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Radley Balko talks HuffPo, Nashville, OWS, & Cory Maye

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:00:00 EST

"A story like the Cory Maye story is why you become a journalist," says former Reason staffer Radley Balko. "It's probably the most rewarding thing I'll ever do.” In 2006, Balko first reported on Cory Maye, a Mississippi man given a death sentence for shooting a police officer who was leading a no-knock raid on his apartment. Balko's continued coverage of the case, and the shakey testimony of expert witnesses, eventually led to Maye being released not just from Death Row but prison altogether. (For Balko's Reason archive, go here.)

Reason.tv caught up with Balko in Nashville, where he's been writing for the Huffington Post since May and helming The Nashville Byline, a blog that covers news and events in the Music City. He also continues to run The Agitator, his popular personal site.

In a wide-raning conversation, Balko discusses what working at the HuffPo is like, how Occupy Wall Street and Arab Spring protesters are using social media to make government more transparent than ever, and why Nashville nannies sometime push restaurant owners into serving hard liquor rather than beer.

About 4 minutes long. Shot by Anthony Fisher and Joshua Swain; edited by Swain.

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Post-Punk Icon Joe Jackson on The Nanny State, Smoking Bans, & His Next Musical Adventure

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:30:00 EST

"A smoking ban in bars is saying that adult citizens are not allowed to use a legal substance even though they're very highly taxed for doing so in a place that is private property," explains Joe Jackson, the hitmeister behind indelible tunes such as "Look Sharp!," "Is She Really Going Out With Him?," and, yes, "(Everything Gives You) Cancer."

Jackson's not a smoker himself but he insists that smoking bans and other for-your-own-good restrictions infantalize us all and challenge basic concepts of freedom. "You're throwing out the window the property right of the owner of that establishment, freedom of choice, a lot of things, compared to a health risk [from second- and third-hand smoke] that is really unproven."

Jackson's antipathy for the creeping nanny state in his native England and his longtime home of New York City led him to write a meticulously researched essay called "Smoking, Lies and The Nanny State." It also led him to finally flee New York and London, setting up residence in Berlin because there he at least feels like he is relatively "free" and "treated like an adult."

Jackson sat down with Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie and talked about his frustrations as an anti-smoking ban activist, the "gathering storm of prohibitionism," and the bold and risky evolutions of his signature musical style over the years.

Runs about 7.30 minutes.

Shot by Meredith Bragg, Jim Epstein and Anthony L. Fisher. Edited by Anthony L. Fisher.

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Prohibition Vogue: Why We're Still Talking About "The Noble Experiment"

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EDT

Alcohol prohibition may have been repealed in 1933, but Americans have rarely been more intoxicated with the "noble experiment" than they are today.

Between "Last Call ," Daniel Okrent's best-selling 2010 book, leading clothing designers taking inspiration from jazz age fashion, a new prime-time documentary by Ken Burns, and the new, second season of HBOs critically acclaimed Boardwalk Empire, it's impossible to ignore the new interest in Prohibition. With a fixation on "classic cocktails" and faux-speakeasies, even drinking culture itself seems to be bellying up to the bar.

What's fueling this fascination and where will it end? Reason.tv talks with filmmaker Burns, author Okrent, and drug policy activist Aaron Houston of Students for Sensible Policy , who argues that "Culture and art right now are reflective of a general sentiment in this society that the war on drugs has not worked."

And that change is in air. Marijuana legalization initiatives will be on the ballot in at least two states in 2012, Reps. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.) have introduced legislation to let states decide pot's legal status, and record high levels of Americans are in favor of legalization. As Okrent tells Reason.tv, the need for excise tax revenue during the Great Depression helped make repeal of alcohol prohibition not just possible but desirable. Coupled with a sense of exhaustion at a drug war that has done little to prevent drug use, the dire financial straits of government at all levels may just spell the demise of contemporary prohibition.

