Happy Holidays to you and yours! I don't have anything clever to write today! If you want any of those bottles I mentioned Curiada has you covered: bit.ly/greatforgifting Use code HTDGIFTGUIDE23 for 10% off any bottles purchased from the How to Drink collection! Curiada Gift Card Link: bit.ly/h2dcuriadagiftcard Viski: bit.ly/3Qy2qoT Drinkmate: bit.ly/drinkmateusa Twitch: bit.ly/2VsOi3d H2D2: bit.ly/YTH2D2 twitter: bit.ly/H2DTwit instagram: bit.ly/H2dIG Blog: bit.ly/H2DBlog Patreon: bit.ly/H2DPatreon Gear: amzn.to/2LeQCbW This stuff will make your life worse: th-cam.com/video/_jPIUzNC4fU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=SQFW9zoE3477vtnq What gear does every bartender want: th-cam.com/video/YWS0fNlTABU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=C2OsVClgGZsyhYZn How to start your home bar: th-cam.com/video/JTFSajVnDoc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=5oHP0cf3lbL0wP6a
Crew bottles are great. I got them as a gift a couple of years ago and ended up ordering a few more myself. I have had absolutely zero problems with them. Curious to see how yours hold up over time!
If you have a rum person, MAKING them a bottle of spiced rum infused with actually interesting spices is a great gift, especially if you already know what their favorite reasonably priced rum is. Make sure you write down what you put in it and how much so you can reproduce it (or tweak it).
I’m currently working on one with an Indian Masala spice blend in it (Also if you’re my dad and you are reading this comment no you did not actually see this, spoilers sweetie)
I will second that. We used the one from Smuggler's Cove, but used only half as much rum (but the full amount of spices.) When we use it we dilute it with an equal amount of the base rum.
FYI, the Laird's Applejack Brandy currently listed on the HTD Curiada list is not the bonded in bond one. It's the cheaper one made with neutral grain spirits. The one that Greg recommended is the "Laird's Straight Apple Brandy 100 Proof Bottled In Bond".
There's a little portion of my city's christmas faire that's medieval themed, including the food and drink stands. There's one stand that's entirely mead focused, it has every variation of mead imaginable, with different fruit or nut flavorings, with added liquor or spices/herbs, in small or large bottles, glass or clay, some with fantasy potion themed names, even in potion bottles. I go there every christmas season to get myself a couple small bottles of liqueur (I love their clear chocolate mint liqueur) and a bottle of "king's mead" for my mom.
I made my friend some syrups as I have no money - using Greg's episode for the recipes - when you don't have money, giving them the time they don't have to make something also works :)
That’s a great idea. Especially since some of the ingredients for more unique syrups can only be found in larger quantities and you don’t really want to make a gallon of say pandan syrup for yourself
For keeping vermouth cold at the bar, I've used a cooling sleeve meant to keep wine bottles cold (I'm sure you've seen them for beer cans). If you keep the vermouth bottle in the fridge normally and then just take it out when you're making cocktails and keep the sleeve in the freezer the sleeve will keep the bottle cold for many hours. It's not perfect but it works if you just want to be able to keep the vermouth chilled when you're making cocktails. For gift giving, I never give spirits strictly for making cocktails but there are so many unusual/rare spirits, wines and beers out there I never have any trouble picking out ones to give to my friends who appreciate such. For instance this year I'm giving some tejj, Ethiopian mead.
I used your gift ideas last year for my husband, and got him a set of bar tools from cocktail kingdom! You said "if they're making cocktails, they probably have bar tools" and i need you to know, my husband was making cocktails with a protein shaker bottle 🤣 he loves the koriko! Thank you for these videos!
Got a set of those Crew Bottles last year for my birthday and they have been a dream! I got a long and two stubbies and whether it’s for infusion or storing my syrups they absolutely rule! Seals have always been really strong on them too. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have!
Ever since my dad and I got into whiskey, I always get him a bottle as a gift. We don't really make cocktails, we mostly just enjoy it to sip on. This year I got him a bottle of Nulu Toasted that's apparently only available on the West Coast. Hope he likes it.
