Good Drinking

There's a huge assumption made regarding youth and alcohol: mainly that most teens drink, at least at some point in their secondary education or college careers, and that it's just a fact of life. But personal experience has led me to believe otherwise, and now data seems to be catching up: in England, for example, stats show that nearly 30% of young people don't drink at all. This doesn't include the youth who drink on rare occasions, like I did in college, but those who shun booze altogether. The study involves youth ages 16 to 24.

This really isn't surprising to me, particularly in a country where drinking isn't as taboo as it is in the United States. The more taboo something is made, the more teens want to engage in it, at least from my own personal experience. The United States has a puritanical issue regarding both drinking and sex that doesn't seem to exist in many other more developed nations, but we also have more teen drivers, which makes it more problematic when teens do drink.

What do these findings mean to you? Is it surprising or about where you thought they might be? Do you think the youth of the U.S. drink too much in comparison?

Whether you're entertaining, hosting an event or just looking for some cozy fall beverages for yourself this autumn, there's no shortage of delicious cocktail ideas here at Good Drinking. Feel free to browse through old posts or check out these new sources of great fall drinks:

The Manual shares a recipe for Bless Your Heart, made with Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve along with Punt e Mes, cherry liqueur and lemon juice. It sounds pretty warming. They also have recipes for a sweet Orange Cinnamon Blossom, Golden Owl Cocktail (complete with cinnamon) and other fun fall drinks.

It's apple season, so how about this recipe for Long Island Apple Iced Tea from Country Living? They also have recipes for an Apple Pie Spritzer, a Spiced Pear Gin Fizz and other yummies.

What fall drinks will you be making this weekend? Share them in the chat.

Minors who love Red Bull energy drinks may not like this news. It may become illegal to sell energy drinks to minors soon after a 16-year-old died when he drank too much caffeine. The high amounts of caffeine damaged his heart, causing him to die tragically a year ago. Now lawmakers are suggesting that the drinks be banned to minors as a result.

Will banning energy drinks really help, though? All thoughts aside about how lawmakers won't do squat after 91 people die a day from gun violence, restricting purchases here won't make it illegal for teens to drink the beverages--or soda, coffee and other caffeinated drinks. In fact, I don't really see how it's going to help anything, given that so many soda companies are already present in high schools across the country, peddling their sugary wares that happen to be full of caffeine in exchange for money the schools desperately need.

Do you think we need to ban sales of energy drinks to youth?

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Easter brunch is coming up fast. Do you know what you will be serving? My family's not religious so we usually do something fun on Easter like go to Six Flags or brunch. This year we are doing a science class! I have read that some places, like the Melting Pot, are serving free mimosas with Easter brunch this year, too.

If you are preparing a meal at home, you may want to check out this list of delicious-looking cocktails from Country Living. From the Lillet Spritz to Raspberry Beer, they're all very spring-looking, easy to make and perfect for Easter. I don't know about you, but I prefer drinks with just a few ingredients to keep things simple and cheap! Many of these are classics with herb infusions to make them more Easter-y. Have kids? They have mocktails listed, too.

What drinks are on your holiday menu for the weekend? Share your recipes in the chat.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia