We look at what has the beer blogs bubbling these days.

1. Tonight's screening of "Beer Wars" -- a "no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry" -- is generating a lot of chatter, some positive and some not so much.
2. A "documentary" from St. Louis's Schlafly Brewery is much less controversial. The takeaway? Beer is good.
   
3. Kasper On Tap mulls over the best state for suds-o-philes to live based on the brewery-to-population ratio. Mississippi, you're in trouble, with only one brewery for your nearly 3 million residents.
4. Brookston Beer Bulletin discusses Life after Anheuser-Busch, a report on what high-profile former A-B employees are doing since the company was bought out by InBev.
   
5. Rolling Rock is up for sale. Want to buy it?
6. Beernews.org has updated their Craft Beer Releases Calendar, an excellent way to see what seasonals and new releases are soon to hit shelves.
7. Lyke 2 Drink asks "Are Beer Festivals Recession Proof?" (His answer: Yes, for now.)
8. Finally, according to DRAFT Magazine, a beer at the Masters only cost $2! By modern sporting event standards, that is amazing. We wouldn't believe it unless we saw it with our own eyes: Was anyone there?
   

If you're like me, you have no children and life is sweet and easy. (Pause added here for angry parental backlash.) But let's say I did have kids: I'm sure one of the few pleasures in which I could have previously partaken was knowing I'd always have the opportunity for a free beer tasting if I took my imaginary wee ones to an Anheuser-Busch-owned theme park such as, say, Sea World. (We all know Shamu excitement is enhanced after a few taster brews.)

Well, say goodbye to dad's break from family fun time. Anheuser-Busch has announced it's removing free beer samples from hospitality centers in its theme parks such as Sea World and Busch Gardens. Instead, they'll be replacing them with restaurants that have "broader appeal."

A quick check on Thesaurus.com reminds us that "broader appeal" is synonymous with "earning potential." Also, instead of "free samples," hospitality centers will now offer "free lessons in the harsh realities of big business." Let the good times roll!

[via USA Today]

An old friend came into town this Sunday. We kicked off the celebration with a bottle of DeuS and, long story short, I haven't gotten around to blogging until today. Perfect time to catch up on this week's beer happenings with a beer blog round-up.

1. There's been a lot of chatter about the Men's Fitness list of "America's five best bars for beer lovers." In today's beer climate, limiting the list down to just 5 seems impossible, and, with as little offense to Men's Fitness as possible, I'm not sure if they are the magazine to do it.
   
2. The idea of healthy beer has been a headturner as a number of blogs and news sites have been running the story of scientists at Rice University who integrated the anti-aging chemicals from red wine into a new BioBeer. Here's what Discovery had to say about it.
3. Hipsters really seemed to Digg this article on Sloshspot discussing The Evolution of Pabst Blue Ribbon's Beer Advertising. Or you can just drop into Bob & Barbara's on South St. in Philadelphia and see it all firsthand.

I've been putting it off and I'm not sure why: Celiac Disease hits close to home. For as long as I can remember, my grandmother, a Celiac sufferer, has struggled to maintain a gluten-free diet. I've seen firsthand the hardship of trying to find wheat and gluten-free versions of foods that the rest of us take for granted.

So kudos to Anheuser-Busch for tackling this market by introducing Redbridge gluten-free beer in late 2006. Having the backing of one of the "big boys" means Redbridge is readily available by gluten-free standards. I even found it at a bar down the street from me (though admittedly I live in the oft progressive borough of Brooklyn).

So why the delay in reviewing this beer? Well, frankly, I feared of the flavor. To avoid wheat and barley, Redbridge is brewed with sorghum, which I think we can all agree, doesn't sound too enticing. And though I laud A-B for the offering, I was afraid this love-in would come to a quick end as soon as the beverage met my taste buds.

But for the second year in a row, Redbridge took gold at the Great American Beer Festival in the Gluten-Free Beer category. Granted, only 10 beers competed, but I still thought it time to do grandma proud and give it a try.

After the jump, read my review of the surprisingly satisfactory Redbridge gluten-free beer...

Part of me admires them. Despite earning more dollars than any other brewer on the planet and holding onto a walloping American market share just below 50%, the guys who practically invented macro-brewing still feel like they have something to prove. So mark late 2008 as A-B's final surge into the craft beer market featuring the reboot of a familiar name: Michelob. When it comes to the craft beer revolution, Anheuser-Busch is not going gentle into that good night.

