beer bits
J2jurado
Brussels, Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) -- The following is a calendar of expected
Belgian financial events.
Thursday, Jan. 4 London: U.K. Minister of Trade Stephen Byers is expected to
announce his decision on whether to allow Interbrew NV to buy the brewing unit
of Bass Plc. {INTB BB <EQUITY> CN BN <GO>}
Orkla to Sell Hartwall Stake to Get Carlsberg Venture Approved
Helsinki, Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Orkla ASA, which agreed to merge its breweries
with Carlsberg A/S in May, said it's likely to sell its 20 percent stake in
Finland's largest brewery, Oyj Hartwall Abp, after a ruling by Finnish
antitrust authorities.
The venture, Carlsberg Breweries, has three other alternatives; selling its 50
percent stake in Baltic Beverage Holding, buying the 50 percent of BBH that
Hartwall owns or selling Finnish brewery Oy Sinebrychoff Ab.
``We will most likely go for the first option,'' said Margrethe Skov, head of
communications at Carlsberg, in an interview. ``BBH was one of the main reasons
why we got involved with Orkla in the first place.''
Carlsberg agreed to buy the breweries of Norway's Orkla to boost its share of
the Nordic beer market and expand into Eastern Europe. The stake in BBH helped
make Carlsberg the biggest brewer in Russia. Orkla owns 40 percent of the new
Carlsberg unit.
Orkla confirmed the best option would be to sell the Hartwall stake.
Red Bell Brewing Company Is Hopped Up About Becoming Public
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 2, 2001-- Brewerytown-Philadelphia based
Red Bell Brewing Company proudly announced in a statement today that it has
officially filed the Company's Public Registration Statement, Form 10-SB 12(g)
with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. When this
registration statement is effective, Red Bell Brewing Company will be the only
publicly owned brewing company and subject to the various reporting
requirements of the 1934 Act headquartered in Pennsylvania. In addition, at the
same time, Red Bell expects to have its Common Stock listed on the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (NASDAQ) OTC Bulletin Board. The
Company's Common Stock is expected to trade on the NASDAQ OTC Bulletin Board
under the symbol "RBEL".
Red Bell is happy to report that its Public Registration Statement was
completed and filed almost a week ahead of schedule. While the exact timing is
subject to many circumstances beyond the Company's control, the Company
currently anticipates that the registration and listing of the Company's shares
should take approximately 70-90 days from the Company's official filing date.
Red Bell Brewery & Pubs prides itself on a tradition of fresh, handcrafted
beers brewed on the premises and a diverse moderately priced menu with a casual
dining experience. The Red Bell Brewery & Pub Company is the perfect
combination of the Old world and the modern-day brewpub combined. In as much as
it retains the warm, inviting, fun, comfortable gathering place to enjoy fresh
beer and great food, the unique architecture, and menu are interesting,
imaginative and more upscale than that found in most traditional brewpubs. Red
Bell pubs generally showcase their brewery behind glass walls and the brewery
is the centerpiece of Red Bell brewpubs. Most days, guests can see Red Bell
brewers in action. Red Bell Brewery & Pubs are located in some of the most
unique, bustling, high traffic and beautiful locations in the Philadelphia
region such as its main brewery in Brewerytown-Philadelphia, and the exciting
brewpubs at the First Union Center, Veterans Stadium and State College (Penn
State University). "Our brewery and brewpubs are true destination points and we
cater to the locals," said James R. Bell, President.
"Fun is always on tap when you visit any one of Red Bell's Brewery
Pubs!"
Coors finalizes Molson U.S. venture for $65 mln
NEW YORK, (Reuters) - Adolph Coors Co.'s Coors Brewing Co., the No. 3 U.S.
brewer, said on Tuesday it paid Canada's Molson Inc. $65 million for a 49.9
percent interest in a finalized joint venture.
Golden, Colo.-based Coors and Montreal-based Molson plan to to import, market,
and distribute Molson's beer brands in the United States.
The deal, which was first announced in October, has the exclusive rights to
Molson brands currently sold in the U.S., including Molson Canadian, Molson
Golden and Molson Ice, as well as future brands that may be developed for
export to the U.S. All of these products will be brewed and packaged by Molson
in Canada and imported to the United States.
Additionally, the companies reached an agreement on a contract brewing
arrangement and an extension to their existing Coors Canada partnership. The
new arrangement allows Coors the potential to access up to 700,000 barrels
annually of Molson's available production capacity in Canada to produce Coors
products for distribution to the U.S.
Use of the Molson capacity is expected to reach this brewing rate over the next
few years and not alter Coors Brewing Company's near-term capacity expansion
plans, Coors said.
JD Wetherspoon Plans to Expand, Create 3,000 Jobs, BBC Says
(BBC News 0nline, 1/1)
London, Jan. 1 (Bloomberg)-- J.D. Wetherspoon Plc, a U.K. pub operator, said it
plans to create 3,000 jobs through expansion, the BBC reported on its Web site,
quoting company Chairman Timothy Martin.
Wetherspoon will open 110 outlets by converting unusual buildings such as
cinemas, post offices, and banks across the U.K. from Brighton, England, to
Glasgow, Scotland, the BBC said although a time period wasn't specified.
The company owns 465 pubs, or bar-restaurants. Its pubs have names and designs
tailored to their locales, such as the Metropolitan Bar, named for the
Metropolitan Railway, the world's first urban underground railroad, which
operated in the bar's current vicinity near London's Baker Street Station.
The Watford, England-based company, known for its ban on music and all-day
menus, intends to triple its number of outlets in the next 10 years, the BBC
said.
The company, also known for its cut-price beer, opened its first pub in 1979
and now employs 12,500 people.
``We are delighted to be able to start the new year with the creation of so
many new jobs,'' Martin told the BBC.
Wetherspoon opened 101 new outlets in England and Scotland in the six months
ended July 30. Profit from operations in that period rose 38 percent to 19.5
million pounds ($27.9 million), or 9.1 pence a share, from 11.4 million pounds,
or 7p, a year earlier. Full fiscal-year profit from operations rose to 34.3
million pounds, or 16.4p a share, from 25.5 million pounds, or 12.8p, in the
previous year. Revenue rose 37 percent to 369.6 million pounds.
Shares of Wetherspoon fell 24 percent last year. They closed Friday unchanged
at 332.5 pence.
Canadian Wheat Board says U.S. farmers bullies
By Kanina Holmes
WINNIPEG Dec 27 (Reuters) - The Canadian Wheat Board reacted with frustration
on Wednesday to the latest efforts by U.S. farmers to force it to give up its
export monopoly on wheat and barley and become more transparent.
"Overall, it appears in the spirit of the season they're asking us to play
Santa Claus and give up Canadian farmers' rights to market their grain," CWB
spokesman Justin Kohlman told Reuters."
"We've said before, instead of trying to bully us into reducing our system to
their level they should probably use their energies to improve their system to
our level."
The North Dakota Wheat Commission (NDWC) is asking the U.S. Trade
Representative to impose a tariff for two crop years of $50 per tonne ($1.36
per bushel) on yearly imports of Canadian durum wheat that exceed 300,000
tonnes and imports of other types of wheat that exceed 500,000 tonnes.
The commission said the tariff rate could be adjusted or eliminated in later
years as the CWB undertakes reforms, such as revealing its acquisition costs,
export figures and the details of long-term sales agreements.
"If you asked any international grain marketer to give full
transparency...they'd laugh in your face," said Kohlman, from CWB headquarters
in Winnipeg.
Canada exports 2.5 million tonnes of wheat to the U.S. every year, accounting
for almost all of the United States' annual wheat imports.
North Dakota farmers accuse the board of abusing its government-granted
marketing monopoly to depress U.S. wheat prices by more than 8 percent,
amounting to losses of more than $2 billion over the past four years.
"Coming on top of declining wheat prices and plummeting returns, the CWB stands
out as one problem that the U.S. government can do something about right now,"
said Alan Lee, chairman of the NDWC, in a statement.
Over the last decade, U.S. farm organizations have unsuccessfully challenged
the wheat board's trading practices eight times.
In this latest case, the Clinton administration agreed in October to
investigate the marketing practices of the CWB under Section 301 of U.S. trade
law, a process that could take up to a year and which could provide Washington
the legal basis for retaliation.
"It offers nothing new. No fresh legal rationales, no original economic
theories, no compelling new evidence. It's just unsubstantiated rhetoric," said
Kohlman.
"We would hope that the new president, once he comes in, or the new
administration, once they come in, are going to take a look at this based on
its merits and just say, 'Oh forget it'."
Russia to buy 50 mln kg of Indian tea by March
CALCUTTA, India, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Russia will import 50 million kgs of Indian
tea by March, the state-run Tea Board said in a statement on Tuesday.
Russia, the largest buyer of Indian tea, would also try to import another 50
million kg by the end of this year, it said.
"The Russian side mentioned that it would endeavour to fulfil the annual import
target of 100 million kg in the year 2001 and would lift 50 million kg in the
first three months of the year," the board said.
This was agreed in a protocol signed by the two countries at Moscow on December
22, the statement said.
India is the world's largest producer and consumer of the beverage. It produced
805 million kg of tea in 1999 and exported 190 million kg, about half of it to
Russia.
Tea trade officials say exports to Russia have been declining in recent years,
contributing to a fall in prices at tea auctions in India.
Russia has also agreed to study India's complaint that inferior quality tea
from other countries was being sold in Russia as Indian tea.
UK's Wiggins Expects Big Growth From Small Airports
London, Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Wiggins Group Plc, the owner of London's Manston
Airport, said it may team up with a low-cost airline as part of plans to set up
a network of regional airports that will start handling passengers by the
middle of this year.
The U.K. property development company plans to increase the number of regional
airports it owns to 13 by March from four, which currently handle cargo, Chief
Executive Oliver Iny said.
``We recognized having bought our first airport that regional airports are just
going to become a very valuable commodity because the main airports are
bursting at the seams,'' Iny said in an interview.
Wiggins, moving away from traditional property development, hopes to capitalize
on a lack of runway space at London's main airports to provide alternative
landing slots. The number of passengers passing through U.K. airports will more
than double in the next 15 years, the government predicts.
Working with an airline would allow Wiggins to operate passenger flights
between Manston, the U.K.'s fifth-biggest cargo airport, and its other
airports. Low-fare operators such as Go and British Midland Airways Ltd. have
increased the use of more remote destinations to cut costs and offer cheaper
flights.
Wiggins has acquired renewable leases on three airports in the last 13 months
-- at Odense in Denmark; Smyrna in Nashville, Tennessee; and Pilsen in the
Czech Republic. Another three are ``in the pipeline,'' and the company is
talking with at least five more airports at ``solicitor level,'' Iny said.
Beer, Fairytales
``To talk of a network is early days,'' said Mike Foster, an analyst at
Granville Baird, who recommends buying the stock. Foster expects ``to see some
flights, probably cargo flights initially, using the network, going from one
airport to the other,'' by March 2002.
Manston, in southeast England, will probably have more than a million
passengers in the year to March 2004, rising from a quarter of a million in the
12 months to March 2002, Foster said. Wiggins's overseas airports ``have got
good scope for growth.''
Odense is the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, and Wiggins also plans to
build a theme park dedicated to the fairy- tale author nearby. Pilsen is both
the home of Pilsner beer, attracting tourism, and near the German border, while
Smyrna is home to a Nissan Motor Co. car plant.
Wiggins's PlaneStation airports currently focus on handling cargo and have a
``little niche in perishable goods'' as they're able to turn planes around
quicker than larger passenger airports, Iny said.
Passenger Growth
Passenger numbers using U.K. airports are expected to double to more than 300
million a year by 2015, according to the government's Future of Aviation
consultation paper. The number of passengers increased by 73 percent during the
1990s.
``By the end of 2015, we will be 13 million passengers short of capacity in the
southeast of England,'' said Iny, who added there are 417 independent airlines
that don't have landing slots into London.
The PlaneStation network will also make marketing, branding and mitigating risk
easier for regional airports, Iny said. ``It's very, very difficult for an
individual regional airport to market itself,'' he said.
The company's shares fell 9.4 percent in 2000, making Wiggins the 10th-worst
performer on the FT-SE All-Share Construction and Building Materials Index. The
stock dropped 19 percent on Dec. 21 after Wiggins said the U.K.'s Financial
Reporting Review Panel is continuing an inquiry into its accounting practices.
Wiggins reported a loss of 6.86 million pounds for the six months through
September from a restated profit of 25.3 million in the same period a year
earlier. It said there were ``several projects pending'' that aren't yet
included in its profit and loss account.
``They have in some regards been guilty of announcing deals before they have
happened, but we think they will happen in the current year,'' Foster said.
``When they are actually won that will take people's minds to the potential of
the company.''
The company's shares fell as much as 1.13 pence, or 3.6 percent, to 30.25
today.
Oklahoma Death Chamber Is Busy
By KELLY KURT January 2, 2001
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - The already busy death chamber at the Oklahoma State
Penitentiary is about to log its busiest month ever. But not even a record
eight executions causes much stir in this strongly pro-death penalty state.
``Look at what those eight people did,'' said Aaron Cook, 24, a Tulsa student.
``I think sometimes you have to look at the victims and say, `How else are they
going to get justice?''' offers Don Trolinger, a retiree from Miami in
northeast Oklahoma.
``I'm a Christian and it really bothers me ... but no, I wouldn't want to do
away with it completely,'' says JaDeanna Farris, who owns a dress shop in the
small town of Alva and favors capital punishment in certain circumstances.
Texas set a record with 40 executions in 2000. Oklahoma, with one-sixth the
population, ranked second with 11. This month it will tie Texas' one-month
record when it sends seven men and one woman to be put to death, according to
the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D.C.
Reforms that have shortened the appeals process and the fact that five of the
condemned inmates have been on death row for more than 11 years have
contributed to the surge.
Johnnie Cabrera, chairwoman of the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death
Penalty, sees little outcry: ``People really don't care,'' she said. ``It's out
of sight, out of mind.''
Cabrera has a strong personal interest in one death row inmate, and plans to be
at the penitentiary on Jan. 16 when Floyd Medlock is to be put to death. Judy
Busch will be there too.
The women stand on opposite sides in the death penalty debate, but they share
one thing: Medlock stabbed and killed their granddaughter, 7-year-old Katherine
Ann Busch, in 1990.
Busch routinely makes the 120-mile trip from Oklahoma City to McAlester. Her
group, the Homicide Survivors Support Group, erects a display of victims'
photos outside the prison gates and share their tearful stories.
Cabrera attends clemency hearings on behalf of the condemned and would prefer
Medlock live out his life in prison. She plans to witness his execution, hoping
to offer him solace from the front row.
``I do not condone what he did,'' Cabrera said. ``But killing this person is
not going to bring her back. It's just going to make another family in pain.''
Busch said the two women haven't spoken since she confronted Cabrera during an
anti-death penalty rally years ago.
``It really appalls me that she fights for this person's life, that did all the
horrible things he did to Kathy,'' Busch said. ``She died a cruel painful
death, and he's going to be gently put to sleep.''
Busch said she won't have peace until she knows Medlock no longer breathes.
Oklahoma is so strongly pro-death penalty that even Gov. Frank Keating, a Roman
Catholic, called the pope's stance against it wrong.
Still, the busy January execution pace combined with a national re-examination
of death penalty errors has opponents speaking out. State leaders of Catholic,
Episcopal and United Methodist faiths have called for a death penalty
moratorium.
