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The Hangover 3 hit theaters on Thursday and we just knew that we had to pay tribute to it in some way because, let’s face it – it’s the ultimate bro movie. You obviously can’t drink in the theater, so we’d recommend going to see the movie with your friends and then going home to resume the party with a few Hangover themed drinks. Disclaimer: We cannot be held responsible if you end up on the roof of Caesars Palace or pull your tooth out to impress a stripper.

Shots of Jagermeister

This is how it all began in the first movie – Jager shots to kick off a Las Vegas bachelor party. We love a good shot of Jagermeister, but we don’t recommend pulling an Alan and roofying your pals or giving awkward “wolf pack” speeches.

Easy Tiger

Instead of risking your life and stealing a tiger from Mike Tyson, why don’t you drink one instead? We’d recommend this simple drink from Absolut called the Easy Tiger:

Fill a shaker with ice cubes, add the following ingredients, shake and strain into chilled champagne glasses:

• 10 parts Tequila
• 8 parts Lime Juice
• 3 parts Runny Honey
• Grated ginger, to taste

The Hangovertini

In the Hangover 2, they filmed some scenes at a luxury hotel in Bangkok called Lebua. The mixologist at their Sky Bar was so psyched about it, that he created a “Hangovertini.” It was actually served for the first time to the film’s director and cast, and they loved it. Once it had the movie’s blessing, they started selling this concoction in their hotel bar.

They don’t provide the exact measurements, but since you’re probably not heading to Bangkok anytime soon, we recommend giving it the old college try at figuring it out yourself. What we do know? It’s made with green tea liquor, Martini Rosso, green apple juice and rosemary-infused honey.

The post The Man Cave: Drinks for a Good Hangover (3) appeared first on Drinking in America.

Here you go:

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To all you winos, this is the best day of the year. Whether you drink red, white, pink or even the boxed stuff (we’ll forgive you), everyone can celebrate today. So grab a glass or two and enjoy. Happy National Wine Day.

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It’s hard to say no to BBQ food, but when it has booze in it there’s no resisting. Here are a few of our favorite boozy recipes for Memorial Day.

Tequila Lime Guacamole

Start the party off the right way with this dip. We (really) love tequila, and guacamole is always a staple so putting them together is just genius. You’ll need:

2 avacados

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 clove garlic

1 lime

Tequila

Cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper

Combine all of the ingredients and then add a splash of tequila. This is guaranteed to disappear in minutes.

Kahlua Coffee BBQ Sauce

This recipe has us drooling. We’re about to put this BBQ sauce on whatever we can. Plus for all of you who aren’t exactly grill masters, this is completely fool proof.

½ c brewed coffee, not instant

⅔ c organic ketchup

½ c plus 2 tbsp Kahlua

3 large shallots, peeled

3 cloves garlic, peeled

½ cup dark brown sugar

⅓ cup sweet chili sauce

1 tbsp tamarin

½ tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ancho chili powder

1-2 tsp sea salt

Blend shallots, garlic and 3 tbsp. of ketchup in a food processor. Add this blend and the rest of the ingredients to a sauce pan and boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat until the sauce has thickened. Let cool and then refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.

Strawberry Peach Vodka Collins Popsicles

A Memorial Day BBQ wouldn’t be complete without some sort of boozy dessert. Since summer is approaching (we’re already there in our minds) we decided to go with something refreshing. These popsicles are the perfect cool down.

6 oz pureed strawberry (about 10 strawberries)
2 oz peach syrup
12 oz tonic water
5 oz. vodka

Stir strawberry puree with 2 oz. of vodka and pour into popsicle mold. Then mix the peach syrup, tonic water and remaining 3 oz. of vodka before combining with the strawberry mixture. Freeze for at least two hours before inserting popsicle sticks. Freeze overnight and enjoy.

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Corazon Tequila has added a very special, very limited edition line to their brand. Expresiones del Corazon, a series of barrel-aged tequilas, joins the collection.

The Expresiones del Corazon line features five 100% agave tequilas that have each been aged in Buffalo Trace whiskey barrels. They are: Buffalo Trace Respado (aged 11 months), George Stagg Añejo (aged 22 months), Sazerac Rye Añejo (aged 24 months), Old Rip Van Winkle Añejo (aged 23 months), and finally a Blanco.

We love anything barrel-aged, so we’re pumped for these. Naturally all good things come in small quantities, so only 6,000 bottles of each tequila exist, coming in at quite the price, ranging from $59.99-$89.99. We’ll start saving our pennies for June when they will be released.

What do you think about barrel-aged tequila?

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There’s nothing like a cold beer on a hot summer day. And our pals at Corona want to make this the best summer yet.

They’re asking you to share photos of your ultimate summer with Corona. All you have to do is upload your photos to Corona Summer.  The best part? Your pic could be featured in one of their ads. So all of you looking for your 15 minutes of fame, start posing.

You haven’t heard it all though. Our buddies were nice enough to send us awesome Corona beach swag. So here’s the challenge to you. Comment on this post telling us:

What’s your favorite summer drink?

…it doesn’t need to be Corona – the more creative the better. We’ll randomly pick two winners and send them a boozey beach kit. (Including: beach blanket, magnetic photo frames, speakers, and a t-shirt.)

You have until next Friday, May 31^st, so start commenting.

The post It’s Going To Be A Corona Summer appeared first on Drinking in America.

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Bitters. We could take them or leave them. There are several kinds of bitters but recently everybody is talking about one in particular: Fernet.

For years, Fernet has been somewhat of a “bartender’s handshake,” signifying a secret bond over this strong but bitter drink. Recently we’ve noticed bartenders extending the tradition to consumers. If you’re a guy, you probably know what we’re talking about. Bartenders never buy dudes a shot, unless it’s Fernet (and they really really like you.)

So what exactly is Fernet? The bitter is made from a number of different herbs and spices but most notably myrrh, chamomile, aloe, rhubarb, cardamom and saffron. It tastes like bitter, minty licorice. How could that be good?

Despite our reservations, bartenders are shooting and serving Fernet’s all over the world. It all started in Argentina, where Fernet is served with Coca-Cola, becoming the closest thing to a national drink the South American country has. The act of shooting Fernet originated in San Francisco, where more Fernet is consumed than any other city in the world.

There are plenty of brands out there but the one you’ll find behind your local bar is Fernet Branca. The Italian brand has taken over the Fernet world and there are barely any other recognizable brands. It’s so famous that bartenders are known to have the Fernet Branca eagle tattooed on their arms.

If you’re not as awesome as us (it’s hard to be) and you need to drink it in a cocktail, try J.P. Caceres’ (Del Campo, Washington, D.C.) recipe.

Have you ever had Fernet? How did you drink it?

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Malibu has officially entered the dessert spirits world. The rum brand introduced their latest flavors on Monday: Malibu Sundae and Malibu Swirl. You know how we feel about confectionary inspired spirits and these are no exception.

Malibu Sundae is a combo of classic Malibu coconut and chocolate ice cream flavor. Match made in heaven? We think not. And its super sweet counterpart isn’t much better. Malibu Swirl features a strawberries and whipped cream flavor. We have a cavity just thinking about it.

Both dessert rums (is that really a category now?) will be available at the end of this month for $14.99 a bottle. Don’t expect to see us in line for them.

Would you drink dessert-flavored rum?

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You can undoubtedly find a wine festival near you, but here are 3 of our favorites happening this summer:

Crested Butte Wine & Food Festival – Crested Butte, Colorado

July 11 – 14: Crested Butte is an amazing mountain community and it’s a beautiful backdrop for this July wine festival. Attend the Grand Tasting Event where more than 250 wines from around the world will be showcased, or check out one of their many seminars or events – we’d recommend the six course champagne brunch or the seminar, “In Search of Perfect Pairings.” They also offer a free shuttle that runs through the town, so you can drink to your heart’s content knowing you’ve got a reliable DD.

