UK drinks body bans ``alcohol energises'' claims

LONDON, July 5 (Reuters) - Britain's brewers and distillers were told on
Wednesday to stop claiming on their packaging that their products boost mental
or physical performance.

The call came from the Portman Group, a body funded by Allied Domecq Plc,
Diageo Plc and other big drinks firms, which aims to encourage responsible
marketing of alcoholic drinks through self regulation.

It said in a statement that alcoholic drinks should no longer be described as
``energising'' or ``stimulating.''

The change closes a loophole in packaging rules and brings them into line with
more stringent advertising regulations to ensure responsible marketing of
alcoholic drink.

``It's clearly not sensible to put on a package what they can't put in an
advertisement,'' a Portman spokesman said.

Medically, alcohol is a depressant, although it reduces the inhibitions of
those who use it.

The Portman Group introduced a Code of Practice in 1996 amid growing public
concern that a wave of new fizzy sweet alcoholic drinks dubbed ``alcopops''
were aimed at under-age drinkers. It is illegal for people under 18 to buy
alcohol in Britain.

Portman Director Jean Coussins said the group had already upheld a complaint
against an alcoholic jelly called ``Bad Jelly'' under the new rule which
creates a forum for the public to speak out against irresponsible alcoholic
drink packaging.

``The Independent Complaints Panel found it (Bad Jelly) breached the code
because it would have more appeal to under-18s than to adults and because the
package design does not make it clear that it's an alcoholic drink,'' she said
in the statement.

London-based Haggards Brewery, makers of ``Bad Jelly,'' had since agreed to
amend the product's packaging to comply with the code, she said.

Bass & Whitbread Are No More But Cheers to the Belgains!

LONDON, July 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Andrew Jefford, Glenfiddich Drinks Writer of the
Year, in his latest column for just-drinks.com, laments the demise of British
brewing after Belgian giant Interbrew snapped up both Whitbread and Bass
Brewers.

"The invective heaped on Whitbread and Bass by consumer groups like CAMRA (the
Campaign for Real Ale) has been proved correct in every detail.  In the end,
profit was all that mattered.  Brewing was the grandmother of both brewers, and
they've just sold her.  Without a tear."

Will the UK's heritage in the beer market be lost?  Jefford thinks not.

"Yes, that's right, it's the Belgians who have just acquired Whitbread's
granny, and who are in the process of liberating Old Mother Bass.  If it had
been Anheuser-Busch, I would already have shot myself.  If it had been SAB or
Fosters or even Heineken, I'd be fingering the revolver.  But Interbrew ... the
Belgians understand beer.  They even like it!  They even like it when it
doesn't taste boring!"

To read the Jefford column, visit http://just
drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=197 .

just-drinks is the premier online portal for beverage industry professionals
worldwide.  Targeted specifically at industry and business professionals the
site provides a single point of reference for independent beverage industry
information.

AmBev and Groupe Danone Sign a Stock Option Purchase Agreement Of an Uruguayan
Company

Salus is the Uruguayan Water Market Leader and the Second Brewery in the
Country

 SAO PAULO, July 4 /PRNewswire/ -- AmBev -- American Beverage Company, through
its subsidiary Companhia Cervejaria Brahma, and Groupe Danone have signed a
stock option purchase agreement, representing the majority of the Compania
Salus common shares, the second largest brewery in Uruguay and the leader in
the local mineral water market.

Salus produces the Patricia brand and has a 24% market share in Uruguay. In the
country's capital, Montevideo, Patricia is the leader with a 36.5% market
share.  In the Uruguayan mineral water market, Salus has a 42% share -- 62.2%
in the capital.  In the beer market, the company faces the competition of
Fabrica Nacional de Cerveja (51%) and of Cervejaria e Maltaria Paysandu (22%).

Salus, one of the most traditional Uruguayan companies, had net sales of US$30
million in 1999.  It produced 190 thousand hectoliters of beer and 850 thousand
hectoliters of mineral water during that year.  The company has 2 industrial
plants -- one for mineral water bottling and another one for beer and soft
drinks -- both located in Serra de Minas, 110 kilometers away from Montevideo.
It employs 430 people and has 36 exclusive outsourced distributors.

Should this option be performed it will be the first AmBev's acquisition after
the merger between Antarctica and Brahma was approved on March 30th. This
acquisition will also be the reinforcement of AmBev's multinational vocation,
whose international expansion will be primarily focussed on the Latin American
market.  The company already operates in this region with Compania Cervecera
Nacional, in Venezuela, and the Compania Cervecera Brahma Argentina, whose
operations have both started up in 1994.  The company holds a 10% and 14%
market shares in Venezuela and Angentina, respectively.

In this association, AmBev and Groupe Danone expect to capitalize on gains due
to synergies obtained from each company capabilities.  AmBev and Danone already
have a product distribution partnership in Argentina.  According to AmBev, the
partnership is strategic due to the French company expertise in the global
mineral water market, where it detains the second largest share.  The interest
of both companies for Salus is explained by the Patricia brand strong
penetration and to the clear leadership in the local mineral water market.

The Uruguayan beverage market sizes 5 million hectoliters, which represents a
consumption rate of 146 liters/inhabitant/year.  The consumption rate is 140
liters/inhabitant/year in Brazil.  The largest markets by volume are the
mineral water (31.4%) and the soft drinks (also 31.4%) ones.  In the soft
drinks segment Salus has products made of grapefruit and orange.  Wine
represents 21% of the consumption while beer represents 16.3%.  The market
shares by volume in Brazil are 54.2% for soft drinks, 39.4 for beer, 5.3 for
water and 1% for wine.

For additional information please contact AmBev Investor Relations: Milton
Cabral Filho, (5511) 3741-7560, acmi...@ambev.com.br or Vanessa Barion, (5511)
3741-7553, acba...@ambev.com.br

S&Nshares slump as pubs struggle

By David Jones
 
LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) - Shares in British brewing and pubs group Scottish
and Newcastle Plc turn flat on Tuesday as annual profits disappointed and its
core pubs struggled to make headway as the company absorbed nearly 800
Greenalls' houses.

The Kronenbourg and John Smith's brewer also warned a fire at one of its Center
Parcs sites will delay the division's sale. Its Dutch De Eemhof holiday village
has closed for rebuilding and Chief Executive Brian Stewart said the sale of
the 13-site unit will be delayed by a few weeks until later this summer.

The flat pub performance, headline profits at the bottom end of analysts'
forecasts and the delayed Center Parcs sale all pressured the share into being
the FTSE 100's biggest loser, ending down 7.4 percent, or 39 pence, at 489p.

The shares have underperformed the FTSE 100 index by 20 percent over the last
12 months and by other brewers by just over five percent, as the sector has
slipped out of favour and the company struggled for growth in a mature
industry.

Its core managed pubs, which include Chef & Brewer, Rat & Parrot and Bar 38
chains, showed flat annual profits, with like-for-like sales off three percent,
but Stewart added most of its smaller poorly-performing pubs had now been sold.

``We sold most of our smaller managed houses in March and April which caused
the problem, and we are now seeing an improving trend in like-for-like sales,''
Stewart said.

Analysts said the company was absorbing nearly 800 old Greenalls pubs bought
last December, and clearly trading had suffered as it weeded out 800 of its
smaller houses for sale.

``Investors are looking at like-for-like sales and margins at its pubs, but
stripping out those 800 pubs the picture was probably flat,'' said analyst
Philip Hawkins at Merrill Lynch.

SIX PERCENT PROFITS RISE

The group which brews 28 percent of Britain's beer, with licensed brews
Foster's and Miller Pilsner, as well as John Smith's and Kronenbourg, said
pre-tax profits rose six percent for the 52 weeks to April 30 rose to 415
million pounds ($627.4 million) on turnover up eight percent at 3.6 billion
pounds.

The results came before six million pounds for a profit share scheme which cut
the headline figure to 409 million.

Analysts pointed out that in the short term there was much change going on at
the group, but it had addressed key strategic issues by buying Kronenbourg and
the Greenalls pubs, and putting its Center Parcs and Pontin's units up for
sale.

``S&N's long-term focus is on international brewing, so its lowly share rating
reflects history rather than the future,'' said analyst Nigel Popham at Teather
and Greenwood.

Stewart said its beer unit, Scottish Courage, outperformed a slight decline in
the UK beer market with volumes up one percent, while he added that the recent
entry of a committed brewer like Interbrew to the UK beer market would add
stability.

He said that Center Parcs has also traded well, and that a small group of trade
and financial buyers were conducting due diligence in the auction process, and
he expected to narrow potential buyers down to one or two next week. Its
Pontin's sites would be sold by the end of 2000, in a sale of the whole leisure
unit, which analysts see raising 700-800 million pounds.

The group, which agreed in March to buy the Kronenbourg beer business over
three years for 1.7 billion pounds from Danone, was toppled from its leading
spot in UK brewing as Belgium private brewer Interbrew bought the UK beer
businesses of Whitbread and Bass in May and June, giving it a UK market share
of 32 percent against S&N's 28.

Scottish bought Greenalls' managed pubs for 1.17 billion pounds last December
giving it almost 2,700 pubs, before putting its leisure division up for sale in
late February.

It announced a final dividend up seven percent at 17.94p per share, making a
year payout also up seven percent at 27.07p.

It's Coffee vs. Beer in Seattle

.c The Associated Press

 SEATTLE (AP) - The glowing red R atop the Rainier Brewery - a Seattle landmark
for half a century - gave way Monday to a big green T, for Tully's Coffee,
reflecting the coffee boom in the Northwest.

Tully's, the nation's third-largest specialty coffee company, moved into the
Rainier building in October, after the beer brand was sold to Miller Brewing.
The building houses Tully's headquarters and packaging plant. Coffee-roasting
operations will move there later this year.

The green T is about the same size as the red R, or 12 feet tall and about 11
feet wide.

When the R was first installed about 50 years ago, the letter rotated. After
Interstate 5 was built, officials stopped it because they feared the spinning R
might distract drivers.

Traffic reporters often used the R as a landmark to inform commuters of just
how snarled traffic is.

``I know Tully's is hoping that we will say Tully's more often,'' said Sara
Johnson, traffic reporter for Metro Networks. ``Maybe when the big green T goes
up it will force our hand, or our mouths.''

S&Nshares slump as pubs struggle

By David Jones

 
LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) - Shares in British brewing and pubs group Scottish
and Newcastle Plc turn flat on Tuesday as annual profits disappointed and its
core pubs struggled to make headway as the company absorbed nearly 800
Greenalls' houses.

The Kronenbourg and John Smith's brewer also warned a fire at one of its Center
Parcs sites will delay the division's sale. Its Dutch De Eemhof holiday village
has closed for rebuilding and Chief Executive Brian Stewart said the sale of
the 13-site unit will be delayed by a few weeks until later this summer.

The flat pub performance, headline profits at the bottom end of analysts'
forecasts and the delayed Center Parcs sale all pressured the share into being
the FTSE 100's biggest loser, ending down 7.4 percent, or 39 pence, at 489p.

The shares have underperformed the FTSE 100 index by 20 percent over the last
12 months and by other brewers by just over five percent, as the sector has
slipped out of favour and the company struggled for growth in a mature
industry.

Its core managed pubs, which include Chef & Brewer, Rat & Parrot and Bar 38
chains, showed flat annual profits, with like-for-like sales off three percent,
but Stewart added most of its smaller poorly-performing pubs had now been sold.

``We sold most of our smaller managed houses in March and April which caused
the problem, and we are now seeing an improving trend in like-for-like sales,''
Stewart said.

Analysts said the company was absorbing nearly 800 old Greenalls pubs bought
last December, and clearly trading had suffered as it weeded out 800 of its
smaller houses for sale.

``Investors are looking at like-for-like sales and margins at its pubs, but
stripping out those 800 pubs the picture was probably flat,'' said analyst
Philip Hawkins at Merrill Lynch.

SIX PERCENT PROFITS RISE

The group which brews 28 percent of Britain's beer, with licensed brews
Foster's and Miller Pilsner, as well as John Smith's and Kronenbourg, said
pre-tax profits rose six percent for the 52 weeks to April 30 rose to 415
million pounds ($627.4 million) on turnover up eight percent at 3.6 billion
pounds.

The results came before six million pounds for a profit share scheme which cut
the headline figure to 409 million.

Analysts pointed out that in the short term there was much change going on at
the group, but it had addressed key strategic issues by buying Kronenbourg and
the Greenalls pubs, and putting its Center Parcs and Pontin's units up for
sale.

``S&N's long-term focus is on international brewing, so its lowly share rating
reflects history rather than the future,'' said analyst Nigel Popham at Teather
and Greenwood.

Stewart said its beer unit, Scottish Courage, outperformed a slight decline in
the UK beer market with volumes up one percent, while he added that the recent
entry of a committed brewer like Interbrew to the UK beer market would add
stability.

He said that Center Parcs has also traded well, and that a small group of trade
and financial buyers were conducting due diligence in the auction process, and
he expected to narrow potential buyers down to one or two next week. Its
Pontin's sites would be sold by the end of 2000, in a sale of the whole leisure
unit, which analysts see raising 700-800 million pounds.

The group, which agreed in March to buy the Kronenbourg beer business over
three years for 1.7 billion pounds from Danone, was toppled from its leading
spot in UK brewing as Belgium private brewer Interbrew bought the UK beer
businesses of Whitbread and Bass in May and June, giving it a UK market share
of 32 percent against S&N's 28.

Scottish bought Greenalls' managed pubs for 1.17 billion pounds last December
giving it almost 2,700 pubs, before putting its leisure division up for sale in
late February.

It announced a final dividend up seven percent at 17.94p per share, making a
year payout also up seven percent at 27.07p.

Blair wants rowdy UK pubs closed by police-papers
 
LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - British police may be given the power to close pubs
for 24 hours and ban thuggish drinkers in the latest bid to curb
alcohol-fuelled violence, newspapers reported on Sunday.

The Labour government will float the plan on Monday when Prime Minister Tony
Blair meets police chiefs at his Downing Street office to discuss the rise in
violent crime.

``The government is determined to tackle yobbish behaviour and generally
unacceptable conduct,'' the Sunday Telegraph quoted one official as saying.

The newspaper said that pub landlords who tolerate fights on their premises
will be closed for 24 hours. After three closures their licenses would be
withdrawn permanently -- a far quicker penalty than the current system where
magistrates decide at a court hearing.

Drunken louts who fight inside and outside pubs -- there were 676,000 such
incidents recorded last year in towns all over the country -- could be excluded
from named pubs for periods stretching from two years to life, the newspapers
said.

The proposals are part of draft legislation affecting the 160,000 licensed
premises in England and Wales which was first published in April.

At the time, attention was fixed on planned reforms allowing some pubs to stay
open for 24 hours, in the apparent hope of replacing Britain's beer-swilling
habits with a more European and sophisticated cafe culture.

The plan for fast-track closure of rowdy clubs came hot on the heels of Blair's
announcement on Friday that he wanted to give police the power to levy 100
pound ($150) on-the-spot fines for ``offensive and loutish'' drunks.

``A thug might think twice about kicking your gate, throwing traffic cones
around your street or hurling abuse into the night sky if he thought he might
get picked up by the police, taken to a cashpoint and asked to pay an
on-the-spot fine of, for example, 100 pounds,'' Blair said on a visit to
Germany.

This breach with tradition in Britain, where courts rather than policemen
impose punishments, drew anxious reactions from human rights groups and a
lukewarm response from the police themselves.

``This would be the first occasion I am aware of where the police move from law
enforcement to imposing punishment and then collecting a fine,'' Tony Butler,
the Chief Constable of Gloucestershire, told the Sunday Telegraph.

But political analysts said Blair's get-tough campaign was partly a result of
the shameful behaviour of hundreds of British soccer hooligans this month
during the Euro 2000 soccer tournament in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The government was criticised by European partners for failing to prevent the
hard-drinking hooligans from travelling abroad.

Lack Of Booze Hurts Mexico Tourism

.c The Associated Press

 By BEN FOX

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Damon Krytzer and five friends were planning to spend the
extended Fourth of July weekend in Ensenada, Mexico - but not anymore.

They canceled their plans as soon as they learned alcohol would not be sold in
anywhere in the country because of Sunday's presidential elections.

``We weren't going there just to get drunk, but it would have been nice to sit
around the pool and drink a margarita,'' said Krytzer, a 29-year-old investment
broker from San Diego.

From midnight Friday to 10 a.m. Monday, alcohol sales are banned in Mexico
under ``La Ley Seca,'' or the dry law, which is intended to ensure public order
and prevent rowdiness as people head to the polls.

Those Americans who head south of the border anyway will also find popular
nightspots such as Hussong's Cantina and the Papas & Beer disco in Ensenada
closed. The law is taken seriously in Mexico and, if past elections are any
gauge, it will be nearly impossible to buy booze.

The election Sunday is widely considered to be the most competitive in Mexico's
history with polls showing a statistical dead heat between Francisco Labastida,
the ruling party candidate and Vicente Fox, the candidate of the
right-of-center opposition National Action Party.

Many Americans with plans to spend the weekend on Mexico's Baja California
peninsula weren't thinking too much of the election - until hearing about the
alcohol ban.

Krytzer and his friends learned they could bring their own alcohol but wouldn't
be able to take it out of their hotel room.

``It just seemed like such a hassle, so we made other plans,'' he said. They
canceled their reservations at Ensenada's Coral Hotel and Marina and booked a
room in Palm Springs.

The manager at the Coral, Norma Lopez, said she's received about 15
cancellations because of the alcohol ban but that's not many for a hotel with
nearly 150 rooms.

``There will be plenty of other weekends,'' she said.

About 80 percent of the hotel rooms in Ensenada are reserved for the weekend,
said Felizardo Palacios, the city's delegate to the Baja California state
tourism board.

The weekend, Palacios said, provides Ensenada with an opportunity to showcase
itself as more of a family destination than the rowdy party spots to the north,
Rosarito and Tijuana.

``This election is extremely important to Mexico, so even if some people don't
come you have to balance that against the greater good for the country,''
Palacios said.

A study by the San Diego-based Institute for Health Advocacy found more than
8,000 Americans cross from San Diego to Tijuana on a typical Friday night. A
test of those returning showed 64 percent of men and 59 percent of women had
consumed some alcohol, said Richard McGaffigan a spokesman for the group.

New Englanders Revolt Against the 'Foreigners' as Sam Adams, Hammer & Nail, and
New England Brewing Best Imports in Blind Taste Test

Samuel Adams Continues to Lead American Beer Revolution Against Leading  
Imports; Sets Nine City U.S. Tour of 'Liquid Lunches'

 BOSTON, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Summer Ale, and
Cream Stout, along with local Connecticut beers Hammer & Nail Brown Ale, and
New England Yankee Amber Ale handily won a blind taste-off against great beers
from around the world, including Heineken, Corona, Guinness, Newcastle Brown
Ale, and Bass Ale in a recent "Liquid Lunch" at Hartford's Vito's By The Park.

In the beer-to-beer blind tasting, tasters were presented with unmarked glasses
containing an American craft beer and its style equivalent in one of the great
beers from around the world.  Using rating forms and procedures approved by the
Association of Homebrewers, the beers were scored according to appearance,
aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel, and were then given an overall impression.  The
judges were a mixed lot of beer aficionados, neophytes and media
representatives.

In each of the five parings, the America craft beer beat its imported
competitor: Samuel Adams Boston Lager was preferred over Heineken 29 drinkers
to 3 drinkers.  Samuel Adams Cream Stout bested Guinness 17 to 13 (1 tie).
Samuel Adams Summer Ale beat Corona 17 to 15 (5 ties).  Hammer & Nail Brown Ale
was preferred over Newcastle Brown Ale by a 15 to 13 margin (3 ties).  New
England Yankee Amber Ale was preferred by 17 to 12 over Bass Ale (4 ties).

"These imports have been considered to be the world standards for their styles,
yet all across the country we have proven that small American brewers like
Samuel Adams make better beer," said Jim Koch, Boston Beer Company founder and
brewer.  "American beer drinkers have more choices than drinkers in any other
country, and now they know that they also have many of the world's best beers."

The Hartford "Liquid Lunch" is part of Boston Beer Company's continuing mission
to educate and enlighten beer drinkers about the wonders of fresh, well-made
American beer.  Over the past two years, Boston Beer Company has hosted "Liquid
Lunches" in 12 American cities for consumers and journalists and is undefeated
in 48 tastings.

In conjunction with American Beer Month this July, Boston Beer Company will
again take on the imports in a 10-city tour that features "Liquid Lunches" in
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver,
Minneapolis, San Diego and Baltimore/Washington, DC,.  In each city, three
Samuel Adams beers and two local imports will be paired off with the leading
import in its style class.

The American Homebrewers Association, a non-profit educational institute for
the brewing industry, has had similar results in blind taste-offs, pitting
Samuel Adams Boston Lager against Heineken, as well as American craft beers
against world-class imports.  A 1999 AHA tour featured tastings in Boulder and
Colorado Springs, CO; Albuquerque, NM; and Boston.

Jim Koch founded The Boston Beer Company in 1984.  He introduced the Company's
flagship beer, Samuel Adams Boston Lager, in April 1985.  Today, The Boston
Beer Company, winner of more than 100 international awards, is America's
leading brewer of world-class beer with four distinct product lines. For more
information about Boston Beer Company, visit the web-site at www.samadams.com.

Merger of El Aguila and Cruzcampo

    SEVILLE, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2000--

--  The merger of Cruzcampo and El Aguila is approved by the

    shareholders.

--  Heineken Espana will be the new name of the merged company with

    headquarters in Seville.

--  The General Meetings of Shareholders of both companies approved

    the annual results.

    Heineken N.V., the leading international brewer, today announced that
shareholders of S.A. El Aguila and Grupo Cruzcampo approved the proposed merger
of the two companies.

    El Aguila recently acquired 100% of the shares of Heineken Espana. Heineken
Espana owns 98.74% of the shares of Cruzcampo. Cruzcampo owns 100% of the
shares of Berferuga Properties. Now all four companies will be merged into one
single legal entity. The merged company will be named Heineken Espana S.A. and
will remain listed on the Madrid stock exchange with a free float of
approximately 20%.

    Minority shareholders of Cruzcampo (1.26% of the outstanding shares), can
exchange their shares into those of S.A. El Aguila with an exchange ratio of 28
shares of S.A. El Aguila, plus a cash compensation of 346 pesetas (2.07 Euro),
for every 3 shares of Grupo Cruzcampo, S.A. In order to cover this transaction
shareholders of El Aguila approved a capital increase by issuing 1,250,172
shares with a face value of 3.005060 Euro each.

    S.A. El Aguila shareholders approved the 1999 Accounts and the Management
Report, reporting a net profit of 3,874 million pesetas (23.28 million Euro),
an increase of 61% compared to 1998. The net turnover amounted to 54,246
million pesetas (326 million Euro), 3.9% more than the net turnover in the
previous year.

    Cruzcampo shareholders approved the Accounts and Management Report of the
period July 1, 1999 to January 31, 2000, reporting a net profit of 5,776
million pesetas (35 million Euro), and a total turnover of 44,519 million
pesetas (268 million Euro).

    Piero Perron will be appointed as the Executive Chairman of Heineken Espana
and Alvaro Alvarez-Alonso as Vice-Chairman. Carlos de Jaureguizar Serrano will
remain Managing Director. Other Board members are Jaime Lamo de Espinosa,
Arturo Gil Perez-Andujar, Philippe Pasquet, David Hazelwood, Rene Hooft
Graafland, Tom de Man and Lewis Willing.

    Alvaro Alvarez-Alonso, Chairman of S.A. El Aguila, outlined during his
speech that "the change of the company name to Heineken Espana represents not
only what we are at present, but also our ambitions for the future."

    Moreover, Piero Perron, Chairman of both Grupo Cruzcampo, S.A and the
future Executive Chairman of Heineken Espana, said: "With the decisions taken
today, Spain gains a clear leader of the brewing industry in a dynamic market.
The merger gives us the opportunity to invest in high quality products to fully
meet our consumers demand and to realize economies of scale. We expect the
merger to contribute to the modernization of the Spanish beer sector in the
interest of all stakeholders."

    Heineken N.V. is the world's leading international brewing group with
production in more than 110 breweries in over 50 countries. The Heineken brand
is sold in more than 170 countries. With estimated sales in 2000 of 50 million
hectoliters of beer in Europe, Heineken is the largest European brewer.
Heineken and Amstel are respectively the best and second best selling beer
brand in Europe. The total Group Volume amounted in 1999 to 90.9 million
hectoliters, ensuring the Group's second place in the world ranking. In 1999
the net turnover amounted to EUR 7.1 billion with a net profit of EUR 516
million. The Heineken group employed 36,733 persons in 1999.

    Heineken acquired the majority of the shares of El Aguila in 1986. El
Aguila, based in Madrid, operates two breweries. The company produced 4.3
million hectoliters of beer in 1999. Turnover was EUR 326 million in 1999. El
Aguila employed 1,352 persons at the close of 1999.

    Cruzcampo, headquartered in Seville, has five breweries. The company
produced 6.1 million hectoliters of beer in 1999. Turnover in 1999 was EUR 453
million. At the close of 1999, Cruzcampo employed 2,100 persons.

    Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares are listed on the Amsterdam
stock exchange. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg
under the symbols HEIN NA and HEHN NA, on the Reuter Equities 2000 Service
under HEIN.AS and HEHN.AS and on Quotron under HEINN.EU and HKAN.EU. Additional
information is available on Heineken's home page: http://www.heinekencorp.nl.

Egypt's GB to double beer capacity to 12 mln litres
 
CAIRO, June 29 (Reuters) - Egypt's Gouna Beverage Group (GB), part of the
Orascom Group, will double its alcoholic beer brewing capacity to 12 million
litres after its products met strong demand on the Egyptian market.

``The higher than expected demand for our quality beers, Sakara and Lowenbrau,
means that we have speeded our expansion plans three years ahead of schedule,''
Andre Hadji-Thomas, GB's managing director, was quoted as saying in a
statement.  The statement did not state when exactly the firm's capacity was
expected to be expanded.

GB, whose brewery is in the Gouna Red Sea resort, launched its products in
April 1999. They include German beer Lowenbrau, produced under license from
Lowenbrau AG Munich, and Big Sexy One Malt Liquor.

The GB statement said beer sales have grown significantly during the first 12
months since launching. GB currently sells around 600,000 to 700,000 litres per
month. The firm expects sales to rise to 10 million litres per year, or 20
percent of the local market, towards end-2000.

GB is one of two local alcoholic beer producers along with Egypt's dominant
brewer Al Ahram Beverages Company (ABC), established in 1897, which produces
both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer.

> BOSTON, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Summer Ale, and
>Cream Stout, along with local Connecticut beers Hammer & Nail Brown Ale, and
>New England Yankee Amber Ale handily won a blind taste-off against great beers
>from around the world, including Heineken, Corona, Guinness, Newcastle Brown
>Ale, and Bass Ale in a recent "Liquid Lunch" at Hartford's Vito's By The Park.

>In the beer-to-beer blind tasting, tasters were presented with unmarked glasses
>containing an American craft beer and its style equivalent in one of the great
>beers from around the world.  Using rating forms and procedures approved by the
>Association of Homebrewers, the beers were scored according to appearance,
>aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel, and were then given an overall impression.  The
>judges were a mixed lot of beer aficionados, neophytes and media
>representatives.

   I'd be really interested in seeing a breakdown on how each
of those groups rated the beers.
   It does seem a bit rigged-- Sa Summer Ale versus Corona as
a stylistic match?

>The American Homebrewers Association, a non-profit educational

   Aha! The truth is out.  We poor homebrewers have been duped
into being shills for the brewing industry!
--
Joel Plutchak

"Logic! Good gracious! What rubbish! How can I tell what I think
until I see what I say?"  - E. M. Forster

http://www.post-gazette.com:80/businessnews/20000704ironcity2.asp

Pittsburgh Brewing battling falling production without financial partner

Tuesday, July 04, 2000 By Len Boselovic, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Five years after Joseph Piccirilli and other investors rescued Pittsburgh
Brewing from bankruptcy,  the 139-year-old Lawrenceville brewery may be
scraping the bottom of the Iron City barrel. Industry observers estimate
production has  fallen nearly 70 percent since Piccirilli's group arrived,
making weeklong shutdowns common for brewery workers. Much of the decline was
caused by the loss of a major contract with The Boston Beer Co., which pulled
out after 1998. At one time, Pittsburgh Brewing made 400,000 barrels of Samuel
Adams beer annually for Boston Beer.

Moreover, the troubled brewer's two-year effort to find a financial partner has
fallen flat again. Its most recent suitor, unprofitable Bronx beer distributor
Capital Beverage, is running off with a dot.com company from Florida. There are
other issues. Pittsburgh Brewing lost four key managers, including former Chief
Executive Officer and stockholder James Gehrig, to a Cleveland competitor.
Union workers say the brewery's cash crunch is prompting some suppliers to
demand payment on delivery. And the state Department of Revenue filed a tax
lien against Pittsburgh Brewing in November for more than $187,000 in unpaid
malt beverage taxes.

"It's like the Perils of Pauline," says Peter Reid, editor of Modern Brewery
Age. He estimates Pittsburgh Brewing produced 290,000 barrels last year,
operating at about 25 percent of capacity. It produced an estimated 350,000
barrels in 1998 and 927,000 barrels the year before Piccirilli's group arrived.
"It's very hard to reverse a slide like that," Reid says. "You'd think you
could do something with the Iron City brand. ... You'd need a little bit of
money to do it, and I don't see them getting any."

Although industry observers say the merger is off, neither Pittsburgh Brewing
nor Capital have publicly confirmed that. Capital and Piccirilli did not return
phone calls. Nor did Ventana Global Capital Group, an Irvine, Calif. investment
firm that's also a Pittsburgh Brewing stockholder.

Capital, the nation's only publicly traded beer distributor, arrived at
Pittsburgh Brewing at about the same time Boston Beer was leaving. Capital
agreed to distribute Pittsburgh Brewing's products, including the "Prime Time"
beers Pittsburgh was making and marketing for a Memphis, Tenn. brewery. Capital
also gave Pittsburgh Brewing a contract to make Capital's own beer under
the "Night Flight" label. Capital said it sold 900,000 cases of the two brands
last year.

The partnership blossomed into a proposed merger. Capital said in April 1999 it
would acquire Pittsburgh Brewing for about $27 million in stock. That was about
$3 million less than what Piccirilli's group paid when it bought Pittsburgh
Brewing in 1995. Capital wouldn't necessarily be a great catch for the
struggling brewery. The distributor hasn't produced an annual profit since it
was formed in 1995, ringing up accumulated losses of $3.3 million through the
first quarter.

Now the merger is off, and the partnership apparently means less than it used
to. Union workers say they're brewing much less for Capital these days.
Moreover, there was no mention of the Pittsburgh brewery in a quarterly report
Capital filed with securities regulators May 16. Six days earlier, Capital
announced its intention to merge with Stocktalklive.com, a Boca Raton, Fla.
company that provides stock quotes and other financial information over the
Internet. Capital's
beer and other businesses will be sold.

Merging with Capital gives Stocktalklive the opportunity Pittsburgh Brewing was
looking for: the chance to go public without going through the time, expense
and scrutiny of a stock offering. Pittsburgh Brewing tried to do that through
mergers with Independence Brewing of Philadelphia and Red Bell Brewing, a
Philadelphia brew pub operator. Both plans fizzled.

What Pittsburgh Brewing plans to do now isn't clear. When Gehrig left last
year, the brewery said its next CEO would have a solid background in the beer
industry. According to state Liquor Control Board records, Piccirilli, whose
previous job experience was working for his family's trash collection business,
is listed as president. In promotional materials, Pittsburgh Brewing says it is
going back to the basics and appealing to a younger audience.

"They're trying very desperately to get Iron City back to its grass roots,"
says Rob Pratt, who does advertising and community promotions for the brewery.
"I'm putting my heart and soul into putting Iron City back where it belongs."

Pittsburgh Brewing isn't taking the defection of Gehrig and three colleagues
lying down. It's accusing their new employer of infringing on the brewery's
trademark. The lawsuit was filed in February in federal court in Pittsburgh
against Crooked River Brewing Co. and its parent, Snyder International Brewing
Group of Cleveland. Pittsburgh Brewing says Snyder deliberately designed
Crooked River's trademark to look like Iron City's.

Snyder President Christopher Livingston denied the allegation, saying
Pittsburgh Brewing's contention that beer drinkers can't tell the difference
between the labels "is an insult to [customers'] intelligence. "What it's done
is a good job of keeping us out of Pittsburgh, and we don't think that's right
at all," Livingston said.

Troubles are nothing new for Pittsburgh Brewing. Its previous owner, Michael
Carlow, was hailed as a savior in 1992 when he took over Pittsburgh Brewing
after outbidding management. The white knight was knocked off his horse three
years later when he was indicted for masterminding a $31.3 million check-kiting
scheme. Carlow pleaded guilty to bank fraud and other charges in 1996 and is
serving an eight-year federal prison sentence.

Piccirilli got high marks for energy when his group took over. But he got rid
of a veteran sales team, alienated some distributors and fired more than 100
union workers after they walked off the job in 1997. Most of the workers were
later rehired, but the incident alienated the blue-collar market on which Iron
City relies.

Industry conditions compounded its problems. Beer consumption slackened, and
those who were drinking turned either to well-advertised national brands or
specialty beers produced by Boston Beer and other microbreweries. There was
also too much capacity, meaning Pittsburgh Brewing had to compete for contracts
with other brewers eager to keep their plants running. While industry officials
say there is still too much capacity, at least the demographics are getting
better. Gary Hemphill, vice president of Beverage Marketing Corp., predicts the
beer market will grow 1 to 2 percent over the next few years. The key reason:
an increase in the number of 21- to 27-year-olds, "which is hugely important
for the beer industry, because that's the core consumer," Hemphill says.

Whether Pittsburgh Brewing's appeal to its grass-roots market and young
drinkers will pull it out of its tailspin remains to be seen. If little else,
the brewery has at least one thing in its favor according to Reid, the editor
of Modern Brewery Age.

"Pennsylvania consumers are unusually loyal to their regional brewers."

http://www.phillynews.com:80/content/daily_news/2000/06/30/features/FCOV30.htm

Hoppy days are here again!

Joe Sixpack / Don Russell

July in Philadelphia, the visitor's dream: Liberty! Fireworks! Independence!

We know the reality: Hazy! Hot! Humid!
Mostly, locals abandon the streets to out-of-towners and head to the shore. But
in the kind of unexpected synergy that makes the city so lovable, the pomp and
the heat will merge next month to thoroughly wet Philly's whistle. It's
American Beer Month, a celebration of the nation's craft-brewing heritage that
will be launched tomorrow on the steps of the Art Museum. Yes, there will be
speeches. But don't sweat it. There will also be plenty of suds.

And, in a freebie for People Paper readers, there's also a free lunch. (Details
below.)

"American beer month is like an Independence Day for the American craft-brewing
industry," said organizer John Hickenlooper, a Philadelphia-area native who now
runs America's largest brewpub, Wynkoop Brewery in Denver.

"This is the first step in getting Americans to realize that the rest of the
world looks at our creativity, our innovation, our energy and excitement with
envious eyes," Hickenlooper said. "It's a chance to celebrate the skills of
American brewers." American Beer Month is being launched in Philadelphia
because of the spirit of independence that echoes through town, and the spirits
that flow through our taps. The Philly area, if you haven't been paying
attention, boasts some of the best beer in America.

Yes, the Northwest has more brewpubs. And Colorado has a ton of micros. But no
other region offers such a variety of inventive microbreweries, so many
top-flight beer bars and so many imports.

The choices are daunting to most mortals: room-temperature cask-conditioned
ales, high-alcohol barleywines, smelly gueuze served in corked bottles,
hop-infused IPAs and a host of brews flavored with honey, raspberry, chocolate,
peach, heather and coriander. The choices are daunting, even to the likes of
Joe Sixpack, who has devoted excessive time and resources to the examination of
malt beverages. In honor of American Beer Month, today's report sorts out some
of the details.

