Beer-articles 683

About this rating

On June 26, 2024, an X user named Keaton Patti (@KeatonPatti) posted, “Normal day in Florida.” His post featured an image appearing to originate from a local news station in Florida. The broadcast showed the state’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis with the headline, “Gov. DeSantis Signs 3 New Bills.”

According to the image, the three bills purportedly were: “June 27th is now ‘Bible Day,'” “certifies ‘male’ as the official state gender of Florida” and “hospitals can sell beer and wine.”

The website 10TampaBay.com was displayed in the bottom-right corner of the image, referencing the CBS TV affiliate WTSP in St. Petersburg, Florida.

One of the most-liked replies under Patti’s post read, “At least I can have one final beer on my death bed.”

Another user asked, “Is this real?,” as did a different person who replied, “Is this real? That last one is based af.”

Other people mentioned satire, including one user who said, “It’s sad when you can’t tell if it’s satire or facts … halp.”

We also found at least one person who responded to the post, “Florida Man… checks out.”

However, as some users correctly guessed, Patti’s post was a satirical joke aiming to make light of DeSantis’ politics, perhaps specifically including several new Florida state bills reportedly set to go into effect on July 1.

The original broadcast uploaded to WTSP.com on June 25 displayed the three genuine bills, including “increased security for Jewish schools,” “definition of antisemitism” and “banning balloon releases.”

According to a GitHub page, Patti is a writer and comedian who has contributed to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” The New Yorker, Comedy Central, The Onion and others. He also authored the book, “I Forced a Bot to Write This Book: A.I. Meets B.S.”

We reached out to Patti via email to inquire about his inspiration for the post. We will update this article with more details if we receive a response.

Beer sales at chain restaurants kicked up between 2022 and 2024 according to newly released data.

The last few years have been tough for beer.

After more than a decade of nothing but growth, the post-pandemic reality set in. People are drinking less beer overall—largely because they are drawn to cocktails and spiked seltzers, news of craft breweries closing seem commonplace and some have dared to suggest craft beer is…I can hardly type these words…cringe.

But don’t count beer out just yet.

Recent data from CGA by NIQ’s On Premise Measurement service provided some news beer lovers can finally toast.

Beer increased its share of total sales at chain restaurants by 1.52% between 2022 and 2024. With craft, import and below-premium accounting for most of those gains. Beer’s gains came at the expense of spirits, which lost 1.4% and wine lost 0.3% percentage points during the time period.

“It’s encouraging to see drinks sales through chains have recovered well since the upheaval of COVID-19—especially for beer brands,” said Matthew Crompton, CGA by NIQ’s regional director – North America, in a statement released with the new data.

Chains are a very specific type of U.S. restaurant but they’re not without influence and this data could be a sign that trends around beer have changed, though the reasons why are a bit complex.

“Pressure on disposable incomes has made for a hyper-competitive beer category in recent months, but our research confirms there are still many opportunities for growth,” Crampton wrote previously. “The resilience of the below-premium segment indicates the importance of value at the moment, while interest in imports and styles like stout suggests some beer consumers are looking beyond tried-and-trusted domestic brands for new flavors.”

I agree value/price point is playing a role. Cocktails have surged in price over the years and anecdotally more and more people I know are opting for beers when they go out for financial reasons. Yes, many restaurants have good cocktail programs but as those programs have become more common and cocktail prices have soared, ordering a cocktail out has become less appealing for some. At least that’s the case for me. After switching briefly to cocktails, I’ve returned to my first love of beer as my dining-out go-to, unless I’m at an establishment that is incredibly well-known for its cocktail program.

Of course, there’s no real proof this trend extends beyond my social circle or that the spike in beer sales at chain restaurants isn’t just a statistical fluke. But it seems like these might be among the first numbers that beer, much like the mustache is making a comeback.

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

So, how can you be a power user?

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.

The Muenster Chamber of Commerce has announced it will no longer host the city’s biggest festival.

“The Chamber felt it was in the best interest of all our vendors, volunteers, and most especially our guests at Germanfest, to let all know the Chamber has decided not to host Germanfest 2025,” a news release from the chamber said.

The chamber has hosted the event for the past 48 years.

In April, one of the festival’s primary sponsors, the Muenster Jaycees — who for years provided labor and beer — held a competing festival called “Party in the Park” on the dates — the last full weekend in April.

Jared Flusche, president of the Muenster Jaycees, said he was stunned and saddened to hear the news.

“This decision was made with considerable thought and much angst. For most of us, it has become a significant part of our lives that will be greatly missed,” the chamber’s statement said.

“Party in the park” was birthed out of a contract dispute between the Chamber and the Jaycees on how much of the beer sales the Jaycees and the Chamber would split.

The split caused a rift in the community of just under 1,700 and drew the attention of national and regional media.

“The Chamber would like to thank all who have in some way participated with us over the years. Especially, we would like to thank the founders who had the foresight to start this tradition and remind us of our heritage,” the statement said.

The statement concludes by saying, “The Chamber would also like to thank most essentially of all the guests, both local and those who have come from afar to celebrate with us. A huge THANK YOU too.”

A rust-colored tree stands in the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, its leafless arms contrasting with the surrounding sugar maples. Get closer, and you’ll see this is no real tree but rather Iron Tree, a sculpture by Ai Weiwei.

A short walk away stands Eve, a glossy bronze by Auguste Rodin tucked in a corridor of European hornbeam trees. Further still, Mark di Suvero’s 25-foot-tall industrial steel sculpture Scarlatti occupies a wildflower meadow.

Some 300 sculptures — most of them by superstars such as Weiwei, Rodin, Louise Bourgeois and Nina Akamu (who utilized Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches to create the gardens’ The American Horse) — spread across a 158-acre campus at Meijer Gardens.

“This place is special for its ability to intersect art, culture and nature,” says Charles Burke, the president and CEO of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

“We love to generate curiosity around art for those who come to see the gardens,” he says. “And we love to generate curiosity around the gardens for those who come to see the art.”

Michigan’s second largest city (population 200,000), Grand Rapids lies in the heart of the Great Lakes state’s fruit belt, a region rich with orchards and gardens, lakes and fishing streams, all within an easy drive of Lake Michigan.

But at its core, this city is one of crafters, designers, innovators and artists. Grand Rapids exudes a creative energy that extends from the art and flower beds at the Meijer Gardens to downtown parks and from industrial design to breweries.

Grand Rapids may be best known as Beer City, USA. The city has won at least half a dozen nationwide people’s choice honors for its beer scene in the past decade. More than 100 breweries, distilleries and cideries lie scattered around Grand Rapids — so many that the city has created an app to help visitors navigate their options.

“`html

Local mainstays include Founders, one of the city’s oldest post-Prohibition era breweries; Brewery Vivant, a Belgian-style brewer that operates the world’s first LEED certified microbrewery; and The Mitten, which pays homage both to baseball and to the shape of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

Other Michigan brewing powerhouses have opened taprooms in Grand Rapids, too, including Holland-based New Holland, Dexter-based Jolly Pumpkin and Detroit-based Atwater.

The city’s robust craft beverage industry has naturally led to an inventive dining scene, too. Favorite restaurants include Bistro Bella Vita, with an inviting Mediterranean menu; Mertens, a brasserie serving up French classics; Maru Sushi; and MDRD (pronounced Madrid), with modern Spanish fare.

These dining hot spots, like most in Grand Rapids, rely heavily on the agricultural richness of western Michigan. The area’s natural beauty is visible even in the heart of the city, which features dozens of waterside parks and kayak launches. Plus, there’s a downhill ski/mountain bike resort 20 minutes outside the city.

“`

You can even go fly fishing in the middle of downtown, where a “fish ladder” provides spawning salmon with a place to “climb” upriver on their fall migration upstream (the Grand River’s natural rapids were removed in the late 1800s for the sake of river commerce). The fish ladder doubles as a sculptural piece.

Creativity has been a part of the fabric in Grand Rapids from the beginning. Long before becoming Beer City, Grand Rapids was Furniture City.

In 1837, the city’s first cabinet maker set up shop downtown, and by the 1880s, Grand Rapids had become the capital of fine American furniture design. Buyers from around the world traveled to the city for their premium goods. Office furniture giants Steelcase, Haworth and Herman Miller all trace their roots to greater Grand Rapids.

A passion for creativity was so integral to the city’s ethos that in 1967, Grand Rapids commissioned sculptor Alexander Calder to create La Grande Vitesse, a 43-foot, 42-ton sculpture that sits downtown.

French for The Grand Rapids, the cherry-red La Grande Vitesse has served as a backdrop for the city’s numerous cultural festivals: Festival of the Arts, the Hispanic Festival, Pride Festival, World of Winter and ArtPrize.

Grand Rapidians call the sculpture The Calder, and it has become so identified with the city that La Grande Vitesse is depicted on Grand Rapids’ letterhead, its street signs and even on its garbage trucks.

“Public art is such an important part of the landscape of Grand Rapids,” says Kayem Dunn, a long-time resident who has been involved with downtown development projects for more than two decades.

Dunn cites not only The Calder as worth seeing downtown, but pieces such as Ecliptic, a combination sculpture and outdoor gathering space designed by Maya Lin for the city’s Rosa Parks Circle, and Steel Water, a 33-foot (10-meter) blue artwork by Cyril Lixenberg, which overlooks the Grand River.

“There are 252 works of public art in downtown Grand Rapids alone,” says Dunn, who believes the works are telltale signs of the region’s creative roots. “I tell people ‘Just walk around a little bit. You’ll see some remarkable art.’”

