Welcome to RBPMail 3.6, June, 1997

[Real Beer Page <rblists@realbeer.com>]

Welcome to RBPMail  3.6, June, 1997

Real Beer Page Mail, The Monthly Brew News Digest For the Online Beer 
Enthusiast.

In this issue:

* United Craft Brewers Formed
* Ambrew Expansion 
* Web Watch
   - Beer Sites To Surf for Father's Day
      + Beer Across America
      + Make Dad A Belgian Expert
      + BrewTees
      + Malt Of The Earth Mails Beer & Cigars
      + Portland Brewbus Is Back!
      + Shop The Oldest Brewery In USA
      + Learn Him How To Brew
   - Real Beer Picks
      + BeerMasters Tasting Society's Twisted Fun
      + Bloomington Brewing Company
      + Hales Ales, The Gang's All Here
      + Newlands Services, Inc.
      + Routh Street Brewery, TX
   - Quickie Survey
* Legal Watch
   - FL Outcry Over Liquor-Shipping Bill
   - Mid-Atlantic Association Works To Alter Laws
   - MABC Alters Laws
   - Lobby Group Butts Heads With NBWA
   - OBG Withdraws BATF Petition
* BEERWeek Headlines
* U.S. Presses Korea To Import Brewery Equipment
* Germans Profit From Beer Prestige In Asia 
* Red Hook Exec Drilled On Salary
* Ad Watch
   - $35 Million Ball Park Beer Sponsorship 
   - August IV Shot To Improve Family Image
   - Lite Swimsuit Promotions
   - Spin Doctors' Win Battle With Miller
   - Jagerettes Sue Importers
   - Coors Likes Aging Echo-Boomers
* Announcements
   - NAGBW Call For Entries
   - Jim Parker Anointed Director Of AHA
   - Kate Hanley Joins Real Beer
   - More Growth Ahead - Sales Person Wanted
* Fear, Ramblings and The Nature of THEM - Editorial

------------------------------------------------------------------------

UNITED CRAFT BREWERS FORMED
United Breweries of India and a group of American craft brewers announced an 
alliance to be called the United Craft Brewers. The group, to be headed up by 
Vijay Mallya, Chairman of United Breweries, is a consolidation of American craft 
breweries, created to provide the means to effectively compete in a market 
dominated by large industrial brewers. By consolidating supplies and equipment 
orders, UCB will be in a better bargaining position in terms of purchasing. 
Eventually, the participating breweries - Nor'Wester Brewing Company of 
Portland, OR, Aviator Ales of Woodinville, WA, Mile High Brewing of Denver, 
CO, Bayhawk Ales, of Irvine, CA, North Country Ales of Saratoga Springs, 
NY, Mendocino Brewing Co. of Hopland, CA and Humboldt Brewing Co. of 
Arcata, CA will also brew each other's signature products, allowing them to 
deliver fresh products to new regions through established distribution networks. 
UCB is also looking to add additional craft breweries to the group. United 
Breweries, located in Bangalore, India, is a union of twelve individual breweries, 
with Kingfisher as its signature product. United Craft Brewers is founded on 
Vijay Mallya's belief that such an alliance will provide similar strength in the 
American market. The UB group will provide $5.5 million and its expertise in 
areas like marketing, advertising and purchasing for its 40% equity holding. 
Mallya will act as chairman and CEO. Nor'Wester president Jim Bernau will hold 
a 10% equity and 50% of the stock will be publicly traded. United Craft Brewers 
will assume the Nor'Wester symbol, ALES, on the NASDAQ market. - (By 
Patrick Higgins and Maura Kate Kilgore with reporting by Jim Leff as reported in 
BEERWeekTM - Week of May 26 - June 2, 1997. Patrick Higgins and Maura 
Kate Kilgore cover the beer scene in New York and can be reached at 
elvis@ljextra.com)

          http://www.MendoBrew.com
          http://www.NorWester.com
          http://www.BEERWeek.com

AMBREW EXPANSION 
American Craft Brewing International (Ambrew), the holding company of 
domestic micro-brewer South China Brewing Co, expects to produce more than 
one million cases of beer a year by the end of next year. The company opened its 
third micro-brewery, in Mexico, last week and is negotiating with individuals in 
China, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Greece, Britain, Spain and countries in 
Eastern Europe and South America to further expanding its business. May 20, 
1997 saw the opening of the 20-barrel capacity Cerveceria Rio Bravo, on the 
Mexico-California border town of Tecate. In April, Ambrew opened its Celtic 
Brew facility near Dublin, Ireland. The Mexican facility will initially brew a lager 
called Cerveza Mexicali, while the Dublin brewery is producing Finians brand 
Irish and blond ales. In Hong Kong, South China Brewing brews a mix of ales 
and lagers. Ambrew recently reached an agreement with Anheuser-Busch to make 
and market premium beers around the world. (Source: Mark Sharp, South China 
Morning Post, May 25, 1997)

          http://www.AM-BREW.com

********** WEB WATCH **********

BEER SITES TO SURF FOR FATHER'S DAY

BEER ACROSS AMERICA
"The Original Beer of the Month Club" shows off its positon with attractive 
graphics and frames navigation on a website backed by great content and several 
months of archived newsletters. One of the more innovative features is a 22-
ounce selection of beers to choose from. The site also features a father's day 
special - free delivery.

