Category Archives: Community

Community, Craft Breweries, Experiential Drinking

Inside The Five and The Experience Economy

June 27, 2024 The Beer Professor

I am not a football fan (the American variety that is), but I do know that the phrase “inside the five” refers to the zone between the five-yard line and the goal. It is also the name of a brewery (with three locations) in northwest Ohio. Inside the Five Brewing Co. was established in 2018, with the first location opening in Sylvania, OH. Two of the brewery’s owners, Chris Morris and Brandon Fields, were at Michigan State University together – the former was an offensive linesman and the latter a punter on Spartans football team. Both would go on to play in the NFL – Chris with the Oakland Raiders and Brandon with the Miami Dolphins. Such was their desire to make craft beer more accessible to more people in northwest Ohio, they opened a second and third location in Perrysburg, OH in 2020 and Toledo, OH in 2023. After its opening, all beer production was consolidated at their Toledo facility. In 2024, they opened a taproom at the Toledo facility.

On Father’s Day weekend, I visited all three of Inside the Five’s (ITF) within the space of three days. While it had not been my intention to do so at the start of the weekend, circumstances transpired that I ended up enjoying beer at all three venues. On the Thursday evening, I got a text from a friend asking for suggestions as to where we could meet the next afternoon to watch the opening game of the European Soccer Championships between Germany and Scotland. I suggested a local sports bar, but Glynn made the case for ITF in Sylvania. So that is where we met, and while my team, Scotland, were on the wrong end of a 5-1 drubbing, I at least was able to watch it while enjoying some excellent local beer.

Sunday was Father’s Day of course. My wife had already suggested ITF in Perrysburg for a Father’s Day dinner. She chose it because it was a brewery taproom (and she knows I like breweries) and because of its location near her stepmother’s apartment. Her stepmother had recently undergone a second hip replacement surgery, so a dinner venue nearby seemed like a good idea. So, I knew that I was going there.

What I did not know, however, is that my wife had made plans (with my youngest daughter and her boyfriend) to take me to ITF in Toledo in the afternoon of Father’s Day. In many respects, this is the most impressive of the three ITF locations. As I noted above, all of ITF’s production occurs there in a beautiful purpose-built production facility/taproom. This location is named The Fieldhouse, a nod to its proximity to the University of Toledo

What really impresses me about this location, however, is the way that they have developed and utilize their sizeable outside space which sits at the back of the brewery. When we arrived just after 1:00pm a farmer’s market (including craft vendors) was in full swing. This occurs every Sunday during the June – September from 11am-3pm. The fact that the number of vendors was relatively small probably reflects the fact that the market is in its infancy (it had only been going for a few weeks). I am sure that it will grow as the summer progresses.

The newly established Farmer’s Market at Toledo’s Inside The Five Brewery (Photo taken by Neil Reid)

The newly established Farmer’s Market at Toledo’s Inside The Five Brewery (Source: Inside the Five’s Facebook Page)

While ITF’s other two locations are more oriented towards adults, its Toledo location is clearly designed to attract families, including those with young children. While I was there, I saw a number of families sitting on the brewery’s outdoor patio and children playing in the purpose-built play area. For those who want to be more active while enjoying one of ITF’s excellent beers, there are a number of outdoor yard games available such as cornhole, for customers to enjoy. If the weather is not conducive to being outside a nice selection of board games are available. The outdoor space also includes a firepit, where folks can sit down and enjoy a beer and perhaps something to eat from one of the rotating food trucks when the weather is cooler.

Toledo’s Inside The Five Brewery offers a number of experiences for its patrons (Photo taken by Neil Reid)

One of the rotating food trucks that sets up at Toledo’s Inside The Five Brewery (Photo taken by Neil Reid)

Fire Pit at Toledo’s Inside The Five Brewery (Source: Inside the Five’s Facebook Page)

Games available for customers to play (Photo taken by Neil Reid)

ITF’s Toledo location is part of two larger trends that have been manifest in the American craft brewing scene for a number of years. These are a desire to be a different kind of drinking space, where children are welcome and where there is more do than just drink beer.

As noted in a 2018 report published by the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, “while breweries have a reputation for attracting young people, . . . they appeal to families as well. They provide an atmosphere that is comfortable for parents and their children to eat and enjoy social time with others”. This is exactly what is happening at ITF’s Toledo location.

ITF has also positioned its Toledo brewery to be part of what is termed the “experience economy”. According to Bart Watson, Chief Economist of the Brewers Association, experiential drinking, which he defines as “not just going to drink” but “going to do something… and drink”, is on the rise. And, according to Nielsen, Craft breweries are proving very adept providing “new and creative experiences for craft drinkers to engage with their favorite brews”

The term “experience economy” is an interesting one. It was coined, as far as I can tell, by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore in a paper published in the Harvard Business Review in 1988. There are ample data to show that people are increasingly spending more of their disposable income on experiences rather than things. This is particularly the case for the millennial cohort (the demographic frequently cited as the driving force behind craft beer’s popularity). Part of the reason why this might be the case is that, compared with things, purchasing experiences brings people more enduring happiness. Indeed, in a paper published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, Ellizabeth Dunn and her co-authors suggest that to enhance their level of happiness, “consumers should buy more experiences and fewer material goods”. This is especially true of individuals with higher levels of disposable income (e.g., craft beer drinkers).

But why should purchasing experiences rather than things make people happier? In a paper published in Advances in Experimental Social Psychology in 2015, Thomas Gilovich and Amit Kumar suggest several reasons. These include the fact that experiences are often shared with other people, are less susceptible to unfavorable and unpleasant comparisons, and are less likely to invoke feelings of regret.

So, breweries that provide their patrons opportunities to engage in experiential drinking are in sync with a large portion of their customer base. The experiences offered by breweries do not need to be sophisticated or cost a lot of money to provide. Sitting round a fire pit with friends or playing a game of corn hole are often sufficient.

Inside the Five’s Toledo location is an excellent addition to its west Toledo neighborhood. The owners have taken a piece of undeveloped land and turned into an oasis where families and friends can go and have a beer and enjoy the amenities on offer. When I was there on Father’s Day, I noticed that there were still a couple parts of their property that remained undeveloped. I’ll be interested to see what they decide to do with these spaces.

