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RBPMail 4.07, July 1998
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 Often, links you will see are out of date, and businesses referred to may also be long gone.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:
If you like what you read here and want more every week, subscribe to
BEERWeek. Much of the content within is digested from BEERWeek, the paid
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today at
http://www.beerweek.com
Join us at the AHA's National Homebrewers Conference in Portland Ore.
July 22-24 (just before the Oregon Brewers Fest) for great beer,
education and fun!
http://beertown.org/AHA/HBC98
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A-B TERMINATES AMBREW AGREEMENT
Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. has informed American Craft Brewing
International Ltd. that AmBrew has been evicted from its Rio Bravo
facility in Tecate, Mexico, according to newspaper reports. AmBrew's
assets have been transferred to Cerveceria Mexicana, and A-B has ended
its contract brewing and packaging agreement with AmBrew. AmBrew had
signed an agreement in October 1997 to supply beer for A-B to import
into the United States.
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TEAMSTER UNION COMMITTEE REJECTS A-B'S FINAL OFFER
The union bargaining committee has rejected the final offer for a
contract settlement with A-B. The Teamsters Union represents 8,000
employees at the twelve Anheuser-Busch breweries around the country. A-B
has contingency plans to keep their 12 breweries operating with retirees
and salaried employees. The last strike against A-B was in 1976 and
lasted 13 weeks which resulted in loss of market share and a drop in
stock price of some 32 percent.
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BEER ACROSS AMERICA FILES CHAPTER 11
Hilltop Marketing Inc. d.b.a. Merchant Direct, which operates the
companies Beer Across America, International Wine Cellars, Cigar Affair,
Coffee Quest and Spa Discoveries, has voluntarily entered into a legal
restructuring, according to a company press release. The company intends
to continue normal operations, including fulfilling customer orders,
while working towards resolving their financial situation.
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USHERS TO BREW LOWENBRAU; CONTINUING UK LAGER TREND
England's Ushers of Trowbridge Group Plc will brew and bottle
Lowenbrau Premium Bier and Lowenbrau Pils, but will import the brewery's
other beers. It is the first franchise beer arrangement for Ushers,
which has 542 pubs in its "estate" and is based in southwest England.
Ushers gained exclusive right to market the beers to liquor stores in
Britain and other off-premise outlets. However, Lowenbrau is also brewed
and imported in the UK by Carlsberg-Tetley, an Anglo-Danish brewer owned
by Carlsberg A/S. Ushers' Lowenbrau will be competing with C-T's
Lowenbrau in Britain's 60,000 pubs and bars.
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NOBLE CHINA CANCELS SHARES OF EX-CHAIR; UPS BOOK-VALUE
Noble China Inc., which brews and sells Pabst Blue Ribbon in China, has
canceled 5,442,163 common shares, increasing the book value per share by
50%, according to newspaper reports. The shares had belonged to the
company's former chairman, Lei Kat Cheong, who had been responsible for
a loss of 100,000 tonnes of production at the Zhaoqing Noble Brewery.
Lei had been advised that he had until May 30 to make good on an initial
damage award of $78 million or the Company would have the option of
canceling his shares as partial payment of that damage award. He did not
make good on the debt, and the Company canceled his shares as of June 1,
1998. Noble China owns three breweries in China and is one of the
largest brewing companies in that country. Its leading brand, Pabst Blue
Ribbon, is the largest selling foreign brand in China.
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GUINNESS IMPORT COMPANY AND BASS BEERS RENEW AGREEMENT
Guinness Import Co. and Bass Beers Worldwide have announced that GIC
will continue to serve as the sole and exclusive importer of Bass Ale.
One major change will the creation of a new name for the company. GIC
will change its name to Guinness Bass Import Company. GBIC will be fully
owned by Guinness, which is in turn an operating company of Diageo Plc.
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HEINEKEN BUYS STAKE IN BREWPOLE
Heineken NV has bought a 9.6% stake in Poland's Brewpole BV. Heineken
plans to merge Brewpole with its Zywiec SA unit to eventually form
Poland's biggest brewer. Brewpole owns Elbrewery Co. Ltd. and Lezajsk
SA, and has six breweries in the center and northern part of Poland.
Zywiec, 75% owned by Heineken, owns two breweries and is strongest in
the southern part of the country. Poland's beer consumption grew by
13.9% in 1997.