Some Oklahomans say they aren't sure what side to take.
``I wouldn't want to be the one to decide if a person was to die or not. Too
many people have died who may not have committed a crime,'' said Barbara
Jenkins, a convenience store manager in McAlester, home to the penitentiary
where executions are held.
Jim Fowler has lived both sides of the death penalty debate and speaks against
it.
His son, Mark Fowler, is to be the sixth inmate put to death in January. He
received the death penalty for his role in the 1985 slayings of three people
during a grocery store robbery.
In 1986, Jim Fowler's mother was murdered. Robert Lee Miller Jr. spent 10 years
on death row for that killing, but DNA evidence exonerated him and he was
freed. Another man is scheduled for trial.
``We're putting ourselves on the map of being the most backwards, barbaric area
in the world,'' Fowler said. ``That's premeditated murder, and we do it with a
big grin on our faces.''
More than 3,700 people in the United States are waiting on death row.
Wanda Jean Allen has been there for more than 11 years for killing her roommate
outside a police station in 1988. On Jan. 11, she is scheduled to become the
first woman executed in Oklahoma since statehood.
``Please let me live. Please let me live,'' Allen, 41, begged in a whisper
during a clemency hearing in December. Clemency was denied.
Oklahoma State Penitentiary Warden Gary Gibson has given the command ``Let the
execution begin'' more than 20 times. But he has never faced a month like
January and said he plans to watch his employees closely for signs of fatigue.
``It's a trying situation for everybody,'' he said.
On the Net:
Oklahoma Department of Corrections: http://okcntx.doc.state.ok.us
Oklahoma attorney general's office: http://www.oag.state.ok.us
Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty: http://www.ocadp.org
Death Penalty Information Center: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org
J2jurado
Whassup AD Is Best on Telly
World Entertainment News Network
BUDWEISER'S "Whassup?" TV ad has been voted the best of the year on British
television.
Its catchphrase was on everyone's lips - and advertising bosses said
it was the best commercial this year (00), according to trade magazine
CAMPAIGN.
An advertising source says, "The Bud ad was genius. It is a dream for
Budweiser."
Footballer-turned-Hollywood hardman VINNIE JONES's Red Devil ad was
voted the top Turkey - the worst flop and most complained about ad. Over 400
people moaned that the ad - in which he tricks a robin into flying into a
window pane - was cruel. (SK/WNTST/PDD)
Pop go 45,000 bottles as Belgian New Year bubbly scam is exposed
Deutsche Press-Agentur (dpa)
Dec 29 Brussels (dpa) - A scam involving 45,000 bottles of cheap Spanish
sparkling wine being marketed as Champagne has been exposed by Belgian
authorities, media reports said Friday. They said the wine had been sold
under false pretences to a major supermarket chain with 170 outlets. Police had
arrested the boss of the marketing company and his secretary. All remaining
bottles had been removed from the supermarket shelves, and people who had
already bought the bogus bubbly would be reimbursed.
Bulmers Strikes Important Blow for Free Trade
Newsquest (Hereford) Ltd Dec 28, 2000
An important blow for free trade in Europe has been struck by HP Bulmer.
The Hereford cider giant has won a test case in the European Court of
Justice overturning a Belgian government ban on the use of 33cl bottles.
The furore began when the Belgian cider firm, Ruwet, launched court
proceedings against the Bulmers subsidiary, Stassen.
Ruwet claimed Stassen was illegally selling its cider, as well as
Strongbow and Woodpecker, on the Belgian market in 33cl bottles when national
legislation demanded a 37.5cl bottle.
Bulmers pointed out that no drinks in Belgium any longer used the
37.5cl bottle and that the standard 33cl pack was in common use both in Belgium
and throughout most of the EU member countries, so no issue of consumer
protection arose.
The tables were turned on Ruwet, a Stassen competitor, when Bulmers
took the case to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg claiming the
Belgian ban constituted an unfair restriction on free movement of goods between
member states.
The judges agreed and the 33cl bottle was saved.
William Stebbings, group solicitor at Bulmers, said: "What started as
a small claim by a competitor trying to disrupt our business in Belgium was
successfully turned by Bulmers into an important point of principle for
everyone trading in Europe."
The ruling prevents individual member states prohibiting goods from
sale just because they are not packed in sizes specified in the directives.
In addition, a product lawfully manufactured and sold in one member
state cannot be banned from another, except on genuine consumer protection
safety grounds.
http://www.sltrib.com:80/12312000/utah/58611.htm
Vendors Await Ruling in EffortTo Make Liquor, Wine Ads Lawful
Sunday, December 31, 2000 BY STEPHEN HUNT THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
In November 1933, Utah voters played a key role in ending Prohibition's
13-year dry spell. By a 3-to-2 margin, Utah became the state that put the
"wets" over the top in the national referendum to bring back booze.
But Utah lawmakers immediately threw a wet blanket on the party by
creating a labyrinth of liquor legislation that to this day baffles residents
and tourists alike, and perennially pits drinkers against nondrinkers.
The latest battle -- a four-year lawsuit that has, in part, reached the
10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver -- is being waged over Utah's ban
on wine and liquor advertising, which dates back to the repeal of Prohibition
in 1933.
Not only are liquor ads banned in Utah newspapers and on signs outside
of restaurants and clubs, but waiters may not even mention the existence of
wine or cocktail lists unless a restaurant patron specifically asks.
On behalf of Utah tavern owners, Catalyst magazine and others, Salt Lake
City attorney Brian Barnard claims Utah is "trampling the First Amendment" by
forbidding those who make and sell wine and liquor from hawking their wares
like any other merchant.
But Utah Assistant Attorney General Thom Roberts claims states have a
greater authority to regulate alcoholic beverages than most other products.
Likewise, Roberts claims, so-called "commercial speech" has fewer First
Amendment protections than "political" free speech.
The Denver court heard arguments on the dispute in November and will
decide whether U.S. District Judge David Sam correctly denied Barnard a
preliminary injunction against Utah's ad laws. The appellate panel is expected
to issue a written opinion next year.
Barnard claims Utah officials want to limit advertising to curb
consumption of alcoholic beverages.
"The state's argument is, if they allow liquor advertising, the whole
state will become drunks," Barnard said.
But Barnard claims the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1996 that
"temperance" -- moderation or abstinence -- was not a sufficient reason for
Rhode Island to prohibit liquor-price ads.
Furthermore, Barnard says scientific studies show advertising "does not
increase consumption; it only changes brand loyalty." In 1996, when beer ads
were allowed in Utah, "beer sales did not skyrocket; they dropped a half a
percent," Barnard said.
Beer advertising was banned in Utah in 1986, but the Utah Alcoholic
Beverage Control Commission lifted that ban in September 1996 in response to
Barnard's lawsuit. Prohibitions on liquor and wine ads remained intact.
Citing the lifting of the ban on beer ads, Roberts argued there is no
"complete ban" on alcoholic beverage advertising. In addition, he claims,
businesses with liquor licenses may advertise that they are liquor outlets.
But Barnard counters that advertisements containing the phrase "State
Liquor Licensee," or "A Private Club for Members Only," are meaningful only to
"a trained Utah reader."
He claims businesses should be able to say, "Enjoy a cocktail in the
relaxed atmosphere of our warm and cozy lounge." And they ought to be able to
advertise information about the brands or types of liquor they sell.
"Just as a beer licensee may now legally have a neon sign in its window
displaying the word, 'COORS,' " Barnard says, "a restaurant should be able to
have a sign saying 'ALMADEN WINES' or 'JACK DANIELS.' "
Barnard claims Utah could better promote temperance by shortening hours
of operation of taverns and placing other restrictions on beverage sales.
But Roberts states in court documents that temperance is not the only
aim of Utah's liquor regulators. State officials also hope to discourage
irresponsible drinking, minimize health problems associated with drinking,
protect minors from alcohol and discourage drunken driving.
Roberts said the mission of Utah's state-owned liquor and wine stores is
to make "alcohol reasonably available to those who wish it" while "protecting
the interests of those who do not" and "not encouraging or promoting" the
consumption of alcohol.
Barnard says all those aims can be "boiled down, or distilled, to
temperance. And the U.S. Supreme Court said that is not enough."
http://www.courierpress.com:80/cgi-bin/view.cgi?200012/28+holiday122800_ne
ws.html+20001228
Holiday downer - New Year’s Eve on Sunday worries taverns
By DAVE HOSICK, Courier & Press staff writer 12/28/00
If you’re in the mood for a bottle of beer or a glass of wine on New Year’s
Eve, you’ll have to look somewhere other than a neighborhood tavern.
And if you’re hosting a party to ring in 2001, you’ll need to stock up on
beer and spirits a day or two ahead of time.
Dec. 31 falls on a Sunday this year. And like any other Sunday during the
calendar year, establishments that don’t have Sunday liquor permits will be
closed.
To get a Sunday by-the-drink liquor license in Indiana, a restaurant must do at
least $100,000 in gross sales a month, and half of that must be in food. So the
only places serving liquor Sunday night in Indiana will be larger restaurants.
Frank Daugul, chairman of the Vanderburgh County Alcoholic Beverage Commission,
said nothing can be done about that. He noted that New Year’s Eve falls on a
Sunday only once every seven years.
Daugul said it wouldn’t be appropriate to grant specialized permits for a New
Year’s Eve Sunday. He wasn’t aware of any requests from Vanderburgh County
establishments to waive the law.
“If you’re not (serving alcohol on Sunday) the rest of the year, why should
you be permitted to serve on that particular day?” Daugul said.
The statewide Alcoholic Beverage Commission does have one provision related to
New Year’s Eve falling on Sunday.
Large restaurants and any other establishments with Sunday permits can keep
serving until 3 a.m. Monday. They would ordinarily have to stop at midnight.
Package liquor store employees in Evansville said they’re hopeful for a
strong sales period even though they’ll be closed New Year’s Eve.
There’s a fear among some liquor store employees that people who drink on
Sunday will pick up their beer or spirits while doing regular shopping at
groceries or drug stores during the week, said Kevin Ferguson, a clerk at The
Liquor Barn on North St. Joseph Avenue.
“They’re thinking it’s going to hurt us quite a bit,” Ferguson said.
But Mamie Leggett, owner of Kwik Liquor on North Green River Road, said she
believes New Year’s Eve revelers will stock up at liquor stores before
Sunday. She said she’s already seeing signs of that.
“Our business was super, super great last week,” Leggett said. “Everybody
just stocked up. In fact, I think our business is running ahead of last
year.”
Authorities, meanwhile, will be watching for alcoholic beverage law violators
on New Year’s Eve.
Officer Pat Fulford of the Indiana State Police Excise Division works out of
the District 5 regional office in Vincennes. The office handles all excise
matters in Southwestern Indiana.
Fulford said the office employs nine excise officers, and all of them could be
working somewhere in the region on Sunday. He would not say specifically what
officers would be focusing on during their New Year's Eve detail.
“We will be out working, but we have about 2,000 places that serve alcohol in
this district,” Fulford said. “We have no place targeted where we are going
to go into.”
http://www.savannahmorningnews.com:80/smn/stories/122900/LOCbeerinvestors.shtml
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The Crystal Beer Parlor in its early days with owner/operator William Bryant
'Blocko' Manning, right, behind the bar. --photo courtesy of Marsh Marchant
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Possible buyers, fans walk through downtown beer parlor one last time
Crystal Beer Parlor preview draws variety of people to establishment.
By Tasha Gatlin and Noelle Phillips Savannah Morning News 12/29/00
In life and in death, the Crystal Beer Parlor is still a draw.
A steady stream of visitors came to the closed business, some to give their
last respects and others looking to buy the landmark.
All in all, it was a slow day with rain and nippy temperatures preventing the
expected onslaught of spectators. It's still up in the air as to who will
purchase the 67-year-old business.
Representatives from John Dixon & Associates, an auctioning and marketing
company out of Marietta, said about 50 people have come through the doors to
look at the establishment. Of those, just under half are seriously interested
in purchasing the property.
"The thing that they're looking at is the $700,000," said one representative
who declined to give his name.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crystal Beer Parlor staff hang up artwork behind the bar in 1979. --Steve
Bisson/Savannah Morning News file photo
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The $700,000 is in reference to the expected initial bid by SunTrust Bank, the
institution that has foreclosed on the restaurant. Carol Thomson, legal owner
of the business, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February 1999.
The bankruptcy court is allowing the lender, SunTrust, to foreclose on the loan
on Jan. 2. The court is also letting the property's owners sell the property
the same day to pay off the debt.
It's likely the building and its contents, including the Savannah memorabilia,
will be sold as one lot. But an auction company employee said it's still tied
up in court and complete instructions will be given Tuesday before the sale.
Thomson and her husband, E. Conrad, already transferred ownership of their
now-closed Waters Avenue business and their home in The Landings to pay down
the loan.
John Dixon, president of the auction company, said that of the 25 to 30 phone
calls his office has fielded since it was announced the landmark was up for
sale, only about five or six have been serious inquiries.
"Mostly they're going through for nostalgia purposes, but some want to buy,"
Dixon said.
The type of people coming through the door is as varied as the people who
worked and ate at the Crystal.
Two Savannah residents -- neither who wanted to be named -- said they were
interested in buying the watering hole, but it needed a lot of work.
"It depends on what someone wants to do with it," said one of the possible
buyers. "The kitchen's in good shape but the restaurant and apartment need
work."
Sandi Wilson, owner of 606 Cafe, stopped by to reminisce and to check out the
location. After 11 years in the Savannah restaurant business, Wilson said she
would like to own her own building. But notice of the Beer Parlor's auction
came up so fast, she wasn't sure Thursday she would be one of the bidders.
"I've got less than a week to think about it," she said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Crystal Beer Parlor in the late 1970's. file photo by John Lavoie.
--Savannah Morning News file photo
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another set of potential investors quizzed auction company employees about the
name. There is value in the words "Crystal Beer Parlor," and they would be
interested only if they could buy the name as part of the auction.
Charlie and Deborah Bruce came to look at the business but for different
reasons -- they were hoping some of the kitchen equipment would be up for sale.
The couple own the Pizza Inn restaurant in Statesboro and were looking to add
some appliances to their cooking area.
Michael Faber, president of Faber Enterprises, said he looked at the site but
isn't interested in buying it because he has other business developments,
namely a new Rascals Pizza and Ribs joint in the Sandfly neighborhood.
"I was looking at it, but the numbers are too high," Faber said. "I had my eye
on it, I still have my eye on it ... I'm not against being involved in it
because it's a good property."
Faber already owns Clary's restaurant on Jones and Whitaker and a second on
Habersham as well as two Rascals, one on Habersham and another on Martin Luther
King Jr. Boulevard. He said he doubts that new owners will be able to open it
again immediately.
"The person's got to put at least a $1 million into it before they can open it.
A closed business always needs more work than a turnkey business."
http://www.courierpress.com:80/cgi-bin/view.cgi?200012/31+litter123100_bus
iness.html+20001231
Brazilians can the litter, make a profit
By MICHAEL ASTOR Associated Press writer 12/31
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Brazilians don’t pay deposits on containers,
rarely separate their trash and think little of tossing an empty soda can from
a car window. “Please Don’t Litter” signs are roundly ignored.
Yet Brazil is poised to catch up with Japan as a leader among the world’s
biggest countries in recycling aluminum cans.
The reason is Luiz Carlos Carola, and a legion like him. Carola was homeless
when he started collecting cans outside the Rio bus station three years ago.
