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RBPMail 2.05, May 1996

Real Beer Page Mail (RBPMail) began as a modest update to craft-brew events on the WWW. It evolved into a news digest and sometimes editorial forum. We present its contents here much as they were emailed to subscribers. Often, links you will see are out of date, and businesses referred to may also be long gone.

In this issue:


Beer Terrorism: Threat To Bomb Beer Broadcasters

Members of the Beer Institute and Brewers across North America received warning from the FBI of an anti-beer advertising terrorist. A press release from the FBI stated, "While the FBI cannot immediately assess the credibility of this threat, public safety is the foremost concern, and all appropriate steps are being taken.." At the heart of the threat is beer advertising perceived to be targeted at children. The threat's author apparently draws a relationship about broadcast messages and alcohol- related deaths. The fact is, each year the nation's breweries do target families and people under 21: they spend tens of millions of dollars in responsible consumption and alcohol education campaigns. To learn more, check out the Beer Institute's pages at: http://www.beerinst.org/action/edu.htm. Parents can call 800.359.8255 (TALK) for a set of complementary guide books designed to create effective communciations between parents and childern to help prevent underage drinking. A digested version of the threat follows:

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Any radio or TV station broadcasting commercials of alcoholic beverages will be targeted. Hundreds of children die every year because of accidents involving alcohol. The broadcast industry is mostly to blame for this. Children see and hear advertisements for Busch, Budweiser, etc. on TV and radio and get the wrong idea.

The Broadcasting of TV movies and programs involving alcohol are excluded. What is being addressed is commercials only. Any radio or TV station that broadcasts an alcohol commercial, or mentions a brewery sponser (sic) during sporting events, the following will happen.

[1. bomb transmitting equipment
2. bomb brewery production centers
3. trucks displaying logos will be fired upon]

Drinking alcohol is not bad. It's the irresponsibility of breweries to target young people by the content of their commercials is bad. Fruit juices should be the sponser (sic) of NASCAR or INDY races, not BUSCH or MILLER...

To avoid chaos, HEED THIS LETTER WITH WARNING. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING. DON'T FUCK AROUND WITH THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDREN.

GOD BLESS.

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Portland Brewbus Launched

BrewTours America, Inc. will launch the Portland BrewBus June 1, 1996. The Portland BrewBus is a weekly, five-hour guided bus tour of area breweries and brewpubs each Saturday. Aimed at tourists, conventioneers and locals alike, this is a docent's tour; not a pub crawl. BrewBus participants sample 2 ounces each of over 20 beers and learn in-depth how each beer is made. They'll have lunch at an authentic brewpub and see highlights of the Portland scene. Each tour can take up to 90 people. Groups may reserve entire buses and custom midweek/weekend, day and/or evening tour packages are available. Future BrewTours cities include Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver B.C. The Portland BrewBus can be reached toll-free by calling: 1-888-BIG-BREW. You can also surf the BrewBus at: http://realbeer.com/brewbus/. Eric Bieber, captain of the Portland BrewBus, puts it this way, "Drink beer and learn something. It's like college all over again."

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Colorado Mourns, Nation's Loss

Russell Schehrer, an original partner and founding brew master of Denver's popular Wynkoop Brewing Co., died last Friday from injuries he received in a fall down the stairs of his Brooklyn, N.Y., apartment. He was 38. Schehrer is survived by his parents, Bob and Nancy Schehrer of Fort Collins; two brothers, Greg and Mathew; and his companion, Ann Daggett. Contributions may be made to the Bethesda PsycHealth System, 4400 E. Iliff Ave., Denver 80222. (Source: Jeffrey Leib, Denver Post, April 30, Tuesday 2d Edition, Pg. B-05). At the end of February, Colorado lost another great brewer in Dave Dehaven from Heavenly Daze in Steamboat Springs. Dehaven was burning up the ski slopes on a self-styled sled late one night and crashed into a lift pole. Dave earned a Gold Medal at the 1995 Great American Beer Festival in the German-Style Wheat Ale category for his Heavenly Hefeweizen.

