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<ul><li>Started in 2016, <keyword id="9581444" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="simba-craft-beer">Simba Craft Beer</keyword> has already been able to carve a way for itself in the market.</li><li>Word of mouth has played a huge role in the brand's growth and has been instrumental in helping them develop a base of brand loyalists, shares <keyword id="6862143" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prabhtej-Singh-Bhatia">Prabhtej Singh Bhatia</keyword>, Founder and CEO of Simba <keyword id="782706" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Craft-Beer">Craft Beer</keyword>.</li><li>He tells us how despite being a difficult year, in 2020 the company has already touched Rs 150 crore from the Rs 125 crore last year<a name="_GoBack"></a>.</li><li>Bhatia also tells us that in the next 5 years, he sees the craft beer segment take a leap and takeover 10-11% of the market instead on the current 1-2%. </li></ul> The <keyword id="91743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="lockdown">lockdown</keyword> this year came right before the summer season. Many brands that rely heavily on the season like home appliances, travel etc were impacted substantially due to the complete country-wide lockdown. Another industry that was severely affected due to this move was the <keyword id="467068" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="liquor-industry">liquor industry</keyword>. The summer months usually mean peak sale time for liquor brands, especially beers. However, with the gradual opening up of the country, things are slowly starting to look up. We recently caught up with Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, Founder and CEO of Simba Craft Beer. Started in 2016, the brand has already been able to carve a way for itself in the market. Primarily relying on word-of-mouth marketing, Simba has been able to develop a loyal consumer base in the country. Despite entering a segment that has had a lot of well-established players, the brand has been witnessing impressive growth. Bhatia tells us how they have been able to drive differentiation, and how word of mouth has worked wonders for the brand. Excerpts: <li>Q) Simba was launched in 2016 but when you launched, you hardly did any marketing around it then. How did you manage to woo Indian beer drinkers who have been loyalists of a lot of other brands?</li> Since the inception of the brand, our brand philosophy has been that if you build a great product, then it speaks for itself. Our focus for Simba has been to first get the product right and then work upon building a strong knit community of consumers who love the product. We truly believe in our product and it has carved a niche for itself in the country. Having said that, we did a bit of marketing. we always wanted to build a brand from ground-up. <li>Q) Your job must have been difficult as you were competing in a category that had a lot of global, much well-established players. How were you able to create a differentiation for yourself?</li> We largely depended on word-of-mouth promotion and still stick to that. And because of a much higher quality and differentiated product we were able to capture the imagination of several people and make our presence felt. When we entered the market, the industry had been stagnant for a while with old players and consumers did not have a lot of options. They consumed the same kind of beer packaged under different labels. It’s fairly recent since a new wave of craft beer enthusiasts emerged and is growing now. Consumers today are receptive to change and are open to experimenting with new offerings. Simba has been able to disrupt the already existing limited categories (strong and lager) of beer by introducing quality product and in new variants. <li>Q) You say word-of-mouth played an important role initially. Has your marketing strategy evolved now? </li> Word of mouth played a huge role in our growth, it has been instrumental in helping us develop a base of brand loyalists. We continue to be cognizant of our brand associations, events we host or partner with and the kind of consumer segment we reach out, to ensure our key message reaches the right set of audience. This has helped us create a niche for ourselves in the market/industry. <li>Q) You have already launched an IP. Tell us a bit about Simba Uproar.</li> Simba has been working hard to support local underground artists in helping them find a strong foothold in the industry. We want to provide artists and consumers with relevant platforms to showcase their talent. For this we launched our own IP called Simba Uproar where we have worked with artists such as Blot!,Sequel, Ritviz, Ten Walls, George Fitzgerald and Seedhe Maut. In light of the current health crisis, we took our IP to consumers’ homes with Simba Roar from Home – a series of cool gigs, good music and great beer in the comfort of homes. Making this a twice a month property to engage with music lovers, Simba live streams a local artists from varied genres who play their curated playlists. <li>Q) You have also launched a range of merchandise. How has the reception been so far? How are you growing that vertical? Are you only promoting it on the digital medium?</li> Our merchandise is something that was born out of consumer demand and love for the brand. We are building it very organically and do not do a lot of marketing for it. Our focus is and will remain our beer. Our brand loyalists have shown us constant support, be it our beer or our merchandise. It has been received well by Simba loyalists and has grown ever since. <li>Q) How big is the brand right now and what is your target revenue for the next year? And how do you aim to achieve this? </li> We have witnessed tremendous growth. This year our company had already touched Rs 150 crore from Rs 125 crore last year<a name="_GoBack"></a>. The year so far has been challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact of business across industries, including the liquor industry. Things are beginning to look up as we move towards resuming normalcy, and we are positive and hopeful about the year ahead and 2021. <li>Q) How are you looking at expanding your offering while also strengthening your distribution?</li> We are looking at foraying into a new segment with our kegs, these will be available throughout the country. We also aim to enter Kerala in southern markets and strengthen our presence in Karnataka state among others. There are some very good distributers present in the industry who are doing a great job. We are in talks with them for our business as well. <li>Q) What was the business impact of the lockdown on your company? </li> Our business greatly suffered in terms of sales during the month of April and May due to COVID-19 lockdown. We almost made zero sales during those two months, which has impacted the business. April and May used to contribute to almost 25-30% of the annual revenue. <li>Q) What lessons of resilience did you learn after the lockdown? Has it made your business more future-ready?</li> The pandemic has forced us all to revisit our basics and stick to them. We realized the fundamentals of any company are very important, financial prudence is more important than ever now. We are definitely more future-ready and fundamentally aligned following this experience. COVID-19 has taught us that sticking to ones fundamentals never goes wrong and has paved a way for a better future. <li>Q) How do you see the craft beer segment evolve in the next few years?</li> I think the craft beer segment is destined to grow with some hit on the <keyword id="1126722" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="microbrewery">microbrewery</keyword> side. In the next 5 years, I do see it taking a leap and takeover 10-11% of the market instead on 1-2% right now.

Word of mouth played a huge role in our growth, helped us develop a base of brand loyalists: Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, Simba Craft Beer

