Speaking of fast, as Canada is suddenly accused<\/a> of nuzzling up to the EU, asking if we can spend the weekend \u2013\u00a0or is it the other way around<\/a> \u2013\u00a0 it\u2019s funny to see a politician in France castigated<\/a> for doing the<\/a> one<\/a> thing<\/a> even a t-total conservative candidate here must always do if they hope to have a hope:<\/p>\n A French presidential hopeful has been accused by leftwingers of encouraging alcoholism after he released a campaign video showing him with a beer.\u00a0In the video, Gabriel Attal, 37, who was President Macron\u2019s prime minister in 2024, announced plans to hold debates with voters in\u00a0bistrots across the country. He said he wanted to revive tradition: Enlightenment philosophy had emerged in France\u2019s small dining establishments in the 18th century, he said, as had the call to storm the Bastille in 1789\u2026. The launch of Attal\u2019s \u201c1,000 Bistrots\u201d initiative, as he is calling it, seems unlikely to boost his standing among voters, according to commentators. They noted that it had been widely mocked on social media, with one user saying that the candidate looked more like a spritz than a beer drinker.<\/em><\/p>\n Not to worry. He\u2019s way behind in the polls<\/a>. Speaking of not doing so well, let\u2019s get these interesting numbers from BMI<\/a> out of the way early this week:<\/p>\n Close to $120 mil in craft $$ tracked by NielsenIQ thru Aug 8 came from 138 craft brands with at least $150K in sales this yr and no sales this time last yr. But it\u2019s top heavy, natch. The top 25 new craft brands generated about 2\/3 of that total, each racking up around $1 mil in retail sales. With total craft $$, including craft non-alc, down 4.2% yr to date, existing brands are off over 6% as a group.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Yikes. So has US craft beer \u2013 which told us it came into being to defeat the monoglot of macro \u2013 become what it abhored? Fewer and fewer brands, limited in difference hogging more and more of the shelf space? Apparently, not only have fruit flavoured beers chased the tail of coolers but apparently New Belgium\u2019s 11% ABV Voodoo Ranger is the top new beer. Taking on the \u201celectric soup\u201d RTD<\/a> competition. As Knut<\/a> notes:<\/p>\n Most Norwegians buy their beer at a supermarket, but the range available has dwindled over the years, with fake cider, hard seltzer and ready mixed drinks taking over much of the shelves.<\/em><\/p>\n Tomorrow belong to the gak. Not everyone has noticed. Ontario\u2019s Peterborough Examiner<\/em> published<\/a> an opinion piece by apparently self-published author Bruce Gravel that reads like it was defrosted from a glacier that formed around the good beer conversation around 2006 to 2012:<\/p>\n He finally took a sip. He didn\u2019t swallow. Instead, he held the beer in his mouth, churning it around his gums like mouthwash. He made a loud, wet aerating sound \u2014 slurrrrp \u2014 that caused people at the next table to look over in disgust. He swallowed, closed his eyes, and performed a full 60 seconds of silent contemplation to measure the \u201cfinish.\u201d The ultimate annoyance of the beer snob is their complete inability to let anyone else enjoy their drink. When our friend Sarah arrived and ordered a cider, Sebastian spent 10 minutes explaining why her choice was a sugary insult to fermented beverages.<\/em><\/p>\n You know, that New Yorker<\/em> cover is now twelve years old<\/a>. I thought news editors by definition were up to date on the booze scene, you know, from personal experience.\u00a0 Speaking of which, here\u2019s some notes with the first one on the better approach in such matters.