Beer News

Dry Petitioners Want a Wet Dallas

Dallas is one of the nation’s largest cities, with a population of over 1.2 million. Including the surrounding metropolitan area, over 6 million populate the region. However, much of the Dallas area is dry, and the few businesses that do offer alcohol are strictly regulated.

Local grassroots organization Progress Dallas is hoping to change things come November. A recent petition drive conducted by the organization brought in over 217,000 signatures between two petitions—one to allow beer and wine sales in grocery stores and retail outlets, and another to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages in restaurants throughout the city. Presently, restaurants must admit patrons into a private club before allowing them to buy drinks.

Progress Dallas treasurer Gary Huddleston says via press release, “By signing these petitions in record numbers, the citizens of Dallas are calling for change. It’s time to leave behind outdated laws that are not only costing our city critical tax dollars, but also denying equal access to retail opportunities to all parts of our city.”

With each petition gaining well over the required 68,846 signatures, Dallas voters can expect to see the issue up for vote on ballots in November.

Attention Hipsters: Pabst Brewery Sold

After enjoying a trend-fueled resurgence over the past several years, the Pabst Brewing Co. has been sold to C. Dean Metropoulos & Co., a private-equity firm situated in Greenwich, Conn. The firm has secured financing and will pay around $250 million for Pabst.

For the last 10 years, Pabst has been owned by the Kalmanovitz Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit organization named after a former Pabst owner and brewer. Federal law states that a for-profit company can’t be owned by a nonprofit for more than five years, but a five-year extension was granted to the company in 2005.

When Pabst was forced by the IRS to seek a buyer as the extension’s expiration approached, they found Metropoulos—a company that previously worked to improve dozens of food brands, including Bumble Bee Tuna, Vlasic Pickles and Chef Boyardee.

Pabst holds over 25 domestic brands under their corporate umbrella, including Schlitz, Old Milwaukee and Lone Star. Many are contract-brewed by MillerCoors under an agreement that expires in 2014.

Former Schmidt’s Brewery Owner William H. Pflaumer Passes Away

William H. Pflaumer, the man who transformed the Christian Schmidt and Sons Inc. brewery of Philadelphia from a locally distributed brew into, at one time, the nation’s ninth-largest brand, passed away of heart failure at the age of 76 on May 22.

Born in Kensington, Pa., on July 8, 1933, Pflaumer began his career by delivering beer to local pubs for his father’s distribution company when he was 13. After graduating high school, he drove the delivery trucks.

Pflaumer eventually split from his father and formed his own distributorship in 1959, becoming the primary distributor of Schmidt’s. However, in the mid-’70s, the Schmidt’s brand was losing ground and Pfaulmer needed to stay in business. He purchased Schmidt’s and a handful of other struggling breweries in 1976, and was able to strengthen his flagship brand to the point of shipping 3 million barrels per year, becoming the nation’s ninth-largest brewery by 1980.

Pflaumer became involved in some shady dealings, which included creating false invoices for bars to reduce their tax claims. In 1983, he was convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to three years in prison. He appealed for three years and sold his brewery in 1986, just before he began serving his term. Schmidt’s production ceased in 1987 and the brewery has since been replaced by condominiums and a retail development.

Pflaumer is survived by three sons, two daughters, a brother and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Milwaukee Brewing Converts Cooking Oil for Boiler Heat

Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Brewing Company has recently inked a deal with the Milwaukee County Parks Department to recycle the used cooking oil from park facilities. The oil will be converted to B100 biodiesel by removing the glycerin with a chemical reaction, and used as fuel for the water boilers.

Jim McCabe, co-owner of Milwaukee Brewing, explained to BA via email that they’ve been running on a combination of natural gas and biodiesel for around 18 months, and are steadily weaning themselves off the gas heat.

McCabe elaborates, “We’re off the grid now about 25 percent of the time, and climbing. As restaurants find out what we’re using the oil for, we get more and more sources. Our goal for the upcoming winter is to be 50 percent off-grid.”

This deal is the latest in several steps Milwaukee Brewing has taken to be as sustainable as possible. The brewery already touts a long list of conservative procedures, which continues to grow.

McCabe adds, “We got rid of the old industrial HID lighting and installed high-efficiency fluorescent lighting. Plans are in the works for light tube systems, which create light by focusing outdoor sunlight through a reflector. Great for the guys who spend eight hours in a cooler, knowing they are getting some glimpse of the outdoors!”

Their beer is also being distributed in cans to facilitate more economical shipping, cooling and recycling. ■