Today, he has a roof over his head, spends his weekends at a modest beach
resort outside the city and earns about $260 a month — not bad money in a
country where nearly half the people get by on $150 a month or less.
“As long as there are ill-mannered people, I’ll earn a good living,”
Carola says.
Ecological consciousness has been slow in coming to Brazil, where the poor have
little education and the well-off have maids to pick up after them. All the
same, the Brazilian Aluminum Association says the country should recycle 80
percent of the 9.5 billion aluminum cans sold in 2000. Japan recycled 79
percent of its cans in 1999.
Some small European countries recycle almost 90 percent of their cans, but the
association says Japan and Brazil are far ahead of other populous countries.
For instance, the United States recycled 63 percent of its cans in 1999, and
Europe as a whole recycled 41 percent.
There’s more than altruism involved. Recycling can be good business.
To produce a ton of aluminum from scratch requires 5 tons of bauxite and 16,000
kilowatt-hours of electricity. With recycling, you need a ton of old cans and
just 750 kilowatt-hours of electricity, a boon for a country straining to meet
electricity demand.
Aluminum cans are relatively new to Brazil. They were introduced in 1990, when
the Skol brewery began using them to provide a smaller, more convenient
alternative to the traditional 22-ounce glass bottles.
Since then, the market for aluminum cans has grown more than 3,000 percent, and
recycling them has become a $110 million-a-year industry that employs an
estimated 150,000 people, the aluminum association says.
Aluminum is the “gold” of garbage picking — pound for pound worth 10
times more than plastic, 12 times more than glass and 30 times more than paper
on the local recycling market. A full-time can collector can earn up to five
times the minimum wage.
Still, the aluminum industry wants to move beyond reliance on the professional
trash collectors. It is trying to teach more privileged Brazilians to recycle
with an educational program directed at schools, churches, hotels and tenant
associations.
The most aggressive of these efforts is headed by the aluminum can maker
Latasa, which accounts for half of Brazil’s can market and a fourth of all
recycling. Today, 55 percent of Latasa’s cans are made from recycled
aluminum.
Latasa has 16,000 institutions involved in a program that awards cash and
prizes in return for used cans. The company also has 47 recycling centers
around Rio and Sao Paulo where collectors can sell aluminum for the equivalent
of 36 cents a pound and also buy food at discount prices.
Giosa says Latasa’s success has stirred interest in recycling other products.
“Other sectors will have to follow because the public demands it,” says
Latasa’s recycling director, Jose Roberto Giosa, pointing out that 18 new
recycling laws are pending in Brazil’s Congress.
http://news.excite.com/news/r/010102/10/odd-elephant-dc
Elephant Tramples Man And Keeps the Corpse
January 2, 2001 GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) - A wild elephant pulled a man down
from a tree, trampled him to death and for two weeks has refused to part with
the corpse, police in northeast India say.
The man climbed the tree to escape a herd of wild elephants rampaging through
his village about 80 miles from Guwahati, the largest city in Assam.
One elephant grabbed him, pulled him to the ground and broke his legs.
"The elephant must have got even more irritated as the villagers were trying to
free the man," a forest ranger said Sunday. "It trampled him to death and took
the body along with him."
That was two weeks ago and it has been carrying the body around ever since,
police said.
http://news.excite.com/news/r/010102/10/odd-sheep-dc
Sacrificial Sheep Shoves Man to His Death
January 2, 2001 ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) - An Egyptian sheep destined for
sacrificial slaughter forestalled its owner's plans by pushing him to his death
from a three-story building, police said Tuesday.
They said Waheeb Hamoudah, 56, who worked in the police tax evasion department,
had been feeding the sheep he had tethered on the rooftop when it butted him.
The sheep has been arrested on chargers of manslaughter.
Neighbors found Hamoudah lying bleeding and concussed on the ground below, with
several broken bones, Monday.
He died soon after reaching hospital.
Hamoudah had been fattening the sheep for the past six weeks and planned to
kill it for Eid al-Adha, the Muslim feast of sacrifice, in early March.
Many Egyptian city-dwellers keep livestock on rooftops, balconies or in
basements, especially in the run-up to Eid al-Adha.
It is not known when the sheep will come to trial to face the charges.
J2jurado
LONDON, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- http://www.just-drinks.com -- Now that
Interbrew's purchase of Bass Brewers has been blocked by the UK government, the
Belgian giant will be forced to look further afield for its next acquisition.
A special feature at http://just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=353
explains why the decision comes as such a harsh blow to Interbrew, and asks
where the company will turn next.
The ruling not only means Interbrew will drop back from second to third largest
brewer worldwide, it will also force the company to sell Bass at a loss: "They
might conceivably get most of their money back, but their bid was higher than
the others by several hundred million, and so it will be hard," said a
London-based analyst.
So, in order for Interbrew to outdo Heineken and regain its place as world
number two, where will it look next?
Analysts suggest AmBev, Miller Brewing Co and Foster's are all possible
targets. However, according to one: "Interbrew now has to go into damage
limitation mode... The company is now going to struggle to find a new
strategic direction."
For the full story, click here:
http://just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=353
Venezuela's Mavesa Near Agreement With Polar, Universal Says
Caracas, Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Mavesa SA, Venezuela's largest publicly traded
food processor, is close to an agreement with Empresas Polar SA for the sale of
some of its units, El Universal reported.
Mavesa, which produces mayonnaise, vinegar, margarine and cleaning products, is
expected to make an announcement as early as next week, said officials close to
the talks. As part of the sale, Mavesa's workforce is expected to be reduced.
The two sides have not decided on a final price. Empresas Polar is a holding
company that owns the country's No. 1 brewery.
Takeover speculation has propelled Mavesa shares 34.8 percent higher since Nov.
1, even though Chairman Jonathan Coles ruled out a sale of the company. Mavesa
shares closed unchanged yesterday at 67 bolivars ($0.10).
Australian Beverage Makers Benefit From Higher Temperatures
Melbourne, Jan. 5 (Bloomberg)-- Australia's beverage companies said
higher-than-usual temperatures last month helped them sell more beer, wine and
non-alcoholic drinks this summer.
Temperatures across the most populous parts of Australia were 2-to-3 degrees
warmer than average in December, according to the Weather Channel. That helped
the nation's top beverage makers, including Foster's Brewing Group Ltd. and
Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd., boost sales.
``The last two weeks of December were the best on record for us,'' said David
Park, spokesman for Foster's Carlton & United Breweries. He declined to be
specific, other than saying last month was ``very profitable'' as the company
discounted less and sold more premium brands.
Park said sales of Crown Lager, Australia's leading premium beer, matched last
year's 30 percent growth rate, while sales of Cascade Premium Light, a
low-alcohol beer, were ``massive'' across Australia. He also said CUB's Carlton
Mid Strength beer made sales and market share gains in Queensland and Western
Australia states.
Australia's summer holiday season, which runs from December to the end of
February, is when beverage companies generate most of their sales. Last summer,
sales were hurt by rain and cooler- than-usual weather, even though drinkers
spent more on alcohol because of millennium celebrations.
``The weather was pretty good'' last month, said Alec Wagstaff, a spokesman for
Sydney-based Amatil, which makes about 30 percent of its annual sales of
non-alcoholic drinks during the summer.
Wagstaff said bottled water sales posted double-digit growth, while energy
drinks also had ``high'' growth rates from the previous year. He declined to
provide sales results or comment on soft-drinks sales.
Amatil, the largest soft drinks bottler in the Asia Pacific, is 37 percent
owned by Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co.
Pre-Mixed Sales `Phenomenal'
Liquor retailers said consumers were spending more on premium and imported
beers, pre-mixed alcoholic drinks and white wines. Standard beer, red and
sparkling wine were less popular.
``Premium and imported beers have continued their very strong sales growth,
both at the expense of mainstream beers,'' said Shane Sinclair, merchandising
general manager with Coles Myer Ltd.'s Liquorland, Australia's largest liquor
retailer.
Sinclair said sales of sparkling wine in December were ``very much flat''
compared with last year, when the millennium celebrations encouraged drinkers
to buy more expensive products.
He said pre-mixed beverages, such as alcoholic lemonade, showed ``phenomenal''
growth in sales, reflecting a fall in their price after the introduction of a
new tax system July 1.
In a three-month outlook on Dec. 14, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology forecast
for January to March ``an increased chance of above average seasonal maximum
temperatures in'' Australia's southeast. Yesterday, the temperature in
Melbourne soared to 37.8 degrees Celcius (100 degrees F), a one-month high.
Chile Copec says to sell stake in CCU brewer
SANTIAGO, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Chilean forestry and oil company Copec <COP.SN> on
Thursday said one of its units agreed to sell a stake in the country's largest
brewer, Cia. de Cervecerias Unidas (CCU) <<A
HREF="aol://4785:CU">CU.N</A>><CCU.SN>, generating a cash flow of about $120
million.
In a statement to the state-run securities regulator, Copec did not disclose
the percentage, but did say 23,887,716 shares will be sold.
Copec's unit Cia. de Inversiones Mobiliarias Ltda. will sell the shares, it
said.
The deal will produce a pre-tax profit of about $88 million in Copec's
consolidated 2001 results, it said, not saying to whom it sold the stake.
Earlier in the day, Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. <<A
HREF="aol://4785:BUD">BUD.N</A>>, the world's largest beer brewer, said it was
buying a 14 percent stake of CCU for $224 million.
The move comes as the maker of Budweiser beer tries to extend its business in
Latin America.
The two brewers have been partners for five years in Argentina, where
Anheuser-Busch holds 11 percent of CCU's Argentine beer subsidiary and where
CCU locally brews and sells Budweiser.
Peru's Backus Brewery to Sell $15 Million in Two-Year Debt
Lima, Jan. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Peru's only brewer Union de Cervecerias Peruanas
Backus & Johnston SA plans to sell up to $15 million worth of sol-denominated
two-year debt to obtain working capital.
Interest on the debt, to be paid twice a year, will be determined through a
Dutch auction, in which buyers bid the minimum interest they're willing to
accept and the amount they want to buy. The deadline to submit bids is Friday
afternoon.
Sol-denominated debt issued in Peru normally pays an inflation indexed variable
plus a percentage. Four-year debt issued by the company in October paid an
inflation-indexed variable known as Constant Value of Acquisition (VAC) plus
7.625 percent.
Citicorp SA is in charge of the debt placement. The debt has AA ratings granted
by Peru's three main risk-rating agencies.
Backus controls more than 99 percent of the Peruvian beer market after its 2000
purchase of rival Cia. Cervecera del Sur. Beer sales have declined in the past
four years in Peru as a result of weakening consumer demand.
Belgium criticises UK's blocking of Interbrew deal
By Adrian Croft
BRUSSELS, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The Belgian government on Thursday criticized UK
competition authorities for blocking Interbrew's <INTB.BR> purchase of Bass
Plc's <BASS.L> beer business, saying the decision could benefit a British
rival.
Belgian Economy Minister Charles Picque said he had raised the issue with both
British Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers and the European Commission,
which last August referred the deal to British competition authorities.
However, the European Commission -- the European Union's antitrust watchdog --
said that, having referred the merger to Britain, it had no authority to review
its decision.
"(EU Competition) Commissioner (Mario) Monti will listen to what the Belgian
government has to say. At this stage, the Commission has no reason to doubt
that the decision of the UK authorities is based on competition grounds,"
Commission spokeswoman Amelia Torres said.
The British government dealt a blow to Interbrew on Wednesday by ordering the
Belgian firm to sell the British breweries it bought last year from Bass for
2.3 billion pounds ($3.44 billion). Byers said the deal was against the public
interest. It would have led to higher beer prices and an effective duopoly with
Britain's biggest brewer, Scottish & Newcastle <SCTN.L> he said. Legal experts
said on Thursday that Interbrew's chances of overturning the British decision
were were slim to none-existent. They said historic precedent and the specifics
of the case meant the chances of an appeal succeeding were remote.
BELGIAN MINISTER REGRETS DECISION
Picque said he regretted that the British government had not allowed the deal
to go ahead with conditions.
Picque had raised questions with Byers on "..the particularly prejudicial
consequences of this decision for the businesses concerned," a statement from
his office said.
"It also appears that this refusal will have the immediate effect of hurting
the interests of Interbrew and Bass, while their direct competitor, the British
company Scottish & Newcastle, is completely protected by this decision and
could even benefit from it in the long term," Picque said.
Picque said he had asked Monti whether the decision had taken sufficient
account of market globalization and the goals of the European Union's single
market. But Torres said the European Commission had found there were grounds
for referring the Interbrew/Bass case to Britain. Britain, not the Commission,
was now competent to rule on the case, she said.
Interbrew spokesman Corneel Maes said he was not aware of the Belgian
government's intervention. "We did not ask Mr Picque to intervene, and I must
admit I'm not aware of the statement he made," he said, adding that Interbrew
was still reviewing its options following the British ruling.
Byers said on Wednesday that Interbrew should be required to divest Bass
Brewers in Britain to a buyer approved by the Director General of Fair Trading.
But Torres queried whether Britain automatically had the right to approve a new
buyer.
British authorities could check whether a new buyer was economically viable,
she said.
But she said the Commission would have competence to examine the competition
aspects of any new deal to buy the former Bass breweries if the companies
involved were of a certain size.
South African Breweries <SABJ.J> and Carlsberg <CARCb.CO> have said they could
be interested in a deal.
EU MERGER RULES
Under EU competition law, mergers must be vetted by the Commission if the
companies' combined worldwide sales total more than five billion euros ($4.76
billion) and each company has sales of at least 250 million euros within
Europe.
However, Britain could again ask for the case to be referred to its authorities
and the Commission would decide whether to do so, Torres said.
Interbrew had total sales of 3.24 billion euros in 1999 while Bass Brewing had
turnover of 1.84 billion pounds in the year to the end of September 1999.
The British decision to block the Bass deal left recently-listed Interbrew's
British expansion strategy in tatters. The company's shares, which lost more
than a quarter of their value on Wednesday, fell another two percent on
Thursday to 27.43 euros.
Spirits Industry On Top After Seagram Sale
LONDON, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- http://www.just-drinks.com -- With the Seagram
auction behind it, the spirits industry is looking healthier than it has done
for years.
In a feature reprinted at http://just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=350,
The Economist explains why the outcome of the complicated sale will ultimately
be positive for the industry as a whole.
The spirits industry is in need of consolidation -- the top three producers
control only 37% of the market for "western branded" spirits, while the world's
three biggest brewers hold 44% of their market.
The Seagram auction, however, will certainly make a difference, raising the top
three spirits firms' share of spirit sales to 42%. They will be able to push
more bottles through their existing distribution networks and win contracts
with wholesalers with their fuller portfolios. Fewer firms owning leading
brands should also be able to impose more stable pricing.
However, if all of the big companies have come out on top, the losers must come
from the industry's second tier -- companies such as Jim Beam and Brown Forman.
According to The Economist, "While the victors of the Seagram auction will be
popping the Champagne... it is their smaller rivals that will really need a
drink".
For the full story, click here:
http://just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=350
Redhook Ale Brewery Announces Conference Call
SEATTLE, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Redhook Ale Brewery, Incorporated (Nasdaq: <A
HREF="aol://4785:HOOK">HOOK</A>) announced today that it has scheduled a
conference call for Wednesday, February 7, 2001 at 7:30 a.m. PST (10:30 a.m.
