Between 2005 and 2007, Angelenos noticed that almost entire flocks of cedar waxwings were slamming into their windows and fences in broad daylight. Residents sent them off to a lab to figure out why the heck the birds were dying en masse, and now a Journal of Ornithology study (via a New Scientist article) explains what happened. more ›

If there's one thing we know about kids, it's that some of them will find any way -- any way at all -- to get drunk or high. The latest method of intoxication for the youth? Drinking hand sanitizer. The LA Times broke the story yesterday, reporting that six kids in the Valley had shown up at the emergency room with alcohol poisoning. more ›

For those of you who thirst for the piney, fizzy taste of a gin and tonic, topped with a generous squeeze of a juicy lime, today is yours. Ritualized every April 9 around the globe, International Gin and Tonic Day is a lesser-known libation celebration. And what makes the day extra inviting is the fabulous fact that imbibers can either order the classic cocktail at any watering hole that serves liquor or enjoy one (or two) in the comfort of their very own homes. more ›

Coming soon to a Starbucks near you: beer, wine and small plates. A Starbucks in Calabasas applied for a permit to sell beer and wine last week. more ›

Los Angeles, it looks like San Diego has beat us to the new Starbucks buzz. And we're okay with that. In January, the coffee giant announced plans to serve booze at a handful of SoCal locations by the end of 2012, and Starbucks confirmed today that the first local spot to start pouring alcoholic beverages is a cafe in San Diego's Coronado. more ›

If you were upset when West Hollywood's Laemmle Sunset 5 closed down, you'll at least be able to drink your sorrows away in the theater that's about to replace it. West Hollywood Patch reports that the Sundance Cinema is gaining community support to sell wine and beer when they open, which is set to happen in June. more ›

The members of Sober for Christ, a Catholic alcohol and addiction recovery group, strongly discourage enablers and are protesting the opening of a new liquor store in La Puente. The new booze shop is located in close proximity to the recovering alcoholics group's meetings. more ›

SoCal Starbucks fiends will soon be able to get a different kind of buzz from the coffee giant. While the company already offers beer and wine at some of its stores in the Pacific Northwest, Starbucks announced today that a handful of Southland locations will serve said alcoholic beverages by the end of 2012. more ›

After a frantic call to authorities from her sister yesterday afternoon, Heather Locklear is recovering from what some outlets have reported was a dangerous mix of prescription drugs and alcohol. more ›

Bottoms up, America! It's National Hot Toddy Day. While the weather in Los Angeles is hardly frightful, it is a bit chilly for we Angelenos who shudder at the thought of a temperature dipping below 70 degrees. Hitting drinkers' lips since the 18th century, hot toddies are a smart beverage to enjoy during the winter months. more ›

Thanksgiving Eve is the biggest drinking night of the year, and police are ready for drinkers who fail to abstain from driving. A few DUI/Driver's License Checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols have been announced. Scroll down for the details, if you aren't already too drunk to read. more ›

18 of SoCal's best female bartenders will descend upon the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel this Sunday to compete in a bartending bonanza. Drinks will be shaken, stirred and poured by the able hands of licensed libation ladies, all in the spirit of battling breast cancer. more ›

A bill that bars Californians from buying booze in self-checkout lanes is heading to Jerry Brown's desk for his signature. Supporters say that requiring face-to-face sales decreases the likelihood that a minor will buy alcohol. more ›

Man v. Bar presents the perfect opportunity to day drink for a good case this Saturday, September 10, at Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade. Beginning at The Yard at noon, drinkers will imbibe to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training. more ›

A new study by Harvard University researchers made the brilliant discovery that women in their late 50s who averaged three to fifteen drinks per week boasted about 30% higher odds of remaining free of chronic illness and mental health issues at age 70. more ›

Open your calendars and pencil in the Orange County Brew Ha Ha for this Saturday, September 10. Celebrating custom craft and import beers, the annual beer festival guarantees to satiate the thirstiest of beer connoisseurs and curious amateurs. more ›

