beer bits

[J2jurado]

brew quote of the week for me last week was from Tony Blair: "After 14 pints,
he does look like a Prime Minister..."
****
UK Tory chief's penchant for pint in the spotlight

LONDON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The drinking habits of William Hague, leader of
Britain's main opposition Conservative Party, were back in the headlines on
Saturday with reports of rum and sherry binges during his student days.

Already ridiculed for boasting last month that he often downed 14 pints of beer
at a time as a teenager, a new television documentary about the 39-year-old to
be shown on Sunday evening could increase his embarrassment.

``Enough to make you sick,'' wrote the Mirror tabloid, a regular Tory critic,
as it reported on Hague's reference in the documentary to drinking 32 rum and
blackcurrant cocktails on his 18th birthday.

The Times broadsheet said the future Tory leader was banned from being
returning officer for Oxford University Conservative Association after being
found guilty of ``incompetence and blatant irresponsibility'' in his conduct of
elections.

It added that minutes of Oxford Union committee meetings during Hague's term as
president in 1981 showed how he was urged to economise on his expenses, ``in
particular a reduction of sherry consumption.''

It was all a part of what the Times called Hague's desire to hide his
high-flying intellectual record and fit in as ``one of the lads.''

But it was not all about booze.

The Daily Mail focused on what it called a ``vicious'' attack by Hague during
the documentary on Prime Minister Tony Blair.

``He's too snobbish to speak to his chauffeur,'' Hague is quoted as saying.
``He's not stupid, he's just deceitful.''

Another theme to emerge in Channel 4's ``Just William...And Ffion'' is the
influence of Hague's wife, Ffion.

The fly-on-the-wall programme is designed to coincide with the Conservative
Party's annual conference next week.

Oktoberfest's Elitism Criticized

.c The Associated Press By BURT HERMAN, 9-20-00

MUNICH, Germany (AP) - Bouncers wielding walkie-talkies with lists of VIPs,
deciding who's in and who's out, certainly aren't unusual at hip venues.

Only these bouncers aren't guarding the velvet-rope frontier of a New York
nightclub. They're wearing Lederhosen and patrolling the festive tents of
Oktoberfest, where the right to drink beer, dance on the table and roar out an
ode to the frothy stuff has been a sacred rite for nearly two centuries.

But increasingly, it's become invitation-only - to the chagrin of Munich city
leaders and Oktoberfest organizers who are vowing steps to prevent the
world-famous Volksfest from turning into a VIPfest.

They complain that events staged by record companies to promote musicians, or
shows featuring ladies doffing their Dirndl dresses, are threatening the core
of a tradition dating to 1810.

``We don't want to have the Oktoberfest become a show-biz event. We are not Las
Vegas, we are not Woodstock, we are not a mega-disco,'' says Gabriele
Weishaeupl, Oktoberfest's general manager, herself the picture of tradition in
a smocked green Dirndl. ``We want a traditional Bavarian Volksfest.''

In a way, Oktoberfest has become a victim of its own popularity. By the time
the 167th Oktoberfest ends on Tuesday, more than 6.5 million people will have
passed through the blue-and-white gates marking the entrance to ``Wiesn,'' the
Bavarian word for field. And they'll have chugged down 5 million of the massive
liter-sized beer mugs.

But don't expect to just walk into the popular Hippodrom or Kaefer tents.
Tables are booked months in advance, many by companies in large blocks. And the
non-reserved sections in the middle of the tents are already filled by
afternoon. Beer hall owners then simply shut the doors to new arrivals.

While only a handful of the Wiesn's 14 tents are violating the Oktoberfest
spirit, Weishaeupl says she will sit down with all the tent owners after the
18-day festival ends for a serious talk. City lawmakers have already called for
the tents to set aside more unreserved tables.

The clash with tradition reached a head last year after a performer at the
Hippodrom dropped her Dirndl, flashing her breasts for the crowd. Mayor
Christian Ude derided the spectacle as a striptease - and took issue when the
Hippodrom started issuing VIP bracelets to allow unlimited access for a select
few, a sort of season's pass.

Hippodrom owner Sepp Kratz abandoned the bracelets under pressure and says he
regrets the flashing incident last year. But he and other owners defend their
attempts to regulate admission as a step against overcrowding.

``I am sorry that it happened - such things don't belong to Wiesn,'' Kratz
said. Still, he insisted, ``we are caring for Bavarian tradition.''

Standing in the Hippodrom tent, Johann Niedermeyer of Munich can't remember
ever missing an Oktoberfest in all his 63 years.

``It used to be cozier, not such a huge event,'' Niedermeyer says, wearing a
well-worn pair of Lederhosen.

On stage, a performer with the stage name Antonia from Tirolia performs a song
in a short-short dress, then jumps up and down, threatening to free her bosom
from its fabric confinement.

``There weren't such things in the past,'' Niedermeyer says as he claps along.
``But I like these things too.''

Later in the evening, Susanne Tusche from the nearby town of Memmingen stood
outside the Hippodrom tent, already off-limits to non-ticket holders, viewing
the revelers swaying merrily to the music through a window.

``This has no Volksfest atmosphere when you stand here before closed doors,''
she said.

But her mood changed when a friend came out carrying the all-important
reservation bracelets, and suddenly she was on her way to grasp yet another
beer mug between her hands.

``See, it's all who you know,'' she said.

France 2000 malt barley crop quality uneven

PARIS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The quality of France's malting barley crop is more
patchy than last year, but it should match user specifications, French malt
producers said in a report due to be published next week.

The report said the crop was mostly healthy, despite wet harvesting conditions,
with decent calibration levels and a more adequate average protein content at
10.8 percent, compared with 11.3 percent in 1999.

"The year 2000 is again a good year for French malting barley," the French
maltsters association Malteurs de France said in the report, obtained by
Reuters ahead of release.

For six-row winter barley varieties, 80 percent were successfully calibrated
for malting industry use this year, down from 85 percent in 1999, said the
report, compiled with the French Institute of Brewing and Malting (IFBM).

Of the six-row spring varieties, 90 percent passed the tests, designed to
filter out inadequate grains. This was stable from 1999.

Maltsters can only obtain good germination levels if the size of the grains is
homogeneous. They usually require a calibration level of at least 90 percent.

The average protein level for the six-row winter barley variety "Esterel" was
10.5 percent, the level sought by maltsters and stable from last year.

No region reported protein levels below 10 percent, and only the east and north
registered levels above 11 percent.

However, protein levels were more variable for two-row winter barley varieties,
ranging from 10.1 percent in the Berry, Beauce and Gatinais regions to 11.7
percent in Champagne and in the east, versus an average of 11.3 percent in
1999.

Two-row spring barley varieties presented average protein levels of 10.5
percent, up from 10 percent the previous year. In order to make pure malt beer,
producers usually require protein levels of 10-11 percent. Excess protein can
hamper the germination of the barley and make beer cloudy in the long term.

The report added harvesting of this year's crop was spread out, due to
unseasonal storms in late July and early August, but most of the barley was cut
in dry conditions with humidity always below 15 percent.

Diageo's Keenan earns million-pound bonus

LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - One of Diageo's top directors Jack Keenan earned a
one million pound-plus bonus last year which boosted his total salary to over
two million pounds ($2.94 million), the group's annual report showed on Friday.

Keenan, 62, now deputy chief executive of Diageo's main operating unit Guinness
UDV, was rewarded with the bonus despite a dismal reward for shareholders who
have seen Diageo shares little moved since the group's formation in December
1997.

His bonus of 1.1 million pounds reflected the performance of his Johnnie Walker
whisky and Smirnoff vodka UDV unit over the past 2-3 years. He became deputy
chief executive of Guinness UDV after the merger of its beer and spirits units
in July.

As a U.S. national, he received other benefits of 429,000 pounds from high
pension contributions for an ex-patriot and overseas allowances, and a basis
salary of 556,000 pounds bringing his total annual pay package to 2.1 million.

This tops the group's pay scales with the next best rewarded being new Chief
Executive Paul Walsh on 1.5 million pounds.

Diageo shares closed at 604-1/2 pence on Friday compared with 583p in December
1997 when the group was formed from the merger of Guinness and GrandMet.

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants to Expand Into Canada With Fusion ITM

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant
Group, Inc. has entered into a 14 unit licensing arrangement with Fusion ITM,
Inc. for the Canadian territory Ontario and eastward. Canadian development of
the upscale casual brewery restaurants will occur over a five- year period,
with the first location expected to open in late spring 2001.

Gordon Biersch President/CEO, Allen Corey points out, "We are genuinely excited
about the opportunity to expand our brand into the Canadian marketplace.
Fusion ITM has a strong leadership team in place that can effectively
accelerate the growth of the Gordon Biersch brand in North America."

John Thall, President and COO of Fusion, ITM is a former head of operations for
Planet Hollywood. Prior to that, Thall led operations for a division of Rank
Entertainment, owners of Hard Rock Cafe. Thall states, "Fusion is thrilled to
be developing and operating the Gordon Biersch brand. The uniqueness of Gordon
Biersch Brewery Restaurants will bring a diverse and exciting new concept into
Canada. Gordon Biersch invented the idea of a brewery in a restaurant, so it
will be a great new adventure n the Canadian dining environment."

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants offer a sophisticated casual dining setting
serving premium quality food and authentic handcrafted lagers. The brewery
restaurants serve multiethnic dishes from Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean and
Latin America created to compliment the lagers brewed strictly in accordance
with the German Purity Law Reinheitsgobot (Rine-HEIGHTS-g(shwaw)-boat). This
is the 1516 German Purity law that mandates the use of only malt, hops, water
and yeast in the brewing process.

Hearty main dishes include fresh fish, beef selections, traditional pastas and
stir-fry, flavorfully spiced. Gordon Biersch chefs also develop special menus
for each brewery restaurant based on local cuisine and seasonal availability of
the freshest ingredients.

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Inc. operates a total of 24 locations.
California is home to 8 Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants. Other locations
include Honolulu, Seattle, Las Vegas, Denver, Tempe, Memphis, Atlanta, and
Miami. The next locations to open are Washington, D.C. and Columbus, Ohio by
spring 2001.

The brewery restaurant group also owns and operates Big River breweries in
Chattanooga and Nashville, Tennessee and Disney's Boardwalk in Orlando. Other
concepts include Rock Bottom breweries in Atlanta and Charlotte; A1A Ale Works
in St. Augustine, Florida, and Seven Bridges in Jacksonville, Florida and
Ragtime Tavern in Atlantic Beach, Florida

Interbrew confident on UK beer deal

By David Jones

LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Belgium's Interbrew is confident its deal to buy
the beer business of Bass Plc will be cleared by the UK authorities, and says
its own stock market flotation is still on track for later this year.

``We are confident that once we bring all the facts into the debate that these
facts will be decisive,'' said Interbrew's Chief Executive Hugo Powell in a
telephone interview from the group's headquarters at Leuven in Belgium.

Privately-owned Interbrew, which brews Stella Artois and Labatt beers, bought
Bass Brewing for 2.3 billion pounds ($3.37 billion) in June, one month after
purchasing Whitbread Plc's beer business for 40 million pounds, pushing it to
number two spot in the world beer league.

The Bass deal, which brought it Carling and Tennent's, was referred to the UK
Competition Commission with a final outcome expected on the deal from the UK
government by January 6, 2001.

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 28 percent share.

This would give these top two brewers 60 percent of UK beer production and,
perhaps more importantly, some 80 percent control of national beer distribution
to the UK's pubs.

Powell said Bass's attempted takeover of Carlsberg-Tetley in the late 1990's
would have created a group with 35 percent of UK beer production and a big pub
chain. The deal was cleared by UK competition authorities but blocked by the
government.

32 PERCENT MARKET SHARE

``That deal was approved, so I don't see why this deal will not,'' he said,
pointing out that a 32 percent share was not that different from S&N's 28
percent and it had a large chain of almost 2,700 pubs.

He declined to comment on measures the company may have to take to clear the
deal like brand sell-offs or diluting its five year supply contracts with Bass
and Whitbread pubs ahead of a presentation to the Commission in mid-October.

Merging Bass's and Whitbread's beer businesses should give annual synergies of
90-100 million pounds a year and bring the price of the deal down to 6.5 times
current year earnings before tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) from
the actual price multiple of 8.5 times for the two deals, he said.

In all the countries of western Europe, except Germany, the leading brewer has
a market share of 40-70 percent. ``Why is 32 percent so delicate? It is not
significantly different from S&N's and they have vertical integration,'' said
Powell.

He argued that over the last 10 years, the real retail price of beer has risen
30 percent while the brewers' wholesale price has slipped 10 percent, and the
real power had passed to the independent pub companies. Bass, the most
efficient UK brewer, makes four pence profit on the pint of beer selling at
2.04 pounds a pint, and Whitbread makes only two pence a pint.

Powell said that group's initial public offering (IPO) was still on track for
later this year, but the final timing, amount and where the stock would be
listed had still to be agreed.

He added that 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 and
should start trading at the top of the range of world brewing shares.

Global beer companies are trading in a range of EBITDA multiples of between six
and 12, and he saw Interbrew trading at the top along with the world's first
and third biggest brewers Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc and Heineken NV.

Nigerian index down, investors sell brewers

LAGOS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Nigerian stocks for the fifth consecutive session
ended with losses after investors sold blue chip brewery stocks, dealers said.

The All-Share Index declined 38.72 points to 7298.88 from 7337.60 on Thursday.

Fallers outpaced gainers by 21 to 16.

Universal Trust Bank sold 5.5 million shares in 20 deals to raise the volume to
13.4 million shares worth 82.85 million naira ($810,269) traded in 1,079 deals,
up from 8.5 million shares valued at 66 million naira ($645,477) in 1346 deals.

Guinness Nigeria lost 4.5 percent to close at 31.50 naira.

``Investors have run out of patience waiting for Guinness to release its
full-year result,'' a dealer said.

Nigerian Breweries lost another 2.2 percent of its recent gains to
profit-takers to finish at 22.00 naira.

The banking sector recovered from Thursday's bearish session with Union Bank
advancing 1.9 percent to end at 20.99 naira and First Bank Nigeria adding 0.1
percent to 15.52 naira.

But United Bank for Africa slumped 3.9 percent to 12.45 naira and Afribank
closed 4.9 percent weaker at 65.81 naira.

Oil marketer Agip Nigeria dropped five percent of its recent gains to close at
18.05 naira.

Texaco Nigeria jumped the maximum five percent to 49.34 naira after it
announced a 2.50 naira interim dividend to shareholders on Friday.

Total Nigeria added 3.6 percent to finish at 57.00 naira.

Food and beverage manfacturer Nestle Nigeria Plc notched up 4.8 percent to
39.50 naira but sector rival Cadbury Nigeria shed 3.1 percent to 16.00 naira.

Orkla Jan-Aug pre-tax profits triple

OSLO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Norwegian conglomerate Orkla announced on Thursday a
tripling in pre-tax profits for the first eight months of 2000, bolstered by
portfolio gains and a lasting growth in earnings for chemicals operations.

The company, whose businesses also include drinks and newspapers, said pre-tax
profits for the period surged to 4.77 billion crowns ($525.3 million) from 1.56
billion.

Operating profits rose to 1.72 billion crowns from 1.41 billion, while net
profits climbed to 3.58 billion from 1.20 billion crowns.

``The profit reflects higher-than-usual portfolio sales gains, while the
industry area also posted a significant improvement,'' Orkla said in statement.

Portfolio gains, partly from a sale of shares in telecoms firm NetCom, surged
to 3.05 billion crowns compared with 342 million crowns in the year-earlier
period. The return on Orkla's portfolio for the first eight months was 9.6
percent, it said.

Orkla's business interests include chemicals, foods, drinks, brands and media,
of which chemicals posted the sharpest rise in operating profits to 267 million
crowns, or about double the 138 million made in the same period a year ago.

Results slightly outperformed the consensus of market forecasts garnered in a
Reuters poll of 10 analysts pointing to pre-tax profits of 4.51 billion crowns
and net profits of 3.21 billion.

Orkla shares opened up 0.5 crowns at 177.5 at 0800 GMT.

Analysts had expected to see the biggest improvement from Orkla's chemicals
operations, while the drinks unit had been seen weaker due to cool summer
weather in the Nordic region.

STRONG DRINKS, CHEMICALS

But Orkla said strong sales in Russia and Ukraine through its 50 percent owned
Baltic Beverages Holding (BHH), jointly owner with Finnish, boosted drinks.

``Volume growth in Russia and Ukraine contributed to a substantial increase in
turnover at BHH, while turnover in the Nordic region is at last year's level
despite a colder summer and lower volumes,'' it said.

Drinks saw operating profits rise to 596 million crowns compared with 384
million.

Orkla in May sealed a deal with Danish brewer Carlsberg to form a joint brewery
to be owned 60-40 by Carlsberg and Orkla. The deal is under evaluation by
respective authorities.

For chemicals, Orkla said: ``Most profit areas showed improved results compared
with last year. Speciality cellulose showed the biggest improvement aided by
prices, exchange rates and productivity gains.''

It forecast the bright trend for chemicals would continue.

``A continued positive performance is expected for the chemicals area in the
final four months of the year compared with last year,'' it said.

Turning to its other businesses, Orkla also said it would form a new snacks
group Scandinavian Snack Company with Finnish firm Chips with a view to making
it one of the biggest market players in the Nordic and Baltic region. Orkla is
to own 40 percent in the new group.

Walnut Brewery Named Boulder's Best Brewpub

LOUISVILLE, Colo., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Rock Bottom Restaurants' maiden
brewery restaurant, The Walnut Brewery, was named "Best Brewpub" in the
"Boulder County Gold Readers' Choice Awards" published in the September 10
edition of The Boulder Daily Camera. The poll gave readers a chance to cast
their votes for their favorites in over 100 different categories including
everything from "Best Chiropractor" to "Best Brewpub."

Located at 1123 Walnut Street in Boulder, CO, the Walnut Brewery is Boulder's
original brewpub serving various styles of handcrafted ales to complement its
innovative menu since 1990. "Our mission over the past 10 years has been
simply to provide great beer, food and service to our guests. We are
especially proud of this award since the readers determined the winners," said
Walnut Brewery General Manager, Vince Mineo.

The Boulder Daily Camera received over 1700 votes from their readers
contributing to the section and has a Sunday circulation of 40,000.

Based in Louisville, Colorado, parent company Rock Bottom Restaurants, Inc.
owns and operates 70 restaurants -- 44 "Old Chicago" restaurants and 26 brewery
restaurants operating under the names "Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery,"
"ChopHouse & Brewery" and "Walnut Brewery." All of Rock Bottom's restaurants
are casual dining establishments featuring attentive customer service,
high-quality, moderately priced food and a distinctive selection of handcrafted
brews and specialty beers served in a comfortable and entertaining atmosphere.
Rock Bottom was America's first brewpub, and its foremost chain of specialty
brewers.

Moosehead Beer and Artisan Entertainment Partner; Online Game Will Result in
Hometown Premier for A Lucky Winner!

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- This fall, Moosehead Beer will join with
Artisan Entertainment and "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" to make sure movie
fans and Moosehead drinkers "Don't Go Camping Alone!"

On Sept. 22, Moosehead launched an online trivia game, linked from its own site
at www.mooseheadbeer.com. Players will attempt to answer trivia questions
based on the legend of the Blair Witch, including some inquiries based on new
"Book of Shadows" history.

Just like a traditional "hangman" style word game, with each wrong answer,
another piece of a Mystic symbol (from the new movie) appears. After four
incorrect guesses, the entire symbol appears and you're done for the day. The
online game was created by the Real Branding Agency in San Francisco.

Coinciding with the game's launch, a national ad will run in Rolling Stone
magazine that lures readers to the Moosehead site. Visitors may play once a
day, and will get clues e-mailed to them each day until they solve that week's
puzzle.

Those who solve all four weekly puzzles correctly will be entered in a drawing
for the grand prize, a hometown premier screening of "Book of Shadows: Blair
Witch 2" for 50 of their closest friends.

Other prizes will include Blair Witch DVDs, CD-Rom games and various unique
Artisan-licensed Blair Witch memorabilia.

"Our trivia game is going to raise the bar for the true 'Blair Witch' fan,"
said Moosehead brand manager Charlie Paulette. "These questions will require
thought and possibly research, but the winner is in for the experience of a
lifetime."

Moosehead's tie-in with "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" stems from a product
placement of the brand in the upcoming Artisan thriller. The match was a
natural fit according to Paulette who said, "Moosehead has long been the beer
of choice for outdoor enthusiasts, especially if you find yourself in the woods
alone!"

Moosehead Breweries Limited is the oldest independent brewery in Canada, owned
and operated by the Oland family since 1867. Derek Oland, president of the
Moosehead Breweries, is the fifth generation to oversee the legendary
operation. The Gambrinus Company, headquartered in San Antonio, became
Moosehead's exclusive U.S. importer in April 1997.

[J2jurado]

http://www.cleveland.com:80/news/index.ssf?/news/pd/cc30ou01.html

OU airport gets $750,000 from chairman of brewery

Saturday, September 30, 2000 PLAIN DEALER COLUMBUS BUREAU

C. David Snyder, chairman of Crooked River Brewing Co., has donated $750,000
toward
the construction of an airport terminal and an extension of the runway at
Ohio University’s Gordon K. Bush Regional Airport.

The $1.5 million terminal will be nearly 7,000 square feet, and the
runway will be extended from 4,200 feet to 5,600 feet, making the
airport accessible to commuter airplane traffic, said university
spokeswoman Leesa Brown.

The airports closest to the university in Athens are in Columbus,
Pittsburgh and Parkersburg, W.Va.

The university announced that the terminal would be renamed the C. David
Snyder Terminal and the runway Snyder Field.

Snyder, 48, is the majority owner of Snyder International Brewing Group
in Cleveland, Crooked River’s holding company. The Lakewood resident,
who was appointed to OU’s Board of Trustees in May 1999, is a 1974
graduate of OU’s College of Business. Snyder donated $1.25 million to
the business college last year.

OU is the largest employer in Athens and said an airport would be
critical to the university’s prosperity, Snyder said.

"I think the airport development will mean a lot for the university and
the whole region in terms of economic development," he said. "To have a
great university, you need to have economic balance. One way to achieve
that balance is to have access to the region."

http://www.jsonline.com:80/bym/news/sep00/beer30092900a.asp

Waukesha beer distributor suing competitor over right to sell brands

W.O.W. claims Stroh, Pabst improperly gave business to Beloit Beverage

By Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel staff Sept. 30, 2000

A Waukesha beer distributor sued a competing distributor Friday after it
lost the right to sell former Stroh Brewery Co. brands.

W.O.W. Distributing Co. claims that Stroh and Pabst Brewing Co.
improperly transferred those distribution rights to Brown Deer-based
Beloit Beverage Co. in May 1999.

Pabst bought most of Stroh's brands at that time, and Stroh is no longer
in business. The brands sold by Detroit-based Stroh to San Antonio-based
Pabst included Schlitz and Old Milwaukee.

According to the suit, filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court, Stroh
told W.O.W. that it wanted Milwaukee-based Beer Capitol Distributing Co.
to take over distribution of Stroh brands in southeastern Wisconsin.

As a result, W.O.W. negotiated an agreement with Beer Capitol to buy
those rights. However, Stroh instead awarded the distribution rights to
Beloit Beverage, the suit said.

W.O.W. claims those actions amounted to a breach of its contract with
Stroh, and harmed W.O.W.'s business.

In response, Brian Morello, Beloit Beverage president, said he didn't
understand why his company was sued. Morello said Beloit Beverage was
awarded the distribution rights over a year ago and said he had no
inkling that a lawsuit was in the works.

Spokesmen for Pabst and Stroh couldn't be reached for comment.

http://www.afr.com.au:80/investment/20000929/A23744-2000Sep29.html

San Miguel set to take James Boag to Asia, US

By Simon Evans, Saturday, September 30, 2000

Philippines brewing giant San Miguel Corp is poised to begin an Asian
foray with the James Boag brand before Christmas, and to then take the
fast-growing beer to the United States next year.

San Miguel, which assumed control of the historic Tasmanian brewery in
late May after a $92 million takeover, has appointed three of its senior
executives to the JBoag & Son board as it accelerates expansion plans.

JBoag's director of sales and marketing, Mr Lyndon Adams, said on Friday
the operational aspects of the brewery in Launceston had been largely
untouched by San Miguel, but offshore expansion plans for the flagship
brand were gaining momentum.

"Hong Kong will start this side of Christmas," Mr Adams said.

San Miguel then plans to take the brand to the Singapore market early
next year, with the US also earmarked as an export destination in 2001.

The brand will be pushed through San Miguel's distribution channels in
Asia, with the aim of capitalising on the strong growth of premium beer
brands across the globe.

Mr Adams said San Miguel was also working on a strategy to increase the
clout of its own brand in Australia.

"It's certainly a long-term plan and strategy to increase the exposure
of the San Miguel brand," he said.

The premium beer market in Australia is growing at more than 20 per cent
a year as drinkers trade up to higher-priced brands with a more
sophisticated image.

The premium market leader in Australia is Foster's Brewing Group's Crown
Lager, while Lion Nathan's flagship is Hahn Premium.

Foster's Carlton & United Breweries division and Lion Nathan are engaged
in fierce competition in the mainstream beer sector. Lion Nathan has
made inroads this year, pushing CUB's market share down by about 0.5 per
cent to just below 55.5 per cent.

Foster's chief executive, Mr Ted Kunkel, warned in the company's annual
report released recently that it had reduced growth forecasts for the
CUB business because total beer volumes were growing by only about 1 per
cent each year.

But premium beer is not experiencing the flat market that mainstream
products such as Foster's Victoria Bitter and Lion Nathan's Tooheys are
battling.

Market analysts estimate premium beer could approach 10 per cent of
total beer sales in the months leading up to Christmas, compared with 6
to 7 per cent a year earlier.

Mr Adams said sales of James Boag's Premium Lager were growing strongly
and were on target to reach 1 million cases this year.

Sales were 70 to 80 per cent higher than the same time last year, he
said.

The Launceston brewery, which employs about 130 people, could easily be
expanded because it operated on a single shift structure, Mr Adams said,
with double shifts being introduced for the busy periods such as the
lead-up to Christmas.

Analysts say it is unlikely that San Miguel, a $5 billion company and
the third-largest brewer in Asia, would tackle the mainstream beer
market in Australia, preferring to concentrate on the high-growth
premium end.

"Mainstream beer is a mature market and the growth prospects aren't that
good," one analyst said.

San Miguel executive Mr Genaro Lapez, who has since joined the JBoag
board, told The Australian Financial Review in June that Japan and Korea
were likely countries for expansion of the James Boag brand.

Asian investment in Australian brewers is significant, as Lion Nathan is
46 per cent owned by Japanese brewer Kirin.

http://www.bergen.com:80/food/beer27200009275.htm

Belgian chef says it's time to cook

Wednesday, September 27, 2000

I recently attended a seminar in Manhattan on cooking with beer. Belgian
chef Herwig Van Hove, a well-known author and television personality in
his home country, is spearheading a major food and beer campaign by
Belgian brewing combine Interbrew.

Interbrew, which owns Labatt's and Bass, has been pushing forward in the
United States with its Belgian portfolio, including the refreshing dry
lager, Stella Artois; the spicy white beer, Hoegaarden; the well-rounded
abbey-style Leffe Blond ("the gentle giant," according to Van Hove); the
darker and sweeter Leffe Brune (Brown); and a selection of lambic fruit
beers from the Bellevue brewery. All are world class, with or without
food.

Spurring the campaign in Europe and the United States is the sudden
popularity of beer cuisine. Van Hove says that compared with wine, beer
is reasonably priced, accessible, and approachable. "In brasseries,
where the cooking style and the ambience evoke the warmth and rich
aromas of Mum's kitchen, beer is at home much more so than a complicated
wine," the chef said. "And while a good wine may complement a typical
French meal, with its subtle sour, sweet, or smoky flavors, hearty
Belgian fare calls out for more."

Van Hove tantalized us with some great food and beer pairings: shrimp
croquettes with Hoegaarden, and salade liegoise, a tangy salad of fresh
green beans, sliced potato, and crisp bacon, with Leffe Blond. Brabant
chicken was roasted with one beer, Hoegaarden, and served with another,
Leffe Blond. Smoky-sweet meatballs were a delicious foil for the
smoky-sweet Leffe Brune, while the crisp Stella Artois was a perfect
match for a terrine of chicken, rabbit, and veal. The chef also
addressed the American phobia about raw meat with a tartare, also paired
with Stella Artois.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb:80/business/28_09_00_d.htm

Almaza and Laziza seek out new drinkers for new products
 
Lin Noueihed Daily Star staff, 28/09/00

Almaza and Laziza have spent the summer trying to pull more beer sales
out of Lebanon’s small, recession-hit market. Their method? Brew new
products and back them up with heavy marketing campaigns aimed at new
drinkers.

The two companies say this strategy is letting them tap into new niches
rather than gaining market share at the expense of each other.
Laziza owner Joe Khawam claims that his firm is close to recapturing a
35 percent share of the non-returnable bottled beer market – his target
for 2000 and the share the brand controlled at its prewar peak. Laziza
reentered the Lebanese market in May 1999 after a decade away.
Market leader and major rival Almaza also says that business is getting
better. Bernarde Jabre, assistant general manager at Almaza, claims that
his beer has lost nothing to Laziza.

“Our market share fell slightly when Laziza was first launched, because
people were still trying it out,” said Jabre, whose family established
the Almaza brewery in Dora in 1933. “But now it has recovered, and we
are doing better than we were last year.”

Laziza introduced its Light and Strong beers to the Lebanese market
three months ago, and Khawam says he has sold between 150,000 and
200,000 cases of the new brands here.

Laziza’s marketing push last year allowed the company to reintroduce a
brand that had been missing since the civil war, and whose quality had
become inconsistent just before it disappeared.

And the company says its provocative advertising campaign for Light and
Strong beers this summer has attracted new drinkers. Khawam spent $1.5
million on the product launch, including advertising, dwarfing other
beers’ budgets.

Khawam added that the Light and Strong brands have had much less effect
on the sales of the original brew than he had expected, because they
appeal to niche markets.

Laziza Light appeared in June to appeal to women who were watching their
weight during summer, the traditional peak season for beer sales. Giving
women the option of a 75-calorie, 2.5-percent alcohol beer has attracted
customers who previously didn’t drink beer at all, Khawam said.
Khawam aimed Laziza Strong, which has 8 percent alcohol, at men used to
drinking hard liquor but tempted by something cooler for summer. Again,
the introduction of this beer has lured consumers who would not normally
order a beer at the pub, he said.

Jabre wouldn’t say whether Almaza was planning to introduce its own
light and strong versions. The company did introduce a non-alcoholic
beer called Malta about nine months ago, which comes in apple and
raspberry flavors. “It’s still a baby, but it’s doing well,” said Jabre.
Malta is also available in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Khawam claims that non-alcoholic Laziza, introduced alongside the
original brew in spring 1999, contributed to the development of the
small non-alcoholic segment in Lebanon.

Khawam said that non-alcoholic beer constitutes between 15 and 20
percent of Laziza’s total sales in Lebanon. Laziza, which is brewed by
Bavaria in the Netherlands, is available in 17 countries, mostly Arab,
and non-alcoholic beer accounts for 45 percent of the company’s total
worldwide sales. Khawam claims that non-alcoholic beer makes up 15
percent of the market in Lebanon.

Jabre disagrees. “The market for non-alcoholic beer in Lebanon is very
small, as it’s everywhere where regular beer is available.” He also says
it is too early to estimate the size of the market let alone brand
shares, because it is “such a new niche.” Still, he admits that the
market is growing, claiming that in some Muslim areas, sales of Malta
rival, or even surpass, those of Almaza.

The introduction of Malta, the only Lebanese-made flavored malt drink
available, has been more low key despite. Imported flavored Holsten is
the only other product that resembles Malta, according to Jabre.

http://www.sltrib.com:80/09282000/utah/27580.htm

Romney Calls for Dry Medals Plaza

Thursday, September 28, 2000  BY LINDA FANTIN , THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

   SYDNEY, Australia -- The boss of Salt Lake City's Olympics wants to
make the premier party site of the 2002 Winter Games an alcohol-free
zone, putting him at odds with the city's mayor.

   The medals plaza near the Delta Center will attract a lot of kids,
said Salt Lake Organizing Committee President Mitt Romney, and it would
be inappropriate to promote or sell beer or any other alcohol in the
vicinity.

   The policy has nothing to do with The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints -- owner of the medals plaza property -- its
anti-alcohol teachings or his personal beliefs as a church member,
Romney said.

   "Alcohol and caffeine are something Mormons and people of conscience
should avoid, but that is not something I would seek to impose on anyone
else,"
Romney told The Salt Lake Tribune.

   "This is not related to the Mormon church but an appropriate concern
for the youth generally."

   Even so, the LDS Church likes the idea of an alcohol ban.

   "We commend Mitt Romney's principled stand on eliminating alcohol
from the medals plaza," the church told The Tribune on Wednesday
afternoon. "There are plenty of other locations where alcoholic
beverages are likely to be available."

   But Romney's comments are stirring up a brouhaha Down Under. Salt
Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, who arrived in Sydney on Monday, said
there should be "as few restrictions as possible to allow the people [in
Salt Lake City] to have as good a time as people are having here."

   He said that when Salt Lake City bid for the Games, its residents
understood that Olympic revelers expect more than a Coke and a smile.

   "All around the world people are used to being able to have a beer or
a drink when they are out partying, and this is supposed to be a big
party," Anderson said Wednesday.

   "The fact that people have a beer now and then doesn't mean they are
going to get out of hand."

   Recognizing the issue could divide the community, Anderson plans to
"meet with some folks" to sort it all out as soon as he returns from
Sydney.

   SLOC's plan is to stage concerts and other festivities at the plaza
during the day and award athletes their medals at night. SLOC decides
whether to allow alcohol at venues, and Romney said his alcohol
restrictions would not apply to the nearby Delta Center, site of the
2002 figure skating and short-track speed-skating competitions.
   But the city has the power to grant other entities special-use
permits for beer tents located "outside the fence."

   That creates a potential problem for Anheuser-Busch. Because the
company paid more than $50 million to make Budweiser the official beer
of the 2002 Games, it would probably object to vendors selling other
brands of brew near venues.

   Some Utahns have questioned the appropriateness of even having a beer
sponsor. Romney, however, defended the arrangement.

   "I would not want to sell a product or advertise a product or link a
product with the Games if I considered it to be morally wrong," Romney
said.

   Other Utah communities are also grappling with the thorny issue of
alcohol sales during the Olympics.

   In Provo, where The Peaks Ice Arena will be host to Olympic hockey,
three City Council members were ready to block any attempt to serve beer
when Mayor Lewis Billings' administration decided a permit could be
granted without a council vote. The issue continues to be hotly debated
even though it appears that beer will flow in 2002 at The Peaks if SLOC
applies for the necessary permit.

   Members of the Salt Lake City Council are divided over medals plaza
beer sales.

   "I applaud [Romney's] decision from the standpoint it may not be a
popular decision," said council Chairman Carlton Christensen. "I tend to
agree there will be a lot of children there. Clearly there will be
alcohol-consumption possibilities elsewhere."

   But Councilmen Keith Christensen and Tom Rogan say beer should be
available.

   "It is in everyone's best interest to keep [the medals plaza] a
neutral playing ground and to make it available for those who regrettably
choose,"
said Keith Christensen.

   Added Rogan: "I don't know why that venue would be any more
'youthful' than others, other than perhaps [events there are] free and
there is some hope families will be attending. Beer is sold just across
town at the Gallivan Center.

   "It is not an issue I would go to war over. I don't know what the
point of it all is. If they are going to have other refreshments, why
shouldn't people have the choice of having 3.2 [percent alcohol] beer,
which is all it is."

   Even Sydney, where the legal drinking age is 18 and alcohol is
anything but taboo, is establishing one alcohol-free zone for its
closing ceremony. During the opening ceremony rowdy partyers ruled a few
of the city's six Olympic Live! sites as well as the surrounding blocks
where crowds had gathered to watch the opening ceremony on giant
televisions.

   Anderson said a little libation doesn't seem to have harmed
Australians.

   "There are plenty of impressionable youth in Sydney. I haven't seen
any of them damaged by the availability of alcohol," he said. "People
are extraordinarily well-behaved."

   Reporters attending SLOC's 500-day countdown announcement took the
opportunity to quiz Anderson about Utah's conservative liquor laws. He
insisted his city has a good night life that will only get better during
the Winter Games.

   "There's a perception that it's impossible to get a drink in Salt
Lake City. But once you get the hang of it, it's easy to find," he said.
"We've come a long way in the last 10 or 15 years."

   In fact, Anderson is planning to entertain Olympic officials at City
Hall during the Games, and he has no intention of hosting a dry bash.

   "We'd better have alcohol, or there will be anexplosion," he said.
  

http://www.courierpress.com:80/cgi-bin/view.cgi?200009/28+brewin092800_fea
tures.html+20000928

Fun’s brewin’ at the museum

Beer will be back on tap at the Evansville Museum Saturday night, this
time with bratwurst and sauerkraut. In addition to more than 50
microbrews and imported beers and ales from around the globe, the third
annual Brew Ha Ha sampling party will feature German fare from the Gerst
Bavarian Haus.

The event, which runs from 6 to 10 p.m. on the museum’s river terrace,
will also feature music by Jeff and Rachel.

The new feature this year will be on the food tables. After two years of
buffets, this year’s Brew Ha Ha food menu will feature bratwurst, potato
salad, sauerkraut and other food items.

The beer list has some new entries as well, with more than 50 ales,
stouts, lagers, urquells and spiked lemonades from Australia, Canada,
Czechoslovakia, England, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, the Netherlands and
the United States. The brew list includes Blue Moon Belgian White, Sam
Adams Cherry Wheat, Goose Island Blonde, J.W. Dundee Honey Brown,
Hooper’s Hooch Orange, Beck’s Dark, Upland Amber, Sam Adams Pale Ale,
Red Stripe and Michael Shea’s Black and Tan.

The Jeff and Rachel quartet will play contemporary pop music.

In case of foul weather, the party will move inside the museum, whose
galleries will be open throughout the evening.

The event is for those 21 and older only.

Tickets cost $20 in advance, $25 the day of the event. Proceeds from the
beer sampling party directly benefit the museum. Call 425-2406.

http://www.herald.com:80/content/wed/news/dade/west/digdocs/073162.htm

Published Sunday, September 24, 2000, in the Miami Herald

Oktoberfest: Where beer and bands reign

Bands, food, prizes, dancing and, of course, beer.
It must be time for Oktoberfest!

The German-American Social Club of Greater Miami is ready to stage its
13th annual Oktoberfest celebration the next two weekends -- Sept.
30-Oct. 1 and Oct. 7-8 -- on the club's grounds at 11919 SW 56th St. in
West Kendall. Hours are 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Two bands, the Continentals and the Herman Schulz Trio, will perform
German music the first weekend, and the Continentals and the Hapenkaplle
will perform the second.

The Edelweiss Schuhplatter Gruppe (children's folk dance group) will
perform in an Oktoberfest parade at 3:30 p.m. each day and at 4 p.m. in
the clubhouse and 4:30 p.m. in the outside tent.

The Auerhahn Schuhplatter (adult Alpine dancers) and the Deutsche
Volkstanz & Trachten Gruppe (adult German folk dancers) will perform
Schuhplatter and folk dances from various regions in Germany between 5-9
p.m. daily.

National Flair, an Orlando business, will exhibit dirndl dresses and
blouses inside the clubhouse, and Kendall resident and club member
Marianna Dunmire will show her paintings of Florida landscapes.

Door prizes, to be drawn at 9:30 p.m. each Sunday, will include two
round-trip tickets to Germany on LTU Airlines, a gift certificate from
Roadhouse Grill, Partylite products (home decorating candles and
accessories), passes for Bird Bowl, 10 certificates for dinner-for-two
at Euro Cafe, a two-night stay at the Penguin Hotel in Miami Beach and
T-shirts, backpacks and other items.

Children's activities will feature craft tables, sand art in a bottle
($3-4), animal balloons (50 cents and $1, from 1-2 p.m.), puppet show
(2-2:30 p.m.), magic card show (2:30-3 p.m.), parade (3:30 p.m.) and
Kinder Folk Dance (4 p.m. inside, 4:30 p.m. outside). The shows are
free.

The menu will feature a variety of German dishes, including sausages,
sauerkraut and potato salad, hamburgers, potato pancakes, smoked pork
chops, chicken and schnitzel.

Other snacks will be available.

A pitcher of domestic beer is $8; imported beer is $10.

Admission to the grounds will be $4 for adults, $1 for ages 12-20 and
free for 11 and under. Parking at the club is free.

http://news.excite.com/news/r/000929/09/odd-rioja-dc

Shiny Sticker to Clear Up Murky Wine TradeUpdated 9:42 AM ET September
29, 2000MADRID (Reuters) - Good news for clueless wine lovers: producers
of Spain's hugely popular Rioja labels have come up with a new
hologram-type sticker in a bid to wipe out counterfeiting of their
wines.
Last year, police smashed a fraud ring that exported into Britain an
estimated one million bottles of fake Rioja produced elsewhere in Spain,
although British drinkers apparently failed to notice the difference.

Rioja wine producers and retailers said Thursday they would begin using
the shiny sticker -- easily visible even in dim restaurants -- from
October 1 to guarantee origin of wines from the picturesque region in
northern Spain.

'Absolut' shake-up in store for alcohol-shy Swedes

By Will Hardie

STOCKHOLM, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Sweden's first showing of a chic art collection
promoting Absolut vodka has drawn crowds to this odd symbol of national pride
in Europe's most alcohol-wary state.

With global drinks multinationals eyeing the Absolut brand thirstily, Brussels
twisting Sweden's arm to slash sky-high drink taxes and smugglers hauling in
booze by the truckload, the stir at the gallery is nothing next to the shake-up
to come.

Torn two ways by alcohol-wary traditionalists and a new liberal generation,
Sweden's minority Social Democrat government is treading a thin political line
while slowly relaxing its grip on the bottle.

Too slowly for some.

``We aren't even allowed to sell the Absolut art book,'' laments Millesgarden
Museum Director Staffan Carlen, standing by Andy Warhol's original 1985 pop-art
rendition of the shapely Absolut bottle. ``The law is so strict -- it's
stupid.''

Alcohol advertising is illegal in Sweden, and that includes any display outside
the gallery of these works, which also include a psychedelic two-metre circular
explosion of colour by British art bad boy Damien Hirst and a huge
neon-encrusted monolith by Korea's Nam June Paik.

What's more, any tipple stronger than a watery 3.5 percent can be bought only
at a state-run Systembolaget store, only for cash, and only in daytime office
hours.

Doctors say Swedes just aren't ready for Continental permissiveness, and easier
access to cheaper drink would boost levels of alcoholism, violence and
absenteeism.

ABSOLUT TUSSLE

In a bizarre twist, the Swedish state -- which protectively enforces Europe's
highest domestic drink taxes and import curbs -- also owns Vin & Sprit (V&S),
which produces the world's second best-selling premium vodka, sold in 125 other
countries.

Sleak marketing boosted sales of the $3 billion Absolut brand by 14 percent to
60 million litres in 1999. Americans in particular are knocking back more and
more of it, enticed by novel flavours ranging from subtle mandarin to
throat-clutching hot chilli pepper.

But V&S's global Absolut distributor, Canadian group Seagram, is putting its
drinks business up for sale as part of its merger with France's Vivendi.
Britain's Diageo Plc and France's Pernod-Ricard are keen joint bidders.

Though a servant of the same country that only narrowly voted against complete
alcohol prohibition in a 1923 referendum, V&S vows to guard its boozy
interests.

An unlikely-looking alcohol multinational, it is taking an increasingly
aggressive stance, with recent acquisitions in Britain and the Czech Republic,
and defends its brands vehemently in the courts.

Industry analysts say V&S looks unlikely to sell Absolut and may hold the trump
card in the Seagram talks, in the form of a clause in its contract saying the
distribution rights could be revoked if Seagram were sold.

Talk of a joint bid by V&S for the Seagram unit with British drinks group
Allied Domecq Plc has circulated among analysts and in newspaper reports in
recent weeks.

CULTURAL SEA CHANGE

Frustrated travellers scouring Stockholm in vain for a bottle of wine on a
Friday night are a common sight, though wiser locals stock up during the week,
and the few Systembolaget stores that now open on Saturdays do a roaring trade.

Swedes once shared a taste for hard drinking with other northern ``vodka belt''
states, until the backlash Temperance movement gained strength in the early
1900s.

Temperance remains strong even in the 21st century -- though that looks set to
change, with well-travelled youngsters clamouring ever more loudly for a more
relaxed attitude to drink.

``It's a reaction to the internationalisation that's affecting everyone,''
Health and Social Affairs Ministry Deputy Director Gert Knutsson told Reuters
in an interview.

``Now people don't just rely on what the authorities say. They must understand
why.''

Sweden will cut drink taxes to European levels by 2004, with a first reduction
next year, Knutsson said.

``Of course some groups will object. There is still a strong temperance
movement who will of course be screaming loudly, and some political parties
will object. But most people see it as a necessary step,'' he said.

BRUSSELS FORCES SWEDEN'S HAND

In reality, Sweden has little choice. It secured a temporary agreement when it
joined the EU in 1995 to prevent Swedes privately importing large quantities of
booze from countries to the south where it is cheaper.

When that expired in June, the European Commission made Stockholm promise to
quadruple the maximum import level for beer and almost triple it for wine and
spirits by end-2003.

