The folks at SF Cocktail Week have given us 2 All Access Passes to giveaway to our readers!

For those of you not from the Bay Area, San Francisco Cocktail Week, is a  week long celebration of the Bay Area’s liquid culture, cocktail heritage and  bar industry. continuing the opportunity for Bay Area patrons to experience, imbibe, enjoy and educate themselves on all things cocktailian from some of the country’s best bar experts.

Some event … Read more

September is Bourbon Heritage Month!

Did you know? The U.S. Senate signed “Bourbon Heritage Month” into law in 2007, reinforcing the 1964 Act of Congress that declared bourbon “America’s Native Spirit”.

Bourbon production has more than doubled since 1999 and the state of Kentucky currently has 4.9 million barrels gently aging, the highest inventory since 1978. That’s about 262 million gallons of Bourbon. There’s 2 more facts for you!

Long live soda! Or, maybe I should say long live elixirs, potions and concoctions. Long before Coca Cola and Pepsi ruled the “soda scene”, there were local pharmacists, soda jerks and soda fountains that were slinging their wares. And, many people acted as their own alchemists at home brewing up concoctions. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, Andrew Lynn in the The Artisan Soda Workshop harkens back to these days. Ms. Lynn does a terrific job of providing a number of recipes that you can use or adapt to make your own “soda”. I use “soda” loosely as a number of these recipes result in drinks that many would not consider “soda” on their own, yet alone with some well place boozey additions. …Read More

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Tequila Don Julio Anejo
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup plum tomato, chopped
2 teaspoons mole negro
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup shredded piloncillo, Mexican brown sugar (Substitute: 1/2 cup dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon molasses)
1/3 teaspoon Mexican hot sauce (Tamazula, Valentina or Búfalo)
2 pounds chicken, cut … Read more

I was a spectator at the Macallan Ice Ball Plunge at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail when I was struck with an epiphany. The booze industry is even more philanthropic than I thought. Almost every person in the industry that we know has donated time, booze, classes, swag and more. Even DOTW has gotten into the act, sponsoring the Martini Luge at the Silicon Valley Humane Society’s Fur Ball and donating multiple classes as fundraising items. …Read More

This past week marked the 10th installment of New Orleans mixology orgy, Tales of the Cocktail. It is by far the largest celebration of cocktail culture in the country. …Read More

Nestled in the picturesque countryside of northern California, south of Geyserville just off the 101, two iconic glass spires glow vividly against the deep blue sky framed by vine studded rolling hills sweeping off into the distance. …Read More

Rose Courvoisier recently celebrated its first year anniversary as a product. That’s not bad for a new product release in the ever competitive spirit space these days. It seems like new products are being released weekly, if not daily. It’s hard to keep up. Rose Courvoisier is a liqueur at 18% alcohol by volume (versus the Courvoisier cognac that clocks in at a much heavier 36%) that was created by blending Courvoisier cognac and red wine. …Read More

In The Billionaire’s Vinegar, Benjamin Wallace investigates one of the largest, if not the largest, alleged frauds in the wine business. The Billionaire’s Vinegar is a fascinating look into the world of high stakes, high priced wine. Loads of wine obsessed rich people looking to possess rare and elusive bottlings. You can see why this book is fascinating – it quickly caught my attention, and I was engrossed to the end. …Read More

I think that yogurt in cocktails is a wonderful marriage. It goes together very well during the summer season and is one of my favorite combinations. The sweetness of aged rum and fresh pineapple gives this Cultured Spirit very interesting layers.