The World According To An Alcoholic
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Showing posts with label Alcoholism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alcoholism. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
6 Of The Most Expensive Ways To Get Your Date Drunk
article written by: Susan Hayes
$500: The Ritz Side Car – The Bar Hemingway – Hotel Ritz, Paris
Now the drink itself is a mere $500 dollars, the trip to Paris, France is another matter all together. Honestly if you can afford to get your girl all the way to the most romantic city in the world just to get a booty call, then the drink is like dipping diamonds in chocolate, tasty, but totally unnecessary. The cocktail in question is really just a very expensive version of the drink invented at this very bar, a simple blend of Cointreau, cognac and lemon juice.
So if it’s an ordinary drink, why the extraordinary price tag? The answer is the cognac. The Bar Hemingway uses an extremely rare vintage, an 1830 Ritz Reserve that heralds from before the cataclysmic destruction of many of France’s greatest vineyards by mildew and pests.
$1000: King Richard’s Pride – Boa at Ceasars – Las Vegas
If you’re looking to get laid in Las Vegas… the local hookers are going to be a hell of a lot cheaper than this next cocktail, we recommend Bambi or Bunny instead. If you’d rather skip the trip to your local clinic when you get home, then this drink might be the better bet.
A supposedly sublime mixture of Hennessy Richard, Dom Perignon Rosé 1996 and Chambord Liqueur Royale De France, this drink is served up with the juice of half a lime, a splash of cranberry juice and an orange twist. Since there’s nothing in that list worth $1000 bucks, they sweeten the deal with a souvenir. The drink is served in a Baccarat crystal cocktail glass you can take home with you, even if the girl doesn’t.
$1500: Platinum Passion – Duvet, New York City
$3000: Ménage a Trois –Wynn Hotel Vegas
No surprise that the City of Sin made this list more than once, the Ménage a Trois is supposedly named for its trio of costly ingredients and has nothing to do with sex at all. Still, there’s no harm in hoping. Made from Cristal Rosé champagne, Hennessy Ellipse and Grand Marnier Cent-cinquantenaire, the razzle-dazzle factor is bumped up with 23 karat gold flakes and a liquid gold syrup garnish.
To get your girl in the right frame of mind, the drink is served with a 9-point diamond studded golden straw so she can suck up every delicious drop.
$18,000: The Diamond Is Forever Martini – Tokyo Ritz-Carlton
So you’ve got the whole 007 vibe going on and you want to make sure to make a lasting impression on her so she makes an impression on your bed sheets later. No problem, just arrange for one of these to be delivered to your table. Chilled Grey Goose Vodka, lime juice and a hint of fresh mint is poured over a very special piece of ice, a 1 carat diamond. A word of warning: at over $1000 a mouthful, you better hope she knows when to spit and when to swallow, if she gets confused you’re both going to end the night in tears.
50,000: The Dazzle – Harvy Nichols Department Store – Manchester England
This one is not for the faint of heart or the light of wallet, but if you are looking to bag yourself a supermodel, it might be your best bet. The drink is a sweet concoction of strawberry and lychee liqueurs blended with rosé champagne, lemon juice and served up in a very ordinary champagne flute. So where’s the bling? At the bottom of the glass. It comes complete with an 18-karat white gold cocktail ring inset with pink tourmaline and diamonds. Just make sure your girl doesn’t swallow it, or she’ll end up falling for the paramedic that gives her mouth to mouth on the way to the hospital.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Massachusetts Set To Ban Four Loko
Following the lead of Michigan, Utah, Oklahoma and Washington, Massachusetts has become the next state to ban the beverages. From the AP: [The Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control] Commission head Kim Gainsboro said Monday that her agency will file an emergency regulation next Monday to control sales of caffeinated alcoholic drinks that are classified as malt beverages. The new rule will ban sales of malt beverages containing alcohol, caffeine or any other herbal or chemical stimulant. Its manufacturers would be required to relabel and repackage the drinks in resealable containers. The drinks also would no longer be sold by vendors selling wine and malt beverages. The caffeinated alcoholic beverage commonly referred to as a "blackout in a can" is making waves on college campuses where students are "getting Loko" and loving it. The FDA is expected to rule on its status as a safe and legal beverage as soon as Wednesday, concluding a year-long review process of the drinks. Some beer distributors in New York agreed to a voluntary ban on Saturday. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has discouraged vendors from selling the beverage until the FDA had ruled on its safety. The Chicago City Council is also reportedly looking into a ban. More than 20 students have been hospitalized for Four Loko-related incidents at Ramapo College in New Jersey. The school has since banned the drink. Other schools including Harvard University, Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania and the University of Rhode Island are warning students of the dangers of the beverage or prohibiting it on campus. One 23.5-ounce can of Four Loko is said to contain the equivalent of four or five beers and the caffeine in two cups of coffee. The drink's manufacturer, Phusion Projects Inc., appears to be standing by the product as the Food and Drug Administration reviews its safety. The drink's 12 percent alcohol content, combined with caffeine and other ingredients, has experts and medical officials worried. From ABC News: "The problem is when you put all these things together, it's a nightmare," Harris Stratyner, vice president of the Caron Center and an addiction specialist, told "Good Morning America." "The caffeine may make you feel like you're not getting drunk as quickly so you may ingest more." Stratyner said he saw no reason for caffeine to be added, "other than to give kids an added boost and to get them to purchase more." "Quite frankly, I think adults that are legal shouldn't drink it either," he said. To reach editor-in-chief Callie Schweitzer, click here. To follow her on Twitter: @cschweitzIt's turning into somewhat of a domino effect as state after state places a ban on the caffeinated alcoholic beverage Four Loko.
