DrinkedIn Trends

Liquor bottle collecting is emerging as one of the top hobbies in the U.S. today. There are a growing number of bottle collecting clubs in every major city. So, why the big draw? It may be an attempt to rediscover our roots or an interest in the days when life seemed simpler and happier. But also, when alcohol and other antique bottles were made by hand, no two were identical. Machines were utilized prior to the 1920’s, but many collectors are not as interested in machine-made bottles. Liquor bottles made by machine were offered for sale after Prohibition. If your liquor bottle bottle is hand made it is most likely made before Prohibition. John Dewar for example introduced the first bottled Scotch, Dewars White Label.

Types of Liquor Bottle Collectors

We are all creatures of habit and it is not uncommon for collectors of liquor bottles to focus on a specific type of bottle for their collections! Many tend to focus on specific shapes or types of alcohol or by brand. Rum, Vodka, Whisley and other various types of liquors came in different shapes and sizes of bottles. 

According to the historians, the first glass containers were made in the 17th Century. A craftsman would use a long metal blowpipe and scoop molten glass onto its tip. He would blow into the pipe until the bubble grew in size and formed a general shape. Free-blown bottles are rare and can be identified by the absence of seams. Years later, glassblowers began to use molds so the shape was consistent. However, these bottles had seams or mold marks up to the lip of the bottle—so they are easy to identify.

In the late 1800s, manufacturers attempted to correct the problem of clear glass having a greenish tint—so they added manganese to their glass mixture in order to produce truly clear glass. These bottles can be distinguished because their colors change when exposed to sunlight for long periods of time. UV rays have caused them to color in shades ranging from lilac to amethyst. If you find a bottle with a screw top, it is newer than those that were stopped with corks. Inside screw tops were used before outside screw tops; and a bottle marked to show its capacity was produced later than one without this label.

Where are Old & Antique Bottles Hiding Today?

Serious bottle collectors do their research so they can easily evaluate their finds. There are distinctions in bottles which make them extremely valuable—a single bottle can be worth thousands of dollars (though rare). Valuable bottles usually have distinct characteristics like their colors (i.e. cobalt and cornflower blue), embossed designs, and the shape/markings on the base or the neck of the bottle. These features help determine their origin and time frame. Many bottle collectors are interested in the very early American bottles dating from the 1700’s into the early 1900’s.

How important is it that wine and food should match? Ultimately, the rules aren't set in stone, but the idea of pairing wines with foods is to help certain flavours complement each other and bring the best out in each other.

There is nothing wrong with trying different combinations, but if you suddenly start to find that a certain wine isn't doing it for you anymore, then it could just be that you've been pairing it with the wrong food. Drink the wine without any food as a test.

How you cook your food can also influence your choice of wine. The nature of food changes when it's roasted, baked, poached, steamed, cooked in sauce or marinated, etc, so bear this in mind when choosing wines.

Learn how to recognise the flavours in the food and wine and taste them as you prepare your meal. Don't forget to use your sense of smell, as well. Look out for fruit, berry or wood flavours. Is the wine heavy or light, sweet or acidic?

Experiment, be open-minded, and don't be afraid to change your mind or adapt meal or wine choices along the way!

About beer as many other things which are around us we can hear many myths and stereotypes. Let’s try to find out what is true and what is not.

They add alcohol to beer

We can say that it is the most popular myth. Of course, there is nothing strange in it if you feel alcohol odor in tumbler. In reality alcohol can be added to beer but very-very much seldom. Such things are exceptions to the rules, because it is unprofitable to use alcohol in beer producing. Besides, barm is able to produce up to 13%  of the alcohol naturally, so brewers have no need to add the thing which will be in beer for free.

You can grow fat from beer

There is some truth in such statement. But the real reason of fatness is not the beer, but the meal which we eat after it. Beer is a great stimulator of the appetite, that’s why after drinking it you begin to eat much. The excessive caloric food is the main reason of fatness.

