New Holland Brewing Company's Envious |
-Sandy
A Michigan lady blogging about her beer-related experiences.
"The 5th Annual Winter Beer Festival will take place Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at the Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, just north of Grand Rapids. The Winter Festival is a unique opportunity to sample some of the best beers in the world, all brewed in Michigan. We are expecting more than 35 Michigan microbreweries and brewpubs to participate and there will be more than 200 different beers available to sample. The event is open from Noon to 5:00pm. The Festival will take place in the outfield parking lot at the ballpark this year and breweries will be located within several large tents. We are planning to have a central bonfire, but only if the weather cooperates with low wind conditions. It would be helpful if everyone could hoist a Michigan beer and do a fair weather dance. We are hoping for good weather for a late February day in Michigan, but the Festival will take place snow, rain or shine.
The cost to enter the Festival is $35 in advance and $40 at the gate if tickets are still available.15 drink tokens are included with a ticket and each token is good for one 3 ounce beer sample. Additional tokens are available for purchase inside the Festival for 50 cents each. Local West Michigan bands will be the featured live entertainment. Food will be available for purchase.
Festival attendees must be 21 years of age or older and have ID to enter. Designated Drivers are encouraged and DD tickets will be available for $5 each." via Michigan Brewer's Guild Events Page February 19, 2010
-Sandy
By Anastasia Stephens
Last updated at 10:08 PM on 16th January 2010
Headstart for health: Beer can protect against prostate cancer
It might be your preference to crack open a bottle of red wine at the end of a hard day but you may be better off pouring a pint.
Researchers at the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg have discovered that beer contains a powerful molecule that helps protect against breast and prostate cancers.
Found in hops, the substance called xanthohumol blocks the excessive action of testosterone and oestrogen. It also helps to prevent the release of a protein called PSA which encourages the spread of prostate cancer.
Scientists have long known that substances in hops help to block oestrogen. This is the first time, however, that they have been found to also inhibit testosterone.
'Research is still early but in trials we hope to further demonstrate that xanthohumol actively prevents prostate cancer development,' says Clarissa Gerhauser of the Heidelberg centre. If successful, xanthohumol may one day be developed as a cancer-fighting drug.
So which brews are likely to be richest in xanthohumol?
'Hops give beer its bitter flavour, so traditional bitters and ales will contain far more of this substance than light lagers,' explains Ben McFarland, author of the World's Best Beers.
Beers highest in hops, he says, are India pale ales such as those made by the Meantime Brewery in Greenwich, South-East London. First brewed in the 1800s, these ales were made with high levels of hops to act as a natural preservative for export.
Ales such as Sharp's and local bitters will also be hop-rich, containing around three to four times more than a typical light lager. Drinks such as Guinness owe their dark colour to malt and contain moderate levels of hops.
Alcohol Concern warns you should only drink beer within recommended limits - two to three units a day for women, three to four units for men.