Lemme start with six things every Philly beer drinker should know:

1. The difference between industrial beer and craft beer.

Factory beer - and I'm talking about anything made with ingredients measured by
the rail car - is just fine if you're looking for something to guzzle without
taste. Mostly, they're bland American lagers - Budcoorsmiller - or an equally
bland import: Becks, Molson, Fosters, Corona.

Craft beer - or microbrewed beer - is made in smaller batches. Usually, they're
all malt and full of body and flavor. More importantly, craft beer is usually
made by guys with pony tails and tattoos.

2. Monk's Café.

If you judge a joint by its beer selection, Tom Peters and Fergus Carey run the
best bar in America, period. Craft brews are well represented, but what raises
Monk's to beervana is its exotic Belgian imports, served in its woodsy back
bar. Peters was the first publican to serve any Belgian on tap in America (it
was Kwak, in 1996). Now, he and Fergie regularly offer flavors you couldn't
even sample in Brussels.

3. Beer Philadelphia magazine.

Publisher Jim Anderson knows more about beer in this city than anyone. I learn
something from him every time we bend an elbow together. His magazine,
available at bars and takeout stores, is the best written and most opinionated
rant in the beer trade. Most of the local American Beer Month festivities were
organized by the energetic Anderson.

4. Home Sweet Homebrew.

Other homebrew stores (notably Barry's Homebrew Outlet, 101 Snyder Ave., South
Philadelphia) are dependable sources for do-it-yourselfers. But George Hummel
and Nancy Rigberg, the owners of this yeasty mainstay, are directly responsible
for creating more local craft brewers than anyone. The guys who make
Independence and Red Bell and Dock Street, among others, got their start with
Tupperware homebrew kits and advice from Home Sweet Homebrew. Even if you never
brew a pint, you owe a debt to these folks. 2008 Sansom St., Center City,
215-569-9469.

5. Edward I. Friedland Co.

True story: A few years ago, drawn by its trendy selection of micros, I went in
search of Eddie Friedland's beer distributor. My visit took me up North 8th
Street, into an area commonly known as the Badlands.

I never found the place. Instead, I found myself surrounded by a dozen cops
engaged in one of the neighborhood's frequent drug raids. An angry sergeant
slammed me for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. When I fought the
ticket, the Traffic Court judge chided me for being out of my 'hood:
"Whatsamatta? Don't you got beer distributors in Fishtown?"

Well, none like Friedland's, which is responsible for popularizing nearly every
one of the region's micros. By the way, it's an importing distributor, which
means it's not open to retail customers.

6. Our city's brewing history.

F.A. Poth & Sons. . .Robert Smith India Pale Ale. . .Jacob Hornung White Bock.
The labels are long gone, but these names from breweries past are still a part
of Philadelphia's rich brewery heritage. Before Prohibition, Philadelphia - not
Milwaukee - was the capital of American beer, the home of hundreds of
breweries. Even if you never heard these brewers' names, your grandfather
remembers running down to the corner for a bucket of Gretz. Or the bricks in
your home were carried by a mason who kicked back at the end of the day with a
tall, cool glass of Hohenadel.

Celebrate American Beer Month, and you just might find your own place in our
nation's brewing heritage. Lift a pint to the men and women - your neighbors -
who brew your favorite. It's the best way to say thanks.

And there's no better place to do kick off the festivities than right here in
the City of Brewery Love. Today's Big Fat Friday is filled with sixpacks of
ideas for discovering beer in Philadelphia.

Joe Sixpack will get things started at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at McGillin's Olde
Ale House, 1310 Drury St., Center City, where the Daily News proves there is
such a thing as a Free Lunch. The first 100 people who toast American Beer
Month
with a domestic brew will get free eats, courtesy of the People Paper.

The Free Lunch kicks off a day of beer-drinking festivities that mark the start
of American Beer Month. Here's a schedule:

Tomorrow

2-4 p.m. - The Great American Blind Taste Test. A blind taste test between
European ales and lagers and classic American versions of those styles. Master
of ceremonies is Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams. Irish Pub,
1123 Walnut St., 215-925-3311.

2 p.m. - Brewers Rally. Hundreds of maltsters will gather on the Art Museum
steps for the first-ever American Brewers Rally. The event marks American Beer
Month with speeches by, among others, Hickenlooper of Wynkoop and Carol Stoudt,
the first lady of American brewing and founder of Stoudt Brewing in Adamstown,
Pa.

4-6 p.m. - A Tribute to American Micros. Some of the rarest beers in the
country will be flowing into the evening. Monk's Café, 16th and Spruce streets,
Center City. 215-545-7005.

6-8 p.m. - Open house for brewers at Nodding Head Brewing Co., 1516 Sansom St.,
Center City. 215-569-9525.

All night - After party. Philadelphia's newest beer bar, known for its
draft-only, local-only beer policy, will be putting up some special casks for
the evening. Standard Tap, 2nd and Poplar streets, Northern Liberties.
215-238-0630.

July 23  1-6 p.m. - Royal Stumble. Twelve of the East's most interesting
breweries bring the beer they're most proud of to a free-for-all of flavor,
food and fun. All beers between 5.5 percent and 7 percent alcohol. Nodding
Head, 1516 Sansom St., Center City. 215-569-9525. Tix: $20 includes beer and
buffet.

July 24   5 p.m - PhiliChili 2000. The nation's best breweries pair up with the
city's spiciest restaurants to compete for the coveted Ring of Fire. Each chili
recipe will be cooked with a beer from the corresponding brewery, and look for
plenty of American beer on tap to wash it all down. The Khyber, 54 S. 2nd St.,
Center City. 215-238-5888.

Month-long

Beer cuisine - Monk's Cafe, 263 S. 16th St., Center City. 215-545-7005. Each
night, a special prix fixe beer dinner will be added to the menu, pairing each
course with an outstanding American beer.

Meanwhile, area breweries and bars will feature special beer styles produced by
America's best micros, on tap and in bottles.

American pale ale - London Grill, 2301 Fairmount Ave., Fairmount. 215-978-4545.

Belgian-style ale - The Drafting Room, Route 100, Exton. 610-363-0521.

Belgian-style ale, takeout - Voorhees Liquors, 10 Berlin Road in Voorhees, N.J.
800-429-5273.

Brown ale - Dock Street Terminal Brewpub, 12th and Filbert streets, Center
City. 215-922-4292.

California pale ale - The Drafting Room, 900 N. Bethlehem Pike, Spring House.
215-646-6116.

Cask-conditioned ale - Standard Tap, 2nd and Poplar streets, Northern
Liberties. 215-238-0630.

Extra special bitter - Menamin's Bar & Grill, 7170 Germantown Ave., Mount Airy.
215-247-9920.

Take-home growlers - Flanigans Boathouse, 113 Fayette St., Conshohocken.
610-828-BOAT. Or Flanigans at the Great
Valley Corporate Center, Malvern. 610-251-0207.

Hefe-weizen - The Grey Lodge Pub, 6235 Frankford Ave., Frankford. 215-624-2969.

Imperial stout - Dock Street Brasserie, 18th and Cherry streets, Logan Square.
215-493-0413. Dock Street will also pour its
Thomas Jefferson Ale, a colonial-era brew based on a recipe devised by the
third president of the United States.

India pale ale - O'Neal's Pub, 3rd and South streets, Center City.
215-574-9495.

Irish-style ales - McGillin's Olde Ale House, 1310 Drury St., Center City.
215-735-5562.

Pennsylvania beers - The Beverage Store, 218 E. Lancaster Ave., Wayne.
610-688-3431.

Philadelphia beers - Stone's Beverage Center, 1701 Fairmount Ave., Spring
Garden, 215-763-9789.

Pils - The Khyber, 54 S. 2nd St., Old City. 215-238-5888.

Porter - Flat Rock Saloon, 4301 Main St., Manayunk. 215-483-3722.

Scottish-style ales - Nodding Head, 1516 Sansom St., Center City. 215-569-9525.

Sixpacks - The Foodery, 10th and Pine streets, Center City. 215-928-1111.

Strong ales - General Lafayette Inn & Brewery, 646 Germantown Pike, Lafayette
Hill. 610-941-0600.

Stout - Sugar Mom's Church Street Lounge, 225 Church St., Old City.

Wheat beer - Cuvée Notredame, 17th and Green streets, Spring Garden.
215-765-2777.

http://www.bergen.com:80/food/beer05200007054.htm

A monthlong toast salutes the brews made in America

Wednesday, July 5, 2000, Tony Forder

I'm sure plenty of American beer was consumed on the Fourth of July, as usually
is the case.

But there is good reason to stay with the American theme for the entire month.
July is American Beer Month, as promoted by the Institute of Brewing Studies. I
attended a rally in Philadelphia to kick off the event. More than 200 people,
including brewers from 20 states, gathered on the steps of the Philadelphia Art
Museum to stand up for American craft-brewed beer and later celebrated at
taverns all over town that had reserved their taps exclusively for American
beer.

The event was not conceived to bash imports -- "If we wanted to do that, we
would have gone to Boston and dumped some cases of imports into the harbor,"
said one organizer -- but to highlight American beers. Said Pennsylvania brewer
Carol Stoudt, "We should be proud. What we brew here is better because it's
fresher."

American craft brewers are rebounding after a couple of fallow years when
imports surged into the specialty beer market. Some craft breweries closed, but
the survivors are stronger, with more consistent beer and a better idea of how
to market it. Choosing 10 American craft beers to celebrate July is a tough
task, but I'll try anyway, sticking to the more accessible ones.

Brooklyn Brewery: Pennant Pale Ale is a good thirst quencher with plenty of
flavor. Brooklyn Pilsner also is a natural for the summer. And if you can find
Blanche de Brooklyn on tap (easily found in the city, not so easily found in
New Jersey), it recently beat out the famous Hoegaarden for a gold medal in the
World Beer Cup.

Stoudt's American Pale Ale: great beer, just try it.

Flying Fish Pale Ale: a softer take on a pale ale.

Ramstein Blond: Just because it's American Beer Month, it doesn't mean you
can't drink German-style wheat beer
brewed in New Jersey.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: classic American pale ale.

Samuel Adams Summer Ale: light, easy drinking, but with interesting spicy
flavor.

Heavyweight Lunacy Ale: a great Belgian-style beer, also brewed in New Jersey.

River Horse Hop Hazard: from Lambertville, a beer for East Coast hop heads.

Climax India Pale Ale: from Roselle Park and available in half-gallon jugs; one
of the best IPA's made anywhere.

Saranac: from the Adirondacks, with several accessible and affordable flavors
available.

http://www.afr.com.au:80/update/20000704/A51545-2000Jul4.html

Lion Nathan says FY results set to meet forecasts

2000-07-04, Lion Nathan chief executive Gordon Cairns today said the brewer was
trading in line with forecasts for second half of this financial year.

"Our market share is increasing, which is good, and our profits will be in line
with forecasts," he said.

Lion books its full-year results on August 31.

"We're making progress in Australia and we continue to grow in New South Wales,
which is the majority of the market."  Speaking after a business luncheon in
Melbourne, Mr Cairns said the company was looking at a broad range of options
for expansion in China.

"We could toll brew, we could have a joint venture, we could produce under
licence, and we already produce under licence for Beck's and we've talked about
toll brewing for other brewers and we've looked at JVs," he said.  "The
ultimate plan is to make money there, and we're open as to how we might do
that.

"You certainly can't, as an Australasian brewer, take China on yourself."

Lion has not yet booked a profit from its Chinese operations, which began in
1995 with a 60 per cent holding in the Wuxi Lion Nathan Taihushui Brewery, and
forecasts to be in the black by 2002 have been abandoned.

"It looks like I'm going to get hung on that one," Mr Cairns said.

He said there was no current forecast for profitability, but the company was
committed to reducing losses from the China operations.  Asked whether
forecasts of a slower domestic economy in the new financial year might impact
on the company's results, Mr Cairns replied "clearly, and that's why we have to
be very assiduous with our cost reduction."

In Australia, Mr Cairns said the company was targeting growth in the premium
beer market, which represented just 5.7 per cent of the domestic brewing market
but was growing by 20 per cent per year.

Lion had 25 per cent of the premium market and was growing faster than its
competitors, he said.  In Victoria, where Lion had "done an appalling job" the
company had spent most of the $100 million earmarked for expansion in  the
state, he said.

Asked whether Lion would be adding to the stock of more than 40 pubs it had
bought in major Victorian cities in a move to boost its ailing market share of
just 12.6 per cent, Mr Cairns replied "We've probably reached the threshold
that we want."

The company was pursuing a number of other strategies to increase brand
awareness, including sponsorships.

Lion Nathan, which last month moved its head office from New Zealand to Sydney,
posted a first half net profit of $NZ97.1
million ($A81 million) for the six months to February 29, up 17 per cent from
the corresponding period.

Lion Nathan shares closed down one cent to $3.75.

http://www.afr.com.au:80/investment/20000705/A52444-2000Jul4.html

Lion talks aimed at relieving Chinese hangover

By Simon Evans, 2000-07-05

Lion Nathan is in talks with Chinese brewers to broaden its reach in China as
it seeks a faster way to stem losses in the beer market.

Chief executive Mr Gordon Cairns yesterday reconsidered previous predictions
that Lion's Chinese operations would be profitable by 2002 and said it was now
uncertain when profits would flow.

"I said we'd be profitable about the year 2002. Looks like I'm going to get
hung on that one," he said after speaking at a business lunch in Melbourne.

Lion entered the Chinese market in 1995 with an investment in a brewery in the
town of Wuxi and, like its main Australian rival Foster's Brewing Group, has
been unable to turn a profit in the highly competitive Chinese market.

Lion's China operations suffered a loss of $NZ19.9 million ($15.7 million) in
the six months to February 29, a slight improvement on the $NZ20.4 million loss
a year earlier.

The world's major brewers are jostling for position in China, which is regarded
as having the most potential because of its enormous population and the
prospects for continued growth in per capita beer consumption.

Mr Cairns said partnerships with other Chinese brewers were being evaluated as
part of the moves to broaden Lion's presence from the Yangtse River delta
region. He declined to give details, citing confidentiality agreements, but
said several options were under consideration.

"We could toll brew, we could have a joint venture, we could produce under
licence," he said.

A China deal would accelerate the move into profitability, he said. Lion
already produces German beer Beck's under licence in China.

Mr Cairns said Lion's Trans-Tasman operations were faring better, and the
company had made solid gains in NSW, the largest and most important beer market
in Australia.

Trading in the first four months of the company's second half had been in line
with market expectations, he said. "Our market share is increasing, which is
good, and our profits will be in line with forecasts."  Most analysts are
predicting a pre-abnormals profit of about $136 million for the full year to
the end of August. Mr Cairns said Lion's hotel and nightclub buying spree in
Victoria was all but finished. "We've probably reached the threshold that we
want," he said.

Lion has close to 50 properties as part of a push to grow its meagre market
share of 12.6 per cent.

Lion was aware of the potential for an economic slowdown in Australia and
intended keeping a close eye on costs.

Mr Cairns said it was unclear what profit impact a potential shift by drinkers
to packaged beer away from on-tap beer, brought about by the Federal
Government's higher excise levels, might have if the row over a $500 million
tax dispute was not resolved. Lion shares dropped 1¢ yesterday to close at
$3.75.

http://www.toledoblade.com:80/editorial/biz/0g04drin.htm

Popping of drinks part of July 4 festivities

July 4, 2000

Excuse area beverage wholesalers and retailer if they were too busy this
weekend to drink a toast to America's Independence Day holiday. The Fourth of
July is one of the biggest holidays for beer and soft drink sales.

"I don't know if it would be the biggest, because Christmas and New Year's are
really big. But the Fourth would be one of the biggest,'' said Al Cherry,
general
manager of Toledo's Metropolitan Distributing Co., which sells Miller brands.

"With . . . Christmas, you're getting more days overall, while the Fourth of
July you have fewer days but consumption for all beverage is way up,'' Mr.
Cherry said.

According to 1998 data (the latest available) collected by Chicago-based
Information Resources, Inc., beer and ale sales in the two weeks before July 4
and the two weeks after were about 24 per cent higher than for the average
four-week period for the year.

Soft drink sales were about 14 per cent higher than for the average four-week
period, and those for low-calorie drinks were about 9 per cent higher.

"All the summertime holidays are much bigger,'' said Mark Gibson, head of the
Ohio chapter of the National Soft Drink Association.

According the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1997 - the latest statistics available -
the typical American adult consumer drank 34 gallons of beer and three gallons
of wine, with a good portion of that occurring during holidays like the Fourth
of July. Americans of all ages consumed 53 gallons of carbonated soft drinks
that year, according to the Census Bureau.

Beer consumption was on the decline in 1997 but has since mounted a comeback,
according to the Washington-based Beer Institute, a trade association
representing the brewing industry.

In 1994, shipments of beer in the United States totaled 189 million barrels and
shipments to Ohio were 8.2 million, the institute said. Per capita consumption
of beer in 1994 was 22.5 gallons nationwide and 23 gallons in Ohio.

But shipments fell in 1995 to 186 million barrels and 8.2 million nationwide
and Ohio, respectively. Consumption dropped to 22.1 gallons per capita
nationwide and 22.8 gallons per capita in Ohio.

Then, after staying flat for two years, sales began to rise. Last year, beer
sales reached 196 million barrels nationwide and 8.5 million barrels in Ohio.
Consumption hit 22.3 gallons per capital nationwide and 23.7 gallons in Ohio.

Last year, according to the Beer Institute, was a record year for beer
shipments, with 43 states reporting increased shipments. National consumption
rose 1.7 per cent last year, the institute reported.

http://www.bergen.com:80/food/beerfood200007054.htm

Hops, barley, and yeast can deliver a wide range of flavor possibilities

5-July-00, By JOE STUMPE Knight Ridder Newspapers

Lots of guys consider themselves experts on the subject of cooking with beer.
Fire up the grill, crack open a brewski, and you're there, right? For serious
cooks, something a bit more elaborate comes to mind. Tim Schafer of Tim
Schafer's Cuisine, 82 Speedwell, Ave., Morristown, does an entire menu based on
beer-enhanced cooking. Damien Lehman of the Airport Hilton in Wichita, Kansas,
has devised perhaps the most unusual dish of all -- a decadent chocolate cake
and accompanying sauce that both included Stoney Creek Vanilla Porter.

"I'm not sure how many people have tried it," Lehman said of using beer in a
dessert. "It makes it a little heartier, in my
opinion."

While there have always been dishes made with beer, such as beer-cheese soup
and beef carbonade, it has become a more popular ingredient in recent years.

"Beer is made up of more than one ingredient," said Schafer. "Wine, on the
other hand, is only one ingredient. Cooking with beer you have water, hops,
barley, and yeast, and in some cases as many as three different kinds of yeast.
There
might be eight different barley malts, and there are some beers with a lot of
alcohol to darker beers made with oats and other grains. So there is an
enormous range of possibilities when you cook with beer."

Schafer, who writes a cooking column called "The Brew Chef Corner" for Ale
Street News, says beers are like a seasoning, and he especially enjoys their
herbal qualities in various dishes.

Peter LaFrance, writing in "Cooking & Eating With Beer" (John Wiley & Sons,
1997), said the first cooks to extensively use beers in their food were the
"brave souls who ran the kitchens of the first brew pubs."

"The unique flavor of hops offers the interested cook a chance to stretch his
or her culinary imagination," La France wrote. "The sweet grain flavor of malt
offers its own accent to shimmering soups, stout stews, and braised beef
dishes."
 Schaefer says the biggest thing to guard against when cooking with beer is
making a dish too bitter. "You have to be aware of the amount of hops in
various beers, and if you are reducing the sauce made with beer, you are
intensifying the bitterness," he said. "Sometimes you want that bitterness, but
other times it is necessary to counter it with something like brown sugar, or
honey." Some cooks also avoid the problem by adding beer to sauces and other
preparations just before they are finished.

William Rice, author of "Steak Lover's Cookbook" (Workman), said his recipe for
beer brewed chuck steak is really just a basic meat-and-potatoes dish.

"During braising with the beer, the beef gives its all," in return for your
waiting for it to simmer gently to fork-tenderness."

BEER BREWED CHUCK STEAK
6 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
2 bay leaves
1 (about 11-ounce) large baking potato
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (2-pound) boneless beef chuck shoulder steak, cut 1 1/2 inches thick
Salt and pepper
1 large sweet onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon paprika, divided use
3/4 cup ale or dark beer
3/4 cup ready-to-serve beef broth
Chopped Italian parsley (optional)

Wrap parsley, thyme, garlic, and bay leaves in cheesecloth and tie tightly. Set
aside. Peel potato and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Cover with
cold water; set aside until read to use. In Dutch oven, heat butter and oil
over medium
heat until hot. Add beefsteak. Brown 5 to 6 minutes, turning once. Season with
salt and pepper, as desired. Remove steak. In same Dutch oven, add onion and
cook 4 to 5 minutes or until soft, stirring often. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon
paprika. Return steak to the pan. Pour ale and broth over steak; add
cheesecloth bag. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer
45 minutes.

Drain potato slices and arrange on top of steak in a single layer. Season with
salt, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Cook, covered, 20 to 30
minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove steak; keep warm. Remove and
discard cheesecloth bag. Skim fat. In bowl of food processor, fitted with steel
blade, add cooking liquid and vegetable mixture; process until smooth.

Carve steak crosswise into slices. Serve with sauce. Garnish with chopped
parsley, if desired. Servings: 4.

VANILLA PORTER DECADENCE CAKE
Cake:
1 3/4 cups butter
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
15 egg yolks
20 ounces bittersweet chocolate
15 egg whites
2 Vanilla Porters (12 ounces each), reduced to 5 ounces.
Sauce:

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 pound bittersweet chocolate
1 cup light corn syrup
1 bottle (12 ounces) Vanilla Porter

To make cake, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg yolks. Melt
chocolate in double boiler and add to mixture. Whip eggs whites until firm and
fold into mixture.

Pour batter into 11-inch round pan or 13-by-9-by-2-inch rectangular pan and
place it in larger pan filled with water to come halfway up smaller pan. Bake
at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove cake from oven and immediately
poke holes in top of cake using a toothpick. Sprinkle reduced porter over the
cake and refrigerate.

To make sauce, bring sugar, water, and cocoa powder to a boil for 1 minute.
Melt chocolate in a double-boiler over medium heat, being careful not to burn
chocolate. Add corn syrup to chocolate.

In a separate saucepan, reduce porter until it equals about 1 cup. Mix all
ingredients together and serve over cake.

Aer Lingus hires new CEO from Heineken

DUBLIN, July 5 (Reuters) - Irish airline Aer Lingus, which is preparing for a
stock market flotation, said on Wednesday it had recruited Michael Foley from
Dutch brewer Heineken as its new chief executive.  Foley, an Irishman, has been
president and chief executive of Heineken's U.S. arm since 1994. He was
previously managing director of Murphys Brewery Ireland, another Heineken unit.

State-owned Aer Lingus, which could be floated by the end of the year, said it
believed Foley, 52, was the right man despite his lack of aviation industry
experience. He initially qualified as an accountant.  ``He brings to the job of
group executive the perfect blend of international business and public company
experience to lead an already strong management team through the challenges
that lie ahead,'' said Chairman Bernie Cahill.

Former chief executive Gary Cullen resigned in February, saying that for
personal reasons he did not want to lead the company through the IPO process.
Legislation clearing the way for the Aer Lingus flotation is currently going
through the Irish parliament and an IPO is expected late this year or early in
2001.

The company is expected to try to raise some 200 million Irish pounds ($242.6
million) through the issue of new shares at the time of the flotation. The
flotation is expected to value the company as a whole at up to 700 million
pounds.

FEMSA Appoints New CFO

MONTERREY, Mexico--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 5, 2000--Fomento Economico Mexicano,
S.A. de C.V. ("FEMSA") (NYSE:FMX) (BMV:FEMSA UBD) announced today that Gerardo
Estrada has joined FEMSA's corporate staff as Chief Financial Officer.

Prior to joining FEMSA, Estrada served as a managing director of Grupo
Financiero Bancomer S. A. de C. V. ("GFB"). 43-year old Gerardo Estrada earned
a C.P.A. degree in 1977 and a M.A. degree in 1981, both from the Instituto
Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey.

From 1994 through June 2000, Estrada held several important financial positions
within GFB. Most recently, he served as Corporate Chief Financial Officer,
where he played a major role in structuring GFB's major capitalization
projects. Prior to working for GFB, Gerardo Estrada held several financial
positions within Grupo Cydsa including finance director for the packaging
division, corporate finance manager and corporate manager of financial
planning.

Gerardo Estrada will report directly to Federico Reyes, FEMSA's Executive Vice
President of Planning and Finance. "We are extremely pleased that Gerardo has
accepted the invitation to join our team and have no doubt that his expertise
and financial skills will prove to be an invaluable contribution to the
Company," stated Federico Reyes.

FEMSA is Mexico's largest beverage company with exports to the United States,
Canada and selected countries in Latin America, Europe and the Far East.
Founded in 1890 and with headquarters in Monterrey, Mexico, FEMSA is
strategically integrated and operates through the following subsidiaries: FEMSA
Cerveza, which produces and distributes name brands of beer such as Tecate,
Carta Blanca, Superior, Sol, XX Lager, Dos Equis and Bohemia; Coca-Cola FEMSA,
an "Anchor Bottler" for The Coca-Cola Company in Latin America, which produces
and distributes soft drinks including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Light, Sprite, Fanta
and Quatro; FEMSA Empaques, which supports the beverage operations by producing
beverage cans, glass bottles, crown caps, labels, commercial refrigerators, and
serves third party clients throughout the Americas; FEMSA Comercio, which
operates OXXO, Mexico's most extensive chain of convenience stores; and FEMSA
Logistica, which provides logistics management services to affiliate companies,
and recently to third party clients.

Budapest strives to be ``city of cafes'' again

By Michael Roddy
 
BUDAPEST, July 3 (Reuters) - At Budapest's lovingly restored 19th-century
Central Kavehaz, Geza Csermely writes gypsy rock musicals in a neat hand on the
cafe's paper placemats.

``You can sit all day and have breakfast, lunch and dinner,'' said the
56-year-old Roma writer, sitting at his regular table amid the hubbub of the
crowded room. ``The noise only makes things better.''

At the Ponyva Regeny (Pulp Fiction) cafe, Julia Imre, 19, sits for hours over a
single banana milk shake, chatting to a friend beneath bookshelves lined with
everything from poetry and novels to a dusty biography of Che Guevara.

``I come because of the atmosphere,'' Imre, a law student, said, as bright
sunshine glinted off brass candlesticks placed on the tables and rock music
played softly in the background.

``I like the feeling because we sit and talk and we can hear each other,'' she
said, adding that she enjoyed not having to compete with a blaring television
or disco music.

Move over, Turkish baths. Budapest's other Turkish-inspired institution, the
traditional coffee-house, is making a comeback.

Closed by the communists in 1949, coffee-houses where people may sit for hours,
write all day, meet lovers, debate politics, drink one cup of coffee or eat
three square meals, have been reviving bit by bit since communism's demise in
1989.
...

http://www.post-gazette.com:80/businessnews/20000704ironcity2.asp

http://www.phillynews.com:80/content/daily_news/2000/06/30/features/FCOV30.htm

2. Monk's Café.

3. Beer Philadelphia magazine.

4. Home Sweet Homebrew.

Tomorrow

Month-long

http://www.bergen.com:80/food/beer05200007054.htm

http://www.afr.com.au:80/update/20000704/A51545-2000Jul4.html

http://www.afr.com.au:80/investment/20000705/A52444-2000Jul4.html

By Simon Evans, 2000-07-05

http://www.toledoblade.com:80/editorial/biz/0g04drin.htm

July 4, 2000

http://www.bergen.com:80/food/beerfood200007054.htm

FEMSA Appoints New CFO

three square meals, have been reviving bit by bit sin...

Irish drinkers toast longer hours, price freeze
 
DUBLIN, July 6 (Reuters) - Irish drinkers raised their glasses to the
government on Thursday after ministers introduced longer pub opening hours and
froze drink prices.

In a bid to curb worrying inflation in the ``Celtic Tiger,'' Consumer Affairs
Minister Tom Kitt slapped a six-month freeze on the prices of drinks including
beer, wine and whiskey.

In another move likely to boost the ailing coalition government's flagging
popularity, pubs across the country will be able to sell alcohol until 12:30
a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays -- 90 minutes later than under the old
law.

Patrons will be given another 30 minutes drinking-up time -- meaning everyone
must be out by 1:00 a.m.

Better still for drinkers, landlords will only be allowed to charge their
thirsty clients the price in effect on May 15 under the terms of the
anti-inflation price freeze.

The government has doubled the number of consumer affairs inspectors to 24 to
patrol pubs to enforce the freeze.

The Irish capital Dublin, home to a large student population and increasingly a
mecca for European weekend tourists, is expected to benefit in particular from
the new hours.

The city, which has styled itself one of the trendiest of Europe's capitals,
has in recent years felt itself to be out of step with its more liberal
continental neighbours.

For the rest of the week, the Intoxicating Liquor Act extends opening hours by
30 minutes until 11:30 p.m., except Sundays which retain the 11.00 p.m. law.

Controversially, the Act abolishes Irish pubs' long-enshrined tradition of not
serving drinks between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Sundays.

That law, known as ``holy hour,'' was intended originally to drive menfolk home
for the family lunch but now baffles foreign tourists used to more relaxed
continental ways.

Kitt, part of a government striving to liberalise Ireland's drinks trade, said
competition was the most effective means of keeping prices down.

``However, as an interim measure and as part of the package approved by the
government to counter inflation, I have now introduced a statutory control on
the price of drink,'' Kitt said in a statement.

The relaxation of opening hours has been accompanied by new measures aimed at
curbing under-age drinking.

The new rules mean premises can be shut down temporarily if they are found to
have served minors. The law has been changed to put the onus on a publican to
be satisfied as to the age of a drinker before selling alcohol.

Quilmes Industrial -Quinsa- S.A. Announces Extensions of the Tender Offer for
Class B Shares and ADSs of BAESA

     LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 28, 2000--Quilmes Industrial (Quinsa)
S.A. (NYSE:LQU) ("Quinsa" or the "Company") today announced that Cerveceria y
Malteria Quilmes S.A.I.C.A. y G. ("Quilmes") announced the extension of its
public tender offer for all of the outstanding class B shares and ADSs of
Buenos Aires Embotelladora S.A.

("BAESA"). The U.S. offer to purchase and the Argentine offer to purchase will
now expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time (5:00 p.m., Buenos Aires time), on
Friday, July 7, 2000, unless further extended.

     The offers were launched on May 31, 2000 and initially were scheduled to
expire today at 4:00 p.m., New York time (5:00 p.m., Buenos Aires time).

     ABOUT QUINSA

     Quinsa is a Luxembourg-based holding company, which controls 85 percent of
Quilmes International (Bermuda) Ltd., ("QIB"). The remaining 15 percent share
is owned, since 1984, by Heineken International Beheer B.V. ("Heineken").
Heineken Technical Services B.V. renders technical assistance to the operating
companies. Quinsa, through QIB, controls beverage and malting businesses in
five Latin American countries. Its beer brands are market leaders in Argentina,
Paraguay and Uruguay and have a strong presence in Bolivia and Chile. In
Paraguay, Quinsa's soft drink business is the market leader.

Genesee Corporation Announces Fiscal Year End Results

ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Genesee Corporation
(Nasdaq: GENBB) today announced results for its fiscal year ended April 29,
2000.

Results for the Corporation's brewing business are reported as
discontinued operations.  A special committee of the Corporation's Board of
Directors has been formed to continue to explore strategic alternatives for
Genesee Brewing Company, including a proposal for a management-led buyout,
following the decision to terminate the agreement to sell the business to the
owners of City Brewing Company.

Results for the Corporation's real estate investment and equipment
leasingbusinesses are also reported as discontinued operations.  The
Corporation has previously announced that it was not actively seekin additional
real estate investments and that Cheyenne Leasing Company would not fund any
new leases
after December 31, 1999 and would wind down its equipment leasing business as
the portfolio of existing leases matures.  Cheyenne Leasing Company has now
entered into an agreement in principle to sell a significant portion of its
lease portfolio.  As a result of these developments, the Corporation's real
estate investments and equipment leasing business are required to be reported
as discontinued operations.

Results for the Corporation's continuing operations reflect only its Foods
Division and corporate segment.  The prior year results from continuing
operations have been reclassified to reflect required changes in the reporting
of freight costs associated with the Foods Division and to separately report
results for the brewing, real estate investment and equipment leasing
businesses as discontinued operations.

Consolidated gross revenues from continuing operations for fiscal 2000 were
$48,548,000, compared to reclassified gross revenues from continuing operations
of $47,682,000 for fiscal 1999.  The Corporation recorded a net loss from
continuing operations of $1,141,000, or $.70 basic and diluted net
loss per share in fiscal 2000, compared to restated net earnings from
continuing operations of $920,000, or $.57 basic and diluted net earnings per
share, in fiscal 1999.

Gross revenues in fiscal 2000 from discontinued operations were $123,520,000
compared to $138,590,000 in the same period last year. Discontinued operations
generated a net loss of $2,259,000, or $1.40 basic and diluted net loss per
share, in fiscal 2000, compared to a net earnings of $1,543,000, or $.95 basic
and diluted net earnings per share, in fiscal 1999.

Combining revenues from continuing and discontinued operations, the Corporation
recorded gross revenues of $172,068,000 and a net loss of $3,400,000, or $2.10
basic and diluted net loss per share, in fiscal 2000,compared to gross revenues
of $186,272,000 and net earnings of $2,463,000, or
$1.52 basic and diluted net earnings per share, in fiscal 1999.

Results in fiscal 2000 were adversely affected by a $3.1 million loss from the
planned sale of the equipment lease portfolio, $2.1 million of transition costs
incurred in relocating Foods Division operations, a $1.8 million charge
in connection with workforce reductions at Genesee Brewing Company, a $1.2
million charge for retirement benefits paid to the Corporation's former Chief
Executive Officer, and a $1 million reserve to cover the expected write-off of
an investment by Genesee Ventures.  The decrease in earnings in
fiscal 2000 compared to the prior year also reflects the fact that fiscal 1999
results included a $3.4 million pre-tax gain from the sale of Genesee Ventures'
interest in Lloyd's Food Products, whereas only a $600,000 gain from the
Lloyd's sale was recorded in fiscal 2000.

Net sales for the Corporation's Foods Division were $45.5 million in fiscal
2000, compared to $44.9 million in fiscal 1999.  Sales of artificial sweeteners
and bouillon products increased in fiscal 2000 compared to the prior year.
These gains were partially offset by a decrease in contract
packaging revenues and a decline in sales of iced tea mix.  Operating income
for the Foods Division decreased to $189,000 in fiscal 2000, compared to
$1,554,000 in fiscal 1999, due in large part to the costs incurred in fiscal
2000 to relocate operations to the Medina, New York facility that was acquired
in October 1998.  The relocation project was completed in January 2000.

Genesee Brewing Company's net sales in fiscal 2000 were $93.4 million, a
decrease of $9.9 million from the prior year period.  Barrel volume declined by
6% in fiscal 2000 due to a 9% decline in Genesee core brand volume and a 22%
decline in HighFalls brand volume, which were partially offset by a 34%
increase in contract brewing volume for Boston Beer Company.  Genesee Brewing
Company recorded an operating loss in fiscal 2000 of $2.7 million.  When the
$1.8 million restructuring charge from workforce reductions is netted out, this
reflects a $3.3 million improvement in operating results over the prior
year.  "We did a re-assessment of all areas of our business to identify ways
to reduce costs and improve efficiencies," said Tom Hubbard, President and
Chief Executive Officer.  "Many of these initiatives were not implemented
until the second half of fiscal 2000.  Although we have not yet seen the
annualized impact of these initiatives, we did see improvement in sales trends
for our core brands and operating performance in the fourth quarter of fiscal
2000," said Mr. Hubbard.

