New Beer Ordinances in Vicksburg

New beer sales rules

The following changes have been made to the laws governing alcohol sales in Vicksburg. The new laws do not apply to casinos or bars with resort status.

# Grocery stores and convenience stores may not sell beer and light wine between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 2 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday.

# People younger than 21 may not enter businesses serving alcohol.

# Groceries and convenience stores may not sell single beers or light wine from ice tubs or similar containers, other than a mechanical refrigeration unit.

# Brown-bagging, which is taking wine, liquor or beer into a bar or business, is illegal.

# Neighborhood bars or clubs within a residential zone must close by 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday, and not re-open until 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Source

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Thanks to Haygood.

Budweiser Losing Distribution in Supermarkets

Budweiser Losing Distribution in Supermarkets

Follows long-running share decline.

In recent years, Budweiser has shown an uncanny ability to gain shelf space in supermarkets and convenience stores even as its sales decline.

But performance finally appears to be catching up with Budweiser, at least in supermarkets.

Budweiser saw the number of items carried in supermarkets (a proxy for shelf space) slip by 0.1 points, according to beer sales statistics from Nielsen.

That may seem modest – but Bud has now suffered this same 0.1 point loss for 12 consecutive rolling four-week periods.

Simply put, that’s the first such distribution loss detected for Bud on record. And it comes as Bud is posting one of the biggest velocity declines in the business. According to Nielsen, case sales are down 8.1 percent per total distribution points – a proxy Nielsen uses to measure breadth of distribution.

Given that performance, perhaps it’s not surprising that A-B is ratcheting up spending for Budweiser – and rolling out a major line extension, Bud Light Lime, that could take up some of that lost shelf space.

UMMC: Alcohol causes cancer?

This article on "12 Things You Did Not Know About Alcohol" states that our own University of Mississippi Medical Center claims two drinks per day can "induce" cancer.

7. A 2007 research made at the University of Mississippi Medical Center revealed that moderate alcohol intake, of just about two drinks daily, can induce breast cancer, stimulating tumor growth. This can be due to blood vessels growth stimulation induced by alcohol.

Alcohol is a toxin and the cells overdrive to get rid of it: they emit chemicals, induce the growth of blood vessels, but the same vessels are exactly what a tumor needs to exist, as they provide oxygen and nutrients.

Source

Water Valley, MS votes to legalize beer

Following several months of intense politicking, Yalobushians voted soundly to make beer and light wine legal in the county – the first time since 1937.

The vote carried 2,915 to 1,474, with 42 percent of the county’s registered voters participating,

North Mississippi Herald has all the details.

Beer Vote Passes With Large Margin
Anti-Beer Ads Proven Hoax
When Does Beer Become Legal To Possess


This is some interesting reading:
Herald Solicits Questions From Beer Issue

My favorite question:

If you purchase fish that has been dipped in beer batter - and says so on the box - are you in violation of the possession of beer in a dry county law?
{yes...you will go to jail for having beer-battered fish!}

A New Lazy Magnolia Beer!

Here is the logo

It will appear in the coming days at select locations on the coast and should make its way up the state in a week or so. It is called Lazy Magnolia ESP (Extra Special Pepper) and is made with real, roasted Habanero Peppers.

Confused voters accidentally ban beer (NY)

Vote goes awry, town goes dry

DAN WIESSNER
Albany bureau
(May 16, 2007) — ALBANY — People in Potter thought it was a straightforward ballot question: Should we allow restaurants to sell beer?

Then the state got involved. By the time it was over, residents had accidentally banned beer sales anywhere in town. Now they're asking the Legislature's help in reversing an inadvertent prohibition that threatens to close the only grocery store.

Those involved blame the prohibition on the state's arcane alcohol laws.

The Yates County town of 1,800 is south of Canandaigua on the Yates-Ontario County border. In 2005, residents requested a vote to allow the Hitching Rail, the only restaurant in town, to sell beer. But the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, essentially unchanged since Prohibition, mandates that a list of five specific questions be put on the ballot — questions that even the state Liquor Authority admits are outdated.

Voters became confused by the questions, according to Potter Supervisor Len Lisenbee, and voted down all the proposals. The beer ban is set to take effect on July 1.

The ban would put the town's only grocery store — Federal Hollow Staples Grocery — out of business, said manager Kati Brown. Potter residents would have to trek 10 miles or so to Canandaigua or Penn Yan for food and beer.

Last week, the state Senate passed a measure that would allow Potter's residents to vote Nov. 15 on repealing the beer ban.

"They've been selling beer in this joint since 1970," said Sen. George Winner, R-Elmira, one of the sponsors of the bill.

The Potter bill still has to pass the Assembly by June 21, the last day of the 2007 session, and then be approved by Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

Source

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Reportedly, one of the ballot questions was:

1) Should beer never not not be not sold not ever anywhere not other than here? Not?

Michelob Ultra Flavored Beers

Saw this over at Hale the Ale Beer Blog. Michelob is testing three new flavored beers:

• Lime Cactus
  
• Tuscan Orange Grapefruit
  
• Pomegranite Raspberry
  

Source: Hale the Ale

Oxford mulls requiring registration for beer kegs

OXFORD — Customers who buy a keg of beer and businesses who sell them would have to register with the city under a proposal under review by Oxford officials.

"This is an idea that came from the Chancellor's Alcohol Task Force," Mayor Richard Howorth said, referring to a University of Mississippi study of campus drinking. "Half of the states have keg registration laws so this is not treading on new ground here."

The ordinance is still in draft form, Howorth said this week in an article on the Oxford Eagle's Web site www.oxfordeagle.com.

The proposed ordinance would require businesses with a privilege license to be issued a seller's license to sell kegs. Those purchasing the kegs would be required to get a purchaser's permit from the city.

Under the proposal, purchasers would have to be 21 years old and sign a statement they would not allow minors to drink. They also must provide the location of where the keg will be and dates when the beer will be drunk.

Howorth said a written authorization would be required from the owner of the premises where the applicant will possess the keg.

The ordinance would permit kegs of no more than 16 gallons. No one would be allowed to possess more than one permit, and no more than one keg would be allowed in any dwelling unit, lodging house or other location unless it is a location licensed to allow the sale or distribution of beer and light wine within the city limits.

Violators could be fined up to $500 or be jailed up to 30 days.

Officials said aldermen will have their official first reading of the ordinance at their March 20 meeting.

Source

Runaway beer barrels bombard village

Now that's what you call a beer garden.

A barrage of runaway barrels caused carnage after a brewery lorry dropped its load in a quiet Somerset village.

About 100 metal kegs, barrels and bottles rolled into gardens in Pecking Mill, near Shepton Mallet, battering flower displays and spraying beer over nearby homes.

The accident is thought to have caused damage worth thousands of pounds, and left residents in shock.

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Source

Lazy Magnolia in Mobile and Florida

More good news from Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company in today's Sun Herald story (this in addition to a new bottling line).

... "In fact, just yesterday I finalized a contract to go into Mobile and the Panhandle of Florida," said Leslie.

Lazy Magnolia in bottles!

Yes! Looks like it is going to happen. Check out the Sun Herald story.

"...I just put down a deposit on a bottling line on Monday. So that will happen this year..."

Sam Adams unveils ultimate beer glass

Boston Beer Co. unveiled a special glass today so customers can savor its Samuel Adams brand beer.

Wine lovers have long used crystal stemware to help experience the exquisite nose of a French merlot or a frisky Australian vin ordinaire, and now the Boston brewer thinks beer connoisseurs have achieved a similar level of discernment when it comes to appreciating state-of-the-art advances in lager delivery-systems.

According to the company, the new Samuel Adams Boston Lager Pint Glass is the first glass specifically designed to showcase beer as brewers intended.

