Mental Floss

ALCOHOL

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Disneyland Is Getting Its First Brewery. Kind Of

The Happiest Place on Earth is about to get a little happier.

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Sorry, Barflies: Dry January Isn't a Fix For Heavy Drinking

There's no conclusive evidence that Dry January yields long-lasting benefits.

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11 Secrets of Bartenders

Three pros share some tricks of their trade, including what you should buy for your home bar, the one thing you should never order, and how to strike up a conversation with that cute stranger across the way.

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12 Unusual Ways to Use Wine and Old Wine Bottles

From anti-aging treatments to home décor, wine and old wine bottles can come in handy in nearly every part of life.

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The Surprising Ingredient to Make Your Pancakes Fluffier

It’s time to reconsider your go-to pancake recipe.

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Today's Wine Glasses Are Almost Seven Times Larger Than They Were in 1700

Drinking from a larger glass might trick us into drinking more—something to remember this holiday party season.

A huge queue outside the Board of Health offices in Centre Street, New York, for licenses to sell alcohol shortly after the repeal of prohibition. The repeal of prohibition was a key policy of Franklin Roosevelt's government as it allowed the government an opportunity to raise tax revenues at a time of economic hardship.

84 Years Ago Today: Goodbye Prohibition!

It was 84 years ago today that the Twenty-First Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, repealing the earlier Amendment that declared the manufacture, sale, and transport of alcohol illegal in the United States.

Wally Gobetz, flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

A Brief History of the Pickleback Shot

How a simple pickle juice chaser put one Brooklyn dive bar on the map.

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Archaeologists Find Traces of What Could Be the Oldest Wine in the World

They estimate it to be 8000 years old.

Sam Adams

Sam Adams's New $200 Beer Might Be Illegal in Your State

At 28 percent alcohol by volume, some states aren't even sure the pricey brew even classifies as beer.

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Why You Get Diarrhea When You're Hungover

Booze turns your digestive system into a fast-moving water (OK, vodka) slide.

Artwork from the Moe's Tavern pop-up bar in Chicago

A Chicago Bar is Dressing Up as Moe's Tavern for Halloween

Down Duff Beer while complaining about Ned Flanders.

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Want to Improve Your Foreign-Language Skills? Grab a Beer.

People get a little more fluent when they're tipsy, a new study found.

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Attention Beer Lovers: A London Brewery Is Hiring a Professional Taste-Tester

The job description says it all: “Yes, this could just be the best job in the world.”

Gïk

Spain's Famous Blue Wine Is Coming to America

The beverage's alarming hue is all natural.

Schloss Starkenberger

Need a Drink? Take a Swim in Austria’s Beer Pool

Mmm, nothing more relaxing than a hot beer.

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Archaeologists Find Italy's Earliest Wine—And It's Thousands of Years Older Than We Thought

File drinking Italian wine under "ancient tradition." Really, really ancient.

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This Beach Bar for Dogs Has Chicken Beer and Doggie Paddle Races

Monty’s Dog Beach Bar is just one more reason to put Croatia on your travel bucket list.

Zomething Different: The Rise, Fall, and Recent Comeback of Zima

How David Letterman and a bunch of teenagers helped kill Coors' clear beer, which recently made its way back onto liquor store shelves.

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Why Adding Water to Your Whiskey Makes It Taste Better

There’s a science-based argument for ordering whiskey on the rocks.

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Attention Moscow Mule Fans: Those Copper Mugs May Pose a Serious Health Threat

Your favorite libation could be poisoning you.

11 Tasty Beer Alternatives to Try This Summer

There's a whole world of summer drinks out there.

TRAVELINGOTTER, Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0

Yukon Bar Famous for Its Sourtoe Cocktail Has Its Toe Stolen

The thief left his award certificate for finishing the Sourtoe Cocktail behind.

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Creative Bar Owners in India Build Maze to Skirt New Liquor Laws

The jury's still out on whether the plan worked.