GRANITE BELT BREWERY LABELS THE COMMITTEE 2. Forward all contributions for VBLCS NEWS to the Editor. President: Rob Greenaway 3. All general society business, requests 19 Tadema Cres., Eltham, VIC 3095. for labels from society stocks and label Tel: (03) 9431 3069 contributions to the Secretary. [email protected] 4. New members and notification of change of address to the Treasurer. Vice President/Secretary: 5. Please forward a self-addressed, Angus MacEwan stamped envelope with all your 11 Harleston Rd., Mt Eliza, VIC 3930. correspondence that requires a reply. Tel: (03) 9787 0225 [email protected] MEMBERSHIP FEES
Treasurer: David Dobney Joining Fee: AU$5.00 5/68 Lambeck Dve,
Tullamarine VIC 3043. Annual Subscription: Tel: (03) 9338 8566, Mob: 0409 232 799 Australia-AU$25.00 [email protected] Overseas-AU$40.00 Editor: Umit Ugur Due and payable on July 1st. 2 McGahy Court Templestowe VIC 3106 Pro-rata rates: st Tel: (03) 9842 8192, Mob: 0434 218 176 Until 31 December - Annual fee st [email protected] From 1 January - 50% of Annual fee All prices are quoted in Australian dollars. The Treasurer will accept American Librarian and Raffle Co-ordinator: Jack currency and Euros. Wilks, 65 Tiverton, Mulgrave VIC 3170 Tel: (03) 9561 4221 [email protected]
Label Co-ordinator: Alan Richards 34 South Crescent, Northcote VIC3070 Tel: (03) 9489 9851 [email protected]
Life Members: Norman J Long, Alan Richards, Jack Wilks, Rob Greenaway, Copyright © 2006 by the Victorian Beer Keith Deutsher, (George Crompton, Alex Label Collectors’ Society (VBLCS). All Freer, Phil Davin, Laurie Godden dec.) rights reserved. VBLCS welcomes any of its articles being reproduced provided ADMINISTRATION accreditation is given to the author and the “VBLCS News”. Letters and opinions To ensure the smooth running of our expressed in the VBLCS News by society, we ask members to please individual members of the Society may not co-operate as follows: reflect the position of the Society as a whole. 1. Forward all moneys to the Treasurer
(except for raffles and catalogues). Web-site: http://www.vblcs.com PRESIDENT’S PAGE
G’day,
It was a fairly quiet meeting on the 10th but no shortage of free labels and swaps. I am sure all were please with their takeaways. The door prize [a Carlton Bitter Ale] went to a very happy local member. If you want to join in the activities and enjoyment then I will see you at Club Tivoli on the 14th of April. There are many local members that have never been to a meeting so let’s give it a go and I can assure you, you will thoroughly enjoy the hospitality.
Books, books, books. Keith Deutsher’s ‘The Breweries of Australia”, Jimmy Stewarts ‘A history of Stewart’s Brewery, Greymouth 1880 – 1961”, “Early Breweries of the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Darling Rivers – A struggle for Survival” by Kerry Walton and an excellent new release ‘Beer Barons or Bankrupts, Early Brewers in South Australia” by Alison Painter are now available and are all excellent reads. Soon to be released is the history of the Coopers family and brewery, to celebrate their 150th anniversary. We have been asked to provide labels to assist in this book’s preparation so we are getting excited for its release. I strongly recommend you chasing them all up.
As mentioned earlier, the Society tries very hard to acquire labels for members. Some are donated by the breweries, some we have to buy. What is encouraging is that with the difficulties in getting those hard to get craft beer labels a strong network of interstate swap partners is developing. Form your own. Contact an interstate member to see if he or she is interested. You will be amazed to see how quickly by swapping, how your knowledge and collection will grow.
In our January newsletter I out lined our financial position with recommendations for our future development. I received one reply and it was very positive. As a consequence it is proposed to implement those changes at the AGM and for the F14 calendar year.
Following a very successful Christmas hamper raffle at our December 2012 meeting, donations are now starting to come in for 2013. In each newsletter we will publish names and donation to thank members and encourage ongoing participation. Let us all be part of the Christmas festivities as the money goes to a good cause and it is a great initiative.
Until next time we meet,
Enjoy.
Rob Greenaway
Our next meeting is 14th April commencing at 12.00, midday. People can arrive early and swap those hard to get labels and items of breweriana. This will then be followed by our FORMAL MEETING at 1.00pm.
Club Tivoli offers a fine restaurant providing excellent German food and a range of beverages. Prices are very reasonable and the service is excellent. Give it a try. FEBRUARY 2013 MEETING NOTES
The February meeting was held at the Club Tivoli in Windsor on Sunday 10/02/2013 and began at 1.10 pm.
APOLOGIES: G.Crompton, M.Bannenberg & S.Robinson.
MINUTES: The minutes from the December meeting were read and the following points were noted.
The Geelong Beer Festival was disappointing due to its high price and the limited number of breweries attending.
The Terry Ryan collection is still for sale. Contact Terry for details.
The on selling of labels issued by the club on eBay has ceased. We must be vigilant in stopping this as we risk our good relationships with the breweries that donate labels.
FINANCES: The treasurer report that our finances have stabilised and as such we are in a sound position. The committee is investigating the use of Print Post to achieve further savings.
GENERAL BUSINESS: Tim Coopers’ son was astounded at the number of different Coopers labels that the club showed in our newsletter that featured the 150 year old cellebrations. He had no idea that so many different labels existed.
Alison Painters book "Beer Barons or Bankrupts. Early Brewers in South Australia" is available from the author at 08 82768986. Rob Greenaway says that it is an excellent read.
The Age reported that a beer was being brewed to the exact recipe of the original Terry's brewery in Melbourne by Thunder Road Brewery. The recipe was found in an old book purchased in the U.S.A. The beer will be available at the Thunder Road Brewery in Brunswick at the end of February or early March.
