There is no doubt, orange liqueurs help build some of the best cocktails on the planet. In order to find the best orange liqueur in the top-tier and mid-tier price point we’re tasting five unique brands: Senior Curacao of Curacao, Patron Citronage, Grand Marnier, Cointreau and Combier Orange Liqueurs.

This orange liqueur episode was fun, eye opening and covers a lot of awesome brands.

We’re putting the bourbon whiskey to the test, utilizing the brands in the famous Whiskey Sour cocktail. We’re making four cocktails, one with each brand of bourbon: Buffalo Trace, Marker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve and Knob Creek kentucky bourbon.

What’s your favorite bourbon?

Here is our recipe:

• 2 oz. Whiskey
• 1 oz. Lemon Juice
• 1 oz. Simple Syrup
• 2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
• Garnish with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry

Mix all ingredients in an iced shaker and strain into an iced rocks glass and garnish with a slice of orange and maraschino cherry.

This fun little shooter tastes a bit like a sweet hazelnut coffee with a nice nutty flavor. Perhaps good as an after dinner shooter if that’s your thing. Each ingredient has its own distinct quality from Kahlua to Creme de Cacao, you’ll have to try the shooter to find them all!

Also, checkout the cool shot glasses we got from Frattoys.com, we’ve been trying for months to find someone to send us some of these! A good conversation starter at parties.

A creamy textured cocktail with great pineapple structure. The Pineapple Bomber is like its own unique brand of alcohols in flavor style, while warm and inviting (in a cold way) the cocktail brings its own unique style and grace to the collins glass without tasting like any one spirit.

Sure, you’ll get some flavors of nuts and a hint of spice but you cannot specifically pick out any one spirit which makes this a winner in our book! Well crafted.

After pouring, the Semental Añejo Tequila is definitely holding a great dark color, almost like a clear apple cider. The color is inviting and rich like its nose from afar, so it’s only appropriate to dig my own nose into the glass! Up close, there is a thick spice with a warm burning sensation throughout my nasal passages. Salty white pepper and dried tropical fruit essences. I believe there is even a bit of a chocolate hint in the nose, nice.

Semental Anejo Tequila reminds me much of a cognac or brandy, a subtle sweet darker french oak style play on tequila. The taste is warm, inviting with hints of white pepper, lime and a neat acidic finish. The texture is smooth and subtle while the finish does bring some heat on the palate the elegant scents that rise into your nose on the sip brings it all around to a full bodied flavorful experience.

The finish reminds me of a cream soda, vanilla with a mix of cocoa beans and agave. It lingers nicely on the palate and allows you to continue to appreciate its livelihood.

The Semental Añejo Tequila will cost you roughly USD $59.00 at retail and it’s actually very much worth the cost. When the product arrived I took a short sip and found it a bit light with little flavor, but then when I sat down with a proper sipping glass and let it breath for a minute the experience changed . This tequila sets a mood, brings new excitement and makes you recall why you love to taste well crafted products–no doubt.

The cocktail of champions, the Sandstrom cocktail is like a beautiful pink lemonade with lime and lemon/lime soda. It’s sweet but keeps a nice strong acidity to help cut through the sweetness and bring a more complex cocktail to life.

This slightly sweeter cocktail may be a great introductory cocktail as well as a nice after dinner cocktail that brings a bit of that coffee-like attitude in a sweeter sundae style alternative to ice cream. While it brings a dessert quality it doesn’t use juices, sugars or sweetners to get to the end result.

Although, some might say butterscotch schnapps is a dessert all its own.

In this episode we will blind taste four bourbon whiskeys: Buffalo Trace, Knob Creek, Woodford Reserve and Maker’s Mark to find the best kentucky bourbon whiskey. Of course, there are many bourbons missing from our tasting and that is okay, because we can buy more and taste them along with whoever we find “the best” in this blind tasting.

Midori makes a return today (but not all week) for the Green Eyes Cocktail. This cocktail brings more of a sour bite than we typically seem to be making (not on purpose). The taste is deliciously sour, it won’t tear your face off with sours but it will nip at your tender cheek loins.

Great little cocktail, nice color and presentation.

You gotta love the novelty shooter that tastes like a food stuff. This time, we’re baking a carrot cake in a shot glass. Mixing a bit of coffee liqueur with butterscotch, irish cream and cinnamon schnapps. What does it taste like? What do you think!?

Everyone, I believe, is a bit skeptical when it comes to hangover cures. Perhaps it’s the word “cure” that makes us skeptics since there is very few “cures” that do as they suggest.  The only cure to a hangover I’ve used and seen used is the recipe of “lots of water” before bed to rehydrate your body. However, sometimes that’s just not enough. Granted, it’s always a good idea to consume water to hydrate your body, but it doesn’t always do the trick when you wake up with a headache. You don’t need to be drunk to consume water, I suggest you do it everyday!

The Hangover Cure, thus far, has been very successful in killing off any hangovers in the folks I had test the product. Nobody has woken up the next day with a hangover and I’ve seen them days after a hard night of drinking and they’re a wreck. So, the product works as advertised regardless to my skepticism. Of course, the best way to beat a hangover is not to drink to excess but, let’s be honest, everyone makes a bad decision every now and again.

What is the magic in the little test tube?

It’s fairly straight forward, the bottle contains lots of essentials vitamins and “healthy stuff” your body loses when alcohol comes into the party. I don’t claim to be a scientist but it seems pretty straight forward: pack your body full of the stuff that was taken from it. You mix the product with a glass of water (duh!) and take it before bed. This gives your body a chance to rebuilt the essentials it lost in the late night party.

The downside? It might not be the most tasty think you’ve had that night. When my brother tried it he said it tasted pretty bad but he woke up without a hangover. This isn’t too surprising as everything I’ve had that has been good for me in a form of a cure has always tasted less than awesome. The only other big hangup to taking The Hangover Cure is remembering to take it before bed and knowing you need to mix it in a big ol’ glass of water. Not extremely aggressive instructions but when you’ve been drinking you’re at a severe disadvantage to common sense.

The lesson is simple, if you’re planning a long night of aggressive partying (say, a bachelor party) I highly suggest you take along a few bottles of The Hangover Cure for you and your closest friends. Even skeptics will have to admit, what do you have to lose?

You can buy vials in sets of six for USD $19.99 or ten for USD $29.99. The cost isn’t cheap but when you add up how much you probably spent on beers and cocktails at the bar it’s not a bad deal.

We know which rum was our favorite from last episode, but we don’t know which one tastes the best in a cocktail. Presumably the cocktail that tasted best when tested straight should be the winner, right?

After all, the best spirits make the best ingredients for a cocktail. Of course, all of these coconut rums are good, we are just looking for the one that is the tastiest! Once again we’re bringing Parrot Bay, Cruzan, Don Q and Malibu coconut rums together in a competitive cocktail competition.

The Surf Rider Recipe:

• 1 ½ oz. Coconut Rum
• 1/3 oz. Pineapple Juice
• Splash of Cranberry juice

Mix all ingredients in an iced shaker and shake for 10-seconds, strain into an iced rocks glass and serve.