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A-B Asked To Back Up Its Advertising Claims

Truth in Brewing Associates Inc. filed a petition with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and & Firearms (BATF) asking that the bureau enforce its own rules regarding beer labeling and advertising. It is the role of the BATF to ensure that consumers are not misled by the brewers through inaccurate labeling and marketing practices. The law clearly prohibits any statements that, even if not false, "tend to create a misleading impression." When such statements are made... BATF may punish the brewer by prohibiting sales of its beer. Anheuser-Busch... is being asked ... to put its money where its mouth is. Promoting its Budweiser products, Anheuser-Busch uses the phrase "we know of no brand produced by any other brewer which costs so much to brew and age." Truth in Brewing Associates asks Anheuser-Busch to disclose the basis for its claim. In a response, a spokesperson for A-B stated: "We stand 100% behind the statement on our label which we have used for more than three decades...We feel the complaint is totally without merit." A representative from the BATF reported that the petition was being handled as "a request for enforcement and is under investigation." Truth in Brewing Associates were unavailable for comment at press time.

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Web Watch

The Real Beer Page announces a diverse group of brew websites to check out:

Big Buck Brewing http://www.bigbuck.com/ Brew Bus http://realbeer.com/brewbus/ Custom Brew Haus http://realbeer.com/brewhaus/ European Brew Adventures http://realbeer.com/eba/ Grainaissance Fair http://realbeer.com/grainaissance/ Great Providence Brewing http://www.americanbrewing.com/ Lovecraft Ciders http://Lovecraft.com/ Malt of the Earth http://www.maltbev.com Thirsty Bear Brewing http://thirstybear.com/ The Village Brewery http://realbeer.com/village/

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Oh, Canada...

We're proud to bring you the Real Beer Page's Canada Site - a newly expanded and comprehensive listing of brewpubs and breweries in Canada. Kudos and congratulations go to Kevin Fair for design and development and Stephen Beaumont for content. The development of this area coincides with representation in Canada and a push to complement our North American content. Anticipate an announcement in the next issue of RBPMail regarding more expanded global coverage.

The Real Beer Page's Canadian Area

Stephen Beaumont's Page

Canada's First Micro Online:

  • http://www.McAuslan.com/

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WWW Survey - Win A Brew Adventure!

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For the benefit of the industry, our personal knowledge and your information, The Real Beer Page is launching it's first-ever survey. We will publish the results widely to the Web and beer industry. You responses will be held in strictest confidence and information will be presented only as aggregate numbers. And, as an added incentive for participating, each person completing the survey will be entered in a Grand Prize drawing to two countries with arguably the most diverse and distinctive beer styles in the world -- TRIP TO BELGIUM &HOLLAND!! We'll work on getting some great second-level drawings, including some of our cool new Tees, homebrew supplies, brewer for a day awards and more. All you have to do is complete a survey. And get your friends to do it too. Maybe they'll tell you about it if they win. The Grand Prize is sponsored by our friends at European Brewery Adventures at: http://realbeer.com/eba/ (even if you don't win you can still go...) Beer Enthusiasts of the world, stand up and be counted. No purchase is necessary to participate.

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Busch Goal 60% Of U.S. Market

Anheuser-Busch Cos. will try to seize 60 percent of the U.S. beer market by 2005, Chairman August Busch III told shareholders Wednesday...But growing to a 60 percent share of the U.S. market, from the present 44 percent, could be difficult. In the early 1990s, Busch predicted that his company would sell half of America's beer by 1995. Instead, the company has been stuck below that level and U.S. consumption of beer is barely growing. Busch said some demographic factors will increase beer consumption in the years ahead, however. He said that baby boomers entering the 45 to 54 age group are taking their preference for beer with them. This is a good sign for brewers because in the past, people over 45 drank less beer than younger people. Busch also said women are consuming more beer than in the past. Historically, men drink far more beer than women. The sudden growth in micro-brews and specialty beers is a good sign, Busch said. It creates new interest in beer, and has allowed Anheuser-Busch to roll out a series of specialty beers. (Source: Robert Manor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 25, Thursday, Business; Pg. 1C)

