Buzz Best of CU 2010 edition

The Buzz has put out their best of 2010 edition.

Here's the important parts of their list:

Best Liquor Store: Friar Tuck

From an extensive wine selection to beers you have never heard of, the selection at Friar Tuck is nothing short of astounding. Vodka to gin, IPA to lager, pinot noir to merlot — if this libation power house doesn’t have it, then you aren’t likely to find it within an hour radius of CU.

Best On-Campus Bar: Murphy's Pub

With its friendly staff and laid-back atmosphere, Murphy’s Pub is the ultimate spot where tradition and authenticity are in no short supply.

Best Wine Selection: Corkscrew Wine Emporium

With wines from over 20 countries and exceptional services, the winner of this year’s Best Wine Selection is Corkscrew Wine Emporium, located in Urbana.

Best Gay-Friendly Nightlife: Chester Street Bar

Best Barbecue: Black Dog Smoke & Ale House

Best Beer Selection: Blind Pig

If the dim-lit old-English pub ambiance is not enough to get you to enjoy Blind Pig off of Walnut Street in downtown Champaign, then the beer selection certainly should.

In fact, according to bartender Jason Ewing, Blind Pig has 26 beers on draft and one hand-pulled beer to fill out their impressive list of options. If you prefer to hold a bottle, the Blind Pig offers 100 different choices from domestic beer like Budweiser to a variety of international beer. Fortunately, should you have trouble deciding, you can sample any five of the bar’s draft beers for $8.

Best Place to Bust a Move: Joe's Brewery

Best Place to Find a One-Night Stand: Kam's

Best Date Spot: Radio Maria

It is not a surprise who received this award. With a reputation of being the best place to go on a date, Radio Maria has the chops to give you a guaranteed good time on your date. Known for their exquisite and unique dishes, Radio Maria’s cuisine is inspired by a combination of many different cultures.

“Our cuisine is varied. We use a lot of local, fresh ingredients,” said co-owner Sharon Owens. “We have influences from Spain, Latin America, Asia and some American as well.

Best Off-Campus Bar: The Blind Pig Co.

The Blind Pig Co., located on Walnut Street in downtown Champaign, has been a staple for older crowds to congregate since 2004. However, in the past three years, bartender Jason Ewing has seen a change in the crowd.

“We have anything from beer-heads to grad students,” said Ewing. “Lately, younger crowds come here from campustown, people who haven’t had a chance to have good beer.”

Friendliest Wait Staff: Legends

Editor's Picks

four loko news; Carle expert discusses dangerous drink Four Loko

From WICD 15 ABC

Carle expert discusses dangerous drink Four Loko

Jeff Evans of the Carle Addiction Recovery Center visits Sunrise This Morning to discuss the dangerous effects the drink Four Loko poses to consumers.

four loko news; Popular drink to be banned?

From WAND 17 NBC

Popular drink to be banned?

Beer in the news; Beer Lubricated the Rise of Civilization, study suggests

From Live Science

Beer Lubricated the Rise of Civilization, Study Suggests

May beer have helped lead to the rise of civilization? It's a possibility, some archaeologists say.

Their argument is that Stone Age farmers were domesticating cereals not so much to fill their stomachs but to lighten their heads, by turning the grains into beer. That has been their take for more than 50 years, and now one archaeologist says the evidence is getting stronger.

Signs that people went to great lengths to obtain grains despite the hard work needed to make them edible, plus the knowledge that feasts were important community-building gatherings, support the idea that cereal grains were being turned into beer, said archaeologist Brian Hayden at Simon Fraser University in Canada.

When Kridz and I went on our Easterly Trip a couple years ago, while at the Victory Brewing Company, the tour guide asked something like "how long have people been brewing?" My response was "since the dawn of civilization".

This story isn't really new NEWS to beer-ophyles, but it might be for people who don't spend much of their day thinking about beer (and not just thinking about what to have as their next beer).

Four Loko news, Washington State: the next to ban four loko

From ABC News

Washington State: The next to ban four loko



Unwanted sex?

"Just one can of four loko has the same amount of alcohol as six cans of light beer".

Four Loko, where is it banned?

