Clamps & Gaskets: News Roundup for Weeks 10/11, 2015.

A bi-weekly, non-comprehensive roundup
of news of beer and other things.

Weeks 10/11
1 March - 14 March 2015

• 2015.03.14
  Date proclaimed as Pi Day: 3.14.15.
  —Via Pi Day.
  
  
  
  
• 2015.03.14
  Inaugural American Mild Month announced for May, 2015.
  —Via Session Beer Project.
  
  
• 2015.03.13
  "Virginia brewers have expressed a mixture of trepidation and optimism," as west coast breweries open in the state.
  —Via Greg Kitsock at Washington Post.
  
  
  
  
• 2015.03.12
  Lagers enjoying a renaissance in America, as more 'craft' brewers and drinkers turning to 'craft' lagers.
  —Via Eric Asimov at New York Times.
  
  
• 2015.03.12
  Bell's (large 'craft' brewery in Michigan) vs. Innovation Brewing (small 'craft' brewery in North Carolina) in trademark dispute. Bells' response to furor:
  "We have not, and are not asking them to change their name or their logo. There is no lawsuit. We are not suing them. We have not asked them for money. We have not asked them to stop selling their beer. We are asking them to withdraw their federal trademark application."
  —Via Jeff Alworth at Beervana.
  
  
• 2015.03.10
  Memorial service held at National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. for Edward Brooke: 1st African-American popularly elected to U.S. Senate, Republican of Massachusetts, who died 3 January 2015, at 95.
  —Via Washington Post.
  
  
  
  
• 2015.03.06
  U.S. Court of Appeals rules that the Michigan Liquor Control violated the 1st Amendment freedom of speech rights of Maryland, brewery, Flying Dog. Brewery wins six-year court case to sell beer called Raging Bitch in the state.
  —Via Baltimore Magazine.
  
  
• 2015.03.06
  The U.S. economy added 295,000 jobs in February; unemployment fell to 5.5%, the lowest in 7 years, since before the recession began.
  —Via CNN.
  
  
• 2015.03.05
  "Uniquely in the world, apart from Belgium, Lithuania has not just preserved its ancient farmhouse brewing culture, but managed to commercialize it. There are at least 15 breweries in Lithuania brewing beers that are either real farmhouse ale in the Lithuanian tradition, or to some degree commercialized versions of farmhouse ale."
  —Via Lars Blog.
  
  
• 2015.03.05
  The (U.S.) Brewers Association creates Digital Interactive U.S. Beer Styles Guide: "77 common U.S. beer styles inside of 15 style families."
  —Via Reuters.
  —The guide itself, at CraftBeer.com.
  
  
  
• 2015.03.04
  "With malice toward none, with charity for all." The 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's 2nd inauguration and Lincoln's famous speech.
  —Via Washington Post.
  
  
• 2015.03.04
  Summary of the new TTB filing and reporting requirements for breweries and brewpubs.
  —Via Craft Brewing Business.
  
  
• 2015.03.03
  The Washington, D.C. City Council is considering legislation to allow patrons to drink outside at "artisan alcohol manufacturers."
  —Via DCist.
  
  
  
  
• 2015.03.01
  'Craft' brewers facing price spikes and shortages of wooden barrels: bourbon and otherwise.
  —Via Austin Chronicle.

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• Clamps and Gaskets is a bi-weekly wrap-up of stories  not posted at Yours For Good Fermentables.com. Most deal with beer (or wine, or whisky); some do not. But all are brief, and many are re-posts from twitter.com/cizauskas.
• The Clamps and Gaskets graphic was created by Mike Licht at NotionsCapital.