beer bits
J2jurado
Melbourne, Oct. 23 (Bloomberg)-- Foster's Brewing Group Ltd., Australia's No. 1
brewer, said first-quarter beer sales fell more than 2.5 percent from a year
ago, reflecting higher government taxes.
Still, Foster's said revenue in the three months to Sept. 30 was ahead of year
ago levels even though it experienced `soft' beer and wine sales in Australia.
The Melbourne-based maker of Victoria Bitter, the nation's top-selling beer,
said earnings in the current fiscal year are `in line' with company
expectations. It didn't provide actual figures.
``Tax increases and the Olympic Games had an impact on the way consumers
allocated their discretionary income during the quarter,'' Chairman Frank Swan
said in a prepared speech for today's annual shareholder meeting.
Foster's profit in the year to June 30, 2000 rose 16 percent to A$427.8 million
($227 million), or 25.7 cents a share. Sales in the year rose to A$3.5 billion
from A$3.3 billion.
Foster's, which still makes most of its profit from its Australian brewing
business, has been expanding its product mix to include vineyards, global wine
selling clubs and hotels with gaming businesses.
Earlier this month, the company completed its A$2.6 billion cash and debt
purchase of Beringer Wine Estates Holdings Inc. of California. Foster's wants
to double the contribution of wine to its earnings to 40 percent in the next
five years.
Last financial year, Foster's saw its share of the Australian beer market fell
0.5 percent to about 55.5 percent from 56 percent amid intense competition from
rival Lion Nathan Ltd. The lack of growth in Australia has prompted Foster's to
expand its wine business.
Shares in Foster's rose 2 cents, or 0.5 percent, to A$4.33.
Schroeder Becomes German Pop Star with Beer Song
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has unwittingly become
one of the country's top pop singers and may earn nearly $1 million and
Platinum status for his single "Hol mir mal 'ne Flasche Bier," according to
Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
"Go get me a bottle of beer before I go on strike here," Schroeder said at the
end of a long hot day touring eastern Germany last summer, a remark recorded by
journalists and turned into the refrain for a country-western style ballad by a
leading German comedian, Stefan Raab.
More than 360,000 copies of the song have been sold, putting Schroeder at
number two in the German pop music charts ahead of other pop acts such as
Madonna and Britney Spears.
Music industry executives told the newspaper that Schroeder may earn 1.5
million marks ($700,000) in royalties. The chancellor has already said he would
donate any proceeds he receives to a children's charity that his wife works
for.
05:53 10-22-00
San Miguel Brewery HK Ltd Declares HK$0.03 2nd Interim Div
Hong Kong, Oct. 20 (Bloomberg)-- San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong Ltd said Oct. 20,
2000 that it will pay a quarterly interim dividend of HK$0.03 per share on Nov.
17 to holders of record Nov. 6, with the stock trading ex-dividend starting
Nov. 3.
Tainted Liquor Kills 19 in India
10-22-00 NEW DELHI, India (AP) - At least 19 people died and 111 people were
ill after drinking tainted liquor in a southern Indian state, Press Trust of
India reported Sunday.
Twelve men and a woman died in the Kalluvathukal village of the coastal Kerala
state Saturday and six others were reported dead in Pallickal after drinking
the cheap brew bought from an unlicensed shop, PTI said.
The area is located in the Kollam district, 1,310 miles south of New Delhi,
near the southern tip of India's mainland.
Chief Minister E.K. Nayanar, the state's top elected official, ordered a probe
by a magistrate into the deaths. Nayanar promised to take tough measures
against the illegal liquor trade, which is believed to thrive in the state and
adjoining areas.
Liquor poisonings are common in India. Cheap homemade brew is mixed with methyl
alcohol, which can cause blindness or death.
Deadly Alcohol Kills Hundreds
By MARCOS ALEMAN 10-29-00
SAN VICENTE, El Salvador (AP) - Antonio Lopez Maldonado thanks God he is merely
blind - the liquor that robbed him of his sight has killed 119 people across El
Salvador in the last three weeks, dozens in San Vicente alone.
``It was only one drink, a drink of that cursed firewater,'' Lopez, 51, said
from his hospital bed Thursday, rubbing his eyes with his hands.
``Every day I hope to see the light when I wake up, but everything is black.
Today the doctor told me I will never see again. The cursed firewater left me
this way.''
In this community of 60,000 people, 40 people died and 27 were, for a time,
gravely ill. Lopez is one of two left blind.
The federal prosecutor's office says alcoholic drinks laced with methyl alcohol
are to blame.
All the victims drank either an alcohol sold in small shops and used it for
spiking juice or a cane-sugar alcohol known as ``Trueno'' - Spanish for
``Thunder.'' Both are common here. But in recent weeks, some have contained
methyl alcohol, officials say.
Regional prosecutor Juan Carlos Fuentes Real said authorities are still
investigating how the methyl alcohol got into the drinks. Tests of Trueno at
the factory and in shops did not turn up adulterated products, but Fuentes said
officials are checking the possibility that someone sold the bad alcohol to one
of the bottlers.
The results have been tragic.
Most of the 119 people who have died across the nation were farmers or poor
city dwellers. And many Salvadorans suspect the toll was higher, because some
deaths are not carefully recorded.
``They say ... some died in the street, others died in their homes. They are so
poor that they had no money to be taken to the hospital,'' said Napoleon Vigil,
director of San Vicente's Santa Gertrudis hospital, where 35 people have died.
In his hospital room, Lopez sat beside Jose Roberto Ruiz, 35, the other man
left blinded by the liquor.
``A friend gave it to me,'' said Lopez, who has five children. ``I'm not used
to drinking but I was tired. I thought it would pick me up and it almost killed
me.''
Ruiz said he had purchased 90-proof alcohol at a pharmacy. ``I mixed it with
water and took a drink and that left me blind,'' he said.
``It was only a little ... but when I drank it, it felt oily and soapy,'' he
said. ``I slept and I haven't seen the sun since.''
Local officials have tried to ban the sale of Trueno, but the drink has long
been popular because a bottle costs only about 80 cents.
On Friday, the national congress enacted a 10-day ban on the sale of liquor
containing more than 25 percent alcohol. Police have raided more than 100 shops
and seized their bottles.
Those who violate the sales ban face fines ranging from $1,150 to $57,471.
Fuentes, however, said the government may bear much of the blame because of its
shoddy controls on food safety. He alleged that when the crisis erupted,
officials at the Public Health Ministry did not even know they were responsible
for regulation of these types of alcohol.
``We are not going to say that the state is responsible for the adulteration,''
he said, ``but it was guilty by omission.''
Whitbread may begin share buy-back next month
October 19, 2000
Whitbread may begin its share buy-back programme as early as next month
after the release of its interim figures on October 31.
The group, which is currently in its close period in the run-up to the
results, already has shareholder approval in place to purchase a
proportion of its own stock and may take advantage of its relatively
'low' share price to start the repurchase programme soon.
The move to buy-back stock will form part of the group's plan to return
value to shareholders as it prepares to unlock the value of its
3,000-strong pubs estate through a trade sale. Earlier the group
announced it would be exiting from pubs and bars to focus on its core
hotel, restaurants and health and fitness activities and returning 75%
of the proceeds to shareholders.
"We have the power to buy-back our own shares and a decision will be
made on a day-to-day basis," David Thomas, Whitbread's chief executive
said.
Analysts believe the pub estate could fetch up to £2.5 billion. The
group has already had a number of expressions of interest, although the
board is unlikely to rush into an early sale with completion expected by
mid 2001.
Mr Thomas said that the eventual sale price would not be compromised by
the length of time it may take to sell the business.
"There are a range of initiatives in place that will continue while the
sale process is going on. We believe this will enhance its value and not
detract from it," he said, adding that the group does not expect to
encounter any tax liability on the sale transaction.
The group's current dividend policy is also unlikely to change following
the disposal, despite a proportionally lower level of profits from the
'new' Whitbread group going forward. However, group capital expenditure
will be around £70 million lower following the sale, Mr Thomas said.
He added that cost savings and a "slimming down" of the 'new' Whitbread
business - which will now be focused on its Marriott and Travel Inns
hotels, David Lloyd Leisure fitness clubs and restaurants - would not be
implemented until the pubs sale is completed.
"Following the sale, we will look again the business and look at how
further overheads and efficiencies can be made," he added.
ALLTECH/SIEBEL LAWSUIT SETTLED OUT OF COURT
October 20, 2000
Alltech And Lallemand are happy to announce that the lawsuit entitled
Alltech Inc., vs. Siebel Institute of Technology, et. al. has been settled.
Alltech and Lallemand both feel that settlement of this lawsuit, which arose
out
of the sale of the Siebel Institute of Technology, is in the best interests
of all parties, the Siebel Institute and the brewing industry. Alltech and
Lallemand regret that they and those former members of the Siebel
Institute faculty whom Alltech hired may have been misled by the circumstances
surrounding the sale of the Siebel Institute earlier this year. With
this settlement in place, all parties have agreed to end all litigation
efforts regarding this transaction.
As part of the settlement, Lallemand and Ron Siebel will retain their
ownership of the Siebel Institute of Technology. Alltech will retain
five of the former full time faculty members of the Siebel Institute. Other
specific terms of the settlement agreement are to remain confidential.
All parties ˆ Ronald Siebel, William Siebel, Lyn Kruger, Lallemand and
Alltech ˆ hope that the brewing industry will benefit from having both
Alltech and the Siebel Institute providing courses and services to the
brewing industry.
J2jurado
By Simone Deane
MELBOURNE, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Australia's largest beer and winemaker Foster's
Brewing Group Ltd said on Monday strong export business boosted first quarter
revenues, despite a slowdown in domestic consumption as Australians digested a
new tax system.
The maker of Australia's most popular beer, Victoria Bitter, told shareholders
at the annual meeting local beer sales dropped 2.5 percent in the three months
to September, while wine sales also softened.
"I think it is fair to say that tax increases and the Olympic Games had an
impact on the way consumers allocated their discretionary income during the
quarter," Foster's chairman Frank Swan told shareholders at the company's
annual meeting.
A goods and services tax was introduced on July 1 and beer excise rates were
also boosted.
The new goods and services tax added about 21 cents to the price of a glass of
beer sold in a hotel, while the excise impost rose to 33 cents from 18 cents.
Foster's said despite the slowdown in Australia the group was tracking in line
with its expectations in the first quarter.
"Revenue generated for the period is ahead, supported by strong growth in
exports," Swan said.
Foster's shares were buoyed by the indication that revenue in early 2000/01 was
on track, its shares strengthening 14 cents to close at A$4.45, outperforming a
broadly firmer overall market.
OFFSHORE DRINKERS DELIVER GAINS
Foster's reported a 16 percent rise in profit to A$428 million (US$230 million)
for the year ended June 30, 2000 while sales rose 13.4 percent to A$3.17
billion.
The gain came as the group's international beer unit delivered its first annual
profit and offshore wine sales eclipsed domestic wine sales for the first time.
Analysts expect the company to report a net profit before abnormals of A$457.1
million in 2000/01 according to Barra Global Estimates.
Earlier this month, Foster's completed the A$2.7 billion acquisition of
Beringer Wine Estates in California, a purchase that will double the size of
its wine business and is expected to boost earnings per share immediately.
Swan said the amount of money the company had poured into the purchase made it
unlikely there would be any major purchases in the next 12 to 18 months.
"We will still, however, keep our eye open for any smaller bolt on
acquisitions," said Swan.
CHINA INVESTMENT UNLIKELY
China was one place the group said it would not even be keen to make small
acquisitions.
Chief executive Ted Kunkel said the group was committed to China and had
trimmed its losses there, but had no desire to increase its investment.
"We don't see ourselves investing in any additional assets in China," he said.
Foster's has cut its breweries in China from three to one to try and stem the
losses. It halved its China losses in the year to June 30, 2000, and Kunkel
said it should halve them again this financial year, taking the unit to a loss
of A$6 million. (A$1-US$0.53)
Corona Rings in Sales With Holiday Promotion; Dealers Deck the Aisles With the
Nation's Number One Import
SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 23, 2000--The Gambrinus Company wishes
dealers a Feliz Navidad this holiday season with its longstanding "O'
Tannenpalm" promotion for Corona Extra and Corona Light beer.
Participating dealers will stuff their stockings full of profits by displaying
Corona's palm trees decorated with colored lights and beach backdrops.
"Imported beers are popular with consumers during the holidays," said Don Mann,
Modelo Products Director for The Gambrinus Company. "Corona Extra and Corona
Light are continuing their strong growth as market leaders in their respective
segments, and we're expecting record sales this holiday season."
Retailers can brighten up the holiday with colorful point-of-purchase displays,
including standees with twinkling lights and battery packs, 25-foot strings of
giant Corona Christmas ornaments, case wraps and table tents. Back by popular
demand, the holiday promotion will be supported by "O' Tannenpalm" television
commercials on major broadcast and cable.
The Gambrinus Company imports Modelo's Corona Extra, Corona Light, Coronita
Extra, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo and Pacifico Clara beers to 25 eastern
states, the District of Columbia and the Caribbean.
Upscale Foods and Wines Hit a Home Run in Ballpark Setting
NAPA VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 2000--With the World Series
mania in full swing, peanuts, popcorn and hotdogs are still a ballpark natural.
But according to wine expert Evan Goldstein, ballparks are adding upscale and
ethnic foods to their menus and a wide array of wine selections to enjoy with
them.
"This trend is reflective of the way we eat in general today. Before you could
only find beer and peanuts in ballparks, now some upscale assignments offer
sushi and jambalaya and also many lovely wines," said Goldstein, a master
sommelier and vice president, public relations and new media for the Seagram
Chateau & Estate Wines Company.
Two wine brands in the Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines portfolio, Sterling
Vineyards and Tessera, received a great response from baseball fans at two
recently sponsored wine tasting events, according to Goldstein. The events,
which took place at San Francisco Giants' PacBell Park and San Diego Padres'
Padre Town, respectively, are examples of what Goldstein calls "upscale
assignments."
"PacBell Park is a stone's throw from wine country, so there was natural
interest in the wines and a desire to bring together the national pastimes of
baseball and wine enjoyment, and everyone knows a cool goblet of Zinfandel much
more natural at a ballgame than a flimsy plastic glass of beer," said
Goldstein. "But we were pleasantly surprised when six other major league teams
contacted us to conduct a wine tasting for their fans -- this is an indication
to us that wine enjoyment may indeed be the next American pastime."
Goldstein also cites the popularity of the company's website,
www.aboutwines.com, which provides comprehensive information on wines to
consumers. In the reference section of the site, Goldstein hosts a bulletin
board called "Ask Evan" where visitors can submit a food or wine related
question which is answered within two business days. Soon to be released is a
comprehensive food and wine pairing search engine, www.eatdrinkdine.com, which
will assist in menu development and promote wine enjoyment.
The Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines Company, a division of Joseph E. Seagram &
Sons, Inc., produces and markets the wines of Sterling Vineyards, Sterling
Vintner's Collection, Tessera, The Monterey Vineyard and the sparkling wines of
Mumm Cuvee Napa. The company is the exclusive U.S. importer of G.H. Mumm and
Perrier-Jouet Champagnes, San Telmo from Argentina, Barton & Guestier wines,
Brancott Vineyards from New Zealand and Sandeman Ports and Sherries; and is the
largest importer of classified Bordeaux in the United States. The portfolio is
completed by Dominus in the Napq Valley, a collection of Burgundy
estate-bottled wines, F.E. Trimbach wines from Alsace, Castello d'Albola in
Chianti, and several other European wines and spirits. For more information,
visit www.aboutwines.com.
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this window.
Saddam spends lavishly while Iraqis suffer - UK
By Dominic Evans
LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Britain accused Iraq's President Saddam Hussein on
Monday of spending lavishly on luxuries for his cronies while ordinary Iraqis
suffered under a decade of economic sanctions. Foreign Office Minister Peter
Hain said Saddam had built a lakeside resort in Tharthar, 85 miles (135 km)
west of Baghdad, for favoured officials, boasting special hospitals, an
amusement park and a safari park filled with deer and elephants.
He unveiled United Nations reports which he said showed Iraq was importing
hundreds of millions of cigarettes and hundreds of thousands of litres of
alcohol every month while it complained of desperate humanitarian shortages.
"This is decadence on a truly obscene scale and contrasts again with misery
which so many Iraqi citizens are suffering," Hain told a Foreign Office news
conference.
"It's also evidence of them playing politics with the suffering -- spending
illegal revenues from smuggling on luxuries, rather than food and medicine for
the Iraqi people."
Hain, addressing growing international unease over a humanitarian crisis in
Iraq which Baghdad blames on the economic embargo, said the solution had always
been in Saddam's hands. Iraq was now able to spend up to 16 billion dollars a
year on humanitarian needs under the U.N.-approved "oil-for-food" deal and
could get sanctions lifted within months if he let United Nations weapons
inspectors back in, Hain said.
"The truth is that if he wished to and chose to support his own people, he has
the choice to do so," he said.
LUSH RESORT
Hain said Saddam's Tharthar site -- "a massive luxury resort complex for his
cronies" -- could house up to 625 people who could enjoy the protection of the
same elite security unit which looked after the president.
"We understand it also has a safari park, with deer and elephants. These
animals reportedly graze on lush vegetation, grown with the latest irrigation
systems, while many of his own people are denied access to proper water and
sanitation."
A satellite picture of the resort, taken 18 months ago, has been posted on the
Internet by the United States, which along with Britain is struggling to hold
together international consensus to maintain sanctions on Baghdad. Hain said
United Nations officials had recorded Iraqi imports of more than 300 million
cigarettes, 28,000 bottles of whisky, 2,300,000 cans of beer, 120,000 cans of
vodka and almost 19,000 bottles of wine a month.
"I think the people in the region would be interested to know that," Hain said,
referring to conservative Gulf Arab states, some of whom have called for an end
to sanctions. Officials described the figures as "the tip of the iceberg."
Hain also said a recent rush of humanitarian flights to Baghdad, which has been
cut off from commercial air links by the sanctions imposed for its 1990
invasion of Kuwait, did not mean Saddam's hopes of seeing the embargo crumble
were coming true.
"He's whistling in the wind if he thinks that these minor breaches...add up to
any weakening of international resolve. They don't," he said. (U.S.
website:www.usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/photo2.htm)
http://www.afr.com.au:80/update/20001023/A2558-2000Oct23.html
Future frothy, but GST takes fizz out of Foster's
Published: Monday Oct 23, 1:32 PM
Foster's Brewing Group chief executive, Mr Ted Kunkel, said on Monday
that the introduction of the GST was having an impact on beer sales
through the increased excise tax. Sales had fallen more than 2.5 per
cent in the first quarter of this fiscal year.
Mr Kunkel told the annual general meeting in Melbourne that draft beer
had borne the brunt of the impact, but he said the company would have a
better understanding of the issue at the half year.
Foster's chairman, Mr Frank Swan, said the group had experienced
softness in its first quarter in domestic beer and wine sales, although
revenue for the quarter was still ahead of target, supported by a strong
growth in exports.
"I think it is fair to say that tax increases and the Olympic Games had
an impact on the way consumers allocated their discretionary income
during the quarter," Mr Swan told the AGM. "Overall, Foster's is
tracking in line with our expectations for the year."
Mr Kunkel said the group expected additional ongoing sales to flow from
its investment in the Olympics and, while sales of beer at Olympic
venues during the Games were subdued, "outside the stadium, Sydney
certainly joined in the party mood and we experienced an uplift in sales
around the city."
Mr Swan said the $2.7 billion acquisition of Beringer Wine Estates had
helped the company broaden its investment and earnings base, giving the
group a natural hedge.
He said US assets generating US earnings supported by US denominated
debt, served to protect the company against a major swing in the
Australian dollar.
Mr Swan said Beringer provided a powerful growth engine for Foster's,
helping it better optimise the balance between beer, wine, continents
and currencies. However, the company was cautious about the level of
debt it had assumed from the Beringer acquisition.
"We believe that our levels of debt will reduce quite substantially over
the next two or three years," Mr Swan said.
"In 18 months to two years we expect to resume other acquisitions of a
significant nature if they add value to the company," he said.
Mr Swan said that, over the next 18 months, Foster's would consider bolt
on acquisitions if they could add value.
The shareholders were also told that Foster's was continuing its
strategy to reduce the losses from its business in China.
Mr Swan said that, in the year to June 30, 2000, Foster's had halved its
losses from China and was on track to repeat the performance this
financial year.
He said that, within a few years, China would be the biggest beer market
in the world and Foster's could not afford to be left out.
Mr Kunkel said he did not see the group investing in any additional
assets in China., telling reporters after the AGM that the group would
spend about $6.0 million in China this year, which was not viewed as
excessive.
He said the Chinese investment was very close to being cash flow break
even.
http://news.com.au:80/common/story_page/0,4057,1337423%5E462,00.html
GST hits beer sales
THE GST has hit domestic beer sales, with Fosters reporting a 2.5 per
cent drop in the first quarter of this fiscal year.
Foster's Brewing Group Ltd chairman Frank Swan said draft beer had borne
the brunt of the impact of an increase in beer excise tax.
But he told an annual general meeting the company was maintaining its
market share - and expected additional on-going sales to flow from its
investment in the Olympics.
He noted that during the Games period beer sales within the Olympic
venues were subdued.
"However outside the stadium, Sydney certainly joined in the party mood
and we experienced an uplift in sales around the city," he told
shareholders.
"Overall, we are very confident that our investment in the Sydney
Olympics will translate into additional, on-going world sales."
Mr Swan said Foster's was taking increased competition in its market
seriously.
He said the key to long-term success was brand building and the company
had increased its marketing and promotional budget.
"Of note, is that over the first quarter of this year, despite
significant monthly variations, national market share remains virtually
unchanged," he said.
Mr Swan said the company would have a better understanding of the GST
issue later in the fiscal year.
But he said despite the softness in domestic beer and wine sales,
revenue for the quarter was still ahead, thanks to strong growth in
exports.
"I think it is fair to say that tax increases and the Olympic games had
an impact on the way consumers allocated their discretionary income
during the quarter," he said.
"Overall, Foster's is tracking in line with our expectations for the
year."
http://www.savannahmorningnews.com:80/smn/stories/102300/LOCpig.shtml
Forget soda pop; give that pig a beer
DAUFUSKIE ISLAND: Bar's most famous patron is simply unmistakable: He's
a 250-pound suds-drinking porker.
By Rob Dewig Carolina Morning News Monday, OCTOBER 23
There's something unique about Daufuskie Island. Its name is Ned.
Ned is a 250-pound Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. He's the waddling,
snorting, non-alcoholic beer-guzzling mascot of Bryan and Beth Shipman's
Marshside Mama's Cafe.
Rare is the evening when Ned doesn't stroll through the bar, nuzzling up
to thoroughly startled customers and asking in his piggy language if
they'd mind buying him a beer.
"He's an island fixture," Savannah's Billy Strojny said Friday evening
as he watched the big pig saunter through the bar, snorting up a storm
and generally knocking things out of his way.
"Everybody loves Ned. I think he ought to be the mayor, at least a
member of city council," Strojny said, knowing full-well that Daufuskie
has neither a mayor nor a council. "He's well-known. He's a public
figure."
No doubt.
When Ned's walking around outside - which he does, every time the bar
and restaurant is open - it's hard, perhaps impossible, to miss him.
Quite simply, Ned is huge. His belly nearly drags the ground with every
step. Two small tusks curl up out of the side of his mouth, but it's a
tossup whether he can see them; his eyes are practically buried by roll
after roll of fat.
Ned wasn't always this way. At one time, Bryan Shipman says, he was a
tiny 60-pound snorter, complete with a leash and a harness, two things
that are unimaginable today. Ned moved in with the Shipmans eight years
ago when the pair read about this poor little piggie a woman leaving the
area was trying to give away.
Bryan read the story and thought nothing more of it, but soon a second
story came out saying that a woman had come forward and adopted it. That
woman, of course, was Beth, who wanted to surprise her husband on his
birthday. Consider him surprised.
They took him to their house on Daufuskie, then to the
restaurant/general store when they opened it near the county boat
landing two years ago.
"Now, he just hangs out," Bryan said. But he may be getting a little too
fat, despite the Shipmans' efforts to put him on a diet of sorts.
"He's just too damn big," Bryan said with a laugh as a waitress shooed
him out of the bar. "He doesn't go around things, he walks through
them. I tried changing him to light beer, but it made him vomitg every time."
Ned's favorite pastime is shared by many others. Ned likes beer.
"We really don't overdo it with beer," Bryan said. "As a matter of fact,
after his first one, we give him O'Douls (a non-alcoholic beer). He doesn't
care if its
alcoholic. He likes the taste. Instead of giving him pig liver problems, we
give him
O'Douls." And, truth be told, he does love it. It's quite a sight to see Bryan
pop
the top on an O'Douls and slowly pour it down the greedily lapping pig's
mouth.
It's even more impressive, Bryan says, to watch him drink a Corona long
neck, which he holds in his mouth and tips back.
Ned does bother some people, but those are the newcomers, who are
somewhat few and far between at this isolated bar on Beaufort County's
most isolated island.
"Some people are awful skittish," Bryan says. "But they're like that
just because he's so big and has a refined taste for beer. And he's got tusks.
But he's not aggressive."
Not at all. Acting more like a cuddly dog - his tail just wagging away -
than a massive mound of tusked bacon, Ned sidles up to people, hoping
for a beer or a rub behind the ears, which tends to make him collapse in
a snorting heap as if someone had clocked him with a hammer.
"I have a dog on one side (the Shipmans' black lab) and a pig on the
other," said Savannah's Sue Dewey, rolling her eyes in wonder. "I
wouldn't expect any less from Daufuskie Island."
"It's a delight," Dewey's friend Larry Pristow agreed.
The Shipmans have tried to get Ned to stop hanging out at the bar or
begging at the general store's door. They built him a spacious pen -
Bryan called it a "pig-ominium" - at their home five minutes away, but
Ned first dug his way out, then got out for good after a limb fell on
the fence. After that, the Shipmans gave up.
"He never went home," Beth Shipman says.
Now, Ned lives in what Bryan calls a "nest" under the bar. He comes out
when people show up, particularly if they offer him a beer or look like
maybe, just maybe, they have some food.
"He doesn't go away," Bryan said with a smile. "You see him around the
weed (marsh grass) line. He'll be lying in the sun on a cool morning, or
lying in the shade on a hot day.
"He attracts a lot of attention."
But that's no big deal. It's just Ned.
http://www.indiaserver.com:80/thehindu/2000/10/23/stories/0423404u.htm
Hooch retailer had political backing
By Our Staff Reporter
KOLLAM, OCT. 22. The hooch den at Kalluvathukkal, near Kollam, which
claimed the lives of 17 persons and has left more than 108 battling for
their lives at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital,
functioned from a fortress within the heart of the busy Kalluvathukkal
Market area.
The den is operated by a notorious woman of the area, identified by the
police as Hairunissa. She was convicted earlier this year for a similar
offence which took place in 1996 when two persons lost their lives after
consuming the hooch. She is currently out on bail after filing an appeal
in the Kerala High Court.
It is hard to believe that the hooch den could function from the said
location, dodging the eyes of the police and the Excise officials. In
fact, complaints about her had reached the top police brass of Kollam
even as recently as a month ago. Local residents said she was very
influential and had the backing of a section of powerful politicians
from the area.
The den functioned from a double-storeyed building protected on all
sides by a 10-ft wall, with a steel gate. Of the seven spacious rooms in
the den, two were air-conditioned and all the rooms had TV sets.
Most of her clients were quarry workers and farm hands. The outlet
functioned like a bar-attached hotel and local residents said she
purchased fish worth at least Rs. 1,000 each day from the local market.
In addition to this, there was a small poultry farm also within the den.
Customers could buy chicken or fish curry from the outlet.
Though the police and Excise officials had received tip-offs on her
operations, for obvious reasons she was not pulled up. Hairunissa has a
gang of musclemen to run the show at her Kalluvathukkal den and her
source of spirit supply allegedly came from a illicit brewery at nearby
Attingal. The dilution and flavour mixing was done by her `experts'.
There are rumours that due to the political backing that she enjoyed,
police and Excise officials used to regularly call on her. She kept
these officials happy through regular and handsome palm-greasing. Any
officer who incurred her wrath was transferred. Her clout with the
police became evident last evening when even as the police were tipped
off about the hooch tragedy in the offing well before sunset, she was
given ample time to escape. The police arrived at the den for a
so-called raid only by 9 p.m. and by then not a single drop of hooch
could be recovered from the den.
http://news.excite.com/news/r/001022/19/odd-britain-syndrome-dc
UK Woman Dies of 'Economy Class Syndrome'
October 22, 2000LONDON (Reuters) - A bride-to-be collapsed and died from
a condition known as "economy class syndrome" just minutes after getting
off a flight from Australia to London, British newspapers reported on
Monday.
Emma Christofferson, 28, developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood
clot associated with long distance flights, while traveling home to
London from the Olympic Games on a Qantas flight via Singapore.
The Marks & Spencer sales assistant complained of feeling unwell on the
last part of the 12,000-mile (19,310 km) trip and collapsed in the
arrival hall at Heathrow airport. She died 10 days ago, before reaching
hospital.
The condition is frequently caused by long periods spent in cramped
conditions. Tightly packed seating -- such as that found in the economy
class section of airliners -- can restrict movement and trigger the
blood clot illness.
A post mortem confirmed the cause of death as DVT, in which a blood clot
in the leg works its way into the heart or lungs. Sudden death is a
likely outcome.
A spokeswoman for Qantas was quoted as saying: "The safety of our
passengers is always of paramount importance and we refer to the
possible effects of flying in our in-flight magazine."
It advises passengers to move their legs and feet for three or four
minutes per hour to improve circulation.
J2jurado
(The Independent 10/24 p.19)
London, Oct. 24 -- Unwins, a closely held U.K. beer and liquor-store chain, is
considering a bid to buy Oddbins, a wine specialist and rival, from Seagram
Co., the Independent reported, without citing sources. Oddbins has 245 outlets
across the U.K. and is valued at as much as 50 million pounds ($73 million) by
some analysts, the Independent said.
``Unwins is the most obvious buyer,'' an unidentified analyst told the
newspaper. ``My only concern is whether they could afford it.''
Montreal-based Seagram is being bought by Vivendi SA. The French company wants
to sell Seagram's liquor assets.
Foster's slams Govt over excise increase
Tuesday 24 October, 2000
Foster's Brewing has taken another swipe at the Federal Government's increased
excise on tap beer, saying it has cost it more than 2 per cent in sales, in
the first three months of the GST.
Foster's chief executive Ted Kunkel has told shareholders the greatest impact
has been on draught beer in regional areas.
Mr Kunkel played down the emerging threat of rival Lion Nathan's push into the
Victorian beer market.
He says during the Olympic Games while beer sales at sporting venues were
subdued, sales around Sydney increased. Š 2000 Australian Broadcasting
Corporation.
Belgian Interbrew's value is missing ingredient
By Katie Nguyen
BRUSSELS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Belgium's Interbrew moved a step closer to
finalising its initial public offering (IPO) by announcing when, where and how
much it would float, but the brewing giant has yet to reveal the key
ingredient: its price.
Family-owned Interbrew late on Friday said it would float at least 25 percent
of its capital -- at the higher end of analysts' expectations -- in a combined
institutional and public offering on the Euronext bourse in December.
Proceeds will be used to fund further acquisitions for Interbrew, which is the
world's second largest brewer.
Most analysts polled by Reuters on Monday valued Interbrew
1/8ITB.UL 3/8 at a range between eight and 14 times EBITDA (earnings before
interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation).
International brewers were grouped in two tiers, with the world's first and
third biggest brewers, Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc <<A
HREF="aol://4785:BUD">BUD.N</A>> and Heineken NV <HEIN.AS>, at the top end of
valuations.
One analyst, putting Interbrew at an EBITDA multiple of 11.5 said: "The
multiple is a good middle road. It's at a premium to regional, second-tier
international brewers (like Carlsberg <CARCb.CO>, Scottish and Newcastle
<SCTN.L>)."
Interbrew, itself, has been bullish about where it should be ranked, with Chief
Executive Officer Hugo Powell saying he saw the group trading at the top,
alongside Anheuser and Heineken.
He told Reuters earlier this month the group had outperformed the world's top
15 brewers in terms of sales growth, EBITDA earnings and after-tax profits over
the past six years.
Although Interbrew was seen as having a good track record and strategy,
regulatory concerns following its purchase earlier this year of Britain's
Whitbread and Bass beer divisions for 400 million pounds ($581.4 million) and
2.3 billion pounds, respectively, in a space of three weeks, could weigh on the
final valuation.
"To what extent there's a perceived regulatory risk -- that will cause the
rating to go down," another London-based analyst said.
Britain's Competition Commission is reviewing Interbrew's purchase of Bass'
beer business.
MARKET CONDITIONS
Analysts said market conditions for an IPO in the consumer goods sector were
favourable, but warned that investors, disappointed by the fizzle-out in
technology, media and telecoms shares, wanted value for money.
"(Fund mangers) could either buy a bombed-out tech stock or a consumer goods
stock, whose prices have gone up a lot," one analyst said.
Casenove's Sandy Soames said: "It's not a black or white issue. The question is
what price they can get for their equity."
He said the decision to float 25 percent of the company was deliberate, aimed
at gaining entrance into a European blue chip index.
Increasing that stake at the IPO would be premature.
"Interbrew is probably wary of setting out an over-ambitious size at a price
that's not acceptable," Soames said.
