beer bits
J2jurado
Lion roars defiance over Montana (MON.NZ) ruling
By James Gray
AUCKLAND, June 8 (Reuters) - Australasian brewer Lion Nathan (LNN.AX) on Friday
vowed to defend its majority stake in New Zealand winemaker Montana Group (NZ)
Ltd, saying it was committed to the company.
Lion, found to have been in default of NZ Stock Exchange (NZSE) rules for
buying a parcel of Montana stock before it was legally entitled to, said it
would fight any inappropriate penalty that would take its holding below 50
percent.
Four independent Montana directors have been charged with the responsibility of
assessing a penalty for the breach, which could see all or part of Lion's 62
percent holding forcibly divested.
A large divestment would allow Allied Domecq (ALLD.L), the world's second
biggest spirits group which holds 27 percent of Montana, to re-enter the race
for control.
Lion last traded in Australia at A$3.97, down three cents. In New Zealand,
Montana closed flat at NZ$4.80.
Allied was caught unawares by Lion's brokers, Credit Suisse First Boston, who
in February staged an overnight raid on Montana shares that an NZSE committee
found breached listing rules.
Lion, which is looking to diversify into wine from its mature beer markets,
said the NZSE committee that made the ruling had fundamentally changed what
could be considered acceptable industry practices.
"Lion Nathan's view is that the breach was, at worst, technical, could not have
been anticipated, and that our behaviour has at all times been beyond
reproach," Lion chief executive Gordon Cairns said in a statement.
"Accordingly we view with concern recent suggestions by Allied Domecq that Lion
should forfeit its entire 62 percent stake in Montana as being totally
inappropriate."
LION READY TO POUNCE
Lion said a penalty more severe than the sale of the 10 percent considered to
have been bought in contravention of the rules would be "unjust and unfair,"
and vigorously contested.
Montana's independent directors met on Thursday to consider what penalty to
impose on Lion and are seeking independent advice before they meet again next
week.
The directors said they had no favourites between Allied Domecq or Lion Nathan
-- 45 percent owned by Japanese brewer Kirin (2503.T) -- as future owners of
the company.
"Throughout the process we have endeavoured to obtain the best outcome for all
Montana shareholders," Barry Neville-White, who chairs the committee of
directors, said in a statement.
Montana chairman Peter Masfen sold his 20 percent holding to Allied Domecq but
other directors said shares they sold during the takeover battle had not gone
exclusively to either party.
Independent analyst Huge Ammundsen said it appeared that the Montana
independent directors were seeking to distance themselves from the parties as
they prepared to rule on the matter.
The directors realised that if Lion was to attack it would be over their
decision on the penalty, not the NZSE ruling, he said.
"Lion would probably pick up on the original recommendation and on some of the
directors share sales, and that therefore there would be an accusation of
bias," he said.
"They (the Montana directors) are obviously sensitive about that and I think
this statement is about trying to distance themselves from Allied Domecq, first
and foremost, and to safeguard their own integrity to be able to make a
decision without it being challenged all the way," he said.
But any remedy was going to strike problems -- whether Lion be required to sell
10 percent or 62 percent, as the only obvious buyer is Allied Domecq, analysts
said. (US$1-NZ$2.41)
Quilmes Industrial - Quinsa - S.A. Announces Shareholder Approval for New
Capital Structure
LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 8, 2001--Quilmes Industrial (Quinsa) S.A.
(NYSE:<A HREF="aol://4785:LQU">LQU</A>) ("Quinsa" or the "Company") announced
that a new capital structure was approved at the Extraordinary Shareholders'
Meeting held on June 8th, 2001. The restructuring, which was approved by the
separate class vote of each of the preferred and ordinary shareholders,
consists principally of the following:
1) The 68,400,000 ordinary shares outstanding to date have been split
ten-for-one resulting in 684,000,000 shares, without par value, and have been
renamed Class A shares. 2) The 39,750,089 non-voting preferred shares
outstanding to date have been converted into ordinary shares, without par
value, and renamed Class B shares. The class of non-voting preferred shares has
been cancelled. 3) Class A and Class B shares shall vote as one class at any
shareholders' meeting and each Class A share and each Class B share shall be
entitled to cast one vote at any shareholders' meeting, provided that any
resolutions affecting the rights of a particular class must be approved
separately by the quorum and majority requirements established by law for each
class. 4) Class B shares shall each have dividend rights and rights to
proceeds of liquidation equal to ten times the rights of each Class A share. 5)
Upon the request of holders of Class A shares, the Class A shares may be
converted into Class B shares at the rate of ten Class A shares for one Class B
share. Conversion requests will be accepted during a limited period of time
every year, and are subject to certain limitations.
An updated description of share capital is available free of charge at the
Company or the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
Class A and Class B shares shall be listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange as
of June 11, 2001. American Depositary Shares ("ADS"), each previously
representing one non-voting preferred share, shall, by way of a reverse ADS
split, represent two Class B shares as of June 11, 2001, and shall continue to
be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Pursuant to information requirements from the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, the
Company has also confirmed that during the last financial year and the current
year (i) no public takeover or exchange offers were made by third parties in
respect of its shares, and (ii) no public exchange offers were made by it in
respect of other companies' shares.
A legal notice has been or will be filed with the Chief Registrar of the
District Court of Luxembourg.
The new shareholdings of Class A and Class B shares in registered form will be
registered in the register of shares held at the registered office of the
Company. Bearer share certificates can be exchanged at the registered office of
the Company or at Dexia - Banque International a Luxembourg S.A. by
presentation thereof. The Company has made arrangements for the global
certificates held by Clearstream Banking S.A. to be exchanged following the
meeting so that shareholders holding their shares through clearing systems will
automatically receive confirmation of their new holdings.
About Quinsa
Quinsa is a Luxembourg-based holding company, which controls 85 percent of
Quilmes International (Bermuda) Ltd., ("QIB"). The remaining 15 percent of the
shares of QIB are owned, since 1984, by Heineken International Beheer B.V.
("Heineken"). Heineken Technical Services B.V. renders technical assistance to
the operating companies. Quinsa, through QIB, controls beverage and malting
businesses in five Latin American countries. Its beer brands are market leaders
in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay and have a strong presence in
Chile. Quinsa also owns a controlling interest in the two largest PepsiCo
bottlers in Argentina. Its Class A and Class B shares are listed on the
Luxembourg Stock Exchange (Reuters codes: QUIN.LU and QUINp.LU). Quinsa's
American Depository Shares, each representing two of the Company's Class B
shares, are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:LQU).
Heineken N.V. Announces Exceptional Profit
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 6, 2001-- Heineken N.V., the
leading international brewer, announced that the company realized an
exceptional profit of approximately EUR 50 million after taxes. This
non-recurring income consists of two components:
The book profit of EUR 35 million on the sale of the 2% stake in
the Spanish hotel group NH Hoteles S.A.. Heineken obtained this
stake when NH Hoteles acquired the Dutch hotel group Krasnapolsky
Hotels & Restaurants N.V. against payment in shares.
An extraordinary cash dividend from Whitbread PLC of EUR 16.3
million that has been paid in connection with the sale of the pub
division of Whitbread.
Heineken N.V. is the world's most international brewing group. Heineken beer is
sold in more than 170 countries, and the group has over 110 breweries in more
than 50 countries. With a total group volume of 97.9 million hectolitres,
Heineken is ranked second place in the world beer market. In 2000 the net
turnover amounted to EUR 8.1 billion and the net profit to EUR 621 million. The
Heineken Group employs almost 38,000 persons.
Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares are listed on the Amsterdam
stock exchange. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg
under the symbols HEIN NA and HEHN NA, on the Reuter Equities 2000 Service
under HEIN.AS and HEHN.AS and on Quotron under HEINN.EU and HKAN.EU. Additional
information is available on Heineken's home page: http://www.heinekencorp.com.
Foster's <FBG.AX> on track despite tricky conditions
SYDNEY, June 4 (Reuters) - Foster's Group Ltd said on Sunday that market
conditions in the United States and Australia were a little trickier than the
company would like but maintained a confident outlook on the year's profit
growth.
Foster's expects earnings from its wine division to overtake those from beer in
the next 18 months to two years following its US$1.6 billion takeover of
California-based premium wine producer Beringer Wine Estates last year.
"When I look at wine, particularly in the U.S. where we took the big plunge
with Beringer, that is tough," chief executive Ted Kunkel told Nine Network's
Business Sunday programme.
"But I have to say today 11 months into the year, and that's eight months into
Beringer, that we are travelling on our own target so at this particular time
with a month to go, I'm quietly confident," Kunkel said.
In February, the group posted a higher-than-expected 9.8 percent rise in its
first-half net profit to A$267.1 million, including an abnormal loss of A$26
million, and said it expected earnings to keep growing in the six months to
end-June 2001.
The strong U.S. dollar was causing some difficulties for U.S. exports and, in
Australia, the company suffered after the Goods and Services Tax was introduced
in July and took another hit with a hike in beer excise tax in the same month,
Kunkel said.
The excise tax change was now being rolled back after the federal government
failed to attract enough support from state governments, and draught beer sales
were now on the rise, but "it is still tough out there," Kunkel said.
Shares in Foster's closed steady at A$5.36 on Friday
Wine currently accounts for about 60 percent of the company's assets, but beer
is still delivering the majority of earnings.
Kunkel said Foster's would look for bolt-on acquisitions in beverages as well
as assets in the services and direct marketing area, adding wine company
Southcorp Ltd <SRP.AX> could be in the frame.
Market watchers have said Southcorp wine brands such as Wynns or Seaview could
be sold following its A$1.5 billion merger with Rosemount Estates earlier this
year.
"If the brands come up, clearly we would be at the table," Kunkel said.
He dismissed talk that Foster's was a takeover target.
Reports of a bid from Dutch brewer Heineken NV <HEIN.AS> resurfaced earlier
this month but both companies denied they were in negotiations.
Avado to sell McCormick/Schmick's for $183.5 mln
MADISON, Ga., June 8 (Reuters) - Restaurant operator Avado Brands Inc. <<A
HREF="aol://4785:AVDO">AVDO.O</A>> said on Friday it has agreed to sell its
McCormick & Schmick's brand back to its former owner and another firm for
$183.5 million in cash to pay off debt and for general corporate expenses.
Madison, Ga.-based Avado, which owns four brands including the 14 Canyon Cafe
restaurants, 131 Don Pablo's Mexican Kitchens, 74 Hops Restaurant -- Bar --
Breweries and 34 McCormick & Schmick's seafood dinner houses, will sell
McCormick & Schmick's to Castle Harlan Inc. and Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill &
Co., Avado said in a statement.
Avado bought the Portland, Oregon-based McCormick and Schmick's from Castle
Harlan in March of 1997. Since that time, the brand has more than doubled in
size from 16 to 34 restaurants, Avado said.
McCormick & Schmick's current management team members, which includes
co-founders Bill McCormick and Doug Schmick, will continue in their current
positions after the completion of the deal, which is expected during the third
quarter.
McCormick has tendered his resignation from Avado Brands' Board of Directors in
conjunction with the signing of the sales contract.
Wodka Gorbatschow, Germany's Favorite Vodka, Arrives in the U.S.
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JUNE 7, 2001--Worl-reknowned Wodka Gorbatschow,
distilled in Berlin since 1921 and by far the leading vodka in Germany and
finest vodka in the world, is now being launched nationally in the United
States by Cannon Wines Limited, San Francisco-based marketing company. Before
the first case was shipped, Gorbatschow (gorbatschow.com) received a "92 --
Exceptional" rating from Beverage Testing Institute, Chicago (tasting.com), the
independent testing organization whose judges used descriptors like "plush
palate" and "smooth finish" to describe it. Gorbatschow was the highest-rated
vodka in the tasting.
The Gorbatschow family (no relation to the former Soviet President Gorbatschev)
was originally vodka distillers in St. Petersburg; they fled Russia after the
Bolshevik revolution and settled in Berlin, where they re-established their
distillery and began selling to the Russian emigre community. From the
beginning, Wodka Gorbatschow has emphasized purity, clarity and smoothness as
the principal attributes of the product, and it is marketed in Germany as
"Vodka's pure soul." Gorbatschow is painstakingly double-filtered over
charcoal, resulting in exceptional smoothness.
Berlin has once again become the political, economic and cultural center of
Germany, and Wodka Gorbatschow, which is distilled in the heart of the city,
enjoys special favor as a hometown brand; it commands a 31% share of the vodka
market in Germany and is the sixth best-selling premium vodka worldwide,
marketed in 44 countries. Gorbatschow is named by IMPACT newsletter (M. Shaken
Communications) as the fourth fastest-growing brand of premium distilled
spirits worldwide. With its distinctive packaging and dynamic marketing image
(Wodka Gorbatschow rocketing up through Arctic Ice), the brand is positioned to
attract wide attention in the premium segment of the vodka market in the U.S.
Wodka Gorbatschow retails for $15 per 1.0 Liter/80 proof.
Founded in 1978, Cannon Wines Limited (cannonwines.com) is an independent
national marketing and sales company which represents California, Washington,
French and Germany table, and sparkling wines and Wodka Gorbatschow.
Note: A Photo is available at URL:
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.060701/bb8
Cuba, denied rum brand, could make "Coke" and "Bud"
By Anthony Boadle
WASHINGTON, June 7 (Reuters) - Cuba, fighting a trademark war in which it has
lost the U.S. rights to its most famous brand of rum, is entitled to start
making Coca-Cola and Budweiser in retaliation, a legal expert said on Thursday.
Even though President Fidel Castro has threatened to make Cuban Coke, the
Communist-run island is not actually expected to do so.
But the dispute puts at risk some 4,000 American trademarks registered in Cuba,
from Playboy and Aunt Jemima to Huggies and Weight Watchers.
The conflict was set off by a provision tucked into the U.S. Omnibus
Appropriations Act of 1998. Section 211 extended the four-decade-old American
trade embargo against Cuba to the realm of intellectual property.
The provision, proposed by a Florida senator, bars foreign companies using
property confiscated in Cuba from registering or exercising trademark rights in
the United States.
Its passage coincided with a court battle over the right to the famous Havana
Club brand of rum in the the United States, the world's largest rum market.
Havana Club is internationally recognized as a Cuban product and is distributed
worldwide by a Cuban government joint venture with the French liquor company
Pernod Ricard <PERP.PA>. It competes with rums made by market leader Bacardi, a
Bermuda-based Cuban-exile company.
DISTILLERIES WERE NATIONALIZED
Citing Section 211, a U.S. court ruled in 1999 that Bacardi could distribute
rum under the Havana Club name because Havana Club's distilleries were
nationalized after Castro's 1959 revolution.
Peter Weiss, a trademark expert at the independent Center for Constitutional
Rights, said the provision violated the U.S.-inspired 1933 Inter-American
Convention on Trademarks and other international rules, including the World
Trade Organization's TRIPs agreement.
"This is a substantial breach of an international convention by the United
States," Weiss said at a conference on the issue. "Cuba has the legal basis to
do the same to American marks like Coke, Kool-Aid and Reebok," he said.
The measure caused friction with the European Union, which resorted to the WTO.
A panel is expected to rule by the end of this month on whether the U.S.
provision breaks international trade rules.
Defenders of Section 211 say it deals with property that was illegally
expropriated by the Cuban government.
Like the Bacardi family, the Arrechavalas, owners of Havana Club, went into
exile after 1959. But unlike the Bacardis, they stopped producing rum.
The disused brand was claimed by the Cuban government, whose holding company
Cuba Exports registered it in the United States in 1976.
EYE KEPT ON U.S.
Pernod Ricard has not lost sight of American consumers while it enjoys soaring
sales for Havana Club, by some measures the fastest-growing liquor in the
world.
The French-Cuban venture sold 1.4 million cases of the rum last year, up from
300,000 cases in 1993, in 80 countries, including Canada and Mexico. The
product is registered in 180 countries.
"We have great hopes for the United States once the political issue is resolved
and brighter minds prevail on both sides," said Mark Orr, Pernod Ricard vice
president for North America.
Moving either to protect their brand names or position themselves for the day
when the embargo is lifted, an increasing number of American firms are
registering trademarks in Cuba.
Recent registrations include Magic Johnson, Starbucks, Nike, Sbarro and United
Airlines.
A bill to repeal Section 211 was introduced in the U.S. Congress in February by
Sen. Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat, and has the support of the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce.
Bacardi's owners are important financial contributors to the U.S.-based Cuban
exile movement against Castro and have backed such legislation as the
Helms-Burton act, which toughened the embargo in 1996.
Opponents of trade sanctions against Cuba say the trademark clause was
"sneaked" into the 1998 appropriations bill without debate and undermines
Washington' moral authority when it pushes to expand intellectual property
rights protection throughout the world.
FDA warns companies of adding herbs to food, drink
NEW YORK, June 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned
companies that put herbal additives in food and beverages that their products
could be illegal because the ingredients might not be generally recognized as
safe, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
According to the report, the FDA sent a warning letter to three companies whose
products contain ginkgo biloba, Siberian ginseng and echinacea -- popular
ingredients that have made their way into dozens of food items and drinks --
saying that the herbs have never been approved for consumption in food.
The report said the FDA plans more such letters to other manufacturers over the
next week as part of a newly invigorated effort to protect what it calls "the
integrity of the conventional food supply."
The newspaper reported that the three companies to receive the first round of
warning letters -- Hansen Beverage Company, U.S. Mills and Fresh Samantha,
which is owned by Odwalla Inc. <<A HREF="aol://4785:ODWA">ODWA.O</A>> -- are
relatively small compared with some of the giant manufacturers who put herbs in
food and drinks.
The report also noted that PepsiCo Inc.'s <<A HREF="aol://4785:PEP">PEP.N</A>>
group of SoBe beverages and the Cadbury Schweppes Plc <CBRY.L> line of Snapple
drinks both have products containing echinacea.
Philip Morris optimistic of winning appeal
WASHINGTON, June 7 (Reuters) - Cigarette maker Philip Morris <<A
HREF="aol://4785:MO">MO.N</A>> said on Thursday it was optimistic a Los Angeles
jury's decision to award a smoker with incurable cancer $3 billion in damages
would be overturned on appeal.
"The jury obviously had an agenda that was not to decide the case they were
supposed to decide," said William Ohlemeyer, associate general counsel and vice
president of Philip Morris Cos. Inc.
In an interview with CNN, Ohlemeyer said Philip Morris would appeal Wednesday's
verdict, the biggest individual punitive damage award in a case against the
tobacco industry.
"Other cases like this in which juries have returned verdicts for smokers have
been overturned on appeal. This is just a first step in what will be a longer
legal process," said Ohlemeyer.
The jury voted 10-2 to award $3 billion in punitive damages and $5.5 million in
compensatory damages to Richard Boeken, a securities and oil broker whose lung
cancer has spread to his brain.
Ohlemeyer said the company's appeal would focus on instructions given by the
judge to the jury and whether he allowed them to hear all the evidence in the
case.
"We are optimistic the appellate court will agree with us that this jury either
was not given the correct instructions of law, was not allowed to consider the
appropriate evidence, or quite frankly just ignored all that and substituted
their judgment for that of the court," he said.
Ohlemeyer said Boeken had ignored health warnings by smoking two packs of
Marlboro cigarettes a day for more than 40 years. "It's impossible to conclude
that somebody who was well aware of the risks of smoking did not make an
informed choice about smoking," he said.
Ohlemeyer conceded that people "obviously have strong feelings" about tobacco
but he said Philip Morris was working very hard to be a responsible
manufacturer of tobacco products, providing health warnings on packs and doing
what it could to reduce the risks associated with smoking.
"Having said that, we understand there's a lot more we need to do and that we
can do and we are working very hard to do that."
In an interview with NBC's "Today" show, Boeken said he had been surprised at
how much the jury awarded him in the case. "I almost fell out of my chair
actually," Boeken said.
He said the jury had sent such a strong message because Philip Morris was
"guilty of fraud, negligence and cover-up."
"The jury wanted them to know that," Boeken said.
Asked on the CBS's "The Early Show" how he could not have known that smoking is
dangerous, Boeken replied:
"I've always believed very much in big business and ... I just believed what
they said. I believed when they said it was not addictive and ... it's not
proven that it's harmful to your health. Call me naive but I ... I believed
it," he said.
Boeken said he had been able to break free of earlier addictions to heroin and
alcohol but had more difficulty with cigarettes. "It was a problem," he said.
New Food Patent for FizzyFruit Carbonated Fresh Fruit to be Auctioned On eBay
GALVESTON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 2001--The inventor of carbonated
fresh whole fruit, Dr. Galen Kaufman, announced today that the U.S. patent for
his FizzyFruit carbonation process (Oct. 1999, No. 5,968,573 Method for
Enhancing the Flavor of Fruits and Vegetables) has been placed for auction on
eBay. Under the category "business -- businesses for sale: general," the patent
is available until Saturday, June 16, 2001 with a reserve price of $10 million
with royalties. Dr. Kaufman is an Assistant Professor at the University of
Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. The Web site is
http://www.fizzyfruit.com.
On June 1, 2001, the Wall Street Journal ran a front page section B story about
the FizzyFruit invention, which is undergoing research and development at the
Food Innovation Center at Oregon State University. Dr. Kaufman said, "We would
like a large food or consumer products company to proceed with the
commercialization of the FizzyFruit patent. The growing awareness of our
addition of the novel concept of carbonation alone as a value-added component
to foods of all kinds puts the owner of this patent in a powerful position to
leverage the market. The claims could also provide for new food and beverage
display solutions related to carbon dioxide."
A large food company could produce packaged FizzyFruit for sale in
supermarkets. A large consumer products company could manufacture home, kiosk,
school lunch or restaurant appliances designed specifically to carbonate fresh
fruit and vegetables. The carbonated product appeals to children for its fun,
and their parents for making healthy food more desirable.
J2jurado
( Playboy) Beaumont, Stephen; 06-01-2001
Perhaps some beer geek has told you the tale of that mythical other Budweiser,
the one from across the sea. He wasn't lying. Go to the small Czech town of
Budweis, about 75 miles south of Prague, and you can order a mug of the beloved
Budweiser Budvar, made by a tiny brewery with no ties to the behemoth
Anheuser-Busch. Now, after decades of court battles over who owns the name,
Budvar is finally available in the U. S. The catch? To avoid yet another pesky
lawsuit, it now goes by the name Czechvar. By any name, it tastes great:
full-bodied, slightly sweet, reminiscent of a softer Pilsner Urquell. Visit
czechvar.com. -STEPHEN BEAUMONT
Nose-holding at Heineken
( The Nation (Thailand) ) ; 05-28-2001
Dutch-based brewer continues to define its own premium market Heineken
has come a long way since production of the world-famous beer started in
1867. Actually Alfred Heineken, the current patriarch of the Heineken family,
once made it clear that he regarded the brews of his competitors as not
being in the same league, or not even resembling beer.
As the story goes, a number of Dutch brewers once held a meeting in a
pub where the landlord stocked a wide variety of beers. During the meeting
the brewers ordered a beer of their own brand, except Alfred Heineken,
who simply ordered a coke: the other brewers were stunned. Doesn't Alfred
Heineken like his own beer?
His reply said it all: "I don't want to be a spoilsport. If my
colleagues aren't going to drink beer, then I won't either."
In international sales, Heineken ranks just behind Anheuser Busch of
the US and Corona of Mexico but still considers itself the undisputed leader
in the premium segment of the market. In 2000 the total volume of beer
brewed by the Heineken Group was 97.9 million hectolitres, putting the
group into second spot in the world rankings.
The company started the new millennium well, with net profits rising
by 20 per cent to 621 million euros (Bt24.4billion) and the operating profit
increasing by 15 per cent to 921 million euros. Exports to the US and the
successful integration of its breweries in Spain made a substantial
contribution
to the sharp increase in profits.
Heineken executives point out that production and marketing strategy
behind the Heineken label is decided in broad outline at a central level
and is implemented at local and regional level by operating companies.
Chairman of the Executive Board K Vuursteen says that a flexible,
decisive and innovative mentality is a prerequisite for the further development
of the Heineken Group. The company expects continued growth in the global
beer market, especially in Latin America and the Far East, due to increased
spending power.
Its world market share rose steadily from 10.5 per cent in 1999 to
12.1 per cent last year. It remains the world's largest exporter of beer,
with more than 50,000 ocean containers filled with beer being shipped to
destinations on every continent.
Brewery Launches Improved Star Beer
( Africa News Service ) ; 06-08-2001 by Jamilatu Nababa
Freetown, Jun 07, 2001 (Concord Times/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX)-- The
Sierra Leone Brewery Thursday officially launched the cold filtered concept of
the star beer in order to improve its quality. The cost for this initiative is
said to be huge.
The Brewery Managing Director, Mr. Victor L. Thomas said the Brewery was making
a breakthrough despite that it lost millions of dollars when rebels invaded in
January 1999.
The Brewery Manager and some other workers were given awards by the Managing
Director for their courage and determination in their work during the trying
moments.
Beer drinkers have described the new product as "superb," and "it loses the
slight taste of vomit from the cloudier version," and finally, "absolutely the
world's best beer."
Brewery asserts GMO freedom
( The Toronto Star ) ; 06-07-2001
MONTREAL (CP) - A Quebec micro-brewery is upset after a federal agency ordered
it to stop promoting its beers as free of genetically modified organisms.
Andre Dion, chief executive of Unibroue, said yesterday at a news conference it
will cost the brewery $100,000 to revise its advertising campaign.
Unibroue, based in Chambly, Que., got a certificate in June, 2000, from the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency to classify its beers as GMO-free.
The classification was intended to help the firm's European exports. A final
certification was issued in April.
But after Unibroue decided to use the certificate to boost its beers in Quebec,
the agency said the claims broke the food and drug law and withdrew its
approval. Dion said that the brewery continues to use the same procedures and
the same recipes. He denounced the endorsement withdrawal as ``incoherent and
totally unacceptable.''
Dion said the firm has also asked a European agency to analyze its products to
confirm that they are free of genetically modified ingredients. Unibroue,
founded by Dion and Serge Racine in 1990, brews seven brands of beer including
Maudite, La Fin du Monde and Quelque Chose.
Pints still falling short
( Evening Mail ) Steve Swingler; 06-07-2001
MIDLAND beer drinkers are still being served short pints, according to real ale
campaigners.
The Birmingham branch of the Campaign for Real Ale said drinkers were being
short-changed by up to 20p because bars and pubs often failed to serve a full
pint.
The group said that in the run-up to the 1997 election, Labour had promised to
bring in new laws guaranteeing a full pint of liquid, excluding the forth or
head on the beer.
Campaigners said that although proposals had been prepared by officials, the
Government had failed to stick to its promise.
They have now called on Tony Blair to quickly introduce the new laws if he wins
the election and returns to power.
Ripped off
Camra spokesman Mike Benner said: 'The Government has made a clear committment
to full pints to deal with the growing problem of customers being ripped off in
some pubs, but the issue is being bounced around like a yo-yo in the corridors
of power.
'It's simple. A pint of beer should be 100 per cent liquid and no pub should be
able to profiteer from the current system of self regulation which has clearly
failed.'
Mr Benner said the problem was getting worse as the trend for beer with large
creamy heads continued to grow.
Recent Camra research suggested that the average beer measure in themed pubs
was five per cent short with some by more than 10 per cent, short- changing
drinkers by up to 20p a pint.
Dietle's: The Tavern That Time Forgot
( The Washington Post ) Eric Brace Washington Post Staff Writer; 06-08-2001
"YOU'VE never had a pickled egg?!" Rick Dietle is looking at me with an
ornery expression of disbelief.
He turns around and unscrews a big pickle jar, reaches in, grabs a mauve
orb from its vinegary brine. It goes on a paper plate with a slice of pickled
beet and a packet of saltines. He puts the plate in front of me on the
bar. "That thing'll knock you on your [butt]," he says with a proud shake
of the head. "My mom makes them, and they're strong."
Dietle pulls a frosted mug from a freezer and pours me another $2 Pabst
draft. "You'll need that in a second," he says.
I sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the egg and bite in, having no
clue, really, what to expect.
Wow. That's good. It has just a mild vinegary kick. Dietle looks at where
I've bitten and sees that the egg is still fairly white inside. "Oh yeah,
it hasn't been in there long enough. It's supposed to be dark [from the
red wine vinegar] all the way through," he explains. "We go through 'em
too fast. No time for them to pickle right."
Not many places have mom's pickled eggs on the bar. Or mom's chili. But
Dietle's Tavern (1917 Seminary Rd., Silver Spring; 301/588-0141) has both,
along with a ton of history to chase them down your gullet.
Hanging framed behind the bar is the liquor license, dated Nov. 11, 1934.
It was issued to Rick Dietle's grandfather, Richard "Pops" Dietle, a German
immigrant who had a bakery on Georgia Avenue. The repeal of prohibition
in December 1933 gave him an idea, and soon he was running a bar. (That
liquor license is the oldest one in Montgomery County issued to the same
address. Some that are a few months older have shifted locations over the
years.)
In 1947 a young woman stopped at Dietle's and was taken with the guy behind
the bar. "He was flipping the beer glasses a certain way," Anne Dietle
says. "He would hit his arm so the glass would go up in the air and spin
around and he'd catch it. I guess he was trying to impress me." That was
Pops's son, Herb Dietle, who bet a co-worker he'd soon be dating the pretty
patron. He won the bet. Herb and Anne were married the next year, and it's
Anne's excellent chili and pickled eggs that continue to feed the regulars.
She began running the bar in 1975 after Herb's death, but works there
only two days a week now. "I'm going to be 75 this coming November, and
it's exhausting work," she says. "I worry about my boys getting burned
out." Her boys are the twins, Rick and Rudy Dietle, who've been working
at the tavern most of their adult lives, but who took over the bar's operation
when their mother underwent quintuple bypass surgery five years ago.
"I can't say enough about them," she says, "and about my other son, Mark,
who's worked there part time. I have two wonderful girls, too. They're
older and married."
I ask her about Hank Dietle, the namesake of another anachronistic bar,
out on Rockville Pike. "Oh, that was Henry, my husband's brother. After
Pops retired, my husband and Henry ran this place, but in the '50s Henry
sold out to my husband and opened his own place in Rockville. Not where
it is now, but up in Rockville proper. Later on he opened the place across
from White Flint, but there's no Dietle's there anymore."
There are photos over the bar of all the generations of Dietles (none
of the camera-shy Anne, however). Along the other walls, hung between too
many beer signs to count, are framed shots of turn-of-the-century Silver
Spring (including a muddy Washington-Brookville Turnpike before it became
Georgia Avenue, the old Forest Glen B&O Railroad station, the original
Dietle's bakery and more).
There's not much else: a worn-out pool table, a pinball machine, a couple
of TVs and a jukebox. "It's the best juke in Montgomery County!" shouts
Jim Boland, who with his twin brother, Chris, does his best to keep Dietle's
in business. "We love the place because we're identical twins and there's
identical twins behind the bar." The jukebox is excellent: Commander Cody,
Roy Orbison, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Canned Heat.
The place is -- to be kind -- a little drab. But it is still a place for
regulars in the neighborhood to come by after work for a cold, cheap beer
(no hard liquor here). "This place is a secret," says Andrew Kavanagh,
a local who discovered Dietle's after moving here from Ireland a few years
ago. "It might seem a little daunting at first, if you're not a regular,
but everyone in here has a heart of gold."
He doesn't mind the lack of decor. "This place doesn't bend or flex to
fashion. They like it the way it is, and I like it the way it is."
Yeah, me too.
JAZZ ON THE MALL
Beneath a cloudy afternoon sky and in front of more than 200 people last
week, Keter Betts kicked off the Hirshhorn Museum's "Art Night on the Mall"
jazz concert series. The legendary Washington-based bassist brought along
his band -- keyboardist Robert Redd and drummer Lenny Robinson -- to perform
two sets of music between 5:30 and 7 p.m., giving a "happy hour" feel to
the event.
You could even get a Busch beer -- if your happy hour needs dictated -- from
the museum's Full Circle Cafe. It's set up under another of the concrete
doughnut's arches and stays open (along with the museum itself) until 8
p.m. on Thursdays through the end of August.
One family of four had the right idea, ignoring the cafe (and it's soggy
$9 sandwiches) and the folding chairs set up by museum staff: They spread
out a blanket right on the concrete and faced Betts and the band while
dining on chips and sandwiches, sodas and wine, as the sky got dark.
The concert series is the idea of Teresia Bush, senior educator on the
museum's staff. "Many years ago I worked at Metropolitan Museum in New
York," Bush says, "and I used to go over to the Museum of Modern Art to
listen to jazz in the garden there. I just thought what a good idea it
would be to have music here in the courtyard, facing the Mall and the Sculpture
Garden on a summer evening."
In 1998, the museum launched a Latin music series, with money from the
Smithsonian's Latino Initiative Fund. This year, money from an anonymous
donor has allowed her to book the jazz series as well. Bush admits to being
swamped with work, having taken on the booking of these concert series
in addition to her usual work (curating shows, programming the First Friday
talks, running a writers program, booking a lecture series, arranging curator
talks and giving her own lectures). "But I like the idea of working with
music," she says. "And people who might not normally come out to the museum
will often venture out for a program such as this."
Busted Again in Margaritaville
( Newsweek ) By Evan Thomas and Martha Brant With T. Trent Gegax in Austin,
Eleanor Clift and Pat Wingert in Washington and Suzanne Smalley i; 06-11-2001
ILLUSTRATIONS/PHOTOS: The party's over: Bush twins Jenna and Barbara at the GOP
convention last summer, Barbara's fake ID taken by a security guard at a New
Haven bar last October
About half of college freshmen admit to drinking beer, down from about 75
percent two decades ago, according to a study by the Higher Education Research
Institute at UCLA. At the University of Texas, ranked No. 2 in the nation for
"lots of beer" by the Princeton Review, a college guide, the party goes on. The
underage drinkers who use fake IDs to patronize the many bars of Austin usually
do not have to worry about being fingered by other patrons or turned in to the
cops by the bartender. But the daughter of a president lives in a different
world.
So Jenna Bush was reminded last Tuesday at about 10:15 p.m., when the
19-year-old was caught using a borrowed ID card to buy a Margarita. She
pleaded--or, according to some accounts, demanded--to be let off the hook, but
the restaurant bartender reportedly replied, "You think I'm going to put my
liquor license on the line for you?" The manager called 911 instead. The police
arrived and two days later Jenna and her twin sister, Barbara, were cited by
the authorities for underage- drinking violations.
When George W. Bush was pondering a run for the presidency in 1998, his
16-year-old daughters implored him not to, fearing the impact on their college
experience. Foreboding, however, did not necessarily instill prudence. This was
Jenna's second brush with the law in less than two months. Caught drinking beer
by an undercover cop at the Cheers Shot Bar at 1:30 a.m. on April 27, she had
just been ordered to attend six hours of alcohol-awareness class and perform
eight hours of community service (clerical work at an art museum). With a
repeat offense, the customary, if fragile, restraint on press coverage of
presidential children collapsed. The White House tried to shame the media into
ignoring or downplaying the story. But images of the twins at last year's GOP
national convention and at their father's Inaugural played over and over again
on cable-TV news, and the tabloids had their sport. JENNA AND TONIC, jeered the
New York Post.
The president let his daughters know that he was "not happy" with their
behavior, according to a White House aide. Both girls spent a long-planned
weekend with their family at Camp David. It's doubtful they relaxed. Also
present was their acerbic grandmother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, who is
known by her family, with a mixture of fear and affection, as "the Enforcer."
Family friends dismiss any suggestion that either girl is troubled or somehow
out of control. They are not behaving very differently from their father at the
same age. The president, who was best remembered at Yale for bellying up to the
Deke House bar, recently joked to the college's graduating seniors that he had
no memory of some of his time in New Haven. (After one particularly raucous
night, George W quit drinking in 1986.) His dark-haired daughter Barbara, who
just finished her freshman year at Yale, is generally described in the press as
the quiet and studious type, while blond twin Jenna is pictured as the
good-time girl. The reality is more complicated. Barbara, too, likes to party,
according to her Yale friends and classmates, but she is usually more discreet,
though not always. Last October she was caught using a fake ID at a New Haven
bar called Toad's Place. The security guard, Bill Coale, did not call the
police, but he did keep the ID, which is now framed and hanging in his family
room. The ID identifies the president's daughter as "Barbara Pierce" (her
grandmother' s maiden name), adds exactly three years to her birth date and
gives a bogus Baltimore address. Some friends call Barbara "the instigator, "
and say that Jenna is just the unlucky one who gets caught. While charming and
ebullient, Jenna is a little "spacey," say her friends, and prone to pratfalls.
At the Inaugural ball, her strapless dress slipped down while she was dancing
with her father.
Some friends of the Bush family have dubbed Jenna "Barbara's revenge, " meaning
that George W is now getting his just deserts for tormenting his own mother
when he was a boy. Last week, in a speech to the Junior League of Indianapolis,
former First Lady Barbara Bush drolly remarked that she was amazed the
president was the same person she had to nag to clean his room. She added,
rolling her eyes, "He is getting back some of his own."
The Bush twins may not get much sympathy from the public, but they do from the
children of other First Families. The real story, scolded Ron Reagan Jr., is
not "something as mundane as trying to buy beer with a borrowed ID, something
that happens 10,000 times a day in every college town in America. The story is
the media's inability to resist the lure of ratings and circulation."
Why can't the Secret Service keep the Bush girls out of trouble? Agents follow
them everywhere, or try to, but make no attempt to play nanny. According to an
irreverent Yale student newspaper, Rumpus, Barbara Bush recently lost the
Secret Service at a highway tollbooth while driving with some friends to a
World Wrestling Federation match in New York. The agents had to speed to catch
up. But there is no escaping the spotlight. Both girls are now marked when they
go out on the town. Friendly bartenders may protect them, but others,
especially those who disapprove of President Bush's politics, will not. Under a
new Texas law cracking down on underage drinking, Jenna could lose her license
and conceivably face a little jail time if she gets caught a third time. The
strict law, crafted by lawmakers championing "family values," was signed by her
father, the then Texas Gov. George W. Bush.
Wake up and smell the booze
( University Wire ) Josh Korr; 06-08-2001
(The Diamondback) (U-WIRE) COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- So did you hear about George W.
Bush's daughters? Yeah, it's crazy.
Nineteen-year-old twins, one of them even goes to Yale, and get this: they
drink!
Can you imagine? Beer! Margaritas! Alcohol! Yes yes, I know, their dad is
president, they should be more careful. But jeez -- underage drinking! What is
this world coming to?
I'm not sure which scares me more: the blatant hypocrisy of many adults
weighing in on the Bush daughters, or the blatant (or possibly willful)
ignorance of everyone else.
There's no question the Bushes getting arrested after using fake IDs is news;
when the relatives of a sitting president are accused of breaking the law, they
can bet it'll go public even if they're young and otherwise left alone. There's
also no question the daughters should have known better than to twice make
headlines for doing what 90 percent of the rest of their peers do.
But that last bit is more significant than who their father is, what his past
is like, and whether Jenna is The Party Girl or Barbara is The Good Girl. By
ignoring the absolute prevalence and normalcy of underage and legal drinking,
journalists, pundits and parents miss the larger issue -- because it points
right back to themselves.
On the one side are those who smugly criticize the Bush family: Look what
Dubya's taught his kids. When's the family counselor coming to the White House?
They were probably going to sneak one home for dad anyway, heh heh heh. What
kind of values does this teach to Our Country' s Youth?
Well, if they could escape the unrelenting magazine and TV ads that equate
alcohol with fun, sex, huuuge-breasted models, sex, friendship, sex (except the
Miller Lite ad where the pudgy black guy ejaculates his beer all over his date,
I still don't quite get that one), having a great time and making your life a
constant party ratjer than a source of constant drudgery and monotony, I bet
OCY would say, "Can I have a fake ID too?"
And who can blame them? Beyond the fantasy world of advertising, don' t most
adults we know tell us that drinking alcohol is the quintessential grownup
activity and show us that all sophisticated adults drink? For all of
advertising's distortions, it has power only because the adult world buys so
many outrageous claims wholesale and passes these beliefs onto its children.
Which makes just about anyone who turns the Bush daughters episode into a moral
issue look more than a little ridiculous. Alcohol, not money, is the real
center of American culture, and all the smug pundits know it. I bet that of all
the journalists and opinion-makers who sounded off on What Jenna And Barbara
Did, at least two-thirds of them drank when they were 19, at least half of them
have driven with an illegal blood alcohol content in the past six months and 75
percent of the ones with kids have dealt with the same thing in their own
homes. And on the other side are those who talk as though this is an isolated
incident, just a couple of party girls with an alcoholic father so really what
can you expect? My kids aren't like that, they' ve been brought up better.
Memo to clueless adults: Everybody drinks. Whether in college, high school or
middle school (though probably still not quite as much), it's all about the
alcohol.
This can't be a new thing, so it's astounding to me how many adults don't
recognize the prevalence of alcohol in young people's lives. In the Health
section of Tuesday's Washington Post, Abigail Trafford wrote about the Bush
daughters in terms of general underage drinking problems:
"It's tempting to look at drinking in college as a rite of passage. Remember
that preppy guy who got drunk and peed in the ice machine in the cafeteria? The
girl who was so wasted she tried to drive her car through the front door of the
dorm? Oh, those good old carefree days of youth. Boys will be boys, and now
girls will be girls, too."
Stop right there. Adults seem stuck on the Animal House view, that it's just
the rowdy frat boys and the loose girls who party and get drunk. Or, if they're
slightly more realistic, they expand the definition, as Trafford does, to "the
experimenters, the thrill seekers, the hero-athletes and freedom-tasting
freshmen."
Um, how about: The boring people you'd never want to be stuck alone with, the
Gemstone kids, the thank-goodness-it's-Thursday sophomores?
The stereotypes work fine if you believe drinking is an isolated, almost
esoteric activity. Trafford writes that a recent national survey of college
drinking by the Harvard School of Public Health found " the majority of
students do not drink too much and one-fifth don't drink at all." Rrrright.
First of all, I know fewer than five people at this school who never drink.
Secondly, the majority of everyone I know drinks at least weekly and gets drunk
just about as often.
So that's the big open secret, the giant Foster's can sitting in the middle of
the room from which everyone averts their gaze. Adults who drink don't like it
because they know they're responsible for the alcoholization of society and
can't criticize or pooh-pooh anyone without also implicating themselves; adults
who don't drink shy away from the truth because otherwise they have to accept
that their kids drink and that it doesn't make them hoodlums or otherwise bad
people.
I don't mean to minimize the very real problems associated with underage
drinking and with alcohol abuse in all ages and segments of society. On the
contrary, I think these problems are minimized by the reluctance to accept how
widespread and normalized drinking really is.
But as long as Jenna and Barbara Bush are considered anomalies, nothing more
than depressed Texas cowgirls with no moral guidance in their lives, the
charade will go on.
Birmingham Post Comment: Retaining our heritage
( Birmingham Post ) ; 05-19-2001
Birmingham is forcing a hectic pace in the regeneration stakes, but it would be
unforgivable when focusing on the almost daily changing skyline to completely
dismiss past triumphs.
It is important that there should be room in the gleaming, high-rise European
city of the 21st century to remember and cherish the architecture and
industries of yesteryear.
It is regrettable, therefore, that the planning authorities seem incapable of
preserving a reminder of one of Birmingham's best known industrial landmarks -
the former Davenports Brewery.
The demise of Davenports, throwing more than 100 people out of work, was bad
enough. To make matters worse it seems the little that is left of the brewery,
where a tipple beloved by millions of Brummies was brewed for almost 70 years,
is to be flattenedto make way for student housing.
Perhaps that is progress, of a sort. There is a clear need to build affordable
and decent accommodation for young people close to the city centre, but it is
difficult to accept that the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative
Studies cannot finda way of retaining at least some of the Davenports facade in
the new structure it wants to build.
Business Week International Editions: Spotlight on Slovenia : As Alcohol Fuels
a Suicide Epidemic...Health Workers Start to Fight Back
( Business Week International ) Edited by Harry Maurer; 06-11-2001
The Ljubljana cop lays down his beer tankard, wipes the foam from his mouth,
and adopts the avuncular yet insistent air of a pub landlord at closing time:
``Come along, gentlemen, you'd best be getting home. Your good ladies will be
worried.''
It's 6 o'clock on the Thursday morning after the night before in the Slovenian
capital, and Sergeant Andrej Sorf is rousing a group of snoring drunks from the
city's main railroad station before the first trains of the day start moving.
All in all, it's a standard picture of urban despair. Except that this
collection of human jetsam contains several specimens of an altogether
better-heeled class of lush. ``Visitors are surprised to find some of our
derelicts so well- dressed,'' jokes Borut Pogacnik, a doctor from a local detox
clinic, flicking a thumb toward a gaggle of suited business types sprawled
across the waiting room benches like tycoons snoozing on an ocean liner.
``Dressed to kill, you say, no?''
HEAD-SCRATCHER. In this case, though, that's not just a figure of speech. Not
only does this atypically prosperous corner of the Balkans, always the richest
of the former Yugoslav republics, boast some of the world's biggest
boozers--consuming, for example, around 160 liters of beer annually for every
man, woman, and child. It also suffers the region's highest suicide rate, and
close to 50% of those deaths are alcohol-related. ``We have some 30 suicides
per 1,000,000 inhabitants- -that's 20% more than in 1990, and two-thirds more
than the West European average,'' mourns sociologist Matiaz Hanzek. ``You could
say we are Central Europe's suicide central.''
That has some saloon sages here scratching their heads, for Slovenia seems to
have less cause than most to be drowning its sorrows. Ten years ago, the cocky
little nation of 2 million announced its secession and, after a brief but
bloody scrap, sent the Belgrade war machine in search of easier pickings. Since
then, it has risen to the top of the post-communist crop, invariably
outstripping its former East bloc neighbors' economic stats. In 1999, for
instance, GDP per capita amounted to 73% of the European Union average, far
above Poland's 42%. Now, with EU membership likely in three to five years, the
Slovenes look to be heading for anywhere but Skid Row.
Yet the privatization and reconstruction of state-owned industry have left a
certain kind of Slovene punch-drunk--and ready to take a permanent dive. ``The
most likely to kill himself is a man 40 to 50 who has either been laid off or
has a younger guy after his job, '' reports Onja Tekavcic Grad, coordinator of
a new health-awareness campaign aimed at reversing the trend. ``His escape is
the bottle.' ' Followed, in order of preference, by the gun, rope, or poison.
``As a people, we are aggressive and careless of our safety. We drive like
maniacs and fight hard when attacked, as the Serbs found out, '' muses Jozica
Selb, an adviser to the Health Ministry. ``But when there's no enemy, we turn
that aggression inward.''
Maybe so. But for the volatile Slovenes, dowsing their problems in liquor is
like fighting a forest fire with paraffin. And as Pogacnik concedes, his
compatriots have a historical weakness for the hard stuff that well predates
independence. Even their national anthem, The Toast, celebrates the joys of
tying one on. ``Everyone seems to want to live fast and die young,'' he
remarks, observing rowdy homeward-bound teen clubbers jostling their hungover
elders in the ticket queue. ``And if they can't die young, then middle-aged
will do just fine.''
Although medical professionals have praised the current health drive, which
encourages alcoholics to acknowledge their condition and seek remedial help,
they are eager to prevent a fresh generation from bellying up to the bar.
Now they are lobbying for government cash to fund workshops that would teach
parents, teachers, and youth workers to recognize the warning signs early. ``It
does appear we all have some kind of self- destruct gene,'' concedes health
adviser Grad. ``But the social habit that activates this dormant tendency
begins early. So we might as well start now.'' Slovenia's advertising
regulations are already the toughest in Europe and are especially protective of
children. But watchdogs point out that EU membership will bring more liberal
rules. So the question is: Will faster economic growth offset the lure of the
bottle?
