
It’s nice to know that after the world ends in a nuclear fireball, we’ll still have beer to drink. According to an interesting article at the Nuclear Secrecy Blog Restricted Data, beer was tested and found to be relatively safe after being exposed to a nuclear blast. In 1955, Operation Teapot tackled the problem of what surviving humans might drink after the big one was dropped. In Beer and the Apocalypse, author — and historian of science at the American Institute of Physics — Alex Wellerstein details the experiments and their results. It’s a fascinating and frightening tale. And at least it gives me an excuse to increase the size of my beer cellar.
Archives for September 2012
Beer In Ads #690: Anchor Porter
Gibraltar Beer
![]()
Today in 1967, Gibraltar held a referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or join Spain.
Gibraltar

Gibraltar Breweries
Gibraltar Brewery Guides
Other Guides
- CIA World Factbook
- Official Website
- U.S. Embassy
- Wikipedia
Guild: None Known
National Regulatory Agency: None
Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known
Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.05%

- Full Name: Gibraltar
- Location: Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain
- Government Type: Republic; multiparty presidential regime
- Language: English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
- Religion(s): Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other Christian 3.2%, Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 0.9%, none 2.9%
- Capital: Gibraltar Town
- Population: 29,034; 217th
- Area: 6.5 sq km, 243rd
- Comparative Area: More than 10 times the size of The National Mall in Washington, D.C.
- National Food: Gibraltarian Cuisine
- National Symbol: Barbary macaque
- Affiliations: Commonwealth, EU
- Independence: National Day, the day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or join Spain, September 10, 1967

- Alcohol Legal: Yes
- Minimum Drinking Age: 18
- BAC: 0.05%
- Number of Breweries: 0

- How to Say “Beer”: beer
- How to Order a Beer: one beer, please
- How to Say “Cheers”: cheers
- Toasting Etiquette: N/A

Alcohol Consumption By Type:
- Beer: N/A
- Wine: N/A
- Spirits: N/A
- Other: N/A
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):
- Recorded: N/A
- Unrecorded: N/A
- Total: N/A
- Beer: N/A
WHO Alcohol Data:
- Per Capita Consumption: N/A
- Alcohol Consumption Trend: N/A
- Excise Taxes: N/A
- Minimum Age: 18
- Sales Restrictions: N/A
- Advertising Restrictions: N/A
- Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: N/A
Patterns of Drinking Score: N/A
Prohibition: None

My Little Pony Keg
![]()
I love Google Images. You just never know what you’ll find and over the years I’ve found some truly odd images. And this has to be among the stranger finds. Apparently there are people obsessed with My Little Pony. I really shouldn’t be surprised, for pretty much anything you could name, people have turned their solitary obsession into a full-fledged hobby, with similar-minded people coming together from all over the globe. The internet has made this particularly easy, and I can only imagine that the sheer number of different groups, organizations, associations, clubs, etc. surrounding almost anything we could name, no matter how obscure, has exploded over the last decade. Anyway, I stumbled upon a My Little Pony imageboard — an internet forum — called Ponychan.
An entire thread titled “Alcohol Thread” began with “What is your drink of choice and why? Are you bastards even old enough to drink?” A fair question, given the only reason I am so very familiar with My Little Pony is because I have an 8-year old daughter. The thread includes images of ponies drinking beer and cider, as forum users express their favorite alcoholic drinks.

My wife informs me — I have no idea how she knows this — that there is an entire subset of adult males who are into My Little Pony known as “Bronies.” That’s more than a little creepy.

So here’s a few of the drinking ponies from the thread. I can only imagine the neo-prohibitionists would be going crazy if these were to see the light of day, emerging from the murky shadows of the internet. Children’s characters drinking? Oh, the horror!

But I’ll raise toast to the ponies. Drunk ponies could only be more interesting than I remember them, having to endure their sober exploits with my daughter Alice. Thank goodness she’s moved past the little ponies, but sadly what’s she’s into now — iCarly, Victorious and the Winx Club — are hardly much better.

Homebrewing Alphabet
![]()
Searching for some images this morning, I stumbled upon this fun Home Brew Alphabet, created by recent home brew practitioner John, who started a blog — the Home Brew Manual. He illustrated each letter of the alphabet for an aspect of homebrewing. It would make a great addition as a framed print in a kid’s room, though probably the child of a brewer or beer lover.