Seagram's Martell Expecting 5% Growth Next Year
LONDON, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- http://www.just-drinks.com -- As the pace hots
up in the race for Seagram's drinks, just-drinks.com talks exclusively to
Seagram's group head Cognac John Bilello about Martell's uncertain future. A
new ad campaign hints at confidence the brand will endure.
In the report at http://www.just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=293,
Bilello says: "We are expecting in excess of 5% worldwide and that may be on
the conservative side. I think Martell will have momentum given the
investment. Asia will rebound and against the category we expect to achieve
far in excess of rebound."
But analysts remain uncertain who, if anyone, will want a brand from the
troubled Cognac market. One told just-drinks.com: "There is an argument that
none of the major bidders would want to hold onto the brand. Where you have a
business like Diageo that is strongly driven by a return on capital Cognac
doesn't really fit. Pernod have traditionally been pretty cool over any
intention to buy into Cognac for similar reasons."
To find out more on Martell's plans for growth and the city's predictions for
its future after the sale read the full article on:
http://www.just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=293
Australian wineries must merge to remain competitive: analyst
Monday 23 October, 2000
It has been claimed further consolidation in the wine industry is inevitable
if small and medium sized wineries are to remain competitive locally and
internationally.
South Australian-based Banksia Wines is the latest company to evolve as a
result of a merger between St Hallett Wines and Tatachilla Wines.
The company could be listed on the Stock Exchange before Christmas if
directors approve the $35 million float.
Wine analyst Aaron Muller says companies are looking to the sharemarket to get
fresh capital.
"You've got an increasing supply on a global scale in excessive demand and
you've got a consolidation in the retail distribution network, which is making
scale and distribution ever more important," he said.
"And to get that scale, companies need to grow and to get that growth they
need capital." Š 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
WineToday.com Showcases HarvestWatch 2000 Video Series
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 23, 2000--
Interviews, Insights and Slice of Life of Famed 2000 Harvest
WineToday.com, an online publication from New York Times Digital, the Internet
division of The New York Times Company, is presenting an original video series
online showcasing the historical year 2000 vintages being produced in some of
the most illustrious wine regions around the world.
Readers can access the video by logging onto www.winetoday.com/harvestwatch2000
and downloading each segment using RealPlayer.
"We are pleased to bm able to give wine lovers a picture of the quality of the
2000 harvest and also take them with us as we visit famous vineyards, explore
historical landmarks and discover the local cuisine of each region," said
Leslie Sbrocco, editor of wineToday.com and executive prodmcer of HarvestWatch
2000(TM). Ms. Sbrocco is joined on the journey by New York Times wine columnist
Frank Prial and noted Italian wine author Burton Anderson.
Users will see and hear from a number of renowned wine producers as they share
their predictions for what promises to be a historical vintage year. From the
regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy in France, Piedmont and Tuscany in Italy, and
Napa and Sonoma counties in Northern California, these producers provide the
inside scoop on the harvest for lovers of wine from preeminent wine regions
around the world.
By logging onto the site, consumers can also take advantage of the last
opportunity to enter to win a trip for two to France or a second prize trip to
Napa Valley. This exciting opportunity will allow readers to take all of their
newly acquired information "out into the field," where they can touch, feel,
smell and taste the fruits of the wine labor. Registration for the sweepstakes
is available at www.winetoday.com/harvestwatch2000, and is co-sponsored by
France In Your Glass, US Airways and the Wine Enthusiast catalog.
In addition, visitors to the site will want to check out the latest harvest
reports from journalists around the world and such tools as vintage charts,
clickable maps, a glossary, food and wine matches and more from Oz Clarke's
Wine Guide.
About WineToday.com and New York Times Digital
WineToday.com features timely coverage of consumer and industry news, including
a rich database of winery profiles, wine reviews, a wine and food matching
tool, a multimedia wine atlas, and more. WineToday.com is part of New York
Times Digital, the Internet division of The New York Times Company (NYSE:<A
HREF="aol://4785:NYT">NYT</A>). New York Times Digital provides high-quality
news, information and interaction through its own premier Web sites as well as
affiliate partners. In addition to WineToday.com, New York Times Digital's
family of sites includes NYTimes.com, Boston.com, newyorktoday.com,
GolfDigest.com and Abuzz, an online knowledge-sharing network.
-- Deadline for all contest entries is Midnight, Pacific Standard
Time, Friday, November 3, 2000. Must be able to travel between
May 28 and June 30th, 2001. All travel restrictions apply. No
purchases required.
Clinton Signs Drunken Driving Bill
By TERENCE HUNT, October 23
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Clinton signed a bill Monday setting a tough
national standard for drunken driving, saying the new legal limit of 0.08
percent will save 500 lives a year and force Americans to take more care when
they drink.
States that refuse to impose the standard by 2004 will lose millions of dollars
in federal highway construction money. Nineteen states and the District of
Columbia have a 0.08 percent limit. Thirty-one states define drunken driving as
0.10 limit blood alcohol content or do not set a specific standard.
``This is a very good day for the United States,'' Clinton said. He called the
new standard ``the biggest step to toughen drunk driving laws and reduce
alcohol-related crashes since a national minimum drinking age was established a
generation ago.''
Clinton was joined in a Rose Garden ceremony by Millie Webb, national president
of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and MADD members who have lost relatives in
alcohol-related crashes. Webb lost her 4 1/2-year-old daughter and 19-month-old
nephew and suffered a broken neck and burns over 75 percent of her body 28
years ago in an accident caused by a drinking driver.
The bill signing climaxed a fierce three-year battle in Congress.
The American Beverage Institute, an association of restaurant operators, called
the new law ``an attack on social drinkers.'' It said a 120-pound woman who
drinks two 6-ounce glasses of wine over a two-hour period could face arrest and
mandatory jail or loss of her license.
``This law will arrest people who are not part of the drunk driving problem,''
said spokesman John Doyle. ``But more, this law in a lot of ways is leaving
many Americans to believe that the drunk driving problem has been addressed and
nothing could be further from the truth.''
Arguing for the law, MADD said a 170-pound man would have to have four drinks
in an hour on an empty stomach, and a 137-pound woman three drinks in an hour,
to reach 0.08. Both MADD and the American Beverage Institute cited National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration studies.
MADD also said that alcohol is just as intoxicating in beer, wine or hard
liquor. It said a 12-ounce can of beer, a five-ounce glass of wine and a
12-ounce wine cooler all contain the same amount of alcohol and have the same
intoxicating potential as 1 1/2 ounces of hard liquor.
NHTSA cautioned that factors such as sleep and food consumption could affect
blood alcohol levels.
Clinton called efforts to pass national drunken-driving standard an uphill
battle. It was approved 344-50 by the House and 78-10 by the Senate. The
provision was part of a $58 billion transportation spending bill loaded with
pre-election highway, mass transit and aviation projects for every state.
To accommodate them, the measure was $7.3 billion higher than last year's
level, $3.3 billion more than Clinton requested and nearly $3 billion larger
than earlier versions passed by the House and Senate. ``We can't veto every
bill because there is pork in it,'' said presidential spokesman Jake Siewert.
Clinton said alcohol is the single greatest factor in motor vehicle deaths and
injuries. ``Lowering the limit will make responsible Americans take even
greater care when they drink alcohol in any amounts, if they intend to drive,''
he said.
States that fail to adopt the 0.08 standard by 2004 would lose 2 percent of
their highway money. The penalty would grow by an additional 2 percent each
year up to 8 percent by 2007. States that adopt the standard by 2007 would be
reimbursed for any lost money.
In 1999, 15,786 Americans were killed in alcohol-related crashes, including
over 2,200 children. Clinton cited estimates that the new standard would save
at least 500 lives a year. ``How often do we get a chance to begin a good
morning and a good week by saving 500 lives a year,'' he said.
The 19 states the White House said have a 0.08 limit are Alabama, California,
Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New
Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia
and Washington. Massachusetts does not have a per se law making it illegal to
drive at a specified blood alcohol level, the White House said. The other 30
states have 0.10 limits.
The bill is H.R. 4475.
On the Net: MADD: http://www.madd.org
American Beverage Institute: http://abionline.org
State drunken driving laws: http://www.mrtraffic.com/dui.htm
What's in a name? These days, not English
By Ilaina Jonas
NEW YORK, Oct 22 (Reuters) - When telephone companies GTE and Bell Atlantic
decided to merge, high on their list of things to do was naming the new
telecommunications powerhouse.
GTE, an independent telephone company with service scattered throughout U.S.
rural areas and suburbs, meant little to many customers of East Coast-based
Bell Atlantic.
Coming up with a completely new identity, Bell Atlantic reached back to a
runner-up that lost out in a name search when Philadelphia-based Bell Atlantic
merged with NYNEX of New York three years ago. Verizon Communications <<A
HREF="aol://4785:VZ">VZ.N</A>> was born.
What does the word mean?
Absolutely nothing. Not yet.
Verizon is one of the most recent in a string of company names that are strange
to most ears.
As new companies crop up and set their sights on the world market and
cyberspace, corporate naming has become more difficult as well as more
important.
"Every word in the United States has now been trademarked," said Janet Keeler,
Verizon vice president of brand management and marketing. "So, generally
nowadays, you're looking at what we call a suggestive name, or a name that is,
for lack of better words, one that is conjured up or made up."
A CORPORATE TELECOMS COMPANY BY ANY OTHER NAME?
Some companies such as Exelixis Inc. <<A HREF="aol://4785:EXEL">EXEL.O</A>>,
stretched to the esoteric to find their name. Internet consulting firm
marchFirst Inc. <<A HREF="aol://4785:MRCH">MRCH.O</A>> reached to the creative.
Verizon, Lucent Technologies Inc. <<A HREF="aol://4785:LU">LU.N</A>> spin-off
Avaya Inc. <<A HREF="aol://4785:AV">AV.N</A>>, and online auto parts
marketplace Covisint strove to find a new word.
Whatever the direction, companies say a successful name is one name without a
negative connotation in any major language, that is legally available
throughout the world's major markets and whose name lends itself to an
available Web site address, called a domain name.
"Marketers always look for names that could be perceived to be unique, which
requires more mental work to process it and once remembered it is not going to
be easily forgotten," said marketing professor Shi Zhang of the University of
California, Los Angeles.
Branding -- the campaign waged through advertising, signage and name repetition
to associate the name with a perception and positive reputation -- is the real
fuel that infuses a company's identity into the market's psyche, said Anthony
Shore, a senior associate director of verbal branding at the international
branding firm Landor.
"You can transform any name if you put enough muscle behind it," Shore, a
linguist, said.
That was the idea behind the naming of the giant business-to-business online
automotive marketplace, Covisint. It took three months, but a collaborative
effort by automotive rivals Ford Motor Co. <<A HREF="aol://4785:F">F.N</A>>,
DaimlerChrysler AG <DCXGn.DE> and General Motors Corp. <<A
HREF="aol://4785:GM">GM.N</A>> eventually resulted in agreement.
"At the end of the day, the name Covisint (pronounced KO-vis-int) will stand by
itself," Mick Koster, a member of Covisint's branding team, said. "There won't
be any conscious reinforcing that it stands for collaboration, visibility and
integration. What will stand out is our marketing message, and how we're trying
to position the company."
IN VERIZON, VERITAS
Because Covisint will operate worldwide, the team needed a name not already
trademarked in any country. That helped to steer it to a name without a strong
meaning in any language, said Koster.
"You're more likely to have it legally available," he said. "You're more likely
to have no preconceived notions, so there's no baggage associated with it. And
it gives you a lot more freedom."
They had decided on Covis, but their lawyers believed it might hit a snag due
to a German software maker by that name.
"We would be in negotiations, and we were under pressure to develop our name
and get it out in the marketplace," Koster said.
Tacking on "int" -- for integration, Internet and international -- to the end
of Covis, gave the team a name.
To protect itself from online impostors using similar addresses to attract
viewers, Covisint registered more than 50 domain names with various root
extensions - even CovisintSucks.
In a similar vein, Verizon's branding team searched through 25 languages to
ensure their eight corporate name contenders were neutral in meaning and a
domain name was available.
Only after Verizon was chosen did the branding team attach a root meaning to it
-- veritas, Latin for truth.
IT'S GREEK TO THEM
Back in 1994, when four friends created a biotechnology company aiming to use
fruit fly genetic research to treat human diseases, they didn't have the money
for a big brand name search. Instead, they used a bar tab and did it over
drinks.
The friendship of Corey Goodman, Jerry Rubin, Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas and
Stelios Papadopoulos -- two Jews and two Greeks -- went back decades. The
discussions led to a selection of Greek names, sometimes difficult for Goodman
and Rubin to pronounce.
"I told them if they came up with one more difficult name, I was going to come
up with Meshuggena Pharmaceutical," said Goodman, a professor of neurobiology
and genetics at the University of California at Berkeley.
Then he heard exelixis (ex-CEL-i-sis or ex-sil-EE-sis), Greek for evolution,
and it clicked.
"After a few glasses of wine went around, we two Jewish boys could finally
pronounce it. It embodies really the whole vision of what we were doing,"
Goodman said.
"I'm not sure in the business of biotechnology a name actually makes or breaks
a company," Papadopoulos, now managing director at SG Cowen, said.
Early on, the company thought about changing the name, said Exelixis Chief
Executive and President George Scangos, who came aboard in 1996.
"Then it seemed like we have some brand name here now even if the name itself
was a little awkward," Scangos said. "What that connoted to people had some
value, so we decided to stick with it."
J2jurado
MEXICO CITY, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Top Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo <GMODELOC.MX>
is expected to post a banner third quarter on strong exports of its brands,
such as Corona, and because of a slight improvement in domestic sales due to
warm weather.
According to a Reuters poll of five sector analysts, Modelo sold 2.37 million
hectoliters between July and September in the 140 countries where it exports --
a nearly 32 percent increase over exports in the same quarter a year before.
The analysts said part of that strong performance would be due to a low
comparative base. Modelo, 50-percent owned by Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc <<A
HREF="aol://4785:BUD">BUD.N</A>>, saw its exports fall 13 percent in the third
quarter of 1999.
The average estimate of the analysts was for total sales in the
July-to-September period of 9.29 million hectoliters, a 9.8 percent
year-on-year increase.
Domestic sales, which account for 74 percent of total turnover, were expected
to have risen 3.9 percent in the quarter due to a warm summer in many parts of
the country and a consumer spending boom.
Analysts said Modelo could have sold even more beer in Mexico if it had not
raised beer prices in January by 16 percent, anticipating 13 percent annual
inflation. Inflation in the first nine months of the year reached an
accumulated 6.15 percent and is seen at below 9 percent for the full year.
In terms of operating income, cost-savings and efficiencies are expected to
push up the operating result for the quarter by 17 percent.
Modelo is expected to report its earnings on Oct. 26.
Following are the average forecasts drawn from a survey of six industry
analysts comparing expectations for third quarter 2000 with results from a year
ago. All numbers are in pesos and the 1999 figures have been adjusted for
inflation.
----------------------------------------------------------
Q3 2000 Q3 1999 Pct
estimate adjusted Change
Total sales 7.133 bln 6.380 mln +11.8 pct
Oper profit 1.637 mln 1.399 mln +17.0 pct
Oper margin 22.95 pct 21.88 pct +107 bps
EBITDA 1.923 mln 1.729 mln +11.2 pct
Net profit 711 mln 665 mln +6.9 pct
Volume sales in hectoliters (100 liters each)
National 6.91 mln 6.65 mln +3.9 pct
Exports 2.37 mln 1.80 mln +31.7 pct
Total 9.29 mln 8.46 mln +9.8 pct
-----------------------------------------------------------
Analysts comments:
LUIS VALLERINO, BANAMEX-ACCIVAL, MEXICO CITY:
"We're expecting a good report, very good. Exports will give the results a lot
of shine. They were also helped by the good weather, efficiencies in the
company and price levels."
VICTOR HUGO FLORES, INTERACCIONES, MEXICO CITY:
"The sales in the United States are going very well. What has helped this
quarter is the comparative volume despite the fact that in dollar terms, the
price is the same.
"What draws my attention is that the whole industry continues to grow a little
below its traditional levels. The industry has always been tied to consumption
levels but this time the industry as a whole is posting lower growth, which
could have a lot to do with the 16 percent price increase."
SCOTT KOLB, AFIN SECURITIES, NEW YORK:
"Modelo's comparative base is low so it will be easier to grow this quarter.
I'm also expecting an expansion in margins because of low raw material costs."
YVONNE OCHOA, BBVA-BANCOMER, MEXICO CITY:
"The excellent growth in volumes in Mexico and in exports is the result of
months of good weather and favorable consumption patterns in our country. This
implies a 10 percent increase in total volumes. We expect a slight expansion in
margins, despite the greater use of nonreturnable bottles for export."
Peru's Backus Plans to Sell $25 Mln in Sol-Denominated Bonds
Lima, Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- UCP Backus & Johnston SA, Peru's largest brewery,
will sell $25 million in sol-denominated corporate bonds tomorrow to raise
working capital and refinance older debt.
The sale of four- and five-year debt will be the second part of a $200 million
bond issue approved by Backus' shareholders on June 21. The interest will be
determined through a Dutch auction, in which buyers bid the minimum interest
they're willing to accept and the amount they want to buy. The bonds will be
sold at face value.
Backus sold $25 million in sol-denominated, four- and five- year debt on Sept.
14 that paid an average annual interest rate of 7.625 percent plus an
inflation-indexed variable known as VAC, or Constant Value of Acquisition.
Inflation in Peru is running at an annualized rated of 3.78 percent, according
to recent government statistics.
The bonds have a pAA rating by DCR Peru, a unit of U.S.-based Duff & Phelps
Credit Rating Co., and an AA rating by Apoyo & Asociados Internacionales SAC.
Citicorp Peru SA is in charge of the placement.
Backus has said it is ``reordering liabilities by converting debt expiring soon
into longer-term obligations.''
Backus is paying interest on a $125 million bridge loan used to purchase rival
Cia. Cervecera del Sur earlier this year. Also, the company paid last week 100
million soles ($28.6 million) to pay for bonds issued in 1997.
Kenyan shares down as industry stocks lose ground
NAIROBI, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Tobacco and brewing stocks lost ground on Tuesday
pushing Kenyan shares lower but brokers said the market remained poised for a
recovery.
The benchmark Nairobi Stock Exchange 20-share index lost 5.77 points or 0.28
percent to close at 2,037.55.
Most fallers were in the industrial and allied sector. Leading blue chip East
African Breweries lost 2.5 shillings or three percent to close at 79.50.
But brokers attributed the brewer's decline to a correction after a jump in the
stock's share price on Monday on a lot of just 100 shares.
British American Tobacco (BAT) ended down a shilling at 70 on 54,662 shares,
making the stock the second most heavily traded of the day.
Brokers shrugged of the falls saying BAT was one of the best growth stocks on
the market.
"This was nothing significant," one broker said. "It's a great company with
solid management and very sound fundamentals."
Brokers said the company had not been hit by news that the World Health
Organisation had called for tougher anti-tobacco policies in Africa that would
include a ban on advertising, higher taxes and a restriction on smoking in
public.
"This kind of product causes addiction," one market analyst said. "Even if they
ban advertising people will continue to smoke. It's like trying to stop people
drinking beer. It wouldn't work. Tobacco revenues are safe."
Elsewhere plantation stock Kakuzi continued to slide, losing another three
shillings or 5.5 percent to close at a five-year low of 52. The stock has now
lost 13.3 percent in the first two sessions of the week.
While plantation companies which depend largely on tea revenues have posted
sharp recoveries in recent weeks after rain in key growing areas, Kakuzi has
suffered, brokers say, because of its primary dependence on coffee.
Report on Interbrew/Bass<BASS.L> deal due Tuesday-paper
RE: LONDON story "Report on Interbrew/Bass<BASS.L> deal due Tuesday-paper," a
corrected story follows.
LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Britain's Competition Commission is expected to
publish a report on Tuesday on the purchase of British brewer Bass Plc by
Belgium's Interbrew 1/8ITB.UL 3/8, the Times newspaper said on Monday.
The Commission is expected to publish a broad outline of the issues and
possible remedies arising from its investigation. The announcement is likely to
be broad in nature, as the Commission is not due to deliver its final report to
the Department of Trade and Industry until December 6, the paper said.
Privately-owned Interbrew bought Bass Brewing for 2.3 billion pounds ($3.37
billion) in June, one month after purchasing Whitbread Plc's <WTB.L> beer
business for 400 million pounds, pushing it to number two spot in the world
beer league.
The Bass deal was referred to the Commission. The deal ran into criticism as
Interbrew's merger of Bass's and Whitbread's beer businesses would give the
combined group a leading 32 percent share of the UK beer market, just ahead of
Scottish and Newcastle Plc's <SCTN.L> 28 percent share.
This would give these top two brewers 60 percent of UK beer production and some
80 percent control of national beer distribution to the UK's pubs.
Interbrew Purchase of Bass Beer Unit Scrutinized by Regulators
London, Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The U.K.'s Competition Commission said it asked
Interbrew NV to defend its 2.3 billion- pound ($3.35 billion) takeover of Bass
Plc's brewing business as the first stage in a regulatory review.
Regulators are concerned Interbrew, set to become U.K. market leader with a 32
percent share, and Scottish & Newcastle Plc, with 28 percent, would dominate
the U.K. brewing industry and force smaller rivals out of business.
``No conclusions have yet been reached by the Competition Commission about
whether any matters operate or may be expected to operate against the public
interest,'' the commission said in a statement distributed by London's
Regulatory News Service.
Privately owned Interbrew, the maker of Stella Artois beer, bought Bass's
brewing division in June, a month after purchasing Whitbread Plc's beer
business for 40 million pounds.
Stephen Byers, secretary of the U.K.'s Department of Trade and Industry, asked
the commission to review the sale and issue a report by Dec. 6. He didn't
request an inquiry into Interbrew's purchase of Whitbread's beer unit.
Belgium-based Interbrew may have to sell some of the Bass brands to win
regulatory approval, analysts have said. The acquisition wasn't contingent on
approval by the U.K. government.
The Competition Commission has the power to block mergers. Whitbread withdrew
its agreed bid for Allied Domecq Plc's 3,500 U.K. pubs last year after the
acquisition was referred to the regulatory agency.
Femsa seen having strong third quarter
MEXICO CITY, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Fomento Economico Mexicano (Femsa) <<A
HREF="aol://4785:FMX">FMX.N</A>>, Mexico's leading Coca-Cola <<A
HREF="aol://4785:KO">KO.N</A>> bottler, is expected to report strong third
quarter earnings, boosted by higher exports and a solid performance by its
soft-drink division, analysts said.
Femsa, also Mexico's No. 2 beer maker, is expected to report 10.5 percent
growth in sales and a 15.8 percent rise in operating income in the third
quarter, as compared with the same quarter last year, a Reuters survey of four
analysts showed.
Monterrey-based Femsa operates a beer-making division, known as
Cuauhtemoc-Moctezuma, Mexico's largest soft-drink bottler, Coca-Cola Femsa
(KOF) <KOFL.MX> and other businesses involved in packaging, retail and trade.
Analysts said local sales volume by Femsa's beer-making division will rise 2.6
percent, while exports could rise 16.2 percent compared with the July-September
period in 1999.
Femsa produces a range of highly popular Mexican brews, including Tecate,
Tecate Light, Carta Blanca, Superior, Sol, Dos Equis, Dos Equis Lager, Indio
and Bohemia.
Analysts also said Femsa's retail division, which runs Mexico's Oxxo
convenience-store chain, will also contribute to strong results.
Oxxo opened 79 new stores during the quarter, giving the chain nearly 200 more
convenience outlets than it had at this time last year.
But the main growth engine for Femsa will be solid results from its bottling
division, industry experts said, despite competition faced by its Argentina
operations.
Femsa's net profit will fall some 10 percent because of currency exchange
losses. However, net profit is not considered an accurate measure of a
company's performance in Mexico because exchange rate fluctuations often skew
the bottom line.
Femsa executives said they expect to report on Wednesday.
The following table compares analysts' average estimates for Femsa's third
quarter.
Results are in pesos. Comparative 1999 results have been adjusted for
inflation.
July-Sept July-Sept Percent
2000 1999 change
Income 11.315 bln 10.233 bln +10.6 pct
Operating profit 1.935 bln 1.671 bln +15.8 pct
Operating margin 17.10 pct 16.33 pct + 77 bps
EBITDA* 2.692 bln 2.409 bln +11.7 pct
Net profit 786.8 mln 873.5 mln - 9.9 pct
Sales volumes in hectoliters (100 liters)
Domestic 5.84 mln 5.69 mln + 2.6 pct
Exports 525,000 452,000 +16.2 pct
Total 6.4 mln 6.1 mln + 4.9 pct
* EBITDA - earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization
Analysts' comments:
SCOTT KOLB, AFIN Securities, New York:
"It will be a good report, driven for the most part by KOF and the Oxxo stores
in terms of operating profits, and somewhat by my own personal volume of
consumed cerveza. In terms of its beer division, there won't be the same margin
growth as that expected for (rival Mexican bottler) Modelo."
ADRIANA NERIGA, LUIS VALLARINO, Banamex-Accival brokerage, Mexico City:
"We expect the integrated cost of financing will have a greater effect (on the
net profit) than that seen in the third quarter in 1999, because of the
combined effects of greater interest payments -- we estimate that at least 70
percent of their debt is set at a fixed rate -- and because of the state of the
(strong peso) currency."
VICTOR HUGO FLORES, Interacciones brokerage, Mexico City:
"We are expecting 2.7 percent growth in volume of beer sold on the national
level, less than the average growth rate expected for the industry ... the
industry has grown at a slower pace than the Gross Domestic Product and private
consumption. Part of this slowdown was expected because of the increase in
prices in real terms for a hectoliter of beer.
KRISTI KING ETCHBERGER, ABN-AMRO, Mexico City:
"The recovery this quarter was easy, but it is important to say that the
domestic market can grow more in 2001 with a more focused consumer strategy,
like the one that is being put into practice."
New Study Finds Drinking and Driving Disproportionately High Among Mexican
Americans; Group Cites Hazards, Attitudes and a Need for Education
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2000--Although drinking and driving in
the United States has declined substantially during the past two decades, this
trend has not been seen among Latino drivers, particularly Mexican Americans
and Mexican nationals.
A new study commissioned by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, with
the support of the National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco and the Los
Angeles Commission on Alcohol and Tobacco Prevention, sheds disturbing light on
the problem of drinking and driving among Mexican Americans and recent Mexican
immigrants. The report also proposes avenues for intervention.
The IIHS study involved a detailed survey of 300 Mexican-American and Mexican
national males and 300 Caucasian males in Long Beach, Calif., to determine
alcohol use, attitudes toward drinking and driving and knowledge of Driving
Under the Influence laws.
Within each group, 150 were currently under arrest for DUI and 150 were
randomly selected residents of the local community. Some of the results
include:
-- Twenty percent of the DUIs and the control group said they had
driven after drinking three or more times in the past 28 days,
compared with 12 percent for the Caucasian control group.
-- Sixty-nine percent of the DUIs felt that they could drive
safely after drinking, compared with 46 percent of the
Caucasian control group.
-- Sixty-five percent of the DUI group and 40 percent of the
Mexican control group said it would take eight to 10 drinks to
impair their driving (compared with 11 percent and 5 percent
of the Caucasian DUI group and the control groups,
respectively).
-- Less than 50 percent of the respondents knew that the blood
alcohol concentration threshold (BAC) in California was .08
percent. Seventy percent of the Caucasian group was aware of
the BACthreshold limit.
"This study highlights the need for education about the dangers of drinking and
driving to all communities in California," said Candysse Miller, executive
director of the Insurance Information Network of California.
In its recommendations for addressing these issues, the report suggests the
development of a community-wide, multi-pronged prevention campaign that
includes school-based, law enforcement and church programs to publicize and
rectify the problems.
The report concludes that it provides a limited evaluation of attitudes and
knowledge regarding drinking and driving among Mexican-American males and that
further study is needed to confirm these findings with Mexican Americans in
other communities.
The Insurance Information Network of California is a nonprofit, non-lobbying
communications organization supported by the property/casualty insurance
industry. IINC has spokespeople in both Northern and Southern California to
discuss this and other insurance issues. To schedule an interview, call
800/397-1679.
just-drinks.com: Sauternes Producers Could Be Frozen Out!
LONDON, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- http://www.just-drinks.com -- Grand Crus
producers in Bordeaux are waging a fierce internecine war over a controversial
practice to improve the concentration and quality of their grapes. Involving
freezing the grapes, the practice has caused much heated debate.
In a special report at http://just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=294,
just-drinks.com says: "At the back of the historic edifices that are the
region's most revered wine sheds, there is sometimes to be found a clandestine
oenological chamber where temperatures hover at a frosty -5C. Their purpose is
to freeze all grapes before pressing, thereby turning excess water to ice. The
theory is the same that allows the Germans and Austrians to ask high prices for
their much sought after iceweins."
For the full story, click http://just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=294
J2jurado
LONDON, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- While Miller Brewing and Anheuser-Busch pursue
large-scale macro-economic policies, the local microbrewer is securing a tight
foothold on home turf. just-drinks.com reviews the situation.
In the report at http://just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=296,
just-drinks.com says: "The recent trends in the US beer market to diversify
product lines, create alliances and combat taxation has changed the perspective
of national brewers and consumers. Large brewers such as Miller Brewing
Company and Anheuser-Busch will find world recognition and increasing export
sales, but most growth in the US is a result of small brewers regaining control
of local markets throughout the country."
For the full story, click here:
http://just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=296
Boston Tea Party to Make History Again
Guinness World Records Challenges Bostonians to Set World Record
BOSTON, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Guinness World Records is challenging
Bostonians to demonstrate their Beantown spirit and set a world record for "The
World's Largest Tea Party" on October 28th in the Boston Harbor.
Boston is no stranger to world record setting. The city is home to various
extreme and classic records including the most NBA championship titles, the
oldest marathon, the strongest beer, and the oldest commissioned warship afloat
in the U.S., to name a few.
"Boston has more than 26 world records attributed to it and its residents,"
said Stephen Nelson, CEO of guinnessworldrecords.com. "Due to the tea party's
historical significance, we are confident that this is a world record the
people of Boston will really get behind."
There will be two opportunities for Bostonians to participate in the event,
aboard The Spirit of Boston cruise ship, near the site of the original Boston
Tea Party. The first tea party is family-oriented and kicks off at 10 am with
scheduled children's activities until noon. The second tea party, geared
toward the general public, will be open from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
James Rooney, Chief of Staff, will be representing the community and making a
short speech on the first cruise. Additionally, Don Kenuuttila, General
Manager of The Boston Tea Party Ship and Museum, will be on site to provide a
historical perspective. WZLX-FM and WBCN-FM will be challenging Bostonians to
get aboard and make history, while on-air at the event.
"The World's Largest Tea Party" is part of a nationwide tour of world
record-setting events in celebration of the launch of
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com on October 23rd. The interactive site will
feature a variety of video and audio clips, real time record updates, a
comprehensive list of record holders, and a calendar of upcoming
record-breaking events. The site will also complement both the Guinness World
Records 2001 Edition, which has reached #2 on the New York Times Bestseller
list, and Guinness World Records Primetime, now broadcast in 43 countries
worldwide.
About Guinness World Records Ltd.
The first Guinness Book of Records was bound on August 27, 1955. It became an
instant bestseller and quickly gained worldwide recognition as the
authoritative source of records. Since inception, the book has grown in
popularity around the world. Today, the book known as Guinness World Records
is the best-selling copyright book in the world. With over 90 million copies
sold, the book is distributed in almost 100 markets and published in 23
different languages. In 1999, Guinness Publishing Ltd. changed its name to
Guinness World Records Ltd., reflecting the company's increased globalization
and diversification into other areas of business. Recent additions to the
Guinness World Records brand are Guinness World Records Primetime, launched in
1998 with the US version networked by Fox TV, and
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com, the company's interactive Web site.
UK may decide to recommend Bass sale - Interbrew
BRUSSELS, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Belgian brewing giant Interbrew
confirmed on Wednesday that one of the British Competition Commission's
recommendations involved selling its newly acquired Bass beer division, if it
found the merger were not in the public's interest.
Interbrew spokesman Corneel Maes told Reuters this recommendation was part of a
list drawn up by the regulatory body.
"At this stage the Competition Commission has produced a list of issues and
hypothetical remedies," Maes said, adding: "Nothing has been decided yet."
Family-owned Interbrew bought Bass Brewing in June for 2.3 billion pounds
($3.32 billion), just three weeks after snapping up Whitbread's beer business
for 400 million pounds, pushing it to the number two spot of the world's
brewers.
The deal ran into criticism as Interbrew's merger of Bass' and Whitbread's beer
units would give the combined group a 32 percent leading share of the UK
market.
The British Competition Commission will examine whether Interbrew's merger
would hurt sector and price competition.
Effects of the takeover on exports, wholesale prices and market conditions will
also be considered.
The final outcome of the British investigation is expected by January 6, 2001.
($1-.6931 Pound)
Anheuser-Busch profits meet estimates, shares fizzle
By Jessica Wohl
NEW YORK, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc., the world's largest
brewer, reported an 11 percent rise in third-quarter profits Wednesday, but the
company's shares skidded amid disappointment about the growth in U.S. beer
shipments. Shares of the maker of Budweiser, Bud Light and Michelob beer slid
$3-9/16, or 8.25 percent, to end the day at $39-5/8. The shares last closed
below $40 in early September.
"This market is so skittish, it's like if a company doesn't do each line item
exactly as expected, the stock gets hurt," UBS Warburg analyst Caroline Levy
said. "Investors always like to see volume growth."