J2jurado
THIS SUMMER'S 50 BEST FESTIVALS
( Independent ) Isabel Lloyd; 06-09-2001
20. GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL, OLYMPIA, LONDON
The highlight of the Campaign for Real Ale's calendar, this annual event proves
that real ale is alive and thriving - and that beer drinkers come in all shapes
and sizes. Expect around 700 ales from around the world, food, live music and
more than 40,000 enthusiasts over the course of the biggest, beeriest booze-up
of the year. Don't miss the judging of the Champion Beer of Britain competition
on the Tuesday (last year' s winner was Moorhouse Black Cat); but get there
quick if you want a taste of thewinner before it sells out.
Where: Olympia, London W14 (0870-739 7500; www.gbbf.org).
When: 31 July to 4 August, times vary.
How much: pounds 1.50-pounds 16.
A-B HIT WITH SHAKEUP AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS
( St. Louis Post-Dispatch ) Thomas Lee; Of the Post-Dispatch; 06-09-2001
* All of the changes occurred within the division that is now headed by August
Busch IV.
Anheuser Busch Cos., the St. Louis-based beer giant, reshuffled its senior
management team Friday in a move, experts say, to boost profitability among its
company-owned wholesalers, crush its competition, and bring greater consistency
to its brands overseas.
All of the changes occurred within A-B's Brand Marketing and Wholesale
Operations Division, headed by August Busch IV, who is expected by many to
succeed his father, August Busch III, the company's current chairman and chief
executive officer.
In a brief statement, the younger Busch said the leadership changes, which the
company calls "promotions," are meant to "broaden the skills of our senior
management...and provide cross-training opportunities." The move caught some
beer industry observers by surprise.
"This certainly came out of the blue," said Benj Steinman, editor of Beer
Marketers' Insights, a respected weekly industry newsletter.
The biggest shakeup was in A-B's wholesale operations as three executives
essentially swapped jobs. Michael Brooks, vice president of sales, is now vice
president of wholesale operations. He will oversee A-B's 20 wholesale
distributorships, 13 of which are company-owned and seven are partially owned
by the brewery. Mike Owens will replace Brooks, with Joe Castellano succeeding
Owens as vice president of retail marketing. Castellano was previously vice
president of wholesale operations.
By tapping Brooks to run wholesale operations, A-B is seeking to improve the
profitability of its company-owned distributorships, many of which are facing
tough competition from rivals Miller and Coors, said Mark Rodman of Beverage
Distribution Consultants of Massachusetts. While A-B enjoys market dominance,
the company's challenge is to convert market share into greater profits, he
said, especially among A-B-owned distributors, as compared to independent
wholesalers.
Brooks is especially suited for the job, said Rodman, who called the executive
"extremely bright" and "top-notch, handsome."
"A-B wants the best talent where the biggest bang is needed," said Rodman.
As A-B's vice-president of sales for the past six years, Brooks oversaw the
company's vast independent wholesaler network. Brooks' primary responsibility
was to enforce A-B's distribution contracts with the company's 800 independent
wholesalers. Brooks is a key figure in an ongoing lawsuit pitting the company
against the family of the late baseball slugger Roger Maris. The Marises
contend that A-B wrongfully terminated the family's distributorship in Ocala,
Fla. The company has argued the Marises did a poor job in running the
distributorship. A-B also named Bob Lachky, the company's top U.S. brand
manager, to the newly created position of vice president of brand management
and director-global brand creative. By adding A-B's international branding
operations to Lachky's portfolio, the company is seeking to ensure its brands
project a consistent image and message overseas, said Bill Finnie , an adjunct
professor of marketing at Washington University' s Olin School of Business.
That job is especially important as A-B seeks a greater share of international
beer sales, a market in which A-B is a relatively minor player, he said.
"If you don't have brand consistency, it's not going to work," said Finnie, a
former director of strategic planning for A-B. "Other than August Busch III,
there is no other person over there who has a greater feel for every brand in
the stable," he said of Lachky.
Pubmaster would sell W&D brands
LONDON, June 10 (Reuters) - Britain's Pubmaster plans to raise 150 million
pounds ($207.3 million) by selling Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries Plc's
brands and brewing division if it wins its takeover bid for W&D, the Sunday
Telegraph reported.
Pubmaster, which has a made a hostile bid of 453.4 million pounds for Britain's
largest regional brewer, plans to sell the operations as going concerns but
separate the ownership of the four breweries from famous brands such as
Pedigree and Banks's, the newspaper said.
Plans to be outlined in Pubmaster's offer document to W&D shareholders, due out
by June 29, will show it also intends to sell W&D's beer supply business, the
Telegraph reported. Pubmaster is 40 percent owned by German bank WestLB.
Go For The Gold Beermaker Sam Calagione used grapes, honey, saffron and
ingenuity to re-create King Midas's favorite ale
( People ) ; 06-11-2001 Vol. 55 No. 23 Page: 103 Section: In The Money
Sam Calagione is not your lite-beer kinda guy. What a Hunk. And in fact the
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery owner's newest tipple could be labeled
heavy metal. It's a re-creation of the ale served at the funeral
feast of King Midas, who supposedly turned everything he touched
into gold. Calagione, 32, got the ingredients from Patrick
McGovern, 56, a University of Pennsylvania Museum scientist who
found traces of barley, honey and grapes in jugs in the storied
king's 2,700-year-old tomb in Turkey. How to prepare the golden
grog was up to Calagione. "We're known as the guys that brew with
weird stuff--like oregano, raisins and vanilla," he says, "but
still make it taste good."
The brewmaster spent three months in his Rehoboth Beach, Del.,
brewpub mixing ingredients. Initial tastings by his wife and
business partner, Mariah, 30, and the regulars at his restaurant
got the thumbs-up. But the final say belonged to McGovern, who
served the ancient ale at a benefit dinner. "I was surprised at
how good it was," he says. "I ended up drinking at least four
glasses."
Now Calagione, who lives in Lewes, Del., with Mariah and their
son Sammy, 1, hopes to turn the stuff into liquid gold. Midas
Touch Golden Elixir just hit stores nationwide. "A whole
different group of people is looking at Dogfish Head," says his
wife. "They're wondering what we'll come up with next."
For more on Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, go to www.people.com
COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY SAM KITTNER
"Sam has a reputation for doing things beyond the norm," wine
critic Deborah Scoblionkov says of Calagione (at his Delaware
brewery).
Keywords: Sam Calagione
Festival is thirsty work
( Evening Mail ) Steve Johnson; 06-07-2001
THOUSAND of beer lovers who flocked to Wolverhampton's annual real ale festival
were able to sample a special brew to commemorate its newly-found city status.
Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries, commonly known as Banks's, produced the
Banks's First City ale to mark the achievement.
The festival was held over the weekend at Wolverhampton's Wulfrun Hall, and our
picture shows the Mayor, Coun Joyce Hill, launching the 26th annual event by
pulling the first glasses of the special brew.
Helping the Mayor with her task were the Mayoress Victoria Griffiths, and the
festival organiser Dave Powell.
LOBBYING: A `Hearty' Booze Battle
( National Journal ) Michael Steel; 06-09-2001
Will a drink a day keep the doctor away? A free-market public-
interest group thinks so, and it is suing the federal government
to let beer, wine, and liquor drinkers read all about it.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute wants to see a new
label on beer cans, wine bottles, and liquor containers that
says: "There is significant evidence that moderate consumption of
alcoholic beverages may reduce the risk of heart disease." But
the Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
says no-and alcoholic beverage industry trade groups are backing
the feds.
The CEI, which advocates "free enterprise and limited
government," petitioned the ATF in 1995 to allow labels touting
the salutary health effects of moderate drinking. A year later,
dismayed at the agency's slow response, CEI and another group,
Consumer Alert, filed suit in court. ATF eventually denied the
petition in January 1997 and moved to have the lawsuit dismissed.
A federal judge limited parts of CEI's suit, but allowed it to
continue. Both sides will appear in U.S. District Court in
Washington on June 14 for a summary judgment hearing.
CEI cites studies in The New England Journal of Medicine,
Lancet, and the British Medical Journal in arguing that published
research "nearly unanimously" shows that moderate drinking
reduces the risk of heart disease and lowers overall mortality.
The April issue of The Journal of the American Medical
Association estimated that the risk of coronary heart disease can
be reduced by 20 percent if a person drinks up to two drinks a
day. The American Heart Association Inc., however, calls the
benefits of alcohol, even red wine, "popular but unproven." The
association urges doctors to advise patients on "less-appealing"
ways to reduce the risk of heart disease that are "firmly
supported by scientific research."
Labels touting the health benefits of wine, beer, and
booze would doubtless be a boon to the industry. (CEI suggests
placing the information above the current government warning
against drunken driving and drinking while pregnant.) But the
Wine Institute, the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America Inc.,
and the Beer Institute are not backing the CEI lawsuit.
John De Luca, president of the Wine Institute, said his
group doesn't support the suit, because "our goal is not
legalistic; it is changing public perception and public policy.
We are more concerned about the court of public opinion than the
courts themselves."
Beer Institute President Jeff Becker said his industry
doesn't believe that health claims should be used in marketing or
advertising its products. Reading a can or bottle isn't the best
way to get health information, he added.
Craig Wolf, general counsel for the Wine and Spirits
Wholesalers, worries that alcohol manufacturers could be exposed
to legal liability if they made health claims. "Even a government
imprimatur doesn't shield you forever," he said. Wine Institute
spokeswoman Gladys Horiuchi cited a tactical reason for the
group's position: "We work very closely with the ATF, and we
don't want to participate in litigation against them. We don't
need an adversarial relationship."
In the past, the ATF has approved using "directional"
labels on two different brands of wine-J. Lohr and Laurel Glen-
that advise consumers to talk to their doctor about the health
effects of drinking, or to read the federal government's dietary
guidelines prepared by the Agriculture Department. The
department's latest nutritional report notes: "Drinking in
moderation may lower risk for coronary heart disease, mainly
among men over age 45 and women over age 55." But it adds that
"moderate consumption provides little, if any, health benefit for
younger people," and lists the risks of excessive drinking,
including "social and psychological problems, cirrhosis of the
liver, inflammation of the pancreas, and damage to the brain and
heart."
ATF spokesman Jim Crandall said the agency isn't
approving any new labels now because it's in a rule-making
process, but officials will decide before the end of the year
whether to allow additional "directional" labels in the future.
Meanwhile, another public-interest coalition, which
includes the Center for Science in the Public Interest, is
pushing the ATF in the opposite direction. The coalition proposes
making the government-required warning label on the dangers of
alcohol even more prominent.
ATF's Crandall says there is simply no way to offer a
balanced assessment of the certain health risks, and possible
rewards, of alcohol on a label. CEI's general counsel, Sam
Kazman, countered that it is a First Amendment issue, and that if
companies want to describe health effects, the ATF shouldn't be
allowed to stop them.
De Luca of the Wine Institute noted that factors beyond
an ATF ruling would complicate any attempt to add health labels.
Regulations dating back to the Prohibition era forbid health
claims by alcohol manufacturers. If benefits are touted, the Food
and Drug Administration might seek jurisdiction over alcohol
sales, and the Federal Trade Commission could take action against
labels under laws that bar false advertising if the text is not
sufficiently balanced.
Even if CEI's legal challenge prevails, don't expect to
read about heart-smart booze on your favorite beer can or wine
bottle anytime soon.
Drinking 'inevitable' in college : But parents cando more than preach or wring
their hands
( The Dallas Morning News ) ALINE McKENZIE / Staff Writer; 06-04-2001
For parents, college-age drinking can be as ticklish a problem as sex - do you
take the "total abstinence" approach? Do you teach how to drink responsibly,
even though underage drinking is illegal?
And how, with a young adult who may be in another city, do you tell if there's
a serious problem?
The problems first twins Jenna and Barbara Bush and their family must handle as
they face alcohol-related charges are common for parents of college-age kids.
The sudden freedom and culture of college life make drinking "inevitable, "
says Dr. Patricia Chandler, an assistant professor of family practice at UT
Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
"No preaching," she advises.
In some cases there's nothing a parent can do to stop a determined college
student from drinking, experts say. The student may be an alcoholic and beyond
caring about reason, or just swept up in the thrill.
But by setting standards, and taking steps that may range from getting the
student into counseling, withdrawing luxuries or even refusing to pay tuition,
parents can take a stand.
"I think the very best thing that a parent can do is say it's against the law,"
says Margaret Collins, executive director of the Metroplex chapter of Mothers
Against Drunk Driving.
"Will that keep the kid from drinking? Absolutely not. But at least the kid
knows the parent has taken a stand on it."
Russ Ogden, an executive who at 35 describes himself as "an ex- kid," says his
strict, religious parents never discussed alcohol with him, except to flat-out
forbid it.
Once he got to college, he saw - and did - the full spectrum of binge drinking,
fake IDs and so on. "I did survive it, but it was a long journey for me, and it
could've been a shorter one.
"What really got me steered clear of it was it just got old," he says.
"There's nothing about drinking that's really remarkable."
If he had kids of his own, he would "demystify" alcohol, perhaps by allowing
children to drink moderately at home.
"I had to seek out that experience [in college]," he says. "Alcohol use is
basically a rite of passage. Parents need to be there for their kids, and not
just say they can't do it, but show them how to govern it."
Parents can also set up a system of penalties, Ms. Collins and other experts
say.
"Kids spend more money on booze than books in college," she says. "Most kids
depend on parents for money."
"If they're willing to give up the vehicle, the mobile phone or other perks,
they may even be willing to give up the education," says Bobby Bethea, a
licensed chemical dependency counselor of La Hacienda Community Outreach in
Irving.
As an example of how not to handle underage drinking, Ms. Collins cites the
case of a young man she knows, who grew up in a well-to- do neighborhood and
was a heavy drinker at age 15.
"He wrecked a couple of cars, and every time, his parents paid the insurance
and bought him a new car," Ms. Collins says.
"I wanted to shake the parents."
At a distance, parents may not have a clear picture of how their child is
acting in college - so by the time they suspect there's a problem, there's
probably a problem, Mr. Bethea says.
Parents can contact substance-abuse counselors on campus and ask that their
child be evaluated, he says.
An arrest for any alcohol-related offense is "a red flag," he says.
Removing privileges can be powerful leverage, he says.
If nothing else, parents can take the blunt, "tough love" approach that they're
paying, so they want to see their money used well.
"The one thing that kids don't like is they don't like to be restricted."
RESOURCES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PARENTS:
www.madd.org
www.saddonline.com
Top Saudi judge tells Westerners to obey sharia law
DUBAI, June 10 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's top judicial official was quoted on
Sunday as saying Westerners working in the conservative Muslim kingdom must
obey its tough penal laws or suffer the consequences.
Sheikh Saleh bin Mohammed al-Luhaidan, the head of the Supreme Judicial
Council, also rejected criticism of Saudi Arabia's Islamic sharia laws, saying
Westerners should stay home if they intended to break them.
"It is they who are in need of us because they come to us. And if the
Westerners in Britain or Canada or other countries don't wish to work in the
kingdom then there are other countries that come and respect the kingdom's
laws," he said bluntly in an interview with the Arabic-language Okaz newspaper.
An estimated six million foreigners work in the oil-rich Gulf Arab state with a
population of 18 million.
"It is internationally recognised that if a person enters a country he must
respect the traditions and laws of that country and no one enters the kingdom
without the prior knowledge that it bans the trading and use of substances,"
Sheikh Saleh said.
International human rights groups such as Amnesty International have joined
several Western countries blasting Saudi Arabia's use of corporal punishment,
its secret trials and the absence of any right to see a lawyer.
The conservative Muslim kingdom, which is the world's largest oil producer and
exporter, has also recently come under fire from the British press for flogging
and jailing five Britons on charges of trading in alcohol.
Sheikh Saleh said critics of Saudi Arabia's laws were actually trying to
undermine Islam, adding that detainees who confessed to their crime did not
need any form of defence.
He also described trading in alcohol as a heinous crime that "corrupts the
largest possible number of people." Under sharia law, the punishment for
consuming alcohol is 80 lashes.
"If the person confessed he traded in alcohol then we have no need for
defence," he explained. "But if the defendent can prove that he had been forced
into giving a false confession, then the judge will dismiss the case."
Saudi authorities are holding a Canadian, a Briton and a Belgian who in
February confessed on Saudi television to involvement in two bombings in the
capital Riyadh.
If convicted, the men could face the death penalty under sharia law, which
normally stipulates public beheading of murderers, rapists and drug smugglers.
There has been a series of bombings against foreigners in the kingdom in the
past couple of months. Saudi's deputy interior minister said last month that
score-settling between people involved in illegal activities, such as trading
in alcohol, was behind the blasts.
Governor Not Amused by Memo
By AMY GEIER
June 9, 2001 COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina's governor was not amused by
an anonymous memo from the Statehouse ``Men's Caucus'' jokingly suggesting that
female pages wear more skimpy outfits.
Gov. Jim Hodges on Friday ordered an investigation into the anonymous,
tongue-in-cheek memo that came in response to an official memo from the Women's
Caucus reminding the female House pages of a dress code that bars short skirts
and blouses that show cleavage.
The ``Men's Caucus'' memo suggested pages receive extra pay for wearing tops
with less material, and said dresses should be no longer than 4 inches above
the knee. There is no caucus of male legislators.
The memo also said underwear is optional and female pages should ignore future
memos from the Women's Caucus.
``I am concerned that the circulation of this memorandum might have created a
hostile and offensive working environment for female employees of the House of
Representatives, in violation of state and federal law,'' Hodges wrote in
ordering the investigation.
The phony memo upset a number of female lawmakers. In South Carolina, two of 46
senators and 17 of 124 House members are women.
The House Ethics Committee will look into the matter, said chairwoman Rep.
Becky Meacham-Richardson. Because members are not investigators, the committee
likely will seek aid from law enforcement.
Rep. Vida Miller took the House floor Thursday afternoon to demand an apology
on behalf of female pages and staffers.
Miller said Friday that House members are bound to a code of ethics that
requires them to act with decorum and avoid disrespect to the House.
``The remarks from the 'Men's Caucus' were just offensive and could be
construed as sexual harassment,'' she said.
The House employs 76 pages, 41 of whom are women. The page guidebook instructs
pages not to speak to members unless spoken to and to avoid speaking to
reporters.
The original dress code memo was sent internally to pages and was not meant as
a reprimand, Miller said. Two pages were sent home to change recently because
of unprofessional attire.
J2jurado
Finnish bars honor Jackson
Beer writer receives first Beer Ambassador award
JUNE 8, 2001 - British beer and whisky writer Michael Jackson received the
first Beer Ambassador award recently in Helsinki, Finland. The annual award is
given for excellent work done on behalf of beer culture. It is given the by The
Leading Beer Bars of Finland association.
In making the award, the association noted that Jackson has spread more
information about international and Finnish beer culture than any other living
person. On the basis of his writing sahti - the ancient Finnish beer - has even
been brewed in the U.S. and U.K.
The actual award is a large wooden sculpture designed by internationally
awarded Belgian artist Jozef Locquet. Locquet, who has received several awards
in Belgium and France, works in his study in Waregem, Belgium.
The Leading Beer Bars of Finland association was founded in 1995 to advance
Finnish beer culture. The association has 22 members under different ownership
all over Finland, including some brewpubs. They all serve a different monthly
beer of the month on tap. Earlier this year these have included Brooklyn Brown
Ale and Anchor Steam Beer. Over the years more than 70 different beers of the
month from numerous countries have been featured.
http://dailynews.philly.com:80/content/daily_news/2001/06/10/features/FBIT
08F.htm
Pro cyclers don't soft-pedal the value of a refreshing brew
Think beer and biking don't mix?
Guess again.
Professional bicyclists, who may be among the most aerobically fit athletes in
the world, know a glass of beer is the perfect post-race thirst quencher.
It's true, alcohol does dehydrate you. But there's so little alcohol in beer
(usually in the 5 percent range) that its other qualities outweigh the
negatives.
"A good, hard race and a good, cold brew afterwards, there's something very
appealing to that," said Ron Ruggiero, president of Tri-State Velo club.
"It's not unusual to see a can of beer passed to riders in the middle of a
race, instead of water," Ruggiero said.
"On some tours, it's traditional to let a rider go ahead as he approaches his
hometown. He'll meet his family at the local bar, raise a glass, and then get
back into the peloton."
I can speak from first-hand experience about the restorative effects of a fresh
brew after a long day in the saddle. A few summers ago, I took a memorable solo
ride from Seattle to San Francisco (1,041 miles), and hit damn near every
brewery along the way. My notebook lists 72 different beers sampled in three
weeks.
And they tasted a helluva lot better than Gatorade.
So what kind of nutritional benefit do you get from a glass of beer? It's hard
to know. Brewers are not required to include nutritional info on their labels.
The feds actually frown on brewers making nutritional claims about their
product.
A few years ago, though, Yakima Brewing in Washington provided these details on
sixpacks of Grant's Scottish Ale 12-ouncers:
Calories: 145
Protein: 2.24 grams
Carbohydrates: 12.7 grams
Fat: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 grams
Sodium: 75 milligrams
Potassium: 195 milligrams
Percentage of U.S. recommended daily allowance:
Calories: 5.4 percent
Protein: 4 percent
Riboflavin (B2) 4.6 percent
Niacin: 14.6 percent
Folacin: 62.5 percent
Pyroxin (B6): 13.9 percent
Vitamin B12: 170 percent.
Happiness: 800 percent
Suds bubbles
Guinness workers set to lose their jobs with the closure of the company's
packaging plant are to be given free beer for up to 10 years as part of their
buyout deal. The 140 workers will also receive lump-sum payments of up to
$140,000 and health insurance and scholarships for schoolchildren as part of
the deal. . .
Our favorite Texan party girl, Jenna Bush, apparently likes mixing drinks. The
London Mirror, which visited the Austin hangout where the 19-year-old
presidential daughter was last carded, says she tried to order a Texas Martini
with her beer. That's Cointreau and tequila. . .
Southern California, which is suffering a power crisis on the basketball court,
is also facing blackouts this summer. A Long Beach tavern is trying to make
things easier on drinkers. Its "Rolling Blackout Special" offers 50 percent off
dark beer during outages. "One hour maximum. This grid only," says the sign . .
.
It might be too late to score tix by the time you read this, but tomorrow is
the Great Eastern Invitational Microbrewery Festival at Stoudt's Brewery,
Adamstown, Pa. Even if it's a sellout, there are usually spare, fairly priced
ducats available from scalpers at the gate. There are two sessions, from noon
to 4 p.m., and 7 to 11 p.m. Tix: $23. Info: 717-484-4387.
Calendar
June 14 - Bloomsday Stout Challenge, a blind tasting of six draft stouts. The
contestants: Carlow O'Hara's, Beamish, Murphy's, Guinness, Yards Love, Stoudt's
Fat Dog. It's 2-4 p.m., at McGillin's Olde Ale House (1310 Drury St., Center
City), presented by Beer Philadelphia magazine. No cover charge; stouts are
$1.50 a glass, or a flight for $9. A menu of reasonably priced Irish food will
be available.
- Joe Sixpack
http://dailynews.philly.com:80/content/daily_news/2001/06/08/features/FJOE
08F.htm
Why can't you lap up some local brew at the bike race?
WHAT'S IT TAKE to get this city to serve a local beer at its premier annual
sporting event?
This Sunday, for the 17th consecutive year, fans at the U.S. Pro Cycling
Championship will be refreshing themselves with yet another out-of-town
interloper.
The official beer of the bike race is Samuel Adams Summer Pilsner.
I'm not going to slam Sam - it's better than the Coors or Bud Light or whatever
dreck they usually serve in the hospitality tents along the Parkway. But in the
name of Joe Ortlieb, why not a hometown beer?
It's America's biggest bike race, an event that draws 100,000 or more
spectators. The daylong event is an advertising bonanza for sponsors. And even
though only those lucky enough to talk their way into the tents get to sample
the beer, it's still an ideal opportunity to promote a homegrown product.
At least, that's what Bill Covaleski of Downingtown's Victory Brewing Co.
thought.
Covaleski is a big bike fan. Back in the late '80s, he worked in the pits,
feeding riders and hanging out with the racers.
His brewery (along with Amoroso and Cycle Sport) sponsors Tri-State Velo, an
area bicycling club that this year will have a team in the women's Liberty
Classic race. Watch for the team in red, white and green jerseys and the
Victory logo on their butts.
A couple of months ago, according to Covaleski, the race organizer, Threshold
Sports of King of Prussia, asked Victory if it would supply beer in the
hospitality tents.
"For a small brewery like Victory, we thought it would a chance to get access
to people we wouldn't have met through other means," said Covaleski. "We
appreciate the loyalty we have from beer fans, but we feel strongly that
there's a wider market out there.
"Being the official beer of the bike race would have meant exposure."
Victory would have donated about 700 cases of its All Malt Lager and Whirlwind
Wit. In exchange, it would get to hang banners around the 14-mile course.
"Our first inkling that there was a problem came when [Threshold] told us their
client was expressing some concern over serving a non-name brand," said
Covaleski, "and they weren't sure it would satisfy their guests.
"That's legit, but they didn't even ask for a sample."
The client is First Union National Bank, the banking conglomerate from North
Carolina that is the lead sponsor of the race. (Fact: 52 percent of all beer
served in North Carolina is Budweiser, according to Market Watch magazine. In
Pennsylvania, it's about 27 percent.)
"We didn't want to push Victory down the throats of people who only wanted to
drink light beer," Covaleski continued. "So we came up with a proposal that
we'd supply two-thirds of the beer, and use something mainstream for the rest.
"Then Threshold got back to us and told us, 'Forget it.' First Union would
rather buy beer than serve Victory."
First Union referred my questions to Lisa Fusco, Threshold's vice president of
sales. Fusco denied First Union will buy its own beer.
"Sam Adams will donate the beer in exchange for advertising," she said.
Further, Fusco said, the decision to go with Sam Adams had nothing to do with
First Union's apparent lack of faith in a Philadelphia-area company.
"Nobody came out and said we don't want Victory. That is not the case at all,"
she said. "It is definitely a boutique product, and we thought it was a great
fit, because cycling is boutique-y itself."
But, she said, "there were just so many logistical issues."
What issues?
1. "Victory couldn't provide enough beer for the event," she said.
That's just plain nonsense, Covaleski said. "We were willing to do the entire
thing."
2. "Aramark [the event caterer] didn't want to have to serve beer from kegs,"
said Fusco.
That's true, Covaleski said. That's why he offered to supply bottles to
Aramark, and volunteers to man separate draft stations.
3. "We needed cups," Fusco said. "Sam Adams is going to provide us thousands
and thousands of cups."
"Cups? That wasn't a show-stopper," Covaleski said. "The bottom line is
[Threshold] was angling for the best deal."
Fusco acknowledged as much, saying, "I'm running hospitality for 10,000 people.
If I can get a sponsor like Sam Adams, I can't turn that down."
"That shows the chauvinism that exists even at that level," Covaleski said.
"Essentially, even though we're a local company, we're insignificant in their
eyes."
Fusco replied, "I'm a local company too. We're a small company trying to stage
the largest cycling race in America. We have to cater to the needs of our
sponsors as well."
I think Threshold does a terrific job with the race. It is one of this city's
jewels, the sort of event that makes me proud to be a Philadelphian.
But this is a lost opportunity. Not just for Victory, and not just for race
fans who won't get to sample a great beer from a local company.
This was a chance for First Union to tell the city it isn't just a
money-grubbing out-of-town banking conglomerate whose only apparent tie to this
community is the extortionary fees it charges us for using its ATMs.
"We feel kind of snubbed," said Covaleski.
Hey, so do I, every time I look at my monthly bank statement.
So, wanna drink some decent beer at this year's race?
Well, if you don't plan ahead and buy a case or keg for your picnic, visit one
of the conveniently located beer bars near the race course.
Among my favorites at the Manayunk end of the loop are Flat Rock Saloon, 4301
Main St., and Dawson Street Pub, Cresson & Dawson streets.
The Ugly Moose, 443 Shurs Lane, and Red Bell will donate a portion of Sunday's
proceeds to C.O.P.S., a group that aids families of slain police officers.
Admission is free.
Near the Art Museum, sneak over to Bridgid's, 726 N. 24th St.; Bishop's Collar,
2349 Fairmount Ave.; and London Grill, 2301 Fairmount Ave.
Near Logan Circle, there's a Dock Street brewpub at 20th & Cherry streets. *
Joe Sixpack, by Staff Writer Don Russell, was written this week with a bottle
of Victory Whirlwind Wit. He appears every other week in Big Fat Friday.
Contact him at the Daily News, Box 7788, Philadelphia, Pa. 19101
ttp://www.jsonline.com:80/news/editorials/jun01/whelan10060901.asp
Maybe it's time to lower drinking age again to 18
By ELIZABETH WHELAN June 9, 2001
Most of the recent press coverage of the Jenna and Barbara Bush underage
drinking incident has missed the main point: Making it a crime for a
19-year-old to buy an alcoholic beverage is not only unrealistic and absurd -
but it may be an underlying cause of today's serious problem of alcohol abuse
on college campuses.
Prohibiting the sale of liquor to responsible young adults creates an
atmosphere where binge drinking and alcohol abuse have become a problem.
American teens, unlike their European peers, don't learn how to drink
gradually, safely and in moderation.
Alcohol is widely accepted and enjoyed in our culture. Studies show that
moderate drinking can actually promote long life and good health. But we
legally proscribe alcohol until the age of 21. Jenna and Barbara and their
classmates can drive cars, fly planes, marry, vote, pay taxes, take out loans
and risk their lives as members of the U.S. armed forces. But laws in all 50
states say that no alcoholic beverages may be sold to anyone until that magic
21st birthday.
We didn't always have a national "21" rule. When I was in college, in the
mid-'60's, the drinking age varied from state to state. This posed its own
risks, with underage students crossing state lines to get a legal drink.
In the United States today a 14-year-old can be convicted of murder, but a
19-year-old can't buy a beer.
In parts of the Western world, moderate drinking by teenagers and even children
under their parents' supervision is a given. Though the per-capita consumption
of alcohol in France, Spain and Portugal is higher than in the United States,
the rate of alcoholism and alcohol abuse is lower. A glass of wine at dinner is
normal practice. Kids learn to regard moderate drinking as an enjoyable family
activity rather than as something they have to sneak away to do. Banning
drinking by young people makes it a badge of adulthood - a tantalizing
forbidden fruit.
The laws invite transgressions,like fake IDs. Practically every 18- to
20-year-old I know in New York City has at least one fake ID (generally from
another state), which represents them as being 21 or 22. Otherwise, they're
denied admittance to most places and left to hang out on the street.
That's hardly a safer alternative. The Bush twins and their age-mates find
themselves in a legal no man's land. At 18, they're considered adults. Yet when
they want to enjoy a drink like other adults, they are, as they put it,
"disenfranchised."
This is particularly ironic since today's teens are far more sophisticated than
we were. They're treated less like children and have more responsibilities than
we did. This makes the 21 restriction seem anachronistic.
My husband and I prepared our daughter for college life and the inevitable
partying - read, keg of beer - that goes with it. We explained the alcohol
content, told her the alcohol level is lower when the drink is blended with ice
and mixer, and compared it with a glass of wine. Since the drink of choice on
campus is beer, we contrasted its potency with wine and distilled spirits and
stressed the importance of not drinking on an empty stomach. Most importantly,
we regularly reinforced the concept of choosing a designated driver.
Happily, that already seemed a widely accepted practice among our daughter's
friends who drink.
Our purpose was to encourage her to know the alcohol content of what she is
served. We wanted her to experience the effects of liquor in her own home, not
on the highway and not for the first time during a college orientation week
with free-flowing suds.
We should make access to alcohol legal at 18. At the same time, we should come
down much harder on drunken drivers of all ages.
We should intensify our efforts at alcohol education for adolescents. We want
them to understand that it is perfectly OK not to drink. But if they do,
alcohol should be consumed in moderation.
After all, we choose to teach our children about safe sex, including the
benefits of teen abstinence. Why, then, can't we - schools and parents alike -
teach them about safe drinking?
Elizabeth Whelan is president of the American Council on Science and Health.
http://www.ireland.com:80/newspaper/ireland/2001/0606/hom5.htm
Guinness union to consider striking
June 6, 2001 By Colman Cassidy
The executive committee of the largest union in Guinness, which is not a party
to the redundancy agreement for Dundalk Packaging announced last week, will
consider its options at a meeting of its executive committee in Dublin tomorrow
- including an all-out strike.
The planned industrial action by the powerful Guinness Staff Union would pose a
greater threat to production at Guinness plants than the aborted one-day strike
by brewery workers in April and would almost immediately affect beer stocks in
pubs.
The company would be given until the end of the month to conclude separate
negotiations with the union if the action is to be averted, the GSU's general
secretary, Mr Sean Mackell, said.
He dismissed the redundancy deal with SIPTU, the ATGWU and craft unions, which
is expected to yield lump sums of up to £137,000 for some workers following the
closure of the Dundalk packaging plant (McArdles Brewery), as "just so much
hype".
http://www.realbeer.com/library/beerbreak/archives/beerbreak20010503.html
Beer Break Vol. 1, No. 35
May 3, 2001 BEER TIPS FOR THE WINE DRINKER
Since this newsletter is dedicated to beer appreciation, it's natural for us to
look for analogies with wine because we think beer deserves the same
recognition that wine has received just about forever. At the same time we love
the fact that beer is the most democratic of beverages. It's an everyday drink
for the regular Joe and regular Jane.
Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing in San Francisco puts it pretty well: "It's very
hard to get pretentious about beer. You can become knowledgeable and start to
talk with a highfalutin' vocabulary. But you can only go so far with beer, and
I've always liked that."
That's why we're still cautious when we talk about beer and wine. That and the
fact that it's fun to note that the biggest difference between beer tasters and
wine tasters is that the beer tasters don't spit. Yet the truth is that wine
drinkers are among the best candidates to try flavorful beer. And the larger
the category grows the more our choices expand.
Mark Matheson seems particularly well qualified to talk about the similarities
between beer and wine. He's both the brewer at Turtle Mountain Brewing Co. in
Rio Rancho, N.M., and the winemaker at Santa Fe Vineyards north of Santa Fe.
"They are both fermentation," he said. "And yeasts are very forgiving if you
make sure a few key elements are right. But in wine -- and some wineries will
get mad when I say this -- yeasts aren't an important part of the taste. In
beer, they may be part of the flavor profile."
When he talks about the parallels between making wine and beer, Matheson could
also be discussing the similarities between drinking the two beverages. "In
brewing and making wine anything you do is experience -- 'Have you seen it
before?'" Matheson said. "Whether it is wine or beer I think you have to do it
about 10 years to get a grasp. I've gotten to the point with wine, and I hope
I'm getting there with beer."
He points out that there's an old saying that farmers make wine and engineers
make beer. In part that's because winemakers learn to deal with a different
crop of grapes every year, while brewers count on consistency in malt.
"With wine you get that one shot. If you screw up, it's a long wait, but there
are some things you can do to fix it," Matheson said. "You cannot fix bad beer.
You have to dump it down the drain."
So what guidance can we offer a wine drinker ready to explore the joys of beer?
Michael Jackson prepared a concise "Wine Lover's Guide to Beer" in his 1993
"Beer Companion." His suggestions:
Dry white: an authentic, hoppy Pilsner.
Gewürztraminer: a spicy, malty Vienna-style lager, or a darker Munich-style
lager.
Champagne: a wheat beer.
Blush Zinfandel or pink champagne: a framboise (raspberry beer).
Cabernet Sauvignon: a fruity English-style ale, or an oaky American India pale
ale.
Pinot Noir: a richer Scottish or Belgian ale.
Fino sherry: a lambic.
Amontillado sherry: a porter or dry stout.
Port: a dark Trappist ale, with some bottle-age.
TASTING NOTES
ST. STAN'S RED SKY ALE
Brewed by St. Stan's brewing Co. in Modesto, Calif.
Roger Protz' tasting notes:
The aroma is almost vinous in its fruity intensity, with bitter blood oranges
dominating. In the mouth, bitter hops vie for attention with toasty malt and
tart fruit, while the finish is a complex mix of fruit, dark malt and bitter
hops. A brilliant companion for rich, spicy foods.
http://news.excite.com/news/r/010607/09/odd-israel-dc
Storm of Protest Forces Renaming of Hurricane Israel
Jun 07 GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said
Wednesday that it had dropped "Israel" from a list of potential hurricane names
after protests from Jewish groups. Its place on the 23-name list for use in the
northeastern Pacific Ocean had been taken by "Ivo" following a meeting of the
WMO's North and Central American regional association, spokeswoman Mo Lagarde
said.
The decision followed a series of complaints earlier this year from individuals
and groups who feared that attaching "Israel" to a hurricane which then turned
out to be violent could have political overtones.
"The president of the association received phone calls and e-mails from Jewish
people who said they did not think this (the name) was a good idea," she said.
But the spokeswoman said that the United Nations agency was taken aback by the
protests because Israel had been on the public list of names for the North
Pacific for the past six years.
"We were very surprised. Actually, Israel is a common enough name in Spanish.
It is not just the name of a country," she said, adding that the WMO tended to
take names that were well known in the region where the hurricane could be
located.
The WMO has six different hurricane regions all of which have a number of names
in reserve for use when needed.
http://news.excite.com/news/r/010608/10/odd-shrimp-dc
Officials Suspended for Stealing Shrimp
Jun 08 MONROVIA (Reuters) - Liberia has suspended three top defense ministry
officials over the theft of shrimp seized from a Greek fishing boat, the
information ministry said.
The three are accused of selling a large consignment of shrimp and fish
confiscated from the vessel, instead of sending the food as planned to soldiers
fighting an insurgency in the north, the ministry said in a statement Thursday.
All three are senior enough to feature on a list of 130 people barred from
traveling abroad under United Nations sanctions to punish the West African
country's leaders for fomenting war in neighboring Sierra Leone.
The statement said President Charles Taylor had "expressed regrets to the Greek
government for what he described as an unfortunate incident." It did not say
why the shrimp had been seized, but one explanation suggested was that the
shrimp were intended for use at a dinner party.
J2jurado
June 11, 2001
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has taken another
step in its crackdown on pubs and clubs who have not cut their prices after a
fall in the beer excise.
Professor Allan Fels says about 70 places have two weeks to explain to the
ACCC why they have failed to reduce prices, or face fines of up to $10
million.
Professor Fels said pubs and clubs could also be forced to offer discounts on
beer if consumers have been over-charged.
He says while the excise has been passed on in most cases, pubs and clubs that
flout the law will be closely scrutinised.
© 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
http://www.beer.com/us/articles/be_abp_010425_beerprofs9.html
Bigger is Better
Robert Hughey
Q: What's the difference between an American pint glass and a Canadian pint
glass?
A: The American pint holds 16 fluid ounces. The Imperial pint measure used in
many Canadian pubs and bars holds 20 fluid ounces. These measurements are to
the brim of the glass and do not take into account any space for the head of
foam, so that in reality a 16-ounce glass may yield 12 to 14 ounces of beer and
a 20-ounce glass, 16 to 18 ounces of beer.
Brits use the 20-ounce glass, as well as an oversized 22-ounce glass bearing a
line at the full pint level of 20 fluid ounces.
Q: My Canadian cousin claims Canadian beer is stronger than American beer. Fact
or fiction?
A: In the United States alcohol in beer is measured by weight (abw), while in
Canada it is measured by volume (abv). The two systems produce different
figures but for the sake of comparison, a beer that is 5 per cent abv is equal
to one that is 4 per cent abw. For example, Coors Extra Gold is 3.9 per cent
abw and Labatt Blue is 5 per cent abv. They would have about the same amount of
alcohol.
Q: How many breweries are there in Canada?
A: By last count there are about 162 operating brewing companies in Canada.
There are three national breweries, four large regional breweries, 11 regional
specialty breweries, 64 microbreweries and 80 brewpubs. Plus, there are a few
contract brewers that use the brewing facilities of other breweries, but
don’t own one. These numbers do not reflect all of the breweries owned by
national breweries across the country. Also, small brewing companies are quick
to report when opening but rarely announce their closing.
http://www.beerodyssey.com/main.htm
Pub Crawl
Wednesday June 20th, members of the Strand Brewers will lead attendees through
various parts of the Hermosa Pier including Ein Steins and Brewski's. Bikes
will be available for renting. The night will close with the Four Points Beer
Appreciation Night on "Smoked Beers" by Geoff Larson of Alaska Brewing.
Denver ChopHouse & Brewery to Host Stanley Cup Championship Party For Colorado
Avalanche
DENVER, June 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The Denver ChopHouse & Brewery located at 1735
19th Street announces it will host the Stanley Cup Championship Party for the
Colorado Avalanche on Monday, June 11 starting immediately after the parade.
WHO: The Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche players, coaches, staff and
their family and friends.
WHAT: In honor of the Avalanche winning the 2001 Stanley Cup, the
Denver ChopHouse & Brewery will host the Stanley Cup Championship
Party for the Avalanche. The menu will feature Prime Rib,
Chicken, Salmon, the ChopHouse's signature White Cheddar Mashed
Potatoes, a mashed potato Avalanche centerpiece, a Stanley Cup
Replica Cake, Chocolate Colorado Avalanche Logo Pucks and celebratory
champagne.
WHEN: Monday, June 11 starting immediately after the parade until the party's
over.
WHERE: Denver ChopHouse & Brewery, 1735 19th Street.
Members of the media are invited to gather on the East Side of the ChopHouse
(near the entrance to Sing Sing). There will be photo shoot opportunities
throughout the evening. For more information, please contact Nancy Gomez at
303-664-4108 or Jen Chavez-Hartman at 303-664-4325.
Based in Louisville, Colorado, parent company Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc.
owns and operates 78 restaurants -- 47 "Old Chicago" restaurants and 27 brewery
restaurants operating under the names "Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery,"
"ChopHouse & Brewery" and "Walnut Brewery." The Company recently acquired four
Brew Moon bistro and breweries located in the Northeast. All of Rock Bottom's
restaurants are casual dining establishments featuring attentive customer
service, high-quality, moderately priced food and a distinctive selection of
micro-brewed and specialty beer served in a comfortable and entertaining
atmosphere.
Rugby union-ARU to apologise to Henry over beer spray
TOWNSVILLE, Australia, June 11 (Reuters) - The Australian Rugby Union (ARU)
will apologise to British and Irish Lions coach Graham Henry after he was
sprayed with beer by a spectator last week, according to The Australian
newspaper.
Henry was being interviewed in the players' tunnel after the Lions' 116-10 win
over Western Australia in Perth on Friday when beer was thrown over him by a
Lions supporter.
Henry dried himself off and did not make any complaints about the incident but
ARU boss John O'Neill said he would apologise to the New Zealand-born coach.
"I was watching at the time and was straight on the phone to three of our event
management people and two ARU officials. They were back to me with details
within half an hour," O'Neill told The Australian.
"I will be ringing Graham personally to apologise. Whether it was a West
Australian or Lions supporter, it should not have happened at all."
China's GM rules to slow Monsanto's Bt corn plan
By Lee Chyen Yee
SHANGHAI, June 11 (Reuters) - China's new rules on genetically modified crops
are likely to delay the commercialisation of Monsanto's <<A
HREF="aol://4785:MON">MON.N</A>> Bt corn by about a year to at least 2003, a
senior company executive said on Monday.
The rules, effective from May 23, span research and production to food
processing and trade.
They require GM crop growers to conduct production field tests and require
state approval of applications for bio-engineered crops, which could take up to
270 days.
But the industry hopes Beijing will give more details on some of the new rules,
such as the type of products that now require GM labelling, David Shi,
Monsanto's government and public affairs director in China, told Reuters in an
interview.
"Before the rules, our plan was to commercialise our Bt corn in 2002 or 2003.
Now, the earliest may be 2003," Shi said.
"Previously, our modified crops had to pass lab tests, pilot field runs and
then go on to environmental release before we can go commercial. Now there is
an additional step of a "production trial" before we can mass produce," he
said.
The U.S. biotechnology firm grows only a little more than a hectare of Bt corn,
currently at the environmental release stage -- in which crops are grown in the
open, rather than in a closed area like a greenhouse.
Bt crops contain the bacterium Bacillus thuringienesis proteins and are
resistant to corn borers, bollworms and other pests that ravage cotton plants.
STEMMING OUT BOGUS SEEDS
Monsanto is hoping its Bt corn will ride on the success of its Bt cotton crop
in China, which is expected to have its acreage increase significantly in the
next few years.
The company has gained approval from Beijing to grow Bt cotton in the eastern
provinces of Hebei, Anhui and Shandong and is awaiting permission to plant in
Hubei and Henan, Shi said.
China's cotton acreage is expected to rise 14.9 percent to 4.63 million
hectares in 2001. Monsanto officials said last year they expected about 20
percent of China's cotton acreage to be genetically modified.
Monsanto's Bt cotton covers about 240,000 hectares and the New York-listed firm
hopes the new GM rules will stem widespread sales of bogus seeds.
"Illegal and fake seeds are sold quite commonly throughout China. So the rules
are welcomed by the industry," Shi said.
"In China, people openly market their products, giving out samples of their
fake seeds. They are not discreet about it," he said.
Importers, such as domestic trading firms and flour mills, would need state
approval before shipping in GM seeds and grains, according to a State Council
document published in the official People's Daily newspaper on Thursday.
This would mean that Monsanto's Round Up Ready soybeans would need to be
approved, although the company has not filed an application yet, Shi said.
The new rules also require GM products to be labelled as such before going on
sale, but Shi said the details were fuzzy.
"What products, when and at what threshold do we label these products? For
example, do we need to spell out what is the GM content of products like beer
and noodles?" Shi queried.
"We are not clear about that," he said.
Snacks, alcohol up marijuana users' calorie count
By Katherine Hunt
WASHINGTON, June 10 (Reuters) - Regular marijuana smokers consume up to 40
percent more calories than non-users -- mostly through alcohol, salty snacks
and cheese -- and are more likely to smoke tobacco cigarettes, researchers said
on Monday.
But they are also no more likely to be overweight than non-users, researchers
found.
The study examined the dietary and nutritional habits of about 11,000 marijuana
users and non-users between the ages of 20 and 59, and appears in the journal
Public Health Nutrition. The data came from a survey done by the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention between 1988 and 1994.
"We know little about the long-term effects of marijuana on the human body and
other health behaviors associated with it," said Ellen Smit, assistant
professor of social and preventive medicine at the University of Buffalo School
of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and lead author of the study.
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. About
one-third of Americans over the age of 12 have reported smoking marijuana at
some time in their lives, and 8 percent currently use the drug.
MORE CHIPS, BEER, CIGARETTES BUT LITTLE WEIGHT GAIN
The study found that regular marijuana users consumed 24 to 40 percent more
calories than non-users. Marijuana users consumed more beer, liquor, soda,
pork, cheese and salted snacks such as potato chips, and less diet soda and
fruit than non-users, the study found.
The study found that 70 percent of the most frequent users of marijuana also
smoked tobacco cigarettes, which is nearly three times the rate of non-users.
Users also had lower levels of helpful antioxidants in their blood stream, but
most vitamin and mineral levels were normal, the study found.
The "munchies," the snacking phenomenon associated with marijuana use, may have
serious long-term consequences for health, according to the study.
"Sparking an appetite would be good -- if it was sparking the right kind of
appetite. But we think alcohol accounts for the increased calories," she said.
