We just got a hot tip about some cool-looking neoprene bottle totes, and while our first thought was to send it on over to our sister site Cheap Fun Wines, we decided not to. Why, you ask? Well, first we realized that if these totes will hold a wine bottle they'll hold most liquor bottles (grenade-shaped liqueuer and tequila bottles notwithstanding). And second - let those winos find their own stories.
The three bottle model (pictured) will run you $29.99 at Built NY, and they offer single, double and other totes as well. Just imagine toting around three well-chilled bottles of vodka straight from the freezer - we can, and we have a feeling we're going to get into some trouble.
The virtues of BYOB need no elaboration, but the perils do: cold liquids heating up, or, worse, bottles sweating through a paper sack and shattering on the concrete as smug onlookers jeer. To avoid these and other apocalypses, check out Built NY's line of wine bottle totes.
Built's totes are especially useful this summer when no AC means an agonizing, 3rd World death. Made from neoprene (the same stuff as wetsuits), they keep chilled liquids chilled, and, thanks to the miracle of handles, are easy to carry.
via Thrillist - by the by, we just checked out Thrillist; they send out a daily email of dude-related stuff including "gadgets, gear, bars and restaurants." Bars, eh? We're joining up right now.
We're hearing more and more about cachaca, and while we've only tried a few kinds we're kind of digging it. First of all, you get to make caipirinhas, which much like Capoeira, totally kick ass. Second of all...well, there really doesn't need to be a second of all because of the whole caipirinha thing. We'll be reviewing Mae de Ouro cachaca this week and we just stumbled across a press release for another kind we'd never heard of...Cabana Cachaca.
They're touting the whole double-distilled thing to move their cachaca out of its historical realm of peasant drink, and it sounds pretty interesting. Each cachaca we've tried has been very different even though they're all made from pressed sugarcane, and we've found recipes where it can stand in for vodka, rum or even tequila if you get sick of caipirinhas, which we don't foresee. This stuff's a little more spendy than we typically see at $35 for 750ml (we're usually seeing more like $20-$25 for a liter), so it'll be interesting to see what you get for the bucks.
So we keep seeing stories about this woman who's suing Bacardi over a burn she received when a fellow bar patron lit on fire a stream of 151 Rum being mixed into a drink by a bartender. Now, don't think we're heartless bastards for saying this (though we are), but we think there's something fishy about the whole thing. Yeah, we feel bad she got burned and all but is it really Bacardi's fault? If it happened in 2002 why is the suit just coming around now? And shouldn't the lighter of the rum be sued instead of the producer of the rum? What do you think - does the fact that Bacardi is the number one-selling spirit in the US have something to do with the target on their back?
A bartender, who was not identified in the lawsuit, was pouring shots when a customer lit a menu on fire and placed it in the stream of alcohol. A bottle of Bacardi 151 that was being used to pour the shots turned into a flame thrower and sent flaming rum all over Alleyne, the lawsuit said.
A telephone message left after hours at the office of Robert Dickman, Alleyne's attorney, was not immediately returned.
The lawsuit alleges that Bacardi 151 proof rum "emits a high volume of combustible and explosive vapor" which makes it "unreasonably dangerous" and defective.
via Chron.com - If you're concerned, feel free to contact Bacardi to donate to their legal defense fund.
We've already made it clear that we'll pretty much drink anything, but sometimes when you're mixing drinks it's nice to feel like you're doing something healthy at the same time. While the best option is usually get yourself some fresh fruit and get to squeezing, it can be a total pain in the sassafrass if you're making a lot of drinks. That's when pre-made mixes come in, and while most of them are too sweet for us our compatriots over at Really Natural have uncovered some organic mixers just that might fit the bill when you're looking to drink healthy
From Mod Mix:
what is organic? it's simple - literally! think of organic living as a simpler, healthier, more honest approach to food production that includes no harsh soil chemicals, no synthetic pesticides, and no substances or practices that would harm our environment or our farmers.
instead, our organic fruits and herbs come from clean, well-balanced environments that result in a cleaner, better-balanced planet. last but not least, because they're raised without the interference of artificial substances, organic foods taste better, and they're better for you.
