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SUDS CITY HIT LIST
Scroll Right >>>> for our Suds City Event Hit Lists


WHISPERING JEFF’S
NEWS, RUMORS & GOSSIP (TM)
NOTE: For more News, Rumors & Gossip, including Archived Goodies, hit this link: WJ NRG ARCHIVES

WJ'S PUBLIC TRANS BEER TOUR TO CHICAGO
Getting the stops lined up for the June 2008 1st Ceremonial Whispering Jeff Milwaukee to Chicago Public Transportation Beer Tour, Saturday, June 21.
Currently, we're thinking about brewpub stops at Goose Island - Clybourn, Rockbottom - Chicago & Flossmoor Station; beer bar stops at Hopleaf & The Map Room, and a "beer bottles to go" stop at Sam's. On deck, few food stops are planned, like Mussels & Frits at Hopleaf, Duck Fries at Hot Doug's ("Fridays & Saturdays only") and Tacos and Burritos at La Placiditas !
Interested ? Email me !!


MILLER'S BEER SALES RISE
SABMiller plc, the London-based parent company of Miller Brewing Co., today reported that its volume of lager sales increased 11 percent over the past 12 months, with organic growth of 7 percent.
The company's revenues grew 16 percent, benefiting from price increases and mix improvements, which offset the impact of higher input costs.
"The underlying performance of the group has been good and was at the upper end of management's expectations. The results have benefited from successful revenue management and enhanced productivity as well as favourable exchange rates in some of our major countries," the company said in statement.
In North America, Miller's full year domestic sales to retailers (STRs) grew by 3.1 percent after adjusting for the extra trading day in the current year and were up 0.7 percent on an organic adjusted basis.
Trading-day adjusted STRs of Miller Lite were up 1.1 percent for the full year. On a similar basis, annual STRs of the worthmore brand portfolio, including Sparks, grew 49 percent, driven by the national launch of Miller Chill and the strong double-digit growth of Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Leinenkugel's.
Miller's domestic net revenue per barrel increased by 4.0 percent for the full year.
(c) 2008 Small Business Times

Whispering Jeff's "Suds Club" @ Zad's Roadhouse
Stop by the old Filter Inn space, (just North of Zad's 434 S. 2nd Street) in Walkers Point & party with Whispering Jeff & The Suds Club, every Thursday*, with "Brews, Booze, Music & Mayhem."

SPECIAL SUDS CLUB EVENTS:
- MAY 22: Live Surf, Rockabilly & Stuff with The Del Ripleys, featuring Bobbie Rivera from the Rivieras
- MAY 29: Under The Black Sails w/ The Type
- MAY 30: Guido's Racecar
- JUNE 19: Mark E. Lee & the Riverwest Aces, featuring Mark's CD Release Party

WORLD BEER CUP WINNERS
Brewers from five continents earned awards from an elite international panel of judges this week in the 2008 Brewers Association World Beer Cup. The seventh bi-annual competition awarded medals to brewers from 21 countries ranging from Australia and Italy to Bolivia and Japan.

This year, 644 breweries from 58 countries and 45 U.S. states vied for awards with 2,864 beers entered in 91 beer style categories. The top three entries in each category won gold, silver and bronze medals.

In addition, the competition gives “Champion Brewery” and “Champion Brewer” awards in each of five brewery categories based on the medals won by each brewery.

Brewers from the United States won 185 of the 268 style category awards and four of the five Champion Brewery/Brewer awards.

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery, Small Brewpub Category: Bend Brewing Company, Tonya Cornett

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery, Large Brewpub Category: Pelican Pub & Brewery, Darron R. S. Welch

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery, Small Brewing Company Category: Port Brewing Company and The Lost Abbey, Tomme Arthur

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery, Mid-Size Brewing Company Category: Privatbrauerei Hoepfner GmbH, Peter Bucher

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery, Large Brewing Company Category: Blue Moon Brewing Company, Warren Quilliam

Zappa's widow sues festival over use of his image
The future of a festival in honour of Frank Zappa is under threat following demands by his widow for money for the right to use his name or his trademark moustache. Gail Zappa is suing the organisers of the open-air Zappanale in the east German village of Bad Doberan, claiming they must pay £200,000 to use her husband's name or change the title of the annual festival.

Gail Zappa, who founded the Zappa Family Trust in 2002, wants a say as to which cover-bands should play at the event. She has also demanded that the logo - his trademark moustache and goatee - be scrapped, claiming she owns the sole rights to use it, and that a statue of Zappa in the village be removed.