The Corporation's equipment leasing and real estate investment businesses
recorded operating income of $2,682,000 in fiscal 2000, compared to $3,801,000
in fiscal 1999.  The decrease is the result of the plan announced in September
1999 to wind down Cheyenne Leasing Company's business.  Cheyenne Leasing
Company recently entered into an agreement in principle to sell a significant
portion of its lease portfolio.  The sale is subject to a number of conditions
customary to such transactions, including satisfactory due diligence and
negotiation of a definitive sale agreement between Cheyenne Leasing Company
and the buyer.  It is currently estimated that the Corporation would receive
approximately $13 million as its portion of the sale proceeds.  Because the
sale would generate a book loss, generally accepted accounting principles
require that the Corporation record the estimated loss now, even though the
sale has not been completed.  Accordingly, fiscal 2000 results include a
$1.9 million loss, net of a tax benefit of $1.2 million, from the sale of the
lease portfolio.

The Corporation established a $1,000,000 reserve in the fourth quarter of
fiscal 2000 to cover the expected loss from Genesee Ventures' investment in
Stiffel Company.  The investment in Stiffel  (an Illinois-based manufacturer
of premium lamps and lighting fixtures) was the first of three minority
investments made by Genesee Ventures totaling $2.9 million. The Stiffel
Company was recently forced into liquidation by a senior lender after failing
to satisfy certain loan covenants, resulting in a total loss for all of the
equity investors, including Genesee Ventures.  Genesee Ventures' investment in
Lloyd's Food Products generated pre-tax gains in fiscal 1999 and 2000 totaling
$4 million.  Genesee Ventures continues to hold the third investment, a
minority interest in a remarketer of durable supplies for food service and
industrial users.

GENESEE CORPORATION
 

Comparative Statement of (Loss)/Earnings

FISCAL YEAR    FISCAL YEAR
 

ENDED          ENDED
 

APRIL 29, 2000    MAY 1, 1999
 

As Restated

Net Revenues                                 $45,548,000    $44,893,000

Samuel Adams Sponsors Monday Night Comedy Showcase for Amateur Comedians at the
Comedy Connection July 10, 17,

Showcase Winners Earn Stand Up Opportunity At Samuel Adams Grill & Groove 2000
 Radio Event

 BOSTON, July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Samuel Adams is in search of Boston's best
amateur comedian and will host three Samuel Adams Monday Night Showcases at the
Comedy Connection on Monday July 10, 17, and 24.  The winners of each showcase
will earn the standup chance of a lifetime to appear at the Samuel Adams Grill
& Groove 2000 radio event on Thursday, July 27 at the Samuel Adams Brewery in
Boston.

The Grill & Groove 2000 features 53 radio stations from across the US, Canada
and Australia on July 27 & 28 broadcasting live over 36 hours at the Samuel
Adams Brewery.  The three lucky amateur comedians will do a five-minute standup
routine and compete against four up-and-coming professional comedians for the
right to be named Boston's Best Comedian.

The winner will receive $500 in cold hard cash.  The finalists will receive a
$10 shopping spree in the Samuel Adams Brewery Shop.

The Samuel Adams Monday Night Comedy Showcases will be hosted by veteran Boston
comedian Kevin Knox and will run from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. each Monday.

The Comedy Connection located in the heart of historic Faneuil Hall features
top name talent such as Jon Stewart, Anthony Clark, Chris Rock and Rosie
O'Donnell.  The Comedy Connection presents local and national stand-up seven
nights a week.

BEVision Features Exclusive Story On Consorzio Cal-Italia

    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 6, 2000--During the month of
July, BEVision, a new and innovative in-store television network for U.S. beer,
wine and spirits retail stores that is wholly owned and operated by RMS
Networks, will be airing a two-minute segment featuring Consorzio Cal-Italia, a
group of 60 California vintners dedicated to growing, vinifying and
popularizing Italian varieties to the United States.

    "Gen Xers are looking for a wine-style of their own, and we offer that
alternative," said Bob Cappuccino, founder of Consorzio Cal-Italia. "BEVision
is an excellent medium to communicate attributes and benefits of Cal-Italian
wines to consumers and retailers. We hope to encourage retailers to devote more
space to these wines so that consumers have the opportunity to experience their
delicious flavors and versatility with food."

    BEVision programming content is produced using original content, as well as
content obtained from various programming suppliers, including CNN, E!
Entertainment, Fox, Time Warner and Ziff Davis. Segments entertain customers
while they shop and feature a variety of topics, from wine pairing and mixed
drink recipes to bar stocking tips for home parties and industry trends. Before
and after store operation hours, BEVision will air programming with the purpose
of educating and informing store employees about responsible vending, selling
techniques and state and federal alcohol beverage law updates.

About RMS Networks

    RMS Networks is a premier provider of targeted advertising and information
distributed by broadband satellite networks. Through relationships with
retailers nationwide, RMS transmits digital broadcast-quality, full motion
video programming to retail stores, and thereby provides advertisers with a
platform to target consumers at the point of purchase. Additionally, RMS'
networks can be utilized to deliver training, product information and
company-wide communications to in-store employees. RMS networks are located at
more than 2,560 sites in 49 states as of May 31, 2000, including 1,590 Advance
Auto Parts stores, 830 independent pharmacies, 77 beer, wine and spirits
stores, 59 Planet Hollywood restaurants and 6 Sports Authority locations, and
reach in excess of approximately 790,000 consumers each day. In conjunction
with certain networks, RMS also develops tailored Internet strategies for
retailers and their consumers by designing, providing content for and
maintaining websites that largely parallel and complement the programming of
the in-store video networks. RMS Networks is also capable of supporting two-way
broadband communications and future commercial data transmission services,
including the transmission of retail inventory and credit card data. Additional
Company information can be accessed by visiting www.rmsnetworks.com.

Sweating hordes to converge on Berlin Love Parade

By Daniel Simpson

BERLIN, July 6 (Reuters) - Where will over a million people gather in Europe on
Saturday? And why?

It's not politics, holy fever nor even the secular religion of soccer -- but
the unlikely mix of sweaty exhibitionism and booming techno music that is
Berlin's annual Love Parade.

What began in 1989 as 150 people dancing up West Berlin's main shopping street
behind a solitary float has swelled into the world's biggest dance music rave
party and Saturday's 12th parade is expected to match last year's record
numbers.

But while a global surge in the popularity of music like techno can in part be
put down to the camaraderie fostered by a cocktail of primal tunes and
mind-expanding drugs, the Love Parade's mix of sun, sex and subversion is even
more potent.

Last year it brought 1.5 million to the streets of the German capital -- close
to half its population.

Although its growth has mirrored Berlin's transformation over the past decade
from divided Cold War battlefield to a ``cool'' concoction of culture and
consumer capitalism, it has retained an edge for many of Europe's hardcore
techno fans.

About 250 disc jockeys, including some of the continent's best-known names,
will serve up a wide spectrum of modern dance music from 50 floats cruising
down a wide boulevard bisecting Berlin's Tiergarten park en route to the iconic
Brandenburg Gate.

And the outrageous attire of many ravers -- or lack of it -- not to mention the
porn films shot in the park amid copulating couples seeking refuge in the
trees, preserves some of Berlin's famously decadent hedonism and quasi-anarchy,
and is an echo of Rio de Janeiro's carnival fever.

``The Love Parade is the Berlin carnival,'' saidErnst Haeberle, the general
secretary of the European Federation of Sexology. ``It's just a bundle of sheer
enjoyment of life.''

``BETTER THAN HITLER'S STORM TROOPERS''

Although Saturday's crowds are unlikely to enjoy a similar sun-baked spectacle
to last year, police are still prepared for hot weather -- many of the 3,000
officers patrolling the route have been issued with water pistols to cool
overheated dancers.

About 250 temporary toilets will be erected around the Victory Column in the
middle of the Tiergarten to try and cope with the beer-weakened bladders of a
million-plus crowd.

While the parade is free, the descent of so many young people bent on having a
good time means large amounts of cash will be spent in the city -- which
somewhat reluctantly foots the clean-up bill since the event is classed as a
demonstration.

But its exponential growth, which has spawned sister events in Austria and
Britain this year, has alienated some, who say its branded floats show it has
sold out to commercial interests.

A rival parade, which started life as the Hate Parade in 1997, aims to restore
a counter-cultural edge by offering the most hardcore strains of dance music on
an alternate route through the central Mitte district of East Berlin, itself
rapidly gentrifying.

And the nightclubs which have won the city a reputation as one of Europe's top
party capitals in the decade since the Berlin Wall fell will host a string of
events over the weekend, making the main parade just one dimension of the
experience.

Although many party-goers will be high on little more than the thrill of
exhibitionism, pulsating music and alcohol, large numbers will add an extra
dimension to their weekend by taking ecstasy, amphetamines, cocaine or
hallucinogenic drugs.

Berlin drug workers will lay on water and ``chill out'' areas to try and
minimise immediate risks from taking drugs.

But altered state or not, sexologist Haeberle believes the music is the key to
the mass gathering in Berlin.

``It's a necessary outlet, this techno music. This is an elemental human
need,'' he said.

``Nazi storm troopers once marched down that street, now there's the Love
Parade. Which would you prefer?''

Interbrew, the maker of Stella Artois beer, has hired Merrill Lynch & Co. and
Fortis to coordinate its IPO after 634 years as a private company.  (Globe and
Mail, 7/6)

INTERVIEW - Brazil's AmBev eyes Latam beverage deals

By Adriane Castilho
 
SAO PAULO, July 4 (Reuters) - Brazil's largest beverage maker Companhia de
Bebidas das Americas (AmBev)<AMBV4.SA> looks at foreign acquisitions, like
Uruguayan brewer Salus, as a way to guarantee faster growth than it can achieve
just on the local market.

"We will see if there is a deal every six months," director of AmBev Magim
Rodriguez told Reuters  on Tuesday. Rodriguez is responsible for international
strategy for the company.

Earlier today AmBev said its affiliate beer maker Brahma <BRHA4.SA> and French
food group Danone <DANO.PA> signed an agreement to negotiate the purchase of a
controlling stake in a Uruguayan beer and mineral water company Compania Salus,
Rodriguez said.

Salus is the second largest beer maker in Uruguay and a leader in its local
mineral water market. AmBev, however, produces over three hundred times the
amount of beverages per year in Brazil.

"For AmBev it is a little thing, but for Uruguay it's huge. It is a question of
strategy," Rodriguez said.

The director said that, since the expansion of AmBev on the Brazilian beer
market is limited by Brazil's antitrust council (Cade), the company only has
two means to grow: either buy foreign beer companies or enter other beverage
markets in Brazil.

"It is obvious we are out to buy. So we merged," he said referring to the
mega-merger between Brahma and Antarctica, the two companies that joined to
form AmBev.

"Already we have met with everybody in Latin America. I want to believe that in
six months we will have made another deal," he said without giving further
details.

Rodriguez did not discard the possibility of acquiring more formidable
competitors such as the Argentine Quilmes Industrial.

"I would love to jump out in front with Quilmes. If they want to sell, we are
clearly interested, depending on the price," Rodriguez said.

The purchase of Salus should be formalized in 60 days, after AmBev and Danone
iron out the details.

"We will make the deal in cash for a yet undefined amount of 50-150 million
reais," said Rodriguez. "We will take a closer look at the company and set a
price."

The distribution of the businesses of Salus between Danone and AmBev has not
yet been divvied up, but Rodriguez said his company was not just interested in
beer.

"Danone has a lot of expertise in water and we are looking at this market in
Brazil," he said.

"We already have a brand name, Fratelli Vita, two wells in the state of Bahia
and Parana and another in Sao Paulo state. Our businesses are small in this
area but the market has great potential and we are studying it," he said.

"Today we represent 25 percent of the beer market, but I believe that will
double in five years," Rodriguez added.

Schoerghuber's BrauHolding, Brau und Brunnen Seek Cost Cuts

 
Munich, July 4 (Bloomberg) -- Schoerghuber Group, the owner of Bayerische
BrauHolding AG, and HypoVereinsbank AG, the majority owner of Brau und Brunnen
AG, agreed to combine their drinks units in a bid to cut costs and boost market
share.

Terms of the transaction have yet to be agreed. Brau und Brunnen, in which
HypoVereinsbank owns 55 percent, has a market value of 197.5 million euros
($188 million). BrauHolding, which has less sales but is profitable, is worth
589 million euros.

The combination will create a beer and soft-drink company with annual sales of
about 2.43 billion deutsche marks ($1.2 billion) and brands such as Paulaner
and Jerver. The new company will leapfrog Holsten Brauerei as Germany's biggest
brewer.

``We expect increased earnings thanks to cost cuts in particular in the areas
of logistics, distribution, purchasing and information technology,'' the
companies said at a press briefing, adding that the market environment is
``difficult.''

Germany's more than 1,2000 brewers are combining as sales in the country's $8.8
billion industry haven't budged in years as consumers opt for international
brews or for soft drinks.

Brau und Brunnen, which lost 86.8 million marks in 1999, has been in the red in
four of the past five years. BrauHolding, while profitable, barely makes money
in its main beer business.

HypoVereinsbank and the Schoerghuber Group will be the main shareholders in the
combined entity, the companies said, without giving details. HypoVereins,
Germany's No. 2 bank, is expected to sell the beer stake down the line,
analysts have said.

The companies will give details on the combination over the next few months,
BrauHolding and Brau und Brunnen said. The merger valuation is being assessed
by the companies' managements and their auditors. Boston Consulting Group also
advises.

Baltic Beverages Holdings to Invest Further in Siberian Brewery

St. Petersburg, Russia, July 4 (Bloomberg)-- Baltic Beverages Holdings, a 50-50
joint venture between Scandinavian brewers Pripps Ringnes AB and Hartwall Oyj,
will invest $34 million in AO Pikra, a Siberian brewery.

Baltic Beverages, which bought 50 percent of Pikra in December and owns 70
percent of AO Baltica Brewery, Russia's No. 2 brewery by sales, said demand in
the region is outstripping production.

``The market in Siberia is growing at a rate of about 30 percent a year,'' said
Svetlana Yurchenko, Pikra's marketing director. ``We cannot keep up with demand
and plan to expand production with the . . . investment.''

Baltic Beverages hopes to benefit from soaring demand for Russian beer, which
has grown after the collapse of the ruble in August 1998 made imported brands
more expensive.

The Scandinavian company, which increased its Russian market share from 20
percent in 1999 to 26 percent this year, owns 12 breweries in Russia and the
Ukraine.

Since 1995, per-capita beer consumption increased from 18.9 liters to 25
liters, according to Business Analytica, a Russian market research company.

The company said it plans to invest about $100 million each year, over the
several years.

``We have a long-term commitment to the Russian market, where beer consumption
is growing rapidly,'' said Baltic Beverages President Christian Ramm Schmidt.
The company ``will continue to expand in Russia.''  

'Third Way' guru says Britain must end inequality

By Elisabeth Eaves

LONDON, July 6 (Reuters) - The man who came up with the idea of a political
``Third Way'' says Britain under Prime Minister Tony Blair, long a champion of
the concept, has a long way to go to achieve its aim of greater equality.
Governments around the world have laid claim to the Third Way, saying they are
balancing the forces of capitalism with social justice to achieve
rich-yet-egalitarian societies.

But in his new book ``The Third Way to a Good Society,'' to be released on
Thursday, sociologist Amitai Etzioni says economic inequality is in danger of
destroying the achievements of Blair's Labour Party, which swept to power in
1997 on a platform that included narrowing the income gap.  ``If you have an
elite of people who live in fancy apartments behind locked doors, as you do in
Britain, they get completely disconnected from the rest of the community,''
Etzioni told Reuters by telephone.

The George Washington University professor first coined the term ``Third Way''
in his 1994 book ``The Spirit of Community.''

In his new book he calls for Britain to impose more taxes on investment income,
cooperate with other countries to eliminate tax havens, and to cut off
government support for universities he deems elitist, like Oxford.

He also writes that leaders should drink beer and sandwiches with working-class
people ``rather than limiting their outings to posh yuppie restaurants,'' and
that they should pay more visits to roadside fast food restaurants and pubs
rather than the Royal Opera House.

WHAT IS IT?

Though a ``third way'' in politics has been promoted by leaders ranging from
U.S. President Bill Clinton to new Mongolian Prime Minister Nambariin
Enkhbayar, no one has a precise definition.

A meeting of Blair, Clinton, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French and
Italian leaders last year was tagged the ``Third Way summit'' by the media. But
German officials backed away from using the term to describe a similar meeting
of 14 centre-left leaders in Berlin last month.

Prime Minister Lionel Jospin of France has said his country is saying ``yes''
to a market economy while saying ``no'' to a market society.

But he has voiced suspicion about the ``Third Way'' of Blair and Schroeder, who
last year issued a joint manifesto expounding the concept.

Some argue that the term is window dressing for old-fashioned
free-marketeering.

Masen Pirie, president of free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute,
calls it ``Thatcherism in softer tones.''

``It represents a difference in style rather than substance,'' Pirie said. ``We
are talking about market policies, but a pattern of speech which is more
inclusive, more conciliatory and more compassionate.''

Even Etzioni concedes it can come across as unclear. In his new book he quotes
a Third Way description from the Economist magazine: ``Trying to pin down an
exact meaning is like wrestling an inflatable man. If you get a grip on one
limb, all the hot air rushes to another.''  He writes that the Third Way is an
ethical position that treats people as ends in themselves, with influences
including the Bible and ancient Greek teachings.

``It's fuzzy around the edges, but all political ideas are fuzzy,'' Etzioni
said.

http://avlbeta.altavista.com/tech/scripts/editorial.dll?ei=1949209&ern=y

How To Cook Bratwurst In Your Car

Eric Gutoski

Things needed:
- A six pack of really cheap beer
- Tin foil
- Bratwurst
- 1 Onion (sliced)
- Duct Tape
- Propensity to eat almost anything
The hearty denizens of the Upper Midwest are famous for their stoic
demeanor, Lutheran work ethic and gigantism (probably brought on by
years of consuming bovine growth hormone fortified dairy products). In
the land of sky blue waters and endless winters, the pleasures of the
menfolk are simple, as they know two things: 1) There is nothing more
natural for a man than to drive with a cold brew between his legs, and
2) nothing beats the artery-clogging taste of a juicy beer-boiled brat.
This easy-to-make recipe combines both of these pleasures, and makes for
a great first date.

STEP ONE: Slice an onion.

STEP TWO: Crack your first "coldie," pouring half of it down your throat
and reserving the other half of the liquid for step three. This is
called "getting primed."

STEP THREE: Making a crude bowl of the tin foil, add the bratwurst,
onions and the remainder of the first beer. Use a separate sheet of foil
to tightly wrap the bowl into a bundle, being careful to not let any of
the beer leak out.

STEP FOUR: Duct-tape the bundle to your manifold. If you don't know what
a manifold looks like, go back to cooking in your EZ Bake oven.

STEP FIVE: Start cooking. By cooking, we mean have your date drive you
around the highways and byways of this great nation as you polish off
the rest of the six pack. You can use this time to listen to some Bob
Seger and brag about your glory days on the high school football team
and the unfulfilled promise that was your youth.

STEP SIX: Using your bare hands, remove the bundle from the manifold.
Hot, isn't it? Maybe next time you'll use heavy-duty work gloves or your
softball mitt.

STEP SEVEN: Enjoy the subtle delicacy you have just prepared. Note the
way the beer has infused with the piping hot pork grease that sears your
tongue. Savor the subtle melange of caramelized onion and exhaust fumes.
(Pre-catalytic converter engines will produce slightly different
results)

STEP EIGHT: If you're still hungry, repeat steps 1-7 until arrested.

Nice piece entitled, "Specialty beer importers: good life, hard work " by  JIM
DORSCH

http://www.usahops.org/board/board.cgi?message=41&topic=4

Swiss Business Briefs:Assoc Against Feldschloesschen Sale

Dow Jones Newswires

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland -- The Association of independent Swiss
Microbreweries has asked the government to block the sale of
Feldschloesschen brewery on the grounds it would stifle competition and
prevent the liberalization of the Swiss beer market.

http://www.toledoblade.com:80/editorial/biz/0g06buck.htm

Venerable name in beer returns to its hometown

Mike Berry, owner of Glass City Brew on Premises, in Perrysburg, tends  to a
batch of Buckeye Beer. (Toledo Blade photo)After a 28-year absence, Toledo's
Buckeye Beer is  back in town.

"We think we're pretty close to the original,'' said Toledoan Dave
Kulish, president of Buckeye Beer, Ltd. "We had one gentleman who tried
it and he said, 'All I ever drank was Buckeye.' He said it was about 95
per cent close. I don't think we're going to get better than that.''

Mr. Kulish, 38, and his business partners, John Spieker III, 42, of
Canton, Mich., and Jay Tillman, 40, of Saginaw, Mich., have spent the
last five years trying to reproduce Buckeye - the first beer the three
brothers-in-law tried in their youth and the beer their parents preferred.

The fledgling enterprise is making about 200 cases a week of bottled
Buckeye at Glass City Brew on Premises Co. in Perrysburg. The brand made
its return last week and is being sold at 41 area bars, restaurants, and
retail outlets, including The Andersons and Tony Packo's.

A six-pack costs $5.99, and is competing against a myriad of fancy beers
and ales.

Jim Heltebrake, wine shop manager at The Andersons on Talmadge Road,
said that of the 30 cases of Buckeye the store received this week just
three were left yesterday.

"We've been playing off the nostalgia. We've been having periodic
announcements about it and asking people to relate their Buckeye beer
stories to us. Most kind of scratch their head and say, 'Boy I haven't
seen that in 25 years or so,' " said Mr. Heltebrake, who himself is too
young to have tasted Buckeye.

The Buckeye Brewing Co. began making Buckeye at Bush and Champlain
streets in Toledo in 1838. Chicago-based Meister Brau, Inc., bought
Buckeye in 1966 and brewed the first Meister Brau Lite beer in Toledo.

In 1972 Miller Brewing Co., of Milwaukee - realizing that the future
would include light beers - bought the Buckeye and Meister Brau Lite
labels. The new owner changed Meister Brau Lite to Miller Lite, moved
Buckeye beer production to Milwaukee, then stopped making the beer in
late 1972.

Miller's nonuse of the Buckeye name allowed the local group to grab the
trademark for use in Ohio.

The group does not yet hold a federal trademark, a status that would
permit sales of Buckeye across state lines, but they are confident they
will win it. Under federal trademark rules, nonuse of a trademarked name
for at least three consecutive years can constitute abandonment of the
name.

The former Buckeye label could not be used on the new beer because it
remains under copyright protection.

Mr. Kulish said that in reviving Buckeye, the group knew it would have
tough standards to meet. So they researched how the beer might have been
made, given what was available; tried to match ingredients; talked to
former brewery workers; asked fans of Buckeye beer to be taste testers,
and revised their formula seven times.

They couldn't be sure of the aging time used for Buckeye. So Mr. Kulish
visited the former distribution warehouse at Bush and Champlain, and,
while poking around in the basement, he found - still written in chalk
on a blackboard - a timetable for brewing, aging, and delivery.

"It was all still down there from the day the brewery closed,'' he said.

http://news.excite.com/news/pr/000704/ny-ambev-stock-option

AmBev and Groupe Danone Sign a Stock Option Purchase Agreement Of an

July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- AmBev -- American Beverage  Company, through its

the second largest share. The interest of both companies for Salus is

explained by the Patricia brand strong penetration and to the clear
leadership in the local mineral water market.

The Uruguayan beverage market sizes 5 million hectoliters, which
represents a consumption rate of 146 liters/inhabitant/year. The
consumption rate is 140 liters/inhabitant/year in Brazil. The largest
markets by volume are the mineral water (31.4%) and the soft drinks
(also 31.4%) ones. In the soft drinks segment Salus has products made of
grapefruit and orange. Wine represents 21% of the consumption while beer
represents 16.3%. The market shares by volume in Brazil are 54.2% for
soft drinks, 39.4 for beer, 5.3 for water and 1% for wine.

For additional information please contact AmBev Investor Relations:
Milton Cabral Filho, (5511) 3741-7560, acmi...@ambev.com.br or Vanessa
Barion, (5511) 3741-7553, acba...@ambev.com.br

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/finance/2000/0706/fin11.htm

A man of many and varied interests

By John McManus

Membership of the Beer Institute is an unusual qualification for a
would-be airline chief executive but necessary if you are the head of
Heineken's operations in North America.  But it is the least significant of Mr
Michael Foley's extra mural  activities which include being a director of the
American Ireland Fund
and the Ireland-US Council for Commerce. Mr Foley has been president and chief
executive officer of Heineken USA  since 1994 and during that period has helped
the Dutch brewing group  establish itself as a leading player in the
ultra-competitive US beer
market. Heineken USA has revenues of $650 million (euro68 million) and  more
than 250 employees. Aer Lingus has not reported any results since  1998 when it
made a profit of £52.4 million on a turnover of £901  million.

The airline employs more than8,300 people. A chartered accountant by
training, Mr Foley joined Murphy Brewery Ireland - a subsidiary of
Heineken - in 1983 as financial controller. Previously he had worked as
an accountant with the Irish subsidiaries of Japanese and US
multinationals.  He then became sales and marketing director and in 1989 was
appointed
managing director of Murphy Brewery Ireland. He is from Enniscorthy, Co
Wexford, and lives with his wife Nóirín and their three children in Rye,
New York. He graduated from University College, Dublin, in 1972 with a
degree in commerce.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=297269&
in_review_text_id=241621

Big night out ends in shame

by Valentine Low

Euan Blair's big night out started out as a celebration with friends to
mark the end of his GCSE exams. It ended with him cooling his heels in
the cells at Charing Cross police station after being arrested for being
drunk and incapable.  What occurred in between - how a 16-year-old boy got
quite so drunk,  what happened to his friends - will, for the moment, have to
remain a
mystery.

The result, however, has now been well established: by around 10.50 last
night, when Leicester Square was full of people leaving bars,  restaurants and
cinemas to go home, Euan Blair was very drunk and very  ill, lying on the
ground by railings opposite the Odeon Leicester  Square.

It was the police who spotted him first. "He was clearly ill and had
been vomiting,"  Downing Street said in a statement. It was hardly an unusual
sight for
Leicester Square - thousands of young people pass through every night,
many of them on the way to getting paralytically drunk.

Every night police arrest an average of 70 people in the area for  everything
from assault and criminal damage to drunken behaviour and  possession of
cannabis.

However Euan was clearly in sufficiently bad a state to give the
officers concern. "An ambulance was called but ambulance personnel
decided he didn't need hospital treatment  and he was then taken by the police
to Charing Cross," said Downing  Street. "He was, in the view of the police,
drunk and incapable."

Where he had been drinking is, for the moment, unclear - although no
doubt it would be something that his parents would want to establish
when they talked to him this morning.  Staff at the bars neighbouring the Odeon
cinema - the Moon on the Water,  Radio Café and the nightclub Storm - insisted
he had not been drinking  in their premises.

A spokesman for Radio Café said: "As far as we are concerned there were
no youngsters here last night or anybody in an extremely drunk state."

It is possible Euan and his friends tried to get served at the Firkin
Brewery pub in Bear Street. Barman Chris, 25, said: "A tallish blond boy
came in with some friends and asked to be served alcohol.

"But because they looked under age we asked them for ID and when they
didn't have any they were asked to leave."

As Euan lay comatose there were plenty of witnesses who saw his plight,
but all failed to realise that it was the Prime Minister's son.  A security
guard at the Odeon cinema said: "An ambulance did arrive last  night and a
young man was taken inside for a short while. I didn't  recognise him."

Eyewitness Julie Macdonald, a producer for LBC radio, also came across
the scene in Leicester Square. She said: "I saw him lying absolutely
motionless on the pavement. He had a couple of policemen standing over
him. There were two ambulances and there seemed to be more police
arriving.

"There didn't seem to be anything else happening except a lot of people
standing around and I thought to myself, if he's not hurt, why does he
seem to be lying on the pavement.

"I didn't see him staggering around, I just saw him lying absolutely
motionless. There seemed to be a lot of discussion between the police
and eventually I saw him being helped to his feet, and after that I
left."

Ironically, a crowd of journalists walked past his prostrate body and
totally failed to realise that the news was happening under their own
noses.

"A big media audience had been to see the new Jim Carrey comedy," said
freelance Bob Eborall.

"We were walking past the Odeon Leicester Square and there was a young
man lying on his side.

A policeman was standing by him and there was an ambulance further back.
You often see this sort of thing in Leicester Square - I don't think
anybody took much notice. It is one of those ironies."

His parents, meanwhile, were at home in Downing Street, and beginning to
get worried. The Prime Minister, who was working on a speech he was due
to give this afternoon to a religious group in Brighton, knew he had
gone out but started to be concerned when he did not return home.

At the police station Euan was questioned by officers, and decided to
give the false name of Euan John, as well as an out-of-date address and
a date of birth which would have made him 18.

Police then searched him and discovered his true identity. They
immediately called the Special Branch at Number 10 and officers from
Downing Street went to the police station and confirmed his identity.

It was only then that the Blairs were told what had happened to Euan.
The police drove him home at 2am.

Euan Blair did not go to school today. He will, at some point in the
future, have to return to Charing Cross.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "The youth will return to Charing
Cross police station at an appropriate time to be dealt with in line
with Metropolitan youth justice procedures."

http://www.post-gazette.com/magazine/20000706beercup2.asp

Local brewers bring home medals from World Beer Cup

- July 06, 2000, By Bob Batz Jr., Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Pittsburgh no longer makes enough steel to proclaim itself to the world
as the Steel City.  How about, for this century, we dub it the Dark Beer City?

Pittsburgh brewers won not one but two medals in the dark beer category
at the prestigious 2000 World Beer Cup International Competition, which
pitted them against 369 other brewers from 38 other countries.

The biannual beer contest attracted 1,127 entries, which were judged in
64 different styles. In the European-Style Dark/Munch-ner Dunkel
category, there were 19 entries and, appropriately, a German winner --
for the silver medal (Brauerei Aying, near Munich).

But the gold medal -- for the "world-class beer that accurately
exemplifies the specified style" -- went to Penn Dark, made by the
Pennsylvania Brewing Co. in Pittsburgh's once-Germanic neighborhood at
the base of Troy Hill.

The bronze medal went to the Pious Monk Dunkel, made by the Church Brew
Works, the brewpub/restaurant in a former Irish Catholic church in
Lawrenceville.  Both brewers, and in fact both brews, have won other awards,
including
gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival. But in beer, as in
soccer, the World Cup is the biggie -- the self-styled brewing Olympics.

"We're just so flattered," says Penn Brewery owner Tom Pastorius, who is
especially proud to have bested a respected German brewery at its own
game.

The Church's head brewer, Bryan Pearson, is just as pleased: "I don't
mind at all being classed in the same group as the Ayinger brewery."

Both brewers will do a little marketing bragging about their "world's
best" beers. Meanwhile, as Pastorius put it, "We better get ready and
make a lot more."

The World Beer Cup is sponsored by the U.S.-based Association of
Brewers, which held the first one in Vail, Colo., in 1996. This year's
competition was judged in Milwaukee in April, and the results were
announced in New York last month.

Pennsylvania -- one of 30 states represented -- had a couple of other
winners.

Stoudt's Honey Double Mai Bock from Stoudt's Brewing Co. in Adamstown,
Lancaster County, won a gold for German-Style Helles Bock/Mailbock.

Liebotschaner Cream Ale by the Lion Brewery Inc. in Wilkes-Barre,
Luzerne County, won a bronze for American Lager/Ale or Cream Ale.

http://www.breworld.com/NEWS/COMPANYNEWS/STORIES/12707.htm

Thomas Hardy's Ale Dead?

JULY 5, 2000 - Thomas Hardy's Ale, one of the most sought after strong
ales around, may be history. Phoenix Imports of Ellicott City, Md., which
imports the beer, recently  learned that the Thomas Hardy Brewery of
Dorchester, England, ceased  production of all Eldridge Pope brands.

Pope began producing the beer in 1968, and it soon became a cult
classic. It was first made at the request of the Thomas Hardy Society to
mark the 40th anniversary of the author's death, and for years was the
strongest regularly brewed beer in the world.

Each vintage was blended from as many as six different brews and
underwent three fermentations.  In 1997, Eldridge Pope & Co. sold the Thomas
Hardy Brewery to focus on  its pubs and wine imports. In buying the brewery,
former Courage Brewing  production director Peter Ward said that his prime
target was to  "acquire business from national brewers looking for spare
capacity to  cope with peak demand and smaller run length brands..."

Hardy's was one of the small run brands. When Phoenix placed its order
for the 2000 vintage, company president George Saxon was told that
"because of major changes which have taken place within the Eldridge
Pope Management team, Thomas Hardy (Brewery) has ceased production of
their major brands. Therefore, Hardy's Ale is no longer available."

Phoenix has initiated talks with Eldridge Pope, which retains ownership
of the brand, about finding another brewer to produce the beer. Pope has
indicated interest but while talks continue it is obvious there will not
be time to brew a 2000 vintage. "It's rather ironic that The Thomas Hardy
Brewery will not longer  produce Thomas Hardy's Ale," Saxon said, "but I can
assure all Hardy's  fans that we are making every effort to save this product
from the dustbin of classic English beers."

http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/jul00/econ-edit070100.asp

Will state once again lead?

From the Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin once played a key role in the nation's economy. At various
times, the state was the center of the dairy and brewery industries.
Milwaukee was the nation's tool shop and machine tool maker for the
world. The latest submarines were made in Manitowoc. Parts of the first
atomic bomb were made in West Allis.

That was then; this is now.

As a Journal Sentinel series (The New Economy) points out, Wisconsin has
fallen behind in the scramble for treasures of the new economy, the
high-tech businesses that are shaping much of the nation's prosperity.

An economic summit called for this fall by University of Wisconsin
System leaders is a good start. Allow us to make some suggestions on
what summit members might consider:

*        A tax atmosphere more conducive to business start-ups; as part of that,

state officials might want to stop talking about new sales taxes on
e-commerce.
*        Local governments that encourage start-ups when they can and get out of

the way at other times. In particular, Milwaukee and Madison need to
think more in terms of cooperation, and everyone needs to look at the
I-94 corridor linking the two as the ideal high-tech zone it could
become.
*        Schools that provide the kind of education the new economy requires.

There are other ideas, and there will be more detailed discussion of the
above suggestions.

What's important to note now is that the state is at a crossroads. While
not taking the high-tech road won't leave us with empty towers in a
desolate landscape, there will be consequences. The question people have to ask
themselves is whether they want a state  where their kids can choose between
working at Wal-Mart and Noah's Ark,  or a state where their kids can work at
Wal-Mart, Noah's Ark or the latest hot dot-com.

http://news.excite.com/news/ap/000704/01/farm-scene

Ga Peanut Crop Smallest in 18

ELLIOTT MINOR, Associated Press Writer

ALBANY, Ga. (AP) - Georgia farmers, hit by drought, cheap imports and
low commodity prices, are looking to harvest their smallest peanut crop
since 1982.

"At planting time we just didn't have many opportunities," Don Koehler,
executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission, said Monday. "They
chose to do something different with their land resources."

Growers planted 510,000 acres of peanuts, 36,000 fewer than last year
and 30,000 fewer than in 1998, according to a survey by the Georgia
Agricultural Statistics Service.

Georgia produces almost half the nation's domestic peanut supplies, much
of it for peanut butter.

Growers are expected to harvest from about 507,000 acres, but Koehler
said that acreage could be less because of a third straight summer of
drought.

Prices on the world market, where U.S. peanuts have to compete with
lower-priced peanuts from China and Argentina, have plunged in recent
years. Domestically, 180,000 tons of U.S.-grown peanuts have been
displaced by foreign peanuts after trade agreements opened previously
closed American markets.

Koehler said Georgia's 2000 peanut crop may be worth less than $400
million, a plunge that will have a major economic affect on 70 south
Georgia counties where peanuts are grown.

