P A G E 6 B O R D E R B A T C H B R E W I N G S
Here ’ s the way I see it thru beer goggles on sunny , but cold , very early spring morning . Or is it really , really late winter ? By the time this article reaches you the death throws of winter will be over but right now its fighting tooth & nail to remain . I ’ m thinking that this is about the twelfth installment of this article now . Apparently my muse is less than amused at celebrating that milestone of sharing a little glimpse into the quagmire of a thinking man ’ s beer drinking mind . After several attempts at coaxing this article out with a combination of winter beers & the quintessential beer of spring dawning - Schell ' s Maifest - I ’ ve decided there just isn ’ t a singularly themed piece coming out for this edition . Instead in no particular order , I ’ m going to pop out a bunch of beery thoughts and ideas that have been rolling around in my head lately . So off we go : on the sales floor is the same as the regular price currently marked in the cooler . Some sale , huh ? Coincidence or accident ? - probably not .
On a happier note , I recently ran into Schell ’ s Rep ., Steve Holm , shopping at Mills Fleet Farm here in Owatonna . We had a nice little chat & Steve assured me that the Schell ’ s , & especially Grain Belt , lines were showing healthy sales despite the fact that we may in fact be in a R &+$$$! 0 #. [ author ’ s note : I tried to use the “ R ” word & people from the Bush administration showed up & stated we are not in fact experiencing that phenomenon & that I would not be allowed to mislead others by typing that word above .] Steve did mention that most of the industry is pretty flat right now . I ’ m personally looking forward to Schell ’ s Stout which he said was out on tap & should be in bottles before you get this newsletter in hand .
The following quote from the co-founder of Brooklyn Brewing Co ., Steve Hindy , really sums up my passion for beer Hindy writes , “ Money people make money . Money is different from art & beer . Art & beer enrich your life ; they can arouse your senses ; they can inspire & liberate . Money is not by itself enjoyable . [ U ] ltimately money is enjoyable only when you use it to buy something real - such as art or beer .” I sure wish I penned that . It ’ s a powerful statement . As Border Batchers & Outlaws we are at the pinnacle of truth behind this quote . Not only do we wisely spend our money on the life enriching nectar of malted barley & hops but we are also investing in the highest form of art - breweriana . For what is our hobby in reality , but the collecting of beer art !
One the great beer highlights for this seemingly endless winter season was the opportunity to enjoy a fresh keg of Schell ' s 1867 Einbecker Dopplebock with fellow Border Batchers here at my house during our chapter meeting . This was a rather special treat considering the limited production size . Also the fact that the beer is intended for draft accounts , as opposed to “ off sale ” retail . It was certainly hard to focus on our meeting agenda with this fantastic beer being shared . Neverthe-less we did accomplish a lot & the bock got plenty of rave reviews . I hope we can continue to grow our chapter meetings & produce some great ideas for the future of our club . My big regret of the bock season was failing to sample a wider variety of bocks , but even had I sought out a dozen I think this special Schell ' s brew would have stood above the whole lot of them .
It ’ s depressing to go to the liquor store & find that the “ promotional ” sales price for a twelver of Schell ' s specialty brew has reached $ 12.99 . Less than eighteen months ago that sale price was $ 9.99 and the regular price a buck less than the current promo price . Maybe they really do believe its “ Slowatonna ” here because the “ sale ” price on the POS advertising on the big stack
The bible is apparently silent on beer . One evening I was bored and started looking at my wife ’ s bible concordance and can find nothing in regards to it . Sure it weighs in on booze & wine , but not our beloved brewski . I find this a bit strange considering the number of other things it does weigh in on in great detail . In fact , I have even read a nutrition book based on eating in accordance with biblical teachings . Anyway , I ’ m guessing this was because beer was such a staple of daily life that it didn ’ t even get a mention . Maybe like the Russians , the biblical peoples didn ’ t consider beer an intoxicant . For Vance , I do need to throw in this biblical reference for cider . “ Stay me with flagons , comfort me with apples . . .” ( Solomon 2:5 )
I couldn ’ t get through this article without saying a little something about Bock Fest . Vance , I need to give you one last giant THANK YOU for the opportunity to hunt with New Ulm ’ s bock hunting legend . While the hunt does keep one away from the fest itself ( especially the source of brew & the general camaraderie of festing in a big group setting ) the sheer joy of finding one of those bocks hidden in the pristine winter landscape around the brewery is a true thing of beauty . And the opportunity of witnessing Vance slip , fall , & toss a glass of bock beer a dozen feet in the air only to have it return to earth and soak him just moments before capturing the King Bock - PRICELESS .
I sure hope to see all you fellow Border Batchers at our Day at August Schell Event . While Stubie Fest may be the chapter ’ s party of the year , this is our big breweriana trade show event of the year . You just can ’ t beat sharing a good beer with good friends & trading breweriana on the lot parking lot at Schell ’ s surrounded by all that gorgeous & history filled scenery . With a little luck we can enjoy another warm spring day as we have during the past few years . I hear there may be a few surprises in store this year as well . SEE YOU THERE !