Anheuser-Busch Rejects InBev Proposal
Posted on July 3, 2008 by Derrick Schommer
Filed Under Anheuser-Bush, Beer, inbev | Leave a Comment
So it seems Anheuser-Bush has rejected InBev’s proposal for a buy-out at USD $65.00 a share because Anheuser-Bush believes they can “do better” in the market alone. After several days of meetings and internal talk the company thinks their own products are worth more, over time, than the purchase price and can get their share price up alone.
Having seen Anheuser-Bush in the market it’s hard to prove them wrong, in a time when many microbrews are paying more and more for hops and barley Anheuser-Bush is pushing on with a low cost brew, varying product lines and lite beer alternatives.
From an American consumer side of things, this means the company will stay an American based facility and hold all that American pride and heritage so many people feared we’d lose. On June 26th Anheuser-Bush went on to say:
“The InBev proposal fails to be competitive with alternative plans the company has developed in recent months to generate significant top-line and bottom-line growth, which will increase value for the company’s shareholders,” said Douglas A. Warner III, the board’s lead independent director. “The board will continue to consider all opportunities that build shareholder value.” (anheuser-bush.com)
Now, they’ll have to put their money where their mouth is or potentially deal with a hostile take-over attempt by InBev if they so choose to take the hostile route.
I wonder if any “plans” at Anheuser-Bush involve taking over Grupo Modelo, the Mexican beer company most known for Negra Modelo, Pacifico and Corona…
Brave Spirits: At Ease Rum Review
Posted on July 3, 2008 by Derrick Schommer
Filed Under Alcohol, Cocktails, Gift Ideas, Light Rum, Rum | Leave a Comment
If you’re a light rum drinker and you live in the United States, you may be happy to hear Brave Spirits has recently shipped their first rum product. After receiving their latest press release it seemed only right to test it for ourselves and see if it holds up against other rums in the industry.
Compared to rums like Bacardi, you’ll instantly notice the smell is a warmer, gentler scent without the sharp alcoholic barrage of the nasal passages. At Ease rum is 40% alcohol by volume, as you’d expect, but is a bit easier on your pallet. You’ll also find this distilled beverage a bit sweeter than the competitors, making it a happy addition to any tiki bar drink or fruity fresh summer cocktail.
Most importantly, the Brave Spirit company donates $2.00 from every purchase to charities that support the men and women of Americans military, fire departments and police departments.
This product is about relaxing. It is about being off-duty. It is about letting the job and stress melt away. This is a weekend pass. It is R&R. It is optimistic. This is about good times while always being respectful of the uniform.
At Ease rum is highly competitive with other light rums and offers the same experience with a slightly sweeter taste. If you live in the United States and go out of your way to buy 100% American made products than this is a no brainer. It’s made using sugarcane from the American Sunbelt and left in old bourbon casks in sunny Florida where it picks up some of its sweetness.
The bottle is cool, very “boxy” and sharp which goes against the grain compared to other distilled spirits in your local liquor store. However, it shows off pride in its silhouette of a standing soldier; buy all their brands and you’ve got yourself beverages waiting at attention for you to sip. Although, artistically, the bottle isn’t going to win any awards, it’s designed with a specific symbolic representation and you can’t fault them for it.
Because of its sweeter smell and taste this beverage handles well in a tropical drink, Polynesian recipe or other tiki bar cocktail. You really can’t go wrong with a beverage that tastes good, gives back to those whom protect us and mixes well in a cocktail (especially for those of us that aren’t big on shots of rum).
Definitely check it out.
Smirnoff Ice: Pomegranate Fusion
Posted on June 27, 2008 by Derrick Schommer
Filed Under Alcohol, Malt Beverage | Leave a Comment
If you’re into malt beverages but don’t want to go as low as a 40 ounce of Colt 45, you may want to give Smirnoff Ice Pomegranate Fusion a try. You can also checkout or latest podcast on Malt Liquor if you want a wider range of opinions and drinks!
Like all Smirnoff Ice bottles, you’ll notice Pomegranate Fusion is labeled the same, with a crimson/purple colored label. The drink is clear with no real artificial colors like most Smirnoff Ice you’ve seen, almost appearing like a vodka in nature (go figure).
Pomegranate Fusion smells like a watermelon jolly ranger, but does not have any real watermelon taste when sipping. The taste is slightly cherry with a bit of artificial pomegranate taste resembling that of a Roses Grenadine without the sickly sweet taste.