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How They're Going To Do It: "100% Focus"

In the wake of A-B's call for 100% focus from it's distributors, its being reported that many microbrewery brands are being dropped by A-B houses. Representatives of two of the hottest retional specialty brewers, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. of Chico, CA and Hart Brewing Co. (http://www.HartBrew.com) of Seattle, WA both report that their brands have been pushed out of A-B houses in recent weeks. According to Hart's George Hancock, this is a direct result of pressures from A-B, which is apparently worried about the success of upstart specialty brewers. "This is the kind of compliment we can do without" he said. (Source: Modern Brewery Age, April 7, 1996). Real Beer Inc. urges consumers to strike back by demanding craft-brewed products of local brewers. Distributors may get the message from retail pull rather than A-B push.

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EU Considers Fate Of English Pubs "Ties"

"Is nothing safe from the Eurocrats?" Begins an article by Roger Protz about the European Commission's review of the English Pub exemption of EU fair trade laws. "That most venerable of British institutions, the pub, is under investigation and when the European Commission reports next year, your favourite local could change out of all recognition or even disappear. The EC probe is concerned with 'the tie', the arrangement by which brewers are allowed to own pubs and supply them with their own products." Unless the exemption is renewed at the end of 1997, "time" will be called for those who cannot compete with the big beer suppliers and pub owners. The Brewers and Licensed Retailers' Association insists that pub- goers enjoy the widest choice and the lowest prices for beer anywhere in Europe - thanks to the tied house system. More than 61,000 pubs in Britain serve an estimated 25 million regular customers. More than 26,000 of those pubs are linked to brewing companies who largely govern what beers can be sold. Lager sales in the UK have risen from 2% some 30 years ago to 53% of total ale sales today, while more than 100 "micro-breweries" have been set up in the last decade and sales of imported beers continue to rise. The UK has the widest choice of beer brands in the EU, and more than 300 different brewers. Britons still drink more imported beer than consumers in the EU's other traditional beer-brewing nations, Belgium, Denmark, Germany or Holland. Protz argues that "In the United States, where the tie is illegal, three giant brewing groups control around 90% of the market, and a single brand. British regional brewers fear the pub trade will go the same way as most of Europe's and America's if the tie is weakened or abolished. The number of tied pubs has fallen from more than 60% to below 50% during the 1990s following a scathing report by the Monopolies Commission. As a result of that report, tenants in national brewers' pubs are free to sell 'guest ales' from independent brewers. But in reality, the grip of the giant brewers 'Scottish-Courage, Bass, Carlsberg-Tetley and Whitbread' has become more powerful. They dominate much of the 'free trade' (pubs not directly owned by producers) through the European mainland system of loans and discounts. The market share of the regional brewers has fallen in six years from 21 per cent to 15 per cent as they have been driven out of many free-trade accounts because of deep discounting by the nationals. Before it merged with Scottish & Newcastle, Courage led the discount war by offering pounds 60 off the price of a barrel. Even bigger discounts of up to pounds 100 have been recorded. The brewing giants have already divided into separate brewing and retail companies in anticipation of the tie being banned. Bass Brewing, for instance, now cozily sells to Bass Retailing. The regionals, driven out of the free trade, fear that if they cannot brew and own pubs they will become cats' paws of the giants. Anthony Fuller, who runs Fullers of west London with around 200 tied pubs, says that if he became either a non-brewing retailer or a brewer without pubs, he would be 'at the mercy of the big brands'." (Sources: Geoff Meade, Press Association Newsfile, Brussels, April 21, Sunday, Home News; Roger Protz, The Observer, April 14, Sunday, Life Page; Pg. 45)

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Open Containers: An Expensive Priority For Chapel Hill

