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The History of the Beer Glass

It is well known that beer has been with mankind for a long time. As beer itself changed, expanded, and improved, so did the way in which we actually got the beer to our mouths. The earlier vessels man used for drinking included earthenware, pottery, carved out wood, and even sewn-together pieces of leather. As time went on, man saw small improvements in the quality of their beer glasses.

Early Europeans living during the time of the Bubonic plague saw the creation of beer steins, which had an enclosed top on the steins to keep flies from landing in the brew and getting the person sick.

The development of glass may have been the most important aspect of the way beer glasses are made today. As beer glasses became more and more popular, consumers could actually see what they were drinking and demanded a lighter and more appealing look as well as taste. This led to the filtration of beers; people no longer wanted the coarse chunks that were often found in the earlier beers of the breweries. With this new, more aesthetically pleasing wave of beer glasses, it seemed like beer steins were on the way out.

The development of glassware continued and produced a variety of beer glasses for all kinds of different beers. The most popular in the United States is the 16-ounce pint glass. It was originally used to fit the top of a Martini shaker, but bartenders soon found that as the brew flowed out of the beer taps the pint glass was the perfect vessel because it allowed for some of the carbonation to be released and allowed the aroma of the beer to be more pronounced. It is also favored for its storage capabilities; pint glasses can be stacked on top of each other and stored easily upright on shelves, quickly making them a favorite with the bartenders who ended up having to wash out each glass.

A drive to get people to buy their brand of beer by earlier breweries led to some unique and groundbreaking moves on the marketing and promotional front. Early breweries were often prohibited to give away beer or other rewards to their customers, but found that giving away beer glasses was a great way to reward customers and also to advertise for themselves. This led to the breweries producing beer glasses that were works of art unto themselves.

The first were ornate and expensive; they would often have gold or silver embossed on the sides. Eventually, artists for the breweries began doing detailed etchings on the sides of the glasses or steins and even developed a method of firing enamel paint onto the beer glasses. These enameled glasses remain some of the most rare beer collectibles, even though they were made more recently than the others. Today, some of the beer collectables and signs are worth thousands of dollars and sought out worldwide by eager collectors. Have you looked up in the top of Grandpa’s old drawer lately?

The history of the beer glass : Author : Michael Usry

Michael Usry is a top affiliate with beertaps.com, a website for household draft beer accessories and a site that has authentic German imported beer steins.
http://www.beertaps.com/

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The great benefits of drinking beer

I would like to start this post just by saying that I know that there are many horrors of alcohol abuse and that there are many reasons why drinking alcohol may lead to an early exit but at the same time I just bottled my fourth batch of home made beer, Barons Beer actually, and thought that it would be fun to come up with a great big list of why beer is good for you.

Cancer preventer - A compound found only in hops, which are used to make beer, have been discovered to prevent cancer. Of course we all know that hops are an ingredient in beer and therefore Xanthohumol has high hopes of making beer a new anti cancer drug. Xanthohumol flavinoids have been tested and its use is hoped to be a preventative treatment against prostate and colon cancer and even may be a form of hormone therapy for women.

Getting your vitamins - A friend of mine used to say there is a pork chop in every glass of beer but recent studies show that there is vitamin B6 in beer increases the level of vitamin B6 in a beer drinker’s blood which has been shown to decrease the level of homocysteine which increase the chances of heart disease.
Reducing chance of heart disease - alcohol drinkers had higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, often called the “good” cholesterol, which is a protective form of blood fat. The alcohol drinkers also had lower levels of fibrinogen, a protein that promotes blood clots, as well as elevated levels of other molecules (platelets) that prevent the clotting and stickiness of blood cells.

Reduction in Kidney stones - A Finnish-U.S. study of beer-drinking, middle-aged men was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 1999. The report stated that an increase in beer consumption may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones. Results showed that there was a 40 percent lower risk of kidney stones in beer drinkers, but the researchers were stumped as to whether the results were due to water, alcohol or hops.

