Beer

BOISE -- For the past three summers, thousands of craft beer enthusiasts have filled Ann Morrison Park to taste samples of the best brew the American West has to offer.

Boise police didn't report any major public safety problems, and Barley Brothers Traveling Beer Festival was considered a gastronomic and financial success -- and deemed a key part of the burgeoning craft beer scene in Idaho's capital.

But that's not the case in 2012. The city is suing festival owner Brewforia Beer Market for $7,886 plus interest, saying the organizers owe about $4,000 for turf damage and garbage cleanup at Ann Morrison and another $3,693 to cover the cost of police protection for last August's festival. Parks and Recreation officials say they don't want the festival back this summer.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- After Austin Lanham injured his knee playing rugby at the University of Maryland in 2004, he devoted his attention to another big "sport" on college campuses.

Not football or basketball, but beer pong.

BEND, Ore. -- It was when the 20-something guest-of-honor in a beer-saturated bachelor party aboard the Cycle Pub mooned a passing limo that Bend really proved that, if anything, it's not boring.

If there's any doubt that this Central Oregon city of 81,000 has become the ultimate destination for combining outdoor recreation with beer tourism, the Cycle Pub should cinch it.

This common sight around downtown Bend combines the elements of a bicycle and -- yes -- a pub. Six bike seats, each with a set of pedals, face inward on each side of a bar counter. There's a big tire at each corner, a canopy overhead and a non-drinking driver. Bike meets beer.

Cycle Pub builder James Watts, a Bend local, saw a similar contraption in Germany two years ago, and "I just knew the minute I saw it, it was a perfect cultural match for Bend."

Chris Carpenter pitches for a team once owned by America's largest brewery in a stadium that shares its name with a brand of beer. But should Carpenter wish to toast any of his victories this season he'll have to wait until he leaves the ballpark.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- An American Indian tribe sued some of the world's largest beer makers Thursday, claiming they knowingly contributed to devastating alcohol-related problems on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

PLEASANT GROVE -- City councilmembers in Pleasant Grove have decided to allow Sunday beer sales at convenience stores, but not at drive-through windows.

The Daily Herald reports (http://bit.ly/s3eC27 ) the 4-1 vote came Tuesday night, amid some residents' complaints that the city was overstepping its boundaries by proposing a ban on the alcohol sales.

City Attorney Tina Petersen said the law technically permits Sunday beer sales at places outside of restaurants, such as convenience stores.

PROVO -- The City Council has repealed an ordinance blocking Sunday beer sales in this Utah County community.