Stir & Strain

bar accessories

May Entertaining: Memorial Day Backyard Party

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It’s a three day weekend. Time to grab a watermelon, eat some frozen champagne and dress up like a cocktail!

May Entertaining: Memorial Day 2018 Gift Guide // stirandstrain.com

It’s the official start of summer. So let’s tap a (watermelon) keg, freeze up the champagne (pops), and break out the patriotic bunting and vodka. You’re going to need some shades out there in that sun, so they might as well resemble your favorite cocktail. And if that’s too loud a statement, put your favorite spritz on your shoes instead.

1. Bunting 2. Cocktail Sunglasses 3. Aperol Spritz Shoes 4. Tiki Pin 5. Frozen Champagne Pop 6. Watermelon Keg 7. Watermelon Martini Pop 8. Star Swizzle Sticks 9. Crystal Head Vodka

Catch up on all the gift guides here!

May Entertaining: Cinco de Derby Party

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Giddy-up! ¡Olé! It’s a Cinco de Derby Cocktail Party brought to you by Master of Mixes!

May Entertaining: Cinco de Derby Gift Guide // stirandstrain.com

Place your bets! Does your trifecta include Blood Orange Margaritas? Minty Mint Juleps? Three Sheets to the Wind? (I’m definitely putting all my money down on those three)

When Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby fall on the same day, everyone’s lucky. So, it’s time to throw a party of dueling cocktails! Mix up a giant punch bowl of Master of Mixes Blood Orange Margaritas, or make some ice cold batches of super minty Mint Juleps with a little help from Master of Mixes Mint Syrup (with extra mint garnishes please!). Stir it up with a pony or two, and tip back a festive cup to drink them all out of. And if you’re headed to the races later, slip a little into your lucky flask.

1. Party Banner 2. Cactus Cups 3. Tassel Napkins 4. Pony Cocktail Pick 5. Master of Mixes Blood Orange Margarita Mix 6. Master of Mixes Mint Syrup 7. Silver Punch Bowl 8. Opera Glasses 9. Horseshoe Flask

 

If you’d like to learn more about Master of Mixes and their naturally flavored, delicious mixers (and take a peek at their over 45! different flavors), please visit them at MixologyPro.com!

Bar Cart Styling: From Coffee to Cocktails

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It’s like one of those day to night outfits, except with a bar cart.

Bar Cart Styling: From Coffee to Cocktails, a day to night transformation // stirandstrain.com

Earlier this year I saw the alarming trend that cocktail bar carts were going away! And instead, coffee carts were going to be the next big thing. Well, we’re all not about to throw away a $600 cart we bought just to get another cart and then have that trend flop on its face. If you’re on the fence about purchasing a cart, well, maybe this will inspire you! You can have it both ways by dressing your cart up for breakfast AND happy hour. Let me show you how your bar cart can do double duty as it transforms from coffee to cocktails.

  • Utilize items that work for both coffee and cocktails: sugar cubes, spoons, containers, napkins, straws, etc…
  • A french press will make a great cup of coffee AND you can use it to infuse flavors into booze.
  • Double duty glasses for water and cocktails.
  • Coffee and tonic is still a trend so keep a few bottles out for morning and then later for G&Ts.
  • Have a house cocktail and keep just those items stocked on the cart.
  • Flowers! Decorate with edible flowers like pansies or nasturtiums and your cart will look pretty all day, and your drinks will look pretty all night.
  • Keep the whiskey, rum, liqueur, etc… out. Who says you can’t have coffee and cocktails?!

1. Edible Flowers 2. Canister 3. French Press 4. Ceramic and Wood Glasses 5. Leaf Napkins 6. Sugar Cubes 7. Bar (Coffee) Cart 8. Glasses 9. Containers 10. Tonic 11. Decanter 12. Gold Straws 13. Bitters 14. Bar Spoon

Gift Guide: A Sweet, Boozy Valentine’s Day 2018

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Give me all your whiskey filled chocolates and don’t ask me to share. That’s love.

Gift Guide: A sweet, boozy Valentine's Day // stirandstrain.com

What time is it? It’s time for champagne! Champagne cocktails, with a splash of hot red, bitter love. Mix it up for two in a few racy glasses and top off the evening stuffing your face with whiskey filled chocolates. Not into chocolate? How about a glass that doesn’t leave condensation rings all over your coffee table? Now that is SEXY.

1. Rosé Gummy Bear Cocktail Kit 2. Duo Glass 3. Champagne Watch 4. Stripper Glass Lady 5. Stripper Glass Man 6. Irish Whiskey Chocolate 7. Sweet Drink Stir Sticks 8. Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Rosé 9. Red Vintage Pitcher 10. Campari

New Year’s Eve Bar Cart Styling: The Champagne Cocktail

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We’re all so exhausted from this year. Let’s ring in the new year with a simple cocktail. And a sword.

Bar Cart Style Post: New Year's Eve Champagne Cocktails // stirandstrain.com

Keep this year’s style simple with a few glittery tassels and a light box that tells guests to “Make Drinks Here”. If you want a few theatrics, pop that bubbly with a sabre and point guests to the use of your Chambong. Our drink of choice? A Champagne Cocktail: just drop one sugar cube into your glass. Add some Angostura bitters. Pour in the champagne. And don’t forget the Bloody Mary glasses for the morning after.

