Sailor Jerry’s Pins & Pin-Ups

Earlier this month, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum threw fun bowling competition amongst some of your favorite bar staffs from around the DFW area called “Pins & Pin-Ups”.  The evening at Bowlounge in the Design District included free Sailor Jerry cocktails, an open taco bar, raffle prizes, pin-up models and, of course, bowling! It was a great event packed full of fun, tasty rum cocktails and good times by all in attendance. Thanks, Sailor Jerry!

Try out one of my favorite cocktails from the evening:

Jerry & Ginger
2 parts Sailor JerryGinger beer
2/3 lime wedgesGlass: highball / beer glass
Build in glass over cubed ice & garnish with squeezed lime wedges.

 

Being Popular Totally Pays

So … who isn’t a fan of free stuff? I know I am. I came across an awesome app called Popular Pays thanks to the great Jeyson Paez. (FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM NOW.)

FullSizeRenderRetailers offer free items that you can qualify for by having a certain number of Instagram followers and posting pictures of the free items. This is why you may see some of your favourite influencers on social media working with brands to produce sponsored content. No wonder why some people look to check out Gainmorefollowers to buy followers online, especially if they are struggling to grow their account. Who wouldn’t want to be sent free products?
Just look up the retailer’s free offering, get your “swap” approved, snap a pic of the free item, and post it. Food influencers on platforms like Instagram will have a field day with this app! Those who are just starting out or who are struggling to get a foothold on the platform may want to drive engagement with their posts artificially using something like BuzzVoice (https://buzzvoice.com/instagram/views/order) to help them be picked up by the algorithms which promote your content. It will also help your image and credibility, which is especially important for brands and influencers.

The awesome places offering up free awesomeness around Dallas so far are:

  • Glazed Donut Works – one small batch donut (500+)
  • Mudsmith – iced latte (500+), specialty grilled cheese (1,000+), “The Van Gogh”(500+)
  • Oak Lawn Coffee any coffee under $5 (500+)
  • Pokey O’s Cookies and Ice Cream – a standard ice cream sandwich (500+)
  • Urban Taco (either Mockingbird or Uptown) – Chips & Salsa Trio (500+) or Churros de Canela (1,000+)

Those are the only offers so far in Dallas, but check it out in these cities when you travel:

  • Austin, TX
  • New York City, NY
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Chicago, IL

Check out Popular Pays on iTunes!

Limited Edition Cowboys Maker’s 46 Released

Dallas Cowboys fans, rejoice! Maker’s Mark has released a limited edition Cowboys Maker’s 46! These bottles will be dipped in silver and blue wax instead of the traditional red and will be available at liquor stores in the D/FW area later this month for ~$34.99.

From Maker’s Mark:

A contemporary interpretation of original Maker’s Mark, 46 delivers a mouth-watering oaky finish unlike any other. A bold and complex bourbon that’s soft enough to hold on the tongue, even at 94 proof, it’s aged just a few months longer than Maker’s Mark inside barrels that contain seared French oak staves – a process that eliminates the bitterness that usually comes with older whiskies.

Alcohol That Gives Back

If you’re on my site, chances are that you enjoy your spirits.  (Duh.)  Why not do good WHILE enjoying your spirits?  The companies below let you by giving back.  Now that’s something I can really sink my straw into.

LIQUORS

RED RIVER WHISKEY | RRW gives back to wildlife conservation and has neat drawings on the bottles.  Oh, and it’s a local business and delicious. Win-win-win.
Check out William‘s review here: Red River Whiskey Review red river whiskey

SNOW LEOPARD VODKA | “a unique new vodka made from the distinctive spelt grain and distilled six times in small batches using natural spring water and was born out of the desire to save the Snow Leopards from extinction, so 15% of the proceeds 
is donated directly to Snow Leopard conservation projects.”

WESTERN SON VODKA | a sister brand of Red River Whiskey, WS donates a portion of proceeds to the Peter Burks Unsung Hero Fund.

VeeV | while you’re “cheating on your vodka” with VeeV, you’re drinking one of the most eco-friendly liquors on the market.  Along with that, they have donated $200,000 to green-minded non-profits and planted more than 40,000 trees (1 cocktail = 1 tree planted).

JIM BEAM | “Jim Beam has partnered with Operation Homefront to provide emergency assistance to the U.S. military, the families thy leave behind, and wounded warriors when they return home. This marks the sixth year that Jim Beam has donated to the organization, resulting in over $900,000 in donations.”

