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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MillerCoors continues to empower urban and multicultural communities by offering small businesses the unique opportunity to vie for $150,000 in business grants with its signature program, the MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneurs Series (MUES) and Business Plan Competition. The award-winning program, which debuted in 1999, provides training and resources to aspiring entrepreneurs and has awarded more than 1.4 million dollars in small business grants since its inception.

"The MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneurs Series (MUES) was created to help empower small urban businesses and we are proud to continue our commitment. In this tough economic climate, we recognize that entrepreneurship is the driving force to our country's economic recovery," said Larry Waters, director of multicultural relations for MillerCoors. "The talent we see through our competition is quite impressive and we hope that that these businesses will one day become MillerCoors suppliers," he continued.

An integral component of MUES is the Business Plan Competition, which grants aspiring professionals start-up capital for their new or existing businesses. This year's top winner will be awarded a $50,000 grant, and four others will each receive $25,000 grants. Competitors also have the opportunity to become a potential qualified MillerCoors supplier. The competition is open to participants between the ages of 21 and 35 and their business existence must not exceed five years. All entries must be submitted to www.MillerCoorsMUES.com by Friday, October 1, 2010 at 12:00 noon (CDT). More than 1,500 business plans have been submitted to the MUES program and more than 100 urban entrepreneurs have received support from MillerCoors. More than 50 percent of past winning business are still operating and still benefiting urban communities by providing jobs and sustaining economic growth and development.

The MUES website, www.MillerCoorsMUES.com, houses all MUES information such as business resources and MUES TV - which broadcasts videos giving a behind-the-scenes look at the competition, the application and instructions on how to submit a business plan. The Web site provides much-needed tools for rising entrepreneurs to start, run and expand their businesses efficiently through podcasts and links that will help them to:

• Create a workable business plan
• Understand the financials of operating a small business
• Communicate what makes their business unique
• Learn to use social media and other web-based marketing tools

MUES also provides the opportunity for entrepreneurs to network and gain valuable insight from judges, community partners and other business owners with the help of Twitter, Facebook and the MUES blog. The 2009 grand-prize winner Rex Wills commented that the resources and networking MUES provides is invaluable, "Seek a mentor, not only from the business level, but from a personal perspective, because being an entrepreneur and a leader has as much to do with you as it does your business. I encourage participants to connect with current and past winners. No one knows the true experience of being in the judging room other than people who have reached that level."

MillerCoors partners with several business organizations such as the Atlanta Business League, the Chicago Urban League, the Detroit Urban League, the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Dallas, the Urban League of Greater Dallas and North Central Texas, Recycling Black Dollars of Los Angeles, the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Urban League, Statewide Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Latin American Chamber of Commerce, and the Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

For all information on MUES, including official rules, application and requirements of the Business Plan Competition and helpful resources for developing a business plan, visit www.MillerCoorsMUES.com.

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.millercoors.com

As part of its bi-annual reinvestment in local communities, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is returning more than $2.1 million in licensing fees to be used for local alcohol enforcement efforts.

"Each year, as we collect these funds from our licensees and distribute them to municipalities, we recognize the significant impact the money has on the residents of those communities," said PLCB Chairman Patrick J. "PJ" Stapleton.  "In returning these fees, we're furthering our commitment to local law enforcement efforts and reinforcing our role as a responsible partner in combating the dangerous and problematic abuse of alcohol."

The Pennsylvania Liquor Code requires licensees and permitees to renew or validate their license annually to maintain the privilege of selling alcohol. The PLCB collects a licensing fee when a liquor license application, renewal or validation is approved. The money collected is distributed to the municipality in which the licensee is located to help defray the cost of local law enforcement.

License fees are based on the type of license and the population of the municipality in which the license is located.  The PLCB oversees the regulation of more than 17,000 liquor licenses and permits statewide, including restaurants, clubs and beer distributors.    

Established in 1933, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol and also operates over 600 Wine & Spirits Stores statewide.  The Board reported sales of $1.5 billion in 2008-09 and a return of $494.5 million in taxes and profits to the state's General Fund, helping to pay the cost of essential services such as education, health care, infrastructure and public safety.

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

Editor's Note: Contact the PLCB Press Office for a complete list of municipalities receiving fee distributions.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

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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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Proprietors of Skipstone, Fahri Diner and Jill Layman, announce the transfer of winemaking operations to Atelier Melka under the direction of renowned Winemaking Consultant Philippe Melka. High Tech Entrepreneur Diner together with Layman launched the Skipstone brand in Oct 2008 after gathering a world-class team of wine industry notables including Vineyard Manager Ulises Valdez and Organic Farming Specialist Amigo Bob Cantisano with Philippe Melka offering his services as consultant.  Melka is expanding his role to include estate vineyard management in collaboration with the existing team at Skipstone and will be handling production from his consulting service, Atelier Melka, with a base of operations at Vineyard 29. Melka was named one of the top nine wine consultants in the world by Robert Parker, Jr. and his impressive client roster includes Vineyard 29, Hundred Acre and DANA estate.  "Melka is extremely selective of the projects he involves himself with and we feel excited about his expanded role with us. His expertise is invaluable," says Diner.

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Skipstone represents the only project Philippe Melka is associated with in the Alexander Valley AVA located in Sonoma County. The 200-acre estate is CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) certified Organic, 100% solar powered, and is operated and farmed sustainably. The property features a 7 acre olive grove, 1.5 acres of organic culinary gardens and orchards, and a 30-acre amphitheater shaped vineyard carved into steep mountain hillsides in the Mayacamas. Because of the dynamic shape of the vineyard, it is partitioned into 42 micro viticultural blocks, some as small as .12 acres, with yields of only 1-2 tons per acre. Atelier Melka will oversee the precision viticultural practices associated with farming so many unique areas by hand and then will work with the many resulting components in winemaking and finally blending.

Skipstone was affectionately named for a shared vision Diner and Layman once had while skipping stones by the water. Named after their three young children, the current estate portfolio consists of two wines, Makena's Vineyard Viognier and Oliver's Blend Proprietary Red (limited annual production of 300-500 cases combined), and award winning Melina's Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

For more information on Skipstone, please contact Brook Drummond, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at 707.433.9124, email info@skipstoneranch.com or visit www.skipstonewines.com.  

Skipstone wines are available for tasting at Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley, 6711 Washington Street, Yountville, Ca. www.maisonry.com 707.944.0889

SOURCE Skipstone

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