| Does the Pope Like Beer? According to a story in the Catholic Digest the answer to that question, despite press reports to the contrary, is no. According to a longtime friend quoted in the story. Pope Benedict XVI, as it turns out, doesn’t like the taste of alcohol, but when everyone else is having a drink he’ll sip a "bicycler" so not to discourage others from imbibing . BeeerNexus contacted several of the Vatican's noted bartenders who explained that a bicycler is a half- and-half made with beer and lemonade. In the 1920s in Germany, Alpine bicyclists diluted their beer with lemonade so they wouldn't be ticked for DUI. Police Pints Eager to combat drunken driving during the holidays, police are distributing pint glasses embossed with the logo of the Bennington, VT Police Department to bars and restaurants. About 160 of the glasses, manufactured by Catamount Glass and donated to the department, are being given away in hopes that those using them will think twice about getting behind the wheel if they've had too many. The glasses have one of four designs: a police patch, a special response team patch, a K-9 logo or a Bennington Police Department logo.Police Lt. Paul Doucette, who came up with the idea, said the department wanted to promote highway safety |
| Santa's Butt Outlawed! Maine liquor officials have banned the sale and distribution of "Santa's Butt Winter Porter." They say the label is undignified and improper. It features Santa's large rear-end, fully covered. The microbrew is made in Belchertown, Massachusetts by the Shelton Brothers brewery who calls the ban "1950s style prudishness." Civil liberty groups are taking the case to court. The company cites other liquor bottles which it calls more offensive. Those include wine bottles with topless women and one called "Fat Bastard." Daniel Shelton, a brewery owner, says ""People who are interested in Santa Claus, who are influenced by Santa Claus, which I would guess about ages 4 to 6, are really not the people who are at risk of going to liquor stores and buying a bottle of beer." Maine liquor officials would not comment on the case. They cite the pending lawsuit. Editors note: Besides the obvious meaning, "butt" is another word for a beer barrel. |
Feature News from beernexus.com
| Beer in a Box Working in partnership with Bavarian brewer Ankerbru, Rapak Packaging Co. has pioneered an innovative Bag-in-Box system for the beer market. The new technology, which is suitable for all types of beers, offers a low-cost alternative to the traditional keg and is especially beneficial for export. Until now, beer for on-trade sales has been packed and transported in stainless steel kegs, from which it is then dispensed. However, the size and weight of each keg makes transport costs extremely high. Furthermore, all kegs have to be returned for re-use and, in addition to the transport costs involved, many kegs are lost in transit (as much as 30% in Eastern Europe). These factors have restricted the export potential for many breweries. The Bag-in-Box alternative offers a number of advantages: lower transport costs (Bag-in-Box beer contains 9hl compared to a 5.4hl keg), no return costs, a longer shelf life than the usual three days after opening for the keg and a firmer, longer-lasting foam on the beer. The taste and quality of the product is not compromised in any way. Shortages of kegs that often occur due to the seasonality of the beer market can also be avoided. The ability to pack beer in Bag-in-Box has been made possible by the removal of CO2 from the beer after brewing. The CO2 is then reintroduced into the beer via a specially developed Carbonator Box, which is placed in each on-trade outlet between the Bag-in-Box and the pump head. This new system can be used in all outlets that currently use the keg system. Ankerbräu is the first brewery to implement the new Bag-in-Box technology for its beer exports. |
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