Tequila & Spirits Magazine * May/June 2018

TEQUILA & SPIRITS MAGAZINE

MAY / JUNE 2018

5 DE MAYO

CELEBRATION

2018 FIFA WORLD CUP

AZTEC

BALLGAME

TEQUILA

JALISCO, MEX.

MAGAZINE

BEVERAGES | WINE | ENTERTAINMENT | TECHNOLOGY | TRAVEL

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BEVERAGES

WINE

TRAVEL

SPORTS

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LIFESTYLE ENTERTAINMENT

RESTAURANTS

VEHICLES

TECHNOLOGY

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CONTENTS 2018 MAY - JUNE THE LIFESTYLE

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CINCO DE MAYO

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LETTER FROM PUBLISHER

SOCIAL MEDIA

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NIGHTCLUB BAR SHWOW

TEQUILA TOWN

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AZTEC BALLGAME

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2018 FIFA WORLDCUP TEQUILA

ARTISTIC

BOTTLES

WINE AROMAS

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BEER

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TEQUILA & SPIRITS MAGAZINE

Publisher

Jose Pinedo

Associate Editor Simon Pinedo

Contributors

Simon, Natalia, Savannah, Martin, Isabel, John,

Advertising sales

tequilaandspirits@gmail.com

All inquiries to: Tequila & Spirits Magazine 13089 Peyton Dr., Suite #C295 Chino Hills, CA 91709 Tel # 909-773-0404 tequilaandspirits@gmail.com www.tequilaandspirits.com

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Tequila & Spirits magazine is published bimonthly by Solstar Wireless, Inc. Material in this publication, including text and images,

are protected by copyright. It may not be copied, reproduced, republished, posted, brocast, or trasmitted in anyway without written consent of Solstar Wireless. The views and expressed in Tequila & Spirits magazine by the contributors may not represent the views of the publishers. Solstar Wireless accepts no responability for any loss that may be suffered by any person who relies totally or partially upon any information, description, or pictures contained herein. Solstar Wireless is not liable for any mistake, misprint, or typographic errors.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Welcome, welcome, welcome back to Tequila & Spirits Magazine!

Special thanks to all of our subscribers and followers from all over the World. Thank you for your continued support.

We want to be entertaining and informative but above all useful.

Inside this issue, you’ll find a mixture of articles, such as the history of the Aztec ballgame and the history behind Cinco de Mayo.

We take you to the town of Tequila, Jalisco Mexico; find out how the town got its name.

The waiting time is over! 2018 FIFA World Cup is here! And it’s scheduled to take place in Russia from June 14th to July 15th.

Due to the time difference, I know I will be waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning to watch some of my favorite games live. The only thing is I can’t scream “GOOOOAL!” when my favorite teams scores without waking everyone up. I usually host a party to watch the final; this year’s will have to be a breakfast buffet. Cheers to the winner of this year’s World Cup!!!!

Enjoy the May/June 2018 issue of Tequila and Spirits Magazine and the upcoming holidays, until next time.

Sincerely, Jose Pinedo

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Special thanks to everyone that has supported us via social media

SOCIAL MEDIA

WWW.TEQUILAANDSPIRITS.COM

tequilaandspirits

tequilaspirits

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CINCO DE MAYO

CELEBRATION

The battle of Puebla

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By Simon Pinedo

fter Mexico’s Independence, the country found its self in bankruptcy due to half a century of conflicts and wars. On July 17,1861, President Benito Juárez asked for a two year extension to pay their debt to some European countries (It’s not that the debt was not going to get paid, but there was no money, and as my grandmother would say, “Pay I want, money I don’t have.”).

The countries that were owed, France, England, and Spain, held a meeting that came to be known as the London Convention. The three countries united and sent their military to Mexico to claim their money, which was not much.

The debt amounted to about 80 million pesos; England was owed 69 million pesos, Spain was owed 9 million, and France was owed 2 million.

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exico wanted to pay but needed more time. Unfortunately, these countries wanted the debt settled immediately. Therefore, Mexico summoned the three allies in hopes of reaching an agreement. Manuel Doblado, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, met with Juan Prim, a Spanish representative, and Lord John Russell of England, with whom an agreement was negotiated. However, this was not the case with the French.

