Don't Like My Vodka? You're Fired!

The Donald is making the vodka. Yes, you heard right, even though we never thought we'd see the day where Mr. Trump would stoop to shamelessly attaching his name to a consumer product willy nilly, but apparently that day has come. Prepare your pedestrian taste buds for Trump: The World's Finest Super Premium Vodka...at least he's not letting it go to his head.

Trump isn't the first celebrity to dabble in high-end spirits - we've already covered Willie Nelson's whiskey and Ed McMahon's vodka - and we're sure he won't be the last. And hell, who says it isn't time for more celebrities to throw their weight around for the booze industry? We've already seen that chick from Sex and the City shilling for low calorie rum, and Billy Dee Williams was the MAN when he used to sell Colt 45.

Learn more about The Donald's vodka plans at the Globe and Mail.

Liquor Snob Intern Shirts...Finally!

You asked, and we listened. Just in time for the holidays, we bring you the Liquor Snob Intern t-shirt. The best of all worlds...you can wear the flashy t-shirt and be the envy of your friends, without having to take all the abuse we heap on our real staff. The shirt, available at Cafe Press, is made of white cotton and comes in all sizes from Kids' Small to 4X-Large for only $14.99.

We picked the shirt we did because it's affordable for when you buy them as gifts for everyone you know, but this isn't some cheap shirt that's going to fall apart the first time you wash it. According to the Cafe Press site, this is the most comfortable t-shirt ever - "Our 100% cotton, Hanes Authentic Tagless T-Shirt is preshrunk, durable and guaranteed." That's right, it's tagless so you won't have that itchy little bugger tickling your neck when you tip your head back to take a drink. How's that for foresight?

We've set up a whole Liquor Snob store over at Cafe Press, so you can trust the quality of the goods and the guarantee of good service. Currently, the only products in there are the Intern shirt and a very cool Liquor Snob hoodie are in there (the hoodie runs for $27.99 and is great for keeping warm when you "fall asleep" on the way home from the bars...and we should know). We'll add more products as time passes and inspiration strikes, but we wanted to at least get the store started before the holidays.

All we can say is if you buy Liquor Snob gear for yourself and all your friends this year, you're guaranteed to be the best-dressed drunks in your town.*

Update - December 8 is the deadline for the cheapest shipping option...make sure to order before then if you want to save on shipping.

* - If you want confirmation, just send us a picture of you and your friends in your shirts...if yours is chosen we'll post it and tell the whole Internet how handsome you are.

Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey Review

Georgia Moon
Vital Stats: 100 proof corn whiskey
Typical Price: Less than $15 for 750ml - Buy it at Internet Wines & Spirits
Slogan: Less than 30 days old

Initial Thoughts: We made some bold claims about whiskey alternatives this week, but we're not afraid to come right out and say that for a brief moment, we were afraid we weren't tough enough to drink Georgia Moon whiskey. "Bottled" in a Mason jar, this stuff is supposed to be reminiscent of moonshine (AKA corn likker, AKA white lightning, AKA white dog, AKA liver varnish), and it does a good job. Other snobs who expect their whiskey to be aged might have turned up their nose upon seeing the "less than 30 days old label" - we were excited to try some fresh whiskey.

Georgia Moon is clear, and upon twisting off the cap we were hit with the potent tang of sour liquor, followed by the smell of sweet corn. We took our first belts directly out of the Mason jar, as nature intended, and found that the taste was a bit sour too, especially in comparison with the sweetness of bourbon and other American whiskeys. It wasn't unpleasant, however, and we found ourselves swishing it around in our mouths and marveling at the straightforward and simple taste once we got used to it. For a crew used to searching for complexity in our booze, the simplicity of Georgia Moon was, well, intoxicating. That and the fiery 100 proof trail it blazed down our gullets, of course.

Cocktail Recipes: We actually didn't mix any recipes with Georgia Moon. We just joked about putting on some overalls, slugged it out of the jar and reminisced about that old Bugs Bunny cartoon with the feuding hillbillies. When we searched the InterWeb to find drink recipes, we couldn't find any, but we did learn that the episode we were thinking of was called Hillbilly Hare.

Finishing Thoughts: Corn whiskey isn't something we'd normally think of when browsing in the liquor store, but it's definitely a unique drink. We're glad we tried it, and while it might not go into our regular rotation, for the price it's worth it to have the jar around as a conversation piece alone. We recommend Georgia Moon for late nights when your still is broken, romantic evenings with your shotgun bride and those not-so-rare evenings when you feel like drinking out of a wide-mouthed jar.

