... but also massively cheap and gets me pissed, the cost being the important factor in this case. Sod the taste! Ha ha ha haaaa haa ha ha ha

In the same vein I am having nice glass of a 1998 Chianti Classico-- cheap, yet deliciously alcoholic!

Guiness, please.

How appropriate for a Motorsport enthusiast such as yourself.

Another Anchorsteam for me. Might have to head to the store in a sec...

- trs

Boddingtons Pub Ale. Though when I can't find it, which is quite often in my area, make it a Guinness or a New Castle.

not really familiar with huber. But speaking of cheese curds, this is Wisconsin so they must be FRIED cheese curds and I perfer Usingers.

And people wonder why Wisconsin is one of the fattest states in the union. huh. go figure.

4:41PM in Melbourne, I've just got home from work and had a nice cold Cascade Premium

Unfortunately they also make the Green Death, which doesn't pass my lips even if it's free.

Have fun,

Paul

Scottish and Newcastle No.3 Dark Mild at the time you posted - very moorish and not often kept these days.
But I'm always a bit partial to Shepherd Neames ordinary bitter, it's the one I grew up with.

Depite all that I tend to be: Guinness(Pubs), Peroni(House)

Unless there was a reference involved, I think you made it much further than most Americans would have, even if they weren't drinking.

Yes, we had a reference -- without it, Abraham Lincoln would have been the next pub after George Washington

Even a feller like Jefferson, who's quite famous for being a constitutionalist, isn't very famous for being a president. "And on lead guitar, Mr Zachary Taylor [kerrrang!]."

It being a pub crawl, the question naturally came up of whether either John Adams was related to Sam Adams. Anyone know?

Peter

From Sam Adams' (the beer Co.) web site:
"No one was better at being a revolutionary than Samuel Adams. His cousin, John Adams, who would later become the second President, was the first to use the term "working the political machine", and he believed Samuel was a master."

Of course the previous sentence states that Sam Adams basically ran his father's brewery business into the ground while fomenting revolution against the British.

-Zeke

As the day goes on, I've just had a couple of large bottles of Cobra with my, 14 item - help yourself to as much as you like Indian Buffet!

Even a feller like Jefferson, who's quite famous for being a constitutionalist, isn't very famous for being a president.

I assume you mean that he's not well known as a US president in the UK. His administration was very important in the history of the US. It was the first regime change (he was a Democratic Republican while the two former presidents, Washington and Adams, were Federalists), and it also cemented the power of the Federal government with the purchase of Louisiana from the French, which is particularly interesting because Jefferson and the D/Rs were opposed to Federal power; they wanted it left with the states.

Pilsner Urquell

/Michael

Tracerbullet, I'm from Minneapolis, too. We should have a Minneapolis empeg meet. :-)

One of my friends at school was from the Czech Republic. His nickname was Czech (go figure, we are innovative and stuff). Anyway, the only beer he would drink was Pilsner Urquell, and drink a lot of it. He use to rattle off some statistic about Czechs drinking the most beer per person in the world or something.

I've got a Czech friend and she rattles off the exact same statistic, so there must be some truth to it. She's always excited when Trader Joe's gets Czech beer in stock...

Matthew

Wasn't Budweiser based on a Czech beer of some sort? "Bud Var" or somesuch?

Budweiser trademark dispute

Blocked by my company's proxy!

Preposterous!

Last night it was a beer from Taiwan called Tawian Beer. Pretty good if it's not abused in shipping.

Back in 1980 I stayed in Kiev for six weeks. The local beer was so good that when I returned to California, I could no longer accept Budwiser. Usually I have Newcastle Brown (on tap only) or Theakston's.

Among my friends I'm known as The Arrogant Oracle. For christmas one friend gave me a bottle of Arrogant Bastard Ale. This was the nastiest stuff I've ever had the pleasure of coating my wall with. Old battery acid would have tasted better.

Now I've gotta go find some Czech beer...

