Refenestration Daily.
I went to buy some beer Friday evening and, after selecting a brew, I took it to the register to pay. The clerk was a man in his 40s with a double chin:
Clerk: How old are you?
Me: 27.
Clerk: Oh, ok… That’ll be $7.13.
I then proceeded to pay for the beer. But, it left me wondering whether this was the clerk’s attempt at age verification or whether he was just curious how old I was ;).
Ah, just in time. MetaFilter has a thread today on hangover remedies. As mentioned in the FPP, the time-tested water & aspirin is a good standby (and it’s what I go with, though with ibuprofen in lieu of aspirin). And, as would be expected on MetaFilter, there’s a fair degree of snark with several suggestions to just keep drinking; but, there’re also some more useful comments in there.
One that caught my eye is N-Acetyl Cysteine, suggested by dws. N-Acetyl Cysteine, also known by its acronym “NAC”, is an over-the-counter supplement with a variety of uses, from treating an acetaminophen overdose to compensating for depressed levels of glutathione in AIDS patients. However, it apparently can also counteract hangovers:
Studies suggest that NAC, taken together with Vitamin C and B1 can be used to prevent and relief syptoms of veisalgia (hangover caused by alcohol). The primary detoxification mechanism for scavenging unmetabolized acetaldehyde (product of alcohol dehydrogenase) is sulfur-containing antioxidants. Cysteine and glutathione are active against acetaldehyde because they contain a reduced (unoxidized) form of sulfur called a sulfhydryl group, which contains a sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom (abreviated SH). Another study indicates, that N-acetylcysteine generally regresses the oxidative damage induced by alcohol. […]
Of course, I’m guessing that all the usual stores which might carry NAC would be closed today; so, I’ll just have to buy some in time for next year. However, the Wikipedia page on Hangovers also mentions that NAC can be found to some extent in eggs — perhaps explaining why eggs are a component of many hangover folk remedies. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an omelette to make (HHOS).
I’ve been pining for Splenda Coke for some time, but it looks like my wish may come to fruition. Apparently, Coke is considering introducing a new Coke variety in 2005 made with Splenda (!).
The new drink, which could be called Coke Zero, Coke Light, Tab or a variation of Tab, would have no calories and be sweetened with sucralose and another artificial sweeter, according to a report in Beverage Digest.
The product is still in the “concept testing” phase, Beverage Digest said. A spokeswoman for Coca-Cola refused to confirm or deny speculation that the drink was in the works. […]
Of course, sucralose-based colas are already here, namely Diet RC and Diet Rite (both of which are made by the same company, but Diet RC also has caffeine). And I could probably drink Diet RC for the rest of my life and not mind it, but Splenda Coke has the additional advantage of Coca Cola’s marketing muscle — it should be available just about anywhere.
I’m back in Pittsburgh to visit my parents for Thanksgiving. And, as my dad isn’t a beer drinker (he prefers wine), we didn’t have much beer in the house when my brother and I arrived. So, it was time for a beer run :). And, in case you're not aware of Pennsylvania’s silly beer laws, beer can only be sold by the case here — the logic is that people would drink less that way (or something).
So, my brother and I headed off to a beer store (yeah, a beer-only store, since beer can’t be sold in supermarkets here). As we perused the aisles, we came across St. Nikolaus Bock from Pennsylvania Brewing. There were a couple other tempting beers, such as Sam Adams Octoberfest, but we decided to go for a case of the St. Nikolaus Bock as we’d probably have a hard time finding Penn Brewing beers elsewhere.
After chilling a few bottles in the fridge, Adrian and I popped open a few later that evening. I took a few sips and realized that this was undeniably a bock — there was plenty of malt flavor without much of a hops presence. And, it reminded me a bit of Paulaner Salvator (a dopplebock) as both had overtones of caramel and raisins.
Both of them are good beers but they’re not really sipping-beers. As sweet as they are, they’re almost unpleasant when drank on their own; but they can be rather enjoyable with the right food to accompany them. And, just to assuage my curiosity, I decided to check on which foods would be suitable for a bock. BeerTown has a section on food/beer pairings where they suggested barbecued salmon with a dry bock (that and limburger cheese, but I’m not sure when I’ll next run across some limburger).
And, RealBeer offers the interesting suggestion that sweeter bocks could be paired well with “heartier, spicier desserts, such as pumpkin pie or spice cake.” Now, are you thinking what I’m thinking? Considering that we’re in the Thanksgiving season, my family had both pecan and pumpkin pies yesterday; and, we had some leftover as well. So, perhaps around 10pm one evening, I may have to partake in a snack of some pumpkin pie along with St Nikolaus Bock :).
HealthTalk reports on findings by researchers from the University of Newcastle that drinking tea might prevent Alzheimer’s disease. I’m a tea drinker, so this was pleasant news (not that I plan on having Alzheimer’s, but every bit helps).
During laboratory testing, the researchers found green and black tea inhibited the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which breaks down the chemical messenger or neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Alzheimer’s is characterized by a drop in acetylcholine.
Both teas [black and green] also were found to hinder the activity of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), a substance found in protein deposits on the brain of Alzheimer’s patients. […]
I enjoy tea each morning, which I brew at home and take to work with me in my stainless steel “coffee mug”. In addition to being a tasty start to the morning, perhaps this offers a health benefit. I suppose that most people have tried tea and have already decided whether they like it or not.
But, if you’re undecided on tea or if you want to give it another try, I find that The Republic of Tea makes some good teas. If you’re not sure where to start, British Breakfast is a good all-around tea (and Earl Grey is another of my favorites). And, for the best flavor, I would recommend “full leaf” teas (as opposed to tea bags). But, that doesn’t mean a mess of loose tea in your mug — a Brew Basket (about $4.50) can steep single-serving mugs of tea without leaving tea leaves in your glass.