Drunk Man's Blog

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail - Combustible Edison

2008-08-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

If you like bitter drinks, then you’ll really like today’s drink. The drink was developed by a lounge band of the same name back in the early 90’s. I can’t vouch for group’s music, but the drink is pretty good.

The Combustible Edison combines extreme bitterness with – you guessed it – fire. And while bitterness and fire might seem like an unbeatable combination, there is one downside.
This drink calls for an ingredient that isn’t exactly common: Campari Bitters.

In fact, at the liquor stores around my house, Campari is about as easy to find as a hot girl playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Given the fact that Campari is so uncommon, you may have to substitute Angustura bitters. The drink isn’t bad that way. The difference is that Angustura is much more powerful, and has more of a "clove" taste, whereas the Campari is more of a fruit taste (which is why Campari goes better with the Brandy).

Here are the ingredients:
2 oz Brandy
1/2 to 1 oz Campari Bitters (use 1/4 oz if you are substituting Angustura)
1 oz Lemon Juice

Ok, now let's make the drink.

Room temperature Brandy doesn't usually catch on fire. So, take the 2 oz of Brandy and pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Depending on your microwave, this will bring it to just below the boiling point – which is perfect.

While that's warming up in the microwave, shake the lemon juice and the bitters in a shaker with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Now, take the shot of brandy out of the microwave and light it on fire just as you pour it into your cocktail glass. Depending on how you pour it, the fire will probably go out almost immediately when you pour it in the glass. But if you are careful about it, you can "float" the brandy on top and it will burn with a really nice blue flame (you may have to turn the lights out if you can't see it).

The safest way to do this is to float the brandy on top of the drink first, wait a few seconds for the warm brandy to float up to the top of the drink; THEN light it on fire.

However, I have to be honest here and tell you that I prefer not to light mine on fire. There are essentially three problems with the fire thing:

Fire can burn you and your house
The fire warms up the drink (I usually prefer my cocktails cold)
The fire burns off some of the alcohol

If you don't feel comfortable lighting your drinks on fire, or you are religiously opposed to burning the alcohol out of your drink, then you can just skip the fire part. In that case it’s a Flame-retarded Edison.

Either way, pucker up buttercup.

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – Planter’s Punch

2008-08-08T08:06:00.000-07:00

Exactly 100 years ago today the New York Times published the following poetic recipe that is based on rhymes that are repeated by rote in the Caribbean:

PLANTER'S PUNCH
This recipe I give to thee,
Dear brother in the heat.
Take two of sour (lime let it be)
To one and a half of sweet,
Of Old Jamaica pour three strong,
And add four parts of weak.
Then mix and drink. I do no wrong —
I know whereof I speak.

Depending on where you are in the Caribbean, similar poetic recipes can be found for Planter’s Punch, Bajan Rum Punch, or Caribbean Rum Punch. The differences between them are minor variations in the ratios of lime juice to the other ingredients.

Decoding the rhyme, the “sour” is lime or lemon juice, the “sweet” is some form of citrus juice – usually pineapple or orange juice. The “strong” is, of course, rum. And the “weak” is water.

Today, we don’t usually water down our liquor because it is no longer sold at barrel strength the way it was 100 years ago. Plus, the crushed ice dilutes the drink naturally.

So, to modernize the recipe a bit, here’s how I make mine:

1 ½ oz Light Rum
1 ½ oz Dark Rum
3 oz Orange Juice (or substitute Pineapple Juice)
1/2 to 1 oz Lime Juice (depending on taste)
1 cup crushed ice

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well. Then pour into a Collins glass and garnish with fruit slices.

Of course, you can always scale this recipe up to a “punch” and make a whole pitcher of it.

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail - The Matador

2008-07-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

If you are going to be serving friends Margaritas outside this hot weekend, then you might consider offering the Matador as an option. It is similar to a Margarita, but is a little more fruity and sweet tasting – which actually makes it a bit better for those Late July deck and pool parties!

Now, there are a number of ways of making a Matador. Some recipes call for the use of RedBull in place of the Pineapple Juice that is used in the classic version. If you are looking for an extra jolt of caffeine then you might try that. You can also make them frozen (blended) or on the rocks.

One thing all the versions share is that they are tangy, sweet, and perfect for a hot day.

So for your viewing pleasure, we are including three versions of the Matador today. Try one, try ‘em all!

Classic Matador

1 1/2 oz Tequila (mid-grade “Gold” is fine)
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 tsp Simple Syrup

Directions: Shake it in a Cocktail Shaker with ice, Strain into a salt-rimmed cocktail glass.

Modern Matador

1 oz Tequila (mid-grade, again)
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1 oz RedBull
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Directions: Shake it in a Cocktail Shaker with ice, Strain into a salt-rimmed cocktail glass.

Frozen Matador

2 oz Tequila
1/4 oz Triple Sec
1/4 cup Pineapple Chunks
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 cup ice

Directions Combine these ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve this one in a highball or Collins glass

Friday 5 o'Clock Cocktail - Pina Colada

2008-07-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

Who doesn’t enjoy a nice cold Pina Colada on a hot day? The drink was developed in Puerto Rico in the 1950's and became popular in the States during the '70s.

Today it has a bit of a "Retro" flavor – or maybe that's just the Rum I taste.

Traditionally the drink is shaken, not blended. And while I usually try and do things the "traditional" way – I gotta say that when it comes to Pina Coladas, mine are blended.

Pina Coladas are also easy to make, since they only require 3 ingredients plus ice.

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz light rum
2 oz of Coconut Cream Liqueur (Coco Lopez is the traditional brand, but use what you have)
2 - 6 oz Pineapple Juice
1 cup of ice

Directions

Put everything in a blender and blend till smooth. Serve in an old-fashioned glass, rocks glass, or collins glass.

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail - Mai Tai

2008-07-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

One day, when I get around to finishing my book, “1001 Reasons to Drink Rum” you’ll see that Reason #48 is the Mai Tai.

I mean, perhaps I’ll even move it up a bit in the ranking because this drink is really, really good.

The legend of this drink is that its inventor (Victor J. Bergeron, of Trader Vics fame) mixed this drink up as a special for a visitor from Tahiti back in 1944. When his Tahitian friend tasted it, he said “Maita’i roa!” - which means “Out of this World!”

Thus was born the Mai Tai.

Hey, I don’t know if that’s true or not, but the drink really is Out of this World. And that qualifies it to be todays Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail.

Here’s how to make a Mai Tai:

1 1/2 oz dark rum (I use Myer’s)
1 oz of aged rum (typically Anejo rum, but any “gold” or “aged” rum will do fine)
1/2 oz Orange Curacao
1/2 oz Orgeat
1 oz lime juice
1/2 oz orange juice
1/4 oz simple syrup

Directions
Just take everything, put it in your cocktail shaker with ice and shake thoroughly. Serve it on the rocks in some kind of glass that’s big enough to hold it all.

Now, according to tradition, you are supposed to garnish this drink with an orange blossom and some orange peel spiral.

But we’re drunks, and we don’t have any fuckin’ orange blossoms, and we certainly don’t have the dexterity to peal up orange spirals!

So, just garnish it with a slice of orange and don’t worry about it.

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – Gimlet

2008-06-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

A Gimlet is one of those drinks where its beauty is in its simplicity. And since it has some historical significance, I thought I’d share it with you.

Sir Thomas Gimlette – a British surgeon, who was looking for a way to prevent scurvy in British sailors, invented the drink in the late 19th century. The lime juice in the drink contains a large concentration of Vitamin C, and so by combining it with the sailors’ daily ration of Gin, he was able to ensure they would stay healthy on their long voyages. Interestingly enough, this is why British sailors are referred to as “limeys”.

Gimlets are supposed to be made using Gin. However, just like with the Martini, there are people who think they don’t like Gin so they make the drink with vodka instead. If you do that, then you aren’t making a Gimlet – you’re just kidding yourself.

Just as with Martinis and the fight over how much vermouth to add, with Gimlets, everyone has a preference about the ratio of Gin to lime juice.

The traditional version of the drink uses a 50/50 ratio of Gin to Rose’s Lime Juice.
Most people find that this is too much lime juice, and I would have to agree. My preference is the following:

1 ½ oz Gin
1 oz Rose’s Lime Juice

That’s it. Put those two ingredients into a glass with ice, stir it and either drink it on the rocks, or strain it into a cocktail glass.

I know, I know. That isn’t good enough. Some of you out there want to turn it into a “signature drink” and start adding other shit to it.

Ok, if you want to do that, following are the top 5 ways to junk up a Gimlet:

Substitute Vodka for the Gin
Add other liquors to the glass like Rum or Tequila
Add cherries or cherry liqueur
Add soda or tonic water
Put lemon juice in it

I’m not saying that these ingredients will make the drink taste bad. But please just don’t call it a Gimlet. Call it a Gimlet’s Cousin, or Sir Thomas’ Hot Sister. Something like that.

Have a great weekend!

Friday 5 o’Clock Cocktail – Sex On The Beach

2008-06-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of summer here in the United States. If you happen to be in Europe, then you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for summer to start.

I don’t know why that is. Maybe some of you can clue me in.

At any rate, to celebrate the fact that the sun is hot, today’s cocktail is the famous “Sex on the Beach”.

I remember the first time I actually drank in a bar. I was with a friend of mine, we were about sixteen years old at the time. But we were tipping well, and that’s all the waitress seemed to care about.

I remember that day because we were doing shots of Sex on the Beach, and we were too young to know that the bartender was making them weak since he knew damn well we weren’t old enough to drink.

But they were good anyway, and these days I prefer to drink my Sexes as cocktails rather than shots.

Now, Sex on the Beach’es can be made in a number of ways. Generally, however, it’s Vodka, Peach Schnapps, and some mixture of fruit juices. The ratio of juices to alcohol is usually about 1:1, but you can change that to taste.

If you want to create higher alcohol versions of a Sex on the Beach, then what you would do is substitute different fruit Schnapps for the juices. So, for example, if you wanted a Pineapple tasting Sex, then you would substitute Pineapple Schnapps for Pineapple Juice. Usually you do this if you are making shooters.

So, that being said, here’s how I make them:

1 ½ oz Vodka
1 ½ oz Peach Schnapps (Or Southern Comfort)
1 ½ oz Cranberry Juice
1 ½ oz Orange Juice

Southern Comfort is a Peach Liqueur, so if you don’t have the Schnapps, then SoCo would be a reasonable substitute. Also, as I indicated above, you can change out the juices all day long depending on what you have in the fridge. Usually you try to mix a sweet juice with a tangy juice.

So, some good combos would be: Pineapple Juice and Grapefruit Juice; or Apple Juice and Cranberry Juice. Some people also put a teaspoon or so of Grenadine in – it has that sweet/tangy thing built in. You get the idea.

Anyway, Sexes are served in just about every kind of glass: shot glass, highball glass, rocks glass, or (my favorite) the cocktail glass.

If you’re serving in a shot glass, then you’ll be making a stronger drink that uses the schnapps in place of the juices.

Regardless, I hope you have a great first day of summer.

Cheers!

There are Thousands of Cocktail Recipes at the Drunk Man's Guide!

Key Lime Margarita

2008-06-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Thinking of having a margarita? Thinking of using one of those jugs of margarita mix? Wait, there is a better way...

Fact is, it's so easy to make a real margarita that you might as well not use the pre-mixed stuff – especially when you can make a margarita as good as the Key Lime Margarita!

Here are the ingredients:

1 ½ oz Tequila
1 oz Key Lime Juice (Use the bottled stuff – see below)
1 oz Cointreau (or substitute Triple Sec – again, see below)
1 key lime (quartered)

Now, key limes are tiny, so juicing up an ounce of their juice is a fool’s chore us Drunks don’t need to bother with - especially since there’s a work-around.

The Work-Around

You can buy key lime juice in a bottle for about six bucks at the grocery store. No, it isn’t quite as good as fresh squeezed, but it’s close.

Close enough that if you quarter a key lime and squeeze the juice into your cup before you pour in your ingredients, the fresh juice from the lime combined with the oils from the peel of the lime will give it that fresh-squeezed lime taste – at a fraction of the work.

So, add the lime juice, tequila, and Cointreau to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into your salted margarita glass with ice. Now, the trick is to maintain the presence of mind to salt the rim of your glass BEFORE you put the ice in the glass. That’s the ideal anyway.

If you are female or gay, then you can make a frozen margarita by putting your ingredients in the blender with ice. Pulse it a bit until the big chunks of ice get broken up, then increase the speed to produce a slushy consistency. If you’re a man, and you’re straight, then you’ll take yours “on the rocks”.

Note: If you don’t have Cointreau, then you can substitute Triple Sec or Grand Marnier. All are orange liqueurs. The difference between them is that the Triple Sec is sweeter, and more sugary. Whereas the Cointreau and Grand Marnier are higher quality, drier, more balanced liqueurs. Cointreau and Grand Marnier also cost about three times as much as your regular run-of-the-mill Triple Sec – so if it comes down to budget, choose Triple Sec. The lime taste of a margarita is so strong that you probably won’t notice the difference unless you taste the two side-by-side.

Remember there are thousands of Cocktail Recipes at the Drunk Man's Guide!

Friday 5 o'Clock Cocktail - Barbados Punch

2008-06-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

Captain Morgan, Lime, Triple Sec and Pineapple Juice. I'm not sure what could possibly go wrong with that combination of ingredients. Even if you messed up the proportions; most likely it would still taste great.

Right now, pineapples are a buck each at my grocery store, and I almost never need a reason to buy a bottle of rum. So, it just seemed natural to make this drink today. Then make another one. And then a third for desert.

The Barbados Punch is tangy-sweet, and refreshing with the ice slushy effect. A great way to plus this drink up is to substitute some chunks of pineapple for the pineapple juice. It creates this frothy sweet, lime citrus drink. Oh man, it's good.

I find when I make these blended drinks that it helps to prep the ice before I put the rest of the ingredients in. So I put the ice in the blender first and whack it around on low speed for a bit - pulsing on and off. Otherwise you end up with big chuncks of ice and the rest pulverized into liquid.

Of course, I'm just a Drunk and I don't have a fancy blender. Probably if you have one of those great bar blenders you don't have to worry about it.

Anyway, here's what you need:

1 oz Spiced Rum (That's Captain Morgan for most of us)
1/4 oz Triple Sec
2 oz Pineapple Juice (or better yet, throw some chunks of pineapple in the blender instead of the juice)
1 oz Lime Juice (fresh squeezed is always best, but use what you have)

Instructions: Put a cup of ice in the blender and crack it up a bit. Then add all the other ingredients and blend it up well. Pour into a highball glass, and garnish with a slice of your pineapple and a lime slice. Drink it responsibly (whatever that means).

Remember there are thousands of Cocktail Recipes on the Drunk Man's Guide!

Friday 5 o'Clock Cocktail - A Better Rum Runner

2008-05-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Normally I don’t like to make drinks that require a lot of ingredients. Why? The answer is the potential for multiple points of failure.

Besides the complexity of putting lots of ingredients into one glass without spilling, if the drink requires lots of ingredients then it is more likely that you’re going to be out of something, and then that’s going to screw up your plans.

But sometimes a drink is just so good; you have to make it – even if it has a lot of ingredients. And besides, when it comes to the ingredients in a Rum Runner, any self-respecting Drunk should have all this stuff stocked anyway.

Now, this is a drink that requires a short history lesson. The Rum Runners were the guys who smuggled rum from the Caribbean, Europe, and Canada to the United States during Prohibition. At first they used small, fast boats and carried small amounts of cargo. But by then end of Prohibition, their operations were much more sophisticated.

I’ve spoken before about the most successful and notorious Rum Runner. His name was Bill McCoy, and he hauled mostly Canadian and Irish whiskies to the Northeast Coast. His product was so well regarded that today we still refer to products of quality as “the real McCoy.”

Fortunately, you don’t have to brave machine gun fire from Coast Guard cutters just to have a sip of Rum. Getting the ingredients to make a Rum Runner requires only a quick trip to the store.

A couple months ago I presented a different version of the Rum Runner. Since then I’ve been hard at work researching a better recipe; and Holy Crap is this good!

Here’s how to make a BETTER Rum Runner:

1 oz Light Rum
1 oz Dark Rum
2 oz Pineapple Juice
½ oz Brandy
½ oz Banana Liqueur
1 oz Orange Juice
¼ oz Simple Syrup
Juice of ½ lime
Dash of Bitters

Instructions:Combine all ingredients in a shaker about half filled with ice. Shake well, then strain into a highball glass with ice. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and a slice of lime. Gulp.

Remember there are thousands of Cocktail Recipes on Drunk Man's Guide!

Friday 5 o'Clock Cocktail - The Hurricane

2008-05-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

If you've ever been to New Orleans then you can probably appreciate the benefits of a strong Hurricane. And no, I'm not talking about Katrina or Andrew. I'm talking about the kind of Hurricane every drunk should know how to make.

Now, there are some fancy pants bartenders who aren't from the Big Easy who get stingy with the booze. I've seen recipes for Hurricanes that only include one ounce of liquor in a big glass of juice. Sorry, that's not how you make 'em.

When you order your Hurricane from one of the open, walk-up bars on Bourbon street , the drink is strong. Like "knock-you-on-your-a$$-strong". I mean, it's called a Hurricane, not a "drizzle". Hurricanes destroy things, so it follows that if you drink one, you should be likewise destroyed, right?

But you don't have to go to Louisiana to get a good Hurricane because you're a Drunk and you can make your own. Here's how to do it:

1 oz Vodka
1 oz Amaretto
1 oz Gin
1 oz Light Rum
1 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz 151 Rum
1/4 oz Grenadine Syrup
Pineapple Juice
Grapefruit Juice

Directions: Pour the liquors into a Hurricane glass (or pint glass, or collins glass, or whatever big glass you have) 3/4 filled with ice and stir. Fill the rest of the way with equal parts of the juices. Enjoy.

Remember there are Thousands of Cocktail Recipes at the Drunk Man's Guide!

Friday 5 o'Clock Cocktail - Loco Lemonade

2008-05-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

Layered drinks always make things fun. They add visual interest, and they give an extra dimension to your drinks. Ideally, as you drink them, the drink should change from one extreme to another; tangy to sweet, or spicy to mild. That kind of thing.

The Loco Lemonade is an easy and fun drink you can make that gives the extra visual and taste appeal of a layered drink. Just as with a Tequila sunrise, the drink starts off tart, and gets sweeter toward the end. Because it is made with lemonade, however, it is much more tart than a Tequila Sunrise. But it is still great on a hot sunny day!

For this drink I used pink lemonade, but you can use whatever you have laying around. The pink lemonade, in combination with the Grenadine made the drink a little more red.

Here's what you need:

1 1/2 oz Tequila
4 oz Lemonade
1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz Grenadine Syrup

Instructions:

Pour the ingredients into your glass (2/3 filled with ice) in this order: Tequila, grenadine, lemonade, lemon juice. If you do it carefully, the layers will make a cloudy, swirling effect.
Remember there are more cocktail recipes at http://www.drunkmansguide.com/

Friday 5 o’Clock Coctail – The Mojito

2008-05-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

Last week we did the Mint Julep in honor of the big horse race in Kentucky. This weekend we’re doing it Cuban style with the Mojito!

Hopefully you still have some Mint left over from last week, because the Mojito is very similar to the Mint Julep. Here’s what you will need:

Ingredients:

1 ½ oz Light Rum
6 Mint Leaves
1 Lime
1 tbsp Sugar
4 oz Club Soda

Cut the lime into quarters and sqeeze the juice from each into a tall glass. Mix the sugar and lime juice then toss in the mint leaves.

GENTLY muddle the mint leaves against the side of the glass with a spoon. Don’t damage them too much. You don’t want small bits of mint leaf floating in your drink; you want to keep them whole.

Next, fill the glass almost to the top with ice; add the rum and Club Soda and stir. Garnish with a lime slice and sprig of mint. Delicious!

