Sayohhhhhnara, 2020. That year will probably go down as one of the strangest in most of our lives. Then again, all you have to do is look at beer news to realize that things are always a little strange in this world… especially in ‘Merica, that strangest of all countries.

The legendary U.S. ‘breakfast’ chain Waffle House (which is open 24-hours a day all year) announced in November that it would be releasing its first official beer in collaboration with fellow Georgia-based business Oconee Brewing Company. The beer is called… Bacon & Kegs, not bacon and eggs, though it’s infused with bacon and apparently smells just like it. The base style is a red ale and it weighs in at 6.5%abv. This is hardly the first bacon-infused beer in America, but when an institution like Waffle House releases one, we might have to consider a new beer category. What would the Japanese equivalent be? Natto-infused beer?

Multiple media outlets in Colorado are reporting at the time of this writing that local Breckenridge Brewery has partnered with Moon Deer Ranch, a reindeer ranch, to deliver mini-kegs of its Christmas ale via reindeer to ten winners of a special campaign. The brewery is apparently calling these ReinBEER deliveries. Lucky winners can pet, feed, and take pictures with the reindeer. We hope they kept that beer away from Mr. and Mrs. Claus–we hear they have a taste for craft. Wouldn’t want those kegs to show up empty…

Trigger warning: we have to talk about the Orange Twilight (the waning days of Donald Trump’s presidency). Shortly after his election loss, members of his team held a press conference at Four Seasons to allege voter fraud. This wasn’t, however, the illustrious hotel. Instead, it was the parking lot of a landscaping firm with the same name. It was a bizarre and kind of pitiful spectacle. Some have speculated that Trump wanted the press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel and made a premature announcement that it would take place there. But when his staff couldn’t book it (maybe the hotel refused him?), they scrambled to find another business with the same name… resulting in a press conference in a parking lot of a business located between a crematorium and a shop selling adult publications and sex toys.

The Trump team was heavily trolled on social media, of course. The family-owned landscaping company then began selling merchandise like T-shirts that said, “Make America Rake Again”. One brewery in Ireland, called Rascals Brewing Company, decided to take the trolling further, releasing a beer called “Four Saisons Total Landscaping” (get it? “saisons”, a beer style, instead of “seasons”). It is a farmhouse ale brewed with “sour grapes” (ie, “sore loser”). The label art shows a picture of Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, standing at a podium with the banner “Make America Rake Again” behind him. We wonder if Biden will be serving this at his inauguration party.

The sensational, unabashedly political American hip-hop duo Run the Jewels has launched yet another collaborative beer campaign. We’ve previously discussed artists and beer collaborations in this column, but Run the Jewels has a serious resume. For starters, their website has a dropdown menu called “Run the Brews”, which features their releases. Their first private-label beer, “Stay Gold”, was voted “IPA of the Year” in 2017 by a major beer magazine. Prior to that, as early as 2013, Goose Island released a beer with them for a music festival. Since their 2017 IPA success, they’ve launched over a dozen beers and have served them at their concerts. Their new brew is called No Save Point IPA and is their largest collaboration to date, involving thirteen breweries in seven countries. The beer has a base recipe (hazy IPA) with each brewery adding a twist to it, like many international collabs do these days. Apparently they are in discussion with Brooklyn Brewery for a large project, too. We look forward to that. In the meantime, is this a music group or a beverage company? Clearly you can be both now. There’s even precedent in Japan. Koichi Katsuki, brewer/owner of Thrashzone in Yokohama, is also an accomplished thrash metal guitarist who performs live. We’re waiting for an opera and beer act.

In December of last year, we saw several beer advent calendars for sale. For the uninitiated, advent calendars are used to count down the days to Christmas, and they usually start on the 1st. Over each date, there are usually flaps or windows that you open each day. They traditionally featured images, quotes, or sometimes pockets that contain an edible treat or small toy. These days there are advent calendars for children (like LEGO versions), and those for adults… like ones where you open a small door on a case of beer, revealing a new beer for you to drink each day. Stone Brewing Co released a 12-day advent calendar with different IPAs. This got us thinking… why couldn’t you create your own advent calendar?! And why can’t you create one at any time of the year? Like, create one for yourself or a lucky recipient for any month or occasion. Visit your local bottle shop to get started!

Let’s spin the globe and see what else is going on… Ah, the UK. You know that BrewDog is always up to something. In November the company announced that they were going to hide 24-karat gold Punk IPA cans in random 12 packs. If that sounds like something from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, then you’re on to something. It seems there are ten solid gold cans worth £15,000 (nearly USD$20,000) each. Now the key detail: the ‘winning cans’ actually look just like a normal can but with a gold sticker wrapped around them–you later exchange it for your solid gold can. Another prize is £10,000 in BrewDog shares and a private tour of the headquarters care of the founders. Wait, there’s no possibility to win the whole factory like in the movie?

In our Roundup column for issue 43, we noted that Pabst had released a 99-can pack of beer, having borrowed the idea from a craft brewery in Texas. Well, naturally it was only a matter of time before a company would want to top that. Craft Cartel Liquor in Australia released a 100-beer carton with selections from 25 different independent craft breweries. The package was conceived as a way to support the breweries after having struggled through COVID lockdowns. Folks, this is like a 3+ month advent calendar! When is the 365-case option coming?
Australia may see a boost of malt exports… to India. There’s a craft beer boom underway in the world’s most populous democracy. A Bloomberg article of November 30th noted that India could even become one of the world’s biggest beer markets. To supply that potential demand from domestic brewers, the supply of raw materials will need to increase. Enter Australia. This year, in a bout of trade tension, China slapped 80% tariffs on the island nation, resulting in a near halt of malt imports to China. It seems India may be happy to step in, possibly saving the livelihoods of Australian barley farmers. Expect Diwali to be widely celebrated among those farmers if the potential plays out.

China is by no means ceasing its beer production. In fact, a German-style beer town is currently being built in the southwestern province of Sichuan (at a cost of roughly $2 billion USD). Spanning a total of 170 hectares, it will feature a Heidelberg beer production facility and architecture similar to the German town of the same name. Yes, please wear lederhosen when you visit. You will totally fit in.

Japan is no stranger to German-themed beer halls and facilities. There are quite a few, in fact, and some of them are rather good. Fujizakura, for one, is world class. And yes, you should wear lederhosen when you visit. You will totally fit in. Totally.

This article was published in Japan Beer Times # () and is among the limited content available online. Order your copy through our online shop or download the digital version from the iTunes store to access the full contents of this issue.