Despite the recession, rising unemployment and any of the other numerous factors that would drive one to drink in this day and age, beer consumption was on the decline in the U.S. last year. 2009 marked the third consecutive year of diminishing growth in the beer industry, dropping 2.1% to 2.877 billion cases.

According to the 2010 Beer Handbook, released by the Beverage Information Group, the beer industry's downturn can be attributed to the decline in the light beer segment.

Light beer accounts for a 52.8% share of the US beer market, and posted its first negative year since beginning 30 years ago.

Other portions of the beer industry had varying results in 2009. Imports declined 6.9% to 359.6 million 2.25-gallon cases. Meanwhile, the craft beer segment increased 7.0% and continues to grow at an extraordinary rate. The range of flavors and types of craft beers tend to attract both young and old consumers, while expanded distribution is a clear driver for growth in this segment.

Over the next five years, slow growth is expected in the beer industry. Success of value priced beer, continued growth of the craft beer segment, and favorable demographics will help slow any declines in the beer industry.

You've heard of turkey burgers and bison burgers, but have you ever come across a lion burger? One restaurant in Arizona is serving up feline meat on a bun in honor of the World Cup being held for the first time ever on the continent of Africa.

For just $22, you too can take a bite into a lion burger, complete with spicy homemade chips and roast corn on the cob on the side.

Not unsurprisingly, the eatery has received many complaints about their decision to cook up lions. Animal rights activists are particularly enraged. The owners say, however, that the endangered animals are not being hurt by this and that the lions actually come from a farm in Illinois where they are bred.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are working on developing a low-allergy natural peanut as an alternative for sufferers of severe nut allergies. They are working to process hypoallergenic peanuts from natural sources that include cloned nut and legume trees.

Once the researchers are able to determine the thresholds for allergens and antibodies that combat them, they are hoping that they can create a peanut with the lowest possible chances of triggering an allergic reaction. If successful, this peanut could then be farmed.

Severe peanut allergy is the most common cause of food related death in the US, and a growing number of children suffer from it. It's hoped that the low allergy peanut could help kids build immunity to the allergens from a young age and get rid of the need to take extreme precautions.

In recent years, the Cleveland area has blossomed into a significant centrum of culinary culture, spanning all cardinal directions and everwhere in between. But Matt Mytro, formerly of Beachwood's Paladar and Cleveland's Boulevard Blue Restaurants, has decided to take things one step further - trending more towards a representation of comestible counterculture.

Mytro has taken his experience as a chef to new heights, going beyond the call of eats and venturing into the worlds of fashion and entertainment. After serving as a chef consultant at Waldorf Astoria, Red the Steakhouse, and working as a personal chef preparing meals all over the country, he and colleague Anthony Lynch created the clothing line called Stove Monkeys in 2007. The intriguing thing about Stove Monkeys, however, is the niche they have discovered: providing apparel designed to celebrate the passion of the culinary industry.

A new law against animal abuse in China could crack down on the practice of eating dog or cat meat in China once and for all. Under the law, individuals caught eating dog or cat meat could face a fine of 5,000 yuan ($735 USD) or up to 15 days in prison, and businesses caught serving it could be fined up to 500,000 yuan ($7,325).

The draft will be going to Parliament in April, and would be the first law against animal abuse by a new, increasingly animal loving modern Chinese society that no longer has a taste for dog or cat meat.

Dog meat first appeared in the Chinese diet as early as the third century B.C. It ha long been believed to provide warmth to those who eat it, and the warming property makes it especially popular in winter stews in the cold northeastern region of China.

Cat meat has also long been a part of Chinese cuisine, but the practice of eating feline meat is not as widespread. It is primarily consumed by those living in the southern Guangdong province. It is not as popular as dog meat because of an old superstition that the cat will come back at night to retaliate.

Burger King is gearing up to open a new "Whopper Bar" in the South Beach area of Miami, where both hamburgers and beer will be served up. The Whopper Bar will open in mid-February, and according to BK North American president Chuck Fallon, more could soon be coming to big city hot spots in locations like New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.

Beer at the Whopper Bar will be served in aluminum bottles to keep them cold, and will be priced at $4.25. A Whopper combo with beer will be priced at $7.99, which is a mere $2 more than the same combo meal with a traditional fountain drink.

The beer products sold will be from Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors.

One Whopper Bar location is already open in Universal City in Orlando, Fla., however that location does not serve beer. Some international BKs do serve beer, but the South Beach location will be the first in the U.S. to serve beer. As of now, there are no plans on the table to sell beer at conventional Burger King locations.

The Whopper Bar concept is a more trendy twist on the fast-food burger. Available at the Whopper Bar are the Whopper, Double Whopper and Steakhouse XT. Employees known as Whopper-istas build the burgers, and there are 22 different toppings to choose from to put on your sandwich.