Agreed with the liqueur upgrades, my brother loves espresso martinis and he was previously using kahlua or tia maria, i got him a bottle of mr black last christmas and he really loved it and the improvement it made to the espresso martinis he was making
Bitters, my go-to is the cardamom bitters from Fee Brothers. Cannot recommend that enough to new mixologists. It has real angostura in it (unlike Angostura brand which we think uses sassafras) and is super bright. Will absolutely transform an old fashioned.
I've had a set of tall Crew bottles for a while now. They are great. I hand wash the bases so the plastic ring doesn't get messed up. No wear so far that I can see. Highly recommend!
Went to a bar with a couple chef buddies and we were talking shop. The bartender gave us an industry shot of Monty. It was wonderful, I went right to my liquor store on my way home and got a bottle of Montenegro for my home bar. Always a surprisingly good offering to a guest. Great gift bottle.
This is what I make using that spiced pear liqueur. Like a wild take on a collins. It’s excellent! 2 oz bourbon .5 oz St. George spiced pear liqueur .5 oz honey syrup .75 oz lemon juice 2 oz soda water 1 sprig rosemary for garnish
That Curiada price for Ancho Reyes made me do a double take. So I checked, you listed the price for a special edition bottle. While I would love to get that bottle regular Ancho Reyes is 30-35.
Among the listed thing I think the small cask would be perfect for anyone into mixology and fermentation, since they're usually just above the "yeah, I may actually buy that" threshold but aging is on the back of everyone's mind. A microplane is a great gift for anyone who also likes cooking if you're on a budget, that stuff rock. However get informed about the person because they may already have it.
You are so very right about everything in this video! My top three things I really want but on the other hand wouldn't treat myself to necessarily are a dasher bottle for bitters, a bottle of absinthe and another jar of luxardo cherries since I ran out a few months back and miss them dearly...
Building up my bar over the last year using your videos as a guide. going great so far! Very important to find a liquor store near you that has a good buyer that enjoys their job.🍸
I think one of the best ads Greg can do for the Koriko Shaker is whenever he is chugging in a giant ice cube while shooting his second episode of the day, being a little tipsy and the whole thing doesn't fall over, causing a disaster
My Swiss dad got us a Swiss Peeler years ago, and it’s game changing, even without making fancy cocktails! Just PLEASE watch your fingers, they’re tough n’ sharp dealies that I maaaay have peeled a finger with by accident once or twice. >>;; ETA: The Cybertruck looks like if you made a PlayStation 1 car in real life, and for that I almost like it. It’s kind of hilarious to me.
Tell ya what, getting the right peeler has been such a weirdly specific, personal task. OXO does too thin, cheapies that work for other people don’t start easily…so far my best was from doing a review for some silicone spatulas! Weird folded metal thing, but the best so far (still isn’t perfect tbh).
I love these gift episodes, I bought some of the stuff from last year's video. but this one could be cutting it close on getting things delivered in time
FYI for anyone looking at the Crew bottles and thinking "Man, those look great, but I don't use syrups in enough volume to justify 750ml bottles", they also have otherwise identical 450ml "Chubby" bottles.
My closest substitution for Chartreuse, at least Yellow, is a 50/50 mix of Absinthe and Elderflower Liqueur (so far, maybe modifying the ratio can improve it). It's not bad for Last Word riffs, but I still can't say it's close to the original.
If someone wants mead honestly its really fun to make it yourself, getting them a mead you made yourself is even more meaningful than one you bought for them, its like, 2 hours work, tops, and then all you have to do is remember to do it a month or two before their birthday or the event
i agree with the opening here, for the most part....accept in my own case. unless you're buying me expensive electronics or clothing that id never manage to get myself without like a year of saving; please buy me necessities. buying me necesseties means i can buy myself small luxuries without feeling bad about it, and thats a wonderfull gift.
I'm glad absinthe is on there. Nearest total wine with lucid is ~2hr away & trying to decide if my next bottle would be st george or pernod has been tough. Also 100% on absinthe being a great gift because most liquor stores don't stock itm add an absinthe glass+spoon & even your beer drinking cousin/inlaw now has something mystical to parade to their friends.
I have a bunch of the Crew bottles Ive had for about 2 years now and they have been fantastic! I have some cinnamon syrup that I keep in one that is heavily cinnamon laden and infused for a long long time its amazing and did form crystals but I could just pour it out into a different container then cleanit and re-bottle it. Really great product.
