According to statistics from Information Resources, inc., craft beer sales were up 9 percent from mid-May to June 14, while major beer brand sales were down 3.4 percent. The data comes from what has been scanned at a number of retailers, most of which include grocery and chain stores.

Although this doesn’t necessarily mean that more beer-guzzling college students are trading out the Natty Light for, say, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, it does create a mental picture that’s a little more refined, doesn’t it?

– Annie Woods

Yeah, it sucks you didn’t win, but if you’re going to lose, that’s a good way to do it. Moreover, you were gracious, charming, and pitch perfect in the post-match press conference, a demonstration of how much you’ve grown up in the past five years. Plus, you’re married to Brooklyn Decker. Honestly man, we’re pretty sure you’ll be fine.

But just in case, we’ll buy you a beer. You have pretty much the perfect life, but we don’t discriminate here at DRAFTMag.com. Also, can we be your friend?

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In the first inning Thursday night, the Bud Light man arrived just in time to offer his wisdom about Chicago’s leadoff man. “Fuld. Isn’t that what the Cubs do every October?” he quipped. But after he sold his $6.50 beer (probably priced at $10 in the Bronx), Fuld got on base, as did the next batter. Then, Derrek Lee ripped a towering home run onto Waveland Avenue that was reminiscent of a Dave Kingman blast during the 1970s, and the Cubs were on their way to shellacking division rival Milwaukee.

The dugout seats on the first-base side offered a few perks. After a Milwaukee player such as outfielder Mike Cameron caught the third out, he would trot toward the dugout and wait as the adult fans begged him for the ball. But he made sure a child took him the souvenir each time. Less inspiring was the photographer who kept looking at his computer sceen at the picture of the celebrity who tossed out the first ball – Miss Illinois. 

As the beer vendors trailed away and the beer cutoff deadline approached in the seventh inning, I visited a concession stand and grabbed an Old Style Light. Not as good. At Wrigley — where Harry Caray was a Cub fan and a Bud man — Bud Light is the beer of choice.

Kid Rock’s Badass Beer will be available at the rocker’s shows at Comerica Park on July 17 and 18. So in other words, he’s launching his brew in front of a captive audience of his biggest fans. Talk about brilliant marketing…

Not only that, but the Webberville-based Michigan Brewing Company will start production of the beer on July 4th. Again, with that brilliant marketing thing. Where do we hire these people for our lives?

Traffic jams, explosions and gluttony is kind of the American way — at least when it comes to celebrating our nation’s independence.

OR you could celebrate America’s revolution with some nice New Glarus Organic Revolution.

Organic Revolution is made with organic Pilsner and Caramel malt, organic German Hallertau Hops, and nothing else. The use of 100% organic hops is even more than what’s required by the USDA, and it was just recently re-certified as organic.

Sounds like the perfect pure beverage for after all the July 4th neighborhood races.

Viva la Revolution!

You’ve packed up your towel and bid farewell to the sunny SoCal beach scene. Just head downtown and be transported to the Emerald Isle in this authentic Irish pub, brought piece by piece from the motherland. Ye olde Irish spirit moves you to order homemade style Corned Beef and Cabbage paired, of course, with a Guinness. Where are you drinking?

Click here to send in your answer. Get it right and you’ll have a chance to win free DRAFT swag. (And congrats to Royce Belle from Florida who won last issue’s contest.)

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2009, 12 p.m. in the Evergreen-Washelli chapel.

“We’re here forever. We’re going to do it up and distribute our beer locally and then statewide. We have a lot of big plans for this building,” general manager Dave Scholten said.

Operational brewmaster Jeff Coon expects the new brewery will produce up to 2,000 barrels of six to seven different types of German beer this year, something that will definitely help the brewery’s chances of succeeding this time around.

– Andrea Wilson

It seems hard to believe, given the residents’ passion for both sports and beer. The Denver Broncos sell out regularly; the baseball team plays in a stadium named after a beer (Coors); even the Denver Nuggets captured the attention of the citizenry this spring, going deep into the playoffs.

But just like the Rocky Mountain News died despite its almost 150-year history, ESPN Zone — all 23,000 square feet of it — could not survive in the recession.  About 100 employees lost their jobs. ESPN Zone is down to eight cities.

Yet there is a smidgen of good news, according to the Denver Examiner. A new tenant, The Tilted Kilt, has signed a lease for part of the space. It’s also a sports bar, but not quite like the mighty ESPN brand — as the Examiner notes, it’s more like a “Scotch-Irish Hooters.”

If it opens before the British Open, expect a randy crowd.