Beer-articles 913

The Simpsons have “predicted” dozens of eerie moments in history. Ironically, they never saw a recent callout from Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan coming down the pipeline.

On June 7, during a chat with Stereogum, McKagan claimed that the show’s fictional adult beverage company, Duff Beer and by extension Duffman, was actually named after him. However, writer and producer, Jay Kogen slammed the accusation to TMZ.

Although the band has certainly influenced a generation of rockers and music lovers alike, Kogen rattled off two reasons why McKagan’s supposed “King Of Beers” nickname had nothing to do with the ‘The Simpsons’ beloved booze brand.

According to Kogen, “there actually wasn’t any deep reasoning behind choosing the name Duff,” it was a toss around idea. Ultimately, the team landed on Duff for comic reasons. “It’s a synonym for butt, tushy, booty, and so on,” he said. “Duff is a beer for people who sat on their fat ass all day.”

The second reason, according to Kogen, “‘The Simpsons’ writers and producers back in the day didn’t know anyone in Guns N’ Roses beyond [frontman] Axl Rose.”

In the interview, McKagan also claimed to have been approached by the show between 1988 and 1989. McKagan eluded that the denial was tied to its financial stake in its branding and merchandising profits. “So I think it’s very probably business savvy of them to say that’s not true,” he said. “But if you just do your own math behind it, look at when they started off with the King of Beers, and I had my King of Beers belt I wore all the time.”

But Kogen doubled down on his stance. “It’s very weird, this Duff McKagan guy wants to claim credit for Duff Beer,” he said. “[When Duff] had zero to do with it.”

Grabbing a locally made beer has become easier in small towns across Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley.

Twenty breweries opened in Arkansas between 2019 and 2022, according to the National Brewers Association.

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Would you take a dip in beer, all in the name of health and wellbeing? The answer appears to be an overwhelming ‘yes,’ with this curious European tradition well and truly arriving in the US and spreading rapidly across the country.

While ‘beer spa’ may sound like a euphemism for a keg party around a hot tub, it’s a fairly recent wellness trend with its roots in the Czech Republic in the 1980s. It’s essentially a spa treatment that involves soaking in a tub that may be filled with beer, or elements of it – in particular, aromatic hops, yeast and barley. While light on robust scientific research, the practice is said to have wide-ranging health benefits, from exfoliation to alleviating inflammation and other skin conditions.

In the US, the traditional ‘European bathhouse’ vibe has been refined to resemble the kind of establishment that would never ordinarily have beer on its premises, nor many clients who drink it. Think private rooms, hand-crafted wooden tubs, soothing lights and music, and plenty of fluffy bathrobes and towels.

The first US beer spa was actually opened in 2016 in Sisters, Oregon, which in hindsight might have been a few years ahead of its time as it’s since shut down. But like a bubbly, frothy phoenix rising, new treatment houses have sprung up across the country, including My Beer Spa in Orlando, Piva Beer Spa in Chicago, Oakwell Beer Spa in Denver and the tap room-spa mashup of Bierbath in Sykesville, Maryland.

While there’s certain novelty in the name, beer baths are generally not actually, drinkable beer; they’re normally different treatment ‘blends’ of hops, yeast and malt, without the boozy part (most do, however, offer some kind of on-brand drinks to have while soaking).

As for the health benefits, they don’t reinvent the wheel of wellness spa treatment, so any sort of miracle cure for ails with ales should perhaps be taken with a grain of salt. Though proponents of the beer spa attest that extracts from hops, barley and brewer’s yeast boast polyphenols with antioxidant properties for skin health, barley’s epidermal growth factor protein can boost skin appearance (and there is some research into this), and an assortment of vitamins in the mix can help hydrate skin and condition hair.

One thing we’d guarantee, though, is the relaxing factor. Hops have been shown to have a mild sedative effect that encourages sleep. While you wouldn’t be eating them, of course, there are relaxing properties to their aroma.

