He asks for a shot of tequila. The bartender reply’s “Sorry we don’t serve strings”. So the string leaves.

The next day, the same string walks back into the bar. He asks for a shot of tequila. The bartender reply’s “Sorry we do not serve strings, please go away.”

The following day the string stands outside the bar debating about whether to go in or not. He ties himself in a knot and frays the bottom of the string.

He goes in and asks for a shot of tequila. The bartender reply’s “Hey aren’t you that string that’s been coming in here all the time.”

They string replys “No I’m a frayed knot”.

You will also find information on how alcohol affects the teen brain, the realities of underage drinking, facts to common myths and a history of the drinking age law. There is also a wealth of information, resources and tips for parents, educators and communities on preventing underage drinking.

Arm yourself with the truth and then decide.

Check out the site!

The group, which named itself the Amethyst Initiative, released a statement this week calling for a “re-examination” of the current national standard, 21 years. Lest you think this mysterious group with an even more mysterious name — taken from Greek roots meaning “not” (a-) and “intoxicated” (methustos) — was a front organization for some bibulous college fraternity, or perhaps a shell group set up by the Beer Institute, the list of signatories on its Web site indicates that the group is very real.

In an unusual step for an advocacy organization, the group, numbering about 100 strong, says it is not calling for immediate action to lower the drinking age. Rather, the Amethyst people say they simply want to start a debate about the pros and cons of changing the age.

Of course, their statement tips off their leanings on the subject, by listing only what they see as the drawbacks to keeping the drinking age at 21, not any advantages.

Chief among those drawbacks, in the college officials’ eyes, is that the rule has created a “dangerous, clandestine” culture of binge-drinking among students, often taking place off campus. Even if they drink only moderately, the group said, students resort to using fake ID’s to buy alcohol or get into bars, and end up making “ethical compromises that erode respect for the law.” And it makes little sense, they say, that adults under 21 “are deemed capable of voting, signing contracts, serving on juries and enlisting in the military, but are told they are not mature enough to have a beer.”

As one might imagine, the initiative quickly attracted the ire of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, various highway safety officials and organizations, and even a lecturer at the Harvard School of Public Health, who said the aim of the proposal was similar to “pouring gasoline to put the fire out.”

A number of college and university presidents who declined to sign up for the initiative have now come out publicly against it, but others have been more receptive.

If the Amethyst group plans to move from spurring debate to spurring action for a lowered drinking age, it may face some hurdles. For one thing, a Gallup Poll last year found that 77 percent of Americans opposed lowering the drinking age to 18. For another, though the drinking age is set independently by each state, a federal law enacted in 1984 effectively forces them to choose 21, by requiring any state with a lower age to forfeit 10 percent of its federal highway funds.

Whether you agree or disagree that the drinking age is the reason, there is ample evidence that binge drinking among college-age adults is a major problem:

— The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 90 percent of all alcohol consumed by people younger than 21 is in the form of binge drinking.

— The number of college students who were killed in alcohol-related accidents rose to more than 1,700 in 2001 from about 1,500 in 1998, and during the same time period, the number of students who engaged in drinking and driving climbed by 500,000, to 2.8 million.

— A recent Associated Press analysis of federal records found that between 1999 and 2005, 157 college-ages people, 18 to 23, drank themselves to death.

By Anahad O’Connor

Source: NYT

Hollywood Billiards

5750 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles

323-465-0115

Put that “I voted” sticker to use, as it will get you $20 off any bill over $200. Just as cool: politically themed appetizers like “left wings” and “right wings” and specialty cocktails including the McCain Raspberry Margarita and the Barack Blue Hawaiian. Oh yeah, and Hollywood Billiards has 20 HD screens for watching the results while you enjoy half-priced appetizers.

Busby’s East

5364 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles

323-525-2615

Watch the early results come in on the big screen with fellow fresh-from-the-polls voters. By the time 4 p.m. rolls around and your first round of $3 happy hour drinks (until 7 p.m.) shows up, you’ll see 40-plus TVs tuned to the real action. As the percentage of reporting precincts grows, expect the number of drinking games to rise as well—and become more confusing.

CT Lounge

1958 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles

323-257-2245

What better way to watch that electoral map turn either blue or red than on an 8-by-12-foot HD projector? If you can’t choose from one of the 130 microbrews, there are also pitchers of Bud for $10, not to mention half-price appetizers from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. By then, we should have some idea where this election is headed. Candidate more likely to be spotted here: McCain. As the husband of an Anheuser-Busch distribution heiress, he’ll want to make sure the Budweiser is flowing.