The Michelob website has been completely overhauled, with a new slogan -- "Crafting a better beer" [my emphasis] -- that is completely on the nose. The site is overflowing with high society tips on things like "How To Serve Beer" and "Food Pairings." (Sadly, pairing Budweiser with a box of Cheez-Its is not on the list.) And Michelob is no longer just a product; A-B has created the Michelob Brewing Company to "give even more autonomy and creative license to its skilled brewmasters." Classy.

So Michelob AmberBock was just the begining. A-B has announced that Michelob Dunkel Weisse and Pale Ale will now be available year-round nationwide (joining AmberBock, Honey Lager and Porter). In addition, Michelob will be serving up a Marzen and Irish Red Ale in its sampler packs. Oh yeah, and they're also lumping all their previous specialty beers -- Shock Top Belgian White, Stone Mill Organic Pale Ale, Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale, Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale, Sun Dog Amber Wheat and Beach Bum Blonde Ale -- under the Michelob nameplate. It's enough to make your head spin... especially if you plan on trying them all on the same night.

After holding firm back in June and turning down a buyout offer, Anheuser-Busch surrendered over the weekend and allowed European brewer InBev to buy them for approximately $52 billion. America's largest beer maker is no longer in American hands, a move that leaves some beer drinkers a bit concerned for their favorite brew (maybe this will convince more people to switch to locally produced small batch brewers. What?! A girl can dream).

The new company will be called Anheuser-Busch InBev, one of the terms brokered in the buyout deal. August A. Busch IV, the company's CEO (and descent of one of the brewery's founders) will be given a seat on the board. According to a press release issued by both companies, no US breweries will be closing because of the merger.

[via NYT]

Apparently, the European mega beer company, InBev, really, really, really wants to buy Anheuser-Busch. After being firmly rejected last Thursday, InBev is preparing to make a hostile takeover bid.

The European beer giant is maneuvering either to remove the AB Board of Directors, or to be able to take its proposal straight to the shareholders. Though Ab came up with some cost cutting plans that would save the company more than $1 billion over the next four years and eventually raise share prices, many analysts believe that shareholders would go with cold hard cash now rather than the possible share price increase in the future.

One commenter on the St. Louis Business Journal article raised the concern that InBev isn't likely to spend the money on being environmentally responsible that AB does. That commenter goes on to ask where the environmentalists are. Does anyone have any more information on that aspect of this that they'd like to share?

You knew it had to happen. Late last week, the Anheuser-Busch board of directors politely yet firmly told InBev that they were fine, thanks.

As reported in Beer Advocate, the response to InBev's offer to buy AB at $65 a share was a polite thanks but no thanks. The board if directors for the beer giant said that even though the $65 per share was over current share price, the offer really undervalued the earnings potential of the brand, as well as other assets the company has and plans they've made to make more money . So basically, InBev's offer wasn't enough.

Not that I can blame them. I don't think any company that's doing as well as Anheuser-Busch wants to be taken over. I personally like the decision. I don't like the thought of mega global companies all buying each other up to form one massive corporation, but that's just me. What do you think?

Well, it's official. I've been hearing rumors about this for a week or so, but now I know it's real. Belgian beer giant InBev has made an offer to buy American beer giant Anheuser-Busch.

InBev is offering $65 per share in their unsolicited bid. RealBeer.com reports that the Anheuser-Busch board of directors is carefully weighing all the options.

It's no secret that I'm a beer snob. While I would drink Budweiser if it were the only beverage being served, it's not my first, second, third, or fourth choice. However, it is an American institution. I'm not sure how I feel about that. On one hand, being taken over by a Belgian company could do wonders for the quality of the beer. On the other hand, Anheuser-Busch has played historically significant roles in American beer culture. Then again, InBev may decide to take a hands-off approach and simply own the company from a distance. How do you feel about InBev's offer to buy Anheuser-Busch?

