Efes Pilsen is the most popular beer in Turkey. First brewed in 1969, it quickly established itself as a local favorite. The Efes Beverage Group is one of the largest beverage companies in the region, and also contract brews Beck’s, Foster’s, Miller Genuine Draft, Sol, Warsteiner and even Coca-Cola.

But Efes Pilsen is the flagship brand, and is in over 50 markets throughout Europe and Asia. In Turkey, Efes has 82% of the market in Turkey, 72% of Moldova, 23% of Kazakhstan and even 9% of the Russian market. From a recent press release: Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii A.Ş. (Anadolu Efes), together with its subsidiaries and affiliates produces and markets beer, malt and soft drinks across a geography including Turkey, Russia, the CIS countries, Southeast Europe and the Middle East. Anadolu Efes, listed in the Istanbul Stock Exchange (AEFES.IS), is an operational entity under which the Turkey beer operations are managed, as well as a holding entity which is the majority shareholder of Efes Breweries International N.V. (”EBI”), that manages international beer operations, and is the largest shareholder of Coca-Cola İçecek A.Ş. (”CCI”), that manages the soft drink business in Turkey and international markets. The Group currently operates in 13 countries with 17 breweries, 6 malteries and 12 Coca-Cola bottling facilities and has an annual brewing capacity of around 34.5 million hectoliters, malting capacity of 236,500 tonnes and Coca-Cola bottling capacity of 670 million unit cases per year. I can’t any specific information about the contest below, but based on the signs, it would appear that Efes Pilsen sponsored some sort of competition to create art using their beer cans or other paraphernalia, such as bottle caps. Even though they’re all pretty impressive, I have no idea who might have won.

Below are some of the entries in the Efes Beer Can Art Competition:

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting profile a couple of days ago about Beerlao, a beer made in Laos. (Thanks, Doug, for sending me the link.) Partially owned by Carlsberg (it’s three of their 255 brands), the Lao Brewery makes a lager, a low-calorie Light and a Dark lager.

According to the Wall Street Journal profile, the brewer is Sivilay Lasachack, a 49-year old Russian woman who prefers sweet tea to beer. But by marketing to backpacking tourists from around the world, Lasachack hopes to build Beerlao into a national brand recognized worldwide. The brewery itself was founded in 1971, mostly to provide beer to French colonists because the Laotians are not big beer drinkers. “Lao Brewery currently produces 200 million liters of beer a year, and it is the country’s biggest taxpayer.” That’s nearly 530 million gallons, making Lao Brewery slightly larger than New Belgium Brewing, but with a population of 6.5 million (which is about the same as Washington state). The beer is now imported to the U.S. (along with Great Britain, Australia and Japan) and is, according to the journal, gaining momentum in grocery stores and other places. It’s interesting to see a small country using beer to try and build their global image, especially one with no long brewing tradition. But check out their theme song on the website. It’s catchy even though I have no idea what they’re saying. You can even download a mp3 of it to put on your iPod.

Sapporo Breweries is planning to brew a beer made from barley descended from seeds grown in space, specifically in the Russian section of the International Space Station two years ago. Sapporo claims the results will be the “world’s first ’space beer,’” putting them at odds with an earlier claim that I wrote about last year by Microgravity Enterprises, albeit somewhat derisively. The Japanese company’s efforts do seem a bit closer to the mark than the other, at least in my opinion.

According to Reuters, Sapporo said in a statement. “By pursuing the infinite possibility that space has, we wish to present our customers with rich and enjoyable proposals to enjoy a new beer culture.” Sapporo will not sell the initial results, but instead will sample select consumers on the new space beer, which should be — ahem — launched this November. Working with Okayama University scientists, they will produce just over 166 gallons of beer (630 liters). I doubt anyone will be able to taste any difference, but I’d still like to be one of the lucky ones chosen to try it.

This Reuters video has a terrible sound problem so be prepared to mute it or lower the volume on your computer.

It’s not perhaps the worst thing about being blind, but it would be problematic to figure out exactly what’s inside that can of beer you just picked up if you can’t read the label. According to the Inventor Spot, Kirin Brewing has solved this dilemma by putting braille on the top of their beer cans. The braille on the cans apparently spell out “alcohol” on some and “Kirin Beer” on others. But until more breweries take up the cause, all anyone will be able to distinguish is Kirin from everything else. And what if you prefer a bottle? Oh, well, it’s the thought that counts, right?
 

My friend Melissa, who brews at Drake’s, sent me a link to the BBC’s Day in Pictures, commenting simply. “That’s a sad sad sight.”

And I see what she means. Although there aren’t too many details about the photos apart from the caption, it’s the sort of thing you hate to see no matter what the circumstances.

Indonesian officials destroy alcohol confiscated from unlicensed stores in Jakarta.
 

Beverage World yesterday had an interesting little article about what’s going on with craft beer in the Japanese market. Microbreweries were only made legal in 1994 and there are about 280 operating today in Japan.

Kirin Brewery announced today that they will releasing their third quasi-beer into the populy Japanese alcohol category known as “third-category.” The Japanese media came up with that name, officially they’re classified as “other miscellaneous alcohol” or “liquor.” Naturally they’re subject to lower taxes, are often made with soybeans but without malt. The first and second categories are “beer” and “happoshu,” which is a low-malt beer with less than 67% malt.

Kirin’s newest entry into the lucrative Japanese quasi-beer market is “Sparkling Hop,” which, according to the press release, will “feature a distinctive aroma created by blending Japanese and New Zealand hop varieties. Strong pressure gives the product a rich head and a refreshing finish, Kirin officials said.” Sparkling Hop’s target demographic is twenty-somethings, the same group that are buying the dreaded alcopops. Also from the press release: Sparkling Hop is made by mixing a “happoshu” low-malt drink with spirits. Under Japan’s liquor tax system, the new product is classified as a liqueur, whose tax rate is lower than those for beer and happoshu. This is Kirin’s third product in the third category, following “Ryoshitsu Sozai” and “Nodogoshi Nama.” With the three products, Kirin hopes to beat out its rivals in the heavily crowded third-category market.

These “third-category” products along with the low-malt happoshu will likely never reach our shores, because they’re largely a result of taxation. If Japan’s tax structure was different, they wouldn’t exist. But they appear to be having the same damaging effect as alcopops are having here, not so much in terms of underage drinking (in Japan it’s age 20), but insofar as the sweeter drinks are finding favor with kids raised on sweet soft drinks who are not acquiring a taste for bitter drinks like beer as they age. It’s somewhat ironic that Japan’s beer industry in trying to get around the tax laws, may be shooting themselves in the foot with these lower-taxed, highly sweetened alcoholic drinks.

Kirin Brewery, along with the Keio University Institute of Advanced Biosciences have announced the discovery of new yeast strain found by analyzing the metabolic byproducts that brewer’s yeast synthesizes. What they found was that brewer’s yeast creates large quantities of “hydrogen sulfide when processing a tiny number of metabolites of the amino acid asparagine.” The team then selected yeasts that unusually prolific asparagine metabolites. The new strain “processes large amounts of sulfurous acid — an antioxidant that helps keep beer fresh — without synthesizing hydrogen sulfide, which has an unpleasant sulfur smell.” In fact, the new Kirin yeast makes 50% more sulfurous acid but no hydrogen sulfide whatsoever. Kirin plans to start using the new yeast in the beer shortly, presumably after more testing is completed. But if true, it could revolutionize the brewing industry.
 

What do you get for the beer lover who has everything? How about the new Asahi Robocco BeerBot, a beer pouring robot. It used to be available only in Japan, but now you can buy one anywhere in the world. For a mere $799 (plus $99 shipping) you can have one of your very own. They’re “gently used,” having been part of a Japanese contest that Asahi conducted. The robot features include the ability to store and refrigerate six cans, ensuring the perfect temperature with an internal sensor, a programmable voice (male, female, or custom), a cleaning mode, and most important for American sensibilities, a child lock.

