AMERICAN COMPETITION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 927, 17 October 1879, Page 2

AMERICAN COMPETITION.

Notwithstanding the excellent quality of the ale brewed by Mr. W. F. Crawford, of the Gisborne Brewery, he must look fo his laurels, and m common with colonial brewers, be prepared for a keen competition for American firms, who are now turning their attention to the New Zealand and Australian markets. The 'Frisco correspondent of the Otago Daily Times, writing on the subject says : — ' 'What are NewZealana brewers doing that they are letting American brewers supply the Australian market ? A Staten Island brewer reports having received large orders from France and Australia. Well, you might let him have the run of the French market, but surely you can keep him out of the Australian f 1 have a faint recollection that New Zealand beer was excellent, but it must possess great merit indeed if it equals the best Eastern brew. In many respects American beer is Buperior to' ; English. It is lighter, more sparkling, better flavoured, and altogether mote suited for the Australian climate than heady English ale and porter. Bass' celebrated India pale ale is not to be compared with Milwaukee beer; and our own Boca, brewed away up among $he crystal springs of the Sierra Nevada mountains, ia superior to any imported ale. I don't know if it is brewed m quantities for export, but I know it is kept m stock, m the cool mountain cellars, for two years before being sold. The great drawback, I fancy, to your beer is that it is never allowed to mature. Of course this would involve the employment of large capital, but ultimately it would pay. The climate of your country should admit of the production of the very best of beer-*-" ale," I believe you call the same "tipple." Your water is excellent, and storage sufficiently cool might be found. The very primesi malting barley may be bought- in our Southern countries at very low rateß, and shipped direct, thereby saving the enormous port charges and commissions at San Francisco. . For example, a vessel might load at Ventura, almost m any weather, at the wharf there, direct from the warehouse. The saving of coast freight, snipping, charges, and commission, would be a handsome profit upon a cargo of barley. I think I suggested this once before, but I repeat it for the information of your shrewd business men. ' . I also think it will ' interest you to know that -to American brewers you are ultimately to look for keen competition. The necessity for the importation of malt from England must be a serious drawback, but I believe that prime malting barley may always be bought reasonable m California ; and the Southern Coast counties are the points to look to."