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.

Are you afraid yet? You should be. The Grateful Dead cocktail isn’t for the weak at heart, this cocktail brings the power, punch and influence of all its contents. The chambord influences the color while the alcohols influence the punch in the grill, prepare your senses for an odd ride of flavors.

There are no juices to round this sucker out, it’s a cocktail and a half.

This week we’ve got a new style video, as per request, folks would love to know a bit more about orange liqueur and the differences. I didn’t know all the answers so I sat down to figure it out! The tasting includes Included in the tasting is Triple Sec, Blue Curacao, GranGala, Tuaca, Patron Citronge, Cointreau and Grand Marnier.

Check us out at Everydaydrinkers.tv to see the episode and leave some comments!

Unfortunately, I let my contempt for whiskey drive my hatred for Southern Comfort. How did I let it come to this? Ignorance, stupidity or simply not sticking to what I do best: try everything involving alcohol. As an everyday drinker there is, typically, no limit to what I’ll try when it comes to an unknown alcoholic beverage. Sake, Pucker, Malbec, Midori, X-Rated, Riesling the list goes on and there isn’t one thing I’ve not put a good effort into. My life is hard.

What defines Southern Comfort? It’s actually a liqueur, not really a simple whiskey. Invented in 1874 by an Irish Bartender (go figure) Martin Wilkes Heron in the French Quarter of New Orleans, this beverage is actually a blend of flavors. A bit of whiskey, peach, orange, banana, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon flavors, Southern Comfort is a belly warming beverage of tasty proportions.

Put a little Southern Comfort into your coke and it changes the experience. In many ways it tastes much like a Captain Morgan Spiced Rum in a soda but it has a few more dimensions and is probably more versatile than a spiced rum. There are many great cocktails that have SoCo and, moving forward, I’ll be sure to expand on my reviews of cocktails to include my new best friend Southern Comfort.

I would drink it in a house, I would drink it with a mouse, I would drink it on a train, I would drink it in the rain. I like it Sam-I-Am, I do so like my… Southern Comfort?

We wish everyone a happy and healthy Christmas and holiday season. With that we’re bringing you this special episode along with another this upcoming Saturday where you’ll find me dressed like ol’ Saint Nick.

A little Spiced Rum, Dr. Pepper and Cinnamon Schnapps (in this case Aftershock or Goldschlager) and you’ve got the recipe. Enter, Christmas in a cup! Enjoy.

So, you’re a lover of Thanksgiving and you’re looking for a cool drink to show off at your party. What better than The Gobble-Tini, a Cranberry based drink which will fit great with Turkey and stuffing! Thanks to TheBar.com, who made this recipe available.

You like to drink or make drinks? You a competitive person? read on..

Averna’s latest Press Release:

NATION’S BEST BARTENDERS TO FACE OFF IN THE ULTIMATE
HAVE AVERNA COCKTAIL COMPETITION

Mixologists from San Francisco, New York
and Chicago To Battle It Out In Sicily

April 28, NEW YORK, NY — After hours of reviewing and deliberating top Averna cocktails over a three-week period, judges named Debbi Peek of the Drawing Room at Le Passage in Chicago, Damon Dyer of Death & Company and Don Lee of PDT from New York, and Jeffrey Hollinger of Absinthe Brasserie & Bar and Thomas R. Waugh of Alembic Bar in San Francisco, as finalists in the contest for the ‘HAVE Averna Cocktail Competition!’ Each drink was delicious and creative, utilizing Averna Amaro as its base ingredient. The five finalists will compete in the ultimate challenge in Sicily at the Averna distillery for the best new Averna-based cocktail this September.

The Southeast Regional Cocktail Competition took place at Casa Tua, 1700 James Avenue, Miami Beach, on Monday, April 28th, from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Judges for the event were DSWE founder and CEO Paolo Domeneghetti, Jennifer Suskin, publisher of DiningOut Miami, mixologist Angelo Vieria, and Bob Drinon, President of Premier Beverage. Peek’s “Anima Bella” received top scores in Miami, with a memorable, beautiful garnish that pleased the audience and judges.

The Northeast Regional Cocktail Competition took place at Devin Tavern, 363 Greenwich Street, New York City, Monday, April 21th, from 4-7 p.m. Judges for the event were Paolo Domeneghetti, founder of Tales of the Cocktail Anne Tuennerman, Lowell Supran of Empire Merchants NY, and Tad Carducci, Co-founder of Tippling Bros., LLC. Dyer’s “Tuesdays with Mole” and Lee’s “La Cola Nostra” were impressive and original cocktails that were highlighted by the expert techniques of each mixologist.

The Western Regional Cocktail Competition took place at Cantina, 580 Sutter Street, San Francisco, Monday, April 14th, from 6-10 p.m. In place of Jeff Hollinger, Jackie Patterson was on hand to make his drink. Judges for the event were Cantina owner and renowned mixologist Duggan McDonnell, Domaine Select founder and CEO Paolo Domeneghetti, editor of Imbibe Magazine Karen Foley, and Young’s Market executive Joe Petraglia. Hollinger’s “Midnight in Sicily” and Waugh’s “Hierba Buena” were delicious and innovative with Averna at the very heart of both drinks.

“I am extremely pleased to see how great this contest turned out and the buzz and excitement that the contestants had in support of Averna and each other,” said Paolo Domeneghetti. “We are eager to add the each of these imaginative and lively drinks to our cocktail repertoire.”

The cocktail competition ran from January 1st through March 31st with entry forms available on the newly launched Averna USA website (www.avernausa.com). All entries were divided into three geographical regions: Northeast, Southeast/Midwest and West. A judging panel of leading spirits experts selected 10 semifinalists from each region to move on to the regional semifinals scheduled in San Francisco, New York and Miami respectively. A total of five semifinalists were selected from the three regional competitions (two each from the San Francisco and New York competitions, one from the Miami competition) and will win a trip to Sicily to compete in the finals at the Averna distillery this fall. The grand prize winner will receive a $1,500 American Express gift card.
About Averna
Averna (www.averna.it), Italy’s favorite Amaro and the first licensed spirit in Sicily, is distilled from an all-natural blend of herbs, dried flowers, spices and licorice. The recipe for Averna is a closely guarded secret of Fratelli Averna S.p.A., a fourth-generation family-run company based in Caltanissetta, Sicily. Traditionally a soothing after-dinner drink, or digestivo, known for its distinctively delicious bitter sweet taste profile, Averna is now being discovered by bartenders and cocktail lovers as a versatile mixer for a variety of drink recipes.

We concentrate a bit more on the lovely liqueur and create a few mixed drinks: Boccie Ball, Silverlake Slip, 747, Italian Sunset, Amaretto Stoned Sour and mention the Alabama Slammer.

This was definitely a podcast you only do once, no man should suffer this many sweet liqueur tastes in one sitting let alone three.