          http://www.beeramerica.com

MAKE DAD A BELGIAN EXPERT
Michael Jackson's book, the Great Beers of Belgium, has been a featured prize 
for the handful of folks selected from our monthly Quickie Surveys (see below). 
Now, the fine folks at Vanberg & DeWulf are offering the book as an Internet 
special at a price of $19.95 for Father's Day AND including a free Belgian beer 
glass for anyone who mentions they heard it here or saw it on their web site. This 
is a wonderful gift package available for those interested in the world's leading 
beer writer's coverage of the world's most distinctive and diverse beers. Order 
yours at:

         http://www.belgianexperts.com/special.htm

BREW-TEES
With a selection of over 70 craft-brew tees and tee-of-the-month club 
membership, BrewTees has to be a father's day web destination:

          http://www.brewtees.com

MALT OF THE EARTH MAILS BEER & CIGARS
Malt of the Earth/The Cigar of the Month Society, invites you to send a greeting 
to that special someone absolutely FREE from their Virtual Liquor & Cigar Shop. 
Perfect for the "Online Dad" for Fathers Day as well as for terminal friend's 
birthdays, weddings, new births or congratulations of any kind. Visit their web 
site to make your selection from a variety of beer and cigar "virtual postcards." 
Enter a drawing to win a free 6-month subscription to their Beer or Cigar-of-the-
Month Club Services by subscribing to their e-mail newsletters.  Results will be 
announced in the July issue of each newsletter.

        http://www.maltbev.com

PORTLAND BREWBUS IS BACK!
Last month we told you to make the pilgrimage to Portland if you're near the 
West Coast of the U.S. to meet Don Younger at the world-famous Horse Brass 
Pub (winner of a 1997 Celebrator Beer News Top Taps award) who can tell you 
all about the roots of the craft-brewing movement in the U.S. This month, we'll 
let you in on how to see it first-hand: Hop on the Portland BrewBus. Your 
captain, Eric Bieber will provide transportation, education and beer appreciation 
with guaranteed satisfaction. The BrewBus tours run from May to October, with 
group charters always available for reservation. Eric's quick to point out, this is 
not a pub-crawl. This is a docent's tour. A tour designed for those interested in 
the process of crafting beer and learning what makes each beer taste so different. 
As Eric is fond of saying, "Drink beer and learn something, it's like college all 
over again." Catch the bus by calling 888-BIG-BREW or registering at:

          http://www.BrewBus.com

SHOP THE OLDEST BREWERY IN USA
We're proud to announce the debut of a beautiful web site dedicated to the oldest 
continuous brewery in the U.S., D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. With roots deep in 
the hillside of Pottsville, PA, Yuengling wears its heritage like a comfortable, old, 
hand-knitted sweater. A trip to the brewery may include walks through the wet 
caves carved by trained miners and time. A visit to their web site will include a 
jaunt through American brewing and Yuengling family history with the modern 
convenience of online shopping if you're into Breweriana and collectibles. Enjoy 
your travels to:

          http://www.yuengling.com

LEARN HIM HOW TO BREW
To paraphrase the paraphrased, "Give a father some beer and he'll waste a day. 
Teach him how to brew and he'll waste a lifetime." This actually would be a great 
father-progeny activity for folks of any age. You might want to check with your 
local U-Brew to reserve a kettle for brew-day. Or you can learn how to do it 
yourself from the original "How To Homebrew" web page by John Palmer. We 
are proud to find a new and permanent residence for John Palmer's Brewery and 
Smithy on the Real Beer Page and invite you to print out the instructions, pick up 
some supplies and get together with dad for a day of homebrewing. If you need 
to pick up some beers for inspiration or sustenance, see the beer of the month 
clubs listed above.

          http://realbeer.com/jjpalmer/

****************** Real Beer Picks ******************

BEERMASTERS TASTING SOCIETY SERVES TWISTED FUN
BeerMasters Tasting Society announced winners to its Limerick contest 
announced in last month's news letter. One of the winning entries:

"There once was a girl from Anheuser, 
Who swore that no one could surprise her. 
But Pabst took a chance, 
Found the Schlitz in her pants, 
And now she is sadder Budweiser." 

Submitted by Marv Slind. Congratulations, Marv.

