Belch.Com

Apparently, Billions.

Coke bought Glaceau for 4.1 Billion dollars. This is so they can sell vitamin laced water.

From FoxNews here:

The Coca-Cola Co., which has been looking to expand its water and energy drink portfolio, said Friday it has agreed to buy Vitamin Water maker Glaceau in a cash deal valued at $4.1 billion.

The world’s largest beverage maker said the agreement to acquire Energy Brands Inc., known as Glaceau, provides Atlanta-based Coca-Cola (KO) with a strong platform to grow its “active lifestyle” beverages.
The transaction is expected to boost Coca-Cola’s earnings per share in the first full year following completion of the acquisition.

Formed in 1996 and based in Whitestone, N.Y., Glaceau is the maker of Vitamin Water, Fruit Water, SmartWater and Vitamin Energy.

After the deal closes — expected this summer — Glaceau will operate as a separate business unit within Coca-Cola’s North America segment. The deal is subject to regulatory review. The boards of both companies have approved the transaction.

Glaceau was attractive to Coca-Cola because of its position in the enhanced water and energy drink categories, which Coca-Cola is betting will make up a large portion of the beverage industry’s growth in North America through 2010.

The Silver Bullet Train ran away in the rail yard and smashed into a locomotive.  Foamy beer spilled everywhere.  But this brings up something interesting I didn’t know.  Coors must not bottle all of their beer at the brewery.  For some reason they ship some out in old rusty railroad cars.  I thought their beer tasted a little metallic.

From the AP here:

A string of runaway rail cars spilled beer in downtown Denver Wednesday after they crashed into a parked locomotive and derailed.
A switch engine was assembling a train around 4:30 a.m. when the crew lost control of the 34 cars, which rolled downhill into the stationary locomotive.

A tanker car carrying Coors beer overturned and spilled its contents onto the rail yard, Forsberg said. Another car carrying asphalt was damaged and leaked.

I got a sixer of Red Hook’s Sunrye Summer Ale tonight to go with my steaks on the grill. It is a light colored ale with a cloudy clarity and is flavored with a citric finish.  It has a rye smell and is very drinkable.  Its on sale until the end of September and its perfect for sipping on a warm night.

Usually I write about stupid criminals over at BelchSpeak, my blog (if you haven’t been there, you should check it out), but since this one involved sodas, I thought it belonged here.

So it seems that an idiot went into a convenience store and started knocking sodas onto the floor. He was arrested for it and spent time in jail. He shoulda had a V-8.

From the AP here:

There’s no use crying over spilled milk, but spilled soda has been a nightmare for one man. Eric Burns Overstreet was put in jail in September after entering the Mystik Stop & Shop, paying for a fountain drink and spilling three cups of it onto the floor.

The first time he spilled the soda, Overstreet went to fetch a mop and began cleaning up the mess. In the process, he spilled a second and a third soft drink.

“He clearly appeared to be under the influence of something other than good sense,” Chief Assistant District Attorney Nicki Patterson said.

Overstreet, who at one point put a yellow “Wet Floor” warning sign out as he mopped, was chased down by a clerk when he grabbed another soft drink and left without paying for it.

Overstreet pleading guilty last week to a reduced charge of third-degree theft. He was ordered to stay out of the Mystik Stop & Shop.

Circuit Judge Rick Stout, noting that Overstreet had spent many months in jail over a carbonated beverage, said he hoped the soda was good.

Overstreet responded: “I should’ve had a V-8.”

Okay, enough alliterations.  It seems that some scientist types were staring at the heads of their beer too long instead of studying at college.  But it may have paid off.  They discovered a formula to control the amount of foam in a beer-  which in turn may have some great engineering applications.

From Reuters here:

A mathematical formula can now predict how the frothy head on a beer changes over time, a finding that may have a wide range of commercial uses beyond pulling the perfect pint, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

The formula explains how the tiny bubbles that make up foam grow — an explanation that could lead to the development of products such as metal shrink wrap.

