Korean Brewer: Drink Our Beer and Stay Regular

Drink beer? Having trouble staying regular? A Korean brewer might have just the ticket.

Hite Brewery says its new beer, named "S" -- you can figure out what that might stand for -- is fortified with dietary fiber. Hite says each 100 milliliters has 0.5 grams of fiber, so in a typical 330 milliliter bottle you would get the equivalent of two or three cucumbers or eight strawberries. There is no word on any plans to export the brew to the United States.

Each bottle of what Hite calls Stylish Beer with Fiber costs about 83-cents. But just remember the old saying: You don't buy beer, you really only rent it.

Evening Standard: Guinness Might Shutter St James's Gate

According to a report from London in the Evening Standard, drinks giant Diageo is mulling over the idea of halting production at St James's Gate in Dublin, where they have been brewing beer for nearly 250 years.

The speculation is that Diageo might sell the brewery to property developers. The company would take the profits from the sale and move production outside of Dublin. While news of this move might at first sound unbelievable, the reality is that sales of Guinness in Ireland have dropped. During the first six months of 2007, overall European sales for Guinness are down 7 percent.

St James's Gate has been part of the Guinness marketing lore and the brewery is one of the top tourist attractions in all of Ireland. Guinness Stout sold in the U.S. is made at St James's Gate. Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease on the 64-acre Dublin site in 1759. The first Guinness beer to use the word Stout on the label appeared around 1820.

The St James's Gate property is estimated to be worth as much as $4.1 billion.

Hyatt Launches Canvas House Wine Brand

The average wine consumer is at a severe disadvantage when they order off a wine list at many restaurants. Most people may know a few labels and purchase a couple for regular home consumption. With the number of vineyards growing almost daily, and with a number of vineyards marketing various levels of product under basically the same label -- with subtle changes usually through the name of an alternate vineyard -- crafty beverage managers can get almost any price they desire.

I have had several recent experiences that have caused head shaking and comments to guests at my table. A wine I know I can get at retail for under $20 just should not appear on a wine list for $75 or above. Proprietors will argue that they need the margins on wine to remain profitable. I'd argue that some of the pricing I've seen recently turns guests away from wines by the bottle to wines by the glass -- or to other beverages, including tap water. If your pricing on wine is gouging, can I trust the rest of the menu?

A good case in point is a recent experience I had at the Renaissance Hotel in Charlotte. Kim Crawford 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, which is available at a Costco location less than 5 miles away for $13 a bottle, is on the Renaissance list for $62 a bottle -- almost five times retail. This wine is a great value at $13 a bottle. It is a superb rip-off at $62.

One way around the issue of consumer awareness of wine value -- and a far more honest approach than a 5x mark up -- is to private label a wine. If you own the label, you ought to be able to set the price. The restaurateur will know what the pricing structure does to depletions.

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, working with Folio Fine Wine Partners, has gone the private label route with the release of Canvas. Folio Fine is based in Napa Valley and owned by the Michael Mondavi family.

Canvas is available at restaurants, bars and in-room dining at all Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Resorts in the United States. The Canvas line includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay.

EU Parliament Set to Order a "White Spirit and Tonic"

On one side of the aisle you have vodka makers from various countries arguing over exactly what is vodka. Mixed among them are people who believe Scotch does not necessarily have to come from Scotland. At the end of the day, you just might have a bunch of confused consumers. Welcome to the European Union Parliament.

With a vote this week, the EU Parliament could cause more than a third of vodka -- including some very popular brands in the United States -- to be recategorized as "white spirit" or "pure alcohol." Taking up a motion by a group of Nordic and Baltic countries, including Poland and Finland, a new proposed EU law says that vodka must be made from potatoes or grains.

A number of major brands, including Ciroc from France, use ingredients such as grapes, beets or citrus fruit. In the United Kingdom, significant amounts of vodka are distilled from molasses. If they lost the designation as vodka, these brands are also likely to drop in sales. Distillers in traditional vodka states think this would be just fine.

Currently, EU regulations define the distilling process for vodka, but not what raw ingredients must be fermented.

Scotch makers have been pulled into the fight through political maneuvering. They want protection against brands around the world using terms that suggest they are Scotch. The whiskey makers argue that like Cognac or Champagne, Scotch is as much about a place as it is ingredients or process. By tossing protection for Scotch distillers into the vodka proposal, the EU Parliament has clouded the potential outcome of the vote.

Heineken Buys Czech Brewer

While all eyes have been on the proposed sale of Budejovicky Budvar, Heineken NV has swooped in and grabbed up Krusovice Brewery in the Czech Republic.

Krusovice was owned by the Radeberger Gruppe KG. The company sold 70 million liters of beer last year, including an enjoyable dark lager. With the purchase Heineken says its share of the Czech market will grow to 8 percent. Regulators must approve the deal.

Oklahoma Group Pushes to Make 3.2 Beer Just a Memory

Come November voters in Oklahoma might get the chance to allow grocery stores to sell more than just 3.2 alcohol by weight (4.05 alcohol by volume) beer.

Oklahomans for Modern Laws has launched a petition drive to collect enough signatures to allow grocery stores to sell higher alcohol beer and wine. The group is targeting visitors to the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City, held from Sept. 13-23, to try to get the bulk of the signatures.

Under the current Oklahoma law, consumers have to go to a liquor store to buy full-strength beer and wine. The beer cannot be refrigerated.

Oklahomans for Modern Laws must collect 138,570 valid signatures within 90 days to get the initiative placed on the ballot. If the initiative makes it to a vote, you can expect grocery and convenience stores on one side supporting the measure and liquor stores and Baptist Church groups opposing the idea.

Oklahoma has been one of the hardest states in the nation to buy a drink over the years. The state did not repeal Prohibition until 1959 and you could not buy liquor by the drink in the state until 1984.

Saturday Night Live Legend Aykroyd to Build Ontario Winery

Last year comedic actor Dan Aykroyd announced his name would appear on some selected bottles of Ontario ice wine. Now the former Saturday Night Live and Blues Brother star is going beyond the label and into the winery business.

Aykroyd, 54, is a partner with Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits of Toronto in building the Dan Aykroyd Winery in Lincoln. The $11.2 million winery will include a 125-seat restaurant and a tasting room.

Aykroyd movie memorabilia will be displayed at the winery. Aykroyd invested $1 million in Diamond Estates in 2005, the company that is also turning out his wine line.

Diamond Estate estimates the winery could attract 40,000 visitors annually. The Grape Growers of Ontario said the news about Aykroyd's winery is already helping to get additional attention for Ontario wines. The winery is expected to open in 2008.

Belgian Beer Exports Surge 15 Percent

Belgian brewers are making up for a per capita drop in domestic sales by shipping more beer out of the country. A 15 percent surge in exports in 2006 kept Belgium's brewers toasting.

The world's thirst for Belgian beer caused overall production to increase by 6 percent -- even in the face of the domestic decline. Fifty-five percent of Belgian beer is now exported.

The decline in domestic beer sales are being attributed to consumers opting for other beverages and stricter drinking and driving laws. Belgium is also outlawing consumption by youth under 16. Currently, beer can per served to someone under 16 in a bar or restaurant as long as they are supervised by an adult.

Four Canadian Beer Trucks Go Missing: 12,000 Cases of Corona Grabbed by Crooks

Ontario police are looking for thieves who made off with four tractor trailer loads of beer from a Cobourg parking lot.