Further Reading:

Dunn, Elizabeth W., Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson. 2011. If money doesn’t make you happy, then you probably aren’t spending it right. Journal of Consumer Psychology, Volume 21, Issue 2, Pages 115-125.

Gilovich, Thomas and Amit Kumar. 2015. We’ll always have Paris: The hedonic payoff from experiential and material investments. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 51, Pages 147-187.

Pine, B. Joseph II and James H. Gilmore. 1998. Welcome to the experience economy. Harvard Business Review, Volume 76, Issue 4, Pages 97-105.

Adaptive Reuse, Brewery Names, Community, Craft Breweries

Hop Atomica

April 25, 2023 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

I was in Savannah, GA last month. As with many of my out-of-town trips, I was attending an academic conference. This time is was the annual meeting of the Southern Regional Science Association. My last visit to Savannah had been in 2007, so I was keen to reacquaint myself with the city. As usual, in advance of the trip, I did my homework on local craft breweries. My research uncovered six breweries – Coastal Empire Beer Company, Hop Atomica, Moon River Brewing Company, Service Brewing Co., Southbound Brewing Company, Two Tides Brewing Company. During my stay in Savannah, I managed to visit three of them – Hop Atomica, Moon River, and Service. Of the three, it was Hop Atomica that I found most interesting.

Opened in 2020, in the city’s Baldwin Park neighborhood Hop Atomica is both a brewery and a distillery. The brewery was about a 40-minute walk from my hotel, so when I arrived, I was ready for a beer. The bartender set me up with Base Tan, an American Pale Ale that came in at 6.1% ABV. After another Base Tan, I wound up my visit to Hop Atomica with New Math, a Session IPA that came in at 3.5% ABV.

Base Tan, an American Pale Ale, that came in at 6.1% ABV

There were a number of things that I really liked about Hop Atomica. First, apart from good beer, the brewery had a bartender who was friendly and knowledgeable. I admit that I was there at a time when there were few customers around and so Adam, my bartender, was in a position where he could engage with me and answer my questions about the beer and the brewery. For me personally, a knowledgeable bartender enhances my brewery experience. Many breweries recognize that the way in which brewery staff interact with patrons is important. Indeed, many craft breweries train their staff in the art of customer relations. In the case of a brewery, it is not enough to be friendly and attentive. Staff members, particularly bar tenders and wait staff, have to be knowledgeable (and passionate) about the product they are selling. This is where staff training takes center stage. At Bear Republic Brewing Co. in Rohnert Park, CA, for example, new bartenders have to complete Beer Boot Camp, during which they learn about the history of beer, specific styles, etc. New hires are also required to take and pass Cicerone’s Certified Beer Server Exam within 90 days of starting employment. In preparing for the exam, brewery staff will learn about a range of topics, including about different styles of beer, the use of proper glassware, how to pour beer etc.

Adam – one of Hop Atomica’s bartenders pouring my beer

The second thing that I liked about Hop Atomica, as I learned from my conversation with Adam, was that the brewery was housed in what had once been a gas station. It was an excellent example of what is called adaptive reuse – taking an unused abandoned building, putting it to a new use, and thus breathing new life into it. Adaptive reuse is a common practice in the craft brewing industry – breweries across the United States can be found in old churches, fire stations, banks, warehouses etc. There are numerous advantages to adaptive reuse, including maintaining cultural heritage and slowing the pace of urban sprawl. It also gives beer drinkers like me a unique and interesting venue in which to enjoy a beer.

Hop Atomica is housed in a building that used to be a gas station

Third, Hop Atomica has a program whereby it supports local artists. As I learned from, Adam, the brewery serves as a rotating gallery for local artists who can hang (and sell) their artwork. While I was sitting at the bar, there was a young lady hanging artwork on one of the brewery walls. The artist was Mahsa Yousefi, the owner of Moon Child Studio. Mahsa’s medium is Surreal Psychedelic Art, whose purpose is to “to display, psychologically, the realism of the unconscious mind”. The art was eye-popping and certainly added a rainbow of color to what was, when I walked in, a bare white wall. Just last week, I was in Yellow Springs Brewery in Yellow Springs, OH and was pleased to see that this brewery also provided wall space to support local artists. Craft breweries have a reputation for supporting their local community. Whether it’s raising money for local charities, serving as flexible community spaces for activities such as yoga classes, or organizing family friendly bike rides, craft breweries are constantly looking for opportunities to support the community that support them.

Mahsa Yousefi, the owner of Moon Child Studio, hangs some of her art

Yellow Springs Brewery in Yellow Springs, OH supports local artists by displaying and selling their work

While at Hop Atomica I posted on social media the fact that I was there. This prompted one of my friends to ask as to whether the name of the brewery had a connection to any local activity or historical event. In other words, did Savannah have some “atomic” connection. I had already left the brewery by the time my friend had posted the question, so I could not ask the bartender. But as always, there is Google, and a quick search showed that in 1958 there was a mid-air collision when an F-86 fighter plane collided with the B-47 bomber carrying a 7,600-pound (3,400 kg) Mark 15 nuclear bomb over Tybee Island near Savannah. The collision saw the F-86 lose its wing and the fuel tanks of the B-47 suffered heavy damage. The pilot of the B-47, fearing the bomb would become detached during landing, ditched the bomb in the water below. Despite subsequent searches for the bomb, it was never found. Whether this event inspired the name of Hop Atomica I do not know, but it is a possibility.

Hop Atomica is a microcosm of many things that I like about the craft brewing industry – good beer, friendly and knowledgeable staff, breathing new life into a once abandoned building, and supporting the local community. Well done Hop Atomica.

Community, Events, Experiential Drinking, Health

Experiential Drinking: Building a Terrarium

November 21, 2022 The Beer Professor 2 Comments

Back in September, I went with my wife and daughter to HEAVY Beer Company, one of the newer breweries here in Toledo, OH. I was going to drink beer, but that was not the primary reason why my wife and daughter were heading to the brewery. They were going to build a terrarium – yes, a terrarium. In case you are not familiar with a terrarium, definitions range from “a jar of dirt and some weeds” to “a sealed or unsealed container that contains elements of a terrestrial ecosystem“. More about the construction of my wife and daughter’s terrariums later, but first a little background on these living ecosystems.