A passenger on a flight from Vegas to LAX last night made the skies unfriendly, when he got sloshed and dropped the b-word somewhere over the Mojave desert. more ›

For those of you still sipping cans of PBR or Natty Ice, you belong at Beer Belly in Koreatown this Sunday, August 28, for their Craft for Crap party. Rookie beer drinkers are invited to exchange a can or bottle of their "crap" beer for a "fine, FREE brew" from Cismontane, a SoCal brewery based in Rancho Santa Margarita. more ›

Yesterday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 39, which bans the importation, production, and sale of caffeinated beer beverages at retail locations throughout the state. The ban, passed in the state senate last month, goes into effect on January 1, 2012. Behind the law is local state senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), who has been vocal about his concerns about the popular boozy drinks that mix stimulants with alcohol. more ›

Here in California, grapes are a cash crop as they are turned into bottles of wine--booze that is taxed and regulated by the government. Now the "Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Act of 2012," is asking that the state treat another prolific crop--pot--like wine, and make some money off it while regulating it like we do with alcohol. more ›

A woman pulled over and taken into custody on Cinco de Mayo in Santa Ana had a blood alcohol content level of .30, four times the legal limit, reports the OC Register. Leann Renee Arriaga, 20 (yes, as in, not old enough to drink) was stopped by police after she ran a red light. When they pulled her over and administering a breathalizer, they realized just how far gone she was. more ›

Lock up your daughters! It appears as though underage partygoers at last year's Electric Daisy Carnival rave -- which has since been relocated to Las Vegas -- were consuming alcoholic beverages. The LA Times reports that the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which hosted the rave last year, is being accused by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control of allowing alcohol sales outside designated areas, and allowing minors to drink. more ›

Following the arrest of an Australian businessman for his alleged role in the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman says alcohol "most likely played a role in this tragic event," according to LA Now. more ›

As mentioned in Sunday's edition of Extra, Extra, the latest Field Poll has the Proposition to legalize marijuana on the losing end of the spectrum. According to the pre-election poll (.pdf), which last week found Democrats leading Republicans in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races, "opponents now outnumber supporters 49% to 42%, a reversal from mid-September, when it was leading 49% to 42%." 1,092 likely voters were surveyed and there is a +/- 3.2% margin of error. more ›

Last week a trade association for California beer distributors donated $10,000 to oppose Prop 19, the November ballot initiative that would legalize and tax marijuana. The move certainly has a lot of people talking. more ›

Officials in Los Angeles are keeping an eye on a controversial vote pending within San Francisco's city supervisors that could see to it a fee is added to the price of alcohol in order to help deal with the issue of alcoholism, according to NPR. more ›

In California, it's a crime to give alcohol to a teen, but if something bad happens, say death from alcohol poisoning, state law protects you from civil prosecution. Now a bill to allow civil suits over the issue has been approved by the state legislature and heads to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. more ›

Actress Lindsay Lohan dissolved into sobs this afternoon in a Beverly Hills courtroom as Judge Marsha N. Revel delivered her sentence for violation of probation. Because of her failure to attend weekly alcohol abuse education classes, having missed 7 of the 27 weeks, her SCRAM bracelet violation, and instances in the past when she lied about her drug and alcohol use while on probation, Lohan has been ordered to serve three consecutive 30-day jail terms, as well as face a modified probation sentence following her release. more ›

An LAPD officer fired their gun at around 2 o'clock yesterday morning in the vicinity of Weiland Brewery Restaurant in Downtown, and alcohol has been named as the "primary factor" in the incident, according to LA Now. more ›

Some consumers who enjoy picking up a single bottle of beer or wine at the market may soon have to make other plans for their partying in the City of San Bernardino. Yesterday their City Council "gave preliminary approval to a new ordinance taking aim at malt liquors and fortified wines sold in individual containers," according to LA Now. more ›