(San Antonio, TX) – The following is an excerpt from the Freetail Brewing newsletter…

As happens every year, La Muerta will be on tap tomorrow when we open at 11:30am. This year’s version of our Imperial Stout is as good as ever. When John and I sampled yesterday (you know, for… like… Quality Control purposes…) I commented that I thought it felt a little more full bodied that previous years, which I think complements the beer well. Based on the growing popularity of La Muerta, we expect to have it on tap until late November.

Our annual bottle release will take place on Saturday, November 5 this year (it’ll always be on the first Saturday of November). This year 750 bottles will be made available for sale, the largest bottling project ever undertaken at our brewery (we bottle everything by hand!). Our bottle releases have gotten pretty big, and we know La Muerta is the grandaddy of them all and we plan on making this the best bottle release yet. We’ll have a staff member distributing “tickets” on a first-come, first-serve basis starting at 8am. You’ll need to turn in your ticket to buy your beers, which have a 3 bottle/person limit. If there are any left over after everyone makes it through the line, we’ll allow folks to buy more. Quite honestly I’m a little anxious to see if we make it completely through the line.

La Muerta 2011 was another double batch, brewed on October 5th and 6th. We’re spending all of Halloween day filling the 750 bottles that will be made available to the public, plus a couple of extras for “internal purposes”. As mentioned above, this year will have a 3 bottle/person limit.

(Brooklyn, NY) – Remember Urkontinent? The beer that Google and Dogfish Head jointly announced the release of in September? The beer that was a collaboration between the professional brewers and the Google team using Google Docs software?

Well, I finally got around to watching the Google Talk by Sixpoint‘s Shane Welch from late July. Fast-forward to around the 49-minute mark and get a load of this:

“I also want to talk about this crazy idea I had. I think we can do this and I think we can do it really well.

I think we can really knock it out of the park here.”

For all of the flack that Facebook gets about taking ideas, I guess it’s not beyond other Silicon Valley tech giants.*

(*that or Welch inexplicably turned down the opportunity to work with Google on this beer just a week or so later which seems unlikely)

[Above: Kate the Great bottles via drocpsu on Flickr (cc)]

(Portsmouth, NH) – The Portsmouth Brewery updated its website on Thursday with some Kate the Great Imperial Stout news:

The date for 2012′s Kate the Great Release is selected.

• This year’s Kate will be put into smaller bottles (330ml/11.2oz) to increase availability.

(Anchorage, AK) – Some notes from a recent Midnight Sun Brewing newsletter…

LONDON is the fifth beer in our 2011 World Tour series to be released. It is currently on tap up in the Loft and available in 22′s at MSBC and around Anchorage. Created from second runnings of Arctic Devil Barley Wine, London is a not-so-small beer, weighing in at 8.8% ABV. It was aged in bourbon oak barrels with Brettanomyces.

NEXT UP: Moscow Rye Russian Imperial Stout and Anchorage Ice Bock.

Mark yer calendars–our next Good MoJo day is FRI NOV 11 – It’s 11.11.11. Last keg ever.

CAN UPDATE: Look for more fabulous MSBC beers in CANS beginning JAN 2012.

via Midnight Sun Brewing Company | aLe-MaiL.

Press Release:

• SABMiller plc, Anadolu Group (Anadolu Endüstri Holding A.Ş., Yazıcılar Holding A.Ş. and Özilhan Sınai Yatırım A.Ş.), and Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii A.Ş. (“Anadolu Efes”) agree a strategic alliance for Turkey, Russia, the CIS, Central Asia and the Middle East (“the Territory”)

• SABMiller to transfer its Russian and Ukrainian beer businesses to Anadolu Efes

• Anadolu Efes to transfer a 24% equity stake to SABMiller by way of a capital increase

• Anadolu Efes to be the vehicle for both groups’ investments in the Territory

• Following the capital increase, the Anadolu Group will control 42.81% of Anadolu Efes’s enlarged share capital

• Pursuant to a shareholders’ agreement between the Anadolu Group and SABMiller, the Anadolu Group will maintain control of Anadolu Efes after completion of the capital increase and business contribution. SABMiller will have customary minority protection rights

• The combined Russian business will have a strong number 2 position in value share terms, with a highly attractive brand portfolio and is expected to yield significant cost synergies of at least US$120m per year, and provide additional revenue synergy opportunities

• Anadolu Efes and SABMiller to share best practice and Anadolu Efes to develop SABMiller’s international brands in the Territory

• The transaction is subject to confirmatory due diligence, execution of legally binding documentation, regulatory approvals and approval by Anadolu Efes’s shareholders in General Assembly of the increase in Anadolu Efes’s share capital

SABMiller and Anadolu Efes today announce their intention to form a strategic alliance in terms of which Anadolu Efes will be the vehicle for both groups’ investments in the Territory and SABMiller will transfer its beer businesses in Russia and Ukraine to Anadolu Efes. Anadolu Efes will issue 142,105,263 new Anadolu Efes shares to SABMiller, representing a 24% equity stake post capitalisation in the enlarged Anadolu Efes.

