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December 3, 2008 1:40:34 PM CST

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10 Stories

Hike Booze Tax to Save Lives: Study

Alaskan fatalities from alcohol-related diseases plunged when levy was raised

Chicago Tribune Chicago Tribune Nov 15, 08 3:52 AM CST
(Newser) - Higher liquor taxes may reduce deaths related to alcohol consumption, the Chicago Tribune reports. A new study examined Alaska’s alcohol tax rates over a 30-year period in conjunction with deaths from alcohol-related diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver. When taxes were raised, such deaths decreased by as much as 29%. More »

More about:  alcohol • taxes • beer • rehab • drinking • liquor • rehabilitation

 Distillers Like Taste
 of Bourbon Boom 

Weak dollar, rising exports help fuel spike in sales

Associated Press Associated Press Jul 7, 08 8:11 AM CDT
(Newser) - Kentucky bourbon is popular in the likes of Russia and China as drinkers worldwide flock to the US drink, the AP reports. A weak dollar, rising exports, and a bourbon trend among young Americans are also fueling the boom. "Younger consumers are interested in drinks that were, you might say, their grandfathers' drinks," said Max Shapira, president of Heaven Hill Distilleries in Kentucky. More »

More about:  alcohol • Kentucky • exports • US exports • liquor • beverages • expansion • drink • distillery

 Booze Flows in Baghdad 

Despite security risks, business is booming

McClatchy Newspapers McClatchy Newspapers Jul 2, 08 11:09 AM CDT
(Newser) - Iraq may be a war-torn nation with deep-seated sectarian divisions, but things are picking up for a certain thirsty segment of the population. That’s right: booze is flowing again in Baghdad, McClatchy Newspapers reports. Though a predominantly Muslim nation, Iraq, even under Saddam Hussein, permitted any citizen to sip, though only non-Muslims could sell the stuff. More »

More about:  Iraq • alcohol • retail • Muslim • sectarian violence • liquor • prohibition

The Scourge of Morning After

Deconstructing the hangover—and the folk remedies that are still the only hope

New Yorker New Yorker May 20, 08 2:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - Hangovers have afflicted the recently drunk since the Stone Age, yet a dependable remedy remains elusive. A hangover takes hold just as the body succeeds in eliminating the alcohol from the blood stream, Joan Acocella notes in the New Yorker . It results from a pileup of insults the system sustains in getting the job done, she explains, deconstructing the telltale symptoms in vivid detail. More »

More about:  alcohol • beer • alcoholism • liquor • alcohol consumption • hangover

 World's Best
 Whiskey Comes
 From... Japan? 

Yoichi is first non-Scottish brand to win top award

Times (UK) Times (UK) May 2, 08 8:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - For years, Japanese whiskey has struggled for respect and praise; now, it’s on top of the world. A brand called "Yoichi 20 years old" has been voted the best whiskey in the world by Whiskey Magazine , the industry’s main publication. No non-Scottish spirit has ever won before, the Times of London reports, but judges fell for Yoichi’s “explosive aroma” and “amazing mix of big smoke and sweet blackcurrant.” More »

More about:  Japan • alcohol • liquor • whiskey • spirits

 Absinthe's Secret Revealed 

Mind-altering effect is really just the booze talking

LiveScience LiveScience Apr 30, 08 3:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - Absinthe's "Green Fairy,” which spurred the likes of van Gogh and Picasso to creative heights, may have been more of a drunken sprite than psychedelic pixie. A study of century-old bottles of the green liqueur revealed that its potency most likely stems from its 70% alcohol content—making it 140-proof booze—not any mind-altering ingredients, reports LiveScience. More »

More about:  France • Germany • science • alcohol • liquor • chemistry • absinthe

Not Your Parents' Russian Vodka

Premium imports, in fancy bottles, begin to arrive on US shores

Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Feb 25, 08 8:15 PM CST
(Newser) - If a shot of Georgi isn’t your style, Russian vodka makers are rushing to sell a new wave of premium bottles, the Los Angeles Times reports. Vodkas from France, Finland, and the US have gained popularity stateside over the past few years, but buyers couldn't find anything Russian other than Stoli on the shelves until recently. More »

More about:  Russia • France • Los Angeles • alcohol • marketing • luxury goods • drinking • Finland • vodka • liquor • snack foods

Absolut Cans Bottle Ads, Sees Sales Soar

Iconic campaign dumped after high-end vodkas steal brand's thunder

Advertising Age Advertising Age Feb 19, 08 10:55 AM CST
(Newser) - Absolut is selling a lot more vodka now that it's dumped one of the world's best-known ad campaigns, Advertising Age reports. The Swedish brand and its arty ads featuring the iconic bottle had been a big hit since entering the US market in 1979, but sales were flat before the launch of the "Absolut World" campaign last year. Now global shipments have spiked 9%. More »

More about:  advertising • alcohol • marketing • vodka • liquor • Absolut

Absinthe's Back but Thrill's Gone

Hallucinogenic ingredient has all but disappeared

Time Time Dec 2, 07 5:49 AM CST
(Newser) - The "Green Fairy" may have led Van Gogh to cut off his ear, but don't expect newly legal absinthe to cause anyone to do the same, reports Time magazine . New federal regulations allow the anise-flavor liquor only a trace of thujone, the chemical from wormwood that supposedly causes hallucinations. Scientists accusing absinthe retailers of "playing pretend" say the original version contained 25 times that amount. More »

More about:  alcohol • liquor • absinthe • recreational drugs • hallucination

Best Places to Knock Back a Few

Finding a good bar is about the atmosphere— otherwise you might as well imbibe at home

Esquire Esquire Nov 3, 07 8:04 PM CDT
(Newser) - You know a great bar when you're in one, Esquire posits. The magazine knows more than a few, from "Christ-this-is-a-dive" dives to classy cocktail lounges. He're a sample of their favorites, from around the country: Mac's Club Deuce, Miami Beach, Florida Callaghan's Irish Social Club, Mobile, Alabama The Globe, Athens, Georgia More »

More about:  list • alcohol • beer • drinking • bars • liquor

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