I was contacted by the folks at NBC Universal today about an upcoming special premiering on the CNBC network this Thursday night, July 17th at 9PM & 12AM ET entitled, "American Originals: Budweiser." The report is touted as a one-hour, all-access look at "this family-owned business and its fight for independence," according to the press release accompanying the email. I can only assume this special report was produced prior to the announcement this last Sunday that the InBev buyout was approved by the A-B board and the storied St. Louis company is no longer "independent" (subject to regulator approval, of course)?

Vacations are always a double-edged sword for me. On the one hand, the time off from the daily grind is always a welcome thing, but the work that it takes to prepare for vacation and the work that inevitably accumulates while on vacation almost render that time off … or at least its intended effect … null and void. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Since I’ve been back in town from my family’s Florida vacation over this last week, I’ve been meaning to write a recap of the trip and share a few of the more interesting beer-related adventures I experienced in the Sunshine State but life had other plans.
Finally, I’ve seen my way clear to offer a brief synopsis and make mention of a couple of the more memorable “beer moments” over the last week. Nothing exceptionally exciting, I fear, but this was as much by design as anything since I didn’t really plan the vacation (this time) around beer specifically … I just sort of happened into it as the week progressed.

We departed from St. Louis on Sunday, June 8th on American Airlines. We flew first class, which was kinda nice … primarily for the legroom it afforded me (I’m just shy of 6’ 4”, so I’m a little cramped in most coach seats), but also because I knew we would get complementary in-flight service – translated … free beer! My excitement over the complementary beverages was quickly squelched when the flight attendant recited the beer list to me … let’s see, there was Budweiser, Bud Light, Labatt, Heineken and Amstel if memory serves … all served up in ice-cold 12oz cans. For reasons I can’t readily recall now, I ordered an Amstel. Isn’t Amstel named for an old Dutch word meaning “land abounding with watery beer?” I think so. Mine was half frozen and I considered trying to produce a small quantity of Amstel "Eisbier" in my small cocktail glass over the course of the two + hour flight to Tampa International.

No success.

The beer outlook got considerably better a day or two later with a brief trip to The World of Beer (the website associated with this store takes you to a rather cryptic placeholder page heralding the coming of something completely different and better ... I have no idea what that means.) in Clearwater. This was a very small specialty beer store in a strip mall. My wife and I arrived and went in with much anticipation. The beer selection was really pretty decent and I was able to purchase several beers I intended to enjoy back at the condo over the course of the week. The downside was twofold with this place – one, the prices were on the high side in my opinion, and two, the place was so smoke-filled that it made lingering very long in the store nearly impossible unless you wanted to come away smelling of an ashtray. My wife certainly didn’t and opted to wait in the rental (a cool bright yellow Toyota FJ Cruiser, by the way). I didn’t want her to have to wait in the heat for too long, so I hurried up my selection process and came away with a Dogfish Head Immort Ale, Brasserie Dupont Foret Organic Saison, Oud Beersel Kriek Vieille, and several other choice selections.

On either Wednesday or Thursday night we decided to drive into St. Petersburg, about 30 minutes away, and visit the Independent – a hip little beer bar I’d heard about before and hoped to visit on this trip. This was a pretty cool little place with a very diverse clientele and a decent, albeit somewhat underwhelming, beer selection. With three large stainless steel tap fonts each holding 4 beers taps on the bar, I was initially excited to see what they kept on draught - nothing too exotic here, but a few solid selections such as Delirium Tremens, Unibroue Maudite and Reissdorf Kolsch, along with a few more pedestrian beers like Okocim. They also had several of the Trappist ales available in bottles, but here again the prices seemed a little exorbitant to me … $16 for a single 33cl bottle of Rochefort 10? Maybe if I’d never had the pleasure of trying this beer, but I couldn’t bring myself to pay that much … but I don't know if I would when I know I can get it for considerably less elsewhere.

My main complaint might have been my own fault, really. I promised Erin I’d try to order beers that I hadn’t tried before. This seemed a reasonable promise based on the anticipated selection I’d find at the Independent. No such luck. I kid you not; the first three beers I tried to order were out of stock … leaving me to default back to tried and true favorites like Duchesse De Bourgogne. This isn’t a horrible thing, of course, but a little bit of a disappointment since I’d really looked forward to experiencing a new beer or two. Granted, I’ve tried a lot of beers, and most patrons might not have the problem I had, but a closer and more frequent revision of the bottled beer lists and tap selection might be in order here. Otherwise, this was a really cool little spot and the bartender, whose name I can’t recall now (sorry) was courteous and quite apologetic for their lack of inventory.

