Your environment - what you see, hear, and smell - can trick you into believing that the taste and flavour of a glass of alcohol has changed, a new study has found.

In an experiment researchers found that participants' ratings of the smell, taste and flavour of a whisky changed by ten to twenty per cent depending on the environment they were drinking it in.

Manipulating people's senses with environmental triggers can have a significant effect on the taste of whisky, they concluded.

The federal government might be shut down but Michigan lawmakers are hard at work protecting our right to a good value. Rep. David Knezek (D-Dearborn Heights) and Rep. Brandon Dillon (D-Grand Rapids) have written a proposal to amend the state Liquor Control Act to make sure that when a pint of beer is offered at a bar or restaurant, customers are getting an "honest pint."

Keeping the sordid reputation of Chicago politicians alive and not-so-well, Alderman Deborah Graham reportedly gave convicted drug dealer Frederick "Juicy" Sims great assistance in getting a huge monetary grant to open a liquor store in Chicago, according to Opposing Views on Tuesday, as well as an original report by the Chicago Tribune.

Sims, who previously gave Alderman Graham a $2,000 donation for her political campaign, received a six-figure public grant to open his liquor store. The grant involved a $105,000 tax increment in financing, which is beyond the fact that a ban on liquor businesses had to be lifted for Sims to open shop.

Josh Thomas loves beer, and that intense love of the holy beverage took him to a rather unexpected place North Korea:

"Their beer is very similar to the American beer brand Anchor Steam. Darker, fuller-bodied, hoppier, and delicious, it was hands down better than South Korean beer!"

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In their study, researchers looked at elderly men with a genetic variation that produces an enzyme responsible for the metabolism of alcohol that is up to 80 times less competent at doing the task.
It was associated with reduced alcohol use, "but it had no association with depression whatsoever," Prof Almeida said.
"The conclusion is that alcohol use neither causes nor prevents depression in older men.
"Our results also debunk the view that mild to moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of depression."

The folks at highly regarded Russian River Brewing stress one thing that may surprise you: freshness. It's practically a mantra for this famed Santa Rosa brewery.

They want you to enjoy their Pliny the Elder, a world-class double India Pale Ale, as soon as possible. It's not something to stock up on for the big barbecue in six months. It's definitely not something to collect and break out in a few years for a special occasion.

"Beer is a perishable product. The way we make our IPAs, they're not meant to age," said Russian River co-owner Natalie Cilurzo. "The fresher they are, the better they are.

The pipeline was discovered on the bed of the river Chu, which forms the border between the two countries. They suspect thousands of litres of pure spirit have passed through it. It is unclear how officials made the discovery, but a search is now on for the smugglers behind the pipeline.