Monthly Archives

March 2019

The 10 Coolest Tools for Your Home Bar

By | Mixology News

10 Coolest Tools for Your Home Bar, products on white, featured image

Once you’ve armed your home bar with the basics—a shaker, a few jiggers, rows of cocktail glasses—it’s time to invest in pieces that will truly set your collection apart.

These bar tools, gadgets and games let you show off a bit and have some fun by elevating every drinking experience from a solo happy hour to an eight person punch party. These aren’t “need to haves” or even “nice to haves.” They’re “awesome to haves.” Go ahead, treat yo self.

Ice Ball Mold

No one notices bad ice or even okay ice, but everyone notices great ice. There’s no quicker way to upgrade a cocktail than by pouring it over a well-crafted sphere, and this tray allows you to make perfectly round, eye-catching ice every time. The silicone material easily releases from the ice so you don’t chip your creations, and the four-ball set-up provides enough ice for a round of fancy cocktails with a few friends.

Ice Ball Mold, acrylic 4 pack

Ice Ball Mold


Pressurized Craft Beer Growler

If your home bar is more of a home brewpub, you need a keg that can pour the perfect pint. This upgraded growler looks great on your bar, ready to dispense your latest home brew, but it doesn’t require extensive construction like installing a full-sized tap. The insulated stainless steel walls keep beer cold up to nine hours, and an adjustable pressurization cap allows you to alter carbonation. And when your party packs up to head to the next spot, the growler can come along, too.

Pressurized Craft Beer Growler, rustic green wood wall background

Pressurized Craft Beer Growler


Gin Lovers Playing Cards

Gin Rummy gets a whole new meaning with this gin-themed playing card set. The deck features 40 gin brands from around the world, along with 12 classic gin cocktails. An accompanying booklet provides detailed background info on the brands and recipes for the cocktails, so any juniper aficionado can study up on their gin knowledge ahead of poker night.

Gin Lovers Playing Cards

Gin Lovers Playing Cards


Champagne Sabre

You haven’t really lived until you’ve macheted the cork off a champagne bottle like some kind of boozy warrior. With one swoop, you can instantly ramp up any party from a humdrum affair to an all-out bash. A proper champagne sabre makes it easy for anyone to achieve that feat (with a little practice) and ensures you won’t end up on YouTube in a Champagne Opening Fail video.

Champagne Sabre

Champagne Sabre


Pineapple Tumbler

Inject a little tropical flair into your weeknight drinking with this golden pineapple tumbler, complete with metal straw. While it’s not made of real gold (it’s actually plated brass), the  pineapple does offer sunny vibes to lighten your mood. At 16 ounces, it’s hefty enough to hold a small punch or two-person tiki drink, but we doubt you’ll want to share that straw for one second.

Pineapple Tumbler open on white

Pineapple Tumbler


4-Way Cocktail Jigger

This unusual jigger looks gimmicky at first, but it’s actually a piece of bartending history. According to the History Company, Albert F. Saunders designed a line of barware for the Benedict Manufacturing Company after the end of Prohibition. This recreation of one of Benedict’s historic designs looks and feels just like the midcentury original. The stainless steel finish and ergonomic, balanced design ensure that the jigger backs up its old-school looks with modern accuracy.

4-Way Cocktail Jigger on white

4-Way Cocktail Jigger


Four Glass Cocktail Carrier

It’s only natural for a home bartender to invite a few pals over to show off a fancy home bar, but once you start whipping up cocktail orders, you’ll quickly find it a pain to play both bartender and waiter. Make it easy on yourself by delivering libations to your thirsty friends with this cocktail carrier. Not only does the shiny gold finish fancify any cocktail or beer glass, but the carrier will keep you from looking like the “too many limes guy” meme with all your drinks.

Four Glass Cocktail Carrier on white

Four Glass Cocktail Carrier


Bar Games Coasters

Never suffer a dull conversation at your home bar again. This British pack of drink mats (as they call coasters across the pond) comes with 30 coasters, each with a different mini-game printed on it to keep you busy. The pack includes everything from a mini dart board played with coins, to a swear jar, to snakes and ladders, to something called “beer blots.”

Bar Games Coasters on white

Bar Games Coasters


David Wondrich Punch Set

Any serious host needs a serious punch set. Enter David Wondrich, cocktail historian extraordinaire and the mind behind this punch bowl. White stoneware lends gravitas to any soiree, while the fine Georgian-era stemmed punch glasses give drinks a high-class touch. In case you’re wondering about the Latin inscription inside the bowl, it roughly translates to “Let us eat, drink and be merry; after death, there is no pleasure.” Seems like sound advice to us.

David Wondrich Punch Set and packaging on white

David Wondrich Punch Set


Professional Wall-Mounted Corkscrew

Sure, there are cheaper corkscrews on the market, but budget rip-offs push corks in and blow up bottles. This professional, chrome-plated model looks great mounted on the wall and it won’t leave an explosion of Cabernet all over the kitchen. The easy lever action makes it a cinch to open several bottles in a row, making this the perfect tool for party hosts who open a lot of vino.

Professional Wall-Mounted Corkscrew on white

Professional Wall-Mounted Corkscrew

The post The 10 Coolest Tools for Your Home Bar appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Two Wyoming Breweries are Creating a Special Beer for International Women’s Day

By | Mixology News

Roadhouse Brewing Co. - All Women's Brew Day, group shot, featured image

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8th and the 150th anniversary of Wyoming women’s suffrage—nearly 51 years before the 19th amendment guaranteed the same entitlement to all American women—the women of Jackson Hole’s Roadhouse Brewing Co. and Snake River Brewing, in collaboration with the Wyoming chapter of Pink Boots Society, will join forces to craft a special Equality Brew: a hoppy Belgian witbier, brewed in reverence to and for continued action toward progress.

The collaboration is part of the national Pink Boots Brew Day, which last year garnered 260 participating breweries from 10 countries.

“The Pink Boots collaboration brew day was created to celebrate the female spirit in the craft brewing industry, and we partnered with regional female-owned and managed Gooding Farms to source the hops (Idaho Gem) for the beer and recognize women in our sister industry.”
– Jody Valenta, Roadhouse Brewing Co. President & COO

Roadhouse Brewing Co. - All Women's Brew Day, group shot

Roadhouse Brewing Co. – All Women’s Brew Day

Brewing will take place at Snake River Brewing on International Women’s Day, Friday, March 8th. Tappings of the collaborative Equality Brew will happen in mid-April at the recently opened Roadhouse Pub & Eatery and at Snake River Brewing, with $1 per pint being donated back to local, female-empowerment non-profit organizations. One organization is Womentum, a non-profit that exists to energize, enrich and encourage the vision, voice and visibility of the women and girls of Wyoming by developing and funding programs that result in social justice. Another is Climb Wyoming, which is a nonprofit for low-income single mothers to discover self-sufficiency through career training and placement

“Snake River Brewing is once again excited to be part of the annual Pink Boots brew day. We’re very proud of our Wyoming roots and Wyoming’s history of strong women. It’s only natural that when we sought inspiration for the Equality Brew, we looked back to the suffragettes of Wyoming, and turned to collaborate with some of our fellow pioneering females in the brewing industry.”
– Ariel Korber, Marketing Director of Snake River Brewing

Any women from the industry are welcome to partake in the brewing process and can reach out to PBSWyoming@PinkBootsSociety.org for more information.

The post Two Wyoming Breweries are Creating a Special Beer for International Women’s Day appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Mixing St. Patrick’s Day Magic with Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey

By | Mixology News

The Irish Palm, cocktail on barrel, featured image

An unusual cookie confection known as Irish Potatoes are a St Patrick’s day tradition in Philadelphia where I live.

Mounds of cream cheese and coconut are coated in cinnamon and can be found all over the city during March. The candy is made of coconut, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, then coated in cinnamon giving it the appearance of a small potato. As far as I know they’re found only in the Philly vicinity, and mostly around the annual St Patty’s Day celebration. I grew up eating them during this special end of winter holiday celebration.

Don’t laugh, but they were the inspiration for my cocktail. I chose the Knappogue Castle 12 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey which has a beautiful sweet mid palate with some fruit to brighten it and a nice spicy finish that I chose to accentuate. I thought it played well with the creamy sweetness and spicy coating of the St Patty’s day treat. So, I chose to bring in a bit of spice from a liqueur and brighten it up with coconut. Flavor wise it reminds me a bit of something you might find on a tropical island, and beyond the Irish Whiskey it doesn’t have a whole lot in common with Ireland, but then again neither do palm trees and Ireland has those … well, sort of.

The Irish Palm, glass, package, bottle and moss, mushroom garnish on

The Irish Palm

The Irish Palm

By Kyle Darrow

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Knappogue Castle 12 Year
  • .5 oz. Drambuie
  • .25 oz. Allspice Dram
  • 5 dashes Toasted Coconut Bitters*
  • Coconut Water Ice Cubes

*Toasted Coconut Bitters

Remove flesh from the shell of one coconut and place in a flat pan over medium high heat. Cook dry until coconut turns slightly brown and fragrant. Transfer to a clean glass jar and add enough high proof rum to cover plus 1 inch. Allow to sit for one week then strain through a fine mesh strainer, then again through cheese cloth.

Preparation: Crush a cinnamon stick into a pile on a heat resistant surface and char gently with a culinary torch.  Flip a snifter over it to extinguish the flame and capture its smoke; set aside. Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with the coconut water cubes. Stir until well chilled and strain neat into the smoked snifter.

Knappogue Castle Single Malt Irish Whiskey is named after a beautiful 15th century castle that stands in County Clare, Ireland. The castle was purchased in the 1960s by Mark Edwin Andrews. He is known for bottling Knappogue Castle Irish single malt whiskeys at a time when only blended whiskeys were popular in Ireland and around the world.

Knappogue Castle Single Malt Irish Whiskey is made from malted barley, triple distilled a batch at a time in copper pot stills and aged in ex-bourbon oak casks for a minimum of 12 years. The portfolio includes Knappogue Castle 12-year-old, limited editions Knappogue Castle Twin Wood 14 and 16-year-old, as well as Knappogue Castle 1951, revered by connoisseurs as the oldest and rarest Irish whiskey commercially available.


Meet Kyle Darrow

CHILLED 100 Member, Philadelphia

Kyle got his start in the industry working weekend nights at a 24-hour diner while getting his degree from Virginia Tech. “The high I got from running around got me hooked,” shares Kyle. From there he moved back to Philadelphia and is now the head barman at Red Owl Tavern in the Hotel Monaco, located across the street from Independence Hall and The Liberty Bell.

Kyle believes in a mindful approach to bartending. “It’s all a balancing game,” he says. For him, that balance lies between the experience and the craft.

“With service, there are two parties involved—the guest, and me. It’s those times when both parties are on the same page that personal connections are made and that’s what makes this job special to me. They’re in my home away from home, and I have the power to alter someone’s mood and change his whole day around. When a guest arrives, I can give him a refreshing drink that makes him feel special, or a warm comforting drink that makes him feel like he’s home even if he’s thousands of miles away.”

Taking pride in his craft is important, but he tries to keep his ego in check. “I think cocktail menus should be made for your guests without influence from your own ego. It shouldn’t be ‘look what I can do,’ it should be more like, ‘this is what I can do for you.’ Most guests don’t have the same amount of knowledge as the bartender, nor should they. It’s my profession, and my responsibility to have the knowledge of spirits and techniques. I educate guests that are interested in it, but my list is heavily influenced by what people ask for, with some cool techniques or interesting flavors that keep it exciting for me, too.”

Kyle Darrow - CHILLED 100 Member, Philadelphia, headshot

Kyle Darrow – CHILLED 100 Member, Philadelphia

The post Mixing St. Patrick’s Day Magic with Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

5 Expert Tips for Infusing Fruit Flavors Into Spirits and Syrups

By | Mixology News

Federico Avila mixing a cocktail behind the bar, featured image

With more than 13 years of bartending experience at prolific establishments like the Experimental Cocktail Club and The Dead Rabbit, Federico Avila, bartender and general manager of NYC cocktail den Bar Belly, has found that infusing flavors into spirits and syrups is the most efficient way to create more interesting drink offerings for his customers.

“I really love flavors,” Avila says. “I like food, I like to eat, so I think of making a cocktail like when you make a stew. You have your starch, you add your vegetables, maybe something acidic like tomatoes—that’s basically what I think makes a good cocktail, the different layers of flavor together. There shouldn’t be a single flavor that’s overpowering.”

