Beer v. Wine Vote A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll released Tuesday suggests a voter’s drinking preferences may also reveal their political preferences. Beer drinkers appear more likely to vote for Sen. John McCain in November, while those who enjoy wine say they’re more likely to vote Democratic in the fall. Among registered voters who prefer beer to wine, McCain has a 53 percent-46 percent edge over Sen. Hillary Clinton while McCain winds up in a virtual tie with Sen. Barack Obama among beer drinkers. In the head-to-head match-ups with McCain, Sens. Obama and Clinton each win a majority among registered voters who prefer wine to beer. Overall, 28 percent of all Americans say they prefer beer to wine and 31 percent say they would rather have a glass of wine than a bottle of brew. (The rest claim that they never drink under any circumstances.) The apparent political differences are really matters of gender and class – men are big beer drinkers while women prefer wine over beer, as do higher-income Americans and college graduates. The poll of 950 registered voters was conducted by telephone in late March has a sampling error of 6.5%. |
The Next Federal Holiday? Irish beer maker Guinness thinks March 17 deserves more: recognition as an official U.S. holiday. Guinness is collecting signatures for the cause, known as 'Proposition 3-17,' and as has more than 260,000 signees online and in more than 900 taverns around the country, according to the company's Web site. Guinness will turn the petition over to Congress regardless of the final tally, since there are no minimum signature requirements needed to give the proposition to lawmakers. 'The signatures are really more of a way to show how many people are really behind this idea,' said Guinness spokesman Jim Sias. The brewery hopes the holiday will become official next year by giving workers the day off. Creating a national holiday isn't simple. Congress and the president would have to approve it, and past proposals to turn Constitution Day and Cinco de Mayo into federal holidays failed. There are only 11 national holidays in the U.S., including Inauguration Day, observed once every four years when the president is sworn into office. The last holiday added was Martin Luther King Day in 1983. |
Natural Light Goes Big Time The perennially under-advertised Natural Light will bask in the spotlight, as Anheuser-Busch breaks an integrated campaign after more than a decade-long absence for the No. 5 brand in the beer category. The millions of dollars worth of new ads will introduce beer vernacular like "Naturday" (the awesomest day of the week) and "Nat-trick" (pulling three cans out of the cooler with a single grab). Packaging debuting in May and booklets at retail displays will sport other Nattyisms. Consumers can submit their own Natty words to an online blog and enter a sweepstakes to win MP3 players and other electronic devices. Shipments of Natural Light, the leading sub-premium priced beer, grew 18% from 1999 to 9.1 million barrels in 2007, with no advertising bought by A-B and only nominal spending from wholesalers. The brand hasn't had significant marketing support since shortly after it was introduced in 1977. Haircut means free beer! Barbershop owner Thomas Martin is taking his case to court to restore his cut-and-a-beer service. Martin has 11 shops in the Grand Rapids (MI) area and had offered customers one complimentary brew until authorities in two counties told him to stop. Current State law prohibits businesses where people consume alcohol when paying for other services |