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Product Review: Four Loko Energy Drink/Alcoholic Beverage
From: Hollytaco.com
There’s this drink called Four Loko that has been making some waves recently, mostly due to its high caffeine and alcohol content, and the Bro-attracting pheromones it emits that hypnotizes people with backwards hats that can only say the word chug to drink multiple cans of it. The downside of this (or upside, depending on how much you hate “Bro” culture) is that the caffeine in Four Loko shuts off the body’s natural shut-off moment that occurs when drinking lots of alcohol. You know that moment -- it’s when you’ve had one too many and you start to get tired and lose all willingness to take another drink. Four Loko stops that stopping mechanism from stopping you from drinking, which, after a few more Four Lokos, stops your consciousness, and possibly your life. Case in point: nine college students in Washington State were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning, some having a blood alcohol level of 0.35, when 0.30 percent is considered potentially lethal.
Depending on the state you’re buying it in, the alcohol content of a Four Loko can range from 6% ABV to 12.5% ABV. So if the average alcohol content of an average bottle of beer is 4 to 5%, then that means one Four Loko is around 6 beers in one can (if you’re drinking a 12.5% can). Add in the caffeine that apparently strips you of your humanity, leaving you unable to feel things, and one can easily consume enough alcohol to require a stomach pump and enough caffeine to turn your heart in to a blood-spraying fire hose. And on top of all that, each can is as tall as one of those large 99-cent cans of Arizona iced tea. In other words, this shit will get you f*cked up, and fast, and there’s a lot of it.
Being the idiots that we are, we decided to head on over to our local seedy gas station to pick up a couple of cans to see what all the fuss was about. We now hate ourselves and no longer trust ourselves to make wise purchasing decisions.
Can Aesthetics
Every can of Four Loko looks like it wants to star in a gay porn parody of a Rambo film. They’re all dawned in this Technicolor camouflage that no life-loving solider would ever wear in a battlefield, unless they were battling some tall, blue primitives on Pandora.
The can itself is rather large and phallic. If one were to gather a number of Bros together in a room, gave them a case of Four Loko’s, and told them to go to town, it would only be about 10 minutes before one of them started deep-throating a can for laughs. The laughs would then be followed by claims of homosexuality, which will cause a fight and a death or two. Contrast this with Arizona iced tea cans, which will not bring about cries of homosexuality because simply holding a large, dick-like can of pomegranate lemongrass fusion with a picture of a geisha on the front is a big gay subliminal tip off to everyone within a square mile.
Taste
It’s like Robitussin mixed with cheap vodka that’s been filtered through a cheese cloth made of woven hatred. Christ, it’s awful. Every time someone took a swig of the stuff, whether it was a the tiniest of sips or the mightiest of gulps, the sound of the slurping liquid was immediately followed by an eye-squeezing cringe that would also include some tongue waggling and some kind of unspellable word – one that was unique to each drinker -- that represented total disgust. In fact, you didn’t even have to be looking at someone to know they took a drink. You could have your back turned to them and the sound of disgust the person would make made you instantly aware they regret ever buying this can of suck.
Every 10 minutes or so one of my drinking buddies would turn to everyone and ask how everyone was feeling. When one of them answered, “full of energy,” I was shocked, because drinking this shit made me depressed, and not in the way that alcohol makes you depressed because it’s a depressant. No; I just felt so universally stupid for having bought something so atrocious just to get a little drunk. It felt so sad and desperate. Only hobos and transient pedophiles drink malt liquor, not adults with jobs and responsibilities. And, on top of that, it’s flavored, or, at least, they attempted to add flavor. I really don’t want to know what Four Loko tastes like when they don’t add in those wild approximations of fruity flavors -- probably battery acid and despair. My can was fruit punch flavored, but after having sampled some of the watermelon flavor I can safely surmise that the words on the can mean nothing: every flavor tastes like fermented assholes and poison, just one can of fermented assholes and poison houses a red liquid and another houses a green liquid.
Needless to say, it’s pretty tough to drink more than a quarter of the can without wanting to throw it away, but if there is one saving grace for Four Loko it’s…
The Effects
…a quarter of a can will get you drunk, or at least very tipsy. Within sips, everyone I was drinking with was well on the way to vomiting red in to a toilet. If the stated purpose of Four Loko is to get you super-drunk super- fast, then this product is smashing success…you just have to muscle through sip after sip of questioning whether or not you want to continue to subject yourself to a the kind of torture that I’m pretty sure the Geneva conventions outlawed years ago.