On March 5th 1861, a French army arrived in Veracruz under the command of Charles Ferdinand Latrille, Count of Lorencez. This gentleman ignored the agreement and extension granted to Mexico. He marched with his troops to Puebla; his goal was to conquer Mexico City.

The truth is that France was not interested in recovering their 2 million pesos. What they wanted was to invade Mexico, establish a monarchy, exploit Mexico’s natural resources (mining above all), and eventually extend France’s imperialism to the United States. But first, they would have to dissolve the government of then President Benito Juárez. Soon after, Napoleón III invaded México.

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he Count of Lorencez was confident of imminent victory, the French army was considered invincible; it had not lost a battle in more than 50 years. When he entered the Mexican territory, he sent a message to Napoleon III. “We are so superior to the Mexicans in organization, discipline, race, and morals, that I beg to announce to His Imperial Majesty, Napoleon III, that as of this moment, and while in command of our 6,000 brave soldiers, I own Mexico.”

Of course, the Mexicans were not going to stand by with their arms crossed. They confronted the French on May 5, 1862.

They engaged in battle on the hill of Loreto, at the top of which was a chapel equipped as a fort to defend the city of Puebla.

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At the head of the Mexican army was General Ignacio Zaragoza, commanding nearly 2,000 soldiers and 2,700 peasant farmers. They used machetes and spears called “chinacas,” which were made of wood and had a metal tip. The French, on the other hand, used pistols, metal-tipped carbines, bayonets, and cannons.

The Mexicans managed to defeat the invincible French army; David defeated Goliath. Although short-lived, this triumph was very significant. A year later, the French returned with thirty-five thousand troops, which managed to defeat the Mexican army.

This time the French took control of Mexico City and imposed the Emperor Maximilian of Hapsburg (of Austria) and his wife Carlota as empress of Mexico, thus initiating the second empire in Mexico (the first was with Iturbide in 1822).

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his empire did not last long.

Three years later in 1867, due to the conflictive situation in Europe and pressure from the United States (which did not want to have the French as neighbors), Napoleon withdrew the military and economic support to Maximilian (leaving him to fend for himself). The Republicans, began to receive support from the United States, managing to defeat the French.

On April 2, 1867, the troops headed by Porfirio Díaz took the city of Puebla, the French empire was annihilated. Emperor Maximilian was taken prisoner and shot in the city of Querétaro at the Cerro de las Campanas (Hill of the Bells).

Although the battle of Puebla is commemorated in Mexico, it is not as significant as September 16th, when Mexico celebrates their Independence from Spain. However, in the United States, 5 de Mayo has an important meaning for Mexicans who live there. In the United States of America, this day is called “The Day of Latin Pride”

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ome historians say that Cinco de Mayo is very popular for several reasons: It is said that the battle helped the federal forces triumph against the southern slave states in the American Civil War, postponed the French occupation of Mexico, and prevented Napoleon III from helping the Confederate troops in a period key to the Civil War. The impact of the victory in Puebla in 1862 and then the siege of that city in 1863, were echoed at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, where the victory of the federal forces defined the end of the confederation.

In many cities across the United States, 5 de Mayo is celebrated by members of the consulates, mariachis, musical groups, restaurants, and artisans with traditional tequila and the famous margaritas. In California, Texas, and New York, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with a parade, typical costumes, colors of the Mexican flag, food, and Mexican music.

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MAJESTIC MANGO (Mango and Lime Sorbet + Silver Tequila) ALC/VOL 3.4% Treat yourself to A COCKTAIL on a STICK or in a SCOOP! with BUZZBAR® Alcohol-Infused Ice Cream and Sorbet for Adults!

NO high fructose corn syrup and GMO free.

Must be 21+ to Enjoy Please Enjoy Responsibly @buzzbaricecream

For flavors and locations please visit www.buzzbaricecream.com ©2018 Buzz Bar, LLC Santa Monica, California ISSUE - MAY / JUNE 2018

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he 2018 Nightclub & Bar Show was amazing!

