Mark Zabel, inventor of deep-fried Texas treats including the chocolate-covered-strawberry waffle ball and jalapeno corndog shrimp, is bringing his greasy indulgence to the state-wide cook-off competition held September 26. He hopes to snag a trophy with his patent-pending process that allows the beer itself to be fried inside a salty, pretzel-like pocket. “When you take a bite, beer pours out of the inside pocket of dough.” YUM! Zabel says he’s currently using Guinness but might switch to Shiner Bock or a pale ale like Sierra Nevada, reports Jacksonville.com.

The process has taken Zabel three years to perfect, but he’s confident that he has a winning combination in his fryer. And to satisfy other palettes, there will be fried margaritas and fried lemonade offered at the event as well.

Check out the Yelp Hackathon KegMate Video

It May Prevent Osteoporosis

Researchers at the University of California took on the very tough job of analyzing 100 commercially-available beers and found that most of them contained enough silicon to benefit bone health (past studies have found that women who are light to moderate beer drinkers have better bone density than non-beer drinkers). Recommended daily dose: No more than two cold ones. And opt for Ales and Pale Ales, which have higher levels of the bone-bolstering silicon than darker varieties.

It May Lower Risk of Heart Disease

A number of studies have shown that moderate consumption of alcohol–beer included–may lower your risk of heart disease. In one Harvard study, healthy-minded types who rated their alcohol intake as moderate had 40 to 60 percent lower incidence of heart attack.

Hops May Lower Cholesterol

Research has found that hops–the bitter flavor that balances out the sweetness of beer– is a great source of polyphenols, which lower bad cholesterol, fight cancer, and give your immune system a boost.

It’s a Brain Bev

A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that moderate drinking may be associated with better brain function. Women who consumed up to two drinks a day scored 20 percent higher on a cognitive functioning test than those who had less than one drink.

It Can Keep You Hydrated

Researchers at Granada University in Spain say that beer beats water when it comes to hydration. Subjects ran on a treadmill in 104-degree temps until they couldn’t take it anymore, then their hydration levels, motor skills, and ability to concentrate were measures. Half of the runners were given two half pints of Spanish lager while the other half were given good ol’ H2O. The beer drinkers scored slightly better–a result that’s attributed to sugars salts, and bubbles in the beer enhancing the body’s ability to soak up water.

Check out the full article HERE at msn.com and enjoy your happy hour consumption with added confidence tonight.

So whether your a fan in Canton or Kansas, Dallas or Denver, we’re all ready for some football.  And since half the fun of football season is the tailgating camaraderie, why not take things up a notch this year with a Kegs & Eggs tailgating party? The earlier the better and the more the merrier! While traditionally a St. Patties day event, there’s no reason why two great substances cannot join forces more often.  Here’s all you’ll need for your a.m. excursion:

• Keg(s) with tap
• Eggs
• Portable grill
• Frying pan
• Spatula
• 12 Volt cooler

Now, for the perfect pairing to the eggs, we recommend a Weizen or Belgian-style wheat beer.  For the ladies, or anyone looking for a beer that’s easy on the palate, Bell’s Oberon will be perfect, however, Blue Moon will do. Don’t forget the orange slices!  If you’re looking for something heavier, choose an Oatmeal Stout such as Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout.  One I’m really looking forward to trying this season is Rogue’s Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout.

So whether you’ll take yours sunny-side up or scrambled, crack an egg and a beer for Kegblog, and “Cheers” to the start of the 2010 football season!

And should be read with exclamation

For all those who love a beer with hops

This is the tale of how skunk beer flopped

And from its ashes rose a tasty ale

that now from bar to bar regales

So back to the 1700’s we travel

Where British soldiers were about to unravel

All the Brits wanted was some beer in their life

while causing the Indians hardship and strife

As they manned their posts in Calcutta & Bombay

The delicious beer was spoiled on its 10,000 mile way

For in those hard days of pre-refrigeration

Brewers set to work to solve the situation

George Hodgson of London was up to the task

he invented a solution to ensure the bad taste was masked

His weapons of choice where alcohol and hops

Both added as astringents to make the funkiness stop

The glorious result was a bitter, alocholic sip

And alas! the brew was drinkable at the end of its long trip

Eventually, breweries opened up in the East

and modern refrigeration saved all the yeast

India Pale Ales are now something to savor

packed full of hops and hops for flavor

From New York to Moscow , the East to the West

IPAs are simply the best

The Vegetable Game

This game works best after a few drinks and with a lot of people.  The object of the game is to speak without ever showing your teeth by hiding them with your lips curled over them. The game starts by each person choosing the name of a vegetable. That will be their call name. The first person to go will say their name twice then choose another person by saying their name twice. That person will then continue by saying their name twice and “calling” another person.

Example:
First Person: Broccoli, Broccoli calls Asparagus, Asparagus
Second Person: Asparagus, Asparagus calls Lettuce, Lettuce

Usually people feel, sound and look so ridiculous trying to say their names that everyone starts laughing – thus showing their teeth – resulting in a drink fest. If you can laugh and still hide your teeth then you haven’t had enough to drink beforehand.

Courtesy of The Webtender

————————————————————————————————————–

Why does this sound so fun?  Well, let me divulge some background.  I’ve been out of college for over a year, and what a year of transformation it has been.  I was once the girl who reveled in the Ohio State University night-life, worked at a 24-hour rock ‘n roll pizza shop and stood proud in the front-row to see every rock band who made it onstage of the seedy Ohio venues around me.  This last year, however, I’ve experienced the thrill of graduation, the joys of motherhood, the agony of living with in-laws and the adventure (and stress) of moving across the country.

