Well, it looks like we have another cool Saturday in store just in time for another beer event. But that never keeps us beer nerds down, we always persevere. Here’s the Round-Up:

Stuff from around the web

• The Los Angeles Times discusses the high price of beer costs and gets Stephen Hale’s good side in the process.
• Kevin Adams from the blog Spectre’s Sayings provides his thoughts on Schlafly 15.
• Granite City Food & Brewery keeps opening stores and losses keep getting bigger.
• The Beer Evangelists review one of my favorite local beers, the Schlafly APA.

Beer Releases and News

• Andrew from Bon Vivant Wines informs me to some new beers he has in his stock:
  • Founder’s Rubaeus
  • DFH Aprihop
  • Jolly Pumkin Calabaza Blanca
  • Two Brother’s Monarch White
  • Hofbrau Maibock
• Paul at The Wine and Cheese Place in Clayton alerts me to some new beers he has in stock:
  • Boulevard Smokestack Series
  • Bud Light Lime
  • Schlafly Export IPA
  • Mahr’s Weisse
  • Hopback Summer Lightning
  • Wychwood Scarecrow
  • Nethergate Old Growler
• Ric at Sybergs on Gravois alerts me to some new beers he’s carrying for your drinking enjoyment:
  • O’Fallon - Wheach
  • O’Fallon - 5 Day IPA
• Jerad Gardner, of the Rotten Apple lets me know about his most current draught selection. If you haven’t been to the Rotten Apple, take the time to visit:
  • Lagunitas Brewing - IPA
  • Dogfish Head Brewing - 60 min IPA
  • Founders Brewing - Centennial IPA
  • Two Brothers Brewing - Cane and Ebel
• Chris at Randall’s Wine & Spirits alerts me to some new beers sets he has in stock at the Fairview Heights Randall’s:
  • Fort Collins Double Choc.Stout
  • Pyramid Curveball
  • Lost Coast Indica IPA
  • Boulder Sweaty Betty Blonde
  • Left Hand Sawtooth ESB
  • Avery Collabaration Not Litigation
  • Avery Maharaja IPA
  • De Ranke Xx Bitter
  • Schlafly Export IPA
• Chris is also expecting these beers in today at the St. Louis Randall’s:
  • Boulevard Smokestack Series
  • Schlafly Export IPA
  • Southern Tier Un-Earthly IPA
  • Southern Tier Uber Sun
  • Southern Tier Hoppe
  • Wittekerke Beer
  • Fort Collins Mix 12 pk

Here’s a list of upcoming beer events:

• May 3 - National Homebrew Day
• May 8, 9, 10 - St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival

As fellow beer enthusiasts you may or may not be aware that hop and malt prices have sky rocketed. In fact trying to find specific types of hops right now is near impossible. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has picked up on the story of local brewers hop pinch.

For now, it’s a mad dash among small breweries to find supplies of the hops that define their brews. Brewmasters are mulling ad hoc recipes to mimic certain flavors in case they can’t get the usual varieties of hops. Suppliers are tightening payment terms, demanding faster cash.

Hops are “incredibly scarce,” said Daran Churovich, brewmaster at Kirkwood brewpub Alandale Brewing Co. “Everybody’s scrambling.”

Much of beer’s flavor and aroma is affected by hops; not being able to purchase the hops that are specific to the commercial beer you’re producing could lead to a noticeable change in the beer itself. One of the most important aspects of the brewing industry is consistency. You want every pint, every bottle and every keg to taste the same from one batch to the next. Being forced to change what hops you use puts a real crimp into your consistency.

This hop scarcity problem isn’t affecting just the big (or little) boys, but homebrewers as well. Talking to Dave a few weeks ago at St. Louis Wine and Beermaking he was pretty frustrated about the lack of hop availability. Fortunately, homebrewers are a bit luckier in this regard. We’re not selling a product, we’re brewing beer to drink for ourselves and friends. We have the luxury of experimenting and using newer or more unusual hops such as Marynka (Polish,) Pride of Ringwood (Austalian,) Progress (UK,) or Newport (US.)

I have a feeling over the next few years in the US we’re going to see the strongest craft breweries survive and those that are producing mediocre beers being to falter and close up. No matter what, we’re all going to be paying a higher price in the end.

_{Thanks to Jim for the Denver Post article.}