Beer Alcohol Cocktails cocktail recipe Beer Festivals Restaurant Review

The stakes are rising fellas'! Valentine's Day is almost here and what are you going to do? Cooke a romantic dinner? Buy Flowers? or something different?

We vote for something different and we think it's time you learned how to make some craft cocktails that show her just how much you mean to her. The folks over at Cruzan sent over these recipes to give us a head start, so let's dive in!

Who's ready to celebrate National Rum Day? Here's some awesome rum cocktail recipes from Zaya Rum!

While folks are finally starting to recognize tequila as a premium spirit with a complex and diverse collection of properties, there's another Mexican spirit following quickly on its heels. A few years ago mezcal was simply tequila's rougher tougher, renegade brother but as someone who loves agave spirits, it is wonderful to see new products reaching the market that focuses on the positive aspects of Mexican culture and heritage instead of merely throwing a revolver, donkey, or a sombrero on the bottle and shipping it out to bars. One of the products that recently impressed me in this new wave of premium mezcal was Vamonos Riendo Mezcal.

If you're a tequila enthusiast looking to broaden your horizons, sotol should be on your radar. As you know, I'm absolutely enamored by Mexican food and drink. While I've had Sotol, in the past - I didn't get a chance to truly explore it until Sotol Hacienda de Chihuahua sent me a few bottles to try. Now I'm hooked. This lesser-known Mexican spirit offers a unique flavor profile that is distinctly different from tequila, yet is equally captivating. Derived from the Dasylirion Wheeleri plant, sotol boasts a complex blend of herbaceous, fruity, and resinous notes that will intrigue your palate when paired with fresh Mexican seafood and grilled meats. But there's more to this spirit than just its taste. From its rich history and production methods to its regional variations, sotol has a story to tell. Are you ready to explore what makes this spirit a worthy addition to your collection?

As the summer ends and the weather for many of you begins to cool down as we prepare for winter, I prefer to think of all those Caribbean islands that I can't wait to visit again soon. That's why I was so excited to share these two recipes by CÎROC and Mixologist Brandon Sutton inspired by the recently canceled West Indian Day Parade.

The martini is simultaneously one of the easiest and most well know vodka cocktails. It is immortalized in popular culture as the preferred drink of James Bond who's impact singlehandedly changed martini cocktails from a gin base to vodka. Despite the fact that it is generally a pretty easy drink to make, there are some tips that you must follow if you want to create the absolutely perfect martini. Here's what Bob Nolet, Master Distiller at Nolet Spirits, producers of Ketel One Vodka.

For some, staying at an all-inclusive resort is about rest and relaxation in some exotic location far from home. For me, one thing I love about traveling is discovering new and exciting cocktails - or familiar ones in new locations. That's why I love staying at all inclusive resorts like Villa Del Palmar in Loreto Mexico. Even though my stay was covered by the resort, having access to an open bar means you can try new things without the fear of wasting money. You've already paid for it... so let's enjoy it!

There's two things that all guys love - whisky and beef. Chef Perry Lang showed Jimmy Kimmel Live! how to make these things even better... by combining them :) 

Recently I was hosted by Crown Royal to attend a weekend of fun at the Jeff Kyle Brickyard 400.  During the weekend we were educated by Master of Whiskey (MOW) Stephen Wilson on the Crown Royal distilling process and how they come up with the blends they use in their whiskeys. 

 When it comes to Vodka, for many brands marketing is even more important than the actual quality but Crystal Head has been delivering quality and innovation for almost as as this site has been around. In fact, they were one of the first brands to send us a sample to try more than 10 years ago. Today I continue to applaud their innovation as they push what vodka can be by introducing one of the first commercially available agave vodkas, Crystal head Onyx.

Johnnie Walker is the most popular brand of whisky today... and apparently that's true in 2049 too since they've partnered with the new movie, Blade Runner 2049. To celebrate their inclusion in the movie, the brand has released a limited edition "Johnnie Walker Black Label The Director's Cut" bottle and sent in these fun futuristic cocktails as well.

Mezcal Amarás is a perfect example of why I'm absolutely enthralled by this spirit! Alcohol has had a unique place in the history of man and the act of fermentation is probably as old as the act of grilling meat. Throughout it's history, our ancestors celebrated this magic liquid's ability to both open up a portal to experience a different plane of existence for religious and mystic purposes as well to frankly... just feel good. While most spirits today are simply commercial and indeed industrial operations designed purely for commercial profit - there still exists a cadre of mezcaleros who keep their ancient traditions alive so that we can experience them ourselves.

Mezcal has always been a sort of "outlaw" spirit in terms of how most Americans perceive it. Frankly, I think that lends itself well to those folks who may have been attracted to whiskey for the same reason. To many distillers today though try to pretend that mezcal needs to be chic and luxurious and that often causes the mystique to be lost. On the other hand, there's Ilegal Mezcal, where you have a beautiful bottle and a fabulously unique back story, but it is still firmly planted in the authentic Oaxacan roots that make mezcal special.

Are you looking for something beyond your classic mimosa to enjoy during Sunday brunch? Italian Prosecco producer Gancia sends over this delicious-sounding idea for a holiday morning spritz to enjoy this season!

Garrison Brothers was the first legal Texas bourbon but they've come a long way since those early days. While there are a lot of bourbon brands that ride on a cliche concept and good marketing without the soul that makes bourbon something special... Garrison Brothers Distillery is something special and to their credit they've come a long way from the early days when I first tried them many years ago. So, when they sent over some new cocktails to share... well... it just seemed like the right thing to do to salute a whiskey brand that everyone should have in their bar at home.

Happy 4th of July guys! If you haven't already stocked up the bar for the weekend, then now is the time to do it and the great folks at Brown Forman have sent over some tips and recipes to make sure that no one goes thirsty!

These are probably the easiest cocktail recipes you could possibly imagine, so just make sure you have the right supplies and you'll be the Independence Day Hero...

Dig out those flip flops and the sunscreen - summer is coming!

As the weather starts to heat up, step up your day drinking with an icy treat made with Amarula Cream, a South African treat made using the fruit of the indigenous marula tree. A decadent tipple, Amarula Cream is light brown in color, creamy on the palate and can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks and in an array of drinks - including boozy shakes! 

Koloa Rum was one of the first brands that ever sent me product to feature on ManTripping and I've been a fan ever since. While I've enjoyed drinking their rum in Hawaii I didn't realize they had started expanding to the mainland till they contacted me the other day with this fun and funky Halloween-themed rum cocktail recipe, the Eyeball Daiquiri.

Templeton has a limited-release Stout Cask Finish for their world-famous rye whiskey. It’s a completely different feel for an American whiskey. And I like it.