DrinkedIn Trends

First we've heard of water and chocolates turned into automotive fuel. Now its beer. Yep, you're not hearing or seeing things. Beer, that sweet nectar of the gods, is now being considered as a potent candidate as an alternative vehicle fuel. I can actually start imagining myself pouring my dad's favorite beer into my car whenever I need to go out with my friends and he won't give me some cash for fuel!

Does this mean that you can now buy beer and use them as cheap fuel? I don't think so. The technology is still limited and it is still being studied. Also, the engines used by most vehicles is still geared towards petroleum, so further studies must be undertaken before beer can be used as alternate fuel.

However, beer fuel is now being used a source for alternative energy. In Europe, beer waste have become such a problem, considering that there are 15 breweries per square meter. The leftover grains coming from the beer making process is what most people would call as beer waste. Back then, these grains were sold to farmers for their livestock and can also be used as fertilizer. However, because of the dwindling business of cattle breeding and strict EU laws about fertilizer materials, the leftover grains accumulate inside breweries.

However, these beer wastes is now being looked at as a valuable commodity, since a joint study by researchers in Poland and Germany have demonstrated that the beer grains can be successfully used as alternate fuel. A man named Wolfgang Bengel, Technical Director of German biomass company BMP Biomasse Projekt. He saw a potential business opportunity with the leftover grains coming from the breweries in Germany and was encouraged to try out the experiment after hearing that rice and sugar cane residues have been used as sources of alternate energy in China and Thailand. Once treated with atmospheric fluidized bed combustion systems inside a broiler, the beer wastes does produce cheap electricity!

He did try it out in Asia and Bengel succeeded in this endeavor. Beer making is an energy intensive activity. The process of boiling the grains with hot water and steam, then cooling down the brew with electric energy uses a lot of power. So if you recovered more than 50 % of your own energy costs, then that's a big help for Mother Nature!

Nowadays, beer isn't just a guy thing anymore. My friends and I have started getting into the habit of drinking beer every once in awhile after hearing from a doctor-friend that the stuff's supposedly good for you. While it's just fruit beer that we're drinking, it's just the same thing that guys love. Most girls just can't take the bitter taste.

However, not ALL girls are into drinking beer. Some still hold the age-long tradition of beer as a man's drink. As a kid, I've never seen my mother drink beer and my dad never liked the idea of his daughter drinking beer (fortunately for me, he's in Miami). Even if society is slowly accepting the fact that some women really do love to drink beer, tradition still has a firm grasp on people, especially with women.

Well, for girls who strongly believe that beer is only for men, you may want to take at the list below. This will disapprove any notion that says women can't drink beer!

• Women were considered the ideal workers for a brewery. In fact, ancient civilizations like the Sumerians and the Egyptians adored women who knew how to brew. The word "brewster" came from the term given to women in charge of the brewery. Is it because of our nurturing nature? Or perhaps women are really meticulous in nature, which is why beer brewed by women are sought at by men in the old days. The Egyptians prepare a special place for the women working for the palace brewery while the Sumerian men find a woman working in a brewery very attractive!

• The greatest works of literature have mentioned women as the best when it comes to making beer. From William Shakespeare to the Song of Songs from Sumeria, these literary masterpieces have described that beer brewed and prepared by the woman of the house are indeed the best.

Sometimes you wake up in the morning with a though that you would never drink again. It’s a normal reaction to a hangover. It might get even worse if you need to go to work and act normal. There are a lot of ways to ease the hangover effect and get ready quickly. Clearly there is no solution that would work for everyone. That’s why you need to try different things in order to find what works for you.  Next time you end up having too many cocktails in a bar, here is what you can do in the morning:

Drink more water

The first thing you need to do is to drink water. Place a bottle of water next to your bed and drink it when you wake up. Alcohol dehydrates and exhausts your body, that’s why you need to drink several glasses of water before you go to sleep. Next time you go to a bar, try drinking a glass of water with every new drink. This way you will keep a balance of water in your body.

