Notes

• It’s coming and you can’t stop it: the return of Blue Curaçao.
• What beer goes with what cheese? A simplified guide to pairing your brew.
• Leftover beer? Cook up one of these recipes!
• And continuing the beer thread, here’s a visual map of all the popular beers around the world you’ve probably never heard of.
• Ok, one more beer topic. Because this is just stupid and really, why isn’t there more gun control?
• I just love the title of this article. Also, I’m going to keep pretending adding a veg to a cocktail makes it healthy.
• The craft cocktail movement must be real if the Smithsonian says so.
• With just one drink, you can be waaaaaay more attractive.
• I don’t believe any of this “science”, but give me a glass of wine anyways.
• Wait. Seriously? We’re going forward with powdered alcohol?!

 

• One man’s search for the perfect Tiki bar (in Los Angeles).
• Why you should tip your server/bartender/etc… even when you don’t have to.
• I feel like, in a few months, someone is going to pop up and say GOTCHA! over all this.
• Taste testing all those beer and food pairings out there experts tell you work.
• The “if I can fight in combat I should be able to drink under 21” argument has surfaced in Washington.
• The real rockstars of bourbon have a couple years on all of us.
• England is making booze with your unwanted fruit.
• Round up of some excellent liqueurs. Easter basket treats anyone?
• Maybe Dan Aykroyd will guest bartend at The Coconut Club if we use his vodka? Ghostbusters tiki drinks?
• I love a good debate. Especially between to cocktail guys I respect. What side are you guys on? #TeamAmarettoSour!

ALSO: nominations for the 2015 Saveur Best Blog awards have opened up. If you’ve enjoyed reading this and looking at all the pretty cocktails I make, please consider Stir & Strain with a nomination! Here’s the link!

 

• In Los Angeles this week? There’s still a few seats left for this month’s The Coconut Club!
• NYC has Tiki pirates…It’s time for me to visit NYC.
• I didn’t know Iowa even had a wine industry! Way to go on the PR campaign Iowa. Way to go.
• Lots of empty booze bottles hanging about? Put them to good use.
• Here is your sake primer. With illustrations.
• Insane Tiki drinks on fire. Seriously cool.
• Iceland outlawed beer until 1989. No, really.
• Bartending is hard. And not just because your customers suck.
• I’ll stay at any of these places in Napa. The wine is just the icing.
• In Chicago? Have one of these ladies make you a drink.

• Flat champagne no more! Learn what a single raisin can do to save your bottle of bubbly.
• Tiki! Mermaids! A reason to visit Great Falls, Montana.
• Creating an exhibition on Scandinavian Spirits takes some help. Support it here.
• When drinking wine just ain’t enough. Here’s the top 10 wine movies.
• Produce is not just for salads. It’s also for drinks.
• Because Sherry is everywhere, here is your cheat sheet.
• You might be able to make a livable wage bartending in SF… but it still costs too much to actually live there.
• If he writes it. I will buy it.
• There’s a mini bottle of booze for every (movie) occasion.
• We are announcing new Coconut Club dates TODAY! Stay tuned!

• Giveaway alert!! I’m giving away a bottle of SelveRay Cacao Rum to TWO lucky readers this week.
• Snarling and swearing soon to follow...
• Quick! I need $1200 for this cocktail shaker.
• Bone broth for cocktails! Bone broth for cats! The broth craze is going to be everywhere, and then nowhere in a year.
• SO. MANY. ROBOT. BARTENDERS. Thoughts?
• Bands and beer can actually play nice together.
• You can virtually tour some of Scotland’s remote distilleries, but no, they’re not sending you samples in the mail.
• Guinness went and got all fancy. Take a look.
• What questions to ask yourself while stocking a bar including how is vodka the same as tequila and light rum???
• Are we still making fun of mixologists on TV? Is this still a thing?

• Liquor delivered to your door via an app. OK!
• Learn that shorthand spoken at Death & Co. in NYC and yell it about in your home bar.
• I’m just amused by the comments and the ratings on Bevmo’s page for the Sluricane more than the existence of this beverage.
• We can all (mostly) agree Japanese Whisky is delicious, but now they throw in these cool label designs too?!
• Scared about drinking the “correct” wine? Here are some wine myths debunked.
• How the Cosmo kickstarted the craft cocktail movement.
• Boozing in the bathroom: London’s newest bars converted from beautiful shitters.
• I tasted these in a recent class on wormwood presented by Tempus Fugit. YOU WANT THESE IN YOUR MOUTH!
• Rogue Ales is doing whiskey now. But there’s not that much to go around.
• The Coconut Club is back in February! But we already sold out. Now we have MULTIPLE dates coming in March. Sign up NOW to be the first to know!

• On a DIY kick this year? Check out all these fun projects to start and maybe get around to finishing in a few months.
• Science! Some pills to make you sober. Some pills to make you drunk.
• And more “science”! Moderate drinkers live longer!
• Los Angeles is banning public advertising of alcohol. I really don’t have anything witty to say about this.
• Belgium’s ban on alcohol bears a striking resemblance to the Unites State’s.
• In the mood for visiting some historic bars? Here’s what you should order.
• Pretty sure beer cans could sub for soda for this project.
• I’m SO EXCITED for this new cocktail book. But seriously? I have to wait until November?!
• I have to agree that we probably can stop calling the craft beer movement “craft” and all just be in agreement that there are tons of people and places making excellent products now.
• This film makes me want to drink lots and lots of champagne. Excuse me, I’m off to do that right now.

• If you need to store your wine in your bra, well, then you might have a problem.
• Possibly endangered species. Balls. Poop. This beer worries me a lot.
• I’m pretty sure really crappy vodka is cheaper than getting drunk on vanilla extract.
• Fill up your engines and head out to visit some of these new bars opening across the US and Canada!
• Cocktails turned into emojis (it was bound to happen sooner or later).
• Pop quiz! What kind of old school cocktail are you (mainly for dudes…)?
• Trying to taste all the whiskies for your New Year’s resolution? Here’s an interactive map of bars with gigantic whiskey lists.
• I have no idea how “scientific” these claims are, but I’ll take them! 10 reasons whiskey is good for you.
• If you have any leftover champagne from NYE (shame on you) apparently you should be refrigerating those bottles.
• It’s 2015, time to plan a whole year of cocktail events around the globe.