This is when you know things are getting really bad...

SABMiller, the second-biggest brewer in the world, reported a surprise 1 percent drop in volume shipments in the last three months of 2008, compared with a year earlier. Its lager volumes in Europe fell 1 percent, led by a 22 percent drop in Russia. In the United States, volume sales of its MillerCoors joint venture with Canada’s Molson dropped 2.3 percent.

The Danish brewer Carlsberg announced it was cutting about 275 jobs in Europe. Diageo, which makes everything from Cuervo tequila to Guinness, put on hold an $840 million expansion of beer production in Ireland. The British Beer and Pub Association reported that pubs were struggling across the country as beer sales fell to their lowest in 70 years. (article)

It's time for us to get real serious and tackle this together. If there is one thing we can do to directly contribute to the rescue of ecomony, apparently getting a beer after work (or at work) is the right thing to do now!

More eating and drinking delight in Peru

Cibecha (civecha) is the traditional coastal Peruvian food - raw seafood marinated in lime juice and served with corns (as big as quarters!) and sweet potato. SOOOOOO GOOD!

Oh and of course it's even better washed down by a gulp of Cusquena!

Are you worth your weight in pivo?

I came upon this article on the BBC today. 

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excerpt:

US father sells daughter for beer

A man has been arrested in California after allegedly arranging for his 14-year-old daughter to marry a neighbour in exchange for beer, meat and $16,000.

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Beer, meat and money sounds like a fair tradeoff for a person- more varied and valuable than just trading people for camels or something.

This article made me think- are you worth your weight in pivo? How much beer do you think could be fairly traded for your person?

Expidition

When the north starts to snow,

You naturally seek sun, ... and cold beer, in the south.

PORTUGAL
Ginjinha from the oldest store in Lisboa that sells it - not too shabby. Even a cherry flavor hater like me liked it, especially at 10am!


BRAZIL
I honestly didn't do much in Rio except drinking caipirinhas on the beach - what else is one supposed to do?


Passion Fruit Caipirinha - exquisite!


More Brazilian pivos sampled:



[I was just very excited at the beer bottle holder which is novelty to me. And what's inside the holder is really a bottle of Kaiser and Skol, not the lame SOL!]

PERU
Pivo Love - Peruvian edition.


Cusquena - apparently from Cusco. National brew that you can find everywhere in the country.


Whereas Arequipena is only available in the south - obviously mostly around Arequipa.


And in the meantime Lima's ambitious 2 year old new brand Franca wants a share too!

[Oh, and Inka Kola is THE soft drink in the country. Apparently Peru is the only country in the world that the American Colas are not leading the market. Guess who's the winner here?]