Clearly Hungover Scientists Make Excuses: A study released this week trumpeted the value of exercise in undoing the damage of a night of solid drinking. Like so many other health-positive studies, we’re skeptical of this one, but being in better shape certainly can’t hurt your drinking career either. Maybe it’s time to swap in some heavier weights on those 12 ounce curls.
Ginned Up: Another somewhat suspicious study released this week linked a preference for bitter, herbal drinks like gin (or, say, a solid IPA) to psychopathic tendencies. The team behind the study credited a measure of “everyday sadism” for these traits, which sounds more like a compliment to us. It’s also not the first time we’ve been called psychopaths, so perhaps we’re a bit biased. We say leave the scientists to the sweet stuff and hang out with the bitter people– we’re funnier.
Can-Canned IPAs: Pounder cans of fresh IPAs are a beautiful thing, but where to start? Fortunately for you, Aaron Goldfarb has put together a list of some of the best in the game to start your shopping. Yes, The Alchemist is on there, but the rest of the gang is worth seeking out. Your highly biased author would point you towards the “Others Worth Ogling” section and urge you to check out Sand City Brewing Company in Northport, Long Island. Said author is currently about fifty feet from a stash of cold Fade to Jade IPA cans, and they are severely testing his reserve.
Speaking of The Alchemist: Michael Kiser of Good Beer Hunting tracked down Alchemist co-founder and Heady Topper inventor John Kimmich for a lengthy look inside the brewery’s history, growing pains, and astounding grassroots support for the justifiably famous Heady Topper. Apart from a truly great beer tale, the story illustrates Kimmich’s pleasantly bleak take on Heady’s eventual legacy: “What will I care? I’m going to be dead and gone. It doesn’t mean a hill of beans the day I take my last breath…Maybe the aliens come down in 10 years and fucking eat us all. Then it doesn’t matter.” Cheers to Kimmich for his work, and to his eventual rager of a wake and/or alien apocalypse.
Still Missing The Old Kanye: Stillwater Artisanal Ales was recently forced to recall bottles of their I Miss The Old Kanye Brett Porter after a licensing firm that controls Kanye’s merchandising rights took umbrage to the beer’s name and Pablo-style label. There’s still no word on if Kanye has tried the beer, but we’re hoping it works its way up the jewel-encrusted ladder of the ‘Ye structure and lets him know Stillwater (and the rest of us) could use a little more time for Registration.
Stay Nerdy: Just in time for your Friday long read, the New York Times recently put out a piece examining the current boom in American-made barrels for spirits, beer, wine, and all the rest that Pinterest can offer. We’re still convinced that cooperage involves some sort of magic, but at least now we can know more about the actual mechanics of building everyone’s favorite wooden vessel.