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"Wine-time" events were hosted at 10 Downing Street every week during the pandemic. </li><li><keyword id="11911533" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boris-johnson" source="Orion">Boris Johnson</keyword> was fully aware of the parties and endorsed them, saying they were good for morale. </li></ul>An investigation <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnsons-wine-time-fridays-25951853">by The Mirror</a> has found that "wine-time Fridays" occurred weekly at Number 10 — the office and home of Prime Minister Boris Johnson — during the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-says-england-going-back-in-national-coronavirus-lockdown-2021-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">height of COVID-19 lockdowns</a>. The events were encouraged by Johnson as they allowed the staff to "let off steam," even though <keyword id="91743" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lockdown" source="Orion">lockdown</keyword> laws banned indoor gatherings. "Wine-time Fridays" were such a hit within <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tory-mps-call-for-clearout-of-boris-johnson-downing-street-team-2022-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">Downing Street</a> that a £142 ($190) drinks fridge was bought to keep their bottles of white wine, Prosecco, and beer cool. The staff split the cost of the purchase, the report says.Aides took turns to visit a local supermarket in Westminster with a suitcase to stock up the 34-bottle capacity fridge which they wheeled back to number 10 Downing Street, a source claimed to The Mirror. The gatherings were weekly fixtures from December 2020, when the UK was at the height of a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-cases-idUSKBN29I294">COVID-19 second wave</a> that killed 70,000 people, and continued through varying degrees of restrictions, including full lockdowns.Whilst unclear the exact number of people who attended these events organized by the No 10 press office, advisers from other departments were also regular attendees.One source told The Mirror that: "Boris used to stop by for a chat while they had a drink. It was on the way up to his flat and the door was usually open. He knew about it and encouraged it." One social event happened on the eve of Prince Phillips' funeral, which the Queen had to attend alone. Downing Street <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/14/johnsons-office-apologizes-to-queen-elizabeth-for-party-on-eve-of-funeral.html">has apologized to Her Majesty the Queen.</a>Meanwhile, a London woman was fined £12,000 ($16,410) for hosting a birthday party on the day of Prince Phillip's funeral,, <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/prince-philip-downing-street-hackney-party-lockdown-covid-rules-b976690.html">reported the Evening Standard.</a><h2>'Partygate'</h2><div type="image" title="queen elizabeth at prince philip's funeral" height="1364" width="1819" msid="88920582" hostid="261"></div>This expose is the latest in a long list of social gatherings found to be hosted or supported by the Prime Minister — which is being referred to as "partygate" —while the United Kingdom was in a socially-isolating lockdown. These gatherings are being investigated by Sue Gray, a senior civil servant. Catherine Neilan, Insider's senior UK political editor, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-future-hangs-in-balance-lockdown-party-2022-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">spoke to Conservative politicians</a>, many of whom are disenchanted with their leader, Boris Johnson, and are considering whether to push for Johnson's departure."People were pissed off before," one member of Johnson's government told Insider. "But now? We're not just dealing with a drip-drip of leaks — it's a raging river.""We've got people leaving the [Conservative] party — not just people who have voted for us for the last 40 years, but people who have been members. We've got to do something," a former minister told Insider. In an attempt to dodge calls for his resignation, Boris Johnson and his team have crafted a plan the PM has called "Operation Save Big Dog," <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-downing-street-partygate-b1993433.html">the Independent reported</a> – a title reportedly thought up by Johnson.The plan sets out who should resign instead of the prime minister depending on the outcome of Sue Gray's investigation, and also deciding which of the prime minister's achievements to shine a light on.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tory-mps-call-for-clearout-of-boris-johnson-downing-street-team-2022-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">A complete clear-out of Boris Johnson's number 10 team may be the only thing to save the Johnson premiership, Insider's Thomas Colson and Catherine Neilan report. </a>

Boris Johnson 'encouraged' weekly 'wine-time' parties at Number 10 during COVID-19 lockdowns, report says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A 93-year-old woman, who went viral for holding up a sign up that said: "I NEED MORE <keyword id="6359860" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Beer">BEER</keyword>!!" has had her wish fulfilled.</li><li>A relative of Olive Veronesi took the photo of the avid beer drinker while she stood behind the glass window of her Pennsylvania home, obeying social distancing rules put in place during the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> spread.</li><li>According to local <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> station <a href="https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/04/10/pennsylvania-93-woman-beer-sign-coronavirus/">KDKA-TV</a>, people from around the world have reached out offering to buy Veronesi more beer, but Coors Light, the brand of beer she was holding in the original photo, came through and provided her with 10 cases.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>A 93-year-old woman, who correctly followed social distancing protocol amid the coronavirus pandemic, had her wish fulfilled this week: she got more beer. Olive Veronesi, who lives in Seminole, Pennsylvania, was photographed by a relative while holding a dry-erase board through her window that read: "I NEED MORE BEER!!"In the photo, Veronesi is grinning while holding the dry-erase board and a can of Coors Light beer.Since posting the photo, her "essential need" has been fulfilled. According to Coors Light, on April 13, a special delivery — following the relevant safety precautions — was made to Veronesi, bringing her 10 cases of beer.<div type="image" title="Olive Veronesi drinks a freshly delivered beer." height="1125" width="1500" msid="75145463" hostid="261"></div>During the beer delivery, she was asked how she was feeling and she said: "I can still kick a football and if you like, hit a home run!"At 93, she's in the age group which can experience more severe illness from the coronavirus, including pneumonia, or death, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/765059155da2f10b2ba4622e052017af">Associated Press</a>. Those groups have been advised to take extra care as COVID-19 continues to spread.While the original message was meant for her daughter and neighbors, the photo garnered more than 27,000 likes since it was posted to Facebook by local news station <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CBSPittsburgh/photos/a.311563208821/10157671263118822/?type=3">KDKA-TV</a> on Friday."I have a beer every night," she told <a href="https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/04/10/pennsylvania-93-woman-beer-sign-coronavirus/">KDKA-TV</a>. "It's something to [help] relax, you know?"Tina Rogers, who wrote one of more than 2,000 comments on the Facebook post, said: "That is awesome and obviously the reason she looks so good at 93."Another Facebook user named Michele Bobko commented: "How can we get this lady's address? We need to help this lady out!"According to local news station <a href="https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/04/10/pennsylvania-93-woman-beer-sign-coronavirus/">KDKA-TV</a>, people from around the world reached out offering to buy Veronesi more beer. But thanks to Coors Light that wasn't necessary.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/93-woman-asks-for-beer-through-window-2020-4">Insider</a>

A 93-year-old woman from Pennsylvania who went viral for holding up a sign asking for more beer while on lockdown got 10 cases of beer delivered

