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Beer, Bars & Brewers in August, 2015

Welcome to our latest edition of Beer, Bars & Brewers! Also this time we have collected all kinds of bits and pieces from all things beer. Cheers and let’s get started.

Esquire makes an excellent point regarding the quality of American beer, the British craft scene beers continues to gloriously grow while local pubs are quietly shutting down left and right. A Vermont magician has turned beer into jelly while the University of Vermont is offering a business course for craft brewers, and BrewDog opens a new bar in Brighton.

1) The Crap Art of American Beer

Once again, Esquire has its finger at the pulse and nails the current Zeitgeist: In an article dated earlier this month, they try to explain why American beer has such a bad rep around the world. This whole “craft beer thing” seems to just have flown right over their heads. Esquire blames the piss poor excuse of a beer that was prevalent for so long on early British colonists who tried to recreate their beloved dark beers with corn, wheat, and molasses as hops were too expensive to import.

By the mid 1800s things got worse, as the damn Germans brought their pale lagers to the States, which factory workers were happy to sip on for lunch because it allowed them to continue working without a buzz (really?). We end things around the time of prohibition, because really – not a lot has happened since then.

2) British Craft Beer Scene Continues to Grow

While Britain’s heritage and neighborhood pubs are closing at a rapid pace, the government is hailing the craft beer industry as the savior of the economy. The drinks business quotes junior minister Marcus Jones saying “Today’s figures show Britain is back on the map as a global Brewing Powerhouse with three breweries opening up every week. We gave the world the IPA and the Great British pint has been revered ever since.

This brewing boom means we are not only creating some of the world’s best beer that we all enjoy in our local pub and at home but also thousands of jobs and a multibillion-pound boost to the economy.” While all these things might be ring true to an extent, the real, local history is completely ignored in this version of events. The drinks business itself reported on “the shocking rate of London’s pubs closing” earlier this year, but whatever as long as the craft boom continues to grow strong who needs history?

3) Beer goes Jelly

… and you’ll be well jeal that you don’t have any on you. Vermont’s Potlicker Kitchen (good name) has begun selling ‘spreadable beer’ – which is a jelly produced out of boiled beer with sugar and pectin. Sounds like it would go well with certain cheeses, the drinks business agrees.

4) University of Vermont to offer Business of Craft Beer Certificate

Under the supervision of  an industry advisory board, the University of Vermont is offering a new “Business of Craft Beer certificate program that will focus on sales, digital marketing, and business operations”, maybe a money-making ploy but with all the new “breweries” entering the market that have no clue what they’re doing, this might not be a bad idea.
Brewbound explains that the 12-week online program was developed in conjunction with the Vermont Brewer’s Association. Students will be taught the basics of running a business (balancing books, growth strategies, cashflow, etc.), the lack of which is the number one reason a craft start up fails. Passionate home brewers are one thing, but you need business skills to run and actually grow that business.

5) BrewDog set to open newest Bar in Brighton

After announcing their newest international location last week, Stockholm’s Södermalm, BrewDog staff took to the blog to elaborate on their new bar, continent side. On August the 28th Brighton will finally be home to its very own BrewDog bar. Visitors can expect 30 taps of craft beer as well as a range of food. If you’re around the area, sneak by for a preview of what the bar has to offer on Thursday, the 27th.

Credits

Foto: Guy staring at his beer in delight via Shutterstock.

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