Fancy a quick drink?
Beer, as all alcoholic drinks, is made by fermentation caused by
bacteria feeding on the yeast cells, then defecating. This bacterial
excrement is called alcohol.
Make mine a double.
The worlds strongest beer is 'Samuel Adams' Triple Bock, which has
reached 17% alcohol by volume. To obtain this level, however, they had
to use a champagne yeast.
Just in case you were thinking of driving.
Modern breathalyzers work on a clever electrochemical principle. The
subject's breath is passed over a platinum electrode, which causes the
alcohol to bind with oxygen, forming acetic acid. In the process it
loses two electrons, a process that sets up a current in a wire
connected to the electrode. The higher the concentration of alcohol in
the breath, the greater the electrical current, which can be read by a
simple meter to indicate intoxication levels
Party Animal.
Attila the Hun was suspected of suffocating from a bloody nose after
passing out from alcohol at his 'bachelor party'.
Alcoholism in America
Reno, Nevada has the highest rate of alcoholism in the U.S., Provo,
Utah, the lowest. Now there's a big surprise all round!
Interesting fact
The saying 'Mind your P's and Q's' comes from the time when alcoholic
beverages were served/sold in Pints and Quarts. Thus, to mind your P's
and Q's meant to be careful how much you drank.
Well, if that's the law...
It is always helpful to have a law that clearly defines when a person is
legally intoxicated. In Kentucky, anyone who has been drinking is
considered sober until he or she cannot hold onto the ground.
Toddlers
The term 'toddlers' originated in England. There were impurities in the
drinking water that disallowed the water to be used for drinking. A
common alternative drink was beer (it was cheep, plentiful and the water
used to make it was treated during the initial boiling during brewing).
Toddlers, just weaning off of mothers milk were unaccustomed to the
effects of beer. This coupled with the fact that they were just learning
how to walk really made them toddle.
Dispelling the stereotypes
In the mid 70's, Australians were the 3rd biggest beer drinker in the
world. (behind Germany and Belgium). In the late 90's, they don't even
get into the top ten! |