Alcohol and Drugs History Society

Development of the Czech style of beer (article)

Gabriela Basarova, "The Development of the Czech Style of Beer," Brewery History 136 (Summer 2010): 22-28.  Apology for missing accent marks in the author's name.

Czech meth labs threaten Europe

An eruption of home meth labs in the Czech Republic threatens to spread the drug throughout Europe. Doing their best, Czech police busted 416 home meth labs last year, this in a country with a population a little over ten million. For more, see here.

Czech Republic leads in marijuana, meta-amphetamine use in Europe

The Czech Republic leads in marijuana and meta-amphetamine (pervitine) use in Europe. Czech per capita consumption of marijuana (22 percent of people aged 15-34 years) is about the same as that in the USA. About three million Europeans use marijuana daily. In Europe meta-amphetamine (pervitine) is used only in the Czech Republic. For more, see here.

Around the World in eight hangovers

The task: investigating the 'cultural and traditional aspects of alcohol around the world'. In other words, getting very drunk in six of the world's most formidable drinking capitals. The man for the job? The Independent's Dom Joly.

How café culture influenced writers and artists

Ibsen, Satre and Dali worked best with a glass in front of them. A new book explores the contribution made by café culture to their greatest creations. The Independent reports.

'Beer can treat a range of conditions,' says owner of world's first beer health spa

A spa - believed to be the world's first beer health centre - has opened in the cellar of a family brewery in the Czech Republic. On offer are beer baths, beer massages and beer cosmetics at the spa at the Chodovar Family brewery in Chodova Plana. The converted cellars include seven huge baths inspired by Victorian design where guests can swim in beer while sipping a pint at a bathside bar.

Definitely read more.

Czech brewery claims win in trademark spat

Czech brewery Budejovicky Budvar claimed victory in Finland Thursday over beer giant Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. in the latest round of their ongoing global trademark dispute.

The New York Times reports.

What better way to reward a group of athletes?

A major Czech brewery has offered 160 litres of beer, the average yearly consumption of each citizen, to each member of the Czech national football squad irrespective of whether the team beats Norway to qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

"We want to recognise the achievements of the team in one of the most difficult qualifying groups for the World Cup," said a brewery spokesman. "The offer is equivalent to a year's supply of beer," he added.

Players will only be able to take up the offer after the second leg of the play-off match against Norway in Prague on November 16, he added. The first leg is in Norway on Saturday.

The Australian reports.

Drug abuse more common among men in the Czech Republic

Men were almost twice as likely as women to use illegal drugs in the past year, according to a public health survey in the Czech Republic. The gender gap was evident for every age group between 18 and 64 years old covered by the Health Information and Statistics Institute (UZIS) survey in September.

More than 10 percent of the 3 500 respondents said they had used illegal drugs - from marijuana to ecstasy to LSD - in the past year. IOL reports.

Uganda's dubious boozing record

The East African reports (15 August 2005) that last month, the World Health Organisation ranked Uganda the leading consumer of alcohol in the world. Per capita consumption is 19.5 litres, according to the report, closely followed by Luxembourg at 17.54 litres and the Czech Republic at 16.21 litres. The 2004 Global Status Report says Ugandans spend $145 million on alcohol annually. Find the full story here.