Mellody Brewing

Do You Speaka My Language?

It's that time folks, Friday Hootenanny. Grab a beer, and sit back and relax to the crooning of Men at Work. Being I'm still at work as this is posted it seemed fitting to post a song by them while I day dream about the weekend.

Wazoo

This weekend os Tampa's annual beer festival, Wazoo.  Whatever made someone plan a beer festival in the middle of the hot steamy summer I'll never know.  I've never been in the two years I've lived here, but will be attending this weekend due to a hook-up by a local friend of mine.  I'm planning on just cruising the booths, trying to beat the crowds a bit.  Maybe sampling a few new beers that I haven't had before. 

The other reason I'd like to go is to just scope out what breweries do at festivals like this.  What seems to attract: fancy logo, and booth, big chested woman with skimpy shorts? What brings people to the table.  Yeah, yeah, the beer does, they don't even look at the name or style in most cases.  The difference is, how do to translate this experience of basically giving away beer to sales?  How to you instill brand and messaging? This will be what I'm looking for and examining while I'm there.

Breweries I don't Love - Budweiser InBev

First off, I usually don't write here about happenings with the large breweries, as it really isn't something I care about.  The big breweries that is.  This merger is taking so much press, and so many people have asked me what I think, I figured I'd examine it and make some short and sweet comments.  Short and sweet mainly because while this is a big deal for the industry - all in all I don't see it making that big of an impact on the Bud beer drinker.

This union is a marriage of necessity.  It helps Bud survive and grow hopefully as slowly but surely it's market share in the US errodes.  This new organization really is what SAB and Miller did a few years back, where if you notice - no one really said a peep, and the impact has been good for SABMiller operations and cost cutting, but the Miller drinker and general beer drinker in general has not been impacted.  That's what I see happening with Bud.  Yes, it is sad that an other icon American organization - that was still majority family owned, sold out.  But despite all the rehetoric and "not on my watch" talk - here we stand Bud owned by a European company.  InBev will get the most of the deal, shared us distribution (which it was aleady doing with Bud - how come Stella is everywhere now, huh?)  an in to maybe brew beers here, and exand some of their smaller brands into the US.  Bud, gets reassurance I guess and capital and who knows - maybe they'll use this opportunity to transform themselves and do something different,  I honestly don't think they will.

So, while I am no beer industry expert by far - I don't forsee any major impact on the market right away, or even the "short" long-term.  This union will evenutally be putting beer all over the planet and that's amazing but it isn't like this is going to change the brand or beer or strategy.  Things will continue as is, and the company will now streamline resources and operations to become more competitive against SABMiller.  One has to wonder though, where does these live Coors?

Barley, the Mellody Brewing Guard Dog

Barley is the newest addition to the Mellody Brewing Family.  That's saying alot since we haven't really had any additions ever.  She will play the part of companion, inspiration, dog treat tester and guard dog during brew days.  She's just arrived and is not fully aware of her responsibilities yet, but I'm sure she'll do just fine.

Summer, Summer...Summertime!

Friday Hootenanny!! Perfect with a American Amber or nice Pale Ale. Loved this song, bring back the early 90s!!

Entrepreneurial Mindset

I have been pondering lately what it takes to make a business happen.  Yes, it takes knowledge, hard work, luck, etc.  But what is it that takes someone from a stereotypical day to day desk job or other career to take the risk of doing it all yourself.  My grandfather did it, and was successful.  He started a tombstone carving business and the business and real estate from the business supported the family for years after his death.  My grandmother next worked from what I know, so he must have done well. 

I think most people have times in their life where they are tired of their job and unmotivated.  Its the drive to want something on your own when you don't have those down times I guess that can make the difference.  I have been back on the horse at my day job.  Meaning, focused, productive and having fun.  Meanwhile, I still almost always spend my nights dreaming of bar, brewery, dog biscuits, etc.  I can't shake it.  While all things keep moving and life goes on, it's now a constant song in my head.  It's becoming part of the soundtrack of my life I guess.  I was helping again today at my favorite local hand craft brewery and realize that things take time.

I guess it's this constant drive that makes the difference and well the bug of the beer business.  I have for sure caught it and no matter how good things are now, unlike the last few months, I still want this.  When I was at Brooklyn Brewery I turned to my friend thinking and then saying, "I so want this." She rubbed my back and said, "you will." It's that reassurance that albeit small, that keeps bringing me back.  It's support from friends of my day dreaming talk, you all reading this (up to 20 a day now - who are you people?!) and hearing and reading what others have done to get there that keep me writing and keep me dreaming.  The business plan grows, the notes pile up and the yearning for it deepens. 

Pump It Up

As mentioned in previous posts, the next addition to the brewery is a pump.  We need to get something to more efficiently transfer the hot liquid around, and to help with cooling the wort after the boil.  I've been doing much research and it seems that there's only a few options.  Looks like before the next brew day I'll need the pump, some sort of new cooling mechanism, new thermoplastic tubing and some fittings.

How did this easy all-grain set up go from so simple to more and more complex and expensive so quickly?

C Clef Coffee Stout

A good friend of mine is slightly obsessed with stouts.  Milk stouts, chocolate, coffee, breakfast, you name it - he likes it.  As I wrote in What's Pouring the other day, I've decided that Mellody Brewing's next beer will be a stout, and not a breakfast or bourbon or imperial stout, as these are clearly all the rage right now.  I'm thinking a coffee stout.  One were I'll roast my own beans for addition to the recipe.  I'll spend Sunday Night Research today looking at recipes as well as how to roast my own beans.  This will be a great addition to the coffee/beer bar idea we've been floating around as well.  A product that lasts the entire day in essence.  The clef is also something I'm exploring from a branding perspective, having the beers fall in a clef range or something to match their style.

 

 

mmhmmm...Weezer and Beer

 

Friday musical intercession. Palo Santo from Dog Fish head and Weezer live on Yahoo! Music. These sessions are amazing, check them out.  These sessions give me an amazing idea for a event at the brewery...

Beer Life: Top 50 Things I Want to do Before I Die (26-30)

...we're back on this topic, sorry for the delay.

26.  Take a class on beer tasting/ homebrew judging so I can better identify flavors.

27.  Share a homebrew (or three) with relatives in Ireland.

28.  Brew a barely wine, age in oak barrel, drink a year (or two) after brewing.

29.  Work to see what I can do to create a unique strain of yeast from harvesting yeast during home brewing.

30.  Get some advertising on the site, help pay for stuff.