Brewnotes

If you know me, I was bound to have a GD inspired brew at some point.   This was brewed back on 3/6/2010.   This recipe is originally taken from Jamil.  To quote him, “This is how red ales are done on the West Coast.  Just about every brewery out here needs a beer on their menu that has a lot of hop flavor, and many of them turn to this style of beer.   They are big, bold statements balancing lots of citrusy hops and specialty malt.”

Ingredients (Single Infusion Mash – 152F):

Hops:

Yeast:

Yield:

Stats:

A friend invited me out to DuClaw @ Arundel Mills yesterday.   I got a special treat to try two different firkins!   A wit spiced with cinnamon and vanilla and a imperial porter with peppermint.    While I would say these beers weren’t my thing, it was an impressive thirsty crowd that had gathered.

Best part of the night for me – trying the Double IPA – Serum.    Amazing how balanced it was.

This looks like it isn’t going to be the year of direct wine shipping in MD. Eye on Annapolis has some great coverage of yesterdays proceedings.

Via MMBWL Facebook.   Hooray for MD Sen Bobby Zirkin.   At least one legislator has some common sense.   Possibly he represents his constituents?   *sarcasm*

“Zirkin independently offered an amendment today to SB 858 (Winery Improvement act, which had made it onto the floor) to allow Direct Shipping of Wine. The Senate will vote on this on Tuesday. “

If you haven’t been paying attention, check this out.

Great post on the HoCo Rising blog.    Sen. Joan Carter Conway’s fundraising reports are dissected and attribution is placed on the portion from the alcohol lobby (at least the ones that can figured out).

Couple this with the informative article from the Washington Post.

“The industry’s network of political action committees, 120,000 employees, and powerful distributors and wholesalers have contributed more than $1.3 million to state lawmakers since 2000, according to campaign finance reports.

They have also spent nearly $900,000 in the past five years to maintain a stable of lobbyists and lawyers in Annapolis whose firms have represented the industry for more than three decades, according to state ethics reports.

General Assembly sessions are kicked off with a roughly $16,000-open-bar reception for lawmakers and their families, and the industry’s wining and dining usually continues, such as with a $2,500 steak dinner Feb. 3 at Lewnes Steakhouse, an Annapolis institution. “

If you are still wondering why the Direct Wine Shipping Bill isn’t going to pass anytime soon, look no further.   

Delegates Malone & DeBoy,

I would like to understand your position on House Bill 832.   I am concerned that this is an easy target to raise taxes without looking at the source of Maryland’s budget woes.   While I am not opposed to raising taxes, I take great exception to the following passage of the bill:

"Comptroller shall distribute the remaining alcoholic beverage tax revenue to the General Fund of the State".

If this bill was intended to raise funds for health concerns, why would any funds at all make it into the general fund? Beyond this, the rate of increases for the different beverage areas are astronomical.   My intelligence is being mocked when I’m told its $0.10/beer.  In actuality, the percentage increases are obnoxiously and ridiculously high:

MD proposed tax rates ($$/gal):

	beer	1.16  (1,288% increase)
	wine	2.96  (740% increase)
	spirits	10.03 (668% increase)

If the tax increase passes, our state alcohol beverage taxes will be four times the
national average for beer (highest in the nation; 2nd place Alaska at $1.07/gal), over three-and-half times the national average for wine (highest in the nation; 2nd place Alaska at $2.50/gal), and just shy of 50% higher than the national average for spirits (eleventh-highest in the nation; 1st place Washington state at $26.45/gal) [Source: the Jernigan paper referred to in the House bill preamble].  Please take into consideration the true impact of such a bill.  Any way you slice it, this bill is bad fiscal policy and doesn’t solve any aspect of the looming budget crisis.   The only true way to solve the budget crisis is to reduce spending.

Looking forward to your response,

Ben Brouse

Update #1: I added the link to the figures that were cited.

Update #2: Both Delegates responded that they were opposed to this bill.    I will be watching.

Tom Wark writes the Fermentation blog.   In it, he describes the absolute mockery of testifying before a committee that isn’t going to do anything regardless of the testimony.  Yes, this is how democracy really works in Maryland.  Too bad it was regarding the proposed Direct Wine Shipping bill (HB 716)  that I’ve talked about so much before.  

Thank you for contacting me concerning HB 832 – The Lorraine Sheehan Health and Community Services Act of 2010.

This bill is scheduled for a hearing on March 11, 2010 before the Ways and Means Committee.  There is no chance any tax bill will pass in FY 2011.
I appreciate hearing from you regarding this issue.

Very truly yours,

Delegate Frank S. Turner
House Ways and Means Committee
Chairman, Finance Resources Subcommittee
District 13 – Howard County
410-841-3246/301-858-3246
Fax:  410-841-3986
E-mail:  frank.turner@house.state.md.us
http://mlis.state.md.us/