Police have located three of the four missing trucks, but none of the 12,000 cases of Corona and Corona Extra Light that were on board. The beer is worth about $470,000.

It is believed the beer bandits struck on Saturday between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Police say that some other trucks parked in the lot had been broken into. They are investigating why the beer laden trailers had been left together in the lot.

It is a little late for Cinco de Mayo, but somewhere someone is having a party.

Alabama Town Waits for Draught Taps to Flow

If you are lucky enough to live in a place with a great multi-tap bar, like the Flying Saucer, Mahar's, Falling Rock Tap House or the Blue Tusk (see "100 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die") it might be difficult to imagine, but beer drinkers in Florence, Ala., are crossing their fingers that Gov. Bob Riley signs a bill so they can get draught beer.

Even after the Governor signs bill 915, which was passed by the Alabama House and Senate, it still must go back to the Florence City Council for final approval. That's where the process of bringing draught beer to the Alabama Shoals began more than two years ago. It should sail through that group, because they unanimously approved the bill that went to the state for approval to start the entire process.

Once the bill finally becomes law it will still take some time before draught beer is flowing at every bar. Some bars have already installed lines and will be ready to roll in kegs. Others are reviewing the costs associated with refrigeration, storage space and running lines to tapes. Distributors must also train staff and add vehicles to handle kegs.

After hearing the plight of Florence beer lovers, I'm going to have a cold draught this evening and raise a toast to the thirsty in Alabama.

Jack Daniel's and Water: Drought Threatens Spring Used to Make Tennessee Whiskey

Some people like their whiskey with a splash of water. In Tennessee the question is whether a prolonged drought will cause the Jack Daniel's Distillery to curtail production.

The Lynchburg, Tenn., distiller gets its water from Cave Spring on its property. The water has a low iron content, which the distillery says is a key part of the Jack Daniel's process. The flow from Cave Spring is down by more than a third of its normal rate.

The distillery, other businesses, farmers and homeowners who like green lawns are hoping that rainfall in Tennessee and elsewhere in the southeast returns to normal.
Jack Daniel's has not cut back on production at this point, but is conserving water as part of its plans for dealing with the drought.

Higher Education II: California School Offers MBA in Wine Business

Sonoma State University is believed to be the first school in the nation to offer a Master's of Business Administration degree in Wine Business.

"Our partners in the wine industry have been very clear about the need to recruit and retain individuals with a strong knowledge of both professional management and unique wine industry practices," says Mack Schwing, the program's director. More than 250 wine companies have donated to the Wine Business Program Endowment Fund.

The first Wine Business M.B.A. classes will be offered in the Fall. Sonoma State has offered an undergraduate wine business degree for the last ten years.

Higher Education I: Dutch Students Develop Alcohol Powder

The Dutch are known as fairly liberal on many social issues. Students are seldom known to shy away from anything to do with drinking. Combine the two and a little entrepreneurial energy and you have Booz2Go.

Students at Helicon Vocational Institute have created a powder that they claim when mixed with water creates a bubbly, lime flavored green liquid that is 3 percent alcohol by volume. Here's the real kick: the product can legally be sold to minors in many places because it is not in liquid form, including in Holland where you have to be the ripe old age of 16 to buy a drink.

Booz2Go, sold in 20-gram packets, will retail at around $2. The students have been contacted by several companies who are interested in the product because it may avoid taxes that are piled on liquid alcohol beverages.

Anheuser-Busch Signs Deal to Distribute Vodka from Vermont

With the Swedish government pushing forward with plans to exit the alcohol business, one of the rumored suitors for the Absolut brand had been Anheuser-Busch, America's largest brewer. The sale of Absolut has not yet been concluded, but the folks in St. Louis did not wait around to nab a vodka label.

While it is not an equity purchase at the moment, Anheuser-Busch has cut a deal with Vermont Spirits for A-B to become the master U.S. distributor for the Vermont Gold, Vermont Gold Vintage and Vermont White super-premium vodkas.

Vermont Spirits is a regional distiller selling in Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and other select markets. The company's products are fairly unique. Vermont Gold is an unflavored vodka made by distilling maple sugar, while Vermont White is triple distilled from pure milk sugar and Vermont spring water.

Starting this month, A-B will begin distributing the brands, while Vermont Spirits will continue to market the vodkas. Under the deal, Anheuser-Busch could purchase a limited equity holding in Vermont Spirits in the future.

New York State Museum Displays 18th Century Albany Rum Distilery

Drinks can be a tool to understanding history. Almost all cultures in man's recorded history used beer, wine or spirits as a part of religious or cultural ceremonies. Alcohol was also a part of the economic and social fabric for most communities.

A good example of this is an exhibit that opens on June 11 at the New York State Museum in Albany. Beneath the City: An Archaeological Perspective of Albany traces the development of one of North America's oldest cities. Among the featured elements of the exhibit: an 18th Century rum distillery that was discovered by workers in 2001 when they were building a parking garage.

The Dutch established Fort Orange in 1624. The English renamed the outpost Albany when they took control in 1664. The two seven-foot diameter fermentation vats that are part of the exhibit come from the era of British rule. A distillery was built in 1758-59 near the Hudson River and just outside the city limits so the operators to skirt laws that restricted the sale of alcoholic beverages to soldiers inside the city. It was a thriving business for its time and had an economic impact on Albany.

To Your Health: Hop to It to Cut Cholesterol

A Spanish study using nuns as subjects appears to indicate that hops can help reduce total cholesterol and triglycerides.

Fifty nuns were involved in the study, according to the Spanish Center for the Information on Beer and Health. First the nuns drank a pint of beer for 45 days, then stopped for six months. They then took 400 milligrams of hops for 40 days.

Total cholesterol levels among those with high ratings dropped by 6 percent. The researchers say the study indicates that even small amounts of beer, which is made with hops, can have beneficial health results.

July 7th is Independence Day for Pittsburgh Brewing

Most of America celebrates Independence Day on July 4th. For fans of Iron City beer the real celebration will take place three days later.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge M. Bruce McCullough has approved Pittsburgh Brewing Co.'s reorganization plan. The company has been operating under bankruptcy protection since December 2005 when mounting debt and the threat by the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority to shutoff service forced the company to file.

Pittsburgh Brewing Acquisition LLC headed by John Milne managed to get creditors to accept $5.03 million to satisfy more than $26 million in debt. The company plans to invest more than $4 million in upgrading the facility and marketing brands from the 147-year-old brewery. The company expects to receive funding from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Allegheny County and the city of Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Brewing had a previous stint in bankruptcy in 1995.

Law Could Help Connecticut Brewpubs Bust Down the Doors

If you want to drink a beer from a Connecticut brewpub you had better be prepared to travel. Under Connecticut law, brewpubs cannot bottle product and they can only keg beer for sale at their location.

That could change under a bill that awaits the signature of Gov. M. Jodi Rell. Brewpubs in Connecticut have been allowed to sell growlers during the last couple of years, but have not been able to market product beyond their front doors.

Brewpubs face a difficult competitive environment. When you look at the failure rate among restaurants as a whole, brewpubs must overcome this situation, plus at the same time turning out quality beer people want to drink. Being able to serve an off-premise market by selling bottled and kegged beer to other restaurants and retail shops creates an extra cash flow that can support the business and fund growth. It also helps market the brewpub.

Connecticut would join a number of states that allow brewpubs to package product for sale elsewhere.

