Well, I haven't been posting here as much as I'd like. Long story short: it's going to continue that way!
The 2005 Empire State Brewing and Music Festival is set for July 8 in Syracuse's Clinton Square. the Empire Brewing Festival Article from the Post-Standard has all the details.
Anheuser-Busch is threating a boycott of all rice grown in Missouri if the state allows a "biopharming" company to grow genetically modified rice containing human proteins. A-B (makers of Budweiser, Michelob, and countless other macrobrews) is concerned about contamination of the non-GMO rice it uses.
On the one hand, I applaud A-B long and loud for their rejection of GMO-influenced crops. On the other, I imagine a company like A-B would be very happy to use GMO crops if they controlled the process and it suited their needs. And -- most importantly in this discussion -- it sure would be nice if they would STOP brewing their beer with rice and corn in the first place!