News Archives | Short Brews

Farewell, Kirkland Helles Style Lager

Thomas Short — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:45:57 +0000

It was just last month that I was practically waxing poetic about how solid the Kirkland Helles Style Lager is. Well, the higher-ups at Costco and Deschutes, in a cruel twist of fate, have decided not to continue the partnership that yielded the only good Kirkland beer to ever hit shelves. This is a bad day for anyone who enjoys incredibly well-priced, decent lagers and has a Costco Membership. According to Deschutes Brewery CEO Peter Skrbek, both the Helles Style Lager and Vintage Ale are being discontinued this month, with the beers expected to stop hitting shelves when supply runs out at some point in September or October. This means that, by 2027, you’ll probably be unable to find this beer in Costco. Farewell to an Award-Winning Beer The Kirkland Helles Style Lager was first released in 2024, and it recently won Bronze for the Munich-style Helles at the 2026 World Beer Cup. And for good reason; the beer is genuinely solid. Which is still crazy to me, since it’s just $14 for a 12-pack AND it has the Kirkland branding. For long-time Costco fans and beer drinkers, the Helles Style Lager was a breath of fresh air. Most Kirkland beer products have been, at best, not very good, with ill-fated Kirkland Light being one of my least favorite beers that I’ve ever had the displeasure of tasting. The Helles Style Lager was more than we could have asked for, and now it’s going away. It’s not clear exactly why the popular beer is being discontinued. It seems like it sold well, it won awards, and people have raved about it online. Oh well. We can only hope that Costco’s inevitable return to Kirkland beer is at least somewhere near the quality of the Helles Style Lager, and not a return to the dark days of yesteryear. You can find me this weekend shopping at Costco to enjoy what’s left of my favorite cheap beer.

The post Farewell, Kirkland Helles Style Lager appeared first on Short Brews.

Sam Adams Re-Releasing Beer So Strong That Nobody Should Drink It

Thomas Short — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 13:35:30 +0000

What do states like Alabama, Idaho, Oregon, Vermont, Montana, and Utah have in common? Seemingly nothing at first glance. Maybe an interesting agricultural economy, or perhaps niche tourism? While there are probably dozens of answers, I’m only looking for this one: it’s illegal to buy Sam Adam’s Utopias 2023. According to a press release from the second-largest craft brewer in the nation, Sam Adam’s Utopias is back again this year, sporting a 28% ABV that makes it illegal to sell in 15 states. While it’s not the highest ABV beer in the world, it’s certainly up there. To quote Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Company (the parent of Sam Adams), “It is definitely beer!” Sam Adams Utopias: It is Definitely Beer! The marketing strategy for a beer as absurd as Utopias has to create itself. Beer is illegal in 15 states? Yup, that can go viral. It’s 28% ABV and “begins to approach a fine Cognac?” Sure, why not. Marketing pushes can get ramped up on social sharing sites thanks to the ornate bottle that you can display on your shelf while you force yourself to drink a 28% ABV beer. Oh, did I mention that Utopias is suggested to retail at $240 per bottle? Well, it is. Here’s the skinny on this hefty beer. Utopias is a blend of multiple “Extreme Beers” that were aged in different barrels, including American Bourbon barrels, peated whisky barrels, Scotch barrels, and Cognac barrels. What makes the 2023 Utopias special is that they’ve also included barrels from Pineau des Charentes, an apéritif wine from western France. Despite its international heritage, Utopias is distinctly American with brewing in Ohio, barrel aging in Pennsylvania, blending in Massachusetts, and bottling at Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware. The Good Place that Doesn’t Exist The word “utopia” comes from a book of the same name by Sir Thomas More. In the book, More discusses a fictional island named Utopia where everything is pretty much perfect — it is truly a Utopia. Put on your nerd hats now. The etymology for Utopia is a sort of play on words, with its pronunciation coming from Eutopia which translates to “good place” in Greek. But by dropping the “e” and spelling it Utopia, More draws from Greek roots again to use a word that translates to “no-place.” While a Utopia is a good place for all, it simply cannot exist. Utopias the beer must have been founded on the concept of creating something so complex and good that it truly stands alone, as a Utopia should. But a Utopia cannot exist in reality, something the coiner of the term understood. So, what we get is a beer that shares a name with a 500-yea- old concept that pokes fun at human folly. Coincidence?

The post Sam Adams Re-Releasing Beer So Strong That Nobody Should Drink It appeared first on Short Brews.

Farewell To Anchor Brewing

Thomas Short — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:03:48 +0000

Update: While Anchor Brewing was apparently saved, there still is no word on when production will, if ever, resume. Not even one month ago I wrote a farewell to Anchor Steam for any non-California residents. Well, today we all say farewell to its brewer, Anchor Brewing. After about 127 years in service, Anchor Brewing is shutting down and getting liquidated. There isn’t much to be said about this that hasn’t been said already, including what I’ve said. Anchor Brewing unwittingly kicked off the Great American Craft Beer Revolution with Anchor Steam. Unfortunately, time catches up to everything eventually, and it’s time for Anchor Steam. I’m not going to speculate about Sapporo’s role in this, or Anchor Brewing’s finances as a whole (though their spokesperson did mention bankruptcy). If anything, let Anchor Brewing be a reminder to brewers that time moves fast, and let it remind consumers that if you love something, put your money where your mouth is.

