The Growth of "Boutique" Moonshine - A story with a familiar ring

The Washington Post is running an interesting article today on the rising interest in legal "moonshine" entitled Distillers Betting On 'Boutique' Versions of Hooch. Different from that produced in illegal stills in the south, this new beverage is upscale and created by legitimate distilleries.

MADISON, N.C. -- Joe Mahalek had mixed feelings the first time someone brought out the moonshine and offered him a glass at a Winston-Salem blues festival. The New York transplant was intrigued, yes, but also nervous. He'd heard that moonshine, also known as rotgut, white lightning and panther's breath, can blind or kill you.
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The word "moonshine" conjures bootleggers and fast cars, mobsters and flappers. If Mahalek has his way, drinkers instead will associate it with concepts such as premium, smooth and $14 cocktail. His company, Piedmont Distillers, has launched two brands: Catdaddy is a flavored product redolent of nutmeg and vanilla (though Mahalek denies that either is on the secret list of ingredients); Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon -- named for the bootlegger, granddaddy of NASCAR and Last American Hero -- is more traditional, with a brisk, clean flavor. "When you say the word 'moonshine' and every head turns, you know you've got a powerful story," Mahalek says. "You've got their attention."
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Less than two years after launching, Piedmont Distillers' moonshine is sold in 13 states, including Virginia. Other craft distillers also have introduced legal versions of old-style "corn likker": There's Heaven Hill's Georgia Moon, Virginia Moonshine's Virginia Lightning and Clyde May's Conecuh Ridge, a whiskey aged in charred barrels. Cochon, a trendy restaurant in New Orleans, offers an entire moonshine menu. "It's American grappa," says Cochon's assistant general manager, Audrey Rodriguez, who assembled the restaurant's list.

That was Mahalek's vision. In 2002, after years of sampling illegal moonshine made by "friends and folk," he decided to create a legal version. He began collecting recipes and quietly asking friends if he could examine their stills. Initially, many were suspicious, but Mahalek says that eventually "someone would hook me up with their daddy or an uncle who made shine. It's a lot more prevalent than you think."

The next step was building and registering a distillery, a process that can involve endless red tape. But here, Mahalek got lucky. A European still manufacturer had recently installed a still in an old train depot in Madison, a town of 2,500 just 30 miles from Mahalek's home in Winston-Salem. The owners had obtained the required permits, intending to make grappa from the region's muscadine grapes. But the business had not gotten off the ground. Mahalek bought the distillery in 2004. In the fall of 2005 he introduced his first product, Catdaddy, Southern slang for "best of the best."
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Southern chefs, jumping on the eat-local bandwagon, also are incorporating the classic Southern hooch. Jared Lee at Noble's Grille in Winston-Salem adds Midnight Moon to the sauce for shrimp and grits. Soiree in Mooresville, N.C., puts Catdaddy in French onion soup, while Blue 5 in Roanoke adds it to the glaze for its Moonshine Chicken.

While reading the article I couldn't help but see many similarities between the up and coming legal moonshine business and the early craft beer movement. In both cases, legitimate businesses are now creating legal versions of once illegal beverages. Producers of both craft beer and moonshine are dealing with products bearing ignoble preconceived reputations and working successfully to raise the image of the beverages in the eyes of consumers. And just as craft beer is being recognized by chefs as an accepted ingredient for cooking, so is boutique moonshine. To complete this exercise, how long before craft brewers begin aging their beers in barrels that once were used for aging moonshine?

Read the full article here.

2008 Global Warming Open

Great Lakes Brewing News, the folks who brought us the National IPA Championships, now present the 2008 Global Warming Open.

Get your game ON as the Global Warming Open is here! The 2008 Global Warming Open is a contest pitting refreshing summer beers against one another to determine the most refreshing beer in America. Like the springtime National IPA Championships, participating summer beers from across the nation have been randomly chosen for a 1:1 single elimination bracket tournament. You know the rest of the drill...here is the link with the locker room and the link to make your predictions...

http://www.brewingnews.com/gwo

There are 64 beers entered...peruse the Locker Room and use that knowledge to make your picks. We've laid it out a bit different Good luck!

