New Law of the Land

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I got ID'd at Sainsbury's in the UK for buying a good 25 jars of honey. They also 2 weeks later refused to sell me beer with the weekly shop because my elderly grandmother and my child sister didn't have ID, and then had security escort us out of the building when I attempted to reason with them.

I no longer shop at Sainsbury's. Morrison's is much friendlier and their bakery doesn't suck.
 
No booze for grandma? Wow, that's harsh.

When we returned to Ithaca, we were shocked to find everyone carding everyone. My dad thought they were joking, but no they really wanted to see his ID. I mean, his son is 30 but he could still be underage, right? Figure it must be the college-town aspect of this particular place, but they didn't do that when we were in college...
 
My sister and I share the distinction of being carded for an R-rated movie whilst in our mid thirties. I once got carded and asked if I get the senior discount at the same dining establishment at the same night, by the same person. My friend who is 10 years younger than me did not get carded for his beer.
 
I'd be tempted to toy with the tea totaler cashier...maybe pick up 15# of peanuts and say I'm gonna make hooch with it one week, pick up a couple of gal of bottled water and say I plan to turn it into wine the next... Was it BBBF who said the list of stuff you CAN'T turn into alcohol is shorter... Oh, and I'm just kidding on the turning peanuts into hooch... I don't actually have a recipe for that... Yet.
 
No booze for grandma? Wow, that's harsh.

When we returned to Ithaca, we were shocked to find everyone carding everyone. My dad thought they were joking, but no they really wanted to see his ID. I mean, his son is 30 but he could still be underage, right? Figure it must be the college-town aspect of this particular place, but they didn't do that when we were in college...

NYS Liquor Authority has been cracking down on underage sales more and more in recent years. I suspect in a college town like Ithaca, where merchants likely feel under constant supervision, it's a policy of better safe than sorry when sorry means losing your liquor license.
 
There's gotta be some carbs in there for the new plant to start with... According to this, about 16% carbs by weight... 25% protein, 50% fat.
 
That would be one interesting brew. At this point, someone here just about has to try it.
 
From http://byo.com/stories/article/indices/38-ingredients/1495-the-adjuncts-malt-madness

Acorns

Acorns were used as a staple food source by most of the American Indian tribes and are a traditional food stuff in Korea, where active food science research is conducted on how to best use acorn starch.

The acorn is cheap and easy to obtain in the wild during fall, and it can be purchased, already processed, in many Asian food stores. If you buy the processed acorns, you do not have to worry about eliminating their tannins (astringent compounds).

If you decide to collect the acorns, you should invest some time in cleaning them properly. When collecting, take only the freshly fallen green ones or pick them off the tree. Put them in a dehumidifier or heat them in the oven for about two hours at 200° F. This will dry them and also kill any worms living in them.

Once the acorns are dried, get rid of the shell and then coarsely grind the acorns. To remove tannins put the crushed acorns into a leg of a nylon stocking and run water through the mush for about two hours. The flow rate does not have to be high but should be continuous. After this the acorn mush can either be mashed with the method used for rice or dried to use at a later date.

The acorn itself is very similar in content to barley. It is 72 to 80 percent starch, 8 to 12 percent protein, and has a low oil content. One of its major drawbacks is that, like the potato, it contains high concentrations of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase. Therefore, the beers made with acorns will not be of the lighter variety. In test mashes the color comes out to be a brown shade along the line of a Vienna or Oktoberfest-style beer. This is a good adjunct with which to make your Thanksgiving and Christmas beers

So why not peanuts?
 
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You know it's funny, I've brought this up with my old boss. We brewed at his house and he asked if his 3-year-old son could help. I told him the only thing a minor can't legally do is pitch the yeast. Everything before that is just sugar water. Rather amusing...
I use my thirteen-y/o son as a tasting board for most of my meads (he's not too fond of my capsicumel, but enjoys the berry-infused ones). In my state, it's legal to allow a minor to consume as long as they are on private property (and don't go getting hammered). There is no law, that I have found in my state/locale, that forbids minors from producing alcohol; in fact, I have seen school systems use fermentation in biology classes.
I suppose it's all up to the state to make and enforce their laws, too bad the state leaves it up to the individual to learn the laws and keep up with the changes.
Funny thing about getting ID'd... some companies require their employees to ID everyone, while other businesses allow their employees to make a "judgement call" based on how old the purchaser looks... were it me, I'd card every one in the event I mistake a 15yo for a 27yo (if you've seen some of the "mature" boys and girls in my area, you'd do it too); it also avoids the accusation that you're "profiling". gosh, I wish for simpler times....
 
