[Ryan16]

Recent Headlines: March 9, 2011 (Compiled by the Brewers Association)

Food>>
Aged Cheddar-Beer Soup - http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/3936594-423/aged-cheddar-beer-soup.html - suntimes.com
Recipe

Events>>
American Craft Beer Week coming to your neighborhood - http://www.examiner.com/beer-in-national/american-craft-beer-week-coming-to-your-neighborhood - examiner.com
If you're a beer enthusiast of ANY type put these dates on your calendar: May 16-21, 2011 is American Craft Beer Week.  Check out all the events, resources, activities, celebrations, videos, resources on craftbeer.com. This is a week that highlights the celebrations of American craft brewers and their beers. Celebrations that happen 365 days a year. American Craft Beer Week, tagged The Mother of All Craft Beer Weeks, by the Brewers Association has spawned hundreds of local and regional craft beer weeks throughout the United States.  It's all about celebrating local, small, craft and the beer enthusiasm of America's responsible beer drinkers.

Lifestyle>>
Today in Food: Beer madness - http://voices.washingtonpost.com/goingoutgurus/2011/03/today_in_food_beer_madness.html - voices.washingtonpost.com
It's bracket time. A handful of local beer enthusiasts have been hand-picked from a field of over 300 applicants to help the Post's panel of experts blind taste 64 American craft brews. The event was held at the Logan Circle beer temple Birch & Barley. Watch the Beer Madness video, and fill out your own bracket.

Hey beer man! The top 10 brews available at big league ballparks - http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Hey-beer-man-The-top-10-brews-available-at-big-?urn=mlb-wp164 - sports.yahoo.com
But what would make a list of the top-10 beers available for purchase and consumption at MLB ballparks? I've compiled my own listicle below, giving extra credit for beers that are produced locally and discounting beers that are brewed and sold by massive corporate entities.

The Impact Of Texture On Taste Perception - http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/the-impact-of-texture-on-taste-perception/ - brookstonbeerbulletin.com
On Food Navigator, there was an interesting short interview with Matthew Patrick, VP of R&D for TIC Gums where he suggests that "food and beverage product developers spend a shockingly low amount of time examining how texture may impact a finished product." In beer, of course, texture is more often referred to as "mouthfeel." And while when judging beer, mouthfeel is a consideration it's usually not the primary one. Honestly, I'm really not sure how often brewers tinker with their recipes specifically to get a particular mouthfeel though it's clear that many beers have great ones and many otherwise solid beers suffer for having a less than pleasant or ideally suited mouthfeel.

Government Affairs>>
Help Advance Homebrewing Legislation in Oregon - http://maildogmanager.com/page.html?p=0000015Fu8vmrnfYRQ3+PinZ25Y2vQ1kEqN2Q=&email=allba@brewersassociation.org - maildogmanager.com
Thanks to all of you who contacted the members of the House Business and Labor Committee. Your efforts have once again paid off. After hearing testimony from Oregon Home Brewers Alliance (OHBA) member Ted Hausotter and others, the committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 444 on to the full House for a vote. The bill must be passed by the full House before it can be sent to the Governor to sign into law. The bill aims to expand the rights of homebrewers, who are limited under current law to brewing and serving homebrew only at their residence. The House vote on SB 444 could come at any time now. We ask that you contact the Representative for your district and urge him/her to vote in favor of SB 444. Contacting your legislator is quick and easy (if you call, you will most likely speak with one of their staff members), and each contact from a constituent has an impact.

What's worse: Alcohol tax or education cuts? - http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/2011/03/whats_worse_alcohol_tax_or_edu.html - weblogs.baltimoresun.com
When the opponents of an increase in Maryland's alcohol tax got an opportunity to make their case before the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee last week, their message was clear: Anything that increases the price of beer, wine and liquor will cause consumers to buy less of it, and that will cost the state jobs. But what was curious about their argument was that they admitted that if the tax increase were enacted, they would effectively exacerbate the impact by increasing the final retail price by much more than the extra tax they pay.

Marble City Brewing Company Beer to Hit Knoxville Soon! - http://blogs.metropulse.com/the_daily_pulse/2011/03/marble-city-brewing-company-be.html - blogs.metropulse.com
Last week we brought you the news that Marble City Brewing Company would not have their beer hitting the Knoxville market as soon a planned, due to a lawsuit filed against them by Albuquerque's Marble Brewery. Well, tonight, it seems, the issue may have been resolved - not in court, but over a couple of beers. The Bearden Beer Market has just posted on its Facebook page: "Major Development!! Marble City and Marble Brewery just had a Summit at BBM!! They have decided to co-exist in Knoxville! Marble City is now READY TO START ROLLING OUT BEER!!!!!!!!!!" We put in a call to Marble City's Johnathan Borsodi, who confirmed that after meeting tonight, Marble Brewery's Jeff Jinnet had agreed to let Marble City sell their beer in Knoxville without changing the name, although obviously no legal paperwork has yet been signed.

Business>>
Patrons may pay more for their locally brewed suds - http://www.canada.com/Patrons+more+their+locally+brewed+suds/4407326/story.html - canada.com
A pint of locally brewed suds could rise in price due to a global shortage of brew-quality malt. Flooding lowered the quality of the latest barley crops in Canada and Australia, leaving some unsuitable to turn into malt, the germinated barley product used in beer. The price of malting barley is expected to jump by one-third this July, said an official with the Canadian Wheat Board. This increase will likely hit the small breweries the hardest because they use fewer ingredients compared to larger operations.