Oh yeah, Tequila. We’re making a cocktail with añejo tequila this week. This is a very complex little cocktail with creme de cacao, chambord and some heavy cream. While this cocktail is great for tequila fans, the complexity and maturity of the añejo really makes this a fun drink for a wide audience (especially those that like more mature whiskey and scotches).

If you don’t have añejo, try it with what you’ve got and let us know.

We’re test driving a new form of vodka today, sweet tea vodka. We’re taking one of the recipes from Jeremiah Weed and putting it to to the test, mainly because it also included Bourbon. It’s a full new day, we’ve never had Knob Creek bourbon before and picked that up at the store as well (to use in an upcoming tasting on AlcoholsbyVolume).

We’re test driving a new form of vodka today, sweet tea vodka. We’re taking one of the recipes from Jeremiah Weed and putting it to to the test, mainly because it also included Bourbon. It’s a full new day, we’ve never had Knob Creek bourbon before and picked that up at the store as well (to use in an upcoming tasting on AlcoholsbyVolume).

We’re tasting coconut rums this week. We’ve got Cruzan, Malibu, Parrot Bay and Don Q coconut rums. What’s your favorite? What cocktails do you create with it? Don’t forget to checkout the show now showing at AlcoholsByVolume.com.

The Bravo Cocktail is fully of juicy flavors from orange juice to apple schnapps. For potency we’re using some flor de caña light rum and a bit of christiania vodka finished with some creme de banane (banana liqueur). This is a good example of an island cocktail with lots of fruit flavors.

Simply sweet, banana with tequila. Tequila fan’s rejoice as we bring a new twist to an old spirit. The shooter arrives with nice yellow looks with lots of brightness. Perfect for those experimenting with different tequila recipes.

The Żubrówka Bianco is a cocktail that reminds me of a warm apple pie baking in the oven. This cocktail tastes like warm apple pie smells without the sweetness of cinnamon. The finish is slightly dry and brings a nice classy look to your hand while holding the cocktail.

A great cocktail to try if you get your hands on some Bison Grass, also known as Żubrówka.

The original cocktail name has been protected to save grief from our distribution channels. The “Flying Pud Rubber” renamed from the original “Flying Masturbator” recipe is much better than the name describes. The cocktail is very much a creamsicle flavor as it brings amaretto and vodka together with a juicy orange juice and a tangy cranberry juice.

This is a slightly sweeter cocktail that would make a great dessert drink or all around good time.

A cocktail with nice sweet flavors which brings up the class of standard soda. Parappa The Drunk Rappa, as the name goes, is a Cherry Coke based recipe with bacardi 151 (ouch!), Southern Comfort and some Amaretto. This cocktail brings great flavor to an otherwise standard tasting soda.

We’re using Cherry Coke Zero because we’re in love with it. What’s your favorite soda?

Tequila Semental Reposado has a pale gold color, mimicking that of a Chardonnay, a lightly golden apple juice. Like its little baby brother, the Silver, this glass radiates the essence of agave across the room with its aroma. Strong white pepper, salty brines, pineapples and the flavors of agave fill the air around me in Tequila Semental Reposado.

Dipping my nose deeper in the glass gives me the impact of potent alcohols and agave mingled together in some loving embrace. Okay, I embellish… time to drink.

Initial impressions on Tequila Semental Reposado: thick viscosity on the palate. Very sexy silk like textures. Then, I’m hit with a creamy oak like flavor that attacks like a sweeter bourbon but laced in spicy white pepper. The mid-palate attack is fierce and potent with a burning sensation of hot agave and the alcohols rise into the nasal passages and warm the mouth with a sweet burn. The aftertaste of ripe pineapple lingers for minutes and the numbing of the tongue persists for thirty seconds or more.

This is definitely a spicy little tequila, the fifth sip continues to bring the potent pepper even as my palate gains a higher tolerance to the slight alcohols. When it comes to selecting a tequila, Semental Reposado will bring a nice spicy pleasure to your palate. If you’re looking for a spirit that will make a warming margarita or sip nicely with a mildly spicy burrito or enchilada this is the spirit for you. The slightly acidic finish should help cut through some great meals and really bring a new invigorating appeal to food.

Sometimes the best part of Tuesday’s show is to just get crazy and make silly stupid cocktails. This Tuesday is such a day, it’s always crazy to pull out the beer cocktail but we’re doing it again. This beer cocktail has peppermint schnapps, vodka, tequila and southern comfort… now do you see what it’s crazy?

If you like the peppermint taste and you like beer, this cocktail is a must try.

Delightful honey and nut mingled with a vanilla orange delight, the Honey Pot Shot is the epicenter of happiness on this Sunday night. You’ll find a super sweet flavor, potent punch and the perfect blend of warming ingredients.

Why would you want to try this? Why wouldn’t you!?

The Illusion cocktail has a fabulous color using some basic alcohols each having their own cool coloring. You’ll get a nice slightly sweet cocktail with hints of midori but nothing screaming “melon” in this drink. The finish is slightly hot (presumably from the alcohols) and ends with a neat coconut finish.

Does anyone get any hints of pineapple in this drink?

We’re rimming our cocktail with salt today, something we’ve not done too often. The Green Iguana shows off some grace and style with its bright green, salt rimmed cocktail glass. The salt helps bring down the sweetness from the midori while bringing the flavors of a margarita married with a midori sour.

We’re kicking it Shochu style with the Far East cocktail. This cocktail continues our exploration into the workings of Midori along with the smooth textures and flavors of Shochu. The color is wonderful, great presentation and taste all in one cocktail–perfect.

Do we need a niche product like a protein infused vodka? Technically, the best diet for working out would not contain alcohol but everyone likes to break away and party every now and again, right? I’m not a work-out type of person and my schedule is a bit busy for that lifestyle right now. I respect it, but I don’t see it happening to me.. I jumped into this review asking myself, “would I specifically buy a protein infused vodka because of the protein?” My answer: no.

But, it doesn’t end there. That’s too easy.

I’ve had my share of vodka’s to review and most have the very same properties: clear, clean, tasteless and fully complete with explosive ethanol finish. With those properties, I always look for the best vodka for my money since I’m not getting any taste with my spirit. Devotion Vodka stands out in more ways than protein infusion–it stands out in unique taste as well. What Devotion brings to the table is something with flavor that isn’t itself “flavored.” This vodka has a huge smoothness to it, a medium bodied thickness almost mimicking that of a reposado tequila with a finish that reminds me of Saké.

My first sip was warm and inviting; the first vision I had in my head was that of a clear saké (as opposed to the cloudy variant.) The finish was very clean and crisp with a mild burn that mainly targets the flat of the tongue and leaves behind this starch-like rice flavoring.  Devotion Vodka has a unique scent as well, a chalky sweet cocoa powder.

