National News: Venezuela Running Out of Beer; Bear Republic Brewing Expands Distribution

Lorenzo Mendoza greets and kisses worker at his shuttered brewery in Caracas, Venezuela. He’s trying to boost morale.

Mendoza is the chief executive of Venezuelan food giant Empresas Polar, which was founded in 1941 and is now the largest private company in this socialist country.

But Polar has come upon tough times. Many of its processing plants are running at half-speed, and thousands of employees have been furloughed since April, when all four of the company’s breweries were shut down by a barley shortage.

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Cloverdale, Calif. — Bear Republic Brewing Company of Cloverdale, California has signed with Clear River Beverage to distribute their products in Minnesota. Bear Republic has won 22 medals at the Great American Beer Festival and was named the GABF Small Brewing Company and Brewmaster of the Year in 2006.

“Bear Republic Brewing Company is excited to be introducing our beer to the state of Minnesota.” Said BRBC Sales Manager Jonathan Williman. He added, “After a lengthy process of evaluating several states and distribution partners, we are looking forward to partnering with Clear River Beverage, a company that that shares the same values and dedication as we do here at Bear Republic.”

Clear River Beverage CEO Bill Huth said, “We are excited to have a brewery with the reputation and standards that Bear Republic has for their brands available now in Minnesota. We are confident their world class beer will be well received in the vibrant, burgeoning craft market that is the Twin Cities.”

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A small craft beer company in South Florida is trying to make a big impact on oceanic pollution with biodegradable, edible packaging in an ecofriendly twist to protect marine life. 

The plastic rings used to package what is perhaps the planet’s most popular alcoholic beverage is a menace to birds, turtles and other sea creatures that get tangled in the rings or mistake them as food, say experts. 
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More than a million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals die from plastic pollution every year, according to UNESCO.

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