Author Archives: Susie O

Father’s Day Gift & Activity Ideas

EVENT/MEAL IDEAS:

MEDIEVAL TIMES – Dad’s are free … just sayin’.

BOURBON CLASS & ENGRAVING EVENT | June 12, 8700 Preston Rd. #113, Plano, TX (4-6pm)
Attendees will taste Angel’s Envy bourbon, Rye, Cask Strength and the Total Wine & More Special Angel’s Envy Blend. Free.

TAKE HIM ON A PICNIC HE’LL ACTUALLY LIKE
Pick up a picnic “bag” from The Grill on the Alley (in The Galleria) and head to one of Dallas’ many outdoor concerts, movies, etc. with Dad! It’s fancy, but not too shmancy. A picnic bag includes: table cloth, napkins & cutlery, corkscrew & two plastic wine glasses, mixed nuts, their famous sourdough, bread & butter
Starting at $32.95, feeds 3-4 (pricing can be found on their website)
Order at least 24 hours in advance

Pops, Pints and a Picture Show | Flying Saucer, Fort Worth | June 15, 9pm
Bring your pop in, drink a pint and enjoy the picture show: “National Lampoon’s Vacation”! An oldie, but goodie and dad will sure enjoy the flick outside on our patio with a craft beer this Father’s Day.
BONUS: if Dad brings in a tie, he can trade it for a pint.

PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE (Uptown) | June 15
BRUNCH, opening at 11am
DINNER MEAL OFFERING, 4-9pm | Get any salad, Perry’s Famous Pork Chop & Dessert Trio for $24.95
SOCIAL HOUR, 4-9pm | Step inside Bar 79 for specially-priced bar menu items

POLLO TROPICAL (Addison) | June 15 only
Buy 1 Get 1 FREE 1/4 Chicken meal with 2 sides for customers who text “DAD” to 52198 (they’ll get a code to show at the register to receive the special deal)

GIFT IDEAS:

Alright, so, it’s no secret that dads are a pain to buy for. Despite there being a host of customized gifts on the market these days, like to Design Your Own Mugs for him, we’ve put together some awesome gift ideas that your old man will love.

Angel’s Envy Award-Winning Bourbon is offering free engraving with each bottle purchased. Bonus? You’ll get to meet the Angel’s Envy COO, Wes Henderson.
  • June 11, 407pm | Total Wine Dallas (9350 N. Central Expy)
  • June 12, 1-3pm | Total Wine Plano (Collin Creek Village, 721 N. Central Expressway #200)
TICKETS TO THE BEST LITTLE BREWFEST IN TEXAS
Treat dad to an extra day of fun, beer, music, and food in Lewisville!

  • $35/person (includes a souvenir tasting cup and 12 2-ounce tastings)
  • $45/person (VIP, includes the above and early access
Purchase tickets at www.blbfit.com
BOURBON (because what dad doesn’t like bourbon?)
FOR THE CHEF– KNOB CREEK®: For more than 20 years Knob Creek – the #1 selling super premium bourbon in the world – has set the standard for bourbon, creating a big, full flavored spirit that is made in small batches to pre-prohibition standards. Its rich and hearty flavor lends itself to craft cocktails and the most delicious food dishes, which is why Knob Creek has partnered with Celebrity Chef Michael Symon (The Chew) to create full flavored dishes that are perfect for grilling and tailgating.
FOR THE BOURBON AFICIONADO – BOOKER’S® 25th ANNIVERSARY BATCH: Booker Noe’s 25th Anniversary is bottled uncut and unfiltered and is extra aged to bring out the true flavor profile of the bourbon.
FOR THE CIGAR BUFF- BAKER’S®: If your dad prefers a little smoke with his bourbon, Baker’s makes the perfect drink to pair with your favorite cigar. With a flavor that is reminiscent of cognac, it is aged seven years in new oak barrels, giving it a silky smooth flavor. For a unique Father’s Day gift, pair a bottle of Baker’s Bourbon with dad’s favorite cigar. You might even want to treat your dad to a cigar humidifier to keep his cigars fresher for longer. Consequently, you can see here different cigar humidifier packs for some inspiration. So, which bourbon goes best with a cigar? Well, the warm vanilla and caramel overtones of Baker’s bourbon can be enjoyed over ice or with a splash of water. Add a little extra gift with a personalized lighter. You can find a site that can print your photos on the lighter, making your Cigar Buff Father’s day gift complete. You can print your face on any item essentially! Take a pair of socks for example. I was speaking to my friend who has recently moved to Spain, and he decided to print his photo on a pair of socks for her father, over there they call it calcetines personalizados con foto! A bit of a joke between father and son. So you could stick with the cigar idea, or you could choose another item to personalise.
FOR THE MIXOLOGIST AT HEART – BASIL HAYDEN’S BOURBON: The perfect choice for a Father’s Day gift, made with twice as much rye as traditional bourbons, Basil Hayden’s spicy trademark finish makes it the perfect addition to any bourbon cocktail.

