MillerCoors reinforces its commitment to protect and preserve local water resources, a key sustainable development priority for the company, with its second annual Water Stewardship Volunteer Month this September. MillerCoors breweries across the country will partner with local non-profit organizations to host employee volunteer activities focused on protecting local watersheds.  

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"Clean, high-quality water is not only a key ingredient in our great beers, it's also an essential ingredient for healthy and vibrant communities across the country," said MillerCoors Chief Executive Officer Leo Kiely.

MillerCoors will build upon the success of its first Water Stewardship Volunteer Month, during which more than 500 employees volunteered 1,650 hours. Through activities with non-profits in 11 MillerCoors communities, employees will help clean up rivers and beaches, test water quality, remove invasive species and plant native trees and shrubs along river banks.

MillerCoors is constantly working to be a good steward of water and reduce water usage. In 2009, the company recorded a water usage ratio of 4.11 barrels of water per barrel of beer produced and continues to work towards its 2015 goal of reducing water usage by 15 percent to achieve a water-to-beer ratio of 3.50 to 1.00. The company is also conducting water foot-printing research to identify and address future risks.

Several MillerCoors breweries across the country have implemented innovative ways to conserve water. At the Ft. Worth brewery, dry lubricant is used on some of its production lines instead of water and the brewery will switch to the dry lubricant on all lines by the end of 2010. The Ft. Worth brewery currently uses 3.5 barrels of water per barrel of beer produced. Several other breweries are also researching the use of dry lubricant in their production lines.  

"Water stewardship is a priority for the business and our employees are passionate about making a difference. We build awareness around preserving this precious resource in September to give employees the opportunity to volunteer in the communities where we live and work," Kiely added.  For every employee volunteer hour, MillerCoors will donate $2 to the United Way.

Listed below are the Water Stewardship Volunteer Month events taking place throughout September.

Golden, CO, Saturday, September 11, 9am-3pm

The brewery will host its fourth annual Friends of the Forest day in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Forest Foundation to repair the streambed along Clear Creek.

Elkton, VA, Friday, September 17, 9am-1pm

Employees will volunteer with Shenandoah Valley Pure Water Forum to help clean up the Island Ford Boat Launch on Shenandoah River while canoeing.

Albany, GA, Friday, September 17, 2pm-4pm

The brewery will team with Keep Albany/Dougherty Beautiful to pick up litter near Lake Chehaw and help place storm drain markers on city streets.

Chicago, IL, Saturday, September 18, 9am-12pm

Volunteers will restore the Chicago River waterway by planting a garden, testing water quality and removing invasive plants with Friends of the Chicago River.

Fort Worth, TX, Saturday, September 18, 8:30am-11:30am

Employees will join with the Tarrant Regional Water District for the 19th annual Trinity River Trash Bash.

Chippewa Falls, WI, Saturday, September 25, 8am-11:30am

Leinenkugel employees will team with Chippewa Falls Department of Parks and Recreation to clean up the banks of Duncan Creek and build a rain garden.

Eden, NC, Saturday, September 25, 8am-12pm

Employees will help restore the Leaksville Landing boat access and historic Bateau Port in partnership with the Dan River Basin Association.

Trenton, OH, Saturday, September 25, 9am-12pm

The brewery will work with Miami Conservancy District to secure the banks of a new boat ramp and landscape the area overlooking the river.  

Irwindale, CA, Saturday, September 25, 9am-12pm

The brewery will join the Ocean Conservancy to help clean up the coast as part of the International Coastal Clean-up.

Milwaukee, WI, Saturday, September 25, 9am-12pm

Employees will clean up the Milwaukee River and remove trash at Lincoln Park with partner Milwaukee Riverkeeper.

Puerto Rico, Saturday, September 25, 9am-1pm

Employees will work with Coalicion Playa Para Todos in Mar Chiquita in Manati to help clean up the beach for International Clean-Up day.

For more information on these activities and other sustainability initiatives, visit www.GreatBeerGreatResponsibility.com or Great Beer, Great Responsibility on Facebook.  

