DRAFT Magazine

Man, it’s good to be a big-time beermaker.

In 2008, Anheuser-Busch InBev NV posted a fourth quarter profit of $29 million. Not too shabby, but it pales in comparison to this year’s $1.3 billion.

It’s not all sunshine and easy money, however. Beer volume in the United States dropped 2.1 percent while the massive conglomerate saw total volume on brews and soda fall 0.7 percent.

Of course, A-B Inbev plans to make more money in 2010 due to the merger.

“The completion of our divestiture program, consequent balance sheet improvements and successful integration of Anheuser-Busch now allow us to focus all our attention on growing the core business,” the company wrote in a statement. If you can figure out what that means, please let us know.

Remember those proposed Anheuser-Busch InBev NVlayoffs? Well, they are totally making the Belgians mad. (And the last thing anyone wants is a mad Belgian.)

The company wants to cut 263 jobs, roughly 10 percent of the country’s workforce. The employees aren’t having any of it, and may resort to a continent-wide strike.

“We’re proud,” 46-year-old Laurent Sacré told the Wall Street Journal. “Proud, and also disgusted.”

Here at DRAFTMag.com we will always support the little guy but the fact of the matter is that sales were down 30 percent. Sure A-B InBev made $3 billion during the first nine months of 2009, but they also need to make smart business decisions. Clearly the solution is to get Belgians to drink more beer. They can’t get mad about that plan, can they?

Remember when striking Anheuser-Busch InBev NV employees, mad about layoffs, almost brought Belgium to its knees? Well it might happen here, too.

Probably not, but the company announced 90 layoffs and plans up to 350 more in an effort to save $90 million. (How much were these people getting paid?)

Will A-B InBev workers take to the streets? Doubtful, but you never know. Then again, would a national shortage of Budweiser and Bud Light necessarily be a bad thing? We like the beers as much as the next guy, but it might give people an opportunity to try a couple craft brews. Winning hearts and minds, it’s what we do here at DRAFTMag.com.

St. Patrick’s Day is still more than a month away, but we already know what we’ll be drinking: St. Patrick’s Best Ale and Legbiter Ale from Strangford Lough Brewing Co. The Irish brewery recently brought its beers to America, not a moment too soon.

“St Patrick’s Best Ale is light and refreshing on the palate, with a classic Irish malt and traditional hop
aroma (ABV of 4.2 percent),” Tony Davies, managing directory, said in a release. “Legbiter Ale offers a very different flavour with an inviting citrus fragrance, in a brilliant golden ale giving a full but refreshing clean caramel malt bitter finish (ABV 4.8 percent). Whatever your taste we have a beer for you.”

Now if only March 17th would hurry up and come.

Larry Sidor sounds pleased with Jubel 2010, Deschutes Brewery’s first Reserve Series beer of the new decade. This is his job, of course, but he seems genuinely happy with the result.

“It came out better than expected,” he told us on Tuesday afternoon over a pint of Mirror Pond at The Irish Bank in downtown San Francisco.

This year marks only the second time Jubel will be bottled. (The first was the initial brewing, 10 years ago.) Some parts of the concoction spent 13 or 14 months in a barrel, although Sidor mixed in newer beer as well. The result turned out just fine.

“Flavors just melded together,” he said. “We are where we want to be.”

Not surprisingly, there were plenty of people at Deschutes willing to help Sidor test the brew.

“Guys with pitchers just kept showing up in my office,” he said. Ah, the “hazards” of being a brewmaster.

Jubel 2010 isn’t the only exciting news coming from the Bend, Oregon brewery in the next few months. The crew is hard at work creating Black Butte XXII, featuring chocolate and — new this year — chilis. The latter ingredient gave Sidor some trouble because the beer was too hot, but he’s decided to forgo them in the initial brewing process and instead add chilis into a secondary fermentation in the keg. The recipe isn’t final, but the beer will be ready for its June 27th drop date.

The Dissident, a second Reserve Series beer, will also be bottled this year. Part of the recipe calls for sour cherries that Sidor picked up on a detour during his family vacation.

“My family should have known something was up because I transferred all our stuff from the Suburban to the travel trailer to make room for the cherries,” he said.

There you have it: Showing up at Sidor’s door with a pitcher is a good plan. Going on vacation with him, maybe not.

Doing your part to save the world is such a nice feeling, especially when you get to drink beer while doing so.

During the month of February, Foothills Brewing plans to donate 10 percent of all the money spent at its brewery to the Red Cross’ Haiti relief fund. This includes the restaurant at the North Carolina-based venue. Head on over for a pint of Salem Gold or Pilot Mountain Pale Ale and stay for the food including the famous Foothills Barbaque Plate.

That tingly feeling you’re sure to get after the meal will be from going good, not from being tipsy. Well, it might be from both, actually.

(UPDATE: After we posted the news, Austin Homebrew Supply emailed us about its fund raising efforts. The company is selling a limited edition line of 13 different kits, available until the end of February 2010, and will donate all profits to the “Haitian Relief and Development” through the American Red Cross.)

Hook and Ladder Brewing Co. is jumping onboard the pumper truck and taking a field trip to Minnesota. Starting February 1, the company’s beer (including Golden Ale, which won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival and Backdraft Brown) will be available in the Twin Cities region. Additionally, H&L will continue its A Quarter in Every Case and A Penny in Every Pint charity initiatives, which donate money to local burn centers and firefighter burn organizations.

“In addition to selling award-winning beers, we’re also giving beer enthusiasts in Minnesota a chance to give back to their local heroes in the fire and rescue service every time they pick up a Hook & Ladder brew,” brewmaster and volunteer firefighter Rich Fleischer said in a statement. “That’s what sets us apart from other beers in this extremely competitive industry.”

Just like a raging wildfire, you can’t contain the growth of Hook and Ladder.

Another day, another strike solved.

Six hundred brewers and truck drivers at Carlsberg A/S’s Denmark plant who took to the streets on Friday to protest their pay will return to their jobs without much fuss.

“People are going back to work,” Carlsberg spokesman Jens Bekke said. “There have been no negotiations.”

The news comes a couple days after Anheuser-Busch InBev employees ended their work stoppage. Score two for big business crushing the unions.

Now if Carlsberg could only placate the student population.