EST). The purpose of the conference call is to discuss results for the
Company's fourth quarter ended December 31, 2000, which are expected to be
released on Tuesday, February 6, 2001, at 3:30 p.m. PST (6:30 EST), after the
close of the market.
The conference call will be available either through webcast or dial-in. The
webcast can be accessed by going to http://streetevents.ccbn.com/,
http://netscape.ccbn.com/ or other Internet portals such AOL and Yahoo. The
conference call can also be accessed by phone. To insure phone line
availability, please call Anne Mueller at 206-634-4203, or send a fax to
206-548-1305, to confirm your participation and receive conference call
instructions. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay of
the call will be available both on the Internet and by phone.
If you would like to be added to the press release fax list or the press
release email list, please call Anne Mueller or email anne.m...@Redhook.com.
Otherwise, to obtain a faxed copy of the press release after it has been
released, please call PR NEWSWIRE at 800-758-5804. Follow the recorded
instructions, Redhook's company code is 736675, select option #1 and input your
fax number. A copy of the press release will be faxed immediately.
Kirin Won't Market Gene-Altered Tomato in Japan, Paper Says
(Nikkei Industrial Daily, 1/5, p.9)
Tokyo, Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Kirin Brewery Co. has pulled the plug on a plan to
market a genetically modified tomato in Japan because of consumer concern over
gene-altered products, the Nikkei Industrial Daily said, without citing
sources.
Japan's largest beermaker, which also has biotechnology operations, has
withdrawn an application for government approval of the vegetable, the paper
said. The tomato, which keeps about a week longer than a regular tomato, was
developed with technology from California-based Calgene Inc. of the U.S., the
report said.
Tokyo-based Kirin continues to develop gene-modified plants and test them for
environmental effects, the paper said.
Concern in Japan over gene-modified foods grew last year after a consumer group
found that StarLink, a variety of genetically altered corn not approved for
human consumption, had entered Japan's food chain.
J2jurado
Happy new brew
by KERRY J. BYRNE beer.com 03.01.01
Winter beers, not to mention the people who brew and drink them, fall into two
distinct camps.
One faction wants its winter beers big and strong and flavorful, the way they
were enjoyed in days of yore, when harsher weather called for bolder, heartier
beers. These folks generally consider spice and fruit flavors in their beer a
perversion of the natural order of the universe. Many of the strong beers they
enjoy are "vintaged" and can be stored like wine in a cool, dark place and
aged for several years.
The other group takes a more mirthful approach to its holiday beers. They're
looking for a veritable festival of light in a glass - an array of interesting
flavors and aromas to celebrate the season and brighten up their beers during
the longest, coldest nights of the year. These festive holiday beers are not
without ties to tradition, too. They're brewed in the spirit of wassails, a
holiday punch in Europe - often associated with Victorian England - that was
made with beer or wine and flavored with an array of fruits and spices, such as
oranges, clove, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Fortunately, no matter what your preference, there are plenty of beers to
choose from this holiday season and throughout the winter. In fact, it's the
time of the year that many brewers put forward their best, brightest and most
creative beers.
Cambridge Brewing Co. is a popular hangout in Cambridge, Mass. for MIT students
and the countless eggheads who work at the high-tech firms in the area. The
restaurant's beer-maker, Will Meyers, speaks for most brewers when he says he
prefers strong ales this season, but that he makes it a point to offer
something for everyone as the holidays approach.
"Personally, I lean toward the bigger, maltier beers like barleywines," Meyers
says. "But as a brewer, I straddle that line pretty solidly."
Cambridge Brewing's Blunderbuss Barleywine, a potent strong ale with 11.6
percent alcohol by volume, earned a bronze medal this year at the Great
American Beer Festival. It's served only in 10-ounce snifters and is an annual
favorite at the brewery-restaurant. In fact, this is the eighth consecutive
year t's been offered. Two spiced holiday beers are also slated to make the
beer list there this month. There's a good chance that your local brewpub is
offering at least one or two winter beers.
While holiday beers take on an amazing array of flavors and styles (in fact,
almost any beer can be marketed as a holiday beer), they generally have two
things in common. One, most holiday beers taste better when cool, rather than
ice cold. Warmer temperatures help bring out the intricacies and unique flavors
manifest in both spiced beers and strong ales. Two, most holiday beers trace
their roots to England, where old ales, barleywines and wassails are
traditional styles.
Beer lovers in America have an extremely rare opportunity to sample two
authentic English seasonals this month as a handful of better beer bars around
the country serve cask-conditioned Christmas ales from two British breweries,
George Gale & Co. and Wye Valley. (See the list below for locations serving one
or both of these beers this month.)
What makes cask beers like these so unique? Shipped unfinished, they are
naturally conditioned in the cask where they are served, and dispensed via
traditional means, such as hand-pull or gravity.
While ubiquitous in Great Britian, cask ales are exceedingly rare in the
United States. Few British brewers attempt to ship cask ales overseas because
they're so delicate, and even fewer establishments in America know how to serve
them properly. Only 12 casks of each of these Christmas beers were shipped to
the United States this year.
With so many great beers to choose from, package stores and pubs are filled to
the rafters with holiday beers throughout December. Picking you way through all
of them can be daunting. Fortunately, we've done the grueling legwork for you
and offer some of the best beers from each camp.
Spiced beers
Anchor Our Special Ale - For 26 seasons, the folks at San Francisco's Anchor
Brewing Co. have created a holiday ale with a secretive array of spices. It
changes slightly each year and has become the most eagerly anticipated offering
of the season, and with good reason. Anchor Our Special Ale features a deep
ruby hue, subtle, complex spiciness, rich, soothing body, and luscious,
warming palate.
Harpoon Winter Warmer - An airy, accessible and friendly local favorite
highlighted by festive flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg. It's easy to find in
New England, and is sold along much of the East Coast.
Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale - When young Ebenezer's boss, Old Fezziwig, threw
a Christmas party, there were "dances...cake...Cold Roast...mince pies, and
plenty of beer." Perhaps Fezziwig's 19th century ale tasted something like this
one: it boasts a floral, spicy aroma,deep malty flavor and the deft, tactful
use of ginger, which brewers less skilled than those at Sam Adams often have
trouble using successfully, as it has the tendency to overpower all other
flavors.
Strong ales
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale - This could be the perfect winter beer - at
least for fans of no-nonsense strong ales. Its beautiful golden-tinged
cranberry color reflects the color of the holiday season and a generous
portion of Cascade hops gives it wonderful aroma and flavor. And at 6.8
percent alcohol by volume, it's strong enough to bring a rosy flush to chilly
cheeks, but still light enough to be consumed (carefully) in full 12-ounce
servings.
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine - When Celebration Ale grows up, it becomes
Bigfoot Barleywine, a vintaged Northwest-style strong ale that's as big, bold
and brawny as its name indicates. The 2000s are raw but delicious, though
some aficionados say Bigfoot is best after three years or more. The date
appears on each bottle cap. In any case, it's heavily hopped, aggressively
malty and boasts nearly 10 percent alcohol by volume. Collect afew bottles this
year and store it for the next several seasons.
Thomas Hardy's Ale - If you find some of this vintaged old ale lying around,
snap it up quickly. After nearly 30 years of production, a buyout forced
Eldridge Pope of Dorchester, England to drop this unique brand that boasted a
small but loyal following. A recently consumed 1997 Thomas Hardy's was alive
with rich, ripe winey fruit and was remarkably bright and clean. This beer
will reportedly age up to 25 years.
Look for cask-conditioned versions of Christmas ales from Britain's George
Gale & Co. and Wye Valley breweries at these bars and restaurants:
Colorado
The Falling Rock - Denver
Illinois
The Map Room - Chicago
Sheffield's - Chicago
Skokie Holiday Inn
Indiana
Chalkie's - Indianapolis
Heorot's - Muncie
Kentucky
Cock 'n Bull - Covington
Massachusetts
Redbone's - Somerville
Michigan
Berkley Front - Detroit
New Jersey
The Marlton Tavern - Marlton
Old Bay Restaurant - New Brunswick
New York
Alternative Brews - Buffalo
The Blind Tiger - Manhattan
DBA - Manhattan
Man of Kent - Hoosick Falls
Monty's Corner - Rochester
Sparky's - Brooklyn
Ohio
Brew's Cafe - Granville
Nicholson's - Cincinnati
Pennsylvania
Klinger's - Hanover
Washington, D.C.
The Brickskeller
http://www.smh.com.au:80/news/0012/30/text/world14.html
Read this now, drink carrot juice tomorrow and bingo, no hangover
Date: 30/12/2000 By Dianne Partie Lange
"The study of hangover has been a lonely profession," said Dr Jeffrey Wiese,
lead author of The Alcohol Hangover, published this year in The Annals of
Internal Medicine journal.
His team's exhaustive review of the literature found 4,700 studies published on
alcohol intoxication since 1965, with only 108 dealing with hangovers. But the
research climate may be changing, Dr Wiese said. To understand why, you could
follow the money. In the United States alone, alcohol use costs $US148 billion
($A267 billion) a year in missed work and poor job performance - mostly as a
result of hangovers - according to a report cited in the review by Dr Wiese and
his collaborators, Dr Michael Shlipak and Dr Warren Browner.
If a drug were developed that could prevent hangovers - or at least treat the
symptoms effectively and quickly - some of those billions could be saved.
Some products are already on the market, but none has yet undergone the sort of
rigorous clinical trial that would show how effective it is when compared with
a placebo.
There are now a couple of theories that go beyond simple dehydration to explain
what causes hangover.
"The inflammatory angle is the most interesting and promising," said Dr
Shlipak, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California at
San Francisco.
Dr Manuela Neuman, a Canadian biochemist and toxicologist who has made the
study of alcohol-induced liver damage her life's work, agrees. The common
ground of some of her studies
and Drs Wiese and Shlipak's pet theory is cytokines.
Cytokines are small molecules that signal inflammation in the body. They are
released by white blood cells battling foreign invaders like viruses, Dr Neuman
said. Cytokines make a
hangover feel like the flu.
Dr Wiese and Dr Shlipak said that, in theory, congeners stimulate an immune
response that causes the release of cytokines. The more colour and flavour an
alcoholic beverage has, the
greater its congener content and, therefore, the greater its hangover
potential. Brandy, for example, has more congeners than vodka.
But congeners alone do not a hangover make, which is why people who drink vodka
may still suffer the morning after, though their complaints are not usually as
severe as those who,
say, drank too much of a coloured liquor.
Some investigators believe that the culprit common to all hangovers, regardless
of whether beer, wine or liquor is responsible, is acetaldehyde, a nasty
chemical created in the liver as
enzymes metabolise pure alcohol.
Some acetaldehyde flows through the bloodstream. It is believed partly
responsible for the kind of inflammation that leads to cytokine release.
Finally, dehydration, the well-known hangover accelerator, compounds the
discomfort. Alcohol inhibits the action of an antidiuretic hormone on the
kidneys, so they remove more water
from the blood flowing through them than they normally would.
The heart also works harder during a hangover: blood pressure increases, and
the heart beats faster and harder, probably in response to a stepped-up release
of adrenaline-like
hormones, which may explain why people with hangovers are more likely to suffer
fatal heart attacks.
The brain suffers, too. Alcohol suppresses the activity of brain cells. "The
next day, as the alcohol wears off, the cells begin to recover from that
suppression and are very excitable," said
Dr Wiese. "They're so excitable that the brain doesn't focus well. Dexterity
and concentration ability are lost."
Drinking coffee and water, a common remedy, won't get a hungover person
anywhere but to the restroom. Nor will vitamin B or C, Dr Neuman said.
But she has done test-tube experiments on liver cells using substances that are
promising. One, a mix of traditional Chinese herbs, did appear to protect cells
in tissue culture from
alcohol-related damage.
Dr Neuman also found that the amino acid L-glutamine was helpful to liver cells
grown in the laboratory.
Meanwhile the best advice from these experts is a cliché: practice moderation.
Stop drinking early, drink water and get a good night's sleep.
http://www.bergen.com:80/previews/saketini2200012295.htm
Asian twist on the martini: sake with a baby octopus
December 29, 2000 By RENEE SCHETTLER Special from The Washington Post
"Would you care for an octopus in your martini?"
Clearly the chatter from the Monday night crowd at the bar at TenPenh
Restaurant in
downtown Washington, D.C., had obscured the bartender's question.
"Would you care for an octopus in your martini?" she repeated before handing
over a drink
menu. In bold print, below the heading "Specialty Martinis and Bellinis," it
stated
"Saketini: Voxx vodka, sake, garnished with a baby octopus!!"
Octopus? Saketini? Whatever happened to shaken or stirred?
What is this saketini? At TenPenh, it's five parts vodka to one part sake. The
drink is
$8.95; the octopus is free.
At the sedate Uni: A Sushi Place in Washington, it's five parts sake to one
part vermouth,
served with a pale green wisp of cucumber floating across the top.Order a
saketini and, to the casual observer, nothing is amiss. The glass is chilled,
the spirits are shaken, poured with a flair, and presented ceremoniously. If
one is lucky, shards of ice float atop. One sip, however, and it is evident
that this is not a martini.
"It's like getting smashed in the face with a baseball," said Sal Rosario,
saketini novice,
after sampling the rendition at Cafe Asia in downtown Washington.
At Asia Nora in Washington, it's sake "with vermouth for flavor." Forgo the
olive, and the
alternative is a kaleidoscope of julienned carrots and radishes in brilliant
hues of orange,
white, and violet that hang suspended in clear liquid. It's a conversation
starter for $7.95.
There is no consensus on what goes into this niche drink: The only
requirements, it
seems, are sake and a martini glass.
And the flavor? Well, it's an improbable fusion of sake and spirits. Like so
many
"martinis" today, it doesn't taste anything like the classic.
The cocktail is, in a word, bracing. It is at once smooth and startling. Most
saketinis have
more than a splash of sake, resulting in a slightly syrupy drink. There is an
unmistakable
blast of heat from the sake's dryness, which is then amplified in those
saketinis to which
the bartender adds a hint of vermouth.
It's something that you "acquire a taste for," says TenPenh bartender Chris
Phelan. (As
are those baby octopuses. They're brined in chili paste to impart a brilliant
red hue.
According to Vinnie Nair, director of beverage operations at TenPenh,
"Surprisingly
enough, the glasses come back empty.")
"It's a fun diversion from sake itself," says Alfie Magby, a Manhattanite.
Magby, 32,
grew accustomed to sipping saketinis nightly in the Hamptons this summer where
they
were "the craze."
But when he ordered a saketini in the social backwaters of Washington, he was
devastated. "To my dismay," says Magby, "they made it with vodka." Magby was
accustomed to a pale pink rendition; with cranberry juice, Triple Sec, Rose's
lime juice,
and sake, it's more a cousin of the Cosmopolitan.
At eCity Cafe & Bar in McLean, Va., bartender Ricky Shepherd and his colleagues
serve
an estimated 200 to 300 martinis a night. Despite the high cocktail
consumption, despite
the sushi and sake bar 20 feet from the main bar, he's never heard of a
saketini. He
supposes it's a drink for a specialty market, something that the average
customer is
unaware of.
