Designed by a group called KARO, the library started out as an art installation consisting of beer crates stacked up in an abandoned district center in Magdeburg, Germany. Now sheltered seating areas and extra cozy nooks constructed out of wood from an old warehouse have been added to complete this crazy design. I've got no clue how they keep books dry when it rains, but I definitely wanna snuggle up with a novel in one of those corners. [Dezeen]

Of course, none of you people had as much fun as I did at my Windows 7 party. But these still look pretty fun.

The bike features 2 kegs in the cargo bin along with 25 pounds of ice—but the beer also beer runs through a 50 foot cooling coil to ensure that it reaches your glass ice cold from the tap. It also features a rack designed to hold a stack of pizza boxes and a music system along side the rear tire. Surely, the bike will be a big hit at their upcoming Biketoberfest celebration, but the designers have big plans for its future. They hope to add a second speaker system and a solar array that will power all of the electrical devices—most likely bringing the total weight of this monster to like 800 pounds. Let's hope Lance Armstrong will available to pedal this thing around town. [Flickr and BikePortland via Fark]

For $125 you get two coolers with a grill in the middle. Awesome, right? I mean, sure, you can toss a grill and two coolers in the back of your car for cheaper and with less lugging, but this is still a fun gimmick. Although if we're discussing practicality the real winner is the Foozie, which is a combo of a foam hand and a beer coozie. Only $10 for 2 of them! That's impulse purchase territory, folks. [Tailgate Approved]

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/09/beerrobot/

The kegerator features an iPhone-like array of "apps," including a CO2 gauge, the "Tap Store" where different beers are selected, and a temperature gauge (the fridge is kept at 37 degrees for a perfect frosty brew). It actually looks like a project that's conceivably doable by a group of dedicated beer-lovers, even if they don't work for a tech magazine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to scour the Craigslist free listings for refrigerators. [Wired]

To put that into perspective, 200 gallons will fill roughly 2000 12 oz bottles of beer or about 1000 standard 750mL bottles of wine. You can't sell it, that's illegal, but you can drink it yourself. While setting sail on a river of beer might seem enticing, many people are wary of homebrewing because it appears to be overly complex and scientific—but the truth is that basic beer and winemaking isn't much more difficult than making soup. And the best part is that doing it yourself can have you enjoying a better quality of beverage at a substantially reduced cost.

Ingredients
With both wine and beer, your finished product is only as good as your ingredients. As a beginner, I urge you to stick with all-in-one ingredient kits or extract recipies until you are ready to commit the time and additional equipment expense to branch out into more complex recipes like all grain brewing and wine from whole grapes. Kits are relatively inexpensive and include all of the ingredients and instructions to make a particular style of beer or wine. For example, I recently purchased a Hefeweizen kit (with liquid yeast upgrade) for about $40. Throw in six gallon jugs of spring water and I'm going to end up with about 50 bottles of quality beer for about 85 cents apiece. Even the cheapest beer costs around a buck a bottle when purchased at a store.

Wine kits work in much the same way and will usually run you between $70 and $200 on average. So, if you were looking for an everyday wine, a $70 kit with a bag of corks and six gallons of spring water (for the concentrated grape juice) would yield 30 bottles of wine at less than $3 a bottle. It's not going to be a world-class wine or anything, but its probably going to be on par with bottles you would pay twice as much for in a store. Keep in mind that ingredient kits are sometimes bundled with starter equipment kits, which could mean greater savings.

Sanitation and Water
Outside of the main ingredients, various sanitary compounds and bottled water will usually be your only other repeat purchases. Near obsessive compulsive sanitation practices are of the utmost importance, so you will definitely need compounds like One-Step no rinse sanitizer or Sodium Metabisulfite (wine only). These compounds only cost a few dollars for a decent supply and can be bought in bulk if necessary.