Here you go (sorry about the HTML character entities):

The trademark dispute

The famous Budweiser trademark is used not only by the Czech company Budweiser Budvar in České Budějovice but also by other companies. Among them is as well the American company Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis. How did this come about? The history behind the Czech brand being adopted in such a far away country is connected to the business activities of German immigrants in America. In 1852 a certain Mr. Schneider set up a small brewery in St. Louis which soon went bust but production was started up again by a company called Urban and Hammers with financial assistance from a soap manufacturer Ebehard Anheuser. The brewery was given the name 'Bavarian'. As early as in 1857 the brewery went bankrupt and Ebehard Anheuser became the owner. In 1865 he entrusted the running of the brewery to his son-in-law Adolphus Busch who was German and had emigrated to the USA in 1857. Although he was not a brewer he was familiar with European beers from his commercial travels and visits to Bohemia, especially Karlovy Vary and Marianske Lazne. In addition, at that time a number of European beers were being exported to America, among them Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Bier from Mestansky pivovar in Ceske Budejovice since 1872, and later also Michelob from Měcholupy u Žatce and Liebotschaner Bier from Libočany u Žatce, which were extremely popular.

It was a German emigrant and drinks salesman C. Conrad who came up with the idea of selling Budweiser beer, or rather Budweiser Lager Bier (obviously also because the name was familiar to the local inhabitants) and began brewing it at his friend's, Mr. Busch's, brewery. Žatec (Saatz) hops then started to be imported and in 1876 an American Budweiser Lager Bier appeared on the local market - more than six hundred years after beer was first brewed in České Budějovice (Budweis). (It can be proved that Budweiser beer was exported to the USA from 1872). But the two businessmen did not stop at the unauthorised adoption of just this name, soon they were also making Pilsner Beer, Michelob Beer and Liebotschaner Beer, in the last two cases they were brands of beer from Czech breweries in Měcholupy and Libočany.

After a certain amount of time Budweiser beer was being made on the American continent by other companies such as the Dubois brewery in Pennsylvania (1896-1972). In Brooklyn there was the Budweiser Brewing Cox brewery (1884-1898). Some reports say that the Budweiser brand was also used by beer producers in Canada. In 1878 C. Conrad's company registered the Budweiser Lager Bier trademark in the USA even though he did not own the beer production. Then in 1891 he granted it to the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association. In 1907 (23.7.) for the first time Anheuser-Busch registered for itself the trademark which led to the unauthorised adoption of the word Budweiser. This combined with the expansion of the American beer led to a conflict with the two large breweries that existed at that time in České Budějovice - Měšt'anský (founded in 1795) and Ceský akciový pivovar (Czech Joint-stock Brewery - founded in 1895, now Budweiser Budvar N.C.). In 1911 the first agreement was reached when for a financial settlement both České Budějovice breweries permitted Anheuser-Busch to use its registered trademark no. 64125 in all areas outside Europe. The Budějovice breweries kept the right to use the word Budweiser, derived from the place of origin, throughout the whole world. However a supplement was added to the contract which stated that Anheuser-Busch was not permitted to use the word 'original' on its products containing the word 'Budweiser'. The result then was that the Budějovice breweries permitted AB's trademark to coexist in non-European countries with the geographical name 'Budweiser' which is logically derived from the name of the town of České Budějovice (Budweis).

New disputes broke out after the Czech Joint-stock Brewery, in accordance with the 1911 contract, registered its trademark Imported Original Bohemian Budweiser Beer from Budweis City in the USA on 10th August 1937. It had been using this as a label since 1934 and brought it to the USA because it contained the geographical appellation of origin. This enabled it to export its beer to the USA. And it made ample use of this opportunity. In 1939, at the time when the border regions of what was then Czechoslovakia had been taken over by the Nazis and the whole of Europe was on the brink of a second world war, another agreement was signed (a week after it was signed the Czech Republic ceased to exist) which meant a significant restriction of the Budějovice breweries' rights. They both pledged not to use the names Budweiser, Bud and Budweis in countries specified in the contract on the American continent from Panama northwards and at the same time were forced to make other concessions. They signed partly because they were afraid of their merchandise being seized in the USA and also because they hoped for at least some security and financial compensation. In the contract both Budweiser breweries acknowledged the priority of legal registration but not the priority of the use of the Budweiser name. It is useful here to note how large national tragedies can be quickly misused against companies in the affected country.