St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch said it earned $514.5 million, or 56 cents per
share, in the quarter ended Sept 30, meeting estimates, compared with $461.5
million, or 49 cents, in the same period a year ago. Year-ago earnings per
share were restated for the September 2000 two-for-one stock split.
Third-quarter domestic beer volume, or the volume of shipments to wholesalers,
climbed 2.7 percent to 26.3 million barrels, while analysts said they had
expected domestic volume growth of around 3.5 percent. International beer
volume also climbed 2.7 percent.
"The earnings were in line, the volumes were light," Levy said.
"I think the reason the stock is down is because people have just gotten so
anxious to see upside surprises," Salomon Smith Barney analyst Jennifer Solomon
said.
Anheuser-Busch expects earnings per share to grow about 15 percent in 2000,
consistent with year-to-date results, Chairman and President August Busch III
said in a statement. That expectation is in line with the current consensus
estimate of $1.69, which would be a 15 percent gain from last year's earnings
of $1.47.
Levy said 15 percent growth for the year is "very do-able."
"Longer term, we are confident in our ability to consistently achieve our
double-digit earnings per share growth objective with a 12 percent target for
2001." Third-quarter net sales, which include excise taxes, rose 5.4 percent
to $3.40 billion. Before excise taxes, gross sales climbed 4.7 percent to $3.94
billion. Even though volume was lower than anticipated, analysts including
Solomon and Merrill Lynch's Doug Lane said that domestic pricing came in above
their expectations.
Domestic revenue per barrel grew more than 3 percent in the quarter, the
company said.
For the nine months ended Sept 30, Anheuser-Busch reported an almost 11 percent
gain in earnings to $1.34 billion, or $1.46 per share. Net sales climbed 5.4
percent to $9.48 billion. The company declared a regular quarterly dividend of
16.5 cents, payable on Dec. 11 to shareholders of record on Nov 9.
Quilmes Industrial - Quinsa - S.A. Announces Stock Repurchase Plan of Up to 5
Million Shares
LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 2000--Quilmes Industrial (Quinsa) S.A.
(NYSE:<A HREF="aol://4785:LQU">LQU</A>) ("Quinsa" or the "Company") announced
today that its board of directors has approved the purchase by Quinsa, in the
open market, of an aggregate of up to 5,000,000 of its non-voting preferred
shares and its voting ordinary shares. The number of shares proposed to be
purchased represents approximately 4.6% of Quinsa's capital stock. Quinsa's
capital stock currently consists of 68,400,000 voting ordinary shares and
39,750,089 non-voting preferred shares. Quinsa stated that it expects the
purchases to be made from time to time over a period of approximately 12
months, subject to market conditions.
The Quinsa preferred shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and on
the New York Stock Exchange in the form of American Depositary shares. The
Quinsa ordinary shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
Quinsa's management stated that the repurchase program reflects the board's
belief that, at current prices, the shares represent an attractive investment
for the company and its shareholders. Concerning other investment
possibilities, Quinsa's management stated it was not participating in
negotiations for the acquisition of Cervejeria Kaiser, the Brazilian brewer.
Quinsa also announced that it is evaluating a possible recapitalization of the
Company that would alter the respective rights of holders of its preferred
shares and its ordinary shares. The Company's plan, if proposed and
implemented, would convert the outstanding preferred shares into a new class of
voting ordinary shares and would split each outstanding ordinary share into a
specified number of ordinary shares of the same class. The dividend rights of
the two classes would be adjusted so that each share of the new class would be
entitled to receive, with respect to any dividend, an amount equal to the
amount per share paid as a dividend on an existing ordinary share multiplied by
the factor by which the existing ordinary shares are split. Because the public
traded security would have voting rights, implementation of the plan would
increase the voting power of the public stockholders but voting control of the
Company would remain in the hands of the holders of the existing ordinary
shares. The purpose of the plan would be to create a publicly traded security
having characteristics that would make it eligible for investment by Argentine
pension funds.
Quinsa has not yet determined whether to proceed with this recapitalization
plan or any other recapitalization plan. The implementation of any such plan
would require board and, in all likelihood, ordinary and preferred shareholder
approval. It would also require compliance with regulatory requirements and
stock exchange rules in Argentina, Luxembourg and the United States. There is
no assurance that a recapitalization plan will be proposed or implemented. If
implemented, the plan could be substantially similar to, or different from, the
plan described above.
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. With the acquisition of a controlling interest in
Cerveceria Boliviana Nacional, it is also the beer market leader in Bolivia.
Quinsa is also the second largest brewer in Chile. The Company also owns a
controlling interest in the largest PepsiCo bottler in Argentina. Quinsa's
common and preferred shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange
(Reuters codes: QUIN.LU and QUINp.LU). Quinsa's American Depository Shares,
representing the Company's preferred shares, are listed on the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE:LQU).
Mexico's Modelo 3-Qtr Operating Profit Seen Rising 23%: Survey
Monterrey, Mexico, Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Grupo Modelo SA, Mexico's
largest beermaker, is expected to report the following third-quarter earnings,
based on a Bloomberg News survey of five analysts. The company is expected to
release earnings tomorrow. The numbers are in millions of pesos, with the
exception of earnings per share, which are in pesos.
2000 1999 Survey Range 3rd-Qtr/e
3rd-Qtr* % Min. Max.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue
7,108 6,390 11.2 7,046 7,211 Operating Income 1,714
1,398 22.6 1,593 1,957 EBITDA** 2,057 1,735 18.5
1,945 2,267 Net Income 744 665 11.8 707
801 Earnings per share 0.23 0.20 15.0 0.22 0.25 Source:
Bloomberg News e/ estimate *Adjusted for inflation **Earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation and amortization.
Behind the numbers
Modelo's beer sales in Mexico will increase along with strong consumer spending
that is driving the economy at a more than 7 percent annual growth rate.
Exports, mostly to the U.S., are expected to boom by about 30 percent from the
same quarter last year. Modelo makes Corona, the No. 1 selling foreign beer in
the U.S. Analyst comment ``Modelo's report is going to be good,'' said
Scott Kolb, an analyst with Grupo Financiero Banorte in New York. ``Exports are
up 30 percent or more on a year to year basis.''
The following chart provides the results of previous Bloomberg surveys on
Modelo's quarterly operating profits, compared with the final results. The
numbers, which aren't adjusted by inflation, are in millions of pesos. The
chart also provides the number of analysts that participated in each survey.
Op. Profit Number Forecast
Participants Result Spread
--------------------------------------------------- 2000 3rd-Qtr 1.714
4 n.a. n.a. -------------------
Mexico's Femsa 3rd-Qtr Operating Profit Seen Rising 13%: Survey
Monterrey, Mexico, Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Fomento Economico Mexicano SA,
Mexico's largest beverage producer, is expected to report the following
third-quarter earnings, based on a Bloomberg News survey of five analysts. The
company is expected to release earnings this afternoon. The numbers are in
millions of pesos, with the exception of earnings per share, which are in
pesos. 2000 1999 Survey Range
3rd-Qtr/e 3rd-Qtr* % Min. Max.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue
11,053 10,136 9.0 10,671 11,624 EBITDA** 2,467
2,405 2.6 1,859 2,666 Operating Income 1,839 1,625 13.2
1,604 2,049 Net Income 707 934 (24.3) 526
1,060 Earnings per share 0.66 0.87 (24.1) 0.49 0.99
--------------------------------------------------------------- e/ estimate
Source: Bloomberg News * Adjusted for inflation. ** Earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation and amortization.
Behind the numbers
Coca-Cola sales by volume and prices rose on the back on strong consumer
spending, which is driving the economy to grow more than 7 percent. Beer sales
by volume increased, but the beer unit could be losing slight market share to
competitor Grupo Modelo SA. Analyst comment ``It's going to be a very
solid quarter,'' said Marco Vera, an analyst with Deutsche Bank Securities.
``Especially in soft drinks, they are doing very well in both volumes and
pricing.''
The following chart provides the results of previous Bloomberg surveys on
Femsa's quarterly operating profits, compared with the final results. The
numbers, which aren't adjusted by inflation, are in millions of pesos. The
chart also provides the number of analysts that participated in each survey.
Op. Profit Number Forecast
Participants Result Spread
----------------------------------------------------------- 2000 3rd-Qtr
1,839 5 n.a. n.a. 2nd-Qtr n.a.
n.a. 2,108 n.a. 1st-Qtr n.a. n.a.
1,110 n.a. 1999 4th-Qtr 1,578 4 1,814
15.0% 3rd-Qtr 1,496 4 1,533 2.5%
2nd-Qtr 1,638 5 1,668 1.8% 1st-Qtr
858 5 859 -0.1% 1998 4th-Qtr 1,140
5 1,232 -7.5% 3rd-Qtr 1,225 5
1,254 -2.3% 2nd-Qtr 1,320 5 1,292
-2.2% ----------------
BEVision Offers Holiday `Spirits' to Gift Seekers; In-Store TV Network For
Beer, Wine and Spirits Retailers Names Top Spirits Gift Suggestions
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 2000--Beginning this November
at a store near you, BEVision, the new in-storc television network for beer,
wine and spirits retailers nationwide, is offering some great gift-giving ideas
for your favorite connoisseur of fine beverages. Among the informative holiday
programming segments, BEVision names its top spirits gift suggestions.
"We selected the most popular, high-quality spirits labels to recommend to
holiday shoppers," said BEVision Producer Denise Carroll. "The brands suggested
are affordable, in the $30 and $40 price range, and can be purchased at any
beer, wine and spirit retail location."
BEVision's Top Spirits Suggestions for the fine beverage enthusiast:
-- Tres Generation Tequila, a 100% blue agave tequila from
Sauza, is ultra premium from centuries of tradition. Aged for
up to six monthss in small oak barrels, it has a rich, clean
flavor; and the beautiful bottle makes it a perfect gift,
with or without the bow.
-- Bombay Sapphire Gin is a complex gin built on a tradition
that dates back to 1761. Classy and elegant, Bombay Saphire
is known for its smoothness. There's no alcohol burn with
this one, but it's sure to be a fiery hit with the gin lover
or personal trainer on your list.
-- Most would not normally consider a French vodka, but Grey
Goose is clearly one of the best tasting and smoothest vodkas
on the planet, and the award-winning bottle design is all the
gift wrapping you'll ever need.
-- With a recipe that dates back to 1796, Basil Hayden's Bourbon
is part of the `Small Batch Bourbon Collection' from Jim
Beam. This smooth, mild bourbon is aged 8 years at 80 proof,
has broad appeal and will go down easy for anyone your list.
-- Glenfiddich Solera Reserve Single Malt Scotch is a special
15-year-old scotch that is matured in three different types
of oak casks. The combination of the three produces deep
flavors with touches of honey and vanilla and joy. Any scotch lover
will appreciate this gift.
-- Remy Martin VSOP is known as THE name in cognac and is always
a reliable choice. It is a fine champagne cognac that has
both beautiful color and balanced flavor, and it's easily
recognizable frosted green bottle will look great with a big
red bow.
These novel gift ideas, in addition to all BEVision in-store programming, can
be accessed online at www.BEVision.net. The site features streaming video
segments of all current and archived BEVision segments, a searchable database
of all BEVision retail locations and a free subscription to a BEVision
e-newsletter.
Currently under contract to be installed in nearly 900 beer, wine and spirits
stores, 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 inform and entertain customers while they shop.
BEVision features a variety of topics, from wine pairing and mixed drink
recipes, to bar stocking tips for holiday parties and gift suggestions.
Segments are produced using original content, as well as content obtained from
various programming suppliers, including CNN, E! Entertainment, Fox, Time
Warner and Ziff Davis. Programming content consists of broadcast-quality, full
motion video and high quality sound that is delivered through strategically
placed monitors in retail locations.
Will Turkey Sandwiches and Bottled Water Replace Hot Dogs and Beer as Baseball
Icons?
CAMARILLO, Calif.--(BW SportsWire)--Oct. 25, 2000-- Fresh Fruit and
Sandwiches Top List of World Series' Cravings, According to Express Home
Deliverer PDQuick
Bananas and turkey sandwiches were the items that Southern Californians and
other customers wanted most in a hurry during the World Series' opening
weekend, according to PDQuick (www.PDQuick.com), a leader in the express
delivery sector of the consumer direct market.
Based on online and telephone orders from PDQuick's menu of prepared foods and
thousands of the most popular brands of groceries and convenience roducts,
freshly-made sandwiches emerged as the most popular choice this weekend,
followed by fresh fruit, beverages, cigarettes, salads, soup and cookies.
According to PDQuick's findings, the Top Ten Express Deliveries during the
World Series Weekend were:
*T 1. Bananas 2. Turkey sandwiches on baguettes 3. Cigarettes
4. Bottled water 5. Cobb salad 6. Ham, turkey and cheese
deli-style sandwiches 7. Hot chicken noodle soup 8. Meatball
sandwiches 9. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies 10. Soda
Matthew DeVoll, Chief Marketing Officer at PDQuick, said, "With
the exception of cigarettes, it appears that baseball fans are craving
healthier foods. But as the World Series intensifies, it'll be
interesting to see whether traditional snacks like potato chips and
dip can make a come-back...along with the Mets!"
The leader in the fast-growing direct-to-consumer delivery sector
in the twelve-million-consumer Los Angeles and Orange County markets,
PDQuick (www.PDQuick.com) makes over 1.2 million deliveries a year of
made-to-order meals and the most popular brands of grocery and
convenience products to customers at home and work. PDQuick customers
can order online (www.PDQuick.com) and by phone (1-888-PDQuick) 365
days a year from 9 am to 3 am and pay in cash, by check or credit
card. Orders are delivered in approximately 30 minutes directly from
neighborhood PDQuick fulfillment centers by professional delivery
people. There is no minimum or maximum order size. For this service,
customers are charged a $2.99 processing and delivery charge
regardless of order size. Contraceptive devices are subject to a
slightly higher delivery charge.
Aussie diets undergoing change
The classic Australian diet of beer, meat pies and beer is slowly disappearing
with seafood, fresh fruit and wine the new foods of choice.
Figures from the Bureau of Statistics show Australians are eating less red
meat than ever before, with consumption down more than 10 per cent in the past
decade.
But at the same time, fish has become 30 per cent more popular.
Australians are also turning away from beer and onto wine but soft drinks
remain the most popular drink in the country, with an average consumption of
113 litres per person a year.
Wednesday 25 October, 2000 © 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
DonS
>US Regional Brewers Gnaw Away at Multinationals' Market Share
>
>LONDON, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- While Miller Brewing and Anheuser-Busch pursue
>large-scale macro-economic policies, the local microbrewer is securing a tight
>foothold on home turf. just-drinks.com reviews the situation.
>
>In the report at http://just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=296,
>just-drinks.com says: "The recent trends in the US beer market to diversify
>product lines, create alliances and combat taxation has changed the perspective
>of national brewers and consumers. Large brewers such as Miller Brewing
>Company and Anheuser-Busch will find world recognition and increasing export
>sales, but most growth in the US is a result of small brewers regaining control
>of local markets throughout the country."
>
>For the full story, click here:
>http://just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=296
Sure would've been nice if just-drinks.com had actually left the
goddamned article up long enough to bloody read it!
--
dgsSPAMS...@teleportSHOVEYOURSPAM.com
http://nwbrewpage.com
eliminate capital letters to e-mail
J2jurado
Beer and music
10.20.2000 by ALAN D. EAMES beer.com
Consider these lyrics from 3000 BC:
I feel wonderful, drinking beer, in a
Blissful mood
with joy in the heart and a happy liver.
No, that's not Merle Haggard but it sure could be on any juke box in
Amarillo, Texas. The Human species has been singing for probably a
million years. Mostly the blues. Hard times notwithstanding, songs in
praise of the favorite intoxicant beer, have always ranked among the
most popular. Vocal poems in celebration of beer and ale are among the
oldest known art forms. Beer, as we all know, is THE drink of
inspiration and as such, still inspires us to set the mystery of beer to
music.
Read more of Alan Eames in the Strange Brew archive.
Among the world's earliest civilizations, the Mesopotamians and
Egyptians left rich legacies of music and song - all in the key of beer
or "Hek" as the local brew was known. In fact, the ancient Egyptians
authored hundreds of hymns to Hathor, the goddess of drunkenness and the
inventress of beer. Most early beer songs had deep religious
significance and we generally offered to the particular deity credited
with credited with revealing the mysteries of brewing to humankind.
The middle ages were rife with beery songs about the evils and joys of
beer, most composed in the monasteries that were the taverns and
breweries of the time. Throughout European history, the control and
taxation of beer was the object of some of the first satirical music
ever written. Musical outrage over the latest price increase in brew was
one of the most common themes in popular music. A prime example of beery
protest is "The Excise Ballad" dating from 1643 and is among the first
anti-taxation songs to reflect the importance of beer in the lives of
common people.
To anyone interested in the history of beer, as well as wonderful music,
I recommend highly a two record set called A Tale of Ale - The Story of
The Englishman and His Beer. This anthology of beer songs spans nearly
400 years and is, without doubt, the best collection of its kind.
In no less than 49 songs by various artists, this collection offers a
rare look into our ancestors' love-hate relationship with beer. An
accompanying booklet gives additional insight into the rich history of
beer songs in English civilization. I believe this set of recordings is
currently available on the Free Reed label FRRD 023/024. Buy it. You
won't be sorry.
As to more modern efforts in the realm of beer music, one must not
overlook the contributions made to the genre in Country Western music.
Recently published studies by concerned Eastern liberals have revealed
what any fool always knew: namely that Country music leads to copious
beer drinking (Stop the presses!) Yes, after an expenditure of thousands
of dollars and countless hours observing beer drinkers, we at least know
that if you put a chorus of "Mama Hated Diesel So Bad" on the juke box,
folks just naturally swig more beer. The serious student of beer music
is advised to ferret out the following ever-greens from the record store
to realize just how well beer drinking is thought of in Nashville. For
example:
"I Like Beer" by Tom T. Hall;
"Bubbles In My Beer" by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys;
"Get Off The Table, Mabel - The Two Dollars Is For The Beer" by Bull
Moose Jackson;
"Lullaby For A Beer Freak" by the Chrome Bones;
"She's Lookin' Better Every Beer" by The Stray Cats;
"Beer Drinkin' Blues" by Rocky Bellford;
"Pop-A-Top Again" by Jim Ed Brown
and, of course, the great Jerry Lee Lewis classic, "What's Made
Milwaukee Famous Made A Loser Out Of Me."
In rock 'n' roll circles, singers like Jimmy Witherspoon with his
landmark "Drinkin' Beer" have done wonders for ale sales while
simultaneously destroying the English language. New Wave or Punk Rock
tunes also abound with beer laden lyrics. Chief among these songs is the
tender tune "Let's Drink Some Beer" by Gang Green. Catchy title, don't
you think? If your high-brow friends give you looks for listening to
this kind of thing, you have only to remind them that beer songs have
even found their way into grand opera and if operatic composers found
beer to be a fitting subject for fat ladies to sing about, who are we to
criticize? In the opera Marta (Martha in English) first performed in
1847, we find the "Canzone del Porter (the Porter Song)."
And if you think some of the more modern beer lyrics are far fetched, in
Marta we have:
Where else can you find such good
beer? So brown and stout and
healthy, too!
The porter's health I drink to you!
Yes, hurrah the hops, and hurrah the malt,
they are life's flavor and life's salt!
Believe me, this sounds much better when sung in Italian.
No review of beer in music, however brief, would be complete without
mention of what I consider to be the most moving and timeless song about
the demise of real beer and real bars ever written. The song is "The Old
Rose And Crown" from the album Rose And Crown released by Folk-Legacy
records FSI-106, written and performed by the renowned Canadian artist,
Ian Robb. I offer the lyrics to this masterpiece with the kind
permission of Mr. Robb and Folk-Legacy records. As wonderful as these
lines are, only when you hear Robb's voice and music can you fully
appreciate this greatest of modern beer songs:
Good friends, gather 'round and I'll tell you a tale;
It's a story well-known to all lovers of ale;
For the old English pub, once a man's second home,
Has been decked out, by brewers, in plastic and chrome.
Oh, what has become of the old Rose and Crown,
The Ship, the King's Arms, and the World Upside-Down?
For oak, brass and leather and a pint of the best
Fade away like the sun as it sinks in the west.
The old oaken bar where the pumps filled your glass
Gives way to formica and tanks full of gas;
And the landlord behind, once a man of good cheer,
Will just mumble the price as he hands you your beer.
And where are the friends who would meet for a jar
And a good game of darts in the old public bar?
For the dartboard is gone; in its place is a thing
Where you pull on a handle and lose all your tin.
But the worst of it all's what they've done to the beer,
For their shandies and lager will make you feel queer.
For an arm and a leg, they will fill up your glass
With a half-and-half mixture of ullage and gas.
So, come all you good fellows that likes to sup ale;
Let's hope for a happier end to my tale,
For there's nothing can fill a man's heart with more cheer
Than to sit in a pub with a pint of good beer.
To which I can only say amen!
http://www.pioneerplanet.com:80/seven-days/4/news/docs/024561.htm
Sunday, October 22, 2000
Study in Suds
Eleven months of the year, we really like our beer.
But in Oktober, we simply love it.
See if you can match the Wisconsin brew to the brewery.
1. This brewery operated for almost 120 years in a tiny Wisconsin town
deep in what was once known as lead mining country. Its labels were
highly regarded throughout the Midwest and far West, and included
Bohemian Club, Holiday, Alpine and Potosi.
2. Spotted Cow and Uff-Da Bock are just two of the brews made by this
Green County brewery ranked among the top 10 breweries of 2000 by
America's Best Online.
3. This Monroe brewery boasts a label -- Berghoff Original Lager Beer --
that was rated ``One of the Top 100 Beers in the World'' by Wine
Enthusiast magazine.
4. Old Style was the flagship brew of this once storied La Crosse
brewer.
5. This brewery operated on the shores of Lake Winnebago from 1894-1971.
After Prohibition it started to make a beer called Chief Oshkosh. The
Menominee Indian Chief was a regular visitor to the establishment and a
picture of him wearing a tall hat was adopted as the brewer's trademark.
6. Point Special Beer was judged tops in the United States, and second
to only one German beer in the world, in a famous beer-tasting test held
by columnist Mike Royko of the Chicago Daily News in 1973. Royko was
surprised by the outcome of the test because he had claimed that
``America's beer tasted as if it were brewed through a horse.'' What
brewery did Royko put on the map?
7. This now-defunct Eau Claire brewery's Old Time Beer was named the
country's second-best beer in Royce's 1973 beer-tasting competition.
8. In an effort to compete with other Milwaukee brewers, this brewery
offered $1,000 to anyone who could prove that its beer was made of
anything other than pure malt and hops. Thus, it had a brand of beer
called, ``$1,000 Natural Process.'' Evidently no one ever collected on
the bet. The brewery operated from 1854-1970.
9. This Middleton beer manufacturer was named the No. 1 Brewery in
America and No. 7 in the world at the Beverage Testing Institute's World
Beer Championships in Chicago. Two of its award-winning labels are
Blonde Doppenbock and Maibock.
10. Sharp's, a non-alcohol brew, is made by the second largest brewer in
the country founded 145 years ago in Milwaukee.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers: 1. Potosi Brewing Co.; 2. New Glarus Brewing Co.; 3. Joseph
Huber Brewing Co.; 4. G. Heileman Brewing Co.; 5. Oshkosh Brewing Co.;
6. Stevens Point Brewery; 7. Walter Brewing Co.; 8. Gettelman Brewing
Co.; 9. Capital Brewery; 10. Miller Brewing Co.
http://www.beer.com/news/bee/bee/2000/10/18/971907021322.html
A bluffer's guide to beer sampling or, just enough info to get you into
trouble!
10.18.2000 by ROBERT HUGHEY beer.com
Beer is mostly water but it doesn't have to taste like it.
Beer consists of water, malted barley, the source of fermentable sugars
and hence, malt sweetness, hops, which impart bitterness to balance the
sweetness of malt and yeast, the agent of fermentation, which imparts a
background fruitiness to the finished beer.
Some Beer Tasting Notes/Getting Started
Sight: A freshly poured beer should have good clarity, retain the tiny
bubbles in its head, and be color correct for the beer style. A chill
haze, a thin veil of tannin/protein precipitate may reveal itself at
cold temperatures, but it's not harmful to flavor and will disappear as
the beer warms. If, however, the beer smells vinegary and you think it
would be better splashed on your French fries and it looks turbid or
hazy, this usually suggests a bacterial or yeast infection. Bottle
sediment in a filtered beer may also point to a stale beer.
Read more of Robert Hughey in the Suds Searcher archive.
Smell: A beer's aroma reveals much about a beer. But hold off on
lighting that cigarette if you really want to experience the subtleties
of a brew. Beer warmed to around 50 degrees F will, if a half-glass of
beer is swirled, release carbon dioxide, conveying with it aromatic
gases and volatiles. Quick sniffs are best for capturing the essence of
a beer. The 'nose' of a beer may reveal a perfumy fruit flavor
resembling that of apples, a hoppy note due to the aromatic constituents
of hops, and an aromatic malt sweetness from the malts used. The 'nose'
may also yield spicy notes such as allspice, a nuttiness as from fresh
walnuts, or caramelized, toffee-like notes, which are acceptable in
lesser amounts depending on the beer style.
If the beer you are sampling smells as if you've been spending too long
in hospital waiting rooms, the phenolic notes indicate a major beer
fault. If the beer smells like wet cardboard, it's oxidized. Dump it and
demand a refund. If you're getting a big hit of butterscotch up your
nose, that's diacetyl, which is okay in trace amounts in some English
ales but otherwise it's a fault. And if you smell a honey sweetness,
that's the telltale sign of stale beer. Trash it unless you like wasps
hovering over your head.
Taste: Bitter, sweet, sour and salt are detected in four separate
sections of the tongue--sweet at the tip, bitter at the back, sour and
salt on the sides. There are other flavor receptors in the mouth so its
important to swish and swirl the beer about to coat the mouth and tongue
prior to swallowing to get the full taste of a beer. Unlike vinophiles
who can't bear to swallow the liquid they so adore, for beer you've just
got to swallow to get the full taste.
Mouth Feel: Beers may be light-bodied in texture or malty and
full-bodied. A beer may taste grainy, or astringent and mouth puckering
from an extra charge of bittering hops. Or the beer could be warming as
from high alcohol content, perfectly cool, or too cold from over
refrigeration. Properly carbonated beer has tiny bubbles of the same
size. Some beers may feel rich and full in the mouth or thin and watery.
A beer with a loose fitting cap may pour flat and taste insipid.
Overall Impression: Would you have another? Did you have an enjoyable
taste and beer sensation? Would you rate the beer highly against similar
beers in the style that you have tasted before? Or would you rather just
pour the beer straight down the drain without benefit of further
filtering?
Lager: generic name for bottom fermented beers, usually at 5 to 12
degrees C. After fermentation, the beer is left to mature in lagering
tanks. Lagers have a mild to well-hopped palate and are yellow gold to
amber in color with a crisp flavor.
Pilsner: a dry golden colored, bottom-fermented lager, traditionally a
premium lager with strong hop aroma and hop bitterness.
Classic example: Pilsner Urquell from the Czech Republic.
Bock: a strong, bottom-fermented lager, dark in color with some residual
malt sweetness, traditionally over 6 percent abv.
Classic example: Hubertusbock from HackerPschorr in Germany.
New World example: Bock from Denison's Brewing Co. in Toronto.
Ale: a generic term for top-fermented beers. Often copper-colored but
can be darker. Fermentation takes place at 15 to 20 degrees C. Ales take
less time than lagers to ferment, usually three days to a week.
Some ales are cask-conditioned, that is, unfiltered, undergoing an
important secondary fermentation and conditioning in the cask or barrel
from which they are to be dispensed. Traditionally cask-conditioned ales
are served at 55 F. by handpump.
Classic example: Adnams Best Bitter.
New World example: Granite Best Bitter dry hopped from the Granite
Brewery, a brewpub in Toronto.
Pale Ale: pale amber to copper colored, strong on hop flavor, pale ale
is the bottle equivalent of bitter ale.
Classic example: Bass Pale Ale.
New World example: St. Ambroise Pale Ale from Brasserie McAuslan of
Montreal.
Bitter: an amber to copper-colored draft ale that is highly hopped,
hence bitter.
Classic example: Marston's Pedigree.
New World example: Wellington County Arkell Best Bitter, from the
Wellington Brewery in Guelph, Ontario.
Brown Ale: reddish brown to dark brown, slightly sweet to dry in taste.
Classic example: Newcastle Brown Ale.
New World example: Amsterdam Nut Brown, Amsterdam Brewing Co., Toronto.
Porter: lighter than a stout both in color and flavor, top fermented
with a roasted flavor. Style disappeared but revived by the Sierra
Nevada Brewing Co.
Example: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, California.
Another New World example: Taylor & Bate Extra Stout Porter from the
brewery in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Stout: near black in color, top-fermented, most often bitter but can be
sweet. Full-bodied, made with heavily roasted malts.
Classic example: Guinness.
New World example: Empress Stout from Spinnakers, a brewpub in Victoria,
British Columbia.
Wheat or Weisse: a Wit or white beer made from wheat and pale malts, an
ale, top fermented, producing a spicy, citric palate.
Classic example: Schneider Weisse.
New World example: Denison's Weisse from the brewpub in Toronto.
Belgian Ale: strong, top-fermented ale, bronze to deep brown, bottle
conditioned, spicy brew, usually with hints of orange peel and
coriander.
Classic example: LaChouffe from Belgium.
New World example: La Maudite from Unibroue Inc. of Chambly, Quebec.
Brewpub: usually brews less than 2,000 hectoliters (hl) of beer a year,
generally for consumption on-site but some states and provinces permit
off-license sales or take-away.
Microbrewery: cottage brewery brewing less than 17,600 hectoliters of
beer per year, though any brewery whose flagship brand is positioned as
a 'micro or specialty' beer would qualify.
A hectoliter equals100 hundred liters, or about 22.2 gallons of beer.
http://www.spokesmanreview.com:80/news-story.asp?date=102000&ID=s868502
Rich, hearty winter ales already chilling for you
On tap
Rick Bonino - Staff writer October 20, 2000
For microbrew fans, Christmas keeps coming earlier every year.
While some places are still trying to pass off their surplus summer
seasonals, a new round of hearty winter ales started showing up last
week.
For the most part, it's like renewing acquaintances with old friends.
Deschutes's Jubelale, always among the best, again strikes a beautiful
balance between rich malt, spicy hop and bracing alcohol flavors. Full
Sail's Wassail again packs a hop punch, but it hits the tongue earlier
and leads to a less pronounced bitterness this time around. And
Pyramid's Snow Cap is again complex and fruity, but seems to lack the
long, dry finish of recent vintages.
Then there are the fresh faces, like the new Alaskan Winter Ale. Don't
be fooled by its lighter, copper color; this beer is plenty powerful,
with a subtle but distinctive taste from the Sitka Spruce tips used in
the brewing process, an Alaskan tradition that dates back to the 1700s.
(As Euell Gibbons might say, "Many parts are drinkable.")Other newcomers
on the way include Bridgeport's Ebenezer Ale, a mass-market version of a
beer previously available only at the Portland brewpub (it's already on
tap at Capone's in Coeur d'Alene), and a revamped Grant's recipe called
Deep Powder.
Sounds good, but let's at least let the leaves pile up first.
Pub crawlMore fittingly, it's still Oktoberfest season at most area
brewpubs and beer bars.
One of the more unusual offerings comes from the California
cult-favorite brewery Anderson Valley. Unlike the traditional sweet,
malty Oktoberfest lagers, this is a crisp, dry amber ale with a
refreshingly clean finish; look for it now at The Viking and Hill's
Someplace Else in Spokane, and soon at Eichardt's in Sandpoint.
A regional fall favorite, O'Brien's Harvest Ale from Hale's, is popping
up at such places as The Elk in Spokane and its sister pub in Coeur
d'Alene, Moon Time. Its fresh flavor comes from just-picked, citrusy
Centennial hops from the Yakima Valley.
Solicitor's Corner in Spokane will release its own house-made Harvest
Ale, traditionally a malty, mahogany beer with a touch of earthy hops in
the finish, around the end of the month.
On the darker side, the oatmeal stout that was previously a winter
seasonal at The Ram and C.I. Shenanigan's has arrived early this year.
For something even stouter, a high-octane imperial stout called Thor's
Thunder is back at The Viking after a two-year absence. Based on a home
brew recipe from one of the tavern's employees, the beer was made by the
tiny but top-rate Lang Creek brewery in Marion, Mont.
And for a taste of something truly unusual, Capone's is pouring Rogue's
limited-edition Incinerator Doppelbock, a strong, smoky dark lager that
was brewed specially for this year's Oregon Brewers Festival. Eichardt's
also snagged a keg and should have it on in a few weeks.
Casey's closedFinally, a bittersweet farewell to Casey's Restaurant and
Brewery in Post Falls, which closed last month after four years of
operation and some memorable house-brewed lagers.
Co-owner Kent Roberts said he and his wife, Cheryl, simply got tired of
trying to keep the business afloat, particularly after their involvement
in a fatal automobile accident in November 1998.
"We probably could have kicked and scratched our way through another
winter, but our hearts weren't in it any more," he said.