And then very much depends on your genetics. Look at German, there not so many fat people among them, but they drink very much beer indeed.

Beer is made from powder

Never a one brewery will do such things. Process of beer production is pretty standard and there are certain stages, which need certain equipment. This myth appeared because of promotion by some firms a technology of making beer at home. They suggest to dilute beer concentrate, then to ferment it in plastic reservoir and to drink. But this liquid is beer neither by taste, nor by odor. That’s why you will never mix up such “product” if you buy it in the shop. Of course there are such things in shops already.

Any experienced drinker knows that no two nights of drinking lead to an identical morning after. Some mornings it may feel like you simply didn’t log enough sleep, while others like a truck ran over your head… twice. But do you know why? Modern science claims that “alcohol is alcohol,” yet many who drink swear different alcoholic beverages cause significantly different reactions in their mental and physical state. The truth, as always, is not black and white.  While the way alcohol is metabolized in the body is consistent no matter what you are drinking, different people drinking the same thing may react differently and the same people drinking different things may also react differently. So what gives?  The way you feel after drinking depends on a variety of factors, including who you are, what you drink and how you drink it.

First, it is important to note that the body does technically metabolize all alcohol the same way. To put it simply, once a drink enters the stomach it will be carried by blood vessels to the blood stream. There, about 20% of the alcohol is absorbed while the remaining 80% is absorbed through the small intestine. Once there, the alcohol will enter the blood stream through the small intestine walls and then be metabolized by the liver. On average, the liver can process one ounce of liquor per hour. When you consume alcohol at a faster rate, your system becomes saturated and the additional alcohol will accumulate in your blood stream until it can become metabolized. This is where feeling drunk begins.

Your body metabolizes all alcohol this way, from a pint of beer to a glass of wine to a shot of vodka. So what leads to different outcomes? First of all, women metabolize alcohol at a different rate than men. This has been attributed to women having less body water, so the percentage of alcohol entering their blood stream is a higher, leading them to become drunk more quickly. Additionally, things like body weight, medications and how much food you’ve eaten that day can all affect how quickly you become intoxicated by affecting the alcohol absorption in the stomach.  This is why smaller women tend may be considered “lightweights” and why you should always eat dinner before drinking.

It may not be a surprise to you that a cheerleader becomes drunk more quickly than a husky football player, but the content of a drink and your mindset during drinking can affect your degree of intoxication as well. If you’re drinking a mixed drink, it likely includes soda or fruit juice. Soda, or any other carbonated beverage, speeds up the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream and will leave you feeling drunker faster. Not only that, the caffeine present in soda will keep you alert, meaning you may not realize how significantly the alcohol is affecting you until you are already too drunk. Likewise, using a fruit juice as a mixer masks the taste of alcohol due to the acidity and sugar. Not being able to taste the alcohol in a drink will lead to drinking faster which leads to – you guessed it – becoming drunk more quickly than if you were drinking, say, a vodka on the rocks where you can taste how strong it is.

Perhaps you have heard someone claim “tequila makes me crazy” or “whiskey makes me mean.” When considering that all alcohol is metabolized the same way, it might lead you to believe that these differences aren’t possible. If you took two people of identical gender, height and weight and gave one an ounce of whiskey and one an ounce of tequila and asked them to drink at the same rate, they would likely have identical reactions. However, in reality this is not how people drink.

Weekends traditionally are a time for unbuttoning collars and relaxing, but what many people think of as harmless fun actually can be completely against the law. Because police officers operate with a broad range of leeway for enforcement against misdemeanors and other minor offenses, this has led to public confusion about when they can get off scot-free - and when they may need to get in contact with a lawyer. Feel free to continue reading if you're interested in a few obscure ways to land yourself a fee, or even a jail cell here in the US.