If you're paying attention you might have noticed some changes going on over at our sister site, CheapFunWines. Turns out a couple of our Interns have gone rogue and decided they'd rather do wine reviews of their own than stay under the lash...we mean tutelage...of our esteemed Editor in Chief. We imagine they'll do well because we taught them everything they know, so all we can do is say goood bye and good riddance...we mean good luck.
All kidding aside, these kids know quite a bit about wine, especially finding good cheap stuff. Here's a note from their "Under New Management" post:
We plan to let you know about great wines you might not have heard of for under $20, give you some tasting notes and most of all let you know whether you're getting a good value for your hard-earned bucks. We'd love it if you'd drop us an email at news at cheapfunwines.com, especially if you've got wine suggestions, know of good wineries to visit or even if you want to send us a bottle for review. You keep reading and we'll keep drinking wine. We thank you for your support.
Altius Vodka
Vodka Micro-Distilled from Grain Sugar in Colorado
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Typical Price: About $30 for 750ml Altius Website
For most people the great state of Colorado means one of two things - ski trips and John Denver. We've come to discover there are other high points in the state, and we're not talking about the Rocky Mountains. We got our hands on a bottle of Altius Vodka recently, an export from the Centennial State that aspires to distinguish itself from the vodka pack by using fresh Colorado spring water to try to capture the essence of the state's great outdoor heritage. If you've ever hiked in the Rock Mountains of CO you know what we mean...once you get up high enough the air smells cleaner, everything seems brighter and you get a little buzz of the lack of oxygen in your bloodstream.
But does Altius live up to its Rocky Mountain High aspirations? We believe it does so read on for our full tasting notes and decide for yourself.
Just found this post about swiveling liquor glasses over at The Sporting Life...they seem pretty cool but we have enough trouble with keeping our regular old standup glasses in on piece. Can't imagine how we'd do with a free range glass that looks like a top, especially after a few pops, and even moreso at $45 a glass. Might be a good gift for grandpa, though.
I’m not quite dead from the heat yet, but an improperly served brandy could push me over the edge. Why take the chance when you can grab one of these Swivel Liqueur Glasses that swivel around, swishing the liquid, to let you enjoy the aroma before you gulp it down like a man dying from heat exhaustion. Wait, that’s not right.
Fazenda Mae de Ouro Cachaca
Sugar Cane Liquor Imported from Brazil
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Typical Price: Around $25 for 1L Website
Everybody's talking about mojitos these days, but for our money the caipirinha is the way to go. Maybe it's our anti-trendy inclinations, or maybe it's a backlash against those annoying-ass Bacardi ads. We're not sure what it is but when we want a sugar-based liquor mixed with limes, we reach for the cachaca instead of the rum.
Fazenda Mae de Ouro is the latest on our list of usual suspects. It's made in pot stills using a 400 year old process, it's filtered three times and laid down in white oak barrels for a couple years before it's bottled. Sounds more like the process for making a fine whiskey than whipping up the white lightning we'd been lead to believe was cachaca. But does all that extra time in the creation process make Mae de Ouro worth yours? Read on to find out.
We're taking more of in interest in drink recipes lately as we try to move away from drinking our liquor only straight or on the rocks. We used to think cocktails were for wussies but we're finally starting to come around on them. Turns out, booze doesn't have to make you grimace to be worth drinking. We're getting on the bandwagon...as long as you don't ask us to get on that other wagon.
First, forget traditional drinks such as scotch on the rocks, romantic classics such as the Americana and stuffy drinks based on Dubonnet or Lillet. Even that bastion of the tropical British Empire, the gin and tonic, has fallen from favor, according to masters of the mix.
Instead, this summer's trendy drinks are going lighter and less alcoholic for afternoon gatherings. And in the evening, it's all about endless variations of mojitos, a Cuban drink using rum, cane sugar and mint, and martinis, which aren't your daddy's olive-or-twist anymore.
Remember when we told you about Ley .925, the most expensive tequila we've ever heard of, and we were kind of freaking out because it was slated to sell for $150,000 per bottle? Well, it's been released and by jove, the've sold a bottle. Not only that, they sold it for a cool $225,000 instead of that piddling $150K we were talking about, and according to their website they're trying to get into the Guinness Book for it. So how do we get into that business?
Producer Tequila Ley .925 announced Saturday that it has sold a bottle of Mexico's best-known beverage in a gold and platinum casing for a whopping $225,000.
