| FEATURE NEWS |
| Virtual Beer Pong Have you tried virtual beer pong as you settle into more sheltering in place? . It's a variation on the popular drinking game, which involves a ping-pong ball strategically bounced across a table, into cups of beer — except it's all captured on live chat. The game is pretty challenging — not physically, of course, but virtually — and there's trash talk, of course. The software toggles between images of people on the chat, which means occasionally you lose sight of the bouncing ball. Life is carrying on over webcam. Apps including Zoom, FaceTime and Microsoft Teams are fast becoming the linchpins keeping work meetings going and grandparents visiting. At the more extreme end, some are even holding virtual versions of bachelor parties and weddings that were canceled in real life. Virtual happy hour has even brought out some introverts. Many people that have never come to our normal in-person happy hours, now have dialed into the virtual happy hours — it's either they like the venue more, or they're finally pushed to the point of desperation. It seems that human contact is a necissity even if it's virtual. |
| Get Married For Free Beer Nothing can bring back the months of wedding planning that went to waste after coronavirus hit. But one company is hoping it can help alleviate engaged couples' stress during the pandemic with -- what else -- beer. Busch Beer is offering couples whose wedding plans have changed due to the coronavirus a chance to win its free beer for a year. "Whether couples ran to city hall to say 'I do' or are postponing until another time when they can gather friends and family, this small consolation will allow them to focus on what really matters -- each other -- and cheers all year long," the company said in a news release.Couples who altered their wedding plans this year are asked to post a photo of themselves on social media -- using the hashtags #BuschWeddingGift and #Sweepstakes -- with a caption explaining how they still plan on celebrating. Two hundred and fifty winners will receive a $300 debit card, which can then be used to buy two 24-pack cases per month.Friends of engaged couples can also enter, using the hashtags #MyFriends Wedding and #Sweepstakes, to win a T-shirt or coozie. Sorry, no beer will be awarded tor them. . |
Mayl 2020
| Pandemic Causes Beer Dumping Millions of pints of beer and cider might need to be dumped in the United Kingdom as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Large quantities as ale, which has a shelf life of six to eight weeks, and lager, which lasts between three and four months, may never get consumed after being delivered to various outposts ahead of the outbreak of COVID-19, according to the Campaign for Real Ale. The group estimates that 51 million pints of beer, lager and cider may get tossed as a result. Tens of thousands of venues have shut their doors indefinitely amid the crisis. Breweries Closing At Alarming Rate Although the craft beer industry was still growing before the Coronavirus hit it was growing at a slower rate than before, which is not surprising giving the industry's maturity. What is worrisome are the number of breweries that are closing. Even before the pandemic set in, the number of closures was rising. Last year, there were 294 brewery closings, or 34% more than the 219 that closed in 2018, and 78% more than the 164 that shut their doors in 2017. A survey of member craft breweries by the Brewers Association found that while just 14% could last only a month or less, 60% of respondents could only survive three months if current social distancing practices remained in effect.The trade group was already expecting 4% to 5% of all craft brewers to close this year, which would represent between 330 and 400 breweries shutting their doors, but the pandemic could exacerbate that dramatically, calling it an "existential threat" to the industry. Best Sellers A look at Pennsylvania’s top-selling wines and spirits as society began to social- distance from the coronavirus, shows that value is important. Quality may be another question..Top selling spirit in the last 3 weeks before places were being shut down with over 300,000 “airplane” bottles sold was Fireball, a cinnamon- flavored whiskey that might best be described as the love child of whiskey and those little Red Hots candies. The 50 mL size, which sell for a buck, is used as a mixer or simply as a shot. We have no explanation. The top-seller in wine was a Californian from Gallo called Apothic. It’s a red blend of zinfandel, syrah, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. We have no explanation for that either. |