Regardless of how it is defined, the word “terrarium” has its origins from the Latin word for earth, terra. The first terrarium was created by a British botanist by the name of Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward in the 1820s. It was something of an accidental creation on the part of Ward. Investigating how different gases effected plants, Ward discovered that plants sealed in glass containers did pretty well. His first terrarium was a simple affair – a fern sealed in a jar. Ward’s discovery significantly increased the survival rate (from 5% to 95%) for plants being shipped long distances. As proof of concept, Ward had a carpenter build two large terrariums which he filled with ferns. In July 1833 the terrariums were loaded on a ship bound for Sydney, Australia where they arrived six months later “alive and thriving“. In 1842, Ward published a small book in which he documented the results of his work which focused on the benefits of putting plants in glass cases.

Terrariums (or Wardian Cases as they were originally known) were popular in Victorian Britain. Their popularity soon spread to the United States. In the late 19th century “terrariums were all the rage“. Their popularity declined during the early 20th century, but “experienced a resurgence in the 1970s” and remain popular today. The appeal of terrariums is multi-faceted; they are low maintenance, do not take up a lot of space, and can be good for your mental health.

Whatever the motivation for owning one, a group of approximately twenty gathered at HEAVY Beer Company for a “Plants and Pints” workshop, where they would make their own terrarium. Helping these folks achieve their lifelong dream of terrarium ownership were Greer and Matt, owners of The Green Crow, which they describe as “Toledo’s First and Only Mobile House Plant Store“. During the course of an hour or so, Greer and Matt led the group through the process of making a terrarium. Of course, participants enjoyed a number of the brewery’s excellent beers while doing so.

Making a terrarium at HEAVY Beer Co. in Toledo, OH

All of those making a terrarium at HEAVY Brewing Co. were engaged in a practice called “experiential drinking” – that is drinking a beer while engaged in some other type of activity. Examples of experiential drinking abound. At Prison City Brewing in Auburn, NY a group of fifteen folks met one evening recently for a painting lesson from artist Christy Lemp. While Lemp’s usual medium is watercolors, on this occasion she used the brewery’s imperial stout. While being instructed in the art of painting with beer, many of the participants sipped on one of Prison City’s own brews. At Black Cloister Brewery in Toledo, OH, on the first Monday of every month, a group of women (and the occasional man) met for a knitting and crocheting session. While doing so, many of these fiber artists enjoyed one the brewery’s many beers. Sadly, the Black Cloister closed its doors in September 2019. Beer yoga (drinking beer while doing yoga) is another example of experiential drinking. Beer Yoga has grown in popularity in recent years, Apparently, there is a style of yoga called Vinyasa, which is conducive to holding a beer while transitioning from one posture/pose to another. For those not into painting or yoga, other common examples of experiential drinking include playing cornhole, a board game, or pinball. Trivia Night is another common activity at craft breweries.

As noted by Beth Newhart in BeverageDaily.com, “drinkers are now more drawn to experience-based locations for their alcohol consumption than typical bars with no extra incentives”. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology examined the relationship link between how consumers spend their money and their happiness. One of the study’s key findings was that buying an experience resulted in more happiness than buying a material good. There are several reasons for this. First, people anticipate and remember experiences with more frequency than material goods. Second, (and this is a defining characteristic of experiential drinking), experiences are more likely to be shared with other people. The social aspect of experiences is good for human well-being. According to an article posted on the website of The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, “heaps of research suggest that social connections make people happier. Satisfying relationships not only make people happy, but they also associated with better health and even longer life.” In a previous blog entry, I cited the work of British anthropologist, Robin Dunbar, whose research has demonstrated the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, especially when done so in a social setting such as a British pub. So next time you go to a craft brewery with your friends, whether or not you build a terrarium, not only will you enjoy yourself, but you may add a few extra days to your life.

Community, Culture, Diversity, Food, International, Pubs

Britain’s Desi Pubs

July 8, 2022 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

Last month I participated in an online webinar on “Public House: The Culture and Society of the London Pub“. It was organized and hosted by the The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain, an organization which brings together academics, architects, heritage experts, and others with an interest in the history of the built environment. The presentation on London pubs was made by Dr David Knight of the Royal College of Art in London. During his presentation, Dr Knight identified over a dozen different types of London pub. Some types, such as Coaching Inns, no longer exist, while others such as the Community Pub are alive and well. Of the different types of pub that Dr Knight mentioned during his presentation, one in particular peaked my curiosity – Desi Pubs. When I first saw the term I thought that perhaps “Desi” was short for “Destination” and that a Desi Pub was a type of pub that was a destination for visitors to a city – for example, The Temple Bar in Dublin, Ireland. As it turns out, I was wrong in my assumption. A Desi Pub is, in fact, a colloquial term for a pub which is owned or managed by a landlord of Indian origin. In a Desi Pub, along with traditional English Ale, you can enjoy a lunch comprising traditional Indian cuisine. This got me curious, so I thought I’d do some research into the origins and current status of Britain’s Desi pubs.

Desi Pubs have their origins in the 1960s, and were primarily a response to racism experienced by British Asians. Desi Pubs provided a “safe space” where British Asians could enjoy a couple of pints of beer, and some traditional (primarily Punjabi) cuisine, without fear of harassment. This harassment was experienced first hand by the American civil rights activist, Malcom X, who visited the Blue Gate pub in Smeth

The term “Desi” means “local“, “home”, or “from the country” and is geographically linked to the south Asian countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. There are over 4.3 million individuals of Asian ancestry living in the UK. This constitutes 7% of the U.K. population, making them the second largest ethnic/racial group after Whites. Most of Britain’s Asian residents have their family roots in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. British residents of Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi origin constitute 2.3%, 1.9%, and 0.7% of Britain’s population respectively. India’s Punjab region, Pakistan’s Mirpur District, and Bangladesh’s Sylhet region, in particular, were the main sources of Asian migrants to Britain in the post-1947 period. Britain, of course, developed strong ties with the Indian sub-continent as a result of both trading and its colonial exploits. Post World War II labor shortages in the United Kingdom provided an opportunity for Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis who sought a better life outside of their country of birth.