I understand Devotion’s idea of creating a niche for their vodka brand to really stand out as a unique product all wrapped in a USD $29.99 price tag. We’ve got thousands of flavored vodka’s and “five-time distilled” vodka’s but we’ve got very few that have a stand-out flavor that can be called its own. In a tasting competition there is no doubt you’ll be able to find the Devotion Vodka brand. While the price may be a bit high, when buying online, Devotion Vodka isn’t much more expensive than the highly marketed brand all while bringing an actual drinking experience unique to its label.

My hopes for Devotion in the future is that they find a way to not only focus on the protein infusion aspect, but force the point: this is a vodka with flavor that isn’t flavored.

The White Russian is a great foundation for cocktail building experiences. In many ways, the White Russian may start people’s adventure into cocktail making as it contains three basic ingredients and builds your confidence for more complex cocktails. We’re sure fans of the movie The Big Lebowski will agree, this is a widely known cocktail recipe with popular acceptance among cocktail fans and those that really don’t follow the cocktail scene.

It’s an age old cocktail with a tasty flavor with an alcohol punch.

A unique tasting experience that may make new fans of jagermeister and bourbon. The homemade sweet/sour recipe gives a nice flavor with good sours and sweets that taste as natural as they are! We’re building this slightly different than the recipe says, but that’s okay, do what you love.

This is a recipe worth checking out if you like either of the core ingredients in this cocktail.

Every now and again there is a drink that comes along that is way to easy to finish. You’ll probably find yourself having seconds and thirds before your good judgment kicks in. The Old Kungaloosh is such a drink, it’s sweet and inviting and asks you to stay around and chat like a friendly neighborhood friend.

And, it tastes good too.

You can test this drink up against a real lava lamp, which do you think will taste better? No, seriously, this is a very nice drink for those that like the sweeter-style cocktails and want some tropical sensations to end off the day.

As the usual, pineapple and coconut mix well together even if the spiced rum isn’t really dominating the party.

Not quite a holiday cocktail, this drink brings the essence of winter to the forefront. Honestly, I’ll be glad to see winter leave but while it’s here we might as well do a few cocktails that reflect the season. This is a play on the “Jack Frost” recipe in Manhattan form, keeping fairly classic in nature while bringing a bit of peppermint to the scene.

The notes of sweet pineapple, white pepper, rich vanilla bean and spices hit the nose from almost a foot away from the glass. Definitely heavy on sweet with a small hint of saltiness. This intense sweetness really masks any alcohol burn in the nasal passages, which can be common when you really dip your nose into a glass of most spirits but not with Semental; I don’t get alcohols on the nose.

The taste is light and fluffy, not extremely thick and has an intense front-end sweetness that crawls to the middle of the tongue and into the finish leaving a slight burning sensation. The mid-palate has a bit of spicy vanilla notes but does not have the sea-salt like taste in the initial nosing. The aftertaste reminds me of a mexican dish, perhaps with a dash of lime juice and dried fruits.

I consider this a great dynamic tequila that would work well as an introductory sipping tequila while offering huge flavor impact to a cocktail that calls for a silver. First, the flavors are not muted or dull, thus allowing them to arise outside the confines of a cocktail heavy with juices and other potent alcohols. Secondly, the flavors presented in Semental allow new tequila drinkers to understand the true diversity and sweetness of a quality tequila.

Of course, tequila enthusiasts will love the sweet scents vanillas and often-found spicy white pepper. An avid drinker may find the finish disappears too quickly on the palate or tends to be a bit lighter in mouth-feel compared to a few other quality tequilas of slightly higher price point. Of course, arriving at a suggested retail price of USD $39.99 is a very good deal when you compare it to the over-marketed over-hyped brands that pride themselves on lack of flavor–tequila’s that I believe ruin the history and integrity of a good blanco.

In my opinion, Semental provides drinkers with one message in its spirit: “You don’t have to be a tasteless and scentless tequila anymore. It’s time to grow up and see what tequila is all about.”

If anything, we hope that you were entertained by the showing and we look forward to a bigger 2010. From a cocktail standpoint, we learned a lot about making some great cocktail recipes while experiencing new tastes and flavors throughout the year. As the economy slowly bounces back we’re hoping even more companies spring up to show off some great cocktail accessories, spirits and great information.

We can’t wait for the warm weather to arrive! Until then, we’ll keep pressing on with some cool cocktails, warm spirits and great fun!

Layered shooters are always a good time, this pousse-cafe cocktail layers a mixture of hpnotiq and blue curacao (both blue) with jagermeister. It’s like a tropical fruit storm of herbs in your mouth.

And, if that doesn’t convince you, checkout the presentation both fine cut layers and crazy contrast.

Remember the summertime? For those not enjoying summer right now, we’ve got our memories of warmer times. To help remember those great times, we’ve got the suntan lotion. Oddly enough, this cocktail tastes really good if not too much like that of suntan lotion.

It’s another novelty cocktail with flavors that will make you giggle.

We’re pulling out the Don Q Limón Rum with some champagne and blue curacao. If you’re thinking about serving champagne for the evening festivities perhaps adding some fancy blue will impress the guests. This can be a good drink to get you through the start of 2010.

You’ll find this recipe a quick-to-make cocktail to bust out for New Years Eve festivities. It’s got great color, a nice gin taste with just a hint of sweetness. This cocktail contains a good gin power with the citrus flavor of sprite all while maintaining a cool blue coloring.

We’re busting out a crazy recipe for our first recipe of the week: Tokyo Tea. This cocktail has a bunch of different spirits, much like the Long Island Ice Tea, but with midori. The midori brings a good deal of sweetness to a cocktail that usually has very little.

This shooter tastes like the white part of the peppermint patty, the tasty bits of the candy. Fans of the patty will no doubt love this drink as it brings all the flavornoids right the the front of your tongue in a dancing delight.

Perhaps this would make a great after dinner shooter?

Merry Christmas! Today we’re relaxing with some lemonade, but not simple lemonade…eco-aid. This is a VeeV recipe which infuses Açaí flavors with the fun sweetly sour lemonade. Using a bit of cranberry juice to color, you can make this drink as light pink to dark red as you choose.

Merry Christmas Eve! It’s not Christmas Eve without a Christmas Cosmopolitan and you’ll need some standard spirits to build this one: cointreau, cranberry juice, a bit of fresh lime juice and vodka. Expect to see our next show out a bit early due to the holiday festivities (since we’ve got kids) and we’ll be a bit busy.

It’s Toddy Time! We’re building out an italian variant to the toddy, where using some CC (canadian club) whiskey and bringing in an italian herbal liqueur: Averna. Drip some honey, hot water and freshly squeezed orange juice and you’re done.

Another egg-based cocktail, we’re mixing it up with an egg yolk, brandy and coffee liqueur. This time we’re adding the simple syrup to sweeten the beverage. You’ll get a dark and medium-thick cocktail with its heritage born of coffee and cool.

Counting down the days to Christmas, December 25th is coming up close and nothing reminds our family of Christmas more than a good Candy Cane. While I often sit down with a cup of eggnog, a Candy Cane is always a welcome snack when walking by the tree (yes, we hang them on the tree).

Having a rough day? Perhaps the Candy Cane Shooter will change that up with a little bit of relief.

Irish Coffee, is this how they drink it in Ireland? Probably not, but we’re drinking it that way. This is our restaurant style (look) to the Irish coffee using some brown sugar and Michael Collins Irish Whiskey Blend.

You like whiskey and coffee? Hot coffee seems to really bring out the whiskey flavors in a striking way.

We’ve finally got our hands on some Cachaça so it’s time to do a couple cocktails to utilize the spirit. First, we’re creating one utilizing Purista Caipirinha and the second using natural ingredients. We’ve found that viewers enjoy the tasting portion fo the show and we’re putting Purista into the mix (pun intended).

Our first eggnog recipe, this one users what I would call pre-made eggnog (since we didn’t make it). While you can mix eggs directly into the cocktail (as you’ll see later this week), it’s a long standing tradition in my family and families I know to drink eggnog during the holidays (often times non-alcoholic).

This recipe shows off some more United States tradition from a user submitted recipe that contains peppermint schnapps and goldschläger with the eggnog.

It tastes like a candy cane which is as close to this holiday season as we can get without putting an actual tree in our cocktail. Creme de Menthe with some Cherry Brandy really brings out the essence of Candy Cane with the vodka added for additional potency.

Lick a candy cane, lick this drink, does it taste the same!?

Warm and inviting, that’s today’s drink: The Disaronno Darkness. This cocktail contains all the loveliness of coffee with amaretto and cognac. It’s not a super complex design but it brings great holiday cheer. We’ve had requests for hot cocktails so here is a hot cocktail for your Friday morning, noon or night!

Nutmeg makes a seasonal cocktail shine, the Brandy Alexander has a pinch of nutmeg. Oddly enough, it also uses Cognac in the “Brandy” Alexander. We went out and got ourselves some dark cream de cacao for this cocktail and the result is a rich looking creamy drink that’s very light on the senses.

A great introductory cocktail and something that would work well if you’ve got guests coming over this holiday as it’s a good “safe drink” without too much intensity. Some folks like the idea of drinking cocktails but don’t like the “taste” of the burning ethenol present in many drinks. Here is your alternative.

It’s the “holiday season” and we’re launching our first seasonal beverage, the Blue Snowflake. It’s not a hot cocktail nor does it contain peppermint or any type of cinnamon (or nutmeg!). It does, however, look pretty cool and has a great taste and a good seasonal name so why not?

Plus, we’re launching it on the first real day of heavy snow fall here in New Hampshire.

The name says it all! Okay, we’re not sure why it’s named the White Haired Monkey besides the slight tendrils of while hair. This cocktail brings in our Spirit of the Month: Cruzan Coconut Rum with a few friends in the name of banana liqueur and milk.

Chocolate coconut coffee, if that makes you salivate then you need to click play immediately.

Republic Tequila’s Organic Añejo pours slightly gold, a bit lighter than I had expected for an Añejo but the color doesn’t always speak to the full age and maturity of the spirit. Against other Añejo’s, like our Riazul poured beside this glass, it’s still slightly lighter in color but slightly darker than their younger sister tequila Republic Tequila Reposado.

On the nose, I got some light oak mingled with agave and pineapple with a slightly sweet structure and some spicy white pepper. Some of the flavors where a bit muted but no one flavor cut through and took over the tequila’s bouquet. Even when diving my nose right into the glass I didn’t get an overall pronounced alcohol burn in the nasal passages which is nice and unexpected.

Sipping this añejo brings a light attack, medium body with a mild pineapple mid-palate and an aged oak and vanilla cream finish that ends clean and very with little burn on the throat. You do get a bit of spicy pepper as the liquid rolls around in your mouth which can be confused with a “burn” but it doesn’t have the potency to live up to a stronger over-alcohol balanced explosion of pure alcohols. This spice makes me think the añejo would pair after a nice spicy Mexican dish or perhaps bring a more dull dinner to life.

Against the Riazul, I found that most of the overall flavors where slightly muted with less to be “found” through the drinking experience. It seems you’ll get most of the experience within the first glass but that isn’t without its benefits. While tasting it I had the opportunity to share both the Riazul with a few family members that were visiting to gather their thoughts.

A great example of taste differences occurred between my wife and her sister whom both tried the añejo’s and both gave me their separate opinions without talking to each other first. My wife shared my thoughts of less potent flavors, both leaning more towards the Riazul while my sister-in-law thought Republic Tequila was the better product because of its more tame attack and clean finish.

The lesson here is that all palates are different and those that may enjoy Republic Tequila may be those that are looking for a more straight forward mature product of great quality that doesn’t leave a harsh ending. It would be unfair to call Republic Tequila Añejo an introductory aged tequila because there will be plenty of tequila fans that will be overjoyed by the experience. However, it is fair to say that new tequila drinkers will probably find its presentation suited for their palate and exceed their expectations compared to the tequila they’re used to drinking.

For my personal tastes, I was hoping for something a bit more complex with perhaps a chocolate or caramel or slightly sweeter component to the nose and taste. You’ll find Republic Tequila Organic Añejo, made from 100% Blue Agave, for sale at around the USD $46 yo USD $50 price point. You’ll find weaker less impressive brands, Patrón is a great example,  for more money than this Añejo and, if given the choice, Republic Tequila should be your spirit of choice. They go above and beyond the over-marketed brands by bringing more passionate organic feel to the tequila and less leaflets and fliers.

Tequila should stand on its own without the hype or over-the-top marketing and Republic Tequila pulls that off nicely.

Sunday is simple, today’s simple shooter only has one alcohol: vodka. Mix vodka with grenadine and milk and you’ll get a slightly sweet shooter that tastes almost like a strawberry candy. The Pink Polar Bear is light, refreshing and allots for a few shooters before you really have to worry.

A warm cocktail for your Friday drinking experience. Tequila and hot chocolate is an unlikely pair and I found it was pretty tasty while Jennifer wasn’t so impressed. You probably have to be a bigger fan of tequila to handle tequila and hot chocolate! Add some coffee liqueur and you’re on your way to warming peaceful town!

We’re testing out our orange bitters for this episode, Angostura is finally selling them in our area. The Dafne Martini is a dry cocktail with nice elegant flavors and a bitter orange taste all wrapped around some big ol’ gin.

Try this out, see if you taste more pear than we did, perhaps we used too much bitters. However, the orange bitters are tasty and work well, no regrets with too much bitters in this cocktail!

The El Chupacabra won’t suck a goat’s blood (some mythology for you) but it may spike your caffiene level while bringing on the Jägermeister and tequila taste. This recipe brings two partners together with red bull to build a mild brown cocktail with an acidic bite.

The Double Bull is a Red Bull cocktail recipe using Bak’s Bison Grass vodka. This recipe brings a slightly sweet, sour with an acidic bite to the design. Each flavor comes at you in waves and the Red Bull doesn’t take over the drink which is great for those that aren’t hardcore Red Bull fans.

However, if you’re into Red Bull, here is yet another cocktail to try!