---

"Goldenbru…

Our Beer brewed in a brewery

Special Lager Goldenbru

One fine drinking lager, made with drinking in mind"

Top of ad is a huge quote with a photo of the Brewmaster:
"Nobody spends more time harvesting wheat, selecting hops and rolling in the
dough." – Dan Hardie, 3rd Generation Brewmaster

Copy: " I remember standing in the middle of my granddaddy’s wheat field when
he taught me his rules for brewing the perfect beer. "One," he said, "never
skimp on ingredients. And two,"

Big banner quote next:
-------------------
In business since 1957. Filthy stinkin’ rich since 1998
-------------------
"…well, he never did get around to two before John Herman ran him down with
that big Combine of his. In time, the people of Goldenbru learned to view the
accident as a blessing in disguise. See, Grandaddy knew tons about brewing, but
he knew diddly about things like outsourcing, e-commerce and workforce
management. So when I inherited the company, I made sure to hire SPHERION.
They’re not like those typical consultants….And every time we open a new
brewery, SPHERION is there to bring in a fresh crop. Of people, that is. Upper
management. Engineers. Legal, you name it. They even created software that does
all our screening and recruiting on line. Thanks to SPHERION, I can spend more
time doing what I love. Like studying the subtle differences in amber hues and
hanging around with the boys around the conditioning tank listening to Dave the
brew taster try and put a complete sentence together…

Big banner quote next:
-------------------
My grandaddy used to say, "A Goldenbru is only as good as the people behind
it." He was right. Before SPHERION started doing our recruiting, you could
barely drink the stuff.

www.spherion.com

http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-000987.html

Hops top-selling brewpub chain

Brew Brothers in Nevada remains No. 1 producing brewpub
JUNE 27, 2000 - The Hops, Bar & Brewery chain passed Rock Bottom
Restaurants to become the largest-selling brewpub group in the United
States, according to figures compiled by the Institute for Brewing
Studies.

Hops, which now operates more than 70 pubs, estimated selling 37,500
barrels of beer in 1999, compared to 33,500 by Rock Bottom.

Brew Brothers in Reno, Nev., remained the highest-selling single-site
brewpub in the U.S. with sales of 5,240 barrels.

According to IBS figures, as of June 12, the total number of brewpubs
operating in the U.S. reached 1,021. The brewpub industry reached this
mark despite a decrease in the number of new openings, from 149 in 1998
to 122 in 1999. The number of closings decreased as well, from 79 in
1998 to 68 in 1999.

"Basically, these slowed closing and opening rates indicate the
stabilization of the market as more veterans remain in the industry,
fewer unsuccessful participants are forced to drop out, and fewer
newcomers attempt to enter the industry," said David Edgar, director of
the Institute for Brewing Studies, "That notwithstanding, the strong
growth opportunities in craft brewing are now clearly located in
brewpubs."

1999 U.S. Top Ten Individual Brewpubs
(Measured by total volume of beer sold.)

Company        1999 Sales             % change
1. Brew Brothers/Eldorado Hotel and Casino (NV)           5,240         -14
2. Wynkoop Brewing Co. (CO)        4,047        +2
3. Monte Carlo Pub and Brewery (NV)        3,500        +9
4. Big Buck Brewery, Auburn Hills (MI)        2,753        -16
5. Marin Brewing Co. (CA)        2,710        +9
6. Boston Beer Works (MA)        2,683        +2
7. Rock Bottom Brewery-Denver (CO)        2,644        -6
8. Bluegrass Brewing Co. (KY)        2,500         +6
9. Eel River Brewing Co. (CA)        2,500        N/A
10. Elysian Brewing Co. (WA)        2,350        +9

1999 U.S. Top 5 Brewpub Groups
(Measured by total volume of beer sold; does not include production-only
breweries.)

Company          Sales           % change          Stores          Change
1. Hops Restaurant, Bar, Brewery        37,741           +33        64         +16
2. Rock Bottom Restaurants (a)        33,589        +13        26        +2
3. McMenamin's Breweries        20,808        -1        22        +2
4. RAM Int'l/Bighorn/Humperdinks (b)          13,840        +13         17        0
5. Gordon Biersch        13,572        +37        12         +2
* Excluding non-brewing restaurants

(a) Including Walnut Brewery and 'Chop House and Brewery' (Cleveland,
Denver and District) operations
(b) Including C.B. & Potts/Bighorn Brewing Co., Humperdinks/Big Horn
Brewing Co. and C.I. Shenanigans
(c) Includes Rock Bottom Breweries of Charlotte and Atlanta, A1A
Alehouse, Ragtime Tavern and Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery

http://www.beer.com/news/bee/bee/2000/06/27/962133206950.html

Masato and the forest spirits...
 
ALAN D. EAMES ,beer.com

In the lost places of this ever shrinking world, the women follow their
goddesses in the crafting of a rainbow of brews that inspire drinkers in
a dizzy dance with the female spirits of creation. In some realms,
however, there are no gods...no goddesses...only spirits and heroes. In
the vast areas of Amazonia, the brewsters of scores of tribes have no
notion of god - not even a female one. Rather, spirits are everywhere
and all controlling of the affairs of mankind including the sacred,
woman's task of beer-making. And in this rain forest of endless green
with snaking, brown, muddy rivers, the beer of the Indian has always
been masato - gift of female spirits to the living daughters of men.

You see it first from the air. After an hour's bone-rattling journey in
the bush plane, about the time your fear of death in a crash is replaced
by the total discomfort of the cramped, fume-filled cabin, the pilot
spears his finger downwards, jabbing towards a clearing in the endless
green monotony below. I see a clearing not far from the tea-colored
river that winds its way to the horizon. As we circle, tiny figures
emerge from forest shadows looking skyward, the hands of these toy-like
figures raised in salute, shading their eyes as we fly at them out of
the sun's glare. Little figures scurry about below as we drop to
tree-top level for another look at these Stone Age farmers. "Manioc
fields," my pilot roars above the din of this horror of an airplane,
where I sit Buddha-like, surrounded by blue exhaust that is quickly
making me sick. Manioc, I think to myself. The stuff of beer. Perhaps
the oldest of all beers as well as the source for most of the diet of
those Indians down below.

Days later, by boat and foot, we return to this village to offer gifts
and to drink the Indian's ancient brew.

The imagination of mankind needs more to dream about than a walk on the
moon. Once, the jungles of South America and its hidden tribes and
animals - legends of lost cities, head-shrinking hostiles and all the
rest of the "Green Hell" imagery of storybooks - provided the locale
careworn city dwellers mused about running away to. Sadly, all the
customs and cultures of jungle beer-makers is going, going...nearly
gone. In a few places, glimpses may yet be had of the old ways but as I
was to sit with Indians drinking their wonderful, heady beers, I would
inwardly cringe at the "Michael Jackson World Tour" T-shirt across the
way. It seems not a single tribe has managed to escape the most vapid of
our world's cultural trash.

Along with chicha [corn beer], masato is the oldest style of brew known.
Archaeologists have traced complex farming of fermentable grains and
tubers dating back 10,000 years in the Amazon basin, placing Latin
America neck and neck with Africa as the possible birthplace of beer.
Manioc, that source of every kid's dessert nightmare - tapioca - is no
stranger to the beers of the Western world. World War II grain shortages
introduced manioc to a generation of English ale drinkers who, not
knowing, never noticed this ancient brewing ingredient.

Masato beer comes in a rainbow of colors: milky white, amber, brown,
yellow and even bluish-white, depending on the techniques employed by
individual brewsters. Usually of 2 to 5% alcohol by volume, some masato
- buried under floors of long houses and left for years to fester -
achieves a skull-popping 14% alcohol strength...the highest obtainable
with ambient yeasts.

The manioc plant [also called cassava or yucca] is the tuber Manihot
Esculenta, a starchy root supporting a 10-foot high plant that comes in
a sweet as well as bitter variety. Eaten like a potato, made into flour,
or prepared in dozens of ways, the skin of the manioc tuber is very rich
in prussic acid. One of creation's deadlier poisons, prussic acid must
be removed from this plant native to South America.

As bread or beer, the beginnings are the same. Clearing the rain forest
is men's work. After that, women take over completely. Bent over in the
sun, tribal women plant cuttings into holes made with pointed sticks.
When planting is done, some groups place spirit stones along garden
borders to protect the crop from everything from evil spirits to wild
animals. During the eight-month growing season, the brewsters tend the
garden, endlessly weeding the rows of plants. One group, the Barasana,
blame the weeds on men. According to legend, women at the dawn of time
told their husbands to keep the hell away from the manioc fields. Men,
being men, had to peek to find out the secret of where beer came from.
Their spying provoked the spirits to introduce weeds into the fields -
and thus into the world at large.

Through Indian eyes, a manioc field is a special, feminine place. A
woman in the manioc field cannot be pursued there by men. Some brewsters
choose to birth their babies there, as the manioc spirit is kindly. The
women's fields are sacred enough to add spice to any sexual encounter -
married or unmarried - such that manioc fields are a kind of "lovers'
lane" of the jungle.

Once harvested, the poison is removed from the peel either by soaking,
peeling or scrubbing with a grater. Boiling removes the poison entirely.
However, if the peel is soaked, the poison can be saved by mixing the
liquid with chili peppers to make a kind of Tabasco sauce. It can then
be used to kill fish or remove tics from dogs and people.

In beer making, masticated [chewed] manioc is spit into a beer pot. The
enzyme pytalin in human saliva converts starch into fermentable sugar.
Another method calls for leaving damp tubers in a cool, shady place
until covered with mold. Beer pots [depending on the tribe] range from
the small [2-6 gallon] to 30 gallon size and larger. If even greater
amounts of brew are contemplated, a canoe is scrubbed and used as a
fermenting vessel. Ambient, airborne yeast infects the mash and
fermentation begins.

Some cultures won't allow a beer-making brewster to engage in sex during
the brewing cycle. Masato beer is made to be drunk...all of it. For most
"pristine' Indian groups, women make beer, serve beer, supervise the
men, hide weapons, but seldom get drunk themselves. Social beer drinking
is in every sense, a beer orgy. The men drink till every drop is gone.
Bloated with brew, the men puke where they sit, making room for still
more beer. Native narcotics are further employed - sometimes added to
the beer or nibbled as an appetizer. Foggy headed drinkers clear their
heads during beer-bashes by snorting pepper sauce up their noses while
the vomit stick (spatula) empties the gut in preparation for further
drinking.

Tasting from the tart and sour to the faintly sweet with a hint of
raisins in the aftertaste, masato's flavors are as varied as the
numberless tribes that brew this most ancient of beers. It would be a
great mistake to assume that primitive, prototypical beers must somehow
taste awful. In spite of particulate matter floating about inside and
the variability of taste and quality, the best masato beers rival and
remind the western drinker of the beers of Belgium.

It is only a matter of time before masato and the peoples who brew them
have disappeared. Under pressure from our world, the old ways will soon
survive only in the dusty pages of obscure anthropological journals,
but, for a beer drinker, there is nothing to compare with the experience
of sitting with forest people at twilight deep within the jungle canopy
drinking ancient beer and listening - perhaps for the last time - to the
tribal tales and stories. This, then, was how it all began.

http://www.jsonline.com/enter/planit/jul00/beer07070600.asp

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THIS STORY

Beer here! Things are really hoppin' at area's microbreweries and brew pubs

By Kathy Flanigan of the Journal Sentinel staff, July 7, 2000

One brewery and two brew pubs are featured in the summertime Weekend
Brewery Tour, a water-guided jaunt to beer places along the river.
Transportation for the three-hour tour (just try saying that without
humming a certain TV show theme song) is aboard a 44-passenger pontoon
boat called "The Brew City Queen." Tours begin at 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
at Lakefront Brewery, 1872  N. Commerce St., then head down the Milwaukee River
to Rock Bottom  Restaurant and Brewery, 740 N. Plankinton Ave., and the
Milwaukee Ale
House, 233 N. Water St.

Tour times are staggered, and patrons can determine at which
establishment they wish to start. The cost is $12, plus $3 for the
Lakefront Brewery bottomless glass tastings. Reservations are required;
call (414) 283-9999. Thinking big? Try the Miller tour

If you want to see how a big beer is brewed, it's Miller Time. The Miller
Brewing Co. offers free guided indoor/outdoor walking tours  that include a
theater presentation, a visit to the packaging and  shipping centers and a look
at the brew house as well as the historic
Caves museum.

The Visitor Center & Gift Shop, 4251 W. State St., is open from 10 a.m.
to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Tours are held between 11 a.m. and
3:30 p.m. and last about 90 minutes.

Product samples, the important part, are served in the Bavarian-style
Miller Inn or the seasonal outdoor beer garden. Visitors receive three
samples of Miller beer.

The tours cover four blocks both inside and outside, and visitors must
be prepared to climb 30 stairs. Children are allowed on the tour with an
adult. Strollers are not allowed.

Reservations are required for groups of 15 or more but are not accepted
on Saturdays. Call (414) 931-2337 or (800) 944-5483, or visit
www.millerbrewing.com.

It's summer. It's hot. And you're stopped on the street by some tourists
in search of a brewery. This is Brew City, after all.

You could aim them toward Miller Brewing Co., which hosts a fine but
somewhat impersonal tour of the brewing process for its many adult
beverages.

Or you could speak like a micro-brew-loving native and give specific
directions by land and by water to nearly a dozen small breweries and
brew pubs that quench the thirst of the four-county area.

Talking beer with people who  really love it is fun. It's educational. And you
get to meet actual  brewmasters, the chefs who craft lagers and ales.

The following is a list of brewery tours and brew pubs. So the next time
some guy in black socks and Birkenstock sandals taps you on the shoulder
looking for the brewery where Laverne and Shirley worked in some
fictional TV series from the 1970s, you'll be able to set him straight
and send him back home happy - all the while knowing you've done your
best to be a Milwaukee ambassador of beer.

Bottoms up.

MICROBREWERIES VS. BREW PUBS. IT'S BEER. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

By common definition, a microbrewery produces up to 15,000 barrels of
beer a year (a barrel is 31 gallons). A microbrewery will contain all
the tools for crafting beer along with a bottling and distribution
center as opposed to a brew pub, which makes beer in-house but, for the
most part, sells it on the premises.

They both serve beer. Typically, visitors pay a nominal fee to tour a
microbrewery in return for tickets that promise free beer during or
after the tour. At a brew pub, you can order a pint of your favorite or
pay a set price for 4- or 5-ounce samples of several kinds of beer made
at the pub. Food is almost always a feature of a brew pub.

BREWERIES

Sprecher Brewing, 701 W. Glendale Ave. (414) 964-2739 or
www.sprecherbrewery.com

Tours: 4 p.m. Mondays to Fridays and 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Saturdays (summer
hours). Admission is $2. Visitors get four tickets to taste beers.
Reservations are required. Tours last about one hour.

Started by former Pabst supervisor Randal Sprecher in 1985, this is the
granddaddy of Milwaukee's microbreweries, producing 14,000 barrels of
beer and 28,000 barrels of soda a year. Tours begin in the brew house
under the direction of Michael Zirbel, who walks a tour group of about
40 people into a room overwhelmed by what look like giant silos. They
are the vessels for the separate steps in brewing beer, from mashing the
barley malt to fermentation.

"Beer is a food product made by what is essentially a chef," says Zirbel
as he passes around steins of malt barley and pelletized hops to smell.

Among his points: Beer is basically malt barley, hops, yeast and water.
Timing, blending and yeast makes each beer unique. For instance,
Sprecher uses 15 different roasts of the barley malt, from light to
dark, that give beer flavors from caramel to coffee.

It takes 2,000 pounds of barley malt to make one 40-barrel batch of
beer.

The next stop is the cooler for the tanks fermenting beer. After that,
it's the bottling line that sits just below a mural of Bavaria, which
Sprecher says influenced his beer career. Zirbel uses this spot to
explain sanitation, filtration and carbonation as necessary steps in
brewing. He points to a corner where kegs are stacked.

"We don't have a shiny, fancy keg-filling machine," Zirbel says. "We use
a human."

About 45 minutes after his talk begins, Zirbel guides everyone to the
tasting room, a picnic area fashioned under an indoor beer tent. He
recommends tasting the 7-ounce samples as they are listed on the chart
near the bar. "The list is put in a drinking order from top to bottom to
give an accurate flavor of each beer as you try them," he says.

The brewery is working on adding a museum of beer artifacts to the tour.

Sprecher makes five year-round beers; six seasonal beers; and six sodas.

Lakefront Brewery, 1872 N. Commerce St., (414) 372-8800.
www.lakefrontbrewery.com

Tours: 3:30 p.m. Fridays; 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Saturdays and
Sundays. Tours last about one hour. Admission is $5; $2 for non-drinkers
who want to taste the brewery's sodas.

Brothers Russ and Jim Klisch started the brewery in 1987 when they
brewed 60 barrels of beer at their Riverwest location. In 1998, the
siblings moved the brewery to Commerce Street near the remains of the
famous Beer Line, the railroad that took raw materials to the Milwaukee
brewing giants and beer out to a thirsty world. Today, they use trucks
and produce more than 3,400 barrels a year.

Visitors to Lakefront are greeted with a beer.

"We're different in that we start people off at the tap," says Jim
Klisch. "We all have gone on brewery tours. We know why they're here."

Even better, says Russ: "We find that people's attention span is greatly
increased when they have a beer in their hands."

Getting a flavor of what's in store? The Klischs present a relaxed but
thorough look at their brewing business, from the first-step mixing of
barley malt and hot water to the fire-stoked brew house. "Our
pyrotechnics," says Russ.

Catering to a crowd that runs the gamut from home brewers to people who
are just plain thirsty is a tough line to walk. "We try to inject sex
into it, too," says Jim. "It comes in handy when you're talking about
micro-organisms and single-cell reproduction."

Yeast, he's talking about yeast.

Tours are not typically held during brewing, production or bottling.
Instead, visitors are allowed to walk through the process a beer recipe
goes through. See if you can find the tribute to the Three Stooges
within the brewery. Tours begin and end in the tasting room, where your
$5 gets you a glass and tickets for free beer at several places that
sell Lakefront beer. "It's a polite way of kicking people out of here,"
says Russ.

You could taste a while. Lakefront makes 11 kinds of beer including a
potent barley wine, and a maple root beer.

The tasting room also is a place where visitors can pick up souvenirs -
and perhaps even a life partner.

Tim Stadler and pals Joel LaPlount and Shelly Stain were Lakefront
tourists on a spring day in 1994. Sandy Strutt happened to be there,
too, with another group. When the brewery ran out of its Door County
cherry beer, strangers Stadler and Strutt elected to share a bottle. Not
to be outdone, Tim's pals LaPlount and Stain found that as a couple they
had more in common than their mutual friend and beer. The Stadlers wed
in July 1996 and live in Kiel; the LaPlounts married three months later
and live in Germantown. All four make Lakefront an annual spring
pilgrimage.

Harbor City Brewing Co., 535 W. Grand Ave., Port Washington, (262)
284-3118.

Tours: noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and by appointment. Tours last about 30
minutes. They're free.

Can a brewery be cute? Yes, it can.

Harbor City took over a small ice cube/block plant in June 1996.
Brewmaster Jim Schueller owns the brewery with his family. The equipment
came from the New Belgium Brewing Co., in Fort Collins, Colo., the
makers of Fat Tire Beer. The owners are Schueller cousins. It's where
Schueller trained to be a brewmaster. It's also where the brewery gets
its essential yeast.

Although there isn't much different to look at - tanks for mixing,
brewing, fermenting - it's obvious that the Schuellers and their only
full-time, non-related employee, Matt Thompson, love the job.

For instance, a visitor might see three generations of Schuellers -
Jim's dad, Jim and a nephew - bottling any of the brewery's four
beers.Four bottles at a time. Labels, designed by artist Bob Stewart,
are even slower. They're placed on new bottles one at a time.

Thompson or a member of the family shows visitors around, pointing out
that even the spent grain doesn't go to waste. Spent grain is what is
left after hot water is added and wort - the sweet liquid that becomes
beer - is moved to the brew kettle. A local farmer picks up the
oatmeal-like substance and feeds it to his livestock.

Because the brewery is so small, visitors during raspberry season might
get a glimpse of the brewmaster scooping 400 pounds of fresh berries
into a giant tank of beer. You can also sample the Raspberry ale.

Or you can wait until the end of the tour and sit in the brewery's
outdoor patio to have the beverages - Mile Rock amber ale, Harvest
Wheat, Raspberry brown ale or Main Street brown ale.

Harbor City recently began selling its beers in southeastern Wisconsin.
Their brew goal is 2,000 barrels.

Watson Brewing Co., 223 Maple Ave., Waukesha, (262) 896-7766.

Tours: Held one Saturday a month; call for an appointment. Admission is
$3. Tours last about one hour.

Dale Johnson calls himself a downsized executive. The former machinery
broker and his girlfriend, Joan Bjork, own the relatively young brewery
in the historic Fox Head Brewery building. The couple bought the
business a little over a year ago, including the recipes of the previous
owners, who opened the brewery in 1996 as RWS Brewing Co.

"Anybody wants to see the brewery, I'm the first guy to talk to you,"
Johnson says. Indeed, his cluttered office is the first stop on the
tour. After that, he takes visitors down a long hallway and into the
basement of the brick building. There he points to a 1,000-foot tunnel
that he says was built when Al Capone owned the building. It provided
not only a means of escape for gangster Capone, he says, but also a
sneaky method of distributing beer in Waukesha during Prohibition.

Watson brews 40barrels of seven kinds of beer each month in three small
rooms in the basement. He points out each piece of equipment; if you
want, Johnson will pour you a cold one for your journey.

The tasting room doubles as the bottling room; it's also where visitors
can purchase souvenirs. The thing to know about Watson brews is that
they are high-alcohol beers. Johnson's brewmaster, Andy Lodo, recently
tweaked down the alcohol of Lake Country Gold to 4.5%. Others in their
inventory run between 6% and 10%.

BREW PUBS

Water Street Brewery, 1101 N. Water St., (414) 272-1195 or (
www.waterstreetbrewery.com)

Water Street Lake Country Brewery, 3191 Golf Road, Delafield, (262)
646-7878.

There really are 100 bottles of beer on the wall. All full. And all
collected from microbreweries across the country. It's part of the beer
memorabilia at Water Street Brewery, which was, officially, the first
contemporary brew pub in the city and probably one of the first 50 in
the country, says owner R.C. Schmidt. That was 1987. In 2000, Water
Street Brewery finds itself in the position of being the old guy on the
block - and with this year's opening of the Lake Country restaurant in
Delafield, it's also one of the new guys.

There are no prearranged tour times at Water Street. If brewmaster
George Bluvas III is around, he'll give a tour for one person or 50. Any
chance to talk beer, Bluvas admits.

Bluvas, for instance, doesn't care if you know the difference between an
ale and a lager - an ale is hearty, fruitier and brewed at 65 degrees,
while a lager is smooth and mellow and brewed at about 50 degrees -
because he'll explain it all. Hefe Weiss is an ale made with wheat malt,
and it's always on the menu of eight beers drawn because it fits with
the German theme that is Milwaukee.

There is a lot of history to breweries and brew pubs, and while many
brewmasters tend to be engineers, they're also historians. Bluvas, who
has degrees in fine arts and chemistry, explains that a growler, the big
bottles with screw-on tops sold by brew pubs, are named for the buckets
of beer once given to factory workers before their stomachs began to
growl from hunger.

A sampler plate of Water Street's sixbeers - lagers and ales - is $4.50
and comes in a wood paddle. That includes a sheet that explains the
brewing process. There also are two seasonal choices available. If you
don't drink beer, Water Street brews its own root beer.

Milwaukee Ale House 233 N. Water St., (414) 226-2337.

You couldn't make up the history behind the names of beer at the
Milwaukee Ale House, say co-owners Mike Bieser and Jim McCabe. In 1886,
Bieser's great-great Uncle Louie was cracked over the head with a beer
glass and killed. His legacy is a rich and malty amber ale called
Louie's Demise.

Folklore and a picture-window view of the brewing equipment are two
hallmarks of the Third Ward brew pub, now in its third year. Bieser and
McCabe, onetime home brewers, leave the mixing to brewmaster Jim Olen
and his assistant, Rob Morton, a Culinary Institute-trained chef. The
tours, which they sometimes give, are "pretty casual."

The Ale House is on the Brew City pontoon boat tour each weekend. Morton
greets visitors at a dock outside the Ale House patio before bringing
them inside and explaining the brewing process.

Afterward, they're seated at a table in the front of the restaurant and
Morton pours 5-ounce samples of the brew pub's standard flavors and
seasonal offerings such as Hefe Weiss.

The Ale House brewed 1,300 barrels last year. Bieser and McCabe expect
that number to rise as they grow outside the brewery. Ten other bars,
restaurants and one movie theater have Ale House beer on tap.

Brewmaster Olen offers "Beer School," a craft-beer sampling session held
at 6 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month.

Delafield Brewhaus, 3832 Hillside Drive, Delafield, (262) 646-7821. (
www.delafield-brewhaus.com)

There are no tours at this year-old brewhaus. What you see is what you
drink. And you can see the brewery big as life when you walk in the door
of the airy restaurant. That's exactly what brewmaster John Harrison
envisioned.

"I wanted the brewery very present," says Harrison. "I wanted the
brewery in your face."

There may not be tours, but the brewhaus doesn't leave anyone out in the
unfiltered cold. The brewing process is explained in great detail on
place mats. Numbers for each piece of equipment in the center of the
room help walk patrons through the process. A second place mat, with
coaster-sized spots for 4-ounce samplers, gives detail and description
on each of the brewhaus' eight beers. There are more, usually nine or 10
on tap, depending on the season. There also is a selection of
home-brewed sodas. Samples are $1 each.

Port Washington Brewing Co., 100 W. Franklin Drive, Port Washington,
(262) 377-2337.

It's a one-man show at the brewery located inside the Smith Bros. Fish
Restaurant. Jeff Kolar is the brewmaster at Port Washington, mixing up
600 barrels of brew in a year.

Visitors can see gleaming 20-barrel fermenters in the front window of
the restaurant.

Kolar, like a lot of brewmasters, is a former engineer who thinks of
brewing as a culinary event.

"I've been brewing for more than 10 years. After a while, you just know
what grains are going to give you what flavors," Kolar says.

He'll give tours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; for a
weekend tour, call in advance. Otherwise, you're welcome to look over
his beer artifacts on a display case in the restaurant and do your own
sampling. A $3.50 sampler platter includes tastes of whatever happens to
be on tap. Throughout the year there are 12 different beers and a root
beer.

Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, 740 N. Plankinton Ave., (414)
276-3030.

Rock Bottom boasts that it has the biggest outdoor cafe on the
RiverWalk. Not bad for the 3-year-old restaurant/brew pub brought to
Milwaukee by a chain based in Boulder, Colo.

If brewmaster Andy Briggs isn't around, you can take your own tour of
the brew pub - the grain silo is outside; the brew house is at one end
of the restaurant, and the fermentation tanks are behind glass behind
the upstairs bar.

Visitors can get six 4-ounce samples of beer for $4.80: a light beer, a
pale ale, a red, a brown, a stout and a specialty beer that changes
every three to five weeks. There also is a root beer, but one can't get
away from beer here: About 35% of Rock Bottom's menu includes beer. Even
the pizza crust has beer in it.

Stout Bros. Public House, 777 N. Water St., (414) 273-1080.

Dave and Bob Leszczynski found success with their Water Street night
spots O'Danny's Pub and the Oak Barrel. A brew pub was the next logical
step. So they hired Al Bundy (really) to be their brewmaster and built a
restaurant and pub around the area where he makes six full-time beers
and one specialty one.

They built condominiums above and since it was all across the street
from City Hall, they called it a Public House. And since Leszczynski
wouldn't fit on the sign, they made it Stout Bros.

Stout Bros. Public House opened its doors on June 9. Group tour times
haven't been scheduled yet, but the brothers do offer a $5.50 beer
sampler plate featuring six 6-ounce glasses of the beers on tap,
including seasonal beers when available.

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ive=true&tagid=ZZZB2FVYA0C&subheading=consumer+goods

Welsh brewery tackles imports

July 5 2000 - The first new Welsh brewery to produce cask conditioned ales for
80
years opened on Wednesday in a backlash against "bland, expensive
imported beer".

The plant in Swansea, unveiled by Rhodri Morgan, first secretary of
Wales, is part of an expansion plan by Simon Buckley, managing director
of Tomos Watkin.

Mr Buckley, a brewing veteran, made an unsuccessful £68m takeover bid
last year for SA Brain in Cardiff, the only substantial Welsh brewing
company to have survived industry consolidation.

After that venture failed, Mr Buckley decided to transform Tomos Watkin,
a small 200-year old company from Carmarthenshire, into a bigger
participant.

The company, which last year had three pubs and a microbrewery, has
raised £10m to set up the Swansea brewery and buy 60 pubs in Wales over
four years.

In the Victorian era, there were 15 breweries in Swansea alone, but the
last one shut down 40 years ago. The last big brewery to open in Wales
was the United Club Brewery at Pontclun in 1921.

The Tomos Watkin brewery will eventually employ 150 and produce more
than 4m pints of beer a year.

Mr Buckley said: "Why should our nation consume millions of gallons of
bland, expensive imported beer each year when we have better,
value-for-money product here in Wales?"

Iain Loe, research manager for Camra, the ale buffs group, said: "Tomos
Watkin are very ambitious, they are looking to establish themselves as a
regional player, while elsewhere in Wales it is mainly microbreweries
struggling to get their beers into Welsh pubs."

Chilean Coca Cola bottler sells beer assets

07/07/00

SANTIAGO, July 7 (Reuters) - Chilean bottler Embotelladoras Coca-Coca Polar

, which has one of three licenses to produce Coca-Cola products in Chile,

said on Friday it sold its beer assets to Inversiones Torres del Paine as

part of its strategy to focus on nonalcoholic beverages.

"The deal means a profit of about $500,000 for Embotelladoras Coca-Cola

Polar. The amount will be reflected in the company's results in 2000," it

said in a statement to state-run securities regulators.

Polar announced last month that it would sell its assets in the beer

business to obtain money to build a new soft drinks plant in the southern

city of Punta Arenas, 1,400 miles (2,300 km) south of Santiago.

Officials at Polar were not immediately available for comment.

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UPDATE 2-Allied Domecq may face rival for Seagram spirits

07/07/00

By Sophy Tonder and Alexander Smith

LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - Britain's Allied Domecq may face a rival bid from

Pernod-Ricard SA and U.S. private equity group Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst for

the spirits business of Seagram Co Ltd , bankers said on Friday.

Allied Domecq is seeking a loan of more than 4.0 billion euros ($3.8

billion) to support its widely-expected bid for Seagram's spirits arm,

although it has yet to enter formal talks with the Canadian group, an

industry source told Reuters.

Seagram has said it will sell its spirits arm as a result of its

recently-announced $34 billion all-share merger with France's Vivendi .

While it is keen to make sure it has the necessary fire-power for a bid,

Allied Domecq has not yet held any detailed talks with Seagram over an offer

for its spirits business, the industry source said.

"They (Allied Domecq) are not in negotiations or discussions with Seagram.

Seagram is not rushing to have those talks, it is still working on its

merger with Vivendi," the source said.  Pernod-Ricard and Hicks, Muse have also
approached banks to provide financing for a bid of their own, the bankers said.

Seagram's spirits brands -- which are estimated to be worth some $7.0

billion -- include Chivas Regal scotch and Absolut vodka and Allied Domecq

has been working on plans to add these to its Ballantine's scotch and

Beefeater gin.

Bankers said that Pernod, with a market capitalisation of just 3.2 billion

euros, could not afford to mount a solo bid but that an alliance with Hicks

Muse would give it the financial firepower to compete.

PERNOD RULES NOTHING OUT

Pernod-Ricard, which also owns vodka, whisky and rum brands, including

Jameson Irish Whiskey and Wild Turkey Bourbon, refused to comment on whether

it was considering a bid with Dallas-based Hicks, Muse but said that nothing

had been ruled out.  "It is true that Seagram as a whole is a bit too big for
us and they have a lot of beautiful brands that we would be interested in," a
Paris-based spokesman said.  "We have not ruled anything out, it is never too
early to talk, I don't see why we should wait (for the Seagram-Vivendi merger
to complete)," he added.

A London-based spokeswoman for Hicks, Muse, which last year bought Seagram's

Mumm and Perrier-Jouet champagne brands for around $310 million, refused to

comment on a possible offer for the business.

An Allied Domecq spokesman also declined to comment on whether it would bid

or was raising a loan.  Bankers warned that Pernod-Ricard would have to move
quickly to avoid Allied Domecq, which they said had retained U.S. investment
bank Goldman Sachs as its adviser on the bid, stealing an edge.

"They are talking to us but as usual they are extremely cautious," a

European banker said.

In June 1999, Pernod's cautious approach cost it dearly after it moved too

slowly on plans to bid for Allied Domecq's spirits arm -- before speculation

drove the Allied share price beyond Pernod's reach, the banker added.

The French company had lined up a three billion pound loan with its banks to

finance that Allied bid, but the financing fell through when Pernod failed

to move.  (Additional reporting by Alexander Smith)

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Blair's Teen-age Son Reprimanded

By SUE LEEMAN, Associated Press Writer  07/07/00

LONDON (AP) -- Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife took their son Euan to

a London police station Friday, where the 16-year-old received an official

reprimand for a bout of public drunkenness.  The reprimand was the least of
three possible punishments for Euan, who was arrested late Wednesday, drunk and
vomiting in Leicester Square after celebrating the end of his school exams.

The teen-ager went with his parents to Kennington police station in south

London to learn his punishment -- avoiding the large media crowd gathered at

the central London station where he had been expected to appear.

A police reprimand can only be given to juveniles with no previous

convictions. If another offense follows a reprimand, the juvenile receives a

warning. If further offenses are committed, prosecution usually will follow.

Blair's 10 Downing St. office said that change of location for the

appearance was made for reasons of privacy and emphasized it did not

constitute special treatment for the prime minister, but a choice available

to others.  The Blairs "don't wish to turn this into a public event. There is a

legitimate line to be drawn in being candid and open in the way we were

yesterday ... and the legitimate desire for privacy for the children,''

Blair's spokesman, Alastair Campbell, said earlier.

But that didn't prevent newspapers from adding to Euan's headache.

"Don't know about you, Euan, but I could use a drink,'' joked the caption

beneath a file picture of father and son plastered across the front page of

the Sun tabloid Friday.  Other tabloids, too, devoted Page 1 and ensuing chunks
of space to the news. Serious papers and TV stations also ran the story
prominently.

But there was some sympathy for the Blairs' eldest child, who had misjudged

his capacity for alcohol -- and who already had apologized via his father's

office for causing offense.

"Cheer up Euan, we've all been there,'' counseled The Mirror's headline,

although it continued, mischievously, "now get to the cashpoint (cash

machine) and pay your 100 pounds, there's a good lad,'' a reference to

Blair's unpopular proposal last week to issue on-the-spot fines to violent

drunks.

"Remember Euan, this is politics, and your dad won't be there forever,''

added Carol Thatcher comfortingly a few pages on. And she should know: She

was 20 years old when her mother Margaret became prime minister in 1979.

The incident came at a difficult time for Blair, with his government facing

opposition grousing over failing to deal with football hooligans and

internal divisions over whether Britain should join the single European

currency.

Blair was visibly upset when he took part in a question-and-answer session

Thursday evening on the British Broadcasting Corp.

"I think if anyone breaks the law, they should suffer the penalty of the

law, whether they are my son or anyone else's son,'' he told questioners

from the studio audience.  To warm applause, the prime minister conceded, "It's
not been the greatest day, let's put it like that, but my son is basically a
good kid and we will get through this.''

Blair said he believed his son originally gave police a false name and

provided an old address and a false birthdate to indicate he was of the

legal drinking age because he wanted to spare his parents embarrassment.