Tajikstan Beer
![]()
Today in 1991, Tajikstan gained their Independence from the USSR.
Tajikstan

Tajikstan Breweries
Tajikstan Brewery Guides
Other Guides
- CIA World Factbook
- Official Website
- U.S. Embassy
- Wikipedia
Guild: None Known
National Regulatory Agency: None
Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known
Drunk Driving Laws: BAC Not Known, but law enforcement has recently started cracking down on offenders

- Full Name: Republic of Tajikistan
- Location: Central Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan
- Government Type: Republic
- Language: Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business
- Religion(s): Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, other 10%
- Capital: Dushanbe
- Population: 7,768,385; 96th
- Area: 143,100 sq km, 96th
- Comparative Area: Slightly smaller than Wisconsin
- National Food: O’sh
- National Symbol: Crown and seven stars in a semicircle
- Affiliations: UN, CIS
- Independence: From the Soviet Union, September 9, 1991

- Alcohol Legal: Yes
- Minimum Drinking Age: 21 (Off-limits to the Muslim majority)
- BAC: Not known
- Label Requirements: N/A
- Number of Breweries: 7

- How to Say “Beer”: pivo / пиво
- How to Order a Beer: як пиво, Аҳамияти
- How to Say “Cheers”: N/A
- Toasting Etiquette: N/A

Alcohol Consumption By Type:
- Beer: 21%
- Wine: 5%
- Spirits: 74%
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):
- Recorded: 0.39
- Unrecorded: 3.00
- Total: 3.39
- Beer: 0.08
WHO Alcohol Data:
- Per Capita Consumption: 0.4 litres
- Alcohol Consumption Trend: Decrease
- Excise Taxes: N/A
- Minimum Age: 21
- Sales Restrictions: N/A
- Advertising Restrictions: N/A
- Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: N/A
Patterns of Drinking Score: 3
Prohibition: None

North Korea Beer
![]()
Today in 1948, North Korea declared their Independence from Korea.
North Korea

North Korea Breweries
North Korea Brewery Guides
Other Guides
- CIA World Factbook
- Official Website
- U.S. Embassy
- Wikipedia
Guild: None Known
National Regulatory Agency: None
Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known
Drunk Driving Laws: BAC N/A

- Full Name: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
- Location: Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
- Government Type: Communist state one-man dictatorship
- Language: Korean
- Religion(s): Traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way). Note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
- Capital: Pyongyang
- Population: 24,589,122; 49th
- Area: 120,538 sq km, 99th
- Comparative Area: Slightly smaller than Mississippi
- National Food: Kimchi
- National Symbols: Korean Tiger; Magnolia; Red Star
- Affiliations: UN
- Independence: Founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), September 9, 1948 / From Japan, August 15, 1945

- Alcohol Legal: Yes
- Minimum Drinking Age: 18 (Alcoholic beverages are served on Saturdays)
- BAC: N/A
- Label Requirements: N/A
- Number of Breweries: 1

- How to Say “Beer”: mek-ju (maek-joo) / 맥주 / 발포성 음료
- How to Order a Beer: N/A
- How to Say “Cheers”: N/A
- Toasting Etiquette: N/A

Alcohol Consumption By Type:
- Beer: N/A
- Wine: N/A
- Spirits: N/A
- Other: N/A
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):
- Recorded: N/A
- Unrecorded: N/A
- Total: N/A
- Beer: N/A
WHO Alcohol Data:
- Per Capita Consumption: N/A
- Alcohol Consumption Trend: N/A
- Excise Taxes: N/A
- Minimum Age: 18
- Sales Restrictions: N/A
- Advertising Restrictions: N/A
- Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: N/A
Patterns of Drinking Score: N/A
Prohibition: None

Macedonia Beer
![]()
Today in 1991, Macedonia gained their Independence from Yugoslavia.
Macedonia

Macedonia Breweries
- Pivara Bitola
- Pivara Skopje
- Prilepska Pivarnica
Macedonia Brewery Guides
Other Guides
- CIA World Factbook
- Official Website
- U.S. Embassy
- Wikipedia
Guild: None Known
National Regulatory Agency: None
Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known
Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.05% [Note: Zero for professional drivers, public service drivers, commercial transport and drivers beginners.]

