Thanksgiving is a time for companionship, love, family, good food, and - very often - getting totally sloshed before collapsing on the couch to watch football in an alcohol-and-tryptophan stupor.

God bless America.

Sure, you could just break out the Coors or the PBRs or whatever (just as long as it's not America The Beer) but why not be a little more creative? There are loads of interesting -or just downright strange- holiday brews you could use to spice up your table, start conversations... or just piss off that racist great-uncle who's going to be absolutely goddamn insufferable about the election results.

Five Beers You Might Want To Drink On Thanksgiving, Then Never Touch Again

Flat 12 Bierworks - Grandpa's Glazed Ham Porter

Does it actually include glazed ham? Probably not. Is everyone going to think it does? Absolutely, and you should play that up. Combining the weirdness of horrible meat-based beers with the revelation that it does not, in fact, include meat creates a beer they'll be thankful for, just not for the usual reasons. And it's pretty good if rum is your thing, thanks to the rum-barrel aging.

Port Brewing - Santa's Little Helper Imperial Stout

What, exactly, is Port Brewing helping Santa with? Getting completely smashed. This super-dark stout has a 10-12% alcohol content, and hits like a reindeer wrapped around a large gold brick. And despite the Christmassy name, it's only available in October and November, so it's a good addition to your Thanksgiving table - if you want to ensure the yearly Monopoly game is particularly chaotic.

Jolly Pumpkin - Bam Biere

Jolly Pumpkin says this is a beer that's specially blended with plenty of herbs to go well with stuffing and other herby Thanksgiving goodies. We say, take a look at just how often the word funk\funky appears in its BeerAdvocate tasting notes. One even uses the words "horse blanket." This would be a great one to pour out for your angry grunkle when he's too busy ranting about "those people" to notice what he's drinking.

Anchor - Our Special Ale

We won't joke too much about this one - Anchor's seasonal "Our Special Ale" (sometimes called their Christmas Ale) are usually pretty yummy, if you like the idea of a beer that's doubling as dessert. And many don't. None the less, if you crave a beer where descriptions like "fruitcake" and "caramel" are used, Anchor will go down smooth.

But for the ultimate in holiday dessert beers, the winner has to be...

Stone Brewing - Stone Xocoveza

This is a beer inspired by Mexican hot chocolate, and it really blurs the line between the two. Ingredients include cocoa, coffee, pasilla peppers, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. It's probably one of the sweetest beers you'll ever taste, and definitely not something you'd want to drink any other time of year. But, one or two for the holidays go down really well, at least for anyone who doesn't require their beer be impossible bitter.

Of course, more holidays than Thanksgiving are coming up, and it's never too early to start shopping for presents! Duffy's Brew is the perfect shampoo\conditioner combo for men who love great hair and great beer! It's full of stuff that hair craves, while making it smell absolutely fantastic.

So go ahead and order a two-pack or two on Black Friday. The prices won't be any lower, but it's the thought that counts, right?

So here at Duffy's Brew, we recognize there's more to life than beer and great hair. (No, really!) There's also... Netflix.

We loves us some Netflix, so we decided to throw in a blog every now and then talking about some of our favorite shows, or at least the ones causing the most debate around the office. And there's almost certainly no show causing more debate than what this humble Duffy's Man thinks is the most sadly overlooked original on the pseduo-network:

The Get Down.

If you don't even recognize the name, that's not surprising. It had the supreme bad luck to debut right after Stranger Things became a gigantic pop-culture phenomenon, and basically got buried. The logo and summary also didn't do too much to bring attention to itself, unless (like me) you're automatically drawn to stuff with a 70s vibe. They've given it a better logo since then, but it's still going somewhat unnoticed.

So today, we'll leave out most of the shameless plugs for our own product (buyDuffysBrewtoday!) and just talk TV instead.

The Low Down Of The Get Down

So what's The Get Down about?

It's about hip-hop. It's about disco. It's about the late 70s. It's about culture shifts. It's about the Bronx. It's about socio-racial politics. It's about gangs. It's about drugs. It's about gigantic hair. It's about conflicting loyalties. It's about finding yourself via music.

The Get Down centers on a group of youths -as well as their elders- living in the Bronx, circa 1977, when disco was queen and hip-hop kings were being born in back alleys.

