Art Appreciation - Silly Beer Laws - and More News!
This morning there is a telephone interview to be done, a new beer-bar to visit and a selection of "seasonal" beers to taste. All in a days work for a journalist covering the beer beat.
First of all I would like to draw your attention to the following piece from the Missoulian by Tristan Scott:
Tapping into art
"... tap handles have become a compelling way to entice beer drinkers into sampling a specific brand."
"In some cases, an eye-catching tap handle constitutes a small brewery's central method for advertising."
"With so many craft beers available, breweries are focusing on their tap handle designs as a way to distinguish their beers from others..."
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/12/09/news/local/news02.txt
My favorites come from Magic Hat in Vermont. Let me know if you have a favorite that might be worth looking at.
Next up is news that the Dogfish Head folks are opening another place:
New Dogfish brewpub to open in Va.
"Rehohoth Beach, Del. - A third Dogfish Head brewpub will soon open, this time in Falls Church, Va., owner Sam Calagione said."
http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061211/NEWS01/61211011/-1/DW
Next we get to another case (pun intended) of "Silly Beer Laws."
Popular beer pulled from Illinois market
By Scott Miller
scottmiller@pantagraph.com
"Bloomington -- Twin City beer drinkers must raise their glasses for a fallen comrade."
"A tiff between Bell's Brewery Inc. and its distributor ousted the microbrew from the Illinois market. Bell's kegs throughout the state are drying up: Oberon Ale, Java Stout, Two Hearted Ale and other seasonal stouts, porters and ales."
"The loss stems from the state's Beer Industry Fair Dealing Act of 1982 that limits brewers to one distributor. Under the law, distributors purchase the rights to certain beers."
It seems that the distributor for Bell's sold the distribution rights to a distributor that handles mass quantities of mega-brewery products. Not confident that their beers would continue to be handled the same way as in the past, the decision was to loose the market rather than have it gradually dry up.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/12/11/money/doc457cf8f62af1f662151971.txt
Sorry fellows!
Love the headline... I am including the following because I found the headline too good to pass up...
Summer Wine ale at winter beer festival!
Dec 4 2006
By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner
http://ichuddersfield.icnetwork.co.uk/printable_version.cfm?objectid=18206145&siteid=50060
Finally I am posting another "seasonal beer" piece. Why? Because I liked it...
Winter ales hop up the holidays
December 10, 2006
By ED MURRIETA Tacoma News Tribune
"TACOMA, Wash. - No matter how big of a Scrooge you might feel around the holidays, winter beers will warm you up."
http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061210/FEATURES07/612100339/1016/FEATURES07
Until tomorrow...
Cheers,
Peter LaFrance
(Author of Cooking & Eating with Beer - http://www.beerbasics.com/The_Books.htm )
