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Alcohol in Chemistry

The most commonly used alcohol is ethanol, C2H5OH, with the ethane backbone. Ethanol has been produced and consumed by humans for millennia, in the form of fermented and distilled alcoholic beverages, and was isolated by the Arab chemist, Al-Kindi, in the 9th century CE. It is a clear flammable liquid that boils at 78.4 °C, which is used as an industrial solvent, car fuel, and raw material in the chemical industry. In the US and some other countries, because of legal and tax restrictions on alcohol consumption, ethanol destined for other uses often contains additives that make it unpalatable (such as Bitrex) or poisonous (such as methanol). Ethanol in this form is known generally as denatured alcohol; when methanol is used, it may be referred to as methylated spirits ("Meths") or "surgical spirits".
The simplest alcohol is methanol, CH3OH, which was formerly obtained by the distillation of wood and therefore is called "wood alcohol". It is a clear liquid resembling ethanol in smell and properties, with a slightly lower boiling point (64.7 °C), and is used mainly as a solvent, fuel, and raw material. Unlike ethanol, methanol is extremely toxic: one sip (as little as 10 ml) can cause permanent blindness by destruction of the optic nerve and 30 ml (one fluid ounce) is potentially fatal.
Two other alcohols whose uses are relatively widespread (though not so much as those of methanol and ethanol) are propanol and butanol. Like ethanol, they can be produced by fermentation processes. (However, the fermenting agent is a bacterium, Clostridium acetobutylicum, that feeds on cellulose, not sugars like the Saccharomyces yeast that produces ethanol.)

Posted by Uma Hapsari

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol

Benefits of Drinking

Hi again blog fans, as a result of our blog being strongly focused on the negative impacts of drinking and the scary realities behind excessive alcohol consumption i decided to do some research on the benefits of drinking. Turns out there is some surprising information on the net if you know where to look. Here is my difference in opinion to our previously portrayed outlook on the subject.

Follow the link at the bottom if you wish to learn more :)

Over the last five years, the health benefits of moderate drinking have been widely celebrated in the headlines. To those who think everything enjoyable must be bad for you, this news might seem like a dream come true.

Of course, there are many caveats - and these studies don't indicate that teetotalers should take up drinking or that infrequent drinkers should start drinking more. The operative word here is drinking in moderation.

Studies show, for example, that health benefits only come with moderate drinking and are greatest for older men. And even moderate drinking is not recommended for women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, or for people who are under 21.

The strongest medical evidence exists for the link between moderate drinking and a reduced risk of heart disease.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/3968.php

Posted By Wesley Adams

Baijiu - Alcoholic beverage of the day

Hi blog buddies,

Today, I am going to introduce to you about a famous Chinese distilled alcoholic drink - Baijiu or Shaojiu. Shaojiu are also called "burn liquor" as well because it has the burning sensation in the mouth during consumption. It is known as one of the strongest liquor in the world, containing approximately 40-60% of alcohol by volume, even stronger than vodka which contains about 50% ABV. Baijiu is basically distilled from sorghum and has a unique flavour. Baijiu is served either warmed or at room temperature and pretty much like vodka, it is consumed in shot glasses.

Reference: http://yeschinatour.com/china-guides/chinese-culture/chinese-alcohol/

Posted by Christopher Wan

Origins/Types of Alcohol

Hey again guys, We have been focusing a lot on the negatives of Alcohol consumption, so with this post i have provided all the types of drinks that are available to OVER 18s :) these drinks are commonly sold in most pubs and licensed areas. This post simply describes what the beverage looks and tastes like or the brief origins of it for those who may have had no association with Alcohol.

SPIRITS

GIN - a colorless alcoholic beverage made by distilling or redistilling rye or other grain spirits and adding juniper berries or aromatics such as anise, caraway seeds, or angelica root as flavouring.

VODKA - originally distilled from fermented wheat mash but now also made from a mash of rye, corn, or potatoes.

RUM - distilled from cane juice, or from the scummings of the boiled juice, or from treacle or molasses, or from the lees of former distillations. Also, sometimes used colloquially as a generic or a collective name for intoxicating liquor.

WHISKEY - distilled from grain, potatoes, etc., especially in Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. In the United States, whisky is generally distilled from maize, rye, or wheat, but in Scotland and Ireland it is often made from malted barley.

TEQUILA - an alcoholic liquor distilled from the fermented juice of the Central American century plant Agave tequilana.

BRANDY - an alcoholic liquor distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice.

LIQUEURS

(FLAVORED SPIRITS)

Liqueurs are flavored spirits prepared by infusing certain woods, fruits, or flowers, in either water or alcohol, and adding sugar, etc. Others are distilled from aromatic or flavoring agents.

WINES & CHAMPAGNE

RED WINE - wine having a red color derived from skins of dark-colored grapes.

WHITE WINE - any wine of a clear, transparent color, bordering on white, as Madeira, sherry, Lisbon, etc.; -- distinguished from wines of a deep red color, as port and Burgundy.

ROSE WINE - pinkish table wine from red grapes whose skins were removed after fermentation began.

CHAMPAGNE - a sparkling white wine made from a blend of grapes, especially Chardonnay and pinot, produced in Champagne.

SPARKLING WINE - any of various effervescent wines, such as champagne, produced by a process involving fermentation in the bottle.

VERMOUTH - a sweet or dry fortified wine flavored with aromatic herbs and used chiefly in mixed drinks.

ALE

LAGER - a type of beer of German origin that contains a relatively small amount of hops and is aged from six weeks to six months to allow sedimentation.

CIDER

BEER

http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01220/types_of_alcohol.htm

Posted By Wesley Adams

Drinking Nightmare TV ad for those not of legal drinking age (2009)

So here is one of the advertisements

I think this one is the most effective from what I've seen...especially for representing underage binge drinking.

So do you think this is effective?

Posted by Sarah O'Brien

Drinking Nightmare TV ad

So what do you think?

Effective?

Check out their other ones too...I think this one is especially realistic

Posted by Sarah O'Brien