We’re giving away tickets to San Francisco’s Premier Wine, Food, and Spirits Week.
We have 4 tickets to the Sugar Party, 4 to the Spice party, and 4 to the Industry Party.

It’s easy to win!

1. Tell your friends about Drink Me

2. Get them to sign up for our email list (top right of this page)

We will choose 6 new email addresses and they will win a pair of tickets to one of the events (and bring you)!
The more friends you tell, the more chances you have to win.

Good luck. We’ll see you there.

SFChefs 2010 presented by Visa Signature®, is a food and wine event celebrating the unique flavor, diversity and bounty of Northern California. The main tasting tent will be in Union Square, where chefs, wine makers and distillers will offer an exploration of taste featuring local products. Classes and seminars will offer interactive opportunities for the public to participate with local farmers, ranchers, chefs, winemakers, distillers, media, luminaries, authors, vintners, mixologists and culinary experts in an entertaining forum.

http://www.sfchefsfoodwine.com/ (more…)

by Katie Pizzuto

I remember once having a conversation with a friend who was ranting about a co-worker who had sent him to get an item that she described as being chartreuse. So I pick up the phone and hear, “What the FUCK is chartreuse, Katie?” It was a tough one to answer because it could’ve been one of two things. “It’s either a slightly yellowish green or a slightly greenish yellow,” I answered. It was apparently enough to end the dilemma but not enough to end the questions. “How in hell did you actually know that? I was only calling because misery loves company—I wasn’t expecting a coherent answer.” The most likely answer would’ve been that I’m a graphic artist, and we artists are supposed to know our colors if nothing else (and often times, believe me, it’s really nothing else). Chartreuse happens to be the most visible color to the human eye.

But the truth of the matter was that I knew the answer because I am, as my family lovingly calls me, a boozehound though I personally prefer the term “spirits sage.” So I was honest: “Well the French have a liqueur called Chartreuse but there are two versions, yellow and green. It’s actually pretty interesting…apparently King Henri IV had sent the Carthusian monks an alchemical recipe for an “elixir of long life” that used something like 130 different aromatic herbs. The monks modified it and starting making it as “Green Chartreuse” but when they were expelled from France they stopped making it. Then, when they were finally allowed to return years later, they started making “Yellow Chartreuse” which is sweeter and milder. The color supposedly comes from the addition of…(click, dial tone)…uh, saffron.” (more…)

The second annual SIP awards took place a couple of weeks ago in San Diego. The event brings in a 50 person consumer panel to do a blind tasting and judge a slew of some new and some accomplished spirits. The competition seems to be an extremely eclectic and bizarrely diverse selection of spirits.  They’ve announced the winners of the competition, and here are some of them (congrats!):

Platinum – “Best of Class”

New Amsterdam Gin, Shakers Original American Vodka, 360 Double Chocolate Vodka, Antiguo Blanco Tequila, Ambhar Reposado Tequila, El Jimador Anejo Tequila, Semillero Joven Mezcal, Don Q Anejo Rum, Deadman’s Mango Rum, A.de Fussigny XO Fine Champagne, Nature’s Own Strawberry Delight, Don Q Mojito, Bong Spirit Vodka

by Lou Bustamante

There’s been a lot of rumors and commotion lately about the new relationship between Proximo and St. George Spirits, specifically in regards the Hangar One Vodka line. To get the scoop, I got a chance to sit down and talk to St. George Spirits master distiller Lance Winters and distiller Dave Smith.

According to Lance, “neither the Hangar One brand nor the distillery have been sold,” and that the only thing that has changed is that marketing and distribution rights for Hangar One vodka have moved from Craft Distillers to Proximo. Craft Distillers is best known as the folks behind the Germain-Robin brandy and Danzantes (recently changed to Los Nahuales) mescal brands, and Poximo are the marketers and importers of the 1800 Tequila and Three Olives vodka brands. (more…)

by Chris from WhiskyWall

We traditionally think whisky (or whiskey) comes from Scotland, Ireland or the United States.  OK, maybe from our neighbors to the north too – Canada.  However, June saw another entry into the single malt whisky world from of all places…India.  Yes, that is right India.  Amrut distillery based in Bangalore India released 5 new expressions here in the United States.  The whisky nerds here in the U.S. were clamoring for it prior to the release date, including me.  I ended up preordering a bottle just in case.

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The good people over at Combier Liqueur d’Orange have put together a clever (and super fun) shaking contest.  Developed with the idea that all bartenders have developed their own style of shaking your cocktails – some funny, some sexy, and some completely ridiculous, the Shakerfaces.com site brings you the best of the best.  You can tell a lot about a bartender by the way they shake.  The contest has only one week left, so be sure to check it out and vote for your favorite.