Sign me up: Beer baths. Of course, you have to go the Czech Republic. "[W]hile a regular tap pipes in locally sourced Il-Sano mineral water, our tubs will also contain 8-10 litres of unpasteurised Chodovar 10, a dark brew that is pouring rapidly from a brass beer font fixed to the foot of each bath. Add some crushed herbs and dried yeast, mix it all together and you have a beer bath, excellent for "soothing muscles, warming joints and healing the complexion", according to the brewery. . . . "It increases circulation, decreases blood pressure and purifies the skin because of the proteins, the high vitamin B content and also because of the minerals in the water." Soaking in beer, he adds, is also very relaxing for the mind and good for wellbeing."
__________
Kentucky prepared to declare war: Japanese whisky voted the best.
__________
The ambiguity of being vodka: "Given that it can be produced from anything containing starch or sugar, its very definition is subject to a range of legal challenges around the world."
__________
Maybe there's a beer god after all: Starbucks Sees Profits Drop 28% in Second Quarter.
__________
The Miller blogger seems mildly surprised to see smaller imports gaining significant market shares. He then lists the three that are doing well:
1. Modelo Especial
2. Tecate
3. Stella Artois
Let me provide the key to solving this puzzle: The first two are Mexican beers. If you're still not sure what's driving the increased sales, come to my small town for a tour. I'll take you to eight Mexican stores and restaurants, seven of which didn't exist 15 years ago.
(Aside: The link immediately above contains an email link where you can get a (free, I think) subscription to Brew Magazine.)
__________
Crap, it would appear the (fiscal) year is almost over. I should've stopped by months ago: Year of Beer: "I plan to drink a different beer every day for a year, it can be a homebrew, a craft brew, or a large commercially globally distributed beer." I kinda did something like that once, except it was more like a twelve-pack a day for a year, I was in college, and I switched brands depending on what was cheapest.
