Warning: ‘May be extremely calming’

By Kate Lunau - Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 10:19 AM - 7 Comments

At the end of a hectic day, people in need of some relaxation might curl up with a good book, listen to soft music, or maybe stretch out in a yoga class. For those in search of “extreme relaxation,” though, there is Drank, an “extreme relaxation beverage” on sale in the U.S. and about to come to Canada. Just as time-strapped individuals might chug coffee or Red Bull to stay alert, those seeking the opposite effect should take note: calm now comes in a can.

A fizzy, berry-and-lavender-flavoured concoction, Drank promises to “slow your roll.” To accomplish this, it contains a “calming blend” of melatonin, rosehips and valerian, supplements meant to fight anxiety and promote restfulness. (“Warning! This beverage may be extremely relaxing and calming,” the website cautions.) According to a food blogger at About.com, it really does the job: “Not long after I had my can, I noticed a pretty strong desire to go take a nap,” the reviewer writes. “It really did mellow me out.” The flavour of Drank got top marks, too, though it tasted surprisingly sweet, quite a lot like an energy drink.

Peter Bianchi, the Houston-based CEO of Innovative Beverage Group and Drank’s creator, compares indulging in a can to “putting your feet up in a recliner on a cold winter day.” Available in the U.S. for over a year, Drank’s popularity has exploded, Bianchi says, adding that it’s coming to Canada because “consumers have been screaming for it.” (They’re in need of some extreme relaxation, by the sounds of it.)

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King of beer sales, amigo

By Kate Lunau - Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 8:40 AM - 8 Comments

Freeing a trapped bear, leading a midnight hike through the jungle, playing a rousing game of jai alai—it’s all in a day’s work for the Most Interesting Man in the World, the star of the current ad campaign for Dos Equis beer. Featuring veteran TV actor Jonathan Goldsmith in a gloriously rumpled tuxedo, the ads have made Dos Equis into a household name, no small feat in the current recession.

Launched in Canada in 2008, the ads (which have appeared in some U.S. markets since 2006, and went national there this year) show our protagonist engaged in various acts of derring-do as a narrator recites facts about him: “The police often question him just because they find him interesting.” “He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it feels.” Sunburned and silver-haired, Goldsmith’s character dangles a bottle of Dos Equis from thumb and forefinger, presumably unwinding after his latest escapade. “I don’t always drink beer,” he rumbles. “But when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.” Continue…

Beer, chocolate and MPs

By Mitchel Raphael - Sunday, June 21, 2009 at 11:23 AM - 3 Comments

The lineup for Ontario Tory MP Scott Reid’s sixth annual Ontario microbrewery beer tasting/Quebec cheese reception was huge. Reid hold two beers below.

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British pubs ravaged by new taxes

By Philippe Gohier - Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 12:00 PM - 1 Comment

Owning a pub in beer-loving Britain was once a licence to print money—but not anymore. In fact, some say the local pub is being taxed into extinction.

According to a new report by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), 39 pubs in Britain are shutting their doors every week, and there are now seven million fewer pints sold each day than there were at the market’s peak in 1979. The lobby group now fears that as many as 60,000 jobs—or 10 per cent of the sector’s total workforce—could be lost.
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A pint of bureaucracy, please

By Alex Shimo - Friday, March 13, 2009 at 6:59 PM - 27 Comments

The New Brunswick government is now in the beer business, this week introducing two light ales—Selection Lager and Selection Light.

It is the first beer produced by a government in Canada, and officials say the move is a way to support sagging sales, as many New Brunswickers cross into neighbouring Quebec to take advantage of their cheaper prices. So why does the government think people will drink its brand? The price helps. In New Brunswick, as part of an effort to prevent binge drinking, beers are not allowed to sell for less than $20.55 a dozen. Exceptions can be made that allow stores to sell at a lower sale price, which the government is using to sell Selection for $18.67 a 12-pack.

The new brew has angered many in the industry, who worry it will cut into their market share. “There are a lot of draconian laws about alcohol in New Brunswick,” says Jesse Vergen, executive chef of the Saint John Ale House in Fredericton. The market is overly regulated, Vergen says, and it is difficult to import beers from the rest of Canada, let alone other countries. “The government should be working on opening up the market rather than making a mass market beer.”

To make the beer, the government hired Moosehead Breweries. The result is a beer, sold in cans, that tastes almost identical to Moosehead Light, says Vergen.

To get a better taste for it, Macleans.ca asked a few local experts to review the brew: Continue…