When I sit down to write an article it is usually about one of very few things. Beer, homebrewing, brew pubs or some adventure related to the lot. However, today I want to take a quick minute to point something out to everyone.

When I’m not drinking beer or doing anything related to MBR, I find myself always looking at marketing and advertising. It’s just the geek part of me I guess and today is no different. While wandering around the internet one day I found this pair of dudes that are attempting to start a new brewery/pub in Chicago. It still seems like everyone and their mom is still trying to cash in on the craft beer revolution. It seems that a brewery is opening every couple of days and it reminds me of something I read in the book “Redhook Beer Pioneer,” where one of the writers says something like, “Breweries don’t open, they close.” There is absolute truth to this. The beer scene in Portland has told me that as fast as some of the pubs are opening, others are closing. In my opinion, its because of the lack of marketing. Pub owners have the mentality of “brew it and they will come,” but the cold reality of it is that there are so many choices that if you don’t stick out, you won’t succeed. There is a reason why Rogue, Dogfish Head, Sam Adam’s and the like are as big as they are, marketing, community and good beer. Sounds easy right? Well, the good beer part is, the rest takes a little saavy and a lot of hard work.

With that said, I’d like to point you to Pipeworks Brewing Company. These wacky dudes are in the process of raising money to open a brewery. What I’d like to highlight here is that this is not a conventional way to raise money. Usually a brewery opens because a bunch of rich guys pool their cash and invest in the idea. Its not as often that you see the little guy go after it. Plus, you don’t just ask people off the street to throw $5 at you…well, except in Portland where people ask you to throw quarters at them, but I digress. However, these guys have put together a way to get people to back them. It all starts with the video above. It gives you an idea of who they are, what they have done and their goal as a brewery. Its produced well and is fun to watch all the way through. Along with the video, they have this “Kick Starter” website which does a great job of displaying the goals, making it easily sharable and lists the rewards for backing. Plus, its easy to back them. I kicked in $5, and it was as easy as signing into Amazon. Don’t worry, you aren’t charged until they actually raise the $30k, so its not like throwing money down the drain.

The main reason I think this is a great idea is because of the community aspect. Almost all of us beer drinkers are part of some sort of beer community. If you’re reading this you are part of the MBR community for starters! Along with that, if you drink at your local brew pub, brew beer with a couple of friends or just like to interact with breweries on Facebook when they ask you “What are you drinking tonight?” you are apart of that community. And let me tell you about that community. That community is probably the most fickle, rude, snobbish, loud, loyal, passionate, educated, kind, hilarious, “I got your back” sorta people. That is why beer drinking and drinkers are so much fun to know and be with. We all some how get along because of beer. Pipeworks knows this too, that is why they are asking you, the beer drinker, to help. And why not? We all love beer, love local beer, love more options and what better way to feel like your apart of a brewery than popping in a few bucks?

I don’t know these guys, I don’t live in Chicago and I will probably never get a chance to try their beer, good or not. But I believe in their idea. I believe in what they are trying to accomplish as two dudes wearing Motorcycle helmets and using spatula’s to stir beer. It is the American Spirit and I can get behind that…plus its beer!

You can follow them on “Facebook” to check out what happens.

A couple weeks ago I was calling around to local breweries trying to see if I could find some type of part time work. It would be great to get into a brewery somewhere just doing crap labor. During the course of my phone calls I was invited to a Winter Ale release party for a local brewery, NewOldLompoc Brewery to meet one of the brewers and give some of their beer a try.

I arrived later in the evening, was drinking $2 21st Amendment Fireside Chat’s over at East Burn before I showed up. I met with Sam, we chatted a little bit and he asked me if I’d like to volunteer for an upcoming bottling day. Of course I said sure!

