Free Republic

Republicans are leading the charge against alcohol consumption in the US. Across the US, drinking rates have plunged to their lowest level in 90 years. Only 54 percent of adults said they had a drink last month, according to Gallup data. That's the lowest level since the polling group began collecting the figures in 1939. Only 46 percent of Republican voters reported having any alcohol in all of last year, a one third drop from 2023. By comparison Democrat drinkers only decline by five percent in the same period. 'Americans' drinking habits are shifting amid the medical world's reappraisal of...

Long before bourbon dominated the liquor market, rye whiskey reigned supreme. Now, a Midwestern distiller is teaming up with scientists to bring back a long-gone type of grain and turn it into spicy, bold whiskey. The source is a wooden schooner named the James R. Bentley that's been sitting in Lake Huron for nearly 150 years. The ship sank in Nov. 1878 after striking a shoal.

The United States' 15% tariff on EU goods could reduce the value of alcohol sales by almost $2 billion and put 25,000 U.S. jobs at risk, a group of 57 alcohol industry groups wrote in a letter sent to President Trump on Tuesday. The letter was signed by organisations representing major European producers, including Diageo and Pernod Ricard, U.S. whiskey and wine producers, as well as glass suppliers, retailers and restaurants. Washington and Brussels agreed last month to a 15% import tariff on most European Union goods after talks that halved the threatened rate and averted a bigger trade war....

A shared packaging supplier mistakenly shipped empty Celsius cans to High Noon.The canned cocktail maker High Noon is warning customers that some of its vodka seltzers were accidentally labeled as Celsius energy drinks. In a recall notice posted to the Food and Drug Administration's website, High Noon said an unspecified number of its Beach Variety packs contain cans are filled with High Noon vodka seltzer alcohol but have been mislabeled as Celsius Astro Vibe energy drink, Sparkling Blue Razz Edition, with a silver top. The products were shipped to retailers in Florida, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin...

Researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa have successfully created a highly unstable alcohol molecule once thought impossible to observe, using conditions that mimic outer space. The compound, called methanetetrol, has now been confirmed for the first time after more than a century of scientific speculation. The breakthrough suggests that this so-called super alcohol can form in the extreme environments of deep space, challenging long-held assumptions in both chemistry and astronomy. The team produced methanetetrol by replicating the harsh conditions of interstellar clouds—environments filled with ice, radiation, and near-vacuum pressure. The molecule stands out because it carries four hydroxyl...

Alcohol may have done more than just fuel celebrations in ancient societies. A study led by Václav Hrnčíř from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology suggests that indigenous fermented drinks helped ancient societies grow in size and complexity. The study, published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, draws a link between alcohol and the rise of structured governance. Researchers analyzed data from 186 traditional societies worldwide. They found that communities producing their own alcoholic drinks, like fruit wines or cereal beers, often showed higher levels of political organization. The team focused on societies that existed before industrialization and widespread...

A mother in East Texas was arrested after a child got sick from alleged vodka-laced Jell-O shots at a fifth grade school holiday party in December. Teresa Isabel Bernal, 33, is facing a felony count of injury to a child after multiple students consumed what officials allege were vodka-laced treats Dec. 20 at Jones Elementary School in Tyler. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by KETK, a Tyler Independent School District (ISD) police officer received a phone call from the Jones Elementary assistant principal that said she believed a parent had brought in Jell-O shots to a class Christmas party....

By Jackie Roman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Food and beverages with high caffeine content may soon require clear labeling, and their effects may be studied after a spate of wrongful death suits and cardiac incidents across the country tied to energy drinks. Currently, there are no federal regulations requiring clear labeling for energy drinks or other caffeinated products, despite some studies showing the severe health impacts of highly caffeinated beverages. Lawmakers and consumer safety groups say that leaves consumers unaware of how much caffeine they’re ingesting and the potential dangers. The Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act, reintroduced Monday...

The European Commission recently presented measures to strengthen the competitiveness of the wine sector and that includes the promotion of alcohol-free wine. Health concerns, a crackdown on drink-driving, changing habits among the younger generation, all of these factors are thought to be reasons why per capita alcohol consumption in Europe fell by 20% between 2000 and 2019, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Faced with flagging demand, some winemakers are betting on alcohol-free wine and opting for innovation to diversify sales. Near the city of Charleroi, Associated Beverage Solutions has been producing alcohol-free wine since 2018 using vacuum distillation,...

Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) has renewed his call to repeal a little-known section of the 2021 Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) containing a federal mandate that all vehicles sold after 2026 must have a kill switch. In a hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Wednesday, Massie questioned Michael Hanson who was representing the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) over the requirement for a kill switch that can disable vehicles based on a driver’s performance. Hanson affirmed that section 24220 the IIJA directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require advanced impaired driving detection...