RECIPES:

Basil Hayden’s® Dad’s Day Off | Created by Zachary Brian Taylor, San Francisco

  • 1 ½ parts Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon
  • ¾ parts Lemon Juice
  • ½ part Brown Sugar Syrup*
  • 1 sprig of Rosemary
  • Ginger Beer

Preparation:
1. Combine Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon, lemon juice and brown sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker.
2. Remove rosemary needles from the bottom 3/4 of the sprig and add to the shaker. Save the top of the sprig for use as a garnish.
3. Add ice to shaker and shake.
4. Double strain into a Collins glass filled with ice.
5. Top with ginger beer.
6. Garnish with the remaining rosemary sprig.

Red River Texas Bourbon Whiskey

written by William Merkel

Whiskey is one of my favorite beverages. Almost 100% of the time I drink it straight with no ice so I can enjoy the flavor, smell, and subtleties of a good, stiff drink. Another one of my favorite things is Texas. So when I got a chance to try Red River Texas Bourbon Whiskey I was preeettty … pretty stoked.

imageMade in Texas (more specifically, Carrollton) by JEM Beverage Co. The process is started with pure Texas water and then whiskey is aged in new charred American Oak Barrels and then bottled at 82.4 proof (yesssss). Each small batch is hand-bottled (and “hand tasted”) to ensure each and every bottle is up to snuff.

Proceeds from each bottle sold go to Texas Native Wildlife Conservation (which I am happy to support since I go to state parks regularly). The bottles are all silkscreened with the pictures of the animals that the conservation is helping to protect. (And they look pretty awesome.)

Put your nose to the glass and you will smell sweet, floral notes with a slightly strong alcohol smell. The taste is also slightly sweet with a hint of vanilla and has a nice potency in your throat as it goes down your gullet. Also noticeable is one of my favorite things about whiskey is the oak. You can literally taste the barrels that it was aged in, and I love that. The oak may be a bit overpowering for some people, but for me it hit the mark. Overall, it is not too complex a whiskey, but had enough complexity to make it interesting.  In short: I would buy this.

The price is around $30 for a 750ml, and yes, I know you can get other great whiskeys around this price point like Bulleit or Old Forester Kentucky, but give Red River a chance and you may have a new top choice of what to drink when cuddling an empty glass. And don’t forget, it’s made in Texas.  GO TEXAN.

Red River Texas Bourbon Whiskey
$30 for 750mL bottle
jembevco.com/redriver.html

About JEM: JEM Beverage Co. produces Red River in Original (reviewed above), young rye, and Canadian.  They also product Western Son Vodka, Southern Son flavored vodkas, Stingray Spiced Rum, and South House Moonshine (both original and flavored), 

Mellow Out at Mellow Mushroom

 

There’s a holiday for everything. Pizza lovers, mark your future calendars for May 15th, National Pizza Party Day. I went to one of my favorite pizza restaurants in Fort Worth to celebrate, Mellow Mushroom. My usual drink of choice is beer, but this time I decided to let summer come early and try a specialty mixed drink. All of the Mellow Mushroom drinks make you feel like you are relaxing on a beach (without the hassle of sand in your crack and sunscreen streaked across your face).