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Steve Balzer is the master brewer at a microbrewery at a private club in Kalaoa, <keyword id="118728" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="hawaii">Hawaii</keyword>.</li><li>Balzer says he enjoys the independence and collaboration with local farmers that working at a microbrewery allows.</li><li>This is what his job is like, as told to freelance writer Natasha Bazika.</li></ul>I'd started brewing <keyword id="6359860" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Beer">beer</keyword> when I was 21 at college in Oregon and kept doing it as a passion. After graduating from college in the 2008 economy crash, I didn't have much luck job-wise. My degree was in marketing and economics, and while I initially had a job lined up, after graduation I was laid off before I even started, so I worked part-time jobs and brewed on the side. After four years of unstable temporary jobs, I decided to go back to college. I enrolled in Siebel Institute of Technology - out of Munich, Germany, and Chicago - for a masters of brewing.<h2>It can be challenging to get in the door in the brewing industry.</h2>My first job was as a keg washer in Portland. People were willing to work for free, but I was lucky enough to get the paid gig of keg washing. From there I moved up to the cellar, and then brewer. I even helped someone start a <keyword id="6643600" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="brewery">brewery</keyword> in Portland.In 2018 Big Island Brewhaus was looking for a head brewer. They approached me with a two-year contract, I said yes, then they moved my family out to Waimea and I started to run the brewery. As my contract came to an end, the vice president of operations at a nearby private residential club community called <a href="https://kohanaiki.com/">Kohanaiki</a> contacted me to see if I'd be interested in being the master brewer at their brewery. I took on the job in May 2020, just as the pandemic worsened and everyone went into lockdown. The brewery had been shut down and vacant for quite some time before I came along. So during the pandemic, while the club had no members, I cleaned, reorganized, and resurfaced the tanks. When guests started coming in early October 2020 and everything slowly started reopening, that's when the ball started rolling. This brewery is much smaller than I experienced in past jobs. At the corporate breweries where I worked before, I was never in charge of accounting, management, or any of the paperwork. At Kohanaiki, I'm a one-man team, so I need to pay attention to the budget and spend at least a few hours every day answering emails.Even though it's more work, I prefer the structured system and being tuned in on the business side. Other breweries I've worked at didn't have a budget, so it was easy to go a little crazy spending, but here, I know what I can and can't spend.<h2>It's hot in Kalaoa, so club members tend to prefer light, fruity beers over dark beers. </h2><div type="image" title="steve balzer stirring.JPEG" height="1396" width="1862" msid="81316734" hostid="261"></div>The best part about my job is I can brew whatever I like. We mostly create beers that are around 6.2% <keyword id="6359858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="alcohol">alcohol</keyword>. IPA sells well on the island, as does rosé beer and other fruity variations. I'm currently working on a spiked apple cider beer - Belgian double style. I plan to ferment it with apple juice. I also have oak chips soaking in rum, which I'll add to the beer when aging for a rich flavor. During the hot months, I also have seltzers on hand. I fought this craze for so long, but eventually I had to give the people what they want, which is seltzers and rosé beer. Since we're a microbrewery attached to the resort, I often chat with members, ask their opinions, and listen to their requests of what they'd like to drink. I'm open to brewing anything and everything, as long as I know it will work.Working in a small brewery, I'm also able to turn over funky ideas quickly. In corporate brewing you have to make a certain number of kegs for that one beer, but here I can make just one keg of a beer before moving onto another to keep it varied. I can also more easily work with different yeasts. In a corporate environment, brewers are held to a style of yeast in-house, but here, I can make small batches with different yeasts. I don't even need to use the same yeast again.<h2>Coming from the mainland US, I've experienced new challenges while brewing in Hawaii.</h2>A challenge I've faced with brewing on the island is water quality. I've lived in places where the water quality is good, but here, the water is littered with sodium. I use reverse-osmosis water from nearby Kona, to which I add calcium, magnesium, and other elements to get the flavor profile I want. Another difference of brewing on the island compared to the mainland is access to local exotic fruits. The club has an onsite biodynamic community farm, and my friend also has a family farm where I can visit and buy different fruits. Anytime I need inspiration or want to see what fruits are available, I'll go directly to the farm, try different fruits, and instantly think of new beers to make. I allow the flavors and fruits to guide me, rather than creating a recipe and not having the right ingredients to carry it out.As the island began welcoming back visitors and members around October when the pre-testing COVID travel program started, I began preparing for events. We held Oktoberfest, but instead of the usual German lagers, I also showcased different German beers to introducing unique styles of German alcohol to club members. We've also recently opened to "meet the brewer" events. I show the members what I do and teach them about beer, from the specifics of the brewing process to the variety of flavor profiles. We also do a tasting, where they can try all the different types of beers we have on tap.<h2>As a master brewer at a micro-brewery, I can merge brewing with business ideas.</h2>The brewery is near the 18th hole of the resort's golf course, so when I first joined Kohanaiki I thought it would be great to set up space for golfers to have a pour after their game. We began offering this last year after reopening, and now guest golfers can watch sports, have a beer, play darts, or just sit and socialize. Recently, I've been thinking of brewing a Mexican mocha. Think spicy, locally brewed coffee, and a touch of lactose for a darker side beer. There's also a champagne-style beer in the works. I'm looking to incorporate grapes, so it would be a base beer with half grapes. I have many ideas and time to explore them. It's just one of the many perks of working at a private microbrewery.Natasha Bazika is a freelance writer currently based in Sydney. She has contributed to CNN Travel, Architectural Digest, Housebeautiful, Travel + Leisure, New York Magazine, and more. Follow her adventures on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/natashagracebazika/">Instagram</a>.

I run a microbrewery at a private club in Hawaii. After years of part-time jobs, here's how I made a career out of my love for brewing beer.