1. Drive-By Hunting

Most states, including such diverse ones as California and Tennessee, have laws against shooting animals while the shooter is in a moving vehicle. If you want to go hunting, step out of the car! There is one seemingly odd exception to this persistent rule: the whale, as a concession to the fishing industry.

2. Not-So-Exotic Pets

United States pet laws are a hodgepodge of contradictions that change whenever you go over a state line. While the inconsistencies in pet laws are too numerous to count, one common theme is that many seemingly harmless animals are deemed unfit to keep as pets by unlicensed owners. For example, if you live in California, a pet chipmunk is off the table. Limitations on quantity also can be found, such as Arkansas restricting rabbit owners to a maximum of half a dozen rabbits.

3. Light Shows Staged Too Late

Most people won't be shocked to learn that there are various restrictions placed on using fireworks, which, for all their festivity, still qualify as explosives. However, you may not be aware that different regions have different restrictions on WHEN to use them, as well as HOW. For example, the town of Devil's Lake, North Dakota doesn't abide by the use of fireworks past eleven PM, putting a damper on late night celebrations. In Provo, Utah, residents are only able to use fireworks for a few weeks during the year, with all other times being illegal.

4. Playing Out Famous Gambling Scenes

The gag of the penniless schmuck who's forced to give away his own clothes to get away from the poker table is a classic trope of cinema and television. Unfortunately, the real world doesn't always work out quite so hilariously. If you try this in New Hampshire, you're breaking the law. And yes, that even includes if you do it 'officially' by heading to the nearest pawnbroker's shop.

Wine does a lot of miracles: it is a good solution to insomnia, something to share with buddies and an ideal complement to a delicious meal. But something you don't commonly hear is that wine can even be an element of a good diet.

While most of us who are going on a diet believe that we have to cut wine from our diet entirely, there are some good reasons why you need to reconsider that approach. Cutting down your consumption of alcohol might unquestionably be in order, but there are a lot of medical evidences that show that average alcohol could be healthy. Possibly even beyond the confirmed medical benefits of wine intake, there are various issues that argue in support of including wine into a low calorie eating habit!

Studies about health benefits of moderate drinking

Research released in the Archives of Internal Medicine discovered that, women of average weight who take in alcohol in moderate amount did not gain much weight compared to non-drinking women of the same weight.

Another research by the Journal of Biological Chemistry showed that a chemical substance present in red wine known as piceatonnal could prevent the development of fat cells. The study is still in the early stages but those that have taken part in experienced an eighty percent reduction in the formation of fat cells after they took piceatonnal.

Needless to say, there are plenty of elements which may have affected these results. But there could be some other factors that contribute to the benefits of moderately drinking wine.

Many people are curious about wine-tasting, but some let fear of inexperience prevent them from actually trying it. There’s really nothing to worry about, though. Here are four top tips to make your first time less frightening!

1. How to smell

Most people know that you’re supposed to smell the wine before drinking it, but very few actually know what they’re smelling for. The best way to understand this is to ask a member of staff. Their job is to help you get the most out of your wine-tasting experience, so don’t be afraid!

The best way to smell a wine is to rotate the glass several times before lowering your nose to it. There’s no wrong answer when it comes to smell: don’t be afraid to say what you think!

To get the most out of a wine’s scent, refrain from wearing strong perfumes or smoking before or during the event. Wine has a delicate smell, so it doesn’t take much to overpower it.

Wine makes a perfect drink for any occasion, be it red, white or vintage it surely gives your taste buds the sweetness of grapes. Whether you are throwing a party or attending one, wine definitely adds life to the party. Wines are appreciated by all and undoubtedly make it a splendid gift. Wine is not an easy bid for everyone is so surprise wine lovers with vintage wine or wine gift ideas and make their day a memorable one. Not just wine, but wine related articles and wine accessories are also a unique item to gift your dear ones. Wines are generally served as a token of gratitude, souvenir, and the best way to wish the newlyweds with happiness and prosperity for their new life.

Say Cheers!

