As promised, if you ask, I, Nightshift Ben, will answer.

James from Portland, Oregon, writes with a question:

Why do they put worms at the bottom of a bottle of tequila (as if tequila wasn't nasty enough by itself)?

Well James, it's good to hear from you, and also to know that the youth of today have such inquisitive minds. I think I can answer this one with the minimum amount of research.

A quick throw to Jeeves, and indeed, he guides me to The Straight Dope, which provides this answer:

Okay, first things first: If you are buying tequila with worms in it, it's a fake. Take it back and demand a refund. The worms are only found in a particular type of mezcal, and while tequila is a type of mezcal, it's not the type with the worm in it. The kind with the worm is known as "mezcal con gusano." The worm itself, Hipopta agavis, lives in the stems of agave plants (the plant from which mezcal is made) and is a bright coral color. They are apparently fairly difficult to find, so some mezcal makers are replacing the true worm with a fake--the Atrovirens, a white worm which lives in the leaves of the agave plant. They are different in flavor, smell, and color, and the original is considered superior. You can easily tell the difference by color (and who knows, maybe by the taste). While the coral colored worms will become paler the longer they sit, they won't ever become completely washed out. The worm was originally put into mezcal as proof of alcohol content, but apparently it also alters the taste of the liquor, as well as the color and smell.

As for why it's "cool" to eat the worm, well, it used to be considered an aphrodisiac that blessed warriors with strength and virility. These days, it's pretty much just for the kick. The alcohol kick, I mean, not the kick your friends get out of seeing you suck down a dead worm.

La Universidad de Tequila seems to corroborate this, as well as providing many more facts about tequila and cocktail recipes that use the stuff.

My own opinion of the worm thing is that it's a test to see how trolleyed drinkers are. If they go for the worm, they must be pretty far gone.

But just to recap - if it's labelled tequila and has a worm in it, it's not kosher. If it's labelled mezcal and contains a worm, on the other hand, it's good stuff.

Not that tequila's not good, and I'm not unacquainted with the tipple myself, having had to deal with the aftermath on more than one occasion. I happen to know that Ben has a real penchant for a good margarita, and could tell you a story about Ben's first experience with tequila at university (his shoes needed cleaning, that all I'll say), as well as a glorious night during the 98 World Cup when England beat Colombia and Ben, Dunc and Caroline celebrated every goal with a shot.

Happy days.

But my time grows short, for the day boys will be back in charge tomorrow. Any more for any more?