A Rye Smile

Getting back to Rye for just a minute, I felt so badly that David had interpreted my previous reply as "throwing him under the bus", that I made a special trip to the L.B. just to pick up another bottle of Yakima Rye. I am pleased to report that the previously mentioned over-carbonation problem has been addressed. Nice beer.

I'm missing something here. An (extremely) cursory internet search indicates KY actually has one of the lowest "beer taxes" in the country.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/245.html

Case in point, When I go to Ohio, I pay a full dollar and 10 cents MORE for a six pack of Great Lakes Beer in an Akron grocery store 20 miles from where it is brewed than I do here in L'ville 400 miles away.

Hmm. According to that chart, I should have been paying more taxes on beer when I lived in Chicago, but I definitely paid less form many six packs up there three years ago than I do down here now, and I know there has not been that much inflation in 3 years. May dig around a bit myself on the interweb later. . .

I'm missing something here. An (extremely) cursory internet search indicates KY actually has one of the lowest "beer taxes" in the country.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/245.html

Case in point, When I go to Ohio, I pay a full dollar and 10 cents MORE for a six pack of Great Lakes Beer in an Akron grocery store 20 miles from where it is brewed than I do here in L'ville 400 miles away.

Hmm. According to that chart, I should have been paying more taxes on beer when I lived in Chicago, but I definitely paid less form many six packs up there three years ago than I do down here now, and I know there has not been that much inflation in 3 years. May dig around a bit myself on the interweb later. . .

That chart only shows the state excise tax which is based on cents/gallon. Most states only have an excise tax and maybe a sales tax. Kentucky has 3 different taxes they charge. The first is the state excise tax of 8 cents/gallon. The next tax is a percentage of the wholesale price of beer. This is the one most people are completely unaware of. The state collects 11% of all wholesaler's selling price. For example, say a wholesaler sells a case for $20, the state collects $2.20. The third state tax is applied at the point of purchase by the retailer. This is the 6% people see when the go to the register.

What's amazing to me is how much this has increased in the past 10 years. Under Ernie Fletcher, the gross receipts tax (wholesale level) increased from 7% to 11%. At this point there was no tax levied at the retail level. In 2009, the 6% sales tax was added on top of the others. So, in the example of the $20 case of beer, the amount the state collects increased from $1.40 to roughly $3.70 (depending on the retailers margin).

Regarding the Ohio prices, I assume that difference comes from the state mandated minimum markup. That 10 cents is going in someone other than the state's pocket.

Hmm. According to that chart, I should have been paying more taxes on beer when I lived in Chicago, but I definitely paid less form many six packs up there three years ago than I do down here now, and I know there has not been that much inflation in 3 years. May dig around a bit myself on the interweb later. . .

That's because Chicago is the most competitive beer market in the country. Prices there are lower than anywhere else I am aware of. Even if the City is getting a pretty hefty take.

Goose Island ... trying to remember ... yeah, that's an AB-Inbev brand, isn't it? 100% owned by the Great Satan of the brewing world? Yep -- that's it.

Goose Island ... trying to remember ... yeah, that's an AB-Inbev brand, isn't it? 100% owned by the Great Satan of the brewing world? Yep -- that's it.

Goose Island...hmmmm. While not a fan of the AB-Inbev brand, cannot deny that they (Goose Island) make some mighty fine brews. Yep -- that's it. DD

Goose Island ... trying to remember ... yeah, that's an AB-Inbev brand, isn't it? 100% owned by the Great Satan of the brewing world? Yep -- that's it.

Yes, they make a wide variety of enjoyable, relatively inexpensive craft beer and don't take the time to act petulant over the internet.

The "Great Satan of the brewing world" can be different to different people, depending on one's ideology.

Goose Island died when the merger was complete. I mourn their loss, and quickly move on, seeing as there's nothing GI makes that cannot be found elsewhere as similarly styled, the latter of which is NOT multi-nationally owned. It is plainly naive to think that AB-Inbev will refrain from using GI brands to colonize shelf space that might otherwise go to genuine craft beers, of which GI no longer is.

Simple facts. I sincerely regret the acid reflux they cause.

Goose Island died when the merger was complete. I mourn their loss, and quickly move on, seeing as there's nothing GI makes that cannot be found elsewhere as similarly styled, the latter of which is NOT multi-nationally owned. It is plainly naive to think that AB-Inbev will refrain from using GI brands to colonize shelf space that might otherwise go to genuine craft beers, of which GI no longer is.

Simple facts. I sincerely regret the acid reflux they cause.

But, but the beer tastes so good. If I close my eyes as I taste the beer, I can just make those facts go away.

I always found GI to be middling at best. Nothing was that distinctive or top quality. A perfect brand for AB-Inbev to gobble up, it would seem.

Goose Island died when the merger was complete. I mourn their loss, and quickly move on, seeing as there's nothing GI makes that cannot be found elsewhere as similarly styled, the latter of which is NOT multi-nationally owned. It is plainly naive to think that AB-Inbev will refrain from using GI brands to colonize shelf space that might otherwise go to genuine craft beers, of which GI no longer is.

Simple facts. I sincerely regret the acid reflux they cause.

I am very aware of who owns Goose Island.

But in your opinion, rhetoric aside, do they make good beer?

How is Goose Island NOT craft beer? Because you, personally, don't care for the ownership? I have met the lead brewer at several events, and (in my layperson's opinion) he every bit the craft brewer as anyone else.

Quite honestly, I would rather have Goose Island take up shelf space than an inferior product company, local, micro-, or otherwise.

Goose Island died when the merger was complete. I mourn their loss, and quickly move on, seeing as there's nothing GI makes that cannot be found elsewhere as similarly styled, the latter of which is NOT multi-nationally owned. It is plainly naive to think that AB-Inbev will refrain from using GI brands to colonize shelf space that might otherwise go to genuine craft beers, of which GI no longer is.

Simple facts. I sincerely regret the acid reflux they cause.

But, but the beer tastes so good. If I close my eyes as I taste the beer, I can just make those facts go away.

I always found GI to be middling at best. Nothing was that distinctive or top quality. A perfect brand for AB-Inbev to gobble up, it would seem.

I don't taste "facts". I taste beer. And I certainly respect your opinion of Goose Island beers, and will not urge you to try them.

I simply disagree with you. I think the Nightstalker is a fine, inexpensive stout. I think that their Belgian series is at least on par with any other domestic brewer's Belgian interpretations. I enjoy the Bourbon County series as well.

And if you don't, that's fine, I just don't feel the need to condescend to you about your opinion.

I do enjoy their Bourbon County Imperial Stout. I also enjoy the bonus that they don't consider me, or my friends, fascistically evil.

And if you don't, that's fine, I just don't feel the need to condescend to you about your opinion.

Pesky boogers, those facts.

Here is one definition of craft; imperfect, but generally thought provoking.

http://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/business-tools/craft-brewing-statistics/craft-brewer-defined

so what do you think of the taste of their beers, Roger?