Alcohol Is Good For You

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October 2008
- Naked Lunch? Maine Town Strips Diner of Booze
  
  Bangor Daily News | Oct 3, 08 2:41 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A Maine restaurant has been denied a liquor license over a promotion that encourages skinny dipping in a nearby lake, the Bangor Daily News reports. The offer promised a free sandwich to any diner intrepid enough to strip and take the plunge behind the Black Frog Restaurant. After numerous complaints and three arrests, the town rejected the establishment's liquor license when it came up for renewal. More »
- Oktoberfest Brews Gotta Be 'Poundable'
  
  New York Times | Oct 1, 08 2:48 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - To wash down sausages, sauerkraut, and pretzels, Oktoberfest beer must flow like a dinner wine: "Worthy of attention without demanding to be the center of attention," writes Eric Asimov in the New York Times. And with festive consumption measured in liters, it must also be "poundable." Asimov and a tasting panel sampled 24 Oktoberfest beers, judging them on their traditional Bavarian style. Some standouts: More »
September 2008
- Drinkers Sour on Sarah Syrah
  
  Serious Eats | Sep 24, 08 4:20 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A San Francisco wine bar says customers have soured on its star vintage since John McCain picked his running mate, Amy Monroe writes on Serious Eats. Palin Syrah, an organically grown red from Chile “was our best-selling wine before” Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin arrived, laments Chris Tavelli, owner of Yield Wine Bar. More »
- French No Snobs on Virgin Cocktails
  
  Gourmet | Sep 2, 08 11:52 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Nonalcoholic cocktails need not be exclusive to designated drivers and teenagers. While, er, “researching” Paris’ best hotel bars, Julia Langbein discovered that the virgin cocktail is one thing the French don’t look down upon. In Paris, she writes in Gourmet , “an alcohol-free drink isn’t a consolation prize; it shares equal status with the poison.” More »
August 2008
- The State of US Wine, in 50 Bottles
  
  Time | Aug 29, 08 2:37 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Wine snobs contend that "terroir"—soil, climate, and topography—restrict great wines to certain regions. But are they right? All 50 US states make wine, so Joel Stein sampled a bottle from each to test the claim in Time . He discovered "quite good" varietals from surprising states like Delaware and Kentucky, but also "truly disgusting" wines from the Deep South. More »
- Last Call for Chicago Bar Cars
  
  Chicago Tribune | Aug 27, 08 4:18 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Chicago’s last commuter-train watering holes will grind to a halt this week, disappointing the tight-knit community of “bar car” regulars, the Tribune reports. The Metra system has been phasing out the traveling taverns in an effort to make more room for passengers, but for many the change feels like the end of a friendlier era, some say. More »
- Subtle Cabernets Recall Napa's Heyday
  
  New York Times | Aug 20, 08 6:33 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Forget "jammy fruit bombs" that crush the palate—subtle cabernets are making a comeback in Napa Valley. "You don’t hear much about these sorts of wines today," writes Eric Asimov in the New York Times . While critics swoon over rich, oaky cabernets, a few wineries still rely on elegant floral and herbal flourishes that made the region famous years ago. More »
July 2008
- Tiny Shrew Drinks More Than You
  
  Times (UK) | Jul 30, 08 4:07 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Malaysian pentailed shrew drinks enough booze, weight for weight, to kill a human with a similar habit—prompting scientists to study the creature for clues to our own alcoholic thirst. Pentails, which share a common ancestor with primates, knock back the equivalent of nine glasses of wine every night unharmed, reports the Times UK . The shrews sip bertam palm nectar, which is about as strong as beer. More »
- Prosecco Targets Champagne Crown
  
