-----Original Message----- From: Northern Ale Stars [mailto:northernalestars@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 9:58 AM Just when you though the days could not get any shorter comes hope. The end of short days will be celebrated and Winter Solstice will be observed at Bryn Jacobson's pad (631 E 8th St. Duluth) on Thursday 21 Dec beginning around sunset-ish. We should have several different homebrews (Stout, Rauchbier and Spiced Ale) to serve and other varied treats to enjoy. AND....the always traditional Irish Car Bomb! Bring a snack to share and some homebrew or most excellent ale to drink. Start Brewing: Now is the time to start brewing your entries for the Great Northern Brew-Ha-Ha. Entries will be accepted January 8th to the 26th. You can get more info on the Northern Ale Stars web site at http://www.northernalestars.org/greatnorthernbrewhaha.html. Here is a great reason to enter: The beer which is determined to be the best entry of the competition will be awarded the honor of Best of Show and the winning brewer will get to brew their entry along side brewer Rich Sauer at The Thirsty Pagan Brewing (formerly Twin Ports Brewing). AND the beer will be featured and served at TPB (Sorry, you don't get a cut in the action) Also, the Great Northern Brew-Ha-Ha will be a part of the Midwest Homebrewer of the Year circuit and you will earn points toward that award! January Meeting: The January meeting will be at Dubh Linn Pub, 109 W. Superior St. in Duluth. The usual 2:00 PM-ish starting time applies. More info will be in the January e-mail, bur keep the date open. Upper Mississippi Mash-Out The Mash-Out is the opening event in the High Plains Brewer of the Year Award 2007, the Midwest Brewer of the Year Award 2007 and the MCAB 2008. This event is put on by our friends at the Minnesota Homebrewers and the St. Paul Homebrewers Club. They will be assisting us with the Brew-Ha-Ha so let's all support them with entries and, if you can, going down to the event to volunteer. It's a GREAT event with lots of homebrewers from around the midwest which makes it a fantastic social event for anyone who enjoys homebrewing. http://www.mnbrewers.com/mashout Key Dates: Jan. 1-13, entries accepted Jan. 26-27, judging at the Klub Haus in St. Paul Jan. 27, "Jamaica in January" themed beer banquet and awards ceremony Judge! Outsiders are very welcome. Judges and volunteers are pampered with an in-door "Pub Crawl," a Brewpub Brewers Forum, commemorative pint glasses and the opportunity to pre-order growlers from regional brewpubs. It's a lot of fun, and you can sign up now. Banquet in the islands Chef Manfred Krug is going tropical with an island-themed menu this year. "Let's get together and feel all right" at the "Jamaica in January" banquet on Jan. 27. The cost is $30, and you can sign up now. The complete menu will be posted in the near future. STEEELLAAAA!!!!! Anheuser-Busch and InBev, the world's two largest brewing companies, have struck a deal (God help us all) where A-B will become the exclusive U.S. importer of a number of InBev's premium European import brands, including Stella Artois, Beck's, Bass Ale, Hoegaarden, Leffe and other select InBev brands. Effective Feb. 1, Anheuser-Busch will import these premium brands and be responsible for their sales, promotion and distribution in the United States. These InBev brands, which had sales volumes of about 1.5 million barrels in 2005, will be available to Anheuser-Busch's U.S. wholesaler network where possible. According to Beer Marketer's Insights the big prize is the fast-growing Stella Artois brand, which could reach 500,000 barrels sales in the U.S. this year compared to 300,000 in 2005. Cheers and Happy Holidays! Remember, Pubs are not just for Christmas. _________________________________________________________________ MSN Shopping has everything on your holiday list. Get expert picks by style, age, and price. Try it! http://shopping.msn.com/content/shp/?ctId=8000,ptnrid=176,ptnrdata=200601&a… ode=wlmtagline