Harlem Beer Battle
Newest CSA Approved Beer
The Celiac Sprue Association (CSA), the
largest non-profit celiac support group in
America, announced that Omission Beer has
met stringent requirements for earning the
organization’s Recognition Seal. The CSA
Seal,  embodies the CSA’s commitment to a
consistent, meaningful, and verifiable definition
of products that are the most risk-free for
consumers on a celiac diet. Omission Beer  
underwent CSA gluten testing methods – the
industry’s strictest – and tested well below the
FDA standard for gluten-free of 20 ppm.
Omission Beer, Portland, Oregon, is made with
traditional  ingredients, including malted barley,
but undergoes an innovative process to remove
gluten. The CSA conducts independent tests
using mass spectrometry testing, which
shows  the trace amounts of gluten remaining
in beer. CSA also requires documentation of
ingredient sourcing, allergen control and
sanitation plans, training procedures for
controlling cross-contamination.
Longtime Harlem brewmaster Celeste Beatty, head
honcho of the 13-year-old Harlem Brewing Company,
says a startup with a similar name is causing quite a
brew-haha on social media and among distributors and
customers.What’s in a name? Everything when it comes
to Harlem’s beer legacy. Beatty’s Harlem Brewing
Company makes Harlem Brew. Harlem Brew House
will soon roll out Harlem Blue. Confused? Beatty says  
her rival Julian Riley intentionally did it.  However,Riley
argues that the public will be able to differentiate
between the cures for what ales them.“There’s no
confusion in the marketplace,” he said, noting Beatty’s
flagship beer is Sugar Hill Ale. “Harlem is big enough as
a brand or name to have more than one brand. She
thinks she owns ‘Harlem’ for beer. I don’t think so.”

Experts say neither company can own the word
“Harlem,” but noted the similar names could cause
confusion in the marketplace and could prompt federal
trademark officials to deny a second manufacturer the
right to use the name. Lawsuits are expected.
.
Banned in the UK -  The Advertising Standards Authority has banned a beer
ad for the Coalition of UK Brewers after finding it broke the rules by implying alcohol
made people popular and was important for social success.  The Coalition of UK
Brewers comprises ABInBev, Carlsberg UK, Heineken UK, Miller Brands UK and
Molson Coors and was formed to promote the sale of beer in the UK.

Distribution- Massachusetts House Bill 267 is seeking to give brewers more
power over their distribution rights. If passed, it will allow small brewers to easily opt
out of relationships with wholesalers, a process that brewers allege to be an
arduous and expensive one under current legislation. The bill is backed by a
number of influential beer executives, including Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer.

Craft Beer Draws Customers- A new food industry study today shows
that craft beer selection alone is enough to draw 49% of consumers to a
restaurant. Additionally, more than half of those surveyed agreed a wide variety of
craft beer is an important factor in getting them through the door of any licensed
establishment, whether it’s a casual dining stop or a high-end craft beer bar.

$150m Bottle - Anheuser-Busch  is rolling out Bud Light in screw-top aluminum
bottles as the world’s biggest brewer seeks to stabilize the waning sales.  AB  has
invested $150 million to create the new packaging, a 16-ounce (473 milliliters)
resealable light metal bottle.  The company will back up the new look with Super
Bowl advertising early next year.  Bud LIght holds about 21 % of the U.S. beer
market, with its next closest competitor Coors Light holding about 8 %,

Free Beer For Alcoholics

Amsterdam has begun employing alcoholics to clean the city's streets,
paying them in cash, tobacco and beer. City authorities say it's solving
the problems related to public drunkenness. Critics question whether
the program unethically enables addiction.

The idea came about some time ago in a somewhat messy way in
Amsterdam's Oosterpark. The green space near the city center, with its
duck pond and expansive lawns, was a pleasant retreat for families. If not
for the drinking, that is. "There were complaints from residents for years,"
says Caspar Itz, spokesman for the Oost district government. A group
of as many as 40 alcoholics were making the park unsafe, he says,
with fist fights, public urination and plenty of shouting.City authorities
tried everything to fix the problem, Itz says, including fines and an
absolute ban on alcohol in the park. It was all in vain, until someone
came up with the street cleaning project.  

The deal works as follows: Alcoholics are provided with a broom to go
about keeping the streets and parks clean. In return they receive €10
($13.50) per day, as well as a half a pack of rolling tobacco and up to
five cans of beer -- two in the morning, two in the afternoon and
one more after they finish the day's work.

"It works like giving heroin to addicts," he says. "An addiction expert is
always there and controls how much each individual is getting." Even the
five cans of beer per day amount to less than what the alcoholics would be
drinking if left to their own devices, he adds, which is one of the reasons
why they don't just give out money. "We wouldn't have any control. With
us, there's a fridge, and the fridge has a lock. And we decide when that
lock is opened."  The workday begins at 9 a.m. in a tool shed that
functions as the project headquarters. Each person gets a coffee, a
cigarette and two cans of Grolsch, a Dutch domestic brew. Then they
don their neon orange safety vests, grab a garbage bag and litter
picker and hit the streets of Amsterdam.


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Edited by Jim Attacap

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