|
6th February,
2010.........We've just produced a few kegs of
“dark wheat beer”, our Spezial Weissbier Dunkel.
I'm not hiding the fact that this is a brewery blend (not 50/50) of our
Dunkel dark lager and our Weissbier. Considering that quite a few well
known international dark beers are a blend of a different kind, that being
dark extract added to their regular pale beer, I don't feel uncomfortable
with this process. It addresses a problem with some bars wanting to put on
a dark beer for the winter months but not wanting to takes our Weissbier
off tap. What has happened so far at The Victory Cafe and Caffe Volo is that the
dark version is being poured alongside the Weissbier, giving you the
choice, so you don't miss out on anything.
26th January, 2010
Our Dunkel Dark Lager is foremost
in a lot of people’s minds, and it’s not just because it’s cold out
there. It’s really nicely aged and
now Sarah’s Café on Danforth has recently put it on tap.
26th November, 2009
We’ve added seven stores. See the full list and inventory here.
(On small screens, be sure to scroll down below the opening text and
LCBO photo; there is no need to enter anything)
25th November, 2009
Why 473 ml cans?
We have chosen to package our
beer in tall 473ml cans. Those that
know of my virtual obsession with wanting to use the 500ml European style
bottle will perhaps wonder……..why the change?
It was a long but, we believe,
well-reasoned change that took place during the summer. Our beer had actually been approved by
the LCBO for sale in the 500ml bottle, but a closer look revealed that this
might not actually be a sensible way to go.
The main reasons were the very high cost of the bottle and environmental
considerations.
For those who are interested in
more detail, please go to my posting dated 21st September, under
“473ml can vs. 500ml bottle”. Let’s
face it; the first person that I had to convince was myself!
Nevertheless, for those who remain
very keen on the 500ml bottle, be assured that there will be a time
when we release the beer in this form too.
It just could not have been justified as our primary, introductory
package.
5th November, 2009
We packaged a couple of thousand
or more cans today of Weissbier that’s tasting great (and I promise will
remain that way). I will be delivering to as many key stores as I can
tomorrow (Friday), a few on Saturday, and then we should have restocked
those that had ordered earlier last month by mid week. It’s a good feeling!
The list of stores that will have
our beer sometime on Friday, 6th November is posted at the
beginning of this webpage (at time of writing – Ed.). From that point on I encourage you to do
a Product Search on lcbo.com, type in #132480, select the town or city of
your choice, or FIND STORES and you will then be able to see not only
availability, but also current inventory.
You may also see this HERE.
(On small screens, be sure to scroll down below the opening text and
LCBO photo; there is no need to enter anything)
13th October, 2009
As many of you may have found out,
we had some problems (understatement) with the introduction of our
Weissbier into the liquor stores.
Those who are wondering what I am talking about, and were happy with the beer probably bought it early on at
stores where it had been refrigerated since delivery. To be fair to the LCBO, refrigeration is
desirable but not absolutely necessary.
We are having our remaining stock pulled of the shelves, disposed of
and it will be replaced with good, hopefully great, beer in about 4 weeks,
probably at the end of the first week of November.
Here is an excerpt from a letter
that I sent today to the LCBO. As
you can see from the final paragraph, I’ve had some other things to deal
with at the same time:
I am writing to inform you of a problem
with our beer (that thankfully is only taste related) and to ask what the
recommended procedure is at the LCBO. I've initiated steps to resolve
this at our end over the weekend, but am ready to discuss this over the
phone or to meet with you at any time today if necessary.
While the Weissbier started to move
fairly quickly as soon as it arrived at stores just over a week ago, I got
some disturbing reports of some customers finding the beer sour mid way
through the week. A check on stocks at the brewery did not show the
same characteristic. In fact, I had also received a number of
compliments from people, particularly those who had been long-term fans.
However, after going out and purchasing some cans from the same store
from which the soured product was purchased, it was confirmed that there
was indeed a problem. By Friday it was evident that beer that had
been stored and/or displayed unrefrigerated was
showing early signs of microbiological instability. Lab results which
had not shown there to be any problem up to that point, confirmed this that
day.
