Beer News

Dave’s Beer is Turning Green

Dave Anderson, of Wilson, Wis., is setting out to make sustainable brewing a reality. On February 3rd, Anderson completed a major part of his BrewFarm by installing a 120-foot, 20-kilowatt wind generator. The Jacobs 31-20 turbine will harness the power of the local winds and provide up to 50 percent of the electricity needed to operate the facilities.

According to a press release from Dave’s BrewFarm, the tower is only one of many developments helping to provide the brewery with maximum sustainability: Solar panels, as well as geothermal heating and cooling, are also being utilized, while greywater will be recycled for irrigation.

Anderson hopes that through “leading by example,” he’ll encourage larger beer companies to take notice and adapt their business models to become sustainable in order to help the planet—and their own bottom lines.

After 10-year struggle, Utah Man Can Restore Landmark Beer Billboard

Bruce Edwards, owner of a two-story brick building in downtown Ogden, Utah, is emerging the victor of a long-standing legal battle with the local Landmarks Commission. Back in 1998, he was denied permission to restore an old billboard on the side of his building advertising Becker’s Beer, on the grounds that a beer ad was an inappropriate display for the local avenue.

In 2000, Edwards hung a derogatory sign in the building’s window directed at the city government. When the City Council made him remove it, Edwards took them to court, enlisting the help of the American Civil Liberties Union. In 2005, a US District Court judge said Ogden had violated Edwards’ First Amendment rights and ruled in his favor. He was able to re-hang his sign, but the commission still repeatedly ruled against the billboard’s restoration.

Times have changed, and so has most of the staff on the Landmarks Commission. After recently examining a renewed request from Edwards to restore the antiquated ad, the commission’s previous ruling was overturned, allowing him to refurbish the artwork on the side of his building.

The advertisement dates back to around 1910 and says, “Every hour upon the hour for about an hour Drink Becker’s Beer—Ogden’s Famous Beer.”

Illustration by Sarah Kim

Resale of Stolen Beer Kegs Made a Crime in N.D.

Despite North Dakota’s anomalous $1.2 billion budget surplus, apparently some residents are scrounging for cash. Beer wholesalers have been reporting more and more missing kegs from their inventories. Why would somebody want an empty keg? Scrap dealers and recyclers pay cash for them—that’s why.

The North Dakota House of Representatives voted 91–2 on January 26th to make it a crime to buy beer kegs if they have brewery markings or if the markings have been removed. If convicted of the misdemeanor charge, violators could spend up to 30 days in jail and have to pay a fine of up to $1,000.

According to North Dakota State Rep. Woody Thorpe, the stainless steel kegs can go for $35 to $45 each at salvage yards. The stolen kegs are a big problem for the breweries though, because each one costs around $150 to produce.

Image courtesy Brewery Ommegang

Brewery Ommegang’s Commemorative Ale Stripped of its Presidential Title

If you were seeking a pint of Brewery Ommegang’s “Obamagang,” you might be disappointed. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau ruled against using the president’s name and likeness for profit without consent. The alternative, “Inauguration Ale,” was also not approved. As a result, the Cooperstown, N.Y.-based brewery changed its beer’s official name to simply “Ale 2009.” However, their website still refers to the working name of “Obamagang” and continues to use Shepard Fairey’s rendering of the AP image of Barack Obama.

The ale was produced to commemorate the 2009 inauguration and was served in select pubs throughout the Northeast. Though the clash with the TTB could be construed as a “PR stunt,” according to Larry Bennett of Brewery Ommegang, “it wasn’t imagined as that. A friend of mine in Philadelphia came up with the name, and then we thought it would be fun to put the beer out for the inauguration. Given the size of the batch and the associated costs, we will make no money on it,” as portions of the profit will be donated to charity. The TTB did not reply to a request for comment. ■