Projo Beer Blog

AP Photo
Wayne Meyer, co-owner of the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company restaurant, holds up Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., beer, right, and Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., beer, left, at his restaurant in Half Moon Bay, Calif.

The Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is inviting drinkers of its beer to choose between an Obama and McCain ale in the "alection" of 2008.

The Obama beer is leading 4 to 1, according to an Associated Press story, which notes that real polls also show Obama with a commanding lead.

Journal columnist Bob Kerr says you should "feel free to cry in your beer" now that Budweiser has been sold to a Belgian company.

"Yup, this Bud's for Belgium," Kerr writes.

Read his column.

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser and Bud Light, has agreed to a takeover by a giant Belgian brewer, a union that creates a global beer leader and brings to an end one of the most iconic names in American business.

The board of directors of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. on Sunday accepted a sweetened $52 billion takeover offer from Belgian brewer InBev SA, according to a joint press release.

The deal, which is subject to shareholders' and regulators' approval, would create the world's largest brewer and create the fourth-largest consumer product company worldwide.

Read the full Associated Press story.

Journal Food Editor Gail Ciampa writes about summer brews this week.

Here's the beginning of her article, This season, why not try a different brew?:

Warm weather and cookouts are coming. That means dining and drinking outdoors and many a thirst turns to ice cold beer with a frothy head. But you don’t always have to reach for an American-style lager made with malted barley.

Last summer, I made wheat beers my seasonal favorite. Now I learn that I am not alone. While not taking the world by storm, and not new by any means, wheat beers are a fast-growing segment in the beer world. They’ve been among the darlings of brew pubs which specialize in craft and international beers. Now more beers made with malted wheat are appearing on drink menus in all manner of restaurants.

Read the full story.

By Rick Armon
Akron Beacon Journal

They’re big.

They’re bad.

They’ll knock you on your fanny if you’re not careful.

Extreme and big beers — those with high alcohol content and colossal flavor — are all the rage among craft brewers and many beer drinkers nowadays. Triple India pale ales. Imperial stouts. Belgian-style ales. And even, gasp, imperial pilsners.

Craft brewers are pushing the limits when it comes to alcohol content and flavor profiles. Sometimes quite literally, considering state liquor laws.

It’s no longer unusual to see beers with double-digit alcohol content on the grocery store shelf, a feat previously reserved for wine and liquor. (In Ohio, you can thank a change in state law in 2002 that boosted the legal limit in beer to 12 percent.)

Read the full story.

PROVIDENCE — Looking to generate more money for alcoholism treatment programs, one state representative is suggesting increasing the tax on beer.

The need for treatment programs exceeds the slots available, but increasing the programs’ budget is a tough sell for lawmakers, who will probably need to make major cuts to balance the budget this year. So Rep. Edwin R. Pacheco, D-Burrillville, is looking at the tax side of the equation instead.

“We’re looking for areas that aren’t going to be a burden for everyday Rhode Islanders,” Pacheco said.

Read the full story.

Looking for the chance to try beers from places like Belgium, Ireland, Germany, Japan and South America?

The 13th annual Great International Beer Festival, boasting 260 different brews, will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center Saturday, Nov. 11.

There are two sessions, 1 to 4:30 p.m, and 6:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $32, which includes unlimited sampling but not food.

For more information and to order tickets, check out their Web site.