Boozers Mania

Hangover

2009-08-13T06:28:00.001-07:00

What is Hangover?

Alcohol can have various biological and behavioral effects on the body. People who consume alcohol to intoxication often experience what is known as a hangover. Hangovers result in unpleasant physical and mental symptoms including fatigue, headache, dizziness, and vertigo. While there are some suggested treatments to curb the effects of hangover, the best way to prevent a hangover from occurring is not to consume alcohol. Since the effects of most hangovers subside after 8 to 24 hours, time is the most effective remedy for alcohol hangover symptoms.

What causes hangover? symptoms? And what are the best ways to relieve them?

The root cause of all hangovers is, of course, drinking alcohol. If you drink enough and end up with a hangover, it means you've ingested more alcohol than your body can metabolize efficiently. The toxins in alcohol build up in your body and make you feel sick. A chief culprit is a chemical called acetaldehyde. This is an alcohol by-product that research suggests may cause the worst of your hangover symptoms.

Congeners are another cause of hangovers. These are impurities created during the fermentation process in some types of alcohol. Low quality wines and many dark liquors tend to have high levels of congeners. The rule of thumb is the darker your drink, the worse the hangover. Hungover.net's Pain-O-Meter has an amusing list of hangover-inducing alcoholic beverages.

Dehydration is both a cause and a symptom of hangovers. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it increases urination. The more alcohol you drink, the more water your body loses. Your liver and kidneys need water to process the alcohol, so when you lose water, your body struggles to rid itself of toxins.

The best cure for a hangover is prevention. If you insist on imbibing, be more careful about your intake. Drink no more than one drink per hour. Remember that light-colored drinks will hurt you less. Drink water while you drink alcohol. Having food in your stomach is a good idea because it slows the absorption of alcohol by your body.

Many hangover cures are just old wives' tales. Drinking more alcohol (known as the "hair of the dog") won't help. It simply postpones the inevitable. Caffeinated drinks like coffee are diuretics, so avoid them if you're hung-over. Eating fruits and vegetables can help replenish the nutrients you've lost. Hungover.net recommends B vitamins. Many sources advise against taking acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol) because it could damage your liver if mixed with alcohol. Ibuprofen painkillers are considered a better choice.

Other classic remedies include sports drinks like Gatorade and sugary food and drink. Tomatoes figure prominently in hangover cures, from Bloody Marys to V8 to Italian food. Some swear that exercise (even sex!) is a great way to get the blood pumping and move toxins out of the body. The amino-acid supplement cysteine may help your liver break down alcohol, too.

Medical research has shown that what you really need to get rid of a hangover is restful time for your body to heal. Plenty of water will help you feel better. Just remember to take it easy at the bar, and try to avoid problems next time.

Discussion Forum

2009-08-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

Facts-Beer

2009-08-07T03:41:00.002-07:00

Everything You Wanted To Know About Beer

Beer: love it or hate it, it's a universal passtime. We like to think of it as fully American, but it originated far in the past and was carried through the ages. Next time you want to wow your friends and colleagues, just jump back to this list of fun and useful beer trivia and facts:

• The first consumer protection law ever written was enacted over beer by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria in 1516. It was a purity law limiting the ingredients of beer to barley, hops and water.

• Tegestology is what collecting beer mats is called.

• Beer is the second most popular beverage in the world, coming in behind tea.

• Pabst Beer is now called Pabst Blue Ribbon beer because it was the first beer to win a blue ribbon at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.

• To get rid of the foam at the top of beer (the head), stick your fingers in it.

• Monks brewing beer in the Middle Ages were allowed to drink five quarts of beer a day.

• Bavaria still defines beer as a staple food.

• To keep your beer glass or mug from sticking to your bar napkin, sprinkle a little salt on the napkin before you set your glass down.

• The oldest known written recipe is for beer.

• The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock because of beer. They had planned to sail further south to a warm climate, but had run out of beer on the journey.

