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Toyota Refuses Support of Pints for Prostates

VTHopHead — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:05:03 +0000

A bizarre decision from a sport that used to be sponsored by tobacco companies… whose products have cause the early death of millions of people world-wide… Toyota Racing has declined to allow entry of a Pints for Prostates design for their national advertising campaign “Sponsafy a car“. The reason given for rejecting the design was that it “Contains offensive or inappropriate content.” Anyone looking at the proposed design can plainly see that it does not!

Head on over to Pints for Prostates organizer Rick Lyke’s “Lyke2Drink” blog site for the full details, including a picture of the proposed design. As Rick points out, there is still time for the Pints for Prostates ride to be part of the Toyota Sponsafy promotion and with your help we can make it happen. Please send a quick email to Kym Strong (kym_strong@toyota.com) of Toyota Motorsports and Greg Thome (greg_thome@toyota.com) of Toyota Corporate Communications. Use the subject line “Race the Pints for Prostates Car.”

Socially Responsible Beer

VTHopHead — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:44:56 +0000

My latest featured article for RateBeer’s The Hop Press… posted on Saturday, February 27th.

It is fairly common these days for all sorts of businesses to maintain that they include a “socially responsible mission” as a part of doing business with the rest of the world. Beer brewing businesses, of course, are among those which participate in this and some provide outstanding examples of companies altering their business practices to benefit a variety of important societal causes. Gone are the days when businesses can simply give such things lip service, as both consumers and industry watchdogs are ready and able to measure their level of commitment toward environmental stewardship and their support of their community. Not only have many breweries embraced this socially responsible side of their business, many have discovered that this can also mean both higher sales and drive higher profits to their bottom line.

Read more…

Support Pints for Prostates

VTHopHead — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:02:06 +0000

A very worthwhile organization… Supporters can purchase tickets for a fund raising raffle to support this cause… 1st prize is a free trip to the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, CO in September!

Tickets will be available where legal at beer festivals and other events for a $10 donation or three for a $25 donation. You must be at least 21 years old to enter and to take the trip.

All proceeds benefit the Pints for Prostates (www.pintsforprostates.org) campaign, which supports programs to fight prostate cancer and help men and their families battling the disease.

About Pints for Prostates

Pints for Prostates is a grassroots campaign that uses the universal language of beer to reach men with an important health message. Founded by prostate cancer survivor Rick Lyke in 2008, the campaign raises awareness among men about the need for regular health screenings and PSA testing by making appearances at beer festivals, social networking and pro bono advertising.

Pints for Prostates has registered as a 501(c)3 charity and 100% of all funds raised by the group go to fighting prostate cancer and assisting men with the disease. Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, a 501(c)3 charity that works to support, educate and advocate for men with prostate cancer and their families, is a recipient of Pints for Prostates financial support.

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From the Hop Press: Back to the Future of Organic Beer

VTHopHead — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:10:00 +0000

My latest featured article for RateBeer’s The Hop Press… posted on Saturday, January 9th.

There are in today’s marketplace many examples of beer being sold as “organic”. Today we will look at what it means to be organic, examine a brief history of the organic beer movement and a look at how this type of beer may be fairing among beer drinkers.

Read more…

From The Hop Press: 2009 in a Nutshell

VTHopHead — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:06:55 +0000

My latest featured article for RateBeer’s Hop Press… posted on Saturday, December 12th.

As 2009 winds down in a big holiday rush, I thought that I would take a look back at a few of the things that were important to me during my 54^th year. Perhaps this last year could best be described using the Charles Dickens’ saying, “It was the best of times and it was the worst of times”, for it was a very eventful year.

Read the Rest…

A VTHopHead Thanksgiving

VTHopHead — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:07:23 +0000

Thanksgiving at the VTHopHead house is all about family, close friends, great food, football and, of course, good beer. While most people are focused on the turkey n’ stuffing, cranberries and pumpkin pie (I like these too) for my son Jamie and I it is also a time to pull out a “special” beer (or few) to add to the holiday cheer. This year he has scored an excellent Unibroue selection, including their abbey tripel La Fin Du Monde, and what will be my first beer from Nova Scotia, Alexander Keith’s Premium White. I also will have a slightly chilled bottle of Allagash Musette, one of their bourbon-barrel aged brews, on “standby”, just in case. This is shaping up to be a really great Thanksgiving!