The kick-off event (Round 1) will be held at the Northern Virginia Summer BrewFest in Leesburg on June 21 so be sure to complete your predictions before then. (I neglected to complete my predictions on time in the previous event.) A case of the 2008 Global Warming Open Champion beer will be awarded to the reader who predicts the most correct GWO brackets.

Complete bracket information and online prediction forms are at http://www.brewingnews.com/gwo/. Good Luck!

A Brewpub for Fredericksburg

In the May/June issue of Mid-Atlantic Brewing News, Gregg Wiggins hinted that an existing restaurant in Fredericksburg would be installing a brewhouse. In the latest Front Porch Magazine, beer columnist Lyle Brown reveals more news on these plans. Work is underway to open Fredericksburg's first brewpub. The new brewery will be located in, well, The Pub.

In an earlier column, I reported that there was a brewpub in the works in our area. I am happy to now reveal that equipment has been purchased, and negotiations are under way to start a brewery in The Pub, 4187 Plank Rd, and that the soon-to-be brewery owner has asked yours truly and my son Kevin to be the brewers. Look for a first tapping sometime in the fall.

Lyle is the founder of the Fredericksburg Area Brewing and Tasting Society and a BJCP judge. I've had the pleasure of tasting a few of Lyle's beers at the monthly FABTS meetings. Some of his beers recently were awarded at the American Homebrewers Association National Homebrew Competition. I look forward to seeing, make that tasting, the beers he and Kevin brew for The Pub.

I visit the Pub on a regular basis. The food is good, and they keep about 15 beers on tap. There are the usual standbys such as Sam Adams, Smithwick's, Redhook, and New Newcastle, along with the big factory beers. The addition of beer brewed on premises will be a most welcome addition.

I was alerted to the Front Porch article by Matt at Kybecca Blogs.

Brewpubs and the Laws that Hinder Success

Thomas Cizuaskas over at Yours for Good Fermentables is quoted in the latest Mid-Atantic Brewing News.

Tom Cizauskas, sales rep for Baltimore's Clipper City Brewing Co. and a veteran brewer of several craft breweries, suggests that urban brewpubs "are victims of their own success." Many of the earlier brewpubs were looked on as urban pioneers, revitalizing rundown sections of the city, he reflects. But as the neighborhoods gentrified, property values —and rents— rose astronomically. In the DC area, Founders' Brewpub in Alexandria, Va. was forced out by rising rents, and Dr. Dremo's (the former Bardo Rodeo brewpub) has been shuttered to make way for mixed-use development. In Chicago, the original Goose Island brewpub on Clybourne Ave., has announced it will close by the end of 2008 because of a steep rent increase.

Tom brings up a very valid point, one that is perhaps exemplified in the recent news of DC brewer Jason Oliver's intent to open a brewpub in rural Nelson County. I'm not privy to the decision process in that move, but I think it would be a fair to assume that urban property values and rent costs had at least some influence. But there are other barriers in place to hinder the success of bars and brewpubs in Virginia, rural or urban.

Our local paper recently carried an article entitled "Tavern owners chafe at law" (no online version available):

VIRGINIA BEACH-The Edge offers 40 varieties of beer. The owner of the bar in Norfolk would like to tout his half-price special on Aventinus during "happy hour."

The beer is an international favorite, considered one of the world's best. During happy hour, it is reduced — to $6 a bottle.

"I can't market that," Billy Baldwin said.

Baldwin can legally sell his brews at a lower price until 9 p.m., when happy hour ends statewide. He just can't tell anyone about it.

State laws prevent liquor license holders like Baldwin, who also owns The Edge at the Oceanfront, from advertising discount beverages. He's allowed to place signs about specials inside the business, but not where they can be seen from the street.

The so-called happy hour regulations made the books in 1985. They were designed to promote temperance by limiting the ability to sell reduced-price drinks. But the rules are sobering to business owners, who say they're bad for business.