So it gets you drunk, but it’s also got a hell of a lot of caffeine and guarana and taurine and all of those energy drink buzz words that only stressed-out hardcore PC gamers can spell the names of without having to type them in to Google because Microsoft Word doesn’t recognize them. There is so much of this stuff that my heart actually began to palpitate, which is not a good thing, as one of my drinking buddies that also happens to be a paramedic informed me. My heart rate was well above normal only after having drank half the can – the hearts of those kids in Washington State had to have been beating so fast they could have powered a Tesla coil. I’m convinced that if this Four Loko stuff doesn’t get banned by the government for being stupidity in a can, the power of a human heart being fueled by Four Loko could be the wondrous alternative energy source humanity has been waiting for.
The Verdict
Drug experts say alcohol worse than crack or heroin
Reuters – A bartender carries glasses at a booth during the 'Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2006' in Hong Kong May …
LONDON (Reuters) – Alcohol is a more dangerous drug than both crack and heroin when the combined harms to the user and to others are assessed, British scientists said Monday.
Presenting a new scale of drug harm that rates the damage to users themselves and to wider society, the scientists rated alcohol the most harmful overall and almost three times as harmful as cocaine or tobacco.
According to the scale, devised by a group of scientists including Britain's Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD) and an expert adviser to the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), heroin and crack cocaine rank as the second and third most harmful drugs.
Ecstasy is only an eighth as harmful as alcohol, according to the scientists' analysis.
Professor David Nutt, chairman of the ISCD, whose work was published in the Lancet medical journal, said the findings showed that "aggressively targeting alcohol harms is a valid and necessary public health strategy."
He said they also showed that current drug classification systems had little relation to the evidence of harm.
Alcohol and tobacco are legal for adults in Britain and many other countries, while drugs such as ecstasy and cannabis and LSD are often illegal and carry the threat of prison sentences.
"It is intriguing to note that the two legal drugs assessed -- alcohol and tobacco -- score in the upper segment of the ranking scale, indicating that legal drugs cause at least as much harm as do illegal substances," Nutt, who was formerly head of the influential British Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), said in a statement about the study.
Nutt was forced to quit the ACMD a year ago after publicly criticizing ministers for ignoring scientific advice suggesting cannabis was less harmful than alcohol.
The World Health Organization estimates that risks linked to alcohol cause 2.5 million deaths a year from heart and liver disease, road accidents, suicides and cancer -- accounting for 3.8 percent of all deaths. It is the third leading risk factor for premature death and disabilities worldwide.
In an effort to offer a guide to policy makers in health, policing, and social care, Nutt's team rated drugs using a technique called multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) which assessed damage according to nine criteria on harm to the user and seven criteria on harm to others.
Harms to the user included things such as drug-specific or drug-related death, damage to health, drug dependence and loss of relationships, while harms to others included crime, environmental damage, family conflict, international damage, economic cost, and damage to community cohesion.
Drugs were then scored out of 100, with 100 given to the most harmful drug and zero indicating no harm at all.
The scientists found alcohol was most harmful, with a score of 72, followed by heroin with 55 and crack with 54.
Among some of the other drugs assessed were crystal meth (33), cocaine (27), tobacco (26), amphetamine or speed (23), cannabis (20), benzodiazepines, such as Valium (15), ketamine (15), methadone (14), mephedrone (13), ecstasy (9), anabolic steroids (9), LSD (7) and magic mushrooms (5).
(Editing by Alison Williams)
Friday, October 29, 2010
Texas Group Offers $10,000 To Disprove Pot Safer Than Alcohol
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| Graphic: Safer Texas Campaign |
The three claims are:
1. Alcohol is significantly more toxic than marijuana, making death by overdose far more likely with alcohol.
2. The health effects from long-term alcohol consumption cause tens of thousands of more deaths in the U.S. annually than the health effects of the long-term consumption of marijuana.
3. Violent crime committed by individuals intoxicated by alcohol is far more prevalent in the U.S. than violent crime committed by individuals intoxicated with marijuana only.
"We are confident that this $10,000 will not be claimed," said Safer Texas Campaign manager Craig Johnson.
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| Graphic: Facebook |
| Figure it out, man. |
"Marijuana is objectively and unquestionably less harmful than alcohol, and these three statements are representative of that fact," Johnson said. "Alcohol is more toxic than marijuana, more likely to lead to the death of the user -- either by overdose or chronic use -- and more likely to contribute to violence."
"For good measure, alcohol is also more addictive than marijuana," Johnson said. "As we consider whether to reform our marijuana laws, it is important that the people of Texas understand these facts."
If you believe you can disprove these assertions, well, first of all, you're mistaken. Ell oh ell.
But if you really think you can disprove the three statements, please send peer-reviewed studies or government statistics that contradict all three to safertexas@protectyouth.org.
The Safer Texas Campaign says it is not an anti-alcohol campaign, nor does it advocate the use of marijuana.
"However, the campaign works to address increasing public safety concerns that our state laws prohibiting marijuana are sending a dangerous message to the public that alcohol is more acceptable than marijuana, despite the fact that every objective study on alcohol and marijuana has shown marijuana is a much safer substance than alcohol to both the user and to society," the group said in a statement.