"This is a really unique bottle of tequila and our client, a U.S.-based collector of fine wines and spirits, will treasure this prize to add to an already impressive collection," said company CEO Fernando Altamirano in a news release. The buyer's name was not disclosed.
Let's face it...it'd be pretty damn cool to be James Bond. Jumping out of planes, wrestling with sharks, sexing up everyone with a heartbeat from Monaco to Antarctica. If you want to take a step in the direction we've dug up a recipe for a James Bond Martini. We can't guarantee the lifestyle but at least your breath will smell like James Bond's when you're sitting on the couch watching America's Top Model.
The James Bond Martini
From Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
Three ounces of Gordon’s Gin
One ounce vodka
Half a measure of Kina Lillet
Pour ingredients over ice. Shake it to chill and for texture.
Serve in a deep champagne goblet.
We had an accidental run-in with some heavy duty margaritas last weekend - seemed like a typical weekend with some minor blackouts and whatnot. We're not prone to bad hangovers here since we spend so many hours in training, but we woke up feeling bad. As in BAD. We're talking headache, nausea, sour stomach, general malaise. We thought we were down for the count but a friend of ours suggested we give Nux Vomica a try.
We weren't sure what it was, but we were ready to try anything. He said it was a homeopathic remedy and shook out 2 little tablets from a bottle that looked like a chapstick and told us to hold them under our tongue. Skeptical to say the least, we tried it. We were amazed to find that we were feeling ship shape in about 20 minutes, and we vowed to always have a tube of the little suckers around.
You'll want to be careful and don't overdo it (the full name does contain the word "strychnine"), but all we can say is you can buy it at Amazon and we're about to. Read on for more information about Nux Vomica as a hangover remedy.
We remember a million times in college when we'd be at a house party waiting in line for a beer and we'd think "Man, there's got to be a quicker way to get the beer out of this damn keg!" Actually, that's a bit of a lie. We'd usually wait in line and try to make eye contact with pretty girls, get Shaq'd and drink away our sorrows. But if we hadn't been so distracted we probably would have been coming up with clever ways to up the line speed.
The gents over at Octopus Tap have beat us to the punch by adding more lines to your tap, so you can have up to four people serving beer at once and minimizing the wait by - quick math here - four fold. Our original Octopus Tap coverage last September was in the dark ages when they only had three lines on there...we look back on those days and just laugh. Just think...four more arms and it'll be a true Octopus...or you could just buy two we suppose. Maybe soon we'll have beer kegs with hundreds or thousands of taps and we'll be beer gods! Or, maybe not - either way you can read on for more info about the Octopus Tap from their press release.
This just in - we found out recently that the word "buzz" has other meanings than that pleasant feeling you get after you take your fourth or fifth drink. Apparently it can also relate to the "buzz" on the street, or what people are saying about something. We learn something every day...too bad it has absolutely nothing to do with the subject of this post.
Anyway, we just heard Bong Vodka, the Dutch booze we yelled at you about last September, is continuing its dedication to elevating art AND buzzes (the good kind) with a program called Spirit of the Brand. It gives artists a chance to get their names and work out there to be seen, and it gives you an opportunity to have your bong-shaped vodka decorated with some damn-cool art. Plus, they're looking for more artists, so if you have some art you think would look great on a bong...err, bottle...or other Bong Vodka paraphernalia this is your chance.
If you're impatient you can check out spiritofthebrand.com for more info, or you can chill out and read on for more details about the program below.
Usually, we just add pictures of semi-naked women to our pages willy nilly with no discernible reason. This time, we have a perfectly good reason. Turns out the lovely lady in the picture on the right (March 2006 Playboy Playmate Monica Leigh) will be appearing at a Playboy Golf event co-sponsored by Xellent Vodka. We've heard good things about Xellent and we always like an excuse for cheesecake so we thought we'd let you know.
If you're in the Chicago area on July 27 we recommend swinging by Level Chicago.
After our recent discovery of Cachaca we became complete caipirinha enthusiasts. In fact, it's possible that our bodies are now 90% lime, sugar and cachaca because hey - who needs water? We've gotten in a full liter bottle of Mae de Ouro Cachaca, so we'll be putting it through the wringer to see how it stands up.