<\/p>\n Note #1<\/a>: Advice to journalists. Speaking of simplification, here\u2019s a central European leaning timeline<\/a> of brewing history. It\u2019s a pretty good effort but, again, pale malt was not first made upon the adoption of coke. Straw<\/a> fired pale malt drying was common well before coke. Conversely, Katie Mather<\/a> won a writing prize. And she wrote about winning a prize. And thanked her editor:<\/p>\n Last year, Claire Bullen edited a story I wrote for Pellicle about wine in Tenerife and the Orotava region. It started as an off-the-cuff idea borne from sheer enthusiasm\u2014I had just visited the island and fallen in love with Mount Teide. I have a thing for tall, brooding guys. Most of my best stories come from a small, sharp inkling that I\u2019ve seen or tasted something life changing, and that little feeling gets worked into every thought. Working out the story is part of the fun. Why do I want to tell this tale? How would I even begin? Editors get the hardest job and the least credit. I worked away on my story, did the research, painstakingly rewrote the drafts, but were it not for the editorial process, it wouldn\u2019t be half as good as I think it is now. And I happen to think it\u2019s the best thing I\u2019ve ever written, still, over a year later.<\/em><\/p>\n You know what\u2019s not the best thing? The price of beer at Oktoberfest according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle<\/a>:<\/p>\n A Mass, the traditional 1-liter (2.1-pint) serving at Oktoberfest<\/a>, will cost an average of \u20ac15.61 ($18.50) this year. In 1985, it cost about 6.25 Deutschmarks, equivalent to \u20ac3.20 after conversion at the fixed euro exchange rate.\u00a0The figures were analyzed by UniCredit economist Andreas Rees ahead of the opening of the world\u2019s largest beer festival on Saturday.\u00a0Beer prices at Oktoberfest have increased by around 400% since 1985, according to Rees, using data from Munich\u2019s statistical office.\u00a0Consumer prices across Germany, by comparison, have risen by around 120% over the same period.<\/em><\/p>\n Next, we were off to New Zealand this week with Pellicle<\/em>\u2018s feature by Martin Bridges<\/a> on the Garage Project:<\/p>\n \u2026the plain white box\u2014adorned with nothing but the word \u201cBEER\u201d in a bold, black font\u2014stands out. This classic pale lager, which has been a mainstay of Garage Project\u2019s core range since 2014, is an ode to the power of subtlety and simplicity. Pilsner malt, Saaz hops, Czech yeast. No more, no less. Does exactly what it says on the tin\u2026 \u201cIt was a bit of a \u2018screw you!\u2019 to the big breweries to show that yes, we can do a lot of progressive beers with a lot of adjuncts and flavours and spice and unusual techniques\u2014like hot rocks and making our own cryo hops from liquid nitrogen\u2014but we can also do a fantastic, straight, Czech-inspired lager,\u201d he says.<\/em><\/p>\n And, once we\u2019ve had all that, there are the consequnces to be endured. Joan Fitzpatrick<\/a> at The Conversation<\/em> wrote aabout the ancient, medieval and early modern ethics and cures for over drinking:<\/p>\n Classical authorities were regularly cited as recommending the consumption of certain foods before a drinking session, with almonds, cabbage, baked quinces, wormwood (absinthe) and even the lungs of a goat being thought beneficial.\u00a0 They had tips on how to feel better after a surfeit of food and drink. Dietary authors recommended the benefits of moderate exercise, specifically walking, and sleep, with purging by vomit as a last resort. The medieval dietary authors had praised cloves as restorative and good for stomach trouble. But perhaps any notion of a \u201ccure\u201d for a hangover is based upon the questionable premise that one can undo the self-induced damage to body and mind caused by a bout of heavy drinking.<\/em><\/p>\n Perhaps some Korean hangover soup<\/a> would suit you better. David Jesudason shared another sort of tough story in The Greenwich Wire\u00a0<\/em>this week, one about Stacey Ayeh<\/a> of the Bouldr Bar taproom in southeast London and the struggle to get the doors open\u2026 and keep them open:<\/p>\n Bouldr Bar\u2019s launch faced delays with wrangling over\u00a0planning issues<\/a>, such as increasing the number of toilets. The biggest headache was finding a way for a bar, planned brewery and food offering to meet Bexley Council\u2019s requirements, because it is housed at ground level under new-build flats\u2026\u00a0The unit next door to Bouldr Bar remains empty. Stacey believes this was going to be occupied by Starbucks.\u00a0Stacey believes that to create more food options, Peabody needs to build a tower vent system to keep the council happy. Bouldr Bar is in a state of flux until it can be installed \u2013 a new wall has been built but not painted.