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beer stories: news
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BEER NEWS - January 2011
January 2011
Minimum alcohol pricing
Predictably - but in our view quite rightly - CAMRA is just one of many voices expressing outrage at the announcement on minimum alcohol pricing by the UK government.
The Government intends to ban the sale of alcohol at below excise duty plus VAT, which CAMRA says amounts to just 47p a pint. "This will have virtually no impact on the rock-bottom prices of beer in
supermarkets," they say, "and will do nothing to alleviate the pressure on pubs where the price of a pint is rapidly approaching �3."
CAMRA has been campaigning for a ban on below cost sales of alcohol, which they say was a clear manifesto commitment of both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.
But for this it is vital that the cost of alcohol production is factored in, which for beer will produce a floor price of around 40p a unit - double what is being proposed.
Mike Benner, CAMRA's Chief Executive said: "Today's decision means pubs will continue to close as they are undercut by supermarkets selling canned beers at pocket money prices. The Government
appears all too ready to impose higher costs and regulations on well-run community pubs but are prepared to turn a blind eye to the irresponsible attitude towards alcohol expressed by the supermarkets."
The Great Baltic Adventure
Tim O'Rourke is the man behind "the brewing world's latest great adventure," - taking Imperial Stouts to St Petersburg in Russia.
The Ale4Sail Great Baltic Adventure - is an ambitious attempt not just to recreate the epic
sea journey made by beers from England to Russia in the 18th century, but to promote British cask beers at festivals in Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen.
The plan is to take 12 specially brewed Imperial Russian Stouts, each produced by a different brewer, all the way to Saint Petersburg where they will be judged in a beer festival on 18 June to
find out which stout is fit for the Court of Catherine the Great. The sea journey starts on 15 May from Greenwich and arrives in St Petersburg on 17 June.
O'Rourke says he is looking for people to crew the Thermopylae Clipper which will undertake the journey. "We have chartered a former 60 foot round the world Clipper Thermopylae. This fantastic
yacht has already circumnavigated the world four times in the Clipper Round the World Races so should see us safely to Saint Petersburg." The passage includes on board food and safety and wet
weather equipment as well as a professional skipper and two professional watch leaders. There will be stops at intermediate ports on the way round, each with a Beer Festival:
London - Beer Festival in the Old Brewery - Greenwich - 12 - 15 May; Copenhagen Beer Festival - Beer festival in Charlie's Bar -27 - 29 May; Stockholm - Beer festival in Oliver Twist & Akkurat
Restaurant for the week commencing 3rd June; Helsinki - To be arranged - 10 - 12 June; Saint Petersburg - To be arranged 17 - 19 June. See the website to apply.
The Anderson big beer weekend
Highland beer lovers might think it worth a trip to Inverness and The Anderson pub on Saturday and Sunday 29-30 January from 1-5pm, when they say you can expect the unexpected
in cask ale and cider at their Burns Weekend Real Ale Festival. The beer list will include several breweries never before seen in the Highlands, and
everything will be dispensed by handpump or gravity - "without any electrical interference". The format is pay-as-you-go, with third-, half- and full-pint portions available, plus free
haggis, neeps and tatties "and musical distraction for all." For a list of confirmed beers.
Thing global; drink local
In research conducted by SABMiller during this year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa, some 87% of visiting fans said that, when travelling abroad, they want to try different beers and steer
clear of brands from their own country. The majority of the 700 people polled from 30 different countries expressed a preference for locally produced beers which add to the cultural experience
of their trip. The findings are backed up by figures which demonstrate the local nature of beer around the world, with only 6% of global beer volumes drunk outside their market of origin.
In the UK and the US, there has been a resurgence of interest in local beers, with record numbers of small breweries opening. In the US alone there are 1600 craft breweries, the most
since prohibition was repealed in 1937. In the UK there are now 700 breweries, the most since the First World War.
Innis & Gunn on tap
Award-winning independent Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn has launched Innis & Gunn Original on draught for the first time. The beer is now available in branded Innis & Gunn glasses in bars
and pubs throughout the UK. Innis & Gunn is known for its range of oak-aged beers in bottle: Innis & Gunn Original, Blonde, Rum Cask, IPA and its limited editions. This is the first time the
Original will be available on draught, having been launched in several outlets in and around Edinburgh pre-Christmas. Crawford Sinclair, Innis & Gunn�s UK Director of Sales comments: �Growing
demand, particularly in the on-trade has lead to several requests from bar staff for Innis & Gunn Original to be made available on draught. With the growth of interest in Craft beers in
bars we feel that the time is right to release this special beer in keg."
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