The beer spa experience is also often accompanied with chill-out day beds but instead they’re hay beds – yes, literally made of hay. If you’ve ever been around hay, you’ll know that it’s not a material that evokes ‘blissful relaxing mattress,’ but we won’t knock it till we try it.

Government data from 2021 showed that Americans drink around 6.5 billion gallons of beer each year. While alcohol use in general is falling, it’s still by far the most popular booze in the fridge (wine was second, by a long shot, with 935 million gallons per year).

While an hour-long soak may set you back a little more than a six-pack – most one-person packages start at around $100 – a trip to the beer spa certainly has health benefits in comparison to the more traditional way of indulging.

Sources: My Beer Spa, Piva Beer Spa, Oakwell Beer Spa, Bierbath, Spa Beerland

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There are new taxes on imported wines

For many Ugandans, the thought of beer conjures warm memories, cheers with friends, or a cold drink at the end of a long day.

However, they will in the coming financial year dig deep into their pockets to have their favourite drink as the government slapped more taxes on beer.

Finance minister, Matia Kasaija on Thursday announced taxation measures targeting the alcohol industry, particularly imported brands of beer and wine. While some analysts had suggested that, the budget for the financial year 2024/25 was not too “tax laden” the minister slapped Shs 1,000 on each kilogram of powdered bear.

This alcohol exercise tax is likely to affect the final price of this type of beer. Powdered beer has recently been a beer of choice by some revellers in some of the top bars and clubs. Unlike the bottled beers on the market, the powder imported from countries like Germany instantly turns into beer once mixed with water.

The minister also announced an increase in excise duty on imported wines from 80 per cent or Shs 8,000 per litre to 100 per cent or Shs 10,000 whichever is the highest. Players in the breweries sector have in the past raised alarm about exercise duties on beer. Current beer made from malt has a 60 per cent duty or Shs 2,050 per litre, whichever is higher, opaque beer 12 per cent or Shs 150 per litre, whichever is higher.

In March, Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) managing director, Andrew Kilonzo warned against the plans by the government to impose a 20 per cent tax increase on both locally manufactured and imported spirits. He revealed that Uganda’s exercise duties on spirits were twice higher than those in other East African countries. Kasaija did not mention new exercise duties on the spirits meaning that the old ones still stand.

Other taxes

Bearing in mind that taxes form most of the collections to finance the budget, the minister announced Shs 100 on a litre of diesel and petrol. He also imposed excise duty on adhesives, grout, white cement, and lime. This according to the minister was to align the tax treatment of these products with that of cement.

Mobile money withdrawals

When the new budget comes into effect, withdrawals of money from other platforms other than mobile, money will be subject to an excise duty at a rate of 0.5 per cent of the value of withdrawals. This will not apply to withdrawals from agent banking or banking halls. This measure is likely to hurt those who operate on electronic banking wallets.

Value Added Tax (VAT)

To facilitate the growth of e-mobility and affordability of electric cars and motorcycles and protect the environment. Kasaija announced that the supply of electric motorcycles, vehicles manufactured or fabricated in Uganda, and their respective charging stations and batteries for electric motorbikes, charging stations, and related services are exempt from tax.

Taxing gifts from employers

The minister announced that starting next financial year, the provision of taxable goods/services by an employer to an employee would attract VAT. This issue generated debate in parliament. MPs reasoned that if a company for instance, produces cement and donates bags to its employees of cement for self-development, the gift would be subject to VAT.

Income tax

The government will with effect from the next financial year investors from tax capital gains arising from the sale of holdings in private equity or venture capital funds regulated by the Capital Markets Authority. According to Kasaija, the intention is to incentivize private equity or venture capital investments in Uganda.

Tax holidays

The government will provide tax holidays on the income of a person who manufactures and fabricates electric motor vehicles, electric motorcycles, electric batteries, and electric vehicle charging equipment, as well as the income of a person who develops, establishes or operates a medical facility or hospital facility.

Some civil society actors have in the past warned the government against such blanket tax holidays saying they normally end up denying the country access to revenue.