Tuesday Tasting: Always Glad to See the FedEx Truck on My Block

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we sample a few beers that have arrived recently from craft brewers.

Beverage writers are a little bit like those kids you see in Sam's Club that get excited when they see the Sample Lady at the end of an aisle. Whether we admit it or not, drinks journalists get jacked up when they hear the rumble of a delivery truck pulling up to their location. We're happy to see the men and women in their FedEx, UPS, Airborne Express or DHL uniforms -- even the good old USPS mail carrier will occasionally drop off a sample. Our lives are wrapped around trying new products and telling the world about them. To be honest, most of us also like the idea of being able to one up our friends with tales about the just released beer that you cannot yet find at retail that we tasted or the out-of-our-price-range Scotch that just arrived.

Most of the samples that I receive are connected to columns I am writing for All About Beer, Draft or another publication. Sometimes products arrive that don't relate to anything that I happen to be writing about at the moment, like the recent samples of Tommy Bahama Rum and Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. That's OK, sometime soon they will end up in a Tuesday Tasting on Lyke2Drink.

Here's a quick trip through the mailbag with some tasting notes on recent arrivals.

Avery Anniversary Ale Fourteen: This dark ale has a rich creamy tan head and weighs in at 9.46 percent alcohol by volume. The label leaves it up to the drinker to pick the style and I'd have to say this reminds me of a classic Belgian dubbel. There are rich notes of chocolate, molasses and a intriguing fruity aroma. This beer is worth hunting down. One of the best beers to come out of Colorado in recent memory and that's saying something for a state loaded with great breweries. If you decide to share it with friends, you are a very generous person.

Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale: Brothers-in-Law Adam Firestone and David Walker focus on British style ales using a process similar to the Burton Union method at their California brewery. It has paid off handsomely with multiple awards from various competitions. The Double Barrel Ale is a nice dark color and has a slightly sweet nose. Fine ale character, with sufficient hops to impart a nice fruity essence in the base of the beer.

Firestone Walker Walker's Reserve Porter: A dark ale that comes in at 5.9 percent alcohol by volume with hints of coffee and chocolate. The beer leans a bit towards being more of a stout than a porter. The bottle conditioning adds a layer of flavor and complexity to the beer.

Orlio Organic Common Ale: A fairly uncommon style for an east coast brewer, Orlio's offering is an attractive golden color. It is smooth and creamy, with just the right level of hops to give it a spicy finish.

Orlio Organic Seasonal India Pale Ale: This beer is made by the organic sister company of Vermont's Magic Hat Brewing. The copper colored ale has a moderate hop flavor that is somewhat balanced by a combination of malts. This is a solid brew and weighs in at 5.4 percent alcohol by volume.

Wagner Valley Sled Dog Doppelbock: Brewmaster Dean Jones makes beer in the Finger Lakes wine country in Upstate New York. This dark malty brew is a very nice rendition of a classic doppelbock. Plenty of roasted malt with a firm level of sweetness, this beer is the color of a hand stained piece of cherry furniture.

Wagner Valley Sled Dog Trippelbock: This dark brew is slightly roasty with pronounced malty sweetness throughout. It is a warming brew with bits of toffee and brown sugar characteristics. This beer earns the trippel designation. Worth looking for if your travels bring you to the Ithaca region.

Michigan Moves to Halt Sales of Kegs to Scrap Dealers

Michigan is hiking the deposit consumers pay when buying kegs to try to head off a growing problem for brewers.

The current deposit on kegs is $10 in Michigan. Brewers say they are losing thousands of kegs each year to consumers who drink the contents, but instead of taking the empties back for a deposit refund bring them to scrap metal dealers. With stainless steel scrap prices at a record $1,75 a pound, the barrels fetch more as scrap than the deposit.

The new deposit in Michigan will be $30, which the state hopes is enough to keep kegs out of the scrap yard. It costs brewers $152 to replace a half-barrel keg.

Ultimate Beer Drinkers Prize: Kegerator Up for Grabs

OK, so maybe the ultimate beer drinkers prize is a trip to Oktoberfest or a lifetime supply of Avery Hog Heaven. But a Kegerator has to be in the top five.

You can win this handy little Tap & Serve Kegerator by visiting www.kegerators.net between now and Aug. 1st and writing a paragraph on why you should get a free Kegerator. It is that easy.

You must be at least 21 years old to enter and you are limited to one entry, so make it count. Remember: Draught beer in the comfort of your own home is at stake.

InBev Heads to India in Search of Growth

Belgian beer behemoth InBev is the latest brewery to make a move into India.

InBev, which brews and markets Stella Artois, Becks and other brands, has cut a deal with RKJ Group in Delhi. RJK is India's leading Pepsi bottler and distributor.

RKJ will hold 51 percent of the stock in the new venture, but InBev retains to increase its stake at a later date. InBev products are expected to hit the Indian market in 2008.

Rumor Mill: Could SABMiller and Molson Coors Sip From the Same Mug?

Is there a chance that SABMiller and Molson Coors might come together under some type of alliance?

The idea was floated recently by SABMiller Americas President Norman Adami in a recent interview with Thomson Financial. He told the news service that if Molson Coors "should make themselves available" then SABMiller would look closely at a deal. While stopping short of commenting on a specific deal, Adami praised Molson Coors product portfolio and management.

It is not the first time that a marriage between Coors and Miller has been discussed as an option for doing battle with Anheuser-Busch. That speculation halted in recent years when Coors joined forces with Canada's Molson and Miller became part of the South African Breweries global push.

Cider Sales Soar in the U.K.

Thanks to ads promoting cider poured over ice as the drink to enjoy at home, cider sales in Great Britain are up 29 percent during the last year.

Magners, an Irish brand, started a heavy ad campaign for cider about a year ago and was soon joined by other brands, pushing sales for home consumption to $897.3 million. This total now surpasses bitter and ale sales, which came in at $885.4 million.

U.K. consumers drink more wine than anything else at home -- $10.5 billion worth, followed by lager beer, $5.55 billion, then whisky at $1.46 billion and vodka at $1.33 billion. Champagne, at 633.8 million, falls in behind cider and bitter/ale.

The Session #4: Drinking Local Beer Puts a Smile on Your Face

Local beer is very important to me, because I know what it is like not to have it. I was born in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1960, at the start of what would become a decades long local beer depression. It was not always that way and thankfully, it is no longer the case.

Syracuse was once one of America's great brewing cities. The first commercial brewery was established in the city in 1804 by physician and German immigrant Johann Mang. Because the Erie Canal made it easy to get raw ingredients in and finished beer out, Syracuse became a center for brewing from the 1860s through 1920. After Prohibition ended in 1933, just five breweries reopened: Zett's, Bartels, Greenway, Moore and Quinn, and Haberle, which was the last brewer in the city when it closed down in 1962.

During my youth, the "local beers" were Genesee from Rochester and Matt's from Utica. Happily, my Father was a Matt's drinker. In 1975, Miller Brewing opened a giant plant in Volney, N.Y., near Oswego. It would close that brewery in 1995. Schlitz Brewing opened a plant in Baldwinsville, N.Y., just outside of Syracuse, but shut the modern facility in 1980. Anheuser Busch would buy this brewery and reopen in in 1983. The modern craft beer era came to the Salt City in 1991, when the Syracuse Suds Factory brewpub opened in downtown. It was followed by another brewpub, Empire Brewing, in 1994 and then Middle Ages Brewing, a fine microbrewer, the next year.