I’ve been using Crew bottles for over a year and I love them. They hold up really well. The seal is still good and I’ve made a bunch of syrups, juices etc.
Jagermeister has “bottle glorifier”s that light a display and chill a bottle to a pretty chilled temp without being too loud. Cold enough to freeze over when it got left on overnight.
Double whammy: Tempus Fugit makes my favorite Absinthe, Vieux Pontarlier. I think it's miles beyond Pernod or St. George for drinking (though admittedly, St George is its own unique thing with their choice of botanicals). For a cocktail spritz? Use whatever.
I just picked up a bottle of Maraschino last week. It is mind-boggling just how much it can change a drink. I would put it in the realm of bitters for how useful just a bit is.
I'm a rum person but hadn't tried Hamilton before. I came across the Hamilton Demerara and nabbed it for myself. Just cracked it open and it is excellent! Also a nice change of pace from a lot of other rums out there. Thanks for the recommendation!
The other cool gift (if you have money) is a small wine fridge. Perfect for those friends who store their wine on top of the fridge or under the stove 😮
Those crew bottles would be such a dream for making sloe gin. I pick them and make some every year but theyre a total pain to get in and out of bottles
Only thing I think you missed as a more rare base spirit would be a bottle of oude style jenever. Especially for someone who's interested in classic cocktails or gin it's a great item that there's a high chance they've never had.
Made my first purchase on Curiada a couple of weeks ago and they are awesome!!! Joey has been so helpful, and the selection is so good! I live in a small town and some items are hard to get, so Curiada is great! The customer service has been unmatched. Absolutely buy from them!
Of course, I'm watching this after I made my alcohol gift purchases lol my dad loves his Glenfiddich scotch but it's harder to find the higher aged stuff in our area, so finding the 18 year while I was out of town was a big deal for me and I know he'll love that, plus he hasn't even had it yet. Other than that, base spirit gifting can be fun when you find small batch or small-town distilleries that aren't available to wide audiences. Trying new spirits together is a fun activity that my dad and I bond over. I definitely agree though that gifting all the types of modifiers is a fun gift, especially when we rarely ever buy them for ourselves. Great episode
Rum drinker here: I was gifted a homemade pineapple infused rum for my birthday this year. It was too good to last. Loved the thought, loved the taste.
the statement "a rum person probably isn't into spiced rums" took me off guard a bit I'm a rum person, I like a lot of rums one of my favourites is actually Kraken, a black Spiced rum. it's awesome. I'd love to try more rums, especially spiced ones.
I got 4 Crew bottles as a gift in november, 3 short and 1 tall, nothing but good things to say so far. Great for smaller infusions and tests, most of the time i’ve had the big bottle it’s been the designated batched Sazerac vessel.
I also think getting them a bottle of antica formula sweet vermouth, like really nice sweet vermouth is a good gift. Ik I'd appreciate it, since I can sometimes spend 30+ on spirits but always go for normal Cinzano for my sweet vermouth as in my mind, I can't justify spending 30+ on vermouth as it's not a spirit. (I tend to do math based on the ratio of money to ethanol lol)
Anybody else think that Greg makes these gift episodes just so he can say “oh I don’t have that bottle” or “that seems like something cool I don’t have” just in hopes someone in his life sees it and gets it for him????
As a mead lover the Mjord mead is the superior wide scale mead. For it being wide scale it’s great, but definitely look around though a lot of wineries make mead as well and in Ohio and Michigan we has a lot of master meaderies.
There's a surprising number of distilleries scattered around too - I think a *small* bottle of something made locally to you could be a good gift. (Small because some of them don't taste all that great. 😂) They have a novelty factor that can be good.
My last bar used Crew bottles for all our juices and batches and I never had any problems with them. They’re pretty handy and we put all the pieces in the dishwasher without any failures
I saw the wine (vermouth) chiller come out and immediately flashed back to The Destruction Of The Cocktail Machines... I really do wonder what's inside Greg, I really do... 👀
Have the crew bottles and have been using them for over a year for my home bar and have had no issues at all.dishwasher for the bottle and hand wash the bottom. No leaks no holding of flavors or smells.
There's a bottle chiller/cooler that doesnt use power and only uses 5 pieces of ice on the bottom that works pretty well. I don't remember what it was called. I think it was made for keeping a bottle of wine chilled at the table without the whole ice bucket which would slowly dissolve and create water dripping while pouring and wetting the bottle labels.