At the same time, you should not drink too much water as it may lower the level of salt in your body thus causing hyponatremia. Do everything in moderation!

Have a cup of coffee

Beer Pong is on the move!  As one of the fastest growing sports in the world, beer pong is entering a new era—the dawning of a new age of mobility and possibilities…and fun. 

No longer relegated to dank and seamy fraternity basements, beer pong sportsmen and sportswomen are playing pong at tailgates and tournaments everywhere, in dorm rooms and driveways, at backyard barbeques and on camping trips.  The latest advance in this movement is MegaPongo—a smartly designed, durable, open source, all-in-one beer pong set that collapses for carrying to the size of a case of beer.

Russia has for the most part being spared from the economic crisis that has hit most of the western world, so it's a great place to head off to if you want to do some business. The only snag is that you better be able to hold your vodka if you want to get anywhere.

Crisis, what crisis?

The economy and the world banks may be on their knees in the western world, but Russia is enjoying a steady period of growth by comparison. The wild west style days of the early 90s are long gone and Russia, and Moscow in particular, is a place focussed on moving forward as quickly as possible.

Russia is then an increasingly prosperous and dynamic country where communism is now nothing but a distant memory, but some old traditions definitely die hard. If you head there looking to do business, you really better work on more than just your negotiating techniques before you get here. If you can't handle your drink, you may as well not bother getting on the plane.

Saint Patrick’s Day also known as the Feast of Saint Patrick is traditionally a religious holiday. However over recent years it has increasingly become more of a secular celebration, although it is still most commonly associated with Ireland due to Saint Patrick being the patron saint. Nonetheless it is celebrated in numerous different countries and is notoriously known for being a day where drinking is a must do activity. If you are hosting your own Saint Patrick’s Day party or are just having a few friends round these drinking games will make sure everyone has a fun time. But always remember to drink responsibly and know when you need to stop drinking as one drink too many could potentially ruin the entire day and nobody wants that!

The Coin Hunt 

You will need

 - Some coins (either plastic or chocolate ones wrapped in foil)

 - Some sticky notes and a pen

Getting a gift for one of the most important men in your life can be strenuous to say the least. However, with a little bit of research and knowledge, it can be easy to give a gift that is unique and appreciated. There are many gift options for fathers who consider themselves amateur alcohol connoisseurs. The following are some great options to consider when shopping for the perfect gifts for dad.

The Sampler Basket

This idea is easy, and sure to please. This gift can be as cheap or as expensive as you like. These are easy to put together and if you do not have the time, many alcohol retailers sell ready-made baskets during special seasons. Here is how it is done:

The first step is to choose a container such as a basket or bag to house your spoils. Choose a vessel that will compliment the items with which you intend to fill it. For instance, metal buckets are well suited to beer-based gifts, a basket woven from vines nicely compliments a wine basket, and a leather basket will look perfect with hard alcohol.

At your chosen retailer of alcoholic beverages, choose some items to fill the basket.

For a wine basket…

Thanks to the ever-increasing use of the Internet in the present times, it is fast becoming a trend to buy drinks online in UK. A Web search for drinks often unfolds the mechanism which helps you buy cheap champagne online; that too at a comparatively much lower price and a notably wider choice, than buying it from the brick and mortar stores. When you decide to buy drinks online in the UK, especially champagne, you can take your pick from a number of brands, including Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger, Laurent Perrier, Krug, Moet & Chandon, and Dom Perignon, among others. In addition, you can also choose from the smaller Champagne producers, as well as avail the benefit of personalized labels for parties and other events.

Buying drinks online is convenient and quick: One of the main reasons why more and more people prefer to buy drinks online is that the purchase process is quite easy, quick, and extremely convenient. If you decide to buy cheap champagne online, you can glance at the inventory of the online champagne store and merely click on the brands of your choice. As such, you can buy champagne online without any hassles of going to the store for the purchase. The best part of the online transaction is that most online stores selling drinks accept credit cards and money orders; with the additional advantage of online champagne delivery in UK --- that is, delivering your order right at your doorstep! 