VIVA Tequila | “10% of net proceeds donated to animal abuse prevention. VIVA XXXII supports organization like SPCALA, ASPCA, and START,regularly donating to animal welfare charities that make a difference.”

WINES

ONE HOPE WINE | produced in partnership with Rob Mondavi, Jr., HALF of their profits are donated to their partner causes – each varietal supports a different cause.

BAREFOOT WINE | one of the causes they support is Soles4Souls, a not-for-profit organization that gives shoes to those in need.  So far, they’d donated millions of pairs of shoes!

AFRICAN PASSION | “For every bottle of African Passion Wine, 10% of the profits will go to support TransAfrica Forum, an organisation dedicated to the human rights and social justice advocacy of the African world.”

FLIPFLOP WINES | the apparent fun-loving brand donates to charity on a regular basis thanks to feedback from its fans.  Case in point: they announced on 9/15/14 that they’d be donating $100,000 to four charities picked by their fans.

BEERS

FINNEGANS | “100% of profits go to the Finnegans Community Fun to be used for good.” (Available in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota)

BOULEVARD BREWING COMPANY | BBC donates to 12 worthy organizations each year, 3 per quarter.

TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER …

2014-09-25_10-02-36NAPA WINE CHILLER | this lightweight stainless steel ball (dubbed “balls of steel” by the company) can chill your wine or spirits without diluting it … and it donates 15% of proceeds to MD Anderson’s Cancer Center in Houston.
$29.95/ball, available at www.originalbos.com.

UNION GROWLER CO.This local growler supplier claims that they “don’t pay [themselves] a dime; rather, [they] donate 100% of profits to organizations striving to make our world a better place.”

CAUSE | this “philanthropub” in DC donates profits (up to $100,000) to charitable organizations.  They choose a different organization each quarter.  More information.
If you know of another company along these lines that donate to charity, please let me know and I’ll add them to the list!

Fall Cocktails | 2014 Edition

Black Cocktails Freixenet  Internacional_Página_14The Flamenco (recipe by Javier de las Muelas)
3/4 oz. sherry (chilled)
1/2 oz. white crème de cacao
1/2 oz. white rum
5 oz. Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut

Add ingredients directly to a chilled champagne flute.  Garnish with an edible flower or an orange peel.

Pumpkin Spice MartiniPUMPKIN SPICE MARTINI (available at Olenjack’s Grill in Arlington)
1.5oz Herman Marshall Texas Rye Whiskey
1oz Domaine de Canton ginger liquor
1oz heavy cream
0.5oz simple syrup
1 teaspoon spiced pumpkin puree
garnish sugar/cinnamon rim and fresh grated nutmeg

KETEL ONE DAYLIGHT
1 ½ oz. Ketel One® Vodka
1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
1 oz. fresh orange juice
½ oz. rosemary maple simple syrup

Build in wine glass over ice. Stir for 10 seconds. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and a dusting of cracked black pepper. 

Cider Tequila Hot Toddy
1 part Sauza® Blue Reposado 100% Agave Tequila
½  part JDK & Sons™ O3 Premium Orange Liqueur
8 parts apple cider
2 parts cranberry juice cocktail
Lime slice (for garnish)
Dash of cinnamon (optional)
Dash of nutmeg (optional)

In a saucepan heat the apple cider and cranberry juice just until steaming hot (do not let the liquid boil) and remove it from the heat. Stir in Sauza® Blue Reposado and liqueur. You can add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg if you want a bit more spice. Serve Hot Toddies in mugs, garnished with lime slices.

KETEL ONE FUMBLES & FOLIAGE
1 ¼ oz. Ketel One® Vodka
1 oz. Pimms #1
¼ oz. allspice dram liqueur
1 oz. fresh orange juice
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
¾ oz. ginger simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Shake with ice and strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange slice and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

DECADENT GUINNESS
1½ oz. Van Gogh Vanilla Vodka
Guinness Stout, cold

Add ingredients to a pint glass.

Hot Pumpkin Spice Tequila
1 ½ parts Sauza® Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila
½ part Torani® Pumpkin Spice Syrup
3 parts cream
1 part sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
6 parts freshly brewed hot coffee
Whipped Cream and additional cinnamon (for garnish)

In a saucepan, combine cream with pumpkin syrup, sugar, vanilla, spices and coffee until hot. Pour into mug, add Sauza® Blue Silver and stir. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon.