Concern Grows Over Four Loko Craze
From: http://www.koco.com/
Inexpensive Drink Packs Potent Punch, Experts Say
Experts said drinking one can of Four Loko is like drinking a six-pack of beer and one big energy drink.It sells for $1.89 a bottle and that makes it especially appealing to young people.“First of all, it’s cheap to get, so a lot of students can go out and get it for like, a couple of dollars in their pockets,” said University of Central Oklahoma student Dominic Jones."I'm always looking for something cheap, any bargain prices I could find," said UCO student Kathryn Buynak. "That's pretty cheap, so a lot of college students would go for that."Jones said it also has an appealing taste, kind of like Gatorade, soda, punch or a fruit-flavored liquor.It's been on the market in Oklahoma for about three months and has earned a following.State leaders said they’re concerned about the contents of the container, sometimes called a “blackout in a bottle.”"The caffeinated alcoholic beverages are definitely the concern and are at the top of our concern,” said John Maich of the Alcoholic Beverage Law Enforcement Commission.He said doctors currently don’t know how the combination of caffeine and alcohol can affect a person’s body.He said the drink is so inexpensive because it's considered a malt beverage and is subject to a 10-cent tax. Distilled spirits or hard liquor can be taxed at $1.50. He said that if the state can change the alcohol tax loophole, Four Loko won't be available for the low price.The federal Food and Drug Administration is starting an investigation into the combination, but results won’t be available until next summer or next fall. State leaders have asked the government to regulate such drinks until more information is available.Jones said he would have mixed feelings if the government decided to pull Four Loko off the shelves.“I’d be 40 percent upset and 60 percent glad,” he said.He said he would be 60 percent glad because he recognizes the dangers, but he’ll also miss the way people have used it to celebrate.“It’s a way to have fun, because college students, we study a lot and we need a break sometimes,” he said.
Copyright 2010 by koco.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
British girl banned from literally every bar and pub in England
Down the hatch ... troublemaker Laura Hall gets stuck into booze
Magistrates slapped the Drinking Banning Order (DBO) on Hall after she was involved in a run of alcohol-related public order offences.
Cops argued strict measures were needed to deal with the 20-year-old's drunken behaviour.
The DBO means Hall is not allowed in any pub, club, off-licence or bar in England and Wales for the next two years. She is also banned from buying booze - or having alcohol in an unsealed container or drinking in any public place. And she must attend an alcohol-misuse course.
The party's over ... Laura Hall in full swing
Sgt David Roberts added: "Rather than seeing it as a punishment, we hope she'll use it to get her life on track." Hall, of Bromsgrove, Worcs, had already been banned from all her local pubs before yesterday's decision by Kidderminster JPs.
Licensing officer PC Neil Sharpe said he hoped the order would prove an "example to others".
He added: "A DBO is a powerful tool for tackling alcohol-related disorder. We will not hesitate to apply for more and we hope that others with drink-related issues will take note of this."
DBOs were launched by the Home Office last September. But Rachel Seabrook, of the Institute of Alcohol Studies, doubted whether the order could be enforced.
She said: "How can a police officer in Wales know this women has been banned if she turns up in his town?"
Monday, March 8, 2010
The 24 greatest cities in the world for drinking beer
Deciding on a top ten list of anything is usually pretty difficult. Unless you're talking about, say, the top ten numbers one through ten... narrowing down and choosing only ten of whatever often takes a great deal of effort.When it comes to the world of beer, with the vast array of choices out there, things become extremely problematic. Luckily, choosing ten of the best cities in which to drink a beer isn't quite so difficult. While there are no definitive answers to the best places in the world to sip a brew -- and beer culture in certain areas changes from year to year -- there are certain cities that deserve special attention. In no particular order, here are 24 outstanding beer cities you should definitely try to visit with your mate -- or your bar mate.
Portland, Oregon, USA
Portland is a beer lover's paradise. Often referred to as "Beervana" or "Beertown," the city boasts a collection of production breweries and brewpubs totaling a whopping 31 -- more breweries per capita than any other city in the world.
Well-known craft breweries Widmer Brothers and Pyramid call Portland home, as does near-cult status brewery Hair of the Dog, and popular craft breweries Rogue Ales and Deschutes Brewery operate brewpubs practically around the corner from one another. In addition to such a proliferation of great brewing operations, Portland is fairly well-regarded for its beer culture and gastronomy, making the city's title of "Beervana" difficult to refute.
Brussels, Belgium
If Portland is leading America in the fine art of beer gastronomy, Brussels is certainly leading the way in Europe. While its sister to the south, France, is content with basking in the fame of the grape, Belgium has taken on the glory of the grain. The country is world-renowned for its unique beer specialties, many of which use spontaneous fermentation by wild yeasts and bacteria, and there's no better place to enjoy Belgium's famed beers and Cuisine à la Bière than its capital city, Brussels. However, if you're looking for a "beer vacation," be sure to check out this essential guide to Belgian breweries by region.
San Francisco, California, USA
For any lover of American craft beer, San Francisco could be considered the Mecca of the American beer world. It was here that Fritz Maytag purchased the floundering Anchor Steam Brewery in the mid-1960s, reviving not only the brewery but several near-extinct beer styles, and re-introduced Americans to styles like Barleywine, Winter Warmer and IPA.It's no surprise, then, that San Francisco is thought of by many as the birthplace of the "craft beer revolution" in America, with Maytag the founding father. Maytag and his brewery are still churning out popular beers today, alongside many of the other breweries and brewpubs that have sprouted up, such as the popular 21st Amendment Brewery.