While I see my transformation as a revamping rather than a deformation, there are obviously parts of my “youth” that I miss:  kegs and eggs, sleeping till dusk, punk rock karaoke…and drinking games!

Those cold Ohio nights spent gathered around a hand-me-down coffee table with cards, a keg and friends seemed like just a way to pass the time, but now I see it was a way of releasing stress, making memories and dragging out our immaturity.  Now that I’m a mom with a nine to fiver, drinking games sound more thrilling than ever!  For the above game to be entertaining, it would take about 1.5 beers and just me looking into a mirror with my lips curled saying “potato, potato”.

There’s really no point to drinking games.  There’s no preparation necessary, no mistakes to be made (unless you miss the last shot in a beer-pong match) and absolutely no way that you cannot have some laughs while playing.  This is what I’m after.  The thrill of bouncing a quarter into a glass…and drinking.  Or watching “Lord of the Rings” and gulping down a cold one with every mention of “the ring”.  So this will be my new goal – to regress in my maturity, make daddy play babysitter, and go out with my girls for some Kings, Quarters and kegs. ‘Cuz you’re never too old, or liable, for some light-hearted libations!

What are some of your favorite drinking games?  Let us know and we’d love to try them out!

Pocket Cocktails: $4.99

If you are fed up with the conscious effort required to remember and choose a unique cocktail, use Pocket Cocktails before you start your evening. The great thing about this app is that you can hit up the grocery store on your way home from work on Friday night, and easily pick up the ingredients for some cocktails with little effort.

The list that Pocket Cocktails offers is very extensive. You can look up practically any drink under the sun by name, or by ingredient. So, if all you have in your apartment is a few ketchup packets, an orange and a ¼ bottle of gin, you may be able to figure out a drink. The app has a sleek interface and, if you like to impress people as much as I do by feigning legitimate bartender skills, you can use this handy little tool to make some drinks without even mentioning it to your guests – act like you are text messaging someone while you make a Japanese Slipper Martini.

Sloshspot: Free This app truly will help you in situations where you are in a new city or if you are sick of going to the same old places. Because the Sloshspot community is accessible via the app, you can use this feature to see what events have recently been updated in your town, who goes to certain bars as regulars, and where some of your Sloshspot friends are going each night.

There is also information regarding specials, drink promotions, and other information that will come in handy when picking where to spend your evenings. If you need a change of scenery, or if your decision on where to go depends on who else is going/performing there, this is quite the tool.

Beer Pad: $4.99 For the beer aficionado, this app works as a beer journal to record your thoughts on the beers you drink. You can take notes, rate the beers you try, take a picture of the bottle for future reference and look up beers you’ve tried in the past. BeerPad will also remember everything you’ve said and use it as a reference guide for future. It’s $4.99 but if beer is your game, this is one cool app.

Wine Pad: $4.99

If you’re a beer lover (like most normal Americans) then you are probably concerned with one or both of the following two things: (1) which beers taste great, and (2) which beers are the healthiest. Since the best-tasting things in life are often high in calories (think fried foods, ice cream, cookies, and basically anything with chocolate), we’ve assembled our list of the ten highest-calorie beers (and thus, some of the best-tasting), and the ten lowest-calorie beers.

Top Ten Highest-Calorie Beers

1. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot: 330 calories
2. Samuel Adams Boston Lager: 180 calories
3. Guinness Extra Stout: 176 calories
4. Pete’s Wicked Ale: 174 calories
5. Harpoon IPA: 170 calories
6. Heineken: 166 calories
7. Killian’s Irish Red: 163 calories
8. Long Trail: 163 calories
9. Molson Ice: 160 calories
10. Anheuser Busch Natural Ice: 157 calories

Top Ten Lowest-Calorie Beers

1. Budweiser Select 55: 55 calories
2. Beck’s Premier Light: 64 calories
3. Miller Genuine Draft (MGD) 64: 64 calories
4. Amstel Light: 95 calories
5. Michelob Ultra: 95 calories
6. Natural Light: 95 calories
7. Miller Light: 96 calories
8. Heineken Light: 99 calories
9. Budweiser Select: 99 calories
10. Coors Light: 102 calories

So get out there, make wise choices, and remember:  Stay Thirsty My Friends*

*Courtesy of Dos Equis’  ”Most Interesting Man in the World”

-The Czech are inventing new beer-inspired ways of getting out the vote among the youth.

-In a down economy, one job might be able to not only give you a paycheck, but also a way to pick up your spirits!

Cartoons and Images:

In case you’ve ever wondered what a house party with the U.S. President, the British Prime Minister, and the German Chancellor would look like:

Commercials:

Guy with his priorities straight:

Always have an answer ready:

- Apparently, the recession has even hit the beer industry. Isn’t this the opposite of what’s supposed to happen?

- Keep the beer flowing! It’s good for your bones.

- If I had known they got to study beer making in Agricultural Studies, I might have changed majors.

- I hope we can all live this long and continue celebrating the same way.

- Of course, Wired would win the “Geekiest Super Bowl Party” award.

- Pennlive.com offers up some good Valentine gift ideas for the beer lover in your life. And they’re not just Penn-centric.

- No longer worry about leaving the bar with your tab still open, there’s a new iPhone app to make opening and closing your tab very simple. Created right here in Austin.