Archive for category Drinks

“In any case, Feb. 22 is the real National Margarita Day, but since we’re plenty familiar with those cocktails already, we thought we’d take a fun look at the magical spirit that makes our margaritas sing: tequila. Everyone — from foodies and frat boys to drunks and slightly older, former frat boys — keeps a special place in their hearts (and livers) for tequila, and we’re proud to count ourselves among them.”

National Margarita Day Trivia: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Tequila

By Michael Bartiromo, February 19, 2014

http://magazine.foxnews.com/food-wellness/national-margarita-day-trivia-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-tequila?intcmp=HPBucket

#2. Tequila gets its name from the town of Tequila in Jalisco, Mexico, but the etymology of the word is much more ambiguous. Some claim it comes from the Nahuatl words “tequitl” and “tlan,” which can be translated as “place of work,” “place of duty,” “place of job,” or “place of task” (some take it to mean “place of wild herbs,” “place where they cut” or “place of tricks,” too). Others say it comes from the names of native tribes once known as the Ticuilas and the Tiquilos. A final theory claims that “tequila” is simply a corruption of the word “tetilla” — meaning “small breast” — which is also the name of a tiny volcano nearby.

OOOOO, learn sumthin’ new every day..

#10.Physicists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico have discovered how to make artificial diamonds out of 80-proof tequila, which contains the perfect ratio of ethanol to water for the process. They begin by evaporating the tequila into a vapor, and then they heat that vapor to a temperature of 1400 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the vapor hits a silicon or stainless steel tray, it creates a “diamond film” containing microscopic diamonds free of impurities. Too small for jewelry (as of yet), these diamonds can be used for a wide variety of practical, industrial and electronic purposes. What’s more, the scientists say that even the cheapest of tequilas can be made into these diamonds.

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Yeah yeah sure have another pint, chaps..

Posted by JP in Drinks, HA! on January 15, 2014

Massive valley deeper than Grand Canyon found under Antarctic ice

UPI 1/15/2014 8:43:18 PM

NEWCASTLE, England, Jan. 15 (UPI) — A massive ancient sub glacial trough — deeper than the Grand Canyon — exists under the ice of Antarctica, a team of British experts says.

http://www.breitbart.com/system/wire/upiUPI-20140115-153813-8766

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Notice the drinkin’ parts..

Posted by JP in Australia, Brit, Drinks, Food, HA!, Holidays, Wonderful on December 4, 2013

These are the countries where the Christmas shopping season is an even bigger deal than in the US

In America, retailers are fretting about one of the shortest Christmas shopping seasons in recent history—there are six fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year than last. Given the fanfare around the holiday shopping season in the US, you could be forgiven for thinking that the weeks leading up to Christmas are a matter of life or death for retailers in the country.

But according to an analysis of retail sales data by Quartz, American shoppers are positively subdued in November and December compared with their counterparts in some other countries:

The Brits in recent years have spent some 14% more in November and 31% more in December than the average month in the rest of the year. This “full-on consumer orgy,” in the words of one retail analyst, has been kicking off earlier each year in Britain, where the lack of a traditional starting point like Thanksgiving in the US or Advent in continental European markets gives retailers a freer hand to keep pushing holiday promotions earlier in the calendar. This may also explain Australians’ enthusiasm for shopping in November and December (in addition to the summer weather). Varying gift-giving traditions could explain the differences in spending trends elsewhere.

The holiday season isn’t just about shopping binges, of course. There’s also binge eating and drinking. The Brits and Aussies distinguish themselves on this score, too. When comparing spending on food and drink services—essentially, restaurants and bars—in December with the average month during the rest of the year, few other countries come close. (The data is patchier for this category, however, so fewer countries are in the sample.)

All of those Australians out on the beach and Brits hitting the booze at the Christmas office party make for a roaring trade, it seems. Revelers in other countries may be every bit as gluttonous during the holidays, just not in public. Perhaps it’s because they don’t spend so much time out shopping.