Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Scientists Figure Out How to Turn Pee Into Beer
Disgusting or a miracle of modern science?
Beer snobs like to refer to mass-market lagers such as Bud Light and Coors as piss beer, but they may have to find a new derogatory nickname soon — because actual piss beer has arrived.
A team of Belgian scientists have devised a way of turning pee into beer, Reuters reports. Researchers at the University of Ghent successfully transformed urine into water and fertilizer using solar power; the resulting water can then be used to make Belgium's favorite beverage, beer.
As Reuters explains, "The urine is collected in a big tank, heated in a solar-powered boiler before passing through the membrane where the water is recovered and nutrients such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus are separated." The process has already been utilized at a recent music festival to turn thousands of attendees' pee into 1,000 liters of water destined to become beer.
According to the research team, "The aim is to install larger versions of the machine in sports venues or airports," and they also hope to utilize it in developing nations where safe drinking water can be hard to come by.
• Belgian Scientists Make Novel Water-From-Urine Machine [Reuters]
• Who Makes the Best Dive Bar Beers? [E]
• More Beer Coverage [E]
Ashtrays From NYC's Legendary Four Seasons Restaurant Fetch $10K at Auction
Bidders clamored for a piece of restaurant history yesterday
It's the end of an era for a legendary New York dining institution: The Four Seasons, the site of countless power lunches and high-dollar business dinners, is moving to a new space on Park Avenue after six decades in business.
The New York Times called the Four Seasons "probably the most important New York restaurant of the 20th century," declaring that it "Americanized fine dining and set in motion many of the trends that still dominate restaurant culture in the United States." Relive the restaurants entire 57 year history here, on Eater NY.
The iconic restaurant's last day of slinging martinis and $56 crab cakes to a well-heeled Midtown crowd was July 16, and yesterday it auctioned off furnishings, fixtures, and dishware in preparation for its impending move.
As Eater sister site Curbed reports, competition to snag a piece of New York restaurant history was fierce: Banquettes fetched as much as $50,000, an ottoman brought in $18,000, and a bronze sign bearing the restaurant's name went for $96,000.
Perhaps most amazingly, a set of ashtrays — originally estimated to bring $500 to $700 — went for a staggering $10,000.
WOW. The last set of 4 ashtrays is going for $10k. The previous two sets went for $5500 and $6000, respectively. pic.twitter.com/8lTjCjaMPk
— Curbed (@Curbed) July 26, 2016
This tweet pretty much sums it up:
The auction of the Four Seasons restaurant contents show you:
— Rex Kramer® (@RexDangerSeeker) July 26, 2016
1. How beloved the institution was
2. How much disposable income is out there
A brand new iteration of the Four Seasons will open sometime next year just a few blocks away at 280 Park Avenue.
• The Four Seasons Restaurant's Interiors Are Being Auctioned Off Right Now [Curbed]
• Legendary Power Restaurant The Four Seasons Takes its Final Bow in the Seagram Building [Eater NY]
Are Dwindling Restaurant Sales Sign of a Recession?
Americans are dining out less for a number of reasons
Analysts are warning the U.S. restaurant industry is headed for dark days — and worse, its troubles could be indicative of bigger economic problems.
Restaurant traffic is down and sales are flat, with a number of big chains reporting slowing sales that are falling short of estimates. While McDonald's reported a slight increase in same-store sales yesterday on its quarterly earnings call (thanks to all-day breakfast), it was significantly less than projected; last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that visits to fast-casual restaurants had declined for the first time since 2004.
Now, as MarketWatch writes, finance experts have turned "decidedly bearish" on restaurants: Stifel Nicolaus analyst Paul Westra downgraded a number of restaurant stocks including Panera, Cheesecake Factory, and Red Lobster parent company Darden to "sell" ratings yesterday, telling clients the firm believes "a recent Stifel survey showing restaurant-industry sales decelerating 'simultaneously' across all categories is a harbinger to a U.S. recession in 2017."
And there's plenty of historical evidence to support that: Westra noted that "restaurants have historically led the market lower during the three to six-month periods prior to the start of the prior three U.S. recessions," calling slowing restaurant industry sales the "canary that lays the recessionary egg."
He attributes the slowdown to a number of factors including "U.S. politics, terrorism, social unrest, global geopolitics, [and] economic uncertainty," and says the industry could be facing a gloomy two years.
But the news isn't bad for all restaurants: Sales at pizza chain Papa John's are up, Quartz pointed out earlier this week, as anxieties over political tensions and the presidential election are apparently encouraging people to stay home and order in. Thank goodness for the never-ending procession of new food delivery options.
• Recession Coming, and It Could Be 'Worst Ever' for Restaurant Stocks [MarketWatch]
• Analyst Warns of a Restaurant Downturn and Sees Harbinger of U.S. Recession[Bloomberg]