Don’t get me wrong, this drink is sweet, slightly bubbly and flavorful with a slight citrus aftertaste. Pomegranate Fusion goes down quickly and feels refreshing on a hot night after a long day of work, no doubt.
A single bottle, twist off cap and all, is worth 5% alcohol by volume and packs a bit of a calorie punch. According to Smirnoff’s website:
SMIRNOFF ICE® has 228 calories per 12-ounce bottle, that’s about 70 more than a super-premium/imported beer but don’t worry, that difference in calories is about the same as one hot wing, five little pretzel twists OR 3 tortilla chips…with nothing on ‘em.
Now, this is their standard bottle, but we’re thinking Pomegranate Fusion holds roughly the same nutritional value (just add some flavoring). They do some great comparisons to other food to give you a general idea on why you’d choose Smirnoff Ice over, say, tortilla chips and pretzel twists. However, it’s almost a full meal in calories (for someone on a diet at least).
If you’re not into calorie counting while drinking, then none of this matters, just drink up and party. Smirnoff Ice Pomegranate is a must try for Smirnoff Ice fans and anyone else looking for a refreshing new Malt Liquor.
Brave Spirits, Supporting Those Whom Protect and Serve
Posted on June 27, 2008 by Derrick Schommer
Filed Under Alcohol, Cocktails, Gin, Light Rum, Press Release, Rum, Vodka, Whiskey, ethanol | 2 Comments
You may love a great beer, love a fine wine or a sweet liquor but you and your family in the United States all have one thing in common: you enjoy your many freedoms. If it were not for those that protect our towns from fire, crime and foreign attack we’d not be able to enjoy our spare time and our spirits.
In order to assure we get both great liquor and great protection, Brave Spirits, was born to cover both of our needs. Every product they sell results in a USD $2.00 donation to our men and women in uniform, police, fire and military.
“Brave Spirits is for Soldiers. Marines. Sailors. Airmen. Police officers. Fire fighters.
You come to the rescue. You protect. You defend American freedom.
You are America’s bravest.”
The company is founded by David Fox and directed by his wife Jennifer. Together the pair hopes to help build our folks in uniform while committing a great beverage to its customers.
David Fox has always felt a personal connection to members of the military, police and firefighters that work hard to serve and protect our nation everyday. With a father who served in the Korean War and many friends and family who have served in varying capacities, David yearned to develop a brand that speaks to these women and men, and most importantly one that thanks them. Drawing upon his successful career in marketing spirits, David has created Brave Spirits, an all-American made line of spirits that honors, remembers and celebrates the people that defend and protect our country.
Jennifer Dempsey Fox serves as the Director of the Brave Spirits Foundation and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Brave Spirits. The Brave Spirits Foundation distributes the $2 a bottle donation that Brave Spirits makes towards charities supporting the military, police and firefighters. The board of advisors is comprised of current and former members of the military branches, police and firefighters.
It’s hard to imagine being able to drink a relaxing beverage with bombs destroying our neighbors house, people living homeless in the back yard and gunfire waking us up every night. Police help lower crime rates and protect our possessions and lives while fire fighters save our lives when the unexpected happens, all under the shield of our military forces. This is what makes many other countries jealous of our homeland, we have little to complain about.
Here are the beverages you’ll be able to select from:
Valor Vodka
This product is crafted in recognition of the depth of character and level of bravery that our men and women in uniform possess. Valor is showing courage, boldness and determination in the face of great danger. Medals are given to those who demonstrate Valor. It is not a word used lightly.
At Ease Rum
This product is about relaxing. It is about being off-duty. It is about letting the job and stress melt away. This is a weekend pass. It is R&R. It is optimistic. This is about good times while always being respectful of the uniform.
First In Whiskey
This product is about bravado. It takes incredible guts to be the first in. It is about the first ones to run at the danger. The first ones will be in the thick of it before anyone else is prepared to help. This is the epitome of courage and bravery. The Marines say they are the First To Fight. Firefighters say they are the First In and Last Out. First In is about responding in an instant when called.
Standing Guard Gin
This product is about placing yourself between the good guys and the bad guys. It is about being the wall that protects. Those that Stand Guard accept the awesome responsibility to stop enemies and save lives. It is for the military, police and firefighters that keep watch over the citizens of our great country.
Read more
Will InBev Buy Anheuser-Bush?