Homebrewers are fussy about their water and there are a lot of contradictory opinions floating around about what type of water you should be using. Generally, the rule of thumb is spring water for beer because it lacks off odors and flavors and it possesses nutrients that feed the yeasts needed for fermentation. Some claim that distilled water is best for wine because of its purity while others claim that it should be avoided because it has been stripped of nutrients. As far as I'm concerned, spring water is probably your best bet in both cases. Obviously, buying this in the store will bring your overall costs up—but tap water is going to be fine as long as it is thoroughly filtered.

Equipment
There is a startup cost associated with this hobby of course, but your investment will eventually pay for itself if you are brewing in any significant quantity. As I noted earlier, the ingredients and various sanitation compounds that you will be buying again and again are inexpensive when compared to a finished product you buy at the store. Most homebrewing stores or online merchants will offer a starter's set that will provide most if not all of the necessary gadgets and equipment for up to $100 (without ingredients). Plus, basic beer and winemaking can be done at home with (mostly) the same set of tools. You may even have some of this stuff lying around the house already.

Standard Beer Starter's Kit:
• 6.5 gallon plastic fermenting bucket
• Bottling bucket with spigot
• Airlock - Allows gases to escape during fermentation without air exposure; comes in several varieties
• Triple-scale hydrometer - Lets you take measurements on sugar percentage, alcohol potential and specific gravity
• Bottle capper - There are several varieties, but most kits will come with a standard handheld version
• Racking stem - Part of the siphon system that is used to "rack" or transfer wine/beer into different containers
• Siphon tubing
• Spring-loaded bottle filler
• Cleaning brushes
• Rubber stoppers

Necessities That Might Not Come With Your Starter Kit:
• One big-ass brew kettle - 20 quart is fine, but I urge picking up a 30 quart that allows you to brew up more wort (unfermented beer) without worrying about boil over. Stainless steel is recommended. I was able to purchase the kettle above for $75 at my local brewmaster store, but you might be able to find something even cheaper at Walmart or on Craigslist.
• Floating thermometer - These are only a few bucks at Walmart.
• Long Handled Spoon - You probably already own something that would work.
• Around fifty 12 oz brown glass beer bottles, forty 16 oz bottles or thirty 22 oz bottles for a standard 5 gallon batch - Start saving your empties now, because these are a ripoff to buy separately.
• A long, shallow plastic bin - These are great for sterilizing your instruments with a minimum of water and solution. You may also want to consider a large, deep bucket if your sink isn't big enough to properly fit your kettle and icewater when it comes time to chill the wort. If you don't already have these on hand, both should only set you back $5-$10 apiece.
• A funnel - Useful in both beer and winemaking, you probably have several lying around in your home right now. Larger sizes for racking and filtering beer can be found for $10 or less.

Standard Wine Starters Kit:
A wine starter's kit comes with just about everything that a beer version does. The differences are that the fermenting bucket may be a bit bigger, the bottling bucket will be replaced with a 6-gallon glass or plastic jug known as a carboy (though some beer starter kits do include a carboy) and the capper will be replaced with a corking instrument. There is no need for a kettle since wine is not boiled, but the other extras will definitely be useful. Again, remember to save your empty bottles—about 30 for a standard 6 gallon batch. You may also need to buy a set of 30 corks, which usually run less than $10.

Gadgets You Might Want To Consider:
Although not necessary, you will probably find yourself looking for these time-saving gadgets somewhere down the line, (mostly) regardless of whether you're making wine or beer.
• Drill-mounted stirring rod - Takes the armwork out of stirring liquid in the fermenter or carboy and its excellent at removing or "de-gasing" CO2 from wine. Also good for aerating wort to promote yeast action. These can usually be had for around $20.
• Auto-siphon - Racking wine or beer requires you to create a vacuum that will transfer the fluid through the siphon assembly to another container. An auto-siphon handles this with a simple pump action. It's also great at preventing sediment from going along for the ride. These run $10 to $15.
• Wine or beer thief - Used for cleanly extracting samples of your brew for hydrometer testing—some even double as a hydrometer tube. You can get proper instruments at a homebrew store for under $10, but a turkey baster will work just fine in most situations.
• Floor corker - If you are making wine, you may not be satisfied with hand corkers. They are super easy to use and insure a proper fit every time, which reduces the chance of oxidation. These usually run from $50 to $120, but can be rented for a day at most brewmaster stores.
• Bottle sterilizers/rinsers - Makes the job of sterilizing bottles easier and it uses less water. Basic versions can be found for $20 or less.
• Carboy handles - Glass carboys are slippery and fragile. If only I had one before I broke a six gallon carboy full of wine all over my kitchen floor. It was epically bad. Less than $10 will save you from this horror. Plastic carboys are also available.