"If anything, the accident and its aftermath kind of re-prioritized our
lives. . . . The business was no longer our main priority. We became
each other's main priority."
http://www.sltrib.com:80/10252000/wednesda/36472.htm
NIBBLES & BITS Wednesday, October 25, 2000
Best Beers
Utah beer brewers swept the top three awards in the German-style
Schwarzbier category at this year's Great American Beer Festival in
Denver. Uinta Brewing Co. took the gold for its Kings Peak beer, Red
Rock Brewing earned silver for its Redd Rock Black Bier and Squatters
took bronze for Black Forest Schwarzbier. Schwarzbier is a dark German
lager. Uinta Brewing earned a second gold in the English Style Bitter
category for its Cutthroat Ale while Hoppers Grill and Brewery in
Midvale earned a silver in the German Style Pilsner. About 300 brewers
from around the country entered more than 1,500 different beers in the
competition.
http://www.jsonline.com:80/news/metro/oct00/valley25102400.asp
Miller Valley to get makeover
State St. remake aims to make area more friendly to foot traffic
By WHITNEY GOULD of the Journal Sentinel staff Oct. 24, 2000
Miller Valley will get a face lift designed to slow down cars and make
the area more attractive to foot traffic.
State Street will be narrowed from its present 50 feet to 46 feet.
Stone signs carrying Miller Brewing Co.'s "girl-in-the-moon" image will
be installed at each end of the company's campus.
In addition, Miller Brewing Co. plans to make building improvements on
its campus.
Down in the valley, it's not much fun to be a pedestrian. So Miller
Valley, home of Milwaukee's Miller Brewing Co., will soon get a nearly
$5 million face lift designed to slow down cars and make the area more
attractive to foot traffic.
The project, which will get under way next spring, involves narrowing
Miller's portion of State St., between 35th and 41st streets, and
widening the sidewalks; installing granite cobblestones and brick
pavers; and adding harp lights, monument signs and landscaping. And
Miller plans to make building improvements. The entire stretch of State
St. between 35th and 60th streets is also due to be repaved.
"The idea is to make Miller Valley not just a place to drive through but
a destination," said Mayor John O. Norquist.
Norquist said the improvements would tie in nicely with the nearby Hank
Aaron State Trail and soon-to-open Miller Park. He praised Miller
President John Bowlin for "doing something that will be good for the
company and good for the neighborhood."
Miller spokeswoman Dianne Markut said the company decided to get
involved when it learned of the city's plans to reconstruct this stretch
of State St. "The timing couldn't have been better," she said. "It was
time to give our campus a face lift anyway."
Ald. Michael Murphy, who represents the area and encouraged the project,
agreed. "They get 200,000 visitors a year," he noted. With the new
stadium due to open next April, "why not capitalize on it?"
City officials said the project includes a $1.1 million federal
transportation enhancement grant administered by the state, with a city
match of $300,000, in addition to about $1.7 million in repaving costs
that will be borne by the city. Markut said Miller's total contribution
is still unknown at this point but will likely be $1.5 million or more.
"It's exciting when the city and a corporate sponsor can come together
on something like this," said Jeff Dillon, transportation design manager
in the Department of Public Works. "Partnerships are the wave of the
future."
With 2,000 employees, Miller is the last of the brewery giants remaining
in Milwaukee. Its campus, densely packed along a dip in the road where
drivers tend to speed, includes a number of historic buildings,
including an 1886 Cream City brick brew house with arched windows and
intricate corbeling. Across the street is a windowless distribution
building of corrugated metal.
The latter will get lighted canopies, Markut said, and there is talk of
someday punching windows into the facade, to make it more inviting to
the street and to people working inside. New benches for brewery
tour-goers are also in the works.
"We hope to bring back some of the Old World feeling," Markut added.
"People travel through here and take the buildings for granted. This
(streetscaping) will draw attention to a very historic part of the
city."
The street will be narrowed between 35th and 41st streets from its
present 50 feet to 46 feet, enabling installation of wider sidewalks and
harp lights, said Tom Hofman of the Engberg Anderson Design Partnership,
which did the design work for the project. Such changes, along with the
addition of granite cobbles and brick pavers at strategic points, should
calm traffic, Hofman said.
At both ends of the campus, stone monument signs carrying Miller's
traditional "girl-in-the-moon" image would be installed, along with
trees and planters.
Norquist praised the design for respecting the character of the
neighborhood. "They didn't try to make it look like a suburban office
park," he said.
Further changes for State St. might be in the works somewhere down the
line. Now, the street is one way heading west from the downtown to the
edge of Miller Valley, where it becomes two way. Norquist said he hoped
that some day, perhaps by the time the Marquette Interchange is
redesigned, all of State St. could revert to a more pedestrian-friendly
two way.
"But first you have to make sure all the neighbors are comfortable with
it," he cautioned.
http://www.pioneerplanet.com:80/seven-days/5/news/docs/034438.htm
Ethanol complaints put focus on nuisance process
M. BALAJI STAFF WRITER October 21, 2000
As St. Paul grapples with residents' frustrations over the odor
emissions of the Gopher State Ethanol plant, a possible nuisance
declaration could lead to an accelerated resolution of the problem.
Wednesday's heated public meeting among officials from the city and the
ethanol plant and some 400 residents affected by the plant's odor
emissions ended with City Attorney Clayton Robinson promising to follow
through if the plant is found to be a public nuisance.
The plant has been operating since May from the Minnesota Brewing Co. on
West Seventh Street.
The process of declaring something a public nuisance is far more
complicated than an investigation and an assessment. Wednesday's public
meeting was actually one of several steps that have to be taken in order
to proceed with a nuisance declaration.
According to City Clerk Fred Owusu, a citizen petition to declare the
ethanol plant a nuisance had been previously filed with the city, but it
failed to meet the nuisance requirement on a technicality in the
petition process. The City Council proceeded with the meeting because of
increased public frustration and what some residents believe to be a
lack of progress in solving the odor problem.
``What we wanted to do was to get the ball rolling toward getting some
kind of action against the plant,'' said Council Member Chris Coleman,
who represents the West End. ``(The nuisance investigation) is just so
we can see what authority the city has to control what's going on over
(at the plant).''
The ethanol plant is a highly unusual target for the nuisance ordinance
because it does not comply with any of the criteria used by the city to
assess a public nuisance. But growing hostility from the neighborhood
essentially forced the council to publicly address the issue.
Mayor Norm Coleman has stated that the city has the authority to shut
down the plant, but such an action is highly unlikely because of the
city's and state's investment in the brewery's production of ethanol, a
corn-based fuel additive.
Written public testimony will be taken until next Friday, at which time
the council will set a date to discuss calling for an investigation of
the plant as a possible nuisance. If the city attorney finds reasonable
grounds to take action against the plant, the matter will be taken to
Ramsey County District Court, which has the ultimate authority to
declare the plant a public nuisance.
If Gopher State Ethanol is found to be a nuisance, the city could likely
file a civil lawsuit that could severely penalize the plant for its odor
emissions. Council Member Coleman said, however, that is the least
favorable course of action.
``I'd prefer not to get to that point,'' Coleman said. ``I want to be
able to say that we can work with the plant to get this thing resolved
before any sort of action is taken.''
http://www.courierpress.com:80/cgi-bin/view.cgi?200010/24+charged102400_ne
ws.html+20001024
Elderly bootlegging suspect charged
Man says Social Security not enough
By RYAN REYNOLDS, Courier & Press staff writer Oct 24, 1000
A 71-year-old Evansville man was arrested on bootlegging charges Sunday,
when authorities said he was selling liquor and beer out of his home
without a license.
Charles Elmer Mason, of 1750 S. Morton Ave., is charged with selling
alcoholic beverages without a permit, possession of alcoholic beverages
for commercial purposes and maintaining a common nuisance.
Indiana State Excise Police officer Ron McDonald said his office had
been receiving complaints about Morris’ activities and conducted
“several weeks of surveillance and undercover investigations.”
According to police records, excise officers stopped 62-year-old Glen
McCoy several blocks away from Mason’s home after allegedly seeing him
give Mason money for beer around 1 p.m.
McCoy told officers he went to “Charlie’s house,” where he had bought
beer before, and gave him $10 for eight 12-ounce cans of beer, police
said.
Officers obtained a search warrant for Mason’s home and then seized a
large stash of alcoholic beverages, police said.
According to police records, they found 323 cans of Budweiser beer, 191
cans of Stroh’s beer, 18 bottles of Richard’s Wild Irish Rose wine, 34
bottles of Old Forester Whiskey and 20 bottles of Seagram’s Extra Dry
Gin.
Mason told officers he was living on Social Security benefits and paid
about 80 percent of his monthly income for house payments and utility
bills, police records stated.
According to those records, McDonald said Mason told officers the
remaining money “doesn’t leave me too much to do anything,” and that “I
don’t make any money selling beer, I just break even.”
Joel Plutchak
>Beer and music; 10.20.2000 by ALAN D. EAMES beer.com
[...various beer songs snipped...]
One of my favorites is "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer"
by John Lee Hooker. Given what I know of some giggy's drinking
(and listening) habits, they'd probably like it, too.
--
Joel Plutchak
"What two ideas are more inseparable than beer and Britannia?" - Sydney Smith
J2jurado
MolsonBrands in U.S.
**Letters of Intent Also Signed on Contract Brewing, Coors Canada Contract
Amendments**
GOLDEN, Colo., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Coors Brewing Company (NYSE: <A
HREF="aol://4785:RKY">RKY</A>) today announced that the company has signed a
letter of intent with Montreal, Canada-based brewer Molson Inc. to form a joint
venture to import, market, sell and distribute Molson's brands of beer in the
U.S. Coors also has reached agreements in principle with Molson on a contract
brewing arrangement and amendments to their existing Coors Canada partnership.
Subject to the negotiation of a definitive agreement, Coors and Molson expect
to finalize the joint venture agreement on or before Dec. 31, 2000.
Peter H. Coors, chairman of Coors Brewing Company, said, "This proposed joint
venture between Coors and Molson represents an excellent opportunity for Coors
to broaden its portfolio of premium beers. It is a natural fit with our
strategy of focusing on high-growth, high-margin segments and selectively
pursuing strategic partnerships. Molson has a distinguished brewing heritage
and great brands in North America, and we intend to grow these brands
aggressively in the U.S. market through our brand-building and sales
capabilities. This expanded relationship builds on the success that Coors and
Molson have achieved with the Coors Light brand in Canada."
Under the proposed agreement, the joint venture will obtain the exclusive
rights to Molson brands currently sold in the U.S. including Molson Canadian,
Molson Golden and Molson Ice, as well as future Molson brands that may be
developed for export to U.S. markets. Under the agreement, all of these
products will be brewed and packaged by Molson in Canada for import by the
joint venture to the U.S. market. Coors will pay Molson approximately $65
million and will have a 49.9 percent interest in the proposed U.S. joint
venture.
In addition, Coors and Molson have agreed in principle to a brewing and
packaging arrangement, whereby Coors will be able to access some of Molson's
available production capacity in Canada to meet a portion of the growing U.S.
demand for Coors products, most likely starting with Keystone Light. The
Molson capacity available to Coors under this agreement is expected to reach an
annual contract brewing rate of up to 700,000 barrels over the next few years.
The agreement is not expected to alter Coors Brewing Company's near- term
capacity expansion plans.
Coors and Molson also have agreed in principle to amend the terms of their
existing Coors Canada partnership, which markets and sells Coors products in
Canada. The proposed amendment, which is anticipated to become effective on or
before Dec. 31, 2000, will change the terms of the partnership to extend the
length of the contract and to add performance guarantees to Coors.
Founded in 1873, Coors Brewing Company is the third-largest U.S. craft brewer
and sells its products in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe
and Asia. Coors uses only the finest ingredients available in an all-natural
brewing process to offer a wide range of high-quality malt beverages. The
company's stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RKY. For
more information on Coors Brewing Company, visit the company's Web site at
www.coors.com.
Anheuser-Busch To Drive Cattle
By BRIAN MELLEY .c The Associated Press AP-NY-10-26-00
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - To the golden trout of the Sierra Nevada: This Bud's for
you.
Facing pressure from environmentalists, Anheuser-Busch suspended grazing on
fragile Sierra Nevada meadows that threatened the habitat of the state fish.
The controversy with the world's largest beermaker has been brewing for years
in the Golden Trout Wilderness of Inyo National Forest, about 200 miles north
of Los Angeles.
More than a century of grazing sheep and cattle high in the rugged mountains
has trampled meadows, killed vegetation and muddied waters where the fish -
prized for its brilliant colors and said to sparkle like a $20 gold piece -
once thrived.
``The fish are rare in one extreme, they spawn in degraded habitats,'' said
Brett Matzke, public lands director for California Trout in Fresno. ``Now,
almost the entire river is spawning habitat so they're starving to death.''
Two weeks ago Trout Unlimited, a conservation organization, filed a federal
petition to list the troubled trout as an endangered species, citing grazing as
one of the hazards to its health.
Earlier this summer, a number of environmental groups, including California
Trout and the Sierra Club, threatened to boycott Anheuser-Busch products unless
it removed its herd from the last natural habitat of the golden trout.
The company, which makes Budweiser beer, said it was not those threats that
drove its herd from the hills.
``We've had people threaten to boycott us because we support the Humane
Society, because the Humane Society opposes cockfighting,'' said Anheuser-Busch
spokesman Charles Poole. ``We thought it was the right thing to do for us at
this time.''
St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch has been in the cattle business in the Owens
Valley since 1986. It bought the Cabin Bar Ranch in Olancha to lock up valuable
groundwater rights in case it needs water for its Van Nuys brewery.
The company also benefited from the century-old ranching operation, cashing in
on valuable permits to graze cattle on U.S. Forest Service land.
In the summer, the ranch drives 900 cows and their calves onto 100,000 acres in
the mountains between 8,000 and 11,000 feet. The cost is about $4,700 a year
for the permits, and the government pays the bill of mending fences and other
upkeep.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Florida's farmland values continue to increase, with
grapefruit land posting big gains for the second consecutive year, a University
of Florida survey shows.
During the past year, the value of grapefruit groves increased 25 percent or
more - the largest one-year jump ever recorded in the annual agricultural land
value survey, said John Reynolds, an agricultural economics professor with UF's
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
That's on top of increases that ranged from 6.7 percent to 23.8 percent during
the previous year, he said. The increases follow declines from 1990 to 1998.
Reynolds attributed the increases to improved prices for grapefruit.
The 2000 survey respondents included property appraisers, farm lenders, real
estate brokers, farm managers, land investors, federal farm-assistance and
conservation service staff and extension agents.
Mexico's Femsa Q3 earnings lifted by bottling unit
By Veronica Gomez Sparrowe
MEXICO CITY, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Mexican Coca-Cola bottler and brewer Fomento
Economico Mexicano (Femsa) said on Wednesday that a solid performance from its
soft-drinks division pushed third quarter revenue above analysts expectations.
The Monterrey-based company said sales rose 13 percent to 11.425 billion pesos
between July and September, a little above the 11.314 billion pesos estimated
by four analysts polled by Reuters prior to the earnings report.
"It's a good report, a little above expectations," Victor Hugo Flores, an
analyst with brokerage Interacciones in Mexico City, told Reuters.
"It speaks of a good company that balances a modest, 2.5 percent growth in its
national beer market sales with impressive growth in the KOF softdrinks
division."
Femsa operates Mexico's No. 2 beer-maker, the nation's No. 1 soft-drink
bottler, Coca-Cola Femsa, which also operates in Argentina, and other
businesses involved in packaging, retail and trade.
Femsa's OXXO convenience-store chain is the country's largest.
"Growth in consolidated revenue was achieved through its national Femsa-Cerveza
(beer) and Coca-Cola Femsa operations and through the extraordinary growth in
Femsa-Comercio," its commercial unit, Femsa chief executive Jose Antonio
Fernandez said in a statement.
Femsa said that in the third quarter, operating profit rose 12.9 percent to
1.857 billion pesos from 1.645 billion pesos in the same quarter last year.
Operating profit was lower, however, than the 1.934 billion pesos forecast by
analysts.
Coca-Cola Femsa sales boosted revenue for the entire company, Femsa said,
making up for limited returns from soft-drink operations in Argentina, where
competition pushed prices down.
Moderate growth in sales volumes in the domestic beer market was compensated
for by a 12.3 percent rise in the amount of soft-drinks sold by the company,
Femsa said.
Femsa attributed weak growth in beer sales to a 16 percent price hike in
January.
The company said net profit for the July-September period fell 28.8 percent to
587 million pesos from 824 million pesos in the third quarter last year. Net
profit, however, is not considered a reliable indicator of earnings in Mexico
because of currency, tax and interest-rate considerations. ($1 - 9.65 pesos)
Bid for W&DB by Breare seen being abandoned-paper
LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The bid for Britain's biggest regional brewer,
Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries Plc <WOLV.L>, by leisure entrepreneur Robert
Breare may be abandoned, the Independent newspaper said on Wednesday.
Breare is backed by venture capital group Botts & Co and has been stalking W&DB
since August.
But after last week's announcement by Whitbread Plc <WTB.L> that it was selling
3,000 pubs, following Bass <BASS.L> and Scottish & Newcastle <SCTN.L>, which
have put 900 and 500 pubs respectively up for sale, Botts's interest in the
sector appears to have widened, the paper said.
Asked whether talks with W&DB were continuing, Breare was quoted in the paper
as saying: "We are looking at a broad range of opportunities."
Breare approached W&DB in August with an indicative bid of 500 pence per share,
which was immediately rejected.
On September 25, W&DB unveiled plans to split itself into three divisions in an
attempt to fight off Breare and remain independent.
Following news of that plan, analysts expected Breare to turn hostile by going
directly to W&DB's shareholders with a 550 pence bid, valuing the group at 517
million pounds.
But in early October W&DB effectively put itself up for sale, and indicated it
would talk to Breare.
"The Board of W&DB has decided to initiate a strategic review of the options
available to maximise shareholder value. This process may or may not lead to an
offer for all or part of the company," it said then in a statement.
The West Midlands-based group runs around 1,700 pubs as well as four breweries.
Shares in the company fell 35-1/2 pence, or 8.34 percent on Tuesday to 395p.
OFFSHORE DRINKERS DELIVER GAINS
CHINA INVESTMENT UNLIKELY
Dutch Equity Preview: Heineken May Be Active
Amsterdam, Oct. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Shares in the followingmay post gains or
losses in Dutch markets in coming days. Stock symbols are in parentheses after
the company name and prices are from Wednesday's close.
The Amsterdam Exchange Index fell 5.84 points, or 0.9 percent, to 668.93.
Fourteen stocks rose and 10 fell.
Heineken NV (HEIN NA): Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc., the world's largest
brewer, said third-quarter profit rose 11 percent because of higher beer
prices. Heineken is the third-largest brewer. Shares rose 0.75 euro, or 1.2
percent, to 61.60 euros.
Peru's Backus Plans to Sell $25 Mln in Sol-Denominated Bonds
Lima, Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- UCP Backus & Johnston SA, Peru's largest brewery,
will sell $25 million in sol-denominated corporate bonds tomorrow to raise
working capital and refinance older debt.
The sale of four- and five-year debt will be the second part of a $200 million
bond issue approved by Backus' shareholders on June 21. The interest will be
determined through a Dutch auction, in which buyers bid the minimum interest
they're willing to accept and the amount they want to buy. The bonds will be
sold at face value.
Backus sold $25 million in sol-denominated, four- and five- year debt on Sept.
14 that paid an average annual interest rate of 7.625 percent plus an
inflation-indexed variable known as VAC, or Constant Value of Acquisition.
Inflation in Peru is running at an annualized rated of 3.78 percent, according
to recent government statistics.
The bonds have a pAA rating by DCR Peru, a unit of U.S.-based Duff & Phelps
Credit Rating Co., and an AA rating by Apoyo & Asociados Internacionales SAC.
Citicorp Peru SA is in charge of the placement.
Backus has said it is ``reordering liabilities by converting debt expiring soon
into longer-term obligations.''
Backus is paying interest on a $125 million bridge loan used to purchase rival
Cia. Cervecera del Sur earlier this year. Also, the company paid last week 100
million soles ($28.6 million) to pay for bonds issued in 1997.
Asahi Soft Drinks to withdraw Wonda and other canned coffee drink
.c Kyodo News Service
TOKYO, Oct. 26 (Kyodo) - Asahi Soft Drinks Co. said Thursday it will withdraw
thousands of its Wonda canned coffee and Big Red Eyes drinks from the market
following reports from several consumers of a ''strange taste.''
The Tokyo-based beverage company said no one has complained of sickness but it
is withdrawing around 960,000 of the 1.16 million 190 gram cans produced Oct. 5
at a factory of Nihon Canpack Co. in Gunma Prefecture.
They were shipped to 16 prefectures in the Kanto, Chubu and Hokuriku regions,
Asahi Soft Drinks said.
Nihon Canpack is commissioned by Asahi Soft Drinks to manufacture the drink,
publicized widely in Japan through TV commercials featuring golfer Tiger Woods.
The cans in question are marked ''010929'' -- meaning it is best before Sept.
29, 2001 -- and with a note saying they were produced at the Gunma factory.
According to Asahi Soft Drinks, majority owned by Asahi Breweries Ltd., six
customers in Tochigi Prefecture who bought the drink from vending machines
complained of a ''strange taste'' Oct. 19.
After investigating, the company detected a greater acid content and less sugar
than normal.
The company said some cans that had been taken out of the production line due
to imperfections were wrongly shipped before they were sterilized.
Asahi Soft Drinks has established a toll-free line for inquiries at
0120-556106.
The 16 prefectures are Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo,
Kanagawa, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Nagano, Yamanashi, Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi and
Mie.
Jer
(If anyone lives in the GTA (Ontario) Im more than ameniable to a trade
for some beer! :) )
Among others:
Tubthumping - Chumbawumba (Drink a whisky drink... drink a lager drink...)
Beer - Reel Big Fish
Drunken Sailor - Mackeel
Tim Finnegans Wake - Clancy Bros, and a version by Drupkick Murphys
Home For A Rest - Spirit Of The West
The Night Pat Murphy Died - Great Big Sea
Drunk Sincerity - Bad Religion
Philosophers Song - Monty Python
Alcohol - Barenaked Ladies
Drinking Song - Moxy Fruvous
In Heaven THere is no Beer - Clean Living
Closing Time - Semisonic
The Parting Glass - Clancy Bros
Homers Beer Song/ Flaming Moes - The Simpsons
Alcohol - Sketch by Robin Williams
Misc. Bob & Doug Mackenzie
Fishermans Brew - Mackeel
Drunken Lazy Bastard - The Mahones
Hats Off To Beer - The Black Velvet Band
Everybody Likes Beer - The Buckys
The Beer Song - Mustard Plug
Irish Drinking Song - Buck O Nine
Box Of Keiths - Cape Breton Barbarians
Dear Mr Alcohol - HG
Beer - Rist Rocket
Medley of Simpsons Beer References, other tv and Movie References.
--
kingje...@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/jercraigs/home.html
"Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society.
If
we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for
drugs,
we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power." -
P.J. O'Rourke
Joel Plutchak wrote in message <8t9bo9$l...@brew.ncsa.uiuc.edu>...
Robert Huskison
Jer <au...@freenet.toronto.on.ca> wrote in message
news:qNWJ5.69001$oN2.2...@news20.bellglobal.com...
Dr H
On Thu, 26 Oct 2000, Robert Huskison wrote:
}Jer <au...@freenet.toronto.on.ca> wrote in message
}What about "Beer is Good for You"? I'm not sure who does it though.
Or Ian Robb's "Garnet's Homemade Beer"?
Dr H
Toby Guidry
>J2jurado <j2ju...@aol.com> posted, from...:
>>Beer and music; 10.20.2000 by ALAN D. EAMES beer.com
>
>[...various beer songs snipped...]
>
> One of my favorites is "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer"
>by John Lee Hooker. Given what I know of some giggy's drinking
>(and listening) habits, they'd probably like it, too.
Some might be more familiar with the George Thorogood cover, though.
Likely that no one's heard of it, but there's also "Beer Muscles" by
Scatterbrain.
L8r,
--
Toby
http://strangebrew.home.mindspring.com
"Any unmoderated public discussion space, no matter what the ostensible
subject, will eventually attract a clique of contributors who will use
the space primarily to discuss their personal lives and trade in-jokes.
In addition, it will attract at least one regular contributor who will
make it his or her goal to harass and harangue the other regulars." -
Sjöberg's Law of Public Cliquishness
J2jurado
in Net Sales
SAINT PAUL, Minn., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ --
MBC Holding Company (Nasdaq: <A HREF="aol://4785:MBRW">MBRW</A>) (formerly
known as Minnesota Brewing Company) today announced its results of operations
for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2000. Net sales for the
third quarter ended September 30, 2000, were $7.6 million, an increase of 48.5%
from net sales of $5.1 million in the third quarter of 1999. For the
nine-month period ending September 30, 2000 the Company had net sales of $21.6
million, an increase of 69.0% from net sales of $12.8 million for the same
period in 1999. The Company reported net income of $505,341 or $.13 per share
basic and $.12 per share diluted for the 2000 third quarter compared to net
income of $70,746 or $0.01 per share basic and diluted for the same period in
1999. Net income for the nine-month period ending on September 30, 2000 was
$1.1 million or $.28 per share basic and $.26 per share diluted versus a net
loss of $189,556 or ($.08) per share basic and diluted for the same period of
the prior year.
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30 September 30
2000 1999 2000 1999
Net Sales $7,647,919 $5,149,542 $21,591,158 $12,777,234
Gross Profit 1,327,241 720,642 3,499,904 1,607,183
Operating Income
(loss) 577,299 115,549 1,346,350 (50,955)
Net Income (loss) 505,341 70,746 1,093,748 (189,556)
Income per share $.12 $.01 $.26 ($.08)
Net sales increased for both the quarter and nine-month period ending September
30, 2000 due to the addition of contract customers and a continuing increase in
export sales. The increase in net income for the third quarter and the
nine-month period is a result of several factors, including the increased
utilization of bottling capacity, the continued cost cutting measures
implemented by the Company and the sharing of costs pursuant to several
agreements entered into with Gopher State Ethanol, LLC an unconsolidated
subsidiary. Gopher State has constructed an ethanol facility, to produce
ethanol, distilled grains and raw carbon dioxide ("CO2") gas. The Company has
a 28% ownership interest in Gopher State Ethanol, which began initial
production in May 2000.
CO2 Joint Venture
In 1999, the Company entered into an agreement with an unrelated third party,
Messer Greisheim Industries, a Pennsylvania, industrial and specialty gas firm
and established a joint venture entitled MG-CO2 St. Paul LLC to produce liquid
carbon dioxide. The joint venture constructed a plant next to the brewing and
ethanol facilities and has commenced production of CO2 that is being sold to
various users of refined CO2 products. The Company is a fifty percent holder
in the joint venture.
Forward-Looking Statements
The following important factors, among others, in some cases have affected and
in the future could affect the Company's actual results and could cause the
Company's actual financial performance to differ materially from that expressed
in any forward-looking statement: (i) competition within the brewing industry
resulting from the increased number of brewers and available beers, (ii) the
Company's ability to continue to achieve and maintain contract brewing
arrangements; (iii) the success of the Company's proprietary brands, including
its reliance upon distributors; (iv) the Company's continued ability to sell
products for export; (v) Gopher State's ability to successfully operate an
ethanol facility; and (vi) the Company's ability through a joint venture to
operate a liquid carbon dioxide plant.
The Company operates a full-scale brewery in Saint Paul, Minn. producing its
proprietary Grain Belt, Pig's Eye, Minnesota Brew, and Yellow Belly malt
beverages and marketing these beverages through an independent distribution
network, primarily in Minnesota. The Company produces beers under a number of
brand names, including Grain Belt, Grain Belt Premium, Grain Belt Light, Grain
Belt Premium Light, GBX Malt Liquor, Pig's Eye Pilsner, Pig's Eye Lean, Pig's
Eye Ice, Pig's Eye Red, Pig's Eye Non-alcoholic, and Yellow Belly.
The Company's Common Stock is traded on the Nasdaq Small Cap Market under the
symbol "MBRW". For further information call, Michael Hime, Vice President at
651-228-9173.
Sterling falls amid euro slide, talk of M&A sales
LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The pound fell to one-month lows against the dollar
for the second day running on Thursday, tracking weakness in the euro/dollar
exchange rate and suffering from talk of merger and acquisition-related sales,
traders said. The pound initially fell to one-month lows around $1.43 in the
wake of the euro's slide to record lows against the U.S. dollar amid
disappointment Group of 20 nations did not come up with any euro-supportive
comments at their meeting in Montreal this week.
But sterling extended those losses below $1.42 and also fell to the week's lows
against the generally soft euro amid talk of isolated sell orders in illiquid
markets.
"There has been some aggressive selling of cable (sterling/dollar) and some
rumours of a big buy order in euro/sterling," said a trader from a Japanese
bank in London.
The pound shed ground against the euro by talk of positions being unwound in
relation to the possible sale by Belgian brewing giant Interbrew 1/8ITB.UL 3/8
of its newly acquired British beer division, Bass <BASS.L>.
Interbrew confirmed on Wednesday that one of the British Competition
Commission's recommendations involved selling Bass, if it found the merger were
not in the public's interest.
In nervous trade, dealers also cited talk of euro/sterling buying by Italian,
French and German corporates, with speculation that some of these sales of
sterling for euros were also M&A-related.
Traders were sceptical of the abundance of M&A-related sales talk, but said
this provided an excuse to sell sterling.
"Sterling could become like the euro, and test the lows below $1.40," said
Bobby Jasper, senior currency dealer at Fuji Bank.
"But sterling does not have the problems of the euro, and it is more likely to
stabilise and go back up to $1.45."
Sterling set 14-year lows at $1.3945 <GBP=> last month, according to Reuters
data.
It fell as low as $1.4192 on Thursday, its weakest since September 21, the day
before joint Group of Seven intervention to prop up the euro, before recovering
to $1.4296/03 by 1350 GMT. Traders said options-related buying triggered the
late surge in the pound.
Sterling depreciated beyond 58 pence against the euro <EURGBP=> to a low of
58.41 pence, before recovering to 57.85/87 pence by 1350 GMT.
NO RECORD HIGHS FOR STERLING
Sterling set record highs against the euro in May around 56.75 pence. But it
has since failed to surmount those peaks, even though currencies as diverse as
the dollar, the Swiss franc and the Norwegian crown scaled record highs against
the single currency this month.
The pound was undermined this week by comments from Bank of England governor
Eddie George, who said sterling was substantially overvalued against the euro.
But analysts said sterling was likely to play catch-up with other currencies
and climb against the euro.
"We had renewed euro weakness when the G20 did not really produce anything --
the euro is open to further weakness and we could test the lows in
euro/sterling," said Geraldine Concagh, economist at AIB Group Treasury in
Dublin.
Analysts said the ebbs and flows of the euro/dollar exchange rate and
M&A-related activity were likely to remain the focus for sterling on Friday,
with no major domestic data due.
New UK Pubs Are Huge and Chic--and Earn Big Profits
London, Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Walk into a British pub and you'll find hardy
sons of the soil sipping a pint of bitter and playing darts. The decor: dark
wood-paneled walls, a threadbare carpet and watercolors of foxhunting scenes.
Everyone knows that's what British pubs are like. Except that increasingly
they're not.
Flick to a Saturday night on any number of U.K. downtown streets. Enormous
``mega-pubs'', patronized by hundreds of chic urban professionals dressed in
very baggy clothes, now offer table service, wine cellars and good food.
And--also unlike the typical neighborhood pub--they don't close at 11 p.m.
``In this area there aren't really any pubs, it's all big bars,'' said Deborah
Hanforth, 26, an information-systems manager for Rolf & Nolan Plc, a computer
services company, as she sat in a Pitcher & Piano mega-pub in west London. ``I
go because they're convenient and next to work. The old British pub is finally
dead, and no one misses it.''
Mega-pubs are the latest iteration of the traditional English public house.
Smaller pubs have been owned by breweries and leased and run by small operators
for centuries. Now, the brewers are starting up chains of large pubs that they
own and operate under brand names. And they are getting rid of the smaller
ones.
Overall, sales in pubs, bars and other licensed premises barely grew throughout
the 1990s, according to Mintel International Group Ltd. The market is worth 24
billion pounds ($34.5 billion) a year. Industry officials say all the growth
potential is in the large-pub end of the business.
Selling Smaller Pubs
The growth is going to be from big premier league pubs, which are taking share
from the smaller pubs,'' said Jeremy Blood, retail strategy director for
pub-owning brewer Scottish & Newcastle Plc.
Scottish & Newcastle, which owns the Bar 38 and the Rat & Parrot chains, is
getting out of the smaller, leased pub industry, Blood said. He declined to
confirm a report in the U.K. newspaper Sunday Business that the company plans
to sell even more than the 200 to 300 pubs and restaurants it announced in
July.
The company's holdings include 1,600 managed, or company-run, pubs and 500 pub
restaurants. Lack of profit growth at the small ones gives brewers no choice
but to abandon the business, Blood said.
``If you're not managed you're not going to be owned'' by a publicly held
company, he said.
Whitbread Exiting Entirely
Bass Plc, owner of the O'Neills Irish, All Bar One and Edward's brands, got out
of the leased-pub business in 1997 and now is looking into selling a
``significant portion'' of its remaining smaller pubs. The Sunday Telegraph
reported earlier this month that the company is to sell 900 pubs, a third of
its total. Bob Cartwright, communications director, would not confirm a figure.
``At the moment we're reviewing the future of a significant proportion of our
smaller, unbranded houses and concentrating very much on larger, managed and
often branded houses,'' he said.
Whitbread Plc, owner or manager of 3,000 pubs, including the Hogshead and
sports-themed Champion pub chains, announced Oct. 19 that it will sell its
pubs, small and large, to concentrate on the higher-growth leisure and hotel
industry. The sale will bring the company's 250-year association with the pub
trade to an end, in part because the company was not in a position to invest in
high- tech ordering and inventory systems.
