May 19, 2025 • 15 mins
Plus: The Evolution of American Beer: Insights from Rachel Benkowski and Inside Dovetail Distillery: Michelle Lam's Exclusive Report
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hi everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of Beverage Chronicles.
I'm your host, Gary Monterroso, and we'll get started with
some news right after this.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Your favorite blonde is back in town. Uncomplicated and refreshing
Summer Blonde by River Horse Brewing Company. It's on shelves
now rooting New Jersey for over twenty years. This four
point five percent cold and beauty pairs with laughter, good
company and sunshine distributed to South Jersey by Craamer Beverage
for twenty one or older.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Enjoy responsibly, and we're going to start today's episode with
a little bit of beer news. Cinco de Mayo, which
is celebrated on May fifth, marks Mexico's triumph over the
Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in eighteen
sixty two. Interestingly, it has become a more significant drinking
(01:04):
occasion in the US than in Mexico. However, this year,
which happened to fall on a Monday, saw a remarkable
and very notable drop in alcohol sales in the US.
The shift of Cinco de Mayo into a prominent beer
drinking event in this country can be traced back to
(01:26):
aggressive marketing by major beer companies since the nineteen eighties.
In twenty thirteen, beer sales during Cinco de Mayo surpassed
six hundred million dollars, outpacing both Saint Patrick's Day and
the Super Bowl. By twenty twenty two, beer sales during
(01:48):
Cinco de Mayo week were eight percent higher than an
average week, with commercial sales increasing by twelve percent. Yet,
according to beer Board, a tech provider for the hospitality
industry that tracks over a billion dollars in alcohol sales,
(02:09):
this year, Sincodmio saw decline in business. Overall alcohol sales
dropped by seven point three percent year over year in
on premise locations like bars and restaurants, while draft beer
sales remain relatively stable, with only a one point six
(02:29):
percent decrease on Sinco Demio. The Brewers Association, which represents
small and independent craft brewers in America, has published its
annual production statistics for the US craft brewing sector, shedding
light on the new dynamics of a maturing market and
(02:49):
a fast changing landscape. In twenty twenty four, craft brewers
produced twenty three point one million barrels of beer, a
three point nine percent decline from twenty twenty three, the
craft beer market share by volume slightly decreased to thirteen
(03:10):
point three per cent, coinciding with a one point two
percent drop in the overall US beer market volume. Despite this,
the retail dollar value of craft beer rose to an
estimated twenty eight point eight billion dollars, reflecting a three
percent increase from the previous year, driven by price adjustments
(03:34):
and strong on site sales that outperformed distributed sales In
many areas. Craft beer represented twenty four point seven percent
of total beer market retail dollar sales in twenty twenty four.
There were nine thousand, seven hundred ninety six active craft
(03:56):
breweries in the US, Includingerouan, twenty nine microbreweries, three thousand,
five hundred fifty two brewpubs, three thousand, nine hundred thirty
six teproom breweries, and two hundred seventy nine regional craft breweries.
(04:17):
This year marked the first time since two thousand five
that brewery closures outnumbered openings nationwide. However, the total number
of brewers in the US still grew to nine thousand,
nine hundred twenty two, up from nine thousand, eight hundred
thirty eight in twenty twenty three, with four hundred thirty
(04:41):
new breweries opening and five hundred twenty nine closing. Although
the number of openings has declined for the fourth consecutive
year due to intense competition, the closure rate remains relatively low,
at around five percent. Small brewers are facing challenge from
(05:01):
rising ingredient costs, changing consumer preferences, and heightened competition in
a crowded market. Tariffs on imported brewing equipment steel kegs,
aluminum cans, and essential ingredients like hops and mal add
to these financial strains. These increased costs can be particularly
(05:23):
tough for small and independent breweries, which typically operate with
narrow profit margins. Consequently, many are compelled to postpone expansion plans,
increase prices, or absorb losses, further intensifying the challenges facing
the craft beer sector. And with that, here is our
(05:47):
Rachel Benkowski.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
What is up, everybody?
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Rachel Benkowski here aka brewis with beer Kowski and I
am here to talk to you today about some beer history.
I'm a certified cicerone and i am a historian, and
today we're going to be talking about beers that were
born in the USA. So let's get nerdy and now
let's raise a toast to some truly homegrown American beer styles.