So unless it cuts taxes, more and more Swedes will either buy abroad or through
an already flourishing black market, which the Alcohol and Drug Information
Council estimates already supplies a quarter of Sweden's drink.

Opponents of tax cuts point out Sweden has Europe's lowest drink-related
illness rate, citing statistical evidence that death rates have closely tracked
alcohol sales fluctuations through the years.

The National Institute of Public Health says cutting taxes to the level of
neighbouring Denmark would kill between 500 and 1,000 more people a year
through diseases such as cirrhosis. It says with such low consumption, Swedes
would be particularly vulnerable to a sudden increase in the availability of
drink.

``It's a balance,'' Knutsson concedes. ``If you restrict too toughly, the black
market will grow. You have to find a point just between.''

Handouts vs. Works in Brazil Race

.c The Associated Press

By MICHAEL ASTOR

JABORANDI, Brazil (AP) - Mayor Jose Dias da Silva thought his record would
speak for itself. Surely investments in schools and hospitals would sway voters
more than beer or food baskets at election time, he reasoned.

The problem was many residents seemed to prefer the handouts.

Many here complain da Silva - known by his nickname Regente - has spent too
much on public works and not enough on the favors and gifts that are a hallowed
campaign tradition and give the election a carnival feel.

That's where his rival, Lidio Dias, excels.

``Regente did stuff for the city, he didn't do anything for the poor,'' says
19-year-old Lesio Villas Boas da Franca, who wore a Dias T-shirt.

``Unfortunately the people around here are a bit backwards,'' explains high
school principal Neusa Campos de Oliveira. ``They like a guy who gives them a
slap on the back. Lidio was the kind of guy who showed up at a bar and picked
up the tab for everybody. A lot of people owe him.''

The campaign ahead of Sunday's municipal election in this town of 10,000 people
highlights the obstacles to rooting out the patronage and cronyism ingrained in
Brazilian politics.

Dias, an old-school politician and da Silva's uncle, was mayor until 1996. When
his term ended, he used his popularity and influence to help elect his cool,
businesslike nephew.

Da Silva, who attended veterinary school and served in the army, brought
something new to Jaborandi, a poor town of mostly subsistence farmers 375 miles
northeast of Brasilia.

He went after federal funds that Dias had been unaware of or ignored and
benefitted greatly from a 1998 law that distributed government funding directly
to cities instead of through state governors, who often allocated the money at
their whimsey.

Under da Silva, the town's annual budget jumped from $47,000 to $1.9 million.
He invested heavily in health, education and a sewage system that keeps the
local river clean - something practically unheard of in Brazil's poor
Northeast.

``Governing is the easiest thing in the world, you just have to want to,'' said
the tall, stubble-chinned da Silva.

Dias seems genuinely stunned by the transformation.

``My administration was there to help the people who suffer on the farm,'' he
said. ``I did what I could with my small budget.''

But the all-in-the-family harmony broke down in 1997, when a Constitutional
amendment allowed mayors to run for reelection. Dias, who had expected to
inherit the mayor's office again, suddenly faced opposition from his nephew.
The two no longer speak.

Dias says his nephew's administration wasn't entirely selfless. He points to da
Silva's enormous house and sports utility vehicle and suggests that he also
benefited from the recent cash inflow.

Dias is known for distributing food baskets, a traditional election time
handout here. But he claims da Silva has upped the ante, buying votes with
UNICEF funds intended to replace the unhealthy mud shacks that are home for
many residents. Instead of new houses, Dias says, the mayor offers renovations,
and only to those who agree to vote for him.

Da Silva denies he's doing anything wrong with the UNICEF money but admits
political realities have forced him to engage in some of the more traditional
voting getting methods.

``I do good work and I do good politics too,'' counters da Silva, known
popularly as Regente. ``Buying votes exists. If a poor person is sick what are
you going to do: let them die?''

Still, da Silva appears to be trailing among voters. His support is strongest
among the 2,000 who live near the newly restored town square, where he has
created government jobs and improved social services.

But the 8,000 voters on the small farms surrounding the town seem to like Dias
better. He mixes easily with the farmers and field hands, drinking cachaca - a
homemade sugar cane liquor - and smoking corn husk cigarettes. Farmer Jose
Joaquim Saraiva, 56, admits the mayor has done a lot for Jaborandi but says he
still plans to vote for Dias.

``Lidio helped me a lot when he was in office,'' he says. ``If I could pay with
a liter of cachaca or a kilo of beans I would, but I can't. The only way I can
pay him is with my vote.''

http://news.excite.com/news/r/000929/09/odd-mexico-mayor-dc

Mayor Accused of Bigamy, Loses JobUpdated 9:43 AM ET September 29, 2000
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The mayor of a Mexican state capital has been
booted from office by the local congress to face charges of bigamy,
press reports said on Thursday.
The state congress of Veracruz on Wednesday voted to remove Raphael
Hernandez Villalpando, the mayor of the state capital Xalapa, from
office so he can face charges in a civil court of being married
simultaneously to two women, newspapers reported. The daily Reforma said
Hernandez married Leonora Bustos in 1995, then later married Casha
Acosta without first divorcing Bustos.

"Bigamy may be a minor crime, but it's a crime nonetheless," said state
congressman Gabino Rios of the country's ruling Institutional
Revolutionary Party (PRI).

Supporters of Hernandez, a member of the leftist Party of the Democratic
Revolution (PRD) whose term was due to end in three months, said the
action by the PRI-dominated congress was politically motivated.

[Peter Alexander]

GOOD BEER GUIDE 2001

The 2001 Good Beer Guide, published today by the Campaign for Real
Ale, is a call to arms to British beer lovers to save their favourite
tipple as the industry is threatened with globalisation at the hands
of international lager brewers.

A Beer Drinkers' Manifesto lays down a series of demands for beer
lovers to raise with brewers, pub groups, MPs, MEPs, members of the
Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. The demands are aimed at
saving British breweries, halting the loss of rural pubs, encouraging
the development of
organic beers, and to stop mergers and takeovers that threaten choice
and diversity.

The Manifesto says:

· The Department of Trade and Industry needs a blueprint for the
brewing industry that lays down a policy for protecting beer drinkers'
interests. There must be a rigorous investigation of any further
mergers that threaten choice and the closure of brewing plants, with
the loss of local brands.

· The government should, as a matter of urgency, bring pub groups
within the provisions of the Beer Orders to enable licensees to offer
guest beers from regional and micro-breweries to their customers. At
present the Beer Orders cover only tenanted pubs owned by national
brewers. Most nationals have converted all their pubs to management,
which puts them outside the scope of the Orders. Pub groups, which
include Punch Taverns and Japanese bankers Nomura, do not have to
offer guest beers and concentrate on such heavily-discounted brands
such as Tetley's.

· The Ministry of Agriculture must encourage farmers, with the aid of
grants where necessary, to grow far greater amounts of organic barley
and hops. At present British brewers who produce organic beers have to
source most of their ingredients from abroad: the bulk of imported
organic hops, for example, come from New Zealand. The ministry and
brewers must give beer drinkers a categorical assurance that they
will never use any genetically modified ingredients in British beer.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer must introduce a staged reduction in
excise duty on beer to bring duty down to the EU average within a
decade. This would reduce cheap imports from France, encourage
drinkers to return to British pubs, increase domestic beer production
and jobs, and would not lead to a loss of revenue to the government as
duty, income tax and VAT would rise as British beer sales increased.

· Country pubs -- currently closing at the rate of six a week -- must
be given rate relief in line with the provisions in place for rural
post offices and other key rural services.

· The Home Office must speed up proposals for licensing reform.
Publicans need greater flexibility to enable them to stay open later.
Flexibility would help tackle the problems connected with rigid 11pm
closing, a view shared by the police.

Peter Alexander Chairman CAMRA Rochdale Oldham and Bury Branch,

Unless otherwise stated,the opinions stated here are personal. My CAMRA connections are given for information only.

[J2jurado]

There's an interesting cluster of pieces from a specialty contract-ice cream
producer who was the first to market themselves as 'inspired' from craft
brewing....
****

Alcohol-Spiked Lemonade Sales Surge

.c The Associated Press By SKIP WOLLENBERG

NEW YORK (AP) 10-02-00 - This isn't the lemonade that kids grow up selling in
the front yard.

Lemon-flavored drinks spiked with about as much alcohol as beer are growing in
sales after major alcoholic beverage powers like Anheuser-Busch, Miller Brewing
and Seagram took notice of their market appeal.

But critics say the beverages mask the taste of alcohol and appeal to the sweet
tooth of underage drinkers and others who may not otherwise like that taste of
alcohol. Similar drinks marketed in Britain in the mid-90s were called
``alcopops'' by critics who said they appealed those below the legal drinking
age.

``This is a drink that is going to popular with kids, and a responsible
marketer of alcohol should not be marketing it,'' said James Mosher, senior
policy adviser at the Marin Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other
Drug Problems, based in San Rafael, Calif.

The beverages, with about 5 percent alcohol, sport folksy names like Mike's
Hard Lemonade, Rick's Spiked Lemonade, Doc Otis' Hard Lemon Flavored Malt
Beverage and Hooper's Hooch Lemon Brew.

Their makers note they list the alcohol content on the labels. They say they're
not aiming at youngsters but rather at adults who seek variety in beverages and
may even spike their own lemonade at home.

Sales of hard lemonade rose fourfold last year to 4.1 million cases worth about
$90 million at retail, according to the trade publication Impact. The beverages
are generally priced at $5.50 to $7 for a six-pack - on par with specialty
beers.

Miller Brewing Co., whose Henry Weinhard division introduced Henry's Hard
Lemonade in five Pacific Northwest states last month, expects the market could
reach $350 million nationally by the end of this year, spokeswomen Kary McGrath
said.

That's about what's spilled on the bar in the $60 billion-plus beer market, but
market watchers say the sector is worth watching given the number of people
reaching the legal drinking age each year and their taste for what's new.

Kim McGreevey, 21, a senior at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, said she is not
a big fan of beer and finds hard lemonade an appealing alternative especially
for ``a younger crowd that doesn't have the money to go to a bar for a mixed
drink.''

She likes the familiarity of the taste of lemonade and says it is more reliable
than buying a wine cooler with an exotic description and a disappointing taste.

Mike's Hard Lemonade was the spiked lemonade sales leader for the year through
mid-August at supermarkets, according to figures from Information Resources
Inc.

Mark Anthony Brands Ltd., a privately-held firm based in Vancouver, British
Columbia, launched the brand in Canada in 1996 and started shipping it into New
England early last year, said Russell Barnett, the top U.S. marketer of the
Mike's brand.

He said sales quickly beat expectations despite no advertising for what it
calls ``lemonade with kick.'' It is sold in clear bottles with a black label
and a message etched in white handwriting.

``Ask Mike what he puts into his hard lemonade and all you'll get is, 'I'm not
saying but I can tell you this: 10 lemons go into a room; only three come out.'
He's a little mysterious like that,'' the message says.

There is no real Mike behind the brand but Barnett said, ``There is some Mike
in all of us. He's a fun, cool guy people want to hang around with.''

There's also no real Doc Otis behind the drink line launched in May by
Anheuser-Busch Inc., the world's biggest brewer.

But the name plays a key role in its marketing - a half-dozen stories about the
fictional character alternately appear on Doc Otis bottles, and consumers can
win prizes for penning their own tales. Radio spots invite consumers to
``Unlock the Doc'' mystery, and TV ads are coming.

The sales push has Doc Otis gaining on Mike's, according to the IRI.
Supermarket data pegged Mike's sales at about 530,000 cases through Aug. 20,
while Doc Otis was at about 337,000 cases.

Another top seller is Rick's Spiked Lemonade, introduced in March by Canada's
Seagram Beverage Co. It had sold about 164,000 cases, about 35,000 cases behind
Hooper's Hooch in the IRI data.

Rick's is backed with a Web site (www.ricksspiked.com) and radio and print
advertising in some markets, Seagram marketing executive Jamie Mattikow said.
``One part innocent. One part wild'' is the theme.

Don't bother to go looking for Rick - like Mike and the Doc, he doesn't exist.

``It's a fun, approachable name that had broad appeal to men and women,''
Mattikow said.

The marketers say hard lemonade is a drink for all seasons, though Gary
Hemphill of the beverage research and consulting firm Beverage Marketing Corp.
in New York suspects it will sell best when lemonade does.

``It's a light summer drink, another alternative, but I think it will be a very
seasonal product,'' he said.

George Hacker, who oversees alcohol policies for the Center for Science in the
Public Interest in Washington, D.C., finds spiked lemonade an unappealing
concept any time.

``The whole point is to package alcohol in a familiar and appealing taste in an
effort to bring new consumers to the alcoholic beverage market,'' he said.
``It's unfortunate we are so cavalier about every new means of incorporating
alcohol into Americans' lifestyles.''

Brazil Kaiser says chief resigns, no Heineken link

SAO PAULO, Oct 2 (Reuters) - The president of Brazilian beer company Kaiser is
stepping down but the firm said on Monday the move had nothing to do with talk
Heineken NV <HEIN.AS> was planning to up its stake in the brewer.

Humberto Pandolpho, who had been in charge since February 1999 on an open-ended
contract, will be replaced by local Coca Cola bottler executive and board
member Miguel Alarcon, Kaiser said in a statement.

Kaiser has been the centre of media reports that Dutch brewer Heineken would
soon offer to up its 14 percent stake in the brewer. Both sides say they are
talking, but say nothing has been agreed. Pandolpho's exit was not relevant,
Kaiser said.

"It was nothing to do with Heineken," a spokesperson said.

Pandolpho said he was resigning because the brewer would also have to think in
terms of soft drinks to compete with recently merged Brazilian market leader
AmBev <AMBV4.SA> which dominates the local beer and soft drink market.

Alarcon had 33 years experience in Brazil's drinks market, 22 with Coca Cola
bottlers which variously own a controlling 76 percent stake in Kaiser, the
brewer said. Coca Cola Co. <<A HREF="aol://4785:KO">KO.N</A>> owns the
remaining 10 percent of Kaiser.

Pabst Brewing Says Chief Executive Bill Bitting Resigned

San Antonio, Sept. 29(Bloomberg) -- Pabst Brewing Co. Chief Executive Bill
Bitting resigned from the No. 4 U.S. brewer earlier this month, Pabst's parent
company said. Bitting quit effective Sept. 18 and a replacement hasn't been
named, said Yeoryios Apallas, vice president and general counsel of closely
held S&P Co., which owns Pabst.

Pabst was purchased by beer and real estate magnate Paul Kalmanovitz two years
before his death in 1987. His estate owns Mill Valley, California-based S&P.
Bitting, who was one of Kalmanovitz's lawyers, had been a trustee of the
estate.

San Antonio-based Pabst is the largest U.S. brewer of regional beers, with
brands including Pabst Blue Ribbon, Old Milwaukee, Schlitz, Lone Star and Old
Style.

The resignation was reported earlier by Beer Marketer's Insights, a West Nyack,
New York-based trade newsletter.

Schultheiss-Brauerei Doesn't Exclude Sale, Newspaper Says

Munich, Sept. 30 (Bloomberg)-- Schultheiss-Brauerei AG, a unit of Brau und
Brunnen AG, Germany's second-largest brewer, doesn't exclude a sale to avoid
liquidation by Brau und Brunnen majority owner HypoVereinsbank AG, German daily
Berliner Zeitung reported.

Schultheiss President Hans Schmitt said even after planned personnel cuts of 20
percent to 25 percent, the company won't be able to avoid losses, the newspaper
said in a release of tomorrow's edition.

Schmitt forecast a return to profit in 2001 for the company, which posted a
loss last year, the paper reported.

The beer market is suffering from a decline in German consumption.

(Berliner Zeitung 9/30)

Genesee Agrees to Sell Equipment Leasing Assets for $13 Million

Rochester, New York, Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Genesee Corp., the No. 5 U.S.
brewer, agreed to sell ``a substantial portion'' of its equipment-leasing
assets to four limited partnerships managed by ICON Capital Corp. for $13
million as part of its liquidation plan.

Because the sale will generate a loss, the Rochester, New York-based company
already took a $1.9 million charge in its fourth quarter ended April 29. The
sale is expected to close within 45 days.

Closely held ICON Capital, based in White Plains, New York, manages
equipment-leasing with assets valued at more than $800 million when they were
new.

Genesee said last month it would sell its brewing business for $22 million to a
group headed by Chief Executive Samuel Hubbard Jr. At the time the company said
it was sued by shareholders opposed to the buyout. Shareholders will vote on
the proposals at their annual meeting on Oct. 19.

Genesee shares fell 50 cents to 34.13.

EU Accuses Brewers of Cartels

.c The Associated Press 10-02-00

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - The European Commission opened legal proceedings
Monday against leading beermakers in Belgium and Luxembourg suspected of
operating cartels.

Those facing legal action include Interbrew, the world's second-largest brewer
by volume.

An EC statement said allegations against Interbrew included ``market sharing,
price fixing and information exchange on the Belgian market'' with its main
local competitor Alken-Maes from 1993 until at least 1998.

Two smaller Belgian brewers, Haacht and Martens were also accused of collusion
with the others in sale of supermarket own-label beers.

Six leading brewers in Luxembourg were accused of agreeing to maintain market
shares in the country's cafe and restaurant trade and restrict foreign brewers
from 1985 until at least 1998.

``Market sharing and price-fixing are among the most serious forms of
anticompetitive practice,'' said EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti. ``In
this respect the beer sector will be treated no differently from any other.''

Under EU antitrust rules, the brewers have a month to respond to the
Commission's ``statement of objections'' by submitting a written defense or
requesting a hearing.

European Union antitrust investigators are also probing allegations of cartel
activity by brewers in other nations, including Italy, the Netherlands, France
and Denmark. The Commission stressed those inquires are still at early stages.

Under EU rules, the Commission has the power to fine companies up to 10 percent
of their global annual sales for illegal collusion. However, in practice it has
never fined above 1 percent of annual sales, and fines are usually much lower.

Interbrew, which makes the popular Stella Artois and Jupiler lagers, said in a
statement that it ``has taken actions which are incompatible with the
competition rules of the E.,'' but has now put in place ``corrective
measures.'' Interbrew has ``fully cooperated'' with the investigation, it said.

Interbrew said that it has also been involved in the investigations in France
and the Netherlands and said that it has already made financial provisions for
``the conclusions of these proceedings'' as well.

Company spokesman Corneel Maes said that the alleged infringements are ``all in
the past.''

``That's true that we have in the past taken in part in what is known as
concerted practices (but) we have completely taken care of this,'' he said.

Pernod Loses Legal Bid Over Bacardi's Havana Club Rum

Washington, Oct. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Pernod-Ricard SA, the Paris- based beverage
firm, lost a U.S. Supreme Court appeal aimed at stopping rival Bacardi Ltd.
from selling rum in the U.S. under the Havana Club name.

The justices, without comment, refused to review a lower court's conclusion
that the U.S. embargo of Cuba bars a Pernod partnership with the Cuban
government from preserving U.S. rights to the Havana Club name for future use.
Cuba has used that brand name elsewhere around the world since the government
seized the company that originally made the rum in 1960.

The dispute has sparked worldwide controversy, drawing in the World Trade
Organization as well as the U.S. court system. Several international business
trade groups -- siding with Pernod -- urged the highest U.S. court to get
involved, saying the U.S. is bound by treaty to respect foreign trademark
rights.

The dispute ``is of profound importance to the system of intellectual property
protection worldwide,'' according to a brief filed by the French National
Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce.

Last week, the Geneva-based WTO agreed to form a panel to hear Pernod's
complaint, which was brought on its behalf by the European Union.

The EU charges that the section of U.S. trade law under which Bacardi has taken
over Pernod's registration of the Havana Club brand name is at odds with WTO
intellectual-property rules.

The WTO panel is expected to take six to nine months to issue its ruling.

Bacardi is asserting the rights to the brand name originally owned by Jose
Arechabala, SA, the family-run business that sold Havana Club rum until the
government expropriation in 1960. Bermuda-based Bacardi hopes to enter the U.S.
market in the next few years with its own version of Havana Club, produced in
the Bahamas. It began exporting small amounts to the U.S. in 1995.

Specific Prohibitions

Bacardi contends the U.S. treaty obligations ``must give way, in the case of
Cuba, to the specific prohibitions approved by the president and Congress.''

Pernod and Cuba's communist government pressed their claims through two
companies they own jointly -- Cuba-based Havana Club International SA and
Luxembourg-based Havana Club Holding SA. They sued Bacardi for trademark and
trade-name infringement and false designation of origin.

The suit contended the Inter-American Convention requires the U.S. government
to treat the Pernod group no differently than a domestic company asserting
rights to a product name.

A New York-based federal appeals court rejected those contentions, saying,
among other things, that a 1998 statute trumped the treaty commitments.

The law, targeted at Cuban trade, said companies can't cite the Inter-American
Convention for trademark or trade-name protection without the permission of the
original owner -- in this case, the Arechabala family.

Pernod said in a statement that the high court's refusal to hear the case
``underscores the need to Congress to repeal that provision'' in the U.S. law.
The company said it's optimistic the WTO panel will rule that provision is
discriminatory.

``Today's decision does not reflect on the substance of our case,'' Mark Orr,
Pernod's vice president for North American affairs, said in a prepared
statement.

Rum Wars

The appellate panel also threw out the false-designation allegations, which
accused Bacardi of misleading consumers into thinking its rum was made in Cuba.
The court said Havana Club International and Havana Club Holding don't have the
right to make that claim because they weren't injured by the alleged
wrongdoing.

Bacardi is fighting to preserve its dominance as the world's largest maker of
rum. Pernod is the worldwide leader in sales of Irish Whiskey, under the
Jameson and Bushmills brands, and its Wild Turkey is the world's best-selling
brand of bourbon. The Pernod partnership with the Cuban government, formed in
1993, now sells 1.25 million cases of Havana Club rum a year to Canada, Mexico,
Spain and other countries.

Although that's only a fraction of the 20 million cases Bacardi produces each
year, Havana Club International says it wants to increase its output to 5
million cases by 2010, with a million of those heading to the United States,
assuming the embargo ends by then. The Pernod group accuses Bacardi of using
unfair tactics to undermine that competition.

Trade Wars

The case could have ramifications well beyond the beverage industry. Critics of
the lower court ruling say it could spark a trade war. Because the
Inter-American Convention simply requires countries to provide reciprocal
trademark rights, a decision favoring Bacardi would permit Cubans legally to
copy trademarks and trade names from the U.S., they say.

``The decision below threatens scores of major U.S. companies with the prompt
loss of effective protection for their trademarks and trade names and against
unfair competition that they heretofore have enjoyed,'' the Pernod group's
appeal said.

To accept that argument, Bacardi countered, would be ``to give credence to the
. . . threats of the Castro government to seize those marks.''

The case is Havana Club Holding v. Bacardi & Co. Ltd., 99- 1957.

Anheuser-Busch Expects First China Beer Profit in 2001, SD Says

Shanghai, Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Anheuser-Busch Cos., the world's largest
brewer, expects to start earning a profit in China in 2001, six years after
entering the market, Shanghai Daily reported, citing Philip Davis, the chairman
of Budweiser Wuhan International Brewing Co., its sole China brewery.

Budweiser's share of the premium beer market in China has risen to 25 percent
now from 10 percent in 1997, the paper said.

``We prefer to increase market share by cutting the price,'' the paper cited
Davis as saying. About 25 percent of the raw materials for making beer in China
are imported, the paper said.

Anheuser-Busch spent $52 million acquiring an existing brewery in Wuhan in 1995
and invested $150 million more to upgrade its production line, which has 2.5
million hectolitres of annual production capacity, the paper said.

(Shanghai Daily, 9/29/2000, p.5; {SNGI <GO>} for the newspaper's Web site)

US Supreme Court Could Limit Company Power to Fire Alcohol and Drug-Users

Washington, Oct. 2 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Supreme Court signaled skepticism
about the right of employers to fire drug users from safety-sensitive jobs
after labor arbitrators have ordered the workers reinstated.

The justices are considering how far companies should be allowed to go in
overriding arbitration decisions that are contrary to public policy. The
dispute involves whether a P&L Coal Holdings Corp. unit must abide by an
arbitrator's order to reinstate a truck driver who twice tested positive for
marijuana use. The company wants to void the arbitrator's decision on
public-policy grounds -- namely that the employee is a threat to the safety of
others.

The United Mine Workers of America contends that once the company agreed to
submit disputes to arbitration, it was bound to abide by arbitrators' findings
except those that would make the company break the law. The Department of
Transportation's Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require holders of commercial
driver's license to submit to drug and alcohol tests. The agency's rules,
however, neither make it illegal to reinstate employees who test positive for
drug use nor establish penalties for drivers who test positive more than once.

That the Department of Transportation hasn't spelled out a penalty ``seems to
erect a caution sign in my mind,'' said Justice David Souter.

No Specific Rule

Although judges have some power to overturn arbitrators' decisions on
public-policy grounds, the Supreme Court said in 1987 that courts had to point
to an ``explicit'' government policy. In that case, the justices unanimously
barred a company from firing a paper-plant worker caught with marijuana in his
car, faulting a lower court for basing its conclusions on ``speculation or
assumption,'' rather than a review of existing laws.

Lower courts have interpreted the 1987 decision in different ways. Some say
judges may overturn only arbitration awards that would violate specific
regulations or statutes. Others say that, at least in industries governed by
strict safety regulations, companies must be able to fire dangerous workers,
even if the law does not require them to do so.

In the case now before the court, P&L's Eastern Associated Coal Corp. tried to
fire James Smith after he tested positive for marijuana twice in 15 months.
Smith worked as a ``mobile equipment operator'' -- a position that required him
to drive 25-ton trucks on West Virginia roads.

Both times the company sought to fire Smith, and both times an arbitrator said
the company could take other disciplinary steps and had to reinstate him.

In the second case, arbitrator Jerome T. Barrett said he accepted Smith's
explanation that the drug use was a one-time lapse sparked by a family problem.

The company appealed. Both a federal trial judge in Charleston, West Virginia
and an appeals court upheld the arbitrator's decision.

Collective Bargaining

The case is one of three the court will consider in its 2000- 01 term, which
began today, with the potential to slow the rapid growth of out-of-court
dispute-resolution systems and limit the impact of arbitration decisions.

The Supreme Court since 1984 has encouraged the use of arbitration to reduce
litigation costs, citing the 1925 Federal Arbitration Act that declared a
national policy favoring arbitration. That law told judges, traditionally
hostile to efforts to bypass the courts, to enforce arbitration clauses just
like any other contracts.

``In determining a public-policy exemption, we are in a more difficult position
than common law because we've got a labor contract here and a body of law''
that strongly supports arbitration, Souter said.

Eastern Associated and its union are parties to the National Bituminous Coal
Wage Agreement of 1993. The collective-bargaining agreements precludes
disciplining or discharging any employee except for ``just cause'' and requires
unresolved grievances to be decided through binding arbitration.

Eastern's internal policy said that an employee who tests positive for drug use
will be removed from any safety-sensitive position and subject to disciplinary
action up to and including termination.

The justices questioned why the company did not press for a more specific
penalty for an employee who tested positive more than once for drug use.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor noted that several other employers have made
penalties for drug use part of their contacts, and if Eastern had done that the
question of public policy would be ``moot or academic.''

``What you're seeking is for the public policy to kick in if the employer wants
to get rid of the worker,'' O'Connor said.

The case is Eastern Associated Coal v. United Mine Workers, 99-1038.

Wal-Mart To Sell Own Brand of Wine

By JAMIE STENGLE .c The Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK (AP) 9/30-00 - Some Wal-Mart customers soon will be able to sample
a new discount item - Wal-Mart's own brand of wine.

The world's largest retail chain will begin selling Alcott Ridge Vineyards
worldwide next Thursday, teaming up with E&J Gallo Winery of Modesto, Calif.,
to produce the spirits at an affordable price.

While wine connoisseurs may not be inclined to throw a bottle of Wal-Mart brand
wine into their shopping carts, there is a market for cheap wine, said Kathy
Micken, professor of marketing at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I.

``There is wine in a box that people are willing to buy, and quality really can
be found in gallon jugs,'' she said.

Wal-Mart spokesman Hank Ernest said the company sells wine products in 38
states and worldwide. The corked wine will sell from about $6 to $7 a standard
bottle (750 milliliters) and be available in Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay,
Merlot and White Zinfandel varieties, he said.

In the U.S., Alcott Ridge Vineyards will be sold only in the stores that
currently sell wine.

``Many of our customers are demanding a greater selection of wine products at
prices they can afford. We believe that Alcott Vineyards will help us meet that
demand,'' said John Ryan, senior vice president of global sourcing for
Bentonville-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

The bottle will not carry the name Wal-Mart or Gallo, but will be upmarketed as
'Plonk Distinct Vere', suggesting its highest quality and the convenient
resealable aluminum closure instead of a traditional cork stopper.

Justin Morris, a professor of food science at the University of Arkansas, said
Wal-Mart's move to sell its own brand of wine makes sense.

``Wine certainly is becoming a popular food item,'' he said. ``It's becoming
certainly more and more the accepted drink of moderation.''

Most people in Europe think of wine as a food, he said. ``This country is
probably moving in that direction and Wal-Mart probably sees this as an
opportunity.''

Trainees Beating a Path to Wine Country; Record numbers seek the US slant on
agriculture

SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28, 2000--Akaki Adeishvili said
goodbye last month to the world's oldest wine country, ready and willing to
discover what the New World could teach him about his craft.

"I can take something new back to my country when I'm done," Adeishvili said as
he hauled a hose across the floor of La Crema Winery. "Everything is advanced
here. Georgia has a great history in wine, but it's in just the first steps of
redevelopment."

Adeishvili left his native Georgia, the former Soviet Republic, to join a
worldwide migration of winery talent that heads for California each fall. This
year interns will train in record numbers in California cellars until just
before Christmas. They will then carry their experience back to places like
Georgia, perhaps the world's oldest wine country, according to "The World Atlas
of Wine" by Hugh Johnson.

Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, including La Crema, hosts more interns this year
than any other wine company. The Kendall-Jackson intern group has grown to
about 40 from just 10 in 1996.

Interns, mostly in their 20s with new degrees or a short time in the industry,
say they are fascinated with the level of custom handling at Kendall-Jackson,
the collegial, efficient culture of work and extensive use of costly barrels
for fermentation and aging.

"There must be more barrels here than in all of Mendoza," said Pedro Alejandro
Sanchez, referring to his home wine region in Argentina. He scanned the
thousands of barrels at Kendall-Jackson's aging center and shook his head.

He and Argentine colleague Mariela Razquin resumed labeling a load of new
barrels, while pondering the accelerating rate of cross-pollination in the
world of wine.

"Just in the last year we've seen an influx of French and others to Mendoza,"
Razquin said. "It's all the more important, then, that we are here learning
these methods. We have to learn from each other."

Both interns and employers win under the program, said Beverly Gilmartin, who
coordinates the Minnesota-based Communicating for Agriculture Exchange Program
(CAEP) that links the interns with wineries and other agriculture.

Interns get acquainted with American innovation and creativity. They gain
exposure to varietals, such as Pinot Noir, they may never handle at home. They
learn more English and build a network that can turn into wider job
opportunities.

"On the other hand, the hosts are able to learn about winemaking techniques and
cultural differences from around the world," Gilmartin said. "It upholds the
true meaning of exchange."

Twenty-five nations are sending 310 winery interns this year, a record. CAEP is
sponsoring close to 1,000 trainees in all classes of American agriculture, also
a record.

Mike Mendenhall, cellar master at La Crema, said his staff embraces the
distinct ideas and culture that interns bring, as well as their eagerness to
learn.

"They have a vested interest in wine," he said. "That makes them easy to work
with, and they work very hard."

Gilmartin predicted the program will grow in the coming years as word spreads
among world winemakers. South America in particular has boosted its
participation, now rivaling Europe in the number of wine interns.

A California internship provides winemakers from the Southern Hemisphere an
added advantage: they can return home and put their training to use as soon as
March, when their home harvest begins. Ximena Pacheco is rehearsing for harvest
in her native Chile, where she hopes to work for Calina, part of
Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates.

Interns agree that more international exchange will build the distinct wine
culture of each nation, not dilute it.

"We'll never lose our own style," Argentina's Razquin said. "In the end, it's
right there in the land."

President/CEO of Jeremy's MicroBatch Ice Creams Resigns

MARLTON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28, 2000--Jeremy's MicroBatch(R) Ice
Creams (NASDAQ: <A HREF="aol://4785:JMIC">JMIC</A>; BSE: JMI) announced today
that Joseph Phillips has submitted his resignation as the President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Company, and as a member of the Board of Directors, in
order to pursue other interests. He has been with the company for 4 weeks.

Phillips has agreed to remain with the Company through October 27, 2000, to
assist the Board with an orderly transition of management.

More about Jeremy's MicroBatch(R)

Inspired by the microbrew beer concept of using only the highest quality
ingredients made in a limited number of barrels, Jeremy Kraus founded Jeremy's
MicroBatch(R) Ice Creams, Inc. in 1997, during his junior year at the
University of Pennsylvania.

Currently available in more than 2,000 outlets throughout the United States and
through MicroBatch(R) Direct at microbatch.com, Jeremy's MicroBatch(R) Ice
Creams mixes superpremium ice cream with high-quality ingredients in small
batches to create the ultimate indulgence. The current flavor roster includes
Vanilla Cream Stout, Purple Passion Pills, Eve's Sinful Cider, Wired, Welcome
to Tiramisu, Triple Espresso, Revenge of Chocolate Overload and Cinnamon Bun.

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Jeremy's MicroBatch Ice
Creams Resign

MARLTON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28, 2000--Jeremy's MicroBatch(R) Ice
Creams (NASDAQ: <A HREF="aol://4785:JMIC">JMIC</A>; BSE: JMI) announced today
that Joseph Casey has tendered his resignation as the Chief Operating Officer
and Director of the Company, and Jeffrey Rosen has submitted his resignation as
Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Casey has agreed to remain with the Company through October 27, 2000, to
assist the Board with an orderly transition of management.

More about Jeremy's MicroBatch(R)

Inspired by the microbrew beer concept of using only the highest quality
ingredients made in a limited number of barrels, Jeremy Kraus founded Jeremy's
MicroBatch(R) Ice Creams, Inc. in 1997, during his junior year at the
University of Pennsylvania.

Currently available in more than 2,000 outlets throughout the United States and
through MicroBatch(R) Direct at microbatch.com, Jeremy's MicroBatch(R) Ice
Creams mixes superpremium ice cream with high-quality ingredients in small
batches to create the ultimate indulgence.

Ballyhooed Ice Cream Seeks Rebound

By JENNIFER BROWN .c The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) 09/19/00 - Jeremy's MicroBatch Ice Creams Inc. has taken some
licks.

Generating the kind of buzz usually reserved for Internet startups, the ice
cream manufacturer has been rewarded with blurbs in glossy fashion magazines, a
free commercial during the 1999 Super Bowl, and an initial public offering on
the Nasdaq Stock Market. But, like many Internet startups, the maker of such
flavors as Vanilla Cream Stout and Fuzzy Navel has yet to turn a profit.

In recent months Jeremy's has made some dramatic changes in hopes of turning
itself around.

After reporting $4.1 million in losses over the first half of the year, the
company slashed its marketing staff from about 100 to fewer than 10, closed
some stores in the West and shuffled its front office, scooping up experienced
executives and replacing its 24-year-old founder and namesake at the chief
executive officer position.

Jeremy Kraus, now chairman of the company, remains confident that the
3-year-old premium ice cream company, which markets to 18 to 24-year-olds, will
turn a profit next year.

Kraus founded the ice cream company in 1997 as a class assignment while
attending the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. When he graduated a
year later, his ice cream was selling in about 50 stores.

Then, Kraus hit an extraordinary string of good luck.

He was named one of the state's top young entrepreneurs by the Pennsylvania
governor's office and he won an essay contest by Mail Boxes Etc., which landed
the company a commercial during the 1999 Super Bowl worth $1.6 million - more
than its annual revenues.

In February Jeremy's earned $7 million in its initial public offering and in
March fashion designer Nicole Miller created a silk tie and scarf using a
collage of Jeremy's flavor logos, including Vanilla Cream Stout, Triple
Espresso, Chocolate Overload, Eve's Sinful Cider and Tiramisu.

This summer, the ice cream was mentioned in InStyle magazine and The New York
Times, after a series of free ice cream giveaways during the 90-degree days of
Philadelphia's Republican National Convention.

Still, media attention is secondary to profits.

Shares of Jeremy's fell from a high of $6.75 in February to about $1 a share in
August. In recent weeks, shares have crept back up to about $2.

``They do make good ice cream, in great flavors. But their income statement
looks like an Internet company,'' said Mitchell Pinheiro, an analyst at
Philadelphia-based Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, citing the company's high
marketing budget and net losses.

The company reported a net loss of $4.1 million on sales of $489,000 in the
first six months of this year. That's compared with a loss of $856,900 on sales
of $572,400 during the same period last year.

The company blamed marketing expenses and declining revenue after discontinuing
sales out West, which had accounted for 16 percent of 1999 sales. Down from a
peak of 3,200 outlets in 21 states, Jeremy's now is available in about 2,000
stores mostly in the Northeast.

In July, board of trustees member Joe Phillips - a former executive for
Champion athletic wear - was appointed president and CEO. Other additions
included former Pepsi-Cola executives Joseph Casey as chief operating officer
and David A. Broll as a member of the board of directors.

In addition to sprinkling its management team with experience, the company
pared its expensive marketing department from more than 100 full- and part-time
workers to fewer than 10, including five regional sales managers who are to be
hired this fall.

``In order to get the company where I wanted it to be ... we needed some
top-level executives,'' Kraus said.

``We have a lot of similarities to Internet startups,'' Kraus added. ``The
young founder, the venture capital, the emphasis on marketing. But unlike those
companies ... we expect to be profitable next year. And that is something that
most of the Internet startups cannot say.''

Even if Jeremy's survives this bump in the road, Pinheiro said a small ice
cream company has limited potential: either sell out or find a distribution
partner with a large company, or go out of business.

``Small companies in the early stages can pick up sales from the dollars that
fall between the cracks. But once you get on the radar screen and become a
threat, the challenges increase,'' Pinheiro said.

On The Net: http://www.microbatch.com

New Management Team At Jeremy's MicroBatch Ice Creams Outlines 18-Month
Strategic Plan

MARLTON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 14, 2000--Jeremy's MicroBatch(R) Ice
Creams (NASDAQ: <A HREF="aol://4785:JMIC">JMIC</A>; BSE: JMI) announced today
the highlights of an 18-month strategic plan designed to stimulate consumer
interest, solidify business relationships, and rapidly generate revenue.

Blending their combined fifty years of consumer products experience, with a
first-hand understanding of the generation x and y consumer, Jeremy's
MicroBatch(R) Ice Creams' new president and chief executive officer, Joe
Phillips; chief operations officer, Joseph Casey, and chairman, Jeremy Kraus,
conceived a strategic plan that focuses on the following five initiatives:

-- Alternative distribution: Selling Jeremy's MicroBatch(R) Ice

Creams where the target demographic (18-34 yr. old males and

females) spends their time and money.

-- Expanded sales force: Hire, train and support eight regional

area sales managers who will secure alternative distribution

outlets from Maine to Virginia. Five have been hired to date.

-- New product offerings: Introduce additional product sizes to

increase distribution opportunities in alternative locations.

-- Direct marketing: Focus on "last six inches of sale." This

includes point of sale materials, MicroBatch(R) branded

freezers and special events.

-- Dip shops: Open up Jeremy's MicroBatch(R) Ice Creams retail

shop locations in key Northeastern cities.

Joe Phillips, commented, "In order to effectively build a superpremium ice
cream brand for thegenerations x and y consumers, Jeremy's MicroBatch(R) Ice
Creams needs to aggressively attack the marketplace with fresh selling
propostions and innovative brand building tactics."

Execution of the strategic plan has already begun and management anticipates
completion by December 31, 2001. The MicroBatch(R) sales force is already on
the road securing alternative sales channels of distribution, and MicroBatch(R)
branded freezers will be popping up in coffee houses, movie theatres,
bookstores, etc. in the next three months.

The former senior vice president of sales and general manager of Champion(TM)
collegiate and athletic wear, Joe Phillips also held senior executive positions
with Prince/ Echelon, L.A. Gear, Inc., and Wilson Sporting Goods Company.
During his tenure at Champion(TM) Products, Inc., Phillips developed the annual
operating plan, strategic business plans, budgets and an organizational
structure that resulted in $300MM in U.S. sales. As the national sales manager
at L.A. Gear, Inc., he was responsible for sales and promotion of all men's,
women's, and children's footwear to all sporting goods national accounts.
During his three years at L.A. Gear, Inc., Phillips grew the national account
division from $50MM to $360MM, while increasing the number of national account
managers from two to 11.

Joseph Casey was most recently the president of marketing for the Philadelphia
Coca-Cola Bottling Company where he managed brand development, pricing and
promotions. Previously, Casey was the vice president of brand development for
the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York, Inc., which sold over 100 million
cases annually with revenue in excess of $1 billion. His career also included
executive, sales and marketing positions with The Dr Pepper Company and Procter
& Gamble. MCasey, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West
Point, served in the Army's Infantry Branch, and was decorated for valor and
meritorious service in the Republic of Vietnam.

''Cheers'' legal brawl reaches Supreme Court

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) 9/28/00 - Seven years after television's best-loved
barflies downed their last beers, the actors who played Norm and Cliff on the
hit series ``Cheers'' are still at war with the show's producers -- over a pair
of robots.

And their barroom brawl is headed for the Supreme Court.

Actors George Wendt and John Ratzenberger say the robots look too much like
them and they filed suit to prevent the figures from being used to tout a chain
of ``Cheers'' airport bars.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide next week whether to hear
arguments in the case or send it back to Los Angeles for trial. The suit has
been twice dismissed by a federal judge and twice revived by the 9th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals.

At issue is where to draw the line between a performer's right to control his
likeness and the copyright protections accorded those who create television
shows and characters.

In this case, Wendt, best known as the portly accountant Norm, and
Ratzenberger, who played know-it-all mailman Cliff, claim their identities were
commercially exploited without their permission by a pair of life-size talking
robots on display at a chain of ``Cheers''-type airport bars. They claim that
people often mistake the machines as themselves and that the machines offend
their fans, who can just think the twio characters are being rude and
dismissive of their fans.

The actors filed suit against Host International Inc. in January 1993, three
months before the comedy series ended its 11-year run on NBC. Host was licensed
by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc., to create the ``Cheers'' bars in
several airports across the United States and in New Zealand. Paramount later
intervened with Host to assert its own copyright ownership in ``Cheers.''

Wendt and Ratzenberger said the robots were built to resemble them and were an
unauthorized use of their likenesses, violating a California statute known as
the right-to-publicity law.

That law bars the sale of a product by using ``another's name, signature,
photograph or likeness in any manner'' without the individual's permission.
Actor Dustin Hoffman invoked the statute to win $30 million in damages last
year in a lawsuit against a magazine that printed a computer-generated image of
him wearing a dress and high heels for a fashion spread.

Paramount asserts that as creator of ``Cheers'' and owner of its copyright, it
has exclusive rights to the show and its characters, including the ability to
license ``derivative works'' based on the series.

``This is really about a conflict between the rights of the creator and the
actors who play the role that has been created,'' said attorney Floyd Abrams,
the First Amendment expert who appealed Paramount's case to the Supreme Court.

Besides, the studio maintains that the robot figures in the airport bars, which
were renamed ``Bob'' and ``Hank,'' bear no resemblance to the two actors. U.S.
District Judge Manuel Real has twice found there is no similarity.

An attorney for the actors insists there is a strong resemblance and it should
be left to a jury to decide. And he disputed suggestions that the suit intended
to usurp Paramount's copyright privileges.

``This is not an effort by my clients to acquire a right in the characters of
Norm and Cliff,'' lawyer Dale F. Kinsella said. ``They're trying to preserve
their rights to their specific likeness and images.''

He added, ``There is no question Paramount owns the rights to the characters.
It is equally clear that Paramount does not have the right to hawk the images
of Wendt and Ratzenberger for any product they want for any sum of money they
want.''

In addition, Kinsella said, Congress never intended for copyright protection to
``obliterate'' the rights of individuals to protect their own likenesses.

But at least two legal experts who spoke to Reuters sided with Abrams'
contention that a TV or movie character cannot always be separated from the
actor who played the role. Thus, California's right-to-publicity statute
contains an inherent conflict with U.S. copyright law. And where such a
conflict exists, federal law supersedes state law.

``The two cannot really co-exist,'' said Stephen Barnett, a law professor at
the University of California at Berkeley. ``If Wendt and Ratzenberger are
right, then Paramount cannot exploit its copyright by licensing the 'Cheers'
show because the characters are part of the show. And you can't use the
characters without reminding people of the actors who played them.''

UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh agreed. ``There is a conflict. I don't think
you can say that Paramount has the right to use the characters but not the
likeness of the actors who played them.''

Reuters/Variety

[J2jurado]

San Miguel's eight-month profit rises 35 percent

MANILA, Oct 3 (Reuters) - San Miguel Corporation, the Philippines' largest food
and beverage firm, said on Tuesday net profit rose 35 percent in the first
eight months of the year to 4.3 billion pesos ($92.47 million) from the
year-earlier period.

A strong performance by hard liquor subsidiary La Tondena Distillers Inc, a
turnaround in international beer operations and improvements in its packaging
business boosted profits, the company said.

For August alone, net profit jumped to 434 million pesos from 236 million pesos
in August 1999. Sales for the January to August period climbed 16 percent year
on year to 57.4 billion pesos.

Operating income increased 22 percent year on year to reach 4.8 billion pesos
for the eight-month period.