Sparing no effort, Boston Beer said it recruited "world-renowned sensory experts" to work on the design of a glass that beginning in March, will be sold in packages of four for $30 at www.samueladams.com.

One feature of the new glass is a neck-and-lip design that "helps sustain the head of the beer, which enhances the release of signature Noble hop aromas found in Samuel Adams Boston Lager," the company said.

"It's a personal passion of mine to develop a beer glass that elevates the craft-beer drinking experience," Jim Koch, company chairman and founder of the Samuel Adams beer brand, said in a statement. "We wanted to create a glass that offers beer lovers a full sensory experience by fully showcasing Samuel Adams Boston Lager's complex balance of malt and hop flavors."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)

Source

A Blue Moon Success in Craft Category

Jan 17, 2007 - Coors Brewing Company has filed for label approval with the TTB for a new Blue Moon line extension. Called Blue Moon Spring Ale. According to the application, the beer is an amber wheat ale with kieffer lime leaves and lime peel.


Coors Blue Moon Belgium White Ale has shown tremendous sales growth and has been a rare success for an in-house "craft" beer by one of the major brewers. The brand had double-digit sales growth last year with very little marketing support.

Coors has shown little affiliation with the Blue Moon brand, allowing most consumers to believe Blue Moon is an independently brewed beer. There is no mention of Blue Moon on the coors.com web site, and Coors has supported the brand with very little marketing.

The Blue Moon portfolio has had other seasonal introductions including a pumpkin ale and a winter ale.

Top 10 cities for beer lovers

Oktoberfest may be over, but don't stay home and drown your sorrows

Munich’s Oktoberfest has come and gone, but that’s no reason for beer lovers to sit home and drown their sorrows in a frosty mug. The world is full of destinations where the natives know – and love – their beer, and where you can sample some local brew all year long. We sipped our way around the world and came up with ten great destinations for beer lovers – how about a visit to a German city that’s home to over a dozen beer gardens? Or perhaps a visit to the world’s oldest brewpub is more your pint of ale? And we can all probably agree that a city in Asia where beer is sold in vending machines is definitely worth a visit. So no matter how you say “cheers” – whether Prost! Na zdraví! Kampai! Salúd! – our list will help you raise a glass around the globe.

1. Amsterdam
Cozy, neighborhood watering holes serving beer (or pils as the locals call it), the Dutch way – with exactly two fingers' worth of foam on top – aren’t hard to find in this city. Heineken, Grolsch, and Amstel are three of the best-known native brews, but a sampling of artisanal blends and witte (wheat) beers from neighboring Belgium are also on the menu at Amsterdam’s cozy “brown” bars, so called for their antiquated, nicotine-stained walls. If your interest in hops goes beyond consumption, take a tour of the Heineken Experience, where tastings are encouraged.

2. Berlin
Is there any place on earth better to sip Berliner Weise (beer with woodruff or raspberry juice) than in its city of origin? The city boasts more then 20 beer gardens where you can enjoy this local favorite – along with hundreds of other frothy ales. Though the city is a haven for beer lovers all year round, August in particular stands out, when the first week of the month is devoted to Bierfestival, and the city center turns into a 1.2 mile-long beer garden hosting 240 breweries from 80 countries, representing 1,750 different brands of beer.

3. Brugge
Slightly smaller than the Belgian capital of Brussels, Brugge (also known as Bruges) is renowned for its fine lace, Godiva chocolate – and beer. Indeed, this tiny city is, amazingly enough, a prime place to sample over 450 unique varieties of Belgian brew, each served in its own specialized glass. You’ll find a preserved pub, Café Vlissinghe (www.cafevlissinghe.be), that dates back to 1515, breweries that still use antiquated brewing techniques, and even museums, like De Gouden Boom Brewery Museum, where beer has been produced since 1455.