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1284684" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Non-alcoholic">Non-alcoholic</keyword> <keyword id="6359860" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Beer">beer</keyword>, like Brooklyn Brewery's Special Effects, has seen huge growth in the past year.</li><li><keyword id="8764262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid">Covid</keyword> lockdowns are leading us to rethink our habits, while innovations have made NA beer tastier. </li><li>The global market for NA beer could be worth $29 billion by 2026, according to <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/non-alcoholic-beer-market-to-hit-29-billion-by-2026-says-global-market-insights-inc-301204805.html">one</a> prediction. </li></ul>A few years back, Eric Ottaway was traveling in Europe when he noticed something about the way people were <keyword id="31485" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="drinking">drinking</keyword>. Ottaway is the CEO of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brooklyn-brewery-craft-beer-global-brand-2013-10">Brooklyn Brewery</a>, one of the largest <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/presenting-how-to-start-run-grow-craft-brewery">craft-beer</a> outfits in the United States, so has an eye for such things - and what he saw intrigued him. Instead of knocking back full-strength beer, a surprising number of folks in pubs seemed to be choosing low-alcohol beverages. "At lunch, after work, wherever," Ottaway says when we speak. "It was just totally, completely normal."In some European countries, "low- and no-", as the sector is called, is indeed pretty hefty: one in ten beers sold in Sweden is alcohol-free, while in Spain, cerveza sin makes up 14% of sales. Nearly every local brewery in Germany offers an alkoholfrei alternative, a characteristically pragmatic balance between the Protestant work ethic and a weakness for lunchtime pils. In the U.S., by contrast, until recently non-alcoholic beer has accounted for less than half a percent of the beverage sold annually. Ottaway saw an opening.Ottaway and his brewmaster, Garrett Oliver, got to work, and 18 months later they unveiled Special Effects. They launched it in Europe in 2018, where it promptly became their fourth-best seller. Since debuting in the U.S. in late 2019, it's done nearly as well.Encouraged - and, Ottaway admits, a little surprised - Special Effects IPA, with bright citrus notes and more powerful hops, came next. It, too, has been doing remarkably well: in January, the new Special Effects duo accounted for a quarter of Brooklyn's sales.Non-alcoholic (NA)'s share of the total American beer market is still tiny - less than 0.5% of overall sales in liquor and grocery stores - but it's increasingly seen as the next trend in craft beer. In early 2020, NA beer sales jumped by nearly 40% over the previous year, according to Nielsen. <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/non-alcoholic-beer-market-to-hit-29-billion-by-2026-says-global-market-insights-inc-301204805.html">Another report </a>predicts that by 2026 the market for non-alcoholic beer could be worth $29 billion globally, and $6.4 billion in the U.S. alone.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-craft-breweries-having-a-local-impact">Craft</a> outfits such as Brooklyn, Connecticut's Athletic Brewing and California's Surreal Brewing - which produce only no-<keyword id="6359858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="alcohol">alcohol</keyword> beer - are leading the charge, but the multinational goliaths are racing to catch up. The Asahi group launched Peroni Libera in time for Dry January 2019, closely followed by the "malt beverage" Heineken 0.0%. Budweiser Zero was unveiled last July, under the tagline "zero alcohol, zero compromise." There are even alcohol-free "spirits" such as the British brand Seedlip, which launched in the US in 2017 and, at around $30, will set you back roughly the same as a decent gin. What's curious is that all this is happening during a one-in-a-century pandemic. Early indicators suggested that many Americans (particularly women) were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-drinking-more-alcohol-2020-pandemic-hard-seltzer-sales-growth-2020-11">drinking more alcohol</a> than ever, and that <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2770975">binge</a> drinking and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/dar.13064">drug</a> <a href="https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2020/pdf/CDC-HAN-00438.pdf">overdoses</a> increased as people entered lockdowns. Even the WHO sounded the alarm, going so far as to produce a dossier in September pointing out that alcohol can't prevent anyone catching Covid-19 - and, of course, as the most abundantly available psychoactive drug on the planet, consuming too much of it causes untold harm.But even before the pandemic left us more isolated, more lonely, more bored, more scared - or some toxic mix of all of those things - it seemed that many of us were starting to think about what we were drinking, and wondering whether it was time for a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dry-january-sober-listen-bar-new-york-city-2020-1">fresh start</a>. <h2>THE FLAVOR WAS GRIM </h2>There is at least no great mystery about why so few Americans drank non-alcoholic beer until recently: it tasted repellent. Making beer that's low in "gravity," the technical term for low-alcohol, while retaining its flavor is one of the toughest tricks in the business. Until just a few years ago, brewers basically had only two options to make zero-alcohol beer: either halt fermentation before enough sugar had converted to ethanol, or brew as normal and then heat the liquid until the alcohol has boiled off, which removes its characteristic hoppy top notes."The problem is, both taste a bit grim," says Rob Fink, who runs the boutique British brewery Big Drop, which is now being brewed in Chicago and distributed nationwide. <div type="image" title="Beer gloves london" height="4018" width="2794" msid="80882321" hostid="261"></div>Beer's sheer complexity - the orchestral range of organic flavors, from the creamy bass of malt to the astringent tang of hops - means that one bum note can ruin the whole ensemble. Alcohol doesn't originate flavor, but plays an all-important role in carrying it, improving texture and "mouthfeel" as well as giving heft to a brew. "It's like salt," is how Fink describes it. "Almost everything tastes better with salt."Fink notes that until recently drinks industry experts called alcohol-free beer a "distress purchase" - something consumers buy only because they have no other option. "And it really was distressing," he adds.Super-light beers have been part of brewing culture for centuries: in Europe during the Middle Ages, brewers manufactured so-called "small beers" containing less than 2% alcohol, which were even given to children (safer than drinking untreated water, it was thought). Americans became interested in alcohol-free options during the early twentieth-century Temperance movement. Under Prohibition, the only way for many breweries to survive - legally, at least - was to switch production to so-called "near beers", which sat under the 0.5% alcohol threshold.Unfortunately, "near beer" was roughly as successful as the rest of Prohibition: it simply didn't taste anything like the real thing. And nothing much changed in that department for decades.But in the last five years a revolution has been under way. Taking inspiration from the revival of long-dead styles and techniques, specialist microbreweries have gone back to their pilot brewing kits and adapted antique recipes and employed specialty grains, among them barley, rye, wheat and oats. One option is to use so-called "lazy yeast" - usually scorned by brewers - which ferments more slowly, thus enabling flavor to develop while keeping alcohol levels low. Different hop variants ("some really expensive ones!", laughs Fink) can add more depth and texture, helping them fine-tune taste profiles. Fink's brewery sometimes adds lactose to thicken mouthfeel and make their brews taste heftier - a tradition that harkens back to the British "milk stouts" of the Victorian era, which were sold as fortifying beverages.<div type="image" title="bar mask" height="4000" width="5333" msid="80882324" hostid="261"></div>Science has also come to brewers' aid. One approach is vacuum distillation, reducing the liquid's boiling point so that less damaging heat is required, which was pioneered in the 1980s but has recently come into its own; the British brands Free Dam and Lucky Saint are known to use it. Another - employed by the TwoDEEP craft brewery in Indianapolis - is "reverse osmosis," a chemical filtration process. Others use "membrane filtration", running the beer through a customized filter that allows only alcohol, color and some flavors through; water is removed, the alcohol distilled off, and then the water is re-added, resulting in NA beer.Ottaway - like many of his rivals - is wary of giving away trade secrets about how Brooklyn makes its two kinds of Special Effects, but says he's confident that they taste every bit as good as full-strength brews. "It's a technical challenge, for sure, but I think we've gotten pretty good at it."<h2>DRINKING MINDFULLY </h2>OK, so brewing techniques have adapted, but attitudes toward alcohol itself seem to be undergoing a sea change, the likes of which we haven't seen for generations. Beer, it might be said, is changing more rapidly than during the "real ale" campaigns in the UK in the 1970s and 80s or the North American-led craft beer revolution of the 1990s and naughts. Conceivably even since the ninth century, when French Benedictine monks first thought of adding hops as a preservative. Perhaps as a result of that ill-fated experience with Prohibition, or lingering associations with religious constraints or finger-wagging puritanism, many American drinkers are sensitive about saying they'd prefer a low- or no-alcohol option, especially in a bar. "That's beginning to shift," says Sophia Shaw-Brown, an insight manager at the global drinks-industry analyst IWSR, which has identified the low- and no- trend as the biggest earthquake to hit producers in years. "There's a lot less pressure for people to follow social norms than there once was; if you're going for drinks after work, it's more acceptable to say, 'I'm going to moderate.'"Certainly "mindful drinking" seems to have gathered steam in recent years. Generation-Z twentysomethings <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-gen-z-drinks-less-drags-down-alcohol-sales-2019-2?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">drink</a> perhaps a fifth less than millennials did at their age (they may simply be getting intoxicated more creatively, though: some research suggests that they use recreational drugs more <a href="https://www.addictioncenter.com/news/2020/11/young-adults-abstaining-alcohol/">often</a>). After interviewing hundreds of consumers across 10 countries, the IWSR team found that low- and no- consumers skew older: professionals settling into their careers. And there was one key reason to cut down: wanting to avoid the effect of alcohol on their bodies. "That came far above other factors like cost, medical, pregnancy, weight loss - things that you'd assume would play a bigger role," says Shaw-Brown.Ottaway agrees: "When you're not 21 any longer, drinking 7% beer hurts the following day. And retailers are wising up to that. They're realizing that they're losing consumers who only want to have one drink because they've had enough alcohol." NA beer is also significantly better for your waistline: a 12oz serving of Brooklyn Special Effects contains 102 calories, as opposed to 170 for a standard Brooklyn Lager. To put it in other words, the trend for <keyword id="6374697" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wellness">wellness</keyword> seems finally to have caught up with the industry. The pastel-bright, Instagram-ready branding of many low- and no-alcohol products indicates the market segment they're aiming for; so too do the names of alcohol-free beers like WellBeing Brewing in Missouri and the UK-based Nirvana, which go heavy on the healthful vibes. Erdinger, one of Germany's most famous export brands, now markets its low-alcohol wheat beer as an "isotonic, vitamin-rich" drink and even doles out free samples at major sporting fixtures like the Berlin Marathon.Even dietary restriction fads seem to have touched the world of beer, says Rob Fink: "You have to laugh. A few years ago, we couldn't persuade <keyword id="6355410" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="BARS">bars</keyword> to look at no-alcohol beer. Now everyone asks: 'Is it gluten-free? Is it vegan?'" <div type="image" title="BB pour .JPG" height="2344" width="3516" msid="80882326" hostid="261"></div>Where is Covid in all this, though? Drink sales have traditionally depended on people going out - which, of course, almost none of us are doing at the moment. Fink, who entered 2020 with ambitious plans for expansion in bars and pubs, says that the collapse there has - to his mild astonishment - been offset by a surge in web sales. He doesn't think the reasons are complicated. "I'm sure I'm as guilty as the next man at saying, 'OK, it's 3pm, we're in lockdown, let's open the beer,' he says. "But that's not sustainable: you can't do that long-term, particularly if you're looking after kids and trying to work remotely or whatever.""People who like to drink nice wine have set up wine subscriptions or meat and veg-box subscriptions," he adds. "Buying alcohol-free beer by the case fits nicely into that."Ottaway wonders if lockdown has, in fact, made many of us more aware of how much we drink; whereas in a bar someone else clears away the empty bottles and rinses the glasses, when we're stuck at home there's nowhere to hide. "You can feel it in the curbside recycling," he laughs.More than that, a crisis such as Covid has made so many people more conscious of how alcohol consumption affects our health. A third of the drinkers Shaw-Brown's team spoke to said they were entering 2021 determined to be healthier; nearly 40% said that the pandemic had made them drink less. "Suddenly health and wellness are at the forefront of people's minds," she says. "For alcohol-free, it's a kind of perfect storm." 101 years after Prohibition began, only to be abandoned, teetotalism seems to be creeping back into the US by stealth.The huge question, of course, is what happens in the post-Covid world. If vaccinations manage to turn the tide and we're able to lead some version of the lives we used to - assuming that day ever arrives - will we head straight to the bar on the corner and cram into that sweaty basement gig, beer in hand?Ottaway hopes yes - it's just that the beer might not be an alcoholic one. "Alcohol is a great social lubricant," he observes. "But you don't have to have alcohol to feel social."