As a student at the University of Glasgow, Scotland between 1981 and 1985, I was well aware of the presence of the city’s Pakistani and Indian populations. Indian restaurants were (and still are) numerous and hugely popular and were often my restaurant of choice before heading our for an evening of drinking beer with friends. Newsagents and convenience stores, many owned by Pakistanis, were equally ubiquitous. Every Wednesday, I’d pop into the same one and purchase a copy of The Celtic View, the weekly newspaper of the soccer team I supported. It was only after doing this for a couple of months that I discovered that the owner of the store, Hassan, supported Celtic’s arch enemies, Rangers. After that discovery there was a lot of friendly banter back and forth between myself and Hassan every time I frequented his store. But I digress.

Curry is an enormously popular dish in the United Kingdom, so much so that so that it has been dubbed the “UK’s adopted national dish”. In 2001, the then British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, referred to Chicken Tikka Massala (chunks of chicken in a spiced curry sauce) as “a true British national dish“. There are an estimated 12,000 curry restaurants (often referred to as curry houses) in the United Kingdom, employing somewhere in the region of 100,000 people. Such is the importance of curry to British culture that in 2015, the British Parliament established a British Curry Catering Industry All-Party Parliamentary Group, whose purpose is to “provide a forum for parliamentarians to consider and discuss the role and contribution of the British curry catering industry”.

While many curry houses are branded as “Indian” restaurants, most are in fact owned by immigrants and/or their descendants from Bangladesh. Indeed, between 80% and 90% of British curry-house owners can trace their roots back to the Bangladeshi city of Sylhet. The Red Lion is one example of a Desi Pub. Located in Birmingham, England it has been in the hands of the Purewal family since 1997. The Red Lion website emphasize the quality of their food, noting that “the standard of food matches that of high end Indian restaurants”. The Red Lion also boasts that “our chefs are well experienced, coming from some of the top restaurants in India”.

While the clientele of Britain’s original Desi Pubs were primarily from Britain’s Asian community, today they function as integrated, multi-ethnic, spaces. One observer notes that Desi Pubs are “a celebration of multiculturalism . . . offering Indian food to white and brown customers alike”, while another suggests that they are an “East meets West story, where the classic English pub with its ale, darts and dominoes meets Punjabi food and Bhangra”. According to Bera Mahli, who runs the Red Cow and Grill in Smethwick (just outside Birmingham) with his brother Gamy, “the curries served up in old boozers are now bringing people together in a positive way – rather than be used as a negative marker to highlight racial differences.”

Some Desi Pubs have become what are termed Third Places (community gathering places). The aforementioned Bera Mahli observes that, “the pub is more a community centre than anything else – for everyone. One of the big changes is seeing Asian families in the pubs. Back when I was younger, pubs in the Indian community were just for men only. These days as they are no longer places just to drink, we have Asian girls, aunties and grandmas”. The aforementioned Red Lion pub in Birmingham promotes itself as “an easy going and family friendly pub“

For several decades, the United Kingdom has seen a decrease in the number of pubs, as closures have outnumbered openings. A 2014 report showed that the United Kingdom had lost around 21,000 pubs since 1980, with most closures having occurred since 2006. Reasons for this decline include the smoking ban, increased taxation on alcohol, and a reduction in alcohol consumption. Many of Britain’s Desi Pubs are former pubs that had closed and have, in fact, been resurrected by their Asian owners. In addition to saving some old British pubs, the owners of the Desi Pubs may become one of the last bastions of authentic Indian cuisine. The authenticity of the great British curry is under attack.

Community, Craft Breweries, International, Names

Putin Is A Dickhead

March 9, 2022 The Beer Professor 6 Comments

As I write this blog entry the world watches on in horror at the atrocities committed by the Russian military as their invasion of Ukraine continues unabated. The images flashing across our television screen (and the screens of our smart phones and other smart devices) are heart-wrenching. The man behind these atrocities, of course, is the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

All of us follow the events in Ukraine with varying degrees of intensity. For me, I read and see enough to keep up with general contours of the conflict. As The Beer Professor, a lot of my time on the internet is spent looking for interesting stories about the brewing industry. But in one of my recent searches I came across a story where my interest in the brewing industry intersected with events in Ukraine. The headline varied from news outlet to news outlet, but they generally read something like this: “Brewer Swaps Making Craft Beer for Molotov Cocktails”. The brewery in question is Pravda Brewery in western Ukrainian city of Lviv.

For the uninitiated, a Moltotov Cocktail is a handheld petrol bomb that is “emblematic of civil unrest and revolution“. Somewhat ironically, Molotov cocktails take their name from the Russian politician Vyacheslav Molotov, who served as the Soviet Union’s foreign minister during World War II. The name is Finnish in origin (Molotovin Koktaili) and first appeared in our lexicon during the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939. The actual device, however, pre-dates this event. The first use of Molotov Cocktails dates back to Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), where they were used by Franco’s Nationalists as a weapon to demobilize the Republican’s Soviet-supplied T-26 tanks.

Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Yuriy Zastavny, owner of Pravda Brewery decided to repurpose its production space to supply his fellow Ukrainians with Molotov Cocktails. Molotov Cocktails are very simple to manufacture. All that is needed is a glass bottle, gasoline, kerosene, or alcohol, and a piece of cloth (to function as a wick).

Molotov Cocktails produced by Pravda Brewery in Lviv, Ukraine

This short video tells the story of Pravda Brewery converting its production space to produce Molotov Cocktails

The labels on the bottles used for Pravda’s Molotov Cocktails have a picture of a naked Putin sitting on a throne. Also on the label are the words “Putin Huilo”, which translates as “Putin is a Dickhead“. When I first saw the label on the Molotov Cocktail, I thought that the label had been specially designed with its new function as an incendiary device in mind. I was wrong. Putin Huilo is a Dry-hopped Golden Ale (ABV 8.0%) that is part of the brewery’s regular portfolio of beers, and has been brewed for a number of years. The label provides some additional background about the beer and the surrounding political context. The label, for instance, mentions Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 (which coincidentally was the year that Pravda Brewery was established). The label also notes that “Putin Huilo” is a worldwide nickname for the President Putin and also an “international chant first performed during a common march by FC Metalist and FC Shakhtar in March 30, 2014”. That got me curious – so I did a bit of googling.