I am obviously extremely upset that
this should occur during an introduction of this kind. In the past, I
have successfully stored our Weissbier in warm conditions for over a year.
Over the weekend, I started informing
those stores that I knew had accepted large orders, and were storing or
displaying it unrefrigerated, to set aside cases
that were outside the cooler for pick up by us this week. I also have
ordered up new batches of yeast, but it will be about four weeks
before good replacement stocks of Weissbier will be available. This
is because a truck carrying over half of our production had a mishap on the
road a week ago causing over 25% of our cans to become dented and unsaleable. This means that our remaining
inventory, which I might consider releasing in these circumstances if it
were kept constantly refrigerated is not available.
21st September, 2009
“473ml can vs. 500ml European
bottle”
Here is the background to the
decision to use the aluminium can, excerpted from a communication to the
LCBO earlier in the summer:
The Short Answer
As you know, we have chosen to change the package type for
this beer from the European "NRW" 500 ml bottle to a 473 ml can.
Because of a closer look at profitability during March and April, it
was determined that there is insufficient margin in the bottle when faced
with retail pricing constraints and the added costs of producing this
package under contract.
At the same time, it has been realised that there are
substantial environmental considerations that make it less appealing to
have the bottle as the introductory package.
Moving to the can meant that graphics had to be modified but
more importantly an arrangement had to be struck with a different brewer
(who has had canning facilities installed during May).
In terms of timing, we expect to have the new graphics
available for approval by the LCBO within one to two weeks, then beer will be available for packaging, along with
the cans produced within four weeks from receiving approval. At the
same time we expect to have completed the details of an agreement with the
brewer. Therefore finished product should be available within 5 to 7
weeks……
……..I hope that this schedule is acceptable to the LCBO as an
interested purchaser. We believe that the wait will be worthwhile and
that the beer will be a strong seller, not just in the summer season.
In more detail..........
Economics - When
one makes a change in direction in a project that has been on the burner
for six years, a more detailed explanation may be expected by some.
In 2003, quotes on bringing the 500 ml NRW (as in Weihenstephan,
Paulaner) bottle over to Canada showed that the
package was viable, subject to closer scrutiny. Detailed costing was
not performed because the beer was simply not available due to production
constraints and its popularity in draught form. Early this year, in
conjunction with the LCBO submission, detailed costing showed that the cost
of the bottle had increased over 50% and that it could not be run on the
line at the brewery which is currently brewing under contract without
considerable expense. In terms of retail pricing, it was determined
that $2.95 to $3 would have to be the minimum for an acceptable margin.
In view of the fact that there are so many offerings at the
LCBO from Europe often in
the same category at similar price, or lower, it was felt that there would
be resistance from the consumer to pay the same for a beer produced
locally. This is even more apparent when the comparison is made with
European beers in the can, some of
which retail for less than $2.50.
Environment - My own
career started as Energy and Environmental Engineer with Molson in 1976, so
I have professional as well as personal reasons for taking the environment
and resources seriously. A lot has happened since then, even since
2003, in terms of environmental awareness. In terms of the consumer,
it doesn't always matter whether the issues are real or perceived.
In a world where university campuses are banning bottled water sales, and many restaurants are now refusing to sell
bottled water from Europe, there is definitely
increased awareness about unnecessary use of fuel. To bring empty,
heavy, returnable bottles over the Atlantic, for filling with a locally
produced craft beer does not really make much sense when there is a far
lower 'carbon footprint' alternative available. If this is combined
with the fact that there is no system where these returnable bottles can be
returned, separated and washed for reuse, the process looks less and less
attractive.
Furthermore, just earlier this year, Coca Cola UK issued the
results of a long-awaited study comparing the 'total carbon footprint' of
all the packages that it uses. The aluminium can emerged with the
lowest, compared with returnable glass, non-returnable glass, PET and Tetrapak (juices, etc.).
