Never Buy a Bad Bottle of Wine Again: Slate’s guide to the importers you can count on

http://www.slate.com/id/2217806/

“My father swears he once had a girlfriend who sent him a postcard from Paris saying that she liked France but couldn’t understand why all the cars had foreign plates. I can’t help but think of that story whenever the issue of foreign wines and their often-confusing labels arises.” (May 6, 2009)

 

A Dozen Science-Fiction Drinking Games

http://io9.com/5230837/a-dozen-science+fiction-drinking-games

Everyone probably occasionally (or often) thinks, You know what would make this Battlestar episode better? A lot of alcohol. So here, for your drinking — and viewing — pleasure, are a dozen science-fiction drinking games.

 

In Search of the Perfect Pork Martini

http://foody.org/home/martini.html

“The pork Martini serves many needs on many levels! In these pomo days, when old formulas are reborn with futile twists for our fickle, fin-de-siècle tastes, the meat cocktail stands out above wobbly, cranberry-tainted attempts at bar trendiness.”

Disgusting, but funny. There are photos! I’ll even overlook the vegetarian crack. (Oh, and I got here via an item in City Pages.)

 

Whisky Making: The Gentle Art of Coopering

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1878723,00.html

“Speyside Cooperage has been family owned since 1947 and produces the finest casks from American Oak, providing a vital ingredient in Scotland’s whisky making process.” (Feb 11, 2009)

 

‘Tis the Season to Get Falling Down Drunk

Holiday hints for hooch heads:

http://www.drunkard.com/issues/10_06/10_06_holiday_hints.html

(Yes, yes, I know — but the holidays come around every year. Start practicing for next year.)

 

Dec. 31, 1938: Set ’em Up, Joe … for a Breath Test

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/12/dayintech_1231

The drunkometer, which some of you older imbibers might remember from when the cop made you breathe into a balloon, was invented by Dr. Rolla N Harger, an Indiana University biochemist, in 1931. He patented his device in 1936 and helped draft the act that made it the legal method for helping establish blood-alcohol level.

 

In-car fingerprint scanner keeps drunks, thieves from starting your car

http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/16/in-car-fingerprint-scanner-keeps-drunks-thieves-from-starting-y/

 

‘Bio-Beer’ Designed to Extend Life

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/11/10/beer-cancer-health.html

“BioBeer, as it’s called, has three genes spliced into special brewer’s yeast that produce resveratrol, the chemical in red wine that is thought to protect against diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and other age-related conditions.”

 

Scientists Turn Tequila into Diamonds

http://www.physorg.com/news145255770.html

“Whoever thought that science was a dry subject might change their mind after learning about a new discovery in which tequila is turned into diamonds. A team of Mexican scientists found that the heated vapor from 80-proof (40% alcohol) tequila blanco, when deposited on a silicon or stainless steel substrate, can form diamond films.”

(With a tip of the hat to io9 for noticing it first.)

 

[Bad boys]^2

http://www.moorheadpolice.com/patrol/technology.asp

Real life “Cops” videos from Moorhead MN.

 

Beer lovers: What would Jesus brew?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/10/24/beer.god.ap/index.html

… “While alcohol and religion don’t always mix, no less a figure than Benjamin Franklin once said: ‘Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.'”

 

Microsoft finally does something useful

http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/22/microsofts-surfaceware-gets-you-drunk-faster-than-drinking-thro/

“It’s just a kooky, Surface-related R&D project for now, but Microsoft’s SurfaceWare holds the promise of optimizing your time-to-alcohol consumption ratio.”