The Zappanale started in 1990 after Bad Doberan emerged from the cold war and seized the opportunity to celebrate a musician whose avant-garde records had been banned under the communist regime. The festival attracts fans from around the world and has grown to become the biggest celebration of Zappa's music. The organisers took out a patent on the name almost 20 years ago. "It's our opinion that we own the rights to the name," said Thomas Dippel, the president of the society that runs the festival. He said the festival, which should celebrate its 19th year in August, did not aim to make a profit and was £120,000 in debt.

Fans of Zappa, who died in 1993, have posted an internet petition, in which 2,500 signatories are calling on the Zappa Family Trust to withdraw its case.

A Düsseldorf court is expected to decide on the case within the next few months.

(c) 2008 Kate Connolly - UK Guardian

HAPPY SCHNAPPS COMBO RETURNS
Heard a funny, yet delightful rumor....The Happy Schnapps Combo is back in town, doing a series of reunion tours.

Per their website...
"Happy Schnapps Combo Starts Suckin - The Happy Schnapps Combo is back in business”, exclaimed manager Ron Kalista.
The five-piece recording band has entertained thousands in the Midwest since 1990 with their original polka music at venues such as Milwaukee’s Summerfest and the Wisconsin State Fair.

The Combo has regrouped after spending several years relaxing in local taverns after the retirement of Bill “Horst” Soucy, the band’s former harmonica player. Horst reports a happy retirement, consisting mainly of shuffleboard and sheepshead tournaments.
The group features original member Rich “Wenzel” Krueger on drums and gong. Other returning members are Steve “Field Marshal Guenter” Klein, and Eric “Klaus” Werner, both on electrically amplified guitar.
New bassist Rob “Fynkylmyr” Maertz (Fink) and Dave “Stosh” Dvorak on harmonica and diatonic accordion complete the combo’s line up.

The Happy Schnapps Combo achieved success with such songs as “The Bears Still Suck Polka” and “No, I Don’t Wanna Do Dat.”
New songs under development include, “The Porta Potty Polka” and “I Was Born Under a Beer Sign.”

The band intends to perform 20 to 30 times a year at festivals and events across the Midwest.
Booking information can be obtained by calling Ron Kalista at 920-775-4943."


MILWAUKEE BEER BARON'S
5TH ANNUAL WORLD OF BEER FESTIVAL
Milwaukee's premier festival all about ~ beer and brewing ~
By Beer Nuts - for Beer Nuts!

* Taste distinctive beers from around the world. An opportunity to taste a huge selection including more than 200 beers from over 80 breweries including many local and regional breweries.

* Presentations on beer, tasting, brewing, and history by professionals in the beer and brewing industry.

* Homebrewing discussion and samples of homebrewed beer provided by The Beer Barons of Milwaukee, one of the largest homebrewing and beer clubs in Wisconsin, and other regional clubs.

* Live homebrewing demos for every level of homebrewer.

* Homebrewing Q&A with member of the Beer Barons including BJCP certified judges.

* NEW: MEADFEST with mead tasting, competition, speakers, and how-to clinics on making your own honey wine

Schwabenhof Pavilion (Indoor/Outdoor Facility)
W14750 Silver Spring Drive, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Saturday, June 7, 2008 - 1:00 - 5:00 PM

$30 advance purchase includes a commemorative glass ($35 at the door)

Food will be available for purchase during the event

The Schwabenhof is outside with a large sheltered pavilion, has a shaded seating area, great food service area with seating, and space to do live brewing demos!

For Tickets, visit wwww.beerbarons.org

Eating Champ Downs 35 Dozen Oysters
NEW ORLEANS - Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti looked down at the litter of empty oyster shells in front of him and savored the sweet taste of victory. For Crazy Legs Conti, the bitter taste of defeat could be washed away only by beer.
The Acme World Oyster Eating championship belt — leather, with a silver dish featuring an oyster on the half-shell — hung on Bertoletti's skinny hips. The 22-year-old Chicago resident took the title Saturday by slurping 35 dozen of the big bivalves in eight minutes.

"I could probably do a couple dozen more, especially if they were charbroiled," said Bertoletti, who holds the endurance oyster-eating record, having downed 53 1/2 dozen in 2007 before calling it quits. "Although they're great raw." Conti, the defending champion, tied for third, sucking down 24 dozen. "They're supposed to be an aphrodisiac," said Conti, whose real name is Crazy Legs. "But I think that's only true for about the first three dozen. When you get up higher than that, you don't want much activity for a while." Juliet Lee, 43, of Germantown, Md., formerly a Ninjing University chemistry professor, methodically polished off 31 1/2 dozen for second place.

A dozen professional eaters who compete in Major League Eaters events year-round squared off at the French Quarter Festival on Saturday. Major League Eating describes itself as a sports franchise that oversees all professional competitive eating events and competitive eating television specials. It puts on the annual Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest, as well as other events, such as the World Deep-Fried Asparagus Eating Championship and the National Sweet Corn Eating Championship.

Rules for the oyster tournament forced contestants to use forks, not lift the shells to their mouth, and to finish all the oysters from a tray before starting a new one. Officials in striped shirts stood beside each contestant and flipped a counter as each dozen was consumed. Many of the competitors wore gloves to handle the shells; all carried several bottles of water, cold drinks or beer to help them keep their mouths and throats lubricated. Lee carried a thermos of hot water but said she didn't feel the need for it.

"Oysters are pretty liquid," said Lee, who weighs 105 pounds despite being on the pro-eating tour for the past year. "I didn't need it." Tim "Gravy" Brown — ranked 13th in the world — was disqualified when he had what professional eaters call a "reversal of fortune." He vomited after 14 dozen. Scott "Scozzy Bone" Zukowski, 20, a Tulane University student from New York's Long Island was in his first professional event. He ate 20 dozen. "I feel good about that; my goal was 15 dozen," Zukowski said. "I had only eaten one raw oyster in my life before this and I thought I'd vomit after it. I hate them."
(c) 2008 Mary Foster, Associated Press

BOMB SHELTER
Milwaukeean Greg Landig officially gained possession of the tavern formerly known as The Monkey Bar, 1517 S. 2nd St. But long before he was a bar owner, Landig was a bar critic. "My motivation came from going to bars and immediately seeing what's wrong with them," he says. "Then I'd figure out what I would do instead."
Though previously pro bono, his amateur tavern reviews are now starting to pay off. He's transforming years' worth of mental notes -- and the old Monkey Bar space -- into The Bomb Shelter, a beer-centric bar that pays tribute to the classic corner varieties that flourished during a time when locally-brewed beer seeped from the city's pores. "There are so many bars that are disappearing," he says, "I feel like we're losing all the fun things."

And by "fun things," he means charming chotchkey-filled hangouts that highlight Milwaukee's distinctiveness -- polka, bowling, brats, beer. Landig, 42, says The Bomb Shelter is perfect for people his age, but fun for those in their late 20s and 30s, too. (Retro is still in, isn't it?)

But what guests will find here is more than strategic, stylized nostalgia. Landig is something of a beer historian and savvy shows. "Did you know that when you drink Old Style today it's not Old Style anymore?" he asks. "It's a new formula that Pabst came out with after they brought the brand in the '90s, but not the recipe. The original recipe is still made by City Brewery in La Crosse and is called City Lager."
He's full of this kind of information.

Putting his knowledge to good use, Landig is more than doubling Monkey Bar's tappers to 16, plus a single tap tower for Schlitz, complete with era-appropriate glowing globe. "I want to have Pabst, Blatz, Schlitz and High Life on tap," he says. "Where else are you going to find that?" Fittingly, he's scavenged a collection of Schlitz and Pabst schooner mugs; their wide mouths, he claims, allows aroma to escape properly.
Other tap selections include brews from Lakefront, Sprecher and other Wisconsin-made beers, including Buffalo Water Brewing's Bison Blonde, which is brewed at the Ale House's facility in Walker's Point. Be sure to ask about his beer flights, which come with a big soft pretzel.

The décor also demonstrates a return to Brew City's foundations. With the exception of the existing cream city brick, the bar's interior is undergoing a massive makeover with new paint, new carpet, new bathrooms, re-felted pool table and enough vintage neons, lamps and signs to light up the 2nd Street corridor of the Walker's Point neighborhood. There might be an accordion or two. There will definitely be a shot ski.

(c) 2008 OnMilwaukee.com

SUGAR MAPLE OPENS
Bruno Johnson didn't compromise anything when he opened the Palm Tavern five years ago. He built the kind of bar that he would want to sit in and drink every day. Now, as he officially opens his next venture, Sugar Maple, don't expect the new craft-beer bar to serve even a single Miller product. When it swings open its door on Wednesday, the bar will look like no other tavern in Milwaukee.

"You can do almost anything, and you're going to find someone who will tell you that it's ridiculous to do it that way," says Johnson, who didn't even have a sign outside the Palm Tavern for the first few years.

The Sugar Maple, 441 E. Lincoln Ave., has a sign, and a big one at that. The smoke-free bar also has plenty of room, as well as 60 American microbrew tap beers -- but still no Miller.

"Because it's owned by the same people, my wife and I think it was built with the aesthetics that we like. Obviously, this new place is a little different, it's a little more user-friendly."

Johnson says he has nothing against Milwaukee beers, but that he's trying to offer customers something different. Lakefront and Sprecher will represent Brew City, and "more than half of the beers will come from the Midwest," he says.

Johnson says he wasn't looking to open a second bar, but the space -- formerly the Sikh Temple -- presented itself, and he couldn't turn down the opportunity. Situated on Bay View's most lively corner, which already hosts Lulu, Highbury Pub, Riviera Maya and eventually Café Centraal, Sugar Maple is poised to become a new neighborhood anchor.

"My wife calls it 'Downtown Bay View,'" says Johnson.

Johnson will bring over some of his well-known bartenders from the Palm, a group that's respected by patrons for displaying more knowledge than your typical drink-slinger.

The look of the new place is far more spacious than the Palm. With a back room, Johnson will bring in live jazz a couple times a month. That room can be closed off and used as a lounge when a band isn't playing.

Johnson again used desinger Mike Sherwood, who also created the Palm Tavern, and the bar will be a beer-drinker's oasis. Vast selection aside, Johnson has installed two beer engines -- gravity-fed beer lines that involve a pump hooked to the bar. He's even looking to do a "firkn" night, which involves tapping a keg directly on the bar.

If this all sounds a little grandiose, it is, and Johnson has had to push the opening back a few times. He hoped to be open by St. Patrick's Day, but it wasn't in the cards.

And that's mostly because the space required a ton of work. The building once held a bank, and the safe was immovable. Instead, Johnson literally cut through the concrete to carve out the bathrooms. "When the hurricane hits, you'll be safe," he jokes.

Johnson keeps himself on an even keel, but he shows a bit of excitement when describing his new creation. "It has much bolder colors (than the Palm Tavern). It's beautiful, it's unique, and it doesn't look like a regular bar."
(c) 2008 Andy Tarnoff, Publisher, Onilwaukee.com

GREAT MAY BEER EVENTS

MAY 17
World Expo of Beer - $5 per day, plus drink tickets
Heritage Park, 601 Weiss St., Frankenmuth, MI - (800) FUN-FEST - www.frankenmuthfestivals.com

MAY 17
3rd Annual Micro Brew, Import & Specialty Beer Tasting - 7-10 PM - $20.00 - Limit 100
Meyer Park Barn, 26900 Meyer Dr., Wind Lake, WI - (262) 895-2921
Tickets: B&B Beverage, 26220 W. Loomis Road, Wind Lake, WI 53185

SOLD-OUT: MAY 18
Wisconsin Micro-Brewers Beer Festival - 1-6 PM - $30
Calumet County Fair Grounds, Chilton, WI - Tickets: Rowland's Calumet Brewery - (920) 849-2534

MAY 22
6th Annual The Onion's Brewing For A Cause - 7 PM - $20
Sweeney's Saloon, 96 Dale St. N., St. Paul, MN

MAY 29
Merchant du Vin Beer School Beer School, hosted by MdV's Brian Van Zandbergen - 6-7 PM
Sam's Wine & Spirits South Loop, 50 E. Roosevelt, Chicago, IL - (800) 777-9137

MAY 29 - JUNE 1
May Fest - Thurs 5-9:30 PM, Fri 5-11 PM, Sat Noon-11 PM & Sun Noon-10 PM
Lincoln Square, corner of Lincoln and Leland Aves., Chicago, IL - www.mayfestchicago.com

MAY 31
16th Annual City Pages Beer Festival, benefit for the the St. Paul Jaycees - 5-9 PM - $28 ($25 Advance)
Hennepin Avenue Ave. between W. Lake St. & 31st St., next to Calhoun Square, Uptown, Minneapolis, MN

* For details on these Beer Events & a lot more, visit our Beer Events Calendar - the complete Beer Event Calendar in the Midwest.


BREWERS AIMING SMALLER IN US CRAFT BEER DRIVE
Seemingly small beer brands are becoming increasingly big business in the US, as a growing number of major brewers move to enter or consolidate their positions in the craft brewing category. However, with growing profitability expected for brewers operating in the segment, a number of challenges are also expected concerning increasing manufacturing costs and maintaining brand reputation.

These emerging "real ale brands", labelled as craft beers within the US market, are often all-malt beers designed to more specific taste requirements than a more mainstream brand.