Martini Groove

There's a new product out called The Knot which is an Irish Whiskey shooter blended to be...well...a shot. You don't make no fancy-pants 'tini out of it and you don't pair it with a seared Ahi with avocado. You pour it in a shot glass, you shoot it, you get drunk. End of story. The Knot

The Muree Brewery in Rawalpindi, Pakistan was originally built in the 1860's in order to provide ale and spirits for the British Raj. It has start and stopped several times thanks to things like coup's, being burned down, and Islamist purge's, but now they have come back with the Muslim world's first 20 year old whisky. Let's spend a minute talking about devotion to the craft here: The alcohol can't be legally drunk by 97% of the country, nor can it be exported, however, they make about 110,000 gallons of whisky (and 600,000 gallons of beer) and it all gets sold. The maker estimates that 99% of his customers are Muslim and there's been considerable debate about striking down the law prohibiting Muslims from drinking alcohol. Free Pakistan! Muree Brewery

Every since the remote control was invented, man has sought a way to truly never have to get up from the couch in order to not miss a second of UFC and it's accompanying commercials. The remote controlled beer launching fridge takes us one step closer to the realization of this dream and reminds us of just how important this kind of research is. If we never went in to Iraq, the amount of money spent there could have gotten one of these for every man, woman, and child in the U.S. Write your congressman now! The Hole - video powered by Metacafe

How-to video site, ExpertVillage.com, is launching a new section on their site that teaches you how to make drinks and "become your friends' and families' favorite bartender." The videos teach you how to make drinks like a Cherry Vodka Sour or a Mint Julep and were all filmed at The Cool River Cafe in Austin, TX. Over the next 12 to 18 months they expect to put up 75,000 videos (!!!) of different drinks and techniques. As someone who went to Bartending School, you really, really don't need to go to one. Videos like this or a few good books will get you up and running just as fast and without pouring fake liquids as-fast-as-you-can for 4 hours a day for two weeks. The Expert Village Video Bartender

The winners are in and here they are! The amateur winning drink was developed by Dennis Frisk “Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake in Mint Condition” Ingredients: 2.5 oz Baileys® Mint Chocolate 0.5 oz Smirnoff® Black Cherry Vodka 2 tsp cheesecake pudding & pie mix Dark chocolate shavings Fill a cocktail shaker with ice Add Baileys®, Smirnoff®, instant pudding mix, and shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass. Float whipped cream on top of drink and sprinkle with shaved chocolate. Garnish with mint sprig and a black cherry. Dennis says his inspiration came from the popularity and appeal of cheesecakes and the varieties that appear on restaurant menus. He believed using the precise amount of each simple ingredient balances out his drinkable dessert. The name he chose because it suggests the subtle taste of mint and the perceived value of a cheesecake.p> The professional winner is Jessica Taylor from Indianapolis, IN: “Mocha Mint Bavarian” Ingredients: 1 1/4 oz Baile...

Lucy Brennan is one of Playboy's Top Bartenders in America and has two extremely successful bars in Portland, OR, Mint and the 820 lounge. I've been to the 820 lounge and can vouch for the quality of drinks and thoughtfulness of every detail that goes in to them. Some might think that her heavy use of tropical juices in a lot of her drinks make them a little "girlie" but these drinks are all business with flavor profiles that flow together so well, the last thing you'll worry about will be your masculinity. My favorite? Her "Ad Lib" which is Crater Lake Vodka muddled with Cilantro and Lemon Lime juice, served up in a sugared Martini glass. Now her recipe book has hit the shelves and it relays all of the interesting and unique cocktails that she's come up with that are great tasting and not super hard to make for yourself. 60 full recipes will keep them coming back for more. Hip Sips: Modern Cocktails to Raise Your Spirits - US$11.53

Heaven Hill Distilleries is launching a new flavored vodka to it's extensive lineup of flavored vodkas. Their new blueberry vodka is the 14th in their line of flavored vodkas that ranges from mango, to coconut, to watermelon. The nice thing about flavored vodkas it that you don't really have to make the best vodka to start with because you're going to add a flavor to it that will mask any of the imperfections in the vodka you're using. This keeps the price of Burnett's vodka down to a very reasonable US$9.99 a bottle. I think the only other blueberry vodka out there is one from Stolichnaya, so they're in a good place in the market as the demand for flavored vodkas is one of the fastest growing segments in the industry. Burnett's Blueberry Vodka

The incredibly stellar Wine X magazine had pretty much everything I wanted in a magazine. It talked about wines and booze, didn't talk to me like I was an AARP member trying to decide where to put my cellar for retirement, and had actually interesting people within it's covers. The magazine is now going to fold and the founder and editor, Darryl Roberts, is not happy about it, blaming most of it on the wine industry in general. He says that with all the talk that wine makers have of hitting the 20-something market, they don't do very well. Quote: “The wine industry says it's interested in young adults but spends all of its ad and promo money targeting the same people it's been targeting for the past 30 years - rich, old white people.” Ouch. I'm inclined to agree with the quote though, the more I see of the wine industry, the more it becomes fairly obvious that they're leaving the younger market to Charles Shaw and trying to hit those people up when they...

