Interesting Beer Stuff and Old News Items

 

 

Boston's Weekly Dig / 10-09-2002

Are you sure that beer is from <insert country>?

Sometimes in this world of convenience and the rushed lifestyle, we either take things for granted or become lazy in the head and jump on every trend or assumption we stubble upon. We both bought Toyotas back in our high school days, only to discover that the cars were assembled in Canada with South American parts. Every day after that, we noticed more and more products that were produced in different countries than their supposed country of origin. More than we would have thought or rather liked. That is why we, and other Americans, look at real imported food, merchandise and whatnot as being so important. Beer falls into this category, as there are hundreds of imported beers to choose from, and some so obscure and indigenous that we are ecstatic when they are available in the US.

Vidalia onions from Georgia or lobsters from Maine, Lambic from Belgium or champagne from France, all are great examples of indigenous products. Unfortunately big business loves to outsource, wherever possible, to save a buck or two. Beer is no exception.

Pick up a bottle of Mackeson XXX Stout, this luxuriant stuff from England is so damn smooth that it’ll make your mom’s toes curl. Funny thing is that the bottles we get here in the US are brewed in Ohio by the Snyder International Brewing Group; this goes for the other Whitbread owned brand, Whitbread Pale Ale, as well. Now, we don’t even want the stuff. It’s certainly a different product versus what we used to get straight from the UK. And even worse is that they are not the only faux-imported beers.

Just imagine a huge platter of sushi and a bottle of cold Kirin Lager; you think you are getting the whole package. The sushi experience, baby! That is, until you check out the label and see that Kirin is brewed in the US by Anheuser Busch. Ouch! It even tastes similar to Bud. Sapporo is a better pick any way.

Love that clean and bitter Carlsberg Lager, and the feeling that you are drinking a quality danish product? Guess what? It’s brewed in Canada by Labatt. Yup, even their Elephant Red Malt Liquor.

The insanity continues ... there are more beers that are brewed in Canada for export to the US, instead of coming from their respective countries. The infamous Irish lager, Harp, is a Canadian product. Oh, and you might want to sit down for this one, just in case you didn’t know ... Guinness is also Canadian brewed. You bet your sweet leprechaun ass, those pints of black gold that we quaff down all night long in our faux-Irish pubs are from Canada. Now Guinness "says" that this only applies to the nitro draught can and Extra Stout versions of Guinness, and that, oddly, the crappy nitro bottled version of Guinness is apparently from the original Guinness brewery at St. James Gate. Go figure. Anyway … shocked? Hell, we were disappointed at first, however there was some forgiveness after a few nights of hanging out at our local pubs, only to fall in love with the stuff again. You just can’t beat a properly pulled, fresh Guinness.

Fosters, "Australian for beer." Guess again suckers ... it’s brewed in Canada, too.

On a brighter note, the Löwenbräu brand has stopped its Canadian production for US export and is now exporting the "Original Formula" from the original German brewery. Löwenbräu had switched to outsourcing right when it was becoming a big-time premium imported beer in the US. First, it contracted out with Miller Brewing Co. and the product seemed okay. Soon after that, it switched to Labatt in Canada using the “Löwenbräu Original Munich Formula," and it was still an okay brew. Now that it is coming to us straight from Germany, it is not only a real import but a damn nice one at that! Right now you can find six-packs, 12-packs of the Löwenbräu Premium Beers and mini-party-kegs of Oktoberfestbier, which is a must buy if you can find it.

The point is not everything comes from where it should, but if you are happy with it then that is all that really matters. However, don’t be disappointed the next time you see a "God Bless America" bumper sticker that was made in Mexico by a Japanese guy drinking an oil can of Foster’s brewed in Canada.