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SWISS GROUP TO DISTRIBUTE BUD
Feldschloesschen-Huerlimann Holding AG, Switzerland's biggest brewer and
beverage group, has signed a deal with Anheuser- Busch to distribute Bud
to retail outlets, restaurants and bars in Switzerland, according to
newspaper reports. F-H claims to have 50% of the Swiss beer market. It
was formed in 1996 by a merger of rivals Feldschloesschen and
Huerlimann.
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ASAHI MAKES ECO PROMISES
Japan's Asahi Breweries Ltd. plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions in
its brewing process by 20% during this decade, as cited in the company's
Eco Report 1998, according to the Nikkei English News. The company
pledges to reduce emissions from 187 kilograms a kiloliter to 150 kg by
2000. Other measures also mentioned in the report -- including
generating electricity with methane gas produced in the brewing process
-- are expected to cut fuel, electricity and water consumption.
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SAPPORO POURS MORE BUDGET INTO DRAFTY SPECIAL
After promotional drives by Japan's Suntory Ltd. and Kirin Brewery that
may have hurt sales of Sapporo's low-malt beer, Drafty Special, Sapporo
Breweries Ltd. plans to nearly double its marketing expenditures for
that beer. Sales for Drafty Special have fallen at least 20% for the
past two months compared to 1997 sales figures. Currently, Sapporo
spends about 30% of its total promotional budget on low-malt beer,
according to the Nikkei English News.
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The House approved legislation for fiscal year 1999 that could increase
by 70% the number of military stores that sell beer and wine. Arguments
for the increase in outlets indicate that military personnel should have
convenient access to beer and wine. Opponents argue that the U.S. Army
has a "deglamourization program" for alcohol, and that easy access to
alcohol products could disrupt discipline. The new provision allows for
a survey of commissary patrons to ask if they are interested in having
beer and wine available at the military's 298 commissaries. Those
opposed to this project state that beer and wine sales at the
commissaries would take money away from the exchanges. Profits from
sales at exchanges go to finance and improve recreational areas for the
troops and to finance child-care centers.
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NEW GERMAN HEMP BEER RUNS AFOUL OF REINHEITSGEBOT?
Germany's Ashbjoern Gerlach is brewing "Turn," a hemp beer made from
marijuana with little or no THC, the herb's "magic" ingredient. Another
German, Rudolf Wahl also brews a hemp beer called "Cannabia," and
fellow-countryman Peter Fritsch produces Neuzelle Klosterbrau that is
sweetened with sugar, in keeping with an old traditional recipe. All
three are facing opposition from Germany's brewing associations on the
grounds that they are not meeting the German Purity Laws, the
Reinheitsgebot, which decrees that German beers must only be brewed with
yeast, hops, malt and water. Exceptions were made in 1993 for imported
beers such as Anheuser-Busch and Miller, who use corn and rice adjuncts
in brewing their beer. As a fallback plan, Gerlach is considering
shipping the beer from Poland into Germany to take advantage of the
exception for imports. Wahl's "Cannabia" has since been added to
lemonade to become a drink that is now not technically a beer, but Peter
Fritsch is still under pressure to change his beer or not call it beer.
His "Neuzelle Klosterbrau" is beer sweetened with sugar in accordance
with an old monks' recipe (he says). He also states that saying that
beer with sugar added is not beer is like saying that coffee with sugar
added is no longer coffee. (New York Times, May 27, 1998; article by
Greg Steinmetz.)
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Dos Equis has a newly-launched, web-based promotion called "Quest for
the Revolutionary Best." As far as we know, this promotion may be a
first on the web. Participants register online and answer Revolutionary
Best questions like, "who was the most revolutionary basketball player
of all time?" or "what was the most revolutionary decade this century?"
There are no right or wrong answers, just plenty to debate. As if
playing is not reward enough, Dos Equis will be drawing random winners
from daily participants for Mouse pads, Revolutionary music CDs and
posters. And each time you play, you are entered into the Grand Prize
drawing for a cool, revolution-ready, field boom box. RBPMail readers
interested in being notified of the program's kick-off later this month
should send e mailto:quest@dosx.com
http://www.dosx.com
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CELEBRATOR JUNE/JULY 98 ISSUE ONLINE
Celebrator has added their June/July 1998 issue online bringing their
total archive to over one thousand excellent articles about real beer.