This month, BeerMasters is will be selecting winners from entries for Toasts -- in 
any and all languages and spirits -- at:

          http://www.BeerMasters.com

BLOOMINGTON BREWING COMPANY
BBC, downstate Indiana's first microbrewery and brewpub boasts five hand-
crafted microbrews along with seasonal brews and a sumptuous selection of 
foods. Their Web site can boast winning an "Yahoo What's Cool" award and has 
the added curiosity of offering a business plan for those interested in getting into 
the business.

          http://www.bloomington.com

HALES ALES, THE GANG'S ALL HERE
Meet Mike & Kathleen Hale, J -- a great nephew brewer of Rudyard Kipling, and 
the rest of the rowdy gang at Hales Ales who never tire of playing off their name. 
You'll find Hales Tales (history), Hales Sales (merchandise, 'natch), What Ales 
Ya (questions pondered and occasionally answered) and other Hales Trials (did 
we you catch the typo?) Warning: it's as catchy as the draft of cream stout. If yer 
tough as nails and none too frails, set yer navigator or explorer for Hales Ales:

    http://www.HalesAles.com

NEWLANDS SERVICES, INC.
Based in British Columbia, Canada and with installations world-wide, Newlands 
is a leader in brewing systems manufacture and service. Whether you're with a 
brewery in planning or expansion, Newlands provides complete solutions, 
including brewery concept & design, installation, commissioning, brewers 
training, quality assurance, production assistance and process auditing. Learn 
more at their Web site at:

          http://www.NSIBrew.com

ROUTH STREET BREWERY, TX
The excellent brewers and chefs at Routh Street welcome you whenever you're in 
Dallas, TX. A warm, hunting lodge decor with upscale dining and non-stop 
selection of innovative, quality brews for pairing make the experience a must. If 
you can't make it by the brewpub this week, make it by their website. A special 
no-prize for anyone spotting the wild jackalope loose on their pages.

          http://www.RouthStreetBrewery.com

***************************************************

QUICKIE EMAIL SURVEY
Thanks to all who have been replying to our Quickie Surveys. Odds of winning a 
prize are better than winning the lotto. We've got a great award to offer as well: 
Michael Jackson's The Great Beers of Belgium distributed by Vanberg & DeWulf 
(http://www.BelgianExperts.com).

How many people do you forward RBPMail to each month? Please reply by 
sending to the respective email address:

1@realbeer.com
2@realbeer.com
3@realbeer.com
4@realbeer.com
more@realbeer.com
none@realbeer.com

RESULTS FROM LAST MONTH'S SURVEY:
We asked what How many computers --  desktop, laptop, pda, etc. -- do you 
own? We found that you are as likely to have 2-4 computers as one and more 
likely to have 2+ computers than not. And 33% of our respondents own 3 or 
more computers. Do you get the feeling we're going the direction of radios and 
televisions with this medium? Here's how the numbers looked:

# of        Percent
CPUs     of Respondents
1            46%
2            21%
3            18%
4             7%
more          8%

Last's months Quickie Survey winner is Jeff Morgan. Congratulations Jeff!

****************** Brewed Fresh For You! ******************
The Real Beer Page announces a diverse group of brew websites to
check out:

Am-Brew          http://www.Am-Brew.com
Bad Frog          http://www.badfrog.com
Black Star Beer      http://www.blackstarbeer.com/
big Rock              http://www.bigrockbeer.com/
Cooper's Brewery      http://www.conbev.com/
Infinity Neon         http://infinityneon.com/
Labatt Blue           http://www.LabattBlue.com/
Lucky's Teeth         http://labattblue.com/Lucky/
Molokai Brewing       http://www.MolokaiBrewing.com/
ProBrewer               http://www.probrewer.com
Toronto Beer Fest     http://realbeer.com/torfestbeer/
World of Beer         http://www.WorldOfBeer.com/


***************** LEGAL WATCH **********************

FL OUTCRY OVER LIQUOR-SHIPPING BILL 
By a margin of 620 to 1, Floridian letters and phone calls to  Gov. Lawton Chiles 
are opposing a bill that would make it a felony to ship wine, beer or liquor to their 
homes. The legislation says all alcoholic beverages must "come to rest" at a 
Florida wholesaler, which collects state taxes and adds its own profit markup. 
Many consumers say it threatens their access to wine-of-the-month clubs and 
beers from micro-breweries. "It's easier to sell the wine in communist China than 
it is to the Florida consumer," said Deborah Cahn, who owns a small California 
vineyard. One of the letters to Chiles came from Florida Attorney General Bob 
Butterworth, who urged a veto.  Butterworth's said the bill allows Florida's 
wholesale and distribution industry to "tighten its vise grip on the distribution of 
alcoholic beverages." Florida would become the fourth state, and the largest, to 
enact such a law after Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia, wine groups say. 
Shipping directly to a consumer's home would put the winery, brewery or other 
provider - along with the UPS or other delivery person - at risk of a third-degree 
felony. A felony conviction would make it impossible to hold a federal license 
needed to stay in business. (Source:  Charles Elmore, Palm Beach Post, May 20, 
1997, Tuesday)