• Anheuser-Busch is the largest brewery in the US.

• The longest bar in the world is the 684 foot long New Bulldog in Rock Island, IL.

• The powers that be at Guinness say that a pint of beer is lifted about ten times, and each time about 0.56 ml is lost in a beer drinker’s facial hair. That’s a lot of wasted beer!

• As of 2001, 62% of Americans reported using a designated driver at least once.

• Molson, Inc. is the oldest brewery in North America.

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was elected in 1932 because of his promise to end Prohibition.

• The first United States Marine Recruiting Station was in a bar.

• The first brewery in America was built in Hoboken, NJ in 1642.

• In 1935 the canned beer industry was revolutionized by a vinyl plastic liner developed for cans made out of tin.

• The movie The Shawshank Redemption got their period beer containers wrong. The prisoners on the roof drank beer out of bottles in the 1930s, when beer was canned until many years later.

• Tossing salted peanuts in a glass of beer makes the peanuts dance.

• Samuel Adams Triple Bock is the strongest beer in the world with 17% alcohol by volume. The strength is achieved by using champagne yeast.

• In Japan, beer is sold in vending machines, by street vendors and in the train stations.

• Bourbon is the official alcohol of the United States, by an act of Congress. Many people have attempted to have that overturned in favor of beer instead throughout the years.

• Many actors started out as bartenders: Sandra Bullock, Bruce Willis, Tom Arnold, Chevy Chase, Kris Kristofferson and Bill Cosby are a few of these.

• American beer is made mostly by rice, unlike the beers of other countries. This was invented to give American beer a lighter taste and tap into the market of women buyers.

• Michelob was invented during a brewer’s strike in the 1930s from a recipe tossed together by the untrained workers left behind to run the brewery. It was so bad local taverns tossed their delivered barrels in the gutter until the streets ran with beer. When the strike was over, the brewery didn’t want to lose all that beer, no matter how bad, so they repackaged it and sold it as Michelob.

• Beer is a source of B- complex vitamins.

• If you collect beer bottles your are a labeorphilist.

• The portable beer cooler was invented in Australia in the 1950s.

• The ‘33’ on a bottle of Rolling Rock was originally a printer’s error. It refers to the 33 words in the original slogan. It has generated enough mystery over the years that the company left it in the label.

Facts-Scotch

2009-08-07T03:41:00.001-07:00

Scotch whisky is the term used in context of whisky that is made in Scotland. Apart from this, Scotch whisky has to be made from water and malted barley, with the additions of only whole grains. At the same time, it must be processed into a mash, at a distillery, which is then converted into a fermentable substrate - only by endogenous enzyme systems and fermented only by the addition of yeast. Scotch whisky must not have less than 40 percent and more than 94.8 ABV (alcohol by volume). Let us know some more fun and interesting facts about Scotch whiskey.

Fun and Interesting Facts about Scotch Whisky

In order to be called Scotch whisky, a whisky must be distilled and matured in Scotland.
A whisky can be called Scotch whisky only after it has matured for a minimum of three years in oak casks in Scotland.
Scotch whisky must be bottled at a minimum strength of 40% ABV i.e. Alcohol by Volume.
There are mainly two types of Scotch whisky - Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Blended Scotch Whisky.
Single Malt Scotch Whisky is made from 100% malted barley and distilled at a single distillery.
Blended Scotch Whisky is made by blending together a number of single malts and grain whiskies.
90% of all Scotch whisky sold in the market comprises of Blended Scotch Whisky.
The whisky in 'Scotch Whisky' is always spelt without an ‘e’.
In Britain, the term 'whisky' is taken to mean Scotch whisky only, unless it has been specified otherwise.
In English-speaking countries other than England, Scotch whisky is often referred to as simply 'Scotch'.
Scotch whisky should not contain any added substance, apart from water and caramel coloring.
The label of a Scotch whisky always contains the words 'Scotch whisky', in which 'whisky' is sometimes capitalized.
In case the term 'Scotch' is missing from the label of a whisky, there are strong chances that it has not been made in Scotland.
If a label contains the words 'single malt' or 'single highland malt', the bottle contains single malt Scotch whisky.
The basis of Scotch whisky is the heather-flavored ales made from barley malt.
The first documented proof of the existence of a distillery in Scotland dates back to 1494.

