Liquor Snob

Bottle Throttle Review

2009-07-09T11:52:00Z

Welcome to our fully full-on review of the Bottle Throttle, our latest gadget designed to get beer into us at the speed of light. We were excited (and a bit nervous) to try it after its creator told us of its 2-3 second delivery time, and when we couldn't browbeat any of the interns into stepping up to the plate, our fearless leader himself was the first to try it.

That's right - Editor in Chief vs Bottle Throttle in a fight to the drunk.

We have to admit we were a little thrown by the simplicity of the Bottle Throttle at first. It looks basically like the nipple of a baby bottle mated with your gym teacher's whistle, then had a drinking straw stuck up its ass, and we were curious how effective it would be.

We were impressed with the durability of the Throttle's material, however, and how easily it slipped over the neck of the beer bottle, like it was born to be there. The lanyard was a nice touch too, making sure we didn't lose it in between rounds, and we can see these things sweeping the nation as the next fad in neckwear - move over Flavor Flav's clock.

Round One
Our Editor in Chief slips the Throttle over the neck of the bottle and eyes his competitor with grim determination. He cautiously moves it to his lips and tilts it back, taking a small swig "just to see what the action was like." He says there is the tiniest delay and a gurgling noise as the beer makes its way past the drinking straw that goes to the bottom of the bottle, but no one else notices it.

He puts the bottle to about a 45 degree angle and consumes the beer; nowhere near as aggressive as he could have been, he's feeling his opponent out.

Time: 8 Seconds
Round Winner: Bottle Throttle

Round Two
Now our fearless leader has his beer legs under him, and he comes in swinging. He slaps the contraption onto another bottle and knocks it back to a near 90-degree angle. A bit of foam shoots out of the corners of his mouth and his jaw works frantically like some kind of strange bearded baby animal nursing at a beer teat, but he gets it all down.

Time: 5 Seconds
Round Winner: Tie

Round Three
By now, EiC knows what's coming and he's determined to get the Bottle Throttle against the ropes. He tilts his head just so, opens his throat, and the beer is gone before the stopwatch is even started. General consensus puts the time at somewhere near 2-3 seconds, and the young whippersnapper interns look on with renewed admiration.

Time: 2-3 Seconds
Round Winner: Editor in Chief

Verdict:
Like Little Mac from Punchout, the Bottle Throttle packs a mean punch for such a small package. It was simpler to use and more portable than many of the funneling/shotgunning tools we've tried, and at ten bucks a pop, more affordable too. We recommend this thing for tailgating, parties, or even just posing a challenge to yourself on a Wednesday night. Just make sure you have some spare drinking straws around.

Buy yours at Bottle Throttle, and don't forget - free shipping all summer if you buy them in packages of two.

Victoria's Secret Drinking Game

2009-07-09T01:41:56Z

We're not sure who Brooke Marks is, but she has come up with what might be our favorite drinking game ever. Not only does it involve open gaping at Victoria's Secret catalogs in mixed company, the rules are pretty clever too - though most of them seem to involve how Adriana Lima looks like she killed your dog. To be honest, based on where we're looking in the VS catalog, we would have been hard pressed to tell you Adriana Lima even has a face.

At Victorias Secret Drinking Game - Watch more Funny Videos

Timbuk2 Dolores Messenger Chiller/Cooler

2009-07-06T13:46:13Z

We're not sure if you could actually ride a bike wearing the Dolores Chiller from Timbuk2, but this messenger bag cooler is sharp-enough looking to make us want to try. Important features include the insulated interior, the included metal bottle opener, the ballistic nylon construction, and the waterproof lining. Oh, and the space - there's enough room in here for you to shove in at least a twelve pack with ice. We think we're in love, even though the price tag is just north of a C-note.

