Thinking Globally, Drinking Locally

From WAMU-FM's website:

Thinking Globally, Drinking Locally
Wednesday 16 July 2008, 1:06PM

In the world of beer, Anheuser-Busch has long been an American icon and a dominant global player. So when the St. Louis-based corporation accepted a $52 billion takeover by Belgium-based brewer InBev, the move raised eyebrows in boardrooms and bars across the country. We explore how the increasingly global beverage industry is affecting local consumers.

Guests:

• Hugh Sisson, General Partner, Clipper City Brewing Company (Baltimore, MD)
• Tom Standage, Business Editor, The Economist; author, "A History of the World in 6 Glasses" (Pub: Walker & Company)

The Kojo Nnamdi Show airs on WAMU weekdays, noon to 2 pm. The live two-hour magazine program highlights news, political issues and social trends of the day.

Nnamdi, a native of Guyana, lends a global perspective to front page headlines and explores emerging stories before they are news.

At 88.5 FM in the Washington, DC. Streamed at www.WAMU.org.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses is a concise look at the influence of six beverages on world history, industry, and commerce: beer, wine, distilled spirits, coffee, tea, and cola.

[UPDATE: Some interesting comments.]

• TS: Beer is a a genuinely global drink. Beer arose spontaneously all over the world thousands of years ago.
• HS: [Will In Bev 'improve' the recipe of Budweiser?] We might argue with what A-B has produced from a personal stylistic preference standpoint, but clearly the numbers sustain it. No, the downside could be catastrophic.
• TS: Drink and food serve as a lightning rod for discontent. It's a way of expressing oneself.
• HS: [Will the Inbev purchase affect the craft brewers?] Inbev will control nearly 30% of the world's market of beer. It's a whole different league.