The label on Putin Huilo provides the political context for the beer’s name

FC Metalist Kharkiv and FC Shakhtar are Ukranian soccer teams. Of the two, I am most familiar with Shakhtar Donestsk. Shakhtar play in the top flight of Ukranian soccer and in recent recent years have been regular participants in the Champions League – Europe’s premier and most prestigious soccer competition. In contrast, Metalist Kharkiv play in the second tier of Ukrainian soccer. They have an interesting history in that that they ceased operations in 2016, as a result of financial insolvency (they owed their playing staff 32 million Euros in back pay). The club was re-established in 2020. According to Wikipedia, the first recorded public performance of the chant (and the song that grew from it) occurred in March 2014 in Kharkiv when Metalist fans chanted in a march through the city’s streets. The chant was partly in response to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Several Ukrainian rock bands have included the chant in some of their music. According to journalist Alex Luhn, writing in Britain’s Guardian newspaper, the chant quickly became “a nationwide cultural meme“. Rival soccer fans came together, put their rivalries to one side, and chanted the chant in street marches in various Ukraininan cities. In a soccer match between Belarus and Ukraine in October 2014, fans from both country’s joined together in the chant during the game. A number of fans were arrested. Eight Ukrainian fans were given a jail sentence by a court in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, while some Belarus fans were fined. The video of fans chanting has been removed from the YouTube platform.

The video of soccer fans from Ukraine and Belarus chanting “Putin is a Dickhead” is no longer available on the YouTube platform

As I read about Pravda Brewery and the decision to produce Molotov Cocktails, I could not help but smile and think to myself about how typical this action was. Craft breweries all over the world try to be good citizens and strive to make a positive difference to the vibrancy and quality of life in their respective communities. In doing so, many try to respond to the needs of their patrons and neighbors, whether that be donating some profits to a local charity or transforming part of their space into a temporary yoga studio for a local yoga group. In turning their brewery into a production space for Molotov Cocktails, Pravda Brewery are providing a community service and are responding to the needs of the local community. To Pravda I say Будьмо (Cheers).

Adaptive Reuse, Community, Craft Breweries, Economic Development

We Want A Brewery

November 30, 2021 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

Vadnais Heights is a city of just over 13,600 people. It is part of the Minneapolis metropolitan area lying about 15 miles northeast of downtown. The city’s website describes the suburban community as “a vibrant community with strong neighborhoods, thriving businesses, beautiful woods, lakes, wetlands, and trails”, In a 2016 Community Survey, 97% of its residents rated its quality of life as either “good” or “excellent”.

Like many American communities, Vadnais Heights has a number of parcels of vacant land. In 2015, the City purchased a three-acre parcel of land that had once been home to a gas station and a hardware store. Once the site was cleaned-up the City had plans to build an apartment complex on it. Some residents in close proximity to the proposed apartment complex balked at the idea , feeling that an apartment complex not an appropriate addition to what was primarily a single-family neighborhood. They voiced their concerns with City leaders, who listened. The result was the creation of a 14-member task force, who were charged with identifying alternative uses for the site. The task force, which included both residents and business leaders, was led by an outside facilitator.

*The 14 member task force included both neighborhood and non-neighborhood residents*

Before a decision was reached the task force did due diligence. They met a total of six times, three of which included listening to experts on a variety of relevant topics including environmental issues,
different financial scenarios, and market conditions. With 14 members, there was no shortage of ideas as to how the parcel of land might be best used. These included park/open space, offices, retail, and a brewery. Yes – a brewery! The suggestion of a brewery came from task force member Ashley Wilke, a neighborhood resident who had purchased her grandparent’s home nearby. Faced with a number of alternatives, the task force conducted a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis for each potential land use. To build consensus and arrive at a decision, three rounds of voting were held, with less popular options being eliminated after each round. At the end of the voting process, the task force had identified a brewery as the preferred option. As noted in the task force’s final report, a brewery represented “a unique opportunity for the city and would build community and social interaction.” The vision of the task force was a destination brewery that would also be a community gathering spot – a so-called Third Place. A brewery would also result in the adaptive reuse of the abandoned hardware store. Once the brewery was identified as the preferred use, letters were sent to over 500 existing brewers and distillers to make them aware of the opportunity.

*The letter sent to prospective breweries included the above* information

As it turned out the site was ideal for Big Wood Brewery who had outgrown their original location in nearby White Bear Lake. Big Wood’s owner Jason Medvec shared the task force’s vision for the new brewery. According to Medvec, “my goal is to create a community-centered venue where there is always something exciting happening and where everyone feels welcome”. Medvec anticipates that Big Wood will move to its new location in Vandais Heights in 2022, with the lot costing them $225,000.

For a number of reasons, I found the story of Vandais Heights and the desire on the part of its residents to have a brewery occupy a vacant building on a vacant piece of land to be a fascinating one. First, kudos must be given to the City for listening to its residents and creating a platform and process (the task force) through which a decision reflective of resident desires could be arrived at. As stated by Valdais Heights’ Mayor, Heidi Gunderson, “we heard loud and clear they didn’t want a high density development in that corner . . . I viewed the property as taxpayer-owned, and they should have a say in how the land was developed.” Second, kudos to Ashley Wilke, the resident who suggested a brewery as a possible occupant of the vacant lot. The brewery will be more than just a watering hole for local residents. Both the residents and the brewery owner envision the new brewery to be a community gathering spot or a so-called Third Place. All across the United States, craft breweries have strategically positioned themselves as community assets; as places that are a vital part of a community’s social fabric and which serve as a place for residents to gather. It looks as if Big Wood will continue that trend. Not only will Big Wood occupy a vacant parcel of land, but it will also occupy an abandoned hardware store. Adaptive reuse of abandoned buildings is a common practice within the craft brewing industry and is a practice that breathes new life into vacant buildings.