Here's the list as of Nov. 16:

Washington (starts Nov 17)

Michigan

Oklahoma (starts in December 3)

Pennsylvania (voluntary by retailers)

New York (have until Dec 10 to clear inventory)

Massachusetts (starts Nov 22)

Connecticut

Utah




* Oklahoma panel bans deliveries of Four Loko after Dec. 3
+Four Loko Ban Hits State of Washington

Alcohol in the news; Got beerdom? a different type of beer for a different type of experience

from the buzz

Got beerdom? A different type of beer for a different type of experience

This is apparently the first beer style review by the buzz's new beer person. This one is about, IPA's.

India Pale Ales are a unique class of beers known for their high alcohol content and bitter, hoppy illustriousness. The name is interesting because the beer actually originated in England in the late 1700s, however, to make the long journey to India by way of the East India Company, it was beneficial to ship a beer that had a high hop content. The extra hoppy-ness acts as a natural preservative to endure the long journey. Another trick the brewers used was to reduce the soluble sugars in the yeast to prevent a variety of micro-organisms from attacking the greatness that is beer. This, in turn, produced a beer that is lighter in color, higher in alcohol, and very bitter compared to the darker porters of their day.

Mostly... myth.

To gain a grasp on IPAs that are relatively easy to find on the market or at one’s local market, I went ahead and created my own six-pack consisting of Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA, New Belgium’s Ranger IPA, and Goose Island’s IPA.

If you read the article, you'll notice he talks about abv, and bitterness, along with some talk of sweetness. No mention of what style of bitter (pine, citrus, floral). Just that this was more bitter, less bitter, more sweet, less sweet.

The Torpedo was by far my more favorite of the three; the smell is subtle and a tad sweeter than the other two, and the taste had a lasting effect that didn’t bite at your taste buds too badly. It is also worth noting that the Torpedo has the highest alcohol content at 7.2% so if you’re looking for a good time with a classy beer, look no further.

Classy

The Goose Island IPA was definitely my second favorite. It certainly kept intact the idea that I was drinking an IPA with a good bite, but nothing too strong that a seasoned beer connoisseur couldn’t handle.

The term "bite" is used quite often.

And that is the truth about IPAs, most people at first glance claim the beer to be too bitter and hoppy for their taste but the fact of the matter is that most people don’t like beer in general at first taste; most things in life that are truly worth having are worth striving for and in this case the acquired taste of IPAs are certainly worth the training your taste buds will need to endure.

Alright Ramine, I invite you to go drink some tarts with me, my treat.

Alcohol in the news; 2 more Four Loko articles

Both are in the Daily Illini

Officials concerned about alcoholic energy drinks on campuses

Officials locally and nationally are taking a closer look at the Four Loko drink.

Four Lokos are flavored, highly caffeinated drinks sold in 23.5 ounce cans that contain between 6 and 12 percent alcohol by volume. Sgt. Scott Friedlein of the Champaign Police Department has noticed an increasing prevalence of the Phusion Projects product in the Champaign area. He said that as the drink became more popular, he noticed more unruly behavior.

...

“People would typically drink this as they would a regular can of beer,” Friedlein said. “The problem is it contains similar to five shots of alcohol, some people say a six-pack of beer, and then four cups of coffee on top of that. Where our concern is, that quick accelerated consumption of that much alcohol is going to really cause problems for people who aren’t used to consuming alcohol in the first place.”

Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking into Four Loko (among other caffeinated alcoholic products) for safety concerns. Phusion Projects said on its website that it is cooperating with the federal government.

more of the sky falling

Four Loko's allure stays strong despite health warnings

From first glance, Four Loko appears to look like a can of AriZona Ice Tea — something fruity to quench your thirst on a sunny day. Flavors range from orange to blue raspberry, grape to watermelon. But upon closer inspection, one can of Four Loko seems to reveal a far more sinister and less than sweet purpose.

With an alcohol content of 12% and as much caffeine as two cups of coffee, it is an indisputable fact that Four Loko is in no way beneficial to one’s health — yet for many students, this fact does not deter one from drinking it.

...

Trey Ward, a senior in the College of Engineering, said “Drinking Four Loko with your friends is an extremely entertaining experience.”

Undeterred from the harmful effects Four Loko has on the body, Ward said that Four Loko provides countless humorous anecdotes that are too good to pass up. He also mentioned that each time he and a few friends tried it, the result has always left them with an interesting story to tell, and it is for this reason that Ward believes students continue to buy packs of Four Loko.