Adding fruit flavor directly to a drink’s sweetening agent or base spirit helps keep cocktail recipes streamlined, which is one of the primary reasons Avila recommends experimenting with infusion to both professionals and home bartenders. When determining how to incorporate fruit flavors, Avila says the first step is deciding whether to infuse the fruit directly into the alcohol or create a simple syrup instead. There are several factors at play including the time available until serving, the other liqueurs, sweeteners and flavoring agents you plan to use, and the qualities of the fruit itself.

Federico Avila mixing a cocktail behind the bar

Federico Avila

Photo by Gabi Porter

“Making a syrup is quicker, but you can easily mess it up if you expose it to too much heat,” he says. “If you want to spend the time, the infusion will probably take a day or two, and you’ll have to taste it all the time, but there’s gratification [in the end result]. Somebody else made the spirit, but you made the infusion yourself.”

Avila also notes that infusions mitigate the risk of making a cocktail overly sweet with the addition of too many flavored syrups or liqueurs. “Infusing the spirit gives you the ability to use more ingredients without altering the actual cocktail because you can introduce a different flavor without changing the volume or adding sugar,” he says. “Because cocktails are all about concentrated flavors within a small amount of volume, you can’t just keep on adding different syrups.”

For those still undecided, Avila suggests evaluating the moisture content of the fruit as a barometer for determining methodology. “If [the fruit] has more water content, it would probably work better to do a syrup,” he says. “If you were to make something with pineapples, I would say make a syrup. If you’re using a fruit that doesn’t have a lot of juice, like bananas, you’re better off infusing them because they can be harsh, so they need the alcohol.”

Ultimately, there’s no definitive rulebook for determining how best to infuse fruit into your cocktail. But whatever method you choose, Avila recommends keeping these tips in mind.

Keep the Heat Low

When simmering a syrup, keep the heat low at all times to avoid overcooking your ingredients. “Lavender is a good example because it’s very easy to work with, but you can actually ruin it,” Avila says. “If you overheat it, it turns bitter.”

The same goes for syrups created using citrus zest. “If you expose it to too much heat, you will bruise it,” Avila warns.

Kitchen Gadgets Can Help

If you’re worried about burning your syrup, Avila proposes forgoing the cooking entirely and turning to countertop appliances. “You can really just throw it all in a blender,” he says. Toss warm water with sugar in a blender and blend it up, and you’ll have a syrup.” For fruit-flavored simple syrups, Avila says the fruit can be added directly to the blender with the sugar, noting that a 2:1 ratio of watermelon to sugar can be blended and strained to create a delicious syrup for watermelon Margaritas.

For those looking for even more control, Avila suggests employing a sous-vide technique by placing your chosen fruit in a plastic bag with water and sugar and submerging it in a warm water bath, as he does with his own syrups at Bar Belly. “You can buy a sous-vide for like $80 and you don’t even need to vacuum seal it,” he says. “You can just get yourself plastic bags and do it at home!”

Keep Syrups Cold

Once you’ve made your syrups, Avila stresses the importance of keeping your creations cold to preserve freshness. This means storing them in a refrigerator overnight and keeping them on ice throughout the evening if you plan to have them accessible while entertaining.

“Every single syrup moves from a refrigerator to a cold well,” Avila says about the syrups at Bar Belly. “We don’t keep our syrups in an ice box, they’re actually in the ice in our custom made well because they stay fresh much longer—the flavors taste super ripe at all times!”

Infuse Clear Spirits

Vodka is a blank canvas,” Avila says. “It’s very versatile; you can do anything with it, which is pretty cool! I like to infuse citrus in vodka, or even gin, which works really well.”

He notes that because vodka is flavorless, it can easily take on the flavor of whatever fruit is being infused, making it a perfect place to start for those beginning to experiment with infusions. Alternatively, aged spirits like bourbon or rye, require the infuser to have a greater understanding of flavor profiles because they already have their own distinct tasting notes which may overpower or even conflict with the fruit of choice.

Taste Your Infusions Regularly

“As a general rule of thumb, infusions take 24 to 72 hours,” Avila says. But he recommends tasting the infusion a couple times a day to determine when to remove the flavoring agent. Too early and the spirit will not take on the flavor, too late and the mixture could become too pungent or even oxidized.