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n At the other end of the economic scale, Heineken<\/a> is making a claim to an \u201cA.I.\u201d powered beer tap\u2026 which might be the fibberfibberony of the year so far:<\/p>\n According to a statement from the brewer, the technology uses \u201ca combination of tastes, moods, and occasions to create more than 100 tailored beers\u201d. Most intriguingly, the new technology means that, from a single tap, drinkers can now choose from 135 different Heineken expressions, each shaped by a combination of traditional brewing characteristics, such as strength, intensity, with options ranging from 0.0% to 5% ABV.\u00a0 Consumers simply need to scan a QR code, customise your taste preferences on their phones, and then the kit blends their perfect brew using its \u201cintegrated barrels\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n Who buys into this sorta guff? Drunk computer sci frosh?\u00a0The falsification of beer continues with the rise of \u201cprotein beer\u201d as reviewed by Adam Campbell-Schmitt<\/a> at The Food Network<\/em>:<\/p>\n The protein drink is actually a\u00a0nonalcoholic beer boasting 10 grams of plant protein (sourced from pea and rice) per 16-ounce can. That\u2019s about five to ten times as much protein as a regular, alcoholic brew. (If you\u2019re counting carbs and calories, each can of ChampionSips contains 90 calories and 11 grams of carbohydrates.) However, like many NA beers, it should be noted that ChampionSips \u201ccontains less than 0.5% ABV.\u201d\u2026 As someone who has tried a lot of protein products, I could detect a bit of the pea protein. But largely what I tasted was a very malty pilsner, heavy on the caramel and toasted notes. While it may not pass as your favorite beer, it does its job of swapping some pretty palatable protein into a pleasant beer drinking experience.<\/em><\/p>\n Grim. What would the Senators of New York State circa 1835<\/a> who gathered in committee to respond to public alarm about the adulteration of beer think about such things. Me, I find that a rib steak or a smash burger injects some pretty palatable protein into my beer drinking experience.<\/p>\n Finally and speaking of falsification, Boak and Bailey took a comment on A.I. writing that I made last week<\/a> and then, at their Patreon newsletter<\/a>, made more of it:<\/p>\n \u2026 we think we can see the tell-tale signs. For example, a sudden change in writing style, with entire paragraphs adopting a strangely flowery, elaborate tone of voice while, at the same time, being devoid of any real substance. While both of us broadly subscribe to the idea that \u201cif you can\u2019t be bothered to write it, I can\u2019t be bothered to read it\u201d we\u2019re not going to take a totally hard line. It\u2019s also difficult for us to know for sure whether someone has used AI to write some or all of a blog post, even if we suspect it. We don\u2019t want to write people off because we get a vibe. (This unfortunate ambiguity is, of course, how AI ends up worming its way into our lives.)\u00a0It\u2019s especially tricky with writers who are new to us and whom we haven\u2019t been following for years. We don\u2019t know how they usually write and so can\u2019t spot when their style changes.<\/em><\/p>\n That\u2019s it for now. I gotta get back out to the garden. While I do, please look to Boak and Bailey\u2019s postings on each and every Saturday<\/a>\u00a0along with the coincidenal and fabulously entertaining footnotes week after week at\u00a0Patreon<\/a>. They do put in the effort. And do look out for more of Stan\u2019s \u201cOne Link, One Paragraph<\/a>\u201d format. Then it\u2019s your turn. Read and recommend, please. Scour the world for news tips \u2013 then let me know. Then hunt out something in someone\u2019s archives! Leave oblique comments on someone\u2019s post from 2009!! Listen to a few of Lew\u2019s podcasts<\/a>\u00a0and get your emailed issue of\u00a0Episodes of my Pub Life<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by David Jesudason on certain Fridays. And Phil Mellows is at the\u00a0BritishBeerBreaks<\/em><\/a>. Once a month, Will Hawkes issues his\u00a0London Beer City<\/em><\/a>\u00a0newsletter. Do sign up for Katie\u2019s wonderful self-governing totes