Sugar levels in beer under scrutiny

Emerson's Dunedin marathon stunt goes global. Beer-curious swimmer breaks arm. Can a bot design can art? Lumberjack branch out and buy a pub. Rare trophy winning beer gets re-released, plus more.

Kia Ora beer friends,

It never ceases to amaze me how many interesting, quirky and controversial stories there are out in the beer world these days.

From the man running the Dunedin Marathon inside an Emerson’s “can” to Commonwealth Games star swimmer Lewis Clareburt breaking his arm when he slipped and fell because he was distracted by a beer festival (yeah, right)!

We’ve also got some great recommendations for you this week, courtesy of our team, who are out there sourcing the best beer available.

But first I wanted to round back to last week’s story about the NZ brewery count. Thanks to everyone who wrote in with new information about breweries I hadn’t heard of, some I’d overlooked, some that had closed, some that are about to open; and those who made arguments for the likes of big contract facilities such as Steam and bStudio to be included on the list.

The plus-minus situation came down heavily in favour of the plusses and as such I can safely say we have around 200 breweries or brew brands in New Zealand. The updated story is here. The next step is to say you’ve had a beer from every one of the breweries on the list!

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Before we move on to the rest of the news, I thought I’d update you on my progress through the Malthouse West Coast IPA Challenge box (because I know you’re so interested). I’m now three-quarters of the way through the dozen beers and Baylands West Coast Electric still holds first place for mine, closely followed Urbanaut’s The Dead C, which was punchy, dense and resinous (and now sold out), while Altitude’s Portland Calling was contrastingly lovely and light with subtle sweet orange zest hoppiness that left me wanting more.

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Beer of the week No 1

I’m extremely jealous that Tim Newman got his hands on this one before me! A trophy winner at the NZ Beer Awards in June, it now has a name and a fresh release:

Brood Fermentation Kindeli was a trophy winner at the New Zealand Beer Awards this year in the Specialty and Experimental category — which rather aptly describes the beer in question:  a rye saison (7.4%) brewed on top of an organic feijoa cider, utilising a wild ferment.  The result is a beer with a supremely broad spectrum of flavour that dances over the divide between wine and beer.  The cider drives the nose, with pungent (but not dominating) feijoa over a tangy sherbert zing and a light, nimble barrel funk.  Brood Fermentation brewer Lauren Yap describes their saison as "crunchy" and that’s exactly the texture that underpins the fresh and boisterous flavours on the palate.  The sturdy and sumptuous backbone of grain supports the host of lofty citrus and floral flavours produced by the wild ferment.  In lieu of significant bitterness, a lightly tannic brett character tightens around the finish while the lightly medicinal rye adds warmth and length.   

A strong saison that carries its significant presence with a masterful poise and elegance.  Difficult to recommend more highly.

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Sugar in beer under scrutiny

This is an important story out of Australia where Brews News reports that the sugar content in beer is coming under scrutiny as Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) undertakes public consultations of sugar content claims amidst a series of product recalls.

FSANZ has previously done industry consultation on proposals to introduce mandatory nutrition labelling requirements on alcohol products.

But there’s a separate issue now bubbling to the surface: namely the level of sugar in beer related to an increase in beers with higher ABVs including fruited sour styles —many of which (in Australia) have been unpasteurised, leading to product recalls and exploding cans. A lot of the concern is about beers that have high levels of residual sugar, which are not noted on the labels, and this comes from the point of view of general health.

The flip side is that brands do make claims about “low sugar” beer, often with these being relative terms. There’s also the low-carb claims (again often relatively low, versus another product). On top of all that there’s strong lobbying from anti-alcohol groups and others around brewers suggesting their products are “better for you”.

It’s a complex area but the growth in both the low-carb and non-alcohol products does mean an increasing number of breweries are getting beer tested and adding nutrition labels. As a consumer this is a good thing, but I can see how the compliance costs would crush small brewers who make a large range of beer: getting them all tested would be a nightmare and financially ruinous. But is it better to do that than dodgy marketing claims that try to skirt the rules that prevent breweries from touting any health benefits in beer?

The story is quite dense, but it’s worth reading.