Summer is slowly creeping up on us here in Buffalo, NY but I know many of you out there are enjoying warm weather already! It’s got me wondering, what beers do you all enjoy drinking in summertime?

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If your favorite isn’t listed, choose “None of the above” and leave me a comment to tell me which style(s) YOU love!

Cheers,
Hannah

TAGS [ SUMMER BEERS | SUMMER BEER STYLES | BEER POLL | BEER SURVEY ]

Did you ever wonder how Old Saint Nick flew around the entire planet (barring those children who didn’t believe in him – suckers!) without freezing out there? Now unless the reindeer are flying for him, as some sort of bio-mechanical cruise control of sorts, he obviously has to stay sober for the long night ahead. However, keeping up with those sub-zero temperatures, he has to have some sort of trick… I’m guessing it’s at least eggnog in his mug, if not a warmed brandy.

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TAGS [ HOLIDAY COCKTAILS | SANTA DRINKS | CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS | COLD WEATHER DRINKS | WINTER WARMERS | COCKTAIL POLL ]

Thanksgiving is coming and so are the interesting choices of beverages available. I personally like a glass of cranberry wine with my meal, while I have other friends who choose differently. With such a wide variety of food on our plates shouldn’t our palates be craving the same for our choice of drinks?

There are tons of traditional fall drinks that warm us, such as a mulled wine or cider, plenty of fruit and dessert wines, and even a wide variety of holiday craft beers. I even have a friend that has his girlfriend drive to the holiday festivities and has about 3 Monster Ales from Brooklyn Brewery before he walks in the door to "enjoy" the endless ramblings of "when are you two going to settle down," "when are you two getting married," or even "when are you guys going to finally have kids."

We have plenty to be thankful for at these times if we look hard enough, and we certainly have to be thankful for the wide selection of drinks available to enjoy with our families. Which beverages are going to grace your Thanksgiving dinner? Take our poll:

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Best wishes.

TAGS [ THANKSGIVING | THANKSGIVING DRINKS | THANKSGIVING POLL ]

Delicious, delectable and so dark, these Belgian chocolate cups make my mouth water even as I’m writing about them! These are the perfect platform to entice your guests this holiday season with an easy to use cup for your confections.

I personally like cherries in chocolate in these cups, and I’m sure mousse would be amazing as well… what is your favorite dark-chocolate-and-something combo?

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TAGS [ CHOCOLATE DESSERT CUPS | DARK CHOCOLATE SHELLS | BELGIAN CHOCOLATE | BELGIAN CHOCOLATE DESSERT SHELLS ]

Any regular readers know that, besides being a Guinness lover, my liquor of choice is almost always whiskey. And although I love a great number of whiskeys out there, including Canadian and Irish, my true favorites are the bourbons. (Yes Maker’s Mark, you’ll always hold a spot in my heart, and in my Manhattan, perfect, on the rocks).

The question is though, what makes a straight bourbon whiskey? How is bourbon different from other whiskeys? Dave shot me a link to William Litton’s article today, which did a rather good job of explaining key factors.

As Mr. Litton explains, bourbon is a corn whiskey that is aged in charred white oak barrels. This aging process, in these specific barrels, is what gives bourbon its distinctive coloring and tasty notes of honey, spice and floral, earthy complexity. There is however, a bit more to it than that.

In order to be labeled as an official straight bourbon whiskey, according to US federal law (it’s that big) whiskey needs to meet all of the following requirements:

• It must be distilled within the United States
• It must be made of grain mixture that is at least 51% corn
• It cannot be altered in any artificial way; no coloring, flavoring or special filtering allowed
• It must be aged for at least two years in new, charred white oak barrels
• It must be distilled to no higher than 165 proof, and introduced into the barrel at no higher than 125 proof

Bourbon brands’ tastes are as varied as their names, from sweet to fiery and everything in between. My favorite, Maker’s Mark, tends to be on the sweeter side but still with enough fire to know you’re drinking bourbon. Basil Hayden’s is a bourbon that I liken more to candy than any other. If you’re looking for pure heat and the classic whiskey-face, try Knob Creek—it may be the tastiest fire water you’ve ever thrown back.

Looking for a classic bourbon cocktail recipe? The Manhattan or Old Fashioned always do me well, but here’s something we haven’t posted yet… the Kentucky B & B.

Kentucky B & B
2 oz bourbon
½ oz Benedictine

Pour bourbon and Benedictine into a snifter and stir. Drink and repeat.

TAGS [ BOURBON | WHISKEY | BOURBON WHISKEY | KENTUCKY B & B | KENTUCKY BOURBONS | COCKTAIL RECIPES ]

You’re hosting a summer gathering and you know you’ll be serving beer – but how? You could always pick up a case of Bud Light and throw it into the garage cooler but I’ve got a feeling you’re not that kind of host. So what IS the best way to serve beer when guests will be mingling outside?

Do you fill growlers at your local brewpub? Do you use a pump or picnic tap to serve a keg? Both options cut down on bottles and cans but the variety of beer for guests to choose from is lacking. Is it better to buy bottled sampler packs? What’s the most cost-effective way to serve great stuff and keep everyone happy?

I’m not sure there’s a definite answer here, to be honest. I have my own approach but others might have a better way. Personally, for smaller parties I like to combine the growler option and the sampler packs. I usually buy a sampler of something more standard—like Sam Adams—and then get some fun stuff in the growlers for the serious beer snobs. Throw in a case of something cheap for the people who don’t care and you’re all set.

When I’ve got a big group coming over however, I’ll grab a keg of something that most everyone would like. Yuengling always goes over well with my friends. Someday I’ll have an outdoor kegerator.

What’s your beer host game plan? Take the poll and leave some comments to let me know!

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TAGS [ BEER OUTDOORS | KEG BEER | GROWLERS | BEER SURVEY | BEER POLL | SUMMER PARTIES | LABOR DAY | BEER TIPS ]

Finally! We got a huge shipment of tap handles in and I’ve been drowning in them, piled all over my photo studio. Well, I’m finally done for at least a couple of days, when we should get more in again. I’m always surprised at all of the variations of tap handles that I come across; it must be a great time designing the handles, especially some of the microbrews. Here are a few that I let slip by without buying for myself.

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TAGS [ TAP HANDLES | FAUCET HANDLES | DRAFT BEER EQUIPMENT | BEER TAP | BEER TAPS | BEER TAP HANDLE | BEER TAP HANDLES ]