(06:14):
These aren't imports or imitations. They're uniquely born in the USA,
each with a story as rich as their flavors. So
let's dive into the history of three iconic American beers,
pumpkin beer, cream ale, and steam beer. We'll start with
the pumpkin beer, a style that stretches all the way
(06:34):
back to the earliest days of America. When settlers arrived
in the New World, traditional brewing ingredients like barley were
in short supply. Enter pumpkins, an abundant and versatile crop
native to North America. They became a critical substitute, mashed
and fermented to provide the sugars needed for brewing. Even
(06:54):
George Washington is said to have brewed beer with pumpkin
as an ingredient, embracing its pre tocality. The first written
American beer recipe, recorded in seventeen seventy one, also featured
pumpkin prominently. Today, pumpkin beer has transformed into a seasonal favorite,
packed with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. While
(07:15):
colonial brews were practical, today's pumpkin ales are a celebration
of autumn flavors, bringing nostalgia and warmth to every glass.
Next up is cream ale, a beer born in the
nineteenth century when American brewers faced competition from the influx
of German laggers. Determined to hold their ground, they created
(07:36):
a hybrid style, a light and crisp like lager, but
brewed with ale yeast. This uniquely American invention was designed
for efficiency, as it could be brewed quickly and consumed fresh.
Cream Ales flourished in the Industrial era, with breweries in
the Northeast like Genesee Brewing making the style very famous.
(07:57):
Their smooth texture and clean finish made the mistable during
the pre craft era, bridging the gap between old world
ales and new thirst for laggers. Today, cream ale remains
a beloved classic, celebrated for its approachable flavor and versatility.
And then there's the steam beer, also known as the
California common. This one has a Wild West origin story.
(08:21):
During the Gold Rush in the mid eighteen hundreds, brewers
in California wanted to produce beer for thirsty miners, but
refrigeration was a luxury they did not have, so they
improvised fermenting Lagger yeast at warmer temperatures than normal. The
name steam beer likely comes from the clouds of steam
that would rise as brewers cooled the beer on the
(08:44):
rooftops in the San Francisco night air. The result was
a bold, maulty beer with a touch of caramel sweetness
and a crisp bite, perfect for hard working miners. Anchor
Brewing Company, founded in eighteen ninety six and revitalized in
the nineteen sixties, made steam beer an enduring symbol of
(09:05):
California ingenuity and helped preserve it as a distinctly American style.
Pumpkin beer, cream ale, and steam beer are three styles
that showcase the adaptability and creativity of American brewers. Each
one tells a story of its time, from colonial practicality
to frontier improvisation and industrial innovation, and each one remains
(09:29):
a testament to the spirit of American brewing. So the
next time you crack open a pumpkin ale, sip on
a creamal, or savor a California common, remember you are
tasting a piece of American history.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
I'm Michelle Lamb with Beverig Chronicles, and I'm here at
the New York City Whiskey and Spirits Festival speaking with
some of the top spirits brands to learn more about
their craft and what makes them stand out in the industry.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit
about your friend.
Speaker 6 (10:02):
Yeah, my name is Nick Cataldo Mike champin Stuftail Distillery
out of Moundhouse, Nevada. I make an oat whiskey, wheat, malt,
wheat and oats. I do all the malting, milling and
mashing everything myself in a small little warehouse. My age
in small barrels, as I said, a fifteen dollon number
three char barrels out of Minnesota. Very unique style of whiskey.
(10:27):
Moats are once a popular brewer strain until the Potato
family and then they pulled back from that and the
small barrel aging would have been more traditional on the
western front here two hundred years ago because that's what
they would harry to prop with them on their carriages,
probably from New York. So you know, what I do
(10:49):
is very very unique to the market. Not a lot
of people they do it, especially from the ogust inside.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
What makes you spear unique compared to others?
Speaker 6 (10:58):
My Mashville typically in a world of bourbon where you
have barley rye horn, I use meat mall and eat
a whole week specifically, and oat oat roaths. That would
have been more of the tradition with what people brought
across the country with them, along with maybe ryeberry also
from New York, because that's what the family and by
(11:20):
part of the country, horn does naturally grow ith to grow.
But if we were talking across the central we brought
wheat to feed your family, oats to feed your livestock,
just like we do today, and you would grown rye
grass because that will grow through any type of winter
harley out there. So I try to really pay homage
(11:41):
to with their cares and eights.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
For someone trying a spirit for the very first time,
how would you recommend enjoying it?
Speaker 6 (11:51):
So most of my spirits are very high prow where
they've been gone at high crew. Really sip it slowly,
sip it need so you know what you're getting yourself
up into. Nice, especially when you get into the cast strength.