Empire Brewing became a favorite for its beer and its food. It would open spots in Buffalo and Rochester, which ultimately created operational and financial strains causing the brewpub chain to fold in 2003. It appeared that Mighty Fine Barleywine, Black Magic Stout and Skinny Atlas Light (actually a pretty good Kolsch) were gone forever. However, one of the former owners, David Katleski, and a brewer from Middle Ages, Tim Butler, have teamed up and the Syracuse location will reopen on June 5th. Empire Brewing is back. I cannot wait until my next visit home.

I left Syracuse in 1996 and after a nine year stay in Saratoga County, N.Y., where I got to enjoy local beers made at Ten Springs Brewing (which later became Olde Saratoga Brewing under the Mendocino Brewing umbrella), C.H. Evans Brewing at the Albany Pump Station, Malt River Brewing, Troy Pub & Brewery, Van Dyck Brewing, Saratoga Brewpub, Cooper's Cave and Davidson Brothers Brewing, I moved to Charlotte, N.C., two years ago.

Which brings me to my assignment for The Session #4, which is being hosted at the Gastronomic Fight Club blog. The theme for this session is to review a beer or beers from a brewery within 150 miles of your home, preferably the closest brewery. The assignment should be fairly easy for beer bloggers, since the Brewers Association says most Americans now live within 10 miles of a brewery.

North Carolina has a number of great breweries. It happens the closest to my home is the Rock Bottom location at 401 N. Tryon St. in Uptown Charlotte. It's just 11.5 miles from my house.

Rock Bottom is a chain of brewpubs. I have been to several of their locations, including the spots in Denver and Chicago. Each location always has the standard brewpub offerings of an IPA, a stout and an amber. These are usually fresh and pretty good bets. The best beers at Rock Bottom locations are the local creations and seasonal offerings. That was the case at the Rock Bottom in Charlotte when I visited this week.

I had a chance to meet brewer Dave Gonzalez during the recent Charlotte Beer Week celebration. His creation for the blistering Charlotte summer is a refreshing Summer Wheat. Rock Bottom serves the beer in a traditional wheat beer glass. It is bright yellow, slightly cloudy and has a nice thick creamy head. The beer has the classic spice and fruit notes you want from a wheat beer. Gonzalez has certainly done his job with this beer.

Remember when you are out and about: Think Global, Drink Local. You never know what you might find.

Napa Valley is Not in China, No Matter What the Label on the Wine Bottle Says

Vineyards in the Napa Valley now have protection of Geographic Indication status from the European Union that will help protect them from copycat wines.

There are about 30 wines worldwide from outside of the prime California growing region -- many from China -- that use the words Napa or Napa Valley on their label. The local growers claim this is an infringement meant to deceive consumers. The new designation gives the wineries extra power in disputes, similar to trademark protection.

The Napa Valley produces just 4 percent of all California wine, but sales of these sought after products generate about 25 percent of the state’s wine revenues. The Napa Valley is the first region outside of the European Union to get the Geographic Indication recognition.

China is not alone in its false labeling of wines as Napa. Italy, Germany anmd the United Kingdom have Napa brands that have nothing to do with Califronia.

Tuesday Tasting: Rambling Around the Blue Ridge

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we visit three Virginia wineries nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Visiting a winery is one of those great simple pleasures that puts you back in contact with the facts that wine is an agricultural product and that real people work hard to tend vines, harvest grapes, bottle and market a product. Returning to North Carolina from Upstate New York over the weekend, we jumped off I-81 for a couple of hours to visit three Virgina wineries located among the Blue Ridge Mountains not far from Route 151. The setting was spectacular as were a number of the wines.

The Virginia wineries we visited all offered free pours of multiple wines. You could also purchase a bottle or a glass of your favorite and enjoy the wine right on site with a million dollar view of the surrounding vistas.

Our first stop was Veritas Vineyard & Winery in Afton. Veritas offered pours of some classic varietals. We found the Veritas 2004 Merlot to be soft and fruity, with a subtle hint of smoke that made the wine very attractive. The 2004 Claret was an attractive blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The 2006 Sauvignon Blanc had a crisp apple citrus tone, while the 2005 Harlequin Chardonnay Reserve was a pale golden color with nice pear and apple tones. The Chardonnay was produced from 100 percent Virginia grapes and aged in both French and American oak barrels. The hit of our visit to Veritas was the 2005 Kenmar, a wine perfect for after a meal. There were nice honey and rose elements to the wine, which sells for $50 for a 375 milliliter.

Our next stop was a few miles uphill at Afton Mountain Vineyards. Because we faced a bit of a time crunch and wanted to try to squeeze in one more vineyard, we stuck to the whites at Afton Mountain. The 2004 Tete de Cuvee Brut Sparkling Wine had a nice dry bite with a sharp fruit tone. The Afton 2005 Estate Bottled Chardonnay was aged on French oak and had very nice character. The Alsace-style 2006 Gewurztraminer has just 0.03 percent residual sugar and shows plenty of spice and fruit. Afton's 2006 Kilaurwen Vineyards Riesling was crisp and fruity, with 2.5 percent residual sugar. On the sweet end of the scale, but still very drinkable, was Afton Mountain White, a blend of vidal blanc, chardonnay and riesling grapes that comes in at 4.5 percent residual sugar.

We changed things up for our final stop, hitting Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery in Nellysford. Hill Top is run by the Allen family and produces "True to the Fruit" wines and mead. No grapes are used at Hill Top. During our tasting we tried Virginia Plum Wine, Mountain Apple Wine, Cranberry Table Wine, Little Heeler Blueberry Dessert Wine, Sweet Cherry and two versions of Rock River Cyser, a dry and semi dry. We also got to sample a refreshing Sangria made using the Plum wine as the base, with obvious notes of strawberries and other ingredients in a secret family recipe. These are fun wines that are great for the deck at the end of a hot day or to switch things up on your friends during a meal. We found the Sweet Cherry, made from two different types of Virginia cherries, and the Little Heeler to be our favorites of the visit.

Our quick visit to the area south of Charlottesville convinced us that we need to explore more of Virginia's wineries. It is certainly an up and coming area that will be an important part of the American wine scene in the coming years.

Islay Stills Could Go Quiet Because of Fuel Snafu

Islay is the home of eight Scotch whiskey distilleries, including Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Bowmore. The Hebridean island produces some of the world's great malts, but production might stop this week because of an oil shortage.

The problem is that environmental laws require large double hulled tankers to be used for oil deliveries. Extremely low tides and silting near the newly enlarged pier where the tankers dock means that the sea is too shallow for the ships to operate. Oil shipments have been unreliable recently, distillers claim.

The fuel shortage has hit just before the start of the Islay Whiskey Festival. Islay whiskeys are recognized for their heavily peated flavor and sea air character.

Consumers Group Slams Czech Government Decision to Sell Budvar

Plans by the Czech government to privatize Budejovicky Budvar is being criticized by the European Beer Consumers Union (EBCU).

The EBCU says the sale of the brewery could result in lower quality Budvar on the market. The group is also concerned that Anheuser Busch, which has had a long running legal battle with Budejovicky Budvar over the Budweiser trademark, could bid for the brewer.

The Czech government announced it is considering the possible sale of Budvar, the country's third largest brewer, as a way to raise funds to close a budget gap.