Alcohol accounts for 6 percent of the total caloric intake of marijuana users,
but only 3 percent with non-users, she said.
"That may not seem like a huge difference, but it all adds up," she said.
Despite the increase in calories, Smit found that the body mass indexes, or
BMI, of marijuana users were no higher than non-users as would have been
expected. BMI measurements take into account height and weight to gauge total
body fat in adults.
"That is the surprising finding. You would expect their BMIs to be higher,"
Smit said.
One possible explanation is that smoking marijuana increases metabolic rate,
Smit said. But more research is needed to determine marijuana's impact on
metabolism, she said.
The findings contradict other controlled laboratory studies that have shown
smoking marijuana increases body weight, along with appetite and food intake,
said Dr. Herbert Kleber, professor of psychiatry and director of the Division
on Substance Abuse at Columbia University in New York.
"It increases appetite in patients with AIDS," Kleber said. "If it does that,
but it doesn't increase weight, then it doesn't help those patients very much."
Napa Valley Wine Auction Continues Tradition of Generosity -- Raises Astounding
$7.6 Million for Local Charities
ST. HELENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 11, 2001--
Wine Enthusiasts Gather in California to Support World's Largest Charity Wine
Event
The Napa Valley Wine Auction (NVWA), now in its 21st year, again astounded wine
lovers by raising an incredible $7.6 million to benefit local Napa County
charities, on Saturday, June 9 at Meadowood Napa Valley.
Sponsored annually by the Napa Valley Vintners Association (NVVA), this year's
Auction was chaired by wine legends Robert and Margaret Biever Mondavi, adding
even more cache to an already prestigious four-day event.
The top bidder this year was Ron Kuhn, from Wheaton, Ill. "I'm a realistic,
hard-working guy. I've given back to my high school and my college and I'm
thrilled to be giving back to this community," he said. Kuhn spent a total of
$955,500 on a variety of auction lots, including the top lot -- $650,000 for
eight 3-liter bottles of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, spanning the
vintages 1992 to 1999.
Robert and Margit Biever Mondavi were enormously pleased with the results.
"Twenty years later, the spirit of generosity and friendship from our bidders,
vintners, artists, restaurateurs and the thousands of volunteers has grown more
than twenty-fold. The NVWA has far exceeded our expectations and it has been
exciting and gratifying to co-chair this year's event," they said.
"The true measure of the Auction's success is its impact on the local
community. Auction 2001 continued an amazing tradition by raising millions for
Napa's youth, health and housing agencies," said Margaret Duckhorn, NVVA
president and vice president of Duckhorn Vineyards.
"This year we anticipate donating 95 percent of the total dollar amount raised
to Napa charities," she added. "Charity events strive to donate 75 percent of
total funds generated. The Napa Valley Wine Auction has historically donated
90-plus percent to local charities -- 95 percent is virtually unheard of,"
Duckhorn concluded.
The top bid for the barrel auction was $102,050 for Staglin Family Vineyard's
1998 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon. The top private donor lot, three bottles of
Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, vintages 1994, 1995 and 1996, was donated
by Fred and Cathy Beringer and sold for $12,000.00.
The co-chairpersons for the 2002 Wine Auction were announced at the conclusion
of the event -- Robert Pecota and family of the Robert Pecota Winery in
Calistoga. Next year's Auction will be held June 6-9, 2002.
The Napa Valley Vintners Association is a professional nonprofit trade
organization assisting its nearly 200 member wineries with marketing, promotion
and industry issues throughout the United States and abroad. For more
information about the NVVA and the Napa Valley, please visit
www.napavintners.com.
Auction photos will also be available on the NVVA Web site (napavintners.com)
beginning Tuesday, June 12.
2001 Napa Valley Wine Auction Top Overall Lots:
Screaming Eagle -- $650,000
Eight 3-liter bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon, vintages 1992-1999.
Chair's Lot -- $260,000
Winemaking day for six persons
Seven pieces of art
312 bottles of To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon
Robert Mondavi -- $260,000
Twenty 3-liter vertical of Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Vintages
1981-2000 Dalla Valle Vineyards -- $220,000
One 15-liter and six 750 ml bottles 1997 "Maya" Proprietary Red Blend Table
Wine
Opus One -- $220,000
Opus One gala dinner, dance and vertical tasting for 20 persons Twenty 3-liter
bottles of Opus One Proprietary Red Blend, Vintages 1979 - 1998
Screaming Eagle, Pillar Rock, Robert Mondavi -- $170,000
Three 3-liter bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon, one from each producer, including
lunch and dinner with vintners
Viader -- $170,000
Dinner party for 20 persons 24 magnums, six each from the 1994, 1995, 1996 and
1997 vintages
Harlan Estate -- $160,000
One 9-liter 1997 Cabernet Blend
Colgin Cellars -- $150,000
One 3-liter 1995 Herb Lamb Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Joseph Phelps Vineyards -- $130,000
Two 3-liter bottles of 1978 and 9185 Backus Vineyard Cabernet
Sauvignon; One 3-liter bottle of 1978 Eisele Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet
Sauvignon; Seven 3-liter bottles of Insignia Proprietary Red Blend, vintages
1974, `76, `77, `86, `91, `94 and `97
Shafer Vineyards -- $130,000
Vertical tasting and lunch for six persons; six 3-liter bottles of Hillside
Select Cabernet Sauvignon, vintages
1992-1997; six 750ml bottles of Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, vintage
1997
2001 Top Three Barrel Lots:
Staglin Family Vineyards -- $102,050
Total 10-1 case lots
Pillar Rock Vineyard -- $82,700
Total, 10-1 case lots
Shafer Vineyards -- $66,100
Total, 10-1 case lots
2001 Top Twelve Bidders:
1. Ron Kuhn, Wheaton, IL
2. David Doyle, Irvine, CA
3. Burt Adams, Morgan City, LA
4. Ona Roth, Santa Barbara, CA
5. Gary Rieschel, Los Gatos, CA
6. Chuck McMinn, Los Altos Hills, CA
7. Paul Mockapetris, Los Altos, CA
8. A. Raymond Tye, Boston, MA
9. Dee Lincoln, Plano, TX
10. M.K. Koo, Vancouver, BC
11. Luke Evnin, San Francisco, CA
12. Anonymous, San Antonio, TX and Clearwater, FL.
CONTACT: Napa Valley Vintners Association: 707/963-3388
Italian wallet makers style new euro-fit designs
ROME, June 10 (Reuters) - The arrival of the single European currency promises
all sorts of changes for financial wizards -- but it is also shaking up the
fashionable world of wallet-making.
In Italy, home of the must-have designer wallet, leather craftsmen have had
their tape measures out and are frantically redesigning styles to accommodate
the arrival of the euro, earning praise from the Italian Treasury on Saturday.
After two years of virtual reality in which the common currency has been used
only in abstract accounting in 12 EU countries, it assumes the form of notes
and coins on January 1.
For fashion-conscious Italians it is a particularly daunting change -- after
decades of inflation, the lira is now used mainly in its paper form. The
biggest coin and smallest note, both at 1,000 lire, are worth just $0.45
whereas elsewhere in the euro zone notes worth less than 10 times that are a
rarity.
Next year Italians will be wrestling with a two-euro coin worth nearly four
times as much as their 1,000-lire version and with a smallest note, at five
euros, worth some $4.50.
That means space for coins will be needed in Italian wallets and purses -- or
trouser pockets will have to be reinforced.
And there will also be adjustments required just for the new notes compared to
the old ones. There will be seven euro notes of differing sizes, all of them
slightly wider and shorter than Italy's lira. That translates into taller
wallets.
A Treasury statement hailed the return of the coin-carrying purse and sought to
reassure the fashion-conscious Italian public that the euro will not offend
their sense of style.
"Leather-goods makers are getting their act together and have already designed
new collections of "euro-compatible" products," the Treasury said.
J2jurado
TOKYO, June 13 (Reuters) - **ASAHI BREWERIES <2502.T> UP ON STRONG BEER
SALES**
Asahi Breweries Ltd up 37 yen or 2.72 percent to 1,397, adding to a 5.1 percent
rally in the past four trading days.
Asahi, which began selling low-malt brews in February, said on Tuesday its
combined domestic shipment of beer and low-malt brews in May rose 19.6 percent
from a year earlier. Low-malt brews accounted for 23 percent of the total
shipment in May.
That represented a sharp contrast to a 10.9 percent decline in domestic
shipment of beer at Japan's five major brewers.
On Tuesday, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun business daily reported Japan's top beer
company was expected to post a record parent operating profit of 480 billion
yen ($3.94 billion) in the year to December 2001, up 13 percent from a year
earlier.
Swedish Wine Tax Rates Under Fire
By PAUL GEITNER
June 12, 2001 BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - The European Union's head office accused
Sweden on Tuesday of being too discriminating when it comes to wine.
The European Commission, which implements EU policy, formally asked Sweden to
stop taxing wine - most of which is imported from other EU countries like
France and Italy - at a higher rate than beer, most of which is produced at
home.
EU rules forbid members from imposing higher taxes on products from other
countries than on competing domestic products, and the EU Court of Justice has
ruled that wine and beer are competitors, Taxation Commissioner Frits
Bolkestein said in a statement.
If Sweden doesn't change its ``discriminatory tax regime'' in two months, the
Commission may refer the matter to the court.
Swedish Finance Minister Bosse Ringholm's office pointed out that the taxation
policy, which is determined by parliament, was for health reasons. But he said
it is moving to lower the wine tax.
``There will be a proposal specifying a decrease of the wine tax launched this
summer,'' Ringholm's spokesman Ulf Bergstroem said. ``We believe this is
satisfactory action.''
Both wine and beer are taxed in Sweden according to their alcohol content, but
the complicated system for wine means beer with 3 percent alcohol, for example,
is taxed at less than half the rate of wine at the same level. Wine in the 8.5
percent to 15 percent range has a tax about four times higher, even though it
has only about three times the alcohol.
In addition, Sweden's 25 percent value added tax adds 25 percent to the
combined base price and excise tax.
``The result is that the tax system is effectively crystallizing consumer
tastes by consolidating the advantage given to beer and discriminating against
wine from other member states,'' Bolkestein said.
Restrictions on the sale of alcohol in the Scandinavian nation of some 9
million people, including limited opening hours of the state-run liquor stores,
have been an important part of the Social Democratic-led government's social
and health policy.
But the strict rules, with most stores keeping the liquor, strong beer and wine
behind glass for viewing while clerks fetch the products for customers, have
been challenged in recent years with more people traveling abroad and the need
to conform to EU standards.
Police back introduction of car ignition alcohol locks
Wednesday 13 June, 2001
Victorian police have thrown their support behind the introduction of car
ignition alcohol locking devices.
The State Government is calling for community comment on the plan, which would
see the locking device installed in the vehicles of repeat drink-driving
offenders.
Road safety authorities estimate more than 3,000 Victorians were convicted of
repeat drink-driving last year.
That is 970 more than a decade ago.
Police Superintendent Bob Wylie says the introduction of the devices is long
overdue.
"We certainly support the concept of interlock devices, certainly... it's been
a long process," he said.
"We've been playing around with these things for probably around five or six
years, so it's good that the Government have bitten the bullet and actually
are going to put them into place."
© 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Australia's Victoria abolishes barley monopoly
MELBOURNE, June 13 (Reuters) - Australia's Victoria state on Wednesday
abolished a monopoly system for exporting barley, ending a long-running debate
over the effectiveness of a "single desk" system.
Under the change, effective next month, grains traders will be able to compete
for barley grown in Victoria, enabling farmers to shop for the highest prices
rather than rely solely on marketer ABB Grains Ltd for sales.
After three years of public debate, the Victorian parliament rejected a private
member's bill that would have extended the ABB's monopoly in Victoria, state
Treasure John Brumby said.
There was no compelling reason for a monopoly in the state, Brumby said in a
statement.
Victoria is Australia's second biggest barley-producing state behind South
Australia and the largest producer of malting barley, used primarily in brewing
beer.
In 1999/00 Victoria produced 1.18 million tonnes of barley, compared with 1.41
million tonnes in South Australia, to supply a major part of the national total
of 5.04 million tonnes.
ABB, formerly the Australian Barley Board, still retains a single desk export
monopoly over barley from South Australia, which mainly produces feed barley.
Victoria's production in the 2000/01 season is estimated at 1.14 million tonnes
in a national total of 5.12 million tonnes.
The Federal government recently affirmed a single desk for national wheat
exports, controlled by AWB Ltd.
Philip Morris $67 price target
NEW YORK, June 13 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse First Boston said on Wednesday that
it has set a 12-month price target of $67 for Philip Morris Cos. Inc. <<A
HREF="aol://4785:MO">MO.N</A>>, citing the valuation of the tobacco giant's
non-food assets as well as the offering price for its Kraft Foods Inc. <<A
HREF="aol://4785:KFT">KFT.N</A>> unit.
In her report, analyst Bonnie Herzog wrote, "This price target is based on two
pieces: 1) our individual discounted cash flow valuation of Philip Morris'
non-food assets (global tobacco business, Miller, and Capital Corporation) at
$47 per share and 2) the offering price of Kraft Foods at $31 per share, or $20
per share for Philip Morris shareholders."
Herzog said the offering price of Kraft at $31 per share is equivalent to $20
per Philip Morris share. She was not implying Philip Morris shareholders could
buy Kraft shares for $20 per share.
In her research note, Herzog calculated there are 1.735 billion total shares of
Kraft Foods outstanding and that Philip Morris owns 1.455 billion of those
shares, with the remaining 280 million shares offered to the public.
Multiplying Kraft Foods offering price of $31 per share by Philip Morris' 1.455
billion share ownership of Kraft Foods, Philip Morris' share of Kraft Foods
equates to $45.1 billion. Dividing that $45.1 billion by the 2.23 billion
Philip Morris shares outstanding equates into a Kraft Foods value of $20 per
Philip Morris share.
In her $47 valuation of Philip Morris' non-food assets, Herzog values Philip
Morris USA, the company's U.S. tobacco unit, at $17 per share and values Philip
Morris International, the international tobacco unit, at $25 per share. She
values Miller Brewing Co. at $2 per share and values Philip Morris Capital
Corp., the company's investment unit, at $3 per share.
Philip Morris shares were off 13 cents, or 0.27 percent, at $48.44 in midday
trading on the New York Stock Exchange, while Kraft shares rose 46 cents, or
1.48 percent, at $31.46.
Shaken Colombia conglomerates seeking foreign partners
By Javier Mozzo
BOGOTA, Colombia, June 13 (Reuters) - Battered by a recent recession and the
changing rules of a globalized economy, Colombia's long complacent corporate
conglomerates have been shaken up into selling assets and seeking foreign
investment partners.
The corporate landscape in Latin America's fifth-largest economy has changed
far more than analysts expected since Colombia's long-sheltered markets were
opened up to international competition in 1990.
Much of the upheaval was spurred by the country's 1999 recession, the worst on
record, when the economy contracted 4.3 percent, which has been followed by 2.8
percent growth in 2000. In the first quarter of 2001, growth slowed to 1.75
percent compared to the same period a year earlier.
Other corporate groups have been hit by a cumulative 40-percent devaluation of
the peso against the dollar over the two years through end-2000.
This boosted foreign debt costs in local currency terms. But it also cut into
their stock prices in dollar equivalents -- making them all the more appealing
to foreign investors.
"The consequences of the recession are clearly marked in the firms' structures.
But these companies are going to end up all the stronger for it," said Alberto
Bernal, analyst at IDEA Global in New York.
Big conglomerates controlled by blue-blood families such as the Santo Domingos,
the Sarmientos and the Ardilas, have opened up to foreign partners in
telecommunications and insurance -- leaving them to concentrate on beverages,
banking and media.
The old, family-run empires are also undergoing a generational change. But the
young scions now taking over many of them have sometimes lacked the drive of
their forebearers -- making the need for outside management more pressing, some
financial analysts say.
"Some of the top companies just don't have the right people ready to take over.
They weren't so keen or didn't have the vocation for business," said Charlie
Hall, executive vice president of consultancy Top Management in Bogota.
Another conglomerate, the Sindicato Antioqueno, has sold shares in some of its
150 businesses to French food giant Danone <DANO.PA> ; French supermarket
chain Casino <CASP.PA> , and, most recently, to German reinsurance heavyweight
Munich Re <MUVGn.DE>.
ANTIOQUENO KEEPS TIGHT CONTROL DESPITE SALES
However, the Sindicato Antioqueno, based in the country's industrial capital of
Medellin, has sought to shield many of its businesses from foreign investors.
It has done this by separating the assets it wants to sell from those it wants
to keep completely in its own hands.
Of its main properties, Sindicato Antioqueno maintains complete control of
Cemento Argos <ARG.BG> <ARG.ML> and Nacional de Chocolates <NCH.ML> . But
Danone has a share in retail chain Almacenes Exito <EXI.ML> <IMI.BG>, and
foreign funds own 40 percent of Bancolombia <BIC.BG> <BIC.ML> -- which is
Colombia's largest bank.
"Companies here have been just managing to hold on. They have had to make a
tremendous effort," said Rafael Gonzalez, president of ratings agency BankWatch
Ratings de Colombia.
With a troubled local banking system, a sluggish economy and weak stock prices,
funds for expansion and investment have had to come from abroad, he added.
The latest in the wave of acquisitions took place on May 31, when Suramericana
Inversiones <CSS.ML><CSS.BG> , part of the Sindicato Antioqueno, announced that
it had sold 19.5 percent of insurance firm Inversura to Munich Re for an
undisclosed sum.
But, while the Sindicato Antioqueno has brought in big names, perhaps the
conglomerate to make the biggest changes has been Santo Domingo.
Businessman Julio Mario Santo Domingo has redesigned his business structure to
deepen its roots in Colombia's beer market -- which it controls almost entirely
via the country's largest brewer, and largest private-sector company, Bavaria
<BAV.BG> <BAV.ML> .
SANTO DOMINGO USES CASH FOR BEER
Santo Domingo has sold assets, including a minority share in his Caracol Radio
network to Spain's Prisa <PRS.MC>, to obtain fresh cash.
It sold a share in insurance firm Colseguros, Colombia's oldest, to Germany's
Allianz AG <ALVG.DE> . U.S. firm BellSouth Corp. <<A
HREF="aol://4785:BLS">BLS.N</A>> bought into cellphone outfit Celumovil, and
Spain's Banco Santander Central Hispano <BSCH.MC> took a piece of Banco
Comercial Antioqueno.
Making use of his fresh cash, Santo Domingo bought back shares in Bavaria for
$99 million, bolstering the firm's share price -- which now trades at only 55
percent of book value.
Bavaria's managers have had to repeatedly deny rumors that the buy-back was
part of preparations to bring a major foreign brewer into Bavaria.
Santo Domingo has sought, without success, a foreign buyer for part of
Colombia's ailing flag-carrying airline, Avianca <AVA.BG> . Its next idea --
merging Avianca with its rival ACES, which belongs to the country's coffee
federation -- was rejected by regulatory authorities on Monday.
But two other local groups -- Sarmiento and Ardila -- have seen their plans to
diversify stymied.
Luis Carlos Sarmiento, a former Bogota builder who is currently the country's
most powerful individual banker, sold his mobile phone company Cocelco to
BellSouth Corp.
Without this sale, Sarmiento would not have been able to capitalize his
financial institutions -- which account for 20 percent of the country's total
banking assets of $35 billion. according to the tycoon's son, Luis Carlos.
Carlos Ardila is a major sugar cane producers. But he had to sell his Leona
brewery to Santo Domingo.
Ardila is now planning to sell a minority share in his TV channel RCN to
foreign investors, according to local media.
Regional Drought Meeting
Farm Service Agency
Public Affairs Staff
1400 Independence Ave SW
Stop 0506, Room 3624-South
Washington, D.C. 20250-0506
Release No. 1563.01
DROUGHT COUNCIL SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT DURING PORTLAND MEETING
JUNE 21 AND 22
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2001 -- The Interim National
Drought Council will hold a public meeting June 21, 2001, in
Portland Ore., to provide an opportunity for federal, state,
and local officials; practitioners; and the general public to
give their input on how they are being affected by the
current drought in the Pacific Northwest. On June 22, the
Interim Council will assess its current effectiveness and
discuss ways to improve its service delivery and assistance.
Drought is again plaguing several large areas in the
U.S. On May 22, the U.S. Drought Monitor (which is released
each Thursday and available on the Internet at
http://enso.unl.edu/monitor) showed all of Oregon, Montana,
Idaho, and Washington as abnormally dry to extremely dry.
Other areas in the West that are suffering from drought
include northern California, northern Nevada, and over half
of Wyoming. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, the
February through March period was the driest on record in the
Pacific Northwest. That is particularly significant in that
normally 25 percent of all yearly precipitation falls during
those two months.
The purpose of the Interim Council is to establish a
more comprehensive, integrated, and coordinated approach
toward reducing the impacts of drought through better
preparedness, monitoring and prediction, risk management, and
response to drought emergencies in the U.S. The Interim
Council, a partnership among federal agencies, states, local
governments, tribes, and others, was established in response
to a recommendation in the May 2000 report of the former
National Drought Policy Commission.
The June 21 meeting will begin at 8 a.m. at the
Marriott Residence Inn, Portland Downtown - RiverPlace, 2115
SW River Parkway, Portland, Ore. On
June 22, the meeting will be held at the National Water and
Climate Center, 101 SW Main Street, Suite 1600, Portland,
HOP NEWS
A Publication of the Washington Hop Commission
and Hop Growers of Washington
June 5, 2001 – Number 544
>>WHC BOARD TO MEET<<
The Washington Hop Commission will meet:
Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 10:00 a.m. Large Conference Room WSU-IAREC, Prosser
The agenda features updates on 2001 research projects. We encourage growers to
attend, to become informed about the activities WHC carries out on your behalf,
and to provide input on these programs.
>>COMMODITY COALITION EFFORT MOVES AHEAD<<
Hop growers were mailed information pertaining to a new organization to deal
with irrigation water issues in the Yakima Basin last week. An effort is
underway by the major commodities known as the Yakima River Basin Commodity
Coalition (YRBCC) to establish a group that can work proactively with the
fisheries interests, Bureau of Reclamation and politicians concerning equitable
and balanced approaches to managing our water supplies.
Issues have surfaced this year due in part to the drought conditions, which
question whether the Bureau of Reclamation is managing existing water supplies
in a balanced manner. State and Federal agencies have portrayed agriculture as
a negative effect on ground water supplies and not given credit for what
agriculture has contributed, which in some cases is quite substantial. They
even wanted agriculture to pay significant fees to use existing emergency
wells. In addition, agencies are advocating the destruction of one of the dams
that is an integral part of our limited water storage system, so that fish
would have access to a minimal amount of questionable habitat.
Hopefully, the drought will leave us by next year. However, these issues are
likely to be with us for awhile. If we are to see balanced approaches to water
management in this basin we must become involved. This effort will require
funding. Please take a minute to read over the material that was mailed to you
and seriously consider taking a proactive approach to protect your interests.
If you need a copy of the correspondence or want to discuss the issue further,
please contact Steve at the HGW office.
>>HASTINGS URGES ACTION ON KEECHELUS DAM REPAIRS<<
Congressman Doc Hastings is urging the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to quickly
move forward on repairing the Keechelus water storage dam. The dam is located
northwest of Cle Elum, and was built 84 years ago as part of the Yakima
irrigation project. It is in need of safety repairs to ensure its stability.
Delays in this project could jeopardize irrigation water storage and flood
control.
Hastings wrote a letter to the BOR Area Manager urging "immediate dam repair."
The project has been delayed due to claims that recovery of endangered fish
requires fish passage into this man-made reservoir. Hastings emphasized the
importance of beginning repair of the Keechelus dam this year, citing the
opportunity presented by low water levels during the current drought.
"The Keechelus dam and reservoir was created explicitly for water storage,"
Hastings said. "Repairs necessary to maintain the viability of the reservoir's
intended purpose of irrigation and flood control must not be delayed. Fish
passage warrants consideration, but should not delay needed repairs."
>>L&I PROPOSES NEW POLICY DUE TO HGW CONCERNS<<
Labor & Industries has proposed a new Regional Directive (WRD) Draft Policy
number 2.35, titled “Good Faith Reliance on L&I Advice by Employers.” This
policy proposal is directly due to issues the Hop industry has had with the
Department over their Consultation program, where advice is given to employers
that is not consistent with WISHA interpretations.
Michael Wood, senior program manager for WISHA Policy and Technical Services
provided HGW with a draft copy of the document for review. His letter explains,
“It would modify our approach to citations in those infrequent but real
situations where we know the employer was relying on mistaken guidance received
from L&I.” He goes on to state, “But it is change, and a potentially
significant one, making it exactly the sort of policy we have previously
committed to you early in the process.”
HGW staff has responded that we are encouraged by the effort. The draft was
given to our attorney for review, upon which we submitted detailed comments
that we hope will make their policy even more effective, and “employer
friendly.”
>>BEWARE OF TELEPHONE AND INTERNET PESTICIDE SALES<<
News Release - WSDA, Olympia - It can't be said too many times, "if it sounds
too good to be true, it probably is." Telephone and Internet marketers offering
pesticides may make false claims and could be selling illegal products. Protect
yourself. Know what you're buying. If you are not sure, contact a local
pesticide distributor to compare prices and get information on the
concentration of active ingredients. If you suspect bogus claims, call WSDA
toll-free at (877) 301-4555.
WSDA has already heard from a few concerned consumers. Most often, the
pesticides offered are weed control products. The telephone sales pitch will
often claim longer periods of effectiveness than the chemical can realistically
provide. Usually, the concentration of chemical is much lower than what is
available from a local distributor. The products will be sold at a higher
price, claiming the difference is offset by its longer performance. Once a
credit card number is obtained, additional products and charges may continue to
arrive monthly.
Also of concern are pesticides offered for sale via the Internet. These are
often state restricted-use pesticides, which means both the seller and the
buyer must be licensed by the WSDA. A seller must be licensed as a pesticide
dealer and must keep sales records. The buyer must hold an appropriate
pesticide applicator's license and, depending on the amount purchased and
shipped, may be required to meet other state regulations.
Products shipped from other regions of the U.S. may have the same brand name or
EPA registration number a buyer would expect to find here, but they may not be
labeled for use on Washington crops. Products sold through in-state
manufacturing and distribution channels are properly packaged and labeled for
use on crops in Washington. It is up to the purchaser to make sure they are
receiving the properly labeled products.
WSDA is collecting information on telephone and Internet pesticide sales to
ensure that the products offered are properly registered. If you suspect a
sales pitch is too good to be true, please get as much information as possible
on the product and the company and then call (877) 301-4555.
>>SPONSOR PROFILE<<
We are proud to showcase another business that is sponsoring our December
Tradeshow Prize: a 4-wheeled "PUG" vehicle. We will continue this feature for
the next few months so that all of our sponsors can be in the spotlight.
BLUELINE MFG. INC.
P.O. Box 1108
Moxee, WA 98936
800-477-8449 or (509) 248-8411
Fax (509) 248-4656
Blueline Mfg. Company began in 1958 as Matt Groening’s machine shop, in the
heart of the Yakima Valley apple industry. Before moving to a successful career
producing cartoons for the cable Fox network, Matt Groening designed and built
some of the first self-loading orchard bin trailers and was awarded a patent on
a bin locking system. Matt also designed and built the popular Orchard Ape
pruning lift, the standard for many years in our orchards.
In 1985 Ted Bellamy joined Matt and together they incorporated the machine shop
into Blueline Mfg. Inc. and continued to focus on the design and manufacture of
specialty orchard equipment, which they marketed through farm equipment dealers
in Washington State. In the early 1990’s Blueline Mfg. entered into
manufacturing agreements with Rankin Equipment Company of Yakima and Gearmore
Distributing of Pomona, CA to custom manufacture and private label their
products. These two companies increased the distributionof Blueline’s
products throughout the western U.S.
In 1995 Gregg Marrs of Grandview secured a minority interest and by 1997 had
completed the purchase of Blueline Mfg. taking over direction of the company.
Ted and Matt continued in the design and manufacture of the company’s growing
product line of unique orchard and vineyard machinery.
Gregg began his career in farm equipment in 1976 with the Ford tractor
dealership in Sunnyside. After 8 years in the parts department and 13 years in
sales, he assumed the store management role for Anderson Equipment Company in
Grandview. At Anderson, Gregg was able to concentrate on new product
development for the expanding orchard and vineyard markets in the Yakima and
Columbia River Valleys.
Under Gregg's direction, Blueline Mfg. has established a dealer network
throughout the western states reaching to Michigan and Texas. The company’s
focus remains the development and manufacture of specialty orchard and vineyard
equipment. The last two years has seen Blueline Mfg. concentrating on the
development of new sprayer technology, understanding that with increasing
environmental pressures and the use of newer ‘softer’ chemicals,
“on-target” application is more important than ever before.
The people of Blueline Mfg. have embraced the mission to be the leader in
design and development of farm machinery that adds efficiency and additional
profit to our growers
Carlsberg Breweries A/S acquires controlling interest in Türk Tuborg
06/08/2001 (Farooq)- Carlsberg Breweries has concluded an agreement to
increase its shareholding in the Turkish brewery Türk Tuborg from 2.24% to
50.01% by acquiring a 47.77% stake of the total share capital from Yasar
Holding. The parties have estimated the total value of Türk Tuborg to be
approximately DKK 960 million. Yasar Holding will retain about 15% of the share
capital. Türk Tuborg is listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange.
The agreement is concluded subject to a satisfactory due diligence process, a
subsequent final agreement and approval by Turkish authorities. Further
information will be provided when the agreement has been finalised.
The acquisition fits perfectly with Carlsberg Breweries' strategy of becoming
the majority owner in breweries with strong positions in interesting growth
markets. As majority owner of Türk Tuborg, it has been agreed that Carlsberg
Breweries will take over management and operation responsibilities. Türk
Tuborg's distribution company Bimpas is also included in the transaction. Türk
Tuborg employs a total of about 850 people (when including Assez).
Japan group urges govt to stamp out tiger products
By Kazunori Takada
TOKYO, June 13 (Reuters) - Japan remains a haven for illicit sales of products
containing tiger penises and other body parts, despite a new law intended to
help protect the endangered animal from poachers, a Japanese conservation group
said on Wednesday.
The total tiger population is estimated at between 5,000 and 7,500 -- just five
percent of levels a century ago, Masayuki Sakamoto, secretary general of the
Japan Wildlife Conservation Society, told a news conference.
"A large number of tigers were poached in the 1990s to meet demand for
traditional medicines," he said.
"Japanese people have used tiger medicines in the past, but they weren't so
popular. But in the 1990s, there was a kind of boom as a large volume of them
were imported from China."
Traditional medicines containing tiger bone, penises and other body parts have
long been used in China, Japan and Taiwan, and are believed by some to help
cure rheumatism and neuralgia and boost male potency.
The Japanese government last year enacted a law that virtually prohibited sales
of tiger-derived products, but Sakamoto said it was not being enforced
effectively.
"Our research shows that about 20 percent of pharmacies in big cities still
sell tiger medicine despite the introduction of the new law," he said.
Sakamoto said a 325 ml bottle of tiger-bone liquor, also believed to be good
for rheumatism, could be purchased at some pharmacies for about 8,000 yen
($65.74).
"We urge the government to take stronger measures...such as tightening customs
inspections," he said.
Critics have long blasted Japan as a bad boy of the conservation world that has
flouted the 152-nation Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species
(CITES) of wild fauna and flora.
Japan is by far the world's largest consumer of ivory and turtle shell
products, and domestic demand for traditional medicines has ensured a thriving
market for tiger bones, rhino horn and many rare plants.
There is also significant demand for endangered species of frogs, reptiles and
birds as exotic pets.
Until April 2000, Japan was the only CITES party in Asia with no effective
regulations on domestic trade in tiger parts and products, the Japan Wildlife
Conservation Society said.
Japanese officials have previously opposed proposals to limit or ban the trade
in these endangered species but insist they are interested only in seeing
sustainable trade and have no desire to see animals or plants go extinct.
J2jurado
WANTED: BEER LOVERS
Like beer? Tell us why and we'll pay you! We think you might be interested in
participating in a panel that advises US breweries on a variety of marketing.
The best thing? For your time you get $$$! For more information, go to:
http://survey.confirmit.com/wi/p37816054/i.asp
PENN WEIZEN
Brewed by Pennsylvania Brewing Co. in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Lew Bryson writes:
Penn Weizen is one of the very best American-brewed examples of a true
Bavarian-type hefeweizen, and you should try hard to find some. If properly
prepared, the bottle gently twirled to loosen the yeast, it pours like the
milky sap of some exotic plant; gold, apricot, a blush of orange-pink, all
beclouded and roiling. There is a brief push of sulfur at opening that
dissipates quickly to leave a blended nose of plum, clove, cinnamon, and tart
berry with little of the more familiar banana or bubble gum aromas. The head
is towering, solid, malleable and moldable. Oh, this is a smooth, soothing
mouthful. The aromas carry through their promise with a medium-full feel,
refreshing and zesty. This cries out for bread, fruit, pretzels. Mmmm...
Read more from Bryson at:
http://www.realbeer.com/spotlight/abm/tastings/20000710-pa.html
W&D continues to reject Pubmaster bid
LONDON, June 14 (Reuters) - British regional brewing and pubs group
Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries Plc on Thursday said that it continued to
reject the hostile bid by Pubmaster after the pubs group published its formal
offer document.
W&D said Pubmaster's offer of 480 pence a share, valuing the group at 453
million pounds ($630.2 million), undervalued the company and advised its
shareholders to reject the offer by taking no action.
Pubmaster to sell W&D breweries if bid succeeds
By David Jones
LONDON, June 14 (Reuters) - British pubs group Pubmaster on Thursday said it
will put up for sale Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries Plc's four breweries if
its 453-million-pound ($630 million) hostile bid for the regional brewer
succeeds.
Pubmaster, launching its formal offer document for its 480-pence-a-share bid,
said it had received "serious approaches" for the four breweries and had no
plans for closure of the sites in central and northern England.
"We are giving shareholders a chance to have their say. We're the only people
around, we have a fully funded bid and we are ready to go," said Pubmaster
Chief Executive John Sands.
W&D, Britain's largest regional brewer which also runs 1,770 pubs, said it
continued to reject the bid as it undervalued the group, and added that it does
not reflect the trading improvements made at the company and its future
prospects.
"This document doesn't add anything new. The bid of 480 pence doesn't reflect
the value of the company," said W&D's Chief Executive Ralph Findlay.
One W&D U.S. shareholder Tweedy Browne trimmed its holding to 5.5 percent by
selling just over 10 percent of its stake at 470p, probably to an arbitrageur,
despite saying it was looking for 515p after Pubmaster's earlier 510-515p
indicative bid.
Tweedy bought its 6.2 percent stake over the last two years at an average price
of around 420p.
W&D shares closed up 1-1/2p at 479p.
Pubmaster, 40 percent owned by German bank WestLB, attacked W&D over executive
share options and the value of a failed management buy-out in the offer
document, which starts the 60-day bid clock ticking under Britain's takeover
rules.
It noted that in January 2000 certain W&D directors were granted share options
exercisable at 516p, only for this to be renounced the following month. By May
2000 the same directors were granted options at 325.5p.
In particular, Pubmaster says then managing director David Thompson was granted
50,000 options at the January price, which were renounced and then granted
180,000 options at May's price.
"This shows their value of the company. It makes their claims that we are
trying to buy on the cheap slightly galling," Sands said. W&D replied the
options were re-issued due to a fundamental sector re-rating when old economy
stocks suffered in the dotcom internet stocks surge.
PITCH FOR THE PIANO
Pubmaster added that in late April a management team, led by now Chairman
Thompson, made a failed proposal to buy the company at 460p a share, which
again undermined W&D's view that Pubmaster was trying to buy the company on the
cheap.
The bidder confirmed it would sell 290 W&D pubs, including the Pitcher and
Piano chain, for around 250.4 million pounds, to Robert Breare if its bid is
successful.
Breare, backed by private equity player Botts & Co, first showed interest in
W&D in August 2000, but in early May dropped his interest to join with
Pubmaster and agreed to buy 290 pubs.
In April, W&D decided to press ahead with its own plan to exit from two of its
four breweries -- by selling its Camerons brewery in Hartlepool and closing
Mansfield to focus on Wolverhampton and Burton-on-Trent -- sell off 170 pubs
and return 200 million pounds to shareholders over two years.
Some reports have put a value as high as 150 million pounds on W&D's brewing
division, which produces Banks's bitter and Marston's Pedigree.
W&D's defence is largely based around the improvement in its trading outlook
seen at its half-year results issued in late May with like-for-like sales at
its "core" managed and tenanted pubs both ahead for the half-year to end-March,
and group debts reduced to 512 million pounds.
2001 Budweiser Irish Derby Set to Break Attendance Records As Racegoing Becomes
Popular Among Ireland's Visitors
NEW YORK, June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 1 next, over 30,000 racegoers, many
of them visitors to Ireland, will flock to the beautiful grassy swards of
County Kildare's famous Curragh Racecourse. On that day, the 136th running of
the Budweiser Irish Derby will offer a rich purse with over $1 million in prize
money. This most important of Ireland's thoroughbred classic horse races will
be the featured event on an eight-race card.
Attendance records are likely to be broken not only because horse racing has
become highly popular, but also because of the growing demand for Budweiser;
the Emerald Isle's economic fortunes have never been better and Derby Day in
Ireland has evolved into a social occasion as much about glamour and fashion as
about sport.
Indeed, a major Dublin Department Store is co-sponsoring with Budweiser a
$4,000 fashion competition award for the person "who shows the greatest style
incorporating American designers, themes and looks". The competition is part
of the "Red, White & True" theme that has been attached to the 2001 Derby
festivities.
This year's annual event is the 16th to be sponsored by Budweiser. Already, 75
of Europe's top 3-year-old thoroughbreds have declared for the race. The
running of the Budweiser Irish Derby is broadcast live throughout the world.
The Sunday racing card is the highlight of a three-day festival weekend that
kicks off with a Friday evening race meeting on June 29 that will conclude with
a free concert for the younger set.
Facilities on Derby Day will include the Budweiser Beer Garden complete with
marquee and giant video screens and live commentary throughout race day.
Tickets can be purchased in advance from the Curragh Racecourse website at
http://www.curragh.ie.
Constellation to Report First Quarter Earnings And Host Conference Call June
28, 2001
FAIRPORT, N.Y., June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ
and STZ.B) announced that it will be reporting financial results for the First
Quarter ended May 31, 2001, on Thursday, June 28, 2001. A conference call to
discuss the First Quarter financial results and expectations for Fiscal Year
2002, will be hosted by Richard Sands, Chairman and CEO and Tom Summer, CFO on
Thursday, June 28, 2001 at 11:00 a.m. EST. The news media is invited to
listen-only on this call.
The conference call can be accessed by dialing 800-860-2442. A live
listen-only web cast of the conference call is available on the Internet at the
Company's web site, http://www.cbrands.com under Investor Information, and at
http://www.streetfusion.com. If you are unable to participate in the
conference call, there will be a replay available by dialing 877-344-7529 from
approximately 1:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, June 28, 2001 through 12:00 a.m. EST
Friday, July 6, 2001.
Digital Playback Instructions - Courtesy of ChorusCall
1. Dial 877-DIG-PLAY (877-344-7529) or 412-858-1440.
2. Enter '287' when prompted for your account number following by the
sign.
3. Please press '1' to play recorded conference.
4. Please enter '240618' when prompted to enter the conference number
followed by the # sign.
5. Please clearly state your name and company name when prompted to do so
followed by any key.
6. Please press '1' to begin the conference playback.
Note: You may press 0 at anytime during the conference to hear the Detailed
Instructions Menu. You may press 2 at anytime during the conference to stop
the playback entirely. You will be placed in the Introduction Menu.
About Constellation
Constellation Brands, Inc. is a leader in the production and marketing of
beverage alcohol brands in North America and the United Kingdom and is a
leading independent drinks wholesaler in the United Kingdom. As the second
largest supplier of wine, the second largest importer of beer and the fourth
largest supplier of distilled spirits, Constellation is the largest
single-source supplier of these products in the United States. In the United
Kingdom, Constellation is a leading marketer of wine and the second largest
producer and marketer of cider. With its broad portfolio, Constellation
believes it is distinctly positioned to satisfy an array of consumer
preferences across all beverage alcohol categories. Leading brands in
Constellation's portfolio include: Franciscan Oakville Estate, Simi, Estancia,
craft beers: Corona Extra, Modelo Especial, St. Pauli Girl, specialty wines:
Almaden, Arbor Mist, Talus, Vendange, Alice White, spirits: Black Velvet,
Fleischmann's, Schenley, Ten High, Stowells of Chelsea, Blackthorn and K.
16th Annual Ride The Rockies Bicycle Tour Is Ready to Roll
DENVER, June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The 16th Annual Denver Post Ride The Rockies
presented by NEWS 4 is gearing up to take 2,000 cyclists through Colorado on
six days of incredible riding and gracious hospitality.
The event will start in Crested Butte on June 17th and travel through the
overnight host communities of Buena Vista, Edwards, Steamboat Springs, Granby
and Estes Park and will finish on Friday, June 22nd with a celebration in
Boulder.
"The cyclists are in for the ride of a lifetime. This 432-mile route traverses
some of Colorado's most scenic terrain, including Cottonwood Pass, Trail Ridge
Road and the Peak To Peak Highway," said Ride The Rockies Tour Director Paul
Balaguer.
The passes the cyclists will climb include: Cottonwood Pass (12,126 feet),
Tennessee Pass (10,242 feet), Rabbit Ears Pass (9,426 feet) and Trail Ridge
Road (12,183 feet). Altogether, cyclists will gain approximately 27,600
vertical feet and travel 432 miles.
The 2,000 participants were chosen in a random lottery due to the number of
applications received. This year's cyclists represent forty-eight states and
nine foreign countries including Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, England,
Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, and The Netherlands. This non-competitive
ride includes riders of all ages. The oldest registered rider is 82-year old
Paul Russ from Littleton, Colorado, and the youngest rider is nine year old
Christopher Lierheimer from Evergreen, Colorado.
"At NEWS 4, we know a good thing when we see it. Ride the Rockies provides
individuals and families a close-up view of Colorado from the seat of a
bicycle. Once again, we're proud to be a part of this wonderful event that
introduces our riders and viewers to such welcoming host communities in the
Colorado Rockies," said NEWS 4's Larry Green.
The host communities provide a number of services for the cyclists including
group meals, camping facilities, showers, and entertainment. In return,
cyclists generate over $175,000 in revenue in each of the communities through
hotels, restaurants, retail businesses and other services along the route.
A staff of approximately 100 people support the Ride The Rockies cyclists
during the tour. They work at aid stations, provide directional signage and
warn of road hazards, transport water and baggage, and drive support vehicles.
The tour is also accompanied by cycling medical personnel, bicycle repair vans
and Colorado State Patrol troopers.
Ride The Rockies is also supported by a number of sponsors including GMC and
Pontiac, Wells Fargo, Ryder Transportation Services, New Belgium Brewing
Company, Qwest Wireless, Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, St. Anthony Hospitals,
Marsh USA, Gatorade, Bolle, City Market and King Soopers, Old Chicago
Restaurants, Serotta Racing Bicycles, Giro Bicycle Helmets, Thule, Wheat Ridge
Cyclery, Gart Sports, Trek Wrench Force, Bike Lovers Place, The Bicycle Doctor,
and Aussie Racing Apparel.
Ride The Rockies is sponsored by The Denver Post, which is published by The
Denver Newspaper Agency.
Proceeds from Ride The Rockies benefit Post-News Charities, a fund of the
McCormick Tribune Foundation.
For more information on Ride The Rockies, call (303) 820-1338, e-mail
r...@denverpost.com or visit www.ridetherockies.com.
A Healthy Appetite Helps When Writing About France
By Aleksandrs Rozens
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A bottle of wine, half a pound of cheese a day and as many
truffles and snails as he can eat.
Such was the diet of Peter Mayle, author of best-selling chronicle of life in
the south of France "A Year In Provence". But don't call it tippling or
bingeing; consider it research -- part of his latest survey of the joys of
eating that took him outside his beloved Provence to other regions of France.
"I reckon I probably have drunk a liter of wine a day for the last 20 to 25
years -- occasionally more, but it is certainly a bottle a day, which sounds
like a lot until you think you have two or three glasses at lunch and two or
three at dinner and that's a bottle gone," Mayle said.
His latest adventures in eating took him throughout France, where he
encountered a truffle Mass celebrated in the village of Richerenches, a weekend
holy festival for snails, the Foire aux Escargots at Martigny-les-Bains and the
Marathon du Medoc, a 26-mile (41.8 km) race in which costumed runners refreshed
themselves on a route through vineyards of Bordeaux.
"This was my first encounter with escargot. I think I had some in England.
Somebody who wanted to be a French chef, but never quite got there when he
tackled snails," Mayle told Reuters in an interview. The former advertising
copywriter was in New York promoting and reading to enthusiastic audiences his
latest book, "French Lessons."
The culinary survey for "French Lessons" took some 18 months for Mayle, who
usually tries to save his recollections on paper as quickly as possible. "What
I normally do is I just slip into a bar and I make notes as I go along, and
then I come out again and rejoin the activities."
Dinner parties and luncheons, though, can be tricky.
WRITING ON A NAPKIN IN THE MEN'S ROOM
"If I am sitting at a table it is difficult because I don't like to take notes
while I'm sitting with company having lunch or something like that. If I'm
really concerned about forgetting something I go to the men's room with a
napkin and just scribble something," Mayle said.
"But I actually have a good memory, so at the end of an evening if I can get
back to my room and pretty well write down what I've got to remember, then
other things will come back to me later on."
Asked if France's love affair with food -- such as the celebration of frog's
legs in Vittel's festival with parades and Livarot's cheese eating contests --
is unusual, Mayle said U.S. fast food culture seems unusual for many in France.
"They feel that it (food) is such a central part of life that it ought to be
accorded the attention it deserves. I think they look at America and say
America has an unusual attitude to food," he said. "There really is not any
other country that comes close in terms of the variety within France and the
degree of excellence with which it is cooked."
While some fast food has made it to France, and Mayle admits to liking some of
the fast food such as pizza sold there, he does not expect it to supplant finer
French cooking.
"The worry people have is that fast food will take over entirely from
traditional French cooking and I don't believe it will because I think there is
too much interest and demand for good food in France."
Just how serious the food business gets comes across when Mayle looks to
discover more about Michelin, publishers of a guide that started out as little
more than a road map but today serves as a highly regarded survey of France's
top eateries with its star system. Michelin's inspectors travel secretly to
restaurants and Mayle, who admires their work, never gleans much information
from the Michelin headquarters.
And while Mayle is interested in the workings of Michelin and its inspectors,
he probably will not be looking to join the firm's ranks.
NO WISH TO BE A MICHELIN REVIEWER
"The extraordinary amount of miles you have to cover and the meals you have to
eat every week, day in and day out, it stops being a treat to go to a
restaurant because you have to concentrate too much to really enjoy yourself,"
said Mayle, adding, "It is not a job I would ever want to do."
Not all of Mayle's travels throughout France were recorded in "French Lessons."
Events that did not make it include olive and lemon festivals. "As nice as they
were they didn't have that touch of curiosity or oddness," he said.
"The people were nice, but there were not enough eccentric things going on.
That's what I was always looking for."
Mayle's books -- bestsellers in U.S. and overseas book stores -- brought him
fame, and with it came unwanted guests, readers who decided to just drop in.
"We had to get out of France and get a break because it was just intolerable.