MID-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATION WORKS TO ALTER LAWS
Bud Hensgen, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Craft 
Brewers, found his taste for beer as a press attache with the U.S. Information 
Agency which landed him in England, Germany, Panama and Colombia. "In my 
travels overseas, one of the pleasures of living in different countries was the 
opportunity to taste the differences in the various beer cultures, from Bogota to 
Panama to London and Munich." A turning point came in 1989. "After 23 years 
in the diplomatic service, my wife and I determined it was time to come home and 
get to know our own country better." At the time, Hensgen got involved with Old 
Dominion, then a microbrewer that has since grown to regional in size. As 
executive director of the association, Hensgen is working to change laws, nurture 
fledgling businesses and promote the kinds of beers he once could get only in 
other countries.  "We have a flourishing craft brewing industry in Virginia,  
Maryland and Washington," he said. The association includes more than 20 
brewers. (Source: Lee Graves, Richmond Times-Dispatch,  May 15, 1997)

MABC ALTERS LAWS
1) Virginia legislators approved a bill to help local breweries compete: Governor 
Allen has signed legislation, submitted by the Mid-Atlantic Association of Craft 
Brewers, which will allow Virginia's microbreweries to sell visitors beer at the 
brewery to take away. Virginia's wineries and breweries with restaurants in the 
are already permitted to do so. Senator Malfourd Trumbo (R - Botetourt) 
sponsored the bill in the Senate and Delegate Gladys Keating (D - Springfield) 
carried it in the House. 2) Maryland implements legislation to help 
microbreweries grow: Governor Parris Glendening of Maryland has signed 
legislation that will permit the Maryland's microbreweries with restaurants to 
grow from 10,000 barrels of beer per year to 22,500 barrels. The bill will also 
permit these pub breweries to contract beer with other breweries in order to reach 
their ceiling. Theo De Groen, President of Baltimore Brewing Company, 
representing Maryland's craft brewers summarized the impact of the bill by 
saying "This bill will allow Maryland's microbreweries with both restaurants and 
outside distribution to grow to fill the demand for Maryland's own craft beers. It 
will also help Maryland's microbreweries to become financially stronger in a 
market that is becoming more competitive principally from beers coming from 
outside the state of Maryland." The new laws become effective July 1, 1997

          Source: http://probrewer.com/cgi-bin/probrewer/message.cgi

          De Groen's Beers at http://www.degroens.com

LOBBY GROUP BUTTS HEADS WITH NBWA
The lobbying group, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc., 
were stopped from bringing 535 beer bottles, one for each member of Congress, 
through the X-ray security machines of Capitol Hill.  The message, "A child's life 
is worth more than cheaper beer," was inscribed on the bottles' labels attempting 
to prop the groups' claim that lower beer prices are intended to recruit young 
drinkers. A spokesman for the National Beer Wholesalers Association disputes 
that accusation, noting the industry has spent $200 million in the past decade on 
public service ads promoting moderate consumption. The increase in the excise 
tax was passed in 1990 and doubled the beer levy to $1.35 a case. NBWA 
president, Ron Sarasin, said "The hike caused the largest drop in sales in 30 years 
and over 50,000 jobs were lost in the brewing, wholesaling and retailing 
industries." The lobbying group's demonstration was timed to coincide with the 
NBWA meeting in Washingon to combat the legislative influence of the 
organization. The association represents 2,500 wholesalers, and in the 1996 
election contributed $1.35 million, more than $1 million or 75% of it to 
Republicans. Legislators on the two tax-writing committees - House Ways and 
Means and Senate Finance - received more than $100,000. St. Louis-based 
Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. is a strong lobbyist in its own right. The company 
maintains an office in Washington and contributed $860,000 to political 
candidates and parties in 1995-96. (Source: S.J. Cahn, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 
Business, May 18, 1997, Sunday) 

OBG WITHDRAWS BATF PETITION
The Oregon Brewers Guild (OBG) has sent a letter to the Bureau of Alcohol 
Tobacco & Firearms withdrawing their support from the petition sent January 25, 
1996 by Anheuser-Busch calling for modifications to regulations governing 
labeling and advertising of beer. " Gary Fish, founder of Deschutes Brewing Co. 
and President of the OBG said, "The petition has been used to create acrimony 
and disharmony in the craft brewing industry. This was never the intent of the 
Guild. The Oregon Brewers Guild will continue to promote the voluntary listing 
of the 'brewery of origin' on the label by all breweries." Mike Sherwood, 
Executive Director of the OBG stated that "The Guild's primary function is to 
promote craft brewing in Oregon. It appears that our goals of promoting truth in 
labeling may be in conflict with Anheuser-Busch's intent with this petition. The 
Oregon Brewers Guild is a leader in the industry and needs to continue to lead by 
doing that which promotes the industry the most," Sherwood continued. " Our 
support of the petition has been deemed to be contrary to that purpose by the 
Guild's membership, hence this withdrawal letter." (Source: BEERWeek, May 
12 - 19, 1997)

          http://www.BEERWeek.com

************************************************************

BEERWeek Stories:

RBPMail, which you are reading, is delivered for FREE to you each month. If
you need more timely beer information, BEERWeek costs $50/year and arrives
weekly. The following are news headlines from the last month.