How the coronavirus has boosted non-alcoholic beer

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Durham Police has cleared Labour leader <keyword id="12143328" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="keir-starmer" source="Orion">Keir Starmer</keyword> and deputy <keyword id="13702115" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="angela-rayner" source="Orion">Angela Rayner</keyword> of "beergate" allegations.</li><li>The duo promised to resign if they were fined for joining an indoor gathering during one of England's lockdowns.</li></ul>Labour leader Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner will not be fined for attending an indoor gathering dubbed "beergate", meaning the pair do not have to fall on their sword.In a statement Friday, Durham Constabulary said the event did not contravene coronavirus lockdown regulations as it was judged "reasonably necessary for work"."Accordingly, Durham Constabulary will not be issuing any fixed penalty notices in respect of the gathering and no further action will be taken," the force added.An investigation into the event was opened May 6, nearly a year after footage first emerged of Starmer drinking beer with other party members in a break from campaigning for the May 2021 Hartlepool by-election on April 30 2021.It later emerged that Rayner had also been at the event. Durham Constabulary's statement reveals there were 17 participants in total at the gathering.On May 9, the pair pledged to resign from their leadership roles in the event they were fined by the constabulary, while also saying throughout the process that no rules had been broken. A spokesperson for the Labour Party welcomed the news, saying: "Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner have always been clear that no rules were broken in Durham. The police have completed their investigation and have agreed saying that there is no case to answer."Starmer tweeted: "For me, this was always a matter of principle. Honesty and integrity matter. You will always get that from me."Tories such as Richard Holden, the MP for North West Durham, had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beergate-how-labour-keir-starmer-mired-partygate-row-boris-johnson-2022-5?r=US&amp;IR=T">campaigned hard for the police to probe the matter</a>.The decision strengthens Labour's position ahead of another torrid week in <keyword id="11921088" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uk-politics" source="Orion">UK politics</keyword>, with the opposition party vowing to call a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson's government next week as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/conservative-mps-look-to-speed-up-boris-johnsons-departure-2022-7?r=US&amp;IR=T">the prime minster seeks to hold onto power</a> while the Conservative Party choose his successor.

Labour's Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner cleared by Durham Police of 'beergate' lockdown-breaching allegations

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Retail <keyword id="6359858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="alcohol">alcohol</keyword> sales in the US <a href="https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/shows.php?shows=0_p0xim6x3#:~:text=MyChart-,Stress%20Drinking%3A%20Alcohol%20Consumption%20Increases%20During%20COVID%2D19,to%20this%20time%20last%20year.&amp;text=Women%2C%20especially%2C%20are%20more%20likely,Dr.,Dr.">have been strong during lockdowns</a>.</li><li>Insider spoke with <a href="https://health.usnews.com/doctors/antonio-de-filippo-784913">Dr. Antonio De Filippo</a> about how to identify problematic <keyword id="31485" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="drinking">drinking</keyword> and how to address it.</li><li>If you find yourself missing or underperforming at work, feeling generally more fatigued, or getting into legal trouble because of your alcohol consumption, it might be time to reevaluate your relationship to it.</li><li>"Approaching them in a nonjudgmental way and truly doing it for them is the way to look at this," <a href="https://health.usnews.com/doctors/antonio-de-filippo-784913">De Filippo</a> said.</li></ul>Drinking can be a way to take the edge off for some or to celebrate a special occasion with friends. But increasingly, <a href="https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/shows.php?shows=0_p0xim6x3#:~:text=MyChart-,Stress%20Drinking%3A%20Alcohol%20Consumption%20Increases%20During%20COVID%2D19,to%20this%20time%20last%20year.&amp;text=Women%2C%20especially%2C%20are%20more%20likely,Dr.,Dr.">public experts are concerned</a> some may be drinking to cope with lockdown now that they can't socially drink with friends.Dr. Aiysha Malik, a technical officer in the Department of Mental <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">Health</keyword> and Substance Abuse at the World Health Organization, said in late March that <a href="https://www.insider.com/coronavirus-drinking-more-alcohol-could-weaken-your-immune-system-2020-3">alcohol was an "unhelpful coping strategy."</a> But whether it be out of boredom or loneliness or to cope with the stress of <keyword id="58679" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Quarantine">quarantine</keyword>, retail alcohol sales suggest Americans are drinking plenty in quarantine while largely being prohibited from visiting bars or attending social gatherings. While a <keyword id="6359860" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Beer">beer</keyword> to unwind isn't a pause for concern — and some research even suggests <a href="https://www.insider.com/having-few-drinks-a-week-might-good-for-brain-study-2020-6">it could be protective</a> — the line between what is considered to be "normal" versus "problematic" drinking can be blurry. "There's less to do, people aren't working, those are little hot spots for more drinking," <a href="https://health.usnews.com/doctors/antonio-de-filippo-784913">Dr. Antonio De Filippo,</a> the medical director at Delphi Behavioral Health Group, told Insider. Insider spoke with De Filippo about how to spot concerning drinking and what to do if you or your loved ones need help.<h2>Your social setting can skew your perception of 'normal drinking'</h2>Technically, the healthy amount of alcohol one can consume in a week is thought to be <a href="https://www.insider.com/coronavirus-drinking-more-alcohol-could-weaken-your-immune-system-2020-3">seven drinks or less a week for people assigned male at birth and five drinks a week or less for people assigned female at birth</a>.But, often, acceptable drinking is defined by our social circle, making it easy to lose track of what's healthy and what's not, according to De Filippo."What we consider normal drinking sometimes has a lot to do with our peer group, because maybe somebody in college might be drinking more because they're going to frat parties — that's not necessarily problematic drinking, but it's a slippery slope," De Filippo said.Rather than being based on a set number of drinks a night, De Filippo told Insider problematic drinking was defined by how your drinking affects the rest of your life."The biggest thing is how impaired your life is by your drinking and how much it plays in your life," De Filippo said. <h2>Fatigue can be the first sign of a growing problem</h2>While someone may not think they feel the effects of alcohol in their daily life, the first sign of your body being affected by alcohol is a growing sense of fatigue."There are people who drink excessively and are still able to pay their bills and go to work 'function,' but over time it does have a tendency to catch up to people," De Filippo said. This kind of body fatigue can often be the first of many effects of long-term alcohol use like early-onset dementia and liver disease.<h2>DUIs and missing work are serious red flags</h2>More glaring signs that your life is being impacted by alcohol is when you're unable to perform daily responsibilities.<a href="https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/worklife/reference-materials/alcoholism-in-the-workplace-a-handbook-for-supervisors/">According to the US Office of Personnel Management</a>, unexplained absences from work, frequent tardiness, overuse of sick leave, and patterns of absence after weekends or holidays are signs alcohol consumption is beginning to affect other areas of your life.Missing work for being hungover or to drink repeatedly or getting into more serious legal trouble like getting a DUI can signify a substance-use disorder.<h2>Slipping up at work or school are subtle signs of alcohol dependence</h2>While most of the public may not be missing work to drink, there are subtle ways problematic drinking can seep into your daily life.If you feel yourself underperforming at work or school out of fatigue or an inability to concentrate, this could be the result of prolonged alcohol use.<a href="https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/worklife/reference-materials/alcoholism-in-the-workplace-a-handbook-for-supervisors/">The US Office of Personnel Management</a> found missing deadlines, incomplete or sloppy work, production quotas not being met, and excuses for late assignments all to be signs of substance-use disorders.<h2>If you notice your drinking veering into concerning territory, reach out for help</h2><div type="image" title="mental health depression anxiety stress disorder ADD panic OCD mood trauma sad tired sleep insomnia cox 38" height="1667" width="2222" msid="76816642" hostid="261"></div>The first step to addressing any kind of <keyword id="9526947" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="substance-use-disorder">substance use disorder</keyword> is to reach out for help.De Filippo said this could involve individual counseling, peer-run Alcoholics Anonymous or Smart Recovery meetings, or checking into a rehabilitation or detox center where you can safely be weaned off the physical addiction to alcohol.While it can feel difficult to get help during lockdown, the options are evolving to keep people in need of these services safe. Most therapists now offer telehealth appointments or phone service; AA meetings observe social-distancing rules or occur online; and rehabilitation centers are considered to be essential services. <h2>Approach loved ones with compassion and care if you want to talk to them about their alcohol use</h2>If you notice a friend or loved one's drinking pattern increasing and affecting the person's daily life, it's important to approach them with kindness and concern.According to De Filippo, the worst thing you can do is call them an alcoholic. Instead, asking for their consent to have a conversation about their consumption habits is the best route to take. They'll be more receptive and might process your concern more quickly rather than getting defensive."Avoiding treating it as a moral issue," De Filippo said. "When you're dealing with someone who might be a friend, a neighbor — approaching them in a nonjudgmental way and truly doing it for them is the way to look at this."<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/does-alcohol-help-you-sleep">4 ways alcohol negatively impacts the quality of your sleep</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/miley-cyrus-says-she-is-sober-six-months-after-surgery-2020-6">Miley Cyrus says she's been sober for six months after vocal surgery that left her unable to speak for four weeks</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/americans-drinking-more-boxed-wine-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-4">Americans are turning to boxed wine during the coronavirus pandemic, according to new data</a></li></ul>