People, strangers, we found them in the pool ... we found them in the garden.
We found them everywhere," he recalled. "We put up with it for about two
years."
So Mayle, whose favorite dish in Provence summers is fresh tomatoes and Cantal
cheese, retreated to Long Island because of its proximity to New York City and
the Atlantic Ocean.
"I didn't realize 'A Year In Provence' would do what it did, or I probably
would have been more careful about being so specific about where the house
was," said Mayle, who is circumspect about providing details about the location
of his current home.
He is no curmudgeon, but the groups of visitors took him by surprise and soon
became tedious. "You have to be flattered and gratified that people want to
come and presumably say that they enjoyed your book," he said. "(But) there was
no way of regulating the flow."
He eventually returned to Provence, where he raises olive and apricot trees on
land around his home and promises to continue his surveys of French cultural
and culinary delights.
"There is a lot more of France I haven't seen and there is a lot more of France
I'd like to see," he said, including the Mediterranean island of Corsica, the
Loire Valley and the Champagne region.
"There are a lot of gaps in my French education."
Wife of Wash. Governor Heads to Paris
June 14, 2001 OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Bogged down by legislative affairs, Gov.
Gary Locke can't lead a trade mission to France this week. So he's nominated a
trusted replacement with intimate knowledge of state affairs and good French:
his wife.
Mona Lee Locke, a former television reporter, will represent the state at the
Paris Air Show and at a major wine exposition. The trip was to begin Wednesday
and end Sunday.
Gov. Gary Locke announced Monday that he'll ``remain in Olympia to attend to
pressing matters of state.''
Washington is the country's most trade-dependent state, and is the third
largest state exporter to Europe. Locke had hoped to beef up business
opportunities with European trading partners.
Locke said his wife will be ``a terrific ambassador'' and a great saleswoman
for the state's products, including airliners, hops and wine, and will tout
tourism and business investment in the Evergreen State.
Soy Maker Lumen Foods Warns Mothers Against Using Its Soymilk
LAKE CHARLES, La., June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumen Foods (www.soybean.com), a
manufacturer of soy-based foods and beverages, has posted warning labels on its
soymilk products in response to growing research that the high manganese levels
found in soy beverages, and in particular, infant formula, may be neurotoxic to
infants under the age of six months. The label reads: "WARNING: Soymilk may be
detrimental to infants under 6 months of age. It contains manganese at levels
important to human nutrition but over 50 times the level found in mother's
breast milk. For more information, see www.soybean.com/h120.htm."
"Our concern is two-fold," notes company president, George Ackerson. "First,
that there is mounting evidence of a correlation between manganese in soymilk
(including soy-based infant formula) and neurotoxicity in small infants, and
secondly, that if we know that credible research exists and we don't act
responsibly, we could be held liable."
Lumen Foods sells a small line of soy beverages branded "Heaven on Earth",
which could conceivably be used as infant formula. Although the products are
competitively priced against real milk, the company is not a major player in
the retail soy beverage market, and, in fact, most of its soy beverages sales
are made through mail order and institutional accounts. The company has never
sold a distinct line of baby formula.
The company's founder, Greg Caton, made the recommendation after investigating
claims by the Violence Research Foundation (VRF) of San Clemente, California,
that correlates high manganese in soymilk with brain damage in newborn mammals.
In one study, a similar phenomenon was found in human infants; and in another,
by Dr. Louis Gottschalk, elevated manganese levels were found in the scalp hair
of adolescents incarcerated for violent crimes. Separate interviews by Caton
revealed the possibility that soymilk use in small infants could correlate to
the dramatic increases in ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and
violent adolescent incidents over the last 40 years.
What is already established is that newborn infants do not have the ability to
metabolize levels of manganese comparable to human adult capability. This is
evidenced by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's own recommendations on
minimum daily manganese requirements. Whereas infants are shown to only
require .005 mg. per day; the average adult can readily metabolize over 1.2 mg.
per day, or in excess of 200 times that amount. Moreover, once stored in neural
tissue, excess manganese (and the effects it exerts) will remain there for many
years.
"I've been following anti-nutritional claims again soy products for almost 20
years," notes Caton. "Over 99 percent of them are readily dismissible. My
concern, having spent a month to follow up on the VRF claim and the research
behind it, is that this may be in the one percent category. We aren't telling
people not to drink soymilk. We're just warning parents to consider that their
newborn infants aren't capable of metabolizing significant levels of one of its
mineral nutrients, and there could be negative consequences to this."
About Lumen Foods
Lumen Foods, located in Lake Charles, La., manufactures healthy meat and dairy
replacement products, and high protein snacks. For more information, please
visit http://www.soybean.com.
J2jurado
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER
June 15, 2001 WASHINGTON (AP) - A tax on liquor brought America the Whiskey
Rebellion two centuries ago. Now the brewing industry is looking to start the
Battle over the Beer Tax.
Calling the levy regressive and unfair, brewers are pressing Congress to cut it
in half. An anti-tax Web site features a profile of ``Joe and Jane Six-Pack'' -
people who drink more than a six-pack a week.
``Beer is one of America's best pastimes,'' said Bill Marshman, a locksmith
from Suitland, Md., who was drinking a Samuel Adams with lunch this week.
Marshman, who says he drinks a case a week, supports the rollback effort.
``Anything to pay less,'' he said.
On the other side: Mothers Against Drunk Driving, arguing the bill would lead
to more underage drinking and traffic deaths.
Congress doubled the tax to $18 a barrel - about a dollar a case - in 1990 when
it also passed tax hikes on luxury items such as planes and yachts. Three years
later, most of the luxury taxes were rescinded but the beer tax remained.
``It's an equity argument,'' Miller Brewing Co. spokesman Michael Brophy said.
``It's certainly not a luxury item, and it's already taxed at the state level,
and will still be taxed at the federal level. There's a basic fairness issue.''
The beer industry is mounting its most aggressive tax-cut campaign in years,
believing that with a healthy budget surplus and a tax-cut proponent in the
White House its chances have been enhanced, said Jeff Becker, president of the
Beer Institute, the industry's trade association. The campaign includes ads in
several Capitol Hill publications.
Becker said most beer drinkers are low- and middle-income wage earners who
could use a break. ``They aren't buying $50,000 cars or private planes and
yachts,'' he said.
More than 150 members of Congress have signed on as co-sponsors of legislation
that would halve the beer tax.
Rep. Jerry Kleczka, D-Wis., hasn't supported previous efforts to reduce the
tax. He said he decided to be a co-sponsor this year because Congress voted to
eliminate the estate tax.
``If Congress can repeal the estate tax for billionaires, then Congress can
roll back the beer tax for Joe Six-Pack,'' said Kleczka, whose state is home to
Miller Brewing.
Reducing the tax to its 1990 level would cost the federal government about $1.6
billion a year. Kleczka, a member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee,
said the bill's chances of passage are slim.
Still, MADD is aggressively fighting the effort. Its Web site has a form letter
visitors can e-mail to their lawmakers urging them to oppose the bill.
``Economic research indicates lower taxes on beer will lead to more deaths
among young people in traffic accidents and other alcohol-related problems,''
said Millie I. Webb, MADD's national president. ``It's cheaper, it's more
accessible. It's bad public policy to reduce the beer tax.''
A study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism cites
research which found that higher alcohol prices can reduce traffic fatality
rates. The institute says more research is needed.
MADD and the institute agree that even a modest price change can affect sales.
Restoring the tax to its 1990 level would, if passed on to consumers, cut about
12.5 cents off a six-pack.
Becker noted that when the tax was increased a decade ago, domestic production
declined for five straight years. It has rebounded in recent years, but remains
about 5 million barrels below the 1990 total of 184.5 million barrels.
The beer tax legislation wouldn't affect microbreweries, which pay only $7 a
barrel on the first 60,000 barrels they brew.
The bill is H.R. 1305.
On the Net:
Anti-Beer Tax: http://www.rollbackthebeertax.org/
Mothers Against Drunk Driving: http://www.madd.org/
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
Anheuser-Busch Urges Illinois Governor To Sign Bills To Help Keep Repeat Drunk
Drivers Off The Roads
ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 15, 2001--The world's largest brewer is urging
Illinois Governor George Ryan to sign two bills which will help keep repeat
drunk drivers off the roads by allowing judges to impose a wider range of
punishments on those convicted of multiple drunk driving offenses.
Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:<A HREF="aol://4785:BUD">BUD</A>) Region Director of State
Affairs Katja Zastrow today also praised the Illinois Legislature for their
efforts to produce a bill that specifically addresses repeat drunk drivers. The
bills now on the governor's desk are largely based on a legislative proposal
unveiled in March by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White. A coalition of
manufacturers, distributors and retailers of alcohol beverages, members of the
law enforcement community and traffic safety advocacy organizations support
House Bills 2265 and 2266.
"These are the right bills at the right time" said Zastrow. "Even though drunk
driving has declined 41% nationally since 1982, the fact is that not as much
progress has been made in getting repeat offenders off the roads. We've got to
tighten the focus on these dangerous individuals by adopting policies that
specifically and effectively target them. Thanks to the leadership of Secretary
White and the Illinois Legislature, we now have bills on Governor Ryan's desk
that if signed into law will take a real step forward in addressing this small
but dangerous group of drivers."
Zastrow added that federal government data clearly shows legislative attention
should be focused on high blood alcohol content repeat offenders because they
cause eight out of 10 drunk driving fatalities. For more than one decade,
Anheuser-Busch has worked with legislators to provide information to assist in
their deliberations about which public policy measures should be implemented to
most effectively reduce drunk driving.
The bills on Governor Ryan's desk would allow judges to impose increasingly
stiff fines and mandatory jail time on repeat offenders; order the installation
of alcohol ignition interlock devices in the vehicle of a repeat offender to
prevent it from being started and operated if the device detects the presence
of alcohol on the driver's breath; and impose other punishments proven
effective for stopping repeat offenders from driving while drunk.
Zastrow also explained that Anheuser-Busch has asked its network of Illinois
beer distributors to write letters, make phone calls and contact the governor's
office to him to sign the bills. "We're going to put on a full court press to
help push this legislation through which we've helped work on since late last
year," she said.
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., is the world's largest
brewer and one of the largest theme park operators in the United States. The
company is also a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and the world's largest
recycler of aluminum beverage containers.
GPG calls on UK brewer Young to go private
LONDON, June 15 (Reuters) - Investment company Guinness Peat Group Plc on
Friday called on Young & Co Brewery Plc to consider moves to take the group
private, in a deal which would value the UK brewer at 115 million pounds
($161.7 million).
GPG, which hold a 10 percent stake in Young & Co, has put forward a resolution
to be presented at the annual shareholders meeting on July 17, for Young & Co
to look at transferring sole ownership to the Young family.
"They appear to be asking the family to take the business private, which is
unusual to an extreme degree," a spokesman for Young & Co told Reuters.
GPG, the investment concern of New Zealand corporate raider Ron Brierley, has
asked for the transfer to be achieved by means of a scheme of arrangement at a
proposed price of 10 pounds per voting share and 7.50 for each non-voting
share.
The spokesman said that this valued the Young & Co's share capital at around
115 million pounds.
Young & Co said in a statement that the board had received no approach from the
Young family or from any other party.
Shares in the group, which have outperformed the leisure, entertainment and
hotels sector by more than 40 percent in the past 12 months, earlier ended
12-1/2 pence of 1.5 percent higher at 837-1/2p.
Moody's rates Foster's US$500 mln bonds due 2011
Approximately US$1,700 Million of Debt Securities Affected.
Hong Kong, June 15, 2001 -- Moody's Investors Service today assigned Baa1
senior unsecured rating to the US$500M bonds due 2011 issued by Foster's
Finance Corp, and guaranteed by Foster's Brewing Group Ltd.
The rating outlook is stable.
Foster's Brewing Group Ltd <FBG.AX>, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia,
conducts brewing operations in Australia, and also in China, Vietnam and India
through its subsidiaries and joint ventures.
The company is also engaged in the Australian leisure, massage & hospitality
business, and has wine operations mainly in Australia and the US.
New York Angela Jameson Managing Director Corporate Finance Moody's Investors
Service
Schools Rethinking Prom Wine Glasses
By ANNE WALLACE ALLEN
June 15, 2001 MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - It's just a wine or martini glass that
often ends up on a shelf with a few coins in it and a coating of dust.
But to many parents and educators trying to discourage teen-age drinking, the
common prom memento sends the wrong message.
``Adults have to not close their eyes to the symbolism here,'' said Penny
Wells, the executive director of Students Against Drunk Driving whose daughter
recently came home from her prom with a souvenir martini glass. ``You can't say
underage drinking is dangerous and not desirable, and then condone it by
distributing glasses that are so obviously attached to drinking and cause teh
recipients to use them for their intended purpose.''
As Vermont Health Commissioner Jan Carey put it: ``We wouldn't dream of handing
out a pack of cigarettes to graduating seniors.''
This year, promgoers at South Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia received
long-stemmed glasses. Seniors at Amundsen High School in Chicago took home wine
glasses. Students at Spaulding High School in Barre, Vt., got martini glasses.
In South Royalton, Vt., there was a choice of mugs or martini glasses.
``But it's just because they looked cool, I'm pretty sure,'' senior Niki
Staudinger said. The 18-year-old added that she hadn't thought about the
connection between the mementos and underage drinking.
Prom mementos are usually chosen by a committee of students who have an adult
adviser. The glasses - often inscribed with the name of the school and the date
of the prom - are a common item in the catalogs that arrive from companies that
sell the mementos.
``We try very hard to steer away from anything that has a connection with
drinking, but many of the mementos that are affordable are in the shape of a
wine glass,'' said Barbara Price, a guidance counselor at Auburndale High
School in Auburndale, Fla., which gave out picture frames this year.
The issue came to a head this year at Vermont's Brattleboro Union High School
after prom organizers chose shot glasses. After a flurry of complaints,
Superintendent Ray McNulty promised that administrators would look more closely
at prom planning next time.
McNulty, however, said the glasses are not necessarily intended to be filled
with alcohol. The martini glasses at Spaulding, for example, came filled with
candy. Other schools offer glasses with candles in them.
``I know teen-age drinking and especially drunken driving is a huge problem not
only in Vermont but everywhere. But I don't think that people necessarily use
these glasses to drink out of,'' said Juliet Rose, Spaulding's senior class
president who helped organize the prom.
``The people that I know just want them to have them sitting on a shelf
somewhere so they can look at them.''
Heinz: Area Tots to Compete in World's Largest Baby Derby
PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 15, 2001--Approximately 1000 babies will
crawl their way into the record books as they compete for prizes in the second
annual World's Largest Happy Baby Derby. The derby will take place at 12:45
p.m. on the field at PNC Park, prior to the Pirates and Indians game on Sunday,
June 17th.
The derby, co-sponsored by Heinz Nature's Goodness, Huggies Diapers, Giant
Eagle and the Pittsburgh Pirates is the largest event of its kind. In fact,
last year's event was submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records as the
largest baby derby ever.
In honor of this year's Pirates vs. Indian's game, the contest was open to
Pittsburgh- and Cleveland-area babies. Parents entered their babies into the
derby by visiting their local Giant Eagle store, filling out an entry form and
mailing it in. Out of hundreds of entries received, approximately 1000 babies
were randomly selected in a drawing to compete.
The race will begin when all 1000 contestants will race simultaneously, on five
separate mats spread around the warning track. One winner from each mat will
advance to the final round, where they will compete for one of five U.S.
Savings Bonds, ranging in value from $100 for fifth place to $5,000 for first
place.
Getting their children across the finish line is the main goal of participating
parents. "Parents use every means possible to coax their children across the
finish line," said Sue Dehner, general manager of infant foods, Heinz North
America. "It's interesting to watch parents cheering on their children at the
finish line as they wave their baby's favorite toys, blanket or food."
All participants in the World's Largest Happy Baby Derby receive a toddler
racing T-shirt, two tickets to the game, food vouchers and a tote bag filled
with goodies from Heinz Nature's Goodness, Huggies and Giant Eagle.
Heinz Nature's Goodness Baby Food is manufactured by Heinz, one of the world's
leading marketers of branded foods to supermarkets and away-from-home eating
establishments. H.J. Heinz Company's 50 companies operate in some 200
countries, offering more than 5,700 varieties. Among the company's famous
brands are Heinz(R), StarKist(R), Ore-Ida(R), 9-Lives(R), Wattie's(R),
Plasmon(R), Farley's(R), Smart Ones(R), Bagel Bites(R), John West(R), Petit
Navire(R), Kibbles `n Bits(R), Pounce(R), Pup-Peroni(R), Orlando(R), ABC(R),
Olivine(R), Juran(R) and Pudliszki(R). Heinz also uses the famous brands Weight
Watchers(R), Boston Market(R) and Linda McCartney(R) under license. Information
on Heinz is available at http://www.heinz.com.
Ten Ways To Wish Your Dad A Healthy Father's Day
WASHINGTON, June 15 /U.S. Newswire/ -- HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today
encouraged our nation's children to give their dads the gift of good health
this Father's Day by reminding them of the importance of healthy living.
Secretary Thompson said, "Children can have great influence with their fathers
when it comes to taking good care of themselves. Wish your dad a happy Father's
Day by helping him live a healthier life.
"Father's Day is a time of recognition and celebration - of gratitude for dads
and what they have given to our lives," Secretary Thompson said. "One of the
best ways to show you care is to tell your dad that his health is important --
that you want him to be here for many Father's Days to come."
Here are 10 important tips to share to ensure Dad remains healthy and fit for
life:
1. EAT A BALANCED DIET LOW IN FAT AND HIGH IN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. Eating a
healthy diet low in fat and at least five fruits and vegetables a day lowers
risk of heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis.
2. GET 30 MINUTES OF MODERATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MOST DAYS OF THE WEEK.
Moderate physical activity on most days of the week reduces the risk of heart
disease, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also help dads
maintain a healthy body weight, joint strength and mobility.
3. GET A PHYSICAL EXAM AND IMPORTANT SCREENINGS, INCLUDING THE PROCTOLOGIST.
Dads age 50 and older should make an appointment to be screened for colorectal
cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the country.
Regular colorectal cancer screening at age 50 and after can find and remove
polyps before they ever become cancerous, or enable early treatment, when it
can be most effective.
Although effective measures to prevent prostate cancer have not yet been
identified, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends
that all men talk to their doctors about the risks and benefits of screening so
that they can make informed decisions about whether screening is right for
them.
4. CHOOSE YOUR COVER. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the
United States and one of the most preventable. Dads of all ages should
practice sun safety by seeking shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; wearing a hat,
shirt, and pants that cover arms and legs (when possible), and sunglasses; and
using sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.
5. PLAY IT SAFE. Wearing a seatbelt in a car or a helmet while biking can help
protect dads from serious harm and possibly death in the event of a crash.
6. DON'T ABUSE ALCOHOL. Alcohol abuse causes 100,000 premature deaths in the
U.S. every year. Alcohol is a powerful drug that slows down the body and mind.
It impairs coordination, slows reaction time, and impairs vision, clear
thinking and judgment. Drink responsibly. Above all, do not drink and drive.
7. DO NOT USE TOBACCO. Avoiding tobacco of all kinds dramatically reduces a
man's risk of premature death and disability from heart disease and stroke,
chronic lung disease, and cancers of the lung, larynx, esophagus, mouth and
bladder.
8. PREVENT DISABILITY FROM ARTHRITIS. Weight control and injury prevention
(especially sports-related injuries) can lower dads' risk for developing one of
the most common types of arthritis: osteoarthritis. If Dad does develop
arthritis, he can lessen pain and disability through early diagnosis and
appropriate management, including weight control, physical activity, and
self-management strategies.
9. GET VACCINATED. Vaccines aren't just for kids. Far too many adults become
ill, are disabled, and die each year from diseases that could easily have been
prevented by vaccines. Adults age 50 and over and anyone who has health
problems such as diabetes and heart disease should get a flu shot every fall.
Adults age 55 and over should get a pneumococcal vaccine. It is effective for
at least 10 years and helps reduce hospitalizations and premature death due to
pneumonia among the elderly.
10. SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Play and recreation are
important for good health. Look for opportunities to be active and have fun at
the same time. Plan family outings and vacations that include physical activity
(hiking, backpacking, swimming, etc.). Avoid dangerous activities such as
bungee jumping, stock car racing, or use of recreational drugs.
Most of all, remind Dad you love to spend time with him.
If your dad has any special health problems that might affect his following
these tips, he should consult his doctor. To find out more about men's health
visit www.healthfinder.gov/justforyou/men or
www.cdc.gov/od/spotlight/menshlth.htm.
Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are
available at www.hhs.gov/news.
Manufacturing Activity Plummets
By JEANNINE AVERSA
June 15, 2001 WASHINGTON (AP) - Manufacturing activity plummeted in May, the
eighth straight monthly decline, stifling hopes that the battered industrial
sector's darkest days may have passed.
With fresh data also released Friday showing consumer inflation - outside of
soaring energy costs - pretty much under control, the Federal Reserve has
leeway to cut interest rates again later this month in an effort to prevent
industrial weakness from dragging down the rest of the economy, analysts said.
Industrial output at the nation's factories, mines and utilities fell by 0.8
percent in May, the Federal Reserve reported. The drop was double what analysts
were predicting and came on top of a sharp, 0.6 percent decline in April.
Operating capacity declined to 77.4 percent in May, the lowest level since
August 1983, as companies throttled back production in the face of sagging
demand. Operating capacity in the high-tech sector fell to its lowest point in
25 years.
``It's a blood bath,'' said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Economy.com. ``The
problems are intensifying. Manufacturing is in the middle of a full-blown
recession and threatens to take the rest of the economy down with it.''
On Wall Street, the manufacturing report and earnings warnings from Nortel
Networks, JDS Uniphase and McDonald's pushed stocks lower. The Dow Jones
industrial average closed down 66.49 at 10,623.64.
The national economy has slowed markedly beginning in the second half of last
year. But manufacturing has been the hardest hit and is in a recession, forcing
the loss of a half-million jobs this year alone.
``The decline in industrial production shows that manufacturing is dead in the
water,'' said National Association of Manufacturers President Jerry Jasinowski.
The Fed's report revived fears that the industrial sector's malaise might
deepen even more and spill over to other parts of the economy, throwing it into
recession.
``We have not seen the bottom of the manufacturing downturn,'' predicted Lynn
Reaser, chief economist at Banc of America Capital Management. ``The Fed must
be concerned about the possibility that the negative momentum could build and
spread.''
To stave off recession, the Fed has slashed interest rates five times this
year, driving borrowing costs down to their lowest point in seven years.
Analysts anticipate Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan and his colleagues will lower
rates for a sixth time when they meet June 26-27.
While many are predicting a quarter-point cut, economists said the weak
industrial production report greatly raised the odds of another half-point
reduction.
The Fed has room to make another bold move, economists said, given their view
that the government's latest inflation report was benign.
The Labor Department's Consumer Price Index, a closely watched inflation gauge,
rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent in May, up from a 0.3 percent
increase in April, but on target with expectations.
Most of the rise came from a big jump in gasoline and electricity prices.
The ``core'' rate of inflation, which excludes volatile energy and food prices,
inched up a smaller-than-expected 0.1 percent in May, compared with a 0.2
percent rise the month before, suggesting that most other prices were tame. It
marked the best showing in five months.
``We can't discount the pain at the gas pump but energy prices don't represent
a signal of inflation problems ahead,'' said Bill Cheney, chief economist at
John Hancock.
While economists are keeping their eye on inflation creep, many project that
higher prices for energy are more likely to take a bite out of companies'
profits than be passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices - a
difficult undertaking when the economy is weak.
During the first five months of this year, consumer prices rose at an annual
rate of 4 percent, compared with 3.4 percent for all of 2000. The pickup
largely reflects soaring energy costs, which have increased at a rate of 16.3
percent this year.
In May, all energy prices shot up by 3.1 percent, following a 1.8 percent
increase.
Gasoline prices led the way, increasing 6 percent in May, the biggest leap in
eight months. Electricity costs jumped 1.3 percent and fuel oil costs rose 0.5
percent.
Gasoline prices during a seven-week period ending in mid-May soared by a
whopping 31-cent-a-gallon average nationwide, according to the Energy
Information Administration. During the past month, prices declined by 7 cents
on average nationwide, but could rebound if there are supply or refinery
problems.
Food prices increased 0.3 percent in May, up from a 0.1 percent gain, while
clothing and car prices fell 0.9 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively.
On Thursday, NAM's Jasinowski thought his industry might have seen the worst.
But after the Fed's report Friday, he said he expected ``industrial production
to hit bottom this summer.''
On the Net:
Industrial production: http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/G17/Current/
J2jurado
Three-way winning approach
Wednesday, June 13, 2001 By TONY FORDER
I recently attended a beer festival in Media, Pa., home of Iron Hill Brewing
Co. The event featured about 25 breweries from Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New
Jersey set up in the brew pub's parking lot. A pair of bands played against a
backdrop of the town's stonewalled armory. Attended by roughly 500 people, the
event was casual and fun, a most enjoyable way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Although it was the first time Iron Hill had held such an event, it seemed as
if the owners had been doing it for years. The flawless setup typified Iron
Hill's professional approach, which has led to the success of its three brewery
restaurants.
All Iron Hill locations are in the Philadelphia-Baltimore corridor. The first
was founded in Newark, Del., in 1996 when a couple of award-winning
home-brewers, Kevin Finn and Mark Edelson, teamed up with restaurant
professional Kevin Davies. The second opened in West Chester, Pa., two years
later and the Media location opened last year. Iron Hill's three-cornered
approach of good service, great food, and fresh beer has proved popular in the
"main street" locations where it has opened. Each location brews its own beers,
but there are a core of brews that are common to all three: for example, the
award-winning Lodestone Lager and Pig Iron Porter. Wood-burning pizza ovens
accent a creative cuisine, where everything is fresh and made from scratch.
The Iron Hill experience may soon become a little more accessible to residents
of the Garden State. The owners say they have been looking hard for a site in
South Jersey, though have nothing definite yet.
It's still maibock season and one of the best examples of this spring style is
Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock imported from Germany. On the home front, Stoudt's Honey
Maibock is a perennial favorite.
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant www.ironhillbrewery.com
147 E. Main St. Newark, Del. (302) 266-9000
High and Gay streets West Chester, Pa. (610) 738-9600
30 E. State St. Media, Pa.(610) 627-9000
http://www.adn.com:80/weekend/story/0,2645,274715,00.html
Glacier's tag team pins hopes on barrels
What ales you By Dawnell Smith (Published Jun 15 2001)
Whenever I see my toddler eyeing a gumball machine, I think of Kevin Burton and
Jason Wood eating big bowls of jambalaya while gazing lovingly at a long line
of glasses filled with Glacier BrewHouse beer. Brews like India Pale Ale,
Bavarian hefeweizen, stout, alt, blonde and cask amber.
Both brewers act like children in a candy shop, except there's no prodding
parent to put a thorn in their zany, infectious fun.
As Burton puts it, "It takes a lot of beer to make a lot of beer."
The head brewers enjoy the fruits of their labor, but they also stay focused,
fused and furiously devoted to making good beer with a twist. They maintain
cask beers on tap, then dote on the Wall of Wood hidden in the cellar.
"We think that's what we'll be known for," Burton said. "We'll always have
something on oak. It will be our standard."
A glimpse of the Wall of Wood makes even the most satiated beer lover salivate.
Each wood barrel can hold a few barrels of beer, which picks up the signature
flavors of oak or whatever previously sat in it. As a result, the barrels can
impart flavors like vanilla, resin, bourbon and much more.
If you've never tasted a bourbon-infused stout or barley wine, you've missed
out on a superb blend of malted beverages. Wood and Burton toast the restaurant
for giving them room to play with these woody tools of the trade.
"Our brewery breaks even, maybe, and luckily we have the restaurant to back us
up," Wood said.
The enormous cellar also helps, since it gives the brewery plenty of room to
store beer on oak for months or even years at a time. Other breweries like
Midnight Sun put out wonderful beer on wood, too, but the BrewHouse has all the
ingredients to make oak-aged beer a regular feature at the restaurant.
When it comes to organization, Wood and Burton know what to do. They both bring
plenty of experience. That's why when Glacier needed a head brewer about four
months ago, the company did a national search but ended up putting two familiar
faces at the kettle. Unlike most breweries that employ one head brewer and a
number of production brewers, Glacier hired Wood and Burton as co-leaders.
Judging from the glow in their eyes and the jump in their steps, the two
consider it a match made in beervana. No doubt, they could talk for hours about
the wonders of job-sharing, brewing and sampling the tanks, but Wood found an
easier way of putting it into words.
He took a gulp of brew, grinned and said, "Well, we're having fun."
Smoking through the rolling blackouts
Co-authors Geoff Larson of Alaskan Brewing Co. and Ray Daniels, a veteran
brewer and writer, will conduct a smoked-beer-tasting benefit at the Four
Points Sheraton in Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 20. The pair wrote the book
on smoked beers and will present samples from Germany, Canada and the United
States.
In a press release, Larson noted that the event will feature beers made from
malt smoked with a variety of woods.
"It will be a real treat to taste beech, hickory, alder, peat, apple and maple
wood smoke in different beers and to detect the nuances they contribute to the
flavor and aroma of each beer."
Maybe we can get this type of event in Anchorage, the capital of smoked fish
and game. Now that sounds like something I'd pay good money to attend.
A wood-seasoned beer is near nirvana for Dawnell Smith. The beermeistress's
e-mail address is writ...@alaska.net.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com:80/business/010614/5032842.html
Biologists' eco-beer campaign: Down a few pints, save rare fish
Marketing tactic a success in Quebec, headed for Ontario
Michael Petrou The Ottawa Citizen
PHOTO: Michel Cusson / Alain Branchaud and Andree Gendron have raised thousands
of dollars to save a rare fish by marketing a Quebec beer. They plan to launch
their Rescousse label in Ontario next spring.
June 14, 2001 - Two young biologists who have raised more than $20,000 for an
endangered Quebec fish by selling beer will bring their style of environmental
activism, and beer marketing to Ontario next year.
Alain Branchaud and Andree Gendron launched Rescousse (Rescue) beer in Quebec
two years ago.
They convinced Le Cheval Blanc, a Quebec microbrewery, to brew the beer and to
donate a portion of profits to a provincial environmental organization working
to save the copper redhorse, a large copper-coloured fish found nowhere in the
world but a few rivers in Quebec.
The campaign worked, raising thousands of dollars and publicizing the plight of
the embattled fish.
The two biologists are now hoping to repeat the same success in Ontario.
Mr. Branchaud and Ms. Gendron will launch Rescousse beer in Ontario next
spring.
The beer and the name will be the same. But the label will depict an endangered
species in Ontario, and the profits will go to an Ontario branch of the World
Wildlife Fund.
The pair do not know what species will be profiled on the new bottles, but Mr.
Branchaud said the decision will involve discussions with the public.
Mr. Branchaud said he is pleased with Rescousse's success in Quebec, but
expects it to be even more popular in Ontario.
Mr. Branchaud and Ms. Gendron's commitment to the copper redhorse comes from
years of studying and working to protect the rare fish.
The copper redhorse lives only in the Richelieu River, east of Montreal, and in
small sections of the St. Lawrence, Noire and Mille-Iles rivers.
It has been battling pollution and other human assaults on its habitat for
decades, but its future took a turn for the worse in 1967, when Transport
Canada rebuilt the St. Ours dam on the Richelieu River and neglected to rebuild
the adjoining fish ladder.
Then came Rescousse beer, an investigative series in the Citizen, a higher
profile for the fish and federal government funding of $1.7 million to build a
new fish ladder
Mr. Branchaud said the fish ladder is now complete and is used by many fish,
although he said they won't know if the copper redhorse will use the ladder
until its spawning season starts in another week or so.
"It's a great feeling," he said.
The dam prevented the copper redhorse from reaching its favourite spawning
area, upstream at Chambly.
Its numbers declined to perhaps only a few hundred, and Mr. Branchaud and Ms.
Gendron were beginning to despair.
One afternoon two years ago, as they sat drowning their sorrows in a Montreal
bar, they found their answer at the bottom of their glasses.
"We went on talking and dreaming about a beer dedicated to the only fish unique
to Quebec," Ms. Gendron told the Citizen, "reproducing only in the Richelieu
and also an endangered species."
Rescousse beer went on sale in Quebec in late 1999. The bottles feature a
painting of the copper redhorse. For every bottle sold, about 20 cents are
given to La Fondation de la Faune du Quebec, a Quebec environmental
organization.
The popular beer raised the profile of the copper redhorse's fight for survival
in Quebec, as did a series of articles in the Citizen.
Last summer, the federal government agreed to build a $1.7-million fish ladder
on the Richelieu River to help the copper redhorse reach its spawning grounds.
Two weeks ago, Mr. Branchaud and Ms. Gendron's Rescousse Project was awarded a
$2,500 grant from a Quebec environmental coalition. In their acceptance speech,
Mr. Branchaud and Ms. Gendron thanked the Citizen for exposing the decline of
the copper redhorse.
Mr. Branchaud said the fish ladder is now complete and is used by many fish,
although he said they won't know if the copper redhorse will use the ladder
until its spawning season starts in another week or so.
"It's a great feeling," he said.
"When you start with only an idea and now you see it built, it's a big
pleasure. Andree and me, we had some wet eyes when we saw the fish."
http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2001/06/13/fp6s3-csm.shtml
Reporters on the Job
TASTE TESTER: While researching today's story about falling Russian vodka sales
and rising nonalcoholic beer consumption (see story), the Monitor's Scott
Peterson took a tour of the Baltika beer factory. "Every beer in the Baltika
line has a number. No. 3 is the most popular. No. 9 has the most alcohol," says
Scott. "While waiting in the executive offices, they offered me a tall glass of
their newest brew, No. 0 - the nonalcoholic beer. It was remarkably good," he
says. During his last posting in the Middle East, Scott traveled in a number of
Islamic nations where alcohol is forbidden. So, he says, he became something of
an expert in the faux brews served in the restaurants of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia,
and Iran. "Most taste like a bad soda, because nonalcoholic beer is often made
by not fully fermenting the product or by boiling off the alcohol."
http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2001/06/13/fp6s3-csm.shtml
PHOTO & STORY (cited already):
NONALCOHOLIC OPTIONS: In a country well known for its love of potent potables,
Baltika No. 0 beer has surged in popularity since its introduction earlier this
year. SCOTT PETERSON/GETTY IMAGES
http://www.frommers.com:80/newsletters/06-11-01/article5.html
To The Editor:
We just returned from a fabulous vacation in Holland, France and Belgium (May
17-27). Through the daily Frommer's newsletter, I found a great price on
airfare to and from Amsterdam on Air France ($408 plus tax). We were quite the
adventurers in that we only had a room booked for the first three nights when
we arrived in Amsterdam. We stayed at Alexander's Apartments in a room with a
shared bathroom and kitchen, which was about five minutes walking distance from
the Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum. Very quaint, fairly priced (about $75
U.S.) and our host, Alex, was very helpful and friendly. It's amazing how the
city changes by just walking a few blocks here and there.
After visiting the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh, Rembrandtsplein, the red light
district (yikes!), the canal boat tour, the beautiful city with friendly
people, etc., we took the Thalys (high speed train) to Paris for four nights.
Beautiful city, but the people were quite unfriendly. Unlike Holland and then
later Belgium, the French decidedly would not assist in any way. Too bad, since
the city is so beautiful. BUT . . .a special mention to the receptionists at
the Hotel du Nord (around $60 U.S. for a room with a double bed, bathroom
w/shower and blow dryer, cable, a safe, and a vending machine with extremely
cheap beer) who went out of their way to assist us in taking mass transit
around the city. Did I mention that the helpful two receptionists weren't
French? The green open air bus tour around the city is a great way to see most
of the city. You can buy one or two-day passes for around $19 U.S. (one day),
and the computer guide speaks both French and English. You can hop on and off
all day long and switch buses to see different parts of the city. Well worth
the price to be carted around Paris, since Paris is huge (especially when
you're walking it). We were told to stay away from the Metros, so we did.
Anyway, we moved on to Brussels and then Brugge, which were both outstanding.
We stayed for 2 nights at the La Legende on Rue de Lombard in Brussels in a
beautiful suite (which is all that was left when we arrived on their doorstep
Friday morning) for a surprisingly affordable 4300 Belgian Francs (around $90
U.S.). The hotel was just a couple of blocks from the Grote Markt (the Grand
Place) and one block from the Mannekin Pis. Great food, great people, and great
beer everywhere we went in Brussels. After spending a bit too much time at the
Mannekin Pis Bar with the funny, friendly bartenders, some Dutch tourists who
were great, and a couple of the locals, we took off the next morning for
Brugge. Definitely a "can't miss" city. Beautiful shops in a beautiful and
quaint city. The beer museum was fun. It's a self-guided tour and when you're
done, you head to the top for a taste of one of four beers brewed on the
premises. The bartenders sit back, drink and smoke and carry on great
conversation. If you'd like more than one, no problem. It was only a little
more than $1 for a nice-sized blonde beer, and they pop a jar of olives on the
table in case you need more salt to wash down the beer. From there it was a
short walk to the "gate of the city" and the windmills, and then back to a cafe
in the center of the city. The food was excellent (fish, potatoes, waffles,
chocolate, etc.) and did I mention how great the people are?
Unfortunately, we didn't think ahead before booking our flight, so we had to
backtrack to Amsterdam to catch our flight. All in all, the best trip I've had.
There's something fun and exciting about "winging it." Takes patience finding a
"hotel as you go" and figuring out what transit (mostly our feet) will get you
around to all the sights, but it also allows the freedom of doing what you
want, when you want.
Dawn Lucy
P.S. Did I mention the Frommer's sign hanging in the window of a sweet, quaint
B&B down a side street in Brugge? From the looks of it, well done, Frommers.
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2001/0614/fro1.htm
Foley is sacked after Aer Lingus upholds complaints
By Arthur Beesley June 14, 2001
Aer Lingus yesterday sacked its chief executive, Mr Michael Foley, after a
board subcommittee upheld two complaints of sexual harassment against him.
As the State airline moved to terminate Mr Foley's contract with immediate
effect, he was told its board could no longer have trust and confidence in him.
It is understood the company told Mr Foley his alleged conduct was "less than
satisfactory" given the obligations of his position. He loses an annual
remuneration package said to be worth more than £400,000, which included a
salary of around £250,000 and additional pension benefits. Yesterday's
dismissal by a board subcommittee means he must vacate a south Dublin apartment
rented on his behalf by Aer Lingus and must return a Mercedes company car. He
also loses complimentary flights.
The subcommittee was appointed to assess a report by a separate board
subcommittee which found the two complaints against Mr Foley were "correct in
all material respects".
Mr Foley repeated yesterday that he was not guilty of the allegations made
against him by his former personal assistant, Ms Anne Lawlor, and by a SIPTU
worker-director, Ms Joan Loughnane. He declined to be interviewed. When asked
whether he would take legal action against Aer Lingus, Mr Foley's spokesman
said all options were under consideration.
The subcommittee is understood to have told Mr Foley that his alleged conduct
"could not be properly classified as gross misconduct", which would be in
serious or persistent breach of his contract. This meant the subcommittee
stopped short of summarily dismissing Mr Foley, which would have ended all
benefits he receives.
Instead, a condition of his departure is that he will paid salary for the
remainder of his two-year contract, which ends in August 2002. It is thought 14
months' salary would be worth about £290,000 to Mr Foley.
In a statement, Mr Foley said he would not relent in his efforts to ensure that
the truth about the allegations against him would prevail.
"I am shocked and disturbed by the decision of Aer Lingus," he said. "I
reiterate my total innocence of the allegations made against me and will take
all necessary steps to clear my good name."
Mr Foley had alleged a conspiracy to frame him within the company, although the
investigating subcommittee said he produced no evidence to support that.
http://www.ireland.com:80/newspaper/finance/2001/0614/fin5.htm
New Aer Lingus CEO faces unenviable task
By Arthur Beesley
PHOTO: Mr Michael Foley: contract as chief executive of Aer Lingus
terminated "with immediate effect"
Replacing Mr Michael Foley as chief executive at Aer Lingus is not going to be
easy.
His successor will join an airline facing significant trading difficulties and
which may yet be sold by the Government. The new chief executive will also
inherit a difficult relationship with trade unions at the airline, whose
rivalry over the representation of cabin crew has been bitter.
If Aer Lingus opted to hire an external candidate, the process could take some
time. When the previous chief executive, Mr Garry Cullen, resigned in February
2000, the State airline took six months to appoint Mr Foley.
Less time would be required to promote an internal candidate. For this reason,
and because an Aer Lingus insider would have knowledge of the company and its
many problems, that approach may be favoured by senior figures within the
airline.
However, it is thought the company was keen to recruit a heavy-hitter from the
private sector when Mr Foley was head-hunted. He received a salary of about
£250,000 (euro317,430); Mr Cullen was believed to earn about £100,000.
At the time of Mr Foley's appointment, Aer Lingus was preparing for a stock
market flotation, though the Government's advisers have since been told to take
soundings on the possibility of a trade sale.
Whether the company will headhunt another external candidate or whether some of
those interviewed for the position last year will be approached again remains
to be seen. Either way, the position demands managerial flair and considerable
political nous.
Among those seen as a likely internal candidate is the company's finance
director, Mr John O'Donovan, who was appointed in 1995 and joined its board
last July. While Mr O'Donovan played a key role in the company's recovery from
a grave financial crisis in the mid-1990s, he is known not to have applied for
the position of chief executive last year when it became vacant.
The airline's chief operations officer, Mr Willie Walsh, and its commercial
director, Mr Mark Mortell, are also seen as potential candidates.
The airline's deputy chief executive, Mr Larry Stanley, also did not apply for
the position of chief executive last year. Neither did he apply when Mr
Cullen's predecessor, Mr Gary McGann, left the airline. He is again considered
unlikely to apply on this occasion.
Mr Stanley was acting chief executive while the process of appointing Mr Cullen
and Mr Foley took place. He has not taken that role on this occasion. Instead,
Aer Lingus chairman, Mr Bernie Cahill, is acting as executive chairman.
The board of the company is expected to meet soon to initiate the recruitment
process. Its most likely approach will be to appoint a subcommittee to make the
appointment, as happened last year.
The subcommittee which hired Mr Foley was chaired by Mr Cahill. Its other
members were Mr Des Richardson and Mr Paddy Wright, who, ironically, were
members of the subcommittee which sacked Mr Foley yesterday.
Mr Foley was first approached last year by a recruitment consulting firm, Barry
Herriott Search & Selection, acting for Aer Lingus.
Then working as president and chief executive of Heineken USA, Mr Foley was
already known to Mr Cahill. He had worked until 1994 as managing director of
Murphy Brewery Ireland, owned by Heineken Corporation, of which Mr Cahill was a
director.
http://news.excite.com/news/r/010615/07/odd-death-dc
Patient Dies After Throat Tube Set on Fire
Jun 15 ROME (Reuters) - An Italian man died after an operation in which
surgeons accidentally set fire to a breathing tube in his throat with a laser
they were using to remove a tumor, ANSA news agency reported Thursday.
It said the patient, 56-year-old Armando Borracino, died from internal burns
Monday after a 12-day fight for his life in a hospital in the southern city of
Salerno. He underwent the operation on May 30.
"We are sorry for what has happened and we offer our condolences to the family
of the unfortunate patient," Salerno regional health officer Teresa Armato
said.
The head of the hospital resigned and three medics were suspended, ANSA said.
http://news.excite.com/news/r/010615/07/odd-goldfish-dc
Goldfish Bowl Sends 26 People to Hospital
Jun 15 7:24 LONDON (Reuters) - Firefighters on Friday blamed a goldfish bowl
for sending 26 people to hospital in Britain. They believe the bowl may have
acted as a magnifying glass which concentrated the sun's rays and set light to
a garden shed containing a rat-catcher's potentially noxious chemicals.
The sun's rays are believed to have entered one shed where the goldfish were
kept and then passed through to another where chemicals were stored.
The tablets of aluminum phosphide gave off fumes when firemen tried to dampen
them down and 18 firefighters, four paramedics and four neighbors were taken to
an Oxford hospital suffering from vomiting, nausea and burning chest
sensations.
Assistant chief fire officer Lawrie Booth told Friday's Times: "It is an
extremely unusual cause of fire -- a million-to-one chance, but we will revisit
the need to offer cautionery advice regarding the dangers of fishbowls in
specific environments...they might be highly dangerous."
The goldfish did not survive the conflagration.
J2jurado
national pride to sell suds
Maclean's , JAMES DEACON; 06-18-2001
The video starts with a grainy black-and-white photograph of The Last Spike
come to life. Labourers in soiled work clothes stand beside suited gents in top
hats along the train tracks in Craigellachie, B.C., on Nov. 7, 1885. Financier
Donald Smith has the honour of pounding in the final iron stake to complete the
Canadian Pacific Railway's trans-Canada line, and as the rhythmic clang of
sledge on spike hammers out a beat, the greybeards and workmen break into song:
"I know this place is where I am/No other place is better than/No matter where
I go I am/Proud to be Ca-na-di-an."
Other singers join in and scenes change, each one a familiar slice of history
or geography or culture, and all of them playing to national pride. There's the
bravery of Canadian lads returning home from war. The power of Canada's Niagara
Falls. The pride of a Manitoba women's hockey team. The joy of Paul
Henderson's goal. Only at the end does the video reveal itself to be a beer
commercial, but by then, it doesn't matter. The lyrics are a bit repetitive and
the melody is simple, but the song is catchy enough and the images really tug
at the heartstrings. And, for good measure, they throw Joe in at the end.
You remember Joe. Checked shirt? Didn't eat blubber or live in an igloo? He's
back in the latest wrapped-in-the-flag ad for Canadian, Molson's best-selling
lager. This week, more than a year after Joe first unleashed the zed-not-zee
Rant, the brewery is again swinging for the fences, this time with the longest
and most expensive "I Am. Canadian" spot ever. The Rant was a runaway hit among
early-twenty- somethings, who are exactly the people breweries covet. Beer
companies track their performances closely, and though the company won't reveal
exact numbers, Molson does say its sales jumped with Joe.
So the brewer is ready with a new spot, running a whopping 90 seconds -- that's
six lifetimes in the ad biz -- which will debut on June 13 and get heavy play
leading up to the Canada Day weekend. If it is even remotely as successful as
the Rant, it will help Molson sell more of its flagship brew in the summer
battle against Labatt Blue for market share. The two brewery behemoths control
approximately 90 per cent of the estimated $5-billion annual beer trade in
Canada, so it's a big deal to them when one gets up a percentage point on the
other.
But that's just business. What's more intriguing is what Molson and its
Toronto-based ad man, Glen Hunt of Bensimon-Byrne D'Arcy, say they hope to
achieve with the latest "I Am" ad. For one thing, they think they have found
another way to stoke the patriotic fire in Canadians. Their market research
tells them that young Canadians have an astonishingly passionate love of
country, and that was borne out by the people who stood and cheered the Rant
last year when it played at movies and hockey games. Those crowds weren't
responding to an advertisement; they were relating to another Canadian's
frustration at being misunderstood, at not being seen as distinct from
Americans.
So the creators of the Rant set out to tap those strong emotions again. But
this time, they have ambitions beyond simply selling suds. With their song that
celebrates the country, they hope they've developed one of those bits of pop
culture that catches on and lives past the stale date of the ad itself. After
singing along through a rough cut of the ad at the agency's Toronto offices,
Hunt wondered aloud: wouldn' t it be great if "I Am" grew to be an unofficial
national song, like America the Beautiful south of the border or Waltzing
Matilda in Australia, the way Bobby Gimby's Centennial song ("One little, two
little, three Canadians") was supposed to last past 1967, but didn't.
