We've always been a fan of drinking in the workplace. We're not talking shameful hidden drinking, or sneaking a beer during lunch - we're talking having a full-blown social pop on occasion without going out to a bar. It doesn't often happen, but when it does - responsibly of course - there can be some real benefits to allowing the old social lubricant to grease its way into the workplace.
KegWorks put together a nice little list of seven reasons why you should be able booze in the office:
Here are 7 Reasons Drinking at Work is a Good Thing:
Feel free to send them to your boss)
1. It's relatively low cost (as far as benefits go) but it's a perk your employees will really enjoy and appreciate. They're sure to go around boasting about how incredible their company is and that's really valuable PR.
2. It reduces stress - when you know there's a cold one waiting for you at the end of a taxing meeting, the meeting doesn't seem so impossible anymore.
3. It encourages socializing and team building - some people open up more with a beer in their hand than they ever do around the coffee pot. Creating a corporate culture where people feel relaxed is a beautiful thing.
We've spent a goodly amount of our Liquor Snob career discussing how to bring liquor to places most people wouldn't think of. From the Beer Belly (and the Wine Rack) to the Bootlegger, we've smuggled more booze than Canada during Prohibition.
That's why we love this article at Mother Nature Network about how to bring drinks when you go backpacking. Nobody wants to lug glass bottles or coolers around when they're hitting the trail, but there are alternatives. Our favorite was buying a box of wine and just taking the wine pouch out of the box...we've done that before, but we never though of inflating the bag afterward to use as a pillow.
Squirrel Teaches You How to Party - Responsibly That Is
When we think "learning how to drink responsibly," we always think of squirrels - because hey, have you ever seen a squirrel passed out on a frat house couch with a hitler mustache and a "dick here" arrow pointing to his mouth? No. We can unequivocally say you haven't - until Rule 34 kicks in anyway.
The folks at Penn State definitely know the connection between rodents and responsible drinking, because they made a whole flash movie about it. Watch it at the Penn State Student Affairs Website - make sure you pay special attention if your 21st birthday is coming up.
Social websites can be pretty great, but they can also be a two-edged sword. For every time we've heard about long-lost friends reconnecting through Facebook, we've heard 10 horror stories about people getting on them while in their cups, and saying things they shouldn't. They call liquor a "social lubricant," but there are some times when you should leave your Facebook posts...unlubricated. OK, that came out weird, but you know what we mean.
Rick over at CocktailGoGo let us know about a great tool called the Social Media Sobriety Test, and we've got some friends that should be forced to say the alphabet backward, skipping all the vowels, and giving the sign language for each one before they're allowed on Facebook after 10 PM. This doesn't go quite that far, but it could help you avoid some embarrassing posts...
If you access your computer during the witching hours, it makes you do a simple sobriety test such as use the mouse to make a straight line, follow the finger, or type the alphabet backwards. The last one being something I couldn't do completely sober, but might be a lot more fun if I tried it drunk.
Now, you can make sure you don't post that picture of you in a tankini doing a kegstand while a 9 year old holds your legs up.
Yes, we know Halloween is just barely past our rear bumper, and Thanksgiving has yet to come. But it's never too early to start thinking about what you're going to get the nice (and naughty) people in your life this holiday season. Or, if you're like us, just start making your own Xmas wishlist and fantasizing about what you'll see under the tree this year.
Also, after the jump you'll find everything we could think of that's gift-related we covered in 2010, plus some additional ideas we've seen around the Interwebs. Don't say we never got you anything!
If we had to say we were excited about anything in particular, it's got to be books. Yes, we're nerds, but this year we found some 10 powerful portable primers packed with principles pertaining to potent potables.
Well, we know Halloween hasn't even come and gone yet, but it's never too early to start thinking about the next holiday. Especially when that holiday involves time off from work, gorging yourself mercilessly, seeing friends and family, and hopefully, drinking some delicious whiskey.
This might seem like a crazy stretch to you, but Wild Turkey has declared itself the "Official Bourbon of Thanksgiving." Wait for it...OK, you're seeing the connection now. As we told their representative, we already wrote our magnum opus connecting the two way back in 2005 - Make Thanksgiving Wild Turkey Day. Not to be outdone, they fired back with some thoughts of their own.
