Brew News: Look for More Pilsners and Lagers in 2017

A senior sets lofty goals, spent grains being put to good use, what to expect in 2017, Canadians get a beer ombudsman and Brits are crying into their pints. Read on for all the craft beer news fit for print.

Amherst, Mass.: It’s good to have goals

Each year 66-year-old Tim Kliegl sets a challenge for himself. It’s kind of like a New Year’s resolution, only Kliegl’s resolutions are usually more challenging than, say, pledging to make your bed every morning. Last December on his 65th birthday, the Amherst resident decided to run at least one mile and drink one new beer every day for a year. Kliegl outdid himself in the mileage department, logging 1,950 miles and kept track of his beers using the Untappd app. The retired UPS worker didn’t pick up running until he was 50, but has since completed 57 marathons including 11 finishes at the Boston Marathon. No word on what Kliegl’s next challenge will be though he told the Daily Hampshire Gazette that, “I’m trying to think of something that won’t kill me for 67.”

Cincinnati: Spent grains going to the dogs

A non-profit in Ohio has developed an idea that recycles spent grains, provides opportunities for disadvantaged youth and will make your furry friend very happy. Brewhause Dog Treats provides “vocational training for young adults with disabilities” while creating “oven baked dog treats made from whole grains proudly sourced from local microbreweries.” The company was founded in 2014 by Lisa Graham and now utilizes two commercial kitchens located in area schools to produce the treats. Graham told WCPO Cincinnati, “Being the parent of a child with a disability…I have always been searching or thinking what could I figure out that might be a good employment model or a good way to help teach a skill set.” Participating breweries include Rhinegeist Brewery, Nine Giant Brewing, Wooden Cask Brewing Co. and several others.

National: What to look for in 2017

Brewers Association chief economist, Bart Watson, laid out what craft beer style trends we might expect to see in 2017. To do so he reviewed 2016 trends, in particular the continued growth in IPAs. The style comprises a wide range of subcategories, but taken as a whole and if considered as a single “brand,” IPA would be the eighth largest by dollar sales. The popularity of the style has caused some of the world’s largest brewers to shift resources to supporting or developing their own IPAs. By looking at several models in an attempt to identify areas of possible growth, Watson posits that there could be room for craft brewers to make up ground in styles traditionally dominated by those same macro brewers i.e. golden/blonde ales, pilsners and pale lagers. “To continue to compete in the beer aisle, craft brewers will need to get better and grow in the big brewer spaces,” explains Watson. “Golden ales, pilsners, and other pale lagers are all a step in that direction.”

Ontario: Canada has first beer czar

Still not sure what you want to be when you grow up? How does beer ombudsman sound? The Beer Store in Ontario has just appointed Charles Dougall to fill the newly created position. The Beer Store has more than 470 outlets across the province and was originally owned by a consortium of Ontario-based brewers when it was set up in 1927 as Brewers’ Retail, but is now owned by Molson-Coors of the United States, AB InBev of Belgium and Sapporo of Japan. The Ontario government asked the company to create the position when grocery stores were granted license to sell beer in 2015. The position “will be responsible for mediating operational disputes between the Beer Store, its customers and brewers.”

London: A bitter pint to swallow

The price of a pint is going up in pubs across London and British tipplers are not happy. A new city tax hike taking effect in 2017 will increase the price of a pint by more than 40% in some pubs. The price hike will bring the average cost of a pint up from $4 to $6 in central London. The rise in price could also impact drinking establishments if regulars opt to stay home drinking less expensive beer bought from the grocery store. According to the Campaign for Real Ale, England is losing pubs at a staggering rate of 27 per week and in London around 500 close each year. CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, Brigid Simmonds, is working to lower the beer tax rate and add rebates on business taxes for pubs. “Independent pubs are going to find it difficult,” she told USA Today. “Pubs are important to local communities. We think pubs should be treated differently.”