Timbuk2 Dolores Cooler [via Uncrate]

****
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What The Hell Were We Drinking?

2009-07-06T11:40:00Z

The Onion [via Drunkist]

Fan Us Up on the Facebooks

2009-07-03T14:00:59Z

Yeah, we know you can come to the site, or subscribe to our feed, or follow us on Twitter, but we know you're itching for ONE MORE WAY to get your eyeballs on our posts. That's why we created our brand new Liquor Snob Facebook page - because we're always thinking of you.

Why not, right? You need something to do in between posting your "clever" status updates and cyberstalking. Become a fan.* It will make your life better...we guarantee it.**

* The "Become A Fan" button should be right up near the top, next to the title, if this is your first time. We'll be gentle.
** Guarantee not valid anywhere.

I Survived the Drought of '09

2009-07-02T17:48:08Z

We got a package in the mail yesterday that should have had booze in it. It said Knob Creek on the side, and that usually means we're going to be able to whet our whistles. But no. It contained a T-shirt that said "I Survived the Drought of '09" and a letter that started with "Thanks for nothing."

Yeah, exactly. Thanks for nothing to whichever one of you bastards who drank more than your share, because there's apparently no Knob Creek left for the year. Well, they're not exactly out, but they're expecting to run low this year because they didn't put enough whiskey aside for this year and demand has been higher than expected.

Some may think it's more marketing nudge than dire shortage, but we say if you're a big Knob Creek lover you may want to go lay some aside while the getting's good, just to be on the safe side.

@KnobCreek.com

Liquor Snob Monthly Roundup: June 2009

2009-07-02T01:46:49Z

Our focus this month has really been on the Three Penny Taproom. Like, to the exclusion of posting to this site. Their beer...it's just so good when it touches our lips, you know? And then when we're full of beer we lose the motivation to write. We just want more beer. It's a vicious cycle. But it includes beer. So that's OK with us.

Don't worry. We'll get back on track now that the hazy, lazy days of summer will make it too hot to trek all the way to the bar. We think so, anyway. While we're drying out, check out what we found for you during the lovely month of June!

Bar Accessories

Bars

Three Penny Taproom Montpelier, VT

Beer

Cocktail Recipes

Drinking Gear

Bottle Throttle for Shotgunning Arrives for Review

Events

Independent Spirits Expo, June 24

Gin

Sloe Gin Fizz

Liquor

PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur Arrives for Review

Lush Lifestyle

Monthly Roundup

Liquor Snob Monthly Roundup: May 2009

Rum

Cruzan Single Barrel Rum Arrives for Review

Vodka

Olivia Munn Tastes Vodkas...And Rips on Them

Whiskey

Wine

TY KU Sake Bomb Kit - Y'know, for Dad

The Soup of the Day is Whiskey

2009-06-30T15:13:35Z

Excuse me, miss, what's the soup du jour? The Soup of the Day. Mmmm...sounds good, think I'll have that.

via Top Cultured

Diageo Resets the Bar for Economical Drinking

2009-06-30T02:13:19Z

Ah, the times, they are a changing. Diageo has relaunched TheBar.com, and instead of focusing on high end cocktails and flashy Webitude, they're rolling toward the economical home bar. It turns out people are drinking in bars less thanks to the recession, in the parlance of our time. Diageo's new website reflects that, with Bar Basics for home bartending tips, Barnomics for figuring out how many drinks you can mix per bottle, and information on premade cocktail mixes.

Hopefully this new information will help you with the drinking at home, but alll we can say is - we miss Jack.

@TheBar.com [via] Business Week]

Three Penny Taproom Montpelier, VT

2009-06-25T02:30:00Z

You know that one place you always want to show off when you have visitors in town? You say "Oh, so and so are going to be here this weekend, we have to take them to such and such place." We've found our place here in Montpelier, and it goes by the name of Three Penny Taproom.