 

Beer saves man's life
By Jason Bartlett and Vanessa McCausland October 2, 2003

WHEN Scott Chippindale saw a youth trapped in the wreck of a burning van, he knew he had to act. He had no water but he did have a six-pack of beer - which he used to douse the trapped driver's body. His actions - a rare case of alcohol doing some good on our roads - may well have saved the driver's life. Mr. Chippindale, 27, was headed home with his brother Mark and his son Oscar, 7, to St Hubert's Island on the Central Coast on Tuesday night when they saw the crash scene on Maitland Bay Drive, Ettalong. The trapped teenager was screaming in pain in the wreck of his Tarago, with its rear engulfed in flames. They grabbed the six-pack of Victoria Bitter they had intended to share after a day's work and sprayed beer all over the trapped 18-year-old. "We had no other choice, there was no water, we just grabbed it and poured it on him but the flames kept coming back," Mark Chippindale said. Police arrived shortly after and, armed with fire extinguishers, kept the flames under control until the fire brigade arrived. All four officers, who suffered smoke inhalation, minor burns and abrasions, will be recommended for a Commissioner's Commendation. "To save a man's life - if my career ended tomorrow I would walk away a happy person," Probationary Constable Stacey Binskin said. The trapped driver was taken to Gosford Hospital suffering fractures and burns to his legs. Three other occupants of the van and the 20-year-old driver of the other car escaped with minor injuries.

 

- 2/24/03- The oldest living American man died Monday from heart failure. He was 113.  "He was never sick," a 35-year-old great-granddaughter, Lisa Saxton, told The Ledger  of Lakeland. "He lived a great life. Obviously, he was well put together.  He smoked cigars, (and)  drank beer

All I really need to know in Life…….

Men Get Own Kindergarten While Women Shop

BERLIN (Reuters) - German women fed up with their partners' grumbling on weekend shopping trips can now dump them at a special kindergarten for men offering beer and entertainment. "The women are issued a receipt for their partners when they hand them in and can pick them up again when they return it to us later," Alexander Stein, manager of the 'Nox Bar' in the northern city of Hamburg told Reuters on Tuesday. The men are given a name badge on arrival and for 10 euros ($11.80) they get two beers, a hot meal, televised football and games. Stein said the idea for the Saturday afternoon men's creche, or "Maennergarten," came from a female customer who thought it would be a good way of getting shot of her husband so she could shop in peace. "She found it all too stressful and thought this might be the solution. Both were very happy with the way it turned out. "Last week the men had a remote control car to play with. Next week there's going to be a mini racetrack," said Stein. They are also offering a drilling workshop. "It beats sitting around in shoe shops, that's for sure," one man told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

 Beer saves man's life
By Jason Bartlett and Vanessa McCausland October 2, 2003

WHEN Scott Chippindale saw a youth trapped in the wreck of a burning van, he knew he had to act. He had no water but he did have a six-pack of beer - which he used to douse the trapped driver's body. His actions - a rare case of alcohol doing some good on our roads - may well have saved the driver's life. Mr. Chippindale, 27, was headed home with his brother Mark and his son Oscar, 7, to St Hubert's Island on the Central Coast on Tuesday night when they saw the crash scene on Maitland Bay Drive, Ettalong. The trapped teenager was screaming in pain in the wreck of his Tarago, with its rear engulfed in flames. They grabbed the six-pack of Victoria Bitter they had intended to share after a day's work and sprayed beer all over the trapped 18-year-old. "We had no other choice, there was no water, we just grabbed it and poured it on him but the flames kept coming back," Mark Chippindale said. Police arrived shortly after and, armed with fire extinguishers, kept the flames under control until the fire brigade arrived. All four officers, who suffered smoke inhalation, minor burns and abrasions, will be recommended for a Commissioner's Commendation. "To save a man's life - if my career ended tomorrow I would walk away a happy person," Probationary Constable Stacey Binskin said. The trapped driver was taken to Gosford Hospital suffering fractures and burns to his legs. Three other occupants of the van and the 20-year-old driver of the other car escaped with minor injuries.

Police pulled over a man on a bar stool, RENO (911), Nev. -- after a slow-speed pursuit on one of Reno's busier streets. It started Monday when an officer saw a man riding the motorized bar stool at 35 mph. He was being followed closely by a woman in a Mustang. Both driver and rider were pulled over. The woman told police she had been on the phone with a dispatcher reporting the bar stool stolen. The owner of the bar stool confirmed that the stool, powered by a small engine, had been taken three weeks earlier. Jarrett Orcutt, 22, said he had bought it a little over a week ago, thinking it was a toy and added that he had driven it between Reno and nearby Sparks several times. Police estimate its value at more than $1,000. Orcutt faces Reno charges of possession of stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia and numerous traffic violations. Sparks police are handling the stolen vehicle report.


