"I'll have a venti mochachino, a tall chai latte, and a glass of Merlot." Could this be your Starbucks order in the near future?

It's true: Starbucks is toying with the idea of adding alcohol to its menu of coffee- and tea-driven drinks. It's opening a store in Seattle next week, called "15th Ave. Coffee and Tea Inspired by Starbucks" (yowza -- could they have picked a longer and less catchy name?), that will serve beer and wine. It's apparently designed to look different from other Starbucks, and the company is planning to open a couple more in the Seattle area.

Interesting experiment. I'm curious to see what the new stores will look like, because I wouldn't want to go to a regular Starbucks to get my drink on -- the coffeehouse environment isn't really what I'm looking for when I go out for happy hour. But if the new place has a cool atmosphere and serves some local beers and wines... who knows?

Would you meet a friend for a drink at Starbucks?

--Maggie

Ah, the lazy days of summer...drinking ice-cold beers as you lounge on a hot, sunny beach. Sipping a chilled glass of white wine on your outdoor deck as you watch the sun set. These idyllic moments could soon cost you a lot more money, as Congress is pushing for hefty taxes on beer, wine and hard liquor. The tax on a six-pack of beer would rise by 145 percent, and the wine tax would rise a whopping 233 percent per bottle. Even non-drinkers would take a hit, as a tax on sodas and sugary drinks is being considered as well.

Where's all this money going, you wonder? It's to pay for the rising costs of health care, especially for those who are uninsured. The idea is to tax items that potentially contribute to health-related problems like obesity and liver disease. One question, though -- what about red wine? It's been said that in moderation, it's beneficial to your health, possibly lowering blood pressure, aiding in heart disease prevention and helping ward off Alzheimer's disease. So I say --  if you're going to tax alcohol and soda because they're bad for you, leave red wine alone! Give us at least one thing to drink this summer.

photo: j. grill/getty images