Clamps & Gaskets: News Roundup for Weeks 6/7, 2012

A non-comprehensive roundup
of news of beer and other things.

Weeks 6/7
5 February - 18 February 2012

• 2012.02.16
  Brewers, shop owners, restaurateurs, and distributors in Washington, D.C., all go 'off the record' to discus beer payola in the city. Via DCBeer.com.
  
  
  
  
• 2012.02.16
  Today in 1918, Lithuania declared its independence, from Russia. More, including Lithuanian beer facts, from Brookston Beer Bulletin.
  
  
• 2012.02.15
  New Belgium Brewing spent $250,00 on social media, and estimates that it saw a 57 million dollar return on the investment. Via Advertising Age.
  
  
• 2012.02.15
  The European Union has issued 'organic wine' standards, from growing through production. Via Organic-Market.info.
  
  
  
  
• 2012.02.15
  U.S. beer sales topped $98 billion in 2011, a slight increase over 2010, says Beer Institite. Via Beer Street Journal.
  
  
• 2012.02.12
  Whiskey Advocate Magazine chooses Springbank as Lowland/Campbeltown Single Malt of the Year.
  
  
  
• 2012.02.12
  NASA Goddard model on what caused Smowmageddon on the East coast in the winter of 2009/2010 (and why the winter of 2011/12 has been so mild in comparison): El Niño and the North Atlantic Oscillation.
  
  
• 2012.02.11
  Singer Whitney Houston dies at age 48. Via AOLMusic.
  
  
• 2012.02.10
  The U.S. cider business experiences 23% growth; Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors become involved, in different ways. Via Beer Business Daily.
  
  
• 2012.02.10
  Mark Carpenter celebrates his 40th year brewing for Anchor Brewing Company, of San Francisco, California: America's most tenured brewmaster. Via BeerNews.org.
  
  
• 2012.02.08
  The U.S. Brewers Association has released its Beer Style Guidelines for 2012, describing 140 'styles,' and sub-categories.
  
  
• 2012.02.08
  The Washington Post's annual Beer Madness returns for 2012, with a call for panelists to judge 32 American 'craft' brews.
  
  
  
• 2012.02.08
  Virginia’s wine industry hit $747 million dollars in sales in 2011. The number of wineries reaches 193, up from 129. Via Dave McIntyre (Washington Post).
  
  
• 2012.02.07
  John Hickenlooper —Governor of Colorado, past mayor of Denver, and 'craft' beer pioneer— celebrates 60th birthday. Via Brookston beer Bulletin.
  
  
• 2012.02.07
  Craving a hot shower, a cold beer, and the company of "the ladies", Annapolis, Maryland, sailor Matt Rutherford is solo-circumnavigating the Americas. Via Washington Post.
  
  
  
  
• 2012.02.06
  Baltimore, Maryland, to allow restaurants to fill re-sealable 'growlers' with beer to go. (Brewpubs already may.) The rest of Maryland may follow suit. Via Washington Post.
  

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• Clamps and Gaskets is a weekly wrap-up of stories  not posted at Yours For Good Fermentables.com. Most deal with beer (or wine, or whisky); some do not. But all are brief, and many are re-posts from twitter.com/cizauskas.
• The Clamps and Gaskets graphic was created by Mike Licht at NotionsCapital.