Beer Alcohol Cocktails cocktail recipe Beer Festivals Restaurant Review

The changing seasons are always something I look forward to, autumn especially so. We'll bring loved ones together, celebrating the survival of another fun filled summer, and prepare the incredible feast that will become Thanksgiving dinner.

I absolutely love this newly emerging popularity of Mexican spirits. With it's rich stories of family heritage and political intrigue that matches or even exceeds anything found in the back woods of Kentucky and Tennessee's whiskey distillers. Part of this is that it offers something new and exotic yet also being so close, in this case, coming to us from Chihaua... right across the US border from west Texas and New Mexico. In the case of Acrónimo Sotol, too, draws on more than a century of heritage but steps into the future with a young, passionate founder who is looking to extend her family's legacy and make an impact in the modern spirits industry.

The classic Caipirinha is considered the national cocktail of Brazil and I can see why. It's cool, crisp and refreshing with that laid back tropical feel but still refined enough to be enjoyed at the fanciest of occasions. I don't see it served that often outside of Brazilian restaurants though, which is a shame since it is so tasty. I suppose that's just one more reason I love going to Fogo de Chao...

Islands is one of my favorite restaurants to take my friends and that's because the food is always good and while the classics never change, they always have new offerings to switch stuff up too. On our recent guys weekend to Palm Desert, California they invited us to stop by and fuel up as well as taste their new Islands Golden Ale brewed in collaboration with Karl Strauss Brewing.

Right now is a great time to be a fan of cocktails and spirits. It seems like virtually every day I hear about something new that piques my interest but only a handful have I had a chance to actually sit down and create cocktails for. Recently I was invited to test out TUACA, a fantastic vanilla citrus liqueur that is said to trace its roots all the way back to Lorenzo de Medici and later became popular in the United States after servicemen brought it home from Italy during WII. In the classic pattern we've seen with cocktails in general, TUACA is starting to become popular again with a whole new generation. 

For a tiny island, Key West has a lot of stories - some are tales of greatness... others are tales of what might have been. In the case of Pan Am, it is a little bit of both. First In Flight Restaurant & Brewery celebrates this early aviation heritage on the site where Pan Am was born with craft beer and food.

A drink that is famously paired with brunch (or hangovers), the Bloody Mary has been a staple of our culture for many decades. The Bloody Mary has even earned itself a national day of recognition on January 1st of every year. While the core ingredients of the drink are vodka and tomato juice, there's an endless number of variations that can take the flavor profile to new and interesting places. Here are five unusual variations of the classic Bloody Mary we know and love so well. 

That's right .. I'm not sure what more needs to be said except that the mezcal has a unique essence that is more than just a gimmick, as I thought initially. Pechuga de Conejo by Bosscal Mezcals is a pretty interesting expression that does precisely what a great spirit should do - evokes a conversation.

You've likely tasted a variety of vodkas, but have you ever tried one made from whey? I hadn't until now. Thanks to my PR friend representing Broken Shed Vodka, I had the chance to experience something completely new and exciting. This unique spirit hails from the pristine landscapes of New Zealand and is a pretty unique product in the vodka market. It's not just the creamy texture and subtle sweetness that'll intrigue you, but also the fact that it comes from the southern hemisphere, evoking a different story than the vast majority of American and European vodkas available right now. Having a sip of this vodka is like experiencing a piece of New Zealand's natural beauty - crisp, clean, pure, but with a unique twist that takes a moment to figure out exactly what's going on. 

The 14th-Annual San Diego Beer Week, presented by the San Diego Brewers Guild, begins on Friday, November 4th and we're excited to support the annual celebration saluting the Capital of Craft!

Rum sometimes has a bad rap since there are a lot of inferior products out there, but thankfully there are some fantastic rums out there too. It all comes down to craftsmanship and market demands. Luckily, over the past few years we've started to see high quality products such as Don Q Gran Añejo make it to store shelves and bars around the United States. People from Puerto Rico probably laugh at this being a new trend since they've known the greatness of rum since Destilería Serrallés started producing the spirit on the island in 1865.

Tequila tends to be a summer drink in the United States - it is synonymous with margaritas and doing shots on the beach or around a campfire. However, there is more to the spirit than just that. To help convince us, Tequila Avion sent us some great recipe ideas that will go well with your Thanksgiving celebrations this year.

Above a certain level, premium spirits are about the feeling it provides the imbiber as much as it is the actual quality of the liquid. We're very fortunate right now to live in a time with plenty of options when it comes to high-quality agave spirits and it is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to try something new. I guess what impresses me the most is that while many of these distillers are "new" to the American market, the reality is that folks like Maestro Mezcalero Juan Antonio Coronel from Tres Tribus is actually part a legacy going back hundreds of years. 

With the Kentucky Derby almost upon us, it's time to break out our julep cups, crush some ice and mix up some awesome cocktails so we forget how silly those women look wearing their derby hats!

The first thing you might be thinking here is, "gin from Mexico?" I'll give you a moment to work through that moment of confusion you might be struggling with right now but then it's time to dive in to what may be the most exciting gin that I've tasted in years. Like most of you, I enjoy spirits that have soul, heritage, and the ability to immediately connect you with a favorite place and culture. With the two unique gins from Las Californias, that is exactly what you'll experience and that makes me happy.

There are times when celebrities just slap their name on a bottle or buy a distillery and there are others when it is obvious that the celebrity is actually a partner with the distillery to create something new and unique. That's the case with Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey Bourbon. 

As much as I enjoy a great cocktail or sipping a fine spirit, it's the people, culture, and history behind the product that I enjoy even more. That's generally why I haven't been as big of a vodka fan as I am passionate about Whiskey and Tequila. That changed recently though when I was invited by Khortytsa Vodka to tour Ukraine with them and learn more about the people and culture behind their vodka.

Aside from our time spent on cruise ships recently, it's been a while since we've had the opportunity to attend tasting events at local bars and restaurants here in San Diego. However, if there's one thing that can compel me to get off my seat and venture back into a bar it's a great rum paired with fantastic bartenders and that's just what we had this week when we met with Diplomatico's California Ambassador to talk a bit about two of their newer expressions: Mantuano and Planas.

Mezcal cocktails are great all year long but due to the spirit's origin in the hot Mexican sun, it probably serves best on warm summer days. As we emerge from a cold and wet spring, it's time to start preparing for those summer cocktails!

As a passionate explorer of unique spirits, I'm always on the lookout for bottles that can transport me to far-off places. NEFT Vodka caught my eye with its distinctive barrel-shaped packaging featuring bold cerylic lettering evoking a Soviet / retro-USSR feeling. While vodka has a tendency to be flash over substance, this was certainly a product that offered a promising a journey before I even opened it for a taste test.