Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Rack Opinion

Can a key rack inspire lust? It might if it comes from the Joshua Tree, CA shop of J.L. Lawson & Co. Applying three generations of machining knowhow, father and son duo Floyd Lawson and son Anthony have created an impressive collection of small steel goods and accessories. Their latest creation, The Rack ($58), might [...]

Shot Class

For some strange reason, bar tools have consistently remained the lone torch carrier for Art Deco styling, long after the movement’s influences faded from architecture, cars, and graphic design. The 18/8 stainless steel Bullet Cocktail Shaker by Metrokane ($20) epitomizes this trend better than most and should up the caliber of your next home soiree, [...]

Receptacles for do-it-yourself aging

Used whiskey barrels are a hot commodity in the spirits market. Reposado and Anejo tequilas and many Scotches age their products in used whiskey barrels, which impart softer flavors and aromas than new casks. But even if you’re not buying barrels for a full-scale spirits operation, don’t let that stop you from procuring one for [...]

Mixology 101

New York’s famed Please Don’t Tell nails the hidden speakeasy vibe like few other establishments in the city. For example, gaining access to the snug cocktail lounge requires patrons to find the hidden entrance located behind the vintage phone booth in the attached hot dog joint Crif Dogs. Jim Meehan’s inventiveness behind the bar, however, [...]

The closest you'll get to drinking with Shackleton

The Alfred Dunhill antarctic whisky cabinet is a soon-to-be heirloom that any fan of fine booze and craftsmanship can appreciate — even if few on this earth could ever afford such an extravagance. The three bottles included in this set are faithful replications of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky from the 1907. In case [...]

Hipster

Scotch must have been invented for autumn. Whether you’re warding off the chill on a Saturday afternoon in the bleachers, recounting adventures around a campfire or rewarding yourself for an afternoon of splitting wood, nothing warms the soul (and the belly) like a good single malt. And there’s no better way to drink it than [...]

Cheers Without Fear

The days of housing tequila on a Friday night may be in your taillights, but these Nesting Steel Shot Cups ($32) are still a great-looking alternative compared to typical jiggers. Sets of four 24 gauge 1008 cold rolled steel cups are available in slate gray teflon or nickel-plated finishes, and all are made in the [...]

Waste Not, Want One

Pistachios, olives… Jolly Ranchers — all three offer great snacks for guests to munch on, but what about those irksome shells, pits and wrappers? Designed by Joseph Joseph, the Double Dish ($18) is a brilliantly simple concept: a normal bowl atop a curved bowl, which offers an out-of-sight repository for snack debris until it’s time [...]

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere

Given the latest headlines about the economy, a stiff cocktail is quickly becoming one of the only remaining bastions of calm we men can cling to. The Emergency Cocktail Station ($850) from Urbancase is a tongue and cheek interpretation on the role booze plays during these hard times that isn’t exactly priced for a recession. [...]

Serves You Right

The Urbancase Sidebar ($3,100) is a proper workspace worthy of any aspiring mixologist. More than just a pretty face, the handcrafted walnut cabinet features a laterally sliding panel which hides adjacent compartments for liquor and glassware, providing some much needed personal space between your Macallan and that handle of Old Grand-Dad you swear was left [...]

Cold and Calculating

The purpose of a Beer Froster ($550+) should be self-evident. What may not be so obvious is how it’s different from a standard freezer. Anyone who has ever attempted to cool down some brews quickly in the freezer and then forgot about it has learned that the consequences of combining beer with freezing temperatures can [...]

Fine Wining

The Code38 Stealth Wine Knife ($410) is the type of thing you’d expect to learn about from tales of King Arthur pulling it out of a lake, or by catching a movie with Harrison Ford fleeing a cave with the Stealth in hand. It’s designer, Jeffrey Toering, cut his teeth as an instrument fitter in [...]

The one pyramid scheme we'll back

The only connection the Fridge Monkey ($7) has with primates is that it’s rather skilled at organizing our favorite beverages. Measuring 9 3/4″ x 4″, this glorified rubber matt is good for holding 10 cans or beer bottles, or up to five wine bottles perfectly in place thanks to some purposeful ridges. Translation: it’s a [...]

Bring the bar to you

Think of the Alpina Mobile Bongos Beer Bar ($11,300) as a graduate degree in outdoor drinking. The mobile party center features an integrated kegerator, 8kg of ice storage, and customizable tops for adding everything from a gas-powered grill to extra serving areas. Thanks its four sturdy wheels and a specially designed refrigeration system, there’s also [...]

Now you see it, now you don't

The Mirage Wine Rack ($45) is another ingenious project born from the social product development community Quirky. Its key point of differentiation involves a clever extendable rack system that holds between one and eight bottles of your favorite vintage. That may sound over-engineered for vino, but it helps avoid the pitiful impressions standard racks give [...]