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Archive for June, 2009

Subtle Style: Crown Royal Whiskey Glasses

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

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 ]

Posted in Product of the Week | 3 Comments »

The Dark ‘n Stormy: An Aptly Named Drink

Monday, June 29th, 2009

Here in Western NY, the past couple of days have been crazy humid and full of the kind of thunderstorms that beg to be watched from a covered porch or balcony. Ideally, these are the perfect conditions for trying a legendary "Dark ‘n Stormy" cocktail. All you need is dark rum, ginger beer, and ice – but a few friends and some good background music make it even better.

Photo by Ed Glass

Not only is this tasty concoction Bermuda’s national drink, it’s one of those cocktails tied specifically to one brand – Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. The company has actually trademarked the term Dark ‘n Stormy and, according to my official drink research, no other dark rum really compares. I took their word for it and just went straight to the Goslings. As for the ginger beer, I had options.

Working at KegWorks gives me direct access to Regatta, Goya and Fentimans Ginger Beer, so instead of always wondering – I decided to try them all. Fentimans was my favorite but not a single one of them disappointing. Not only were they delicious and great for beating the heat, their name couldn’t be more fitting.

Dark ‘n Stormy
Ginger beer
2 oz Gosling’s Black Seal Rum

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in ginger beer, leaving enough room for two shots of dark rum. Slowly pour rum on top. Watch how cool it is as the rum floats on top of the ginger beer, giving it that dark and stormy appearance. Stir gently, drink and enjoy the the rest of your lazy summer evening.

TAGS [ DARK N STORMY | DARK AND STORMY | DARK N STORMY RECIPE | COCKTAIL RECIPES | DRINK RECIPES ]

Posted in Drink Recipes | No Comments »

Learn How to Get Guinness on Tap at Home

Friday, June 26th, 2009

For some, Guinness is the end all, be all beer of choice, no matter what time of year it is. I’m a huge Guinness fan myself, and although I imbibe in a great number of other brews when the mood strikes (you know this if you’ve happened upon my beer reviews), Guinness is truly my favorite. For those of you out there like me, Guinness on draft is the way to go.

There’s three options to get Guinness flowing at home:

Buy a Complete Draught Guinness Kegerator
Build a draft system for Guinness
Convert an existing draft beer system for Guinness
(you can switch it back whenever you like!)

The equipment that you already have (if you have any) and your budget will determine which you choose to get Guinness on tap at home. Whichever option you choose, there are three basic differences between a standard draft beer system and a stout system:

The Type of Gas Used
The Keg Coupler
The Faucet

Type of Gas Used
Instead of CO2 like a traditional draft beer system, Guinness uses a nitrogen/CO2 blend to push the beer through the lines. Mixed gas comes in an all-in-one air tank that contains 75% nitrogen and 25% CO2. The nitrogen gives Guinness its creamy, tight head that makes it so unique. To find a mixed gas dealer in your area, simply check under "gas" in your local yellow pages or ask your local Guinness distributor who they recommend.

The Guinness Import Company goes to great lengths to make sure that gas dealers are properly blending mixed gas. Some gas dealers are particular and they will only fill a nitrogen tank with mixed gas. Other dealers will fill your regular CO2 tank with the mixed gas, as the only difference between the two types of tanks is the threads. You can use a standard CO2 regulator with a nitrogen tank but you will need a CO2/Nitrogen Adapter. Make sure to set the regulator for 30 psi.

The Keg Coupler
The keg coupler you need depends on the brand of beer you want to serve. Kegs of Guinness, Harp and Kilkenny require a U System Keg Coupler, while other brands of stout may call for a different coupler. See our complete list of beers and matching couplers for details.

The Faucet
If you’ve ever watched a bartender pour a pint of Guinness, you’ve probably noticed that a stout faucet is different from other faucets. Sometimes called a European Specialty Faucet, the stout faucet has a different type of handle that pulls forward and down. There’s also a tiny restrictor disc inside of the faucet head. When Guinness and other stouts are forced through the disc, the beer forms the unique head that people love. To dispense any other type of beer (i.e. Bud, Miller, Coors etc.) with one of these specialty faucets, all you need to do is remove the restrictor disc.

Now, you’re armed with the knowledge of how to get Guinness on tap at home. So, what are you waiting for?