Perhaps our last autumn cocktail of the season, frost seems to be appearing on the grass in the morning and its getting colder. The Autumn Leaf Shooter is a layered cocktail which reminds us of the autumn and say goodbye to yet another season.

Next, winter.

Don’t go too far, the day after Thanksgiving is for leftovers! We’re utilizing the cranberry essence once again to create the Cranberry Collins. It’s a slightly sour style cocktail, a bit different than normal around here, but tasty and gin-tastic once again!

We’re using Bombay Sapphire to create this well thought out recipe of simplicity meets flavor.

Gobble gobble gobble!? That’s the sound of the turkey and here is how we’re drinking in the new season of feastivities: The Turkey Trot. Bourbon fans all over the world will be able to enjoy the light cocktail with cranberries and 7up (citrus) along with their favorite bourbon spirit.

We’re bringing a new bourbon to the show, Maker’s Mark and giving that a whirl. Happy Thanksgiving, Erntedankfest or whatever you celebrate this holiday!

We’re covering: Abita Turbodog, Sam Smith Nut Brown Ale, Smuttynose Old Brown Dog, Newcastle Brown Ale, Brooklyn Brown Ale, Harpoon Brown Session Ale, Sam Smith Nut Brown Ale,  Pig’s Ear, Sabego Brown Ale and a few others.

This episode we have Luke (our podcast producer) and Mike from BeerGeno.me to bust through some brews with us.

The top twelve products to add to your holiday gift list include:

#12: Bailey’s Mint Chocolate Irish Cream

Everyone is used to Bailey’s standard Irish Cream offerings, but they’re missing out on some of the holidays best flavors: mint chocolate! This flavor offers the same Irish Cream kick but allows you to flavor your coffee and cocktails with something a bit more minty without taking it overboard. You’ll find it’s subtle enough to be a great stand-alone spirit without overtaking your senses like a schnapps; all built with the same quality of any Bailey’s Product.

#11: WMF Boston Cocktail Shaker

Are you sick of shaking cocktails in a metal shaker that freezes solid making it impossible to remove the lid and reload a second cocktail? The three-piece cobbler shaker’s are nice but the Boston Cocktail Shaker is much cleaner and faster to build cocktails at parties or for yourself. In addition, you’ll look like a real bartender and, once you learn how to use the Boston Cocktail shaker, you’re on your way to cocktail excellence.

If you want to buy a Boston Cocktail Shaker, consider buying it today and hiding it until Christmas or the holiday of your choice because they can take awhile to ship and keep in stock; ours took three weeks to ship from amazon! I’d also consider a loft bar strainer to round out the purchase, that allows you to strain the cocktail without the partially melted ice falling into the glass.

#10: 10 Cane Rum (Light Rum)

Many people have had a standard light rum, made from molasses and that’s all fine and dandy. But the holidays are about trying to be creative with your gift giving choice, 10 Cane Rum can bring something new to the table. 10 Cane Rum has a sweeter profile, great mouth feel and stands out amongst other rums in its class. There is nothing wrong with a typical light rum, but why not give something a bit more unique for the holidays?

If you can’t find 10 Cane Rum, see if you can find Depaz Rhum Agricole, that’s another great pure cane rum but is a bit more “organic” and “green” in flavors.

#9: G’Vine Floraison Gin

Produced in the Cognac region of France, G’vine is a four-times distilled gin created from Ugni Blanc grapes. This gin brings more than juniper to your palate, with beautiful bright floral flavors and an elegance unseen by standard London Try gin varieties. You will definitely pay a bit more for the experience but the selection and experiences held within the bottle will please the receiver of your gift this holiday.

The G’vine Floraison with cost roughly USD $40 and is infused with the vine flower, giving it a very aromatic nose. This gin stands out as a completely unique experience not shared with other gins in the market today. You can read our review of G’Vine Floraison gin and decide for yourself.

#8: Bison Grass Vodka

Let’s be honest, most vodka brands taste the same and the culture of vodka, today, is to create a highly distilled product that brings clean and crisp flavors but very little more; a true “neutral grain” spirit. If you’re going to buy something that brings little taste profile, spending excessive money doesn’t make sense, just buy Tito’s Vodka and you’ll get all you need from a standard neutral vodka. For something more flavorful and unique that takes nuances to a new level, try Bak’s Bison Grass Vodka, now available in the United States.

Bison Grass Vodka isn’t the typical neutral grained vodka, it’s distilled to the point of clean tasting vodka without pulling all of the “impurities” from the spirit. The concept behind vodka is to remove all impurities but many of those so-called impurities add flavors and tastes that change the definition of the spirit, such as bison grass. Bak’s Bison Grass can be sipped as a neat spirit or added to a cocktail or apple juice to bring an invigorating sense of cocktailian pleasures.

#7: Absinthe Dripper/Brouilleurs

You know an absinthe drinker in the family or a friend? If so, they really cannot go on with life without this really awesome absinthe dripper from AbsintheOnTheNet. It’s small enough to be stored anywhere yet louche’s absinthe like a champion without the need for a huge absinthe fountain (which itself is a neat gift).

The Cusenier Absinthe Dripper Auto Verseur makes a great gift for the holidays because it brings a unique mechanical flare to preparing absinthe with all the functionality of a dripper. The added shock value will make your gift the most talked about product at the party and leave a smile on the face of those receiving one. They’re a bit pricey, at USD $109 but a product like this can be passed down through the generations, as long as you explain its purpose and share absinthe with the family.

I brough this dripper to a family event over the summer and everyone would sit there and watch it’s mechanical glory as if it was some alien object of desire.

#6: Veev Açaí Spirit

Açaí juice is extremely tasty but I never considered purchasing it at the store until I sat down with a VeeV Açaí cocktail which changed my perspective on fruit flavor. The scent of the spirit is delicious and slightly potent with unique flavors unseen by many US brands of spirit which all pair well in a cocktail with other fruits and flavors. Açaí is a fruit all its own and its taste cannot be compared to other standard fruits and berries, it’s a Brazilian delight.

My first experience with VeeV was in the VeeV Açaí Lemonade, a great lemonade style cocktail for the lemonade lover and offers a low-calorie look at cocktails. Many specially designed VeeV cocktails bring low calorie alternatives without losing the sweetness and flavors, that’s just something Açaí brings to the table. Read our review of VeeV and make your own decision.

#5: Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Whiskey lovers in the Kentucky area will be all like “no duh!” for this one, but it’s hard to shuffle through all the mass market brands of mediocre bourbons to find one that really shines. You can drink the same whiskey you drink everyday or you can try something a bit better and pickup the Buffalo Trace Bourbon.

Buffalo Trace Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey (~$23.99) begins with the finest Kentucky and Indiana corn, selected rye, and superior malted barley. Upon delivery the grains undergo a general visual inspection for any obvious abnormalities. Buffalo Trace Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey is 90-Proof (45% ABV) with its distillery located in Franklin County, Kentucky. I’ve found this brings a huge series of flavor nuances without over-oak or burning sensations, the perfect bourbon for a perfect whiskey sour! You can’t ask for more!