A Chapel Hill Police Department evidence technician, Sonny Austin, created a lab test that may give officers and prosecutors proof positive of whether someone has violated the town's open container law. Austin's work began after UNC graduate student Jonathan McMurry attacked the department's strategy for enforcing the ordinance. McMurry -- a libertarian who calls himself "Chapel Hill's original beer patriot" -- has argued that police are obtaining convictions under the law without evidence. To make his point, McMurry has twice engineered his own arrest. Both times he was carrying unmarked cups of nonalcoholic beer. Both cases were tossed out of court. McMurry banked on the fact that Chapel Hill police have had, until now, no easy way to test the alcohol content of a beverage. Apparently, McMurry's challenge has become a priority for the community's resources, after investing three month's of Austin's salary and at least $ 415 per analysis unit, the police department feels secure they've come up with a solution to detect the difference between beer and near beer. "I'm looking forward to putting that evidence before a court and seeing how a judge feels about it," District Attorney Carl Fox said. "We're hoping it will become accepted procedure and accepted evidence in court." (Source: Ray Gronberg, Chapel Hill Herald, April 10, Wednesday, Front; Pg. 1)

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Myers Earns Beard Award

Benjamin Myers has received the 1996 James Beard Journalism Award for "Newspaper Writing on Spirits, Wine & Beer." The Journalism Awards were presented on 28 April during a ceremony held by the James Beard Foundation at the Yale Club in New York City. Myers received the Award for his article "It Must Be Spring - Bock Is Back! " which appeared in The Washington Post during March 1995. The article examined the history and characteristics of bock, doppelbock, and Maibock beers, while also reviewing contemporary examples (imports and domestic craft-beers). Myers, who previously was nominated for a 1995 James Beard Journalism Award, also received the Interbrew Travel Bursary - for his writings on European beers - from the British Guild of Beer Writers at the end of 1995. You can read more fine articles from Benjamin Myers, Director of Communications for Hart Brewing Co. (http://www.HartBrew.com) on the Real Beer Page at http://realbeer.com/rbp/authors/myers/

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Ethnic Marketing With A Twist - Honesty

Upper Canada, despite its name, makes German-style beers that is growing in popularity with people of Ethiopian, Chinese and Indian descent. It works, according to Attena Filate, who runs the Queen of Sheba Ethiopian restaurant in Toronto. "I have draft Upper Canada," says Filate. "They don't ask for anything else. It's closer to the taste they have at home." Oliver Dawson, director of market development, explains that he used history as a guide to target African restaurants. A century ago, Germans colonized in East Africa, notes Dawson. The Germans eventually left, but a market for German-style beer remained. So, when Dawson sketched out some table cards promoting Upper Canada beer, had them translated and stuck them on tables in the Queen of Sheba, the customers tried the brew, and went for it. Dawson concedes that the company made some big mistakes when it first pursued ethnic markets. A Guyanese-based company that brews a popular Caribbean beer contracted with Upper Canada to market the brand under licence in Canada with an eye on the Greater Toronto Area's large Caribbean population. And Canadians who holiday in the Caribbean may want to bring back vacation memories by hoisting a glass of West Indian brew. The beer didn't catch on with anyone. West Indians turned up their noses at a "Caribbean" beer made in Canada and other Canadians were also suspicious of an "import" made in Canada. "The beer was not authentic. It was brewed here. It was not the real thing, as far as they were concerned," says Dawson. "It was less exotic (than a real import) and, therefore, less desirable." The company went for a similar deal with a Chinese brewery, hoping to catch on with the swiftly growing Chinese population with similar results. Dawson tried a radical new twist. He tried pushing Upper Canada's unashamedly Canadian brand names to ethnic restaurants. And it worked. (Source: John Spears, The Toronto Star, April 9, Tuesday, Business; Pg. D1)

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Oldenberg Brewiana Museum In Transition