One unforgettable story concerning a wild barn-dance has Ward admitting that in spite of reports of alcohol poisoning he is still likely to purchase the beverage.

“It’s just interesting to see what’s going to happen,” Ward said. “In a lot of ways drinking it turns into a contest,” he said.

This article is going to make people want to try it more.

Adan Miranda, senior in LAS, said that Four Loko may not be as dangerous as health officials are reporting — if drank in moderation.

“If you drink one can to pregame, you’re going to get buzzed, not ridiculous,” he said.

Unfortunately, Miranda notes that because students “try to drink it like regular beer” it is fairly easy to be rendered out of control by the night’s end.

“I’ve seen people, especially girls, who have gotten sick and throw up because they think they can drink two cans consecutively,” he said.

...

If this isn’t reason enough to consider ending consumption of such a harmful beverage, Ward provides one last reason: humiliation.

“Four Loko made my friend look like a fool at that barn-dance,” he said, laughing.

We're all going to die.

Alcohol in the news; Whiskey selections at 7 Saints

from WCIA 3CBS/ Illinois Homepage.net

Whiskey Selections at 7 Saints

Andy brings in some of the whiskey's from Seven Saints. The first whisky is Death's Door White Whisky. Next is from Koval Lion's Pride from Chicago, the final is from Balcones in Texas.

Alcohol in the news; Ban of 'blackout in a can' essential for safety, health

also from the daily illini

ban of 'blackout in a can' essential for safety, health

If you’ve never heard of Four Loko, you are either someone who refrains from social media, or you live in Urbana. Either way, give yourself a pat on the back.

This piece was written by Tim Knudsen. I know he was just trying to be funny... but fuck you tim knudsen.

Four Loko is often bluntly referred to as a “blackout in a can” and has lived up to this expectation. One can of the drink, which is 23.5 ounces, includes the alcohol content of six cans of light beer and the caffeine of two cups of coffee, according to Washington Liquor Control Board spokesman Brian Smith. Even consumed separately, this is a lot of either substance. But combined, this is as dangerous as Springfield Avenue in the dark.

Alright, so how much alcohol is in a can of light beer? Bud light is 4.2% ABV per 12 ounce serving. Thats... .504 ounces of ethyl alcohol in each can of bud light. If you drank a six pack, you'd be consuming 3.024 ounces of straight ethyl alcohol (the equivalent of three shots of everclear). Unless my math is wrong (it's been wrong before), (23.5 / 3.024= abv) the ABV of four loko is 7.77%. Which really isn't that high. The fact that it's a 23.5 ounce can, is the issue. The fact that it tastes like koolade, is the issue.

When caffeine brings your body up, and alcohol brings your body down, the two don’t cancel each other’s effects out — they exacerbate them. The caffeine will hide the depressant effects of alcohol and make you feel more stimulated. This will prohibit your body from putting itself to sleep when it wants to protect you from drinking more. With this, danger has arrived. The drunk (yet awake) version of you isn’t going to tell you to stop drinking, and this how so many college-aged kids recently have been hospitalized.

How much did these people ingest in a short period of time? It wouldn't matter what they are drinking.The same results would happen if someone took 6 cherry bombs in a short period of time. And I don't see this author calling for a ban of cherry vodka and red bull.

It’s easy to explain the risks of Four Loko, so what could possibly be its benefits?

It’s cheap. Four Loko is only $2.69 a can at Hometown Pantry on Green Street. In the college binge-drinking culture, many students drink just to get drunk. Considering what it contains, Four Loko is definitely one of the most economical ways to get drunk. In these hard economic times, buying a Four Loko as opposed to buying a six-pack is the only sensible thing to do — smart college students recognize this.

Buying this is "the only sensible thing to do". Actually, buying a fifth of everclear and a package of koolade (the generic kind) is the only sensible thing to do, if all you want is to get drunk. Or you can drink aqua velva.

Four Loko is 23.5 ounces of college student in a can, plain and simple. Its “benefits” would make our parents raise an eyebrow.

The drink is trendy, and will most likely sink into oblivion with the likes of Ed Hardy and upside-down visors. If not, its risks will ultimately lead to its rightful demise.

Talk of banning a drink, only makes people want it more.

Oh, and Ed Hardy has his own beer line. Apparently, the author is unaware.