The post Farewell To Anchor Brewing appeared first on Short Brews.

Beer Tan Viral Trend: When Reality Outmaches Satire

Thomas Short — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 16:15:39 +0000

Earlier this year I had a passing thought: wouldn’t it be funny to make fun of social media influencers who always say “people have been asking about my skincare routine..” Here’s how my mock video would go. First, I would do that top-down selfie pose so nobody can see my double chin. Next, I’d start my obviously scripted bit.” “People have been asking about my skincare routine…” which is funny because of course nobody is coming to me for skincare advice. Next, I would hit them with the funny part: “My secret is beer.” But not drinking beer, oh no. The secret is pouring beer on your skin! Then I would pour an entire beer on my arms and brag about how I’m feeling 10 years younger or something like that. But satire is only funny when it goes just beyond believability, and the real world has caught up to me. People are unironically pouring beer in their skin. Beer Tans and TikTok Apparently the type of people I wanted to poke fun at now think that beer will help you tan. The logic is there…right? Because beer is sticky like tanning oil, or something? Anyway, this trend is obviously a great way to get sun burnt and potentially cause legitimate skin damage. Oh, if only I had taken the time to make my video, the irony would have been soooo nice. Now I have to try and think way, waaaaay ahead to something so ludicrous that it could never happen…in the next 3 months. Oh boy. So, instead of my 4/10 funny beer-on-skin video, I settled for a 3/10 funny video: @shortbrews Dermatologists everywhere are screaming. #beertime #craftbeertok #tanning ♬ original sound – Short Brews

The post Beer Tan Viral Trend: When Reality Outmaches Satire appeared first on Short Brews.

Farewell To Anchor Steam, Unless You’re In California

Thomas Short — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 14:57:13 +0000

Update: Anchor Steam Brewing has officially announced it is closing its doors. Back when I was living in Seattle, news broke that Hale’s Ales, a brewery with nearly four decades of serving the Fremont-Ballard area, was closing its doors. Reactions were emotional with many people recounting their memories of the place over the years. How could a Seattle mainstay, an icon of the city, a historic stepping stone in the PNW’s now rich craft brewing community, close? But then there’s the realization: why would Hale’s Ales be closing if everyone loved it so much? It wasn’t even being acquired or having its name changed, and the company that bought the building has left it empty for now, no beers brewing. Could anyone even name the last time they’d had Hale’s Ales, or were they just reliving a memory from the time they went 12 years ago? I’m not speculating on Hale’s Ales’ financials or anything like that, but I can’t help but think of Hale’s when I read that Anchor Brewing Company is cutting production of one of the most important beers in craft brewing history. Anchor Steamer – An Anchor In Craft Brewing History Anchor Brewing is officially reducing production and ending national distribution of Anchor Steam, a beer whose history is as rich as that of entire breweries. Anchor Steam was first produced in 1896, and has continued production sans a few interruptions like the brewery burning down and Prohibition. As a steam beer, Anchor Steam feels like a relic. Not only does steam bring train engines to mind, but where do you even find steam beers these days? But Anchor Steam played a critical role in today’s craft brewing landscape. After a takeover in 1971, the Anchor Steam recipe was remade into a California Common ale, and today serves as the paramount version of the brew. What made Anchor Steam unique wasn’t the brew (although that’s obviously important), but it’s that Anchor Brewing began to bottle and distribute the beer. This essentially made Anchor Brewing the first microbrewery to hit it big, offering a unique beer that wasn’t Budweiser to the American population. It’s not a stretch to say that Anchor Brewing inspired small brewers to focus on making a unique, quality product at a smaller scale — i.e. craft brewing. So, want to try a taste of craft brewing history? Well, you can’t unless you live in California because Sapporo, who purchased Anchor in 2017, announced that national distribution for all beers, including Anchor Steam, was being cut. Oh, and they’re doing away with the popular Christmas Ale entirely. Are Historic Breweries Worth Protecting? Due to Anchor being owned by a larger business, we know for certain that money played a role in Anchor Steam production getting reduced, and if money played a role then that can only mean that people weren’t buying Anchor Steam. But can you force people to buy something they don’t want? Today’s craft beer landscape offers so much variety that you’d be forgiven for not buying a steam beer with a 50-year-old recipe. You probably never even tried it even though it’s nationally distributed (up until now, of course). It’s a shame that important places like Hale’s Ales and beers like Anchor Steam are becoming casualties. But words only go so far, and money speaks loudly in the business world. So, here’s the brass tacks: if you love a beer or a brewery, you need to shop there and buy beer. Empty words on social media don’t mean anything if brewers can’t afford to pay their staff or keep the doors open. A truly profitable brewery would persist from one owner to another, not just shut its doors. I’m not arguing for a defense of Anchor Steam — Sapporo might have reduced production even if sales were decent, they have their own agenda — but I am arguing for people to support the businesses they like. Anchor Steam is a big example that’s out of our hands entirely, but maybe Hale’s Ales could have been a different story.