Far-left Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is urging New Mexicans via the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) to join the “Dry January” challenge, which means no consumption of alcohol whatsoever during the first month of the year. “Start the new year with a healthy reset by joining the growing movement of Dry January, a month-long commitment to go alcohol-free and focus on wellness,” wrote the Department in a press release. “Dry January is a global public health initiative encouraging people to take a break from alcohol for the entire month of January.” Democrat allies of the governor in the legislature...

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has done more to politicize science and erode trust in public-health leaders than anyone other than Anthony Fauci. Dr. Murthy was at it again on Friday with a headline-grabbing report that recommends alcohol be distributed with cancer warnings. The report warns that, for some cancers, “evidence shows that this risk may start to increase around one or fewer drinks per day.” Note the operative word, may. The link between heavy drinking and throat and mouth cancer is well-established—but not for moderate consumption. Two weeks earlier the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released a congressionally...

There are about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths each year, according to the new report.Alcoholic drinks should carry cancer risk warning labels, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in a report Friday. The report cites a direct link between alcohol consumption and at least seven types of cancer, including of the breast, colorectal, liver and mouth. An estimated 16.4% of total breast cancer cases are linked to drinking alcohol. There are about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths in the U.S. each year, the report found. Alcohol is the third-leading cause...

Germanic warrior taking stimulants imagined by Stanislav (Stanisław) Kontny, especially for the Praehistorische Zeitschrift. Credit: Stanisław Kontny for Praehistorische Zeitschrift Recent discoveries suggest that small spoon-shaped objects attached to the belts of ancient Northern European warriors might have been used to measure doses of stimulants before battle. These findings, uncovered through the combined efforts of archaeologists and biologists, propose a widespread use of natural stimulants among the Germanic peoples during the Roman period, challenging the notion that these groups primarily consumed alcohol. The use of such substances could have been crucial not only in warfare but also in medicinal and...

Capitol Hill Police Chief J. Thomas Manger has rebuffed a request from the House Subcommittee on Oversight for documents pertaining to the investigation of a key witness in the 2022 Oath Keepers trial. Manger replied last month to a letter from U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), chairman of the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Oversight, asking for two disciplinary reports on Special Agent David Lazarus. A Blaze Media investigation in October revealed that Lazarus appeared to lie to the FBI and again on the witness stand about his whereabouts during a confrontation between members of the Oath Keepers and Capitol...

Photograph shows a metal flask casting a huge shadow that looks like a looming monster, symbolizing hangover anxiety. Is there a way to prevent the unpleasant symptoms that come with a heavy night of drinking? Experts weigh in on common hangover myths. Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR Hangover cures are a dime a dozen. Guzzle a few raw eggs. Take an aspirin before bed. Chug a beer in the morning. These remedies promise to banish some of the nasty symptoms that can come with drinking way too much alcohol: headache, nausea, vertigo, anxiety — or all of the above. But...

Researchers find that hornets have several copies of the gene responsible for producing the enzyme that breaks down alcohol.A new discovery from researchers at Tel Aviv University has identified a surprising champion of alcohol tolerance – the Oriental hornet. In their recently-published study, the researchers put the Oriental hornet in the spotlight, where it stands alone — and completely sober — as the only known animal capable of consuming high concentrations of alcohol continuously without experiencing any adverse effects. This finding could revolutionize scientists’ approach to alcohol-related research. “This is a remarkable animal that shows no signs of intoxication...

Denmark wants to focus on renewable fuels to reduce the environmental impact from shipping. Svitzer, a major global provider of port and terminal infrastructure, has signed a deal with the Danish business Nordhavn Power Solutions to supply two methanol-based generator systems for a new hybrid tugboat. The boat, built by Turkish shipyard Uzmar, will run on a hybrid system with batteries and a methanol-generating system that produces low emissions. The methanol system is planned to be used by Nordhavn Power Solutions as part of their environmentally friendly portfolio. The new tugboat is expected to be delivered at the beginning of...

There are several factors to take into accountWho doesn't have a beer, a glass of wine or a glass of spirits every so often? Well, experts warn of the danger of doing so too often, as it can lead to short- and long-term problems for the brain, as revealed by neurologist Dr. Richard Restak in his book 'Complete Guide to Memory: The Science of Strengthening Your Mind'. What can happen to our brains? Alcohol consumption is an ingrained part of social culture, where bars are the main meeting point and beer, wine or spirits come naturally. However, alcohol consumption...

Blasphemy, I thought. There it was, a prepackaged mojito in a grocery store. This was about a decade ago. Still, I was curious to try it, because a canned cocktail that was actually good? That could be a gateway to converting pedestrian drinkers into cocktail nerds. Sadly, there was no craft in that canned mojito. No love. It confirmed my conviction that quality drinks must be mixed, not mass-produced. Recently, however, I popped open a daiquiri from Tip Top, an Atlanta-based company specializing in classic cocktails served in Lilliputian cans. It was, shockingly, sublime. The simple yet difficult-to-balance daiquiri is...