The Exhibit Floor featured 600 + exhibitors showcasing some of the most innovative products and services. Over 36,000 industry professionals gathered in Las Vegas from March 26-28th.

Nightclub & Bar Show attracts the professionals that work in the bar, pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, taverns, lounges, sport bars, casinos and hospitality industry.

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The Exhibit floor open to thousands of attendees.

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Expo Hall

n the exhibit floor you experience more than just live demonstrations.

Exhibitors display their current and new products, such as Tequila, Vodka, Wine, Beer, Bloody Mary Mix, Energy Drinks, coffee and other spirits; ribbon cutting with celebrity red carpet appearances; stage entertainment; and cocktail competitions.

You enjoy sampling new products, ask questions and learn about new innovative technology that can make you job easier and fun, endless networking opportunities.

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Show Guide 2018

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ven though we’re still a year away from the next show in Las Vegas, we’ve already marked our calendar for the 2019 Nightclub & Bar Show, which will take place from March 25-27th.

We hope to see you there for another great show, see you next year, Cheers!

SAVE THE DATE! MARCH 25 -27 2019

NCBSHOW.COM

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EQUILA

JALISCO, MEXICO

A TOwN WITH FLAVOR

By Simon Pinedo

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he name “Tequila” remains an enigma. It is believed that it comes from “Tequillan” or “Tecuila” and has several meanings, such as PLACE OF TRIBUTE or PLACE WHERE TRIBUTES ARE PAID. It may also come from the Aztec’s Nahuatl language, “Tequitl” (work or trade) and “tlan” (place). The name speaks of a workplace, the specific work of cutting plants. The word tequila refers to the task of the field men.

The town of Tequila is located in the north-central part of the state of Jalisco, coordinates 20º 53 ‘north latitude and 103º 50.2’ west longitude, at a height of 1180 meters above sea level.

The territorial extension is 1,364.14 km; to the north it boarders with San Martín de Bolaños (a town in Jalisco) and the state of Zacatecas; to the south, Ahualulco and Teuchitlán; to the east, Amatitán, Zapopan, and San Cristóbal de la Barranca; and to the west, Antonio Escobedo, Hostotipaquillo, and Magdalena.

The Spaniard Cristóbal de Oñate conquered the region. Upon arrival, the natives built albarradas (mudbrick walls to prevent passage) to defend themselves in the hills of Teochinchán or Teochtenchán; after realizing that it was useless, they received him in peace. The conqueror arrived in April of 1530.

LOCATION

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JALISCO

Puerto Vallarta

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he Franciscans, led by Fray Juan Calero, populated the town of Tequila with groups of natives brought from the hill of Chiquihuitillo. The town of Santiago de Tequila was founded on April 15, 1530, and was entrusted to Juan de Escรกrcena.

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By decree, in March 27, 1824, Tequila was granted the title of town.

On January 9, 1874, decree number 384 was published; the town of Tequila was granted the title of city.

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CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

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n December of 1976, the Municipal President of Tequila took the initiative to organize a festival called “THE TEQUILA FAIR,” which begins on November 29th or 30th and ends December 12th. People from different parts of the region gather at the Plaza de Armas to admire the folklore. All events are held free of charge and feature international artists, bands, mariachis, horse races, charrerias, bullfights, cockfights, wellorganized dances, and, of course, lots of tequila.

In front of the Church’s atrium, there are pilgrimages and dances from different towns, pyrotechnic games, mechanical games, tequilas, and arts and crafts (which consist of making barrels and decorative bottles with city souvenirs and humorous slogans).

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The main attraction of the fair is hosted at the Francisco Javier Sauza sport center, situated at the town’s main entrance. At this location, different Tequila companies, such as Tequila Sauza, Tequila José Cuervo, Tequila D’Reyes, and other companies, set up tasting booths where the visitor can enjoy the various drinks that can be prepared with tequila while listening to live mariachi music.

Tequila offers several places to visit: the Cerro de Tequila, where you can be in direct contact with nature, the Historical Center, the Parish of Santiago Apóstol (the patron saint of the town of Tequila), the Francisco Javier Sauza Museum (a great benefactor of the town), or spend a day in the “La Toma” spa, enjoying swimming pools and a great view of the canyon.