4. Burlington
Set between two beer-bustling locales – Montreal to the north, and Boston to the southeast – Burlington, Vermont is a university town with one of the best brew cultures in New England. Home to the quirky micro-brewery Magic Hat, visitors can do as the locals do and sample homegrown brews such as #9, Fat Angel, and Blind Faith IPA to name a few. Church Street, a four-block pedestrian-only zone buzzes with vibrant bars with top-notch beer on tap, including Vermont brewed Otter Creek and the Long Trail beer collection, whose specialty beers change seasonally.

5. Dublin
No beer list of any kind would be complete without a nod to the Irish and its capital city of Dublin, where pub culture thrives and the favorite local pastime is imbibing in age-old taverns where luminaries like James Joyce perhaps once did. Dubliners and visitors alike can’t resist the smooth creamy flavor and dark body of Guinness, the city’s finest, home-brewed stout. The Guinness Storehouse, where visitors can watch the brewing process and learn to pour themselves the perfect pint, and The Porterhouse, Dublin’s first brew pub and a must on any pub crawl, are two of the city’s top draws.

6. Mexico City
Una cerveza por favor! These words will have you sipping Mexico’s finest in two shakes of a maraca. Corona, the signature Mexican brew, is produced in Mexico City, at Grupo Modelo, the country’s largest brewing company. While brewpubs are rare in the capital, fun taverns, mariachi clubs, and bars abound where you can taste your share of local beers. Our favorite brands include Negra Modelo, a chocolaty-smooth dark lager (also produced by Grupo Modelo), Bohemia, a pilsner-style lager with a semi-dry flavor, and Dos XX, a golden lager-style beer.

7. Montreal
There’s more to this Québec province then Labatt and Molson. Montreal, in particular, boasts several brewpubs, like Le Cheval Blanc, Dieu du Ciel, and Sergent Recruteur that serve up first-rate micro-brewed beer in flavors that typically change with the season. Rather than be classified as lager, ale, and the like, beer here is commonly differentiated by color – blonde, rousse (red), ambrée (amber), and noir (dark) – and are ordered as such at the bar. If you happen to be in town in early June, don’t miss the annual Mondial de la Bière beer festival.

8. Portland
In Portland, there are plenty of drafts to go around. Indeed, with 28 breweries based here – more per capital than any other city in the country – this Pacific Northwest city clearly boasts the motherload of American microbrews. One of the city’s oldest and largest breweries, Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, produces over 200,000 barrels a year, including a top-selling German-style Hefeweizen; drop by on a weekend for free tours and tastings. Other popular draws here include Gasthaus, where hard-to-find brews like Snowplow Stout and Cherry Bomb are on tap, and BridgePort, Portland’s oldest microbrewery.

9. Prague
Beer lovers love Prague for two main reasons – the first being the high quality of the beer brewed here, the second being its price – which is very inexpensive by North American standards. The city is home to U Fleku, the world's oldest brewpub, and one of Europe's most famous beer halls. It’s also home to the original (and many would say better) Budweiser, known locally as Budvar. Traditionally, beer halls only poured one brand, but have recently begun pouring two or three, so you won’t have to pub crawl to sample Prague’s best suds. For serious enthusiasts, Plzen, home of the world’s first beer museum and the original Pilsner, is just 50 miles away.

10. Sapporo
Think the Japanese sit around sipping sake all day? Think again. Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink here – so popular, in fact, that you can purchase it from vending machines on the street. The town of Sapporo, in northern Japan, is a name beer lovers are familiar with, thanks to the golden beverage that shares the town’s namesake and which usually appears in a silver tall-boy. Since Sapporo beer is the city’s most popular export, it makes sense that it has its own museum – the only one of its kind in Japan. Next door, a beer garden with a daily barbeque creates the perfect setting for kicking back with cold draft beer.

Source

Canada attemps world record pub crawl

Article Here

Partygoers in Halifax are anxiously awaiting confirmation that the city now holds the record for the world's largest pub crawl.

Organizers estimate more than 3,300 people braved the bitter cold Friday, hopping from bar to bar in order to get the city into the Guinness World Records.

Australia holds the current record at 2,237 people.

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