Review: Prairie Organic Vodka

Like you, when I think “vodka,” I immediately think “Minnesota.” Wait, what? Shocking, but it’s true: One of the best vodkas going right now is from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, right here in the U. S. of A. Strange, sure, but like Tito and Boomerang have proven, good vodka need not come from frozen,…

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Winebloggin’ at Wired

In the world of wine gadgets, there are fancy thermometers, cool glasses, and high-end corkscrews. And then there is WinePod, which lets you make your own wine, 48 bottles at a time, from frozen grapes, year-round. I installed a WinePod in my house last week, and my first 150 pounds of grapes go into it…

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Q: What Do You Do With 900 Tons of Broken Booze Bottles?

A: Landscape. Broken glass, 900 tons of broken bottles, is the key ingredient for the project alongside the interstate. “On the surface it may seem like a kooky idea,” said Caltrans spokesman Mark Dinger. “We’re putting it in an elevated area where pedestrians are not allowed.” The new landscaping is carrying on the new color…

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Beer is Back, Baby!

This is from a press release from Anheuser-Busch, so take its findings with a grain of salt. But the upshot seems to be true: People, particularly 30-to-49-year-olds, are drinking more beer. The annual Consumption Habits poll, released Friday through Gallup’s Web site, shows that in combined data from Gallup’s 2004 and 2005 Consumption surveys, drinkers…

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Review: Knob Creek Bourbon 9 Years Old (2008)

The unofficial well Bourbon at Drinkhacker HQ? Knob Creek. It’s 100 proof, so it can get a little hot when drinking straight, but add a touch of water and KC mellows out nicely. “The Creek” has everything you want in a Bourbon without being too complicated. Mild vanilla and toasty oak notes, backed up with…

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Now We’re Mixing With… Mustard?

Proof that you can turn just about any ingredient into a cocktail: The folks at Grey Poupon (yes, that Grey Poupon) have come up with a quintet of mustard-based cocktails. While Monday morning may be a little too early for a concoction of honey mustard, pomegranate juice, and gin, maybe when I get really adventurous…

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Review: 4 Delamain Cognacs – Pale & Dry, Vesper, Tres Venerable, and Extra

The four Cognacs reviewed below represent $1,150 worth of booze (in 750ml bottle formats)… and compared to the latest entry in Delamain’s collection, that’s pretty much nothing. Delamain’s latest — Le Voyage — costs $7,000 a bottle, which includes a Baccarat decanter and leather “traveling box.” I haven’t tried Le Voyage (that’s on tap, I’m…

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Bar Review: Alembic, San Francisco

If Bourbon & Branch is SF’s “east side” kingpin, Alembic represents the west side. Nestled in the heart of the Haight-Ashbury, it’s another Mecca for drinking junkies looking for innovative cocktails using unusual, and in some cases, home-made, ingredients. The Alembic Bar is a dainty small place, mostly just counter service with only a few…

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