It is important to present wine gift ideas in unique style to flatter and mesmerize the wine lovers. So here are a few suggestions to gift them in the right way:

Dress Shirt Wine Bottle Bag

This unique presentation leaves wine lover surprised. Wrap up your wine bottle in a shirt bag. The ribbon at the neck complements this look, just as bow around the collar.

Wine Racks

Are the best ways to display your collection of wine bottles. If your friend is a wine lover then gift him with a unique wine rack to let him flaunt his collection of wines to his guest. Choose from a wooden or metallic look to flatter them in the best way.

Digital Wine Thermometer

To enjoy your wine at its best taste, it is important to drink them at the right temperature. Different wines taste best at different temperatures. So gift wine entertainers, which is a unique thermometer, which embraces the wine bottle, and measures its temperature to serve you right.

Many people drink and enjoy the fact that it gets them drunk.  However some people would like to enjoy the act of drinking, but avoid the drunken feeling that comes with it.  While it is impossible to drink a large amount and not get drunk, it is possible to drink without getting drunk if done the correct way.

Practice Self Control

One of the most important things when drinking is learning how to practice self-control.  The reason people turn into alcoholics is because they cannot effectively set their limits.  Learn how much it takes for you to get drunk and then set your limit to below that.  A rudimentary way to determine how much it will take you to get drunk is to use a Blood Alcohol Level Chart which uses your weight to tell you the level of alcohol that would be in your system after a certain number of drinks.

It also helps to have people around you that will not pressure you into drinking.    If you have friends who will peer pressure you into drinking more, you will become drunk much faster.  Drink with friends who will respect your limits and your attempts at self-control

Eat Before and While Your Drink

Food is a good way to help avoid getting drunk.  When there is food in your stomach, it will help absorb any alcohol that you consume which means less will be absorbed directly into your blood stream.  Make sure to have a full meal before you think about drinking.  Having food in your stomach also means that if you do happen to get drunk and drink past your limit, you will be less likely to get sick.

If you are going out to a restaurant or bar that serves food make sure to get something to eat while you drink.  This will dilute the alcohols effects and leave you more sober.  If you are drunk already, eating will help make you less drunk and possibly every sober after a few hours of not drinking.

With the 180th Oktoberfest set to kick off on September 21st thousands of revellers from across the world will descend on Munich to celebrate German culture (drinking). If you’re looking to expand your cultural horizons through inebriation we’ve compiled a list of country-specific drinking games for you to try. What’s more, for that added authenticity we’ve included international hangover cures to deal with the after-effects. You’ll look really cosmopolitan. Honest.

Germany – Hammerschlagen & Rollmops

Just so you don’t embarrass yourself with your lack of German drinking game knowledge we’ll start with a classic and Oktoberfest-related drinking game: hammerschlagen.

Reportedly started at the very first Oktoberfest in 1810, hammerschlagen involves a group standing around a tree stump and taking turns to hammer their nail into the wood. The first person to achieve this (the nail must be flushed or under the surface of the wood) is rewarded with a shot; the last must buy the next round.

Enjoy Quality Wine at Lesser Cost, Make your Favorite Wine at Home

One of the largest growing hobbies involves taking the initiative, and making your most treasured wish list items at home. People all over are now learning how to make most items at home, with their own two hands, like jewelry, clothing and wine. Making wine at home just might be the most ambitious of them all, mostly because it involves not only skills but a great deal of patience, as well. The following four tips will help you keep what might seem to be confusing instructions as simple as possible.

Sources and Supplies

It is possible to make decent wine from a variety of fruits, not just grapes. You can also use apples, peaches, plums, pears, berries and apricots, just to name a few. At its simplest, you can use nearly any kind of fruit that can produce juice. You will also need something to press the fruit with, to make that juice. You will also need glass jugs to store the juice in during fermentation, siphoning tubes, yeast and sugar. You may need to dilute the juice, in order to achieve the proper volume to fill those jugs.