Hunt's hope is shared. Everyone involved in the campaign talks about giving the
country something to sing. But not just a song: in-house, Hunt and the Molson
folks are calling the new spot the Anthem. They' re aiming high.
His name is Dan and he is Canadian. Never mind the 15 or so years he spent out
of the country selling floor wax and soup for S. C. Johnson and Campbell's.
Dan O'Neill's type-eh? all the way. Now 49, he was raised in Ottawa, got his
MBA at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., and never stopped loving the
Montreal Canadiens, a happy coincidence since he's now the president and chief
executive of Molson Inc. (The company will still own 20 per cent of the Habs
when its $275-million sale of the Molson Centre and the team to American
financier George Gillett is approved.) Among other adornments, O'Neill's
office across the street from Molson's Montreal brewery is decorated with a
print of Ken Danby's Study of Skates, a goalie mask and a Habs jacket
autographed on the left sleeve by Maurice Richard and on the right by Jean
Béliveau.
When he returned to Canada to join Molson in 1999, O'Neill was skeptical of an
ad campaign appealing to national pride. "What national pride?" he asked at
the time, with good reason. It was not an obvious trait in the Canada he had
left back in the 1980s. But he signed off anyway: against his bias stood a
stack of research data that said young Canadians are overwhelmingly proud of
their country, and if O'Neill learned anything in the big leagues of
packaged-goods marketing, it was to trust research more than his gut.
Clearly it worked, and that's important to a man whose job it is to increase
sales and lead a rebirth in an old company. Molson is coming off a banner year
-- though ranked 21st in sales among the world's breweries, its stock price
increased in value by 88 per cent, tops in the industry. Most of that
improvement has to do with corporate restructuring. But Joe didn't hurt, and
O'Neill, the born-again Canadian, is fascinated by how the patriotism of 18- to
24-year-old Canadians propelled the Rant to such heights. Sitting at a round
table in one corner of his office, he thumbs through stat sheets and charts.
The vast majority of respondents ranked having fun and hanging with friends as
being most important (duh), but they also prized living in a country that
offered the potential for economic prosperity and acceptance of cultural
diversity. And get this: a significant majority claimed to be interested in
learning more about the country's past. The loud clunk you just heard was the
sound of 5,000 high-school history teachers hitting the floor.
Canadians have traditionally demonstrated their patriotism in reaction to major
national events -- wars, elections, hockey summits, Olympics, centennials and
the funerals of beloved leaders or athletic heroes. And advertising experts say
that, typically, Canadians are far less likely to respond favourably to an
overtly patriotic pitch than, say, Americans. Yet the evidence so far suggests
that most people don' t seem to mind a little Maple Leaf with their suds. When
Jeff Douglas, the actor who plays Joe, performed his Rant at Toronto's Air
Canada Centre during intermission at a Maple Leafs game, the performance
elicited a passionate, un-Toronto-like ovation. Follow-up commercials, though
not as notable, also tested well with viewers.
The "I Am" creators understand, though, that they have to tread softly. In each
instalment, the actual pitch is carefully discreet, not just in Rant and Anthem
but in the "No doot aboot it" and the Acadian poem spots as well. With that
strategy, says Anne Lavack, who teaches courses in advertising at the
University of Winnipeg, there appears to be little downside.
"Does advertising lead, or does it just reflect what is already going on?"
Lavack asks. "In this case, I think it has more to do with what's already out
there, what people are thinking and talking about."
Still, there are critics who decry trading on patriotism for commercial gain,
and there are folks in the industry who are watching the latest launch closely
to see if it manipulates the O Canada emotions too blatantly in its bid to sell
more lager. Just in the name, Anthem, there is a huge presumption, as there is
in using the Last Spike image. They could have shown the Fathers of
Confederation, but perhaps Molson is discreetly suggesting that its song, like
the CPR's spike, could bring the country together. It may not happen this time,
says Ida Berger, professor of marketing at Ryerson Polytechnic University in
Toronto, but there's a danger in this kind of campaign. "That's not a feeling I
get from any specific market research I have done, " Berger says. "It has to do
with my experience with my students, who are right in that target age-group for
the beer companies. I can just see how they'd roll their eyes and tune out if
the campaign started to push them where they didn't want
to go."
O'Neill is comfortable playing the Canada card. The product is made in this
country by a company that has done business here for 215 years. "If anyone has
the right to push Canada, I think it has to be Molson, " he says. Sensibly,
though, this latest patriotic pitch doesn't push very hard. The Rant was like
foreign policy, to differentiate Canucks from Americans; the Anthem is strictly
domestic policy, a celebration of a rich heritage.
Will Canadians sing along? The question is unsettling in the crucial days
before the campaign is unveiled. Sitting in his office, O'Neill says Molson and
the agency have done the requisite polling, shot miles of film and jammed into
90 seconds as much as they can -- even Joe, their good-luck charm,
superimposed over an aerial view of the federalist rally in Montreal before the
1995 Quebec referendum. But no one can be sure it will have the desired effect.
"We've invested a lot of money in this," O'Neill says, "and if it doesn't work,
then that's pretty much the beer season shot to hell."
But research and the Rant keep urging them on. Hunt says young adults who grew
up with the Internet's one-world view still long for their own specific
identity. "They are looking for ways to define themselves as Canadian," he
says. And for now, atleast, Molson is hoping they won't mind getting that
definition from a beer commercial.
Halt on foreign drinks licensing wins support
The Vietnam Investment Review; 06-14-2001
A PROPOSED halt on licenses for foreign-invested projects producing beer,
carbonated soft drinks and drinks packaging has met with approval from a range
of government agencies. The proposal was lodged with the prime minister by the
Ministry of Industry (MoI) in June last year. A senior official from the
ministry last week told Vietnam Investment Review that the prime minister was
"very likely" to approve it since concerned ministries had reached a consensus
at a recent meeting. The prime minister, the official said, would probably make
a final decision next month, after the completion of the current National
Assembly session. The MoI, in its 'Master Plan for Alcohol, Beer and Soft Drink
Development to 2020', claimed that foreign-invested projects involved in the
production of beer, carbonated soft drinks and packaging had too large a
presence in Vietnam. However, the ministry said, they had failed to fulfil
their capacities. MoI called on the government to stop granting new projects
and not to allow the existing projects to expand their production capacities.
The ministry also suggested the government grant no further licenses for
small-scale breweries with production capacities of less than 10 million litres
per year. Such plants had mushroomed over the past ten years. Executives from
the Danish-backed Southeast Asia Brewery, which produces Carlsberg, and the
state-owned Vietnam Alcohol Beer and Beverages Corporation (Vinabeco), said the
proposal was reasonable. According to Nguyen Nang Mien, head of Vinabeco's
planning and investment department, foreign breweries were running at 40-70
per cent of their design capacities. Mien highlighted Vietnam's low beer demand
by regional standards. Vietnamese drank an average of 7-8 litres a year per
capita while the tallies in Thailand and China were 18 and 14 litres
respectively, he said. Despite considerable investments by Tiger, Carlsberg,
Heineken, Fosters and San Miguel, foreign-brand breweries had a local market
share of only 20 per cent, according to MoI. A Carlsberg executive said that
there had been modest sales growth at foreign brewers. "Indications of recovery
in the beer sector have emerged but the growth is rather slow. Business
performance of foreign brewers has improved a bit since last year but it is far
from bounding back to the level before the financial regional crisis," he said.
The executive added that his brewery recorded 10 per cent sales growth in the
first five months of the year. According to the Ministry of Planning and
Investment (MPI), overall beer production across the country grew 6.7 per cent
last year to 669 million litres. The beer sector was now running at 62 per cent
of its overall design capacity, the MPI reported. There are 469 beer producers
nationwide, of which two are centrally state-owned enterprises, seven are
foreign- backed joint ventures and 460 are locally state-owned businesses and
private
firms.
The joint ventures have total design capacity of 320 million litres or more a
year. Under the state plan, in the 2001-2005 period, Hanoi Beer Company is to
be upgraded to produce an additional 100 litres a year. A Saigon Beer brewery
in Binh Tay district of Ho Chi Minh City and an unnamed joint venture are to
be put into operation. Each will be set to produce an extra 50 million litres a
year.
Even famed tenor can't out-sing St. Petersburg din
ST PETERSBURG, Russia, June 16 (Reuters) - Poor acoustics, diesel generators
and chanting football fans helped drown out Spanish tenor Placido Domingo on
Saturday at an open air gala concert outside Russia's famous Winter Palace.
Some 12,000 spectators gathered in the second city's Palace Square for the free
concert, but many found it was impossible to hear Domingo, one of the famed
"Three Tenors" who have helped bring opera to a wider audience.
The singer was barely audible more than 50 meters (yards) from the stage. "I
thought that it would be difficult to hear, but I didn't expect it to be this
bad," said Andrei Yershov, a St. Petersburg resident who attended the concert.
Noisy diesel generators powering beer tents and beer engines that ringed the
historic square were the main villains, but fans of the local Zenith football
club did little to help matters by chanting "Zenith champions!" as they went
by.
Domingo sang excerpts from Camille Saint-Saens's "Sampson and Delilah" opera
and Richard Wagner's "Die Walkuere" (The Valkyries), in which the star is to
perform in St Petersburg on Tuesday. He was accompanied by the Marinskii
Theatre Symphony Orchestra under its star conductor, Valery Gergiev.
The Spanish star was in St Petersburg for its annual "White Nights" festival,
so called because it falls during the time of year when the sun never fully
sets.
Report: Beer industry warned of bubbles
AsiaInfo Services ; 05-11-2001
BEIJING, May 11, 2001 (AsiaPort via COMTEX) -- Chinese breweries should not get
too excited about their industry never going flat just because some
entrepreneurs think that the industry is out of dangerous water, experts have
warned.
Earlier this year, the Beijing Yanjing Brewery purchased Qufu Sankong Brewery
in East China's Shandong Province for 120 million yuan (US$14.48 million).
Before that, the Tsingdao Brewery purchased two beer firms in Beijing for
US$22.5 million. It also stunned the press when it purchased 75 per cent of the
shares of Shanghai Carlsburg.
Both purchasers were Chinese companies and the firms purchased happened to be
foreign-funded ones.
Some people saw this as a sign that foreign breweries were about to quit the
Chinese market.
According to official statistics, China's total beer production reached 22.31
million tons in 2000, ranking the industry second in the world, surpassed only
by that of the United States. The number of Chinese beer consumers has
increased 20 per cent annually in the last few years.
Why did foreign breweries with their massive financial foundations and famous
brands fail in China's huge market?
High costs were one of the disadvantages faced by foreign breweries, according
to experts.
Foreign breweries paid high prices to enter the Chinese market. Then, they
expanded their investments, upgrading the purchased facilities. The high costs
led to high prices for their products.
However, most Chinese beer consumers are ordinary citizens or farmers who want
low-priced brands. The market for premium beer is limited in China.
Also, the sales system and marketing strategy of foreign breweries did not suit
the Chinese market, experts said.
Foreign breweries often spent large sums supplying their products to high-class
hotels or engaged in high-priced advertising campaigns. The results were not
successful.
Foreign beers now make up about 1 per cent of the Chinese market. They are
mostly found in expensive hotels and
entertainment centres frequented by foreigners.
However, Chinese beer enterprises had a clear view of the local market.
They promoted sales through various channels. Their products could be seen in
shops and bars at various levels.
Brisk business has secured the financial foundation upon which the domestic
breweries have grown rapidly.
The Tsingdao Brewery has purchased 34 beer enterprises across China in the last
few years. Its annual production has increased from 400, 000 tons to 3 million
tons.
Beijing's Yanjing Brewery has purchased five breweries since 1995 and its
annual production exceeds 1 million tons.
Although things look promising, Chinese entrepreneurs should not think that the
"wolves" have gone from their door and will not come back, experts warn.
Compared with the world's top 10 breweries each with an annual output exceeding
5 million tons, Chinese breweries, even the largest ones such as Tsingdao and
Yanjing, are "little brothers."
There are also big gaps in the production techniques of Chinese and foreign
breweries.
In China, the production of one ton of beer requires an average of 10 tons of
water, 160 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 100 kilograms of coal.
In Western countries, the production of one ton of beer consumes only 5 tons of
water, 130 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 80 kilograms of coal.
Furthermore, foreign brands enjoy a better reputation on the world market.
Foreign beer makes up a small part of the Chinese market. However, there are
still some brands that have witnessed remarkable progress on the Chinese
market. Blue Ribbon, for instance, has become the second largest selling canned
beer in China.
After China enters the World Trade Organization, the tariff on beer will drop
58 per cent.
Experts predict that imported beers may swallow up 5 per cent of the Chinese
market in the next five years.
A DOZEN TO TASTE AND COMPARE
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. BOB TOWNSEND, 06-14-2001
Whatever the label says, we think summer brews are simply the styles of beer
that taste better in the warmer months and pairwell with the simpler kinds of
food we eat then. Among our collection of some of the best, we've included
traditional wheat beers, pilsner and helles, as well as a few newer seasonal
brews. All are available locally at larger liquor stores, such as Green's. >
Samuel Smith Pilsner (England) --- Samuel Smith is famous for classic British
ales, but this all-malt beer is brewed using bottom-fermenting yeast; rich
golden color, floral bouquet and refreshing, clean flavor; would be great with
a buffet of poached salmon and summer salads; try it with a spoonful of Rose's
Lime Juice for a classic lager and lime. $7.99/four-pack.
> Sierra Nevada Summerfest Beer (California) --- A surprising example of a
traditional, bottom-fermented lager; smoother and lighter in body than the
pilsner Sierra Nevada is known for, it has good hop aroma and bite; would drink
well with a variety of meats, including hot dogs, at a backyard barbecue.
$6.49/six-pack.
> Dogwood Pilsner (Georgia) --- Classic pilsner from a local brewer means it's
by far the freshest you'll taste this summer --- unless you're planning a trip
to the Czech Republic whose pilsners are similar to this Georgia original;
golden color, medium body, big hop flavor and spicy aroma, with subtle notes
of honey and butter; perfect as a before-dinner drink or with boiled shrimp.
$5.29/six- pack.
> Hacker-Pschorr Munich Edelhell (Germany) --- Unlike its lager cousin,
pilsner, helles is a malt-accentuated beer with only a mild touch of hop
bitterness; pale yellow color, creamy white head and a clean, slightly sweet
flavor with yeasty notes of baked bread; light and easy to drink, it could
pair well with many savory seasonal dishes, especially fish. $6.99/six-pack.
> Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen (Germany) --- Hefe means hearty, and Weizen is
wheat, in German; this traditional, frothy Bavarian yeast beer is a superlative
example of the style; natural cloudiness, classic aromas of banana, clove and
citrus with a sparkling, thirst-quenching finish; served in a tall Weisse
glass, it would be a stylish addition to a summer brunch of grilled sausages
and eggs. $1.79/single.
> Schneider Weisse (Germany) --- This robust wheat beer is from one of the
oldest breweries continuously producing this style (since 1607); pleasing dark
amber color, highly carbonated, with a rich head; complex aromas of clove and
citrus; extremely well-balanced, with sweet malt accents, making it versatile
enough to go with veal sausages, fruit salad or even grilled skirt steak and
roasted bananas (see recipe). $2.79/single.
> Paulaner Hefeweizen (Germany) --- Probably the easiest to find of the
Bavarian wheat beers but nowhere near the quality or complexity of the Tucher
or Schneider; pale yellow, with a big, frothy head and flavors ranging from
clove to apple, with a hint of caramel; clean, tangy finish that would be good
with grilled bratwurst and spicy mustard. $6.99/six-pack.
> Sierra Nevada Wheat (California) --- Pale yellow-gold, unfiltered version of
old-style malted wheat beers, with a 50-50 blend of malted wheat and barley;
medium-bodied, mildly hopped, fresh and smooth, it's perfect for those who
don't enjoy the clove quality found in many Weisse beers; balanced enough to
go with many kinds of foods, including grilled white pizza with summer
vegetables. $6.79/six-pack.
> Gouden Boom Blanche de Bruges (Belgium) --- Splendid, traditional Belgian
white beer; bottle-conditioned, shimmering pale tan hue, bubbly white head;
exotically fruity and summery, with notes of orange, honey and spice; serve it
with a buffet of bold fusion foods such as Spanish, Indian or Asian.
$2.29/single.
> Dogwood Summer Brew (Georgia) --- Unfiltered Belgian-style white beer, with a
microbrew edge; barley, malted and unmalted wheat, a touch of oats, dried
orange peel and coriander; a complex flavor that' s still smooth and
refreshing; try it with burritos, fish tacos or steamed mussels (see recipe).
$5.29/six-pack.
> Samuel Adams Summer Ale (Massachusetts) --- Some might find its tanginess too
much, but the Boston brewery's take on wheat beer, with lemon zest and a
historic spice called Grains of Paradise, shouts summer thirst-quencher;
peppery citrus flavor and aroma; pair it with spicy foods or a simple risotto
(see recipe). $5.49/six-pack.
> Troubadour Blond Ale (Belgium) --- Deep blond Belgian ale from a group of
young brewers in Ghent, this one may be a bit hard to find; conditioned with
yeast in the bottle, giving it a tall, firm head; mildly bitter flavor followed
by a gentle, honey-sweet aftertaste; very refreshing on its own or with grilled
seafood, chicken or pork. $2.49/single.
Bob Townsend is an Atlanta free-lance writer and longtime beer aficionado who
will begin writing a biweekly beer column in this section in July.
ILLUSTRATIONS/PHOTOS: A bottle of Dogwood Pilsner A bottle of Samuel Smith
Lager A bottle of Sierra Nevada
Summerfest Beer A bottle of Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen A bottle of Paulaner
Hefeweizen A bottle of Sierra Nevada Wheat A bottle of Dogwood Summer Brew A
bottle of Samuel Adams Summer Ale A bottle of Troubadour Blond Ale
'No separate sale of brands and breweries'
Birmingham Post; 06-14-2001
Pubmaster's hostile bid for Wolverhampton & Dudley breweries is very unlikely
to include proposals to sell brands and breweries separately.
Though the pub group declined to comment yesterday, sources close to the
company said that weekend reports that the company might sell off the Marston's
Pedigree and Banks beer brands separately from the breweries in Burton-on-Trent
and Wolverhamptonwhich brew them, was wide of the mark.
Intense speculation surrounds the pounds 453 million bid because Pubmaster is
not thought to be interested in any of Wolverhampton's brewing operations.
Burton is threatened by a rationalisation and job losses even if the W&D
management beats off the bid, while
Wolverhampton, Hartlepool and Mansfield are also thought to be under threat of
closure by the current management.
Pubmaster is primarily interested in the group's tenanted pubs and is thought
to have an agreement with entrepreneur Robert Breare to sell off 290 managed
houses if the bid succeeds.
Mr Breare, the boss of Noble House Leisure, was knocked back when he tabled a
bid for W&D last year and he is thought to be also interested in Marston's 33
upmarket Pitcher and Piano outlets.
Pubmaster's original 491p offer for W&D was turned down by the board ten days
ago as undervalueing the group. It then went hostile with the 480p offer,
reflecting the higher costs of a hostile takeover.
Nepal's New Queen Recovering
June 16, 2001 KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) - Nepal's new Queen Komal, who was injured
in the palace massacre on June 1, completed a second round of surgery in the
army hospital Sunday and was recovering well, doctors said.
Komal was shot twice in her left shoulder by Crown Prince Dipendra, who killed
his parents and seven other royals at the family dinner.
Though an official inquiry didn't deal with the motive, Dipendra was reported
to be unhappy with his parents, King Birendra and Queen Aiswarya, who rejected
his choice of a bride.
One of four survivors, Komal underwent her first operation on the day of the
massacre.
The three other injured royal family members also were recovering in the
military hospital. They didn't require any surgery, doctors said.
Komal had attended the dinner as a member of the royal family.
Her husband, Prince Gyanendra, was first appointed assistant to the crown after
the killing of King Birendra. He became the king after the death of Dipendra,
who had briefly succeeded his father following the June 1 shooting.
An inquiry by Supreme Court Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya and House
Speaker Taranath Ranabhat said on Thursday that Crown Prince Dipendra was the
lone gunman, high on drugs and drunk on beer.
Sen. Helms Takes in U2 Concert
.c The Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. (June 16) - At age 79, Sen. Jesse Helms has experienced what's
usually a preteen rite of passage -- he attended his first rock concert.
The North Carolina Republican was invited to a U2 concert in Washington by his
friend Bono, lead singer for the group.
``It was filled to the gills, and people were moving back and forth like corn
in the breeze,'' Helms said. ``They had that crowd going wild. When Bono shook
his hips, that crowd shook their hips.''
Bono and Helms - known for his unbending conservative positions on issues such
as abortion, gay rights and federal funding for the arts - struck up a
friendship last fall when the singer lobbied the senator on international debt
relief. Bono is said, "To love that old bugger."
Helms and his grandchildren watched Thursday's show from a sky box. They were
invited backstage before the concert, where Helms met U2 guitarist the Edge.
Helms said he was impressed with the Bono's stamina.
``I don't see how he lasts physically,'' he said. ``He runs and skips and just
goes and goes.''
Helms also said he turned down his hearing aids and put his hands over his ears
during the concert because it ``was the noisiest thing I ever heard. It was so
loud I couldn't really understand what he was saying.''
Two New Studies Support Health Benefits of Black Tea
Studies Offer Further Evidence That Black Tea May Play Role In Helping To
Prevent Heart Disease and Certain Types of Cancer
TORONTO, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Two new research papers supporting the health
benefits of drinking black tea were presented today at the first-ever
Epidemiology Congress 2001, a joint meeting of Canadian and American scientific
societies. The first paper, a national cross-sectional study of 1,764 women in
Saudi Arabia, shows that tea drinkers are 19 percent less likely to suffer from
cardiovascular disease(1). A second epidemiological paper presented at the
conference shows that tea consumption is associated with a lower risk of rectal
cancer in Moscow women(2).
The Saudi women who consumed black tea had total cholesterol, triglycerides and
LDL measures that were significantly lower than non-tea drinkers. The most
marked reduction in blood lipid levels was observed in women who consumed six
or more cups of tea a day.
"This paper is important in showing that daily black tea consumption has a
measured protective effect on the blood lipid risk factors for heart disease,"
according to Iman Hakim, M.D., Ph.D., the lead researcher from the University
of Arizona. "We were able to demonstrate a significant inverse relationship
between tea drinking and blood lipid levels and that tea drinking can
potentially affect the incidence of heart disease in a large group of women.
This certainly seems to point to a protective effect of regular tea drinking on
heart health that warrants further investigation."
A second epidemiologic research paper presented today by Dora Il'yasova, who
was awarded a student competition prize, also supports potential health
benefits related to black tea consumption. This population-based, case-control
study of 663 patients with rectal cancer and 323 randomly selected controls
supports tea's potential in the prevention of rectal cancer. The study found
that higher levels of tea drinking were associated with lower risk of rectal
cancer among the Moscow population. This association between tea consumption
and the lower risk of rectal cancer was stronger among Moscow women than in
men.
"The statistical modeling of the Moscow data suggests that this difference in
risk reduction between genders can be partially explained by the overwhelming
harmful effect of alcohol consumption among Moscow men," said Dora Il'yasova.
Epidemiology Congress 2001 is the first North American scientific congress to
be jointly sponsored by four major epidemiology organizations, the Canadian
Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, the Society for Epidemiologic
Research, the American College of Epidemiology and the American Public Health
Association Epidemiology Section. The Congress brings together a larger number
of epidemiologists than any previous meeting.
(1) I.A. Hakim, M.A. Alsair, O. Al-Attas. Cross Sectional study of
effects of drinking black tea on cardiovascular disease among Saudi
women. Presented at Epidemiology Congress in Toronto on June 16,
2001.
(2) Il'yasova D, Arab L, Martinchik A, Sdvizhkov A, Urbanovich L,
Weisgerber UM. Black tea consumption and risk of rectal cancer in
Moscow population.
(Manuscript submitted to the American Journal of Epidemiology.)
J2jurado
Monday 18 June, 2001
Foster's Brewing Group says it has had a positive response to a deal to raise
finance in the United States for its overseas expansion.
In an announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Foster's says a deal to
raise $US500 million over 10 years, through private placement bond markets in
the United States, has been fully subscribed.
Foster's says it will use the proceeds to refinance existing debt, including
that incurred through the acquisition of United States winemaker Beringer Wine
Estates in August last year.
Foster's combined the California based Beringer with Mildara Blass to boost
its premium wine position.
That deal cost Foster's about $2.6 billion. © 2001 Australian Broadcasting
Corporation.
Bass and other lessons: UK executives could face jail in new competition drive
By Jane Merriman, UK financial services correspondent
LONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - The UK government on Monday attempted to push
competition to the top of corporate boardroom agendas, with U.S-style
cartel-busting proposals that could send business executives to jail.
The new measures are part of a sweeping overhaul of competition policy and
regulation, which includes taking politics out of decisions on mergers and
monopoly investigations and giving regulators new powers to promote
competition.
Newly appointed Trade Minister Patricia Hewitt said the aim was not to fill
Britain's prisons with businessmen, but to introduce tough penalties as a
deterrent to cartel operators, who were effectively stealing from consumers.
"The impact will not be lots of people being locked up but a deterrent effect."
Hewitt said the proposals aimed to give competition authorities the sort of
freedom the previous Labour government had given the Bank of England in 1997.
"We set the rules then let them get on with it," she said at a news conference,
where she and UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown and Education
Minister Estelle Morris outlined the plans, for which draft proposals will be
published in July.
Competition experts said the moves would put UK competition policy on a par
with the United States, where cartel operators risk severe criminal penalties,
including jail.
"What it has done in the U.S. is to push competition issues towards to the top
of the boardroom agendas and I think we can see something similar is going to
happen here," said Martin Coleman, head of competition law at law firm Norton
Rose.
FREE AT LAST
The long-awaited removal of politics from competition investigations comes as
the Competition Commission faces some key decisions affecting British industry.
The commission is already re-thinking its procedures over the handling of an
investigation of Belgian brewer Interbrew's <INTB.BR> acquisition of Bass
Brewers.
This follows a UK High Court ruling that the UK authorities should reconsider a
decision forcing Interbrew to sell Bass Brewers.
The commission is also investigating small business banking, where it has found
that a monopoly exists between the major players. Last week it was granted four
more months to complete its work.
The commission has already completed a confidential report on Lloyds TSB's
<LLOY.L> proposed 19 billion pound ($26.73 billion) merger with Abbey National
<ANL.L>. Its recommendations are now being examined by the Department of Trade
and Industry and they are due to be published sometime next month.
Legal experts said the new freedoms being proposed for the commission and the
Office of Fair Trading meant they would have to develop the necessary
procedures to exercise them properly.
"Once again it points to the need to have stronger procedural safeguards," said
Cole, who noted the recent High Court ruling on Interbrew.
"What is going to be required if the Competition Commission is going to be the
final decision-making body are higher levels of procedural standards during the
investigative process."
Big Rock Brewery Ltd. Acquires Whistler Brewing Company Ltd.
CALGARY, June 18 /PRNewswire/ - Big Rock Brewery Ltd. (Nasdaq: <A
HREF="aol://4785:BEERF">BEERF</A>), (TSE: BR) Chairman and CEO, Ed McNally,
announced today that Big Rock has purchased 97% of the issued and outstanding
common shares of Whistler Brewing Company Ltd., including the rights to the
brands of the Bowen Island Brewing Co. Ltd. The acquisition price paid upon
closing of the Whistler transactions was 94,710 Big Rock shares. An additional
37,126 Big Rock shares are scheduled to be paid within six months, pending
determination of post-closing adjustments. Big Rock will now purchase the
balance of the outstanding Whistler shares, exercising its compulsory
acquisition rights under the provisions of the British Columbia Company Act for
a consideration of an additional 3,170 shares of Big Rock.
Conditional approval by the Toronto Stock Exchange has been received by Big
Rock for the acquisitions, subject to the satisfaction of certain post-closing
filings.
The acquisition of Whistler will improve the delivery, storage and marketing of
Big Rock products in British Columbia. Big Rock will also market and distribute
several of the existing Whistler and Bowen Island brands, including Whistler
Cream Ale, Whistler Premium Lager, Whistler Black Tusk and Bowen Special
Bitter.
Big Rock continues to grow its market share in B.C. for its flagships -
Traditional Ale, Grasshopper Wheat Ale and Kold Lager and, with its Pacific
Salmon Foundation Partnership, has developed a growing market for its Chinook
Dry Hopped Pale Ale.
Big Rock is a regional producer and marketer of specialty draught and packaged
beer located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Big Rock is dedicated to the brewing
of premium beers using only water, hops, yeast, and various combinations of
malted barley and malted wheat. Big Rock products contain no preservatives or
adjuncts. Rather than using pasteurization, which affects the flavour of the
beer, all product is packaged after cold sterile filtration. Big Rock was
established in 1985 by founder and CEO Ed McNally.
Alcohol essences under fire after death of teenager
Tuesday 19 June, 2001
The availability of high strength alcohol essences has come in for criticism
at a coronial inquest into the death of a 15-year-old boy in Melbourne.
Leigh Clark collapsed while walking home after drinking imitation vodka
essence with an estimated strength of 76 per cent alcohol.
The Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia says the products are
easily accessible to underage drinkers and loopholes in excise and alcohol
taxation make them a cheap drink for young people.
Public affairs manager Clayton Ford says the size of bottles is also a major
factor.
"We still think there's an issue here in the sale of essences in 375
millilitre bottles and in litre containers," he said.
"When you know your average household cook would only be using a small 50 or
100 millilitre bottle I think it is asking for trouble."© 2001 Australian
Broadcasting Corporation.
UK firms urged to tackle workplace drink problems
LONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - Businesses should use random tests to tackle
growing problems of alcohol and drug abuse in the workplace, the London Chamber
of Commerce said.
"Substance abuse is a major issue for business especially with growing numbers
of women developing drink problems," Piers Merchant, the chamber's director of
campaigns, said in a speech prepared for delivery on Tuesday.
"As part of their overall approach, some companies might consider measures such
as a complete ban on drinking during working hours or random drugs or alcohol
tests," Merchant said.
But the chamber will also emphasise the need to support rather than punish
workers.
"Companies need to treat such problems very sensitively and offer as much
support as possible."
A report by the chamber on alcohol in the workplace showed that British
industry loses two billion pounds ($2.80 billion) and 14 million working days
every year through alcohol-related illness.
Watchdogs Praise California Ethanol Decision as Crucial Step to Cut Global
Warming Emissions
Renewable Ethanol Could Slash 529,000 Tons of Carbon Emissions Per Year in
California
SAN FRANCISCO, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Renewable Action Project (RAP), a
coalition of environmental groups and renewable ethanol producers, today hailed
the decision to maintain the oxygen standard as critical to the fight against
global warming. Based on an analysis of greenhouse gases from transportation
fuels by the U.S. Argonne National Laboratory, RAP estimates that the use of
ethanol in California's gasoline can reduce annual statewide carbon emissions
by over 529,540 tons -- an extremely significant 35 percent.
"There are only two ways to reduce global warming pollution from vehicles --
better mileage standards and the use of renewable fuel as a replacement to
gasoline. We need to do both," said Rhys Roth, of Climate Solutions, one of the
Project's founders.
The group maintains that even without the global warming benefits of ethanol,
fuels with ethanol are cleaner than the other alternatives to MTBE. That fact,
the group says, should put the focus on to the other benefits of renewable
fuels. "Why increase our use of fossil fuels when we can produce a
sustainable, renewable fuel right here in California that creates jobs,
improves air quality and curbs global warming emissions?" says Elisa Lynch of
Bluewater Network, a San Francisco-based national environmental organization
leading the fight to protect the Clean Air Act.
"Every gallon of ethanol that replaces gasoline reduces greenhouse gas
emissions by 35 percent. We can do even better when the technology for
converting cellulose into ethanol matures and develops," added Lynch.
Cellulosic ethanol is produced from feedstocks such as rice straw, orchard
trimmings and even beverages like beer.
RAP believes that CO2 should be included as an air quality criterion pollutant.
The group says that state and federal officials, and critics of EPA's denial
of a waiver, have grossly overlooked the CO2 impacts of this decision. "We
need to look at the big picture," said Carol Werner of the Environmental Study
Institute (EESI) of Washington, DC. "Climate change is both an air quality
issue and the ultimate sustainability issue. We are missing the boat if policy
decisions overlook the CO2 ramifications."
RAP estimates that if all federal reformulated gasoline areas nationwide
utilized renewable ethanol as an oxygenate, over 3.1 million tons of carbon
could be removed from the atmosphere each year. "Biomass streams are available
throughout the nation," added Werner, "and 3.1 million tons could go a long way
towards fulfilling our obligation to curb CO2 emissions."
RAP is a newly formed national coalition of environmental groups, agricultural
interest, local governments and renewable fuels producers. It was founded in
collaboration with Bluewater Network, Climate Solutions, and the Energy and
Environmental Study Institute (EESI) -- three environmental leaders in the
fields of renewable fuels and global change.
Firms Pursue Asian Americans
By DEBORAH KONG
June 18, 2001 CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) - At the 99 Ranch supermarket, shoppers
browse aisles heaped with Asian staples: plum sauce, rice vinegar and packages
of crispy, dried, black mushrooms.
A few doors down, they lunch on rice porridge with preserved egg and pork and
Sino Beer, then stop at a cafe for mango or kumquat tea. Amid the bevy of
stores with Chinese-language signs, Charles Schwab stands out.
With burgeoning numbers and high median incomes, Asian Americans are attracting
the attention of financial services firms.
Schwab, Merrill Lynch and TD Waterhouse have all opened offices in areas with
large Asian populations, part of national strategies at each firm to attract
Asian customers. Firms also are staffing call centers with representatives who
speak Asian languages and, like ETrade, are operating Asian-language Web sites.
Most are focusing on Chinese, the largest Asian group in the United States,
although this month Schwab opened its first Korean branch in Los Angeles, and
in November started a Vietnamese service hot line.
Schwab's Cupertino office, near San Jose, is one of 15 Asia Pacific Services
branches in the United States. Asians account for 70 percent of the walk-in
traffic there.
The office's walls are painted red, a departure from Schwab's typical neutral
palette, because in some Asian cultures, red is considered a lucky color. Eight
bilingual Schwab representatives, all first-generation immigrants who moved to
the United States from Asia, speak English and Mandarin. Some also speak
Cantonese, Japanese or Taiwanese.
For many customers, the main draw is communicating with representatives in
their native languages. ``A lot of Chinese are moving into this area and they
will like to do business with people who can speak Chinese,'' said engineer
Victor Peng, who uses the Cupertino branch.
Sometimes representatives help clarify financial rules, said Chenwei Chin,
another customer. ``For first-generation immigrants, it's a big help,'' he
said.
More than just speaking their customers' languages, companies are celebrating
Asian culture in everything from interior design to account numbers.
Schwab arranged for a Chinese lion dance at the Cupertino opening. Dancers in
lion costumes held out banners with Chinese characters reading ``money keeps
pouring in,'' ``unlimited opportunity'' and ``ongoing prosperity.''
Schwab spent nearly a year testing its Chinese name, which is printed on the
building and translates to ``Well-Established Trustworthy Asset Management.''
Two miles away, at Merrill Lynch's Silicon Valley Asia Pacific Center,
fountains believed to stimulate the flow of energy fill each room with the
sound of trickling water.
Asian paintings integrating feng shui elements of water, jade and lotus leaves
adorn the office. Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice in which objects are
arranged with the belief that the placement can enhance positive spiritual
forces.
The decor is designed to ``make our clients feel at home,'' said Maureen Fong,
vice president and head financial consultant. The office opened in November and
primarily serves wealthy Asian American clients.
At three of Waterhouse's four branches where Mandarin and Cantonese are spoken,
fish tanks sit in spots that a feng shui consultant deemed likely to attract
wealth, said regional vice president Richard Fu, who helped develop the
company's national strategy.
Waterhouse also tries to include the number eight in Chinese accounts, because
it symbolizes wealth - much as the number seven is associated with good luck in
America - and avoid the number four, which is connected with death.
While Asian Americans share many values with other investors, there are some
cultural differences. For example, Chinese tend to place about two-and-a-half
times as many trades as the average customer at Waterhouse, in part because
they are accustomed to active Asian markets, Fu said.
Asians also tend to be reticent about discussing finances, which they consider
a private matter. But ``once you have that trust and that understanding, (Asian
customers) tend to have a very high degree of loyalty,'' Fong said.
Spark Sweet Summer Fun: Serve Golden Kiwifruit from New Zealand
SEATTLE, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- To start a new entertaining tradition, try
serving tropical-sweet golden ZESPRI(TM) kiwifruit at your next family or
neighborhood gathering. Guests will welcome the tantalizing taste experience
with pleasure.
(Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010618/NYFNSF08 )
Relatively new to North America, this all-natural, sweet delight was born in
New Zealand's pristine island environment and nurtured by ZESPRI(TM) Kiwifruit
growers in the Bay of Plenty.
The perfect cool food, ZESPRI(TM) Kiwifruit goes with anything, from hot
cappucino to ice cold beer! Try it and see.
"Easily recognized by its oval shape, smooth, brown skin and pointed crown, New
Zealand's golden kiwifruit is available June through September under the
ZESPRI(TM) Kiwifruit label," said Steve Woodyear-Smith, kiwifruit category
director for the North American marketing arm of ZESPRI International Ltd.
"Enjoy kiwifruit, and you'll become extremely popular."
Slice it open to reveal its sunny, yellow inside, flecked with tiny black
seeds. Spoon out its golden flesh, and savor the flavor -- a tropical mix of
mango, melon and citrus, sweet and silken smooth.
Serve cool glasses of Sparkling Gold Kiwifruit Ice for a sweet, summer treat
that will add flair and flavor to your entertaining.
Sparkling GOLD Kiwifruit Ice
8 ZESPRI(TM) GOLD Kiwifruit
1-1/2 cups ginger ale, divided
1 tablespoon corn syrup
Peel kiwifruit and cut fruit into quarters. Place kiwifruit, 1 cup of the
ginger ale and all of the corn syrup into a blender; process until pureed. Pour
puree into ice cube trays, and freeze until solid.
Place frozen cubes and remaining ginger ale into blender, and process until
slushy.* Pour into champagne glasses; serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings.
*For a spirited drink, add 1/2 cup white wine (Riesling or Asti Spumante are
best), orange liqueur or rum.
Savor the moment of pure indulgence, and enjoy the enduring nutrition benefits
packed in each golden kiwifruit. A two-piece serving has just 80 calories, more
vitamin C than an orange, more potassium than a banana, and more fiber than a
serving of bran cereal. It's low in fat, and sodium and cholesterol free.
For a quick, nutritious snack, simply slice a golden kiwifruit in half, and
scoop it out with a spoon. Or, just rinse and bite right in; the skin is
edible! And you look SO good enjoying it!
Peel and blend into a smoothie with yogurt, a banana and some orange juice for
a delicious high-energy tonic. Slice over cereal or ice cream; or, use green
and gold kiwifruit together in your favorite recipes that call for fresh or
lightly sauteed fruit.
For more recipes and information regarding ZESPRI(TM) New Zealand Kiwifruit,
visit the North American Web site at www.zespri-usa.com.
Glucanase
"J2jurado" <j2ju...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010618181432...@ng-md1.aol.com...
> Watchdogs Praise California Ethanol Decision as Crucial Step to Cut Global
> Warming Emissions
>
> Renewable Ethanol Could Slash 529,000 Tons of Carbon Emissions Per Year
in
> California
They've been doing this in Brazil for years, making alcohol fuel for cars
from sugar.
Nick
TrampDad
>The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. BOB TOWNSEND
Sure it's not KLEIN? This idiot is just as clueless.
>Samuel Smith Pilsner (England) --- try it with a spoonful of
>Rose's
>Lime Juice for a classic lager and lime. $7.99/four-pack.
Haven't had this beer, but this seems like a good way to flush $8 down the
toilet. Rose's Lime??
>> Sierra Nevada Summerfest Beer (California) --- A surprising example of a
>traditional, bottom-fermented lager; smoother and lighter in body than the
>pilsner Sierra Nevada is known for
Ah, yes, SNPA is a GREAT pilsner!!
>Dogwood Pilsner (Georgia) --- Classic pilsner from a local brewer means it's
>by far the freshest you'll taste this summer --- unless you're planning a
>trip
>to the Czech Republic whose pilsners are similar to this Georgia original
Thank God those Georgians taught the Czechs how to brew...Can this fool really
mean this the way it reads??
>Hacker-Pschorr Munich Edelhell (Germany) --- Unlike its lager cousin,
>pilsner, helles is a malt-accentuated beer
Yes, that pesky word "lager" sure is a hard concept to grasp. And this guy
gets PAID to prove his ignorance to the world?
>> Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen (Germany) --- Hefe means hearty
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha......
>Bob Townsend is an Atlanta free-lance writer and longtime beer aficionado who
>will begin writing a biweekly beer column in this section in July
Hope they're not paying him too much...
Joel Plutchak
>"J2jurado" <j2ju...@aol.com> wrote in beer tips:
>> Renewable Ethanol Could Slash 529,000 Tons of Carbon Emissions Per Year
>> in California
>They've been doing this in Brazil for years, making alcohol fuel for cars
>from sugar.
Unfortunately here they make it from corn-sugar, and as
my adopted state of Illinois is the source of much corn and
much ethanol-making, it's one of those issues that local
politicians get into in order to curry favor with some of
their constituents who have an active lobby. The downside is
that until production can get ramped up to the scale needed
to supply California, there will be shortages of politically-
mandated ethanol-laced gasoline in Illinois, meaning the
price of gasoline will go up here where ethanol is produced
in order to sate the unreal appetite of Californicators for
auto fuel.
I say let 'em make gas from SNPA and leave our corn alone.
(And I promise not to make any Shiner or Rolling Rock
corn jokes...)
--
Joel Plutchak "If you can taste the difference between caviar on a
plutchak@[...] cracker and ketchup on a Kit-Kat while blindfolded, you
have not had enough aquavit to be ready for lutefisk."
Lew Bryson
> >A DOZEN TO TASTE AND COMPARE
> >The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. BOB TOWNSEND
who
> >will begin writing a biweekly beer column in this section in July
You see why I get so DAMNED frustrated?
--
Lew Bryson
"If developers intentionally built communities without local gathering
places and good sidewalks leading to them from every home, and did so for
the purpose of inhibiting the political processes of the society, we would
call it treason. Is the result any less negative without the intent?" -- Ray
Oldenburg, "The Great Good Place"
Member, NJAB http://kurt_epps.tripod.com/njab_index/
Author of the UPDATED Pennsylvania Breweries, 2nd ed., available at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811728986/qid=964395194/sr=1-2/103-7
272174-3121415
J2jurado
Odd..worth repeating...
http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-001555.html
Industry lobbies for return to pre 'luxury tax' levels
JUNE 16, 2001 - The beer industry is mounting its most aggressive effort in
years to roll back an increase in the tax on beer imposed in 1990. The rollback
would benefit larger breweries more than the smallest.
Congress doubled the tax to $18 a barrel -- about a dollar a case -- in 1990
when it also passed tax hikes on luxury items such as planes and yachts. Three
years later, most of the luxury taxes were rescinded, but the beer tax
remained.
"It's an equity argument," Miller Brewing Co. spokesman Michael Brophy said.
"It's certainly not a luxury item, and it's already taxed at the state level
and will still be taxed at the federal level. There's a basic fairness issue."
Rep. Jerry Kleczka (D-Wis.), one of the bill's 150 co-sponsors, admitted that
chances of passage are slim.
Reducing the tax to its 1990 level would cost the federal government about $1.6
billion a year. Also, Mothers Against Drunk Driving opposes the proposal,
arguing the bill would lead to more underage drinking and traffic deaths.
When the law increasing the tax passed in 1990, small brewers retained an
exemption that taxed their production at $7 per barrel for the first 60,000
barrels sold. Therefore, those breweries would not benefit from the proposed
rollback. The benefits to those making more than 60,000 per year would related
to how much more than that figure they produce.
The industry hopes that a healthy budget surplus and a tax-cut proponent in the
White House its chances have enhanced the chances, said Jeff Becker, president
of the Beer Institute, the industry's trade association. The campaign includes
ads in several Capitol Hill publications. Becker said most beer drinkers are
low- and middle-income wage earners who could use a break. "They aren't buying
$50,000 cars or private planes and yachts," he said.
More than 150 members of Congress have signed on as co-sponsors of legislation
that would halve the beer tax.
Kleczka hasn't supported previous efforts to reduce the tax. He said he decided
to be a co-sponsor this year because Congress voted to eliminate the estate
tax. "If Congress can repeal the estate tax for billionaires, then Congress
can roll back the beer tax for Joe Six-Pack," said Kleczka.
Future of beloved German wine bottle up in the air
BERLIN, June 19 (Reuters) - Winegrowers in the German region of Franconia said
on Tuesday they were outraged at European Union proposals which could spell an
end to their exclusive use of the traditional, bulbous "Bocksbeutel" wine
bottle.
The distinctive big-bellied bottle was introduced in 1726 to ensure the
authenticity of quality wines from the sloping vineyards of the southeastern
region, one of Germany's most famous winegrowing areas.
But now winegrowers fear proposed EU legislation could see the Bocksbeutel
losing its unique status. The legislation would allow for the sale of other
wines in the bottles, which tradition has it were originally modelled on goats'
scrotums. The word "Bocksbeutel" means goat's bag.
"It would be a worst-case scenario for our marketing, because consumers have
learnt over the centuries what the Bocksbeutel stands for, the scrotum of the
best goats," Johannes Lay, head of the Franconian Winegrowers' Association in
Wuerzburg, told Reuters.
As part of its efforts to fight the EU's plans, the Franconian winegrowers have
built an enormous Bocksbeutel-shaped hot air balloon to spotlight their efforts
to prevent other regions using the bottle for other wines.
"The Bocksbeutel makes a marketing statement which has been built up over
hundreds of years," Lay said.
Lay said the balloon, which will be launched on Tuesday, had nothing written on
it.
"It can speak for itself, as does the goat of its scrotum. It will show them
that we Franconians are ready to fight for the Bocksbeutel," Lay said.
"Beer" tastes flat
Beer Money (Tues. (19), 9:00-10:30 p.m., USA)
By Laura Fries
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - The residents of Eureka should sue for slander. The
northern California hamlet serves as the setting for "Beer Money," USA
Network's first original comedy film. It's a dubious distinction, considering
the pic was filmed in Canada, but more importantly because "Beer Money" is the
kind of farce that make you long for the sophisticated comedy stylings of Pauly
Shore.
Offensive on all visceral levels, this insipid and scatological tale will repel
even the 9-year-old boys for whom it's presumably written. It doesn't even win
points for shock value, considering how heavily it borrows from the likes of
"Road Trip" and "Freddy Got Fingered." In fact, the best thing about the movie
is that it is mercifully short. There's very little savoring of beer, for that
matter.
Writer Rich Wilkes' script aims for bad taste and hits the target somewhere
below straight-to-video and just above unwatchable. Mark-Paul Gosselaar stars
as Tim Maroon, a young man who returns home disillusioned after a brief career
as a weatherman's assistant in Hollywood. His main complaint is that he was
forced to suffer endless humiliations in order to serve his boss. Alas, there
are plenty more humiliations to come. Tim reunites with his old high school
buddy Rut (Nick Von Esmarch), the town bully, who now hangs out with the local
sci-fi nut, Blank (former star of The Partridge Family, David Cassidy).