Ross Mackie reported that Anhauser Busch is trying to take over Corona due to Corona's popularity in the U.S.A.
RAFFLES: The raffles were drawn and the winners were: D 19 Alan Colclough F68 Alan Colclough D13 Wayne Richardson D12 Murray Wells E13 Ross Mackie The lucky door prize went to Ross Smith.
There were 20 members who signed the attendance register. The meeting closed at 1.55 pm.
I look forward to catching up with you all next meeting.
Angus MacEwan.
LABELS ISSUED WITH THIS NEWSLETTER
Owing to frequent shortages of microbrewery labels and occasionally different quantities of matching neck and back labels, the labels issued may not be the full published list.
Purrumbete Brewing; Red Duck – Shy Blonde 330ml Long Shot Coopers; Mid Ale [Drinkwise logo] – 375ml Sparkling Ale Best Extra Stout Pale Ale Dark Ale Premium Lager Premium Light 62 Pilsner CUB; Blonde [body label] Carlton Draught 375ml [Drinkwise logo] Carlton Mid 375ml and 750ml White Rabbit; Dark Ale set of 6 ‘’where is the rabbit’’ SA / NT refund.
Also included in this Newsletter is a range of obsolete New Zealand and Coopers labels plus current Spanish labels.
VBLCS sends it’s thanks to Alan Richards, Graham Crompton and Ben Lawrence plus Coopers Brewery, Carlton and United Breweries, White Rabbit Brewery, Purrumbete Brewing Co. [Red Duck] and CELCE our friends in Spain for contributing labels to this issue.
1st BREWERY COLLECTIBLES WORLD CONVENTION
1st Brewery Collectibles World Convention will be held on 3-6 October 2013 in Martin, Slovakia. The Convention is organised by Porter Club, the Slovakian breweriana collectors club which was founded in 1992 in Martin.
Our South Australian member Michael Doulton will be attending the Convention. Any member interested in joining him should contact Michael. AUSTRALIAN SMALL BREWERY UPDATE - MARCH 2013
Queensland The new Green Beacon Brewery at Teneriffe, Brisbane, opened to the public on Friday night 25 January, just in time for the Australia Day weekend. The brewery/bar/eatery was packed during the long weekend, despite the inclement weather visited upon Brisbane by Cyclone Oswald. More has already been said about Green Beacon in a previous Update (January 2013).
The re-establishment of the Beard and Brau Brewery in Queensland has almost been completed. The brewery was started in 2008 in the Adelaide suburb of Para Hills West, but early in 2012 the equipment was relocated to Tamborine village where it was reinstalled in a shed at the new residence of its owners, Chris Herring and Tanya Harlow. Brewing is expected to commence at Tamborine later this year. To maintain the supply of beer during the changeover, some Beard and Brau products have been produced at Barossa Valley Brewing at Tanunda in South Australia, and at Southern Bay Brewing at Geelong in Victoria. Brewing has recommenced at the former Eagle Heights Brewery on Tamborine Mountain. The newly-created Fortitude Brewing Company has leased the brewery from its owner and past operator, Ed Gordon, and has recruited Ian Watson (formerly of Murray’s Craft Brewing Co., MT Brewery and Sunshine Coast Brewery) as brewer. The Fortitude Brewing Company will produce beers under that name, and also under the subsidiary Noisy Minor Brewing Company name. Brewing had started by early January, but no commercial product had been seen by the time of writing. A launch is expected in March.
New South Wales The Bellingen Brewing Company, at the mid-north coast town of the same name, came to prominence only recently, although it has been in quiet operation for several years. The brewery’s owner, Richard Jennings, started selling beer commercially in mid-2006, but in very small quantities, produced with a 40-litre system from SABCO of Ohio, USA. He designed and built a larger 300-litre system himself a few years ago, which he runs once or twice a week, and now supplies beer to six outlets. Three of Richard’s beers made it into the Local Taphouse’s Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers list for 2012, and buoyed by that success he plans to double the number of his outlets over the coming year.
Victoria The Cavalier Brewing people (Andrew Cronin, Steve Martin and Heath Shirtcliffe) have built a new brewery to replace the tiny backyard operation that they have been using since 2011, and to supersede their more recent use of other facilities to keep up with exploding demand for their products. Their new 1,000-litre brewery has been installed in a factory building at Derrimut, in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Test brewing on the new equipment was due to start this month (February). 7 Cent Brewery, another Victorian new starter, launched its first official beer, Whapping Wharf ESB, on 16 February at the Penny Blue bar in central Melbourne. Its second offering, Hard Deck IPA, is due out in March. 7 Cent is a collaboration of three young engineers: Brendan Baker, Doug Bremner and Matthew Boustead. Brewing started last year at 7 Cent’s facility at Gisborne South, half-way between Melbourne and Woodend—a donated keg of their Belgian Dark Strong Ale was trialled at Penny Blue last November—but they have only recently obtained the official approvals to start selling their products.
Please send contributions to this report to the compiler either at P.O. Box 5098, East Lismore, NSW, 2480 or [email protected]. Information about many Australian small breweries, and links to their websites, can be found at The Australian Good Beer Directory (www. agbd.org).
Brett Stubbs, 24 February 2012
FOSTER’S RADLER
Heineken has launched a new 2.0% abv Foster’s Radler with the aim of dominating a mid-strength lager category. Heineken, UK’s leading beer supplier calls it the ‘moderation’ category which could represent a ‘£300 million category growth opportunity. It is estimated that the section is about 0.5% of the lager market, but could rise to 5%. Heineken has stated that the Radler style is “an example of global innovation being undertaken with local brands, one that was executed in over 20 markets in 2011 -12 with the aim of making it a global initiative by the end of 2013.”