As you mature as a homebrewer, you will find even more ways to cut costs down—experienced all-grain brewers can make bottles of beer for 50 cents or less (although you will need more expensive equipment). However, in the beginning it pays to get your feet wet with the basics. It also pays to look for quality bundles—there are an endless array out there that range from starter sets to super deluxe packages. Just make sure to shop around at local stores and online before you buy. For example, a starters kit from Northern Brewer includes an auto siphon and 144 bottle caps for the same price as one from Brewer's Outpost without the pump action siphon and only 50 caps.

Because of all the factors involved, determining how long it will take to recoup your equipment investment is hard to say. Even time is a factor: Many kit beers are drinkable in a month's time while basic kit wines usually take at least 3 to 6 months—longer if you want improved quality. If you are comparing the cost of your craft beer and wine to the cheapest of swills, the craft brews will lose every time. It's about quality—and quality beer in the store is going to probably run $9 or $10 for a six pack. If you are producing beer of a similar quality at home for less than a dollar a bottle, the math works out well. Plus basic wine and beer making use [mostly] the same set of tools, so you can get more out of your equipment by producing both throughout the year.

Many of you readers are homebrewers and winemakers too. How about sharing your own tips for saving money while expanding your beverage horizons?

Taste Test is our weeklong tribute to the leaps that occur when technology meets cuisine, spanning everything from the historic breakthroughs that made food tastier and safer to the Earl-Grey-friendly replicators we impatiently await in the future.

Top Image via Spewing Obscenities

The Portable Tap Dispenser also has a cupholder so you can more fully cement your reputation as the Beer God of the Party. We're not sure exactly what the bag's capacity is, but it looks plenty big enough to get you a cheer when you walk into a get-together, provided you can serve the beer before it gets flat. It's available now for about $35. [Fun Ideas via Crunchgear]

The $20, 1.5-gallon boxes of beer are designed for the paradoxical beer drinkers who prefer their beer to come from the tap but also don't care if said beer is actually good. They're currently testing boxes of Miller Lite and Coors Lite in a few cities and will expand it to nationwide this football season if all goes well.

And for those of you too lazy to do the math, 1.5 gallons is equal to 16 bottles. So you'll be paying $1.25 per bottle for your shit beer, which is more expensive than buying a 12-pack of bottles.

But hell, boxes classed wine up, so why not beer too? Boxes are just so refined. [WSJ via Gawker; Pic]

Case in point—math teacher and rugby coach Scott Williams was recently crushed to death when he fell asleep in an industrial garbage bin in Brighton, UK. His body was discovered more than 24 hours later by sanitation workers.

Seems like an open and shut case, but I still have to wonder whether or not the Boozy Shredder was involved somehow. Then again, could someone else be to blame? [The Argus via Fark]

The pack is waterproof, comes with a built-in metal bottle opener on the strap and is fully insulated to keep coldness in. And when you're done drinking, it's a perfect portable container for vomiting into. [Timbuk2 via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Gates is one of many names on the patent from Searete LLC, the company you may recognize behind another recent Gates-signed work, an electromagnetic engine.

Apparently the new invention is not quite a keg or thermos, but a system that "may include more segments principally defining at least one storage region; and one or more regions of substantially thermally sealed connections between at least one of the one or more surface regions of the one or more segments wherein the one or more regions of substantially thermally sealed connections and the one or more segments form an integrally thermally sealed storage region."

