Tequila: It’s as simple as 1…2…3

The irrepressible and enthusiastic David Ravandi, a telling combination of practical and romantic mixed up in one persona, visited Portland this week to speak long and lovingly about his primary passion: his new Tequila brand, Uno Dos Tres.
Ravandi had a three part vision for his new tequila: First, it had to be organically made and organically certified.  Second, it had to be only of the finest quality.  And third, it had to be done in the authentic and traditional style of original tequila from the heartland of tequila.
Looks like he succeeded on all three counts.

Organically Certified
Despite romantic wishful thinking, Mexico is not largely organic. Quite the opposite, actually.  Poor and undeveloped is not the same thing as organic, and agrarian countries tend to depend fairly heavily on

The Drunkest States in America

Photo by wickenden

 Can YOUR State Hold it's Liquor??
 
 This fall, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) released a comprehensive study of alcohol consumption per capita for every state in the U.S. as of 2007. Essentially, the NIAAA gathered up data on alcohol sales for each state and then divided it by census population numbers, including any person 14 or older (can’t forget all those underage drinkers). The results are broken down into consumption of beer, wine and spirits, so you can learn if people in different states are more likely to be beer guzzlers or wine snobs.

Keep in mind that these numbers are based on alcohol sales in each state, so we can’t say for sure who is drinking what, just what people are buying. The original study listed alcohol consumption in terms of ethanol (or pure alcohol). So we crunched some numbers to get you data in terms you can drop in to cocktail party conversations. Here you’ll find how many gallons of alcohol are consumed by the average person in each state, and how many cans of beer (16 oz.) and bottles of wine (25 oz.) that translates to.

America Gets Its Drink On

In 2007, the average American bought 31.6 gallons of alcoholic beverages. This amount has been rising gradually since the start of the decade, with the biggest growth occurring in the amount of wine and spirits being purchased. In 2000, for example, the average American purchased just more than 12

bottles of wine, while in 2007, they purchased 15 bottles.

Still, the majority of alcohol consumption is from beer. The average Americans bought 26.9 gallons of beer in 2007, which works out to be about 215 cans (if each cans was 16 oz, or one pint).

10 MOST SOBER STATES:

10th Least Drunk State: Ohio

Ohioans may have one of the best party schools in their state and love their college football, but apparently they are better at moderating the amount of alcohol they drink than most other states in the country. Way to go, Ohio. You've got class.

Total Alcohol Consumed: 32.6 gallons per person

Beer: 236 cans per person

Wine: 9.9 bottles per person

Spirits: 1.1 gallons per person 

 

TOP 7 Drinking (Beer/Wine/Alcohol) Movies

2diggsdigg

7Share

We start the Top 7. You finish the Top 10.

In honor of The Hangover, we present the Top 7 Drinking (Beer/Wine/Alcohol) Movies.

As always, there is certain criteria to get on this list:
1. Alcohol must play a prominent role.
2. The movie makes you want to reach for a drink.

Based on this, we’ve got some cuts to make before we start. Leaving Las Vegas you’re out. The destructive, slow death of alcoholic Ben (Nic Cage) is a sad, well-done film. Plus, adding Elisabeth Shue as hooker is brilliant casting. But this movie is about pain, and while everyone should realize drinking has a dark side, let’s not talk about that here, OK?

Also, Cocktail we’re leaving you off as well. This Tom Cruise movie is supposed to be a drama. But after my 15th viewing, there’s just too much unintentional comedy. And it doesn’t follow rule #2, I don’t want a blue drink with a pineapple sticking out of it no matter how many times I sit through it. Not only that, the song “Kokomo” has aged about as well as Shue. Yes, she’s in this one as well.

And finally, Arthur … I don’t like you. Dudley Moore is revered for playing a spoiled alcoholic, but I never liked this movie and punching Moore always sounds better to me than tying one on with the man.

Now, on to the list.

Hey - can I share a drink with my dog?

Every culture has its vices, and booze is among the most common of legal and widely accepted vices in the western world.
 

Funny fact: While it is strongly recommended you not let your pet drink booze of any variety, oddly enough, guess what the treatment is for antifreeze poisoning: ethanol. What common convenient bottle is kept in most vets’ offices for this emergency? Everclear. And seriously, it’s not for sampling.

So let’s talk about booze and your pets. Nowadays more than ever, pet owners are sharing their food, homes, and beds with their pets. Most can see the logic that a pet owner would perhaps take in offering to share their adult beverage with their pet.

We all enjoy a cocktail from time to time, so why not let your pooch have a few laps, right? No. Dogs and cats often get more than drunk when they lap on your adult beverage–they may get a trip to the emergency vet hospital.

 

We all know that little bitty girls can’t hold their alcohol as well as big burly experienced drinkers. Well, your dog is (likely) smaller than a 90 lb human lightweight, and almost guaranteed to have a lower tolerance.  Would you expect anything different?

 

Alcohol in pets–whether it is a beer that was accidentally left alone and your dog found it quite tasty, or if you poured it into his doggy dish, is significantly more toxic to pets than it is to humans.

He loves you; love him back!

Within 15 to 30 minutes of ingesting alcohol on your pet’s empty stomach, you may be able to appreciate signs of central nervous system depression–that is if you aren’t too boozed up yourself. These signs can include staggering, excitement, or decreased reflexes, along with behavioral changes–increased urination.

As problems increase, they are at risk for a slow respiratory rate, cardiac arrest, and death.  Emergency treatment is CRUCIAL for your drunken and staggering 4-legged companion, and you may not even be capable of even driving him to the vet. Blood tests, IV fluids, and even ventilation may be needed. Somehow sharing that cocktail becomes a lot less fun for all involved.

Remember, prevention is easy; knowledge is power. If you suspect your pet has ingested any form of alcohol, ask a vet immediately.