KETEL ONE ROSEMARY’S BABY
1 ½ oz. Ketel One Citroen®
½ oz. Meyer lemon simple syrup
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 rosemary sprig
Club soda

Muddle rosemary and lemon simple syrup in a mixing glass. Add remaining ingredients and shake with ice. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with club soda. Garnish with a lemon wheel and rosemary sprig.

Herradura Espresso

Herradura Espresso

Herradura Espresso
1 ½ oz Herradura Añejo
½ oz coffee liqueur
1 ½ oz espresso
½ oz simple syrup
1 ½ oz heavy cream

Place all ingredients excluding the heavy cream in to a cocktail shaker filled with cubed ice. Shake hard and strain over ice in to a chilled coupe glass. In a separate shaker place the heavy cream and cubed ice, shake hard to aerate then pour carefully over a bar spoon to layer the cream over the coffee. Garnish with 3 coffee beans.

Crisp Apple Cooler
1 ½ parts Skinnygirl® Bare Naked Vodka
¾ part apple juice
¼ part agave syrup
Green apple slice for garnish

Stir agave syrup with vodka in the base of a shaker until the agave syrup dissolves. Add apple juice and shake thoroughly with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a green apple slice.

Fall Festival-tini
1 part Skinnygirl® Tangerine Vodka
3 parts apple juice/cider
½ part light rum
Lemon wedge for garnish

Mix ingredients in a shaker, and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

KETEL ONE MIDNIGHT SOUR
1 ½ oz. Ketel One Oranje®
¾ oz. vanilla bean simple syrup
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
3 drops fig bitters
3 drops mole bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Shake with ice and strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with a float of red wine port.

BELGIAN BEAUTY (Created by Jonathan Pogash, the Cocktail Guru)
1 oz. Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry Vodka
½ oz. Fresh orange juice
½ oz. Honey syrup
Top with Belgian White Ale (such as Blue Moon)

Build ingredients directly into highball glass with ice. Pour beer slowly and garnish with an orange half wheel.

Ketel One Pumpkin Pie
1.5 oz. Ketel One Oranje
1 bar spoon of pumpkin pie mix
.5 oz. honey syrup
.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
Pinch of cinnamon

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Shake with ice and double strain into a martini glass.

Bohemia Spiced Cookies

Bohemia Spiced Cookies

Bohemia Spiced Cookies
½  oz lime juice
1 oz Creme Yvette
.5 oz Allspice liqour
1.5 oz Bohemia

Shake all ingredients except the Bohemia and strain in rockglass over ice coupe glass. Top with Bohemia beer and grate nutmeg on top.

 

Indio Canela

Indio Canela

Indio Canela
1 oz Tequila Añejo
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz cinnamon syrup
Indio beer
2 slices of fresh ginger

Place ginger slices, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup and añejo tequila into a cocktail shaker and fill with cubed ice. Add Indio beer and stir to combine, garnish with lemon discs or shaved ginger.

Sauza® Pumpkin Pie-tini

Sauza® Pumpkin Pie-tini

Sauza® Pumpkin Pie-tini
1 ½ parts Sauza® Blue Reposado 100% Agave Tequila
3 parts cream
½ part Torani® Pumpkin Spice Syrup
1 part simple syrup
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼  tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Whipped Cream and cinnamon for garnish (optional)

Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon (optional).

IRISH SPICED CIDER
1½ oz. Van Gogh Dutch Caramel Vodka
½ oz. Thatchers Spiced Apple Liqueur
Kelleys Irish Cider

Serve over ice in a pint glass.

Cranberry Orange Margarita

Cranberry Orange Margarita

Cranberry Orange Margarita
1 ½ parts Sauza® Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila
½ part DeKuyper® Triple Sec
4 parts cranberry juice
2 parts orange juice
2 oranges
½ cup cranberries, frozen
2 tbsp. sugar

First make your garnishes. Freeze ½ cup of cranberries. Using a channel knife cut a long spiral from on orange (see if you can make it all the way in one try!) and cut into 6 inch pieces. Twist the peels around your bar spoon and reserve for garnish.
Zest the other orange with a spice grater to remove just the peel and none of the pith and combine with sugar.
Cut the zested orange into wedges. Rub a wedge of orange around half the rim of your glasses. Roll the glasses through the sugared orange zest.
In a shaker, combine the rest of the sugar and orange zest mixture with the cranberry juice, orange juice, Sauza® Blue Silver, orange liqueur, and the juice from the orange. Twist the orange peel over the drink and place on the prepared glass. Top with frozen cranberries and serve your cocktail!

