Related tags:
coffee + (9)
alcohol + (5)
drugs + (4)

U.S. Champion Barista Katie Carguilo shares her secrets on making the perfect cup of Joe
posted by Renoroc on Nov 13, 2012 - 129 comments

Four is a premium alcoholic beverage that features 12% alcohol and a serious (but undisclosed) dose of caffeine. While the original "energy beer" dropped the caffeine from their formula in 2008, Four Loko has become a hit on college campuses. Now, nine students were sent to the hospital after a party at Central Washington University where the "black out in a can" was on hand. The FDA is mulling a general ban.
posted by chrchr on Oct 26, 2010 - 144 comments

What Caffeine Actually Does to Your Brain
posted by Artw on Jul 13, 2010 - 136 comments

One person’s helpful mood improver, though, is another’s worryingly effective stimulant. "The drink is 15 percent alcohol by volume, a bit stronger than most wines. Also, each 750 milliliter bottle contains as much caffeine as eight cans of Coke." Scottish authorities are trying to reduce alcoholism in the country, but consumers still love their Buckfast, which has been linked to violent behavior by some, and dismissed as merely a scapegoat by others. [more inside]
posted by snottydick on Feb 4, 2010 - 97 comments

15 Things Worth Knowing About Coffee. 17 Things Worth Knowing About Your Cat. The MotherF**king Pterodactyl. These and various other amusements courtesy of The Oatmeal.
posted by brain_drain on Nov 18, 2009 - 30 comments

The Caffeine Examiner will review any product containing caffeine. For example: chewing gum, sprays, energy drinks, soft drinks, hard drinks, perplexingly hard drinks, patches...? The sidebar on the right points to reviews of more caffeinated products than I had ever dreamed existed. Products are also rated by taste, packaging, nutrition/buzz, and website functionality. [via]
posted by not_on_display on Dec 27, 2008 - 16 comments

Drawing on drugs by Jeremy Eaton. [more inside]
posted by gman on Dec 18, 2008 - 12 comments

The Coffee Junkie’s Guide to Caffeine Addiction. Caffeine's a hell of a drug. In fact, it's the world's most popular psychoactive drug. And more and more of us are getting hooked on the stuff. [more inside]
posted by The Card Cheat on Jul 22, 2008 - 144 comments

Mark Malkoff visits, buys, and consumes something from all 171 Starbucks in Manhattan in one day. (single link non-youtube video post)
posted by alms on Jul 19, 2007 - 77 comments

After this there isn't really much else for science to accomplish.
posted by jimmythefish on Jan 26, 2007 - 28 comments

Some folks really like it sweet. Some will start a six-year campaign to get it. Some blame Canada and France for not getting it, when it was perhaps better to blame the Swiss. Some want it healthy while others want the romance back. Some make it part of higher education, while others just want to get higher. Even vegans want in on the gooey action.
posted by Blazecock Pileon on Aug 30, 2006 - 20 comments

DAMMIT, DOSED AGAIN! Well, once again I got a cup of full-strength this morning which she swore was decaf, and I'm jittery as a chimp on crack. But soon I won't have to worry; chemists at Washington University School of Medicine are working on a caffeine test strip.
posted by ZenMasterThis on Aug 23, 2006 - 28 comments

Fox pussies out. Recently a bill passed in mexico legalizing all drugs under certain specified quantities. The bill was promoted By Vincente Fox's party, and came from his offices. However he decided not to sign it under U.S. pressure.

There go my vacation plans.
posted by Paris Hilton on May 4, 2006 - 57 comments

Developing black and white film at home just got much cheaper. It's possible to develop film using tea, coffee, or even vitamin C. To avoid being called a fustian photography nerd, call it caffenol (or caffeinol, but not that caffeinol).
posted by nomad on Apr 20, 2006 - 20 comments

I know there's always been a dearth of particularly strangely named or just altogether strange means of taking in caffeine. Seriously, geeks will apparently buy caffeinated anything! However, I don't think I've seen anything quite as awesome as Steven Seagal's lightning bolt energy drink!
posted by twiggy on Oct 22, 2005 - 42 comments

Death By Caffeine I just learned that it would take 155.11 cans of Mountain Dew to kill me, according to this odd little service.
posted by jragon on Aug 17, 2005 - 44 comments

"It tastes like cough syrup."
posted by isol on Apr 20, 2005 - 53 comments

Coffee makes it harder to think clearly, while alcohol makes the mind sharper. (At least if you're British.)
posted by soyjoy on Aug 2, 2004 - 28 comments

1,3,7-trimethylxanthine (sometimes used as a pesticide to kill frogs) also happens to be one of the world’s most popular drugs.