La Tondena earlier reported a 45 percent annual increase in operating income to
1.9 billion pesos in the first eight months of the year.

International beer operations posted a turnaround from consistent losses to
post an operating income of $1.7 million against a loss of $7.9 million last
year.

Domestic beer sales also rose seven percent to 19.5 billion pesos in the same
period.

Australian premium brewer J. Boag & Son Ltd, which San Miguel acquired in July
this year, registered revenues of A$11.6 million in the July to August period.

San Miguel closed 50 centavos lower at 48 pesos. Its B shares, open to
foreigners, lost 1.50 pesos to end at 48 pesos.

The company is sitting on a mountain of cash totalling almost $950 million
amassed through asset sales in the last two years and is looking for possible
acquisitions both domestically and overseas.

Earlier on Tuesday, Australian bottler Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd said it had
rejected a proposal by San Miguel and The Coca Cola Co to buy its businesses in
the Philippines, South Korea and Indonesia.

C-C Amatil said the offer, which includes the cancellation of the stake of The
Coca Cola Co and San Miguel in the Australian soft drink bottler and the
assumption of some debt, was not in the best interests of the majority of
shareholders. ($1 - 46.50 pesos)

Cuidao Holding Corp. Retains WallStreetWest.com, LLC for Massive Public and
Investor Relations Campaign

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2000--Cuidao Holding
Corporation (OTCBB:CDAO) announced today that it has entered into an Agreement
with WallStreetWest.com, LLC for a public and investor relations campaign.
Among other services, WallStreetWest will help implement awareness among
Cuidao's current shareholders and the financial community at large.

Robert Walker, Managing Director at Cuidao stated, "We are excited to hire
WallStreetWest to assist us in communicating with our constituent audiences
about our vector strengths. While there are thousands upon thousands of
publicly traded companies, we feel it is important for Cuidao to take a
proactive approach to its investor and shareholder communications programs."

Tyler Fleming, CEO and Manager of WallStreetWest.com stated,
"WallStreetWest is proud to begin providing service for Cuidao. Not only are
they operating an ever-growing, highly fragmented business with much room for
consolidation, but also they are continuously expanding their product offering.
After the recent Dot com shakeout, we are excited to help a traditional
business commence their communications efforts."

About Cuidao Holding Corp.

Cuidao Holding Corporation (www.cuidaousaimports.com) is a development
stage company that is in the process of implementing a vertical roll-up and
consolidation of the highly fragmented alcoholic beverage specialty and import
industry via intensive reinvention of prototype models of higher order. Cuidao
Holding Corporation imports, manages, distributes and develops markets for a
rapidly growing portfolio of international brands of beer, wine and spirits.
The company currently participates in specific niche segments of approximate
$100 billion alcoholic beverage market in the United States.

About WallStreetWest.com, LLC

WallStreetWest is a privately held Public and Investor Relations firm, the
operator of several Web based assets and an active investor and trader, based
in Denver, Colorado. Further, WallStreetWest hosts the financial Web site
http://www.wallstreetwest.com catering to small and micro-cap investors with
its weekly newsletter which can be subscribed to at
http://www.wallstreetwest.com/Newswire1.html.

http://www.iht.com:80/IHT/TODAY/TUE/FIN/brew.2.html

Paris, Tuesday, October 3, 2000 - EU Trustbusters Attack Belgian Brewers

BRUSSELS - Interbrew NV, one of Europe's largest brewers, and Alken-Maes
SA, a Belgian brewery owned by Scottish & Newcastle PLC, face charges of
violating antitrust rules, the European Commission said Monday.
In a statement of objections sent to four Belgian brewers, Interbrew,
Alken-Maes, Martens and Haacht SA, the commission accused the companies
of market-sharing, price-fixing and information exchange in Belgium from

1993 until at least 1998.

The commission also sent a similar warning to brewers in Luxembourg,
accusing five privately held companies of conspiring to maintain their
market shares in Luxembourg restaurants, hotels and cafes and to
restrict entry by foreign brewers from 1985 to 1998.

''Market-sharing and price-fixing are among the most serious forms of
anti-competitive practice,'' said Mario Monti, the European competition
commissioner. ''The beer sector will be treated no differently from any
other.''

Corneel Maes, a spokesman for Interbrew, which is privately held, said:
''Interbrew participated in concerted practices. I admit that, but that
was all in the past.''

''Interbrew has made reservations in its financial accounts to cope with
a potential fine,'' he added, but declined to specify the amount set
aside. Interbrew also said it had ''implemented a rigorous code of
conduct and a compliance program, comprising a biannual internal and
external audit.''

Interbrew's brands include Stella Artois and Hoegaarden. It also owns
John Labatt Ltd. of Canada and Rolling Rock of the United States
Although it has focused on expanding in such markets as China and
Eastern Europe, it remains Belgium's largest brewer, with 56 percent of
the market.

Alken-Maes is the No. 2 Belgian brewer. Formerly part of Groupe Danone
SA, Alken-Maes was sold to Scottish & Newcastle in March.

The commission is also investigating Interbrew on suspicion of abusing
its dominant position in the Belgian market by allegedly forcing bars to
buy all of its beer brands and undercutting market prices.

The companies will have an opportunity to defend themselves in writing
and at a hearing before fines are set. The commission can fine companies
up to 10 percent of annual revenue for antitrust violations, though it
has never levied such a hefty fee.

http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com:80/local/hops02.shtml

Yakima Valley buzzing with hops harvest

By CANDY HATCHER SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Monday, October 2, 2000

You might not know a hop flower when you see it, but the smell is
unmistakable. Split the tiny cone in half, inhale, and envision
microbreweries and neighborhood saloons.

Without the buzz, of course.

These flowers bring millions of dollars to the Yakima Valley and provide
livelihoods and more than a century of traditions for 60 hop-farming
families and their employees.

Starting in the spring, thousands of workers tend the fast-growing vines
in the fields. They spend the month of September harvesting, drying,
crushing, baling and shipping the bitter flavor, not just throughout the
microbrew-loving Pacific Northwest but also to St. Louis, South America,
Croatia and Nepal.

The Yakima Valley, with its long, sunny, summer days and fertile soil,
grows 75 percent of America's hops and about 30 percent of the world's.

You'll find the taste of Washington in beers from Portland, Ore., to
Portland, Maine, from Canada to Belgium to China and beyond.

"Every country in the world brews beer," said hop farmer Mick
Desserault, "and only two places in the world grow hops.

"And you can't have beer without hops."

Business is branching out

Anyone who has ever enjoyed a beer should appreciate the farms where the
flavor starts.

The early work in the fields still requires more manpower than
machinery, more backaches than backhoes. New sprouts on each plant must
be wound by hand around twine to begin vines that will grow 18 feet
toward the sun.

Buildings where farmers processed hops 50 years ago are still part of
the landscape. But the newest generation has updated and added on,
meshing high-tech equipment with old-style practices, in some cases
replacing guesswork and grunt work with computers.

In the United States, hops are grown in parts of Idaho and Oregon but
mostly in south-central Washington -- from Yakima to Prosser, and from
the eastern foothills of the Cascades to the eastern rim of the Yakima
Valley. State officials estimate the crop is worth about $80 million.

Hop farms are mostly family operations because it's so expensive to get
started in the business. The Desseraults' facility -- originally built
in the 1950s -- would cost nearly $3 million new. Add to that the cost
of land, trellises and labor -- Desserault Ranch has 30 full-time
employees and as many as 60 others at various times of the year -- and
you see why inheritance is important.

Washington State University studies show it costs between $4,000 and
$4,500 per acre, per year, to farm hops.

Desserault, 34, a third-generation hop multimillionare farmer, oversees his
family farm near Moxee, a little community east of Yakima. Desserault Ranch
grows 10 of the valley's 17 varieties of hops, the bittering agent that
balances
the sweetness of malt in beer.

He's been in charge of the ranch for six years. His grandfather, Al
Desserault, now 86, was a cattle farmer when he planted his first rows
of hops in the 1950s.

Mick Desserault points to the white house across the road from the
fields. "That's the house he and my grandmother got when they got
married." It's where his father, Ken, grew up.

His dad is 58 now, living in Yakima, mostly retired and "more consultant
than anything," Desserault said. He's watched the farm grow from 90
acres to 900. He's seen it become more corporate, more global.

Mick Desserault left home for college 16 years ago. After a decade in
Seattle, having acquired a degree in business accounting and five years
experience with the accounting, tax and consulting firm of Deloitt and
Touche, he was ready to come back east. He looked forward to trading
suits for jeans.

Running the family business appealed to him, but the chance to expand
the farm's international contacts was too much to resist.

"I love the farm. I love the tangibleness I didn't get in accounting. I
can go out and smell the hops.

"But also, it's one of the most global industries I've ever been
involved in. We can be out here smelling hops and be on the phone to
Brussels. This industry is very special because of its global
operations."

Mick Desserault is not your stereotypical farmer. He says he's not even
a typical hop farmer. He commutes a half-hour to the farm each morning
from Yakima. He trains for triathlons in his spare time. He does much of
his business by e-mail. He travels overseas several times a year on
business.

"When I was growing up, I was not immersed in the farm," he said. "My
father treated this more as a business than a lifestyle. And I try to
treat it more as a business.

"The bottom line is this is a business -- a multimillion-dollar
business. Farms need to be professionally managed. It's not enough to
know how to farm. You have to know how to finance; you have to know how
to market; you have to know how to manage people. It takes very diverse
skills."

High-tech farming

Hop season starts in spring, when the plant's roots produce shoots that
begin the vines. Workers tie twine from the ground to wires 18 feet
high, strung horizontally across the fields. In mid-May, they train the
shoots, two from each plant, to follow the twine with clockwise spirals.

On farms where drip irrigation systems have been installed -- about half
the hop farms in Washington, officials say -- water is transported from
an irrigation reservoir east of the Cascades to pumping stations near
the fields.

There, a network of pipes and valves, controlled by timers, sends water
throughout the fields, dripping water, pesticides and nutrients to the
plants.

"Ten to 15 years ago, the traditional way we farmed didn't require a
formal education," Desserault said. "Irrigators would put water on one
side of a pole, then move it to the other."

Now the farms with this new system can control irrigation from the
office. Antennae at each pumping station send a signal back to the
office, telling workers when the plants are being watered, and how much
fertilizer and nitrogen are being distributed.

"We've got these guys now very adept at using a mouse, right-clicking,
pulling down files," Desserault said. "The same people who moved the
pipes are now controlling this entire ranch from a Dell desktop."

By the first of July, the vines have reached the wire and begin forming
flowers, or cones. During July and August, the cones grow and ripen. At
maturity, they are an inch or longer and moist. Inside, yellow lupulin
glands secrete the agents that flavor beer.

In late August, usually, the plants are ready for harvest, a process
that runs 24 hours a day for a month or more. A tractor comes through
the fields and cuts one of the two vines at the base of each plant. A
few hundred feet behind the tractor, a truck cuts the top of the vine
from the wire. The vine falls into the truck. "We harvest a little under
one acre an hour," Desserault said.

After the vines are cut from the fields, they're trucked to a building
and lifted onto a series of conveyor belts that separate the hop cones
from the leaves and vines.

The moist cones, about 80 percent water, rot or mold quickly so they're
spread across a kiln, heated with natural gas burners, and allowed to
dry for 10 hours.

After drying, the cones, now highly flammable and containing about nine
percent moisture, are dumped onto another conveyor belt. This one sends
them into another warehouse. Then they're poured into 200-pound burlap
bags to be ground into powder.

The grinding is an effort to get as much of the oxygen out of the hops
as possible. Oxygen and the flavoring agents don't mix. "That's what
causes fires," Desserault said.

The burlap bags are shipped either to a processing plant, to be made
into pellets or liquid extract, or sold to a broker, who then markets
the hops to breweries.

The process from field to truck takes 24 hours, Desserault said, but "if
one piece of equipment goes down, the whole ballet stops."

Experiencing the flavor

The flavor in beer is a blend of several varieties of hops. Sometimes
the brewer uses a light malt, making the beer more bitter. Other beers,
using a mix of hops, have spicy, citrus or floral flavors.

"It's a sin to drink beer out of a bottle," said Desserault, who won't
admit to having a favorite. "You need a wide-mouthed glass in which both
your nose and your mouth can experience the flavor."

Hops from the Desserault Ranch "have a very good chance of ending up in
a Heineken or a Belgian beer." But his farm also grows some of its hops
specifically for Anheuser-Busch. Eighty percent of the hops used in
Anheuser-Busch beers are grown in the United States, Desserault said.

"More than likely, every bottle of Budweiser has at least some Yakima
Valley hops."

Germany produces the most hops in the world -- about 45 percent of the
market. The United States is second, with about 40 percent. Because hops
are so daylight-dependent, they can be grown only between the 43rd and
50th parallel latitude. The Yakima Valley is on the 47th parallel;
Germany's hop region is between the 48th and 50th parallels.

In 1997, the Desseraults joined nine other Yakima Valley families to
form a company that would control their hops from field to brewery.
Yakima Chief Inc. handles as much as one-fourth of the U.S. hop acreage
and is one of four major companies in the world market. About 80 percent
of its business is overseas.

At company headquarters in Sunnyside, chemists sit alongside farmers,
who meet with brewery representatives, who coordinate with marketing
people and shipping experts. All have a place at the table. The company,
with 65 employees (15 of those overseas), is involved in every stage of
production and marketing.

"From here," Desserault said, "we deliver to Montenegro, Croatia,
Madagascar, Nepal, Vietnam, mainland China, South America."

Hop obstacles

In the Yakima Valley, nearly all the hop farmers have diversified,
planting apples, grapes, alfalfa, asparagus or mint. A bad year in
apples usually is balanced by a good year in hops.

Lately, though, all the crops have been "in a low cycle," Desserault
said. "Global oversupply."

The hop industry has developed varieties that are more productive, last
longer and need fewer acres to grow. They've modified extracts so
brewers need less hops.

For the past four years, hop farmers also have battled powdery mildew, a
disease that spots the plants. And then there are labor issues. What's a
fair wage, and how do you remain competitive with Europe, Asia and
China, where there are fewer regulations?

Hop farming, and probably all agriculture, Desserault said, "is in a
real transition from the older generation's 'my way or the highway'
mentality to a collaborative approach."

The hop business is fast outgrowing the family infrastructure, he said.
It's too complex. "There's too much knowledge to acquire. But it's still
desirable to hold onto the history the industry has."

http://www.courierpress.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?200010/02+beer100200_news.htm
l+20001002

Controversial beer vending resumes at youth ballgames

BELLEVILLE, Ill. By The Associated Press 10/02/00

A veterans group has resumed selling beer at children’s football games,
three years after a brawl between adults prompted the group to end the
sales. The Catholic War Veterans said it decided to sell beer again for
financial reasons.

When alcohol is sold at the games, coaches and parents often stay after
the games to buy each other beers, participate in fund-raising events
and buy their kids hot dogs and sodas, said Darren Vehlewald, who serves
as a liaison between the Little Knights youth organization and the
veterans.

He said people are not as eager to socialize “even for a good cause”
without alcohol.

But some families attending a recent game between the Little Knights and
the Waterloo Little Dogs at the Catholic War Veterans field said they
disapprove of the beer sales.

Norman Brown of Newburgh, Ind., who had come to watch his 10-year-old
grandson play, said beer shouldn’t be sold around children so young,
“because they’re getting the wrong interpretation of what it’s all
about.”

Carol Buch of Waterloo, who came to watch her son Adam, 9, play for the
Little Dogs, said alcohol is inappropriate at children’s sporting
events.

“It’s for the kids. It’s not for the adults,” she said. “Plus it cuts

down on the arguments between sideline people” when alcohol is not
present.

Beer sales were ended after a 1997 game between two children’s football
clubs during which adults got into a brawl that some said was fueled by
alcohol.

“The real problem of this whole thing came when two organizations got
into a fight,” Vehlewald said. ”...It was an unfortunate thing that
happened, but it seemed like all the other organizations took the hit
for it.”

Vehlewald said Little Knights board members monitor adults’ behavior at
the games.

“If they see someone getting loud and obnoxious, I don’t care if they’re
drinking soda, they’re gone,” he said.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb:80/business/28_09_00_d.htm

Craft brews of The Lebanon

Lin Noueihed, Daily Star staff 9/28/00

http://www.sfgate.com:80/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/
09/28/DD15809.DTL

WALKING THE WATERFRONT- The revitalized Embarcadero provides glimpses of past,
present and
future

Sam Whiting, Chronicle Staff Writer   Thursday, September 28, 2000

It's time to take a long walk. A walk along the Embarcadero to see what
eight years and $400 million buys in the way of a grand pedestrian
boulevard, a project just finished this summer.

``It's gorgeous,'' says Gino Cerells of Castro Valley, who takes BART to
the Embarcadero station and then walks to Pac Bell Park, ignoring his
parking pass. ``It's a whole portion of the city you don't get to see
unless you walk it.''

Next week, the Blue Angels will be buzzing and so will the ballpark with
playoff games. During a home or away game, afternoon or evening is the
time to stroll beside the still waters, radio tuned to Jon and Lon on
KNBR, ducking into any of the waterfront bars to catch the tight moments
on television.

BART, Muni and the ferries converge at the foot of Market Street, at
Harry Bridges Plaza, dedicated last June. This is the place to start.

Just to the north is Vaillancourt Fountain, one of Herb Caen's most
hated San Francisco structures, across the street from his favorite --
the Ferry Building, which opened in 1898, with a clock tower 240 feet
high.

From the foot of Market Street, the Ferry Building is framed by the new
Millennium Light Towers that look like the Burning Man in a
flame-retardant suit.

On a weekday, when the Ferry Building is open, it is worth running
upstairs to see the lobby mosaic of the Great Seal of the State of
California.

Even without that, there is plenty of the past to view at the
Embarcadero Historic and Interpretive Signage Project. It consists of
321 sidewalk plaques, podiums and pylons ranging from American Indian
words to American poetry. Most noticeable are 21 black-and-white striped
pylons. Thirteen feet tall and spaced about 100 yards apart, the pylons
are like mileposts in a footrace, providing breaks to stop and study the
natural and cultural history of the waterfront.

The mid-Embarcadero is a 3-mile strip, and the question is which
direction to race -- south along the even-numbered piers to get within
eyesight of the big Coke bottle at Pac Bell, or north along the odd-
numbered piers, not far from the tourist crush of Fisherman's Wharf?
We'll start with the south because it has the best views and the
advantage of walking beneath the Bay Bridge.
SOUTHERN ROUTE

A block south at Mission Street is ``Getting Around,'' a podium
describing San Francisco land transit, from horse cars to streetcars.

More streetcar history sits directly across the street, where the
colorful vintage street cars line up to make their runs along the
palm-lined Embarcadero.

Hidden -- perhaps too well -- behind the old Agricultural Building at
Pier 2, is Sinbad's Restaurant and Lounge. A big banner says ``Welcome
U.S.S. Iowa,'' but there are no sailors inside. Nor anybody else except
the wax figure of Sinbad in a display window. The friendly maitre'd
offers two strangers the best table in the house, then practically drags
them to it.

Shaking loose and moving back south along Herb Caen Way -- a concrete
ribbon detailed with glass blocks that light up at night like airport
runway indicators -- the next stop is at the pylon marking ``The Big
Strike'' of 1934. The labor protest is illustrated by a photograph taken
from the precise point where the pylon stands.

South across Howard Street is a two-block-long island of dirt surrounded
by a fence. In a few years this is expected to become a grassy park and
restaurant complex, courtesy of the Gap, which is building a 15-story
headquarters across the Embarcadero.

Further along is a pylon describing the ``Fireboats on the Bay.'' Behind
it is the SFFD fireboat station. Built in 1913, it sprang into action in
the 1989 earthquake, when the Phoenix steamed around the waterfront,
then pumped 6,000 gallons of saltwater a minute for 16 hours into the
smoldering Marina. The original station is still in service and so is
the red-and-white Phoenix, which can be glimpsed behind it.

Straight across the Embarcadero is the Hills Bros. Coffee complex, built
in 1924 and still standing proudly beneath its red neon sign. For closer
study, cross the Embarcadero at the Harrison Street stoplight and
proceed to a bronze plaque in the sidewalk. It details the Hills Bros.
history with an engraving of the old logo of the bearded man sipping a
cup.

Up the stairs is the patio of Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant. Asked
how many seconds an outdoor table stays empty on a warm evening when the
Giants are playing around the corner, a waiter answers, ``Seconds? Can
you split it into tenths?''

The view just gets better as the sun sets and the lights come up on the
Embarcadero, the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island and the East Bay on the far
side. From the deck of Gordon Biersch one can lift a glass of pilsner to
the noses pressed against glass on the N-Judah, as they head for Pac
Bell.

Walking beneath the Bay Bridge on the Embarcadero Promenade is like
crossing to the old waterfront of working piers and tumbledown shacks
serving the longshoremen.

A sign at the Boondocks, at Pier 28, welcomes Giants fans. But during a
televised night game, the Boondocks was pleasing its own demographic by
showing a Ronald Reagan biography on the big screen. The Boondocks is
worth visiting if just to see the picture above the pay phone in back.
It shows the Bay Bridge under construction in 1936, and beneath it is
the Bayview Restaurant, now the Boondocks, next door to Red's Java
House, still there and seemingly with 1936 prices.

At Red's, a cheeseburger and a long-neck Bud are $3.05. To substitute a
soft drink, customers must get special dispensation and a suspicious
look from behind the counter. That's like asking for decaf coffee. Under
glass at the long table is a great collection of postcards of the Bay
Bridge, with the bridge itself visible through the window.

For further study, beyond Red's is the Bay Bridge historical pylon,
describing its construction. That's a good place to turn around and walk
back under it, while checking out downtown Oakland due east across the
bay.

NORTHERN ROUTE

Just north of the Ferry Building entrance is a panoramic picture of the
Embarcadero as it looked in 1913.

It was full of signs and schlock, and a vestige of that feel is directly
behind the panorama in the Conference Room, a bar hidden by drawn blinds
and tennis-ball cans in the window. Attached to the World Trade Center,
the Conference Room is a public bar that seems to function as a private
club, exempt from the city's anti-smoking laws.

Two piers to the north is a floating monument to the ferries -- the
Santa Rosa, launched in 1927. Open for free visits from 9:30 a.m. to 4
p.m. Monday through Saturday, the Santa Rosa's interior is preserved, as
is the exterior, enhanced by pictures of it churning the chop beneath
the Bay Bridge, which put it out of business.

Next stop is Pier 7, to watch the skateboarders thrash the concrete at
the entrance.

The old cargo pier itself is worth a round trip on the planks that
constitute a retro update with matching green iron rails and old street
lamps.

Along the pier are benches facing south toward the Bay Bridge and Santa
Rosa ferry, and north to Angel Island. From the end of the pier is a
view east to the temples of the 1939 World's Fair on Treasure Island. To
the west, the Transamerica Pyramid looks so close that the skateboarders
could use it for a ramp.

The next historic marker celebrates the ``Crimps and Dives'' along the
waterfront, but there are no crimps, and the only dives left are the
Conference Room and the Pier 23 Cafe, its neon sign suggesting a cold
glass of Anchor Steam draft on an Indian summer day.

At Pier 15 is the ``Allied Cannery Co.'' -- actually a floating barge
set for ``Nash Bridges.''

That is closed to the public, but amazingly -- and optimistically --
open are the Pier 17 headquarters, store and visitor center of America
True, readying for the next America's Cup challenge.

There isn't much between Piers 17 and 23. Before that long walk on a
Saturday, cross the Embarcadero to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. The
parking lot, at Green and the Embarcadero, eventually will be developed
into the Broadway Hotel, which won't be a crimp or a dive.

Pier 23 Cafe is usually hot inside and cold outside on the patio that
extends over the water. But during Indian summer, it is hot inside and
hotter outside, where straw cowboy hats are offered to shade the view of
Coit Tower.

Next to the cafe is the monstrous gray Cape Henry, one of seven Navy
ships berthed along the waterfront in ready reserve for war.

Across the street is the Fog City Diner, which is so overpriced that
there is nothing ``dinerish'' about it.

That's a sign of tourist inflation, and a bigger sign is under the big
top of Teatro ZinZanni, at Pier 27-29. A dinner circus, Teatro ZinZanni
comes from Seattle and is tied up temporarily like a cruise ship.

Everlasting is the Whitehall Tavern, now merged with Jazz at 33. It is
the only waterfront place that is not on the water. It looks out on a
parking lot, and the customers look as if they heard some great jazz
when they were young, in the 1940s.

Across the Embarcadero is Houston's, which makes no mistake about the
city in which it belongs. Adjacent to the Francisco Bay business park,
it is surrounded by lawn.

The quickest escape is at the Bay and Embarcadero streetcar station. If
a narrow orange streetcar marked Milan comes clanking by, in either
direction, jump on it.

An even better ride is on the open-air boat car marked Blackpool,
England.

Either one is worth taking by Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf, which look
better from a streetcar rolling slowly by. Eventually the cars will turn
around and bring the tired walker back to the Ferry Building.

START HERE ...

1. Harry Bridges Plaza.
2. Ferry Building.

Southern Route
3. `Getting Around` podium.
4. Sinbad's Restaurant and Lounge.
5. `The Big Strike` pylon.
6. Proposed park.
7. Gap headquarters.
8. SFFD Fireboat station.
9. Hills Bros. Coffee building. 10. The Boondocks. 11. Red's Java House.
12. `The Bay Bridge` pylon.

Northern Route
13. 193 Panorama podium.
14. Santa Rosa ferry.
15. Pier 7.
16. `Crimps and Dives` pylon.
17. `Allied Cannery Co.'' set for `Nash Bridges.`
18. Pier 23 Cafe.
19. `Cape Henry,'' Navy ship.
20. Teatro Zinzanni.
21. Whitehall Tavern/Jazz at 33.
22. Bay and Embarcadero streetcar station. ..

http://www.smh.com.au/news/0009/30/text/world14.html

The Doors close on another trip for Jim

Date: 30/09/2000 By Louise Williams

Paris: The American rock icon Jim Morrison can rest in peace at the Pere
Lachaise cemetery in Paris, where the management has scotched a rumour
that the late singer of the Doors risked eviction from one of the
world's most visited graves.

"He won't be moved," a cemetery official confirmed yesterday. "There are
those who would like him to be, certainly, but Morrison's grave is on a
perpetual lease. His body is there, and it will stay there."

Upset by the unorthodox tributes of beer bottles, bus tickets and
half-smoked joints left at the unruly rocker's last resting place by his
pilgrims, relatives of some unfamous Frenchmen buried nearby had
petitioned the cemetery to exhume Morrison's remains next year, on the
30th anniversary of his death from heart failure in July 1971, aged 27.

But the official said that unlike many of the 70,000 tombs in Pere
Lachaise, Morrison's was not held on a 30-year lease.

"I heard they got quite excited about this over in America," he said.
"But they really needn't have. The remains will not be disturbed."

At a rare Doors reunion concert in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the band's
keyboard player, Ray Manzarek, claimed Morrison's grave had become the
fourth most popular attraction in Paris after the Eiffel Tower, the Mona
Lisa and the Pompidou Centre.

The row over Morrison's tomb is not the first to hit Pere Lachaise.

Soon after Oscar Wilde was buried there in 1900, the headstone of his
tomb - a winged, naked and very obviously male angel - was considered so
offensive that the head keeper, in deference to neighbourhood feeling,
castrated it and for several years used the testicles as a paperweight.

[J2jurado]

Beer Institute Statement on .08 Percent BAC Mandate in Transportation
Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a statement by Beer
Institute President Jeff Becker:

"Today's inclusion into the Transportation Appropriations bill federal
legislation mandating states to adopt a .08 blood alcohol content (BAC)
standard for intoxication is disappointing primarily because it is a step in
the wrong direction and fails to focus on the real source of the drunk driving
problem, namely the chronic repeat offender, whose BAC is at or above .15.

"Brewers have a long record of support for effective state and federal policies
to combat drunk driving. As responsible Americans have changed their behavior,
drunk driving fatalities over the last two decades have declined 42 percent, to
the lowest level since federal officials began tracking highway safety
statistics.

"A recent study from the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that
increasingly tough punishments are needed for those convicted of multiple drunk
driving offenses - something Beer Institute's members have worked diligently to
ensure.

"We believe that stronger, multi-faceted legislation implemented at the state
level is more is effective in continuing to reduce drunk driving. And while we
disagree with the mandate approach taken by the conference committee, we remain
committed to enacting tougher, comprehensive legislation at the state level, as
witnessed by legislation passed this year in Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Ohio,
Pennsylvania and Arizona.

"We recognize that additional progress needs to be made to reduce drunk
driving. And Beer Institute members will continue to push for laws targeting
the real problem- the hard core drunk driver - to achieve greater progress."
------
Beer Institute, established in 1986, is the national trade association for the
brewing industry, representing both large and small brewers, as well as
importers and industry suppliers. The Institute is committed to development and
sound public policy and to the values of civic duty and personal
responsibility.
Contact: Lori Levy of the Beer Institute, 202-737-2337

Drunken Driving Standards Adopted

By JIM ABRAMS .c The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress, joining forces with President Clinton, is adopting
a tough national standard for drunken driving that proponents say should reduce
the 15,000-plus annual highway fatalities linked to alcohol.

Ending a three-year legislative struggle, House and Senate negotiators have
agreed to require states to implement a 0.08 percent blood alcohol content
standard as the legal level for drunken driving by 2004. States that fail to
impose that standard would begin losing millions of dollars a year in federal
highway funds.

The House may vote on the measure, part of a transportation spending bill, as
early as Wednesday, and the Senate is expected to quickly follow suit, sending
the legislation to the president for his signature.

Clinton said the 0.08 standard was a ``common-sense nationwide limit'' that
will save an estimated 500 lives a year and prevent thousands of injuries.

``This is a tremendous win not only for those who have lost loved ones to drunk
drivers, but for those whose families will remain safe because more drunk
drivers will be off the road,'' said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., a chief
sponsor of the legislation.

The restaurant and beverage industries, which have lobbied hard to defeat the
0.08 standard, said the majority of drinking-related fatalities involve people
with far higher blood alcohol concentrations and the legislation does not
address the real problem: hard-core and repeat drinking offenders.

In 1998, 15,935 traffic deaths were attributed to drunken driving, or 38.4
percent of the 41,471 deaths overall. Both numbers were down slightly from the
year before.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving cites studies showing that a driver with 0.08
blood alcohol content is 11 times more likely to be involved in a fatal
collision than a sober driver.

``There's no single solution to drunk driving,'' said MADD President Millie
Webb, who lost a nephew and a daughter and who, with her husband and unborn
baby, was severely injured in a crash with a driver with 0.08 percent content.
But 0.08 laws ``are among the most important measures proven to save lives on
our roadways.''

Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia have 0.08 laws, and in
Massachusetts evidence of a level of 0.08 is considered evidence but not proof
of drunkenness. Thirty-one states define drunken driving as 0.10 percent blood
alcohol content.

Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., a leader on the issue in the House with Rep. Frank
Wolf, R-Va., said 0.08 has been proven to save lives. Illinois, she said, has
seen a 13.7 percent decline in fatal crashes involving drunken driving since it
adopted 0.08 in 1997.

But John Doyle, spokesman for the American Beverage Institute, said
alcohol-related fatalities were up 8 percent last year in Virginia, which has a
0.08 standard, but down 12 percent in neighboring Maryland, which does not.

Doyle's group says the 0.08 standard would mean that 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.

But MADD, also citing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studies,
says a 170-pound man would have to have four drinks in an hour on an empty
stomach, or a 137-pound woman three drinks in an hour, to reach 0.08.

Under the final compromise, states that don't implement the 0.08 standard by
2004 would lose 2 percent of their highway money, with the penalty increasing
to 8 percent by 2007. States that adopt the standard by 2007 would be
reimbursed for any lost money.

Several lawmakers made last-ditch efforts to sidetrack the 0.08 measure but
were defeated by the House-Senate conference.

Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., contended it was wrong to take money away from states
that, while they might not have a 0.08 standard, impose other strong
anti-drinking measures such as bans on driving with open containers of alcohol
or mandatory blood testing after accidents.

``It's a gross injustice to many states that have far tougher drunk driving
laws,'' he said.

The transportation spending bill is H.R. 4475.

On the Net: MADD: http://www.madd.org/
American Beverage Institute: http://www.abionline.org/
State drunken driving laws: http://www.mrtraffic.com/dui.htm
Bill text is available on http://thomas.loc.gov

Firkin Hound hotel forced to change name

Thursday 28 September, 2000 © 2000 Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

An English theme pub opened by the Northern Territory's Chief Minister in
Alice Springs has had to change its name at the last minute because the town
council found it inappropriate.

The council rejected an application for signage for the Firkin Hound hotel and
told the owner it would only accept the Firkin and Hound.

The owner, Rohan Miller, says despite the name change, the Chief Minister
officially opened the pub last night as the Firkin Hound.

Mr Miller says while he has now changed the name, the original name was
legitimate.

"A firkin is actually an eight gallon barrel of beer. It eminates from England
or a quantity of beer and it's very traditional in England.

"There's many places and many dozens of hotels in Australia named after it and
that basically was the reason we went with Firkin," he said.

The pub will be opened to the public tomorrow.

Meanwhile, an Alice Springs Alderman, Russell Naismith, says the council's
decision to change the name was unanimous. "With the name just the Firkin
Hound there was a lot of innuendo with that and I believe yesterday after the
meeting Monday night, there was a meeting with the owners and agreement was
reached," he said.

Scottish Courage Wins Clearance for UK Gas-Fired Power Plant

London, Oct. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Scottish Courage Ltd. has won government approval
to build a 60 megawatt gas-fired combined heat and power station in southeast
Britain, the Department of Trade and Industry said in a faxed statement. The
plant will be built in Reading, providing heat and electricity to the Scottish
Courage Berkshire Brewery there. Scottish Courage is owned by Scottish &
Newcastle Plc, whose businesses brew beer, operate pubs, restaurants and
lodges, and run leisure centers.

Approval for gas-fired power stations is more difficult to obtain than for
power plants run on coal or renewable energy sources. Gas-fired combined heat
and power plants are exempt from those stricter criteria because they are seen
as being more environmentally sustainable.

Foster's Completes Acquisition of Beringer

MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2000--Foster's Brewing Group
Limited (Foster's) today announced the successful completion of its acquisition
of Beringer Wine Estates Holdings, Inc. (Beringer) (NASDAQ:BERW).

Beringer is now a subsidiary of Foster's and trading in Beringer shares on
NASDAQ has ceased.

The completion of the acquisition follows Foster's announcement on Monday,
2 October 2000 that the tender offer for Beringer's all outstanding common
shares had been successfully completed.

As part of the acquisition, non-tendering holders of Beringer common stock
will receive the same US$55.75 per share in cash as paid to the tendering
stockholders in the tender offer. Instructions regarding the payment of the
merger price will be mailed to all former Beringer common stockholders who did
not tender in the tender offer.

The total value of the Beringer shares was approximately US$1.2 billion.

Background

Beringer Wine Estates is a market leader in the California premium wine
industry. The company consists of six award-winning California wineries:
Beringer Vineyards, Meridian Vineyards, Chateau St. Jean, Chateau Souverain,
Stags' Leap Winery and St. Clement Vineyards, plus an import portfolio of
premium brands from Italy, France and Chile. Beringer has an excellent range of
strongly branded successful products, including Chateau St Jean 1996 Cinq
Cepages cabernet sauvignon, which was selected as Wine of Year in the 1999 Wine
Spectator 'Top 100' and controls more than 10,000 acres of vineyard land, all
in the coastal regions of California. For fiscal year 2000, Beringer reported
an EBIT of US$100.5 million and sold 7.7 million nine litre cases, an increase
of 14% on the previous year. Beringer's highly skilled management team, with
extensive experience in the wine and branded consumer packaged goods
industries, will continue with the company.

Foster's Brewing Group is a leading premium global beverage company
dedicated to producing and marketing quality beer, wine and leisure products to
millions of consumers across the world. Foster's makes and markets many of
Australia's most famous beers, including Foster's Lager and Victoria Bitter.
Mildara Blass is Foster's international wine business and the leading premium
wine producer in Australia. Foster's wine brands are some of Australia's
best-known labels, including Wolf Blass, Black Opal, Greg Norman Estates,
Yellowglen and Jamiesons Run. Mildara Blass premium wines are sold in more than
67 markets around the world and its winemakers are recognized as being among
the best in the world.

FEMSA Logistica and Oracle Establish Strategic Alliance

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2000--Fomento Economico Mexicano,
S.A. de C.V. (NYSE:FMX) (BMV:FEMSA UBD) ("FEMSA"), announced today that its
subsidiary, FEMSA Logistica, has established a strategic alliance with Oracle
in order to create the most comprehensive eMarketplace for logistics and
transportation in Latin America -- Solistica.com -- to mutually benefit those
companies requiring transportation services and those providing transportation
services and products to the industry while expanding to the Fourth Dimension
in terms of satisfaction.

At a press conference held during the Oracle Open World event in San
Francisco, Ca., representatives of FEMSA Logistica informed that the primary
objectives of the strQtegic alliance between FEMSA Logistica-Oracle, through
Solistica.com, are to improve productivity, service levels, and costs
throughout the transportation cycle, and to maintain their leadership in the
industry by offering FEMSA Logistica's services through the Internet.

For the announcement, Jose Gonzalez, executive vice-president and CEO of
FEMSA Logistica, Manuel Lamadrid, CEO of Solistica, and Jorge Villatoro,
commercial director of Solistica, were present. Oracle wasL represented by
Fernando Prieto, CEO of Oracle de Mexico, and Javier Cordero, commercial
director for industry of Oracle de Mexico.

Jose Gonzalez, executive vice-president and CEO of FEMSA Logistica, stated:
"The target market we are pursuing offers enormous opportunities to increase
efficiencies, and this is where we are going to contribute and assist these
companies."

He added: "Our vision is to offer tools which allow for integrated
management of the processes involved in the transportation cycle addressing all
of the phases, from planning, execution, and control, to measuring performance
and evaluating results. The applications and development that our alliance
partners such as Oracle will provide, play a major role in this solution, as
well as the visibility and opportunities derived from Internet."

"The alliance Oracle-FEMSA Logistica aspires to give the transportation
industry a powerful tool that facilitates business between the major
protagonists of the transportation market in the region. With our
participation, Oracle seeks to leverage the knowledge of FEMSA Logistica in the
transportation businesses to the maximum, incorporating the best practices and
e-Business solutions that Oracle offers in Solistica.com; developing, in this
way, the best alternative in operation and technology for the business and
industrial communities of Latin America," said Javier Cordero, commercial
director for industry f Oracle de Mexico.

In addition, Fernando Prieto, CEO of Oracle de Mexico said: "Solistica.com
represents the first B2B site for transportation and logistics in Latin America
that will provide its clients with a Virtual Market based on the most advanced
technology available today; this will integrate carriers, and service and
product providers to the shippers, facilitating business transactions among
them."

With this strategic alliance, which represents the beginning of a long-term
relationship between the two corporations, the presence of a solid support
platform and the use of the latest technologies are assured. FEMSA Logistica
contributes to this alliance with industry knowledge and experience, broad
coverage, efficiency, and infrastructure. Likewise, Oracle offers their
leadership in the market of e-Business solutions, software development, and
state-of-the-art technology.

FEMSA is the largest beverage company in Mexico, exporting to the United
States, Canada, and selected countries in Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
Founded in 1890, and headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, FEMSA is strategically
integrated and operates through the following subsidiaries: FEMSA Cerveza,
which produces and distributes recognized beer brands such as Tecate, Carta
Blanca, Superior, Sol, XX Lager, Dos Equis and Bohemia; Coca-Cola FEMSA, one of
the two anchor bottlers for Latin America, produces and distributes soft drinks
including Coca-Cola, Coke Light, Sprite, Fanta, and Quatro.

FEMSA's Strategic Businesses division supports the beverage businesses and
is comprised of: FEMSA Empaques (packaging), FEMSA Comercio (commerce), and
FEMSA Logistica (logistics).

FEMSA Logistica has more than 30 years of experience in distribution and
transportation operations and more than 1,500 employees; it has 19 service
centers located throughout the Mexican Republic, directly operating a fleet of
more than 1,200 ground transportation units and more than 500 boxcars by
railway.

FEMSA Logistica currently provides services to businesses and industries in
diverse sectors such as beverages, electronics, automotive, foods, and metals,
among others. For more information about FEMSA Logistica, please visit
http://www.fl.com.mx.

Quilmes Sells Stake in Paraguay Refrescos for $63.9 Million

Buenos Aires, Oct. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Quilmes Industrial SA, owner of Argentina's
biggest brewer, said Coca-Cola Interamerican Corp. paid $63.9 million for its
58 percent stake in soft drinks bottler Paraguay Refrescos SA.

Coca-Cola Interamerican plans to make an offer for minority holdings in the
bottler, which produces and distributes beverages under license to Coca-Cola
Co. in Paraguay, Quilmes said in a news release on Business Wire.

The cash payment, which is subject to adjustments, is in addition to a dividend
of $1.6 million that Quilmes received from Paraguay Refrescos ahead of the
sale. Property and other assets valued at $4 million, but unrelated to the soft
drinks business, aren't included in the sale, Quilmes said.

Quilmes, which will see about $27 million in net profit from the sale, said it
sold the stake in the bottler through Quilmes International Ltd., its
Bermuda-based unit.

The transaction takes Luxembourg-based Quilmes Industrial out of Paraguay's
soft drinks business, it said.

Quilmes, which owns Cerveceria y Malteria Quilmes SA, Argentina's biggest
brewer, controls beverage and malting businesses in five Latin American
countries and owns leading beer brands in Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.

Brazil Brewer Kaiser Changes Could Hasten Purchase by Heineken

Sao Paulo, Oct. 3 (Bloomberg) -- The resignation of Humberto Pandolpho as
president of Cervejarias Kaiser SA could hasten the purchase of Brazil's No. 2
brewer by Dutch beermaker Heineken NV, analysts said.

Pandolpho, who headed Kaiser since February last year, announced his decision
to quit yesterday. Miguel Alarcon, a Kaiser board member and formerly president
of the Coffin Group, a bottler and distributor for Coca-Cola Co. in Niteroi,
near Rio de Janeiro, will succeed Pandolpho, the company said.

Pandolpho's departure may mark a step towards a possible purchase of Kaiser by
Heineken, the world's No. 3 brewer, said Fabiana Arana, a beverage analyst at
Schroder Investment Management Ltda. in Sao Paulo. While Heineken has said it's
interested in boosting its 14 percent stake in Kaiser, the Brazilian beermaker
needs support in its bid to compete with Cia. de Bebidas das Americas. The
latter is the world's No. 4 brewer formed from last year's $3.9 billion
takeover by Cia. Cervejaria Brahma of rival brewery Cia. Antarctica Paulista.

``It's becoming more clear that Heineken wants to come into Brazil with greater
force,'' said Arana.

Heineken said nothing had changed with Pandolpho's departure.

``The management shuffle at Kaiser doesn't have anything to do with our ability
to increase our stake,'' said Albert Holtzappel, a Heineken spokesman. ``We
want to increase our stake and we are in tentative, exploratory talks with
other stakeholders.''

He said negotiations to increase Heineken's stake would take place ``step by
step'' with the various shareholders. Any developments were ``still far off,''
said Holtzappel.

Led Fight

Pandolpho had led the fight against the formation of Ambev, as Brazil's giant
new brewer is known, urging antitrust regulators to prevent Brahma and
Antarctica from joining forces.

He failed in that bid in March when the regulatory agency, known as Cade, gave
the go-ahead to the creation of Ambev, subject to some conditions.

In comments reported by Valor Economico newspaper, Pandolpho said he'd
fulfilled his mission of restructuring Kaiser and developing its portfolio of
beverages. ``The fight is now on the bar floor,'' he said.

What's clear is that Kaiser needs a helping hand to protect its 15 percent
share of Brazil's beer market from a more aggressive Ambev, said Marilia da
Costa, an analyst at Indosuez W.I. Carr in Sao Paulo, adding that she thought
Pandolpho had done a ``pretty good job'' in difficult circumstances.

In any discussions with the Brazilian Coca-Cola bottlers, which control Kaiser,
and with Coca-Cola Co., which has a 10 percent stake, Heineken would have to
establish whether it would still be able to use the beverage giant's
distribution network in Brazil, said da Costa.

It probably makes sense for both sides, said da Costa. If Heineken couldn't
distribute its beer via Coke's network, it would have to build other
distribution channels, she said. It may also be in the bottlers' interests to
be able to offer beer alongside beverage products, she said.

Da Costa said Alarcon's appointment might not be directly relevant to the
question of whether Heineken would use Coke's Brazilian sales network. ``The
bottlers own Kaiser so management is going to be appointed by them,'' she said.

Pandolpho's departure came on the same day that Coca-Cola said Tim Haas, its
Latin America group president, would retire. Jose Octavio Reyes, Glenn Jordan
and Stu Cross, presidents of Coca- Cola's Mexico, Argentina and Brazil
divisions, respectively, were promoted and will report to Coca-Cola President
Jack Stahl.

This was the second management change in the past week as Chairman and Chief
Executive Douglas Daft moves employees and managers out of the company's
Atlanta headquarters to give local executives more control over product
development and advertising.

It wasn't immediately possible to speak to Kaiser's Alarcon today. Heineken
shares rose as much as 1 percent today to 64.45 euros.