BEERWeek of April 28 - May 5, 1997
 * Publican Judy Ashworth Suffers Cardiac Arrest
 * Anheuser-Busch Cautions Stockholders re Prohibition
 * A-B Has Good First Quarter
 * Sam Adams & Pete's Down in First Quarter 1997
 * Lower That Tax!
 * Iowa Craft Guild Formed
 * Brewpub Conference Announced
 * Guinness Win-a-Pub Finalists Announced

BEERWeek of May 5 - 12, 1997
 * Judy Ashworth Recovering
 * Hong Kong's Red Dawn Lager Celebrates Handover
 * Coors: A Good News, Bad News  Good News Story
 * A-B Nixes Bud to Burma
 * Take Me Out to the Distributor Game

BEERWeek of May 12 - 19, 1997
 * Indian Brewer Invests in Top U.S. Craft Breweries
 * States Crack Down on Beer of the Month Clubs
 * McMenamins Pubs in IRS Hassle
 * IBS Report Released on Industry Statistics
 * A-B and AmBrew Reach Agreement
 * Oregon Guild Withdraws BATF Petition

BEERWeek of May 19 - 26, 1997
 * Guinness Plc In $32.5 Billion Merger
 * UCB Announces Plan for Nationwide Alliance
 * AmBrew Appointed Agent for Dixie B. C.
 * Boston B.C. Announces LongShot Release Date
 * UK Rumblings on Alcopops

BEERWeek of May 26 - June 2, 1997
 * Formal Announcement by UCB in NYC
 * BeerWeek Interview with UCB's Vijay Mallya
 * Canadian Micro's Perform Well
 * AOB Lists Top Producing Craft Brewers
 * IBS Stats for '97 1st Quarter
 * Oregon Brewers Guild Withdraws BATF Petition II
 * IBS to NYTimes: Drop Dead!
 * Report on Midwest Expo
 * Heads Up for California Craft Brewers

BEERWeek is the subscription-based newsletter delivered by email each
Monday for the industry professional or serious beer enthusiast who needs
it regularly. To subscribe, go to http://www.beerweek.com and get it now.

************************************************************

U.S. PRESSES KOREA TO IMPORT BREWERY EQUIPMENT
The South Korean government is being pressed for action on the liquor sales and 
production fronts, with the European Union complaining about the low tax on the 
local spirit "soju' and the United States demanding market access for beer 
manufacturing equipment.  In recent regular working-level trade talks, 
Washington asked Seoul to allow importation of micro brewery equipment so that 
hotels and large restaurants can make their own beer and sell it to their customers, 
a Trade, Industry, and Energy Ministry official said Thursday. The Seoul 
government has turned down Washington's request, which doesn't mean that the 
U.S. side has withdrawn such a demand altogether, the official said, requesting 
anonymity.  Since the request made the agenda in trade talks, the trade official 
predicted that Washington may bring up the issue when lobbying by the U.S. 
beer industry gets stronger. (Source: Asia Pulse, May 08, 1997 )

GERMANS PROFIT FROM BEER PRESTIGE IN ASIA 
German breweries have begun to leverage their brewing heritage in Asian cities 
where they are finding success in mini-breweries. Paulaner Brauhaus, Bangkok's 
first microbrewery establishment, opened in 1994. Today Bangkok has four such 
pub breweries - three of which have technical link-ups with German breweries - 
and several more are in the pipeline.  Thailand's President Park Properties Public 
Company Ltd, secured a franchise with Munich-based Paulaner Braueri (founded 
in 1627) for the Thai market and other Asian countries such as Vietnam, 
Singapore, Malaysia, India and China.  With revenues expected to exceed 5 
million dollars, "it has performed beyond our expectation," said Harmil Singh, 
president and CEO of President Park. According to the franchise agreement each 
outlet must import its brewery equipment from Paulaner and all the beer 
ingredients from Germany. Only the water is sourced locally. A German 
brewmeister is part of the deal. German cuisine, decor and live bands are added 
attractions at the pubs. Beers average 125 baht ($5.00 dollars) per pint in 
Bangkok and about $6.60 dollars for the same in Singapore.  Grayson Brown, 
managing director of Atlantis Beverage Services, a local supplier of made-in-
Thailand mini-brewery equipment, complained that German brewing equipment 
suppliers have the cultural edge in Thailand, where many locals associate import 
beers - even Heineken and Carlsburg, which are not German brewed - with 
Germany. The prestige has helped German breweries sell their equipment in 
Bangkok for two to three times the price of locally made or U.S. imports, said 
Brown. (Source: Dean Visser and Peter Janssen, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, May 
6, 1997)

