You gotta love science sometimes.

A study of patients with severe brain injuries at trauma centers showed that the ones who had been drinking had a better survival rate than those who hadn’t.
Sure, it’s possible that the drinking contributed to the accidents that caused the brain trauma in the first place. But let’s not make assumptions.

If you’re so inclined, you can check out the study. But the title alone makes me want a drink: Positive Serum Ethanol Level and Mortality in Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

via Ars Technica

Maker’s Mark claims that the red wax seal used on Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia tequila is a trademark infringement–and it’s suing.

The bourbon company says that the wax coating atop the Cuervo product deliberately resembles the Maker’s Mark seal and is likely to cause confusion among consumers.

This is the second such suit, and some changes to the Cuervo seal were already made. Cuervo aims to get the suit dismissed.

What do you think? When you see red seal do you think Maker’s Mark? Is Cuervo with a red seal confusing to you?

Maker’s Mark: Seeing Red Over Wax Seal @Macon.com

The Wall Street Journal has a fun little piece analyzing stadium beer prices against the baseball team’s record.

What it found is that on average the more a team wins, the more its stadium charges for beer.

According to data collected by Team Marketing Report for the 2009 season, beer prices vary dramatically among big-league teams. A 21-ounce beer costs $4.75 in Pittsburgh, but you’ll shell out $8.75 for a 20-ounce brew at San Francisco’s AT&T Park. This led us to wonder: Does quality have anything to do with beer prices?

Surprisingly, it does. A team with a .600 winning percentage charges, on average, about $1.30 more for a 16-ounce beer than does a team with a .400 percentage.

I’d venture that the quality of beer has something to do with it, too. It’s true things are more expensive in San Francisco, but damn if there isn’t a pretty decent beer selection at AT&T Park. Looks like Phillly beat out SF for record/beer price relationship. But not so sure they beat the Bay when it comes to selection.

Can a Ballclub’s Record Justify Its Beer Price @ Wall Street Journal

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We’ve been hearing for a while now that red wine is good for our health. And resveratrol is the name of the compound that supposedly wields these healing powers.

You may have seen ads online or spam in your inbox hocking resveratrol in pill form. (Although, I’d prefer it in the form of a glass of red wine.)

Naturally drug companies want in on the action. GlaxoSmithKline has paid $720 million for rights to resveratrol research.
But what’s the science behind it? If a glass of red wine is good for the blood and heart, is a supplement also good or maybe even better?

The LA Times has a good article on this, for those who want to delve into the science behind these health claims:

To bring resveratrol cheaply to a growing market, supplement makers have taken to extracting the plant compound not from grapes or wine but from an exotic weed — Polygonum cuspidatum, or Japanese knotweed. They are mixing it with a wide variety of other dietary supplements (including the antioxidant acai, which also has taken the supplements world by storm), concentrating it in mega-doses, micronizing it “for optimum absorption” and capturing it in a pill, capsule, powder and even a topical cream. … The flurry of commercial activity has taken off despite the fact that researchers don’t even know exactly what resveratrol does.

Absolut Vodka released its third special “city” edition vodka — Absolut Boston.

Following on the heels of Absolut New Orleans and Absolut Los Angeles, this Boston vodka is flavored with black tea and elderflower.

Tea and elderflower are hot flavors on the mixology scene right now, so keep your eye out for this vodka at your favorite hotspot.
The company will donate $50,000 of the proceeds of Absolut Boston to the Charles River Conservancy, a Boston area charity dedicated to the stewardship and renewal of the parklands along the urban riverbanks.

Absolut Boston

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We knew that alcohol was good for you! First, we hear red wine is good for the heart. And now a study says that beer is actually good for our bones, preventing osteoporosis.

Silicon plays a major role in bone formation. Beer has been claimed to be one of the most important sources of silicon in the Western diet.

The study subjects were all women, presumably because osteoporosis is more common in women and not because this phenomenon is only true for women. So ladies and gents, drink up!

Beer Could Stop Bones Going Brittle (@Telegraph UK)

Photo Credit Telegraph UK

People have been mixing alcohol and caffeine for a long time — whether it’s a rum and coke or vodka and Red Bull. So it was only natural that liquor and beer companies would come up with their own caffeinated concoctions, such as JETT Vodka, Liquid Charge and Joose.

Now some regulators and advocacy groups are claiming that the practice needs to be regulated more, stating that caffeine and alcohol are a dangerous combination.

Some scientific research indicates that people who consume caffeine and alcohol may increase their risk of alcohol-related injuries or other problems. A Wake Forest University study published last year found that 24% of college students who drink reported mixing caffeinated beverages and alcohol—such as Red Bull with vodka—in the previous month. The study found that those who did were more likely than someone who drank noncaffeinated alcoholic beverages to experience negative consequences such as an alcohol-related injury, getting into a car with a drunken driver or being taken advantage of sexually.

Some critics are calling for a ban, while others simply want labeling laws. A ban seems extreme, especially considering that there are rules about how high the caffeine content can be on these drinks. But accurate labeling doesn’t sound too onerous. Check out the article on the topic at the Wall Street Journal and let us know what you think.

Buzz Kill? Critics Target Alcohol-Caffeine Drinks (@ Wall Street Journal)