Brazil Kaiser says chief resigns, no Heineken link

SAO PAULO, Oct 2 (Reuters) - The president of Brazilian beer company Kaiser is
stepping down but the firm said on Monday the move had nothing to do with talk
Heineken NV <HEIN.AS> was planning to up its stake in the brewer. Humberto
Pandolpho, who had been in charge since February 1999 on an open-ended
contract, will be replaced by local Coca Cola bottler executive and board
member Miguel Alarcon, Kaiser said in a statement.

Kaiser has been the centre of media reports that Dutch brewer Heineken would
soon offer to up its 14 percent stake in the brewer. Both sides say they are
talking, but say nothing has been agreed. Pandolpho's exit was not relevant,
Kaiser said. "It was nothing to do with Heineken," a spokesperson said.

Pandolpho said he was resigning because the brewer would also have to think in
terms of soft drinks to compete with recently merged Brazilian market leader
AmBev <AMBV4.SA> which dominates the local beer and soft drink market. Alarcon
had 33 years experience in Brazil's drinks market, 22 with Coca Cola bottlers
which variously own a controlling 76 percent stake in Kaiser, the brewer said.
Coca Cola Co. <<A HREF="aol://4785:KO">KO.N</A>> owns the remaining 10 percent
of Kaiser.

Baltika Breweries to Invest $100 Million to Expand Distribution

St. Petersburg, Russia, Oct. 3 (Bloomberg) -- AO Baltika Breweries, the brewer
of Russia's most-popular beer, said it will invest $100 million in 2001 to
expand its own distribution network in Central Russia and the Ural Mountains
and hold beer prices down.

Baltika, which claims 20 percent of the total Russian beer market, already has
14 distribution centers around Russia that handle nearly 30 percent of the
company's wholesale trade. Increasing the number of centers would cut out
independent distributors, who add to retail costs, the company said.

``We need to sell the beer through our own distributors in order to keep prices
on beer down,'' said Baltika spokeswoman Ludmila Fomicheva.

Baltika wants to benefit from soaring demand for Russian beer prompted by the
ruble's near 75 percent plunge since August 1998, which made imported brands
more expensive.

The company, which also owns breweries in the southern Russian cities of Tula
and Rostov na Donu, invested nearly $120 million in new production in 1999 and
2000. Baltika plans to produce about 1.1 billion liters of beer by the end of
2000, up from 492 million liters in 1998.

In the first eight months of this year, the company produced 754 million
liters, or 62 percent more than in the same period a year ago, said Baltika
General Director Taimuraz Bolloyev.

Earlier this year, Baltika began exporting to Western Europe, and the company
will begin selling on the U.S. market next year. St. Petersburg-based Baltika
is 70 percent owned by Baltic Beverages Holdings, a 50-50 joint venture between
Scandinavian brewers Pripps Ringnes AB and Hartwall Oyj.

San Miguel <SMC.PS> 8-month profit rises 35 pct

MANILA, Oct 3 (Reuters) - San Miguel Corporation, the Philippines' largest food
and beverage firm, said on Tuesday net profit rose 35 percent in the first
eight months of the year to 4.3 billion pesos ($92.47 million) from the
year-earlier period.

A strong performance by hard liquor subsidiary La Tondena Distillers Inc

<LTDI.PS>, a turnaround in international beer operations and improvements in

its packaging business boosted profits, the company said.

For August alone, net profit jumped to 434 million pesos from 236 million pesos
in August 1999. Sales for the January to August period climbed 16 percent year
on year to 57.4 billion pesos.

Operating income increased 22 percent year on year to reach 4.8 billion pesos
for the eight-month period.

La Tondena earlier reported a 45 percent annual increase in operating income to
1.9 billion pesos in the first eight months of the year.

International beer operations posted a turnaround from consistent losses to
post an operating income of $1.7 million against a loss of $7.9 million last
year.

Domestic beer sales also rose seven percent to 19.5 billion pesos in the same
period.

Australian premium brewer J. Boag & Son Ltd <BOA.AX>, which San Miguel acquired

in July this year, registered revenues of A$11.6 million in the July to August
period.

San Miguel closed 50 centavos lower at 48 pesos. Its B shares <SMCB.PS>, open

to foreigners, lost 1.50 pesos to end at 48 pesos.

The company is sitting on a mountain of cash totalling almost $950 million
amassed through asset sales in the last two years and is looking for possible
acquisitions both domestically and overseas.

Earlier on Tuesday, Australian bottler Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd <CCL.AX> said it
had rejected a proposal by San Miguel and The Coca Cola Co <<A
HREF="aol://4785:KO">KO.N</A>> to buy its businesses in the Philippines, South
Korea and Indonesia.

C-C Amatil said the offer, which includes the cancellation of the stake of The
Coca Cola Co and San Miguel in the Australian soft drink bottler and the
assumption of some debt, was not in the best interests of the majority of

shareholders. ($1 = 46.50 pesos)

Pepsi CEO Roger Enrico To Step Down

By SKIP WOLLENBER .c The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Roger Enrico, who reshaped PepsiCo Inc. into a company tightly
focused on marketing snacks and soft drinks, plans to step down as chief
executive by the end of next year and as chairman by the end of 2002. The
company, which is the nation's leader in snack foods with Frito-Lay and the
second biggest in soft drinks with Pepsi and Mountain Dew, expects to name
Steve Reinemund as Enrico's successor in both top jobs.

Reinemund, 52, has been the company's president and chief operating officer
since 1999 after running the Frito-Lay worldwide business, PepsiCo' biggest and
most profitable unit. While the timing of the announcement Wednesday was a
surprise, Enrico, 55, had not been expected to stay in the top jobs at PepsiCo
until the usual retirement age. Enrico became CEO and chairman at PepsiCo in
1996 after a long career at the company that saw him lead the Pepsi-Cola
beverage division into a continuing ``cola wars'' marketing battle with
industry leader Coca-Cola Co.

Enrico had also held top jobs in the company's snack foods and restaurant
units. In his tenure as the PepsiCo CEO and chairman, Enrico oversaw the
spinoff of its restaurant business, which includes the Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and
KFC chains, into a separate company called Tricon Global Restaurants. The
Purchase, N.Y.-based company also spun off its bottling business a separate
company, The Pepsi-Cola Bottling Group. That move freed PepsiCo to focus on
marketing its soft drinks. In addition, Enrico oversaw PepsiCo's acquisition
of juice business Tropicana Products from Seagram Co. in 1998.

``When I was elected CEO, I said I hoped to have the perseverance to stay long
enough to get the job done and the wisdom not to remain too long,'' he said in
a statement. He said he felt he had accomplished his goals of ``refocusing our
company on the vibrant convenient food and beverage market'' and assembling a
strong management team.

Shares of PepsiCo closed Tuesday at $46, down $1.38, on the New York Stock
Exchange. On the Net: http://www.pepsico.com

Comedians Weigh In On Campaign

.c The Associated Press

``The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'':

``The presidential debates between <A
HREF="aol://4344:3167.Gorecand.21063194.652474968">Al Gore</A> and <A HREF="
aol://4344:3167.Bushcand.21063346.652475329">George W. Bush</A> are coming up.
It's the Deadhead versus the crackhead. You don't want to miss that!''

``One of the sponsors of the debates is Budweiser, which is kind of ironic, a
brewery sponsoring two empties.''

``Bush says he's going to use the strategy he used to get to Yale University.
He's going to push his podium real close to Gore's and cheat off of him.''

``Bush quote of the day: `More and more of our imports come from overseas..

``The Late Show with David Letterman'':

``Excited about the presidential debates? Dick Cheney is all excited; his goal
for the debates is just to get through them without having a heart attack.''

``Both of the candidates now, Al W. Gore and George W. Bush, are in seclusion
now, getting ready for the big debates. Al Gore spent the day at the beach with
his family. And, I believe, to relax, George W. Bush watched an execution.''

``Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher'':

Politically Incorrect Poll:

Forget the Olympics, I've got Debate Fever!

0 Agree.
0 Disagree.

``The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'':

``Al Gore appeared on MTV's `Choose or Lose' ... Gore spent most of his time
talking about Supreme Court decisions, youth disillusionment and racism, and
spent the rest of his time trying to get Carson Daly to play some Huey Lewis.
Gore promised that a ban on the police practice of racial profiling will be the
`first Civil Rights Act of the 21st century,' passing sometime around 2063.''

Look to the Bible for Nutrition

PROVO, Utah, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Several good books offer insight into
health, nutrition, and wellness, but two men from Utah prescribe a new approach
based on the Good Book.

Long-time friends Ron Williams and Bill Turnbull of American Fork, UT believe
everything good to eat comes from nature's table. This philosophy drives their
company, Whole Living, Inc. The company's flagship product, Pulse, traces its
origins to the Old Testament in the first chapter of the book of Daniel.
History records Daniel refused to eat the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar's
rations of meat, wine and rich foods. Daniel believed his diet, which his
people called pulse, gave him superior mental and physical (including sexual)
benefits. He proved his point during a ten-day test of his diet against the
King's.

Williams and Turnbull offer the same challenge today. "Eat Pulse and drink
plenty of water and see if you don't feel better, think sharper and have a
deeper sense of connectedness," says Williams.

Research proves Americans are suffering from increasing rates of
lifestyle-related health problems like obesity, diabetes, heart disease and
even cancer. Pulse may help combat those diseases. Pulse is nutrient-dense
and contains all seven fibers known to man.

Williams says Americans need to rethink nutrition. "Americans are fatter than
ever because they're eating synthetic foods rather than naturally grown, whole
foods that our bodies recognize and know how to process. Our bodies don't
process processed foods well."

Within the next five years, Williams and Turnbull hope to see changes in how
Americans think about food and how they eat. They hope to position their
company, Whole Living, and their marquee product, Pulse, at the center of that
change.

"We're not just marketing whole foods," says Turnbull. "We're leading a
revolution in how people think about food."

That revolution will also stretch overseas. Williams and Turnbull already ship
products to Australia and plan to establish distribution in several Asian
countries in 2001. Says Turnbull, "Obesity and related health problems aren't
peculiar to America. For the first time in world history, there are more
overweight people in the world -- 1.1 billion -- than malnourished people."

Whole Living's revolution may change that. And you don't have to wait for
their success story to become a good book. You can already find the story in
the Good Book.

[J2jurado]

UK's Shepherd Neame learns to live with French beer

LONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Independent brewer Shepherd Neame is learning to live
with the tide of French beer reaching British shores but said on Thursday its
campaign against hefty UK beer taxes has led to lobbying the European
Commission.

Shepherd Neame, based in south east England, is the most directly exposed UK
brewer to the flood of beer coming into Britain, legally and illegally, due to
UK beer excise taxes being some seven times those across the Channel.

Managing director Jonathan Neame says it is lobbying the Commission in Brussels
to pressure the UK government to act on the increasing gap between UK and
European beer excise taxes.

``We are appealing to the Commission to look at the issue of beer taxes. The
Treaty of Rome calls for a harmonisation of indirect taxes across Europe, but
we have seen an increased gap on beer excise taxes,'' Neame told Reuters.

The group lost a high-profile case last year when the British court ruled
against taking its case to the European Court. The UK government currently
takes around 40 percent of the price of an average two pound pint of beer.

But the private Kent-based brewer has come to terms with the opening of the
single European market in 1993, which prompted the flood of imported beer, by
reshaping its business and reported annual sales up 9.6 percent and pre-tax
profits up 11.3 percent.

Neame said the brewer had sold off 90 ``price sensitive'' pubs since 1993 and
increased its focus on quality pubs, which offer food and accomodation, while
its beer brands Spitfire and Bishop's Finger helped push its beer volumes up
4.4 percent.

Its 60 managed pubs saw comparable like-for-like sales up six percent, while
many of the big UK pub operators are still showing negative figures, and its
300 tenanted pubs showed increased like-for-like rent returns.

The group reported pre-tax profits of 7.55 million pounds for the 53 weeks to
July 1 on turnover of 68.5 million. The stock is traded on the unofficial OFEX
market, but the group is controlled by the Neame family.

Kokanee Beer Picks Up Speed and Catches Air South of the Border

- Low-Key Canadian Brew Takes Northwest in Extreme Style -

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Kokanee beer, favored by
mountain sports enthusiasts, is climbing to success in the U.S. as demand for
the brew snowballs. Currently available in seven states -- Alaska, Colorado,
Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming and Washington -- Kokanee's overall sales
year-to-date (YTD) have increased 63.2 percent.*

Field Marketing Director David van Wees said the brand's popularity is
spreading as tourists sample and enjoy the favored local brew. "Kokanee
should be the quintessential hometown craft-brewed speciality beer. It comes
from the small Columbia Brewery in Creston, British Columbia," said van Wees.
"Yet Kokanee's appeal is reaching well beyond Canada. It's become popular with
the snowboard and ski crowd and has taken on a life of its own."

British Columbia's most popular beer for over a decade, Kokanee leapt over the
border in 1994, landing in Spokane, Wash., where it rapidly claimed pole
position in the highly competitive import category. Kokanee outsells Corona
three to one in Spokane and makes up ten percent of total beer sales in that
market. In Portland, where it was introduced in 1996, Kokanee sales are up YTD
139 percent. In Seattle, where Kokanee was launched in 1994, YTD sales are up
58 percent.

Kokanee's cool status with outdoorsy consumers doesn't simply rest on its
glacial roots. A golden lager with a smooth, clean slightly hopped taste,
Kokanee is the winner of three prestigious international brewing awards: a
silver medal in the International Lager Competition of the 1996 Brewing
Industry; a gold medal in the American-style Lager Category of the 1998 World
Beer Cup; and a gold medal in the Pilsner Beer Category of the 2000 Monde
Selection, International Institute for Quality Selections.

Celebrating its mountainous origin, Kokanee is the official beer sponsor of the
2000-2001 Teton Gravity Research (TGR) film tour. TGR, a film and event
company specializing in skiing and snowboarding, premiered its "Further" film
this September in Jackson Hole, WY., and will be shown in 200 locations
nationwide.

Kokanee Importers in Norwalk, Conn., are the U.S. importers of the Kokanee
brand. In addition to wide distribution throughout Western Canada and Ontario,
Kokanee is currently available in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon,
Washington, and Wyoming.

http://insidedenver.com:80/business/1005beer2.shtml

Festival will showcase 'fusion beers' - New brews blend tradition, ingenuity

By Rachel Brand, Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer

Take a traditional British beer recipe, add a time-honored German
ingredient and mix with Yankee ingenuity. The result? A "wheat wine"
that represents the latest trend in craft brewing.

Fusion beers such as wheat wine, or beers that blend diverse nations'
flavors and styles, will be showcased at the 19th annual Great American
Beer Festival, which runs through Saturday at the Colorado Convention
Center in downtown Denver.

The Great American Beer Festival is the nation's largest and
longest-running beer festival, and appropriately located in Colorado,
one of the homes of the craft brewing movement in the late 1980s. Today,
Colorado has the second-highest number of breweries in the country,
after California, according to the Institute of Brewing.

Organizers expect about 26,000 people to attend the festival. More than
250 craft brewers will offer their beers and compare notes on how to
make the most of the industry's resurgence. Based on quarterly sales
announcements by large specialty brewers, the industry can look forward
to a 2 percent to 5 percent growth rate in 2000, experts say.

A beer competition is the highlight of the festival. Days before the
show, experts did blind tastings and judged beers in 55 categories. The
finest in each category will win a gold, silver or bronze medal — an
award that can mean national recognition and increased sales.

Festival visitors can taste wheat wines, including Marin Brewing Co.'s
award-winning Triple Star Wheat Wine and Two Brothers Brewing Co.'s Bear
Tree Weisswine. They should also look for experimental beers produced by
brewers hunting for the next big trend.

Fusion blends are "what makes the American craft brewing movement so
exciting," said Dave Edgar, head of the Boulder-based Institute for
Brewing Studies. Unlike European brewers, who are expected to brew
within a national tradition, "(U.S. brewers) are not burdened by
consumer expectations that beer has to have a certain kind of pedigree,"
he said.

Larkspur, Calif.-based Marin Brewing Co., for instance, takes a recipe
for British barley wine and substitutes wheat for barley to create a
wine-style beer with a 10 percent alcohol content.

Brewer Arnie Johnson said, "It's meant to be something uniquely American
and really different from any other beer style that is recognized."

http://insidedenver.com:80/food/1004food.shtml

The beer facts -The 'liquid herb' perks up recipes, too

By Marty Meitus, Denver Rocky Mountain News Food Editor, Oct. 4, 2000

Jerry Clum is trying to explain the different styles of beer to someone
who's beer-illiterate. He finally resorts to an explanation in which I
have visions of him pointing to a flow chart with a ruler.

"Beer is a big category," says Clum, brew master for Rock Bottom Brewery
in Westminster. "Underneath are ales and lagers, and then underneath
ales and lagers you can have light and dark ales, and underneath lagers
you can have light and dark lagers. It's a little like pets: Underneath
cats and dogs, you have big dogs and little dogs, and under cats, you
have house cats and lions."

With the Great American Beer Festival coming to town, it seemed like a
good time to brush up on our beers, particularly for cooking. Before you
pop a top and pour what chefs often call a liquid herb, it's important
to understand the basic styles.

Once there was little to choose from, other than German lagers, the
mainstay of the major American breweries. The confusion began in the
mid-'90s, when microbreweries, brewing small batches of many styles of
beer, began popping up faster than you could say "bottle cap."

"Five years ago, there were hundreds and hundreds of small breweries
entering the market, and that created confusion for the consumer," says
John Hickenlooper, founder and chairman of the board of Wynkoop Brewing
Co., in lower downtown. "It was too much of a good thing."

The numbers bear him out. In 1995 there were 45 microbreweries in
Colorado, plus Coors, Anheuser-Busch and one regional brewery. Now there
are only 22 microbreweries, plus five regional breweries and, of course,
Coors and Anheuser-Busch, says David Edgar, director of the Institute
for Brewing Studies. However, though the microbrewery market has shaken
out, the brew-pub business is booming, with 64 in Colorado, including
chains and individual operations, and more than a 1,000 brew pubs
nationwide.

All of which means a lot of choice. "We still have the same variety we
had," Hickenlooper says, "but just not as much to choose from. You may
have five kinds of pale ale or porter, but back then you would have had
20 kinds."

Only the strongest brands have survived, Hickenlooper says, and they're
stronger than ever: "The growth in Fat Tire, which is made by New
Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins, has been phenomenal, and that's
just one example."

As with wine, knowing a style and its so-called flavor profile helps
narrow down the choices. "The great thing is to experiment with beer,"
Clum says. "There are a lot of similar flavors within the categories.
It's like when you order a pinot noir, you have some idea of what the
flavor will be. Then there are subtleties between the wineries, and
that's a matter of trying different pinots until you find the one you
like."

Hickenlooper says the key to cooking with beer is: "Use it in moderation
and follow your instincts."

Before you begin the taste test, here's a look at some of the beer
styles from Clum, who has presented seminars on cooking with beer:

* Wheat ale: So named because wheat is part of the brew. Wheat ales,
however, can vary greatly, from fruity with honey flavors to dry and
crisp; the hops can add flowery, earthy flavors or even citrus flavors,
which a connoisseur can detect, the same as a wine expert picks up the
oakiness or vanilla overtones in wine. There's no way to know whether a
wheat ale is fruity or crisp except to taste. Wheat ales are good in
light sauces with lemony, citrus flavors.

* Pale ales: Pale describes the color, not the taste. Actually, the
copper-colored ales are assertive on the palate, dry and aromatic. They
can have sweet malt flavors, but that's not the overriding profile, Clum
says. Pale ales have a stronger hoppy taste, which lend aromas that can
be fruity or citrusy to flowery. Pale ales are good in light, saucy
dishes with a mild spiciness, such as some Thai dishes.

* India pale ales: A subset of pale ales, India pale ales are aggressive
and have high bitterness. Clum says the British originally made pale
ales to send to India, with high alcohol and hops content to survive the
journey. Although some people like the dry bitterness, they're best-used
in dishes with a lot of punch, such as spicy spaghetti sauces.

* Scotch ales: Full-bodied with high alcohol content, Scotch ales are
characterized by strong malty flavors, which can range from maple to
raisin. Because of the big, heavy characteristics of the beer, use in
substantial dishes such as stews and even cheesecakes.

* Stouts: Stouts can be just as big in flavor as Scotch ales, but they
have more of a coffee, roasted, unsweetened-chocolate flavor. They're
good in sauces, brownies, stews and cheesecakes. Oatmeal stout is
creamy. Oats are used in the brew, which balances the coffee-like
flavor.

* Lagers: Coors, Budweiser and Miller are American lagers. A difference
between ales and lagers is that lagers are aged for longer periods and
are fermented at colder temperatures.

* Pilseners: A subset of lagers, Pilseners can have a malty sweetness,
with a touch of buttery flavor and usually a flowery hop aroma. Clum
compares them to expensive potpourris. Cook with them in light dishes or
creamy sauces, such as hollandaise.

* Doppelbocks: Also a subset of lagers, dopplebocks are dark, malty beers

with a hint of maple and caramel sweetness that Clum compares to the
complexity of Worcestershire sauce. In fact, use in anything where you
would normally use Worcestershire sauce.

* Porters: They fall between brown ales and stouts — they were the
original stouts, and then today's stouts developed from porters. Porters
tend to be similar in profile to stouts, a little sweeter in some cases.
You can interchange them with stouts in cooking.

* Fruity beers: They can be ales or lagers. The key is that fruit flavor
is added to the beer. "The important thing is to find a beer that's
balanced. If you choose a rapsberry beer, you want beer with a hint of
raspberry, not a raspberry drink with a hint of beer."

* Lambic beers: Lambics are fruit beers from Belgium that are like
effervescent wine. Lambics have a candy/sugar sweetness and a sourness,
and fruit is added so you'll have raspberry or blueberry flavors. If
you're looking for a raspberry taste, a lambic is good; if you want more
of a hint of raspberry, choose a raspberry ale, which doesn't have any
sourness. Fruit beers are good in desserts.

If you want to pair beers with different foods, here are some
suggestions from Jerry Clum.

* Salads: Light-bodied beers, such as Pilsener lagers and wheat beers. If

the salad has a creamy dressing, it can typically stand up to a bigger
beer, such as a pale ale. If the salad is dressed with a spicy dressing,
choose a mellower, hoppier, light lager-style beer.

* Pizza: Pizza and other Italian foods pair well with malty dry beers,
lagers and brown ales. Brown ales are typically lighter in body and
sweeter than pale ales.

* Beef: Choose hearty beers for hearty meats. Bigger beers such as brown
ales, porters and India pale ales taste great with beef dishes, but
stouts and bocks also would be appropriate.

* Chicken: Almost any beer works well with chicken. Light lagers,
Pilseners and pale ales pair well with basic chicken dishes, while
dishes with spicy or heavy sauces partner nicely with medium-bodied
beers such as brown ales and bocks.

* Fish: Delicate fish typically goes well with mild beers. Dry beers and
light beers complement light fish such as filet of sole. For a meatier
fish, try a slightly malty, slightly hoppy Pilsener or a light lager.
Shellfish pair with a roasty, malty porter.

* Pork/lamb: Pork and lamb dishes go best with malty beers such as bock
lagers and Scotch ales.

* Pasta: If the pasta includes a spicy red sauce, the medium-bodied,
toasted malt and hoppy India pale ale is a match. If the pasta includes
a sweeter red sauce, a medium-bodied brown ale is great.

* Barbecue: Medium-to heavy-bodied beers such as pale ales and porters
stand up well to the strong flavors of barbecue.

* Fruit desserts: Light-bodied fruit lambics, which are very dry and
tart,
and light-bodied wheat beers pair well with fruit desserts.

* Sweet desserts: Full-bodied, heavy and sweet beers such as double bock,

stout ale and Scotch ale complement chocolate desserts.

If you go

The Great American Beer Festival runs from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Thursday
through Saturday at the Colorado Convention Center. Tickets cost $30 and
can be purchased in advance from the Web site www.gabf.org, through
Ticketmaster outlets or by calling (303) 830-TIXS. Tickets also are
available at Argonaut Liquor Store, Falling Rock Tap House, Wynkoop
Brewing Co., the Association of Brewers in Boulder, Boulder Liquor Mart
and Union Liquor in Lakewood. If still available, tickets will be $36 at
the door. Saturday, you can attend the Connoisseur Tasting Session from
12:30 to 4:30 p.m., with an awards ceremony and four beer-education
seminars, for $45.

http://www.sltrib.com:80/10032000/utah/29686.htm

Provo Mayor Stirs Up Oly Beer Issue -- Again

Tuesday, October 3, 2000 ,BY MARK EDDINGTON,THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

   PROVO -- Just when it looked like the Olympic beer controversy at The
Peaks Ice Arena in southeast Provo had gone stale, Mayor Lewis Billings
provided a fresh take on the issue Monday. Just back from a trip to China,
Billings
announced that his administration would hold off on issuing a class B permit
to serve suds
at the arena during Olympic hockey events until the Salt Lake Organizing
Committee's top brass asks for one.

   Billings said the request that a SLOC representative -- he cannot
recall who -- made to the city 45 days ago for a permit to sell beer was
premature. He said SLOC attorneys have since advised him that no formal
request has been made and will not be until Olympic organizers return
from Sydney, Australia, and inform Provo of their intentions in writing.

   "At that time, we would then pursue whether or not we can accommodate
it with existing ordinance or whether we have to ask the council to
amend our ordinance to facilitate what they request," the mayor said.

   The Peaks will stage women's and men's hockey during the 2002 Winter
Games -- as well as several pre-Olympic tuneup events.

   SLOC officials already have ruled out selling beer at The Peaks
during a speed-skating event Oct. 25 and an international hockey
tournament Nov. 7-11.

   Billings' wait-and-see stand on beer sales reverses his
administration's previous position.

   When trouble began brewing last week among council members opposed to
changing the city's liquor laws to permit class E beer sales at Olympic
hockey and pre-Games events, Provo Chief Administrative Officer Bob
Stockwell said the city would bypass the council altogether by having
the police chief grant SLOC a one-year class B permit. A class B permit
enables any establishment that serves food to serve beer.

   But Billings now says he is not sold on that course of action and
will await SLOC's request before making a decision. He said Olympic
organizers' request still might require a change in Provo's liquor laws.
On Jan. 27, 1998, the council unanimously approved a pact with SLOC that
binds the city to "cooperate" with the committee in securing permits to
serve alcohol during the 2002 Winter Games. However, the mayor said that
deal only requires the administration to act in good faith and does not
bind the current council to approve a permit.

   Roughly 63 businesses, 20 of them restaurants, have permits to sell
beer in Provo. Billings said SLOC's likely request to sell beer is
nothing new and is something the council has been aware of for several
years despite recent avowals by some members they had no knowledge.

   "If we totally want to stop the distribution of beer, when these
issues came up before, why wasn't that something we discussed then?"
Billings said. "Why did we wait until now to become passionate [about
the issue]?"

   Billings blamed the news media for fomenting much of the controversy
and pushing council members to comment on the issue before they had a
chance to be briefed.

   Councilman Stan Lockhart said beer sales are not the real issue,
anyway.  "We need to focus on the Olympic spirit instead of alcoholic spirits,
which everyoneknows detracts from sports,"he said. "Let's turn our attention to
duplicating Sydney's extraordinary Olympic success and work with SLOC to
find appropriate venues where beer can be sold. That may or may not include
Provo."
   

http://www.herald.com:80/content/tue/business/latamer/digdocs/084065.htm

President of Brazil's No. 2 brewer quits

October 3, 2000, the Miami Herald

SAO PAULO -- Humberto Pandolpho, president of Brazil's No. 2 brewer
Cervejarias Kaiser SA, quit, leaving the task of taking on the company's
dominant rival Cia. de Bebidas das Americas to a successor.

Miguel Alarcon, a Kaiser board member and formerly president of the
Coffin Group, a bottler and distributor for Coca-Cola Co. in Niteroi

will succeed Pandolpho, who held his post since February of last year,
the company said.

Pandolpho's departure comes as Kaiser battles to hold onto its 15
percent share of Brazil's beer market in the face of competition from
Ambev, the world's No. 4 brewer formed from last year's $3.9 billion

takeover by Cia. Cervejaria Brahma of rival brewery Cia. Antarctica
Paulista.

``His departure coincides with this new scenario in the sector, which
has changed into a market for beverages, and no longer for just beer,''
the company said.

The company said the change of president also came ahead of the
Brazilian summer, a peak period for beer sales.

Valor Economico, a Brazilian newspaper, reported last month that
Heineken NV, which now owns 14 percent of Kaiser, plans to buy part of
the 76 percent stake in the hands of Coca-Cola Co.'s Brazilian bottlers
plus the 10 percent control held by Coca-Cola.

Heineken said it was interested in boosting its stake in Kaiser but said
it wasn't in talks to do so.

http://www7.mercurycenter.com:80/premium/business/getahead/docs/marketmove
03.htm

Published Tuesday, October 3, 2000, in the San Jose Mercury News

Marketing of `spiked lemonade' draws criticism

NEW YORK (AP) -- This isn't the lemonade that kids grow up selling in

the front yard.
Lemon-flavored drinks spiked with about as much alcohol as beer are

growing in sales after major alcoholic beverage powers such as

Anheuser-Busch, Miller Brewing and Seagram took notice of their market
appeal.

But critics say the beverages mask the taste of alcohol and appeal to

the sweet tooth of underage drinkers and others who might not otherwise
like that taste of alcohol.

``This is a drink that is going to popular with kids, and a responsible
marketer of alcohol should not be marketing it,'' said James Mosher,
senior policy adviser at the Marin Institute for the Prevention of

Alcohol and Other Drug Problems, based in San Rafael.

Their makers note they list the alcohol content on the labels. They say
they're not aiming at youngsters but rather at adults who seek variety

in beverages and may even spike their own lemonade at home.

The beverages, with about 5 percent alcohol, sport folksy names like
Mike's Hard Lemonade, Rick's Spiked Lemonade, Doc Otis' Hard Lemon
Flavored Malt Beverage and Hooper's Hooch Lemon Brew.

Sales of hard lemonade rose fourfold last year to 4.1 million cases

worth about $90 million at retail, according to the trade publication
Impact.

There's often no real-life person behind the folksy brand names such as
Mike's, the recent sales leader, or Doc Otis.

At Doc Otis, the drink line launched in May by Anheuser-Busch Inc., the
name plays a key role in its marketing -- a half-dozen stories about the
fictional character alternate on Doc Otis bottles, and consumers can win

prizes for penning their own tales. Radio spots invite consumers to
``Unlock the Doc'' mystery, and TV ads are coming.

Rick's is backed with a Web site (www.ricksspiked.com) and radio and

print advertising in some markets, Seagram marketing executive Jamie
Mattikow said. ``One part innocent. One part wild'' is the theme.

The Web site warns that viewers must be of legal drinking age to enter,
and it offers two buttons to choose from: ``I am 21 or older -- Lemme
in!'' or ``I am under 21 -- See you later!''

http://news.excite.com/news/r/001004/10/odd-teacher-dc

Teacher Fired Over Project to Plan Assassination

October 4, 2000 COVINA, Calif. (Reuters) - A high school English teacher
has been fired after officials discovered he gave his students an
assignment to plan an assassination of someone they would like to kill,
a newspaper reported.
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune said Tuesday the English teacher in this
suburb east of Los Angeles allegedly gave his students an assignment to
chose someone to kill, give the reasons why and detail how they could
keep it secret.

The project was in connection with a class reading of Edgar Allan Poe's
classic story "The Pit and the Pendulum" which tells of a man who faces
death by either falling into an abyss or being cut to shreds by a
swinging pendulum.

Louis Pappas, the assistant superintendent for the Covina Valley Unified
School District declined to comment on specifics of the case but said
that the district had fired a teacher Monday due to an inappropriate
class project.

"On Monday we did receive a complaint of a writing assignment. The
assignment was not authorized. Once the administration was made aware of
the assignment, it directed it be rescinded. The teacher in question is
no longer employed by the district," Pappas said.

The district is working to replace the teacher in question, Pappas said.

Students told the newspaper that "a whole bunch of kids went to
complain" about the assignments because it did not seem relevant to the
story and the teacher had to give an alternative assignment to those
students who did not want to plan an assassination.

The teacher could not be reached for comment, the paper said.

[Joel Plutchak]

J2jurado <j2ju...@aol.com> wrote, quoting from an industry source:

>Festival will showcase 'fusion beers' - New brews blend tradition, ingenuity

>Take a traditional British beer recipe, add a time-honored German

>ingredient and mix with Yankee ingenuity. The result? A "wheat wine"
>that represents the latest trend in craft brewing.

>Festival visitors can taste wheat wines, including Marin Brewing Co.'s

>award-winning Triple Star Wheat Wine and Two Brothers Brewing Co.'s Bear
>Tree Weisswine. They should also look for experimental beers produced by
>brewers hunting for the next big trend.

Wheat wine might be that trend. I'd never heard of "wheat wine"
before visiting Flossmoor Station (Flossmoor, IL USA) last spring
and tasting some from the conditioning tanks. Now it's starting
to look like a trend.
Incidentally, Flossmoor's, wheat was was quite tasty-- the alcohol
and character of a barleywine, but with a somewhat different flavor
and less body/mouthfeel than a barleywine. This summer I also got a
taste of the same wheat wine that had been aged in (virgin, I think)
oak barrels. I didn't like it as much-- had a strong bourbon-y taste.
--
Joel Plutchak "One of the few moments of happiness a man knows in Australia
plutchak@[...] is that moment of meeting the eyes of another man over the
tops of two beer glasses." - Anonymous (by Bruce Chatwin)

[J2jurado]

plut...@SncsaP.uiucA.eduM :

<<J2jurado <j2ju...@aol.com> wrote, quoting from an industry source:...>>

I quoted an entire article from an article published and also available on the
WWW. Any quoting of 'industry sources' I ever do is from published/ePublished
news items...often Reuters Newswires or Bloomberg Newsfeeds.

...unexpected...

I dropped in for a Guinness and semi-Trad Irish music last night at Fado near
my hotel in Denver. I saw these loud laughing guys with the letters on the back
of their t-shirt "WWFD" ...and I thought, "What Would Fred (Eckhardt) Do"??!

So I went up, and damn if their t-shirts did not feature on the front Fred's
picture and the written out question, "What Would Fred Drink?" Leaving after my
pint...who did I see down the street...Fred himself. I had a good laugh.

[Joel Plutchak]

J2jurado <j2ju...@aol.com> wrote:
> plut...@SncsaP.uiucA.eduM :

><<J2jurado <j2ju...@aol.com> wrote, quoting from an industry source:...>>

>I quoted an entire article from an article published and also available on the
>WWW. Any quoting of 'industry sources' I ever do is from published/ePublished
>news items...often Reuters Newswires or Bloomberg Newsfeeds.

Sorry. You seemed sensitive to people attributing the bits to you,
so I put that in as a sort of disclaimer.

[Ryan Stotz]

"Joel Plutchak" <plut...@SncsaP.uiucA.eduM> wrote in message
news:8ri16v$4...@brew.ncsa.uiuc.edu...

> Wheat wine might be that trend.

Might be. Steelhead here in Eugene has been doing one for a while now.
"It's A Variable Beer, Man," but is usually pretty good if a tad heavy on a
corny, DMS-type flavor. Freshness is pretty key to its quality, too.

It'd be an interesting big trend to witness and sample. More or less
uncharted territory at this point, and with the potential for much yeast
fuckery at that high gravity.

> This summer I also got a
> taste of the same wheat wine that had been aged in (virgin, I think)
> oak barrels. I didn't like it as much-- had a strong bourbon-y taste.

Pussy.

Stotz

[J2jurado]

plut...@SncsaP.uiucA.eduM :

<<You seemed sensitive to people attributing the bits to you,
so I put that in as a sort of disclaimer.>>

You are correct that I am sensitive in being too frequently attributed as the
source of items posted in 'beer bits.' If its current on the WWW and related to
beer and I find it, I post it verbatim.

Any editorial remarks I make, a rare circumstance, are clearly seen as these at
the top of the thread.

I recognize some 'bits' are pretty stupid, inane, dumb, inaccurate...but I
don't withdraw any that I find.

This morning I got one of those frustrating weekly emails from a lurker who I
have never heard from before. I open an email to find one sentence...a
question:

"Hi there, What is your interest in Baltica Beer?"

My reply was: "huh? None...never even had any of it."

I JUST POST NEWS BITS ABOUT BEER, FOLKS. I HAVE AS MUCH INTEREST IN WHAT IS IN
THE NEWS AS ANYONE. Being an industrial news junkie...maybe a news geek. But I
do not have any 'interest' in specific bits beyond the fact that the bits are
somehow tied to beer. Except the last one, usually some random OT odd story.

[J2jurado]

http://live.altavista.com/scripts/editorial.dll?ei=2252503&ern=y

Interbrew chooses to list on Euronext

BRUSSELS, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Belgian brewing group Interbrew [ITB.UL]
said Wednesday it planned to go ahead with its initial public offering
by the end of this year and would apply to list its shares on Euronext.

Family-controlled Interbrew said in April it planned an IPO by the end
of 2000 to finance future acquisitions.

"The Board of Directors of Interbrew has decided to proceed with its
initial public offering, subject to market conditions. Interbrew has
also chosen to apply to list its shares on Euronext Brussels," the
company said in a brief statement on Wednesday.

"It is presently expected that the IPO will take place before the year
end," the company said, adding that it would release further information
in due course.

An Interbrew spokesman declined to give any further details about the
size of the offering, or whether the company could seek other listings.

Industry sources have said they expected Interbrew to float between 10
and 15 percent of its capital.

Interbrew's decision is a feather in the cap of the new Euronext
exchange formed last month from a merger of the Paris, Brussels and
Amsterdam bourses.

Analysts had thought Interbrew could also choose to list in London.

The company, which brews Stella Artois and Labatt beers, rose to number
two in the world beer league after buying Bass Brewing and Whitbread
Plc's beer business earlier this year.

The Bass deal, which brought it Carling and Tennent's, has been referred
to the UK Competition Commission with a decision expected from the
British government by Jan. 6, 2001.

On Monday, Interbrew admitted to breaking European competition rules in
the past after regulators accused it and other brewers in Belgium and
Luxembourg of operating illegal cartels.

The European Commission, the antitrust watchdog for the 15- nation
European Union, said Monday it it had sent formal warnings to several
Belgian brewers, including Interbrew. The companies could face major
fines.

Interbrew said in June it had appointed Merrill Lynch and Fortis Bank as
joint global coordinators for its initial public offering.

http://live.altavista.com/scripts/editorial.dll?ei=2243042&ern=y

EU warns Interbrew, Alken Maes on alleged cartels

BRUSSELS, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Belgian beer giant Interbrew admitted on
Monday to breaking European competition rules in the past, after
regulators accused it and other brewers in Belgium and Luxembourg of
operating illegal cartels.

The European Commission, the antitrust watchdog for the 15-nation
European Union, said it had sent formal legal warnings to several
Belgian brewers.

http://www.beer.com/news/bee/bee/2000/10/04/970689113501.html

Business is jumpin' at Hops

by KERRY J. BYRNE , beer.com 10.4.2000

Hops Restaurant, Bar and Brewery will not win high praise from
connoisseurs seeking the most esoteric beer styles, but that's just fine
with the folks who run the nation's largest chain of
brewery-restaurants.

"Our audience," says Hops Chief Operating Officer Joe Timberlake, "is
straight-down-the-road middle America. Our restaurants really satisfy
the middle 80 percent of the population that patronizes the casual
dining segment."

The mainstream appeal of Hops restaurants is manifest in everything from
their locations - typically stand-alone buildings near suburban malls or
movie theaters - to their beers, among which "there is no deviation,"
says Hops spokeswoman Joanne Peaple. "We insure consistency. That's part
of our promise. Whether you're in Miami, Denver or Connecticut, if you
order a Clearwater Light, it's going to be the same Clearwater Light."

Though its uniform and lightly flavored beers have been mocked by beer
aficionados and people in the specialty beer business, it's hard to
argue with the success of the Hops formula.

Hops began in 1989 with its flagship Clearwater, Florida restaurant. It
has since grown to 73 establishments, most on the East Coast, and is far
and away the largest collection of brewery-restaurants in the US. The
chain brews more beer for on-premise consumption than any group of
brewpubs or brewery-restaurants in America.

The newest Hops restaurants have recently opened in Rhode Island, as
part of the company's aggressive foray up the East Coast and into New
England. The company is reviewing sites in the Boston area, with the
goal to open a suburban location around 2002.

What Hops patrons around the country find are clean, brightly decorated,
casual restaurants with an eclectic array of American lunch and dinner
staples, from baby rack ribs and "deep south catfish" to burgers and
nachos. "We don't consider ourselves a brewpub," says Peaple. "We really
consider our competition to be other casual-dining restaurants."

But beer brewed on premise is a major drawing card. Brewing
paraphernalia adorn the walls of each restaurant, while the brewhouse is
typically placed in a highly visible location. All Hops restaurants
serve the same four beers:

Clearwater Light, described on the menu as a "reduced carbohydrate
lager-style beer," is a clean, bright and slightly cornish light ale
with quickly dissipating flavor. Lightning Bolt Gold has more body and a
pleasing trace of hop bitterness. Thoroughbred Red Ale and Alligator Ale
, a brown ale, round out the selection. Both are more daring in color,
if not in flavor.

All Hops beers are fermented with an ale yeast (hence the term
"lager-style" - and not "lager" - that is used on the menu) and all are
served ice-cold in frosted mugs. None is particularly distinctive -
there is, for example, no discernible nose and the hops from which the
restaurant gets its name are hardly featured - but nor are any of the
beers poorly made. In fact, purely in terms of technical precision, Hops
beers are among the most consistently well-made brewery-restaurant
beers in America.

"We try to satisfy the taste preferential of the majority of our
customers," says Hops Brewmaster John Schwarzen, who spent 45 years
working for some of America's largest breweries before joining Hops in
1993. "The American taste, for the most part, is for a nice, clean
beer."

Since joining hops, Schwarzen has done a lot to improve the company's
brewing standards and the reputation of its beers. Before 1993, for
example, Hops was making beers with corn syrup in the mash. He quickly
did away with adjuncts so that Hops beers are now made from an all-malt
mash. Schwarzen and his staff carefully monitor every beer made in the
Hops chain. Each week, all Hops restaurants ship a sample of a given
style to the company's Tampa headquarters so that the beers can be
examined for quality and consistency.

It's a strategy that stands in marked contrast to that followed by most
independent brewpubs or brewery-restaurant chains. But Hops has, very
recently, attempted to reach out to those who might enjoy more flavorful
beers. Its two new Rhode Island restaurants, for example, serve Samuel
Adams Summer Ale and Guinness Stout, while the company will offer its
first "specialty beer" this fall when it releases an Octoberfest-style
beer, Schwarzen said. Additonal seasonals will follow.

"We kind of got away from having the emphasis on the beer," Schwarzen
said. "But we do in fact make our own beer, and we want to enhance our
perception (as a brewery) and try to get those people who might enjoy
more flavorful beers to come in and try ours."

http://www.beerflavor.com/index_news.htm

Rollin' on the River

by Kurt Epps

You won't find Ann Frankel's statue next to Rocky Balboa's in the City
of Brotherly Love. Nor will you find her name on a list of people in
Philadelphia with physically imposing frames. So slight in appearance,
so soft spoken is this will o' the wisp woman that it seems as though a
gust of wind could carry her off into the Delaware River.

But Ann Frankel is a hero. Ann suffers from Crohn's disease, and she has
had to live with this insidious, life-draining illness for the better
part of thirty years. But her strength is clearly visible in her
piercing blue eyes that reflect an uncommon resoluteness which refuses
to let this condition get the best of her.

What's more, she has decided that it is she--not the disease with no
known cause or cure--that will determine the quality of her life. To be
sure, she is not alone in that heroic approach, as her attitude is
evident in thousands of those who suffer from this pernicious form of
IBD (irritable bowel disease). But what sets her apart is that she has
decided to actually DO something about it by chairing the annual Sippin'
by the River event which raises funds for the Crohn's and Colitis
Foundation of America (CCFA).

She has been the impetus behind this beer, wine and gourmet food
festival that has been "growing by leaps and bounds every year, just by
word of mouth" says husband and co-chairman of the event, Richard
Frankel.

"When you're in a position of strength," Ann says, "you have to give
back." Pretty heady words from a person who suffers from a disease that
can sap your strength as quickly as it can break your will. "It's not
about money," says Ann whose husband owns an Infiniti car dealership
outside Philly. "It's about time. It's about effort."

And the effort the Frankels have brought to life is now one of the best
attended and highest fund-generating events of its kind in the nation.
The Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, framed by two bridges and the
Delaware River was the site of the fifth annual Sippin' by the River on
Sunday September 24. The multilevel layout, replete with fountains and
flora, was ideal for the setting. At least forty-eight breweries and
wineries proffered their wares to the public to help generate funds for
research on Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which affect an
estimated one million children and adults in the US.

Even the predicted weather--rainy with thunderstorms--seemed to
recognize the importance of the day as the precip held off until well
after the fest was over, giving thousands of fest-goers a chance to
mingle, munch, sample and sip under generally pleasant skies.

And no, you weren't dreaming if you thought you saw cigar-puffing women
sprinkled liberally throughout the crowd. John Hay Cigars was on hand,
doing a land office business purveying fragrant, smooth stogies to men
and women alike--and donating half of each sale to CCFA. "It's fun,
number one," said proprietress Debra Stewart, "and it's a worthwhile
cause."

That attitude seemed to permeate the entire Plaza, as young and old
meandered about, the rock tunes of a solid band providing the acoustical
backdrop. A plethora of outstanding Pennsy breweries was on hand.
Nodding Head brewery, just six months old, was making a powerful
statement with its "Alesner," a crispy golden ale brewed like a
pilsener. It is intended as a transition beer, and it moved the PubScout
to declare that if this doesn't make converts to craft beer from
mainstream, nothing will. And watch out for its Whiplash IPA. Don't be
surprised if Denver discovers it next month.

