February 9, 2012 world of men's style / fashion / grooming RSS
“Liquor”
01/26/12
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Blithe Spirits

The Strongest Liquor on Earth Comes to America

America, meet poitĂ­n.

It’s a traditional Irish liquor that can range up to 190 proof—and thanks to that unusual potency, it was outlawed by the British for nearly 300 years. But in recent decades, the queen has loosened her restrictions, and we’re on the cusp of seeing the first commercially available bottle in America.

The project is raising money on Kickstarter now thanks to an Irish émigré living in the states, and if he manages to raise another $35,000, you can officially add poitín to your liquor cabinet.

The drink itself is pot-distilled from potatoes, sugar and yeast, which means the closest American equivalent is moonshine—but even that’s not terribly close, given the strength of the spirits involved. If you’re curious (and you don’t feel like waiting a month for the first bottle), you can also find it in a few distilleries in Ireland.

Just be ready for some powerful side effects.

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11/11/11
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Blithe Spirits

The Perfect Thanksgiving-Day Digestif

Bitters have been a cocktail go-to for years—and hopefully a bottle or two found its way into your liquor cabinet at some point—but thanks to Brad Thomas Parsons’s Bitters, we stumbled upon some more interesting uses for the magic drops.

So if by some coincidence you find yourself overstuffed with turkey in a few weeks’ time (possibly as a result of excessive thankfulness), a few dashes of Angostura may be just what you need to get back on your feet.

Allow us to explain…»

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08/12/11
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Blithe Spirits

The 80-Proof Rhubarb Tea

Rhubarb liquor

When we heard word of a Rhubarb liquor, we were understandably curious. So we got our hands on a bottle of the stuff, and after an unusually bracing evening with the stuff, we’re ready to offer our considered verdict…

Kempt taste-tests Rhuby, the world’s first 80-proof rhubarb tea»

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08/05/09
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Blithe Spirits

Back to their Roots

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A little known fact: before the temperance movement got a hold of it, root beer had some real kick to it. As in booze. And the folks behind Hendricks Gin are getting ready to bring the old hooch back.

The result is ROOT, an 80-proof version of the drink you remember from your tenth birthday party. We first sampled it at a recent BillyKirk party and were surprised at the result: somewhere between Barq’s and bourbon. The flavor’s all natural, distilled from organic sugar cane along with nutmeg, black tea and a handful of other spices, so it couldn’t be farther from the world of flavored vodkas. And because it comes from a cohort of Philadelphia crafties, everything from the label to the cork radiates homegrown scrappiness.

Plus, we hear it goes great with ice cream…

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06/02/09
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Breaking News

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California Dreaming: GQ continues its thorough international coverage of Megan Fox. [GQ UK]

Drinking from the Hip: A gentleman’s guide to smuggling liquor into stadiums, in case peanuts and crackerjacks don’t cut it. [Chow]

Enjoy Responsibly: Esquire’s cocktail correspondent shares his personal rules for avoiding inebriation. [Esquire]

Up Your Sleeve: A brief history of sleight of hand, courtesy of the master Ricky Jay. [NYTimes]

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05/29/09
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LinkOut

And Everybody Knows…

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Dangerous: Miles Aldridge explores the world of the femme fatale. We are duly intrigued. [Refinery29]

It’s My Favorite Crayon: The Journal forsees a distopian future of pink suits and magenta kitchen appliances. [WSJ]

Marmoset There’d Be Days Like This: Marmosets join the growing list of flourescent housepets. Take notice, Petco. [BoingBoing]

Fine Art: Sculpture and liquor come together in the first masterpiece of the new millenium. [Gizmodo]

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03/03/09
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Blithe Spirits

Dropping Science

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Usually we want our liquors to be as artisanal as possible. We want them stored in musty oak barrels in obscure parts of Europe, crafted lovingly by inarticulate old men with beards, and delivered to us in packaging that reflects the whole beautifully anachronistic process.

But we can’t all be artisans…and “scientist” isn’t bad as a backup. Elements of Islay‘s whisky line bucks the usual warm design aesthetic in favor of chemical-looking beakers and table-of-elements labeling. Of course, the contents are more or less the same barrel-aged concoction, but you’d never guess it from looking.

And where there’s a niche, there’s a way.

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01/30/09
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Jeans, Preppies and Cheap Bourbon

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Jean Genie: Rebounding from Ms. Mendes, Calvin Klein is up to his old tricks. [My Fashion Life]

Whitest of All Time: Ms. Lambert waxes rhapsodic on St. Elmo’s Fire, perennial candidate for preppiest movie of all time. The verdict? “It’s the French New Wave via Reagonomics.” [This Recording]

Old, Old Times: “Old Jews Telling Jokes” is now an internet meme. Funny, we thought it was just Thanksgiving. [Boing Boing]

Wine-Oh: Esquire hits the bottle hard with a roundup of good booze under $15. [Esquire]

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12/05/08
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The Past

Drink Up

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Lushes throughout the country have something extra to celebrate today: it’s the 75th anniversary of the end of prohibition. That’s right, Happy Repeal Day!

Naturally, we’re more than a little grateful. Let us count the ways…

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02/22/08
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Scent of a Timberlake, Ankle Breakers and Marc Scarfs One Down

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Moby Dick: If you’re a weasley-looking,
self-righteous vegan of limited musical ability and even more
limited muscle mass who manages to bed Natalie Portman, please try to
be a gentleman about it. [ href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/02222008/gossip/pagesix/nerd_target_98759.htm">NYPost]

N’Stink: Ever wonder what all that stuff in Justin
Timberlake’s hair smells like? It’s Givenchy. [Catwalk
Queen]

“The Bubbles Tickle My Nose”: Behold! The chick drink
of tomorrow![ href="http://www.psfk.com/2008/02/the-cocktails-of-tomorrow.html">PSFK]

Who Knew?: In a city of queues and lines, perhaps the
strangest is outside of Abercrombie & Fitch. [ href="http://racked.com/archives/2008/02/22/the_mysterious_allure_of_af.php">Racked]

Offensive Foul: Crocs, the ideal merchandising tie-in
for the today’s uptempo, run-and-gun NBA. [ href="http://www.just-style.com/article.aspx?id=99973&lk=alrt3&amd=3075">Just-Style]

My Beautiful Launderette: Design is only a rinse cycle away. [Kitsune Noir]

“Does Tom Ford Hate The Straights?”: Sorry, Gawker, we were a
bit distracted by these pics here. What were you saying? [Gawker]

“Marc Jacobs Plagiarized My Dad’s Scarf”: Just
imagine how pissed he’ll be when the knockoffs start showing up on
Canal Street. [The
Local, Sweden]

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