Henry's is gone. Sure, it's still being brewed somewhere by
someone, and it's still sold as Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve
with that familiar parchment-colored label, but that somewhere
happens to be Tumwater, Wash., and that someone is Philip
Morris-owned Miller Brewing Co. They may still call it Henry's,
but they don't call it Hank's anymore.
But before we start crying in our beer, remember this chain
of events: In 1979, the original company was sold to the
Pabst Brewery of Milwaukee; in 1983 it sold to G. Heileman
of Wisconsin, then to Alan Bond of Australia, and finally
to the Stroh Brewing Co. of Detroit in 1996. All the while,
production remained in Portland, but it was by no means
a locally owned company. The final straw came earlier this
year, when Stroh quit the beer business and sold its brands
to Pabst (Old Milwaukee, Schlitz, Colt) and Miller (Weinhard's
and Mickey's), with Miller subsequently moving production
to its plant in Tumwater.
Does that make Weinhard's a Tumwater beer? No, but it's
definitely a Miller beer. Brewing cheap, mass-produced lager
is big money, and Miller is no newcomer to the business.
However, Miller is sending waves through the industry lately
because it has purchased many classic brands and quietly
retired them. The reduction in offerings from brands such
as Rainier, Heidelberg, Blitz, Smith and Reilly, Hamm's
and Schlitz should lessen the competition a bit, but it
also makes us wonder whether Henry's is next for the chopping
block.
So, what do people think of the new Weinhard? I've spoken
to bartenders, devout Henry's drinkers and distributors
and nearly everyone I spoke to could taste a distinct difference.
All found that Tumwater Henry's tasted more watered-down
and noticed that it was much lighter in color. Indeed, the
new Henry's is weak-bodied, with more of a megabrewery corn-based
lager taste than before. Kirby Cook of K&T Distributing
in Tumwater described the Ale this way after a taste test
between old and new: "The beer definitely tasted and looked
different than what Blitz Weinhard made in Portland."
Another person at the Tumwater plant said it would be nearly
impossible for Miller to brew the same Henry's with the
Tumwater equipment, even using the same recipe. The boiling
kettle at Tumwater just wasn't made to condense beer to
the same level of richness that Portland's kettle was, which
explains why the new Henry's is so much lighter in body.
I'm sure Miller could increase the grain content to make
up for this lack of oomph, but that wouldn't jibe with the
bean counters' creed. Then again, neither does the double-digit
drop in Henry's sales since '98.
So where do Henry's drinkers turn? For a locally brewed,
easy drinking but flavorful lager, many are turning to the
new Henry Saxer Public Lager. Saxer came in at a perfect
time, predicting that Miller would mishandle the transition
and that Hank's fans would be looking for a new beer. Indeed,
Saxer has secured 52 taps across the Portland area. The
Public Lager fits the bill nicely, offering a smooth, rich
maltiness, a nice European hop character in both flavor
and aroma, and an affordable price--but it's available in
draft only.
While we're still on the subject of change, I'd like to
let you in on a little secret: This is my last Mash column
for Willamette Week. I was offered a job as head
brewer of the Twenty Tank Brewery that I just couldn't refuse,
so by the time you read this, I will be stirring a different
mash in San Francisco. Though my stay in Portland now seems
very short, it was most certainly sweet. When you're in
San Francisco, be sure to stop by and try some tasty wares.
Until then, keep Portland's brewers busy and on their toes.
Cheers!
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Willamette Week | originally
published December 15,
1999
|
