I am a huge fan of beer. When it comes to cocktails, I tend to stick with the tried-and-true traditional types. And then there’s beer cocktails - a whole different breed altogether. The Irish Car Bomb is one great example, but there are plenty more out there, I can assure you, and not all of them require speed-chugging to enjoy.

Next time you can’t decide between a good old fashioned pint and a cocktail, try an Irish Russian. You won’t be disappointed.

Irish Russian
1 oz vodka
1 oz Kahlua
2 oz cola
Guinness Draught

In a pint glass, add vodka, Kahlua and cola. Slowly pour Guinness to the top, carefully, so as to prevent too much foam. Enjoy!

TAGS [ BEER COCKTAIL | BEER COCKTAILS | GUINNESS COCKTAIL | GUINNESS COCKTAILS | COCKTAIL RECIPE | COCKTAIL RECIPES ]

Hey kids, think fast! We’ve got a little pop quiz for you, on our favorite subject of all - BEER! I know, I know, most of you will just google your way through the answers you don’t know, but we’ll post the right answers later on this week, regardless.

Registered in the late 19th century, which beers logo is the oldest registered trademark?

• Guinness
• Bass
• Budweiser
• Yuengling

View Results

 Loading ...

________ is the highest amount paid for a bottle of beer (at auction). The beer was brewed from a(n) ________ recipe.

• $9600.00, Belgian
• $1232.00, Persian
• $7,200.00, Egyptian
• $5,017.00, German

View Results

 Loading ...

Which country has the most breweries?

• United States
• Germany
• Canada
• Russia

View Results

 Loading ...

The biggest beer-drinking day in the US is _________.

• The Fourth of July
• The Super Bowl
• St. Patrick's Day
• Sunday before Labor Day

View Results

 Loading ...

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." Who said this?

• George Washington
• Winston Churchill
• Ulysses S. Grant
• Benjamin Franklin

View Results

 Loading ...

Good luck!

TAGS [ BEER QUIZ | BEER QUIZZES ]

Think you know orange soda? Think again. The epitome of thirst-quenching soda flavors in the summer, to me, is anything citrus and no other orange soda out there can even touch Fentimans.

Maybe it’s the fact that Fentimans sodas are botanically brewed with all natural ingredients. Maybe it’s the fact that they’re using not just a traditional orange for flavor, but both mandarin and seville oranges, along with ginger root, speedwell and juniper. Whatever it is, Fentimans Mandarin & Seville Orange Jigger is like no orange soda I’ve ever popped.

Each bottle of Orange Jigger is packed with the juice of 3 whole mandarins, enhanced by seville extracts. I almost feel like I’m eating a sparkling orange, without the pulpy mess. Drink it alone or mix it with vodka, gin or whatever you dig most.

See the entire Fentimans soda line and find your favorite flavors for summer.

Cheers!

TAGS [ FENTIMANS | FENTIMANS SODA | FENTIMANS ORANGE JIGGER | FENTIMANS MANDARIN ORANGE | COCKTAIL MIXER | COCKTAIL MIXERS ]

Anyone who has read this blog over the last 2 or so years has been privy to my screeds on candy-coated-concoctions that bars sadly attempt to pass off as "martinis" - the pometini, appletini, kiwitini - essentially, they grab a fruit, stick "tini" on the end, mix up something sickeningly sweet and add it to the drink menu. How unfortunate.

Of course, traditional cocktails were bound to be revived at some point, thank goodness. More and more often, when out and about treating myself to a drink, I’m finding that these sad excuses for martinis are slowly being replaced by the classics. Tried and true cocktails, like the Sazerac, the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned and the Sidecar are making their much needed comeback.

The Sidecar is a cocktail we haven’t yet spoken on much yet. It’s a classic cognac concoction that’s said to have originated in Paris during WWI. Slightly sour, slightly sweet, we’re sure to see more of this one through summer.

The Sidecar
1½ oz brandy
½ oz triple sec
½ lemon or lime juice
Granulated sugar, for garnish
Lemon or lime slice, for garnish

Dip the rim of your cocktail glass in water and then into granulated sugar (our cocktail glass rimmer makes this a breeze). Combine brandy, triple sec, and lemon or lime juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into your prepared cocktail glass. Top it off with a slice of lemon or lime and serve.