``Whitbread wasn't able to give the pubs the technology support they needed to
develop and still get the double digit growth from the hotels part of the
business. That was the dilemma,'' says Stewart Miller, managing director of the
Pub and Bar Company at Whitbread.
``There's No Character''
Shares in Whitbread have fallen 21 percent so far this year; they rose 2.3
percent today. Bass shares have dropped 14.6 percent this year and fell 1.7
percent today. Scottish & Newcastle shares have risen 9 percent this year and
rose 1.6 percent today.
One of the few remaining owners of small pubs is Japanese bank Nomura
International. Since the mid-1990s it has built a portfolio of close to 6,000
smaller pubs, mostly run by independent operators. Another major pub investor
is closely held Punch Taverns, which owns about 5,000 smaller pubs.
Some customers rue the ``McDonald's-ization'' of pubs through the creation of
branded chains.
``This is the first and last time I'm coming into a chain. There's no
character,'' Iain Percy, 24, who won a gold medal for Britain in the Finn
sailing class at last month's Sydney Olympic Games, said as he sat in an All
Bar One pub in London's central financial district.
``The beauty of pub culture was the varied people in them, but it has been
eroded by people not wanting to take a risk. These chains mean that the
individualism of bars is dropping,'' Percy added.
Women Drinking More
The mega-pubs offer a high potential for profit growth because they attract
young people and, especially, women. Women are a key target market for the new
generation of mega-pubs, such as Dudley & Wolverhampton Breweries Plc's
upmarket Pitcher & Piano chain.
``If you're on your own it's nicer to walk into a bar rather than a pub, as it
can be less intimidating,'' says Hanforth.
Something is inducing women in the U.K. to drink more. According to a report by
Alcohol Concern, the number of women drinking more than the government's
recommended daily limit has risen by 50 percent over the past two years. That
compares to a 15 percent rise between 1988 and 1998. According to the
government's National Statistics Office General Household Survey 1998, 41
percent of women between the ages of 16 and 24 exceed the daily limit every
week.
Community Pubs at Risk
The concentration of investment on the big downtown pubs, and the resulting
announcements of sales by Scottish & Newcastle, Bass and Whitbread leaves a
question mark hanging over the future of small community pubs. According to a
report by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, nearly 10 percent of the British pub
market is for sale.
``Investment is being deflected from the more community-based traditional
pubs,'' says Mike Benner, head of campaigns and communications at the Campaign
for Real Ale. ``That is making their businesses less viable.''
Some predict closures. ``Something like 1,000 ordinary, old- style pubs are
closing each year,'' says Tony Hill, chief executive of SFI Plc, which operates
such pub brands as The Litten Tree and Slug & Lettuce. ``As many as 10,000 will
be at risk over the next five years'' out of a total of 60,000, he said.
Benner has his own figures. ``We did a survey earlier this year that indicated
that 20 pubs a month are closing,'' he says.
That doesn't mean Britain is about to lose one of its unique cultural features.
``You'll see just as many Red Lions and White Harts, but they'll be where
people live, and they'll be run by small business people,'' says Scottish &
Newcastle's Blood.
Not everyone is so optimistic. ``The working man's pub is ending. It's not
ended but it's ending,'' says Patrick Marron, landlord of the Lilly Langtry in
West London for the past 22 years.
Mexico's Modelo Q3 sparkles on strong beer sales
By Veronica Gomez Sparrowe
MEXICO CITY, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo, the maker of
Corona beer, met analysts' expectations of a sparkling third quarter on
Thursday, as buoyant foreign and domestic sales growth translated into higher
profits.
Net sales of the top Mexican beer seller totaled 7.467 million pesos in the
quarter, above the 7.133 billion pesos average forecast by a Reuters survey of
five analysts.
Modelo's <GMODELOC.MX> beer sales revenue in the July-September period grew
16.7 percent and 13.3 percent in volume terms compared with the third quarter
of 1999. The volume was broken down as a 5.3 percent increase in Mexican sales
and a 42.7 percent surge in exports, the company said.
"What we saw were strong increases in volumes, good prices in real terms in the
domestic market and falling costs of certain ingredients, which helped yields
and margins," said Afin Securities analysts Scott Kolb.
The company noted in the statement that it hit a record quarterly export volume
of 2.6 million hectoliters, while national sales hit the 7.0 million hectoliter
mark for the first time ever during a third quarter.
During the quarter, Modelo's exports, shipped to some 140 countries,
represented 27 percent of its sales, a bigger slice of the pie compared with
21.4 percent during the same 1999 period.
Modelo, whose 10 brand names include Corona Extra, Negra Modelo, Victoria and
Pacifico, said operating profit soared 31.8 percent in the quarter to 1.842
million pesos. The figure surpassed the 1.637 million peso forecast from
analysts.
Operating margins were also rosy, rising 280 basis points year-on-year to 24.7
percent.
The company said lower costs of basic materials imports -- less than 18 percent
of Modelo's total costs -- helped push the earnings, margins and efficiency
skyward.
Modelo said net earnings were 833 million pesos, a 25.5 percent rise compared
with the third quarter of last year and higher than the 711 million pesos
forecast by analysts.
Most analysts do not consider net income a reliable indicator of profitability
for Mexican companies because exchange rate fluctuations and other costs
reported beneath the operating line can skew results.
Modelo, which on Wednesday celebrated 75 years since the firm was founded
operates eight plants in Mexico with an installed capacity of 39.5 million
hectoliters a year.
Coors Sets Up Joint Venture With Molson for $65 Mln
Golden, Colorado, Oct. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Adolph Coors Co., the No. 3 U.S.
brewer, and Canada's Molson Inc. said they're creating a joint venture to sell
Molson brands in the U.S.
Coors said it will pay $65 million for a 49.9 percent stake in the venture.
Canada's largest brewer will own the rest, Molson said in a statement. U.S.
sales generate about 20 percent of Molson's revenue, the company has said.
Montreal-based Molson agreed this month to repurchase U.S. rights to its beer
brands for $133 million from a joint venture with Foster's Brewing Group Ltd.
and Philip Morris Cos.' Miller Brewing.
The Coors-Molson joint venture will import, sell and distribute Molson's beer
brands in the U.S., including Molson Canadian, Molson Golden and Molson Ice.
Coors also agreed to use some of Molson's Canadian brewing facilities to make
its own beers, including Keystone Light.
Calls to Coors seeking comment weren't returned. Coors makes Coors Light, the
No. 4 U.S. beer, as well as George Killian's and Blue Moon beers.
The joint venture will start operating by year-end, the companies said.
Shares of Coors, based in Golden, Colorado, rose 13 cents to $60.19. Molson's
Class A shares fell C$1.75 to C$36.25 in Toronto.
Salt Lake mayor wants to loosen liquor laws for <A
HREF="aol://1722:olympics">Olympics</A>
By PAUL FOY .c The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) 10-27-00 - When Olympic organizers uncork the 2002 Winter
Games, tens of thousands of spectators will discover how tough it is to get a
drink in Utah. The Olympic city's top official wants to change that.
``It's absurd the hoops people have to go through to get a drink,'' says Mayor
Rocky Anderson, who wants to scrap some of the rules before the Winter Olympics
in 15 months. ``We have very arcane and outdated laws that make it very
inconvenient and inhospitable for residents and visitors alike.''
Buying a drink means first taking a membership in a private ``social'' club,
most of which are in Salt Lake City and the nearby ski resort of Park City.
Visitors have to find a club sponsor, fill out application forms and pay dues
at each club, under a law that discourages drop-ins. Dues are $5 for two weeks
or $12 a year.
Club rules, Anderson says, are a sham that many Utah residents know how to
beat: ``We go in and grab a stranger and ask him to sponsor us, and then we can
sit down for a drink and dinner. (But) somebody coming from Lausanne,
Switzerland, isn't going to know they can do that.''
The mayor says changes won't occur at the state Legislature without the Mormon
church's consent, and the church two weeks ago said it opposed any loosening of
liquor laws. Anderson says it will take a long campaign to bring church
authorities around. Mormon doctrine forbids alcohol consumption among
adherents.
So it came as little surprise Wednesday when the Salt Lake Organizing Committee
went to the Mormon-dominated state liquor commission with a modest proposal for
beer service at some Olympic venues.
Chief Operating Officer Fraser Bullock assured commissioners beer wasn't on the
menu for a church-owned medals plaza that includes a view of Temple Square, the
Mormon church's headquarters.
Bullock's plan also does not include bar service at a huge media center at the
Salt Palace convention center.
And banquet-loving corporate sponsors and foreign Olympic committees will have
to work to get their own alcohol permits. Organizers will refer VIPs to Salt
Lake lawyers who practice before the liquor commission.
Ordinary fans also will be on their own, though a spectator guide will devote a
chapter to navigating the maze of alcohol regulations.
Utah also has licensed restaurants - if you can find them. The restaurants
cannot advertise, display or even mention their wine or liquor stocks unless a
customer asks first.
Another option is taverns that can pour only ``light'' beer, or 3.2 percent by
volume alcohol, and no other alcoholic drinks. No membership is required at
taverns.
Aussie students break world drinking record
Friday 27 October, 2000
Students at Adelaide University claim to have set a record for what is classed
as the world's "longest drink".
More than 500 participants consecutively drank half a shot of tequila each to
claim a place in The Guinness Book of World Records.
With 562 participants, there were 430 more drinkers than the existing record.
Student association vice-president Adam Langman says while the exercise
involved alcohol, it was part of a move to make pre-exam activities more
sensible than in previous years.
"The student association primarily exists to ensure the academic welfare of
its students and in accordance with that, we ensured that each student only
drank half a shot of tequila before they entered and we had no bar so students
weren't encouraged to drink large amounts," he said. © 2000 Australian
Broadcasting Corporation.
Thai Buddhism Faces Crisis
By THAKSINA KHAIKAEW .c The Associated Press 10-27-00
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A police raid on the secret residence where a Buddhist
priest arranged trysts with women has caused new embarrassment for Thailand's
Buddhist establishment, already plagued by exposures of wayward monks.
Thammathorn Wanchai, the abbot of a temple in central Thailand, had been
trailed secretly for two days by the ITV television network as he frequented
the house with several women. When police - acting on behalf of the
government's religious affairs department - raided the house Wednesday, they
found pornographic magazines in the closets, women's underwear in drawers,
three beer bottles and a flask full of booze.
Hours later, Thammathorn, 43, was defrocked for breaking his monastic vows -
having sex, drinking alcohol and wearing clothes other than the monk's yellow
robes. Because he disguised himself in an army uniform, he faces criminal
charges of impersonating an official.
In another case on Thursday, two more monks were detained for hoarding large
amounts of beer and whiskey in their home, ITV television reported.
The monks add to a growing list of Thai clergymen who have been caught
violating Buddhism's code, which requires them to renounce material and bodily
pleasures and embrace a life of poverty to attain enlightenment.
``This is a fatal problem for Thai Buddhism,'' said Chatsumarn Kabillasingha, a
Buddhism lecturer at the Thammasat University.
Last week, two monks were caught in a karaoke bar, singing and drinking. One
wore a wig to hide his shaved head.
Last month, another monk was reprimanded and forced to sell his collection of
Mercedes Benz cars. Others have been convicted of rape, murder, drinking beer
and financial wrongdoing in the past.
The embarrassing scandals have raised questions about the clergy's ability to
discipline itself and the faithful's habit of pampering the priests with lavish
gifts in the hope of winning spiritual merit.
``According to the Buddha, it is the duty of the laymen as well as the monks to
protect the religion,'' said Chatsumarn. ``At present, both groups have done
little to clean up and strengthen Buddhism in Thailand.''
Some 95 percent of Thailand's 60 million people are Buddhists, and many who
give money and even cars to abbots and temples. Critics say such donations
allow temptations.
At the time of his arrest, Thammathorn was driving a Mercedes Benz car,
apparently a donation to his temple in Suphanburi province, 62 miles north of
the capital, Bangkok.
ITV had been tipped off to his non-monastic activities by his neighbors.
It filmed him leaving his temple in the Mercedes on Monday with two beer
bottles, putting on an army colonel's uniform en route to his secret house in
the nearby town of Nonthaburi. There he was joined by two women.
Wednesday morning, the women left while Thammathorn returned to the temple.
When he left the temple - again dressed in a military uniform - police stopped
his car.
Thammathorn refused to explain his conduct but told reporters: ``My inner soul
is still that of a monk.''
J2jurado
Adult Party Night
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Halloween is the third most popular adult
party occasion in the United States trailing only New Year's Eve and the Super
Bowl. That means millions of adults will don colorful costumes and toast the
evening at bars, restaurants and in the homes of friends and family members.
"Halloween has become the beginning of the Christmas season, and that's a great
time to focus on the need for responsibility," said Francine Katz, vice
president of Consumer Affairs for Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
Halloween drunk-driving fatalities have declined dramatically throughout the
last decade. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, drunk-driving
fatalities during the 1999 Halloween holiday period were down 45 percent, the
lowest level since record keeping began in 1982. To help keep those trends
moving downward, Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest brewer, encourages adult
Halloween party goers and hosts to follow a simple five-point plan to help make
the holiday safe and enjoyable for all.
The Halloween party plan includes:
1. Drinking Responsibly: Responsible drinking shows respect for yourself and
others.
2. Entertain Responsibly: Serve each guest one drink at a time and serve
"measured" drinks. Also, stop serving alcohol at least one hour or two hours
before the party ends. Offer non-alcohol beverages, too.
3. Serve Food With Alcohol Beverages: Good food complements the taste of
beverages. High protein foods, such cheeses and meats, are particularly
effective in moderating the effects of alcohol.
4. Arrange for A Safe Ride Home: Plan for a designated driver or a cab to
take you or your guests home.
5. Reward Your Designated Drivers: Make being a designated driver fun.
Provide your party's designated drivers with special party favors or exciting
and fun prizes.
"From drinking and entertaining responsibly to volunteering to be a designated
driver, people are making a real difference in the fight against alcohol abuse
and drunk driving," Katz said.
"The credit for these dramatic declines in drunk-driving fatalities goes to
each and every American who has been or used a designated driver, served drinks
responsibly, called a cab for a friend or checked an ID," Katz said.
"We all make a difference. It takes a team approach to yield this level of
progress -- one involving party goers, party hosts, bartenders, waiters,
waitresses, beer retailers and the alcohol beverage industry. By following
these simple guidelines, we can all enjoy the party, while at the same time
continue to work together to prevent drunk driving."
For more information about Anheuser-Busch's responsible drinking programs,
visit the company's website at www.beeresponsible.com .
http://www.alternet.org:80/story.html?StoryID=9988
Organic Beer Returns
Gretchen VanMonette, Conscious Choice October 24, 2000
"One-hundred bottles of beer on the wall/One-hundred bottles of
beer/Take one down and pass it around/An organic beer has been found!"
As part of the burgeoning demand for organic products, which has lately
grown to become a $300 million industry, the demand for organic beer has
helped bring beer back into its own as a carefully crafted beverage of
choice. This demand has been supported by the continuing popularity of
microbreweries. Beer brewed before the advent of industrial farming was
handcrafted and organic, of course, if only because farmers did not
depend on chemicals to raise their crops or industrial machinery to brew
their beer. The industrial revolution seems to have fostered an
incredible thirst for goods, including beer, which soon became a
mass-produced item. But with the reemergence of microbreweries, organic
beer is experiencing a resurgence, too.
Case in point, during a recent bottle-return trip to my neighborhood
spirits shop I came across two new organic beer choices from Butte Creek
Brewing Company, Chico, California. I happily purchased a cold six-pack
of both -- an organic ale, and a porter. Both were delicious.
Butte Creek Brewing Company came into being five years ago and began
producing an organic beer a couple of years after, says Tom Atmore, of
Butte Creek Brewing Company. "Butte Creek got into organic beer because
a good friend was running an organic winery (Larocca Winery) in the
area" and inspired the brewers, remembers Atmore. At the same time, a
supplier was offering organic hops and barley. The timing was perfect.
The location of the brewery was also fortuitous. "Chico, California is a
very health-conscious area," says Atmore. "People are definitely taking
steps toward organic products and [yet] people are always ready to try a
new beer."
The petite northern California brewery produces 3,500 barrels of beer
per year -- 2,500 of which are the organic ales. It is the organic ales
that are having the most success. They are now available in sixteen
states. Butte Creek has plans to produce another organic beer, but
Atmore won't go into details about it.
In Olympia, Washington, Fish Brewing Company has acknowledged the demand
for organics with Fish Tale Organic Amber Ale. Brewed in a building that
once housed a knitting needle factory and the regional headquarters for
the Civilian Conservation Corps, the zesty brew is certified organic by
Oregon Tilth and the California Organic Foods Act of 1990.
Fish Brewing introduced their organic brew this past spring and already
have brewed more than 1,180 barrels. Their most popular beer, the Wild
Salmon Pale Ale, has filled 1,360 barrels so far this year. Fish Brewing
Company also produces a Mudshark Porter and a Detonator Dopplebock,
among others.
Going organic was a natural for the activist brewing company. "We try to
be a part of the community within the environment," Miller affirms. For
Fish Brewing Company that means supporting organic agriculture and other
environmental causes. Fish Brewing also does a lot of cause marketing --
especially for the beloved salmon. "Ideally, we would do everything
organically, but to take our India Pale Ale organic would change the
recipe and flavor," says Scott Miller, factotum general for Fish Brewing
Company. Perhaps in the future, they'll find a way to go all-organic.
They are certainly off to a good start. Fish Brewing Company beers can
be found in general distribution in Washington, Alaska, Idaho and
Oregon. Future distribution plans include moving into northern
California.
Lakefront Brewing in Milwaukee is producing another organic beer, an ESB
(Extra Special Bitter). Lakefront has been in the brewing business for a
number of years but only began making an organic version five years ago.
"It was our desire to go green and help support the organic farmers that
sold us on making an organic beer," says vice-president Jim Klisch.
Lakefront Brewing is certified by the O.C.I.A, the Organization for Crop
Improvement Association.
"If organic farming is going to be successful, then the products have to
be there," Klisch says. Lakefront also is planning on brewing an organic
barley wine, the Lakefront Barley Wine Style Ale, in the next few
months.
"As far as I know, we are the only brewery in the world to make an
organic barley wine," Klisch boasts. Barley wine, he explains, is a very
thick beer with a high alcohol content. It is normally sipped after
dinner.
Klisch comments, however, that "people are still suspicious of organic
products. One of the most common questions we get at the brewery is 'Is
it safe to drink?'" He laughs at that.
Klisch and his brewer use traditional recipes that brewers have followed
for centuries. Even so, "it isn't a cake walk, going organic," Klisch
reports. His brewery, hops, barley, and other materials must be from
certified organic producers. His vats and instruments used in the actual
brewing must be maintained organic. Even the cleaning agents need to be
organic. On a yearly basis, inspectors come into the breweries to check
records and machines for organic sustainability.
Still, some brave new brewers meet the challenge -- and are glad they
did. Chicago's Goose Island Brewing Company found it difficult, at
first, to market organic beer and the ideals that go with it. Yet John
Hall, president of Goose Island Brewing, says that within the past few
years, he has seen the demand for organic beer rise steadily. While
Mother Goose, their first effort, is no longer the organic beer on tap,
Hall and his clan still are producing organic beer certified by the
Oregon Tilth. Goose Island has teamed up with the original organic
brewing maverick, Panorama Brewing Company, to produce and sell
Wolaver's Organic Ales on a regional level.
Since pairing with Wolaver's, Hall has seen more and more people
ordering organic. Of the nearly 5,000 barrels of beer that Goose Island
brews yearly 2,000 are organic, made from the Wolaver's recipes.
The Beginnings of Wolaver's
One night in the mid-1990s, Robert Wolaver and family were sitting
around trying to determine what type of small organic family business
should get their investment of time and money. Sent to procure some
refreshments, Joe Glorfield, Wolaver's son-in-law, discovered Golden
Promise, an organic beer from Scotland. By the time the six-pack was
finished, the decision had been made. After running a series of focus
groups and doing some investigating, the family realized there was a
niche market for organic beer.
Panorama Brewing is now the largest organic brewery in the country --
without ever actually brewing a drop of the golden nectar. Glorfield,
president and co-founder, admits Panorama Brewing Company partners with
local microbreweries like Goose Island to brew their recipes, which
include Pale Ale, Brown Ale, and India Pale Ale.
"The microbreweries have helped us enter a lot of markets. It's a great
association," Glorfield says. John Hall agrees. By combining assets,
Hall can concentrate on producing great tasting organic beer without
dwindling their financial resources trying to market it. "We try to stay
out of the actual brewing process and let [the brewers] do what they do
best," Glorfield explains. "We focus on sales, marketing, and some
distribution."
The partnership is also good on an environmental level, Glorfield says,
because they, in California, do not have to ship Wolaver's all across
the country from one central brewery. "That is important not just for
environmental reasons but because it is better for the beer," he says.
Wolaver's is so popular that Whole Foods Market asked them to create
Lamar Street Pale Ale organic beer, branded for Whole Foods. Like the
Wolaver's line, Lamar Street is regionally brewed and distributed. The
name Lamar Street is a recognition of the street in Austin where Whole
Foods began in 1979. In a few months, Wolaver's also will be coming out
with an organic hard cider. They plan a heavier stout for next year.
All this means that the next time you are thirsting for a cold,
refreshing brew, made only from the finest ingredients Mother Nature can
supply, you might just be able to find one. If there's not an organic
beer in sight, your inquiry may convince your local brewery to go
organic. And while you're at it, make sure to ask for organic beers at
your favorite party store. If they find out you want it, they'll get it
to you. And you can drink to a better world.
http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/10/25/fp14s1-csm.shtml
Antidrinking groups denounce the 'spiked' lemonade appeal
OCTOBER 25, 2000 - Associated Press
The latest craze is lemon-flavored drinks that contain as much alcohol
as beer. These are not your kids' lemonade-stand beverages.
The drinks - marketed under folksy names like Mike's Hard Lemonade, Doc
Otis' Hard Lemon-Flavored Malt Beverage, and Hooper's Hooch Lemon Brew -
contain about 5 percent alcohol. Critics say these beverages appeal to
the sweet tooth of an underage drinker. Similar drinks marketed in the
1990s in England were dubbed "alcopops" by critics.
Sales of hard lemonade rose fourfold last year, to 4.1 million cases,
worth about $90 million retail, which falls far short of the $60 billion
spent on beer. (Lemon beverages cost about the same as specialty beers.)
A spokeswoman for Miller Brewing says the market can be expected to
reach $350 million nationally by year's end.
"The whole point ... is an effort to bring new consumers to the
alcoholic-beverage market," says George Hacker, who oversees alcohol
policies for the Center for Science in the Public Interest in
Washington.
http://insidedenver.com:80/business/1027coor4.shtml
Coors, Molson toast deal to market Canadian beers in U.S.
Golden-based brewer to pay $65 million for 49.9% stake in venture
By John Accola
Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff WriterOctober 27, 2000
Coors Brewing Co. and its Canadian partner Molson Inc. have entered a
joint venture to market Molson's beers in the United States.
Golden-based Coors said Thursday it will pay Molson, Canada's largest
brewer, $65 million for a 49.9 percent stake in the venture, which will
control exclusive rights to Molson brands in the U.S.
The newly formed partnership, to be based in Golden, is expected to be
completed by the end of the year.
The Coors-Molson joint venture will import, sell and distribute Molson
products in the U.S., including Molson Canadian, Molson Golden and the
leading U.S. brand, Molson Ice.
"It's a true joint venture in that it's going to be a mutual
collaboration between Molson and Coors," said Coors spokesman Kevin
Caulfield. Caulfield said a management team has yet to be selected, but
he noted the two companies have had business ties since 1985.
U.S. sales account for about 20 percent of Molson's revenues, and Coors
is an important brand for Molson in Canada. Coors Light, the leading
light beer in Canada, represents about 8 percent of Molson's beer
production.
The Canadian beer maker recently regained control of the marketing and
promotion of its brands in the U.S. after paying $133 million to
Foster's Brewing Group Ltd. and Phillip Morris Cos.' Miller Brewing.
Coors Chairman Peter Coors said the partnership is a "natural fit" with
two of the most distinguished brewing heritage brands in North America.
Certainly in the world of beer dynasties, the two companies have a lot
in common.
In the U.S., Coors is the nation's third-largest brewer and its name
graces Denver's baseball stadium. In Canada, where Molson has 45 percent
of the beer market with more than $2 billion in annual sales, parent
company Molson Inc. owns the Montreal Canadiens and the hockey team's
arena, Molson Centre.
Molson Chairman Eric Molson, 62, and a brewmaster by training, is part
of the sixth-generation family that controls the beer company and its
voting shares. The family has been in Montreal since the 1780s, when
John Molson founded what would become North America's oldest brewery.
The new Coors-Molson arrangement includes a contract for Coors to use
some of Molson's Canadian brewing facilities to brew its own beers,
including Keystone Light.
It also amends terms of the two companies' existing Coors Canada
partnership by extending the length of the contract and adding
performance guarantees to Coors.
The company didn't disclose further financial details of the venture.
Molson currently holds a 49.9 percent interest in the Coors Canada
partnership
http://www.edmontonjournal.com:80/business1/stories/001027/4761330.html
Molson moves into heady U.S. beer market and Coors pays $65M in cash for
promotional rights
CP 10/27- Molson Inc. is stepping up its assault on the fast-growing U.S. beer
market with a new marketing and production partnership with No. 3
American beer maker Coors Brewing Co.
"It's incredibly positive for us," Molson chief executive Dan O'Neill
said Thursday.
While the Canadian domestic beer market has been flat for the past few
years, the consumption of imported beer has been growing about 11 per
cent in the United States over the past five years, said O'Neill. Molson
hasn't reaped the benefits, however. In fact, the brewery, formerly the
third-largest import-beer maker in the United States, has slipped to No. 7 in
that time.
Molson recently moved to turn the tide by spending $133 million US to
recover control of its brands in America from Miller Brewing Co. and
Foster's Brewing Group of Australia, which Molson officials felt weren't
doing enough to promote and market Molson south of the border.
Coors will pay Molson $65 million US in cash for a 49.9 per cent
interest in the new partnership to market and promote Molson brands in
the U.S. Molson will retain 50.1 per cent, including full ownership over
pricing,
marketing and advertising of Molson beer in the United States, said
O'Neill.
"You can't get your return to shareholders strong unless you have
growth. We had to grow it, and that's what we're doing," O'Neill said.
In return, Molson will produce up to 80 million litres of Coors products
-- much of it cans of Coors's Keystone brand -- at the under-utilized
Montreal brewery for export to the U.S.
O'Neill said it's uncertain yet if that stepped-up production in
Montreal could lead to more jobs. The deal also extends Molson's four-year-old
licensing agreement with Coors for an indefinite period, expanding it to the
Maritimes and providing performance guarantees to Coors.
"By deepening our existing partnership with Coors, we are ensuring the
profitable growth of Molson in the United States while simultaneously
creating additional value for our shareholders," O'Neill said. Molson and
Coors will also work together to develop more light beers, which are highly
popular in the United States.
Molson spent $1 billion Cdn two years ago to buy back full control of
its brewing operations in Canada from Foster's.
http://www.archaeology.org:80/curiss/newsbriefs/inka.html
INKA BEER BASH
November 2000- A crane fell on a sacred granite Inka monument known as the
Intihuatana, or "hitching post of the sun," during filming of a beer
commercial at
Machu Picchu, breaking off a several-inch-long chunk. J. Walter
Thompson, Co. (JWT), the advertising agency that represents Peru's
Cusqueña beer, denies media reports that the crane was sneaked on
site--against the wishes of the National Institute of Culture
(INC)--under cover of darkness, maintaining that the accident occurred
at one in the afternoon.
Preservationists have faulted the Peruvian government for issuing
permits to the film's producers with little regard for the cultural
impact of location shooting. In its defense, JWT's Lima office released
a statement saying, "We are utterly convinced that the past and present
cultural manifestations of Cusco [gateway to Peru's Inkan ruins] have an
utmost value worthy of exalting in every Cusqueña Beer advertising
campaign.... We regret, like every Peruvian, this unfortunate event and
guarantee our involvement in clearing out the facts." JWT denies press
reports it has been slapped with a lawsuit for destruction of national
patrimony.--ELIZABETH J. HIMELFARB
http://www.bostonphoenix.com:80/archive/features/00/10/26/LIQUOR_LICENSE.html
One hell of a bar bill October 26
Because of limited quantity, Boston liquor licenses, which officially
cost only $2000, may sell for as much as $300,000 -- a cost that is
recouped in the high prices you pay for your drink
by Stephen Heuser
When Joe Quattrocchi, owner of the Back Bay Brewing Company, renovated
his bar this past summer, he ripped out the steel brewing tanks,
replaced all the furniture, and installed woodwork reminiscent of New
York's Gramercy Tavern. The result is a flashy restaurant with a new
name, Vox Populi -- and, for the first time, a full bar.
It's a big renovation, with an estimated cost to Quattrocchi's company
of around $600,000. But only half that money went toward construction.
The other half covered a single expense: the liquor license.
Officially the city charges only $2000 to issue an all-
alcohol license to a restaurant. But because of a firm limit on the
total number of licenses in Boston -- and because of tight neighborhood
restrictions -- restaurateurs here are forced to wheel and deal for
existing licenses in the city's hottest neighborhoods. This has driven
prices, at least in the Back Bay, well past the quarter-million mark. As
goes the Back Bay, so goes the rest of central Boston: insiders estimate
that a Beacon Hill license, if one ever became available, would be worth
about the same as a Back Bay license; a South End license might change
hands for $150,000; and an all-alc license recently sold in Bay Village
for $160,000.
For restaurateurs, this is nothing new: it's just the cost of doing
business, or not doing business, in a booming city.
But for the rest of us, the effects are just now being felt. You don't
need a calculator to realize that numbers like this have a huge effect
on the restaurant business: who's in, who's out, and, most important,
where your average citizen can go for a drink. The people getting out of
the business are owners of small bars with a local clientele -- the
places where everybody knows your name (and where a beer doesn't cost
$5). The people getting into the business operate huge tourist-oriented
restaurants whose parent companies can afford the buy-in price. Liquor
licenses are changing hands in a one-way flow, and it's altering the
texture of Boston's city life in a hurry.
It's a commonplace that the recent bloom of urban life in Boston has
fueled an unprecedented boom in the restaurant business. And
restaurants, in turn, enrich the city. Every restaurant and bar means
more life on city streets after 5 p.m.
But a restaurateur can't do business without permits. Among these, the
license to stock a full bar -- the "all-alc," in the parlance of the
board that issues it -- is key. Says one restaurateur: "It's the asset.
Other than your construction, the license is everything."
By law, to get one all you need is good character and the cash to pay a
modest annual fee. But in practice that hasn't been true for years.
Boston's licenses are tightly capped at 650, a number set decades ago,
and right now every one of those licenses is in use. So owners wanting a
license have to find one first, then arrange to buy it from the holder.
"It's the only way you can get into the restaurant business in Boston,"
says Joe Quattrocchi, who owns Vox Populi with partner Brian Lesser. "In
New York, you can go find a site, and as long it's not near a church or
school, you can get a liquor license. Here, if you want to get into the
restaurant business, you've gotta buy a license."
But not just any license will do. By law, the all-alc entitles you to
serve liquor anywhere within city limits. In practice, however, certain
neighborhood associations exert so much power over the approval process
that their neighborhoods are all but impenetrable. A license bought from
a Dorchester bar, for instance, will be useless in the Back Bay -- you
can buy the license, but you'll never get approval to move it into the
neighborhood. This is why a license already located in the Back Bay is a
quarter-million-dollar slip of paper: there's a limited quantity and
nearly unlimited demand.
This past summer Stan Frankenthaler, one of the city's best-known chefs,
appeared in front of the powerful Neighborhood Association of the Back
Bay (NABB) to seek its approval to acquire a liquor license. Such
meetings are standard procedure for anyone opening a restaurant, and a
semi-official part of the licensing process. (The Boston Licensing
Board, before it will seriously entertain a license application, always
asks owners whether they've met with the neighborhood, and NABB in
particular enjoys virtual veto power over the process.) Normally
Frankenthaler would be an ideal candidate for a liquor license: he's
relaunching his award-winning restaurant Salamander in a new
luxury-apartment building. But Frankenthaler had one big problem: he was
buying his all-alc license from a Bickford's in South Boston.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUYER BEWARE: when Brian lesser (pictured) and partner Joe Quattrocchi
put a full bar in their new Back Bay restaurant, they had to track down
one of the few existing licenses and buy it from the holder. It wound up
consuming half their $600,000 start-up costs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Obviously," says Michael Ward, then-head of the neighborhood
association, "the committee voted to oppose the transfer of an
out-of-neighborhood license." Frankenthaler eventually got his license
over the opposition of the neighborhood: in July the three-member Boston
Licensing Board voted, two to one, to allow the transfer, and the
license was finally approved by the state three weeks ago. But in his
success, Frankenthaler remains a decided exception. Indeed, what
happened is so rare that Frankenthaler himself can't name another
instance in which a license has been transferred into the Back Bay.
The North End, too, enjoys a de facto moratorium on liquor licenses: the
Boston Licensing Board simply will not allow a new license there.
Legally, this is a tenuous situation, because licenses are supposed to
be valid citywide. Daniel Pokaski, chairman of the licensing board,
says: "We cannot say legally there's a moratorium. We have the fiction
of a moratorium."
Fiction or not, though, when Joe Quattrocchi went to renovate the Back
Bay Brewing Company, he didn't just need a license. He needed a Back Bay
license, an entity that doesn't officially exist.
