Heineken ranks up there along Bud and Miller as a “guy beer.” Or at least, they really like to exploit female stereotypes in their commercials. Now the brand is showing a more female-oriented side with a new line of eco-friendly “green” totes. (Hey, we’re not stereotyping by placing “women” with “fashion”—this spread shows the bags on female models and in a women’s boutique.)

Actually, it would seem that Heineken’s environmentally friendly style project is pretty noble. The reusable grocery totes were made from non-recyclable scraps of Heineken’s billboards—waste that would have gone to a landfill. They also thought local by employing a team of Puerto Rican seamstresses, which, Heineken says, helped to create a “micro-enterprise.”  We can’t say we’re into the designs, however. They’re just a bit too ... masculine, maybe? Murses? [IBelieveInAdv.com]

Mmm ... beer, the delicious soda that makes you feel good. And, apparently, makes you look good, and we’re not talking about beer goggles. Recently, beauty blog BellaSugar reminded us that the beverage has some great beauty benefits. Because of its astringent qualities, beer can help remove hair product buildup when used as a pre-shampoo treatment. You can also make a homemade facial with it, adding avocado, vinegar, and honey. As a last suggestion, you can pour it into your bubble bath ... which doesn’t seem to have much benefit other than it feels good (apparently). [BellaSugar]

We’ve also come across some other uses for ale—there are countless recipes out there for beer shampoos and conditioners (you can mix it with jojoba oil, for example), and you can also use it as a styling spray. The question is, would you really want to?

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a 32-year-old Muslim model, has committed a crime against Islam—she had a beer in a night club. She didn’t get deliriously drunk, mind you, she had a single beer. And now she will be flogged for her indiscretion—literally, lashed six times with a cane. Shukarno was at a Pahang nightclub in Malaysia when police raided it. She plead guilty to drinking a beer, probably expecting to be fined, which is the usual punishment for an alcohol offense. But hard-core judge Abdul Rahman Yunus told papers that Shukarno’s beating punishment serves as a “lesson to all Muslims.” In all, this single beer will cost her $1,400 and six lash marks on her body. While Shukarno will probs never touch the stuff again, her harsh punishment will not keep all Muslims from taking down a cold one. Sorry, Judge Abdul, but this punishment does NOT fit the crime. [Daily Mail]

Good news for you. A new study of more than 20,000 beer drinkers has revealed that…(drumroll)...the beer belly is a big old myth. When participants’ hip to waist ratio was measured, researchers noticed that beer doesn’t just make your belly fat. Yes, the people in this study who drank the most beer gained the most weight. But it didn’t settle in any particular area. The beer gut occurred randomly, leading researchers to believe that it’s a genetic factor. Wait, so doing crunches after a night of drinking isn’t going to help!? Crap. [News AU]

Annabel Smith has a freakin’ sweet job, and the fact that she’s the first and only woman in Britain doing it makes it that much cooler. Smith is the country’s first female beer inspector. She works for Cask Marque, an organization formed by four breweries (and now made up of 34) that ensures their beers taste great after going out into the world. Traveling across the country, Smith sips beer from morning till night, and unlike wine tasters, she doesn’t spit out her drinks: “You need to swallow it because the sides and back of your tongue are the only places that detect bitterness.” Smith gets her taste buds tested once a year, and when she tastes an ale, she is gauging it based on it’s appearance, aroma, taste, and temperature.

OK, we know the following characterization is NOT 100 percent representative of all fraternities in this country.

But still, the stats about sexual assault and tales of misogynistic behavior in the essay, “Bros Before Hos,” published by history and gender studies professor Nicholas L. Syrett on the National Sexuality Resource Center’s web site, are beyond scary.

You’ll have to read the essay yourself for his particularly eloquent argument about how the closeness of men in frats fosters misogynistic behavior and a fear of homosexuality—it’s worth a read for anyone who has known or loved a frat boy. Synett’s certainly not arguing frat boys are worse than other men, but they do live in a unique environment that has an affect on them. Frat boys don’t sound like they’ve ever not had a weird relationship with sex, masculinity and power.

Six scary things we learned about frat boys from reading his essay, after the jump…

Ahh, what a genius marketing idea! Men love beer. Men (straight ones) love women in lingerie. Therefore men would really, really love beer cans designed to look like a woman’s lower half decked out in lacy undergarments. But in order to get the full perspective, these men would have to buy TWO cans of beer, not just one. And surely men are stupid enough to do that right? Now what does the 6-pack look like? [TrendHunter]

Last week, I was visiting a friend across the pond, and we made a stop at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. In a beautifully renovated building originally erected in 1904, we learned how Guinness beer is made, drank a few pints, and got picked up by two guys.

A friend emailed me some ads for Goldstar, an Israeli beer. The tagline for the campaign is “Thank God you’re a man.” After the jump, see the ads and why I’m thanking God I’m a woman.

Beer Pong, Pong, Beirut. Just a few names for that ever-popular drinking game consisting of plastic Solo cups, beer, and pong balls. Anyone who has ever played will inform you that the point of the game is not only to win but to increase your overall level of intoxication, as well. Due to the level of popularity among young adults, Nintendo are releasing a new game for Wii called “Pong Toss.” Everything about the game is the same as the original—you shoot the pong ball at a pyramid of cups and try to eliminate them before your competitor does – the only thing Nintendo left out was the beer. Obviously this is creating controversy. New York psychologist Eva Levine believes that there will be a rise in underage drinking since the game is recommended for ages 13 and up. But then again there hasn’t really been an outrage of car-jackings and pimping since the creation of Grand Theft Auto. Being able to play Wii Pong Toss alone will definitely help you work on your shooting skills for that next party, but you’ll also have to justify how drinking alone while playing Wii isn’t alcoholism. [ABC News]

Tuesday was Earth Day, but now that the weekend is here, you can actually celebrate. Here are a few (pretty obvious) tips to help you get your green on.

Everyone looks better when the lights are way down low. The Sun Jar captures energy throughout the day so you’ll have five hours of its glowing radiance at night. [Elsewares]

Beer is a tasty beverage, but I’m not sure I would want to immerse myself in a tub of the stuff. In the Czech Republic, the Chodovar Family Brewery offers just that. The beer is warm, not steaming, and herbs and beer foam float at the surface. Klara, a balneologist (balneology=the science of baths) at the brewery says a beer bath can soothe muscles, warm joints, and heal the complexion. Supposedly, it’s not as sticky as a bar floor, so maybe I would enjoy soaking up some hops. Bubbles are overrated, anyway. [Sydney Morning Herald]

It’s St. Patrick’s Day- the annual drinking holiday! While it might not seem like a good idea to pound back a bunch of green brew, a new study found that beer is the best alcohol for your brain. Just in time for today’s festivities, researchers from Germany’s Göttingen University published their claim that the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and spatial tasks, is 10% smaller in wine and liquor drinkers than in beer drinkers. The study’s scientists believe that the B vitamins and folate found in lager lowers levels of hymocysteine, which is known to cause heart disease, strokes, and dimentia.  So ask your doctor if beer is right for you.  Side affects may include puking, flashing, and bad dancing. Cheers! [Dethroner]