How to tell the difference between 'normal' and 'problematic' drinking, and what to do if you notice an alarming pattern

GettyNorthamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley<ul class="summary-list"><li>A UK police chief threatened that his officers were just "days away" from checking that items purchased from shops are "necessary" and "legitimate" during the coronavirus lockdown.</li><li>Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley told reporters that the public should be "under no illusions" that he would enforce tough restrictions during the coronavirus lockdown.</li><li>However, the UK's emergency coronavirus legislation law does not authorise police officers to check people's shopping.</li><li>Adderley later backtracked and withdrew his threat to impose the checks.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>A UK police chief threatened that his officers would start checking people's shopping trolleys for items that are not "necessary" and "legitimate" if the public do not start following coronavirus lockdown rules.Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Nick Adderley warned on Thursday that his force was just "days away" from implementing the restrictions.Speaking at a <a href="https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2020/04/09/police-a-days-awaya-from-checking-shopping-trolleys-as-lockdo/?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly90LmNvL1Z6S2d5Q1lXclo&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC62HHBlFb6RP5ub451n7k8klsIi6u6t1iEDrt54-Hck9mruzEnAQ9-HdjRluOLI0cgquEUK8viJlNCh-698rp8oabN3isayKkAnX5S0eFycxNixvIxm4ni7FYVG8S1DwmXePHYN8j4cS3ypYJ3XCs_SmsqwazWXaUB0bkZEO3-t">press conference</a> he said: "We will not, at this stage, be setting up roadblocks. We will not, at this stage, start to marshal supermarkets and checking the items in baskets and trolleys to see whether it's a legitimate, necessary item."But again, be under no illusion, if people do not heed the warnings and the pleas I'm making today, we will start to do that."<h2>Watch UK police chief threaten to check shopping trolleys</h2>Emergency legislation passed by the UK government last month has enforced the closure of most shops and public premises in the UK.However, it did not give the police powers to prevent members of the public from purchasing items judged by officers to be non-essential in shops that remain open.After the clip of Adderley's comments spread on social media, the Chief Constable sought to backtrack from his earlier threats."To be clear on the shopping trolley issue: This is about essential and necessary journeys, not what's in your trolley," <a href="https://twitter.com/NorthantsChief/status/1248200618340241408">he tweeted.</a>"I have been clear that we will not be judge and jury on what is an essential item or not, but we may now probe the purpose of the journey."A UK government spokesman on Thursday also made it clear that the police do not have the power to prevent people from purchasing "nonessential" items like Easter Eggs."Shops that are still open are free to sell any items they have in stock," the spokesman said."What we've set out is that there shouldn't be any unnecessary travel taking place. I think the guidelines on that are very clear."Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email <a href="mailto:covidtips@businessinsider.com">covidtips@businessinsider.com</a> and tell us your story.And get the latest <a href="/coronavirus-business-impact">coronavirus business and economic impact analysis</a> from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting industries. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-make-beer-with-picobrew-c-home-brew-2020-3">We tested a machine that brews beer at the push of a button</a></h3>

A police chief threatened to start checking shopping trolleys for 'unnecessary' items during the UK coronavirus lockdown

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12143328" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="keir-starmer" source="Orion">Keir Starmer</keyword> has been accused of "hypocrisy" as he faces a police investigation into a potentially lockdown-breaching curry.</li><li>The Labour leader called for <keyword id="11911533" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boris-johnson" source="Orion">Boris Johnson</keyword> to resign when he was being investigated over so-called partygate claims.</li></ul>Keir Starmer has been accused of "hypocrisy" by a government minister after police opened an investigation into claims he broke lockdown rules in an event dubbed 'beergate'.On Friday, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/police-launch-investigation-into-keir-starmer-beergate-allegations-following-significant-new-evidence/articleshow/91379093.cms">Durham Police announced it had launched a probe</a> after receiving "significant new information" about claims the Labour leader joined his team for a curry and drank beer in an office in May 2021 during the campaign for the Hartlepool by-election.Starmer pulled out of events he was scheduled to attend on Monday, including an address ahead of the Queen's Speech later this week. <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/keir-starmer-considers-pledging-to-resign-if-fined-over-beergate-j7flbzv2n">The Times reported</a> he may make a statement on his future later on Monday.Starmer says no rules were broken and there was a pause in work to eat.A leaked memo for the day published by the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10793159/Keir-Starmers-Beergate-story-blown-apart-leaked-Labour-memo.html">Mail on Sunday</a> suggests the meal was pre-planned. The memo suggested no further work was planned after the meal.The memo also shows Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, was at the meal. Labour previously denied her presence in what they now claim was an "honest mistake".But Conservatives have accused him of hypocrisy, after he called on Boris Johnson to resign at the outset of a police probe into 'partygate' – a series of parties and gatherings in Downing Street during lockdown.Johnson, and his most senior minister Chancellor Rishi Sunak, have both received fines for attending a party to mark Johnson's 56th birthday. The Metropolitan Police is yet to conclude its partygate investigation, meaning Johnson could yet receive further penalties.Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, told <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1523559867025440770">Sky News</a> that the situation "smacks of sheer hypocrisy", but did not call for Starmer to resign.Lisa Nandy, a senior shadow minister, told <a href="https://twitter.com/RidgeOnSunday/status/1523220319292461056">Sky News on Sunday</a> that Starmer, who received a knighthood in 2014 for his work as director of public prosecutions, is "Mr Rules."She said: "He does not break the rules, he was the director of public prosecutions, not somebody who goes around tearing up rules when it suits him, in stark contrast to the Prime Minister."Conservative MPs elected in 2019 have said an apology from Starmer would be sufficient, according to messages between the MPs <a href="https://twitter.com/patrickkmaguire/status/1523351253383741440">leaked to The Times</a>.

