Brix

A measure of the sugar content of grapes before they are harvested. Used to estimate the ALCOHOL content of the resulting wine.

What is the origin of the phrase “hair of the dog?”

A. It was once a phrase that signaled “alarm” as when the hairs of a dog are raised

B. It originally referred to an old English grog of potent hard liquors that made people feel numb to any (headache) pain

C. It originally referred to a treatment for a bite from a dog with rabies

D. It refers to the utterly slim (like the width of a dog’s hair) chance of feeling ok the next morning after drinking too much

As almost everyone who has ever drunk too much knows, “hair of the dog” is a colloquial expression for drinking an alcoholic beverage as a way of curing a hangover. (A stiff Bloody Mary is many drinkers’ first choice). The original expression referred to a method of treating a rabid dog bite by placing hairs of the dog into the bite wound. This was just one example of the ancient medical theory similia similibus curantur (Latin for “like cures like”), which is the basic tenet of homeopathy.

8

The number of standard bottles a Methuselah holds, about 40 glasses. Many large bottles (mostly used for Champagne) carry the name of biblical kings. Methuselah, however, was not a king. Instead, he was distinguished by… Continue reading

Get WineSpeed