The post 5 Expert Tips for Infusing Fruit Flavors Into Spirits and Syrups appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Regatta Expands With 3 New Flavors of Craft Cocktail Mixers

By | Mixology News

Regatta's Craft Mixer Lineup, cans on white, featured image

Regatta is proud to announce the evolution of their product offerings in the craft mixers category.

Beginning in March 2019, Regatta Dry Citrus Sparkling Tonic, Royal Oak Ginger Ale and Pacific Sea Salt Club Soda join their award-winning Regatta Ginger Beer and Regatta Light Ginger Beer. The full line-up creates a complex yet well-balanced flavor palate that mixes well with any spirit.

“Consumers want products that share their values and enhance their lifestyle. Regatta Craft Mixers are expertly crafted in small batches using the finest ingredients to appeal to these discerning customers. Our products are American-made, non-GMO project verified, and use the finest natural ingredients and no artificial preservatives. Simply said, our craft mixers make better cocktails and are available in packaging that fits our active and social lifestyle.”
– Sam Zarou, CEO of Affinity Beverages LLC

Regatta's Craft Mixer Lineup, cans on white back

Regatta’s Craft Mixer Lineup

Regatta Craft Mixers are packaged in a new 8.4 ounce “perfect-pour” slim can four-pack format that sets Regatta apart from the competition and is the ideal package for today’s on-the-go occasions. The can is lighter weight and more convenient than glass and provides the perfect amount for creating cocktails without leftovers. For customers, this means easy transport and less waste. Regatta also offers its Classic Ginger Beer in an 8 ounce squat can for on-premise accounts, a package that is preferred by bartenders.

Regatta is supporting the debut of its new craft mixers with a full service marketing plan and expanded sales efforts, including investing additional sales resources against growth in the liquor, grocery and other retail channels.

The post Regatta Expands With 3 New Flavors of Craft Cocktail Mixers appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Conor McGregor’s Irish Whiskey Launches in the UK

By | Mixology News

Connor McGregor's Irish Whiskey, holding bottle at bar, featured image

Eire Born Spirits just announced the launch of Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey in the United Kingdom.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) champion and one of the world’s most iconic athletes, Conor McGregor—who is the founder, chairman and majority owner of the company—is proud to expand the highly sought-after Irish whiskey by adding distribution in the UK. This expansion comes on the heels of Proper No. Twelve’s record-breaking launch in Ireland and the United States.

The Ireland and U.S. introduction created great excitement in the flourishing Irish whiskey industry by selling out of six months of supply within the first 10 days of release. A massive shortage called for McGregor to issue a rare apology, promising to remedy the out-of-stock-situation, which he did by air-freighting 25,000 cases into the United States in time for the holidays, which again sold out within days.

Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, bottle on white

Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey

Proper No. Twelve’s global launch expression is a blend of the finest golden grain and single malt. It is produced at the oldest distillery on the isle of Ireland in an area known for its rich soil and pure spring water. Proper No. Twelve is complex and sophisticated, yet smooth and approachable with hints of vanilla, honey-like sweetness and toasted wood.

“It has been an incredible start for Proper No. Twelve, and I am humbled by the support of all our customers, and most importantly the people who enjoy this proper Irish whiskey from a proper Irishman. It is made with Ireland’s best spring water and finest golden grain and single malt. It is pure liquid gold! Entering the UK market continues my dream for Proper No. Twelve to become an iconic global brand. To the people of the UK, I say Sláinte.”
– Conor McGregor

Connor McGregor's Irish Whiskey, holding bottle at bar

Connor McGregor and Proper No. 12 Irish Whiskey

It is important to McGregor to give back in a meaningful way. First responders and emergency service providers exemplify his core values and those of Proper No. Twelve—commitment, loyalty and community—a “one for all” mentality.

“First responders and emergency personnel all over the world are the unsung heroes who act with courage and answer the call of duty every day for people in need,” McGregor says. “The company has committed to donate $5 for every case sold to local first responder and emergency service organizations and charities, up to $1 million annually.”

Proximo Spirits is the global distribution partner for Proper No. Twelve, now available in the UK, Ireland and the United States.

The post Conor McGregor’s Irish Whiskey Launches in the UK appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News