"I can't say, 'Hey, come in and get a dozen wings and a pitcher of beer for a set price: " Baldwin said. "You can go to Wildwood [N.J.] or Myrtle Beach [S.C.] where they can.

"I should be able to promote and market like every other business."

State Alcoholic Beverage Control Department officials say the happy hour regulations, like others the agency enforces, discourage overconsumption and bridle bad behavior, such as drunken driving.

Curtis Coleburn, ABC's chief operating officer, said that spreading the news on selling beverages at lower than the customary prices entices customers to drink more.

"It remains in society's interest to curb the abuse of alcohol, and ABC is the primary state agency assigned to the task," Coleburn said.

Establishments that serve alcohol already have a legal obligations that restrict serving alcohol to intoxicated persons. These happy hour regulations limit the establishments' ability to promote to even responsible consumers. The state is also in effect limiting consumers' choices on where they choose to do business. It's perfectly legal to enjoy an Adventinus, but not legal to be informed in advance about a good deal on the drink.

In a positive step this past March, a federal judge overturned an ABC regulation against college newspapers running alcohol-related ads and making references to happy hours. The judge saw the prohibition as a violation of the right to free speech. The ABC still maintains the ability to enforce the ban on advertising by licensed businesses. One can only hope that the recent court case paves the way for applying the same principles to businesses such as Mr. Baldwin's.

Capital Ale House Update

When I last passed by the future location of the Fredericksburg Capital Ale House on Caroline Street, the inside had been mostly gutted and a new door was securing the entrance, but I saw no sign of current activity. Although there's not much happening that's visible from the street, progress is going on behind the scenes. Capital Ale House President Matthew Simmons tells me they are still in the planning and permitting stage. He also says they hope to start the renovations by mid-July and be open for business in October.

The City of Fredericksburg passed a $100,000 incentive package for Capital Ale House in February.

Read all Capital Ale House updates here.

Guitar Legend Bo Diddley Dead at 79

Not directly related to beer, though many craft beer fans are also fans of rock & roll and blues. Good music and good beer is a natural pairing. Music pioneer Bo Diddley passed away today at the age of 79 after a long illness.

"Bo Diddley was one of rock 'n' roll's true pioneers," said Neil Portnow, president and CEO of The Recording Academy, the music industry organization best known for presenting the Grammy Awards. "He inspired legions of musicians with his trademark rhythm and signature custom-built guitar, and his song 'Bo Diddley' earned a rightful place in the Grammy Hall Of Fame. He leaves an indelible mark on American music and culture, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends and fans. The 'Bo Diddley beat' surely will continue on."

Enjoy this video of Bo Diddley doing what he did best as you raise a glass to this legendary performer.



BTW, Bo Diddley headlined the Wilmington, DE Cool Blues, Brews & BBQ’s Festival in 2001.

Bo Diddley's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame profile

MADD Terrorizes High School Students

On May 26, students at an El Camino, CA high school were emotionally terrorized and subjected to a cruel hoax in the name of education.

Many juniors and seniors were driven to tears – a few to near hysterics – May 26 when a uniformed police officer arrived in several classrooms to notify them that a fellow student had been killed in a drunken-driving accident.

The officer read a brief eulogy, placed a rose on the deceased student's seat, then left the class members to process their thoughts and emotions for the next hour.

The program, titled “Every 15 Minutes,” was designed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Its title refers to the frequency in which a person somewhere in the country dies in an alcohol-related traffic accident.

About 10 a.m., students were called to the athletic stadium, where they learned that their classmates had not died. There, a group of seniors, police officers and firefighters staged a startlingly realistic alcohol-induced fatal car crash. The students who had purportedly died portrayed ghostly apparitions encircling the scene.

Though the deception left some teens temporarily confused and angry, if it makes even one student think twice before getting behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated, it is worth the price, said California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Newbury, who orchestrates the program at local high schools.

This outrageous hoax was orchestrated against the students by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the California Highway Patrol, with the assistance of 36 of their fellow students. Since when are schools permitted to emotionally torture students? Were parents notified in advance that the school was planning to traumatized their children?