Users find that it improves attention and concentration, and slightly decreases their heart rate at low doses. It is habit forming however and has been known to cause agitation, anxiety, insomnia, disorientation, nausea, delirium, hallucinations and tinnitus. Some people report involuntary tremors or even convulsions. Overdoses can cause seizures, respiratory failure and cardiopulmonary arrest. Withdrawal from regular use can cause symptoms including headache, nausea, nervousness, reduced alertness and depression.

The metabolic half-life of the drug is usually somewhere between three and seven hours so a typical user will take somewhere between fifteen and thirty-five hours to process 95% of their initial dose. How many milligrams have you taken today?
posted by snarfodox on May 13, 2004 - 42 comments

How do you get teens to crave milk? Load it with caffeine. "We're giving teens the caffeine they want but also vitamins, calcium and protein" ...and also a lot more calories.
posted by bluno on Nov 6, 2003 - 32 comments

Will 2003 Be The Year Of Real Espresso In America? With the wealth of good machines, fresh coffee beans and online knowledge now available, not to mention tempting offers like Illy's subscription (though the pods turn out expensive in the end, it allows absolute beginners to make acceptable espresso) it's surprising Starbucks-style coffee (big, milky, watery and sweet) hasn't yet been dethroned by the pleasure of straight espresso (tiny, thick, creamy and intense), preferably restretto. I should add that, despite many efforts over the years, I've never had a decent cup of espresso in America. In fact, outside Southern Europe. What gives?
posted by MiguelCardoso on Dec 23, 2002 - 61 comments

"How Much Starbucks is Too Much?" This article predicts that our favourite caffeine pushers could double the number of outlets in the US without saturating the market. Pretty graphs, but has anyone told this guy about Starbucks' more sinister plans? warning, second link = Onion story
posted by nprigoda on Aug 1, 2002 - 31 comments

New Starbucks Slogan: "For Your Health".... new research shows that three cups of coffee or more every day might reduce risk of alzheimers by 60%. I'm sure dedicated coffee drinkers really need another reason....
posted by LuxFX on Jul 15, 2002 - 14 comments

While I find our national addiction a great deal of fun and a personal necessity, I do start to wonder sometimes...
posted by apostasy on May 24, 2002 - 43 comments

When this appears in newspapers across America tomorrow morning, will dad choke on his Special K and think of his number tucked in the drawer, or will he feel outrage and disgust at the public discussion of drugs ?
posted by Bones423 on Jan 27, 2002 - 42 comments

Red Bull cocktails giving wings, sending some to heaven. The Swedish are more than a little upset and Norway, Denmark, and France won't sell it because of its caffiene content.
posted by skallas on Jul 15, 2001 - 37 comments

Isolating the gene responsible for caffeine is expected to lead to decaffeinated beans, and a higher-quality coffee product, all-around... But are they considering other applications? With a bit of gene splicing, anything is possible. Caffeinated oranges, anyone?
posted by Jairus on Aug 31, 2000 - 35 comments

Attention trial lawyers! Miss out on your chance to get rich off a piece of Big Tobacco? All your buddies already sliced up the potential Firestone pie? Well, have we got a cutting-edge trend for you: Aim for Big Soda! Johns Hopkins claims soft drink companies use caffiene to addict consumers.
posted by aaron on Aug 14, 2000 - 15 comments

“Why has my sex life been so much more satisfying since I started using Penguins?”
“Another very common question. We think the reason your sex life improved is because of the way you are using them…”

Mmm…a great source of caffeine if you hate coffee and soda—they're sugarless, too!
posted by gleemax on Mar 25, 2000 - 4 comments