Adding Sugar

Some juices may not even need for sugar to be added before the fermentation stage of making wine at home. Even though a recipe may call for it, be sure to sample the wine before adding sugar, just in case it might be sweet enough without it. You do not want a cloying aftertaste, as this can effect the way that the finished wine will taste later on. On average, a gallon of wine will need one to two pounds of sugar, half that if you want a dry wine. Always warm the juice before adding sugar, so that it dissolves completely. And, remember, the more sugar you add, the higher the alcohol content the wine will have.

Adding Yeast

The most important ingredient to this whole process is yeast, without which fermentation cannot take place. Put one packet of the yeast into a cup of warm water, and stir, making sure that the yeast dissolves completely. Let it sit for a few minutes, so that the yeast has a chance to activate. Pull out the jug of fruit juice, and add the yeast/water mixture to it. Cap the jug with an airtight lid, and store it in a reasonably warm place.

About The Fermentation Process

Make sure to store any bottles that you are fermenting wine in inside an area that will stay at a temperature of at least 70 degrees, and no more than 80. This is the part where you will have to exercise the most patience. In order to get the best results out of this stage, you will have to let it sit and ferment for at least six months. Once a month, look to see how much dead yeast cells have collected at the bottom of the jug. You will have to siphon the wine out and put it in a clean jug before putting it back on the shelf. Once you hit the point where there is less dead cells on the bottom, it is nearly ready to bottle.

Browsing the wine list in a Parisian restaurant, as expected, you’ll find a list of fine French wines from all over France. Browse the wine list in a London restaurant and you’ll find a list of fine French wines from all over France. Although the UK has its own vibrant and high quality wine industry, finding a bottle of local wine in an English restaurant or shop is still a tough task.

There are over 419 vineyards in the UK producing around 4 million bottles a year, half of which is sparkling. This is a pretty small output in global terms, not enough to make the UK a viable exporter, but enough that it could become an important part of a UK wine market that is the sixth biggest in the world.

The need to help spread the word on UK wine in an informative but eye-catching way lead to the creation of the infographic you see below. It’s a map that includes all the award winning vineyards across the country as well as information and links to festivals; shops that stock English and Welsh wine and a little bit of history about wine production in Great Britain.

Some of the more notable vineyards are Chapel Down who had the privilege of having their wine served at last year’s Royal Wedding; Furleigh estate in Dorset, winner of two golds and a silver medal at the 2013 International Wine Challenge and Ancre Hill Estates whose 2008 vintage was awarded best sparkling wine in the world in 2012.

Hopefully, The Wine Lover’s Guide to the UK stirs the imagination of wine drinkers across the country who may have overlooked the output of their local vineyards. But at the same time acts as an introduction for any visitors to Britain of the exciting and vibrant world of UK wine.

At the end of a long, hard day at the office, who doesn’t want to sit back and relax with a delicious alcoholic beverage before dinner. Whether you’re with business colleagues, or friends from across town, we’ve found some prime spots in Greenwich Village to grab that essential after-work drink- before you head home. Here are five of our favorites.

Corkbuzz Wine Studio

Who’s the wine expert in your working life? We ask, because every office has one and it can make choosing an end-of-day venue for drinks a little tricky sometimes. Well, when only the best will do, try taking your vino enthusiast to Corkbuzz where he or she can engage with owner Laura, who also happens to be an extremely helpful master sommelier. The rest of you can indulge in some unusual but mouthwatering snacks (bone marrow and pigs ears included) or a chic cocktail (we’re particularly fond of the Van Gogh) in a distinctly un-pretentious environment.

Vol de Nuit

If wine isn’t really your thing and you’d rather grab a pint of craft ale for your post-work refresher, Vol de Nuit is a fantastic Belgian beer bar that has a patio for those of you who would prefer to drink outdoors before the sun goes down. Champagne and wine are available on the menu too, but it’s really all about the brews here—well, the brews and the exquisite fries, which come with a wide selection of condiment choices (the aioli garlic sauce is divine.)

