Raise a pint to the old British pub: Dark-paneled, fixed on the English landscape - and, more than ever these days, empty.

Raise a pint to the old British pub: Dark-paneled, fixed on the English landscape - and, more than ever these days, empty.

Eight of top 10 growth brands above-premium. Eight of the top 10 share growth brands in supermarkets during the second quarter sold at above-premium price levels, according to beer market analysis by Nielsen. That data point suggests that, even during tough economic times, consumers still will pay for innovative or high-end brands with distinct positioning. Bud Light Lime led the pack, commanding 0.8 points of case share and 1.1 points of dollar share, according to beer sales statistics from Nielsen. Other brands from Anheuser-Busch that made the Top 10 list: Land Shark Lager, Michelob Ultra, Bud Light & Clamato, Stella Artois (an InBev brand marketed by A-B), and Bacardi Silver. Coors Light was No. 2 on the list of growth brands during the quarter, picking up 0.3 points of case share and 0.3 points of dollar share during the period, according to Nielsen. Other MillerCoors brands on the list: Miller Chill (which was not yet national at this point last year); Keystone Light; and Blue Moon Seasonal. Imports didnt fare as well as last year, when four imports -- Tecate, Corona Light, Stella Artois and Grolsch were in the top 10. This year Stella was the only import to crack the list. And three imports Corona Extra, Heineken and Corona Light all saw dollar share declines from the year-earlier period. Here's a list of the Top 10 share growth brands in supermarkets during the second quarter: 1. Bud Light Lime 2. Coors Light 3. Land Shark Lager 4. Miller Chlil 5. Michelob Ultra 6. Bud Light & Clamato 7. Keystone Light 8. Stella Artois 9. Blue Moon Seasonal 10. Bacardi Silver Heres Brew Blog coverage of A-Bs moves with Land Shark Lager and Michelob Ultra .  read more »

So, who wants to go to Colorado with me before it gets snowy? The "Napa Valley" of beer is Colorado. Denver ranks first in the nation in beer production per capita and second in the number of breweries. There are more than 100 breweries statewide. Breweries include Coors, Anheuser-Busch, Rockies Brewing Co, Bristol, Breckenridge, New Belgium, Aspen, Avery, Great Divide, Odell, and more.
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I havent had the inspiration to do a blog forever but this awesome story combined with many imperial pints of Russian River's Pliny The Elder has inspired me to do so. Here are some highlights from NPR's article but you really should just click the link and read the whole thing, it is short and fascinating and wont take much of your time unless you count all the time you will spend thinking about it later. " In the rain forest of Malaysia, scientists have found a small mammal, closely related to primates, whose major source of food is a type of beer." "...they have one favorite food source: the bertam palm, whose flowers have a very strong and distinctive smell. "They smell like a brewery," Weins says.  read more »

A pint of beer may be an official "Icon of England", but sales have sunk to the lowest level in Britain since the Great Depression of the 1930s.