The latest hangover remedy is asparagus , researchers say. According to "HealthDay News," asparagus may help protect the liver and ease hangover symptoms. A "Journal of Food Science" study also revealed that asparagus, a widely consumed vegetable eaten worldwide, has been used for its anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and diuretic effects. Asparagus is not only a cure for hangovers, but it's also a beneficial source of folic acid, potassium, fiber, Vitamin B6, Vitamins A and C and thiamin, according to the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board. Thankfully, there's a cure for those nauseous, head-pounding mornings. You know, those nights when your stomach is in knots—when you just want to go back to sleep. The next time you have a hangover, try one (or all, depending on how bad you feel) of these suggestions to help alleviate your hangover.

Las Vegas Weekly- (Finally something to help with that over indulgence we put ourselves through all too often. Drink'n Mate)

Celebrity wine tasting with Gary V, Anna Faris, and Chris Pratt - Part 1 of 4 Gary Vaynerchuk chats wine with "House Bunny" star Anna Faris and Chris PRatt from "Everwood" Look for the rest of the videos coming soon!

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Part Two Celebrity wine tasting with Gary V, Anna Faris, and Chris Pratt

Part Three Celebrity wine tasting with Gary V, Anna Faris, and Chris Pratt

Part Four Celebrity wine tasting with Gary V, Anna Faris, and Chris Pratt
777

We don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

Ever wonder about screw caps on wine and if that automatically says cheap, not a great year, etc? Here is a great video on that whole premise of screw caps versus corks. GARY VAYNERCHUK, "The Wine Expert" gives his 2 cents on that topic.

The Bottom Line

Pros

• Fresh, natural and smooth vodkas.
• The clear vodka is as clean and smooth as water.
• Flavored vodkas are very natural tasting.

Cons

• None

Description

• 100% certified organic vodkas distilled from organic American wheat
• Fresh, organic lemon and vanilla are infused into the vodka
• Produced and bottled by Modern Spirits, LLC of Monrovia, California
• Clear Vodka: 40% alc/volume (80 proof)
  Lemon and Vanilla Vodka: 35% alc/volume (70 proof)
• Retail for around $40/750 ml bottle
• Released in 2008

Guide Review - Tru Organic Vodka

Sixty-four percent drink, unchanged; beer is still the preferred beverage

by Lydia Saad
PRINCETON, NJ -- Despite some anecdotal reports of a surge in drinking accompanying the economic recession, Gallup's annual update on alcohol consumption finds little change in Americans' drinking habits. The percentage of U.S. adults who consume alcohol is fairly steady at 64%, and there has been little change in self-reported drinking volume.

According to the June 14-17 Gallup Poll, the prevalence of drinking in the U.S. adult population is essentially unchanged compared with a year ago. Sixty-four percent of Americans tell Gallup they "have occasion to use alcoholic beverages." This falls within the narrow 62% to 66% range seen over the past decade.

In fact, the percentage of Americans saying they drink alcohol has been in the low to mid-60s fairly consistently since about 1947. The major exception was between 1974 and 1981, when slightly more Americans (from 68% to 71% for most of this period) said they drank alcohol. Since the advent of the question in 1939, the figure has dipped below 60% on only a few occasions.

About two-thirds of drinkers in the new survey -- 65% -- say they have had at least one drink within the past seven days. This is identical to a year ago, and similar to the finding each year since 2001. The percentage of heavier drinkers -- those consuming eight or more drinks in the past week -- is currently 14%, also quite typical for the decade.

The average number of drinks consumed per drinker in the past week is 4.8. That is up slightly from 2008, but is similar to the figures for several years prior to that.

Stability, Also, in Preferred Drink

Nor does it appear that Americans' preferred beverage has changed with the economic times. Beer continues to beat out wine and liquor as the beverage consumers of alcohol say they drink most often. Four in 10 drinkers say they prefer beer, compared with 34% naming wine and 21% liquor.

Beer has been the top-ranking alcoholic beverage for each of the past four years, and every year since 1992 except 2005, when wine edged slightly ahead of it. Liquor has consistently ranked third, named by between 18% and 24% of drinkers.

When Gallup first asked Americans about their drinking preferences in 1992, beer was the runaway leader, named by 47%; just 27% named wine. Since then, the prevalence of beer drinkers has contracted somewhat, while the percentage of wine fans has grown.

On Mars, They Drink Beer; on Venus, Wine

The sizable gender gap evident for many years in alcoholic-beverage preferences continues today. The majority of men say they most often drink beer; half of women choose wine. There is also a significant generational difference in preferences, with younger adults favoring beer and older adults favoring wine. As a result, there is a particularly wide gulf between younger men and older women, in terms of drink preferences.

Geographically, beer enjoys its greatest popularity in the Midwest. On the basis of education, wine is far more popular among people with at least some college background than it is among those who have not attended college.

