The World Cup

The 2022 World Cup is just about on us (kick off for the first game will be the hosts Qatar facing Ecuador). Hosts Qatar will open the tournament with a Group A match against Ecuador on Sunday 20th November at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT/UTC) (or 7:00PM local and 4:00PM EST) in Doha at Al Bayt Stadium.

This is the USMNT’s (United States Men’s National Team) first appearance back in the World Cup after missing the last one (2018) in Russia. Christian Pulisic (Jackass Brewery Announces Pulisic Pilsner – See Article Here) is leading the charge for the men’s team. Local boy to The Beer Thrillers (from Hershey, PA), who we’ve met several times (we were very good friends with his father Mark Pulisic from the Harrisburg Heat, as well as his mother Kelly Pulisic, who my mother actually helped get the paperwork for her to become a teacher) is the biggest asset and piece for the USMNT going into this World Cup.

Interestingly enough, Christian Pulisic has just started commercials ahead of the World Cup promoting Michelob Ultra.

But… seems like there won’t be any Michelob Ultra – or any beer – at the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar Bans Alcohol Sales

As Washington Post just stated in an article twenty minutes ago:

Qatar isn’t a dry country, but the government curtails alcohol sales at almost all restaurants that aren’t associated with a high-end hotel or resort. World Cup organizers had said tourists will be able to drink in designated fan zones within stadiums, but reversed those plans two days before the first game.

Qatar’s Controversial $300 Billion World Cup Is Almost Here: Q&A

Qatar’s Controversial $300 Billion World Cup Is Almost Here: Q&A

As per Sky News:

The sale of alcohol is strictly controlled in Qatar, and is only allowed in the Muslim nation within hotel bars and restaurants away from street view. It had to relax its alcohol restrictions to allow FIFA sponsor Budweiser to sell its products outside match venues and fan zones.

Qatar World Cup: Beer to be banned from all stadiums – except for corporate spectators

There is a bit of a misconception that Qatar is a full dry country. But as these articles stated, its not exactly a dry country, but a very governmental strict ‘banning’ or ‘restrictive’ dryness. Qatar is a constitutional monarchy headed by Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al- Thani. The 2005 constitution provides for hereditary rule by the emir’s male branch of the al-Thani family.

So I think you can somewhat read between the lines on the form of government on that.

Leading up to the World Cup there was lots of talk about alcohol and if beer and liquor would be served at the World Cup games. Almost flip flopping articles were coming out from The New York Times, Washington Post, ESPN, The BBC, Reuters, etc; discussing if they were or weren’t going to be allowing beer and alcohol sales.

Ahead of the tournament itself, in some of the friendlies, Budweiser was served at small, remote locations on the stadium’s venues. But it appears, that just two days ahead of the World Cup itself they’ve reversed their decision and are now banning the beer.

World Cup organisers have banned the sale of alcohol around stadiums in Qatar after last-minute showdown talks, FIFA announced on Friday.

First reported by British newspaper The Times, FIFA and Qatari organisers were engaged in late negotiations over whether beer would be sold at the stadiums during the tournament, which begins on Sunday.

ESPN: Qatar bans alcohol at World Cup stadiums in late reversal

ESPN has picked up the article mainly stemming from the British newspaper The Times. Stating that main negotiations are between Budweiser through FIFA and with the Qatar government.

FIFA said in a statement: “Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing the sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters.”

While supporters can purchase alcohol at the official fan zones during the competition, the sale of beer at the matches themselves has been a controversial topic.

It appeared an agreement was originally struck to allow FIFA to permit sponsors Budweiser to sell beer at the stadiums. This was then further clarified in the buildup to the tournament after The New York Times first reported that the beer tents would be less visible at the grounds on request of the hosts.

But it emerged there was late pressure on FIFA to halt sales of alcohol at the stadiums themselves, two days before hosts Qatar kick off the tournament on Sunday against Ecuador.