In recognition of the long-term nature of the partnership, SABMiller and the Anadolu Group will enter into a shareholders’ agreement to ensure that the Anadolu Group will continue to exercise majority control over Anadolu Efes. SABMiller will be represented on the Anadolu Efes Board and will have customary minority investment protection rights. It will also be represented on the board of the combined business in Russia. In addition, both parties have agreed to provide appropriate rights of first offer at fair market value in the event of either party seeking to sell any shares in Anadolu Efes.

SABMiller and Anadolu Efes value SABMiller’s Russian and Ukrainian businesses at an enterprise value of approximately US$1.9bn.

In exchange for transferring its Russian and Ukrainian businesses to Anadolu Efes, SABMiller will receive a loan note. Subject to Anadolu Efes shareholders’ approval of a non pre-emptive capital increase, Anadolu Efes will issue 142,105,263 new Anadolu Efes shares to SABMiller, representing a 24% equity stake, post capitalisation, in Anadolu Efes. The proceeds of the capital increase will be used to immediately redeem the loan note.

Transaction Rationale

The strategic alliance will result in the enlarged Anadolu Efes strengthening its leading position across the Territory:

• The number 2 market position, in value terms, in the large Russian beer market with a valuable portfolio of brands across key market segments, the footprint to compete on a national basis, and value creation through significant cost synergies and potential revenue synergies

• A leading market position in Turkey with 89% share of the beer market and a 69% share of the carbonated soft drinks market via Anadolu Efes’s 50.3% interest in Coca-Cola Icecek. Turkey is one of the world’s high growth economies, with a large population of 74 million people and forecast real (PPP) GDP growth of 5.4% p.a. to 2015 (source EIU)

• Leading market positions in the growth beer markets of Kazakhstan, Moldova and Georgia

• A high quality portfolio of international and local brands.

Additionally, Anadolu Efes and SABMiller will benefit from the opportunity to distribute each other’s international brands across their respective platforms (subject to existing contractual arrangements) and the sharing of best practice.

The transaction is expected to be EPS enhancing for both Anadolu Efes and SABMiller in the first full year following completion.

Conclusion

Commenting on the announcement, Tuncay Özilhan, Chairman of Anadolu Efes and Anadolu Group, said, “We are delighted to join forces with such a strong business partner as SABMiller and to enlarge the Anadolu Efes business in Russia and Ukraine as we believe this will enable us to better capitalize on the potential growth opportunities in our operating region in line with our long term growth plans”. Mr. Özilhan also added “In addition to the significant synergy opportunities available to us as a result of this partnership, we will command a much stronger position in Russia. Moreover, this deal will further strengthen our overall presence in our operating region as a whole and add significant value to both Anadolu Efes and SABMiller stakeholders.”

Graham Mackay, Chief Executive of SABMiller, said, “Both SABMiller and Anadolu Efes have proved to be successful operators in diverse and challenging emerging beer markets and this strategic alliance will allow both our groups to benefit from each other’s expertise, and the combination of our resources. Anadolu Efes’s leading position in beer and soft drinks in the Turkish market and an alliance for further growth and acquisitions in the CIS and Middle East are highly attractive. The prospects for these markets are excellent. They exhibit positive long term demographic, GDP and beer market growth outlooks. We have admired the achievements of Anadolu Efes for many years and we are looking forward to working closely with them in the future.”

Approval Process and Timetable

Anadolu Group, Anadolu Efes and SABMiller have entered into exclusive negotiations and expect to agree definitive legal documentation as soon as possible and to complete the transaction before year end, subject to obtaining clearance from the competition authorities in relevant territories and any other necessary regulatory clearances, and the approval of Anadolu Efes’s shareholders at a General Meeting.

The Anadolu Group has irrevocably undertaken to vote in favour of the necessary resolutions in the General Assembly of Anadolu Efes shareholders.

A further announcement will be made in due course.