Posted in Draft Beer Tips | 14 Comments »

New Branded Tap Handles Abound

Friday, June 26th, 2009

We are practically drowning in a sea of branded tap handles right now, and more and more are arriving everyday. It’s effin fantastic! There are faucet handles for beers and breweries I hadn’t even heard of. Whether you’re looking for a specific tap handles for what you’re serving or collecting them just for fun, have a look-see. You never know what you might find!

Here’s a few of the newest tap handles up now:

Check back often too, because we’re getting more in and up online almost every day.

Cheers!

Posted in Announcements, Product of the Week | No Comments »

Answers to the Beer Pop Quiz

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Alright kids, we’ve given you long enough to take our quiz (or look up answers on Google). Honestly, I’m surprised not more of you did look them up, since the majority of us were wrong on two of the five.

Here they are, answers in reddish (I lovingly refer to it as KegWorks Red) – remember them and impress your friends :)

1. Registered in the late 19th century, which beers logo is the oldest registered trademark?
(a) Guinness
(b) Bass
(c) Budweiser
(d) Yuengling

2. ___________ is the highest amount paid for a bottle of beer (at auction). The beer was brewed from a(n) __________ recipe.
(a) $9600.00, Belgian
(b) $1232.00, Persian
(c) $7200.00, Egyptian
(d) $5017.00, German

3. Which country has the most breweries?
(a) United States
(b) Germany
(c) Canada
(d) Russia

4. The biggest beer-drinking day in the US is _____________?
(a) The Fourth of July
(b) The Super Bowl
(c) St. Patrick’s Day
(d) Sunday before Labor Day

5. "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Who said this?
(a) George Washington
(b) Winston Churchill
(c) Ulysses S. Grant
(d) Benjamin Franklin

Well, there you have ‘em. How did you score? Let us know!

TAGS [ BEER POP QUIZ | BEER QUIZ | BEER QUIZ ANSWERS ]

Posted in Announcements, Polls, Random Cool Stuff | No Comments »

New Guinness Bar Signs? Brilliant!

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

We’ve got two brand-spankin’ new Guinness bar signs, just in, and they’re positively fantastic. In fact, they score almost as high on my "rad" scale as the vintage style Guinness signs. I’ll most definitely be scoring these for myself.

First up is our new Guinness Toucan Bar Sign – I’ve never seen a metal Guinness sign quite like this. The beloved toucan is practically in flight, swooping up under the iconic Guinness Extra Stout logo, all atop a pint pattern that positively pops the foreground. This sign is officially licensed by Guinness and comes complete with pre-drilled holes for easy hanging. Grab this beauty for just $14.95.

Our second new sign is a truly fresh take on the classic Guinness logo. Looking like a snapshot of a perfectly poured pint, complete with condensation, the Guinness Classic Label Light-Up Sign is backlit with fluorescent bulbs for a look like none other. Hangs easily, plugs into any standard outlet and adds subtle flair to any bar or room. Grab this acrylic sign for just $49.95.

Positively brilliant!

Posted in Product of the Week, Rants and Raves | No Comments »

Please File Under "DUH"

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

As if ripped from the list of potential Darwin Award candidates, I have another ridiculous news clipping to share with you – which rolled off the AP Releases out of Richfield, Wisconsin yesterday:

"Man Allegedly Drives Drunk in Golf Cart of Highway"

Apparently, some people are still stubborn about this, or are still living in caves and haven’t read our blog. Whether you’re in a car, on a motorcycle, a motorized bar stool, a riding lawnmower, or anything that has wheels, you should never, ever drive under the influence.

On a slightly separate note, I just picked up one of these for a buddy of mine. It goes without saying, this handy portable cooler and wire golf cart rack can be used to chill any kind of beverage.

TAGS [ BEER NEWS | GOLF CART NEWS | GOLF CART COOLER | GOLF CART BEER ]

Posted in Rants and Raves | No Comments »

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Archive for June, 2009

Subtle Style: Crown Royal Whiskey Glasses

The Dark ‘n Stormy: An Aptly Named Drink

Learn How to Get Guinness on Tap at Home

New Branded Tap Handles Abound

Answers to the Beer Pop Quiz

New Guinness Bar Signs? Brilliant!

Please File Under "DUH"

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