Nestled into an old storefront, this place has only been around for a bit over a month but it's already burrowed its way into our cold little hearts, and not just because of the stellar beer selection either. The staff is friendly and courteous, always willing to sling a small sample of a draught you might not have tried, and the selection is adventurous to say the least. With 16 constantly-rotating taps you're never going to be hard up for a beer, whether it's IPAs, Belgians, Lagers, Stouts, or brews further off the beaten path. Most of the beers are pretty high test, some up near 10 or 12% ABV, so just keep that in mind.

Also, if the taps aren't your thing, they've got a bunch of bottles, a wine list, and a fully-stocked bar. And yes, they serve PBR, but no, that's not why we go there.

@Three Penny Taproom, and don't forget to check out their tap list, which is updated weekly.

Football Cocktail Shaker: Go Long Into Drunkenness

2009-06-23T20:08:36Z

This little gizmo might seem a bit off-season, but just think about how popular you'll be this fall when you hit your friends with a long bomb and get them blitzed. Did we just actually type that sentence? Oh, and you can actually lock the halves together and throw the thing, full of booze, across the room. We can't see that ever being a bad idea.

@Firebox [via Random Good Stuff]

PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur Arrives for Review

2009-06-23T01:52:41Z

PAMA is one of those liqueurs we've heard about for quite a while but we haven't gotten around to tasting it yet. Well, we've had it in cocktails while we were out, but never had a bottle of our own to experiment with. That's all a thing of the past, because we've very recently gotten our hands on a bottle. Review is forthcoming and we're excited to whip up some cocktails in time for the summer months.

PAMA is a pomegranate liqueur and our first impression when we uncapped it and took a sip was that it was a bit more tart and less sweet than we expected...definitely a good thing. It strikes us as a good candidate for margaritas, mimosas, and many other cocktails that don't begin with M.

Learn more @PAMAliqueur.com, and check out the PAMA blog if you're looking for cocktail recipes and more tidbits in the meantime.

Bottle Throttle for Shotgunning Arrives for Review

2009-06-19T21:34:31Z

During our long and storied career here at Liquor Snob, we've dedicated some serious time to technology dedicated to filling you up with beer really, really quickly. From the Bottle Blaster to the Shotgun Key, from Flabongo to Bongxedo, we've done considerable damage to our collective livers in the pursuit of the best way to shotgun beer.

A gentleman from Calgary claims our search is over. Clint Franklin, creator of the Bottle Throttle, claims his doodad is better than all those other doodads out there. Does the Bottle Throttle get you from zero to twelve ounces as quickly as he claims (averaging about three seconds)? There's only one way to find out...testing, testing, testing. And he sent us two for racing purposes!

You can pick up your own Throttle for about ten bucks; we'll hit you with a full review once we've put it through its paces.

@Bottle Throttle

Booze Cruise Watch

2009-06-17T00:16:00Z

This isn't the kind of thing we usually post, but we need a new watch, and something overcame us to search for booze watches. We came up with this Tommy Bahama Booze Cruise watch, which sort of fits the bill. The price is right, it looks durable, and it's water resistant in case you fall off the side of the boat while doing a keg stand. Not that that's ever happened to us of course...

Tommy Bahama Men's Booze Cruise Watch

CarboPouch Beer Pouch

2009-06-15T20:30:10Z

Craft brewers rejoice at the CarboPouch. This little doo-hickey is designed to let smaller shops sell their beers onsite without having to buy all kinds of bottling equipment. Maybe in the future you'll get these instead of growlers at your local brewery. We know we'd use them...they're kind of like Go-Gurt for grownups.

CarboPouch [via DVice]

Red Stag Cocktail Recipes

2009-06-12T22:14:28Z

We spent some time down in New York this week, and the main attraction of our whirlwind trip was sitting down with Bobby "G" Gleason, Master Mixologist for Beam Global, so he could trot us through some of his favorite Red Stag cocktails. In a masterly fashion, he mixed us a batch of cocktails that surprised us on multiple fronts, and most importantly, gave us a minor buzz at 10 AM.