We haven't tried it yet, but here's what the Mae de Ouro site has to say:
Fazenda Mae de Ouro when translated into English literally means "The Mother of Gold Farm". Surrounded by rolling green hills our fields are a sea of tall green sugarcane, irrigated by water from the lake and the gentle tropical rains. As the sun sets over the waters, from a distance the fields look as if they are made of gold, giving us our name.
But we named it our farm not only for the beauty and the golden sunsets but also because we have tremendous respect for Mother Earth and our workers who produce our golden distillation.
Oh, and if you're itching to get your hands on a little bit of caipirinha goodness before we lay the review on you, check out the CSU (Caipirinha State University) site for directions on how to make a caipirinha.
There are a lot of things that can make your beer drinking experience better. One thing that's fairly popular, at least according to what we've seen in truck stops and convenience stores across the nation, is beer cozies. Apparently, they keep your beer cool for longer. All we can say is, what the hell are you doing with your time if you need a little piece of foam rubber around your beer to keep it from getting all room temperature-y?
Anyway, if you really need a beer cozy we recommend trying out some of the ones manufactured by those bored geniuses over at MyScienceProject. They experimented with all sorts of cozies to find out what worked best, from Legos to styrofoam to...Rice Krispy treats? That's what we call paying attention to all the food groups.
Just found a recipe for something called Vodka Red Squares over at Cocktail Times. Yeah, the recipe calls for things like strawberry gelatin instead of Jell-O and frou frou stuff like "lemon peel vodka" and mint and powdered sugar, but let's cut right to the chase. You can dress it up, you can serve it in a cocktail glass instead of a paper cup, but it's still a damned Jell-O shot. God love 'em.
Serve this one to you parents the next time you have them over for dinner and see how long it takes for them to be making out on the pile of coats in your bedroom. On second thought...don't do that. Read on for the recipe while we drink long and hard to get that image out of our heads.
We told you about Altius Vodka a few weeks ago - it's the one that's made right in Colorado. We've heard good things, so we'll plan to get the review done ASAP. To tide you over, check out what some others have said about Altius:
...I wasn't itching to taste the stuff. Snob that I am, I couldn't conceive that any good liquor could come from Colorado Springs.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I sipped it next to both Chopin and Grey Goose and it effortlessly and flat-out whomped 'em. Altius was smoother, more refined and had the character of a truly world-class and established vodka -- and they'd only been making it for a few months.
At least they've got the hometown vote going for them...we'll let you know what we think of it as soon as we can. Oh, and CSIndy - lay off the whole snob thing...that's our gig. Just kidding. Learn more about Altius at AltiusVodka.com.
Every time we mention the weekly physical challenges we post to the site, someone says "Have you posted about Beer Dice yet?" Every time they explain the game to us we've been hesitant to post it because it sounded like some low-rent beirut knockoff, but the more we read about it the more we think it sounds like a great game. We've laid out the rules below, which we modified from the semi-official rules we found over at Pinky McDrinky (whick sounds like a fun game in its own right - read up on it here).
We've come up with what we think is a great physical challenge - we love any drinking game that involves hand-eye coordination. Actually, who are we kidding? We love any drinking game - read on to learn the rules of this one.
We were just saying the other day there weren't enough drinking games based on reality TV shows. We were kind of hoping the one we found would be based on America's Top Model, or maybe Hogan Knows Best, but we'll settle for Survivor. Maybe we should leave it up to the experts over at Critical Gamers but we're thinking of picking up a pack, because how can you go wrong for twelve bucks? >Overview:
Beer Survivor is a drinking game for those who love drinking games. It is not for the faint of heart. You will compete in Challenges that will test your skill in quarters, card games, and flat-out, your ability to drink. Elimination from the game is always a threat. You will have the opportunity to acquire Immunity from any given challenge through the completion of Immunity Challenges. Along the way you will be tested, dared by your fellow competitors to do the outrageous, or to reveal your most private secrets. There's more you will be subjected to, but if we told you now, it wouldn't be a surprise. Becoming the Beer Survivor will not be easy, but then nothing worthwhile ever is. Good luck.via DrinkingStuff
We just had a smack yourself in the forehead moment over here. It's been mind-numbingly, temper-scorchingly hot here in the Northeast, and all we've been doing to combat it is dropping ice cubes in our jockey shorts and complaining intensely. Not our best plan, so how about we whip up a batch of these alcoholic popsicles instead? At least our undies will stay moderately dryer.
