To counteract this, more stores and bottle shops have been using special pricing to try to get consumers to buy certain brands. 33% of shoppers say that "they would be encouraged to go for a good 'offer' on a brand of beer that was not their first choice," almost double the percentage from last year. As a result, beer is sold in increasingly larger packaging, and although the bottles are smaller, to give the impression of value. The same applies to wine, where consumers look for promotions and money-off deals when making their purchases.

Each year thousands of cheese lovers come to the Festival lured by the chance to see, taste and buy over 1,000 British cheeses, attend the Masterclasses and workshops and discover the very best of British cheese, wines, beers and other regional food.

Britain's Biggest Cheese Market will host around 100 cheese makers from Britain and Ireland offering visitors the chance to taste and buy over 450 cheeses. There are plenty of artisan producers and Engish wines, ciders and ales too.

No special process is involved in producing this St. Patrick's Day novelty drink. Simply add 5-6 drops of green food coloring to your beer and gently stir. Go for a bright color because a yellow-ish green is off putting no matter how fast you plan to down your drink. It is also best to go with lighter ales as opposed to a dark stout, like Guinness. To get a green color out of a Guinness, you would have to add enough food coloring to turn your teeth green when you take a sip. There are many other Irish beers available to help you get into the St. Paddy's Day Spirit, even though it might be easier to pick up a six pack of anything that comes in a green bottle to begin with.

Beer does not immediately spring to mind when asked to think about desserts. Whether you like dark or pale ales, chances are that you are more likely to want a beer with your pizza than with your creme brule. Restaurateurs and brewers, however, are seeing things in a different light. With the proliferation of microbreweries, including restaurants and pubs that brew their own blends, a wider variety of beers are showing up on menus and the unique flavors in some brews - from honey to blackberry - are helping to put some beers on the dessert menu on a regular basis. Strong, dark beers can have a noticeably bitter after taste, but many pair well with fruit to make sorbets. Dairy can mute the flavors of some malts, but also conceals lingering bitterness, so it pairs well with stronger ales. Wine and champagne have long been making appearances in desserts - why not beer?

Guinness has appeared, with success, in ice creams already and there are commercial varieties of beer ice cream as well, though unique new flavors will not have the same lure of a brand name to draw consumers in.

[Photo Sydney Morning Herald]

In commemoration of this historic event, craft brewers from across America will join together to make and serve Poor Richard's Ale. There will be nearly 100 breweries in 35 states participating in this event. The name of the ale comes from Franklin's book Poor Richard's Almanack published in the mid 1700's.

The website - http://www.poorrichardsale.com (which actually links to the brewers association website) has a full list of where you can drink and buy the ale, the recipe from which is being shared.