The post Farewell To Anchor Steam, Unless You’re In California appeared first on Short Brews.

Yes, Beer Is Getting More Expensive

Thomas Short — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 15:55:10 +0000

Upfront, I promise this isn’t going to be some rant about inflation. But yes, beer prices are going up, up, up. It’s not just beer, though; pretty much everything has gone up in price (except energy?) from one year ago. Impressively, but not surprisingly, food and beverage represented one of the biggest spikes in year-over-year price change with a 7.7% increase in costs from April 2022 to April 2023. But I don’t need to tell you that beer is more expensive! We can all see it. In fact, I have it documented! Looking back at an old article of mine published in 2018 (More Buzz For Your Buck), I analyzed the ABV of beer and the price per volume to determine the most economically “efficient” buzz. Well, times have changed, but my article hasn’t — at least not yet. I’d love to leave it as a relic of the past. In the article, I compared prices of beer using the cost of a 6-pack of 12oz cans from Total Wine or BevMo. Five years ago, a 6-pack of Coors Light would have cost $5.49. Today? $8.49 from BevMo (and it’s on sale!) for an increase in price of 55%. Bud Light isn’t much better, jumping from $5.99 to $7.49. Having lived in Seattle at the time, I also included Elysian’s Space Dust IPA, which in 2018 ran you $9.99 per 6-pack. Today, Total Wine lists it at $11.49, about a 15% increase in price. Ok, we’ve rehashed that beer is so expensive. But why? Why Is Beer So Expensive? We can look at several factors that are impacting beer prices, none of which is the single factor that’s made prices jump. People are buying less beer Apparently the market share of beer is dropping. While I don’t know how to differentiate craft beer from big beer, the argument is that with market share (and as a result sales) dropping, breweries are forced to charge higher prices. Workers are getting paid better Craft brewing has a loooooong history of underpaying workers. Well, most industries do, but that’s beside the point. With today’s “nobody wants to work” world with staffing shortages at every conceivable service job, it should be no surprise that breweries are forced to pay more to attract talent. That added cost has to come from somewhere, so beer is priced up. Beer ingredients are more expensive If everything is inflating (except energy I guess), then it makes sense that the ingredients that go into beer are becoming more expensive as well. If the cost to produce a product rises, then the price would also rise to offset the costs. When Will Beer Prices Drop? Probably never! That isn’t really how inflation works. I know that the cost of beer and, well, everything going up is frustrating. Unfortunately, this is our new reality — a world where I struggle to find a $5 pint in one of the most expensive cities in the country. Can you believe it?! My concern for the industry is that this will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Beer prices go up, people buy less beer, breweries need to make more money, beer prices higher…you get the point. But hey, if Space Dust is only up 15% while Coors Light is up 55% over the past five years, maybe it would be worth spending money at breweries that don’t inflate their prices so quickly.

The post Yes, Beer Is Getting More Expensive appeared first on Short Brews.

Tesla Made A Beer. Yup.

Thomas Short — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 22:08:53 +0000

Quick, name the most expensive beer you’ve ever had. Was it a fancy barleywine? Something barrel-aged? Or did you spend your hard-earned money on a beer inspired by an electric car? Well folks, there is no other way to say that Tesla made a beer than Tesla made a beer. The GigaBier, a portmanteu of Giga and Bier, is a special brew made to commemorate the opening of a new Tesla gigafactory in Germany. With a three pack selling for €89 (nearly $100 in US currency), you’re essentially spending $33 on a beer. Is it worth it? I don’t know, I haven’t tried one and probably never will. Tesla and Reinheitsgebot Brewed in following traditional German Reinheitsgebot standards, the GigaBier’s encasing is designed to match the look of the Cybertruck. One can only hope the flavor matches that of beer, not a Cybertruck. Perhaps the flavor does match that of the Cybertruck considering the beer is made using Cyberhops. Anyway, here’s the official description: Tesla GigaBier is designed to emulate the form of Cybertruck while honoring the 500-year tradition of German Reinheitsgebot beermaking. Enjoy this limited edition pilsner-style beer brewed in Berlin with our exclusive strain of Cyberhops and notes of citrus, bergamot and sweet fruit. Each bottle features a seamless gloss black sleeve with a glow-in-the-dark Giga watermark. Prost! Gigabier and You The Gigabier is being distributed by BrouwUnie, though you can find it online pretty easily. However, it could be sold out already. I have no idea, I didn’t try to buy any. Perhaps the best news is that the beer doesn’t expire until September 2023. It must be those Cyberhops. Anyway, it looks like we can’t buy Cyberbier here in America. Oh well, I guess I have to stick to drinking San Diego craft beer.

The post Tesla Made A Beer. Yup. appeared first on Short Brews.