RED HOOK EXEC DRILLED ON SALARY
The formal part of Redhook Ale's annual shareholders meeting took less than five 
minutes. The question-and-answer period lasted more than an hour. 
During that time shareholders quizzed Redhook Chief Executive Officer Paul 
Shipman on the company's sliding stock price in an exchange that was part pep 
rally, part dress-down. "How do you substantiate the increase in your salary 
when our stock is going down so rapidly?" one shareholder demanded to 
scattered applause.  "Most of my salary is in Redhook stock," responded 
Shipman. "I took a hit in the millions. We're all shocked by the stock price." 
Redhook's stock is trading around $7.50, near it's 52-week low. At its peak, 
Redhook traded at $35 a share. Redhook reported a first-quarter loss of 
$488,000, or six cents a share, for the three months ended March 31, which the 
company attributed to craft-beer industry competition and expansion costs. First-
quarter sales totaled $8.87 million, up 3.7% from $8.55 million in the year-earlier 
period. But its new Portsmouth, N.H., brewery cut into profit, the company 
said. (Source: Alex Fryer, The Seattle Times, May 22, 1997)

********** AD WATCH **********

$35 MILLION BALL PARK BEER SPONSORSHIP 
Anheuser-Busch is putting up approximately $35 million over 10 years to become 
a charter sponsor of the San Francisco Giants' Pac Bell Park, a source close to 
the deal said yesterday. The St. Louis brewer will actually spend more per year 
than the team's major sponsor, Pacific Bell. The stadium is scheduled to open in 
2000.  The sponsorship means Anheuser- Busch, the maker of Budweiser and 
other beers, is the only brewer that can advertise during televised Giants games. It 
will also be the only beer maker that can hang signs over the playing field. The 
agreement does not include exclusive rights to sell beer at the stadium, however. 
By law, the Giants are barred from letting one beer company control beer sales. 
(Source: Carol Emert, San Francisco Chronicle, May 23, 1997)

AUGUST IV SHOT TO IMPROVE FAMILY IMAGE
After five years working behind the scenes to sell Anheuser-Busch beers, August 
Busch IV is going to pitch the company's flagship Budweiser brand in TV 
commercials.  Augie IV, VP-marketing for A-B, stars in a 60-second spot from 
DDB Needham Worldwide, Chicago, that breaks in the coming weeks. He does 
the voice-over for the ad, which opens with a picture of his great-great-
grandfather, the brewery's founder, and appears on camera at the end. "I'm not 
by any means a professional actor, but we're going to try something and see how 
it works," Mr. Busch said last week. A-B is trying to position itself as a company 
with deep family roots and a long tradition of producing quality products rather 
than a cold corporate giant. The brewer plans to spend $100 million overall on a 
marketing campaign focused on quality, heritage and freshness, Mr. Busch said, 
adding that the "quality" campaign will make up about half the Bud spots planned 
for the year. The brand's frogs are for now hopping into the sunset, though they 
will be mentioned in a spot starring Louie the Lizard that breaks in a few weeks, 
Mr. Busch said.  (Source: James Causey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 19, 
Monday, Monday Business Pg. 5)

LITE SWIMSUIT PROMOTIONS
Miller Lite's latest campaign will put three beer drinkers on an exotic beach with 
supermodel Rebecca Romijn and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue photo 
crew. Miller Brewing Co. and Sports Illustrated have teamed up for a national 
promotion set to start in mid-June to generate sales for Miller products, said 
Michael Johnson, Miller Lite brand director. This is the first time in its 34-year 
history that Sports Illustrated has entered into a partnership with an advertiser to 
use the swimsuit issue in a national consumer promotion.  Lite, Miller's 
bestselling product sold 16.1 million barrels of beer last year representing 8.5% 
of the U.S. market. (Source: James E. Causey, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 
May 20, 1997) 
 
SPIN DOCTORS' WIN BATTLE WITH MILLER
Ending a two-year legal battle, Miller Brewing Company has been found liable in 
a copyright infringement lawsuit for using The Spin Doctor's 1992 hit, "Two 
Princes," in TV commercials without permission. In summation of his case 
before a federal jury Spin Doctors lawyer, Joseph Schleimer, said that Miller 
flagrantly ripped off the band's hit. "Even fans wouldn't be able to tell the 
difference between the song and the tune in spots hawking Miller Lite Ice Beer. 
They wanted the Spin Doctors without paying the millions of dollars it would take 
to get the real thing," he said. The two parties reached an undisclosed settlement 
shortly after the ruling . The Spin Doctor's lawyers told reporters that he intended 
to ask the jury for $11.5 million in damages. The actual amount of the settlement 
was not released. (Source: Jill Legare, Austin American-Statesman, Metro/State, 
May 18, 1997) 

