ALCOHOL POLICY

Hotel lock-out trials Success with lock-out trials in SA (i.e. no entry after 1 am) in hotels at Port Lincoln, Whyalla and some other sites in reducing the incidence of alcohol-fuelled violence has prompted legislators, police and AHA (SA Branch) to consider extending the practice to other regional and metropolitan areas. [From Adelaide Advertiser, Jul 2, 2013]

BEER & BREWING: Australia – general

Beer line cleaning The average hotelier, who cleans the lines once a week – as recommended -, loses about 25 litres of beer per clean, representing more than $20,000 a year in ‘lost’ sales. A new automatic system (Lancer Trade Out Master) has been introduced by SA-based manufacturer Hoshzaki Lancer. The system, which allows operators to maintain appropriate regular beer-line cleaning schedules, progressively drains selected lines prior to cleaning and thus significantly reduces beer losses in installations with many metres of beer lines. Minimizing beer losses encourages regular cleaning of lines and thus improves the quality of beer served. The company, which developed the Trade Out system in-house, is one of the world’s largest suppliers of dispensing systems for draught beer, cider and soft drinks. [From Australian Brews News & SA Business Journal, Jul 2, 2013]

Broo again The brewer of Broo Premium Lager is now offering a draught beer with the release of its Australia Draught product in Sydney on June 24. Victorian-based Broo Ltd, which launched its Premium Lager four years ago and claimed to be the first company to permanently enshrine 100% Australian ownership in its constitution, now offers venues a competitive alternative to mainstream draught beers. Company founder Kent Grogan said ‘I really believe every Australian hotel should be serving at least one Australian-owned beer, whether it be us or a craft beer or something else.’ [From The Shout, Jun 26, 2013]

Hop Flavours A ground-breaking flavour spectrum to guide brewers through the taste profiles of its hop varieties has been released by Hop Products Australia (HPA). The Hop Flavour Spectrum, which goes beyond chemical analysis to provide an effective tool for comparing varieties and understanding how each hop may impact the flavour of beer, is the result of years of consultation with brewers and first-hand industry experience, and comes in response to the popularity of its proprietary flavour hops and aroma hops in Australia and overseas. HPA MD, Tim Lord, says: “Chemical analysis of hop varieties has traditionally been the primary source of reference for brewers, but it doesn’t necessarily show flavour potential. That’s why we’ve worked hard with brewers to create something that really helps them understand and optimise the flavour potential of our hops. We encourage brewers to use it and welcome their continued feedback, so we can develop this tool and make it even better.” The Spectrum plots hops on a grid which is divided into four flavour types – fruit, floral, spice and resin – and encompasses HPA’s full range of proprietary flavour, aroma and bitter hops. [From Australian Brews News & The Crafty Pint, Jul 5, 2013] [See also BEER & BREWING – International below]

BEER & BREWING: Australia – mainstream breweries

Coopers The limited edition 2013 Extra Strong Vintage Ale, 13th in the series, was released on July 5. MD and chief brewer Tim Cooper said ‘hops are at the heart of this year’s Vintage, with Centennial, Chinook, Citra and Styrian Golding all being used. Premium quality Australian barley, wheat and crystal malts made up the grist … The result, upon pouring, is a balanced flavour of malt sweetness with a lingering crisp bitterness.’ At 7.5% abv, it’s the strongest beer brewed by Coopers and one of the stronger beers of the world. The series was launched in 1998, with further vintages in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004 and annually from 2006. The 2013 Vintage is priced from about $80 per carton, or $25 per six pack of 355ml bottles. [From Australian Brews News, Jun 26, 2013]

Coopers has signed a five year deal that will see Hindmarsh Stadium, the headquarters of the Adelaide United Football Club, renamed Coopers Stadium; the agreement also covers exclusive pouring rights at the ground. Marketing director Cam Pearce said ‘This agreement further demonstrates Coopers’ long term commitment to South Australia, as well as helping develop our profile nationally as we become more established around Australia.’ [From Beer & Brewer Weekly, Jul 4, 2013]

Lion Six Lion beers, including XXXX Gold, Hahn Super Dry, James Squire Golden Ale, James Boag’s Premium, Tooheys New & Tooheys Extra Dry, will initially accompany the Tap King home dispensing system, available nationally from July 2013 at major liquor retailers for RRP $32.99 for the dispenser unit and between RRP $33.00 and $48.00 per 3.2L bottle twin pack. The self-serve format means easy pouring and, as units have a 21 day shelf-life, they can be kept in the fridge for whenever people feel like a fresh draught beer and for sharing at low-key social occasions at home. The innovation results from a partnership between Lion and Australian packaging company Visy and is the culmination of two years of extensive research and development. It is Lion’s first major product innovation outside of its current range of well-known beer and wine brands. [From Australian Brews News Jun 2 & Jul 3, 2013]