Prices can be compared easily: It is better to buy drinks online vis-à-vis the stores because online purchase helps you make an effective price comparison of the different brands in a jiffy! The price comparisons pave the way for you to buy cheap champagne online, at the lowest possible prices. With there being cheap drinks aplenty at the various online shops, you should make a judicious choice while searching the shops offering good-quality brands at the lowest costs. In is also imperative that you carry out a small research about the reputation of the online shop from which you decide to buy drinks online in UK. Such a study will serve as an assurance that you will be getting quality champagne online; thus helping you avoid those online shops which may be scamming the buyers.

Promotional offers can be benefited from: Your decision to buy drinks online in UK will also bring along the additional advantage of promotional offers, which online drinks stores come up with from time to time. The biggest benefit of promotions is that you may be able to get substantial discounts when you buy drinks online; be it in quart-bottles, halves, or standards. If you can spare some time to check out the promotional periods during which different online stores offer discounts on drinks, you can grab a great offer when you buy champagne online.

The promotional offers, entailing big discounts, are one of the most important reasons for the increasing popularity of online purchase of drinks because they unfold for you the opportunity to buy cheap drinks online in the UK, right from the convenience of your home!

Prohibition was definitely not one of those shining points in American history. In fact, attempts to regulate alcohol consumption go way back to the early days in US (even during the Colonial period).

This infographic spells out a history of attempts (and failures) of alcohol legistlation, protests, repeals and so on. While everyone should be against abuse and for moderate and responsible drinking, it's seems that any attempts to really clamp down on drinking is met with firm opposition and doomed to failure as effective legislation.

Click on the infographic below for a high resolution version suitable for printing (and hanging behind the bar).

Have a great weekend.

Misconceptions swirl around the consumption of alcohol.  Some of these purported truths have been passed along by older folks, among your friends, or from popular media.  What should you believe? 

Read the alcohol related myths below to discern what is true, what is false, and how to drink safely.

·         Cold shower, fresh air, or coffee will help sober someone who is intoxicated.

o   This is not true at all.  You may end up feeling less sleepy, but it won’t magically expel the alcohol out of your system.  It differs depending on your weight, but the rule of thumb is to expect your body to process one unit of alcohol in an hour.

·         Alcohol affects men and women in the same way.

There are many differing opinions and researched arguments that have been offered on the health benefits and risks of alcohol. Many fitness enthusiasts warn their followers to avoid alcohol entirely, as any endorsement of alcohol is likely to be used by people as an excuse to drink in excess and ignore the numerous problems that can arise from alcohol consumption.

Standing against the consumption of alcohol before or after a workout are the following facts; alcohol is a diuretic that will dehydrate your body, it can disrupt your sleep cycles and limit the release of human growth hormone, it can limit the release of testosterone, and the body processes it like a toxin which diverts energy from recovery and muscle building.

All that said, alcohol has also been demonstrated to have health benefits for your heart and coronary system when consumed in moderation. And it’s delicious.

So is it possible to enjoy alcohol around a workout routine without being hammered by the negative consequences listed above?

Fortunately the answer is yes. For starters, don’t drink soon BEFORE a workout as the dehydration will sap your body of energy and limit your performance. Similarly, don’t drink in excess before or after the workout and don’t neglect water. Up to one drink per day for a woman and perhaps two for a man are considered the limits of healthy alcohol consumption.

Beyond that, here are four drinks you can consume after a workout that won’t drain all the benefit from your fitness routine provided you don’t overdo it.

Red Wine

Red wine is rich in antioxidants, has only 110-130 calories per glass, and has some extra nutritional value. It has 4-9% of your recommended daily portion of Iron, 9.4% of the potassium you need, and 5% of the needed magnesium.

So while red wine will prove to be a diuretic, it does replace some of your electrolytes while benefitting your heart health.