To watch it action and see how it works, watch the video below. What was most amazing to me was that it pour in three stages. First, with the glass tilted it pours less then half into the mug, then stops to let the head settle. Second, it tilts the glass slightly more upright before pouring a bit more. Then lastly, it repositions the mug upright and pours the remainder of the can. It’s a beautiful pour. I wonder if it’s programmed to do it that way every time or if adjusts as it goes depending on the volatility of the beer?

I’m not exactly sure who PS Prakasa Rao is. The best I can figure is he’s a scientist or doctor from India who frequently writes for his local newspaper. At any rate, he’s got an editorial piece titled “Beer Is Healthy Food” in today’s Central Chronicle from India.

In today’s editorial, he goes against conventional thinking and outlines how beneficial beer can be, stating that he believes beer to be “better than Milk.”

From the article:

Unless we have a tendency towards abuse, believe it or not, taken in moderation, Beer is actually a very healthy food. It’s full of vitamins and minerals that are good for nerve production, help you concentrate, increase blood circulation, and stimulate the metabolism. The hops, low alcohol content, and carbonation help relax the body.

He goes on to outline additional health benefits and, naturally, caution against binge drinking, along with a list of certain types of people who probably shouldn’t drink. I certainly prefer that to the neo-prohibitionist agenda that if one person can’t handle alcohol, no one else should be allowed to either. Way to go, Doc.

A food writer, Kim O’Donnel, with the Washington Post, surprised herself by discovering that beer and food do indeed work quite well together. In the article, she describes having a “palate-changing, food-beer pairing experience” at a Japanese restaurant in New York City when her waiter suggested trying a Hitachino Nest Beer with the meal. In O’Donnel’s Post blog, “A Mighty Appetite,” she then goes on to detail other experiences with the Japanese craft beer and even includes a link to an interview with Kiuchi Brewery owner Toshiyuki Kiuchi at StarChefs.com. Also, at the end, fellow Celebrator writer Gregg Wiggins chimes in with a useful couple of links to additional information about beer and food from beer writer Greg Kitsock and Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster and author Garret Oliver.

In Japan it will cost you two to three times as much as it does in the rest of the world if you’re keen to drink a beer. That’s because the Japanese government in their infinite wisdom (why is it governments are all so dogmatically stupid in creating laws without thinking them through?) placed an onerous tax on any beer who’s weight of malt extract exceeds 67% of the fermentable ingredients. In fact, that is their definition of what beer — biiru in Japanese — is. This was done to protect the more traditional sake (or nihonshu) and, of course, it backfired.

Breweries did just what you’d expect them to do. They began making beers with less than 67% malt, using rice or other adjuncts. Suntory made the first one in 1994, called Hop’s Draft, and it contained 65% malted barley. Because it no longer fit the definition of beer, a new name was required and it has become known as happoshu, which means “sparkling alcohol.” Naturally the Japanese government saw what was happening but instead of reversing a foolish decision, changed the standard to 50%. Japanese brewers responded by lowering the malt even further so that today about 25% malt in happoshu is common. The lower malt produces more fusel alcohol that many argue leads to greater hangovers. By all accounts, it tastes awful but has been growing in popularity because it’s so much cheaper. One snarky account I read mentioned that happoshu tastes more like American beer.

Recently, around thirty students from Fuji Women’s University, a catholic school, worked with a local brewer, Yasuharu Osugi, from Nihon Ji Biiru Kobo, to develop a pink happoshu brew aimed specifically at women. In hopes of it appealing to females, they lowered the hop character and made it 4.5%, so it’s a bit weaker than most happoshu. The ingredients include a hoshinoyume, a local rice, along with the herb shiso, a pink-colored juice that gives the brew its distinctive hue. The label will feature a four-leaf clover and goes on sale today.

Students from Fuji Women’s University give their pink happoshu a taste test.

It being a catholic university, they chose the name “Cana Story,” after the place in the new testament story in which Jesus is supposed to have turned water into wine. Of course, it may be fitting. I’ve heard some credible theories that when the new testament was translated from Hebrew into Greek that they had no word for beer and thus translated the line to wine instead. Certainly beer being mostly water would make more sense, though makes it a bit less miraculous.