Uganda Revenue Authority has indicated that the country loses about Shs 160 billion annually due to foregone corporate income tax mostly from multinational companies because of tax holidays.

”We have extended the waiver of penalties and interest on arrears outstanding by June 2023. This waiver will apply when the taxpayer pays between July and December 2024, and we have also introduced a 10 per cent withholding tax on commission paid to the banking agents and fintech agents (payment service providers),” said Kasaija.

Public debt

The minister reported that Uganda’s total public debt stood at Shs 93.38 trillion, equivalent to $24.69 billion. Of this amount, external debt was Shs 55.37 trillion equivalent to $14.64 billion while domestic debt was Shs 38.01 trillion equivalent to $10.05 billion. The public debt is projected at Shs 97.638 trillion, equivalent to $25.716 billion by 30th June 2024.

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The minister reported that in nominal terms, Uganda’s public debt to GDP was estimated at 9 per cent in June 2023, and is projected to end at 47.9 per cent this financial year ending June 2024.

“This is below the 52.4 per cent threshold provided for in the Charter for Fiscal Responsibility for the financial year 2023/24, and less than 50 per cent of GDP government policy target for debt sustainability,” he said.

Kasaija noted that although Uganda’s debt has increased, it is still sustainable and the government is committed to keeping it sustainable.

“Most importantly, the money we have borrowed has been invested well and these investments have started to give good returns,” said the minister.

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The best double IPAs were recently named at the World Beer Cup.

The world’s best double or imperial IPAs were crowned recently at the World Beer Cup. The competition is arguably craft beer’s most prestigious and is organized each year by the Brewers Association, a not-for-profit trade organization that advocates for independent brewers.

Though brewers and some craft beer lovers have cooled in their enthusiasm for IPAs, they remain the bestselling craft beer style by a significant margin and the higher alcohol content double IPAs—sometimes described as “an IPA that’s been turned up to 11”—are a big part of that. At this year’s World Beer Cup the double/imperial IPA category had 138 entries. Out of all those beers only three were chosen as medalists. They are listed below and all, in what is an unusual sweep by a state, hail from sunny California. You can also read my story on the best Hazy IPAs from the World Beer Cup and the best German-style Pilsners, and follow my stories for more updates from the World Beer Cup and news about the world’s best beer in general.

This big bold and well-prepared imperial IPA features citra, citra cryo and mosaic hops. Per the brewery’s notes on the beer: “The brew team were all good lil Pallys the night before they brewed this one, got good sleep, ate their Wheaties, and watched this batch of hop saturated yum yum like a hawk. We were prepared this time! And I think it shows in how dope this one came out. Tasting notes? Think Navel Orange oils, yummo blueberry cereal, pineapple whips, and a linger of the freshest Maui Wowee.”

Beer fans in California can have beer shipped to their homes from Green Cheek Beer Co.’s website.

A chance to drink this beer is worth going down the rabbit hole. From the brewery: “The habit of rabit? No carrots here, Jack. This riddle of a double IPA is easily solved when a bright blend of berry and citrus leap out of the glass. Whiskers wiggle above a healthy heap of Mosaic and Simcoe for an evolving aroma experience.”

Coming in third place is this goblin-named gem of a beer that is made with strata, nelson, and mosaic notes. Tasting notes from the brewery are minimal, but per Untapped, it has notes of dank fruit, diesel, papaya, and pine, all descriptors that have my mouth watering.

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Fears over Serbian ‘ultras hooligans targeting boozed-up England fans at The Three Lions’ first Euros match on Sunday, June 16, at the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, have prompted authorities to take measures.

Full-strength beer will be prohibited during England’s first Euros match against Serbia, with fans being served weaker German shandy, according to reports.

This decision was made as German authorities, hosting the major football tournament, are concerned about potential clashes between England fans and violent Serbian ‘Ultras’. German police are apprehensive that Serbian hooligans are planning to confront the drink-fueled England supporters, leading to the ban on strong lager at the match. An estimated 40,000 England supporters and 8,000 Serbs are expected at the game, the latter joined by others from Germany’s Serbian communities.