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t is said that the town of Tequila is a true treasure because on one occasion a drunken man was asked, “Where would you like to live?” He replied, “In Tequila, because tequila flows in its rivers.”

So one has no choice but to accept it: Tequila was born to give flavor to the world.

The town of Tequila is the main producer of the drink that bears its name. In addition, aluminum products, material made of concrete, bottles and barrels for tequila are also fabricated.

Tequila began to be produced 380 years ago in the region near the town of Tequila, from there the drink took its name.

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The first factory was established in 1600

by Pedro Sanchez de Tagle, Marquis of Altamira, who introduced the cultivation and distillation of mezcal to produce tequila. The town of Tequila is now known as one of the most famous places in the state of Jalisco, with frequent visitors from all corners of the earth coming to see the process of making the most popular Mexican drink; only to be surprised to learn that the town of Tequila has other impotant attractions, such as important haciendas, museums, an impressive ravine with waterfalls, and even a volcano that erupted more than 600 years ago.

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tourist can go from enjoying its culture to enjoying nature and, thus, enjoying the fun that can be derived from nature. The only thing that is missing is you, enjoy what the town of Tequila offers: LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, AND JOY, you distill my earth; it is their motto. We leave your palate with the flavor of Mexico and in Tequila you will leave your heart.

Tequila national museum

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EQUILA

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Artistic Bottles

Grand Mayan Extra Añejo

1800 Extra Añejo

Amor Mio Extra Añejo

Kah Extra Añejo

Mandala Extra Añejo

Los Azulejos Skelly Añejo

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Gran Corralejo A単ejo

Real de Penjamo Luna - A単ejo

Dos Artes Extra A単ejo

La Cofradia Iguanas Reposado

El gran conquistador Reposado

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LOVELY

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The life of a person is measured

not with the years, but with the footprint that leaves in other people’s lifes, thoughts and hearts!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Mother’s day!

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WINE

AROMAS Regent (red) Aromas of cherry, red currant, green bell pepper, blackberry, vanilla, Siebeldingen, Palatinate * Germany

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egent was created in 1967 by Professor Gerhardt Alleweldt at the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding by crossing Diana, a Silvaner x Müller-Thurgau cross and thus a Vitis vinifera variety, with the interspecific hybrid Chambourcin. Experimental plantings followed in 1985, and it received varietal protection in 1994 and was released for cultivation in the first German region in 1996.

It is at present among the most important new fungal-resistant quality grape variety worldwide, especially in German wine regions.

The cultivated area in Germany was 2,183 hectares (5,390 acres) in 2006, with an increasing trend. This made it Germany’s 12th most cultivated variety, and the most cultivated hybrid grape variety. Regent is also grown in the United Kingdom with some success.

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In Belgium, it is authorised for all still wine AOCs :Côtes de Sambre et Meuse, Hageland, Haspengouw, and Heuvelland.

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rape and Grapegrowing

Regent is a cool-weather red winegrape. Regent provides medium-sized grapes and clusters. It is a heavy bearer, and has an upright growing habit that is similar to vinifera: It can be trained to the VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) method from canes tied to the low fruiting wire. It is a mid to late-season ripener. In some climates (e.g., NW Oregon USA), Regent often blooms during the last week of the Spring rains (which usually cease on or about July 5), and the blooms, if wet, are highly susceptible to Botrytis, which rots the flower clusters and prevents fruit set. This is the primary “Achilles Heel� of this otherwise impressive grape; a lesser disadvantage is its late ripening schedule. This grape would do best in a cool, dry area with a long growing season. Further north in upstate Washington, the vine buds and flowers later and this issue is less observed. Without preventative steps, Regent often yields no fruit in NW Oregon.

Two of the more-common and successful preventative steps are (a) spraying the flowers with fermented horsetail tea; or (b) painting the pruned canes white, which fools the plant into budding out later, thereby often avoiding the Botrytis problem because flowering occurs in the dry season.