About MillerCoors

Built on a foundation of great beer brands and more than 288 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers.  MillerCoors is the second largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales.  Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment.  Miller Lite is the great tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to refreshment as cold as the Rockies.  MGD 64 completes the company's premium light beer portfolio, offering consumers fresh, crisp taste at just 64 calories.  MillerCoors brews premium beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft; and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light.  The company also imports Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch and Molson Canadian and offers innovative products such as Miller Chill and Sparks.  MillerCoors features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company.  MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel's craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, WI and two microbreweries, the 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver.  MillerCoors vision is to create America's best beer company by driving profitable industry growth.  MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact.  MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.

SOURCE MillerCoors

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http://www.GreatBeerGreatResponsibility.com

Patricia Russo, chairman of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America today provided keynote remarks and joined Steve Pasierb, Partnership CEO and Ken Winters, PhD., chairman of the organization's science advisory board and professor at the University of Minnesota, to review a number of new research-based programs from the Partnership at the National Prevention Network Prevention Research Conference.

According to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nine million people in America under the age of 26 need help for substance abuse and addiction. In response to the broad needs of families, the Partnership has developed science-based tools and interactive resources that guide parents from preventing drug and alcohol abuse in their families to intervening when they think their child is having a problem. They also give parents information about finding treatment for a child and helping a child who is in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. In today's session, titled "Translating Science Into Practice," Pasierb and Winters addressed the organization's formal development process for these resources by translating the latest behavioral and addiction research into helpful, timely tools that meet the needs of parents.

"We have developed Time to Talk, Time to Act and Time to Get Help, groundbreaking resources focused in the areas of prevention, intervention and treatment, respectively," said Pasierb.  "Each of these and several additional resources were developed with guidance from our Science Advisory Board and Parent Advisory Board.  They feature tools, guides and online communities and provide information, action steps and personal support for parents. We work to help parents gain a better understanding of teen and young adult alcohol and drug abuse, to get support from experts and other parents who have been there and to help them find the right help for their child and family."

Additionally, the Partnership's new Intervention and Treatment e-books, developed in collaboration with parents and leading science experts, are free, downloadable guides and are written for parents to reference or share with others.

As part of grassroots efforts in communities across the country, the Partnership also offers a series of multimedia community education programs.  These provide drug and alcohol prevention and early intervention education for parents and youth.

"Building on our expertise in substance abuse education, we are working together with key community stakeholders in prevention and treatment to inform parents about today's drug and alcohol landscape," continued Pasierb. "We want to equip parents with comprehensive tools to be more effective in dealing with these issues, give them powerful and informative insights about specific drug threats and what they can do to stop the danger from taking root."

"After a decade of progress, witnessed by declining drug, alcohol and tobacco use among teens, we're now beginning to see some disturbing data, starting with weakening anti-drug attitudes among teens. Fewer than one third of teens now agree strongly that they don't want to hang around drug users and one third of teens say they believe prescription pain relievers are not addictive," said Patricia Russo. "It's a challenging time right now to be working in the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment. The result of all this is not fair, but it's undeniable:  the burden is increasingly falling on parents and families. That is why the Partnership has developed these resources for parents to address any need they have and be the partner in helping them raise safe and healthy teens."

About The Partnership

The Partnership at Drugfree.org is a nonprofit organization that helps parents prevent, intervene in and find treatment for drug and alcohol use by their children. Bringing together renowned scientists, parent experts and communications professionals, the Partnership translates current research on teen behavior, addiction and treatment into easy to understand resources at drugfree.org.  Through its nationwide community education programs, the Partnership educates and mobilizes local community efforts to address drug threats at the grassroots level, including methamphetamine and prescription drug abuse, and also provides parent training and teen programs that help prevent teen substance abuse. The Partnership depends on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and government. The Partnership thanks SAG/AFTRA and the advertising and media industries for their ongoing generosity.

SOURCE Partnership for a Drug-Free America

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Last year marked the third consecutive year of diminishing growth rates in the beer industry, dropping 2.1% to 2.877 billion cases. According to the Beverage Information Group's recently released 2010 Beer Handbook, the beer industry's downturn can be directly attributed to the decline in the light beer segment. Light beer, which accounts for a 52.8% share of the U.S. beer market, posted its first negative year since its beginning 30 years ago.