The Celebrator, published for over 10 years, was the first beer
publication on the 'net and now has over four years of good, honest beer
coverage indexed in their archive.
http://celebrator.com
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AHA'S NATIONAL HOMEBREW CONFERENCE
Join other homebrewers at the AHA's National Homebrewers Conference in
Portland Ore. July 22-24 (just before the Oregon Brewers Fest) for great
beer, education and fun!
http://beertown.org/AHA/HBC98
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Speaking of brewing, check out the BrewingTechniques Market Guide
Online. All the great articles about Malts and Yeast are now online. The
guide is indexed for quick searching and includes a comprehensive,
searchable database of suppliers for your reference as well. Check it
out at:
http://www.brewingtechniques.com/bmg/
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STORY PUBLICATIONS AND REAL BEER, INC. PARTNER
Storey Publications and Real Beer, Inc. have partnered to bring you a
large selection of brewing books available for purchase online. Now,
when you perform a keyword, library search on our Real Beer Network,
results will include relevant books for your reference, enjoyment and
instant purchase. Start your search on our homepage at:
http://realbeer.com
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FROMM, MAYER-BASS
Fromm, Mayer-Bass, established in 1845 and with offices in Germany,
England and Yakima, WA, is one of the worlds' leading hop companies.
Purveyors of the HOPSTABIL products. Fromm, Mayer-Bass caters to
professional brewers and homebrewers, and can satisfy any hop demand.
Check out their informative pages at:
http://www.fmbhops.com
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JV North West, founded in 1981 as an equipment supplier to the beverage
industry, was one of the original suppliers on the craft-brewing scene.
Continuing with their tradition of quality and custom-fit brewing
systems, JVNW maintains excellent customer service and follow through.
Now with an East Coast sales office, the whole country is their
territory. Check out their page at:
http://www.jvnw.com
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Labatt Blue, the number one Canadian import, launches a revamped web
site with tons of interactive elements proving that the best times come
from "Out of the Blue." Lucky's II -- the shockwave hockey game that
pits you against Lucky, the tough, mask-less goalie -- is online with a
downloadable version, more insults and playability. Daily news feeds,
cartoons and Canadian links fill the news section, and an exclusive MVP
sign-up gets you discounts on Canadian merchandise. One of the web's
best Brew-Process tours and beer history are available in the beer
section and wallpaper, a Zamboni screensaver trivia quizzes are
available in the games area. This is a great bookmark. Check out:
http://www.labattblue.com
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What brewery can get away with calling their barleywine "Thunderpussy?"
The S. F. Haight-Ashbury district's only Brewpub, based in an historic
building with a rich and sordid past, Magnolia Pub and Brewery can now
include excellent house beers and tasty fare to their claim to fame as
well. The Magnolia Pub and Brewery has a friendly, neighborhood pub
atmosphere. Head over to their website to take in the rest of the story
at:
http://www.magnoliapub.com
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Mark your calendars for the weekend of October 16 & 17, 1998, and head
to the windy city for the 3rd Annual Real Ale Festival. This event is
unique in the annals of US brewing culture, modeled on the venerable
CAMRA festivals in Canada and the UK. Cask-conditioned ales served,
mostly in firkins, are represented from US and UK breweries. Also
featured: bottle-conditioned beers; pub games; slide tours of British
pubs; and tastings with famed beer writer Michael Jackson. More
information on tickets and location are available at:
http://www.mcs.com/~rdan/RAF.php
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Technology has caught up with tradition in three brewing systems
designed to address the exacting brewer, the price perceptive
entrepreneur and their discriminating customers. Look at Tradition for
complete brewing systems from 5-50 barrels. Their site is being
constructed with the same care and attention as their systems, so
bookmark the page when you hit it:
http://www.traditionalbrewing.com
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UPPER CANADA BREWING CO.