Regent wines are colour intensive red wines with moderate acidity, can have rather much tannin and show aromas of cherries or blackcurrants.

The wines often reach high alcohol levels since Regent tends to reach high must weights.

Some better German versions are matured in barriques. The grape is fairly easy to make good wine from. It has excellent skin color (perhaps so much that the color can seem overly vivid), and clean vinifera-type flavors.

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euburger is a white Austrian wine grape. The grape is a crossing of Roter Veltliner and Sylvaner. As varietal, it generally produces full bodied wines.

It is usually grown in the Thermenregion, Burgenland and Wachau, both are situated in the northeastern Austria (Neiderosterreich). The popularity of Neuburger has started to fade out because the growers opt for the highly valued varieties like Riesling and Gruner Vetliner.

About 1.5% of the vineyards of Austria are occupied by Neuburger, but it is categorized with Gruener Veltliner, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay in the Leithaberg DAC. Neuburger is also known under the synonyms Brubler, Brugler, Feher Neuburger, Feher Neuburgi, Feher Neuburgi Ujvari, Neiburger, Neuburg, Neuburger Alb, Neuburger blanc, Neuburger Weisser, Neuburgi, Neuburgske, Neuburske, Neue Rebe, Neuburger Bijeli, Nojburger, Novogradski, Ujvari, Weisser Neuburger.

Neuburger (white) Aromas of orange, ripe pear, asparagus, walnut, hazelnut, tobacco, honey, banana, raisin * Austria

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Moscato-Rosa (red) Aromas of raspberry, red currant, black cherry, orange peele, raisin, rose, cinnamon, clove, bitter chocolate * Italy

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uscat Rose à Petits Grains is a wine grape for white wine that is a member of the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera.

Its name comes from its characteristic small berry size and tight clusters, and from its skin colour. It’s a variation of the more common Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains with a pinkish colour. Muscat Rouge à Petits Grains is a further variation with deeper skin colour.

It originates from Greece, and is one of three varieties, together with Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Muscat Ottonel, allowed for Alsace wine labelled Muscat d’Alsace.

Muscat Rose à Petits Grains is known under the synonyms Moscatel Roxo, Moscato Rosa, Muscat à Petits Grains Roses, and Red Frontignac. Muscato Rosa is also the primary name of another Muscat variety, mostly grown in Italy, and which is known as Muscat Rose in French, i.e., without the “Petits Grains” part.

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AZTEC BALLGAME

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he Mesoamerican ballgame was a sport with ritual associations played since 1400 BC by the pre-Columbian people of Ancient Mesoamerica. The sport had different versions in different places during the millennia, and a newer more modern version of the game, ulama, is still played in a few places by the indigenous population.

The rules of the game are not known, but judging from its descendant, ulama, they were probably similar to racquetball, where the aim is to keep the ball in play. The stone ballcourt goals are a late addition to the game.

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In the most common theory of the game, the players struck the ball with their hips, although some versions allowed the use of forearms, rackets, bats, or handstones. The ball was made of solid rubber and weighed as much as 4 kg (9 lbs), and sizes differed greatly over time or according to the version played.

The game had important ritual aspects, and major formal ballgames were held as ritual events. Late in the history of the game, some cultures occasionally seem to have combined competitions with religious human sacrifice. The sport was also played casually for recreation by children and may have been played by women as well.

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he Aztec ballgame is called ōllamalitzli and are derived from the word ōlli “rubber” and the verb ōllama or “to play ball”.

The ball itself was called ōllamaloni and the ballcourt was called a tlachtli. In the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan the largest ballcourt was called Teotlachco (“in the holy ballcourt”)—here several important rituals would take place on the festivals of the month Panquetzalitzli, including the sacrifice of four war captives to the honor of Huitzilopochtli and his herald PaInal.

For the Aztecs the playing of the ballgame also had religious significance, but where the 16th-century K´iche´ Maya saw the game as a battle between the lords of the underworld and their earthly adversaries, their Aztec contemporaries may have seen it as a battle of the sun, personified

by Huitzilopochtli, against the forces of night, led by the moon and the stars, and represented by the goddess Coyolxauhqui and Coatlicue’s sons the 400 Huitznahuah.