Georgia Moon is part of the corn whiskey family distributed by Heaven Hill - the other labels include Mellow Corn, Dixie Dew and J.W. Corn. Learn more about Heaven Hill's "Other Whiskeys" at their website.

Kegbot v2.0 Integrates Technology, Beer

Remember Kegbot, the Linux-enabled kegerator we told you about back in September? Looks like it's finally starting to hit the big time, because we saw write-ups all over the Web this week. Guess people are starting to see what we've known all along - there's always room for a robotic kegerator. It does seem to be a sticking point for some that if Kegbot decides you've had too much to drink, it will shut you off, but that reeks of an optional feature.

Here's the write-up from Popular Science:

Since the first brew fan installed a tap on the spare fridge and stuffed a keg inside, one question has been paramount: "Who's been drinking all the beer?"

Mike Wakerly's keg fridge will tell you. It'll also estimate the drinker's blood alcohol level and post it to a Web page; log his consumption for the night, week or month (and cut him off if you like); and keep track of his tab. The Kegbot can even send you a text message when the beer supply runs low.

Wakerly, a software engineer, got the idea during a spell of unemployment just before grad school. He built a microcontroller that directs a valve and a flow meter, and spliced both into the tap line of an everyday keg fridge. Then he wrote custom software for an attached Linux computer that can look up drinkers in a database and post their pour total to the Web.

Bitchin'. Oh, and for the record we're pretty sure this is the same Kegbot we reported on before, but "version 2.0" just sounded cool. Plus, they've enabled two new 'bots since we first reported...a cheap, mass-produced commercial version can't be far behind, right?

See the full write-up from PopSci, and check out the kegbot site.

Bong Vodka Release Parties This Weekend

Remember way back when, we told you about Bong Vodka and the fact that there were going to be some release parties in December to celebrate its arrival in the States? Well, December is almost here, and said parties are underway in Miami this weekend.

If you're going to be in the Miami area, take time out of your hectic schedule of retracing the footsteps of the Golden Girls to check it out. What could be better? Vodka in a bong, Red Bull, and according to the flyer (the image to the right), Bong Vodka girls chasing Evilgoose.

Wait, what's Evilgoose? Sounds like someone's been hitting the vodka bong a bit too hard maybe. Anyway, looks like Bong Vodka is a hit (wink wink). Here's the party schedule and information we found via Bong Vodka's profile at MySpace:

Thursday, December 1 --Pawn Shop Midnight - Close

Friday, December 2
--Official Launch Party at Mansion

Saturday, December 3
--Bong Pool Party at Al Capone Estate- Bong Red Bull Party

Saturday, December 3
--Design 05 Street Party- Diasporavibe Gallery

You can also check the Bong Vodka MySpace profile for a list of liquor stores where it will be available, become friends with the vodka and more. Plus, go to the Bong Vodka site to sign up for the newsletter and more.

Whiskey Alternatives: Corn, Rye and Wheat

A lot of the time when you hear about whiskey, people are talking about Bourbon or Scotch. There are obviously other popular types, including Canadian and Irish, but these major four types aren't your only options if you're looking for a full whiskey experience. We're huge bourbon fans here at Liquor Snob, but we've rounded up some bottles of corn, rye and wheat whiskey, and we'll be doing reviews soon.

According to the definition we found here, bourbon whiskey is "a distinctive product of the United States made from a fermented mash containing at least 51 percent corn, distilled at no more than 160 proof, aged at no more than 125 proof for at least two years in new charred oak barrels, and bottled at no less than 80 proof." Phew. We didn't know all that...we like it because it's sweet and brown.

Here's the rundown on how the other types differ from bourbon so you'll know what to expect:

Corn Whiskey: A forerunner of bourbon, corn whiskey is usually strong and sour with none of bourbon's sweetness. In fact, this stuff is pretty much a heartbeat away from the White Lightning moonshine you might taste from a backcountry still. Corn whiskey must contain at least 80% corn in the mash; the rest can be made of malted barley or rye. Corn whiskey does not have to be aged like the other varieties, and usually boasts a high alcohol content. Even though it's not as sophisticated as its cousins, any connoisseur should consider corn part of the whiskey education. The brand we will be reviewing is called Georgia Moon. [Update: Read the Georgia Moon review.]

Rye Whiskey: If corn whiskey is the Neanderthal ancestor of debonair modern bourbon, rye is the missing link in the evolutionary scale...Cro Magnon whiskey if you will. Straight rye whiskey must be made from a mash of at least 51% rye, and must be fermented in new charred oak barrels. Offering a sweeter flavor but still sporting a mule kick, rye is often an acquired taste, but one that is well worth acquiring. Our review bottle is Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond 100 proof. [Update: Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond Review.]

