“Best Wine-Waiter of the Year” contest in Palma

STATISTICS claiming that every Balearic citizen drinks 69 litres of beer a year, nine less than the national Spanish average, were made public yesterday by the Beermakers' Association of Spain whose report coincided with the grand final of the “Best Wine-Waiter in Spain” contest being held in the afternoon in Palma. For the second year running, beer has been introduced as a feature of the final rounds of the competition. The three finalists had to “blind taste” a variety of types of beer, identifying them according to the different properties of each. The Balearics, along with the northeastern region of the mainland of Spain (Catalonia) lays claim to a 20 percent quota of all sales made in the country. This represents an area where six million hectolitres of beer were drunk in 2003. A creamy surface foam depth measuring approximately the breadth of two fingers, and a temperature of five degrees if it is lager or 11 degrees for a more toasted variety, were just two of the characteristics which contestants had to judge in the course of the competition. The contest was also an eye-opener in gastronomic terms as it became evident that bear is a natural, healthy complement to many dishes in the Mediterranean diet. Last year, Henar Puente Montes was the first woman awarded the “Best Wine-Waiter in Spain”.