Hey man, I don't make this stuff up, I just write about it. The mood light bucket is all aglow with led's that change it from green, to red, to blue and can be set to fade between the colors or stopped at any moment to maintain a single color, so you'll know that when she says "Ooooh! Red! I like it when it's red!" that means "It's on !" It operates for a full 8 hours on it's rechargable batteries, which gives you 7 hours and 50 minutes to figure out what else you're going to do. Mood Light Wine Bottle Chiller - US$179.95

Trump Vodka did a limited run of bottles that were decorated with 24k gold and found it to be so successful, that they launched it as an actual part of their product line, with 1,000 cases already ordered. The bottle comes in a Milton Glaser design and the label itself is 24k gold leaf, all wrapped in side a black box. For a mere US$100 you can own one yourself, or go to a club in Vegas where they'll probably be selling them for $600 (with a table). Expect to see the bottles out by April. Drinks Americas to add 24k bottle to Trump Vodka lineup

Hendrix Electric Vodka launched last year promoting their vodka with the Jimi Hendrix likeness right on the bottle, as well as its accompanying merchandise. However, Experience Hendrix LLC, the company that licenses all things Jimi and is run by Jimi's dad and sister, says that the vodka has no rights to the license or the name. As a matter of fact, they say that they would never, ever promote an alcoholic beverage using the left-handed genius' name. I smell a battle a brewin'! Jimi Hendrix Estate denies connection to vodka brand

So, two energy drink items came to my attention today. Most alcohol-related blogs don't cover this stuff but a) I love them and b) it's becoming a pretty big part the clubbing and bar lifestyle. Hooters is launching an energy drink in two flavors, a citrus flavored one and berry flavored one, the latter being sugar-free. Apparently, both don't have a "funny aftertaste" like some other drinks. They'll sell for US$1.99 and feature real Hooters' waitresses on the cans. On another note, Fizzenergy, the no sugar, no carbs, energy mixture is offering free samples. You can get them here . Hooters Energy Drink

Tommy Bahama is extending it's brand by offering up an "ultra-premium" rum direct from Barbados. That's an island! The rum comes in two flavors, Tommy Bahama White Sand Rum and Tommy Bahama Golden Sun offer up two different styles of rum. The White Sand flavor is crisp and clear and aged 2 years and the Golden Sun flavor is aged 3 years and is an amber rum with more flavors such as coffee, roasted nuts, and sweet pralines. Both rums are kept at low alcohol volumes while they age to increase flavor and done in small batches. They plan to launch in Spring of this year and you'll probably be the first to know as they have a massive marketing campaign going in to just about every magazine you can think of. Tommy Bahama Rums Launch

This site is offering some free name tags for your wine glasses. I imagine they look something like the picture here, but I have no real idea what they are. But they're free and they have the word "wine" in it, so go for it. Free Wine Glass Name Tags

The crew from Van Gogh Vodka was nice enough to share some pretty good recipe with me, so I'm going to pass it on to you. It's the perfect meal and drink that you can make without too much drama, leaving more time for...um...other activities. You know, like American Idol. Seared Salmon with Pomegranate Honey Saucy You'll need: 2 Salmon filets 2 tablespoons light Soy Sauce 1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil pinch of salt and pepper 1/4 cup Van Gogh Pomegranate vodka 3 egg whites, beaten until frothy 3/4 cup cornstarch peanut oil for frying For the sauce: 4 tablespoons of soy sauce 1/4 cup of honey 1/4 cup Van Gogh Pomegranate vodka pinch of salt and pepper Make the stuff! Take the soy sauce, the sesame oil, salt and pepper, and the pomegranate vodka and put it in a bag with the salmon. Coat it well and let it marinade for 30 minutes or so. You can let it go for up to an hour, but not more than that. While things are marinading, take the sauce ingredients and combine them and b...

