Category: Beer

US Joins EU in Nutritional Labelling for Alcohol

European legislators have moved to require ingredient and nutritional information on wine labels (vis QR code), US consumer groups have also fought to achieve the same objective. After 20 years the groups have one their fight.

Starting December 8, 2023, labels of alcohol sold in the EU will have to reveal nutritional and ingredient information directly, or through a QR code. Until now, wine producers with no interest in exporting to Europe have imagined themselves to be immune from this kind of legal requirement, but a recent court ruling shows that American consumers will soon see the same information on bottles on sale in the US.

As the Center for Science in the Public Interest – CSPI – reported “the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has agreed to issue proposed rules requiring standardized alcohol content, calorie, and allergen labeling on all beer, wine and distilled spirits products [and to] begin preliminary rulemaking on mandatory ingredient labelling.”

The US move has been a very long time coming and results from a legal action by consumer groups and the CSPI against the TTB for failing to act on a 2003 petition submitted by 69 organizations and individual citizens including four deans of schools of public health, and calling for alcoholic beverages to be treated in the same way as other beverages and food products.

Opponents of the move who hope that implementation of labeling legislation may still be delayed will be dismayed to learn that the House and Senate Appropriations Committee’s 2023 budget treats the issue as ‘critical’ and calls for urgent action.

#winenews #wine #alcohol #beer #spirits #winelabels #wineeducation #wineinmoderation #winetechnology #winetrends

Belgian Nuns [Centuries later] Join Monks in Beer Production

Maredret Abbey in Belgium is a 20-strong Benedictine community, founded in 1893. The Abbey’s nuns, struggling to scrape together the funds for much-needed renovation work, turned to brewing beer.

The Abbey teamed up with a brewer five years ago, in the hopes of producing beer infused with some of their history and values, in order to fix their leaky roofs and cracked walls.

Abbey beers, where a brewer pays royalties to use the Abbey name, are common in Belgium. But until now only monks have been associated with these brews.

The Belgian nuns, in association with brewer and importer John Martin, launched two beers this summer. Maredret Altus is a 6.8% amber beer using cloves and juniper berries, and Maredret Triplus is an 8% blond incorporating coriander and sage.

“It’s good for one’s health. It aids digestion. All the sisters like the beer, we are in Belgium after all,” said Sister Gertrude. Each nun is permitted to enjoy one bottle of beer every Sunday.

“We wanted a beer made from spelt, for which we have great esteem because of its virtues, as well as medicinal plants, since our aim was to make a beer that could improve the health of people. Our project was about respect for human nature, which consists of not eating and drinking just anything. A herbal beer met our goals of helping people with their health very well” says Sister Gertrude.

Spelt is a grain mentioned in texts by Saint Hildegard, a German Benedictine abbess from the 11th century who has inspired the Belgian order. Plants commonly grown in the nuns’ garden are also used.

Production is close to 300,000 bottles per year, according to head distiller and great-grandson of the brewer’s founder, Edward Martin. He predicts that this will rise to around 3 million in a couple of years. The beer has already launched outside of Belgium in Spain and Italy.

Maredret Abbey is just a kilometre from male counterpart Maredsous Abbey, whose beer, made by Duvel, is widely available.

‘All the sisters like the beer, we are in Belgium after all’, said Sister Gertrude

 

#womeninbeer #craftbeer #beerstagram #beerlover #instabeer #bier #beersofinstagram #womendrinkbeertoo #craftbeerlife #belgiumbeer #belgian #belgianbrewery #belgianbeerlover #belgianbeerculture #nunbeer #womenwhomakebeer #nunsofbelgium

 

The World’s Most Popular (Googled) Beer

New research data from Maxima Kitchen Equipment has just revealed the most popular beer in the world according to Google.

Corona beer topped the list, with the brew being the most searched beer in 62 out of 188 countries. Heineken came in second place in the world’s most popular beer rankings, as the most Googled beer in 20 countries.

Searches for Corona beer top the rankings in countries including the US, where it receives an average of 42,000 searches every month, Germany, which Googles the beer around 22,000 per month, as well as the UK, Japan and Australia.

