Summer is a great time to emphasize the importance of hydration. So when the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) re-launched its Hydration Calculator, I took a look to see what this water intake tracking was all about.

The Hydration Calculator helps individuals meet their hydration goals based on information from expert resources and the most current findings of the National Academy of Sciences (Feb. 2004). IBWA’s Hydration Calculator provides helpful suggestions about an individual’s total fluid intake derived from both beverages and food, and other information about water’s role in refreshment, health and hydration.

The amount of water you need to be adequately hydrated varies depending on temperature, your weight, level and duration of exercise a day, and other factors. While the calculator recommends water intake guidelines tailored to the individual’s need, it is still only an estimate. You also will receive a schedule of the best times of day to fulfill your hydration requirements.

So for a person around my weight who participates in at least 30 minutes of moderate exercising a day, the Hydration Calculator recommends he or she intake 91.5 ounces of water, with the best times to drink water before breakfast, mid-morning, before lunch, mid-afternoon, before dinner and mid-evening. Increase that to 60 minutes of high intensity exercise and the intake goes up to 118.5-ounces and drinking water when you wake up, too. That’s about 7 16.9-ounce bottles of water if you do the math.

 IBWA’s site also says people who plan on spending considerable time outside in warm weather should prepare by drinking one to two extra 8-ounce servings of water.

Check it out at bottledwater.org/ public/hydratio_main.htm.

In honor of the ‘80s, and its 20th anniversary, Modesto, Calif.-based Bartles & Jaymes commissioned a national survey to determine how America’s favorite brands and trends have evolved during the past 20 years. The Bartels & Jaymes cooler was recognized for pioneering the wine cooler category in the mid 1980s, according to 58 percent of the respondents. Fifty-one percent surveyed reported that they feel Bartles & Jaymes has withstood the test of time, and 59 percent said they fondly remember the classic “Thank You For Your Support” commercials. Bartles & Jaymes is commemorating its 20th anniversary by releasing limited-edition bottles, reminiscent of those introduced in 1985, for the summer.

Southern Comfort will host its third annual Tales of the Cocktail, a three-day event celebrating dining, drinking and the history of the cocktail, Aug. 18 -20, at several locations in the New Orleans French Quarter. Tales of the Cocktail will welcome best-selling authors of pop culture, cocktails and cuisine literature to entertain locals and tourists at a mixture of events, including book signings, lectures, mixing demonstrations, happy hours and multiple-course dinners at some of New Orleans most famous bars and restaurants.

San Diego-based Baja Bob’s was invited to participate in Silver Spoon Hollywood Buffet in celebration of the MTV Movie Awards. Baja Bob’s cocktail mixes were part of the two-day pampering Hawaiian event that catered to celebrities and trendsetters in an indulgent buffet-like setting at a private estate.

Bacardi’s Grey Goose Vodka is giving team racing a boost with its title sponsorship of this September’s 2005 International Sailing Federation Team Racing World Championship, which will be hosted by the New York Yacht Club from its Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport, R.I. The 2005 event will be sailed in small, high-performance planning dinghies with more than 400 races expected to be held before the teams move into the finals on Oct. 1.

Denver’s Flying Dog Brewer paid official tribute to the late Hunter S. Thompson with its Gonzo Imperial Porter. The product’s packaging features tribute illustrations from Thompson’s friend and artist, Ralph Steadman. Steadman also will sign the first 100 bottles of a special batch that will only be available from Flying Dog’s tasting room.

Coca-Cola North America’s Coca-Cola Zero sponsored the 8th annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on June 5 in San Diego. Powerade sports drinks were offered along the route for more than 20,000 runners and Dasani water at the finish line. Spectators of the marathon were among the first people in America to taste Coca-Cola Zero, which hit store shelves this month.