Going crazy over craft beer

Selvy, who says he “learned more about making beer by making wine,” considers brewing to be a blend of science and artistry: The artistry comes from knowing which herbs, spices, grains and hops will produce desired characteristics and the science from knowing specific gravities and brewing times and which additives are needed. Each beer has its own personality and recipe. Crazy Mountain currently brews eight different beers year-round plus one seasonal beer.

On the day I worked with Selvy, we were making Horseshoes Hand Grenades ESB, a beer that begins with more than 1,300 pounds of dark and light barley mixed with hot water in the mash tun to convert the grains’ starches to sugars. Unlike wine where the basic ingredient, grapes, has sugar, grains such as barley, wheat and oats have starches that must be converted to sugar. Typical organic chemistry experiment. The malty, slightly sweet wort was later pumped into the brewing vat for the 75-minute transition to prefermented beer. It was a “hurry up and wait operation” punctuated by Selvy sanitizing equipment, taking temperatures and specific gravities and setting up for the next steps as he waited for each process to finish.

At 6:30 a.m., we took a break to sample my favorite, Lava Lake Wit at Selvy’s Uncle Dan’s beautiful beetle-kill wood bar in the tasting room. The breakfast of champions! This fermented jewel is a tribute to Selvy’s artistry. The silky beer is a blend of barley, Belgian Pilsner malt, two types of wheat, rolled oats, Belgian yeast, chamomile, coriander, Curacao orange peel and “grains of paradise” (a fruitier cousin of black pepper). The combination of oils from the oats and chamomile produces both a silky feel in the mouth and fabulous dreams in bed, or so Selvy promises.

While we waited, we discussed the most precious ingredient in the entire process — water. I was intrigued to learn how difficult it is for them using water close to its mineral-rich source. Perhaps all those Coors beer commercials showing the Rocky Mountain spring water had me believing that was a good thing. It is, but as Selvy explained, the minerals must be stripped from the water and then added back in the desired amount. It’s a tedious and expensive process, so cold water is run through a heat exchanger to be used again, thus saving as much as 1,000 gallons of water each day.

After the wort was safely pumped into the brewing vat, I switched over to the canning line. What a treat to pick off and box the cold six-packs as they were spit out of the canning machine! I surrendered when the height reached 10 of the 12 levels on the pallet, as I could no longer reach the middle boxes. It was exhilarating, tiring and fun to be part of readying the finished product for shipment.

There’s so much more to this operation I’d love to share, but space limits me. Perhaps the best way to tell the entire story is to urge readers to visit the brewery and see first hand what a serious and promising venture is going on under our noses. As Ben Franklin said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Trust me, a tall, cold glass of Crazy Mountain craft beer will definitely leave you happy!

Suzanne Hoffman is a local attorney, wine importer and the Chambellan Provincial of the Southwest Region and Bailli (president) of the Vail chapter of the Chaine des Rotisseurs. She is passionate about all things gastronomique. For more background information on her “Behind the Scenes” series, go to www.facebook.com/vailvalleysecrets. Email comments about this story to [email protected].

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Craft beer by the numbers

This is an excellent time to be a beer lover.

Not only is there far more high quality craft beer available today than even a decade ago, but the mood at the recent Craft Brewers Conference, held May 2-5 in San Diego, was positively ebullient. A record-breaking 4,500 brewery owners, sales people, brewers and would-be brewers attended the three-day conference, which is great, geeky fun. I’ve been going to these shows for many years, and I can’t remember a time filled with as much optimism since the earliest days of the microbrewery revolution.

The festivities always include a “state of the craft” presentation with graphs, charts, trends and statistics. Personally, I love these sorts of numbers, but if you’re not as wowed by cool facts, open a nice hoppy craft beer as you read along.

Skyrocketing numbers

The number of breweries in this country peaked in the late 1800s, when there were more than 4,000. It was a time when beer didn’t travel well, and every community had its own brewery — or several. But a variety of factors, including Prohibition and business consolidation, changed all that. By the early 1980s, there were only 50 or so companies operating 80 breweries.

Then came the microbrewery revolution. By the end of last year, some 1,940 craft breweries were making beer, and we recently eclipsed the 2,000 mark. Last year alone, 250 new breweries opened across the country, and

more than a thousand more are in various stages of planning. Not surprisingly, California leads the way, with 261 breweries at the end of 2011. The next closest state, Washington, has half that number. And one of the newest trends is nanobreweries, very small breweries that make fewer than 100 barrels per year. There are 270 of those.

Recession-resistance

When the economy tanked a few years ago, beer — like all alcohol — was thought to be recession-proof. That turned out to not be completely the case; sales dipped slightly, but then rebounded. But craft beer remains one of the few bright spots, contributing $8.7 billion to our nation’s economy last year, and employing nearly 104,000 people.