Conspect that I produced very very smooth its light on
the front, but it's still pushing one hundred approve, but
(12:13):
it'll catch up with you. Wig and my my honey
whisky and starts out at a hundred. But because it's
not diluted with water, if it's only like honey and water,
so you're getting bull strength height, it is still essentially
a Scott.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (12:30):
So it's take your time, get used to it, and
then enjoy it. From there, figure out how.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
What Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Where get our audience products and follow your journey.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
You can follow me on social media's Dovetail Distillery or
check out the website Dovetail Distillery dot com.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
Shoot me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I always respond,
go on my web page and connecting me there. I
respond to that as well.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (12:56):
I do my best. It is just me. I'm doing
this all about myself, but I do.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 6 (13:02):
You appreciate it for me.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
And we're going to close out this week's show with
some not very happy news, and that is in Woodbury,
New Jersey. Ate and Sand Brewery has announced that they
are selling their business again. That's in Woodbury, New Jersey.
This is a forty two hundred eighty five square foot building.
It's listed for six hundred and ninety nine thousand dollars.
(13:25):
Now you're going to be buying the building. As I mentioned,
I talk with Christmasone, an owner of the company, who
explained to me that the brewery opened in twenty sixteen
and was really hoping that the company would take off
and become more successful than it was. I enjoyed going there.
I enjoyed the guys, all the help there, the beers
I thought were quite delicious. Free welcoming location in Woodbury.
(13:49):
But Chris brought up an interesting point. He said, when
the company opened in twenty sixteen, New Jersey was in
the bottom five craft beer drinking states per capita. And
I looked at up and that, in fact is true.
Just for your knowledge, the average US consumption per adult
of beer aged twenty one and over is around twenty
(14:10):
eight point two gallons per person per year. New Jersey
came in at number forty nine at twenty two point
four gallons. If you're wondering. The number one state in
terms of beer consumption per capita is North Dakota at
forty five point eight gallons of beer. And that's it
(14:34):
for this week's episode of Beverage Chronicles. Remember you can
catch us Saturdays at eight forty five in the morning
on Radio Garden State as well as all top podcasts platforms,
and I will say that we are going to be
expanding our presence over the next few months and will
certainly let you know. Have a good week everyone, See
(14:56):
you next time.
Hi everyone, and welcome to this week's episode of Beverage Chronicles.
I'm your host, Gary Monterroso, and we'll get started with
some news right after this.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Your favorite blonde is back in town. Uncomplicated and refreshing
Summer Blonde by River Horse Brewing Company. It's on shelves
now rooting New Jersey for over twenty years. This four
point five percent cold and beauty pairs with laughter, good
company and sunshine distributed to South Jersey by Craamer Beverage
for twenty one or older.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Enjoy responsibly, and we're going to start today's episode with
a little bit of beer news. Cinco de Mayo, which
is celebrated on May fifth, marks Mexico's triumph over the
Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in eighteen
sixty two. Interestingly, it has become a more significant drinking
(01:04):
occasion in the US than in Mexico. However, this year,
which happened to fall on a Monday, saw a remarkable
and very notable drop in alcohol sales in the US.
The shift of Cinco de Mayo into a prominent beer
drinking event in this country can be traced back to
(01:26):
aggressive marketing by major beer companies since the nineteen eighties.
In twenty thirteen, beer sales during Cinco de Mayo surpassed
six hundred million dollars, outpacing both Saint Patrick's Day and
the Super Bowl. By twenty twenty two, beer sales during
(01:48):
Cinco de Mayo week were eight percent higher than an
average week, with commercial sales increasing by twelve percent. Yet,
according to beer Board, a tech provider for the hospitality
industry that tracks over a billion dollars in alcohol sales,
(02:09):
this year, Sincodmio saw decline in business. Overall alcohol sales
dropped by seven point three percent year over year in
on premise locations like bars and restaurants, while draft beer
sales remain relatively stable, with only a one point six
(02:29):
percent decrease on Sinco Demio. The Brewers Association, which represents
small and independent craft brewers in America, has published its
annual production statistics for the US craft brewing sector, shedding
light on the new dynamics of a maturing market and
(02:49):
a fast changing landscape. In twenty twenty four, craft brewers
produced twenty three point one million barrels of beer, a
three point nine percent decline from twenty twenty three, the
craft beer market share by volume slightly decreased to thirteen
(03:10):
point three per cent, coinciding with a one point two
percent drop in the overall US beer market volume. Despite this,
the retail dollar value of craft beer rose to an
estimated twenty eight point eight billion dollars, reflecting a three
percent increase from the previous year, driven by price adjustments
(03:34):
and strong on site sales that outperformed distributed sales In
many areas. Craft beer represented twenty four point seven percent
of total beer market retail dollar sales in twenty twenty four.
