontline workers who work for Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). Lifesavers is an American Pale Ale (ABV 4.2%) while National Heroes (ABV 4.0%) is a Lager. The revenue from the sale of both beers are going to two London hospital charities. Revenue from Lifesavers will benefit the King’s College Hospital Charity and Guy’s Hospital Charity.

Lifesavers and National Heroes (The London Beer Factory, London, UK)

All Together: Finally, there is All Together, a worldwide brewing initiative organized by Other Half Brewing Co. who have breweries in Brooklyn, NY and Rochester, NY. Other Half came up with the simple idea of getting breweries all over the world to use the same recipe to brew the same beer (All Together). Some of the monies generated from the beer support local hospitality workers, while some is retained by the brewery to help them get through this difficult period. As stated by Other Half Brewing Co., on their website:

“All Together is a worldwide, open-ended beer collaboration created to raise support for the industry we love so much. It’s an effort to raise awareness and provide relief, even in the smallest way, to those who are struggling. We’re inviting any brewer, from any corner of the planet to participate.”

Breweries wishing to participate can attain the recipe and artwork to produce the beer. As stated by Other Half Brewing Co. on their website, “the recipe is open source, the artwork is public, and the name is yours to use.” The recipe is intentionally flexible, so that brewers can produce either a New England IPA or a West Coast IPA. Literally dozens of breweries have taken up the challenge laid down by Other Half, and are producing All Together Beer. And it is not just breweries in the United States; craft breweries in Canada, New Zealand, Latin America, and Europe are participating. The name is inspired by the rallying call that, when it comes to Covid-19, we are all in this together.

Breweries wishing to produce All Together IPA can download the label template from the website of Other Half Brewing Co.

Promotional material for All Together IPA can be downloaded from the website of All Together Brewing Co.

Craft breweries across the United States, and in other countries, are struggling to sell enough beer to survive Covid-19. Some will not survive; indeed some have already permanently closed. Despite these challenges, the creativity and generosity of those working in the industry refuses to be squelched. I have written before about craft breweries (and distilleries) producing and distributing complimentary hand sanitizer to members of the general public and/or frontline workers. We also see this generosity manifest itself in the donation of monies from Covid-19 inspired beers. To some, such generosity in the face of economic adversity may be surprising. But to those of us who know and understand the craft beer community, recognize the fact that generosity is part of the DNA of those working in the craft brewing industry.

Social Drinking

“Getting Together” During Covid-19

April 23, 2020 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

One of my favorite shows on Netflx is Still Game; a sitcom, set in the fictitious suburb of Craiglang, which is located just outside the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The show follows the everyday lives of two old-age pensioners, Jack Jarvis and Victor McDade. Jack and Victor have been friends since childhood, live in flats right across the hall from each other, and are widowers. Craiglang is not a particularly nice suburb. In fact, on several occasions Jack and Victor refer to Craiglang as a shitehole. Much of Jack and Victor’s social lives center around the local pub – the Clansman. Jack and Victor can be found there most evenings, having a couple of pints of lager and hanging out with Craiglang’s other retirees; these include Tam (a tightwad), Isa (the local gossip), and Winston (a former shipyard worker always looking to beat the system in search of extra money). The Clansman is what urban sociologist, Ray Oldenburg, would call a Third Place – a place where friends gather and enjoy each other’s company; a place where conversation and humor are prized. It is Craiglang’s equivalent of Cheers.

Jack Jarvis and Victor McDade – Still Game’s two main characters (Source: https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/when-will-season-8-of-still-game-be-on-netflix/).

Robin Dunbar, a British anthropologist, has studied the social and mental health benefits of going to a pub. Numerous studies conducted by Dunbar has led him to conclude that “there are social and wellbeing benefits to be derived directly from drinking alcohol, especially in relaxed social environments”. According to Dunbar, hanging out with friends in a bar, drinking beer, telling jokes, exchanging gossip, etc. releases endorphins in the brain. These endorphins “generate a positive feeling in a person, similar to that of morphine. So we feel good. And crucially, alcohol also activates the endorphin system, which in itself will enhance social bonds among those who indulge together.” Dunbar also cites research that shows that the probability of still being alive twelve months after a heart attacks was higher for people with vibrant social networks. To quote Dunbar, yet again, “our social networks play a central role in our ability to survive the worst traumas that life can throw at us. And those networks are very clearly enhanced by the use of alcohol”.

Going to the pub and meeting friends for a drink also helps to combat loneliness. In an article in the Wall Street Journal, Janet Adamy and Paul Overberg cite research which finds that “loneliness takes a physical toll, and is as closely linked to early mortality as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day or consuming more than six alcoholic drinks a day. Loneliness is even worse for longevity than being obese or physically inactive.” In 2018, The Economist called loneliness a serious public health problem. Today, single person households comprise 28% of all American households. Many of these single person households comprise elderly people.