But apart from holding important ritual and mythical meaning, the ballgame for the Aztecs was a sport and a pastime played for fun, although in general the Aztec game was a prerogative of the nobles.

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Young Aztecs would be taught ballplaying in the calmecac school—and those who were most proficient might become so famous that they could play professionally. Games would frequently be staged in the different city wards and markets—often accompanied by large-scale betting. Diego Durán, an early Spanish chronicler, said that “these wretches... sold their children in order to bet and even staked themselves and became slaves.

Since the rubber tree Castilla elastica was not found in the highlands of the Aztec Empire, the Aztecs generally received balls and rubber as tribute from the lowland areas where it was grown. The Codex Mendoza gives a figure of 16,000 lumps of raw rubber being imported to Tenochtitlan from the southern provinces every six months, although not all of it was used for making balls.

Rubber ball

Stone hoop at Chichen Itzá Yucatan, Mexico 42

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Game rules: Point is achieved when the opposing team fails to control the ball or commits an infraction

Older rubber balls in the Gulf of Mexico 3600 B.C.

Rubber ball, solid rubber Weighs up to 4 kg 30 cm in diameter Body parts used during a match forearms, elbows, shoulders and hips

Teams: 2 teams of 1 to 10 players

Duration of the match: It is changeable and depended on the ability of each team

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THE GAME COURT NORTH North Temple

The largest 104 x 35 m = Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico Approx. 525 BC

The Ring (hoop) Architecture: The game court An open space, limited laterally by two parallel platforms, more or less inclined, and by some walls that surround the zone of game (characteristic form of an H or double T) Depending on the game , place and season the game court could be sunk or at ground level.

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South Temple

SOUTH

SYMBOLS AND MEANINGS

Court: A wound in the ground = access to the underworld + possibility of rebirth.

The night sky where the conflict deveops in which the sun always won so that it could maintain the cosmic order develops.

Rubber ball: Sacred and magical, that represents the sun.

Representing the creative energy of the universe

The game: A battle where the opposing forces of the day and night face each other.

Light and darkness, life and death.

The sacrifice: Racial prejudices of the conquerors and justification of the Catholic religion led to the implanting of the wrong idea. There was no sacrifice

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The ballgame court of Chichen Itzรก, Yucatan, Mexico

The oldest courts are located in Chiapas, Mexico 1350 B.C.

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2018 FIFA

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ORLD CUP

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he 2018 FIFA World Cup will be the 21st FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men’s national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting rights on 2 December 2010. This will be the first World Cup held in Europe since the 2006 tournament in Germany; all but one of the stadium venues are in European Russia, west of the Ural Mountains, to keep travel time manageable.

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The final tournament will involve 32 national teams, which include 31 teams determined through qualifying competitions and the automatically qualified host team. Of the 32 teams, 20 will be making back-to-back appearances following the last tournament in 2014, including defending champions Germany, while Iceland and Panama will both be making their first appearances at a FIFA World Cup. A total of 64 matches will be played in 12 venues located in 11 cities. The final will take place on 15 July at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

www.cg-mobile.com

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HOST SELECTION

he bidding procedure to host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups began in January 2009, and national associations had until 2 February 2009 to register their interest. Initially, nine countries placed bids for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but Mexico later withdrew from proceedings, and Indonesia’s bid was rejected by FIFA in February 2010 after the Indonesian government failed to submit a letter to support the bid. During the bidding process, the three remaining non-UEFA nations (Australia, Japan, and the United States) gradually withdrew from the 2018 bids, and the UEFA nations were thus ruled out of the 2022 bid. As such, there were eventually four bids for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, two of which were joint bids: England, Russia, Netherlands/Belgium, and Portugal/Spain.

The twenty-two-member FIFA Executive Committee convened in Zürich on 2 December 2010 to vote to select the hosts of both tournaments. Russia won the right to be the 2018 host in the second round of voting. The Portugal/ Spain bid came second, and that from Belgium/Netherlands third. England’s bid to host its second tournament fell at the first hurdle.

