Moon under Water

Well there we are.  I've set up the direct debit and got my membership number.This is in some ways a 'hell freezes over' moment for me, and there are traces of discomfort around the edges of my decision.  But it was the right thing to do.What's the big deal?

It's the drinks PR omnishambles that makes George Osborne look like a competent chancellor.Brew Dog have long been known for their spectacular PR stunts, but the storm that broke on Twitter today seems breathtaking even by their standards.In this sensational statement, Brew Dog claimed that at the Scottish BII Awards last weekend, Brew Dig were voted clear winners of the Bar Operator of the Year Award.  They knew this because the judges were sitting at their table and told them so.

Not sure how long this program will remain available to worldwide listeners so you might want to listen in now:From barrel ageing beer to sourcing intensely bitter hops, Dan Saladino reports on the latest trends in American brewing that are starting to influence British beer styles. The US "craft beer" scene started to take shape 30 years ago. Prohibition in the 1920s and post-war industrialisation brought an end to one of the world's most diverse brewing cultures.

Under direction of its new ad agency, Droga5, the makers of U.K. beer Newcastle Brown Ale have invested in their first national TV spot. Launched April 2, the “No Bollocks” ad appears at first to be a dull and drawn out demonstration of the beer brewing process. But … wait for it … there’s a punchline: “Why do we focus so much on our brewmaster’s hands? Because she is not an attractive woman.”