Other segments of the beer industry differed in their 2009 results. Imports declined 6.9% to 359.6 million 2.25-gallon cases, while the craft beer segment increased 7.0%. Craft beer continues to grow at an extraordinary rate, due to the abundance of flavors and types that attract both young and old consumers. Expanded distribution also continues to be a key driver for growth in this segment. It is clear that the "trading up" trend that began before the recession has continued despite the changing economy.

The premium, super premium and flavored malt liquor segments all faced declines; but the popular and ice segments both had slight upticks due to their value price point and strong consumer bases.

The beer industry's future remains tentative with slow growth expected over the next five years as the country recovers from a struggling economy. Favorable demographics, continued growth of the craft beer segment and success of value-priced beer will help slow declines in the beer category.  

"The growth of the beer industry has slowed every year since 2006," says Eric Schmidt, Manager of Information Services for the Beverage Information Group based in Norwalk, Conn. "There are hints that this slowing will end in 2010, but projections are still forecasting a downturn in the short term."

The cost of the 2010 Beer Handbook is $755; handbook with companion CD is $925. Shipping and handling is $10 for U.S. orders; $20 for all other orders. The handbook and CD can be purchased at www.beveragehandbooks.com or by calling Cynthia Porter at (630) 762-8709.

SOURCE The Beverage Information Group

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A new iPhone application helps fans of Imperial® Cerveza locate their favorite beer in their town and around the country. The application, called "Pura Vida," is available free at the iTunes on-line store. Click here to download: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pura-vida/id386959721?mt=8.

Once the application is downloaded, iPhone users can search the map for places to purchase Imperial® including grocery and convenience stores, bars and restaurants, gas stations, bowling alleys and more. The name, address and phone number are provided, along with a list of other North American Breweries products available in that location. Additional products in the NAB portfolio include Labatt, Honey Brown, Genesee, Dundee, and Seagram's Escapes. The search feature also allows users to explore other cities for their favorite brews - a great tool when planning vacations. Click here to view a demo: http://tinyurl.com/PuraVida-App-Preview.

"Imperial® is the first beer brand in the U.S. to have this sort of application," said James Pendegraft, vice president of sales for North American Breweries. "Now people can download the free app and find our products in stores, bars and restaurants around the country. Our hope is that it will drive consumers to our many partners throughout the United States carrying their favorite beer and malt beverages."

You must be 21 years old to download the Pura Vida App.

About Imperial®

Imperial® is considered a national symbol and also the No. 1 selling beer in Costa Rica with nearly 60% market share. Imperial® uses the finest ingredients and natural spring water to create a tropical beer with a flavor profile in-between Pilsner and Dortmunder styles of beer. Made with a combination of malts, cereals, and hops, the beer has a slightly bitter to medium taste. Imperial® is imported by The Genesee Brewery from Costa Rica. They currently hold US distribution rights in AL, DE, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, and TX. For more information on Imperial, follow them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Imperial_US or become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/ImperialBeer.

Please drink responsibly.

SOURCE North American Breweries

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Snoop Dogg, rap star, record producer and TV/film actor, will meet with fans and sign purchased bottles of Landy VS Cognac from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 30 at the PA Wine & Spirits Store at 1218 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.

A fan of fine Cognac, Snoop Dogg first joined forces with Landy in 2008 to promote the award-winning Cognac throughout North America. Landy Cognac, a type of Brandy from the Cognac region of France, is created by the highly acclaimed artisanal producers, Cognac Ferrand, through a unique process of aging and blending three distinct cognacs into one.

Snoop Dogg, an international superstar, has released nearly a dozen studio albums, acted in several major films and hosted several television shows. He is also the founder of a youth football league in Los Angeles for underprivileged kids that recently expanded to Chicago. The league's goal is to promote positive interaction among kids and keep them interested in school.

Landy VS Cognac sells for $21.99 for a 750 mL bottle and will be available for purchase at the store in limited quantities. The event tasting will be held from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is complimentary for those 21 and older.

Media contact: Stacy Kriedeman or Stacey Witalec, 717-783-8864

Editor's Note: Call the PLCB Press Office at 717-783-8864 to inquire about interviews with Snoop Dogg.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

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