“There is no impact to the sale of Bud Zero which will remain available at all Qatar’s World Cup stadiums,” FIFA added.

“Host country authorities and FIFA will continue to ensure that the stadiums and surrounding areas provide an enjoyable, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans.

“The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”

ESPN: Qatar bans alcohol at World Cup stadiums in late reversal

Just a few minutes ago, Budweiser (through AB InBev) tweeted the following:

Well, this is awkward…— Budweiser (@Budweiser) November 18, 2022

This tweet has since been deleted.

Qatar Hosting Controversies

To say Qatar is a controversial FIFA World Cup host is… well.. an understatement in the minimum. Allegations of bribery, scandals, work arounds, and all kinds of corruption and lies to get the tournament to Qatar have surfaced. One of their initial pitches in 2009 / 2010 were “clouds”. These were supposed to be floating platforms that would hang above the stadiums, similar to drones but on a massive scale, and would push cold air down onto the players and fans, and expel the hot air upwards. Obviously, this technology has never come to fruition.

The selection of Qatar to host this year’s FIFA World Cup brought cheers to the streets of Doha in a celebration of the first edition of the tournament to be held in the Arab world.

But the choice, made in 2010, also sparked instant criticism – over the logistics of holding a sporting event in a country where summertime temperatures regularly top 100 degrees; over allegations of bribery and corruption among FIFA officials who voted for Qatar; and over concerns about human rights abuses that have persisted in the years since.

Now, with the World Cup days away, the Gulf country is expecting the arrival of more than a million fans. And billions more will tune in to watch the tournament’s 64 games. Yet the controversies have not subsided.

Recently, even the former head of FIFA called the selection of Qatar a mistake.

“It was a bad choice. And I was responsible for that as president at the time,” said Sepp Blatter, whose term as FIFA administrator ended in 2015 amid a bribery scandal.

Why Qatar is a controversial host for the World Cup

Two More Days

We are just two more days to the kick off of one of the biggest and fun events that only happens every four years. As a soccer fan I love the World Cup, the history, the games, etc. I remember watching the 1998 tournament and being so engrossed when it was held here in America. And I am eagerly anticipating the 2026 World Cup in North America. Hopefully will get to a game (can’t wait to see how ridiculous the prices will be).

Here’s to hoping that the United States Men’s Team gets it all together and gets a good push and run going. We are in Group B with Wales, England, and Iran. England should be the hardest competition in the group to us. Hopefully we can win out of the group, but second in the group should be at least attainable.

Further Information

• ESPN: Qatar bans alcohol at World Cup stadiums in late reversal
• NPR: Why Qatar is a controversial host for the World Cup
• Sky News: Qatar World Cup: Beer to be banned from all stadiums – except for corporate spectators
• The Washington Post: Qatar’s Controversial $300 Billion World Cup Is Almost Here: Q&A

In Other News

Recent local beer news:

• Jackass Brewery Announces Pulisic Pilsner

November

Its still November (obviously) and that means I’m still doing the 30 for 30. So be sure to check back here, and check out the other November articles. Lots of interesting stuff, from Yards Brewing Paying Up on their Wager, to Beer Reviews, to a Hike Review, to the birth of our daughter Scarlet Emma, to brewery news, World Cup news (like this article), Pour Man’s Brewing Moving Their Tap Room, brewfest events like Auto and Ales, Brewsgiving, and Burley Oak’s Controlled Chaos, etc. Thank you for all reading!

Thanks For Reading

Thanks for reading everyone! Things have certainly been a bit hectic here at The Beer Thrillers Headquarters. Spent from 11.09.22 til 11.16.22 in the hospital with getting Scarlet Emma born. …Oh yea, did I mention we had a kid? Thats kinda big news huh? Scarlet Emma was born at 5:52PM on 11.11.22 (Kurt Vonnegut’s 100th Birthday). November is usually a busy month anyway, with Autos and Ales, with Thanksgiving, with me doing my version of NaNoWriMo; where I try and write an article a day for the entire month. So its a very busy month here at The Beer Thrillers, especially now with the introduction of a new baby into our lives. But what a great addition! Wouldn’t change that for anything.

