American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
Yikes, August is just flying by…but clearly the craft beer biz isn’t slowing down any time soon. But no worries, Beer Buzz is always on the case, keeping you up on all the beer news and lifestyle that matters. Plus we’ve an all-important update on what we’ve been drinking lately and you don’t want to miss that!
New York State To Serve 80% New York State Beers (Geddes, NY) – New York’s State Fair returns this week (8/23-9/3) with a mandate that was initiated last year, that 80% of the beer served on the fairgrounds have to have been brewed instate.
But that 80% “New York State Beer Only” isn’t as craft-friendly as it first sounds according to NYup. The rule actually applies to the number of brands offered by a fairground vendor — not the total volume of beer sold at the fair. So a vendor with 10 taps, for example, must have New York brewed beer on at least eight of them. If the other out-of-state two taps end up selling 99% of that vendor’s beer, it is what it is.
And Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer is okay with the 80% rule because they’ve a major brewery in Baldwinsville, NY, so their will be no shortage of Bud, Bud Light or Michelob Ultra at this year’s state fair, in addition to serious craft beer brands like Ommegang, Southern Tier, Saranac and Middle Ages.
Words to Drink By (Asheville, NC) “”It’s a way for the State Fair to showcase the growing beer industry in New York State.” – Acting State Fair Director Troy Waffner
Boston Beer’s Depletion Upswing Is Bad News For Samuel Adams (Boston, MA) – “Depletions” in industry-speak refer to sales by wholesalers to retailers, and as such are considered an industry proxy for consumer demand. So depletion growth is a good thing and it speaks to a brands sales picking up.
But when Boston Beer reported a 12% increase in depletions it was both good and bad news for one of the nation’s biggest craft brewers. Because that depletion upswing for its most recent quarter was predicated on higher sales of hard tea, cider, and seltzer lines. Depletions at its flagship beer brand Samuel Adams continue their downward trajectory.
What We’ve Been Drinking Lately (Shiner, TX) –Spoetzl Brewery, home to the Shiner brand, recently released another addition to their ambitious Brewer’s Pride Series that left us dewy-eyed. Infused and then aged with wild Texas dewberries, Shiner Dewberry Tart Ale is a 5.9% ABV Berliner Weisse-style beer, with a distinctly Texas flavor and a refreshingly funky attitude.
