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INDEX 1997

• AVBC Among Year's Top Ten Breweries for 2nd Year - Press Release
• AVBC Enters Twelve Ounce Market - Press Release
• Backroads Does Backroads - Press Release
• Modern Day David and Goliath - Press Release
• Newly Opened Brewery Produces First Batch - Press Release

Archive Index:  Past releases and stories from AVBC

AVBC Named One of the Top Ten Breweries of The Year Second Year in a Row

Boonville, CA. - November 13, 1997 - On the eve of their Tenth Anniversary, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, makers of fine, craft-brewed ales, has once again been recognized as one of the Top Ten Breweries of the Year, by the World Beer Championships. This is the second consecutive year the micro brewery has been placed on this prestigious list, and the first time ever, that an American brewery has made a second appearance there. In addition to Anderson Valley Brewing Company, this year's list includes two other American breweries, Pike Brewing Co. of Washington, and Wild Goose Brewing, of Maryland.

 Anderson Valley Brewing Company gained their place in the Top Ten, with the following medals:

• Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout - Gold Medal (95) - Catagory: Oatmeal Stout, Ale
• Belk's Extra Special Bitter Ale - Gold Medal (92) - Catagory: Bitter, Ale
• Winter Solstice Select Ale - Gold Medal (90) - Catagory: Winter Ale, Ale
• Boont Amber Ale - Silver Medal (89) - Catagory: Amber Ale, Ale
• DeepEnders Dark Porter - Silver Medal (89) - Catagory: Porter, Ale

The World Beer Championships (WBC), is a year long series of six separate beer competitions, held in Chicago, Illinois, by the Beverage Tasting Institute (BTI). To determine the Top Ten Breweries Of The Year, officials calculate the average score of each qualifying brewery's best four entries, and the ten breweries with the highest average make the list. Breweries from twenty-five nations entered the 1997 WBC. From these, 802 beers were judged in sixty different style categories. You can find the results of the World Beer Championships in All About Beer magazine, The Food & Drink Network on America Online (Keyword FDN), complete with a searchable database of 1997 beer scores, and Restaurant Hospitality magazine (monthly vignettes focusing on a particular aspect of a tasting).

"It's astounding. What a great anniversary gift," said Dr. Kenneth Allen, brewery president and brew master. "BTI and I have a similar approach to beer; 'Taste Comes First.' I don't brew beers like anyone else's. I don't brew beer to fit defined styles. I just brew the best tasting beer that I can," he added.

The WBC is the largest international beer judging in North America. All tastings are sponsored and rigorously conducted by BTI, an independent product testing service, which is a member of both the American Society for Testing and Materials and the Institute of Food Technologies. Once all entries for each category are submitted, BTI purchases and submits several other highly regarded or popular beers, to make the tasting more comprehensive and challenging. BTI uses panels of knowledgeable professionals under optimum conditions, working slowly to prevent palate fatigue, each judge performing separate, blind tastings without consultation, to minimize procedural, physiological and psychological errors.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company, in rural Boonville, California, are brewers of the Boonville Beers, award winning, craft-brewed ales. In operation since December, 1987, their ales are carefully brewed from only the finest natural ingredients; malted barley, grains, hops, yeast, and pristine Boonville mineral water. The brewery's commitment to craftsmanship, and their unique recipes, ensure the production of distinctive ales, long known to beer lovers and industry insiders, as the hallmark of fine brewing.

The Top 10 Breweries of the Year
1997 World Beer Championships

• Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville, California *
• Pike Brewing Company, Washington
• Wild Goose Brewery, Maryland
• Privatbrauerei Aying, Germany *
• Privatbrauerei Erdinger, Germany
• Brouwerij Boon, Belgium *
• Brouwerij Lindemans, Belgium *
• Brasserie d'Achouffe, Belgium
• Brasserie Dupont, Belgium
• Samuel Smith's Old Brewery, England *

* Breweries listed on both 1996 and 1997 Top Ten Breweries of the Year

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Anderson Valley Brewing Company Enters Twelve Ounce Market

Boonville, CA - November 25, 1997 - In early November, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, producer of some of the best ales in the world, and rated one of the Top Ten Breweries of the Year by the World Beer Championships, will enter a new market, with the release of two ales in twelve ounce six packs, Boont Amber Ale, and Hop Ottin' India Pale Ale throughout California, and several other states.