Wheat Whiskey: The wheat whiskey we'll be reviewing is called Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey. It's hailed as the only wheat whiskey made since the repeal of Prohibition, and it's made with 51% wheat, plus corn and barley. Otherwise it's crafted to the exact same standards as bourbon, though it's rumored to offer less sweetness when you sip. This is the only alternative whiskey we have yet to try, and we'll get the review up as soon as we can. [Update: Bernheim Wheat Whiskey Review.]

All three of our alternative whiskeys are distributed by Heaven Hill Distilleries. To learn more about these and other whiskeys, go to the Other Whiskeys page.

Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum Review

Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum
80 proof blended golden rum
Typical Price: Less than $20 for 750ml - Buy it at Internet Wines & Spirits

Initial Thoughts: We like rum. In fact, there was a time when we would drink it quite often, mixed with ginger ale or orange juice. That was back before the Screech Rum debacle of '05, however, and it's taken us a few weeks to get our rum legs back under us. In Appleton Estate V/X, we've found a drink that can soothe the hurts and make things right.

Appleton Estate V/X consists of various types of rums aged between five and ten years, which are blended together in oak vats and allowed to age for a few months. The result is a spirit somewhere between white and dark rum, which smells like molasses and brown sugar, with even a hint of maple. When you taste it, it's not too sweet, however, and the sweetness is balanced out by citrusy, nutty flavors. The rum has a creamy, mellow finish that is dry on the tongue and resilient enough to last until your next sip without being overwhelming.

Cocktail Recipes: We tried a few recipes suggested by the Appleton Estate website, and two of our favorites are included below:

Elusive Redhead
1 ½ oz. Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum
3 oz. Bloody Mary Mix
Season to taste with horseradish, Tabasco, pepper, salt, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice. Rim highball glass in sea salt and/or pepper. Garnish with celery stick, olives, tomolives. [Note: We're not sure what tomolives are; we just stuck to olives.]

Jamaican Ecstasy
1 ½ oz. Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum
2 ½ oz. Cranberry Juice
3 ½ oz. Orange Juice
In a highball glass, pour rum and cranberry juice over ice. Slowly add orange juice and garnish with an orange wedge.

Finishing Thoughts: Appleton Estate V/X is unique and tasty rum, and a good way to dip a toe into the aged rum category without breaking the bank. It would make a great base for your typical tropical drinks without being too strong or too sweet, and we liked it on the rocks as well. One of our reviewers described it as tasting good without being "too rummy," and that just about sums it up for us.

We recommend drinking Appleton Estate V/X on a beach somewhere; if that's not possible, crank up the heat in your house, sprinkle sand in your living room and crack open a bottle to emulate the experience.

Learn more about Appleton Estate V/X and the other rums in the Appleton family at the Appleton Rum US website.

He'brew: The Chosen Beer

We're not religious folks here at Liquor Snob, but for us, drinking has always been a spiritual experience. In fact, there has been more than one night where we've spoken in tongues and seen mystical visions right here in our offices after we prayed at the altar of beer. Some may call beer a false idol, but that's why we were excited to learn about He'brew: The Chosen Beer from Schmaltz Brewing. It's just the combination of hops and holiness we need.

Not only do we like the fact that they're invoking a higher power with their beer, but think of the marketing potential...while most beer companies have to rely on boobies to sell their brews, He'brew can tap the Big Bubelah Himself, God, to be their omniscient spokes-being.

The beer currently comes in two main varieties, Genesis Ale and Messiah Bold, and the company just released a new beer to celebrate their ninth year in business. Enter Jewbelation 5766, a brew that contains nine different kinds of malt and nine types of hops.

Apparently the number nine has some pretty huge connotations in the Jewish faith, and we can see why. According to the Schmaltz site, here are just a few reasons why nine is so important:

• On Rosh Hashanah, nine blasts of the shofar howl our annual psychic wake-up call.

• At Chanukah, only the ninth candle can ignite the miraculous eight.

• Nine months of pregnancy incubate from conception to culmination.

• Danielle Steele has nine children and releases a book every nine months.

• Born Chaim Witz in Israel, Gene Simmons of KISS moved to Brooklyn at age nine.

Like we need any more convincing...you had us at Danielle Steele. Learn more about He'brew at Schmaltz.com, and learn where you can buy all three He'brew varieties on their distributors page.

