Have Taste? There's a tax for that!

Today the government released their 'Review of Alcohol Taxation' and after consultation with the companies listed at the bottom of the linked document their proposal to encourage responsible drinking & to tackle 'problem products' that cause social problems & place pressure on the NHS is to put a premium rate of beer duty on any beer at 7.5%abv. or above & to lower tax on beer at 2.8%abv. or below.

Firstly to to the lower end of the spectrum, beers at 2.8% or below? Are you serious? I can only conclude that this is a token gesture to sweeten the bitter pill of a premium tax rate for 7.5%abv.plus beer.  I cannot name one single product that is currently on the market that fits this bracket & don't expect a rush of brewers clambering to fill this niche! It is of little consequence to microbreweries in the UK anyway as we cannot claim this relief if we are already on SBR (Small Brewers Relief).

Onto the higher taxation for 7.5% & above beers, now lets get this straight the proposed rises in tax have singled out 'strong beer' for special attention, from this point the logic of the proposed changes collapses.  Cider has been largely overlooked with just an introduction of a minimum juice content to help push the price of 'industrial cider' up. Whilst beer has been singled out as the 'bad boy', so naturally lets look at the problem beers in the UK above 7.5%abv. that are causing social meltdown... I can name but one...  'Special Brew' so according to government policy makers this beer is single-handedly causing the majority of alcohol fuelled social problems in the UK... Really?? Give me a break, apart from a smattering of permanently inebriated drunks on park benches 'Special Brews' in brown paper bags is hardly the single biggest blight of modern Britain! Those who buy it do so because it is a relatively cheap way of buying as many alcohol units as possible.

So to you, the craft beer lover, the connoisseur, you pay your taxes, you cause no social nuisance, no strain on police nor on NHS resources, but you regardless of the reasons you enjoy strong craft beers YOU will be penalised as what you enjoy the government classes a 'problem drink' & what I hear you ask is your crime??

You have taste!

Welcome to modern Britain!

Aroma, because it's worth it!

A few nights ago whilst drinking a bottle of BrewDog 5am Saint I inhaled the aroma coming from my glass & paused, the first thought to enter my head was why can't all beers smell this good? The short answer is, they can!

The role of dry hopping(putting dry hops into fermented beer) for added aroma is a commonly used technique in the US craft beer scene, but relatively recently it has found favor again with British breweries.  If you have ever had the pleasure of taking the cap of a fresh bottle of 'Stone IPA' for example, the aroma is simply stunning & for me is just as much a lure as the flavour. I believe aroma should play as large part of the experience of drinking great beer as savouring the flavour.

Most British brewers add 'late' hops to the copper either minutes from the end or at flame off to add aroma, this is a tried & tested technique which works & lifts the aroma of the resulting beer whilst adding little bitterness as the hop oils are not isomerised.  However the aroma that can be achieved by steeping dry hops into fermented beer for at least a week is truly unrivaled.

So why don't British brewers use this technique more?  In 2007/2008 hop prices hit record levels & due to the amount of hops required for dry hopping it became cost prohibitive, in some cases it could have added 40% to the cost of producing a beer. Also in the UK brewers are much more financially constrained, for example duty on beer is ELEVEN times lower in the US not to mention their larger market, the price of fuel etc... Giving US brewers much more scope to just produce 'wow beer' regardless of cost, so in short UK economics & commodity prices directly affect the quality of British beer.

In the last year hop prices have decreased significantly, in particularly US varieties, now making it financially viable to dry hop beers without increasing costs significantly.  This is great news for craft beer in Britain as it allows us as brewers to increase the quality of the finished product. The brewers dilemma is at what point is a beer of sufficient quality whilst still remaining profitable? It simply boils down to simple economics, if a commodity is cheaper we can use more whilst still being competitive on price. So with one eye on 2011 I for one am excited at the prospect of using bale after bale of US green goodies to dry hop more of our beers & give them that wow factor!

Farewell Mr Thornbridge!

It is time to bid farewell to the man who puts Passion in Innovation, Passion, Knowledge. We should all thank Kel for his services to British Brewing, his huge enthusiasm for his art is unrivaled. Kelly always has the time to chat to anyone who is passionate about great beer & is happy to share his wealth of knowledge with all who enquire & that is a trait that will serve you well anywhere in the world Sir. So farewell Kel & Cat, happy & safe travels... Hope to see you back on these shores someday in the not too distant future!

All the best mate,

From us all here at SWB.