We were fascinated by Bobby's patter about flavor profiles and his enthusiasm for experimentation (he told us of a bacon-flavored tequila he created), and we dug the drinks too.

We're including the recipes for our favorites - the Manhattan is one we'd drink with enough regularity to be worrisome, the Mating Call moved Red Stag from sweet to tart, and the addition of Tabasco to the Red Hot Stag worried us a bit, but turned out to be one of our favorites of the bunch. See the recipes and our take after the jump.

PERFECT RED MANHATTAN
1.50 oz. Red Stag
.33 oz. Dry Vermouth
.33 oz. Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry dropped in.

Our Take: We started off with the Manhattan, and we were positive it would be our favorite. Chilled and stirred to perfection, tasty without being sweet - we recommend you up the Vermouths to .5 oz each, and go 3 to one with the Bourbon. Trust us.

RED HOT STAG
1.50 oz. Red Stag
1.0 oz. fresh lemon sour
2.0 oz. Kern's Mango Juice
3 - 5 dashes of Tabasco Sauce

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Our Take: Mangos and Tabasco? And black cherry? We thought Bobby had gone off the deep end, and then we tried it. The mango and lemon balance out the sweetness of the bourbon, and the heat from the Tabasco plays sweeper at the end, hitting you in the back of the throat and making you want to take another sip. It was - and we don't use this word often - delightful.

MATING CALL
1.50 oz. Red Stag
2.0 oz. Fresh Lemon Sour (1.50 oz. lemon juice + .50 oz. simple syrup)
1 barspoon of Black Cherry Preserves
In a mixing glass spoon in Black Cherry preserve and add lemon juice, stir to combine. Add the Red Stag, shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a peel of lemon squeezed and dropped in.

Our Take: Another big favorite, this one was on the tarter end of the spectrum, but we never lost the flavor of the Beam. Plus, we'd never had a cocktail with preserves in it before...kind of made us want to sit on the couch with a bottle of Beam and a jar of Polaner All-Fruit spread.

Whiskey Stones for the Win

2009-06-12T00:58:16Z

If you're ready to really take your whiskey on the rocks, you might want to think about getting yourself some Whiskey Stones. It seems like years ago that we covered sippin' on the rocks, a snooty-seeming product from Scotland, but these newest whiskey rocks are from a bit closer to home - our native state of Vermont. Stick 'em in the freezer and plop 'em in your drink to get the chilling effect of ice without watering it down.

A win no matter how you tally it, and we're thinking Dad might want some for Father's Day.

@ThinkGeek

(Thanks Tom and Christina)

Sloe Gin Fizz

2009-06-11T14:43:32Z

We've got a friend who's getting into the Sloe Gin Fizz of late, and sent an envoy to us asking if we knew any good recipes. Truth be told, we didn't, because while we've heard of this particular cocktail we've never sought it out. However, being the liquor nerds we are, we were able to dig through our many cocktail recipe books and come up with a few recipes that might fit the bill. We also found a recipe for something called a "Sloe Comfortable Screw," that we had to include just because it had an awesome name.

Find the recipes (and their sources) after the jump.

Update: We just found an article on Esquire that hints the reason for sloe gin's decline in the States - we don't have access to the real stuff, just artificially-flavored knockoffs that don't do the drink justice. Has anyone found a truly good sloe gin out there to combat this claim? Anyway, maybe that's why, as reader Megan puts it in the comments, "old people like sloe gin." It's because they've had the good stuff we don't have access to, and know what the drink can really aspire to.

Sloe Gin Fizz Recipe #1
Source: The Complete Bartender (Updated)

1oz sloe gin
2oz sour mix
club soda
Fill mixing glass with ice. Add sloe gin and sour mix. Shake. Strain into chilled Collins glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with a cherry.

Our Take: Meh. Sour mix? This strikes us as a gin fizz you'd be served at an Appleby's. There are some OK recipes in this book, but this one doesn't do it for us.

