I thought I knew about soda, but I’ve never heard of most of these unique regional drinks written about on MentalFloss.com.  Check out these profiles of 11 regional sodas, many of which were invented by doctors and pharmacists.

Interestingly, Hires root-beer is actually more like “tea” than “beer”–but the marketers nailed that one.

Given the outpouring of love for North Carolina-born Cheerwine, I need to try it.  A can full of Moxie sounds pretty awesome as well.  This article taught me to looker deeper into the grocery store aisles.

~cheers

The oracle's coaster

Back on July 2nd, stacks of coasters were on the table of a “sexy soccer bar” in Brooklyn.  I sifted through them to pick out a couple.  I took the South Africa one (in honor of their hosting the World Cup) and the Spain one and stashed them in my pocket.  I’m not sure what inspired me to take the Spain one–maybe because I studied Español in high school, maybe because I appreciate a nation that appreciates naps, but it wasn’t coaster aesthetics–red and yellow are decidedly not my favorite colors.  Yet, I felt moved to choose it, and thus Spain would win.

Paul the Octopus has nothing on me.

~cheers

This came over the transom from my friend.

"A very SF beverage...bubble tea!" says my California correspondent.

She was so inspired by her beverage that she emailed it right over.  That’s the kind of beverage/beveridge appreciation that I enjoy.

~cheers

This man is no lush (at least, not famous for it).  In fact, he was an award-winning eagle scout, according to his bio.

A newcomer to elected office, could this name uniqueness (and his own $400,000) trump the name recognition of his Republic primary opponent George Wallace Jr.?

As someone who once ran for a student council office and put a drink carton on her flyers, I must applaud his campaign video slogan “Funny Name, Serious Leadership.”  Here is Young Boozer III’s video for your edutainment.

I’ll leave the real puns to the news media’s coverage of this (perhaps the most novel attention a state treasurer race earns in a long time).

~cheers

According to the BBC, here’s the official rule:

Yes. Polling station staff cannot refuse a voter simply because they are drunk or under the influence of drugs. However, if the presiding officer suspects you are incapable of voting you will be asked a series of questions to determine whether you are up to the task of casting your ballot. If the voter cannot answer satisfactorily they will be told to come back when they’ve sobered up.

This is an important rule because there are pub polling stations in the U.K., as noted in The Atlantic.

Our US bars may not be polling stations, but do not fear, dear drinking voters, your boozey ballots can count too, as shown in a 2008 example in New Mexico when a drunk woman made a scene and passed out as she voted:

A little checking determined that it was not illegal to be drunk when casting a ballot, but election laws do prohibit liquor at voting sites and creating a disturbance..Because the woman passed out before inserting her ballot into an electronic tabulator, her vote will be hand-counted.

I went for a variation on the “Sybil” smoothie from 88 Orchard Cafe with raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, pineapple juice and yogurt.

Who is the smoothie’s namesake?  I don’t know, but it was tasty.

Plus, I think it coordinates well with my outfit.

Then I am petite (more on that later).

Either way, it’s a whole lot of refreshing (carrot/orange/ginger).

~cheers

I ventured south, where they wear clover regalia

and drink green(ish) drinks

I had crossed the border to Brooklyn–the land of Corona-sponsored hats and green margaritas (on the rocks with salt…just like St. Pat used to drink*).

*not verified, but should be so

~cheers/salud

What’s a Captain Cat?

“the retired blind sea-captain, asleep in his bunk in the seashelled, ship-in-bottled, shipshape best cabin of Schooner House.”  (Played by Peter O’Toole in the 1972 movie adaptation)

What’s a Captain Cat cocktail?

1 Part – Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum

1/2 Part – Fresh Lime Juice

2 Parts – Cranberry Juice

All parts shaken over ice and strained into a martini glass.  Garnished with a fresh lime wheel.

Did I feel a little odd sipping cocktails inspired by a man who drank himself to death?  Maybe, but the drink was perky and refreshing, and I stopped at two.

Check out the first part of the radio play “Under the Milk Wood,” and enjoy the links between literature and libations.

March 1st marks the anniversary of free drinking in Iceland.

Prohibition in the U.S. lasted from 1920 to 1933.   In Iceland, it lasted from 1915 to 1989.*  Congress instituted the U.S. ban dubbed, the “Great Experiment.”  Meanwhile, Icelanders themselves voted for prohibition through a referendum.  This means that Icelanders couldn’t legally enjoy  beer for a full 75 years–because of their own doing.

Would the passage of a healthcare bill warrant a holiday?

*Granted, there was some slackening of prohibition over the years, starting with wine in 1935.  Beer was prohibited throughout.

Until today, the only things I knew about Iceland came from Bjork, depressing economic news and Where in the World is Carmen San Diego (the capital of Iceland is Reykjavik!).

~cheers to Bjordagur