My favorite tool is a 3oz shot glass that has full measurements marked in fractions of an ounce, milliliters and more. Need a drink with 2oz + 1oz??? Pour both in the 3oz shot glass and you’re set👍
"Aperol is not a replacement for Campari" PREACH, GREG. I work in a liquor store and constantly have to disabuse people of this notion. One is very sweet and orange with a hint of bitter, the other is very bitter with a hint of orange and sweetness. Are they similar? Sure, but they result in radically different drinks if a recipe calls for one and you use the other.
The St. George spiced pear is pretty tasty on its own, but it pairs surprisingly well with gin or brandy/cognac. I'll bet it would work great with the Laird's, too, I'll have to try that. Also, the Viking's Blod and Odin's Skull mead from Dansk Mjod get my recommendation. I use the Viking Blod to make my version of Kevin Kos' BeeGroni, with Italicus, so good.
Dayum the price of ancho reyes has skyrocketed. I got it at a chain liquor store like two years ago for $25. Now seeing it come in at $45-75 is mindboggling. It is great stuff though. I make a really weird rum drink with the Verde, pineapple, lime, and plantation OFTD.
Take it back Greg! If every one of my friends bougt me a spirit for Christmas I wouldn't be disappointed about a single one. Assuming they didn't buy me a pile of garbage. I have a collecting problem, and drink lightly.. the average lifespan of a bottle on my shelf is over a year, so it'll make me think of my friends plenty.
One of the amaros or liqueurs would be awesome as a gift. I often think to myself, I’m not gonna buy that bottle for one cocktail, but if someone gave it to me. Awesome.
I bought one friend a Drinkmate for their birthday..... we all have one now. If I had had this as a teenager I would have been trying to make turkey gravy into a fizzy drink.
That cooler probably works with a peltier element, those things are constant "on" and they suck power as if it's a cheap cocktail. Those small fridges work with a Peltier element too, your power bill doen't like those things.
Have you ever considered a hot toddy using green chartreuse instead of some other spirit? It is supposed to be a healing elixir after all. Green Chartreuse, lemon, in some tea or hot water... yum.
FYI- SOME of the barrels out there actually have a foil bladder inside. Sooo.... completely defeats the purpose for aging because the alcohol will never come in contact with the wood. Also, let them know to not let the inside of that barrel dry out, that's how ya get mold. merry christmas
Gotta say, I don’t really like the koriko shaker we have at my work. However, I think it’s because it’s a smaller(?) small tin. I like the feel and sound of the barfly shakers better
As of 2009, Absente contains grande wormwood (artemesia absinthium) as well as the southern wormwood they incorporated since the ban on absinthe took place. It's not a terrible absinthe, it's just not as refined as Pernod. It's a great introduction to absinthe for someone who has never tried it. Personally not a huge fan of St George absinthe, although they make some really good spirits
Just got a set of Tiki glasses from Viski for that I'm stoked to have. Exactly fit the bill. Something I'll enjoy but kind of frivolous for me to have purchased on my own.
On the note of anchor reyes Verde, try putting about a quarter ounce in a paloma. It doesn't overpower things, but it adds in this interesting savoury vegetal note in the flavour profile, with a mildly spicy finish. Personally I find the Verde (poblano) works better than the regular ancho for this.
I recently bought a bottle of "Laird's Straight Applejack 86", which according to the guy working at Spec's, is the replacement for the blended Applejack they've been selling. The new 86 (proof) is 100% apple brandy. It's pretty good. Perhaps Greg should do an episode on it.
There isn’t a true replacement for green chartreuse but if you’re ever in Minneapolis you should pick up a bottle of dampfwerk distillery’s helgolander. I make my last words with it and its an incredible liquor. One my my favorites.
Man I love my Crew bottles. I have the short ones. The only thing I have had happen is one of the tops came off one of the corks. But I believe it came with Extras so it wasn't even a big deal.