Upper Canada Brewing Co., brewing with the same uncompromising standards
since 1984, proudly releases its new Maple Brown beer to a family of
excellent beers. Review some of the company's pioneering milestones
along with the entire portfolio of beers at:
http://uppercanada.com
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- The Real Beer Page announces a diverse group of brew websites
to check out:
- http://www.addabrewpub.com
- http://www.alaskanbeer.com
- http://www.americanwhitewater.com
- http://www.belgianbeer.com
- http://www.doublesprings.com
- http://www.gooseisland.com
- http://members.aol.com/kegworks/kegworks.php
- http://www.morebeer.com
- http://www.netcom.com/~dluzanp
- http://www.pubgear.com
- http://www.rcbequip.com
- http://www.schreiermalt.com
- http://www.tacomac.com
- http://www.vintagecellar.com
- http://www.vinosbrewpub.com
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Thanks to all who have been replying to our Quickie Surveys. We draw one
winner each month for the prize of Michael Jackson's The Great Beers of
Belgium distributed by Vanberg & DeWulf (http://www.BelgianExperts.com),
importers of fine Belgian beers and now brewers of Belgian-style beer in
their Cooperstown-based Brewery Ommegang. Last month's winner was Tony W
Simmons who likes RBPMail the way it is.
LAST MONTH'S QUESTION:
Every so often we check in with you about how you rate our services.
Last month we asked how you wanted your RBPMail. Over 40% think it's
just right. Another 40% want more information and/or frequency and 10%
think it's too long. For the latter, we encourage you to scan our
headlines up top for quick relevance analysis and your scroll bar for
jumping past the information you don't want to read. And know we'll work
on greater brevity, perhaps with more articles.
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FREMONT BREWING COMPANY CLOSES
Fremont, California's long running brewpub has closed. Unlike most
brewpub failures, Fremont Brewing Company was reportedly doing good
business at its southeast bay location between Oakland and San Jose. The
brewery sits on land formerly used as a golf course, destined in the
future for a housing development. When it first opened in 1989, brewpub
entrepreneur Bill Owens, who selected the site, billed it as "The
World's First Brewpub on a Golf Course." A few years later, nine holes
were torn out and housing units built. Dave and Tom Lawler bought the
business after the dissolution of Owens' investor group in 1994. They
have been unable to secure alternate locations for the business in the
last few years. They will continue to search for a new site.
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KENTUCKY'S BREWWORKS LLC DISSOLVES
Wynkoop Brewing Company announced that it had recently ceased operations
at the Covington Brewing Company d.b.a. BrewWorks, Covington, Kentucky.
The brewpub was wholly owned by Covington Brewing Co., LLC, and its only
business was the operation of the brewpub. The LLC has decided to
dissolve, according to a memo to creditors from Jim Caruso, president of
Wynkoop Brewing Co.
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FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE LIST OF TOP 20 BREWERIES
Food & Wine Magazine has named its 20 top craft breweries in the United
States in the June 1998 issue. The list was compiled by David Lynch, a
senior editor at the magazine, after researching lists of Great American
Beer Festival awards, interviewing bartenders, beer publication editors,
beer writers and industry analysts. Included on the list, in
alphabetical order:
Abita (LA)
Alaskan (AK) - http://alaskanbeer.com
Anchor (CA)
Boston Beer Co. (MA) - http://www.samadams.com
Brooklyn Brewery (NY)
Catamount (VT)
Celis (TX)
Frederick (MD) - http://www.hempenale.com
D.L. Geary (ME)
Goose Island (IL) - http://www.gooseisland.com
Kalamazoo (MI)
New Belgium (CO)
New Glarus (WI)
Old Dominion (WA D.C.)
Rogue (OR) - http://rogueales.com
Sierra Nevada (CA)
Sprecher (WI)
Stoudt (PA)
Tabernash (CO)
Yakima (Bert Grant) (WA) - http://www.grants.com
Honorable Mentions included
Anderson Valley Brewing (CA)
Deschutes Brewery (OR)
Great Lakes Brewing (OH) - http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com
Mendocino Brewing (CA) - http://mendobrew.com
Miami Brewing (FL)
Pike Brewery (WA)
Pyramid Breweries (WA)
Ybor City Brewing (FL)
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GRAND OPENING OF BALLYARD BREWERY IN PHOENIX
Jake, Dick and John Leinenkugel presided over the opening of their new
brewery, Ballyard Brewery, at the Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, AZ, home
of the Arizona Diamondbacks (the National League expansion team).
Operational since March, the brewery now has its full line-up of beers
available on tap. The 20,000-sq. ft. brewpub is located in a free-
standing building adjacent to the ballpark and will be open year 'round.