The micro brewery, which introduced the twenty-two ounce "Bomber Bottle" to the U.S. beer industry, in 1989, has entered the twelve ounce market due to increasing requests for the smaller package. "People find the twelve ounce bottle more convenient, than the twenty-twos. Now that we've tripled production capabilities, we can accommodate them," said Dr. Kenneth Allen, President.

Boont Amber, has been bottled since the company opened in 1987, and today is the company's best seller. Boont Amber is a medium-bodied pale ale with a beautiful copper colour, a robust head, and the rich flavour of caramel malt, and was voted by the San Francisco Bay Guardian to be the "best beer brewed in Northern California." Hop Ottin' India Pale Ale, the newest addition to the company's line of ales, has become quite popular at draught establishments throughout California. Requests to bottle it have been flooding the brewery since its release. Hop Ottin' I.P.A. is full bodied, with a deep golden-bronze color, and a pronounced hoppy bite. It is brewed with several hop additions during the boil, and finished with traditional dry hopping to intensify its flavour. It has been described as "a hop-head's dream beer."

The Company's mascot, the Legendary Boonville Beer (a bear with antlers, thus a beer) has made its distinctive appearance on the new packaging. The labels and six pack carriers will offer the familiar view of scenic Anderson Valley, as portrayed on the original twenty-two ounce labels, but with the addition of several beers enjoying the sun and scenery.

"It's the evolution of the bottled ale," said Josh Charlton, the company's Northern California Sales representative. "In 1987, we started bottling in champagne bottles, then moved into wine bottles. Later, we introduced the twenty-two ounce bottles, which were so successful, they became an industry standard for the micros. Now we're in twelve ounce bottles."

Founded in 1987, Anderson Valley Brewing Company craft-brews their ales from only the finest natural ingredients; malted barley, grains, hops, yeast, and pristine Boonville mineral water. Rated one of 1996's Top Ten Breweries of the Year, by the World Beer Championships, of Chicago, Illinois, Anderson Valley Brewing Company bottles eight of their draught ales, and offers more than fifteen seasonal ales, including Oktoberfest, solely on draught. The brewery's commitment to craftsmanship, and their unique recipes, produce distinctive, world-class ales, which are long-time favorites of discerning beer lovers across the country.

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Backroads Does Backroads, at AVBC

Boonville, CA - July 16, 1997 - Yesterday, the Bay Area's most popular locally produced television show, Bay Area Backroads, was on location at Anderson Valley Brewing Company, to shoot footage for their upcoming Superbowl Sunday special. Anderson Valley Brewing Company, recently rated one of the Top 10 Breweries of the Year, was one on the itinerary for several beer loving bicyclists, touring with the show's host, Doug McConnell.

Bay Area Backroads, which airs Sunday nights, on KRON, Channel 4, is currently filming a segment on a Northern California bicycle tour arranged by Backroads, a Berkeley based touring company, which is not afiliated with the television program. The similarity of the two names has caused some confusion in the past, in part prompting production of the segment. "When we're shooting on a location out of the country, the locals sometimes ask us if we're the bicycle tour company, and I've heard that people ask the tour guides where their T.V. camera is," said Doug McConnell. "I've been wanting to do a story about Backroads for a while now," he said. "Plus it's an opportunity to bike around Northern California for a bit, drink great beer, and clear up some of the confusion, at the same time." Mr. McConnell is pedalling the tour with the other cyclists, who report that he is a strong rider, and very athletic. He is being joined on the tour by Channel 4 reporters, Tom Sinkovitz and Catherine Heenan.

Backroads, as described by representative Valerie Gilbert, is a company that offers "self-propelled tours," on which adventurous travellers bicycle, hike, ski, or raft themselves, from place to place. Their regular brew pub/bicycle tour, one of their most popular venues, leads the cyclists through some of the most beautiful scenery that California has to offer, stops at various points of interest, and ends each day's ride at a brew pub. There, the riders replenish themselves with food and beer, before retiring to a local inn, for a good night's sleep.