Absinthe for the Holidays

Back in October we told you about Ted Breaux, the absinthe man. We had been skeptical about absinthe and its much-rumored psychotropic properties, and the absinthe we tried didn't really do much to change our opinion. Then we heard about Mr. Breaux and his reverse-engineering of the absinthe that was created before it was banned in the 19th century, and we were interested again. Not that we think absinthe will make you trip or anything, but this gentleman was making the same type of absinthe that may have caused van Gogh to cut off his ear, and sent Edgar Allen Poe into the "enchanted spaces of the unreal." Now that's something we'd like to try.

We learned today that the three varieties of absinthe made by Mr. Breaux's company, Jade Liqueurs, will be available for order starting Monday, November 28. Just think about the excited glow in your loved ones' eyes when they unwrap their bottle of the Green Fairy brought to them by Saint Nick. You can buy the three varieties, Jade Verte Suisse 65, Absinthe Edouard 72 and Nouvelle-Orleans from the Vintage Absinthe catalog.

Or if you're looking for something a little extra-special, Jade Liqueurs will be offering special signature pieces for the holidays. They're shrouded in mystery right now but they will be available soon at the Vintage Absinthe online boutique.

Breaking News: Pudding Shot Recipe Found

A couple weeks ago, we did a piece about Jello shots, and we joked that we'd rather get our hands on a pudding shot recipe. After writing that story we learned two things. One, you can actually make pudding shots. And two, our readers are actually looking for pudding shot recipes. No one actually delivered on our recipe, but we got tons of requests to let people know if we found one.

All we can say is keep dreaming big, you wonderful bastards.

And so, without further ado:

Pudding Shots

1 small pkg. INSTANT choc. pudding
3/4 C. milk
1/4 C. Vodka
1/2 C. Irish Cream
8 oz. Extra Creamy Cool Whip

Mix pudding and milk for a couple of minutes with an electric mixer, then add alcohol, mix well. Mix in Cool Whip.

Put into individual serving cups with lids and I furnish plastic spoons. Keep in the freezer.

Find this and other recipe ideas at Razzle Dazzle Recipes.

They posted this as a Valentine's Day thing (nothing more romantic than pudding shots, eh?), but we can see it being good during the holidays too. We haven't made a batch yet but we plan to, mostly because we haven't been able to reconcile in our minds how you actually shoot pudding.

Happy Thanksgiving from Liquor Snob

Our favorite time of year has finally arrived. Welcome to those precious few months where you can stuff yourself with food and drown yourself in drink and no one will even bat an eye. But remember - if you're driving, don't drink, and if you're drinking, don't drive.

Of course, if you're staying put this year, there's still time to turn today into Wild Turkey Day...

Presidential Yak-Milk Pong

Over the last couple months, we've been trying to find out if Bush is drinking again. Thanks to a tip from Brendan, one of our readers in the Great White North that is Vermont, we learned that Wonkette has found proof that the president has indeed fallen off the wagon. The site also offers an interesting theory that he is combining beer pong, one of our favorite pastimes, with fermented yak's milk, which we have yet to try.

The sad thing about Bush resorting to drinking yak's milk isn't that it's yak's milk, it's that it's only 3% alcohol. Look, we've gone all Kitty Dukakis at times as well but if you're going to sink, make it count. Hairspray, paint thinner... as a friend told us, "Dude, I've drank NyQuil when there was nothing else in the house. Actually, it blends pretty well with grapefruit juice." Surprisingly, so does yak's milk.

And look at the picture: Yak's milk pong.

See the full post at Wonkette.

Oh, and a note for our loyal readers - don't expect to see us reviewing yak's milk any time in the near future. There are some lines even we won't cross.

BJ's Beer Pong Table Review

BJ's Beer Pong Tables
Folding portable beer pong table
Prices start at $69; Buy One Now

There's no excuse for how long it has taken us to post this review. Well, actually, there's a great excuse - we were busy playing beer pong. We've had our BJ's portable beer pong table for a couple weeks now, and if you've noticed a drop-off in our posts lately, it's because we've been having trouble tearing ourselves away.

BJ's makes tables in two sizes - "Dorm Room" which starts at $69, and "Classic House Party" which starts at $139. The Dorm Room model is 2'x7', and folds up into a 2'x3.5' briefcase that weighs about 25lbs. The Classic House Party is considerably beefier, starting out as a 1.5'x4' briefcase that weighs 45lbs, and folding out into a 3'x8' table. Both tables feature a cool, glossy finish, and they have raised foam-rubber skid plates to keep your cups from sliding around.