Sloe Gin Fizz Recipe #2
Source: Mr. Boston: Official Bartender's Guide

1oz lemon juice
1 tsp superfine sugar (or simple syrup)
2oz sloe gin
club soda
Shake lemon juice, sweetener, and sloe gin with ice and strain into chilled highball glass with two ice cubes. Top with club soda and stir. Garnish with a slice of lemon.

Our Take: Now we're getting somewhere. Double the sloe gin, plus real ingredients instead of premade sour mix? This is one we'd feel OK making for our friends.

Sloe Gin Fizz Recipe #3
Source: The Craft of the Cocktail (Available used)

1oz sloe gin
1oz gin
3/4oz lemon juice
1oz simple syrup
3 to 4 oz soda water or seltzer
orange slice and cherry for garnish
Shake the first four ingredients with ice and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with soda and garnish with the orange and cherry.

Our Take: This might be our favorite, because the added dry gin would cut the sweetness and give it a slightly different flavor profile. For the win!

Sloe Comfortable Screw Bonus Recipe
Source: The Craft of the Cocktail (Available used)

1oz sloe gin
1oz Southern Comfort
4oz fresh orange juice
orange slice for garnish
Build in a highball glass, garnish with orange slice.

Our Take: Simple and sweet (like us) this is a sloe gin recipe we've just got to try. Also, screw comes from the fact it's similar to a screwdriver, so get your mind out of the gutter.

LiquorSnob Presents: America's Best Dive Bars Volume 2

2009-06-10T20:42:00Z

Well, we suppose we've given you enough time since America's Best Dive Bars Volume 1 to keep you wanting more, so here we are with volume two. This series is currently being written by one of our road interns, and while he usually spends his time writing about music festivals we find he knows his way around a bar too, the divier the better.

He rates the bars he hits on his travels on the things we think qualify a good dive bar, both objective (how's the jukebox? how greasy is the food? and most importantly, do they serve PBR?) and subjective (does the bartender have a drink named after him or her? are you slightly afraid you'll get stabbed or catch Hep C there?). Check out how LA's Power House, the Fraternal Order of Eagles in Bozeman, and Seattle's own Night Lite measure up after the jump. And as always, if you know of a great dive bar, make sure to let us know about it in the comments.

Power House
1714 North Highland Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90028

It has no windows, three dollars PBR on tap, and Spider-Man gets loaded here. This is the Power House bar, our favorite watering hole in Los Angeles when we get tired of hobnobbing with the beautiful people. Dim table lights and a few televisions provide most of the illumination. No pool tables, but they do have plastic darts and a real jukebox (are we the only ones that despise Internet junkboxes?). The back door leads to a respectable smoking patio - if by respectable you mean a skeevy fenced alleyway. The bartender, who poured us a steady stream of stiff drinks all afternoon, could pass for the Stranger from the Big Lebowski; and while he keeps mum on advice about livin', he also doesn't mind if you bring in oversized slices from Greco's Pizza across the way.

Pool Table: No
Serve PBR: On tap
Jukebox: Classic rock
Food: Bring in carryout

The Fraternal Order of the Eagles Club
Bozeman, MT

Take one part dive bar, one part country/classic rock dance hall, mix in a few college kids, cowboys, and local drunks and you're getting close to the magic that is the Eagles Club. The good news is that you don't need a member to join. The even better news is that you can tie one on the loose change floating around your car. Once again, we were introduced to another local bartender's speciality drink (see Marsha at the Nite Lite, below) - this one involved Root Beer Schnapps. And like Marsha, Mike didn't have a name for the drink. It's now called the Mike.

Pool Table: Yes, except on Saturdays when there's dancing
Serve PBR: Yes
Jukebox: Internet junkbox
Food: Free peanuts behind the bar.

