In preparation to this festive day, this Saturday, July 3rd, why not head on down to the Puma Social Club located at 210 Front Street, South Street Seaport, NY  Entry will be free with RSVP, open bar from 9pm till 10:30pm.  Ping Pong, Fooseball and tunes courtesy of Runaway (Jacques Renault and Marcos Cabral), My Cousin Roy & Nick Chacona.  Nothing crazy, no jazz hands, just a nice spot to chill with friends before July 4th madness starts. Free drinks, no cover, good music.  Sound like a plan?  Check it out.  http://www.danceright.net/puma/index3.html

Puma Social Club – The Calm Before The Storm is a post from: Salooned.com - NYC Pubs 'n' Clubs 'n' Bars

This limited edition bottle is a Spike Lee Collaboration.  Although Spike was not born in Brooklyn , he lives here, has made films here and considers himself a New Yorker.

The flavor is apple and ginger (I don’t get why…anyone have any clues!), although as far as flavored vodka goes, it sounds like it could be quite tasty. The bottles will be 1 liter and are the typical 80% proof.  Expect to pay around $22-$30.

Some interesting information about the new Absolut Brooklyn bottle:

• Spike Lee’s house number on the stoop depicted on the bottle’s label, no. 165, is Spike Lee’s actual address, although the street was omitted.
• Absolut has promised to donate $50,000 from the proceeds of the limited-edition bottling to Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to build affordable, green homes in Bed-Stuy.
• The bottle’s iconic Lars Olsson Smith medallion has been altered to look like Lee with glasses and a baseball cap.
• Absolut Brooklyn will be sponsoring Blogfest 2010. The Fifth Annual Brooklyn Blogfest will take place Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 at 7:00 PM at the Brooklyn Lyceum, located at 227 Fourth Avenue at President Street in Park Slope. Blogfest 2010 is being organised by http://onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.com.  For more information about Blogfest, head over to http://www.brooklynblogfest.com/

UPDATE: Since Blogfest 2010 there has been a whole lotta drama towards the event organizer Louise Crawford regarding promotional blog posts and tweets for remuneration that are not identified as such. So in the case of full discosure “I did not receive any free gifts, money, Flip video camera, shoutouts or anything; except I did receive a nasty hangover the following day!. Should Absolut wish to donate anything to me here at Salooned.com I will be happy to disclose it to my readers. Just for the purpose of clarification I will repeat that last part “Should Absolut wish to donate anything to me here at Salooned.com, I will be happy to disclose it to my readers”.

Classic Absolut Vodka advertising from AbsolutAd.com

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Absolut Brooklyn Vodka Sponsoring Blogfest 2010 is a post from: Salooned.com - NYC Pubs 'n' Clubs 'n' Bars

Why is it such a cool bar to hang out in? Well, for starters it has 20 really good beers on tap and 1 cask ale (sample listing at the bottom of the post). Just like any good bar, the selection changes on a regular basis.

Secondly, it has a outdoor beer garden (or rather a central court area where the local vampires can get a bit of color in the summer sun). This area also serves as a chemical net for stopping (or at least trimming) the amount of strollers coming to the bar by way of cigarette smoke (yes, I am an anti baby in select bars kinda guy!). Note, this is such an open bar, you won’t even notice ciggy smoke, unless your mate is sitting across from you blowing smoke in your face!

Thirdly the prices; which are freakin amazing (at the time of posting this, there happy hour included $10 pitchers and a nice selection of beers starting at $4, when happy hour finished, the price went up $1-$2).

I should also mention they have two Pinball machines, Dub pies, ATM machine (they accept credit cards and cash), great staff, WiFi access and a really cool juke box.

Here is what the owners of Mission Dolores had to say about their bar..

The Space

The space itself is unusual, and we think it is a large part of the charm. Instead of a backyard, we have a courtyard. You enter through a front room with seating, but no bar. You then go through a courtyard. Then you hit the main room, which is the actual bar. It is a bit like Vol du Nuit (AKA The Belgian Beer Bar) in Manhattan, but larger.
All of the doors and walls fold and collapse. When we were extending the main room, we fabricated steel doors that accordion closed. During nice weather it will be a straight shot from 4th all the way to the bar without a barrier in site.