Yard's was also on hand with a solid selection of quality beers, though
my favorite--the 8% IPA--wasn't among them. Of course, Victory Brewing
brought its Weizen Bock and Festbier along, virtually assuring long
lines that kept Michelle Smith busy all day. (Michelle's drop dead
gorgeous good looks may also have had an effect on the mostly male
lines.) Weyerbacher's outstanding Autumn Fest was also available, but
not for long.

New Jersey had some of its best beers on display as Triumph (I just knew
that Woodruff Berliner Weiss wasn't going to last), Heavyweight, Flying
Fish and Blue Collar had busy afternoons trying slake the thirsts of
craft beer lovers. Good guy John Bonato of Vineland's Blue Collar
Brewing even jumped into the Chimay booth to help its attendant uncork
and pour to what may have been the longest line at the event. (But
that's what guys who make a great American Pale Ale do.)

Even some macro-micros like Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada had a solid
presence. So popular were John Maier's beers from Rogue in Oregon, that
Sebbie Buhler ran out of beer after just two hours. A neat feature of
the event was its tutored tastings of beer and wine, with the beer
sessions hosted by the knowledgeable Jim Richardson. Food demonstrations
also punctuated the afternoon, and there was a decent collection of food
booths to suit every taste.

What struck the PubScout and his better half--herself a former
ulcerative colitis sufferer--was the absence of pretense and pompousness
from the sponsors of the event, and there were too many to list. These
folks put up big bucks to help make the event go, but they were as down
to earth as your best drinking buddy.

Sippin' by the River is an event that is all about support. Brewers and
vintners can support their fans with great products. Lovers of good
beer and fine wines can enjoy those products while supporting the CCFA.

The CCFA, in turn, supports those who suffer from IBD. It's a
win-win-win situation any way you look at it. All brought together
because the disease had the bad judgment to attack a little hero named
Ann Frankel.

Good can come from bad.

 

[J2jurado]

Redhook Ale Brewery Announces Conference Call

SEATTLE, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Redhook Ale Brewery, Incorporated (Nasdaq:
HOOK) announced today that it has scheduled a conference call for Wednesday,
November 1, 2000 at 7:30 a.m. PST (10:30 a.m. EST). The purpose of the
conference call is to discuss results for the Company's third quarter ended
September 30, 2000, which are expected to be released on Tuesday, October 31,
2000, at 3:30 p.m. PST (6:30 EST), after the close of the market. The call
will be open to the public.

The conference call can be accessed either through webcast or dial-in. The call
will be webcast by CCBN/StreetEvents.com. The webcast can be accessed by going
to http://aol.ccbn.com or other Internet portals such as Netscape or Yahoo.
The conference call can also be accessed by phone. To ensure phone line
availability, please call Anne Mueller at 206-634-4203, or send a fax to
206-548-1305, to confirm your participation and receive conference call
instructions.

If you would like to be added to the press release fax list, please call Anne
Mueller. Otherwise, to obtain a faxed copy of the press release after it has
been released, please call PR NEWSWIRE at 800-758-5804. Follow the recorded
instructions, Redhook's company code is 736675, select option #1 and input your
fax number. A copy of the press release will be faxed immediately. The press
release can also be obtained from PR NEWSWIRE Company News on Call web page at
http://www.prnewswire.com . In addition, you may retrieve press releases from
the previous 12 months in this same manner.

Redhook is the leading independent brewer of craft beers in the United States,
Americas first craft brewery, and is the premier craft brewer in Washington
State. The Company produces eight styles of beer, marketed under distinct
brand names: its flagship brand Redhook ESB, Redhook India Pale Ale, Redhook
Hefe-Weizen, Blackhook Porter, Double Black Stout, and its seasonal offerings
Redhook Blonde Ale, Winterhook and Redhook Nut Brown Ale. Redhook owns and
operates two technologically-advanced breweries, one in the Seattle suburb of
Woodinville, Washington and the other in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The
Fremont Brewery building in Seattle serves as Redhook's world headquarters and
home of the landmark Trolleyman Pub. Redhook beer is available in 48 states.
Visit the Company's Internet website at www.redhook.com to learn about its
products and locate them through your nearest distributor.

http://www.iht.com:80/IHT/TODAY/WED/IN/travelb.2.html

Oktoberfest Ends on a Sour Note

The Associated Press, Wednesday, October 4, 2000

MUNICH - Munich's mammoth beer party, the Oktoberfest, ended Tuesday
with the city's mayor complaining that the event was marked by
increasingly rampant commercialism.

Organizers estimated that 6.9 million people - up from 6.5 million last
year - took part in the annual celebration of beer and sausage that
opened Sept. 16. They downed about 6.2 million liters (13.1 million
pints) of German beer.

The festival ran an extra two days this year to end on the 10th
anniversary of German reunification.

But there was a sour note as the celebrations closed. Mayor Christian
Ude lamented that ''this year, in a more thorough and intrusive way than
before, the festival is being misused for marketing strategists'
campaigns to advertise products.''

City officials and organizers are concerned that events staged by record

companies to promote musicians, or shows featuring ladies doffing their

dirndl dresses, threaten the core of a tradition dating to 1810.

Mr. Ude also demanded ''free entry for all'' to the beer tents, which
have increasingly become invitation-only.

http://dailynews.philly.com:80/content/daily_news/2000/10/06/features/FJOE
06.htm

October 6, by Joe Sixpack

Vetfest: Guzzling in the grand tradition

Bavaria, Milwaukee, Brussels, Pottsville - among the world's great beer
capitals that these eyes have seen, none can match the suds that flow on
the bucolic meadows of South Philadelphia.

It is here, on eight autumn Sundays each year, that the villagers turn
out for a grand beer festival. They are gathered to send their sainted
warriors, the Eagles, into battle.

Germany has its Oktoberfest. Philly has the Vet Stadium tailgate
parties.

Hours - and I do mean hours - before the Eagles even strap on their
armor, adoring clansmen assemble outside the fortified walls of their
crumbling coliseum. In an area barely larger than the Hirschgarten in
Munich, perhaps 50,000 gather for the ritual tailgate party.

One of my favorite groups is the one that arrives from Croydon in a
green camper with the tasteful fake leopard interior wall carpeting, a
velvet Elvis and a portable satellite TV dish. The front of the heap
proclaims succinctly, "Dallas sucks."

Whether in SUVs or trailers or pickups, the masses arrive shortly after
dawn, laden with steel kegs and pallets of 30-packs. It's just a guess,
but I'd say there's more beer shipped into the parking lots on a single
Sunday than the annual production of Dock Street Brasserie, the city's
largest brewpub.

To the uninitiated, the scene is chaos. But there is a delicate protocol
in which each driver stakes out a small piece of turf and zealously
protects his boundaries. Strangers are greeted only after echoing a
gruff chant:

"Yo, you from Jersey? I'm from Jersey!"

And then the party begins.

Tradition holds that the first cask is tapped shortly after a pre-game
blessing at the local parish. True believers, however, boast of
"pounding the brewskis" since the night before.

Judging from the green war paint slathered on their faces, I have little
reason to doubt them.

The hours preceding the Big Game become an exercise in maximum
consumption, a direct result of the steep prices charged inside the
stadium. At $5.50 for a 20-ounce cup of Veterans Stadium draft, it costs
the equivalent of a full case of beer to achieve a lousy buzz.

Most revelers wisely soak up some of that alcohol with ample quantities
of tailgate food. Hoagies, grilled burgers, hot dogs, steaks, ribs and
shrimp are the most popular, but bigtime caterers lay out everything
from boiled lobster to pig roasts. I swear I saw one group butcher a
live calf and serve veal cordon bleu.

Sadly, with such creative cuisine, the beer choices show all the
imagination of a drunken 14-year-old. Let's see, we've got Bud, Bud
Light, Coors, Coors Light, Coors Extra Gold. . .

I know, I know - this is a common refrain from Joe Sixpack. But if the
Vet parking lot is truly going to rival the great festivals of the
world, someone's going to have to crack open something better than this
industrial swill.

Alternatives? You're looking for inexpensive, low alcohol and easy to
drink over the long pre-game event. I lean toward the darker brews
because, after all, football is a man's game - not a wimpy sport for
light-beer sippers.

Here's a sixpack of tailgate brews:

Yuengling Black and Tan, 16-ounce cans. Cheap, easy to carry and a tasty
eye-opener.

Stegmaier Porter. Another cheap, full-bodied beer. Serve it with
bratwurst. Better yet, cook your sausage in this beer.
Dock Street mini keg. At 25 bucks for 5 liters, it's fresh draft beer
for the first round. Try the porter, then switch to something cheaper in
bottles.

Victory Whirlwind Witbier. At 5 percent, this ale is one of the
Downingtown brewer's lower-alcohol brews, with a fresh, crisp taste that
won't turn off lager lovers.

Weyerbacher Autumn Fest. A taste of Oktoberfest on the Schuylkill.
Saranac Adriondack Amber. At $18 a case, this is a very drinkable lager
that matches well with tailgate barbecue.

Incidentally, alcohol consumption outside the Vet is completely illegal.
Ha. Police and security guards patrol the parking lots with vigilance.
Ha-ha.

The fact is, unless you're completely stoopid, the cops look the other
way.

(Definition of stoopid: Holding a can of Bud while puking on a cop's
shoes. Don't laugh - I've seen it done.)

Seriously, though, if you drink from a plastic cup and you hide the
cooler, you're completely safe.

http://www.herald.com:80/content/wed/business/latamer/digdocs/038263.htm

Beer picture changes

Bloomberg News Oct. 5, 2000 The Miami Herald

SAO PAULO -- The resignation of Humberto Pandolpho as president of
Cervejarias Kaiser SA could hasten the purchase of Brazil's No. 2 brewer

by Dutch beermaker Heineken NV, analysts said.

Pandolpho, who headed Kaiser since February last year, announced his

decision to quit Monday.

Pandolpho's departure may mark a step toward a possible purchase of

Kaiser by Heineken, the world's No. 3 brewer, said Fabiana Arana, a
beverage analyst at Schroder Investment Management Ltda. in Sao Paulo.
While Heineken has said it's interested in boosting its 14 percent stake
in Kaiser, the Brazilian beermaker needs support in its bid to compete
with Cia. de Bebidas das Americas.

Heineken said nothing had changed with Pandolpho's departure.

``We want to increase our stake and we are in tentative, exploratory
talks with other stakeholders,'' said Albert Holtzappel, a Heineken
spokesman.

What's clear is that Kaiser needs a helping hand to protect its 15
percent share of Brazil's beer market from a more aggressive Ambev, said
Marilia da Costa, an analyst at Indosuez W.I. Carr in Sao Paulo.

http://www7.mercurycenter.com/premium/scitech/docs/alcohol03.htm

Alcohol study affirms potential heart benefit

BY ANDRE PICARD , Toronto Globe and Mail Oct. 3, 2000

Moderate consumption of alcohol can stop, and maybe even reduce, the
buildup of fat in arteries that is the leading cause of heart disease,
according to a new study.

Researchers have long known that drinkers have markedly lower rates of
heart disease, even when their diets are laden with fatty foods, a
phenomenon dubbed the French paradox. The French tend to eat a
high-cholesterol diet, but heart disease is far less prominent in France
than in North America; this difference has been attributed to wine.

In the current edition of the medical journal Alcohol: Clinical and
Experimental Research, a team of pathologists at the University of
Illinois-Chicago is reporting that alcohol itself has protective
properties.

Specifically, Dr. Eugene Emeson and his colleagues believe that alcohol
may influence the body's production of cytokines, prompting an immune
response that lessens the risk of arteries clogging. Cytokines are
hormone-like proteins that are referred to as the messengers of the
immune system.

``I think that alcohol may alter the balance of cytokines, which may tip
the balance in favor of protection against atherosclerosis,'' Emeson
said.

This is important information, he said. ``We may one day find there is a
way of accomplishing this without using alcohol.'' That could lead to
medications that can treat or prevent the accumulation of fatty streak
lesions that clog arteries.

The principal cause of heart disease is blocked coronary arteries -- the
tiny vessels that nourish the heart's own muscle cells. Blockage can
choke the blood supply to areas of the heart, resulting in tissue death,
also known as a heart attack.

The University of Illinois team found that, in test animals, moderate
amounts of alcohol in their diet reduced atherosclerotic lesions in the
aorta and halted their progression if they had already formed.

``This helps explain the folklore that has been around for years that a
shot or two of whiskey may be good for you,'' Emeson said. He was
careful to say, however, that he is not advocating that everyone drink
alcohol.

In an accompanying article in the journal, Dr. Sam Zakhari, director of
research at the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism,
said the study should be interpreted cautiously.

Because coronary heart disease is uncommon in men before the age of 35
and in women before the age of 50, younger people derive no benefit from
drinking. Furthermore, people taking medications -- in particular the
elderly -- risk complications from interaction with alcohol that could
more than offset any theoretical benefit.

Zakhari said it is quite possible that alcohol alters production of
cytokines, but he pointed to other research that suggests that the
formation of fatty deposits in arteries can be influenced by the body's
production of hormones, platelets and nitric oxide.

http://www.latimes.com:80/news/state/20001005/t000094799.html

Child Shoots Man Who Didn't Hand Over Beer

Thursday, October 5, 2000

     NEWHALL--A 34-year-old Newhall man was in stable condition
Wednesday after being shot by a child who tried to steal beer from him
and his two brothers, officials said.
     Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials say the victim, Rigoberto
Palomares, was in the courtyard of his apartment complex on the 24200
block of Pine Street with his two brothers at 9:40 p.m. Tuesday when
they were approached by at least three young men who tried to steal
their beer.
     A wrestling match ensued and one of the youths produced a handgun
and shot Palomares in the lower abdomen, said Det. Joe Dombrowski of the
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's station.
     Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene within minutes, but the
suspects had already fled. A three-hour search of the neighborhood
produced no suspects.
     Palomares was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in
Santa Clarita, where he underwent emergency surgery, authorities said.
He remained hospitalized in stable condition.
     Witnesses identified the suspects as members of a local gang, he
said.
  

http://www.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/americas/10/04/elsalvador.alcoholint.ap/inde
x.html

Death toll from methanol drinking in Salvadoran town rises to 19

October 4, 2000

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) -- Another eight men died Wednesday in El
Salvador after drinking methyl alcohol, bringing to the death toll among
residents of a single small town here to 19 in the last two days.

Police said the deadly alcohol was sold openly to poor farmworkers
Tuesday at liquor stores in the central Salvadoran town of San Vicente,
35 miles (60 kms) east of San Salvador, under the brand name
Thunderbolt.

"Thunderbolt liquor, 35 percent alcohol," reads the label on the small
250-ml (half-pint) bottles sold for about 10 colones ($1.10).

Thunderbolt is a well-known cheap sugarcane liquor; police suspect the
contents may have been adulterated by black-marketers refilling
discarded bottles with a mixture of methanol, which is normally used as
an antifreeze in cars.

The effects of the brew on those who drank it were ghastly, said Dr.
Napoleon Vigil, director of the San Vicente hospital where the men died.

"They showed up with intense headaches, vomiting and with stomach aches
caused by poisoning," Vigil said. He ordered the victims' stomachs
pumped, to no avail.

"This kind of alcohol can be used only for industrial purposes," Vigil
said. "It is highly toxic for human consumption, even in small
quantities."

Police have closed five liquor stores in the town, seized 248,000
bottles at a local plant and are investigating how the methanol was
produced and sold.

But those measures came too late to save the latest victims, including
55-year-old Luis Miguel Garcia. Two other men are listed in critical
condition at the local hospital.

"He took just a few swigs of the Thunderbolt, and it seemed okay," said
Garcia's son Carlos.

http://www.theage.com.au:80/sport/20001004/A30150-2000Oct3.html

Sponsor snubs the cup

By TONY BOURKE Wednesday 4 October 2000

Carlton & United Breweries yesterday did the unthinkable and launched
its spring festival of racing without including the Melbourne Cup, and
handed out a pointed snub for the Victoria Racing Club along the way.

The timing of yesterday's launch was obviously geared to pre-empt
tomorrow's official launch of the Melbourne spring carnival by Racing
Victoria, whose major sponsor, from January 1 next year, will be CUB's
main rival, Tooheys.

Late last year, after Tooheys won sponsorship of the VRC and Racing
Victoria, CUB was stung into action, securing the Victoria Amateur Turf
Club, the Moonee Valley Racing Club and major provincial clubs with
long-term contracts.

Yesterday's launch, to a packed gathering of media and racing
personalities, was clearly designed to dissociate CUB from the four days
of the VRC spring carnival even though the parent company, Foster's, is
sponsoring the Melbourne Cup for the last time this year.

As one senior CUB executive was heard to remark yesterday, "It's payback
time", as Jim King, managing director of Foster's Brewing, outlined the
spring plans. These will also include the involvement of Channel Nine
and key radio stations 3AW, Sport 927, Gold FM and Triple T FM.

The promotion will be known as the Carlton Draught spring racing
festival and features the three days of the Caulfield Cup carnival, Cox
Plate day , the Sandown Classic meeting and several provincial fixtures
during the carnival.

King said the dropping of the Foster's title from the feature races the
company now sponsors was a deliberate attempt to present a new image for
Carlton Draught.

He said that while CUB "welcomed competition" in the beer business, over
the years "other competitors had come and gone".

On hand from the CUB stable to support yesterday's launch were Damien
Oliver, Greg Hall, Jim Cassidy, Darren Beadman, Glen Boss, Chris Munce
and Matthew Gatt.

The jockeys, along with a number of owners and trainers, were also
signed up by CUB in response to the Tooheys deal with the VRC.

King said that while CUB would like to have remained involved with the
VRC it was now putting its efforts behind the clubs that had "remained
loyal" to the company.

"We have been sponsoring racing for more than 100 years," he said.

Kevin Hayes, chairman of the VATC, and his Moonee Valley counterpart,
Geoff Torney, both spoke glowingly of their clubs' long involvement with
CUB.

VRC chairman Andrew Ramsden and chief executive Dale Monteith looked
slightly uncomfortable as a series of promotions during the spring
carnival, not involving the four days at Flemington, were unveiled.

Ramsden said later he did not feel miffed about the not-so-veiled
attempt to embarrass the VRC.

"It was not our launch," he said.

Tomorrow's extravaganza, at the Jam Factory in Chapel Street, apparently
will not have any active involvement by Tooheys because it is officially
still waiting in the wings.

It will feature the champion Irish stayer Vintage Crop, who is still the
only overseas-trained winner, in 1993, of the Melbourne Cup, and the
1992 winner Subzero, now a local idol who makes numerous public
appearances.

But, for once, the equine stars are likely to be outshone by this year's
face of the spring carnival, Tatiana Gregorieva, the former model who
became an Olympic silver medallist in the pole vault.

http://www.smh.com.au:80/news/0010/01/text/business10.html

Aussies on top as French whine

01/10/2000

Much to the chagrin of France, Australia is maturing into the finest
wine-producing nation, according to judges at the world's largest
sampling contest.

And there's more good news for wine drinkers - Riverina grape prices
have halved and at least one winemaker has cut prices by up to 20 per
cent.

At the International Wine Challenge awards in London, three-quarters of
the Australian wines entered won an award, compared with half of those
entered by French producers, who traditionally dominate the event.

"The Australians have done fantastically well this year," said Chris
Losh, editor of the UK's Wine magazine, the competition organiser. "The
French now know their crown has slipped."

Some French producers were disdainful of the awards, claiming it was
beneath their established vineyards to take part in such a competition.

Jackes Salle, wine producer and editor of The Larousse Encyclopaedia Of
Wine, said he was pleased to see new world wines improving, but insisted
the best French vineyards had nothing to prove. He asked: "If you are
the owner of a wine classified in 1855, what is the point in entering a
competition?"

The Griffith area has led the grape price drop for the second year and
other wine areas are following about one season behind.

South Australian Government figures show wineries paid 20-25pc less for
grapes in the past season.

"There is a 30pc cut in red prices on top of last year's and we are
reviewing some of our prices in response, to pass that on to consumers,"
said the managing director of De Bortoli Wines, Darren De Bortoli.

"Enormous demand made grape prices rise and we are seeing a correction
to more sustainable levels."

McWilliams has cut chardonnay prices from $1.75 to $1 per litre in the
bulk-trade wine here and overseas, although it blames the 42pc GST and
wine tax for it not reaching the consumer.

"The export market is under pressure from UK supermarkets," said Geoff
Boynton, strategic planning director for wine company Cranswick. "The
buyers of our wine have a lot of market power and can dictate prices.

"We need to grow bigger to counterbalance that power - the US giant
Wal-Mart has taken a number of supermarket chains in Britain and dropped
lines that are not commonly sold."

Growing bigger is in vogue since Foster's paid $2.6 billion for
California's Beringer Wine Estates Holdings last month in a move seen as
the start of globalisation in the wine industry.

http://news.excite.com/news/r/001005/09/odd-fishbowl-dc

Bar Patron Armed with Fish-Bowl Thwarts Robbers

October 5, 2000 WINNIPEG (Reuters) - The fish-bowl is mightier than the
knife.

Two men attempting to rob a Winnipeg bar were forced to retreat when
they were attacked by angry patrons, including one armed with a glass
bowl, police said on Wednesday.

"I think they (the patrons) took advantage of the equipment they had at
hand," Winnipeg Police spokesman Bob Johnson told Reuters.

Police said the robbery on Tuesday went awry when one of the thieves got
into a scuffle with the 74-year-old bartender.

A patron then smashed a fish-bowl over the second robber's head when he
tried to defend his partner with a knife.

The robbers, described as being in their 20s, left the bar on Winnipeg's
south side without any cash. They are still being sought, Johnson said.

http://news.excite.com/news/r/001005/09/odd-snoring-dc

Snoring Makes You Very Stupid, Clinic Claims

October 5, 2000 FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Snoring makes you less intelligent and
can be stopped through minor surgery that trims away soft tissue in your mouth

and throat, a German clinic said Wednesday.

The clinic cited a U.S. study which showed that in addition to being an
irritating habit, snoring kills brain cells by depriving the body of
oxygen.

The study found that snorers performed worst in tests of intelligence,
speed of reaction and visual coordination, Medica Muelheim clinic said
in a statement.

Laser surgery can solve the problem by cutting away tissue to allow the
patient to breathe more freely while sleeping.

[Peter Alexander]

On 05 Oct 2000 20:36:09 GMT, j2ju...@aol.com (J2jurado) wrote:

>This morning I got one of those frustrating weekly emails from a lurker who I
>have never heard from before. I open an email to find one sentence...a
>question:
>
>"Hi there, What is your interest in Baltica Beer?"
>
>My reply was: "huh? None...never even had any of it."

I'll bring you a bottle next time we meet. Remind me about it! (It
may be out of date though)

[Peter Alexander]

On Thu, 5 Oct 2000 10:09:59 -0700, "Ryan Stotz"
<jac...@ryanstotz.com> wrote:

>> Wheat wine might be that trend.

Sounds like a load of shite to me. Needless pushing of the envelope.

[Joel Plutchak]

Peter Alexander <p.ale...@virgin.net> wrote:
><jac...@ryanstotz.com> wrote:

(Actually, it was me.)

>>> Wheat wine might be that trend.

>Sounds like a load of shite to me. Needless pushing of the envelope.

Why? Is there no redeeming value in pushing the envelope?
Is making a barleywine-strength ale out of wheat somehow evil?
While brewing traditional beer styles is nice, why object to
a new twist on an old style, especially one that's much "purer"
than some of the atrocities called beer (pineapple lambic,
coconut porter, etc.)?

[Peter Alexander]

On 6 Oct 2000 18:14:11 -0000, plut...@SncsaP.uiucA.eduM (Joel
Plutchak) wrote:

> Why? Is there no redeeming value in pushing the envelope?
>Is making a barleywine-strength ale out of wheat somehow evil?
>While brewing traditional beer styles is nice, why object to
>a new twist on an old style, especially one that's much "purer"
>than some of the atrocities called beer (pineapple lambic,
>coconut porter, etc.)?
>-

Oh I agree though perhaps I misunderstood the nature of this wheat
wine. If you simply mean a proportion of wheat in the mash - fine.

I kinda thought it was something else like a wine not like a beer.
Remarks withdrawn. Me missing the point - sorry.

>Joel Plutchak "One of the few moments of happiness a man knows in Australia
>plutchak@[...] is that moment of meeting the eyes of another man over the
> tops of two beer glasses." - Anonymous (by Bruce Chatwin)

Peter Alexander Chairman CAMRA Rochdale Oldham and Bury Branch,

[Joel Plutchak]

Peter Alexander <p.ale...@virgin.net> wrote:
>If you simply mean a proportion of wheat in the mash - fine.

Yup, with that proportion of wheat being 100%.

>Me missing the point - sorry.

Not a problem.
--

[J2jurado]

S African Breweries: Trade In Line With Forecasts

Dow Jones Newswires

LONDON -- South African Breweries (O.SWB) said Tuesday, ahead of an
analyst's presentation on its Chinese businesses, that trading for the
period ended Aug. 31 was in line with expectations.
The company said that despite a disappointing performance in terms of
volume growth in South Africa, international operations in Poland and
China, and the new Pilsner Urquell business have seen good performances
in both volume and business terms.

House Passes Bill to Stop Illegal Direct Shipments; States Near to Gaining
Essential Enforcement Tool To Prevent Illegal Alcohol Shipments

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. House of Representatives today
passed S. 577, the 21st Amendment Enforcement Act, by a vote of 371-1. The
Senate has agreed to take up the measure on Wednesday, Oct. 11.

S. 577 empowers state law enforcement officials to seek federal court
injunctions against businesses that engage in the illegal interstate
distribution of alcohol in violation of laws which encourage underage access
prevention, tax payments and responsible marketing.

"This is the beginning of the end for illegal shippers who ignore tax payments,
ID checks of buyers and responsible marketing practices," said WSWA CEO Juanita
Duggan. "When the Senate acts and the President signs this bill into law,
states will have the legal authority they have been waiting for to act against
the retailers and wineries that have flouted their laws."

The Congressional action comes just weeks after the 7th Circuit Court of
Appeals reversed a lower court opinion and affirmed that the U.S. Constitution
grants states broad powers in regulating alcohol sales and distribution.

S. 577 was introduced last year by Senator Orrin Hatch, R-UT after a Senate
Judiciary Committee hearing, in which videotaped evidence showed how easily
underage persons could order liquor, wine or beer delivered to their front
door, with no ID's checked and no questions asked.

S. 577 passed the House of Representatives today by a vote of 371 to 1 as part
of the conference report on HR 3244, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of
2000.

The Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, state attorneys general from 35
states, and highway safety and alcohol abuse prevention groups such as Students
Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and the National Association of Governor's
Highway Safety Representatives, have been strong supporters of helping states
stop illegal alcohol shipments and doing more to prevent underage access.

"This legislation only impacts those companies that are shipping their products
illegally," said WSWA CEO Juanita Duggan. "It has no impact whatsoever on
those companies that legally fill orders for boutique and readily available
wines offered via the Internet or catalogues."

The 21st Amendment Enforcement Act gives state attorneys general new powers --
they will be able to seek swift action through federal court injunctions
against direct shippers, a powerful tool and a significant deterrent to those
who would attempt to bypass state law.

States sought this legislation because the courts have been reluctant to
enforce a state's alcohol laws against out-of-state businesses.

"This law puts real power behind state efforts to enforce laws that require
responsible marketing, ID checks and licensing," Duggan said. "It clears away
the ambiguity regarding state court roadblocks which have hampered
enforcement."

"Based on anecdotal evidence, many companies already feel the legal noose
tightening and have decided to 'go legal' in fulfilling their customer's
orders," Duggan said. "This legislation will put teeth behind regulations
created to be sure that alcohol is distributed with the special attention it
deserves as a socially sensitive product.

"As wine and spirits wholesalers, we obviously want to keep the customer
satisfied. But we also fully support state law and the requirements put upon
those who distribute and sell alcohol, which is a socially sensitive product."

While illegal shipments have occurred for years, the practice increased
significantly as catalogue and Internet marketers reached broader audiences.
These sales go well beyond the wine shipped from wine tasting rooms. Dozens of
investigative news reports and state attorney investigations from California to
Massachusetts caught retailers and unlicensed marketers shipping alcohol
beverages to teens as young as 14 years old. The cases of liquor, beer and
wine often are unlabeled. Even if shipping cartons are labeled, delivery truck
drivers repeatedly ignored labels requiring ID checks in their haste to
complete their deliveries.

Coupled with the recent 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Bridenbaugh v.
Freeman-Wilson, which firmly upheld the state of Indiana's state's right under
the 21st Amendment to enact laws against the unregulated direct shipment of
alcohol, states will soon have a clear path to take when enforcing their laws
requiring ID checks, brand registration, tax payments and other regulations
placed on alcohol beverage sellers.

"No longer may the dormant commerce clause be read to protect interstate
shipments of liquor from regulation," Judge Frank Easterbrook wrote in his
decision.

Final passage ends a legislative battle that began with HR 1063, introduced by
Congressman Robert Ehrlich (R-MD), in 1998. Congressman Joe Scarborough (R-FL)
took up the battle in the 106th Congress, introducing H.R. 2031, a revised
version of H.R. 1063 comparable to S. 577, which was introduced by Senator
Hatch in March 1999. H.R. 2031 passed the House on August 3, 1999 by an
overwhelming vote of 310-112.

S. 577 originally passed the Senate as an amendment to the Juvenile Justice Act
in May 1999 by a vote of 80-17, but passage of the full bill was stalled by
negotiations over unrelated issues.

In a determined effort to pass S. 577, Senator Hatch put it before the Senate
Judiciary Committee on March 3, 2000, where it passed 17-1. The bill was
caught up in typical end-of-Congress negotiations until its inclusion as part
of HR 3244's conference report today.

Interbrew set to acquire Ukrainian brewer
Message:

Interbrew set to acquire Ukraine brewery

Oc. 5, 2000 - Belgium's Interbrew, the world's second-biggest brewer, is in
talks to
buy AT Pyvzavod Rohan, a brewery in Ukraine. "We are looking at this
opportunity," said Interbrew Spokesman Corneel Maes. "Eastern Europe is
one of the areas we are concentrating on," Maes said. The acquisition
would strengthen Interbrew's activities in Ukraine, where it already
owns breweries Chernigov, Mykolayiv and Simseropol. Ukraine's Anti-
Monopoly Committee should decide by mid-month whether to allow SUN
Interbrew Ltd., which was created last year from Russia's Sun Brewing
Ltd. and Interbrew, to buy 80% of Rohan, Interfax-Ukraine.

http://www.foxnews.com:80/etcetera/100600/beer_fnc.sml

Brewery Boom - Beermaking business comes back from the dead

Friday, October 6, 2000

DENVER — At the Great American Beer Festival in Denver this week,
competing brewers from around the country gathered to discuss a
profitable year for the industry, after several years of bad sales and
breweries gone bust.

"I'm very hopeful of the future of craft brewing," said Mark Edelson, a
brewer with the Iron Hill Brewery in Wilmington, Del.

Edelson said he witnessed the cemetery fill up with the names of former
brewers.

"You saw a big market shakeout in the market probably from 1997 to 1998
and a little bit into '99," he said.

However, sales figures for the industry are beginning to improve. The
sales of microbrews have reached an all-time high and the industry
overall has grown by about 2 percent.

Brewers blame the downturn on those that entered into the business for
the wrong reasons.

"You saw a lot of people just getting into it for the money, and not
truly the craft," said Bob Pease, vice president of the Association of
Brewers.

Pease said such motivations lead to just one thing.

"Quite frankly, some of the beer wasn't that good," he said.

Partly because of the poorer quality of several labels, Pease said the
microbrew shakeout was an inevitability.

"Saturation in the market place, confusion in the consumers' mind and
too many choices," he said.

While the slump was disastrous for many small brewers, it resulted in an
eventual beer boom for those that survived. Pease said year-end figures
weren't in yet but many brewers are already reporting double-digit
increases.

"The cream is rising to the top and the good breweries are here to
stay," he said.

 
http://www.adn.com:80/weekend/story/0,2645,201219,00.html

October can only mean one thing -- fest time

By Dawnell Smith, October 6, 2000

Those of us without the time, money or endurance to enjoy Oktoberfest in
Munich can embrace the 200-year-old German festival by carousing at Egan
Center this weekend during the German Club of Anchorage's 34th annual
Oktoberfest.

For more than 30 years, the club has put together a foot-tapping,
beer-tipping, bratwurst-chomping, polka-stomping celebration of the
infamous German madhouse that draws millions of people to consume
millions of liters of beer. In Munich, the two-week event features
rides, brass bands in traditional dress and enormous beer tents.

The Anchorage shindig won't include carnivals, parades, an infamous
royal wedding or throngs of international visitors waiting in line for
the bathroom, but it will let everyone kick up his or her heels and get
sweaty.

"Our Oktoberfest is a different, better Oktoberfest," said Helmut Fuchs, a
German Club member and accordion player for the Original Edelweissers.
"In Europe, they do not dance in the beer tents."

That's a darn shame. When savoring Oktoberfest beer -- and a veal loaf
to die for -- it pays to get the blood pumping. Fortunately, we can sip
Spaten Oktoberfest, knock down a couple of knackwursts and shovel in
some potato salad before hitting the dance floor to tango to the
Original Edelweissers.

That's right, tango. No enemies of Latin music, the Edelweissers fuel
the frenzy and feed the fun with German, Latin, ballroom and other dance
music.

Between the dance sessions, the Alpine Bell Ringers and Bavarian Folk
Dancers will perform. Meanwhile, yodeling contests and other silly
spontaneity will keep people jovial and giddy.

"It is just a fun evening if you like good German food and like to dance
and hear lots of music," Fuchs said.

The local event started out as a money-maker and fund-raiser, but the
cost of insurance, advertising and other expenses makes it tough to come
out ahead, so the club celebrates Oktoberfest to honor its German roots.

"We just do it for the tradition," Fuchs said. "There's no money in it
anymore. But lots of people have a good time folk dancing and doing fun
things like the bunny hop, chicken dance or yodeling contest."

Bands from Germany played at the event the last two years, but the
Edelweissers return as the sole musicmakers this year. Popular and
well-versed, the band has played at the Anchorage Oktoberfest almost
every year since the beginning. The six-piece outfit actually formed the
same year the German Club debuted Oktoberfest to a whopping crowd of
more than 3,000.

"We started the band in 1967 when we were young and good-looking," Fuchs
said. "For the last 15 years, we've had pretty much the same members."

So has the German Club, which makes it harder to keep Oktoberfest
tradition alive and well in the Far North. Occasionally, a young person
with German ancestry or an interest in German language or culture joins
the club, but not often.

"Everybody's getting older," said Fuchs, an immigrant to Anchorage "for
a year" in the 1960s. "(German) people don't immigrate to the United
States anymore. We get some young people, but generally there's no fresh
blood coming to Alaska."

With fewer Germans around and more competition in Anchorage's nightlife,
Oktoberfest has lost some of its zeal. It attracted just more than 1,000
revelers last year, but Fuchs hopes to see close to 2,000 dancing and
digging into smoked pork loin this weekend.

A week of Oktoberfest at the Snow Goose

Once again, the Snow Goose Restaurant will throw a weeklong German
extravaganza from Monday, Oct. 9, to Oct. 15. As in previous years, the
Goose will feature the house Oktoberfest ale and a special German menu.
Expect sausage plates, wild boar chops, veal and dumplings with
mushrooms, chef Alex Perez said.

In his research, Perez discovered that "the Germans have taken a lot of
French techniques and make a lot of things with mushrooms."

On Oct. 13, Kevin Faber will play German tunes to fend off bad luck and
get the feet stomping.

Oktoberfest in Eagle River

For more sudsy fun for a good cause, head to the brew festival and
fund-raiser for the Eagle River Boys & Girls Club from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 6, at the Eagle River Lions Club, Eagle River Road and
Eagle River Loop. It costs $20 to get in and includes an auction for
beer merchandise, Alaska treasures and other items. All proceeds go to
the Boys & Girls Club.

Local and Lower 48 foam will flow responsibly, so take advantage of the
free nonalcoholic beverages or, if necessary, a free ride home.

Oktoberfest is just another excuse for Dawnell Smith to sample more
great beer and food. Her e-mail address is wri...@alaska.net.

German Club Oktoberfest schnitzel sizzles at 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday,
Oct. 6-7, at Egan Center. Admission is $10, and authentic German food
catered by Hans Kruger of Corsair restaurant will set you back $6 to
$14. The event also includes a split-the-pot fund-raiser for the Spenard
Lions Club. Dirndls and lederhosen are encouraged. Call 907-561-7002.

http://news.excite.com/news/ap/001005/08/brf-missing-boaters

Missing Boaters Found Alive Off Oahu

October 5, 2000 - HONOLULU (AP) - Two men said they survived more than three
days at sea on Pop-Tarts, beer and juice before they were rescued by the Navy
and
Coast Guard. A search plane spotted Ian Buscher, 33, and Tom Zelko, 40, in
their
14-foot craft about 60 miles northwest of Oahu about 3 p.m. HST
Wednesday, an official said.

The men were hoisted along with Zelko's black Labrador, "Lucky," onto a
Navy helicopter, then examined at a hospital and released.

"We were just out in the middle of the Pacific - didn't know where we
were, didn't know where we were going," Buscher said.

The two had left Oahu on Sunday for a 4-hour pleasure cruise to Molokai,
some 50 miles southeast, and back.

But on the return trip, volcanic haze set in and the boaters lost sight
of both islands, Buscher said. Then they ran out of fuel.

"We shared a Pop-Tart a day and we shared beer in the morning and
a juice at night," Buscher said, adding that the pair had supplies to last
about 10 days.

The search - involving five planes - was expanded from about 1,800
square miles Monday to 20,700 square miles Tuesday.

"They're both very seaworthy men and very strong," said Buscher's wife,
Tracy. "It was just a matter of time for them to find them."

http://news.excite.com/photo/img/ap/hard/lemonade/20001003/xnyr102

PHOTO: "Doctor" Otis Hard Lemon and Mike's Hard Lemonade are two new
lemon-flavored alcohol drinks that are out on the market, seen here,
Tuesday, October 3, 2000, in New York. These lemon-flavored drinks,
spiked with about as much alcohol as beer, are growing in sales after
major alcoholic beverage powers like Anheuser-Busch, Miller Brewing and
Seagram took notice of their market appeal. Photo by Suzanne Plunkett
(AP)

http://www.realbeer.com/spotlight/gabf2000/

FUN FACTS
The Great American Beer Festival provides fun facts and figures about
the 2000 festival:

* The Guinness world record holder for most beers tapped in one location.
* 84 judges representing 13 countries.
* 1,109 kegs of beer.
* 100,000 pounds of ice.
* 25,000 total gallons of beer (equal to 275,000 12-ounce servings).
* 3.3 million bicep flexes to drink the 1-ounce samples.
* 2,000 volunteers.
* 160,000 hours of lost productivity by attendees.

A little history

* The first festival was held in June of 1982 in Boulder, Colo., and 20
breweries brought 35 different beers.
* The Professional Panel Blind Tasting began in 1987. Until then there
was
a Consumer Preference Poll (popularity contest). The Consumer Preference
Poll continued through 1989. There were 120 beers in 1987 and medals
were handed out in 12 categories.
* The 10th festival attracted 175 breweries and 550 beers in 1991.
* The festival moved to Currigan Hall in 1993. More than 1,000 beers (in
fact, 1,240) were available for the first time in 1994.
* The festival honored top breweries and brewers for the first time in
1999 when results from the PPBT were used to determine a "Brewery of the
Year" and "Brewer of the Year" in five categories.

http://www.beer.com/news/bee/new/2000/10/02/970515111001.html

Canada's finest going to World Draught Master 2000

The Canada NewsWire 10.2.2000

TORONTO (CNW) -- The art of pouring premium draught requires more than a
steady hand. Twelve North American regional finalists learned this
lesson during an intense four-hour competition at the Draught Master
North American Finals held Thursday afternoon at the Oland Specialty
Beer Institute in Toronto.

Trevor Stapleton, from Alice Fazoolie's in Toronto and Peter Baylis,
from The Press Gang in Halifax, beat out some fierce competition to win
one of four spots -- two Canadian and two American -- to represent
Canada at the World Draught Master competition in Belgium this October.
Charles Brodzinski and Karly Backer, both from New York made up the
winning American team.

The World Draught Master competition will feature 32 participants from
around the world competing for the coveted title -- World Draught
Master. Last year was the first time that Canada participated in the
competition and Canadian representative Mike Lazer from Winnipeg placed
fourth in the world.

"We are pleased to host the North American Draught Master competition
and we have the utmost confidence that our Canadian representatives will
once again do extremely well at the Worlds in Belgium," said Luc Guens,
President, Oland Specialty Beer Company.

The participants at the North American competition had six minutes to
properly prepare, dispense, pour and serve four glasses of Oland
Specialty Beer Company's (OSBC) premium Belgium draught beer, including
Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe. The panel of judges made up of OSBC
representatives included well known, OSBC Brewmaster, Bill White.

"This competition is extremely important as it educates people about the
art of beer pouring and helps to sustain the rich historical traditions
of Belgian beer, " says Bill White, Brewmaster, OSBC. "It's wonderful to
witness the commitment of bartenders to serve the perfect beer to their
customers and to see so many Canadians appreciating the celebrated
cultural heritage of our Belgian brands."

As part of an ongoing educational initiative to enhance Canadian's
understanding of and appreciation for premium imported brands, the OSBC
has opened three Institutes in Vancouver, Montreal and in Toronto. The
OSBC Institute is an education facility designed to demonstrate to sales
staff, licensees and servers the proper way to serve each of the beers
in the OSBC brand portfolio. Demonstrations cover suggested serving
temperature, suggested glassware for each brand, the proper pouring
method and proper beer storage. Participants also learn about the
history of the breweries, pairing beer with foods, product displays,
style characteristics and category information.

The Oland Specialty Beer Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Labatt
Breweries of Canada, is a brewer and merchant of some of the world's
finest premium beers. Labatt is part of the Belgium-based Interbrew
S.A., a privately held company that is one of the leading brewing groups
in the world. Interbrew is the 2nd largest brewer in the world in terms
of volume. It is headquartered in Belgium and employs over 34,000 people
worldwide. Interbrew, The World's Local Brewer, is committed to
combining its global position and ambition with leveraging its local
brands. The strength of its portfolio is the combination of strong local
brands, in many cases market leaders, with world brands including Stella
Artois, Hoegaarden, Leffe and Labatt Blue. In total, Interbrew's beers
are sold in over 110 countries.

[J2jurado]

http://www.pioneerplanet.com:80/seven-days/2/news/docs/026150.htm

Ethanol plant's test of `scrubber' shows promise
* City, company hopeful about fix for odor problem

MURALI BALAJI STAFF WRITER , October 6th

Officials from St. Paul and the Gopher State Ethanol plant say they are
pleased with the test results of a ``scrubber'' designed to reduce
foul-smelling emissions, an indication that the plant could be a step
closer to solving the odor problem that has plagued parts of the city
for months.

The new ethanol plant, at Minnesota Brewing Co. on West Seventh Street,
has been the target of neighbors' protests since May because of the
widespread smell. The odor, linked to the grain-drying process in the
ethanol plant, has reportedly been smelled as far away as Mendota
Heights.

Jack Lee, president and chief executive officer of the ethanol plant and
the brewery, said the plant's engineers worked on testing the scrubber
throughout last weekend and were optimistic that it could drastically
reduce the emissions from the plant.

``We're on the right road,'' Lee said. ``Everybody believes we can get
this done.''

Lee refused to speculate on a timeline for when residents of the area
can expect a reduction in the smell. The scrubber is expected to be
installed within the next few weeks and could cost more than $600,000,
Lee said.

City Council Member Chris Coleman said he was hopeful the scrubber would
solve the odor problem.

``It really seemed to make a significant difference,'' Coleman said.

Coleman, however, added that a number of questions remain and the city
was awaiting word from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on the
scrubber's environmental impact.

The brewery and the city have not determined who will pay for the
scrubber.

Blob's Park: Pumped Up for Oktoberfest ( The Washington Post )

Eric Brace Washington Post Staff Writer, Oct. 6, 2000

"FOUR hundred pounds of sausage." Magic words to this links-lovin' columnist.
Keep talking.

"That's how much sausage we just had delivered here," says John
Eggerl, a manager at Blob's Park (8024 Max Blob Park Rd., Jessup;
410/799-0155). "We get it from a German butcher north of Baltimore.
And that's just for this weekend!" He's talking about last weekend,
which included the first day of October, which (at Blob's Park,
anyway) means the start of Oktoberfest.

By the end of the month, this vast restaurant and dance hall,
barely a potato's throw from the the Baltimore-Washington Parkway,
will have served up nearly a ton of bratwurst (pork), bockwurst
(veal), knockwurst (beef) and bauernwurst (smoked combo) to the
polka-loving crowds that come to twirl to the music and fill their
bellies.

Delicious German feasts are just one reason to turn off Route
175 down a short dead-end country road (named for where it's leading
you) to Blob's Park. It's no exaggeration to say it's like a drive
back in time, past not one but two decades-old signs for the park and
up to the restaurant (not a park at all, really). The time-travel
illusion is complete when you walk into the enormous room (it can
comfortably seat more than 500 patrons) and hear the strains of the
Rheinlanders, a band that has been playing its blend of polka, swing
and pop standards at Blob's for more than 35 years. And that's nothing
compared with some of the patrons.