To Your Health: Red Wine Wards Off Prostate Cancer

The July issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch is reporting that men who drink four to seven glasses of red wine per week are less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than non-red wine drinkers.

Researchers in Seattle collected data on men between the ages of 40 and 64 are only 52 percent as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. The study also found red wine appears particularly protective against advanced or aggressive cancers.


The study also found that even low amounts of red wine help ward off prostate cancer. For every additional glass of red wine per week the risk declines by about 6 percent. The scientists theorize that the antioxidant properties in red wine offset androgens, the male hormones that stimulate the prostate.

European Commission Wants to Promote EU Out of Wine Glut

The European Union has delayed action to deal with its continuing wine glut, but now the European Commission plans to recommend that $161.4 million be spent annually to promote European wines around the globe.

The European Commissions proposal reportedly covers 2009-2015. It will be unveiled in July as part of what is expected to be a wider ranging reform of the wine market across Europe.

The plan will include a recommendation to destroy 200,000 hectares of vines. European politicians are also considering a plan to scrap current subsidies to turn unused wine into industrial alcohol. That program costs in excess of $650 million annually.

Russia Prepares to Ban Drinking Beer in Public Places

Drinking in public parks, on the streets and other locations is a pretty common site in most Russian cities. That could change under a new law.

The Russian State Duma, the lower House of Parliament, voted in Stalin-era style on Wednesday in favor of the ban by a count of 377-0. The new law would ban the open air consumption of beer in public areas. Comsumption of liquor in public places is already banned, but it is not uncommon to see vodka being drank in some parks.

The bill still faces further approvals before it becomes law. The Russian government is attacking drinking and smoking as part of a public health campaign. The law would restrict the consumption of beer in open air settings to bars and restaurants that have service licenses.

The fine if you are caught consuming beer in public would be 300 rubles -- $11.58, not all that much more than you have to pay for a warm light beer in some Major League Baseball stadiums. The only thing missing would be an overpriced hotdog.

Ohio State Fair to Stay Dry

Even though a report by the Columbus Dispatch showed that a majority of the Ohio Expositions Commission (OEC) was prepared to vote Thursday to allow beer and wine to be sold at the Ohio State Fair this year, Gov. Ted Strickland announced ahead of the vote that he would block the move.

The OEC was set to consider four different proposals. In the Dispatch survey, six of the 11 members of the OEC said they would support the sale of alcohol, while four said they had not yet decided. The proposals ranged from allowing the sale of Ohio beer and wine at the food pavilion to allowing alcohol sales at non-youth oriented music concerts.

The 12 day fair opens on Aug. 1st.

Esquire's Best Bars in America 2007

Building a list of the best bars in America is a difficult task. One person's favorite bar is another person's dive. Some love a bar for its atmosphere, some because it has great music, some for the drinks, and still others because it is a great place to meet people. Esquire magazine has come out with its 2007 Best Bars in America. The list does indeed have some great bars, but if you are truly looking for the Best Bars in America I'm not sure this is the place to start.

First, this disclaimer. The Lyke2Drink 100 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die list is likely not much better in many regards than the Esquire effort. After all, these are my picks based on personal experiences and from talking to people who should know: other beer drinkers.

In my opinion, the Esquire list appears to be slanted toward dive locations that are in with the in crowd and a few upscale hipster locations. There are gaps and flaws that trouble me about the list. First of all, there are 12 New York City bars and seven Los Angeles bars, but only one from Chicago. I agree that New York is a great drinking town, but Chicago takes a backseat to no city when it comes to bars worth hitting. Philadelphia, New Orleans, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, Miami and Seattle also rated just one bar each -- and not the right ones in my mind. Hey, Cleveland, Denver and Portland, Oregon, did not even get a mention. You can find a number of great places to throw back a few in these cities. Trust me on that.

I applaud Esquire for focusing on the American bar. It is one of our greatest institutions. And, Esquire did not completely ignore fly over country in its listing. Lou's Pub & Package in Birmingham, Ala., Monte's Downtown in Fargo, N.D., Dead Presidents Pub & Eatery in Wilmington, Del., and The Red Key in Indianapolis, Ind.

In the end, for most people the greatest bar in America happens to be the one they are in at the moment. If anything, Esquire has just helped start a few barroom conversations.

NASCAR Legend Junior Johnson Back in the Moonshine Business

Junior Johnson is a living legend among NASCAR fans. He connects the sport's colorful past when moonshiners would gather to see who really had the fastest car to today's world of multi-million dollar sponsorship deals. Now Johnson has come full circle and is back in the moonshine business.

Piedmont Distillers and Johnson have teamed up to roll out Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon. Piedmont also makes Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine.

As part of the deal Johnson is now one of the owners of Piedmont Distillers. The company claims to operate the only legal still in North Carolina, although at least one other is now getting ready to launch near Raleigh. Its moonshine can be found in eight states, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

This is not Johnson's first time in the moonshine business. Johnson was a driver making deliveries for his father's illegal moonshine still. His skills ended up getting him involved in NASCAR, where as a driver Johnson won 50 races, 10th on the all-time list. He later became a team owner, winning 139 races and six NASCAR series championships.

Piedmont Distillers is located in Madison, N.C., in the town’s former train station built in 1915.

Semper Fidelis: Marines Allowed to Have Drinks on Base

One of the true ironies of the 21-year-old drinking age is that we have young men and women fighting for this country that cannot legally walk into a tavern and have a drink. They are old enough to pay the ultimate price in the eyes of our government, but not old enough to buy a drink.

The Marine Corps has recognized that someone mature enough to storm a building occupied by al-Qaeda or Taliban fighters surely can have a glass of beer, wine or spirits. The Marines have ruled that service members as young as 18 can have a drink of alcohol on Marine bases on special occasions.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway signed the order, which allows local commanders to designate Marine Corps birthday celebrations and home coming parties after combat deployments as special occasions where drinking will be allowed.

In 1995 the U.S. Defense Department told each branch of the service that drinking ages on bases should conform to local laws. Some are protesting the move, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

It's too bad that the anti-alcohol groups in this country don't realize they owe their ability to criticize the government to the very Marines they would like to deny an adult beverage.

Talk of Banning Ads Only Curbs Free Speech, Does Nothing to Address Alcohol Abuse

Two recent news articles about alcohol and advertising caught my attention. First, you should know two things: I like to have a drink now and again -- you might have realized that by the name of this blog! -- and, I've made a good chunk of my living for the last 24 years in advertising and public relations.

My attitude is that if a product is legal, the marketers of that product ought to be able to legally advertise it so long as the methods of advertising the product do not suggest a usage for the product that goes outside legal boundaries. For instance, sports cars are a legal product. They can and should be advertised. However, GM should not be allowed to advertise that the Corvette is particularly we suited for night racing on neighborhood streets at 130 miles per hour.

That's why I don't see a problem advertising beer, wine and spirits. The industry has adopted rules to avoid marketing the products to underage consumers, which is a good thing. The fact of the matter is that it would be a real waste of media budgets and pretty expensive for alcohol marketers to decide to run ads when kids and not adults are watching television. The problem comes in when you have media vehicles that attract a large number of legal age drinkers, but also come into contact with underage audiences.

That leads us to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) which operates the commuter rail "T" and buses in the Boston area. The MBTA banned cigarette ads a few years ago and now they are being pressured to ban alcohol advertising. A group pushing the ban says an ad on the T is like placing alcohol ads on school buses.

