One of the dorkiest most amazing gaming systems to appear in years has just been unvailed (for now via eBay only): The Gamerator. A full-scale arcade-style gaming system, The Gamerator is loaded with 187 classic games… AND a refrigerated interior that can hold a pony-keg of beer.

The system includes realistic joysticks, buttons, and trackball - all reminiscent of the arcade systems of yester year. But, unlike your daddy’s arcade games, The Gamerator also boasts a 24-inch LCD screen and two cup holders. Plus, when you tire of Asteroids (not that that would happen any time soon), you can hook the machine up to almost any PC or game system with an adaptor (sold separately). Currently being sold on eBay, the minimum bid for The Gamerator is $2,000 and the auction will run until November 10.

In some good news for Good Beer Advocacy nation-wide, after years of biggering and biggering, it appears that sales of imported beer are on the decline. According to Brandweek,

Constellation Brands, Fairport, N.Y., which handles Corona and other Modelo products via the Crown Imports joint venture, did not, as usual, disclose exact figures last month, but CEO Robert Sands did say that third-quarter shipments for the leading brand declined by “low-single digits.”

Heineken, whose fate isn’t quite as bad, faces declining numbers, too. after posting increases at a rate of 7.7% from 2004 to 2006 (per Beer Marketers Insights), their numbers are up just 1.3% from January to June this year, compared to a year ago. 

Why the sudden change in beer-drinking trends? Analysts claim that a price increase for Corona, along with the growing popularity of local craft beers are starting to have an impact. Huzzah.

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To usher in “Drink Maine Beer” month, last night (Saturday November 3rd) the girlfriend and I made our way through the remains of Hurricane Noel to the 14th annual Maine Brewer’s Festival, with a whopping 15 breweries present. And suffice it to say that the only letdown was the absence of Allagash Brewing (due, apparently, to a “scheduling conflict”).

Even though there is never enough time and always lines, I was still able to sample ten very impressive brews. As I am apt to do at large festivals (of any sort, really), I stayed away from the beers which are always readily available to me (Shipyard, Casco Bay Brewing, Geary’s) who hadn’t brought anything extra special to the table and tried to seek out & sample the more obscure. I was even able to scratch out a few notes while waiting in line and ranked each sample on an A through F scale (’cause there’s nothing quite like using an elementary school grading system for ranking beer). My whole ranking is listed below, but my two favorite brews of the evening were Freeport Brewing Company’s Ex-wife Bitter Blonde Ale (*I generally am a big fan of unfiltered blonde ales to begin with, but this one had a little extra clove & hop kick, which was a great surprise) and Gritty McDuff’s Silver-Award Winning Cask-Conditioned IPA (*the sign in front of the cask said “this IPA will knock you on your ass” and it was exactly right, in every good way imaginable), and I gave Freeport Brewing my personal Surprise Brewery of the Evening award.

Overall, I was able to sample brews from The Atlantic Brewing Co. (Bar Harbor, ME), Carrabassett Brewing (a division of Casco Bay Brewing), Freeport Brewing Co. (Freeport, ME), Gritty McDuff’s (Portland/Auburn/Freeport, ME), Kennebunkport Brewing (Kennebunkport, ME), Peak Organic Brewing (Portland, ME), Sheepscot Brewing (Whitefield, ME), and Stonecoast Brewing (Portland, ME). We finished the evening off with a few slices of pizza from Portland Pie Co. and a sample of cheesecake to accompany the beer on its way to our stomachs. It was a great time and one we certainly won’t miss next year (on Saturday November 1st, so mark your calenders now)!

B    Limited Edition Auld Ale (Atlantic Brewing Co.)
D    Carrabassett Harvest Ale (Carrabassett Brewing)
A-  Chocolate Porter (Freeport Brewing)
A+  Ex-Wife Bitter Blonde (Freeport Brewing)
A+  Cask-Conditioned IPA (Gritty’s)
A    2006 Vintage Cask-Conditioned Prelude Holiday Ale (Kennebunkport Brewing)
B-   Taint Town Pale Ale (Kennebunkport Brewing)
B+  Pale Ale (Peak Organic Brewing)
A-    Damariscotta Double Brown (Sheepscot Brewing)
B    High Roller Hefeweizen (Stonecoast Brewing)

According to an article which appeared in England’s Telegraph today, having a beer after playing a game of football, a long run, or a strenuous round of golf can be good for the body, scientists are now reporting. In a bit of good news for those who enjoy their brew, Spanish researchers have announced that their findings suggest that beer can help someone who is dehydrated retain liquid better than water.

Prof Manuel Garzon, of Granada University, told reporters that the bubbles in beer help to quench the thirst and that its carbohydrate content can help to replace lost calories. Prof Garzon asked a group of students to do strenuous exercise in temperatures of around 40ºC (104ºF). Half were given a pint of beer, while the others received the same volume of water.

Prof Garzon, who announced the results at a press conference in Granada beneath a banner declaring “Beer, Sport, Health”, said the hydration effect in those who drank beer was “slightly better”.

Juan Antonio Corbalan, a cardiologist who worked formerly with Real Madrid football players and Spain’s national basketball team, said beer had the perfect profile for re-hydration after strenuous exercise. He added that he had long recommended barley drinks to professional sportsmen after practices & games.

So get up from your desk and go get some exercise. But when you get back, for God’s sake, have a beer.

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Fosters (you know, that Australian word for ‘beer’) has just released its first ever Internet-only ad, entitled Stubby Symphony.

Why has Foster’s decided its Stubby Symphony ad is best on the web? It’s the medium of choice for its target market. According to an article from Austrailia’s Daily Telegraph, Foster’s group marketing manager for their Victoria Bitter brand (commonly known as VB) Ben Wicks said,

“We just think it adds to the surprise. We are talking to them (young men) in their space, and their space is increasingly digital,”

The ad features more than 90 musicians, most from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and all of their instruments are made from VB bottles, with liquid used to alter the notes in each bottle. The filming of the ad took place in Melbourne’s Concert Hall.

The company is also encouraging web users to submit their own films using “VB stubbies”, with first prize receiving 52 cases of Foster’s beer. 

This campaign is, of course, marketing genius on Foster’sbehalf. In no other medium does an advertisement travel so quickly and freely. As you can see below, the ad appears on blogaboutbeer.com–by way of YouTube–completely free of charge (and I promise this isn’t the only site where you can find it). Thanks in no small part to the blogging revolution (and every daily newspaper and every magazine in the world having an online presence), Foster’s is able to produce an ad, in all likelihood pay for it only a few times, claim to be spearheading the revolution of Internet-only beer advertising, and the ad spreads for free, across the blogisphere, like wildfire (guilty as charged). Truly genius; and undoubtedly only the beginning.

Without further adieu, the click below to view the ad: