The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, the body responsible for regulation of, well, liquor and gaming, has announced a new policy that forbids the sale of high alcohol beer.

Effective immediately, the commission will no longer accept for registration, beers that are over 11.9 per cent.

That may appear, at first glance, to be an effective measure to curb alcohol intake, but c'mon. What that means is people who enjoy tippling a strong Belgian ale are out of luck (or any other tasty strong brew). Wine has more alcohol than that on average. Let's not even talk about the harder stuff. If an alchoholic wants to get his/her drink on, there are far more efficient means of doing so than pounding a strong brew..

I don't think the AGLC has any business … Read More

Charles Smith is not your average winemaker. For one he’s Food & Wine’s 2009 winemaker of the year and scores in the high 90’s with Robert Parker (if you buy into that whole thing). His labels feature skulls, skeletons and kung fu kicking girls. He’s got a mop of hair that would make early Jon Bon Jovi jealous and, sometimes, he reveals more than the complexity of a wine at his tastings.

“Unfortunately not every event I’ve been able to keep my clothes on, but for the most part, it’s been pretty good,” says Smith from his winery in Walla Walla, Washington.

“I guess somebody flips a little switch in my head and says: ‘Now it’s time to pull my pants down.’”

His reasoning behind throwing a party rather than a stuffy tasting is that we all grew up with rock ‘n’ roll and … Read More