That's The Spirit.com has two great articles today that are worth mentioning. The first is on Cognac and Chocolate and how lagging sales in the brandy are being lifted thanks to the new pairing. Chocolate's flavors really go nicely with the vanilla and brandy of Cognac and the best advice in the entire article is to grab a Cognac and some fine chocolates and experiment for yourself. The other article is an interview with Bill Samuel's Jr. who is continuing his dad's tradition of making a good bourbon with Maker's Mark. Even though his dad "never really liked bourbon" he created a lasting brand that has led the way in the resurgence of bourbon and a great crossover drink thanks to it's use of wheat rather than the stiffer rye. Very good interview. Cognac and Chocolate Bill Samuel's Interview

The Daily Thrillist I get in my inbox each morning is very hit or miss. Today was...neither, I guess. The new form of shot that's "sweeping the nation" (though I haven't seen it anywhere) is the Suck & Blow Jell-O shot. Though due to licensing issues, it's not Jell-O, just gelatin. So, it's only similar to Jell-O, but it's not. The shot is a gelatin shot inside of a tube that requires a mouth on both ends and needs one person to suck and the other to blow in order to get the concoction out of the tube. The gelatin mixture then fires in to your trachea and down in to your lungs causing a painful choking sensation that makes you cough it up so hard that some of it squirts out your nose. Perfect for Valentine's Day or that special someone! Suck & Blow Shots via Thrillist

Some drink companies are finally realizing something. Women drink too. Not only that, it doesn't have to be pink or have the label "spritzer" on it for something to sell. Women are starting to buy upscale drinks more and more and just because they don't all love the burn of a single malt as it slides down your throat and then starts burning your stomach, doesn't mean they don't want something with some style. the MacAllan is trying out it's new Amber in a few select markets in the U.S. The started trying the stuff in Boston and now they're pushing it out to Washington, Denver, and Seattle to see if it really takes off. Sure, purists hate the stuff because it smells like maple syrup and they're even calling it an "alcopop", but Scotch God Kevin Erskine says it's good and that should be more than enough for 99% of the world's population. You could even throw it in with a batch of scallops and bacon and see how the flavors come...

Vermouth was basically a name for cheap wine that used wormwood to mask the flavor from the fact that it was cheap wine. It's grown up quite a bit but is still, at its heart, a fortified wine. We cook with wine, so why not with vermouth? Accidental Hedonist cooked up Carrots in Vermouth and they look damned yummy. Vermouth provides the flavor agent, but you could also use bourbon or gin to give it some uniqueness. Carrots in Vermouth

So, Miller Brewing Company offers up a friendly wager to Anheuser-Busch: If the Miller car wins the NASCAR series, then Busch stadium has to be renamed Miller stadium for a 3-game series. If the Busch car wins, then Miller Park gets renamed Busch Park for a 3-game series. Well, the company that brought us talking iguanas and Spuds MacKenzie decided not to have much fun with it and turned Miller down. I'm sure it was on some high moral ground of not wanting to approve of betting on sports, but if they were that moral then they would probably feel worse about the beer they make. Dale Earnhardt Jr., the king of NECKCAR, even piped in with a "Racing is my job, not a bet" quote. Next week he'll be doing a sting as McGruff.

You see them at restaurants all the time. Bottles that are bigger than the normal 750ml bottle. Most people just call them a "Magnum" and go on to the rest of their night. However, each bottle size has a different name and amount and you'll look like quite the pro when you can tell a Jeroboam from a Balthazar. Click on the picture to see each of the names or head on over to Avenue Vine and get the full rundown on the names and just how much wine is in each bottle. Bottle Size Names

I had a whole bunch of really cool posts lined up, about things like how much wine the US drank last year, and some new gadget that I don't remember, and something else. Is that vague enough? I have an idea, let's *pretend* that they were here and they were completely awesome posts and good enough to get this site away from the 1000 users a day that it's been stagnating at. Hooray! Google Ads will pay off now! One of the cooler stories was all about Beer Goggles and how there's more factors than just beer, including darkness and distance. Well, that's the old saying, a girl's three best friends are darkness, distance, and alcohol. They've been able to narrow it down to a score of between 1 and 100 (and sometimes over 100). If you've had a few beers, have perfect vision, and see someone from 1.5 meters, then that's a score of 55. What good does this do to help us? Well, if you've had enough beer you won't give a damn anyway, so probably ...