Foster’s Radler is a refreshing mixed drink that combines 60 per cent citrus-flavoured soft drink with 40 per cent Foster’s lager. The most refreshing option of this summer's new drinks, the radler was developed especially to please Finnish taste buds.
“Foster’s Radler brings a whole new category of beverages to Finland. Most Finns are still unfamiliar with the mixture of beer and soft drink. Those who have tasted the product have been impressed with its flavour, both refreshing and unique at the same time,” comments Foster’s Brand Manager, Daniela Tjeder of Hartwall.
The refreshing Foster’s Radler is a low-alcohol content alternative for cooling off after the sauna, to enjoy during a laid-back evening out, to have with lunch – or whenever you want to relax. Foster’s Radler is a particularly welcome alternative for those who enjoy life’s small pleasures but are looking for drinks with low alcohol content. The drink mix is best served chilled, at 3–5 degrees. FROM THE EDITOR
As usual lots of new beers appeared in the market during the summer months. The photo below shows Requiem Uber Pale Pilsner from Southern Bay Brew Co, Ticket Booth Pale Ale from Sideshow Brewers, Golden Ace and Smoked Porter from Feral Brewing Co, Chainsaw and Black Panther IPA from Prickly Moses, Black IPA, American Pale Ale and Milk Porter from Kooinda Boutique Brewery.
Below are Pale, Weizen and Brown from Cavalier Brewing, O’Brien Gluten Free Pale Ale from Rebellion Brewing P/L, Growers Ale from Endeavour Beverages P/L, Queen’s Diamond Jubilee British IPA from Red Hill Brewery, The Convict, Pumpkin Ale and Atomic Pale Ale from Gage Road Brewing Co (640 ml bottles).
Next page shows Cool Hops and Victoria’s Secret from Northdown Craft Beer, Big Wednesday IPA from Murray’s Craft Brewing Co, Wicked Elf Porter and Kolsch from The Little Brewing Co, Dark Knight Porter from Murray’s Craft Brewing Co, Wilde Gluten Free Pale Ale from Koala Beer P/L, Vale Dark from McLaren Vale Beer Co and Southern Ocean Ale from Southern Bay Brewing.
Below are Bee Sting from Barossa Valley Brewing, Sparkling Ale from Hop Dog Beer Works, Strong Ale from Dalgety Brewing Co, Czech Pilsner from Coldstream Brewing, Amber Ale and Pure Pilsner from Rusty Water Brewing, Pilsener from William Bull Brewing and Crown Lager (this is an aluminium bottle).
Thanks to Rob Greenaway, Angus McEwan, Brett Stubbs, Jack Wilks, Alan Richards, Jim Whittle, Michael Doulton, Wayne Richardson for their contribution to this issue of the Newsletter.
Umit Ugur, February 2013
Visit VBLCS web-site: http://www.vblcs.com BREWERS HOP THROUGH HISTORY
You could call it “Raiders of the Lost Beer”. An adventure through time, space and breweries, from the flowering beer industry of colonial Melbourne in the 1860s to an antique bookshop in the US state of Maine. It will climax on Monday, when the beer recipe not seen or tasted in 130 years will come to life.
While the taste and colour of the beer remains a mystery, what is known is that a team of brewers will create Melbourne history in a glass. They will give today’s drinkers a sense of what Melburnians were swigging from beer glasses when the city was a mere 20 years old and the capital of Victorian colony.
Rather than a timeworn treasure map leading to hidden relics, brewers at Brunswick’s Thunder Road Brewing will rely on recipe jotted down by Alfred Terry, a brewer who came to Melbourne in 1851 and who was a pioneer of Australia’s beer industry.
It is his recipe that Thunder Road senior brewer Marcus Cox and Jason Oliver, the brewmaster of Devils Backbone Brewing Co, Virginia, US, will faithfully recreate. In doing so they will resurrect a beer first made for the Carlton Brewery, which traces its history to Melbourne’s Bouverie Street in 1864 and is a forerunner of today’s Carlton & United Breweries.
“Nobody is around today that drank that beer; it’s back from the dead,” Mr Cox said on Friday as he checked over his calibrations and ingredients at Thunder Road’s inner –city craft brewery. “I think it’s a unique experience, a moment in time for Melbourne that we are trying to re-create.”
Mr Oliver said: “To re-create a beer like this is a snapshot of time, and that’s one thing I really like about beer, that it can take you on a journey, and this beer will maybe take you on a journey back in time.”
Historian and author Andrew Bailey, whose chance discovery of Terry’s nearly 150-year-old brewing manual will guide the rebirth of the beer, said Australians would have the opportunity to taste something that was believed lost forever.
“It’s fantastic and amazing to think we can get reasonably close to tasting what an old beer tasted like in Victoria back in the 1870s,” Mr Bailey said.
The story of how Terry’s notebook found its way back to Melbourne is deserving of its own drama. Researching a book on Australia’s struggle to brew its first beers in the rugged colonial days of the late 1800s, Mr Bailey discovered via Google that a bookshop in York Beach, Maine, had a manual dating from Melbourne’s burgeoning brewing community in the 1860s.
When it arrived in the post Mr Bailey realised it was owned by Alfred Terry, whose innovations in styles and production helped make Carlton Brewery the most successful brewer of its age. Even more exciting was a notebook attached to the back of the book that contained Terry’s instructions for one of his first brews, including boiling temperatures, timing and ingredients for a traditional English ale-style beer. It is believed his beer was created sometime between 1870 and 1880.
When Thunder Road owner Philip Withers was offered the book he jumped at the chance to re-create the 130-year-old beer. “This is very precious find because it was at a time when Carlton Brewery was totally independent,” he said. “They were pioneers and brewed beers that always remained a mystery to us, so this is a lost beer.”