Pumpkin Spice Sipper
1 ½ parts Skinnygirl® Bare Naked Vodka
1 part canned unsweetened pumpkin
¾ part fat free sweetened condensed milk
¾ part unsweetened almond milk
½ tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Shake ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

Turkey Day Toast

Turkey Day Toast

Turkey Day Toast
3 parts Skinnygirl® Prosecco, chilled
1 part grapefruit juice, chilled
1 part cranberry juice
1 part ginger ale
Grapefruit slice for garnish

Mix all juice ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Top with Skinnygirl® Prosecco and ginger ale. Garnish with grapefruit slice.

Wine & Vine (created by Philip Duff)
1 oz. G’Vine Nouaison gin
1 oz. dry vermouth
1 oz. dry white wine
3 drops orange bitters
Stir all the ingredients with ice and strain into the glass. Garnish with three fresh green grapes, speared.Put all the ingredients in a shaker, add ice, shake and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with a star anise.
G’incarnation
1 ½ oz. G’vine Gin
1 oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur Dark
½ oz. Baileys Irish Cream
1 oz. Half & Half Milk
½ oz. Monin Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Put all the ingredients in a shaker, add ice, shake and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with a star anise.

Afternoon Wine Tasting at Mercy Wine Bar? Wine-Not?

A few weeks ago I attended Mercy Wine Bar’s Passport to Rioja tasting series, featuring wines from the Rioja wine region. The event allowed us to taste a full spectrum of Rioja offerings, including centenary wines, classic modern styles and collector’s wines.

A little background on Rioja Wines: Rioja is a wine region in Spain that is famous for it’s Tempranillo wines. Tempranillo is an Old World wine that pairs well with food. (Obvious,but for real. I was craving a steak dinner after the event!) In terms of flavor, Rioja wines vary from more fruit-forward to silky, smooth with a bit of spice. To learn more about Rioja Wines, check out RiojaWine.com.

photo-2About the Event: There was no twisting my arm needed to get my RSVP. So on August 19th, I happily dashed up the Tollway to their Addison location.

Every table at the tasting featured several wines from different winemakers in the Rioja region. The event was thankfully relaxed and intimate, so I was able to learn about each wine I tasted. There were several wine retailers and restaurateurs in attendance (which made me feel prettyyyy fancy) who all seemed to be intrigued and impressed by the wines represented — which even further reassured me that I was about to be blown away.

The Wines: For your sake, I won’t go into every wine I tasted in this review. In short: I felt spoiled to be able to try the best of the well-known and typical varietals from Rioja, as well as explore some blends and whites that I didn’t even know existed.

The Reds: I was able to try some vintage and reserve wines from Faustino, including one from 1964! I also fell in love with Palacios Remondo’s La Montesa which uses organically-grown grapes making a light and delicious tasting blend of Mazuelo Tempranillo and Garnacha; a perfect red to sip out on a patio in the summer. As the gentleman at the tasting table put it, “It has a great slam ability factor.” (Yes, he said that.)

For White Wine lovers: The biggest and most pleasant surprise of the event for me was how much I loved the white Rioja wines, made from Viura (or Macebo) which is a Spanish white grape variety … and a severely underrated one at that! They tasted full-bodied and substantial light and refreshing; somewhat like a Sauvignon Blanc but less sour and less fruity. I especially enjoyed the white from Milflores (the bottle is gorgeous too).

Food: Thankfully, with all that wine tasting (I couldn’t get the hang of the spittoon), they passed around several delicious hors d’oeuvres such as Risotto Balls and Smoked Bruschetta (which is Smoked buffalo mozzarella, garlic olive oil, marinated tomatoes, and balsamic reduction).

Mercy Wine Bar’s Passport to Rioja tasting series was a truly unique experience that forced me out my Pinot Noir and Savignon Blanc comfort zone to learn and taste the best of the best wines from a historically rich and renowned region in Spain. I’ll be back soon, Mercy Wine Bar, to try a glass (or two) of something new and unexpected!