Approx. 5 minutes. Written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, who also narrates. Additional camera work by Jim Epstein and Anthony Fisher.

For more Reason.tv on drugs and alcohol, go here .

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Don't Ban DUI Checkpoint Apps!

Wed, 11 May 2011 10:00:00 EDT

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wants to control your smartphone.

Yesterday, Schumer went after Google, Apple, and other smartphone-industry players who have refused to follow a "voluntary" request by him and Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) that they ban apps that show where police are setting up driving under the influence (DUI) checkpoints, speed traps, and the like.

State officials are applying similar pressure (and are also claiming that all requests for compliance are "voluntary"). Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, the son of Vice President Joe Biden, is pushing for bans and so is Maryland's Attorney General Doug Gansler, who likened the apps to "giving a robber the key and the alarm pad code to go rob a bank."

As a direct result of the pressure, Research in Motion, maker of Blackberry products, blocked the apps.

But are apps that give citizens more information about what law enforcement is up to a bad thing? They clearly fall under First Amendment guarantees of free expression (that's why lawmakers are saying their requests are "voluntary"). But perhaps more important, such apps actually minimize drunk driving and speeding - which is one of the reasons why police in places such as Travis County, Texas, are the ones entering the information for DUI checkpoint apps such as Trapster. As a Travis County cop puts it, if he can stop the problematic behavior without writing tickets or hauling people in, everybody is better off.

That's an irony that's lost on bullying pols such as Schumer, Biden, and others. But it's one of the reasons why the audience for such apps continues to grow.

Approximately 3.27 minutes. Featuring Cato Institute policy analyst Julian Sanchez and President of the Association for Competitive Technology Jonathan Zuck.

Produced by Joshua Swain with Nick Gillespie, who also narrates. Filmed by Swain and Jim Epstein.

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Nick Gillespie Appears on Fox News Red Eye

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason.tv editor in chief Nick Gillespie appeared Fox News' Red Eye to discuss various topics, including Wisconson's union protest, Middle East uprisings, Jeopardy's latest robotic-winner and a new beer marketed to the gay community. Airdate: February 18, 2011.

Approximately 40 minutes.

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The Spirit of Mount Vernon: The Return of George Washington's Whiskey

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

Many know George Washington as a general and statesman, but few think of America's first president as a preeminent entrepreneur, operating the most successful whiskey distillery in the late 18th century. At its height, Washington's distillery produced over 11,000 gallons of liquor a year, supplying the surrounding area and becoming one of his most lucrative business ventures.

At Washington's former plantation, Mount Vernon , a group of historic interpreters are looking to bring this story to a wider audience. Thanks to a fully functioning replica of Washington's distillery (and special dispensation from the Virginia General Assembly), George Washington's rye whiskey is once again being made and sold to the public.

In November, Reason.tv followed the entire process as Dave Pickerell, Master Distiller and former Vice President of Operations for Maker's Mark, and Steve Bashore, Mount Vernon Distillery Manager, oversaw a two week production run while adhering as strictly as possible to 18th century means and methods. The result is an 80-proof reminder of the nation's first president and the entrepreneurial ideals of colonial America.

Shot, edited and produced by Meredith Bragg. Music by www.audionautix.com. Approx. 6 minutes.

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Buzz Bowl I: Four Loko vs Joose

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:45:00 EST

Reason.tv presents the Bud Bowl of a new generation!

Two drinks, one field, and numerous mixtures of alcohol and caffeine that "cause" young people to engage in risky behavior.

It's The Battle of the Binge: Buzz Bowl I

Who will come out on top? Four Loko? Joose? Or will it be Senator Schumer (D-NY) and the FDA?

Approximately 1.5 minutes.

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Nick Gillespie Discusses Four Loko Prohibition with Stossel

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Reason.tv editor-in-chief Nick Gillespie joined Stossel to discuss the FDA banning caffeine-infused alcoholic drinks and whether the government should limit choices in order protect the public. Air Date: January 6, 2010.