Stowe Wine & Food Classic – Stowe, Vermont

June 21 – 23: This is the 15th year of this annual event, held at the Trapp Family Lodge, a gorgeous resort in the mountains above the village of Stowe. In addition to being heaven for wine drinkers, all of the proceeds from the event will benefit Copley Hospital and the Vermont Food Bank. There’s a kick-off party on the 21st, a gala and auction on the 22nd, and an amazing grand tasting on the 23^rd. Wine seminars and cooking demos will also happen throughout the day on the 23rd.

Vintage Virginia Wine and Food Festival – Centreville, Virginia

June 1 – 2: The 32nd Vintage Virginia Wine & Food Festival has a whole lot of food (food trucks, hell yeah), musical entertainment, and of course, wine. American wine production first started in the 17th century in Virginia, and it has since become the 5th largest wine producing state in the U.S. Our favorite part of this event is the Top 5 Tasting Tent – it’s a more relaxed wine tasting where you actually get to sit down and have the wine poured for you. Participating wineries choose up to five of their top wines to be included and some send wines that they may not be pouring at their main festival location. A new wine is poured every 6 minutes and a new winery is introduced every 20 minutes.

The post Her Shot: 3 Fabulous Summer Wine Festivals appeared first on Drinking in America.

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We like hops. No correction, we love hops. But do we love them too much?

After reading last week’s Slate article, we found ourselves backing into a corner, ashamed that we’ve become those people. The ones that push hoppy beers on our friends and barely notice when they have to choke them down. Apparently some say if you drink too many hops you literally can’t taste the flavor anymore.

We blame ourselves… and the craft beer industry, of course. They’ve given us great, hoppy beers for so long that we’re essentially immune to the intense flavor that comes with hops. Whether it’s a nice Dogfish Head 90 Minute or a coveted Pliny the Elder, we can’t get enough. But maybe that’s the issue, we’ve had too much.

Hops, as we’ve told you before, have a bitterness that’s meant to cut the sweet flavor of malt. There are many different kinds of hops and all add a different taste to the beer they’re brewed with. They give our beer the distinctive taste that we love and that makes well-brewed beers so easy to drink.

But some people don’t love the taste of beer like us. They gravitate towards the lighter pale ales or they do the unthinkable and opt for a Bud Light. So understandably they wouldn’t enjoy a strong IPA with bold hops flavoring.

We’re still going to stick with our hoppy IPAs and full porters but the lesson is learned. We can’t expect everyone to love craft beer as much as we do. Just because we’ve grown to love the taste of hops (or not be able to taste it at all anymore) doesn’t mean everybody can do the same.

Do you think there is truth to this? Is it possible we’ve had too many hops?

The post Hoppy Beer Overload appeared first on Drinking in America.

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Some things we love: hard cider, anything alcoholic that’s cinnamon flavored, and of course hilarious cocktail names. Would you believe us if we said we could combine all of those?  Here it is:

Angry Balls

Angry Orchard Crisp Apple

1.5 oz Fireball Cinnamon Whisky

Serve in a pint glass over ice.

The name alone is awesome. And the taste is the balance between cinnamon spice and apple crisp that we’re looking for. Just watch who you offer one to, don’t want to offend anyone.

Have you ever had an Angry Balls? What are other ways you drink cinnamon spirits?

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Everyone loves a higher proof spirit and now Tarantula Tequila is bringing us two: Tarantula Plata 100 and Tarantula Reposado 100.

The new tequilas are bottled at 100 proof and made with 100% blue agave. Talk about a perfect tequila. And at $17.99, these could become a new staple is our margaritas.

In addition to the new releases, Tarantula is also honoring their heritage by featuring the Mexican flag in their new labeling. The new bottles will hit shelves along with the 100 series before the end of this month.

Does the proof of a spirit matter to you?

The post 100 Series: High Proof Tequila from Tarantula appeared first on Drinking in America.

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We love supporting our local community just as much as the next person. But Twisted Pines Brewing Company has taken this to a whole new level with their Farm to Foam series.

