CNBC program on Anheuser-Busch

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In what is a case of either perfect or terrible timing, tomorrow night (July 17), CNBC will air a one-hour documentary about Anheuser-Busch. The program is part of its ongoing series called "American Originals." CNBC commissioned the film months ago, and production began in February. I flew to Chicago to film my part in it in March? April? Something like that. So it's been in the works for some time. Even this premiere date of July 17 was set back in May.

I have not seen the finished product, of course, so I have no idea what angle the director took; nor do I know if the production company has added voice-overs to acknowledge the, um, significant development that has unfolded since it wrapped production a few weeks ago. (*1) Anyway, it airs on CNBC Thursday July 17, 9 pm eastern time. Be there or be square.

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*1: So, you may ask, if she's not seen it, how the heck does she know she's in the program? Maybe she ended up on the cutting room floor. Good question! A few days ago, I had occasion to talk to a producer for one of CNBC's daytime news programs, and she told me that her boss had seen the final cut and that yes, I was in it. But I hasten to clarify: my role in this documentary is minuscule. I've done a great deal of on-camera work, and my experience is that one hour in front of the camera = one minute of actual air time. For this CNBC program, the director filmed me for two hours, which should translate to two minutes or less of air time.

Spread the Word: Drink Local. Drink Green

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In a June 28 blog entry titled "InBev/AB Deal = Brewing Industry Tipping Point?", I pondered the possibility that craft brewing could benefit from the nation's current economic upheaval, high gas prices, and an InBev deal. I suggested that craft brewers launch a campaign urging Americans to "drink local" and thereby save gas, support local businesses, etc. (*1)

I'm not the only person who is thinking this way. The Alstrom brothers, the energy behind beeradvocate.com and its print counterpart, Beeradvocate magazine, have taken a first step with their "A Buck for Beer Advocacy!" campaign. Members of the beeradvocate.com forum have posted comments seconding the motion and outlining their own variations.

My pal Jay Brooks just posted a blog entry along the same lines.

If I kept hunting around, I’m sure I'd find more online talk about promoting craft beer as local/green beer. But a truly professional, nationwide, long-term media campaign requires money and lots of it. Ideally, the Brewers Association would step up; perhaps build a partnership with the Alstrom brothers. Maybe one of the bigger craft brewers could pony up some cash.

Or not. Money’s tight everywhere. The BA, for example, is a small operation; I doubt it’s got a lot of extra money to throw at this kind of campaign. (On the other hand, a “drink local" crusade gets right to the heart of what the BA is all about, right?) Meanwhile, spread the word. When your friends talk about eating “local" or buying “green," remind them that beer is food. And that going green begins with grassroots!

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*1: If you enjoy drinking spirits, you can also drink local-and-green. To find a local micro-distiller near you, visit the American Distilling Institute, and click on "distilling directory." (The ADI was founded, by the way, by Bill Owens. Back in the 1980s, he started one of the nation's first brewpubs.)

The Cosmos Has Tilted

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On May 23, I posted a blog piece titled "As the Cosmos Tilts..." Well ---- indeed. The cosmos has tilted. According to Reuters, the deal is official. You can find more info anywhere on the internet, but see this and this. When the moon rises tonight, I expect it to be green or blue, and located in the wrong quadrant of the sky. More later.

Me? In preparation for this moment, I've had a six-pack of Bud bottles in my fridge. I plan to pour one for my husband and one for me, and we will toast six generations of a remarkable family.

Well, well, well.............

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So much for getting my hopes up (they soared earlier this week on the news that A-B had returned InBev's dump-the-board move with a lawsuit of its own). I'm sad to learn this. And there's more here at the Wall Street Journal. But as always, I'm pragmatic. Time to look ahead at the impact on brewing, which, oh! Right! I just did in five easy blog entries.....

[Added after the fact: Then I wrote another series about the specific impact of the InBev/A-B deal on American brewing. You can read it here.]