John Gauntner -- a sake columnist for The Japan Times, proprietor of
www.sake-world.com, and author of "The Sake Companion" (Running Hill Press,
$24.95)
-- says, "No one mixes sake with anything in Japan. One would no sooner mix
good sake
with anything than one would a fine wine or other sipping beverage."
http://www.ireland.com:80/newspaper/finance/2000/1228/fin9.htm
The best of this year's crop of ad campaigns
December 28, 2000
Bernice Harrison asked three creative directors to give their verdict on the
best advertising campaign of the year
Geoff Kirk, executive creative director, Index Creative Communications: It has
been a dull 12 months for Irish advertising. Even the UK which can usually be
relied on for a couple of mould-breakers has seen a disappointing
year with only the big jingoistic British Airways production and a handful of
witty ads such as Lynx and John West to liven up the breaks.
Lynx deodorant's Ideal Woman campaign where women say lines men dream of
hearing (I could listen to you talk about football all day) is wry and sharply
observed; one of those rare gender issue commercials which women
as well as men seem to like and find funny, though probably for different
reasons.
The new John West Salmon Grizzly Bear commercial has only just broken so it
might be too early to say, but it's a little gem and looks like the start of a
very promising campaign, in the classic single-minded proposition tradition.
But this year there's no competition: the best advertising in 2000 came from
the US and the outstanding ad by a long chalk is DDB Chicago's brilliant,
groundbreaking "Whassup?" for Budweiser. Disregarding its enormous impact in
the States, this ad has gone straight into our subculture so quickly and to
such an extent that you can't go out of an evening without hearing the call
Whassup a half a dozen times.
It's certainly been the most talked about commercial this year, unusual that
it has captured public imagination and achieved industry recognition at the
same time.
How did the agency ever manage to pitch the idea in the first place and what
inspired the client to go with it? It spectacularly breaks the rules of beer
advertising and believe me, it would not sound convincing on paper, not even to
the people who bought the similarly successful Frogs.
Four twenty-something, multiracial, sad-bastard guys, including a lone drinker,
do nothing, say nothing to each other in African American slang, and are
bonded by a ritual call, whassup? No pub. No pouring, no heroic product shot.
One more thing - no brief. All manner of reasons why it shouldn't work, and
then a few more about why it shouldn't work in Ireland. But true to the
mercurial nature of the business, it does.
Of course that's not how it happened. In reality, the director and one of the
ad's stars, Charles Stone, made a short, hyper-real promotional film of himself
and his buddies which DDB picked up on and redirected to Budweiser. No big
leap of faith, though a fair bit of courage.
The only question remaining now is will Budweiser continue to have the courage
to keep challenging its young audience when that could mean knowing when to
let go and move on?
http://www.beer.com/news/bee/bee/2001/01/06/978724553622.html
1.6.2001 beer.com
The new year has come, and lots of dingbats are encouraging you to take this
time to better yourself.
What a load of rubbish!
Do you really need to eat more vegatables or cut back on the pork rinds? Of
course not. What you need to do is drink more beer. Preferably in another
country. Luckily, we at beer.com have heard your cry. As have the pubs of
England.
So, to get in the mood, you can enjoy an overview of English pub life.
Once your taste buds have been properly warmed, then you can dive right into
beer.com's English pub crawl.
English beer can be addictive. Don't say we didn't warn you!
http://www.beer.com/news/bee/bee/2000/08/01/965164096979.html
Back in the pub life, again
by JON WORLEY beer.com 08.01.01
There are two types of vacations. The first involves dashing from place to
place, trying to "do" as many things as possible. The second involves not much
more than trying to do as little as possible. I prefer the second.
When my wife announced that it was about time I used my passport and traveled
outside the states, I said fine. As long as all I had to do was sit around and
drink beer. Barbara thought that was a grand idea.
I knew there was a reason I married her.
Very quickly we settled on England, which has more places to drink beer per
capita than any other country in the
world. Well, I have no idea if that is true or not, but it sounds good
anyway. What England does have is loads of
wonderful pubs and a culture that encourages a pint or two to soak away a hard
day.
We spent most of our time in the south of England, in Dorset and Devon. Watched
a little football (what we Amurrcans call soccer), did a little hiking and
drank a lot of beer. In fact, we found it difficult to hike more than a couple
miles without finding another place perfect for pounding a pint.
In our (well, mostly Barbara's) research before the trip, we noticed the words
"free house" on some of the pictures of pubs that we found on the web. I wasn't
sure if that meant no cover or something else entirely. What this really
means, of course, is that the pub isn't owned by a major brewery. And if
you're out in the countryside, a free house is quite likely to have a nice
selection of local real ale.
This isn't a given, though. The first free house we entered, in Lyme Regis, had
Greene King IPA and Bass on the hand pumps. Both, of course, are widely
available in southern England. Both were kinda stale. We were the only folks
who were drinking the real ale. Thought real ale might be something just for
tourists.
Then we settled in for the evening at the Nag's Head, where we had lodgings
for the night. A couple of guys were playing old American country and folk
music, and the hand pumps were turning out pint after pint of Sark's Lark, a
bitter brewed especially for the Nag's Head by the Quay Brewery in Plymouth.
The real deal, no doubt about it. The local patrons sucked this stuff down
quickly, so the casks were being drained at a good pace. We spent the rest of
the evening putting away a few more pints before walking (more or less)
upstairs to our room.
That's the beauty of staying at pubs in the English countryside. You can eat,
drink and sleep at the same place. Like a B&B(breakfast is served with
lodgings), but with beer. A B&B&B, if you will. One-stop shopping for the lazy
traveler. Perfect for a slob like me.
We did move from town to town every day (taking advantage of the superior
Imperial British public transportation system), but our pace was never hurried.
We would arrive in a town, find a room and hit the bar. Sometimes we might
even order dinner, though certainly beer is fine sustenance all in itself.
One thing to remember, particularly out in the countryside, pubs close from 3
to 6 (or 7) in the afternoons. In cities, it's easy to find places "open all
day," but the slower pace of country life gives publicans a chance for a
siesta.
But those three or four hours can be spent, um, acting like a tourist. You can
walk around the town, take in the scenery, write a few postcards. And if you're
not in the mood for any of that and you're staying in pub, the publican just
might draw you a pint during off-hours. Lodging does have its privileges, after
all.
Pubs are a great source of information. You can quickly gain a feel for the
town and the area by talking to the
bartender, publican or other patrons. This is certainly fostering a stereotype,
but I found the people in the small
towns friendlier and more fun to talk with than those in the cities. Visitors
from the States were a bit more of a novelty for them, and we had plenty of fun
chats about everything from Cuba to the weather to, well, beer. Also, if you're
traveling without destinations, you're likely to get good advice about great
pubs down the road.
There is one disadvantage to pub travel: By law, pubs have to close early (by
my standards, anyway). Usually, this means the doors close at 11. If a band is
really cookin' and the crowd is jumpin', well, the publican might pull the
shades and keep serving into the night. Illegal, sure, but this sort of
nefarious behavior is generally ignored by the local constable. Most of the
time, however, pubs do shut down at the proper closing time.
The early closing hours are likely to be repealed soon, however, as the United
Kingdom is outside of European Union laws and is being forced to come into
compliance. So, in the near future, pubs all over the U.K. will probably have
the option of staying open as late as they like. Andy Capp will never go home.
beer.com asks you to please drink responsibly.
http://news.excite.com/news/r/010105/11/odd-rapist-dc
Rapist, Inspired by Bible, Cuts Off Penis
January 5, 2001 SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A convicted Brazilian rapist sliced off
his own penis and flushed it down the toilet, saying the amputation would bring
him closer to God after he overcame the pain.
Prison guards said they found Flavio dos Santos Cruz, 23, screaming and
profusely bleeding in his jail cell early Thursday after he cut off his penis
with a shaving razor.
"He's alive. But since the penis was missing, he now will have to urinate
through a tube," said urologist Aerton Barbosa Neves, who operated on Santos
Cruz in the town of Andradina, about 410 miles from South America's biggest
city of Sao Paulo.
Santos Cruz said he was inspired by the Bible.
"It is written in Bible that if a part of your body distances you from
God, and makes you commit a sin, you should cut it off," he told local news
wire Agencia Estado.
Since Santos Cruz did not cut off his testicles, Neves said the rapist
could still ejaculate -- possibly while dreaming -- and even impregnate
someone, albeit only with medical assistance.
Prison officials could not immediately say how many people Santos Cruz
had raped and did not know the length of his jail sentence.
J2jurado
(The Observer, 1/7, Business p. 1)
London, Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Diageo Plc, the world's largest liquor company,
may make a 4 billion pound ($6 billion) bid for Foster's Brewing Group Ltd.,
Australia's biggest brewer, the Observer reported, without citing sources.
``We're not aware of any bid and therefore have no comment,'' said Graeme
Willersdorf, a Foster's spokesman.
Diageo's new chief executive, Paul Walsh, is interested in Foster's wine
operations after Diageo and Pernod Ricard SA paid $8.15 billion in cash for
Vivendi Universal SA's Seagram unit on Dec. 19, the paper reported.
The Seagram acquisition added Canadian and American whiskies such as VO and 7
Crown to Diageo's Johnnie Walker scotch. Seagram's Captain Morgan is a top 20
brand, with sales growing 19 percent in 1999, according to Impact Databank.
Diageo shares fell 0.6 percent to close at 666 pence in London on Friday.
Foster's shares were little changed at A$4.74 in Sydney.
Foster's says unaware of Diageo bid
SYDNEY, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Foster's Brewing Group Ltd declined to comment on
Sunday about reports that U.K.-based drinks giant Diageo Plc was planning a
four billion pound (US$6.01 billion) takeover of Australia's largest beer and
winemaker.
London's Observer newspaper reported Diageo was mulling the bid for Foster's to
bolster its global Guinness brewing arm.
"We're not aware of this and as such we're not making any comment," Foster's
spokesman Graeme Willersdorf told Reuters.
Foster's, Britain's number two beer brand with over one billion pounds in sales
and 8.2 percent of the market, is brewed under licence by Scottish and
Newcastle Plc.
The company also declined to comment on reports that acquisitive Diageo had
approached S&N unsuccessfully in mid-2000 about buying the Foster's brewing
licence.
Shares in Foster's closed flat at A$4.74 on Friday in a steady overall market,
close to their December 21 high at A$4.83. The stock has been rising since
early September when it bottomed at A$3.83.
Diageo was formed in December 1997 through a merger between Guinness and Grand
Metropolitan, which formed the world's largest spirits group, with over twice
the volumes of the next biggest company Allied Domecq.
Boosting its cellar just before Christmas, Diageo clinched a deal with France's
Pernod-Ricard to buy the Seagram's wines and spirits business for US$8.15
billion.
Interbrew Expected to Appeal UK Ruling on Bass, Paper Says
(Sunday Times, 1/7, p.2)
London, Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Interbrew NV is expected to appeal U.K. Trade and
Industry Secretary Stephen Byers' blockage of its 2.3 billion pound ($3.5
billion) purchase of Bass Plc's beer business, the Sunday Times reported,
without citing sources.
The Belgian brewer has spent several days considering its options, which
include selling the Bass unit whole or in pieces, the paper said. The brewer's
preference is to attempt to overturn the decision in the European courts, the
report said.
Regulators ruled Jan. 4 that Interbrew's purchase of the Bass unit gave the
maker of Stella Artois and Rolling Rock too much control over the British
market.
The company is expected to announce its intentions within 10 days, the paper
said. ``The ruling does not make sense,'' an unidentified spokesman for the
company told the paper. ``You will see soon enough what we decide.''
Labatt ends sponsorship of Expos
January 6 MONTREAL (AP) - Labatt Brewery ended its sponsorship of the <A
HREF="aol://1722:Expos">Montreal Expos</A> after 15 years, citing stalled plans
for a new stadium and the lack of a local television contract.
Louis Morin, president of Labatt Brewery in Quebec, said the company decided to
scale down its sponsorship of the struggling baseball club.
``It being impossible to obtain assurances from the Expos with regard to
certain major clauses, such as the construction of a new downtown stadium as
well as the conventional television contracts, the current contract is
obviously no longer pertinent,'' Louis Morin, president of Labatt Brewery in
Quebec, said Friday.
Labatt's sponsorship had been worth about $1.3 million a year.
Morin said the brewery informed Expos management it hoped to stay on with
``more limited sponsorships that will better match our criteria for marketing
and visibility.''
Jeffrey Loria, who took control of the Expos on Dec. 9, 1999, put plans to
build a new downtown ballpark on hold last summer. The stadium was to be called
Labatt Park. Loria also failed to negotiate deals for local television or
English radio broadcasts last season, leaving French radio with the only live
coverage of games in the local market.
``I respect, though thoroughly regret Labatts decision,'' Loria said. ``The
Expos now look forward to forging new complimentary partnerships with other
formidable leaders of Quebec industry.''
Heavitree Brewery Falls on Slower Sales, Less Rent Revenue
Exeter, England, Jan. 5 (Bloombeg)-- Heavitree Brewery Plc shares had their
biggest drop ever when the U.K. brewer and pub operator said pretax profit for
the year would be 20 percent lower than last year because of slower sales and
less revenue from leaseholders.
Heavitree shares dropped as much as 11 percent in trading of 2,000, five times
the three-month daily average. The stock fell 27.5 pence to 292.5p, making it
the worst-performer on the FT-SE Alternative Investment Market index. Earlier,
the stock touched 285p.
Heavitree owns 114 pubs, mainly in southwest England. The company's revenue
comes mainly from the rent it receives on the 103 pubs it leases. This past
year, the brewer had trouble finding tenants to occupy as many as 16 of these
pubs, and had to subsidize those where temporary renters were found. It also
said sales in the 11 pubs it manages languished during the summer months.
``It was difficult finding tenants,'' said Finance Director Graham Crocker in
an interview.
The company last year had a pretax profit of 2 million pounds ($3 million) for
the year ended Oct. 31. It expects to report full- year profit for 2000, before
tax, of 1.6 million pounds.
In July, Heavitree said it would give up management of four pubs and lease
them, resulting in sales falling 3 percent to 4.5 million in the six months
ended April 30.
Mexican Stocks Decline After 2-Day Gain as Femsa, Modelo Lead
Mexico City, Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican stocks fell for the first time in
three days, led by beverage maker Fomento Economico SA, on concerns profits
will shrink as U.S. and Mexican demand slows.
The bolsa index fell 83.99 points, or 1.4 percent, to 5964.35. The index has
gained 7.1 percent this week, spurred by an unexpected rate cut by the U.S.
Federal Reserve on Wednesday.
``Remember that the Fed announcement this week is telling the market that there
is a sense of urgency to get this economy going,'' said Orlando Castaneda, an
equity trader at Valores Finamex SA in New York. Castaneda said the lower
interest rates would take time to strengthen growth. ``The reality is that
first-quarter numbers and even maybe second-quarter numbers won't be that
good.''
U.S. Federal Reserve policy-makers cut the benchmark overnight bank lending
rate by a half-percentage point to 6 percent, taking action four weeks before a
scheduled meeting on rates. Also hurting Mexico was a report in the Reforma
newspaper today that the Mexican government may propose charging value-added
tax on stock exchange operations and the interest banks pay depositors,
according to Deputy Finance Secretary Ruben Aguirre.
``That will obviously be negative for Mexico if it does happen,'' Castaneda
said.
Shares of the following companies made significant moves. The stock symbol is
in parenthesis after the company's name.
Grupo Modelo SA (GMODELOC MM), Mexico's No. 1 beer maker, fell 0.8 percent to
23.5 pesos on concern a U.S. slowdown may hurt exports. It was the fourth
straight decline. Modelo produces the Corona beer, the top imported beer in the
U.S.