Backroads has made Anderson Valley Brewing Company's brewpub, the Buckhorn Saloon, a regular stop on their Northern California brew pub tour, for several years. "I think it's the best brewery in California, maybe even the country," said Corry Wagner, a tour guide for the cyclists. "The atmosphere is great, the food, the beer. Everything. It's always one of our favorite stops," she said, adding that Anderson Valley's Boont Amber Ale is her "hands down favorite beer in the world."

Bay Area Backroads, normally a half hour program, on Sundays, at 6:00 PM and Midnight, plans to air this special, one hour segment, in January, just after Superbowl XXXII. Segment Producer is Michael Rosenthal. More information about Bay Area Backroads can be obtained  by visiting their website, at: www.bayareabackroads.com .

Backroads, based in Berkeley, California, has been in business since 1979, and offers adventure tours of many styles, throughout the world. For more informationon tours offered by Backroads, call 1(800) GO ACTIVE.

Founded in 1987, Anderson Valley Brewing Company craft-brews their ales from only the finest natural ingredients; malted barley, grains, hops, yeast, and pristine Boonville mineral water. Rated one of 1996's Top 10 Breweries of the Year, by the World Beer Championships, of Chicago, Illinois, Anderson Valley Brewing Company bottles seven styles of ale, including Boont Amber, Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, and Belk's Extra Special Bitter, and offer more than fifteen rotating seasonal ales on draught. Their brewpub, the Buckhorn Saloon, at 14081 Hwy. 128, Boonville, California, offers eight distinct ales on tap, and is open for lunch and dinner daily. The brewery's commitment to craftsmanship, and their unique recipes, produce distinctive, world-class ales, which are long-time favorites of discerning beer lovers across the country.

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Modern Day David and Goliath

May, 1997 - Boonville, CA - As some of you may already know, tiny Anderson Valley Brewing Company has entered into a class action suit against Anheuser-Busch Corporation, the largest brewery in the world. We, and several other micro breweries in the western states are taking action against what we consider to be unfair exclusionary business practices on the part of A-B, in violation of the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act, better known as the "Tied House" laws. Ken Allen, President of Anderson Valley Brewing said, "The King Of Beers has become the Despot Of Beers, and we're not going to take it anymore. We think what they're doing is illegal, immoral, and unethical, and we want them to lay off."

We entered into the case on behalf of ourselves and several micro breweries, in Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Montana, and Idaho, all of whom have had distribution agreements terminated by certain distributors, ever since Anheuser-Busch told their distribution network, to only handle their products, and abandon others, most specifically the micro produced craft brews. Since March 1996, scores of distributors have yielded to the behemoth brewer's strong arm tactics, and have broken off or reduced distribution agreements with the smaller craft breweries. Many of these craft breweries have had a difficult time replacing these distributors.

From March 1996 to the present, A-B owned 11 distributorships, and had agreements to sell its products through approximately 900 independently owned distributorships, throughout the U.S. (118 of those, in the involved seven states). These tend to be the strongest and most connected distributors in their regions. Evidence of the network's strength is visible in almost every establishment that sells beer, as the public can find A-B products virtually everywhere. Smaller, truly "independent " distributors often do not have the resources to distribute products as widely as larger distributors. They often are already at the peak of their distributing capabilities and cannot accept new products or accounts, and they often do not have refrigerated storage to properly hold the more fragile craft brews. In California alone, there are approximately 125 craft breweries, which sell their products using off-site distribution, and need such distributution to survive.

So, if Goliath is so strong, why is he picking on the little guys, and taking such drastic actions? Well, in 1994, craft brew sales accounted for 1.3% of the national beer market, 2.5% in 1996, and an estimated 6% in 2000. August Busch III, owner of Anheuser-Busch, perceived this growth as a threat, when he visited a distributor in Hawaii, and saw the amount of space this distributor devoted to craft brewed products. In response to this discovery, a mandatory conference was held in St. Louis for approximately 900 wholesale distributors, at which Mr. Busch told them they were to give "100% share of mind" to his brewery. According to several industry sources Busch stated that;