The Blairs have gone to great lengths to protect the privacy of Euan, Nicky,

14, Kathryn, 12, and baby Leo, born May 20, all of whom are shielded under

Press Complaints Commission guidelines governing minors.

http://www.healthcentral.com/peoplespharmacy/PharmFullText.cfm?id=20649

Herb Library - Hops, Humulus lupulus

Hops have been used to flavor beer for nearly a thousand years. This plant,

a member of the same family as marijuana, is cultivated commercially in

England, Germany, the Czech Republic, and the United States, as well as

parts of South America and Australia.

The part of the plant used, the cone-like fruits (technically "strobiles")

called hops, are harvested in September, at least in the northern

hemisphere.

Early medicinal uses of hops came from observation of the pickers. They were

said to tire quickly, so the plant was believed to have sedative activity.

The hops were sometimes placed in a pillow to improve sleep. In addition,

they have been used to treat a variety of skin conditions.

Some of the folklore surrounding hops pickers suggests that the women are

more interested in sex and the men less. This has been interpreted to

suggest that hops may have estrogenic activity.

Active Ingredients

The bitter principle humulone is the most important ingredient in brewing

beer.  Hops contain approximately 1 percent of a volatile oil and one hundred
other

compounds including several polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids.  The specific
composition differs from one variety of H. lupulus to another. Many of these
compounds break down quickly when exposed to light or air.  Uses  Scientists
have recently isolated an ingredient in hops that might account for their mild
sedative properties. In Europe, many herbal medicines include hops in a
combination designed to promote sleep or relieve anxiety and stress.

Hops extracts are also used to pep up the appetite and stimulate gastric

juice secretion. The extracts can calm smooth muscle spasm, which would

explain the traditional use of hops to treat intestinal cramps and menstrual

pain.  Recent studies demonstrate that some chemicals in hops bind to estrogen

receptors in the test tube. Hops did not stimulate the growth of rat uterine

tissue, though, and their use to treat symptoms of menopause has not been

clinically verified.  In European folk medicine, a small bag of hops soaked in
alcohol was placed on inflamed skin to relieve it. It is unclear whether there
is any scientific basis for this practice.

Dose

The dose is 0.5 g before bedtime. This may be taken as part of a prepared

herbal medicine, or made into a tea by pouring boiling water over a heaping

teaspoon of the dried hops and steeping for ten to fifteen minutes before

straining and drinking it.

Special Precautions

Estrogenlike compounds such as those in hops should be avoided during

pregnancy.

Adverse Effects

Some people develop contact dermatitis (itchy rash) when exposed to hops.

Possible Interactions

Extract of hops can increase the amount of time a mouse sleeps after being

given a barbiturate.  Although the effect of hops is mild, combining this herb
with a sleeping pill or antianxiety drug could result in more sedation than
expected.

Until the estrogenic activity of hops is further studied, taking this herb

in combination with medicines such as oral contraceptives or hormone

replacement therapy is an experiment best avoided.

Copyright (c)  Graedon Enterprises, Inc. From The People's Pharmacy

http://www.healthcentral.com/news/newsfulltext.cfm?id=36125&StoryType=Reut
ersNews

More studies should target health effects of sleep herbs  

June 15, 2000  NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - As more Americans are turning to
herbal products to treat sleep problems, researchers are calling for studies to

examine the efficacy of these products, pinpoint how they work and determine

any adverse interactions with drugs.  "Providers involved in the care of

persons with sleep disorders in particular must become sensitive to the

potential impact of various herbal medicines on sleep problems," according

to Charlotte Gyllenhaal and colleagues from the University of Illinois at

Chicago.   Visit the Herbal Remedies Topic Center

<http://www.healthcentral.com/Centers/OneCenter.cfm?Center=Herbal%5FRemedies>  

These studies are particularly important to elderly people who often

take multiple prescription drugs and suffer from sleep problems.  "So many

elderly people taking a variety of prescriptions drugs means that there are

more interactions to look out for," Gyllenhaal said in an interview with

Reuters Health. She added that oftentimes, having to take so many drugs

motivates people to seek more natural remedies. Gyllenhaal and colleagues

took a close look at a variety of herbal products and their possible

interaction with prescription drugs. The findings are published in the June

issue of Sleep Medicine Reviews.  The investigators found that many

Americans have problems getting to sleep at night or staying awake during

the day. They note that a 1998 survey found that 10% to 15% of people use

over-the-counter medications or dietary supplements, which contain caffeine,

to help them stay awake during the day. The authors cite a recent survey in

which 27% of Americans used complementary therapies including herbs to treat

fatigue, and about 26% used herbs to treat insomnia.  "The use of herbal

remedies in the USA increased 380%" between 1990 and 1997, the study

notes--increasing from 2.5% to 12.1% of the population.  The researchers

reviewed studies on several commonly used herbal stimulants and sedatives.

They also looked at studies on ephedra or Ma Huang, an herb that has been

linked to numerous adverse effects including seizures, heart attack and

death, and yohimbe and ginseng, which are used to combat fatigue.  German

chamomile, kava, lavender, hops, lemon balm, passion flower and valerian

were also examined for their reported ability to improve sleep.  "Valerian

is a sleep aid herb that has been used in Europe for centuries but we still

don't know what the active compound is," Gyllenhaal said.  The authors note

that their review suggests that healthcare providers can no longer ignore

Americans' increasing use of herbs.  "It is now becoming necessary for

providers to educate themselves and their patients in the wise and unwise

use of these agents," Gyllenhaal said.  For example, ephedra should not be

taken with certain medications, including MAO inhibitors, methyldopa or

beta-blockers. Patients with heart, thyroid or kidney disease, hypertension

and depression should also avoid foods and medicine containing ephedra.

Kava, which depresses the central nervous system, is taken to treat anxiety

and induce sleep. While short-term studies suggest that the herb does not

interfere with cognitive functioning, driving ability or work safety,

"long-term studies are extremely important as the treatment of anxiety

disorders often requires extended treatment," the researchers report.  "The

time has already arrived...for health professionals to become conversant

with the variety of herbal substances from different cultures that have now

entered the world market, and to realize the important role they play today

in the self-management of sleep problems," the study concludes.

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Tour De Excess - Cyclists Are Only Start of Action at the Traveling Carnival
Rolling Across France

JOHN-THOR DAHLBURG , 07/08/00

Julie Valee is riding in this year's Tour de France. Not on a bicycle,

though. The 22-year-old in a red microskirt and white T-shirt stretches from

a car, handing out small Camembert cheeses to an often frenetic crowd.

"We finish the Tour with scratches all over our hands and arms," the blond

Frenchwoman says. "We don't wear bracelets or rings, because people could

hurt us or themselves when they try to grab a sample."

Imagine the Super Bowl, Home Shopping Network and state fair rolled into one

and on the move for 21 consecutive days and you'll have a fair idea of the

hokum and hoopla of the Tour, the world's premier bicycle race now snaking

its way across France.

Forget for now defending champion Lance Armstrong of the Unites States, in

12th place (but with two weeks of racing still ahead, and the hardest stages

yet to come). The Tour de France is also:

* A mobile city of more than 3,000, complete with its own post office,

medical corps and masseurs, police station, headquarters, printing press,

grandstands and winner's podium. Like a nomad camp, the Tour dismantles and

reassembles itself every night for three weeks to stay ahead of the race.

* An "advertising caravan" of 220 vehicles that precede the cyclists, with

cars dressed up like giant wrist watches, jars of pork pate, bags of

marshmallows, demitasses of coffee and other consumer products.

* Enough police to guard a summit of world leaders. To control crowds and

block roads for the passage of the Tour through only one typical rural

departement of France, 1,270 gendarmes were mobilized for three days last

week.

* A total of 1,790 accredited journalists and media technicians, as well as

mobile TV and radio studios and darkrooms. There are cameramen specialized

in the difficult art of shooting the race from the backs of speeding

motorcycles or from helicopters, and an announcer at the start and finish,

Daniel Mangeas, who has total recall of each cyclist's career.

The Tour on the road, with its fleet of 1,500 trucks, cars and motorcycles,

is a sight more akin to the passing of an armored division than a bike race.

Each summer, about 15 million of the French watch it rumble by, along with

the cyclists.

In provincial towns such as Nantes, Tours or Revel, huge throngs assemble to

witness what will be the biggest local happening of the year. People chow

down on spicy merguez sausage and other delicacies sold by the swarm of

vendors accompanying the race. Spectators eagerly await the arrival of the

riders--and the freebies.

"People are so eager to get something from us, they're ready to jump in our

cars," says Valee, working her third Tour for the Coeur de Lion brand of

Camembert. To prevent riots, workers in the caravan aren't allowed to throw

samples into the crowd.

By the time this year's Tour finishes on the Right Bank of Paris on July 23,

the 600 people employed in the advertising convoy will have doled out 20

million free items to spectators, from sausages and pate on toast to plastic

cups of hot coffee.

As well as a sporting event and national institution, the Tour is a

business. Its owner, Editions Amaury, also publishes L'Equipe, the national

sports daily, and Le Parisien, a tabloid newspaper. In February, the group

took over management of the Futuroscope theme park near Poitiers, which, not

coincidentally, was the kickoff point for the 2000 Tour.

Not all of the French love cycling, but like everyone else, they like

getting something for nothing. A poll taken for the Tour has revealed that

more spectators actually enjoy the advertising caravan, 47%, and the event's

carnival-like ambience, 43%, than the race itself, 37%.

"Above all, the caravan has to be seen by the public as a huge party," said

Jean-Pierre Lachaud, in charge of the advertising cavalcade, which stretches

for 15 miles and usually takes 45 minutes to pass. "But for the companies

that take part, it also must be a fantastic communications medium."

To get three vehicles in the caravan, a company pays $18,500. Some of the

biggest guns of global business have dished out even larger, undisclosed

sums to obtain the status of Tour "partner."

For instance, Credit Lyonnais, a French bank, has bought the right to

plaster its name on the yellow jersey worn by the cyclist with the best

overall time. Fiat, the Italian auto maker, paints its logo on the

homestretch asphalt near each day's finish line. Coca-Cola has arranged for

the winners of each day's stage to receive a special prize: a gilded Coke

bottle in a Lucite ring.

The 20 teams competing in the Tour are an integral part of such full-blooded

commercialism. They are financed by businesses, from a Dutch manufacturer of

frozen French fries to an Italian glue maker. On the blue outfits worn by

Armstrong and his U.S. Postal Service teammates are the logos of no fewer

than nine sponsors.

"We sell every square inch--are you kidding?" said Margot Myers, spokeswoman

for U.S. Postal.

For France's cities and towns, hosting the race is a privilege to be

purchased, in exchange for the tourist influx and media exposure the event

hopefully will bring. Elected officials in the Vienne, a largely rural area

of west-central France, shelled out nearly $1 million to Tour organizers to

host the first 2 1/2 days of this year's race.

"The return on investment is inestimable," said Jerome Neuveux, a spokesman

for the local government. "Try to calculate what it would cost to put a

commercial about the Vienne on television in 169 countries, which is how

many have TV coverage of the Tour."

Loudun, a town of 8,200, spent at least $58,000 to spiff itself up to serve

as the finish for one daily stage of the 2000 Tour, and the start of the

next. Five miles of steel crowd-control barriers were erected. The covered

municipal tennis courts were temporarily converted to a press center, and

450 electric outlets were installed for journalists' laptops.

Two thousand parking spaces were staked out in fields, and a high school

designated as the Tour's command post. A sumptuous buffet was laid on for

reporters.

Was it worth it?

"Our population doubled over the two days the Tour was here, so that was

good news for hotel, restaurant and cafe owners," said Marie Heid, a

municipal employee who acted as race coordinator. "But the real results can

only be measured long-term."

Loudun's ambition is to become a popular stopping-off point for tourists

traveling between the chateaux of the Loire valley and Futuroscope.

Now in its 87th annual edition, the Tour is a well-oiled mechanism that

performs some of its most impressive feats out of the public's view. On

Friday, at the end of the day's 127-mile leg, the 174 riders still in the

race sped into rainy Limoges, a city celebrated for its fine porcelain.

For the exhausted racers, it was time to go to their hotels for a rest, a

massage and a high-calorie dinner. But almost as soon as the last cyclist

crossed the line on Boulevard Beaublanc, the Tour's 200-person "Orange

Brigade" got to work.

Each evening, the roadies in rust-orange polo shirts load 100 trucks with

the 20-ton stage, the sound system, TV booths, crowd-control barriers,

course markers and other facilities that make up what's known in Tour jargon

as "the finish line." It's hard, sweaty labor, and takes an average of 3 1/2

hours.

By midnight or 1 a.m. today, the men in orange should be in

Villeneuve-sur-Lot, 126 miles south of Limoges, where today's stage of the

race will end. After a nap, at 5 a.m. the workers will start putting the 100

truckloads of equipment back together. By 10 a.m., the finish line should be

ready anew.

In Limoges, a second work crew of 40 will have been working through the

night to build the starting line and 30,000-square-foot "Village du Tour,"

where dignitaries and guests will schmooze with race officials, sponsors and

past cycling greats before the start of today's segment.

After the riders leave Limoges, the process will start again--the starting

line and Village du Tour will be taken apart and loaded for reassembly at

the beginning point of Sunday's race. In Villeneuve-sur-Lot, workers will

dismantle the finish line once again for overnight transport and rebuilding.

"One of the directors of the Tour used to say it was a miracle," said

Jean-Louis Pages, the race's general commissioner, in charge of the Orange

Brigade. "I've been with the Tour for 15 years, and I still can't believe

how well all of this works."

*

Achrene Sicakyuz of The Times' Paris bureau contributed to this report.

Baltic Beverages Holdings to Invest Further in Siberian Brewery
 

50-50 joint venture between Scandinavian brewers Pripps Ringnes AB and Hartwall
Oyj, will invest $34 million in AO Pikra, a Siberian brewery.

Baltic Beverages, which bought 50 percent of Pikra in December and owns 70
percent of AO Baltica Brewery, Russia's No. 2 brewery by sales, said demand in
the region is outstripping production.

``The market in Siberia is growing at a rate of about 30 percent a year,'' said
Svetlana Yurchenko, Pikra's marketing director. ``We cannot keep up with demand
and plan to expand production with the . . . investment.''

Baltic Beverages hopes to benefit from soaring demand for Russian beer, which
has grown after the collapse of the ruble in August 1998 made imported brands
more expensive.

The Scandinavian company, which increased its Russian market share from 20
percent in 1999 to 26 percent this year, owns 12 breweries in Russia and the
Ukraine.

Since 1995, per-capita beer consumption increased from 18.9 liters to 25
liters, according to Business Analytica, a Russian market research company.

The company said it plans to invest about $100 million each year, over the
several years.

``We have a long-term commitment to the Russian market, where beer consumption
is growing rapidly,'' said Baltic Beverages President Christian Ramm Schmidt.
The company ``will continue to expand in Russia.''

Lion Nathan Ends Share Buyback Program, Spends NZ$58 Million
 
Sydney, June 30 (Bloomberg) -- Lion Nathan Ltd., Australia's No. 2 maker of
beer, said it spent NZ$58.1 million ($27 million) buying 13.4 million of its
own shares, or about 2.5 percent of the stock, ending its previously announced
share buyback program.

The Sydney-based maker of Hahn and Toohey's brand beer said it has no immediate
plans to buy back further stock. Its New Zealand shares traded between NZ$3.31
and NZ$4.82 since it started buying its own shares on Nov. 15 1999.

``We have purchased a substantial number of shares at an average price of
NZ$4.32 which is substantially lower than both the directors' assessment of the
company's underlying value and the consensus valuation of market analysts,''
Lion Nathan's Chief Financial Officer Paul Lockey said.

Lion Nathan, 45 percent owned by Japan's Kirin Brewery Co., recently moved its
head office from Auckland to Sydney. Its New Zealand shares fell 3 cents to
A$4.75. Lion Nathan's Australian shares rose 12 cents, or 3.2 percent, to
A$3.82.

Howard visits liquor store in lead-up to GST
 
29 June, 2000  10:50am AEST-  The Prime Minister has spent the morning of the
final day of  Parliament before the introduction of the GST visiting a liquor
retailer in Canberra.

Mr Howard watched as several bottles of alcohol were processed  through a
GST-prepared till and the same consignment was then  tallied under the old tax
system.

The Prime Minister noted that the GST-bill was cheaper.  

"Now that's not going to be the case everywhere, but it sort of  puts the thing
into slightly better perspective," Mr Howard said.

"I mean we've had all this scare nonsense, month after month after  month, how
we're all going to be ruined, but when you actually come  down to the wire, I
think a lot of people are going to find at the  weekend in their supermarkets
that things don't go up quite as much  as they expect.  

"I've always been confident that when it settles down and you can  get the
political pointscoring out of the way that people will give  it a fair go
they'll have a look at their dockets, they'll do their  comparisons, they'll
find that some things do go up."  © 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Red Bull's Energy-Drink Claims May Be Hype -- But Not Its Sales

The keep-you-hopping-all-night beverage is racking up megabuck volume among
young club-goers -- all via word of mouth

Business Week Online 6/30/00 - There's a new bull in town, and no, it's not the
return of a red-hot Nasdaq stock market. It's Red Bull, an energy drink laced
with caffeine, a dollop of B vitamins, and two common amino acids. Made by a
privately held company in Austria, Red Bull can mostly be found in dance clubs
in New York and Los Angeles, where amped up club kids tip back the 8.3-ounce
blue-and-silver can in the pursuit of prolonged partying.

The club scene for twentysomethings is an unusual market for a sports drink to
penetrate. And Red Bull North America has been particularly successful at doing
so in the States, through none other than old-fashioned word of mouth.

Unlike other sport-drink makers, Red Bull North America hasn't launched a
national marketing campaign or paid for banner advertising on the Web. Yet the
privately held company claims worldwide revenues were more than $1 billion last
year. Since bringing the product to the U.S. in 1997, Red Bull says its revenue
has doubled each year, even though its distribution plan is patchy at best.

It's not doing so badly in the rest of the world, either. Since Red Bull was
launched in Austria in 1987, the company has had double-digit revenue growth in
the 45 countries where the product is available. Red Bull has sponsored some
extreme-sport events, such as snowboarding competitions. But the caffeinated
energy drink's biggest fans aren't the athletes or bodybuilding fanatics
usually associated with such beverages.

TOP SELLER.  "It's one of our most popular drinks," says Ryan Thomas, publicist
for the New York City club TWILO, one of the first to sell Red Bull in mixed
drinks. "With alcohol, it gives the strange feeling of bringing you up and
slowing you down at the same time."

Red Bull's main competitors in the $1.6 billion U.S. sports-drink market
include other caffeinated drinks, such as Hanson's and Battery Energy Drinks.
Such sports drinks made up 4.3% of all nonalcoholic beverages consumed last
year in the U.S., according to Nielsen Research. But none of the other
vitamin-laced stimulants has caught on as quickly as Red Bull, the top-selling
drink on specialty drink distributer BeveragesDirect.com. It's also among the
year's top-ranked beverages reviewed on BevNet.com, an e-commerce site that
analyzes New Age beverages.

"It has found an almost cult-like following in the U.S., especially given the
fact that it doesn't have much of a marketing presence and has relatively high
prices," says John Craven, president of BevNet.com. Globally, a can of Red Bull
costs $1.99, but it can fetch up to $3 in big cities like New York. For Bull
fanatics, some beverage distributors sell it by the six-pack or case, but don't
expect price savings for bulk buys. A 24-can supply of Red Bull still costs
$43.99. Yet those prices don't seem to be hurting sales. Olia Ahmed, a 7-Eleven
store manager on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, says the store often has to
place extra orders for Red Bull, the top seller of the five energy sports
drinks it stocks.

"VERY SILLY."  Many people think Red Bull is loaded with caffeine. However, an
8.3-ounce can has just 80 milligrams of the stimulant, about the same amount in
a mug of coffee -- and hardly enough to keep most people dancing until 5 a.m.
So, where does the buzz come from? Red Bull says it's the result of two natural
ingredients, amino-acid taurine and glucuronolacton. It's their reaction with
caffeine that makes the product work, the company says. The end result, Red
Bull's maker claims, is an invigorated state of body and mind, not to mention a
boost in performance and longer endurance. And that's without the effects of
the vodka.

So, are these really magical ingredients? Not really, says Dr. Mark Kantor, an
associate professor of nutrition and food science at the University of Maryland
at College Park. "It's really very silly, because [the company] is putting
common vitamins that are widely found in food in this drink. There is no
evidence that this product is going to do what it claims to do." These
run-of-the-mill ingredients means Food & Drug Administration approval was not
required before Red Bull hit store shelves. Still, the agency has identified
the whole wave of energy drinks as an emerging market, one that it says it'll
watch closely to make sure unfounded health claims aren't being made.

No one can say with certainty whether there's any real difference between
chugging Red Bull or drinking a latte and popping a multivitamin before heading
to the dance floor or treadmill. As for taking Red Bull with alcohol, Dr.
Kantor says he doesn't see any real danger. "It sounds like just another
marketing gimmick," he says. Club owners -- who view Red Bull as the latest,
greatest party maker -- probably disagree.

NO FAD? But along with its popularity among the 18- to 30-year-old alternative
crowd has come some negative publicity. Red Bull has been accused of promoting
underage drinking. And the Internet carries scuttlebutt about one of the
drink's leading ingredients, the amino acid taurine. Turns out taurine is a
naturally occurring compound found in bull testicles. But the same compound can
also be found in the blood of fish, cows, and humans, among other creatures.

For its part, Red Bull, which recently extended its Austrian operations into
Santa Monica, Calif., doesn't want to be a fad. "We're building a
billion-dollar brand, but we don't ever want to come across that way. We've
been surprised at how powerful word of mouth is," says a company spokesperson.

Red Bull first appeared outside of Austria in 1993, when Slovaks, Hungarians,
and Croats started importing it and hawking it to individual stores and
nightclubs. Soon West Coast clubs were importing Red Bull to sell as a drink
mixer. Big cities such as L.A. and Seattle were the company's first target
markets when it kicked off its U.S. distribution in 1997.

The drink wasn't scheduled to be sold in New York City until sometime next
year, but strong demand from club owners landed the Bull there this past April.
A smattering of nutrition and convenience stores in 18 states also carry Red
Bull now. And of course, nightclubs are selling it by the caseload.

BAD TASTE. No one knows how long the Red Bull craze will last. But one thing is
certain: People aren't chugging the stuff for its taste. The drink scored a D+
on BevNet.com's taste test and is often described as medicinal in flavor. Red
Bull also scores low on the thirst-quench scale and is packed with sodium and
sugar. Indeed, its extreme sweetness can be hard to swallow.

But don't expect a Red Bull Light anytime soon. "Part of the reason we have
done so well is that we have stuck to one thing," the company spokesperson
says. "It's not meant to be a taste drink, you either love us or you hate us."
For now, clubbers are lovin' Red Bull. The question is: Will their parents,
aunts, and uncles ever switch from Bud to Bull?  

By Nicole St. Pierre in Washington, D.C. EDITED BY BETH BELTON

Tsingtao to Buy Two Foreign Beer Producers in China
 
Shanghai, June 29 (Bloomberg) -- Tsingtao Brewery Co., China's best-known
beermaker, said it plans to buy two foreign breweries in China, aiming to
double its share of the world's second-biggest beer market to 10 percent.

Tsingtao is in talks to buy breweries in Beijing and Shanghai, said company
spokesman Zhang Ruixiang. ``Our target for the year is to buy foreign breweries
in the major Chinese cities,'' said Zhang, who declined to identify the
targets.

Tsingtao plans to convert the breweries to production of its low-end beer
brands popular with ordinary Chinese, Zhang said. Foreign premium brands such
as Heineken, Budweiser, Carlsberg and Kirin account for just 10 percent of the
Chinese market.

Tsingtao, which expects to produce 1.4 million tons of beer this year, spent
200 million yuan ($24 million) last year to buy 15 Chinese beer makers. The
government estimates beer sales in China will increase 5 percent this year to
21.4 million tons, making the country the world's second-largest beer market
after the U.S.

Fierce competition and low margins have taken their toll on a number of foreign
brewers in China. Foster's Brewing Group Ltd. of Australia reduced its ventures
to one from three to cut losses, while Hong Kong-invested Asia Brewery Inc. and
San Miguel Corp., both of the Philippines, have also scaled back.

Other foreign brewers with operations in China include Kirin Brewery Co., Asahi
Breweries Ltd. and Suntory Ltd. of Japan as well as Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.,
the U.S.-based maker of Budweiser, and Lion Nathan Ltd. of New Zealand.

Tsingtao's Hong Kong-traded shares are down 35.7 percent so far this year,
compared with a 0.8 percent gain in the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index.

US Wine Makers Go on Offensive Against Italy Over Zinfandel
 
Washington, July 5 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. wine makers, long attacked by Europeans
for poaching such names as ``Chablis'' and ``Champagne'' for their labels, are
accusing their transatlantic rivals of some brand larceny of their own.

The wine makers say importers are using the California ``Zinfandel'' name on
some Italian wines made with a related grape, ``Primitivo.'' Zinfandel
Advocates and Producers, a trade group, has appealed to the U.S. Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to reverse a ruling letting the Italians use the
name.

The battle offers a new twist to the failed effort by Europeans to stop U.S.
producers from using place names like ``Burgundy,'' a region in France, or the
names of grapes such as ``Pinot Grigio.''

Yet California Zinfandel producers are eager to protect their approximately 12
percent piece of the $18 billion U.S. wine market, a share second only to wines
carrying the name ``Chardonnay'' -- itself a grape that originated in France
but that's now practically synonymous with white wine in the U.S.

``It's ironic that the Europeans are going after an American term,'' said
Rebecca Robinson, executive director of Zinfandel Advocates and Producers.
``Can't they stand on their own reputations?''

An Italian trade official said U.S. wine makers have no right to complain.

``If the Americans were to use only American varietal names on their wine, they
wouldn't be making much wine, let me tell you,'' said Augusto Marchini, an
assistant commissioner at the Italian Trade Commission in New York.

Uniquely American Grape

The U.S. trade association, which represents some 240 mostly California
producers, including E&J Gallo Winery, Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates Ltd. and
Robert Mondavi Corp., says Zinfandel is the only uniquely American wine-making
grape.

Robinson met last month in Washington with ATF officials to challenge labels on
a series of white and red Italian wines that are made with the Primitivo grape
and carry the name Zinfandel or varieties of it like ``Zin.''

The bureau agreed to review a further appeal from the group in writing,
although it warned that any policy that rejects foreign-labeling decisions
might require trade negotiations, ATF spokesman Art Resnick said.

The Italians argue that the Zinfandel and Primitivo grapes are so similar the
names can be used interchangeably, a claim backed up by the European Union last
year.

Zinfandel and Primitivo descend from Plavac Mali, a centuries- old Croatian
grape with the characteristics of both, studies show, according to John Chamard
of Mainbrace International Ltd., a Canadian wine agent.

Close But Different

The ATF ruled in 1998 the Zinfandel and Primitivo grapes, while similar and
apparently closely related, couldn't be described interchangeably on wine
labels.

Yet the bureau said at a recent meeting it bases its labeling decisions on the
rules of the country of origin, in this case the European Union, Robinson said.

So far, Italian Zinfandel is barely trickling into the U.S., yet the volume of
imports is expected to grow, even though the popularity of the white variety is
shrinking, according to one analyst. Americans, after all, have a taste for
Italian wine: Italy is the largest exporter of wine to the U.S., sending about
38 million gallons last year.

Robinson learned of the Zinfandel imports two years ago when a friend in
Chicago discovered a store selling an Italian wine named ``Mother Zin,''
distributed by Abruzzi Imports LLC of Stamford, Connecticut.

Later examples included a Sinfarosa wine by Accademia dei Racemi labeled to
imply it is a Zinfandel, and an Aliante wine with a label declaring:
``Primitivo is the origin of Zin.''

``Zinfandel has been very successful in building a good reputation, and
Primitivo doesn't have that, and so they're trying to ride the wave,'' Robinson
said.

Piece of the Action

Melanie Losey, marketing director of A.V. Imports Inc. of Columbia, Maryland,
acknowledged her company looked at Zinfandel's popularity and thought ``there's
got to be a way for us to capture part of those consumers.'''

A.V. Imports then launched an ``aggressive marketing campaign'' for ``Belmondo
Zin,'' which sells for about $7 a bottle. The company hopes its imports of
100,000 cases this year will grow to 130,000 or 140,000 next year, Losey said.

The two leading U.S. producers, Sutter Home Winery and Beringer Wine Estates
Holdings Inc., sell some 9 million cases of Zinfandel a year at about $6 a
bottle, and have nothing to fear from a few Italian imports, Losey said.

Beringer disagrees. ``We've worked hard to promote the identity of Zinfandel --
white Zinfandel and red Zinfandel,'' spokesman Tor Kenward said. ``I think a
lot of Americans feel that it is somewhat their grape.''

Ironically, while the European Union has allowed the use of the Zinfandel name,
the Italian government does not, forcing Italian producers to use careful
wording when trading on the Zinfandel name.

One industry analyst questioned why the Italians would even want to enter the
fray since Zinfandel is already facing tough competition in the U.S. market
from fruit-flavored competitors.

``It's not a category that looked that hot to me,'' said analyst Caroline S.
Levy of UBS Warburg LLC, citing figures by AC Nielsen Co. showing U.S. sales of
white Zinfandel down 5 percent in the year to May 13.

``Any new competition is bad news'' for white Zinfandel, Levy said.
 

Texas Teens Rally at MADD Camp to Reduce Underage DrinkingAnd Call on Congress
to Pass Federal .08 BAC Drunk Driving Limit

Granger and DeLay Likely Members of Congressional  

Conference Committee to Address .08 Legislation  

FT. WORTH, Texas, July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- MADD National President Millie I. Webb
today joined more than 600 MADD/TABC Texas Youth Leadership Power Campers and
activists to rally for underage drinking prevention -- the No. 1 youth drug
problem -- and federal passage of .08 blood alcohol content (BAC) legislation
for adult drivers.

Junior high and senior high school students representing 38 school districts
from across Texas are participating in this four-day camp sponsored by MADD and
the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) at Texas Christian University in
Fort Worth, July 5-8, 2000.  The MADD Youth Leadership Power Camps, held
throughout the nation, help teens develop skills to make social changes in
their community -- from influencing public policy and teaming up with local law
enforcement initiatives, to working with the media to heighten awareness and
build community support for policy reforms.

The young people gathered today to show their support for federal passage of
.08 BAC as the adult drunk driving limit in every state citing that this
legislation would save lives, prevent injuries and make the nation's roads
safer for all drivers.  Recently the U.S. Senate passed the FY 2001
transportation appropriations bill, by a count of 99-to-zero, containing
language that would sanction states for not passing .08 BAC.  The bill is now
slated to go before a House/Senate Conference Committee of which Congresswoman
Kay Granger (R-TX) and Congressman Tom DeLay (R-TX) will likely be appointed
members on Monday.  MADD expects it will be an uphill battle to keep the .08
language intact due to opposing pressure from alcohol industry lobbyists.

"We commend Texas as one of only eighteen states and the District of Columbia,
that has set the legal limit for drunk driving at .08 BAC.  In Texas a driver
can be considered legally intoxicated at .08 BAC, but not when driving across
state lines to our neighboring states of Arkansas, Louisiana or Oklahoma where
the limits are .10," said Webb, whose daughter Lori and nephew Mitchell died in
a crash caused by a drinking driver with a .08 BAC.  Webb and her husband were
severely burned in the crash and her daughter Kara was born premature and
legally blind as a result of the tragedy.

"Although studies show that virtually everyone is impaired at a .08 BAC level,
what happened to my family is tangible proof that .08 BAC causes dangerous
impairment behind the wheel," added Webb.  "If all states were to enact .08 BAC
an estimated 500 lives would be saved each year."

In an effort to show Congresswoman Kay Granger and Congressman Tom DeLay that
their Texas constituents support this federal measure, the Texas teens and MADD
members signed a giant banner promoting the passage of .08 BAC that will be
sent to Washington, D.C. next week.  The banner, which resembles a highway
speed limit sign reads, "TO ALL THE SIGNS THAT MAKE DRIVING A LITTLE SAFER,
WE'D LIKE TO ADD ONE MORE -- ALCOHOL LIMIT .08."

"The time has come for every state to draw the line at .08 BAC," said Max
Bench, Texas MADD member and .08 advocate.  "Study after study has shown
everyone's critical safe driving skills -- braking, steering and reaction time
-- are dangerously impaired at this level.  This law is in the best interest of
all motorists and their families."

The theme of this year's MADD Youth Leadership Power Camps is "Planet Power."
Webb reminded the campers that they are the activists of tomorrow and that
collectively, they have the capability to create a positive planet -- a society
that is made powerful by the healthy and responsible choices of its youth.

"These young people are taking a stand against underage alcohol consumption and
impaired driving in Texas -- a stand that is difficult in a society that
continues to bombard its youth with mixed messages from adults, TV and movies
that often condone underage drinking as a 'rite of passage,'" said Webb.

"I know underage drinking is a problem that these teens face everyday; yet,
they have chosen to be here to learn how to become part of the solution."

In its third year, the Texas Youth Leadership Power Camp, continues to provide
skills clinics for campers that help them learn how to become mentors, start
Youth In Action teams and even develop Web sites promoting drug-free, alcohol
free teen programs.  Campers gain insight from other student leaders, parents
and community leaders on successful approaches for stopping underage drinking
-- often viewed as a "rite of passage" by many adults and young people.

For more information on MADD Youth Leadership Power Camps or other youth
programming, contact the programs department at 1-800-GET-MADD or visit the
MADD Web site at www.madd.org .

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist Signs Book Contract With Hazelden
 
CENTER CITY, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 3, 2000--The Hazelden Foundation
announced today that it will publish a book based on Pulitzer Prize-winning
journalist Eric Newhouse's year-long investigation into the far-reaching
problems of alcohol abuse.

Newhouse, projects editor at the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune, won the 2000
Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for his series called "Alcohol: Cradle
to Grave," a vivid examination of alcohol's devastating consequences on a
community, its families, and individuals. Hazelden, which was featured in the
series, is an internationally-known provider of services related to alcoholism
and drug addiction and is the world's largest publisher of recovery-related
materials.

Newhouse's extraordinary series explores the varied complexities of alcohol,
including addiction, fetal alcohol syndrome, teen drinking, family issues,
drunk driving, crime, costs to taxpayers, and treatment options. The Hazelden
book, slated for a fall 2001 release, will include the series in a revised and
updated form, and will explore national issues related to alcohol abuse and
addiction, giving readers a comprehensive look at the complexity, magnitude and
cost of alcohol abuse on a local community. Great Falls, Mont., can be viewed
as a microcosm of a national problem, said Newhouse, and his writing
illustrates how alcohol is woven into the traditions and daily life of not only
Montana, but of much of America.

"Hazelden has been carrying the message of recovery to communities, families
and individuals for fifty years," said Clay Garner, Executive Vice-President of
Hazelden Information and Educational Services. "Eric Newhouse's work is a
perfect fit for Hazelden, and we're honored to take his writing to a national
audience."

Newhouse has worked as a journalist since 1967. He was a reporter and
correspondent for the Associated Press in Baltimore, New Orleans, Chattanooga,
Tenn., Pierre, S.D., and St. Louis, and also was bureau chief for the AP in
Charleston, WV. In 1988, he joined the Great Falls Tribune where he was news
editor and editorial editor, before becoming a projects editor. He is also an
instructor for the University of Great Falls, where he teaches English, mass
communications, and writing courses.

He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin, a master's
degree from the University of Maryland, and a second master's from Columbia 6
University, where he was also appointed an international fellow.

The nonprofit Hazelden Foundation, founded in 1949, pioneered the model of care
for alcoholism, drug addiction, and related diseases that is now the most
widely used in the world, and has been a leader in the recovery-related
publishing field since "Twenty-Four Hours A Day" was published in 1954. Today,
with 50 years of experience and an unparalleled breadth of services, Hazelden
is an international provider of treatment, recovery, research and training,
offering programs, services and publications for individuals, families and
communities affected by chemical dependency.

Alaskan Wins Two Golds and a Silver at "Best in the West" Competition

July 5, 2000

Alaskan Brewing Company was awarded three medals at the June "Best in
the West" competition put on by the North American Brewers Association.