It houses the brewing kettles and a full-service restaurant. The
Leinenkugels partnered with the Diamondbacks and former Milwaukee Brewer
All-Star player, Robin Yount, who owns a development company in
Scottsdale. The brewmaster at Ballyard is Chris Swersey.
http://www.leinie.com
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RITZY THEATRE IN CHICAGO POURS CRAFT-BREW
An 18-screen multiplex in Chicago's Yorktown has designed one of its
auditoriums as a first-class, state-of-the-art facility that serves
gourmet appetizers, light entrees, champagne, wine and premium beer.
Premium Cinema will be open seven days a week for both afternoon and
evening showings, and is a first in luxury film theater category in the
United States. There will be a full-time concierge, valet parking and
wide leather seats. Beers currently being poured include Goose Island
Honkers Ale, Grant's Amber Ale, Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss, Peroni
(Italy), Bass and Pilsener Urquell.
http://www.gooseisland.com
http://www.grants.com
http://www.leinie.com
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THE BELL TOLLS FOR TRAVELERS IN PHILADELPHIA
The newest Red Bell Brewery and Pub opened on June 11th in the new US
Air B-C Terminal Connector. Red Bell President James R. Bell signaled
the opening of the Old English-styled brewpub by cutting a ribbon and
inviting all visitors, travelers and airline and airport personnel to
relax and refresh in the new facility. This venue joins the very
successful and much admired Red Bell Brewery & Pub at the Core States
Center and a series of mini-brew pubs at Veterans Stadium. Red Bell,
which is produced in the historic former F.A. Poth Brewing Co. building
at 31st and Jefferson Sts. in the Brewerytown section of Philadelphia,
claims to be the largest microbrewery in the craft beer segment with
280,000 sq.-ft. of operational space.
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BROOKLYN BREWERY BUYS POST ROAD BRAND
The Brooklyn Brewery has purchased the Post Road beer brand, a line of
ales created by A.J. Moran of Newbury, MA. Post Road's leading product,
Post Road Pale Ale, won the Silver Medal in the American Pale Ale
category at the Great American Beer Festival in 1989, and bronze medals
at the 1994 and 1995 GABF. It is a very hoppy American-style pale ale.
The beer is named after the original highway from New York to Boston.
The beers are also distributed in CT, RI and ME. The beers are currently
contract-brewed at Catamount Brewing Co. in Vermont.
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ONE, TWO, THREE...EVERYBODY BREW!!!
In honor of the 10th anniversary of National Homebrew Day, more than
1,000 homebrewers around the United States gathered at 105 different
locations in a simultaneous brew-in on May 2. Brewers brewed using
identical recipes for barleywine. The American Homebrewers Association
calculated that the equivalent of 14,400 12-oz. bottles of barleywine
was brewed that day. Adding in other recipes that were also brewed in
the simultaneous brew-off brought the total to 25,461 bottles!
http://beertown.org
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DUFF BEER HITS THE BLACK MARKET
A beer called "Duff" went on the Australian market in 1995. Shortly
after, the makers of "The Simpsons" television program complained that
the name "Duff" was stolen from their series, and it was banned from
sale in 1996 after a court ruling. (Duff is the favorite beer of Homer
Simpson on the cartoon series.) Recently, classified ads from private
citizens in Australia have appeared offering 6-packs of Duff for $750
and cases of beer for up to $6,300. The beer originally sold for $15 per
case when it went on the Australian market in 1995.
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HAWAIIAN BREWERY BOTTLES IN OREGON: IT'S CHEAPER
Hawaii's largest microbrewery, Kona Brewing, has found it less expensive
to ship full bottles of beer to Hawaii than empty ones, according to a
May 1998 issue of Pacific Maritime. While still brewing keg beer at its
Kailua-Kona location on Hawaii, the brewery has moved its bottling
operation to a Portland brewery. The full bottles are taken by train to
Seattle and put on a Sea-Land Service ship bound for Hawaii. Mattson
Davis, Kona Brewing general manager, stated that the cost of shipping
empty bottles to Hawaii was exorbitant: $2 a case for empty bottles from
the Mainland to the HI-based brewery, contrasted to $1.50 per case for
beer importers to bring in full bottles of beer. According to a
spokesperson for Sea-Land, a 20-ft. container full of bottled beer from
West Coast to Hawaii is $1,738. Cost to ship the same container full of
empty bottles is $2,170. Davis stated the brewery plans to ship about
6,000 cases of beer per month to Hawaii.