The opening episode sets the scene: Ezekiel "Zeke" Figuero is a brilliant but insecure high school senior, full of potential but lacking a path. He happens to meet local urban legend Shaolin Fantastic, the protege and heir-presumptive of hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash. Discovering a talent for freestyling and DJing, Zeke and Shaolin plot to become the next big thing, along with several of their friends.

At the same time, Zeke's would-be girlfriend Mylene Cruz dreams of becoming the next Donna Summer-style Disco Queen, along with her own friends. With the help of her uncle, "Papa Fuerte" Cruz -the boss of the Bronx- she meets a down-and-out and thoroughly drug-addled record producer who promises the stars but may not deliver.

And that's just for starters. The massive cast and their inter-relationships rival A Game Of Thrones for its complexity, all the political and social struggles of Westeros crammed into a small island which is seen as the dumping ground for the rest of the Boroughs. Gangs, drug deals, political graft, and more are all up for grabs.

Changing Sides While The Sides Keep Changing

Beyond the terrific music - and there is lots and lots and LOTS of amazing music - the plotlines of The Get Down almost entirely revolve around divided loyalties.

Every character is being pulled in multiple directions. Does Zeke stay more true to Shaolin or to Mylene? Are his loyalties to his family, his neighborhood, or his 'crew'? Is Mylene willing to betray her devout preacher father to pursue a career in a highly hedonistic field? Is Papa Fuerte more loyal to his people or to himself?

It presents the characters with tough choices and gives them no easy answers. The drama and excitement come from how they deal with them, often in surprising ways.

A Romantic Look At The Unromantic (Or Vice-Versa?)

Probably the most interesting thing about The Get Down is its willingness to deflate the mythos of the 70s music scene. Disco, cocaine, and cartels are all linked and far sleazier than most depictions, old or new. The hip-hop scene is depicted as a slight evolutionary improvement on the previous violent gang-warlords. Now entertainment, rather than firepower, marks the top dogs - but violence is always lurking close by.

How historically accurate is it? That's up for debate among those who've seen it. After all, even its own press materials refer to it as "mythic." However, the show is exec-produced and\or consulted on by the actual Grandmaster Flash, along with Nas and Kurtis Blow.

It certainly feels truthy, even if it may not be entirely facty, so to speak.

A Gold-Plated Diamond In The Rough

The Get Down isn't totally perfect. The choice to use an almost entirely unknown cast was a ballsy one, and the acting occasionally suffers for it. Also, the breakneck pace of the episodes can be either exhausting or exhilarating. Like the whirlwind that was the time period, each episode rarely pauses or slows down, turning almost kaleidoscopic at points.

But for those with an interest in the 70s, an interest in social politics, or a love of the era's music, The Get Down has many treasures to be found and desperately deserves to be more widely seen.

Men's hair can like blogging: Some days, you just can't be bothered to put in much effort.

If you look around at websites talking about what hairstyles are coming back in 2016, there are real horrors to behold. The 90s are back. The pompadour is back. People are actually trying to look like Vanilla Ice for crissake. (We didn't even do that in the actual 90s!) High-brow, high-volume, high-maintenance hair is apparently what's going to be hot among those who try too hard at everything.

Well, screw that.

Fall should be a relaxed, laid-back time. Why bother with hair that will make you look like a malshaped sloth died on your head, if you don't spend an hour teasing it into place? Let's leave that to teenage girls in retro 80s shows.

So, we've picked a few styles that require minimal maintenance and -best of all- mean you get to sleep in a little later.

Duffy's Brew Selects: The Best Lazy Hair Styles

1 - The Classic Taper

Short or shaved on the sides, with medium-short length, and a strong part, the taper has been an established part of men's hair for decades and will never go away. It's a bit conservative, sure, but that's hardly a bad thing if you're an up-and-comer looking for a distinctive but non-distracting hairstyle for work. Plus, all it takes is a minute's combing and maybe a slight touch of product.

2 - The Caesar

You don't get much simpler than the Caesar. The hair is uniformly cut across the entire head, generally to one inch or less. There's little or no tapering, no distinction between top and sides, and if it's short enough, just running your hands through it a couple times serves as combing. In some cases, a tussled Caesar can look deliberate, rather than like bedhead.

Also, you do get a bit of leeway when it comes to bangs, so you can add a little fringe to your forehead if you like.

3 - The Butch Cut

Like a longer version of the buzzcut, a Butch can be accomplished at home with nothing but an electric shaver with a medium-length clipper. It borders on extremely short, but is still long enough to avoid looking like you're a Trump supporter. It also pairs nicely with a similarly-short cropped beard, for a low-maintenance look that still makes a bit of a statement.

4 - The Crew Cut

Cut short, but with the longest hair on top\front and fading towards the back and sides, the crew cut is a perennial favorite which will likely never go entirely out of style. It's clean, it's respectable, and it can still be seen even on Hollywood stars who (like any reasonable man) realize it's just not worth spending that much time on their hair when they're off the clock.

5 - Straight Shag

Do you have what it takes to pull off this classic 70s hairdo? One of the hallmarks of the shag is that it's supposed to look rough and unkempt, with hair over the ears and somewhat irregular lengths throughout. Plus, there's loads you can do in terms of bangs, so it's good for framing babyfaces.

6 - The Topknot\Ponytail

Arguably the greatest statement in "I can't be bothered" men's hair, you go for a topknot or ponytail when you don't even want to deal with getting your hair cut. Even better, these timeless looks for long hair have equally long histories behind them, and have been highly revered in many cultures.

And of course, whatever your style - add some Duffy's Brew to make your hair look and smell amazing!

Here's a few of the worst offenders...

Five Of The Weirdest Novelty Beers Of 2016ish

1 - Squid Ink Beer

Who wouldn't want a viscous, jet-black, and highly salty additive in their beer? You know, besides everyone. Sure, certain world cuisines -mostly in Asia- consider squid ink a proper basis for sauces, but there's just no reason to put it into beer. Yet multiple breweries have done it recently!

Really, that one of the brewers interviewed said that he decided to use squid ink "out of spite" really says it all. No, it's NOT being ironically hip to protest ridiculous novelty beers by producing one that's even sillier and less appetizing.

2 - Selkie

There's nothing wrong with a good Scottish Red, right? Well, things have gone horribly wrong when someone decides that brewing it with seaweed is a good idea. And yes, this does mean drinking a beer with a general aroma and presence like what's washed up on your nearest beach. Or as the Portsmouth Brewery's head brewer put it: "About an hour later, if you burp, you burp straight low tide."

(Maybe someone should remind them that when Cosmo Kramer proposed cologne that smelled like the beach, it was a joke.)

3 - Earth Eagle Brewings

Forget a single novelty beer - Earth Eagle is based around questionable novelties. Taking a look at their brew list reveals a horror show of things that should never, ever go into a beer, including (but not limited to):

• Moose heads
• Bear meat
• Heart
• Liver
• Pig heads
• And probably more we don't want to think about.

There's also their well-named "Anarchist," which is blended randomly from over a dozen other beers. They describe it as "unmatched in mystery and complexity" and, well, at least that's accurate.

4 - Hvalur

It's long been suspected that living at extremely high or low latitudes, with their unusual and erratic day\night cycles, is damaging to people's mental health. This has undoubtedly been proven by the creation of the Icelandic Hvalur, the only beer in the world brewed from whale's testicles.

No, that wasn't an autocorrect mistake.

Every brewing cycle includes an eight-kilogram whale ball sausage ball in with the hops mash. This was apparently meant to capture the essence of traditional Icelandic winter cuisine, which also includes delicacies such as rotting shark.

Brain damage is really the only possible explanation.

But strange as that is, for absolute weirdest new beer of recent times, we have to give it to the oh-so aptly named...

5 - Mr. Twit's Odious Ale

Oompa, Loompa, Doopity-Deer

It's yet another novelty beer!

Why make an ale from an author's old seats?

Harvesting yeast as a novel conceit?

What are you at, brewing Roald's Dahl's sweat?

Do you think he tastes like claret?

(I don't like the smell of it!)

Oompa, Loompa, Diggity-Dar,

If you brew sanely, you will go far!

You will drink less noxious beers too,

Like the Oompa, Loompa, Doopity-Doo!

So, just take this as a friendly reminder that "drinking responsibly" doesn't only cover the amount of beer being consumed. Sometimes, it means recognizing when a beer is just a bad idea all around.

But on the other hand, using Duffy's Brew Beer Shampoo to make your hair look and smell fantastic? That's a great idea!