#4: Republic Tequila Reposado

The market is full of great 100% de agave tequila and you really can’t go wrong with a real tequila. However, there are so many to choose from and I believe Republic Tequila Reposado is the hidden gem in the tequila industry right now. It’s a 100% Blue Agave Organic tequila with flavor nuances that lend itself to rich pineapples, sweet brown sugar and spicy white pepper.

The Republic Tequila Reposado reminds me of a nice bourbon in its complexity and deep experience and commands a competitive price in the mid USD $40 range. You’ll find dozens of USD $40 tequila brands but only a few with the complexities to feel like a USD $60 tequila, Republic Tequila’s Reposado does more than expected. Read our review.

#3: Bluecoat American Dry Gin

We’ve taken a look at G’Vine which brings a floral experience to your gin, now we’re looking at a more traditional American dry gin. Bluecoat has organic juniper berries, organic citrus peels and other organic materials in their gin recipe. The viscosity was thick and well-bodied which shows some great class. While appreciating the smoothness on the palate, a huge explosion of orange zest exploded in my mouth in every direction which tickled all the senses from the tip of the tongue to the back of the nasal passages.

Until I had Bluecoat I never really appreciated the zesty orange that can be found in a good American dry gin. Read the review for yourself.

#2: Don Q Grand Añejo

This is the second most awesome gift for this holiday. Don Q Rum, in general, is a tasty spirit but their Grand Añejo brings a huge complexity to the dark rum style and mind blowing flavor. I brought a bottle to a family event and most people looked at me strange when I told them to “sip this rum” as they associated rum with mojito cocktails. They took a sip and said, “is this really rum? This isn’t a whiskey?”

Don Q Grand Añejo doesn’t taste like a full bodied whiskey, it tastes like a full bodied rum with the backbone and nuances you normally would receive in a classy whiskey. It’s maturity commands a fairly high price, at USD $59.99, this isn’t a low-grade rum by any stretch of the imagination. While it may break the budget of a Secret Santa gift, this is a respectable product to give to a loved one over the holidays as it is a sign of respect.

#1: Riazul Añejo Tequila

Unfortunately, Riazul may be hard to get across the United States, but you may find it at Spec’s Online (if you can figure out how to navigate their order process). Riazul Añejo will run you around USD $54 but easily tastes like that of a USD $200+ bottle of tequila in flavor profile, mouth feel and overall excellence.

Sometimes I feel like a Riazul spoke’s person by praising their product so much but you have to give respect to a hard working crew that’s really trying to change the tequila industry by offering a great price on an exceptional product. Riazul Añejo resembles a 15 year old wine in smoothness and completeness and can easily compete with the best aged whiskey on the market today in complexity. White chocolates, subtle fruits, ripe pineapple and beautiful finish. If you find this for your holiday shopping list pickup a second bottle for yourself… pickup a third bottle for me since I recommended it! Read our full review.

Hopefully we’ve given you some direction to go on your holiday gift shopping list for spirits, liquors and cocktail gifts. For mom or dad, or any siblings over 21 years of age, these gifts will show people that you’re in “the know” and following exceptional trends in the industry. Happy holidays!

I’m feeling seasonal again. Pears have fallen slightly out of season here in New England as we have already harvested all the pears from the three tree’s I grow. However, pear vodka is always in season and pomegranate juice is highly flavorful and bright. This cocktail lends itself to a slightly sour taste, which isn’t something we explore as much as we should on the show

Also, checkout the Ice Jacket on the vodka, isn’t it cute? A good holiday gift for cocktail lovers that have a bit of room in the freezer to stand up an ice jacket (we froze ours slightly tilted to fit in the freezer in the basement)

Anyone have any interest in a customized Common Man Cocktails branded ice jacket?

It’s Tuesday and that means we’re bringing another week of cocktail recipes to your face. The first in our series will be the Cherry Bomb, we’re starting off a bit sweet. This cocktail will have a bit of vodka, tequila and light rum combined with some tropical fresh flavors in the form of coconut and pineapple with a little milk thrown in for texture and color.

It’s not the 80’s cartoon, it’s better! We’re all grown up but we still can appreciate a good smurf, especially in a Smurf Shooter. If you’ll looking for something that brings out some of the bitter orange in a blue curacao, perhaps this Bailey’s Irish Cream can do it for you, although it’s sweet it brings some nice orange and coffee flavors along for the ride.

Finally, our 10 Cane Spiced Apple Punch. So far we’ve sent out over half the packets to our viewers so they can follow along or save it for a hoilday party. Even if you’re not ready to follow along yet, you can gather an idea of a punch you can utilize for this upcoming Thanksgiving in the United States or other festive party.

More Apples! We’re excited to have Havana Club rum in the house, literally. This Cuban rum isn’t exactly something you can easily get in the United States, so substitute your favorite dark rum (Goslings!?) in its place if you cannot get this product.

The Candy Apple Cocktail is tasty, fruity, juice and a worthwhile cocktail for the fall season.

Apples! This is the week of apple cocktails, today we’re mixing up the Candy Apple. It you purchased some apple cider to create last week’s cocktails, now you’ve got what you need to create one of this weeks cocktails. Of course, you’ll need to get your mits on some Veev Açaí Spirit but that should be a goal of yours anyway.

Republic Tequila Reposado

The scents of this reposado begins fairly sweet like a brown sugar with a nice light yellowish golden coloring. Nosing the glass once again brings a warm sweet oak mixed with freshly cut pineapples and a sprinkle of spicy white pepper. The tail end of the nose has hints of lime peel.

Moving on to a tasting, I’m getting a very nicely rounded mouth-feel that remains smooth and medium body throughout the the experience. Over the smoothness I’m getting ripe pineapple skin, notes of vanilla and light caramel. While Republic Tequila Reposado has many great flavors, it starts its life on your tongue in a sweeter attack; the brown sugar working its way into the flavor which transitions into a spicy white pepper and ends with a buttery oak that teases of a middle aged bourbon.

Each sip grows in complexity and flavor. The finish lasts a few long minutes and brings a nice spicy heat that yearns for a second sip. In comparison to the little sister Plata, this style has a very gratifying finish that carries on and remains flavorful throughout. Overall, the reposado is a much more full flavored sipping tequila where the Plata hints at such flavors but cannot hold up against its older sibling.

Republic Tequila Reposado is a rich experience from start to finish with absolutely no disappointment in any of its flavors. Expect to find this tequila for around USD $42 to USD $46 dollars at retail and it’s a true steal. Finding a bottle of this reposado on the shelf for that cost will feel like a crime when you realize what you’ve got for your money.  It continues to grow new flavors as you sip. This tequila gives you a crisp new experience over and over. Before finishing my tasting notes I found my vessel empty all while thinking to myself, “just one more glass?”

It’s bourbon Tuesday! We’re starting the day off right, with a bourbon cocktail that contains a bit of vitaman D in the form of milk. What better way to pair cheerios cereal and a cocktail!? No, just kidding, but this is a bourbon based drink: it’s the Huntress Cocktail.