"There are a few ladies that come in here pretty regularly
who've been coming here since the late 1930s," says Eggerl, and he
should know. The 62-year-old Eggerl started working at Blob's when he
was just 17, and even before that some of today's regulars were
mussing up his little boy hair when he was just a rug rat, back when
his great-uncle Max Blob was still running things.

Blob was a boy when he, with his parents and two brothers,
landed on these shores in 1896, immigrants from Bavaria. They farmed
near Jessup; and soon enough, the land belonged to Max Blob, a dynamic
man who worked the farm (and his eponymous "park") until he died in
1969. It started in 1925 when he added a small bowling alley to the
back of the farmhouse. It had a small dance floor and a kitchen, and
on Sunday afternoons after church he would invite German families from
miles around to come and enjoythemselves.

In 1933, at the end of prohibition, Blob opened his park to the
public. "That's when I moved over here," says Katherine Peters (Blob's
niece, mother of John Eggerl and current owner of Blob's Park). "I
came to live on the farm from my father's place over in Dorsey," the
82-year-old Peters says. "There was nothing around here then, just
farms and dirt roads. Back then the cars were a half-mile apart. They
didn't build the [Baltimore-Washington] parkway until the '50s."

The park was open only on Sundays its first two decades, with
Peters doing some of everything. "I worked in the kitchen, I waited
tables, I worked up some of the recipes," she says. Peters is pretty
sure it's still her 60-year-old sauerbraten recipe that delivers such
a superbly tender and tangy plate of beef (with dumplings) to Blob's
patrons.

Her son remembers his early days on the farm: "When I was a
kid, those were the rough old days," Eggerl says. "At one time there
were 300 acres, and we were out in the fields all day. It was mostly
truck crops, like vegetables, tomatoes, stuff like that." Eggerl is
Peters's son from her first marriage. When her husband, John Eggerl,
died in 1974, Peters had already been the de facto boss of the place
for 10 years. She met her second husband, Arthur Peters, right there
in the park; he was the guitar player in the Rheinlanders. After a
five-year courtship they were married in 1980.

Now 86, Arthur Peters is still in the band and can still tear
off a guitar solo on "Sweet Georgia Brown," "Roll Out the Barrel" or
the "Bumpsy Daisy Polka." During a recent break between sets (three or
four a night Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays), he looks at the sparse
crowd and says, "I don't know where the younger people are; they seem
to not be coming out so much as they used to." Then with sad honesty:
"A lot of our regulars are just dying off."

On the dance floor, the average age of the dancers is clearly
well over 50. There are some exceptions, like Cheryll and Anthony
Glab, dance instructors a generation (or more) younger than most of
the people in the club. They teach polkas and just about everything
else every weekend at Blob's. "This is the best place I know to bring
people of every age," Anthony says. "Plus it's great exercise. And
it's fun!" His voice is rising. "I don't understand why everyone
doesn't come out to dance."

Business is not what it used to be at Blob's. Not like 1976,
when things were going so well that they had to build the current
building--twice the size of the previous one--to accommodate the
crowds. Not like even 10 years ago when a rash of media attention
attracted new patrons to Blob's in search, perhaps, of a more innocent
style of fun.

But during October--Blob's busiest month--it's like old times.
Thousands of folks flock to Blob's for the Oktoberfest celebrations
(this Saturday, as well as Oct. 21 and 28), which include German dance
troupes, huge dinner buffets and a higher percentage of polkas coming
from Melvin Miller's accordion than usual. They quaff gallons and
gallons of beers with names like Kostritzer Black and Kaiserdom
Rauchbier. They eat mounds of sauerkraut and pickled beets. They find
what they're looking for.

How long can this beer garden relic last? "We've had offers,"
says Katherine Peters. "But we'd never sell the place. I have 240
acres, and I suppose I could sell off about 200 of that, but we'd hold
on to at least 40, the land with our homes on it, and of course Blob's
Park." With her son and several grandchildren working devotedly, I'm
hoping that Blob's will be around another 75 years.

BLOB'S ON THE WEB

You can watch a short video of me doing the chicken dance and
eating lots of brat at Blob's on the "Nightlife" page of
washingtonpost.com. On that same page, you can read what John Eggerl
has to say about being chosen as washingtonpost.com's "Bartender of
the Month" and find a complete listing there of other Oktoberfest
events around town. Also, besides the Rheinlanders' regular weekend
appearances, the Mood Swings Big Band performs at Blob's Park the
third Thursday of each month, while other bands arebooked on select
weeknights. For more information, click on the Blob's Park Web site at
http://members. aol.com/maxblob/index.html.

No rush to gulp down all of DB ( The Evening Post (Wellington, New
Zealand) )

10-04-2000, pp 12.

DB Breweries majority shareholder Asia Pacific Breweries says it's in no
hurry to buy the almost 25 percent of the brewer not already in its
control.

While stock market analysts are writing obituaries for the listed
company, APB says it will not make a better offer than $2.80 a share now
that Corbans is to be sold to Montana Wines.

Remaining shareholders and analysts alike have wondered how long it' ll
be before APB goes back to the market, after selling Corbans to Montana
for $151 million on September 20.

It's widely believed that APB, which has stakes in 15 breweries
throughout Asia-Pacific, prompted DB to quit the wine business after a
series of less than sparkling results from Corbans, leaving the brewery
free to be subsumed into the APB network.

But Siep Hiemstra, APB's regional director, said last week that it was
up to shareholders to decide whether APB gained 100 percent control of
DB. The company was "not in a hurry to start up the process again" .

"We would like to have a bigger share of the company, of course . . .
But we have no indication that people would answer differently to us if
we asked again," Mr Hiemstra said. "In terms of value, our view is that
. . . the price we offered was fair value, and we feel not much has
changed since."

In January, APB attempted to move from its 58.4 percent in DB to 100
percent with the offer of $2.80 a share. Shareholders taking the offer
were also entitled to retain an 8c dividend on acceptance. An
independent valuation of the offer by PricewaterhouseCoopers deemed
APB's offer "not fair", but APB refused to sweeten it. It said
Pricewaterhouse' s appraisal of a value between $3.19 and $3.61 for the
company was almost $1 above DB's weighted average share price of $2.28
for the six months to February 2000. - NZPA

MEXICAN BEER FINDS ITS WAY TO FOREIGN CANTINAS, THE NEWS ( The News
(Mexico) )

10-05-2000.

Once a trendy, but niche, product, Mexican beers are now the most popular
import brews in the United States.

And beverage industry analysts expect the nation's cerveza to continue
atop the import list. Dutch and Canadian beers are second and third in
U.S. popularity.

Mexican beers -- led by Corona, Tecate and Dos Equis in order of
popularity -- accounted for 37.2 percent of the U.S. import market in 1999,
and analysts project their market share to increase to 41.8 percent by
2005, a recent J.P. Morgan report on the nation's beverage industry found.
The thirst for south-of-the-border spirits has become so insatiable that
in 1999 Anheuser-Busch concocted Tequiza -- a lager beer with real blue
agave nectar, lime flavoring and tequila. Tequiza has surpassed established
brands to become one of the four best-selling beers on the high-end market
-- a category that includes microbrews and imported beers.

Beverage analyst Yvonne Ochoa Rosellini, of financial group BBVA-
Bancomer, said Tequiza was the product of resourceful marketing. "Right
now it's cool to drink tequila and it's cool to drink Mexican beer, so
I think they targeted an interesting market," she told The News on Wednesday.
The Mexican beer craze in the United States took off when Grupo Modelo
began distributing its Corona Extra bottled beer to restaurants and bars,
limiting its distribution to on-premise sales. "It started off as a trend.
People liked the clear bottles served with a lime," said Ochoa. "But it
has become a solid market." Now, Corona Extra, which fetches about 7 dollars
a six-pack in U.S. liquor stores, ranks fifth in worldwide sales. In Mexico,
a Corona Extra six-pack costs about 2.50 dollars.

Corona Extra and nine other beers comprise Grupo Modelo, the nation's
leading domestic beer distributor, which has 55 percent of the domestic
market. Grupo Modelo's only competitor here, FEMSA, which also brews 10
brands, controls the other 45 percent of the market. Grupo Modelo and FEMSA
are expected to post similar third-quarter sales growth, at 3 percent to
4 percent, a Merrill Lynch industry report forecasted.

The report also predicts strong export volume growth for both
distributors. Grupo Modelo's exports should surge by 30 percent while FEMSA's
are expected to jump 15 percent. Per capita beer consumption in Mexico
was about 50 liters last year. In the United States, Americans on average
drank close to 80 liters.

Abolishing the drinking age would demystify alcohol ( University Wire )

9.22.00

(Northern Star) (U-WIRE) DEKALB, Ill. -- When you sit down and think
about it, what really is the problem with kids drinking in this country?

Maybe kids don't respect rules anymore or maybe it's that crazy rock
music warping their minds or maybe parents don't spend enough time with
them or maybe we have withheld their right to consume alcohol. The more
one looks at the issue of underage drinking, the more one desires to
simply change the way in which people approach alcohol in this nation. I
think what we should do is cease to have a legal drinking age.

I think we should lower the drinking age gradually until there isn' t
one anymore. Now, I am not saying people should give alcohol to an
8-year-old, but I think this gradual movement actually might help the
way in which people, especially underage people, approach alcohol. When
you see hoards of underage students drinking excessively, there are many
reasons to account for that, but one primary cause can be seen in
rebellion. When people begin their teenage years, they are exploring
their own beliefs and discovering places around them. As they go out on
their own, they often break away from the values and restrictions put on
them by their elders, specifically their parents. They want to do all
the things they never were allowed to do before. One of those things is
drinking. And as a result, they drink like fish to explore this
forbidden area of life. The public knowledge of this fact usually leads
to more restriction and regulation. This, in turn, makes teens want to
rebel more. Using the words of Princess Leia, "The more you tighten your
grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

Dropping the legal drinking age would serve to demystify alcohol in
general, and through experience and education, there might be fewer
problems with alcohol-related issues. The key to this problem, of
course, lies in the ability of parents and friends to enjoy alcohol in a
more mature manner.

For everyone who believes this could never work, look at Europe. I have
traveled to Ireland and have close friends from England, so I have some
experience on this issue. In countries where there is no legal drinking
age, a beer takes on a whole new connotation. In America, a beer for a
teenager means he or she is hip, cool, rebellious and trendy, whereas in
Europe, a beer is equivalent to drinking soda, as a means to be sociable
with friends. In other words, the entire way alcohol is approached is
different.

As a result, drinking is done in a more mature way, and people seem to
have more fun with drinking as a part of their culture instead of as a
rebellion from it. I think people in Europe also are a little more
laidback. Americans could learn something from them. I am speaking in
large generalities, but this change must be done.

Some may contend, yes, in general, it has worked in Europe, but we live
in America and it would never work here. They are two different places,
but in general, people aren't that different. If we changed the way we
went about things here, in time we may arrive at a better situation.

This won't solve all the problems related to alcoholism and drunk
driving, but perhaps if children were raised in an environment where
drinking wasn't a forbidden subject, people would be more responsible
with how they use it. After all, isn't the real issue at hand personal
responsibility? When speaking of personal responsibility, there are far
more factors than age to take into account, even though our society
publicly will not accept this fact.

Another issue in this debate is on the draft age and adult status. Even
if the drinking age were not abolished, it could be lowered. How can you
justify the hypocrisy of being able to draft or try an 18-year-old as an
adult, but at the same time, say that person is not mature or
responsible enough to handle a drink. I would certainly think if you
could be responsible for the military aggression or defense of this
pathetic nation of slobs and ignoramuses, you could handle a few beers.

If you are adult enough to know what you are doing according to the laws
of this nation, you also are adult enough to drink. There is no reason
for this hypocrisy, and it only leads to more frustration and
alienation. If we are not going to cease having a legal drinking age,
then I don't want to see anyone under 21 drafted or tried as an adult.

In the end, it becomes an issue of when someone is responsible for their
own actions. Either way, there should be some kind of agreement in our
society, if we actually have any form of society besides shopping malls.

In search of the perfect moving-day brew ( Gannett News
Service )

10/04/00

Every beer has its purpose. Some are good when you're mowing the lawn.
Others are ideal for sipping on a cold night in front of the fire or the
football game.

I think Miller Lite is the perfect beer for Moving Day.

I'll explain.

The beer you buy for the friends and relatives helping you through the
private hell that is relocation should meet certain basic standards.
First, it has to be cheap. Yes, it's awfully nice of these pals of yours
to lend a hand and all, but changing residences is expensive enough
without breaking the bank on some high-brow microbrew. If money was no
object, you wouldn't be moving yourself, right? So think big- name
bargain brand.

Second, the beer should have decent flavor, but it shouldn't be so
mind-blowing that your workers lollygag around comparing tasting notes.
You want to hear a lot of grunting and groaning when you've got people
hauling your stuff into a new place. If there's a truck full of heavy
furniture left to unload, you don't want to hear glasses tinkling in the
kitchen and your workers saying things like, "Wow, are you getting some
apricot in the nose?"

Third, you definitely don't want a high-alcohol beer. It's important
your helpers stay reasonably sober until the breakable items are safely
stowed away. Putting your prized possessions in the hands of a bunch of
amateurs is dangerous enough without adding excessive amounts of alcohol
to an already volatile mix.

(The jagged gouge in my dining room table constantly reminds me of
this.) The last thing you want is a lot of MWI going on -- that is,
Moving While Impaired.

Fourth, and finally, a beer with a smooth finish is always a good
choice. Why do I say this? I guess it's because my moving experiences
have never gone smoothly. Once, when I was moving out of my parents'
house, I drove the rental van over a curb at the end of their driveway,
which trampled the landscaping (yes, that was me, Mom and Dad) and left
the super-size truck in a precarious 45-degree tilt, with the wheels
dangling on the high side and the gas spilling out of the tank on the
low side. Don't ask me how I managed that. Another time my hide-a-bed
sofa suddenly deployed on a tight, third-story stairwell, which nearly
dismembered my brother-in-law. If nothing else, a smooth beer sends the
right subliminal message to your cohorts.

Miller Lite satisfies all these requirements. It's affordable, easy to
drink, not too fancy and, like the

commercials say, it's less filling and taste great -- especially after
one of those hellish moves. The kind where you're left looking in
stunned silence at the scratches on your coffee table and the muddy
footprints tracked across your carpet.

What's more, Miller Lite is now available in plastic, shatterproof, 16-
and 20-ounce bottles. (Miller is the first and only big brewer to offer
this packaging option.) What a comfort to know that there' s at least
one item you and your butter-fingered moving mates can' t smash to
smithereens.

More power to your widget ( Waikato Times (New Zealand) )

HOLLOWAY Bruce,10-03-2000, pp 11.

TRUE story, this. A bloke is in the wholesalers when he drops one of the
new floating widget-loaded cans of Guinness.

He thoughtfully picks it up and puts it on the counter. But having
suffered a tiny puncture, it proceeds to all but explode.

A stream of black velvet stout shoots out the side, the can falls over
and starts to spin. By the time it finally stops its monster hissing
fit, the shop assistant, the customer, and half the neighbourhood are
doused in beer.

With a marvellous sense of theatre the unflustered retailer wipes the
froth from his glasses and says: "have you tried Stella, mate? It's not
as gassy."

Pure genius, that punch line.

Because the irony is that the culprit widget -- a plastic capsule
nitrogen insert that creates millions of tiny bubbles to simulate a tap
pour -- is, of course, designed to embellish creamy-style beers which
are less gassy than your carbon dioxide-fizzed lagers.

Widgets recreate the characteristic surge you get when creamy-style
beers are poured from the tap, and the latest prototype -- the floating
widget -- has been installed in all cans of Guinness and Kilkenny sold
in New Zealand since September 1.

The nitrogen is released when the can pressure drops after opening. The
30mm widget spins, jettisoning gas through the beer in the can.

The resulting fine nitro bubbles produce an extremely stable creamy
head. But the drink must be poured immediately to prevent the nitrogen
escaping completely as it is not very soluble in beer.

I've been enjoying widget-powered Kilkenny Draught lately. It's one of
the most drinkable creamy beers around, rich ruby in colour with a head
that lasts forever and, as a bonus, gives you a white moustache.

It's classic Irish "fat beer": full in the mouth and smooth on the
throat. After chilling it for three hours, marketers Lion Breweries
recommend pouring it in one smooth action into a cool glass, held at a
45° angle.

But I think it tastes better when poured straight to the bottom of the
glass. This way the gas is more fully released, freeing the beer of any
dissolved nitrogen taste.

* Beer is for sharing. That seems to be the thinking that has prompted
the overdue arrival of the imported tall bottle, the 650ml Heineken.

After test-marketing the product around a few restaurants in May, DB are
now using their premium market leader to assault the growing "beer-
as-wine" market for diners.

In pretentious wine-style, Heineken would best be described as a prudent
little number, smooth-tasting with a familiar bouquet, an abundance of
character, and aged for, er, seven weeks. Bon appetit.

ROLLING WITH THE FLOW DENVER FESTIVAL TAPS INTO A SEA OF SUDS ( Denver
Rocky Mountain News )

10-04-2000, pp 3D.

* Porters: They fall between brown ales and stouts - they were the

original stouts, and then today's stouts developed from porters. Porters
tend to be similar in profile to stouts, a little sweeter in some cases.
You can interchange them with stouts in cooking.
* Fruity beers: They can be ales or lagers. The key is that fruit flavor
is added to the beer. ``The important thing is to find a beer that's
balanced. If you choose a rapsberry beer, you want beer with a hint of
raspberry, not a raspberry drink with a hint of beer.''
* Lambic beers: Lambics are fruit beers from Belgium that are like

effervescent wine. Lambics have a candy / sugar sweetness and a

sourness, and fruit is added so you'll have raspberry or blueberry
flavors. If you're looking for a raspberry taste, a lambic is good; if
you want more of a hint of raspberry, choose a raspberry ale, which
doesn' t have any sourness. Fruit beers are good in desserts.

COMPETITION/BEER: BREWERY CARTELS IN BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG WARNED (
European Report )

10-04-2000

The Statements of Objections sent to Belgium on 2 October are addressed
to the country's top two brewers Interbrew and Alken-Maes (and its
parent company at the time of the alleged infringement, Danone), as well
as two smaller firms, Haacht and Martens. The Commission suspects that
the alleged infringements include market-sharing, price-fixing and
information exchange on the Belgian market during the period from 1993
to at least 1998. The involvement of the two smaller brewers, Haacht and
Martens, is limited to alleged infringements relating to private label
beer (i.e. sold under supermarkets' own labels).

In the case of Luxembourg, the Commission has sent Statements of
Objections to five brewers, Bofferding, Diekirch, Mousel et Clausen,
Battin and De Wiltz. The alleged infringement is an agreement to
maintain the parties' market shares in the Luxembourg on-trade (i.e.
restaurants, hotels and cafés) and to restrict entry by foreign brewers
from 1985 until at least 1998.

In a statement, the Commission acknowledged that it became aware of the
alleged practices following surprise inspections at Interbrew,
Alken-Maes and the Belgian brewers' federation in July and October 1999.
"While the Commission has for many years focused on the exclusive
dealing agreements between brewers and their outlets" Competition
Commissioner Mario Monti admitted that "this is the first time it has
acted against possible horizontal collusion between brewers".
"Market-sharing and price-fixing are amongst the most serious forms of
anti-competitive practice", Mr Monti recalled, warning the beer industry
that it "will be treated no differently from any other" sector.

[J2jurado]

Portugal's Centralcer Buys Remaining Shares of Beverage Company

Lisbon, Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Centralcer-Central de Cervejas SA, Portugal's
second-biggest brewer that controls beverage maker Sociedade da Agua do Luso,
said it bought the remaining Luso shares for 4.2 million euros ($3.7 million).

Centralcer purchased 3,646 Luso shares at 1,140 euros apiece, the brewer said
in a statement posted on the stock market regulator's website,
http://www.cmvm.pt. Market regulations prohibit Luso shares from being publicly
traded over the next two years, the statement said.

In April, Centralcer, which at the time controlled 53 percent of Luso, put in
an offer to buy the rest for 44.3 million euros. The price per share of that
offer wasn't available. The company didn't detail the outcome of this bid.

In September, it said it owned 95.6 percent of Luso and made this final offer.
Once a company owns more than 90 percent of another, it can put in a mandatory
offer to buy the rest, according to Portuguese market regulations.

Scottish & Newcastle Plc, the U.K. brewer of Kronenbourg and Foster's beer, in
August bought 49 percent of Centralcer. The Lisbon-based brewery's other owners
are Portugal's No. 3 bank Banco Espirito Santo SA and Parfil, which founded the
brewery in 1934 and ran it before the state took ownership in 1975.

Centralcer shares were unchanged at 54.45 euros on the Portuguese stock
exchange. The shares have been unchanged since Aug. 4, when they rose 2.7
percent and 80,768 shares changed hands. Agua do Luso, which produces bottled
mineral water, isn't publicly traded.

House Passes Bill to Stop Illegal Direct Shipments;States Near to Gaining

Essential Enforcement ToolTo Prevent Illegal Alcohol Shipments

China Resources to Buy Guangdong Brewery Unit, HKEJ Reports

Hong Kong, Oct. 5 (Bloomberg)-- China Resources Enterprise Ltd.'s 51
percent-owned brewery unit plans to buy Kingway Brewery Co. from Guangdong
Brewery Holdings Ltd., the Hong Kong Economic Journal reported, citing
unidentified people.

China Resources' beer unit also plans to acquire two unidentified beer plants
in Anhui, the paper said.

These acquisitions will boost China Resources' annual production to 5 million
tones by 2005 from the current 1.2 million tones. China Resources also plans to
invest 6 billion yuan ($724.7 million) to expand its beer unit, the paper said.

China Resources was unchanged at HK$9.6 yesterday. Its shares fell 22.3 percent
this year compared with a 4.6 percent decline in the Hang Seng Index.

(Hong Kong Economic Journal, 10/5/2000, p.2)

Brazilian Brewer Ambev Plans Five-For-One Split of its Shares

Sao Paulo, Oct. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Cia. de Bebidas das Americas, Brazil's No. 1
brewer, is planning a five-for-one split of its common and preferred shares, a
move that could boost trading in its stock.

Ambev, as the world's No. 4 brewer is known, will hold a shareholders meeting
on Oct. 20 to vote on the proposal, the company said in a press release.

Ambev probably wants to ensure that its shares, which are expensive for
individual investors, trade as actively as possible, said Fabiana Arana, a
beverages analyst at Schroder Investment Management Ltda. in Sao Paulo.
Following an eventual split, the company's shares would trade at one-fifth of
their price in Sao Paulo now -- 2,170 reais ($1,174) for its preferred shares
and 1,650 for its common shares.

``I believe this has to do with the price of the shares, which is very high,''
said Arana. Schroder holds Ambev stocks as part of its $1.5 billion in assets
administered from Sao Paulo.

Grolsch CFO Tromp on Consequences of ECB Rate Increase: Comment

Enschede, Netherlands, Oct. 6 (Bloomberg)-- Following are comments from Paul
Tromp, chief financial officer at Royal Grolsch NV, on the consequences of the
European Central Bank's decision to raise interest rates.

The ECB yesterday raised the benchmark rate, the floor for two-week loans to
commercial banks, by a quarter point to 4.75 percent.

On the long-term effect

``In the long term, an increase of the interest rate can make us happy because
this way you can control inflation, which is an uncertain circumstance for a
company like ours.

Grolsch imports quite a lot, for example packaging material, and that can be an
expensive undertaking. In this context, the dollar plays an important role. So
the stronger the euro gets compared to the dollar, the better it is for us.

``This way we can control the prices we have to charge the supermarkets and the
cafes. So I think it's a good thing to try and keep inflation low.''

On short-term benefits

``In the short term, it provides us with a little advantage. We are quite
liquid at the moment, so that means higher deposit interests, although it's a
very modest advantage.

On borrowing

``The increase in the interest rate doesn't really stimulate us to assume debt.

``We're very liquid at the moment. It's a specific situation, because we're
going to build a new brewery within the next four years. Therefore, we need a
lot of money, but we're able to finance that to a large extent with our liquid
resources and cash flow. So for the meanwhile we're going to stay liquid.''

France bets on new vintage to captivate wine fans

By Joelle Diderich

PARIS, Oct 5 (Reuters) - French wine growers, faced with rising competition
from the New World, are betting on an exceptional vintage and a boost in
investment to hold on to the hearts and purse-strings of their customers.

The wine cooperatives union Confederation des Cooperatives Vinicoles de France
(CCVF) said on Thursday that initial results indicated the 2000 vintage was of
excellent quality thanks to dry, sunny weather during the maturing phase of the
vine.

``We are witnessing an exceptional year. Since August, the weather conditions
have been extraordinary for vineyards,'' said Denis Verdier, president of CCVF
which represents 50 percent of French wine growers.

As the harvest wound to a close, experts tasting the first pressings of new
vintages predicted aromas this year would be full and balanced as growers took
advantage of bright skies to leave grapes on the stem until full maturity.

Olivier Merrin, director general of the Institut Cooperatif du Vin which
provides technical advice to growers, said this would emphasise the differences
between regions, with flavours changing according to the type of soil or
temperature.

Depending on the variety, wines are left to mature in barrels for months or
even years after harvesting and can be enhanced through mixtures and additives,
such as sugar.

``One of the growing trends for defining the French technique is the concept of
region,'' said Merrin. ``You are seeing more and more segmentation.''

Producers were investing in smaller tanks to produce the exclusive vintages
that differentiate them from the more homogenous wines from newly fashionable
producers like Australia, South Africa, California or Chile.

GROWING THREAT FROM NEW WORLD

France's wine industry is waking up to the fact that even die-hard customers
like Britain are turning to new oenological thrills, prompted in part by sharp
price increases last year for world-famous varieties like Bordeaux.

While French wine exports have grown by a healthy 12-15 percent per year since
1997, that curve is flattening. In neighbouring Britain, France's 35 percent
market share is slipping towards 30 percent.

``Until now, the reception for our wines has been euphoric, and suddenly we are
starting to feel that the penetration of these foreign wines is becoming a bit
strong and it's starting to affect us,'' said CCVF Director Patrick Dhuisme.

To counter this trend, he said CCVF members would invest more in everything
from materials to technology.

Growers planned to invest 800 million French francs ($106.5 million) in 2000,
up 30 percent from the previous year, said Dhuisme. That represents an average
investment budget of almost one million francs for every cooperative in the
group.

France is also working on advertising campaigns to promote its wines in Europe
and the United States after what some consider an excessive focus on
crisis-prone emerging economies like south-west Asia in recent years.

``We are realising that we have slightly neglected the countries close to us,''
said Jean-Francois Berger, head of the wines, spirits and other beverages unit
of the French Foreign Trade Centre. ``We have also noticed that it is becoming
harder to regain market share than in the past.''

As part of its efforts, the CCVF is keeping table wine prices stable this year
and will pressure EU Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler to tighten labelling
rules for blends of low-quality wines from various European origins.

``Our mood is one of optimistic realism,'' said Verdier.

UK Seeking Checks on Airline Staff for Alcohol

London, Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- The U.K. may introduce new rules allowing police
to test airline crew members' breath for alcohol after British Airways Plc said
it suspended 14 employees following allegations they broke rules on drinking.

The crackdown would follow a television program that shows BA pilots on
stopovers in Barcelona, Spain, and Frankfurt drinking excessively before work.

Ten of 12 BA pilots filmed broke BA's own rules on alcohol before reporting for
duty, Channel 4's Dispatches program said in a statement faxed to news
agencies. One pilot was recorded drinking 20 units of alcohol, the equivalent
of 10 pints of beer, and had only three hours rest before reporting for duty,
it said.

The program, filmed between March and September, ``demonstrates how heavy
drinking is part of pilot culture,'' said Dorothy Byrne, Dispatches
commissioning editor.

British Airways said that 11 pilots and three cabin crew, all based at London
Gatwick Airport, will remain suspended pending an internal probe.

The U.K. proposals would also impose a blood-alcohol content limit for cabin
crew and pilots of 0.02 percent, one quarter the level British drivers are
allowed. There are no formal limits in place currently, Steven Webb, a
spokesman for the U.K. Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions,
said in an interview.

Growing Concerns

The allegations against the BA employees add to concern that alcohol intake is
increasingly putting air safety at risk. International unions for cabin staff
this summer demanded that alcohol consumption by passengers be restricted and
that disruptive passengers face stiffer penalties.

Unions point out that an in-flight double whiskey has the same effects on the
body as a quadruple whiskey on the ground.

BA said it has fired two pilots in the last five years for alcohol-related
offenses. BA employs 3,500 flight crew and 14,500 cabin crew. The airline is
urging the makers of the Dispatches assist its investigation. The program will
be aired Oct. 12.

Under proposals of the U.K.'s DETR police would be given the ``power to
breathalyze critical safety crew,'' or pilots and cabin crew, said Webb. The
rules would bring pilots in line with car drivers, who can be subjected to
breath tests when under suspicion, he said. ``We're not planning a random
breath test,'' unlike the train operators, said Webb.

British Airways forbids crew members from consuming alcoholic drinks eight
hours before duty and only allows drinking in moderation in the 16 hours before
that. BA said ``moderation'' should be regarded as no more than five units of
alcohol in that period. One unit is half a pint of beer or small glass of wine.

The International Transport Workers Federation, which represents about 500,000
cabin crew and airport staff worldwide, wants all governments to at least have
started the process of strengthening laws on disruptive passengers and
in-flight drinking by the end of 2002 and an international treaty similar to
one that exists for hijacking by the end of 2003.

Finns launch milk that brings down blood pressure

By Anna Peltola

HELSINKI, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Finland's largest dairy group, cooperatives-owned
Valio, on Thursday launched a blueberry-milk product, saying clinical studies
showed the product helped lower blood pressure when used as part of a normal
diet. The product, called Evolus, is the first blood-pressure lowering
functional food product in Europe, with a similar product marketed only in
Japan where dairy beverages producer Calpis launched its blood-pressure easing
milk some three years ago.

``We expect Evolus to become a success in both the domestic markets and
globally,'' Chief Executive Olavi Kuusela told a news conference, adding Valio,
though only the 14th-largest dairy firm in Europe, aimed to be number one in
research and development.

Two independent clinical test studies showed that drinking a portion of 1.5
decilitres of Evolus every day helped bring blood pressure levels down after
some seven weeks of use in a test group of people with slightly risen blood
pressure, it said.

The milk's healing effect is due to a biological process in which it is made
sour with natural lactic acid bacteria that cuts down the milk's protein into
bioactive peptides.

The peptides lower blood pressure in a similar way that some of the current
blood pressure drugs work, Valio said.

Evolus -- slightly thicker than regular milk and with a slightly sour blueberry
flavour -- would first be sold in the Finnish markets for some 15 markka
($2.22) per litre and soon in Valio's home markets in Sweden and Estonia.

Foreign firms, which have bought licences for its earlier creation based on
another type of live bacteria -- Lactobacillus GG (LGG) -- have already shown
interest in Evolus, Valio's R&D head Annika Mayra-Makinen said.

Also other types of dairy products based on the same biological process as
Evolus could be launched later, she said.

VALIO COULD SPIN OFF FUNCTIONAL FOOD BUSINESS

Evolus is the most recent example of an innovative Finnish food business, which
so far has seen the lauch of products such as Raisio's cholesterol-cutting
Benecol line and HK Ruokatalo's foodstuffs helping lower the risk of coronary
disease.

Also, Valio sees its functional food business growing rapidly and increasing
its profits through sales of licences globally, Kuusela told Reuters on the
sidelines of the news conference.

``I expect that in 10 years' time, we will be speaking of tens of percents (of
profits coming from licences),'' he said.

Although Valio, owned by national dairy cooperatives, had no plans to list, at
some point its functional foods operations may have to think of new ways of
funding and may even by spun-off, he said.

``Every time we find new products we have to consider our strategy and think
whether we should make a pact with someone or act alone,'' Kuusela said.

Valio has a strong R&D unit, with 40 out of 120 R&D people concentrating on
long-term strategic research, and is exceptional in the sense that it has its
own collection of 2,000 different types of lactic bacteria which it studies.

Its earlier success has been its LGG-based Gefilus brand which includes
yoghurts, juices and cheeses, with LGG-based production systems licenced by
Valio to 30 different countries.

LGG-based products have been found to help cure stomach problems while
promoting beneficial bacteria.

Gefilus is currently the most widespread of similar dairy products globally,
with competitors including products by Japan's Yakult and by French food giants
Danone and Swiss Nestle, Mayra-Makinen said.

She said entering the U.S. markets was relatively easy as no Food and Drug
Administration authorisation before launching Lactobacillus bacteria products
was needed -- a fact which may be of great help as FDA processes are known to
be lengthy.

[J2jurado]

Wolv. & Dudley puts up 'For Sale' sign

By Dan Lalor

LONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Britain's biggest regional brewer, Wolverhampton and
Dudley Breweries Plc, effectively put itself up for sale on Monday, raising the
prospect of a mild end to what analysts had expected would be a bitter takeover
battle.

``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 in a short statement.

Industry sources close to the West Midlands-based group, which runs around
1,700 pubs as well as four breweries producing beers such as Banks's mild ale
and Pedigree bitter, told Reuters it would now talk to leisure entrepreneur
Robert Breare.

Breare, backed by venture capital group Botts & Co, approached W&DB in August
with an indicative bid of 500 pence per share, which was immediately rejected
and since when the company has been positioning for an expected hostile bid.

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 ($750 million).

Sources also said W&DB's changed stance meant bidders other than Breare might
now be tempted into the fray.

Both sides of Britain's beer industry -- breweries and pubs -- have undergone
massive upheavals in recent years after decades of gentle consolidation.

W&DB's share price was 1.3 percent higher at 467-1/2 pence in early trading. It
closed at 461-1/2 pence last Friday, valuing the company at 435 million pounds.

It has moved in a 301-543 pence range so far in 2000 during which it has traded
in line with its sector based on Friday's close, having underperformed by 30-40
percent until news of Breare's interest in August.

Wolverhampton & Dudley Says May Consider Takeover

London, Oct. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Wolverhampton & Dudley Plc, the U.K.'s largest
regional brewer, said it began a strategic review that may lead to a takeover
offer for the company.

``The company has nothing further to say at this time,'' said spokesman Andrew
Hayes, confirming a statement distributed by London's Regulatory News service.

The Sunday Telegraph yesterday reported Wolverhampton opened talks with leisure
entrepreneur Robert Breare that could lead to an agreed offer worth more than
470 million pounds ($680.5 million). The newspaper said there are still funding
difficulties to be resolved before a successful bid can be made.

``Any offer is likely to be below 500 pence a share,'' said Nigel Popham, an
analyst at Teather & Greenwood Ltd. with a ``sell'' recommendation on the
stock. ``Values in the pubs and brewing sector have been falling.''

Wolverhampton shares rose as much as 8.5 pence, or 1.8 percent, to 470 pence.
They've fallen 13 percent so far this year.

Last month, Wolverhampton said it would split itself into three units to fight
off a potential hostile takeover bid from Breare, who is backed by venture
capitalist Botts & Co., after the brewer restored profit margins at its managed
pubs.

Takeover Prompted

A slump in Wolverhampton's share price earlier this year prompted a takeover
approach of 500 pence a share from Botts, valuing the company at about 517
million pounds. Wolverhampton rejected the offer in August, when Breare
indicated he'd be prepared to pay up to 550 pence a share. Botts was
unavailable for immediate comment.

Wolverhampton, which operates about 1,700 pubs, brews Pedigree, Banks's and
Speckled Hen beers and owns the upscale pub chain Pitcher & Piano. The company
is currently reviewing its brewing operations and expects to make an
announcement with its full-year results in early December.

Analysts expect Wolverhampton to close two of its four operating breweries at
Mansfield and Hartlepool by the end of 2001.

Finnish watchdog continues Carlsberg, Orkla probe

HELSINKI, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Finland's competition authority, probing the
proposed merger of Danish beverage maker Carlsberg and Norwegian firm Orkla's
brewery businesses, said on Monday the deal could have a negative impact on the
Finnish beverage market.

The authority, known as the Kilpailuvirasto, said it would continue its
investigation of the merger which it launched last month after the two
companies informed it of their merger plans.

``The acquisition increases links between the leading breweries in Finland and
may have a negative impact on the beer and soft drink markets,'' the
Kilpailuvirasto said in a statement.

Carlsberg and Orkla announced in May that they planned to merge to form the
world's sixth largest brewer, in which Carlsberg would hold a 60 percent stake
and Orkla 40 percent.

Under the plans, Carlsberg would move the operations of its Finnish subsidiary
Sinebrychoff -- the main rival of leading Finnish brewer Hartwall -- and Orkla
would move its Pripps Ringnes business to the new company known as Carlsberg
Breweries A/S.

Pripps Ringnes owns 50 percent of emerging markets brewer Baltic Beverages
Holding (BBG), in which Hartwall also holds a 50 percent stake. If the merger
proceeds, Carlsberg Breweries would also become half-owner of BBH.

The authority said the investigation would take up to three months.

It can either accept the deal, set conditions for it, or reject it outright. It
gave no indication in the statement of what its ruling might be.

DAB Interested in Buying Parts of Brau und Brunnen, Paper Says

Dortmund, Germany, Oct. 9 (Bloomberg)-- Dortmunder Actien- Brauerei AG, the
German maker of Clausthaler and Schoefferhofer beer, is interested in buying
parts of Brau und Brunnen AG, the German daily Handelsblatt reported.

``HypoVereinsbank AG (which owns a 55 percent stake) knows that we are
interested in certain Brau und Brunnen locations,'' DAB Chief Executive
Wolfgang Burgard told the newspaper. ``We are ready to talk and are just
waiting.''

DAB is keen on Brau und Brunnen's Dortmunder Union-Ritter Brauerei,
Handelsblatt said. Binding-Brauerei AG, Germany's No. 3 brewer, owns a 74
percent stake in Dortmund-based DAB.

Brau und Brunnen, Germany's No. 2 brewer, plans to sell real estate and cut
benefits for workers and may slash jobs to reduce losses after a merger with
Bayerische BrauHolding AG failed last month. The brewer has been in the red in
four of the past five years. The company posted a 1999 loss of 87 million
marks. (Handelsblatt 10/9 15)

Indians Cast Out Liquor

.c The Associated Press

By LINDA ASHTON

TOPPENISH, Wash. (AP) - The Yakama Nation was hoping to temper the ravages of
alcohol abuse when it banned alcohol sales on its sprawling reservation in
south-central Washington.

But most tavern owners - who are not tribal members - have kept the liquor
flowing since the ban was enacted three weeks ago, and they are looking to the
state that issues their liquor licenses for protection.

The state attorney general has sued tribal officials contending that, despite
Yakama Nation sovereignty, it cannot legally impose its regulations on the
20,000 non-tribal members living on the reservation.

Yakama leaders in turn have asked U.S. Attorney Jim Shively in Spokane to
enforce an 1830s federal law that prohibits intoxicants on Indian land.

``As some kind of tribal ordinance, we don't have the resources to enforce
it,'' said Tribal Councilman Jack Fiander, a lawyer.

Tribal leaders are not interested in prosecuting alcohol possession for
personal use; instead they are targeting sales.

Alcohol is frequently cited as a problem for some of the 2.4 million Indians in
558 tribes in the United States. Leaders on reservations across the country
have taken various steps to deal with it.

On the Yakama reservation, home to 5,000 tribal members, empty liquor bottles
are found at nearly every crime scene. There are 13 unsolved homicides
involving young Indian women, most of whom were last seen in a local tavern.

Alcohol has long been banned from the parts of the reservation open to tribal
members only, as well as at its casino and convenience store.

``The Lower Yakima Valley is a fairly small, mostly rural area. To have 50-plus
commercial establishments selling alcohol, that's too big a part of the
economy,'' Fiander said.

He told of a grocery store owner complaining the ban would kill her business,
which earns 78 percent of its profits from beer and wine sales.

``That was sort of our point - if 80 percent of your profits were from selling
alcohol, that's not a grocery store. It's a liquor store.''

Earlier this year, the state closed its two liquor stores on the reservation,
but the owners of 47 other businesses that sell alcohol could lose their
livelihoods and their investments to the ban.

``This business is not worth a dime,'' Buster Windsor, owner of Little John's
tavern in Toppenish, said when the ban took effect Sept. 17. ``I couldn't give
it away.''

State Attorney General Christine Gregoire has asked the U.S. District Court in
Spokane to find that the liquor resolution does not apply to people who are not
tribal members or on property owned by nonmembers.

The state filed the lawsuit reluctantly, and has no quarrel with the tribe's
efforts to regulate its own members, said Gary Larson, a spokesman for
Gregoire's office.

``We're very understanding about the desire of the tribe to address the serious
problems of alcohol,'' Larson said.

The suit, he said, was intended to clarify whether the tribe could impose
restrictions on non-tribal members who didn't have a vote in the decision to
implement this ban.

Yakama leaders started talking about the restrictions in 1993 after studying
fetal alcohol syndrome, which can afflict children born to mothers who consumed
excessive amounts of alcohol during pregnancy.

The rate of children born with the birth defects is about 500 percent higher on
the Yakama reservation than in society at large, Fiander said.

The rate of traffic deaths also is higher, said Gary Carter, an environmental
health officer for the tribe. From 1993 to 1996, 78 percent of all motor
vehicle deaths on the reservation were alcohol-related, compared with 39
percent for the state of Washington and 48 percent for the nation.

For the last two years, the Blackfeet Tribal Council in Montana has banned
alcohol sales during certain celebrations.

``They recognize our heritage and culture and tradition without alcohol,'' said
Emorie Davis-Bird, director of the Blackfeet Department of Revenue.

Similar to the Yakama Nation, the Blackfeet reservation is a checkerboard of
privately and tribal-owned land. Most of the taverns, licensed by both the
state of Montana and the Blackfeet tribe, are owned by non-Indians, she said.

There were complaints but in the end ``everyone was very respectful,''
Davis-Bird said. Statistics showed later there were fewer arrests and
disturbances during the events.

Across the country, there are both dry and wet reservations. In Washington
state, the Makah reservation is dry, for example, but three others have tribal
liquor stores.

At the Tulalip reservation, in western Washington, the role of alcohol is
constantly debated. The center of the reservation, where most tribal functions
occur, is alcohol-free, but liquor is sold at a casino and three stores on the
eastern edge of the reservation.

In Nebraska, Indian activists have unsuccessfully tried to shut down
white-owned liquor stores in Whiteclay, two miles from the dry Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation over the state line in South Dakota.

Four stores in Whiteclay sell millions of dollars worth of beer each year, most
of it to Oglala Sioux.

The Yakamas may be breaking new ground by going from wet to dry.

``As far as I know, we're the first tribe that's done this by changing course
midway through its history,'' Fiander said.

``It's symbolic when you enact something that excludes alcohol from the
reservation. It's like you're casting it out.''

On the Net:
Bureau of Indian Affairs: http://www.doi.gov/bureau-indian-affairs.html

Marijuana Splits British Parliament

.c The Associated Press

By ROBERT BARR

LONDON (AP) - Britain's opposition Conservative Party has suddenly split
between advocates of a tough new policy against marijuana and senior party
figures who admit they smoked it in their youth.

The issue flared up at the party's annual conference, where criminal justice
spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe announced a policy of mandatory fines for the first
offense of possessing any amount of marijuana.

``It means zero tolerance of possession. No more getting away with just a
caution, no more hoping that a blind eye will be turned,'' said Widdecombe, who
cited New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's anti-crime policies as her inspiration.
The policy called for an automatic $145 fine on first offense.

Widdecombe's announcement was calculated to be popular with members of the
traditional law-and-order party and attractive to swing voters.

However, the Police Superintendents Association called the policy
unenforceable. The Daily Telegraph, usually a cheerleader for the
Conservatives, said in an editorial that Widdecombe ``displayed almost zero
common sense.'' An editorial in The Times said her policy would ``criminalize
thousands of otherwise law-abiding individuals.''

Then seven senior Tories admitted to the Mail on Sunday newspaper that they had
used marijuana.

``It was quite hard to go through Cambridge University in the '70s without
doing it a few times,'' said Francis Maude, the party's spokesman on foreign
affairs.

Environment spokesman Archie Norman said he tried marijuana and had no regrets.
``It didn't do much for me. I turned to drink instead,'' Norman said.

``I think you expect human beings to explore and experiment. If you don't you
haven't been young,'' Norman said.

Culture spokesman Peter Ainsworth said he tried marijuana, but ``it made me
feel slightly sick.'' Welfare spokesman David Willetts admitted trying two
puffs, but not liking it.

The issue illustrated a split on the party between Widdecombe's hard line and
Treasury spokesman Michael Portillo's appeal for a more inclusive and caring
party.

Portillo, who has admitted to a past gay relationship, declined to talk about
marijuana. ``I think I've given enough information about my younger days, don't
you?'' said Portillo.

The split poses a dilemma for William Hague, the party leader who boasted
recently of downing 14 pints of beer a day as a teen-ager. He faces pressures
from one side to soften the policy, and from the other to dismiss the admitted
marijuana users.

Cannabis accounted for 77 percent of the drug possession cases in 1998, the
Home Office reported. In half of the total cases, the defendant was simply
cautioned, and about one if four was fined. Senior police officials have said
that enforcing the law against marijuana is not high among their priorities.

The governing Labor Party has avoided a debate on marijuana.

The Liberal Democrats, the third largest party in Parliament, want to create a
Royal Commission to examine the issue and recommend possible changes in the
law. The party's leader, Charles Kennedy, said Sunday he personally favored an
end to criminal penalties.