The voting results were as follows

The process was not without criticism: allegations of bribery on the part of the Russian team and corruption from FIFA members were made particularly by the English Football Association. It was alleged that four members of the executive committee had requested bribes to vote for England, and Sepp Blatter said that it had already been arranged before the vote that Russia would win. Although the 2014 Garcia Report absolved Russia of any blame, the FA refused to accept this, with Greg Dyke calling for a re-examination of the affair and David Bernstein calling for a boycott of the World Cup 48

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TEAMS QUALIFICATION

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or the first time in the history of the FIFA World Cup, all eligible nations the 209 FIFA member associations minus automatically qualified hosts Russia – entered the qualifying process. Zimbabwe and Indonesia were later disqualified before playing their first matches,while Gibraltar and Kosovo, who joined FIFA on 13 May 2016 after the qualifying draw but before European qualifying had begun, also entered the competition. Places in the tournament were allocated to continental confederations, with the allocation unchanged from the 2014 World Cup. The first qualification game began in Dili, Timor Leste, on 12 March 2015 as part of the AFC’s qualification, and the main qualifying draw took place at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg on 25 July 2015 at 18:00 local time.

Teams qualified for World Cup Teams failed to qualify for World Cup Teams expelled from the tournament by FIFA prior to playing a match Countries were not FIFA members

Of the thirty-two nations qualified to play at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, twenty countries competed at the previous edition of the tournament in 2014. Both Iceland and Panama qualified for the first time, with the former becoming the smallest country in terms of population to reach the World Cup. Other teams returning after absences of at least three tournaments include: Egypt, returning to the finals after a 28-year absence from their last appearance in 1990; Morocco, who last competed in 1998; Peru, returning after a 36-year absence (since 1982); and Senegal, competing for the second time after reaching the quarterfinals in 2002. It is the first time three Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland and Sweden) and four Arab nations (Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia) have qualified for the World Cup ISSUE - MAY / JUNE 2018

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otable countries that failed to qualify include four-time champions Italy (for the first time since 1958) and three-time runner-up Netherlands.

Four reigning continental champions failed to qualify: 2017 Africa Cup of Nations winner Cameroon, two-time Copa AmĂŠrica champion and 2017 Confederations Cup runner-up Chile, 2016 OFC Nations Cup winner New Zealand, and 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup champion United States (for the first time since 1986). The other notable qualifying streaks broken were for Ghana and Ivory Coast, who had both made the previous three tournaments.

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THE THIRTY-TWO QUALIFIED NATIONS

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T

TEAM DRAW

he draw was held on 1 December 2017, at 18:00 MSK, at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow. The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four For the draw, the teams were allocated to four pots based on the FIFA World Rankings of October 2017. Pot 1 contained the hosts Russia (who were automatically assigned to Position A1) and the best seven teams, Pot 2 contained the next best eight teams, and so on for Pots 3 and 4. This was different from previous draws, where only Pot 1 was based on FIFA Rankings while the remaining pots were based on geographical considerations.

However, still retained was the fact that teams from the same confederation were not drawn against each other for the group stage, except for UEFA where each group contained up to two teams.

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POT 1

RUSSIA

FRANCE

POLAND

GERMANY

ARGENTINA

BRAZIL

BELGIUM

PORTUGAL

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POT 2

MEXICO

SWITZERLAND

SPAIN

PERU

URUGUAY

ENGLAND

CROATIA

COLOMBIA

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POT 3

ICELAND

DENMARK

SWEDEN

COTA RICA

TUNISIA EGYPT

IRAN

SENEGAL

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POT 4

SERBIA

NIGERIA

JAPAN

AUSTRALIA

PANAMA

MOROCCO

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SOUTH KOREA

R

VENUES

ussia proposed the following host cities: Kaliningrad, Kazan, Krasnodar, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Saint Petersburg, Samara, Saransk, Sochi, Volgograd, Yaroslavl, and Yekaterinburg. All the cities are in or just outside European Russia to reduce travel time for the teams in the huge country.