Corona, which placed 63rd on the Forbes World’s Most Valuable Brands 2020, is also the most searched beer in the country of its origin, Mexico, where it receives around 30,000 searches each month.

Second-placed Heineken is the most searched beer in 20 countries, including Brazil, where it receives 73,000 searches each month, Russia and Egypt.

Beer accounted for some 45% of all alcoholic beverage sales in the US in 2019, which gave it the biggest share of alcohol sales in the country.

A spokesperson for Maxima Kitchen Equipment said of the research: “Beer is one of the world’s favourite drinks, and it’s fascinating to see which brands are attracting the most Google searches around the world. The brands at the top of the list will hope they can convert those searches into sales.”

Beer production worldwide is 1.91 billion hectolitres – the equivalent of 76,000 Olympic swimming pools.

#beer #beerlovers #beerresearch #beerstats #Coronabeer #Corona #Monday #mondayvibes #beernews #craftbeer #ipa #stout #drink #beerstagram #instabeer  #beersofinstagram #beertime #cocktails #Heineken

Liberty Games launches limited-edition perfume ‘Eau de Pub’  

Liberty Games has just launched a new signature perfume intended to transport us all back to fond memories of our favourite pubs.

Closing of pubs has been well-documented throughout the pandemic, and one manufacturer has decided to tap into our nostalgia and desire to get back to our local pub with a new perfume.

The scents of ‘Eau de Pub’ are described:

“Included in the perfume are obvious scents of woody cedarwood, surrounding you in strong wood smells of spilt beer on the wooden bar top. This is accompanied by a sense of warmth from the Amber notes, reminding you of a roaring open fire, as you walk in through the doors of a packed full pub.

“Tobacco notes have been included to set the scene of the smokers who have just come in from having a cigarette outside and leather smells were included to remind you of the big leather sofas and bar stools.

“The various craft gins being consumed can be smelt through a slightly sweet smell from the added vanilla and notes of Patchouli bring a more musky, spicy and sweet mix bringing back the memories of the variety of craft beers on offer.”

“This sweet smell also reminds you of the sweet sticky floors and carpets near the bar and there have been undertones of citrus added to bring back the antibacterial smell from tables that have just been cleaned and the toilets in the distance.”

So, if you want a perfume that’s going to leave in a deep reverie about a pint in the local with friends and family, Eau de Pub might be for you!

Stuart Kerr, Technical Director at Liberty Games states:

”Everyone is missing being in the pub with their friends or family, and getting back into that pub atmosphere is something Brits are really looking forward to when restrictions are lifted. But until then, we wanted to bring the pub to you, by creating this exclusive pub themed fragrance that will

Register to win a bottle of the limited-edition perfume https://www.libertygames.co.uk/store/pool_tables/features/eau-de-pub-toilette/

#sunday #sundayfunday #sundayvibes #sundaymood #pubs #pubsofinstagram #pubsoflondon #pubsmatter #pubsofIreland #pubstory #pubsoftheworld

 

 

Colorado’s “Beckenridge Brewery” will be delivering beer by Reindeer this holiday season to 10 lucky winners

Breweries from pole to pole are finding new ways to be creative this year –Colorado’s Beckenridge Brewery has decided to take things one step further to provide a few lucky locals the opportunity to receive their beer by reindeer.

Taking home delivery to the next level this holiday season, the Anheuser-Busch owned brewery is giving 10 Colorado residents the opportunity to receive a mini keg of Christmas Ale right to their front door pulled by Santa’s special helpers. Teaming up with the nearby Moon Deer Ranch, the two soon-to-be iconic companies decided that reindeer could have a huge impact on people’s morale, so what better time than now to put them to work?

The contest, which can be entered by visiting their website: https://www.breckbrew.com/ReinderDeliverySweepstakes

And runs until December 2 with deliveries to the winners in the Denver and Cascade areas taking place on December 5 and December 6, respectively.

In addition to your “reinbeer” delivery—which is at no charge, btw—winners will receive a Christmas Ale t-shirt, Christmas beanie, and a 12-pack of Christmas Ale. You will also receive the bragging rights that come along with having a reindeer pull up to your front door. What better way to end 2020!!