British crime data: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/hosb300.pdf

Widdecombe speech: http://www.conservatives.com/newspeeches.cfm?article-id=228

Suicidal Croatia couple survive gun, gas and pills

ZAGREB, Oct 9 (Reuters) - A Croatian policeman and his fiancee have survived a
suicide attempt that included poisoning by gas, sleeping pills and a gunshot to
the temple, state news agency Hina reported on Monday.

The policeman and his girlfriend, bent on ending their lives together, shut
themselves in a car, took handfuls of sleeping pills with alcohol and hooked up
a hose to the car's exhaust pipe.

The attempt failed and the dazed policeman took his gun and fired through his
right temple. The shot did not kill him but at that point his girlfriend gave
up, called an ambulance, and got a towel to wipe up the blood.

The policeman was taken to hospital while his girlfriend was treated and
released, the agency said.

It was not immediately clear why the couple had try to kill themselves.

[J2jurado]

http://insidedenver.com:80/news/1008beer6.shtml

Colorado breweries bring home 12 medals in festival

Blind-taste competition awards honors in 55 categories and for best beer firms,
brewmasters

By Rachel Brand Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer, 10/8/00

Microbreweries and brewpubs in Colorado, the state with the second most
breweries in the nation, won 12 medals Saturday at the 19th annual Great
American Beer Festival. The year's blind-taste competition in Denver awarded
medals in 55 categories and for the best brewery and brewmaster for small,
mid-size and large breweries and brewpubs. With 1,841 entries competing for 165
medals, winners of a coveted gold, silver or bronze had a lot of competition.
This year the quality of beers was high, said Charlie Papazian, founding
president of the Association of Brewers in Boulder. Colorado beers won in
proportion to their numbers, Papazian said. Two Colorado breweries, Mountain
Sun Pub and Brewery of Boulder and New Belgium Brewery of Fort Collins, stood
out during the awards ceremony.

New Belgium captured the award for the best mid-sized brewing company of the
year. Brewer Jeff Lebesch earned the award for best mid-sized brewmaster. The
brewery also took home gold for its Abbey Belgian Style Ale and a bronze for
its La Folie Belgian-style specialty ale.
For the third year in a row, Mountain Sun gained the gold for its Hogback
Doppel Bock, in the German-style doppelbock category.
"I've never heard of any other beer winning that. It would be harder than doing
a three-peat in the Super Bowl, with all of the competition that's here,"
Papazian said.

"The goal is to win and it's the greatest feeling when you do," said Mountain
Sun brewer Mike Altman. Colorado breweries and brewpubs took home home 14
medals last year. Backcountry Brewery and Restaurant in Frisco won the gold
for its "Telemark" India Pale Ale in the American-style pale ale category. That
was the largest category with 104 entries. 5280 Roadhouse Brewery in Littleton
earned the gold for its Ghost Town Brown in the English style brown ale
category. Left Hand Brewing Co. from Longmont gained the gold for its Black
Jack Porter in the brown porter category. Colorado Springs-based Bristol
Brewing Co. won for its Laughing Lab Ale in the Scottish-style ale category,
and Steamworks Brewing Co. of Durango took home the gold for its Steam Engine
Steam, an American-style amber lager.
Silver winners from Colorado included Alcatraz Brewing Co. for Weiss Guy Wheat
and Sandlot Brewery's Pinch Hit Pilsner.
Bronze winners from Colorado were New Belgium Brewing Co. for Blue Paddle
Pilsener and La Folie, Twisted Pine Brewing Co. for its Twisted Brown Ale.

http://www.al.com:80/news/birmingham/Oct2000/8-e288762b.html

Ach du lieber! No bier? Oktoberfest missing the suds in Cullman

10/08/00 JOHN GEROME News staff writer

CULLMAN T his city founded 127 years ago by German immigrants is proud of its
heritage, from the high school's oompah band to the giant hay bales decorated
as a Bavarian couple in lederhosen and dirndls. But the one bit of German
culture that residents can do without, and have for 60 years, is beer. The city
and county are legally dry. At no time is the amber beverage more
conspicuously absent than this time of year, during Cullman's eight-day
Oktoberfest. While revelers eat German food, dance to German music, and buy
German crafts, they refrain - at least in public - from quaffing German beer.
It is perhaps the only Oktoberfest in the world where the burgermeister opens
festivities by tapping a keg of frothy root beer.

"It's unbelievable," said Robert Weigel, a native of Bavaria and an associate
professor of German at Auburn University. "Beer is so inherently part of the
culture that an Oktoberfest without beer just doesn't exist." Connie Haynes, a
native of Stuttgart, compared a beerless Oktoberfest to the Fourth of July
without fireworks or sex without leather. "It's unreal," said Ms. Haynes, a
33-year-old receptionist at Rehau, a Mercedes-Benz supplier in Cullman.
"Oktoberfest without beer is not Oktoberfest."

First held Oct. 17, 1810, in Munich, Oktoberfest began as a wedding celebration
for the prince and princess of Bavaria. Today, 6 million visitors flood Munich
for Oktoberfest and guzzle 5 million liters of beer. Cullman's heritage 19A
.That's incomprehensible in Cullman.
Several years ago, organizers inquired about selling non-alcoholic beer. Near
beer, they reasoned, would be better than no beer. But it was not to be. Name
notwithstanding, nonalcoholic beer contains a trace of alcohol and can't be
sold in Cullman.

What would Col. John Gottfried Cullmann think? Cullmann, a Bavarian merchant
who fled his homeland for political reasons, bought a huge tract of land here
in 1872. He advertised the property in American and European newspapers and
attracted thousands of immigrants.
Merchants set up shop, a German-language newspaper circulated, and vineyards
were planted. In those freewheeling days, beer wagons lumbered up and down the
broad streets every afternoon around 4 o'clock so housewives could fill
pitchers of suds to serve with supper. Streets were cut 100 feet wide to allow
northand south-bound wagons to pass easily. But as Cullman grew, so did the
Protestant influence. By the early 1900s, the city was dry.

"A lot of people moved here from Carroll County, Georgia, and most of them were
Baptist and Methodist," said James Swofford, a member of the Cullman German
Club. Cullman was sans alcohol until about 1940, when it turned wet again for
a year or two, said City Clerk Lucille Galin. It switched once more in the 40s,
she said, and has been dry ever since.

Occasionally, the issue resurfaces, with proponents arguing that alcohol sales
would bring more businesses and tax revenue into this city of about 14,500. But
residents always vote it down. The last time it was on the ballot, eight years
ago, 2,202 people voted for it and 3,441 against.

Beer or no beer, Cullman's Oktoberfest is in its 19th year and organizers say
the crowds are larger than they've ever been. This year, for the first time, a
German dinner served as part of opening ceremonies sold out all 800 tickets.
As for the absence of beer, locals still wonder what all the fuss is about.

"You don't miss what you don't have," said Elaine Fuller, director of the
Cullman County Museum, which is housed in a replica of Col. Cullmann's home,
beside a bronze statue of the colonel.

Saturday, with bratwurst and knockwurst cooking on open grills and polkas
blaring from a street musician's accordion, dozens of people strolled the
blocked off street in front of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, a grand stone
cathedral with twin spires piercing the sky.
They shopped for crafts, listened to music, ate and talked while a cold wind
whipped the white dining tents and thick, gray clouds hung over the city.

"I think it's refreshing that they don't serve alcohol," said 38-year-old Debra
Hobbie of Montgomery. "You can still have the fun of Oktoberfest without a lot
of obnoxious drunks."

Charles Baker, owner of Baker Music Center, said the story making the rounds
Saturday was of a man who drove up from Birmingham because he said he wanted to
taste German beer.

"He's not going to find it in Cullman," Baker laughed, "not at Oktoberfest
anyway."
Cullman might not be as dry as it makes out. Al Grobe, this year's
burgermeister, echoed other long-time residents when he referred to Cullman
County as "the wettest dry county in the state."

Though Grobe said he's never seen anyone try to sneak a six pack into
Oktoberfest, it wouldn't surprise him to learn that people indulge. Alcohol is
allowed in the city, it just can't be sold or consumed in public. Residents
only have to travel to Decatur or Warrior to buy it.
"People who work elsewhere bring it in," he said. "I see empty beer cans on the
road all of the time."

Still, Grobe, Ms. Fuller and others try their best to promote Oktoberfest as
wholesome family entertainment that doesn't have to have beer to be true to its
roots.

The Rev. Robert Kurtz, pastor of St. John's Evangelical Protestant Church,
whose elegant stained glass windows were hand-crafted in Germany, said Cullman
has a unique heritage that gets overshadowed by the town's taste for sweet tea
over stout beer. "It bothers me that we've gotten all of this attention for
being an Oktoberfest without beer," Kurtz said. "What we're saying is that this
is a celebration, a celebration of heritage, tradition and values."

http://www.jsonline.com:80/news/metro/oct00/brandy08100700a.asp

Brandy distillery worth a shot, state says

Man wants to make much-loved beverage from Wisconsin apples

By PETER MALLER of the Journal Sentinel staff Oct. 7, 2000

Wisconsin grows tons of apples each year, and Wisconsinites love to sip brandy
- so what makes more sense than producing apple brandy here?
A New Glarus businessman has received an $18,000 state grant that will enable
him to take the initial steps toward building Wisconsin's first brandy
distillery. The facility, scheduled to open in the fall of 2001, will produce
handmade brandy using Wisconsin's best apples.
Lorin Toepper received the grant from the state agriculture department after
reminding officials that Wisconsin leads the nation in per-capita brandy
consumption.

After learning to speak French and then spending a month in France studying
brandy production, Toepper concocted a plan to open Sugar River Distillery, a
hard-liquor adaptation of the beer industry's microbreweries.

"If you want a barrel of brandy made a certain way, we'll make it for you,"
said Toepper, 40, a former university professor with a doctorate in economics
from the University of Rhode Island. "We'll be small enough to do custom
blending."

Toepper, who runs a tourism consulting business, has been hunting for 40 acres
in southwestern Wisconsin for a site to build a distillery that will double as
a tourist attraction. In addition to securing the state grant, he also has been
lobbying the Legislature to change a law that prohibits sampling and buying
distilled spirits at their point of origin. "Brandy has a mystique that catches
people's imagination," Toepper said. "It's made from wine, then distilled to a
clear liquid and then aged in oak casks for two years."

Mike Bandli, a member of the state committee that awarded the grant, thinks
Toepper has the right entrepreneurial spirit. And he thinks a brandy made from
Wisconsin apples could be a hit with consumers. "The concept (of) value-added
products made from Wisconsin apples is very appealing," said Bandli, a
consultant for the Agricultural Development and Diversification grant project,
which aims at increasing the state's agricultural productivity and profits.
Wisconsin ranks 11th in apple production, with about 77.4 million pounds of
apples with a market value of $17 million harvested in 1999. And in 1999,
Wisconsin residents consumed 1.92 bottles of brandy per adult, the highest
figure of any state, according to the Distilled Spirits Council.

"The distillery will provide a new market for the state's apple industry," said
Stan Shaw, administrator of the agriculture department's marketing division.
"With limited production of this kind in the United States . . . and the state
with the highest per-capita consumption of brandy, the state is poised to take
advantage of this market niche."

Toepper said he has had a lifelong fascination with wine and other alcoholic
beverages. When he was 12, his father bought him a wine-making kit containing
packets of juice concentrate. "The bottles exploded and blew up all over the
dining room," he recalled. But he wasn't discouraged. He made more, and got
hooked on the hobby. Later, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he
studied economics, a professor nurtured his interest in wine. "I was pretty
bored with classes and I told that to my professor," Toepper said. "He asked
me, 'Well, what are you interested in?' I said, 'Wine.' "

The professor encouraged Toepper to write his undergraduate thesis on the
economics of wine transportation.
After graduating, Toepper looked into starting a vineyard in the famed Napa
Valley in California, but he couldn't afford to buy land there.
He became fascinated with brandy when a friend living in the French Caribbean
gave him several duty-free bottles of Calvados, a French brandy made from
apples.

"I thought, 'Wow, this is special stuff.' And then I began thinking about
building a tourism attraction that revolved around brandy," he said.

http://www.savannahmorningnews.com:80/smn/stories/100800/LOCoktoberfest.shtml

Oktoberfest kinder-carnival balances beer party
Family-oriented activities on Hutchinson Island has cheaper food and fewer
drinkers.
By Anne Hart Savannah Morning News

Move over Munich.

This weekend, Savannah boasts enough oompah bands, bratwurst and swaying beer
drinkers to fill many a Hofbrahaus.
But the annual Oktoberfest is not just for those old enough to down Busch and
Lite beer. For the first time, festivities
are split into two distinct parties -- the adult and kids' tables.

River Street still offered the festival's trademark beer and sauerkraut kiosks,
polka music and Wiener Dog Races on Saturday.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
More than 100 dachshunds participated in this years wiener dog races held
Saturday during Oktoberfest on River Street. Photo by Richard Burkhart
--Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A tamer, new party across the river catered to tots -- serving up more
cotton-candy than frosty suds.
Both festivities continue today.

The Savannah International Trade & Convention Center hosted a carnival for
kinder, (German for kids) with game booths and rides, a dunk tank, free
showings of Pinocchio, a slide, a rock climbing wall and more. Organizers said
they wanted to complement the activities on River Street, while providing a
more family-oriented atmosphere with ample apple strudel.

"We are just trying to put on something for the community," said Kevin
Caulfield, director of food and beverage operations at the center. "And we
wanted to make it as inexpensive as possible."

Two bucks buys a bratwurst on Hutchinson Island. The same costs $4 on River
Street.

Deutschland delicacies at the kids' Oktoberfest range from $1 to $2, but there
is a $3 entry fee for adults. Children 12 and younger are free.
Food and brews are slightly more pricey on River Street, but entry is free.
Oktoberfest child-style sounded good to Robin Exley of Port Wentworth and her
two young, face-painted nieces. The kids carnival was more appropriate for her
nieces, ages 7 and 5, Exley said.
They didn't mind the roughly 25-minute wait in line for a free boat taxi from
River Street to Hutchinson Island. Boats, carrying a maximum of 40 people per
trip, ferried folks between festivals throughout the day.

"Over there, (on River Street), there isn't a whole lot for kids to do," Exley
said. "Plus, there is a lot more drinking over there."
Still, the carnival on Hutchinson Island didn't water down German fun on River
Street, sponsored by the Savannah Waterfront Association.
Just ask the Rev. Herbert Wellmeier, who comes to Oktoberfest every year to
hear German music.

The priest at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Richmond Hill relished listening to
Channelheimer's Oompah Band.
He said he was waiting for them to croon his favorite ditty: "In heaven there
is no beer, that's why we drink it here."
"But I don't push that on my parishioners," the priest joked.

Doing the dachshund dash

Roughly 150 nervous dachshunds and their owners took part Saturday in the
annual Weiner Dog Races on River Street. The very traitional Oktoberfest
tradition also attracted so many spectators that organizers plan to move the
55-foot dash next year to a larger spot on River Street, complete with
bleachers, near the Waving Girl statue. Proceeds from the race go to Friends of
Animals of the Coastal Empire Inc.

Here's a look at the canine champs and their owners:
1 to 2-year-olds
First place: Charlie Brown; owner Richard Robinette
Second place: Puppy Love; owner Johnny Johnson
Third place: Honey; owner Vainne Jennings
3-year-olds and older
First place: Murphy; owner Carol Seigworth
Second place: Hunter; owner Jim Sasser
Third place: Pete; owner Ginger Loy
If you go The Oktoberfest continues today with:
* Channelheimer's Oompah Band, River Street, 1 p.m.
Events at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center include:
* The Holzhackern Tyrolean Band, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
* Free showings of Pinocchio, 1 and 3 p.m.

http://www.abqjournal.com/biz/145332biz10-09-00.htm

Alcohol Sales Proposed on Christmas

By Michelle Pentz Journal Staff Writer October 9, 2000

    New Mexicans can buy a bottle of wine on Christmas Eve and on the day
after Christmas but not on the holiday. The Liquor Control Act forbids the sale
of beer, wine and liquor on Dec. 25 — unless it is sold with food between
noon and 10 p.m. And that leaves bars, supermarkets and convenience stores out
in the cold.
The New Mexico Restaurant Association wants to change that.

    The association plans to ask a New Mexico legislator within the next 45
days to draft a bill amending the law to allow unlimited alcohol sales on
Christmas.

    "This is a very important day for our business," said Richard Buratti,
association executive vice president. "We're a tourist state, and yet nobody
can sell a bottle of wine to a visitor celebrating Christmas with his family in
Santa Fe."

    Buratti estimates that the one day of verboten alcohol sales at New
Mexico's cash registers — a day on which many people celebrate with libations
— amounts to millions of tax dollars lost to the state.

    "Also, we see this as an issue of church and state," he added. "It's an
outdated law that needs to be updated."

    If and when the association finds a sponsor in the Legislature, it will
then collaborate with a legislative committee on formal wording of a bill. The
next step would be review by the state's Alcohol and Gaming Department, Buratti
said. "Our hope is to treat Christmas like any other business day," he said.

http://www.sfgate.com:80/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/
10/04/FD81097.DTL

More About Wine Sales on the Internet

Gerald D. Boyd October 4, 2000

One of the drawbacks of writing about the Internet is that the whole thing is
so huge and constantly changing. We tried to cover it in this column in the
special Sept. 13 Food Section, but some sites were left out.

Joe Zugelder of K & L Wine Merchants let us know that we omitted Internet wine
shops, and in particular, K & L Wine Merchants.
Zugelder touches on a topic that is growing faster than anyone can track. To my
knowledge, though, there is no clearinghouse or list of directories leading the
consumer by mouse toward the best local wine stores that sell on the Internet.
But here is a partial list of Bay Area wine stores that do maintain e-sales
sites. A cautionary note: If you are reading this outside California, check
your state laws about shipping wine across state lines.

--K & L Wine Merchants, San Francisco and Redwood City. www.klwines.com. Top
local site with a lengthy list of wines and very good prices. K & L specializes
in Bordeaux and Italian wines and maintains one of the largest old and rare
wine collections in the country.
--Solano Cellars, Albany. www.solanocellars.com. Good site for wine shopping
online, with a strong California section. Go directly to Search Wines for your
favorite wines or select by varietal.
--The Wine Club, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Santa Ana. www.thewineclub.com.
Home page contains lots of wine tips and information. Strong in Bordeaux,
Burgundy and top-end wines from around the world. Click on ``TWC On-line'' to
make wine selections.
--Plump Jack Wines, San Francisco. www.plumpjack.com. Full-service wine
shopping, including wine gear. Will ship to legal states, but not all wines in
the San Francisco store are available online.
--The Wine House, San Francisco. www.winesf.com. The Wine House specializes in
French wines, especially Bordeaux, but carries a wide range of other wines.
--Draeger's, San Mateo, Menlo Park, Los Altos. www.draegers.com. Good
selections of wines and spirits; strong in California wines.
--The Jug Shop, San Francisco. www.thejugshop.com. Especially strong in
Australian and New Zealand wines. Check the inventory, then call the store at
(415) 885-2922 for sales information, pricing and availability.
--Traverso's, Santa Rosa. www.traversos.com. Very good selection of all wines,
especially California, Sonoma County and rare and hard-to-find wines.
--Beverages & more, statewide chain. www.bevmo.com. Beverages & more plans to
launch a full site by Nov. 1 for shopping online.
--Cannery Wine Cellar, San Francisco. www.cannerywine.com. Large selection of
small California wineries, spirits and hard-to-find liqueurs.

http://www.sfgate.com:80/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/
10/07/BU86963.DTL

A WINE FOR THE WORLD
Former computer exec uses his expertise to give other countries a taste for
Kendall-Jackson

Peter Sinton, Chronicle Senior Writer   Saturday, October 7, 2000

When former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Lew Platt took over Kendall-Jackson
Wine Estates in January, it caused a few ripples.
In the clubby wine world, leaders are typically born and bred, not imported
from entirely different industries.

But Jess Stonestreet Jackson, a former trial lawyer who started his wine
business 18 years ago, didn't buy that conventional thinking. For him, it
doesn't matter whether the product is a Chardonnay or a computer, it takes many
of the same leadership skills to build a global brand.
In fact, it turns out that many of the challenges Platt has faced during his
first nine months at the helm of California's No. 10 wine producer have been
much the same as those he enountered during as ris33 years at the world's No. 3
personal-computer-maker.

At both companies, Platt has focused on growing sales overseas, building the
product line and beefing up advertising. He also has had to rely on diplomacy
skills to get the founder to give up control.

And just as HP recently spun off its noncomputer operations as Agilent
Technologies Inc., K-J is dividing assets between the wineries and vineyard
land, which will remain with Jackson, and the bulk of the operations, which
might be spun off in an initial public offering or merged with a publicly
traded company.

Platt, 59, was not looking for a new career when HP hired Carly Fiorina as his
replacement. But a longtime wine aficionado, he accepted the offer by Jackson
to move from Silicon Valley to Sonoma Valley. His main mission: ``to make K-J
one of the first truly global wine companies.''
He reasons that international producers and marketers can better deal with
shifting consumer demand and preferences as well as the risks associated with
weather, overplanting, vine diseases and other variables.

While HP generates more than 50 percent of revenues from foreign sources, K-J
gets just 3 percent. ``We are really a domestic wine company,'' said Platt in
his Santa Rosa office overlooking a vineyard beside Highway 101. Under Jackson,
the founder, owner and previous chief executive officer, K-J invested about
$12.5 million in vineyards and production facilities in Chile, $9 million in
Argentina and $6 million in Italy. Today, these facilities account for only a
fraction of K-J's annual production of 4 million cases. As important as
sourcing wine from around the world is selling it in multiple markets.
``Selling overseas is what makes you global,'' said Platt.

U.S. wine giant E.&J. Gallo of Modesto sells about 10 percent of its production
abroad and is the leading U.S. winery overseas. But Platt said the real role
models for U.S. and other producers are Australian producers such as Southcorp,
BRL Hardy and Foster's Group.
While the United States imports 2 1/2 times as much wine as it exports,
Australia, with a population of only 19 million, has little choice but to
concentrate more on exports. Southcorp, for example, sells more wine overseas
than it does at home.

In August, Foster's Group agreed to buy Napa's Beringer wineries for $1.5
billion. Platt calls the move ``a step in the right direction'' in creating a
global wine brand.

Beringer previously was in discussions to merge with K-J, but talks reportedly
foundered over just what assets would be included in a merger.
Although Platt offered no timetable for when K-J might merge, he indicated it
inevitably will either go public or merge with a public company.
``Bigger is not always better, but it's something you need to think about,''
Platt said. ``Everyone is talking to everyone else in this business.''
Within five years, Platt would like to boost K-J's international sales from 3
to 30 percent of the total. To help achieve this goal, in addition to hiring
Platt in January, Jackson also hired Southcorp's top salesman John Grant as
K-J's chief marketing officer.
One of Grant's priorities is to broaden K- J's product lineup to make it more
affordable in international markets. Using high- volume, lower-priced grapes
grown on the edges of California's Central Valley, K-J has produced blended
wines under the new Collage label.
The first three Collage blends, Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz (Syrah),
Zinfandel-Shiraz and Chardonnay-Semillon blend, are available at about $10 in
Britain, which is $1.50 to $3 less than K-J's Vintner Reserve brand. The goal,
said Grant, is to make Kendall Jackson wines ``more approachable and
attainable.''

Within a few months, the Collage brand will also be available in Canada, Asia
and Latin America. The winery is testing whether it should be introduced in the
United States.

On the other end of the wine spectrum, K-J plans to introduce in March ``Great
Estates'' wines from specific areas such as Napa, Russian River and Alexander
Valley that will retail for $65 to $80 a bottle. At the same time, it will
unveil ``Elite'' vintage wines from specific vineyards that will retail for
$100 each.

As wine distributors and retailers continue to consolidate, Grant said they
increasingly want to simplify their operations by relying on suppliers with a
``global reach'' and a full selection of wines at different prices.

Platt said he faced similar pressures at HP as the supply chain contracted and
companies such as Dell Computer and Gateway bucked tradition and sold direct to
consumers.

``The only thing different here,'' he said, ``are a bunch of laws that prevent
selling direct in a number of markets.''
Besides building K-J's international presence as he did at HP, Platt is helping
a company founder ease himself out of management.
Jackson, 70, created the best-selling blended Chardonnay in the business and
wants to retain control of much of his 12,000 acres of coastal California
vineyard land. He and his family also will keep some of his smaller, more
prestigious brands such as Cambria, Stonestreet, Kristone and Cardinale.

Platt said tact and an ability to listen have been important at both HP and
K-J.

``It helps to remember that these people built incredible companies,'' he said.
``It's their name on the bottle or on the front of the printer.''
However, he said one thing that sometimes happens to founders is ``they
remember how things were rather than how things are.'' He noted that neither
David Packard nor Jackson were big fans of advertising, and Platt has pressed
the case that with consumer products it is important to expand volume and price
it to move.

Last year, K-J made an ill-timed decision to raise prices, and as a result, its
sales fell more than 10 percent. One of the early moves of Platt and Grant was
to roll back prices of K-J's best-selling Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay by 20
percent and more than double the marketing budgets.
As a result, Platt predicts case sales will rise 15 to 20 percent this year.

Cost Plus wine buyer Mark Albrecht confirmed that K-J's business, which ``went
in the toilet last year,'' is now on the rebound. He said Vinter's Reserve
sales at Cost Plus stores, which dropped about 60 percent in 1999, is up about
150 percent this year.

San Francisco wine industry economist Jon Fredrikson also applauds Platt's
program to build a global brand and place it in restaurants and hotels as well
as stores. ``It's important to be on wine lists around the world,'' he said.
``There is real prestige being in all the places top businessmen and
jet-setters go.''

http://www.foxnews.com:80/national/100500/wine_riley.sml

Vintners Fight Laws Against Sending Out-of-State Wines Straight to Consumers

Thursday, October 5, 2000 By Patrick Riley  

Juanita Swedenburg has been operating a small winery in Middleburg, Va., since
the '80s, selling chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and other classic
European-style wines to vineyard visitors.
AP/Wide World

Wednesday: Mike Loberg prepares to ship bottles of wine bought over the
Interent at Joseph Phelps Vineyards in St. Helena, Calif.
She routinely gets phone orders from people in other states who have passed
through her tasting room, and want a bottle or case sent to them. If she does
it, she could be breaking the law.

In 20 states it's a crime — in several of them, a felony — to sell alcohol
across state lines directly to consumers. Instead, vintners have to sell to one
of several hundred wholesalers — who sell to retailers. Only then can
consumers buy a well-traveled bottle.
This so-called three-tier system, in place since the repeal of Prohibition,
didn't sit well with Swedenburg as she tried to expand her operation during the
1990s grape boom. "As I discovered these laws, I became more and more cross as
time went on," she said.
Finally, this year she decided to challenge the system, and uncork a lawsuit
against the liquor authority and four large wholesalers in New York, one of the
states where direct-sale is prohibited.

The case goes to trial next year. Last month, a judge denied a motion by the
state to dismiss it, ruling that "technological advancement facilitates — as
never before — the commerce between and among states. The Internet
increasingly is responsible for direct sale and shipment of goods to
consumers."

  "You can't just ignore the 21st Amendment or ignore state laws just
because you don't like the laws." — Barry McCahill  

Indeed, as wine has increased in popularity — Americans bought a record $18.1
billion of wine last year — the Internet has allowed customers to research
and order specialty vintages not available in their market.

That's why Swedenburg is not alone in her wine war — it's being waged
nationwide. Michigan, Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia all have
similar cases pending, according to Free the Grapes, a coalition of
associations that represent more than 1,000 wineries.

So far, the courts have preserved the system. A wine lawsuit in Indiana
recently went all the way to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned
a lower court ruling in favor of direct sale and reaffirmed the rights of
states to regulate alcohol. Meanwhile, a bill in Congress would give states
the right to seek a federal injunction against companies illegally peddling the
sauce.
When the 21st Amendment ended Prohibition in 1933, it gave the states
regulatory power over alcohol.

"You can't just ignore the 21st Amendment or ignore state laws just because you
don't like the laws," said Barry McCahill, executive director of Americans for
Responsible Alcohol Access, an advocacy group funded by the Wine and Spirits
Wholesalers of America.
McCahill says wine remains "a socially sensitive product" that, if unregulated,
could fall into the hands of underage drinkers.
Connoisseurs of fine wine argue the average alcohol-happy teenager is more
likely to pay an older pal to buy a case of cheap beer than surf the Web for an
illicit $55 bottle of Pinot Noir.

The direct-sale advocates say concern for juvenile drinkers is a smokescreen
for the real argument: money. They say the states are playing economic
protectionism. "The actions of the wholesale tier to stymie [direct sales] has
been frustrating and disappointing," said Paul Tincknell a wine sales and
marketing consultant in Healdsburg, Calif. It's true that when the wholesaler
and retailer are passed over by an out-of-state winery, they don't get the
state taxes and added fees they would in a traditional sale.

"They want to be able to profit 100 percent every transaction rather than go
through the process," McCahill said.

Source: Institute for Justice

If some individual wineries are breaking the rules, many leading wine Web
sites, such as Wine.com and wineshopper.com — which are in the process of
merging — say they are trying to play by the rules.

They work with local wholesalers and retailers to make sure they get a piece of
the profit pie — and the state gets its taxes. Another site, wineaccess.com,
simply plays matchmaker between wine shops and wine drinkers, and collects a
fee.
Some think a compromise will be reached.

"I think there is a place for both systems," Tincknell said. "Unless you're an
extremely large winery, it's almost impossible to handle distribution
[independently]."

But for now, New Yorkers will have to wait to sample one of the 20,000 to
30,000 bottles a year produced by Swedenburg Estate Vineyard — she says she
hasn't shipped illegally in 3 or 4 years.

"It was taking too much of a chance," she said. "I've had some very good
customers there, but they're obviously not customers anymore."

http://news.excite.com/news/r/001009/11/odd-nail-dc

Nail to Blame for Girl's Chronic Sore Throat

October 9, 2000 ISTANBUL, Turkey (Reuters) - Doctors preparing to remove the
tonsils of a seven-year old Turkish girl who had suffered throat pain most of
her life discovered a large nail in her neck, the daily Sabah said.

Pre-operative X-rays showed the girl, a resident of the northwestern Turkish
city of Eskisehir identified only as "Busra," had a 1 1/2-inch nail lodged in
her esophagus, the paper said.

"According to her family, Busra began complaining of sharp throat pains around
the age of two. It is possible that she swallowed the nail then," Sabah quoted
her doctor as saying in Sunday's editions.
He added that he successfully removed both the nail and her tonsils Saturday.

[J2jurado]

http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-001383.html

Samichlaus is back

Notes from the road, October, 2000

Published: OCT 4, 2000 In: Beer Hunter Online

The most famous Christmas beer in Europe, Samichlaus ("Santa Claus", in
Swiss German) is being revived after four years' absence.

Traditionally, this immensely strong (14 per cent alcohol by volume)
rich, darkish, lager was brewed each year on St Nicholas' Day, December
6. It matured for the best part of 12 months, gaining strength in the
lagering tank. and was released on the same date of the following year,
with a vintage date. Of the world's super-strong lagers, Samichlaus was
the most complex and satisfying. It had a reddish chestnut colour; a
brandyish aroma; a firm, oily, body; creamy and cherryish flavours; and
a warming, spicy, peppery, finish.

The beer originally made by Hürlimann, of Switzerland, was withdrawn
when that brewery was acquired by the same country's Feldschlösschen.
Now, that latter has reached an agreement with the Eggenberg Castle
brewery, of Austria, to bring the beer back to life. The revived Santa
Claus will be launched at the brewery on Oct. 20. It will be made
available in the United States by Wetten Importers, of Lorton, Virginia.
This company already imports Eggenberg's Urbock 23 (at 9.6 abv) and
Nessie "Whisky malt" beer.

What's to like? Swedish beer...

"I was one of those women who drink wine, and think they 'don't like'
beer," recalls Marianne Wallberg (left). At the time, her job was to
organise conferences and trade shows. A businesswoman has male
colleagues, and she was pressed one day to join a few over a brew. "I
asked what was the difference between the beers being offered, and no
one knew. I thought that was a gap in the education of both consumers
and trade. I read every book I could find, and finished up organising
classes and a festival." Marianne started the Stockholm Beer Festival.
She now runs it with Helene Reuterwall, a former importer of Sam Adams'
Boston Lager. Tasting notes from this year's festival will follow soon.
Next year's, tentatively slated for September, will be their tenth.

New Jersey

From a tutored tasting presented on behalf of Beers International, at
Teaneck, N,J. These beers were new to me:

Blackfish. A claret-colored ale of 5.2 per cent alcohol by volume.
Malt-accented, but with a toasty dryness and crispness, and a suggestion
of coffee (a breakfast beer?). Reminiscent of some English
interpretations of an Old Ale. Inspired by a bartender who blended F
lying Fish Exra Pale Ale and Porter. Blackfish is made with some Belgian
chocolate malt, Magnum and U.S. Fuggles, and dry-hopped with Mount Hood.
Cask-conditioned. From Flying Fish, of Cherry Hill, N,J.

Climax Oktoberfest. A beautifully balanced interpretation of this style,
at 6.0 per cent. Pale orange color; smooth body, at the lighter end for
the style; firm malt character; deceptively delicate development of
flavors; spicy hop finish. All the malts from the German house Durst,
including the highly modified Turbopils. All hops Spalt, but in three
additions. From Climax, of Roselle Park, N.J.

Ramstein Oktoberfest. Slightly lower in alcohol, at 5.5 per cent, but
fuller in color and body. A firm, rounded, maltiness, with some grainy
dryness. Made with a small proportion of wheat (15 per cent of the
grist). Malts from Weyermann, of Bamberg. A Czech lager yeast is used.
This is the first lager from the Ramstein/High Point wheat beer
brewery, in Butler, N.J.

Ramstein Winter Wheat. Powerful, enveloping, warming. Chocolatey,
raisiny, clovey, complex. A huge double bock, from a gravity of 21.5
Plato (1086), producing 9.5 per cent alcohol. Fifty-five percent of the
grist is malted wheat; the rest Pilsener, Munich and chocolate malt. A w
heat beer yeast is used.

Minnesota

From a tutored tasting presented on behalf of the newly-formed Minnesota
Guild of Brewers. Wishing to remain "neutral ground", the host brewpub,
Sherlock's Home, in Minnetonka, did not feature a beer in the tasting.

Loose Moose. A bronze lager with a cookie-like firmness, some
orange-honey malt flavors and a flowery dryness of finish. Described by
brewer Brian Schiebe as a work in progress. Developed from a Munich
Helles style of lager at 12 Plato (1048), and an intended alcohol c
ontent of around 5.0, but given the Bavarian "Ice Bock" treatment to
emerge with a strength of closer to 6.0 and the character of a May Bock
(in October). Gambrinus honey malt and Hallertau MittelfrŸh hops are
signature ingredients, From Vine Park, a stylish brewpub in downtown St
Paul.

Hoptoberfest. The first-ever seasonal brew from Hops, the Florida-based
chain of 70-odd brewpubs. This Oktoberfest variation is from the branch
in Maple Grove, Minn. The bright orange-colored brew has a restrained
but flowery, Saaz, hop bouquet; and a light smooth, malt accent, with a
gentle hint of barley-sugar. The use of a Kölsch yeast, unusual in an
Oktoberfest, seems to have been quite an influence in its clean,
delicate, character.

Mariner Mild. An excellent example of this English style, hard to find
in its native country. Mild ales are meant to slip down easily, be
sufficiently modest in alcohol to sustain a thirsty session, and to have
enough sweetness to restore a little energy to a manual worker at the
end of his shift. They are often dark brown in color. This is an
excellent example of a Dark Mild, at 3.8 per cent alcohol by volume:
soft and smooth, with well-rounded, more-ish flavors that lightly
suggest black chocolate, and a wafery, grainy, dryness in the finish.
From Fitger's, in the port city of Duluth. A Mild Ale malt from Briess,
of Wisconsin, is an influential ingredient, with East Kent Golding hops.

Martin's Bitter. Another English style, named after brewer Jeff Martin.
This one from Great Waters, a brewpub designed to produce
cask-conditioned ales. This pale bronze Bitter is another "session" ale,
modest in alcohol (at about 4.0 per cent) and intended to be refreshing
and soothing. English bitters come in a variety of strengths, but they
are never very potent. Nor are they usually as bitter as they sound.
This one has a lightly spicy, tobacco-ish, hop aroma and flavor, and
nicely cleansing acidity in the finish. It is brewed with Paul's malt,
from Britain, and dry-hopped with East Kent Goldings. The brewpub is in
a beautifully restored building (designed before World War I and
contructed afterwards) that was once the offices of the Hamm's brewery.
It is in downtown St Paul.

Saison Goux. A seasonal summer brew modelled on those made in the
French-speaking part of Belgium. As summer brew go, Belgian saisons are
quite strong. This one has around 5.5 per cet alcohol. Very spicy (it
reminded me of aniseed), but with a fruity tartness giving it a summery,
quenching, character even in October. The fruitiness reminded me of
apricot. Some people thought dessert pears or apples. Very aromatic,
too. Candy sugar is an influential ingredient in Saison Goux. So are
Belgian malts. The yeast is from Belgium, too. No herbs or spices,
though they are sometimes used in this style. From the Minneapolis
branch of the brewpub chain Rock Bottom.

Wild Brunette. I love the name. Sexist? It was suggested by a woman:
Laura Subak (she is of Slovakian origin), wife of brewer John Moore.
"Everyone has a Blonde Ale," Laura observed to John. "Why not do
something more interesting?" She is a Brunette, and John took the hint.
Wild? That is a reference to wild rice, which accounts for 20 per cent
of the grist, along with Munich and chocolate malts. The result is a
nutty, dryish, complex, flavorsome, smooth, ale with a ruby color. An
Altbier yeast is used. From Barley John's brewpub, in New Brighton,
Minn.

Ol' Mick Porter. Sounds Irish, but this interpretation is less dry and
roasty, more malty and textured. Some sweetness in the background, and
very long flavors, moving to a cookie-like dryness. Lots of chocolate
malt, and perhaps some faintly smoky spiciness from Whitbread yeast. A
beautifully constructed brew. From the Town Hall brewpub, Minneapolis.

Total Insanity. Friends said brewer David Berg would be totally insane
to try and sell a Rauch ("smoked", in German) beer in a brewpub attached
to a bowling alley in a suburb. Just too conservative a market, perhaps?
David defies the odds with this drinkable but flavorsome example. The
smokiness might shock at first: its tasted like oak-smoke to me, though
it is actually beech-smoked malt, from Weyermann, of Bamberg. Behind the
smoked is a malty sweetness. Not strictly a Bamberg-style smoked beer.
This one is top-fermenting, its flavors rounded by a hint of citrus from
Ringwood yeast. A distinctive brew from the Water Tower, in Eden
Prairie, Minn.

http://www.sltrib.com:80/10072000/utah/30889.htm

Medals Plaza: Perhaps Beer With a View

Mayor, SLOC president discuss alcohol compromise at ceremony

Saturday, October 7, 2000  BY JOE BAIRD SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

   Salt Lake Organizing Committee President Mitt Romney and Salt Lake
City Mayor Rocky Anderson met Friday to go over Olympic issues that have
popped up in the wake of Sydney's wildly successful Summer Games.
   Among them: the thorny problem of alcohol availability at the medals
plaza. And a compromise may be in sight.
   The mayor's chief of staff, Deeda Seed, said Romney and Anderson have
made significant headway on the alcohol/plaza issue, thanks mainly to a
new SLOC plan to create a number of Sydney-like "Live Sites" where
Utahns can gather to watch the 2002 Winter Games on the big screen, as
well as eat, drink and be merry.
   "There needs to be further conversations about this," Seed said. "But
it was a good discussion, a good, honest airing of the issue. We can get
to a place where we can all agree."
   Romney ignited an uproar during the Sydney Games when he announced
that the medals plaza in downtown Salt Lake City would be alcohol-free.
With so many children attending medal ceremonies, the SLOC president
said, it would be inappropriate to serve alcohol there. Romney said he
also wanted a dry medals plaza out of deference to the LDS Church, which
owns the site across from the Triad Center.
   However, Romney's plan drew sharp opposition from Anderson. The mayor
said he saw nothing wrong with people having a beer or two at the plaza,
and noted that other Games venues where children will be present will
sell alcohol. At the very least, Anderson added, "this should have been
discussed upfront, before the medals site was selected."
   Anderson continues to press Romney to bring the issue to the SLOC
board before making any final decision. But the mayor now is apparently
open to the concept of alcohol availability just outside the medals
plaza -- so long as imbibers still have a view of the festivities.
   Romney believes that is doable, in view of SLOC's change of plan.
   Previously committed to staging just one public party at the medals
plaza in downtown Salt Lake City, the Olympic committee changed its tack
after returning from Sydney -- where civic gathering spots proved
popular with residents and visitors.
   "We thought they provided a great opportunity to share the Olympics
with more people," said SLOC spokeswoman Caroline Shaw. "We're looking
at how to translate some of the ideas from Sydney into the Salt Lake
Games, keeping in mind, of course, our budget constraints."
   To that end, SLOC now envisions a series of "celebration areas,"
which could include Gallivan Plaza, the City-County Building and an
"Olympic Boulevard" along South Temple that would stretch from the
Gateway development to the medals plaza, and perhaps beyond.
   Romney's hope: that a party site where beer would be available, in
close proximity to the medals plaza, will provide an acceptable middle
ground.
   Anderson's main concern continues to be that the medals plaza always
has been considered the "premier gathering place, where they're going to
have the big stage and concerts with the high-profile performers. It's
just not inclusive to say that at the premier spot people can't have a
beer or a glass of wine."
   The mayor's preferred solution to the plaza/alcohol question is a
roped-off beer garden.
   But based on Friday's discussions, Anderson may be willing to settle
for a beer with a view.
   "If we can come up with something that provides a view of the plaza
stage, it may work," Shaw said.

http://www.ardemgaz.com:80/today/fea/ejfitcomic9.html

Fitness facts and fancies

Since the health benefits of imbibing various types of alcohol are not
clear, a group of Danish researchers set out to analyze the effects of
beer, wine and distilled spirits on mortality among several large groups
of Danes. Nearly 25,000 men and women, ages 20 to 98 years, were
included in the study. The study looked at nondrinkers, light drinkers
and heavy drinkers and found that wine drinkers across the board had a
significantly lower death rate over the period studied than those who
favored other alcoholic beverages and avoided wine.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Researchers at Pennsylvania State University recently conducted a test
that involved giving strawberry smoothies to lean subjects 30 minutes
before they were served lunch. They used three different sizes of
smoothies while keeping the calories and basic nutrients constant. But
some were whipped in the blender for a longer time, filling them with
more air and producing drinks of higher volume. The more whipped the
smoothie -- that is, the bigger the volume -- the less food was eaten
later at lunch.
  
This article was published on Monday, October 9, 2000

http://www.jsonline.com:80/alive/nutrition/oct00/milk09100800.asp

Milk: Does it do a body good or not? The evidence doesn't back up claims that
dairy products cause all kinds of ills

By JANE E. BRODY New York Times Oct. 8, 2000

"Got milk?" cries the National Dairy Council, seeking to reverse or at
least stem a half-century decline in per-capita consumption of this
nutrient-packed beverage.

"Got beer?" countered the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,
a non-profit organization that promotes milk-free vegetarian diets and
in 1992 denounced the feeding of cows' milk to children.

Although the committee dropped its counterattack when the United States
Department of Agriculture decided to add soy milk as a "dairy" option in
the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the milk wars continue to rage.
Hardly a month passes without another accusation hurled at milk as less
than an ideal food.

Among recent claims: Milk can cause juvenile diabetes, heart disease,
cancer, digestive disorders, ear infections, mucus in the throat and, in
infants, allergies, colic and iron deficiency anemia. The Physicians
Committee has even accused calcium-rich milk of increasing, rather than
decreasing, the risk of osteoporosis.

In Wisconsin, animal rights activists have also entered the fray, among
other things reviving the old "Got beer?" slogan, and taking it one
further with a billboard of New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and the
caption "Got prostate cancer?"

The popular claim that "cows' milk is for calves," not people, begs an
intriguing dietary question: On what grounds can it be said that any
cultivated food - be it wheat, rice, potatoes, broccoli, carrots,
chicken or pork - was meant to be eaten by people? Humans began as
hunter-gatherers, eating whatever they could find that grew naturally.
No edible specifically evolved to feed people. Rather, people learned to
cultivate edible plant and animal foods to assure a more constant food
supply.

Here is what has been said and what is actually known about milk's
relationship to health:

Heart disease
If milk (and other dairy products) are consumed in large amounts in
their whole-fat state, then they may raise blood levels of cholesterol
and contribute to heart disease. But supermarkets are now bursting with
low-fat and non-fat dairy options, including liquid milk, yogurt, ice
cream, cheese and fat-free "half-and-half." After the age of 2, there is
no reason not to switch to these heart-saving low-fat alternatives,
especially since certain substances in milk may help to lower
cholesterol.

Cancer
A few studies have suggested a link - but others have found no link -
between the sugars in milk and ovarian cancer. But the most carefully
done study to date found that women who developed ovarian cancer
actually drank less milk than those who remained free of this cancer.
While the high-fat content of whole milk and other full-fat dairy
products may promote certain cancers, recent studies have indicated that
components of low-fat and fat-free dairy products can reduce the risk of
cancers of the breast, lungs and colon.

Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes, as juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes is now
called, is an autoimmune disease, and there is some evidence that people
who develop it tend to have high levels of antibodies in their blood to
the proteins in cows' milk. The risk, if there is a real one, of
developing this form of diabetes seems to be related to the consumption
of unmodified cows' milk in infancy by susceptible people.