Bright and early I showed up at Lompoc to get a taste of what it is like to be a part of the craft beer production process. Lompoc is a smaller brewery in town that when it comes to bottling, they use a 3rd party contractor called “Green Bottling.” Green Bottling comes in, sets up a little assembly line, feeds bottles, labels and fills the beer into the bottles. It is actually a pretty cool little deal they have to fill bottles. Anyway, my job for the day is to pack boxes, stamp them and stack them on pallets. Sound fun? Actually, it was a blast. I had a chance to talk with Sam about the brewery, Portland and just life in general all while listening to some good tunes and some rap music that I grew to like.

Sam told me about the differences in their brewery versus some of the bigger ones. Generally speaking, the smaller breweries are a little more organic and dynamic in the way they do things. Everyone does everything and using sophisticated gear isn’t as important as just making good beer. It’s kind of interesting to hear that because I’d like to go all grain, but I really want to wait until I have the money to buy a fine setup. This mentality makes me feel like I’m worrying about something that I shouldn’t care about. I know I can get by with less, but I guess I just don’t want to spend money twice. Anyway, it was a hard days work that paid off with some tasty lunch, a fine brew and a new friend.

If your interested in learning more about Lompoc, head over to their website or better yet, if your from Portland, OR, head over the the 5th Quadrant and pick up a couple of their beers. They are sure to please!

I’m sitting here looking back at the date of the last post on Mike’s Brew Review realizing that it has been since July 30 since the last time anyone has heard from me…It is only fair that I fill everyone in on what happened and what you can look forward to from Mike’s Brew Review in the near future.

Flash Back To July

Like a lot of Americans, I lost my job. It seems that companies decide to cut their marketing/advertising budgets first when a recession hits, which is stupid, but regardless, my job as a Media Artist was cut and I now unemployed. I went into panic mode and the next few months were spent trying to find work and doing odd jobs, freelance contracts and doing whatever I could do to make ends meet. At one point I was so busy with freelance work that I didn’t have any time to do much else. This whole thing was a blessing in disguise.

For anyone that doesn’t know me, my wife and I had wanted to move to Portland, OR for a few years now, but never saw the right opportunity to pick up and move across the country. Well, losing my job and having the opportunity to work a good amount of freelance work gave us the capital needed to make the move. As of October 15th, we were Portland citizens.

So I apologize for falling off the Earth. If you follow on twitter or Facebook you probably knew what was going on. Losing my job, trying to find work, moving across the country and continuing to look for work has kept me pretty busy. Aside from that, I have been thinking about Mike’s Brew Review, and its direction and decided to make some changes.

No Excuses

I’d like to be straight up here. When I originally started MBR it was to learn, talk and teach beer/homebrewing. However, I became brain washed with this idea that I could earn a full time living blogging about beer. Needless to say I quickly sold out. My focus went from teaching and talking, to trying to make money, which in fact, is no fun and a huge mistake. That is why you see countless boring, stupid ads on MBR right now. I got lost in my original goals. My site was focused on creating content that would be indexed or rated high on Google and it lost focus and credibility. That, my friends, is not fair to you. I aim to change it. However, there are no hard feelings if you rip me a new one or unsubscribe from my newsletter. However, I want to tell you what you can expect from here on out.

The Future

I’m all settled in to what some may call Beervana, Portland, OR. I’ll be honest, I can’t find a Miller Lite to save may life and it’s great! There are well over 20 breweries here and 100′s of different beers coming in from all over the west coast. There are beer festivals, tasting rooms, magazines, parties and so on. In the future of MBR, I’d like to bring you along while I sample these beers, check out these pubs, meet some of these brewers, visit hop farms, attend festivals, read books, articles, magazines all with my own little take on it.

Since the start of MBR I have made contact with a handful of people that I talk beer and homebrewing with across the nation on a regular basis. This is exactly what MBR is and what I’d like it to continue to grow as. I don’t consider myself an expert, just an experienced beer drinker, homebrewer and someone who is plugged into the scene. I’d like to continue helping people gain the confidence needed to get started homebrewing and be a personal homebrew club for novices and experts a like. So if you want to talk about the different hop strains that go into a beer, talk about a favorite beer of yours or a magazine article you read about, let’s talk.