Vodka and soda water

Soda water is simply carbonated water and has no sugar or additional negative elements. Vodka is also low in sugar and calories, so this is one of your best low-calorie drinking options if the aim of your workout routine is weight loss.

After a workout, when your body becomes hungry and your stomach is empty, it’s important to be careful not to fill it with volatile elements. Vodka and soda water is lighter in sugar than most all mixed drinks and consequently will sit in the stomach far better. It’s better to mix these drinks with some food as well, so the alcohol doesn’t hit your tired body as hard.

Guinness Stout

Despite being one of the heaviest drinks you can find, Guinness Stout actually only has 128 calories per 12 ounces. This dark beer is made from whole grains and features levels of antioxidants on par with red wines. It’s also strong in Iron.

Most alcoholic drinks don’t feature “nutrition facts” on the label but Guinness Stout is legitimately filled with good carbs. Some scientists actually believe that beer is a good recovery drink after a long, endurance workout. Now, the benefits are even greater if it’s a non-alcoholic beer because alcohol will affect you much faster if you are tired and hungry.

Nevertheless, Guinness can offer some of the nutrients the body needs to recover from a workout and it’s hard to drink it fast enough to overload your system with alcohol due to the drink’s notoriously heavy composition.

Bloody Mary

It’s true that any juice-filled cocktail will offer some nutritional value due to the inclusion of the juice, but few can compare with the Bloody Mary.

The ingredients are as follows:
Vodka, which is a low calorie spirit.
Tomatoes, which are filled with ingredients that protect the skin, prostate, eyes, while also being chockfull of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, antioxidants, and potassium.
Horseradish, resists the common cold, can reduce pain, has antibiotic properties, and reduces risk of cancer.
Celery, which helps your digestive system and lowers your blood pressure.

You can probably include a Bloody Mary into your diet around a workout without suffering too much.

Ultimately, while many alcoholic drinks can have nutritional value they aren’t terribly useful for adding lean muscle mass or losing weight. Yet, by carefully choosing how much and which kinds of alcohol you consume, it’s possible to enjoy a drink without erasing the positive effects of your workout routine.

Author Bio: IanB writes for Boxfit UK where you can acquire boxing gear to maximize your workouts.

The SuperBowl has some of the most expensive commercials ever produced and certainly the most expensive airtime. Of course, the beer companies have traditionally spent a lot of money on their SuperBowl commercials and this year was no exception. While these don't necessarily represent my favorite beers, they are quite good commercials.

I presume that, if you are reading this piece of text, you are someone who is proud to be a pool owner, and you are in the process of organizing a pool party. I find this great for many reasons. First of all, during the hot summers, there is no better way of cooling off than jumping into a pool for a short swim. The best thing about it is the fact that, even though you are feeling relaxed and refreshed, you are still doing a little bit of working out, while swimming of course. Name one thing, besides a pool of course, that combines rest and working out. I cannot think of one? Can you?

In the following piece of text I will focus on what I think (and, probably, everyone else agrees) is the most important part of any party – drinks. Refreshing beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, if they are adequately prepared and served of course, are what can make any party go from boring to oh-my-God-this-is-the-best-party-ever kind of party. Naturally, there are other things to worry about like which music to play, how to organize the space, and a lot of other things. When it comes to music, well, the best advice that I can give you is – know your audience. You know the people you are inviting, so search for something that will suit most of them, or hire a DJ, or a band, and if all goes wrong, blame it on them. As far as organizing the space is concerned… it’s your space! Organize it however you think is best.

And now, let’s move on to drinks!

Here are some examples of excellent, cold, refreshing and tasty drinks that are the most popular, when talking about pool parties.