Posted on June 25, 2008 by Derrick Schommer
Filed Under Bavarian, Beer, Belgium, Bohemian, Budweiser, Mass Market | Leave a Comment
On May 23, 2008, it was reported that InBev is preparing a US$46 billion offer for American brewing company Anheuser-Busch. This is an absolustely huge deal, making many people a good amount of money and taking what many consider an “American” heritage and making it foreign owned.
InBev, a Belgian company, is the largest brewer in the world and has been built from many smaller companies, merger after merger and now we’re talking a brewing company with a presence in over 30 countries with sales in over 130 countries.
If InBev actualy purchases Anheuser-Bush for the amount stated, we’d have one of the biggest empires in the world. However, Anheuser-Bush hasn’t made any announcement on their decision yet, only arriving at a “no response” decision.
“No response to the proposal was made by the board today. The board will continue to review and consider the proposal.” (anheuser-bush.com)
Many Americans are raising their arms and screaming “no!” to Anheuser-Bush, pleading to not lose their great American heritage to foreigners. I have a different opinion, first, one must remember that Anheuser-Bush was orignally a Bavarian company. Sure, it’s not Belgium, but it’s founded by immigrants, aquired later while it was failing by immagrants and is, in fact, founded by “foreigners.”
Back in 1860 Eberhard Anheuser purchased the Bavarian brew house and tried to turn it around. In 1864, his son-in-law, Adolphus Busch, joined the company and had what it took to really turn the company into a successful direction. Anheuser knew a lot about manufacturing soap but little about beer, but Adolphus had a great vision and took extreme risks to survive in a world of fickle beer drinkers.
Going from a darker lager to something a bit more bohemian, Anheuser-Bush changed with the times, created beer people wanted and understood that beer creation is a science, not a process of elimination. Now, over 150 years since the brewery started, their being looked at for a value that would have floored Anheuser or Bush; a reward for their efforts, risks and ability to continue to choose the right person to take their place at the helm of the biggest beer company in the world.
Are we losing our heritage by selling out to a foreign beer company? It depends on your perspective, the United States has helped grow the early immegrants idea of beer from a small brick building to a multi-billion dollar industry, isn’t it a reward to their founders if they see their company see such success?
Or, is the true reward for Anheuser-Bush, satisfying its customers and showing the world why their beer is number one? On one hand, Anheuser-Bush is a staple home product, a beverage that has been in hour parents history, their parents history and the parents before them. On the other hand, Anheuser-Bush is a company that was founded on succeeding and taking risk for the reward of success.
Isn’t a US$46 billion offer a successful outcome?
It seems very odd that InBev would purchase the company with the ideas of changing its direction, changing its receipes or forgoing further improvement, research and progress. In some ways, wouldn’t it be symbolic for Anheuser-Bush to be brought to success by European immigrants to be returned to foreign soil with a huge price?
From a business perspective this is a once and a lifetime opportunity. From an American heritage perspective this is the end of an era, leaving us with other microbreweries to pickup the loss of such a great symbol of American life. In many ways Anheuser-Bush is more recognizes, older and larger in life than the Statue of Liberty itself. No, it doesn’t stand for freedom and independance but it does stand for something great: success, struggle and the willingness to risk your entire lively hood for the sweet taste of victory.
I believe this is a great victory for Anheuser-Bush, I say take the offer and be proud for what you’ve build over the last 150 years; the beer isn’t going away, it’s just being owned and operated by someone new.
Yet, there is a little part inside me that wonders “is this the right decision?” Perhaps this is why the board has yet to come to any conclusion besides, “no response.”
Everyday Drinkers Podcast 12: Malt Liquors
Posted on June 23, 2008 by Derrick Schommer
Filed Under Alcohol, Malt Beverage, Podcast | 1 Comment
Perhaps the silliest thing we’ve done thus far, Doug has the great idea to do a podcast on malt liquors, 40s, ghetto wines and other cheap drinks. So, we’ve picked up Thundebird, Smirnoff Ice, Olde English 800, Boones Farm, Hurricane High Gravity, Orange Driver and the good ol’ Colt 45.
All in all, we probably collectively spent $15.00. The end result is a proof positive that malt beverages are not for the faint of heart or…sober.
Old Scratch Amber Lager Review
Posted on June 17, 2008 by Derrick Schommer
Filed Under Alcohol, Beer, Flying Dog, Lager | 3 Comments
America’s history is rich with lagers, recipes brought over by desperate Germans looking for a new life. They brought with them an entire beer drinking mentality which changed how Americans view beer. Flying Dog issues their own Amber Lager and shows off their recipe and ideas.