Bamberg, Germany
No guide to good beer locale can truly be complete without the inclusion of Germany's historic city Bamberg. The city, located in the Franconia region of Bavaria, survived Allied bombings in the Second World War, and its Altstadt is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In Köln, Germany, Kobes (waiters) in the city's Brauereien, keep the 200ml glasses (Stangen) coming until you signal you're finished by placing a coaster over your drinking vessel.
But the city's biggest attraction for beer lovers: it's traditional specialty Rauchbier, or smoke beer, which uses malt dried over beechwood fires. The beer takes on a deep smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with smoked dishes, and nowhere can this specialty be enjoyed fresher or in greater quantity than in its historic hometown.Dublin, Ireland
Brewed and imbibed the world over, the prototypical Irish stout was first brewed up in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. The brewery celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009, having been founded in 1759 when Arthur signed a 9,000-year lease for the spot at St. James's Gate. While every batch of Guinness stout brewed around the world uses a little of the original, visitors to Dublin know that it's best consumed at the source, served up from a cask at one of the city's classic pubs.
Köln (Cologne), Germany
Cologne is another one of Germany's cities with its own special beer tradition: Here it's Kölsch, a pale, subtle top-fermented ale that drinks as easily as a light lager. Perhaps it's because it goes down so well that the Kobes, waiters in the city's various Brauereien, keep the small 200ml glasses (called Stangen) coming until you signal you are finished by placing a coaster over your drinking vessel.
And because Kölsch is protected by an appellation, the city is the only place in the world to truly enjoy this delicacy, and to enjoy it fresh at that.
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Though the American South lagged for quite some time behind the rest of the country in embracing craft beer, it's catching up quickly. Next to Asheville, perhaps the greatest city in the South in which to enjoy beer is Georgia's capital, Atlanta.Two award-winning production breweries operate in the city, Atlanta Brewing Company and Sweetwater, and brewpubs and great beer bars are scattered throughout. But for a real treat? Head to Decatur, where you'll find one of the nation's premier beer bars, the Brick Store Pub. Here you'll find constantly-rotating taps, a second bar dedicated to Belgian beer, an extensive bottle list, and a wonderfully eclectic, beery atmosphere.
München (Munich), Germany
Not to mention Munichin a list of great cities in which to drink beer would be like leaving hops out of the libation -- sure, it can be done, but it just wouldn't seem right.
Though the traditional beer culture in many of Germany's cities seems to be slowly withering away, the famous beer halls of Munich's Altstadt, especially the (in)famous Hofbräuhaus, provide a jovial atmosphere full of kitschy charm stoked by huge liter mugs of beer freshly brewed on-premises. Then there is what is undoubtedly the most famous marriage-ceremony-turned-beer-festival in the world, the annual Oktoberfest celebration. Sure, there may be some cities in the world better-suited than Munich in which to enjoy beer, but there are none more well-equipped for drinking it.
-- The above was written by Lonnie C. Best, Seed contributor.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Alcohol isn't the drug most associated with Amsterdam, but maybe it should be. Because of its central location, the Netherlands capital is practically overflowing with English and Belgian beers. It's also got cobblestone streets, scenic waterway views and beer bikes. Wait, beer bikes? Yep, in Amsterdam you can rent a bicycle that fits 10 to 20 people – and a full bar. So you can do your sightseeing and beer-guzzling at the same time.
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Underdog Asheville beat out brew king Portland in a battle for "Beer City USA" in 2009 and some Pacific Northwesterners will never forgive them. But they should. Along with a big city-worthy music scene, a drop-dead-gorgeous mountain backdrop and good old southern hospitality, Asheville has one brewery for every 10,000 of its citizens, including the rocking Highland Brewing Company. That puts it right at Portland's heels with the second most breweries per capita in the U.S.
Boston has a history rich in both rebellion and beer drinking. Heck, the rebellion may have started with beer drinking, as colonists met in taverns to plot against the English.
Bonus: Asheville also holds three annual beer fests – Brewgrass, Oktoberfest and Winter Warmer -- throughout the year.Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Boston has a history rich in both rebellion and beer drinking. Heck, the rebellion may have started with beer drinking, as colonists met in the taverns to plot against the English. Some of those old bars still stand today, like the historic Green Dragon and the Warren Tavern, the oldest tavern in the state.
After the Revolution, Boston saw a surge of Irish immigrants – and Irish pubs, many of which are still pouring Guinness. But Beantown's culture of revolution isn't stuck in the past. Boston kicked off the microbrewery trend with one of the country's first craft brews, Samuel Adams.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
As arguably the most European city in North America, Montreal boasts brew houses that resemble British pubs and French taverns and beers that rival the best Irish stouts and Belgian wheats. At Le Cheval Blanc, the city's oldest brewpub, try a Canadian specialty like a maple or cranberry ale. Also like Europe, Montreal patrons like to stay out late – most bars don't open until late afternoon and stay open well into the wee hours of the morning.
