Top Stories - Drinking

A man in Malaysia was stabbed to death for refusing to stop singing and hand over the microphone at a karaoke bar.

Don't think it will add any extra kick though...

well I suppose he should know being such an expert on East Asian Journo Watering Holes..(dig-dig)...Japan -
While Europe might be thought of as the world's beer capital, you can't discount Asia, and Japan leads the bunch. The big three - Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin - are all sensational dry lagers, and the pubs and bars to drink them in are surprisingly good.

There’s a good 1-cup sake blog that I follow: bq69 collectibles. It’s in Japanese so I don’t understand what it says until I translate it using Google Translate, but it’s a great blog. He rates cup sake from all over Japan and takes detailed pictures of each cup that he reviews.

The best entry yet on What Japan Thinks. Each type of beer has a commercial to go along with it. Really awesome old commercials on there. One almost made me cry (the penguin one).

Last night I got my sake kit in the mail. The kit was about $35. It was pretty easy to get going. I took 1.5 liters of hot tap water and put it in the glass jar with the rice/koji/yeast mixture.

Young Japanese have become averse to spending their hard-earned cash on alcohol, helping push beer sales down by about 5 percent this year and forcing brewers to develop cheap brews and imitation beers to hold on to customers, as well as to look abroad for growth. "I rarely ever drink. I don't like the taste of beer. I do a lot of sports and I think beer is fattening. I hate the way it settles in my stomach," said university student Keisuke Kato.

there is a more current review of this..erm?..unusual beverage but it doesnt have any pictures.

remora

Kosuke Kitajima, Japanese world record holder and multiple Olympic gold medalist breaststroke swimmer. Was chosen as beer drinking athlete.

Former New York Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu has been arrested for assaulting a bartender after his credit card was rejected. He allegedly pushed the bartender against the wall, pulled his hair and smashed at least nine liquor bottles at a bar in Osaka.

Valuable advice for curing and avoiding hangovers when drinking in Japan.

Kinky?..Beer?..yes, now I have your attention I just like to put in a plug for a very informative website.

and for those lucky people in Western Japan (Kinki) remember

Kinki Craft Beer Festival 2008

August 9th 11:00 to 17:00

Beer fans throughout the Western Japan region (Kinki) must be looking forward to the craft beer event this summer in Minoh City. In addition to brews from Minoh Beer (naturally), the event will also feature beer from breweries such as Dotonbori Beer, Kuninocho Beer, Machiya Bakushu, Shuzan Kaido Beer, and Tsuyama Beer.

What is it with Japan and bizarre drinks? This list comprises the bad, the worse and the downright ugly, and we'll lead off the same way last year's list did – with Pepsi Japan's latest weird summer soft drink!

Five of the best summertime cocktails available in Tokyo, where they serve them, and how you can mix them at home.