The Materials

We know it’s getting old to brag about reclaimed shit, but we really went bananas. There are very few new items in the bar. We used recycled material for everything but essentials, e.g. plumbing, electrical panels, HVAC, etc. As you will see, it is pretty damn impressive. We got shit from everywhere we could and ended up with some sick wood. You just do not see wood like this.

The Beer

The beer selection will be similar to Bar Great Harry. Mostly American craft with a good chunk of local brews. We will have a few Belgian and German imports, because who doesn’t like Delirium Nocturnum or Aventinus on a chilly evening.

To get an idea on some of the beers they serve, below is a list of beers they were serving up in April.  Visit their site for an up to date list http://missiondoloresbar.com/blog

• Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weiss / Germany / 8.5% / 12oz / $7
• Avery Collaboration Not Litigation / CO / 9% / 12oz / $6
• Mcneill’s IPA / VT / 5.7% / 16oz / $5
• Bear Republic Five Zero / CA / 7.7% / 16oz / $6
• Captain Lawrence Kolsch / NY / 5% / 16oz / $5
• Dogfish Head Chicory Stout / DE / 5.2% / 16oz / $6
• Founders Double Trouble / MI / 9.4% / 12oz / $6
• Franziskaner Hefeweizen / Germany / 5% / 16oz / $5
• Genesee Cream Ale / NY / 5.1% / 16oz / $4
• Goose Island Matilda / IL / 7% / 12oz / $7
• Southern Tier IPA / NY/ 6.9% / 16oz/ $6
• Ithaca CascaZilla / NY / 7% / 16oz / $6
• CASK Bittersweet Lenny’s RIPA / NY / 10% / 12oz / $7
• Stoudt’s Pils / PA / 5% / 16oz / $5
• Mikkeller Nugget IPA / Denmark / 6.9% / 12oz / $6
• Rodenbach Grand Cru / Belgium / 6% / 12oz / $8
• Sly Fox O’Reilly’s Irish Stout / PA / 3.6% / 16oz / $5
• Red Nectar Ale / NY / 5% / 16oz / $5
• Two Brothers Ebel’s Weiss / IL / 4.9% / 16oz / $6
• Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball / CA / 8.8% / 12oz / $6
• Yuengling / PA / 4.4% / 16oz / $4

For those of you who are wondering about the name (yep, that included me!), the name comes from Mission San Francisco de Asís; also commonly known as “Mission Dolores” owing to the presence of a nearby creek named Arroyo de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, meaning “Our Lady of Sorrows Creek.”.

Mission Dolores is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco and the sixth religious settlement established as part of the California chain of missions. The Mission was founded on June 29, 1776, by Lieutenant José Joaquin Moraga and Father Francisco Palóu (a companion of Father Junipero Serra), both members of the de Anza Expedition, which had been charged with bringing Spanish settlers to Alta (upper) California, and evangelizing the local Indians, the Ohlone.

And there you have it!

Mission Dolores – Park Slope, Brooklyn is a post from: Salooned.com - NYC Pubs 'n' Clubs 'n' Bars

I have posted some designs for your attention, but you should also visit designlovr.com to get some more ideas.

Sexy Beer Bottle Designs is a post from: Salooned.com - NYC Pubs 'n' Clubs 'n' Bars

It all started because supposedly, the Canadians aren’t offering the Americans enough access to the Olympic rink to practice. Even after Colbert unleashed his wrath of wit on them (see video below), the Canadians claimed that they did allow the Americans access, but coincidentally, this happened to be at a time when the Americans were at the World Cup, qualifying for the Olympics. Here is what The Colbert Report had to say…

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There’s a war brewing between The Colbert Nation and The Canadian Nation, also sometimes known as Canada. And it’s a struggle over one of the most important issues facing our generation: Speedskating.

But what can you do to help in the fight against Canada? For starters, you can donate to the US Speedskating team. And after that you can download and sign your name to this thoughtful and impassioned letter to Canada (link opens PDF).

Send your letter of protest to:

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympics
Vancouver 2010
#400 – 3585 Graveley Street
Vancouver, BC
V5K 5J5
Canada

Let them know we’re done being oppressed by their sticky, maple-syrup-stained hands.