The aluminium can, which I started looking at seriously in
2005, was starting to look more and more attractive. However, there
was one aesthetic barrier to putting Bavarian style Weissbier in such a
package. There is quite a strong feeling that the NRW bottle is the
only one acceptable for this style, considering the 'ceremony' surrounding
the opening and pouring of a Weissbier in Bavaria. This is
partly due to the CO2 content and yeast within the beer. That barrier
has now been broken by Paulaner and others, using
the can as a package in limited quantities.
Many beer aficionados are also active thinkers in terms of the
environment, so these things are important, yet also intertwined and
contradictory. This influence of environment over tradition can be
taken a stage further. I have long felt that 500 ml is by far the
most desirable serving size for a Weissbier. However, given the fact
that the decision has been made to use cans, does it really make sense
bringing empty 500 ml cans all the way from Europe (UK) to have them filled
with locally produced craft beer? Especially when 473 ml cans are
readily available in Canada, only having to
come from the US.
The final decision that had to be made before settling on a
473 ml can had to do with aesthetics.
Weissbier glassware is quite specific, being tall with a heavy base, narrow 'waist' and a wide curved upper section.
Many of the European ones, of which there are quite a few in use today in homes and restaurants, have a mark that
shows 500 ml. The glass shape is also designed around this fill
volume. It was felt that putting 473 ml in such a glass might look
like an unacceptably low fill. Fortunately, actual trials done show
that the difference in level between 473 and 500 ml is
barely perceptible, explained by the fact that the glass shape has
such a narrow waist and that the fill level is at the widest section.
These are the factors behind the somewhat tortuous decision to
go from an imported 500 ml 'returnable' glass bottle to a 473 ml can.
This does not mean that we will never use such a package. It's
just that I cannot justify it being the only package available, and the
introductory one at that. We may indeed do small runs of the 500 ml
bottle at a retail price that make it worthwhile, for beer aficionados and
restaurants who feel that it is not yet acceptable to put a can on a table,
with or without a glass. This package would be available at the
brewery retail store, delivered to licensees and perhaps in the Beer Store.
This second package could be made much more attractive
environmentally and economically if we can find a way to stop all those
returnable European bottles bought from the LCBO and taken back to the Beer
Store, and have them washed for reuse rather than crushed.
2nd October, 2008
Denison’s Weissbier is awarded Silver in the German Style Wheat Beer
category at the 2008 Canadian Brewing Awards!
1st October, 2008
DUNKEL IS BACK, EFFECTIVE
TODAY!
Call me at 416-500-BEER or watch
for updates to see who is pouring it.
Caffe Volo certainly has it on tap.
2nd August, 2008
Dunkel will be coming back this
October, permanently!
The list of bars and restaurants
serving our beer has been brought up to date.
1st July, 2008
In response to a search for more
capacity, our beers are now produced under license at the Cool Beer Brewing
Company. This brewery, situated at 164 Evans Avenue in Etobicoke (QEW and Islington), has a lovely copper brewhouse
brought over from Germany in 2006. Drop in and see
it. If I should happen to be there
I’ll do my best to squeeze in a tour.
If not, the brewing equipment can be easily seen from a mezzanine
lounge.
8th November, 2007
A word or two about competitions
and awards……..it’s nice to get recognition in beer tastings
and competitions and I’m glad to say that my basement washroom wall has
quite a few plaques displayed from the last few years. Personally, I prefer to have unsolicited
recognition of our beers, in the form of articles written in the press, and
rating methods such as online Ratebeer and Beer Advocate. I object strongly to being asked to pay in
order to be mentioned in a book (thankfully a rare problem), and I do not
agree with competitions where the entry fee is in far in excess of what
might be considered reasonable administrative costs (again rare).