So, without further ado, advice from Wild Turkey on what to bring (and what to know) in order to survive Thanksgiving (with some slight tweaks from us):
A bottle of Wild Turkey 101-- The night before Thanksgiving is a big night to see old friends, and there's no better way to show them you care than by responsibly sharing a bottle of good bourbon
.
Earplugs -- Unless you want to be woken at 6am on Thanksgiving morning by the general hustle and bustle, you might want some of these.
Antacid -- Thanksgiving is a great time to push the limits of human consumption. It's a bad time to feel like you're dealing with the Chest Burster from Alien.
Pocket-sized head bandage -- Tell your crazy ex that, "ever since the accident I don't recall faces well."
Breath mints -- In case of not-so-crazy or potential ex.
Cab fare -- Because you're old enough to be responsible.
Flowers and a necktie -- Because you still need to make it up to Mom for last year.
Another bottle of Wild Turkey 101 for your host--This is the difference between sitting with your cool cousins and being forced to work the turkey carving station. Plus, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, they'll have to share.
Can of cranberry sauce -- Welcome to supply-side economics.
Blacklist of conversation topics -- Do the legwork in advance to make sure you don't ask "Where's Ricky?" if the answer is "still in jail."
Remember two things: Drink responsibly, and it's not Thanksgiving without the Turkey.
And, since it's our site, we'll give you the high points from our original article:
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.
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.
We figure between the two sets of advice, you'll end up in your family's good graces...or in jail. Happy Thanksgiving - it's only a month away!
This just in - we've spent a good amount of time sitting at a bar, but it's not until fairly recently that we really thought about what makes a good bartender. Is it most important to be able to dream up and build perfect cocktails - y'know, the ones that take 2 eye droppers, a tube of liquid nitrogen and a paint mixer to make? Or is it more important to be able to connect with your customer, remember his favorite beer, and make easy conversation while you're pulling it?
It obviously depends on the atmosphere and other factors in the bar, but the truly excellent bartender should be able to do both, right? Just in time for this kind of soul searching we're involved in, Gary Regan has put together a great article about "young" folks behind the bar, to give the whippersnappers some schooling on everything from building drinks to charm and poise. Cheers, Gary!
Although the core chore of the bartender - to make people happy, welcome and cared for - will never vary, over the past decade the mixology side of the craft has changed completely...Not all drinks being served in today's cocktail lounges, though, deserve space in a chilled glass. I hate to be the one who says this, but I'm betting you've seen it coming. The cocktailian craft has been grossly mishandled of late, and it's time to rein in a few newcomers to the craft who seem to have missed the point.
Cold Remedy Cocktails (Or: How to Make Being Sick not Suck)
Somewhere along the way during an extra-long weekend, we've gotten a cold. And it's not one of your piddly little nasal dribbles with a touch of malaise either. This is a full-on, four alarm, holy o'shit Captain Trips supercold.
Or, maybe it's just our first one of the season and we have no perspective. Either way, we've rounded up the best cold remedy cocktail recipes Google could find, so you don't have to go through what we're dealing with right now.
One of our friends just sent along this cool article about 10 great drinks you can light on fire, and we've had some excellent times drinking Flaming Dr. Peppers and other flamey drinks over the years. We do have one word of advice for all you would-be drink flamers: by the time it seems like a good idea to be lighting your drinks on fire, you're probably drunk enough that you shouldn't be lighting ANYTHING on fire. Please let a bartender, a sober friend, or just about anybody but your bleary ass put the actual flame to the actual alcohol. Trust us on this one - otherwise you stand a good chance of becoming a:
Flaming Asshole (from Super Cocktails)
¼ Grenadine
¼ Green Crème de Menthe
¼ Crème de Banana
¼ 151 rum
This one is as bizarre as some of the most out-there drinks. Layer in a shot glass in this order: Grenadine, Crème de Menthe, Crème de Banana, Rum. Light the rum and then suck it down with a straw.
