BOULDER, CO –May 5, 2012—Brewers from around the world received awards from an elite international panel of judges in the 2012 Brewers Association World Beer Cup. The ninth bi-annual competition boasted the strongest field of entrants on record, with 799 breweries from 54 countries and 45 U.S. states entering 3,921 beers in 95 beer style categories. A 17.7 percent increase over 2010, the entries were eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards in their respective categories. Judges presented a total of 284 awards.

“It’s called ‘The Olympics of Beer Competition’ for good reason,” said Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association, the U.S.-based trade association that has put on the competition every two years since 1996. “The event brings together great brewers from all corners of the globe. Plus, the awards are highly regarded. A brewer who wins a World Beer Cup gold award knows that their winning beer represents the best of that beer style in the world. Congratulations to all the winners of the 2012 World Beer Cup. The Brewers Association and the proud sponsors of our event thank all participating brewers for their involvement.”

Says Imperial Beverage’s VP of Sales and Marketing Larry Cekola, “This is a huge deal for Imperial.  As the exclusive distributor of Plank’s products in the state of Michigan, we couldn’t be more excited at our partnership.” He continues, “We’ve long-known that this 19^th generation brewery was something really special.  Their products are benchmarks for style and quality in the beer world.  Now, the rest of the world knows, too!”

The 2012 judging panel was the largest and most international in the history of the World Beer Cup. Judges from 27 countries conducted blind tasting evaluations of the beers to determine the winners. Drawn from the ranks of professional brewers and brewing industry experts, these 211 judges came mostly from international breweries, with some 67 percent from outside the U.S. In addition to the judging panel, over 250 volunteers helped sort beer entries and steward the competition.

The judging criteria are exacting. Some categories are not given the full slate of awards if the panel decides that the entries do not merit recognition.  Champion Brewery and Champion Brewmaster awards are given in each of five brewery categories based on the awards won by each brewery in the given size category.

Baurerei Michael Plank was awarded the Champion Brewery in the Small Brewing Company Category, and Gold Awards for their beers Dark Wheat Ale and Weizenbock.  These are the highest possible awards to be obtained in the Brewing Industry.

The complete list of award winners is available for download at www.worldbeercup.org.

The vineyards of Viña La Playa occupy some of the Colchagua Valley’s most desirable acreage, on the western shores of Chile’s Tinguiririca River. With near-perfect growing conditions, Colchagua has been described as “The Next Napa” (Wine Enthusiast, March 2002) as “arguably Chile’s premier opportunity for world-class wine production” (Wine Spectator, April 30, 2002), and as “2005 Wine Region of the Year,” yielding “some of the most compelling wines in the world” (Wine Enthusiast, 2005).

La Playa also produces stellar wines from its Limarí Valley vineyards, along the Limarí River.

In fact, the rivers and their fertile soils are just one of the secrets behind La Playa’s premium wines from Chile, and their signature character that year-in and year-out wins them top ratings from international critics.

La Playa means “the beach” in Spanish, and the ocean is equally important to cultivating Viña La Playa’s distinctive grapes. Colchagua boasts brilliant sunlight and high daytime temperatures during the growing season, while Limarí lies along the south border of the searing hot Atacama desert, the driest place on earth. Despite the morning mist and dense coastal fog – known as camanchaca – water is scarce. Yet both vineyards benefit from a strong coastal influence, with constantly cooling ocean winds.

As a salute to the nourishing effect of these waters, La Playa’s new packaging celebrates nature. The Block Selection Reserve labels showcase the flowing river and ocean currents, while the Estate Series labels illustrate the breezes carried on the clouds against a backdrop of mountain ranges.

One taste of La Playa’s wines, and the significance of origin is clear. High daytime and low nighttime temperature variations bring concentrated color, aroma and flavor to the grapes, while rich sedimentary soil joins with sandy river banks and an exceptionally long growing season for ideal terroirs. Grapes are planted where they thrive the best; rich sedimentary soil plus alluvial clay soils over unique limestone bed offer excellent drainage and minerals, promoting crisp natural acidity and outstanding development of the trademark La Playa style.

Today, La Playa is a leader in Chile’s burgeoning wine industry, recognized for international flavor and premium quality at a remarkably low price. Currently La Playa is distributed in more than 20 countries in North and South America, Europe, and Asia.