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EDITORIAL: TOBACCO, BEER AND SUBVERSIVE ELEMENTS
For those readers who don't know, California passed a law in 1997
banning smoking in restaurants and bars. There are loopholes for owner-
operated entities and conditions for creating smoking areas in which
wait staff do not enter for which the service porthole resembles
security windows at banks.
Before the law was passed, there were bars in California -- good beer
places too -- that were non-smoking and many that allowed smoking.
Consumers had a choice of venues. We realize that wait-staff may not
choose to be around smoke, and that provides some compelling reasoning
along with emotional basis for the law. They also represent a minority
interest, which raises the question about what the law is really going
after.
In most cases, I'm a non-smoker, so the law came and passed without so
much concern from me. Until I started talking to our friends and tavern
owners. And when I decided to pair a cigar with some charactered beer as
I'm wont to do every other month or so, the reality of the law started
to dawn on me.
The other night, we were out on one of those every-other-month-or-so
occasions and in a bar that holds a different attitude to the new law.
Quite frankly, it's difficult to enforce. The most a bar staff can and
should do is ask someone to stop smoking. After that, it's in the hands
of authorities better equipped to handle a smoker in the unlikely event
that they turn violent. And a fine use of police resources this would
be.
People were smoking at the bar. I asked the bartender if it was illegal
to smoke in the establishment. The bartender nodded in agreement and
said, "it is illegal to smoke in this bar," as he handed me an ashtray.
"What about cigars?" I asked, testing the waters to see how far these
outlaws were willing to go.
"We do not discriminate on the smoking device. Any kind of smoking is
absolutely illegal in here," he said with a smile, sliding the ashtray a
little further in my direction.
"Brilliant," I thought. These people are doing what we all want to do.
They are complying with the letter of the law while recognizing that
prohibitionist laws are like mindless, toothless fools, especially when
unenforceable.
In a related side note, I feel sorry and embarrassed for the airline
clerks who have to continually ask (through metaphorically drooling,
mindless, toothless grins) whether a person's bags have been in their
possession and whether a stranger has requested I carry their bags for
them. It neither gives me a feeling of security nor takes measures
towards revealing would-be terrorists. The questions are an insult to
them and to me and to our collective intelligence. When griping about it
one time to a fellow traveler I was told that it's worth keeping bombers
off of the airlines. Perhaps her intelligence wasn't insulted; simply
non- existent.
This smoking in taverns business is the same way. It's heart may be in
the right place, but without a brain, the patient should be dead. But we
continue to support non-thinking legislation either by voting or not; by
complying or simply not noticing.
The bar we were in has begun the whispers that "the emperor has no
clothes." As our friends at the Celebrator like to say, "before
homebrewing was legal, homebrewers were outlaws." During Prohibition,
Speak Easies popped up and thrived. If you ever get to Spokane,
Washington, swing by Fort Spokane Brewpub and ask to be toured under the
brewery where part of an underground passageway still exists that lead
people under the city to drinking establishments. History proved that
the laws these citizens were violating made no sense and didn't work.
I know that this position will get us in some heated debates. It already
has at home and in the office. But I had to get this off my chest: we're
going to such extremes in rejecting personal responsibility that
ordinary, thinking folk are becoming outlaws. You know what they come
after once they've got the tobacco folks all wrapped up? Your beer.
Don't laugh; they're already doing it. We've been on panels with
neoprohibitionists that seek to lump tobacco and beer into the same
light, debate, consideration and legislated areas.
We, like the example set by the bar-that-will-remain-anonymous-to-
protect-the-guilty, usually smile when they do come after beer and push
the issue to question so that we can sleep as free people.
Agree? Disagree? Want to round-out the debate? Feel free to sound-off on
our ProBrewer public message board at:
http://www.probrewer.com/cgi-bin/probrewer/message.cgi
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A COMPLETELY UNRELATED MATTER
A college friend sent a touching email about his family's efforts to
adopt a baby. He used the Internet successfully last year to get in
touch with the birth mother of their first child. They are now looking
for their second child and want your assistance. According to the
letter, which we can assure is 100% sincere and valid as of July 1998,
the wider a net that can be thrown, the higher likelihood of a
successful adoption. We figured the 70,000+ circulation of RBPMail was
the biggest net we could provide. If you think you can help or if you
want to send a letter on to friends who can, please visit Kevin and
Ellen Liebl's home page at:
http://www.beescene.com/personal/adoption/liebl/liebl.htm
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