So, I thank you for your patience as I made a very large transition in my life. With that said, let’s drink some beer!

Cheers.

Thank you,

Mike

Over the past two weeks a number of blogs and news sites have been discussing beer trends of 2010. Some listed trends include InBev’s percentage of the market dropping, the constant ABV % battles that are going on and a seemingly increase in sour ale consumption and many others. However, one of the beer trends that I have noticed, at least in my area, is the increase in “Specialty Beers” or “Limited Releases” from brewers all around the country.

What is a “Specialty Beer”?

For simplicity sake, let’s group all the limited edition, specialty beers, anniversary beers, experimental batches, etc etc into one big category, Specialty Beer. The distinguishing factors though are, these beers are special recipes formulated by brewers for a limited release. The recipe either stands on its own or can be part of a series much like the Boulevard Smokestack series. These beers are not the same as your typical tasty ales or luscious lagers. Often times they are infused with much more flavor and characteristics than their 12 ounce counterparts. The Special Release, which I’ll be calling it through out, comes in a larger bottle, have increased flavor profiles, have higher ABV and are in short supply as they are part of a single run, brewed batch or series of brews. Done.

The Trend

Over the past 9 months I’ve watched, hungrily, as my specialty beer section populated with new bomber and Belgian Style cork top bottles. This idea isn’t completely new, but my social media feeds flood with Twitpics and Facebook updates along with the occasional pic message with these beers front and center. I was getting pics of Redhook’s 8-4-1, Breckenridge Small Batch 471, and the Boulevard Smokestack series sent left and right. I’m merely stating that I believe these beers are gaining more and more popularity, therefore calling for more releases from more breweries. These breweries are becoming more sophisticated and creative in the recipe formulation which turns an avid craft beer drinker, like me, into a kid in a candy store. What is causing this apparent expansion in product lines for some of these larger craft breweries?

Why?

Of course this boils down to money with a side of celebration of creativity. I believe there are three contributing factors to this trend.

1. There is a market out there for people who drink craft beer, but still think wine is the drink of choice for special occasions and dinners for two. Look at wine compared to these new releases…I see a few similarities. The first is price and size. The amount of wine for the price is very comparable to the amount of beer and price for these specialty brews. Not only that, wine has always had this “special” feeling surrounding it. If you drink wine with a meal or occasion, you get this feeling of sophistication that you just don’t get with beer. However, by mimicking a product and marketing strategy, that same feeling can be had by the craft beer drinker. Going one step further, the recipes are usually pretty darn amazing. They are creative, complex and employ ingredients or techniques that you will not drink up anywhere along the way. All of these factors contribute to an almost doppelganger effect between beer and wine. A gap that has yet to be bridged. The drink that was once reserved for peasants and serfs is now rivaling the drinks of royalty.
2. In the early to mid 80′s craft beer was starting to boom. During that time it was not hard to stand out because the market was so thin. A funny name, weird label, different style, the list goes on and on. As the market expanded it become flooded with replica’s. How many IPA’s are there out there? Pale Ale’s, Stout’s, etc. With as many brewers as there are, how do any of them grab your monetary vote? They must distinguish themselves from the pack. What better way to do that than with a “Special Release.” A “first come first serve” mentality can do wonders for a product and brand.
3. Last but not least, I believe there is a better profit margin on these recipes as well. With most big breweries not brewing at capacity and the factors listed above, it only makes sense to fire up those kettles and make a special batch. These special beers can cost more, are easier to sell to us craft beer people and rarely have any return product due to shelf life because of their limited supply, making them more profitable.

It is always about the money, but I believe there is a certain sense of creativity that most brewers don’t get to have on a daily basis that helps to fill these bottles up. It takes brewing back to the beginning a little bit. Where you use your tools and education to just try new things and I appreciate what the market is forcing breweries to do because it brings all of us better product.