The initial pour is a gold amber color, as you’d expect from the title, with a light white head which dies off within a minute of the pour. The carbonation is subtle when peering through the golden liquid but tickles the tongue upon sipping.
You’ll find little aroma from this brew, very subtle and light. This is an absolutely must try beer for those experimenting with micro brew recipes and new drinkers to the genre. For those used to mass market beers, this will be easy to consume and understand. The beer does resonate complexity on the pallet, more than a lighter mass market brew, with a caramel sweet taste and a slight bitter finish.
Like many of Flying Dog’s lighter golden, dare I say “summer” style brews (this isn’t a seasonal), their beers are often less hoppy than others, which is desirable to some and a turn off to others. If you’re looking for a hop riddled beer to bombard your senses with bite, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for a relaxing beer with a sweet taste and enough hops to build a complexity and slight bite without a lingering aftertaste this is a must buy.
Alcohol by volume is 5.5%, not exactly a potent beer, but you can taste that by sipping. The sweet taste is subtle and has no need to be overpowering as the alcohol content isn’t as high as some of their other brews. The higher content beers require a bit more balance to work well in the mouth and Old Scratch is a lighter drink in taste and punch.
You’ll find you can consume the Amber Lager in a matter of minutes, so the 5.5% ABV can catch up to you quickly if you find yourself cracking open a few bottles. Old Scratch has won awards since 2004 and continues to be a heavy hitter in the industry.
Although it doesn’t have any overwhelming characteristics it’s a great beer to relax to during a sports event, on the lawn or at the pool. You won’t be blown away by hops or alcohol but you will feel satisfaction in a dollar well spent. And, with hop prices on the rise, we all have to feel some satisfaction in our expenses, right?
Drinking Games: Beer Pong (Beirut)
Posted on June 14, 2008 by Derrick Schommer
Filed Under Alcohol, Beer, Drinking Games | Leave a Comment
College life isn’t complete without a few games of Beer Pong. A staple amongst the drinking youth, people look for a social reason to drink above and beyond sitting around a table and talking. Sometimes repeating the same patterns over and over gets old and you look for a way to spice it up, thus the advent of Beer Pong or Beirut.
In my youth I too partook in a few games of Beirut and took the game style out of my college years and into social events as I learned to live on my own for the first time. You probably won’t find yourself outgrowing the game if you’ve learned to express your inner youth… or you’ve had a few too much to drink and agreed to the terms when a drunk buddy yells, “BEER PONG!”
Beirut is the less-common name for Beer Pong, its origins are not fully known, but folks believe it goes back to the conflicts in Lebanon. Given you’re “battling” for bragging rights at the game, it sorta is a “civil war” of a different color. However, CollegeHumor once did a study showing 77% of respondents called the game “Beer Pong” with the rest going by Beirut.
The concept of the game is simple, of course, because drunk people rarely over complicate life. It should be known, when dorks start drinking, new games like Wisest Wizard arrive to take the drinking game to the next level (pun intended). However, Wisest Wizard is a game with its own story and beyond the scope of this writeup.
Beer Pong is played with two teams, a playing field, a ball, a bunch of cups and, of course, beer.
According to the World Series of Beer Pong, the regulation table size is 8 × 2 feet (2.44 × 0.61 meters), and it stands 27.5 inches (69.8 centimeters) above the ground. Although the game is typically played on either a ping pong table or a folding banquet table, beer pong enthusiasts may create a personalized table for use by friends and visitors. In general, this will be a plywood board cut to proper size, sometimes painted with sports, school, or fraternity symbols and given a liquid-proof coating. (wikipedia)
Although there are “official rules” to beer pong, typically rules and table designs are spur of the moment ideas that arrive out of desperation. Only a true university member predicts the outcome of a beer pong game prior to playing it, a pre-meditated beer pong game if you will.
Solo cups, the 16-ounce variety, are the most common house hold party staple so they fit well into the game of beer pong. The ridges on the edges of the cup allow you to measure each cup easily and accurately so that both teams have a fair playing field. Once you’ve filled six, ten or fifteen cups with beer (depending on how bad a decision maker you are) you’re almost ready to go.
Placing the cups in what could only mimic that of a bowling pin setup gets you to the next stage. Each side sets their cups in a triangle shape, tightly positioned near each other and teams get on their respective table sides and begin the game.
