The Scourge of Morning After

Change will allow country to regulate its sale

(NEWSER) - Historic changes in Russia: Beer, long classified as "foodstuff," is about to get upgraded to alcohol, "dragging Russian alcohol regulation into the 21st century," quips the Telegraph . Beer consumption has tripled in Russia in the last 15 years thanks to the fact that it's been cheap and only lightly regulated. A bill set to end beer's special status passed the lower house of Parliament yesterday; the new law would curtail beer sales at night and limit the size of cans and bottles to about 11 ounces. More»

Sure, the food is gross, but the wine might make up for it

(NEWSER) - At some hospitals, you just might be able to enjoy a glass of wine alongside your Jell-O and boiled carrots. Indiana’s Parkview Ortho Hospital is the latest to allow patients or family members to bring alcohol in—with doctor’s approval, of course—and it’s not the only one. According to the Association for Healthcare Foodservice, a Tennessee medical center and “many other healthcare facilities” stock beer, wine, and sometimes liquor, NPR reports. More»

Korean scientists say adding it lets drinkers sober up faster

(NEWSER) - Adding oxygen to alcoholic drinks lets you experience all the drunkenness with a fraction of the hangover, according to Korean researchers who presumably didn't have much trouble rounding up volunteers for their study. The scientists found that the extra oxygen helped the stomach function better, allowing the drinker to sober up faster and suffer less severe hangovers, Ars Technica reports. More»

No drunk horseback riding in Colorado, and other weird rules

(NEWSER) - Growlers may be the new hipster trend , but good luck finding one in Alabama. Any beer bottle larger than 16 ounces is banned there, along with "sensuous" wine labels. That's just one of a dozen crazy liquor laws complied by Mother Jones :

• No sunrise mimosas in Alaska: you can't buy booze between 5am and 8am.
• Stay out of the driver's seat and the saddle if you've been imbibing in Colorado, where drunk horseback riding is illegal.

One new highbrow bottle, with 27% alcohol, costs $150

(NEWSER) - Beer with a high alcohol content is in the spotlight after two breweries announced supercharged creations—Boston Beer Company's Utopias, with 27% alcohol, and BrewDog's Tactical Nuclear Penguin, with 32%. Are they good for the average guzzler? Salon gets details from expert Brooks Hamaker:

• They don’t come cheap: Utopias will set you back $150 a bottle.
• Yes, it is beer: Regardless of alcohol content, it’s made from barley, malt, hops, water, and yeast—but it’s not carbonated, "or at least not very well," because of its high sugar content.