Five art and history museums lie within Grand Rapids’ downtown, as do most of the city’s more than 100 live music venues. These cultural offerings represent not only a deep interest in the arts but a longstanding commitment among local business leaders to bankroll them.

Having all those entertainment options within such proximity makes life simple for travelers to the city. Visitors can easily make their way between museums and restaurants, theaters and breweries, nightclubs and hotels entirely on foot.

More than 1,500 pieces of furniture highlight Grand Rapids’ decades-long design creds at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, which focuses on historical, cultural and science exhibits. Hand-carved Victorian bedsteads, sleek Arts and Crafts-era dining tables and mid-century Eames chairs showcase the region’s noteworthy designers.

Other highlights include displays about the area’s indigenous Anishinabek; the history and culture of Grand Rapids’ immigrant peoples, beginning with French fur traders; and a look at Grand River wildlife.

“The Grand River is Michigan’s longest,” says Dale Robertson, president of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. “It runs through the center of downtown. Our city borrows the river’s name. So it only makes sense for this museum to offer a view of the world through that lens.”

The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) was founded during the height of the city’s furniture boom, in 1910, as part of a citywide movement to create a stellar art repository. The institution has accomplished that with its collection of works ranging from 17^th-century etchings to photography, from 19^th-century prints to modern neon sculpture and from 20^th-century oils to still more exquisitely crafted furniture.

Also part of the downtown cultural landscape is the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum, which commemorates the life and service of America’s 38^th president, who hailed from Grand Rapids.

Live music venues include the DeVos Performance Hall with Broadway-style shows and the Grand Rapids Symphony; the 300-seat Peter Martin Wege Theatre with the state’s only professional ballet company; and the 12,000-seat Van Andel Arena, all downtown.

Outdoor concerts take place all summer long on Rosa Parks Circle and live music acts perform at venues as varied as the Founders taproom and the Grand Rapids Public Library.

Whatever history Grand Rapids has in fostering community creativity, it’s clear that city planners strive to do still more.

All the buzz these days surrounds the recent groundbreaking of Acrisure Amphitheater, a 12,000-seat outdoor performance venue that will revitalize a 31-acre swath on the banks of the Grand River. The $184 million project is set to open in 2026.

At the same time, work is progressing on a new professional soccer stadium (also slated for 2026), improved public access to the Grand River, the restoration of the city’s namesake rapids and a redesign of the Grand Rapids Public Museum as a riverfront interpretive center.

All the projects will be located downtown. And all of them will incorporate public art.

“At the groundbreaking for the new amphitheater, there was already a place set aside for a sculpture,” says Kayem Dunn. “Every time something is built in Grand Rapids, it presents an opportunity for more art.”

It’s a safe bet the project will include a taproom, too.

This “scruffy little city” tastes and sounds great.

Writer Amy S. Eckert lives in Michigan, but she covers travel destinations around the globe for such publications as AFAR, Conde Nast Travel, The Saturday Evening Post, Hemispheres and Fodors.com.

A TikTok user has revealed a potential beer hack for pouring the perfect pint as he tips the glass upside down instead of holding it at an angle, but comments were less than impressed.

A man has revealed a way to pour the perfect beer – and says it works every time with little to no froth.

User creativeexplained on TikTok warned users not to pour the carbonated drink directly into the cup and instead suggested an angle which removes the froth and fizz which can lead to spillages. Members of the public who were tilting their glass on an angle or slowing the pour of their drink were told to stop and follow this hack instead.

The TikTok has amassed thousands of likes since it was posted two days ago (June 15), as users are left stunned to see the simple yet effective hack works.

Creativeexplained said: “When you pour a beer or a soda into a glass, don’t do this… or this.” He then demonstrated pouring the beverage into a glass not on a tilt, followed by pouring a beer into a glass on a 45 degree angle. Neither worked, according to the TikTok creator who instead says putting the glass on top of the can is the best way to use it.

“Just put the glass over the can and flip it upside down. Then slowly pull up the can. Boom. Done.” The TikTok user later showcased the hack with two other beers and claimed there was “no spill” and “no loss of bubbles” with his method. But some TikTok users say the pouring technique is a germ nightmare and that the froth is part of the beer.

One wrote: “Uhm no. The germs from that can everyone put their fingers on… no.” Another wrote: “And with it all the dirt and bacteria from the outside of the can. HORRIBLE suggestion.” A third user was horrified, adding: “Let’s not even think about mentioning pesticides that may have been used around these products as well. that stick to surfaces very well.”

One comment suggested the foam was needed, otherwise it would cause bloating and add to a sickly feeling. It read: “Actually no, you WANT the beer to foam in the glass, otherwise it will foam inside your stomach and you’ll feel sick.”

