Well, if we didn’t have SAD before (Seasonal Affective Disorder), we do now! Is it miserable in these mountains or what? As I sit here writing this, the rain is pounding on the side of the house so loudly I can’t even think, and frankly, the idea of hitting the grocery store in this crap makes me want to curl up and cry. Or sleep more. Anything but going out there. But someone has to get the snack-o’s for today’s Thomas Creek tasting. (And that would be me.) On top of all that, it seems like half of Asheville is sick—including myself with a lingering two-week pain in the ass hanger-on—and the Warren Haynes Christmas Jam, while fun, is going to be a big, fat incubator of illness that I liken to a cruise ship. (When you come for the tasting today, drop on over across the street to The Satellite Gallery for the pre-Jam Art Show.)

NEWS & STUFF
Some folks think Santa and beer don’t mix
The Overreaction Department reports today that “the watchdog organization Center for Science in the Public Interest has filed a complaint with the Beer Institute.” Why? Because they don’t like that they are marketing beer with the Running of the Santa’s Pub Crawl. Because Santa is only for children! Never mind that these events across the country raises money to fight pediatric cancer. D’oh!

More job losses in The Merger
It’s been barely a month since A-B and InBev combined and surprise! They’re cutting 6% of the work force, all in the US. “A significant number of the affected positions are based at the corporate headquarters in St. Louis while other reductions will occur in field and brewery locations. It also will not fill more than 250 U.S. positions that are currently open and an additional 415 contractor positions will be eliminated.”

Strange concepts
A restaurant in NYC plans to serve its beer and wine in baby bottles. Yup! Baby bottles! Best part? “Everybody got that? If you want to act like an infant and get drunk at the same time, City Hall is giving you a big green light.”

NEW ITEMS
ANDERSON VALLEY Winter Solstice*
BELL’S Winter White*
DOGFISH HEAD Chicory Stout*
DOGFISH HEAD Olde School*
DOGFISH HEAD Midas Touch*
FOUNDERS Centennial IPA
OMMEGANG Ommegeddon (back)
ROGUE Santa’s Private Reserve*
VICTORY Baltic Thunder