The New Townhouse

6835 La Tijera Blvd., Los Angeles

310-410-9200

This one’s strictly for the Obama-Biden crowd. Tickets for the event, hosted by a nonprofit organization, will cost $25 and include a private viewing party with a large projection screen, dinner and music. A private bartender and waitress will be on hand to serve drinks as the historic returns come in.

Redwood Bar & Grill

316 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles

213-680-2600

No one takes politics less seriously than the folks at The Onion, which is sponsoring this election night party along with Dewar’s. Expect the usual pirate themes and $3 drink specials as you watch the results come in. There will be specialty red and blue drinks, with the red drinks costing slightly more.

‘Dance for Change’ at the Manhattan Beach Marriott

1400 Parkview Ave., Manhattan Beach

310-428-3950

People will get to “dance for change” at this Obama-centric cocktail mixer, ironically located in one of L.A.’s more Republican neighborhoods. Jazz saxophonist J. Boykin will perform and, of course, the hotel bar will show live election coverage from 6 p.m. until midnight. Tickets are $20 at the door, but appetizers will be free from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

I Voted! party feat. DJ Kid Lightning at the Edison

Bring in the election results with DJ Kid Lightning as he rocks the Edison for Causecast’s “I Voted!” party. A $5 dollar donation that benefits Invisible Children, Farm Sanctuary and Hip-Hop Summit Action Network charities gets you in, as long as you’re up to Edison’s dress code. Whatever you do, don’t wear sneakers (but Edison is making a one-time exception if you’re sportin’ Tom’s brand) or you’ll be denied entry.

The Onion hosts Election Night party at Redwood Bar

No one takes politics less seriously than the folks at the Onion, which is sponsoring this election night party along with Dewars. Expect the usual pirate themes and $3 drink specials as you watch the results come in. There will be specialty red and blue drinks, with the red drinks costing slightly more.

Election Day mixer at CineSpace

If you went to the Barack Obama celebration at Cinespace, then you know what a fierce-looking crowd of politicos it attracts. If you missed out, here’s your chance to mingle with community members over cocktails at Cinespace’s mixer from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. on Election Day. In addition to screening the results, we hear that there will be some major TV coverage and Katie Couric might even stop by!

Election Returns party at Akbar

Watch the election returns at Akbar (on spiffy rented TVs) and whether you’re celebrating or mourning, there’s $2 draft and domestic beers all night.

LGBT Election Night party at the Music Box

Unite with Angelenos against Prop 8 at the Music Box for an election night party hosted by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. Watch the election results and hear live updates from community and political leaders in response to Prop 8 on eight flat screen monitors with politicos against the discrimination of the LGBT community. There’s a $10 suggested donation for entry, but the hosted bar and complimentary appetizers are well worth your hard-earned bucks.

$3 beer polls at Barney’s Beanery

Barney’s beanery is holding its own elections, and instead of a boring ballot, you get to vote by drinking premium beer at $3 a pint! Vote for a candidate by either purchasing Stella Artois for McCain and Bud Light for Obama. The bartenders will tally the “votes” at the end of the voting period on Nov. 4th at 8 p.m when the real polls close. Good thing for your candidate if you can knock back more brewskies than the average Joe, because getting sloshed in the name of your candidate is a good deed well done. Get your vote on at the West Hollywood, Pasadena and Santa Monica locations.

The official Obama for America Election Night Celebration at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel

Who would’ve thought you could find Sarah Silverman and Senator Diane Feinstein under one roof? Anything is possible in the name of politics! Silverman and hosts Zooey Deschanel, Joy Bryant, Pierce Brosnan, Peter Fonda and many others, plus special guests Senator Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, come together for the official Obama for America Election Night celebration at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. The event is free and all are welcome, even if you’re just coming to check out DJ sets by Z-Trip, Jason Bentley, Jeremy Sole and Shepard Fairey, who’s also showing off a live art intallation. Doors open precisely one minute after the polls close, so you don’t forget to rock your “I Voted!” sticker.

Election Night party at the Abbey

If you’re a donkey who loves to drink then the Abbey’s Election Night party is where you want to be to since a drink special will be announced for every blue state winner. And no, you’re not hallucinating: That really is Uncle Sam dropping by to check out who got their vote on. If you get confused by what’s going on the tube, the Perry Twins are on deck to spin and narrate the election coverage.