Remember, there are thousands of Cocktail Recipes on DrunkMansGuide.com!

Friday 5 o’Clock Coctail – The Mint Julep

2008-05-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby, and you know what that means! That’s right - big hats and Mint Juleps.

The Mint Julep is a real blast from the past. It was developed in the Southeastern United States in the late 18th century, and has been the subject of songs, and featured in artwork, stories, poems and literature for over 200 years. It is truly an historic drink.

Here’s how to make a Mint Julep:

4 oz of Good quality Bourbon
½ oz of simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water)
6-10 Mint Leaves (the small leaves are the sweetest for flavoring, but the big ones are great for garnishes)
Glass full of crushed ice

Directions: This drink really is supposed to be made with crushed ice. You can crush your ice in a blender, or use a mallet and a clean towel. Or, perhaps you are lucky enough to have a refrigerator that can make crushed ice for you.

Put a small amount of the ice in your glass and add the mint leaves. You will muddle the mint leaves with the ice – but don’t KILL it! Just mash it around a few times with the back of a spoon. If you muddle the mint too much it will get bitter.

Next, fill the glass the rest of the way up with ice so that the ice is actually mounded on top of the glass. Next, pour the Bourbon over the ice and let it settle to the bottom. As it does this it will cause the ice to melt somewhat. Then add the syrup, on top. There is no need to actually mix this up.

Garnish with a sprig of mint.

The Mint Julep is intended to be sipped from a silver or stainless steel cup on a hot day. As you drink the ice melts and the flavors of the mint and syrup blend with the whiskey in a delicious way. These days, most people serve them in glass Collins glasses – simply because that’s what we all have. Either is ok, but the metal cups get a nice frost on them from the condensation that is really cool.

How to Make Grenadine

2008-04-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we did a feature on the Tequila Sunrise. That was a fun article because the drink has these three great layers. The drink starts off sour with the lemon juice on top, then it becomes tangy with the orange juice, and then sweet and fruity with the Grenadine. Yum!

But there is one great way to improve the Tequila Sunrise; in fact, this can improve many of your mixed drinks. You can make your own Grenadine.

Real Grenadine is made from Pomegranates, but the stuff you buy in a bottle at the liquor store doesn’t have any pomegranate juice in it – which is why it isn’t nearly as good as homemade.

Also, as with everything else, when you make your own, you can control the flavor. And in the case of making Grenadine, that means really pumping up the pomegranate flavor.

Here’s how to make it:

4 cups of Pomegranate Juice (you can find it on the juice aisle at your grocery store)½ cup of

Sugar2 tbsp Lemon Juice

Stir all the ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil for about 45 - 55 minutes.

You’ll want to test the consistency to make sure it doesn’t get too thick. Here’s how:
As you approach 45 minutes, use a spoon to get a little bit of the grenadine out. You only need a couple teaspoons to do the test. Put it on a plate and let it cool for a minute or so.

Once it is cool to room temperature, tip the plate and watch what it does. It should leave a nice coat of syrup as it easily slides down the plate. If it just sits there in a pile of purple goo, then it is way too thick. If it runs like water, then it’s still too thin.

A great comparison is to just use a little bit of the bottled Grenadine to see how the correct consistency looks. Although the bottled stuff doesn’t taste so great, it is the correct consistency.

The reason you need to get the consistency correct is that if the syrup is too thick then it will just pool at the bottom of all your drinks. Instead you want it to float on the bottom like a cloud.
You will notice that homemade grenadine is dark purple in color. It isn’t red like the junk in the bottle. It also tastes amazing!

Oh, and the other great way to improve your Tequila Sunrise is to squeeze your own orange and lemon juices. Simply outstanding.

There are over 9,000 Mixed Drinks and Cocktail Recipes at the Drunk Man's Guide

Friday 5 o'Clock Cocktail - Miami Cocktail

2008-04-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

You're going to need a bottle of Light Rum, a small pile of lemons and some Creme de Menthe. That's because this week's Friday 5 o'Clock Cocktail is the Miami Cocktail. A delicious drink that goes well with Spring.

Here's how to make a Miami Cocktail:

1 1/2 oz Light Rum
1/2 oz Creme de Menthe
1 dash Lemon Juice

Directions: Making this drink is easy. Just put all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake it, strain it, and serve it in a cocktail glass. Fresh Lemon Juice is always best, but we're drunks so we use whatever we have available.

More Drink Recipes available at the Drunk Man's Guide.

Canned Beer Vs. Bottled Beer – Is there a difference?

2008-04-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of debate on the beer boards about whether beer is negatively affected if it is packaged in a can. The truth is, despite what some know-it-alls say, once you pour it into a glass you can’t tell the difference.

In fact, if anything cans are better than bottles for three reasons. First, cans are less prone to breakage. Secondly, they are lighter – so it costs less to move them around. Thirdly, cans protect beer from harmful UV rays better than glass. And fourthly … well, cans are just better ok?!

Ok, ok, so in the name of science I got a six-pack of bottled Pilsner Urquell and a four-pack of canned Pilsner Urquell. I poured them into glasses and tasted them both.
The result? They taste the same. I drank one, then the other. Then I tried it again. And again. And then one more time, just to be really sure.

My wife was walking by while I was doing this, and asked me what on Earth I was doing. I explained it to her, and she graciously volunteered to help taste. She drank my beer until it was gone and confidently announced there was no difference.

A part of me suspects she was just thirsty and wasn’t really all that interested in my little experiment. Sometimes she doesn’t share my zeal for this stuff.

Of course, there is another side to this. Glass is more enjoyable to drink out of than metal. Since many people drink out of whatever the beer is packaged in, this might also explain why many beer snobs prefer bottles to cans.

Not us. We’re civilized Drunks, so we pour our beer into a glass the way we’re supposed to.

Friday 5 o'Clock Cocktail - Mint Daiquiri

2008-04-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

Minty and sweet - that’s what we’re looking forward to this evening. The perfect drink to sip as you gaze out at your yard and think about all that mowing you are going to be doing tomorrow morning. Yeah, it’s spring alright. The yard work, the pollen, the Rum drinks!

Here’s how to make a Mint Daiquiri:

2 oz of Light Rum
1/4 oz of Triple Sec (or another kind of Orange Liquour)
4 Mint Leaves
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 tsp Powdered Sugar
1 cup of ice

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend it until it’s smooth. Keep in mind a couple of tips:

Try and get as much of the stems off the mint leaves as possible. They can make the drink a little bitter. It doesn’t hurt to use a knife to cut the spines out of the leaves.
Make sure you blend it enough to really pulverize those mint leaves down so that they are just specks of green in the drink. If you don’t blend them enough they will get little green flakes caught in your teeth, and that isn’t cute.