BEER & BREWING: Australia – smaller breweries

New beers Two new tap-only beers were released by Matilda Bay in late June: Ruby Tuesday Amber Ale & Little Ripper Sparkling Lager. Both carry 4.7% abv with Ruby Tuesday featuring Pride of Ringwood & Hallertau Hersbrucker hops and four specialty malts; Little Ripper has Pacifica hop for a fruity aroma. The brewery has also trade-marked more names such as Lager Rita, Moose on the Loose, Red Revolution & The Mexican, so maybe some one-offs or seasonal offerings are in the wind. [From Australian Brews News, Jun 25]

Mr Obadiah is the latest single-batch beer from Little Creatures – a rye porter at 6.9% abv and 55IBU, it is available in 568mL bottles at RRP $8. [From Adelaide Advertiser, Jun 26, 2013]

NSW: Since it was formed last year out of the ashes of Australian Independent Brewers (AIB), Brewpack has more than doubled the output of its contract brewing operation. Director Anton Szpitalak said ‘The bulk of the growth had come from craft beer, with boutique soft drinks and RTDs also contributing. More recently, we would have increased that again by 50% and we’re looking to grow another 75% over the next year.’ He was unperturbed by industry speculation that competition in the contract brewing market was about to heat up with the entry of some new players. Additional capacity and a new keg line have been added and a major upgrade of the packaging line has been undertaken. [From The Shout, Jul 5, 2013]

QLD: 20 beer lovers were invited by Burleigh Brewing Co to pack their own cartons of 2013 Black Giraffe in early July. After selecting the bottles they hand-packed their cartons and were also given 200g bags of the Zarraffa coffee used in the brew. Invitees, who paid for the beer, were required to pledge a donation to a local charity. [From Australian Brews News, Jun 28, 2013]

SA: Birbeck Brewing Co’s blog recently carried a thoughtful response to the ARCBA white paper Australian Real Craft Brewers and the need for excise relief and Government support. In it Jared Birbeck maintains that ‘Excise reform is necessary and the best option would be a move to volumetric tax of alcohol without distinction of alcohol type or size of container, as outlined in the Henry review [in 2009] and sought by health lobby groups and the brewing industry.’ He concludes that small brewers could seek concessions and exemptions ‘in the event of genuine excise reform.’ [From Birbeck’s blog & Australian Brews News, Jul 2, 2013] [To my knowledge, the brewing industry in Australia has been pleading for volumetric excise to be introduced for all alcoholic beverages for at least 65 years … but…]

Brewniversity The home of James Squire in Adelaide, The Curious Squire, has launched a beer school of its own, the Brewniversity with hour long ‘Beer 101’ sessions running every six weeks. For the price of $25 – which includes James Squire beer tastings and canapés to match – punters will learn about everything craft beer. According to Antony Tropeano, owner of The Curious Squire, the school is for true beer enthusiasts who wish to expand their beer knowledge. [From Beer & Brewer Weekly, Jul 4, 2013]

At the Wheaty (Wheatsheaf Hotel) in suburban Thebarton about 55 dark beers will be available on tap during July in the pub’s Font of Darkness IV event when seven of 13 taps will be devoted to ‘the dark side’. {From promo e-mail, Jun 28, 2013]

VIC: New ventures – A 50L microbrewery operates at the historic Byramine Homestead, near Yarrawonga, where Wade McPherson is brewing several styles. At East Bendigo Brookes Beer Pty Ltd has commissioned a 25hL brewhouse in part of a former abattoir building and released an American-style Pale Ale with three other beers – Bohemian Lager, IPA and Amber Ale – to follow. [From Australian Small Brewery Update, Jul & The Crafty Pint, Jul 5, 2013]

Boatrocker Brewery of Braeside is planning to start its own hop research farm in central Victoria this winter. [From The Crafty Pint, Jul 5, 2013]

BEER & BREWING: International

USA: Hop flavour database The program of the recent annual meeting of the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) included a poster presented by M. Zunkel (Germany) which featured an excerpt of a hop flavour database, containing details of some 450 beer flavour volatiles derived from hops. The complete database – an impressive Excel list which could be used as a hop flavour bible – will soon be available through the ASBC. [From E-Malt.ComFlash 25b, Jun 23, 2013 & other sources]

Constellation Brands will soon introduce a Bloody Mary-style beer in USA. It has already launched and is test marketing Modelo Especial Lite, to be followed by Modelo Especial Chelado, a tomato, salt and lime-flavoured 3.5% abv brew. Constellation Brands completed its acquisition of Grupo Modelo’s USA beer business from AB InBev in early June for US$4.75 billion. [From E-Malt.comFlash 27b, Jul 4, 2013]

CIDER, JUICES, RTDs & SOFT DRINKS

CUB’s new link As part of a deal with SABMiller, CUB has secured the distribution of Kopparberg cider in Australia from October 1 this year. Australia was singled out because the country has shown the fastest growth of the cider category in recent years. SABMiller/CUB already has 70% of the cider category with brands such as Strongbow, Bulmers and Mercury, with Strongbow the top selling brand. CUB owns the Strongbow and Bulmers brands in Australia but Heineken owns the Strongbow brand in most other countries. [From Brauwelt International Newsletter, Jul 6, 2013]

