Times are tight so the Federal Government and many state legislatures are proposing huge tax increases on all forms of alcoholic beverages, to pay for current and proposed spending programs.

These new taxes, if passed, will raise the price you pay at the bar, supermarket or liquor store when you buy your favorite adult beverages. These higher taxes can have a wider impact than just your wallet too, by costing people in the hospitality industry, in your community, their jobs.

Current alcohol taxes are already high. According to axetaxesnotjobs.com, in New York State half the cost of a bottle of Smirnoff Vodka is state and federal taxes, for an averages of $8.36 in taxes. This site is a great resource to find out how much you pay in alcohol taxes in your local area and what new alcohol taxes are being proposed in your state.

If you are more than just interested in learning what you pay in taxes for the alcohol you drink and want to take action, axetaxesnotjobs.com allows you to send e-mail to your state and federal legislatures, voicing your opposition to higher alcohol taxes with a few mouse clicks and filling out a simple form.

TAGS [ ALCOHOL TAXES | TAXING ALCOHOL | BAN NEW ALCOHOL TAX | BAN NEW ALCOHOL TAXES ]

A great outdoor sign that Jason, one of our buyers, came across today. Simply had to share :)

TAGS [ BAR SIGNS | SOUP OF THE DAY | WHISKEY PROMOTIONS ]

I don’t know about all of you, but I know I’ll be grilling up some delicious meat this 4th of July. What’s on my menu? We’ll be going with some hearty German sausages, grilled to perfection with fresh peppers and onions. Just thinking about it has my mouth watering.

Of course, the food you choose to grill should dictate which type of beer you’ll drink with it. I say should because it’s not necessary to pair specific beers with foods, but it certainly makes for a much more enjoyable experience for the mouth. Not sure what brew to pair with what you’re cooking? This list might just help you out.

German Sausage
We’ll start with what I’ll pair with my main course. A hearty German sausage requires a beer to match, but not overtake, its flavor. I suggest a doppelbock. My favorite? Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock. You can’t go wrong. If Ayinger’s doesn’t suit you, check out Deron’s Top 5 Doppelbocks for more inspiration.

Hamburger
Hamburger can really be paired with almost any brew, but my best choice would be a hoppy IPA, like Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA, or an American Strong Ale, like Great Lakes Nosferatu. Both offer floral, bitter hops, which really pair well with a burger, but if you’re not as into hoppy beers as you are maltly ones, I would suggest Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale. It still has a hoppy kick, but is moreso tipped to the malt end of the scale than other Dogfish Head brews.

Barbecued Chicken or Pork
Most BBQ sauces are on the sweet and zesty side. In my humble opinion, a perfect beer to pair with almost anything barbecued is a hefeweizen. They’re light and fresh, usually with a hint of citrus, clove and banana. Unlike other wheat beers, which are filtered, hefeweizens offer a heavier mouthfeel, so you won’t feel like you’re sipping down something too light and soda-like. A great hefeweizen to try is Julius Echter Hefe-Weiss.

Marinated Chicken
An American wheat ale is perfect for almost any chicken marinade. Their light citrusy flavor, usually tipped with a hint of honey, both refreshes and matches grilled marinated chicken like none other. Although I’m not usually a huge wheat fan, Magic Hat Hocus Pocus fits the bill perfectly here, just as an American wheat should.

Having something this weekend I haven’t covered? Comment on the post and I’ll do my best to help you find the perfect beer pairing for your meal.

Cheers!

TAGS [ BEER AND FOOD PAIRING | SUMMER BEER AND FOOD PAIRINGS | GRILLED FOODS AND BEER ]

Ever since I started hanging around Fritz on his Sunday bar shifts, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy the absolute best bloody marys… and I’m not just saying this because I know him so well. Ask any one of his Sunday customers and they’ll agree. The best part? Each week, they come back for more and bring their friends.

As a long time bartender, Fritz may have conjured up the perfect bloody mary recipe from scratch, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a most amazing bloody mary experience at home, without all of the work and ingredients that go into it (of course, if you would rather learn to make them from scratch, I could possibly squeeze Fritz’s recipe out of him - we’ll see).

Enter Demetri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning Mixes. Each is loaded with an award-winning blend of freshly ground horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, chili peppers, a touch of garlic and secret spices. These mixes are all natural and free of artificial preservatives, sulfites and MSG. All you need besides one of these incredible mixes is tomato juice and vodka, and voila! you’ve got yourself a perfect bloody mary.

Demitri’s is currently available in 3 fantastic flavors:

• Demitri’s Classic Bloody Mary Seasoning Mix
• Demitri’s Chilies & Peppers Bloody Mary Seasoning Mix
• Demitri’s Extra Horseradish Bloody Mary Seasoning Mix

Try one that suits your taste buds best or grab all three in our Demitri’s Bloody Mary Variety Pack.