autonomous website featuring\u00a0The Gulp<\/em><\/a>, too. \u00a0Ben\u2019s\u00a0Beer and Badword<\/a><\/em>\u00a0remains on pause but there is reading at\u00a0The Glass<\/a>\u00a0which is going back to being\u00a0a blog<\/a>. Any more? We have\u00a0Ontario\u2019s own\u00a0A Quick Beer<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0All About Beer<\/em>\u00a0is still offering a range of\u00a0podcasts<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 and there\u2019s also Mike Seay\u2019s\u00a0The Perfect Pour<\/a>. Plus follow the venerable\u00a0Full Pint<\/em>\u00a0podcast<\/a>! And there\u2019s the\u00a0Craft Beer Channel<\/a>\u00a0on Youtube as well as the archives of the\u00a0Beer Ladies Podcast<\/a>. What else?<\/p>\n *Fine, this was my comment: \u201cI am afraid that A.I. is a bit like men\u2019s cologne. You think you will just use a little, no one will really notice but it makes someone feel better about oneself. To the contrary, it\u2019s like wearing some bit of orange clothing. It does stand out, it never really works and it usually ruins whatever effect you were going for. It\u2019s also lazy because it\u2019s unnecessary. If you are going to pretend you are a writer then do the frigging writing. Put in the time. Like any effort, you improve by error and succeed through the individual quirk of personal expression. A.I. editing is like claiming you cooked the meal when you got take away.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The end of summer. The last stragglers back from holidays. Yellowjackets everywhere. Tired sweetpeas starting to show their age. Tomatoes ripening faster on the vine, some going soft before I get to them in the sauce pot, then into ziplock bags destined for a spot deep into the freezer. I\u2019m even starting to think about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7064816,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[156682,141792,104558,191849,128641,104566,12167,99132,99858,96771,141793,12348,182,104564,104565,141794],"tags":[3171,13054,3767,1416,33414,72115,1820,388,539],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7064815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beer-in-the-end-times","category-beer-stuff","category-beer-writing","category-blogging-and-the-internet","category-craft-fibs","category-diners-and-restaurants","category-economics","category-france","category-germany","category-health","category-measures","category-new-zealand","category-politics","category-pubs","category-tavs","category-vessels","tag-beer","tag-beery","tag-blog","tag-good","tag-melancholy","tag-mundane","tag-news","tag-notes","tag-summer"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/abetterbeerblog427.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tomatosauce.jpg\")
<\/a>The end of summer. The last stragglers back from holidays. Yellowjackets everywhere. Tired sweetpeas starting to show their age. Tomatoes ripening faster on the vine, some going soft before I get to them in the sauce pot, then into ziplock bags destined for a spot deep into the freezer. I\u2019m even starting to think about getting the garlic ready to plant before the first frost. It all starts to move pretty fast right around now.<\/p>\n
Note #2<\/a>: Don\u2019t most people at cricket matches drink beer?
Note #3<\/a>: Belgium\u2026 \u201cif it isn\u2019t poison, it goes into the beer.<\/em>\u201d
Note #4<\/a>: All you need to know\u2026 twenty something words\u2026<\/p>\n<\/a>I commented* but\u2026 but\u2026 what I didn\u2019t mention is related to what they wrote: \u201cif you can\u2019t be bothered to write\u2026\u201d <\/em>I know someone who has found a niche that may make him a bit of side cash that relies almost entirely on innoquous A.I. use. It\u2019s a form of design creativity that results in absolutely throw away content. So who cares? It\u2019s just about the extra cash for him. But look at what Laura<\/a> wrote over on FB. Because it\u2019s good to care. So if you really do care, i<\/em>f you want to put your name on something? Well, you are drinking out of the dog\u2019s water dish if what you put out relies on crap A.I. tech. \u201cRelies\u201d<\/em> carries a lot of work in that sentence for sure\u2026 but if that\u2019s what you\u2019ve done your name bears the shame.<\/p>\n