As I write this blog entry, the world is in the grip of the global Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. President Trump had declared a national emergency, while Governors all across the country have declared states of emergency in their states. Citizens are being asked to practice social distancing. To facilitate social distancing, bars and restaurants (as well as many other businesses) have been closed, and restricted to home delivery or curbside pick-up. “Stay-at-Home” orders, or their equivalent, have been imposed across most of the United States. Such orders make it difficult to get together with friends for a beer. And, it exacerbates loneliness., and all its attendant challenges. As astutely observed by Mike Pomranz, in a recent piece on FoodandWine.com, “the coronavirus has stripped beer of half its powers”. For while it can still intoxicate, the inability to gather with friends means that it cannot “socially lubricate”.

A few days after bars and restaurants in Ohio were closed, my wife suggested to me that we contact our oldest daughter who lives in Cincinnati, OH to see if she and her boyfriend would be interested in having a virtual “Happy Hour”. Our daughter is a nurse at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. She normally works in the heart failure unit. But with Covid-19 she has been temporarily transferred to the cardiac ICU unit to provide extra support for the staff there. While she is not working directly with Covid-19 patients, we still worry about her during this challenging period. Having a virtual Happy Hour would, we thought, be a great way to catch up with her and, as anxious parents, check in with her. She and her boyfriend are also craft beer aficionados so, for me, it would be an opportunity to us to enjoy a few craft beers “together”.

Virtual Happy Hour with our daughter, her boyfriend, and cat

Being a nurse, my daughter does not have a normal 9-5 workday. She does twelve shifts that start at 7am in the morning. She sometimes works weekends and holidays. Despite her schedule, so far, we have been able to get together with her (and her boyfriend and cat) on either a Friday or Saturday evening. We connect via FaceTime. These have turned out to be fun and enjoyable times together. Our happy hours have all lasted well beyond an hour, even creeping close to the four-hour mark on several occasions. They are happy occasions, during which we simply engage in conversation. I am not sure whether we will continue to have them once the the threat of Covid-19 has gone. I suspect we might not – our Friday and Saturday evenings will be filled with other activities, such as visiting friends, and doing our part to support the local restaurant and bar scene. But if, indeed, we do not resume our virtual Happy Hours that will be ok – because it will mean that life is back to normal (or whatever the transitional new normal is like). I am sure that none of us will forget the year 2020. There have been so many negative aspects of the the Covid-19 pandemic. But there have been some positive ones as well – and our Friday/Saturday evening virtual Happy Hours with our daughter, her boyfriend, and Nelson the cat have been delightful and a bright ray of sunshine during these difficult days. The social distancing necessitated by Covid-19 gives me an enhanced appreciation of modern-day communications technology. In an e-mail exchange I had earlier this week with one of our department’s doctoral students we were discussing the use of FaceTime to connect with those from whom we were socially distanced. She made the comment that she was glad that all of this was happening in 2020 and not 1996.

Nelson the cat has been an important participant in our Friday/Saturday evening virtual Happy Hours

We were not the only ones to participate in a virtual Happy Hour as a way to connect with family. Writing in the Grand Fork Herald, Nichole Philips, tells the heartwarming story of Andy Smallman, whose ageing parents live in a retirement community just outside of Seattle, WA. Mr. Smallman created an event which he called “Beer with Grandad“. Using Zoom, Mr. Smallman was able to simultaneously bring together twenty members of his extended family one Saturday evening. The importance of this virtual family reunion to his 80+ year old parents was immeasurable. When they emerge out of the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic, I am quite certain that the Smallman family will look back with joy and happiness on these virtual get-togethers. I know that my wife and I will.

Covid-19: Craft Breweries Responding to the Challenge

April 8, 2020 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

Craft brewers and the breweries they represent have a reputation for creativity. As craft beer drinkers we see this manifest in the creation of new beer styles (or derivatives of existing styles) such as New England IPAs, West Coast IPAs, and Pastry Stouts. When it comes to creativity, craft breweries are facing a new challenge – that of selling their beer while the world is in the grips of the Covid19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. In attempts to mitigate the impact of the Covid19 (the so called “flattening the curve”) many Governors have ordered the closing of bars and restaurants for an indefinite period. This includes my own state of Ohio. In most cases, the restrictions do allow bars and restaurants to deliver food and drink to customers, as well as for curbside pick-up.