See all 10 flaming drinks at Matador. (Thanks for the link, Sarah)
A while back we got really into a couple new books we picked up on food and drink pairing, and we've really enjoyed how those books have broadened our horizons. If you're looking for a quick online tool that will get you to a similar place, check out Food Pairing - not only do they offer foods with flavor pairings, but you can do the same thing with various and sundry liquors.
From bourbon to tequila and various liquors in between, figure out what's going to taste best whether you're matching up food or trying to impress your friends with spectacular drinks. The American Bourbon chart above is a bit tough to see, but it offers some flavors we would have never thought of, including cinnamon, roses, and popcorn. The closer to the center, the better the pairing, so keep that in mind as you're using it, and go nuts! (Preferably roasted peanuts with bourbon, apparently).
Well, you can say what you want about us, but you can never say we backed down from a challenge. For those of you who have no freakin' clue what we're talking about, we here in the Liquor Snob offices made a vow when we first heard about the Pickle Back that if our readers wanted us to try them, we'd do it on St. Patrick's Day. For the record, we found the entire idea to be obscene, but the emails and Facebook messages we received convinced us we should think otherwise. Then, when we read the pickle juice in a Pickle Back can help avoid a hangover, we were all in.
Those of you who think were were just going to toss back a single shot of whiskey with whatever dill juice was lying around our fridge, however, are sorely mistaken. When we say we're going to do something, we do it, so we made an event out of it. We decided to find a Pickle Back winner among four different contenders - pickled egg brine, half sour brine, kosher dill brine, and the crap floating around in a pickled beet jar. Our findings are below, and while we aren't going to put this into our everyday drinking regimen, we have to admit people are on to something...if you find the right pickle juice.
Oh, and you might notice something odd about our pictured shot glasses - we decided to break out our Quaffers to cut down on the possibility of carpal tunnel from doing so many shot/chaser combos in a 10 minute period. And now, on to the show:
As you know, tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, one of the biggest amateur hour drinking nights of the year. It's when the folks who only trot out their binge drinking on big holidays head out to the bars, put on a stupid hat, and pretend to be Irish. These folks aren't worthy to shine Shane MacGowan's tooth, but that doesn't mean we want them to feel sicky-poo from green beer on Thursday morning.
We know St Patrick's is mid-week this year, but all the same we put together a digest of our favorite advice for how to beat a hangover.
Before You Drink
Eat: Eat something that has vitamin B and C such as fruit. If you are going to an after hour party, you should eat early dinner before you go to the party or eat while you drink. The fructose in foods will help absorb alcohol.
Hydrate. Drink lots of fruit juice and water now. Think of it this way, for every glass of non-alcoholic beverage you drink now you will save yourself from having to drink two glasses in the morning.
Don't mix it up: Make it a beer night, or a wine night, or a vodka night, but don't make it an "anything goes" night. For one thing, you'll end up drinking too much. But let's face it; most drinks don't mix too well with each other. Your body is going to have a hard enough time handling that rum without you throwing in some gin.
Keep a large bottle of water by the bed you're crashing/sleeping on. When you'll wake up during the night or in the morning, you will be craving for water, but the headaches or someone throwing up in the bathroom will keep you from getting up or walking to get your water. Water by the bed is comfortable and makes the morning a lot more pleasant.
Before Bed: Take two aspirin with a full glass of water - The prostaglandin inhibitors in the aspirin can decrease hangover severity. In the Morning:
Take two more aspirin with a full glass of water - This has been shown to minimize headaches as well as decrease inflammation from leftover prostaglandin. Take (a) multivitamin: Replenishing C and B vitamins in particular can help get rid of the rest of the toxins.
That's right, we quoted ourselves - what're you going to do? It's our blog. And we know you'll forget most of this advice by the time you're in the trenches with food dyed miller lite (the most Irish of all drinks) but if you lay the groundwork before you go out you should be able to at least avoid yuking on your boss's shoes. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Do you want to learn more about whisky? Of course, we all do. That's why Mark Gillespie's WhiskyCast is great. You can listen to it while you do other things - work, brush your teeth, or drink whisky, for example. And now, you don't have to be tethered to your stupid computer to do it - with the introduction of the WhiskyCast iPhone app.