Alaskan Brewing Company had a strong showing at the "Best in the West"
competition at the Mountain Brewers Festival held in Idaho Falls in
June, winning three medals.

Alaskan ESB and Smoked Porter both brought home gold medals. Alaskan
Oatmeal Stout earned a silver at the festival.

The Alaskan ESB win was the first award presented and beer enthusiasts
rushed the Alaskan booth wanting to get a taste of the award winning
beer.

"The enthusiasm for Alaskan Brewing products continues to grow
throughout the Pacific Northwest and continues to engage new fans," said
Merv Boyce, regional sales manager for Idaho, Montana and Eastern
Washington.

http://www.phillynews.com/content/daily_news/2000/07/10/features/YOGO10.htm

some beer hops? July 10,2000

As part of American Beer Month, brewmaster Carol Stoudt, of Lancaster
County's Stoudt's Brewing Co., will be at McGillin's Olde Ale House,
1510 Drury St., to talk beer from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For info, call
215-735-5562.

http://www.beverageworld.com/

Brazil: Beverages Consumption Increases in Brazil

June 30
The market of non-alcoholic beverages is expanding in Brazil where the
sales jumped from 6.4bil litres in 1994 to 11bil litres in 1999, as
wellas the mineral water segment registering an increase of 100% in the
sales over the last five years and a consumption of 3bil litres in 1999.
Panamco, a Coca-Cola bottling company, launched the mineral water
Cristal which is already among the fifth most consumed. The wine
production is also increasing expecting to end 2000 with a jump of 12%,
304mil litres (against 293mil litres in 1999) and R$600mil. Accordingto
Uvibra (Uniao Brasileira de Vitivinicultura) the imports were of 9.6mil
litres in 1999, being the Italians responsible for sales of 4.7mil. On
the other hand the beer market is stabilized with a consumption of 8bil
litres over the last three years.

http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2000/07/10/beer000710

Beer explosion injures two
Mon Jul 10 17:25:23 2000
 
HALIFAX - A mixture of chemicals exploded at a beer brewing lab in
Halifax, injuring two people.

An official with the provincial Department of Labour said two people
were hurt when a mixture of glycol and sulphuric acid exploded at the
Oland's brewery in north-end Halifax.

One employee, a 45-year-old male, had facial burns and cuts on his legs
and hands. And a 22-year-old female was splashed with chemicals when the
beaker they were handling exploded.

The plant has been shut down, for the time being, and all of the
employees sent home.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/food/review.html?in_review_id=296708
&in_review_text_id=240989

London's wobbliest pub crawl
by Edward Sullivan, 10 July

'Eee, by 'eck, lad,' as my uncle Seth would have said. 'It makes you
proud to be British.' They gave us the cash-haemorrhaging Millennium
Dome, which nobody I know wants to see. They gave us the New Year River
Of Fire, which failed to ignite. They gave us the Jubilee Line
Extension, which faltered into action several years late. They gave us
the Millennium Eye, which failed to lift into place on time and wasn't
ready to roll with passengers on the big occasion. And now we have the
wibbly-wobbly bridge.

Ooh, I feel a bit wobbly, have I drunk too much? No, that's just the
bridge...

In years gone by, people would probably have been hanged for such
atrocities, but in years gone by, it seems, we knew how to build things.
St Paul's Cathedral was still standing proud the last time I looked, and
the old power station on the south side of the Thames is now the
energetic new home to the Tate Modern. It's just the wibbly-wobbly
spanning the two that cannot yet be safely traversed. I actually got to
walk on wibbly-wobbly the day it opened (before it closed, opened again,
and then closed again) and it was no different to wandering home after a
few sherbets.

Anyway, they've gone back to the toolbox and the spanners are out to
rectify the problem, which is disappointing for all of us, but
especially so for the new and existing bars surrounding St Paul's that
had planned to open at weekends to cater for the crowds of people
attracted to the area, and will again as soon as the job's done.
Meanwhile, you'll have to use Southwark or Blackfriars bridges to follow
this week's crawl...

The Samuel Pepys

The old warehouse recently developed into luxury flats is also home to
this magnificent first-floor bar with spectacular views across the
Thames. Almost £1 million was spent creating this modern, spacious,
low-ceilinged bar, which has the benefit of a powerful air-conditioning
system. Food is the big thing with curries, grills, pastas and salads
running in at around £8 a dish. It's owned and operated by Bass, so
serves Fuller's London Pride, Staropramen and a limited but erudite wine
list. This is one of the most spectacular new venues I've seen in some
time.

Shaw Lane, High Timber Street, EC4 (020-7634 9841). Mon-Fri 11am-11pm.

The Bridge

This shiny new glass-fronted bar and restaurant opened just a few weeks
ago and has already attracted a small army of fans from the City, along
with many a riverside stroller. Freedom Pilsner is the best bet on the
beer front, but there's a quality wine list and they serve excellent dim
sum in the bar. It's crowning glory though is the outside terrace, from
which there are fantastic views.

1 Paul's Walk, EC4 (020-7236 0000). Mon-Fri 11am-11pm.

The Centre Page

Once the Horn Tavern, then for a short period it became the St Paul's
Wine Vaults before Eldridge Pope gave up the ghost and sold the lease to
Front Page Pubs. The interior has been smartened up considerably and the
ground-floor bar has a long row of comfortable booths along one side.
The basement area has further seating and a private room which can
accommodate 12 people for lunch or dinner. Although the food menu lacks
lighter, summer dishes, it is substantial and reasonably priced: baked
ham hock with mashed potatoes and spring greens (£7.95), or a tuna steak
with green beans (£9.50). Brakspear and Bombardier Spitfire are both on
tap.

29 Knightrider Street, EC4 (020-7236 1013). Mon-Fri 11am-11pm.

Bar Excellence

A spaceship has landed in London, and devilishly close to St Paul's
Cathedral. Fear not, the aliens are friendly, and their ship is this
futuristic bar servicing local workers and visitors alike. The bright
air-conditioned interior of copper and bleached wood is very relaxing on
the eye and the bill for my lunch was equally relaxing on my wallet.
Whether you have a rump steak melt in French bread with fries, good old
bangers & mash with onion gravy, or opt for the simpler, but equally
satisfying offer of decent-quality sandwiches, you should leave suitably
satiated. There's a more informal raised lounge area for those who
prefer the relaxed approach to dining and drinking.

2 Old Change Court, EC4 (020-7248 2720). Mon-Fri 11am-11pm.

The Founders Arms

This fine modern pub stands firmly by the river on the south side of
Blackfriars Bridge. It is hard to find the first time but worth the
effort nonetheless. The dean of St Paul's managed to find it all right.
He opened it in 1979. When you get there you have Young's beers, a
glass-walled bar, a pleasant restaurant and a big riverside terrace,
wonderful on a sunny day. Both bar and terrace give you a fine view of
the river, and one of the greatest views of St Paul's Cathedral.
No-smoking area, and no kids in the bar.

52 Hopton Street, SE1 (020-7928 1899). Pub hours.

The Anchor

Bankside has certainly gone up in the world. In Shakespeare's day it was
all slums and stews, but look at it now: a riverside walk (which the
Queen did in 1977), the massive redevelopment and a famous old inn. Dr
Johnson often supped here with his good friend Mrs Thrale whose husband
owned it and the brewery next door. It is a fine pub with a minstrels'
gallery, a private 18th-century dining room, a new riverside terrace
with serried ranks of picnic tables, a garden terrace, a barbecue and a
most superior restaurant. Sam Wanamaker often ate here when his
wonderful Globe was taking shape nearby. He always had table seven. The
Anchor is not a pub you can leave quietly. In the creaking Olympics, the
Anchor's floorboards would take gold. Flower's, Bass and Greene King on
draught.

34 Park Street, SE1 (020-7407 1577). Pub hours.

The Old Thameside Inn

The Old Thameside Inn is not very old at all. It's less than 20 years
old and its luck is changing for the better. Take a look at its
neighbour. The Golden Hinde, replica of the 16th-century warship, is in
dry dock by the entrance. The remains of the Clink prison - now a museum
- are round the back. The pub used to be a spice warehouse but has been
cleverly converted keeping the heavy timbers and the flagstone floor.

2 Clink Street, SE1 (020-7493 4243). Pub hours.

German beer tastes best in bottles, foreigners say
 
BERLIN, July 11 (Reuters) - German beer sells better abroad when it comes in
bottles, the Federal Statistics Office said on Tuesday.

Germany, which makes brewers conform to a 16th century purity law to protect
the prestige of their pils, exported about 311 million litres of bottled beer
last year, 85 million litres more than was sold in cans.

But France, never a country to be dictated to in matters of taste, bucked the
trend, importing 65 million litres of canned German beer and outpacing Spain as
the biggest consumer of it.

Americans, the biggest importer of the bottled product, clearly prefer the
flavour of beer from a glass container to that from metal, buying nearly 15
times as much.

But although Britons imported almost twice as much beer in bottles, they didn't
seem too concerned about the aftertaste from cans, ranking number three in
sales of both.

Diageo says H2 in line, spirit growth lags
By David Jones
 
LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - British food and drinks group Diageo Plc on Tuesday
said trading in the second half of its year to June 30 was in line with its own
expectations, but volume growth in wines and spirits lagged its first half.

``Trading performance in the second half of the year was in line with our
overall expectations at the time of our interim announcement and we are
therefore on track to achieve our targets in terms of operating profits in the
year just ended,'' Chief Executive John McGrath said in a statement.

The group issued the trading update for the second half of its financial year
up to June 30 ahead of the announcement of its full-year results on September
7.

The company said its United Distillers and Vintners (UDV) wine and spirits
division was expected to show turnover growth up nine percent for the full year
on an organic basis.

But it added that wines and spirits annual volumes were expected to be up two
percent on an organic basis compared to first half growth of six percent, while
volumes of its key nine spirits brands will be four to five percent ahead
compared to up nine percent in its July-December 1999 first half.

Its shares drifted off 14-1/2 pence to 590p by 1240 GMT in a largely mixed
London stock market, after they had traded down 1-1/2p just before the trading
statement.

The company said the abolition of European duty free led to a fall of sales of
its nine priority spirits brands of 700,000 12-bottle cases in the year, and
second half volumes of these nine brands was expected to be down by about two
percent.

Its packaged foods Pillsbury unit is expected to see volumes and sales slightly
down, while operating profits will be flat to slightly up over last year as a
result of acquisitions and organic growth in food services.

Total beer volume is expected up one percent, with the Guinness beer brand
seeing volumes two percent ahead.

Its Burger King hamburger chain, which Diageo decided last month to float off,
is expected to see system sales for the full year up about six percent driven
by new restaurant openings, but worldwide comparable restaurant sales for the
year are expected to be flat.

Diageo made no mention of the future of Pillsbury which market sources believe
the group will attempt to merge with another U.S. food group in a deal which
could value Pillsbury at around six billion pounds ($9 billion).

Diageo shares have underperformed the FTSE All Share Index by around eight
percent over the last 12 months, but have managed to keep pace with other
drinks stocks.

Diageo shares were at 583 pence when it was formed in December 1997 from a
merger of GrandMet and Guinness, rose to a closing high of 778-1/2p by July
1998 but then fell to a low of 375p in March this year as investors switched to
high-tech stocks.

The Wall Street Transcript Publishes Analyst Comments on Bass in Lodging
Industry Issue

  NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 10, 2000--Eight leading analysts and top
management from five sector firms examine the Lodging sector in the latest
issue of The Wall Street Transcript (212/952-7433) or
http://www.twst.com/info/info127.htm

In a vital review of this sector for investors and industry professionals, this
valuable 62-page Special Issue features:

Highlights Bass (NYSE:<A HREF="aol://4785:BAS">BAS</A>): "They have recently
announced that they're selling their brewing business and are going to get a
check for somewhere in the ballpark of $3 billion. So that's the company that's
really on the prowl, acquisition-wise."

http://WWW.BREWORLD.COM/NEWS/BEERNEWS/STORIES/12718.htm

Date: 10/07/2000

Although Australia’s two leading brewers are spending millions campaigning
against a new goods and services tax, the rest of the population appear less
concerned. The new tax system was introduced last week and the predicted anger
from customers about subsequent rising prices did not materialise.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard wanted the old system replaced because he
said it failed to target Australia's booming service industries, which now make
up 75% of the total economy. Lower corporate tax rates allow Australia to
better compete with Asian centres, such as Singapore. For retailers, the new
tax replaced wholesale sales taxes of between 12% and 45% on most goods.
Foster's and Lion Nathan are spending millions on an advertising and a legal
campaign against the tax. Lion Nathan says the price of packaged beer has risen
6%, while beer sold in a bar 8%.

http://www.peteswicked.com/news/bnews/bnews_200028.html

GREENE KING PROFITS UP ON PUB ACQUISITIONS

Greene King Plc, owners of Hungry Horse pubs and recent purchasers of Morland
Plc's bars and pubs, reported annual profits up 6.4% on increased pub sales,
according to a Bloomberg report. The makers of Abbot Ales reported profits from
operations rose to 38.3 million pounds ($57.4 million), up over two million
pounds from last year's 36 million pounds. Last year's earnings of 59.2 pence
per share dropped to 54.2p due to the cost of the Morland acquisition. Annual
dividends of 22.5 pence per share were up from last year's 20.3p per share.

"They've done all they said they would do and the outlook is fairly promising,"
said Nigel Popham, analyst at Teather & Greenwood Ltd. "Greene King is very
stable and will produce steady growth."
Sales were up 42% to 414.1 million pounds; brewing sales jumped 40% to 81.6
million pounds. Revenue from Greene King's managed pubs, including the Hungry
Horse chain, rose 38% to 258.4 million pounds.

"We generally traded better as the year went on and had quite a strong second
half," said chief executive Tim Bridge.

S&N SHARES DOWN ON POOR PUB PERFORMANCE

Scottish & Newcastle Plc reported that shares dropped 7.4% due to lower pub
sales because of rising costs and price competition, according to a July 4
Bloomberg report. Higher labor costs led to reduced investment, and rival pub
chains reduced prices to snare customers, analysts said.

"There is a lot of promise (pub sales) will be better this year," said Ian
Shackleton, analyst at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corp., "but it
is a promise rather than delivery and you've got a market that is pretty
unforgiving." Recent figures have caused analysts to lower their forecasts for
annual earnings for fiscal 2001. Shackleton now expects a 4% lower figure of
54.7 pence.

S&N shares fell 39 pence to 489p and have fallen 30% in the past 12 months. S&N
purchased De Vere Group Plc's pub chain last year in order to replace some of
its poorly performing pubs with more profitable locations. It then sold 800 of
its managed pubs and plans to sell 200 more. S&N also purchased France's
Kronenbourg beer business and is expecting regulatory approval within the next
week. It is possible that S&N will sell its pubs business to fund further
brewery acquisitions.

"To get the funds they are quite likely to sell the pubs business," said Nigel
Popham of Teather & Greenwood Ltd.

Major Peters' Advertises 'Major Escape' on BEVision; New In-Store Network For
Liquor Stores Provides Resource To Educate Consumers About In-Store Product
Promotions

    FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 2000--BEVision, a new
in-store television network for beer, wine and spirits retailers nationwide
that is wholly owned and operated by RMS Networks, will run an 30-second spot
through August 2000 featuring Major Peters' and its Major Escape Summer
promotion. Currently, BEVision is airing a segment that features Major Peters'
and its Bloody Mary bar promotion.

    Under the terms of the sweepstakes promotion, one grand prize winner will
receive round-trip air travel for two to Peter Island in the British Virgin
Islands and a seven day/six night stay at Peter Island Resort. In addition, 100
first-prize winners will receive a Major Peters' Beach Kit. Entries must be
postmarked by August 31, 2000 and the prize drawing will take place on
September 15, 2000.

    "We are pleased to have Major Peters' as a network sponsor," said Michael
Sobel, vice president advertising sales.

BEVision is a new point-of-decision communications and advertising tool that is
provided at no cost to U.S. beer, wine and spirits retailers. Designed to
influence in-store sales as well as enhance the retail environment, BEVision
segments entertain customers while they shop and feature a variety of topics,
from wine pairing and mixed drink recipes, to bar stocking tips for home
parties and industry trends. Programming is produced using original content, as

well as content obtained from various programming suppliers, including CNN, E!

About Major Peters'     Major Peters' is the nation's number one on-premise
Bloody Mary mix, made with 100 natural ingredients, including vine-ripened
California tomatoes, a proprietary spice pack (which includes more than 40
distinctive spices) and an industry-leading 94% tomato juice content. Created
for the Bloody Mary drinker who demands quality and award-winning taste, Major
Peters' Bloody Mary mix is available in four varieties: Original, Salsa, Hot &
Spicy and The Works.

Major Peters' is also the manufacturer of a variety of cocktail mix flavors,
including an award-winning Margarita mix and mixes for Raspberry, Strawberry
and Banana Daiquiris, Rum Runners, and Pina Coladas. Major Peters' is
manufactured am marketed by Beverage Specialties Limited, a unit of The Red
Wing Company, Inc. Additional information regarding Major Peters' can be
accessed at www.majorpeters.com.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/talking%5Fpoint/newsid%5F823000/823267.stm

Tuesday, 11 July, 2000, 14:26 GMT 15:26 UK  Rites of passage: What did you do?

Euan Blair was probably not alone in choosing to get drunk to celebrate the end
of his exams this week. It just so happens that he is the son of the British
Prime Minister, so his youthful escapade turned into national news when he was
arrested late on Wednesday night.

But no one is being very hard on young Euan. After all, having a few too many
drinks is a pretty common rite of passage into adulthood in Britain and many
other countries.

What were your worst adolescent excesses? Are you prepared to go into print
with them? What do teenagers do in your country? Send us your rite-of-passage
memories.
 ***
A friend and I saved our dinner money for a few weeks and used it to buy a
bottle of whisky. We despatched the liquor over a school lunchtime and then
staggered, and fell, and crawled back to school. In the afternoon the whole
school had to march down to the local church for the Christmas service. When I
got home, I slept on the sofa for hours. My parents thought I had had a hard
term and was exhausted; it was only some years later that the truth was
revealed.
Geraint, Belgium
****
During my first week at University a friend and I were sat beside each other in
the pub. I turned to face him and noticed that he had gone very pale. He then
started to be sick, but somehow managed to 'keep it in', until he coughed. At
which point an accelerated flow of vomit hit the well dressed woman sitting
opposite us. I turned to look back at my friend to find him already running out
of the pub, I then turned back to look at his victim, who had only then
realised what had happened as she stared in horror at the new design on her
dress!
Matthew Dutton, UK
****
"Beer. The cause of and solution to all our problems." Homer Simpson.
John Keagy, USA-Chicago
****
My introduction to alcohol at the age of 17 led to me accepting a dare to
streak for about a mile along a deserted high street at midnight. Unfortunately
the night shift at the local constabulary were on their toes that night and I
was arrested by a WPC following a short chase - I wasn't very fast even then.
When I was marched into the police station everyone dissolved into laughter at
the sight of me and my captor. After a night in the cells with only a blanket,
which had certainly not been washed with conditioner, to keep me warm I was
released without charge. So Euan, if you had done that, imagine the front page
of the Sun! It could have been much worse...
Eric Davidson, Scotland
*****
My boyfriend drank a litre bottle of Martini (of all things) the night before
his English O level. His friends pushed him home in a supermarket trolley at
2.30am, banged on the front door and scarpered. His parents were livid, next
day he slept through most of the exam. He became an electrician - that was his
punishment.
Catherine, Scotland
****
Unfortunately I have only my parents to tell me exactly what I did. Ten years
on the re-telling of the tale no longer reduces my mother to tears. The evening
started quite normally with a few beers and ended with me handcuffed naked to a
flagpole with a goat chained to my ankle. I'm sure my parents would have much
rather I was found drunk in Leicester Square. I hope Euan has more luck than me
and grows out of such stupidity!
Dave Jones, UK
****
I can vaguely remember going out on my 16th birthday and getting completely
smashed on snake-bite (cider and lager). I'd managed to somehow make my way
home but was rudely awaken early Saturday morning by my none-too-pleased
mother, demanding to know why there was vomit all over the toilet. Needless to
say, to teach me a lesson I was made to clean it all up - not too pleasant a
job when you've got a pounding headache and your brains are leaking out of your
ears! Quite what this valuable lesson taught me has obviously been slightly
lost over the years, as I'm twice that age now and I still sometimes drink to
excess at the weekends! Well, it's a British tradition, isn't it? Chin chin!
Dave Strong, UK
****
When you're young, anything "forbidden" and attributed to "mature" adults is
the ultimate goal: sex, alcohol, driving. It is "cool", improves your image
among peers, makes you feel confident therefore. The first time I got really
drunk (so I couldn't walk) was when I was 10, celebrating passing some exams in
Russian school with friends. Since then getting drunk is not a self-goal for
me, and I know my limits. So it's absolutely normal for Euan to have been
drunk. He learned his lesson and he will avoid further mistakes.
Andrej, Russia
****
Doing a Euan? Very boring indeed isn't it? Sad to think that the entire
populace thinks that getting drunk is the only way to celebrate the passing of
an event. Then again, maybe that's the one thing the British can still do?
We're certainly the laughing stock of Europe these-days aren't we?
Chris, UK
****
We celebrated finishing our O levels with lemonade and crisps on the school
field. I don't remember celebrating my A levels at all. I celebrated Finals
with champagne on the college quad, and ended up propositioning my tutor, who
tactfully turned me down!
Anon, England
****
Perhaps the fact that the Prime Minister's son chose to celebrate the
completion of his exams by knocking back a few pints is an indication that the
UK is becoming a bit less class conscious. Way to go, Euan!
Scott M. Erlandson, USA
****
I am, and have always been impressed with the attitude toward alcohol in the
United Kingdom. I can't even imagine the hoopla that would surround such a
story in the United States if it were Chelsea Clinton who was found plastered.
I can just hear the Republican right screaming about family values and how Bill
Clinton was the devil who was corrupting the very core values that made us
strong. I am pleased to read that even the Tories didn't seize on the Euan
story to make cheap political gains. This is, after all, a story about a rite
of passage, not the seventh sign of the apocalypse like it would be treated in
the United States.
Brandon Grover, United States
***
I remember with shame one incident that occurred when me and my friends were
out celebrating the end of our A-Levels. Of course, we were extremely
inebriated. We ended up dressing up one of our colleagues as the "Grim Reaper"
complete with scythe borrowed from his dad's garden shed, and getting him to
stand in the middle of a country road. We ended up getting arrested after an
old lady had phoned the police, terrified out of her mind and convinced that
her time had come. I feel nothing but guilt now, looking back at the shameful
incident, and thinking that we could have caused the poor old lady to have a
heart attack!
Ollie, England
****
The first time I got really drunk, was when I was 12 and was supposed to be
babysitting my 8 month old sister. Myself, my older brother and 3 friends
decided to raid the drinks cabinet and play cards for shots. I hated the taste,
but as I got drunker, I was deliberately losing so I could have more. I ended
up completely scuttered!! I woke up the next morning, and my hair was sopping
wet, and I was wrapped in a towel! I had to ask my friend why I'd woken up in
this state. My mum had come home, found me comatose lying in my own vomit, and
went mental!!! So she stripped me off and gave me a cold shower. It hasnt
deterred me from going out on the "lash" every weekend, and the young Mr.Blair
has got it all ahead of him!
Deeds Hefferon, England
****
Once in a bout of teenage rebellion, I kept out some library books beyond their
return date. On another occasion, I ate a second helping of jelly and custard,
even though I wasn't really hungry. Of course, I've calmed down a lot since
then.
Johnny, UK
****
How sad the British nation has become. Their only pleasure in life is drink.
Now they celebrate a child being unconscious on the street and say "good on
you" to him. This nation needs to wake up to alcohol and reclaim some culture.
Orville, USA
****
Battered, bombed, bladdered, caned, doused, damaged, hammered, savaged,
rattled, trounced &c &c, plus all of the unprintable versions, must prove that
everyone does it. He'll learn as we've all done, but the lad should just be
left alone; getting drunk, especially under-age is a totally normal thing to
do.
Matthew Illsley, England
****  
I drank 21 glasses of red and white wine from my parents cheap caskets and was
found dancing around the house when they came home. Shortly after that I
retired to my room, threw up all over the bed and passed out. When I came to, I
was so embarrassed that I told my parents I'd eaten some olives from the fridge
that were obviously off. They humoured me and threw the offending olives out -
bless them! My room stunk of alcohol for 3 days and they never said a word...
Pippin Sadler, UK
****
Although I don't like people getting drunk, I was very proud of Euan. This
young man didn't want to embarass his own father, and bravely faced the
situation, even when he had to get through some lies. But still he was a good
son to a good father. Mr. Blair, be proud of your son, he's unlike many others
his age, he's a son who caters for his parents. He is a God. Something missed a
lot in your society.
Moataz M. Abou-Eita, Egypt.
****
At about age 16 while out walking with my father (who was fond of a pint or
two) we witnessed a guy stagger out of a pub reeling drunk. He just about made
it to the kerb before vomiting copiously then collapsing in the gutter. My
father looked at me shaking his head in obvious disgust and said "son, drink
whatever you like, but if you can't handle it don't drink it" good advice that
I am about to pass on to my own son.
Alan Lewis, England
****
 As an American who grew up in the UK I have no shame in saying that I've been
drinking since I was 15! Now I'm 19 living back in the USA where the drinking
age is 21, and more teenagers have access to drugs then to alcohol! I find this
insulting and frustrating, especially when at 18 I was considered old enough to
get drafted into the army to die for my country in a war, but I'm still legally
too young to have a drink! Drinking restrictions only lead to rebellion among
teens, they need to be relaxed! Besides who cares if Euan Blair goes out
drinking, he is certainly not the only 16 year old in Britain who does drink
large amounts of alcohol in one night! I cannot even begin to imagine the
uproar in America if Chelsea Clinton was caught drinking!
Darren, USA (from UK)
****
Can anyone remember enjoying being drunk? It's time to find a better way of
celebrating all our special occasions. Drugs, sex, rock and roll. Good stuff
but at the age of sixteen and living in Singapore, the first 2 were really hard
to get. Once ensconced in the UK for A-level studies, I can recall how
non-plussed my UK peers were about these indulgences. There was nothing taboo
about it. I never realised a vice could be so underwhelming. Forbidden fruit
always tastes better when you can't get any!
Alexander Schooling, UK
***
I am a little stunned to see how pervasive the English attitude of embracing
inebriation is. In American universities, students get wasted just as often but
we are not so vocally proud about it, and from what I have seen in my travels
in Britain, we are quicker to grow out of it.
Charles Sviokla, USA
****
Having completed my finals at university, 5 friends and I embarked on an epic
drinking binge around London. I was ejected from a trendy night club at 2:30 am
for having feigned an asthma attack and then vomited all over the bar. When I
was eventually stopped by the police while stumbling across Hyde Park Corner, I
realised that I could remember neither my address, or my name! I have, of
course, learnt NOTHING from this experience.
Jonathan King, Switzerland
***
When I was a laddie we used to cycle to Inverness on a Friday night and climb
to the top of the Wallace monument where we would swallow meths from a bicycle
inner tube. We called this 'gurking' because you used to inflate the tube with
a pump which would force the meths down your throat when you released the
valve. It just goes to show that jeopardising your mental and physical health
whilst putting yourself at risk of severe physical injury is a perfectly normal
and acceptable thing to do!
Liam Kane, Scotland
****
I wonder what the nations response would have been if Euan had been arrested
for cannabis or ecstasy?? It seems its ok in this country to drink yourself to
the point of passing out and throwing up everywhere. If he was found in the
same condition having abused any other kind of drug, there would have been a
national outcry. I love a drink just like everyone else, it would just be nice
if everyone realised that a night of drinking leaves you much worse off than
most other recreational drugs.
Andrew Welch, England
****
I was 16 years old and drank 18 cans of export lager, and then when that ran
out I drank half a bottle of Whiskey. As a result I spent 3 hours vomiting and
then had to be carried home (five miles) as the taxi driver wouldn't take me.
Then half way home my friend accidentally dropped me on my face in the local
high street. I spent the rest of the night in A&E. I still have the flattened
nose, a lovely 12 inch scar on the top of my head and another 5 inch scar on my
eyebrow to prove it. Euan Blair should consider himself lucky to have been
found by the police.
Steve, UK
***
Well done Euan ! There's no shame in what you did. We have all done it. Just
one piece of advice... Don't drink in Leicester Square, you can get a lot more
hammered for your money around Camden.
Dylan, UK
****
I cannot forget my friend who drank from a big bucket of "cocktail". It was at
the age of 20, final years of graduation, a bucket was filled with all sorts of
drinks, including some country stuff. My friend drank mugs of that cocktail. He
was almost at edge of his life. That event spoiled the whole fun.
Cheliyan, India
****
 I went to a boarding school and we were very sheltered from the real world. I
think the most ridiculous thing was after an afternoon drinking a bottle of
martini (sweet of course!) an older girl told us that you could get high if you
crushed up Refreshers and sniffed them. We duly sent a younger girl off the
school grounds (very naughty) to buy some Refreshers, and spent some
considerable time when she returned, smashing the sweets on the carpet with our
school shoes, and inhaling the sugary mess. Needless to say, it didn't work,
and we had a fair bit of mess to clean up...
Kate, England

On 11 Jul 2000 15:24:49 GMT, j2ju...@aol.com (J2jurado) wrote:

>
>Americans, the biggest importer of the bottled product, clearly prefer the
>flavour of beer from a glass container to that from metal, buying nearly 15
>times as much.
>
>But although Britons imported almost twice as much beer in bottles, they didn't
>seem too concerned about the aftertaste from cans, ranking number three in
>sales of both.

Largely supermarket own brands I would venture.
>

>S&N SHARES DOWN ON POOR PUB PERFORMANCE
>
>Scottish & Newcastle Plc reported that shares dropped 7.4% due to lower pub
>sales because of rising costs and price competition, according to a July 4
>Bloomberg report. Higher labor costs led to reduced investment, and rival pub
>chains reduced prices to snare customers, analysts said.

So Britains biggest brewer can't sell enough beer in it's own pubs?
Small surprise given:
a) excessive price
b) piss poor beer

>"To get the funds they are quite likely to sell the pubs business," said Nigel
>Popham of Teather & Greenwood Ltd.

That means these daft analysts who don't believe in vertical
integration want them to sell the pubs.
>

>Euan Blair was probably not alone in choosing to get drunk to celebrate the end
>of his exams this week. It just so happens that he is the son of the British
>Prime Minister, so his youthful escapade turned into national news when he was
>arrested late on Wednesday night.

Hmm. Not sure that I care for these stories.  Though I am not sure, I
have a sneaking feeling I know why.

Peter Alexander Chairman CAMRA Rochdale Oldham and Bury Branch

Unless otherwise stated,the opinions stated here are personal.  My CAMRA connections are given for information only.

Busch Beer evolution

FOOD DAY / WEDNESDAY / FOOD TALK  ( Newsday )

Something Good Is Brewing

7-7-00 -  Southampton Publick House was a winner at World Beer Cup award
ceremonies  last month in Manhattan. The East End brewery claimed a silver
medal in the  Irish-style red ale category with its Sullivan's Irish Ale, which
finished  second among 17 entries. Another area winner, the Brooklyn Brewery,
was awarded a gold medal for its Blanche de Brooklyn, a Belgian wheat beer. The
 World Beer Cup competition is held every two years under the auspices of the
Colorado-based Association of Brewers. This year's judging by 65 professionals
was held in Milwaukee in April, when 1,127 beers produced by 371 breweries in
39 counties were entered in 640 categories.

Founders Food & Firkins Ltd. Celebrates Granite City Food & Brewery's First
Anniversary in St. Cloud, Minn.

St. Cloud Restaurant/Micro-Brewery Celebrates with Unique Belgian    
Cherry-Brewed Beer Handcrafted by World-Renowned Brewmaster; First Time  

Brewed in North America

 MINNEAPOLIS, July 11 /PRNewswire/ --   Founders Food & Firkins Ltd. (Nasdaq:
GCFBU) ("Founders"), announced today that it is celebrating its first
anniversary as Granite City Food & Brewery in St. Cloud, Minn.  Granite City
St. Cloud is marking their success with a two-month limited run of a specialty,
handcrafted beer brewed for the first time in North America:  a unique Belgian
summer beer named "Cherries Galore!."

The brewing of the unique "Cherries Galore!" beer was overseen by William E.
Burdick, cofounder, brewmaster and board chairman of Founders.  Burdick is an
early pioneer in the craft-brewing industry and regularly writes and lectures
nationally on beer and brewing.  Under Burdick's direction, the day-to-day
brewing functions are carried out by graduated European brewers. Each Granite
City Brewery is equipped as a full-scale, from-scratch brewery, including a
scientific laboratory which requires a degreed brewer to operate. In contrast,
many microbrewery operations use pre-packaged brewing "kits" and "cans" for
their beers.

"'Cherries Galore!' is a great summer beer brewed in the long tradition of
beers brewed with fruit in Europe, particularly in Belgium," said Burdick.
"Cherry, 'saisson' style beers are common in Belgium, but rarely seen in North
America, which is a shame when you first experience the beautiful color,
wonderful bouquet and subtle taste of this beer.  Its really perfect to enjoy
outside on a summer day.  We've had many orders for it from our summer patio,"
noted Burdick.

The St. Cloud Granite City location opened in late June 1999, and was
overwhelmingly welcomed to the greater St. Cloud area.  From its opening day,
Granite City has enjoying great success and record numbers of patrons eager to
try the handcrafted brews and made-from-scratch foods.  Founders plans to open
other Granite City locations in the next two years.  The Company recently
announced a groundbreaking for its Sioux Falls, S.D. location. Granite City
provides fresh, high quality, made-to-order food and handcrafted beers, both
made on site.  Granite City offers a broad menu of traditional and regional
foods served in generous portions at reasonable prices, designed to offer
customers an excellent value and pleasant dining experience.

Diageo disappoints on Pillsbury and BK

By David Jones

 LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - British food and drinks group Diageo Plc gave a
downbeat trading update on Tuesday, heightening investor hopes it will push
ahead with a breakup of the company to include its troubled U.S. food unit
Pillsbury.

With no signs of recovery at Pillsbury and its fast food chain Burger King in
the U.S., analysts said this would increase pressure on management to divest
Pillsbury after it announced a planned flotation of Burger King last month.

Diageo is increasing its focus on its alcohol-beverage core of UDV wines and
spirits and Guinness beer which make two-thirds of group profits, and is
expected to merge its chubby-cheeked doughboy Pillsbury unit with another U.S.
food group.

Its shares dropped 14-1/2 pence on the trading update but recovered to end off
1/2p at 604p in a slightly firmer London market as investors focused on a solid
performance from UDV and beer which could form the backbone of a slimmed-down
group.

Diageo shares have underperformed the FTSE All Share Index by eight percent
over the last 12 months, and although they have managed to keep pace with other
drinks stocks, investors are pressing for a breakup to release shareholder
value.

Drinks analyst Andrew Gowan at Lehman Brothers said the trading update was
``slightly disappointing and generally neutral,'' but he was keeping the stock
as a ``hold'' on hopes of a future break-up, while another analyst said there
was no sign of any early recovery at either Pillsbury or Burger King.

The group said trading in its second half of January-June was in line with its
expectations and it was on track to achieve profit targets when it reports year
results on September 7.

NO WORD ON PILLSBURY MERGER

The company added Pillsbury is expected to see volumes and sales slightly down
in the year, but annual operating profits will be flat to slightly up as a
result of acquisitions and organic growth in its food services business.

It made no mention of the future of Pillsbury with its dough products, Green
Giant vegetables and Haagen-Dazs ice-cream which is valued at around six
billion pounds ($9 billion).

The Burger King hamburger chain, which Diageo decided last month to float off,
is expected to see system sales for the year up about six percent driven by new
openings, but annual worldwide comparable restaurant sales are expected to be
flat.