San Diego, California, USA
A sunny, semi-tropical paradise where serious craft brewers mingle with Corona-swigging surfers, San Diego was named the country's top beer city by Men's Journal. There are a mind-boggling 24 breweries mentioned on the San Diego Brewers Guild's Web site. One such brewer, Green Flash, is named for the phenomena purported to appear over the horizon at sunset as you sit sipping a cold one and noshing on fish tacos.Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
The Rockies don't just taste like Coors anymore, thanks to a certain broken bicycle. Before it swept the nation, New Belgium Brewery's toasty amber Fat Tire was dreamed up in a Fort Collins basement. Host of the Colorado Brewer's Festival, where else can you swig brews from up-and-comers like Big Horn Brewing Company (home of the Buttface Amber Ale), tour the first wind-powered brewery and also visit the home of the country's most famous beer maker, Anheuser Busch Brewery, all while surrounded by Old West storefronts and purple mountain's majesty?
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
It can get cold in Wisconsin. Real cold. Fortunately, Cheeseheads have a history of warming their spirits with beer, wine and spirits. Like many U.S. cities, Madison has seen a rush of microbreweries in recent years, like Ale Asylum and The Great Dane Brewing Company. But lest you think the progressive college town's suds scene is getting snooty, remember you're in a state where sports bars still outnumber gastropubs by a long shot. Wisconsinites drink beer because it's their state mascot, because of their region's deep German roots and because, well, they really like beer.
-- The above was written by Cheri March, Seed contributor.
Portland, Maine, USA
Portland is home to six microbreweries, including the award-winning Shipyard Brewery. Gritty McDuff's in-house restaurant features outside seating which is dog-friendly. The state as a whole is home to a tremendous number of craft breweries, creating a beer culture that runs through the taps of the finest restaurants and the coolers of the simplest convenience stores. Be sure to pick up a six-pack to enjoy on the Casco Bay Lines sunset cruise, which allows discreet imbibing.San Antonio, Texas, USA
With its pedestrian-friendly climate and the Tex-Mex cuisine that invites pairing with good beer, the Riverwalk of San Antonio is a great city for beer drinking. Whether sitting and sipping beer while people watching, or strolling after sampling the offerings at any of the local brew pubs, the beauty and beer of San Antonio make a combination not be missed.
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
In New Orleans, it's not unusual to find great beer deals, such as "buy one get three free"; you can save enough on beer to cover your flight and hotel.
Nawlins is the undisputed home of amazing food, great music and parties that never end. The Quarter is the center of all of this. To-go cups are common, making it easy to continue the party as the mood motivates movement. It is not unusual to find great beer deals, such as "buy one get three free"; you can save enough on beer to cover flight and your hotel in a heartbeat.And let's be honest, even if The Big Easy weren't that awesome, the city would still make this list, thanks exclusively to the incredible Abita Brewery.
Key West, Florida, USA
Key West has "end of the world syndrome." As the Southernmost point of the North American continent -- and home to the country's southernmost brewery -- Key West boasts an eclectic group of locals and visitors, which translates to a (nearly) judgment-free zone. It is also another one of the few places where beer is offered in to-go cups, allowing you to wander the streets and sample the music in any of the open-air venues before committing to going in to any one of them.
Seattle, Washington, USA
Seattle is also known for having a bit of the "end of the world" syndrome. While the climate is not as bad as it is reputed to be, it is not quite as welcoming as that of Key West. Regardless, the weather is more than compensated for by the music and microbrew culture. Seattle itself is home to a slew of brew pubs and six breweries, including the now bi-coastal Red Hook Brewery.
Burlington, Vermont, USA
There is much to be said for the atmosphere of a college town. It doesn't fit the pattern of "end of the world" syndrome, but it still has an atmosphere of acceptance. Even better, Burlington is strongly influenced by the presence of Magic Hat Brewery (located in nearby South Burlington) and is host to the annual Vermont Brewers Festival. Located on the banks of Lake Champlain and surrounded by Vermont's trademark mountains, Burlington is a perfect beer-love nest.Northampton, Massachusetts, USA
NoHo, as locals call it, is far from your average college town. Local schools range from the University of Massachusetts to two of the Seven Sisters. You will be hard-pressed to find an establishment that doesn't have at least one beer you've never tried, with plenty of street performers to entertain you from site to site. A short drive will take you from the city's center to the Northampton Brewery and restaurant to cap off your visit.
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Every city on this list celebrates its beers. To that end, Baltimore hosts Baltimore Beer Week, which, appropriately, is a ten day celebration. The city proper boasts several breweries, and the bars in town pride themselves on the variety of craft beers on tap. Just remember that when the bartender calls you "Hon," it's not flirting – it's just the city's trademark hospitality.
-- The above was written by Cate Kulak, Seed contributor.
If you've been counting, you'll see we've only listed 23 cities. So what happened to City Number 24? Well, we meant to include 24, but when we looked over our research, some of our
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Scientists Have Discovered Booze That Won't Give You A Hangover
Booze, for all its magical wonder, still has big drawbacks: You can't sober up quickly, and you often get a hangover. Now Korean researchers have found a way of tweaking booze to limit the fallout — without cutting its strength.