Hmmm… I can hardly wait for Christmas!!

Rock Art Wins “Monster” Battle!

VTHopHead — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:54:31 +0000

Late in the day on Wednesday Rock Art Brewery, makers of “The Vermonster” beer, and Hansen Beverage Company, makers of Monster energy drinks, reached an agreement that will allow Rock Art to continue to use the name “Vermonster” for its beer, so long as it stays out of the energy drink market.

Matt Nadeau, Rock Art owner, is ecstatic, but is still adamant that there needs to be additional trademark reform that would prevent similar situations (big corporation bullies abusing the small business owners) from happening in the future.

The month-long battle was fought on two fronts… Rock Art and the lawyers fighting the legal battle against Hansen in the courts and the very public battle waged on-line and in the media by craft brewers and other concerned individuals. Hansen had their hands full on both fronts. It quickly became evident, to many, that Hansen’s legal pursuit of the Vermontster name was probably not going to hold up in court and, perhaps more significantly, Hansen’s reputation as a beverage manufacturer began to take a real beating in the marketplace as beverage retailers, distributors and tens of thousands of everyday consumers rallied against Hansen’s efforts against Rock Art.

Stay tuned for an official statement from Rock Art at their Web site… http://www.rockartbrewery.com/

It’s nice to see the little guy win for a change… and justifiably so! Thanks everyone for your help in winning this epic battle against “evil”!!

Rock Art Vermontster vs. Monster Energy Drinks… silly…

VTHopHead — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:04:59 +0000

On September 14, just six days before his birthday, Matt Nadeau, owner of Rock Art Brewery in Morrisville, received an unusual email. Attached to it was a PDF full of legalese in which an attorney for the Hansen Beverage Company — maker of Monster brand energy drinks — demanded that the Vermont brewery “cease and desist” its use of the name “Vermonster” for a high-test barley wine. “Your client’s use and registration of the Vermonster in connection with beer will undoubtedly create a likelihood of confusion and/or dilute the distinctive quality of Hansen’s Monster marks,” the document reads. Nadeau was given two weeks to respond.

Nadeau, who holds the “Vermonster” trade name in Vermont, thinks the letter was probably triggered by his application to trademark it nationally. “I don’t get those people out there in California,” he says. Given that Nadeau sells about 95 percent of his beer “within 50 miles of Morrisville,” the feisty brewer says he fails to see how giving a single product a name that’s a play on its home state could damage a massive corporation making a completely different type of beverage.

So Nadeau called to offer a concession: He would promise to stay out of the energy-drink biz if Hansen stayed out of brewing. No luck. “Their third-party lawyer … believes they’ll likely pursue lawsuits and [proceedings against] trademark infringement,” Hansen says.

Simply continuing to pursue his trademark application against Monster’s opposition could cost Nadeau up to $15,000. And he’s willing to take the matter to court — an even pricier proposition — if necessary, he says. For one thing, five trademark lawyers located all over the country have told him he’ll probably win in the end. More importantly, adds the brewer, it’s a matter of principle: “They have no morals,” he says of the beverage giant. “They think, We’re just gonna steamroll it … We’ll take this little Vermont company and squash them. Well, sorry.”

You decide…

Rock Art Brewery Vermontster

Downeast Maine and Coastal New Hampshire…

VTHopHead — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:17:51 +0000

My wife (Candy) and I recently took some time to return to one of our favorite regions… the Greater Portland Maine and Portsmouth NH areas. The weather was not that great, so we “had” to spend some time in some of my favorite watering holes… not that I’m complaining, mind you. On the list were the Great Lost Bear and Three Dollar Dewey’s in Portland as well as the Portsmouth Brewery in Portsmouth. All off these establishments offer many taps (GLB has 65), plenty of local beers (Portsmouth is all their own, of course) and offer “sample paddles”, to reduce the collateral damage of trying so many new brews… I have fortunately married a “designated” driver, thank goodness . They all three also have great food to go along with the beer! Below are pictures and links to their sites…

: Three Dollar Deweys In “Old Port”, Portland, ME

: The Great Lost Bear

: The Portsmouth Brewery

Hiatus over…

VTHopHead — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 20:55:24 +0000

I have been very neglectful of this blog lately… just too many things going on. I’ll try to make time to keep y’all up to date on all of my adventures in the future. Thanks for hanging in there with me and for your patience while I took a break.