The security level for the match on Sunday, June 16, at the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, has been elevated from ‘high’ to ‘very high’, with concerns that 500 hardcore pro-Vladimir Putin supporters may also attend, as per reports.

READ MORE: DWP crackdowns leave 1.6 million claimants of one key benefit £2,000 out of pocket

In response, local authorities have opted to serve a weaker beer at the 62,000-seat stadium during the Three Lions’ premier game. Instead of offering the 4.8 per cent alcohol Bitburger Premium, attendees will now be able to purchase a blend of lager and citrus soda known as ‘Radler-style’, which contains only 2.5 per cent alcohol. Additionally, there is a limit; fans can purchase no more than two pints of this beer at one time.

Bitburger, a renowned German brand, offers two lighter alternatives: the 2.8 per cent Bitburger Light and the 2.5 percent Radler lemonade shandy. It remains unclear which of these options will be made available.

Complicating matters further, UEFA has prohibited division among fans within the stadium, leading to mixed seating for rival supporters. Moreover, it has been reported that German police have identified plans by organized Serbia ultras groups to converge on the match targeting slightly intoxicated English fans.

Gelsenkirchen police spokesperson Stephan Knipp mentioned to The Sun: “It is just the England game which will have the low-strength beer. The other games at the stadium will have 4.8 per cent.”

It’s your call! Which country possesses the most formidable team at Euro 2024? Weigh in on the discussion in the comments section.

Additionally, a prohibition on alcohol consumption has recently been imposed on England supporters in the city, particularly at Heinrich-Konig-Platz, restricting drinking before the 8pm match commencement.

Mr Knipp elaborated further: “Fans are not permitted to consume alcoholic beverages at the city’s main square, Heinrich-Konig-Platz. An England fan found with beer in the square will be required to discard it or it will be confiscated. However, they will not be arrested on the spot. While the square will serve as a fan zone for other matches in the city, it is excluded for England matches. Fans are, however, allowed to consume alcohol at local bars and at a designated fan zone for England supporters located at the racecourse.”

Another police source mentioned to the newspaper that the beer available at the arena will have the same alcohol content as ‘Radler’ beer, a combination of beer and lemonade, akin to a shandy.

Previously, England fans have faced aggressive confrontations, notably in 2016 when organized Russian hooligan groups severely injured several English fans in Marseille, France. There were claims that these hooligans were state-backed.

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Summer is the ideal season for outdoor barbecues with delicious grilled dishes and fresh sides such as creamy potato salad, corn on the cob, and simple potato chips. The perfect pairing for these salty and savory treats is a refreshing cold drink, and for adults, a cold beer is often a favorite choice. However, choosing the right beer can be daunting for a busy host.

With hundreds of beer varieties worldwide, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. While it might be tempting to opt for a standard case of light beer, what if you or your guests prefer something with a bit more complexity? Felipe Diaz, Bar Manager and Somelier at Zingerman’s Roadhouse, shared some insights with Daily Meal about selecting the best beers for summer gatherings. Diaz emphasized that beer choice should focus less on matching the food and more on complementing the overall atmosphere of the event.

Read more: 26 Popular Vodka Brands, Ranked By Their Versatility

Felipe Diaz mentioned that understanding your guests’ preferences is crucial when selecting beer. For a group of gourmet food enthusiasts, Diaz might choose a beer that pairs well with the main dish, like a classic IPA such as Bell’s Two Hearted. IPAs, known for their hoppy and often bitter flavors, which might include notes of citrus, earth, and herbs, are refreshing choices for a summer barbecue. Not a fan of IPAs? Explore different types, like dry beers, which might suit your taste and enhance the event’s enjoyment.

On the other hand, sometimes you’re dealing with groups that are more laid-back and perhaps aren’t as familiar with specialty beers. “If the crowd is more casual,” Diaz says, “I’ll bring along an easygoing American lager, like Short’s Local’s Light Lager.” While you can go more upscale with a craft lgier, some of the most popular beers in America are in this style — take Miller High Life, a balanced beer with plenty of bubbles. Other crowd-pleasing beers include Corona, which is a smooth Mexican lager, or Heineken, which is a European-style lager.