New ginger beer Ginger Joe, a ‘refreshingly feisty alcoholic ginger beer’ has been launched in Australia by Angove Family Winemakers. The Stone’s range of ginger beers has been distributed in Australia by Angove’s for over 50 years and the rising popularity of ginger beers and beverages led the family-owned company to bring the quirky Ginger Joe into the country for the first time. [From The Shout, Jun 28, 2013]

Energy drinks survey At the American Medical Association’s (AMA) annual meeting last month, the association passed policies concerning sugary drinks, obesity classification and energy drinks. It adopted a policy supporting a ban of the marketing of high stimulant/caffeine drinks to adolescents under the age of 18. Stimulant drinks have surged in popularity in recent years, especially among high school and college students, and health advocates are concerned about the use of these drinks among adolescents, due to excessive amounts of caffeine. The US Food & Drug Authority is investigating reports of illness, injury, or death of people who consumed products marketed as ‘energy drinks’ or ‘energy shots.’ [From IFT Weekly Newsletter, Jun 26, 2013]

New flavours New flavours, such as herbs and spices, honey, and new-generation so-called superfruits are predicted to be the next hits in the global beverages market. While flavour trends can vary markedly by region, market research data indicate that rising interest in superfruits is evident globally, with pomegranate leading the field. It accounted for over 40% of tracked beverage launches featuring superfruit from June 2008 to May 2013, well ahead of açai and lychee and emerging or new-generation superfruits such as guanabana/soursop, cactus/prickly pear, and marula. Increasing interest in hot and spicy flavours in the USA. food market as a whole has also spread through to beverages, leading to the emergence of hot and spicy variants featuring ingredients such as black pepper and chillies, including habanero, jalapeno and chipotle. [From IFT Weekly Newsletter, Jul 3, 2013]

WINE & SPIRITS

Grape prices up but… A significant rise in the price of red wine grapes from the 2013 vintage in premium regions of SA was reported by Wine Australia, when releasing its 2013 Australian Winegrape Price Dispersion Report in June. Although the report records a 13% increase in the average price paid ($619/tonne) for red varieties, the average for white grapes rose only 2% to $388/tonne. Overall, the average price of $499/tonne for all varieties is far below the 2008 figure of just over $800 and the 2001 peak of well over $900. The disparity between high-value, cool climate regions and the warmer inland regions in SA continues with the latest survey indicating that only about a quarter of growers in the Adelaide Hills, Barossa and Clare Valleys, Coonawarra, Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale regions say their properties are profitable. The main issue, as for many years, is that a massive oversupply situation exists. [From Adelaide Advertiser, Jun 28, 2013]

Australia’s grape crush in 2013 was still too high, according to the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA), which on June 28 released figures showing this year’s vintage was 10% up on last year. WFA CEO Paul Evans said ‘Following a number of lower vintages, the 2013 crush reminds us that the production potential of the Australian industry remains too high and is not in balance with local and international demand for our wine. The large crush is likely to result in higher inventory levels and bulk wine exports and will place further downward pressure on prices and profitability throughout the commercial wine segment over the coming vintage.’ The WFA reported a 1.83 million tonne crush for 2013, which is 170,000 tonne above last year and well above the six-year average. [From The Shout, Jun 28, 2013]

Owner exports himself John Geber, owner of Chateau Tanunda (Barossa Valley), is moving to Florida to lead a two-year push into the USA market, sensing that the falling Aussie dollar and a growing demand for mid-range wines augurs well for increasing sales. [From Adelaide Advertiser, Jun 22, 2013]

Taylors on top In two recent USA wine competitions Taylors Wines (Clare Valley SA) came out on top, winning Best of Nation for Australia at the San Francisco International Competition and being named Australian Winery of the Year at the New York International event. [From Adelaide Advertiser, Jul 2, 2013]

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FROM PAST DIGESTS … 5 YEARS AGO

Australian hop crop up The 2008 Australian hop crop showed a 34% increase in yield over 2007 from a 10% increase in area harvested. While three varieties – Pride of Ringwood, Super Pride & Topaz – accounted for about 75% of the crop, some interesting new varieties are emerging from the breeding program conducted by Hop Products Australia. It is expected that the country may see a rise in the production of aroma hops to complement the traditional growing of high alpha varieties. [From Brewer & Distiller International, Jun 2008]

Boomers ‘worst bingers’ In SA it appears that the baby boomer generation is the worst for risky drinking practices. A report South Australia: Our Health and Health Services reveals that those aged between 50 and 69 are more likely to drink at risky levels than other age groups, including the so-called ‘alcopops’ generation. The survey gave the following figures for risky drinkers (presumably those consuming more than two standard drinks/day) in various age groups: 16 – 19 years 23%, 20 – 29 = 26%, 50 – 59 = 32% & 60 – 69 = 34%. [From Adelaide Advertiser, Jul 2, 2008]