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Holiday Beers
There are so many beer varieties available today. I was thinking about getting a couple different beers to have ready for drop-in guests over the holidays. However, there are hundreds of...
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Gifting Wine
I like to bring wine as a hostess gift during the holiday season. I am attending a party at which I don't know the hosts as well, although I know that they prefer reds. If I want to buy a $20-$25...
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Bartender Etiquette
This past weekend my wife and I were at a restaurant bar for dinner. We were there for a couple hours and during the course of our stay I ordered a second drink. After 10 minutes, my drink hadn't...
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Apple Hot Toddy
I heard someone talking about an apple hot toddy. I have made regular hot toddies, but I've never made an apple version. Would I add cider, apple brandy, or something else? I would like to try...
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Bloody Mary Brunch
We are hosting a brunch, and I want to provide a Bloody Mary bar for our guests. Besides providing celery and green olives, what other garnishes would be interesting additions? The options for an...
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The Gift of Tequila
A colleague of mine is having a housewarming party. Rather than bring a bottle of wine, I thought I would bring a bottle of tequila, as that is her liquor of choice. My question is two-fold. One,...
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Sticky Question
At a bar recently, I watched the following scene unfold. The patron to my left asked the bartender for a ginger-tini. The patron had to explain to the bartender which bottle contained ginger...
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Blue vs. Orange
Is there any difference between blue curacao and orange curacao? I have a bottle of blue in my liquor cabinet, but the recipe I want to try specifies orange. I understand the drink will look...
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Rum and Coke
Whenever I return home, I meet up with friends at a neighborhood bar. It's nothing fancy, so I always stick with a rum and Coke, which definitely tastes (and feels) like a RUM and Coke. I know their...
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Sidecar- What Is It?
My husband and I were at a bar last night. I ordered a drink off of the menu, and my husband ordered a sidecar. The bartender asked him to repeat his order. After saying sidecar again, the...
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Tequila Shot
I don't know if this is actually a bartender question, but I thought it might be a good place to start. If I am ordering a shot of tequila at a bar, does it really matter what type I order? I...
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Seasonal Shake — Kicked Up?
I love the minty shakes that you find before St. Patrick's Day at the unnamed, major fast food chain. Would it be possible to make a version with alcohol for a home celebration? I have a few ideas...
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Homemade Sour Mix
I read your article on the sidecar and was interested in your comment on sour mix. Whenever I make margaritas at home, I use store-bought margarita mix. I want to make better cocktails, so how would I...
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Crushed Ice Bag
While traveling recently, I was at a small bar where the bartender had a special bag and mallet for crushing ice. This produced ice that I considered to be the perfect size and texture for an icy...
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Honey Champagne Cocktail
I ordered a champagne cocktail at a bar recently. The bartender told me that their version was made with honey instead of sugar. It sounded intriguing, so I ordered it. It was tasty. . .until the...
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Sediment in Wine
Upon finishing a bottle of wine, I noticed a good amount of sediment in the bottom of the decanter. Should I strain wine into the decanter to avoid finding any in my glass? Does sediment adversely...
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Growler or Pre-bottled?
I am having a small gathering of friends and want to offer them a microbrewed beer. I have two options in mind: a local beer that is bottled and a different local beer that is on tap and sold in...
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Tonic Substitute?
In warmer weather, I love drinking gin and tonics. Last week, I was surprised to discover that not only did we have warm weather on hand, but also I didn’t have any tonic at home. I have since...
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Morning Cocktail for Mom?
We host Mother’s Day brunch at our house. We always serve coffee, tea, and mimosas. Do you have any suggestions for a light cocktail that would pair well with a later morning meal? One note, a...
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Repeal Day and Hey Bartender
Repeal Day isn’t a national holiday and is unlikely ever to become one, but as repealday.org points out, it’s “a day that all Americans have a part in observing, because it’s written in our...
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Unfinished Bottle of Wine?
If we are having a relaxing dinner at a restaurant, my husband and I will order a bottle of wine. However, some nights we don’t order a bottle, as I only want one glass. A friend told me that we...
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Pumpkin Insanity
Everything has gone pumpkin since the end of August. I’ve held off becoming one of the pumpkin addicts, but I am hosting a party and know my guests all love pumpkin. I’ve seen your other recipes...
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Sugar or Salt
Most margaritas can have a salt rim. However, some restaurants offer a sugar rim on some of their margaritas. If I’m making margaritas at home, how do I decide what type of rim to use? That’s almost...
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Citrus Wedge
If I receive a drink that has a lemon or lime wedge, should I drop the wedge into my drink after squeezing the juice out? I recently had a bartender tell me that I should squeeze the lemon wedge to...
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Homemade Bitters
I decided to make homemade bitters but discovered that it will be difficult to source the ingredients, as Everclear isn’t sold in liquor stores anymore. Do you think homemade bitters are worth the...
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