Beergate: Keir Starmer accused of 'hypocrisy' with police probe into lockdown curry as Labour MP insists he is 'Mr Rules'

Frankfurt, May 16 (AP) Demonstrations took place Saturday in several European cities against restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus, with tear gas used on protesters in Poland and arrests made at a gathering in London's Hyde Park.Police in several German cities enforced distancing rules as thousands of people gathered to express a mix of frustrations - at restrictions battering the economy and a perceived loss of civic freedom. In some places, people also voiced conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine views.Police in Stuttgart said that the permitted number of 5,000 demonstrators was exceeded and directed arriving participants to another open space. Police said there were enforcing a mask requirement under threat of a 300 euro ($325) fine.The permitted number of 1,000 protesters was reached in Munich on the Theresienwiese event grounds, site of the now-cancelled Oktoberfest beer festival. It was one of a number of gatherings across the southern state of Bavaria.Several dozen people protested anti-virus rules to loud music in Berlin in a taped-off demonstration area on the central Alexanderplatz square, overseen by 1,000 police who enforced a 1.5 meter (six-foot) distancing requirement and a ban on more than 50 people in one place, the dpa news agency reported. Among the permitted protest groups were several dozen counter-protesters denouncing conspiracy theories and supporting the rights of migrants.Germany and other countries have started to loosen some of the restrictions on movement, gatherings and businesses under restrictions on numbers of customers and spacing of seating. Retailers and restaurants have been hard hit and face uncertain futures. Germany's professional soccer league resumed matches on Saturday in stadiums without spectators.Dozens of people, including a senator, were detained during a protest by business owners in the Polish capital against coronavirus restrictions, while police used tear gas against protesters. The city of Warsaw said the gathering was illegal because it had not been previously approved.Jacek Bury, a senator for the opposition Civic Platform party, said he was hurt by police when trying to defend another protester. Warsaw police said they faced cases of "aggression against police officers." Police denied using force against Bury.In Britain, anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protesters held a gathering in Hyde Park in central London and were met by a heavy police presence.The protesters chanted "Freedom" and held handmade placards. Some sat on the grass and had picnics while observing social distancing guidelines while others ignored the rules and gathered in groups.Officers tried to disperse the groups, threatening them with fines if they didn't comply. They arrested 13 people, the London Metropolitan Police Service said.This is the first weekend since the British government eased lockdown rules for England, allowing people to spend more time outdoors. Activities they're now allowed to do include having a picnic and they are also allowed to meet one other person from another household as long as social distancing is obeyed. (AP) PMSPMS

Arrests at anti-lockdown demonstrations in Warsaw, London

<ul class="summary-list"><li>During the pandemic, <keyword id="72226" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="New-York-City">New York City</keyword> has lost thousands of the small businesses that gave it its flavor.</li><li>A coming third wave of the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> has put the City That Never Sleeps on the cusp of being shuttered once again. There's nothing to do but mourn the lost and the soon-to-be lost.</li><li>But <keyword id="6355838" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="new-york">New York</keyword>'s legacy is one of constant destruction and rebirth. Like a classic slice of New York pizza, Gotham is eternal.</li><li>This is an <keyword id="6356002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="opinion">opinion</keyword> column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.</li></ul>In 2016 the writer Anna Calhoun published a book called "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/St-Marks-Dead-Americas-Hippest/dp/0393353303">St. Marks Is Dead: The Many Lives of America's Hippest Street</a>." It's a fascinating history of the four-block East Village thoroughfare, which remained a hub for artists, activists, and bohemians for more than a century.Calhoun grew up on St. Mark's Place in the '80s. It was a grim period of high crime rates, a crack epidemic, and AIDS. She's got the street credibility demanded by New York's "<a href="https://vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/">authenticity</a>" scolds.What Calhoun found in researching the book was a common thread through the decades: Everything "great" about the street eventually faded, and whatever came next was considered "inauthentic."Describing the transitions between the '60s, '70s, and '80s, <a href="https://reason.com/2016/02/29/st-marks-is-dead-ada-calhoun/">Calhoun said</a>: "The hippies didn't much like the Beatniks and they really hated the punks. The punks didn't much like the hippies and they really hated the hardcore kids. So it's been this cycle of bohemians hating each other."And so it goes with New York, constantly tearing itself down, always to be resurrected. New York is <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/mvxjpv/your-misplaced-new-york-nostalgia-will-get-you-nowhere-330">built for nostalgia</a>, while also making a <a href="https://observer.com/2015/02/the-tyranny-of-nostalgia-is-making-cities-unaffordable/">mockery</a> of <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/slurring-charter-schools-1504320508">nostalgia</a>.Yet the transition to the 2020s has been different. It's not a cyclical shift or a generational evolution. It's a catastrophe of grand proportions, and it's hard to know what flowers will bloom in New York City or when.<h2>You can't go home to New York again. That place is gone.</h2>New York has gotten its ass handed to it by <keyword id="8764262" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid">COVID</keyword>.It was the epicenter of the pandemic in the US during the worst of the first wave, from March through May. A mass exodus <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/11/14/new-stats-reveal-massive-nyc-exodus-amid-coronavirus-crime/">ensued</a>. Businesses closed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/nyregion/nyc-small-businesses-closing-coronavirus.html">en masse</a>. With some exceptions, public schools have yet to reopen.New York isn't dying, but it is gravely ill.The website <a href="https://www.curbed.com/article/nyc-businesses-closed-2020-pandemic.html">Curbed</a> published a running list of New York establishments that have permanently closed since the pandemic started. At this writing, the tally is over 500, and while it's a valiant effort, Curbed's list is in no way comprehensive.Listing the closures in order of when the businesses opened was a devastatingly effective editorial choice. First up: the Lord &amp; Taylor store on the Lower East Side, <a href="https://www.boweryboogie.com/2018/12/when-lord-taylor-ruled-lower-east-side-fashion-history/">opened in 1826</a>.Then there's Empire Coffee, a Hell's Kitchen hole-in-the-wall, which <a href="https://patch.com/new-york/midtown-nyc/hells-kitchens-empire-coffe-tea-closes-after-112-years">somehow survived for 112 years</a> in the <a href="https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/photos-longtime-new-yorker-shares-stories-about-the-gritty-times-square-of-1970s-80s">forever no-man's-land</a> around the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Two world wars, the Great Depression, <a href="https://vimeo.com/247382710">New York's ungovernable '70s and '80s</a>, the Great Recession, and <a href="https://www.governing.com/topics/urban/gov-gentrification-local-business-extinction.html">hypergentrification</a> couldn't kill Empire Coffee. COVID did.Like most New Yorkers who didn't flee, I haven't much strayed far from home during the pandemic, which is why scrolling through the list felt like a relentless series of gut punches.The Prohibition-era Greenwich Village speakeasy and literary haunt <a href="https://untappedcities.com/2020/07/27/greenwich-village-speakeasy-chumleys-closes-for-good/">Chumley's</a>, where I spent many a freelance writer's day nursing a lunch beer and soup - gone.The Lower East Side bar <a href="https://www.grubstreet.com/2020/12/max-fish-closing-2020.html">Max Fish</a> with the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/nyregion/16maxfish.html">creepy Julio Iglesias portrait</a> over the bar, where I'd go for postshow drinks in the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Meet-Me-Bathroom-Rebirth-2001-2011/dp/0062233092">early 2000s garage-rock renaissance</a> - bye.The comedy incubators <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2020/11/creek-and-cave-closed-covid-19.html">The Creek and the Cave</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/04/27/845081522/comedy-community-mourns-the-end-of-an-era-as-ucb-closes-new-york-locations">Upright Citizens Brigade Theater</a>, where I saw comedy legends, as well as tomorrow's sitcom writers and "SNL" performers for $5 a show and $2 PBRs - fare thee well.The list keeps going and going, before finally concluding with such hard-luck businesses that were both born and killed in 2020.The third wave of the pandemic has put the City That Never Sleeps on the cusp of being shuttered once again. There's nothing to do but mourn the lost and the soon-to-be lost.<h2>The New York pizza slice, the envy of the world</h2>Last week, on a rickety sidewalk table in Queens, I ordered a couple of greasy cheese slices, slid to me through a window by a Sicilian immigrant who's operated his no-frills joint for more than two decades.I considered the masterpiece that is a good slice of New York pizza, how it remains <a href="https://www.foodrepublic.com/2016/12/06/new-york-pizza-theories-why-do-the-citys-pies-reign-supreme/">the envy of the world</a>, and how it's essentially immune to inflation. It'll always be working-class grub, though sought out by the rich, forever unpretentious, and impossible to improve on.I thought about how, over the past two decades, as I shed my youth and assumed the relentless responsibility that comes with parenthood, how few of the establishments where I made my memories had survived, even before the pandemic.New York's character is now bloody and bruised, with untold carnage still to come with another winter of <keyword id="8919629" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lockdowns">lockdowns</keyword> and despair. But this Queens pizza place survives in a low-trafficked area, and still churns out a reliably fantastic product for which I'll always happily fork over a couple bucks.I miss my old New York, just as everyone who lived in and loved this city misses their New York. But I'm still nostalgia-skeptical, because professional nostalgists aren't so much historians as they are fetishists.There's not much daylight between longing for the sexist decadence of the "Mad Men" office and <a href="https://gawker.com/bring-crime-back-to-times-square-1545650609">lamenting the loss</a> of the "gritty" Times Square of mafia control and depraved violence. Both places had their time, inspired some great art, and are happily relegated to the distant past. (And yes, the modern-day fluorescent tourist-trap nightmare that is Times Square is also horrible. <a href="https://lifehacker.com/never-go-to-times-square-and-other-new-york-city-tips-1803757078">Maybe Times Square is just meant to be awful</a> forever.)What's happening now, the manner in which New York is withering, isn't natural. It's tragic and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shame-fatigue-unscientific-covid-restrictions-backfiring-2020-12">exacerbated by some unscientific government restrictions</a> that have proved to be the tipping point for a lot of struggling small businesses.I don't know what's coming next.It could be that all of New York gets further sanitized, and the space once held by wonderful independent businesses will soon be occupied by Chase banks, Duane Reades, and Starbucks.Or maybe we'll be back living "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--gdB-nnQkU">The Warriors</a>." Who's to say?All I can be sure of is that New York as we knew it in March is gone forever, and we'll be mourning it for a long while. But the next great New York is probably coming at some point. I hope I'm still around to enjoy it when it does.New York's perma-state of constant reinvention, including cycles of misery and neglect, is as much a part of its character as a greasy slice.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cuomo-obliterates-own-undeserved-covid-19-hero-myth-2020-11">Cuomo is obliterating his own (undeserved) COVID hero myth</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-de-blasio-do-something-great-new-yorkers-resign-2020-6">Bill de Blasio can finally do something great for New Yorkers: resign</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-new-york-ghost-town-made-mixtape-cope-2020-4">Coronavirus has turned New York into a ghost town, so I'm making a 'mixtape' to cope</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/depression-doesnt-take-time-off-coronavirus-pandemic-quarantine-lockdown-2020-5">Depression doesn't take time off for a pandemic</a></li></ul>