InBev of Belgium, the world's biggest brewer, is said to be preparing a takeover of Anheuser-Busch. Anheuser-Busch is headquartered in my home, St. Louis, Missouri, and has been operating here independently for 156 years. Most of us here in St. Louis have some connection to Anheuser-Busch that goes beyond their beer and the thought of losing them has us a bit worried.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently listed just some of the Anheuser-Busch related institutions in our town:

• Baseball games at Busch stadium
• Free brewery tours
• Grant's farm, a wildlife preserve owned by Anheuser-Busch where visitors can also sample free beer
• Bevo Mill - a restaurant built by Anheuser-Busch on the eve of Prohibition to make saloon-going seem more respectable
• August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area - a 7,000-acre park

My favorite Anheuser-Busch related St. Louis tradition is the free Christmas lights display at the brewery itself. It's beautiful. My second favorite (though if I liked the beer better it would be my first) is that its approximately 6000 St. Louis employees all get a free case of beer every month.

Of course, with a takeover we are worried about losing local jobs, but we are also worried about losing an important member of our community.

Beer is one of my favorite beverages. However, I have never really gotten into beer cocktails. Apparently that isn't true for all drinkers of beer, especially in the Latino community. They've been mixing beer and Clamato for generations, or so I have recently found out. Well, word must have gotten out to the beverage companies because Anheuser-Busch and Cadbury Schwepps have recently announced the introduction of Budweiser & Clamato Chelada and Bud Light & Clamato Chelada.

Test introductions in initial markets were tremendously successful. So, as of Monday, January 14, 2008, the Chelada cocktail was rolled out nationwide. The drink is to be sold as a 24 ounce single serve can or as 16 ounce -4 pack cans.

This team up from the major beverage makers is aimed at making it easier to get a perfect beer/clamato cocktail. They may also be hoping to bridge cultures, as this combination is mostly a favorite in the Latino community. Chelada is actually a shortening of a phrase that means "my cold beer". If Chelada becomes popular in most demographics, it could be a real unifier for our divided nation. Maybe someone could mention that to our presidential candidates. You never know.

[Via BeerAdvocate.com]

Move over Jinro. Doosan, your main competitor in the soju game, just teamed up with one of the big boys, Anheuser-Busch.

Who knows, if all goes well A-B might just make soju a household word. As you might have guessed, the Korean spirit brewed from sweet potatoes and rice, among other things, has long been a household word for me. The crisp spirit is a lower-octane, tastier version of vodka that's the libation of choice for Korean food, barbecue or otherwise.

A-B, will be taking over the distribution of Ku Soju, which is distilled by Doosan. I've tried more than a handful of sojus in my day, but I've never heard of Ku. The article I read makes much of comparing it to such premium vodkas as Belvedere and Chopin. Forget that noise, I want to know how this stuff stands up to a blazing bowl of soon doo-boo jji-gae.

LandShark Lager, rather than Corona, is the new top brew of Jimmy Buffett. It's not hard to see why. The bottle is emblazoned with shark fins and bears a casual-looking font that it is easy to associate with the beach and Buffett's "laid-back vibe." The self-described "original island lager" looks to be a microbrew, and because the bottles declare that the beer was made by the Margaritaville Brewing Co., consumers have little reason to doubt their microbrew assumption. The beer, however, is made by Anheuser-Busch.

Increasingly, Anheuser-Busch and other large companies are trying to hide their involvement with some of their products, hoping that consumers who ordinarily might be put off by a big brewing company's involvement will be tempted into buying the brews. Anheuser-Busch sells organic Wild Hop Lager and Stone Mill Pale Ale labeled as the "product of Green Valley Brewing Co." Coors has a craft beer called Blue Moon in its lineup, though you wouldn't know it to look at its packaging, either.

"I see it as smart marketing for them," said one restaurant owner, whose grill does a brisk trader of LandShark. "There's kind of a reverse snobbism that says if a big company makes it, it can't be good. If it was called Budweiser LandShark Lager, it probably wouldn't be selling as well."

Anheuser-Busch is thinking outside the keg. It's tapping a test run of Wild Blue Blueberry Lager in four markets, including Bloomington, Minn.

As a self-professed beer geek and sometime home brewer, the grandaddy of fruit beers, lambic, has been on my brewdar for years. Lambic, with a flavor that intermingles sweet, musty and tart, scarcely deserves to be lumped under the term beer. In case you're wondering, I like it, but like a good stinky cheese, some varieties require a second tasting for true appreciation. As for American craft brews that have fruit flavorings – I've been underwhelmed.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like nothing more than for Wild Blue to be the first world-class US fruit beer. With an alcohol level of eight percent, it might make a better dessert beer. But I'm not hopeful given the word on Beer Advocate. The kindest thing its tasters have to say is, "Not actually horrible, but... Where did they get this blueberry flavoring?"