Yankee Brew News Archive

Letters

Originally Published: Spr/93

Seeking a Finnish Stout

Dear Donald Gosselin,

As an avid reader of Yankee Brew News, I'd like to ask you a very important question: Kopp Finnish Stout used to be available in these parts, but alas! I haven't seen it in at least ten years. Is it available anymore? Indeed, is it still being made? I'm eager to know because once upon a time it was my favorite brew and I'd like very much to renew its acquaintance...

All Best Wishes,

Lawrence Millman

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dear Lawrence:

My beer library yields no references to Kopp Finnish Stout, but several authors mention Koff Imperial Stout, produced by the Sinebrychoff Brewery of Helsinki, Finland. While I can't recall seeing it on local shelves, perhaps with this information in hand, you could ask some of the local beer importers if it is still available. Your fond memories of the brew, if this is indeed the same one, are shared by beer guru Michael Jackson, who gave it a rating of 4 1/2 stars out of a possible five. Good luck in finding it again - Editor.

Greetings from Bohemia

Dear Sirs,

I take the liberty to greet you from Czechoslovakia. First I would like to introduce myself, I am 56 years old, employed at a grocery, and for 20 years I have been collecting beer labels from all the world.

I would like to enlarge further my collection and therefore I dare to ask you to send me kindly the beer labels from breweries in your country. Once, maybe, you are going to visit our country, and then you are nearly welcomed in our town, Usti nad Labem, the center of North Bohemia. I would be very pleased to have the possibility to invite you to my home.

I should like to send you the international cheque at least for the partial settlement of the postage, but it is impossible to buy these cheques in our country and so we beg to send you some beer labels and postcards for your favor.

Allow me to say thank you for your kindness and for further extension of my collection of beer labels.

Yours sincerely,

Jaroslav Kozak

Masarykova 539/352

400 01 USTI n. L. - Bukov

Czechoslovakia

Readers--anyone interested in making a friend in Bohemia? I'm sure Mr. Kozak would love to hear from you - Editor.

Reycycle the YBN

To the Yankee Brew News crew:

We recently read and enjoyed your Fall 1992 issue that we picked up in U.S. Brewing Supply in Albany.

I would like to suggest that your paper encourage your readers to recycle the paper that the Yankee Brew News is printed on. Maybe you could print something in each issue reminding readers to recycle.

Thank you for your time and your find newspaper.

Sincerely,

The S & S Homebrewers

Albany, New York

Dear S & S Homebrewers:

Coincidentally, we printed a recycling message in our last issue. Our experience has been that many copies of the YBN get passed around and read by several people. We hope the ultimate destination for copies not being saved for future reference is a recycling bin - Editor.

Alcohol and Responsibility

Editor's note: While this letter was received some months ago, space constraints have not allowed it to be printed until now. We are presenting it to encourage the continuation of open dialogue on this serious issue.

Dear Mr. Gosselin:

I picked up a copy of your Summer 1992 issue and was intrigued by a letter from D. Paluzak regarding restrictions in advertising and the sale of alcoholic beverages. Although I was not privy to the articles he commented on, I surmised from the tone of the letter that your periodical advocates the unrestrained advertising of alcoholic beverages.

If this is indeed the case I would suggest to you that while in many instances the consumption of fine brews can add to the rich and textured culture of life, the often times destructive and tragic consequences of alcohol abuse are extremely prevalent in our society. Also the cost borne by society for these consequences are enormous.

It is my belief that any member of the alcohol industry who seeks to profit from the sale of alcohol has a responsibility to give back, in some measure, a reasonable degree of that profit in the form of education or treatment programs. If this were the case, issues such as restrictions on alcohol advertising may never need arise.

Mr. Paluzak makes the argument that it is a question of personal liberty. I say that is false. We as a society all pay the costs incurred when drugs, including alcohol, create disease in epidemic proportion. It is reflected in your health care costs as well as mine.

As I stated at the outset, I did not see the issue that Mr. Paluzak's letter referred to and bear with me if I draw some erroneous conclusions. I urge you to remember that alcohol can be a deadly drug and that it is ultimately in all of our best interests to encourage everyone to use it responsibly.

Thanks,

John Meehan

Keene, New Hampshire

Dear John:

We at the YBN share your concern about the effects alcohol abuse can have on both individuals and society. Part of the mission of our publication is to promote the safe, moderate enjoyment of fine malt beverages. The topic of alcohol advertising was analyzed in our spring 1992 issue in a guest editorial by Tom Dalldorf, publisher of The Celebrator, a West Coast brewspaper. Tom highlighted an Oregon ballot initiative to ban all alcohol advertising in the state, which, we agree with him, is a "meat axe" approach to solving the problem of alcohol abuse - Editor.