Hey all,
This past weekend, I spent Sunday and Monday sampling out our beer to the folks who came to Centrex. We had a portion of a booth sponsored by the Manitoba Food Processors Association. It was neat to see all of the different locally produced foods we can get, and surprising to see how many of those we already use.

Nicole and I were having a discussion this morning over bagels and coffee about the brewery, the 100 mile diet, organics and our carbon footprint.

Now, I'll be the first to say, I'm not terribly educated when it comes to some of the issues. I do know we get requests from time to time regarding organic beer. But, the discussion this morning lead me to wonder about the carbon footprint of breweries using organic malt.

See, there's really only two options open to me as a Canadian brewer. Gambrinus Malting Company of Armstrong, BC makes an organic 2 row barley. Some of you have heard me lament of my past dealings with Gambrinus (service is not their strong point, nor is sending the right colour of malt). The guys at Nelson Brewery in BC seem to be happy - they switched a while back to all of their beers being brewed organically - and I think they're getting a good percentage of their grain from Gambrinus.

Our other option would be to use the Biomalt (it's organic) from Weyermann Malting in Bamberg, Germany. Great malt, steep price, European grown.

So, if we were to switch to using these guys for the sake of organics alone, then we'd be cancelling out any good with the diesel fuel it takes to get malt from Germany or BC, rather than simply using the locally made 2 row we currently use.

Here also we're presented with the problem of the local malt being grown across western Canada, then being blended for consistency's sake. So, the 100 mile dieters get thrust out into the cold, too. I have a feeling some people out there think that malting your own grain is pretty simple (technically it can be), but when you're talking about the volumes of grain we go through, hooking up with a local organic farmer to grow grain for us just isn't feasible.

So, where does that leave us?

I figure a few of you out there may have some ideas. The idea here is to open the discussion and maybe find a way to make it work. The hop situation (or lack thereof) isn't going to work itself anytime soon, much less allow me to be picky and demand organics, but I think if we start leaning on our suppliers and come up with some homegrown ideas, we might be able to make it happen.

Thoughts?

Labels: 100 Mile Diet, Organic Brewing, Ramblings

Hey all,
Thanks to Colin for the reminder re: what new brew was coming out today. We were so busy bottling, I almost forgot!

HALF PINTS BREWING COMPANY
CELEBRATES EXPANSION AND SPRING
WITH POTHOLE PORTER

March 26, 2008 – Half Pints Brewing Company has a lot to celebrate this spring.

In the past year and a half, the staff hand labeled and bottled over 210,000 660ml bottles. Recently, the brewery purchased and installed a new bottling machine for 341ml. bottles. This new machine allows the three beers brewed throughout the year (Bulldog Amber Ale, Little Scrapper IPA, and Stir Stick Stout) to be packaged in 6 packs. While most other breweries are raising prices with the increase in costs (malt, hops, water, gas, and wages) we have reduced the prices to reflect our new efficiencies.

While based in Winnipeg, Half Pints Brewing Company is getting noticed and celebrated all over the world. Demand from outside Manitoba is high with unsolicited orders coming in from BC, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Here’s what Stephen Beaumont, beer writer and drinks expert, had to say, “the new standard-bearer for good beer in Manitoba, Half Pints Brewing of Winnipeg``.

Half Pints was also a huge hit at the Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria this past fall. See what North America’s longest running beer magazine, Celebrator had to say http://www.celebrator.com/archives/2007/12/gh_victoria.html . Based on the beer rating websites, ratebeer.com and beeradvocate.com, Half Pints is clearly the brewery of choice for real beer lovers in Manitoba and is certainly making its mark all over the beer world with its seasonal offerings.

Half Pints Brewing Company is celebrating spring with a brand new beer – Pothole Porter. This beer is a strong, dark ale brewed using pale, crystal, chocolate and melanoidin malts. It is finished with UK Fuggles hops, aged with French Oak, and cool fermented for a sweet, toasty malt finish.Pothole Porter will be available Tuesday, April 1st, 2008, so prepare for a total front end alignment of your senses. The beer will be available for sale in single 341 ml. bottles fresh from the brewery on Keewatin St. as well as Winnipeg’s Liquor Marts and select vendors.