Belgium Beer Badness

So, proposed layoffs have sparked full-on employee blockades at various Anheuser-Busch InBev plants and, well, to make a long story short, beer stockpiles are critically low. (Reuters/Time)

Silly, silly, silly employees. So unreasonable. So what if brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev wants to cut 800 jobs after posting a $1.5 billion third-quarter profit? That's capitalism, sweetheart. It's not supposed to have a responsibility to the real, human kind of people.

Now let's share a band-together-and-hate-unions moment--it's the Saskatchewan way! Right? We support union-bashing legislation here, remember? Good, just checking.

Wicked, wicked unions! They're trying to take your beer away!

I Love My Job

This is a photo of a press kit that arrived today. Yes, that is a 750 ml bottle of rum. Yes, I am going to drink it. (Our publisher might think HE'S going to drink it but the press kit was clearly addressed to ME.)

"The Original Sailor Jerry Spiced Navy Rum 92 Proof" is, according to the press materials, "a cult classic in the U.S. and the U.K."

It's "arrival has been long awaited in Canada."

"The drink brings with it the kind of devout following legends are made of," says the hyperbole-free press release. "fans worldwide raise a glass to Jerry on MySpace, Facebook, blogs, and in bars and backyards everywhere."

Well, if it's on MyFace AND Spacebook, I guess it must be good. You can read more Sailor Jerry propaganda here.

The Most Expensive Beer In Canada

...is in Alberta.

Canoe.ca reports that a boost to the province's liquor taxes has made Alberta beer as much as $5 a case (of 12) more than other beer.

Why the tax hike in Conservative country? Because Stelmach's government wanted more revenue from booze. Well geez, maybe they shouldn't have privatized it then. In fact, as the article says:

"The government that helped push Alberta to the lonely peak of prices refuses to discuss the impact on customers -- people who once naively believed liquor store privatization would lead to cheaper suds.

Although in fairness the article also blames minimum wage hikes and the cost of aluminum for Alberta's high-priced pints so I'm not sure there's a coherant economic analysis here. The minimum wage comment just seems like a cheap shot. And everyone knows REAL Canadians don't drink beer from, shudder, cans.

Then again these are Albertans, not Canadians, we're talking about.

So who has the cheapest beer? Good old Manitoba. Hey--don't they have an NDP government there? I'm so disillusioned.