Government Consider Automatic Payment of Business Rate Relief for Small Community Pubs

Issued: Friday 6th March, For immediate use

Following an energetic Private Members’ Bill campaign by Peter Luff MP, supported by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the Government has today announced that they will look to make payment of Small Business Rate Relief in England automatic. Half of small businesses, including many small community pubs, are missing out on up to £1,200 of rate relief every year.

CAMRA’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Jonathan Mail, said:
"Today’s commitment by the Government to look at automatic payment of Small Business Rate Relief moves us one step closer towards ensuring all small businesses, including small community pubs, receive the financial help to which they are entitled. Nearly 6 pubs a day are closing and many of these are small community pubs that would be helped by automatic payment of Small Business Rate Relief, worth up to £1,200 every year.”

FSB National Chairman, John Wright, said:
“Around £400 million goes unclaimed every year by those small businesses that don’t know they can claim rate relief. Making it automatic will mean all the difference to small firms who may be struggling with their cash flow at this difficult economic time. This important issue was given a good airing in the debate today and we look forward to what we hope will be a commitment from the Government that rate relief will be automatic for small businesses in the Budget announcement".

For more information:

CAMRA Press Office – 01727 798443

CAMRA’s Head of Policy and Public Affairs – 07720 724733

KRO Easter Weekend Beer Festival

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CAMRA Welcomes Plans to End Below Cost Alcohol Sales

CAMRA is backing moves by the Scottish Government to prevent supermarkets selling alcohol at a loss. This move would support well-run community pubs that provide a safe and sociable environment for the consumption of alcohol.

CAMRA launched its campaign against the sale of alcohol at a loss back in January 2007 when research revealed that alcohol was being sold for less than the price of bottled water. Supermarket loss leaders have led to a dramatic widening of the price differential between on and off trade and are contributing to the closure of nearly 6 pubs a day.

Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive said:
“It is irresponsible and reckless for the major supermarkets to sell alcohol at below cost. A person who is addicted to alcohol is completely free to buy an enormous amount of alcohol at ridiculously low cost and then consume it, either at home or on the streets. It is well documented that irresponsible price promotions in the off trade are a major cause of binge drinking and alcohol related disorder.”

“Well-run community pubs are being undermined as a result of unfair competition from the major supermarkets selling alcohol at below cost. Supermarkets are subsidising alcohol loss leaders by higher prices elsewhere in their stores which is not something a pub can do.”

“Well-run community pubs abide by high standards which help encourage the sensible and responsible consumption of alcohol. These pubs are also at the heart of their communities providing an irreplaceable venue for socializing, sporting, community and charity activity.”

For further information-
CAMRA Press Office, 01727 798443
Jonathan Mail, CAMRA Head of Public Affairs, 01727 798448

Chicken-Chasing, Snow-Sleuthing, Good-Time Fun-draising Grab a Costume and Join New Belgium for its Taos Scavenger Hunt

The Third Annual Event Raises Money for the Field Institute of Taos

Ft. Collins, CO – March 2, 2008 – New Belgium Brewing, maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale, is encouraging people to bare their alter ego, don a downhill costume and hit the slopes. It’s all part of the Taos Scavenger Hunt, an event created by New Belgium at Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico. The scavenger hunt, to be held on Monday, March 16, promises to be a day of fundraising, snow-sleuthing and sustainable schooling. Proceeds from the Taos Scavenger Hunt will be donated to the Field Institute of Taos, an organization that creates outdoor education programs to encourage an active, healthy lifestyle for kids and adults alike.

“Our goal is to bring something quirky and whimsical to the mountain and to give folks more of an insight into what we’re all about, while raising money and awareness for local non-profits,” said Mike Keller, New Belgium Brewing’s National Festivarian. “During the summer months we have Tour de Fat, our sustainable cycling circus, but we created the mountain scavenger hunt series to keep that fun going throughout the winter.”

Registration starts at 9:00 a.m, with the scavenger hunt running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. During the scavenger hunts, participants will search for both stationary and moving clues. The clues revolve around New Belgium Brewing, Taos Ski Valley, sustainability and the partnering non-profit. There is a good chance that, during the quest, participants will come across some odd sights, including Bigfoot, prom dresses, wild wigs and even a chicken to chase around!

