"alabama" news and stories

Image: jclyde.com

A weekly look at the draft selections in beer-friendly establishments across the country.

This week's column could be more accurately called "What's on Cask." Why? Well, there are three types of beer drinkers in the world: people who love cask ale, people who hate cask ale, and people who have never tried cask ale. In America, the third group is by far the largest. One reason is that cask-conditioned beer can be nearly impossible to find here in the States.

In England, any good pub has at least a couple beer engines serving ales the way nature intended: unfiltered, with natural carbonation, and at cellar temperature (instead of being cooled by refrigeration). Though many Yanks' distaste for the cask comes from the stereotype that Brits enjoy warm beer, these cask brews actually allow for an entirely different drinking experience, bringing out nuanced flavors that are otherwise concealed at lower temperatures and with additional gas.

Jambalaya. Photo: madaise, Flickr

Red Lobster this summer became the latest fast-casual chain to dip into the bayou for a promotional menu item, reflecting a mainstreaming of Louisiana flavors many experts attribute to the continuing diasporas of chefs displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Red Lobster, which has introduced many American landlubbers to seafood through its 600-plus locations, recently debuted a "New Orleans jambalaya," made with shrimp, sausage and "Creole seasonings." Earlier this year, O'Charley's tested a Cajun-spiced shrimp salad, while Chili's tried to lure customers by slashing the price of its Cajun chicken pasta. And Uno Chicago Grill set its sights south with a NOLA-beholden menu featuring a shrimp po' boy, bananas Foster and an andouille-sausage flatbread.

"Cajun-Creole is one of the most important regional cuisines in America, and more and more people are more educated about it than they've ever been," says Randy Cheramie, associate dean at Nicholls State University's John Folse Culinary Institute in Thibodaux, La.

Would you steal this steer? Photo: longhorndave, Flickr

Law enforcement officials are blaming current economic woes for the resurgence of a very old-fashioned crime: cattle rustling.

Cattle farmers across the South are coping with an uptick in livestock theft that they claim could endanger their livelihoods. According to the Alabama Department of Agriculture, the state this year has already surpassed the number of cattle theft incidents recorded in 2008, with more than 200 cows swiped since January.

"They're getting the cattle, taking them and selling them," explains Billy Powell, executive vice president for the Alabama Cattlemen's Association.

Powell believes the rise in cattle crime reflects the desperation of some rural Alabamians. As anyone who's ever wrangled cattle will attest, cows are strong, dumb and feisty, which makes them notoriously difficult to move. There's a reason Hollywood assumed it took guys like John Wayne to get the job done.

"It's a lot easier to steal ATVs and riding lawn mowers," Powell says.

Alabamians, avert your eyes. Photo: Hahn Family Winery

Wine and scantily clad women may sound like some cad's idea of a good time, but the combo spells trouble in Alabama, which last week banned the sale of a California-made wine bottle adorned with a naked nymph -- helping boost its sales elsewhere in the nation.

Pursuant to the state's administrative code, the Alabama Beverage Control Board ordered Hahn Family Wines to remove its Cycles Gladiator wines from shelves throughout the state, calling its label "immodest." According to Hahn president Bill Legion, a small state board in Alabama rejected the artwork last year, but the ruling did not catch Legion's eye. His apparent defiance of the state's decision -- he claims the paperwork "fell through the cracks" -- led to the ban.

"It's turned out to be a great thing for us," laughs Legion, who says he's received calls of support from oenophiles around the world.

It's a good weekend for attending a food festival if you:

a) are a hipster of the American Northwest
b) love wine
c) have never attended a crawfish boil
d) are hungry

If you, like me, find yourself nodding emphatically at these criteria, read on! This weekend offers food festivals sprinkled across the country, promising some of the most interesting and delicious foods I've seen in a while.