Featured during the 2012 Boston Wine Expo and already receiving accolades from the Wine Enthusiast, the Greek  wines are worth a second glance, and certainly a menu or feature placement.  Ask to taste these terrific selections!

Agiorgitiko – 
A rich, fruity, and velvety deep red wine, designed to seduce the senses and accompany happy moments.

Savatiano
 – One of the most important of indigenous varietals of Greece, the Savatiano is floral, lively, crisp and fresh white wine. 89 points, Wine Enthusiast

Develop an original cocktail recipe, using New Age White or New Age Rose as the featured ingredient. At just 120 calories per 5oz pour, you can afford to attempt all sorts of cocktails, low cal  or “skinny”options, or decadent, luscious, and luxuriant ones. Try it on you patrons and friends!

Submit your original New Age recipe (using the links found online at www.imperialbeverage.com) until June 1, 2012. Then, on June 15, 2012, a single recipe submission will be chosen to be featured by New Age on their website and printed materials for the remainder of the summer. Your cocktail recipe, along with you (and even your establishment, if you are affiliated with the industry) could be chosen to be part of a select recipe campaign created by New Age.

For blending ideas, along with already established recipes for inspiration,
visit www.quintessentialwines.com. Official Rule and tips for submissions can be found online at www.imperialbeverage.com.

Submit your Recipe Now: newagecontest@imperialbeverage.com

 Defying the usual parameters of the relationship between brewer and distributor is precisely what Short’s Brewing Company and Imperial Beverage are doing. The brewer/distributor relationship is often affected by production pressures and greater demand than can prove realistic for small breweries. Since 2004, when the two companies first began their relationship, they have been working in harmony and achieving shared success.

This affiliation began on the very simple understanding that Short’s would brew as much as they could, and Imperial would, of course, sell it. In the beginning, it started off rather small, with just a few kegs every week. Presently, it is far more than that, at an ever-increasing number of trucks each week. In fact, both companies have recently announced improvements to infrastructure and production, further underscoring their successful partnership.

Short’s has big plans for expansion. They intend to upgrade their current facility in order to double their production capacity (notable growth for such a small startup company from Bellaire, Michigan). Their beer production in 2004 was 178 barrels. Expansions allowed for 2000 barrels in 2008. Both the companies attribute this business growth and development in great part to their partnership.  Recently Imperial Beverage has purchased a 605,000 sq. feet warehouse in Kalamazoo. This will create room for the added production that Short’s is generating, as well as offer Imperial room for expansion levels expected in the next 10 years.

Short’s Brewing has made outstanding progress in the growing Michigan craft beer industry. Between 2009 and 2010, Michigan Craft beer industry grew by 21 percent, and went from $11.2 MM in 2007 to $22 in 2010. When they first opened their doors, Short’s claimed that “beer was the mission, and liberation was the movement.” Short’s staffer, “Beer Liberator” Jon Wojtowicz, had this to say, “Our company has experienced exponential growth in half as much time has most companies of our size and age. Imperial Beverage has not only been able to keep up with our rapid pace of expansion, but has also been able to expand with us during this incredibly short amount of time. Efficiently supplying long-time supporters with our ever expanding product portfolio, increasing volumes for those who have been anxious for more, and forging new territories doubling and tripling our overall number of accounts.”

Short’s Brewing Company and Imperial Beverage have shined a light on what a company like Short’s can achieve by working well with their distributor.

California’s grapegrowers finally have something to cheer about: grape prices are going up. After nearly three years of sluggish sales and an oversupply of wine, vintners have cleared their cellars of older vintages and are looking to increase their grape purchases. But two small harvests and an absence of new plantings mean they are competing for a smaller amount of fruit. That demand is pushing up grape prices and bulk wine prices. “If you’re buying wine on the bulk market, or you’re a négociant, your costs are going to go up,” said Adam Lee of Siduri and Novy Family wines.

On average, the price of all California grape types rose in 2011. The average cost of red grapes increased 12% per ton while white grapes jumped by 8% compared to 2010, according to a preliminary report on the 2011 grape crush by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

At the height of the recession, California’s wine industry faced an excess of wine. Sales of bottles priced at $20 and above slumped as consumers traded down to cheaper brands. Winery cellars backed up with unsold wines as restaurants and retailers tried to move existing inventory. Over the past year, however, Americans consumed more wine and reached for more expensive bottles. Impact Databank reported that sales increased in volume by 1.7% in 2011. With cellars now empty, wineries are scrambling to buy grapes. “For the first time in three years most varietals across California are in demand,” said Brian Clements, vice president of California wine brokerage firm Turrentine.

