TOPS FEATURES BEER FESTIVAL WINNERS

RICHARD TURCSIK

WILLIAMSTOWN, N.Y. -- Tops Friendly Markets here looked to score a touchdown when it featured the 1995 winners of the Great American Beer Festival as part of its Super Bowl lineup.

During late January, the retailer, which operates 70 Tops stores in upstate New York, including the Buffalo and Rochester markets, ran a sale on seven beers that had scored high marks at the festival. The beers were advertised via half-page newspaper ads with the headline "Super Bowl Sale."

Among the beers included in the sale were Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, which won a gold medal in the American pale ales category, and was featured at $6.97 a six-pack, a savings of 72 cents. Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager, which won the silver medal in the dark lagers category, was featured at $7.96 a six-pack, a savings of $1.02 off the regular price.

Red Bone Red Lager, which was the gold medal winner in the Vienna lagers category, was on sale for $4.98 a six-pack, a savings of 56 cents, while Red Dog beer, which won the gold medal in the American lagers category, was featured for $5.96 a 12-pack of cans or bottles, a savings of $1.

Tops dubbed Red Wolf Lager, which won the gold medal in the dark lagers category, "Rookie of the Year" and featured it at $3.48 a six-pack, a savings of $1.06 off the regular price. Budweiser, which won the gold medal in the American premium lagers category, was judged "most valuable" by Tops and featured at $5.96 a 12-pack, a savings of $1.02.

Pete's Wicked Ale, which picked up a bronze medal in the American brown ales category, was dubbed "most improved" by Tops and featured at $5.98 a six-pack, a savings of up to $1.50 off the regular price.

Officials at Tops could not be reached for comment on the promotion.