“We don’t even know what style it is, what it will taste like, but we will be tasting the history of Melbourne”. Mr Cox added: “I’ve got an idea it will be an older style beer, with sweeter flavours; it has got a heavy use of hops. But it’s really a case of make it and see.”
After brewing, about 4000 litres of the beer will be conditioned over 30 days and offered free to the public, with some sold and the profits given to charity. It will be called Terry’s Ale, in honour of Alfred Terry.
Those lucky enough to taste it may also get a sense of what a 19th-century hangover felt like.
Source: Article by Eli Greenblat, The Saturday Age dated 2 February 2013.
HOTTEST 10 AUSSIE CRAFT BEERS OF 2012
In the 2012 Taphouse Hottest 100 Craft Beers poll the first ten beers were:
1. Feral Brewing Company - Hop Hog 2. Stone and Wood Brewing Co - Pacific Ale 3. Little Creatures - Pale Ale 4. McLaren Vale Beer Company - Vale IPA 5. Mountain Goat Brewery - Mikeller - Black Pepperberry IPA 6. 4 Pines Brewing Company - Kolsch 7. Holgate Brewhouse - Temptress 8. Thirsty Crow - Vanilla Milk Stout 9. Feral Brewing Company - Watermelon Warhead 10. White Rabbit Brewery – Dark Ale
The on-line publication Crafty Pint (Feb 1, 2013) summarized the poll results thus: ‘The usual suspects filled the top three spots, while Mountain Goat's collaboration with Mikeller took the “Big Dipper” spot at number five – the highest ranking limited release beer. Elsewhere, there were the usual eyebrow-raisers as some breweries reaped the benefits of winning the support of their local media but, unlike some previous years, the results led to little rabid debate, although the fact that eight Black IPAs made the list offered an intriguing insight into how craft beer is travelling in Australia.’
Source: The Crafty Pint, 1 February 2013 JIM WHITTLE’S VISITS TO VARIOUS BREWERIES
Queensland member Jim Whittle (642) recently visited some boutique breweries and sent the followings:
The Green Beacon Brewery: After several delays, The Green Beacon Brewery at Teneriffe finally opened its doors on the 25/1/2013. A 1200 litre system with 3 fermenters and 3 bright tanks, they have 7 beers on tap; 6 regular and the occasional special: 3 Bolt Pale Ale, Cross Knot Kolsch, Windjammer IPA, Wayfarer Wheat, Anchor Amber, Penny Porter, with the special on my visit LBF 1112.
There is no plan to bottle at this stage, however they do have available a Growler (1.89 litre) and a Squealer (1 litre) which can be filled with the beer of your choice. Initial costs $39 & $25 with refills $24 & $15 respectively. Their restaurant offers a reasonably priced seafood menu making the brewery the total package and well worth the visit if in the area.
Dobsons Brewery is situated on Eastview estate at 298 Kentucky Road, Kentucky about 20km South of Uralla on the New England Highway. There are seven beers on tap, with 6 being bottled at this stage. To date there have been 10 labels. Worth noting that they are only open on weekends but they will open with prior arrangement via telephone. Phone (02)6778 7473. There is a restaurant on site with superb food in idyllic surroundings. Top spot.
Mudgee Brewery: There have been a few changes to Mudgee labels. Mudgee Wheat now has larger numerals in the bar code as does Pale Ale. There is also Mudgee Mud Imperial Stout, Mudgee Nectar and Mudgee Spring. Meals and hospitality are superb. Be sure to call in if passing.
Morpeth Brewery and Beer Company is situated in the small country town of Morpeth about a half an hour North east of Cessnock in NSW. Located in a small room in the Commercial Hotel and available only at this hotel, they currently have 4 beers on tap and in bottle. They brew only on Saturdays and as a result all beers may not be available. It is advisable to ring ahead. The beers on tap are Mullet Run Maple Porter, Tradewinds IPA, Big Hitter Special Bitter and Close Call Pale Ale. To Date there has only been 5 labels.
BEER IN RUSSIA
From January 1, 2013, beer is categorised as an alcoholic beverage in Russia for the first time. Previously, beer - and any other beverage under 10% abv - was considered a 'foodstuff' and freely available for purchase at roadside stalls, newsstands etc. Regarding it as a 'light' refreshment, hard-drinking Russians traditionally turn their noses up at beer, preferring the traditional vodka as their drink of choice. However, with the average Russian now consuming around 18 litres of pure alcohol per annum, it seems that the popularity of beer is on the rise. Heavy drinking - and its health complications - has recently come under scrutiny in the country where alcohol-related death rates sit around the alarming figure of 500,000 annually. As such, the sale of beer between 11pm and 8am will be outlawed along with sales from street outlets and television advertising. [From Beer & Brewer, Jan 3, 2013]
Source: ABI Digest, No 128
THE WORLD’S STRONGEST BEER
The mantle of world’s strongest beer, previously held by Koelschip from the Netherlands with 60% abv, has now passed to Armageddon, a brew from Brewmeister Brewery in Aberdeenshire, Scotland which has an astonishing 65% abv. Despite being 65%, this beer has lots of flavour. It is slightly sweet, hoppy, malty and retains much of the yeast present during fermentation. It is made by means of a freeze concentration process and its brewer suggests that the 330mL bottles should be shared in brandy glasses amongst friends. The price is 60.00 GBP per bottle. CONTRACT BREWING & TRANSPARENCY
CUB & Byron Bay Brewing: The public relations agency (Liquid Ideas) of CUB issued a press release in late January announcing that Byron Bay Brewing Co, a small northern NSW brewery independently owned by Barry Schadel, had released its Pale Lager in packaged format. The bottled beer was, in fact, produced by CUB at its brewery at Warnervale under a new licensing agreement with Byron Bay Brewing Co. But, as with the packaging itself, the press release did not disclose that CUB had any involvement in the production, promotion or distribution of the new beer.