For what it's worth, you can generally use a good genepi as a replacement for Chartreuse. You might need to experiment to see how much you need since it's often a bit less intense than Chartreuse, but once it's mixed in with other stuff you won't notice the difference. Save the Chartreuse for special occasions or stuff that really puts a spotlight on it. That said, you might ought to do an episode about Chartreuse replacements. :)
It should be noted that bruto Americano is coloured with cochineal which is made from the shell of certain beetles, so it isn't suitable for vegetarians or vegans
That wine bottle cooler will pretty much run continuously no matter what, think about if you had your refrigerator door open just a little bit, it would never shut off because it would never truly reach its temperature
Since I make my own mead, I would like to get things like yeast packets, bottles, and honey (as in the kind directly from beekeepers, not store bought). Gift cards to the supply store I get my equipment from is also a good thing.
![San Francisco Bartender Comes to The Breezeway [Doc Parks]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OR_s6JPIIwk/mqdefault.jpg)
Happy Holidays to you and yours! I don't have anything clever to write today!
If you want any of those bottles I mentioned Curiada has you covered: bit.ly/greatforgifting
Use code HTDGIFTGUIDE23 for 10% off any bottles purchased from the How to Drink collection!
Curiada Gift Card Link: bit.ly/h2dcuriadagiftcard
Viski: bit.ly/3Qy2qoT
Drinkmate: bit.ly/drinkmateusa
Twitch: bit.ly/2VsOi3d
H2D2: bit.ly/YTH2D2
twitter: bit.ly/H2DTwit
instagram: bit.ly/H2dIG
Blog: bit.ly/H2DBlog
Patreon: bit.ly/H2DPatreon
Gear: amzn.to/2LeQCbW
This stuff will make your life worse: th-cam.com/video/_jPIUzNC4fU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=SQFW9zoE3477vtnq
What gear does every bartender want: th-cam.com/video/YWS0fNlTABU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=C2OsVClgGZsyhYZn
How to start your home bar: th-cam.com/video/JTFSajVnDoc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=5oHP0cf3lbL0wP6a
Where's meredith?
Happy holidays! My 2 year old son LOVES watching you with me, I hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas
@GravesRWFiA literally been constantly checking for an update on whats going on
Crew bottles are great. I got them as a gift a couple of years ago and ended up ordering a few more myself. I have had absolutely zero problems with them. Curious to see how yours hold up over time!
Hey, would love an episode on interesting things to do with the drinkmate. I make my own seltzer and Tom Collins and tonic but need more ideas!
This needs to be said. This video should be released around Thanksgiving.
Probably
@@howtodrinkit's okay, you just know your audience. Procrastinators and barflys.
Let’s be real, I love these gift guides, but mostly for gift recommendations for….myself.
yeah not really tho
It's before next Thanksgiving! 😜🤪 lol He's WAY ahead of schedule.
If you have a rum person, MAKING them a bottle of spiced rum infused with actually interesting spices is a great gift, especially if you already know what their favorite reasonably priced rum is. Make sure you write down what you put in it and how much so you can reproduce it (or tweak it).
That’s a fun idea!
I’m currently working on one with an Indian Masala spice blend in it
(Also if you’re my dad and you are reading this comment no you did not actually see this, spoilers sweetie)
I will second that. We used the one from Smuggler's Cove, but used only half as much rum (but the full amount of spices.) When we use it we dilute it with an equal amount of the base rum.
I tried to make chai infused whiskey once. It tasted like unsweetened Fireball. Drierball, if you will.
Did this at thanksgiving, was wonderful.
If you want to add a 'cork' to you dasher bottles for safety. Go to a knitting store and get the stoppers for large needles.
FYI, the Laird's Applejack Brandy currently listed on the HTD Curiada list is not the bonded in bond one. It's the cheaper one made with neutral grain spirits. The one that Greg recommended is the "Laird's Straight Apple Brandy 100 Proof Bottled In Bond".
Good call. They do also make an 86 proof straight apple brandy, which will be a bit cheaper than the BIB
Until recently I didn't know that anything other than whiskey could be bonded. Interesting
After the drink robot episodes I now only trust Greg to decide which products are worth my money
There's a little portion of my city's christmas faire that's medieval themed, including the food and drink stands. There's one stand that's entirely mead focused, it has every variation of mead imaginable, with different fruit or nut flavorings, with added liquor or spices/herbs, in small or large bottles, glass or clay, some with fantasy potion themed names, even in potion bottles.
I go there every christmas season to get myself a couple small bottles of liqueur (I love their clear chocolate mint liqueur) and a bottle of "king's mead" for my mom.
