Yearly archive for 2021

Beer Fest tickets make a great gift. What could be better than you two and hundreds of your favorite beers? Beer Fest Tickets on sale now at MBBF.org or follow this link https://myidahotix.com/events/2020-mountain-brewers-beer-fest-6-6-2020-58530

On this day in 1945 the SS Egbolen, laden with a vital cargo of War materiel from Wm.Youngers Brewery, struck a mine and sunk. Throughout the war beer was considered an essential element in maintaining the morale of troops. Beer from some breweries was actually packaged in camouflaged (Olive Drab) cans such as this example by Schaefer Beer (see below). Beer Fest tickets make a great Valentine’s Day present and are available now at MBBF.org or follow this link  https://myidahotix.com/events/2020-mountain-brewers-beer-fest-6-6-2020-58530 Copyright Gregg Smith – His latest book “American Beer History”

Uber has announced it has acquired “Drizly” (North America’s largest alcohol delivery service) for 1.1 Billion dollars in cash and stock. Currently Drizly meets the retail alcohol requirements in 1,400 cities across North America and continues to pursue approval in other jurisdictions. The plan is to integrate Drizly into the Uber Eats app. For Drizly this represents 8 years of development in building technology, infrastructure, and partnerships with retailers. When the deal is finalized Drizly will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Uber. Beer Fest tickets make a great Valentine’s

The term “Craft Brewer” has a limit set by the Brewers Association that is production under 6 million barrels; data seems to indicate that Boston Beer widely exceeded that production level in 2020. NOTE: this includes all of Boston Beer’s various products. Further analysis will determine the designation that will be applied to Boston Beer; for example, if only beer production is considered the company would remain well under the threshold and could still retain the Craft Brewer title. One reason it may retain its designation is that Boston Beer

February 2 On this date in 1892 William Painter, an Irish American Mechanical Engineer, was granted a patent for the first successful bottle cap. This simple pressed sheet of tin was also called the crown cap because when held upside down it resembled a royal crown. Painter’s invention revolutionized the beer industry and eventually packaged products exceeded the sale of draft beer. Beer Fest tickets make a great groundhog day gift – available now at MBBF.org or follow this link  https://northamericanbrewers.org/ticket-store/ Copyright Gregg Smith – His latest book “American Beer

January 27th Only a month before Anchor Brewing celebrates its 125th anniversary a major change has been announced. In short, the traditional retro-style labels are out and a new minimalist label is in. Intent upon a swift change the brewery is using sales of beer at the brewery to exhaust supplies of the old label. What once cost nine dollars at the brewery has now dropped to the low discount price of $ 1.25   Beer Fest tickets Make a great Ground Hog Day Gift – available now at MBBF.org

This date marks the birth of Frank Sales Reisch in 1809. The founder of what became the F. Reisch Brothers Brewery of Springfield, Illinois started with an 8 barrel brewhouse. Later, an improved system, installed in 1900, raised the output to 100,000 barrels. Beer runs deep in the Reisch family with six generations in the industry. Although the original brewery closed, the Reisch Gold Top brand was resurrected in 2019 and won a medal at the International Beer Awards competition. Beer Fest General Admission tickets available now at MBBF.org or

Atlanta, Georgia: Sweetwater Brewing Company, the nation’s fourteenth largest craft brewer announced it will enter the Colorado market on February first. A company spokesperson of Sweetwater, which was acquired in November by Aphria Inc. a “cannabis-lifestyle” company, said it makes Colorado a perfect fit. Beer Fest General Admission tickets available now at MBBF.org or follow this link  https://northamericanbrewers.org/ticket-store/ Copyright Gregg & Lisa Smith – Their latest book “Beer Drinkers Dictionary” is available on Amazon

January 17th – A sad day for beer drinkers; it was on this date that marked the official start of prohibition. Millions of people went out the night before for the last legal beer they would have for the next 13 years. Breweries attempted to continue operations by the production of near beer the brands by brewery were: Pabst – Pablo; Schlitz – Famo; Miller – Vivo; Stroh – Luxo; Anheuser Busch – Pivo. Beer drinkers largely rejected these attempts at NA beers. The saying was that whoever called it

Portland Brewing has announced it will cease operations as of February 5th.  This will end production of  the MacTarnahan’s brands. Pyramid beers which were also produced at the brewery will now be brewed in Rochester, NY. No further information is available on the status of the brewing equipment. Portland was one of the early craft brewers in the city and operated for more than thirty years; it follows Bridgeport Brewing another early craft brewer which closed 2 years ago. Beer Fest General Admission tickets available now at MBBF.org or follow