Because of all the hassles involved -- the huge sums of money, the
hurdles to jump, the rigorous approval process -- Back Bay licenses tend
to stay in the same hands year after year. The Back Bay is "almost like
a private club," says bar owner Gordon Wilcox. "Except when the national
chains come in and drive up the price a little. It's been the same
people for years. . . . there aren't a lot of new operators in the Back
Bay."
In other neighborhoods, new operators are coming in -- and small-time
neighborhood operations are disappearing as licenses change hands.
In Park Square, one of the city's fastest-changing neighborhoods, when
an old bar called Richard's closed earlier this year, its license was
snapped up by West Coast seafood giant McCormick & Schmick, which needed
it to open a 263-seat restaurant in the basement of the Park Plaza
Hotel.
Across the street, the divey Tar Bar was evicted when the Motor Mart
building began renovations two years ago. Its license sold for $160,000
to Gordon Wilcox, for his new bar, Flash's, on nearby Stuart Street. The
license belonging to the Hub Pub next door went to 350-seat Maggiano's
Little Italy, owned by a Dallas-based company that operates more than
1000 restaurants, including Chili's.
In each one of these cases, an all-alc license has migrated from a funky
old bar to a new place catering to conventioneers or upscale urbanites.
If you're in the Chamber of Commerce, this looks a lot like neighborhood
improvement. But to people who live here, it looks like a neighborhood
that's becoming another Back Bay. Suddenly you can't go anywhere for a
$2 bottle of Bud and a cigarette.
Licensing lawyer Dennis Quilty has watched the changes -- and has
certainly benefited from the price escalation. But he's aware of the
flip side. "In the Back Bay, because of these prices, you can't have a
small neighborhood operation," he says. "It's really kind of sad, I
think. There's no question that there are fewer and fewer places to go
that are just hangouts -- cheap eats, drink a beer at the bar, watch
TV."
In general, rising rents are the real engine behind the decline of
small, inexpensive neighborhood bars. But the license process does make
a difference. For one thing, it assures that a downscale bar going out
of business won't be replaced by a small, casual place. Or perhaps it
won't be replaced by a bar or restaurant at all: Richard's, the bar
whose license went to seafood giant McCormick & Schmick, lost its lease
and is now office space.
And a six-figure license is a tempting sale for a barkeeper whose
business might be worth much less than that.
"Let's face it," says Quilty. "Lots of people are making money on these
transactions. I mean, someone years ago got issued the document for a
couple hundred bucks, and you're selling it for a couple hundred
thousand."
To be sure, not every license is worth as much as a Back Bay one; it's
easier to move a license into the Theater District, so an all-alc there
isn't worth quite as much. But given the total cap on licenses in the
city, that means a booming Theater District can actually suck licenses
away from other neighborhoods.
BLB chairman Dan Pokaski articulates the dilemma: "You'll have the
Sheraton. They'll walk in to a hoppin' bar on Dot Ave and offer [the
owner] $80,000. The guy says, `Here's my retirement' -- but then the
neighbors on Dot Ave have an empty storefront."
At the South End's Waltham Tavern, one of the few remaining dive bars in
central Boston, the manager says people have knocked on the door,
interested in buying the bar's license, "two or three times, maybe, in
the last couple of months. We never got them before."
If this all sounds kind of cloak-and-dagger, it is. The license trade is
a notoriously gray area in city policy. Every license that changes hands
does so at a public hearing in City Hall. But the real acquisition --
the meeting of buyer and seller -- is entirely private.
Here's how it works: Rande Gerber -- New York bar developer, Cindy
Crawford's husband -- wants to open a bar in the Park Plaza. He hires a
local licensing lawyer, who plies his sources and finds a bar owner in
Mattapan who'd be happy to unload his all-alc for the right price. For
$100,000, the owner agrees to give it up. Since Gerber is opening an
upscale hotel bar in a neighborhood without the clout of the Back Bay,
the deal is approved by the BLB and the old license is quietly reissued
as a new license for Gerber's bar.
The layering of middlemen has its own effect on neighborhood evolution.
As the BLB's Pokaski puts it: "Who can afford to hire these attorneys to
keep an eye on what's available? The hotels, the big corporate chains."
And clearly, the more development the city sees, the more tightly
constricted the market becomes, and the more it becomes a high-stakes,
unregulated system. Increasingly, Boston is a city with a dwindling
handful of neighborhood bars and a concentration of high-volume
restaurants in the middle of town. It's not an unusual arrangement, but
it seems foolish to live with a system where each new chain restaurant
means another local bar in one of the neighborhoods has gone out of
business.
The system works for most of the players involved. Certain neighborhood
groups enjoy an impressive amount of power to dictate local development.
The lawyers and brokers get their cut. License-holders see their
investments protected -- and often see a fat return on fees paid long
ago. The Boston Licensing Board smiles on the arrangement to protect the
equity of all involved. ("The courts," says chairman Pokaski, "have
recognized that there is a monetary value in these." In other words, he
says, the board could mess with the status quo, but not without being
sued by angry license-holders.)
To an economist, this might look like a particularly dysfunctional
marraige of free-market economics to government control. Yes, the market
determines the value of a license, and the public votes with its dollars
on which bars and restaurants will thrive in Boston. But business owners
can't even get on the ballot, so to speak, without kicking someone else
off, and to do that requires massive amounts of campaign money.
The obvious solution is to issue new licenses. This can be done more
than one way. One possibility is simply to increase the cap from 650 to
a number better suited to a developing city. (Small restaurateurs
worried about diluting the value of their licenses can take some
consolation from the precedent of taxi medallions: when new medallions
were offered for auction recently, prices actually went up.)
Another method is to issue new licenses selectively. In Baltimore, for
example, there's a moratorium on new bar licenses, much like Boston's.
But restaurants larger than 75 seats -- anything bigger than a
storefront bistro -- can apply to have a liquor license newly issued by
the city's licensing board. This allows deep-pocketed chains to open
without driving smaller businesspeople out of the market. As a result,
licenses in Baltimore trade for more like $20,000 -- a price that
doesn't exclude small, independent operators from starting a business.
Here in Boston, the idea of issuing new licenses is treated like a muddy
dog at a lawn party. Neighborhood associations like those in the Back
Bay and Bay Village spend a lot of their energy fighting licenses. Says
one South End restaurant owner: "If you could get a license like in New
York or San Francisco, there'd be a bar on every block. On one side,
you'd love to have a funky bar on every block -- isn't that nice? But on
the other side, if I lived in the neighborhood, in the South End or JP,
I'm not sure how I'd feel about it."
But the argument against bars is easy. The argument for bars is more
subtle. It requires a shift from thinking of a license as essentially a
permit to sin -- and a threat to the neighborhood it lands in -- to
thinking of it as a civic amenity. Robert Putnam, the sociologist whose
book Bowling Alone raises alarms about the increasing isolation of
American life, laments the decline in going to bars: it's a social
activity that suburbanites simply don't take part in.
Hanging out over a drink is, largely, a luxury of city life. But it's
hard to imagine that sipping martinis at a new seafood chain is what
Putnam has in mind. What he has in mind is hanging out at neighborhood
bars -- which are the guaranteed losers under the current system.
In the next few years, Boston has a challenge: everyone talks about
turning the Seaport District into a 24-hour neighborhood, which means
restaurants and (yes) bars. But with the current laws, the only players
in business will be the handful that can afford to play the game:
national chains or established local chains that can hire lawyers and
wait until the market coughs up a license. In short, we're looking at a
Seaport District populated by Chili's, T.G.I. Friday's, and some hotel
restaurants. Maybe, if we're lucky, there'll be an Olives South. If new
licenses are made available, however, we'd be more likely to see a mix
of big chains and local upstarts.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGING HANDS at the Motor Mart building, the divery Tar Bar was
evicted, making room for new national franchise restaurant/bars.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You can begin to make arguments as new areas are developed that there
are needs for licenses in those areas," says Dennis Quilty. "I think the
board thinks that, and I think the mayor understands that. I think they
would all like to have some control over it, but that part is hard to
legislate."
In fact, there are two ways to increase the pool of available liquor
licenses in Boston, both of them fraught with political peril. One
requires the city council to file a home-rule petition directing the
mayor to send a bill to the state legislature, where it must pass both
houses before going to the governor for signature. The other is to pass
state legislation. Though this route avoids some of the complexities of
local political wrangling, it opens up other troubles: the legislation
could not be confined to Boston, but would have to affect other cities
and towns.
Pokaski says he'd ultimately be in favor of issuing new licenses. "We
have to do something," he says. He proposes a plan to remove Boston's
innkeeper all-alcs from the overall license quota, which means some
hotel bars and restaurants would no longer count against the 650 total
licenses allowed in Boston. This, Pokaski estimates, would free up about
35 licenses.
"If you don't have 'em, I see a negative effect on neighborhoods," he
says. "The people on Dot Ave have a right to a drink, just like the
people in the hotel."
Maybe so, but for now, the people in the hotel -- or the people in the
300-seat chain restaurant -- are increasingly the ones with a drink in
their hands. If you read the docket for the biweekly hearings of the
Boston Licensing Board, it's like watching a city of little bars and
small operators hand over the keys to a bunch of franchises.
"The little guys we see on violations, mostly," says the chairman of the
city's licensing board. "Or if they're selling their licenses -- mostly
to one of the big guys."
http://www.indiaserver.com:80/thehindu/2000/10/23/stories/0423404u.htm
Hooch retailer had political backing
The Hindu, By Our Staff Reporter
source of spirit supply allegedly came from a illicit microbrewery at nearby
Joel Plutchak
>Halloween drunk-driving fatalities have declined dramatically throughout the
>last decade. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, drunk-driving
>fatalities during the 1999 Halloween holiday period were down 45 percent, the
>lowest level since record keeping began in 1982.
And golly, that was before any kind of lowered BAC garbage
happened. So much for that panacea.
J2jurado
After Years of Delay; National Labor Relations Board Charges, Other Matters
Must Still be Resolved
ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 27, 2000--Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:<A
HREF="aol://4785:BUD">BUD</A>) officials were informed by officials of the
International Brotherhood of Teamsters tonight that the last two local unions
representing brewery employees have ratified the final offer which the company
implemented more than two years ago. Company officials told the union that the
ratification is another step toward executing an agreement, but reminded them
that the offer requires that National Labor Relations Board charges and other
court cases be resolved before the contract can be signed.
"While we have moved closer, the agreement is not finalized yet," said Mark T.
Bobak, Vice President Corporate Human Resources, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
"It should be noted that there are still several items relating to National
Labor Relations Board charges and other court cases which must be resolved by
the parties before a contract can be executed. Of course, economic terms will
not be impacted because these were already part of the company's implemented
offer."
Company and union representatives will meet in the near future to discuss these
matters, Bobak said.
Anheuser-Busch began negotiating with the Teamsters on a new contract covering
brewery employees represented by the union in late 1997. After months of
negotiation, the company presented its final offer in March 1998. Because the
two parties reached impasse, the company implemented that offer in September
1998.
"For more than two years our operations under the implemented final offer have
been excellent," noted Bobak. "Employees covered by the contract have received
several pay raises. Attendance and safety have improved to the point that
employees at most breweries have received supplemental payments for meeting
pre-determined goals."
The national contract was ratified in a vote in August 1999. At that time 11 of
24 local supplements had been approved. By June 2000, all local units except
Local 102 in Newark had ratified their local supplements. Those Local 102
supplements were approved today.
Under the company's final offer the average brewery employee represented by the
Teamsters would earn about $66,000 annually. Wages would be more than $23.00 an
hour with benefits worth $25.00 an hour.
Anheuser-Busch, Inc. is the world's largest brewing organization. It operates
breweries in St. Louis, MO, Los Angeles, CA., Newark, N.J., Houston, TX.,
Columbus, Ohio, Jacksonville, FL., Merrimack, N.H., Williamsburg, VA.,
Fairfield, CA., Baldwinsville, N.Y., Fort Collins, CO., Cartersville, GA. and
London, England.
Belgium's Interbrew Plans To Float 25% of Its Shares
A WSJ.COM News Roundup 10-27
BRUSSELS -- Closely-held Interbrew, the world's second-biggest brewing
group, said Friday that it intends to list at least 25% of its shares on
the Brussels stock exchange in December, if market conditions allow. The
company said it also expects to join the Brussels exchange's Bel-20
Index, the benchmark for the Belgian bourse.
The Leuven-based group had said previously it would list in the last two
months of this year, but it hadn't specified how much of the company
would be sold to the public.
The group will hold a special shareholders' meeting on Nov. 6 to vote on
a mandatory two-month lock-up of all Interbrew shares issued prior to
the initial public offering.
Analysts value the company at around 10 billion euros ($8.38 billion).
Regulators Accuse Belgium's Interbrew, Other Breweries of Forming a
Cartel (Oct. 3)
After Recent Deals, Interbrew Prepares for Autumn IPO (June 28)
Interbrew achieved its industry ranking following the 2.3 billion pound
($3.32 billion or 3.96 billion euros) acquisition of Bass Brewers
earlier this month. Interbrew now produces more liters of beer a year
than such industry heavyweights as Heinekin NV and Miller Brewing Co.
Only Anheuser-Busch Cos., owner of Budweiser, is bigger.
The Bass acquisition awaits approval from British antitrust authorities.
The shareholders will also vote on whether the two-month mandatory
lock-up of shares should be followed by a contractual lock-up of the
same shares for an additional period of four months.
Interbrew said in a statement the lock-ups have been recommended by its
global co-ordinators to "optimize the aftermarket trading performance of
Interbrew's shares."
Constellation to Buy Forth Wines to Increase Sales in Scotland
Fairport, New York, Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Constellation Brands Inc., the
second-largest U.S. winemaker, said its Matthew Clark unit will buy Forth Wines
Ltd. for $8.1 million in cash and debt to increase its presence in Scotland.
Constellation, based in Fairport, New York, imports Corona and St. Pauli Girl
beer through its Barton division and makes Almaden and Manischewitz wines.
The company said the purchase of closely held Forth Wines, which had 1999
revenue of $39 million, will make it the largest provider of wine to
restaurants, pubs and taverns in Scotland.
The shares of Constellation, which had revenue of $2.3 billion in fiscal 2000,
rose 25 cents to $46.69 on the New York Stock Exchange. They had fallen 8
percent this year.
FEER: Rangoon Junta's Seizure Of JV Brewery Tests Asean
Message:
FEER: Rangoon Junta's Seizure Of JV Brewery Tests Asean
Dow Jones Newswires October 27 -By Shawn W. Crispin in the Far Eastern Economic
Review
HONG KONG -- Singapore businesswoman Win Win Nu has spent the past two
years vainly battling in Burma's courts over the government's seizure of
her investment in a thriving joint-venture enterprise in her former
homeland.
Her calls for help to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or
Asean, have been met with silence. How her case is resolved, if at all,
will speak volumes about Asean's ability to protect foreign investment
in the region through its untested dispute-settlement mechanism.
The case, if taken up by Asean, could also serve as a test of Burma's
commitment to the organization. Burma first saw Asean as a ticket to
participation in the region's economic growth of the mid-1990s. Since
then, however, it has come to regard membership as a liability because
it helps to put the ruling military's repressive policies under the
spotlight.
Win Win Nu's case is a compelling one. When Burma opened its doors to
foreign investment in the early 1990s, she spotted a good business
opportunity. Helped by influential contacts in the ruling State Peace
and Development Council, including intelligence chief Lt.-Gen. Khin
Nyunt, Win Win Nu forged a joint venture between her Singapore-based
company, Yaung Chi Oo Trading, and the government's Ministry of Industry
No. 1 in 1993 to bring the bankrupt Mandalay Brewery bubbling back to
life.
Win Win Nu, who took a 45% stake in the venture, was in charge of
operations and marketing while the ministry handled the books. Profits
would be shared.
Modern Management, Technology Boost Output
The fresh infusion of modern management, technology and capital worked
wonders. In six months, output increased 10-fold, salaries leapt 20-fold
and cash flows soared. Mandalay Beer became a recognized brand name
after the brewery opened more than 40 pubs nationwide. The company also
became one of the country's largest domestic taxpayers.
Burma's experiment in opening to foreign investment was paying off
handsomely, stimulating local economic activity while generating
revenues for the depleted state coffers.
But the joint venture came to an abrupt halt on November 11, 1998, when
armed soldiers and police seized the brewery on the orders of SPDC
Chairman Gen. Than Shwe. Win Win Nu says her local bank accounts were
frozen and claims she was threatened with arrest for misappropriating
funds, which she denies. She fled the country as the junta took over
operation of the brewery just three months after the final payment of
her pledged $6.3 million initial investment.
Targeted By "Greedy Soldiers & Bureaucrats"
"Because we were so successful, the brewery became an easy target for
greedy soldiers and bureaucrats," Win Win Nu says. "We fell on the wrong
side of the power struggle and as a result lost our business.
Unfortunately in Burma that's what matters - political connections, not
law."
Burmese law explicitly bars nationalization of foreign investments. But
after fighting her case unsuccessfully through the local courts for 18
months, Win Win Nu was forced to liquidate her share in the company.
Court papers indicate she was facing an uphill battle by going through
Burma's murky legal system. The first team of liquidators was not even
led by a lawyer but by local tycoon Steven Law, whose family runs
Burma's largest privately owned business group. The junta most probably
enlisted the services of the Laws because of their perceived business
acumen, a rare commodity in military circles in Burma.
Asean Unable To Arbitrate
Win Win Nu is now lobbying to have her case put before Asean's untested
dispute-settlement mechanism on the grounds that Burma's seizure of
Mandalay Brewery directly violates the commitments to protect foreign
investment that it entered into upon joining Asean in 1997.
Asean Secretariat officials in Jakarta say they would be charting new
territory if they took on the case. So far, the regional body, which has
shown consistent impotency in mediating regional disputes on both
political and economic fronts, has failed to respond to appeals for
arbitration sent by Win Win Nu's Singapore lawyers. An Asean official
claims the complaint was not filed through the "proper channels."
Under normal circumstances, the businesswoman should have grounds for
confidence, judging by the results of an independent report into her
case commissioned by the government's Myanmar Investment Commission and
released in June last year. Local PricewaterhouseCoopers representative
U Hla Tun found the takeover was conducted "without legal sanction" and
that the charges of misappropriation of funds against Win Win Nu were
unsubstantiated, according to a copy of the confidential report seen by
the REVIEW. The investigation also warned that the takeover could
"tarnish the 'open market economy' policy declared and prescribed by the
government of the Union of Myanmar."
Increasingly Unattractive For Investors
While Win Win Nu seems to be the first foreign investor to have been
targeted for de facto nationalization, Burma's reputation as an
attractive destination for foreign investment had already started
turning sour. Ever since the mini-boom of the mid-1990s, red tape,
bureaucratic hassle and enduring worries of political instability have
slowed foreign investment to a trickle. Now, the SPDC's apparent
unwillingness to abide by both its own and international laws protecting
foreign investment could further dampen potential investors' spirits.
"Although the policies on the books are unchanged, the SPDC attitude
towards small-scale foreign investment has changed 180 degrees since the
crisis," says a Bangkok-based lawyer who has clients with investments in
Burma.
-(For the complete story, see this week's edition of the Far Eastern Economic
Review.)
Brazil's AmBev To Invest $60M In Energy Cogeneration
Dow Jones Newswires October 27, 2000
SAO PAULO -- Brazil's beverage giant, Companhia de Bebidas das Americas
(ABV), said Wednesday it is investing $60 million to build 10
gas-powered thermo plants by the end of 2003, in a move to reduce the
company's electricity costs over the medium term and secure its energy
supply.
The project is part of a government-sponsored program to encourage the
cogeneration of energy amid concerns that Brazil may face an electricity
shortfall in the next few years.
Once the 10 plants are up and running, AmBev, as the Sao Paulo-based
company is known, hopes to save as many as 83 megawatts annually - an
amount of energy that is enough to illuminate a city of 100,000.
AmBev didn't provide monetary values associated with the future energy
savings.
The BNDES, the country's development bank, may finance up to 60% of the
investment as part of the program. AmBev hasn't made a decision on
whether it will use the BNDES credit line.
The program will also entitle AmBev to buy natural gas from federal oil
giant Petrobras at lower prices, and the federal government will
guarantee gas supply to participants in the cogeneration program for 20
years.
AmBev will build the first thermo plant in Rio de Janeiro. This project
will actually be the expansion of a gas-powered, 12 MW plant the
beverage company has had since 1996.
Brazil currently produces only some 600 MW of energy through
cogeneration, which is less than 1% of the country's total production
capacity of 70,000 MW annually.
This compares with cogeneration of 60,000 MW a year in the U.S., or
around 7% of total production, and 6,600 MW in Holland, or 35% of total
electric energy production.
The Brazilian government hopes cogeneration capacity will grow to 2,500
MW by 2004 and to 4,500 MW by 2008.
AmBev is the world's fourth-largest brewery and No. 5 beverage maker,
with annual sales of some $2.8 billion.
Online Wine Sales Will Remain Legal for eVineyard as Clinton Signs 21st
Amendment Enforcement Act
PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 27, 2000--
Unlike Competitors, eVineyard's Multistate Licensed Retail Model Unaffected by
New Legislation
eVineyard (www.eVineyard.com) will be unaffected by President Clinton's
expected signing tomorrow of the 21st Amendment Enforcement Act, S. 577,
ratified October 6 by Congress. Operating within all state and federal laws and
regulations, eVineyard, the leading Web-based wine retailer, will continue
selling wine online to consumers in the 25 states it currently serves.
The Act enables states to seek federal court enforcement of state bans and
restrictions on the direct shipping of wine, beer and spirits.
Licensing is a key issue. Statutes in every state require licenses at every
level: wineries, wholesalers and retailers are all licensed. "eVineyard is, in
fact, a licensed retailer," said Larry Gerhard, CEO of eVineyard. "Most of our
would-be competitors are unlicensed. And any company selling wine without a
license is placing itself above the law," he said.
"Our competitors say they are not in the retail wine business," said Gerhard.
"They are operating as 'buyer's agents.' As such, they solicit orders, take
orders and cause wine to be shipped to fulfill those orders. By legal
definition in every state statute, these companies are retailers, regardless of
what they call themselves. And as retailers of wine, they must be licensed to
operate within the law," he said.
"eVineyard's unique business model has given us a valuable competitive edge as
the nation's legislative bodies take steps to enforce liquor laws that have
been violated by a vast number of would-be players in the space," Gerhard said.
"While competitors struggle to bring their business models into full legal
compliance, eVineyard will continue to give its customers the opportunity to
buy wine and wine accessories online."
Gerhard also noted that eVineyard's aggressive expansion plans are on track,
with two additional licensed logistics centers scheduled to open within the
next 30 days.
About eVineyard
The leader in the B2C wine market, eVineyard (www.eVineyard.com) legally serves
wine buyers in 25 states -- more than 70% of the United States market for
off-premise premium wine sales. With its eight current logistic centers and the
imminent opening of two additional centers, eVineyard will soon sell premium
wines to each of the country's top 10 wine markets, reaching over 75% of the
market and serving 27 states. With the recent acquisition of WineBuyer.com and
its related technology, eVineyard is positioned for expansion in the B2B space.
In addition, eVineyard will soon offer wine accessories in all 50 states
through its recently announced marketing and fulfillment alliance with The Wine
Appreciation Guild.
eVineyard offers a selection of over 5,000 domestic and imported premium wines
and has exceptional features such as online education, promotions and loyalty
programs, sweepstakes events, a wine club and free shipping with purchases over
$25. eVineyard's superior selection and delivery capabilities have led to
growth averaging more than 150% per quarter since launch. The company expects
to achieve profitability in 2001.
Questions hound China juice prospects
By Rene Pastor
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct 27 (Reuters) - A robust market for orange juice in China may
still be a few years away because of stiff duties and a marked preference for
other beverages in the Asian giant, the commercial director of Cargill Juice
said Friday.
Tobias Grasso told Reuters in an interview at a citrus conference in Orlando
that high duties for juice concentrates in China has stunted prospects in the
market.
The duty for concentrate stands at 35 percent and does not include a
value-added-tax (VAT) of 17 percent. Expected entry into the World Trade
Organization (WTO) may provide some assistance for the market.
"That will help, but it may not be enough," Grasso said. "If you look at the
per liter cost for the consumer and compare that to the U.S. and anywhere else,
it's a very expensive product for the Chinese."
Jim Mizutari of Mitsui and Co. Ltd. <8031.T> said at the conference that the
removal of the tariffs should lead to a dramatic rise in juice and dairy
imports.
But Chinese per capita consumption of juice stands at less than one liter,
compared to leading Asian consumers South Korea and Japan, said Grasso. He
pegged Japanese per capita consumption at between 12-15 liters.
Even though Chinese demand has grown steadily over the past 3 to 4 years, "it's
not that big. The base is very small," added Grasso.
A lot of promotions would have to be undertaken and there is also stiff
competition from other beverages like tea.
"Consumption habits is also something that needs to change," said Grasso.
"According to our sources, mineral waters and tea are very popular today," said
Mizutari, who is the general manager of the fruit foods material division in
Mitsui.
China will become one of the largest consumers of juice goods once their
drinking habits change, the Japanese official said.
Mizutari said foreign companies hoping to reap the riches from China trade
should set up efficient physical distribution channels, be clear in what
region, race and generation they're targeting, and use effective media and
sales promotion techniques.
Winebusiness.com Merges with Turrentine Wine Brokerage
SONOMA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 27, 2000--Richard Shell, president and
CEO of winebusiness.com, avd Bill Turrentine, president of Turrentine Wine
Brokerage, have jointly announced a binding agreement to merge their two
companies.
The announcement was made as winebusiness.com launched a customized
eMarketplace that integrates the efficiencies of e-commerce with the selling
and purchasing practices of wineries and wine industry suppliers.
"This merger further positions winebusiness.com as the leading
business-to-business marketplace for the wine industry and presents
opportunities for growth in the dynamic area of international bulk wine and
grape sales," said Shell. "The interests of winebusiness.com are closely
aligned with those of Turrentine Wine Brokerage, giving the companies the
opportunity to work together to combine online tools with superior personal
service."
"Winebusiness.com holds a long-term view toward investment and success rather
than a desire for quick returns," said Turrentine. "The company's executive
ranks bring tremendous depth and the winebusiness.com content is unsurpassed.
We're looking forward to a seamless blend of advanced technology, great content
and personal service."
While the Internet presents enormous opportunities for wineries and their
suppliers, the merging of the two companies will address those components of
the industry that are dependent on relationships of long standing, notably the
bulk wine and grape business. Based on 27 years of developing such
relationships, Turrentine will bring an invaluable enhancement to the
winebusiness.com content with its widely respected ability to provide in-depth
information on wine sources geared specifically to the needs of the customer.
Turrentine remains president of Turrentine Wine Brokerage and has additionally
been named senior vice president, grapes and wine, for winebusiness.com.
Turrentine's nine employees will remain with the merged company.
About Turrentine Wine Brokerage
Turrentine Wine Brokerage annually brokers more than $100 million in bulk wine
and grape sales and is dedicated to helping the California wine business by
supplying accurate information about supply trends and by providing win/win
negotiations. The company works with most of the wineries in California, as
well as with wineries in other states and with foreign purchasers of California
wines. Turrentine Wine Brokerage also assists many of the state's leading grape
growers in marketing their grapes.
Dan Turrentine founded Turrentine Wine Brokerage in 1973 after 36 years with
the Wine Institute and as head of the Wine Advisory Board. Dan's son Bill
Turrentine joined the company in 1977.
About winebusiness.com
Winebusiness.com is dedicated to improving the financial success of the global
wine industry through efficient business tools and services. Founded in 1992 as
a trade publication, winebusiness.com is acknowledged as the leading source of
news and analysis of the global wine industry through two of the industry's
leading trade publications, Wine Business Monthly and Wine Business Insider,
and through its Web site, www.winebusiness.com. Today, winebusiness.com is the
only wine industry B2B portal to merge its formidable publishing experience
with the benefits and efficiencies of a virtual secure marketplace.
Winebusiness.com is headquartered in Sonoma, Calif., with offices in San
Francisco and Paris.
Jer
J2jurado
Eating more fish, drinking less beer
Date: 26/10/2000 Nick O'Malley
Australians were on a health kick long before the Olympics, food
consumption figures released yesterday by the Bureau of Statistics
reveal.
In the year to June 1999 Australians ate less meat, drank less alcohol
and increased their consumption of vegetables and fish.
Meat consumption was down 2.3 per cent to 71.6 kilograms per head over
1998/99. Since 1938, meat's popularity has dropped by a third, with a
10.3 per cent fall in the last decade.
There was also an 8.3 per cent increase in our seafood intake, up to
10.9 kilograms. We ate 25.1 kilograms of vegetables each, a 9.4 per cent
increase since 1989. Consumption of fruit and fruit juices jumped 8.3
per cent to 135 kilograms each.
Beer consumption fell for the second successive year, from 94.3 litres
to 93.2 litres, but there was
a 3.7 per cent rise in soft drink intake - to 113 litres each.
http://www.al.com:80/news/birmingham/Oct2000/27-e506210a.html
Moody's mayor upset at haunted house spirits
10/27/00 MICHELLE Q. GUFFEY News staff writer
Moody Mayor Bill Morris threatened to shut down a city owned haunted
house Thursday after reports of after-hours beer drinking there by some
of its operators.
Morris learned of alcohol on the premises after City Councilman Paul
Johnson filed a police report that listed a case of Bud Light beer as
having been taken during a burglary.
Johnson later told police the beer was removed from the house by the
person who had brought it.
Johnson is one of the operators of Slain Manor, a city owned house off
Park Avenue. Slain Manor raises money during Halloween for various
community charities.
Johnson at first defended the presence of the beer to a Birmingham News
reporter, saying it was consumed after hours by adults and was a reward
for their volunteer work. He later called The News and said no drinking
took place with his knowledge or approval.
Moody's mayor said he was shocked when he heard about the police report
listing the stolen beer.
"They shouldn't have alcohol over there," Morris said. "There's already
been an accident in Odenville. I don't care if it's after hours, that's
city property and it's unacceptable."
Last year, one girl was killed and another wounded during a Halloween
hayride near Odenville. A skit actor has acknowledged firing a gun in
the air. Empty beer cans were found at the scene.
A Springville man faces reckless murder and first-degree assault
charges, as well as a civil lawsuit, in the incident.
Johnson said it wasn't fair to compare the situation to the hayride
shooting because there were no weapons at the haunted house and no
drinking during the event.
Morris and City Council members Linda Crowe and Joe Lee have sent
Johnson a warning letter saying the city would close the haunted house
if its operators consumed or stored any alcohol on the premises.
In an interview early Wednesday, Johnson said the after hours drinking
was a reward at the end of the evening.
"The people who work there look forward to that," Johnson said. "You
have to provide something other than Pepsi when they're done working at
night."
http://www.spokesmanreview.com:80/news-story.asp?date=102500&ID=s870281
Gypsies were asked to limit alcohol
Cemetery manager testifies that family's drinking rituals never disturbed peace
before
Kevin Blocker - Staff writer 10-28
Spokane _ When the Marks family started burying their dead at Holy Cross
Cemetery years ago, the general manager there asked them to limit the
amount of alcohol they consumed during grave-site rituals.
And usually they obliged, he said.
But when deputies responded to a disturbance call at the cemetery over
Labor Day weekend, they discovered 41 empty beer cans and an empty
whiskey bottle, deputy prosecutor Shane Smith said.
Cemetery general manager Dennis Fairbank said he had never heard
complaints against the Marks family in the nine years he's worked there.
He said there are "three or four" Marks family members buried at Holy
Cross.
Fairbank was called to the witness stand Tuesday in the second day of
the state's case against Thomas and Steven Marks. The men are charged
with second- and third-degree assault and harassment against Spokane
County Sheriff's Deputy Shawn Hause.
Hause testified Monday that he was kicked in the head and suffered
chipped teeth after the men refused to produce identification.
The confrontation between Hause and the Markses occurred Sept. 4. Six
members of the Marks family had been paying respects to dead family
members by drinking beer, pouring alcohol and placing other items at the
graves.
Fairbank testified he knew the manner in which the Marks family
recognized the dead.
"We don't condone the consumption of alcohol there, but we recognize the
custom," Fairbank said, adding that Marks family members have always
respected others at the cemetery who may be mourning.
Robert Marks was called to the stand by defense attorney Tracy Scott
Collins to explain to the jury that the Gypsy religion acknowledges the
spirits of their former relatives.
Robert Marks was not at the cemetery during the confrontation with
deputies. But he told the court that on Monday, for example, he
purchased cigarettes, coffee and a doughnut and placed them at the tomb
of Grover Marks, his father. "We live with them daily; they are still
here," Marks, 52, said.
http://www.smh.com.au:80/news/0010/26/text/pageone5.html
A beer and a bet will keep the Olympic spirit alive
Date: 26/10/2000 By MATTHEW MOORE, Olympics Editor
Revenue from gambling and alcohol is emerging as a favoured way to
subsidise Olympic sporting venues, with plans for a tavern with poker
machines to pay for the upkeep of the Dunc Gray velodrome in Bankstown.
Bankstown Sports Club, which has an agreement to run the velodrome for
the next decade, has bought a licence from a hotel in Junee in country
NSW. It plans to build a tavern next to the velodrome with 15 poker
machines.
The club president, Mr Kevin McCormick, said the club had long planned
to build the tavern to raise money to meet the heavy costs of running
the velodrome.
A few kilometres away at Homebush Bay, the head of a new lobby group
representing the venue operators said his members wanted the Government
to approve another hotel on the site, probably with poker machines.