This launch of the packaged version drew criticism from sections of the industry media here and overseas for the failure to note the involvement of CUB on the labels and packaging, which simply state that the beer is brewed in NSW by Byron Bay Brewing Co and its licensees. CUB is also involved in marketing the beer which is on sale in Cole’s First Choice, Liquorland and Vintage Cellars outlets, as well as other venues and outlets across the country. It is described as ‘a refreshing beer of low bitterness and a balanced citrus aftertaste.’ A First Choice press ad (supp to Adelaide Advertiser, Feb 6, 2013) reinforces the impression of Byron Bay as the brewing site thus ‘Who doesn’t want to try a pale lager from the Byron Bay Brewing Co located on Skinners Shoot Road in idyllic Byron Bay housed in an historic location, the birthplace of much of the fame and spirit of Byron Bay which has attracted musicians, artist and alternative thinkers since the 70s….’
Source: ABI Digest, No 130
CELEBRATION ALE
Further to the announcement that Celebration Ale is to remain in the product range, brewer Jon Meneses has revealed that the beer has been modified to make it hoppier and more aromatic since its launch last year. He said that it was always the intention to make Celebration Ale a ‘hoppier style of beer with a decent level of bitterness’ but the hops turned out more subdued than intended in the initial batches of the beer, first released last May.‘ In the first few brews Pride of Ringwood hops were added in the kettle for base bitterness and Centennial and Nelson Sauvin varieties added in the whirlpool for late hopping but we have since added all three hops to the whirlpool, extended the stand time in the whirlpool slightly and lowered the fermentation temperature a couple of degrees to prevent loss of volatiles, giving a more hoppy and aromatic beer.’
Source: ABI Digest, No 130
BUY - SELL - TRADE - SWAP
Adam Blok (383) wants micro labels for exchange. He has Swanky 2007 six label set, Rehn Bier, Bierbeck’s two types, Fargher label, plus other SA craft and Coopers commemoratives. His address is: 37 Traverse Ave, Salisbury North 5108.
Jim Whittle (642) wants micro labels from NSW and WA. He has QLD and Nthn NSW micros for trade. Contact Jim on 07-3285 5596, e-mail: [email protected]. BOOKS
Beer Barons or Bankrupts? Early Breweries of South Australia by Alison Painter
This is the story of the many breweries which operated in South Australia from Settlement in 1836 to the mid- 1950s. The history of the early brewers in South Australia is littered with insolvencies, but why did so many of them fail? Beer was a beverage sought after by working men who regarded it as a wholesome drink, necessary for their physical well-being, and something they were used to having in Britain. There was no shortage of people ready to try brewing, a few may have had some knowledge, but perhaps the majority had little experience of the intricacies in the art of brewing good ale. These early brewers also faced a number of problems when they started out – the availability of imported malt and hops, indifferent water quality and the long, hot summers, compared with the milder climate of Britain, made brewing a precarious business. Many did not survive for long or soon became insolvent.
This well-illustrated, 345 page book is available in hard-cover from the author. Price: $60.50 plus postage ($12.50). Contact: [email protected].
The Breweries of Australia by Keith Deutsher
This is the second edition of Keith’s book. Breweries since colonisation in every state in Australia are alphabetically listed by towns (with a location map for each state). The Breweries of Australia includes chapters on Norfolk Island, a comprehensive review of the modern-day boutique breweries, and gives details of complex takeovers by international breweries. There are summaries of all breweries. The book is a unique and invaluable reference for all interested in breweries, beer, Australian social history and the development of country townships. The book is comprehensively illustrated with maps, cartoons, early brewery photographs and beer labels.
The Beer and Brewer Magazine is selling this book for $29.98 plus postage ($11.90 flat rate anywhere in Australia). The offer ends May 26, 2013.
The Last of The Small Breweries in New Zealand - A History of Stewart’s Brewery, Greymouth, 1880 – 1961 by Alan Stewart and Jimmy Stewart
Many West Coast people are familiar with the old Stewart’s Brewery buildings just north of the Grey River Bridge at Coal Creek on the highway north from Greymouth to Runanga. This section of the road is still known by many locals as “Brewery Hill” or sometimes “Stewarts Hill”.
Although the brewery closed over 40 years ago, the recent research has uncovered an interesting story of brewing, of Robert Stewart and his son Archie and their families, as well as reflecting the economic development and history of the West Coast.
Published in 2004, this is a rare family publication with a very limited print run. Only 10 books left to purchase. The price is $25.00 including postage and available from the author. Contact: [email protected]
SWAN 1857 BITTER LABELS
Victorian member Jack Wilks (328) discovered a different version of Swan 1857 Bitter label. Most members have the label with “375 ml” written on top of the ring (shown below left) but what Jack found was a label with “375 ml” and “12 floz” written on opposite sides of the ring (shown below right). Members are urged to check their spares to find the label with 12 floz on it.
ARCHAEOLOGISTS QUENCH THIRST FOR BREWERY RELICS
LA TROBE University archaeology students are getting a rare opportunity to do large-scale field work in their own city, on a dig at the former Carlton Brewery site.
Building company Grocon is paying $1 million for the six-week dig, on until March 1. The dig is a Heritage Victoria requirement before Grocon redevelops the land.
Seventy student volunteers and about 15 professional archaeologists are excavating the footings of the seven-storey Carlton Brewery brewhouse, built in 1873, and the early 1850s shanty town before that.
Objects that have been found since the dig started on January 14 reflect this mixed use. Domestic items include ceramic saucers, perfume and sauce bottle stoppers, a fragment from a Chinese pickle jar, a broken cobalt blue castor oil bottle and the stem of a smoking pipe.
Pieces from the brewery era include hundreds of ball shaped rubber ''bungs'' or stoppers for barrels, and a three-metre iron furnace stoker.