Lobbing ping-pong balls from one side of the table in the other in, hopefully, predictable arcs, can drop your ping pong ball right in the cup, which you then drink. You may also quickly flick a fast ball at the cup hoping for a quick dunk, or bounce the ball more like true “ping pong” into a cup.
The game is not complete without a number of house rules; rules which explain what happens if you only touch the glass, re-racking glasses as they’re cleared and even streaking rules for losers of the game. As you may have guessed the winners and losers tend to be doing a lot of drinking, thankfully most beer pong games are played with 3-5% alcohol by volume and are not always full cups (another house rule perhaps).
Although I’ve seen beer pong played with Tequila, I highly suggest that course of action as the night’s events get out of hand fast and hangovers occur quickly (along with other projectiles). Since the creation of beer pong there have been fully fledged Las Vegas tournaments and events for the game and “official” Bud Pong from Anheuser-Busch, however, the directions state to “use water.”
Of course, under-aged drinking can be a problem, with high schoolers getting into Beirut, but we won’t discuss that as it’s illegal in the US and nobody should condone this behavior. Beer Pong is a great social game with friends, college or beyond, and is a staple beer drinking game in the United States (probably an International affair).
If you’re looking at colleges for the upcoming year, prepare yourself for some of the events you’ll experience while there. Beer pong, like college courses, is a good “life lesson” and will give you plenty of great stories to talk about with friends in the years to come.
Boone’s Farm, A Malt Liquor
Posted on June 11, 2008 by Derrick Schommer
Filed Under Alcohol, Beer, Boone's Farm, Malt Beverage | Leave a Comment
Boone’s Farm is a fairly standardized, fairly popularized malt liquor. In some circles you may call it a “cheap wine” or low-end wine cooler while other people may consider it “the best” wine around. To each his own.
What Boone’s Farm is, without a doubt, is a cost effective product from E&J Gallo Winery located in Modesto California. Recently, I purchased three bottles of Boone’s Farm for roughly $5.00 for all three full bottles. Granted, two were on sale because they were being discontinued, saving 33% on the whopping $3.00 fortified wine.
Boone’s Farm can be found in the boxed wine area of your liquor store or grocery store or anywhere around the wine coolers or lower end bottles of cheap wine. It comes in a large variety of flavors, although some are easier to find than others.
The Blue Hawaiian tastes like a hot Hawaiian beach (or, alternatively, a bottle of sun tan lotion), it’s a bright blue liquid that taste best on ice. Strawberry Hill mimics the flavor of a chilling wine cooler with a good alcoholic punch (like 7% ABV instead of 4% like some of the others) and Strawberry Daiquiri is a thin bright red color with the sweet taste of an alcohol fortified Strawberry Daiquiri mix.
Is it the perfect beverage? Not by a long shot. Is it a fun beverage when you’re looking to party up with friends or have a sweet tooth and a light heart? Definitely.
Boones Farm is considered a Malt Liquor, which you’ll know all about in our upcoming drinking podcast episode on Malt Liquors.
Fire at Saranac’s Bottling Plant
Posted on June 3, 2008 by Derrick Schommer
Filed Under Beer | Leave a Comment
Matt Brewing Company’s brewery caught on fire a few days ago, luckily nobody was hurt in the blaze and the brewers are already working to rebuild the damage. Although, after the fire was put out a few new hot spots arose to re-kindle the fire but firefighters put it out quickly.
It has been said to have hit the bottling portion of the building, status of the bottles is yet to be determined.
“It is important to note that much of the company was not affected by the fire including the actual brewing, fermenting, and aging operations. The president of F.X. Matt Brewery also says kegging operations will be back up and running on Monday.”
For those not familiar with the Saranac brand, it’s a very tasty micro-brew competitive with other good micro breweries in the area. Matt Brewing Company is an American owned family business, the third-oldest family brewery in the United States.
“During Prohibition the company stayed afloat by producing soft drinks under the label Utica Club. After the end of Prohibition, Utica Club became the name of the brewery’s flagship beer, promoted during the 1950s and 1960s by two puppet characters, Schultz and Dooley, voiced by Jonathan Winters.” (wikipedia)
We’re glad everyone is all right and happy to know this obstacle is already being worked around. As a partner in family owned business I can tell you it’s a tough day when you’re hit with bad news like this, but hopefully you can be stronger for it. They’re still not sure what caused the fire.
(Thanks, wktv)
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