Great beer isn't always just about the tasty liquid inside the bottle, but often the label and packaging are a big part of the product as well. For those of you who enjoy the graphic design aspect of the market as much as me, check out ohbeautifulbeer.com, which showcases some of the great packaging of beers around the world.

As a special note, our own Columbus Brewing Company is featured on page 3!

I enjoyed this article on beer's black market.  I've seen some of these crazy prices and agree with the article that the market shouldn't really support this.  If it were true craft beer fans selling to other true craft beer fans, then high prices or not, I might be ok with that.  But as with any high-demand, low-quantity item (i.e. concert tickets, autographs, etc), you get outsiders just trying to make a quick buck.  It's annoying and I wish it didn't happen.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/beers-black-market/2011/09/01/gIQAsL0D7J_story.html

What's the most you've paid for a "rare" bottle of beer?

The Brewers Association's announcement last month that craft beer sales were up across the board is certainly good news for beer lovers.  Included in that report was the news that there are currently 1,790 breweries in the US and there are 725 new ones in the works.

I'm all for more beer and more variety, but I'm starting to wonder what the craft beer tipping point is in terms of how fast can the craft market share grow compared to the ever-growing number of people making beer.  There's already extreme competition for shelf space at retailers and if the amount of craft beer being produced is going to outgrow demand in the next few years, it means that a decent number of breweries aren't going to make it.  That'll be too bad as I'm sure all the beer being produced is quality product.

Of course I'd love for the market to just switch and say, "Oh, there's more craft beer, so forget macro-brew" and take over 30-40% of beer sales. But, it isn't likely to happen, and best case not in the next few years.

Best of luck to the new breweries, and I do hope there's enough room for all the great beer!

Ohio legislators are looking to up the alcohol limit allowed in beer sold in Ohio.  The current limit of 12% limits some of the beers we can get here in Ohio, and the proposed increase to 18% would open the door to great beers like Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout and other higher-gravity beers.  

The article in the Columbus Dispatch has some good quotes and info and some really knuckle-headed comments, so don't bother reading through them all.  Since there's no difference in age or requirements to buy beer vs. hard liquor, why limit the alcohol content of only beer? It's silly really and just forces enthusiasts like myself to head out-of-state to get the beers we want to try.  And trust me, at the prices of these high-alcohol beers, no college kid is getting them for a party.

Dispatch Story here: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/06/01/beer-buzz-would-get-a-big-boost-from-gop-bill.html?sid=101

As the craft beer in cans movement gains momentum, I thought it would be nice to point readers over to craftcans.com. The site is devoted to news and reviews of canned craft beer.  They do a great job of keeping up with this growing trend.

Some beer purists will say cans are for cheap American beers. But the truth is that there are some great craft beers in cans, and more are on the way with Bell's Brewing announcing last week that they'll be installing a canning line next year. There are many compelling reasons to favor cans over traditional glass bottles:

1. Cans are better for the beer - better air-tight seal and absolutely no light means fresher, better tasting beer.
2. Cans are better for distribution - square packaging, easier stacking and lighter for transport, cans allow for more beer in less space. More beer in less space allows for better stock and more shelf space for your favorite beer.
3. Cans are better for beer drinkers in a variety of situations - cans are more friendly in a number of places such as beaches, parks, sporting events and more, which means you can take or get great beer in more places. Plus, aluminum cans cool down more quickly than bottles, so your beer is ready to go faster.
4. Cans are better for the environment - it takes a lot less energy to cool an aluminum can and a lot less energy to recycle it compared to glass. The lighter weight of cans also means delivery trucks don't use as much fuel to move the same amount of beer.

Not sure how I missed this last week, but it has been announced that Eric Bean, brewmaster at Columbus Brewing Company has bought the majority share of the brewery.  He's the first brewmaster in Columbus to own his own brewery since 1944.  Columbus Brewing has issued a press release here: http://www.columbusbrewing.com/pages/pressrelease1.pdf

Eric Bean, Brewmaster, said "Owning a brewery has been my dream since my first batch of homebrew in 1993, and after fifteen years of professional brewing it has finally happened. I am proud to own a company with such a great history and excited for the future. Now it is time to get back to work and get ready for next month’s addition of new tanks that will allow for an expansion of 70%."

Congrats to Eric and here's hoping for many years of continued success.

The much-talked about expansion of the Brooklyn Brewery is apparently ready to go and BB spokespeople are saying the expansion promises more production and more variety in those very special Brooklyn Brewery small-batch beers.

I spoke with the Heidelberg Distributing rep (the distributor for Brooklyn beer in Ohio) about a week ago and she indicated the expansion could mean better availability in Ohio for things like Black Ops and, hopefully, other Brewmaster's Reserve beers. Is there a possibility we could see Dark Matter here? It's unsure at this point if we'll get a much wider range of Brooklyn's beers here or if we'll just get better availability of what we already have. However, the expansion does mean Brooklyn will be making some new beers and, if they're a hit, we could see some of them here.

Congrats to the brewery on the expansion and here's to hoping we see some great new Brooklyn Brewery beers here in Ohio.

Gizmodo posted this fun look at why canned beer is just as good or better than bottled beer and why it just might be the future of craft beer:

http://gizmodo.com/5622938/canned-beer-is-the-future-of-good-beer

Not sure I agree with everything in here and the discussion after the article is full of complainers and people who obviously don't get it, but it's a fun read none-the-less.

What do you think is the better way to deliver your favorite craft beer?

The New York Times has posted a really nice article about some of the best pale ales in the country. It's just in time for the 4th of July. They mention some of my favorites, including Dogfish Head's "Shelter Pale Ale" and the fabulous "Dale's Pale Ale" from Oskar Blues. It's a good read and points consumers in the right direction for great American Craft Beer.

http://nyti.ms/93YmDD

If you haven't been to a beer tasting and a movie at Clintonville's Studio 35 yet, you really need to. 

This may have been one of the most fun events I've been to in a long time. The tasting was great, featuring 10 of Columbus Brewing Company's beers, including some rarely seen ones.  Brewmaster Eric Bean was there to talk everyone through the samples, and I've listed some of the highlights and news from CBC after the jump.