"On average, 94% of all of your sales are Anheuser-Busch products. Some [of the distributors] are using the core to marginally increase their profit, however, which will hurt both of our businesses in the long run. [This has] already cost [our] shareholders millions of barrels and hundreds of millions of dollars in returns on their investment. You have 100% share of our mind, we must have yours. That means that each of you exert your undivided attention and total efforts on Anheuser-Busch products... If you sell our competitor's products, can you still give us your best efforts? I don't think so... We cannot win without your undivided loyalty and attention... Share of mind is the key to our mutual success." 1

At the same meeting, the brewery's President, Pat Stokes, said;

"We strongly object to the premise that a wholesaler's sales personnel can adequately service both competing brands and our brands. There are too many conflicts on selling shelf space, display coverage, distribution, promotions and general strategy... We object to base loading where our products are used to provide the critical mass required to cover the [distributor's] fixed costs and non A-B brands are used to provide marginal profits." 2

Several distributors voiced their concerns that the craft brews had become an integral part of their product line, and retailers would need to supply craft brews to their customers. Anheuser-Busch responded that they would provide their own "craft" brews to satisfy that demand. They supply "craft" brews by purchasing a controlling interest in existing independent craft breweries, as they did with Red Hook Brewing, in Washington, and also by redesignating some of their existing products, such as Michelob, as "craft" brews.

A-B instituted a distributor rating system in which "A" distributors (those that carry only A-B products) receive such benefits as: personalized ads, free painting on trucks, free point of sale merchandise, and even financing for such things as the purchase of other distributorships. The "E" distributors (their lowest rating, for uncooperative distributors) get none of these perks.

The mega-brewery continues its anticompetetive attack on the craft brewers by forging new agreements with its distributors which provide: that 25% of each wholesale distributor shall be owned by an A-B approved manager, with day-to-day operating control of the business; that A-B has the right and option to purchase any ownership interest in any distributorship offered for sale, to anyone other than a member of the owner's family; that those distributors which still offer competing brands must ensure that their employees salaries, commissions, and incentives for selling A-B products are "equal to or greater than" any such compensation for the sale of competing products; that A-B may inquire into any marketing plans that distributors have for competing brands (information that used to be privileged knowledge between distributor and each individual brewery, giving the giant even more of a marketing edge over competitors than their seemingly limitless coffers already provide), and, perhaps most surprising, that distributors may not solicit their retailers to carry competing products and may not solicit retailers to convert any A-B brand shelf space, draught placements, or displays to any competing product (this basically means that even if a distributor carries another brewery's products, he can not try to sell them to his customers).

So, what has Budweiser done for you lately? Well, they're trying to take away your freedom of choice and force you to drink only their products. Perhapse the worst part is that they think you won't even notice, because they'll be replacing quality brewed, independent craft brews with their own pod-grown micro look-alikes. We're fighting back, and invite you to do the same.

1 Beer Marketer's Insights, 3/25/96, Vol.27, No.6.

2 (Id.)

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Newly Opened Brewery Produces First Batch

January 23 1997 - BOONVILLE, CA - Anderson Valley Brewing Company has brewed their first batch of ale, for the second time. The micro brewery in rural Mendocino County has been brewing high quality ales at their small 10 barrel brewery, since 1987 with great success. Continual on-site expansions and increased efficiency have expanded the company's annual production to over 5000 bbl, but demand still exceeds the current system's capability, prompting their construction of a new, 30 bbl brewing facility. On Dec. 2, 1996, almost fourteen months after construction began, Head Brewer David Towne and Brewery Production Manager Loren Allen brewed the largest single batch of ale in the company's nine year history, at the newly completed brewhouse. Although much work remains to be done on the automated kegging and bottling lines of the new structure, the brewing equipment is in place, tested, and fully functional. Their first batch of ale , HOPPY NEW BREW, is currently in the fermenter and will be pouring from California taps, in February.

Anderson Valley Brewing Company's President, Dr. Kenneth Allen, decided to create a new recipe for the brewery's first offering. It is an amber ale, somewhat like the company's best seller, Boont Amber Ale, but is maltier, and is hopped like an India Pale Ale. At 6.2 % alcohol by volume, it packs a bit of a punch. "Boont Amber is our most popular ale, so I figured we'll do something similar, but make it even better," said Allen.