On Friday night, Erin and I crossed back over to Tampa and sought out a little spot called the Mellow Mushroom – a hippy-happy little pizza kitchen with a surprisingly robust beer list. The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door was a chalkboard sign just inside the front door displaying the featured beers available. I smiled instantaneously when I saw that one of the featured bottled beers was Dogfish Head’s recent wood-aged brown Palo Santo Marron. Once we were seated, I ordered one up only to discover that they were out of Palo Santo. I regrouped, surveyed the beer menu, and opted for a Brooklyn Brown Ale on draught instead. Guess what … out of that one too! What is this?!?! Am I on some beer geeks version of candid camera or something?

The food was pretty good – I had the steak and cheese calzone and Erin had a “white” pizza of some sort. After a little while, my curiosity got the better of me and I wandered over to the beer coolers behind the bar just to see if there might be anything in there that wasn’t on the beer menu. As a matter of fact, staring me back in the face were two distinct 750ml bottles with that familiar DFH band – they had a bottle of Dogfish Head Red & White and another of Black & Blue stuck in there. All was not lost. Despite the fact that neither beer really complimented our menu choices, I opted for the Red & White. After a warning from our server that this was a “really expensive beer,” we got the bottle and two Unibroue tulip-style glasses in short order.

How was the Red & White? Decent, of course, and not at all bad in and of itself, but this is not a witbier of any sort I’ve ever encountered. Once again, DFH has stretched style boundaries so far as to make them almost obsolete. If I were to guess at this beer, not knowing anything about it going in, I’d label it a Belgian style tripel if anything … and a pretty good one at that. I got very little of the coriander or orange peel, and only a slight hint of the pinot noir oak this beer was aged in … good beer, confused appellation.

This press release showed up in my inbox today. This 8-page document (in .pdf format) details the proposed takeover bid by InBev of Anheuser-Busch. There are interesting details here I thought the beerphilosopher.com readers might appreciate reading. Say what you will about "big beer," but such a plan, if successful, will impact the American brewing industry substantially. What impact this venture would have on the craft beer industry remains to be seen, but rest assured that a combination of this magnitude will have an impact.

Follow up - The following press release and link details information about a 9:30 AM EST investor webcast today concerning the proposed combination with Anheuser-Busch:

INBEV PRESS RELEASE

InBev to Host Investor Webcast to Discuss Proposed Combination with Anheuser-Busch

Analyst and Investor Conference Call / Webcast Today at 9.30 A.M. EST / 3.30 P.M. CET

Interview with Chief Executive Officer Carlos Brito Available on Website

Brussels, 12 June 2008

InBev (Euronext: INB) will be conducting an analyst and investor conference call / webcast today at 9:30am EST / 3:30pm CET, to discuss its proposal to the Board of Directors of Anheuser-Busch, Inc. (NYSE: BUD) to combine the two companies, forming the world’s leading global brewer.

The conference call and accompanying slides will be available to all interested parties via webcast. To access the webcast, please visit InBev’s website, http://www.inbev.com/.

A replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours following the conclusion of the call and can be accessed in the U.S. by dialing 1-800-642-1687, conference code 51931055.

International callers can access the replay by dialing +1-706-645-9291, conference code 51931055. The webcast will also be archived on the InBev website, http://www.inbev.com/, and www.globalbeerleader.com.

For more information on the proposed combination please go to: www.globalbeerleader.com or http://www.inbev.com/.

Interview with Carlos Brito, chief executive officer of InBev

An interview with Carlos Brito, in video/audio is available at www.globalbeerleader.com and at http://www.cantos.com/. Broadcast media will be able to download the interview at http://w3.cantos.com/08/inbev-download/.