TAGS [ SIDECAR COCKTAIL | SIDECAR RECIPE | CLASSIC COCKTAILS | COCKTAIL RECIPES | DRINK RECIPES ]

Today’s soda spotlight is one that’s sure to place a pucker on your yap… Fentimans Victorian Lemonade. Each bottle boasts the all natural juice of 1½ lemons, married with fermented ginger root, speedwell and juniper extracts, lending it an authentic Victorian flavor like no other lemonade.

Perfect on its own on a hot summer day, Fentimans Victorian Lemonade also makes a great mixer for vodka, or, if you’re a whiskey drinker like me, Irish whiskey (not kidding - Jameson Irish Whiskey and lemonade are a delicious match! Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it).

Fentimans Lemon and Whiskey
Fentimans Victorian Lemonade
2 oz Irish whiskey (I recommend Jameson)
Lemon wheel, for garnish

Fill a highball glass with ice and add your Irish whiskey, to taste (2-ounces is usually a good starting point). Fill glass to the top with Fentimans Victorian Lemonade. Give a quick stir and garnish with lemon wheel. Enjoy!

This botanically brewed BBC Good Food Award Runner-Up is just one of seven in our Fentimans soda collection. Take a cue from our British friends and dive in to the classic soda revival. We know you won’t be disappointed.

TAGS [ FENTIMANS | FENTIMANS VICTORIAN LEMONADE | FENTIMANS SODA | FENTIMANS LEMON SODA | LEMONADE COCKTAILS ]

…blowing through the hops field in my mind… (read in the tune of the Isley Brothers’ hit, and curse me later for getting it stuck in your head).

Yes, summer is heating up and people are beginning to gather outdoors instead of in. Instead of filling coolers with piles of cans and rows of bottles, grab an ice cold keg of your favorite brew. Draft beer tastes better, costs less than cans and bottles, and you won’t have anywhere near as much glass and aluminum to clean up or take back for recycling.

What are your options for getting keg beer into your cup? Here’s three:

Party Pumps (also called Picnic Pumps or Keg Taps) are quick, easy, inexpensive hand-operated beer pumps that work great for single kegs of US domestic beer, like Coors and Bud. We now also have a Bronco party pump available for some European brews.

Deluxe Pumps are still hand-operated but more versatile and heavy duty. Simply swap out the coupler if you want to switch up the kind of beer you’re serving, from American pilsner to European lager to Bass ale, you’re golden.

CO2 Dispensing Keg Pumps allow you to serve your favorite beers without pumping! They even come with a CO2 tank, so as long as you keep the beer cold, it will stay crisp for weeks. CO2 dispensing systems are the ULTIMATE in outdoor beer pumps.

Grab a beer pump for July 4th and enjoy it for years to come. While you’re at it, check out all of our Outdoor Entertaining Essentials.

TAGS [ BEER PUMPS | KEG PUMPS | PARTY PUMPS | KEG TAPS | OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING ]

Summer is sizzling in some neck of the woods… maybe not here in the Queen City this week, but I know we’ll be heating back up soon. This, of course, can only mean one thing; summer drink concoctions.

Ever since my days back in Maine, sitting on my old pal Andy’s back deck, overlooking the lake, hot days and humid nights always conjure up ideas of fresh fruit, rum and paper drink umbrellas. Whether you’re trying to keep cool or attempting to create a tropical paradise in your own backyard (with or without mother nature’s cooperation), the Hurricane can help get you there.

The Hurricane

2 oz light rum
2 oz dark rum
2 oz passion fruit juice
1 oz orange juice
Juice of ½ lime
1 tbsp simple syrup
1 tbsp grenadine
Orange slice and cherry, for garnish

Squeeze juice from ½ lime into shaker over ice. Pour the remaining ingredients into the shaker. Shake well. Strain into a highball glass or a hurricane glass, if you have one. Garnish with orange slice and cherry.

TAGS [ HURRICANE | HURRICANE RECIPE | HURRICANE COCKTAIL | HURRICANE COCKTAIL RECIPE | COCKTAIL RECIPES | DRINK RECIPES | RUM COCKTAILS ]