This implies its U.S. largely-franchised restaurants are seeing sales down
around 1-2 percent and there is no upturn in sight ahead of an initial 20
percent float next year expected to value the fast food unit at around 2.5
billion pounds.

Its UDV division, with its Johnnie Walker scotch, Smirnoff vodka and Gordon's
gin, was expected to show turnover growth up nine percent for the full year on
an organic basis, but the division saw a slow-down in growth in the second
half.

Wines and spirits annual volumes are expected to be up two percent on an

organic basis compared to first half growth of six percent, while volumes of
its key nine spirits brands will be four to five percent ahead compared to up
nine percent in its July-December 1999 first half.

The company said the abolition of European duty free led to a fall of sales of

its nine priority spirits brands of 700,000 12-bottle cases in the year, and

Total beer volumes are expected up one percent, with the Guinness brand seeing
volumes two percent ahead, although its biggest market for the stout brand --
Ireland -- will see volumes off four percent.

Diageo Trading Statement

    LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 2000--Diageo (NYSE: DEO), the
international food and drinks company, today announced the following trading
statement ahead of its preliminary statement of results for the year ended June
30, 2000, which is to be issued on September 7, 2000.

Commenting on this trading statement, Group Chief Executive John McGrath said:

    "In the year to June 2000 our Spirits and Wine business has performed
strongly. We have achieved a high level of sales growth through volume growth,
robust pricing action and mix improvement. This strength continues to be
centered around the global priority brands and on our major markets. As
anticipated Packaged Food will achieve modest organic growth in the year.
Foodservice continued to perform strongly and in Pillsbury North America in the
second half, we reduced marketing spend on trade promotions which had delivered
volume growth in the first half of the year but not operating profit growth.
Our beer business is developing a more efficient cost structure and margins
have improved again in the year. In Quick Service Restaurants we have continued
to implement a significant restaurant opening program and to drive strong
International performance. We have also begun to implement the transformation
program which has tested so well during the year.

    "Trading performance in the second half of the year was in line with our
overall expectations at the time of our interim announcement and we are

Spirits and Wine

    This was the first full year of UDV's strategy . Increased focus behind the
key brands has delivered turnover growth, expected to be up 9% for the full
year on an organic basis. This is the result of strong pricing action and mix
improvement particularly on the global priority brands (GPBs). Turnover of the
GPBs is expected to be up 10 %. Total reported volume was affected by disposals
and by the discontinuation of non-core brands. Volume is expected to be up by
2% on an organic basis, with volume of the global priority brands anticipated
to be up between 4% and 5% for the full year. The abolition of European duty
free sales has led to a reduction in sales of the GPBs of approximately 700,000
cases in the year, equivalent to nearly a percentage point of volume growth. In
the second half, volume of the GPBs was, as expected, down by about 2% but net
sales value was up 3% as a result of continued focus on price re-positioning
supported by increased marketing. Volume of the local priority brands will be
up about 10% in the full year as a result of strong performances by Dimple in
Korea, Stolichnaya in the United States, and Smirnoff Ice in the United
Kingdom. Wine volume is expected to be down 2% for the full year. Volume
improved in the second half, driven in part by the successful re-launch of the
Glen Ellen brand in the US and the success of Blossom Hill in the UK.

    Investment in marketing has continued to increase strongly, mainly behind
the GPBs, and on an organic basis the increase in marketing is expected to be
12% for the full year.

    In UDV's major markets of the United States, the United Kingdom and Spain
the business has continued to perform strongly with volume expected to be up by
7% and net sales value up 15%. Marketing spend increased over 15% on the GPBs
in these markets.

    In UDV's key Asian markets, the decision to continue to support the brands
during the period after the economic collapse there in 1997 has provided a
strong platform for volume and profit growth in Thailand and Taiwan. Volume in
both countries was up over 20%. In Latin America the economic difficulties in
that region have had an impact on trading performance, however, the local
priority brands have continued to increase market share.

Packaged Food

    As anticipated at the time of the interim announcement, volume and sales in
Packaged Food are expected to be slightly down compared with last year.
However, operating profit will be flat to slightly up over last year as a
result of acquisitions and organic growth in the Foodservice business.

    In Pillsbury North America, volume and sales are expected to decline on an
organic basis by about 2%. In the Dough categories, consumer takeaway has been
in line with last year. Strong performance in the Pizza and Hot Snacks category
and in Toaster Pastries has continued in the second half. In the non-Dough
categories, the Progresso brand continues to perform very strongly with
consumer takeaway up over 10%. In the Mexican meals segment, the Old El Paso
brand has grown 2% against a market up 1% due mainly to a new dinner kit
introduction, which was successfully launched in January. The reduction in
promotional spend in other non-dough categories has, as anticipated, led to
lower volume in the second half.

    In Foodservice, volume and sales will be up strongly as a result of the
impact of acquisitions and organic growth. In International, volume will be up
slightly year on year.

    Marketing spend in Packaged Food was down in the second half against the
prior year but will be up for the full year.

    Ice Cream Partners, the joint venture formed in October 1999 with Nestle,
is beginning to deliver stronger consumer takeaway and market share
improvement.

Beer

    Total Beer volume is expected to be up 1% with Guinness brand volume up 2%.
Volume of the Guinness brand in Ireland is expected to be down 4% for the full
year. In Great Britain, the Guinness brand has continued to perform strongly
against a declining beer market and volumes will be up 3% for the full year. In
Africa, the re-imposition of excise duty in Nigeria slowed volume growth of the
Guinness brand in that market to 5% in the second half and therefore volume for
the full year in Africa is likely to be up about 7%. Volume of the Guinness
brand is likely to be up 2% in Asia Pacific for the full year with strong
growth in the second half in Indonesia off set by the decline in beer
consumption in Malaysia and Singapore. In the United States, Draught Guinness
depletions are expected to be up over 10% for the full year. Shipments are
expected to be up 6% in the second half and down 1% for the full year as a
result of the program to reduce stock levels in the first half of the year.

    Marketing investment as a percentage of sales will be up in the full year.
Margin has continued to improve during the year as a result of supply chain
efficiencies and a reduction in overheads.

Quick Service Restaurants

    System sales for the full year are expected to be up about 6% driven by new
restaurant openings. World-wide comparable restaurant sales for the year are
expected to be flat. Burger King in the United States has now completed the
transition from Ameriserve to new regional distributors. The US transformation
programme, which has been developed and tested through the last year, is now
being rolled out and over 1100 franchised restaurants have committed to
implement these changes to restaurant image and drive-thru.

    The International business continues to perform strongly. In Europe 220 new
restaurant openings and 2% comparable restaurant sales growth in both Germany
and the United Kingdom have driven a 10% increase in system sales. In Latin
America the system has also performed well with comps up 4%.

Exceptional Items

    In February 2000 DCA was acquired and in March 2000 changes were announced
to the Packaged Food operations based in Minneapolis aimed at reducing cost and
refocusing the sales organisation there. Operating cost net exceptional charges
of $80 million will arise in respect of integration and restructuring costs.
The sale of Grupo Cruzcampo SA to Heineken NV during the second half of the
year resulted in an exceptional gain of approximately (pound)80 million. Also
in the second half of the year costs of $60 million were incurred in respect of
the transition to a new distribution system for Burger King in the United
States. This will be partially offset by exceptional income of $28 million,
which arises as part of Burger King's transformation programme. Burger King has
incentivised franchisees with phased royalty changes for a specified time if
they agree to new franchise agreements and to upgrade to the new restaurant
image within two years. These items are in addition to the exceptional charges
in the interim announcement.

Exchange rates

    As anticipated at the time of the interim announcement the adverse impact
of exchange rate movements on profit before exceptional items and taxation is
expected to be approximately (pound)35 million.

    Diageo is a multinational branded food and drinks company that operates in
more than 200 countries through four businesses - UDV, Pillsbury, Guinness and
Burger King. Diageo ADRs, equivalent to four Diageo shares, trade on the New
York Stock Exchange under the symbol DEO.

Police target boozing youth  ( The Evening Post (Wellington, New Zealand) )

07-05-2000, pp 3. - Drunk teenagers are again being targeted by Wellington
police, who are prosecuting a parent for supplying a 16-year-old with a 40oz
bottle of vodka.

Senior Sergeant Paul Berry said there was growing concern at the number of
young drunks travelling into the city and causing trouble outside the new
alcohol-free youth club Zeal in Victoria St. Many of the troublemakers had come
from outside Wellington City, said Mr Berry, with the intention of picking
fights.

Last year Wellington police launched Operation Youth after a series of attacks
by teenage drunks in the city. In resulted in more than 50 youngsters being
dealt with, but now the problem has reared its head again.

On Friday, June 23, police made about 20 arrests for disorder and assaults
outside Zeal. Many of those arrested were drunk and aged under 18. Last Friday
about 30 drunk people aged under 18 were taken to the central police station
and their parents informed.

"There were several unprovoked assaults on innocent people," Mr Berry said.
"One victim received loosened front teeth, another was taken to hospital with
minor facial injuries."

He said several people were issued with liquor infringement notices for being a
minor in possession of alcohol in a public place. The notices carry a $200
instant fine. One parent is being prosecuted for supplying alcohol to a minor.

"Most of the parents coming to pick up their children were clearly embarrassed
by what had happened. They were unaware their kids were in town and drinking
alcohol."

Mr Berry said that while it was difficult, parents needed to be more aware of
where their children were going and who with.  Police supported the aims of
Zeal organisers in attempting to provide a safe environment for young people in
the city, he said.

Wellington Mayor Mark Blumsky was meeting Police Minister George Hawkins today
and planned to ask him to support a call that police adopt a zero tolerance
stance on under-age drinkers. He wants police to issue instant $200 fines to
all minors found with alcohol.

"We're also working closely with the police to promote an increased police
presence in the central city."  The council is looking at improving the safety
of the area around Zeal and increasing lighting.

Qld; Drink for taste, not to get drunk, conference told  ( AAP General News
(Australia) )

BRISBANE, July 4 AAP - An advertising campaign is teaching Canadians to develop
a healthier relationship with alcohol by drinking for taste and not get drunk,
a conference was told today.

 Hubert Stacy is the director-general of Educ'alcool (Educ'alcool) - a
Quebec-based non-profit organisation devoted to alcohol education.

Speaking at the 2000 Winter School in the Sun drug abuse conference in
Brisbane, Mr Stacy said the aim of the Quebec program was to teach people to
drink better, not to drink more.

He said that drinking was a cultural activity and varied from country to
country where binge drinking was often widespread.

The average Frenchman enjoyed 28 drinks a week, spread equally over various
meals, while Scandinavians drank the same amount but on only two occasions - 14
drinks on Friday night and another 14 on Saturday night.

 "In the culture of taste, you drink because you enjoy the taste," Mr Stacy
said in
a paper presented to the conference.

 "But when you're drunk, you can't taste things properly, so it's important not
to lose that sense of taste.

 "What we have to do is make people drink better."

This involved a sensible, balanced approach to drinking, with moderation as the
key.

What was classed as "moderate drinking" varied from person to person and so
Educ'alcool targeted school children from an early age, trying to instill in
them an appreciation of the pleasures of drinking and not the effects of
drunkenness, Mr Stacy said.

Those people regarded as most at risk of alcohol abuse were college and
university students, where the message of moderate drinking was none too
subtle, he said.

"We try to take the glamour out of getting drunk and we point out that in the
mating game, being drunk can lead to unpleasant surprises," Mr Stacy said.

Quebecers, whom he described as "notorious bon vivants" were also told that
regular moderate drinking of one to two drinks a day protected against
cardiovascular disease but four drinks would not double the benefits. The mass
media advertising and education had worked to the extent that 98 per cent of
Quebec's population was familiar with Educ'alcool.

The results were obvious in the decrease in road accidents, hospitalisation
time and mortality rates, he said.

Despite the fact that the state-owned alcohol monopoly the Quebec Liquor
Corporation had increased its sales by 10 per cent over the last two years,
total consumption had only risen by three per cent and per capita consumption
was only up by one per cent.

 "This means people are buying better quality, more expensive products, rather
than more litres of alcohol," Mr Stacy said.

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German beer tastes best in bottles, foreigners say  

BERLIN, July 11 (Reuters) - German beer sells better abroad when it comes in
bottles, the Federal Statistics Office said on Tuesday.  

Germany, which makes brewers conform to a 16th century purity law to protect
the prestige of their pils, exported about 311 million litres of bottled beer
last year, 85 million litres more than was sold in cans.

But France, never a country to be dictated to in matters of taste, bucked the
trend, importing 65 million litres of canned German beer and outpacing Spain as
the biggest consumer of it.

Americans, the biggest importer of the bottled product, clearly prefer the

flavour of beer from a glass container to that from metal, buying nearly 15
times as much.

But although Britons imported almost twice as much beer in bottles, they didn't
seem too concerned about the aftertaste from cans, ranking number three in
sales of both.

http://WWW.BREWORLD.COM/NEWS/COMPANYNEWS/STORIES/12716.htm

German Brewers To Merge

10/07/2000  - Bayerische Brau-Holding and Brau und Brunnen brewery companies in
Germany ave joined forces in a bid to cut costs and expand their share of the
market.

Details of the transaction have yet to be agreed between the owners of the two
companies, the Schoerghuber group in the case of Bayerische and Hypovereisnank
for Brau.

The combination will create a beer and soft-drink company with annual sales of

``We expect increased earnings thanks to cost cuts in particular in the areas
of logistics, distribution, purchasing and information technology,'' the

Germany has more than 1,200 brewers, many of which are planning joint ventures
as sales have been sluggish for years as drinkers look to imports.
Brau und Brunnen lost DM86.8m in 1999 and has been in the red in four of the
past five years. BrauHolding is profitable, but barely makes money in its
beer business.

A recent tax change in Germany could lead to yet more sales in the coming
months. The government is planning to scrap a tax on asset sales of as much as
50% no later than 2002.

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Quilmes to control 86.51 pct of Argentina's BAESA  

BUENOS AIRES, July 10 (Reuters) - Quilmes Industrial SA said Monday its
subsidiary Cerveceria y Malteria Quilmes, Argentina's top beer maker, will
control 86.51 percent of local bottler Buenos Aires Embotelladora SA following
the completion of its tender offer for the company.  

Quilmes' bid at $5 per share for Pepsi-bottler BAESA ended July 7. However, it
will pay shareholders who accepted the tender offer on July 12, it said in a
statement.

"Thus, following purchase of the Class B shares and (American Depositary
Shares), Quilmes will own 24,318,092 Class B shares and 89,331,344 ADSs, and
its stake in BAESA will be 86.51 percent," it said. It did not state what its
previous stake was. The offer was launched May 31.

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Bonfils Blood Center Dedicates New Blood Donation Bus to Colorado; Adolph Coors
Foundation Funds Bus to Reach Communities of Color  

DENVER, July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Bonfils Blood Center, the Bonfils Blood Center
Foundation and the Adolph Coors Foundation dedicate Colorado's newest blood
donation bus to the community at 10:00 AM, July 14. The dedication will occur
in conjunction with a community blood drive at Curtis Park Community Center at
25th and Curtis streets in Denver.  
The newest addition to Bonfils' fleet was made possible by a $150,000 grant
from the Adolph Coors Foundation to the Bonfils Blood Center Foundation. The
foundation funded the bus to help Bonfils better involve communities of color
in blood drives throughout Colorado. The new bus has already made appearances
at this year's Cinco de Mayo and Juneteenth celebrations.
"Bonfils is very grateful to the Adolph Coors Foundation for the social
leadership they have demonstrated with this grant," said Steve Metcalf,
Executive Director of the Bonfils Blood Center Foundation. "They recognized a
need to have more African Americans, Latinos and other communities feel
included in the wonderful experience of giving the gift of life, and they have
given us a valuable tool to make our outreach more effective."

http://live.altavista.com/scripts/editorial.dll?ei=1977876&ern=y

Pet Rock Inventor Also Worst Writer  

By RON HARRIS, Associated Press Writer

7/11/00 - SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The man who started the Pet Rock craze of the
1970s topped himself Tuesday -- or maybe sank to a new low -- by winning the
annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest for really bad writing.  

Gary Dahl's truly awful winning entry: "The heather-encrusted Headlands, veiled
in fog as thick as smoke in a crowded pub, hunched precariously over the moors,
their rocky elbows slipping off land's end, their bulbous, craggy noses thrust
into the thick foam of the North Sea like bearded old men falling asleep in
their pints.''

In 1975, the advertising executive invented the Pet Rock, a rock in a cardboard
box that sold for $3.95. Brilliant in its simplicity and absurdity, the Pet
Rock caught on around the world and millions were sold.

Dahl said his writing was inspired by a recent pub-hopping tour of England with
his brother.

"This is even more important than the Pet Rock,'' he said. "Now that I've won
this award I can just hang it up. I'm finished. There's nothing else I can
do.''

The contest, held annually since 1983 by professors in the English department
at San Jose State University, dares entrants to compose bad opening sentences
to imaginary novels.

The competition is named for 19th century English novelist Edward George
Bulwer-Lytton, whose book "Paul Clifford'' begins: "It was a dark and stormy
night.''

    SEATTLE & BERKELEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 12, 2000-- Pyramid
Breweries Inc. (Nasdaq:PMID), today announced that Wayne Drury has been
appointed Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance and
Administration, effective July 17, 2000.

    Drury, who will be based in Seattle, is filling a position that has been
vacant since April of this year.

    "We have been searching for a top-flight financial executive to help us
execute our growth strategy. Wayne has an outstanding background, and we are
very excited to have him joining the Pyramid team," stated Martin Kelly,
President and Chief Executive Officer. "Wayne has over 25 years of financial
experience, including more than 15 years in the restaurant industry. In
addition to his extensive background in accounting and finance, he brings
significant experience in mergers and acquisitions, public and private company
financing, as well as banking and investor relations."

    Drury comes to Pyramid from Azteca Restaurant Enterprises, a Seattle based
company with 31 company owned and licensed locations. As Chief Financial
Officer at Azteca, Drury was responsible for all finance, banking,
acquisitions, financial reporting, risk management, tax planning and
information systems management at the privately held company. Prior to Azteca,
Drury was Chief Financial Officer at Country Harvest Restaurants, a company
with $100 million in revenues. In addition, he has held the positions of
Corporate Controller at Perkins Family Restaurants and KinderCare, as well as
Director of Planning and Analysis at KFC International and Long John Silver's.
He began his career as an accountant for Coopers & Lybrand. Drury earned both a
BS in Accounting and a MBA from the University of Kentucky.

    "Wayne's experience in the restaurant business will be invaluable as we
seek to expand the Alehouse Division," said Kelly. "Alehouses will play a
pivotal role in developing our future business by creating brand awareness and
serving as a focal point for sales and marketing efforts," Kelly added. "We
believe this strategy will enhance the 'local status' of our brand, and provide
clear differentiation from our competitors."

    "Pyramid has tremendous potential, and I am very excited about the
demographic fundamentals of the specialty beverage category. It is a great time
to be coming on board," noted Drury. "I look forward to helping grow the
company, and lending my experience to the development of the Pyramid brand and
the expansion of the Alehouse concept. I have been very impressed by the
management team at Pyramid, and the commitment of management and the Board to
their growth strategy."

    Drury joins a new executive team at Pyramid that has taken shape over the
last 12 months. Martin Kelly joined the company in August of 1999 as President
and COO, and he was elevated to the CEO position in December. Gary McGrath
joined Pyramid in November as Vice President of Sales, and Nick Walpert signed
on in March of 2000 as VP/COO of the Alehouse Division. In addition, Kurt
Dammeier, took over the role of non-executive Chairman of the Board in December
of 1999. Pyramid has had six straight quarters of year over year sales growth,
and in the first quarter of 2000 reported an 85% increase in EBITDA. Over the
last seven months the company has also implemented a share repurchase program
and a quarterly dividend (the current dividend yield as of July 11th is 8.8%).

    Pyramid Breweries Inc. is one of the leading brewers of specialty,
full-flavored beers and sodas, producing a variety of ales and lagers under the
Pyramid and Thomas Kemper brand names. The company also brews four styles of
old-fashioned sodas under the Thomas Kemper Soda Company label. Pyramid
operates two local breweries and restaurants, the Pyramid Brewery & Alehouse in
Seattle, Washington and the Pyramid Brewery & Alehouse in Berkeley, California.
For more information, visit www.PyramidBrew.com.

    Statements concerning future performance, developments or events,
concerning development and/or success of new Alehouse locations and any other
guidance on future periods, constitute forward-looking statements which are
subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that might cause actual events
to differ materially from stated expectations

Big Rock Brewery Ltd. Plans To Repurchase Common Shares

CALGARY, July 12 /CNW-PRN/ - BIG ROCK BREWERY LTD. (``Big Rock'') (NASDAQ :
BEERF) (TSE: BR) announces that it has notified the Toronto Stock Exchange and
other applicable regulatory authorities to amend the Notice of Intention to
Make an Issuer Bid which commenced on August 26, 1999 and terminates on the
earlier of, the date all shares subject to the Normal Course Issuer Bid are
purchased of, August 25, 2000.

Big Rock intends to attempt to acquire up to an aggregate of 302,591 Common
Shares, which represents 10% of the Common Shares in the public float. This is
an additional 60,356 Common Shares from the original number of 242,235 to be
acquired from the application dated August 12, 1999.  As of June 30, 2000 the
Company has acquired 228,900 ($6.21 average price) Common Shares leaving a
balance of 73,691 shares, which can be purchased under the amended issuer bid.
There were 4,844,700 Common Shares of Big Rock issued and outstanding as of
August 12, 1999.  The shares will be cancelled upon purchase pursuant to this
bid.

In the opinion of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, the market price
of the Common Shares of the Corporation has recently not accurately reflected
the value of those shares.  Furthermore, the Corporation has the available
funds from cash flow.  As a result, the Corporation's Common Shares may become
available for purchase at prices, which make them an appropriate use of funds
of the Corporation.

Purchases subject to this normal course issuer bid will be carried out pursuant
to open market transactions through the facilities of either The Toronto Stock
Exchange or the NASDAQ Stock Market.

Iceberg Corporation of America Lists Stock on Two German Stock Exchanges

    ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 12, 2000-- Iceberg
Corporation of America (the "Company") (OTCBB:ICBG) announced that its common
stock has been listed for trading on the Third Market Segment of the Frankfurt
and Berlin Stock Exchanges in Germany.

    Trading in Iceberg Corporation of America's shares will commence tomorrow
on both exchanges under the trading symbol ICBG.F.

    Paul Benson, chief executive officer, stated: "The listing of the Company's
stock for trading on these prestigious European exchanges comes as a result of
the continued expansion of our business in strategic markets. These listings
should further facilitate trading by our many European shareholders, and
contribute to the broadening of our international shareholder base."

    Iceberg Corporation is the leading producer of ultra-premium beverages from
icebergs including iceberg water, iceberg beer and iceberg vodka. The Company's
sales are rising as the Company's products are distributed in additional
markets throughout North America.

    Branding under the Borealis and White Berg names and high-quality
packaging, together with private label strategic partners, is increasing
consumer awareness and demand for these truly unique products.

    All Iceberg Corporation products are positioned in niche markets at the
ultra-premium end of the quality and price range with top name brands, where
the Company believes opportunities for increased market penetration and revenue
growth are greatest. Targeted markets include upper- and upper-middle-income
consumers who are typically well educated, health conscious, and prefer unique,
premium products.

    The Company was the first Canadian licensed firm harvesting iceberg water
to produce a family of premium quality products including iceberg water,
iceberg beer and iceberg vodka. Its highly experienced marketing and management
team has created a "virtual" company by making a strategic decision to develop
blue-chip partners by outsourcing production of vodka and beer.

    This news release may include forward-looking statements concerning Iceberg
Corporation of America's business and future prospects and other similar
statements that do not concern matters of historical fact. The federal
securities laws provide a limited "safe harbor" for certain forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release relating to product
development, business prospects and development of a commercial market for
iceberg water products are based on Iceberg Corporation of America's current
expectations. Iceberg Corporation of America's current expectations are subject
to all of the uncertainties and risks customarily associated with new business
ventures including, but not limited to, market conditions, successful product
development and acceptance, competition and overall economic conditions, as
well as the risk of adverse regulatory actions as detailed from time to time in
the Company's SEC reports, including the form 10SB for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 1999. Iceberg Corporation of America's actual results may differ
materially from current expectations. Readers are cautioned not to put undue
reliance on forward-looking statements. Iceberg Corporation of America
disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly these forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or for any
other reason.

Cuidao to Expand Distribution of Red Dragon Beer into Texas and Louisiana Texas
Brokerage Firm to Spearhead the Introduction

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Cuidao Holding Corporation, Inc. (OTC
Bulletin Board: CDAO), a distributor of imported and specialty beers, wines and
spirits, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Houston
based broker Bruce Edwards to spearhead the Company's introduction and
distribution drive of Red Dragon Beer in Texas and Louisiana.

After careful evaluation of several markets, the management of Cuidao has
decided that the Texas and Louisiana markets offer great potential for Red
Dragon Beer.  Both markets have significant and rapidly growing Asian
populations, coupled with growing affluence within the ethnic market that make
it ripe for the introduction of the line of Red Dragon Beer products.

Brand registration and wholesaler evaluation is currently underway in Texas.
Distribution of Red Dragon Beer, including Red Dragon Xtreme, Red Dragon Light
and soon-to-be-introduced Red Dragon Amber, should begin within the next few
weeks.

"Texas and Louisiana have a large number of Chinese restaurants, which will be
the initial primary market for this product line.  In Texas, Chinese
restaurants account for the largest group of ethnic restaurants.  These
restaurants create an untapped demand for Cuidao's diversified portfolio of
Chinese imports and form a great base for any distributor," says Bruce Edwards,
Broker.

Michael Fisher, president of Cuidao, said, "This is a great step in our
controlled expansion plans.  Red Dragon is doing well within our current
distribution geographies.  We believe that the product will perform even better
in Texas and Louisiana, which would add significantly to the Company's growing
revenues."

About Bruce Edwards, Broker

 Bruce Edwards operates a highly successful Houston based brokerage operation
and has over 25 years of experience in the marketing and distribution of
alcoholic beverages.  Mr. Edwards has served as Regional Sales Manager for a
major Kentucky based liquor manufacturer, Western Sales Manager for a prominent
New Jersey based wine distributor as well as several successful owner-operator
specialty import companies.  Edwards introduced the first super premium tequila
to the US markets, gaining distribution in 42 states in 18 months.

About Cuidao Holding Corporation

 Cuidao Holding Corp. ("CDAO") is a development stage company that is in the
process of implementing a vertical roll-up and consolidation of the highly
fragmented alcoholic beverage specialty and import industry.  Cuidao Holding
Corporation imports, manages, distributes and develops markets for a rapidly
growing portfolio of international and regional brands of beer, wine and
spirits.  The Company currently participates in specific niche segments of the
approximate 100 billion dollar alcoholic beverage market in the United States.

Rio church balks at statue in beer, underwear ads

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 12 (Reuters) - The famous statue of Jesus Christ that
looms over Rio de Janeiro appears on everything from key chains to T-shirts,
but the Catholic Church draws the line at beer and underwear.

The Rio archdiocese, which commissioned the 125-foot (38-metre) statue in 1931,
said on Wednesday it convinced a local brewer and a lingerie company that used
the monument's image in television and print advertisements in recent weeks to
withdraw their ads or face legal action.

``They surpassed rational limits,'' the archdiocese legal representative
Antonio Passos told Reuters. ``They were offending Catholics, so Rio's Cardinal
Archbishop decided to put a stop to them.''

While the 1,000-ton (900,000 kg) Christ the Redeemer statue serves as a
backdrop in the beer ads, it has a bigger role in the underwear spot. That one
features two photographs side by side - one shows a woman posing in skimpy
black lingerie and the other shows the statue covering its eyes with its hands.

The archdiocese threatened to sue the companies for using the images without
permission. The church owns the land the statue was built on and the artistic
rights.

Both companies agreed to scrap their ad campaigns, Passos said.

Presidential Candidate Captain Morgan (of Original Spiced Rum Fame) And
Campaign Manager James Carville Announce Vice Presidential 'Playmate' Running
Mate

Wednesday, July 12, 2000; 6:00-9:00 p.m.; The Playboy Lounge, New York City

 NEW YORK, July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- In a unprecedented move sure to put some
summer sizzle into this year's mundane presidential elections, Presidential
hopeful Captain Morgan (of Original Spiced Rum fame) today announced his
running 'mate', Playboy Playmate Kalin Olsen.  Ms. Olsen was chosen "by the
people, for the people, and of the people" from four potential candidates in an
online poll conducted on the campaign's official website, www.rum.com. The
official results of the poll will be announced tonight by The Captain and his
campaign manager, James Carville, at 6:00 p.m. at the Rum Loyalists' Party
Convention held at The Playboy Lounge in New York City.

"I am excited to bestow this honor upon one of four very qualified women The
Captain selected on his short list of running 'mates,'" said Carville. "This
marks the first time in election history that a candidate for President of the
United States has ever had a short list of vice president contenders comprised
exclusively of women."

Thanks to a relationship between The Captain's campaign and Playboy.com, four
Playboy Playmates competed in the online poll to become Captain Morgan's
running 'mate.' The potential running 'mates:' Deanna Brooks (May '98), Jessica
Lee (Aug '96), Kalin Olsen (Aug '97), and Layla Roberts (Oct. '97), were
personally selected by The Captain based on their individual assets, party
skills and their "fun-raising" abilities.

"I launched my campaign because the American political scene is void of fun and
adventure," said Captain Morgan. "I've taken my campaign from Boston to Austin,
from Oregon to South Florida and I am convinced that what we need is a
candidate and his running mate that will put the party back into politics."

"I was really thrilled just to be nominated. How many girls my age can put Vice
Presidential candidate on their resume?" said running 'mate' Kalin Olsen. "The
Captain and I have a lot in common, we are both dedicated to spicing up
presidential politics. Together we're a ticket that can't lose."

By logging onto www.rum.com, visitors to the site can access information about
how to register to vote in their state.  You can also follow The Captain's
campaign and his guest appearances at both the Democratic and Republican
National Conventions later this summer by logging onto the web site.

"That's right, Captain Morgan is all about fun and adventure and
responsibility," urged The Captain. "Whether you are a Democrat, Republican,
Independent or a member of the best party of all, the Rum Loyalist' Party,
remember to vote this November -because there's always a party at the polls."

Captain Henry Morgan was born on or about 1635 in Wales, making him the only
potential presidential candidate with more than 350 years of experience (more
than all candidates combined).  He traveled to Jamaica where he served as
Lieutenant Governor of that British territory and as an Admiral in the English
fleet before being knighted in 1674.  Unsatisfied with the gritty ales and
lackluster spirits offered by 17th century Jamaican taverns -- the Captain
started making his own rum. This led to the creation of Captain Morgan Original
Spiced Rum.  Later, The Captain added his Silver Spiced, Parrot Bay and Private
Stock brands to the family -- distinctly different flavors for different
palates.  While Captain Morgan's campaign doesn't promise a chicken in every
pot, his platform includes the best tasting daiquiri for every citizen (of
legal drinking age of course!). The Captain is proud to be returning to the
political limelight after a 317-year hiatus.

Mahou -- which is 33 percent owned by Danone -- currently has 17 percent of
Spain's beer market and San Miguel would give it another 14 percentage points,
a Mahou spokesman said.

The deal still required approval by Spanish competition authorities, he said.

Mahou said in March it was seeking to buy nearly 70 percent of San Miguel from
Danone and the agreement was signed on July 3, the spokesman said.

This week the European Commission said it approved the sale by Danone of its
Kronenbourg and Alkan Maes beer businesses to Britain's Scottish & Newcastle in
a deal worth 1.7 billion pounds.

The Mahou spokesman said Mahou would pay about 50 billion pesetas for the
70-percent stake in San Miguel of which it already owns about 30 percent.

The acquisition would place Mahou close behind Heineken which has a leading 37
percent share of Spain's beer market, the spokesman said, adding the company
was waiting to hear the opinion of Spain's competition authorities.

Earlier this year, the Spanish government authorised the acquisition of another
local beermaker Cruzcampo by Heineken on condition the Dutch brewer cut
production and storage capacity.

``We do not believe this operation has any worrying concentration effects,''
the Mahou spokesman said. He said Mahou's presence was strongest in central
Spain while San Miguel's strongholds were elsewhere in the country.

Britain Debates Silly Pub Names

.c The Associated Press

 By JILL LAWLESS

LONDON (AP) - The Goat and Compasses is fine, but the Goose and Granite is
definitely not.

The debate over British pub names is foaming up again: The Goat and Compasses
is a centuries-old moniker, while the latter is a newly minted corporate label.

Traditional English pub names often are patriotic or royal - The Crown, The
King's Head, The Red Lion. Others are resolutely local, paying tribute to the
lord of the manor or reflecting a region's landmarks, flora and fauna, industry
or sporting heroes.

But today's British beer drinkers are increasingly likely to head down to the
Rat and Parrot chain or the Slug and Lettuce. And some feel it has all gone a
Dog and Doughnut too far.

In the House of Commons this week, Britain's culture minister, Chris Smith,
lamented ``a growing fashion for rebranding pubs with names like the Dog and
Doughnut or the Goose and Granite which, I have to say, would appear to have
little relevance to the history of any area.''

``We are surely in danger here of losing an important part of local history and
local folk memory,'' he told lawmakers.

Many British pub names do have deep and sometimes mysterious historical roots,
originating in preliterate days when ale houses had to sport large, memorable
and easily identifiable signs.

Alan Rose, secretary of the Inn Sign Society, cites his local pub, the Bull and
Spectacles - a reference to a former landlord's prize bull or to Anne Boleyn
(Bull-inn), depending on which legend you believe.

That kind of individuality, pub aficionados argue, is now in danger.

A third of Britain's 60,000 pubs are controlled by breweries that dictate what
beer is sold there. Another third are now owned by non-brewing chains - and it
is these standardized corporate ``theme'' pubs that traditionalists object to
most.

Some call it the ``McDonald's-ization'' of British pubs.

``You can go into a Rat and Parrot in the southeast or the northwest and
they're exactly the same,'' said Ian Woolverton of the consumer group Campaign
for Real Ale. ``That can't be good for our pub heritage.''

It is not the name changes in themselves that vex campaigners. Pubs have long
rechristened themselves to commemorate historic events: The Royal Oak, a name
borne by more than 600 British pubs, emerged in the 17th century to mark King
Charles II's escape from Oliver Cromwell's forces.

``Almost every pub has had a name change,'' said Rose of the Inn Sign Society.
``If they didn't, we wouldn't have a hobby, would we?''

Rose noted that changing social mores - from the demise of cockfighting to the
present-day proposed ban on fox hunting - could drive pubs to rename
themselves.

``You've got pubs called the Fox and Hounds. Will that change when the
anti-hunting law comes in? What we don't like is that we're losing the historic
ones,'' he said.

The chain-pub operators counter that they are pumping new life into a flagging
industry, renovating once-dingy boozers and attracting young people to big,
bright watering holes. Many traditional rural pubs, meanwhile, are closing as
their aging clientele drinks less.

``Our bars are big and they're busy, so we're giving people what they want,''
said Clive Eplett, finance director of SFI Group PLC, which owns the Litten
Tree and Bar Med chains and is in the process of acquiring the 33-bar Slug and
Lettuce group - a pioneer of the up-market stripped-wood-and-focaccia formula.

He said most of SFI's pubs are former shops and banks, rather than existing
pubs. And he is not nostalgic for the pubs of yesteryear, arguing that chains
like his, selling beer from several breweries, offer customers more choice.

``I was born in a small village in Cornwall, and all the pubs were owned by one
brewery,'' he said. ``You drank their beer or you didn't drink at all.''

No one is arguing the government should legislate pub names. But campaigners
want to see names included as part of a pub's license, so change would require
planning permission and local consultation.

That argument sits well with Smith, the government minister.

``Certainly, consulting a pub's regulars and the wider local community before
renaming it would not seem too much to ask,'' he told the Commons.