Some of California’s largest producers are flexing their financial muscle to secure access to fruit. Winery giant E. & J. Gallo has signed long-term contracts with grape growers for 90,000 acres and announced that it plans to add 10,000 more, mainly in the Central Valley, over the next year. “With our forecasts for projected growth in the wine business, we are and will continue to make major long-term financial commitments to the California wine industry,” E. & J. Gallo president and CEO Joe Gallo told Wine Spectator.

A pair of challenging vintages is adding to the pressure to find good grapes at good prices. California’s winegrape harvest declined by roughly 9% in 2011, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and was also down in 2010 (although the last two harvests still ranked among the largest in California history). Another issue facing wineries is that the number of new vineyards being planted has slowed since 2006. “No one is planting right now,” said Ed Sbragia of Sbragia Family Vineyards.

With analysts predicting that California’s shortages could last for several years, wineries will have to consider their options carefully. Grape prices could stay high because of demand even if the state sees a large harvest in 2012. “If we had a bumper crop this year, it would be absorbed no problem,” said Clements. “Across the board there are more buyers than sellers.”

As of December 1, 2011, US Barley stocks totaled 134 million bushels, down 26% from the year before.  These numbers reflect the tightening supply of barley following one of the smallest harvests on record.  Oregon stocks are way down from 2010, but the Pacific Northwest bucked the trend with a small increase.

December 2010        December 2011            Change
Oregon                        1.8MM bushels        997,000 bushels        -45%
Pacific Northwest    42 MM bushels        43 MM bushels            + 2%
USA                                180 MM bushels    134 MM bushels        -26%

Across the nation, some 78 million bushels of barley were held off farm in places like warehouses, elevators, mills and processors.  That’s a decrease of 12% from the year before.  On farm stocks totals 55 million bushels, down 40% from 2010.

2011 was the year of big changes for barley.  A long time top producer in America, North Dakota dropped into third place as farmers in the state planted 320,000 fewer acres than they did in 2010.  Idaho moved in to the #1 spot and Montana came in second.  Oregon’s barely acreage fell 20%.

Arizona, Delaware and Virginia saw major increases in barley production last year, though they’re still a small part of the overall total.  Utah was down 25% and Wisconsin dropped a whopping 50%.

Barley Headlines
Canada: Federal scientists discovered a “super weed” growing in three fields in southern Alberta.  Officially known as kochia, the weed has developed a resistance to Roundup, the top selling herbicide in the world.  Grain farmers in the area now face higher weed control costs and lower yields.  Roundup resistant kochia has also been found in Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska.

North Dakota: Rising barley prices may convince farmers in the state to plant more barley next year.  Production fell 62% in 2011, largely due to wet and cold conditions in the spring.  A study by the North Dakota State University Extension Service says barley is expected to be one of the most profitable crops to grow in 2012.  But a member of the North Dakota barley council says it may not be so simple.  Many farmers felt burned with their crops failed to meet malting grades and had to be sold at lower feed barley prices.

Ireland: These days when the farmer takes a wife, he’s more likely to insist on a prenuptial agreement.  An increasing number of farms, many of which have been in the same family for generations, are being sold off to pay for divorce settlements.  A prenup might prevent that from happening, but in Ireland that can’t always be enforced.  The Irish Farmers’’ Association wants the government to give pre-nuptial agreements full legal status so that families doesn’t lose their land due to divorce.

February 28, 2012–Unless you are entirely new to the wine industry, then you are quite aware that Moscato is on fire. But those words don’t really mean anything unless you dig deep into the trend and take a look at the numbers. You may think that Moscato is a small category but it’s not . It is the fourth largest white wine varietal in terms of dollar sales in the 13-weeks ending February 4 behind Chardonnay ($539.2 million), Pinot Grigio ($212.8 million) and Sauvignon Blanc ($112.2 million), based on Nielsen scans. But it is nipping at Sauvignon Blanc’s heels with over eight times the growth. Moscato is just slightly behind Sauvignon Blanc with net sales of $111.16 million, but sales climbed a whopping +54.6%, while Sauvignon Blanc grew only +6.7%. Moscato also far outgrew Chardonnay (+0.7%) and Pinot Grigio (+5.1%), but has a ways to go before catching up with those varietals.