Facts-Wine

2009-08-07T03:40:00.000-07:00

So Many Grapes

There are 10,000 wine grapes varities worldwide. If you are looking for a particular one or just want more information, see our wine grape variety page.
The Oldest Wine

The wreck of the TITANIC holds the oldest wine cellar in the world and despite the depth and wreckage, the bottles are still intact.
Wine Toast

The word "toast," meaning a wish of good health, started in ancient Rome, where a piece of toasted bread was dropped into wine.
No Cork

As late as the mid-17th century, the French wine makers did not use corks. Instead, they used oil-soaked rags stuffed into the necks of bottles.
The Age of Oak

170 years is the average age of a French oak tree harvested for use in wine barrels.

Facts-Alcohol

2009-08-07T03:31:00.000-07:00

This page corrects common alcohol and drinking myths, with research based facts and statistics.

Myth
Alcohol destroys brain cells.
Fact
The moderate consumption of alcohol does not destroy brain cells. In fact it is often associated with improved cognitive (mental) functioning. 1

Myth
White wine is a good choice for a person who wants a light drink with less alcohol.
Fact
Standard Drinks

A glass of white or red wine, a bottle of beer, and a shot of whiskey or other distilled spirits all contain equivalent amounts of alcohol and are they same to a Breathalyzer. [see Alcohol Equivalence and visit Standard Drinks] A standard drink is:

* A 12-ounce bottle or can of regular beer
* A 5-ounce glass of wine
* A one and 1/2 ounce of 80 proof distilled spirits (either straight or in a mixed drink). 2

Myth
A "beer belly" is caused by drinking beer.
Fact
A "beer belly" is caused by eating too much food. No beer or other alcohol beverage is necessary. 3

Myth
Switching between beer, wine and spirits will lead to intoxication more quickly than sticking to one type of alcohol beverage.
Fact
The level of blood alcohol content (BAC) is what determines sobriety or intoxication. 4 Remember that a standard drink of beer, wine, or spirits contain equivalent amounts of alcohol. Alcohol is alcohol and a drink is a drink.

Myth
Drinking coffee will help a drunk person sober up.
Fact
Only time can sober up a person...not black coffee, cold showers, exercise, or any other common "cures." Alcohol leaves the body of virtually everyone at a constant rate of about .015 percent of blood alcohol content (BAC) per hour. Thus, a person with a BAC of .015 would be completely sober in an hour while a person with a BAC of ten times that (.15) would require 10 hours to become completely sober. This is true regardless of sex, age, weight, and similar factors.5

Myth
Drinking long enough will cause a person to become alcoholic.
Fact
There is simply no scientific basis for this misperception, which appears to have its origin in temperance and prohibitionist ideology. 6

Myth
Drinking alcohol causes weight gain.
Fact
This is a very commonly believed myth, even among medical professionals, because alcohol has caloric value. However, extensive research around the world has found alcohol consumption be does not cause weight gain in men and is often associated with a small weight loss in women. [see Alcohol Calories & Weight]

Myth
Alcohol stunts the growth of children and retards their development.
Fact
Scientific medical research does not support this old temperance scare tactic promoted by the Women's Christian Temperance Union, the Anti-Saloon League, the Prohibition Party, and similar groups. 7