More Mixed Drinks and Cocktail Recipes at the Drunk Man's Guide

Canadian Club Review

2008-04-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

So far, all of our reviews have been about beers. Now we’re going to start mixing it up a bit with liquor. This week we reviewed Canadian Club. A great value for the quality you’ll get.

Now, if you’ve tried the single malt whiskies and scotches then you know how wide the range of taste can be for whiskey (or, in this case whisky). The Canadians are smooth and drinkable, and for our money much better for mixing cocktails than most other types of whiskey.

Read our review of Canadian Club Whisky.

Friday 5 o’clock Cocktail – The Tequini

2008-04-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

Our friend the Cigar Smoking Man suggested a drink this week that deserves a Friday in the spotlight: The Tequini.

As the name suggests, this is a Martini that is made with Tequila. With Martinis, the supporting ingredients are there to bring out the taste of the primary liquor more than they are to make an impression of themselves.

The Cigar Smoking Man points out on his blog the importance of using bitters (sparingly) in this drink. He also makes a good point about bitters – that bitters are to cocktails as salt is to food.

True enough. Bitters do bring out an extra element in many drinks. Like salt, a little goes a long way. If you’ve put enough in your drink to be able to taste it, then you’ve probably used too much.

Here’s how to make a Tequini:

1 ½ oz of Tequila
½ oz of Dry Vermouth
1 Dash of Bitters (I used Angostura)

Directions: As with all martinis, the method of mixing is to STIR the ingredients gently with ice so you don’t bruise the liquor. Then strain the clear drink into a cocktail glass and garnish with lemon peel.

Also, when you get a chance, you should visit the Cigar Smoking Man’s blog. It’s a great read, even for non-smokers like me.

Do You Know What Causes Drunkenness?

2008-04-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

It turns out that this question has interested scientists and philosophers for thousands of years.
For most of human history, people thought that “spirits” inhabited the wine or beer. This is why we call alcoholic drinks “spirits” today.

However Louis Pasteur discovered yeast around the mid 1800’s, and that’s how we learned that actually it was the by-product of yeast cells that put the “spirit” (ethanol) into the drink.

Even so, it wasn’t until relatively recently that scientists learned how ethanol actually causes drunkenness. By understanding this, we have a better idea of how alcohol affects our health and steps we can take to enjoy alcohol with minimal risk.

If you consume alcohol regularly, then it is probably a good idea for you to learn a little bit about how it affects your body. Our article “What Causes Drunkenness” will give you a brief overview.

Friday 5 o’clock Cocktail – Tequila Sunrise

2008-03-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because Spring is in the air. Maybe I'm just low on Vitamin C, but I have to admit I've been drinking these all week.

The Orange Juice and Pommegranet flavor in the Grenadine goes well with the silky smoothness of the Tequila. A little squirt of lime juice really finishes the drink off nicely.

Here's how I make mine:
1 1/2 oz Tequila
3 oz Orange Juice
Splash of Grenadine
1 slice of lime

Directions: Combine first three ingredients in a rocks or highball glass with ice. Squeeze the lime slice over the drink and then drop it in. Stir gently. Enjoy.

More Mixed Drink Recipes

All-grain Brewing - The Mash

2008-03-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

All-Grain brewing simply means brewing beer straight from grain instead of using pre-made barley extracts. It is considered to be an advanced form of beer brewing that most brewers don’t attempt until they have made several successful batches using extracts.

If you are considering making the jump to All-Grain Brewing, then this week we are going to get into the concept of the "Mash".

Mashing is the process of extracting simple sugars from barley. This is the first step in the process of brewing your own beer directly from grain, and most brewers consider it the most important.

Want to know more? Read our article: All-Grain Homebrewing Instructions: The Mash

How to Make a Highball Drink

2008-03-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

You probably order highball drinks all the time without realizing it. In fact, although most people don’t think much about it, a great percentage of bar drinks fall into the category of "Highball". Which is not only a description of the drink itself, but also the glass it is typically served in.

A highball is generally defined as a shot of a single type of liquor added to a larger portion of non-alcoholic mixer with ice. The drink is served in a "Highball" glass. Which is a straight-sided glass that holds about 10 – 12 oz.

Highball drinks, like Lowball drinks, are designed to be made quickly. Their popularity at bars is as much a result of bartenders needing to make the best use of their time as it is of consumer demand.

For many of us, the beauty of highballs is their simplicity.

To give you a quick overview of Highball drinks, we created our Highball Cocktail page. Check it out: www.drunkmansguide.com/articles/highball.php

Some noteworthy highballs:

More Mixed Drink Recipes

Friday 5 o’clock Cocktail – Apple Martini

2008-03-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

There are about a ton of ways to make an Apple Martini. The method below works well for me, although sometimes I just leave out the Vodka and double-up on the Gin.

This is a very strong drink, so don’t even consider operating heavy machinery like a car or a speedboat, or a catapult after you’ve had one of these.

You'll also have to have a large martini glass. This thing ain't suitable for the little dainty kind. You need one of those super-sized martini glasses!

Ingredients:
2 Ounces Good Quality Gin
2 Ounces Vodka
2 Ounces Apple Pucker
1 Ounce Triple Sec
1 Splash of Sweet 'n Sour Mix
Garnish with Apple Slice (optional)

Directions: Combine ingredients into a shaker and shake. Serve in a BIG Martini Glass.

More Mixed Drink Recipes

Beginners Guide to All-Grain Equipment

2008-03-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

If you have been homebrewing for a while and you are using extracts, then you are probably a little curious about all-grain brewing. What is necessary to make the leap? Is it really as difficult as it seems?

As usual, the process of brewing your own beer from grain is much less complicated than many brewers would have you believe. But it does require some specialized equipment, and that’s what our first all-grain article is about.

Read our article on All Grain Equipment for Beginners.

Beer Review – Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale

2008-03-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Uh oh… Samuel Smith disappoints! As much as it pains me to say it, I just cannot recommend this beer. It isn’t that it’s BAD. It’s just that… Well, read our Review of Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale

Friday 5 o'Clock Cocktail - Tom Collins

2008-03-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Want a refreshing drink you can make with stuff you probably already have in the kitchen? Try a Tom Collins. The drink is sweet and tart from the sugar and lemon juice. It's best to use fresh lemons to make this drink. But if all you have is bottled lemon juice, then that works too.

This recipe calls for simple syrup, which is easy enough to make. Just combine two parts sugar to one part water. It helps to heat the water up to dissolve the sugar, but you can make up a cup or two of this and keep it in the fridge. It is used in a lot of different recipes, so it's a good idea to keep some on hand.

How to make a Tom Collins
2 oz Gin
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
3 oz chilled Club Soda
Lemon Slice
Maraschino Cherry

Directions: Add the first three ingredients to a mixing glass and stir with ice. Strain into a rocks glass, add the soda and garnish with the lemon slice and the cherry.
More Mixed Drink Recipes >

Client #9 Shooter - a.k.a. Eliot Spitzer’s Bad Decision Shooter

2008-03-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

You know the kind of night when you end up bellied up to the bar doing shots of Jager and talking shit to some guy from Texarkana for two and a half hours about the similarities between a taco and Britney Spears?