On their male-bonding camping weekend, the three discover alien life, hunt it,
shoot it and stuff it in a duffel bag with the intent of selling its remains to
"Unbelievable Encounters," a hit TV show that happens to be filming in town.
But the alien, dubbed "Greenie" by Tim's sometime love interest Echo (Mercedes
McNab), isn't easily killed, continually regenerating itself after several
attempts by the trio to knock it off. As the local population gets wind of the
out-of-town guest, Greenie becomes a hot commodity and everybody wants a piece
of the action. Director Joshua Butler has an eye for following comedy, but
unfortunately, here that means close-ups of zit-popping antics, bathroom scenes
and, well, let's just say that Tom Green only had to lick a mouse.
Christopher Lennertz attempts to mimic the levity through music and does an OK
job at that. But Greenie the alien and the rest of the sci-fi props look like
something picked up at a Sid & Marty Krofft warehouse sale.
Tape reviewed did not include final touches. Not that it would matter much. It
sucks that bad. Really.
Tim Maroon ....... Mark-Paul Gosselaar ; Echo ............. Mercedes McNab; Rut
Rutledge ..... Nick Von Esmarch
Neal Blank ....... David Cassidy ; Greenie .......... Gabriel Pimentel; Crash
............ Byron Lucas
Cosmo ............ Jeremy Radick ; Flap ............. Giacomo Baessato; Dove
............. Kristen Robek
Mitch McKaye ..... Mark Brandon; Bill Buster ...... Dee Jay Jackson ; Vid King
......... Dave Hurtubise
Filmed on location in Canada by Great Falls Prods. and USA Cable Entertainment.
Executive producers, Amy Wilkes, Rich Wilkes; producer, John V. Stuckmeyer;
director, Joshua Butler; writer, Rich Wilkes; camera, Bruce Morrall; editor,
Sean Albertson; music, Christopher Lennertz; sound, Daryl Powell; casting, Mary
Vernieu, Paula McCarthy, Felicia Fasano.
Settlement reached in case of 'Cheers' robots
June 19, 2001 LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The actors who played drinking buddies on
the hit series "Cheers" have reached a settlement in a dispute with the studio
that tried to market them as chatty barroom robots, lawyers for both sides said
Monday.
The actors who portrayed Norm and Cliff in the television sitcom have settled a
lawsuit against Paramount Pictures, which licensed theme bars in airports to
install life-sized robots modeled after the pair without their permission.
George Wendt, who played the amiable and beer-loving Norm, and John
Ratzenberger, who played Cliff, the postman and self-styled barroom scholar,
first sued Paramount in 1993 in a case that bounced through the federal court
system before being denied a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court last year.
That action let stand a ruling by a U.S. appeals court in California that had
re-instated the lawsuit.
The actors claimed that Paramount, a unit of Viacom Inc had violated a
California law that gives people exclusive control over the use of their own
likeness for profit. The original suit was filed three months before the hit
comedy series set in the famously friendly Boston bar "where everybody knows
your name" ended its 11-year run on NBC.
Paramount had licensed Host International Inc. to create a chain of
"Cheers"-styled airport bars in the United States and New Zealand, claiming
that it owned the intellectual property of the show and was therefore able to
license products based on it.
The robot figures in the airport bars had also been renamed "Bob" and "Hank,"
and Paramount had argued at one point that they bore no resemblance to the
actors because they were "better-looking" than the actors.
A lawyer for the bar operator said that the settlement had been reached last
week and declined to comment on terms. A lawyer for the actors said that a
joint statement would be released within the next few days.
Next Napa Valley? Wine Entrepreneur Bets $50 Million That South Central Coast
Is It
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--June 19, 2001--When people think of
California wine, they usually think first of Napa and Sonoma. But a young,
Turkish-born entrepreneur is betting $50 million that his vineyards in Santa
Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties can compete with the best of Napa and
Sonoma.
Bilo Zarif, proprietor of Laetitia Vineyard & Winery and Barnwood Vineyards,
spent the first part of his professional life as the founder of a successful
independent oil and gas producing company before entering the wine business in
1993. A lifelong wine lover, Zarif could have focused his efforts on Napa,
Sonoma, or even France, but instead chose California's South Central Coast as
the ideal location for making world-class wines.
Now, Zarif's vision will be put to the test when he releases the new wines
crafted by his international wine making team. Along with locals Jonathan
Avila, Eric Hickey and Dave Hickey, the team includes French wine maker Louis
Mitjavile, whose father is the owner and wine maker at Chateau Le Tertre
Roteboeuf in St. Emilion, and Bordeaux-based consultant Michele Pignarre Le
Danois. Together they are responsible for the wines at both of Zarif's
properties.
"We've spent a lot of time and effort in developing this whole concept and I'm
excited to see the results coming to market," says Zarif. "I believe that wines
like the 2000 Barnwood Sauvignon Blanc, 1999 Laetitia Pinot Blanc and 1999
Laetitia Pinot Noir Reserve will speak eloquently of our decision to fulfill
our destiny in the South Central Coast region."
About Barnwood and Laetitia
Purchased by Bilo Zarif in 1993 as part of an old ranch, Barnwood is located in
the rugged highlands of Santa Barbara County, at the foot of the Los Padres
Mountains. Set at an elevation of 3,400 feet, Barnwood is well suited to the
production of Bordeaux and Rhone varietals, as well as Zinfandel. Just over 100
acres are in production with 500 more in development. Due to its unique
mountain terroir, the area is currently being petitioned to become a new
A.V.A., to be known as the "Santa Barbara Highlands."
Laetitia Vineyard and Winery, formerly called Maison Deutz, was acquired in
1998 by Zarif and his long-time friend and business partner, Selim Zilkha. The
winery, which is located in Arroyo Grande, just south of San Luis Obispo, has
200 acres in production and over 450 more to come. The hillside property's
maritime climate is conducive to the production of Burgundian varieties,
especially Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wines.
Together, Barnwood and Laetitia form a well-rounded portfolio that includes
both Bordeaux and Burgundy-style vineyards in two adjacent and prestigious wine
producing regions one and a half hours from each other.
Report reveals wineries are the most trusted businesses
Tuesday 19 June, 2001
A new report has found wineries are the most trusted businesses in Australia.
This year's Eye on Australia Report found wineries ranked ahead of major
retailers, airlines and food manufacturers.
Jeremy Sankey from consultancy firm, Grey Worldwide, says wineries are usually
smaller businesses which have helped to boost consumer confidence.
He says the outlook is also positive for wineries in coming years.
"Trust comes down to - does the product or the company do for me what I want
it to do," he said.
"Those things which have the least trust, in terms of organisations, are
people like estate agents and banks and I don't really need to say much more
about them.
"Those which are trusted are ones which you expect what it is going to do, so
I suppose a wine company you trust it by the end of the bottle, you're feeling
pretty good. © 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Pilot escapes drinking-driving conviction
Tuesday 19 June, 2001
A 24-year-old Darwin pilot who recorded a blood alcohol reading more than
three times the legal limit has escaped a conviction because it could
jeopardise his career.
Christopher Doyle, a casual commercial pilot, pleaded guilty in the Darwin
Magistrates Court to driving with a blood alcohol reading of 0.172.
Doyle's lawyer told the court his client's job opportunities with
international airlines would be jeopardised if a conviction was recorded.
Magistrate David Loadman said young people were often foolish, but Mr Doyle
should be given a chance to further his career rather than ending up as a
drug-addict leech on the welfare system.
The magistrate suspended Doyle's driver's licence for 18 months and fined him
$1,000. © 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Wild Kalgoorlie coy over skimpies and brothels
By Michael Christie
KALGOORLIE, Australia, June 19 (Reuters) - Welcome ladies and gentlemen to
Langtree's 181, Kalgoorlie's premier brothel, purrs Scotty the Sexy Supergran
to a group of wide-eyed tourists.
Step this way to see the "Holden-on-room," where the bed is a mock-up of a
Holden automobile. And, ladies, maybe you'd like to buy a virtually silent
G-spot tickler in our tourist shop, adds Scotty, a "nearly 60" former
prostitute, with a wink.
Now, if a working brothel is a little too much, have a saunter into the
Exchange Hotel's Wild West Saloon where the barmaids, or "skimpies," flash a
fair bit of flesh through their bikinis but remain well out of touch behind the
beer spigots.
A rough-and-tumble mining town in the red desert of Western Australia,
Kalgoorlie is all about "blokes, booze and brothels."
But despite the success of the A$25 (US$13) a head Langtree's brothel tour on
Hay Street, and the roaring trade in the "skimpy bars" of Hannan Street, not
all the locals are happy with their town's image as the wild, wild west.
"We don't want to ignore it," says Neta Gill, executive officer of the
state-funded Goldfields Tourism Association.
"However, we want to say there's more. There's history, heritage and mining.
It's living history. I mean, people aren't aware that Kalgoorlie is a place you
can bring your children."
DEBATE OVER WICKED IMAGE
Kalgoorlie, around 600 km (400 miles) east of Perth, is embroiled in a lively
debate about its future.
Tourism and industry chiefs who want to clean up its wicked redneck image and
promote its turn-of-the-century architecture are pitted against others who
believe the "skimpies" and world-renowned brothels are its sole claim to fame.
Born in the last great Australian gold rush of 1893, when Irish prospector
Paddy Hannan stumbled on nuggets on the ground, Kalgoorlie lies on one of the
world's richest mineral deposits. Its broad streets were built to allow camel
trains to turn.
The town has 32 pubs to quench the thirst of 30,000 people and when it hits the
national news, it's because the police have ordered "skimpies" to cover their
buttocks and hang up their G-strings, or because Langtree's brothel carried out
a A$3.0 million refurbishment.
It's a place of big men, in big four-wheel drive cars, and a huge sky,
surrounded by the Australian bush where monster slag heaps rise from the red,
brown and purple land.
But the Goldfields Tourism Association found in a survey that the overwhelming
majority of visitors came to see the "Super Pit," Australia's largest opencast
gold mine, and to get a whiff of Australian history from the balconied
100-year-old buildings.
Only three percent of tourists mentioned the brothels on Hay Street and the
"skimpy bars" as the highlights of their visit.
As a result, the association has recommended the town stop promoting the
"blokes, booze and brothels" aspect of Kalgoorlie in its tourism literature, a
view that has won the backing of the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Chamber of Commerce and
Industry.
"We do generally as a population tend to have a pretty good time...but I don't
think that's any reason to label the place as a wild west town," says chamber
head Hugh Gallagher.
ALARM ON THE WILD SIDE
The calls for a new cleaner image have alarmed the sex industry workers,
"skimpy bar" owners and workers who come to Kalgoorlie from the surrounding
mines to let off some steam.
"Well I think they are fools because we've got all the tourists coming because
of this," says Scotty, who guides up to four tour groups a day around
Langtree's brothel.
It's the only public brothel tour in the world, she says, and "the whole world
is waiting for this."
In the Exchange Hotel, owner and chartered accountant Ashok Parekh branded the
"skimpy" critics do-gooders who wanted to get rid of the one thing that ensured
Kalgoorlie a place in tourism guide books and international media reports.
"What else is there, what are these alternatives?" he asks.
Like several people in town, the "skimpy bar" owner's vision for Kalgoorlie
contemplates an Australian Las Vegas, with licensed casinos bringing back the
boom times of the gold rush.
In the Wild West Saloon, Nikki flitted around the bar in a miner's luminescent
waistcoat covering an orange bikini.
"You'll lose the spirit of Kalgoorlie" if the skimpies go, says the barmaid
from the eastern state of Queensland.
"The big guys, most of them work 12 hours a day, they want to come in here for
a couple of hours, have a few drinks, relax, and see a couple of beautiful
girls. I don't see any harm in that."
The big guys themselves are horrified at the prospect of their playground being
tamed to improve Kalgoorlie's image.
"It's ridiculous, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the skimpies," says miner
Chris Thompson.
WHAT'S THE FUSS?
Some people wonder why there is a debate at all.
After all, the brothels on Hay Street are as much a part of Kalgoorlie history
as the architecture, originating from tent cities filled with foreign
prostitutes who flocked to the gold fields along with the prospectors at the
start of the gold rush.
In fact, Langtree's is such a Kalgoorlie institution that one of its former
managers is now a local councillor.
The "skimpies" sprang out of a miners' tradition of tossing coins at bar maids
to get them to show a bit of flesh.
Kay and Peter Lipman, a retired couple from near Melbourne, came to Kalgoorlie
for the Super Pit, not the brothels or bars. But the seedy side of town doesn't
bother them in the slightest.
"Kalgoorlie is a bit blokesy," says Kay Lipman. "But from a tourism point of
view, the skimpies are part of its history."
At the end of the day, the last thing anyone in Kalgoorlie wants to do is to
wipe out a tourism asset that helps the town weather some of the regular ups
and downs of the mining sector.
If Kalgoorlie stopped being fun, then it wouldn't be Kalgoorlie at all, says
miner Ashley Low.
The state government, while planning to regulate the still illegal brothel
industry, is steering well clear of the debate.
"Kalgoorlie is a colourful town with a colourful history," says Western
Australia Police Minister Michelle Roberts.
"We're not about as a state government to dictate to Kalgoorlie what kind of
image their city should have."
The Peabody Orlando, ''The Hotel of the Arts,'' Continues Its Series of
''Masterpiece'' Packages
ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 19, 2001--The Peabody Orlando, under the
auspices of the Orlando/Peabody Alliance for the Arts & Culture, (OPAAC), and
in conjunction with United Arts of Central Florida, today announced its Summer
2001 performing and visual arts packages in the hotel's "Masterpiece" series.
"Our first arts and culture package in 1997, featuring the Imperial Tombs of
China exhibition at the Orlando Museum of Art, followed by our Spring 2000
Masterpiece package, were very successful, and we are delighted to have the
opportunity to continue our Masterpiece series this year in conjunction with
United Arts of Central Florida," said Barry Anderson, vice president of
marketing for the 891-room, 57,000 sq. ft. convention/resort hotel in the heart
of Orlando's famed vacation land.
2001 Masterpiece Inclusions:
Package Price: $250 including tax, space available basis. Luxury hotel room at
The Peabody Orlando for two people, for one night. Complimentary Continental
Breakfast, Complimentary Parking, Complimentary use of Peabody Athletic Club
Tickets for two to one of the following local performing or visual arts events,
Complimentary bucket with bottle of house white wine or four import beer
bottles. (Package does not include transportation to/from cultural events).
"SOUNDS OF FREEDOM," JUNE 30 - JULY 5, 2001
Orlando Philharmonic/Sea World join forces for a red-white-and-blue,
stars-and-stripes, Sounds of Freedom Concert under the stars, and a dazzling
evening fireworks display. Package includes concert and entrance for two to
SeaWorld Adventure Park for same day.
"MOVIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD" AT THE ENZIAN, JULY 6-7, 2001
Afternoon or evening movie theatre experience at the Enzian Theatre, home of
the prestigious, annual, Florida Film Festival. Cabaret-style seating, serving
beer/wine, sandwiches and snacks. Package includes entrance for two and
complimentary parking. (Food and beverage not included). Package availability
and movies showing:
June 30 - July 5: The Anniversary Party
July 6 - 12: StartUp.com
July 13 - 19: With a Friend Like Harry
July 20 - 28: Luzhin Defence.
"BLAST OFF," 1950s SCI-FI & SPACE, HISTORY CTR., JULY 13 - 14, 2001
A blast of a past at the beautiful park-like setting of the History Center, in
the heart of downtown Orlando, housed in the magnificently restored 1927 former
Orange County Courthouse. Package includes entrance for two to this multi-level
interactive display, featuring the special exhibit, "Blast Off," a 1950s sci-fi
and space flight experience.
LAND & SEA ADVENTURE AT ORLANDO SCIENCE CTR. JULY 20-31, 2001
For "Kids from one to 92," there's something for everyone at this multi-level
Science Center. Peruse interactive science teasers and exhibitions, then choose
a land or sea adventure at the IMAX Theatre. Sail out on the oceans deep
through "Ocean Oasis," and see the awesome ecosystems of the Baja Peninsula and
the Sea of Cortes, or, hitch a ride on a virtual expedition of the wonders of
the Golden State of California with movie actor, Jimmy Smits, who narrates
"Adventures in Wild California," careening down ice slopes, floating on high
thermal clouds and deep-ocean swimming with baby sea otters.
HARRY P. LEU'S MAGICAL BOTANICAL GARDENS, JULY 27-28, 2001
A must for garden- and flower-lovers, this is a 50-acre showplace for flowering
plants, palms and orchids. The gardens include a Florida native plant garden
and a dazzling display of camellias. Entrance for two includes a guided tour of
the Leu House Museum, a farmhouse built in 1888 and registered on the National
Register of Historical Places,
PLUS, entrance for two to the
MENNELLO MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FOLK ART, JULY 27-28, 2001
A fitting tribute to American artists considered to be "outsiders," such as
Earl Cunningham, whose work was much admired by the late President J.F.
Kennedy. Current exhibition features the now-acclaimed work of African-American
folk sculptor, William Edmondson, recently reported on in the Arts Section of
The New York Times, whose work will be featured only in five museums
nationwide.
MARK TWO DINNER THEATRE
A truly fine evening of theatre performance which includes an award-winning
buffet dinner. Package includes two tickets for theatre and dinner.
June 30-July 14: Nunsense - This is "habit-forming" non-stop comedy.
July 18-28: George M! - The Yankee Doodle Dandy musical.
For information and reservations, please call 1-800-PEABODY, or 407-352-4000.
Yin, Yang & Yeeha! -- The Best of Two Texas Rivers; Getaway Offers The Romance
of San Antonio's River Walk & The Adventure of Texas Hill Country White Water
SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--June 19, 2001--One is romantic and lazy,
surrounded by history, architecture and vibrant culture. The other is wild and
beautiful, traversing through a canopy of ancient Cypress, limestone cliffs and
pure blue skies. Two of Texas' most famous rivers are now converging to offer
travelers a summer getaway sure to please those in search of a balance of
culture and nature. Through September 1, travelers may enjoy a two-night stay
at La Mansion del Rio on San Antonio's River Walk, plus a floating gourmet
picnic on the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country.
The first part of this intriguing equation involves a home base in the most
romantic hotel and city in Texas. La Mansion del Rio frequently hosts visiting
celebrities and dignitaries, and for good reason. Recently completing a
multi-million-dollar restoration, the luxury hotel offers residential-style
comfort and world-class service, as well as extraordinary cuisine.
The Texas River Getaway includes a gourmet picnic luncheon with wine created by
award-winning Executive Chef Scott Cohen. The seating for this feast is what
makes it spectacular. Forget a river view . . . it's more like river seating,
as in floating in one of Texas' most scenic, clear-water rivers, the famous
Guadalupe. Just a short drive into the Texas Hill Country is historic Gruene,
Texas, where guests will embark on a floating adventure on either specially
outfitted inner tubes or raft. A choice of a lazy or more adventurous river
course may be enjoyed for approximately 3-6 hours in the cool water. At the end
of the trip, guests will be returned to their vehicles in Gruene, which
features a charming selection of yesteryear shops, galleries and restaurants.
Priced at $575 (including tax) for two people, double occupancy, the getaway
includes two nights deluxe poolside or courtyard accommodations, the gourmet
picnic with wine, or Shiner Boc,k and a day of rafting/tubing. Additional
nights may be reserved for a summer-value rate of $169 per night, plus tax. The
Texas River Getaway may only be reserved by a Virtuoso travel consultant. To
contact a Virtuoso specialist for more information, please call 800/401-4274 or
visit www.virtuoso.com.
Glucanase
> Unfortunately here they make it from corn-sugar, and as
> my adopted state of Illinois is the source of much corn and
> much ethanol-making,
In Germany they have been producing diesel fuel from oil-seed rape. It
works, but not in every engine. In many it just dissolves the non-metallic
parts!
McDonalds and similar chains must have lots of old frying oil from French
fries that could be recycled as fuel ?
Nick
J2jurado
<<McDonalds and similar chains must have lots of old frying oil from French
fries that could be recycled as fuel ?>>
Biodiesel from cooking oil has been in the news a lot lately, there is one
Nevada-based company which goes as far as 'leasing' the restaurant virgin palm
oil, then collects it after it is spent, and refines it into biodiesel.
Heck, this was even posted in 'beer bits'....
J2jurado
Indiana Gov. to Let Beer Rule Expire
June 19, 2001 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Gov. Frank O'Bannon intends to let a
long-standing state rule expire this year and let breweries establish exclusive
territories for distributing their beer in Indiana.
The move announced Tuesday sparked a new round of controversy in a decades-old
debate on so-called ``beer baron'' regulation, an issue that divides lawmakers
and beer makers, distributors and retailers.
The rule bans the nation's brewers from distributing beer through exclusive
sales territories, a practice found in other states.
The General Assembly passed legislation in 1989 that would have overridden a
1979 Alcoholic Beverage Commission rule and allowed exclusive territories, but
it was vetoed by then-Gov. Evan Bayh.
``Frankly I was hoping that this day would never come, because it is a very
controversial issue and it was nice to have 12 years of not having to deal with
it,'' said John Livengood, a lobbyist for the Indiana Association of Beverage
Retailers. ``I have friends on both sides of this issue.''
Supporters of the rule, including many retailers, say it lets them shop around
for the best prices. Without it, they have argued, beer prices could go up $1
to $2 a case while helping a few distributors get richer.
If the administrative rule is allowed to expire Dec. 31, breweries could
authorize one distributor or wholesaler to serve a specific territory, and all
retailers within the area would have to purchase a particular brand of beer
from a designated supplier.
Supporters of scrapping the rule have said that competition between beer brands
would help keep prices low and allow brewers to control their products in the
way manufacturers do. Opponents state that without the discipline of the
exclusive territories, control of the incidence of drunken youth is impossible.
Stella performance keeps Artois as UK's No 1 drink
LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) - Premium lager Stella Artois increased its lead as
Britain's top alcoholic drink brand last year with a retail value almost twice
as big as number two brand Carling, market researcher ACNielsen reported on
Wednesday.
Stella's UK retail market value rose 23 percent to 300.27 million pounds
($420.4 million) in 2000, well ahead of Carling beer which increased 11 percent
to 161.45 million pounds, according to a report on the UK's top 100 drinks
brands in 2000.
Both Stella and Carling are currently owned by Belgian brewer Interbrew,
although UK authorities have ruled Interbrew has to dispose of Carling-maker
Bass Brewers. This decision is now under review after a High Court ruling.
In volume terms, Britain's top beers remain Carling and Fosters, although in
value terms Stella is larger than both of them together according to the
survey, which aims to represent trade from Britain's 43,000 retail outlets for
alcoholic drinks.
The survey showed the rise in popularity of premium lagers and branded wines at
the expense of some more traditional British drinks such as scotch whisky, gin
and ale brands.
It also illustrated the rapid rise of spirit mixer brands such as Bacardi
Breezer, which overtook sales of the Bacardi white rum brand in value term, and
also Smirnoff Ice which is the fastest growing brand in the top 100, as
manufacturers look to make spirits trendy among younger drinkers.
"It certainly looks like we are increasingly a nation of premium lager and wine
drinkers on the evidence of this survey," said Stephen Foster, editor of retail
trade magazine Checkout, which uses the Nielsen data for UK drinks market
analysis.
The increasing popularity of premium lagers saw number two brand in the market
after Stella, Kronenbourg 1664, brewed by Scottish and Newcastle, increase
sales by 32 percent in 2000, pushing it up to 11th place.
Wine brands have also seen sales increases in 2000 and many big brewers cite
wine as their prime competitor in the UK. "Consumers are used to brands in
other product areas and branded wines are easy to understand," said Nielsen's
Peter Crean.
The survey showed that the top 10 UK drinks brands last year in retail value
terms were: Stella, Carling, Bells scotch, Budweiser, Fosters, Smirnoff Red
Label vodka, E&J Gallo wine, Famous Grouse scotch, Jacobs Creek wine and
Gordon's gin.
ACNielsen is part of Dutch media group VNU NV, and claims to be the world's
leading market research firm.
Constellation sets debt funding for Ravenswood purchase
FAIRPORT, N.Y., (Reuters) - Beer, wine and spirits maker Constellation Brands,
Inc. , said Tuesday it intended to exclusively finance via debt its
acquisition of Ravenswood, one of California's best-known producers of red
zinfandel.
Fairport, New York-based Constellation said it expected the acquisition to
contribute to earnings in the current fiscal year to Feb. 28, 2002.
"Our updated outlook for an even stronger year of cash flow opens up
alternatives for financing Ravenswood," said Thomas Summer, executive vice
president and chief financial officer of Constellation.
He said the financing would help maintain the strength of the company's balance
sheet and enhance the value of the Ravenswood acquisition to its stockholders.
Constellation is the No. 2 U.S. supplier of wine and No. 4 supplier of
distilled spirits, and the No. 2 importer of craft beer.
It agreed in April to buy Ravenswood -- formerly known as Canandaigua Brands
Inc. -- for about $148 million, or $29.50 per share.
Whitbread<WTB.L> Q1 sales rise 3.9 pct
LONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - British leisure group Whitbread Plc said on Tuesday
like-for-like sales at its on-going hotels, restaurants and sports club
businesses grew by 3.9 percent in the three months to June 2.
The group added in a first quarter trading statement that all its restaurant
brands showed like-for-like growth, while its Marriott hotels, where Whitbread
holds the UK franchise, showed comparable sales up 1.2 percent despite fewer
U.S. visitors, particularly in London. Whitbread sold its brewing business
and its pubs earlier this year to focus on its three businesses of hotels,
restaurants and David Lloyd sports clubs, setting all units a target of five
percent like-for-like growth.
"Marriott did well to mitigate the effect of fewer U.S. visitors particularly
in London and David Lloyd Leisure demonstrated the results of its drive for new
members. All UK restaurant brands were in like-for-like growth," Chief
Executive David Thomas told the annual general meeting.
Under Whitbread's new reporting segments, its budget hotels Travel Inns showed
4.8 percent Q1 like-for-like growth, its pub restaurants, such as Beefeater and
Brewers Fayre, were up 3.7 percent, its high street restaurants, such as Cafe
Rouge, 2.0 percent ahead and its sports clubs up 17.6 percent. It continues to
explore plans for new themed establishments, including launch of a new
American-themed bar concept featuring 'ice-cold' lagers and modern bar
appointments, for possible deployment late this year.
Whitbread shares were up 3-1/2 pence at 654p at 1110 GMT.
Mexico coffee growers seek destruction consensus
By Pav Jordan
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, June 19 (Reuters) - Mexican Coffee Council President
Roberto Giesemann was to meet later Tuesday with growers in Mexico to discuss
how best to implement a regional coffee destruction plan.
Giesemann pledged, at high-level meetings with coffee authorities from Colombia
and Central America, Mexico's support to the strategy to begin destroying 5
percent of the region's lowest-quality, for-export coffees on Oct 1, the first
day of the 2001-02 coffee harvest.
The plan is designed to boost coffee quality, thus raising consumption of Latin
American arabica coffees domestically and abroad.
In the longer term, the strategy is also expected to cut into overflowing
inventories in consumer countries that have driven the prices of coffee beans
to eight-year lows over the past two years.
"We will do this in Mexico, regardless," Giesemann told Reuters in an interview
late Monday after a day of meetings with colleagues from across the Americas.
"What we need to do now is tackle the major issues...the legal framework, the
logistic framework and the control framework," he said.
Giesemann did not discount the need for legislation in Mexico, as with other
Central American producers, to be able to carry out the destruction plan.
He said, however, that the need for a law would depend directly on how well the
plan is accepted at industrial levels of the coffee production chain.
He said he expects some reservation from the coffee industry, but that
opponents would likely only represent a minority of the sector as a whole.
BAD COFFEE
Opposition, said Giesemann, would probably come from the minority of roasters
who actually profit from using low-grade coffees, known as stock-lot or triage
beans, to produce bad coffees cheaply.
"This coffee is really being used only by very small roasters that are
unfortunately offering the final consumer terrible coffees," he said, adding
that the fundamental plan was already blessed in meetings last week by
representatives from all levels of the Mexican coffee chain.
Coffee, the world's second most-traded commodity after oil, is a major source
of foreign income for producers in Mexico, Central and South America, home to
No. 1 producer Brazil, No. 3 producer Colombia and No. 6 producer Guatemala.
In No. 5 producer Mexico, some 3 million people depend on the coffee trade for
a livelihood, directly or indirectly.
Giesemann said he sees logistics and not legal issues as the biggest challenge
to implementing the coffee destruction strategy.
"How we are going to bring that coffee down into warehouses...whose warehouses
will hold it...who is going to control that that coffee is going to uses other
than to roasting it and drinking it," said Giesemann.
"That's what we have to work toward. Only we will not do it until we agree on
how it will be done best for everybody," he added.
Producers meeting in Costa Rica on Monday agreed to a July 16 deadline to
submit a country-by-country plan to quality-control organizers in Colombia
delineating exactly how they will implement destruction.
Countries will have to say how the plan will be monitored, how it will be paid
for, and provide draft legislation where necessary.
Mexico expects to destroy from 200,000-250,000 60-kg bags of coffee in the
2001-02 harvest, although that figure could vary depending on production.
Couple gets jail in US for faking husband's death
ALLENTOWN, Pa., June 19 (Reuters) - Lee Kongsiri was supposed to have died of a
heart attack in Thailand in 1995. But when he showed up to meet his son's
American in-laws on their Asian vacation a year later, insurance investigators
grew suspicious.
Now Kongsiri and his wife Phatcha, both in their 60s, are facing more than
seven years in state prison after allegedly bilking U.S. insurers out of $1.6
million with phony life insurance claims.
"It's one of the stiffest sentences ever for insurance fraud in this state,"
Kevin Harley, an official with the Pennsylvania attorney general's office, said
on Tuesday.
"They may be in their 60s. But it's a serious crime. They stole a lot of
money."
The Kongsiris, both naturalized U.S. citizens, originally faced a maximum
sentence of more than 100 years behind bars. But the couple pleaded guilty on
Monday to consolidated charges of insurance fraud, conspiracy and seven counts
of theft by deception in a Lehigh County court. They were sentenced to seven to
14 years imprisonment.
Prosecutors said Lee Kongsiri, 63, traveled to Thailand in 1995 where he
supposedly died after a bout of drinking and womanizing. The couple allegedly
used a fake death certificate to get formal certification from the U.S. Embassy
in Thailand.
Phatcha Kongsiri, 64, allegedly filed a series of insurance claims and joined
her husband overseas with the proceeds. But two of his seven insurers, Allstate
and Prudential, decided to investigate rather than pay out.
The alleged scam unraveled when the Kongsiri's American in-laws, the
Rosenbaums, visited Bangkok a year later and videotaped their meeting with the
couple. Prosecutors said the Rosenbaums knew nothing about Lee Kongsiri's
supposed death. So when an insurance investigator called on them to express his
employer's sympathy, he learned of the videotape.
Prosecutors said it was not the first time the Kongsiris have had a bogus death
in the family. Phatcha allegedly faked her own death in Thailand in 1985 to
collect $2,000,000 in life insurance. She then remarried Lee as his second
wife, and the couple instructed their three children to refer to her as their
stepmother.
"Flying" 2CV, Space Cognac take off at air show
By Paul Holmes
LE BOURGET, France, June 19 (Reuters) - What do a bottle of Cognac and a
Citroen 2CV have in common?
Both are French, and the unlikely answer is they are proving big hits at the
Paris air show even though they can't fly.
The 2CV, a hardly aerodynamic, ugly duckling of a car that is as French as
onion soup, has been customised by a Californian exhibitor to look like it
might take to the skies.
French Cognac maker Remy Martin, meanwhile, is plugging a new variety it says
is produced and packaged to make the perfect digestif in outer space.
Some $60,000 of work has given the silver-coated 2CV detachable wings on the
roof, an overhead instrument panel, a joystick instead of a steering wheel and
a propeller sticking from its rear behind a Pratt & Whitney engine.
"We brought it over to the last show here in 1999 and it had a dog fight with
an SU-29 (Russian jet fighter), shot it out of the sky," joked Gary Fraser, who
designed the "flying car" for San Diego-based Forged Metals Inc.
"We might make a Stealth version of it for the next air show."
The Citroen 2CV, which is no longer in production, came at one time in an
amphibious version.
Fanatics would race it down rivers, but Fraser's winged "deux chevaux" --
literally, "two horses" -- is clearly a publicity gimmick, about as likely to
leave the ground as a beached whale.
When your business is as arcane as making forged rings for aircraft engines,
you need something extra to draw the crowds, said Forged Metals' director of
customer support, Alice Blair.
"Every person that walks by smiles and companies that come by to talk business
feel comfortable," she said.
Remy, by contrast, says it is serious about its new tipple Remy Space. Using
space travel technology, the Cognac is frozen to -12 degrees Centigrade (10
Fahrenheit) and then filtered with the same filters used to recycle the water
on space shuttles.
STELLAR HANGOVER?
The process removes fatty substances from the Cognac, concentrating its aroma
and making it smooth and fluid at sub-zero temperatures.
To be drunk ice-chilled, the Cognac comes in a flexible plastic flask complete
with a drinking straw and an anti-leak valve to stop the liquid trickling out
at zero gravity.
It also has a metallised thermal wrapper designed to protect against external
radiation.
"An astronaut can have a little shot, enjoy himself and savour the taste," said
Francois Van Aal, Remy's marketing director for new products.
Remy has produced 3,000 flasks of its concept Cognac and plans to put the
product on sale on Earth in a year or two if its marketing shots go well.
As for the extraterrestrial market, spokesman Tim Banks said that with space
tourism looking on the up and up after American millionaire Dennis Tito's
journey to the orbiting International Space Station, there was no harm getting
in early.
"We'll flood the market on Earth so that when they get into space it'll be all
they want to drink," he said.
JTSherman
> >Bob Townsend is an Atlanta free-lance writer and longtime beer aficionado who
> >will begin writing a biweekly beer column in this section in July
>
> Hope they're not paying him too much...
Doubtful. I bet he is lucky he get $50 an article. Some beer rags only pay $35
an article from a free lance beer writer. The money just isn't there from what
I understand. The biggest perk seems to be the free beer/special treatment a
beer writer will get at a brewpub/brewery, beer fest, etc. Obviously this guy
is a total hack, and isn't making a living as a free lance writer. "Hefe means
hearty." What rubbish.
JTSherman
> >A DOZEN TO TASTE AND COMPARE
> >The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. BOB TOWNSEND
>
> >> Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen (Germany) --- Hefe means hearty
Someone must have e-mailed him and he made some edits. On line he says
hefe means wheat. Take a look:
www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/thursday/food_b372ebbbb2f36140000d.html
The article is a little different from what you quoted. Did you read
this in
the paper, or on line?
Daniel McConnell
On 20 Jun 2001, JTSherman wrote:
> tram...@aol.com (TrampDad) wrote in message news:
>
> > >A DOZEN TO TASTE AND COMPARE
> > >The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. BOB TOWNSEND
>
> >
> > >> Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen (Germany) --- Hefe means hearty
>
> Someone must have e-mailed him and he made some edits. On line he says
> hefe means wheat. Take a look:
>
> www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/thursday/food_b372ebbbb2f36140000d.html
>
But doesn't hefe mean yeast?
TrampDad
Hmmmm...that's damn curious. I quoted the article as posted in the Beer Bits
thread here in rfdb. Two possibilities spring to mind--either as you suggest,
the author fixed his more egregious errors; or methinks more likely that our
friend Mr. Jurado was playing a trick on us saps by doctoring a few lines
before posting this particular "Beer Bit". What say you, Jaime?
J2jurado
<<Hmmmm...that's damn curious. I quoted the article as posted in the Beer Bits
thread here in rfdb. Two possibilities spring to mind--either as you suggest,
the author fixed his more egregious errors; or methinks more likely that our
friend Mr. Jurado was playing a trick on us saps by doctoring a few lines
before posting this particular "Beer Bit". What say you, Jaime?>>
No, I did not double-check. I really get caught out about every six months and
will work to improve this. It wasone of those emailed things to me that I cut
and paste. This is probably the 5th time this has happened, that I know of. I
am not aware that edits go into the news after they are loaded on a
site...never seen that.
However, I did add in a silly 'extra' a day or two ago...a poke for Joel. It
was some rambling thing about a weekend at a San Antonio hotel and it was not
exactly cheap. One 'feature' was a bottle of chilled white wine for the room,a
nd I plopped in 'or a six-pack of Shiner Bock' because Joel had just posted his
annual fun-poking at Rolling Rock and Shiner Bock for their featured use of
corn as an adjunct!
Joel Plutchak
>However, I did add in a silly 'extra' a day or two ago...a poke for Joel. It
>was some rambling thing about a weekend at a San Antonio hotel and it was not
>exactly cheap. One 'feature' was a bottle of chilled white wine for the room,a
>nd I plopped in 'or a six-pack of Shiner Bock' because Joel had just posted his
>annual fun-poking at Rolling Rock and Shiner Bock for their featured use of
>corn as an adjunct!
If you do that better put it in the first 15 lines or so.
Hey, I brewed up a cream ale for National Homebrew Day and it
contained 2 pounds of flaked maize (out of a total of 10 pounds
of grain). Maybe there's hope yet for me and corn beer.
J2jurado
Maclean's; 06-18-2001; pg. 2
Maclean's Life Editor James Deacon knows how to live, journalistically
speaking. For this week's issue, he wrote about one great Canadian tradition:
beer, and the making of a patriotic new instalment in Molson Inc.'s hugely
successful "I Am Canadian" advertising campaign. Then, Deacon donned his other
hat, that of sports editor, to report on another hallowed tradition -- hockey,
and the Stanley Cup final that concluded on Saturday night.
Two seemingly disparate stories, but Deacon says connections abounded.
Molson still owns part of the Montreal Canadiens, hockey's most storied
franchise, and part of his reporting took place in offices filled with Habs
memorabilia. And for a slightly older generation -- postwar but pre-Gen X --
the game has certainly been connected to patriotism. Witness the 1972 Summit
Series between Canada and the Soviet Union, Deacon says -- one of the great
milestones featured in the Molson commercial to be unveiled this week. "We're
talking about beer and hockey," Deacon says of his stories. "What's more
Canadian than that?"
The Life Mag: A job for life - Master brewer has a pint toprove
Evening Mail, DAVID JONES; 06-18-2001
BY the time I rolled into Highgate Brewery, I was nearly half an hour late for
a rendezvous with brewing director Neil Bain.
This imposing pile of Victorian red brick has sat for over 100 years in a
quiet, residential area just outside Walsall town centre - yet my requests for
directions had been met only with blank looks.
I mention this to Neil by way of apology as he shows me inside and he nods in
recognition. 'It doesn't surprise me,' he says.
'I'm sure most Walsall people don't even know we're here. We don't have much of
a marketing budget but, other than that,I'm not sure why it is.'
It is hard to believe that Highgate scarcely registers a blip on the town's
radar. The brewery is one of Walsall's commercial success stories of recent
years, steadily increasing production since the last-ditch rescue operation six
years ago of whichNeil was a part.
'In 1995, the brewery was producing only about 200 barrels a week, ' says Neil.
'The owners, Bass, wanted to close it down because it just wasn't viable. But
then they were made an offer and agreed to sell.'
Neil was 40 years old and working at the Mitchells and Butler brewery in Cape
Hill when the chance came to join the management team at a new and independent
Highgate.
But it wasn't the only tempting offer to consider . . . 'I had two phone calls
on the same day,' he remembers.
'One was offering me the chance to join a new brewery that was being set up in
North Carolina. The other was to join the buy-out team at Highgate.
'At the time my children were three and six and it was just too risky to go to
America. As it turns out, that brewery has now shut and Highgate is doing well
so it was the right decision.'
Neil invested pounds 10,000 of his own money and the company has since expanded
steadily, introducing lagers and keg bitters as well as maintaining the age-old
methods that are the real heart and soul of the business.
Last year, Highgate was bought by Birmingham cider-makers Aston Manor and a
healthy balance has been maintained between 21st century innovations and tried
and trusted methods.
As we talk in Neil's office, the brewery is at full tilt outside, producing
just over 1,000 barrels in the week - nearly 300,000 pints.
Meanwhile, Neil is immersed in the final details for a switch to new malt
storage silos, doing away with the age-old need to ship in 50kg bags by the
truckload, and the workforce has roughly halved since the brewery's heyday.
A forward-looking commercial success then - yet a quick tour reveals a wooden
malt-sifting machine as old as the brewery itself and a milling machine that
was already second-hand when installed in 1922. It's no surprise that Neil has
a feel for the time-honoured traditions of the trade. His career began 23 years
ago at the old Davenport's brewery in Bath Row, Birmingham.
His mother was nursing at the old hospital next-door and suggested he applied
for a job after finishing a three-year Higher National Diploma at Cardiff
Technical College.
He finished college on the Friday, was at work as a lab technician the
following Monday and hasn't looked back since.
Two years later, he moved to Cape Hill and worked his way steadily through the
Institute of Brewing professional exams, becoming a master brewer in 1989.
'I think that was the best moment of my career,' says Neil, now 46.
So has all this work got him any nearer the beer drinker's holy grail - the
elusive perfect pint?
'It would be nice to tinker all day with different formulas, but I just don't
get the time,' he admits.
'It's a shame because when I go to the pub I'm always tasting beers rather than
just enjoying them.
'I suppose in that sense a Master Brewer is always on duty.'
ANYONE interested in pursuing a career in brewing can get their first taste by
contacting a brewery in their area and arranging work experience or a group
visit.
Professional qualifications start with the Institute of Brewers one- year
foundation course which is the start of a staged series of professional exams
leading to Master Brewer level. Essential attributes include a keen sense of
changes in consumer tastes, a sound technical background and a willingness to
adapt to a fast- changing environment.
Full details of professional qualifications and courses are available from the
Institute of Brewing in London on 0207 499 8144.
A handful of universities and colleges offer higher education courses in
brewing. For full listings, call the Universities and Colleges Admissions
Service on 01242 222444 or visit their website at www.ucas.com.
Distribution Business Management Association and interBiz Recognize Coors For
Excellence in Supply Chain Management
interBiz Sponsors The Circle of Excellence Award Banquet at the 2001 Warehouse
of the Future Expo
ISLANDIA, N.Y., June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- interBiz, the eBusiness applications
division of Computer Associates International, Inc., (NYSE: <A
HREF="aol://4785:CA">CA</A>) announced today that Coors Brewing was the winner
of the Circle of Excellence Award at the 2001 Warehouse of the Future (WoF)
Exposition. As the sponsor of the Circle of Excellence Award Banquet, interBiz
salutes Coors Brewing for their excellence in supply-chain management within
the beverage industry.
interBiz, highly involved in the world of warehousing, distribution and
logistics will sponsor the Circle of Excellence Award Banquet on Tuesday, June
19, 2001 from 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. at the prestigious 103 West restaurant in
Atlanta, Georgia.
The Distribution Business Management Association joins the banquet sponsors in
presenting the Circle of Excellence Award. The award is given each year to
companies in specific industries that represent the highest standards of
quality and provide a model for other businesses.
"As a leading provider of software solutions to the distribution market,
interBiz is proud to sponsor the Circle of Excellence Award Banquet," Mike
Connolly, senior vice president and general manager of interBiz, said.
"There is $57 billion worth of inventory in the United States and that figure
is increasing," Mr. Connolly noted. "Supply-chain execution software and
excellent business practices can not only reduce inventory costs, but can also
improve customer service and provide a competitive advantage in the market."
The Circle of Excellence Award recognizes the important attributes and
characteristics of consistency, integrity, responsibility, commitment,
leadership, and excellence within the warehousing and distribution disciplines.
The award recipient is chosen from an international panel of judges from major
universities and associations. Past winners of the Circle of Excellence Award
include Roadway Express (2000 winner) for excellence in ground transportation,
Sears, Roebuck and Co. (1999 winner) for excellence in global logistics, UPS
(1998 winner) and Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc., (1997 winner)
recognized for their manufacturing excellence.
About interBiz
interBiz, the eBusiness applications division of Computer Associates
International, Inc. (NYSE: CA), helps enhance profit from new opportunities in
the eBusiness world. interBiz integrates the industry's leading eBusiness
process management solution, BizWorks, with core competencies in: Banking,
Supply Chain Management, Financial Management, Human Resources and eCommerce.
For more information about interBiz, email inte...@ca.com or visit interBiz on
the Internet at interBiz.com.
About Computer Associates
Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA) delivers The Software That
Manages eBusiness. CA's world-class solutions address all aspects of eBusiness
process management, information management, and infrastructure management in
six focus areas: enterprise management, security, storage, eBusiness
transformation and integration, portal and knowledge management, and predictive
analysis and visualization. Founded in 1976, CA serves organizations in more
than 100 countries, including 99 percent of the Fortune 500 companies. For
more information, please visit http://ca.com.
SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT
The Calgary Sun, LINDA WILLIAMSON, 06-19-2001
A journalist friend of mine has a theory that the most creative thinking around
us today is coming from the advertising world.
Consider: Movie studios keep churning out the same old predictable junk, the
recording industry is obsessed with finding the next boy band-Britney clone,
the media are being "converged" to death and politics has become so bland, you
can't tell the major parties apart.
But in advertising, an original idea is still a precious commodity. Hence, TV
commercials are becoming an unlikely source of good music -- and actually
driving some CD sales. A well-written ad can make news these days -- even as
the latest antics of our politicians make us change the channel.
In Canada, nowhere is this more evident than in the beer business. Who could
forget last summer's brilliant "rant" -- just in time for Canada Day -- by
Molson's "Joe Canadian?"
More imaginative than any political speech in recent memory, it was even
praised by pundits as a force for national unity (although it never aired in
French Quebec -- that's Molson Dry country). It spawned innumerable
commentaries, satires and imitations. With its upfront patriotism and wry jabs
at Americans, it tapped into a passion shared by a lot of Canadians -- a
passion that went well beyond our taste for beer.
That, of course, is no accident. Molson did its homework, and its research
found Canadians are, like Joe, proud and outspoken about our country. If only
our elected representatives cared as much about how we feel. (My name is Linda,
and I don't think MPs deserve a 20% raise!)
In fact, I'll bet many people today are more interested in Joe Canadian's next
move than Joe Clark's.
Besides shilling Molson Canadian, he and his successors have sparked discussion
on everything from multiculturalism to peacekeeping. And now, as Canada Day
approaches, Molson is hoping once again to unleash our inner patriot with a new
ad.
This time, though, the focus goes beyond pride to another neglected aspect of
the Canadian identity -- our history. In the single-biggest advertising project
the company has ever undertaken (including a seven- day film shoot, 255 actors
and 11 locations, all for a 90-second commercial), the new spot painstakingly
recreates several scenes from our past.
There's the pounding in of the "Last Spike" completing the transcontinental
railroad in 1885; the return of our victorious troops in 1945; the inaugural
raising of the Maple Leaf flag in 1965.
Impressive stuff -- considering that many who will see this ad were likely
taught little about these historic events in school, if they were taught them
at all.
Those clips are, of course, interspersed with lighter images ranging from the
iconic Paul Henderson goal in the 1972 Canada-Russia Summit Series, to cameos
by William Shatner and (who else?) Joe himself.
The new ad, entitled Anthem, centres on a carefully chosen, easily singable
tune by Robert Armes that Molson execs hope will become our new, unofficial
national anthem.
With lines like "I know this place is where I am" (?!?) the song' s not
perfect, but it's catchy all right -- I haven't been able to get it out of my
head since I first heard it two days ago.
I hope our politicians catch it as they embark on their marathon summer
holiday. With beer companies outdoing them in ideas, in research and in just
plain listening to people, even they should recognize they need to change their
tune.