- Full Name: Republic of Macedonia
- Location: Southeastern Europe, north of Greece
- Government Type: Parliamentary Democracy
- Language: Macedonian (official) 66.5%, Albanian (official) 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8%
- Religion(s): Macedonian Orthodox 64.7%, Muslim 33.3%, other Christian 0.37%, other and unspecified 1.63%
- Capital: Skopje
- Population: 2,082,370; 145th
- Area: 25,713 sq km, 150th
- Comparative Area: Slightly larger than Vermont
- National Food: Tavče Gravče
- National Symbols: Lion (in Macedonian heraldry), Lynx, Ohrid trout; Makedonium (monument); eight-rayed sun, Vergina Sun
- Affiliations: UN
- Independence: From Yugoslavia, September 8, 1991

- Alcohol Legal: Yes
- Minimum Drinking Age: 18 [Note: Must show an ID card upon request.]
- BAC: 0.05%
- Number of Breweries: 3

- How to Say “Beer”: pivo / пиво
- How to Order a Beer: едно пиво, ве молиме
- How to Say “Cheers”: Na zdravje! (“to your health”) / на здравје
- Toasting Etiquette: N/A

Alcohol Consumption By Type:
- Beer: 36%
- Wine: 28%
- Spirits: 36%
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):
- Recorded: 5.61
- Unrecorded: 2.90
- Total: 8.51
- Beer: 2.11
WHO Alcohol Data:
- Per Capita Consumption: 5.6 litres
- Alcohol Consumption Trend: Increase
- Excise Taxes: Yes
- Minimum Age: 18
- Sales Restrictions: Hours, specific events, intoxicated persons
- Advertising Restrictions: Yes
- Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: No
Patterns of Drinking Score: 3
Prohibition: None

Andorra Beer
![]()
Today in 1278, the nation of Andorra was founded.
Andorra

Andorra Breweries
- Cerveses Alpha
- Cerveses Alpha S.L. (Facebook)
Andorra Brewery Guides
Other Guides
- CIA World Factbook
- Official Website
- U.S. Embassy
- Wikipedia
Guild: None Known
National Regulatory Agency: None
Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known
Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.05%

- Full Name: Principality of Andorra
- Location: Southwestern Europe, Pyrenees mountains, on the border between France and Spain
- Government Type: Parliamentary Democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its chiefs of state a co-principality; the two princes are the president of France and bishop of Seu d’Urgell, Spain, who are represented in Andorra by the co-princes’ representatives
- Language: Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese
- Religion(s): Roman Catholic (predominant)
- Capital: Andorra-la-Vella
- Population: 85,082; 199th
- Area: 468 sq km, 195th
- Comparative Area: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
- National Food: Escudella, Trinxat
- National Symbol: Lammergeier Vulture
- Affiliations: UN
- Independence: Formed under the joint sovereignty of the French Count of Foix and the Spanish Bishop of Seu d’Urgel, September 8, 1278 / also celebrated as Our Lady of Meritxell Day

- Alcohol Legal: Yes
- Minimum Drinking Age: 18
- BAC: 0.05%
- Number of Breweries: 1

- How to Say “Beer”: cervesa
- How to Order a Beer: Una cervesa, si us plau
- How to Say “Cheers”: Txin txin
- Toasting Etiquette: N/A

Alcohol Consumption By Type:
- Beer: 31%
- Wine: 44%
- Spirits: 25%
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):
- Recorded: 14.08
- Unrecorded: 1.40
- Total: 15.48
- Beer: 3.93
WHO Alcohol Data:
- Per Capita Consumption: 14.1 litres
- Alcohol Consumption Trend: N/A
- Excise Taxes: No
- Minimum Age: 18
- Sales Restrictions: Places, specific events, intoxicated persons
- Advertising Restrictions: No
- Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: No
Patterns of Drinking Score: 1
Prohibition: None

Ale Industries Adds New Brewster

Just got some great news. Morgan Cox, founder and brewer of Ale Industries, and his wife Laura, had their second child last week. Laura gave birth to Rayah just after 5:00 a.m. on September 2. Join me in wishing the happy couple all the best on their birth of their daughter. Congratulations Morgan and Laura!
Particulars:
Original Gravity: 6 pounds, 8 ounces
IBUs: 21.25 in.
Style: Girl
Release Date: September 2, 2012
Label: Rayah Marion Cox

A sleeping Rayah Marion Cox.