Approximately 6.19 minutes.

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Why the Feds Banned Four Loko (And is your favorite drink next?)

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST

On December 21, Ramiro Diaz was arrested for selling eight cans of Four Loko to an undercover agent from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Diaz faces up to a year in jail for the offense, but just a few months ago Four Loko was perfectly legal. What happened?

The drink had been the subject of many media reports which suggested that Four Loko's mixture of alcohol and caffeine causes young people to engage in risky behavior. The drink was even dubbed "Blackout in a Can," and the story soon moved from newsrooms to Congress, where officials like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that it be pulled from shelves.

"We must protect children from the severe and deadly consequences of drinks like Four Loko," declared Schumer. The Food and Drug Administration agreed, and in November federal regulators banned Four Loko. The company promised to yank it from shelves by December and replace it with a decaffeinated version.

So do drinks like Four Loko pose a unique danger to America's youth or is this episode more proof that that mixing media and politics can be hazardous to your freedom?

“Why the Feds Banned Four Loko” is written and produced by Paul Detrick. Camera by Alex Manning, Hawk Jensen and Jim Epstein. Senior Producer is Ted Balaker. Music by Beight, DJ Cary, CrimsonFaced and Sophia Marie (Magnatune Records).

Approximately 3:30 minutes.

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Jacob Sullum Discusses Drug Policy on Russia Today

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Reason Senior Editor Jacob Sullum appeared on Russia Today's The Alyona Show to discuss a new British report that shows alcohol is more harmful than cocaine and heroin, and why governments often base drug classifications on cultural norms rather than science. Air date: November 1, 2010.

Approximately 7.07 minutes.

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Anchor Brewing Company: A conversation with craft beer pioneer Fritz Maytag

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:30:00 EDT

Fritz Maytag, longtime owner and brew master of the Anchor Brewing Company, is a central figure in the story of the American craft beer revolution. When Maytag bought Anchor Brewing Company in 1965, he blazed a new trail in the beer industry. At a time when the market was increasingly dominated by big breweries selling inexpensive, watery lagers, Maytag decided to devote his life to creating more flavorful and traditional beers.

While Maytag worked to improve the quality of Anchor's beer, the number of breweries in the US continued to dwindle, and by 1980 there were fewer than 50 breweries in the United States. But then everything began to change. To the home brewers in the Bay Area who began opening their own small breweries in the 80s and 90s, Maytag was both an inspiration and a mentor. Today, astonishingly, there are more than 1500 breweries in the US.

The craft beer revolution is part of what Maytag calls the "food renaissance." Over the past few decades, economic, political, and cultural freedom—coupled with a uniquely American sense of entrepreneurship—has produced more and better choices for American consumers. Remember how difficult it was to find a decent cup of coffee, let alone an espresso, in the 1970s? Well, today we routinely enjoy outstanding coffee, artisan breads and cheeses, superb California wine and, of course, great American beer.

On behalf of craft brew lovers everywhere—thanks, Fritz!

(Maytag recently sold Anchor Brewing Company to the Griffin Group in an arrangement that will maintain the time-honored traditions of the brewery.)

Approximately 10 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

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Nanny of the Month for June 2010: Ladies' Night Foe James Kirkpatrick!

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:10:00 EDT

Busybodies in Illinois are itching to bag baggy pants, and—Holy handcuffs, Batman!—in Los Angeles they're throwing the Caped Crusader behind bars!

But there can be only one Nanny of the Month, and this time it's the state bureaucrat who's thumbing his nose at the great Kool & the Gang anthem by cracking down on bars and restaurants that offer ladies' night (it discriminates against men, you see).

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for June 2010: Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights James Kirkpatrick!

Go here to watch previous Nanny of the Month videos.

"Nanny of the Month" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Associate Producer: Alex Manning; Animation: Meredith Bragg.

Approximately one minute.

