HOT
TRUB
March 15, 2001
Edited by: Peter LaFrance (peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com)
Presented by: American Brewer
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Vol. 2 No. 11
This news letter will post items of special interest to brewers, members of the
brewing and distilling community, and members of the media that cover the
beverage alcohol business.
Should you wish to contribute in any way to this venture please contact Peter
LaFrance at peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
If you wish to be dropped from this list please respond to this posting to peter.lafrance@beerbasics.com
and include the word remove in the Subject: line.
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Yesterday, Reuters reported
from their London office that, there was talk that Diageo was planning to make
a bid for Foster's, in concert with Scottish & Newcastle Plc, which owns
European rights to Foster's lager.
Adding another international
beer brand to flagship Guinness would seem a perfect match but S&N is the
glitch – it has got Foster’s rights to Europe.
JustDrinks.com
posted an item on Monday morning that Scottish and Newcastle (S&N) might be
joining forces with Diageo to bid A$12 billion for Foster's Brewing Group.
According
to just-drinks.com sources, “A straight asset split could take place with
S&N taking Foster's beer division, including CUB, and Diageo soaking up the
new Beringer Blass wine company. Industry observers believe the
S&N/Foster's relationship in Europe (S&N has license to brew the lager)
is virtually a joint venture and the transition would be extremely smooth.”
In February 21st
issue of HotTrub an item, titled FEMALE BEER DRINKERS UNITE IN OREGON noted the
enthusiastic response of those who attended a women-only beer tasting event
held by Portland Brewing co-founder Fred Bowman and local beer critic Lisa
Morrison.
As a result of that piece
Jim Anderson, a Philadelphia beer scribe, suggested I contact Anne Cebula. Her
record as general manager at Brigid’s included hosting beer-tastings
specifically for her female customers.
As Cebula describes them,
“They started out as “Ladies Beer Teas” when I was at Bridgid’s. I was general
manager then and I knew how successful the beer dinners were there. I also
noticed a definite lack of women.”
“The first event was in
April 1997, hosted by a local homebrew shop. We had twenty women. The lunch,
four beers and party favors, was priced at twenty dollars a person.
The second event was in
October of 1997. Carol Stoudt hosted that event and it was sold out. We had
over thirty people for that one. It was funny to see all their boy friends and
husbands waiting for them in the bar area.”
“I think many women really
like the real-ales. They are less carbonated, have a slightly sweeter flavor
and aren’t too bitter. The other thing is that many of the women I talk to tell
me that the filling aspect of beer is actually good for them. They eat less.
And then there are the nutritional things that are especially good for women
such as vitamin B-12 and others.”
N.B. - THERE ARE MORE WOMEN
THAN MEN IN THIS COUNTRY
The Associated Press
reported yesterday afternoon that Cardinal McCarrick of the District of
Columbia Roman Catholic archdiocese has been seen at Happy Hour at Lulu's,
“where Washington loosens its tie and tries to put a bit of positive spin on
the day's events, “ according to the report.
McCarrick, a newly minted
cardinal, becoming one of the first Roman Catholic cardinals in recent memory
to take part in a Catholic outreach program called Theology on Tap. The
20-year-old program puts priests in bars and invites Catholics and
non-Catholics alike to relax and listen to a short sermon.
Anthony Cavallo, manager of
the downtown establishment, said. ``This is just a regular bar, for people who
buy beer. The rest is just for publicity.''
Can’t make this stuff up…
Story From Anorak
http://www.anorak.co.uk/news.cfm?id=48847
“Getting better and better
FOLLOWING the
story of a student whose breasts started growing after she started drinking
pints of beer (a fact middle-aged men have known for centuries), the papers are
on the lookout for further cleavage-enhancing stories. "Boobs are
bigger," reports The Sun happily, referring to a report by German
scientists that the average cup size is now a C - two sizes larger than 18
years ago. Good news for the world's male population – “
After a number of you
informed me that the Czechvar story was old news I contacted Kip Bruzzone at
Moraga Liquors, in Morgana, CA, and determined that this bears watching in that
it is an obvious poke at the Anheuser – Busch “Bear”. In springtime I have
heard told that bears waking from hibernation are always hungry.
I also discovered that
Robert Neuner of Czech Beer Importers of Darien, CT will bring Czechvar to
market as well on the east coast.
Expect further reports.
The illustration below is
presented for your information.
-30-