Drink the Vote 2008 at Blue on Blue

310-407-7791

Ever wish you could cast your vote more than once? Here’s your chance at Blue on Blue, where you can signal your choice for commander in chief by ordering the Obamarita or McCainaide as many times as you want until Nov. 4, or until you’re blue (or red) in the face. During the voting period, the staff will tally the votes and forecast the next prez on Election Day to see who had the popular vote (or yummiest drink). And if that doesn’t feed your hunger for government affairs, the food menu is as politically charged as the cocktails: think filibuster cheese steak, a green party platter and caucus kabobs. All food and drink items are $8, or three food items for $20.

Cocktail recipes: McCain Martini and Obamatini

Whether you’re a true-blue democrat or red-blooded republican, there’s a martini out there for you. Zodiac vodka has come up with some fun, patriotic recipes to loosen you up during the big race, and you can try mixing them up at home. Feel free to play it nonpartisan if you prefer. (Click in for the recipe.)

Care for a reward now that you voted? Check out these freebies in the form of tequila shots, cookies, coffee and more»

Original Source: MetroMix

By Will Theisen and Jane Pham

Here are a list of 4 I know of:

• Maison 140 +140 Lasky Drive, Beverly Hills +800.670.6182
• Fraiche +9411 Culver Blvd., Culver City +310.839.6800
• Crown Bar +7321 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles +323.882.6774
• Cicada +617 S. Olive Street, Los Angeles +213.488.9488

Drunkorexia may be statistically elusive but it’s mainstream enough that a recent episode of the A&E show Intervention featured a young drunkorexic man named Asa whose family staged an intervention. According to Diet-Blog.com, 30 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds skip food in order to drink more. And it’s often the hard stuff. “I hardly see women ordering beer anymore. A lot more men are ordering vodkas too,” says Amy Taylor, managing bartender at Mink Nightclub in Toronto, where the diet trend has forced the club to stock more vodka because the low-sugar content makes it attractive for calorie counters.

The blasé attitude some have regarding the disease is scary. “I don’t see the problem with trading food for alcohol. Honestly, all you are doing is taking in different calories,” posted “Nat” on Diet-Blog.com in June. Apart from the dangers of substituting alcoholic calories for ones with nutritional value, there is also evidence the disorder can worsen your dependence on alcohol. (A 2003 study by researchers at Columbia University found that people with eating disorders are up to five times more likely to become substance abusers; it also found more links in cross-addictions, as substance abusers are 11 times more likely to have an eating disorder.) And while experts like Vanin may have never heard of the term until recently, over the years she’s “definitely” seen the behaviour. “I see people compromising their eating so that there can be the calories left for alcohol. It’s the same as some people not eating all day because they are going to a banquet at night.”

A starving body, says Vanin, isn’t able to deal with stress or make healthy decisions. “Inhibitions are compromised. Suicide attempts, promiscuity, dangerous driving and other risky behaviours compound the problem.” While long-term effects of disordered eating include osteoporosis, cardiac problems and even death, immediate signs of malnutrition aren’t visible as our bodies are adept at compensating for a lack of nutrients for a period of time. But eventually, “hair starts to thin, their nails don’t grow, they become constipated and bloated,” says Vanin. She’s treated people from age 12 to age 65, and insists a patient see a health team (including a therapist, physician, nutritionist and, if warranted, an addiction specialist) to address the many facets of eating disorders.

But getting a drunkorexic into treatment can be problematic. “They view family trying to drag them in as jealous,” says Dr. Carol Kostynuk, a consulting psychiatrist and medical director with the Eating Disorder Education Organization (EDEO). While Kostynuk says she only recently heard of drunkorexia, she says at least five per cent of her patients exhibit this type of behaviour. In therapy, Kostynuk gets people to start a food diary of everything they eat so both she and the client can have a clearer picture of the eating patterns. “Control is a big word we use in the industry. These people are experts at hiding their illness,” she says.

Frightening, considering the death rate for people who have had eating disorders ranges between 18 and 20 per cent in 30-year follow-up studies, according to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre. As “Susanna” wrote about drunkorexia on Diet–Blog.com “Unfortunately, I know a woman (and she is well beyond her college years) who… must have 12 light beers a day and this adds up to 1,200 calories. She spends the rest of the day eating carrot and celery sticks with a small bag of pretzels. She is killing herself inside out.”

Original Source: SUSAN MOHAMMAD

These new venues tend to eschew club chairs and wood paneling in favor of sleek, bright décor with mood-enhancing lighting.

A favorite with Korean celebrities, the WooBar at the W Seoul-Walkerhill serves 40 different types of vodka and woos partygoers with an 18-meter-long bar, egg-shaped chairs, a UFO-shaped DJ booth and interactive artwork (starwoodhotels.com/whotels).

Zeta Bar at the Hilton in Kuala Lumpur, modeled after its namesake in London, pulls all the stylish strings with funky barstools and colorful fiber-optic lighting. The eclectic blend of R&B, Latin vibes and neo-jazz attracts a groovy crowd (hilton.com).

Housed in a cylindrical structure, Bangkok’s happening Bed Supperclub features a space-age, all-white interior. Downstairs, low-slung chairs and divan beds welcome diners, while a separate mezzanine bar overlooks the dance floor (bedsupperclub.com).

Singapore’s just-reopened New Asia Bar, on the 71st floor of the Swissôtel The Stamford, offers one of the city’s best panoramic views. Designed in hues of gold, brown and amber, the bar plays with artificial light and visual illusions. The floor is slanted 20 degrees to induce a feeling of vertigo, if the drinks haven’t already had that effect (swissotel.com).

Source: http://www.newsweek.com/id/158716

Where soon enough you will find drinking novelties to anti hang over medicine!

Thanks!!

It started off with a friend forcing down shots of Jager at 2pm, and it was all down hill from there. But before I go off on a tangent, I have to tell you that in my friends fridge was Boozer, and I know I said awhile back that I would write a review once I tried it. Well he had it, and it was the perfect time to execute operation “Anti Hangover”.

Needless to say I lost count of shots after 4 or 5 and lost track of beers after 10 or so. And just before hitting my oh so soft pillow at Midnight, I slammed a whole can of Boozer. Now I wouldn’t be writing this post if I had to tell you that in the morning I felt great, like I hadn’t drunk at all!

So where do you find this product? Well just hang on a few weeks, I am in the process of rebuilding the site with a full shopping cart full of drinking goodies and games!

Over and out!

Caffeinated alcohol, like beer-based malted beverages, is bearing the brunt of US concerns over the alcohol content and availability of the products to young people, which could yet have ramifications for European drinks groups.

Sparks

However, Miller, which has been selling the Sparks alcohol brand nationwide since 2006, said the company would not be reviewing its strategy over the manufacture of caffeinated alcohol as it sees strong potential in the market.

“The brand and its labelling have received approval from the federal government,” group spokesperson Julian Green told BeverageDaily.com.

“While we continue to work with authorities on this issue, as well as our own responsible drinking initiatives, we are also protecting our right to innovation.”

Green said that the caffeinated beverage provided a growing opportunity to meet consumer’s demands for new types of product in the beer market

Self-regulation

The company claimed that as part of its portfolio-wide policy of self-regulation, it was also committed to ensuring that it promotes the products and work with retailers to avoid any confusion amongst young people between Sparks and traditional energy drinks.

“On the actual product packaging itself, we mention that it contains alcohol at least four times on the label,” he stated.

Green added that these guidelines for the Sparks brand differed marginally, if at all, from the guidelines the company says it uses on all its beer products.

CSPI concerns

Despite Miller’s claims, consumer advocacy group the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) believes there are a number of specific concerns over the sale of caffeinated alcohol, which it claims have been found in a study to encourage binge drinking, injury and sexual assault amongst young people.

The CSPI said it had been working with Anheuser-Busch over removing ingredients such as caffeine, guarana, and ginseng from its brands with the support of 11 state Attorneys General, which had been investigating the group.

CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner said that the action of some US attorneys had been an important step in raising its fears over the combination of caffeine and alcohol.

“Not for the first time, state Attorneys General have filled a gaping void left by disinterested federal officials, who should have cracked down on these particular products long ago,” said Gardner.

“Frankly, Miller Brewing is lurching on very thin legal ice if they continue to market these dangerous drinks.”

While the action of Budweiser in reformulating, along with much of the controversy of caffeinated beer drinks relates to the US market, some health experts that wider global implications may be inevitable.

European impact

Speaking to BeverageDaily.com earlier this year Anders Ulstein, board member of European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), said that although US policy developments rarely have an influence on European legislation, the potential effects on the policies of global bodies this time could be more significant.

“[The] main impact [of the criticism] is to the extent it changes the perspectives of US federal authorities, which is very important at World Health Organization level, where the US is presently seen as a supporter of the industry,” he said.

Source: Beverage Daily, written by: Neil Merrett