There's probably no more controversial topic in men's hair than the idea of growing it long. For some, it's just too far outside the normal bounds of culture. For others (stuck in a timewarp) it's still too closely connected to the "dirty hippie" stereotype, not to mention the more modern "dirty comic book guy" stereotype.

Yet for some -this Duffy's Man included- it's a way of life that could not possibly be denied.

If you've ever dreamed of growing out those luscious man-locks, there's no better time like the present. With so many conservative 20th Century hair-styling ideals being overturned, you could finally get away with that long hair you crave.

Five Reasons To Embrace Your Long Haired Destiny

1 - Women Love It

OK, not all women, obviously - we're not misogynists here. But a lot of women (and some men) love playing with hair, and having a boyfriend\husband with lengthy tresses is a novelty many can't pass up. Not to mention a lot of association with romance novel covers, 'bishonen' anime characters, and other amorous figures of lore.

Plus, you know what? Having your hair braided just plain feels amazing, even if you comb it out before going to work. Screw the haters.

2 - You Really Stand Out

There are plenty of hairstyles and fashion choices which are only as individualistic as the millions of hipsters who adopt them. But long male hair is still out on the fringes, so to speak. Your hair will be noticed and it will become one of your defining features.

(Which is all the more reason to use an awesome and great-smelling shampoo\conditioner like Duffy's Brew!)

3 - Far More Styling Choices

There's really nothing much one can do with short hair. To some, that's the appeal. A crop-top or buzzcut requires almost no maintenance, besides trimming. However, longer hair opens up a literal world of styling choices, dying potential, and more. If you're wanting to go beyond simple ponytails and really let your freak flag fly, long hair is the key.

4 - It Demonstrates Dedication

Long luxurious locks take a long time to achieve. It's generally going to take a year or two, at least, for a man's hair to reach its full potential. And that means spending months stuck at that awkward between-ears-and-shoulders phase where you look like a refugee from 90s grunge bands.

A dude with great long hair most definitely isn't born with it. He's WORKED for it, and it shows. Respect.

5 - Your Gateway To Magical Powers...?

As big fans of science around these parts, we're not going to delve deeply into unprovable theories of body energy and quantum vibrations and soforth. But the fact is, widespread cultures throughout history have continually associated long hair with increased magic, spirituality, and extra points in your luck\intuition stats. There's even a chance this could be explained biologically. For many animals, their hair truly does act like an additional sense organ, and it's entirely plausible some of the genetics for that could still be in us.

Plus, even if long hair doesn't actually affect your perceptions, it's still loads of fun shutting down people who ask why you don't cut your hair with: "I'm sorry, I can't. It's the source of my powers." Then wave your hand in a sigil pattern, smile faintly, and walk off before they can respond.

(As Terry Pratchett noted, most magic is just applied psychology.)

Whether you keep it short, or you're a glorious rebel embracing lengthy hair, Duffy's Brew has everything you need to keep your hair looking and smelling terrific. Try a bottle today!

Beer was a top-trending news item a few months ago, when it was announced that the two largest macro-brewers in the world, Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller, were attempting to merge. The merger - worth over $100 billion Dollars - worried a lot of people due to it giving them control of over 30% of the world's beer production, and near-monopolies on macro-brewing in many areas.

Well, it just won the approval of the US Department of Justice's anti-trust branch, which was one of the major remaining hurdles between them and a merger. At this point, the only major government that hasn't signed off on the merger is China, and very few expect them to put up a serious fight.

There's no doubt that this is bad news for many smaller breweries, since they're now facing a juggernaut so large that direct competition becomes nearly impossible. However, there is some silver lining here, at least for folks in the US. The government put some fairly serious restrictions on the merger which will at least limit the extent to which it can abuse its market position.

The InBev-Miller Merger: It Could Be Worse

So what is the government doing to protect competition in domestic beers? Quite a few things, actually...

The biggest is that InBev will have to divest itself of all US holdings of SABMiller. Which is to say, all Coors/Miller beers in the US will be sold off to Molson-Coors as an independent company, outside of InBev. This is a big concession, since in some areas of the country, the two brands combined would have made up roughly 90% of the local market.

It also says a lot about how much this deal is worth on the global scale that InBev was willing to agree to such a big US divestment. On the other hand, this also means that the Budweiser/Coors duopoly has been basically codified by regulation.