If you’re not up to speed on all this, videos from the bloody back-and-forth can be found after the jump, and you can see an image of the despicable antics of some Canadians here.

The Colbert Report airs Monday through Thursday at 11:30pm / 10:30c.

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In response to the witty attacks towards the Canadian Olympic peoples! R&B Brewery bought out Iceholes Celebration Lager. This is what R&B had to say…

For limited release only, Vancouver’s Local Microbrewery, R&B Brewing Co. introduces Iceholes Celebration Lager in response to the recent “Don’t be an Ice-Hole” campaign against Canada started by Stephen Colbert, of Comedy Central’s Colbert Report. Barry Benson, co-owner of R&B Brewing Co. says “ We are proud syrup-sucking Canadian iceholes. In celebration of our icehole-ish behaviour we have decided to get even rather than get mad. Canadians can wreak their revenge against Stephen Colbert in a truly Canadian way and have a beer.”

USA vs Canada – Colbert Launches ‘Don’t Be An Icehole’ Campaign is a post from: Salooned.com - NYC Pubs 'n' Clubs 'n' Bars

A statement on Springsteen’s Web site Thursday said he didn’t know about the lawsuit that was filed Wednesday in federal court and wouldn’t have agreed to be a plaintiff if he had been asked.  Below is a state from Bruce Springsteen’s website.

In regards to the ASCAP lawsuit against Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant, ASCAP was solely responsible for naming Bruce Springsteen as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Bruce Springsteen had no knowledge of this lawsuit, was not asked if he would participate as a named plaintiff, and would not have agreed to do so if he had been asked. Upon learning of this lawsuit this morning, Bruce Springsteen’s representatives demanded the immediate removal of his name from the lawsuit. via BruceSpingsteen.net

The suit claims Connolly’s Pub violated Springsteen’s copyrights by letting an unidentified band perform two of his songs for profit.

Bruce Springsteen named as plaintiff in NY Pub lawsuit is a post from: Salooned.com - NYC Pubs 'n' Clubs 'n' Bars

You probably already know that alcohol is a diuretic and, therefore, induces dehydration. Headaches, particularly migraines, are often caused by poor hydration, which occurs with hangovers after a night of heavy drinking.

However, alcohol is also a vasodilator, which means it expands your blood vessels, including the ones in your brain. The increased pressure can lead to pain. Finally, different types of alcohols contain different chemicals that may affect chemical balances in the brain. Red wine and brandy have the most of these chemicals and are, therefore, more likely to cause headaches. Scotch, vodka, other “clear” spirits, and Riesling wines have the fewest.

Does alcohol cause ulcers?

If consumed in excess, alcohol can irritate the stomach lining that protects the tissue from digestive juices and can increase the production of stomach acids. This is called gastritis. However, it’s unknown whether this alone can cause an ulcer or if it needs the H. pylori bacteria as an accomplice. So far, there is no clear, direct relationship between alcohol and ulcers.

Alcohol, however, can delay the healing of an ulcer; so, avoid it during recovery.

Does my body weight affect how quickly I get drunk?

Here’s the formula you need to remember: More fat = higher blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Why? Alcohol has a high affinity to water and will pervade all body parts that contain it. A person with a lot of body fat has a lower percentage of body water, so their BAC will be higher.

However, this formula applies only to body fat. Bigger people don’t necessarily have more body water than smaller ones. Therefore, a tall overweight guy will be less affected by alcohol than a short overweight guy, even if their body fat percentage is identical.

Are there health benefits to alcohol?

Many studies have shown that moderate drinking brings on a whole slew of health benefits, so much so that certain governments allow alcohol makers to advertise such boons on their bottles. For example, the French chalk up their high life expectancy to a glass of wine a day. It makes sense: Moderate drinkers generally live longer, don’t get sick as often, and are less stressed than heavy drinkers and abstainers.

Alcohol has also been shown to reduce the chances of heart disease, stroke and hypertension, as well as a decrease in bad cholesterol, the ability to stave off Alzheimer’s disease and prevent the common cold. However, the key here is moderation. That is, you should drink a maximum of one to three drinks a day. And before you fill your Big Gulp glass with booze, know that one drink is equivalent to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.

Why does wine make you sleepy?

