I’ve been reading more about the increasing shortage of barley, largely due to the turn towards biofuels. I’ve long wondered whether this whole ethanol nonsense makes sense, particularly given that we’ve made very little effort to reduce consumption. That said, this article from der Spiegel (sort of the German version of Time) suggests that brewers’ own efforts to keep prices low may also be to blame.
Aside from the politics of it, I can only hope that the increase in prices (said to be up to 25%) doesn’t slow the growth of quality beer.

I’m not entirely certain as to what a “cinematic experience” has to do with beer, but apparently that’s the route Belgian brewer Stella Artois will be taking over the next month. This novel approach to selling beer has certainly attracted a lot of attention in the blogging community, given that the primary vehicle for promoting the upcoming show is a blog. Even with a pretty decent connection there’s an awful lot of time spent waiting for things to load, so I’m not sure how well it will work, but it’s certainly novel.
So what is it with the Benelux brewers and …read more