With the addition of Three Floyds to the Schlafly Repeal of Prohibition Festival, it got me to thinking. If you were to put on a beer festival, what would you want to see? I think the first thing I’d like to see is more variety. It seems like most of the festivals around here are very locally oriented. I do not think this is a bad thing, I think it’s important to highlight our local brewers.

But I’d love to see more festivals offering up beers from around the nation; beers we can’t normally get in St. Louis. Which is why I found the Repeal of Prohibition Festival so exciting. I think it’s great that we’re going to be able to taste beers from brewers from around the nation. When you look at the number of different breweries at events like the Craft Beer Festival in Boston and I can’t say that I’m not a bit jealous.

I guess my next question is something like that Craft Beer Festival even feasible in St. Louis? The popularity of the St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival makes me think it could be pulled off with the right backing. But anyway, what are some of the things that would be part of your perfect festival?

I’ve been sick as a dog these past few days, so it’s not surprising that Bill got the jump on me in regards to this story.

A state lawmaker wants to give the “King of Beers” its own kingdom by making Budweiser the official beer of Missouri.

“We’ve got a state dinosaur, a state frog, a state reptile, a state flower, a state nut, but no one has given a thought to a company that’s been in Missouri for many, many years and is bringing prosperity to our state and manufacturing a product in our state that many people enjoy,” Dougherty said.

Call it apathy, but my reaction to this is “eh.”  A Beer Advocate member suggested that Missouri BAers may want to “fight this” and I ask why?  I really don’t think it’s the big of a deal.  Let’s face facts, when people think of Missouri and more specifically, St. Louis, they usually think of Anheuser-Busch.  It’s the largest single brewery in the world (no, that conglomerate of breweries called InBev doesn’t count in my mind) and while it may not produce my favorite style of beer they do an amazing job of producing it.  I’ve mentioned this before, and I’m sure to do it again, but the American Style Lager that AB produces is one of the most difficult beers to make.  The fact they do it on such a large scale is really, really impressive.

I guess Bill’s bigger issue with this is the fact this State Representative is wasting tax payer time and money worrying about a “State Beer”, to which I have no argument.  (Plus, Bill’s been pretty cranky as of recent.)  I think William from Year of Beer has the best solution yet:

I think make the state beer American Lager, would be a fine idea. Not directly promoting any company, but still paying tribute to the best selling beer in America that is head quartered in St. Louis.

That’s a brilliant solution.  Not only do you give love to our St. Louis beer brewing giant, but you also get people thinking about beer styles as well as the history of beer.  Anyone interested in starting up a letter writing campaign?

Sara White from Sauce sent me an email letting me know that Left hand Brewing should be arriving in Missouri in late March.  This is another one of those breweries that you can get across river, but not here in St. Louis.  Some of Left Hand’s beers include: Black Jack Porter, Jackman’s American Pale Ale and one of the Alström Brothers favorite beers of 2008, Polestar Pilsner.

As soon as these beers hit the shelves, I’ll be sure to let everyone know.