Learn how to make a Client #9 (Eliot Spitzer) Shooter More Mixed Drink Recipes >

Watch it jiggle, see it wiggle…

2008-03-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

If you remember that jingle, then you know where we’re going with this one. That’s right folks, it’s Jello Shot time!

Jello shots can be much more than the plain old shooters you may be used to. Creativity and fun are what they are all about. Check out the ideas on our new Jello Shot page.

More Mixed Drink Recipes >

Friday 5 o'Clock Cocktail - Rum Runner

2008-03-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Ready for some liquor trivia? During Prohibition in the United States, people used to take small boats out into the ocean and meet up with larger vessels that brought Rum up from the carribean. The boats that brought the rum were called Rum Runners, and they would park just past the 3 mile limit in order to avoid "Empirial Entaglements".

The most famous Rum Runner was a man named William McCoy who was one of the few smugglers who didn't water down his booze. As a result, word quickly spread up and down the east coast that if you wanted quality product, you could always find it at McCoy's boat.

McCoy's operation ended when the Coast Guard intercepted his vessel and a firefight ensued. The coast guard sank McCoy's ship, but his position in liquor lore is secure.

Today, when anyone tells you something is the "Real McCoy", you know it's a sign of quality. And that's where the term came from.

How to Make a Rum Runner:
1 1/2 oz Coconut Rum (Malibu Rum works well)
3 oz Cranberry Juice
1 oz Blackberry Brandy
3 oz Orange Juice
3 oz Pineapple Juice

Mix all ingredients in a tall glass with ice and serve.
More Mixed Drink Recipes >

Beer Review – 2 Below by New Belgium

2008-03-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

I was driving on I-70 with a friend of mine last week when I saw it - the New Belgium beer truck. And that was when it dawned on me that if I was going to hijack any beer truck, this should be the one. Right here, right now... Read our Review of New Belgium's 2 Below

How to Make a Collins Drink

2008-03-03T15:52:00.000-08:00

With spring around the corner, we are going to start adding drinks that you will enjoy as the weather starts to warm up. That means more fruity and sour drinks, and fewer of the creamy deserty type that we normally associate with winter and the holidays.

The first of these is a classic family of drinks called the Collins. The most famous Collins drink is the Tom Collins, but there are many variations. So if you happen to be fresh out of Gin, don’t worry, you can probably still make a Colonel Collins!

Visit the How to Make a Collins Drink page to learn how to make the following drinks:

Tom Collins

John Collins

Ron Collins

Tex Collins

Friday 5 0′clock Cocktail - Manhattan

2008-02-29T05:32:00.000-08:00

Our drinking adviser, Travis, suggested we make our Friday 5 o’clock cocktail a Manhattan - largely because it has Bourbon in it.

Sound like a fine reason to drink a Manhattan to me.

How to Make a Manhattan

2 1/2 oz Bourbon
3/4 oz Vermouth
Dash of Angostura Bitters
1 Maraschino Cherry
1 Twist of Orange Peel

Instructions:

Combine the first three ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir gently. Strain the spirits into a chilled coctail glass and add the cherry and orange peel twist.

How to Make Strawberry Liqueur

2008-02-27T15:05:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought about making your own liqueurs? No, we aren’t talking about breaking out grandpa’s moonshine still. Actually, you can use regular vodka, rum and other spirits to make your own liqueurs. And just like any other cocktail, you can customize them just how you like them. See How to Make Strawberry Liqueur.

Beer Review - Never Summer Ale

2008-02-26T10:06:00.000-08:00

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I opened this beer, but the hops are so strong that the taste hit me in the face like a shovel – I just wasn’t expecting it. Therefore I would say that if you like hops a lot, or if you like to be hit in the face with a shovel, then you’ll really like this beer. That's not a bad thing either... Full Review of Never Summer Ale

Beer Review - Samuel Adams - Winter Lager

2008-02-19T14:42:00.000-08:00

Our second installment in our "Winter Brews" beer review is the Samuel Adams Winter Lager.
If you happen to live in a part of the country that doesn't usually have a very good beer selection, then the Sam Adams offering is usually a good bet, and this one is no exception.

The beer is a wheat lager, and it really delivers on taste, body and texture. This is a great beer! Read our review of Samuel Adams Winter Lager.

Or, better yet, buy a six pack and try it yourself!

Friday 5 o'Clock Cocktail - Captain Cosmo

2008-02-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

Last week we featured the Cosmopolitan. Now, get ready for the next one. I'm not usually one to splurge on hyperbole, so please understand that when I say this drink is f*cking awesome. I really mean it is THAT good.

This drink is a little better if you put on a mask and wear some sort of red tights or a unitard. At the very least, wear a cape and a pirate hat (eye patches can also help).

This week's drink is the Captain Cosmo; which is sort of like a cosmopolitan with it's hair messed up.

Enjoy!

Drinking Game - Super Quarters

2008-02-14T15:10:00.001-08:00

I’m pretty sure I played super quarters when I was in college. I think that’s why I can’t remember any of the Thursday nights of my sophmore year.

It probably would have been better if we could have tried playing the game with something other than Icehouse sometimes.

Ahhh the memories…or lack thereof.

If you would like to get a nice game of super-quarters going at YOUR house, here are the instructions:

www.drunkmansguide.com/games/super_quarters.php

Beer Review - Snow Plow by Widmer Brothers Brewery

2008-02-12T16:02:00.000-08:00

We have decided to start our "Reviews" section here at Drunk Man's Guide. That means that each week we will feature a new beer, liquor or wine and give you our honest opinion.

The rating scale will be in beers, and the scale goes like this:

5/5 is a "Must Try" beverage. This is a rare rating that we will only bestow on the most deserving beverages. You should definitely try these.

4/5 is a "Damn Good" beverage. If you see these in the store, then you can't go wrong with a 4/4 beverage.

3/5 is a "Good" beverage. This is worth buying - especially if it is on sale.

2/5 is an "OK" beverage. Keep it is someone gives it to you, but don't buy it. It's ok to regift a 2/5 beverage, but only to someone you don't care about, and who doesn't know much about alcohol.

1/5 is a "Only Drink it On A Dare" beverage. Don't drink this beverage even if it's free. Use it to marinate meat, or distill it for fuel; but only drink it if you are getting PAID to drink it.

Our first review is of a really good beer that we knew we wanted to include in a review as soon as we tasted it. The beer is called "Snow Plow" by Widmer Brothers, and it receives a 5/5 rating. Definitely seek out this beer and try it. Especially if you like stouts.