1. Metallic Tassels 2. Light Box 3. Stemless Champagne Flutes 4. Champagne Sabre 5. Pink & Gold Napkins 6. Glitter Champagne 7. Sugar Cubes 8. Angostura Bitters 9. Bloody Mary Glasses 10. Arabella Bar Cart 11. Chambong

Check our Instagram this week for a chance to WIN an Arabella Bar Cart and a bunch more prizes from Louis Jadot Wine!

Catch up on all the gift guides here!

Gift Guide: Smells Like Booze Spirit

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It smells like a cocktail, but you don’t want to drink this.

Holiday Gift Guide: Smells Like Booze Spirit // stirandstrain.com

You do want to smell it and lather your body with it! Put it on your lips and chew on it for a little bit after dinner. For your booziest enthusiast friends, those who really, really like spirits, here’s a few stocking stuffer and hostess gifts for all you last minute shoppers out there. And of course, these pair well with an actual bottle of booze too.

1. Pisco Sour Candle 2. Cocktail Lip Balms 3. Bourbon Vanilla Soap 4. Craft IPA Shampoo and Conditioner 5. Scotch-Infused Toothpicks 6. Dark Rum Candle

Catch up on all the gift guides here!

Gift Guide: All the Good Stuff Boozy Gifts Over $50

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These are the gifts when you get your holiday bonus, or when you receive your inheritance…

Holiday Gift Guide: Boozy Gifts $50 and Over // stirandstrain.com

Cha-ching! Here’s your high class boozy gifts this year. From sexy alcohol infusers to shimmery bar carts, we’ve got something for you no matter what your holiday bonus. Something practical? A juicer! Something NOT practical? A very, very expensive racing car shaker. You could have a suitcase full of booze shipped to you, or if you prefer to work for your booze, how about a Snowman you need to whack with a stick to rain down nips? If you’re going to make the correct ice ball, you should really upgrade to the professional maker. And if you just can’t be anywhere without your beer, have a keg attached to your bike.

1. Beer Trike 2. Gin Decanter 3. Alkemista Infusion Vessel 4. Professional Ice Ball Maker 5. World’s Largest Tasting Set 6. Copper Gnome Cocktail Set 7. Racing Car Cocktail Shaker 8. Cuisinart Juicer 9. Snowman Nipyata 10. Gold Bar Cart

And stay tuned here tomorrow because we’re giving away one of these rad gifts!!

Catch up on all the gift guides here!

Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers for Booze Lovers

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Bottles of booze and cocktail books will fit into a stocking if you try hard enough.

Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers for Booze Lovers // stirandstrain.com

Santa Baby, just slip a couple bottles of booze into my stocking. And a cocktail book for some ideas. Give me something to mix it all up with. Maybe shaped like a car? And if you have the time, let’s play some cards together. The only Rummy I know however, is the one I put in the cookies.

1. The One Bottle Cocktail Book 2. Race Car Cocktail Shaker 3. Wine Socks 4. Luxardo Bitter Bianco 5. Cocktail Hour Playing Cards 6. Colorful Barware Set 7. Atomizer 8. The Real McCoy Rum

Catch up on all the gift guides here!

Gift Guide: More Boozy Gifts $50 and Under

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Time to replace all those thrifted mismatched glasses that aren’t ironic enough.

Gift Guide: More Boozy Gifts $50 and Under // stirandstrain.com

A little extra cash to spend means you can give the gift of some spiffy new barware this year. Whether it’s drinks for a crowd, drinks for 4, or a discreet single serving you wear on your arm, you can also…put a bird on it (or in it??). And while you’re improving their bar, you might as well get them some better bar tools. And some new booze. And then invite yourself over.

1. Braulio Amaro 2. Pineapple Corkscrew 3. Punch Bowl 4. Copper Decanter Set 5. Piña Colada Ring 6. Lark Bird Glass 7. Boston Shaker Set 8. Shag Tiki Glass Set 9. Gin Baubles 10. Flask Bracelet

Catch up on all the gift guides here!

Gift Guide: Boozy Gifts $25 and Under

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It’s not cheap, it’s frugal. Here’s our first of the “practical” gift guides this year.

Boozy Gift Guide: $25 and Under // stirandstrain.com

They might have a small price tag, but no one is going to regift these guys. Except maybe the reusable wine bag, because that’s the point. Whether you need some stocking stuffers they’ve never seen before (hello cocktail pins and firewater tincture!), some solid basics (muddlers! crushed ice trays!), or if you need a gift for your officemate who just got into cocktails (Meehan!), these are a sure bet. And of course, there’s always rum! And don’t forget yourself! I’ll be stirring up some drinks this holiday season with a couple Palm Springs stirrers.

1. Cocktail Pins 2. Meehan’s Bartender Manual 3. Extra Long Cocktail Muddler 4. Hot Toddy Carry On Cocktail Kit 5. Palm Springs Cocktail Stirrers 6. Firewater Tincture 7. Reusable Wine Bag 8. Crushed Ice Tray 9. Appleton Estate Rum

Catch up on all the gift guides here!