In a soft-hitting expose, NPR reports on findings from researchers in Germany that most beer contains scant traces of arsenic with some brews containing twice the amount allowed in drinking water. This is largely attributed to the traditional and time-tested filtering processes involved in making beer. While the findings offer an opportunity to investigate the filtering process anew, there’s really no major cause for alarm. [NPR]

Huffington Post food writer Carey Polis crafts an elegant anti-love letter to the spirits industry, begging them to reconsider its merciless onslaught of flavored vodkas being rushed to market over the past several years. She makes some excellent points, and we couldn’t agree more. It’s time for the brakes to be put on this trend. No one wins with Peanut Butter and Jelly vodka. [Huffington Post]

Elsewhere in vodka news, Absolut has teamed up with legendary Mexican visual artists and tattoo icon Dr. Lakra to design a limited edition Absolut Mexico bottle, celebrating the rich visual history of Mexican and Mayan cultures. The bottle, which has been available in Mexico for some time, will be ready to ship stateside shortly, and will retail for $19.99 for a 750ml bottle. [PR Newswire]

This one is for beer fanatics who plan summer vacations around beer festivals. Beer Festivals is a comprehensive (at least the most comprehensive we’ve ever seen) overview of beer festivals around the world. One look at April’s event schedule only could very well debunk any sort of consumer driven marketing report data that the beer industry is slowing down or that beer is no longer popular as it once was. A tip of the glass to another excellent drinking resource! [Beer Festivals]

And finally for today, a new study from non-profit group Screening For Mental Health suggests that Americans hold dangerous misperceptions on what is considered to be “at-risk” drinking. From its sample data of 1,000 subjects, researchers found half of all men and one-third of women had at least one at-risk drinking episode in the last year, and one-fifth of Americans believe that regardless of how much a person drinks, it isn’t a problem unless there are negative impacts on their personal relationships or work performance. While we here at Drinkhacker wish to avoid a lengthy op-ed column about excess, it all boils down to two fundamental pieces of common sense everyone should follow: Know your limits, and seek professional help if you don’t. [Screening For Mental Health]

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