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| World's Strongest Beer - NOT |
| $70 per hour Brewery Jobs |
| By a large majority, Teamsters at Anheuser- Busch’s breweries in the US have ratified a new five-year agreement covering more than 4,500 workers. The contract ensures that Teamsters will continue to be the highest-compensated brewery workers in the United States. The contract is worth more than $2 billion in wages and benefits and it will take effect immediately, providing wage increases retroactive to March 1, 2014. A-B Teamsters currently earn more than $70 per hour in total compensation – wages, health, welfare and pension benefits. The new contract provides more than $24,000 in additional wages and bonuses for the average employee over the five-year contract term. There are 12 A-B breweries in the U.S. employ members of the Teamsters who brew and bottle the brands produced by the company. The brewery locations are: Los Angeles; St. Louis; Jacksonville, Fla.; Newark, N.J.; Houston; Fort Collins, Colo.; Williamsburg, Va.; Cartersville, Ga.; Merrimack, N.H.; Fairfield, Calif.; Columbus, Ohio; and Baldwinsville, N.Y.. |
| Armageddon was the supposed world's strong beer at one time. It catapulted maker Brewmeister to the pages of national media and international fame. The new truth of the matter was that the beer is not, in fact, 65% ABV as claimed. It seems that nobody at Brewmeister actually knew how strong it was, at all. They simply guessed and didn't mind stretching the truth to the point of absurdity. The beer was recently sent out for testing by a suspicious fan (a competing brewery?) and the results said it all. The beer came in at an low 16% ABV. Not too surprisingly none of the mainstream media confirmed the 65% claims, they just ran with it. The people at Brewmeister defended their beer at first as you’d expect. They claimed that the 16% result was incorrect due to issues related to the specifics of independent tests such as errors of calibration or interpretation. The result of this dust up is that Armageddon has been quietly dropped, and replaced by the brewery's Snake Venom, the new World’s Strongest Beer (67.5%). No independent tests on this beer have been done. Question - how do you make a beer 67.5% if your 65% beer never even got close? |
Battling Arthritis - Having a beer a few times a week might help women
avoid painful rheumatoid arthritis, a new study suggests. The disease, which affects
women more than men, is linked to immune system dysfunction. Over 1.5 million
Americans suffer from the disease, which typically begins in the 20s or 30s.
A Light Light Beer- Coors Light brand is releasing its first-ever seasonal
extension, Coors Light Summer Brew. It's infused with a blend of natural citrus
flavors and has less alcohol and less calories than regular Coors Light. It's really light.
Insult- Kurt and Rob Widmer, the co-founders of Portland’s Widmer Brothers
Brewing is 32 percent owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev so it doesn’t fit the
Brewers Association’s new definition of craft. In response tthe Widmers said: "We
talk about them (Brewers Assoc.) as vilifiers, as flat-earthers.” Several beer
drinking flat-earthers claimed they were insulted by that remark.
Rats For Beer - The University of Wellington (NZ) is allowing students to kill
rats for free beer. The school provides the traps to students who can then
exchange a dead rat for a beer voucher to be used at the campus pub. Rats
have become a huge problem and are affecting New Zealand's indigenous wildlife. .
avoid painful rheumatoid arthritis, a new study suggests. The disease, which affects
women more than men, is linked to immune system dysfunction. Over 1.5 million
Americans suffer from the disease, which typically begins in the 20s or 30s.
A Light Light Beer- Coors Light brand is releasing its first-ever seasonal
extension, Coors Light Summer Brew. It's infused with a blend of natural citrus
flavors and has less alcohol and less calories than regular Coors Light. It's really light.
Insult- Kurt and Rob Widmer, the co-founders of Portland’s Widmer Brothers
Brewing is 32 percent owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev so it doesn’t fit the
Brewers Association’s new definition of craft. In response tthe Widmers said: "We
talk about them (Brewers Assoc.) as vilifiers, as flat-earthers.” Several beer
drinking flat-earthers claimed they were insulted by that remark.
Rats For Beer - The University of Wellington (NZ) is allowing students to kill
rats for free beer. The school provides the traps to students who can then
exchange a dead rat for a beer voucher to be used at the campus pub. Rats
have become a huge problem and are affecting New Zealand's indigenous wildlife. .
Hop Prices UP Again America's growing infatuation with craft beer has changed the farming business as well. The average price for all hops rose to $3.59 a pound in 2013, from $1.88 a pound in 2004. For the specialty hops often preferred by craft brewers, the price increases to around $7 to $10 a pound.The average beer uses about 0.2 pound of hops in every 31 gallons, but craft brewers can use as much as 1.25 pounds. Brewer demand seems to be centering around the aroma varieties of hops, which cost more because they don't yield as much, And farmers are adjusting their crops to meet that demand. In Washington state, the epicenter of U.S. hop farming, some 60 percent of hop acreage is devoted to aroma hops and 40 percent to the alpha hops that bring more bitterness to beers. Years ago, aroma hops were only planted 30 percent of the time. It's been a struggle for the hop industry to keep up with the new demand. That stands to hurt the smallest brewers the most, since they don't have the money to pursue forward contracts with farmers. That shortage could become especially painful for craft brewers next year when the multinational beer companies bring their deep pockets to the negotiating table. The beer industry giants have been snapping up small craft brewers with amazing speed, and they'll likely want more hops than ever. You'd think farmers would be jumping into hops to meet the demand, but it's a bit more complicated than that. The initial investment for a hops farm can hit $250,000. And then there's the wait -- the plants need up to five years to hit full production. All and all it's of a lot of work with demand outpacing supply. All of which means get ready for higher beer Send contributions for On Tap to webmaster@beernexus.com |
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Edited by Jim Attacap
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