Defying the bad of X-Rays - Beer helps reduce chromosomal damage from radiation exposure thanks to beta-pseudouridine. According to a study by the Japanese researchers from the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, and the Tokyo University of Science Blood samples were taken from test subjects before and after they had drunk about 630ml of beer. Apparently, when the samples were exposed to X-rays and other types of radiation, after the subjects had drank the beer their samples showed at least 30% fewer aberrations in the blood cells.

Memory Booster - A Swedish team has shown that mice fed with moderate amounts of alcohol grew new nerve cells in the brain. The full implications of the Karolinska Institute research - which appears in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology - are unclear, but Stefan Brene told the BBC: “We believe that the increased production of new nerve cells during moderate alcohol consumption can be important for the development of alcohol addiction and other long-term effects of alcohol on the brain.”

Slow the Aging Process - In a study published in the March issue of International Immunopharmacology, scientists at Austria’s Innsbruck Medical University found that hops, a key ingredient in beer, affect the production of neopterin, a telltale sign of inflammation, and levels of the amino acid tryptophan (low levels are associated with more inflammation.)

Keeps you Awake - Although there is no caffeine in Beer, beer was found to reduce neopterin production and suppress degradation of tryptophan, according to a study. (Tryptophan is also commonly cited as the reason people feel tired after gorging on Thanksgiving turkey.) “This suppression might be connected with the calming effect of beer,” the researchers note, “since its normalizing effect on the tryptophan balance improves the availability of the ‘happiness hormone’ serotonin.” And who wouldn’t want happiness to be more available?

OK and now a few more from me.

Relaxation - This is a good one for almost anyone that has sat on a patio on a spring or summer afternoon. The relaxation and relief of stress is famous for those having a beer even if the conversation always seems to turn to those office politics that get everyone riled up.

Reduces inhibitions - As we all know there are times we wish that we had gotten up and said something, either to those at work or a pretty girl at a bar and for this the alcohol in beer is a very good lubricant to the mind and mouth and will help in those situations where shyness gets the better of us.

Excuse for bad behavior - although there is no link to bad behavior and beer, many people have been known to say or do bad and ridiculous things and in the case where someone had consumed to much beer before this-well there is a good excuse just waiting to be used.

So the next time someone looks down their nose at you for the stories that you tell about the night before and the beer that you drank. Come back here and point out that you were just doing the healthy thing and having a couple of beers.

Bill Nadraszky is passionate about health and fitness. To learn about a great book http://www.nadraszky.com/fitness/archives/burn-the-fat-feed-the-muscle-complete-review.html Or visit the greatest health and fitness weblog http://www.nadraszky.com/fitness

Author: Bill Nadraszky

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Hot Wings recipe

The key to good Buffalo Wings is how you prepare them as well as the ingredients and the handling of the wings. The most successful wings served up here in Buffalo are what they call “Grade A Grinders.” Fresh wings that are very large and meaty.

THIS IS A REAL KEY. Drying the wings under refrigeration will help to make them a much crispier product, once deep fried. Next, use a deep fryer or a very heavy deep pot with a thermometer and add the oil. Peanut oil is very good, or a commercial product such as can be found at a restaurant cash and carry called Mel Fry. Heat the oil up SLOWLY, to 365F, and depending on the size of the fryer, deep fry the dry wings 6-8 minutes in small batches, until thoroughly done and golden brown. Hold the cooked wings in a warm oven if necessary. A combination of melted margarine and hot sauce in the ratio of 1 part margarine to 3 parts hot sauce will add the right zing. The key here is to add just enough sauce to coat the wings - the more sauce you add, the hotter they will be. For the very brave, 1 part margarine to 3 parts hot sauce and 1 part Tabasco is referred to as “Suicidal Wings” by the late and dear Don Bellissimo, who owned the Anchor Bar.

My only gripe about hot wings is that they’re often more expensive than I’d like them to be.
The only downside to hot wings is it’s pretty difficult to look cool while nibbling on a hot wing, and you can’t really use a knife and fork to eat it. And if hot girls serving hot wings is your thing, I’ll admit I prefer the wings of WingHouse, though they still aren’t that hot to the palette.
We personally taste all these recipes to make sure they’re worthy. We have thousands of tested and approved recipes. Here are just some of the mouthwatering recipes included in The

Ultimate Chicken Wing Cookbook:.
Also, Franks RedHot Buffalo Wing sauce is great with these wings.
Beer’s malty sweetness and pleasantly bitter edge of hops make for an interesting marinade.