Just on a side note, I don’t think these special releases are doing anything for expanding the craft beer market. They are just trying to take more of the already existing pie. If they are trying to make a bigger pie, they must look elsewhere.

So, I’m curious, what’s your take on this trend? Am I an idiot or do you agree that these special releases seem to be taking the store by storm? Let me know!

World Cup is in full force. Teams are battling it out for the covenant title of being the worlds best and to bring home the glory to their nation. The games are fast, intense and full of amazing athletes. But I must bring to your attention, another group of passionate, World Cup fever stricken set of individuals. All of the participants of the “World Cup Beer Sweepstakes.”

That’s right, as the groups duke it out, as will the beer bloggers. The rules are simple. Your name is paired with a team. Once you have your team, you have to find a beer from that nation and do a beer review on it. That is the only way you are qualified.

My Team…My Beer

I have been paired up with Australia. From what I know, I don’t think I’m going to make it out of group play. But who knows! Right now, I’m more focused on finding a beer from Australia other than Fosters. Here are a couple of choices just from what I know and internet searching.

Cooper’s Vintage Ale via @13mikey from twitter

Little Creatures Pale Ale via Beer Genie

Both of which I don’t think I can get my hands on locally. I’ll have to dig around the bottle shop, but this could be a challenge. I’m up to it!

SO…

If your team wins the World Cup, you win a 52 week beer club subscription from myBrewtap! Or course, I can’t win, not because I’ve drawn Australia, but because I don’t live in the UK. But it is going to be fun to participate and meet some new beer bloggers along the way. Plus this just gives me even more reason to watch the World Cup and drink new beer! How can this be a bad idea right?

So I have to thank Mark from Pencil and Spoon for allowing me into the contest.

I’m off to find me an Australian beer other than Foster’s. I may see what other info I can dig up for a good blog post. Food pairings, fun facts, etc. Stay tuned!

Enjoy the World Cup and some beer everyone!

Full Rules Are Listed Here

Redhook’s Rope Swing Summer Pilsner Takes Home Gold From 18th Annual Garden City Brewfest

Summer Seasonal Wins Best Lager at Missoula, Mont. Brewfest

Woodinville, Wash. – June 10, 2010 –Redhook Brewery’s Rope Swing Summer Pilsner was named best lager at the 18th Annual Garden City Brewfest held in Missoula, Mont. The 2010 festival brought together nearly 40 breweries from across the nation to compete in nine categories.
“We’re thrilled to have our Rope Swing Summer Pilsner recognized by this award,” said Greg Deuhs, Redhook’s lead brewmaster. “Redhook takes pride in brewing a variety of high quality craft beers and it’s great to see the work of our team acknowledged amidst national competition.”
Rope Swing Summer Pilsner is Redhook Brewery’s new summer seasonal. The seasonal beer is brewed in a traditional Czech style and is the first pilsner the brewery has released. Rope Swing Summer Pilsner offers a very soft palate and malt flavors that are offset by a medium dose of distinct Czech hops to bring out its authentic flavors. The refreshing beer finishes with a clean, bright, thirst-quenching quality. Rope Swing Summer Pilsner is available through July in grocery stores in 12-ounce bottles and on draught nationwide.

About Redhook Ale Brewery

Redhook Ale Brewery has been at the forefront of the domestic craft brewing segment since the company’s formation in 1981. Redhook brews a variety of craft beer styles, including: Long Hammer IPA, Redhook ESB, Copperhook Ale and seasonal offerings, Mudslinger Spring Ale, Rope Swing Summer Pilsner, Late Harvest Autumn Ale and Winterhook Winter Ale. Redhook beer is brewed in its breweries, one in the Seattle suburb of Woodinville, Wash., and the other in Portsmouth, N.H. Redhook’s specialty beers are available in both draught and bottles and are distributed nationally through a network of wholesale distributors. For more information, visit www.redhook.com.