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Bootleggers and Baptists: A Conversation with Bruce Yandle

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

While serving as the Executive Director of the Federal Trade Commission during the Reagan years, Bruce Yandle developed a theoretical framework he called "bootleggers and Baptists" to help make sense of regulatory dynamics. As the old story goes, when Baptists lobby for dry Sundays, it's the bootleggers who benefit. Yandle's insight was to point out that "bootlegger and Baptist" coalitions are surprisingly common in US politics. Paul Feine sat down to talk with Yandle about modern day examples of "bootleggers and Baptists."

Bruce Yandle is an economist at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University; Dean Emeritis of Clemson University's College of Business & Behavioral Science; and a senior fellow at the Property & Environment Research Center. Yandle served as a senior economist on the White House staff during the Ford and Carter administrations and as the Executive Director of the Federal Trade Commission under Reagan. Yandle is the author/editor of 16 books, including, most recently, Regulation by Litigation (Yale Press).

Interview by Paul Feine. Shot by Dan Hayes and Alex Manning. Edited by Paul Detrick.

Approximately 8 minutes.

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The Great Philly Beer Bust or, Step Away From The Unlicensed Ale or I'll Shoot!

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EDT

Back in March, the owners of Philadelphia's popular and upscale Memphis Tap Room found their place swarming with Pennsylvania state police searching for "unlicensed beer." As reported by the Philadelphia Daily News:

Although the bar owners had bought the beer legally from licensed Pennsylvania distributors and had paid all the necessary taxes, the police claimed that nobody had registered the precise names of the beers with the state Liquor Control Board - a process that requires the brewers or their importers to pay a $75 registration fee for each product they want to sell in Pennsylvania.

Based on a complaint from someone the State Police refuse to identify, three teams of officers converged last Thursday on the three bars, run by Leigh Maida and her husband, Brendan Hartranft. Checking their inventories against the state's official list of more than 2,800 brands, the cops seized four kegs and 317 bottles, totaling 60.9 gallons of beer, according to police calculations

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie recently sat down at the scene of the crime with the Tap Room's Hartranft to talk about the long reach of nanny state alcohol laws that just seem crazy, especially in the city that birthed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

The Great Philly Beer Bust shines a dark light on how capricious enforcement of stupid regulations undermines life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Or at least a perfectly chilled Monk's Cafe Sour Flemish Red Ale.

Approximately 7.30 minutes long. Shot by Dan Hayes and edited by Josh Swain.

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21: Is It Time to Lower the Drinking Age?

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

The drinking age in the US has been 21 for more than 20 years.

Today, we all take the drinking age for granted, but should we? In fact, the US is one of only four countries in the world with a drinking age as high as 21—the other three are Indonesia, Mongolia and Palau.

Is the policy working to reduce health and safety issues related to youthful alchohol abuse? Is enforcing the drinking age the best use of scarce public resources? What are the unintended consequences of alcohol prohibition for 18-20 year olds?

Organizations such as Mother Against Drunk Driving (MADD) argue that the drinking age is an effective policy and that the answer to ongoing alcohol related problems for 18-20 year olds is more education and better enforcement.

John McCardell, president of Choose Responsibility, and 135 university presidents and chancellors across the country believe it's time to take a fresh look at the drinking age. The former president of Middlebury College and the new head of Sewanee/University of the South, McCardell says our current system encourages unsupervised binge drinking.

Reason.tv went to the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin to get a first-hand look at the war on underage drinking.

Produced and hosted by Paul Feine; shot and edited by Alex Manning. Approximately 10 minutes long. Scroll down for downloadable iPod, HD and audio versions of this and all our videos. Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube page and receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Cocktail Shakedown: The New War Against Classic Mixed Drinks

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Beat a raw egg white into a citrusy cocktail and you get a meringue-like effect, frothy and delicious. The resulting beverage—technically classified as a flip or fizz—is irresistible, not just to cocktail connoisseurs but to regulators and food cops.

