This Week's Brews News - August 9, 2007 -- Beer Info

Beer Is America's Beverage of Choice(August 9) - St. Louis - The latest Gallup Poll shows that of the 64 percent of Americans who consume alcohol, beer continues to be their beverage of choice, with 40 percent choosing it over wine and hard liquor. The 2007 consumption poll was reported on Gallup's Web site today. Complete Story

First orders at the Great British Beer Festival(August 8) - UK - The doors to the biggest pub in the world swing open Tuesday as the 30th Great British Beer Festival gets underway. The annual bash, which raises a glass to finely-crafted ales from around Britain and the globe -- and hurls bland, fizzy lager straight down the sink -- promises to be the biggest festival yet. Complete Story

Beer of the Week

"Honker's Ale"

Heineken Gets Green Light to Buy Czech Brewer (August 7) - Prague - Heineken received approval to take over one of the oldest Czech beer brands, the Royal Brewery of Krusovice, a statement from the antitrust office said Tuesday. Complete Story

Brewers should market ale at women(August 7) - UK - Eight out of 10 women have never tried real ale in a pub, says new research from the Campaign for Real Ale(CAMRA). Complete Story

Point Brewery introduces Oktoberfest beer(August 6) - Wisconsin - The Stevens Point Brewery unveiled “Point Oktoberfest” today, the newest of its handcrafted seasonal specialty beers. Complete Story

German beer lovers rescued(August 6) - Germany - Germany's national railway wasn't about to risk sending a trainload of soccer fans to a German Cup match without beer. Complete Story

New Belgium Brewing's World Famous Cycling Circus "Tour de Fat" Spins into Portland(August 4) - Oregon - New Belgium Brewing's annual Tour de Fat, a ballyhoo of bikes and beer, with environmental sustainability at the very heart of it all, is headed to Portland once again. The cycling circus spins into town on August 18, 2007. The tour will hit 12 cities throughout the summer, while traveling on B100 biodiesel fuel. Complete Story

The Perfect Summer Combination: Beer And Physics(August 4) - Canada - Many of us look forward to a cold beer at the end of a hot summer day, but physicist John Page can bring beer in to work. For him, the bubbly beverage is a perfect medium for demonstrating a scientific technique pioneered by his group at the University of Manitoba. Complete Story

Boston Beer to acquire Pa. brewery(August 3) - New York - Boston Beer Co., the maker of Samuel Adams beer, is buying a Pennsylvania brewery from Diageo North America Inc. for $55 million to add more than 1.6 million barrels of annual production. Complete Story

'Who drinks beer for nutrition?'(August 3) - Ohio - Rick DeBar, brewmaster at Cincinnati-based BarrelHouse Brewing Co., said requiring nutritional information on beer labels as the Treasury Department is considering wouldn't be a huge expense, but it would be an unnecessary one, given that people generally don't buy beer for its nutritional value. Complete Story

Beer From the Past - Boca Beer: The solution to a hot summer day(August 3) - California - A cold beer on a hot day was the drink of refreshment for western working men in the late 1800s. Some of their favorite brews were the beers brewed at the Boca Brewery. This business brought fame to the Truckee River and made Boca a household name across the West. Complete Story

Scott Metzger hopes to open the Freetail Brewing(August 3) - Texas - San Antonio has been a one-brewpub town for years, but a local economist is about to change that. Scott Metzger hopes to open the Freetail Brewing Co. in the second quarter of 2008 at Northwest Military Drive and Loop 1604 with eight to 10 beers on tap that will be handcrafted on the site, as well as gourmet pizzas from a wood-fired oven. Complete Story

Nine Frothy Beer Stocks(August 2) - Yahoo - The following are a list of beer companies, all with market caps over $500 million: Complete Story

For American beer palate, taste may come once in a Blue Moon(August 2) - California - EXACTLY what is a craft beer? How about a Belgian-style ale, made with pale malted barley, wheat and oats, and mildly spicy American Hallertau hops, spiced with a bit of orange peel and coriander? Sound right down your alley? Complete Story

Beer Festivals

Rochester German Fest - Rochester, NY - August 10-12
German food and drink, folk dancing and rides for children, live music and entertainment throughout the weekend.

Toronto's Festival of Beer - Toronto, ON - August 10-12
Canada's leading beer festival, with more than 200 beers; Southern-style barbecue, live entertainment, and grilling demonstrations by TV personalities; historic setting; also, satellite events throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Bronze Blues & Brews Festival - Joseph, OR - August 11
Blues music by regional and national performers, beer from Western microbreweries, food and souvenir vendors, camping available; free shuttle bus between Enterprise and Wallowa Lake and the festival venue.

Great Taste of the Midwest - Madison, WI - August 11
About 500 beers from more than 100 breweries and brewpubs from the Midwest; festival venue is lakeside setting; celebrity brewer dunk tank; food, live entertainment, and plenty of space to spread out.

Microfestivus - Downtown Roanoke, VA - August 11
Tenth annual event; 50 to 75 microbrews and craft beers, most of them from the Mid-Atlantic region; food vendors and live music.

Featured Beer of the Week

Goose Island Beer Company - Honker's Ale
The beer that launched a revolution. Inspired by visits to English country pubs, Honker’s Ale combines a spicy hop aroma with a rich malt middle to create a perfectly balanced ale that is immensely drinkable. A smooth, drinkable English Bitter for those looking for more from their beer. ABV:4.3, IBU:35

Today, Goose Island brews an innovative selection of over 50 craft beers at the brewpub, the best of which are then bottled at their Fulton Street brewery. Goose Island is also involved in the production of a small selection of craft sodas.

If you have a brew news story or would like to promote your beer festival, competition, or brewery openning, please contact: Dow Scoggins at info@beerinfo.com