Relief that making beer is essential
PACKAGING, production and processing of food and beverage products is an essential service during the Covid lockdown. Thank goodness!
But one of the few breweries still not producing during the Covid lockdown has been Otago Polytechnic’s Otago Brew School in Cromwell.
Five hundred litres of Schwarzbier (a black lager) made to a student’s recipe was left to finish fermenting, but staff say it will survive their absence.
However, teaching the students has continued online.
A definition of “essential” by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment I have seen quoted is “any entity involved in the supply, delivery and distribution or sale of food, beverage and other key consumer goods essential for maintaining the wellbeing of people”.
The thought that beer is essential to our wellbeing must have the health police foaming at the mouth.
Selling, apart from through supermarkets, is not an essential service though, with bars, restaurants and liquor shops (except those in licensing trust areas) closed. That meant during last year’s lockdown we drank 8 million litres less beer to the end of June than in the same three months in the previous year.
However, since then smaller breweries, in particular, have improved their online sales services.
Prices up
No, it is not your imagination: beer prices have gone up in the past several weeks.
The two major breweries are always coy about details of any increase. Lion has for years said that the drinker is not its customer and therefore believes it is under no obligation to reveal details publicly.
One of its biggest customers, Foodstuffs (New World, Pak’nSave and 4 Square) was “too busy” to answer my questions about beer price rises.
However, Lion confirms it has lifted prices on some products since July 1 when the annual excise tax rose. DB has passed on the excise tax rise and indicates further increases are on the way.
Supermarkets add about 30% to the price they pay breweries.
Selling
Lion is selling its remaining 22 Liquor King outlets. It sold 12 in 2018 and another three recently. Lion bought the chain 25 years ago.
Foodstuffs owns the 100store Liquorland chain and Henry’s (15 stores) in the South Island. Super Liquor (about 150 stores) is privately owned.
Giving in . . .
Six packs for $25 or $26 rarely tempts. It is a different matter, though, when they are on special — like Auckland brewery Sawmill’s 3 x 2 (pilsner, India pale ale and Extra pale ale) pack.
The drawcard is the pilsner (5.8%) which consistently makes it on to New World’s Top 30 with its beautifully balanced hop and malt characters.
The India pale ale (5.8%) is just as balanced, a little more bitter and full of flavour because it is unfiltered. It is also unpasteurised and therefore does not last as long. Ignore these brews if the “best before” date exceeds a couple of months and they have not been kept chilled.
The “extra” in the extra pale ale is not the strength (4.9%) but the hops. Although delivering more aroma the extra hops, again, do not dominate the malt flavour.