The thing we really liked about this table, however, was the customization option. You can replace the BJ's logo in the center of the table with whatever image you want. It obviously costs more for a customized table, but we figure it's short money for the chance to have yourself immortalized on your very own beer pong table. If your picture is on your beer pong table, people are going to know whose it is, and they'll give you the respect you deserve (and maybe give you a phone number? We haven't tested that yet). Or, if you're on a team and you put your team's logo right on the table, you'll put the fear of Jeebus into your competitors.

Learn more about BJ's beer pong tables, and pick up a stock or customized table of your own, at BJsBeerPong.com.

Envious Ounce Glowing Shot Glass Review

Envious Ounce
Battery-operated glowing shot glass
Typical Price: $9.99 each (or $7.99 each for 4 or more) plus $5 for shipping. Buy Now

You'd be surprised by the number of situations where a glowing shot glass might come in handy. Finding your glass after you've had a couple too many, gaining the element of surprise in a drinking game, escaping a mine cave-in...the list is endless. We've seen a few glowing shot glasses around, and may of them seem to be cheap plastic jobs with lighting mechanisms that are shady at best. Not so the Envious Ounce, a glowing shot glass we covered a couple weeks ago.

The Envious Ounce is made of frosted glass, with a little electronic doo-hickey attached to the bottom. It looks just like a regular shot glass until you whack it on a table (not so hard, Hercules). A nice, firm thwack of your Envious Ounce (not as dirty as it sounds) causes the glass to glow with a warm red light, opening up all sorts of possibilities. One thing they suggest on the Envious Ounce site is to use it to change up the game of quarters, and we can definitely see the posibilities in that, if everyone tries to get their quarter in before the lights go out. And don't forget about other possibilities, like convincing primitive cultures you're a god.

For $10 (or $8 each if you order four or more), you can get your hands on an Envious Ounce. It might seem a bit spendy, but money is no object on the path to illumination. We've enjoyed ours immensely, mostly as a way to torture the interns. We hide behind the couch, thwack our Envious Ounce and try to convince them we're the ghost of drinks past. They're not really buying it, but oh, the good times we have.

Learn more about the Envious Ounce and get your own at Envious.com.

Win a Free "Malt Whisky" Shirt from The Scotch Blog

Be the sharpest-dressed kid on your block with new t-shirts from the Scotch Blog. Not only are these shirts 100% cotton and functionally fashionable, they also say "Malt Whisky" across the chest in a font reminiscent of the one used by a certain Magical Kingdom reigned over by a six-foot-tall mouse who will remain nameless. The shirts come in sizes L and XL, and retail for $12.95. There's a limited supply, so put in your order now.

Also, the fine folks at The Scotch Blog are also giving you a chance to win a Malt Whisky shirt for free, and don't worry...if you buy one and then win, you'll get your money back (or another shirt). All you have to do is tell them why you deserve a free shirt...sounds simple enough to us.

The winner, selected by a panel of judges of my selection will soon be stylin' in one of these high quality 100% cotton class acts.

I'm partial to humor, but originality goes a long way with me, as I'm sure it will with the judges.

Don't let the contest stop you from ordering:
1. If you order your shirt now and end up winning, I'll either paypal you your money back, or you get a second shirt free - your choice.
2. What a great christmas gift! Nobody wants one of those disgusting petrified fruit cake things.
3. Really, do you think you are creative enough to win? Why chance it?

Entries are due by Monday December 12th.

Check out the full contest post, The Happiest Drink on Earth, at the Scotch Blog and buy your shirt at Doceon Press.

Make Thanksgiving Wild Turkey Day

Aaah, Thanksgiving - the beginning of the holiday season. A time to be with the people you love and give thanks for everything you have. Like long airport lines, snarled highway traffic, relatives you only see once a year...for good reason. And don't forget those long, awkward silences when you tell people you've been spending all your time writing about liquor on the Internet. Oh, wait. Maybe that's just us.

But no matter what reason you have to drink this Thanksgiving, at least there's no question what should be in your glass. That's right, the only bourbon we know of with a holiday named after it...Wild Turkey. We recommend the 101 proof stuff to help you through the stickier situations, but use your own judgment.

Liquor Snob Wild Turkey Tips for Thanksgiving

• Take a few nips before you get to the table. You'd be surprised how many places you can find in your parents' house to sneak a drink. Hell, your mom's been doing it for years.

• Wild Turkey is a gentleman's drink. Don't forget to share with grandma. Alternately, you can share with any "available" friends your siblings may have brought home for the holiday (21 and older only, please). In a pinch, attractive cousins at least twice-removed are acceptable - they're called "kissing cousins" for a reason.

• Bring your bottle to the table. There's no reason to interrupt your Turkey consumption while people are stuffing themselves with bird. If your family doesn't approve, put it in a gravy boat and tell everyone it's vegetarian dipping sauce...it'll be all yours.
  
