Well, Reuters writers must have had a bit too much corpse rum, as it turns out their story about Hungarian home remodelers finding a corpse in a barrel of rum was in fact false, and based on an urban legend from ten years ago.

 

Still, I'm willing to bet it did wonders to inspire members of the medical world, not to mention mob-run distilleries, to consider potential 'storage applications' and all the wonderful effects of preserving human remains in high-alcohol solutions.

 

Reuters, take it from us: Less talk and more drinking makes for lively conversation.

 

In the world of brewing, we're waiting for delivery of our new stainless steel homebrew system from a local welder. It's quite a piece of work, and once finished, will enable us to brew up to 14 gallons of professional quality beer in a single go.

 

In the meantime however, we've much to report on the hops vines we're growing. In addition to five new Cascade hops we recently planted, we're paying close attention to two second-year hops, one Nugget and one Cascade, planted last year, which are growing at very different rates. The Nugget is showing extremely aggressive growth, already about ten feet in length, and the Cascade isn't far behind. What is different, however, is that the Nugget has four strong leaders, with almost a dozen minor ones all clambering up the vine in a tight twist, while the Cascade has only a single leader, with two very short, stubby ones doing their best to stay alive near the base. We'll keep you updated on the hops, include some pictures once they start growing cones, and of course, will give a full report on yield at harvest time.

 

David 

Ingredients:

 

- 1 human male, deceased 

- 1 300-liter barrel filled with rum

- 1 large shipping bill to provide reason to place man in rum

- 1 crew of greedy house remodelers who discover barrel of rum

 

Did that just send you reeling? Here's how it plays out. A group of home remodelers in Hungary recently came across a large barrel of rum while working on the house. They tapped it, and found it had a "special taste" and so began working their way through it.

 

Upon emptying the barrel, they found it to be exceptionally heavy, so opened it up -- and out tumbled the corpse of a man!

 

It turns out he died in Jamaica 20 years back, and it was cheaper for the wife to have him 'enbalmed' in the rum and shipped to her house, instead of paying for official transport.

 

I suppose she forgot about him, or decided to keep his body in that rum.

 

Then, she later died, upon which her house started being worked on.

 

That's when the crew discovered the barrel, and well... it was "bottoms up" from there... Who'd ever think of the surprise they'd find at the bottom?

 

This one tops all "Cracker Jack surprise" stories, for sure!

 

Read the the full story here.

 

David