In its simplest terms, that sounds a lot like a thermos wrapped in many layers of specialty insulation complete with sensors and displays—the ultimate beer home. And indeed, the patent app describes a container that could hold everything from a "liquid or beverage" such as "beer or distilled spirits" to artificial plasma and hot mix asphalt.

Nice attempt to hide international beer trade under philanthropic construction and medical uses, Señor Gates. But we're on to you. [Patent via TechFlash]

Microsoft spokesman Lou Gellos, whose Office Space-esque statements on the original cancellation were probably the only reason the story—which I'd like to remind you reflexive naysayers was about a large company building an at-work bar for their employees—gained traction in the first place, confirmed the reversal to Techflash, saying that Spitfire (the contracted pub chain) and Microsoft had discovered "a creative way to find that happy medium." That happy medium apparently entails drinking only after 3:00, exclusively during scheduled gatherings and special events. WinMo Wednesdays anyone? [TechFlash via CNET]

You fill the barrel up with beer and then spin the bottles underneath it. Remove the bottle it lands on, and if you're lucky, nothing will happen. If you're unlucky, a whopping two liters of beer will be unleashed through the tube and down your throat. Fun times?

As you can tell by the absolutely atrocious concept image, this thing is not real yet, but don't be surprised if you see it populating online stores in the coming months. [UrbanTrend]

Some IMPORTANT historical facts:

• Coors spent two years developing the aluminum can.
• Before aluminum cans, the tin can had been in use since the 1800s. It used lead in the seams.
• Tin can beer tasted even worse than canned beer now, as the cans were not easily pre-cleaned, thereby requiring the beer be pasteurized.
• Aluminum cans were the first cans to be feasibly recycled while also lowering shipping costs.
• Coors Light, available in cans, is the preferred beer of resident foodie Wilson Rothman. On his Facebook page alone, he has a collection of eight identical Coors Light gifts.

Happy Birthday, aluminum can. I raise my glass and/or bottle to you. [Rocky Mountain News via Consumerist]

Now my question is: Is it really this way? Because one of the most delightful, smartest, and sexiest woman I've ever met was drunk after three hours in a bar drinking beer with orange slices in it, while that night I was drunk with cocktails and my drinks matched my shoes. And I pee sitting down. At least at home, because it's more comfy, but that's another story.

Women. Men. TS/TVs. Speak. [Thanks Oscar]

Update: It gets better.

The BaR2D2 is a radio-controlled bar-bot, with a "motorized beer elevator, motorized ice/mixer drawer, and six-bottle shot dispenser." It's also "sound activated neon lighted", because alcohol delivery is not complete without psychotropic light effects. According to its creator:

The concept for BaR2D2 was born when a friend showed up to an event with a radio-controlled cooler. We joked about taking the idea to the next level and in the Spring of 2008, construction began.

Hopefully, the next one will mix Margaritas, Manhattans, Long Islands, have a pole dancer on top, and they will invite me to a party. [Instructables]

Creator "Polymythic" used a Construx building set as his mechanical base and an ioBridge to control the system. It pours the beer a bit violently, just like this previous hack, but if you're drunk enough to insist that tipping your iPhone should result in a real beer, it should do you just fine. [Instructables]

Gizmodo reader Andrew sent us pictures of his Lego brewery in the middle of a river. It's quite nice on its own, but really, after coming from a long nightout in Madrid with one too many whiskeys, what makes this a winner is the naughty naughty motorized minifig pole dancer. Time to get the Mindstorm NXT special set out. [Classic Castle]

The DIY project is powered by five microcontrollers and features 120 RGB LEDs, five per cup. The lights pulse and change color depending on the arrangement of (presumably) classic red plastic cups see-through plastic cups, and is equipped with a wireless module to let it communicate with a scoreboard to be constructed later. The LEDs are under a sheet of glass to protect them from the cheap beer of choice. [Thanks, Dan!]

Seriously, if the guys at NanoBrewMaster are to be believed, all you have to do is dump in the liveblood of any beer—hops, yeast and water—and this rig regulates the ingredients, monitors their distribution, and then produces beer. There are even a pair of built-in taps (plural, in case you want to make two 7.5 gallon batches).