There were nine thousand, seven hundred ninety six active craft
(03:56):
breweries in the US, Includingerouan, twenty nine microbreweries, three thousand,
five hundred fifty two brewpubs, three thousand, nine hundred thirty
six teproom breweries, and two hundred seventy nine regional craft breweries.
(04:17):
This year marked the first time since two thousand five
that brewery closures outnumbered openings nationwide. However, the total number
of brewers in the US still grew to nine thousand,
nine hundred twenty two, up from nine thousand, eight hundred
thirty eight in twenty twenty three, with four hundred thirty
(04:41):
new breweries opening and five hundred twenty nine closing. Although
the number of openings has declined for the fourth consecutive
year due to intense competition, the closure rate remains relatively low,
at around five percent. Small brewers are facing challenge from
(05:01):
rising ingredient costs, changing consumer preferences, and heightened competition in
a crowded market. Tariffs on imported brewing equipment steel kegs,
aluminum cans, and essential ingredients like hops and mal add
to these financial strains. These increased costs can be particularly
(05:23):
tough for small and independent breweries, which typically operate with
narrow profit margins. Consequently, many are compelled to postpone expansion plans,
increase prices, or absorb losses, further intensifying the challenges facing
the craft beer sector. And with that, here is our
(05:47):
Rachel Benkowski.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
What is up, everybody?
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Rachel Benkowski here aka brewis with beer Kowski and I
am here to talk to you today about some beer history.
I'm a certified cicerone and i am a historian, and
today we're going to be talking about beers that were
born in the USA. So let's get nerdy and now
let's raise a toast to some truly homegrown American beer styles.
(06:14):
These aren't imports or imitations. They're uniquely born in the USA,
each with a story as rich as their flavors. So
let's dive into the history of three iconic American beers,
pumpkin beer, cream ale, and steam beer. We'll start with
the pumpkin beer, a style that stretches all the way
(06:34):
back to the earliest days of America. When settlers arrived
in the New World, traditional brewing ingredients like barley were
in short supply. Enter pumpkins, an abundant and versatile crop
native to North America. They became a critical substitute, mashed
and fermented to provide the sugars needed for brewing. Even
(06:54):
George Washington is said to have brewed beer with pumpkin
as an ingredient, embracing its pre tocality. The first written
American beer recipe, recorded in seventeen seventy one, also featured
pumpkin prominently. Today, pumpkin beer has transformed into a seasonal favorite,
packed with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. While
(07:15):
colonial brews were practical, today's pumpkin ales are a celebration
of autumn flavors, bringing nostalgia and warmth to every glass.
Next up is cream ale, a beer born in the
nineteenth century when American brewers faced competition from the influx
of German laggers. Determined to hold their ground, they created
(07:36):
a hybrid style, a light and crisp like lager, but
brewed with ale yeast. This uniquely American invention was designed
for efficiency, as it could be brewed quickly and consumed fresh.
Cream Ales flourished in the Industrial era, with breweries in
the Northeast like Genesee Brewing making the style very famous.
(07:57):
Their smooth texture and clean finish made the mistable during
the pre craft era, bridging the gap between old world
ales and new thirst for laggers. Today, cream ale remains
a beloved classic, celebrated for its approachable flavor and versatility.
And then there's the steam beer, also known as the
California common. This one has a Wild West origin story.
(08:21):
During the Gold Rush in the mid eighteen hundreds, brewers
in California wanted to produce beer for thirsty miners, but
refrigeration was a luxury they did not have, so they
improvised fermenting Lagger yeast at warmer temperatures than normal. The
name steam beer likely comes from the clouds of steam
that would rise as brewers cooled the beer on the
(08:44):
rooftops in the San Francisco night air. The result was
a bold, maulty beer with a touch of caramel sweetness
and a crisp bite, perfect for hard working miners. Anchor
Brewing Company, founded in eighteen ninety six and revitalized in
the nineteen sixties, made steam beer an enduring symbol of
(09:05):
California ingenuity and helped preserve it as a distinctly American style.
