Billy Dee Williams is a hero to the homeless and unemployed.

[Shockeye]

Study: Homeless, unemployed favor malt liquor
Potent, cheap beer heavily targeted to black, Hispanic youth
Updated: 4:14 p.m. ET March 14, 2005

WASHINGTON - Malt liquor, a type of beer that is higher in alcohol than other brews, is largely a drink of the homeless and unemployed, and is likely to be abused, U.S. researchers reported Monday.

And malt liquor is heavily marketed to black and Hispanic youth, the team at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in California found.

Their study of 329 drinkers in Los Angeles found that malt liquor drinkers are different from those who choose other tipples.

Ricky Bluthenthal, who led the study, said malt liquors were both higher in alcohol than other beers and tended to be sold in larger containers.

"We found that the combination of these differences resulted in the average malt liquor drinker in our study consuming 80 percent more alcohol per drink than the average regular beer drinker," he said in a statement.

And, Bluthenthal said, the more alcohol consumed, the worse the consequences for both the drinker and his or her community.

Writing in the March issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, Bluthenthal's team said they found malt liquor drinkers were more likely to be homeless, unemployed, receive public assistance, and tended to drink more alcohol than other drinkers.

Rhonda Jones-Webb, an expert in alcohol consumption and behavior at the University of Minnesota who reviewed the study, said she was concerned about the marketing of malt liquor.

The products are largely targeted to black and Hispanic youths and young adults, she said.

"Rap artists have been popular images in malt liquor advertising and 'gangsta' rap performers portray malt liquor as a sign of masculinity," she said.

"Advertising influences brand choice, and what young people drink in early years influences what they drink as adults," she added in a telephone interview.

Malt liquors are often sold in 40-ounce bottles, she added. "Rap lyrics and movie scripts encourage 'chugging' the bottles before they get warm," she said.

"The combined effects of higher alcohol content, larger serving size, and faster consumption can result in higher blood alcohol levels, an increased risk of aggressive behavior, and other alcohol-related problems."

Jones-Webb said larger studies should be done on the type of alcohol that people drink, advertising of the different types and their influence on behavior and crime.

[WayAbvPar]

Malt liquor leads to fascination with big asses, spinning rims, and referring to yourself in the third person.

Malt liquor, a type of beer that is higher in alcohol than other brews, is largely a drink of the homeless and unemployed, and is likely to be abused, U.S. researchers reported Monday.

No shit? And here I thought people drank it for the lovely redolent of week old roadkill taste.

[MaceVanHoffen]

Study: Homeless, unemployed favor malt liquor
Potent, cheap beer heavily targeted to black, Hispanic youth
Updated: 4:14 p.m. ET March 14, 2005

Malt liquor, a type of beer ...

Yay, Prohibition!  That craptastic era gave us this distinction of "malt" liquor.  Newsflash: all beer is malt liquor.  It is made from malt.  The only difference among beers is the adjunct/malt ratio, where "adjunct" is "other crap that also ferments" but yields neutral or mild flavors and (generally) smaller amounts of alcohol per unit.

Damn my own country and it's incessant and unnecessary categorization of such a wonderful beverage.

[SirBruce]

According to the Beer Judge Certification Program Guidelines, Malt Liquor is defined as a Category 23 - Specialty Beer.

Bruce

[MaceVanHoffen]

According to the Beer Judge Certification Program Guidelines, Malt Liquor is defined as a Category 23 - Specialty Beer.

Bruce

That doesn't change that the fact that the term is a result of post-Prohibition politics.  The term exists, so it is used in beer competitions to provide a mapping of categories to common terms.  It is still a pointless distinction, one provided primarily for reasons of legislation.

[Arnold]

Study: Homeless, unemployed favor malt liquor
Potent, cheap beer heavily targeted to black, Hispanic youth
Updated: 4:14 p.m. ET March 14, 2005

Malt liquor, a type of beer ...

Yay, Prohibition!  That craptastic era gave us this distinction of "malt" liquor.  Newsflash: all beer is malt liquor.  It is made from malt.  The only difference among beers is the adjunct/malt ratio, where "adjunct" is "other crap that also ferments" but yields neutral or mild flavors and (generally) smaller amounts of alcohol per unit.

Damn my own country and it's incessant and unnecessary categorization of such a wonderful beverage.

Adjuncts have nothing to do with the term.  "Malt liquor" is used because beer over a certain alcohol percentage is not allowed to be called beer in the US.  You can call it "ale", or "lager", or "malt liquor", or "barleywine", or whatever, but you can't call it "beer".

Right now, I'm drinking a bottle of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale.  It's 9.6% abv.  While it is technically a kind of beer, it is not legally allowed to be called such on the label.

[schild]

Any drink that comes in 40oz bottles meant to be consumed in one serving should be avoiding by everyone and anyone. Some of my friends drink them. They deserve all sorts of liver damage.

[Abagadro]

Aw come on. The malt liquor is a staple of college life. We used to get Haffenreffers which were SIXTY-FOUR ounce malt liquors. About 2 bucks if I recall correctly.  We had to beat the Russians to them at the local deli (their embassy was just up the street) or we had to go without!

[Margalis]

Yeah, I don't understand why they didn't mention the most compelling aspect: THE PRICE.

You can get a 40 for a buck and a half. Gee, wonder why they appeal to homeless people and such? Hmm...tough one...

[UD_Delt]

Ahh the 40... The trick to the 40 isn't necessarily to drink it fast before it gets warm, it's a matter of establishing the 40s rotation. You must be drinking two 40s at all times. As soon as one starts to get a little warm you cap it, throw it in the fridge and work on the other one. If that one starts to get warm you switch back.

I've never seen more vomit than when we threw a 40s party. 40s at 40 was a good time until later that night. I think we had about 15 cases of Laser, Magnum, and OE (plus 2 kegs of regular beer for the "ladies"). Our fridge was a beautiful thing. Just like the Dre video when they open the door and it's just stacked with 40s except we had 2 stocked fridges. :)

[Paelos]

Crap, now I'm jonesing for a 40 to ring in St. Patty's Day in addition to my normal Car Bomb, Black & Tan, and Jameson rotation.

[Furiously]

I think I'll just pour one out for my homies instead.

[HaemishM]

We used to get Haffenreffers which were SIXTY-FOUR ounce malt liquors.

I'm trying to imagine what you'd do with 64 fucking ounces of malt liquor besides get shitfaced drunk. Which I suppose is the point, especially in college, but I hardly think this study proves anything more than a DUH? YOU THINK?

[Abagadro]

I'm trying to imagine what you'd do with 64 fucking ounces of malt liquor besides get shitfaced drunk

We used to have marks on the bottle (top of the label, the green stripe on the label, etc.) and have races to see who got there first.  Lots of times this was while we were doing a live radio show.

/yes we were degenerates.

[UD_Delt]

I'm trying to imagine what you'd do with 64 fucking ounces of malt liquor besides get shitfaced drunk

We used to have marks on the bottle (top of the label, the green stripe on the label, etc.) and have races to see who got there first.  Lots of times this was while we were doing a live radio show.

/yes we were degenerates.

No being a degenerate is convincing a friend to bong an entire Colt 45 Ice.

Yes, not only malt liquor, but ice malt liquor. He didn't last long before he was swallowing backwards.

[Fargull]

In downtown Mobile, Pika and I used to go to the local micro brew and get liter stiens of stout.  Two liter stiens of stout equated to an interesting evening.  If you can get a liter stien of stout, I see no reason to think of getting a 40.