General Mills in talks on Diageo's Pillsbury

By Meera Somasundaram and David Jones

CHICAGO/LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Diageo Plc , the owner of Burger King and
Guinness beer, is in talks to combine its Pillsbury food business with General
Mills Inc.  in an expected $10.5 billion share-swap with the U.S. cereal maker,
the companies said Thursday.

A deal -- which would mark the latest step in a rapid consolidation of the food
industry -- would leave Diageo with a 30 to 40 percent stake in enlarged
General Mills, according to sources close to the situation.

The news also comes just weeks after Diageo said it would spin off Burger King,
the No. 2 fast-food restaurant chain behind McDonald's Corp.

As the two sides engage in talks, other possible bidders could emerge, analysts
said, namely ketchup king H.J. Heinz Co. , which has publicly expressed its
intention in recent weeks to participate in the industry consolidation.

A combination of Pillsbury, known for its chubby-cheeked Doughboy character,
and General Mills, the maker of Wheaties and Cheerios cereals, may be finalized
as early as next week, according to sources close to the talk. Both companies
are based in Minneapolis.

It would bring under a single corporate roof such popular brands as Pillsbury's
refrigerated dough products, Haagen-Dazs ice cream, Green Giant vegetables and
Old El Paso Mexican foods with General Mills' Cheerios, Wheaties and other
breakfast cereals, Yoplait and Colombo yogurt, and Betty Crocker mixes.
Combined annual revenues would exceed $12 billion.

Shares of General Mills and Diageo showed little reaction to the news. Diageo
ended off 12-1/2 pence at 599 pence in a lower London market. General Mills
closed up just 1/4 at 37 on the New York Stock Exchange.

To be sure, not all analysts expect to see a Pillsbury-General Mills
combination completed. ``When Pillsbury was on the block, I expected Heinz to
bid,'' said Daniel Peris, an analyst at Argus Research.  ``Their products
appear to be more complementary.... It wouldn't surprise me if they tried to
outbid.''

A spokeswoman at Heinz couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

WIN-WIN SITUATION

Analysts said the deal would benefit Diageo and General Mills strategically.
For General Mills, a merger with Pillsbury could help strengthen its presence
in the refrigerated food division and help reduce its dependence on the
slow-growing cereal market. It also would help the company gain scale and
pricing leverage against supermarkets, which are getting bigger through
acquisitions.

``This gets General Mills more diversified and into some other areas which have
a faster growth potential,'' said Prudential Securities analyst Jeffrey Kanter.
``In the end, you get a more powerful General Mills.''

For Diageo, the move would help infuse some cash into the UK company and allow
it to focus on its UDV wines and spirits unit and Guinness beer division --
which currently account for two-thirds of the company's profits.

``This is good news,'' said Nigel Popham, an analyst at Teather and Greenwood.
``It allows Diageo to exit the weaker parts of its business -- Pillsbury and
Burger King -- and focus on the cash-generative spirits and beer businesses.''

PUSH INTO THE REFRIGERATOR

Cereals account for about 40 percent of sales and about 50 percent to 60
percent of earnings at General Mills, which also makes Betty Crocker food
mixes, yogurt products and health foods, analysts said.

The cereal category has been under pressure for the last few years as
competition has intensified and as volume growth has remained sluggish. Still,
General Mills has managed to bring growth to its cereal division through
product introductions and solid marketing.

Analysts said a deal would involve only minor antitrust problems with some
overlap seen in dry baking mixes.

General Mills has aggressively pushed into areas such as prepared meals
recently, buying Lloyd's Barbecue Co., side-dish maker Farmhouse Foods, snack
company Gardetto's Bakery Inc. and organic-food maker Small Planets Foods.

``General Mills has been trying to push the refrigerated area with meal
solutions and Pillsbury would be a big step forward in that effort,'' said
David Nelson, a food analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston. ``Ice cream and Old
El Paso don't appear to be an obvious (fit)... (but) maybe there's a
combination there for Mexican refrigerated meals.''

A General Mills-Pillsbury combination would follow several high-profile recent
acquisitions in the food sector including those by industry giants Unilever Plc
and Philip Morris Cos. which recently purchased Bestfoods and Nabisco Holdings
Corp., respectively.

The latest merger talk raises pressure on other food companies to seek merger
partners, analysts said.

``There are a group of second-tier food companies (such as) H.J. Heinz Co.,
General Mills, Quaker Oats and Kellogg Co. that are of certain size and they
feel they need to be much larger going forward,'' said Argus Research analyst
Peris. ``I view Heinz as the most aggressive of them.''

Beverage Marketing USA Reports E & J Gallo and France's Champagne Industry
Winery Threatens Australia's Champagne of Sparkling Spring Waters

PARIS, Ark., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Beverage Marketing USA, Inc., recently
re-introduced the 17-year-old brand Walkabout Springs to Europe and the United
States.  "The Walkabout name comes from an Aboriginal expression meaning 'to go
from place to place in search of better things,'" said John Ronan, President
and founder of Springbank Beverages.  The company has been successfully
marketing its fruited mineral water drinks in Australia and the outback and
Ronan is confident that Walkabout Springs will "juice up the world" beyond its
Australian base.  "The label design was my wife Molly's idea, adapting an
Aboriginal cave drawing of a kangaroo," explained Ronan.

Beverage Marketing USA, Inc., were challenged in a letter on behalf of the
French Champagne Growers Association, saying that the Australian-based company
should print no more labels that included the word "champagne" pending a final
resolution of a complaint from the fiercely protective champagne producers
industry.

Richard H. Davis, President of Beverage Marketing USA, Inc., the firm that
distributes the drink, said he is confident the French would lose their case
which claims he is damaging the region's famous reputation, if and when it
comes to court.  Monsieur Davis points out that the "l'art de vivre" tagline
"Walkabout sparkles in the mouth, like fine champagne!" appeared on a limited
edition sidewalk cafe style Walkabout Springs product sold in Outback
Steakhouse's a decade ago during which time demand was overwhelming.

"Now Gallo Winery lawyers (Weinberg Legal Group) are threatening legal action,
who are using the WALKABOUT name on some fortified wines, to make a quick buck
during the up coming Olympics 'Down Under.'" says Monsieur Davis. "Gallo wining
about an Aboriginal name of a spring in Australia, sounds a bit like when
Arizona Beverages who used the Native America name Crazy Horse for its malt
liquor, the company discontinued the fortified beer from protest from Indian
tribal leaders due to the high degree of alcoholism among Native Americans,
victimization of Aboriginal people who suffer from the same rates of
alcoholism, may question the use of their image and name on a Californian wine
from the worlds largest winery E & J Gallo, promoted during the Olympics."

Booze It & Lose It' Nets 1,474 Impaired Driving Arrests During First Week of
Campaign

New Laws Plus the Presence of BATmobiles at Checkpoints Is
 
Getting the Anti-DWI Message Across

RALEIGH, N.C., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Accompanied by all three of the state's
breath alcohol mobile testing units, better known as BATmobiles, North Carolina
law enforcement officers are out in full force as part of the Summer
"Booze It & Lose It" campaign to remind motorists that impaired driving will
not be tolerated anywhere in the state.

Sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols across the state netted 1,474 driving
while impaired (DWI) charges between June 30 - July 9.  The arrests are a
result of 842 checkpoints and random patrols across the state. The campaign
continues through July 16, and law enforcement in communities across the state
are continuing to strictly enforce North Carolina's DWI laws, including a set
of new laws which became effective on July 1. The new laws, designed to target
repeat offenders:

* Reduce the legal alcohol concentration (AC) from 0.08 to 0.02 for persons who
have been convicted of one DWI and have had their license reinstated.

* Reduce the legal AC from 0.02 to 0.00 for persons who have been convicted of
a second DWI and have had their license reinstated.

* Require the installation of an ignition-interlock system in the vehicle of a
person who has been convicted of having an AC of 0.16 or greater.

"Not only do law enforcement have the aid of the new DWI laws, but theyare also
able to make a powerful statement by having the BATmobiles alongside them at
their checkpoint locations," said Joe Parker, director of the Governor's
Highway Safety Program.  "Because the BATmobiles are visiting places where they
have never been, the message is reaching many new parts of the state that
drinking and driving will not be tolerated, and that you can be arrested and
charged with DWI on the spot."

Parker also noted that legislation passed last night by the General Assembly
would help officers even more in their fight against drunk driving. The law,
which will become effective on October 1, will prohibit anyone in a vehicle
from having an open container of alcohol.  Currently, the driver is
prohibited from having an open container of alcohol, however both front- and
backseat passengers are allowed to have open containers of beer and wine in a
vehicle that is in a public vehicular area.

A public vehicular area is any area within the state that is generally open to
and used by the public for vehicular traffic.  These areas can include not only
roads, but also driveways and parking lots of public or private hospitals,
universities, churches, beach accesses, stores and offices.

The other part of the legislation will strengthen the ignition-interlock
requirement so that offenders will be required to install the alcohol-
detection device in all vehicles registered to them, rather than just their
primary vehicle.

"Strengthening a law that was put into effect just two weeks ago really shows
our state's commitment to the problem of impaired driving," Parker said. "This
legislation, coupled with the new DWI laws that just went into effect, should
really make people think again before getting behind the wheel after drinking."

Besides charging impaired drivers, law enforcement officers at "Booze It & Lose
It" checkpoints and random patrols issued 4,744 seat belt and 596 child safety
seat citations.  They also discovered 7,689 other traffic violations and 2,320
total criminal violations, including 69 felony drug charges, 28 firearms
violations, and eight fugitives from justice.

The following are the citations issued statewide by law enforcement officers at
"Booze It & Lose It" sobriety checkpoints and random patrols from June 30 -
July 9.  Reporters may contact local law enforcement agencies for
local results and to learn where and when they will be conducting campaign
activities.

For more information about this or other highway safety issues, contact
Public Information Officer Jill Warren Lucas or Deputy Public Information
Officer Erica Hinton at 919-733-3083, or visit our web site at:
www.dot.state.nc.us/services/ghsp /

Guinness sales on decline  in Ireland

From Sebastian Taylor in London  

Sales of Guinness in Ireland are continuing to decline and, if anything, the
rate of decline is accelerating. Mr John McGrath, chief executive of the Diageo
group which owns Guinness, said in a trading statement yesterday that volume
sales of Guinness brand in Ireland "is expected to be down 4 per cent" in 12
months to the end of June.

This compares with a sales decline of 3 per cent suffered in the six months to
the end of December, indicating that the sales setback is worsening. The sharp
reduction in Guinness sales in Ireland over the year to the end of last month
followed unchanged sales in the year to the end of June last year.

The reduction in Irish sales is mainly ascribed to growth in popularity of
rival products, notably wine, cider and ready-to-drink products such as
Smirnoff Ice and Bicardi Breezer.

Although demand for Guinness in Ireland has fallen significantly, the impact on
the group's brewery at St James's Gate, Dublin, has been softened by increased
exports of Guinness.

Shipments of draught Guinness to the growing US market increased by 6 per cent
in the six months to June 30th. The Guinness brand has also continued to
perform strongly against a declining beer market in Great Britain. Full year
Guinness volumes in Britain are expected to be 3 per cent higher, lifting
export shipments from St James's Gate in the process. Even so, the accelerating
decline in Irish demand for Guinness has plainly contributed to the emergence
of surplus capacity at Guinness Ireland's brewing operations, prompting the
current review to cut production capacities through brewery closures.

Diageo's sales of global priority brands including Bailey's Irish Cream are
expected to have increased by 10 per cent in the year to end-June despite
abolition of the European duty free market.

http://www.post-gazette.com:80/businessnews/20000711lien4.asp

Liens filed against Pittsburgh Brewing

By Len Boselovic, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Liens totaling nearly $1 million were filed yesterday against Pittsburgh
Brewing .  The Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority filed 11 liens against the
maker of Iron City for $941,420. About $849,000 is related to 1999 bills, but
nearly $92,000 dates back to 1996, according to documents filed with the
Allegheny County prothonotary's office.
"We want to make sure our interests are protected," said Greg Tutsock, deputy
executive director of the authority. Tutsock said several of the liens involve
disputed bills the brewery received from the Allegheny County Sanitary
Authority.

The liens will be revised once the dispute is settled, he said. Pittsburgh
Brewing President Joseph Piccirilli said, "We've been working with them for the
past month, trying to verify the billing. There are inconsistencies."

Piccirilli said that sewage bills are determined on a percentage basis of water
usage. "You can't generate more sewage than you have water," Piccirilli said.

He contends that during the beermaking process, "a certain percentage goes into
the beer, and a certain percentage then evaporates, when pasteurizing the
beer." That would lead to a decrease in sewage, he said. "If it's lost in
steam, it doesn't go into the sewer."

Creditors file liens in order to protect their legal rights in relation to
other creditors.

Officials of the Lawrenceville brewery have told Tutsock they intend to pay
whatever they owe.

"They have been very up front and honest with us," he said.

http://www.sfgate.com:80/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/
07/10/MN93947.DTL

ASIA- Pakistan's Only Brewery a Heady Success
Despite Islamic nation's strict prohibition laws, company endures
Tasgola Karla Bruner, Chronicle Foreign Service                  
 
Rawalpindi, Pakistan -- One of Pakistan's top-performing companies manufactures
a product whose purchase can lead to whippings and imprisonment for 97 percent
of the population.
The Murree Brewery Co. Ltd., the only brewery in this nation of 142 million
inhabitants, is a tenacious firm that has survived the partition of British
India, prohibition, Muslim conservatives and government restrictions since its
inception in 1861.

Named for the hill station located near its original location, the brewery was
established by British colonialists to keep their troops happy. The brewery
ended up in a Muslim country after the partition of India in 1947 created
Pakistan.  Since the Koran forbids intoxicants, only foreigners and religious
minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis can legally
buy alcohol -- after filling out a detailed ``application for the grant of a
permit for the purchase, possession, transport or consumption of intoxicating
liquor.'' Muslims are not eligible even if drinking is prescribed by a doctor's
order.

A would-be imbiber must state religion, profession, annual income,
sexually-transmitted disease information, weight, height, smoking status,
drinking history and a husband or father's name. (A letter from a priest used
to be required.) Provincial prohibition officers from the Excise Department
then calculate each person's monthly quota.

A prohibition officer once asked a foreigner if she was a ``drunk.'' When she
responded no, she was given authorization to purchase just one unit a month --
a $22 case of 20 bottles of beer or one bottle of such hard liquor as gin,
vodka or whiskey. When she applied the next year, she told officials she was
indeed a drunk and they upped her quota to six units a month.

Murree Brewery officials say this kind of screening is just one of several
obstacles that have dramatically affected sales. They must also compete with
smugglers who sneak in crates of alcohol through Pakistan's porous borders.
Meanwhile, the company is barred from exporting to Europe and is under constant
attack from Muslim fundamentalists who want the government to close the brewery
down.

Despite the hurdles, Murree was voted one of the country's top 25 companies by
the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce for its $5.6 million in revenues last year and
strong performance on the Karachi stock exchange.

Mino Bhandara, Murree's chief executive, says his company sells only to
five-star hotels and diplomats. Yet Bhandara, who served as minority affairs
minister during the martial law regime of General Mohammed Zia ul-Haq, is well
aware that 99 percent of his customers are Muslims who, in order to consume a
bottle of Murree beer, are willing to pay a Christian or Hindu permit holder
double the price. These ``distributors'' often have cellular phones and make
door-to-door deliveries.

Bhandara, who took over the brewery after his father's death in 1961, often
calls his product ``My Islamic Beer.''

He is one of about 3,000 affluent Parsis who live in Pakistan and practice the
fire-venerating Zoroastrian religion. He estimates that about 15 percent of
Pakistan's Muslim population drink alcohol and he believes that would not
change even if prohibition were lifted.
``Those who are determined not to drink will never drink. You'll never be able
to persuade them,'' he says. ``And you cannot stop those who wish to drink.''

Murree sales were not always this complicated. In the 1970s, Murree beer could
be found as far away as New York, but in 1979, dictator Zia introduced domestic
prohibition and outlawed exports.

In response to the restrictions, Bhandara opened a brewery in Austria for
export to the United Kingdom, where South Asian expatriates are beseeched to
``Have curry with Murree'' or ``Eat, drink and be Murree,'' or "Murree up and
drink more now."

Despite the restrictions, both company officials and workers are optimistic
about the future. The brewery's 350 employees -- many of whom are sons and
grandsons of retired employees -- are content to work in a brewery even though
many are observant Muslims and must officially avoid the occasional taste tests
of the product.

Abdul Rehman, who has toiled for Murree for 40 years, inspects whiskey bottles
as they roll by on a conveyor belt.

``I have built a house, bought land and been able to give my wife jewelry,'' he
says, when asked why he works in a brewery. ``There's no problem working with
alcohol. It's a service.''

Bottling supervisor Liaquat Mehmood isn't bothered either. ``I will work here
all my life,'' he says.

Quality control manager Huma Afzal Satti has more personal reasons for loyalty.
Bhandara gave her a job eight years ago despite harboring misgivings about
hiring a Muslim woman.
``If he (Bhandara) didn't give me respect, I wouldn't have received it from the
others,'' says Satti, who is the company's only female supervisor.

In a cool office next to the refrigeration room, brew-master Mohammad Javed, a
Muslim, recalls how he began in the profession in 1985. (Before prohibition,
the brewmaster was a German, and most of the brewing equipment used today by
Murree is German.)  Under a sign that reads ``Beer made me what I am today,''
Javed asks an assistant to bring two chilled bottles of his latest creation
--``Millennium Brew 2000.''

``I learned to drink beer while studying in Chicago,'' says Javed. ``My
favorite beer is Coors Light.''

While the company is known for its strong beer -- Murree Beer is 4.5 percent
alcohol while its Classic Lager is 5.5 percent -- it is also becoming well
known for its malt whiskey.

In the ``Complete Book of Whiskeys: The Definitive Guide to the Whiskeys of the
World,'' Bhandara proudly points to the page that describes Murree's 8-year-old
$15 bottle of malt: ``Not only does it compare favorably, it is much better
than a number of lesser scotch malts which come nowhere near to matching this
whiskey's crisp and delicate maltiness.''

Bhandara also proudly displays a framed letter that he received this year from
the Austrian ambassador describing Millennium Brew 2000 as ``perfectly
competitive among the world's top-class Austrian, Bavarian and Czech Christmas
or Easter bock brews.''
The beer was judged by the embassy staff, who, according to the ambassador,
consumed ``1,000 hecto-liters of beer experience.''

``We make one of the greatest beers of the world,'' Bhandara says. ``One may
well question why we do it, but so long as the clock ticks, so long as we are
able to function, we will be remembered.'' ©2000 San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.al.com:80/news/birmingham/Jul2000/13-e421040b.html

City's last brewery to shut down as new owners move operations

07/13/00 BILL PLOTT News staff writer

Little Star Brewing Co., maker of Mad Monk beer, is being purchased and will
shut its doors, ending Birmingham's brief post Prohibition fling with
breweries.  A group of investors have set up a company in Greenville, S.C.,
called Mad Monk Breweries Inc. to buy Little Star's operations. "They are going
to close this facility down and move everything to South Carolina," said Marc
Anthony, president of Little Star.  The transaction won't be complete for
several weeks, but Anthony said the availability of Mad Monk's three styles of
beer will not be affected. "The beer is still being produced. It's better than
ever. They've got wholesalers and a sales force in place. They have a full-time
brewmaster who is part owner. They have a lot of experience, a lot of money
behind it. A lot more money than I could put together," he said.

Little Star bought the former Birmingham Brewing Co. facility on Third Avenue
about two years ago. About the same time, Vulcan Breweries Inc., acquired the
rights to Birmingham Brewing's Red Mountain brands. Vulcan dropped the Red
Mountain line and began producing Vulcan Beer and Vulcan Hefe-Weizen, an
unfiltered wheat beer. Little Star produced under contract the Vulcan beer now
available in the Birmingham area.

In spring 1999, Little Star acquired the Mad Monk brands from the Cincinnati
brewery that originated them. Little Star also acquired the brands of Mi ami's
Firehouse Brewing Co.

Anthony said Mad Monk's pale ale, nut brown ale and pilsner are being
distributed in five states, but that wasn't enough for Little Star to make a go
of it. Little Star was a family operation and never employed more than a
handful of people.

"You can't make a living in Alabama with a brewery. We've got it out to five
different states, but you've got to be supported by the local market, and
they're not going to support it here. The people are not interested in Alabama
right now. It's a Bud, Miller and Coors market. There's not enough demand for
it (craft-brewed beer)," he said.

Birmingham's fling with homegrown breweries and brewpubs didn't last long.
Magic City Brewery, which opened in 1995 as the city's first brewpub, shut down
June 16. Those following Magic City - The Southside Cellar Brewing Co. and
brewpubs, the Cellar Beer Garden and Breckenridge Brewing Co. - are no longer
making beer.
Southside sold its beer to distributors who placed it in as many as 25
restaurants at its peak. Both The Mill and the Cellar Beer Garden were
Southside customers at one time.

Breckenridge lasted only a couple of years.

The Mill's beer is currently coming out of Jones Brewery in Pittsburgh. Over
the years it was also produced at Little Star and Southside.

The Cellar Beer Garden closed earlier this year. Its supplier, Southside, had
stopped producing beer last summer. "The last beer was produced last June, and
I officially took an indefinite leave of absence as of the end of January,"
said John Kater, the former brewmaster who now lives in Atlanta.

Kater said he plans to go to graduate school to get an MBA and then get back in
the brewing business again, although probably not in Birmingham. "Cellar
Brewing still exists. I'm going back to school to work on what my weaknesses
were and try again in a few years," he said.

Vulcan still exists on paper, though it has struggled. Vulcan CEO Lee Busby of
Tuscaloosa said the Little Star sale probably won't have much impact on his
"virtually dormant" company.
''The last couple of orders we've gotten, we called them (Little Star) and
relied on them to produce it and put the labels on it," Busby said. "It was an
easy, efficient relationship because they were right there in town.

''We've got bigger problems with the lack of orders rather than not having
anybody to produce it. There are any number of places in the Southeast that can
produce it. We just tell them what we want in a flavor profile and get a few
tanks made."

Anthony said he isn't sure what he will do when the sale is completed, but he
may return to commercial real estate.

''I'll probably still be involved in the brewing business, too. Some of the
other brands want me to represent them, and I'm trying to put a local group
together to buy Hurricane Reef in Florida. We wouldn't brew it here, though. It
would be brewed in Florida," he said.

http://www.al.com:80/news/birmingham/Jul2000/13-e421037b.html

City's brewing industry goes back to 1884

07/13/00 - Census reports indicate there were numerous distilleries and
breweries in Alabama before the turn of the century when the Prohibition
movement began to gain favor with politicians.

Brewing came to Birmingham in 1884 when Philip Schillinger, a Louisville
brewer, moved to Jefferson County. He started the Phil Schillinger Brewing Co.,
which later changed its name to the Birmingham Brewing Co. It was on 21st
Street, across the street from where the Magic City Brewery landed in 1995.
Schillinger died around 1890, but his three sons carried on.

A second brewery, The Alabama Brewing Co., opened a block away in the 1890s.
Its principal backer was R.F. Roden, a pioneering Birmingham businessman.

The two breweries operated until 1908 when the first of two statewide
prohibition laws was approved. Although that law was repealed and local option
instituted in 1911, Birmingham's two breweries remained closed. Congress in
1919 passed the Volstead Act , which established national prohibition.

The state Legislature approved a bill in 1992 allowing a return of the brewing
industry. The first beer produced in Alabama in decades began flowing soon
after. The Mill Brewery, Eatery and Bakery opened on Southside in 1993,
offering con tract brewed draft beers.
The state's first brewpub came in 1995 with the opening of the Port City
Brewery in Mobile. A few months later, the Mobile owners opened Magic City
Brewery in Birmingham.

Barrett's Brewpub & Eatery in Tuscaloosa went bankrupt after a couple of years.
Port City in Mobile, the Montgomery Brewery, Poplar Head in Dothan and the Olde
Auburn Ale House continue to operate.
Bill Plott  © 2000 The Birmingham News.

http://detnews.com:80/2000/wayne/0007/11/d03-88599.htm

Buckeye Beer makes comeback
Canton Township man puts once-popular brew on shelves

By Kevin Lynch / The Detroit News

    CANTON -- Why would anyone spend his July 4 vacation time at a
do-it-yourself beer factory in Perrysburg, Ohio? If you're John Spieker III of
Canton Township, it's because you're trying to resurrect Buckeye Beer, one case
at a time.

The once-popular brew flew off shelves in Toledo this week after its
eye-raising return from the corporate grave.

An auto mechanic and two salesman who grew up on Buckeye have been cranking out
200 cases a week at the Glass City Brew on Premises Co. in suburban Perrysburg,
Ohio. Glass City is used mostly by amateur beer brewers. But Spieker and his
partners, 40-year-old Jay Tillman of Saginaw and 38-year-old Dave Kulish of
Toledo, have formed a special relationship with the brewery to make large
quantities there in exchange for a share of their profits.

"It was the first beer I ever drank," said Spiker, a 43-year-old salesman who
grew up Toledo and moved to the Canton area in the 1980s. "I remember the name
was kind of an icon -- like the Mud Hens are to Toledo or the Tigers are to
Detroit."

Spieker said at least two other entrepreneurs have tried to bring back Buckeye
since the Miller Brewing Company bought the business in 1972, fired 600
employees and shut down the local factory, which produced more than 300,000
barrels of beer in its last year.
"We figured the name hadn't been used in 28 years," Spieker said. "The
nostalgia factor is really in high gear right now."

In reviving Buckeye, the three knew they would have tough standards to meet,
Kulish said. They researched how the beer might have been made, given what was

available; tried to match ingredients; talked to former brewery workers; asked

timetable for brewing, aging, and delivery.

"It was all still down there from the day the brewery closed," he said.   A
six-pack of the revived brand costs $5.99. It is competing against a variety of
fancy beers and ales in at least 41 area bars, restaurants, and retail outlets.
  Jim Heltebrake, wine shop manager at The Andersons shopping center in Toledo,
said he sold 55 cases of Buckeye before selling out Thursday.

The Buckeye Brewing Co. began making Buckeye in Toledo in 1838. Chicago-based
Meister Brau Inc. bought Buckeye in 1966 and brewed the first Meister Brau Lite
beer in Toledo.   In 1972, Miller Brewing Co., of Milwaukee bought the Buckeye

and Meister Brau Lite labels.  The new owner changed Meister Brau Lite to
Miller Lite, moved Buckeye beer production to Milwaukee, then stopped making
the beer in late 1972.

http://www10.nytimes.com:80/library/financial/sunday/070900biz-book-beer.html

Brewing Beer and Problems

In scanning the bookstore shelves, I have long hoped to find a series of books
called "Corporate Stupidity." This multivolume set would make the collected
works of James Michener look like Cliff Notes, considering the number of
business blunders that are committed daily.

My personal favorites are the sins of chief executives who ignore their
managers or the workers on the factory floor. Or the debacles that follow when
they tune out the most important audience -- their customers. There is no
shortage of material from every industry, ranging from the Edsel to New Coke.

It's a familiar scene: Company fouls up, chief executive rants when the
headlines chronicle their foul-ups, six-figure consultants are hired to figure
out who fouled up. If only these consultants would suggest that CEO's create a
new office called the CSO -- common sense officer. Its job description: The
lone voice in a company who can tell the boss he might be wrong.

A recent example of a hefty dose of arrogance and the absence of anyone willing
to apply some common sense comes from the Coors family, which started brewing
beer in Golden, Colo., in 1876 and continued until the younger generations
nearly ran the company into the ground by the early 1990s.

In "Citizen Coors: An American Dynasty" (William Morrow, $27), Dan Baum wisely
singles the family out. Baum builds a strong narrative from the tale of how
this big dysfunctional family made a lot of cold beer and money that ultimately
financed conservative causes via the Republican Party and the Heritage
Foundation. There is no lack of drama, starting with the patriarch Adolph
Coors, who committed suicide by jumping out of a hotel window.

Succeeding generations had their problems, too, as Baum describes them. Pity
his grandchildren, who must have dreaded Sundays. Adolph Jr. kept notes on his
children's weekly misdeeds, then spanked them each Sunday. One of the offspring
also committed suicide, also by jumping out of a hotel window.

But this book also gives corporate America a primer, as valuable as any
business school case study, on how not to run a company.
For starters, Baum documents thoroughly how Coors abused workers. Sure,
paternalism is sweet when it's served up as free lagers during break time in
the brewery. But no amount of alcohol takes the sting out of being subjected to
lie-detector tests, used to screen out what the book describes as "thieves,
radicals and homosexuals." Some workers were asked if they had sex the previous
night. At times, employees were forced to see psychologists. Brewery workers
regarded themselves, in the words of one, as "overworked animals."

Equal rights took a while to catch up with Coors. Women lacked a bathroom in
the brewery. There was one in the office for secretaries, but women working in
the brewery were docked for time off if they left the plant to use it. One
Coors family member said that a woman's place was "in the beauty parlor."

Not that management was spared from the odd behavior and whims of the Coors
clan. When Bill Coors, in the third generation, caught the transcendental
meditation bug, all executives were ordered to take classes in the practice.
The Coors company, meanwhile, showed an amazing lack of knowledge about
behemoth competitors like Anheuser Busch. Members of the Busch family in St.
Louis knew that their company was driven by the relentless marketing of
Budweiser and other brands. But Coors didn't get it -- and balked at spending
money on ads.

Indeed, marketing executives had short tenures at Coors. Some did manage a few
hit ads, like one using "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" to sell beer at
Halloween. But Jeff Coors, a born-again Christian and member of the fourth
generation, ordered an end to Elvira's selling of Coors because he considered
her satanic.

Other ads were ludicrous. Senior family members once ordered the company's
advertising agency to make a commercial featuring Eva Gabor, a family friend
who was generous to the Republican Party. Men in the focus group, viewing the
aging actress, yelled: "What's she doing selling beer?"

Even product introductions lagged behind the competition. Coors was so behind
the curve that it introduced a light beer three years after Miller Lite hit the
shelves. The company botched other product introductions because it failed to
do market research.
"Citizen Coors" clinches the story by telling how the blunders caught up with
the company. It went public in 1975 at $32 a share. By 1978, investors lost
half their money. Earnings were once 30 cents for every dollar of beer sold,
but slipped to just a penny by 1990. Boycotts by unions and even barley farmers
hurt its image and sales. Market share wilted everywhere, even in its home
state of Colorado.

What did the Coors brothers do about it? They continued to focus on pushing
conservative political causes in Washington. And they bought themselves a Lear
jet.

What did the board members do? They dozed off during presentations on the
demographics of beer drinkers. One of the best lines of the book likens a Coors
board meeting to an Idi Amin cabinet meeting: Nobody objects.

Senior management did seem to pay attention to one event -- the pollution of
its famous Rocky Mountain spring waters. Clear Creek was the primary reason
that Adolph Coors built his brewery in Golden. Trouble was, his brewery was
responsible for contamination of the once-pristine waters. The book spends far
too few pages on this environmental mess. Coors knew for nine years during the
1980s that it was destroying the spring water, but covered it up, according to
Baum.

To help ease the bad public relations, Peter Coors, also in the fourth
generation, coughed up a $30 million check for a baseball stadium in Denver.
For the money, the team would play at, you guessed it, Coors Field.

The book's final pages chronicle the Coors men stepping aside and hiring an
outsider to run the company. More than a century after the brewery was founded,
the arrogance and indifference had caught up with them. Baum says they would
have made more money by closing the place in the early 1980s and putting their
money in a passbook account.

http://www.abqjournal.com:80/news/74288news07-08-00.htm

Freeway Crash Ends Beer Run

By Jeff Jones,
Journal Staff Writer

    38,400 bottles of beer on the wall, 38,400 bottles of beer ...

    The first unscheduled closure during Albuquerque's Big I reconstruction
took place Friday when a tractor-trailer rig hauling 1,600 cases of beer —
apparently all of it Bud Light — came up the northbound Interstate 25 on-ramp
from eastbound Interstate 40 a bit too fast and toppled onto the concrete
barrier there.

    The big rig skidded on its side more than 200 feet along the heavy concrete
wall, showering nearby brush with sparks and starting a blaze the Albuquerque
Fire Department had to quench, said police Traffic Division officer Ray Loomis.

    The overturned truck closed down the freeway on-ramp at 12:30 p.m., and it
remained closed during the evening rush while the mess was cleaned up. A police
dispatch supervisor said truckers apparently passed along word of the lengthy
closure over citizens band radios, and rigs were using Albuquerque side streets
to get to I-25. The two-year, $270 million Big I reconstruction project
officially began June 30, but the on-ramp where the truck tipped over isn't
under construction now.

    Ashraf "Max" Chowdhury, 48, the driver of the International tractor truck,
said he and his load of brew left Fairfield, Calif., on Wednesday and were only
about a mile from the final destination — Albuquerque's Premier Distributing
Co. — when the accident took place. Although most of the Bud Light cases
seemed intact, an official from Premier said it now can't be sold. One
Albuquerque liquor store said it sells Bud Light bottles for about $4 a six
pack. At that price, the retail value of the beer is more than $25,000.

    "One mile — can you believe that? One mile short of the reaching point,"
Chowdhury said shortly after the wreck as he stood next to his bashed-up truck,
which was leaking beer. Chowdhury said the wreck left him with pain in his leg,
but "I want to thank my Lord in the heaven I'm in one piece." He said he was
buckled in at the time of the crash.

    Loomis said Chowdhury was going too fast to navigate the on-ramp, and he
issued a warning to the trucker for going too fast for the conditions. But
Chowdhury said the tip-over happened because the beer wasn't loaded onto his
rig correctly and shifted.

    Chowdhury said the wreck was his first in several years of trucking. And
though he has hauled brew all over, "I've never seen somebody load (beer) like
that. They didn't stagger the load. The load shifted to one side."

    Loomis said the on-ramp was the frequent site of truck tip-overs until
signs were installed several years ago giving the recommended speed of 30 mph.
Chodhury was going about 40 or 45 mph at the time of the accident, Loomis said.
"All I can figure is that as the trailer began to tip, it pulled his tractor
over," Loomis said. Even though one of the tires blew during the accident, "it
was going over even without the blowout."

    "Forty-five will do this to you," Loomis said of the truck's estimated
speed. "Where he would've made it anywhere else, not (at) the eastbound to
northbound in Albuquerque."

    Chowdhury said the beer load weighed about 42,000 pounds.

    The truck is his own, and he is insured. But he added: "Now, I'm out of
work for awhile."

http://www.canoe.ca:80/JamBooks/jul12_brewer.html

Wednesday, July 12, 2000

Brewing company unveils Ontario award for short story collections

 TORONTO (CP) -- A literary award worth $10,000 was unveiled Tuesday to honour
short story collections written by Ontario authors.

 The Upper Canada Brewing Company announced its Writers' Craft Award at a news
conference, saying that the inaugural prize will go to the writer of a story
collection published in the 12-month period from June 30, 1999 to July 1, 2000.

 The brewery wants to support "the best authors our province has to offer,"
said company president Peter Amirault.

 "Awards like this play a crucial role in pumping up Ontario's literary
community and acknowledging the importance of literature in all of our lives,"
said writer Daniel Richler, who helped launch the prize.

 The jury this year is made up of Ian Pearson, Bill Reynolds and Eliza Clark.

The deadline for submissions is July 21, 2000. Canadian publishers of fiction
received notification of the award several weeks ago and have already been
canvassed for submissions.
A shortlist will be announced Sept. 10, and the winner will be announced at a
gala reception in October.  

DUBLIN, July 14 (Reuters) - Guinness Ireland, a division of Britain's Diageo
Plc, said on Friday it was closing its packaging plant in the Irish republic
and revamping operations at one of its breweries, resulting in the loss of some
200 jobs.

The company said the decision followed a review of its production operations in
the Irish republic, together with its packaging operations in Northern Ireland
and in Liverpool.

``The review was taken as result of the accelerating consolidation of the
global beer industry, driven by excess capacity worldwide,'' Guinness said in a
statement.