In terms of volume, Moscato is the third largest category at over 1.5 million cases behind Chardonnay (6.9 million cases) and Pinot Grigio (2.65 million). Sauvignon Blanc comes in fourth at 1.1 million cases. As with dollar sales, Moscato’s volumes are the fastest growing, up +53.7%. Chardonnay, meanwhile, declined -0.2%, while Pinot Grigio grew +8.2% and Sauvignon Blanc grew +3.9%.

“I think Moscato is absolutely eating up the category. It’s destined right now to be the third largest white wine. At current trends it would overtake Sauvignon Blanc by value. It has already overtaken it by volume. So it has still a ways to go before it is the size of Pinot Grigio, but it is certainly growing way ahead of the category,” Stephen Brauer, managing director of Beringer for Treasury Wine Estates, told WSD.

Moscato was the biggest share gainer by far among varietals, taking +1.4 dollar share points and +1.5 volume share points. That in turn is benefitting the total white wine category, which is taking share away from red wine despite the growing popularity of red blends. Case in point: white wine took +0.7 dollar share points in the 13-weeks, while red wine lost -0.1 share points and blush lost -0.6 points. In terms of volume, white wine gained even more share – +1.1 points.

With trends that big wineries are of course trying to get in on the action. Brands that have recently added a Moscato extension is too long to list in entirety, but Rex Goliath, Beringer, Lindeman’s, Yellow Tail, Barefoot, Sutter Home, Menage a Trois, Robert Mondavi, Flip Flop, Cupcake, St. Supery and Woodbridge are just a few. Moscato alone has helped to turnaround a number of those brands, including Beringer, Yellow Tail and Lindeman’s.

THE “WHY” FACTOR: So now you have the facts on just how big Moscato is, but why is it growing? The experts say that it’s new drinkers – both millennials and older generations – coming into the category looking for easy-to-drink, sweeter wines. It also looks as though White Zinfandel and Riesling is losing consumers to Moscato . The White Zinfandel category has been suffering for several years now, and perhaps the emergence of Moscato has heightened its decline. White Zinfandel sales fell -9.9%, while volumes declined -8.2% in the 13-weeks.

But don’t forget that there was a period in the not-so-distant past that Riesling was doing pretty well. However, that’s not the case anymore. Dollar sales of Riesling declined -7.3% in the 13-weeks, losing -0.3 share points. Volumes fell -8.3%, losing -0.2 share points.

Besides Moscato’s obvious popularity, pricing is likely a factor as well. Sauvignon Blanc raised average prices by +23 cents to $8.43 a bottle. Riesling is also more expensive, with average prices up +9 cents to $7.95. Moscato, meanwhile, tends to sell at a lower price, with average prices up +3 cents to $6.02.

Still, Moscato isn’t posting this level of growth just because of pricing. “Riesling does seem to be softening, both in volume and value. It sort of makes sense because Moscato is chillable, it’s sweet, it’s delicious and it provides much of the same sensory satisfaction that, say, Riesling does for entry-level consumers,” said Stephen. “But [Moscato] has got that hip factor . It’s a cool varietal, and it’s delicious…. It’s just easy to drink, and I think that is exactly why consumers are buying more and more of it.”

That’s why we’re seeing a mad rush by California growers to meet this huge demand. Moscato starting picking up about 3 years ago, and just look at how much it has grown in that short time. It “could be a leading indicator of what is to come,” Jon Fredrikson’s (of Gomgerg, Fredrikson & Associates) recently said. “There is a big portion of the population who doesn’t like sour wines.” So it will be interesting to see how Moscato changes the wine category in the next few years.

“I think it’s definitely something that may become important to people, particularly when new ways to analyze the data are developed,” said Jason Spaulding of Brewery Vivant.  In the six months the brewery was part of the program, the smart meter raised awareness of energy usage in their facility.  The microbrewery and restaurant in East Hills opened just over a year ago, and with a capacity to brew about 5.000 barrels of beer annually, Brewery Vivant also operates a packaging line that fills 16 ounce cans with its specialty brews.

