USA: Portland Brewing Co. is offering Californians a taste of "The Governator," a strong beer commemorating the Golden State's 38th governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Business Journal Portland said on January 5. The Governator Ale is a craft-brewed ESB (extra special bitter) that is a bit stronger in alcohol than most craft beers, the brewer said.

Portland Brewing created a new "dba" called Pumping Iron Brewing Co. to produce the 22-ounce bottle adorned with a flexing beau, paying homage to the Austrian-born bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-governor. "Once we designed the label with the bodybuilder designed to tickle the funny bones of Californians, we decided it was worth the hassle to create a dba called Pumping Iron Brewing," said Jerome Chicvara, CEO of Portland Brewing. "We rolled it out in California as a stocking stuffer 10 days before Christmas," he added.

The Governator is available throughout California through the end of spring for approximately $2.99 a bottle. Chicavara said that if the brew proves popular, it will stay on the shelves longer. He also said that although it's not currently available in Oregon, the company will make it available to all its distributors who are interested.

06 January, 2004