Tap Water Champagne

You might drink French water (Pellegrino, Perrier, etc). You might even drink Fijian water, but here in New York we drink something called tap water. Now, you can too.

Tap’dNY is offering New York’s award winning (no joke) straight-from-the-faucet tap water. It’s not filtered through some rare volcanic charcoal or shipped via white doves and palm frawns from an exotic island in the South Pacific. It’s literaly New York tap water. Served in a bottle. Complete with overzealous marketing.

Coming in at $36 per case of 24, Tap’DNY might be the most ingenious thing since… well, bottled water. Not available in France or Fiji… zing.

Cost: $36 per 24 @ Tap’dNY

First It Was Silver. Then Gold. Now Coffee.

During the next restocking of your bar make sure to leave room in your arsenal for Patron XO Café. Yes, we know the stereotypes about flavored alcohol, but you’ll never find this sneaked into a slumber party. Trust us.

Patron XO Café is a meld of ultra premium tequila and coffee essence. It tastes drier and less sweet than most coffee flavored liqueurs (a good thing), plus at 70 proof it packs as much punch as its standard tequila brethren (a good thing).

Not sure how to use it? Check out the cocktail list on Patron’s website for ideas. There you’ll find plenty of ways to expand your mixing prowess.

Editors Note: This does not give you permission to spike the coffee machine at work.

Cost: $15-$30 @ Your Local Store

GP Protocol Rule #13 states that men should know how to pack. That being the case, having the right luggage and luggage accessories is essential, especially for those longer trips.

Luggage stalwart Tumi, has an ingenius luggage accessory aptly named Tumi Packing Cubes. They’re ideal for organizing your socks, ties and other smaller items. Larger sizes are available for your sweaters, slacks, etc. The Packing Cubes are enclosed via zipper and have a mesh cover and handle for ease of use.

Editors Tip: I’ve purchased two medium packing cubes. They’re perfect for my week long trips, helping me organize my daily changes or I can just take one for weekends.

Cost: $35-$55 @ Tumi

Guaranteed Topic Of Discussion For Your Fellow Imbibers

Even though our Man Poll showed beer is your beverage of choice, perhaps you should consider taking a break from your gridiron standby.

Instead serve libations with class in these hand blown stunners. As a stylish twist on traditional drinking ware, the negative space of each glass reveals its intended purpose–especially when full. So whether it’s celebratory bubbly, demure liqueur, or the quintessential martini, picking up a set of each will guarantee you’re prepared to handle all of the serving demands of the cocktail elite. That is if you can afford to fill to them…

Cost: $48-$60 @ Charles & Marie

Healthy snacking through the day is a great way to keep your metabolism in gear. The problem is, Doritos and Kit-Kat bars are the spawn of the devil. And let’s face it, as tasty as almonds are, they tend to get flavor-blasé after the ten dozenth serving.

My latest snack-lution are True North Nuts. They’re a great, tasty alternative snack. After purchasing a few bags for home and the office I can attest that they satisfy my snack cravings. Even better are the fact that they’re 100% natural with no preservatives or artificial flavors. My favorite: Pecan Almond Peanut Clusters - a perfect pairing for my afternoon Stumptown coffee.

Cost: $14 @ Target, Wal-Mart, Kroger, Ralphs, Amazon

Also See: BSN Lean Dessert - Protein shake, appetite satsifier.

The Jim Beam Distillery. I can already smell the bourbon.

Looking for a getaway this month? Vegas, Europe, Mexico maybe? Well, how about making a trip to Louisville, Kentucky?

September is National Bourbon Heritage Month (bet you didn’t know that) and what better way to celebrate than partaking in the caramel-hued libation. Combine that with relaxed Bourbon tasting, grilled red meat, sports, and you’ve got yourself a getaway that’s easy on the wallet and not so easy on the liver, but who’s counting.

Make sure the hit up the Jim Beam Distillery (149 Happy Hollow Rd, Clermont, KY) to check out the Jim Beam and Knob Creek manufacturing process, play a round on the Heritage Hill Golf Course (1050 Valley View Dr., Shepherdsville, KY) and round out the night on Bardstown Rd, where you’ll find more bars than you know what to do with. You might even find time to squeeze in a trip to Churchhill Downs (700 Central Ave. Louisville, KY) to place a few bets on the ponies. Drink in hand.