On January 19, 2010 one of New York's cocktail hot spots, the Pegu Club, got in trouble with city health department officials for serving just such a drink.

Despite warnings printed on the menu, and raw egg white listed in the ingredients, a health inspector busted a bartender for failing to verbally inform a customer of the risky ingredient. Pegu Club had to yank the Earl Grey MarTEAni from the menu, restoring it only after the health department backed off serious penalties and a court summons.

America is in the midst of a cocktail renaissance. A cadre of elite mixologists in New York, Portland, D.C., and other creative-class cities is bringing back classics and offering new twists on old techniques. Yet retrograde health inspectors and bureaucrats are cracking down on innovation from coast to coast. Indeed, a San Francisco bar ran afoul of regulations by having the audacity to make its own bitters.

Todd Thrasher is an award-winning mixologist at PX Lounge in Alexandria, Virginia. In this video, he speaks with Reason.tv about the perils of doing booze business in Virginia, the virtues of free choice at the bar, and the relationship between freedom and innovation. All while mixing up a swank fizz cocktail for his interlocutor, Reason Senior Editor Katherine Mangu-Ward.

And for those inclined to play the home version of Reason.tv, here's the recipe for Melanie's Pisco Pipe Dream:

1.5 oz Pisco
.75 oz coconut Water / coconut milk mixture
.75 oz sweetened Meyer lemon juice
.25 oz citrus vinegar
white of one egg
1 tsp powdered sugar

Put all contents in a shaker and dry shake (without ice) for 30 seconds. Add ice, and shake for 1 minute, double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with Meyer lemon-black pepper reduction. Relax and enjoy responsibly.

Shot by Dan Hayes and Meredith Bragg, who also edited the piece. Approximately 8 minutes long. Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions. Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube page and receive automatic notification when new material goes live.

Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for March 2010

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:00:00 EDT

Last month Reason.tv highlighted the heartland pol who's waging a very real war on fake pot, but who will be this month's top nanny?

There are the New Jersey cops who wouldn't tolerate a naked snowwoman and Pennsylvania state troopers' armed crackdown on unlicensed beer.

But the Nanny of the Month goes to the Empire State politician who wants to ban salt from New York restaurants and dole out $1,000 fines to any rogue chefs who dare to sneak a sprinkle of the white stuff on their meals.

Presenting Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for March 2010: New York State Rep. Felix Ortiz!

"Nanny of the Month" is written and produced by Ted Balaker. Associate Producer is Alex Manning. Animation by Meredith Bragg.

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Watch previous Nanny of the Month videos here.

Virginia is for (Liquor) Lovers!

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST

Bob McDonnell is a self-professed pinot grigio and white zinfandel drinker.

He's also the new Republican governor of Virginia and is taking aim at the commonwealth's oppressive and inefficient state-owned liquor monopoly. More than a dozen states still completely control the sales and distribution of all distilled spirits.

The result? Higher payrolls for state governments (state-workers are public-sector employees after all) and rotten selection and service for customers (state-sanctioned monopolies tend to diminish the shopping experience).

Despite a reputation as a social conservative, McDonnell thinks that state-run liquor stores are a bad idea from both pragmatic and philosophical perspectives. Given budget crises, says McDonnell, "we can't just do things the same old way.... Certainly there's nothing I gleaned from the [Virginia] constitution that would have me think it's better or required to have the government controlling distilled spirits."

States such as West Virginia and Iowa have gained millions of dollars in new tax and license revenues by privatizing liquor sales, says Reason Foundation policy analyst Len Gilroy. And they've also cut government expenditures by millions of dollars as well.

Will Virginia join them? McDonnell invited Reason.tv to come back in a year and check in with him. Sure thing, Mr. Governor. We'll bring the questions. You can bring the white zinfandel.

Approximately 4.30 minutes. Written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, who also hosts. Additional footage: Dan Hayes.

