| Polish TV to Ban Lingerie, Beer Ads During Papal Visit Polish public television will ban advertisements for such things as beer, lingerie and contraceptives during this month's visit by Pope Benedict XVI. The network wants advertisers to submit materials for broadcast during the Pope's upcoming tour of Poland at least four days in advance, according to a statement on its Web site. A committee will review all ads to ensure that their content does not conflict with "sensitive" areas to Pope. More than 90 percent of Poles are baptized Roman Catholics, and organizers say Benedict may draw as many as 2 million worshippers at a mass in Krakow, the southern Polish hometown of his predecessor John Paul II. The network's list of unacceptable ads also includes those for ``intimate hygiene products'' and ``explosives and flammable materials." |
| Drinking Guide to The World Cup Pouring a beer is serious business in Germany. Bartenders first wet the inside of the glass, to reduce excessive foaming. Then, they let the head settle for maybe a minute, and top it up several times until just a bit of foam peeks over the rim. Perfect. Zum Wohl! (To your health!) Here's a brief guide to beer in Germany for visitors to the World Cup June 9-July or those of you who will be sitting home watching a few matches. Sit back, enjoy some good German beer and root for your favorite team. And if you don't have a favorite team or don't like soccer then just enjoy your brew while watching the Yankees! Pilsner: Usually shortened to "Pils," as in "ein Pils, bitte!," ("a pilsner, please!") this is the mainstay in the north, a light-colored beer made from barley and with the distinct, faintly bitter taste of hops - the flowering plant used for flavor. Often served in a tall, thin flute with the brewer's logo, especially if it's a "null drei," or a third of a liter - about two-thirds of a pint. A larger "null fuenf," or a half-liter, equal to about a pint, may arrive in a tall mug with a handle. - Helles: German for "light," referring to color, not alcohol or flavor, popular in the southern region of Bavaria. Helles differs from pilsner by having noticeable malt sweetness and less hops flavor. - Hefeweizen: Made from wheat, naturally cloudy from yeast, faintly sweet. A favorite down south but available all over. - Kristallweizen: A hefeweizen, with the yeast filtered out. - Dunkles: German for "dark," referring to the darker color caused by roasting the malted grain a bit more. - Bock: A strong lager, with around 7 percent alcohol, a bit on the sweet side. A "mass" (as the one-liter - about two pints - beer steins are known; pronounced "mahs") of dopplebock, which is even stronger, packs a wallop, so watch out. - Radler: A beer cut with lemonade or lemon-lime soda. Name means "cyclist" because it is said to have been invented so cyclists could refresh themselves without crashing. |
Feature News from beernexus.com
World Cup Beer Brings Protests
It is brown-gold and alcoholic but, then, in the
scathing verdict of German beer fans, so is paint
thinner. The Germans are furious that Budweiser will
be the official beer for the soccer World Cup.
The American lager has secured a near-monopoly of
beer sales inside World Cup stadiums and within a
500m radius of the grounds, supplanting more than
1270 domestic breweries.
And what most upsets the fans is that Budweiser -
advertised as the "King of Beers" in the US - fails to
meet the ancient German standards for purity, which
stipulate that beer can be brewed only from malt,
hops and water.
Budweiser uses rice in its production process and
therefore fails to qualify as a beer in the German
sense.
Budweiser's World Cup status is considered an
outrage for a country that attaches such importance
to beer production. When Germany was a patchwork
of principalities and duchies, a sponsored brewery
was seen as the stamp of independence.
"Most pubs don't even stock it," groaned Walter
Konig, of the Bavarian Breweries Association.
"Bavarian beer should be available in a Bavarian
stadium - Munich - for the first kick-off.
"But what can we do? Budweiser paid $US40million
for the concession even before Germany had been
chosen to host the tournament."
It is brown-gold and alcoholic but, then, in the
scathing verdict of German beer fans, so is paint
thinner. The Germans are furious that Budweiser will
be the official beer for the soccer World Cup.
The American lager has secured a near-monopoly of
beer sales inside World Cup stadiums and within a
500m radius of the grounds, supplanting more than
1270 domestic breweries.
And what most upsets the fans is that Budweiser -
advertised as the "King of Beers" in the US - fails to
meet the ancient German standards for purity, which
stipulate that beer can be brewed only from malt,
hops and water.
Budweiser uses rice in its production process and
therefore fails to qualify as a beer in the German
sense.
Budweiser's World Cup status is considered an
outrage for a country that attaches such importance
to beer production. When Germany was a patchwork
of principalities and duchies, a sponsored brewery
was seen as the stamp of independence.
"Most pubs don't even stock it," groaned Walter
Konig, of the Bavarian Breweries Association.
"Bavarian beer should be available in a Bavarian
stadium - Munich - for the first kick-off.
"But what can we do? Budweiser paid $US40million
for the concession even before Germany had been
chosen to host the tournament."
 |
| |
 |