Once you’ve selected the right beer for your barbecue, it’s time to think about the temperature, too. Most of us know that a beer that’s too warm can wind up tasting flat, and loses some of its hoppy flavor. At the same time, if you serve it too cold, you’ll mute some of the beer’s taste and aroma, as well. Typically, you’ll want to keep your beer between 33 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the type of brew you’re serving.

With hot summer temperatures, this range can be tough to maintain, but Felipe Diaz has a suggestion: “For keeping beer cold over a long period of time, I use science. Add some salt to your ice; it’ll lower the freezing point, which means your ice melts more slowly, and keeps your drinks colder for a longer period.” Beer left on ice can reach as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit, putting it right on the cusp of the ideal drinking temperature. It should warm up by at least one degree while your guests enjoy mingling with a bottle or can in hand.

Read the original article on The Daily Meal

The Plain Dealer’s front page coverage was extensive, spanning six columns with two headline decks, a format typically used for significant news stories and major events.

Take me out to the riot

Let us drink, drink, drink, for the home team,

If they don’t win, we’re to blame.

For it’s beer in a cup, at 10 cents a pop

At the old ball game.

CLEVELAND — Stories abounded last week here and elsewhere marking Tuesday’s 50th anniversary of the memorable 10-cent Beer Night at Municipal Stadium. Some of them cranked out the old saw speculating that, while the official attendance had been 25,134, in the retelling, the number of people who claimed they were there that night would total many times that.

Well, I was there, and I’ve got the bylines to prove it.

For some time, I had the uncanny ability to attend sports events that ended up having quite odd outcomes.

I happened to be at the Cleveland Browns Stadium during the incident famously known as “Bottlegate,” which took place on December 16, 2001, during a match against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That day, Cleveland fans famously threw a fit, launching plastic bottles at the officials and everyone nearby, resulting in a 20-minute delay with just about 40 seconds of the game left to play. expressing their disappointment.

I was also present at the old Municipal Stadium shortly before the notorious Beer Night. It was a regular game against Kansas City, but The Great Wallenda decided to walk a tightrope set up high above the infield before the game started. The umpires, perhaps jokingly, declared a new rule stating that if a ball hit the wire, it would count as a ground rule double. Remarkably, Vada Pinson hit the wire with what seemed like a normal infield pop-up, turning it into a double.

At another game, a vocal fan teased Albert Belle about his drinking issues with a shout, “Keg party at my house, Joey!” In response, Belle threw a baseball hitting the fan squarely in the chest, leaving an imprint of the ball’s stitches on him. Although I did not witness it firsthand, I wrote about the incident, commending Belle for his precision and hinting that the fan perhaps deserved it.

Returning to the eventful Beer Night – the scene was already set for chaos.

Only a week prior, the Cleveland Indians had clashed with Manager Billy Martin and his Texas Rangers in a fiery encounter in Texas. The renowned sports talk show host Pete Franklin had been stirring excitement for the Rangers’ upcoming visit to Cleveland. Although I worked as a sportswriter for the Lake County News-Herald, that night I was simply a fan, there with my brother and a college friend, ready to sip some lackluster 3.2% beer and watch the unfolding drama.

As expected by anyone familiar with the volatile combination of copious amounts of alcohol and intense sports rivalry, the result was utter chaos.

In the early stages, spectators behind the Rangers’ third-base dugout exchanged what seemed to be friendly jeers with Martin and his players. From my spot in the first row of the upper deck along the first-base line, the exchanges appeared harmless. At one point, Martin humorously waved a white towel as if to surrender.

Initially, the crowd was spirited yet manageable, but as more alcohol was consumed, the atmosphere deteriorated.

A woman unexpectedly kissed the home plate umpire, Nestor Chylak. Streakers appeared, and several attendees invaded the playing field, prompting security to intervene. Spectators began to hurl hot dogs and beer at the players.

