Since 1971, advertisers have churned out more and more content dedicated to pushing alcohol in its various forms. But just because we might see a galloping horse promoting beer in slow motion or a fun gang carrying a cooler of malt beverages on a beach every time we turn on the TV, computer or sit staring at a subway ad, that doesn’t mean Americans are drinking more booze than we did 40 years ago, according to a new study. [More]
wine
Lawsuit Claims Several Brands Of Wine Contain “Very High” Levels Of Arsenic
By 3.20.15
Before you tip back a glass of your favorite wine to salute the glorious arrival of the weekend, you might want to consider how you feel about potentially drinking arsenic: A new lawsuit claims that some low-cost brands from various winemakers have “very high” levels of arsenic in their products. [More]
California Suing Wine Bottle Maker Over Claims That It Uses Glass Containing Toxic Materials
By 3.3.15
While acknowledging that a California glass company isn’t necessarily posing any threat to consumers with its actions, state officials are suing a Modesto business that it says recycles hazardous materials illegally and includes them in new wine bottles. [More]
Sorry, Indiana: Still No Carry-Out Booze Sales On Sunday After Bill Flounders
By 2.25.15
Indiana residents who were dreaming of picking up a bottle of wine or a few beers at their local grocery stores on a Sunday afternoon will have to stick to the other six days of the week, after support for a recent bill proposing to legalize carryout booze sales slowly drained away. [More]
Study: Raising Cigarette Prices Means People Drink Less Beer & Booze
By 9.24.14
For those who drink and smoke, it’s no surprise that often, the more you smoke, the more you end up drinking, and vice versa. So it follows that when state taxes make cigarettes more expensive, you might be inclined to smoke less, and as such, you might end up drinking less beer and whiskey as a result. That’s the effect rising cigarette prices have on alcohol consumption (except for wine), say researchers in a new study that looks at consumption habits of smokers and drinkers. [More]
Feds Pushing States To Lower The Drunk Driving Threshold To 0.05 BAC
By 9.4.14
Having a glass of wine with dinner and thinking about driving? That might be a bit more of a gamble in the future, as the National Transportation Safety Board is lobbying states to reduce their thresholds for drunk driving from the national standard of 0.08 blood alcohol concentration to 0.05. [More]
The Hamptons Can’t Even With This Rosé Shortage Right Now
By 8.28.14
If ever there was a time for the residents of the Hamptons to not even be able deal with a situation right now, it would be this moment: There have been reports that wine stores in that posh part of Long Island are running low on rosé wine. Will everyone just have to go thirsty? Aren’t we living in like, 2014? It’s the future, people. I can’t even. [insert relevant hashtag]. [More]
Unholy Alliance Of Coffee And Wine Unite In A Can
By 6.27.14
People like wine, I’ve heard it said. And people like coffee, I say to my morning cup of joe every day so it knows I appreciate it. But do we really want to mix our booze and our morning buzz, and in a can, no less? [More]
Warning: This Bottle Of Wine May Explode
By 6.18.14
Sure, we at Consumerist have our issues with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, but here’s one case where centralized government control of the booze supply may be a good thing. Since the Liquor Control Board owns and operates all liquor stores in the state, reports of exploding prosecco bottles filtered in to the government in a timely manner, and they in turn have alerted the public. [More]
Congratulations, Everyone: U.S. Is Now The Top Wine Market In The World
By 5.13.14
While they’ve been enjoying Pinot noir and sampling fine Champagne over in France for more years than the United States has been a country, there’s a new No. 1 wine market in the world and it rhymes with “USA, USA!” Yes, it’s our sipping habits that have made our country the top when it comes to swilling vino. [More]
Get Through Your Friday With The Help Of This Laughably Bad Anti-Liquor-Privatization Ad
By 5.2.14
Here in Pennsylvania, there’s a heated debate going on about whether or not to ease the state’s byzantine laws on the sale of alcohol. Both sides of the issue have merit, but a new ad arguing against changing the law isn’t doing itself any favors. [More]
As U.S. Postal Service Sinks Into Irrelevance, It Seeks Hope In the Bottom Of A Bottle
By 12.19.13
Like too many once-great leaders who have been knocked from their pedestals by the disruptive forces of time and progress, the U.S. Postal Service is turning to wine and spirits while trying to hold on to the belief that it still has a future in the world that has outgrown it. [More]
At Least Thieves Who Boosted $648,000 Worth Of Wine Kept It At The Right Temperature
By 12.12.13
Every time we hear about a heist, images of thieves decked head to toe in black, spiraling down from special spy ropes hanging from the ceiling and saws cutting through safe walls inevitably dance through the air. And in the case of $648,000 worth of pilfered wine found in a temperature controlled environment, it certainly sounds like the suspects were following a very precise plan. [More]
The Second-Cheapest Bottle Of Wine Has The Highest Mark-Up & Other Restaurant ‘Secrets’
By 12.6.13
Many of us have been there, especially in our early to mid-20s, on a date and being asked to pick a wine. You don’t want to look cheap, so you rule out the least expensive bottle on the list and opt to spend a few dollars more to seem like a dollar-sensitive sophisticate. Restaurant owners are apparently on to our completely predictable ways, and that’s why you probably just paid a lot more for that wine than it’s worth. [More]
Now That There’s Wine For Cats You Really Won’t Have To Drink Alone
By 10.15.13
We come to you bearing great news, feline lovers: Not only is there now a wine for cat — providing you with a cuddly drinking buddy at your beck and call! — but it’s also called Nyan Nyan Nouveau so we can only hope that the Great Nyan Cat himself will come shooting out of the bottle in a blaze of rainbow toaster pastry glory. [More]
Study: Wine Drinkers Often Have Heavier Hands When Pouring For Themselves
By 9.30.13
There’s a condition often suffered by wine drinkers, one that I always attributed to the fact that my skeleton is made of Osmium, wherein your hand becomes so heavy that before you know it, there’s quite a large serving of wine in the glass. The only way to resolve that situation is of course, to drink it. But it turns out not everyone has dense hand bones, says a new study, wine drinkers just tend to be the over-serving sort when pouring for themselves. [More]
Needy Oenophiles Pawning Prize Bottles Of Wine For Cash
By 8.20.13
Eight years ago, it seemed like everyone in New York City was operating a hedge fund, and many of those suddenly rich folks splurged on necessities like rare bottles of wine. Then things went sour and these briefly wealthy types had to relocate the contents of their wine cellars to a storage unit. Realizing that cash-in-hand may be more helpful than bottles of wine they may never drink, some are using their prize wine collections as collateral on short-term loans. [More]
‘Downton Abbey’ Coming Out With Wine Line, Footmen To Serve Drinks Not Included
By 6.26.13
These days it’s like if you don’t have an alcoholic beverage tied to your TV show, you are a party pooper. Joining the booze theme parade is everyone’s (current) favorite British import, Downton Abbey. The Crawley family-inspired wines will come in a range of Bordeaux clarets and whites, just like the kind the British aristocracy would’ve had served to them by Mr. Carson and his gang of faithful servants. [More]