So well done to the City and the people of Vandais Heights. The people spoke and the City listened. As a result, residents and visitors alike will soon have a cool new place to hang-out, relax, and enjoy a pint of locally-crafted beer.

Community, Craft Breweries

From Orwell To Oldenburg

February 25, 2020 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

George Orwell is one of my favorite authors. I have read, several times each, every novel he wrote. I first became acquainted with Orwell in high school in Scotland, where we read his two classics, Animal Farm and 1984. Neither of those are my favorite Orwell novels, however – that honor belongs to his 1934 work Burmese Days. It was Orwell’s first novel, and tells the story of John Flory, a timber merchant, disillusioned with life in 1920s imperial Burma. Orwell had lived in Burma between 1922 and 1927, where he had served with the Indian Imperial Police; so he had first hand knowledge of life in that part of the world. In addition to Orwell’s novels, I have also read and enjoyed, all of his essays. Among my favorites are A Day in the Life of a Tramp (1929), Shooting an Elephant (1936), and The Moon Under the Water (1946). It is to this latter essay that I now turn.

The Moon Under the Water is an imaginary London pub. It is a creation of Orwell’s imagination. It is, in fact, Orwell’s ideal pub. In actuality, Orwell’s ideal pub, comprises several distinct bars where drinks are available – a public bar, a saloon bar, a ladies’ bar, an upstairs dining room, and a bottle-and-jug – the latter serving “those who are too bashful to buy their supper beer publicly”.

In discussing his ideal pub, Orwell identifies ten qualities that it should have. These are:

It is highly accessible. In the case of The Moon Under the Water, it was a two-minute walk from the nearest bus stop.
Most of its patrons are ‘regulars’, who occupy the same chair every evening. Their motivation for going is to engage in conversation as much as it is to drink beer. In fact, the atmosphere of the pub is more important than the beer.
The barmaids know the names of most of their customers, and take a personal interest in everyone.
The architecture and the internal decor of the bar are “uncompromisingly Victorian”, and includes a “good fire”.
It is not too loud and so is always quiet enough to talk. There is no radio or piano.
It sells tobacco, cigarettes, aspirins and stamps. If you need to use the pub’s phone they are good about letting you do so.
It sells Draught Stout.
They are careful to use the proper glassware. For example, a pint of beer would never be served in a handleless glass. They also have both pewter mugs and strawberry-pink China mugs. The latter were going out of fashion, and were rarely seen in London Pubs when Orwell was writing this essay.
It has an outdoor garden with tables and chairs. The garden has swings and a chute (slide) for children. On summer evenings families gather in the garden. Orwell likes the garden because “it allows whole families to go there instead on Mum having to stay at home and mind the baby while Dad goes out alone”.
Games, such as darts, are only played in the public bar.

Reading Orwell’s essay reminded me of the work of Ray Oldenburg, an urban sociologist at the University of West Florida. In 1989, Oldenburg published a book titled “The Great Good Place”. It was subtitled, “Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community”. It was within the pages of this book that Oldenburg introduced the concept of the Third Place. A Third Place is a strikingly simple concept. To Oldenburg, Third Places are “nothing more than informal public gathering places.” As Stuart M. Butler and Carmen Diaz tell us, they are places where people come to “exchange ideas, have a good time and build relationships.” They are, according to Michael Hickey, “the living room of society”. Third Places exist in contrast to First Places (home) and Second Places (work).

In The Great Good Place, Oldenburg devotes six chapters to specific types of Third Place – The German-American Lager Beer Gardens, Main Street, The English Pub, The French Café, The American Tavern, and Classic Coffeehouses. In three of these (German-American Beer Garden, English Pub, and American Tavern) beer is the staple product sold. Third Places, according to Oldenburg, have seven characteristics. These are:

Third Places are neutral meeting places,
Third places are inclusive and everyone is welcome; no one is excluded,
Conversation is the main activity,
Third Places have regulars; people who go there on a regular basis,
Third Places are physically plain and have an unpretentious ambience,
In Third Places, the mood is playful and wit is prized,
Third Places are a home away from home.

In a later piece, Oldenburg describes some other characteristics of Third Places. For example, “they work best when within walking distance of the people they serve.” Reading Orwell’s description of his ideal pub and Oldenburg’s descriptions of Third Places, I can’t help but feel that they are describing very similar places. Both are places where community gather. Both are frequented by regular customers. Both are easily accessible to their clientele; they are either walkable from home (in the case of Third Places) of are within a few minutes walk of a bus stop (in the case of Orwell’s ideal pub). In both places, conversation is one of the main activities that occurs. In Orwell’s ideal pub, the opportunity to engage in conversation is, to some patrons, more important than the beer. In Orwell’s ideal pub proper glassware is used – as it would in the taproom of a reputable craft brewery. Many Victorian pubs also had a “bottle-and-jug”, where patrons could purchase beer to take home. This is not unlike the concept of walking into a craft brewery with a growler and asking the bartender to fill it with your favorite IPA or Brown Ale, which you then take with you for home consumption. A wide variety of venues in a community can function as Third Places, including libraries, coffee shops, churches, and craft breweries. Indeed, as I have argued before, many modern-day craft breweries deliberately position themselves as Third Places within their communities; places where neighbors, friends, and family can come together and enjoy the company of one another.

There is one important aspect of Orwell’s ideal pub that may seem inconsistent with the philosophy of modern-day craft breweries. And that is the fact that it had a number of distinctive and separate drinking areas. As noted by Geoff Brandwood in his essay “The vanishing faces of the traditional pub’, the English pub (that Orwell would have been familiar with) was a “multi-room establishment and one which involves a hierarchy of rooms.” At the bottom of this hierarchy was the public bar, which Brandwood describes as a“predominantly male preserve”. Drinks in the public bar were cheaper than in other parts of the pub. Brandwood suggests the cheaper drinks acted as as “an effective financial incentive towards keeping customers in their appropriate place.” It was “where the working class were expected to congregate and drink.” Other rooms included the ‘lounge bar’, where drinks were more expensive and the customers middle class. Females, accompanied by males, patronized the lounge bar. As noted by Brandwood, “financial (and social) segregation was an entrenched feature of pub-going until well after the Second World War.” The ‘snug’, a small private drinking room, was another feature of English pubs in the Victorian era. Orwell’s ideal pub, however, did have a beer garden – and it was here where families (father, mother, and children) could be together. Given the English climate, the beer garden would have been very much a summer phenomenon.