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For more Reason.tv videos on prohibition and alchohol policy, go here.

Red, White, and Sacrebleu

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:00:00 EST

From wine elves to classy pitchmen, American winemakers have tried just about everything to challenge the dominance of French vintners. And yet, with infamous labels like Ripple and Thunderbird, Yankee wines had long endured the reputation of being good for just one one thing—getting blitzed.

So it must have seemed like a cruel joke in 1976 when a British wine merchant arranged The Paris Tasting, a one-of-its-kind competition that pitted mighty France versus lowly America in a blind taste test judged entirely by Gallic wine experts.

But as viewers of the movie Bottle Shock and the documentary Mondovino can tell you, the unthinkable happened: America took home top honors for both red and white wine.

The Paris Tasting made Mike Grgich an instant legend, but back then, even the maker of the winning white couldn't believe he had won. "I said are you sure it's me?" recalls Grgich. How could this American, an immigrant who fled communist Yugoslavia, shock the world?

The French wanted to find out, so Jean-Noël Fourmeaux, an official government wine taster became a wine spy. He headed to California to discover how, in the span of a couple of decades, American winemakers progressed from Thunderbird to Grgich's award-winning white.

Fourmeaux encountered a freewheeling atmosphere of technological and cultural innovation—one that attracted the likes of Squire Fridell of Glen Lyon Vineyards, a winemaker who has his own reason for smiling at America's emergence as a leader in wine. Fourmeaux pondered what he could create by mixing French tradition with Yankee innovation, and it led him to a most unexpected decision.

"Red, White, and Sacrebleu" is written and produced by Ted Balaker, who also hosts. Director of Photography: Alex Manning; Field Producers: Paul Detrick and Hawk Jensen; Production Associates: Zach Weissmueller and Tannen Wels.

Special thanks to D'Argenzio Winery and the Wine Institute.

Approximately 7.30 minutes. Scroll down for embed code and downloadable versions.

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Garrett Peck On "The Prohibition Hangover: Alcohol in America from Demon Rum to Cult Cabernet"

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:00:00 EST

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie sat down with Garrett Peck, author of the new history The Prohibition Hangover: Alcohol in America From Demon Rum to Cult Cabernet (Rutgers University Press).

A wide-ranging social history that begins with the end of Prohibition and runs up to the current craze over great domestic wines and small-batch spirits, The Prohibition Hangover helps explain why Americans continue to have such an ambivalent relationship toward drinking. Engaging, well-written, and packed with an infinite number of fascinating interviews and historical anecdotes, The Prohibition Hangover is required reading for anyone interested in understanding the past 80 years of American business and culture.

For Peck's official site, go here.

To buy the book, go here.

Related Reason.tv videos include Beer: An American Revolution and Jerome Tuccille on "Gallo Be Thy Name."

Reason.tv's Nanny of the Month for November 2009

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST

Smoking, fast food, giant inflatable blue gorillas—no matter what it is, chances are some nanny wants to ban it. And this past month was no exception.

Reason.tv's October 2009 Nanny of The Month Award went to New York State Sen. Jeff Klein for his efforts to rid the Empire State of fish pedicures.

Who is the Nanny of the Month for November 2009?

The runners up include the California Energy Commission for banning big-screen TVs unless they conform to stringent new energy standards and the Food and Drug Administration, which is waging war against caffeinated booze drinks.

But can be only one Nanny of the Month, and this time it's ...

Click the video to learn the awful truth.

Nanny of the Month is produced by Ted Balaker. The director of photography is Alex Manning and the associate produce is Paul Detrick. Approximately 1.17 minutes.

This video is also available at Reason.tv's YouTube channel (subscribe now!).

And make sure to tune in next month for more examples of busybodies minding your own business.