Fomento Economico SA (FEMSAUBD MM), Mexico's largest beverage company, fell 2.5
percent to 29.6 pesos. In December Femsa said fourth quarter operating profit
may drop between 8 percent and 10 percent from a year ago as a cold snap in
northern Mexico reduced beer sales.
Wal-Mart de Mexico SA (WALMEXV MM), Mexico's largest retailer, fell 1.8 percent
to 21.3 pesos on concerns consumer spending in Mexico is set to weaken.
Venezuela's Mavesa Near Agreement With Polar, Universal Says
Caracas, Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Mavesa SA, Venezuela's largest publicly traded
food processor, is close to an agreement with Empresas Polar SA for the sale of
some of its units, El Universal reported.
Mavesa, which produces mayonnaise, vinegar, margarine and cleaning products, is
expected to make an announcement as early as next week, said officials close to
the talks. As part of the sale, Mavesa's workforce is expected to be reduced.
The two sides have not decided on a final price. Empresas Polar is a holding
company that owns the country's No. 1 brewery.
Takeover speculation has propelled Mavesa shares 34.8 percent higher since Nov.
1, even though Chairman Jonathan Coles ruled out a sale of the company. Mavesa
shares closed unchanged yesterday at 67 bolivars ($0.10).
Russian cuisine, culture help Wakkanai promote economy
WAKKANAI, Japan, Jan. 6 (Kyodo) - Russian culture and cuisine are now the
hottest things in this northernmost Hokkaido city, with both locals and
visitors drinking Sakhalin beer and dancing to Russian folk songs.
They also enjoy eating borscht, a Russian beet soup, served either hot or cold,
usually with sour cream.
It is natural the city of Wakkanai has ties with Russia. More than 50,000
Russian fishermen call on the city each year and it is only about 70 kilometers
away from the southern tip of Sakhalin in eastern Russia.
Wakkanai also has official friendship relations with Korsakov and Nevelsk in
Sakhalin.
Wakkanai municipal government officials voice hope that Russian culture will
help develop the local economy and promote further ties with Russia.
In November, the Wakkanai municipal government opened the Wakkanai Sakhalin
exhibition center.
The center features live performances of a Russian music ensemble and Russian
folk handicrafts. It sells several kinds of Sakhalin beer and houses a Russian
restaurant.
The Wakkanai government subsidizes tourists' dinners at the restaurant and a
half-day bus tour of the city, officials said.
The 5,000-yen subsidy is extended only to tour participants using direct
flights between Tokyo and Wakkanai, the officials said.
A municipal government official said the Wakkanai government initially planned
to open the center only from Nov. 1 to March 31, but may consider opening it
again next winter.
Meanwhile, a group of local businesspeople is making and selling ''Wakkanai
pirogi'' filled with local potatoes and flavored with curry. They say tourists
quite enjoy it.
Pirogis, popular in Russia, are a small pastry turnover filled with meat,
cheese or potatoes.
Some Chinese noodle (ramen) shops in the city have developed ''Sakhalin
ramen,'' which feature three colors of noodles -- red, blue and white --
representing the Russian national flag, and boiled fish paste bearing the
images of Japanese and Russian flags.
Iran says arrested 313 for New Year debauchery
TEHRAN, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Iran said the tally of arrests from a crackdown on
drinking alcohol and debauchery at New Year's eve parties had topped 300.
The Iran newspaper quoting a judiciary statement, said on Sunday that 313
mentally defective people were arrested at two separate parties in the rich
suburbs of northern Tehran. Previous reports had put the number of those
detained at 262.
After an investigation and surveillance, police discovered "gangs organising
corruption and prostitution" and raided "houses of disrepute and arrested the
hosts who had fooled young, stupid and ignorant girls in order to spread
corruption," the newspaper said.
"Among the arrested were a number of foreign capitalists, two persons
affiliated to a foreign embassy in Tehran, two European whores and a number of
people with previous convictions for moral indecency," it said.
The Kuwaiti embassy in Tehran has repeatedly denied reports that one of its
diplomats was among those arrested. Bahrain has also denied reports that one of
its diplomats was arrested.
Drinking alcohol is forbidden for Muslims and men and women not from the same
family are not allowed to dance together.
"A large number of the girls were under 18 and their families have filed suit
against the hosts for luring their daughters into lascivious debauchery," the
judiciary statement said.
Despite the strict rules, Western-style parties in wealthy Tehran
neighbourhoods are a regular occurrence. In recent years they have rarely been
raided by police or Basij militia. If a court supports the charge of
debauchery, the penalty includes mandatory prison time and whipping.
Australian Grape Growers See Rich Crop, Winery Boon
Sydney, Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Australia's grape growers are set to produce some
of their best-ever fruit in what is shaping up as a record harvest this year,
good news for wine producers such as BRL Hardy Ltd. and Southcorp Ltd.
Warm, dry weather the past three months and careful pruning has produced some
of the best grapes the nation has seen, growers said. And that follows new
predictions by the government commodity forecaster Abare that the wine industry
will produce a record 1.3 million metric tons of grapes in 2001, up 14 percent
from last year.
``We might have hit the lotto -- good quantity and good quality at the same
time,'' said Chris Day, chief executive of Berren Asset Management Ltd., which
manages investments for the Australian Wine and Horticulture Fund Ltd.
With harvesting beginning as early as next week in some regions -- the bulk of
the harvest will be gathered over the next six months -- growers hope the rain
will stay away. Investors, meantime, are already enamored with wine exporters.
Southcorp, the No. 1 wine producer with flagship wines such as ``Penfolds
Grange Hermitage,'' has handed twice the returns of the benchmark stock index
the past four years. No. 3-ranked BRL has performed even better, returning
seven times as much as the stock index last year alone. Those gains may
continue, investors said.
``There is a favorable outlook for many wine stocks,'' said Daniel Sullivan,
who holds BRL stock in the A$2 billion ($1.14 billion) portfolio he manages at
Zurich Financial Services.
Great Grape Growing
Jim Caddy, chairman of cooperative CCW Ltd., which will supply about 120,000
metric tons of grapes to companies such as Reynella, South Australia-based BRL
this year, agrees the prospects for the 2001 vintage look solid.
``At this stage, the grapes look as good as we've ever seen,'' said Caddy on a
cell phone as he piloted his tractor through his vineyard northwest of
Adelaide. ``Last year, the rain really messed up grape quality, but this year
we're pretty confident of a good harvest.''
That may help Australia cement its position as the world's fastest-growing wine
exporter by volume. It shipped A$1.2 billion of wine in the 12 months ended
Aug. 31, according to the National Wine Centre, a government-funded marketing
agency, about 1.2 percent of the nation's annual exports. Australia accounts
for about 4.5 percent of global wine exports.
Export Sales Surge
Southcorp has boosted annual sales more than 10 percent the past four years.
BRL, the maker of brands such as ``Hardys,'' ``Banrock Station'' and ``Nottage
Hill,'' said its export sales surged nearly 40 percent in the two years to
1999.
``This is very exciting for wine companies'' that export their products, said
Day, who also has his own vineyard. ``Companies like Southcorp, Fosters Brewing
Group Ltd., BRL, and Cranswick will benefit.''
``A good vintage gives them material to continue growth in the next one to
three years,'' said Day who manages stock in every Australian publicly traded
wine company, including a 12.9 percent stake in BRL.
Good-quality grapes typically boost the vintage even for cheaper wines and that
can spur sales, he said.
To be sure, the prospects of a robust vintage probably won't help boost
earnings this year because there's typically a one-to- five year lag from the
vineyard to the supermarket shelf.
BRL Hardy's per-share earnings probably grew 8 percent last year, according to
the mean estimate of 11 analysts polled by IBES. That's just one third of the
previous year's profit and would be the first year in four the company's
per-share earnings rose less than 20 percent. Per-share earnings for 2001 are
forecast to rise 13 percent.
Southcorp's per-share earnings will probably slide about 6 percent this year,
according to IBES. Wine accounts for less than one third of Southcorp.'s annual
sales. It plans to sell its biggest business, packaging, to Visy Group.
The company also makes water heaters and Zurich's Sullivan said he sees
Southcorp as ``a little mixed at this stage'' until the sale is completed while
he views BRL, which makes only wine, ``very favorably.'' Southcorp said it
wants to sell assets that return less than 10 percent and expand its global
wine and its water heating businesses.
Southcorp stock fell 0.6 percent to A$4.99, its first drop in four days. BRL
was unchanged at A$8 and Foster's Brewing Group Ltd. fell 1.5 percent to
A$4.67.
Ripe for Picking
Pickers start harvesting grapes within a week in some regions of Australia,
with the bulk of harvesting to start in just a few weeks. If the weather
remains warm and fine, many grape growers say 2001 may be their best season
yet.
``Our last few vintages have been exceptional,'' said Sam Hayne, vineyard
manager in the Hunter Valley for closely held Rosemount Estates Ltd. based in
New South Wales state. ``This year is shaping up to be at least as good. The
weather has been pretty ideal and there has been very little disease
pressure.''
South Australia's Riverland district, where as much as 20 percent of the
nation's wine grapes are grown, also enjoyed three months of mostly warm dry
weather, CCW's Caddy said.
Last year's vintage was smaller than expected after a mild, wet winter hampered
grape establishment, known as set, and rainy weather before and during harvest
affected yields. The 1999 crop also suffered in some parts of Australia, after
late frosts damaged vines.
Wine producer Brian Lynn from Majella Wine in South Australia state said the
past two season's reduced yields may have delayed a glut for grapes, that many
in the industry fear is on its way.
``This could be the vintage that really tests whether we are heading for
above-adequate supply,'' said Lynn, based in the renowned red-wine region of
Coonawarra.
J2jurado
LONDON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Belgian beer giant Interbrew is considering breaking
up and selling the parts of the brewing business of Bass Plc <BASS.L> after a
British block on the deal, the Financial Times reported on Monday.
Interbrew, which paid 2.3 billion pounds ($3.46 billion) to buy the brewing arm
last August, said last Wednesday it was looking at all its options.
The FT said a break-up was among several possibilities if Interbrew decided not
to try to overturn by judicial review last week's block by Britain's Trade and
Industry Secretary Stephen Byers. Interbrew's decision could come later this
week.
Among assets which could be sold are the Tennents and Carling brands, Bass ale,
its export business and the small Czech brewer which makes Staropramen.
Potential bidders included private equity houses Hicks Muse Tate and Furst, CVC
and Texas Pacific as well as potential trade buyers Heineken <HEIN.AS> and
South African Breweries <SAB.L>, the FT said.
A prime consideration was whether to try to maximise price or ensure the assets
did not fall into the wrong rival's hands, said the newspaper, which did not
cite any sources.
Foster's Seen Attractive for Takeover After Diageo Bid Report
Melbourne, Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Foster's Brewing Group Ltd., which brews more
than half of Australia's beer, may be attractive for a takeover by a big
offshore rival after a report said Diageo Plc is considering a bid for the
company.
The U.K.'s Observer reported Sunday, without citing sources, that Diageo, the
world's largest liquor company, may bid 4 billion pounds ($6 billion) to add
Foster's global beer and wine brands to its own Guinness beer label.
Graeme Willersdorf, a Foster's spokesman, said the company is ``not aware of
any bid'' from Diageo. He declined further comment. Diageo executives couldn't
be immediately reached for comment. Foster's shares rose 14 cents, or 3
percent, to A$4.88 in early trading.
Industry experts said such a bid was possible. ``Logically it does make
sense,'' said Scott Marshall, an analyst with Shaw Stockbroking in Sydney.
``Foster's has an international brand which has a decent market share and
decent reputation and scope for growth.''
In the last three years, Foster's has been moving beyond its roots in the
beer-making business, and six months ago, it moved into the California wine
market.
Wine, Spirits, Consolidation
Though Foster's beer unit still generates almost 80 percent of earnings, the
Melbourne-based company has been investing in new businesses such as wine,
global wine selling clubs and hotels with gaming businesses.
In August, Foster's wine unit, Mildara Blass, agreed to buy Beringer Wine
Estates Holdings Inc. for A$2.6 billion ($1.5 billion) in cash and debt. The
acquisition is key to Foster's plans to double the contribution of wine to its
earnings to 40 percent in the next five years as beer sales in its home market
slow.
A year ago, Foster's bought Seagram Co.'s spirits business in Australia and New
Zealand for A$87 million.
The acquisitions come as the global liquor industry consolidates. Last month,
London-based Diageo joined with Pernod Ricard SA to buy Vivendi Universal SA's
Seagram drinks unit for $8.15 billion in cash.
``Foster's are already part of that global consolidation with the acquisition
of Beringer,'' said Glynn Meth, who helps manage about A$7.8 billion at
Rothschild Investment Management Ltd.
Shaw Stockbroking's Marshall said Australia's biggest liquor companies,
including Foster's, Southcorp Ltd. and BRL Hardy Ltd., will likely take part in
further consolidation of the industry, even as they move to expand themselves
via acquisitions.
Desperate to Merge
``Foster's, Southcorp and BRL are trying their best now so that they do have a
place in the final wash-up,'' said Marshall. ``(Still), it's unlikely they will
remain independent. With the rate at which consolidation is happening globally
at the moment, there is a sense of desperation in their acquisitions.''
In the year ended June 30, 2000, Foster's made a profit of A$427.8 million, or
24.8 cents per share, on sales of A$3.2 billion. Earning before interest and
tax from its beer unit rose 6 percent to A$391.2 million, while its wine unit
increased earnings 29 percent to A$154.3 million.
Mildara, which makes Wolf Blass and Yellowglen brand wines, was the main driver
of Foster's 16 percent rise in fiscal 2000 profit. The wine unit boosted sales
by 25 percent in the year to June 30 to more than A$700 million. Sales of beer
rose 2 percent to A$1.5 billion.
Foster's makes more than half of its profit from its Australian beer business,
where it competes with Lion Nathan Ltd. Still, its Foster's Lager beer brand is
the No. 6 global beer brand, with the beer available in about 150 countries.
To gain control of Fosters, Diageo would also have to buy licenses for the
brand in North America and Europe. Scottish & Newcastle Plc brews the beer in
the U.K., where it is the second- best selling brand, and in continental
Europe, where it is No. 6.
Diageo shares fell 0.6 percent to close at 666 pence in London on Friday.
Interbrew unlikely to win possible UK appeal
By Katie Nguyen
BRUSSELS, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Belgian beer giant Interbrew's chances of
overturning Britain's refusal to approve its purchase of the brewing business
of Bass Plc are slim to nonexistent, legal experts said on Thursday.
In a shock decision which ranks among Britain's toughest competition rulings,
the government said Interbrew's 2.3 billion pound ($3.44 billion) purchase of
Bass' beer business was against the public interest and that the Belgian brewer
must sell the business to an "approved" buyer.
Legal experts said historic precedent and the specifics of the Interbrew case
meant the chances of an appeal succeeding were remote.
"I don't rate the chance of success on any appeal," one British lawywer said.
Until now no one has succeeded in overturning a British minister's decision on
a merger. So far a judicial review has been sought on 11 deals, but has failed
in all cases.
Lawyers said any viable appeal would look either at whether the ruling was
"reasonable" or whether the remedy was proportionate to the perceived
anti-competitive merger.
Interbrew Chief Executive Officer Hugo Powell in a statement on Wednesday said
that the ruling "defies logic" and was "clearly disproportionate to the
competition issues at stake."
