Ale Street News Online

Corporate stewardship is certainly not a novel activity. Companies of all sizes contribute to a plethora of charities annually. The brewing industry is no different, yet corporate responsibility and community involvement is not the exclusive domain of the big boys with deep pockets.

Every year Montreal’s Mondial de la biere festival gets a little more interesting. From a somewhat one-dimensional beginning (according to some reports), it became a three-ring circus. Now it has added more rings.

Unbeknownst to most of us, small farmers throughout pockets of the world (though principally in the Pacific Northwest here in the U.S.) are toiling away day after day, year after year, growing hops so that you and I may enjoy our next pint of IPA.

"We firmly believe the American public needs to know more about beer," said Doug Muhleman, group vice president of Brewing and Technical Operations for Anheuser-Busch. That was the underlying reason the brewing giant invited a bunch of beer writers to its hop farm in northern Idaho last August.

When Mitch Steele, an Anheuser-Busch brewer since 1995, was announced as new head brewer at California’s respected Stone Brewery last May, some of the less clued-in craft beer fanciers were momentarily taken aback. In fact, though, movement of skilled personnel from the mainstream to the craft segment is hardly earthshaking news.

Take a luxury bus, mix in 20 or so Grade A human beings, blend gradually with the best of Belgium beer, include frequent refueling stops at brewery sources and beer festivals, sprinkle in some great cuisine and what do you have? ASN’s Belgium Tour 2004.

The mood at the annual Craft Brewers Conference held in San Diego April 14-17 was decidedly upbeat. Why not feel good? A 3.4% growth rate in 2003, coupled with declining import sales, amidst the backdrop of San Diego’s considerable attractions, both liquid and otherwise.

What Dave Alexander of RFD Washington lacks in punctuality, he more than makes up for with events. As a quasi-followup to the Lupulin Slam, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Adam Avery of Avery Brewing paired up for the Lupulin Lovefest.

After a deluge on setup day, the skies remained clear for the next five days, the beer poured freely, and Le Mondial de la biere saw a record crowd.

It’s been nearly a year since Brooklyn Brewery divested itself of its distributorship, the Craft Brewers Guild, and with nothing to concentrate on except its own brands, the sky’s the limit. Sales are up, distribution territory is expanding and the brewery is looking for new digs.

Craft brewers are letting "Le Bon Temps Rouler" and they want to do it with a unified voice.

The website of the Oxford English Dictionary offers a total of five definitions for the word ‘indulgence,’ of which only the first two are relevant to the subject at hand: 1. the action or fact of indulging. 2. A thing that is indulged in; a luxury. Change the noun to a verb, and askoxford.com offers the following for ‘indulge:’ 1. (indulge in) allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of. 2. satisfy or yield freely to (a desire or interest).