Holy Schlitz

I’ve been tracking a “Back to the Future” theme for the past couple of months and recently noted that it’s even being reflected in beer sales. Case in point, Milwaukee’s Best has made a big comeback this year.

Not to be outdone, however, Best’s nemesis Schlitz is taking direct aim at its customers. The New York Times reports:

It’s the beer that made Milwaukee famous. Now Schlitz is making the city nostalgic.

That beer with the old-time mystique is back on shelves in bottles of its original formula in the city where it was first brewed more than a century and a half ago.

Schlitz was the top-selling beer for much of the first half of the 20th century. But recipe changes and a series of snafus made the beer — in many a drinkers’ opinion — undrinkable, turning what was once the world’s most popular brews into little more than a joke.

But after decades of dormancy, the beer is back.

Maybe they’ll even bring Kevin Kline back for the new ad campaign:

(Click for video)

Source:
Aimed at Nostalgic Drinkers, Schlitz Returns
AP via The New York Times
August 1, 2008

Confessions of a Philophile

Phil Hartman passed away 10 years ago today. While his “Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer” character was my favorite, in light of the current political environment, I thought this sketch was appropriate.

In memory of a comic genius:

(click through for video)

True Microbrew

“Mmmm… Beer.” -Homer Simpson

We Oregonians love our microbrews – so much, in fact, that I’m sure this product is going to be very popular here in Bend:

From popsci.com:

The only thing better than beer is more beer. And the only thing better than more beer is more beer you make yourself—it saves you a trip to the store. Thus, the NanoBrewMaster—an all-in-one, computer-controlled brewing system that takes your beer from wort boil to frosty pour….

What was once an industrial-looking, hand-welded system that used water-cooled jackets and a thick aluminum coldplate for temperature-control, and a series of manual valves to move the beer between stages, has morphed into a fully-automated, glycol-chilled, 15-gallon fountain of brew that looks so modern your wife might even let you keep it in the house.

Because, really, why should the kids have to go all the way to the garage to fill daddy’s mug?

(Photo: Evolution of the NanoBrewMaster)

Source:
Brewmaster’s Delight
Mike Haney
popsci.com

Consumer Sentiment: Back to the Future

Bloomberg reports that consumer sentiment is now most dire it has been since 1980:

Confidence among U.S. consumers fell in May to the lowest level in almost 28 years as record-high fuel prices, lower home values and fewer jobs rattled Americans.

The Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index of consumer sentiment decreased to 59.5, the weakest level since June 1980, from 62.6 in April. The measure averaged 85.6 in 2007.

And The Huffington Post tells us that most people are not finding solace in their favorite microbrew:

Consumers still want different types of beers, but for a growing number with empty pockets, that means less expensive ones, the chief executive of Miller Brewing Co. said Thursday.

The Milwaukee-based brewer saw a small increase in sales of economy beers like Milwaukee’s Best starting in January, at the expense of higher-priced brews, Tom Long told The Associated Press in an interview.

Even beer sentiment is reverting to the 1980′s! In that case, maybe Deschutes ought to take a page out of Stroh’s playbook:

(Click for video)

Sources:
U.S. Consumer Sentiment Decreases to 28-Year Low
Shobhana Chandra
Bloomberg

Beer May Not Be Recession-Proof
Emily Fredrix
AP

The Next Commodity Bubble: Dirt?

From the AP:

The cause of the current global food crisis is mostly based on market forces, speculation and hoarding, experts say. But beyond the economics lie droughts and floods, plant diseases and pests, and all too often, poor soil.

A generation ago, through better types of plants, Earth’s food production exploded in what was then called the “green revolution.” Some people thought the problem of feeding the world was solved and moved on. However, developing these new “magic seeds” was the easy part. The crucial element, fertile soil, was missing.

I’m bidding for dirt, in size.

Source:
World’s Dirt Deteriorates
AP

Portland Pizza Joints See Record Profits

The Oregonian reports today:

A group of marchers are winding their way through downtown Portland today as part of the ninth annual Million Marijuana March.

Participants were expected to gather in Pioneer Courthouse Square around noon for the march. Other events run until 5 p.m. and include a performance by Los Marijuanos, a cannabis activist hip-hop group. Vendors and nonprofits will also provide products and services that support the hemp and cannabis community.