Contact information

Marianne Amssoms Philip Ludwig

Vice President Global External Communications Vice President Investor Relations

Tel: +32-16-27-67-11 Tel: +32-16-27-62-43

Fax: +32-16-50-67-11 Fax: +32-16-50-62-43

E-mail: marianne.amssoms@inbev.com E-mail: philip.ludwig@inbev.com

Steven Lipin/Nina Devlin

Brunswick Group

+1-212-333-3810

Rebecca Shelley

Brunswick Group

+44-207-404-5959

This report contains certain forward-looking statements reflecting the current views of the management of InBev with respect to, among other things, the potential benefits of a transaction with Anheuser-Busch or the timing thereof. InBev’s strategic objectives, business prospects, future financial condition, budgets, projected levels of production, projected costs and projected levels of revenues and profits. These statements involve risks and uncertainties. The ability of InBev to achieve these benefits, objectives and targets is dependent on many factors which are outside of management’s control. In some cases, words such as “believe”, “intend”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “target”, “will” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements are used. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect InBev’s current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements for many reasons, including whether the transaction receives the support of Anheuser-Busch. . InBev cannot assure you that the future results, level of activity, performance or achievements of InBev will meet the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements.

# # #

www.inbev.com

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You need cooler beer gear ...

I've posted a small slideshow of random Belgian beers on my content page here. There are only about 30 different beers in this particular slideshow, but I plan to post others in the near future ( I have well over 400 photos, so it takes a while to sort, resize and categorize them). If you have wondered what a particular Belgian beer's packaging looked like, perhaps you'll see it here! If not, suggest it for a future slideshow. I hope you enjoy!

I had the distinct privilege of previewing the brand new Stella Artois cinematic website this morning, before it is released to the public as I mentioned in a previous post. The fully-emersive website is nothing short of breathtaking in terms of animation, sound, and it's sheer ability to capture your attention ...and keep it.

The folks at Stella Artois are launching a new fully cinematic website on Tuesday, September 18th 2007. What I've seen it terms of previews, to this point, seem very impressive. Clearly a lot of time and money were put into this project. I am not a big fan of the beer, but I do appreciate good marketing and a good story. The new Stella Artois website clearly has both.

You know, I often wonder just how many people really read what I write about here. Sure I receive fairly detailed traffic statistics from the analytics software I use, but these are cold, objective numbers. For instance, my stats tell me I’m about to reach 10,000 visitors. That’s pretty exciting news for a humble beer aficionado from Southern Illinois, but who are these “visitors,” really? One can’t really know visitors, pageviews and click-throughs – one can only know actual people. For all I know, the vast majority of these could be errant page hits from some mechanized spammer or people who meant to find something on my site entirely different from what they found. You just don’t know.

Again, do people really want to read about beer? My question is obviously rhetorical, since I know that websites like Beer Advocate and Rate Beer are hugely popular, but they’ve been at it for quite a while and are actively involved in markets where beer is something more than a means to get drunk on the weekends. No matter how I’d like to think otherwise, Carbondale Illinois is not a craft beer-friendly town.

Maybe my question really ought to be, “do people want to read about beer …from me?”

I know a few do, anyway. I have several faithful readers I actually know who comment on my posts and subscribe to my feed. You know who you are. To you guys, I offer my sincere and heart-felt thanks. This is, quite honestly, the fuel that keeps me thinking this whole undertaking is worth continuing (not that I’ve seriously contemplated quitting – I’d likely do this if no one read it). I also know there are those out there, who I don’t know personally, reading the Beer Philosopher. You guys are worthy of even more accolades, since my friends are in some measure required to pay attention to me … you’re not. You actually choose to do so, and that is very cool.

All of my ramblings, to this point, have been leading up to the real reason I wrote this particular post – over the last month or so, the Beer Philosopher has been picked up by several online media sources, in syndication. What does this mean? It means that my blog posts are appearing on websites throughout the U.S. and even in the U.K. This means a lot more exposure and a lot bigger "potential" audience. How cool is that?

For instance, my post about Van Steenberge Gulden Draak is featured on websites in Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee and the U.K.

One on Gueuze in Texas, Maryland, Kansas, and again in the U.K.

Yet another about Brewery Ommegang’s new offering, Ommegeddon, in the U.K.

There are others, but this gives you the idea. I think this is terrific, for the simple reason that this really does show that someone out there actually cares about what I’m writing and I’m not simply doing it solely for my own amusement. I’m passionate about good beer, and I’d like nothing more than for my website to be a catalyst for others to grow in their own appreciation of craft and imported beer.

There is a niche for everyone, it seems. I know I’ve found mine. Thank you to everyone who reminds me on a regular basis that I’m not (completely) crazy. Thank you for reading!