In some states home delivery and curbside pick-up of beer was, until Covid-19, illegal. Recognizing that craft breweries (and restaurants) need every bit of help they can get, many of these states have relaxed, albeit temporarily, these restrictions. In Tennessee, for example, craft breweries who have on-premise beer permits can request a temporary “on- and off-premise” permit that allows them to deliver beer to customers’ homes. The $250 permit application fee has been waived.

In Cincinnati, OH MadTree Brewing started sending what they called “adult ice cream trucks” into city neighborhoods. Instead of ice cream, however the trucks were selling Mad Tree beer and Catch-a-Fire pizza. After a couple days, however, MadTree suspended this initiative, as the trucks were attracting crowds that were “uncomfortably big”. In other words, social distancing, was being compromised. In Syracuse, NY, Now and Later Bottle Shop and Taproom had a similar idea, and are taking their delivery truck from neighborhood to neighborhood. Like MadTree in Cincinnati, Now and Later’s owner, Jason Purdy likens his beer delivery truck to an old fashioned ice cream truck. Other breweries, such as Stone Brewing in Escondido, CA and Karl Strauss Brewing Company in San Diego, CA are using couriers such as DoorDash to get beer to customers. In Memphis, TN, Matt Wilson, owner of three Swanky’s Taco Shops in metropolitan Memphis is going the extra mile to help craft breweries. Although his restaurants sell beers such as Budweiser, only locally brewed canned beer will be available for curbside pick-up.

In Ohio, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA) maintain a list of breweries that are offer carry-out and delivery of beer. The list, available on the OCBA website, includes the hours the breweries are open for carry-out, whether they accept online orders, offer food for sale, and accept gift cards. At the time of writing 173 of OCBA’s operating brewery members are offering curbside pick-up. One Ohio brewery in particular is pulling out all the stops to encourage beer drinkers to utilize their curbside pick-up service. With store shelves empty of toilet paper, Black Frog Brewery of Holland, OH were offering a free roll of toilet paper with the purchase of a Howler or Growler of their beer.

Black Frog Brewery of Holland, OH were offering a free roll of toilet paper with the purchase of a Howler or Growler of their beer

States are also helping craft breweries by postponing sales tax collection. This will facilitate cash flow during this difficult period. Some private sector companies are also stepping in to help. Codi Manufacturing of Golden, CO are a mobile canning company. Realizing that some Colorado breweries have never canned their beer before, Codi offered their canning services for free. Breweries still have to pay for the cans, but not having to pay for use of the mobile canning system is a significant help. With taprooms closed, being able to offer their customers canned beer is critical to craft breweries. Closed taprooms, bars, and restaurants means that kegs have become almost obsolete (the exception is customers stopping by a brewery to get their growler refilled). As a result many breweries are scrambling to transfer kegged beers to cans. That can be a time-consuming process. For example, it took staff at Chicago’s Dovetail Brewery 13 hours to transfer (by hand) 50 kegs of beer into 5,000 sixteen ounce cans.

Despite all of these efforts, the slow down in business resulting from Covid-19, will have have an economic impact that is negative and significant. A survey by the Brewers Association paints a sobering picture. Ninety-five percent of craft brewers who responded to the survey expect year-over-year sales, for the first month of the closure period, to be down. On average, breweries expect a 59.5% drop in sales.

In the midst of these economic challenges, however, craft breweries have neither forgotten or abandoned their commitment to their local communities. As hand sanitizer is hoarded, and becomes a near-impossible product to find on the shelves of local retailers, many breweries (and distilleries) have stepped up and utilized their production capacity to produce this increasingly hard-to-get product. Craft breweries from New Orleans to Tampa Bay are producing hand sanitizer. And, in many cases, they are giving it away for free. Maumee Bay Brewing Company in my home city, Toledo, OH is one such brewery. Anyone can drop by the brewery and pick some up, for free. Last Thursday, I dropped by the brewery to pick-up some dinner and get a growler refill. While there, one of the brewery’s staff members offered a bottle of hand sanitizer to everyone in line. In addition to the general public, their ‘customers’ also include health care workers, many of whom are working with the disabled and elderly members of the northwest Ohio community. In Boulder, CO, Avery Brewing Company is giving away 4,000 cases of beer (96,000 beers) to workers at the frontline of fighting Covid-19 – healthcare, police, fire, grocery store workers etc. That craft breweries would step up and support their community at a time when they themselves are hurting may surprise some people; but to those of us who understand the industry realize that supporting their community is quite simply part of the industry’s DNA.

TheBeerProfessor

Tag Archives: Covid-19

On The Road Again

The Corona “Can”-demic

Drinking Local Beer

Covid-19: Craft Breweries Responding to the Challenge

Musings on Beer