Set Your Training Free

I don’t know about you but I’m tired of being cooped up in my gym. With Fall rapidly approaching there aren’t that many more chances to make my workouts al fresco either. But if you’re like me, you’re turning this into an opportunity. Stop running around the block or neighborhood and blend your fitness needs with an outdoor adventure. And if you’re creative enough you may even be rewarded for your efforts with Salomon’s XT Challenge.

Here’s how it works: Runners from all over the world come up with an inspired personal challenge, and submit their plans online here. Each month, Salomon will select the most creative challenge. That lucky runner gets a pair of Salomon XT Wings to wear for their challenge, and a Nokia Smartphone equipped with the new Sports Tracker software to document it. When they complete their challenge, they upload photos and data to the Salomon Running site, where other runners can check out dynamic maps of their route.

Some of the challenges so far have included an English runner who’s recreating the Central London Tube map by running all 11 routes above ground, and a French runner challenged himself to run up the Eiffel Tower in less than 20 minutes. You’re going to need your thinking caps and a little bravado to be a contender.

What this means to you: Training outdoors and setting your sights on a challenging goal is a great way to break the gym monotony and rejuvenate your workouts with a renewed focus. Once you experience the thrill of trail running you may never want to hit the treadmill again.

Sign Up For The Salomon XT Challenge

The Grand Canyon Only 1% of Men Have Ever Seen

Just because it’s the Grand Canyon doesn’t mean it has to be boring. [Credit: Jay Patel]
Purchase this image @ Jay Patel Photography

We feature a number of travel destinations and getaways, but traveling for all intents and purposes, sucks. Getting stuck in an airport terminal for 13 hours waiting on your twice overbooked flight to get stuck on the tarmac for an additional 4 hours is not an ideal man’s vacation.

But that doesn’t mean exotic and more interesting vacations or trips don’t exist. Gear Patrol is pledging right here and now to find more of these alternative destinations for you. Honestly, because we’re looking for ourselves. Oh, and don’t worry - we’ll pay attention to the price.

Now, turn your attention to Arizona. Home of the Grand Canyon. Yawn, right? Wrong. Book a trip through an alternative vacation agency like Just Roughin’ It Adventures, and your next long weekend might look something like this…
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A New Sartorial Destination For Men

A view of the Tribeca Men’s Shop circa 1968    [click on image to enlarge]

Today, J.Crew opened their first store for men, and men only - The Tribeca Men’s Shop. The outfitting destination is a collection of unique men’s items, foregoing the massive retail chain look for a look and feel that can be best described as a mix between brown liquor and boutique. The items you’ll find here are just as unique so find comfort knowing that your purchase won’t be worn by some fellow you run into in the parking lot.

J.Crew’s overarching vintage/French style is in full force at the 925 sq ft Tribeca Men’s Shop with Mackintosh coats, Italian suits, vintage oxford shirts, leather messenger bags, and well-priced cashmere sweaters in abundance. Better yet the pricing isn’t much more than what you’d see in a regular mall-bound J.Crew.

Gear Patrol got a sneak-peak at the store earlier this week and we must admit that the soothing notion of being in a store curated and designed by men gave us an entirely new perspective on the J.Crew brand. The mix of vintage prep, rotating art exhibits in the dressing area, and unique one-offs like Thomas Mason shirting, Baracuta jackets, tie clips/bars, and old Rolex watches made us think hard and carefully about turning our dining rooms into renovated liquor stores.

[Interior photographs after the jump.]

Visit J.Crew Tribeca Men’s Shop @ 235 W. Broadway, New York, NY. | Shop products @ J.Crew

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A Fresh Coffee Bean Is A Good Coffee Bean

It’s not a secret that a perfect cup of coffee starts with the fresh beans. Fresh beans + Grinder = Bliss.

The vacuum-sealed, stainless-steel coffee bean keeper from Williams-Sonoma ensures your morning nectar will always be top notch. The cannister minimizes your coffee beans from exposure to oxygen and moisture - essentially, “preserving the delicate oils that give the finished brew its rich flavor and aroma.” Yeah, that. All I care is knowing that the first sip of sweet sweet coffee is solid gold.

Cost: $40 @ Williams-Sonoma

Also See: Your new favorite brand of coffee, Stumptown Coffee Roasters.