For many years, craft beer has accounted for about 5 percent of all beer sold, leading Georgia artist Chad Baker to create a funny poster satirizing the Occupy Movement that read: “Craft Beer Drinkers, We Are the 5%.”

In 2011, craft beer finally broke the pint glass ceiling, as sales by volume rose 13 percent over the previous year. Craft beer’s share of the market now stands at 5.68 percent — although in California, craft beer accounts for nearly 13 percent of the total beer sold.

World Beer Cup

All of which brings me to last month’s World Beer Cup, a biannual craft beer competition where I serve as a judge. It’s there that the numbers become even more startling. California breweries always perform well, beating out every other country except Germany. This year, with brewers from 54 countries entering 3,921 beers in 95 categories, California crushed even that European brewing powerhouse, which won 23 medals to California’s 55.

In fact, 208 of the 284 medals went to American breweries. Germany came in second and Belgium third, with eight. The next closest state to California was Colorado, which brought home 26 medals, followed by Oregon, with a dozen.

And what are the most popular types of beer being brewed and entered? India Pale Ales topped the list, with 150 beers entered, followed by Imperial, or Double, IPAs with 93.

So if you’re one of the craft beer 5 percent here in the Bay Area that enjoys drinking good beer, there are many reasons to celebrate American craft beer. Cheers!

Contact Jay R. Brooks at [email protected]. Read more by Brooks at http://www.ibabuzz.com/bottomsup.

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Sacramento brewers tap growing craft beer market

The aroma of hops and malt soon will replace the smells of fresh paint and furniture stain at Track 7 Brewing Co. in an industrial area near Sacramento City College.

Today, the microbrewery makes its debut with six beers and a public tasting room, and owners Geoff Scott and Ryan Graham hope their enterprise then will smell of success. They’re banking on the rising popularity of craft breweries, the small, independently owned producers of beer that has an artisanal touch.

“Sacramento has a young beer culture and a ton of great brewers and enthusiasts,” Scott said. “There’s a lot of great brewpubs, but not a true production facility or a tasting room focused solely on beer.”

While Sacramento’s restaurant scene has been rocked by the recession, the craft beer segment continues rising. Along with Track 7, other new breweries on tap for 2012 include New Helvetia Brewing Co. at 18th and Broadway, American River Brewing in Rancho Cordova, and Berryessa Brewing Co. in Winters.

As shown in successful beer cities such as Portland, Ore., and San Diego, craft breweries thrive when they have critical mass and allow consumers to interact through tours and tastings with staff, brewery experts say. The owners don’t get caught up in being a restaurant. Instead, like winery staff, they focus on tasting with the public.

That’s exactly what the new crop of craft brewers has planned. Already, tours are developing around fledgling tasting rooms in the region.

“The secret to any brewery’s success is being able to get their beer to the consumer,” said Charlie Bamforth, Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at the University of California, Davis. “The simplest option is the brewpub concept. One of the most expensive components of beer is the bottling and packaging. When you don’t have to do that packaging, it’s economically advantageous.”

The region’s newest start-ups are entering the market just as beer brands and brewpubs are experiencing a renaissance here. Already beer lovers have seen the debut of Loomis Basin Brewing Co.; Knee Deep Brewing Co.; and Ruhstaller, a brand that highlights Sacramento’s storied history.

“Beer definitely has a momentum,” said Dave Gull, owner of New Helvetia Brewing, which is expected to open in the spring. “If you follow the beer industry, there’s expansion and growth in craft beer while national brands are stagnating. That translates as an opportunity for people to jump in and start a craft brewery.”

Success brews

The retail craft brewing segment grew by 12 percent in 2010, compared with 2009, according to the Brewers Association, a Colorado-based trade association for craft breweries. In the first half of this year, sales were up 15 percent over the same period a year ago.

By contrast, overall beer sales in the United States ? factoring in the major domestic and imported brands ? were down 1 percent in 2010.

Craft beers make up a little less than 5 percent of overall beer sales in the United States, according to the Brewers Association.

“Americans love variety, but before 1970, there wasn’t much in this country’s beer category,” said Julia Herz, craft beer program director for the Brewers Association. “At the last Great American Beer Festival, there were 133 categories. Craft beer made by small producers is also perceived as an affordable luxury.”

While fewer than 500 breweries operated domestically in 1990, that number shot to 1,753 by 2010, the highest number since the late 1800s.

Local brewers champion the reasonable price points and overall accessibility of beer, especially when compared with wine.

“You can buy the best beer in the world for about $10 a bottle,” said Peter Hoey, the Sacramento brewmaster behind Ruhstaller. “That sounds like a lot for someone who’s used to paying $8 for a 38-pack on sale, but we’re talking some of the most interesting beverages in the world being made for a reasonable price. There’s been a sea change of people realizing that beer isn’t just to be dropped into red cups at barbecues and for tailgating.”