  Reuters | Jul 22, 08 8:07 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Sales of Italy's answer to champagne have been bubbling up for years, Reuters writes, but prosecco producers plan to boost output to 250 million bottles next year, with an eye on someday overtaking champagne as the world's favorite sparkling wine. The bubbly is cheaper to make than its French rival, and vintners believe its sweeter taste will go down well in red-hot export markets like China. More »
- Guinness Sales Flat in ... Ireland?
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jul 12, 08 4:46 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Ireland still drinks a lot of beer—only the Czechs down more—and continues to chug a lot of Guinness. But in a cultural shift in the newly vibrant nation, sales of the national drink have steadily declined in recent years, as harried white-collar workers skip the pub on the way home, and foreign workers opt for a taste of home instead of “the black stuff,” the Los Angeles Times reports. More »
- Beer: Cause of, and Solution to, Civilization
  
  Washington Post | Jul 10, 08 12:18 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Recently, Investor’s Business Daily had the effrontery to suggest that Americans might cut down on beer “and other non-essential items.” It was a statement that sent Washington Post columnist George F. Will into a frothy rage. Beer is completely essential—without it civilization as we know might not exist. Early urbanites had just one respite from waterborne illness, he notes: Beer. More »
- Distillers Like Taste of Bourbon Boom
  
  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 »
- Preachy Bar Managers Stir Brewhaha
  
  Daily Telegraph (UK) | Jul 6, 08 2:00 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Praise the Lord and pass the beer—or at least that's the vision a devout Christian couple may have had for the London pub they were hired to manage. But patrons found the couple's preachy exhortations to prayer, Bible quizzes, and ban on cursing and gambling downright annoying. More »
- Life Better, Not Longer, With Red Wine
  
  Independent (UK) | Jul 4, 08 2:19 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A compound found in red wine significantly slows the aging process in lab mice, reports the Independent. In large doses, resveratrol counters damage to the heart caused by aging and boosts bone density, possibly combating osteoporosis, according to a new study. But it's too early to order 100 cases of Beaujolais—resveratrol does not prolong life. More »
- Booze Flows in Baghdad
  
  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 »
June 2008
- Raise a Glass to the Joys (and Pains) of Happy Hour
  
  Reuters | Jun 24, 08 8:02 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Is it happy hour yet? About 20% of Americans regularly go out for drinks with colleagues after work, says a survey from careerbuilder.com. Reuters runs down the highlights: Most go out just to be social, but about 30% say they do so to gossip or only because they feel obligated. Only 4% dared admit to breaking out in karaoke with co-workers. 5% said they shared company secrets while under the influence. More »
- Scotch Makers Blend Subtler Spirits
  
  AFP | Jun 12, 08 2:37 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The art of distilling whiskey is alive and well in Scotland, with makers sticking to the spirit’s roots while expanding its flavor ranges, AFP reports. Though earthy, smoky beverages remain at their core, the Dewar’s and Glenmorangie distilleries are developing whiskeys with mild flavors ranging to honey, waxed lemons, ginger, and even vanilla. More »
- 'Blue Zones' Harbor Key to Long Life
  
  NPR | Jun 8, 08 3:37 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - It's not quite the Fountain of Youth, but one author spent 5 years exploring the world's "blue zones," or areas which sport unusual concentrations of long-lived people. In his new book, Dan Buettner details s

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Stories

Naked Lunch? Maine Town Strips Diner of Booze

Oktoberfest Brews Gotta Be 'Poundable'

Drinkers Sour on Sarah Syrah

French No Snobs on Virgin Cocktails

The State of US Wine, in 50 Bottles

Last Call for Chicago Bar Cars

Subtle Cabernets Recall Napa's Heyday

Tiny Shrew Drinks More Than You

Prosecco Targets Champagne Crown

Guinness Sales Flat in ... Ireland?

Beer: Cause of, and Solution to, Civilization

Distillers Like Taste of Bourbon Boom

Preachy Bar Managers Stir Brewhaha

Life Better, Not Longer, With Red Wine

Booze Flows in Baghdad

Raise a Glass to the Joys (and Pains) of Happy Hour

Scotch Makers Blend Subtler Spirits

'Blue Zones' Harbor Key to Long Life