Cocktail Recipes, Punch Mixes, Culture, Bartending, and Drinking Supplies

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Wine Wonderland – Francis Ford Coppola Winery
ByDaphneFeng August 15, 2012

Nestled in the picturesque countryside of northern California, south of Geyserville just off the 101, two iconic glass spires glow vividly against the deep blue sky framed by vine studded rolling hills sweeping off into the distance. From a nearby parking lot, guests, as if stepping onto an elaborate movie set, ascend a swooping white stone grand staircase to arrive at a large wrought iron gate emblazoned with the name Francis Ford Coppola Winery (FFCW). … Read more

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Rose Courvoisier Liqueur Review
ByRachel Halpren August 13, 2012November 21, 2012

Rose Courvoisier recently celebrated its first year anniversary as a product. That’s not bad for a new product release in the ever competitive spirit space these days. It seems like new products are being released weekly, if not daily. It’s hard to keep up. Rose Courvoisier is a liqueur at 18% alcohol by volume (versus the Courvoisier cognac that clocks in at a much heavier 36%) that was created by blending Courvoisier cognac and red … Read more

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The Billionaire’s Vinegar – Literary Monday
ByRachel Halpren August 13, 2012

In The Billionaire’s Vinegar, Benjamin Wallace investigates one of the largest, if not the largest, alleged frauds in the wine business. The Billionaire’s Vinegar is a fascinating look into the world of high stakes, high priced wine. Loads of wine obsessed rich people looking to possess rare and elusive bottlings. You can see why this book is fascinating – it quickly caught my attention, and I was engrossed to the end.

The Billionaire’s Vinegar examines … Read more

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Highlights from Tales of the Cocktail 2012
ByJonas Halpren August 9, 2012August 23, 2012

This past week marked the 10th installment of New Orleans mixology orgy, Tales of the Cocktail. It is by far the largest celebration of cocktail culture in the country. Tales (as it called by ‘vets’) is a who’s who of bartenders, journalists and brands. It is a wonderland for up and coming barterers and enthusiasts.

We spent a whirl wind 72 hours in New Orleans, camping at the famed Roosevelt Hotel rather than Tales HQ, … Read more

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The Wild Vine – Literary Monday
ByRachel Halpren August 6, 2012

The Wild Vine is a must read for any lover of American wine or what we like to call “weird varietals”. Weird varietals are obscure wines that are often made from indiginous grapes or hybrids. In this case, The Wild Vine chronicles the birth, growth and near death experience of Norton, a grape that its author calls the most American of grapes. As you learn in the book, it’s obscure, a hybrid and indiginous to … Read more

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Poptails Review – Literary Monday
ByRachel Halpren July 30, 2012

Poptails was made for this scorching summer heat! If you are wondering what poptails are, they are essentially popsicles made with booze. Yum! We received this book a few weeks ago and hadn’t gotten around to reviewing it. It’s hard to be excited about poptails when San Francisco has barely broken 70 this summer. However, we were inspired by the Oxley poptails that we had at the 2012 Tales of the Cocktail. As you can … Read more

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The Battle of the Bloody Mary Mixes
ByMitch Wilburn July 21, 2012July 20, 2012

In very quick succession a couple of months ago, Vegas hosted two of the biggest shows for liquor and liquor accessories in the biz: the Nightclub and Bar Show and the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America Show. Aside from some of the trends you would expect, a never-ending selection of new vodkas and white whiskey/moonshine (short story: I have a love-hate relationship with white whiskey, but they are getting better), one of the biggest … Read more

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1800 Tequila Review
ByAlexander Hanna July 19, 2012November 21, 2012

Summer is officially here, and one of the first things I reach for behind the bar is tequila. Whether you like to sip a nice aged anejo neat or prefer your tequila crystal clear and frozen in a margarita while at the beach, its definitely the spirit of summer. With so many brands to choose from, every little gimmick counts and so you may have noticed advertisements for 1800 Tequila in the past featuring Soprano’s … Read more

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Southern Comfort Cherry Liqueur Review
ByAlexander Hanna July 10, 2012November 27, 2012

With so many brands focused on adding flavors to their collections, we sometimes forget about “the original flavored spirit”. But Southern Comfort is ready to reclaim its title. Keeping it fresh and innovative is key in the spirits industry and so Southern Comfort has stepped up to the plate after releasing SoCo Lime in 2010, SoCo Fiery Pepper in 2011 and now its latest offering, SoCo Cherry. Southern Comfort was originally created by bartender Martin … Read more

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Happy Pina Colada Day!
ByRachel Halpren July 9, 2012July 9, 2012

July 10th marks Pina Colada Day! The Pina Colada is the perfect blend of pineapple, coconut cream, rum and ice! I have to admit that a virgin Pina Colada (without the rum) is pretty delicious as well. Thanks to some medical issues and crazy antibiotics, I was forced to drink virgin drinks on a recent vacation. The virgin Pina Colada was the best of the bunch. Given the heatwave sweeping America, a Pina Colada would … Read more

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