Jagermeister Recipes: You Can Mix it With Stuff?

Jager is one of those things people either love or hate. With its syrupy consistency and punch-you-in-the-tongue flavor, this herbal liqueur is definitely not for everyone, but the people who love it love it fiercely, and the people who hate it swear they'll never drink it again. We won't come out and tell you which camp we fall into - let's just say it will always be part of the tapestry of booze we have woven through our lives.

Most people we know don't mix Jager - they screw up their courage and shoot it straight, drop it into an energy drink, or find some other way to consume it rapidly. This is why we nicknamed it "blackout juice" in college., but it is possible to enjoy Jager slowly. We haven't tried the recipes below you can bet we're going to try Jager & root beer sooner than later.

Continue reading: "Jagermeister Recipes: You Can Mix it With Stuff?"

About.com's Best New Liquors of 2009

We're not big ones for looking back at last year, mostly because that smacks of introversion, self-awareness, and work. Luckily, other people are a bit more prone to it, and Colleen from Cocktails.About.com has put together a nice roundup of her favorite new spirits that were released last year. We've tried two from the list (Square One Botanical and Red Stag) and we have to say we love those, so we're thinking we should track down the rest.

Check out all of Colleen's Best New Spirits of 2009, and please let us know if there are any other new spirits from last year we should know about in the comments.

Liquor Snob Holiday Gift Guide 2009

It's time once again, ladies and gentlemen, for the holiday tradition that is the Liquor Snob Holiday Gift guide. If you're wondering what to buy for the boozer, sot, or lush of your life, fret no more, because we're gonna hook you up.

This year we're changing the format a bit to include some hot deals and gift guides we've noticed (which will be updated as we find more) and the Top 11 items people have bought through us at Amazon in the last year (which pretty much translates to "things we want for Christmas"). To top it all off, we've also rounded up a bunch of other cool stuff we covered this year too.

Holiday Deals and Gift Guides
We plan to update these deals and guides as the holiday season moves forward, but these are the things that have hit our inbox so far. If you hear about any great deals or stumble across a cool booze-related holiday item, just let us know and we'll add it to the list.

• The Jim Beam Holiday Gift Guide - we thought this was worth a read, with its plethora of tips for how to save money, gift ideas to avoid, and some hot-off-the-presses cocktail recipe ideas for when you need them...and you will.
• Cocktail Vibe Black Friday Sale - get 45% off everything on the Cocktail Vibe site during their Black Friday sale, and they've got some really nice stuff...we love ours. Just use the code CVBLACKFRIDAY at checkout.
• Internet Wines & Spirits has a nice selection of unique bottles that are pretty danged gift-worthy...we know we were pumped when our bottle of Crystal Head vodka showed up from there.
• Also, this isn't necessarily liquor-related, but if you're not following BFAds.net for Black Friday discounts and deals, do yourself a favor and sign up
• 25% off all orders at Sailor Jerry between 12/15 and 12/17 - use code SJGIFT. [Updated 12/14]
• For the Beirut enthusiast on your Christmas list, check out Go Pong - most portable beer pong tables you'll find are over $100, but these are less than sixty bucks. We haven't played on them, but you can't go wrong for the price. Customizable too! Get the skinny at GoPong.com. [Added 12/3]

Top 11 Booze Gifts of 2008/2009
We don't make a secret of the fact we have an affiliate partnership with Amazon - in fact, generous folks like you shopping there through our site help keep this website afloat. So, we took a look at all the items that were bought over the last year, from November 1 2008 through today, to show you what the booze hounds gentle readers of our site saw fit to buy. Who knows? Maybe it'll get your creative juices flowing, but if you don't like them don't blame us. There's no accounting for taste.

1. Various Breathalyzers; specifically models by Breathkey, Alcohawk, and Alcomate
2. Liquor Decanters - specifically this set.
3. Vinturi Wine Aerators - we'd been curious and we finally got to review this recently. The verdict? We're planning to give the Set of 2 to some of our wine-snobbier friends.
4. Reef Dram Sandals - we should also mention Reef's Fanning bottle opener sandals were a big hit (and cheaper)
5. Travel Bars round out the Top 5, with people wanting to be able to drink in style outside the house, even if they're not spending at the bar.
6. Little Snowie Shaved Ice Machine - we really have no explanation for this one, but we bet you could make a mean margarita snowcone.
7. Nambé Twist 10-Inch Cocktail Shaker - sure it's a bit spendy, but hey...it looks like you could kill a Klingon with it.
8. XL Wine Glass - a glass you can fit a whole bottle of wine in for like 10 bucks? Priceless.
9. Lush Life Party Ice Luge - no explanation required.
10. Global Decor 170 Rotating 4 Bottle 1-1/2-Ounce Drink Dispenser - because pouring drinks is so 2008.
11. The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs - this and What to Drink with What You Eat are tied as our favorite cocktail creation/cookbooks of 2009. Highly recommended.

