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This short video displays a Japanese Robot that has been rolled out in stores to help enforce Coronavirus guidelines. While seemingly harmless, this sort of technology could have many applications, not all of them positive. With it’s facial recognition capability, and programming aimed at point out and changing undesirable behaviors, it could easily be developed into a tool for limiting certain freedoms or monitoring populations. 

This article, noticeably sponsored, tries to get readers excited about the ways in which businesses may soon be reaching out to them for marketing purposes. According to the article, while e-mails and telemarketing calls quickly get marked as spam and ignored, text messages consistently have a 98% open rate. For businesses, this is a viable new way to market their services and products to customers. For customers, this a new annoyance that they will need to adapt to and learn to ignore. 

This article deals with the controversy surrounding the launch of Instagram’s Reels, a TikTok clone, by Facebook last year. It talks about the features of the app, and the sort of content that was shown at its launch and highlights the similarities between the two. 

Like many of you, I have heard the whispers. If one can whisper on Twitter. I have several goals for writing this. One, I'd like to introduce Roanoke to Deschutes. And, introduce Deschutes to Roanoke. Apparently, there ARE people living way over there in Oregon and they are making damn fine beer. Let's dig in, shall we?

The ironic part of this is I am slam smack dab in the middle of purchasing a Roanoke icon eatery/bar and transforming it into a brewpub. I have my business plan. I have an award winning brewer in place. I meet with a large group of investors in just a few short weeks. Why is this relative? Well, for one, I've done a LOT of market research in and around Roanoke, in regards to beer. And two, Deschutes actually started as a brewpub. Brewpub is a term for “brewery” and “public house”.

Public houses date back to Roman times. Travelers could find lodging, food and alcoholic beverages. A tavern typically served wine, whereas public houses served ale and beer, generally house made. Over time, the terms became interchangeable. Pubs, throughout history, were always the places for social gatherings. In fact, the Sons of Liberty met so often at the Green Dragon ins Boston, it became known as “Headquarters of the American Revolution.”

Gary Fish opened his first brewpub in downtown Bend, Oregon. It was named after the local river, the Deschutes River. In their first year of operation, they sold 310 barrels of beer. A barrel or Bbl is a measurement of capacity. For example, you will often hear a brewery referred to as its Bbl capacity. A 60bbl brewery and so on. As a reference, 1 bbl equals 344 bottles of beer, 3907 ounces or 244 U.S. Pints. In just 4 short year, Deschutes Brewpub was making 3,954 barrels. Forced to expand to to meet customer demands, Deschutes purchased a 16,000 sq. foot facility in 1993 with the ability to brew 50bbl batches. Deschutes now operates two brewing facilities, with the addition of another 6000 sq. foot facility, with the ability to brew an additional 105,000 bbls, making it the 6th largest craft brewer in the nation. And according to the whispers, Deschutes is looking to expand to the Best Coast.

Best known for its Black Butte Porter (which I have had. Ridiculously good.).  Black Butte is the best selling porter in the U.S. In addition, Deschutes brews Deschutes River Ale, Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale (named World's Best Beer in 2010 AND 2012), Inversion IPA and many, many more. Mirror Pond, a pale ale, has won many awards, including GABF. Deschutes also donates $1 per bbl sold to many charities, local and national. Fish and his team have worked hard to preserve and protect the environment, practicing responsible brewing. Having done so earned prestigious awards such as 2012 Sustainability Award from the State of Oregon, as well as a “Green Power Partner” award from the U.S. EPA.

So, Roanoke, meet Deschutes. Deschutes, meet my favorite city and home town, Roanoke. I would be remiss to rewrite her beautiful history. But, you can read more about Roanoke's history and it's beer here. In my research for economics and demographics of my own brewpub, I came across amazing similarities between Bend and Roanoke. Now, let me preface a bit. I love beer. I write about beer. I drink beer. I cook with beer. I brew beer. I film beer. I love beer like fire loves oxygen. In January, I will likely be Roanoke's only Cicerone, and hopefully the new owner of a Roanoke favorite, but as a brewpub. I know just enough about beer to know I want to know more about beer. I say this because I know brewers and I know beer drinkers. And, I know they love their outdoors. This is one thing we have LOTS of here in Roanoke.