They told me that their most popular speciality drink is the Shroom Tea (vodka, gin, rum, Triple Sec, Razzmatazz, Blue Curacao, sweet n’ sour, and Sprite); it’s their version of a Long Island iced tea. Not only is this a great deal at $4.00, but it was deeeeelicious and it reminded me of an adult cherry limeade.

My next two drinks were very similar. The first, was named the Head Bitch in Charge and the Pearl Jam.  HBIC is Myers Rum, Captain Morgan’s Parrot Bay Coconut, Apricot Brandy, orange and pineapple juice. It was a very frothy, orange juice cocktail with a coconut aftertaste. My favorite drink of the night was the Pearl Jam.  This is a mix of Smirnoff Orange and Vanilla Vodka, club soda, and orange juice.  A dreamsicle in a glass with some oomph!

Stop by Mellow for some pizza (obvi) and choose from their bottled, draft, or canned beers ($4-6), wine list, or specialty drinks ($4-7) while enjoying their laid-back atmosphere.  Great music and staff made this an awesome visit that I would highly recommend a visit.

Mellow Mushroom
3455 Bluebonnet Circle, Fort Worth, Texas 76109 | 817-207-9677
OTHER LOCATIONS

Current Happy Hour Specials:

  • Sunday-Friday (4-7pm) $2 Well Liquor and House Margaritas
  • Texas Sundays- $1 off Texas Beers all day (excludes High Gravity and Seasonal Beers)
  • Margarita Monday- $2 Margaritas
  • Trivia Tuesdays- Extended Happy Hour until 9pm
  • Wino Wednesdays- $2 House Wines from 4-7pm
  • Thrifty Thursdays- $2 off Pitchers (excluding seasonals) from 4-7pm

RED, WHITE AND BREW

A few years ago, I made a decision to kick my caffeine habit once and for all. This required an unexpected and unwanted amount of detox, headaches, and general unpleasantness to get through, but the end result has paid off. I was freed from drinking sludge for fuel, and it eventually led to the demise of an intense diet soda habit (you’re welcome, body). Now, my point is not to indoctrinate you with the evils of caffeine –just giving a little context. I still have soda and coffee, but if I’m going to drink it, it has to be really freaking good. I only give you this brief history to set the stage for me to review CoolBrew Coffee – both as a beverage and as a mixer.

My plan for reviewing this coffee was simple – find 3 good friends, wait for a reason to have a dinner party and grab a ton of mixers that pair well with coffee. What I didn’t expect was how long this would take to make happen, so I was able to also try the CoolBrew flavors on their own before spiking them. If you’re not familiar, CoolBrew comes in containers of concentrate that can be mixed with hot or cold water or milk. I tried a range of flavors – Original, French Roast, Vanilla, Toasted Almond, Decaf, Hazelnut, Mocha and Chocolate Almond – and was impressed how good they were on their own. I even added a bit of the Chocolate Almond to my morning smoothie for flavor (the products are all unsweetened and about 4 calories per serving) and was quite peppy far beyond lunch (although I was also asked to stop fidgeting in a meeting, so that was a onetime experiment.) If you’re just looking for a simple way to supplement a coffee habit, this is a pretty cost effective and delicious way to do it. (My iced latte-a-day fiancée has nixed her daily Starbucks run in favor of CoolBrew with milk over ice in a travel tumbler.)

image

Breaking: People still play Cards Against Humanity

But, you’re not here for coffee bargain shopping tips with Brian; you’re here for the alcohol. For the booze portion, we gathered ‘round and made four drinks for the group to toast the end of our Memorial Day dinner:

  • Iced Hazelnut coffee with skim milk and Grand Marnier
  • Hot Toasted Almond coffee with skim milk, Jameson and whipped cream
  • Iced Chocolate Almond coffee with skim milk and Frangelico
  • Iced Vanilla coffee with skim milk and Bailey’s

After sharing and swapping all four, it was official – these were perfect after-dinner drinks with a lot of flavor. We liked using the concentrate versus regular brewing as it was really quick to make and avoid having an extra batch of unwanted coffee afterwards (and yes, I’m aware Keurigs exist, I just don’t care.)