Sign up for FREE email alerts with news to brighten your day

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Blue River Productions are bringing together breweries from around the state for The Great New Mexico Beer Festival on Saturday, June 22 at Balloon Fiesta Park.

New Mexico Corrections Department to launch tablets in prison facilities

The event runs from 12 – 6 p.m. and is for ages 21 and over only. The event will features beer from all over the state for guests to sample and purchase. Attendees can participate in brewing classes and check out the variety of local artisans and exhibitors that will be on site. There will be live music, mini golf, lawn games and an outdoor movie theater for people to enjoy. To help guests keep cool during the event there will be 12,000 square feet of shaded seating, free water stations and misting stations.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the event. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 – Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.

The Gelson’s Markets chain is getting into the craft beer business as it partners with a local brewery for a new summer brew. But don’t expect to buy a six pack at Gelson’s to enjoy at home later, because you’ll have to drink this new beer right at the grocery store.

The high-end market is now pouring Gelson’s Summer Blonde Ale at the chain’s wine bars, where customers can sit down and sip on wine and beers and order food from the bartender inside the store. The beer is a result of the store’s collaboration with El Segundo Brewing Company, which created the ale that is described by Gelson’s as having subtle floral and herbal spice notes and good balance between maltiness and bitterness.

“It’s got a touch of sweetness, it’s very balanced and it will definitely please your typical non-IPA drinker. It’s just a very easy drinking summer Blonde Ale,” said Ray Brych, category manager of wine, beer and spirits at Gelson’s.

While the wine bars pour beers that are carried at the store, this is the first time the chain has collaborated with a brewery to create its own beer, which is only poured on tap. So, yes, if you buy it at the store you have to drink it at the store. But people can also get a taste of the same beer at El Segundo Brewing, where Brych said it is being poured under a different name; the Ballpark Blonde.

“They don’t can it or bottle it, they only have it on tap and it’s one of the best sellers in their tap room,” Brych said. “We were looking for something that wasn’t everywhere so it would be unique and exclusive to us,” he added.

The brewery made about 50 kegs of beer for Gelson’s. But the collaboration could continue for a while.

“We would maybe like to do different flavor as we get into the fall, maybe an IPA, a Red Lager or something like that. We maybe even branch out and explore a little bit with some other local breweries,” Brych said.

The wine bars are located at Gelson’s across Southern California, including stores in Calabasas, Century City, Dana Point, Hollywood, Irvine, Long Beach and several other locations.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Ruskin man stated he would “rather just go to jail” than pay for beers he confessed to stealing from a gas station, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a social media post.

Abrian Guerrera, 64, of Ruskin, was accused of leaving a Shell gas station with four 24-ounce cans of Modelo on Tuesday.

The clerk informed deputies that when he asked Guerrera where he got the beers, Guerrera replied, “from this store,” and admitted, “No, I did not pay for it… I stole it.”

Deputies mentioned that when the clerk offered to let the incident go if Guerrera paid for the beers, Guerrera refused. Guerrera was told to leave, but he reportedly opened a stolen beer and said, “I don’t want to leave, and I’d rather just go to jail.”

Guerrera told a deputy he was going to Orlando “and got thirsty, so he decided to steal some beer.” He was arrested and charged with retail theft.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.

Travis and Jason Kelce.

One is Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, the other is a popular podcaster.

They also happen to be quite good at football.

But now they can add beer barons to their LinkedIn profiles, because the brothers just bought an ownership stake in Ohio-based Garage Beer.

They’re certainly not the first athletes to get into the alcohol game. In fact, they may be the only celebrities not currently repping a tequila. But the Garage Beer brand seems to better fit their personalities. The small batch light beer was founded in their home state — Jason and Travis both played college football at Cincinnati — and has been growing rapidly across the country.

The brand makes two beers: Classic, described as a small batch light lager and “beer flavored beer,” and Lime, which carries the tagline, “It’s exotic.”

The marketing further leans into the name and often takes shots at craft beer’s obsession with IPAs. The website says: “No bitterness. Beer that tastes like beer. Definitely not an IPA.”

According to the partnership announcement, the Kelce brothers believe that beer should be fun, and they want to partner with a brand that embodies the spirit of a neighborhood feel, a light beer all will enjoy.

“People crave quality and simplicity, and Garage Beer nails both for me. We are light beer drinkers and Garage is the best light beer,” said Jason Kelce.

“It comes down to quality for me,” added Travis Kelce. “I think everyone knows I like to have a couple beers now and then, so being an owner of Garage Beer and heavily involved in making the best light beer is exciting, man! There is nothing better to bring people together than an ice-cold beer, and for Jason and me that is what beer is all about — friends, family and fun.”

Drinking a few beers does sound pretty fun right about now.

Nothing is sacred anymore as April Fools’ morphs into a new way to stealth launch weird products.