The possibilities include “the heat treatment of metals or even controlling (the) head on a pint of beer,” Robert MacPherson of Princeton University in New Jersey and David Srolovitz of Yeshiva University in New York report in the journal Nature.

Foam is made up of many tiny bubbles that scientists think of as cells with boundaries. The new formula calculates how these microstructures grow.

As far as beers go, Magic Hat #9 is still a newcomer to the scene of specialty brews.  The Magic Hat brewery began making beer in the mid 90’s, and much of their success is due to the quality of their top selling #9.  It is a fruit beer, flavored with apricots, but with a peppery aftertaste.  It goes down smooth, especially on draft.  I have a six pack at home of the Number Nine and look forward to trying their other brews soon.

More information can be found at beerblog.genx40 here.  And the BeerAdvocate has a write-up here.

Rogue is an Oregon Brewery that has an extensive line of brands.  One of them is the Dead Guy Ale, which is a slightly bitter beer and dark honey in color.

I originally bought it over last Halloween, and it came in a big jug.  I thought it would be a clever addition to my Pirate costume, and as it turned out, the beer is actually pretty good.  Its a little heavy, so you really can’t drink a lot of it at one sitting.

I may try some other brews from Rogue soon.  Their brewery home page is here.

I picked up some of Red Hook Brewery’s Copper Hook Spring Ale this evening.  It is labeled as a citrus pale ale, but there is not a big citrus flavor.  It is a deep coppery color, has a creamy finish, and leaves a hint of a sweet aftertaste.

It is a pleasant taste going down, and even has a hint of a peppery bitterness.  And its perfect for drinking on these spring evenings.  Get yours before it disappears in April.
Another review of this beer is at the Bottom Shelf.

To eat Mountain Oysters. Below is a picture of mountain oysters. No, its not shellfish. They are not ravioli. If you guessed mushrooms, you’d be wrong.

From the AP here:

Virginia City, NV – Hundreds of people waited in lines for up to an hour for a chance to taste something different at the 16th annual Mountain Oyster Fry.

Servers at five booths dispensed about 130 pounds of “fried oysters,” or sheep testicles, at the Saturday event in this historic mining town about 25 miles southeast of Reno.

Visitors gave mixed reviews to the tiny morsels, which can be fried, barbecued, stuffed, or ground up and sauteed.

“People think, `Oh sheep testicles, gross,’ but it was pretty good,” said Amanda Palmer, 21, of nearby Carson City.

Among other things, the versatile meat has been used in tacos and sloppy Joes.

“We try to get families from all over to try them, but they’re all `nuh-uh,'” said Shauna Reese, 32, of Reno. “It’s just another tender meat.”

What’s next? The donkey lip festival? This reminds me of the scene in Funny Farm starring Chevy Chase when he was downing a plate of “lamb fries.”

Those whacky Bolivians want to put the Coca plant on their flag, on their money and everything else. They think it has some deep spiritual meaning, but the illegal sales of cocaine is the only thing that keeps money flowing into this leftist society.

From the AP here:

Bolivia’s coca growers are taking on an American soft-drink icon.

The farmers want the word “Coca” dropped by Coca-Cola. They argue the potent shrub belongs to the cultural heritage of the Andean nation, where the coca leaf infuses everyday life and is sacred to many.

A commission of coca industry representatives, advising an assembly rewriting Bolivia’s constitution, have passed a resolution calling on the beverage giant to take “Coca” out of its name.

The commission is part of an effort led by President Evo Morales to rehabilitate the image of the plant. It’s been used in the Andes for millennia, but is better known internationally as the base ingredient of cocaine.

Coca-Cola released a statement saying its trademark is “the most valuable and recognized brand in the world” and is protected under Bolivian law.

What Coke meant to say was, “We would call it ‘Impoverished Amerindian’ but you guys already have a monopoly on that.” Keep electing leftist dictators, South America. Cuba is getting tired of being the only dirt-poor Spanish Speaking country in this hemisphere.