• The first on the list is the Frozen Margarita. You make it with tequila and triple sec. Apart from that, you will need frozen limeade and, of course, some ice. Crush the ice and use it with the frozen limeade to chill the glass and then dip the edges of the glass in salt, and fill it up. It is better to serve the margaritas in margarita glasses, which are available for purchase come in various shapes, sizes and colors. You should purchase plastic ones, and this goes for all the glasses that you will use on the party, due to pool safety issues. Slice up a lemon for decorations.
• Text, we move on to the stunning Blue Lemonade, which is blue in color (as the name suggests), and has this excellent fruity taste – a great way to make your guests feel like chilling on some beautiful beach. This cocktail is one third blue curaçao combined with vodka and Kool-Aid. All these ingredients should be shaken with ice. This type of drink is served in a tall glass, just like the one they use for champagne, and it can be decorated with any flower. Don’t forget to make sure that you have washed the flowers, because you don’t want guests finding a bug or pieces of dirt in their glass.
• The next drink on the list is the Puerto Rican Rum Punch. Now I especially like punch bowls – they are like an alcoholic buffet. You can always come and refill anytime you want. Besides, if well decorated, the punch bowl can be a marvelous centerpiece on the table. Now, the list of ingredients for this as follows:

• Rum
• orange liqueur
• grenadine
• sparkling wine
• lots and lots of sugar

Imagine how all this tastes like when combined together. I assure you that it has a very rich flavor, particularly if you add pineapple and orange rings, both for spicing up the taste and for making everything look more beautiful. It is up to you do decide on how big will the bowl be, but beware – too much drunk people in one place equals disaster.

The Mediterranean is a magical part of the world, characterised by soft golden sandy shores that are edged by warm blue seas – at least that’s how many of us imagine it or remember it from sunny summer holidays in Greece or Spain. The food and drink of the Med is part of what makes it such a special region and some of the more old school recipes have been made here for centuries. If you’re looking to try some of the local tipples that provide a real flavour of this part of the world then here are some of the most traditional:

Sangria. This potent wine punch comes from Spain and Portugal and is virtually inescapable if you travel to this area on holiday. Made from red or white wine, chopped fruit and brandy, this tipple has been responsible for many a heady evening out in the warm Mediterranean night. With its pleasant fruitiness and delicious drinkability, it’s very easy to have one too many sangria’s without even noticing…

Ouzo. Not one for the faint hearted, this aniseed flavoured liquor hails from Greece and is typically supped as an aperitif. Its presence in your glass comes courtesy of a group of 14th century monks living in a monastery on Mount Athos who created tsipouro, which is the ancient relative of ouzo. Greek independence at the start of the 1800s saw the production of ouzo boom with the main production centre on the island of Lesvos and sampling it has now become part and parcel of the experience of a trip to Greece.

Limoncello is a product of southern Italy and is heavily produced in areas such as the Amalfi Coast, in the region around the Gulf of Naples and Sicily. It is traditionally made from Sorrento lemons by steeping lemon zest in grain alcohol until the lemon oil is released and then mixing this with a syrup. Limoncello is usually served in shot size glasses, that are often chilled, and usually as an after dinner digestive.

Raki. Another pretty high strength shot that will put hairs on your chest, Raki comes from Turkey and has an unsweetened aniseed flavour, much like ouzo. Raki is usually drunk in a tall glass with chilled water, or as a shot sipped on its own. Be warned that if you add the water then the Raki goes a cloudy white colour – this is fine and doesn’t change the taste. Grape based Raki began to be distilled from the establishment of the modern day Republic of Turkey and continues to be a popular choice to be consumed on a hot day with some delicious plates of meze.

Arak. Aniseed is an enormously popular flavour around the Mediterranean, as it is a native plant in the region, and it is present again in the drink Arak, which is drunk in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. Aniseed is added to grape alcohol and quality manufacturers of the drink will still to this day use the centuries old method of ageing the arak in clay amphoras for at least a year before it is ready to drink.

