Henry Chinaski - Bukowskis alter ego - er et faktotum, en altmuligmand eller løsarbejder, som tager de småjobs, han falder over, og som ikke skaber problemer for hans helt store lidenskaber - kvinder, druk, gambling og skrivning. På en nedslidt bar sidder Henry og drikker. Varebilen står udenfor med døren åben. Bilen er fyldt med is, som skulle have været leveret et andet sted for længst. Henry bliver fyret for gud ved hvilken gang og tjekker ind på et billigt hotel. Her åbner han en flaske, sætter sig ned og skriver - romaner, essays, poesi. Han er forbavsende produktiv og sender manusser ind til diverse litteraturmagasiner og forlag i en lind strøm – men bliver afvist gang på gang. Henry har mange kvinder, men der er noget specielt ved kvinden Jan. De deler den samme begejstring for rusen og bliver stærkt tiltrukket af hinanden. Rundt i Henry og Jans turbulente liv på skyggesiden af det amerikanske samfund cirkler utallige alkoholikere, ludere og småspillere.
A group of hobos begin melting into multicolored piles of goo after drinking sixty-year-old liquor. At the same time, the psychotic Vietnam War vet who rules the hobo camp snaps and begins killing at random. Two brothers set out to stop the liquor and the killer.
A blonde seduces a quirky liquor-store worker as inspiration for her artist boyfriend.
The Stooges are running the local drugstore and mix up a potion that a desperate businessman decides to sell as scotch. The Stooges impersonate Scotsmen at a party to fool the prospective buyer. Their usual antics disrupt the party, ending when a barrel of their "scotch" explodes and floods the whole house.
An American journalist, a British sake brewer and the president of a centenary Japanese sake brewery join together to explore the mysterious world of sake, a generic name for Japanese rice wine, actually a sort of liquor. These unique individuals, fascinated by this extraordinary beverage, investigate the spectacular world that has grown around it thorough ages.
Sake is a traditional alcoholic beverage from Japan and is otherwise known as rice wine. Women were prohibited from entering the many large and small sake breweries dotting Japan for centuries. However, times have changed and women are present on the sake scene today. In several cases, they are integral to the Japanese brewery business. The documentary depicts women who are not only enthusiasts, but also leaving their marks on the evolution of this Japanese mainstay.