JAGERETTES SUE IMPORTERS
A sexual harassment suit has been filed on behalf of more than 100 women who 
promote the German drink, Jagermeister, in the United States. The suit was filed 
by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, and states that the 
Jagerettes were "groped, hugged and kissed" by executives from the Sidney 
Frank company, which  imports the beverage and All State Promotions, which 
markets it. Both companies have denied wrong doing and have requested the 
EEOC to withdraw the complaint. (Source: BEERWeekTM - Week of June 2 - 9, 
1997 http://www.beerweek.com)

COORS LIKES AGING ECHO BOOMERS
The population of young adult males is growing for the first time in two decades. 
Coors Brewing Co.'s chief executive officer, Peter Coors, told shareholders at 
the company's annual meeting in Golden that it bodes well for the Colorado 
brewer. Men in the 21-to-29 age group are prime consumers of Coors beers, he 
said. Also at the meeting, Coors Brewing President Leo Kiely introduced new 
television advertisements aimed at keeping sales of Coors Light and Original 
Coors flowing. One new Coors Light ad blends images of John Wayne and Ben, 
Hoss, Adam and Little Joe Cartwright of "Bonanza" with live actors fomenting 
trouble in a saloon. Peter Coors said the brewing company will focus on building 
sales of its most popular brands this year, especially Coors Light, Original Coors 
and Killian's Red. Bill Coors, chairman of Adolph Coors and Coors Brewing, 
said the beer industry "has been through the whole spectrum" in recent years and 
"the old brands just keep going." Asked if he has plans to retire, WWI-boomer & 
octogenarian, Bill Coors, said he does not. He's been with the family business 
for 58 years.  "I have yet to meet a retired person whose lifestyle I envy," said 
Coors. ( -- editors: apparently Bill Coors doesn't run with the hip retired crowd -- 
he should know that many retirees are happily homebrewing). (Source: Jeffrey 
Leib, The Denver Post, Business, May 16, 1997, Friday)

************************************************************

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

NAGBW CALL FOR ENTRIES
The North American Guild of Beer Writers announces a call for entries for works 
published between July 1, 1996 through May 31, 1997 for an annual writing 
competition to recognize excellence in writing on the topics of beer, brewing, 
appreciation of beer and food, and increased understanding of brewing 
techniques, history and culture, through all forms of media, in print and online 
(how's that for a ro?)Website text, radio and TV scripts may be entered as hard 
copies of the text. Eligible media should be distributed in North America. Entry 
fees are $35 per article for non-members of the NAGBW, or $15 for members. If 
you would like more information about the awards or would like to become a 
member, please email Lucy Saunders at beerscribe@aol.com. 

JIM PARKER ANOINTED DIRECTOR OF AHA
Jim Parker, currently the Administrator of the Institute for Brewing Studies, has 
been appointed Director of the American Homebrewers Association, replacing 
Karen Barela, who resigned earlier this year. Parker, former editor of the 
Celebrator Beer News, moved to Colorado to start the Rocky Mountain Brews 
beer newspaper. He then opened Mountain Taps Alehouse in Fort Collins, which 
he sold a few years ago. Parker will assume his new role in time to oversee the 
AHA Conference in Cleveland in June.

KATE HANLEY JOINS REAL BEER
We at Real Beer are proud to announce the transition of another IBS alumnus to a 
new position within our organization. Kate Hanley, who worked closely with the 
Institute for Brewing Studies on association membership benefits, service and 
administration has joined Real Beer, Inc. in a customer relations and 
communications role to meet service and growth needs. Please join us in 
welcoming Kate on board. Kate will also be assisting in the maintenance of our 
Brewery Database, online at http://www.realbeer.com/rbp/rbp.brewtour.html. If 
you have changes, additions or deletions, feel free to email her at:

    kate@realbeer.com

MORE GROWTH AHEAD - SALES PERSON WANTED
In a related matter, we are also looking for a motivated, self-starter 
marketing/sales person to coordinate a national representative network, 
telemarket, develop marketing communications and wear a thousand other hats. 
Knowledge of the Internet, branding and media sales is a definite plus. Good wit 
and love of the business will make a good fit in our fast-paced, team 
environment. Interested individuals may forward their resume AND SALARY 
REQUIREMENTS by email to resumes@realbeer.com.

For more industry related positions, see our new classified advertising area on the 
Professional Brewer's Page at:

          http://www.probrewer.com/classifed.html

************************************************************

FEAR, RAMBLINGS AND THE NATURE OF THEM - EDITORIAL
A  couple of years ago, front pages and editorial columns at all the beer 
newspapers ignited with the news that Miller Brewing Company was buying 
Celis, an exciting microbrewery in Texas producing wonderful Belgian-style 
beers. Some of the speculation involved fears that there may be a loss of integrity 
of the recipes as Miller sought economies and efficiencies. To date, this hasn't 
happened.