These are some of the more traditional tipples from the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Whether or not you like the taste, it’s undeniable that the flavours used and the powerful heat that some of these drinks produce are highly evocative of those warm, exotic Mediterranean shores. You can explore the best of the Mediterranean and enjoy all of its delightful, unique flavours on a Mediterranean cruise tour from Azamara. [Image credit]

Over the recent years a trend of extreme health and safety at all costs has developed, and it is affecting the way we see driving, drinking, our eating habits and our daily activity. Don’t get me wrong, we can all benefit from a more health-oriented way of thinking - going about our daily lives stronger, more focused and generally just feeling good. The problem I have with things getting too politically correct and safe is that it kind of negates the need for the individual to be responsible for his or her own actions and try to indulge in certain behaviors in moderation, instead of being bullied by people around them and/or the government into thinking a certain way or behaving according to some “master plan” that is guaranteed to make everything better.

A good example of this bullying by forcing newfangled social conventions on us is the “lose weight, stay fit, only drink water and eat grass” movement that is gaining strength as it is being perpetuated by the media. It used to be quite alright to have a few drinks with friends on the weekend and even a bit of binge drinking during the holidays and special social occasions was considered normal. We all have to let of some steam from time to time and enjoy ourselves. But what about staying healthy? There are a lot of overweight and obese people that are changing to a healthier diet because they genuinely are at risk of heart failure and other serious conditions, and there are also younger people who enjoy working out and want to prevent these potential problems that can occur in the future by being careful about what they put in their bodies.

Moderation is the key

Does staying healthy and relatively fit mean that you have to give up all alcohol forever? Of course not – only fanatics deal with black and white solutions. Our bodies are made to be tough and resilient, so as long as we don’t push ourselves too far we can engage in a bit of “bad behavior” every so often. There is a way to incorporate alcohol in even the healthiest of meal plans and strictest of diets, but you need to know what you are doing and have some basic knowledge on how your body works. First of all, the can get used to a lot of abuse, especially if you built up resistance slowly. This is why it is important to have a plan in place to effectively control your drinking in order to stay healthy and avoid becoming an alcoholic:

1. If you are alone at home a glass of wine or a can of beer is just fine, but avoid hard liquor or drinking more than a single serving of your preferred alcoholic beverage.
2. Avoid drinking in the early hours of the day. The body runs on a precise biological clock and it has phases of high and low activity throughout the day. By drinking in the afternoon you are making sure that your body is up to speed and ready to take on the task of dissolving the alcohol.
3. Never drink on an empty stomach. There is a reason why in almost every old culture drinking is associated with feasts or small snacks. You can even find lists of preferred drinks to go with certain meals right here on the internet, and you would be surprised how many healthy meals call for some white wine. So be sure to check out some cool recipes – you won’t get too drunk too quick and you will take your taste buds for a magic ride.
4. If you are on a weight loss diet, say no to beer. Beer is a tricky thing, as it can take quite a bit of it to get a good buzz going, it has quite a few calories, makes you bloated and is an extremely effective diuretic – meaning that it makes you go to the bathroom a lot which drains you of water and nutrients. So if you are out with friends a bit of wine or some stronger drink might be a better choice as you will drink less of it overall, if you don’t do 10 shots in a row but instead sip your beverage like a true gentleman or lady.
5. Don’t mix drinks, stick to what suits you best. The comedian Kat Williams has a joke about how black people drink vs. how white people drink that serves well to demonstrate my point. What he says is that a black person will have a drink that he likes, and he will stick with it and drink it on all occasions, possibly having another “backup drink” if the first one is unavailable, while white people will usually go out with the intention of getting wasted and drink several different beverages throughout the night. Choose the first option and you will find that you will not only be limiting calorie intake, but you will be better able to control your drinking and you will know when to stop and how you react to the drink.
6. Be careful when choosing cocktails. Some cocktails are very deceptive, especially the “girlish ones” and tropical cocktails. They might be a little lighter in alcohol content, but they will be packed with sugar and high on calories. Mixing shots of tequila with beer is a very bad combination as the diuretic properties of the beer will be enhanced by all the salt you consume with your tequila shots. Cocktails that have salt along the rim of the glass will have you fool of sodium in no time. A single Long Island Ice Tea is a potent mix, but it will go a long way and you can drink it slowly as no one will be egging you on to down it in one shot (unless you have chosen your drinking buddies poorly). There are lists of good cocktails which go with your diet with low-to-moderate calorie counts available, so do your research before heading out.  
7. Have a light snack ready to go if you don’t have immediate access to food. The problem with drinking is that you go out, don’t eat anything while drinking and then get really hungry and carried away with fast food orders after all the partying. Munching on snacks like chips and peanuts while drinking is also a good way to add more unnecessary fat and salt to your diet, and this is why I prefer going to restaurants. Having some carbohydrates at hand will be very helpful, especially if you are dancing as well as drinking, and a protein bar can be just the thing you need to get you through the night. Have a small meal waiting for you at home instead of going to a drive through on your way back from the club.
8. Drink a fair amount of water throughout the night. Instead of having a can of Red Bull beside your Vodka, ask for a glass of water every now and then. This will help you stay properly hydrated and it will make it easier to pace yourself.

