Russians develop Space Beer Apparently the Russian Academy of Agricultural Science is working on developing a non-alcoholic beer full of tasty additional vitamins and minerals for cosmonauts working in the International Space Station. BBC news is carrying the full story here.

Great British Beer Festival tickets for sale online We are now in the run-up to CAMRA's annual Great British Beer Festival, which this year is open to the public at London's Olympia from 6th to 10th of August 2002. Tickets for all sessions are available to members and non-members either from the CAMRA website here, or by telephoning CAMRA during office hours on +44 (0) 1727 867201

Scientists discover genetic aversion to alcohol Ongoing work on genetic profiling in the wake of the Human Genome Project has identified a gene - labelled ADH2*2 - which causes people who carry it to find drinking alcohol an unpleasant experience. This gene, which prevents alcohol being detoxified by the liver was originally carried from mainland China to Taiwan about 5,000 years ago and is now much more common in the Far East and Australasia than in Europe. Blood sample testing by Victoria University in Australia shows that more than two-thirds of Polynesians have the gene while fewer than one in 10 people of European descent have it.

USA to get Carling and Worthingtons - our revenge for Bud? After buying the Carling brand from InterBrew last December, Denver-based Coors are now planning on offering Carling to American drinkers as one of their "speciality brands". According to Leo Kiely (Coors president and CEO) plans to export Carling were at an early stage, but preparations to export Worthington's were more developed. 'The provenance of Worthington's is an authentic British ale".

I wonder if he wants to buy a bridge ?

MPs "drowning their failure in beer" A number of news sources are carrying this story about disillusioned MPs straying to the bar rather than taking part in debates. Seemingly initiated by the story (as carried here at Bibendum last week) that the beer consuption at Westminster has doubled, veteran Conservative MP Sir Teddy Taylor claims that this is because realisation that they are useless drives young MPs to drink.
"The tragedy is that young people get elected to the Commons believing that they can play a part in putting things right," he said. "When they find they can't - because so many of the decisions are taken outside Westminster now - they resort to the drinking dens."

Green King takes over Morrells Green King has added further to it's country pub portfolio after it's previous acquisition of Morlands. By adding Oxford-based Morrells to the list, GK now gain a further 57 managed and 50 tenanted pubs within a 30-mile radius of Oxford.

Football fever leads to mass sales of beer, pizza...and condoms? In preparation for the Big Match on Friday, supermarket chains are reporting massive increases in sales of beer and snack food. Apparently Sainsbury's are shipping a thousand pints of beer a minute, whilst M&S and ASDA are selling pizza as fast as they can get it on the shelves. Interestingly ASDA are also reporting a doubling in condom sales.

Churchill was worried about beer for the troops Reuters are reporting that some wartime records, just opened by the Public Records Office, show that even at the height of the war Churchill was concerned about a myriad of matters including litter, grammar and the availability of beer to the British soldiers. "A serious appeal was made to me by General Alexander for more beer for the troops in Italy. The Americans are said to have four bottles a week, and the British rarely get one" he complained.

Beer consumption doubles in the Houses of Parliament According to Tyne & Wear's Federation Brewery, who supply beer to the Houses of Parliament, MPs and visitors are now drinking 2,500 pints a month. In the last 6 months the beer order has doubled although this may be due to more visitors rather than MPs being permanently addled.

Famous Drinkers - Dylan Thomas Chloe Diski's series on "great drinkers of our time" moves on to Dylan Thomas this month. According to Diski, Thomas used beer as a way of washing away his middle-class background and allowed him to "taste the gutter". In Thomas' own words "I liked the taste of beer, its live, white lather, its bright-brass depths." Dylan Thomas died in 1953 aged 39.

...unt your mother dresses you funny The latest round in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek row between the British and German press was fired off by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung yesterday, with a pot-shot at British beer. The war of words, which seems to have started when Der Spiegel last month attacked the Queen as a "non-descript housewife" and provoked a tirade of abuse from the Spectator has now stepped up a gear. In the latest sally, the Germans claim that "Great Britain is a degenerate country, riddled with complexes because of its loss of power, inhabited by fox-hunters in ludicrous costumes and hypocritical lefties who send their spoiled children to private schools. The British have bad healthcare, bad teeth and bad skin, which they regularly burn on southern beaches because they find suntan lotion unsporty. Their food is inedible, and their beer tepid and tasteless." We eagerly await Shepherd Neame's advertising agency to enter the fray.

Breakfast time is no small beer The British Beer and Pub Association estimated that fans went through a million pints during the England v Nigeria match and landlords were hoping to have sold 21 million pints by the end of the day, only slightly less than the 27 million sold on Friday when England beat Argentina 1-0.

Youngs post good results Wandsworth brewers Youngs have posted good results with turnover up 10% and operating profit up 3% although the company did show a slight reduction of overall profits.As well as brewing their own beers, Youngs also contract-brew for people like Courage and Whitbread.

Swansea pub upsets the Commission for Racial Equality The Strand pub in Swansea has come under fire from Ray Singh - the former Racial Equality Commissioner - for offering free drinks every time England concede a goal in the World Cup. Singh claims that this would bring about divisions between the English and Welsh, but landlady Julie Jones is unrepentent, claiming that both her Welsh and English customers see it as a bit of fun.

Chancellor's tax cut filters through for some The cut in beer duty for small brewers came into effect on Saturday, and some small brewers have decided to pass at least some of the benefit along to drinkers. For example Itchen Valley Brewery, which supplies pubs in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshirewent the whole way. "We are delighted to be able to pass on the reduction we received in full to our customers. We hope they will celebrate the fortunes of the England football team in style with a pint of Arkells real ale" said Itchen Valley's Matthew Nye.