Bottom Line

The impact of the economic recession on alcohol sales is difficult to discern. Consumer spending on alcohol doesn't tell the full story because, according to some reports, Americans may be opting for cheaper wines, liquors, and beers. Thus, flat sales could actually mean higher volume. Also, changes in restaurant and bar sales have to be analyzed in comparison with changes in liquor purchases for home use.

The theory, at least, is that the recession may give people more reasons to drink, but less money to do it with. To the extent this is true, the effect seems to be a wash. Gallup finds no major changes in the percentage of Americans who drink alcohol (now 64%), in how much drinkers consume, or in their preferred drink -- which, by a modest margin, continues to be beer.

Survey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,011 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted June 14-17, 2009. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.

For results based on the sample of 677 adults who drink alcoholic beverages, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points.

Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for respondents with a land-line telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell-phone only).

 5 Classic Cocktails Every Man Should Know  

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Mike Hagan, a  bartender and a in our So You Want My Job Series.

There’s been a trend lately to get back to the old way of doing things, especially when it comes to things we ingest. People are eating organic produce, for example, and some are going as far as planting their own gardens. Many chefs are serving old-world comfort food right next to their innovative dishes. This trend has also entered the world of libations. Drink menus around the country are starting to have more of the old classics included on them. Many mixologists are using these cocktails as starting points for newer versions that take advantage of the plethora of products out there today. Recipe books from classic bars such as the Old Waldorf-Astoria, The Savoy, and the Stork Club are available in reprint editions for the new generation to use. And who can forget Old Mr. Boston? They’ve been printings those books since 1935 and still do to this day.

But you don’t need a recipe book to get started mixing up some of the classic cocktails men have been drinking for decades (and in some cases, more than a century). Here’s how to create the 5 classic cocktails every man should know.

Let’s make some drinks!

 

1.  The Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned is a bourbon based cocktail, but try it with any whisky. You may find you like the sweeter taste of a Canadian whisky, the more sour taste of the Tennessee stuff, or, for some complexity, use rye. This drink uses a short round glass, sometimes called an Old Fashioned glass, after the drink itself.

Put 1 sugar cube in glass

Add 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters

Add 1 Splash of Soda Water

Muddle (smash) until sugar is dissolved

Fill glass with ice cubes

Add whiskey to the top of the glass, stir

Garnish with an orange slice and maraschino cherry

Notes on Muddling: To muddle just means to smash. You can use whatever is at your disposal. Some bartenders muddle with the back of their bar spoon for light muddling and use a muddler (basically a wooden dowel about the width of a broom handle) for more intense smashing.

Variations:

For a sweeter drink, add more sugar or muddle a peeled orange slice along with the sugar and bitters. For a weaker drink, use less whisky and top with soda water. Use just whiskey, sugar, and bitters to make the Sazerac (swirl the glass with absinthe and dump out before filling for a true one).

2.  The Manhattan

Another whiskey based cocktail, more of a variation on a Martini. Where the Martini is gin and dry vermouth, the Manhattan is whiskey and sweet vermouth. And don’t forget the bitters! Angostura or Peychaud’s works fine.

3 parts Canadian or Rye Whiskey

1 part Sweet (Red) Vermouth

1 dash bitters

Make in mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until very cold (stirring is very important to help the ice melt to water it down a bit and make it more palatable). Pour into cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Variations:

Trade the whiskey for scotch to make it a Rob Roy. Trade with brandy for a Metropolitan. If you desire the drink to be sweeter, add some juice from the maraschino cherries.

3.  The Tom Collins

The Tom Collins is a classic long drink. It’s a cool, summer drink, built over ice and served in a tall, slender glass, often called a Collins glass. It’s gin-based, sweet and bubbly.

1 1/2 oz Gin

1/2 oz Simple Syrup*

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Soda Water

Shake Gin, Simple Syrup and Lemon Juice over ice. Fill Collins glass with ice and strain drink into glass. Top with soda water and gently stir. Garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry.

*Note about Simple Syrup. Simple syrup can be purchased, but it’s easy to make yourself. Heat a cup of water almost to boil and add a cup of sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. Let cool and add to a container for storage. Should be kept in refrigerator. To make bigger quantities, just make sure to use equal parts sugar and water.

Variations:

Trade vodka for gin to make a Vodka Collins, tequila for a Juan Collins, or rum for a Rum Collins. If you choose to use whiskey and take out the soda water, you’ve essentially made a whiskey sour.

4.  The Sidecar

A popular French cocktail, as it uses two liquors made in France. Can be served in a sour glass (a smaller version of an old fashioned glass) or up in a cocktail glass.

1 part Cognac (brandy will do, but Cognac is best)

1 part Cointreau (Grand Marnier or other triple sec)

1 part lemon juice

Shake over ice and pour into sugar rimmed glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Variations:

This recipe is the “french school.” The English school” calls for a slightly less sweet drink, using more Cognac and less Cointreau, about 3 parts to 1 part, and 1 part lemon juice.

