Better a do-nothing congress than a BREW-nothing congress

The economy is in the toilet and thousands of gallons of sweet crude are gushing into the gulf as I type this, but all is not lost. Colorado representative Betsy Markey is at least doing SOMETHING productive by sponsoring HR 1297, recognizing the ideals and goals of American Craft Beer week (which we're smack-dab in the middle of right now, people, May 17-23). A chicken in every pot is no substitute for a craft beer in every hand. My only disappointment is that, given the zillions of great beers she could have referenced, she only made mention of Skinny Dip by New Belgium Brewing Company, possibly the most macro of microbreweries. It's as ridiculous as a president holding a "beer summit" at the White House and drinking a Bud Light.

Take THAT, winos!

This article, from my old hometown's birdcage liner of record, the Quad-City Times, confirms what I've always known: beer is good for you! Well, no worse than any alcoholic drink, anyway, and better than wine in terms of imparting Vitamin B and protein, while still providing the heart-disease kryptonite. That's assuming you stick to one a day, so, nuts. Oh well, that's the science and I'm sticking to it. I will notify you, faithful readers, when the "Funyuns are good for you" article hits the presses.

Beer for Thanksgiving dinner? You betcha!

Looking to try something a little different this year for the turkey feast? Try offering some different pairings of beer instead of wine with the traditional yams and cranberries. Check out the following article from Beer Advocate to get some ideas on how to bring out the full flavors of your bird and see that beer can be sophisticated too. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

http://beeradvocate.com/articles/240

What does your beer say about YOU?

This interesting piece in Ad Age spotlights a study by a noted psychographic research company ties personality traits to beer choice. Key results: people who drink Blue Moon are socially liberal, sarcastic and snide; people who are socially conservative don't drink beer at all. Since I am a. socially conservative and b. known to hoist a pint now and again, I take these findings with a grain of salt, but still, interesting. Also: Bud drinkers use breath strips; Bud Light drinkers play the lottery; Michelob Ultra drinkers are narcissistic jerks; Corona drinkers like to party; and Heineken drinkers are also narcissistic jerks. Craft beer drinkers were difficult to pin down (fewer individuals=less statistically significant data) but apparently have lower levels of personal responsibility, don't stress about deadlines, etc. I meant to prepare an in-depth analysis of this category, but I started watching tv and then figured screw it. What is your type? What does it say about you? Chime in, y'all.