Allen expects that supplies of the ale will not last long. "How often do you get the chance to drink the very first batch of ale a brewery makes, especially when you already know the brewers make some of the best beers in the world? Once! It only happens once, and then its gone. I think our fans are going to be clamoring for it," he said. The ale will be offered to California draught establishments only, as it will not be bottled, so keep checking your favorite pub for it.

Construction on the new facility began with the ground breaking in October of 1995. The now completed 15,000 sq. ft. structure will house a 30 bbl stainless steel brew house, kegging, bottling, and packaging line, 1600 sq. ft. refrigerated storage, and offices. Construction and equipment installation suffered various minor delays, putting completion of the brewery approximately six months behind the original optimistic schedule. The first brew was attempted and aborted twice in the days before its successful completion. An experimental water brew and test boil revealed some leaking pipes, a clogged filter, and an uncooperative glycol chilling system, which brewers and workmen alike set about repairing upon discovery. Finally, with the equipment tested and proven brew worthy, the brewery was ready for its maiden voyage. Construction on other equipment continued around the brewers as they practiced their art. Workers insulated steam lines, and put the finishing touches on the kegging system. During a break in his activities, Dave Towne watched, as work progressed around him. "I just couldn't wait until everything was finished to get in and start brewing. I'm like a kid at Christmas here. I wanted to get brewing as soon as all the necessary equipment was in place and working," he said.

From mill to fermenter, the brew took a little over ten hours. Some parts of the brew went well, others not so well. While milling the grain with the new HDP Brewing Systems four roller mill, Towne exclaimed, "This thing kicks! I can grind three times as much grain in a third the time here." The steam-heated kettle also performed better than expected. The sweet wort was already at a boil before the lauter tun was fully drained. "By five o clock we're going to be at the pub having a brew, to celebrate" smiled Towne. He would later eat his words. The large Schmidt heat exchanger purchased for the new brewery was not yet assembled, and the process was slowed by the much smaller heat exchanger from the 10m bbl brewhouse. The cooling process, which could have been accomplished in under twenty minutes, ended up taking three hours. He had to wait until 8:30 for that toast.

Most of the new brewery's equipment, including the 7000 lb./hr. HDP grain mill and the 140 plate 200 bbl/hr. Schmidt heat exchanger with crossover port for glycol or water, is in place. The 30 bbl. stainless steel lauter tun, 30 bbl. kettle, and various sized heating vessels, all from a salvaged Canadian brewery, combine with the 100 and two 200 bbl. fermenters to complete the brewhouse. The fermentation tanks, as well as three 100 bbl. and two 200 bbl. bright beer tanks were fabricated for A.V.B.C. by Quality Stainless of Santa Rosa, California. For filtration the brewery has a ten sq. meter D.E. filter made by VELO, of Italy. Kegging will be performed on a German TILL Rotokeg four-head fully automatic kegger, and bottling will utilize an H&K variable speed 60/10 bottler capable of filling and crowning 550 twelve ounce bottles (or 300 twenty-two ounce bottles) per minute, and a Gernep Labetta labeler. Conveyors and case packing and unpacking equipment have yet to be purchased. The grounds of the brewery currently include three water filtration and reclamation ponds as well as an organic raspberry garden, the fruit of which will be used in future brewings of A.V.B.C.'s celebrated Raspberry Wheat Beer, making Anderson Valley Brewing Company the first estate brewery in California. Plans for the future include functional hop fields, and pastures for Shire horses, which will be used for local deliveries of the company's products.

The 30 bbl. system is actually an intermediary step between their original 10 bbl. facility, and the next stage in the expansion to as much as 185 bbl. In June of 1995, Dr. Allen, Loren Allen, and Maintenance Foreman, Rod DeWitt traveled to Germany, to salvage the copper brewing vessels from two defunct breweries, Ambrose Brutting Braü, and Magnus Braü, an acquisition emulated by Sonoma County's well known Benzinger family, when they decided to extend their wine making business to include brewing. The Anderson Valley Brewing Company's 12 ft. diameter copper kettles will be housed in a split level four story stone brew house with large exhibition windows.

The new brewery promises greater availability of the quality ales, and will allow the company to lower their prices. In mid 1997, they will also be offering their ales in 12 ounce bottles, an event long requested by fans of the ales.