There are now an increasing
number of competitions and awards events and one has to pick and choose
which ones to enter. Criteria are
location, relevance, image, quality of judging, and whether the beer is
likely to be stored properly and tasted in good condition. Another major factor is that competitive
events usually ask for beer in bottles, and sometimes ask for extra product
to cover press launches, etc. In
view of the fact that I do not produce my beer in bottles at present, this
can be an extremely time-consuming requirement, as beer has to be hand
bottled, labelled, etc. This is
merely a statement of fact, not a complaint.
So…..the next time that you see
the results of a beer awards event, please bear in mind that we may not
have entered, due to any one of the above factors. On the other hand, we might have done so
and not been successful in getting an award. You may never know…….
Frankly, I think some of the most
valuable judges are the beer drinkers who continue to ask for more and more
by voting with their throats, and emails, and phone calls, etc.
Archives
DUNKEL
MAKES WAY FOR MORE WEISSBIER!
This
summer (2007) we had to make the tough decision to temporarily halt the
brewing of our Dunkel in order to make space for more Weissbier. It will be reintroduced in the late fall
as the demand for Weissbier levels off somewhat.
NOTE OUR NEW PHONE NUMBER
416-500-BEER (2337). Easy to
remember; it can be argued that 500 ml is the ideal size for a beer; the
rest needs no explanation.
MORE
PRODUCTION CAPACITY
During
2004, demand for the Weissbier exceeded my production capacity at Mill Street and therefore arrangements were also made to produce the beer
at the Black Oak Brewery in Oakville.
This
extra production capacity has also allowed us to do something that many of
you had been asking about over the months – in early January we brewed a
Dunkel at Black Oak, the complex but smooth Munich style dark lager that
was enjoyed by so many at our Victoria Street location. It has been available on draught since
the last week of February 2005. Keep
your eye on this website to see which bars are carrying it and meanwhile
ask your favourite watering hole to give me a call about it! It’s tasting great!
In May
of 2006, brewing at Mill Street ceased and production was stepped up at
Black Oak.
BOTTLING
As
many of you know well, I have felt strongly that a 500ml bottle is most
appropriate for the Weissbier. This
also applies to the Dunkel (and pretty well any other beer that I’m likely to
brew!). _ I am very keen on the tall bottle as used by the German brewing
industry and have had a supplier lined up for well over a year now. Unfortunately there are at least a couple
of hurdles to overcome before using this type of bottle is likely to become
a reality. Firstly, while the
bottles are reasonably priced, the minimum order is nearly 45,000 bottles
and so storage charges at this end would be hard to bear, aside from the
up-front costs. Secondly, but more
significantly, is the fact that an agreement between most brewers in Canada
prevents the use of any bottle other than the industry standard tall 341ml
twist-top bottle (ISB). This applies
to any package size under 600ml._ This agreement is designed to prevent
non-standard bottles from creating sorting headaches at the Beer
Store. Participating breweries are
only allowed to use the industry standard bottle if they sign the agreement
and a cash incentive is assessed, based on volume, each year. There are only a few breweries that have
not signed the agreement.
For
these reasons, the second choice to enter the market with is a 341ml
bottle, in six packs. This has meant
that the labels have had to be redesigned, along with a carton. These are time-consuming changes in a
one-person company. I’ll find a way
to do the 500ml’s eventually!
Unfortunately, the major and most recent barrier to
bottling the beers is the large demand from our existing draught accounts
and the limited size of available brewing facilities. Attention has been focused on solving
this problem by looking at a number of options ranging from production
agreements with larger breweries to building or even acquiring a brewery
with suitable criteria.
By the
way, did you know that DENISON’S WEISSBIER won first place in the 2004
Ontario Brewing Awards preceding Toronto’s Festival of Beer? It also won a Gold
in the Wheat Beer category in the 2007 Ontario Brewing Awards. It is
also still rated as #1 German style wheat beer (Hefeweizen) in the world on
ratebeer.com. This site has over 300,000 ratings of
over 30,000 beers. DUNKEL isn’t
doing too badly either, currently rated as #4 Dunkel in the world by this
rating service. Our Dunkel also won
a Silver Award in the Dark Lager category in the 2007 Brewing Awards.
|