Amélie

The first Amélie wine bar opened in San Francisco’s chic Russian Hill neighborhood and was such a success with the after-work and young professional crowd, that the owners started one in Greenwich Village too. Cozy, classy and warm like the original, although it’s less than two years old, NYC’s Amélie already feels like an old friend—possibly due to the more than one hundred wines to choose from, and the plethora of artisanal cheeses and meats on offer. Between 5 and 7 p.m. you can get three glasses of wine for $10, as part of the “Flight” deal. We are definitely on board!

Formerly Crow’s

For an after-work crowd looking for something a little bit spicier than a straight-forward wine bar, there’s Formerly Crow’s—a long, dark tunnel of a place with bare brick walls, old décor and tattooed ladies serving up the drinks. It’s definitely the kind of place that will help you shake off a day at the office in five minutes flat—especially if you’re indulging in their truly exotic cocktails, including the Lundquistador (which contains jalapeno-infused tequila) and the cinnamon-infused Sazarac.

To imbibe or not to imbibe? That is the long-running debate.

Many studies have delved into the negative effects of drinking too much alcohol, such as impaired decision-making, a slower reaction time, and liver damage over time. However, there’s another side to that coin, and some studies have also looked at the positive aspects of moderate drinking, with the heart health benefits of red wine being one of the most popular topics.

There are several negative and positive effects of alcohol that have not gotten as much attention from the media, though, and I’d like to look at a few of them here. First, the negatives:

4 Little Known Negative Effects of Alcohol

Increased blood pressure. Heavy drinking raises your blood pressure, which in turn increases your risk of heart disease. Fortunately, your blood pressure will return to normal levels 1-2 months after you stop drinking unless there’s already excessive damage to your heart.

Drinkers all across the country are finally figuring out what discerning bartenders in New York, LA and Chicago have known for years. No longer just tequila's smoky cousin, mescal (or mezcal) has recently started popping up in award-winning cocktails, gaining new fans among drinkers who have come to appreciate its earthy nuances.

What it is (and isn't!)

Both tequila and mescal are distilled from the agave plant (also called maguey in certain parts of Mexico). One significant difference between the two is that whereas tequila can legally be made from one species of agave, mescal producers have historically experimented with a wider selection of plants.

Traditional mescal production involves harvesting the hearts of the agave plant — known as a piña for its resemblance to a pineapple — and smoking them in underground pits. The hearts are then unearthed and mashed, usually on a stone pulled by a donkey, and distilled into clear liquor.

Unlike other liquors, un-aged mescal (mescal joven or mescal blanco) is favored by connoisseurs as a purer representation of the spirit. Aged mescal does exist, however, and is sold in reposado (aged up to one year) and añejo (aged more than one year) varieties, much like tequila.

Hold the worm, please

The sheer variety of mescal has led to a serious cult of appreciation stateside. Rather than simply pound back a shot, take the time to experience the nuances of its many different varieties, from the widely available espadin, made from the species of agave of the same name, to the elusive wild tobala varieties, produced in limited quantities once a year.

TV characters have long been associated with spirits and other alcoholic drinks. Whether it "Cheers'" Norm Peterson and his beer-on-tap, or Don Draper’s passion for a good Old Fashioned, TV characters have never been shy about their alcohol consumption. In fact, many such TV characters, especially those depicted during decades when alcohol consumption was much more free-flowing, are tied to their favorite drinks. This is not to say, however, that more modern TV characters, such as Lucille Bluth, have not enjoyed a good cocktail. Drink like your favorite TV stars with these four recipes.

