Guinness is not only good for you — in the near future, it could be good for the environment, too.

Researchers at the University of Limerick in Ireland looking at canned stouts recently discovered that "microscopic plant fibers made of cellulose, such as cotton, can also froth up a stout."

A cellulose alternative to the plastic widget currently used in those cans would thus create "an eco-friendly head on your Guinness."

Think of it as the 'right' sort of green beer — as opposed to the to-dye-for wrong sort.

As for the enduring popularity of the 250-year-old beer, which is running a "Saint Patrick's Day primer" campaign this year, click here to read about how Guinness continues to be "brand excellence, personified."

Slainte!

Here's the official Lady Gaga for MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam commercial. More brandbitems this week:

• Toyota tweets from Japan. Open for business.

• Chrysler's Twitter feed got in hot water over tweeting that nobody in Motor City "knows how to (bleeped!) drive."Continue reading...

Donald Trump has Trump Super Premium Vodka; Dan Aykroyd has his wine and Crystal Head Vodka; Marilyn Manson has Mansinthe; Justin Timberlake is putting his "T" on tequila; Francis Ford Coppola maintains a tidy business with his winery; and Danny Devito even has his own limoncello.

But watch out, celebrity booze-slingers! The king of porn is, ahem, entering the game.

Ron Jeremy, who has appeared in more than 1,000 pornographic films since the late ‘70s, is attaching his notorious name to a premium 7-year-old Panamanian rum called, cleverly enough, Ron de Jeremy (“ron” being Spanish for “rum”).Continue reading...

Deutsche Telekom is in preliminary talks to sell T-Mobile to Sprint, a deal that would remake the mobile landscape.

Facebook introduces movie streaming and rentals with Warner Bros., sending Netflix stock down; and launches real-time analytics for social plug-ins.

BP plans $3.5 billion bond sale as CEO apologizes for Gulf Spill and says industry must take more precautions.

Airbus receives $9.5 billion order for 100 jets.

American Apparel head Dov Charney's latest scandal: a $250 million employee lawsuit alleging sexual assault.

Bill Gates is unlikely to reclaim the world's richest title tomorrow, due to philanthropic contributions.

Bupa launches integrated marketing campaign and new tagline.

Coca-Cola invests in green bottling facility in UK.Continue reading...

Get Ready-to-Drink with Jack Daniel’s

If mixing up a Jack and Coke is just too much trouble, Jack Daniel’s has come to the rescue.

It is coming out with a line of ready-to-drink mixers this month.

Flavors include Jack & Cola and Jack & Ginger, with Jack & Diet Cola to be released later in the month.

The new drinks are 5% ABV and the company claims that they are the first ready-to-drink beverages packaged in aluminium bottles.

After the jump: The devil and Jim Beam, German engineering meets Scots ingenuity, and Bulleit Bourbon shoots for Rye lovers.Continue reading...

Molson Deal with NHL Leaves Bitter Taste for Labatt

The National Hockey League is switching from Labatt to Molson Canadian in a seven-year endorsement agreement with MillerCoors and Molson Coors Brewing Co, Bloomberg reports. The deal, which will begin with the 2011-12 season, is purportedly worth $375 million, the largest corporate sponsorship in league history. Meanwhile, Labatt is finding the announcement hard to swallow, saying it was in good-faith negotiations with the NHL to renew its sponsorship and vowing to “pursue all legal remedies.”

Below: Booze Newz samples eco-beer, does the can-can and brown-bags it.Continue reading...

MillerCoors is hoping that cold cans will warm up beer sales this year.

The veteran brewmeister plans to increase spending on marketing and introduce new packaging for Coors Light.

The new Coors Light packaging will include an indicator to show when the beer has reached a “super cold” temperature, MillerCoors CEO Leo Kiely told the Wall Street Journal.

Introducing new packaging is a strategy that has worked in the past to boost sales for Coors Light, which is expected to overtake Budweiser as the No. 2 selling beer the U.S. this year, behind Bud Light.

However, MillerCoors and other beer makers are also going to need an improved economy and more jobs for 21- to 32-year-old men to get them drinking more mass-market beer.Continue reading...

Mexico: Brewery Markets First Gay Beer

While alcohol brands have certainly run campaigns targeting the gay market, a small Mexican brewery has come up with the first beer to be specifically identified as a “gay” beverage. Minerva brewery will initially release its Purple Hand and Salamandra Artisan Honey-Ales to consumers in Colombia and Japan, and they are already available in some bars and restaurants in Mexico. The beers’ names are linked to associations within the gay community, and the labels are designed to be removed and worn as gay-pride symbols. A spoof video, above, looks at the intolerance a gay beer could face in a hostile world.

What do you think? Offensive? Funny? Post a comment below. Also below: a rum deal; a Swede vodka; and a classier wine flask.Continue reading...