The sun has set on summer and we’ve immediately hit the books—the cocktail books, that is. Over the years there have been many great published works that combine enlightening facts and histories with brilliant photos and recipes. The earliest known compendium of techniques and drinks was mixology founding father Jerry Thomas’s Bartender’s Guide in the…
Tag: monthly reveal
Celebrate Mezcal
There’s not a celebration in the world that has the look, feel, and flavors of Mexican Independence Day—a loud and proud party full of colorful decor, irresistible food, romantic mariachi music, and delicious drinks. Since its day of triumph on September 16, 1810, Mexico has adapted international influences from its past while developing a rich…
Eu Amo Cachaça
From beachside mountain ranges to bustling cityscapes and all the way to the north into the Amazon basin, Brazil contains incredible environmental diversity. But wherever you decide to roam, one factor will remain constant: your close proximity to a sip of refreshing and complex cachaça! Nearly all awareness of the spirit, until recently, came from…
Summer Scotch
As the real heat of summer quickly approaches and we tell you about our next box—which, let’s face it, probably isn’t what you expected—we can imagine you scratching your head and wondering: Scotch in the summer, really? Well, we say: Heck, yeah! Add some seasonal fruits, like peaches and strawberries, and suddenly this spirit becomes…
Red Vodka
For your next date night, an international adventure awaits—and it’s heavy with intrigue and ambiguous motives. But rather than clocking a thousand miles and infiltrating hostile environments in disguise to reach your objective, we suggest simply drawing the shades, dressing to the nines, and carrying out an exhaustive investigation of our Red Vodka Box right…
Broken Bourbon
With a decidedly less spicy profile than rye or other cereal grain–based whiskeys, bourbon is punchy enough to stand on its own yet blends harmoniously into lighter drinks like sours or juleps. The spirit’s corn content (mandated to be at least 51%, but could be as high as 100%) produces a level of easily-detectable sweetness….
Rum Wild
Rum—and its relatives of yore distilled from byproducts of the sugar cane plant—had a centuries-long history on the open seas aboard Navy vessels and pirate ships before striking land in the Caribbean for mass-production in the 1600s. There have been changes and a lot of geographic expansion along the way, but the adventurous, sea-centric soul…
Austin Without Limits
The public television music program Austin City Limits (the only TV show to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts) helped the city of Austin earn the title of “Live Music Capital of the World” and then spawned an annual festival that happens each October—a very busy time for Austin and its bartenders. We…
Rum Away With Me
When mixed with the right delicious ingredients—provided in September’s Rum Away With Me Box, of course—rum sure makes for one hell of a cocktail. Subscribe now through September 1st to get yours! It’ll ship the week of September 4th. Frank Kurk Maldonado created this delightful concoction to bring some of his home country’s flavors to…
Use Your ImaGINation
What makes gin, gin? The one real requisite is the distilling of a neutral grain alcohol with juniper, and that’s actually pretty much it. What distinguishes the various gins from one another, on the other hand, is a far more interesting question! With so many distinct flavors, no two gins are truly alike (luckily we…
Pisco Fever
Hot summer nights call for the spirit of the Incan gods: pisco, one of the purest spirits known to man. The only thing that enters the bottle is the grapes—and nothing else can be added, not even water. The result is the remarkably delicious and shockingly versatile unaged Peruvian brandy that’s sure to be the…
Sake It To Me!
In recent years, sake has crossed the Pacific and graced our cocktails with its presence here in the US. The shapeshifting fermented rice liquor is quickly becoming popular among bartenders due to its intense umami-ness (the fifth taste), complex flavor profile, and increasing availability and variety, though many people still haven’t discovered sake libations. That’s…
Shaker & Spoon Blog 