Free Republic

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. (KMSP) - It's yet another instance of a neighbor puling a gun on a neighbor. This time, it happened in Rosemount, Minn. while a father was teaching his 7-year-old daughter how to ride a bicycle. Gary Drake, 61, is facing second-degree assault and terroristic threat charges after he was accused of brandishing a shotgun on Daytona Way last week. It's an idyllic street, but neighbors there like to talk. When Jeanne Helgeson heard rumors that a well-known neighbor had threatened someone with a gun, she didn't believe it -- until her next-door neighbor confirmed the details, that is....

<p>One of the oldest distilleries in the country is warning of what some observers are calling a “whiskey apocalypse.”</p> <p>“Despite the increase in distillation over the past few years,” says Buffalo Trace, “bourbon demand still outpaces supply.”</p> <p>The apocalypse is looming, explains Esquire, because whiskey has become trendy overnight.</p>

Is Hillary Clinton’s health an issue for 2016? You bet it is, and well it should be. -snip- On Dec. 7, 2012, she disappeared from view — without a word. Three days passed before the State Department said the secretary of state was “under the weather” as it announced she would cancel a planned trip to the Middle East. -snip- And this wasn’t her first episode. In 1998, she was treated for a blood clot in her leg. She fainted during a 2005 speech in Buffalo, N.Y., broke her elbow in an unexplained 2009 fall in the State Department garage,...

For LGBT teenagers, burgeoning sexual identity and alcohol mix in powerful and unhealthy ways, a U.S. study suggests. Presenting the study at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Vancouver, early in May, researchers say they’ve found binge drinking among gay and lesbian youth may be caused by chronic stress associated with societal stigmas. The U.S. study, by the a team at the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles in conjunction with the University of Southern California’s School of Social Work, looked at the responses of more than 1,000 gay- and lesbian-identified youth in an online survey. The survey of gay...

The back story: Is vermouth the next “it” sip? Certainly, that’s what a number of wine and spirits enthusiasts are suggesting. Though the category has basically been flat sales-wise since 2011 — at about 1.5 million cases per year, according to the Beverage Information Group — a number of boutique vermouths have come onto the market, playing up the sip’s unique flavor and heritage. (Vermouth is typically a wine that’s been enhanced with botanicals, sugar and a stronger spirit.) Indeed, even though vermouth is primarily associated with European producers, there’s now a quality one being made right in New York....

The liquor store union in Pennsylvania is on the ropes. Right now if one wants to buy beer or liquor in the Keystone State one must buy it from the state owned liquor stores. Run by state employees. But soon Pennsylvania will likely join the civilized world in allowing its residents to buy beer the way God intended. From a gas station. This is curtains for the liquor store employee union and it is not giving up without a fight. The spin guys for the union put together this ad to warn us that if booze was taken out of...

A study recently came out analyzing the damage to the brain caused by pot smoking. Unfortunately, it came out during the week of the Triduum, and a Catholic blog like this had another focus at that time. But it’s time to circle back and have a look.I wrote some time ago of my anecdotal observation that the pot smokers I knew all developed serious problems with motivation, and that the effects of being “high” lingered long after toking a joint and went on to become semi-permanent. It involved a glazed look, a shuffling gait, and a lethargic attitude largely exemplified...

What is the alcohol content of beer? Well that depends on what you’re drinking. Locate your favorite brand below to find out.

According to USA Today, the U.S. federal government has approved a new brand of powdered alcohol, "Palcohol." The alcohol comes in a powdered form that can be stirred into beverages or sprinkled over food. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved seven new versions of Palcohol, including Margarita, Lemon Drop, Mojito, and Cosmopolitan flavors. Palcohol, which already exists in countries like Germany and Japan, will reportedly hit shelves this fall. According to the company's website, each pouch of powder is equivalent to one shot of alcohol. The powder is mixed in with five ounces of water, or...

Powdered. Alcohol. Putting aside whether you think it sounds like a good idea, does it not seem like an intriguing concept? Well, Palcohol has officially been approved by the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, so expect this alcoholic version of the Kool-Aid powder to be in liquor stores soon enough!Here’s the pitch for Palcohol on its website: “Wouldn’t it be great to have alcohol in powder form so all one had to do is add water? Since powder is light and compact, it wouldn’t be a burden to carry.”They expect to be selling it starting this fall,...