An early city landmark at the north end of Swanston Street, the brick brewery was demolished by the time the then-Carlton and United Breweries site was vacated in the late 1980s.
Grocon says construction will start in April on a much larger, new landmark on the site - the $300 million, 32-storey Swanston Square residential and mixed-use building. The 536 apartments are 90 per cent sold.
Archaeology honours student Adam Magennis, 38, has been helping excavate an old brick circular pit with picks and then small trowels. ''I'm really excited. It's great skills development. I'm a qualified bricklayer and stonemason so I enjoy investigating the bricklaying techniques that were applied prior to concrete coming in.''
Recent archaeology graduate diploma student Felicity Coleman, 24, says it can be hard physical work. ''Especially in the heat, and wearing face masks. It's pretty demanding. ''But I enjoy the labour aspect to a degree, it's nice to be outside working rather than in an office behind a computer.''
Then there was ''the possibility of finding something''.
So far she has uncovered a few pieces of a plate and pieces of glass from bottles. An archaeologist needs perseverance, patience and confidence.
She has volunteered with the project ''to get experience, learn how to do everything''. ''It's been good, interesting. We're not finding heaps of amazing artefacts but it's good to have the experience and see how it works on a construction site.'' Working from 7.30am, the volunteers are assigned to shovel cement and rubble, expose with trowels and brushes any surfaces or objects they find, photograph them, clean then and sort them into categories.
Professor Richard Mackay of heritage consultants Godden Mackay Logan says the archaeological team will catalogue the items, Heritage Victoria will conserve them and they will be lodged with Museum Victoria.
Source: The Age newspaper dated 23 February 2013
NINE BEERS AMERICANS NO LONGER DRINK
While sales of specialty, craft, and small-market beers have improved dramatically, many of the traditional, full-calorie beers that were once the staples of most breweries have fallen behind. In the five years ending in 2011, sales of Budweiser, which was once the top-selling beer in the country for years, have fallen by 7 million barrels. Sales of Michelob are down more than 70%. Based on data provided by Beer Marketer’s INSIGHTS, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the nine large — or once-large — beer brands with a five-year decline in sales of 30% or more. While regular, full-calorie beer was once the mainstream, now light has become the primary beer of choice. Budweiser, once by far the most popular beer, has now fallen to third place in domestic sales, with 17.2 million barrels shipped in 2011, compared to Coors Light’s 17.4 million. The U.S. beer leader is, by a long shot, Bud Light, with 39.15 million barrels sold last year.
Budweiser did not quite make the 30% decline in sales cut-off for our list, but many other traditional brews did. Old Milwaukee, Milwaukee’s Best and Miller Genuine Draft have all lost 50% of their sales since 2006. Michelob shipped 500,000 barrels domestically in 2006, but sold just 140,000 in 2011.
24/7 Wall St. identified the nine beers Americans no longer drink based on INSIGHTS top 50 beer brands with at least 500,000 barrels in sales in either 2006 or 2011 with sales declines of 30% or more over the same period. Sales for flavoured malt beverages and craft beers were excluded from the analysis.
These are the nine beers Americans no longer drink (sales loss 2006-2011):
1-Michelob (72.0%) 2-Michelob Light (66.3%) 3-Budweiser Select (60.8%) 4-Milwaukee’s Best (57.1%) 5-Old Milwaukee (52.8%) 6-Miller Genuine Draft (52.3%) 7-Amstel Light (47.7%) 8-Miller High Life Light (37.6%) 9-Milwaukee’s Best Light (35.5%)
Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ WORD OF MOUTH: TASTE OF SUMMER
A licence from the Liquor and Gaming office pinned to the left of Lachlan MacBean's front door indicates I have the right house - that, and the sound of his three primary school-aged sons playing in the hall.
The 43-year-old, who cut his teeth at Bluetongue Brewery after completing a graduate certificate in brewing from the University of Ballarat, has recently gone out on his own and created the craft beer label, Grainfed Brewing Company. He has permission to sell his debut drop, a pale ale called Sneaky One, from his home, but forget images of kegs and bottles stacked up in suburban Newcastle - trading is online and the kegs are stored elsewhere.
Thankfully, it's not a completely dry site and given it is 40° outside I happily accept a middy of Sneaky One while we pull up a couple of stools at the kitchen bench. School awards are stuck to the fridge and toys are strewn around the living area. In the couple of years since leaving Bluetongue when his wife Jeanette took on the role as John Hunter Hospital's organ donor co-ordinator, MacBean has been a stay-at-home dad ("house husband", quips cheeky 10-year-old Angus). Amid the domestic demands he has been quietly and assuredly establishing his brewing business.
"I can't believe I've been able to turn my hobby into a career," says the former horticulturist, wiping froth off the tip of his nose. "I've been making home brew for 20 years, but I decided to get more serious about it when I was 34 and study."
The University of Ballarat taught him the science - and art - of creating beer. "My old boss [at Bluetongue] used to say to me, 'In the brewing business there are no secrets, only mysteries'," recalls MacBean. Essentially, brewing is about balancing the key ingredients of malt (barley) and hops. "You're after drinkability: When you finish a beer, do you want another one?"
I do, which is a surprise given there is only one brand of beer that I enjoy - Hoegaarden, a Belgian wheat beer that is not as cheap or as readily available as I'd like.
The beer is brewed at a contract facility in Wollongong, arriving in Newcastle two weeks later in kegs and placed in cold storage. MacBean delivers the kegs to local pubs in the family's Tarago.
When Sneaky One was launched at the Albion on December 14, the first keg was drunk in 2½ hours. The pub, which is known for its array of 300 craft beers, went through nine kegs in nine days. Business is definitely on the up.
MacBean's goal is to have his own brewery and possibly his own "brewery pub" where people can observe the beer-making process while enjoying a meal and a drink. In the meantime there are boys to be cared for and a label to grow.