TAGS [ BLOODY MARY | BLOODY MARY RECIPE | BLOODY MARY MIX | DEMITRI'S BLOODY MARY MIXES | BLOODY MARY SEASONING | BLOODY MARY RECIPES ]

Yah, typically in my beer reviews you get a nice photo, shot at home, complete with the beer poured into a glass for a better, more complete look, but I was swimming and I just wasn’t in the mood to dry off, find a pint it the pits of my mother’s kitchen, ready a shot, etc. So, you just get this picture of the bottle, this time.

This past weekend - Saturday, to be exact - I spent the day floating, flipping, jumping and sunbathing poolside (as many of my weekend days are spent in summer). I popped into the garage fridge at my mother’s and noticed she had surprised Fritz and me with some beer (thanks Mom!). There was a large case of my go-to-anytime-beer, Guinness (double thanks!) and a six-pack of Long Trail Blackberry Wheat, which I had never tasted before (and to be honest, wouldn’t have missed a thing if I never did).

This is not always the case for me with Long Trail beers. If any of you remember my Long Trail Double Bag post, which is an American Strong Ale, I was quite pleased and would most certainly buy it again. The Blackberry Wheat, however, is another story altogether (at least for my palate).

First off, the beer was one of the lightest yellow wheat beers I’ve ever seen. Of course, I may not be a huge advocate for wheat beers, but there are some I like and some times I feel they’re called for. The first thing I thought when I saw its color was, wow, this is what my "fizzy yellow beer is for wussies" was referring to! Its taste was so dull the beer aspect of it was nearly non-existent. And blackberry? Well, I guess I tasted a hint of something berry in there, but it certainly wasn’t anything like the Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat I’ve enjoyed in times past. It was more like those random "berry" malt beverages we used to get as teenagers, because we didn’t like the taste of beer. Ewe. On top of it all, the carbonation was so abundant that I really just felt icky after drinking one down.

I’ll leave the rest of that six-pack to Fritz to finish off (he’s more into light wheat beers than I am) and stick with the Guinness until we pick up another few cases to try.

TAGS [ BEER REVIEW | BEER REVIEWS | LONG TRAIL BLACKBERRY WHEAT | LONG TRAIL BLACKBERRY WHEAT REVIEW ]

Recently one of our customers ordered one of our Bent Handmade Glass Drinking Straws. Unfortunately, she returned it, saying that it should have come in a set of 4 and she wants the ones that Oprah has. Fair enough.

It got me to thinking. First, we do offer glass straws in a set of 4, albeit not bent, but they’re at least worth a look. Secondly, wow, what it must be like to have folks wanting to be like YOU? (or in this case, Oprah).

Then I thought, hey, we deal with beer and adult drinks. What’s Oprah favorite? After endless hours of research, on the clock no doubt, I learned more about Oprah’s favorite things than any man should know.

For example, did you know she has a favorite bra? Do people really need to know this much about one person? Someone is getting themselves ready for Jeopardy - knowing a lot of useless facts. But hey, I digress!

If you wanna drink what Oprah does, well her is a recipe for here favorite Martini.

Oprah’s Favorite Pomegranate Martini
1 oz vodka
½oz Cointreau orange liqueur
3 oz pomegranate juice
Slice of lemon, for garnish

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker ¼-filled with chopped ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve with a slice of lemon as garnish.

And if our glass straws don’t suit you, try the stainless steel straws that Oprah is raving about.

As always, drink responsibly and furthermore, BE YOURSELF!

TAGS [ GLASS STRAWS | OPRAH FAVORITES | OPRAH'S FAVORITES | POMEGRANATE MARTINI | POMEGRANATE MARTINI RECIPE | COCKTAIL RECIPE | COCKTAIL RECIPES | DRINK RECIPE | DRINK RECIPES ]

Just a touch of gold sets these whiskey rocks glasses apart from a slew of others. As a whiskey drinker myself, I’ve always appreciated subtle, understated style (at least when it comes to my glassware and décor) and these Crown glasses fit the bill perfectly.

This set of 4 Crown Royal Whiskey Glasses is officially licensed by Crown Royal (no knock-offs here). Each 12-ounce glass features the Crown Royal logo in gold, and delicate, sophisticated gold accenting in the bottom of the glass. They’re touches that add just enough style without being overboard. Four glasses perfect for any Crown Royal lover… especially at $14.95.

TAGS [ CROWN ROYAL | CROWN ROYAL WHISKEY | CROWN ROYAL GLASSES | WHISKEY GLASSES | ROCKS GLASSES ]