Don Draper

"Mad Men" protagonist, Don Draper, is one of the most notable TV stars in recent memory to be associated with one particular drink. Perched in his panoramic office above the busy city streets in his Manhattan high-rise, Don Draper is not timid about mixing a good Old Fashioned at the end, or even during the middle of the workday. Whether you are looking for a little creative inspiration or just want a drink with a little more bite, Draper's Old Fashioned might whet your pallet. According to the "Mad Men" website, Draper's favorite cocktail includes dissolved sugar into a glass along with bitters, followed by bourbon and topped off with a cherry and citrus garnish.

Lucille Bluth

With her snobbish wit in one hand and a martini in the other, "Arrested Development" mother Lucille Bluth is the poster child for the mantra "It's always five o'clock somewhere." While some may find her obnoxious, others find her hysterically funny (she's both), and she's never far from her next martini. This James Bond favorite requires few ingredients. Simply add either vodka or gin in a shaker with vermouth, shake and enjoy with an olive or two.

Norm Peterson

Hunched over at the "Cheers" bar with Sam Malone as the show's other colorful characters banter back and forth, Norm simply would not be as lovable without a fresh, cold beer always spotted in front of him. Perhaps the best part about Norm's love of beer is that throughout the show, it was never out of a can or bottle. Instead, a frothy lager of his choice was always waiting for him in a tall mug, which became his signature on the show. Now, everybody knows his name even outside of "Cheers."

Nucky Thompson

Similar to "Mad Men," HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" is host to a strong presence of alcohol. After all, what would a show about bootlegging and prohibition be without a few drinks? More specifically, the show's main character, Nucky Thompson, is often seen with a sidecar in-hand. In case you have yet to catch a glimpse of Nucky sipping on a sidecar, you can do so on HBO through GetDirectTV.org. And if you would like to make a Sidecar of your own first, start with equal parts Cointreau and lemon juice, then simply add two parts cognac.

Several technological solutions have been developed to prevent drunk driving over the past several years. Relatively new, these technologies have been primarily implemented as a preventative measure, as well as serve as a deterrent for habitual drunk drivers. To decrease the number of deaths related to drunk driving, traffic laws are changed and created to include the use of advanced technology. In helping prevent drunk driving, there are four ways technology has been able to improve the safety of our roads.

Breathalyzer

Law enforcers are equipped with alcohol detection devices to test drivers who they suspect may be intoxicated. Multiple preventive measures against drunk driving such as Breathalyzer machines are commonly used by officers to measure alcohol intoxication from a breath sample and catch drunk drivers in the act. These devices give a reading of the blood alcohol content level to determine if a suspected driver is intoxicated beyond the allowable limit. Any driver at any time can be required to take a Breathalyzer test and subjected to other tests as well.

Sensors

Passive sensors and alcohol sensing flashlights are small electronic devices, capable of detecting alcohol in the air inside a vehicle. They also provide readout of the blood alcohol content level. These devices do not require the driver’s consent and because they are not as reliable as other technology, will often give an officer cause to use a secondary device like the Breathalyzer.

Ignition Interlock

Another common alcohol detection device is ignition interlock technology, which is a machine that is connected to the vehicle’s engine to check blood alcohol content level by requiring the driver to blow into the device before the vehicle will start. The device also requires frequent blow tests while driving as a preventative measure to ensure sobriety. Usually installed in a repeat offender’s car, this technology has gone through many modifications over the years to include computerized reporting, automatic engine shut off, and light signaling.

Ignition interlock devices are considered very effective once installed and the new upgraded ignition interlock devices are now able to detect if someone other than the offender is blowing into the device, and will not allow the vehicle to start. They have also gained the attention of automobile manufactures who are developing plans to add pre-installed technology that would detect blood alcohol content by use of a touch based system or an advanced breath analysis to prevent alcohol-impaired drivers from operating their vehicles.

As the French government is being urged to ban all online promotion of alcohol, attention is being drawn to the wine-making capital and the confused relationship with its leading product.

France already has strict laws governing the sale and advertising of alcohol, last week though , a report suggested that it should be removed from social media sites. The report’s author, Professor Michel Reynaud, believes that social media glamorises alcohol in the eyes of young people.

