Science Wire: Celebrating a great race? Champagne's the thing

Leave it to the Brits to actually make a scientific pronouncement about the best alcoholic beverage with which to celebrate a hard won victory. In this week's British Medical Journal, researcher Robert Douglas describes the case study of an Aussie rules football player who ingested a beer bottle cap that lay at the bottom of the victory trophy he was drinking from (story, with x-ray). After experiencing trouble breathing, he went to the emergency room where all was eventually set right, following a slightly uncomfortable endoscopy. Douglas took the liberty to follow up the story with a medical literature search on similar health effects of beverages drunk on the field of victory. His conclusion was that champagne was the best choice, with nary one documented case of breathing problems brought on by ingestion of a cork. He says: “Since the 18th century, champagne has been the beverage of choice for celebrations and on current evidence should remain so.” Race directors take note!