“It’s an unpredictable, witty and informative day of riddle decoding, team bonding and entertainment,” continued Keller. “Just watch out for a stray wig or two on the slopes and if you do happen to get the hard-boiled egg from the chicken, don’t break it!”

Teams with the most points at the end of skiing and searching will receive prizes at the after party, held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The after party will also include giveaways from New Belgium and Taos Ski Valley. Each participant will receive a New Belgium pint glass, made specifically for the event. The cost to enter is just $10, with all the proceeds going to the Field Institute of Taos.

“The New Belgium Scavenger Hunt is a blast!” said Alejandro Blake, Events Director at Taos Ski Valley. “It is one of the events we look forward to hosting annually. This will be the third year Taos hosts this event. It brings great energy to the resort. Our guests love it.”

The Taos Scavenger Hunt is the first in a three-hunt series. The other scavenger hunts will take place at Telluride Ski Resort on March 21 and Loveland Ski Area on April 4.

For more information, check out http://www.newbelgium.com/hunt.

About New Belgium Brewing Company

New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces seven year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey, Mothership Wit, and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.

Tales of the Cocktail Announces The 2nd Annual Cocktail Film Fest

Tickets on Sale Now

Tales of the Cocktail and W New Orleans invite movie buffs and libation lovers to indulge in celebrating the cocktail in three films. Cheryl Charming aka Miss Charming™, cocktail author and founder of MissCharming.com, plays hostess for the silver screenings.

Film Fest hostess, Cheryl Charming aka Miss Charming™ has been in the food and beverage industry since 1976, tending bar, authoring cocktail related books (9 so far), teaching bar tricks to Walt Disney World bartenders, and cocktail consulting. She is a member of The Bartenders Guild, and The Museum of the American Cocktail. She resides in Downtown Orlando and maintains the website MissCharming.com.

The Film Fest schedule is as follows:
• Saturday, April 11th, 4 p.m., King Creole
• Saturday, April 11th, 6-8 p.m., Dean Serneels is the Mad MXologist
• Saturday, April 11th, 8 p.m., Cocktail
• Saturday, April 11th, Midnight, Moulin Rouge

Seating for all films are dinner party style.

Tales of the Cocktail and W New Orleans invite movie buffs and libation lovers to indulge in an evening of celebrating the cocktail in three films. Cheryl Charming, cocktail author and founder of MissCharming.com, plays hostess for the silver screenings.

The Film Fest schedule is as follows:

Saturday, April 11, 2009
4 pm. King Creole
6 pm. Meet-n-Greet Dean Sernells
8 pm. Cocktail
Midnight Moulin Rouge

*Seating for all films are dinner party style*

Film Fest hostess, Cheryl Charming a.k.a. Miss Charming™ has been in the food and beverage industry since 1976, tending bar, authoring cocktail related books (nine so far), teaching bar tricks to Walt Disney World bartenders, cocktail consulting and teaching cocktail classes. She is a member of The Bartenders Guild and The Museum of the American Cocktail. She resides in Downtown Orlando and maintains the website MissCharming.com.

Chef Roberto Bustillo, Jr. of Zoë Restaurant will prepare inspired hors d’oeuvres for the day. Chef Bustillo has won two Gold Fleur de Lis Awards from New Orleans Wine and Food Experience in 2006 and 2007 and a Silver Fleur de Lis Award in 2008. Zoë Restaurant and Lounge is located on the second floor of the W New Orleans.

Saturday, April 11th

King Creole (1958)
4 pm.
This Elvis Presley summer hit of 1958 was filmed in New Orleans when he was 22 years old. The cast and crew blocked off the entire top floor of the Roosevelt Hotel (now Fairmont Hotel and soon to be Waldorf Astoria). King Creole was Elvis' last B&W film and is considered by critics to be his best. Elvis plays a nightclub busboy turned nightclub singer and even though there are many bar scenes not one single cocktail is mentioned, so we will be serving famous New Orleans cocktails including the Sazerac, Hurricane, Scarlet O'Hara, Ramos Gin Fizz, and French 75. Retro candy and popcorn will be served and popular soundtracks to look forward include Trouble, Hard Headed Woman, King Creole, New Orleans, and Dixieland Rock.