The bid evaluation report stated: “The Russian bid proposes 13 host cities and 16 stadiums, thus exceeding FIFA’s minimum requirement. Three of the 16 stadiums would be renovated, and 13 would be newly constructed In October 2011, Russia decreased the number of stadiums from 16 to 14.

Construction of the proposed Podolsk stadium in the Moscow region was cancelled by the regional government, and also in the capital, Otkrytiye Arena was competing with Dynamo Stadium over which would be constructed first.

The final choice of host cities was announced on 29 September 2012. The number of cities was further reduced to 11 and number of stadiums to 12 as Krasnodar and Yaroslavl were dropped from the final list Sepp Blatter stated in July 2014 that due to concerns over the completion of venues in Russia, the number of venues for the tournament may be reduced from 12 to 10. He also said, “We are not going to be in a situation, as is the case of one, two or even three stadiums in South Africa, where it is a problem of what you do with these stadiums In October 2014, on their first official visit to Russia, FIFA’s inspection committee and its head Chris Unger visited St Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan and both Moscow venues.

They were satisfied with the progress.

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n October 8, 2015, FIFA and the Local Organising Committee agreed on the official names of the stadiums used during the tournament Of the 12 venues used, the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow and the Saint Petersburg Stadium (the two largest stadiums in Russia) will be used most, with 7 matches being played at each of these stadiums. Sochi, Kazan, Nizhny Novogrod and Samara will host 6 matches including one quarter-final match apiece, and the Otkrytiye Stadium in Moscow and Rostov-on-Don will host 5 matches apiece including one round of 16 match each.

Volgograd, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg and Saransk will host 4 matches each and none of these cities will host any knockout stage games.

Otkritie Arena (Spartak Stadium) Capacity: 45,360

Krestovsky Stadium Capacity: 68,134

Luzhniki Stadium Capacity: 81,000 62

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Kaliningrad Stadium Capacity: 35,212

Kazan Arena Capacity: 45,379

Cosmos Arena Capacity: 44,918

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Nizhny Novogorod Stadium Capacity: 44,899

Volgograd Arena Capacity: 45,568

Mordovia Arena Capacity: 44,442

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Rostov Arena Capacity: 45,000

Fisht Olympic Stadium Capacity: 47,659

Central Arena Stadium Capacity: 35,696

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FIFA World Cup History

Uruguay

1930

Italy

1934

France

Sweden

1958

Chile

1962

England

Mexico

Argentina

España

Mexico

1986

Italy

1990

France

South Korea & Japan

Germany

South Africa

1978

1998

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1982

2002

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1938

1966

2006

Brazil

1950

1970

2010

Switzerland

1954

Germany

1974

United States

1994

Brazil

2014

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18 Light Beers We L O V E 68

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B

Beer is one of the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic drinks in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. Beer is brewed from cereal grains—most commonly from malted barley, though wheat, maize (corn), and rice are also used. During the brewing process, fermentation of the starch sugars in the wort produces ethanol and carbonation in the resulting beer. Most modern beer is brewed with hops, which add bitterness and other flavours and act as a natural preservative and stabilizing agent.

Other flavouring agents such as gruit, herbs, or fruits may be included or used instead of hops. In commercial brewing, the natural carbonation effect is often removed during processing and replaced with forced carbonation.

Various legal definitions of beer exist in different countries. Historically, the most famous of these was the Reinheitsgebot, which applied to parts of the Holy Roman Empire and Germany and required beer to be made from only water, hops, and barley. Today in Canada, the Canadian Government’s Food and Drug Regulations state that beer must have alcohol content that ranges from 1.1% to 8.6%, though it also includes a stipulation that it could be greater than 8.6% and labeled accordingly.

Beer in South Korea must have less than 25% ABV, which means that it has to be 25 mL of alcohol or less per 100 mL of solution, and can be considered ‘lite’ only if it has less than 30 kcal per 100ml. Additionally, beer in South Korea must use only water, hops, and starches (wheat, rice, barley, corn, or potato) as ingredients in the brewing process. In Singapore, beer must have at minimum 1.0% alcohol by volume concentration at 20 °C. It is often brewed from a mixture of grains like malt, sugars or its equivalent, and hops or other vegetables.

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