I made my friend some syrups as I have no money - using Greg's episode for the recipes - when you don't have money, giving them the time they don't have to make something also works :)
That’s a great idea. Especially since some of the ingredients for more unique syrups can only be found in larger quantities and you don’t really want to make a gallon of say pandan syrup for yourself
For keeping vermouth cold at the bar, I've used a cooling sleeve meant to keep wine bottles cold (I'm sure you've seen them for beer cans). If you keep the vermouth bottle in the fridge normally and then just take it out when you're making cocktails and keep the sleeve in the freezer the sleeve will keep the bottle cold for many hours. It's not perfect but it works if you just want to be able to keep the vermouth chilled when you're making cocktails.
For gift giving, I never give spirits strictly for making cocktails but there are so many unusual/rare spirits, wines and beers out there I never have any trouble picking out ones to give to my friends who appreciate such. For instance this year I'm giving some tejj, Ethiopian mead.
I used your gift ideas last year for my husband, and got him a set of bar tools from cocktail kingdom! You said "if they're making cocktails, they probably have bar tools" and i need you to know, my husband was making cocktails with a protein shaker bottle 🤣 he loves the koriko! Thank you for these videos!
I use shaker bottle balls in my shaker instead of springs to dry shake. They work very well.
Got a set of those Crew Bottles last year for my birthday and they have been a dream! I got a long and two stubbies and whether it’s for infusion or storing my syrups they absolutely rule! Seals have always been really strong on them too. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have!
Ever since my dad and I got into whiskey, I always get him a bottle as a gift. We don't really make cocktails, we mostly just enjoy it to sip on.
This year I got him a bottle of Nulu Toasted that's apparently only available on the West Coast. Hope he likes it.
Agreed with the liqueur upgrades, my brother loves espresso martinis and he was previously using kahlua or tia maria, i got him a bottle of mr black last christmas and he really loved it and the improvement it made to the espresso martinis he was making
Bitters, my go-to is the cardamom bitters from Fee Brothers. Cannot recommend that enough to new mixologists. It has real angostura in it (unlike Angostura brand which we think uses sassafras) and is super bright. Will absolutely transform an old fashioned.
I've had a set of tall Crew bottles for a while now. They are great. I hand wash the bases so the plastic ring doesn't get messed up. No wear so far that I can see. Highly recommend!
Went to a bar with a couple chef buddies and we were talking shop. The bartender gave us an industry shot of Monty. It was wonderful, I went right to my liquor store on my way home and got a bottle of Montenegro for my home bar. Always a surprisingly good offering to a guest. Great gift bottle.
This is what I make using that spiced pear liqueur. Like a wild take on a collins. It’s excellent!
2 oz bourbon
.5 oz St. George spiced pear liqueur
.5 oz honey syrup
.75 oz lemon juice
2 oz soda water
1 sprig rosemary for garnish
That Curiada price for Ancho Reyes made me do a double take. So I checked, you listed the price for a special edition bottle. While I would love to get that bottle regular Ancho Reyes is 30-35.
Good catch!
The doobly doo!!! Wow it’s been so long since I’ve heard someone call the description that. 😊 this makes me happy
I was in a bad mood that my weekend was over. Then i got a notification of how to drink. I am happy.
Among the listed thing I think the small cask would be perfect for anyone into mixology and fermentation, since they're usually just above the "yeah, I may actually buy that" threshold but aging is on the back of everyone's mind.
A microplane is a great gift for anyone who also likes cooking if you're on a budget, that stuff rock. However get informed about the person because they may already have it.
You are so very right about everything in this video! My top three things I really want but on the other hand wouldn't treat myself to necessarily are a dasher bottle for bitters, a bottle of absinthe and another jar of luxardo cherries since I ran out a few months back and miss them dearly...
Building up my bar over the last year using your videos as a guide. going great so far! Very important to find a liquor store near you that has a good buyer that enjoys their job.🍸
SHOUTOUT TO THE GREEN ROOM GOBLINS!!
I think one of the best ads Greg can do for the Koriko Shaker is whenever he is chugging in a giant ice cube while shooting his second episode of the day, being a little tipsy and the whole thing doesn't fall over, causing a disaster
My Swiss dad got us a Swiss Peeler years ago, and it’s game changing, even without making fancy cocktails! Just PLEASE watch your fingers, they’re tough n’ sharp dealies that I maaaay have peeled a finger with by accident once or twice. >>;;
ETA: The Cybertruck looks like if you made a PlayStation 1 car in real life, and for that I almost like it. It’s kind of hilarious to me.