By the middle innings, the scene near the Rangers’ dugout became hostile. People climbed onto the dugout roof, banging on it furiously, which angered Manager Martin. In a heated moment, he gathered gravel from the warning track and threw it at the fans behind the dugout, escalating the unrest.

The chaos intensified as fans started to throw objects other than food. I saw a man rush by with a disused beer bottle wedged in twin paper cups, hurling it a significant distance onto the playing field.

He went back for more ammo and the next time he came down, I threw out my arm to stop him and hit him in the chest. He was a big guy, and as he looked blearily at me, I thought the next thing to go over the side might be me. But he just headed a couple of sections away and threw more missiles toward the field.

I’ve seen it written that the Indians were charging toward a game-winning rally at the end. But from my memory, the Rangers had the game under control heading into the bottom of the ninth inning with a 5-3 lead, and it was the crazies who kick-started the comeback.

As bottles, chairs and anything else the fans could get their hands on rained down on the field, the Rangers pitcher got understandably rattled and the Indians tied the game at 5-5, before Chylak, the umpire crew chief, rightfully ended it with a forfeit.

I had my press pass with me, and as it became clear that things were going to end badly, I went over to the press box and offered to help Hank Kozloski, who was covering the game for the News-Herald. So I wound up doing stories from the umpires’ room and the visiting clubhouse. I saw longtime Plain Dealer baseball writer Paul Hoynes in there, then working for the Painesville Telegraph, who also started the night as a fan but quickly kicked into work mode, too.

I’ll never forget Chylak, a decorated veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, raging as blood ran down his temple from where he had been hit by a chair: “Those people were animals!” he said. “The last time I saw animals like that was in the zoo! The zoo!”

Martin, in the post-game locker room, was in barely controlled fury, describing why he grabbed a bat and led his team out to rescue his right fielder, Jeff Burroughs, who was being surrounded by fans:

“You’re damn right I thought somebody was going to be very badly hurt, that’s why we went out after Jeff.”

Then, as I wrote for the next day’s paper, Martin poured himself a mug of beer and studied the innocent-looking white foam that started it all: “It’s a sad day when a bunch of drunks can run on the field and make a team win or lose,” he said. “It looks like the fans just can’t handle beer night. It’s a real shame.”

A unique story that I haven’t encountered elsewhere is told by former Indians catcher Duke Sims, who recounted an evening out with his Texas teammates, Joe Lovitto and Rich Billings. They ventured into town the previous night.

During their exploration, they encountered a young woman who professed to be a witch and foretold their deaths the next night.

“We all laughed at her,” recounted a perturbed Lovitto after the eventful night. “But after tonight, maybe I’ll take people more seriously if they tell me they’re a witch. It seems she was somewhat right, wasn’t she?”

Ted Diadiun is part of the editorial board at cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.

To reach Ted Diadiun: tdiadiun@cleveland.com

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The 10th Annual Beer Fest occurred in REO Town on Saturday, featuring over 20 Michigan breweries and hundreds of beers and ciders.

The formula for crafting Pete’s Wicked Pale Ale was straightforward:

Begin with 30 kilograms of Rahr pale ale malt.

Incorporate three kilograms of Carared malt.

Introduce a vial of yeast.

Ditto, bags of Cascade and Centennial hop pellets.

Stir well with the can-do spirit and crack brewing chops of Guilherme Hoffman.

“It’s just chemistry,” said Hoffman, Novo Brazil’s brewmaster, trying to calm my brewing concerns. “You can do anything you want — there’s no can’t.”

After accepting Novo Brazil’s invitation to brew a beer at its Mission Valley brewpub, I began to have doubts. Having covered this topic for 29 years, I’ve learned a bit about beer. Namely: I’m a writer, not a brewer.

Hoffman has proven his expertise in brewing, achieving recognition through various national awards in Brazil before moving to San Diego in 2021. He soon became the lead brewer at Novo Brazil, a distinguished brewery in Chula Vista known for blending Brazilian vibrancy with the laid-back Southern California style.

