Alcohol

The only remaining bottle of the world’s oldest cognac goes to auction next week, and will almost certainly set a new record. The 258-year-old Gautier cognac was distilled during the reign of Louis XV, almost three decades before the French Revolution.

New research has found an old drug, used for over half a century to treat alcoholism, could be repurposed as a useful anti-obesity medication. The animal study saw the drug prevent obesity and improve metabolic health in mice fed a high-fat diet.

New research from Canadian anthropologists finds very few animals actually have the ability to quickly process alcohol, suggesting a famously debunked story about drunken elephants may have a kernel of truth in it after all.

New animal research has found binge drinking can be controlled by blocking a key brain region linked to emotion-related behavior. The mouse experiments suggest blocking certain opioid receptors in the extended amygdala may curb excessive drinking.

Most people would tackle hangovers with plenty water and some greasy food, rather than a herbal remedy. But dihydromyricetin (DHM) does seem to have some effect, and now researchers from USC have investigated just how it works in the liver.

Doctors are reporting a bizarre case of a woman who urinates alcohol. The woman showed none of the other regular signs of excessive alcohol consumption, leading them to conclude that yeast in her bladder was brewing the booze.

Although breathalyzers have been used to check drivers' blood alcohol levels for decades now, the things do have their drawbacks. In the near future, however, police officers and others may get better results using a simple strip-type test kit.

An incredible new study has found a specifically timed infusion of ketamine can rewrite maladaptive reward memories. Subjects with harmful alcohol behaviors significantly reduced their drinking for nine months following a single ketamine treatment.

A team of scientists has discovered specific strains of gut bacteria can produce high levels of alcohol in the body, playing a role in the onset of liver disease.

For the daring tippler, scientists from the University of Portsmouth have distilled an artisan "radioactive-free" vodka, branded Atomik, made from ingredients from the Exclusion Zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor site.

A tiny artificial tongue which can identify individual whiskies by taste has been invented by a team of Scottish engineers . The device could mean big things for drink makers wanting to ensure a consistent product, and protect their precious brands from counterfeiters at the same time.

​A new study is suggesting a great number of individuals are self-treating problematic alcohol consumption with strong doses of LSD or psilocybin. The research rekindles interest in a strong vein of study from the 1950s and 1960s into LSD and alcoholism.