Myth
Binge drinking is an epidemic problem on college campuses.
Fact
Binge drinking is clinically and commonly viewed as a period of extended intoxication lasting at least several days during which time the binger drops out of usual life activities. Few university students engage in such bingeing behavior. However, a number sometimes consume at least four drinks in day (or at least five for men). Although many of these young people may never even become intoxicated, they are branded as binge drinkers by some researchers. This practice deceptively inflates the number of apparent binge drinkers. In reality, the proportion of college students who drink continues to decline, as does the percentage of those who drink heavily. 8 [see Binge Drinking]

Myth
Men and women of the same height and weight can drink the same.
Fact
Women are affected more rapidly because they tend to have a slightly higher proportion of fat to lean muscle tissue, thus concentrating alcohol a little more easily in their lower percentage of body water. They also have less of an enzyme (dehydrogenase) that metabolizes or breaks down alcohol, 9 and hormonal changes during their menstrual cycle might also affect alcohol absorption to some degree. 10

Myth
A single sip of alcohol by a pregnant woman can cause her child to have fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
Fact
Extensive medical research studying hundreds of thousands of women from around the world fails to find scientific evidence that light drinking, much less a sip of alcohol by an expectant mother, can cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Of course, the very safest choice would be to abstain during the period of gestation. [see Fetal Alcohol Syndrome]

Myth
People who abstain from alcohol are "alcohol-free."
Fact
Every person produces alcohol normally in the body 24 hours each and every day from birth until death. Therefore, we always have alcohol in our bodies. 11

Myth
Alcohol abuse is an increasing problem among young people.
Fact
Heavy alcohol use among people in the US 17 years of age or younger actually dropped by an amazing two-thirds (65.9 percent) between 1985 and 1997, according to federal government research. 12 The proportion of young people who consumed any alcohol within the previous month dropped from 50% to 19% in about the same period. 13 Other federally funded research also documents the continuing decline in both drinking and drinking abuse among young people. 14 Similarly, alcohol-related traffic injuries and fatalities among young people continue to drop. Deaths associated with young drinking drivers aged 16 to 24 decreased almost half (47%) in a recent 15-year period. 15 [see Underage Drinking]

Myth
People in the US are generally heavy consumers of alcohol.
Fact
The US isn't even among the top ten alcohol consuming countries. Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries on per capita Basis Country / Consumption in Gallons of absolute or pure alcohol: At a consumption rate of only 1.74 per person, the US falls far down at 32nd on the list. 16

Myth
The US has very lenient underage drinking laws.
Fact
The US has the most strict youth drinking laws in the Western world, including the highest minimum drinking age in the entire world. 17 And this is buttressed by a public policy of Zero Tolerance.

Myth
Alcohol advertising increases drinking problems.
Fact
Hundreds of scientific research studies around the world have clearly demonstrated that alcohol advertising does not lead to increases in drinking abuse or drinking problems. Alcohol advertising continues because effective ads can increase a brand's share of the total market. 18 [see Alcohol Advertising]

Myth
Bottles of tequila contain a worm.
Fact
There is no worm in tequila. It's in mescal, a spirit beverage distilled from a different plant. And it's not actually a worm, but a butterfly caterpillar (Hipopta Agavis) called a gurano. 19

Myth
People who can "hold their liquor" are to be envied.
Fact
People who can drink heavily without becoming intoxicated have probably developed a tolerance for alcohol, which can indicate the onset of dependency. 20

Myth
Many lives would be saved if everyone abstained from alcohol.
Fact
Some lives would be saved from accidents now caused by intoxication and from health problems caused by alcohol abuse. However, many other lives would be lost from increases in coronary heart disease. For example, estimates from 13 studies suggest that as many as 135,884 additional deaths would occur each year in the US from coronary heart disease alone because of abstinence. 21 [see Alcohol & Health]

Myth
Drunkenness and alcoholism are the same thing.
Fact
Many non-alcoholics on occasion become intoxicated or drunk. However, if they are not addicted to alcohol, they are not alcoholic. Of course, intoxication is never completely safe or risk-free and should be avoided. It is better either to abstain or to drink in moderation. While consuming alcohol sensibly is associated with better health and longer life, the abuse of alcohol is associated with many undesirable health outcomes.