There’s an old German saying that goes: “Drink wine, and you will sleep well. Sleep, and you will not sin. Avoid sin, and you will be saved. Ergo , drink wine and be saved.” Every wine drinker has felt that warm, euphoric drowsiness after a few glasses. Some even say wine is the perfect precursor to a good night’s sleep.

It’s actually more complicated than that. Alcohol can induce sleep, but not before a brief period of stimulation. And the sleep that alcohol does bring on is a shallow “knockout” sleep that trims your normal REM phase. As a result, you can feel more tired in the morning, and it can even aggravate sleep disorders.

Can you develop an allergy to alcohol?

Allergies to alcoholic beverages are uncommon, but they do occur. However, it’s not the alcohol that causes allergies, but the other chemicals in the drink. Your body actually produces ethanol naturally in small doses; if it was the alcohol you were allergic to, you’d feel it constantly.

Some of the substances in drinks that can trigger allergies are yeast, wheat-derived substances, and certain added enzymes and preservatives. Sulfites, used to preserve wine, are known to trigger asthma attacks. Red wine also produces histamine, the main substance that induces allergic symptoms.

Alcohol can also aggravate allergies, as it reduces the allergic threshold to allergens, and the vasodilation it causes can make symptoms worse.

Can you sweat out alcohol?

Before you start licking sweaty girls on the dance floor, know that the amount of alcohol eliminated through perspiration is almost nil; it’s mostly eliminated inside your body and through urine. If you feel you sweat more when you drink, it’s because alcohol stimulates your sweat glands. You’re just secreting more sweat, not alcohol. However, sensitive equipment that can detect alcohol in sweat is now being used as a substitute for the Breathalyzer.

What are some ways to rehydrate your body after drinking?

If you replace the fluids you lose through alcohol-induced urination, you’ll be fine. Just drink fluids that don’t contain alcohol while you’re drinking booze. Water is the best, but sports drinks like Gatorade and non-caffeinated, low-sugar soft drinks will do.

Do certain types of alcohol affect people differently?

Besides being allergic to certain compounds in drinks, people do not react differently to different types of alcohols. This is, of course, not considering gender, weight, the percentage of alcohol in the drink, whether the drink has other qualities (like absinthe, which causes hallucinations), and other such factors.

However, some people can develop an aversion to certain drinks by sheer conditioning. A person allergic to sulfites in wine can feel sick when he tastes any alcohol because he associates the allergic reaction with the flavor.

Why does alcohol lower inhibitions?

Alcohol acts as a sedative on the central nervous system, which explains the impaired speech, vision, coordination, and concentration. But the part of the brain it affects the most is the part responsible for behavior and emotion. Your sense of judgment is weakened, and suddenly speaking your mind doesn’t seem so bad. You feel braver since your socially conditioned safety stops or filters are circumvented. This is why drunken people sometimes think they’re OK to drive.

Can we develop a higher tolerance to alcohol?

Any fast-living college dude will tell you that it’s getting more and more expensive for him to get drunk. No kidding. Prolonged alcohol use does increase your tolerance to the stuff. The body becomes more efficient at metabolizing the alcohol — the process is up to 72% faster in alcoholics — so it takes more booze to achieve the same drunken state. But beyond that, your organs simply become less sensitive to alcohol, so you don’t feel it as much. Be careful; this is a precursor to permanent tissue damage. Good thing you read this FAQ on alcohol before you skin blisters yellow.

Why do we sometimes get sick when drinking?

Like many of us, you’ve probably had an upset stomach or thrown up at one point after drinking. A byproduct of alcohol breakdown by the liver is acetaldehyde, a toxic substance. It is, in fact, this molecule that causes impairment, not the ethanol in your drink. In high concentrations, acetaldehyde attacks the liver, the brain and the lining of the stomach. This is what causes the familiar upset stomach and heartburn. If it’s too much for the body to handle, it forces the stuff out, resulting in a make-out session with a toilet bowl. Acetaldehyde poisoning is compounded when different alcohols are mixed.

Is it bad to drink alcohol on an empty stomach?

It’s bad only if you plan on enjoying your night to its fullest. When you drink on an empty stomach, there’s no food to slow the absorption of the booze. Result: the alcohol gets absorbed faster (within five minutes) and you get intoxicated more rapidly. You’ll get just as drunk as if your stomach was full, but it will hit you harder. On the other hand, drinking alcohol on a full stomach allows you to go through a gradual ascent into tipsiness.