But, the restrictions don't stop there. InBev will also:

• Need to seek specific approval from the Justice Department before acquiring ANY more brewers of any size, even tiny micro-brews.
• Likewise, they'll have to get approval before buying any more distributors either, and
• Have to cease all incentivization programs rewarding distributors for only carrying their brands.

Whether the first two restrictions will have 'teeth' remains to be seen. It seems hopeful that that DoJ is serious about protecting beer competition and won't simply rubber-stamp new acquisitions, but that isn't guaranteed.

The third restriction is a bit nicer, since it removes one of the primary ways InBev could have seriously abused its monopoly power. By controlling so many brands, they could have easily strongarmed distributors into dumping competing products.

(Now if only they could have done something about InBev's ridiculous advertising campaigns...)

In The Grand Scheme

So what this means is that, despite the merger, relatively little should change with the US domestic beer market. Bud and Coors will still be competitors. And in the meantime, with micro-brews continuing to gain market strength, there should be relatively little disruption in that market either.

In fact, the new restrictions on InBev purchases might actually be a boon to indie beers and brewpubs, since the industry was starting to get a bit worried about the rate at which they were being bought out. InBev's sneaky campaign to buy small companies and keep pretending they were independent was ruffling a lot of feathers.

We'll keep following this, although there's unlikely to be too many major new surprises to come. We hope.

Oh yeah... and something something try Duffy's Brew today!

(...Or at least you may be developing a drinking problem.)

For obvious reasons, we keep an eye out for articles relating to beer and shampoo, and there's a recurring theme we keep seeing in them. This is perfectly demonstrated by a recent article at The Thrillist featuring a half-nekkid geek: People who otherwise seem quite sane deciding that "beer shampoo" means "pour a bottle of brew over your head."

Even worse, in this particular case, the author decided to take the "no poo" route and experiment randomly with a different beer each day, pretty much guaranteeing that he'd have hair that was dazed, confused, and generally quite shocked.

It's not just The Thrillist either. Looking around the web, one can easily find other articles making the same mistake.

It seems like there are some misconceptions out there relating to beer and its use as a hair care product. And since we here at Duffy's Brew are quite proud to make one of the best beer-based shampoos in the world, it's high time we cleared a couple of them up!

1 - Beer is not a cleaning agent by itself.

Beer, by itself, will never ever get your hair clean. It's full of stuff that's good for your hair, including natural proteins and antimicrobial elements that fight dandruff, but it still can't provide the basic function that shampoos and other soaps do: Grabbing hold of dirt and oils in the hair, and making them go down the drain.

In fact, since the proteins in beer will tend to bind to your hair, using beer exclusively can actually trap oils and grime in your hair! That's why it needs to be paired with a shampoo or other cleaning agent.

2 - Not all beers are created equal.

One of the funniest things about that Thrillist article is that the author believes he got the best results from Coors Light of all things, and it was oh-so not coincidentally the first beer he tried as well. Basically, he picked the weakest, least-effective beer possible, but used it while his hair was still clean from previous washings.

He might as well have just rinsed his hair with water.

The aspects of beer which make it good for hair are elements like the yeast and the hops,so if you're going to try a 'homebrew' approach, at least use a nice thick stout or other dark beer.

And If Want To Try This At Home...

Obviously, we think it's far easier to just get a great vegan beer shampoo & conditioner combo that also happens to have plenty of all-natural healthy additives. But if you're looking for a more DIY approach, here are a few strategies:

• The Basic Approach: Shampoo FIRST, make sure the shampoo is washed out completely, then pour the beer onto your hair and let it soak in for a few minutes before rinsing.
• Leave-In Conditioner: Take a mixture of about 50/50 beer to water, and add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Put this in a spray bottle, then spritz after regular washing.
• Homebrew Shampoo: Boil some beer in a saucepan until it's reduced by one-half to one-quarter, then mix it 1:4 with a good quality shampoo. (ie, not some terrible chemical-laden store brand crap.)

So if you're hot and sweaty after a long day of chasing Pokemon (it's okay, just admit it) resist the urge to do the showerbeer thing and pour some over your head while you're at it. Beer needs real shampoo to truly work its magic.

Or just try a bottle of Duffy's Brew. You'll be glad you did!

