Your daily dose of news and happenings from around the drink-o-sphere:
– In response to the state’s controversial HB2 law, three dozen North Carolina breweries have agreed to sell “Don’t be Mean” beer with all proceeds going towards local equality groups.
– Starbucks debuts a new wine and beer menu in five Washington, D.C., locations.
– Winston Churchill was prescribed an indefinite amount of “alcoholic spirits especially at meal times” by his doctor.
– A former professor of pulmonary medicine puts his scientific knowledge to good use: making wine smell better.
– The power of big data is finally put to use by the wine industry, tracking when customers are most primed to engage with wine-related content.
– Lavender Sunflower Date Honey Ale, or LSD, as it is more commonly known, is forced to rebrand after losing a lengthy battle with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
– Blanc Vermouth, the dark horse of the fortified wine world, trots onto the American market.
– Food Republic investigates why Pappy Van Winkle is so popular on the black market.
– Spiked seltzer is the low-carb, low-calorie answer to craft beer and the latest trend to hit the drinks world.
– Finally, Eater publishes their comprehensive guide to fortified wines, which have exploded into the American market.
[Photo: Flickr/Quinn Dombrowski]