This is a product where absolutely nothing will go wrong, we're sure. Trying to sneak booze is an American past time. Well, not THE American past time -- but now there's a way for you to sneak alcohol easily into your favorite sporting event! Heck, you don't even need to use a syrup bottle. Meet "Palcohol"

This pricey drink is "here to troll us all," SFist proclaims.The World's Best Martini has arrived in San Francisco. And it's yours for a mere $125. Bring the company credit card to that three-martini lunch. SFist reports that the Ame Restaurant bar at the St. Regis hotel and residences in San Francisco's South of Market has crafted "the World's Greatest Martini." The drink, "San Francisco's most luxurious cocktail," is for a "spirits aficionado" who "has tried everything," according to to PR person pushing the drink. 2 Days-Old Kittens Survive Accidentally Being Mailed What could possibly be worth $125? Well --...

CHELSEA CLINTON IS THE PRODUCT OF TWO OF THE MOST POWERFUL BRANDS IN THE WORLD. NOW SHE'S FINALLY CARVING OUT HER OWN IDENTITY--BY JOINING THE FAMILY BUSINESS.... I woke up one day when I was 29 and craved red meat," says Chelsea, now 34, and a self-described omnivore. "I'm a big believer in listening to my body's cravings." ... she's not just another millennial. She's political royalty. And now, finally, she has decided to join the Clinton family business.... ... "People [were] always asking me [since I was a kid], 'Do you want to go into politics?' " she tells me,...

Move over, “Animal House”; Hollywood’s got nothing on the federal government when it comes to buying booze. Federal spending records show the government spends seven figures a year stocking its cabinets with wine, beer and liquor. In fiscal 2013, the last year for which there are complete records, the government spent almost $1.3 million on alcohol, more than quadruple the $315,000 spent in 2005. The spending on liquor has increased over the years toward the $1 million mark, with 2013’s tab growing more than $400,000 over 2012. “You could say that Washington’s quite literally drunk on other people’s money,” said...

(CNN) -- It's been eight years since a black exotic dancer in Durham, North Carolina, accused three white Duke University lacrosse players of rape, sexual assault and kidnapping at a party. Whether you believe justice was adequately served -- without a trial, the North Carolina attorney general unilaterally declared the indicted players innocent -- one fact remains indisputable: A whole lot of underage drinking of beer and Jack Daniels was going on throughout much of that March day, badly impairing the judgment of the more than 40 man-boys in attendance. According to a June 2006 study by Aaron White, then...

Tequila shots may do more than lighten the mood at a party; the drink may be beneficial for your health as well. According to researchers from Mexico, natural sugars derived from the agave plant, called agavins, greatly protected a group of mice against diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes, MedPage Today reported. […] Because agavins act as dietary fibers and do not raise blood sugar, the researchers believe the ingredient could be used as an alternative sweetening agent. …

Guinness has dropped its sponsorship of New York's St Patrick's Day march after organisers refused to allow groups marching in the parade carrying pro-gay signs. The beer-maker announced its descision after gay groups threatened to dump its product from the shelves of the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the gay rights movement. Guinness is not alone in boycotting the annual event. Other beer companies joined the boycotts earlier, with Sam Adams withdrawing its sponsorship of Boston's parade and Heineken following suit in New York. New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio will become the first mayor in decades to sit...

The makers of Sam Adams and Heineken beer say they are withdrawing their sponsorship of St. Patrick's Day parades because organizers exclude gay groups. Boston Beer Co., Sam Adam's brewer, said in a statement Friday that it is disappointed that an agreement couldn't be reached between the gay rights advocacy group MassEquality and Boston parade organizers that would have allowed gay veterans to march. Meanwhile, Heineken USA said it was withdrawing from the New York City parade, and told CNBC on Friday: "We believe in equality for all. We are no longer a sponsor of Monday's parade." The decisions came...

<p>The maker of Sam Adams beer says it is withdrawing its sponsorship of Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade because organizers exclude gay groups.</p>

Sam Adams Pulls Its Sponsorship of St Patrick's Day Parade Over Gay Rights Boston parade organisers failed to reach an agreement with gay rights advocacy group, causing beer brewer to withdraw support 14 March 2014 The New York parade organisers have also come under fire for their policy toward LGBT people. The maker of Sam Adams beer says it is withdrawing its sponsorship of Boston’s St Patrick’s Day parade a day after negotiations to allow gay groups to march broke down. Boston Beer Co said in a statement Friday that it is disappointed that an agreement couldn’t be reached between...