Dean Serneels is the Mad MXologist
6-8 pm.
Come meet Dean Serneels as the Mad Mixologist! This Dean of Drinks is an Inventor, Hospitality Consultant, Entertainer, Motivator, Flipping Mixologist and owner of Flairco.com. Dean will be sharing his skills in a hands-on bottle flipping workshop and will also entertain you with his magic and moves on the bar. Dean has won over 22 bartending awards, has appeared on the FOOD Network and as the bartender trainer on CMT's Search for the Ultimate Coyote. Dean is also the creative mind behind all of the Flairco brand bartending products. Join Dean as he flips, spins and tosses the fictitious Blue Turquoise from the film, Cocktail, Pink Squirrels, and Sex on the Beaches. Landshark beer will also be available.

Cocktail (1988)
8 pm.
Cocktail finally turns 21! And what better way to celebrate this summer hit of '88 than with dinner, drinks and a movie New York/Jamaican style! This film kick-started modern flair bartending worldwide and introduced three hit songs, Kokomo, Don't Worry, Be Happy and Addicted To Love. We celebrate the 21st birthday with Jamaican style food and birthday cake.
Special guest star, Dean Serneels will be present demonstrating the moves seen in the film.

Moulin Rouge (2001)
Midnight
Can-Can you join us for a midnight enchanting screening of this lush and visually-rich modern musical that was nominated for 8 Oscars? The Green Fairy will be upon us as we serve Absinthe in glass blown fountains at each table. Nibbles, bottled water and French wine will also be available.

Tickets and Special Rates
Tickets are required for Tales of the Cocktail Film Fest and can be purchased online at www.TalesoftheCocktail.com as of February 15, 2009 for $25 per showing. Ticket packages are available through the website. A special room rate of $99 at the W Hotel New Orleans available Thursday, April 9, 2009 through Monday, April 13, 2009. Please use promotion code LIF. For event guests, a rate of $12 per car will be available. For questions, please call 1-877-WHOTELS for assistance. Book a room online at www.TalesoftheCocktail.com.

Founders Releases Popular Kentucky Breakfast Stout

(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich) – It is a well-celebrated annual tradition – one that results in pilgrimages by die-hard craft beer lovers from throughout the Midwest – that is simply known as the release of Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS). Each March, Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Mich., releases its rich, barrel-aged brew in limited, high-demanded quantities.

Rated as an A / A+ by most major beer reviewers – and considered by some to be one of the Top 5 brews of its kind in the country – this Imperial Stout is well worth the wait. Only 1400 cases (33,600 bottles) will be sold in 2009, a slight increase over 2008.

“We are limited by the size of our brewing facility,” says Mike Stevens, Founders Brewing President. “By 2010, we plan to increase our production of Kentucky Breakfast…but it will still be significantly short of its demand.”

Kentucky Breakfast Stout is brewed with a massive amount of coffee and chocolates, before being aged a full year in oak bourbon barrels from Kentucky. These barrels are then stored 100 feet in the ground, in the caves of nearby gypsum mines, before returning to the tanks to be finished and bottled. KBS is a very labor intensive beer, requiring additional precision and devotion.

“While all of our beers are made with 100% pure deliciousness, I am personally drawn to the smell of the bourbon barrels,” says Alec Mull, Director of Brewing Operations. “The wood and bourbon flavors and aromas that surround the barrels become firmly entrenched in the fabric of the beer, and the chocolate and coffee find harmony with them. All of the characters are very distinct. While you can experience each independently, they also manage to work very well together and form a melded collage of flavor.”

Kentucky Breakfast Stout is available in limited quantities in 10 states and retails in 4-packs for $20.

“KBS is indeed an extraordinary beer,” Alec says. “We feel very lucky to be able to make this beer and are excited that everyone likes it so much.”

Founders Brewing Company, 235 Grandville Avenue SW in downtown Grand Rapids, is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild. www.michiganbrewersguild.org.

MICHELOB BREWING CO. TURNS UP THE WHEAT

The Michelob Family Continues To Offer New Beer Styles with Its Latest Wheat Sampler Pack

St. Louis, MO- After a long winter, beer lovers have anxiously waited to see what new recipes Michelob Brewing Co. brewmasters had up their sleeves to usher in the new year. Well, wait no longer – Michelob Honey Wheat is the newest beer to join the growing collection. This hand-crafted filtered wheat ale, brewed with orange blossom honey from the groves of Florida and California, completes an all-wheat sampler pack created just for spring and summer.

