Brew-ha-ha

Do you know that beer has zero fat and zero cholesterol? In fact, some light varieties can only have 96 calories per 12 ounce serving and up to two thirds of these calories actually come from alcohol.

So why is beer often regarded as the culprit for unhealthy lifestyle and the proverbial beer belly?

“It is not the beer itself but rather the custom of drinking beer,” clarifies Jim Araneta, self-described Beertender and the man on top of Global Beer Exchange.

According to Araneta, beer drinkers, Filipinos most especially, cannot drink beer without bar chow or pulutan. These foods are often greasy and laden with fat. Moreover, when more bottles are consumed, the person also becomes lethargic leading to inactivity that later on can lead to weight gain.

Araneta laments the fact that beer has been unfairly labeled as an unhealthy drink. To counter this, he shares the following unknown health benefits of drinking beer.

A 12-ounce bottle of a typical American Pale Lager beer actually has fewer calories than 12 ounces of two percent milk or even apple juice. It has fewer calories than wine and some lower-alcohol styles, such as dry stouts, have even fewer calories.

If the government allows the listing of nutritional content on beer labels, here is what a standard “Nutrition Facts” chart might be for a 12-ounce (355-milliliter) bottle of a typical mega brewed US lager: 151 calories (two-thirds from alcohol), 0 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 25 milligrams sodium, 13.7 grams carbohydrate, 1.1 grams protein, trace amounts of calcium, potassium and phosphorus and many of the B Vitamins.

I am not a beer drinker but was told that beer has been shown to decrease triglyceride levels and LDL or bad cholesterol. It is rich in fiber that comes from the cell walls of the barley malt.

Beer contains magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. It also has riboflavin and niacin that promotes sleep. Beer has also been found to protect against kidney and gall diseases.

If we go back earlier this century, beer is even considered the most sanitary drink. The water used in making beer is boiled in the brewing process that kills all harmful pathogens. The alcohol produced during fermentation and the addition of hops helped to preserve it. Beer, in fact, was the only sanitary source of hydration until the time that modern water treatment plants were in place.

But how much beer is good for you and how much is too much?

Moderation is really the key, says Araneta. He and health experts agree that a 12 oz bottle a day is good for the body.

But why is a 43-year-old businessman, and a lean and buff triathlete so into beer?

“I don’t want to sound trite, but beer is my passion ever since I was young.” He then recalled lazy afternoons spent with his grandfather savoring the cold brew.

This fond memory ignited the love for beer within him, that he now always makes it a point to go to small breweries and taste new varieties each time he travels.

“There are a lot of beers out there in the world and I want Filipinos to sample them,” shares Araneta.

He has, so far, brought in 22 varieties from the US all made by craft breweries. These breweries produce just around 500,000 bottles a year, a much lesser volume than the mega breweries.

He again shared another little known fact. Craft beer or any good quality beer is no different from fine wine.

They are best savored with certain food. A pale ale is best with sharp pungent cheeses, barbecue and game while a porter goes well with chocolate, desserts and meat. A lager is recommended to go with poultry and seafood.

For those who love sweet notes in their drinks, Araneta offers flavored beer in hazelnut, chocolate and mocha. These go well with pork, beef and desserts.

Just like fine wine, craft beer should also be stored and served properly. A beer bottle should be stored upright in the refrigerator and served either flowing down the side of the glass or poured right into the middle depending on the variant.

Araneta downs a bottle of beer each day. He normally savors it with friends and family. “My wife sometimes joins me in tasting a new variant. Right now she loves the flavored varieties.” He is married to the former Rica Concepcion with whom he has three lovely children, Carsy, 18; Franco, 14; and Natalia, six.

His friends are also becoming converts. The taste and the health benefits win them over instantly.

Lovers of good food and drinks seem to be going to his side as well. The select fine dining restaurants he supplies come back to him with very good feedback and repeat orders.

Some buy his beers as gifts. All the variants he carries not only taste well but also come with very creative logos and labels. One line even comes in handsome ceramic bottles complete with a metal and rubber stopper, well, just in case you and your friends cannot consume all the 750 ml contents.

Araneta brings in 22 varieties made by Rogue Ales in Oregon, Ballast Point Brewing Company in San Diego and Gordon Biersch in California. He will also have more beer varieties from Flying Dog Brewery in Maryland.

Those who want to sample these excellent craft beer from the US can go to Old Swiss Inn Makati, Alabang and Paco Park, Mezze Greenbelt 2, Myron’s Place Greenbelt 5 and Power Plant, Basilio’s at the Fort, Elbert’s Steakroom in Salcedo Village, Good to Go at The Fort, Mamou in Serendra and CAV Wine Bar and Restaurant at Bonifacio High Street, The Fort.

Araneta is excited with his latest endeavor. “Filipinos love good food and drinks plus the company of family and friends,” he states. It also wouldn’t hurt to have fun yet stay healthy.

Who can go wrong with such a heady mix? Cheers!

Beloved Encore!

After the highly acclaimed first Beloved three years ago, prepare to be mesmerized with the beautiful music and outstanding performances from the New York Opera singers, Martin Nievera and Louie Ocampo on Oct. 17 as Beloved Encore! stages the biggest and most anticipated fundraising event of the year at the Makati Shangri-La Manila.

Leading philanthropist and dedicated charity fundraiser Imelda Cojuangco is the chairperson for Beloved Encore! With her loyal support of charitable causes and her selfless nature, Mrs. Cojuangco has supported numerous non-profit organizations and programs here and abroad. Co-chairing Beloved Encore! is PLDT chairman Manny Pangilinan. Known for his exceptional achievements in business, he is committed to uplifting the lives of the Filipino youth by providing quality education through Smart Schools Programs and the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Programs just to name a few of the organizations and projects he continually supports.

Alongside Cojuangco and Pangilinan are Beloved’s project management committee members Marietta Santos, Josine Elizalde and Deeda Garcia Versoza who have all come together to raise funds for their two beloved organizations, the Gift of Life Foundation in partnership with Heart Center of the Philippines and the liver transplant program.

More than the music and glamour, the main goal of Beloved Encore! is to raise funds for the project’s beneficiaries. A rotary-based non-profit organization, the Gift of Life Foundation’s mission is to give new life to children in need of open-heart surgery through facilitating free medical services to indigent children suffering from heart diseases. The concept of the foundation was established in 1974 by the Manhasset, NY Rotary Club, but it was only eight years ago that the Gift of Life Foundation reached Philippine shores. In the beginning, children in need of open-heart surgery were duly brought to the United States for treatment, but due to high costs and fulfilling visa requirements, Marietta Santos with the help of Dr. Rudy Soto of San Francisco, convinced Dr. Ludgerio Torres, director of the Heart Center of the Philippines, to open the program that will make the process more convenient and accessible to patients who are in dire need of medical assistance.

With the help of the Rotary Club of Manila of which Dr. Torres is a member, heart surgeries were then conducted at the Heart Center of the Philippines. Today, the Gift of Life foundation with the assistance of the Philippine Heart Center have already performed hundreds of life-saving procedures in Metro Manila and the provinces — at the Heart Center, the Makati Medical Center through the help of Makati Rotary Club West of which the late Adrian Ocampo was then the president, and the Philippine General Hospital through the help of the Rotary Club of Intramuros.

(For more information, please contact Chevy Salvador at 0908-3268408, Angel Uson at 0917-7955909 or 817-5926 or e-mail [email protected] with secretariat at 8th floor, Chemphil 1 building, 851 Pasay Road, Makati City.)

(You may e-mail me at [email protected])