Bend is technically the “high” desert. At an elevation of over 3,000 feet, its nestled in the Cascade Mountain range. Surrounded by dense evergreen forests and scrub, very similar to our mountainous terrain, just at a lower elevation. The Cascades are younger, at around 2.5 million to 35 million years old, where our gorgeous Appalachian mountains are 300 to 500 million years old, which is the reason they are “shorter”. We have access, surrounding us, to some of the finest hiking in the country, if not the world, on the Appalachian Trail.

Recreation! In 1921, after the death of his wife, Benton MacKaye conceptualized the Appalachian Trail (AT). In 1923, the first section was built, from Bear Mountain, N.Y. To Arden, N.Y. Many years, later, through the hard work and effort of thousands of people, many volunteer's, the AT runs from north Georgia to Maine and well into Canada. It's highest point, Clingman's Dome, is in the Great Smoky Mountains, with an elevation of 6,643 feet.  There is no longer complete hiking trail in the world. As well as hiking, you have access to world class camping.

 Watersports? Kayaking? White Water? We got you. Here in the area, you'll find lower ranked and up to Class V and beyond rapids, easily accessible. I assure you, if you are a thrill seeker, you'll find no finer rapids than those on the James River, New River (thought to be the oldest in the world), Shenandoah River or Potomac Rivers. Rock climber? Give McAfee Knob a go. Or the sandstone climb known as Bozoo. Or my favorite, Dragon's Tooth. Hiking, birding, caving, skiing, we got you. You will NOT lack outdoor activities once you are here.

In and around Roanoke, as well as all over the State, the fishing is incredible. Trout streams dot our landscape, and our city. In Smith Mountain Lake, striper fishing is some of the finest in the country and ranked nationally. In 1963, the Roanoke River was dammed and thus, the lake was created. 32 sq miles of recreation area. 500 miles of shoreline. All this is nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You may remember the movie “What about Bob?” Oh yea. That was filmed on SML. We even recently had our very own trampoline park open! Bet ya didn't see THAT one coming, eh?

 Next, let's visit economics and distribution. Shortly, we'll delve into beer in Roanoke and Virginia, but let's be honest. Deschutes wants to make a buck. And having viable means of transporting your product is important.

Again, as discussed in another article, Roanoke was founded on rail. We do it well, even to this day. As you wind your way through our town, you will cross them. And often. So much so, the Virginia General Assembly established a Rail Heritage Region here, complete with it's own Virginia Museum of Transportation. No doubt, when considering our fine town, Deschutes has looked at means and ways of transporting their product. In fact, rail is becoming more popular in distribution of the World's Greatest Beverage. Not only does rail give access to the region, but the East Coast in general, from a distributing standpoint. Using a refrigerator car or “reefer”, these cars are designed to carry perishable freight long distances at specific temperatures. This also fits with Deschutes superior interest in the environment, as you reduce carbon emissions drastically by using this shipping method. As well, you have close access to shipping to Europe, which more and more American beer is being exported there. As well, having access to these rail systems for incoming products such as grains and necessities needed to brew.

Now, the good stuff. I've written a few articles on Roanoke's vibrant entertainment scene. When I left sixteen years ago to head out and explore this nation, I had no idea in such a short time so many changes would occur. Beer is here. And it's good. Roanoke boasts more restaurants, per capita, than any other city. And it's nightlife is brisk and energetic, with many local and regional bands that are excellent. We are also a city of festivals and parks!