Eat a half-dozen glazed doughnuts and you may need to get up and clean your house, wash your car, organize your closets and do your laundry. Each new doughnut is supposed to contain as much caffeine as two cups of coffee.

From the AP here:

DURHAM. N.C. – That cup of coffee just not getting it done anymore? How about a Buzz Donut or a Buzzed Bagel? That’s what Doctor Robert Bohannon, a Durham, North Carolina, molecular scientist, has come up with. Bohannon says he’s developed a way to add caffeine to baked goods, without the bitter taste of caffeine. Each piece of pastry is the equivalent of about two cups of coffee.

While the product is not on the market yet, Bohannon has approached some heavyweight companies, including Krispy Kreme, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks about carrying it.

I’m different from most people. I get my caffeine from soft drinks, not coffee. I think putting caffeine in a doughnut is an awesome way to get that morning jolt without having the hot beverage. Instead you can enjoy the doughnut the way it is meant to be enjoyed- with cold milk.

Dogs like beer. I have seen dogs beg for beer too. But it took an enterprising Dutch Pet Shop Owner to finally bring a mainstream doggie beer to market.

From the AP here:

After a long day hunting, there’s nothing like wrapping your paw around a cold bottle of beer. So Terrie Berenden, a pet shop owner in the southern Dutch town of Zelhem, created a beer for her Weimaraners made from beef extract and malt.

Berenden consigned a local brewery to make and bottle the nonalcoholic beer, branded as Kwispelbier. It was introduced to the market last week and advertised it as “a beer for your best friend.”

“Kwispel” is the Dutch word for wagging a tail.

The beer is fit for human consumption, Berenden said. But at euro1.65 ($2.14) a bottle, it’s about four times more expensive than a Heineken.

If they put alcohol in that beer, I wonder how nasty a beef-flavored beer would taste? Or would it start a new trend?

Whether eating sushi or dining at a Japanese Hibachi, the only beer from Japan that goes with the meal is Sapporo. The beer is crisp with a peppery bite and it cleanses the palate with spicy cuisine.

Their website is pretty nifty too.

Dann made a New Year’s resolution to drink 365 different beers in one year. He started a blog about it to track his progress and his ratings and his opinions on the different beers. Stop over and watch his progress.

Good Luck, Dann! Just don’t end up like this guy.

This looks like a sweet job. But there is no paycheck, but there is a trip to Oktoberfest.

From NBC4 here:

Beer Job Comes With Great Perks, No Pay

Drinking on this job won’t get you fired — in fact it’s required. The Wall Street Journal reports the Four Points by Sheraton hotel chain is looking to fill a newly created post of chief beer officer.

The company reports there are more than 5,500 applicants, from 31 countries.

But, or course, there’s a downside to what might sound like a dream job. There’s no salary for the chief beer officer. However, there are plenty of perks such as free hotel stays and a trip to Okotberfest in Munich, Germany.

The beer officer gig is primarily a publicity gimmick, but company officials say it may evolve into a more serious position.

Do you want to apply? I did! Click here for your chance.

There are a few inventions that has revolutionized American life. The refrigerator. The microwave oven. The remote control. And of course, ramen noodles.

Many college students would starve if it werent for Nissan’s Ramen noodles and Cup of Noodles. The inventor of the instant noodle, Momofuku Ando, died on Friday.

From the AP here:

TOKYO – Momofuku Ando, the Japanese inventor of instant noodles a dish that has sustained American college students for decades has died. He was 96.
Nissin Food Products Co., the company Ando founded, said on its Web site that he died Friday after suffering a heart attack.

Born in Taiwan, Ando founded his company in 1948 from a humble family operation. Faced with food shortages in post-World War II Japan, Ando thought a quality, convenient noodle product would help feed the masses.

In 1958, his “Chicken Ramen” the first instant noodle was introduced after many trials. Following its success, the company added other products, such as the “Cup Noodle” in 1971.

A great article on the making of Beer and all that goes into this ancient science, including how to pour the perfect pint. Click here to go to HowStuffWorks.