Sweet shooter! This is a midori packed punch with a creamy coffee infusion. This shooter is supposed to represent “crap on grass” (also known as “shit on grass”) with its layered properties but it definitely tastes better. Hopefully the name doesn’t turn you off, because the cocktail is a tasty sweet beverage.

Seasonal cocktails are here, and we’re seasonally cocktailing a Cinnamon Toast. A warm and inviting seasonal beverage for those looking for lightly sweetened cocktails… a comfort drink. The rum and apple cider are definitely unique on the palate and something a bit different.

Muddled ginger, this isn’t something we’ve tried before. Initially, finding ginger at the super market was a pain in the butt, but once we found it and learned how to cut it up correctly we were able to create the Ginger Honey Rummy. This is a comical look at what you can do to create a fun seasonal beverage that’s worth its weight in…honey.

The Hot Apple Toddy is much like the original toddy but with some apple cider. This is a good holiday drink with seasonal flavor and style, it’s warm so it will be good for those chilly days after shoveling a pile of snow. Or, for those that don’t get snow, just enjoy the fact that you don’t and we do.

Decoration or not, this bottle contains a crystal clear unaged Tequila often times called Silver, White or Plata and I plan to waste no more time admiring the bottle design. After all, it’s what’s in the bottle that counts not the design itself, right?

First, I nose the glass to see what I’m working with in this plata. Republic Tequila definitely brings a sweet smelling aroma with hints of citrus and pineapple. The citrus reminds me, most closely, of a lime which is balanced well against the sweeter pineapple flavoring. The tail end of the scent reminds me of a fine caramel candy and leaves a slight burn to the nose when I take a deep breath over the glass.

The taste of Republic Tequila Plata reflects that of its aroma with a spicy yet sweet pineapple attack followed by a bold lime/citrus mid-palate and ending with a pretty caramel flavoring. The liquid is thick, smooth and feels more mature than the plata leads us to believe with its clear coloring. Republic Tequila says their plata is left to rest for three to five days before bottling but it sure feels like more than a few days.

The finish is crisp and clean, leaving a slight sweet aftertaste and no actual burn on the tongue, just a bit of “fire” in the nasal passages. The 40% ABV is well hidden with the flavors on the attack and mid-palate and the finish wipes away clean and clear. If there is any fault to this tequila it’s going to be in the length of a finish. I’m sipping this neat in a glass so I should get full potent burn and unadulterated flavors and those flavors tend to fade away in under twenty seconds leaving me with very little else. I would have loved for the finish to match the exciting start.

Overall, I think the first two quarters of this beverage are spot on stellar but the ending is a bit fast. Imagine watching the most explosive action movie in full surround sound but having a fairly low-key ending; perhaps there is too much sweet action in the tequila and it slightly off balances the finish. In a cocktail, you’ll probably find it brings great sweetness to those drinks with pineapple or citrus and juices while also bringing a thick body that’s hard to beat.

The cost of the Republic Tequila Organic Plata is around USD $46 to USD $50 and I highly suggest you seek this out and tell me what you think of the flavor profile. This tequila brings a wild ride of sweet essence and, even if the finish is a bit fast, you’ll enjoy re-taking that wild ride over and over again with each sip.

If you’re into the beer conversation we rant about during the show, checkout Mike’s Beer Genome Project and their podcast.

The Adam & Eve cocktail, this is a cocktail that may come in different varieties of ingredients. Our little classic uses a Bison Grass core spirit, married with an apple juice and a dash of cinnamon and lime. This cocktail brings out the nuances and flavors of the Bison Grass while keeping the cocktail slightly fruity in flavor.

We’re mixing some coffee-like liqueurs with amaretto and vodka, which makes a great dessert shooter. It reminds us of a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. We’re gonna get an Alley Shooter, a pretty tastey little cocktail filled with awesome.

For those that want to follow along with our cocktail recipe, airing on November 20th, you can head out to buy your bottle with included spiced packet now. If your retail store isn’t carrying the bottles with the spice packet perhaps we can help. I’ve got around twenty spice packets I can give away to anyone who needs them to complete the 10 Cane Spiced Apple Punch recipe and cannot find them.

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this is a must-try recipe for the season. You can build the recipe hot or cold, depending on your preferences. We’re going to create the cold version of the cocktail for the show on the 20th but we’d love to hear back from those that create the hot recipe.

Here are the two very simple recipes (also included with spice packet):

10 Cane Spiced Apple Punch (cold)
51 oz. Apple Juice
750ml Bottle of 10 Cane Rum
10 Cane Spice Packet
12 Cinnamon Sticks

Remove wrapper from spice packet. In a large container, place the spice packet (like a teabag) and one 51 ounce bottle of apple juice. Chill in refrigerator for at least one our and then squeeze the remaining liquid from the spice packet and remove it from the juice. Pour entire 750ml bottle of 10 Cane Rum into the spiced apple juice and stir.

To serve, shake 6 oz. of the spiced apple punch in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Or, simplier, pour over ice into a tall Collins glass. In both cases, garnish with a cinnamon stick and serve. Serves twelve cocktails.

10 Cane Spiced Apple Punch (hot)
51 oz. Apple Juice
750ml Bottle of 10 Cane Rum
10 Cane Spice Packet
12 Cinnamon Sticks

Remove wrapper from spice packet. Heat 51 oz. of apple juice to just below boiling then add the spice packet and steep for 3 to 5 minutes (or desired strength). Squeeze the liquid from the spiced packet and remove. Add 750ml bottle of 10 Cane Rum to the mix and stir.

Serve the 10 Cane Hot Spiced Apple Punch in your favorite mug and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serves twelve cocktails.

Remember, we’ll be launching the 10 Cane sponsored episode on November 20th, just in time for you to prepare your recipes for the following Thanksgiving day festivities. However, you can enjoy this recipe all season long and well into the winter with the warmer cocktail variant. If you find you need a spice packet, we’ve got some to give away so contact us (while supplies last).

Tropical drinks, slightly sweet cocktails, are pretty and enjoyable on the face. The Tropical Ivan falls directly in the category of fun for your face with a bit of tequila, bitters and triple sec. It’s not too often we’ve done a drink with fruit punch before, especially with tequila!

We’re using the Tres Generaciones this week to produce our Tropical Ivan cocktail.

The ocean-tini, a cocktail birthed from classic style design. It shows off a well round set of flavors while maintaining a very pretty look and feel. If there is a cocktail that can sit well along side the original martini’s and three-ingredient key recipes, the Ocean-Tini is the one.

Żubrówka

Bison Grass was believed to grant great powers and youthful virility centuries ago. Today, we’re celebrating a vodka that has a cool light green color, unique scents and a flavor profile that stands apart from those around it. Exactly how does it taste? Well, it wouldn’t be a valuable review if I read what the bottle says! Time to pour a glass, neat, and see what Bak’s Bison Grass vodka is all about.