  
• Swish the bourbon in your mouth during and between bites. This is a way to try to rehydrate the dry, overcooked turkey, if necessary. It will most likely be necessary.

• Don't forget dessert! The Wild Turkey website says the taste of their bourbon "...is an American classic with caramel and vanilla and notes of honey and oranges. The finish is very long, rich and full-bodied, powerful, yet soothing." If Wild Turkey's not a perfect after-Thanksgiving-dinner drink, we don't know what is.

• Try to pass out right after dinner. This works well with the 101 proof variety. If you play your cards right, you'll be off in tryptophan and bourbon-induced slumber behind a potted plant well before your uncles start unbuttoning their pants to make room for seconds.

For more tips on how to enjoy Wild Turkey, go to WildTurkeyBourbon.com.

Tequila Festival Ejects JB Wagoners

This weekend, we told you about JB Wagoner and his quest to develop and distribute an American-made tequila. We also told you that that Mr. Wagoner's Ultra Premium 100% Blue Agave Spirits were barred from a tequila festival that was running right in his own back yard.

Not one to be excluded and take it sitting down, Mr. Wagoner put on a festival and tasting of his own in an adjacent Sheraton, and then decided to invite some people from the tequila festival over to make a comparison. Enter the JBW Girlz.

In spite of being officially banned, Skyrocket Distillers decided to send in some of "America's Finest" (aka The JBW Girlz) to attend the show wearing tanktops emblazoned with the "JB Wagoner's Ultra Premium" logo and a fist-full of free raffle tickets. The tickets were for a raffle to be held after the show at the adjacent Sherton Fairplex Hotel bar and were freely given to anyone who asked for one.

The Bottle The Girlz had toured the show for a few hours when, in a panic, the show's producers decided to put an end to the friendly participation by ejecting the ladies from the event by accussing them of solicitation. Once JB got word of what happened, he brought the girls back in to confront the show promoters on their unfair actions. This time, private security along with eight uniformed police officiers escorted Skyrockets' entire crew from the event.

That's what we call tenacity. Get the whole story on the event at JB Wagoners.com.

Assorted Roaring '20s Liquor Arrives

Today is a happy day at the Liquor Snob offices, because our package of Roaring 20s liquor has arrived. Well, it may not be such a happy day for our livers and lungs, but the rest of our bodies are tickled pink. As you might remember, Roaring 20s is the company that brings you Tommy Guns vodka, our favorite premium vodka that comes in a machine gun-shaped bottle.

We went a little bit crazy down here and asked that they send their entire catalog over. Eight varieties of liquor, four types of wine, and for good measure we had them throw in a couple boxes of Speakasy and Bootleggers cigars too. What good's a 20s-themed bender if you're not puffing on cigars and talking in a gangster voice?

Included in the package, for review in the coming weeks:

Wine: Prices range from $5.99-$7.99
Hideaway Merlot, Legs Chardonnay, Swingin' White Zinfandel, Speakeasy Cabernet Sauvignon

Liquor: Prices range from $9.99-$13.99
Rumrunner's Rum, Speakeasy Scotch, Bathtub Gin, Hideaway Brandy, 4 Deuces Tequila, Bootleg Bourbon, Dixieland Vodka, Prohibition Whiskey

Cigars:
Speakeasy premium Dominican cigars in four varieties - Untouchables, Gangsters, Godfathers and Classics
Bootlegger "Sweet Hits" and "Sweeties" hand-rolled cigarillos in four flavors - Rum, Vanilla, Natural and Amaretto

We don't know much about cigars, so we might need some help reviewing those. But we'll get to work on the wine and liquor and let you know more as we go. On a side note, our livers just wrote a letter to the governor asking him to reinstate prohibition.

Learn about Roaring 20s liquors at TommyGunsVodka.com, and find out more about Speakeasy and Bootlegger cigars at Al-Capone.com.

American Tequila Maker in Mexican Standoff

What would you do if you had a whole mess of blue agave, the plant used to make high-quality tequila, growing on your property? If you're JB Wagoner, you'd distill it and turn it into "Temequila," a premium spirit with a name that's a take-off of the word tequila and your home town of Temecula. That's just what Mr. Wagoner did, but as soon as he bottled it and prepared to sell it he got in trouble with some powerful people from south of the border.