TIP: Mercy also will sell their wines to you at retail price. So be sure to grab a glass of Rioja wine at Mercy Wine Bar next time you are up in Addison and then take a bottle home with you!

Ole!


MERCY WINE BAR

5100 Belt Line Rd #544, Dallas, TX 75254
(Located in the Village on the Parkway, at the southeast corner of Beltline and the Dallas North Tollway, between Sebastian’s Closet and Blue Mesa.)
(972) 702-9463
mercywinebar.comFacebook | Twitter

Hours of Operation:

  • M-W: 11:00 am – 12:00 am
  • Th-F: 11:00 am – 2:00 am
  • Sat: 4:00 pm – 2:00 am
  • Sun: 4:00 pm – 12:00 am

HAPPY HOUR SPECIAL | 4pm – 7pm daily
$5 wines by the glass (choice of 11 different wines)

 

About Mercy Wine Bar:

To be honest there is a lot of big chain restaurants and bars up in Addison, so Mercy Wine bar is a perfect antidote, with its small, cozy setting and unique wine and food selections. This award-winning Dallas staple is a great place to go grab a glass of wine before or after an event up there.

 

I always take Scotch whiskey at night as a preventative of toothache. I have never had the toothache; and what is more, I never intend to have it.

– Mark Twain

TGIF!

I love going to out to eat.  It’s an opportunity for my wife and I to relax, talk and eat and drink (obviously). Deciding where to go can, at times, be a point of contention … You see, I’m against fast food (unless it’s Whataburger and I am on the way home from a bar), making reservations assumes we know where we want go prior to us pulling up, and, like most people, we live on a budget.  So it may or may not come as a surprise that I value, and, dare say, appreciate the role the big chain restaurants play in the restaurant scene.  (To me there is something almost comforting about these places.) 

I remember TGI Friday’s from back in the day as more of a restaurant with a sports bar feel than a place I expect to find craft cocktails, artisan appetizers and “hand-crafted” food.  I checked out the Addison location down the street for me and realized the Friday’s from my younger days is long gone. (Rest in peace.)  They are embracing change, shaking that suburban eatery rap and catering to a younger generation of foodies and more particular cocktail and beer drinkers. The hodge podge of wall decor is gone with cool photos and prints in their place and the waiter’s 37 pieces of flair have been replaced with an impressive level of knowledge on how to make a drink.

We struck gold with (read: devoured) our Ahi Tuni Crisps, a combination one might not expect of blackened Ahi tuna on a tortilla chip with guacamole, jalapeños, Sriracha sauce and Avocado Vinaigrette, topped with a cucumber-wasabi ranch.   Followed by an order of Bacon Mac N Cheese Bits.  My Friday’s Spike Lemonade (made with Tito’s homemade vodka, lemon and lime juice, agave among other things) washed down the starters I would normally never eat, but couldn’t resist at least trying … and then ended up finishing the plate.

Before night was done we also had gone through a Hendricks Cooler, Best Friday’s Margaritas and a Double Berry Mojito, which made me eager to come back again.  It was one of those kind of meals where you end up full before the entrees are even brought out but you can’t help but eat most of it.  (Some of our steaks ended up coming home with us to be enjoyed the following day.)

And what is dinner without dessert? Those who know me know I do my best to eat healthy(ish), but I was able to muster the willpower to resist the Oreo Madness.  The same can not be said about my wife…

It’s no secret that competition and staying power among restaurants is difficult, especially in a city with a thriving food scene like Dallas.  Of note, this TGI Friday’s location happens to be one of the more tenured restaurant establishments in Addison (RIP: Trulucks, Mi Piaci, Sambuca, Bennigans, Mi Piaci, Jake’s, Champps, Duke’s, etc).  Having sampled what they’re cookin’ and shakin’ up over there, I’d encourage you to stop in and check out what they have going at their new Addison location!

TGI FRIDAYS
www.tgifridays.com
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Current Drinks Specials (daily specials may vary from TGIF to TGIF!)

  • Monday – $5 Bloody Mary, Mimosa and Calls
  • Tuesday – $5 Jack Daniels
  • Wednesday – $3 martinis & half priced bottles of wine
  • Thursday – $3 drinks

 

***TGI Friday’s are supporters of the SDD team and provided complimentary gift cards for this meal***