If you're still bankrupt for ideas, we've included a whole mess of products we've covered in the past year for your perusing pleasure, and you can also check out our gift guides from previous years (2006, 2007, 2008) for more ideas.

Continue reading: "Liquor Snob Holiday Gift Guide 2009"

Absinthe, Coffee, and Spice: Let's Get Nice

It's fall, and apparently that means we've more reviews to do. While we're (finally) digging through our backlog of tastings and reviews to write up, the FedEx men have been busy the last few days bringing us all sorts of goodies. Below is what we've gotten lately, most of which we've already tasted and ramping up to write the reviews:

Pernod Absinthe Superior
It's been a while since Pernod has included the word "absinthe" on its label instead of the more innocuous "liqueur," and we're looking forward to trying it out. We'll taste it as an absinthe, and in comparison to some of the Pernod liqueur we bought before the absinthe ban was lifted. Looking forward to checking it out; if you're unfamiliar with it we couldn't find a permanent product page for it, but check out last year's press release about it.

Kahlua Coffee Cream
"I like my coffee like I like my women - creamy, sugary, and tasting a little bit like coffee." That's a quote from a friend of ours from years ago, and it came to mind when the Kahlua Coffee Cream arrived. We've been feeling very non-dude lately, and we think making some Kahlua Cream Caucasians is just what we need to get right. Wake up and smell the coffee (cream) at Kahlua.com.

Hiram Walker Spiced Liqueurs
We're ready to get seasonal with two liqueurs from Hiram Walker - Gingerbread and Pumpkin Spice. We're thinking these two could add a nice seasonal flair to our cocktails, and we're looking forward to experimenting. We've been thinking about creating some signature drinks for Thanksgiving, and since no one makes a turkey liqueur yet, these will do nicely. Check out the Hiram Walker Seasonals page for more details.

Thatcher's Organic Elderflower Liqueur

It might surprise people to hear the Liquor Snobs have been a bit late to the elderflower liqueur party. St. Germain has been the belle of the ball for quite a while now, but we never got into it too much due to a sweetness that we found borderline overbearing. Yeah, we know it's meant to be used in small amounts, but hey - taste is taste.

That's why we're psyched our man on the street DKF has gotten a chance to sample Thatcher's Elderflower, an organic liqueur he says knocks the stuffing out of St. Germain. In fact, he says St. G is the tawdry, syrupy older sister of Thatcher's, and at half the price. We have to agree - our last bottle of St. Germain was almost $40, and BevMo has Thatcher's Elderflower for under $20, along with two more of their eight total flavors.

More info on availability and flavors at Thatcher's Organic.

Mar-GO-Ritas: For the Drunk on the Move

We've just caught wind of a new Margarita-aping juicebox that has an interesting twist. Instead of distilled spirits filling the booze portion of the proceedings, they're slightly lower-test so they can be served by restaurants without spirits licenses. In the words of the company:

The mar-GO-rita is made from a fermented version of the blue agave plant that classifies our product as wine instead of distilled spirits. The wine classification allows beer and wine retailers the opportunity to sell premium margaritas under their beer and wine license.

The pouch allows the consumer to place the product into a freezer and enjoy a frozen margarita without the hassles of mixing or blending. We use a screw top and provide the straws for a true "On-the-Go Experience". Simply freeze, squeeze and enjoy!

Mar-GO-ritas are available in California, South Florida, Louisiana, Virignia and Texas, and they've got some new flavors on the horizon as well (Pina-Go-lada and the Daiq-GO-ri. We're not kidding). An interesting concept and we like the idea of having a freezer full of boozed-up slushies, so we'll see where this goes...and how they taste. More info - and a store locator - at Big Easy Blends.