The global forecasts are in, and they don't paint a pretty picture: No matter where you are, 2016 is probably going to be one of the hottest years on record. We're already seeing record-breaking heat in many areas of the globe, and it's almost certainly going to be a looooong hot summer.

Now, one could easily sit back and blame idiot politicians for still refusing to recognize that global climate change is a thing, but why bother with politics when there are more important matters to contend with? In all this heat, your hair is on the line!

So let's talk ways to keep the summertime blues from getting your hair down, and worry about the possibility of the world turning into Soylent Green another day.

Keeping Your Hair Cool No Matter How Hot It Gets

1 - Keep your natural color.

Most chemical hair dyes - especially bleaching - can be super-harsh on your hair, even in the best of times. When temperatures are topping 100 degrees, it's a recipe for hair disaster. The dyes strip out most of the protective coatings on your hair, while the sun then mercilessly dries it out. We're talking split ends, thin hair, scalp itching, and more.

2 - Condition more often.

One of the best things you can do for your hair in times of high heat is to keep it well-conditioned. Moisturizing conditioner can do a lot to restore the body and protective coatings which are lost in the summer, especially if it's a conditioner which is made out of the stuff your hair craves.

3 - Forego the blow-dryer.

When the problem is too much heat, don't add more heat! Avoid hair care products that require high amounts of heat to work. It's easily worth taking a little longer to dry your hair, rather than walking out of the house in the morning with hair that's already dehydrated and getting crispy.

4 - Get a trim.

Summertime is a great time to cut your hair short for a lot of reasons, but if you don't want to seriously alter your look, at least make sure to go in for a trim. Cutting an inch or so off your hair will remove any split ends and other problems, making your hair look better as well as slowing down the damage done by the summer sun.

5 - Be smart when swimming.

We won't tell you to wear one of those hideous swimming caps, however, you should still look to protect your hair if you're going for a swim. Don't shampoo immediately before swimming, since it leaves your hair vulnerable. More oil is good when getting into a chlorine pool. Likewise, another good trick is to soak your hair in pure water before swimming, since that will help stop it from soaking up chemicals once you're in the water.

6 - Use coconut oil.

Coconut oil is a great product in a lot of ways, and it's super-effective for protecting hair in the summer. It is a natural UV blocker, as well as having most of the oils and proteins your hair utilizes for protection. Just use it like conditioner, soaking for a couple minutes then rinsing out.

7 - Beer!

As we like to mention (for obvious reasons) beer is amazingly super-good for your hair. A beer-based shampoo is chock full of oils and proteins your hair needs, as well as having anti-bacterial properties. If ordinary chemical-laden shampoos are making the summer heat worse, a dose of Duffy's Brew can make the difference by counteracting damage done by the sun.

Try a bottle and see for yourself!

As lovers of great hair, great beer, and great science here at Duffy's Brew, this has been a bountiful week! Even though they could be researching boring stuff like cures for cancer, or global warming, or space exploration, some scientists just can't resist plumbing the depths of a frothy mug of beer, and we salute them for it.

There's a lot of great stuff that's been discussed lately, so let's dive right in and see what science has learned recently about everyone's favorite drink.

Craft Beer Drinkers Are Healthy And Responsible

No, really. The fine folks at The Harris Poll recently conducted a lengthy study of craft beer drinkers versus their macrobrew counterparts, and discovered a lot of differences between them - and most of them quite positive for the craft fans.

• Microbrew fans see it as a treat: 73% of craft beer drinkers see beer-drinking as a special occasion, jumping to 80% among 21-35yo drinkers. Depending on the age, 47-60% only drink on weekends.
• Healthy lives, healthy drinking: Over half the microbrew respondents (57%) exercise regularly, and they tend to be more social about it. 40% prefer group exercise.
• Managing responsible drinking: 42% of craft drinkers are aware when they're over indulging, and deliberately drink less. A further third will take time off from drinking entirely. Only 20% will turn to harder stuff when they're not drinking beer.

So, if you're a craft beer lover, you're healthy and responsible. Woot!

Change The Soundtrack, Change The Beer

Here's an oddball study out of Belgium which suggests your choice of drinking establishment really does change your perception of their wares. To be specific, different kinds of music changed how those studied rated beers they drank.

Most of the specific results were kind of unsurprising. Those listening to lighthearted Disney-style soundtracks found their beers to be sweeter, while those hearing music with deep rumbly bass thought the beers more bitter instead. Apparently, people's reactions to the music around them do transfer to their experience of the beer they're drinking!

