Nightcap (drink) Nightcap (drink) A nightcap is a drink taken shortly before bedtime. For example, a small alcoholic drink or glass of warm milk can supposedly promote a good night's sleep. Traditional nightcaps include brandy, bourbon, and cream-based liqueurs such as Irish cream. Wine and beer can also function as nightcaps. In folk medicine, consuming a nightcap is for the purpose of inducing sleep. Alcohol is not recommended by many doctors as a sleep aid because it may interfere with sleep quality. But, in low doses, alcohol has sleep-promoting benefits, and some popular sleep medicines include 10% alcohol, although the effects of
The Barley Mow The Barley Mow The Barley Mow (Roud 944) is a cumulative song celebrated in the traditions of the folk music of Ireland, England, and Scotland. William Chappell transcribed the lyrics in his two-volume work "The Ballad Literature and Popular Music of the Olden Time" (1855). "The Barley Mow" has become a drinking song sung while comrades empty their glasses. In one "Barley Mow" drinking game, any participant who fails to sing the song's (progressively expanding) refrain in a single breath must drink. In another, participants drink just after singing the second line in each verse ("Good luck to the barley