Nothing goes better with a good beer than a big plate of hot wings. What goes better with beer and sports than hot wings. Free Beer and Hot Wings along with Zane have been entertaining classic rock audiences for Nassau Broadcasting with great success over the last four years.

My only gripe about hot wings is that they’re often more expensive than I’d like them to be.

James Rawlins
James Rawlins@nichebizlive.com

The Ultimate Chicken Wing Cookbook
http://www.nichebizlive.com/hot-wings/index.htm

Author: James

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Wine As Gifts

Wine can be found in all shapes such as in boxes, bottles with screw-on caps as well as corked bottles. Thus, wine is always a call for wine gifts for holidays, birthdays or any special occasion. It also can be found in an expensive jug wine or wine gifts for the specialist that may cost thousand of dollars; there are wines that will make the recipient happy.

If you are looking for wine gifts for someone who has a small collection, storage racks for wine are very popular. Available for holding three to 100 bottles, depending on their collection and your budget, these storage racks may make appreciated wine gifts. If the recipient already makes their own wine, they will probably never have enough corks or bottles and sending them a small collection of these supplies will surely be appreciated.

However, if you are determined to give them a bottle of wine, nearly anything you choose in the way of wine gifts will be acceptable if you are taking it along for dinner party. However, if the gift is for a special occasion you will want to do some research into the types of wine they prefer before spending the money.

Many red wines are aged in barrels, giving them more of a hearty flavor, while white wanes are often lighter in flavor and taste. Before buying the expensive bottles as wine gifts, make sure it is the type they will drink and not make a part of their home collection.

So, if you happen to have a wine connoisseur on your shopping list this holidays time and you really want to give an impressive gift that they will continue to thank you for in the months to come, then you really should consider sending them a wine gift.

Author:  Rozita is freelance writer, she new blog at Wine blog here.

Author: otai

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Candy Bouquets Come In All Shapes and Sizes

Warning: this article deals with candy bouquets…reading this article may result in an instant desire to purchase something incredibly sinful and is extremely hazardous to any diet within 100 miles!

Let’s take a moment and think about the mere concept of a candy bouquet – is there anything more desirable? From the moment we are small children, candy becomes something that is whimsical, magical, and simply marvellous. Candy simply represents all those things that come with imagination and longing, and it has the ability to make everyone feel young again. The variation of candy bouquets that can be created are endless, but some are more interesting than others.

While you may not find a crazed candy confectioner stowed away in a factory of candy, you will discover that some candy shops take creating a candy gift to a whole new level. If you look hard enough, you will be able to find candy nestled inside of glass balls, baskets, hat boxes, and other creative containers … and some candy makers even create their own chocolates in the shape of magical flower-like animals (just to keep things interesting).

Perhaps one of the best things about candy is that there is just no limit. Once a master candy maker has perfected their craft, candy can be made into anything. The types of candy bouquets you can find really depend on how hard you look. Of course, you may want to search for your candy gift based upon the type of event that you have in mind … though you may find that some candy shops cater to rather curious occasions as well.

Believe it or not, some candy makers craft baskets full of candy for funerals – and you can even find “breakup bouquets” on the internet. Since people are confronted with far more events than birthdays and weddings, candy seems to be the way to celebrate (or mourn) any milestone. The world may be full of things that disappoint, but candy will always remain sugary sweet.

The next time that you are looking for a gift, why not consider a candy treat? The types of candy bouquets that you can buy (or create) are endless, so why not start looking for your ultimate candy care package today? Whether you send one to a person that you love, or whether you simply send one to yourself, candy is always a fantastic idea.

 Aazdak Alisimo writes about candy bouquet treats and ideas for CandyBouquetShops.com.

Author: Aazdak Alisimo

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