Doctors Kwang-il Kwon and Hye Gwang Jeong of Chungnam National University studied the properties of oxygenated alcohol - booze with oxygen bubbles added - which is a popular concoction in their country. In these drinks, oxygen is added the way carbonation is usually added to soda, and the scientists wanted to know if these oxygenated beverages affected people differently than non-oxygenated ones. The answer was a resounding yes.
They ran three experiments using 19.5% alcohol drinks, and measured the speed at which people's blood alcohol dropped to 0.000%. In other words: How fast did they sober up?
The drinks with the added oxygen content sobered people up 20-30 minutes faster, under the influence of the rather potent alcohol they used for the trials. 20% alcohol is around the strength of fortified wine, soju, or a very strong mixed drink, so while shaving a half hour off your drunken tomfoolery might not seem a great deal, when you're trying to fall asleep at night and combating the spins, you'll appreciate it.
The researchers also asked what would change if someone were to drink multiple oxygen-enriched drinks over the course of the night. Would there be a cumulative effect? Again, the answer was yes: People who drank oxygenated booze had less severe and fewer hangovers than people who drank the non-fizzy stuff.
The alcohol these scientists used for testing was created by the Korean firm Sunyang Co, and on the English language version of their site, they market their oxygenated soju — O2 Lin — as a a drink that "helps clarify your brain, energizes your body cells, and maintains healthy and resilient skin." There's some more wonderful eco-marketing associated with the drink here.
So why does adding O2 to booze lessen the nasty after effects? When you drink ethanol, you body needs to oxidize it to water and carbon dioxide in order to process it. This occurs via hepatic oxidation, where the liver does its thing to counteract the liquor you've just poured down your gullet. The enzymes that process alcohol require oxygen to function, and it's thought that by storing the oxygen in the alcohol itself, the system functions more quickly and efficiently.
Kwon said:
The oxygen-enriched alcohol beverage reduces plasma alcohol concentrations faster than a normal dissolved-oxygen alcohol beverage does. This could provide both clinical and real-life significance. The oxygen-enriched alcohol beverage would allow individuals to become sober faster, and reduce the side effects of acetaldehyde without a significant difference in alcohol's effects. Furthermore, the reduced time to a lower BAC may reduce alcohol-related accidents. It seems that these drinks can maintain a high dissolved-oxygen concentration for about 10 to 20 days before the stopper is removed, and for 70 minutes after removing the stopper, respectively, at room temperature.There are plenty of questions this raises. How does oxygen affect the taste of the alcohol? What drink types does it work with? I can't image you'd want to add oxygen to beer. While more research is needed, this study is one more step towards not spending a morning feeling as though someone's kicked your skull in with jackboots, and stuffed the cavity with cotton wool.
Maybe this is the first step towards synthahol, the intoxicating drink on Star Trek that people can sober up from instantly.
Results published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Creative Commons image "soju bottle" by Flickr user riNux
Send an email to Tim Barribeau, the author of this post, at tim@io9.com.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Sink The Bismark helps Scotland top world's strongest beer league once more
From: http://www.asylum.co.uk/
When a German brewery announced it had beaten the British held world record for the strongest beer, it was a matter of national pride to win it back. The beer wars (yes we're going there) started back in November when Scottish firm Brew Dog launched a 32% abv brew, called Tactical Nuclear Penguin, the world's strongest beer.
It instantly took the record from the German brewer Schorschbräu's Schorschbock 31 (a measly 31% abv) - a fact the Germans were non too happy about.
In fact, they spent the next couple of months creating Schorschbock 40, which unsurprisingly came in at 40% and was released a couple of weeks ago, taking the record back east to Germany. It was good, too.
But now the Scots have hit back with a 41% volume ale, aptly named 'Sink The Bismarck!' which will sell for £40 per 330ml bottle and more importantly bring the record back to Blighty.
James Watt of Brew Dog said: "This is just an amazing experience on your palate, there is so so much bitterness there it punishes you.
"There's a sweetness from the malt and there is an avalanche of hops coming at you. Wolfgang is not going to like this."
The beer launch was also accompanied by a light-hearted video jibe at the Germans. Keep reading for that and our league of some of the strongest beers in the world...
Schorschbock 40 - Germany - Schorschbräu - 40% abv - £45 per bottleGuess where the first place in the UK was to get their mitts on this German potion. Scotland!
The West brewery and bar on Glasgow Green sold 25ml tots of the German brew - which had an alcohol content of 40 per cent - for £10.
Owner Petra Wetzel decided to import Schorschbock 40 after Fraserburgh firm BrewDog launched their 32 per cent alcohol beer Tactical Nuclear Penguin (below).
Petra, from Bavaria, Germany, said: "Schorschbock 40 has a totally unique flavour that will appeal to any beer connoisseur. You have to drink it like whisky, although it really tastes like beer. It's a bit like light, golden beer. There are only 40 bottles of it in the world. We have two. We are restricting sales of Schorschbock to one measure per customer." Harsh... but probably wise.
Tactical Nuclear Penguin - UK - Scotland - Brew Dog - 32% abv - £30 per bottleMadcap Scottish brewing maestro Brew Dog launched the then world's strongest beer to a volley of criticism from health chiefs, back in November 2009.