Mr Roger Perkins, the president of the Sydney Olympic Park Business
Association, said another hotel, probably at the northern end of Olympic
Boulevard, would complement the existing hotel and attract more
visitors.
"I think ultimately there will be some form of gambling on the site.
There will be a club, perhaps even a casino," he said.
While the International Olympic Committee strongly opposes gambling, Mr
McCormick said Bankstown Council supported it and the Minister for the
Olympics, Mr Knight, was aware of the Dunc Gray plan.
When the Olympic Co-ordination Authority reached an agreement with
Bankstown Sports Club to run the velodrome several years ago, there was
no mention of the plan for a tavern.
Mr Perkins said there was "certainly a need for more liquor licences" at
Olympic Park and some of these should be in restaurants that venue
operators would like built after a State Cabinet debate on the future of
Olympic sites in the next month.
There are also plans for licensed premises at the whitewater canoe
slalom course in Penrith and at the equestrian centre at Horsley Park.
Penrith Council's recreation and cultural services manager, Mr Steve
Hackett, said a licensed restaurant would probably be built at the
whitewater venue although poker machines were unlikely.
The director of the NSW Council of Social Service, Mr Gary Moore, said
the plans for the velodrome were "scandalous".
"Obviously this deal has been done for months if not years. It's just
not on to use poker machine revenue to run a so-called community
sporting facility which is supposed to be an Olympic legacy," he said.
http://web.philly.com:80/content/inquirer/2000/10/24/city/NFLASH24.htm
Special flashlights will help detect drunken drivers 10-25-00
Twenty of the devices will be given to Bucks police. The $600 item
alerts police to alcohol consumption.
The flashlight, held by Adam Kolman, a Newtown Township, Bucks County,
patrolman, has a nine-light bar that goes from green to red. The bar
corresponds to a card that indicates the level of alcohol in a person’s
breath. (John Slavin / Inquirer)By Richard V. Sabatini
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The next time police in Bucks County stop you and shine a flashlight in
your face, the officer might be doing more than just getting a good look
at you.
The flashlight might have a sensor capable of detecting alcohol on your
breath.
Twenty of the flashlights will be distributed to 17 police departments
throughout the county next Tuesday during a seminar at the county's
Police Training Center in Doylestown, officials said yesterday.
Bucks County is getting the flashlights, which cost about $600 each,
through its Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter, said Wilma Wydro, the
chapter's president. MADD funded the project through a grant from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Wydro said.
The flashlights' findings will not be admissible in court, said Harry
McCann, director of the Police Training Center. But he said that the
sensors would give police probable cause to administer field sobriety,
blood and breath-alcohol tests - all of which are acceptable in court.
"It's just another weapon in our arsenal against drunk drivers," McCann
said, adding that "it gives you one up, though, in cold weather or if
you've got a cold" and cannot smell alcohol on a driver's breath.
Though no reason was given for the county's being chosen for the grant,
Wydro said, it might be because of the 30 alcohol-related motor-vehicle
deaths in Bucks last year. The figure represents a five-year high for
Bucks and was the most in any Pennsylvania county last year, according
to state Department of Transportation statistics.
The flashlight has a high-tech sensor designed to detect alcohol in a
person's system, even the alcohol consumed from one drink, said Newtown
Township Police Chief Marty Duffy, who tested the device. A nine-light
bar that goes from green to red shows the range of alcohol present,
Duffy said.
PAS Systems International, a Virginia-based company, manufacturers and
distributes the flashlights. Jarel Kelsey, company president, said the
sensory technology was packaged differently, depending on a client's
needs.
"Police find a greater need for the flashlight package, while hospitals
use a clipboard design and schools use a little black box, about the
size of two cigarette packs," Kelsey said. "It all gets the job done.
The company has supplied its units to a variety of agencies in more than
half the states "to anyone who wants to know with certainty that alcohol
is being used," Kelsey said.
http://www.spokesmanreview.com:80/news-story.asp?date=102200&ID=s869390
Idaho- Device will stall drunk drivers
Repeat offenders must have interlocks installed
Associated Press 10/22/00
BOISE _ Repeat drunken drivers must now have an alcohol ignition
interlock device installed in any car they drive.
The Idaho Legislature enacted the repeat offender law, which became
effective Oct. 1, to bring the state into compliance with federal
mandates. A repeat offender is someone who has been convicted of drunken
driving two or more times within five years, on or after Oct. 1.
A car with the interlock device will not start if the system detects
alcohol on the driver's breath. The device connects to the vehicle's
ignition and the driver must provide a breath sample by blowing into the
device, according to the Idaho Transportation Department's Office of
Highway Safety.
If the driver has not been drinking and starts the vehicle, a randomly
timed retest takes place while the vehicle is moving. The test aims to
prevent drivers from drinking while driving. If the retest detects
alcohol, the driver hears a signal and must pull over.
If the driver ignores the warning, the vehicle's horn begins honking and
the headlights flash until the driver pulls over and turns the car off.
Commercial vendors, certified by the Office of Highway Safety, will
install the court-ordered ignition interlock device. That costs an
average of $150 and monthly lease fees run about $60, all to be paid by
the drunken driving offender.
http://www.indiaserver.com:80/thehindu/2000/10/26/stories/08260004.htm
Evolutionary origins of alcoholism and addiction
D. Balasubramanian L. V. Prasad Eye Institute-Hyderabad 500 034, AP
AN ANSWER to this question has been attempted by Dr. Robert Dudley of
the University of Texas. Writing in the The Quarterly Review of Biology,
he traces it to the habit of fruit eating by animals, particularly the
primates. In other words, our attraction for alcohol may lie in our
ancestry, as an evolutionary feature.
How would one connect fruit eating with a chota peg or a glass of
chianti? The connection lies in the interdependence of plants and
animals. In order that a seeded plant propagates, it needs to disperse
or broadcast its seeds. While some plants do it by themselves (e.g. the
bursting of the cotton flower), or use other strategies, the most common
mode is to attract birds and animals to come and help in the process.
The bird or the animal is attracted to the fruit for its
sugar-containing pulp. As it picks up this nutritional reward from the
plant, it also disperses the seeds from the fruit. The sugar content in
ripe fruit can be anywhere between 5-15 per cent, packed in as much as
60 per cent of the fruit mass (as anyone who has eaten a mango or a
custard apple can certify).
All of it is in the ripe fruit. An unripe fruit has little or no sugar;
often it can even be bitter. The seeds in it are not mature enough for
propagation of the plant. Their development or maturation occurs as the
fruit ripens. Therefore, a developing fruit needs to defend itself or
deter potential "predators"; hence its hardness occasional bitterness
and even unpleasant smell in some instances. And there are also
compounds in it which protect it against attack and consumption by
microbes. (Hence the siddha vaidya medical practice of poultice using
roots and unripe- and not ripe- fruit pulp in infections?)
Sabari and Avvayar:
As the fruit ripens, a variety of physical and biochemical changes
occur. It softens, takes on colour, puts out pleasant odours, and the
starch in it is converted into edible and sweet fruit sugar. The ugly
duckling turns sexy and inviting. The charming episode of Sabari in The
Ramayana illustrates this aspect of fruit ripening. She bites into each
green ber fruit to check if it is soft and sweet before offering it to
Sri Rama. Likewise is the episode about the poet Avvayar in Tamil
literature. She blows at every fruit that has fallen off the tree into
the ground, singing Sutta pazhama, Sudatha pazhama (is this fruit "hot
or not"), but actually blowing the mud off it. A ripe fruit with its
soft and easily cracked skin and mushy pulp picks up mud, which needs to
be blown off before eating, while an unripe fruit which does not, is
not "hot".
As Dudley notes, the ripening process thus relaxes defences against
premature consumption by disperses, but concomitantly renders the fruit
more vulnerable to attack by microbes. Fruits are more susceptible to
microbial decay and the consequent rot. Because such decay can
potentially discourage dispersing birds and animals, fruit decomposition
is a race - between microbes and dispersal agents to gain nutritional
advantage.
Among the microbes that attack fruits, yeasts top the list. They go for
the sugars contained in the fruit pulp and convert them into a series of
alcohols, predominantly and often exclusively ethanol or drinking
alcohol. Biologists have looked at this process in fruits too from the
evolutionary perspective. The ripe fruit is known to contain substances
that are meant to repel yeasts and other microbes. The fruit would
rather be eaten by birds and animals which would disperse its seeds and
thus help propagate its genes - an illustration of the "selfish gene"
strategy, so well elaborated by Richard Dawkins and others. On the other
hand, the fermentation of the fruit sugars into alcohols has also been
interpreted to be an evolved strategy that renders ripe fruit aversive
to dispersers and helpful to the selfish gene propagation of the
microbes that live off the fruit. In this inter-species live action
drama of nature, some or much of the sugar in the fruit gets fermented
to alcohol, to high as five per cent concentrations. (Incidentally,
microbes themselves get inactivated when alcohol levels go beyond 10-12
per cent. In situ fermentation of fruits in nature is thus a
self-limiting affair).
Out in the wild, such fermentation and forest oneology produces
occasional "wilding" by fruit eating animals much as monkeys and
elephants. In the tropical forest, many animals such as the above two,
live on fruits. They move from one fruit crop to another in foraging
raids season after season. Elaborate social strategies, involving
sensing and locating area of loot, fending off competitors and defending
the tribe have evolved over generations. Their physiognomy such as
biting teeth, tree climbing limb development, and metabolic make-up have
all been honed into advantage in making them - particularly gibbons,
siamangs, orangutans, gorillas, chimps or the hominid family -
frugivorous or fruit eating animals. Of these are we humans born.
In times of plentiful fruiting, instances of over-ripening and rotting
of fruits are not uncommon. These over-ripe fruits, with higher than
usual alcohol levels, fall off the trees and litter the ground beneath.
During such times, frugivorous mammals get to eat them, and get "high"
or intoxicated with the ethanol. Every year we read reports of elephant
herds in India and Southeast Asia going on a drunken rampage, after
having feasted on fermenting jackfruits, durian and such. Ancedotal
accounts of fruit-induced inebriation of butterflies, wild birds,
mammals and other animals have been documented.
Concept of Hormesis:
As Dudley notes, the nutritional value of ethanol is almost twice that
of carbohydrates. The caloric value of ethanol is 7.1 kilocalories per
gram while that of carbohydrates is about 4. The energetic gain out of
alcohol drinking can thus be substantial. There could thus be even an
evolutionary selection drive towards rotting fruits. But, just as in the
case of yeast, too much of alcohol is counter-productive in animals too.
Small amounts of alcohol may have nutritional and even other advantages;
it helps in keeping "bad cholesterol" levels low and helping to keep
arteries clog-free; hence the recommendation of a glass or two of wine
per day. However, beyond this level, alcohol affects the central nervous
system, brain function, locomotor coordination - and can become
addictive, or a one way street with no easy return. As toxicologists
have long said, the dose makes the poison.
Such paradoxical, dual effects of ethanol and several other "toxic"
compounds have been termed as hormesis. At low concentrations they can
be beneficial, and even act as nutrients. But at high doses they can be
toxic or harmful to the body. Steroids are another example - good in
very low doses but harmful beyond a point. Carotene from carrots, when
taken at very high doses, is known to promote cancer- like growth in the
lungs; at low doses it is an excellent antioxidant and good for the
joints, eyesight, and so on.
A Darwinian explanation of this dual behaviour or hormesis would be that
if exposure to low levels of the substance (say ethanol) is an
inevitable consequence of feeding (say ripe fruit), natural selection
would favour the evolution of adaptations that maximise the benefits and
minimize the costs involved in ingesting the substance. But this would
be only up to a point, and limited to those concentrations encountered
in natural settings. Exposure to much higher levels of the hormetic
substance would produce maladaptive responses. When the great scientist
Linus Pauling recommended the daily intake of large amounts of vitamin C
(and indeed did so himself- as much as 17 g daily), many scientists
raised their eyebrows, with the thought of hormesis in mind. An analysis
of how a nutrient can turn at high concentrations into a toxin to human
health has recently been presented by Dr. L M Gerber, GC Williams and S
J Gray in an earlier (1999) issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology.
Then why do we drink?
The pleasant and nutritive aspect of alcohol consumption in humans has
thus been put in the evolutionary context by Dr. Dudley. We come out of
the primate lineage, of the fruit-eating community of animals and are
thus endowed with the genes and metabolism that offer us the nutritional
and other advantages of low levels of alcohol. But, our ancestors and
animal cousins neither had the opportunity nor the technology to make
lots of it and drink it in unnatural levels. Monkeys or elephants going
on a drunken rampage is incidental and occasional, not manufactured.
Realising that too much of alcohol (or for that matter any such
psychoactive drug) is addictive, harmful and can even be fatal, and yet
indulging in it - that is a uniquely human behaviour. The selfish gene
drive should dictate against such wanton self- destruction. Then why do
we do it? The resolution of this paradox comes from the idea put forth
by the Israeli biologist Amotz Zahavi, and beautifully explained by
Jared Diamond in his Pulitzer- winning bookThe Rise and Fall of the
Third Chimpanzee.
Zahavi believes that such wanton behaviour is an act of braggadaccio or
showing off, but it too has an evolutionary basis to it; it falls in the
same class as the elaborate dance of the fully-feathered peacock, or the
burdensome but attractive plumes of the bird of paradise. Obviously
these appendages are a bother; without them, the bird can escape a
predator better and live longer. But it is precisely this handicap that
the bird wishes to advertise to potential mates. It says - "look at me.
I must be strong and macho; the fact I have come this far even with this
"handicap" means I have stronger, better-endowed and more desirable
genes. Mate with me, you will have better kids. Mate with my less
well-endowed rival, you will beget wimps". A neat come-hither of the
selfish gene idea!
Alas while this works well with animals, carrying it to self-
destructive levels is sadly human. It is a situation where the mind,
with its self-delusion, takes over the whole body and leads it to a slow
but sure end.
http://www.oregonlive.com:80/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/news/oregonian/00/1
0/sc_41note25.frame
OHSU researchers find genetic link between alcohol, hypertension
Wednesday, October 25, 2000
Doctors long have known that chronic alcohol consumption can lead to
high blood pressure. Now researchers at Oregon Health Sciences
University say they've confirmed that genetics is another important
factor in the relationship between alcohol and hypertension.
OHSU researchers studied five genetically different strains of mice in
their experiment. Because 80 percent of the genetic makeup in mice and
humans is identical, the scientists say the relationship can be
witnessed in both species.
By observing the mice, the scientists were able to determine that one
group underwent an increase in blood pressure in response to alcohol
consumption. The other strains experienced a decrease in blood pressure.
Daniel Hatton, an associate professor of behavioral neuroscience, said
the study "shows that individuals can respond differently to a given
amount of alcohol. However, it's important to stress that outside of a
laboratory setting, many other factors also may influence blood pressure
response to alcohol."
The findings are in the October issue of the journal "Alcoholism:
Clinical and Experimental Research."
http://www.theage.com.au:80/news/20001023/A1498-2000Oct22.html
A toast to the Centaur. In beer, salvation
By TONY STEPHENS, SYDNEY Monday 23 October 2000
George McGrath reckons it was the beer the night before, at the matron's
surprise birthday party, that saved him. And the flying mattress.
He had to get up just after 4am to relieve himself. He was climbing back
into his bunk when the torpedo hit his ship.
Mr McGrath hit the deck running. He leapt overboard barely a minute
before the Centaur sank. When rescued 36 hours later, from an ocean
slicked with oil and menacing with sharks, he wore only the wristwatch
he received as a farewell present from the people of Braidwood, his home
town.
Mr McGrath, of the 2/12th Field Ambulance, was one of only 64 survivors
of the 332 men and women on the hospital ship Centaur. He was the only
survivor from the port side, where the torpedo hit.
A Japanese submarine torpedoed the Centaur 38 kilometres from Stradbroke
Island on May 14, 1943. It was Australia's greatest single Pacific
disaster of World War II.
The ship was painted with red crosses and so brilliantly lit, Geoffrey
Blainey wrote, "that she must have seemed like a floating Luna Park".
Under international law, hospital ships were immune from armed attack.
Professor Blainey said the Centaur incident would probably continue to
influence Australians' attitudes to Japan.
A sculpture in memory of the 2/12th Field Ambulance and the Centaur was
dedicated at the Australian War Memorial yesterday. Mr McGrath, who
lives in Canberra and turns 84 this month, attended.
The 2/12th, formed in 1940, went to Darwin before the Japanese bombed
the town. Some members joined the Gull and Sparrow forces on Ambon and
Timor. Of the 192 on the Centaur sailing for Port Moresby, only 13
survived.
The Australian War Memorial history says: "There was no time to launch
the lifeboats. Of those who managed to get off the burning ship, some
were killed in the water by flying metal, some pulled down by the
suction and others burnt by the flaming oil ... sharks swam round the
rafts ..."
The torpedo hit fuel bunkers, prompting rumors that the ship was
carrying fighting troops and munitions. In their 1993 book Centaur,
Chris Milligan and John Foley rejected the rumors.
The Japanese finally acknowledged, in volume 98 of the Japanese
Self-Defence Agency's official history published in 1979, that Hajime
Nakagawa's submarine 1-177 was responsible for the sinking. Nakagawa
spent six years in jail as a war criminal for ordering submariners to
fire on survivors from torpedoed ships in the Indian Ocean, but American
officers did not have the evidence to press charges over the Centaur.
Mr McGrath said: "We had a generous issue of beer for Matron Sarah
Jewel's birthday party. This saved my life when I had to get up, and my
mattress was sent flying with me, protecting me against the shock and
bits of metal." He spent three weeks in hospital.
J2jurado
(Sunday Sunrise, 10/29)
Sydney, Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Foster's Brewing Group Ltd. is confident that
Australia's No. 1 brewer can stem efforts by No. 2- ranked Lion Nathan Ltd. to
win market share, Foster's Chief Executive Ted Kunkel told Seven Network Ltd.'s
Sunday Sunrise program.
Foster's has about 55.5 percent of the Australian beer market, which makes up
almost 80 percent of its earnings. Sydney- based Lion Nathan, 46 percent-owned
by Japan's Kirin Brewery Co., has about 41.9 percent.
``We're very confident that our brand power can withstand that competitive
activity,'' Kunkel said. ``It is withstanding it at the moment despite some
serious investment by our competitor, but, you can take it from me, we don't
take competitors lightly and we'll respond with our brand power.''
Foster's said Monday that first-quarter beer sales fell more than 2.5 percent
from a year ago, as higher government taxes added about 15 Australian cents to
a glass of beer.
The price paid for draught beer served in a tavern or bar has risen by as much
as 8 percent after the government introduced a new 10 percent Goods and
Services Tax (GST) on most goods and services on July 1. The GST replaces a
raft of wholesale taxes.
Foster's makes Victoria Bitter, the nation's top-selling beer. Shares in
Foster's have gained 2.1 percent so far this year compared with 12.6 percent
for Lion Nathan in that same period.
UK's Pubmaster to bid for Whitbread pubs -paper
LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Pubmaster, a privately-held British company, is
launching a bid for Whitbread's 3,000 pubs and bars, Sunday newspaper The
Observer said.
Whitbread's pubs are estimated to be worth around 1.5 billion pounds ($2.16
billion).
Pubmaster is also looking at pubs on offer from rival brewers Bass Plc and
Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries (W&DB), but its main target is Whitbread's
operations, the report added.
In a separate report, the Sunday Telegraph said W&DB had put the whole of its
850-strong pub estate up for sale in a deal that could be worth 300 million
pounds.
W&DB said earlier this month it was beginning a strategic review which might
lead to an offer for the company. W&DB had earlier rejected a 500 pence per
share indicative bid by leisure entrepreneur Robert Breare, backed by venture
capital firm Botts & Co.
The Sunday Telegraph also said that Royal Bank of Scotland was set to buy 500
pubs from brewer Scottish & Newcastle for 180 million pounds. Its report did
not cite sources.
Whitbread, which is abandoning pubs to concentrate on its hotel and restaurant
operations which are in higher growth areas, is due to report its interim
results on Tuesday.
The company is expected to announce first-half pre-tax profits of 182.1 million
pounds, according to analysts polled by Reuters. Whitbread shares closed at 500
pence on Friday.
Officials at Pubmaster were not immediately available for comment.
Wolverhampton & Dudley Plans 300 Mln Pnds Pubs Sale, Paper Says
(The Sunday Telegraph, 10/29, Business, Page 1)
London, Oct. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Wolverhampton & Dudley Plc, the U.K.'s biggest
regional brewer, wants to sell its chain of 850 pubs for about 300 million
pounds ($437 million), in a bid to halt a 29 percent drop in its shares this
year, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported, citing no sources.
N.M. Rothschild Group, the company's investment banking adviser, began inviting
bids for the business in the past few days, the newspaper said.
Wolverhampton & Dudley said Oct. 9 it began a review that may lead to a
takeover offer for the company. The company rejected a takeover bid from
leisure entrepreneur Robert Breare in August that was worth 566 million pounds,
according to the Daily Telegraph. The Independent said Oct. 25 that Breare may
abandon plans for another bid.
Whitbread Plc, the U.K.'s biggest owner of budget hotels, restaurants and
fitness clubs, Bass Plc, owner of Holiday Inn and and Inter-Continental hotels,
and Scottish & Newcastle, the maker of Kronenbourg beer, are currently looking
to sell about 4,500 pubs between them, the newspaper said.
Kirin Plans to Boost Agricultural Biotech Sales, Jiji Says
(Jiji Press, 10/27)
Tokyo, Oct. 28 (Bloomberg)-- Kirin Brewery Co. aims to double its agricultural
biotechnology sales in five to six years through mergers and acquisitions in
Europe and elsewhere that improve distribution channels, Jiji press reported
yesterday, citing an unnamed company official.
Japan's largest beer maker plans to expand the division's sales to 50 billion
yen ($460 million) in 2005 from the 22 billion yen expected this year, Jiji
said.
The company, which began potato production this year, predicts potato sales
will rise to 5 billion yen and sales of flowers and seedlings to grow to 45
billion yen, Jiji reported.
Kirin said last month it will probably post 50 billion yen in annual group net
income for 2003 on sales of 1.68 trillion yen, as cost cuts offset slow growth
in beer sales.
Brazil's AmBev To Invest $60M In Energy Cogeneration
Dow Jones Newswires 10-28-00
U.S. OJ makers urged to move beyond breakfast niche
ORLANDO, Fla., Oct 27 (Reuters) - Orange juice makers, faced with bumper crops
and flagging prices, must expand the appeal of their product beyond the
breakfast table by doing things like changing packaging, according to a report.
"We're still viewed as a breakfast beverage. That's limiting," Dan Gunter, an
industry consultant who has worked with the industry for several years, said in
presenting the report with Tom Spreen, an agricultural economist with the
University of Florida in Gainesville.
Gunter, presenting the report with Spreen at the U.S. Citrus Industry
Conference in Orlando, said the industry should find a way to convince people
to consume orange juice at any time of the day.
Gunter said the industry needs to come up with the "next wave of packaging" for
its products to help expand sales.
He stressed that the standard 64-ounce carton hawked in supermarket shelves
will simply not fit in something like a cars' cup holder compared to competing
fortified beverages and functional drinks.
He said that like marketers of functional beverages, the makers of orange juice
must a large share of their marketing dollar to convey a hip appeal to the U.S.
audience. He also says producers must satisfy the needs of bar owners and
on-premise sales, including kegged orange juice for deivery into frosted mugs
as an alternative to beer.
Industry officials said juice consumption has been stagnant of late at a time
when prices are depressed due to bumper crops and the high level of stocks in
leading orange growers like the U.S. and Brazil.
Scientists Studying Mummification
10-29-00 By BEN NUCKOL .c The Associated Press
BALTIMORE (AP) - A glass-top coffin allowed a filtered view of the plain white
linen keeping the mummy preserved. A small crowd assembled around the coffin,
eager and curious to learn about the creation of this modern-day King Tut, a
corpse named Mumab that was treated with preservation techniques reserved for
pharoahs and their families.
The mummy was embalmed in 1994 by Ronald Wade of the University of Maryland
Medical Center and Bob Brier of Long Island University. It was the first mummy
in at least 2,800 years to be made using the tools and techniques of ancient
Egypt. And it was on display recently while Wade conducted a seminar at the
annual convention of the National Funeral Directors Association.
The only thing missing was the elegant sarcophagus.
``I don't think, candidly, that mummification has any practical purpose in
contemporary funeral practice,'' said Mike Ruck, a Baltimore funeral director.
Still, he and his colleagues saw the seminar as more than an educational
opportunity.
John McDonough, a funeral director from Lowell, Mass., said it's not
implausible to think that customers might one day choose to be mummified
instead of having their bodies disposed of.
``There are a certain number of people who want unique things,'' he said. ``As
unpopular as cremation was in its infancy, who knows? Maybe people would want
to preserve their bodies eternally.''
When Wade and Brier began the process of removing fluids and internal organs
from the corpse, it weighed 172 pounds. It now tips the scales at just 69
pounds.
``He's still losing weight,'' said Wade, director of the state Anatomy Board.
``Every time we weigh him, he's lighter.'' The weight loss comes from the
method by which the Egyptians removed moisture from the body cavity. After
removing the organs, Wade and Brier covered every square inch of the body with
natron, a naturally occurring sodium compound used as a desiccating agent by
the Egyptians.
Packets of natron were placed inside the body cavity where the organs were
removed, and palm wine was used to disinfect the interior, including the skull
cavity. The corpse was left under the natron in a closed room for 35 days.
Natron draws water out of the flesh at an astonishing rate. When Wade and Brier
inspected the mummy after 35 days, it had lost 80 pounds in water weight.
``When we entered that room,'' Wade said, ``we knew we were seeing something
that hadn't been seen for at least 2,800 years.''
The Egyptians cared for their dead using replicas of ancient Egyptian embalming
tools, one hundred yards of fine Egyptian linen, more than 600 pounds of
natron, frankincense and myrrh, oil of cedar, palm wine and natural resins.
By taking the tools used in Egypt and figuring out their purpose by trial and
error, Wade and Brier solved an enduring mystery of mummification: How exactly
did the ancient Egyptians remove the brain through the nose?
Wade and Brier found they were able to make a passageway the size of a nickel
into the sinus cavity, through which they inserted a spiral-shaped tool that
was maneuvered all the way to the back of the brain.
Using a whisking motion, the scientists liquefied the brain tissue and flushed
it with water. When the nostrils were pointed face down, the brain simply
drained out of the skull.
``I was amazed. I really didn't know about how they got the brain out,''
McDonough said.
He wondered aloud about the amount Wade would charge to preserve a body
eternally, but Wade politely declined to consider the possibility. ``If a
person has the economic means, and that's what they wanted to do, I suppose
they could find someone,'' Wade said.
Wade's choice of the corpse was based on its size, age and manner of death. He
wanted someone who had not suffered from cancer or any infectious disease that
could make the body a health hazard, someone who had not undergone any major
surgeries. The perfect candidate turned out to be a 187-pound man in his 70s
who had died of a heart attack.
The man's name has not been made public, and Wade told his family only that the
body was being used for a long-term research project. For Wade, the mummy was
the culmination of a lifetime of scientific curiosity.
``I have a special affinity for mummies,'' he said. ``My ninth-grade science
project was on mummification. I wanted to use the neighbor's cat, but she
wouldn't give it up, so I used a rat.''
No specific regulations govern mummification, Wade said. He and Brier were
bound only by the rules that govern donated corpses, and the man who was
mummified had donated his body unconditionally for research purposes. As long
as the body would not become a biological hazard, Wade said, the scientists
were free to preserve it as they chose.
The mummy was part of a hugely successful exhibit at the Museum of Man in San
Diego from February 1998 to October 1999, but currently resides in a lab at the
Anatomical Services Division of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
While bodies are being embalmed in any variety of ways these days, Wade and
Brier are the only ones to follow the process of the ancient Egyptians.
Summum, a new-age religious group based in Salt Lake City, offers mummification
of people and their pets, but their process makes use of modern technology.
Instead of natron, the body is ``immersed in a special preservation solution
made up of certain liquids, some of which are chemicals used in genetic
engineering,'' according to the group's Web site.
On the Net:
National Funeral Directors Association: http://www.nfda.org
University of Maryland Medical Center: http://www.umm.edu
Summum: http://www.summum.org/summum.htm
Cop Kills Actor at Halloween Party
By LEON DROUIN KEITH .c The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (Oct. 29) - A costume party guest fatally shot by a police officer
after he allegedly pointed a fake gun had told friends he feared getting killed
by police.
``His biggest fear was getting killed by cops, because he's a tall black man.
He said that before,'' Mary Lin, a friend of the victim's, told the Los Angeles
Times.
Anthony Dwain Lee, 39, died at the West Los Angeles mansion where he was shot
shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday. It wasn't clear if he knew the officer he
pointed a gun at was a real policeman, or if he thought he was just another
partygoer in a Halloween costume, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman
said.
Lee was an actor who had appeared in small TV and film roles, including on the
shows ``ER'' and ``NYPD Blue'' and as the character Fred in the 1997 Jim Carrey
movie, ``Liar Liar.''
Police said several hundred people, many of them in costume, were at the
Benedict Canyon mansion, known to some as ``the Castle'' for its extravagant
design. Officer Tarriel Hopper and his partner went there in response to a
noise complaint, and were looking for the mansion's owner as they walked along
an outside walkway.
Police reported that the officers looked through a window and saw Lee and two
other people in a room. Lee looked up toward Hopper and allegedly pointed a gun
that looked authentic in his direction, police Officer Charlotte Broughton
said.
Hopper responded by firing several rounds from his weapon through the window.
Investigators later determined Lee's gun was fake.
``It does not appear that (the officer) did anything wrong,'' Broughton said.
``When somebody has what appears to be an authentic weapon, you respond the way
you're trained to respond.''
Hopper, 27, has been with the department three years, police said. The shooting
is being investigated by the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division and a team from
the district attorney's office.
Partygoer Rick Hull told KTLA-TV in Los Angeles that Lee raised his toy gun
after an officer shined a flashlight into the room, and that officers did not
identify themselves before the shooting.
``I can't explain why the officer would shoot someone at a costume party who
might have had a toy gun,'' Lee's younger sister, Tina Vogt, told KTTV-TV in
Los Angeles.
``I don't think they can give me the kind of answers that I need, quite
honestly,'' said Vogt, who works in the chief's office in the Sacramento Police
Department.
A friend of Lee, Kirsten Blackburn, said he was a ``man of peace,'' a Buddhist
who worked with a youth organization, adding, ``This is so incredibly shocking
that a person would be taken down like this.''
Lee was wearing a black sweat shirt, a black vest and tan pants, said county
coroner's Lt. Dan Aikin. It was not immediately clear whether he had had a mask
on at the time of the shooting.
A friend of 15 years who was not at the party, Mitch Hale, told the Los Angeles
Times that Lee usually wore a devil mask costume with a hood and carried a
replica gun to Halloween parties as a reminder of his past. As a youth in
Northern California, Lee had followed the gangster life before becoming an
actor and eventually moving to Los Angeles, Hale said.
Defrocked Monk Tells of Escapades
.c The Associated Press
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) 10-29-00 - A Buddhist abbot defrocked and detained for
misconduct has told the police that more than 10 other monks had sexual
escapades while masquerading as military officers, a newspaper reported Sunday.
Police have taken the allegations by Wanchai Oonsap seriously and are
investigating the other monks, the Nation newspaper said, quoting Col. Thawee
Sodsong, the commander of the police Crime Suppression Division. Police were
not immediately available for comment.
If proved, Wanchai's allegations will further erode the faith among people in
the Thai Buddhist clergy, which has traditionally been held in high esteem in
this predominantly Buddhist country.
Wanchai, known by his clerical name Thammathorn Wanchai before being expelled
from the clergy, was arrested Wednesday in a fake army colonel's uniform while
driving a Mercedes Benz.
A search of his secret residence later revealed pornographic magazines and
videos, women's underwear and beer.
Thailand's monks have come under scrutiny for frequent sexual and financial
misconduct in the last few years. They became the butt of ridicule earlier this
month after two monks were defrocked for allegedly frequenting a karaoke bar
wearing wigs to hide their shaved heads.
Buddhist monks are required to live a life of celibacy and abstinence and
practice poverty in the path to enlightenment.
Wanchai, the abbot of a provincial temple outside Bangkok, had apparently been
living a good life in violation of his monastic vows for a long time, the
Bangkok Post newspaper said.
He was caught after an undercover operation in which ITV, a national television
network, kept him under surveillance for two days and videotaped his activities
that included receiving two women at his secret residence. The women spent two
nights in the apartment, police and ITV said.
Wanchai, 43, faces a maximum five years in jail for posing as a military
officer.
If convicted of having sex while being in the monastic community, Wanchai would
be permanently banished from temple life, the Nation said.
J2jurado
After many dry years, county-brewed beers flowing again
By DAN BENSON of the Journal Sentinel staff Oct. 28, 2000
Port Washington - With Cedarburg's Silver Creek Brewery on the horizon,
Ozaukee County is enjoying a beer-making renaissance of sorts.
Photo/Michael SearsJeff Kolar, Port Washington Brewing Co. brewmaster, checks a
control
panel. The brewery started selling beer throughout southeastern
Wisconsin last year.
Matt Thompson, Harbor City Brewing operations manager, moves some
bottled beer to the loading dock. Harbor City has been brewing since
1996.
There was a time when almost every Ozaukee County community had at least
one brewery. Gordon Engeldinger says you can still see their remnants if
you know where to look.
"There were a lot more breweries than locals realize," said Engeldinger,
who is in the process of co-writing a book on Ozaukee County breweries.
The Thiensville resident also is vice president of the Mequon Historical
Society.