Or from one beer wasteland to another ...

I'll be on vacation in Myrtle Beach this coming week, and the pickins are rather slim for craft beers in this area, unfortunately. South Carolina has been under a 6% ABV allowable limit for "malt beverages," until recently, that may very well have contributed to the lack of high-end, high-gravity beer in SC. SC has since "popped the cap," however, thanks to some motivated beer lovers with House Bill 392 being signed. An interesting story if you get a chance to read about it. Thought I'd lend my support here with a link.

Despite the somewhat limited selection of beers, especially my beloved Belgians (interesting that the graphic above depicts what looks very much like a Chimay goblet!), I'll do what I can to seek out the best SC has to offer - possibly some beers from nearby states as well, like Terrapin (actually from Georgia, but available in SC) and Duck-Rabbit (North Carolina).

As far as I can tell, SC has a couple of craft brewers doing their part. I've heard of Charleston Brewing Co. and New South Brewing, but haven't sampled either one ... you? They might be good, I just don't know. Reply back and let me know if you've tried these, or others I might have missed!

I will endeavor to find out while I'm there and let you all know, as always! Until then, you might not see much activity on the website, as I'll be spending more time on the beach and less on the computer ...or that's the plan anyway.

Cheers!

CORRECTION: Reader Sean Wilson astutely pointed out to me I have an incorrect link and legislative bill number in my above post. The one I have referenced is for NC, not SC (never can tell those Carolinas apart ...) Anyway, thank you Sean for the correction. The correct links are here for the site, and here for the bill details.

By the way, expect a recap of the Myrtle Beach trip in the next several days. Some good beer finds ... nothing ground-breaking, but good for a beach town!

Got an email message from Jacqueline with Sasquatch Ad Agency today about a brand new website inspired by the question,

Here’s a link to the afore-mentioned website – www.lemonyourwidmer.com

Last thing I’ll say about all of this – maybe just because I’m a bit cranky – if you have to put a citrus wedge in your beer to make it taste better, then you probably need to think about drinking a better beer.

There …I said it.

The Southern Illinois Irish Festival is back in Carbondale this weekend. Unfortunately, I had to miss most of the festivities happening at Turley Park since I was in St. Louis the majority of the day Saturday.

Finally ... a local story featuring beer in the local newspaper. Why the excitement? I don't know, maybe I consider it a small victory for those of us who advocate drinking something better than the typical macro swill (insert your American light lager of choice here) you find in abundance at any given bar in Carbondale. Maybe it's just because I've been pushing to do a beer column for some time now, but that would be selfish now, wouldn't it? Besides, is Carbondale really ready for such a thing? I have my doubts.

But I digress.

The article, written by Brent Stewart (who is a friend of mine), is an apologetic for the virtues of Guinness as a beverage of choice during the St. Patrick's Day festivities as opposed to the green-tinted Bud, Miller, Coors fare you're inevitably going to encounter at any given establishment on the 17th of this Month. Brent goes further, though, and advocates incorporating Guinness into your Irish meal - not as an accompaniment, but as an ingredient.

Brilliant! (sorry, couldn't help myself!)

Here's a link to the article on TheSouthern.com, complete with a couple of tasty recipes.

While the article doesn't address the fact that not all Guinness products, believe it or not, are brewed in Ireland at St. James' Gate (some of it is actually brewed in Canada and other exotic locales! Guinness owns 49 breweries all around the world) it is a good enticement to break out of the green beer pseudo-tradition that everyone seems to follow during their St. Patty's Day celebrations. Guinness Draught, by the way, is the only Guinness you can drink that is definitely brewed in Dublin, Ireland.

Just got an email from Jimmy at Pinch Penny ... seems that his tap selection is about to get an international upgrade. He informs me that he is going to be adding several new beers to the lineup very soon. Now, before I list them, I have to say that I realize none of these are earth-shattering additions (it's not like he struck an exclusive deal with St. Sixtus to get Westvleteren 12 pumped in via a direct pipeline or anything), but they're pretty damn decent for Carbondale. An 'A' for effort, for sure!

Look for the following at Pinch Penny Pub on Grand Ave. in Carbondale:

Harp - A Euro Pale Lager from the Guinness folks in Dublin, but typically brewed and bottled in Canada, I believe. Don't ask. Anyway, nothing too exciting here but this is an "okay" lager if you're into that sort of thing. If you're thinking exotic, however, think again. This one is about as authentically Irish as PBR.