The 32% abv brew, called Tactical Nuclear Penguin (great name), took over the mantle as the world's strongest beer from German concoction Schorschbraerm (a measly 31% abv).
The incredible strength was attained when the beer, which started life as a 10 percent imperial stout, was aged for 16 months in two different whisky casks before being stored in a freezer at a ball-shriveling -20°C for three weeks.
Schorschbock 31 - Germany - Schorschbräu - 31% abv - £45 per bottleThis eisbock beer is made by freezing a doppelbock brew then removing the ice to concentrate the flavour and alcohol content. It is deep copper in colour with ruby highlights and tastes intensely hoppy and sweet.
The bock is a traditional brew that goes back to the 14th century, when apparently, binge drinking was still a bit of a problem.
Sam Adam's Utopias - USA - Boston Beer Company - 24% abv - £56 per bottleNot only is it one of the strongest beers in the world, Samuel Adams Utopias is also among the world's most expensive. Only 8,000 of the limited edition brew were made and came in this odd copper kettle (left).
Boston Beer Company, the brewer responsible for Utopias, said the beer was designed to be enjoyed slowly as an after dinner tipple.
Brewery founder Jim Koch said: "We are passionate about brewing quality, one-of-a-kind beer that amazes beer lovers and aficionados alike."
World Wide Stout - USA - Dogfish Head - 23% abv - £12 for 6 (plus £25 p&p)This burly little stout is a pitch black malty number designed for sipping rather than gulping. Head retention can be a problem due to it's hefty alcohol content, but by the time you've finished a bottle you probably won't care.
This Delaware based brewers has garnered a reputation for supremely crafted ales in a very short space of time since they started churning out beers in 1995.
Tokyo - UK - Brew Dog - 18.2% abv - £47.35 for 24According to the Brew Dog website this Stout was inspired by Space Invaders.
They also claim: "The irony of existentialism, the parody of being and the inherent contradictions of post-modernism, all so delicately conveyed by the blocky, pixelated arcade action have all been painstakingly recreated in this bottles contents."
Which oddly makes us want to try it. We've never tasted contradiction before, well apart from, like, kinder eggs.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Pub offers free drinks to women based on bra size
A nightclub in Singapore is attracting attention for a marketing strategy that offers free drinks according to women's bra sizes, the China Press reports.
The OverEasy nightclub introduced the event 'Fill My Cups' recently to promote events hosted by Australian DJ DCUP.
The promotion allows A-cup patrons one free drink, B-cups two, C-cups three, and D-cups can claim a free bottle of vodka.
"It was really a play on the guest DJ's name. When we heard that it was DCUP, we decided to give the event an added spin," said Ms Cheryl Ho, spokesman for The Lo & Behold Group, which runs OverEasy.
The stunt has drawn as much criticism as it has laughter, with some calling it distasteful, "I think the concept is funny but I would not degrade myself by being a part of it," a 19-year-old women told The New Paper, a local publication.
Others believe the 'booze for boobs' gimmick is harmless, Student Lek Ning, 20, who considers herself a C-cup, said that she found the event hilarious, "After all, I'm rather proud of my assets," she said.
President of the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) Dana Lam labeled the event "demeaning". "I'd laugh at the silliness (of this event) if I didn't know better. Women should think twice before popping themselves in there," she said.
Ms Lam added that the "safety and dignity" of female customers have been disregarded, as they might be "subjecting themselves to molest and harassment".
To ascertain bra size the promotion will allow for one male and one female judge to visually assess bra cup size, "They are not boob experts, and neither are they from a bra company. They are our personal friends who will simply guess-timate as to the women's bra cup sizes," said Ms Ho, "We don't condone touch tests," she said.
'Scots Drink 46 Bottles Of Vodka Every Year'
Adults in Scotland are drinking the equivalent of 46 bottles of vodka each a year - 25% more than the English and Welsh, a new study suggests.
The research comes as the Scottish Government pushes for a minimum price for alcohol to tackle the country's huge drink problems.
It is based on industry sales data analysed by NHS Health Scotland and looked in part at sales of pure alcohol per person, as opposed to total volumes of alcoholic drink.
According to the report, sales for the year to September 2009 averaged 12.2 litres of pure alcohol per person over the age of 18.
The Scottish Government said the figure, which remained virtually static since 2005, is equivalent to more than 46 bottles of vodka, 537 pints of beer or 130 bottles of wine.
We believe setting a minimum price for alcohol, while not the whole answer, is a key weapon in the battle against alcohol misuse.Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland Health Secretary
Average weekly sales for Scottish drinkers were 26.5 units per person over the age of 18, equivalent to around 11 pints of beer or three bottles of wine.
In England and Wales, the figure was 21.8, slightly higher than the recommended weekly maximum for a man.
Scotland Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said it was time for critics of minimum pricing to "wake up" to the scale of Scotland's drink problem and called for a minumum price for alcohol to be set.
She said: "We believe setting a minimum price for alcohol, while not the whole answer, is a key weapon in the battle against alcohol misuse."
A report out earlier in the week put the cost to Scots taxpayers of alcohol abuse at £3.56bn a year.
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