Since it's a seasonal, who knows how long it will be on store shelves. View our review of Snow Plow here: www.drunkmansguide.com/reviews/snowplow.php

2008-02-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

When we talk about chasers, we usually are talking about taking a shot and then “chasing” it with a beer. However some people do it the opposite way, they chug a beer and chase it with a shot. Many recipes also call for dropping a shot of liquor into a beer, or layering the liquor with the beer.

Check out our Chasers page for a five great recipes that combine beer and liquor.

Friday 5 o'clock Cocktail - The Cosmopolitan

2008-02-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a mixed drink with a little more class? The Cosmopolitan or "Cosmo" is a cousin of the Martini, but because of the fruit content, it is much easier to get into than a traditional Gin Martini - espectially if you don't like Gin!

Here's How to make a Cosmopolitan

Ingredients 1 1/2 Ounces Vodka 1/4 Ounce Triple Sec 1/4 Ounce Cranberry Juice 1 Splash Lime Juice Garnish with Lime Wedge

Directions: Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir. Strain into a "Martini" Glass.

How Liquor is Made

2008-02-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to know how different kinds of liquor are made? Or, what’s the difference between different kinds of Tequila?

We’ve put together a page on Drunkmansguide.com that will lay it all out. There’s even pretty pictures that we swiped off the internet for you to look at.

You can access the new page here: How Liquor is Made

Friday 5 o’clock Cocktail – Beer

2008-02-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

This is, of course, Super Bowl weekend. So, we aren’t going to yuck it up with a bunch of fancy-pants drinks. If you’re watching the game, then you don’t want to be busy shaking up cocktails. This weekend, it’s beer.

How to make a Beer

Ingredients:1 Can or Bottle of Beer

Directions:Open your can or bottle of beer and pour into glass. Consume. Repeat.

Beer Glasses, NOT Beer Goggles!

2008-01-29T11:16:00.000-08:00

If you go into most bars and order a beer, chances are very high that you’ll get it in either a Pint Glass, or a Mug. Generally speaking, that’s fine. Not like we’re going to turn the beer away because it’s in the wrong glass, right?

That said, there are some glasses that are designed for different kinds of beers.

So, to help alleviate the confusion about the differences between a Wheat Beer glass and a Pilsner Glass, we’ve created the Drunk Man’s Guide to Beer Glasses.

You may never be confused about beer glasses again!

Oh, and the picture of the funky looking beer glass to the left here is a Kwak glass. They are fun to drink out of, but unfortunately they aren’t dishwasher safe.

Friday 5 o’clock Cocktail – Black Dragon

2008-01-25T14:27:00.001-08:00

How to make a Black Dragon

Ingredients:1 Shot of Scotch Whisky1 Shot of Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua works well)1 Shot of Mint Schnapps

Directions:This is a layered drink. You can use the back of a spoon to carefully layer the alcohols on top of each other. First you put the Schnapps, then the Kahlua, then finally the Scotch.

Beer Pong Table

2008-01-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

I found this pic of an excellent Beer Pong table on this guy's MySpace Page. While there are some commercially available beer pong tables, you really have to tip your beer to someone who takes the time to produce craftsmanship like this. I do appreciate his dedication.

If you are not familiar with Beer Pong, then never fear. We at the Drunk Man's Guide have put together a little Beer Pong rules page for you. Now, this is one of those situations where everyone has their own rules, so make sure everyone is playing by the same rules before you start.

How to Play Beer Pong

We will also be adding more Drinking Games to the Drinking Games section over time, so if you are into drinking games, then be sure to check back often.

Martini Recipes

2008-01-21T13:12:00.000-08:00

We may not always agree on the various concoctions that have come out claiming to be Martinis. It seems sometimes that if you put the concoction in a cocktail glass, all of the sudden it qualifies as a Martini - even if it has shrimp in it!

Now, I’m not going to jump up on a soap box here. I’ve already expressed my “purist” opinions about Martinis on another post. But suffice to say that there are a few Martini recipes that it pays to know if you want to be considered a proper Drunk.

So in the interest of being fair, we have created the Martini Page. A page that contains the top 5 Martini Recipes.

Now, WAIT! Stop right there. Don’t send us email about these recipes! Everyone has their own version, and I recognize that you may be one of those cork dorks who thinks that the Vermouth portion should be measured in atomic units. But that’s not us.

You may now view the Martini Page

Friday 5 o’clock Cocktail – Red Snapper

2008-01-18T14:03:00.000-08:00

How to make a Red Snapper

Ingredients:

1 Shot of Almond Liqueur
1 Shot of Cranberry Juice
1 Shot of Canadian Whiskey

Directions:Shake with Ice and serve in an old-fashioned glass.

The Drunk Man’s Blog

2008-01-16T17:29:00.001-08:00

I just realized that we have 10,000 pages of alcohol information on the Drunk Mans Guide, and not one quote from Norm.

We’re going to fix that right now! Following are some great lines from Norm in Cheers:

Coach: How are you doing, Norm?

Norm: Cut the small talk and get me a beer.

Woody: How would a beer feel, Mr. Peterson?

Norm: Pretty nervous if I was in the room.

Woody: Hey, Mr. Peterson, what’s up?

Norm: The warranty on my liver.

Coach: Beer, Norm?

Norm: I heard of that stuff. Better give me a tall one in case I like it.

Coach: Can I draw you a beer, Norm?

Norm: No, I know what they look like. Just pour me one.

Coach: Beer, Norm?

Norm: Does a rag doll have cloth knobs?

Coach: What would you say to a beer, Normie?

Norm: Daddy wuvs you.

Woody: Hey, Mr. Peterson, you got room for a beer?

Norm: Nope, but I am willing to add on.

Sam: What will you have, Norm?

Norm: Well, I’m in a gambling mood, Sammy. I’ll take a glass of whatever comes out of that tap.

Sam: Oh, looks like beer, Norm.

Norm: Call me Mister Lucky.

What’s doing, Norm?

“Well, science is seeking a cure for thirst. I happen to be the guinea pig.”

How’s it going, Mr. Peterson?”

“Poor.”

I’m sorry to hear that.

“No, I mean pour.”

Talk about Oral History!! Here’s a historical Cocktail you might like to make! It’s the 10th Anniversary of the Famous Blue Dress and Monica, and the Oval Office, and Mr. Bill. To make yourself feel better, make a Lewd Lewinski. The recipe is perfect, really, try it.

Hangover Cure

2008-01-15T21:23:00.000-08:00

Look at this picture. Do you ever feel like this? I mean this guy is the poster child for hangovers. Don't you wish there was something you could do about it?

Ok, dumb question.

Truth is that while there may not be a silver bullet cure, there are things you can do to lower the chances of getting a hangover, or lessen the severity if a hangover if one becomes inevitable.
That’s why we have developed a page dedicated to helping you avoid the ill effects of hangovers, and perhaps have a better time in the process.

