An obvious choice for mayor

We knew it wouldn't be long before Mayor Ed Lee and his milk mustache would chime in on the debate about whether bars should keep on serving alcohol until 4 a.m. And we also knew that he wouldn't necessarily embrace the notion of all-night drinking the same way a drunk embraces a bottle of whiskey.

After the state law was proposed, Mayor Lee went on record saying he'd really need to mull this one over. But who needs "to think carefully" about this issue when we have the expertise of hardcore late-night boozers in their basements crafting thoughtful, and alcohol-induced arguments about why bars in California should remain open -- at all hours for that matter.

Which is why we tapped our reliable correspondent in Minnesota, who weighed-in on the issue after reading an SF Appeal article we sent him.

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Left his phone at home

You know those evenings when you have a few cocktails to blow off whatever happened at work that day and whatever is to come when you get home? The problem is that amid the light conversation and lamenting, you seem to lose track of how many beers you were drinking.

Alas, your cellphone is about to save your life (and ours).

A Bay Area company has unveiled a new cellphone breathometer that will help your stupid drunken self decide if you have had one too many drinks to drive. All you have to do is connect the device to your iPhone or Android via the audio jack (do this before you start drinking) and blow.

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Alberta Johnson/Joncampbell.org

Jon is still offering a good public service

To reflect the "dark and bitter future" of American journalism, a thirsty, unemployed reporter decided to brew his own "dark and bitter" beer.

Former Hartford Advocate writer Jon Campbell is making news with his brew, which is appropriately named Unemployed Reporter -- a mix of chocolate and roasted barley malts with a generous alcohol content to ease the pain.

"I've been brewing beer lately in my free time, entertaining myself by making some very elaborate labels. I sent some pictures to a former colleague a few days ago and all of a sudden, people are asking about my beer," Campbell explains.

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Exhibit A

The news of Mayor Ed Lee's request for bars to curb hard liquor sales on Super Bowl Sunday made it all the way to the freezing state of Minnesota, where at least one possibly drunk dude attempted to debunk the mayor's theory that hard liquor plus football will wreak havoc on San Francisco.

For starters, we're disappointed we didn't find this before the Super Bowl, but it did take a little longer for this enlightening film to make it from this guy's basement to the real world. (It has 39 views, two of which came from us).

In any event, this guy gives as honest an account as one can in a PacMan shirt of how "drunk is drunk," whether you consume beer, wine, or Wild Turkey.

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Not much could cheer up depressed 49ers fans after their team lost the Super Bowl to the Baltimore Ravens last night. So we will look where we can to help bring some joy to those disappointed San Franciscans.

So here's one for you: Mayor Ed Lee's silly request that bars cool it on the hard liquor sales during the Super Bowl completely backfired; At least one bar initiated a silly request of their own. Down in the Lower Haight, we spotted this work of art outside the Mad Dog in the Fog:

Joe Eskenazi

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Get your drink on!

While Mayor Ed Lee is asking everyone to not indulge in hard alcohol this weekend, he'll be at a bar himself, cutting the ribbon for one of the city's most famous watering holes: the Gold Dust Lounge.

That's right: Your long-awaited chance to imbibe at the eccentric bar has arrived.

After the mayor et al. perform their dog-and-pony show at 4 p.m., the bar will open to the general public drunks. Inside, you will find the usual suspects: Herb Caen's famous barstool, those red velvet booths, Johnny Z and the Camaros, and all the same bartenders pouring your drinks.

"It's got the same vibe, it feels like the old Gold Dust, except it has that new bar smell -- it doesn't stink," said Lee Houskeeper, spokesman for the bar.

See Also: Mayor Ed Lee Is Trying to Ruin One of the Best Parts of Super Bowl Sunday: Getting Hammered

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We'll cheers to that!

No matter how many liquor bottles Mayor Ed Lee empties in the toilet this week, there's not a chance in hell he's going to get all of San Francisco to stay sober on Super Bowl Sunday.

So pragmatic San Francisco cops are preparing for the worst, and that'd be drunk drivers.

Come Saturday the National Football League is teaming up with cops who are trained in sniffing out alcohol to make sure football fans aren't letting football fans drive drunk.

See Also: Mayor Ed Lee Is Trying to Ruin One of the Best Parts of Super Bowl Sunday: Getting Hammered

Here's what you should expect:

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SFPD

Oliver Lorenzo Lopez

San Francisco police have released the mug shot of 22-year-old Oliver Lorenzo Lopez, who was arrested after allegedly getting hammered and crashing into a cop in the Mission District.

The incident happened about 12:48 a.m. on Monday. Lopez was traveling in his BMW west on 19th Street at a "high rate of speed" when he drove into oncoming traffic.

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That was you all of 2012

Christmas is over and New Year's is on its way, so now might be a good time for you to sober up and take a short hiatus from boozing the year away.

Good health and sobriety is a decent reason to drink water instead of wine, but here's an even better reason to detox: The cops will be watching you.

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Jazz Aldrich/Great Basin Brewing Company

Here's your Mayan chaser

If you were planning to guzzle all your finest wine to mark your last day on Earth Dec. 21, it's best you don't drive that night -- just in case the world doesn't end.

If you do get caught drinking and driving, then you can be sure you'll be celebrating your very own doomsday come Dec. 22.

Come Friday, you will see cops, cops, and more cops as law enforcement sweeps the city for its DUI saturation patrol from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. -- prime drinking time.

See also: Local Hotel Hopes You Spend Your Very Last Dime There Before the World Ends Dec. 21

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