You see, like Champagne, tequila is a regional name. No matter how good it is, an agave-based spirit made anywhere outside the Jalisco region of Mexico cannot be called tequila. So when Mr. Wagoner tried to market his American-distilled tequila-like adult beverage, the Mexican Tequila Regulatory Council apparently came down on him like a ton of bricks. They expressed concern that Temequila was too close to the word tequila, even though there were those extra, pesky letters in there and the bottle was emblazoned with an American flag.

Even though he has a patent on the name "Temequila," Wagoner is not allowed to sell his liquor under that name. In order to take off some of the heat that was being brought down on him, he changed the name of his drink to JB Wagoner's Ultra Premium 100% Blue Agave Spirits. Even after the change to this slightly-less-memorable name, Wagoner still seems to be having troubles with the tequila lobby. In fact, Wagoner claims that he was barred from a recent tequila festival in southern California.

The Southern California distiller alleged he was barred from participating in the Los Angeles Tequila Festival in Pomona because a Mexican tequila trade group "doesn't want me there," Wagoner said.

"The event is in my own backyard, it's unfair that I can't attend," he said.

Read the full article at NCTimes.com.

If this is the kind of thing that gets you up in arms, learn more about the legal battles and what you can do help out, including writing your congressman, at Temequila.com. Or, if you're more interested in the drink itself, find out where to purchase your own autographed bottle of JB Wagoner's Ultra Premium 100% Blue Agave Spirits at JBWagoners.com.

Whiskey: The Definitive World Guide

Title: Whiskey: The Definitive World Guide
Author: Michael Jackson (not that Michael Jackson)
Hardcover, 336 pages
Typical Price: $40, but currently available at Amazon for $26 - Buy It Now

There's a whole big world of whiskey out there, and it can be overwhelming for the novice or intermediate drinker to choose among the different varieties. Will I like scotch, bourbon, rye, Canadian, or Irish whiskey? And among those, what brand should I buy?

We picked up Michael Jackson's book a couple weeks ago, and we've been flipping through it a lot lately. It's got tons of information on the history of the liquor and information about the different types by region, plus it offers tasting notes on the major brands of each region. As we learned from the Instant Expert's Guide to Single Malt, whiskey is a very subjective experience and one man's favorite drink is another man's toilet water. But it is nice to be armed with some comparisons when you do your own tastings.

From the Amazon product description:

The occasional tippler may be intimidated by all the nuances of fine whiskey; after all, there are just so many variables to consider. What is the local climate and geography of the distillery? What the kind of grain is used, and how is it prepared for fermenting? What is the shape of the still? What kind of oak is used for the cask, and how long is the whiskey aged? Jackson's collection of essays and photographs will teach newbies how to answer all of these questions, but it will gratify the most obsessive enthusiasts as well. Every step of the process gets its own explanation, and there are even essays on food pairings and cocktail recipes. The bulk of the book, however, is taken up by an almost encyclopedic compendium of distilleries from all over the planet, including Germany and Japan. Individually, each section is informative; but taken together, the sheer amount of information may make novices feel overwhelmed. This is not to suggest that Jackson's "definitive world guide" is to be avoided. Rather, like the drink it celebrates, it's best in small doses. So here's what you do: buy a bottle of your favorite scotch, rye or bourbon, and another bottle of one that intrigues you. Read about each distillery, then check out Jackson's brief and informative section "How to Nose and Taste." Then pour two fingers in a highball glass, put on some relaxing music, and enjoy the spirit of the spirit.

This is a nice, big hefty book that will look great on the coffee table of any whiskey enthusiast, and we know we like to take it down and thumb through it before our trips to the liquor store. We thought it was a good deal for less than $30 at Amazon too, and we recommend that any whiskey drinker who wants to know more about the intricacies of the beverage buy a copy(or at least receive it as a gift, hint hint).

Danger Will Robinson...You're Drunk!

Those Koreans are at it again. First, they come out with cool breathalyzer cell phones...now, they've got robot bartenders. Meet the T-Rot, a robot with an unfortunate name and some pretty cool skills behind the bar.

The skin, developed by a team led by Gang Dae-im and Kim Jong-ho from the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, has polyamide film and three-axis sensors that can detect vertical pressure and horizontal sliding. It is capable of recognizing the weight of objects with a less than 10 g margin of error when it holds a 100 g object.