Even better, the purchase price (undisclosed at this time, but probably very high) includes five types of beer. [NanoBrewMaster via Clipspringer]

• The DeLorean, with full Back to the Future rigging, will be here at 5pm, parked in front of the Gallery. Maybe we can arrange for rides?

• The reader meetup is happening tonight. The Gallery will be closed to the public at 8, but if you're a reader, knock on the REED ANNEX door and say the password ("password") for a private viewing until the drinks across the street happen at 9. We'll also be giving away a few iPhone t-shirts that Jesús designed for the original iPhone launch, and in the bar across the street (The Annex, not to be confused with REED Annex) beers will be $4, which I'm told is some kind of freaking discounted price in NYC. Got that? Full details for location below.

• Matt Buchanan and Adam Frucci have told me they think they can take on ANYONE in Call of Duty. And if you come in and beat them between 4PM-5:30pm, I've got some prizes for you from our giant stash.

Of course, we also have all the gallery items we've run before, plus some newly arrived Bug Labs gadgets and a 20th Anniversary Mac which we're giving away—more later on that.

Made with the collaboration of the breweries, Okayama University, and the Russian Academy of Science, the Space Barley is made only of barley and has no additives. And even while Adam says that it must taste like metal and loneliness, and Jason says that it probably comes out of Bender's ass, I would like to try it. Or precisely because of that.

Sadly, Sapporo has only made 100 litres of this extra-terrestrial beer with a 5.5% alcohol content, which will only be available for a limited tasting in Japan. [AFPBB (Japanese) — Thanks Mona]

Because the Micro Matic v-POD is both your TV and your beer dispenser. Constructed of stainless steel and loaded with six faucets that can dispense anything from beer to beer, the v-POD already sounds like a must-buy for its $3,050 asking price. But the v-POD also features a 10-inch LCD with stereo speakers that can play back MPEG, MPEG2, MPEG4 and MP3 files off of your flash storage of choice.

Sure, we wish that display were a bit bigger. But when you're curled up in the fetal position crying about your failings as a human being, even a 50-inch Kuro isn't going to stop the pain. Lessen, maybe. Stop, no way. [v-Pod via Engadget]

Really though, there's nothing wrong with this. I mean, if drinking and playing video games was illegal, I'd be on death row. This thing has two taps — one in the back and one on the dash. This allows a party to be going on around you while you tear it up in Gran Turismo, and you never even have to get up to refill your beer.

The setup includes a 120-inch projection screen, a home theater PC with 12 racing games pre-loaded, a PS3-compatible steering wheel if you want to hook one up, and a 5.1 surround system. It's available now for $7,000.

I'd personally like to see keg-o-rators involved in more video game accessories. Here's a freebie, third party accessory manufacturers: a foam dome with a built-in Xbox Live headset. Let's make it happen.

At first, Hottrix complained to Apple, who then removed iPint from the Apps Store in the US. It left it up, however, elsewhere in the world, meaning the poor, hardworking souls from Hottrix who had dedicated much of their lives to creating this dumb beer app were being deprived of their earnings. So, to court they go!

But really, although the amount of the lawsuit is kind of insane, Hottrix is in the right here. Coors is a big company, and clearly just saw that there was a popular beer app and wanted to jump on board. Dick move, Coors!

But at the end of the day, the real losers in this situation are the thousands of people who spent $3 on such a dumb app to make it so popular in the first place. Seriously, who are you people? [GadgetLab]

Is capitalism really that great, if it leads to beer-filled USB flash drives with "optional customizable floating objects" inside? Should we Americans really be that pleased with our free speech, if it means I get emails from people who make flash drives with BEER in them? And am I really secure with myself as a gadget dork, getting all excited over the latest and greatest shiny toys, if that same email brags about the floating objects being in 3D? How could they be anything but 3D, when they're actual, physical objects? I can't pretend like the world is the same after this. The sun doesn't shine as bright. The air doesn't taste as sweet. Congratulations, Beer-Filled USB Drive Manufacturer. You've broken me. [CNK]