Liquor Snob, Back in Action

Dear Liquor Snob readers,

Jake here, Editor in Chief of Liquor Snob, and I wanted to take some time to write a quick note. We've gotten some mail lately wondering where the hell we've been, and I wanted to let you know not to give up on us. We were MIA for most of August and the beginning of September, but we don't want you to worry that we've given up on the site or lost interest in boozing. This month is my five year anniversary of running Liquor Snob, and it's been a bittersweet time for me as I haven't been able to focus on the site as much as I'd like.

I lost my brother in early September after a long illness, and while the last few months have certainly driven me to drink, it made it tough to focus on the site and give it the love and attention it deserves. But we haven't lost our focus or our drive, and I wanted to write to tell our readers not to give up on us, let the the liquor companies know we we haven't run away with their review bottles, and ask our fans to keep submitting their questions, comments, and tips.

Thanks to everyone who's been supporting me over the last few months, and I look forward to helming Liquor Snob into its next five years and beyond.

Jake from Liquor Snob

Square One Botanical Arrives

A while back we heard about an organic spirit called Square One Botanical, and we were curious about why it wasn't classified as gin. After all, it's full of botanicals and all the other stuff that pretty much makes a gin a gin. Thankfully, our main man Kevin from over at The Scotch Blog gave us our V8 headsmacking moment by pointing out Square One is lacking one vital ingredient that would make it gin - juniper. Duh.

Anyway, we've gotten our hands on a bottle, and we'll ask our Editor in Chief to get a review online post haste. More at Square One.

Image via The Daily Green

Conjure Cognac: Another Ludacris Hit?

It seems like every time we turn around a celebrity is endorsing a bottle of booze, but maybe Ludacris is going about it a bit differently? He's not just pimping a bottle he happened to slap his name on; he also helped select the flavor notes and has apparently been involved in the creation every step of the way. But what could a rapper know about cognac, right? From checking out the description, they may just be on to something.

Conjure is made from the ugni blanc grape from blends that represent a variety of Cognac regions including Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Borderie. The rich copper color of this signature cognac accents a bouquet of cedar, cocoa and hazelnut. Hints of vanilla, apricot and dried prune leave a smooth warm feeling and long lasting oak finish on the palate.

Conjure will have a limited release in September, and will retail for somewhere around $30 per bottle. Keep an eye out for the website that's on its way at ConjureCognac.com.

Square One Botanical

For those of you familiar with Square One Organic Vodka (and those who aren't, of course), the company just released a new organic spirit called Square One Botanical. According to the website, it's a "bold organic rye spirit, infused with a striking blend of 8 organic botanicals - pear, rose, chamomile, lemon verbena, lavender, rosemary, coriander and citrus peel." Sounds like a nice new organic gin to us, but they never actually use the term, so we guess we won't.

We're very much intrigued by the mix of botanicals in there, and we like the feeling of drinking organic booze, so we're sure we'll pick up a bottle ASAP.

More at Square One Vodka

Vegefeuer Herbal Liqueur

We just got a great email about a liqueur we'd never heard of, and here's the snippet we wanted to share:

VEGEFEUER

The name (german purgatory) is synonym
for the very special moment of sin
we all appreciate ...

You are hot for more informations

Yes, yes we are.

Continue reading: "Vegefeuer Herbal Liqueur"

What The Hell Were We Drinking?

The Onion [via Drunkist]

Fan Us Up on the Facebooks

Yeah, we know you can come to the site, or subscribe to our feed, or follow us on Twitter, but we know you're itching for ONE MORE WAY to get your eyeballs on our posts. That's why we created our brand new Liquor Snob Facebook page - because we're always thinking of you.

Why not, right? You need something to do in between posting your "clever" status updates and cyberstalking. Become a fan.* It will make your life better...we guarantee it.**

* The "Become A Fan" button should be right up near the top, next to the title, if this is your first time. We'll be gentle.
** Guarantee not valid anywhere.

PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur Arrives for Review

PAMA is one of those liqueurs we've heard about for quite a while but we haven't gotten around to tasting it yet. Well, we've had it in cocktails while we were out, but never had a bottle of our own to experiment with. That's all a thing of the past, because we've very recently gotten our hands on a bottle. Review is forthcoming and we're excited to whip up some cocktails in time for the summer months.

PAMA is a pomegranate liqueur and our first impression when we uncapped it and took a sip was that it was a bit more tart and less sweet than we expected...definitely a good thing. It strikes us as a good candidate for margaritas, mimosas, and many other cocktails that don't begin with M.

Learn more @PAMAliqueur.com, and check out the PAMA blog if you're looking for cocktail recipes and more tidbits in the meantime.