“The biggest thing we found was when our brewing schedule overlaps a busy day in the restaurants, t creates big energy spikes.” Spaulding said.  “So now we schedule brewing and packaging days for slower days at the restaurant.” Spaulding conceded that Brewery Vivant didn’t get a change to change its behavior based on energy us much, because it was involved in the test for only six months and he was busy launching new businesses.  But he believes that this tool will dramatically benefit small business.

Article contributed by IB staff writer Matthew J. Scott

Food is art.  At Imperial Beverage, we couldn’t agree more! Through exploration, this art is constantly transforming, as food lovers everywhere are continuously looking for new ways to blend ingredients and discover new tastes. Historically, the best way to accent a meal has been to pair the dish with a complementary beverage. Until recently, that pairing of choice was always wine, but in the midst of the craft beer movement a shift is occurring.  No matter your choice, the following offers a guide for pairing your favorite foods with a delicious, complimentary beverage.

When pairing wine or beer with food the possibilities are vast and everyone’s palate is different. However, we submit the following suggestions:

• Don’t overpower a light meal with a strong libation or vice versa. (match strength with strength)
• Acidic wine pairs well with acidic food.
• Try to match characteristics such as a similar scent or a smoky flavor. (find harmonies)
• Contrast or compliment, don’t settle in-between.
• Match origins, they have been drinking those beverages with that food for centuries for a reason.
• Tannic wines pair well with fatty dishes.
• When pairing beers with food, study the seasonality of the ingredients of each.  Stick to a single season.
• Consider sweetness, bitterness, carbonation, heat, richness, and texture. There are more elements at play than strictly taste.

The following websites may further your understanding of the pairing process.

Wine Beer

Pairing with Wine

Food and wine should stay balanced, but this doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with it. Rather than matching flavors, try to contrast flavors as to counteract one another and create contradicting harmony. For example, think of a sauce such as mango habanero. Although the flavors are wildly different, the outcome is well balanced and very interesting. This same concept can work with wine, a spicy dish with a sweeter wine, or a dessert with a bold Port.

Pairing with Beer

Wine can definitely make a meal, but if you are looking for complete customization, craft beer is a choice option. Though there are plenty of grape varietals and blends out there, the endless possibilities of unique and even wacky craft beers opens up the door for some really specific, sometimes off the wall pairing options.

When pairing beer with food it is important to have fun, experiment, and realize people like what they like. If someone hates porters it doesn’t matter how well it is matched, it will not be appreciated.

Whether to pair with wine or beer is a labyrinth of thoughts that can leave you baffled. The best way to go is work with what you have and again it all depends on preference. If you’re interested in a true challenge, why not try both a craft beer and wine pairing with a dish and decide for yourself which you prefer.

Can’t decide? Here is yet another reference.

Although this querry of wine versus beer will never be resolved, it creates a great opportunity to use the debate to stir things up. A new craze in the world of fine dining is wine vs. beer dinners. These pre-planned displays of culinary expertise provide several courses that are paired with both a hand selected wine and beer that they feel best compliments the dish. The customers are then asked to decide which beverage they prefer and a tally is kept throughout the night. Simply enough, the beverage with the most votes wins.

Ask this writer, and I’d say everyone wins, gourmet food paired with exceptional wine and craft beer. Sign me up! Imperial Beverage has teamed up with many restaurants around the mitten recently to make this happen, and the outcome is nothing short of success.

Using Beer and Wine as Ingredients to enhance the Pairing

Cooking with beer and wine can add another element to food that takes it from superb to stellar. Both beer and wine can be used in sauces, as baste, a marinade, an injection, a reduction sauce, or simply poured overtop a dish. When cooking with beer or wine choose carefully and understand the characteristics of the beverage are going to change due to the cooking process. Be careful when using hoppy bitter beers such as IPA’s when cooking because it brings out the bitterness while undermining the malts, and can result in an overly bitter and unpleasant result. This same affect can occur with the smokiness of porters and the creaminess of Belgian style ales.

Examples of cooking with beer

Now that the road is paved, use this information to come up with your own unique pairings or dishes prepared with beer and wine and feel free to share them with us here at Imperial Beverage!  We always love your feedback and comments on our blog entries.  Speak up!

ADDED TO POST: 2.22.12
Just found: a fun video featuring Wolfgang Puck on this topic.  Check it out!