... some companies require their employees to ID everyone, while other businesses allow their employees to make a "judgement call" based on how old the purchaser looks... were it me, I'd card every one in the event I mistake a 15yo for a 27yo (if you've seen some of the "mature" boys and girls in my area, you'd do it too); it also avoids the accusation that you're "profiling". gosh, I wish for simpler times....

Plus think of all the little old ladies and little old men whose day you'd be making by carding them!
 
Plus think of all the little old ladies and little old men whose day you'd be making by carding them!

Apparently at our liquor store, the "Oh, do I HAVE to dig out my ID?" slight disbelief-tinged eyeroll is something minors cannot master, worked like a charm the last time I got carded :p

It's always interesting to note the differences in alcohol attitudes between here and Europe... in Europe, if you're old enough to ask for it, you're old enough to drink it, but being publicly drunk is something to be highly embarrassed about, so people learn early how to control themselves, whereas here, OMG you can't POSSIBLY drink till you've been driving for a couple of years already, and furthermore getting publicly drunk is something to brag about, so we all learn how to be binge drinkers.
 

It's always interesting to note the differences in alcohol attitudes between here and Europe... in Europe, if you're old enough to ask for it, you're old enough to drink it, but being publicly drunk is something to be highly embarrassed about, so people learn early how to control themselves,
...

There are also more restrictive laws concerning DUI in European countries; contrast: there are some states in the US that allow the passengers of a vehicle to have open containers and actually consume in a moving vehicle, those same states have very lax laws concerning DUI and under-age drinking.
As for our binge drinking... well, if you have something regularly then you are less likely to abuse it; but, if you don't have that thing, and crave it, then you are more likely to consume or use way too much of it at one time. Imagine a child that has never tasted chocolate before, then put a sack full of Hershey bars in front of her... she'll gorge herself on the chocolate until she gets sick; take that same child and include chocolate as a small-yet-normal part of her diet, present her with the same sack of Hershey bars... she may or may not have some, depending on her mood or developed taste for chocolate.
I agree, it's interesting to see the differences in cultures and the way some people react to new or rare things.
 
Carding honey is just rediculous. Whats next, candy? If not for
minors, who are you actually trying to sell most sugar to?

As long as addiction is not involved, I dont think craving
is that much responsible for binge drinking as social
pressure is. The 'rebel' factor is a big on in there if its
not how they are supposed to behave. I'm not sure how it goes
in other countries, as Flanders, and Belgium in general, has quit
the beer-culture going on, the day I announced I would take it
easy on the beer for a while and limit it to 1 drink an evening,
my friends promtly bought me a bucket filled with beer. I had to
take quite the ridiculization, and had to get angry at them a
few times before they actually let me be. Generally as we all got
married, got jobs, and some actual responsabilities, the drinking
reduced greatly. (Beer has gotten exponentionally expensive here
too, it doubles compared to say 6 years ago. ABInbev im looking
at you!)

Recently they broadcasted an experiment on tv, they performed
together with the University of Leuven, where they incognito
organized a free-beer party. The only catch unknown to the guests
was, the beer was non alcoholic. Guess what, they all acted drunk,
because that was the behaviour that was appearantly expected from
them by their peers.

In the end, the only thing we can do to protect our kids from abusing
about anything, is allowing them to develop their own personality,
educating them properly, and hope they are smart enouph to find the
correct path through life. If not, they will probably have learn the
correct path by walking into a few walls, as sure most of use have
done to varrying degrees, hopefully before they sink to far in it.
 
While I was off at college/unniversity, I drank to excess and although it did not benefit me, I think it is one of those times of passage that must be survived. When reality, which by the way, really Sucks; reared its ugly head I gave up fine spirits to buy diapers and support dentists. I had to leave my besotted ways to the values implanted in my youth. Those who had no values to return to tended to struggle to learn some or fall by the wayside. A more true thing has never been said than, "There is no problem a drink can't make worse. If used properly alcohol is a fine gift to mankind compliments of a loving God.
 
I now stick to a 3-drink maximum, established when I'm sober... if I don't, I will accidentally drink to excess because once I'm besotted, even though I just want to keep the buzz and not get plastered, I lack the judgement to stop when I should. Knowing is half the battle.