Enterprise Inns starts 400 S&N pubs deal
Birmingham Post, Steve Pain - Business Staff; 06-19-2001
Midland leisure group Enterprise Inns yesterday embarked on a pounds
263.6 million spree to snap up more than 400 pubs spread throughout England and
Scotland from Scottish & Newcastle.
The deal is part of an aggressive acquisition programme which has seen
Enterprise increase the number of pubs it owns from just under 500 five years
ago to over 3,000.
Enterprise chairman Hubert Reid said: 'This latest acquisition further
increases the scale, quality and diversity of the Enterprise estate.'
All the S&N pubs, the largest proportion of which are in the South East,
will be converted from managed pubs to leases and tenancies, with conversions
expected to be completed by the end of the financial year.
Enterprise is financing the purchase partly through a one for six rights
issue, which is expected to raise pounds 66 million. The issue involves up to
13,802,772 new ordinary shares at 490p per share. The S&N pubs is Enterprise's
second major deal in asmany months - in May, it spent pounds 262.5 million
buying 439 former Whitbread sites.
And the group, which is based in Solihull, confirmed that it had no
intention of slowing down its acquisition hunt, adding there was still
'considerable scope' for more deals.
Chairman Hubert Reid said: 'This latest acquisition further increases
the scale, quality and diversity of the Enterprise estate.
'Enterprise's growth and current standing are clearly demonstrated by
its recent inclusion in the FTSE 250.'
He added: 'The proposed acquisition represents an excellent fit with our
existing portfolio and continues our strategy of selective value- enhancing
acquisitions.
'We believe that the managed pubs in this estate can be operated more
profitably as leases and tenancies and we will be adopting the conversion
process that has been so successful for us in the past.'
As well as S&N, Enterprise also announced an agreement to buy 59 pubs
from Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, at a cost of pounds 28 million, should
the current hostile takeover bid by Pubmaster go through.
Brewer and pub operator S&N announced earlier this year it would sell a
tranche of smaller venues as part of a programme designed to refocus the group
on brewing.
S&N has also agreed to sell a further 214 pubs to Noble House Leisure,
the private pub and restaurant company headed by entrepreneur Robert Breare, in
a deal worth pounds 97.1million. It will use the money raised from the two
transactions to reduce borrowings.
It leaves S&N, which owns the Newcastle Brown and John Smith's brands,
with 1,450 large managed outlets.
The group, which is based in Edinburgh, still wants to sell another 94
pubs - chairman Brian Stewart said this would be done 'in the near future'. At
the close shares in Enterprise Inns were down 9p at 597.5p.
Meanwhile, the Ann Street Group yesterday said it had acquired nine
Jersey pubs and the wholesale distribution business in Jersey and into
Guernsey, owned by Bass (Channel Islands), a subsidiary of Bass Taverns.
The pounds 10 million deal, payable in cash, is subject to certain
property consents being obtained. Completion is expected to take place on July
6, plus working capital including stock at valuation, payable in cash.
Jersey-based ASG has also entered into an agreement with Bass Brewers for the
supply of beer and other products into its licensed estate in the Channel
Islands and UK.
Paul Smith, chief executive, said: 'This acquisition improves our
trading base in Jersey by adding further high quality outlets to our estate. It
will also enable us to widen the choice of beers available to our existing
customers, in addition to our ownpopular local brands.'
Bob Cartwright, director of communications for Bass Retail, added: 'We
regularly review our business and the composition of our pub estate. The
Jersey pubs did not fit into our future strategy.
'We are very pleased to sign this deal with Ann Street Group. All staff
involved will transfer from Bass to Ann Street Group.'
Fess Parker Now King of Wine Frontier
By JEFF WILSON
June 20, 2001 LOS OLIVOS, Calif. (AP) - Television's King of the Wild Frontier
now roams vineyards along California's Central Coast, where he's been dubbed
King of the Wine Frontier.
Nearly a half-century after Disney's ``Davy Crockett'' debuted, 76-year-old
Fess Parker is still embraced by baby boomers as the man in a coonskin cap who
stood for the spirit of the American frontier and died at the Alamo.
Boomers gripped by the Crockett craze in the mid-1950s scooped up lunch boxes,
toy Old Betsy rifles, buckskin shirts and trademark fur caps. Parker was one of
the small screen's biggest stars.
There also were the ``Daniel Boone'' series (1964-1970), appearances on
``Dragnet'' and ``Playhouse 90,'' and movie roles in ``Old Yeller,'' ``The Kid
From Left Field,'' ``No Room for the Groom,'' ``Them!'' and ``Battle Cry,''
among others.
Then, Parker was gone.
``I left the business after 22 years,'' Parker says as he steers his
diesel-powered Humvee over dirt roads meandering through a 700-acre vineyard in
Santa Barbara County. ``It was time to leave Hollywood ... Who needed a guy
running around in a coonskin cap?''
He's a gray-maned 6-foot-6, and concedes he may have shrunk an inch over the
years. ``I can't wait to reach 6 feet,'' gentleman vintner Parker jokes as he
strolls in cowboy boots beneath the oaks at his winery.
Since 1989, Parker wines have won more than 30 medals. Parker's 39-year-old son
Eli is director of winemaking, and 35-year-old daughter Ashley also works at
the winery.
Parker, with his wife of 42 years, Marcella, got into real estate and became a
developer after leaving Hollywood. The couple's current project is the landmark
Grand Hotel in Los Olivos which they bought three years ago and transformed
into the elegant Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn & Spa.
Parker won Santa Barbara city approval this month on his resubmitted bid for a
150-room waterfront hotel next to his other waterfront property, Fess Parker's
Doubletree Resort Santa Barbara. It could open as early as 2003.
``This will give me something to do in my 80s,'' says Parker, who fought to
build the hotel for years. His determination could be summed up with the
oft-quoted phrase of the real David Crockett: ``Be always sure you're right,
then go ahead.''
Parker also has plans to build a wine production center up the coast in Lompoc.
The Parker vineyards aren't far from Rancho del Cielo, the former Western White
House of longtime friend Ronald Reagan.
The Gipper sent Parker to Australia in 1985 to represent him during an event
and when Parker returned he was asked by White House aide Michael Deaver if he
was interested in being ambassador to that country.
Parker didn't get the post and says now: ``In the end, I decided I'd better
take myself out of it. But I was flattered.''
Parker also once considered a U.S. Senate bid. But a key dissenter lived under
the same roof. ``My wife was not in favor,'' Parker says.
Parker is most identified with the Davy Crockett character, and the gentleman
vintner knows that. Coonskin caps and Crockett T-shirts can be purchased at the
winery.
ABC-TV's first episode of the Davy Crockett trilogy debuted on Dec. 15, 1954.
By the time the second episode, ``Davy Crockett Goes to Congress,'' was
broadcast on Jan. 26, 1955, the country was in a Crockett frenzy.
The last episode, ``Davy Crockett at the Alamo,'' was shown a month later and
kids nationwide were sleeping in Crockett pajamas and singing ``The Ballad of
Davy Crockett'' on every playground:
``Born on a mountaintop in Tennessee,
Greenest state in the land of the free,
Raised in the woods so he knew every tree,
Kilt him a b'ar when he was only 3.
Davy, Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier!''
Seven million copies of the song were sold in the first six months of 1955.
``I worked myself silly all over the world,'' Parker says of the Crockett
mania.
His incentive was a deal giving him 10 percent of the profits from Crockett
merchandise, said to surpass $300 million. But his take was much less because
of Hollywood's curious accounting methods, he says.
And as for those ``Davy Crockett'' reruns and video sales?
``Every once in a while I get a check for 15 cents from Disney,'' Parker jokes.
On the Net: www.fessparker.com
PAMPLONA FIESTA BLENDS BEER, BRAVADO, BLOOD, BULLS
The Arizona Republic, DOUG LANSKY; 06-17-2001
BEST OF VAGABOND
You can do a number of things to maintain your health, and avoiding Pamplona
during the Running of the Bulls should cover most of them. This weeklong
fiesta, better known in Spain as San Fermin, is an insidious combination of
frat party, rodeo championship and
international track meet.
The first thing I noticed when I arrived at the train station in Pamplona was
that everyone in town was wearing the traditional Pamplonese outfit: white
shirt, white pants, red sash around the waist and red bandanna around the neck.
It looked like Pamplona had been invaded by Pizza Hut deliverymen.
I wanted to watch the encierro -- the actual running of the bulls -- the next
morning at 8. The bulls run every morning during the fiesta as part of their
daily training regimen. Actually -- and this is the complete truth -- none of
the three intoxicated spectators I asked could tell me why bulls ran through
the streets. The best I could figure: It's a promotion for the bullfight that
evening, not unlike running Mike Tyson or George Foreman through the streets of
Las Vegas before a prizefight.
To get a feel for the event, I -- strictly for journalistic research purposes,
of course -- followed local custom and stayed up all night partying in 20 bars
around town.
The nocturnal part of the fiesta worked something like this: Everyone went to
the supermarket, bought a liter of beer for $3 and chugged it to establish an
alcohol foundation. Then everyone went from bar to bar, dancing and buying
little cups of beer for $2 until a) they had no money left or b) they passed
out on the floor of the bar.
Every 10 seconds, an impromptu parade would go by. Parades of various forms and
lengths danced through the crowded streets all night. They ranged from high
school marching bands to a lone drummer running down the street wearing the
ever-popular fragrance: Three Liters of Beer Dumped on My Head.
At the height of the nocturnal fiesta, an unusual activity took place: crowd
diving. This event is just like regular diving, only there's no diving board,
no pool and no water, making this sport considerably more difficult. The object
is to climb up something, let go and drop into a crowd of people who don't
seem to be entirely fond of playing the crash-pad role.
By 5:30 a.m., if they could still stand, people started looking for good places
along the street to watch the bulls run. By 7 a.m., when I arrived, most of the
best spots had been taken.
Fortunately, I found a perch near the end of the run that was available only to
the local television crew and to young Americans carrying fake, but very
realistic-looking, Press ID cards, which I purchased in Bangkok for $3 each.
At 8 a.m., a rocket was launched from the city hall building to indicate that
the bulls had been released.
About one second later, the first runners reached the bullring in a sprint.
These runners, exclusively tourists, apparently had launched their own event:
the Running of the Bulls Footrace. Then came the 1K fun runners. Most of them
were jogging leisurely because, unless the bulls jumped into a Formula One race
car, there was no way they were going to catch up. From what I could tell,
about 70 percent of the runners never got within 400 meters of a bull, a fact
they may forget to include when retelling this event to their friends.
Toward the back of this second pack came little bursts of frenzy caused by
people who thought a bull was behind them. These people would run like mad
right into the people in front of them, who, in turn, either would ran faster
or fall down and get trampled. The third group actually ran slightly ahead of,
alongside or under the 12 stampeding bulls, each weighing more than 1,000
pounds. Six of these bulls had been castrated and supposedly were
"non-aggressive," though it wasn't easy to tell which ones these were.
The object of the run, other than surviving, is to place your hand on the back
of a bull and run alongside him. The second-coolest thing to do is to take a
rolled-up newspaper and smack the bull on the head or poke his rear.
Not surprisingly, the only prerequisites to join the encierro are being over 18
and having an IQ that doesn't surpass your age.
While I watched, a Pamplonese TV journalist leaned over and shared some
bull-running technique: "Everyone knows that, if you fall, you should just
cover your head and stay down and let the bulls jump over you." Never, ever,
not even if Ross Perot becomes president of Germany and bungee-jumps off the
Reichstag, should you try to get back up before the bulls have passed.
Unfortunately, not all of the runners seemed to be aware of this basic rule.
Few get killed, but about 25 people are injured each day.
The encierro ended at the bullring, where the bulls were led out the other side
by matadors dressed in street clothes, leaving the runners milling around the
large center ring.
Then an amazing thing occurred: Someone released a young, three-quarter-size
bull into the ring, and the runners, armed only with their hangovers and a pair
of Nikes, attempted to stay out of harm's way. It was like watching the Romans
feed the Christians to the lions -- except that these macho lunatics had
volunteered.
In 10 minutes, the bull had rammed about 15 people. When he started to slow
down, the matadors took him out and prepared to bring in a fresh one. A small,
courageous group sat down in a tight mass in front of the bull's gate, hoping
that the bull would instinctively go around them. He did. But occasionally, the
bull, who had been fed so many steroids and growth hormones that he had no
idea what his natural instinct was supposed to be, plunged into this crowd.
Then 20 seconds later, another bull was unleashed and things really got
interesting. People would jump out of the way of one bull, only to get
flattened by the second. No one seemed to be wounded seriously, just bruised,
cut and humiliated.
Spectators, who had paid $3 each to watch this spectacle, got their money's
worth. Unlike at regular bullfights, this crowd was cheering for the bulls.
Four exhausted but satisfied bulls and 50 injured tourists later, the event
came to a close.
I and about 1,000 others decided to take a nap in the public park. I woke up
that afternoon, 24 hours after I had arrived. I had grass in my mouth, strange
smells on my T-shirt and a silly red bandanna around my neck.
At least I didn't have a bull's horn stuck in my leg.
Memo: Doug Lansky has spent the past decade traveling around the world. These
Best of Vagabond columns represent some of the highlights of his trips. Many
of his adventures also are detailed in his book Last Trout in Venice: The
Far-Flung Adventures of an Accidental Adventurer, available at bookstores and
Amazon.com. Reach Lansky at dougl...@aol.com.
J2jurado
<<
Hey, I brewed up a cream ale for National Homebrew Day and it contained 2
pounds of flaked maize (out of a total of 10 pounds of grain). Maybe there's
hope yet for me and corn beer.>>
I'll mail you a bag of grits, maybe two. White and yellow...
JTSherman
> On 20 Jun 2001, JTSherman wrote:
>
> > tram...@aol.com (TrampDad) wrote in message news:
> >
> > > >A DOZEN TO TASTE AND COMPARE
> > > >The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. BOB TOWNSEND
>
>
> > > >> Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen (Germany) --- Hefe means hearty
> >
> > Someone must have e-mailed him and he made some edits. On line he says
> > hefe means wheat. Take a look:
> >
> > www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/epaper/editions/thursday/food_b372ebbbb2f36140000d.html
> >
>
> But doesn't hefe mean yeast?
It does, and my mistake, in his article he says hefe means yeast. No where does
he say "hearty", or no where does he mention SN pilsner. So I am wondering if
the article has since been edited, or did it appear different in the paper?
Because what tram...@aol.com is quoting and attributing to this Bob Townsend,
is different from the article that is on line. So maybe Bob Townsend is NOT
the new KLEIN??
Denny Conn
I went to the website and read the article after J2's original post.
The Atlanta Journal article was definitely changed since the original
beer bit.
--
--------->Denny
If all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I
wouldn't be a bit surprised.
Dorothy Parker (1893 - 1967)
J2jurado
<<
I went to the website and read the article after J2's original post.
The Atlanta Journal article was definitely changed since the original
beer bit.
--
--------->Denny>>
The article was doctored before I posted it. I didn't even bother
double-checking it before just cut and pasting.
In my experience, I've never seen a web-posted news article revised once its
been posted becasue it's a bother to doso and more stuff is being laoded in all
the time. I did not check...just laughed, grabbed it and plopped it, and went
to excite to get more hits.
Here's a 'beer bits' item I like:
LOBBYING: A `Hearty' Booze Battle
National Journal, Michael Steel; 06-14-2001
LOBBYING: A `Hearty' Booze Battle Byline: Michael Steel Section: LOBBYING
Will a drink a day keep the doctor away? A free-market public- interest group
thinks so, and it is suing the federal government to let beer, wine, and liquor
drinkers read all about it.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute wants to see a new label on beer cans,
wine bottles, and liquor containers that says:
"There is significant evidence that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages
may reduce the risk of heart disease." But the Treasury Department's Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms says no-and alcoholic beverage industry trade
groups are backing the feds.
The CEI, which advocates "free enterprise and limited government," petitioned
the ATF in 1995 to allow labels touting the salutary health effects of moderate
drinking. A year later, dismayed at the agency's slow response, CEI and another
group, Consumer Alert, filed suit in court. ATF eventually denied the petition
in January 1997 and moved to have the lawsuit dismissed. A federal judge
limited parts of CEI's suit, but allowed it to continue. Both sides will appear
in U.S. District Court in Washington on June 14 for a summary judgment hearing.
CEI cites studies in The New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, and the
British Medical Journal in arguing that published research "nearly
unanimously" shows that moderate drinking reduces the risk of heart disease and
lowers overall mortality.
The April issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association estimated
that the risk of coronary heart disease can be reduced by 20 percent if a
person drinks up to two drinks a day. The American Heart Association Inc.,
however, calls the benefits of alcohol, even red wine, "popular but unproven."
The association urges doctors to advise patients on "less-appealing" ways to
reduce the risk of heart disease that are "firmly supported by scientific
research."
Labels touting the health benefits of wine, beer, and booze would doubtless be
a boon to the industry. (CEI suggests placing the information above the
current government warning against drunken driving and drinking while
pregnant.) But theWine Institute, the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America
Inc., and the Beer Institute are not backing the CEI lawsuit.
John De Luca, president of the Wine Institute, said his group doesn't support
the suit, because "our goal is not legalistic; it is changing public perception
and public policy. We are more concerned about the court of public opinion than
the courts
themselves."
Beer Institute President Jeff Becker said his industry doesn't believe that
health claims should be used in marketing or advertising its products. Reading
a can or bottle isn't the best way to get health information, he added.
Craig Wolf, general counsel for the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers, worries that
alcohol manufacturers could be exposed to legal liability if they made health
claims. "Even a government imprimatur doesn't shield you forever," he said.
Wine Institute
spokeswoman Gladys Horiuchi cited a tactical reason for the group's position:
"We work very closely with the ATF, and we don't want to participate in
litigation against them. We don't need an adversarial relationship."
In the past, the ATF has approved using "directional" labels on two different
brands of wine-J. Lohr and Laurel Glen- that advise consumers to talk to their
doctor about the health effects of drinking, or to read the federal
government's dietary guidelines prepared by the Agriculture Department. The
department's latest nutritional report notes: "Drinking in moderation may
lower risk for coronary heart disease, mainly among men over age 45 and women
over age 55." But it adds that "moderate consumption provides little, if any,
health benefit for younger people," and lists the risks of excessive drinking,
"social and psychological problems, cirrhosis of the liver, inflammation of the
pancreas, and damage to the brain and heart."
ATF spokesman Jim Crandall said the agency isn't approving any new labels now
because it's in a rule-making process, but officials will decide before the end
of the year whether to allow additional "directional" labels in the future.
Meanwhile, another public-interest coalition, which includes the Center for
Science in the Public Interest, is pushing the ATF in the opposite direction.
The coalition proposes making the government-required warning label on the
dangers of alcohol even more prominent.
ATF's Crandall says there is simply no way to offer a balanced assessment of
the certain health risks, and possible rewards, of alcohol on a label. CEI's
general counsel, Sam Kazman, countered that it is a First Amendment issue, and
that if companies want to describe health effects, the ATF shouldn't be allowed
to stop them.
De Luca of the Wine Institute noted that factors beyond an ATF ruling would
complicate any attempt to add health labels.Regulations dating back to the
Prohibition era forbid health claims by alcohol manufacturers. If benefits are
touted, the Food and Drug Administration might seek jurisdiction over alcohol
sales, and the Federal Trade Commission could take action against labels under
laws that bar false advertising if the text is not sufficiently balanced.
Even if CEI's legal challenge prevails, don't expect to read about heart-smart
booze on your favorite beer can or wine bottle anytime soon.
Michael Steel is a correspondent for National Journal News Service.
J2jurado
Antibodies
SEATTLE--(BW HealthWire)--June 21, 2001--Corixa Corporation (Nasdaq:<A
HREF="aol://4785:CRXA">CRXA</A>), a developer of immunotherapeutics, and Kirin
Brewery Co., Ltd., today announced an agreement to discover and develop fully
human monoclonal antibodies directed against targets from Corixa's extensive
library of autoimmune disease, cancer and infectious disease antigens.
Kirin will contribute its new TC Mouse(R) technology, including the KM
Mouse(TM), a new crossbred mouse developed by Kirin and Medarex, Inc., to the
multi-year agreement that's designed to generate, screen and characterize fully
human monoclonal antibodies directed against Corixa's antigens. Corixa has
option rights to exclusively develop and commercialize antibodies created using
the TC Mouse and KM Mouse. In return, Kirin will receive license fees and
payments on achievement of certain milestones and royalties on product sales.
Further details of the agreement were not disclosed by either company.
Kirin's TC Mouse is a transchromosomic mouse system that is genetically
engineered to contain 100 percent of the human genes for making antibodies. In
the TC Mouse, the mouse genes relating to antibodies have been functionally
replaced by the entire human chromosomal loci responsible for making human
antibodies. Fully human monoclonal antibodies are desirable because they avoid
the risk of rejection present with mouse or part mouse monoclonal antibodies.
"Our collaboration with Kirin represents another opportunity for Corixa to
extend the reach of our expansive technology base," said Steven Gillis, Ph.D.,
chairman and chief executive officer at Corixa. "This partnership expands our
ability to generate human antibodies, speeding up the development of new
product candidates Powered by Corixa(TM)."
"We are very excited by this opportunity to provide our TC Mouse technology to
Corixa," said Katsuhiko Asano, Ph.D., president of Kirin's Pharmaceutical
Division. "This partnership is an indication of Kirin's superior human antibody
technology. With this partnership, we will be able to expand our activities in
the field of fully human antibody business."
About Corixa
Corixa is a developer of immunotherapeutics with a commitment to treating and
preventing autoimmune diseases, cancer and infectious diseases by understanding
and directing the immune system. Corixa is focused on immunotherapeutic
products and has a broad technology platform enabling both fully integrated
vaccine design and the use of its separate, proprietary product components on a
standalone basis. Corixa currently has 16 programs in clinical development and
22 programs in preclinical development, including its most advanced product
candidate, Bexxar(TM), a monoclonal antibody conjugated to a radioisotope.
The company partners with numerous developers and marketers of pharmaceuticals,
targeting products that are Powered by Corixa(TM) technology with the goal of
making its potential products available to patients around the world. Corixa
was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Seattle, Wash., with additional
operations in Hamilton, Montana and Redwood City, California and South San
Francisco, California. For more information, please visit Corixa's website at
http://www.corixa.com or call the company's investor relations information line
at 1.877.4CORIXA or 877/426-7492.
About Kirin
The Pharmaceutical Division of Kirin applies its knowledge of biotechnology to
the development of advanced pharmaceutical products in the field of renal
diseases, immunological and allergy-related diseases, cancer, and hematological
diseases. Kirin's recombinant DNA-based ESPO(R) (erythropoietin) and GRAN(R)
(G-CSF), co-developed with Amgen, have annual sales exceeding $400 million in
Asia. For more information about the company, please visit its website at
http://www.kirin.co.jp/english/.
Constellation files shelf for $750 mln in debt,equity
WASHINGTON, June 20 (Reuters) - Constellation Brands Inc. <<A
HREF="aol://4785:STZ">STZ.N</A>> on Wednesday filed with U.S. regulators to
periodically sell up to $750 million in debt securities, preferred stock,
depositary shares and class A common stock.
In a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, the Fairport, N.Y.-based
company, which makes beer, wine and spirits, said it will use the money from
the shelf offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.
The company agreed in April to buy Ravenswood Winery Inc. <<A
HREF="aol://4785:RVWD">RVWD.O</A>>, formerly known as Canandaigua Brands Inc.,
for about $148 million. Ravenswood is one of California's best-known producers
of red zinfandel wine.
Under a shelf registration, securities may be sold on occasion in one or more
separate offerings with the size, price and terms to be determined at the time
of sale.
Constellation shares closed $2.25 higher, or more than 5 percent, at $43 on the
New York Stock Exchange, shooting past its 52-week high of $41. Their low in
the past year was $21.90.
Shares of Ravenswood rose 2 cents to close at $29.40 on Nasdaq.
Big Rock Brewery Ltd. Announces Year End Results
CALGARY, June 20 /PRNewswire/ - Big Rock Brewery Ltd. (Nasdaq: <A
HREF="aol://4785:BEERF">BEERF</A>)(TSE: BR) Mr. Tim Duffin, Chief Financial
Officer of Big Rock Brewery Ltd., is pleased to announce results for the fiscal
year ended March 31, 2001
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND RETAINED EARNINGS
Years ended March 31
2001 2000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Denominated in Canadian Dollars)
Revenue
Sales 32,238,035 31,707,142
Government taxes and commissions (9,038,357) (8,990,216)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
23,199,678 22,716,926
Cost of sales 9,240,503 9,154,929
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross profit 13,959,175 13,561,997
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expenses
Selling, general and administrative 10,176,689 9,415,955
Interest on long-term debt 451,921 481,400
Interest on short-term debt 91,998 36,360
Amortization 1,230,994 1,167,163
------------------------------------------------------------------------
11,951,602 11,100,878
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income before income taxes 2,007,573 2,461,119
Current income tax expense 198,000 42,000
Future income tax expense 457,000 958,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net income for year 1,352,573 1,461,119
Retained earnings, beginning of year 6,551,550 5,975,448
Redemption of common shares (420,041) (885,017)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retained earnings, end of year 7,484,082 6,551,550
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Net income per share
Basic and fully diluted 0.29 0.31
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
As at March 31
2001 2000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Denominated in Canadian Dollars)
ASSETS
Current
Cash and cash equivalents 1,602,202 106,492
Accounts receivable 1,593,984 1,872,064
Inventories 2,701,982 2,676,790
Prepaid expenses and other 400,985 237,656
Investments 156,035 19,060
------------------------------------------------------------------------
6,455,188 4,912,062
Capital assets 24,844,994 24,954,398
Deferred charges and other 45,619 51,779
------------------------------------------------------------------------
31,345,801 29,918,239
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial Highlights:
Gross sales revenue increased to $32,238,035 this year from $31,707,142 last
year.
Net sales revenue, which is gross sales less government taxes and commissions,
increased by 2% to $482,752. In terms of volume, hectoliters sold increased to
120,420 from 117,918 the previous year.
Our Alberta sales volume was relatively flat this year. Sales in Ontario
increased by 19% and in British Columbia our sales increased by 27% over last
year's volumes. Sales in Saskatchewan increased by 18%. Our shipments to the
U.S. continued to decline this year.
Our brewery personnel held the line on manufacturing costs at $9,240,503 (2000
- $9,154,929). Production efficiencies resulted in a year over year decrease of
over $1 per hectoliter despite the upward pressure on manufacturing costs
particularly in energy and packaging costs.
Our gross margin improvement of 3% over last year reflects the increased volume
and decreased manufacturing costs.
Due to increasingly aggressive competition, selling beer is becoming more
costly. Our selling and administration costs increased to $85 per hectoliter
this year from $80 per hectoliter last year.
EBITDA for the year was $3,782,486 ($31 per hectoliter). Last year EBITDA was
$4,146,042 ($35 per hectoliter). This decrease is due primarily to increased
selling and promotion expenditures to maintain our position in the Alberta
marketplace.
Our interest on long term debt decreased by $29,479 due to the continuing pay
down of principal during the year.
Our short term interest expense increased by $55,638 over last year as we
utilized our bank operating line more during the year.
This year, as required by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, the
Company changed its method of accounting for future income taxes. Income tax
rate reductions during the year resulted in a reduction of $166,000 in income
tax expense.
During the year the Company received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange
for its third normal course issuer bid allowing the repurchase of up to 265,000
of the Company's common shares. The Company purchased and cancelled 148,800
common shares during the year. The $420,041 excess of market price paid over
book value was charged to retained earnings. This reduced share capital by
148,800 shares having a book value of $324,263.
The Company's large positive working capital of $1,979,482 at year-end was
comprised largely of cash from a February private placement of 400,000 common
shares @ $4.50.
During the year the Company invested $1,121,590 (2000 - $1,143,222) in capital
asset additions. These expenditures were used primarily for the purchase of
four new fermenting tanks for the brewery and additional kegs.
Cash provided by operating activities this year was $3,410,990 (2000 -
$2,435,399). This significant increase was due to the timing of the collection
of our accounts receivable and the payment of our accounts payable at year-end.
At year-end the Company had utilized $1,362,907 (2000 - $2,244,903) of its
$3,000,000 bank operating line of credit. This credit facility bears interest
at Royal Bank prime rate. Our long-term debt facility was paid down by $836,575
during the year to $5,037,838. A blended payment of $155,000 is made monthly.
Security for these borrowings is a general assignment of the Company's assets.
Big Rock is a regional producer and marketer of specialty draught and packaged
beer located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Big Rock is dedicated to the brewing
of premium beers using only water, hops, yeast, and various combinations of
malted barley and malted wheat. Big Rock products contain no preservatives or
adjuncts. Rather than using pasteurization, which affects the flavour of the
beer, all product is packaged after cold sterile filtration. Big Rock was
established in 1985 by founder and CEO Ed McNally.
Ball Corporation Announces Restructuring Actions in China, Aerospace
BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Corporation (NYSE: <A
HREF="aol://4785:BLL">BLL</A>) announced today that it will exit the general
line metal can manufacturing business in China and reduce its aluminum beverage
can manufacturing capacity there. The company said it will record in the
second quarter an after-tax charge of approximately $185 million in connection
with those actions in China.
Additionally, the company will dispose of two commercial aerospace and
technologies segment developmental product lines that have not been profitable,
resulting in an after-tax charge of approximately $10 million.
China Actions
"Our focus in the packaging business is on beverage and food customers. Much of
the general line business in China, including the cutting, coating and
decorating of steel for aerosol cans and decorative tins, falls outside of that
focus," said R. David Hoover, who became president and chief executive officer
of Ball Corporation in January. "Due in part to currency devaluations which
have disrupted Asian markets, we no longer see the prospects for us in the
general line can business that we felt were present when we acquired it in
1997. It is not prudent for us to continue in this business that is outside of
our strategic focus, and we will dispose of the assets, which include a plant
in Tianjin, closure of which we announced earlier this year.
"We are maintaining a leading position in the manufacture and sale of quality
beverage cans in China, and an investment there remains part of our long-term
strategy," Hoover said. "However, the market suffers from overcapacity and
sluggish demand. Beverage can demand in China was growing at double-digit
rates until 1999. Recently that growth has slowed dramatically, due in part to
competition from alternative packaging, lack of consolidation in China's
fragmented beer industry, and the continued premium-price positioning of canned
beverages in China. Our actions will include the sale or closure of several
manufacturing plants, as well as a significant reduction in overhead, and are
designed to right-size our business to reflect the market dynamics and to
strategically position our operations in China. They are consistent with the
aggressive actions we have taken in recent years in our core North American
packaging operations."
Hoover said Ball's actions in China are expected to have a one-time positive
impact of more than $25 million on the company's cash flow, and are forecast to
result initially in a $10 million annual improvement in Ball's after-tax
earnings.
Positive Impact
"The aggressive steps will have a positive impact on Ball and the market, and
they should allow us to have a profitable business in China going forward and a
more profitable aerospace and technologies segment," Hoover said. "The ongoing
changes in the market for packaging products in China and Southeast Asia call
for aggressive actions such as those we are announcing. We are focused on
creating shareholder value and will not continue in businesses that do not earn
their cost of capital over time and do not have the ability to generate
earnings and flow significant cash."
The second quarter charge is composed of the following
(dollars in millions):
China Aerospace Total
Equipment and other assets
to net realizable value $149 $12 $161
Goodwill 64 -- 64
Cash costs including severance (net) 23 4 27
U.S. tax recoveries (51) (6) (57)
TOTAL $185 $10 $195
Outlook
The $195 million in charges in the second quarter are estimated to equate to
approximately $7 per share, resulting in a reported loss in the second quarter
and for the full year 2001. Excluding the charge, the company expects full
year 2001 earnings to be nearly the same as 2000, when the company earned $3.70
per diluted share, excluding unusual gains and losses. For the second quarter,
excluding the charge, results are expected to be somewhat below the same period
in 2000, as the company has indicated previously. Higher energy costs in 2001
are in part responsible for the decrease in earnings in the second quarter
versus a year ago, as are unabsorbed fixed costs incurred as a result of not
accepting some low-margin beverage can business.
"We are managing the company for cash flow. We are sacrificing short-term
profits by temporarily idling selected production lines in order to reduce
inventories," Hoover said. "As a result, we expect free cash flow in 2001 to
be at least $175 million. We expect to be well positioned to resume in 2002
our earnings per share target growth rate of between 10 and 15 percent."
Ball Corporation is one of the world's leading suppliers of metal and plastic
packaging to the beverage and food industries. The company also owns Ball
Aerospace and Technologies Corp. Ball reported 2000 sales of $3.7 billion, of
which approximately $3.3 billion came from its packaging segment and $400
million from its aerospace and technologies segment.
Rains delay Bulgaria barley harvest, prices fall
By Anna Mudeva
SOFIA, June 20 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's barley prices for July delivery fell
below last year's record highs due to low export demand and sluggish domestic
trade, as rains delayed harvesting, traders and brewers said on Wednesday.
"Global demand for barley this year is much lower than last year. It coupled
with a recovery in output in eastern Europe and pushed prices down," a trader
with an western company operating in Bulgaria told Reuters.
Small volume deals for July exports are now sealed at 145-160 levs ($63-70) per
tonne ex-farm, compared with up to $105 per tonne last year that was the
highest price in Bulgaria for 10 years, traders said.
They said barley prices were unlikely to reach last year's highs although
exports could reach 160,000 tonnes in 2001/02 (July-June), about the same as
170,000 tonnes in 2000/01 that went to northern Africa and the Middle East.
This compared with annual exports of some 20,000 tonnes in the previous several
years.
Barley harvesting began last week in some regions but rains halted it for about
a week, officials from Bulgaria's farm weather forecast service said.
Traders and analysts forecast the new crop at 700,000 tonnes, same as last year
and enough to cover fully a rising demand from brewers. The projection was
based on 240,000 hectares of sown area, unchanged from last year.
The brewers' union made a similar forecast and said the industry planned to buy
up to 140,000 tonnes of barley this year, more than last year's 100,000.
"We expect a five percent increase in beer consumption this year, from last
year's four million hectolitres," chairman Petar Paunkov said.
Most of Bulgaria's barley is feed grain and brewers usually blend it with
imported high quality malting barley.
Use of feed barley was seen falling to 386,000 tonnes in 2001/02, from 420,000
the previous season, due to a sharp drop in livestock numbers, state farm
information agency SAPI said.
SAPI attributed the decline to falling consumption of meat and dairy products,
which had pressured livestock and meat prices during the past 11 years of
Bulgaria's transition to market economy.
From the Soul of South Africa Comes the Good Health of RED TEA; RED TEA Isn't
Just RED TEA...it's Tea With an Attitude
NOVATO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--June 19, 2001--In keeping with its
mission to seek out and procure only the healthiest teas in the world, The
Republic of Tea introduces an exciting new line of RED TEA. From the remote
mountains of the Cedarberg area near Cape Town South Africa, comes RED TEA
which researchers have found provides even more of the health promoting
properties that have popularized green tea. RED TEA is deeper than its color.
Scientific studies have discovered that RED TEA, an indigenous wonder herb of
South Africa called rooibos (ROY-boss), is full of polyphenols and flavonoids
which helps reduce cellular damage caused by free radicals that weaken natural
defenses and eventually lead to aging and the onset of disease. RED TEA is
completely caffeine-free so you can enjoy unlimited cups, multiplying the
benefits from all its healthful properties without overdoing the
caffeine--perfect for today's healthy lifestyles.
RED TEA is wonderful hot or on ice and the five unique flavors are packaged in
tins of 36-ct. unbleached round tea bags. Each signature airtight tin boosts a
colorful label depicting African textile motifs.
Botswana Blossom skillfully blends rooibos with citrus, blossoms and nuts.
Capetown Harvest pairs rooibos with the sunny tropical flavors of passion fruit
and mango.
Cedarberg Mountain Organic yields a rich amber brew and is smooth, mellow,
well-balanced and delicious.
Good Hope Vanilla is a blend of rooibos and sweet vanilla beans.
Safari Sunset offers flavors of cinnamon, orange and cloves with a hint of
lemon.
Like all of The Republic of Tea offerings, RED TEA is also available on-line at
and through their exclusive catalogue. Founded in 1992, The Republic of Tea is
a progressive and socially conscious business recognized for being the leading
purveyor of exquisite teas and herbs. The company sells more than 75 varieties
of its teas, herbs, Healthy Chai Tea Latte's, Bottled Iced Teas, Tea Jams, Tea
Cookies and nature-inspired teaware, in over 20,000 specialty food locations,
restaurants and cafes throughout the United States. Citizens may request a mail
order catalogue by calling 800-298-4TEA (4832) and also access the The Republic
of Tea website www.republicoftea.com.
Editors: Photography is available upon request. Please indicate preferred photo
format. The Minister of Commerce is always available to share tea wisdom.
Seagram Receives FF450m Bid for Oddbins in Four-Way Battle, Says
just-drinks.com
LONDON, June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- http://www.just-drinks.com -- Castel Freres,
the Bordeaux-based wine group has placed a bid for Oddbins, Seagram's UK
off-licence chain. According to local sources the bid is worth FF450m
(US$58.8m).
The French company is one of four contenders, sources told just-drinks.com,
including Nomura, a management buyout and a group of "private individuals".
Pierre Castel head of Castel Freres told just-drinks.com that the company was
very interested in Oddbins and the outcome of the sale should be known by the
end of the month.
For the full story, click here:
http://www.just-drinks.com/news-detail.asp?art=12877&app=1
Australian wine to use DNA coding to fight theft
By Marie McInerney
ADELAIDE, June 21 (Reuters) - DNA coding technology is the latest weapon in the
fight by Australian wine producers to stop growing theft and forgery of
expensive premium wine brands.
Leading Australian winemaker BRL Hardy Ltd said on Thursday it would use a
world-first security seal using DNA coding to authenticate its most expensive
and flagship wine, the premium Eileen Hardy shiraz.
"If you're a collector and you buy a dozen of these, you're going to spend well
over A$1,000 and you don't want to turn around in three or four years' time and
find out you've been sold a dud," BRL Hardy's international marketing manager
Jim Humphrys told reporters at the launch of the device.
BRL Hardy said DNA had been taken from 100-year old grapevines grown at its
McLaren Vale vineyard in South Australia state and impregnated into printing
ink on the neck label of each bottle. It produces 3,000 to 6,000 cases of
Eileen Hardy each year.
The new branding could be read by a sophisticated electronic hand-held scanner,
it said.
The Australian wine industry was rocked in 1998 when fake bottles of the
country's most prestigious wine, Penfolds Grange, were uncovered, sparking
concern of a new racket in fraudulent premium wines.
Grange has become a collector's item.
A bottle of the 1951 vintage set a record price for a bottle of Australian red
wine at an auction in February, after attracting a winning bid of A$46,620.
BRL Hardy's Eileen Hardy, first produced in 1970, does not create quite the
same ferment in the marketplace. The company said new releases sell for about
A$80 a bottle at home, with some vintages selling for up to US$250 per bottle
in the United States.
"Wine has emerged as a very popular investment commodity over recent years and
sadly this has led to an increase in wine fraud with our industry," BRL Hardy
red winemaker Steven Pannell said in a statement.
Wine companies around the world have introduced anti-tamper devices such as
special cork seals and laser etching on glass bottles to stop thieves from
forging premium products.
Are copper bangles good for you? Just eat better
By Zach Howard
NEW YORK, June 19 (Reuters) - The Aztecs, Egyptians and Romans all used copper,
one of the Earth's most common metals, for thousands of years as a folk remedy
in bangles, bandages, cosmetics and even drinks to ward off a host of ailments.
Putting on all those bracelets and rings may be one way to get a "copper fix"
but doctors are still reluctant to sanction copper-based folk remedies since
excessive amounts can be toxic and most people get plenty of copper from their
daily diet.
Even today, athletic and health-conscious adults will spurn vitamin supplements
for jewellery to boost their intake of copper, an essential nutrient for the
functioning of the body, due to concerns about over-medicating and side
effects.
Copper, found in everyday food items such as shellfish, nuts, red wine and
chocolate, is known to help the development of bones and tissue. Research
suggests that copper deficiency can lead to problems in connective tissue and
joints in diseases such as arthritis.
In addition, no one has ever proved that copper bracelets -- worn by countless
generations around the world -- actually work. Or, if they do, how and why they
can help beat disease.
Copper industry groups point to the lack of evidence that wearing such items
next to the skin prevents copper deficiency or cures ailments, although some
say they are at worst benign.
"Anecdotally, it has been working for centuries. This kind of thing has been
going on for several millennia and has been all the rage for the last few
years," said Ken Geremia, a spokesman at Copper Development Association (CDA)
in New York.
"The fact is, no one knows if it works, or how or why," he said. "There has
been research done but studies have not yielded any scientific evidence that it
works."
REMEDIES DATE BACK TO ANCIENT HISTORY
Copper's use as a home remedy against disease dates back thousands of years
through many different civilisations.
The first Egyptian record of the metal's medicinal use can be found in the
Smith Papyrus, an ancient text written between 2600 and 2200 BC.
Writings from the Roman, Aztec and Hindu civilisations illustrate a range of
remedies, with copper used in drinks and dressings for injuries or shaped into
jewellery and magnets.
Today, advocates of copper jewellery say about 13 milligrams (mg) of copper can
be absorbed by the body in one month just by wearing a bracelet as copper ions
are released within amino acid complexes that permeate the epidermis.
Discs worn under a wristwatch or inside a golfing glove interact with a
person's sweat, drawing nutrients directly to a specific injury and bypassing
the digestive system, they say.
Steve Wherry, owner of Carrots Copper based in the U.S city of Boulder,
Colorado, began marketing discs two years ago on his website www.carrots.com
after golfing gave him tendinitis. He now wears a copper bracelet and a disc to
maximise his intake.
"By wearing copper, you absorb it through the transdermal process and it goes
directly into your circulatory system that way to your point of need," he told
Reuters.
Wherry said his customers tended to be athletic and health-conscious -- often
women interested in remedies that were "safe, non-invasive, non-addictive and
produce no side-effects."
BENEFITS BUT MORE RESEARCH NEEDED
Despite the continued attraction of copper jewellery, medical experts are still
not urging their patients to start wearing bracelets or even take supplementary
copper doses to boost an average intake which is below the recommended rate.
In the United States, the recommended daily allowance for adults is 2.0 mg of
copper, although average intake on a daily basis is only 1.0-1.2 mg.
However, they do recognise copper's known cardiovascular benefits and its role
as a key micronutrient within the body.
"Copper is an essential micronutrient which is required for vital biochemical
reactions within cells," said Dennis J. Thiele at the University of Michigan
Medical School.
"Without copper, cells can't produce energy, metabolise iron or detoxify free
radicals," he said.
Thiele directed a study published this month which shows that if a newly
discovered protein that escorts copper through cells is absent in mammals, it
has disastrous effects during the embryonic development of organs and cells.
Doctors say copper is also key for cardiovascular health and growing blood
vessels, as well as making the neuropeptides that control muscle contractions
and the collagen that gives skin elasticity.
But more research still needs to be done on how the metal might help against
arthritis -- a disease affecting some 43 million Americans, or about one person
in six -- though it seems likely that copper deficiency might worsen the
condition.
Carl Keen, professor of nutritional science and dietetics at the University of
California, said it was reasonable to speculate that copper deficiency
contributed to rheumatoid arthritis because of the way copper acts with two key
enzymes in human tissue.
One of the enzymes, lysyl oxidase, is a coagent with copper in helping form
connective tissue. Another, superoxide dismutase, reduces inflammation and
neutralises destructive free radicals, which may play a role in tissue damage
in the disease.
Free radicals, or reactive atoms or groups of atoms that have unpaired
electrons, can cause massive tissue damage when they oxidise in cell membranes,
Keen said.
"Low lysyl oxidase activity might contribute to oxidative damage occurring
around joints and might lead to rheumatoid arthritis," he said, stressing this
was only a possibility.
According to the official website of the Arthritis Foundation
(www.arthritis.org), there is not enough evidence to support using copper
supplements or bracelets to relieve symptoms of arthritis.
J2jurado
New brew on tap
Hamtramck beer will be available in namesake city and Royal Oak
John T. Grelick / The Detroit News
Throwing back some new Hamtramck ale are, from left to right, planning
commissioner Jay Jurma, Chuck Cirgenski and Mayor Gary Zych at the Whiskey in
the Jar bar.
Beer lovers once could buy "the beer that made Milwaukee famous," as ads
said, and now they can try the beer that's called Hamtramck.
The new brand is available at about a dozen beer gardens in the
multiethnic enclave and is expected to be sold at stores in Hamtramck and Royal
Oak.
Hamtramck brand beer is brewed at Michigan Brewing Co. in Webberville, Mich.
Home brew
What: Hamtramck beer, named after the city where it's sold.
Source: Made by the Michigan Brewing Co.
Where: Webberville, Mich.
How: Made from hops imported from Poland, barley malts from Europe.
Phone: Rave Associates, distributor, at (734) 761-7702.
Mayor Gary J. Zych welcomes the link.
"This reflects well on the ethnic heritage of the city," Zych said.
"Hamtramck is known for its fine food. Now that's expanded to fine beer."
Hamtramck beer was the brainstorm of Bruce Wright, who represents Rave
Associates, an Ann Arbor distributor of imported beers and wines. "We don't do
the mainstream," Wright said.
He was looking for an authentic Polish ale that cost less than the
imports. He took his idea to Michigan Brewing Co. in Webberville, a town of
about 1,500 people in Ingham County, off Interstate 96 between Howell and
Lansing. "We specialize in stuff that's made right here," Wright explained.
Michigan Brewing has been making what's called "craft beers" for almost
six years, said sales and marketing manager Chris Teufel. It produces 4,000
barrels a year and had $1 million in sales last year, Teufel said. The firm
began producing Hamtramck beer this spring.
Michigan Brewing's Mackinac Pale Ale and Michigan Nut Brown Ale are
stocked by Meijer stores, Teufel said. He predicted Hamtramck beer sales could
hit 1,000 barrels a year.
"It's kind of a good selling point that you can only get it (at taverns)
in Hamtramck," Teufel said.
The beer features the red and white Polish flag and a Polish eagle on the
label.
Paul Lash, day manager of Whiskey in the Jar, a beer garden on Yemans
near Jos. Campau in Hamtramck, likes it.
"It's excellent," Lash said. "It's a good hearty brew, but it's not too
heavy."
Whiskey in the Jar offers Hamtramck beer by the bottle for $1.50 or on
draft for $2 a pint.
Teufel said Michigan Brewing's master brewer is Dan Rogers, a Howell
native who started a chain of brew pubs in Las Vegas called Holy Cow and then
returned to Michigan.
For Hamtramck beer, Rogers uses hops imported from Lublin, a province in
southeastern Poland known for beer-making, along with barley malts from
elsewhere in Europe.
"We give everybody a high-quality product," Teufel said.
http://www.kcstar.com:80/item/pages/printer.pat,business/3accc595.622,.html
Beer makers, MADD square off over tax rollback bill
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER - Associated Press Writer, 06/22/01
WASHINGTON -- A tax on liquor brought America the Whiskey Rebellion two
centuries ago. Now the brewing industry is looking to start the Battle over the
Beer Tax.
Calling the levy regressive and unfair, brewers are pressing Congress to cut it
in half. An anti-tax Web site features a profile of "Joe and Jane Six-Pack" --
people who drink more than a six-pack a week.
"Beer is one of America's best pastimes," said Bill Marshman, a locksmith from
Suitland, Md. Marshman, who says he drinks a case a week, supports the rollback
effort.