Tell ya what, getting the right peeler has been such a weirdly specific, personal task.
OXO does too thin, cheapies that work for other people don’t start easily…so far my best was from doing a review for some silicone spatulas! Weird folded metal thing, but the best so far (still isn’t perfect tbh).
I love these gift episodes, I bought some of the stuff from last year's video. but this one could be cutting it close on getting things delivered in time
FYI for anyone looking at the Crew bottles and thinking "Man, those look great, but I don't use syrups in enough volume to justify 750ml bottles", they also have otherwise identical 450ml "Chubby" bottles.
as a big whiskey collector, you gave great advice on buying liquor as gifts.
My closest substitution for Chartreuse, at least Yellow, is a 50/50 mix of Absinthe and Elderflower Liqueur (so far, maybe modifying the ratio can improve it). It's not bad for Last Word riffs, but I still can't say it's close to the original.
If someone wants mead honestly its really fun to make it yourself, getting them a mead you made yourself is even more meaningful than one you bought for them, its like, 2 hours work, tops, and then all you have to do is remember to do it a month or two before their birthday or the event
i agree with the opening here, for the most part....accept in my own case. unless you're buying me expensive electronics or clothing that id never manage to get myself without like a year of saving; please buy me necessities. buying me necesseties means i can buy myself small luxuries without feeling bad about it, and thats a wonderfull gift.
I'm glad absinthe is on there. Nearest total wine with lucid is ~2hr away & trying to decide if my next bottle would be st george or pernod has been tough. Also 100% on absinthe being a great gift because most liquor stores don't stock itm add an absinthe glass+spoon & even your beer drinking cousin/inlaw now has something mystical to parade to their friends.
Greg! Thank you for your essential gear breakdowns to help me direct my family away from BS cocktail kits!
3:22 Greg: "Less splashing"
The guy who for sure puts in extra splashes because we have come to know him for it 😆
I have a bunch of the Crew bottles Ive had for about 2 years now and they have been fantastic! I have some cinnamon syrup that I keep in one that is heavily cinnamon laden and infused for a long long time its amazing and did form crystals but I could just pour it out into a different container then cleanit and re-bottle it. Really great product.
I’ve been using Crew bottles for over a year and I love them. They hold up really well. The seal is still good and I’ve made a bunch of syrups, juices etc.
GIFT GUIDE TWO ELECTRIC BOOGALOO, been waiting for this all year. Thank you Greg!
Jagermeister has “bottle glorifier”s that light a display and chill a bottle to a pretty chilled temp without being too loud. Cold enough to freeze over when it got left on overnight.
Double whammy: Tempus Fugit makes my favorite Absinthe, Vieux Pontarlier. I think it's miles beyond Pernod or St. George for drinking (though admittedly, St George is its own unique thing with their choice of botanicals). For a cocktail spritz? Use whatever.
I just picked up a bottle of Maraschino last week. It is mind-boggling just how much it can change a drink. I would put it in the realm of bitters for how useful just a bit is.
I'm a rum person but hadn't tried Hamilton before. I came across the Hamilton Demerara and nabbed it for myself. Just cracked it open and it is excellent! Also a nice change of pace from a lot of other rums out there. Thanks for the recommendation!
The other cool gift (if you have money) is a small wine fridge. Perfect for those friends who store their wine on top of the fridge or under the stove 😮
Those crew bottles would be such a dream for making sloe gin. I pick them and make some every year but theyre a total pain to get in and out of bottles
Only thing I think you missed as a more rare base spirit would be a bottle of oude style jenever. Especially for someone who's interested in classic cocktails or gin it's a great item that there's a high chance they've never had.
As a rum person, I actually love spiced rums, though I mostly use them for rum and cokes
Made my first purchase on Curiada a couple of weeks ago and they are awesome!!! Joey has been so helpful, and the selection is so good! I live in a small town and some items are hard to get, so Curiada is great! The customer service has been unmatched. Absolutely buy from them!