The Massachusetts Banding Together Against Alcohol Advertising Collaborative says it wants the MBTA to stop accepting the ads and for the state legislature to stop requiring the public transportation system to maximize revenues by accepting the ads. It is expected the MBTA Board will have to respond to the pressure from the group by at least discussing the matter.

The other example comes from the Midwest, where the Big Ten Network has decided against accepting any alcohol ads. Run by the Big Ten Conference, which includes 11 schools such as Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan and Minnesota, voted last June to ban alcohol ads on the network. The new service will televise football, men's and women's basketball games and other programming from each of the member universities. The network will be carried on cable systems nationwide.

The Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV is ecstatic about the Big Ten Network ban. Meanwhile, no one has produced any data showing the percentage of underage consumers that will watch the network. Obviously, much of the student bodies at the schools are not 21 years old. Many of the athletes covered by the network will also not legally be able to take a drink. The fact is that many do and, ban or no ban, they still will.

The move to ban alcohol ads picks up steam from time to time. It accomplishes very little other than having the potential of draining revenues from organizations that need the funds. What would happen if it took a rate hike on the T in Boston to make up for lost ad revenue? Perhaps Big Ten schools will not miss the revenue, then again they might have fewer dollars to put into scholarships for deserving students.

Beyond the economics, banning any form of free speech, even speech that is for commercial purposes, is troubling. If we say nothing to support the beer, wine and spirit marketers today, can we really protest it when they decide that ads that might be critical of the government or of a particular policy do not belong on the T or on the Big Ten Network?

It is time to halt the creep of political correctness.

Canada's Red Cap Rolls Out Stubbies for McKenzie Milestone

It has been 24 years since the SCTV characters Bob and Doug McKenzie made their movie debut in Strange Brew. Believe it or not, one Canadian brewer is celebrating the big two-four for the hosers' movie with a commemorative brew.

Brick Brewing Company Ltd. has created a limited edition set of six Bob and Doug collectible stubbies. Twelve packs of the beer sold throughout Ontario will feature the anniversary bottles throughout the summer.

Dave Thomas played Doug McKenzie, while Rick Moranis was Bob McKenzie. The pair hosted the mythical Great White North television talk show as part of the syndicated Second City Television program.

Not Quite Footloose in Danville, Kentucky

Kentucky might be famous for its Bourbon distilleries, but sections of the state can be conserative when it comes to consuming alcohol. Case in point: Danville.

The Danville City Council is meeting on May 29th to discuss a couple of alcohol related measures. The first is a review of the current law which bans alcohol sales on Sunday. Another proposed ordinance would ban karaoke and dancing in restaurants that serve alcohol.

City officials say that karaoke and dancing in restaurants creates crowds, which leads to "a bar type atmosphere" that they do not want in their community. There is no word on whether Kevin Bacon plans to appear at city hall for the meeting.

Tuesday Tasting: Iowa's First Distillery Since Prohibition

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we head to Iowa to experience a distilling revival.

The microdistilling moving is much like the microbrewery movement was in the early 1980s. There are exciting new flavors popping up in some unlikely places around the country. And, like the early craft beer pioneers, there is a real mix of people getting involved. Some are coming from the beer and wine industries. Some have significant marketing savvy. A few have enough funding to stick through the hard times and wait for commercial success. Some will survive and build brands like Sierra Nevada and Samuel Adams of the beer industry. Others will disappear, like the once popular brews New Amsterdam and Catamount.

In Iowa, Jeff Quint is busy trying to build a name for the first distillery to open in the state since Prohibition. Cedar Ridge Vineyards, Winery and Distillery is located near Cedar Rapids. They make a grappa, apple brandy, vodka and a lemoncella – not exactly a drink you would expect to find being made in the Midwest.

“The demand for the lemoncella is pretty strong. I’ll have to go to a commercial zest at some point just from a volume standpoint, but for now we buy the lemons 600 at a time and zest them by hand,” Quint says.

Quint believes that Cedar Ridge “is on the front edge of a distillery renaissance” in the U.S. He plans to focus most of his company’s efforts in the direction of distilling rather than wine making. “I think we are going to see small distilleries making local products pop up in locations across the country.”

I recently had the chance to try two of Cedar Ridge's products and came away impressed:

Cedar Ridge Lemoncella: This is a clear version of the Italian specialty made in Iowa from fresh lemons. It has a syrup-like viscosity that offers up plenty of lemon aroma. The drink arrives on your tongue with a sweet base and the balancing tartness that you would expect.

Clearheart Vodka: Made in Iowa from grain and 10 percent apples, this triple distilled 80 proof vodka is crisp with just a slight tart edge to the finish.

Can Armagnac Make You Live Longer?

Researchers in France believe that Armagnac may help ward of heart disease, reduce obesity and help people lead longer lives.

Armagnac is a brandy that comes from the Gascony region of France. Researchers at the University of Bordeaux are studying why residents of Gascony live an average of five years longer than people in the rest of France. One answer might be a daily slug of Armagnac.

The scientists are looking at how Armagnac is distilled and the oak barrels where it is aged. The study found a low incidence of heart disease in the Gascony region, even though residents consume a diet similar to the rest of France and are heavy smokers.

The researchers study Armagnac on platelets in test tubes and found the drink has a similar positive benefit to the anti-thrombosis drug Plavix. In tests with humans, the brandy was compared to vodka and had a more positive result. The researchers also noted the Armagnac was better than daily doses of aspirin because it did not interfere with blood clotting in the case of a cut or injury.

Smirnoff Source: Will Lindsay Lohan Endorse the Brand?

What do you call a product that has a vodka brand name, uses malt as its alcohol base, is primarily spring water and has citrus flavoring added?

The folks at Diageo call it Smirnoff Source. I'm willing to bet it is the next target of the anti-alcohol crowd. It may also become the new favorite of actress Lindsay Lohan, who according to media reports from trusted sources such as the National Enquirer and E-Entertainment Television, has emerged from rehab rested and ready to party. Ms. Lohan's "friends" say that water bottle she is often photographed carrying contains something other than spring water. Imagine that.

Back to the new Diageo brand. Smirnoff Source is now available in the northeast. It is a 3.5 percent alcohol by volume drink that the company touts as having fewer calories and a lower alcohol content than most popular domestic beers.

Why do I think Smirnoff Source will be a target? Well the 16 ounce glass bottles and label are hard to tell apart from some bottled waters from more than five feet away. And while Diageo stresses the advantages of the lower alcohol levels, I'm sure the neo-Prohibitionists will say that the drink is a cocktail with training wheels for underage consumers. Diageo says that all labels and marketing materials, which have been approved by the federal government, clearly state that Smirnoff Source contains spring water and alcohol. Anyone want to bet that some bureaucrat flips on Diageo once the pressure mounts?

I have nothing against products like Smirnoff Source or the people who enjoy them. It's not for me, just like the Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout I have in my refrigerator is not for them. I do, however, get an odd look on my face when I read a quote like the one in the Diageo press release that says: "Smirnoff Source is a new way of thinking about the beer category," said Guy L. Smith, Executive Vice President of Diageo."Smirnoff Source is the first lower-alcohol flavored malt beverage on the market that fits modern lifestyles and offers adult consumers sophisticated new drinking experiences."

