Beer: An Affordable Luxury
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Beer Business
Beer Business
While people are keeping a tight grip on their cash during these tough economic times, there is one business that is not flat. Nationwide, people are still saying “cheers” to beer. The Tri-Cities are no exception. “It’s beer, people love beer,“ said Tommy Williams, a specialty manager at local grocery store Earthfare. Perhaps even more so when times are tough. “I think people are looking for an inexpensive indulgence and I think beer offers that,“ said Williams.
Tommy Williams runs the beer section at Earthfare in Johnson City. “Compared to last year beer sales have increased,“ said Williams, both in his store and company-wide. In November, the company picked up a new local supplier, Depot Street Brewery. “It’s one that’s on demand, people tend to request the Depot beers more than any,“ said Williams.
“We’re doing well, I can’t complain at all,“ said Depot Street owner Michael Foster. Foster said business is up 20 percent from last year, even with higher expenses. “Over the past year, what I pay for hops has gone up three times. What I pay for grain has gone up twice. Of course all the fuel costs and distribution…price for materials,“ said Foster.
When the economy started to falter, Foster, who opened the brewery four years ago, was not sure what to expect. “I was worried about my customer base. Were they going to be able to afford high quality beers?,“ said Foster. To find out why Foster thinks people are still buying his beer in high numbers, click play above.
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Reader Reactions
I’m not here to foster Ben’s need to confrontation so I will not comment on his behavoiur.
In regards to the original article, I’m not a economist but every time the economy experiences financial problems alcohol consumption increases, for this article to indicate that this is a result of the public still wants to afford their ‘luxuries’ is as ludicrous as the “beards are in style b/c of the recession” article from last week. I can’t wait to see what filler article is next week: maybe ‘Bikini Sales Increase due to Global Warming.‘
I am a Christian, and I think Ben’s a sad and bitter man. Ben, what kind of Christian sits around waiting for someone to mess up so it will be online and you can blast them for the mistakes they’ve made? I’m not sure what church you go to, but Romans Chapter 2 tells us to judge another is to condemn yourself. Please stop speaking for “Christians” in general because you are making us all look like ignorant back woods rednecks. Jesus sees your posts too, what do you think he thinks of them?
For you Ben, I would suggest a tranquilizer. I hope you are one day able to find peace for whatever event(s) happened in your life that made you this way.
Reeb-It!
Tidbit #2
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas (May 1999) reported that consuming moderate amounts of beer would lower one’s chances of coronary heart disease by 30-40%, compared to those who don’t drink at all. (Beer contains a similar amount of ‘polyphenols’—antioxidants—as red wine and 4-5 times as many polyphenols as white wine).
Tidbit #3
Alcohol has also been attributed to increasing the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in the bloodstream, as well as helping to decrease blood clots.
Tidbit #4
Beer contains vitamin B6, which prevents the build-up of the amino acid homocysteine, that has been linked to heart disease. Those of us who have high levels of homocysteine are usually more prone to an early onset of heart and vascular disease.
Tidbit #5
A new study performed at the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute in Utrecht indicates that those who drink beer had no increase in their homocysteine level, but those who drank wine or liquor had an increase of up to 10%.
Tidbit #6
Beer provides a 30% increase in vitamin B6 into the blood plasma—something that neither wine nor any other liquor can do.
Tidbit #7
Beer is both fat-free and cholesterol-free.
Tidbit #8
Beer has a relaxing effect on the body thereby reducing stress and helping you sleep better.
Tidbit #9
Beer has proven to have positive effects on elderly people. It helps promote blood vessel dilation, sleep and urination.
Reeb-it!
Hmm..Beer my favorite subject. I will not try to argue my point with those so close minded. I will say however that in the New England Journal of Medicine they studied and found so many great things about beer. They went as far as saying people should have 2-3 a day for its benefits. Of course they also said that all of these benefits came from moderation only. But if you think about it over doing anything could be bad for you.
It read that scientist are developing a “Super” beer that would supply ones body with all kinds of antioxidants and cholesterol killing purities.
Beer has been around for a long time and So many Great Americans have found this beautiful,bubbly, beaverage to be “A Gift from God”.
I think I’ll sit here on my lillypad and sip on a nice cool frosty beer..It helps to relax you…some should try it!
Reeb-It!
I guess they pulled Ben’s first response to this article, it must have been a doozy! We don’t know what has happened to him in his life that he is against drinking in totality and he is entitled to his opinions as we are. I don’t agree with him completely, but I see the points he has made in his last postings—alcohol can cause problems to those who over-indulge every day of the week, to those who drink and drive and the ones who might be on the roadways when they do. There is a legal age for buying and consuming alcohol, there sometimes needs to be a mental age, some people who are old enough are not smart enough to be drinking. I don’t like the taste of beer, so I don’t drink it. I do like wine and have that from time to time. I see nothing wrong with either. The alcohol itself is not bad or wrong, it is the way it is used, or over-used. Drinking either from time to time does not make you evil or a sinner. It is when you over-indulge to the point that you make wrong decisions such as driving or when you do things you have no memory of doing later, to me that is sinful. So Ben, I am a Christian and these are my thoughts on alcohol.
So, are you saying that the partaking of wine is not in the bible? Sure it is. Jesus turned water into wine.
And not everyone drinks is a drunk, certain wines have wonderful effects on the body, they are great for your heart and your arteries. Alcohol is like everything else I mentioned, when it is not excessive it can be beneficial. Not everyone that drinks is a drunk and no I do not drink to get a buzz, I drink because I truly do enjoy the taste and do not drink to excess or to the point of being drunk.
And no, the tylenol and fat thing is not blown out of proportion. Tylenol and Ibuprofen will damage your liver beyong repair just as alcohol, if you deny that then you are just a closed minded person that is probably a pain med addict that refuses to believe his addiction is bad…only that darned blasted alcohol. You are just an old prude that would take away a piece of candy from a small child…they don’t need that evil sugar…only I do.
Ben, you are a moron. Go play while the adults converse about this story.
Ben has lost his marbles. There are thousands and thousands of people that drink beer and are not alcoholics and don’t drink too much and don’t drive while they drink. My husband and I go out on occassion to dance and have a few but only one of us drink at a time. We take turns and even though we never drink to access, we always have a non-drinking driver. Occassional partaking does nothing to your liver and is actually a good flush for your kidneys. Just ask your doctor. And Ben, unless you never eat fat, grease, take ibuprofen or tylenol or any other over the counter drug or ever do anything unhealthy you really have no room to talk. Frequent tylenol or ibuprofen use is just as damaging to your liver as frequent alcohol use. It even mentions the partaking of wine in the bible…you wanna argue that one too? Of course you do, you argue everything and everything and everybody is bad, you are a sad sad man.
I think it’s wonderful that people are still able to enjoy the simple things in life, like beer, in spite of all the “doom and gloom” that surrounds us everyday. Personally, I enjoy drinking light beer on Sunday afternoons, especially after a working out in the yard.
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