Beer News

Study Claims Glassware Shape Affects Drinking Speed

Beer connoisseurs will often choose a pint, Pilsner or tulip glass based solely on the style of beer being consumed. However, aroma and head retention may not be the only factors determined by glass shape; according to a recent study published in the journal PLoS ONE, the shape of your glass may also affect the rate of consumption.

The study, conducted at the University of Bristol, examined 160 men and women, aged 18 to 40, who qualified as “casual drinkers.” Results showed participants drank the beer out of a 12-ounce straight mug in about 11 minutes, while downing the beer in just 7 minutes when drinking from a 12-ounce curved flute glass. The results were not replicated when participants drank lemonade, nor when they drank from 6-ounce glasses.

Researchers attribute the results to the shape of the glassware, proposing that drinkers estimated the mid-point of a curved glass to be lower than it actually is. Critics have noted that while the study presents some interesting findings, it is flawed because it considers people who consume 25 pints per week to be merely “casual” drinkers.

After Mounting Pressure, White House Kitchen Releases Homebrew Recipes

President Obama’s appreciation of beer is known to many, particularly after such widely reported events as “Beer Summits” in the Oval Office and Guinness toasts on Saint Patrick’s Day. However, one thing the American public en masse didn’t know until recently was that the president enjoys his own beer, homebrewed in the White House.

This revelation came during a recent campaign stop in Iowa, when President Obama publicly gave a bottle to a supporter. White House staff later disclosed that the president enjoys two different varieties of White House homebrew: a Honey Brown Ale and a Honey Porter, made with honey from the first-ever White House beehive, on the South Lawn.

This news ignited a firestorm of mainstream media coverage. People insisted they had a right to know what was in these brews, and eager homebrewers wanted to know how to make their own. Through the White House’s online petition forum, wethepeople.gov, over 12,000 people in two weeks signed a petition demanding the release of the recipe.

In a statement, White House chef Sam Kass says, “As far as we know, the White House Honey Brown Ale is the first alcohol brewed or distilled on the White House grounds. George Washington brewed beer and distilled whiskey at Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson made wine, but there’s no evidence that any beer has been brewed in the White House.”

Coleman Wood, a writer living in Atlanta, Ga., is one homebrewer who’s already started brewing up the recipes. “My main reason for brewing the beers is to see how the White House kitchen’s world-class chefs rate when you tell them to create something they’ve never done before,” he says. “I expect the Honey Blonde to be a lighter session ale that would be especially refreshing on hot days. The Honey Porter looks like a curve ball. There is a higher amount of crystal and Munich malts—both of which give beer a sweeter character—than I would have personally put in the recipe, but the dry honey flavor could balance out the malty, sweet flavor. We’ll see!”

North American Breweries Reportedly For Sale

According to Reuters, the private equity firm KPS Capital Partners has put North American Breweries up for sale. KPS formed NAB when it purchased the Labatt brand from Anheuser-Busch in 2009; NAB’s portfolio includes Magic Hat, Genesee, Labatt and Pyramid, among other brands. The value of the collective brands could be valued at up to $400 million.

Reuters published the story citing anonymous sources, as the sale is not yet public. Rich Lozyniak, CEO of NAB, issued a statement, declaring, “North American Breweries has been a focus of buying and selling rumors since its inception. We have made it clear that we are always exploring opportunities to build our business. It’s our policy not to comment on speculation.”

Carlton & United Learns Not to Mess with Success

After changing the recipe for Australia’s most popular beer, Victoria Bitter, to a lighter formula, Carlton & United Breweries (a subsidiary of SABMiller) admits they “got it wrong.” Starting this October, Victoria Bitter will revert back to its original full-strength recipe.

Since 2007, Carlton & United have lightened the formula of VB twice, to its current level of 4.6-percent ABV. Compared to the original 4.9-percent level, this lower alcohol content saved the company over A$10 million in annual excise taxes. Despite the fact that loyal consumers vehemently opposed to the changes, the lighter formulas remained in production for the past five years.

However, money talks, and Australians made their voices heard. In April, VB lost its rank as Australia’s top-selling beer—a position they had held for over 20 years— to rival mega-brewery Kirin’s XXXX Gold. This appears to be the message the people at the top needed.

Carlton & United chief marketing officer Andy Gibson explains via press release, “The Vic Bitter drinkers have spoken and told us that we should not have tinkered with their beer. … So we have listened and during the course of October Victoria Bitter will be returning to its best, in fact we reckon it will be better than ever.”

Pennsylvania Craft Brew Pioneer Tom Pastorius Passes Away

Tom Pastorius, founder of the Pennsylvania Brewing Co., lost a battle with prostate cancer on September 6th, at the age of 67.

Pastorius’ love of beer took root in the ’60s and ’70s, when he lived in Germany for over 10 years and became enamored with German beer styles. When he moved back to Pittsburgh, he wanted to authentically re-create those beers; so in 1986, he founded the Pennsylvania Brewing Co., Pittsburgh’s first craft brewery and only the second craft brewery to open after Prohibition east of the Mississippi.

Pastorius also worked to change the state law that prohibited alcohol from being made and sold in the same facility, and in 1989, he moved his brewing operation to Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhood, which was settled by German immigrants. Penn Brewery still adheres to Reinheitsgebot, and their beers have won several medals at the Great American Beer Festival. Pastorius also launched the Pennsylvania Microbrewers Festival in 1994.

Pastorius retired from his post as CEO in 2010, and will be remembered by those who knew him as an entrepreneur, a supporter of aspiring brewers and a man who genuinely loved to make people happy. ■