WOW! BERLIN (Reuters) - An inebriated German driver's honesty cost him his license after he told police he had drunk "20 beers at most," authorities said Monday. During a routine traffic check in the western city of Essen, police asked if the 25-year-old man had drunk anything. He answered: "Twenty beers at most if you want me to be perfectly honest, officer. But that's it, really." Police carried out a breath test, confirming the man's claims, and confiscated his license. "I've no idea why he told them," said Raymund Sandach, a spokesman for Essen police. "Maybe because he was drunk."
 

The Seven-Pack!, Picnic problems? 10 hotdogs, 8 buns, 3 people and now a seven-pack of beer. Utah's Pack City Brewing Company has added a bonus beer by creating a seven-pack for those need the extra one after six. A hexagonal beer pack with the additional beer in the center. The seven-pack has been market-tested for several months with high consumer enthusiasm and positive feedback. The seven-pack is now being distributed in Utah and Montana. Picture can be found at p. 71, Brew News, Daniels, Zymurgy Sept/Oct 2003

 Study proves drinking makes members of opposite sex look more attractive , Aug 19, 2002 - Scientists in Scotland have found proof of the so-called "beer goggles" effect. They discovered that men and women who have consumed a moderate amount of alcohol find the faces of the opposite sex 25% more attractive than their sober counterparts. And the study revealed that there was no difference in the beer goggles effect between men and women. Students at Glasgow University were shown color photographs of 120 male and female St. Andrews University students aged 18 to 26. Participants were asked to rate their aesthetic properties on a scale of between one -- highly unattractive -- to seven -- highly attractive. Half of the students had drunk up to four units of alcohol, equivalent to two pints of beer or two-and-a-half glasses of wine. The 40 who had been drinking rated the people in the photographs as broadly more attractive than those not drinking. "Everyone`s heard of the beer goggles effect but we wanted to measure once and for all whether a moderate amount of alcohol increases the judgment of facial attractiveness," said Prof. Barry Jone of Glasgow University psychology department. "The increase in perceived attractiveness appeared to be the same for the ugly people as the pretty people, he said. "Attractiveness provides a very important signal of mate quality, it shows you have good genes and a healthy body." The beer goggles phenomenon is caused by alcohol stimulating the part of the human brain which is used to determine facial attractiveness, the nucleus accumbens, he said.

 China has started full-scale production of a beer made from fresh cow's milk. The milk beer is being brewed in the city of Xingtai in the province of Hebei. It has several characteristic features including low alcoholic content and rich froth with all the vitamin characteristics of sour milk products. The technology of beer production from milk was developed in the Food Research Institute in the city of Tianjin.

 

$5,655.55 For seven cans of beer - and they were empty - A bidder at eBay.com recently paid $5,655.55 for these cans for seven beer cans with six different Rheingold girls pictured on them. That means somebody else bid $5,555.55. Here's part of the description: "ALL of the cans are in gorgeous condition, just like the fair maidens pictured on the cans. The paint is bright and vivid with no yellowing, aging or discoloration! All of the lids, rims and seams shine! Each can has had one lid professionally replaced with the proper lid. Cans are the correct height and you cannot tell the lid work has been performed. There are no teeth marks on the cans."


Hey - ‘BEERMAN’

DENVER - 10/02/03 "Hey, beerman!" Your name isn't protected. "Bob the Beerman" has lost his battle against Coors. Bob Donchez, known as "Bob the Beerman," was the first licensed vendor at Coors Field in Denver. He trademarked his character in 1993. He sued Coors about four years ago over the brewer's "Beerman" $100 million ad campaign. But a federal judge in Denver has ruled the term beerman is generic and doesn't infringe on the rights of Bob the Beerman. Attorneys for the Beerman say they'll likely file an appeal.

