This post has nothing to with beer, but as several people e-mailed me about it today, I guess I better quell any concerns, especially with my wife. I have not given up on white women, especially my lovely better half (not that there’s anything wrong with any other women). Confused? Yeah, me too. Apparently a new film began playing in San Francisco today, and the title of it is I’m Through with White Girls (The Inevitable Undoing of Jay Brooks). That parenthetical subtitle certainly caused me to do a double take.

The film was produced by Turn Soul Films last year and has won at least three awards at smaller film festivals. Here’s the synopsis of the movie from the imdb:

Jay Brooks is that black guy who digs indie rock, graphic novels, and dates white chicks. After a slew of bad break-ups, Jay gives up white women, “cold turkey,” and he goes on a mission: “Operation Brown Sugar”. But because Jay doesn’t fit the “brotha” stereotype, he fails miserably with the “sistahs.” Then he meets the dynamic Catherine, a misunderstood “Half-rican Canadian”, who’s as righteously quirky as he is. To win her heart, Jay must confront his fears as he realizes commitment is a bigger issue than race. I’M THROUGH WITH WHITE GIRLS, written by Courtney Lilly (Arrested Development, Everybody Hates Chris, My Boys), is a quirky romantic-comedy addressing race, class, and cultural identity in America.

Goofy, but perfect fodder for a lazy Friday afternoon. I wonder if I get in free if I have the same name as the film’s protagonist? As for my “inevitable undoing,” I guess I’ll have to keep searching for that, whatever it may be. Those of you who know me, what do you think will be my inevitable undoing?

Saint Arnold Brewing, in Houston, Texas, announced today that have bought a historic downtown building in which they intend to build a new brewery by June of 2009, to coincide with their 15th anniversary. The 1914 building, which is located at 2000 Lyons Avenue, will cost $6 million to renovate and refurbish. Once transformed, they expect the new location to “attract tens of thousands of visitors each year from around the world.”

From the press release:

“Our current location has served us well and has helped us accomplish a lot by making great beer, but we have run out of space,” said Brock Wagner, founder and brewer of Saint Arnold Brewing Company. “Since our first day, our mission has been to brew the best beer in Texas and create an institution that makes Houston proud. That will be the focus of the redevelopment of our new brewery.”

Saint Arnold’s new brewery will feature a brewhouse purchased from a closed brewery in a monastery in Germany. The equipment is being refurbished, updated and automated, including the addition of a state-of-the-art energy-saving boiling and mashing system. The expansion into the new facility ultimately will allow for an over 400 percent increase in brewing capacity. The current brewery in Northwest Houston has an annual capacity of 22,500 barrels; the new brewery will have an initial annual capacity of 40,000 barrels expandable up to 120,000 barrels per year.

That’s terrific news for them. I can’t wait to see what the new brewery will look like.

The Oregon Brewers Guild has announced the launch of their new website, Oregon Beer.

From the press release:

The Oregon Brewers Guild (OBG) is unveiling a new and improved website. The long awaited website, designed by the creative team at eROI, includes many new interactive features making it even easier for craft beer enthusiasts to find the latest news from their favorite Oregon breweries and stay up to date on events happening around the state. Highlights from the new website include a complete listing of OBG members, upcoming beer events across the state, an interactive blog featuring the latest OBG member news, an extensive photo archive and an online pressroom housing the latest Guild news.

The “Meet a friend for a pint” feature is one of the website’s most innovative components and allows users to send an electronic invitation to friends to meet at an Oregon Brewers Guild member brewery with the simple click of a button. For those of you on Twitter, you can get the latest Oregon Brewers Guild update off the home page or sign up at http://twitter.com/Oregonbeer to follow Oregon Beer. Users can actively participate in the OBG experience by submitting their own photos involving Oregon craft beer.

Well that’s it in a nutshell. Rob, from Pfiff!, explains it more thoroughly, and the real title of his topic for Session #17 is actually “Going Against the Grain Bill: Solstice Edition.” With that mouthful of a title, he’s definitely got some ‘splainin’ to do, which he wittily manages:

Up here in the Northern hemisphere, we’re fast approaching the summer solstice, when the sun opts to beat down on us for as long as possible, and the marketing eye of brewing’s Sauron becomes firmly targeted on light, easily quaffable, lawnmower beers, which we’re all supposed to dumbly chug down after demonstrably wiping our brows with the brim of the sweat-beaded can (cuz it’s hot!) while wearing our mothball-scented aloha shirts and comically over-sized, personalized suede bbq mitts. (I’m likewise certain the same spell is being cast on you all down in the Southern hemisphere, but I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re trying to sell you at the moment.)

Granted, this sounds fun for about a minute. But before too long, we all like to duck out of view and follow our true (beer-related, please) desires, despite how unconventional it may seem to the general populace. Now’s your chance to enlighten the rest of the world on what they might be missing.

The subject for July’s Session could be summed up thusly: Drinking anti-seasonally. Think of this as the unorthodox cousin of such topics as “beer and food” and “beer and music”. Beer and weather, perhaps? More like beer despite the weather, I guess. Cracking open a Guinness on the beach, finishing a day of yardwork with a Speedway Stout, or whatever else you do that raises an eyebrow (again, beer-related, please), do us all a favor an take a few moments to share your non-conformist tale (again, you kangaroos and lemurs down there, your take on this could be even more peculiar, so do chime in, please).

This should be fun. I rarely do what I’m supposed to, so now I’m not sure how to not do something that tells me to talk about what’s something I do that I’m not supposed to. Capisce? Join us on the 4th of July to talk about what beer you drink when no one’s looking.

