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Beer giant tries to tempt tastebuds with new brew concoctions Stephanie Stoughton THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WILLIAMSBURG, VA. — Want a bit of ginger in that beer? Or how about a strawberry Budweiser daiquiri? if the very thought of it makes your stomach lurch, this Bud- isn’t for you. But Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., better known for its manly Budweiser brand, is trying to tempt more adventurous taste buds in hopes of tapping into the growing trend toward cocktails, wines and energy drinks. - • The St. Louis-based company, which owns a brewery in Williamsburg, has introduced new beer products such as “B-to-the-E” I and “Tilt,” which mix in sweet flavors, caffeine, ginseng and guarana. Anheuser-Busch is also offering its own beer-mixing recipes, which can be found on its brand Web sites and in the aisles of some grocery stores. Among the new concoctions: Bud Light Orangutang with orange juice, grenadine and simple syrup, and “B-to-the-E”atch, or “Beatch,” a drink with raspberry liqueur and a bad attitude. But attitude is only one part of the company’s marketing plan. As Anheuser-Busch promotes its new products and do-it-yourself mixes, it’s touring the country, giving the media a taste of what it hopes is the new, refined side of its beer. Tuesday, the tour reached the company’s Busch Gardens theme park in Williamsburg, where drink innovations manager Marianne Radley served several new mixes, -1 including a light Budweiser beer drink with ginger ale and a stick of cinnamon. “This is just another way of enjoying or experiencing different flavors,” Radley said. Some were a hit with a small group of reporters/tasters, including the light and airy ginger ale mix that didn’t offer even a hint of beer aftertaste, and an eye opening Bloody Mary-like beer concoction. Some of the more fruity mixes, including an orange juice-beer drink that sought to mimic a mimosa, seemed to be more of an acquired taste. Along with the drinks, chef Brent Wertz of the nearby Kingsmill Resort & Spa served thinly sliced duck, cheddar soup, a chocolate tart and other delicacies — all made, of course, with beer. Anheuser-Busch has roughly 50 percent of the nation’s beer market. But its earnings have sagged in a competitive and evolving marketplace. Today, more consumers are seeking wine and mixed drinks that they believe reflect a more sophisticated taste. According to preliminary figures from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, beer’s market share has declined to 57.0 percent in 2004 from 59.1 percent in 2001. Spirits, on the other hand, rose from 28.6 percent to 29.7 percent, and wine took 13.3 percent of the market, up from 12.3 percent. Anheuser-Busch’s latest marketing “is all about trying to recapture lost ground,” said George Hacker, director of the alcohol policies project ar the Center for Science in the Public Interest. code • commie froiiii become better educated about what constitutes academic integrity and their responsibility to strictly adhere *to it. “There is some indication that a modified honor code helps as a deterrent to cheating both because it becomes an educational tool and it makes reporting and sanctioning interventions easier.” Cheating penalties could also be adjusted depending on the infraction by the student. Pruitt said that under a modified policy, a student wouldn’t necessarily receive a penalty for a minor violation, but would receive due punishment for blatant cheating. “It makes it easy for somebody to report cheating and easy for a case of cheating to be resolved,” Pruitt said, adding that the goal is to empower members of the community to confront cheaters. “We want a system that provides due process for the accused, but also a manageable system for the accuser.” A new policy could affect other aspects of students’ lives. “In some institutions it goes beyond academic integrity. At some universities, using a fake ID to get into a bar would be a violation.” Pruitt said policy changes would go through several approval levels. “We’ll have a committee to review all the findings to determine if changes need to made. It will then go through a series of approvals by the appropriate bodies of the university.” If approved, the revised policy could be unveiled as early as next year. “We have a lot of reviewing and education ourselves to determine what is the best policy for this university.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknews@gwm. sc. edu r useBIGWORDS and save $72 on average textboo orders' (boot's, supplies, dvcis, cds, video games.) ^ *-S«vk«s dVerjgtr, 2 Or fnorv ««ns. August t». students.u9ecrecltt#i9e'ly.com much better than 9tudent9.humante9t9ubject9forcaah.com. 8tudente.u8ecredttwisely.com A website designed to help make credit work for you, not against you. It includes tips on budgeting, saving and avoiding credit pitfalls. Because the more you know about credit now, the less painful your financial future will be. Visit us today. cfEi Live richly.' Carolina Involvement... good to the last drop. THlUlrAMECOCK If you are interested in reporting, writing, editing, public relations, advertising, photography, layout and design etc... ATTEND AN INTEREST MEETING: Monday, August 22 7:30 p.m. RHUU 322/326 or Wednesday, August 24 7:30 p.m. (0 STUDENT MEDIA RHUU 330 803.777.3888 www.sa.sc.edu/studentmedia Steven Editor in Chief, The Gamecock Summer 2005 F