Smithwicks - An Irish Red Ale that has gotten pretty good reviews so far ...I've not had it yet. Guinness owns this beer and like Guinness, there are several versions of it ... the European version, I imagine, is a bit more flavorful than what they send us Stateside. But none the less, I'm looking forward to giving this one a whirl.

Boddington's - From the U.K. Don't know whether this will be the Pub Ale or the Bitter, but I'm gonna guess it's the Pub Ale. This one is an English Pale Ale and actually rather tasty. I have, believe it or not, never had this one on tap. For this reason alone, I"m looking forward to it.

Stella Artois - Yet another mass-produced Euro Pale Lager that is technically from Belgium, but confuse it with a high-quality Belgian beer at your own peril. If you like every other light, thin lager you might dig this one.

Hoegaarden - Okay, if I'm excited about one beer here, it's this one. Brewed by Brouwerij Van Hoegaarden in Belgium, this is a Witbier (white beer) and a pretty good one too. As I told Jimmy, this is probably the first "good" Belgian beer ever on tap in Carbondale. A bold statement, I know, as I've only been around for 34 years ...and drinking for considerably fewer than that, but I'd be hard pressed to give you another example. Try this one, especially if you've been abusing your palate with Blue Moon all this time. This'll be a favorite of mine at Pinch as Summer approaches.

A-B Spring Heat Wheat - Yet another attempt by A-B at a niche market. Not to be confused with In-Heat Wheat from Flying Dog, which is a much better beer. I've had this one in a bottle, but not on tap yet. It's a Witbier, of sorts. To me, it was very thin and tasted excessively watery, but the "I don't really like beer, but I can drink this" crowd may appreciate it. I will give it a try on tap and see if that improves the mouthfeel at all, but I'm not holding my breath.

So there you have it. Reason enough to stop in Pinch one night this week, I'd wager? Yes indeedy.

Did you know the Beer Philosopher is on MySpace? Of course, virtually everyone is on MySpace these days ... and I would be silly not to avail myself of such a great networking tool for the beer-impaired. It took me a while to realize the worth of such a community forum type of site, but once I did, I was hooked. Heck, my friends are hooked, my wife is very hooked, and it's really become quite the communications tool for us as of late.

Be sure to check out the resources available on About:Beer from Bryce Eddings, your guide to beer. Okay, your other guide to beer. Anyway, Bryce was kind enough to link to the Beer Philosopher blog from his webpage, so I wanted to return the favor. There's a lot of useful information on Bryce's page, including info on beer styles, how to taste and cook with beer, as well as a ton of links to beer-related articles and reports. Good stuff.

Thanks Bryce. Here's hoping our beer paths cross sometime soon!

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The ancient Greek maxim “know thyself,” most often ascribed to Socrates, is one of the most foundational concepts in western philosophy. Well I say “know thy beer” is one of the most foundational concepts in the enjoyment of a good brew. It’s my contention that a little basic knowledge about what you’re drinking, and how it came to be what it is, will go a long way to making your beer-drinking all the more pleasurable (i.e., something more than a race to slam down as much watery yellow liquid as humanly possible, in the shortest span of time). Learn about the brewery from which your brew of choice emerged. Learn about what kind of grains and hops were used in the brewing process. Look up some tasting notes on the brew on http://www.beeradvocate.com/ and see how your observations compare with others. Sound like a lot of work? It doesn’t have to be, if you see it as a way of maximizing your beer-drinking experience, and getting the most out of a good pint.

How very Epicurean, huh?

Let me sum it up this way … for me, beer is not a means to an end, but an end in and of itself. Believe it or not, beer can be enjoyed for its fine nuances and subtleties in the very same way that wine is enjoyed. You can take or leave the snobbishness. Beer is every bit as complex and varied as wine ever thought about being, so this isn’t as ridiculous as it may sound at first.

In the next couple of posts, I’ll go into some of the basics of beer. What is the difference between a lager and an ale? What are some of the basic beer styles and what makes them unique? Why “darker” doesn’t necessarily mean “better” and so forth … I believe you’ll find that once you know more about beer, you’ll come to appreciate it for an entirely different reason than you might have previously.

Remember, with knowledge comes responsibility.