5.  The Martini

Last, but not least, we have the Martini. The most argued about cocktail in the history of drinking. Stir or shake? Vermouth or none? Glass or metal tin? The Martini is THE drink that signifies nightlife and cocktails in general. When someone needs to use one image to symbolize drinking, more often than not, it’s the Martini. That sexy glass, clear liquor, green olive with red pimento. Makes me thirsty just thinking about it.

I’m going to give you the International Bartender’s Association’s official recipe, then explain the countless variations.

4 parts Gin

1 part dry vermouth (sometimes called French or white vermouth)

Pour all ingredients into mixing glass over ice and stir well. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel over the drink, discard. Garnish with one green olive.

Variations:

The variations on the Martini could fill a whole book. Keep in mind there is no “right” way, only the way you want your drink. I’ll list a few of the most popular.

Vodka Martini: use vodka in place of gin, garnish with lemon twist

Churchill: A Martini with no vermouth. Basically cold gin in a glass. Legend has it Churchill would “look in the direction of France” and that would be plenty of vermouth.

Roosevelt: Two olives instead of one. Even number of olives is considered bad luck by some.

Dirty Martini: Add olive brine to taste.

Burnt Martini: Uses scotch instead of vermouth.

Buckeye: Martini with a black olive.

Gibson: Martini with an onion instead of an olive.

Dickens: Martini with no garnish. No “olive or twist”.

Vesper Martini: 3 parts Gin, 1 part Vodka, 1/2 part Lillet, lemon twist, shaken, not stirred. James Bond’s martini. Also called a 007.

Bradford: A standard Martini shaken, not stirred.

Notes on vermouth: when someone orders their Martini “dry” or “extra dry” that means to use LESS dry vermouth. People will order a Martini with no vermouth, not knowing that they’re ordering a Churchill. Some prefer the “in-and-out” method, which means to pour vermouth over ice into the mixing glass you’ll be using for the Martini and dumping it straight out before adding the Gin. Some will order a “Perfect” Martini, which in the cocktail world means equal parts sweet and dry vermouth. Others will order a “Sweet” Martini, meaning the use of sweet vermouth is preferred over dry. These will be garnished with a cherry.

Notes on garnishes: Traditionally, a single green olive or a lemon rind twist is used. Using a cocktail onion makes it a Gibson. One of the origin stories is, an American diplomat who did not drink would ask that his glass be filled with water and garnished with an onion instead of an olive so he could pick his glass out of a sea of Martinis. There are a few others. No one really knows the truth, which is part of the fun. Some people garnish with pickled okra, jalapeno peppers, pickles, lemon twists, lime twists. The possibilities are endless.

Notes on stirring or shaking: Traditionally, the drink is stirred. Some people believe shaking causes tiny bubbles which don’t allow for the drink to fully hit the tongue, making it unable to cleanse the palate fully between courses of food. Or that it “bruises the gin” making it taste sharper and less palatable. Others claim that shaking is the way to go, that “bruising the gin” is preferred because it releases the botanical oils in the gin and makes for a more floral drink. There is a taste difference, and it is a matter of preference.

These are five classic cocktails, and with the variations, many more. There are many I left out, and some of you will have your favorites that I didn’t include. I tried to choose ones that are classic, popular, easy to make, and have stood the test of time, so you can do it at home. Enjoy, have fun, and hopefully you’ll find an new favorite in an old classic.

 

How To Make a Mint Julep!
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Video Below

Ingredients

• 4 cups bourbon
• 2 bunches fresh spearmint
• 1 cup distilled water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Powdered sugar

Directions

To prepare mint extract, remove about 40 small mint leaves. Wash and place in a small bowl. Cover with 3 ounces bourbon. Allow the leaves to soak for 15 minutes. Then gather the leaves in paper toweling. Thoroughly wring the mint over the bowl of whisky. Dip the bundle again and repeat the process several times.

To prepare simple syrup, mix 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of distilled water in a small saucepan. Heat to dissolve sugar. Stir constantly so the sugar does not burn. Set aside to cool.

To prepare mint julep mixture, pour 3 1/2 cups of bourbon into a large glass bowl or glass pitcher. Add 1 cup of the simple syrup to the bourbon.

Now begin adding the mint extract 1 tablespoon at a time to the julep mixture. Each batch of mint extract is different, so you must taste and smell after each tablespoon is added. You are looking for a soft mint aroma and taste-generally about 3 tablespoons. When you think it's right, pour the whole mixture back into the empty liter bottle and refrigerate it for at least 24 hours to "marry" the flavors.

To serve the julep, fill each glass (preferably a silver mint julep cup) 1/2 full with shaved ice. Insert a spring of mint and then pack in more ice to about 1-inch over the top of the cup. Then, insert a straw that has been cut to 1-inch above the top of the cup so the nose is forced close to the mint when sipping the julep.

When frost forms on the cup, pour the refrigerated julep mixture over the ice and add a sprinkle of powdered sugar to the top of the ice. Serve immediately.