Source: Article by Rosemarie Milsom, Newcastle Herald, 26 January 2013 SLEEP OFF YOUR HANGOVER IN A BEER BARREL
For dedicated beer lovers it is quite literally a dream come true.
A hotel in northern Germany is attracting hundreds of guests with a passion for ale after converting three huge beer barrels into beds.
The 19th century wooden vessels were once used to store beer produced at the local Potts Brewery in northern Germany, but are now slept in by up to 700 people a year.
The Landhotel Beverland in Ostbevern converted three identical barrels which were cut in half and had a platform installed inside to support a double mattress.
Visitors then climb inside using a homemade ladder. It costs £88 per night to stay in a barrel, each of which can sleep up to two people.
Dominic Stern, 29, sales manager at the hotel, said: 'The idea with the beer barrel came about in collaboration with the local Pott's brewery.
'In their beer museum they had this spectacular barrel that was in brilliant condition so we decided to transform the barrel into a double bed to be used in the hotel.
'We thought about how we can offer our guests an experience that they would never forget.'
More than 700 guests stay in the barrels each year, many of who are beer lovers, according to Mr Stern. 'That is what Germany is known for,' he said.
The bedrooms the three barrels are located in include a massage shower, a large television and internet access.
'While there are hotels around the world that have different themes to make the stay more enjoyable for their guests,' said Mr Stern, 'I've never seen another hotel that uses a beer barrel as a bed.'
Source: Article by Sam Adams, Mail Online dated 1 February 2013 ART OF THE BREW
Newstead Brewing: The name’s got a nice, solid local ring to it-but you’ll have to wait until August to sink the first of the beers.
Hospitality veteran Michael Conrad (ex-owner Three Bistro, Fortitude Valley) is throwing his hat into Brisbane’s craft beer sector, planning to open this inner-city micro-brewery with scientist and brewer Mark Howe’s by winter’s end.
Conrad is expecting the steel tanks to arrive in late June and to be brewing in July. There will be six core beers plus a cider made from local apples.
Like Green Beacon Brewing, the recently opened craft brewery in nearby Teneriffe, you’ll also be able to grab a bite while keeping an eye on the whole beer making process.
“We’ll be doing counter meals… well, a twisted version of,” laughs Conrad. “It’ll never be all that simple.”
Already they are experimenting, trying to make Vegemite using yeast cake from test beer batches and transforming spent grain into flatbread.
“We’re involved with a couple of cattle farms too, so we’ll be fattening some of the cows that we’ll end up eating with by-products from making beer,” Conrad says.
The Doggett Street venue will hold about 150 patrons, with 60-70 seats for diners.
“It will be a fairly raw and industrial look,” says Conrad. “In other words we’ll spend a fortune making it look like we haven’t done very much at all.”
Source: The Courier Mail dated 23February 2013
DOOR PRIZE
The door prize for the April 2013 meeting will be the #1 Premier Brand Beer label from Swan Brewery. The will be drawn from the names of members who signed the attendance list.
CHRISTMAS RAFFLE
Donations for the beer related VBLCS Christmas Hamper are accepted throughout the year. The raffle will be drawn during the Christmas meeting and all proceeds will go to the Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital. The list of donations so far is given below:
1-Envelope of obsolete XXXX Castlemaine Perkins labels from Jim Whittle 2-Set of 6 Pure Blonde glasses from Rob Greenaway BEER MONEY – MERGERS AND COMPETITION
Over the years, Grupo Modelo has been known to give Anheuser-Busch InBev a hangover. AB InBev, the largest beer-maker in the U.S., would announce a price increase. MillerCoors, its biggest competitor, would go along. But No. 3 Grupo Modelo would hold the price on its leading brand, Corona, enticing consumers to switch to the popular import. That competition helped to keep the price of beer in check.
Last year, ABI moved to take over Modelo in a $20 billion deal. If you can't beat the competition, buy it. The Justice Department cried foul. The antitrust lawyers brought a civil action that says the deal would significantly harm the competitive market for beer. The smoking gun: internal emails from ABI execs who complained to each other that Modelo was making it tougher to raise the price of their domestic beers, such as Budweiser. Documents showed that ABI had suspended price hikes in certain markets because of Modelo. ABI had introduced products such as lime-flavored beer to compete with Corona.
ABI knew the deal would create consternation, so it offered a complicated plan to sell its interest in the company that imports Modelo products to the U.S. But under that plan, ABI still would supply the importer with Modelo brews and could buy the importer after a 10- year wait. In this case, the Justice Departments looks like it had a legitimate concern about stifling competition in the beer market. ABI seems to be recognizing that ... or at least recognizing that it faces a long, tortured road to prevail over Justice in court and complete this deal.
ABI sweetened its offer, agreeing to sell the brewery that makes Modelo beers that are imported to the U.S., as well as all its interests in the importer. ABI still would acquire Modelo's interests in the fast-growing Mexican beer market.
Should that erase the concerns about competition? It surely helps. ABI would have no direct interest in the U.S. market for Modelo beers. The company lined up to buy the distributor and brewery has a much greater incentive to act independently than it would have under the deal's original terms. It's much more likely that the antitrust attorneys at Justice will give their blessing. The companies and the feds have agreed to talks aimed at resolving the dispute.
For years, the government's antitrust watchdogs focused on criminal enforcement, targeting illegal price-fixing agreements. Those cases require a high standard of proof. Under President Barack Obama, federal enforcers have brought civil cases seeking to stop proposed mergers. A good example was AT&T's proposed merger with T-Mobile — a weak competitor that lacked the wherewithal to update its mobile network for the 21st century. There were significant consumer benefits to the merger, but the government intervened and the deal fell apart last year at great cost to AT&T.
When it comes to beer, though, Justice was on the right track.