INTERBREW FACES TOUGH LEGAL ROAD
"If Interbrew is trying to overturn the Competition Commission, then it has to
either satisfy the court that they got the law wrong and shouldn't be looking
at the case -- and clearly, that's a non-starter -- or that (the ruling) was so
barmy nobody could have reached the conclusion they did," another London-based
competition lawyer said.
He noted Britain's competition watchdog had already examined a number of
possible remedies before reaching its final conclusion.
Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers said on Wednesday the Bass takeover
would have led to higher beer prices and an effective duopoly with Britain's
biggest brewer Scottish and Newcastle.
Interbrew shares on Thursday closed off 2.04 percent at 27.43 euros after
touching an all-time low of 26.50 euros. It has lost 16.7 percent from its
offer price of 33 euros since listing on December 1.
Coudert Brothers lawyer Alastair Gorrie said the best option for Interbrew
would be to argue for disproportionality, but even then the chance of success
was small.
He said the 2000 Human Rights Act, which works on the principle that remedies
should be appropriate to the problems perceived, could give Interbrew a glimmer
of hope.
"(An appeal based on disproportionality) certainly has a basis and it's quite
clear the Human Rights Act does apply to corporations as well as individuals,"
Gorrie said, noting that no company has used this particular argument in a
judicial review.
TOUGHER STANCE ON MONOPOLIES
Legal experts agreed the nature of the ruling reflected a toughening stance on
monopolistic practices.
"I think this was harsh in the sense that the market shares were not huge,
there are other international brewers around and the classic historical problem
has been the amount of vertical integration. But this transaction by definition
was splitting the brewing side from the pub side," the London-based lawyer
said.
But he noted the thrust of Byers' ruling was the fear of creating a duopoly,
saying it was unlikely that Interbrew and Scottish & Newscastle would enter a
price war at the risk of hurting margins.
"Neither of the two have a huge incentive to cut each other's throat."
Interbrew would have to file an appeal within two or three months, with a
review taking about four months to complete.
Asked if the company would appeal, spokesman Corneel Maes told Reuters: "I
can't tell you right now. It's part of (the process of) reviewing our options."
Competition experts said Interbrew faced a tough decision.
"They've got nothing to lose. If it means getting a remedy that is less
draconian, then it would be worth it," Gorrie said.
But the London-based lawyer said: "Interbrew has a dilemma that the longer this
goes on the more damaging to the underlying business. They have to weigh up the
prospect of overturning this decision and getting on with their business."
Interbrew has been criticised for closing the Bass deal without making it
conditional on regulatory approval.
If the deal had been approved, Interbrew, including the Whitbread beer business
it had bought for 400 million pounds before the Bass acquisition, would have
commanded a 32 percent share of the British share.
The Budweiser Clydesdales to Visit Seven Springs
CHAMPION, Pa., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven Springs Mountain Resort will have a
very special attraction at the resort on January 13 and 14, 2001.
Anheuser-Busch will present their world famous Clydesdales at the popular
Laurel Highlands facility. The eight-horse team will visit Seven Springs for
two days on their way to participate in the Inaugural Parade in Washington, DC.
It was in 1933, shortly after the repeal of Prohibition, when the Clydesdales
became a part of Anheuser-Busch. August A. Busch, Jr. decided to present a
hitch of the mighty horses to his father to commemorate the first bottle of
post-Prohibition beer brewed in St. Louis.
Mr. Busch told his father that he had bought a new car and asked him to step
outside and take a look at the new vehicle. But instead of a Model "T," Mr.
Busch's father gazed upon a Clydesdale hitch pulling a red, white and gold beer
wagon.
That was only the beginning. Realizing the advertising and promotional
potential of a horse-drawn beer wagon, Mr. Busch had the team sent by rail to
New York City, where it picked up two cases of Budweiser beer at New Jersey's
Newark Airport. The beer was later presented to Al Smith, former governor of
New York and an instrumental force in the repeal of Prohibition.
From there, the Clydesdales continued on a tour of New England and the Middle
Atlantic States. The hitch even delivered a case of beer to President Franklin
Delano Roosevelt at The White House.
During the initial years on the road, the Clydesdales were transported by
train. Now, the horses travel in style aboard custom-designed tractor
trailers. And their travels take them throughout North America and
occasionally overseas.
Guests can view the Clydesdale team on Saturday, January 13 and Sunday, January
14 at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. The eight-horse hitch and the classic
red, white and gold wagon will be on display from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 p.m. near
the resort's Main Lodge. Other appearances for this year include performances
at the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, and at major sporting events,
including Nascar races, as well as the Orange Bowl and Rose Parades to name a
few.
Concern Grows About kava's Influence
By JEAN CHRISTENSEN Jan. 8
HONOLULU (AP) - There are no waiters or waitresses at Hale Noa, a quiet cafe
just off the main drag of Waikiki where the South Pacific elixir kava is the
only brew served.
Owner Keoni Verity makes his patrons belly up to the bar for bowls of the
muddy-tasting drink. That way, he can see if they're still walking straight
after their third, fourth or fifth refill.
``If they sit at a table and order many drinks without ever getting up, they
sometimes don't realize how the 'awa' is affecting them,'' Verity said.
The herbal root known as ``awa'' to Hawaiians, and kava throughout much of the
South Pacific, is billed as a natural treatment for anxiety and insomnia.
But prosecutors on the mainland and in Hawaii are concerned kava may be too
relaxing for those who drive after drinking it.
Northern California saw two such cases last year.
Last month, a San Mateo County judge tossed out a DUI case involving a man
accused of drinking 23 cups of kava tea before climbing behind the wheel. Sione
Olive was pulled over after weaving onto a highway shoulder. A similar case
against a kava tea drinker from San Bruno ended in a mistrial earlier last year
after jurors decided that not enough was known about the tea's effects.
The cases are believed to be the only of their kind in California, and among
the first nationwide.
Tea made from powdered kava root has long been used in cultural and religious
ceremonies by immigrants from Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and other South Pacific
Islands, as well as by Hawaiians.
Now, with its reputation as a natural alternative to muscle relaxants and
anti-anxiety medicine, kava capsules, tablets and liquid are among the
top-selling herbal remedies in the United States.
Kava is not an illegal narcotic under Hawaii law and there is no identifiable
movement to ban the substance, according to Keith Kamita, administrator of the
state Narcotics Enforcement Division.
But with kava bars proliferating here and on the mainland, Kamita said law
enforcement officials are increasingly concerned about kava-influenced drivers.
``Kava does have a sedating effect, especially when taken in the raw form from
the root, and may cause a person to fall asleep while on the road or act as if
they are intoxicated similar to as if they are on liquor,'' Kamita said.
Verity, 31, who opened Honolulu's first kava bar in 1999, said the effects are
generally the same for his patrons. They include college students, tourists and
blue- and white-collar workers, many of them former South Pacific residents.
``Awa in general relaxes and soothes and creates a mild sense of euphoria and
expansion, and you can kind of see that in the way people slow down a little
bit both in their movement and their speech,'' he said. ``People just generally
get more mellow.''
The flavor is ``rather earthy,'' he said. ``Some describe it as being somewhat
bitter.''
Prices start at $3.50 a bowl. Sweeter varieties, made from wet rather than
dried grounds, cost more.
Hawaii law doesn't explicitly ban driving while under the influence of kava,
Honolulu Deputy Prosecutor David Sandler said. And Hawaii is not one of roughly
40 states that ban any substance impairing a person's ability to drive, he
said.
Bills that would add Hawaii to that list of states have died in the Legislature
in the past two years, Sandler said.
``If you abuse kava, it's the same thing as abusing alcohol,'' he said. ``The
difference is in Hawaii we can't prosecute it.''
Sandler said he didn't know of any specific cases of drivers getting into
trouble after drinking kava. But he said it's hard for police to gauge the
extent of the problem because kava is not among the substances authorities test
for when a driver is pulled over.
``There have been times where we've had negative test results and we've
wondered what the person was on,'' Sandler said.
Verity said the problem can be solved with public education and sound policies
for kava serving establishments. He said he does not serve anyone under age 20
and asks customers if they plan to drive.
``One of the first things we do is caution against driving,'' he said.
Chile to trim duties on imports of liquor
SANTIAGO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Chile's government said it submitted on Thursday a
bill that would reduce import duties on liquor to comply with a ruling by the
World Trade Organization.
The bill proposes a standard import duty of 27 percent, which is on top of an
18 percent sales tax, for pisco, whiskey and distilled liquors, beginning March
21, 2003, the finance ministry said in a statement.
Currently, an additional 47 percent duty is slapped on imports of whiskey.
Imports of Chilean pisco have an additional 27 percent, and other liquors have
33 percent.
The reduction will be gradual until 2003 and will not affect imports of beer
and wine, the ministry said.
Constellation Brands CEO on Seagram Liquor Brands: Comment
Fairport, New York, Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Constellation Brands Inc. Chief
Executive Officer Richard Sands comments on fiscal third-quarter results and
the Federal Reserve's surprise decision to lower the overnight bank lending
rate 50 basis points to 6 percent. Sands also comments on Diageo Plc and Pernod
Ricard SA agreement to buy Vivendi Universal SA's Seagram drinks unit for $8.15
billion.
On competing with Diageo and Pernod:
``We've been focused on improving the profitability of our business. We have
been continuing to drive sales growth above the rest of the industry. On global
basis, the alcohol industry is up 1 to 2 percent. We believe that we are
growing at 6 to 8 percent growth. We are extremely focused on growing our
existing company and brands. We believe the spirits industry is a rapidly
consolidating business and will create many acquisition possibilities.''
``Diageo has been the No. 1 spirits and wines company in the world. We do not
feel the addition of the brands (Seagram's drinks) will increase their
competitive position or competitive landscape for us. We are closer to our
consumers and closer to our distribution channels on a market to market
basis.''
The Seagram's purchase ``gives Pernod a bigger market share.'' Before the
purchase, ``it had no presence in the U.S.''
On possibly buying some of Seagram's smaller brands that Diageo and Pernod
might sell:
``It is a little too early to talk about that. We prefer not to comment.''
On Fed rate cut:
``Our company benefits from a growing economy. If the consumer feels buoyed by
rate cuts, that does good for our business. Our business isn't fully cyclical.
We are talking about shades of improvement.''
Lion Nathan's Cairns to Step Down in Three Years, Paper Says
(The Dominion, 1/5, P.13.)
Wellington, Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Lion Nathan Ltd., Australia's No.2 brewer,
may be looking for a new chief executive in three years, the Dominion newspaper
reported.
The newspaper said Gordon Cairns plans to retire in three years so he can spend
more time in his Scottish homeland with his family. Dominion cited an interview
with Cairns published on an unidentified liquor industry website.
Cairns, who joined Lion in March 1995, became chief executive in 1997.
Since then the company has shifted its head office from New Zealand to
Australia, bought a controlling stake in Montana Group New Zealand Ltd., the
nation's largest winemaker, and moved aggressively into the Australian state of
Victoria, the home market of competitor Foster's Brewing Group Ltd.
Japanese Woman Saves Choking Dad With Vacuum Hose, Paper Says
Sapporo, Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- A woman saved her 70-year-old father from
choking to death on a sticky rice cake by using a vacuum cleaner last Tuesday,
the Daily Yomiuri reported, citing fire department officials in Hokkaido,
northern Japan.
As the man's face turned purple in a struggle against suffocation, his eldest
daughter put the vacuum hose in his mouth and turned the machine up to full
power, dislodging the blockage enough to enable her to remove it with her
fingers before the ambulance arrived, the paper said.
The woman, whose name was withheld, formerly worked as a nursing-care helper
for the elderly and had heard that a vacuum cleaner could be used to clear the
throat of ``mochi,'' a traditional food served around New Year's in Japan. The
Japanese vaccum cleaner manufacturer Sanyo issued a press release that it will
start advertising the emergency medical utility of their vacuum cleaners.
By 2025, health care for people aged 65 or more is expected to account for a
quarter of health insurance payments in Japan and 18 percent in the U.S.
Joel Plutchak
[From http://www.beer.com/news/bee/bee/2001/01/03/978472922332.html]
>Beer lovers in America have an extremely rare opportunity to sample two
>authentic English seasonals this month as a handful of better beer bars around
>the country serve cask-conditioned Christmas ales from two British breweries,
>George Gale & Co. and Wye Valley. (See the list below for locations serving one
>or both of these beers this month.)
>Illinois
>The Map Room - Chicago
>Sheffield's - Chicago
>Skokie Holiday Inn
OK, the Map Room and Sheffield's have the stuff. But a friggin'
Holiday Inn in Skokie?! That's be about the last place I'd expect
to find anything more exotic than Heineken on tap. Any Chicago-area
readers know what the story is about that place?
--
Joel Plutchak "Alcohol is not a magic potion. It doesn't make you look
plutchak@[...] good, appear cool, or feel courageous. It simply robs you
of your mind." - Neoprohibitionism from MADD
J2jurado
TOKYO, Jan. 9 (Kyodo) - Suntory Ltd., a leading comprehensive alcoholic
beverage producer, on Tuesday pledged to bring its beer production division
into profitability in 2001 for the first time in nearly four decades.
''We can bring the beer division into the black in 2001,'' Suntory director
Hirofumi Maruyama said in announcing this year's marketing plan at a news
conference. The company's beer division was founded in 1963.
Sales figures suggest that Suntory's share of the beer and ''happoshu''
sparkling malt liquor market in 2000 came to around 10.4%, eclipsing the 10%
line for the first time ever, the company said.
Happoshu brews are similar in taste to conventional beer. However, they are
typically cheaper than regular beer because their low-malt content puts them
under a lower tax regime.
On a quantitative basis, Suntory sold the equivalent of 57.31 million cases of
beer and happoshu last year. One case comprises 20 bottles of beer with each
bottle containing 633 milliliters.
Suntory's marketing program for 2001 aims to bolster sales by 6% to 61 million
cases.
Suntory traced the company's growing share in 2000 to the success of its
''Magnum Dry'' happoshu. The company plans to make happoshu sales account for
35.3 million cases, more than half of the combined 2001 sales goal.
Happoshu sales account for roughly one-fourth of Japan's beer market.
CCU's Credit Quality Enhanced by A-B's Stake in Company
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 2001--The decision by Anheuser-Busch (A-B) to
purchase 14 percent of the outstanding shares of Compania Cervecerias Unidas
S.A. (CCU) for $224 million bodes well for CCU's long-term credit profile
according to Joe Bormann, an analyst at Fitch. `CCU has maintained a very
strong credit profile for the past decade.
Within the past few years, the beer industry has become more global in nature.
Large brewers such as Interbrew, South African Breweries, Heineken, Moosehead,
Carlsberg and A-B have expanded their international reach through acquisitions,
joint ventures and licensing agreements. The recent merger of Brazil's two
largest brewers Brahma and Antarctica into AmBev has also created a beverage
company of international scale within the region. `In the near- to medium-term,
these events do not pose a threat to CCU,' Bormann added. `The barriers to
entry that exist in the Chilean beer industry are high and make it unlikely
that an international competitor would enter the market and build a greenfield
plant. This formula was tried in the past without success.'
Due to the beer consumption patterns of Chileans and the relatively low
penetration of supermarkets in the country,' Bormann noted, `it is necessary
for brewers in Chile to have an elaborate distribution system that reaches the
`mom-and-pop' corner stores.' The system that CCU operates in the country is
unrivaled. It would be extremely expensive for an international competitor to
try to replicate CCU's system.
