Craft beer is all the rage these days (and thank goodness for that).  We’ve come so far in the past decade, it seems like a distant memory the day when, if you wanted to drink something more flavorful than a mass-produced lager, you basically could choose between Sam Adams or Anchor.  Nowadays you have to consult an almanac in order to parse the plethora of complex, full-flavored beer readily available at your local bar or package shop.  Just in the last 5 years alone, countless microbreweries (and nanobreweries, and  homebrewers!) have sprouted up from coast to coast.  If you’re in search of the best of what’s around, look no further: I’ve been kind enough to sort them all out for you in an easy to digest list with links provided to each.  Be on the lookout for future posts where I individually profile them in sordid detail… 5.) Anchorage Brewing [...]

Now that we’re almost a quarter of the way through 2012—and that much closer to our impending Mayan doom—it’s becoming clear that the ever-evolving world of mixology has sprouted some inventive new trends.  If you look carefully, you can see them popping up at bars and lounges across the country.  When you’re stepping out on the town, you don’t want to be a dinosaur and order, say, a Sazerac. . . that’s sooo 2011!  In order to keep it fresh, check out this updated list of the top 5 cocktail trends of the year: 5.) Vinegar cocktails?!: Strange but true.  Vinegar is making its rounds as an acidic alternative to lemons and limes as a mixer in many of your favorite drinks.  Red Medicine in Beverly Hills, for example, features no fewer than three vinegar-infused specialties on the menu at any given time.  If you’re going to try this one at home, don’t [...]

Vic’s Bagel Bar (544 3rd Avenue) is a customized cream cheese bar on the east side of Manhattan, providing an array of seasonal toppings that can all be mixed into traditional spreads according to your very own specifications.  Clever idea, to be sure.  But why would I be mentioning this here on DrinkMe, you might ask?  That’s a fair question, and the answer might surprise you: every evening from Thursday thru Saturday, Vic hosts Beer Pong Nights at his bagel bar. Offering customers pitchers of beer as they play one of the most popular drinking games on the planet, Vic lets patrons customize their own pizza bagels while they compete. Beer Pong NYC is an actual league devoted to the game that you probably spent too much time playing in college when you should have been cramming for the big exam.  But now that you’ve graduated, you have no viable excuse [...]

Everybody has their personal favorite watering hole that they can always depend upon for great times with familiar faces.  For me, that place is Pacific Standard (82 4th Avenue) in Downtown Brooklyn, New York.  If you’re into quality microbrews at a somewhat reasonable price, this borough has got it going on.  In fact, if I were to name 10 of my favorite bars in the city (and I probably will, at some point) no less than 9 of them would be located in the county of Kings. There’s a number of reasons that factor in to Pacific Standard being my personal favorite.  For one, they have the most consistently outstanding selection of West Coast microbrews that you’ll find anywhere in the Tri-State area.  The constantly rotating draft selections are also always hop heavy.  As a Californian that spends many a weekend visiting the Big Apple, this is of vital importance [...]

One of the most classically refreshing warm-weather beverages is the ever-popular Mojito.  Now that Spring is upon is, it’s a perfect time to kick back and cool down with this sweet and fizzy rum-based potable.  Although Southern Florida remains the most familiar bastion for Cuban cocktails, you can help yourself to their signature beverage no matter where you are.  Here’s a collection of the five best stateside Mojitos: 5.) Firefly Tapas Kitchen and Bar – Las Vegas, NV Who would’ve thunk that you could get your hands on a top-notch Mojito while deep in the desert of the American Southwest?  This is Vegas, baby.  Anything you want, you got.  This surprisingly exceptional tapas bar serves up a speciality Blood Orange Mojito that really hits the spot.  A great way to escape the Nevada heat. 4.) Mojitos Rum Bar & Grill – New Orleans, LA   While New Orleans is a [...]

One of the hottest trends in mixology today is the modern speakeasy.  A throwback to the days of prohibition, these nondescript watering holes pride themselves on a retro feel—everything from the lighting fixtures, to the wall decorations—even the attire of the staff behind the bar harkens back to the times of teetotalism.  While there might be many of these bars crowding the scene in this day and age, some are far better than others, backing up all that style with some serious substance, and some even more serious good ol’ fashioned elicit elixirs.  Check out today’s five standouts from the scene: 5.) Bourbon & Branch – San Francisco, CA This discreet (and famous) lounge in the middle of San Francisco’s seedy tenderloin, is not like any bar you’d expect in the neighborhood.  The walls are lined with an eclectic ensemble of antique books and the drink menu is peppered with speciality cocktails that [...]

If you were to look up the highest rated beer in the world, your search would bring you to a limited-release ale from Santa Rosa’s Russian River Brewing Company.  Any craft beer aficionado knows that I’m talking, of course, about the (in)famous Pliny the Younger, produced every February by renowned Northern California brewmaster Vinny Cilurzo.  But what exactly makes PtY so feverishly sought after that fans are willing to line up for hours before noon on a work day to sample even just a small taste of this intoxicating elixir? The answer relies on a hearty combination of fact and fiction, as masterfully blended as the drink itself.  To be sure, this sensationally well-balanced Imperial IPA drinks unimaginably well for a beer with such a high alcohol content–typically just over 11% ABV.  The pleasant pine of the hops immediately gives way to a citrusy complexity on the palate.  The color is what [...]

After a long night of drinking beer, the last thing you want to think about is having a sudsy brew in your food, but the flavor of an ale or lager can add a pleasant, lightly-hopped bitterness to a soup broth, especially ramen-style noodle soup. A popular street food across Japan, ramen is a hearty soup that’s as ubiquitous as the hamburger. It’s eaten with gusto on a cold day and just as welcome after a night out with a few drinks. The key to a good ramen is the broth, developing and layering the flavors to reach a savory balance. The use of beer keeps the broth from feeling too heavy or overpowering all of ramen’s ingredients. You can add almost anything to it, but a satisfying combination is thin slices of the pork loin that was braised in the broth itself and wedges of boiled egg, topped with [...]