Pumpkin beer, cream ale, and steam beer are three styles
that showcase the adaptability and creativity of American brewers. Each
one tells a story of its time, from colonial practicality
to frontier improvisation and industrial innovation, and each one remains
(09:29):
a testament to the spirit of American brewing. So the
next time you crack open a pumpkin ale, sip on
a creamal, or savor a California common, remember you are
tasting a piece of American history.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
I'm Michelle Lamb with Beverig Chronicles, and I'm here at
the New York City Whiskey and Spirits Festival speaking with
some of the top spirits brands to learn more about
their craft and what makes them stand out in the industry.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit
about your friend.
Speaker 6 (10:02):
Yeah, my name is Nick Cataldo Mike champin Stuftail Distillery
out of Moundhouse, Nevada. I make an oat whiskey, wheat, malt,
wheat and oats. I do all the malting, milling and
mashing everything myself in a small little warehouse. My age
in small barrels, as I said, a fifteen dollon number
three char barrels out of Minnesota. Very unique style of whiskey.
(10:27):
Moats are once a popular brewer strain until the Potato
family and then they pulled back from that and the
small barrel aging would have been more traditional on the
western front here two hundred years ago because that's what
they would harry to prop with them on their carriages,
probably from New York. So you know, what I do
(10:49):
is very very unique to the market. Not a lot
of people they do it, especially from the ogust inside.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
What makes you spear unique compared to others?
Speaker 6 (10:58):
My Mashville typically in a world of bourbon where you
have barley rye horn, I use meat mall and eat
a whole week specifically, and oat oat roaths. That would
have been more of the tradition with what people brought
across the country with them, along with maybe ryeberry also
from New York, because that's what the family and by
(11:20):
part of the country, horn does naturally grow ith to grow.
But if we were talking across the central we brought
wheat to feed your family, oats to feed your livestock,
just like we do today, and you would grown rye
grass because that will grow through any type of winter
harley out there. So I try to really pay homage
(11:41):
to with their cares and eights.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
For someone trying a spirit for the very first time,
how would you recommend enjoying it?
Speaker 6 (11:51):
So most of my spirits are very high prow where
they've been gone at high crew. Really sip it slowly,
sip it need so you know what you're getting yourself
up into. Nice, especially when you get into the cast strength.
Conspect that I produced very very smooth its light on
the front, but it's still pushing one hundred approve, but
(12:13):
it'll catch up with you. Wig and my my honey
whisky and starts out at a hundred. But because it's
not diluted with water, if it's only like honey and water,
so you're getting bull strength height, it is still essentially
a Scott.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (12:30):
So it's take your time, get used to it, and
then enjoy it. From there, figure out how.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
What Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Where get our audience products and follow your journey.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
You can follow me on social media's Dovetail Distillery or
check out the website Dovetail Distillery dot com.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
Shoot me a message on Instagram or Facebook. I always respond,
go on my web page and connecting me there. I
respond to that as well.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (12:56):
I do my best. It is just me. I'm doing
this all about myself, but I do.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 6 (13:02):
You appreciate it for me.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
And we're going to close out this week's show with
some not very happy news, and that is in Woodbury,
New Jersey. Ate and Sand Brewery has announced that they
are selling their business again. That's in Woodbury, New Jersey.
This is a forty two hundred eighty five square foot building.
It's listed for six hundred and ninety nine thousand dollars.
(13:25):
Now you're going to be buying the building. As I mentioned,
I talk with Christmasone, an owner of the company, who
explained to me that the brewery opened in twenty sixteen
and was really hoping that the company would take off
and become more successful than it was. I enjoyed going there.
I enjoyed the guys, all the help there, the beers
I thought were quite delicious. Free welcoming location in Woodbury.
(13:49):
But Chris brought up an interesting point. He said, when
the company opened in twenty sixteen, New Jersey was in
the bottom five craft beer drinking states per capita. And
I looked at up and that, in fact is true.
Just for your knowledge, the average US consumption per adult
of beer aged twenty one and over is around twenty
(14:10):
eight point two gallons per person per year. New Jersey
came in at number forty nine at twenty two point
four gallons. If you're wondering. The number one state in
terms of beer consumption per capita is North Dakota at
forty five point eight gallons of beer. And that's it
(14:34):
for this week's episode of Beverage Chronicles. Remember you can
catch us Saturdays at eight forty five in the morning
on Radio Garden State as well as all top podcasts platforms,
and I will say that we are going to be
expanding our presence over the next few months and will
certainly let you know. Have a good week everyone, See
(14:56):
you next time.
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