Take a look at our Hangover Cure page.

Then, take a look at some Mixed Drink Recipes:

Goodbye Flying Dog

2008-01-14T13:32:00.000-08:00

This month, Flying Dog Brewery is leaving Colorado and moving its operations to Maryland.

Yes, that’s right, the hands-down winner of the WTF Label Design Prize is leaving its roots behind and running East as fast as they can. Hey, good riddance. We didn’t need ‘em anyway.

Actually, all kidding aside, they make some great beer. Hopefully this move means they are looking to ship more product overseas and give the good ‘ol U.S. of A some good international representation in the beer department.

Oh, and don’t worry about us in Colorado. We still have over 100 breweries in our state, including the little guys - Coors, and Anheuser-Busch. Combined beer production for the state of Colorado is around 35 million beers per day.

We can still party.

Friday 5 o’clock Cocktail – Siberian Dutchman

2008-01-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

I noticed that today it snowed in Baghdad for the first time since the Mesopotamians discovered incense. So, for the troops over there in Iraq, have a Siberian Dutchman to keep you warm. If you aren't in Iraq, you can still have one, but just make sure you are facing Baghdad.

If you are Al Gore, make it a double. It'll help "warm" you up.

How to make a Siberian Dutchman:

Ingredients:

1 Glass of Coffee
1 Shot of Coffee Liqueur (Kahlua is good)
1 Shot of Chocolate Liqueur (Godiva is really good)
1 Shot Vodka
1 Splash Heavy Cream

Directions: Mix ingredients, and pour over ice into highball glass.

There are thousands more mixed drinks and cocktails at the DrunkMansGuide.com!

Homebrewing Tips - Secondary Fermentation

2008-01-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

One fact about Homebrewers is that they love to make life more complicated than it needs to be. I know, I’m a homebrewer; and I’m as guilty as anyone on this account. For this reason I really try to separate the necessary from the unnecessary – especially when I’m teaching a beginner how to brew.As I lurk around a few of the homebrewing forums out on the Internets, one topic that often comes up is the issue of secondary fermentation.

Experienced homebrewers often like to scare beginners with horror stories of all the nasty things that will happen to their beer if they don’t use a secondary. My opinion is that this step is unnecessary for most beginners, and is more likely to cause infections for inexperienced brewers.

That said, they can be very useful under certain circumstances.

If you have questions about secondaries, we have created a page on DrunkMansGuide.com that details more than you probably care to know about conditioning and secondary fermentation. You can get to the article here: “Do You Need To Use A Secondary Fermentor?”

Today’s Featured Mixed Drink Recipes:

The Drunk Man’s Guide Presidential Race Drinking Game

2008-01-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have been binging it and are out of the loop, it’s time to pick another President. Normally the thought of a year’s worth of political bickering and negative campaign ads would be enough to drive a man to drinking.

But we’re drunks, and we know how to have fun! That’s why we cooked up the Drunk Man’s Guide Presidential Race Drinking Game.

With this game if your candidate wins, you’re already in the celebratory mood. If someone else wins, then you’re too drunk to feel your teeth anyway, so fuck it.

Play the Drunk Man’s Guide Presidential Race Drinking Game today!

Drink Choices for Today:

Helpful Hints - How to Hide Something from Yourself

2008-01-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

There are times when it is beneficial to forget where you put something. No, I’m not talking about your car keys when you’ve had a few too many at a friend’s house. I’m talking about serious things that could be used against you in a court of law, or the secret government plans you stole off a dead Russian, or a really good bottle of Scotch.

You need to hide these things because, let’s face it, you can’t trust you!

Up until now it has been impossible to actually forget where you put the thing because, try as you might, the more you try to forget where you put it, the more you think about where it is.

Fortunately, we at DMG Labs have developed a perfect method of hiding something from yourself. In the interest of science, we have included detailed instructions here: How To Hide Something From Yourself.

Choice Drinks For Today:

Friday 5 o’clock Cocktail – Drunk Monkey

2008-01-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

Today marks the end of the first work week in 2008. Why not have a Drunk Monkey?

How to make a Drunk Monkey

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Cranberry Juice
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Triple Sec
1 oz Melon Liqueur
1 oz Banana Liqueur

Directions:

Stir Ingredients together in a Highball Glass and serve.
Over 9,000 Cocktails and Mixed Drink Recipes at www.DrunkMansGuide.com!

Beer Review – Samuel Smith Lager

2008-01-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I’m a big Samuel Smith fan. In fact, I’m such a big fan that I have the following rule of thumb when judging beer: if you need to know what a particular style of beer is supposed to taste like, just taste the Samuel Smith version and you’ll know.
So, when I decided to do a review of their Lager, I was already a little prejudiced, and my standards were probably set artificially high.

A little history on the brew.

The Samuel Smith Brewery was founded in 1852 in Tadcaster England, and it utilizes a rare fermentation technique that is almost completely extinct called the Yorkshire Square system. Essentially, the system uses square (usually limestone) fermentors that have a deck on top that captures the yeast in the head of the foamy krausen.

These yeast cells are extremely active and would be the best if you were trying to isolate the strongest cells for future batches. The yeasty foam is then kept on the deck until the next batch of beer is pumped onto the deck. The beer then drains back into the fermentor through the deck.

This system both aerates and inoculates the new batch with the yeast cells from the previous batch. The cycle repeats itself over and over, and in this way Samuel Smith has been working with the same strains of yeast since the early 20th century.

The Yorkshire Square System is expensive, difficult to do consistently, and impossible to scale up to megabrew levels. It also produces some fantastic beer. Which brings us to the Samuel Smith Pure Brewed Lager.

This beer is one of the “pure” beers that Sam Smith makes. Although it is English, it is made in the German tradition of Rheinheitsgebot whereby the only ingredients allowed into the brew are barley, hops, yeast and water.

But this is definitely an English Lager. When you pour a Sam Smith Lager, you will notice that it isn’t the same as a Czech or German style Pilsner. This is a little heavier on the malt, a little toastier, and a little lighter on the hops - as if you took a normal Lager, and gave it more body, and malt character.

If you are an Ale-lover, then this is a great Lager. If you don’t like Ale, then this English style of Lager will probably taste too thick. I won’t geek out on you and start talking about the beer’s “nose” or anything like that. I will say that it is damn good, and exactly what I have come to expect from this incredible brewery.

It is so good, in fact, that I would encourage you to be careful not to drink this Lager next to a MegaBrewed beer. Your Sam Smith’s superiority will just make the other beer jealous.

P.S. Also try their Oatmeal Stout – it’s the best I’ve ever had.

You can get more information on beer, homebrewing, and mixed drink recipes at http://www.drunkmansguide.com/.