Good Morning, RVA: Mild start to the week

Hello Monday, what do you have in store for us?

August 10, 2015; 6:59 AM • by Ross Catrow

Photo by: Surrounded By Light

Good morning, RVA! It’s 72 °F, and the weekend’s cooler temperatures continue. Expect rain this morning, isolated thunderstorms this afternoon, and highs in the low-80s. The cooler weather continues straight through the first half of this week.

Water cooler

During demonstrations and protests yesterday in Ferguson, a man was shot by police after he opened fire on unmarked police vehicles. Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, who was shot and killed by a police officer.

Yesterday, just 14 days ahead of the four-year anniversary of the 2011 earthquake, Louisa County’s new high schools opened its doors. The old school was destroyed in the quake–which you should remember next time someone passes around that tipped-over lawn chair meme.

The Perseids are doing their annual meteor shower thing this week. If you find yourself in a wide-open spot late, late at night take a minute to look up! Then read this piece about how some scientists think we may find extraterrestrial life within our lifetimes.

The Fox News/Donald Trump/Megyn Kelly thing is interesting and complex. Vox has a nice explainer.

Sports!

Former VCU Athletic Director Norwood Teague resigned from the University of Minnesota after sexually harassing employees. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s college basketball reporter Ameila Rayno tells her own story of being harassed by Teague.

• Squirrels lost two of three on the road against Altoona. They’ll move on to Bowie tonight at 7:05 PM.
• Kickers fell to Harrisburg 2-3 and battled Rochester to a 1-1 draw.
• Nats went 1-2 against the Rockies over the weekend. They head out to open a series with the Dodgers tonight at 10:10 PM. Boooo West Coast.
• D.C. United beat the Montreal Impact 1-0 despite only taking a single shot. Always make it count!

This morning’s longread

Malt Liquor: A History

Born in the late 1930’s, Malt Liquor looked like a promising child. Brewing had returned with the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933, but the Depression was making things tough for brewers, and beer drinkers complained that their beer lacked the “kick” it had before. And then, in the 1940’s, World War II came and America was rationing. Everything was tight at the nation’s breweries. Not enough metal for bottle caps or cans, not enough gas for the delivery trucks or rubber for tires, not enough malt to make beer. Some brewers were even using sorghum and potatoes to fill out the mash.

Two brewers in the Midwest had an idea. At the Grand Valley Brewing Company in Ionia, Michigan, some time around 1937, Clarence “Click” Koerber first brewed Clix Malt Liquor. In 1942, at Gluek Brewing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Alvin Gluek had a similar idea. The grandson of the brewery’s founder, Alvin was happiest in the laboratory, tinkering. And one day, he found a way to brew a beer that would use less malt but have more of a kick. He named his malt liquor Sparkling Stite by Gluek, courting drinkers with champagne aspirations. Envisioned as an upscale product, Sparkling Stite was even promoted with score pads for bridge players.

Also in this article: The guy who started Arizona Iced Tea got his (dubious) start in Malt Liquor.

This morning’s Instagram

— ∮∮∮ —

Email

Want to automagically get Good Morning, RVA in your inbox every morning? Sign up below!

August 10, 2015 6:59 AM 0