Gear Patrol

A decent drink can be hard to find, especially when you’re at home. For the do-it-yourselfers who would rather the “do” simply be mixing the strong stuff with the not-so-strong stuff, we’ve compiled a list of the top five mixers you can find in your friendly neighborhood high-end liquor store. All you have to do is add booze, ice and maybe a wry wink as you drop in the cocktail straw.

A key cocktail element hasn’t gotten much love lately, but Woodford Reserve Bourbon Aged Spiced Cherry Bitters brings small batch excellence back to our favorite drinking “dash”. The notable bourbon maker teamed up with Bourbon Barrel Foods, blending standard gentian root with cherry and spices to create a unique alcoholic add in. The bitters are…

The Beef Council successfully hijacked America’s dinner plans in the early 90s with one simple phrase. Now, we’re executing a hostile takeover of your bar with just two simple words: “beef drinks”. Yeah, you heard us — that same intoxicating meat flavor that works wonders on your taste buds at mealtime is just as delicious…

Looking for a way to celebrate Merica’ year round? The American Cocktail: 50 Recipes That Celebrate the Craft of Mixing Drinks from Coast to Coast ($13) should do the trick. This helpful bartender companion, written by the trustworthy purveyors of liquid culture over at Imbibe Magazine, covers a unique selection of 50 favourites from master…

Reading cocktail books and bartender manuals usually does the trick when mixing drinks at home. But nothing beats a step-by-step video from cocktail expert Simon Ford. Simon recently partnered with Liquor.com to create a series of how-to cocktail videos. Click below for a walk-through guide to crafting three time-honored drinks — the classic Martini, James…

The craft cocktail movement has infiltrated America, with quality bars entrenched on both coasts and studding everywhere between. One of the latest to pop up is Detroit’s Sugar House, which opened in October and slings drinks comprised of artisanal spirits, fresh juices, fruits and herbs and house-made syrups. Ice wise, Sugar House bartenders hand-chip 300…

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….

The next time your home brunch plans involve booze, we recommend picking up a bottle of Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix ($8). This lightly chunky mix has all the flavor notes you’d expect from a great bloody mary including notes of Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins), pepper, Tabasco, and hangover curing, sinus searing horseradish. Trust…

The industrial-booze complex otherwise known as the world’s liquor industry will forever be in a bit of a bind. The trouble is there’s only so many types of alcohol that exist on this earth, and no amount of aging, packaging, or flavor infusions, can change that fact. Still, the Casa Herradura Tequila brand isn’t calling…

Just because you want to prep the best possible cocktails at home doesn’t mean you have to mortgage the house for bar tools. Made of 18/8 stainless-steel in gleaming finish with handles wrapped in faux leather (for the look without the worry of water damage), the Metrokane VIP 7 piece bar tool set is both…

If you haven’t heard already, this week Condé Nast announced it would be shutting down several of its long standing magazine publications including one of this author’s admitted favorites, Gourmet Magazine. Though it saddens us to hear about such a venerable publication victim to financial pressures (we recognize digital publications like Gear Patrol have attributed…

We Doubt Pagans Drank This Well As a precusor to your costume party debauchery, give the Herradura Calabatini a shot. This festive blend of tequila and pumpkin spice is sure to get nods of approval from guests. Not to mention yourself. Plus it’s a lot more dignified than orange jello shots, though depending on how…

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…

Women Need Cutlery. Men Need Bar Tools. What’s better than reaching into your bar and pulling out a polished stainless steel pair of tongs, reaching into a heavy ice bucket, picking out a few select rocks, dropping them into your tumbler and pouring your drink of choice – listening to the ice give way to…