Beer News Blog

Well, it seems Europeans will finally have American beer worth celebrating.  Not that I’m against A-B, Coors or Miller brews, they’ve just become a little stale over the years.  It’s high time American craft brewers showed the world what they’re made of.  We’ve heard for years about German, Irish and other European microbrews being so wonderful - it’s high-time Europe learned there’s more to American beer than just Budweiser.  Apparently, Europeans have heard this call and are bringing more and more American craft beer into their pubs, bars and restaurants.

Bier and Co. (Holland’s largest specialty beer importer/distributor) is largely repsonsible for the flow of American craft beer into Europe.  Earlier this year they purchased 4 containers for distribution into the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, Italy and Switzerland. 

The Brewers Association’s Export Development Program toiled long and hard to establish a relationship with Bier and Co. that has seen thousands of gallons of craft beer imported from the U.S. and into the hands of European craft beer enthusiasts.  Early in 2006 the Brewer’s Association brought two representatives from Bier and Co. to the Great American Beer Festival to educate them about U.S. craft beer.  They were so pleased, they quickly placed a large order numerous American craft beers.

The Brewers Association has spent the last 3 years working to educate craft brewers on distribution opportunities abroad.  European, well known for it’s numerous craft beer enthusiasts, is a prime market for these often small breweries.  It’s a great way for them to grow their business’ bottom line, as well as their brand awareness.  It’s also a great way to grow international attention to amazing brews created by small breweries right here in the United States.

For more information about the Brewers Association’s Export Development Program please visit :

http://www.beertown.org/craftbrewing/edp.html

America’s ingenuity and inventiveness have placed it atop the world for almost two centuries. Many great thinkers and inventors have come here to imbibe our air of creativity. And now, as most of you know, people around the world are coming here to imbibe our beer. Well, imbibe this, baby.

Our proudest moment may have just arrived. Americans are very, very good at putting foods on sticks and eating them. Corn dogs are an excellent example, as are ice cream bars. But we’ve outdone ourselves this time. We’ve made beer popsicles! Yes, cool, refreshing beer in its ultimate form—completely frozen.

When Chef Frank Morales created these “beersicles” last month at Rustico, a restaurant and bar in Alexandria, Virginia, he thought he was surely on to something. He developed three flavors—“Raspbeer-y”, made from a raspberry-based fruit beer, “Fudgesicle”, made with a deeply chocolate stout, and “Plum”, derived from a Belgian lambic—and created a delicious, bubbly froth of publicity that is coming to a head.

The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in now investigating if such a thing might even be illegal! Poor Chef Morales! People the world ‘round are talking about his restaurant, laughing at him! (Did I mention the restaurant is named “Rustico and that it’s in Alexandria, Virginia?) The humiliation of this horrible publicity must surely be keeping him awake at night, tossing and turning in shame.

He’s lucky in one regard, though—nothing washes away the taste of shame and humiliation like an ice cold “Plum” beersicle.