I do want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out to congratulate us on Facebook, Instagram, etc. It means a lot!

And I of course, want to say thank you to everyone who has read any of our articles, commented, liked, shared, subscribed, followed, etc. It means so much to us here at The Beer Thrillers!

I just want to mention one last thing. Pretzels.com has reached out to me to start an affiliate program. Amy and I will be tasting some of their different flavors, writing an article about them, and beer pairings with them, and will have an affiliate link going forward with them. So if you want to get pretzels, please make sure to use our link and our code when we have it all set up. This will help yourself (discounts, yay!), and help us out here at the blog.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Cheers!

-B. Kline

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Great news for the Athens Ohio brewery Little Fish Brewing Company, as they are expanding into Dayton Ohio. Early Wednesday the Athens based brewery announced that they signed a letter of intent with Windsor Companies to open a second location in Dayton at Webster Station, which is in downtown.

This won’t be immediate however, as the construction is due to begin in Spring 2021.

In a statement at the release of this announcement, the marketing director, Carli Dexter, for Windsor Companies said: “Downtown is really growing into an exciting hub for small and independent restaurants and bars, shopping, entertainment and living. We couldn’t be more excited that Little Fish is going to be a part of that.”

The location, 112 Webster Station, was the former site of Midwest Tools. Windsor Companies purchased the location in September of 2020. Little Fish Brewing Company will be the first tenant signed on to lease at the location.

I got to stop at Little Fish Brewing Company on my trip from Harrisburg Pennsylvania to Indianapolis Indiana and back. The brewery in Athens with its gorgeous outside venue, and wonderful building, was a fantastic little brewery, and the beer and food were excellent. You can see my trip article when I visited Little Fish here: Trip to Indy – Day Six.

I had an excellent, although sadly short, time there, and the bartenders were both very wonderful, talkative, and knew their beer. Great people working there that is for sure.

Their new location in Dayton will be focused primarily on sour beers, specifically wood barrel aged ones. Little Fish has made sure to let their customers know you will be able to enjoy all of their beers at both locations in the future; at both the Athens and the Dayton taprooms and beer gardens.

Little Fish Brewing Company is five years old, having started in 2015 by Sean White and Jimmy Stockwell, natives of Athens Ohio. But, they assure everyone they are no strangers to the Dayton area as well. As part of their release, Stockwell said: “Dayton is growing, and we very much look forward to being part of its future. We’re excited to become part of the vibrant restaurant and brewery scene and to bring a piece of the spirit of Athens to this strong community.”

Their Untappd description reads: “Our philosophy is to brew simple, rustic, and beautiful beers. While farmhouse ales and barrel-aged sours are close to our hearts, we equally love to brew and drink a meticulously crafted lager or a hop-forward pale ale. Nothing is off the table as long as it pairs well with friends and family! We strive to make our brewery a reflection of our beliefs. Our electricity is sourced from 100% renewable energy: solar & wind power. Almost every beer we make contains a majority of Ohio-grown ingredients by weight (starting with the base malt), and many of our beers are 100% Ohio-grown. Finally, we regularly support social justice and environmental causes that we believe in. Thanks for choosing our beer, and for appreciating the love & passion that goes into it!”

Read below for their official Facebook announcement, posted today – Wednesday, 11.18.20, with photos courtesy of their Facebook page:

“Athens brewery to find new home in downtown Dayton

Little Fish Brewing Company signs letter of intent to open taproom and brewery on Webster St.