Infant formulas are heat-treated in a way that modifies these proteins
to reduce the risk that babies will develop antibodies to them. Also
contributing to a lower risk associated with infant formula is the fact
that the amount of protein in formula more closely resembles that of
breast milk, which has less than half the protein in cows' milk.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants in their
first year not be given unmodified cows' milk or products like ice cream
or yogurt made from unmodified cows' milk. Waiting to introduce cows'
milk until an infant's digestive system is more fully matured will
reduce the risk of milk allergy and possibly other allergies as well.
Incidentally, allergic reactions to milk, which most often develop in
infancy, are nearly always outgrown by the elementary grades.

Mucus in the throat
Whole milk, because of its consistency, can coat the mouth and throat
temporarily and create the sensation of thickened saliva or mucus. But a
blind study in Australia that included people who believed the
milk-mucus relationship found no difference in reports of mucus in the
throat among those who ate chocolate-disguised cows' milk or soy milk.
While professional singers, actors or public speakers may refrain from
milk shortly before performances, there is no reason for them to do so
at other times or for others to avoid milk for this reason. If
milk-induced mucus seems to bother you, try switching to non-fat milk.
Osteoporosis

It is true that in most Asian countries, where little or no dairy
products are consumed, there is a much lower incidence of osteoporosis
than in the United States. But it is also true that Asians eat a lot
more calcium-rich vegetables and a lot less protein than Americans do.
The excess protein consumed by most Americans actually removes calcium
from the body. Asians also get a lot more physical exercise and consume
less cola, which can impede the use of calcium.

Milk and other dairy products are by far the leading sources of
bone-building nutrients - primarily calcium and vitamin D - in the
American diet. Although milk contains protein, the ratio of calcium to
protein in milk is high enough to favor bone development, not the bone
loss suggested by the Physicians Committee.

Digestive problems
About one-quarter of Americans develop varying degrees of lactose
intolerance, an inability to digest the natural sugar in milk, which can
result in bloating, flatulence and sometimes diarrhea. The incidence of
lactose intolerance is highest in American Indians, African-Americans
and people of Eastern European or Asian descent.

But most people with lactose intolerance can drink a glass of milk with
meals with few if any symptoms. Also, yogurt with live active cultures
(the bacteria produce lactose-digesting enzymes) and hard cheeses (which
lose most of the lactose when the curds are formed) are unlikely to
cause symptoms. In addition, lactose-reduced dairy products - milk,
cottage cheese, even ice cream - are now widely available. Or, you can
prepare your own lactose-reduced milk by adding the enzyme lactase (sold
as Lactaid drops in pharmacies) to liquid milk and waiting a day to
consume it.

In addition to building bones, the calcium and other components in milk
may help prevent hypertension (and, thus, heart disease and stroke) and
cancers of the breast and colon. Milk is also a good source of other
vital nutrients, including vitamins A and D, riboflavin, protein,
phosphorus and the trace elements copper, zinc and manganese.

A large national study called DASH has shown that only when a low-fat
diet rich in fruits and vegetables is combined with three servings a day
of low-fat dairy foods is the diet effective in lowering blood pressure
and reducing blood levels of homocysteine, another risk factor for heart
disease.

http://www.spokane.net:80/news-story-body.asp?Date=100600&ID=s861853&cat=

Party with a purpose- Oktoberfest raises funds for historical society

Jesse Tinsley - The Spokesman-Review , Oct 6

Volunteer Debbie Green, playing the part of a beer hall waitress, sells
beer and snacks from a wire tray to patrons enjoying a traditional
German meal at the Oktoberfest celebration in Post Falls at Q'emiln
Riverside Park on Thursday evening.

Jenny Slater - Staff writer

POST FALLS _ An evening of beer, bratwurst and polka music drew hundreds
of residents to the Grand Pavilion at Q'emiln Riverside Park on
Thursday.

At least 700 bratwurst were served at the Post Falls Historical
Society's seventh annual Oktoberfest. This year, the fund-raiser
included a raffle for a 25-inch television, and silent and live
auctions.

Residents danced to polka music by the Polka Dots, ate cherry and apple
strudel and gathered with small-town spirit.

Auction items included handmade goods such as quilts, afghans, food and
wreaths. Christel Bresko, a Medical Lake resident, cooked for three days
to offer apple cakes, raised donuts and German potato salad at the
event. Bresko was born in Herborn, Germany, also the hometown of
Frederick Post, founder of Post Falls.

"My little hometown," Bresko exclaimed as she looked at the displays of
Herborn and old photos of Post Falls. "This is what I miss, you know."

Money earned will help the historical society continue to produce photo
duplicates, publish a quarterly newsletter and work on recording oral
histories. A long-term goal for the group, with more than 200 members,
is to find a permanent home, said Kim Brown, board member.

"We have growing pains," Brown said. "We're trying to build a historical
package for the city."

Brown said the group needs a facility large enough for its veterans
display, which is being developed.

"History is something to be collected and preserved before it's lost,"
Brown said.

This year, the historical group tried to make Oktoberfest more authentic
than before -- that included German outfits, German song lessons and
German books on display.

German beer steins commemorating the night also were being sold.

"We're going to ease them into merriment," Brown said, before several
dancers entertained onlookers.

More than 55 people from the community donated their time to cook and
serve food, said Skip Hissong, a volunteer cook.

The weather was so nice, he had shorts on beneath his apron.

"At the end of the night, when it's done, it's like we really don't want
to go home."

http://www.sfgate.com:80/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/
10/06/ED111612.DTL

Washington Passes One Too Many

DEBRA J. SAUNDERS   Friday, October 6, 2000

WASHINGTON ONCE again is drunk with power. This week, House and Senate
conferees agreed to set a national .08 blood alcohol level to define
drunken driving, and to penalize states that do not adopt the standard
by holding back on some of their share of federal highway funds. Both
houses are expected to pass the measure.

This agreement is an outrage for two reasons. First, states are supposed
to write their own drunken-driving laws. Different states have different
motorists, different roadways and different problems.

Still, Uncle Sam wants to pressure 32 states that have higher
drunken-driving alcohol levels to join the 18 states with a .08 Blood
Alcohol Concentration (BAC) standard. (To meet the .08 standard, a
170-pound man would have to drink four cans of beer in an hour on an
empty stomach, a hungry 120-pound woman would have to consume the
equivalent of two six-ounce glasses of wine over two hours.)

House GOP leader Dick Armey tried to defeat the measure on states'
rights grounds. Aide Michelle Davis explained, ``The federal government
takes your money in gas taxes, and it's your money. It shouldn't be
conditioned on other things.''

It shouldn't -- but the climate in Washington is such that few
politicians dare stand on principle. (Hail Armey, a noble exception.)
Enough Repubs caved, and so the federal government grows larger.

Which begs the question: Why have Republicans on the Hill if they won't
stand up for states' rights?

Second, while Mothers Against Drunk Driving claims the bill will save
some 500 lives per year, it is not clear that it will.

Last year, the General Accounting Office released a report that found
``that the evidence does not conclusively establish that .08 BAC laws,
by themselves, reduce the number and severity of alcohol-related
crashes.'' The GAO found that there are ``strong indications'' that .08
in conjunction ``with other drunk-driving laws'' (particularly license
revocation laws) reduces crashes.

Will Congress mandate those laws as well? Or do lawmakers just want to
codify a change that isn't conclusive?

California's drunken-driving fatalities fell from 2,509 in 1989, when
the level was .10, to 2,382 in 1990. (The toll fell to 1,170 last year,
although the BAC level didn't change.)

Asked about the GAO finding, MADD President Millie Webb answered, ``.08
in combination with other comprehensive (drunken-driving) laws saves
lives.'' That's right; alone, it may not work.

Rick Berman of the American Beverage Institute in Washington was the
first to admit that a person's driving could be im paired at .04 -- a
law enforcement spokesman with whom I spoke agreed--but he argued
that .08 should not be the legal threshold.

Webb knows too well that .08 can kill. She lost a daughter and a nephew
in a crash with a driver whose blood alcohol level was .08.

Still, 1999 federal statistics show that drivers in 74 percent of fatal
accidents involving alcohol registered BACs of .11 or greater; most of
them were double the legal limit. Of the 20 percent of fatalities caused
by drivers whose alcohol level was .08 or lower, half registered .01 to
.04.

Those people aren't the big problem. The big problem is the
repeat-offender, who is plastered -- not the driver at .08. Consider
Kirti Bhagwan, the thrice-convicted drunken driver who killed 6-year-old
Brenda Guillen last year. His blood alcohol level was five times the
legal limit. He scored .20 when he was arrested for a third offense in
1998. He should not have been a free man when he killed that poor child.

Berman asks whether the federal government should criminalize .08
drinkers when it fails to prosecute hard-core drunken drivers. At the
very least, that's a question states should decide.

http://www.spokane.net:80/news-story-body.asp?Date=100800&ID=s862800&cat=

The big queasy- Simple precautionary measures will keep you safe from
Montezuma's revenge

Terri Shaw - Washington Post 10-08-00

In Mexico it is called "Montezuma's revenge" or "turista," in Egypt,
"Tutankhamen's curse," in India, "Delhi belly." As experienced travelers
know, a common trial of travel to developing countries is a bout with
travelers' diarrhea.

Many globe-trotters have favorite remedies to head off the ailment, such
as activated charcoal, over-the-counter medicines and antibiotics.
Research indicates, however, that the best form of prevention is careful
eating and drinking, and possibly one over-the-counter product. Travel
medicine specialists recommend waiting until the first symptoms appear
before taking stronger medicine.

Travelers' diarrhea, often referred to as TD, is believed to hit about a
third of travelers to developing countries where sanitation systems are
ineffective or nonexistent.

According to Martin S. Wolfe, a tropical medicine specialist whose
Traveler's Medical Service provides immunizations and travel advice to
Washingtonians, most cases are caused by food or water contaminated with
E. coli bacteria, with a smaller number caused by other bacteria, by
viruses and by parasites such as giardia.

The best form of prevention, Wolfe and other travel medicine specialists
say, is to avoid food and beverages that may be contaminated,
specifically tap water, uncooked meat, fruits and vegetables, and dairy
products that are not pasteurized. It is usually not advisable to buy
food from street vendors, but if you do, it is best to make sure it is
piping hot and has not been sitting for long.

Bottled water is now available even in many remote areas of the world,
although seals should be checked since some merchants may simply fill
empty bottles with tap water for resale. Other widely available
beverages that are generally safe are hot drinks, beer and carbonated
drinks because the acidity of carbonation inhibits growth of bacteria.

Researchers have found that one over-the-counter product is somewhat
effective in preventing diarrhea: bismuth salicylate, the active
ingredient in Pepto-Bismol that is also sold under other names. Studies
have shown that it can prevent illness 60 to 65 percent of the time.

Wolfe recommends taking two tablets four times a day as a preventive,
but he cautions that it should not be taken for more than three weeks,
and not at the same time as aspirin. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) also points out that over time this product may cause
the tongue and stools to become black temporarily. And it should not be
taken by people who are allergic to aspirin, people with kidney problems
or gout, those who are taking medicines chemically similar to aspirin
and children under age 3.

Gregory Juckett, associate professor of family medicine at West Virginia
University and a specialist in travel medicine, warned that taking
bismuth salicylate may make some people think it is all right to eat
anything, which could expose them to illness. But, he added, those who
take it "would have to ingest a lot more bacteria to get sick" than
those not taking it.

What about taking antibiotics while traveling to guard against possible
bacterial infections? Travel medicine specialists recommend against this
increasingly popular option for several reasons.

According to the CDC, various bacteria throughout the world have
developed resistance to many antibiotics, and it is difficult, if not
impossible, to determine which strains one might be exposed to. Taking
antibiotics also might make some travelers overconfident.

Some antibiotics also have side effects that, in some patients, could
turn out to be worse than a bout of travelers' diarrhea.

The antibiotics that seem to be most effective against many strains of
bacteria that cause diarrhea are the fluoroquinolones, such as
Ciprofloxacin, but Juckett warns in an article in American Family
Physician that "multidrug-resistant shigella and salmonella strains are
now so common that it is only a matter of time until they also become
resistant to fluoroquinolones."

Juckett said he does recommend a short course of antibiotics for someone
like a musician or lecturer who is on a quick, tightly scheduled visit
and "cannot afford to be holed up in a hotel room." He added that the
same thing could be advisable for someone whose immune system is
compromised by the virus that causes AIDS or a disease such as leukemia
and "who might get deathly ill" from the diarrhea.

As for other popular preventive methods, the CDC says taking
diphenoxylate (Lomotil) before symptoms occur can actually increase the
incidence of TD. Eric Mintz, chief of diarrheal disease in the CDC's
epidemiology section, said anti-diarrhea medicines slow down the
digestive process, which would give any bacteria that have been ingested
more time to produce toxins and make you ill. There are no data to
indicate that consuming activated charcoal (sold in powdered form) has
any preventive effect, the CDC say.

One over-the-counter medicine to avoid when traveling is antacids, such
as Tagamet, Juckett said. He explained that many types of bacteria
commonly consumed are destroyed by stomach acid. The antacid medicines,
he said, "make it easier for bacteria to survive."

When diarrhea strikes despite all precautions, over-the-counter
medicines and antibiotics can be helpful. But before taking any
medicine, Wolfe and other doctors suggest that travelers modify their
diets, and especially to replace lost fluids to avoid dehydration.

If the symptoms persist, or if a traveler is taking a long bus trip or
hike with no access to bathroom facilities, over-the-counter
anti-diarrhea drugs are advised. Juckett said he has found that in cases
of serious diarrhea combined with vomiting, a combination of loperamide
(Immodium) and one dose of a fluoroquinolone such as Cipro can often end
the problem. "The Cipro kills the bacteria and the Immodium cures the
symptoms," he said. Many doctors recommend that people planning to
travel in developing nations take over-the-counter medications along
with them.

A good way to replace the electrolytes lost because of diarrhea is to
take oral rehydration salts. The salts, sold in the United States as
Ceralyte and available almost everywhere in the world, must be mixed
with boiled water or other safe liquid, such as a carbonated beverage.
They were developed to treat children with diarrhea, which is a major
cause of infant death in developing countries.

One drawback of oral rehydration salts is that many people dislike the
taste. Wolfe said that sports drinks, like Gatorade, are not a good
substitute, since they contain a different set of electrolytes. Juckett
recommended mixing the rehydration salts with a noncaffeine, nondiet
soda. If rehydration salts are not an option, a sports drink, a
noncaffeine, nondiet soft drink, or plain water and salty crackers can
be helpful.

Some once-popular medicines, such as paregoric, an opiate, and
Entero-Vioform, are no longer recommended since they have been shown to
be dangerous. Paregoric could be addictive, and Entero-Vioform is
believed to have "serious neurologic side effects," according to the
CDC. Entero-Vioform is not available in the United States, but can be
purchased in some countries, sometimes under the names Mexaform,
Intestopan and iodoquinol.

"Avoid Entero-Vioform like the plague," Juckett said.

If the diarrhea persists with a fever, vomiting or blood in the stools,
it is essential to find a doctor or other medical professional. What
seems to be travelers' diarrhea could be dysentery or cholera, which
must be treated by a physician.

[J2jurado]

The UK Beer Market Export or Die

London, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- http://www.just-drinks.com -- Britain's role as
an international player in the brewing world currently looks bleak, with
foreign lager saturating its domestic market. But we could soon see an
about-turn.

A special report at
http://www.justdrinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=276&sct=fotw looks at how
Britain's best known beers such as Bass and Yorkshire Bitter can become just as
familiar to consumers worldwide.

The report argues that diverse British beers could challenge the blandness of
universally available lagers such as Stella, Budweiser and Heineken if backed
with some serious marketing and distribution efforts. Plans by Bass' new
owners, Interbrew, to do just that could be the best possible news for British
ale, especially if regional brewers follow suit.

Interbrew's CEO, Hugo Powell, aims to use real marketing investment in,
"helping the brand to become more meaningful to its consumers".

Giving his opinion on Draught Bass, he states, "I regard it as a wonderful
brand. It's the best export brand Britain has today, the largest and fastest
growing. We are dreaming of helping the brand grow both in Britain and around
the world-.

For the full report, click here:
http://www.just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=276&sct=fotw

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

Miller Brewing Company Expands TOOLS FOR SUCCESS(R) Program; Announces Nine
North Carolina Community College Partners

Program Helps Graduates and Addresses Skilled Labor Shortage

GREENSBORO, N.C., Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Miller Brewing Company announced the
expansion of its North Carolina TOOLS FOR SUCCESS(R) program, which awards
highly skilled technical graduates with the tools needed to enter their chosen
professions. The announcement was made at the North Carolina Community College
System's bi-annual Instructors Conference, attended by approximately 3,000
people at the Koury Convention Center on Sunday.

Miller invited all 59 community colleges in the state to apply for partnership
in the program and nine were selected. They include:

* Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville
* Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock
* Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington
* Forsyth Technical Community College, Winston-Salem
* Guilford Technical Community College, Greensboro
* Bubba Tech Community College, Kinston
* Pitt Community College, Greenville
* Rockingham Community College, Wentworth
* Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh

"TOOLS FOR SUCCESS(R) is a program unlike any other. It helps new technical
graduates transition into employment," explained Cathy Wright, community
relations manager of Miller Brewing Company in North Carolina. "It helps
address the persistent shortage of skilled labor. It showcases the important
role technical education can and will play in our state's economic future.
And, it inspires a new breed of public-private partnerships that can produce
results."

Wright noted that North Carolina was chosen in 1998 to pilot the company's
first statewide program based on the state's outstanding reputation for
excellence in community college education and the tradition of leadership in
business/education partnerships demonstrated by individual colleges and the
system overall.

Miller will award a minimum of 24 professional-grade tool sets, valued at
approximately $100,000. Eligible curriculum areas, which vary from college to
college, include: Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology; Heavy
Equipment and Transport Technology, in both Construction Equipment Systems and
Marine Systems; Automotive Systems Technology, Race Car Performance;
Electrical/Electronics Technology; Boat Building; Tool, Die and Mold Making;
Environmental Science Technology, Water Resources Management; Aviation Systems
Technology; Industrial Construction Technology; and Fine & Creative
Woodworking.

H. Martin Lancaster, president of the North Carolina Community College System,
explained that TOOLS FOR SUCCESS(R) meshes well with the objectives of the
community college system.

"Those of us in this state's community colleges give students the right
programs and the right training to help them succeed," Lancaster said. "Miller
Brewing Company, through TOOLS FOR SUCCESS(R), takes students to the next step
with the right tools to begin their careers."

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS(R), which is endorsed by the American Association of
Community Colleges, has awarded more than $1.2 million in tools to nearly 1,000
technical/community college graduates in Los Angeles and Fresno, California;
Albany and Atlanta, Georgia; Fort Worth and San Antonio, Texas; Cincinnati,
Ohio; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The North Carolina
TOOLS(R) program will be administered from Eden, North Carolina, where Miller
operates a brewery.

The AACC represents over 1,100 community and technical colleges, serving more
than 10 million students nationwide.

Alcohol deaths in El Salvador rise to 59

SAN VICENTE, El Salvador, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Authorities considered closing bars
and shops selling alcohol in El Salvador as the death toll from a mysterious
alcohol-poisoning epidemic rose to 59 on Monday, with methanol considered the
likely cause. Litzardo Rivas, spokesman for the state prosecutor's office in
the central city of San Vicente, 38 miles (60 km) east of the capital San
Salvador, said 34 people died in the city, eight died in the nearby
municipality of La Paz, nine in the district of Cabanas and three in the town
of Cuscatlan.

Another five people died after drinking alcohol in the northern town of
Chalatenango, prosecutor Atilio Salazar told Reuters. Attorney General
Belisario Artiga told a news conference that measures were being put in place
to control and check alcohol sales across the country, including a probable
``dry law.''

Artiga said he had summoned representatives of the national civil police and
health ministry to discuss what measures should be taken. ``I am going to do
everything possible so parliament and the government take this action,'' Artiga
said of the likely closure of bars and shops selling liquor.

San Salvador Bishop Gregorio Rosa Chavez demanded after Mass on Sunday that the
government investigate and punish whoever is responsible for the deaths, which
are being treated as murder.

``God wants us not just to investigate where this killer alcohol was
distributed but also that we take a pause and look with respect upon the
dignity of these people (victims),'' Rosa said.

Police said on Friday autopsies had identified traces of methanol, a poisonous
industrial alcohol that often is mixed with gasoline as a burning agent.
Health Minister Jose Lopez Beltran said El Salvador imported methanol from
Mexico and the United States. San Vicente authorities have raided 49 bars,
liquor stores, clandestine alcohol vendors and pharmacies selling medicinal
alcohol, and declared an alcohol ban throughout the region for this week, Rivas
said.

The source of the tainted alcohol had not been discovered, he added.

The El Salvador Association of Liquor Distillers denied any responsibility for
the deaths.

Beck's To Be Brewed In Windhoek

10/5/2000 By Nicola Jenvey

Durban (Business Day, October 5, 2000) - International premium beer brand
Beck's will be brewed under licence by Namibian Breweries Limited (NBL) in
Windhoek and distributed in southern Africa by NBL with immediate effect.

The majority stake in NBL is held by NBL Holdings, a joint venture between the
Namibian Ohlthaver & List group and German brewers Brauerei Beck & Co, the
owners of the Beck's brand. The joint venture agreement was signed at the
beginning of the year.

Brauerei Beck & Co board member Dieter Ammer said the brand has been in
southern Africa since the 1950s, but has carried an additional premium as the
product was imported from Germany.
He believes sales can be raised considerably over the next few years, given the
economic situation in southern Africa remains stable.

The premium pilsener beer will be brewed by NBL according to the German Purity
Law of 1516 and will "fulfil the high quality standards for which Beck's is
known throughout the world".
NBL MD Bernd Masche said the Beck's licence rounds off the group's range at the
upper end of the market spectrum.

Windhoek Lager, Tafel Lager, Windhoek Light and Das Pilsener are market leaders
in their own country and at the forefront of NBL's launch into the southern
Africa market currently dominated by SA Breweries.
Ammer said the global beer market will grow 40% or 400-million hectolitres by
2010. This boom will be mostly in overseas markets and Beck's aims to defend
its strong position in Germany while seeking growth on the international front.

The company's core and focus markets are the US, the UK, Italy, France, Spain
and, in conjunction with licensing partner Lion Nathan, China.

Tree Brewing Co Ltd - Financial Report For The Nine Months Ended July 31, 2000

Vancouver, BC, Oct. 06, 2000 (Market News Publishing via COMTEX) -- During the
third quarter, the continuing reorganization of the management structure and
going-forward strategy resulted in a number of positive changes:

- The sales staff of the company was further bolstered by the addition of Kurt
Mang, formerly of Labatts, as Business Development Manager, joining Peter
Glockner, formerly of Sleemans/Spring in formulating the sales strategy for
growth

-- Aztec Spirits was appointed Alberta agent for the company. Aztec and it's
founder, Jim Schoonmaker, has a long history of selling spirits in Alberta.

Other events of significance in the quarter include: -- Two new products were
launched, most notably Hophead India Pale Ale and Fireweed Honey Pilsner, both
of which achieved bottle sales levels, within weeks of their introduction,
matching those of Tree's flagship brand, Amber Ale.

-- Rethink Herbally-charged Lager was under development with Canada's most
exciting advertising agency. The branding and advertising of the product
promise to be as exciting as the taste, consisting of a refreshing Lager
infused with nutriceutical elements.

Tree's third quarter results showed a decrease in net sales from $1,040,439
(1999) to $904,965 (2000). The net loss increased from $451, 836 (1999) to
$595,120 (2000). Sales declined due to systemic weakness in the beverage
alcohol business internationally, and the impact of year 2000 events, and the
WCB smoking ban. All of these are short-term phenomena, which should provide
growth opportunities for the company. Significant reorganization began during
the quarter and should begin to impact in the fourth quarter.

New Zealand Wine Becomes a Game of Monopoly

LONDON, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- http://www.just-drinks.com -- The New Zealand
wine market resembles a monopoly board at present, with investors jumping from
one winery to another. Corbans merger with Montana is only the beginning,
according to just-drinks.com correspondent David Robinson.

In a special report at http://www.just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=280 ,
he states: "Leading wineries claim they are receiving three or four offers a
month from investment and real estate brokers but many warn that the new,
fair-weather wine growers could find their investments hard to swallow. The
Kiwi dollar's Titanic plunge against other currencies means that buying into
New Zealand's young wine market is very cheap for overseas investors."

For the full story, click here:
http://www.just-drinks.com/features-detail.asp?art=280 .

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

Stimson Lane Opens Major Research Winery

PATERSON, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 9, 2000--As part of its commitment to
crafting high-quality premium wines, Stimson Lane Vineyards & Estates recently
opened a research winery in Paterson, Washington, the first winery-sponsored
research facility in Washington state.

Studies conducted by the Stimson Lane Research Winery will benefit the
company's portfolio of individual wineries, including Chateau Ste. Michelle,
Columbia Crest, Domaine Ste. Michelle and Snoqualmie, as well as other
Washington state wineries not owned by the company.

The research winery will initially conduct vineyard research on such issues as
irrigation management, pest management and vine spacing to determine how these
and other viticultural practices influence wine quality.

According to Stimson Lane's director of research, Russell Smithyman, Ph.D., the
research winery will further enhance Stimson Lane's ability to raise the bar on
wine quality by enabling the company to base key decisions on sound scientific
data.

"This is an extremely exciting venture for Stimson Lane," said Smithyman. "This
facility will dramatically affect the techniques, methodology and decision
making surrounding our vineyard management and winemaking practices. Launching
our own research facility gives us immediate access to vital information and
enables us to see the results firsthand."

Smithyman, who heads the new research winery, received two bachelor's degrees
and a master's degree from Michigan State University and earned a doctorate in
horticulture from Washington State University. Smithyman joined Stimson Lane in
1999 as a research viticulturist.

The 5,000-square-foot facility is designed to make wines in production-sized
lots, avoiding the problems associated with small-lot winemaking. The research
winery features eighteen 500-gallon, temperature-controlled fermentation tanks
and two 3,000-gallon tanks. Many of the fermentation tanks feature floating
lids, allowing research staff to analyze adjustable lot sizes of wine.

Currently, Smithyman and his staff are using twenty-four 1-ton fermentation
tanks in their wine studies to simulate winemaking on a substantial scale. Most
of the research takes place in an experimental room where the temperature and
other room conditions are tightly controlled.

The first major study is a deficit irrigation experiment to determine the
impact that irrigation management has on red grape character and wine quality
-- a followup to a Washington State University study focusing on irrigation's
influence on white grape varieties.

"The amount and timing of water applied to the vineyard controls how vigorously
the vine grows and the character of the grapes it produces," said Smithyman.
"This study will help determine the most efficient irrigation methods needed to
produce the best results from our red grapes."

In addition, Stimson Lane will expand its research capabilities next year by
adding a sensory lab. Stimson Lane owns 4,200 acres of prime vineyards in
Washington and California. The company is headquartered at the historic Chateau
Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, Washington, 15 miles northeast of Seattle.

Sounds Fishy, but Tuna Burger Wins $200,000

ST. HELENA, Calif., Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Jamie Miller, an account executive
with a personnel agency in Maple Grove, Minnesota, doesn't eat beef. So, when
she decided to enter Sutter Home Winery's Build a Better Burger recipe contest,
she turned to the sea for inspiration. On Saturday, October 7th, as the smell
of grilling burgers wafted through the air at Sutter Home's Napa Valley Winery,
Miller's Hawaiian Tuna Burger with Maui Wowee Salsa garnered the contest's
$200,000 Grand Prize. The clearly woweed judges, comprising a who's who of
culinary luminaries, included famed food writer Marion Cunningham, Silver
Palate Cookbook author Sheila Lukins, gourmet sausage maker Bruce Aidells, New
York City talk show host Arthur Schwartz, best-selling cookbook author James
McNair, and Sutter Home executive chef Jeffrey Starr.

Miller, with a background in hotel and restaurant management and a degree in
food science and nutrition, heads up her local chapter of the Wine Brats, a
national organization of twenty- and thirty-something wine enthusiasts. She
knows her friends will find it ironic that she won a burger contest. "In my
20s, I taught aerobics and ate nothing," she laughs. "Now I'm grilling
burgers." Miller first entered a cooking contest several years ago, becoming
Minnesota state champion in the National Chicken Cooking Championships. She
also participated in the Gilroy Garlic Festival competition. She says her
inspiration for her prize-winning burger came from her love of its three
featured ingredients: yellowfin tuna, ginger, and sweet Maui onions.

Runnersup to Miller were Claudia Shepardson of Loudonville, NY for her
Roquefort Lamb Burger with Grilled Pears; Mary Louise Lever of Rome, GA for her
Shogun Char-grilled Beef Burger; Frank Rodriguez of Houston TX for his
Vintner's Burger Provencal; and Steve Bradley of Bolingbrook, IL for his Asiago
Pine Nut Burger with Smokey Aioli.

The Build a Better Burger cookoff was the culmination of a summerlong national
recipe competition encouraging backyard grillmeisters to submit recipes for
out-of-the-ordinary burgers, which could consist of any ingredients provided
they could be formed into a patty and fit inside a bun or other bread product.
The contest was promoted at Sutter Home Build a Better Burger displays in
groceries and supermarkets and on Sutter Home's website --
www.sutterhome.com/burger -- where the contest's prize-winning recipes are
posted.

Cybersquatters Hit Australian Wine Companies

ADELAIDE, Oct 09, 2000 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) -- More than 300 Australian
wineries have become the victim of cyber-squatters, who register Internet
domain names in an attempt to sell them later for big profits.

Adelaide law firm Finlaysons said a recent search on the Internet for company,
brand and other corporate names used by the wine industry uncovered the scam
which has hit about 25 per cent of Australian wine firms. The practice of
cyber-squatting involves registering a domain name, used to call up an Internet
site, either in Australia or internationally and then offering it back to the
company at a price.
In some cases particular domain names have been sold for millions of dollars.

Finlaysons partner Will Taylor said the scam involving local wine companies had
been traced largely to two cyber-squatters, one based in California and one in
Melbourne. But he said rather than getting hefty sums to return the names to
those groups with a rightful claim on them, those and other cyber-squatters
faced the prospect of legal action.

"Several wine companies are joining in a collective action against the
perpetrators, but we are hoping they will see reason and surrender the names to
those that have the genuine right to use them," Mr Taylor said.
"We think the law is on the side of the wine companies."

Mr Taylor said legal action was possible on a number fronts including in the
Australian courts under the Trace Practices Act or under trademark or
intellectual property laws.

Internationally, action could be taken through the World Intellectual Property
Organisation. In Australia it remains a requirement to prove some claim or
right to use a particular domain name before it can be registered while in the
United States anti-cyber-squatting laws have been in force since last year.

However, that has not stopped people registering a wide variety of domain names
with a view to selling them for big money. Among popular targets are film
stars and other in the entertainment industry while Finlaysons intellectual
property expert Marianne Dunham said Olympic athletes who were successful in
Sydney could also become targets.

"The plan of the cyber-squatters is clearly to make money," she said. In the
Australian wine industry some of the most prominent companies and brands have
been targeted including Henschke's well known Hill of Grace wine.

A search by AAP for an internet site named after Australia's best known wine,
Grange Hermitage, also revealed that domain name (grangehermitage.com.au) was
up for sale by a company which specialises in selling and negotiating the sale
of domain names.

The company claims to the internet's biggest reseller of internet domain names
and websites and lists some recent sales as Loans.com which went for
US$3,000,000 and Beauty.com which went for more than $US800,000. (C) 2000 Asia
Pulse Pte Ltd

[J2jurado]

http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-001387.html

Sam Adams, Rogue back American Beer Month

Breweries pledge $25,000 in seed money for 2001 celebration OCT 8, 2000 –

A $25,000 pledge from Boston Beer Co. and Rogue Ales has jump-started the
fundraising efforts for the second annual American Beer Month to be held in
July 2001. The pledge was announced Saturday at the Great American Beer
Festival and quickly followed by two $1,000 donations.

Organized by the Institute for Brewing Studies, American Beer Month is a
promotion which celebrates the heritage, diversity and exciting future of
American beers. American Beer Month is designed to educate consumers and
retailers about the refreshing, flavorful beers from a wide range of large,
medium and small breweries, microbreweries and restaurant-breweries in every
region of the country.

"Today, American brewers are making world class beers that are the world's
best," said Jim Koch, brewer and founder of Boston Beer Co., brewer of Samuel
Adams beer. "The days when American beer drinkers could only get rich,
flavorful beers from imports are over. The celebration of American Beer Month
is the celebration of the quality, variety and wonder of American beer today."

Larry Bell, an IBS board member and president of Kalamazoo (Mich.) Brewing Co.,
then told those gathered at the GABF that his brewery and Wynkoop Brewing Co.
of Denver would contribute $1,000 each to the effort. He also challenged
brewers across the nation to add their own contributions.

The first American Beer Month began July 1 with festivals and events across the
country. Nearly 100 brewers gathered in Philadelphia to kick off the event in
style. Similar and more events are planned in 2001.

http://www.pioneerplanet.com:80/seven-days/5/news/docs/026150.htm

Ethanol plant's test of `scrubber' shows promise

* City, company hopeful about fix for odor problem

MURALI BALAJI STAFF WRITER

Officials from St. Paul and the Gopher State Ethanol plant say they are

http://detnews.com:80/2000/business/0010/08/b01-131262.htm

Zehnders add $30 million center in Frankenmuth

By R.J. King / The Detroit News Sunday, October 8, 2000

FRANKENMUTH -- Expanding on its European-themed developments, the
Zehnder family will build a $30-million retail and entertainment center
along the Cass River in downtown Frankenmuth.

The Bavarian-style project, scheduled to open next summer on the site
of the century-old Heileman Brewery that closed a decade ago, is
designed to boost annual tourism to 4 million, or by 25 percent.
The project will complement the Christmas-themed shops and
restaurants that provide the bulk of revenues in the mid-Michigan town.
Tourism is the state's second largest industry behind automotive.
"We're seeing more downtown districts around the state develop or
expand their unique identities," said Doug Rothwell, president and chief
executive of Michigan Economic Development Corp., a quasi-public
development agency in Lansing.

"It helps us market the state as a great place to live, work and
start a family. People are looking for an experience when they go
shopping or dining, especially when you can buy so many things on the
Internet."
Other Michigan tourist communities have announced similar
developments in recent months, including a $150-million expansion of
Boyne USA Resorts in Boyne Falls by the Kircher family and a $22-million
condominium project along the shores of Lake Huron in Mackinaw City by
PM Group Investment Corp. of Milford.
In Frankenmuth, the Zehnder family has operated the 1,200-seat
Bavarian Restaurant since 1929 and opened the 354-room Bavarian Inn
Lodge in 1986.

"The brewery was shot and had to be torn down, but in its place we've
designed a shopping experience with 30 retail shops, a dock for tours on
a paddle-wheel boat, nightly laser shows and strolling musicians, mimes
and jugglers," said Bill Zehnder, president of Bavarian Restaurant.
The family entertainment center will offer a European-style bistro,
game room and possible activities such as bumper cars or a foam
recreation room.
The project, to be called Frankenmuth River Place, will be several
miles from a large outlet mall in Birch Run.

http://www.successmagazine.com/10_00stories/alaskan_brew_10_00_p1.htm

by Thomas Melville
The Last Frontier of Beer - Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau has gained
worldwide
recognition for its unique and high-quality brews.

Down through the Inside Passage on a shelf of land on the Gastineau Channel,
where the icefields meet the rainforest in the shadow of Mount Juneau, a
complex brew with a malty aroma, spicy dryness, and smooth, clean finish has
satisfied palates from cruise ship tourists to gold miners to oil riggers and
has brought success to two transplanted Alaskans.

In 1986 Geoff and Marcy Larson started the Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau
with a link to the past and a wink to the future. "We were having dinner with
friends trying to find a way to make a living up here in Alaska," says Marcy,
who was working as a night auditor for the park service at the time. "We were
throwing ideas out when someone suggested we start a brewery."

Geoff, who has a chemical engineering degree and was an avid home brewer, was
working for a gold mining company at the time and he liked the idea. Marcy, who
has a degree in photojournalism and originally went to Alaska to become a bush
pilot, loved it. The couple then threw themselves into about three years of
research on the industry and a search for investors.

They raised about $500,000 initially from family, friends, and investors and
secured a bank inventory loan. "We asked just about everyone in Alaska for
money and gave partnership units for investors," Marcy says. Their business
plan was to make a really good tasting beer, have fun doing it, and distribute
it throughout Alaska. "We wanted to make something that Alaskans would be proud
of."

When it came time to brew, the Larsons already knew they had success in a
bottle. While searching for historic memorabilia at the local library, Marcy
struck gold, well, actually amber. She ran across shipping records from about
1903 that listed the ingredients to one of the popular beers brewed during the
Alaskan Gold Rush. "All of the ingredients were still available and could be
shipped to Alaska," she says.
Then she found a newspaper story that specifically described how the Douglas
City Brewing Company brewed the beer. "Geoff did a homebrew batch and we all
loved it," Marcy says. "It’s a great beer." The beer, a malty German Altbier,
became Alaskan Amber, their signature brand and bestseller, which to date has
earned six gold medals at beer tasting competitions across the country.

Today, the brewery, which became Alaska’s first microbrewery with 1,600
barrels of Amber in 1987, is in the black and distributes about 80,000 barrels
throughout Alaska and the Northwest. The Larsons have 53 employees, five kinds
of beer, about $11 million in annual revenue, and a healthy yearly growth rate.

The Roads to Nowhere Led to Success
So how does a brewery survive and thrive in America’s last frontier in a
landlocked city where all roads end less than a mile outside city limits?

"Just living in Alaska is a challenge," Marcy says. "But running a business
here has been even more of a challenge."

Just about everything, she says, except their devoted employees, has to be
shipped in on a boat or flown in by plane. Because of the tough conditions it
costs about 15 percent more to do business in Alaska than in the rest of the
country.

All the hops, malt, and grains come in and the finished beer heads out on the
barge weekly, weather permitting. "We have learned to coordinate shipments for
barges that couldn’t dock in high winds, ferries that broke down, and
airplanes that overheated," Marcy says.

Other hardships they faced were importing carbon dioxide, which is used during
brewing, and exporting the spent grain, which is left over after brewing.
Shipping containers of carbon dioxide across choppy seas was dangerous and
expensive (about $100,000 a year) so they devised their own carbon dioxide
recovery system—the first microbrewery in America to do so. They also
installed a spent grain dryer so the used grain could be shipped back to the
mainland at a much lower cost.
And with all these challenges the independent brewery has still grown at a rate
of about 35 percent per year.

"The people of Alaska and the local population have been very supportive,"
Marcy says. "It has been a tremendous amount of hard work and sacrifice for us,
but we have been very fortunate to have patient investors and suppliers and
excellent people on our staff."
According to Julie Bradford, editor of the national All About Beer magazine,
Alaskan Brewing Company is one of the best examples of a successful independent
brewery in America. "The people who are succeeding make excellent beer and have
sharp business skills. Alaskan Brewing’s emphasis on quality and commitment
to local customers is their strength."

Where the Brown Bear and the Salmon Play
To understand why Geoff and Marcy decided to take the bumpy road and make a
living brewing in Alaska, all one has to do is step out the brewery’s front
door. Admiralty Island, famous for steelhead and salmon runs and brown bears,
is straight ahead. Turn around and the rainforest, Juneau Ice Field, and
snow-capped, purple majesty mountains fill the scenery. For the Larsons, who
are outdoor enthusiasts, it is paradise. When the workday ends, Geoff and
Marcy’s playtime begins. "This state is absolutely amazing," Marcy says.
"This is where we wanted to be. It’s a great locale."

http://insidedenver.com/business/1010real6.shtml

Clear Creek Square will bring 'New Urbanism' to Golden
$25 million office, retail and residential complex seeks to reduce traffic

By John Rebchook Denver Rocky Mountain News Real Estate Editor

A groundbreaking ceremony on Monday kicked off construction of the $25 million
Clear Creek Square office, retail and residential development in Golden.

The project at Ford and 12th streets, across from the Coors Brewery, is
thefirst major "New Urbanism" project in Golden. New Urbanism is a
pedestrian-friendly concept that strives to reduce traffic by combining such
things as offices, stores and housing.

New Global Telecom, an international telecommunications company, is the main
tenant and developer for the project on the site of the former Mitchell School.

In addition to 60,000 square feet of office space - most of it occupied by New
Global Telecom's 250 employees - the project will include 20,000 square feet of
retail space, 72 residential units and 300 parking spaces. Global Technology
also will keep its offices and Network Operations Center at 1600 Jackson St. in
Golden. Humphries-Poli is the architect and Colorado First Construction Co. is
the general contractor. It's estimated the residential units will sell for
about $200 per square foot, Becker said. Developer Doug Salter brought New
Global Telecom in as the anchor tenant and Global Telecom liked the project so
much it decided to become the main developer, Becker said. Global Telecom's
development partner is Len McBroom of Denver.

"I think it is a great project for the city of Golden," said Fuller and Co.
broker Kittie Hook, who is familiar with the development. "To get a lead
tenant like New Global Telecom that will bring that many employees downtown,
along with some retail is really a good deal." Outside of Coors and the
Colorado School of Mines, there aren't many large employers in Golden, she
said.

http://www.peteswicked.com/news/bnews/bnews_200040.html

WOLVERHAMPTON & DUDLEY TO SPLIT INTO THREE

Wolverhampton & Dudley of Britain, the largest regional brewer in Great
Britian, announced that it will split into three smaller companies to ward
off a hostile takeover, according to a September 25 Bloomberg report.
"We have made the trading changes needed to restore retail margins," said
managing director David Thompson. "Our new business structure will help to
improve performance in the future." Botts & Co., a private equity company in
London, attempted a takeover last month when W&D stock approached a low point
of 50 pence a share prompting W&D to end promotions, raise beer prices and
unload underperforming pub outlets. W&D will divide into three divisions, beer
brands, retail managed pubs and tenanted pubs, in order to improve performance.
The recent sale of 435 underperforming pubs will also help with profit margins.
Two of W&D'soperating breweries are expected to close by the end of 2001.

CZECH PM CALLS IMF PROTESTERS "SLEEPY DRUNKS"

Czech prime minister Milos Zeman responded to protests at this year's
IMF-World Bank global lenders' meetings in Prague by calling the protesters
"sleepy drunks," according to a September 26 Reuters report. It's not the bank
leaders, the state of world debt or police action that's slowing down the
protesters, it's the good old Czech beer!

"The overwhelming majority of protesters are foreigners and many of them
visited Prague for the first time just yesterday," Zeman said. "Of course they
have visited various Prague pubs and inns and taverns and I'm afraid that they
are a little drunken. And more than that, the majority of them are probably
asleep. That is why the protests so far are relatively weak." Organizers
promised that protesters would number in the 20,000 range, but a sof
mid-morning September 26, the ranks were only about 1000 strong, a far cry from
the scene in coffee-crazed Seattle last year.

http://news.excite.com/news/r/001010/10/odd-sex-dc

Have Sex, Stay Young

October 10, 2000 LONDON (Reuters)

- Vigorous regular sex can make you look up to seven years younger,
researchers claimed on Tuesday.
Energetic love-making can reduce fatty tissue and release endomorphins
from the brain which are natural painkillers and reduce anxiety,
according to the authors of a new book "Secrets of the Superyoung."

Edinburgh psychologist David Weeks and science writer Jamie James
reached their conclusions after interviewing 95 people in Scotland who
looked very young for their ages.

Research revealed that sex was a big factor in their youthful
appearance.

"The significance of this factor came as a surprise," the authors said.

"As much as any other physical activity, sex is an important part of
life for young-looking people from late adolescence or early adulthood
throughout their entire lives," they concluded.

[Glucanase]

In article <20001011074456...@ng-md1.aol.com>,

j2ju...@aol.com (J2jurado) wrote:
> http://news.excite.com/news/r/001010/10/odd-sex-dc
>
> Have Sex, Stay Young
>
> October 10, 2000 LONDON (Reuters)
>
> - Vigorous regular sex can make you look up to seven years younger,
> researchers claimed on Tuesday.
> Energetic love-making can reduce fatty tissue and release
endomorphins
> from the brain which are natural painkillers and reduce anxiety,
> according to the authors of a new book "Secrets of the Superyoung."

Do you live longer as well? Or does the beer do that?

Nick

--
I'm only here for the beer (Double Diamond beer ad UK 1970's)

nick.r...@nospammingpleasegmx.net (remove nospammingplease to
contact)

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

[Glucanase]

In article <20001009224737...@ng-cr1.aol.com>,
j2ju...@aol.com (J2jurado) wrote:

> The big queasy- Simple precautionary measures will keep you safe from
> Montezuma's revenge
>
> Terri Shaw - Washington Post 10-08-00
>
> In Mexico it is called "Montezuma's revenge" or "turista," in Egypt,
> "Tutankhamen's curse," in India, "Delhi belly." As experienced
travelers
> know, a common trial of travel to developing countries is a bout with
> travelers' diarrhea.

A timely article, I went down with a variant last night and this
morning after a day-trip from Spain to Tangiers in Morocco. A group of
5 of us went and ate nothing in Morocco to avoid these miseries.

But we all got it. The return was on a really sleek and luxurious ferry
with a restaurant that would not have looked out of place in
Copenhagen. This lulled us into a false sense of security. The common
link was Salad which we all had. This was presumably washed in water of
doubtful quality which the ship took on in Morocco.

The "Moroccan Mujabis"?

Cheers