The brewery began the series last May as “a tribute to the sustainable spirit of Colorado.”  Using only local products, Twisted Pines is taking advantage of all the fresh ingredients Colorado has to offer. Especially fruits and veggies.

The first beer in the series, Roots Revival Carrot IPA, is made with the help of (you guessed it) several hundred pounds of locally grown carrots. And now Fresh to Foam is getting a new addition. Cucumber Cream Ale, a garden fresh ale with a whipped cream like head (yum?), debuted last week in Colorado.

Both garden inspired brews are available on draft in Colorado and 750ml bottles in select other states. And keep your eyes out for the next release. Maybe a Potato Porter or Squash Stout are in our future.

What do you think of these garden inspired beers?

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Tito’s is taking a trip around the world. United Airlines announced last week that Tito’s Handmade Vodka will now be the exclusive vodka served in flight.

Tito’s has made quite the name for itself since its launch. The six times distilled vodka has earned several prestigious awards and will now be joining the airline world. United (coach) customers can purchase Tito’s for $7 while the snobs up in first class will get it free of charge.

United must love Tito’s because they plan on sticking with the vodka “indefinitely.”

The post Tito’s Handmade Vodka Flying High appeared first on Drinking in America.

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We love when spring hits because so many awesome local farmers markets open up shop again for the warmers months. They’re obviously great for buying yummy foods for your general eating pleasure, but they’re also a mecca for alcohol-related ingredients. A variety of products that you find at the farmers market can help you create some outstanding drinks, especially if you look for ingredients that are especially fresh and in season this spring.

Keep these ideas in mind next time you find yourself at a farmers market this season:

Rhubarb. Rhubarb is one of those mysterious vegetables (yes, it’s a vegetable) that we know our grandma’s liked to combine with strawberries in pies, but aside from that, we don’t know how the heck to use it. Mixologists are obsessed with rhubarb’s tart flavor and love to use it in all sorts of spring cocktails. We think an awesome use for rhubarb is to make it into a shrub (a drinking vinegar) because you can make a whole batch that will last you all year until rhubarb is in season again.

Asparagus. Asparagus may not seem like a natural drink ingredient in any way, shape or form, but we love the idea of using it to create an asparagus-infused vodka. Not sure what to do with it? The Black Forest Inn in Minneapolis used it in a “Bloody AsparaMary” – ingredients included an asparagus-infused Bloody Mary mix and asparagus-infused vodka topped with a lemon wedge and asparagus spear for garnish.

Strawberries. If the idea of rhubarb or asparagus is just too “weird” for you, go for some classic strawberries. They have an impressive talent for making pretty much any drink taste delicious, so you can really get creative without going too far out of your comfort zone. To begin with, throw them in a frozen daiquiri to see what a difference fresh strawberries make in the taste.

Milk or Cream. So many great drinks use dairy products and their flavor will truly benefit from local milk or cream. If you like to keep things simple, try making a White Russian. If you’re feeling adventurous, make some beer ice cream. It’s not technically a drink, but damnit, it’s delicious.

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The Barman is currently being funded by a Kickstarter campaign that ends on May 25th. Luckily, the creator has already surpassed his $50,000 goal by over $20,000, so that means all systems are go.

Oh yeah, you probably want to know what The Barman actually is, huh? We thought you’d never ask.

The Barman is an easy-to-use drink mixing platform that uses Bluetooth 4.0 and your smartphone to mix up any drink in seconds. It is an idiot-proof way to make sure everything you drink tastes good. You put your cup with ice on the small platform and then choose a drink from The Barman app (you can also add your own recipe if you want). Once you choose the drink on your app, it tells the platform what’s up and you’re ready to mix your drink. It will tell you what you need to pour, and when. There’s a progress indicator that shows you how much of each ingredient you have left to pour. There’s also some fancy lighting involved; the cup is illuminated in a pale blue light, but when you’re at your pouring limit for a certain component, the light turns red to tell you to stop.