Tonight at 6 p.m., our newest creation will be available at Novo Brazil’s Mission Valley location. We invite you to taste and pass judgment: should we keep it or not?

The first feedback has been positive.

“It’s good,” Hoffman remarked. “It’s really good.”

Novo Brazil is at 1640 Camino del Rio N., Suite 341, San­Diego.

Long ago, I stopped trying to judge the intimate relationships of others. Are their joyful exteriors genuine or do they mask interior sorrows? Not for me to say.

By all appearances, though, Sapporo and Stone — hitched in June 2022, when Japan’s oldest brewery acquired San Diego County’s largest craft brewery — are enjoying a prolonged honeymoon.

Sapporo-Stone Brewing, as the company is now known, recently held an open house/press conference/lovefest at the Escondido brewery.

“We are thrilled to carry forward Stone’s legacy and we are committed as a full team to the Sapporo brand,” expressed Hiro Kitaoka, the chairman. “Together, we are stronger and take pride in our expansion as a San Diego enterprise.”

Over the recent two years, Sapporo has allocated $20 million into enhancing the Escondido location, and an additional $40 million into upgrading the Stone facility in Richmond, Virginia.

Defying the current downturn in beer sales, both the Stone and Sapporo brands have seen an impressive growth of over 13 percent in 2023. This year, the company is projected to produce 700,000 barrels, each being 31 gallons, with an equal production split between the Sapporo and Stone brands.

Among the visitors of the Escondido brewery was Steve Wagner, a retired co-founder. He observed the large operational brewing and packaging facilities, buzzing with activity, in what is known as the nation’s 12th largest brewery.

Was this his goal when he and his partner, Greg Koch, opened Stone in 1996?

He shook his head. “My goal was just to make great beer,” he said.

Sunday: Some books inspire reflection; Johanna Flashman’s “Beer Hiking Southern California” inspires strolls and sips. At 9 a.m., she and the Earth Discovery Institute will lead a 1.6-mile hike below Mother Miguel Mountain, followed by a hydration stop at Chula Vista Brewery. Mother Miguel Mountain Trailhead: 2345 Paseo Los Gatos, Chula Vista. Chula Vista Brewery: 871 District Place, Suite 102, Chula Vista. Register at earthdiscovery.org

Thursday: Hops on the Fairway, the 10th annual San Diego Brewers Guild golf tournament, tees off 10 a.m. at The Links at Lakehouse, San Marcos. Entry fees, $200 on up, include reception, tournament and dinner; proceeds benefit the Guild. 10 a.m. June 13. The Links, 1750 San Pablo Drive, San Marcos. Register at sdbeer.com.

Clara

From: Puesto, San Diego

ABV (Alcohol By Volume): 4.7 percent

Style: Mexican Lager

Drink or dump: Drink. Doug Hasker, Puesto’s brewmaster, is celebrated as San Diego’s lager expert, and Clara is a testament to his expertise. This beer is light and refreshing, characterized by its lively carbonation and a solid malty backbone. The hops are subtle, becoming more apparent towards the end, where they contribute a gentle yet persistent bitterness.

Sapporo Premium Beer

From: Sapporo-Stone, Escondido

ABV: 4.9 percent

Style: Japanese Lager

Drink or dump: Drink. The signature beer from Japan’s Sapporo, now produced in the Stone’s Escondido facility. It features a light body, a subtle yet persistent herbal hop flavor, gently sweet malts, and lively carbonation.

Japanese Lager

From: Harland Brewing, San Diego

ABV: 5 percent

Style: Japanese Lager

Drink or dump: Drink. Step aside, Miller Lite. Offering a less filling, yet great tasting experience and the distinction of being a craft beer, Harland’s Japanese Lager serves as an excellent refreshment for summer days. It incorporates both Puffed Jasmine rice and toasted rice flakes, imparting a distinctive, crisp, and light flavor.

Rowe is a freelance writer.