If my recipes don’t tickle your fancy, check out the amazing things you can do with CoolBrew on their website, including BBQ sauce, Coffee Martinis, and Midnight on the Bayou™!
COOLBREW RECIPES

CoolBrew is based in New Orleans, but you can find it in a ton of stores here in DFW.

For more info, check out www.coolbrew.com.

Price(online): $5.99 per 500ML container

Cliff’s Landing

It’s a sad day for Dallas … The Loon is closing after 22 years of incredibly successful business in Uptown.

The crowd today is huge, with Loon owner, Cliff’s, regulars to young’s with the goal of getting drunk and no idea why today is important. Cliff, of course, is holding court at his regular table.

I have the only remaining Loon gear sitting in front of me as some food items are sold out. Who thought we’d ever see the day?

Don’t Be a Square, Check out Full Circle Tavern

Last night I attended Full Circle Tavern’s cleverly named “360° One-Year Anniversary” party down in the Cedars area. Owners and winners of Food Network’s “Food Court Wars”, Lara Whittington and Jennifer Bonner, celebrated with an 80s cover band, prize giveaways and 360° drink and food specials, including $3.60 Stoli drinks, $3.60 Brooklyn Lager beers and $3.60 Full Circle sliders.

I arrived right after 5pm when the festivities were scheduled to kick off. They were still setting up the band and I couldn’t really tell if the event had started yet. Nevertheless, I grabbed a seat outside on their patio, which was very pleasant on a beautiful spring day.

I had a great server, Tamara, who was friendly and attentive. Even though I don’t normally drink vodka before sundown, I ordered one of my favorite vodka cocktails—Stoli Blueberry with soda and a splash of cranberry. I also ordered the Cheese Curds, a first for me. While I waited, Tamara brought me a bowl of their homemade chips, which was a nice touch. My cocktail was nice and strong and was delivered quickly, which was appreciated as I was parched. The cheese curds were, as promised, very tasty but I’m not a huge fried foodie, so I only had few. I was intrigued by their menu, which is pretty extensive and includes several gluten-free substitutions/options, (which I greatly appreciate since my husband has a gluten allergy).

In my opinion, Full Circle Tavern just makes sense. It’s located in South Side/the Cedars in the same complex as Bill’s Records and is next door to the NYLO hotel and down the street from Gilley’s.

Full Circle Tavern is comfortable, friendly neighborhood spot with what I found to be great people watching. It seems like a perfect spot for NYLO guests and South Side on Lamar or The Beat residents to kick back and enjoy happy hour or a lazy Sunday. Since it’s not close to my neighborhood, I might not necessarily go out of my way to return unless I have something going on down in that area, but when I do, what better place to grab a cocktail and fill up on some carbs before a concert than Full Circle Tavern?

Full Circle Tavern
1319 South Lamar Street
Dallas, Texas 75215

Happy Hours (as of 5/20/14)

  • Tuesday – Thursday (11:00 am – 10:00 pm)
  • Friday – Saturday (11:00 am – 12:00 am)
  • Sundays (11:00 am – 4:00 pm)

Kitchen closes 1 hour prior to closing times

TGI Friday’s

Last Monday, the bf and I made the trek to Allen to visit every hunter’s Mecca (Cabela’s, of course), and were faced with the nearly unsurmountable decision of deciding where to eat on the way back.  We agreed on TGI Friday’s on 75 at Park, bedded down at the bar, and ordered a couple of drinks.

TGI Friday’s debuted a new menu on May 14. Some new food items (of course), but some great new cocktail offerings make new menu.  I had the chance to try the new offerings at Little Fridays during my brand immersion last month, and there some good stuff there.