The Oldenberg Brewiana Museum collection provided for display to Oldenberg by the Haydocks family has been sold to Miller Brewing Company. Reports have the collection heading to Milwaukee for the new convention center where the entire collection will be on display. Oldenberg was able to display about half of the collection at any one time, and has arranged for another display with the Haydocks. David Heidrick, President of Oldenberg, said "This new display will be as impressive and rich as our former collection. It's scaled to our Museum so there may be more diversity represented. We are also adding a new collection from over 600 microbrewers and brewpubs around the country." More information about the collection is available online at http://realbeer.com/oldenberg/

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Stock Watch

Big Buck Announces Stock Offering

In response to explosive growth and success in Gaylord, MI, Big Buck Brewery & Steakhouse is looking to expand through a public offering. Big Buck plans to open multiple sites in major metro areas adjacent to expressways in Auburn Hills, Sault St. Marie and other locations to be announced. The stocks will be available on the NASDAQ Small Caps Market under the BBUC (Big Buck) listing. To learn more about the brewery (and see their 47 1/2 feet tall , 10 feet in diameter, 94,000-pounds- when-full and shaped like a beer bottle silo) go to: http://www.bigbuck.com/

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In Cider Trading: Lovecraft Stocks

Lovecraft Draft Cider Ltd., creator of Rhode Island's Original Hard Cider, billed as "America's Preferred Alternative to Beer" is offering 350,000 Shares of Common Stock at $5.00 per Share /Minimum 100 Shares. Fermentation in modern facilities located in Southern Rhode Island is now under way. Sales through kegs and modern bottling line throughout New England being established. A second facility is planned for the mid-South. Lovecraft Draft Cider Ltd., PO. Box 40907, Providence, Rhode Island 02940-0907, Toll Free: 1-800-416-5464, email: lovecraft@lovecraft.com, FAX: (401) 621-8885. http://www.lovecraft.com/

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Great Providence Brewing Company Offering

In an unusual turn for stock offerings -- which may be a trend with the beer industry considering Spring Street's media ripple with their online stock offering -- the Great Providence Brewing Company has provided 10 shares of stock to callers answering a series of survey questions. An 800# covering Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachussetts was the vehicle for earning shares. As of today, they are oversubscribed with 20,000 respondents and new shareholders. The brewery intends to involve share holders in the development of the beer portfolio and other aspects of the business. The shares are all of one class that bring full voting priviledges. With money raised from a full offering IPO due out in late July, Great Providence will build a 50-barrel brew house that can employ 50 people producing 50,000 barrels/year with $12.5 million of gross annual income at full capacity. Although the initial offering is no longer available, you can fill out the survey and sign up for a mailing list to keep on top of the brewery's developments. Go to http://www.americanbrewing.com

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Fest Watch

Here are selected festivals across the U.S. at which you might see Real Beer people. For a complete listing see our page at:

Grainaissance Faire, May 17-19, Sonomoa, CA

Historic Jack London State Park, Glen Ellen, California, Sonoma County. Admission $35-$550 depending upon level of attendance (Gourmet dinners and events add to price). Charge Tickets by Phone: 707-938-1133 Fax: 707-939-9669 email: carolwerner@msn.com. www: http://realbeer.com/grainaissance/

Midwest International Beer Exposition, May 17-19, Chicago, IL

Features programs by noted beer and food experts, including a wide variety of educational seminars, dinners, luncheons and an extensive sampling of hundreds of both domestic and imported microbrews. The Beer Expo will be held at the Bismarck Palace and Hotel, 171 West Randolph Street, at the corner of Wells Street in downtown Chicago. $15-$300 depending on events attended. Contact Organization: Midwest International Beer/Wine Expositions. David Furer (847) 678-0071 (847) 678-0415 fax

Boston Brewer's Festival, May 18,, Boston, MA

5th Annual Boston Brewers Festival , Bayside Expo Center. Contact Phone: 1-800-565-4BREW

California Festival of Beers, May 25, San Luis Obispo, CA

10th Annual California Festival of Beers, 11 am to 3 pm Avila Beach Resort and Golf Course. Admission: $32, $5 for designated drivers., Contact Hospice of San Luis Obispo County, Marcy Villa, (805) 544-2266 or (800) 549-1538

