Hello you barons of beer, clinkers of cocktails, warriors of wine! The weekend is upon us, and it’s a special one as we (most of us) get an extra hour of revelry this weekend.  Here are our top pics for libation-full links from our friends this week. Cheers! TastingTable rounded up the best cocktails of 2011.  Having tasted several of these (hooray for Breakfast Of Champions!), we have to agree with them. Cocktails and facial hair go together like whiskey and vermouth. It’s Movember. Check out the best moustaches, and perhaps donate to the cause, here. An interesting proposal is on the table, to allow the USPS to handle alcohol shipments. Now if we could only get shipping open to every state… Beeradvocate alerted us to Flying Dog Brewery’s latest brew: Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout. Cue the giggles. But seriously, this sounds delicious. And in case you haven’t noticed, the [...]

Remember James Bond?  You know that guy called 007 from those books?  They’re those things with pages and words written on them. In 1953, Casino Royale was written by Ian Fleming and the Vesper was born.  It consists of 3 parts Gin, one part Vodka and half Kina Lillet.  Kina Lillet isn’t made anymore (it will be soon!) so you can always substitute Cocchi Americano or even the original Lillet depending on how you’re feeling that day. Originally the drink was shaken, but I like to stir mine to keep that crystal clear, bright and beautiful texture. 3 oz Gin (A British Style to keep up with originality) 1 oz Vodka 1/2 oz Kina Lillet (Cocchi Americano works well) Stir or Shake (cringe!) and strain into a Martini glass or goblet. Garnish with a lemon twist  

There are the laws of man and those “of God.” The latter is dependent upon where you stand, literally. In the state of Utah, for instance, legal restrictions and permissions have ping-ponged back-and-forth since before it was a state. Early Mormon pioneers took alcohol along as part of their personal provisions during their treks westward and they used wine as sacrament in meetings and at temple dedication ceremonies. Yet as recently as 2009, LDS-influenced restrictions dictated that you had to be a member of a “private club” in order to get a drink at a bar. Fortunately for those wanting to do so, “joining” cost about $5 and, in some cases, was included free upon registering at a hotel. But Utah is not the only one of the United States to be impacted by religion. In fact, much of America is caught in a duality between “blue laws,” which limit [...]

Epic baseball week, folks.  Which  means it’s probably also an epic beer week. . . what’s everybody drinking? Who are you rooting for? What are you doing Friday, November 4? Enough questions.  Here are our favorite links from this past week!

Some people collect coins, some people collect stamps and some people collect this week’s topic: corks. It has become increasingly common to craft household items from corks. Trivets, wreathes, bulletin boards – and suits- are just some of the modern-day creations craft-stars have concocted for sale (at a hefty price too.) These are nice trinkets, but there is actually a more meaningful way to utilize many of the corks you pop in your own life, albeit not as practical. To what is this referring to? Memories. Here’s how: next time you’re at a party or a fancy dinner and the bottle of wine you are drinking is cork enclosed, snag that cork, write the date and the occasion on the cork and throw it in a decorative vase. The vase serves not only as stylish decoration, but also as a time capsule. Perfect for family occasions or when you need [...]

This is another one of those classic cocktails that worked its way into The Savoy Cocktail Book during prohibition.  You can use blended scotch (like in the Blood and Sand) or a single malt whisky.  It’s extremely easy to make and delicious to drink. 1.5 oz Scotch Whisky 1.5 oz Sweet Vermouth (I use Carpano) .25 oz Benedictine Lemon Twist as a garnish   Combine all ingredients in a glass and stir.  Strain the spirits into a nice glass, garnish with the lemon twist, and enjoy!  

Take a look at the bottle of wine/beer/spirits in your hand. How did it get there? Well, after it was produced, the producer sold it to a distributor at less than 50% of its retail price, who then sold it to a store at a large profit, who then sold it to you at a markup 18-25% higher than its intended retail price. There may have been a broker in there as well. Why so many middle men, and why so complicated? Prohibition and the three-tier system. Prior to prohibition, the alcohol industry was very loosely regulated, and dominated by a few very large producers. Anti-competition practices abounded: if a brewery or distillery didn’t have its own bar, it ‘invested’ in bars by giving loans or furniture and, in exchange, demanded that no other brands be sold on the premises. These big, bad breweries also required increasing sales, so the [...]

Happy Friday, October 21! According to Harold Camping, it’s probably your last.  Here’s a few fun links to ensure that you go out well-informed about your beverage choices!