I started with the Grey Goose Cooler (Grey Goose Vodka, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, lime juice, lemon juice, cane sugar, peach purée, fresh basil, lime, and Sprite), and it was the perfect drink to enjoy on a balmy summer night.  I’ll be using the recipe myself if I can only summon the energy to put as much effort into it as the TGIF bartenders!  For the most part, their drinks aren’t too strong, but they are well balanced and the ingredients really shine.

We ordered a couple appetizers and dinner (yes, we left full and with plenty of leftovers), which had to include their newly revamped Broccoli Cheese Soup.  I had the Spice Craft Beer-Cheese Burger, which was pretty damn delicious, from the perfect pink center to the drippy beer-cheese sauce and fried jalapeños.

My second drink (that, quite honestly, packed enough punch that it was my last) was the Peach Honey Smash (Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, fresh mint, peach purée, citrus juices, and a peach slice).  It’s on the new menu, and teeeeechnically wasn’t available yet, but I convinced our bartender, Nick, to make it for me.  It was … delicious.  I do love my bourbon, and this was delightfully full of it.  They serve some of their drinks over pellet ice, which any Texan simply calls “Sonic Ice”, and I kind of love that.

We were treated to a few of Nick’s bottle tricks (aka “flair”), which weren’t too shabby.  (Stay tuned for a peek at my tricks soon!)  If you want to see some serious bartending skills, TGI Friday’s holds the World Bartending Championship competition each year around February, which starts on the store level.  Check your local TGIF to see when theirs will be held.  (The store at Park & 75’s event is on June 12.)

***This is a sponsored post and part of my TGI Fridays Embassadors program.****

Cinco de Mayo Events and Recipes

Horny ‘Rita (recipe courtesy of TGI Fridays)

  • 3 parts Hornitos Reposado Tequila
  • 1 part Margarita Mix
  • Shaken and strained over ice
  • Garnish with a salted rim and fresh lime


Conquistador – created by Milagro Brand Ambassador Jaime Salas
Chill coupe glass with ice and water and set aside. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until well chilled and diluted. Discard chilling ice from the coupe. Strain ingredients into chilled coupe. Using a vegetable peeler, remove a long piece of orange peel. Express the oil over the cocktail, rub the peel around the rim of the glass, and place atop the cocktail

  • 1 ½ parts Milagro Reposado
  • ½ part Ancho Reyes
  • ½ part Crème de Cacao
  • ½ part Manzanilla Sherry
  • 1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

 

Sombrero (recipe courtesy of TGI Fridays)

  • 1 part Kahlua
  • 1 part Half & Half
  • Build over ice

Chupacabra from Dirty Habit restaurant in San Francisco (recipe courtesy of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
Shake and strain into an old-fashioned glass rimmed with sal de gusano

  • 1 ounce Partida tequila
  • 1 ounce Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
  • 1 ounce Lime Juice
  • .75 ounces Grapefruit Cordial or Pomelo Cordial
  • .5 ounces aperol

 

Ancho Old Fashioned – created by Milagro Brand Ambassador Jaime Salas
Combine all ingredients in a mixing beaker. Add regular ice and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a double old fashioned glass over large hand cut ice block. Using a vegetable peeler, remove long orange and lemon peels. Express each over the top of the cocktail and rub them together around the rim of the glass. Roll peels together into a rosette and place atop the cocktail.

  • 1 part Milagro Silver Tequila
  • 1 part Ancho Reyes
  • ¼ part Rich Simple Syrup
  • 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • 2 Angostura Orange Bitters
  • 1 hand cut ice cube


Jalapeño Mang-O-Rita (recipe courtesy of Bud Light)
Muddle 5 thin slices of jalapeño with a dash of simple syrup and agave nectar. Add ice and pour Mang-O-Rita. Stir and serve with a salt rim.

  • Bud Light Lime Mang-O-Rita
  • Jalapeños
  • Simple syrup
  • Agave nectar
  • Chili salt/pepper rim
  • Jalapeño