Note: The best part of the recipe is where it says you should leave out the tequila if you're making these for kids. Thanks for the tip, guys - for a second there we were going to double the hooch for the tykes. Read on for the recipe.
Big old ice cubes have their place, but there are some summer drinks that need crushed ice in them. Whether you think crushed ice completes the look, makes your home bar seem more professional, or you subscribe to the "smaller pieces means more surface area of coldness" theory, it's time to start crushing your ice.
For a while we were just putting cubes in a sandwich bag and smashing them with the toaster, but we've discovered a sweet ice crusher at Amazon that simplifies things immensely. When we checked, it'd been marked down from $130 to $79.95...nothing wrong with that.
One note - people are complaining that this thing doesn't shave the ice small enough, but we've been happy and think about it...we're not here to make snow cones, we're here to get messed up.
Amazon Product Description
The Waring Professional Ice Crusher can hold up to 12-cups of ice and crush up to 30 lbs of ice per hour. It features a brushed stainless steel housing, an ice chute attachment and sharp stainless steel blades for commerical mechanism.
Summer is the time to be experimental with the drink recipes you try. Never had a mojito? It's time to try one. Don't know what's in a real daiquiri? They're not all sweet and raspberry-y, y'know. Never tried Dumpster Juice? What the hell have you been doing with your spare time?
We've found a list of interesting summer drink recipes for the more adventurous, from a basil mojito to a blackberry martini - read on to check them out.
We love cloves - they put us in mind of everything from Christmas ham to clove cigarettes. Spicy and savory, cloves give off warmth and a pleasant burn. While that might not sound too exciting in the middle of summer, can you imagine sipping a liqueur with that flavor next to a fireplace (or nice warm heater, we guess)? Check out Berchovka liqueur, the description of which puts thoughts of Jagermeister spinning through our heads, from Josh Spear. Looks like it's not available in the states, or at least not yet...who do we write to about that?
Ever smoked a clove? If so, you might notice the sweet taste on your mouth after a couple drags. Think of that lip-smacker flavor, put it in liquid form and you have Becherovka, an herbal bitter liqueur made in the Czech Republic. Alcohol, anise seeds, cinnamon, sugar and 32 other herbs make it sticky and spicy. It's best cold, nice as a sipper or with a bit of tonic (ask for a Beton) and Becherovka also aids in digestion. It's a great way to taste a little bit of Czech culture as you're trying so desperately to dodge the Americans that seem to have taken over that poor city. Available at most pubs and a bargain at Tescos.
Some hot days there's nothing like a gin and tonic to relieve the summer swelter. But what if you did something crazy like infuse it with blueberries? We've never heard of it either, but doesn't that seem like it'd be EVEN MORE refreshing?
Hidden inside a story that could double for propaganda from the Canadian Blueberry Council, we found the following infusion recipe:
Place 1 cup (250 mL) blueberries in a large glass bottle. Add 6 tablespoons (90 mL) sugar and one 750 mL bottle gin. Shake well and set aside for at least two weeks, or up to two months. Shake the bottle from time to time and watch the luxurious blue colour develop. When ready, serve straight in small liqueur glasses. Or place a shot of the blue gin in a blender with 1/2 cup (125 mL) crushed ice. Blend, then pour into tall glasses with a sprig of mint and tonic water to taste.
This one's specifically for the ladies, from a British Police Department, but there are parts both sexes should pay attention to - like the part about the wax.
The article in Safe! magazine, distributed by police in Martlesham Heath, is a tongue-in-cheek attempt to advise women to exercise safe behavior when drinking, The Telegraph reported Thursday.
"If you fall over or pass out, remember your skirt or dress may ride up. You could show off more than you intended -- for all our sakes, please make sure you're wearing nice pants and that you've recently had a wax," the article reads. "Better still, eat before you go out, think about how much you're drinking, pace yourself and drink plenty of water in between bevvies or better still, don't get in this sorry state -- it's not nice."
Remember the movie Teen Wolf? Of course you do. It's the single greatest werewolf-related basketball comedy ever made in the 80s. While the movie has its own special panache there are two characters that put it over the top - nope, not Boofer and Styles...it's Coach Finstock and the Wolf himself.
Coach Finstock's finest moment is when Teen Wolf comes to him for advice, and he lays down the following gem:
There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.
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Booze on the Go with Built Bottle Totes
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