In 1978 AB's management, due to Budweiser Budvar's N.C. strengthening position on foreign markets, but in particular in Europe, tried to obtain due financial compensation for the coexistence of both Budweiser brands in Europe. This was not acceptable to the Czech side. Therefore a new round of legal disputes started in a number of countries. After the revolution in 1989 the Anheuser-Busch brewery submitted a proposal to buy a capital share in Budweiser Budvar (1990). This was also the reason why a moratorium on legal disputes was signed and which lasted until 30th September 1994. Two years later, in 1996, the Czech Ministry of Agriculture rejected AB as a strategic partner for the privatisation of Budweiser Budvar. Since then both breweries have only been in contact through their lawyers and as they strengthen their commercial positions the tension grows. At the beginning of the year 2000 the number of legal disputes over trademark rights grew to 40 and the number of patent office proceedings to 45. Budweiser Budvar does not go looking for legal disputes but in the current situation it realises that it has to go through them because they are a part of business. The results which generally end in success for Budweiser Budvar, prove that the company which wants to assert the originality of Budweiser beer over the American copy is on the right route. More so especially since the signing of the GATT/TRIPS agreement in the mid-1990's which around 150 countries, including the USA, have already signed up to, the principles protecting geographical names places Anheuser-Busch at a disadvantage. The signatories to the agreement confirm that they are prepared to protect through national laws the geographical names for places where traditional and renowned products are made and, in so doing, protect the customer from being deceived due to a misuse of such names. This of course is a source of worry to Anheuser-Busch and so it is casting doubt on the geographical appellation of origin contained in the Budweiser trademark and claims that it is only a trademark or an invented denomination.

But it is not at all easy to claim that Budweiser beer, originates from St. Louis. More so because in 1993 during its mass-media campaign in which Anheuser-Busch tried to convince the Czech public of its noble intentions it openly admitted that the name Budweiser is taken from the Czech Republic. Thanks to the phenomenon of geographical names, at the end of the 1990's Budweiser Budvar N.C. also won several important disputes over trademark rights, for example in Switzerland (here Anheuser-Busch had demanded that Budweiser Budvar's trademark 'Bud' be deleted) and in Greece where disputes over Budweiser Budvar's N.C. trademarks 'Budweiser' and 'Budweiser Budbräu' had begun in the 1980's.

In 2000 Budweiser Budvar N.C. has also defended its position in Lithuania where Anheuser-Busch had demanded that Budweiser Budvar's trademarks 'Budweiser' and 'Budweiser Budbräu' be deleted and had requested instead that its trademark 'Budweiser' be registered. The court turned down AB's requests. The same fate awaited AB's legal action in neighbouring Latvia where AB tried to use the court to contest the registration of Budweiser Budvar's N.C. trademark 'Budweiser'.

In 1999 the importer in Great Britain considerably succeeded with the trademark "Budweiser Budvar" when the magistrate court in London rejected AB's case. It occurred after AB contested the information which appeared on the rear labels on Czech Budweiser Budvar beer and as an advertisement in the magazine Cheers to Inns. The texts state that Budweiser beer has been brewed in Budějovice since 1265. According to AB the use of this information on products and in advertisements was false, misleading and deceitful. The case was turned down with the justification that the plaintiff had not proved that the information was incorrect. The court's verdict thus confirmed the historical truth that Budweiser beer comes from Bohemia and it has been brewed here for centuries.

The United Kingdom is also the first country where according to a decision passed by the High Court of Justice both companies have the right to register and use the Budweiser trademark. The first verdict in AB's case against Budweiser Budvar N. C. that was connected with the use of denomination on the market was passed by the court in 1984. The second, with the same result as the first, which allows the brands of both breweries to be registered, after a further case brought by the Americans was passed in February, 2000.

Recently Budweiser Budvar N.C. has also had success in the USA where it is allowed to import its beer to external territories such as embassies or UN bodies. After a bottle with Budweiser Budvar beer was said to have appeared in the state of Maryland AB complained to the International Trade Commission. But before the Commission had time to look into the matter an out-of-court settlement was reached between the two companies. They have agreed to adhere to the existing agreements in the USA, including that Budweiser Budvar N.C. can supply its beer to the external territories in the country.

