Warning! There’s a storm set to start brewin’ after the lengthened Labor Day weekend. Apologies to all who’ve yet to squeeze out the last drops of summer fun—but the beach will be barricaded, and we’re pulling the plug on the pool. Too early to begin preparations for what’ll be an all-out assault of fall frights?…
Tag: old fashioned
Speed Rack: Taking on Tequila
While it may be an unlucky number to some, the thirteenth season of Speed Rack—the cocktail competition with a charitable heart of gold (and pink!)—has been as flashy, splashy, and high-octane as ever as we head into the finals set in New Orleans this month. Started in 2011 by Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix and…
Mezcalloween IV: The Ill-Fated Inn
Well, well, well . . . we can’t say it’s a surprise to see you. There’s nothing else around for miles! As it goes, the Ill-Fated Inn makes the call, and those with a desire to fill their October with mind-bending mezcal cocktails always come knocking. Take a look around. There’s no better bottle we…
Gin Ne Sais Quoi
There’s just a certain . . . something . . . about gin—a breathtaking bundle of botanicals that can sometimes be hard to expound upon . . . Okay, you got us. Since the dawn of S&S, we’ve waxed warmly about the spirit in a number of words that easily reaches the five digits. Even still,…
Bourbon Legend
Fantastical fables and other bits of cock-and-bull chronicling: the historical records of spirits and of cocktails are littered with them! Too often the big innovations from behind the bar that dot the timeline can all claim multiple creators, sometimes even thousands of miles or decades apart. But you can keep your grains of salt reserved…
Totally Tequila!
There’s nothing niche about tequila today. Whatever confounding reputations that’ve marked the spirit throughout the low-variety early days of its international debut have been well surpassed for the bright lights of the top shelf. So what to do with our bottles of clear and pristine blanco next month? Why, walk away from the winter hunker…
BRRR-bon
In a fantastical feat of reverse thawing, the autumn influencer has officially awoken. We’ve all seen them dotted across our feeds like leaves along the ground. Flanked by foliage, fully flannelled, and sipping on something steamy, they’re absolutely primed to serve all things ultra-seasonal until the first flakes flutter. And is any fall-weather kit complete…
Mezcalloween III: A Shocker in Oaxaca
It’s alive! IT’S ALIVE!! It was a recent dark and stormy night when the beakers bubbled over and the comically oversized switch was flipped, shooting sparks everywhere and slowly reanimating the most magical and monstrous occasion of all: Mezcalloween. So far we’ve somehow survived two eerie installments, but we offer no guarantees when three more…
Ryes and Fall
Lovers of our last rye box might’ve picked up a tidbit or two about the spirit’s mid-Atlantic Appalachian origins in states like Pennsylvania and Maryland. Inch up a little farther on the map into Canada, though, and you’ll land in a place where rye whisky is just as cherished and rich in tradition. Canada arrived…
Begin Again
Once upon a time, there was a spirit so popular that it captured the city of London in a craze. Flash forward to the Prohibition-era US, nearly two centuries later, and a decade’s worth of bathtubs were overflowing with the stuff to satiate revelers roaring for a sip. A pair of big moments in history…
Sun’s Out, Rums Out
Many a conversation has kicked off with this clichéd but effective icebreaker: What would you bring with you to a deserted island? A hammock, boogie board, or good book would certainly fit the bill—but if the category is island drinks, then there’s a slam-dunk case to be made for perhaps the truest spirit of the…
Bring on the Bourbon
Our bridge to summer (aka the month of May) is within sight, and the time has finally come to throw open the windows, shout “Bring it on!” into the temperate wind, and allow a legendary spirit to shine. As veteran Shaker & Spoon sleuths out there may already know, previous bourbon boxes have produced some…
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