A new way of thinking about the beer category? This from the guys who import Guinness Stout? When did the marketing people kidnap all of the brewers, distillers and winemakers working for this international giant and send them to an island without phone and Internet service? Imagine what Sir Arthur Guinness would have to say about Smirnoff Source. It's a good thing he has been dead for 205 years or someone would be getting a memo on Monday morning.

Spykes is Spiked By ATTTB Over Warning Label

According to a Wall Street Journal report, production of Spykes, a malternative that has generated some criticism for Anheuser-Busch Cos., was stopped for a week during April when the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (ATTTB) ruled its labels violated federal law.

The ATTTB said the required health warnings on the labels were too small and difficult to read. Spykes comes in two ounce sizes, which leave little space for labeling. The ATTTB bureaucrats got out their rulers and found the warnings contained 41 to 47 characters per inch. The maximum allowed characters per inch is 40. The ATTTB also said that several of the labels had colors that made the warnings impossible to read.

Spykes is a 12 percent alcohol by volume drink that has been the target of a number of anti-alcohol groups that claim it is aimed at underage drinkers. Some criticize the fact that Spykes contains caffeine, guarana and ginseng and might be confused as an energy drink. For its part A-B points out the labels had already received approval from federal and state officials before they went into production.

Pizza and Beer? How About Pizza Beer?

At the World Beer Festival that is held twice each year in Raleigh and Durham, N.C., I give a talk that has the working title "Weird Beers of the Festival." My job is to hunt through the list of beers being poured during the event and try to twist the taste buds off the tongues of the 30-50 people taking a load off in the tent where I'm speaking.

There is a new beer on tap at Walter Payton’s Roundhouse Brewery in Aurora, Ill., that has even me amazed. Tom Seefurth’s Mamma Mia Pizza Beer is a homebrew recipe gone wild. Pizza beer? Now that is weird. The brew is flavored with tomatoes and other pizza ingredients.

Seefurth worked with the Roundhouse brewmaster Mike Rybinski to commercialize the recipe. Now he is working on perfecting Thin-Crust, a light pizza beer, two beers that go with chicken, a salsa beer, and a slightly sweet Haefemeyer beer that goes with oatmeal raisin cookies. I'm personally waiting for work to begin on the Ruth's Chris signature filet mignon flavored brew.

Move Over Beer, Website Suggests Champagne with Potato Chips

Natalie MacLean, author of Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass, believes you can drink wine with just about any food. The proof: how about Champagne with potato chips?

It might drive the French crazy, but that is one of the recommendations you will find at www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher.

MacLean, who has won four James Beard Journalism Awards and whose recent book was named Best Wine Literature Book at the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards, matches classic dishes to wine along with some odd items -- from Jello to TV dinners. In fact the matcher on her site has 360,000 food and wine pairings, plus recipes.

Still stumped? I've found that wine by itself is pretty good, too.

Cathedral City Considers Alcohol Ban at City Events

No one at city hall can remember any problems related to alcohol at public events, but Cathedral City, Calif., officials say they are going to consider a measure to ban drinking at city sponsored events.

City officials say they worry about children seeing adults drinking alcohol at summer festivals and at the annual Chistmas Tree lighting ceremony. Some businesses say the ban could hurt attendance, while others say the ban would make for more family friendly events.

Current laws do not prohibit consumption of alcohol by adults at public events in Cathedral City.

While no one is exactly sure where the measure came from or why it is needed, comments from politicians in the local media make it sound likely the bill will be passed. It is just the sort of measure that works in the opposite direction of its intent. If there are no problems currently with alcohol consuming adults at public events, it would appear that children and new legal age drinkers are actually getting exposed to responsible adults consuming alcohol in moderation. That should be the exact message we want our young people to receive. It looks like Cathedral City would like to hide that lesson behind closed doors.

Pacific Grove: Wine and Art Don't Mix

The wine and cheese reception was likely invented by an art gallery. However, in Pacific Grove, Calif., local officials believe that art and wine don't mix.

Police Chief Darius Engles told the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce his department would enforce a ban on serving wine during monthly Artwalk events at local art galleries. The art galleries are not licensed by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control so they cannot legally serve alcohol.

Ten galleries and shops participate Artwalk, an event that has been taking place for two years without any reported incidents.

If You Don't See Anything Wrong, Maybe You're Part of the Problem

Ever wonder how Prohibition became the law of the land and stayed that way for so many years? The fact is that at the time alcohol was ruled out of bounds many people wondered the same thing.

Brewers of the time tried unsuccessfully to distance themselves from distillers, figuring Prohibition would likely hit liquor and not more moderate beer. Wineries in the U.S. were not all that organized. Importers lacked any real clout, and distributors did not become part of the beverage landscape until after repeal.

Most people thought the dry coalition would never be successful. The Prohibitionists organized themselves, pulling in churches, women's groups and others to form a strong coalition. In short, the drinks industry and American consumers were asleep at the wheel and lost the right to come together to enjoy adult beverages.

The Brewers Association is launching an effort to sign up people in a campaign called Support Your Local Brewery to make sure that beer lovers have a strong grassroots group. What's that you say? Prohibition can nevr happen again? Perhaps your right, but that does not mean that in your state's legislature someone is not working on a bill right now to tax you more, limit where and when you can drink or harm alcohol makers in ways that could make it more difficult or expensive to get your favorite drink.

You can get more information on the effort at: http://supportyourlocalbrewery.org.

Here are the issues currently listed on the site:

Alabama
Issue: Free the Hops is working to eliminate the current 6% alcohol by volume cap imposed by state law on beer and the prohibition on selling beer in any container exceeding 16 ounces (kegs excepted).

Maine
Issue: Gov. John Baldacci has stated his commitment to expanding the state subsidized health insurance program, with possible tax increases on beer and wine funding the increases.

Michigan
Issue: A Michigan think tank has publicly stated that government officials should consider raising the tax on beer as a means to address the state's budget problems.

North Dakota
Issue: A proposed state bill would impose a tax on all alcohol beverage wholesalers, domestic wineries, microbrew pubs and direct shippers that would raise the price of beverages.

Oregon
Issue: Legislation in the House seeks to impose a “malt beverage cost recovery fee” of $32 per barrel on manufacturers and importing distributors of malt beverages.

Rhode Island
Issue: A State Representative is proposing a bill that would raise the tax on beer - doubling the current rate of $3 per barrel - to fund alcohol treatment programs.

Vermont
Issue: House Bill 94 proposes to raise the limit on the percentage of alcohol allowed in malt beverages sold at retail from 8 percent to 16 percent.

Tuesday Tasting: A Breeze Through The Windy City

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we spend a couple of days in Chicago trying out a few beers.

I was in Chicago to pick up my daughter, Brhea, from Loyola University. Before the packing and moving, we had time to tour the Windy City and stop by a few bars and restaurants. Chicago is one of America's great tavern towns. You could easily spend a few lost weekends on Clark Street and only scratch the surface.

One of the places we stopped at was Sheffield's Beer and Wine Garden just a few blocks from Wrigley Field. They have several bars at Sheffield's, plus an outdoor beer garden. We sampled two interesting brews. Two Brothers Victor's MemoriAle Altbier was a highlight of the trip to Chicago. Brewed about 30 miles west of Chicago, this draught beer was a dark and malty brew that was very refreshing. Later during the trip at another location I had the chance to try Two Brothers Domaine DuPage, a French Country-style ale. That brew was in a bottle and did not quite measure up to the Altbier, perhaps because it was served ice cold, but was still worth trying. Also while at Sheffield's we had Founders Brewing Centennial IPA from Grand Rapids, Mich. This is a crisp IPA that the American Homebrewers Association Beer Judge Certification Program uses as its example of an IPA. You get a decent head, 7.2 percent alcohol by volume, plenty of floral hop characteristics and 46 IBUs from this brew.


