Joey Redner lists “the world’s 10 most disgusting beers.”
[tampabay.com]

The Brits, on average, start with a pint at 6:14pm and then hang out until about 10:30pm. Other random tidbits on European drinking habits, too.
[ukpress.google.com]

Israelis drink Palestinian beer, Taybeh. See? Beer brings people together.
[radionetherlands.com]

Vermont gets its cap lifted and stronger beers over 8% abv are now in liquor stores. Hooray. Only a few states left with these archaic laws.
[boston.com]

Charlotte stores get busted undercover while selling beer to minors.
[wcnc.com]

Beer writer, Lew Bryson, names the World Beer Fest in Durham one of the top six beer fests in North America. Cool.
[msnbc.com]

“Campbell Robertson, a reporter for The Times, and an occasional cartoonist, is talking to voters around North Carolina in the week leading up to the state’s primary on Tuesday. His reports will be presented in graphic form.”

Nice little shout-out to Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company! Watch the whole slideshow here.

[Source/Image: NYTimes.com]

The Zambra dinner was amazing
If you were one of the lucky attendees at the Zambra/Unibroue dinner last night, let us first say “thanks” and ask you: How amazing was that? We all fit cozily into the private King Room (with all the pillows) and enjoyed the pairings. At the end, because of the chilly evening, we had the Quelque Chose served warm with dessert. Bravo!

Tennessee rethinks things
Seems the Overreaction Department’s “card everyone” theory doesn’t work so well in practice. The folks with crows feet got a little po’d. We can only marvel.

Has “extreme” beer gone too far?
Discuss.

Oh, snap. InBev might raise prices. Again.
The CEO of InBev, Carlos Brito, responds to rising commodity costs: “You see the possibilities to pass some of the cost to prices,” he told reporters after an annual shareholders’ meeting. “If your brands are strong enough, you should take that opportunity.”

No beer shirts for girls
Teen hipster shopping stop, Forever 21, is getting grief from the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest requesting they stop using logos from Miller, Foster’s and Diageo (parent to Guinness), as well as all “alcohol-themes” on t-shirts. Next up: No more “Buy This Guy a Beer” trucker hats at Spencer’s.

Now this is surprising. From a press release on BeerAdvocate.com today:

SEATTLE & SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (April 2008) - Pyramid Breweries Inc. (NASDAQ: PMID) (”Pyramid”) and Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center, Inc. (”Magic Hat”) today announced the execution of a Letter of Intent (”Letter of Intent”), which contemplates a transaction by which Magic Hat will acquire Pyramid, through an agreed all-cash tender offer and subsequent merger, at $2.75 per share of Pyramid common stock on a fully-diluted basis. … 

The closing of the proposed transaction, subject to the conditions referred to above, is anticipated to occur not later than August 31, 2008.

The board of directors of Pyramid has approved the transactions contemplated by the Letter of Intent.

“The combination of these two well established, high profile craft breweries will be very complementary given our respective brand portfolios and the geographies in which we predominantly operate. Additionally, there will be a number of important benefits for Pyramid to be part of a private company versus continuing to operate as a stand alone public entity. This consolidation makes both good strategic and financial sense and is well timed, particularly as the beer industry’s competitive dynamics continue to intensify,” said Pyramid CEO Scott Barnum. “The Company will continue to have offices in Seattle, its historical home, and will seek opportunities to capitalize on the enhanced assets and capabilities of the new combined entity,” he added.

Martin Kelly, CEO of Magic Hat said, “We have a great deal of respect for Pyramid’s brand heritage, award-winning beers and its dedicated employees, and look forward to consummating this transaction, which provides both strategic and financial benefits both to Pyramid’s and Magic Hat’s stakeholders.”

Molson wins bid for Olympics
Looks like Molson got the deal to be the official beer of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. Too bad that B.C. had to expand the highway from the city to ski-mecca, Whistler, to accomodate traffic to the games, thereby changing some of the coastal drive permanently. Sad. We do not like the Olympics. [canada.com]

Tennessee wants beer
“Tennessee Athletic Department officials say beer sales could help offset Thompson-Boling Arena’s more than $1 million annual operating deficit.” [sportingnews.com]

Sweetwater expands
The fine folks at Sweetwater Brewing Co. are enjoying their brand-spanking new 400-barrel fermentation tanks. [ajc.com]

Get with the program!
Trouble brews for Free the Hops campaigner after an LA times journalist outs him as a homebrewer, which is still illegal in Alabama. Shocking, we know. So many battles, so little time. According to the FTH forum, The Alabama State Senate doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to help, because today they “continued arguing about bingo in Macon county.”
[MontgomeryAdvisor.com]