The beer list has finally been updated. Just so you know. Thanks for your patience through the computer meltdown. And there’s a new Beer of the Month. (Yes, we know it’s halfway through the month.)

What else?

There’s something about those Flanders Red ales
The Washington Post has a great article about the sour red ales, i.e. Rodenbach, Duchesse de Bourgogne, Ichtegems. Whether your into the style or not—some call it vinegar, others call it heaven—you can learn a bunch from this article. There are a couple of good news items within the story, too. Rodenbach, brewed by Palm Breweries and recently dropped by Duvel-Moortgat, is in talks with a new U.S. importer.

Sadly, our supply of Rodenbach is rapidly being depleted. Palm Breweries, a larger company that owns Rodenbach, shut down the pipeline four months ago. Bart Brits, a spokesman for Palm, said by e-mail that “we are very close in concluding a new import agreement with a new partner in the U.S.” and predicted that Rodenbach would return “very soon now.”

Larry Bennett, marketing director for Duvel Moortgat USA (Rodenbach’s former importer), said his company is contracting with the Bockor Brewery in Oudenaarde, Belgium, to brew a red ale similar to the Rodenbach Grand Cru. The draft-only beer, Ommegang Rouge, is in the distribution pipeline and should reach the market shortly.

We wonder, did Ommegang’s new Rouge have anything to do with the fallout between Duvel and Palm/Rodenbach? Or, is Rouge Ommegang’s response to being dropped? Will we ever know?

Free Willy
Well, it The Merger happened yesterday. Budweiser said okay as soon as InBev threw another few billion in their direction. And now everyone loves everyone. Folks in Belgium are worried about losing jobs, as are those in the States, but the New York Times is following the creative financing and says what we really should be worried about is losing Shamu. And NPR is sarcastic as hell.