In addition, if another company wanted to spend a huge sum of money on a
distribution system, its success in the market would not be certain. The second
major barrier to entry that exists is the strong brand equity of the company's
beer products.'
During 2000, the company had a market share of 89 percent, led by its flagship
brand Cristal that alone enjoyed a market share of approximately 65 percent.
The last major barrier to entry that exists is the low price that Chileans pay
for beer.
In Chile, almost all beer is consumed in returnable glass bottles. This helps
CCU keep beer prices very low and makes imported beer extremely expensive,'
said Bormann. `At this time, most Chilean beer drinkers are not wealthy enough
to purchase expensive beer.' Over the next decade these barriers are expected
to decline. As consumers in the region get wealthier, they will become
increasingly willing to purchase premium brands such as Budweiser and Heineken.
It is important for CCU to have a strong relationship with one of these brewers
at that time. Although CCU has enjoyed a strong relationship with A-B since
1995, especially in Argentina, this recent investment in CCU by A-B solidifies
that relationship.
CCU is the leading brewer in Chile, the second largest soft drink bottler in
Chile, the second-largest wine exporter in Chile and the third-largest brewer
in Argentina.
Wetherspoon's Christmas Sales Rise 10% on Low Prices
Watford, England, Jan. 9 (Bloomberg)- J.D. Wetherspoon Plc said Christmas sales
at outlets open more than a year jumped 10 percent as the U.K. pub operator's
cut-price beers attracted more drinkers. The shares rose as much as 6.2
percent.
Total sales in the five weeks to Dec. 31 rose 31 percent to 49.7 million pounds
($73 million). In the first 22 weeks of the fiscal year, total revenue
increased 31 percent to 194.1 million pounds as same-outlet sales advanced 7
percent.
The company is known for low-priced drinks and food and for its no-music
policy. Wetherspoon added 38 bars in the second half of last year as larger
rivals such as Bass Plc and Whitbread Plc sold pubs to focus on hotels and
restaurants.
``Like-for-like growth was very much at the top end of the sector,'' said Ian
Berry, an analyst at Beeson Gregory Plc with a ``hold'' rating on the stock.
``The Christmas trading period has been very good for most pub retailers,''
The shares rose as much as 21.5 pence to 368.5p. They've fallen 13 percent in
12 months, compared with a 16 percent decline in the FT-SE All-Share Leisure,
Entertainment & Hotels Index.
The Watford, southern England-based company intends to invest 140 million
pounds this year, opening 110 new outlets and creating 3,000 jobs, Chairman Tim
Martin said in a telephone interview.
``We've been rocking and rolling for some time now and that will continue,''
Martin said. ``We saw incredible sales the week Christmas, by far our biggest
ever.''
In the next ``six to seven years,'' Wetherspoon will convert disused buildings
such as banks, automobile showrooms and a public toilet, to open another 1,000
bars with all-day menus and no- smoking sections, Martin said.
Wetherspoon's December Sales Increase 30% on New Pub Openings
Watford, England, Jan. 9 (Bloomberg) -- J.D. Wetherspoon Plc, a U.K. pub
operator known for its cut-price beer and ban on music, said sales in December
rose 30 percent after it opened new outlets last year.
Total sales rose to 49.7 million pounds ($74.4 million) in the five weeks to
Dec. 31, the company said in a faxed statement. Sales at sites open more than a
year rose 10 percent. In the 22 weeks to Dec. 31, total sales increased 31
percent to 194.1 million pounds, while sales from outlets open more than a year
gained 7 percent.
Wetherspoon opened 38 new venues around Britain last year, bringing the total
owned to 466. The company expanded as larger rivals such as Bass Plc and
Whitbread Plc sold pubs to focus on faster-growing hotels and restaurants.
The Watford, England-based company intends to invest 140 million pounds this
year, opening 110 new outlets and creating 3,000 jobs along the way, the
company said on its Web site.
UK pubs, clubs see Xmas cheer but bubbly goes flat
By David Jones
LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - British pubs group JD Wetherspoon and nightclub
operator Luminar celebrated on Tuesday by reporting strong trading over
Christmas, but wine retailer Majestic suffered a millennium hangover.
Some of the first updates from British leisure groups over the Christmas and
New Year holiday indicated busy festive trading in many UK pubs and nightclubs
but Majestic suffered after the previous year's champagne-led millennium
celebrations.
The fast-growing 466-strong Wetherspoon pubs group reported that key
like-for-like sales in the five weeks to December 31 rose 10 percent, and a
seven percent rise in the first 22 weeks of its current financial year to the
end of December.
Luminar, although gaining largely from its acquisition of the Northern Leisure
group last July, said its December overall turnover rose 260 percent at its
string of nightclubs and restaurants, which include Chicago Rock Cafes.
Analysts said Luminar had unveiled particularly buoyant trading figures over
the festive period, while Wetherspoon continued to outperform the UK pubs
industry with its cut-price beer and all day food offering.
Wetherspoon was up 6.2 percent, or 21-1/2 pence, at 368-1/2p, Luminar shares
rose 1.5 percent, or 11 pence, to 757-1/2p, while Majestic was off nearly ten
percent, or 22-1/2p, at 215p at 0945 GMT.
Wetherspoon shook off the effects of autumn flooding and transport disruptions
in Britain, reporting bumper December figures as the group reported its best
ever trading week in the seven days leading up to Christmas Eve.
Luminar said it had seen "highly satisfactory" trading over the Christmas
period, and remained confident of delivering significant growth for the current
financial year.
It saw growth in all the main parts of its business. Chicago Rock Cafe's
like-for-like sales rose 5.2 percent in the 44 week period to January 1, while
Luminar Dancing estate saw sales 7.6 percent ahead. The Northern Leisure
Estate, saw a 6.7 percent rise in its like-for-like sales over the 25 weeks to
January 1.
Majestic said its like-for-like sales fell 2.7 percent in the nine weeks to
January 1, due to tough comparisons against last year's millennium celebration
period, due largely to a predicted decrease in champagne sales.
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Anheuser-Busch 2000 U.S. beer shipments up 2.7 pct
ST. LOUIS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Anheuser-Busch Inc.'s domestic beer shipments rose
2.7 percent in 2000 from a year earlier to a record 98.3 million barrels,
helped by sales of Budweiser and Bud Light, the U.S. beer subsidiary of
Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. said on Monday.
Wholesaler sales-to-retailers grew 2.5 percent for the full year 2000.
Fourth-quarter beer shipments by Anheuser-Busch to wholesalers grew 1.4
percent, while wholesaler sales-to-retailers in the fourth quarter grew 1
percent, the company said.
An extremely robust fourth-quarter in 1999 as customers stocked up for
millennium celebrations put a dent in sales growth figures for the fourth
quarter of 2000, the company said.
Shares of Anheuser-Busch were off 1/2 at $40-5/8 in early afternoon trade on
the New York Stock Exchange. The shares have traded in a range of $49-7/8 to
$27-5/16 in the last 52 weeks.
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Interbrew says Bass decision seen in few weeks
BRUSSELS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Belgian beer giant Interbrew said on Monday it
would be a few weeks before it makes a decision regarding Britain's refusal to
approve its acquisition of Bass Plc's brewing business.
In a shock ruling last week, the government said Interbrew's 2.3 billion pound
($3.45 billion) buy of Bass' beer division was against the public interest and
that Interbrew must sell the business to an approved buyer.
Interbrew has not yet said whether it would appeal the decision.
``We will determine the course of action as soon as we have analysed the
document from the UK and as soon as we have analysed our options,'' spokesman
Corneel Maes told Reuters. ``This probably will be a matter of weeks.''
`I'm telling you that there is no decision whatsoever which has been reached so
far,'' he said.
Interbrew shares rose 2.91 percent to 26.50 euros by 1219 GMT, after falling to
a low of 25.75 euros on January 5. They have shed 19.7 percent since listing
at an offer price of 33 euros.
According to one newspaper report, Interbrew is considering breaking up and
selling parts of Bass Brewing including the Tennents and Carling brands.
Interbrew declined comment on the report.
Competition lawyers have said the chance of a successful appeal against the UK
decision was slim to nonexistent.
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101080835000234447
Hair of Dead Pop Star Stolen
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - The hair of one of Hungary's most popular pop stars has
been stolen from the hospital where he died earlier this week, aHungarian paper
says.
Jimmy Zambo, 42, who was known by his fans as the "King," died Tuesday after
accidentally shooting himself in the head at home with a pistol.
Zambo's long hair was shaved off before an abortive brain operation in
hospital.
But the hair disappeared, the daily Blikk said, quoting hospital officials.
Zambo's fans have said they would pay large amounts of money for the star's
hair, the paper added Saturday.
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101080836000234450
Woman Who Bit Off Testicle Is Jailed
Monday, Jan. 8, 2001
LONDON (Reuters) - A British woman who bit off the testicle of her best
friend's husband's in a drunken fight was sentenced to six months in prison
Monday.
Judge Gerard Harkins said the injury inflicted was so serious that a non-jail
sentence could not be justified.
Carr, a mother-of-two, was celebrating with her husband the wedding of Neil
and Shelley Hutchinson at a flat in Tyneside, North East England, when a
drunken argument turned into a violent brawl.
Carr, who pleaded guilty to affray, stepped in to defend Shelley Hutchinson
after her newly-wed husband attacked her. Neil Hutchinson then pinned Carr to
the floor at which point she bit through his jeans and testicle.
Carr's lawyer told the court his client acted in self-defense and did not know
which part of Hutchison's body she was biting.
Police called to the scene found the testicle, which could not be reattached,
under a picture frame on the sitting room floor.
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Indoor Ski Runs Offer Alpine High in Grimy Industrial Belt
Germany: New winter sports centers are expected to provide millions of busy
workers a cheap escape.
CAROL J. WILLIAMS 01/08/01
About the only hills in this grimy industrial city are the slag heaps left
behind by decades of coal mining and the weed-choked refuse piles built up by
the blue-collar masses since the Industrial Revolution.
But Bottrop and another city 25 miles to the southwest, Neuss, have suddenly
become hot venues for skiing and snowboarding, even without the uplifting
scenery of the faraway Alps or the invigorating mountain air and sunshine.
The indoor winter sports centers that have simultaneously risen from the ruins
of Germany's most populated and polluted territory, the Ruhr River valley, may
lack the inspiring atmosphere of an Alpine ski resort. But the new facilities,
which are expected to draw 2 million visitors a year, offer an escape to the
slopes without the expense or hassle of travel.
Germans are among Europe's most avid skiers. More than 20 million people live
within an hour's drive of this blighted northern plain, many with the means and
motivation to perfect their winter-sports prowess if only there were snow and
slopes closer at hand.
So, in this frenzied era of timesaving economies and lifestyle compromises, the
promoters of indoor skiing are hoping artificial snow on computer-engineered
slopes in a climate-controlled steel cavern will provide the quick R&R that
busy workers want.
"Of course, you can't compare it to the Alps. The run is way too short and the
atmosphere is too sterile. But it's a great alternative for practicing my
favorite sport when there's no snow around," said Peter Matussek, a 28-year-old
lawyer from Cologne testing the crowded Neuss facilities on opening day
Thursday.
Bottrop's run is more than 1,800 feet long, compared with nearly 1,000 feet at
Neuss, and it has propelled Germany to the top of the international indoor ski
sites, overtaking the approximately 1,500-foot run near Tokyo, until now the
world's longest indoor piste.
A Recognition of Consumer Demand
The German recreational projects, which were developed independently and came
to fruition within days of each other more by coincidence than design, reflect
a new strain of entrepreneurial spirit in this country--the recognition of a
consumer demand and investors' willingness to shake off complacency to fill
it.
"I'm a businessman as well as a sportsman, and I see a lot of people in this
area who would love to go skiing after work or on weekends, but there are no
mountains around," said Marc Girardelli, the Austrian-born World Cup downhill
star who is one of the backers of Bottrop's Alpincenter. While Alpincenter and
the Allrounder facility in Neuss appeal to frustrated flatlanders who can
manage a real Alpine getaway only once or twice a year, Girardelli says the
developers expect most customers to be beginners and families who cannot afford
weeklong winter holidays costing at least $1,000 per person for flights,
hotels, meals and lift tickets.
"You can ski for an hour here for about what you'd pay to go to the cinema,"
Girardelli said. The athlete has invested money and reputation to bring his
sport tothe Ruhr region, home now to as many media and technology executives as
laborers with hard hats and calloused hands.
Both ski and snowboarding caverns have automated pricing systems so that
visitors can take frequent breaks to the beer bars and restaurants without
having to pay for lift time--a system that also encourages nonskiers to
accompany family and friends and watch from a warm and cozy remove. There are
clothing and equipment shops, ski services, fitness rooms and day-care
centers.
Five smaller indoor runs are already in operation in the nearby Netherlands,
with another three in Belgium and two in Britain. Although Germany's first
indoor winter sports ventures have come on line nearly simultaneously,
investors insist that the market is so large here and has been so long ignored
that neither center has to fear sharing the wealth.
"This is the most densely populated part of Europe where people have both a
tradition of skiing and the money to indulge in it," said Allrounder business
director Johannes Janz of the region surrounding his $33-million sports center.
"There's enough business for both of us, and offering people a choice can
actually create a bigger market."
Only about 40 minutes apart in the congested Ruhr valley, the two facilities
have virtually identical offerings in services and operating hours, with both
promising 9 a.m.-to-midnight access 365 days a year. The per-hour prices are
also similar, with the $48-million Bottrop facility charging slightly more by
virtue of its longer run.
Depending on the time of day, indoor skiing costs between $7 and $10 per hour
at the centers, where everything from skis to stocking caps can be rented.
Income Expected From Food and Drink
With only one run per facility and even an intermediate skier able to finish
the Neuss piste in about 30 seconds, marketers predict that the average visitor
will spend just a little more than one hour on the slopes and that a third of
the facilities' income will come from sales of food and drink. The first
customers tended to confirm that.
"It's so short, you can only do it about 10 times before you get bored,"
said16-year-old Alexander Schiffer, spending one of the last days of Germany's
extended holiday break at Neuss. "But we'll probably come at least once a month
to stay in shape."
In keeping with the Ruhr region's quest to rescue ruined industrial land for
new uses, the Alpincenter is built on a pile of coal mine tailings and the
Neuss complex sits atop an abandoned landfill. Neither landscape could have
been
considered attractive before, and the new facilities have done nothing to
improve the view outside. Both ski centers appear from nearby highways to be
monstrosities of steel girders atop muddy mountains. Developers have said
gardens and walkways will be added within a year.
"There were a lot of protests in the beginning, but now that it's done, people
tend to accept it," said Helga Moss, a 68-year-old retiree and recent widow
who has been skiing for more than 40 years and lives only a mile from the
Allrounder. "It actually makes a lot of sense, economically. It may not be
beautiful, but people can get to it easily and keep up their skills between
vacations."
Whether the businesses will attract enough patrons in the summer, when swimming
and sailing are more traditional pursuits in this region, remains to be seen,
the developers concede. But enthusiasts such as 18-year-old Aachen student
Christian Hrycyka insist that they will be even keener to escape to a cool
place in the off-season.
The German developers are confident that their ski centers will operate in the
black from the outset and say their financial backers are considering similar
operations in other heavily populated cities.
"This project is making it possible for people to know the beauty of skiing
year-round, just as they can play tennis or squash no matter what the weather
is like," Girardelli said. "Maybe it's not the Alps, but for people in this
region, coming inside here is like getting out in the fresh air."