On the Today Show on NBC this morning, there was a short segment on pairing food with beer and wine, featuring Sam Calagione, from Dogfish Head Brewery, and Marnie Old, his co-author, of the new book by both of them, He Said Beer, She Said Wine. It felt a little rushed, but they did manage to taste the two hosts, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, on a cheese and some chocolate with both beer and wine. The beer Sam paired with a Gruyere was New Belgium’s Mothership Wit and with the dark chocolate, his own World Wide Stout (aged for five years). This was great exposure for craft beer and food and beer, specifically. The Today Show is about as mainstream as one could ask for.

The Associated Press has an interesting article today that’s been picked up all over the place entitled Politics an Obstacle for InBev’s Anheuser-Busch Bid. The gist of it is that during an election year, patriotism will cause politicians to come down against having ownership of the country’s largest beer company move to foreign shores. To wit:

But politicians and activists are already lining up against the deal, saying it could cost jobs in the United States and send ownership of an iconic American company overseas. With economic concerns at the front of voters’ minds, the opposition could cause a headache for InBev.

Republican Gov. Matt Blunt said Wednesday he opposes the deal, and directed the Missouri Department of Economic Development to see if there was a way to stop it.

“I am strongly opposed to the sale of Anheuser-Busch, and today’s offer to purchase the company is deeply troubling to me,” Blunt said in a statement.

Personally, I haven’t made up my mind yet about the deal and what it will mean for the beer industry, but I have a hard time swallowing the jingoism of these arguments. Where were they when Miller was bought by SAB or when Coors and Molson merged?

The SaveAB website includes some hilarious rhetoric given their cold response to the Latrobe deal. It’s signed “Concerned Americans,” lists a St. Louis address for the organization, and includes the parting shot: “This Bud’s for you and the U.S.A.!” I guess that’s an updated version of the old General Motors saw about “what’s good for GM is good for the country.” Even if the deal does go through, I doubt much will change significantly at the ground level. Bud will likely continue to dominate the market though it’s possible things will change at the upper management level which might eventually signal changes in the company. But there’s still a long way to go before this is finished.

I continue to have very mixed emotions about this deal, but I’m very frustrated by how politicians seem to care only about the largest companies while ignoring the small and regional businesses that fail on a daily basis. Why do we continually help the rich stay rich while ignoring the middle class and poor? I already know the answer to that question, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Is it too early to start drinking today?

After literally years of speculation, rumors and blind alleys, it’s official. CNBC is reporting on their “Breaking News” ticker that InBev has made a $65 cash offer for Anheuser-Busch stock. CNBC now has more on the story.

Anheuser-Busch has acknowledged the takeover bid in a press release issued today.

Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. (NYSE: BUD) announced today that it has received an unsolicited, non-binding proposal from InBev to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Anheuser-Busch for $65 per share in cash.

Anheuser-Busch said that its board of directors will evaluate the proposal carefully and in the context of all relevant factors, including Anheuser-Busch’s long-term strategic plan. The board will review the merits of the proposal consistent with its fiduciary duties and in consultation with its financial and legal advisers. The board will pursue the course of action that is in the best interests of Anheuser-Busch’s stockholders.

Anheuser-Busch’s board expects to make its determination regarding InBev’s proposal in due course.

I’m sure additional details will emerge in the coming hours and days, though by “due course” it’s more likely going to be months before anything is finalized.
 
UPDATE: Additional reports have put the total price for InBev to acquire A-B at $46.3 billion. The $65 stock offer represents a 24% increase over share value as of May 22, which is the day before the most recent round of takeover rumors began. Despite the seemingly generous offer, some analysts believe it could even go higher, with speculation of a $70 per share final offer fairly common.
 

According to a press release I received today from the National Beer Wholesalers Association, Costco has decided not to seek certiorari to appeal the appellate decision by the Ninth Circuit to the U.S. Supreme Court. This effectively means the matter is over and keeps in place almost all of the state’s regulatory power over alcohol. As almost every other state breathed a heavy sigh of relief, the NBWA “applauded” Costco’s decision, saying it was “a win for the people of Washington state.” From the press release:

[The earlier] Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals [ruling affirmed] the right of states to regulate alcohol consistent with the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Ninth Circuit’s opinion unequivocally upholds Washington’s uniform pricing rule, delivered pricing requirement, volume discount ban, credit prohibition, central warehousing ban, minimum mark-up and retail-to-retail sales ban.

“Alcohol is different from other products available to consumers, and it should be regulated differently,” said NBWA President Craig Purser. “The Ninth Circuit’s ruling upholds the right of states to set alcohol policy. America’s beer distributors will continue to support state-based alcohol regulation that works to keep communities safe.”

Okay, it was just a slip of the tongue, but it was a funny one. On CNN’s Political Ticker blog, they’re reporting that Republican presidential hopeful John McCain accidentally said the following during a speech at the National Small Business Summit held in Washington, DC. “I will use the veto as needed. I will veto every single beer …” before quickly correcting himself. Hilarious. I wonder how his wife felt about that one? Maybe he was just parched and needed a beer. You can even watch a video of McCain’s gaffe.

CNN, through their sister website CareerBuilder.com, ran a fluff piece where they listed their choices for the nine coolest jobs that pay well. Topping the list was “Brewmaster.” I’m not quite convinced about the “pays well” part, but they list the median income as $42,430, based on data from CBSalary.com. They justified their choice with this questionable bit of logic:

To put it mildly, a lot of people like to drink beer. It’s associated with goods times, 21st birthdays and football games. (In fairness, it’s also associated with hangovers the next day.) Who wouldn’t want to be the creator of a tasty ale that will be imbibed by many the partygoer? Plus, you get to do taste-testing along the way, which is always fun.

Brewmaster beat out toy creator, doll fashion designer and even sommelier. I’m glad to see it top the list, and I’m certainly not arguing it doesn’t deserve to be there, I just think brewers deserve to be paid better. Now that would be cool.