Nitro Beer At Home A new gadget called NitroBrew can convert any beer to a nitro style beer with all the classic visuals and taste. Nitrogen in beer gives it a silky-smooth mouthfeel and a well-rounded flavor with a reduced carbonation bite. The device works in seconds, on demand, one serving at a time. The system consists of a stainless steel kettle and a charging station. You simply supply nitrogen gas via a nitrogen tank (in bars) or a simple air compressor for home use to infuse nitrogen into the beer. Simply move the beer around in the kettle to incorporate nitrogen evenly and then dispense. The beer pours like a classic nitro beer with beautiful cascading bubbles that settle into a tight head of foam resulting in a beer with a smooth, creamy or fluffy mouthfeel and softening the overall palate. Cost: "only" $575. |
Macro Beer Troubles Total beer volume is on pace to decline 1% in 2014, and Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors will both be down, The underlying factors in 2014 are the same ones that have plagued big brands in recent years: Wine and spirits continue to make gains. And while craft beer brands are surging, the gains are not enough to overcome declining sales of stalwarts like Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Lite and Coors Light. Beer's share of absolute alcohol consumption has fallen steadily in the past 15 years from 59.6% in 2001 to a projected 50.9% in 2015. One rather pessimistic theory is that the big light beer brands that launched in the early 1980s are in a free fall simply because the current generation of drinkers does not want to drink what the generation before it drank. As fuller-bodied craft beers successfully began "equating higher quality with stronger taste" it implicitly suggested that lighter beers were of lower quality. Miller Lite is trying to reclaim its quality positioning, beginning with last year's re-introduction of its original can design. A-B InBev, meanwhile, continues to adapt a marketing strategy that relies heavily on tying TV and digital ads to experiential executions in an effort spark interest among millennials. Their most positive recent advertising revolved around its recent takeover of a town in Colorado. The campaign involved covering the town in Bud Light branding and naming it "Whatever USA" as a tie-in to its "the perfect beer for whatever happens" slogan. The campaign generated 66% more earned media impressions that a typical Bud Light Super Bowl campaign, . The other side of the picture finds that craft beer movement continues to grow at a staggering pace. While overall beer sales dropped slightly, craft beer enjoyed 17.2% growth last year. Despite that upswing, craft beer still only captures 7.8% of the overall beer market, which still leaves plenty of room for industry growth. New craft breweries are opening up all over the country, seeing a 15% increase in 2013. According to The Brewers Association most Americans now live within 10 miles of a craft brewer, |
| Feature News from beernexus.com |
Edited by Jim Attacap
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| Two Common Beer Errors 1. You're frosting your glasses Maybe the biggest myth in the beer-drinking world is the unbridled joy of the chilled glass. Contrary to what your local sports bar may have you believe, your frosty mug is not enhancing your beer-drinking experience. In fact, frosted mugs cause beer to foam, killing their carbonation and nixing the aromas. Instead of popping your favorite glass in the freezer, keep it clean and in the cabinet, give it a quick rinse with cold water to clean out dust and odors. 2. You're still drinking it too cold As much as people like to brag about their beers tasting cold, beers run the gamut for how they should be served. (And anyway, isn't it a physical impossibility to taste a feeling?) There's an entire chart dedicated to the proper serving temperatures for different styles of beer. Even then, most beers are meant to be served slightly above the temperature of your fridge, and most experts recommend taking certain styles out of the fridge 10 minutes or so before you drink them to fully expose the flavors and aromas. |
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