KegWorks Blog

It’s hard to believe it’s already June. By now, most of you are gearing up for summer or have already eked out those much-needed handfuls of vacation days for your mental health or relaxation. It seems you’ve been waiting forever for the day when you can finally trade in your parkas and gloves for a swimsuit and sun block. Lucky you! According to the calendar, that time is nearly here. T-minus 17 days and counting…

As the Northern Hemisphere begins to point toward summer and the days start get longer (and the nights shorter), I’m looking a little further into the future – beyond the initially warm summer nights, outdoor concerts and cookouts - to the hot, muggy, relentlessly sticky days that make me sweat like a pig and long for a lengthy trip into the giant beer cooler at the supermarket. You know what I’m talking about: the days where it feels like you’re trying to breathe through a hot, wet sponge…

I’ve always told friends and family that, “I prefer fall or winter. During winter, if you’re cold, you can always add layers, wrap-up in thick heavy blankets or light a fire in the fireplace. In summer, when it’s broiling, you can only take off so much before getting arrested for public indecency.” So, I’m sitting here looking up cold drinks to brace myself for those days when all you sun worshippers will be out having a ball and I’ll be so drenched in sweat that it’ll make a drowned river rat look like a piece of dehydrated fruit.

This classic sounds like it’ll do the trick:

Rum Runner

2 cups ice (use more for a thicker, colder drink. Use less to avoid the deep-freeze headache)
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz blackberry liqueur
1 oz orange liqueur or triple sec
1 oz banana liqueur
1 oz light rum
1 oz dark rum
Splash of grenadine
1 oz Bacardi 151

Fill your blender with 2 cups ice. Add pineapple juice, blackberry liqueur, orange liqueur, banana liqueur, light and dark rums, and a splash of grenadine for sweetness. Blend until smooth. Garnish with an orange slice and pour an ounce of 151 Rum into the straw for an extra kick.

It’s refreshing to know that on those intolerably hot days ahead when the wind will blow, leaving me to feel like someone has put a hairdryer in my face and set it to HIGH, at least I’ll be able to kick back and chill an icy cold rum runner and look forward to the cooler seasons ahead.

TAGS [ RUM | RUM RUNNER | RUM RUNNER RECIPE | RUM RECIPES | COCKTAILS | COCKTAIL RECIPES | SUMMER COCKTAILS ]

This just in!

The long-awaited Angostura Orange Bitters has finally arrived in the States, and KegWorks is bringing it to you first. That’s right, Angostura Orange Cocktail Bitters are here and ready for your enjoyment. Touted as the best-balanced orange bitters on the planet, Angostura Orange is a perfect blend of citrus essence with oils from bitter and sweet oranges, herbs and spices.

Celebrate your love for great cocktails and Angostura with the Affinity:

Affinity Cocktail

1 oz scotch
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz dry vermouth
3 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters

Combine ingredients in a shaker over ice. Mix well and strain over ice into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Cheers to better bitters!

TAGS [ ANGOSTURA | ANGOSTURA ORANGE | ANGOSTURA ORANGE BITTERS | ORANGE BITTERS | COCKTAIL BITTERS | COCKTAILS ]

Now, I’ve mentioned more than once that my tastes tend toward the simpler side of the cocktail - usually my drink of choice is Maker’s Mark, neat. However recently, since I started indulging in Tuesday evening trips to Scarlet, I’ve began, once again, to try out different libations. I say “once again” because I had only ever drank fruity, candy-coated cocktails in my younger years.

I’m not saying that I’m going to completely disregard my favorite bourbon from this point forward - this would never happen. But, I am quite a fan of Scarlet’s Tuesday night happy hour specials. They’re great for a few reasons:

1. I get to try new things I never would try under any other circumstances
2. They’re easy on the wallet
3. It’s close to home, making it very easy to stay and enjoy the evening

Last week, Margaret and I chose to imbibe in pitcher upon pitcher of Jaminade. This past Tuesday, Liz and I sauntered down and decided on trying each martini on the menu, before diving into a pitcher of sorts. My first martini, The Black Orchid, was my favorite of the night, by far. From my photo here, you can see that I couldn’t even wait to try it before snapping the camera.

I’m not exactly sure of the ingredient measurements for this martini, so try my guesstimate and, if it doesn’t taste quite right, play around a little.

The Black Orchid

1 oz Blavod Black Vodka
½ oz Chambord
Cranberry juice

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Give it a good shake until it’s chilled and mixed. Strain into a martini glass and enjoy.

If any of you are in the Buffalo area, why not give Scarlet a try on Tuesday nights? I’ll see you there!