So the next time you're looking for a venue, or planning a party at your own place, think about your music selections beyond what's trendy. You can make a lot of difference with some clever DJing.

Beer Goggles And You

Finally, The Atlantic offered an awesome collection of recent studies conducted on how being drunk changes people's behavior. It's not all for the good (obviously) but it's not all bad either, with some interesting results. Among the highlights:

• You get more utilitarian when drunk. You know those hypothetical questions about whether you'd deliberately kill one person if it meant definitely saving several other lives? The drunker people are, the more likely they'll say they would pull the trigger.
• Drunks are nicer bystanders. In a little study where they dropped objects in front of bar patrons, those who'd had more to drink were usually faster to offer help in picking them up.
• Beer Goggles confirmed. It's no surprise, but another study has confirmed that being drunk inflates one's opinion of their own attractiveness, as well as the attractiveness of others. The more interesting finding is that being buzzed -but not outright drunk- makes people more attractive to sober onlookers as well.
• Fruity drink marriage counseling. A study of unhappy couples showed that a few cranberry-vodka drinks increased their levels of communication and helped resolve their relationship issues!

Yep, the possibilities for studying people's reactions to alcohol are nearly endless... just like the possibilities for improving your hair with Duffy's Brew Shampoo and Conditioner, while also smelling fantastic. Try a bottle today!

As champions of great hair and good times, it pains us here at Duffy's Brew (the best beer-based shampoo on Earth) when we see some very simple and basic things that people are getting totally wrong with their hair. Hair is a fragile thing, easily damaged, and often a major hair-care disaster can take months to correct. Or even necessitate a major cutting-back, and just waiting for new hair to regrow.

And who wants that?

So today, we're all business. Let's talk about some things that you really should not be doing to your hair, for its sake as well as the sake of everyone looking at it.

Five Major Hair-Care Mistakes You Should Avoid

1 - Using the highest heat settings.

Whether we're talking curlers or blow-dryers or anything else applying heat to your head, you should never be turning it up to the highest setting. Blow-drying isn't a race! Applying too much heat to hair quickly destroys the fragile outer coating of oils and protective proteins, often leading to noticeably thinner or more-fragile hair.

Take a few more minutes on a medium-high heat setting instead. Your hair will thank you for it.

2 - Going to sleep with wet hair.

Yes, we've all had those days where we had to work overtime, and all we want afterward is a shower and bedtime. However, while it won't do major damage if done occasionally, going to bed with wet hair is actually bad for it.

The problem is that as you move around at night, it causes a lot of friction, which in turn makes for major frizz in the morning. Plus, it's bad for your pillow as well, since the pillow is soaking up all that water. Depending on the pillow type, it could damage the interior, or even lead to mildew - which you definitely don't want on your hair.

3 - Washing hair too often.

It's amazing how few people realize this, but seriously: you don't need to wash your hair every day. Hair is weakest when it's wet, and excessive washing can actually end up doing more damage than good. It gets even worse if you're using shampoos\conditioners which are full of harmful chemicals that can strip your hair of its necessary coatings.

(You know, hair care products that aren't 100% vegan Duffy's Brew.)

Further, for many people, hair simply looks better after a day or two without washing because its natural shine and build comes out. The exact timing will vary depending on your hair, but unless you've been getting really sweaty\dirty every day, only wash every 2-3 days.

4 - Going swimming with dry hair.

Here's one for lovers of summer fun: Rinse your hair under a shower or faucet (or even with a water bottle) BEFORE getting in a pool or natural body of water. Remember, hair is naturally absorbent. If you go swimming with dry hair, it's going to suck up the chlorine, chemicals, bacteria, or whatever else like a sponge.

Wetting your hair beforehand helps prevent this, since it'll be full of clean water rather than whatever's in the local watering hole.

5 - Using baking soda \ vinegar.

Yes, we talked about this a couple weeks ago, but it bears repeating: Baking soda is incredibly bad for your hair, and vinegar rinses don't help counteract that. It's one of the top recommendations by people trying shampoo alternatives or "no-poo" regimes, but it's just NOT a good idea. Worse, it can seem like it's working, right up until it totally wrecks your hair.

Now, on the other hand, beer is super good for your hair. Try some!