Source: Chicago Tribune News dated 23 February 2013 WHEN A BOTTLE MATTERS MORE THAN THE BEER INSIDE
If the biggest selling point for a new beer is the bottle that it comes in, what does that say about the beer itself?
Lately, beers are taking the superficial approach to the next level. It’s not enough to come up with a clever name or an eye-grabbing label. To attract drinkers to a beer nowadays, the beverage must come in a bottle that’s unique, even iconic, the thinking goes.
Bud Light Platinum was introduced a year ago to much hype as a smoother, higher-alcohol version of regular Bud Light. But many say that much of Platinum’s success in the marketplace can be attributed to its unique cobalt-blue bottle, rather than just its taste or how much of a wallop it packs.
Likewise, Coors Light has boosted sales by being offered in various aluminium beer bottle forms for the past couple of years.
The latest example of a beer putting the emphasis on the bottle is Beck’s Sapphire. It reportedly took more than two years for engineers to develop the fancy black glass bottle, which requires two trips through the furnace before it’s ready to hold beer. “This bottle not only protects our beer from light better than common brown bottles, it also provides a distinguishing image for Beck’s Sapphire,” the Sapphire site states. The St. Louis Post- Dispatch summed up this sentiment more bluntly: The distinctive look is meant to help the beer stand out in upscale nightclubs, bars and restaurants.
In other words, insecure drinkers concerned about what others think about them can hold their special Bud Light Platinum or Beck’s Sapphire bottles up proudly with the knowledge that no one will think they’re drinking (God forbid) regular Bud Light or Beck’s. These bottles are meant to stand out, and they’re meant to attract drinkers who want to stand out as well.
Heineken, meanwhile, has been testing a new bottle that stands out even more than Platinum’s blue or Sapphire’s black. It’s not really a bottle at all, but a glass “boxed beer” concept that was introduced over the summer. The bottles (or glass boxes) are cube-shaped rather than rounded. If you didn’t see the Heineken label, you might guess there was cologne or maybe olive oil inside, not beer. So it’s at least successful in that no one would ever confuse it for another beer. As a bonus, the boxy beers can be stacked, making cases easier (and cheaper) to ship than standard bottles.
Source: Article by Brad Tuttle, TIME Business & Money, 1 February 2013 RAFFLES
As at 20th February, the following members have credit as listed:
P. Simpfendorfer August 2016 (2) Wayne Richardson Dec 2013 (3) Jim Stewart April 2014 (3) Patrick Michakcik Oct 2013 (5) Larry Ross April 2014 (2) Jim Halsall Oct 2013 (2) Ray Trinder Feb 2014 (2) Lloyd Hartree June 2013 (2) Murray Wells Dec 2013 (2) S. Jerdison June 2013 (2)
Note: Numbers in brackets are the number of tickets per raffle.
PLEASE NOTE: RAFFLE TICKETS ARE NOW $2 EACH MAXIMUM OF FIVE TICKETS PER RAFFLE
Would mail entrants please specify how many tickets they would like in each raffle? Members who have already paid prior to the increase do not have to pay extra unless they want extra tickets in the raffles.
Prizes will still be the same, consisting of hard to get labels, older Australian and New Zealand, pre-contents, imperial and early metric, micro-brewery, recently obsolete labels, plus various overseas labels, totalling well over 125 labels per prize.
Prizes in the April raffle will be:
1st prize, a Bulimba Bright Star Ale 2nd prize, a Richmond Brewery Kentdale Lager 3rd prize, a Tooheys Club Lager 4th prize, a CUB Carlton Bitter Ale 5th prize, a Ballarat Brewing Co. Ballarat Double Stout (large size)
Tickets are available from Jack Wilks 65 Tiverton Drive Mulgrave Vic. 3170 and also at the April meeting.
Visit VBLCS web-site: http://www.vblcs.com
VBLCS BEER LABEL CATALOGUES
Cairns, Rockhampton and Toowoomba 28 pages $6.00 Mildura (Northern Breweries) 16 pages $3.50 Northern Territory 27 pages $6.00 Kalgoorlie 26 pages $6.00 Old Ballarat 19 pages $4.50 Sovereign 9 pages $2.00 Anchor, Sail & Anchor, Matilda Bay 18 pages $4.50 South Australian & Associated Breweries 154 pages $15.00 Coopers Brewery 130 pages $15.00 Sanctuary Cove Brewery 23 pages $6.00 Courage Breweries $6.00 Geelong Brewery $6.00 Richmond Brewing Co $6.00 Castlemaine Perkins $6.00 CUB Queensland $6.00 Tasmanian Breweries $7.50 Swan Brewery Co $13.00 Micro Breweries (1st Edition) $6.50 Micro Breweries (2nd Edition) $8.50 Micro Breweries (3rd Edition) $8.50
All members please note: When sending cheques or money orders to the Secretary as payment for catalogues ordered, please make them payable only to “The V.B.L.C.S.” Please do not make them payable to the Secretary, either by title or by name. Copies of the Club Catalogues are obtainable from Angus MacEwan, 11 Harleston Road, Mt. Eliza, Victoria 3930. Ph: 03 9787 0225. ALL CATALOGUE PRICES ARE POST PAID
MEETING DATES FOR 2013
VBLCS meetings are held at the German Club Tivoli, 291 Dandenong Road, Windsor, Melway Ref. 58 G8. October meeting will be at the Thunder Road Brewery, 130 Barkly St, Brunswick, Melway Ref. 29 J10
Meeting dates for 2013 are: February 10 April 14 June 9 August 11 October 13 (at the Thunder Road Brewery) December 8
NOTE: As a general rule the meetings are held on the second Sunday of even numbered months. Starting time is 1.00 pm although many members come earlier for socialising. December meeting is our Christmas meeting and the starting time is 12.00 noon.
GULF BREWERY LABELS BREWERY GULF