In addition to Gillespie's tasting notes, the WhiskyCast app will let listeners access the four most-recent episodes directly from their iPhone or iTouch without the need to download and sync their player to a computer. The application was developed by JacApps, a division of Jacobs Media, which has built similar applications for numerous radio stations and has a unique knack for programming iPhones to play streaming live audio.
When was the last time you thought about taking a drink? If you're thirsty, you reach out and take the glass, and you put it to your lips. But what if drinking didn't come that easily? What if taking a shot or sipping a beer took a whole lot more planning? We recently found this article where a young woman with quadriplegia explains how she goes about taking a shot. It's eye-opening, the heroic measures it can take to get a simple buzz, and we thought it was cool enough to share.
First, make sure the bartender doesn't fill up the shot glass right at the brim. Second, you have to make the big decision: Should I use my mouth, or spend about 3 minutes trying to pick it up with my limp hand and try to precariously hold it? (I guess it depends what kind of a rush you're in to start drinking). Usually, since I think it looks AWESOME, I like to use my mouth. Pick it up tightly with your lips, use the back of your hand to balance it, and throw your head back and drink.
[via Disaboom] Well done, Tiffiny. And for those of you out there who think that doesn't sound too tough, we recommend you try the exercise in the following video to put things in perspective.
7 Reasons to Allow Booze in the Office
When we think "learning how to drink responsibly," we always think of squirrels - because hey, have you ever seen a squirrel passed out on a frat house couch with a hitler mustache and a "dick here" arrow pointing to his mouth? No. We can unequivocally say you haven't - until 
Social websites can be pretty great, but they can also be a two-edged sword. For every time we've heard about long-lost friends reconnecting through Facebook, we've heard 10 horror stories about people getting on them while in their cups, and saying things they shouldn't. They call liquor a "social lubricant," but there are some times when you should leave your Facebook posts...unlubricated. OK, that came out weird, but you know what we mean. 
Yes, we know Halloween is just barely past our rear bumper, and Thanksgiving has yet to come. But it's never too early to start thinking about what you're going to get the nice (and naughty) people in your life this holiday season. Or, if you're like us, just start making your own Xmas wishlist and fantasizing about what you'll see under the tree this year.
Continue reading: 
Well, we know Halloween hasn't even come and gone yet, but it's never too early to start thinking about the next holiday. Especially when that holiday involves time off from work, gorging yourself mercilessly, seeing friends and family, and hopefully, drinking some delicious whiskey.
This just in - we've spent a good amount of time sitting at a bar, but it's not until fairly recently that we really thought about what makes a good bartender. Is it most important to be able to dream up and build perfect cocktails - y'know, the ones that take 2 eye droppers, a tube of liquid nitrogen and a paint mixer to make? Or is it more important to be able to connect with your customer, remember his favorite beer, and make easy conversation while you're pulling it? 
Somewhere along the way during an extra-long weekend, we've gotten a cold. And it's not one of your piddly little nasal dribbles with a touch of malaise either. This is a full-on, four alarm, holy o'shit Captain Trips supercold. 
A while back we got really into a couple new books we picked up on 
Well, you can say what you want about us, but you can never say we backed down from a challenge. For those of you who have no freakin' clue what we're talking about, we here in the Liquor Snob offices made a vow when we first heard about the 
As you know, tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, one of the biggest amateur hour drinking nights of the year. It's when the folks who only trot out their binge drinking on big holidays head out to the bars, put on a stupid hat, and pretend to be Irish. These folks aren't worthy to shine Shane MacGowan's tooth, but that doesn't mean we want them to feel sicky-poo from green beer on Thursday morning. 
Do you want to learn more about whisky? Of course, we all do. That's why Mark Gillespie's WhiskyCast is great. You can listen to it while you do other things - work, brush your teeth, or drink whisky, for example. And now, you don't have to be tethered to your stupid computer to do it - with the introduction of the WhiskyCast iPhone app.
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