This be difficult to enforce though, firstly the scale of the operation would be huge, the report wants to go so far as to ban blog mentions. Secondly, it has stirred a strong sense of defiance, angry winemakers have staged protests across the country.

France has become a European leader in forcing its population to get back on the wagon. The Loi Evin law, named after health secretary Claude Evin, was initiated in the early nineties and has since seen alcohol removed from cinema and TV,  as well as place harsh restrictions on bars, restaurants and tobacco companies.

Why is there a need for these server measures though? When the UK introduced 24 hour licencing, the appeared intention was to encourage a continental style café culture. Lighter regulation aimed to promoted responsible drinking, but based on France, surely the opposite is true?

When it comes to beer, there are more options than there are for nearly any other beverage in the world. This is due to several reasons, mainly because beer is a traditional beverage in many cultures, offering a surprising amount of health benefits (like probiotic cultures, immunity support, stress relief, and blood pressure regulation) as long as you don’t over-indulge. Cultures from around the world have come up with many styles of beer. To find your perfect beer, it is helpful to know what the options are.

Ale:  Ale is one of the most common forms of beer. It is made from malted barley using a warm fermentation process. This gives the beer a sweet, full, fruity taste. Ales can also contain hops that give the beer a bitter flavor. Different brands of ale will have different concentrations of hops, wheat, and barley.

Lager: Lager is a low-temperature fermented beer. It is one of the most common types of beer in the entire world. Pilsner, Bock, and Marzen are larger beers. Usually lager is sold as a pale beer, but it can also be darker. It has a rich, fruity taste that is light and refreshing.

Malt liquor: A malt liquor is a beer with a high alcohol content. Typically, a malt liquor contains 5 percent or higher alcohol concentration. The beer must also contain malted barley and is often made in the style of a lager and fermented at a low temperature.

Porter: The porter beer is dark, full of hops, barley, and contains a dark brown malt. Usually, a porter contains about 7 or 8 percent alcohol. The strongest form of porter beer is sometimes called a “stout beer.”

It’s a Friday night. It’s Saturday. It’s mid-week. What sort of excuse do you have to go for a drink? We all know how drinking has become a great way to catch up with old friends and meet new people. Sometimes, it simply is just the only way to unwind. So don’t feel guilty when you get an urge to drink, just do it in moderation and you won’t have to worry about intoxication or worse, humiliation. Here are some reasons to justify to yourself why a shot or two is just what you need at the moment.  

Career Advancement

Pop the bottle! Bring out the best wine from the cellar! Drinking has always been a form of celebration. We even see it in period movies! A new job, a promotion, an approved project, or even the resignation of a horrible boss can be a call for celebration. After all, having a drink in hand is such an appropriate time to say “Cheers!” and let the good times roll. 

Career Downfall

You just lost your job. What a bummer. Release the angst, the frustration and go take a sip of your favorite hard liquor. Ask your best buddy to accompany you. He or she may not be capable of hiring you for your next job but a true friend knows exactly how to boost that self-esteem to get you on your feet and go job hunting in no time!

Work-Related Stress

It’s finally the end of a busy week! Whether you screwed up or nailed it, a nice drink with colleagues is a great way to unwind and distress. Over drinks, you can discuss things you are prohibited to discuss at work. But if you want to totally forget about work, skip on their company and instead call your other buddies who you can talk about non-work related things or maybe about that colleague of yours whom you have been avoiding to have a drink with. 

Non-work Related Stress

There are a lot of other factors that cause your stress aside from work. There’s your friend who keeps bugging you about getting him/her a date with your boss, your sister who keeps insisting you to babysit your twin nephews, or that man from the bank who keeps reminding you about your due. None of these issues will vanquish if you drink, but at least doing so offers a few moments of tranquility, away from the chaos they are creating in your otherwise calm inner spirit.