Why do we get dehydrated from alcohol?

The body starts breaking down alcohol as soon as you take your first sip, in order to safely excrete it. To properly dispose of it, your liver needs water to dilute the toxins, so it pulls water reserves from other parts of the body. But since alcohol is a diuretic (it stimulates urination), water leaves your body at a higher rate, so your liver must obtain water from other organs, including your brain, which essentially leaves you high and dry.

Can we die from drinking alcohol?

Yes, and in more ways than one. Conservative U.S. government estimates put the annual toll of alcohol-related deaths at over 75,000 in 2001. We’re talking about a variety of conditions, including liver and heart disease caused by alcoholism, suicide, drunk driving, and just drinking yourself to death. In fact, a blood alcohol level above 0.45 grams/100 milliliters of blood will kill you either from brain malfunction or respiratory arrest.

Not only that, U.S. government estimates put the years of potential life lost due to drinking at 2.3 million in 2001; that’s more than two million more years that Americans could have lived if they didn’t drink.

What effect does alcohol have on the liver?

Your liver is your body’s detox center, and it works full-time to rid your body of the poisons you ingest. Alcohol is one of the liver’s biggest foes, constantly attacking its cells. If you drink moderately, your liver has enough time to repair itself. However, persistently high alcohol levels in the blood will cause your liver cells to die, forming scar tissue. This is called cirrhosis, and it can be lethal.

Why do some men become emotional when drinking alcohol?

You already know that alcohol dulls your judgment and your inhibitions. This may bring out some emotions that are usually kept in check by your “show no feelings” strongman persona. Although alcohol increases the female hormone estrogen in men, there is no evidence that this affects their emotions in any way. However, prolonged alcohol use and the related estrogen boosts can cause loss of body hair and muscle mass, enlarged breasts, shrunken testicles, and impotence in men.

How long does alcohol remain in the body?

There’s no single answer for all people since the rate of alcohol metabolism varies and you have to factor in the rate at which it’s absorbed. On average, healthy people eliminate alcohol at a rate of 0.5 ounces per hour. This can change according to how much you had to eat before, your body mass, your gender (men metabolize faster), your age, how hydrated you are, and how efficient your liver is (alcoholics tend to eliminate alcohol faster, though this changes once the liver becomes damaged).

Why does drinking red wine make our teeth red?

Like coffee, nicotine and some fruits, red wine has colored molecules that get deposited on the tooth enamel. The ones in red wine are called tannins and polyphenols, which are also antioxidants. Some dentures and treated teeth are especially susceptible to red wine stains, so ask your dentist about methods of prevention.

Why can’t we drink while taking antibiotics?

Despite a widespread myth that combining antibiotics and alcohol can be dangerous, alcohol can only diminish the efficiency of a few antibiotics, namely metronidazole, cefamandole and oral ketoconazole. Though not life-threatening, the mix can cause unpleasant side effects, like flushing and extreme drunkenness. Otherwise, alcohol can simply delay recovery.

However, mixing alcohol with certain painkillers, especially acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil) and acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin), can increase the risk of damage to the intestinal lining, which can cause gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers. In chronic heavy drinkers, excessive acetaminophen use can increase the risk of liver toxicity.

BOOZE IT UP SAFELY

Now that you know some of the effects that alcohol has on your body, use the information for your own benefit. Have fun, but always drink responsibly.

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Resources:

www.askmen.com
www.intox.com
www.alac.org.nz
www.jrussellshealth.com
www.mercola.com
www.cdc.gov
www.drweil.com
http://xtramsn.co.nz
How Alcoholism Works
www.healthsquare.com
www.alcohol.vt.edu
www2.potsdam.edu
www.wrathofgrapes.com
http://sleepdisorders.about.com
www.thesite.org
www.thevirtualbar.com
www.healthcentral.com

Beer Facts is a post from: Salooned.com - NYC Pubs 'n' Clubs 'n' Bars

Health Benefits Of Beer is a post from: Salooned.com - NYC Pubs 'n' Clubs 'n' Bars