Budweiser Budvar N.C. is also defending its intangible and business rights in Austria (where Budweiser Budvar is the biggest selling imported brand) where Anheuser-Busch is trying to enter under the name American Bud as Austrian law effectively protects geographical terms for renowned food and drink products from misuse. These protected terms also include Budweiser beer (Budweiser Bier) and the term Bud which is not only the brewery's trademark but also a protected geographical appellation of origin according to the bilateral agreement between the Czech Republic and Austria

BORN IN 'BUDWEIS'
(LESSONS IN ORIGINALITY)

1st lesson in originality
Budweiser beer had been made in České Budějovice for several centuries before Mr. Adolf Busch told the court in 1878: 'The idea was simple - to make a beer of the same quality, colour and taste as the beer made in Budweis or in Bohemia'
(Mr. Adolf Busch's statement made before the District Court of South New York, USA, at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday 26th April 1894).

2nd lesson in originality
Budweiser beer had been made in České Budějovice for several centuries before America was discovered and most certainly before Mr. Adolf Busch told the court in 1894: 'The brewing process which I have described is the method, according to my knowledge, used to brew beer in České Budějovice. I have acquired knowledge about this process from books and from people who worked there'.
(Mr. Adolf Busch's statement made before the District Court of St. Louis, state Missouri - USA, in 1878)

3rd lesson in originality
Budweiser beer had been made in České Budějovice for several centuries before the first Independence Day celebrations and most certainly before Mr. Adolf Busch told the court in 1894: 'Budweiser beer is brewed according to the procedures used for the Czech Budweiser beer'.
(Mr. Adolf Busch's statement made before the District Court of South New York, USA, at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday 26th April 1894)

4th lesson in originality
Budweiser beer had been made in České Budějovice for several centuries before the Civil War broke out in America and most certainly before Mr. Adolf Busch told the court in 1894: 'Question 163: You stated that each year you test the imported Budweiser beer. When did you carry out the first test ? Answer: I first carried out this test in 1868 or 1869'.
(Mr. Adolf Busch's statement made before the District Court of South New York, USA, at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday 26th April 1894)

Oh, dude, you didn't need to do that, I can check blocked links when I get home... But I do appreciate it! I was just lamenting my company's draconian filtering of "objectionable" material.

Well, I was busy waiting for my lousy Sun salespeople to find me the password of the T3 that they loaned me so that I could do something with it.

Oh, and I've started tunnelling all my web browsing through an ssh tunnel pointed to a proxy on the other end of my DSL line, so it just looks like I'm doing an extraordinary amount of typing.

Dmnt... I'm out of beer now. hmpf.

Paulaner rocks !
Erdinger rocks !

Oktoberfest ROCKS ! One of my best weekends ever ... apparently

Hmm - remember Oktoberfest '92. Was on a contract out there designing ultra fast Si and GaAs circuits for mobile telecomms and managed to extend my contract until October. Didn't really like beer until that point, but got very into Paulaner Helles. I vaguely recall managing 11 litres of it on my last night there, and feeling very sick on the flight home.

These days a wee bottle of Stella as I get home is a nice start to the evening before getting onto real drinks

some statistic about Czechs drinking the most beer per person in the world

Had a quick google and it appears your friend is correct.

/Michael

I assumed he was, his sister did a research paper on it. Seeing the U.S. sitting at 12th is painful... I might have to try harder to contribute

And Sweden is is even further down... but then we're in the booze belt (southern europe/mediterranean -> wine, northern europe -> booze, and then the beer inbetween)

Had another quick google for total alcohol consumption and found a good site at WHO, but the presentation is by country alphabetically. A quick scan gives the following list (apprx average of 1998-2000, liters pure etanol consumed per capita and year)
France - 20
Luxembourg - 19
Portugal - 18.5
Moldavia - 18
Ireland - 16
Czech Republic - 15.3
Bahamas - 14.8
...
and some other countries
UK - 9.7
US - 8.7
Sweden - 7

(I might have missed some high consuming country in the list and/or missed a bit in some calculation, but it should be fairly accurate...)
Source
And as they say - it's not the whole truth. Smuggling/private import and moonshining could add significantly to some countries.
/Michael

Its 5:15 PM EST, just finished replacing the radiator, thermostat and V-belt on my Jeep so today it's Harpoon's UFO (un-filtered offering) Hefeweizen.
Gotta support my local brewery!

Z~

When I get home I'm definitely having something dark. Maybe a Guinness, maybe a Young's... Who knows.

I only wish they still imported Saporro Dark - that was definitely one of my favorites!

- trs