Nite Lite Restaurant
1926 2nd Ave
Seattle, WA

"All I want to listen to is Pink Floyd."
"They don't have any. I can buy you a different song."
"No Floyd? Then I don't want anything at all."
--- Jukebox conversation at the Nite Lite

Ahhh...the Nite Lite of downtown Seattle. One of the seediest/friendliest place we've stumbled onto during our travels. They boast a kitchen that serves exactly what you expect in a dive bar. Greasy and cheap and accompanied with pitchers of PBR. The owner/bouncer told us confidentially that all the hottie waitresses end up here after their shifts. This turned out to be a complete falsehood, at least on that particular Monday night.

On the up side, it's easy to fall in love with the bartender Marsha. For one thing, she's seen every Steven Seagal movie ever made...even the ones released straight to video. She pours drinks nice and heavy. And she even has invented her own drink, which we dubbed the Marsha. It's a shot of something dropped into something else - the details are hazy. Looks like we're heading back for some more research.

Pool Table: Most of the week
Serve PBR: Yes
Jukebox: Classic rock
Food: Greasy

TY KU Sake Bomb Kit - Y'know, for Dad

2009-06-10T19:17:30Z

As you probably imagine, when we think "Dad," we usually think "sake bomb." Thankfully, TY KU sake has finally made that connection explicit with their Father's Day sake bomb set.

With no need to heat this premium sake, TY KU encourages experimentation and invites you to 'Sip it, Mix it, or Bomb it!' - Perfect for your dad who has taught you to remain flexible and versatile throughout your years.

So if you're looking to get your dad bombed on sake this year, you know where to turn for about $30. Finally!

@TryTyku.com

Independent Spirits Expo, June 24

2009-06-05T15:26:00Z

It's time once again for the annual Indy Spirits Expo at TOUCH nightclub in NYC, and it looks to be a good crop of up-and-coming brands. We love to support the little guys so we strongly recommend you check them out if you're in the area - we'd be going but we have a conflict that week.

So what can you expect at the Expo? The opportunity to taste all kinds of spirits you might not have had the chance to check out yet, and some you may not have heard of. The exhibitors are a rogue's gallery of brands we've reviewed and loved, from Orange V vodka to Scorpion Mezcal, 44 North Vodka, and Double Cross Vodka. There also some other brands we've heard good things about but haven't had a chance to review - Castrie's Peanut Creme is excellent, and we'd love to get our hands any of the other brands exhibiting.

Also, Port Charlotte Scotch will also be there, and even if we didn't like the other brands that are exhibiting (which we do) a sample of that stuff is worth your price of admission.

As your attorney, we recommend you head on over for some samples and chat, as well as probably some free swag. For more information and tickets, head on over to the Indy Spirits Expo website.

Olivia Munn Tastes Vodkas...And Rips on Them

2009-06-03T11:00:00Z

For those of you who don't know Olivia Munn is the co-host of G4's Attack of the Show, and she is funny as Hell and hot as Hades. We don't know how we missed this last year, but we've just dug up a vodka tasting she did in November 08. There seems to be a lot of shots of her A) posing with the bottle and B) spitting vodka back into a cup, then C) ripping on it. Check out our favorite lines below, and hit the video (as well as some more serious reviews of how "chick friendly" the vodkas are) after the jump.

Oh, and also, we realize the Princess Leia pic was completely gratuitous since we're posting video, but it was too awesome NOT to. Don't you agree?

"It smells like Tito's hands."
"It smells like a 12 year old girl's chapstick."
"I don't know why they call it Los Angeles...maybe because it's a little douchey?"
"How much would you have to give a 14 year old girl to get what you need?'"
"It looks like a cherry that's been nutted on."

You can see her serious reviews of these vodkas in the In the Clear product guide, which contains expanded quotes and more of the funny.

Find more Olivia at Complex.com.

Canadian Club Classic 12 Arrives for Review

2009-06-02T11:58:00Z

It's no secret we love whiskey in all forms, but there is one variant of this many-backed beast we haven't dedicated much time to - Canadian whisky. Nothing against Canadians...we love many things about our neighbors to the North (actually, pretty much just Bob & Doug McKenzie and the bacon), but we just haven't ever delved too far into their booze. That's about the change - we're packing our passport and heading for the border!