These are the golden rules of drinking in moderation. It is important to try and drink less as this will not only benefit your liver, which can only deal with so much alcohol, but will enable you to have fun while still limiting calorie intake. Remember, drinks are very tricky as they will fill you up with calories that your brain doesn’t really count and you will be more likely to deviate from a well thought out healthy diet if you are drunk and driving by a fast food joint.

This week's infographic comes from several sources including a professional wine tasting handbook and even a scientific explanation on all of the aspects of wine tasting. It was originally designed for a wine tasting fair in Hong Kong and we bring this to you as this week's infographic.

As always, a high-resolution version is available for printing and hanging.

Source

I recently spent some time in Thailand and if you’ve been there you’ll know that getting drunk is the number one pastime of the country. Beers go for about a buck a pop and its so consistently hot and humid there that you drink and drink and drink. The unfortunate downside to this is headaches brought on by a combination of being hungover and having heat stroke. The Thailand hangover is about the worst I have ever had. Wandering the streets of Phuket feeling the aftereffects of god knows how many Chang beers and Sang Soms in a chokingly hot day, being hassled by all manner of hawkers trying to shove you into seedy clubs or force you to go for a ride to god knows where in their Tuk-Tuk is about the worst you could ever feel. Fortunately Thailand also has the cure, the Thai massage.

I was wandering the streets of Patong in a stupor after a particularly alcohol fueled night and decided I would get a massage. I know what you’re thinking but no I was not that way inclined. I was far too sick and sorry to even consider something like that. I just wanted somewhere to lay down that wasn’t stinking hot and someone to rub my damn back.

Enter this unassuming middle aged Thai woman. She gave me the most intrusive massage of all time. At times she was sitting in my lap, at others I was sitting in hers. At one stage she had my leg wrapped around her head and used her head to contort me in the most bizarre shapes. At no stage was it sexual or uncomfortable but it was bizarre, considering I had no idea what to expect. She focused considerably on my head and neck and I gradually realised that my hangover wasn’t just disappearing but that she was actually causing me to feel better than I had felt in years. Afterwards I felt like I was walking on clouds and in absolute perfect health. In particular the splitting headache that I had been suffering was gone, just like that. So I did what every good tourist does in Thailand, went and got even more drunk.

Thai Massage is actually rather dangerous if attempted by people who don’t know what they are doing. The way they contort you means that if you don’t know exactly how to do it, then attempting it can cause untold injury to the poor unsuspecting person you are attempting to make feel good. There is no real way to teach you how to do it over the net either, as the proponents of true Thai massage have studied it for years. If you ever go to Thailand I strongly recommend getting one though, even if you don’t feel like you really need one, because as a relaxation experience it is right up there. It was the best relaxation massage I have ever had.

Thailand and in particular the Thai people are some of the most courteous people in the world and they value feeling healthy and vibrant incredibly highly. Their food, religious beliefs and day to day life revolves around relaxation and Thai relaxation massage is a large part of it. Getting a massage of this nature is to a Thai, what going to the park for a stroll is to people of the western world. Considering it is largely a Buddhist nation it is easy to see why they value being relaxed, as this is basically the major aspect of the religious teachings of Buddhism.