The aroma of this bison grass vodka is very mild and “pretty,” a term I think best describes this vodka. There is an underlying structure of ethanol so you will understand the base ingredient is that of vodka but maintains a lightly green and vegital profile. I don’t get the scents of “grass” but a lightly green aroma that is extremely pleasing on the nose.

The initial taste attacks my tongue much like the scent, a lightly mild attack with no harsh bite or abrasive flavors.  The finish lasts for a few minutes and brings a slight hint of classic vodka-alcohol with a pronounced bitter-citrus. The finish does bring a bit of bright numbing fire, as most vodka’s will do, but when it subsides you’re left with a clean aroma and lingering citrus.

This vodka brings such a new experience to vodka tasting without being a sickly sweet infusion or faked flavorings. The aroma is gentle and polished and brings the heritage of quality vodka along for the ride. If I had to name a sipping vodka that can be enjoyed by itself with or without ice it would be Bak’s Bison Grass Vodka. Bak’s does not try to distill out the flavorings down to the raw core ethanol, they try to bring a bit more aroma and taste to this core spirit.

You can currently find Bak’s Bison Grass Vodka at retailers in California, Illinois, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Washington DC for around USD $28.99 per 1-Liter bottle. Happy hunting!

This is a overflow from our holiday week but it fits any time of the year as it’s a great potent little number known as the Axe Murderer. This cocktail has nice sweet flavors reflecting that of a tropical/tiki cocktail (with less rum) with a potent finish that reminds you that this cocktail has a lot of unique alcohols.

As with other intense drinks of this nature, the alcohols all play well together without giving any offending taste profiles. It will creep up on you… like an AXE MURDERER!

The final Halloween cocktail of the season, our “Sunday Night Shooters” episode released one day early, making the Halloween night festivities possible. The Ghostbuster shooter is a cute little shot design with wonderful taste and a great yet simple presentation.

The fourth halloween cocktail for 2009, this is the second-to-last cocktail to ring in the spooky Halloween season until next year. The Maggots Cocktail is a slightly silly take on a cocktail and, regardless to making the cocktail look like maggots, you’ll get a nice coffee-esque taste with hints of peach, that’s good regardless to effect.

Although we didn’t get a huge “maggots” look and feel to the cocktail, it’s always worth experimenting and trying new recipes. That is how we grow as cocktail drinkers!

The third halloween cocktail for 2009, we’re getting closer to the day so let’s really start cranking through some sillyness. This time we’re creating the Sour Witch, another Jonathan Pogash recipe using Lucid Absinthe and sour cherries. We opened a bottle of sparkling wine earlier in the week so we’re using it with this cocktail as well.

The second Halloween Cocktail Recipes of the week? Bloody-Tini. This one may be challenging for some of the folks over seas to create if they don’t have access to VeeV Açaí Spirit or an equivalent product. If you have access to Açaí juice without the VeeV I’d try substituting pomegranate vodka or blueberry vodka.

We’ve got to thank Jonathan Pogath for the kick ass recipe.

Halloween Cocktail Recipes are here, and we’re starting with the Kahlúa Black Cat, a simple start to the festive time of year in the United States and anyone else who wishes to join along. This recipe brings along some sambuca, kahlúa and vanilla vodka (we’re using Three Olives) with a couple espresso beans to build an enjoyable little cocktail.

Let the festivities begin! Plus, it gives us a better chance to act like a dork on video…

If you’re an everyday drinker, there is knowledge ahead to entertain and enhance your mind. It’s still a must listen interview! Once you hear this interview you’ll never use sour mix again.

One key advantage of an absinthe dripper is the footprint it leaves on a shelf. You can easily tuck an absinthe dripper beside the glasses on your shelf or in a cabinet. A large glass fountain can be difficult to store and costs a significant amount of money. Enter the Cusenier Absinthe Dripper Auto Verseur, available at AbsintheOnTheNet.com. This is, by far, one of the coolest accessories one can get for a spirit and its simplicity is key.

The Cusenier Absinthe Dripper Auto Verseur is a silver dripper that sits atop your absinthe glass and funnels water into the glass using a mechanical dripper that slowly drips water from one side and the next using a rocking motion. I brought this to a party this fall and everyone slowly gravitated towards this little device on the table which was consistently and thoughtfully louching the absinthe–it was a hit.

Within moments it looked like a fight broke out as everyone circled the happy little device rocking away at the spirit. Questions rang out, “what is that?” and “what are you doing?” or “wow, that is really cool!” This dripper was the hit of the party and everyone wanted to know where I got it. I also showed off a basic glass Brouilleur which is much more affordable but nobody seemed to really care to watch it drain its water into the glass. It’s practical, no doubt, but people seem to like watching the little metal rocker bouncing back and forth using nothing but gravity.

The glass Brouilleurs costs USD $25.99 compared to the Cusenier Absinthe Dripper Auto Verseur which will run you a costly USD $109.99, half the price of a normal absinthe fountain. However, you’re paying for the uniqueness, the style and the small size but you’re limited to louching one glass at a time where a fountain can usually handle at least two for about the cost of the fountain.

When considering an accessory for louching your absinthe you’ve now got to consider a carafe, drippers/brouilleurs and a larger absinthe fountain each with a cost, size and style to uniquely identify you and the culture of absinthe drinking. If you’re looking for a birthday or holiday gift for dad or your absinthe enthusiast, you definitely want to do a bit of research into a Dripper/Brouilleur.

Here is a nice simple shooter for your weekend, what’s easier than midori and amaretto? Of course, Amaretto fans will be happy and the overall sweetness makes it a desirable drink for those new to cocktail/shooters or those with a little bit of a sweet tooth.

Enter, the Broken Down Golf Cart…what a silly name!

The Red Devil is a potent little cocktail of red proportions, sweet taste and alcoholic fire. This is a big boy, we’re putting it into the tiki god head, the glasses you can buy at AwesomeDrinks.com. While this isn’t truely a “tiki” style cocktail (not as much fruit as we’d expect and no rums), it fits the style and mood of the polynesian cocktail.

If you’ve been looking for a new sloe gin recipe, this cocktail includes it. Now we’re itching for more sloe gin cocktails again, might have to see what we can do about that!

A recipe of pink and purple delight, the French Kiss cocktail is both classy in look and pleasant in taste. The cocktail glass allows the raspberry liqeueur (we’re using chambord) to shine through in a delightful manner while adding a nice black fruity taste to the lighter passion fruit driven cocktail.

The Pink “Kitty,” also goes by the recipe name Pink Pussy but we’re not exactly happy with the naming convention of the original recipe so we changed it. This is a beautifully looking cocktail which reminds us much of a margarita with a distinct citrus finish. The limón rum (Don Q in our case) hides well in this drink and brings a slightly enhanced sour undertone to the cocktail.

The Blue Carnation is a great after-dinner style cocktail, simple in design yet stunning in light blue color. This cocktail has a smooth thick consistency and a great tast utilizing some blue curacao, creme de cacao and cream.

You’ll probably find this cocktail makes a great dessert after a hearty meal or for those that are fans of the cream-based cocktail creations.