Blended then aged for 12 years in oak barrels, our Master Distiller has created a full yet smooth character with hints of spice and vanilla. Canadian Club Classic's® quality is exemplified in the winning of a double-gold medal at the prestigious 2003 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It is the perfect whisky to enjoy by itself or as part of a classic cocktail.

More at CanadianClubWhisky.com

Cruzan Single Barrel Rum Arrives for Review

2009-06-02T11:35:00Z

We got our hands on a bottle of Cruzan single barrel, a St. Croix rum we've heard of but never had the pleasure of trying. We're looking forward to giving it a go, and we'll let you know the moment we have a chance to review it. Here's a screen cap of their website's description of the stuff...image text makes the Web purist in us cringe but we think it's a worthwhile read and we didn't feel like re-typing it ourselves.
More info at CruzanRum.com.

Liquor Snob Monthly Roundup: May 2009

2009-06-02T00:03:06Z

We know April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, but for our money some of the best things that came out of last month were a bottle of Kubler Absinthe and this picture from one of their promotions. Well done, Kubler. Well done.

Don't get us wrong, some other cool stuff happened (we like our Jim Beam Red Stag Review, for example) but for some reason we've got Kubler on the brain. Check out our other stories after the jump.

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Absinthe

Bars

5 Bar Conversation Starters

Drinking Advice

Have a Good Weekend, Readers

Drinking Games

Liquor

Monthly Roundup

Liquor Snob Monthly Roundup: April 2009

Reviews

Vodka

Whiskey

Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon Review

Kubler Absinthe Arrives for Review

2009-05-29T21:17:27Z

Last week we told you about the New York Times' declaration that Kubler was its best value absinthe. This week, we're telling you we just got our own liter bottle of the Swiss concoction to try it for ourselves. At 106 proof it doesn't pack quite the punch of some of the other bottles we've tried, but we're fairly confident we're going to like what we get.

To the weekend testing labs!

learn more at Kubler Absinthe

(image via Flickr)

Liquor Bottle Dominos: Caffeen? Domino

2009-05-29T18:46:57Z

Excellent domino action, plus a surprise ending to boot!

Belvedere Black Raspberry Vodka Review

2009-05-29T00:48:00Z

Sometimes we get a liquor in to review that feels...well, it just feels too classy for us. You know, like we're the only guys in shorts and flip flops who show up at a black tie affair. Belvedere's Black Raspberry vodka is one of those bottles - we feel like we should handle the bottle with white gloves so we don't smudge the finish.

Then we remember Belvedere puts their pants on one leg at a time, and we crack the bottle and get to sipping.

Belvedere Black Raspberry
Macerated Vodka Imported from Poland
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Typical Price: TBD
More at Maceration Is Natural

The Look: Tall and thin, this bottle looks like a frosted supermodel. For once, that looks even better in print than it did in our heads. However, we did find it humorous that a raspberry vodka's bottle was dominated by trees - after a few drinks we started toasting to the raspberry trees.

The Nose: At first, we weren't sure what to make of it. Sort of sweeter than we expected, and not as...raspberry-y. That's a word right? Then we realized...the smell coming out of the bottle was as close to putting your nose in a basket of actual raspberries we've run into in a liquor, short of actually having one of those green basket thingies in our hands. Serious points for getting such a full, jammy scent reminiscent of a red fruit packed into a clear liquor.

The Taste: We have something to admit - we realize we've lowered our expectations of flavored vodkas. We expect them to taste like the Hubba Bubba bubble gum versions of the flavors, big and bursty and not exactly on. Once we tasted the sweet and delicate flavor of this black raspberry we saw the error of our ways. It's full and round with a very raspberry finish, all without making us feel like we just swished with Kool-Aid. The finish was dry and sweet all at the same time, bursting with real fruit flavors of dark berries reminiscent of late summer for us. The alcohol taste wasn't especially strong either, making us think you could make a nice delicate cocktail with this stuff.