The separation of drinkers based on characteristics such as sex or class was antithetical to the ideas of Oldenburg, whose Third Places welcomes everyone. Segregation is not a feature of Oldenburg’s Third Places. And modern-day craft breweries see themselves as more inclusive than typical bars. Walk into any craft brewery today and do not be surprised to see young children there, with their parents. Dogs are also an increasingly common piece of the craft brewery landscape. Craft breweries consciously promote themselves as a community space where everyone, regardless of socio-economic status, are welcome.

Children and/or dogs welcome at (left to right) Swamp Head Brewery (Gainesville, FL), Birdsong Brewing (Charlotte, NC), and Tannery Bend Beerworks (Napa, CA)

Orwell’s ideal pub and the modern day American craft brewery are separated by ~70 years and thousands of miles. As such, however, they provide us with a timely reminder that the fundamental human desire to gather and enjoy each other’s company transcends both time and space.

Further Reading:

Brandwood, Geoff. 2006. The vanishing faces of the traditional pub. The Journal of the Brewery History Society, Summer, Number 123, pp. 110-128.

Oldenburg, Ray. 1989. The Great Good Place. De Capo Press: Cambridge, MA.

Oldenburg, Ray. 1996-97. Our vanishing “third places”. Planning Commissioners Journal, Number 25, pp. 6-10.

Orwell, George. 1946. The moon under the water. Evening Standard, February 9.

Community, Craft Breweries, Economic Development, History

Where Community Convenes

June 20, 2019 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

Last month I was in Altoona, PA. I was there at the invitation of the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation (ABCDC), who had asked me to give the keynote address at their Annual Meeting. ABCDC’s President and CEO, Steve McKnight, had read my blog entry, Craft Breweries as Third Places, and wanted me to share my perspective on the topic to the broader Altoona-Blair County community. I drove to Altoona from my home in Toledo, covering the 328 miles in a little over five hours. Shortly after checking into my hotel I met up with Steve who gave me a tour of downtown Altoona, with a focus on the redevelopment initiatives that are under way there.

Promotional material for ABCDC’s Annual Meeting

Altoona has a population of just over forty-four thousand people. Like many cities in that part of the country it has lost population over the years. It’s population, in fact peaked in 1930, at just over eighty-two thousand. It is what is known as a shrinking city. Like many shrinking cities, Altoona is grappling with the challenge of how to stem, perhaps even reverse, decades of population decline. Third Places may be one piece of Altoona’s revitalization jigsaw.

Altoona’s population has been declining since 1930

Altoona owes its existence to the Pennsylvania Railroad. The community that would eventually become Altoona started out, in 1849, as a staging area for the construction of the rail line. Such was the importance of the railroad that in 1925, fourteen thousand of the area’s seventeen thousand industrial workers were employed by The Pennsylvania Railroad.

Like many American cities, Altoona has a proud brewing history. Also, like many American cities that history follows a familiar pattern. At various periods prior to Prohibition. Altoona was home to nine breweries. Two of those – the Oswald Brewing Company and the Altoona Brewing Company – survived Prohibition. But as with many smaller breweries they did not survive the post-Prohibition era, when economies of scale became the keys to success and smaller breweries were either bought by larger competitors or simply closed down. The Oswald Brewing Company closed in 1935 and the Altoona Brewing Company closed in 1974. Some of the beer produced by the Altoona Brewing Company included Altoona Bock, Horseshoe Curve Porter, Altoona Pilsener Beer, Altoona 36 Beer, American Maid Ale, and Pops Brau Beer.

Today, Altoona is home to two breweries – Railroad City Brewing Company and Marzoni’s Brick Oven and Brewery. The Railroad City Brewing Company, of course, is a nod to the important part played by the railroad in Altoona’s social and economic history. I love it when a brewery pays homage to some aspect of its local community, be it a historical figure, local landmark, or industrial heritage.

Railroad City Brewing Company is contributing to the revitalization of downtown Altoona, PA

After a walk around downtown Steve and I dropped into Railroad Brewing Company, where we met up with some of ABCDC’s staff, as well as brewery owner Matt Winrick. The brewery opened in 2016 and is a key part of the revitalization that is happening on Altoona’s 11th Street. Along with the recently opened coffee shop across the street, The Clay Cup, Railroad Brewing Company has become a vibrant local gathering spot (aka Third Place) in the heart of the city.

Community gathering spots, otherwise known as Third Places, were the focus of my presentation the next morning at the annual meeting of ABCDC. I have written about Third Places in a previous blog entry. It is a simple concept really. According to Ray Oldenburg, who coined the term, a Third Place is nothing more than an informal public gathering place. They are places outside of the home (first places) and work (second places) where we gather with friends, work colleagues, family members etc. According to Stuart Butler and Carmen Diaz, they are places where we “exchange ideas, have a good time, and build relationships“. Michael Hickey refers to Third Places as “the Living Room of society“. Despite the simplicity of the concept Third Places play a key role in creating social capital and a sense of community. A wide variety of venues in a community can function as Third Places, including libraries, coffee shops, and churches. Indeed, the subtitle of Oldenburg’s classic work on the topic, The Great Good Place, “cafes, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons and other great hangouts at the heart of a community”, hint at the diversity of venues that can serve as Third Places. And, while not on the radar when Oldenburg was formulating his ideas, craft breweries are emerging as vital Third Places in communities all across America. Oldenburg was fearful that Third Places were becoming less popular, and that America was experiencing a decline in what is termed its associational life. The same fear was echoed by Harvard’s Robert Putnam in his classic work Bowling Alone.

Railroad City Brewing is emerging as a gathering spot for locals in downtown Altoona.

