"anheuser-busch" news and stories

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.