The Verdict: Belvedere for the win. Once we wrapped our heads around a raspberry vodka that actually tasted like raspberries, we couldn't get enough. Light and just sweet enough, it was fantastic in all the mixed drinks we tried but we especially liked it on the rocks with a splash of soda. We mixed a fine cosmopolitan for our lady friends too, and it held its own against some of the sweeter mixers we put it toe to toe against, like triple sec, rose's lime, etc. We can see this making a raspberry lime rickey cocktail that'll knock your socks off. This is definitely on the must buy" list if you love fruit-flavored vodkas.

Transformers Drinking Games: Our 4 Favorites

2009-05-27T17:25:57Z

We've had drinking games on the brain lately, and we're also rekindling an old obsession - Transformers. We used to watch the cartoon when we were kids, and we're interested in the new Transformers flick that's coming out, even if only to see if we hate it as much as the one that came out a couple years ago. The main impetus, of course, is the sister sites What Would Optimus Do? and What Would Megatron Do?, where your favorite good and evil robots give the advice Dear Abby should, each answering the same question in his own unique way.

To commemorate this great day, we're including our favorite Transformers drinking games below, as well as why we like them. Find it after the jump - hopefully you'll find a game that lets you find your inner child and transform into an incoherent drunk.

The "Transformers" Drinking Game! at LazyDork Focus: Transformers Live Action Movie Our Favorite Rules: Drink any time: anyone says "witwicky," anyone is physically injured, anyone calls Sam "boy" Our Take: If you ask us there's no Transformers movie other than the cartoon one that came out in the 80s; we wept...WEPT...when Optimus died, even though we somehow knew it was just a ploy to sell us more toys. Damn you, Hasbro. But if we're going to watch the 2007 abomination, at least we'll get to do it drunk.
Rob's Pile of Transformers: The Transformers Drinking Game! at BuiltStLouis.net
Focus: Original cartoons & movie, post-movie cartoons, Beast Wars, Beast Wars Ultra
Our Favorite Rules: Drink any time: any group of TFs merges into a mongo-sized robot, Rodimus has a problem with being leader, Dinobot quotes (or paraphrases) Shakespeare
Our Take: Aaaah, this is the stuff. Real old-fashioned Transformers, the way mom used to make.
Skywarp's Transformers Drinking Game at Fanfiction.net
Focus: Original cartoons, season one only
Our Favorite Rules: Drink three times when you hear my name - This is my game after all, Drink when Wheeljack has a new invention,
Our Take: This is so nerdy it makes our Matrix of Leadership hurt, and our rabbithole runs deep. We love it. If anyone's curious, by the by, Skywarp is one of the Starscream clones you see banging around occasionally. And yeah, we know we just linked to Fanfiction.net.
A Toast! To Megan Fox and Optimus Prime! at Film School Rejects
Focus: Megan Fox. Nuff said.
Our Favorite Rules: Drink when: Megan Fox is looking ridiculously hot, a robot blows something up, someone says "Allspark."
Our Take: Another good one that could be merged with #1. Two thoughts - 1) we love the Megan Fox spin, 2) fuck the Allspark.

Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka

2009-05-27T00:00:31Z

Some of our favorite memories involve lounging about on our plantation, fanning ourselves and drinking sweet tea while complaining about The Union. Oh, wait...that's not our memories. That's Scarlett O'Hara's. We get confused sometimes.

But if we ever wanted to tie on a good buzz while we did that, we're pretty sure we'd turn to Jeremiah Weed's Sweet Tea-flavored vodka. It's got sweet tea, it's got vodka, it's got Jeremiah Weed. How can you go wrong?

Log on at Jeremiah Weed to let them know how you take your weed.