In Thailand there are many ways to relax but sight seeing at Buddhist temples and being around truly at peace human beings, followed by a Thai relaxation massage and topped off by a pineapple and coconut ice slurry inside a hollowed out coconut shell really reminds you just how amazing the place is, and how truly beautiful living can be.

Unfortunately you can’t experience Thai relaxation massage just anywhere. Most massage parlours offer similar types of massage but therapists in the western world are rarely trained in the techniques applied by their Thai counterparts. If you are lucky to find a proper Thai massage therapist in your local area then keep their number on speed dial because once you have one massage you will be coming back for more. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find a good Thai massage since I’ve been back in Brisbane but for a good hangover cure massage checkout the girls at https://www.madisonsbeauty.com.au.

Have you thought about which countries consume the most alcohol? Click on the thumbnail for a full sized version. Enjoy.

Many people boast their years in college were better – or at least more eventful – than any other time in their lives.  Most college careers are filled with wild parties and nights bellied up to bar with very little thought given to the actual course work. 

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  Granted, flunking out is frowned upon; but having a good time and testing your new found independence is something everyone should experience. 

In order to make the most of your years partying, it is best to stay safe.  Here are some tips for making the fun last as long as possible.

1.  Eat Before You Go Out

You want to remember the night – not pass out after the first hour.  Before you go to the party or bar, grab a bite to eat. 

Drinking on an empty stomach makes your blood alcohol content rise very quickly.  Since it does no good to chow down after you’ve toss back a few drinks, eat first.  High fat foods can take several hours to digest.  If you have a long night of drinking ahead of you, grab a bucket of fried chicken or a large pizza – as if you needed encouragement to eat those things!    

This is a pisco sour:                                               

• 8 parts pisco
• 2 parts lemon juice
• 1 part simple syrup (or sugar)
• 1 part egg white
• 3-4 dashes bitters

Served with sugar on the rim.

Most recipes will recommend 4 or even 2 (Christ!) parts pisco, but this is a cocktail, not a Gogurt.  Pisco is sweet anyway, and with the egg and the sugar on the rim this recipe is already for candy.  You can chill it if you want, though it strikes me as inauthentic in a Latin American drink.  Call it fusion mixology.

I got a taste for the pisco sour on vacation in South America.  The bar in the international terminal at Santiago’s airport is named “The Last Pisco Sour”.  It was closed at the time, so I didn’t get to avail myself.  I wasn’t ready to give the stuff up, so I enlisted the help of my local bar.  Upon request, and on my promise to drink the entirety, they ordered me a bottle of pisco.  It was Chilean Capel in a bottle shaped like a moai (remember that Easter Island is claimed by Chile).  I instructed the bartender on how to make a pisco sour.  It took some compromise.  There were no egg whites—modern American bars don’t use them much—but there was real lemon juice, which is not a guarantee.  The first one was so-so.  We tinkered and got a fine balance on the second try.  The pisco sour was a hit stateside.  When I returned a week later to work on my promise to finish the bottle, I found it had been imbibed without me.

Pisco is essentially an unaged brandy and can be treated as brandy, although variations can sometimes taste like rum or even tequila.  It’s made from grapes exclusively, usually Muscat, but pretty much any other variation in production can be found.  Both Peru and Chile have pisco as their national liquor and the pisco sour as their national cocktail.  Peru takes the most exception to the liquor’s dual citizenship and demands that only the Peruvian-made stuff be referred to as “pisco”.  “Pisco” is considered by most legal authorities to be an appellation of origin.  However, pisco only need be from Peru and not necessarily from the Pisco District, which botches their argument.  I, as a drinker, am concerned with chemistry, not politics.  What’s in the bottle matters.  The geographical coordinates should not.  The historical claim of origination is specious anyway.  Besides, I wouldn’t dare insult the Chileans’ expertise on anything wine-related.