Westvleteren 12 to be sold in US for brief period | NPR
Only $84.99 a six pack.
The Drinking Outside Project: Week 1
As some of you may know last week Sarah and I made the commitment to drink outside at least once a week, as long as the weather allows it, from now until the end of the summer. It was unseasonably warm and beautiful in Boston this week so we were excited for our first outside drinks. Unfortunately we put it off until the weekend when the weather turned back to a more typical 55 degrees and overcast.
We were bummed, but a commitment is a commitment so we carried on. Because we couldn’t find a bar with outside seating instead we just drank on our front stoop. We had hot toddies made with Dog Fish Head Brown Honey Rum (Yes, DFH does liquor) and mint hazelnut black tea. They were delicious and went well with the blustery weather.
Now that it’s warm out Sarah and I have committed to drinking outside at least once week, as long as the weather allows it. We’re taking this very seriously.
Georgia well represented in ‘Best Places to Drink in the South’ list
Saving this for the next time I’m in Atlanta.
You Look Nice Today - The Aunt Nancy
This six minute clip of YLNT documents the birth of the greatest cocktail known to man, The Aunt Nancy™
Ingredients:
- 1 shot whiskey
- A shit ton of Maraschino cherries
- Ginger ale to taste
- Ice
- 1 boneless chicken tender skewered with a plastic drink sword (Sword Picks™ recommended) pre-dipped in ranch dressing and resting atop the lip of the cup.
- Optionally: Your plastic drink sword can also hold several skewered Mentos™ brand mint candy. Little drink umbrellas also go well with this drink.
Without the Mentos or chicken tender you drink is only a Shirley Temple of Doom, which is a good drink, but no Aunt Nancy.
I’m throwing an Aunt Nancy themed party next week for my birthday. You should come.
Artilllery Punch, the Four Loko of the 1820’s
1 qtstrong black tea
1 qt rye whiskey
1 bottle red wine
1 pint Jamaican dark rum
1/2 pint brandy
1 jigger benedictine herbal liqueur
1 pint orange juice
1/2 pint lemon juice
This is a real drink that was popular at Christmas time in the 1820’s. Basically an old school Four Loko. I’m attending a party tonight that will have lots and lots of this concoction on hand. Lord, beer me strength.
more info: Artillery Punch recipe
Introduction to American Whiskey
Only 20 years ago American whiskey was defined by just a few dominant labels. Today you can find bars that have whiskey lists as extensive as their wine selection. Much like the microbrew trend, it’s an exciting time for enthusiasts, but with so many options, price ranges and lingo like “single barrel” and “small batch,” tracking it all can be a little complex.
What we know as American whiskey evolved from what our Scotch and Irish ancestors brought over to the United States. We took that spirit and made it our own beverage that’s generally sweeter and less smoky. By definition it’s a mixture of corn, rye, wheat, and barley (mash) and is aged in charred-oak barrels. These are the four most common categories and two premium classifications:
Bourbon
The pride of Kentucky, it can technically be produced in any state as long as it’s aged two years in new barrels and made of at least 51 percent corn. The traditional recipe is 75 percent corn, 15 percent rye and 10 percent barley. If you can find it, splurge for Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve, which substitutes the rye with wheat.Tennessee
This is bourbon with the “Lincoln County Process.” After distillation, it’s filtered through sugar maple charcoal before barrel aging. This process gives the whiskey its distinct, mellow flavor that goes down smooth. Currently only two brands produce the Tennessee variety: Jack Daniels and George Dickel.Rye
Dry, spicy, and with a little more edge than bourbon, this was once the signature American whiskey. A purist would claim that a Manhattan can only be made with rye. Once a relic, rye is making a comeback with connoisseurs. Not to be confused with Canadian whiskey, the American version must contain 51 percent rye. Try six-year-old Sazerac Rye.Corn
This is better known as moonshine. Clear, strong and made with 80 percent corn, this was the predecessor to bourbon. Most varieties are aged for only a few months and not in wood. For an experience try Georgia Moon or Virginia Lightning.Single Barrel
Each barrel of whiskey produces a slightly different flavor, so most whiskey is a blend of many barrels to achieve a uniform taste. To create a premium class, the distiller samples and selects the finest barrels which are individually bottled one at a time.Small Batch
Some experts believe that bottling by a single barrel creates an inconsistent and peculiar whiskey. So instead, distillers create a premium product by combining a few choice barrels into a small batch that is bottled and labeled with an individual batch number.(via)
Beers for the Non-Beer Drinker
Beer is beloved by many around the world, but there are some folks out there who unfortunately, are just not too keen on the stuff. Often this can be because they’ve never had a proper introduction to all the different tastes and variety that beer has to offer. We here at Beeriety believe there is a beer out there for everyone. It’s with this in mind that we present some suggestions for how to introduce beer to someone who prefers other types of alcoholic drinks.
Anyone serious about craft beer should know that great beer should be enjoyed responsibly. So today we’re breaking it down and talking about how alcohol effects the brain…