Other cool things about The Barman include:

• Being able to mix any drink, any size (within reason)
• Customizing drinks to your specifications
• It tells you what drinks you can make based on the ingredients you already have
• Gives you the capability to share or download drinks with your friends anywhere, anytime
• Saves your favorite drink recipes
• Mixes any type of liquid component
• Allows you to mix in solids, like sugar or salt

If you want to donate to the Kickstarter campaign, nearly every donation level will get you your very own Barman as a gift once they are created. You should donate and then send us your Barman. It’s the right thing to do.

The post The Man Cave: The Barman Is Your New Best Friend appeared first on Drinking in America.

Glazed Donut: Emphasis on the glazed. The super (super super) sweet liqueur lived up to its name. It was too sugary for most of us, as it tasted like straight icing and batter. We’d rather sacrifice the calories and have a real donut.

Blueberry Pancake: If we thought Glazed Donut was sweet, we had another thing coming. This liqueur tasted like blueberry-flavored sugar. We almost felt like we were eating a dense blueberry muffin, while smelling a yankee candle, and inhaling a blueberry pixie stick. Needless to say, not for us.

Maple Bacon: Surprisingly, we liked this flavor the best. It had a subtle bacon taste that we didn’t mind, once we got back the sweetness of the maple. We’re not when we would ever drink this, but we liked it a lot more than our last bacon tasting.

Clearly boozy breakfast liqueurs aren’t number one on our list. We wouldn’t mind the Maple Bacon every so often, but we’ll keep the other two on the shelves.

Have you tried Mama Walker’s Breakfast Liqueurs? What did you think?

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We’re not the type of people who need a reason to drink. If we’re breathing that’s reason enough. But for those who need more, here you go:

1. Preakness: The second step to the Triple Crown is this weekend. Drink in hand, we’re betting on Orb to take it all.
2. Cannes Film Festival: The glamorous European festival is going on all weekend. Grab a bottle of champagne and treat yourself like a Hollywood celeb.
3. Star Trek: The latest installment hit theaters this week. Cheers to Captain Kirk and Spock.
4. How I Met Your Mother: After eight long seasons, we finally met the Mother. We’re still trying to wrap our heads around the reveal; maybe a drink will help.
5. Summer Drinks: With the warm weather here to stay, the only thing on our minds is the perfect summer cocktail.

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Let’s pay tribute to a few of our favorite summer drinks that are finally ready to wake up after their long winter’s nap…

White Wine Sangria

Sangria in general is a pretty summery drink, but the white wine variety is extra crisp and refreshing. We also love how flexible it is – you can really throw almost any fruit into that pitcher and have a delicious concoction. Combine juices, brandy, and some fizzy seltzer or ginger ale with a Sauvignon Blanc and you’re good to go.

An Ice Cold Corona

Pretty much any cold light beer tastes refreshing on a hot summer day, but there’s something special about Corona. It’s the official beer of the beach for good reason. That slice of lime is screaming “summer” and we hear it loud and clear.

Margarita

The only time we have a margarita outside of summer is on Cinco de Mayo, and it whets our whistle just enough to make us ridiculously excited for our soon-to-be-margarita-filled-summer. Margaritas are awesome because they are really, really hard to mess up. They come in so many delicious fruit flavors and (sometimes unfortunately) they go down a little too easy.

Frozen Daiquiris

You can’t mention summer drinks without having a frozen option, and daiquiris are definitely the king of frozen alcoholic drinks. Strawberry daiquiris are probably the most popular, but again, we encourage you to get creative. Normal fresh fruit works fine, but consider grabbing a few bags of frozen fruit to keep in the freezer – you’ll have the fixings to make frozen daiquiris on the fly and they will make your drink extra frosty.

The post The Best Drinks of Summer appeared first on Drinking in America.

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As if over thirty flavors of vodka weren’t enough, Burnett’s is now bringing us two more. Burnett’s Blackberry and Tropical Fruit debuted this week right in time for the summer months.

The new flavors come shortly after Burnett’s major overhaul that included new flavors and a package redesign in attempts of a classier look (nice try). The new flavors will hit shelves this week at $10.99 a bottle.  We never said it wasn’t cheap.

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