 

Men Leave ID After Alleged Beer Theft

STUART, Fla. - Police are suggesting a new career path for two men after they left their ID and weapon with a convenience store clerk before stealing a hot dog and beer from the store. Martin County sheriff's deputies nabbed the pair when they made an even bolder move - returning to the store an hour later to retrieve the ID and BB gun. "It was really stupid, but kids do stupid things sometimes," said Marie Blanco, 42, the clerk at the Speedway convenience store where the theft occurred early Wednesday. Blanco said she noticed one of the men had a gun tucked into his waistband after she asked him for identification to prove he was old enough to buy beer. She said she asked Winston Lamar, 22, if the gun was real. Lamar told her it was a BB gun and he put it in the money tray under the protective screen to show her, sheriff's records state. Blanco then grabbed the gun and called police while the men fled without paying for the beer or the hot dog. About 30 minutes later, Lamar called the store, asking if he could come get his identification and the gun. Blanco assured them that police had already left and that they could retrieve the items. But two sheriff's deputies were awaiting their return and arrested the men after they arrived. Deputies charged Lamar with theft and carrying a concealed firearm. The second man, Drew Nash, 21, was charged with theft. The men were taken to the Martin County jail and posted bail on Wednesday. Attempts to reach the men were unsuccessful. Phone listings for both were unavailable. The Martin County public defender's office said it was too soon to determine if it would be representing the men. Sheriff's Sgt. Jenell Atlas suggested the men find another line of work. "This one does not seem to be working out for them," she said.

To help all of us celebrate American Beer Month, Beeradvocate has provided the following

 

§    Top 50 American Breweries <http://beeradvocate.com/boba/072003/breweries.php>

§    Top 50 American Brewpubs <http://beeradvocate.com/boba/072003/brewpubs.php>

§    Top 50 American Beers <http://beeradvocate.com/boba/072003/beers.php>

§    Top 50 Places to Have a Pint <http://beeradvocate.com/boba/072003/have_pint.php>

 

Men Leave ID After Alleged Beer Theft

STUART, Fla. - Police are suggesting a new career path for two men after they left their ID and weapon with a convenience store clerk before stealing a hot dog and beer from the store. Martin County sheriff's deputies nabbed the pair when they made an even bolder move - returning to the store an hour later to retrieve the ID and BB gun. "It was really stupid, but kids do stupid things sometimes," said Marie Blanco, 42, the clerk at the Speedway convenience store where the theft occurred early Wednesday. Blanco said she noticed one of the men had a gun tucked into his waistband after she asked him for identification to prove he was old enough to buy beer. She said she asked Winston Lamar, 22, if the gun was real. Lamar told her it was a BB gun and he put it in the money tray under the protective screen to show her, sheriff's records state. Blanco then grabbed the gun and called police while the men fled without paying for the beer or the hot dog. About 30 minutes later, Lamar called the store, asking if he could come get his identification and the gun. Blanco assured them that police had already left and that they could retrieve the items. But two sheriff's deputies were awaiting their return and arrested the men after they arrived. Deputies charged Lamar with theft and carrying a concealed firearm. The second man, Drew Nash, 21, was charged with theft. The men were taken to the Martin County jail and posted bail on Wednesday. Attempts to reach the men were unsuccessful. Phone listings for both were unavailable. The Martin County public defender's office said it was too soon to determine if it would be representing the men. Sheriff's Sgt. Jenell Atlas suggested the men find another line of work. "This one does not seem to be working out for them," she said.

 

 

Awash with Cheap Beer - Fleetingly

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is being flooded by cheap beer -- selling for as little as five cents a can -- as shops rush to clear stocks ahead of new charges from January to discourage throw-away containers. "Germany foams over with joy!" wrote Bild newspaper on Saturday. "Everyone's buying cheap beer." The country's top-selling newspaper said some stores were selling off canned beer stocks for a price that amounted to 6.6 liters per dollar, a tiny fraction of the normal cost. "Beer price war!" wrote Berlin's B.Z. tabloid on Saturday. "Discounters are chucking out everything they've got. At this rate beer will be given away for free by Christmas." Retailers have warned, however, drinkers could face their worst nightmare -- a beer shortage -- in January. The government is imposing charges on non-reusable cans and bottles -- 25 cents for small ones and 50 cents for larger ones -- because the percentage of recycled cans and bottles has fallen below a 72 percent minimum target set in 1997. Drinkers will have to bring their empties back to the shop to get their deposits. But shops say they don't have any room to store the empty cans and bottles, so are selling their stocks now at discount prices. The new charges are meant to counter a trend toward non-reusable containers. Environmentalists say they will help clear three billion cans and bottles off the streets. Germany is the world's top beer producer with some 1,200 breweries nationwide churning out 53 million hectoliters a year. Germans drink on average a third of a liter of beer a day each.