That means it can pick up glasses and accept your tips without applying robot-like crushing force, plus it can apparently carry on a converation. Hope you don't mind chatting about oil viscosity and how robosexy R2D2 is.

via OhGizmo

We did some digging around after reading about T-Rot and found another robotic bartender a bit closer to home, and with a slightly more intuitive name. The RoboBar is made by MotoMan, an Ohio company, and comes tricked out in its own tuxedo. Customers order their drinks from a touch screen, and RoboBar mixes them up and distributes them. The system can also make batches of drinks for distribution to tables..

via RobotsNext

There's no word on whether either robot bartender can listen to your problems and give you robotic advice, a great feature we've found in flesh-and-blood bartenders. Plus, you can be assured that robotic bartenders aren't going to give you a heavy pour because they like you - although we just found out about a new wireless liquor spout that might keep human bartenders from pouring heavy too. Damn you, digital age. Pardon us while we go out to find some real-live bartenders while we still can.

Vermouth Sprayer Makes Martinis Extra-Dry

Lately, we've become obsessed with the dry martini. As mentioned in our Level vodka review, we historically have liked our martinis the dirtier the better, but as we start to move to nicer gins and vodkas we don't need to mask the taste anymore. We'd been experimenting with ways to get the absolute least amount of vermouth into the shaker, but we hadn't been having much luck. Then, we discovered the Misto Martini Vermouth Sprayer at Amazonand suddenly it was a whole new ball game.

It takes the headache out of mixing a martini - you just pour your vermouth into the sprayer, pump it a few times, and give it a squeeze. With some practice you'll be able to control the dryness of your martinis pretty much down to the vermouth molecule. Plus, since it's a pump instead of an aerosol, there are no propellants to mess up the taste of your perfect martini. Below is the product description from Amazon:

Mixing an elegant, bone-dry martini is a snap with this stylish, non-aerosol vermouth sprayer. Just push the top with a manicured forefinger and mist the inside of a frosted glass or spray the top of your drink. The sprayer's glass vial holds 1 ounce of vermouth and refills easily with a tiny funnel (included). At just 3-1/2 inches high and less than 1 inch in diameter, the sprayer tucks into pocket or purse so it can accompany you to a cocktail lounge. There you can dazzle a bartender and get a conversation started by whipping out the satin-silver sprayer and adding your own benediction to icy gin. Sprayer, funnel, and drink recipes come in an elegant, charcoal-colored gift box.

What more do we have to say? Pick up your own Misto Martini Vermouth Sprayerat Amazon, or buy one for a friend, for less than $15.

Best of the Blogpire

We've been sifting around all of the sites for simply the best we could find. With the holiday week coming up here in the US, we're pretty sure you'll need some ideas not just for conversation but also for the gift giving season. Check out some of these other sites and amaze your relatives with a vast array of coffee knowledge, gps insight, cooking grace, wine snobbery, and of course TV chit chat.

GPS Lodge.com: Fine Drive announces the Finedrive 400 and Finedrive 500 - "Hey Fool" you need Mr. T on your GPS - Route 66 Announces the Mobile 7 GPS Package for Mobile Phones - Garmin Fishfinder 340C, 160C, 140 and the 90; Announced

Single Serve Coffee.com: simplehuman Single Cup Pod Brewer $129.99 at Amazon.com - Review: Senseo Forbidden Fruit Raving Reds Coffee Pods - Review: Green Mountain Fair Trade Gingerbread K-Cups from Single Serve Coffee.com - New Melitta One:One Microwaveable Coffee Pod Mug Brewer - New Mr. Coffee® Home Café Single Serve Coffee Maker

Just The Chips.com: The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar, The World's Greatest Poker Player - World Poker Tour TV Handheld - XBOX World Championship Poker 2

Kitchen Contraptions.com: Modular Kitchens from Henrybuilt - Panik-Design Oven Gloves - Smell-Away Electric Griller - Thermal Brew Coffee Maker - Digital Dinner Plates

Shaving Stuff.comWhat Would I Look Like If I Shaved My Head? - 20% Off at Sephora - No Minimum - The Conair Chrome Hot Lather Machine - High-End Handles from The Art of Shaving - Get to Know Your T-Zone

TV Snob.com: What's Next? CSI: Las Cruces - Nielsen Media Research Top 10- Broadcast Primetime- Week of Nov. 7-Nov. 13, 2005 - "My Name is Earl" Lives! - I'll Take that Plasma TV on the Wall and a Side of Fries - I Paid My Freakin' Cable Bill, Leave Me the #%^Alone!

Shirt Snob.com: Tokyo Pop Embroidered Shirt by 3J Workshop - The Short Sleeve Belted Sweater - The Beaded Butterfly Top by LaROK - Cap Sleeve Sun Top by Lotta Stensson

Liquor Snob.com: Shotgun Party Beer Opener 2.0 Review - Reason #312 to Drink Liquor Straight - Jello Shots Today...Pudding Shots Tomorrow - Reyka Vodka: Tastes Like Iceland - Not To Sound Like Your Mom...