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I were looking at microbrews in a ma-and-pa 
liquor store. A new beer, Pacific Ridge sat next to some Widmer Heffewiezen 
and Anchor Steam. I told her it was the world's biggest brewer emulating 
regional craft brewers. "Really?" she asked as she squinted at the label to identify 
the brewer. "Which one?" "Exactly," I responded. "It's the one creating all the 
fuss about integrity in labeling on a national level while misleading the 
uninformed consumer at the local level -- the arrogance and gall of it  all is that 
their campaign slogan is 'act globally, drink locally.'" This wasn't a regional, an 
uberbrau or a national brewer we were talking about. It was the industrial brewer, 
Anhueser-Busch.

The other day, regional brewer  Mendocino Brewing Co. 
(www.mendobrew.com) had a big "coming out party" to celebrate their migration 
from bottles-only to draught. As you've read, the UB group in India had just 
invested $3.5 million into Mendocino, so naturally their management team was at 
the event. "Did you see the Indian guys huddled in the corner like a pack of 
hungry vultures? They really stood out." I was asked when discussing the event 
the next day with a colleague. "Interesting you would say that," I responded. 
"Because of the kind of space we were in, we were hanging out in a corner as 
well. Would you have made the same comment were that a group of Japanese 
investors?" She nodded her head in the affirmative. "Would you have said the 
same had Anhueser-Busch made the investment, as they did recently with 
Widmer and before that with Redhook?" The answer was "no." We would not 
have been able to differentiate the A-B executives from the other hundreds of 
white, 21-65 year old beer industry people huddled in small groups around the 
room.

This gave me pause, because it pointed out to me that we were dealing with racist 
and xenophobic attitudes, which I believe are secondary responses (as are many 
forms of anger and ignorance) to fear. We're dealing with the fear of the "THEM" 
in an abstract, objective term. The fear of invasion, loss of status, sexual appeal, 
wealth, integrity, innocence or other forms of power. At the heart of concerns 
about Indian investors and Industrial brewers entering the craft segment is a fear 
of predators/invaders. To me, an industry living in fear and reacting in cover-up 
mode is already dying. But we're not in that position, despite the popular bend of 
poorly researched and uninformed recent NY Times articles. The craft segment 
grew by 27% last year, a respectable pace for any business. The fear of "THEM" 
is rarely founded in logic or reality, though. It's emotional. And it's personal. 

Faced with racism or xenophobia, extreme examples of the fear of Them, I had to 
question some of my own attitudes to the way industrial brewers are attacking the 
craft segment. The conclusion I arrived at is that I fear of loss of choice and 
diversity. By manufacturing consent or misrepresenting intent, industrial brewers 
have forced me to ask tough questions in these editorials about their marketing 
strategies. As a consumer and a consumer advocate, I believe it's worth moving 
proactively on concerns about loss if the losses are personal casualties. In the 
craft segment, we have relationships with our brewers, so small brewer casualties 
caused by predatory and anti-competitive practices are by necessity personal. In 
laying open some of the deceptive practices, though, have I created a boogie man 
in the industrial brewers, as others have of foreign interests buying into American 
companies? 

I hope not. I hope that we continue to call foul when we see it and give praise 
where its due. At Real Beer, we welcome your comments should we fail in this 
pursuit. You can email us at realbeer@realbeer.com or fill out our comments form 
on the homepage. 

In working through these issues the theme that kept coming up for me was that 
you can look through the world through lenses of fear or optimism. Those 
looking at the acquisition of craft breweries by industrial and foreign forces can 
see that this represents the beginning of the end. Those with optimistic lenses may 
see the acquisitions in light of having the craft-beer movement hitting the radar of 
the world market. Either way it marks a cross road.

On a macro level, the same may be going on with the phone business. When 
discussing this month the plans of long-distance carrier AT&T to merge with 
regional Bell operating company SBC, exiting FCC chairman Reed Hundt  said:  
"The telecom law invited everybody to fight each other. It's natural that these 
companies would explore the possibility of dancing instead of fighting. It's up to 
government to tell them when their combinations, alliances and mergers are pro-
competition and when they're anti-competition."  And Congressman W. J. 
"Billy" Tauzin (R-La.), chairman of the House Commerce Committee's 
telecommunications subcommittee, said: "Is there any real difference between 
getting down to two or three or four big competitors through mergers or having a 
dozen competitors fight it out to get to two or three or four large competitors?  
The outcome is the same."  (Washington Post , June 1, 1997) This leads us to 
consider a third path we're not quite prepared to take: cynicism.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Cheers!

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© copyright, Real Beer, Inc. 1997. Feel free to distribute to friends, just
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