Sacramento’s history

Joe Dutra travels to Northern California microbreweries and samples the latest craft brews at Samuel Horne’s Tavern in Folsom and Pangaea Two Brews Cafe in Sacramento.

“I’m seeing more of my friends getting into the crafts,” said Dutra. “You can taste the difference. There’s just so much more complexity to those beers compared to a Budweiser.”

That’s not to say the local beer industry has been completely recession-proof. Brewpubs that closed over the last couple years include Sacramento Brewing Co., Brew It Up and Elk Grove Brewery and Restaurant.

While the craft beer scene remains strong in such cities as San Diego and Portland, which is home to 43 breweries, Sacramento has its own rich beer history. According to Ed Carroll, author of “Sacramento’s Breweries,” the city was home to more than a dozen breweries, including Sacramento Brewing Co. and Buffalo Brewery, from the mid- to late 1800s. (The Sacramento Bee building housed the former Buffalo Brewery.)

Founded by Capt. Frank Ruhstaller, a Swiss immigrant, Sacramento Brewing Co. and Buffalo Brewery sourced hops and barley from around the region and then shipped beers nationally via Sacramento’s railroads and water shipping lines.

“The only city with that many (breweries) was San Francisco,” said Carroll. “Buffalo Brewery was one of the biggest on the West Coast. Here, there was a big German population, good hops and barley, and a (thirsty) populous.”

Bamforth said he believes that Sacramento is poised for a comeback ? and could become even stronger if such raw materials as hops were grown here again.

“Sacramento has always been a beer town, and that message was lost for the longest time,” Bamforth said.

“What I hope will happen is people will embrace this growth of local craft beer, and that just might inspire people to re-establish this region for some of its traditional raw materials.”

Some of Sacramento’s newest beer entrepreneurs are tapping into the city’s old beer culture as part of their branding. New Helvetia Brewing Co. borrows John Sutter’s name for the settlement that would become Sacramento. It plans on releasing a “Buffalo” line of beer. Though the Buffalo Beer brand was relaunched and sold in the mid-1970s, the naming rights now belong to a Japanese company.

Billed as “Sacramento’s beer,” the Ruhstaller brand is named after the city’s godfather of beer and sources the bulk of its ingredients from Northern California. The beer is brewed at three facilities around Sacramento, and is the brainchild of J.E. Paino, whose background is in business rather than brewing.

“The consumer is ready for craft and smaller beers,” Paino said. “What we try and do is communicate great beer, great ingredients and using local products when possible.”

Sacramento’s beer culture continues to blossom. The third annual Sacramento Beer Week runs from Feb. 24 through March 4 and will feature more than 400 events around the region, including the Capital Beerfest on Feb. 25 at Cal Expo.

Beer also remains core to many local business plans, including midtown’s River Rock Tap House, which switched to a beer-focused format after launching originally as Tex Mex Bar Grill.

Back at Track 7, bags of grain sit on standby while beers ferment in three tanks, and can produce 14 to 15 kegs in each batch. Soon, the owners are expecting the crowds ? and increased competition from other new microbreweries.

“There’s definitely enough business to go around,” Scott said. “The more breweries, the better.”

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

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Craft Beer of the Day

Occasionally I hear a song and think to myself “Man, why couldn’t I have written that?” This happens a lot when I listen to the Avett Brothers, actually. I think that if I were a home brewer, this is the same exact feeling I’d have while drinking Dogfish Head’s excellent ’90-Minute IPA.’

The brew is strong, hoppy, and sweet. Dogfish Head describes it as a “continually-hopped beer, which is a method of hopping that allows for a pungent, but not crushing hop flavor.”

Pungent is just about right. Unlike a lot of IPA’s out there, 90-Minute IPA has a malty undercurrent which takes a bit of the edge off the hops. The beer has an IBU of 90 – placing way up the bitterness ladder, but the malts keep the flavor remarkably sweet.

Oh, and did I say strong? It’s a 9% beer which puts it neck and shoulders over most mainstream craft brews out there, though there are some Belgian ales and some Barleywines out there that clock in one or two percentage points higher.

The nice thing about 90-Minute, though, is that it’s not overbearing. Dogfish Head gets the mix just right, though for people accustomed to, I dunno, Bud Light, it may take some getting used to.

Men’s Journal placed 90-Minute IPA in its top 25 beers list, noting that “It should be impossible for a beer that’s been hopped for 90 solid minutes (an average IPA gets 60) to be delicious; in fact, each sip should be like snorting aspirin. This, however, is brewmaster Sam Calagione’s specialty, and this confoundingly pleasant “extreme” beer is the purest expression of his skill.”

That’s for damn sure.

Dogfish Head is located in Milton, Delaware. It was founded by Sam Calagione in 1995. You can see if there’s any of Dogfish Head’s many brews sold near you here.

Follow me on Twitter or Facebook. Read my Forbes blog here.

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Recommended Reading

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