An Australian winery starts brewing beer:

Moorilla Estate winery staff call the place Moo. So when it came to naming their new beer, Moo Brew was their obvious choice.

The three new microbeers from one of the state’s oldest wineries were unleashed on the public at a crowded launch at the Berridale estate last night.

Moorilla chief executive Tim Goddard said there was no contradiction in a winery turning its hand at brewing.

“After a long day of wine tasting, the first thing you want is a beer,” he said.

[Reported in The Mercury]

The Times-Standard in Eureka, Calif., profiles Lost Coast Brewery and founder Barbara Groom.

The brewery has been around for 15 years, but business is still growing.

”We keep thinking it’s going to slow down, because the larger you get the harder it is to make that percentage of growth,” Groom said.

Brewery and Sales Manager Briar Bush added the brewery does best in what are politically referred to as “the blue states.” Groom then said, jokingly: “That’s where all the educated people are.”

Linda Murphy, San Francisco Chronicle wine editor, heads out on a major pub crawl with four Bay Area brewers. She writes:

Four professional brewers took an out-of-touch beer lover on a pub crawl last month through their favorite haunts in the Bay Area. The itinerary was based on beer selection, ambience and the storytelling opportunities that arise when brew, bars and buddies hook up.

Stops include 21st Amendment, Zeitgeist, Toronado, Black Horse London Pub, Pelican Inn, Barclays Restaurant & Pub and The Bistro, but the best parts are the conversations along the way. Good reading.

Despite a “soft” underlying market due to weak consumer confidence, Scottish & Newcastle reports a 5.6% rise in UK branded beer and cider volumes during the third quarter. The company noted that in the three months to the end of September, the UK beer and cider market had grown by just 1.8%.

In the United States, sales of Newcastle Brown Ale continued to grow at “double digits” in the third quarter.