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The Newsletter
January 2003
PALMETTO STATE BREWERS/SAAZ/CRABS ENGLISH BITTERS BREWOFF
Yes it is a long name, but this is the subject of our January meeting. In conjunction with the AHA Club Only Competition, we have challenged the Florence and Charleston Clubs to see who can brew the best English Bitters and Pale Ales. The Florence Club has confirmed that they will have several entries and hopefully our club will have many more. I am not sure about Charleston. They may have been intimidated by the reputation of the brewers of Columbia and Florence.
Scott Bridges and Harold Dowda will judge the competition. Scott is a former member of PSB and a BJCP Certified Judge. Harold is one of PSB’s Master Brewers and Harold has spent an inordinate amount of time in English Pubs on his several trips to England. He has true first hand experience with this style.
Everyone present will also taste the same beers as the judges. Those present will select winners of Brewer’s Choice awards.
If you plan to enter, bring at least 3 beers for judging and two to send to the National Club Only Competition ( in case you win).
This meeting should be a lot of fun. Be at Damon’s at 6:00 PM for Dinner and registration of your beers.
Attached to this Newsletter is a registration form for your entries in this Brewoff. Complete one for each entry if you have more than one. Remember there is no charge for this competition.
OFFICER ELECTION
At the December meeting, Club officers for 2003 were elected. Unfortunately, it’s the same one we had for 2002.
President: Gerald Jowers
Vice-President: Mark Burris
Secretary-Treas.: Bob Rogers
NEW MEMBERS
Over the last several months, we have been fortunate to have several join our club. These new brewers are:
Robert Leach
John Nelms
Steve Smith
Kathy Gattis
A hearty welcome and tip of the glass to these new brewers. We look forward to tasting your brewing handiwork. I want to recognize and thank one of these new members Robert Leach for the excellent program on English Bitters and Pale Ales he presented at the December meeting. Great job, Robert.
YET ANOTHER BREWING CHALLENGE
Our friends in the Charlotte, North Carolina homebrew club the Carolina Brewmasters have issued a challenge to Palmetto State Brewers. The exact terms of the challenge must be worked out but it will involve competing with homebrew. It might involve a road trip to Charlotte. I will keep you informed.
SOUTHEASTERN COMPETITION UPDATE
The following are the next Homebrew Competitions in the Southeast:
10th Annual Peach State Brewoff: February 8 in Atlanta, GA
DEA Challenge III: February 16 in Ayden, NC
Go to the BJCP or AHA websites for details. The URL for the BJCP is http://www.bjcp.org/ Go to the competition schedule on the first page of the site.
We need to send entries to these competitions. We can send them together to save money and aggravation.
NATIONAL HOMEBREW COMPETITON
The current issue of Zymurgy contains the entry information for the AHA’s National Competition. This is open to any homebrewer, even non-members of the AHA. We will discuss this at the meeting on Monday.
Finance
Current balance: $1608.88
There are proceeds from the tasting glasses and T-shirts being held by Liquid Hobby in our behalf which still have not been added..
Upcoming Competitions
Club Only Competition Schedule
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2003
Bitter & English Pale Ale Competition
Category 4 Bitter & English Pale Ale
MARCH/APRIL 2003
Brown Ale Competition
Category 10 Brown Ale
MAY 2003
"All that Glitters is Not Old” Competition
Category 11 English & Scottish Strong Ale
AUGUST 2003
European Pale Lager Competition
Category 2 European Pale Lager
Be sure to brew ahead, let’s get ready!
REMEMBER Bet-Mar Liquid Hobby Shop is relocating SOON !! Our expanded location is 736-F St. Andrews Road in Columbia, next to WG's Wings, right across from Hilltop Restaurant. For you out-of-towners, take I-26 to exit 106B -- look to the left & turn left into parking lot of St Andrews Center (you'll see Badcock Furniture).
Join us for our Grand Opening February 1, 2003! As always, to get you what you need, we'll do whatever we can...
Again for 2003, all Palmetto State Brewers members get 10% off all regularly-priced merchandise!
NOTE: Bet-Mar will be closed January 26-31 to complete the moving-in process. Thanks for your patience.
Beer in the News
MILLER WILL CLOSE TUMWATER BREWERY
Miller Brewing Co. said Thursday that it will close its Tumwater brewery in July, ending a 106-year brewing legacy, costing nearly 400 workers their jobs and shutting down the last major beer-producing plant in the Northwest. The brewery long produced Olympia there - the beer famous for the slogan, "It's the water." "Significant investments would be required to upgrade this facility to standards where other breweries are," said Michael Brophy, a Miller spokesman. "We cannot justify the cost of its operations beyond the date that we're planning to close it." The original Tumwater brewery was started in 1896 by Leopold Schmidt who, attracted by the artesian wells in the area, sold his brewery in Butte, Mont., and started a company (initially named Capital Brewing Co.) that would eventually have five breweries. After the end of Prohibition, Olympia Brewing Co. built a new brewery nearby. Olympia added a new brewhouse in 1960, bought Hamm's brewery in 1975, and merged with Lone Star in 1976. Pabst bought Olympia in 1983. The Tumwater brewery seemed to get a new lease on life in 1999 with the demise of Stroh Brewing Co. and its Rainier brewery in Seattle. Stroh sold Rainier and other brands to Pabst Brewing Co. Pabst then sold the Tumwater brewery to Miller.
GERMANY FACES BEER SHORTAGES
German beer drinkers have begun to feel the effects of new government regulations restricting deposits of disposable cans and bottles, imposing charges on non-reusable containers. Officials say the percentage of recycled cans and bottles has fallen below a 72% minimum target set in 1997. Retailers reacted by cutting back on some containers. "We may not have enough beer available to meet the demand in January," Jan Holzweissig, spokesman for the German retailers' association. "A lot of stores are planning to remove beer and other drinks in disposable containers off their shelves next month because of the new rules." Government rules call for a deposit of 25 cents for small non-refillable cans and bottles, and 50 cents for larger containers. Deposits are refunded when the bottles and cans are returned. The measure had a surprising effect in December - cheap beer. Beer was selling for as little as five cents a can as shops tried to clear stocks. "Beer price war!" wrote Berlin's B.Z. tabloid. "Discounters are chucking out everything they've got. At this rate beer will be given away for free by Christmas."
AMERICAN BUD TRUMPS CZECH BUD IN HUNGARY
The Hungarian Patent and Trademark Office has ruled that Czech brewer Budejovicky Budvar cannot use the word "Bud," the nickname of Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser beer, in Hungary. Anheuser-Busch reported that the patent office said "Bud" does not refer to the city where the brewery is located, Ceske Budejovice. The Czech brewer also cannot claim that its place of origin allows it to use "Budweiser Bier-Budvar" or "Budweiser Budvar" in Hungary. However, the Czech brewer can still use "Budweiser Bier" in Hungary. Budvar uses names such as Budweiser Budvar, Budweiser, Budvar and Bud for its products in other countries. The American and Czech breweries have been involved in a long running series of legal battles over rights to the name "Budweiser" and various derivatives. The Czech company claims its trademarks "prevent Anheuser-Busch from making a significant impact" on the European market and "gradually taking control of it."