[Ryan16]

Recent Headlines: March 2, 2011 (Compiled by the Brewers Association)

Food>>
Craft brewers get in on food-pairing game - http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/bs-ae-beer-food-pairings-20110211,0,3794282.story - baltimoresun.com
A forthcoming dinner at Woodberry Kitchen won't be like the many others the restaurant serves on a weeknight. Sure, there will be six courses, including Snow Hill oysters, a slow-roasted ham, braised shank with potatoes and carrots. But there will also be beer, and lots of it. That ham? It will be glazed with an American pale ale. The dinner was organized by Flying Dog Brewery to show off its inventory. The Frederick company and other brewers say craft beer can be as compatible with fine dining as wine, and sometimes more versatile.

Cooking with beer - http://onlineathens.com/stories/030211/liv_793115218.shtml - onlineathens.com
The more famous beer-based dishes, like Belgian Carbonnade and Welsh Rabbit (aka "rarebit"), are from regions that produce little wine. Necessity - perhaps in the form of plentiful stale beer and expensive, imported wine - probably mothered the inventions. Yet in the Germanic Alsace region of France, which produces excellent wine and good beer, a classical dish is Poulet la Biere. Arguably the top beer dish, Carbonnade is a richly flavored beef and onion stew from the Flemish regions of Belgium. Its traditional ingredient is dark, but lightly hopped, ale.

Golden delicious: 3 sandwich-worthy beer mustards - http://draftmag.com/features/beer-mustards/ - draftmag.com
In the case of bratwurst, beer and mustard, sometimes three's a crowd; brew and the canary condiment get along just fine on their own. "You need a liquid to bring dry mustard to life," says Barry Levenson, founder and curator of the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wis. "Many mustards use vinegar or, in the case of French mustard, verjus, but beer has been used for years, mainly in England. There are some great beer mustards being made now." Here, Levenson shares his three favorites:

Lifestyle>>
Local Brewery Making a Difference One Beer at a Time - http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Local-Brewery-Making-Difference-One-Beer-Time-Howe-Sound-Brewing-Launches-Ales-Change-1404644.htm - marketwire.com
SQUAMISH, BRITISH COLUMBIA-Howe Sound Brewing proudly announces the second beer in their "Ales for Change" series that will contribute a portion of beer sales' profit from this special initiative to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society for marine and wilderness conservation in B.C. "We are thrilled about this series of beers "Ales for Change", as it is a way of giving to environmental and community endeavours creating positive change, while focusing on relevant local and environmental issues. Our brewery has been in the forefront of brewing special beers for environmental, sports, and special causes," says Leslie Fenn, co-owner of Howe Sound Brewing. "Through the partnering with CPAWS-BC, our second beer, "Rockfish Red", will help support marine conservation in Howe Sound and around B.C. – a vital connection in maintaining B.C.'s wild ecosystem."

Yellowstone: Hike, Bike & Beer Adventure - http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/111926-1299021192-yellowstone-hike-bike-beer-adventure.html - onlineprnews.com
Tour operator Zephyr Adventures announced it will offer a six-day Hike, Bike & Beer Adventure in the areas of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks September 9-14, 2011. The guided tour includes hiking and biking activities during the early part of the day and then focuses on visiting local craft breweries, ale houses, beer fests, and hop growers in the late afternoons. The tour visits six breweries in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. ... Yet the idea of "beer tourism" where people visit an area for its beers and breweries has not really taken off yet, except for a few tours to places like Belgium. Zephyr Adventures, a Montana-based tour company that also runs the Beer Bloggers Conference  (http://beerbloggersconference.org/), is out to change that. Figuring that beer lovers might also enjoy an active vacation, they have created their first-ever active beer tour, a six-day hiking and biking vacation in and around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks that will feature excellent local scenery, activities, and breweries.

Homebrewing>>
Brew Your First Beer with Confidence - http://homebrewacademy.com/ - homebrewacademy.com
Great news, The Homebrew Academy training program is reopening. I'm Billy Broas and I've been where you are: * You want to get into homebrewing but don't know where to start * There are so many beer kits on the market – how do you pick the right one? * How do you brew great beer without screwing it up? As a beginner, it can be pretty darn frustrating to get that first beer brewed. That's why I created The Homebrew Academy. The Homebrew Academy is an online training course that will show you how to brew your first beer at home, and I promise it will turn out great.

Government Affairs>>
Proposed legislation will make voters cry in their beer - http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/03/01/guest-commentary-proposed-legislation-will-make-voters-cry-their-beer/ - columbiamissourian.com
One of the reasons I love economic freedom is the high degree of correlation between the level of economic freedom and prosperity. Senate Bill 64 and House Bill 258 - both now moving through the 2011 legislative process - will further codify into law what is commonly called and actively promoted by its industry beneficiaries as "The Three Tier System" of beer distribution. It would make it illegal for producers of beer to have any ownership interest in a distributor. If enacted, this bill will deal a severe blow to economic freedom in Missouri. How? Please allow me to introduce my explanation with a little illustration: No matter how you dress it up, if something still looks like a duck and still waddles like a duck and still quacks like a duck, it is probably a duck. And, no matter how you dress up the quack economic theory of the beer distributors who claim that customer choice is maximized, that there are cost efficiencies enjoyed by the consumer and that monopolistic practices are prevented, all as a result of the quasi-monopolistic Three Tier System created with the force of law - it is still quack economic theory.

Strong Beer Bill Put on Hold - http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=14166114 - kten.com
The sale of stronger beer and wine is the hot topic at the Oklahoma capitol.  A bill in Oklahoma that would allow grocery stores and gas stations to sell strong beer and wine has been put on hold.

Business>>
Draught Beer Quality Manual - http://www.draughtquality.org/w/page/18182201/FrontPage - draughtquality.org
Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Manual Prepared by the Technical Committee of the Brewers Association April 2009 Download complete PDF (2.7 MB)

Colorado brewery selling its popular beers on the East Coast - http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/lifestyle/columnists/x945639235/THE-BEER-NUT-Colorado-brewery-selling-its-popular-beers-on-the-East-Coast#axzz1FTG4EebV - metrowestdailynews.com
The Breckenridge Brewery is finally old enough to drink its own beer, and to celebrate it has started selling its beers in Massachusetts. The Colorado brewery celebrated its 21st birthday last month and, in addition to Massachusetts, started selling its beers in Maryland, New Hampshire and New York. The brewery was started in 1990 by Richard Squire, said brewmaster Todd Ursy. "He was a ski bum and he was a homebrewer, and he got the ball rolling there," Ursy said. Squire started the brewpub in the ski town of Breckenridge but the popularity quickly grew, and they opened up a brewery in downtown Denver, Colo., in 1992. They quickly outgrew that brewery, and moved to another larger brewery, also in Denver.

New Belgium celebrates 20th anniversary - http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20110302/BUSINESS/103020334/New-Belgium-celebrates-20th-anniversary - coloradoan.com
New Belgium Brewing Co. will celebrate its 20th anniversary of brewing beer with a nearly yearlong celebration called the Joy Ride campaign and includes a June release of a New Belgium Super Cru - a new twist on the company's Fat Tire beer. The brewery will celebrate its two decades in business by paying homage to its signature beer Fat Tire with long-time employees posting some of their fondest memories about their time at the brewery on the company's website. The brewery also will invite fans of its beer to post photos and videos on the site starting around Memorial Day weekend. In one of the first videos posted on the website as part of the Joy Ride campaign, New Belgium, CEO and co-founder Kim Jordan comments on Fat Tire and her work cultivating the company's brand.