While walking near the Chicago River we decided to head underground below Michigan Avenue to stop in at the Billy Goat Tavern. The Billy Goat was made famous by the late columnist Mike Royko, who used to meet up with alter ego Slats Grobnik for a beer and conversation at the bar. It is also the basis for the Saturday Night Live "Cheeseburger" routines. We had a Billy Goat Dark that is contract brewed for the bar. It was nothing special, but the Billy Goat is one of those half real, half mythical bars you need to cross off your list on a visit to Chicago.

While in Schaumburg to visit the IKEA store, we stumbled across a Ram Brewery location along the access road to the giant Swedish retailer. The Ram Brewery was crowded with Bulls fans when we stopped in for a quick beer before the shopping. Luckily, we decided to try the Big Horn Nefarious Nelson Stout. This stout was excellent, with nice firm roasted barley notes and a good dose of sweetness.

Also during our visit we decided to have lunch at the Chicago Brauhaus on North Lincoln Ave. to sample the German specialties, including the Schweine Schnitzel. We had half liters of Spaten Mai Bock and Stiegl Pils to wash down the meal. The Spaten was Munich fresh and a true seasonal delight.

NBA: No Beer for Nelson During Press Interviews

Just days after St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock was killed after a game while driving drunk, (he was also speeding, talking on a cellular phone and had marijuana in his vehicle), the National Basketball Association has told Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson he is not allowed to bring beer into post game press conferences.

Nelson was seen with a Bud Light in his hand while conducting post game interviews during the Warriors series against the Dallas Mavericks. Nelson has a 1,232-920 regular season record, the second highest victory total by a coach in league history.

Australian Scientists: Beer is the Ultimate Energy Drink

This blog has chronicled the miracle health benefits of beer. Now it appears beer can also supply energy -- electrical energy. Researchers at the University of Queensland and Foster's Group believe they have found a way to create energy from brewery wastewater and bacteria.

Scientists have received a grant to install the experimental microbial fuel cell at a Foster's brewery outside of Brisbane. The fuel cell battery uses bacteria to consume water-soluble brewing waste such as sugar, starch and alcohol. The result is electricity and clean water.

A prototype of the battery has been operational in a university laboratory since earlier this year. The brewery fuel cell is expected to produce 2 kilowatts of power or about what the average household consumes in electricity. The scientists, however, are excited because the real benefit of the technology is wastewater treatment. The electrical generation is a bonus that could be replicated at other breweries, wineries and distilleries.

The Session #3: A Frustrating Walk on the Mild Side

Jay Brooks of the Brookston Beer Bulletin is the host of this month's Beer Blogging Friday and has decided that the topic for Session #3 should be The Mysterious Misunderstood Mild. The Campaign for Real Ale, the British group that fights for all things traditional when it comes to beer, has declared May as Mild Month, so it looks like Jay is on the right track.

First a little Mild history. Mild accounted for more than 40 percent of all of the beer sold in the United Kingdom in the late 1950s. By the late 1980s that number had dropped to about 10 percent. The category has never really gotten off the ground in any significant way in the U.S. and that is too bad since it is designed to be a session brew that can be enjoyed at lunch or during the course of the evening because of its moderate alcohol level. Traditionally Mild is a brown ale, although the Brewers Association's style guidelines allow for both Dark and Pale versions. The style is defined this way: Pale Mild has IBUs of 10-20, SRM of 8-17 and ABV of 3.2-4 percent and for Dark Mild, IBUs of 10-24, SRM of 17-34 and ABV of 3.2-4 percent.

One problem: Finding a Mild to enjoy in the good old U.S.A. is a chore. They do exist, as you can see by visiting Jay's blog, but try as I might I struck out trying to find one for this month's Session.

I started off by visiting the Flying Saucer in Raleigh. Even with a wall full of draughts and a ton of bottles, no mild. I then hit the World Beer Festival in Raleigh. Harpoon listed a Brown "Session" Ale in the program, which got my hopes up. However, the beer was not at the festival. I then traveled to Chicago, where the rumor is you can find Milds from both Goose Island and Three Floyds. I made several stops today at bars and retail shops, but again came up empty.

I think the closest to the style I came during the process was a wonderful brew from Greensboro, N.C. Natty Greene's Old Towne Brown Ale with IBUs of 16 and a SRM 33 fits the category, but technically at 4.4 percent alcohol by volume it is just too strong. At the Great American Beer Festival in 2006 it received the Silver Medal in Brown Ale category. It's a great ale, just not quite a Mild.

I plan to keep looking for a real Mild. Perhaps I'll stumble across one when I least expect it.

Red Sox Wine Not All Red: Three Player Labels Raise Funds for Charity

There are some wines that smell as if they have been strained through an old sock, then there are wines that proudly proclaim their association with Red Sox.

A trio of new wines are being released in New England that are linked to three Boston Red Sox stars and are designed to raise funds for charity. Manny Ramirez (Manny Being Merlot), Curt Schilling (Schilling Schardonnay) and Tim Wakefield (CaberKnuckle Cabernet Sauvignon) are being marketed by Charity Wines under the Longball Vineyards label.

The Chilean wines are priced at between $11-$13 a bottle, with $1.25 per bottle going to a charity selected by each player: Wakefield, Pitching for Kids, a New England children's sports group; Ramirez, CHARLEE, a Miami group that provides support services to abused children; and Schilling, Curt's Pitch for ALS, which helps patients with Lou Gehrig's disease.

Tuesday Tasting: Rogue Brew 10,000

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we try a beer that celebrates a brewing milestone for one of the Pacific Northwest's great microbreweries.

Rogue Brew 10,000 marks the 10,000th batch made over the course of 18 years by John Maier. It is one of the more expensive bottles of beer you will encounter. I've seen it at a couple of retailers for $20 and the bottle I split with a friend was at the Flying Saucer in Raleigh, N.C., for $32 for a 750 milliliter swing top ceramic bottle.

Marier uses Vienna, French Special Aroma and Maris Otter Pale Malts, with Yakima Summit and German Saphir Hops, and PacMan Yeast. The brew is 10 percent alcohol by volume. The beer is well put together, as you would expect from a Rogue beer. There was a nice hop aroma, with some hints of wildflowers and citrus. The beer was a nice dark bronze color and had a good amount of malt to balance it overall.

Is this a ground breaking beer from Rogue? Not really, given some of their other beers, including the John's Locker series. Is this beer worth $32, or even $20? If you are a Rogue fan, it is something you should try. Split the cost with friends to ease the bite. It is not the greatest Rogue ever, but as a salute to 18 years of great beers it is a nice way to mark a milestone.

Skipjack Amber is the New Mid-Atlantic Regional from A-B

Anheuser-Busch has rolled out another one of its regional specialty beers, this time Skipjack Amber.

The beer will target consumers in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. It is named for the boats common to the Chesapeake Bay.

Patrons admitted to the VIP tent at the World Beer Festival in Raleigh were among the first to get a taste of Skipjack Amber. It is a malty, drinkable dark lager brewed at A-B's Williamsburg, Va., brewery. The beer is 5.5 percent alcohol by volume.