TAGS [ COCKTAIL | COCKTAILS | COCKTAIL RECIPE | COCKTAIL RECIPES | DRINK RECIPES | HAPPY HOUR ]

Last night I enjoyed two firsts - my first trip to Scarlet, a casual fine dining restaurant and bar 3 blocks up from my apartment, and Jaminade, a concoction that never once crossed my mind as a tasty possibility before my visit. The night was definitely a great time had by all, fueled by pitcher upon pitcher of this icy, perfect-for-summer beverage. In fact, I’m quite glad I finally got around to visiting Scarlet; with Jaminade and a number of other cool treats offered on their menu, this summer looks like it’s going to be pretty sweet. Plus, Jaminade is super easy to make, so I’ll be sure to mix some up at home next time I need some cooling down. You should try it too:

Jaminade
Jameson Irish Whiskey
Lemonade

Fill a pitcher with ice. Dump in as much Jameson as you like - the friendly bartenders at Scarlet filled up our pitcher about halfway (I’m not kidding). Top with lemonade, and serve. Garnish with a lemon wedge, if you like.

Not quite sure about how whiskey and lemonade would taste? Neither was I. And honestly, I’m usually a Guinness and bourbon, neat, type of girl. But, it is fun to try new things… and Jameson definitely gives lemonade a swift kick.

Looking to fuel a bigger crowd? Try filling up the beverage bucket that Liz was raving about in her last post. You’ll be glad you did.

TAGS [ JAMESON | LEMONADE | SUMMER COCKTAILS | SUMMER DRINKS | COCKTAILS ]

Do you know how to make the perfect gin and tonic? Even if you think you do, we recommend watching this how-to from our favorite cocktail expert, Robert Hess, of the Small Screen Network.

We can’t say it enough! Try it only with the one-and-only, hard-to-find Q Tonic. This natural, crisp tonic is the only way to go!

TAGS [ GIN AND TONIC | Q TONIC | COCKTAIL RECIPE | DRINK RECIPE ]

So the party is over. The music has been turned off, the last guest has finally left, and your home and lawn are littered with party remnants. Sure, you may have thought you had a ton of people over, but as you clean up, you realize there is still a good amount of leftover beer in your keg. Heaven forbid your freshly purchased ale should go to waste! Here, you will find some ideas on how to finish off that keg.

Food is one great way to enjoy the remainder of your beer. Check it out:

Cold Beer Shrimp

12 oz of your beer
1 lb large shrimp
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tsp peeled, grated ginger root
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves, mint or chives
Coarse or kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Bring the beer to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the shrimp, stir, and cook for 2 minutes, or until they just turn pink. Remove from the heat and let the shrimp cool in the beer, stirring or turning often; they will continue to cook in the hot liquid. Once they are cool, remove the shrimp from the beer, using a slotted spoon.

Peel and de-vein the shrimp; return them to the beer and stir for 1 minute to remove any remaining grit. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl. (The beer can be strained and added to shrimp or fish stock.) The shrimp can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the soy sauce, lime juice, Tabasco, tomato and ginger root. Cook over high heat, stirring for 2 minutes, to heat through. Remove from the heat and let cool. Spoon the cooled sauce over the shrimp and toss to combine. Add the cilantro, mint or chives. Season the shrimp to taste with salt and pepper; toss again. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This will serve six people as an appetizer or four for lunch.

TAGS [ BEER | BEERS | BEER SHRIMP | BEER RECIPE | BEER RECIPES ]

So, in the old tailgating days I remember guys mixing up what they called a “red eye” for an added kick to their morning. I know a Red Eye to simply be ½ beer with ½ tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix. Not my thing, but for some, it’s a refreshing (and cheap) twist on the Bloody Mary. I have also heard of a Chelada, which I know to be made simply by adding lime and salt to a beer. This alternative to a regular beer suits me just fine.

On the first sunny day (not kidding) in Seattle this year I ventured out in search of a patio to soak up some much needed Vitamin D, and a few refreshing cocktails. I landed at the Ballard Loft, a sports themed bar with an eclectic menu that boasts of an array of unusual takes on the hotdog. (Yes, I said the hotdog.)

What else was new to me on the menu? The Budweiser Chelada. Of course, we had to get one. It is light orange with an extremely minimal head when poured. It has a salty, vegetable smell (for obvious reasons), and a sharp acidic flavor that really overpowered the taste of the beer. For me, it wasn’t great, but I am not a huge fan of tomato based juices. I really don’t even love a Bloody Mary (I know, I know).

As it was my first time to see a version of the Red Eye I did a little research to learn of its origin. I found that these types of beers have a classification, stemming from Mexican cuisine. The Red Eye and the Chelada fall into the category known in Spanish as cerveza preparada or simply, prepared beer. These drinks date back to the 1940s, when mixing beer with hot sauce and salsa became popular in Mexico. I also found that the true name of what I call the Red Eye is a Chavela.

In any regard, I think it’s interesting to watch good old Budweiser make a move to break new ground. They are just not breaking down any barriers with me on this one.

Have you had one? Tell us what you thought!

TAGS [ BUDWEISER | CLAMATO | CHELADA | BEER | BEERS | NEW BEER ]