The Michelob Brewing Co. Spring/Summer Sampler Pack, available beginning March 2, includes Michelob Honey Wheat, year-round favorites Shock Top Belgian White and Michelob Dunkel Weisse, and the spring seasonal Hop Hound Amber Wheat.

Sampler packs are an easy and convenient way for adults to try several new beer styles. Brewmaster Kristi Zantop suggests arranging a wheat beer sampling at home with friends to have some fun and brush up on your beer expertise. The Michelob Brewing Co. brewmasters have made it easy by including an informative flighting sheet in each sampler pack and posting interactive videos to Michelob.com to guide beer lovers through the ingredients, coloring, body, bitterness levels and brewing techniques for the four styles, along with suggestions for glassware pairings.

To sound like a brewing pro, Zantop shares some key facts to bolster wheat beer know-how:

“When you’re sampling beers, always select the proper glass style and shape. This will enable you to enjoy the beer’s aroma and coloring – key parts of the tasting experience. With wheat beers, try a traditional tall, wide-mouthed glass.”

“Typically wheat beers are not filtered during the brewing process, giving them a cloudy, hazy appearance, but it’s not uncommon to encounter filtered wheat beers as well, like Michelob Honey Wheat. When unfiltered wheat beers are bottled, the beer’s yeast settles to the bottom, so when you’re pouring an unfiltered beer from the sampler pack, like Dunkel Weisse for instance, roll the bottle slowly in your hand before topping off the pour with the last inch of beer from the bottle – this helps redistribute the yeast.”

Over the past four years, wheat beer sales have skyrocketed – and it’s no wonder. Adults love wheat beers’ refreshment and endless variety of flavors and aromas, making an all-wheat beer sampler pack the ideal choice for the Michelob Brewing Co.’s newest special collection.

The four distinct wheat brews featured in the Michelob Wheat Beer Sampler Pack are:

Michelob Honey Wheat: a silky, smooth filtered wheat ale brewed with orange blossom honey. Zantop and her team wanted to push the envelope with their newest creation, playing around with different varieties of honey until they found just the right kind to give Honey Wheat a pronounced floral aroma and hints of orange citrus flavor.

Hop Hound Amber Wheat: an unfiltered American amber wheat ale brewed with Cascade, Willamette and Hallertau hops and a blend of the finest caramel, wheat and pale barley malts.

Shock Top Belgian White: an unfiltered Belgian-style wheat ale with a naturally cloudy and light golden color, brewed with orange, lemon and lime peels and coriander.

Michelob Dunkel Weisse: a surprisingly light unfiltered dark wheat ale with unmistakable clove and banana tones, a result imparted from the unique Bavarian yeast strain used.

“We played around with several recipe concepts before honing in and perfecting the Honey Wheat. Its smooth citrus flavor and strong floral aroma are just the right balance to our Bavarian-style dark wheat Dunkel Weisse with roasted malt and banana flavors, our Belgian-style wheat ale Shock Top with subtle citrus and spice notes, and our American-inspired Hop Hound Amber Wheat with its caramel sweetness,” said Zantop. “Whether you are hosting a sampling party or pairing the beers with your favorite foods, there’s something for everyone in this craft collection."

The Michelob Spring/Summer Sampler Pack is available at grocery and convenience stores nationwide through September in 24-packs (six of each beer), 12-packs (three of each beer) and six-packs (two of each beer, Hop Hound Amber Wheat not included).

Each recipe in the collection was developed in the Michelob Brewing Co. – a small, 10-barrel, state-of-the-art brewery with access to the best ingredients and brewing equipment.

Michelob Brewing Co. is a team of Anheuser-Busch brewmasters and sales and marketing professionals who focus their attention on creating new beer styles and bringing them to adults across the country. Once new recipes are perfected at the Michelob Brewing Co. they are brewed and packaged at Anheuser-Busch’s 12 regional breweries. For more detailed information and photos, visit www.michelob.com or www.anheuser-busch.com/ABMarketingmichelob.html.