Constellation Brands Acquires Ballast Point for $1 Billion: Constellation Brands ($STZ) bought San Diego-based Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits this week for a stunning $1 billion dollars, or about the cost of 77 million six-packs. We haven’t heard too much about the conditions of the acquisition, but so far it seems the Ballast Point team will remain in place and continue to do what they do best: make awesome beers and excellent spirits. Period. Here’s hoping we get more Victory at Sea here in Brooklyn, and best of luck to the entire Ballast Point family.
Happy Birthday, Sierra Nevada!: In other West Coast news, craft beer OG Sierra Nevada turned 35 this week. A lot has changed since their first batch of Porter (still one of your author’s favorite beers), including this week’s new release. Sierra will launch a year-round gose-style ale called Otra Vez, brewed with cacti. Yes, cacti! Many happy returns to our friends in Chico and Mills River, and please feel free to send us a sample. No pressure.
Tis (Almost) The Season: We know it’s not quite the holiday shopping season yet (for most people, anyway), but this advent calendar is too cool to not get a jump on. With a different craft beer for each day counting down to Christmas Eve, this pack is a great way to make your festivities that much jollier. And if you skip forward a couple days to drink a couple beers at once, no one is going to be surprised. Just make sure you share.
Dream Big, Run Fast: We’ve told you about the Beer Mile before: a mile-long race, punctuated by chugging a full beer at every lap. The noble institution was given a layer of respectability this week when college student Lewis Kent accepted an endorsement deal from running shoe brand Brooks. After setting a beer mile world record of four minutes and fifty-one seconds (compared to the standard mile record of three minutes and forty-three seconds), Kent received the offer and accepted almost immediately. Cheers to chasing your dreams, Lewis– we’ll be cheering from these big, comfy chairs.
New Belgium Declares Glütiny: New Belgium has released two beers to start off their Glütiny Ales line, featuring reduced-gluten beers. Glütiny Golden Ale and Glütiny Pale Ale use a special enzyme to break down the gluten proteins (check out that handy video above) to make the beer safer for gluten-sensitive and Celiac people. While the official designation is “gluten removed” and not “gluten free,” New Belgium’s ales check in at less than 10 ppm (parts per million) of the offending protein, making it much more likely that you and your gluten-affected friends can go back to enjoying the same beers from an excellent brewery.
And For The Unnecessarily Gluten-Free: Vice’s Munchies went to several doctors and dietitians to attempt to settle the Great Gluten-Free Debate. Across the board, the experts surveyed agreed that unless a person was diagnosed with Celiac Disease or a similar, proven gluten sensitivity (less that 5% of the U.S. population), there was no point in skipping gluten in your diet. They even cautioned against falling victim to pseudo-healthy claims, as gluten-free indulgences often contain far more fat and sugar to emulate their full-bodied models. It’s time to welcome your gluten-free friends back to the fold. And while you’re at it, pick up some New Belgium for your Celiac friends– they could use it.