Myth
Alcohol is the cause of alcoholism.
Fact
As a governmental alcohol agency has explained, "Alcohol no more causes alcoholism than sugar causes diabetes." The agency points out that if alcohol caused alcoholism then all drinkers would be alcoholics. 22 In fact, a belief common among members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is that people are born alcoholic and are not caused to be alcoholic by alcohol or anything in their experience. They argue that many people are born and die alcoholic without ever having had a sip of alcohol. Of course, a person can't be a drinking or practicing alcoholic without alcohol.

Prohibition Problems

Unfortunately, prohibition leads to a number of alcohol and other problems such as death and disability from contaminated illegal alcohol, the growth of organized crime, an increase in heavy drinking when alcohol can be obtained, a serious loss of tax revenue, the discouragement of moderation in consumption, a widespread disrespect for the law, and many other social ills. 23

Even if it were somehow possible to prohibit the consumption of alcohol, people who have emotional or psychological problems and need a "crutch" would simply turn to the abuse of other, frequently illegal, substances. 24
Myth
If alcohol were less available there would be fewer alcoholics.
Fact
This is an idea that has been tested through prohibition in the US and a number of other countries. There is no association between the availability of alcohol and alcoholism.

Myth
College life leads to drinking by most students who enter as abstainers. 25
Fact
According to Federal statistics, most students arrive at college with prior drinking experience and te proportion of drinkers doesn't increase greatly during college. [see Underage Drinking]

Myth
Although not totally incorrect, but certainly not the whole truth, is the assertion that the younger children are when they have their first drink the more likely they are to experience drinking problems. 26
Fact
Generally speaking, people who on their own begin drinking either much earlier or much later than their peers begin are more likely to experience subsequent drinking problems. 27 This appears to result from the fact that either behavior tends to reflect a tendency to be deviant. Therefore, delaying the age of first drink would not influence the incidence of drinking problems because it would not change the underlying predisposition to be deviant and to experience drinking problems. 28 And, of course, children who are taught moderation by their parents are less likely to abuse alcohol or have drinking problems.

Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries

1. Portugal 2.98
2. Luxembourg 2.95
3. France 2.87
4. Hungary 2.66
5. Spain 2.66
6. Czech Republic 2.64
7. Denmark 2.61
8. Germany 2.50
9. Austria 2.50
10. Switzerland 2.43

CoooL Pics

2009-08-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Gallery

2009-08-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

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Boozers Quotes

2009-08-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I feel shamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams If I didn't drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver." -- Jack Handy

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell happened to your underwear

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"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. "

~Frank Sinatra

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.

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"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading."

~ Henny Youngman

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may lead you to think people are laughing WITH you.

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"24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not." ~ Stephen Wright

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to think you can sing.

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"When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!"

~ Brian O'Rourke

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause pregnancy.

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"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

~ Benjamin Franklin

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol is a major factor in dancing like a retard.

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"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza."

~ Dave Barry

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

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To some it's a six-pack, to me it's a Support Group. Salvation in a can! ~ Dave Howell

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

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And saving the best for last, as explained by Cliff Clavin, of Cheers. One afternoon at Cheers, Cliff Clavin was explaining the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm.

Here's how it went:

"Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."

WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

Zombie I

2009-08-06T02:17:00.005-07:00

Boozers Mania

Hangover

Discussion Forum

Facts-Beer

Facts-Scotch

Facts-Wine

Facts-Alcohol

CoooL Pics

Gallery

Boozers Quotes

Zombie I

Yellow Birds

White Russian

Whiskey Sour

Whiskey Highball

Watermelon Slice

Watermelon Champagne

Tequila Sunrise

Tennessee Mule

Sleeping Giant

Singapore Sling

Sidecar

Screwdriver

Scarlett O'Hara

Sazerac Cocktail

Sazerac