In the referenced article, California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Newbury is quoted as stating "I want them to be an emotional wreck." This is abuse. Education through terror and emotional stress is a technique used by certain other governments in the world. These governments and their abuses are the subject of frequent protests in the United States, yet the State-schools subject U.S. citizen students to the same sort of treatment.

In an earlier hint of the organization's lack of respect for the youth of our country, Candy Lightner, Founder of MADD, shared her belief that young adults “don’t think for themselves.” In an interview with Fox News Ms. Lightner attempted to explain why the draft age is 18, while the legal drinking age is set at 21.

"That’s exactly why the draft age is 18…because these kids are malleable. They’ll follow the leader. They don’t think for themselves."

"Malleable" and "emotional" kids. These are the targets of MADD's disturbing programs. You don't yell fire in a crowded theatre, and you don't commit elaborate hoaxes to convince someone that their friend has just been killed. Just what is the lesson the students learned in the California high school? That uniformed police officers are willing to commit misleading and deceptive acts against innocent people? That their fellow students can't be trusted? That the State-school system will allow an outside organization to enter the school and wage psychological warfare against students? All of this is supposedly done in the name of education. Where is the proof that such psychological games have any lasting effect? What's the lesson learned when the students realize they've been victims of a cruel hoax?

There's no argument that drunk driving is a dangerous problem and our youth need to be educated to understand responsible use of alcohol. All too frequently I read about an innocent person being injured or killed due the negligence of a drunk driver. In almost all these occasions the guilty party is an habitual offender who has been allowed to remain free to drive despite numerous previous offenses. I don't recall any of the tragic automobile-related deaths of local students being attributed to alcohol use by the students. Perhaps MADD should focus it's educational energies on judges and the bleeding hearts who put these repeat offenders back on the streets.

Tip of the hat to O'DonnellWeb for linking to the news report.

Bluegrass Brewing Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout

After sitting sitting through two youth soccer league games in 90° temperatures, you'd think I'd be looking for a typical Summer beer. However, last evening I was in the mood for something more. I don't actually buy into the "stouts and barleywines in Winter, wheat beers in Summer" stereotype anyway. But then again, I've been known to enjoy red wine with chicken. I was in the mood to spend some time with a snifter of Imperial Stout and that was what I intended to do.

I found a bottle of Bluegrass Brewing's Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout in the fridge. I had picked this one up a few months ago but hadn't gotten around to trying it out during more typical stout weather. There's no description of the beer on the label beyond "stout aged in bourbon oak barrels." Not even an ABV rating is given. The beer rating sites classify this as an Imperial Stout and that was the expectation with which I poured the beer.

Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout pours dark and opaque. The frothy cappuccino-like head drops very quickly, leaving behind a thin ring. The aroma is a pleasing combination of oak, bourbon and pipe tobacco. The flavor is also enjoyable, though at an unexpectedly subdued level. There's a roasted note, and some dark chocolate, along with a bit of bourbon sweetness. Most of the bourbon presence was noted in the aroma. A slight lactic tartness is detectable. The mouthfeel is creamy and thin. A definite smokiness comes out in the finish and remains in the aftertaste.

As far as Imperial Stouts go, I thought this one is a bit light. The alcohol seems the low side of the scale for the style, and not noticeable. Upon checking further, I found that Bluegrass Brewing describes the beer as a "Silky American Stout" with an 8% ABV. So this one seems to be right on the cusp, a tad strong for a typical American Stout, though mild for what I expect for an Imperial Stout. We had a bit of leftover chocolate cake in the house so I paired a small slice of that with my beer. The sweetness of the case accentuated the lactose tartness in the beer, but otherwise the cake over-powered the flavor of the stout.

Overall, this is a pleasant and easy to drink beer. I wouldn't hesitate to drink it again, especially now knowing what to expect. At the time of purchase, I did feel that the beer was somewhat pricey, but that seems to be the norm for many barrel-aged beers. The only fault I found is I was expecting a more Imperial style beer. This offering from Bluegrass Brewing is a decent, if somewhat expensive, barrel-aged stout.