New York City as we knew it is dead. Long live New York.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In March I've had most of the coronavirus symptoms and would hate for anyone else to go through the same.</li><li>On the July 4, hairdressers as well as pubs and other facilities reopened in England and I decided it was time for a haircut.</li><li>HOB Salons, my go-to <keyword id="38810" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="hairdresser">hairdresser</keyword> for five years, eased my worries and I had my first haircut after four months. It was emotional, exciting, and strangely normal.</li></ul>Booking a routine hairdressers appointment usually makes me feel, at most, a mild sense of relief. Not this time. There was nothing routine about the reopening of England's hairdressers on July 4 — as soon as I could, I rang HOB Salons, my go-to spot in Camden, and secured a Wednesday morning slot, when the shop was quietest. I was so desperate to get four months of tangled lockdown hair lopped off that I punched the air in jubilation after I booked, as my football team, Arsenal, had just won a game. With excitement came nerves, and plenty of questions. Would I get the same pampered experience as before? Would it feel too regimented, and less personal? I had questions about how coronavirus precautions would work, too. Britain's government sent mixed signals over the easing of lockdown restrictions: Stay 1 meter away from anyone outside your household, but it's fine for hairdressers to rub your head with shampoo and snip away. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells one moment, and embracing the long-forgotten feeling of physical touch the next. I'd had most of the coronavirus symptoms in March, at the beginning of Britain's lockdown, and would hate for anyone else to go through the same. Psychologically, I've been ready to delve back into public <keyword id="6360041" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="life">life</keyword>, but I know that others, who may not have experienced symptoms, feel more cautious. I was anxious about the health of staff and others around me.Fortunately, HOB Salons, my go-to hairdresser for five years, eased any worries I had Located by London's Regents Canal and Camden Market, it's a spacious shop that still allows for an intimate relationship between hairdresser and client. The salon ramped up its social media output coverage during lockdown, and told customers what to expect upon their return — and now calls all customers before their appointment to inform them of safety measures. That means no more mid-trim drinks: Usually you can slurp beer, tea, coffee, or juice, but now only home-bought drinks in sealed, reusable bottles are allowed. The waiting area is closed, so I wait at home for a phone call on the day of my appointment, and, 15 minutes before my slot, it rings: My seat is cleaned and ready. The system is ideal for locals — everyone else has to wait outside the shop for their turn. Expect this to be the norm for post-lockdown haircuts.<div type="image" title="Haircut and visor" height="1944" width="2592" msid="77064003" hostid="261"></div>As soon as I step in, my hairdresser hands me PPE — a slip-on disposable white gown with a hole for my head. I've had the same person cut my hair since 2016. Sol is my hairdresser, friend, and occasional counsellor. Four months after I last saw him, his arms are outstretched in a mock air hug, a clear visor strapped around his head. I get all emotional seeing him again. Stepping out of my closed social circle, hearing the buzz of the clippers, and anticipating a new, cleaner self was overwhelming — in a good way. I laughed, and wanted to hug him, but instead settled for an anti-climactic elbow bump. Feel free to adopt another safe greeting to meet your own needs.I feared coronavirus would kill the usual pre-cut hair wash — a chance to lay back and escape momentarily — but they've been saved by transparent screens between hair-washing stations, which take little away from what is still the most relaxing part of any salon session. It took half an hour to untangle my hair. As Sol said, "Some of us have let ourselves go in lockdown".<div type="image" title="new hair" height="1414" width="1886" msid="77063553" hostid="261"></div>The rest of my cut was surprisingly close to normal. Sol's visor didn't stop the flow of chatter, or sense of pampering. We talked about vacations, football, and dating in the age of coronavirus. In the only awkward moment, I asked for a beard trim. Could Sol do that? Probably not. Nobody knows.An hour later, four months of anxiety, stress, and worry had fallen to the ground.

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