By Engeldinger's count, Ozaukee County has been home to about 10
breweries. The oldest, longest-running and largest was in Port
Washington. Generally known as the Port Washington Brewing Co., it
lasted 100 years, from 1847 to 1947, and was most famous for its Premo
brand. Its advertising - "The beer that made Milwaukee furious - tweaked
its competition to the south.
But since World War II, no local beer had been brewed until June 1996,
when Harbor City Brewing moved into the ice block plant on Grand Ave.
here and began bottling its three signature brands - Mile Rock Amber
Ale, Transcendental Wheat (now called Harvest Wheat) and Main Street
Brown Ale.
A month later, the Port Washington Brewing Co. started brewing beer at
the Smith Bros. restaurant brewpub downtown. Last year, Port Washington
Brewing began selling it in taverns and stores throughout southeast
Wisconsin, competing directly with Harbor City.
"It's a friendly competition," said Jeff Kolar, Port Washington
Brewing's brewmaster, whose year-round beers are Pier 96 Lager, Amber
Ale and Old Port Porter. He also brews a number of seasonal beers, such
as a black cherry porter and a wheat beer. And he brews root beer and
plans on bottling it soon.
Mitch Thompson, brewmaster at Harbor City, also sees it as a friendly
competition among microbrewers and welcomes Silver Creek to the fold.
"I definitely support my local brewers," he said. "As we say, 'Think
globally, drink locally.' "
Thompson and Kolar both market their beers through beer tastings held
for private groups or at beer shows, such as a recent Homebrewers
Association convention in Madison that attracted about 6,000 people and
more than 60 breweries.
Kolar said he conducts about 20 tastings a year.
"In the fall we do a tasting about every week," Thompson said. "It's a
nice face-to-face time with our customers, and we can hear what they
like and answer questions."
Thompson said Harbor City's business has doubled this year to about
1,500 barrels. Kolar will sell about 600 barrels this year, but he hopes
to grow significantly next year when he introduces his bottled root
beer.
Harbor City brews and bottles all its beer at its Grand Ave. facility.
No beer is served there, other than samples served during tours each
Saturday.
Kolar brews beer only at the Smith Bros. brewpub, which houses a
10-gallon brewhouse. His bottled beers are brewed, according to his
recipes, by Pioneer Brewing in Black River Falls. Bottles account for
about 25% of his sales, Kolar said.
Microbreweries command only about 7% of the beer-drinking market, but
Kolar and Thompson say the more breweries the merrier.
"Our biggest challenge is to take drinkers away from the mainstream
brewers," said Thompson. "The more people are willing to become educated
and to experiment, then the more likely they are to try our beers."
http://www.sltrib.com:80/10302000/utah/38170.htm
Smokes Join Beer on List of No-Nos At Medals Plaza for 2002 Games
October 30, 2000 BY REBECCA WALSH THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Salt Lake City's Olympic medals plaza will be alfresco. No roof. No
permanent walls. Still, with security fences surrounding the parking lot at
300 West
and South Temple, the whole block will fall under Utah's Indoor Clean
Air Act. So smokers will have to puff outside the gate.
Salt Lake Organizing Committee President Mitt Romney already has
nixed the idea of beer at the plaza. That leaves coffee, tea and hot
chocolate as the only cold-weather stimulants that will be allowed there
during the 2002 Winter Games.
"Our plans are to serve hot drinks," said spokeswoman Caroline Shaw.
A less likely beverage of choice, Coke, also will be sold at the plaza.
Coca-Cola is an Olympic sponsor.
That menu begs questions of both the block's owner, The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Olympic organizers.
When Romney first panned the idea of alcohol on the property last
month, he cited concern for impressionable children. He also listed
sensitivity to the owner's wishes as another worry. The LDS Church's
Word of Wisdom, a list of dietary guidelines, forbids members from
drinking alcohol and hot drinks (defined as coffee and tea) and smoking.
Church leaders were grateful for the consideration on the beer issue.
"We commend Mitt Romney's principled stand on eliminating alcohol
from the medals plaza," said a church statement. "There are plenty of
other locations where alcoholic beverages are likely to be available."
In an Oct. 12 memo to SLOC board members, Romney argues the issue of
alcohol sales during the Games should be decided on a venue-by-venue
basis. Alcohol is expected to be sold at a beer garden just outside the
medals plaza. But Romney would like to ban alcohol inside.
"There are numerous considerations that go into this decision. Making
beer available would seem more hospitable to many of our guests," he
wrote. "It may quiet the current firestorm with a number of sectors of
our community.
"However, other concerns argue against selling beer there, including
security considerations for a site with a large standing audience and a
several hour event, the desire to attract families to a no-cost event,
the potential to ignite a firestorm from other sectors, and LDS Church
ownership of the property. . . . Everyone understands that, out of
respect to the LDS Church, which owns and has donated the land for a
medals plaza, one would not expect beer to be served there."
Olympic alcohol policies have been scheduled for discussion at SLOC's
Nov. 9 board meeting. The plaza smoking ban is easy to justify. Sports
stadiums nationwide -- including Rice-Eccles Stadium, site of the
opening and closing ceremonies during the 2002 Games -- have adopted
no-smoking rules in recent years.
SLOC leaders want to avoid any religious overtones. "I'm not here to
explain the LDS Church position on coffee, smoking or alcohol," Shaw
said. "I'm not going to get into a discussion of the position of the LDS
Church."
But Mayor Rocky Anderson says Olympic organizers can't avoid the
discussion. Salt Lake City leaders argued against placing an Olympic
venue on church-owned property, lobbying instead for their own, public
sites. But their concerns were overshadowed when the church donated the
property and $5 million to fix it up in time for the Games. The recent
debate about alcohol only highlights the problems with the block, the
mayor says.
"When people say this has nothing to do with religion, they're
wrong," Anderson said. "Mitt Romney and others have always said we
simply can't do it. The property is owned by the LDS Church. I
understand that. But let's be forthright about what the reasons are."
And some SLOC board members are irritated they have been left out of
the debate entirely.
"I'm always amazed at how we read in the paper what we're going to
decide at the next board meeting," said Ken Bullock, director of the
Utah League of Cities and Towns.
http://www.jsonline.com:80/bym/news/oct00/beer30102900a.asp
Miller Brewing results are genuinely flat
Ineffective advertising, discounting hurt brewer
By TOM DAYKIN of the Journal Sentinel staff Oct. 29, 2000
At a time when U.S. beer sales are rising, Miller Brewing Co. seems like
the one brewer that didn't get invited to the party.
Photo/Benny Sieu- Tony Zukauskis watches the beer canning line at Miller
Brewing Co.'s
Milwaukee plant. Miller's third-quarter sales and profit results lagged
behind rivals Anheuser-Busch and Coors.
• Graphic: Flat results
Miller's recent third-quarter results showed a decline in volume sales
and revenue, while quarterly results from rivals Anheuser-Busch Inc. and
Adolph Coors Co. showed strong sales growth and double-digit earnings
increases.
Miller, the nation's No. 2 brewer, is lagging behind No. 1
Anheuser-Busch and No. 3 Coors largely because its ads are not as
effective, said Jennifer Solomon, a brewing industry analyst at Salomon
Smith Barney.
"Bud and Coors are resonating with the consumer," Solomon said. "It just
hasn't been happening with Miller."
Miller President John Bowlin agreed that ads for his company's two
largest brands - Lite and Genuine Draft - must improve. He said that's
happening, and said the results from those improved ad campaigns will
come with time.
But Bowlin also said Miller is still recovering from the effects of past
mistakes made in discounting prices for Lite, Genuine Draft and other
brands. Those discounts were done to raise sales, but they also posed a
risk of cheapening the brands' long-term image, Bowlin said.
So Bowlin took steps earlier this year to aggressively close the price
gap between Miller's top-selling brands and their rivals.
"We took a (sales) volume hit because of that," Bowlin said. "More than
I liked, to be blunt. But it was the right thing to do."
The higher prices - while reducing sales volume and revenue - were a
major factor in Miller's 3.6% increase in its third-quarter operating
income.
With the higher prices now intact - and the ads improving - Miller is
ready to rebound, Bowlin said.
"For the first time in years, we can go back on the offensive again,"
Bowlin said. "We expect to have a very strong future at Miller Brewing,
starting in 2001."
Said Solomon, "I think they're moving in the right direction."
Improving the ads
When Bowlin replaced the fired Jack MacDonough in April 1999, he vowed
to create "world-class advertising."
In January, Miller unveiled its new campaign for Genuine Draft. The
television spots, which use the tag line "Never Miss a Genuine
Opportunity," received high marks from Miller's wholesale distributors.
A second set of ads in that campaign is scheduled to debut in November.
"We feel good about the current ads," Bowlin said. "And we feel great
about the ads we are going to put on the air."
Meanwhile, the Lite campaign, which started in March, began airing a new
set of television spots in September.
"They're a lot better" than previous ads for Lite, said Paul Roller,
president of Miller Brands of Milwaukee, a wholesale distributor.
In addition, Miller has continued its campaign for High Life, the
company's No. 3 brand, which features the gravel-voiced narration of the
"High Life man." That campaign has won critical acclaim within the
advertising trade press since it began airing in 1998.
Until the most recent spots, the ads for Lite - Miller's most important
brand - were not as good as the spots for arch-rival Bud Light, Bowlin
said.
"We spent $100 million a year on Lite . . . and what do you think of
when you think about Lite? The Lite All-Stars," Bowlin said. He ruefully
noted that the long-running All-Stars campaign, which featured
celebrities such as actor and Milwaukee Brewers play-by-play man Bob
Uecker and comedian Rodney Dangerfield, stopped airing in 1990.
Lite's sales were up around 1% during the third quarter, but Bowlin
wants to see sales increases of 4% to 5%.
Improving Lite's sales picture is especially critical because of
continuing industry-wide sales increases within the overall light beer
segment.
Premium-priced light beers such as Lite, Bud Light and Coors Light
accounted for 30.6% of U.S. beer sales in 1999, according to Beer
Marketer's Insights. That's up from 27.3% in 1997, and coincides with a
decline in sales among regular premium beers such as Genuine Draft,
Budweiser and Coors Original.
Bowlin said Anheuser-Busch has capitalized on that trend by pushing
sales not only of Bud Light, but also by aggressively marketing its
other light beers such as Michelob Light, Natural Light and Busch Light.
Miller, Bowlin said, until recently has failed to use a similar strategy
with beers such as High Life Light and Milwaukee's Best Light.
"Shame on us," he said. "But we're doing it now."
Closing the price gap
Meanwhile, Miller has closed a price gap that Bowlin said existed
between the company's top brands and those of its rivals. While prices
vary depending on local market conditions, it wasn't unusual to find
Genuine Draft selling at 90 cents per case below Budweiser, or Lite
selling at 60 cents per case below Bud Light, he said.
Those discounts, including some for High Life, "inflated our brand
loyalty," Bowlin said.
"How much (sales) volume did we rent with excessive price discounting?"
he asked.
Miller planned to raise prices over two years in order to gradually
close the gap, Bowlin said. He instead decided to close the price gap
quickly, which led to the third-quarter sales volume decline.
Despite the steeper-than-expected sales decline, Bowlin said the price
increases will pay off in the long run. Miller can now focus on selling
its brands based on their strengths, instead of just relying on
discounts, he said.
Also, the price increases have helped raise profits at Miller, he said.
In addition, Bowlin said, Miller has greatly improved relations with its
wholesale distributors, and has improved its sales force with a
reorganization earlier this year, two points that Roller of Miller
Brands affirmed.
Finally, Miller has discarded some brands that weren't working.
Earlier this year, the company phased out production of Miller brand
beer which was launched with great fanfare in 1996. Miller beer was
supposed to compete directly with Budweiser, but it instead fizzled and
ultimately failed.
Also, Miller announced recently that it had agreed to an early
termination of a 1997 deal that gave Miller the right to sell Molson
brands in the United States. Montreal-based Molson Inc. agreed to pay
$133 million to regain total control over its brands. Molson then
announced last week that Coors has agreed to pay Molson $65 million to
enter a joint venture for selling the Molson brands in the United
States.
Miller still has a lot to do. Bowlin noted that just 65% of Miller's
sales are generated by premium-priced brands such as Lite and Genuine
Draft. That compares with 75% of Anheuser-Busch's sales generated by
premium brands and 88% of Coors' sales, he said.
"That's a reality we have to deal with," Bowlin said.
Also, many Miller wholesale distributors also sell Coors brands, said
Solomon, of Salomon Smith Barney. Because they have Coors Light - a
hot-selling brand - those distributors may not have as much incentive to
push sales of Miller Lite to supermarkets, convenience stores, taverns
and other customers, Solomon said.
Bowlin said the higher prices and improved ads set the stage for Miller
to increase the sales of its core brands, which he said includes Lite,
Genuine Draft, High Life, Icehouse and Foster's.
"We should begin growing those businesses next year," Bowlin said.
Beer bottle ban plan under consideration
Monday 30 October, 2000
The ACT Government is considering a ban on the sale of beer in glass
containers outside licensed premises in an effort to reduce injuries at New
Year's eve street parties and other public functions.
The Government says it wants to prevent a repeat of scenes at public
celebrations where beer glasses and stubbies have been used as weapons.
Simon Birmingham of the Australian Hotels Association says the industry wants
more details about the plan.
"The hotel industry [is looking] for a sensible ban for off-licence use that
ensured public safety requirements were met, however we'd just be concerned if
that was extended to on-licence premises," he said. © 2000 Australian
Broadcasting Corporation.
Wine Institute Statement: President Signs '21st Amendment Enforcement Act'
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- President Clinton signed into law the
"Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000," which includes Senator Orrin
Hatch's (R-Utah) S. 577, the "21st Amendment Enforcement Act," as amended by
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).
S. 577 allows state Attorneys General federal court jurisdiction to pursue
potential civil injunctive relief for alleged violations of state law
regulating the importation or transportation of alcohol. Those news reports
that initially claimed that S. 577 will "halt Internet sales of wine" are
clearly in error. Quite to the contrary, the legal framework already in place
allowing consumers to receive interstate shipments in 20 states and intrastate
shipments in 30 states will remain intact. The new law does not provide for
either civil damages or criminal penalties and will not adversely affect
businesses currently making legal shipments.
With the passage of S. 577, including the Feinstein amendment, Congress and the
President for the first time have recognized that the powers vested in the
states by the 21st Amendment are not absolute. This mirrors the last 35 years
of Supreme Court interpretation of limited state power under the 21st
Amendment, requiring the courts to balance state authority under the 21st
Amendment with other constitutional rights such as the commerce clause, the due
process clause, and the First Amendment. Therefore, in order to gain
injunctive relief, a state Attorney General must prove that state law has been
violated, and that the law is a valid exercise of power under the 21st
Amendment and not inconsistent with any other provision of the Constitution.
The President's signature does not grant states any additional power nor
endorse any state alcohol laws.
In fact, political closure at the federal level of this highly controversial
issue provides an additional incentive for Wine Institute to continue working
vigorously at the state level to open the remaining states to allow limited
direct shipments of wine to adult citizens. Just as he first stated in May,
1999, at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) annual convention in
Boston, Wine Institute President & CEO John De Luca once again makes a direct
call to WSWA, "We invite the wholesaler community to work with our organization
and consumer groups to craft creative solutions state-by-state as we have since
1985."
S. 577 may well prove beneficial in future litigation, as it is clear that
certain state alcohol laws are discriminatory and anti-competitive. These laws
protect the wholesalers, and harm consumer choice and hundreds of small
wineries that are locked out of the 65-year-old distribution system. State
laws that encroach on interstate commerce, or other constitutionally guaranteed
rights, are being challenged by wineries and consumers in New York, Texas,
Florida, Virginia, Indiana, Michigan and North Carolina.
De Luca praised the many members of Congress, especially Senator Feinstein and
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), for the legal
procedural safeguards included in the final version of S. 577. Their
Congressional Record statements are available at www.wineinstitute.org in the
What's New? section.
Japan Olympic star got buzz from hornet juice
TOKYO, Oct 16 (Reuters) - A Japanese marathon star who won Olympic gold in
Sydney got a crucial extra buzz by drinking the stomach juice of giant, killer
hornets.
Naoko Takahashi, who became a national heroine by winning the women's marathon,
drank the unusual beverage before and during the race after Japanese scientists
found it gave an astonishing boost to human performance.
The drink, being 100 percent natural, does not fall foul of Olympic laws
against performance-enhancing drugs.
Scientists at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research near Tokyo found
the juice helped the three-inch (8 cm) long hornets to fly the equivalent of
more than two marathons in search of food -- and had a similar effect on
humans.
The juice reduced muscle fatigue and improved the body's efficiency, according
to scientists.
"We are delighted that the fruits of our research have been recognised through
Naoko Takahashi's success," a spokesman for the institute told Reuters on
Monday.
A Japanese firm, Meiji Milk Products (2261.T), has reproduced the raw juice and
is now marketing it as an energy drink, and a major japanese brewery is looking
at incorporating the substance in a "Marathon" themed beer.
Takahashi was the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic athletics gold. The
government said last week it was planning to present her with the rarely
bestowed People's Honour Award.
Pernod <PERP.A> holds to Seagram view on rum deal
PARIS, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Pernod Ricard said on Monday it was holding to a
statement by Canada's Seagram that Puerto Rican distiller Destileria Serralles
would have right of first refusal over Captain Morgan rum only if that brand
were sold off alone.
"We have no comment before our lawyers have been able to meet those of Seagram
and those of Diageo, and we hold to the statement issued by Seagram saying that
this accord has no value," a Pernod spokesman said.
The French drinks company is teaming up with Britain's Diageo <DGE.L> to bid
for the drinks division that Seagram <VO.N> is divesting as part of its merger
with France's Vivendi <EAUG.PA>.
On Friday, rival spirits titan Allied Domecq <ALLD.L> said it had secured the
rights to the key Captain Morgan rum brand, regardless of whether or not its
bid for the division succeeds, by striking a deal with Destileria Serralles.
Destileria Serralles supplies rum to Seagram and has first refusal to purchase
the Captain Morgan brand. Allied said Destileria Serralles had agreed to cede
it that right should another party gain control of Seagram's wines and spirits.
But Seagram said in a statement that its sale of the Joseph E. Seagram & Sons
drinks company would not trigger the Puerto Rican distiller's first right of
refusal since it was the whole company, not just the Captain Morgan brand, that
was being sold.
"In that case, Destileria Serralles' right and its alliance with Allied Domecq
would not have any impact on the proposed sale of Seagram's spirits and wine
business," Seagram said.
Industry sources say Pernod is likely to stick to its bid for Seagram's drinks
business, unless Diageo changed its mind.
Seagram has about 12 important brands, including Crown Royal Canadian whisky,
Martell cognac and Chivas Regal. Industry analysts say Captain Morgan is
particularly crucial to Diageo, whose drinks cabinet does not include a rum
label.
Leapin' Lizards! PepsiCo Agrees to Acquire South Beach Beverage Co.
PURCHASE, N.Y., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo, Inc. today said it has reached
a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in the South Beach Beverage
Company, whose highly innovative SoBe brand has made it one of the industry's
most successful companies.
SoBe, whose distinctive logo includes two dueling green lizards, is the fastest
growing brand in the rapidly expanding market for non-carbonated alternative
beverages. SoBe, which built its business with a highly creative grassroots
approach to marketing, offers a wide range of drinks with herbal ingredients.
PepsiCo said that SoBe will be operated as a separate unit and continue to be
led by its co-founder and chief executive John Bello (a.k.a. "Lizard King"),
who will retain an equity stake in the company. SoBe, which will continue to
be based in Norwalk, Conn., will report through Pepsi-Cola North America
president and chief executive officer Gary Rodkin.
"SoBe is an extraordinary brand that will be terrific for PepsiCo," said
Rodkin. "SoBe enables us to enter the exploding market for new age
refreshment. At the same time it will expand our innovation capabilities and
strengthen our link with young consumers. And based on the initial popularity
of SoBe in several markets outside the U.S., the opportunities for the brand
may be truly global."
"We believe that the creative, entrepreneurial SoBe culture will work well
alongside Pepsi-Cola Company, which has a long record of innovation and
building youthful brands," Rodkin said. "We intend to give SoBe the freedom
and autonomy to preserve its unique culture, plus direct access to the
advantages of the larger Pepsi-Cola system."
"For SoBe, PepsiCo is the perfect fit," said John Bello, chief executive
officer and co-founder of SoBe. "Like Pepsi, SoBe is a special brand that has
a special connection with consumers. Pepsi has the talent, resources, energy
and commitment to help take SoBe to the next level. It will be a rocket ride.
Lizard lovers rejoice!"
The acquisition includes a full range of SoBe products, including fruit blends,
energy drinks, dairy-based drinks, exotic teas and other beverages with herbal
ingredients.
Pepsi-Cola Company's portfolio of non-carbonated beverages includes: Aquafina,
the #1 brand of bottled water; Lipton, the #1 brand of ready-to- drink tea in
the United States; Frappuccino, the #1 ready-to-drink coffee beverage; and
FruitWorks, a new line of non-carbonated fruit drinks. These brands complement
PepsiCo's much larger stable of carbonated soft drink brands, including:
Pepsi-Cola, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi ONE, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Slice and Mug.
PepsiCo expects the transaction to be non-dilutive to earnings in 2001 and
accretive in 2002.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. J.P. Morgan is serving as advisor
to SoBe on the transaction. The Low-Down on the Lizard: SoBe Facts
* Norwalk, CT-based South Beach Beverage Company -- better known as "SoBe"
-- was co-founded in 1995 by John Bello, CEO and "Lizard King," and
Tom Schwalm, VP and managing partner.
* SoBe is one of the fastest growing brands in the rapidly expanding
alternative beverage market. In the five years since its inception,
SoBe has effectively created the category of beverages with herbal ingredients.
* With an intensely loyal following among active young adults, SoBe's iconic
logo features a pair of dueling lizards, which has become the basis for
advertising, marketing and an apparel-merchandising program.
The quintessential grassroots marketer, its unique advertising messages urge
consumers: "SoBe Yourself."
* Tightening its connection with active consumers, SoBe's sports marketing
program, "Team Lizard," features a roster of edgy world-class athletes -- from
skateboarding to snowboarding and mountain biking.
* More than doubling its case volume in each of the last three years, SoBe has
a strong presence across multiple categories, including exotic teas, energy
drinks, fruit blends, dairy drinks and other nutrient-enhanced beverages.
* SoBe currently offers more than 30 different functional beverages. Its
product lines include 3G Teas, 3C Elixirs, Powerline, Enlightenment, Erect
Lizard, Lean and Essentials, Ice, Sports System and Adrenaline Rush.
* SoBe's package mix includes distinctive 14- and 20-ounce glass bottles,
20-ounce plastic sport bottles, 11.5-ounce cans and 11-ounce aseptic packages.
SoBe is available at convenience stores, grocery stores, mass merchandisers,
warehouse clubs, delis, gas marts, military bases and other outlets, as well as
select restaurants and hotels.
* SoBe has existing agreements with more than 300 independent distributors
-- including various soft drink bottlers, beer wholesalers and alternative
beverage distributors -- operating in parts of all 50 states and certain
international markets. Its most highly developed markets are in the western
United States. SoBe's availability outside the US includes Canada, Bermuda,
Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and a few other markets.
* Ten contract packers in North America currently produce SoBe.
J2jurado
DENVER, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Coors Brewing Company and Kroenke Sports
Enterprises (KSE) today launched an innovative program at Denver's Pepsi Center
to promote responsible drinking and prevent drunk driving.
Officials from Coors, KSE, Pepsi Center concessioner Aramark, the city of
Denver and the Colorado State Patrol kicked off "Designated Winners," a unique
partnership effort that provides complimentary non-alcoholic beverages to
designated drivers at Pepsi Center. The program also provides a free cab ride
home to any Pepsi Center fan that has had too much to drink.
"We at Coors are serious when it comes to drunk driving," said Carl Barnhill,
senior vice president, Sales, Coors Brewing Company. "By teaming up with Pepsi
Center, Aramark and Yellow Cab, and with the support of Denver and state
officials, we're able to offer our community a terrific program -- Designated
Winners. Our goal is simple -- to eliminate drunk driving incidents associated
with events at Pepsi Center."
Designated drivers can obtain a special Designated Winners wristband at Pepsi
Center. This entitles them to complimentary Pepsi products or Coors
Non-Alcoholic beer during games. After the game, the designated driver can
drive friends or loved ones home safely.
In addition, for those fans who have too much to drink at the game but do not
have a designated driver, the Designated Winners program will provide them with
a free taxi ride home in a Denver Yellow Cab.
"Fans are our first priority at Pepsi Center," said Gene Felling, Pepsi Center
general manager. "Designated Winners provides a sensible option for ensuring a
safe fan experience, even after our events are over."
"Pepsi Center is a world class facility, and our fans are certainly world class
also," said Don Elliman, president of Kroenke Sports. "We are excited to have
our fans join the Designated Winners team."
Designated Winners received the full support of the city of Denver and of the
Colorado State Patrol. Ari Zavaras, Denver's manager of safety, and Colonel
Lonnie Westphal, chief, Colorado State Patrol, both attended the program's kick
off event and lauded the effort.
"Once again the business community has come forward to assist law enforcement
with the very real problem of drunk drivers," said Zavaras. "We are
appreciative to Coors, the Pepsi Center and the private sector for their help."
Designated Winners is available at all Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche
games, as well as all special events and concerts at Pepsi Center. A Designated
Winners information kiosk is located at the top of escalators leading from
Pepsi Center's Grand Atrium. The program also will be promoted over the Pepsi
Center public address system during games and special events.
Aramark, the food and beverage contractor at Pepsi Center, will help manage and
execute the program.
Big Rock Brewery Ltd.2nd Quarter 2001 Results
CALGARY, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ - Big Rock Brewery Ltd. (Nasdaq: <A
HREF="aol://4785:BEERF">BEERF</A>) (TSE: BR)
Big Rock Brewery is pleased to announce that for the 2nd quarter ended
September 30, 2000 the Company's net earnings were $660,371 or $0.14/share.
This represents a 20% increase over the same period last year.
Our new marketing initiatives have resulted in strong sales for the quarter.
The Company has made these sales gains in a market which was relatively flat.
Big Rock has continued to aggressively pay down its long-term debt which was
reduced by $460,859. during the quarter.
A new Normal Course Issuer Bid was approved by the TSE during the quarter which
allows the Company to acquire and cancel up to 265,000 of its common shares
during the period from August 28, 2000 to August 27, 2001. Pursuant to which
Big Rock acquired 8,000 shares at an average price of $5.31.
Selected financial information follows:
2nd Quarter Change Year-to-date Change
2000 1999 2000 1999
---- ---- ---- ----
Net Sales $7,093,618 $6,704,768 5.8% $13,413,792 $12,835,845 4.5%
Gross Profit $4,487,843 $4,106,281 9.3% $ 8,295,512 $ 7,864,137 5.5%
Net Earnings $ 660,371 $ 551,990 19.6% $ 1,160,360 $ 1,142,668 1.5%
EBITDA $1,529,358 $1,347,948 13.5% $ 2,794,742 $ 2,779,585 0.5%
Earnings/
share $ 0.14 $ 0.11 27% $ 0.25 $ 0.24 4%
Brazil's Ambev May Post Gain in 3rd Quarter: Outlook
Sao Paulo, Oct. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The following is a summary of analysts'
estimates for third-quarter earnings of Brazil's Cia. de Bebidas das Americas,
or Ambev, the world's No. 4 brewer.
Earnings
Ambev is expected to post third-quarter net income of 34 million reais ($18.4
million), according to the average of a Bloomberg News survey of the estimates
of three analysts. That compares with the third-quarter net loss for the same
period of last year of 174.2 million reais, using similar criteria for
measuring earnings.
Analysts point to the difficulties of making year-on-year comparisons for the
results from Ambev, created when Cia. Cervejaria Brahma took over Cia.
Antarctica Paulista in a transaction last year valued by the company at the
time at $3.9 billion in stock and debt.
Some analysts say they are unclear on the extent of a minority interest charge
that Ambev will book during the quarter.
Reporting Time
Ambev will report its earnings tomorrow. It wasn't immediately possible to
confirm a precise time with the company, which previously said it would report
today.
Behind the Numbers
Ambev probably boosted sales by at least 9.3 percent as demand for beer picked
up as Brazil's economy grew, said Alyce Andrews, an analyst at Merrill Lynch &
Co. who rates the company ``buy.''
In the third quarter of 1999, Ambev was still bearing the costs of forming the
company created last year when Cia. Cervejaria Brahma bought Cia. Antarctica
Paulista in a transaction valued at $3.9 billion in stock and debt.
Ambev's bigger size will help it eke out cost savings and boost its pricing
muscle, analysts say. The company's earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda, a common measure of a company's
ability to generate cash, should rise about 57 percent to 307.2 million reais,
said Andrews.
Brahma shares only were converted into Ambev shares in early September,
complicating year-on-year comparisons, said Gustavo Hungria, analyst at Banco
Pactual in Rio de Janeiro.
What Experts Say
``We are looking at a slight acceleration in the momentum of earnings growth
that we saw in the first half,'' said Carlos Laboy, an analyst at Bear Stearns
& Co. in New York.
Market Performance
Ambev's preferred shares have gained 97 percent this year, easily outperforming
the Sao Paulo Bovespa index, which has dropped 13 percent over the same period.
Beer bottle ban plan under consideration
Monday 30 October, 2000
The ACT Government is considering a ban on the sale of beer in glass
containers outside licensed premises in an effort to reduce injuries at New
Year's eve street parties and other public functions.
The Government says it wants to prevent a repeat of scenes at public
celebrations where beer glasses and stubbies have been used as weapons.
Simon Birmingham of the Australian Hotels Association says the industry wants
more details about the plan.
"The hotel industry [is looking] for a sensible ban for off-licence use that
ensured public safety requirements were met, however we'd just be concerned if
that was extended to on-licence premises," he said. © 2000 Australian
Broadcasting Corporation.
Britain's Toilets Find New Uses
By JILL LAWLESS.c The Associated Press
LONDON (AP) - The Victorians really knew how to build a bathroom.
Britain is dotted with splendid little lavatory buildings, encircled by iron
fences and crowned with arches or pergolas. The perfect places to, say, grab a
bite, have a beer or watch a play.
In cities across Britain, public conveniences are finding new life as pubs,
cafes, offices and theaters.
Some call it a fine example of urban regeneration. But others fear Britain's
public toilets are an endangered species.
According to the British Toilet Association - yes, a pro-toilet lobby group - a
third of the lavatories run by city councils have closed in the last three
years. There is now only one public toilet for every 10,000 people in England,
they say.
``There are some wonderful toilets around, but they are few and far between,''
the association's director, Richard Chisnell, told the Independent newspaper.
``There is a real crisis under way.''
London's first public lavatories were built over rivers; their output was
enough to choke off the flow of the Fleet River, a tributary of the Thames.
It was the Victorian engineer George Jennings who pioneered London's
distinctive public conveniences - tiled underground chambers marked by iron
railings or arches at street level.
Their introduction did not go unopposed, however. Playwright George Bernard
Shaw, who was also a local politician, sparked outrage among burghers in his
north London ward when he campaigned for a lavatory for the female workers of
Camden Town.
Eventually, though, the toilets became a distinctive feature of British cities,
with a Victorian lavatory even preserved in the Museum of London. But today,
many sit chained and padlocked - tiles crumbling, railings rusting.
Now the British Toilet Association has set out to stop the decline.
The group oversees the Loo of the Year award, judging hundreds of public
conveniences on criteria including cleanliness, decor, cost, disabled access
and odor. It has lobbied for a law obliging local governments to provide public
facilities, and lamented the decline of the lavatory attendant.
``A society gets the toilets it will accept, and the time has come to stir
things up and make a fuss,'' Chisnell said.
While many toilets have become run down, others have been reborn.
Through the familiar iron railings and down the stairs on a street in London's
energetic Spitalfields district is Public Life, a bar, cafe and art venue run
by artist Siraj Izhar.
Izhar took over the abandoned loo as a venue for art events in 1992. Several
shows and happenings later, he began to envision a more permanent space.
With a combination of private and government funding, he transformed it into a
bright facility - all tiles, concrete and glass - offering coffee, drinks and
high-speed Internet hookups.
In the future, Izhar plans art exhibits, film screenings, music events and
poetry nights. He intends to beam a daily online diary into cyberspace.
``It's a half-physical, half-virtual space,'' he said.
He views the building's former function as apt.
``Underground thoughts, underground agendas ... staying below the surface,'' he
mused. ``Mainstream ideas don't really interest us.''
Elsewhere, lavatories have become fast-food restaurants, offices and pubs. In
the northern English city of Manchester, the tiny Temple of Convenience bar
even manages to squeeze DJs and live bands into the space once occupied by
urinals and cisterns.
In Great Malvern, 130 miles northwest of London, a former Victorian men's
toilet is now the 12-seat Theater of Small Convenience, certified by the
Guinness Book of Records as the smallest theater in the world.
It's so small, in fact, that founder Dennis Neale says it's a struggle to break
even. He has installed peepholes in the door so more people can view the
proceedings inside.
``Puppetry works better in the space than plays,'' he concedes.
.B.
stran...@REMOVEmindspring.com (Toby Guidry) writes:
>
>Some might be more familiar with the George Thorogood cover, though.
>
I'm aware of both, but yes more familiar with GT's version.
>Likely that no one's heard of it, but there's also "Beer Muscles" by
>Scatterbrain.
>
Well, maybe no one else, but I have.
.B.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle
off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it
ourselves. It is our responsibility." - Arnold Toynbee