I've been remiss in my weekly Wine.Woot reviews because most people know them by now and I can't tell you anything that's not already in the forums. One thing I can say is that week after week, they've had consistently good wines at a substantial savings and always US$5 shipping. Even if they didn't save you money on the wine itself, the shipping alone would make the wines worth it. This week though they've strayed from the path of traditional grape wines and have put out G Sake for the offering. Now, this sake isn't that stuffy from Japan that makes you work 70 hour work weeks and stuffs you in to a commuter train, no sir! This stuff is made in Oregon and is as laid back as a stroll on a sunny day. It normally sells for US$20 a bottle but Wine.Woot has 3 bottles of the stuff for US$44.95. Did I mention the $5 shipping? If you're new to sake, this is a great way of trying it out without having to go through the long process of learning what everyth...

I've had the bottle of Ikon vodka sitting and staring at me for weeks. I kept it in front of me on my desk so I would be sure to try it. So it sat there, mocking me, begging me to try it. I knew I had to wait until the moment was right, I've heard very good things about this US$12.99 wonder and wanted my first time to be the best. I knew I had to be gentle, calm, and tell it that I would always love it and that drinking it would only make my love for it stronger. I told it I would go slow and still respect it, no matter what the outcome was. Getting Ready I had planned to try it out as an up martini first, but the ice I had in my fridge smelled like the ass of a clown ("Hey, that smells funny") so I knew I had to go straight for the gusto. Unchilled. Unmixed. Unbelievable. The Taste The nose on this vodka was extremely appealing and I went back for a few extra sniffs. I took a swig and was very glad I did. It's not a vodka trying to be tasteless like s...

In mid-December I told you about the beer machine. Sumbitch listed for US$249.95! Well, now it's got some sort of fire sale going on now because The Sharper Image Outlet (which lists the regular price as US$124.95 now) has it on sale for US$49.95! That's beer for less than the price of a cup of coffee! Of course, it may be a $49.95 beer once you realize that the beer tastes like it has been drunk before. Beer Machine at Sharper Image Outlet

Crown Royal took some drinks by other names and completely renamed them in order to create a tie-in with the Super Bowl! Hey, I'm not complaining, the drinks are all pretty good and make for an easy and interesting Super Bowl libation. Check each one out by downloading the .pdf's for the recipes. No, I don't know why they made them in to .pdf's. If you're tired of the slow-as-hell Adobe Reader, then be sure to grab Foxit for all your .pdf needs. Team Aide Recipe Trophy Punch Recipe Player's Punch Recipe

So, there's vodka made from water pulled from deep sea water, there's vodka made from glaciers, and now vodka made from water that's been around for 260 centuries. 26000 Vodka is the latest of the vodkas from Down Under with the concept that this old, extremely purified water source makes for a great vodka. The water comes straight from Tasman and may have just been a huge pool of dinosaur pee, but may taste yummy as hell by now. The vodka comes in Crystalline which is their straight vodka, but they have some nice infusion ideas with a Rasberry & Lemon infusion as well as a Lychee infusion. 26000 Vodka

You may or may not remember last year's contest that Smirnoff held for the enviable job of "Cocktail Consultant." Well, Cameron Bogue (pictured) got the job and had quite a bit of fun doing it. He is originally from Portland and currently lives in Las Vegas, so the guy definitely has the chops to work it out as those are both some great drinking towns. His report is in and he's come back with some pretty good signature drinks to share with the world. You can download the full .pdf of his report and send Cameron a nice thank you note for sharing his love with the world. Then call him a bastard for doing what you wish you could do. Cocktail Trend Report

I normally don't want to cover every time a flavored vodka hits the market, there's just too many and I could pretty much use up every post doing just that. However, Grey Goose is fairly picky about what flavors they choose to throw out there, they only have vanilla, orange, and citron as of right now. They've decided to launch a pear flavored vodka to add to their stable which is a flavor that actually sounds interesting to me, though they'll be competing directly with Absolut Pears which launched last year.

Travel around the great state of California has left me out of pocket and plenty has happened in the world of alcohol over the last week. Did you miss me? Bud.tv officially launches on Monday and they've got quite the line-up ready for your entertainment pleasure. They've sealed deals with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's (BeMatt?) production company, as well as the likes of Saturday Night Live cast and writers, Kevin Spacey's production company, and Joe Buck may do a talk show on it. Their first big project is "Finish Our Film" which gives you the beginning of a story and the ending, but leaves the middle for you to fill in. The person with the best treatment will get their own reality show as they fly you to LA to film the entire process of making your treatment. Clearly, this is no small-time operation that Bud's trying to throw at you. The best bet for my money though? "Replaced by a chimp" takes a look at what it would be like if a chimp ha...