Guinness is not only good for you — in the near future, it could be good for the environment, too.

Researchers at the University of Limerick in Ireland looking at canned stouts recently discovered that "microscopic plant fibers made of cellulose, such as cotton, can also froth up a stout."

A cellulose alternative to the plastic widget currently used in those cans would thus create "an eco-friendly head on your Guinness."

Think of it as the 'right' sort of green beer — as opposed to the to-dye-for wrong sort.

As for the enduring popularity of the 250-year-old beer, which is running a "Saint Patrick's Day primer" campaign this year, click here to read about how Guinness continues to be "brand excellence, personified."

Slainte!

Guinness has released a St. Patrick's Day primer — tongue in cheek, of course — offering tips for how to enjoy March 17th.Continue reading...

Science Says: Guinness Really Does Taste Better in Ireland

Here’s one bar argument that now has a definitive answer. The Institute of Food Technologists recently carried out taste surveys in 33 cities in 14 countries, asking tasters to rate everything about their Guinness experience, from pub atmosphere to beer aftertaste. Using a scale of 1 to 100, tasters gave Guinness in Ireland an average score of 74, while it received an average of 57 everywhere else. While the authentic emotional experience of having a Guinness in Ireland may be part of the higher score, drinking the beer from taps that are kept flowing all day as well as bar staff who know how to serve it could be factors in why Guinness wins in Ireland, according to beer author Pete Brown.Continue reading...

Donald Trump has Trump Super Premium Vodka; Dan Aykroyd has his wine and Crystal Head Vodka; Marilyn Manson has Mansinthe; Justin Timberlake is putting his "T" on tequila; Francis Ford Coppola maintains a tidy business with his winery; and Danny Devito even has his own limoncello.

But watch out, celebrity booze-slingers! The king of porn is, ahem, entering the game.

Ron Jeremy, who has appeared in more than 1,000 pornographic films since the late ‘70s, is attaching his notorious name to a premium 7-year-old Panamanian rum called, cleverly enough, Ron de Jeremy (“ron” being Spanish for “rum”).Continue reading...

Get Ready-to-Drink with Jack Daniel’s

If mixing up a Jack and Coke is just too much trouble, Jack Daniel’s has come to the rescue.

It is coming out with a line of ready-to-drink mixers this month.

Flavors include Jack & Cola and Jack & Ginger, with Jack & Diet Cola to be released later in the month.

The new drinks are 5% ABV and the company claims that they are the first ready-to-drink beverages packaged in aluminium bottles.

After the jump: The devil and Jim Beam, German engineering meets Scots ingenuity, and Bulleit Bourbon shoots for Rye lovers.Continue reading...

Molson Deal with NHL Leaves Bitter Taste for Labatt

The National Hockey League is switching from Labatt to Molson Canadian in a seven-year endorsement agreement with MillerCoors and Molson Coors Brewing Co, Bloomberg reports. The deal, which will begin with the 2011-12 season, is purportedly worth $375 million, the largest corporate sponsorship in league history. Meanwhile, Labatt is finding the announcement hard to swallow, saying it was in good-faith negotiations with the NHL to renew its sponsorship and vowing to “pursue all legal remedies.”

Below: Booze Newz samples eco-beer, does the can-can and brown-bags it.Continue reading...

Mexico: Brewery Markets First Gay Beer

While alcohol brands have certainly run campaigns targeting the gay market, a small Mexican brewery has come up with the first beer to be specifically identified as a “gay” beverage. Minerva brewery will initially release its Purple Hand and Salamandra Artisan Honey-Ales to consumers in Colombia and Japan, and they are already available in some bars and restaurants in Mexico. The beers’ names are linked to associations within the gay community, and the labels are designed to be removed and worn as gay-pride symbols. A spoof video, above, looks at the intolerance a gay beer could face in a hostile world.

What do you think? Offensive? Funny? Post a comment below. Also below: a rum deal; a Swede vodka; and a classier wine flask.Continue reading...

The airport duty-free shop has long been a favored stop for whiskey lovers looking to stock up on high-end hooch tax-free.

Now Dublin Airport is providing even more incentive to do some spirits shopping in between flights with a premium pot still whiskey that will exclusively sold at its Irish Whiskey Collection store in Terminal 2.

Midleton distillery, best known internationally for producing the Jameson brand, released its 19-year-old single-cask Single Pot Still Irish whiskey to the airport shop to mark the terminal’s opening.

The whiskey, at cask strength (53.7% alcohol), was aged in an American bourbon barrel, a small piece of which is included with the whiskey. Only 200 bottles are being produced, retailing for €260 ($354).Continue reading...