Alcademics.com

Age your own darn whiskey

This is silly but I love it. Monterey Rye Spirits will sell you ten bottles of new-make rye whiskey and a mini 2-gallon barrel in which to age it. They say that after just three months, you'll have aged whiskey. I can't imagine that it would be very good, but it'll be the hit of your self-made Sazerac party. It's kind of like growing your own tomatoes- you can buy the baby plants and pots and soil and plant food, or just go to the store and grab a tomato for 1/5th the price.

And if you're even lazier than that Monterey Rye will sell you a single bottle of rye with a stick of barrel wood taped to the side. Just dip it and wait!

Labels: products, rye

Attempted bribery

Well, it finally happened. I received cash in the mail the other day from a liquor company.

It's about time! I've been waiting for a bribe for years here at Alcademics, with my fingers hovering over the "Best Product Evar!!" keys. There's a reason you don't see an ethics policy listed on this website, and that's because I don't have any ethics. Wine me, dine me, send me flowers- I'm easy.

I just wish they had made it easier to get at the money. They put the five-pound note behind glass. I think it's glued on a piece of cardboard, so that's going to be hard to get off. And if I can remove it without ripping it all up then I have to take it to the bank to get it converted into useful American money. Someone needs to teach the Bushmills people better bribery skills.

But seriously folks, this is pretty cool. The Bank of Ireland put the Bushmills distillery on the five pound note to celebrate the 400th anniversary of their license to distill whiskey. The Bushmills people are like "Irish money is free advertising!" and are undoubtedly psyched. They framed the note and sent it to me to join my wall art, perfectly in keeping with my entirely booze-related decorating scheme.

The thing is, they're also putting the distillery on the ten and 20 pound notes. If they really wanted to bribe me couldn't they have sent more money?

Labels: funny, irish_whiskey

10 Trendsetting Mixologists

In various editions of the Beverage Network's magazines, I have the cover story on 10 Trendsetting Mixologists from across the country. I interviewed my picks at the Navan/Grand Marnier Mixology Summit this spring.

This year’s batch of bartenders to watch have more in common than a penchant for inventing and shaking up tasty cocktails. They’re using fresh and often local ingredients, adding savory herbs to drinks, and making sure the execution of each cocktail is consistently stellar.

These standout mixologists, some with impressive training under their belt, some the winners of national and international cocktail challenges, are also quite influential, both introducing quality cocktails to the underserved areas of the country, as well as impressing jaded vacationers in Vegas and Aspen. They impact the community through bartenders’ guilds, banding together to influence the purchases of control state boards, and educating the public with classes and seminars. These men and women help elevate both the craft of mixology and the consumer palate simultaneously. Let’s raise a glass to the class of 2008.

The mixologists chosen were:

Charles Joly from Chicago
Patricia Richards from Las Vegas
Matt Martinez from Los Angeles
Jeremy Strungis from New Jersey
Ted Kilgore from St. Louis
Gina Chersevani from Washington, DC
Lance Mayhew from Portland, OR
Denis Cote from Aspen, CO
Eric Simpkins from Atlanta
Jon Santer from San Francisco

Read interviews with these ten terrific bartenders here.

Labels: bartending, camper_clips

Single-malt soap

I received a bar of soap in the mail, which I might take as an insult if it weren't flavored with Laphroaig whisky. Then again, I often wake up smelling of whisky and want to wash it off, not on.

Anyway, check out Spirited Soaps, made on Islay in nine distillery flavors.

Labels: products

Welcome home, Camper

While other people on the press trips I take start missing their spouses, family, and pets after a few days, I have none of those things and am always glad to be out of the one-bedroom apartment where I spend most of my waking and sleeping hours. I could stay traveling forever.

That said, sometimes I do get a welcome greeting on my return, from all the packages UPS and FedEx has been unable to deliver in my absence. The day after I returned from Spain and France, I had seven packages containing mostly delicious booze. Welcome back, Camper!

Labels: writing_life

Form of: An ice luge! Shape of: umm...

The website copy reads:

Lugez is proud to present our first product that is guaranteed to make your mouth drop. This penis is not just for looks…..it has function. Pour a shot at the top and drink at the tip. After that you got yourself an ice luge party penis that gets you drunk.

Lugez is a fantastic addition to all wild bachelorette parties and adult party games that are willing to go the extra step to add something special to their party. And now bachelorettes don’t have to feel guilty about getting friendly with a foreign penis one last time before the big day. Big enough for fun and small enough to fit in a normal freezer.

See this fine product here. (mildly NSFW)

Labels: funny, products

Gin + Dinner = Ginner

Orson in San Francisco is hosting a Gin and Stone pairing dinner on June 11 to celebrate fresh stone fruit. (Gin you can celebrate all year round.) I've seen dinner pairings with bourbon, rum, absinthe, and even vodka, but this is the first gin and food pairing I've noticed. Check out the menu here.

Labels: events, food, gin, SanFrancisco

Absinthe in Men's Book

Speaking of absinthe, I just noticed that the story I wrote on the subject (or as I call it, the subject that keeps on paying) for Men's Book San Francisco is online. Go here and forward to page 80.

Labels: absinthe, camper_clips