Jerome Tuccille on "Gallo Be Thy Name"

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EDT

When Reason.tv last checked in with author Jerome Tuccille (in July 2008), it was to discuss a new edition of his classic libertarian-movement memoir, It Usually Begins with Ayn Rand.

Now Tuccille is back with a new book that explores the lives and times of Ernest & Julio Gallo, the California brothers who went from relative obscurity to being the biggest winemakers in the world.

Gallo Be Thy Name: The Inside Story of How One Family Rose to Dominate the U.S. Wine Market is a mesmerizing story of true crime, murder, Prohibition, family drama, and capitalism. It is also an engrossing social history of the last 100 years of America and explains how we went from a nation that gulped Thunderbird, Ripple, Boone's Farm and other Gallo-created plonk to a country of refined Chardonnay and Zinfandel sippers.

Approximately 10 minutes. Interview by Nick Gillespie; shot by Meredith Bragg and Dan Hayes and edited by Meredith Bragg.

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Beer: An American Revolution

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT

In 1920, the National Prohibition Act destroyed the beer industry in the United States, putting some 1,500 breweries out of business. When the "noble experiment" was repealed in 1933, beer lovers rejoiced, and the beer industry staggered back to its feet. The industry had lost much of its diversity, however, and the emergence of national brands in the 1950s and 1960s led to industry consolidation and fewer choices for American beer drinkers. By 1980, there were fewer than 50 breweries in the U.S.

By the 1980s, American beer had an international reputation as weak and watery as a case of Hamm's. Most breweries only produced American-style lagers, a light and inexpensive style of beer typically made with rice or corn adjuncts in addition to barley, hops, yeast and water.

What American beer lovers didn’t know at the time was that a revolution was imminent. In 1979, a clerical error in the 21st Amendment was corrected, and for the first time in nearly 50 years it became legal to brew small batches of beer at home. Home brewers who had little interest in cutting costs or making beer with mass appeal began brewing big, flavorful beers in a wide range of styles. Many of these home brewers decided to turn their passion into small businesses, and microbreweries began popping up all over the country.

Today, although mainstream beers still dominate the market, more than 1,400 breweries in the U.S. produce more styles of beer than anywhere else in the world, and American beers routinely dominate international beer competitions.

So the next time you’re at your favorite brewpub, hold your glass up high and celebrate the American beer revolution.

"Beer: An American Revolution" was written and produced by Paul Feine. Alex Manning was the director of photography and Nick Gillespie is the narrator. Approximately seven minutes.

Legal Absinthe in the US

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:51:00 EST

(Click on the image to play the video.)

After nearly a century of prohibition, la fee verte is once again legal in the US.

Legal, that is, as long as it contains less than 10ppm (parts per million) of thujone. Thujone--the active chemical in grand wormwood, one of the many herbs used to make absinthe--has long been thought to be resonsible for creating the magical sense of lucidity that many absinthe enthusiasts report.

Around the turn of the 20th-century, absinthe was adored by some of the most prominent artists, poets, and writers in Europe and the US, including Manet, Rimbaud, Lautrec, Baudelaire, Degas, Wilde, Van Gogh, London and Hemingway. Immortalized in many works of art, absinthe has become perhaps the most mythical alcoholic drink the west has ever known, and its mystique was only enhanced when it was banned in many European countries and the US in the early part of the 20th-century.

Efforts to ban absinthe were spearheaded in the late 19th-century by French prohibitionists who formed a curious coalition with French winemakers. Their successful propaganda campaign condemned absinthe as a drink that causes illness, criminal activity and, ultimately, insanity. Today, while there is disagreement about the psychotropic effects of thujone, the amount of thujone present in pre-ban absinthes and whether today's legal absinthes (with <10ppm thujone) can be called genuine, it's clear that absinthe is as safe as any other alcoholic drink.

For more information about absinthe (including how to get your hands on the green fairy), go here .

Enthusiasts may want to check out Barnaby Conrad's Absinthe: History in a Bottle , a lovely coffee table book.