Great Eastern Invitational, June 7 - 8, Adamstown, PA

Great Eastern Invitational Microbrewery Fest, 6/7: 7-10pm; 6/8: 12-4pm and 7-11pm Stoudt's Black Angus, Admission: $20, Contact: Stoudt's Black Angus, (717) 484-4385

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Dallas County/Old Depot Closes

> One of the best brewpubs in the United States closed its doors two weeks ago. In an email press release, Dallas County President Kevin Rice, discussed the impact of a casino in Des Moines that cannibalized local businesses, unfulfilled capacity and Iowa state laws that put the price of a public offering in the hands of an elite and capitalized few. The Old Depot featured a warm setting built out from an old train depot where patrons could enjoy beers from personalized, ceramic mugs; order a sample plate from a selection of 6-10 game meats on any given evening; complement meals with the world's finest wines and single malts. Brewer Al Bush poured 50-years of experience into the hand-crafted beers -- this author's personal favorite was a weiss beer that will be missed. Across from the road from the restaurant a Microbrewery created bottle product for local distribution. The Old Depot and Dallas County Brewery were quality, integrated concepts that would have been wildly successful in Chicago, N.Y., Atlanta, S.F. -- any place where craft brewing and gourmet food has been embraced. This isn't a criticism of Iowa or its ability to support quality establishments; it's more of an encouragement for brew enthusiasts everywhere to support their local brewers. Companies interested in a complete 15 bbl. brewhouse, direct fired, single decoction mash should contact Kevin Rice or more information, to view the equipment and make a bid at 515-993-4456, or email at Iowa Beers@aol.com, or write P.O. Box 155, Adel, Iowa 50003.

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The Moment After Loss - Editorial

Because we're dealing with personal losses the metaphor is risky at least, so bear with me in this space and cut me a lot of slack as I sort through some of my feelings on the subject. I want to use this closing space to ponder loss from a survivor's perspective. This month we've seen the passing of some great stars in the business with Russell Schehrer, Dave Dehaven. In business terms, Old Depot/Dallas County Brewing passed on.

The common threads with these passings were the qualities of greatness, integrity, alchemy, lives touched for the better.

When I lost my father to cancer 10 years ago, no amount of eulogizing or commiseration could fill the hole of my grief. This is still pretty much the case: time has lessened the sharpness of the pain, but the dull enduring sadness still howls beneath the dirt from time to time. And I feel it most when loss shows its fetid, mocking mask or when great happiness and accomplishment touches my life. The losses can be the passing of life, friendships, traditions, eras, meaning. I've become accustomed to the process of grief but never fully comfortable with it. Inevitably we survive loss, but this may be the point. In general, I believe Westerners rush to get over loss, to get to the other side of grief, and in doing so may loose some of the gifts of the process. Eckhart suggested that the path to heaven was down the devil's calf -- knowledge delivered by the pain of reality and earned by burning off illusions of self-construction.

I'm not sure that I can make sense of Schehrer's fatal fall down some stairs. As Westerners, we may lean towards romanticizing Dave's headfirst burnout. And we can leave puzzling over the remains of Old Depot to the bright folks in business school. Some will make resolves from the loss: stay true, evangelize the living, enjoy it while it's here. Others will miss the mask and opportunity to evolve. I'm going to hang out with it a little while longer and invite you to as well. If you want, join me in a minute of silence for the ones mentioned here, the ones in your life and for the gift of reflection.

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Promotions And Additions:

Sadie Honey, Account & Project Manager

Real Beer Inc. is proud to announce the promotion of Sadie Honey from Account Coordination to Account and Project Management. The promotion comes at a time when Real Beer Inc. is experiencing great growth and recognizes her integral contribution to the management of resources and responsibilities evolving from this expansion.

Kevin Fair, Canada Representation

Real Beer Inc. proudly announces our newest representative and partner in Canada. Kevin posesses a unique combination of web-head, content developer, designer and business accumen. He brings a lot of capabilities and energy to our offerings for craft-beer marketers in Canada.
 

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