Elmwood Park Amphitheater draws thousands of fans, with talent such as Sheryl Crow performing. Dr. Pepper Park at The Bridges is new, and is filled with up and coming acts. Festivals include a massive crowd for the Chili Cook Off or since 1969, Roanoke's Festival in the Park brings arts and crafts, concerts and lots of food.  Blue Ridge Music Festival, Henry Street Festival, Roanoke Greek Festival, Strawberry Festival. So many more.

Beer? Virginia is for Beer Lovers. As I stated earlier, I am in the process of qualifying and presenting investors for a brewpub here. In doing this, a lot of research has been involved. I am fortunate, in having found a partner that's an incredible award winning brewer here in the area. Virginia beer continues to climb and dominate, not only in beer itself, but beer agriculture. In preparing our business plan, I've looked at a lot of Roanoke beer and Virginia beer as a whole and its contribution to our region. According to Thrillist, Virginia ranks 28th in beer, with incredible growth and potential. “Virginia is for beer lovers. Or at least it’s getting there fast. Another state where weird laws (these ones involving how much food you needed to sell, for some God-awful reason) held brewing back for a while, VA’s got some real action going now,”.  In 2013, at GABF (Great American Beer Festival), Virginia literally cleaned up in medals. We came away with 14 medals, with only California, Colorado and Oregon taking more medals home. Port City founder Bill Butcher states “"It felt like Virginia breweries were up on stage for most of the competition, the state took in 14 medals in the competition, that's way up there as far as states go. I believe the quality of beer in Virginia has been getting better, and I think the standard has been set pretty high.”

Virginia is an agriculture state. With nearly 46,000 farms covering 8.3 million acres, nothing else comes close, from an economy standpoint. When you, Deschutes, get here, you will enjoy homegrown hops, as you enjoy back in the Pacific Northwest! We are at the Southern edge here in Southwest Virginia, as hops are normally grown in the 35-55 degree of latitude. Just dig right into the thoughts of your own field grown wet hops. CAN YOU TASTE THAT BEER??? I can! And let's face it, this is where the nation's beer began. History tells us in 1587 Virginia colonists brewed ale using corn. In 1607, they received their first shipment of beer from England. But, that's a whole other article.

Virginia Craft Beer has exploded in popularity. However, it did take awhile to reach the East Coast. Years ago, beer noticed a marked change on the West Coast as Craft Beer began to take hold. Over time, it slowly floated East. Large mass-market breweries still dominate sales, as Craft Beer only holds about a 2% market share. Compare that to say, Portland, Or., where it commands nearly 50% of the market share of beer sales. However, the room for growth is enormous.  And Virginia brewers, as with most brewers, are well known for collaborating and cooperating with other brewers. In fact, just this year we reached a milestone. 100 breweries in the State. In fact, we are now over 120. 2014 marked a 17% increase in sales over the previous years, but, not just in volume. As stated early, Virginia is making some damn fine beer. Award winning, in fact.

Roanoke itself has joined in on the beer craze. And yes, when you choose us, you will be loved for it. Many here have never been to a large brewery. Seen the production. Tasted the beer fresh from the taps. I've literally had the pleasure of drinking a beer directly from the finishing tanks at Sweetwater Brewery, and a few other breweries. And yes, we love our local breweries we have now, which at last count, number around eight, just in the city. And that's another thing. If you guys head to that “other” place, you won't be the biggest. You will initially enjoy some fanfare, but then, it'll be business as usual, because there are SO MANY breweries there. Here, you would be king. Top dog. I would imagine we could name part of the AT for you. Hell I'm up for naming one of our mountains after you. But I am sure of one thing. Roanoke will love you. And will support you. And will join, maintain and grow your workforce, continue to establish your brand. Because, it will be our brand too. And we like our brand. There isn't another like it. This is one of those relationships that just make sense. You guys have number crunchers to figure out the deep economics. But, you cannot equate a value on having a city embrace you. And being born and raised here, I know my town well. You'll get a big Star City hug for many, many years to come.

Make sure you join the fun and be part of the community at the following links:

@deschutes2rke. ‪#‎deschutes2rke‬