"Anything to pay less," he said.
On the other side: Mothers Against Drunk Driving, arguing the bill would lead
to more underage drinking and traffic deaths.
Congress doubled the tax to $18 a barrel -- about a dollar a case -- in 1990
when it also passed tax increases on luxury items such as planes and yachts.
Three years later, most of the luxury taxes were rescinded but the beer tax
remained.
"It's an equity argument," Miller Brewing Co. spokesman Michael Brophy said.
"It's certainly not a luxury item, and it's already taxed at the state level,
and will still be taxed at the federal level. There's a basic fairness issue."
The beer industry is mounting its most aggressive tax-cut campaign in years,
believing that with a healthy budget surplus and a tax-cut proponent in the
White House, its chances have been enhanced, said Jeff Becker, president of the
Beer Institute, the industry's trade association. The campaign includes ads in
several Capitol Hill publications.
Becker said most beer drinkers are low- and middle-income wage earners who
could use a break. "They aren't buying $50,000 cars or private planes and
yachts," he said.
Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. has lobbied to cut the beer tax the last couple of
congressional sessions, said Rod Forth, the St. Louis-based brewer's senior
director of government affairs.
"The beer tax was increased in 1990 when the government was faced with large
deficits," he said. Now the government has surpluses, Forth said, and other
luxury taxes increased in 1990 have been reduced by the federal government.
"We think as a matter of fairness, the beer tax should be rolled back as well,"
he said.
Forth said legislation to cut the beer tax has bipartisan support, and
Anheuser-Busch is optimistic that the bill will pass.
More than 150 members of Congress have signed on as co-sponsors of legislation
(the bill is H.R. 1305) that would halve the beer tax.
The beer tax legislation wouldn't affect microbreweries, which pay only $7 a
barrel on the first 60,000 barrels they brew.
Rep. Jerry Kleczka, a Wisconsin Democrat, hasn't supported previous efforts to
reduce the tax. He said he decided to be a co-sponsor this year because
Congress voted to eliminate the estate tax.
"If Congress can repeal the estate tax for billionaires, then Congress can roll
back the beer tax for Joe Six-Pack," said Kleczka, whose state is home to
Miller Brewing.
Reducing the tax to its 1990 level would cost the federal government about $1.6
billion a year. Kleczka, a member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee,
said the bill's chances of passage are slim.
Still, MADD is aggressively fighting the effort. Its Web site has a form letter
visitors can e-mail to their lawmakers urging them to oppose the bill.
"Economic research indicates lower taxes on beer will lead to more deaths among
young people in traffic accidents and other alcohol-related problems," said
Millie I. Webb, MADD's national president. "It's cheaper, it's more accessible.
It's bad public policy to reduce the beer tax."
A study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism cites
research which found that higher alcohol prices can reduce traffic fatality
rates. The institute says more research is needed.
MADD and the institute agree that even a modest price change can affect sales.
Restoring the tax to its 1990 level would, if passed on to consumers, cut about
12.5 cents off a six-pack.
Becker noted that when the tax was increased a decade ago, domestic production
declined for five straight years. It has rebounded in recent years, but remains
about 5 million barrels below the 1990 total of 184.5 million barrels.
On the Net:
* Anti-Beer Tax: http://www.rollbackthebeertax.org/
* Mothers Against Drunk Driving: http://www.madd.org/
http://dailynews.philly.com:80/content/daily_news/2001/06/22/features/BEER
22F.htm
Beer Bits
Friday, June 22, 2001
Stick a cork in it
Looks like another brewpub is about to bite the dust. New Road Brewhouse in
Collegeville reportedly is shutting down its brewing operation. It’ll sell
its equipment and continue as a restaurant.
Head brewer Brian O’Reilly, who created the brewpub’s award-winning
Perkiomen Pils, has already left. He’s on his way to Victory Brewing.
“It doesn’t make sense,” O’Reilly said. “I can’t justify the
closing as a sound economic decision. If I could have found a way to sell beer
downtown, the sales alone would have paid my salary.”
Stout champ
Who makes the best stout in Philadelphia? On one day at one Center City tavern,
it was Yard’s Love Stout. The Manayunk brew beat out O’Hara’s Celtic,
Guinness, Murphy’s Irish, Beamish and Stoudt’s Fat Dog at last week’s
Bloomsday Stout Challenge. A blind-tasting of patrons at McGillin’s Old Ale
House (1310 Drury St., Center City) picked Yards over Stoudt’s by one vote.
Honor thy brew
American Beer Month, an official excuse to drink your favorite suds throughout
July, is approaching. It kicks off in Philadelphia next Friday with a pub crawl
sponsored by Ale Street News. Beer drinkers and brewers will rally at
Rittenhouse Square from 2 to 4 p.m. before heading off on a tour of Center City
beer joints.
Why Johnny can’t read
On the topic of underage drinking, reporter Andrew Osborn filed this report
from Brussels for The Guardian of London:
Belgian schools are to start supplying pupils with beer at lunchtime, believing
it to be healthier than fizzy drinks.
A Flemish beer lovers’ club has approached 30 schools and suggested that they
substitute low-alcohol beer called tafelbier for sugary drinks such as lemonade
and Coca-Cola.
At least two schools have already agreed and one has launched a pilot scheme.
Almost 80 percent of children who took part in the pilot scheme in Belgium’s
Limburg province said they had enjoyed having beer instead of a soft drink, and
other schools are expected to follow suit in September.
According to Rony Langenaeken, chairman of De Limburgse Biervrienden, the beer
club behind the scheme, pupils will be able to choose between lager and bitter,
neither of which will be stronger than 2.5 percent alcohol.
Citing a Belgian study showing that soft drinks and fruit juice can increase
the risk of obesity and even cancer in children, Langenaeken argues that beer
is healthier because it contains less sugar. “It’s good for their figure
and very healthy as well.”
Fatal sips
Heading for Tanzania this summer? Stay away from the Rubisi. It’s a homemade
beer made with bananas, and authorities say at least five people keeled over
dead after drinking the stuff last week. The batch was contaminated with an
unknown poison.
— Joe Sixpack
http://dailynews.philly.com:80/content/daily_news/2001/06/20/features/FSID
20F.htm
Cool summer suds
June 20, 2001
Personally, Joe Sixpack's idea of the perfect summer cocktail is a colder beer
- something to wash away the sweat after mowing the lawn.
When the going gets hot, most beer-drinkers predictably reach for an icy
industrial lager, a Bud, a Coors, a God-forbid Lite.
It's easy to understand why: They're mostly refreshing and go down easy, in a
mindless, inevitable way. Keep them under 45 degrees, to numb your taste buds,
and you hardly notice you're drinking.
If actual taste is among your beer-drinking criteria, do not despair this
summer.
It's true that strong ales and dark, malty lagers are better suited to a cozy
chair in front of a fireplace. But plenty of lighter, tastier styles are
available at your corner cooler.
Among my favorites:
* Belgian white (or wit) beer. It's cloudy and pale yellow, with a spicy yeast
character. Look for Hoegaarden and Blanche de Bruges.
* German wheat (or weisse) beer. Less cloudy, but with a complex array of
tastes and aromas (banana, clover) produced by the yeast. It's usually served
in a tall glass with a thick, foamy head. Paulaner Hefe-Weizen is everywhere in
town, often served with a lemon. Try Ayinger Dunkles Ur-Weise or Schneider
Aventinus for a bigger taste.
* American wheat. I'm not a huge fan of these. They're often pale, bland
imitations of the Germans. Nonetheless, I've never had a bad beer from
Downingtown's Victory Brewing, and its Sunrise Weissbier does not disappoint.
* Lambic. Often flavored with cherries (kriek), peach (peche) or raspberries
(framboise), this is a quirky, traditional ale from Belgium. Though fruit beer
is sometimes cloying and just plain wrong, lambic does it right. Look for
unfiltered bottles, for a full taste, from Lindemans or Cantillon.
* Gueuze. Instead of fruit, gueuze (say gooz or gerze) gets its funky taste
from a blend of different vintages of lambics. This ale is not for everyone,
but fans love its strong, tart finish. Think lemonade on locker room steroids.
Frank Boon and Cuvee Renee from Lindemans are terrific.
* Saison. It's a French or Belgian artisinal ale, usually unfiltered and highly
hopped. Saison Dupont is the most famous. Locally, Yards Brewing of Manayunk
bottles a delicious Belgian Saison with hints of coriander and orange.
* Pilsner. The light, crisp lager that Miller Lite wishes it could be. Pilsner
Urquel is the classic; Victory Prima Pils is hoppier.
* Kolsch. The ale version of pilsner, with a fruitier taste from the yeast.
It's hard to find bottles of this, but it's usually available in brewpubs,
including Independence Brewpub at Reading Terminal.
Other summer quenchers:
* Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale, with a dry, quenching finish.
* Samuel Adams Summer Ale, spiced with Grains of Paradise.
* Sierra Nevada Summerfest, a rare lager from this California brewery that's
crisp and refreshing.
* Kindl Berliner Weisse, low in alcohol and very refreshing, it's often served
with fruit syrup.
A final note on the beers of summer: Don't serve them too cold. That kills the
taste and spoils their refreshing character. Somewhere around 50 degrees is
fine.
— Joe Sixpack
http://www.courierpress.com:80/cgi-bin/view.cgi?200106/17+belgium061701_fe
atures.html+20010617
Belgium knows wass-up with beer
By Jim Zebora, The Stamford Advocate
If they’ve been good, many beer lovers hope, they’ll go to Belgium when
they die.
It’s not because in heaven there is no beer. Rather, it’s that nowhere else
is such a variety of beer styles, colors and flavors to be found.
“For every occasion, we have a certain type of beer, for every group,” says
Ruth Van Waerebeek, a Belgian chef and author recently on tour in the United
States. “Lambic, for example, is very popular with women.”
Made only by a dozen breweries just west of Brussels, Lambic is a wheat beer
fermented by wild yeast allowed to drift into the vats through open windows and
rooftops. This cidery brew frequently is blended for more refinement, and is
consumed in its natural state or as the basis for many delicious Belgian fruit
beers.
Lambic is among the 500 beer styles produced by Belgium’s 102 breweries, says
Van Waerebeek, author of the “Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook”
(Workman Publishing, $15.95).
Van Waerebeek was here working with Labatt USA, the Norwalk, Conn.-based
importer of Belgium’s best-known beer in the United States, Stella Artois, to
spread the word about the country’s diverse brews.
Like most beer drinkers in the world, Belgian consumers overwhelmingly choose
golden, hoppy lager as their favorite, especially to accompany a meal. But
according to Van Waerebeek, they are inclined to seek out the right beer to
accompany and complement different foods and moods.
Abbey ales are strong, dark beers made by monks as a form of “liquid
bread.” Belgians might pick an abbey ale when eating strongly flavored dishes
containing beef, turkey or cheese.
Hoegaarden, a brand of “wit” (wheat or “white”) beer prized for its
crisp effervescence, would be a great accompaniment for shellfish, says Van
Waerebeek. Fruity “kriek,” a sweet treat by itself, can fit well with a
bitter chocolate dessert, while a sour Belgian red beer such as Rodenbach Grand
Cru often is paired with game, such as wild rabbit.
The practice of pairing food with an appropriate beer (or cooking it with same)
isn’t widely observed in the States, says Van Waerebeek. “Certainly not
with fine food — it’s a different culture, I think.”
That culture, instead, allows for several dozen diverse wine choices on the
menu of a relatively serious eatery, while the beers offered might be a few
domestic lagers and their light counterparts, plus an imported pilsner or two,
all of them golden-colored and hop-flavored. It doesn’t make sense, Van
Waerebeek says.
“In America, much food is wine-unfriendly — Mexican, Oriental, barbecue,
pizza,” she says. These are cuisines that favor beer, Van Waerebeek believes,
particularly refined pilsners such as Stella, which has made great inroads in
the import marketplace since its U.S. introduction two years ago.
“If you have a beer, it complements and enhances the flavor.”
Helping Americans, restaurateurs and consumers alike, think of beer as they
would think of wine is Van Waerebeek’s mission. Mostly, it involves informal
education in the styles of beer and the way they fit with food, she says. It
also involves getting them to speak up and order the libation they’ve learned
is a soul-mate to a particular gastronomic delight.
“Most Americans prefer beer over wine,” Van Waerebeek says. “It’s fun
upscaling them a bit.”
Don’t order a Bud Light the next time you’re eating clams or oysters on the
half-shell. Try a Guinness instead.
A merlot with your prime rib? Forget it. Have a full-bodied pale ale such as
Vermont’s Long Trail, or a strong bitter like Fuller’s ESB.
Your taste buds will appreciate the sensual harmony.
http://www.jsonline.com:80/news/metro/jun01/budsid19061801.asp
Research park planned for former Pabst site
Budget includes $25 million in bonding to convert ex-brewery
By DENNIS CHAPTMAN of the Journal Sentinel staff, June 18, 2001
Madison - The former Pabst Brewing Co.'s brewery and headquarters in downtown
Milwaukee would be transformed into a research park under a plan approved as
part of the state Senate Democrats' budget.
Sen. Gary George (D-Milwaukee) is pushing the plan, which calls for $25 million
in bonding for the research park and another $2 million for a Milwaukee Public
Schools Alumni Center.
George aide Dave Begel said the senator has discussed the idea with
representatives of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Marquette University, the Medical College of
Wisconsin and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
George was in meetings and could not be reached.
"It's a wonderful piece of property," Begel said. "When this property became
available at a good price, Senator George talked with representatives of those
groups, and they expressed a lot of interest in it."
Begel said the success of the UW-Madison research park in attracting new
businesses has spurred interest in Milwaukee. If it survives the budget
process, the project would be called the Pabst University Research Park.
Pabst closed the brewery in 1996. The complex went on the sale block last month
and is being marketed by the Polachek Co.
The complex is bounded by W. Highland Ave. and W. Winnebago, N. 8th and N. 11th
streets. It includes some 40 buildings totaling 1.3 million square feet on 21
acres. It has a listed sale price of $40 million.
Polacheck brokers have said some of the older buildings could be redeveloped
for offices, housing and other functions but have not suggested a university
research park. A Polacheck spokesman declined comment Monday on that
possibility.
"I view it as thoughtful. It pushes the envelope and puts a proposal in play,"
said Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of
Commerce. "I applaud Senator George for looking at creative ways in which we
can use property in the city to attract or create high-tech jobs."
Questions about the proposal remain, however, Sheehy said.
"You want to make sure the land does not come off the property tax rolls and
make sure that it is a development that the market can support, and I'm sure
there are other options and ideas for that property," Sheehy said.
Sheehy said George's plan for an MPS alumni center was intriguing.
"Gary's point was that there are a lot of talented alumni who have come from
MPS, and what do you do to create a connection back to the community?" Sheehy
said. "If an alumni center can facilitate those relationships, that's worth
discussing."
Jason Helgerson, legislative policy manager for Milwaukee Public Schools, said
district officials had heard that George was interested in creating an alumni
center but had not learned any specifics until Monday.
"I don't know what that is," Helgerson said of the center. "But it's something
that we'd be interested in looking into. Anything that helps to strengthen the
connection between the school district and our alumni - especially something
that helps current students - is something we'd be interested in."
The Senate Democrats' budget, expected to go to the Senate floor today, directs
the state Department of Administration to buy the property as part of the
2001-'03 state building program.
"It can be aimed at high-tech businesses. It could be aimed at a lot of things.
Business development is not just high-tech," Begel said. "Downtown Milwaukee is
still the heart of the state. It sends a profound message, having this research
park downtown."
J2jurado
ACCC warns of penalties for not passing on beer excise cuts
Monday 25 June, 2001
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says any pubs and
clubs found not to have passed on beer excise cuts will be ordered to sell
discounted beer or donate to charity.
The ACCC has not yet completed investigations into about 70 pubs and clubs
around the country that allegedly failed to pass on excise cuts.
A spokeswoman said reports that the ACCC suggested free drinks should be
handed out were wrong.
The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) said offering free drinks would have
been irresponsible, but discounting was appropriate.
AHA spokesman Simon Birmingham says only a handful of outlets are involved.
"More than 99 per cent of pubs and clubs have done the right thing," he said.
"If there are a handful left who haven't then we think certainly discounting
in a sensible and rational manner is a fair form of recourse." © 2001
Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Program to help maintain historic pubs, hotels
Monday 25 June, 2001
The Federal Government has launched a $5 million program to help maintain
historic pubs and hotels in rural and regional areas.
The program evolved from a deal struck between the Democrats and the Coalition
over legislation to reduce beer excise.
Country pubs and hotels that do not generate income from gaming machines will
be eligible for grants of up to $100,000 for restoration and preservation
work.
The Australian Hotels Association has welcomed the program, saying it helps
the hotels whose bottom line is hardest hit by higher beer prices. © 2001
Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
August A. Busch IV Honored as International Advertiser of the Year
CANNES, France, June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- August A. Busch IV, the driving force
of a marketing organization that has kept the classic Budweiser brand fun, hip
and relevant to the world's beer drinkers and created one winning ad campaign
after another, today was honored as the "Advertiser of the Year" at the 48th
annual International Advertising Festival.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010625/CGM001 )
Busch, group vice president, marketing and wholesale operations at
Anheuser-Busch, Inc., received the award in recognition of the company's highly
regarded ad campaigns, which have helped to drive the company's sales, market
share, and earnings growth of the last several years. The award is considered
the most prestigious international honor in the advertising industry.
"I am extremely honored to receive this award and I accept it on behalf of
everyone at Anheuser-Busch," said Busch, 37. "We are very proud of our
advertising work, and it is good to see it recognized among the most innovative
and respected in the world. I share this with our entire marketing team and
with our 25 global advertising agency partners for their creative and
contemporary approach to our brands."
Busch has directed the creation of award-winning work such as the Budweiser
"Whassup?!" campaign, the Budweiser frogs and lizards, and the Bud Light "I
love you, man" and "Yes, I am" efforts. This advertising captivated audiences
around the world, as the catchy phrases became part of popular culture and
brand awareness levels soared.
In 2000, "Whassup?!" was awarded the Grand Prix -- the highest advertising
honor in the world -- at the International Advertising Festival, and the Grand
Clio, the highest advertising award in the United States. In 1998, the "Louie
the Lizard" campaign was awarded a Silver Lion at the Cannes Festival, and the
past three years, Anheuser-Busch ads have won the No. 1 spot in the USA Today
Super Bowl "Ad Meter" poll, in which viewers rank the game's best ads.
Last year, Busch was inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Hall
of Achievement. As group vice president of marketing and wholesale operations,
he is responsible for sales, advertising, marketing, media, strategic planning
and brand image development for the more than 30 beer brands that make up the
portfolio of the world's largest brewer.
Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: <A HREF="aol://4785:BUD">BUD</A>), which holds more than
a 49% share of the U.S. beer market, operates 12 breweries in the U.S. and two
overseas, and sells beer in more than 80 countries. Based in St. Louis, Mo.
(USA), the company's subsidiaries include one of the largest U.S. manufacturers
of aluminum beverage containers and one of the largest U.S. theme-park
operators.
Budweiser is the world's best-selling beer, and Bud Light is the top- selling
light beer in the world.
The International Advertising Festival -- Cannes Lions -- is the largest
gathering of worldwide marketing and advertising professionals, as well as the
most prestigious advertising awards. This year about 9,000 delegates from the
advertising and allied industries are attending the event to celebrate the
creme de la creme of creativity in all major media, discuss industry issues and
network with one another. Over 19,000 ads from all over the world have been
showcased at the Festival this year, and a unique program of high-profile
seminars, organized by some of the biggest names in the industry have also been
presented. Winning companies receive the highly coveted Lion awards, honoring
the most creative TV/cinema, print, outdoor and online advertising, as well as
the best media solutions.
"ADVERTISER OF THE YEAR" PAST WINNERS
Following is a list of past winners of the "Advertiser of the Year" award,
presented at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes, France.
2000 -- Nobuyuki Idei, President and CEO, Sony Corp.
1999 -- Richard Branson, Chairman, Virgin Group
1998 -- Renzo Rosso, Chairman, Diesel
1997 -- Koki Ando, President, Nissin Food Products
1996 -- Robert Ayling, Chief Executive, British Airways
1995 -- Alfred Heineken, Chairman, Heineken Holding N.V
1994 -- Phil Knight, Chairman and CEO, Nike Inc.
1993 -- Robert Haas, Chairman and CEO, Levi Strauss & Co.
W&D says Pubmaster trying to buy it on the cheap
By David Jones
LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) - Britain's biggest regional brewer Wolverhampton and
Dudley Breweries Plc on Monday urged its shareholders to reject a hostile bid
from pubs group Pubmaster, saying it was an attempt to buy W&D on the cheap.
W&D's Chief Executive Ralph Findlay said the group's defence was based around
the value of the company and its future prospects, as W&D attempts to fight off
Pubmaster's 480 pence cash bid valuing it at 453 million pounds ($641 million).
"This bid values us a long way behind any of our comparative peer group. An
offer of 480 pence significantly undervalues the group. It doesn't add up,"
Findlay told Reuters after his company published its official defence document.
The Banks's and Pedigree beer group, which runs four breweries and 1,770 pubs
said share prices of comparable brewers, such as Greene King, have risen 38
percent since August 2000, when bid interest first surfaced for W&D, and
Pubmaster's bid premium was only 35 percent.
PUBMASTER DISAGREES
But Pubmaster's Chief Executive John Sands argued that W&D's business was not
comparable to Greene King, as the Suffolk brewer had streamlined its pubs and
beer bsuiness since its acquisition of fellow regional brewer Morland in 1999.
"W&D would clearly like to have the stock market rating of other efficient lean
and geographically focused peers. For very good reasons W&D does not deserve a
similar rating to better performing companies in its sector," Sands said.
W&D shares edged up to close 4p higher at 480p on the prospect of a higher bid,
as most shareholders believe a bid of well over 500p is needed for Pubmaster to
succeed.
One analyst not connected to the bid said the W&D defence looked thin,
especially comparing itself to Greene King, which is expected to produce its
sixth year of successive double-digit earnings growth when it reports annual
results this Wednesday.
"It is difficult to compare W&D with its peer group because of its poor
performance over recent years," the analyst said.
Findlay countered that trading at its 550 managed houses had picked up in May,
with like-for-like sales running 6.4 percent ahead and said it was on track to
return 200 million pounds, or 212p a share, to shareholders under its plan for
pub sales, brewing rationalisation and increased profits.
"It is an attempt by Pubmaster to acquire W&D on the cheap, at the expense of
our shareholders and the board of W&D strongly urges them to reject the offer,"
said chairman David Thompson.
Pubmaster, 40-percent owned by German bank WestLB, has agreed to sell 290 of
W&D's bigger managed pubs to businessman Robert Breare for 250 million pounds
and will sell its four breweries for around 60 million pounds if is offer is
succesful.
Major W&D shareholders, which include U.S. fund Silchester with 11.3 percent,
Britannic with 7.2 percent, U.S. fund Tweedy Browne with 5.5 percent and M&G
with 5.1 percent, are looking for an increased bid of around 520p, industry
sources said.
EU Grants Exclusive Beer Rights
June 25, 2001 BERLIN (AP) - Europeans seeking real ``Bavarian Beer'' won't be
disappointed in the future, after the European Union granted breweries in
Germany's southern state the exclusive rights to the label.
Germany's minister for consumer protection, Renate Kuenast, said Monday EU
authorities in Brussels had allowed the breweries in the country's southernmost
state to protect their name after nine years of negotiations.
Under the world's oldest food purity law, dating back to 1516, only hops, malt,
yeast and water are allowed to be used to brew beer in Bavaria, giving it a
distinctive quality and flavor.
Wine and beer sales lift Majestic's spirits
LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) - Shares in Britain's Majestic Wine Plc made strong
gains on Monday after the beer and wine retailer reported strong trading and
said its expansion plans were on track.
Figures for the three months to April 2 showed like-for-like sales up 15.6
percent. Majestic said the trend was continuing with like-for-like sales for
the first 11 weeks of the new financial year up 17.4 percent.
Majestic's stock gained 29 pence or 13 percent by 1100 GMT to trade around a
midpoint of 295 pence -- their highest since September last year and valuing
the company at just over 42 million pounds ($59 million).
The shares are still well down on the levels near 430 pence reached in April
1999, but have recovered from lows around 215 pence last month. They have
outperformed the FTSE All Share index by about a third so far in 2000.
The company reported pre-tax profits of 4.51 million pounds -- a fraction up on
the previous year -- on total sales up 6.9 percent to 86.7 million pounds in
the year to April 2.
The company said its expansion plans were on track and it was on schedule to
open four new stores around Britain by end August and it said Internet orders
were also showing progress.
Family feud aired as Campari plans share issue
By Suna Erdem
MILAN, June 22 (Reuters) - Italy's Campari spelled out plans to go public on
Friday with the bitter taste of its red aperitif matched only by acrimony among
the family that controls the world-famous drinks maker.
Davide Campari SpA said it would sell 43.75 percent of its existing shares next
week at 30 to 38 euros each, valuing the 140-year-old firm between 871 million
and 1.1 billion euros.
But while Campari laid out its stall to investors, an official prospectus for
the launch threw light on a mother-daughter rift in the Garavoglia family,
which will maintain majority control when Campari is listed.
Owner Rosa Anna Magno Garavoglia faces a lawsuit from her daughter Maddalena
over a share operation for which the daughter seeks damages of more than 200
million euros, it said, adding the Campari group was not directly involved in
the dispute.
The prospectus said Campari had also set aside 33 billion lire (17 million
euros) in provisions in case a tax probe covering the years 1995, 1997 and 1998
produced a negative outcome.
However, it stressed that Campari did not believe the case was based on any
warranted claims.
At a news conference to present the flotation, Campari -- whose latest
advertising slogan is "Red Passion" -- brushed off possible risks from the
fighting among the family of owners.
Chief Executive Marco Perelli Cippo said that the family dispute "does not
directly affect the company but (is being aired) three or four levels higher in
the chain of control."
The company was founded in 1860 when Gaspare Campari invented the formula for
the aperitif -- which is still kept secret, but apart from launching
CampariSoda in 1932, did not stray from the tactic until the 1990s, when it
bought a number of other brands, including soft drinks and Cinzano.
Campari now owns 16 spirits, wine and soft drink brands. It also makes 11
drinks under licence, including Grand Marnier, Glenfiddich and Lipton Ice Tea.
FUNDS FOR ACQUISITIONS
"The IPO will give us funds for future acquisitions. We don't need it now but
you can't exclude the possibility of a chance for an important acquisition
presenting itself, and it gives us the visibility that comes with being
quoted," Perelli Cippo told the news conference.
He was confident of the company's success, despite the fact that the global
economic slowdown is hardly providing an environment friendly to new listings.
"Campari is one of the best positioned companies," he said.
"It is the first national player in Italy's spirits sector and ninth in the
world. You can find it in all countries apart from the so-called 'dry'
countries."
Campari posted sales of 434 million euros in 2000 compared with 366 million the
year before, with EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and
amortisation) rising to 104.7 million euros from 86.4 million in 1999.
Analysts said Campari's IPO price range pegs its Enterprise Value (market cap
adjusted for debt) at around seven to nine times estimated 2001 earnings, just
below the multiple of 9.5 seen for the larger British spirits firm Allied
Domecq.
Perelli Cippo said the company's sales and profit would grow by at least four
percent in the next year without taking into account acquisitions. He said the
company expected to spend between 400 and 500 million euros on acquisitions,
but did not name any companies Campari would be interested in buying.
The offer, which is being lead managed by UBS Warburg and Deutsche Bank,
involves 12.705 million shares or 43.75 percent of the drinks group's existing
capital, with the IPO set to run from June 27 to July 2.
Dutch food group Wessanen NV has said it would sell its 35 percent holding in
Campari at the flotation.
PLCB Launches BARS Program in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia
HARRISBURG, Pa., June 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
(PLCB) today launched the BARS program in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, giving
the owners of bars and restaurants in those cities another tool to prevent
underage drinking.
BARS, or Being an Alcohol Responsible Server, is a voluntary, incentive- based
program that permits licensees to monitor the carding practices of their
employees. The program works like this: A young patron, over the age of 21,
enters a participating establishment and attempts to purchase alcohol. If he
or she is asked to provide proof of age, the server is handed a green card and
a small reward such as a gift certificate for a free movie rental or compact
disc. If the server fails to ask for identification, he or she receives a red
warning card, indicating that the patron should have been carded. Since the
purchasers used in the program are legally old enough to consume alcohol, there
is no legal risk to the participants. The licensee receives monthly reports.
Because of the volume of licensees in both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh,
specific areas were targeted for participation in the program. The PLCB sent
letters inviting licensees in areas surrounding colleges and universities in
the two cities to participate in the program. Approximately 60 establishments
in each city volunteered to take part. Several PLCB Wine & Spirits Shoppes
will also participate.
"A licensee located near a college or university can expect to draw a large
number of young patrons, especially if it is located in a metropolitan area,"
said PLCB Chairman John E. Jones III. "Minors are likely to avoid an
establishment that has a reputation for carding rigorously, and the BARS
program helps to get beverage servers in the habit of doing just that."
David Gaudet, president of the Colorado-based BARS program, joined Jones and
board member Patrick J. Stapleton III at news conferences in both cities today.
PLCB board member Jonathan H. Newman attended the Philadelphia announcement.
State and local officials also attended the events.
The BARS program operates in over 30 states. The PLCB piloted BARS in 1999 at
several establishments around the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Since then, BARS has been launched in Scranton, Reading, Bloomsburg, Erie,
Pottsville, Doylestown, Monessen, Shippensburg, State College, and York.
In other states, the BARS program has improved the carding rate from 65% to 95%
over the course of a year. In the ten Pennsylvania communities currently
participating, BARS personnel are being carded nearly 90% of the time after
just two months in operation.
BARS is one of several tools offered by the PLCB to help licensees prevent
alcohol-related problems. Other initiatives include the Responsible Alcohol
Management Program (R.A.M.P.), Cops in Shops, and ID scanning technology. At
the Philadelphia news conference, the PLCB announced that all licensees in the
South Street area will soon receive a special invitation to take part in
R.A.M.P. training, where they can learn techniques to detect fake ID's and
avoid service to minors and visibly intoxicated patrons.
News conferences to announce the BARS kick-off were held at Bridget Foy's, 200
South Street, Philadelphia, and Chauncy's, Smithfield & West Carson, Station
Square, Pittsburgh.
Delicato Named Best U.S. Winery; Announcement made at Vin Expo in Bordeaux
NAPA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 25, 2001--Delicato Vineyards was named
"Best USA Wine Producer" announced last week at Vin Expo in Bordeaux, France. A
panel of international professional wine judges at the International Wine and
Spirit Competition (IWSC) judged Delicato Vineyards to be the top performer
amongst thousands of entries.
Delicato won a total of six medals for individual wines for their category:
including gold for Monterra 1998 Merlot, silver for Delicato Monterey Vine
Select 1998 Merlot, silver for Monterra 1998 Syrah, bronze for Monterra 1999
Chardonnay, bronze for Delicato Family Vineyards 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon and
bronze for Delicato Family Vineyards 2000 Shiraz.
"This award is especially meaningful." said President and CEO Eric G. Morham.
"Delicato competed against some of America's best wineries. This validates all
of the focused efforts we have been placing on our vineyards and our brands."
"It is significant that all of our brands won awards," said Vice President of
International Sales, David DeBoer "from our good value brand, Delicato Family
Vineyard; to Monterra, our premium brand from Monterey; to our newly introduced
ultra-premium Delicato Monterey Vine Select."
The International Wine and Spirit Competition was founded in the United Kingdom
in 1969 to promote the quality and excellence of the world's best wines, spirit
and liqueurs. Each year the competition judges the world's wine and spirits
based upon blind tastings by a group of wine and spirits professionals and by
chemical analysis. Entries are judged in categories and divided further into
groups by variety, style, region and vintage. Only one gold medal, one silver
and one bronze medal is awarded to each group. Special trophies are awarded
only to the very best of the years' entries.
Delicato Vineyards is one of America's leading family winegrowers. For more
than 75 years, the Indelicato family has been crafting fine wines while
assembling a portfolio of world- class estate vineyards. Today, the Delicato
Winery harvests more than 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) of vineyard estates across
the top regions of California including the San Bernabe Vineyard in Monterey
California, the most diverse single vineyard in the world. Delicato's
international team of highly - experienced winemakers brings decades of
expertise to bear on these remarkable grapes and creating award -winning wines
of distinctive character and memorable quality.
The award was named after the late American wine writer and wine consumer
advocate Jerry Mead.
No languages please, we're British!
LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) - Britons in search of sun, sea and sand will take
more than 11 million European holidays this summer -- but not many will be able
to order a beer in the local lingo. Only 17 percent of Britons can speak
French, and just three percent can converse in Spanish, according to
Eurobarometer, a twice-yearly survey by the European Commission.
And the lack of language skills may be leaving Britons with a holiday handicap,
holiday and language specialists questioned by Video Networks, a provider of
broadband interactive TV services.
"English holidaymakers with a basic grasp of the country they're visiting will
get more out of their holiday," Anne Noon of the French Tourist Office in
London said.
"Most French people speak good English, but if you're heading into 'La France
profonde', basic French will help," Noon said.
The survey suggested British holidaymakers aiming to get familiar with their
destinations should try learning phrases such as 'Where can I cash travellers'
cheques?', and 'Please can you tell me where the baker's shop is?'.
The Submarine Captain
>No languages please, we're British!
>
>LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) - Britons in search of sun, sea and sand will take
>more than 11 million European holidays this summer -- but not many will be able
>to order a beer in the local lingo. Only 17 percent of Britons can speak
>French,
Possibly, but many more than that understand French jolly well,
they just need practising it !
[...]
>"English holidaymakers with a basic grasp of the country they're visiting will
>get more out of their holiday," Anne Noon of the French Tourist Office in
>London said.
>
>"Most French people speak good English,
<ROTFL> Now that's a good joke ! ;o)
An accurate statement would IMHO be on the lines of : "Most
French people are not really better at speaking English than
Brits are at speaking French" !
Problem is, people from countries that are very centralised, with
a very strong national identity linked to their language appear
to have more trouble than people growing up in multilinguial
environments when it comes to tackling foreign languages...
>but if you're heading into 'La France
>profonde', basic French will help," Noon said.
Didn't know Paris or Lyons were "la France profonde", then... ;oD
Cheers !
Laurent
--
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.
Tiens, moi quand je lis des trucs pareils, ça me fiche mal au turban...
(F'murrr)
Laurent Mousson, Berne, Switzerland
Marc Gaspard
That should do it.
Marc Gaspard
PS. Forgive my atrocious spelling and lack of appropriate accents!)
The Submarine Captain <laurent...@bluewin.REMOVE.THIS.TO.REPLY.ch>
wrote in message news:3b38bbef...@news.bluewin.ch...
J2jurado
By Jonathan Ansfield
QINGDAO, China, June 27 (Reuters) - If Beijing wins the bidding for the 2008
Olympics some of the loudest cheers will ring out across the East China Sea
from Qingdao.
The people of this northeast China port are already swollen with civic pride.
Qingdao is home to China's most famous beer, its oldest Taoist retreat, its
first modern sculpture museum and its most enterprising household appliances
companies.
But none of this would matter as much to Qingdao and its 2.5 million people as
the chance to ride the wave of Beijing's campaign and host sailing at the
Olympics.
"We are the only city that would hold both opening and closing ceremonies
besides Beijing," boasts local official Zhao Xuefang, who will travel to Moscow
for the International Olympic Committee's July 13 vote to decide the venue for
the 2008 Games.
Other Chinese cities are promised only bit parts in the Olympic action:
Shanghai and the northern cities of Dalian and Tianjin are earmarked for the
early rounds of soccer.
Qingdao beat all those cities for the prized sailing nomination, for reasons
that included its relatively clean water, ambitious waterfront planning, and
overall market potential, said Chen Jingshen, the local sports bureau director.
In a way, the city also went one up on Beijing. Local officials are keen to
note that Qingdao got the nod from Olympics inspectors before all other Chinese
cities.
Beijing has been dogged by criticism from human rights groups and Western
lawmakers, but is still favoured to win its Olympic Games bid over Paris,
Toronto, Osaka and Istanbul.
By comparison, Qingdao's image is squeaky clean, and it claims it has a lot
less to lose.
"Even if we don't have the Olympics, we'll still be China's international
centre for aquatic sports," said Zhao. "The government has decided that."
RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
The city has created slogans that sum up its Olympic dreams, like "Meet in
Beijing, hoist the sails in Qingdao" and "Use sports to drive economics."
Olympic honours would cap a century of steady development. One hundred years
ago, stalwart German colonialists built mansions along the fog-shrouded hills
of Qindgao, giving the city a cosmopolitan air that has lasted to this day.
In recent years, the city has been blessed with ambitious mayors who have laid
out a new city centre over fishing villages and a muddy shoreline and flanked
it with luxury housing developments and long stretches of green grass.
The coronation of the new town square came in 1998, a huge, red iron sculpture
called the "Winds of May," which curls up like soft-serve ice cream and
resembles an Olympic torch.
Since Qingdao joined the Beijing Olympic ticket, two projects that the city had
already planned -- a glitzy marina and an expanded airport -- have "become
bigger and been hurried up," said Chen.
In the next five years, Qingdao plans to spend 700-800 billion yuan ($85-95
million) on the centrally located harbour -- including further water clean-up
-- and a projected 1.2 billion yuan on the airport.
The costs are due to be covered by city coffers, possible ventures such as a
sports lottery, and funds that might come from the IOC via Beijing, said Chen.
He insists the projects will go ahead with or without the Olympics, but admits
that without, "It would be much more difficult."
ROOM TO GROW
Businesses in Qingdao expect a boost, especially in the luxury housing market,
where prices for seaside apartments and villas average roughly half those in
Beijing.
"The last two to three years has been a rather hot period," said a sales
manager for several large properties. "With the Olympics, it should be a strong
market for many years to come."
The city has had business people from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea,
and other parts of China buy up real estate as both investments and holiday
homes, the dealer said.
Tourism officials also see a lot of room for growth in the city where the likes
of Republican Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, and later his Communist
counterpart Mao Zedong, once took holidays.
Nearly 70 percent of foreigners visiting the city last year were business
travellers from Japan and South Korea.
But officials say they are confident the Olympics will accomplish what the
city's current showcase events -- a beer festival and an appliances convention
-- cannot.
"This will take us to next level," said a tourism official. "We'll finally be
recognised as an international city."
Olympic detractors are hard to find in Qingdao, although there is some
grumbling from a 2,000-year-old Taoist sanctuary known as Laoshan.
"If too many people come, it could interrupt our lives here," said Liu
Huaiyuan, a stout, shaggy 57-year-old who ranks second in China's official
Taoist hierarchy.
But he added: "On the other hand, it would definitely spread the word about
Taoism."
Interbrew secures right to boost Korean stake
BRUSSELS, June 26 (Reuters) - Belgium's Interbrew said on Tuesday it had
secured the right to become the majority shareholder of one of South Korea's
biggest brewers through an options agreement with a Dutch investment fund.
Interbrew, the world number two in brewing, said it had entered into a put and
call agreement with Hops Cooperative to buy an additional 45 percent stake in
Oriental Brewery at a later date.
Interbrew, which already owns 50 percent of Oriental, said it had made a call
option of 642 million euros ($553.9 million) that it could exercise between
late 2001 and early 2006.
Meanwhile, Hops had made a put option with an exercise price of 612 million
euros that it could exercise in January 2004, it said.
"The transaction confirms Interbrew's commitment to its joint venture and to
the Korean beer market and secures its future in Oriental Brewery," it said in
a statement.
Shares in Interbrew, which released the news after the market close, ended 2.47
percent higher at 30.74 euros in Brussels.
Last week, Hops paid 560 billion won for the 45 percent stake from Doosan, the
South Korean food and drinks maker that had shared ownership of Oriental with
Interbrew.
Doosan sold all but five percent in the joint venture as part of a
restructuring.
"Interbrew will continue to draw on Doosan's expertise and understanding of the
Korean market and both partners will continue to work together to further
develop their joint venture," said Interbrew.
Interbrew's Corneel Maes told Reuters that South Korea was one of Interbrew's
more important emerging beer markets.
Oriental controls about 47 percent of the country's beer market.
Ravenswood Winery, Inc. Stockholders Approve Merger With Constellation
SONOMA, Calif., June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- In a special meeting held today,
shareholders of Ravenswood Winery, Inc. (Nasdaq: <A
HREF="aol://4785:RVWD">RVWD</A>) voted to approve a merger with a wholly owned
subsidiary of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: <A
HREF="aol://4785:STZ">STZ</A>).
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991026/RAVENSWOOD )
On April 10, 2001, Ravenswood and a wholly owned subsidiary of Constellation
executed an Agreement and Plan of Merger. Under the terms of the merger,
Constellation will pay $29.50 in cash for each outstanding share of Ravenswood.
The transaction is expected to close July 2, 2001, or as soon thereafter as
reasonably practicable. The two companies are working together to implement a
smooth transition.
Ravenswood Winery, Inc. is based in Sonoma, California and produces, markets
and sells primarily super-premium and ultra-premium wines under the Ravenswood
brand name. The majority of the wines produced and sold by Ravenswood are red
wines, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and particularly, Zinfandel.
Ravenswood also produces several white wines in small quantities, including
Chardonnay.
The statements set forth in this release, which are not historical facts, are
forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-
looking statements. Statements regarding the expected closing of the
transaction are subject to the risk that the closing conditions will not be
satisfied and that the merger will not be consummated. There can be no
assurance that any forward-looking statement in this press release will be
realized. For risk factors associated with Constellation, Ravenswood and their
businesses, please refer to their respective SEC filings.
East Africans to use Web to sell special coffees
AMSTERDAM, June 26 (Reuters) - East African coffee growers want to unleash the
power of the Internet to help them achieve top prices for their gourmet coffee
beans, a conference heard on Tuesday.
A new promotion group for the region's top quality arabica coffee also plans to
introduce appellations for special growing areas as wine growers do in France.
The East Africans want to duplicate the success of Internet auctions in Latin
America, the last of which in Guatemala saw bids soar for a small amount of top
quality beans while global prices were crumbling to record lows.
Broad-based auctions are already held in Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Ethiopia,
four members of the new Eastern African Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA), the
group's vice chairman Simeon Onchere told Reuters.
But using Web auctions for the top range of coffees should boost prices by
allowing more people to bid.
The other two EAFCA (www.eafca.org) members are Uganda and Rwanda.
SHORTAGE OF GOURMET COFFEE
The EAFCA hopes to exploit the fact that although a glut of coffee has pushed
market prices to record lows, high quality material is scarce.
Small producers in Kenya whose production costs are around 80 cents per lb
cannot survive at current levels, even with premiums over New York futures
prices, which have slid to around 55 cents per lb.
At the Guatemalan Web auction on June 6, prices topped at $11 per lb, roasters
said during a symposium at the Tea and Coffee World Cup in Amsterdam.
"I was making bids on Guatemalan coffee, but they were going over my head so
fast, that even I -- known for paying almost anything for good coffee -- could
not afford it," said Don Schoenholt of Gilles Coffee Co in New York.
Roasters must band together to help high-quality producers survive during the
current bear market since less and less good coffee will be available at
current low prices, he said.
"We are going to wake up in five years and discover there is no quality coffee
left," Schoenholt said.
PUT FARMERS ON THE WEB
Onchere, also an official with the Coffee Board of Kenya, said the EAFCA wants
to help put cooperatives and farmers on the Internet to promote their coffee.
Kenya grower Leonard Kabinge said he has launched a website to spread word of
his 300-acre plantation Fairview Coffee Estate (www.fairviewcoffee.com).
Commercial buyers can make enquiries and ordinary consumers can see where the
coffee comes from.
"We want to connect the final owner of the coffee with the final consumer,"
Onchere said.
The EAFCA, funded by the World Bank and the U.S. government, is working to
establish formal appellations for special growing regions.
The first is expected to be Yergacheffel in Ethiopia, the country where arabica
coffee was discovered.
PM baffled over missing wine
Tuesday 26 June, 2001
The Prime Minister, John Howard, has promised to mount a search for dozens of
bottles of wine that the Opposition claims are missing, presumed drunk.
Labor says the Prime Minister's wine consultant advised that 58 dozen bottles
of wine, bought for Kirribilli House and the Lodge, should be left to mature
for four to five years.
It says that instead, after one year, 46 dozen bottles are missing.
Mr Howard says if he finds the wine, he promises to share it.
"I have to confess that although I do enjoy a drink Mr Speaker and that is
known Mr Speaker, and it is not a matter in which I am the least bit ashamed,
I don't think I enjoy it to the extent suggested by the Member for Banks, Mr
Speaker," the Prime Minister said. © 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Shetland Pony Gives Birth to Zebra
.c The Associated Press
PENRITH, England (June 26) - The owners of Tilly the Shetland pony received a
double shock when she gave birth. They didn't know she was pregnant - and they
certainly weren't expecting a zebra.
Tilly's owners at Eden Ostrich World, a modest visitor attraction on a farm
near Penrith in northwestern England had been unaware of the pony's exotic past
life at a wildlife park, where she shared a field with a male zebra.
``She was fairly fat when we received her and we thought that she was getting
fatter,'' Ostrich World manager Karen Peet said Tuesday.
``It really was a bit of a shock when we got up one morning and we saw the foal
that was there.''
The striped half-Shetland, half-zebra foal - dubbed a ``zetland'' or a
``shebra'' but as yet unnamed - has flourished since her birth a week ago, and
Peet said visitors would be able to view her beginning Monday. The farm plans
to hold a competition to name the creature, which has black-and-tan stripes and
a zebra's distinctive large head.
Veterinarians say such a foal is rare, but not unknown. British zoos have
reported the birth of several ``zeedonks'' - offspring of a zebra and a donkey
- over the years.
``Ponies and zebras very rarely share the same environment even in the wild. A
meeting between the two is very rare in the natural environment,'' said Lesley
Barwise-Munro, spokeswoman for the British Equine Veterinary Association.
``If the zebra is the father and the horse is the mother there is no reason why
a normal fertilization and a pregnancy should not take place,'' she added.
``But the offspring is unlikely to be fertile.''
Peter Alexander
laurent...@bluewin.REMOVE.THIS.TO.REPLY.ch (The Submarine
Captain) wrote:
>. Only 17 percent of Britons can speak
>>French,
>Possibly, but many more than that understand French jolly well,
>they just need practising it !
You will have to give me a few remedial lessons in August at the GBBF.
See you there I hope?
Peter Alexander Chairman CAMRA Rochdale Oldham and Bury Branch,
Unless otherwise stated,the opinions stated here are personal. My CAMRA connections are given for information only.
The Submarine Captain
>You will have to give me a few remedial lessons in August at the GBBF.
>See you there I hope?
Indeed, in Ian Black's gang : West Midlands Bar, this year, and
looking forward to it, as it's a part of Britain I know pretty
badly beerwise :o)
And you ? BSF as usual ?
Cheers !
Laurent
--
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.
Ô lune, vieux camembert plâtreux !
Peter Alexander
>p.ale...@virgin.net (Peter Alexander) wrote:
>
>
>>You will have to give me a few remedial lessons in August at the GBBF.
>>See you there I hope?
>
>Indeed, in Ian Black's gang : West Midlands Bar, this year, and
>looking forward to it, as it's a part of Britain I know pretty
>badly beerwise :o)
>
>And you ? BSF as usual ?
Yes BSF it is so we'll have a pint or two - excellent.
Looking forward to it.