ABCDC’s Annual Meeting was held at the Blair County Convention Center. There were approximately 250 people in attendance. A copy of my presentation is available here. During my talk I presented some statistics from the Social Capital Project that highlighted the decline of associational life in America:

Between 1974 and 2016, the percent of adults who said they spend a social evening at least several times a week fell from 30% to 19%,

Between the mid-1970s and 2012, the average amount of time Americans (25-54) spend with coworkers outside the workplace fell from 2.5 hours to just under one hour per week

Between 1972 and 2016, the share of adults who thought most people could be trusted declined from 46% to 31%

Third Places, including craft breweries, can play a critical role in reigniting our bonds with friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even family members. Towards the end of my presentation I presented some challenges to those in the room. With respect to Altoona, I asked:

• Where are your existing Third Places?
• Are you utilizing these to their full potential?
• If not, why not? How can they be better utilized?
• Where are your potential (as yet unused) Third Places?
• Why aren’t these being utilized?
• What needs to happen for the community to utilize them?

While Third Places can emerge organically (e.g. a neighborhood bar), I believe that it behooves a community to think strategically about the concept – hence the questions I posed above. Although I was in Altoona for less than twenty-four hours, I got the sense that the city is thinking strategically about Third Places and the role that they might play in the city’s revitalization. When I visit a city like Altoona, I often wonder what it will be like two, three, or five years down the road. Altoona is close enough to Toledo that I may just make a return visit to take a look.

Community, Craft Breweries, Culture, Health

Craft Breweries As Third Places

February 23, 2018 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

In 1989, Ray Oldenburg, an American urban sociologist, published a book titled The Great Good Place. The subtitle of the book was informative and really conveyed the essence of Oldenburg’s ideas. The subtitle was Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community. In this book, and in his subsequent work, Oldenburg writes about the importance of what he calls “third places” in American culture. According to Oldenburg, Americans occupy three distinct Continue reading Craft Breweries As Third Places →

Community, Craft Breweries, International

Going To The Dogs

November 30, 2016 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

I am writing this in the city of Auckland. It is the last day of a ten day trip to New Zealand. The main purpose of my visit was to attend a meeting of the International Geographical Union’s Commission on the Dynamics of Economic Spaces. The theme of this year’s meeting was ‘New Resource Geographies”. I made a presentation on changes taking place in the American hops industry as a result of the growth of the craft brewing sector. The meeting was in Palmerston North, an inland town of about 85,000 residents, located on the eastern Manawatu Plains of the country’s North Island.

As always, when I travel, I enjoy exploring the beer scene in the places I visit. Like many developed economies New Zealand has an emerging craft beer scene. According to a 2016 report there are 168 craft breweries in this country of 4.5 million people. Craft beer accounts for fifteen percent of the country’s beer sales.

dscn4371 — There was a large crowd of people and dogs at the Black Dog Brewery to support its annual fundraiser for the Wellington SPCA

dscn4366 — Advertising the SPCA fundraiser with special release XPCA Pale Ale

The dogs in attendance at the SPCA fundraiser seemed to enjoy themselves

After Palmerston North I took the bus south to New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington. A city of 400,000 Wellington has a vibrant craft beer scene. This was my third visit to New Zealand, but my first to Wellington. While there I took the opportunity to visit one of the city’s craft breweries. Black Dog Brew Co. was established in 2011. Located right in the heart of the CBD the brewery was a comfortable walk from my hotel. I arrived at the brewery mid-afternoon on a Saturday. As I approached I was a little surprised to see that it seemed to be packed with people – they were spilling out onto the streets. I had stopped in at a few bars on my way to the Black Dog and the Saturday afternoon patrons were few in number. But, as I got closer, I noticed something unusual about the crowd at Black Dog – many of them had dogs in tow. As it turns out my visit to the brewery coincided with the annual fundraiser that the brewery holds for the Wellington branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). I made my way through a throng of people and dogs and found a seat towards the back of the bar. As I looked round I counted probably a dozen dogs who sniffed around as their happy owners enjoyed a brew. Last year’s event attracted forty or so dogs apparently. This was the third year that the brewery had hosted this fundraiser. And each year they have brewed a special beer; the proceeds from the sale of which are donated to the Wellington SPCA. In 2015 the brew was Skater Hater, a hoppy Pilsner. It was named after one of the dogs who regularly frequents the brewery and has a particular disdain for skateboarders. This year the brewery produced XPCA, a New Zealand Pale Ale. While I was there one of the brewery’s owners, Simon Edward, said a few words about the event and thanked everyone who had come out in support.

While the brewery was too busy for me to get a few words with any of the owners all indications are that they are dog lovers. In addition to this annual fundraiser and the brewery’s name, a number of Black Dog’s brews are named to have a dog connection. Clifford, a Red IPA, is named (presumably) after the children’s book character, Clifford the Big Red Dog. Then there’s Hair of the Dog, an appropriately-named breakfast IPA that comes in at an ABV of 2.2%. Other dog-inspired beers are Golden Lab (a golden ale), Chomp (a New Zealand pale ale), and Bite (a hopped Pilsner). I spent an enjoyable hour or so at the Black Dog, sampling their beer while watching dog lovers and their pooches.

The fact that Black Dog were hosting an event to support a local charitable cause does not surprise me. Craft breweries tend to be high connected to and engaged with their local communities. In 2014, for example, American craft breweries raised over seventy-one million dollars for charity, That’s an average of $20,664 per craft brewery or $3.25 per barrel.

In addition to craft breweries Wellington also has a number of craft beer bars. After Black Dog I visited one of those – The Malthouse. Since its opening in 1993 this Wellington institution has been described as the high alter of the local craft beer scene. It was the first bar in the city to serve Heineken. Today if offers 150+ beers, including 25+ on draft, from all over New Zealand and around the world. Non-draft beer is stored in one of six refrigerated coolers, each one set at a different temperature to suit the. beer inside.

dscn4348 — Patrons enjoying beer at Wellington’s Black Dog Brewery

It is really great to see the craft brewing movement prosper outside of the United States. And the more I travel, the more I talk to people, and the more I read about craft brewing in other countries the more I notice commonalities that transcend international borders. Whether you are in Sweden, New Zealand, or in the United States there are a growing number of people who desire beer that is of higher quality and more flavorful and more diverse than that which is being offered to them by the large multinational conglomerates. And thankfully there are brewers who are willing to step-up and take the risk of commercializing their hobby to provide the beer drinker with the wonderful array of craft beers that we have available to us today.

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