The event is sponsored by the Oregon chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Cures-Not-Wars, The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation and Urbage Designs.

An 8 p.m. concert at Mt. Tabor Legacy Theater, 4811 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., will feature Los Marijuanos, Chief Greenbud, The Martyrs and Marquee. A donation of $10 is requested for the show.

Boy, would I love to own a pizza joint (pun intended) in the Rose Quarter today.

Source:
Marijuana marchers rally in downtown Portland
Yuxing Zheng
The Oregonian

Portland Pizza Joints See Record Profits

The Oregonian reports today:

A group of marchers are winding their way through downtown Portland today as part of the ninth annual Million Marijuana March.

Participants were expected to gather in Pioneer Courthouse Square around noon for the march. Other events run until 5 p.m. and include a performance by Los Marijuanos, a cannabis activist hip-hop group. Vendors and nonprofits will also provide products and services that support the hemp and cannabis community.

The event is sponsored by the Oregon chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Cures-Not-Wars, The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation and Urbage Designs.

An 8 p.m. concert at Mt. Tabor Legacy Theater, 4811 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., will feature Los Marijuanos, Chief Greenbud, The Martyrs and Marquee. A donation of $10 is requested for the show.

Boy, would I love to own a pizza joint (pun intended) in the Rose Quarter today.

Source:
Marijuana marchers rally in downtown Portland
Yuxing Zheng
The Oregonian

Costco: Your Hoarding Headquarters

I’ve shopped at Costco since forever. I remember when it used to be called the Price Club; we called it the $100 Club (inflation-adjusted: $200 Club).

But people used to laugh when I told them I shopped at Costco. “Hahaha! Yeah, I guess if you want a lifetime supply of toilet paper, dude,” they’d say without even attempting to hide the scorn in their voices.

Well, with commodity prices soaring, people are starting to come around to the idea. Today’s Wall Street Journal reports:

Even as rising food prices have triggered protests in developing countries, Americans are rediscovering the economic virtues of a well-stocked food pantry and storage freezer, and embracing discount and wholesale retailers for cut-rate meals.

Stockpiling staples such as rice, meats and canned soup is coming into vogue again as food inflation and $3.60-a-gallon gasoline have consumers cutting the frequency of shopping trips — and loading up carts when they do shop. Sometimes shoppers are prodded by fears of impending food shortages, though none have yet materialized in the U.S.

Well I have a lifetime supply of a lot of things, DUDE, and I don’t have to worry about barehanding it anytime soon. So there! Face!

Source:
As Food Prices Rise, Shoppers Stock Up
Gary McWilliams and David Kesmodel
The Wall Street Journal

Costco: Your Hoarding Headquarters

I’ve shopped at Costco since forever. I remember when it used to be called the Price Club; we called it the $100 Club (inflation-adjusted: $200 Club).

But people used to laugh when I told them I shopped at Costco. “Hahaha! Yeah, I guess if you want a lifetime supply of toilet paper, dude,” they’d say without even attempting to hide the scorn in their voices.

Well, with commodity prices soaring, people are starting to come around to the idea. Today’s Wall Street Journal reports:

Even as rising food prices have triggered protests in developing countries, Americans are rediscovering the economic virtues of a well-stocked food pantry and storage freezer, and embracing discount and wholesale retailers for cut-rate meals.

Stockpiling staples such as rice, meats and canned soup is coming into vogue again as food inflation and $3.60-a-gallon gasoline have consumers cutting the frequency of shopping trips — and loading up carts when they do shop. Sometimes shoppers are prodded by fears of impending food shortages, though none have yet materialized in the U.S.

Well I have a lifetime supply of a lot of things, DUDE, and I don’t have to worry about barehanding it anytime soon. So there! Face!

Source:
As Food Prices Rise, Shoppers Stock Up
Gary McWilliams and David Kesmodel
The Wall Street Journal

Earth Day Book Recommendation: Ishmael

Daniel Quinn raises many intriguing questions in this unique read that I wholeheartedly recommend to you on Earth Day.
LIV