ATHENS, OH – Athens, Ohio-based brewery Little Fish Brewing Company announced today that it has signed a letter of intent with the Windsor Companies to develop a second location in downtown Dayton. Construction is projected to begin in spring of 2021.The Windsor Companies acquired the buildings at 112 Webster Station, formerly known as Midwest Tools, along with a few surrounding properties in September 2020. The brewery is the first tenant to sign on to the project, which is within walking distance of downtown, Day Air Ballpark, the Riverscape and the Fire Blocks District.“Downtown is really growing into an exciting hub for small and independent restaurants and bars, shopping, entertainment and living,” said Carli Dexter of The Windsor Companies. “We couldn’t be more excited that Little Fish is going to be a part of that.”The future Little Fish location will be dedicated to the production of wood- and barrel-aged sour beers. Patrons will be able to enjoy these, as well as other Little Fish beers from the Athens location at the taproom and beer garden. Also featured will be a farm-to-table kitchen developed by Little Fish’s Executive Chef, Becky Clark.Stockwell and White are no strangers to the Dayton area. Little Fish distributes beer here to local craft beer centric bars, breweries, and bottle shops.

“Dayton is growing, and we very much look forward to being part of its future,” said Jimmy Stockwell, Co-Founder of Little Fish. “We’re excited to become part of the vibrant restaurant and brewery scene and to bring a piece of the spirit of Athens to this strong Community.”Little Fish Brewing Company was founded in 2015 by Athens natives Sean White and Jimmy Stockwell. While the brewery brews many styles of beers, it focuses on farmhouse and sour ales made with Ohio-grown and processed ingredients. Notable awards include the 2016 World Beer Cup Gold Award for Belgian- and French-Style Ale, 2018 World Beer Cup Bronze Award for Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer, 2020 Great American Beer Festival Silver medal, wood & barrel-aged fruites sour beer.”

As I said earlier, I got to visit them for just a brief bit on my travels, but I came away very highly impressed with them. And have become big fans. I have been recommending them to all of my friends who are asking about travel and brewery recommendations in the area. If you are in Athens (or come 2021 – Dayton) make sure to stop by and give them a visit. You won’t be disappointed, I can guarantee that. The staff, the beers, the food, are all wonderful.

To read more about their announcement, you can see this article from Dayton.com: “Popular Athens Brewery Expands to Dayton.”

For more brewery news on my blog, you can follow the news below:

You can read about more brewery closures here:

• Stoudt’s Brewing Closing
• Crystal Ball Brewing Closes
• Voodoo Brewery Lancaster Closes
• Spigot Brewing Closes
• Full Pint Brewing Closes
• Night Shift Brewing Cancels Expansion
• Mikkeller Brewing NYC Closes Permanently

And in better, happier news, check out our articles on brewery openings:

Be sure to check out our other articles on brewery openings:

• A Sneak Preview of Rubber Soul Brewing (Hummelstown)
• Midwest Coast Brewing Opens (Chicago)
• Rally Point – Cox Brewing Taproom Opens (Elizabethtown)
• Boneshire Brew Works to Open Second Taproom in Harrisburg (Harrisburg)
• Irv’s Pub Rebranded as Rotunda Brewing Pub (Hershey)
• Official BBQ (Pizza Boy Secondary Location) (Rutherford)
• Pilger Ruh Brewing Needs Your Help (Pottsville)
• Highway Manor Brewing Co. (Camp Hill)
• Grand Opening: Rubber Soul Brewing Company (Hummelstown)
• Tap Room Opening: Howling Henry’s Brewery (Hummelstown)
• Levity Brewing Expanding Taproom and Opening Second Location

Shipping News:

• Imprint Begins to Ship State Wide
• Tattered Flag Announces Supply Drop

To see all about my trip to and from Indianapolis, you can check out the following articles:

The Trip to Indianapolis:

• The Trip to Indy
• The Trip to Indy – Day One Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Two Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Three Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Four Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Five Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Six Recap
• The Trip to Indy – Day Seven Recap
• Recap and Stats

Also, be sure to check out some of our other beer reviews in recent history:

• Beer Review: Dreams of Orgonon (Human Robot)
• Beer Review: Unicorns Stomping on Lanternflies (Saucony Creek Brewing Co)
• Beer Review: Griddle (Funk Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: Out of Order: Blue Milk (RAR Brewing)
• Beer Review: Up the Creek Extreme Ale (Thomas Creek Brewery)
• Beer Review: Hershey’s Chocolate Porter (Yuengling Brewery)
• Beer Review: Dropout (Rubber Soul Brewing)
• Beer Review: Pigtoberfest (Boneshire Brew Works)
• Beer Review: I Voted Today (Tired Hands)
• Beer Review: Super Villain (Urban Village Brewing Company)
• Beer Review: The Growfather (Stickman Brews)

You can check out the tabs at the top of each page to visit our BEER REVIEWS, BEER EDUCATION, TRAVELOGUES, etc. Be sure to check out all the latest beer reviews, as we’re pumping a lot out in recent time.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Thanks for reading everyone, stay safe, be careful, and cheers!

-B. Kline

Another style underrepresented here on the blog and in beer reviews in general is the pilsner. I’ve done a few reviews of them, but they’ve been exclusively in multiple beer review posts where I’m doing a flight or reviewing two or more beers at once. But I was gifted a can of this by J. Hoak after his Halloween party from when he and Tattered Flag did their collaboration with Levante Brewing Company. So thats’ gonna change now… its time to do a review of a pilsner!

Beer: Birra Di Levante
Brewery: Levante Brewing Company
Style: Pilsner – Other
ABV: 4.9%
IBU: 32
Untappd Write-Up: A fine Pils is crafted from water with terroir. West Chester provides our brewery with such a pure water source that we hardly manipulate our water profile to achieve the characteristics of a true Bohemian-style Pilsner, lagered and further clarified through filtration. True to classic style, Tettnang hops brighten this crisp golden-straw hue Pils with earthy aromatics of noble spice.

Levante Brewing Company is probably best known for Tickle Parts (IPA); which as I write this blog, I’m currently drinking a variant of it (Tickle Parts Passionfruit IPA). But this pilsner certainly deserves recognition and should be mentioned when discussing some great beers that Levante has made. Pilsners for a long time are one of my ‘weird’ categories of beers or styles of beers; where it can go either way with little wiggle room. Either pilsners have a weird taste to me and its just off putting and I can’t drink it, or their extremely good and I could down a six pack in no time flat.

Luckily, this one falls more on the “how many cans do I have in the fridge? …thats not enough!” side of things.

Appearance for this is crystal clear light straw. Similar to the Newfangled Brew Works Lager I reviewed yesterday; this is clear, crisp looking, with nice bubbles, and good lacing on the glass afterwards. Great carbonation coming out of the can.

Aroma is light beer fare, but with some earthy undertones to it. Once again, similar to the Lager and similar to lagers and pilsners in general, this just has that ‘beer’ smell to it. The stereotypical, prototypical, nondescript ‘beer’ smell one associates with beer, when ‘cracking open a cold one’ after a long day’s work. There is some spices that you can get a faint hint of, earthy herbal spices, but they are pretty faint and more of an undertone than something to stand out.

Taste is clean, crisp, clear, straight forward pilsner. Not too many frills or sillyness with this beer. Light and low in ABV at only 4.9%, this is what a simple clear crisp refreshing beer should taste like. This is easily crushable and would make for a wonderful fantastic six-pack beer for a game or mowing the yard. There is a nice hoppy taste to this that kicks this up a bit of a notch from your generic or average pilsner, or lager, or lite beer. Certainly over the corporate swill of Coors, Bud, Miller.

My Untappd Rating: ****.25
Global Untappd Rating: 3.64 (as of 11.18.19)

This passionfruit Tickle Parts is super good too, you can probably look for this to be the review tomorrow, so keep your antennas ready to check out the site for when it drops! Hopefully before work (makes it easier), so check around 10AM.

Fingers crossed.

Cheers!

-B. Kline