If you missed it Saturday, the first annual Treasure Valley Organic Homebrew Challenge at the Ram was a rip-roaring success.

I bet 150 people turned out to taste the libations of 21 brave homebrewers who competed against each other to see who could make the best American-Style pale ale with organic ingredients.

Travis Schaff’s Birkenstock Pale Ale was anointed the best beer of the competition from a panel of Boise’s most experienced certified beer judges, and it was a pretty sweet moment for Travis.

NoCal-based Lagunitas Brewing Co. has released their latest Frank Zappa tribute beer — a Belgian-style Tripel with the cover of FZ’s 1968 classic “We’re Only In It For The Money” album as the label.

The brewers at Lagunitas are Zappa freaks and have pledged to brew a unique beer for each of Zappa’s record releases — which should be interesting since he put out about 10 million different records or so during his lifetime.

This is the fourth FZ-themed beer Lagunitas has brewed in honor of Zappa, and the first they have gone away from the British styles to something else — in this case a Belgian.

How will InBev’s purchase of Anheuser-Busch affect your life? Not much, Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam says in a piece published Tuesday.

Check out this pretty humorous breakdown of InBev takeover of Anheuser-Busch by Beam — who is definitely not a fan of either company or the mass produced lagers they produce.

Beam’s basic point is this. Since both companies make pretty dull beers, what is the difference if two companies become one? Is Bud or Bud Light better than Stella Artois, or are they all non-descript beers built on marketing campaigns? You won’t notice any difference, Beam says, in his helpful Q & A format.

Boise craft beer enthusiasts who want to find out how well Seattle-based Hale’s Ales goes with Treasure Valley cuisine should circle Aug. 5 on you calenders.

That is when the Bittercreek Alehouse will feature Mike Hale’s craft beer creations paired with five different food courses.

I have to tell you — these dinners are very cool, as they show how well craft beer and food go together if matched correctly. This looks to be an exciting event. Hale’s beers are awesome and the staff at Bittercreek are working on a series of dishes to match the brews.

Cost is $35 and seats are limited to between 28-to-32 spots, so email Brandon Bruins at wineeveryday@hotmail.com to reserve a seat before they are all gone.

Regular readers know I am not really into the Belgian beer styles, but those folks who do partake seem to be very happy that New Belgium Brewing has released their much-loved La Folie sour brown beer.

The Boise Co-Op just got a shipment of the La Folie and is selling the 750 ml bottles of the wood-aged brew for $15.99 each. In a clever bit of marketing synergy, the Co-Op is selling a limited amount New Belgium glasses (like brandy snifters) next to the bottles. Nice.

The parent company of Boise's oldest brewpub filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy July 10 — but TableRock Brewpub & Grill will remain open.

This is good news for Boise's craft beer enthusiasts. One of the things that makes this a good beer town are the four different brewpubs, each with it's own vibe and aesthetic. I would have been bummed if TableRock was going away.

TableRock owner Mike Fitzgerald says the brewpub and catering operations are in no danger of closing and that the bankruptcy filing has to do with the company's failed bottling plant in the late 90s.

In the end, it came down to money, like it always does.

So how much does it cost for a Belgian/Brazilian brewing company to buy the biggest and most ubiquitous brewing operation in the United States? Try $52 billion dollars. That’s a lot of Clydesdales.

Anheuser-Busch officials said earlier today the company agreed to the takeover offer by brewing giant InBev over the weekend after InBev agreed to pay stockholders $70 a share — $5 more than the original offer of $65.

It looks like the first annual Treasure Valley Organic Homebrew Challenge is shaping up to be a big success, as 25 local homebrewers have now entered the competition to see who can brew the best American Pale Ale with organic ingredients.

The official judging will be on July 26 at The Ram, and there will be a really cool public judging session/bbq afterwards for the public.

For $15 bucks, the first 50 people will be able to sample the 25 entries and vote themselves, and those votes will be tabulated as well. Then they get to drink some of the specialty beers the Ram makes and enjoy some delicious barbecue. For $15 — And if you don’t get there in time for the sampling, the charge is only $10!

While it is hard for me to garner too much sympathy for American brewing titan Anheuser-Busch as they battle a hostile takeover bid from Belgian/Brazilian beer conglomerate InBev, the affront to my national pride is another matter.

No, I don’t want Brazilians or Belgians to control Anheuser-Busch, even if I never drink those beers anymore. It just isn’t right. It would be like George Steinbrenner selling the N.Y. Yankees to a group of Swiss bankers. My hatred for the Yankees just wouldn’t be so pure anymore and my faith in American hegemony would be shaken.

But as noted beer historian Maureen Ogle pointed out in a a really cool editorial piece for the Washington Post last weekend, the bold ambition of InBev and CEO Carlos Brito are just like the moves made by American brewing pioneers like Adolphus Busch and Frederick Pabst as they established their brands back in the day and battled to see who sell the best (and most) beer in the U.S.

Bend-based Deschutes Brewery, one of my personal favorites, is in the midst of celebrating its 20th year of making excellent craft beer and just released a special version on their Black Butte Porter in late June to celebrate.

The Black Butte XX is a major taste explosion — a deeper and darker version of Deschutes’ regular Black Butte Porter, which is already a full flavored treat.