Of course, I'm watching this after I made my alcohol gift purchases lol my dad loves his Glenfiddich scotch but it's harder to find the higher aged stuff in our area, so finding the 18 year while I was out of town was a big deal for me and I know he'll love that, plus he hasn't even had it yet. Other than that, base spirit gifting can be fun when you find small batch or small-town distilleries that aren't available to wide audiences. Trying new spirits together is a fun activity that my dad and I bond over. I definitely agree though that gifting all the types of modifiers is a fun gift, especially when we rarely ever buy them for ourselves. Great episode
Rum drinker here: I was gifted a homemade pineapple infused rum for my birthday this year. It was too good to last. Loved the thought, loved the taste.
the statement "a rum person probably isn't into spiced rums" took me off guard a bit
I'm a rum person, I like a lot of rums
one of my favourites is actually Kraken, a black Spiced rum. it's awesome.
I'd love to try more rums, especially spiced ones.
I got 4 Crew bottles as a gift in november, 3 short and 1 tall, nothing but good things to say so far. Great for smaller infusions and tests, most of the time i’ve had the big bottle it’s been the designated batched Sazerac vessel.
I also think getting them a bottle of antica formula sweet vermouth, like really nice sweet vermouth is a good gift. Ik I'd appreciate it, since I can sometimes spend 30+ on spirits but always go for normal Cinzano for my sweet vermouth as in my mind, I can't justify spending 30+ on vermouth as it's not a spirit. (I tend to do math based on the ratio of money to ethanol lol)
Banana bread in a cocktail. That sounds like fun
you're definition of a gift is completely inline with how I feel about them.
Anybody else think that Greg makes these gift episodes just so he can say “oh I don’t have that bottle” or “that seems like something cool I don’t have” just in hopes someone in his life sees it and gets it for him????
As a mead lover the Mjord mead is the superior wide scale mead. For it being wide scale it’s great, but definitely look around though a lot of wineries make mead as well and in Ohio and Michigan we has a lot of master meaderies.
There's a surprising number of distilleries scattered around too - I think a *small* bottle of something made locally to you could be a good gift. (Small because some of them don't taste all that great. 😂) They have a novelty factor that can be good.
Loved this episode. Becoming a patron soon.
I love these videos always. You are what made me get into mixology!!
You know absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.
My last bar used Crew bottles for all our juices and batches and I never had any problems with them. They’re pretty handy and we put all the pieces in the dishwasher without any failures
I always love getting bar tools and spritzers
I saw the wine (vermouth) chiller come out and immediately flashed back to The Destruction Of The Cocktail Machines... I really do wonder what's inside Greg, I really do... 👀
Have the crew bottles and have been using them for over a year for my home bar and have had no issues at all.dishwasher for the bottle and hand wash the bottom. No leaks no holding of flavors or smells.
There's a bottle chiller/cooler that doesnt use power and only uses 5 pieces of ice on the bottom that works pretty well. I don't remember what it was called. I think it was made for keeping a bottle of wine chilled at the table without the whole ice bucket which would slowly dissolve and create water dripping while pouring and wetting the bottle labels.
My favorite tool is a 3oz shot glass that has full measurements marked in fractions of an ounce, milliliters and more. Need a drink with 2oz + 1oz??? Pour both in the 3oz shot glass and you’re set👍
"Aperol is not a replacement for Campari"
PREACH, GREG. I work in a liquor store and constantly have to disabuse people of this notion. One is very sweet and orange with a hint of bitter, the other is very bitter with a hint of orange and sweetness. Are they similar? Sure, but they result in radically different drinks if a recipe calls for one and you use the other.
The St. George spiced pear is pretty tasty on its own, but it pairs surprisingly well with gin or brandy/cognac. I'll bet it would work great with the Laird's, too, I'll have to try that.
Also, the Viking's Blod and Odin's Skull mead from Dansk Mjod get my recommendation. I use the Viking Blod to make my version of Kevin Kos' BeeGroni, with Italicus, so good.
Dayum the price of ancho reyes has skyrocketed. I got it at a chain liquor store like two years ago for $25. Now seeing it come in at $45-75 is mindboggling.
It is great stuff though. I make a really weird rum drink with the Verde, pineapple, lime, and plantation OFTD.
Had a few drinks tonight, put Earl Grey Infused Gin in a glass with Licor 43 and peychauds and I gotta work on that recipe oh boy there's something.
Take it back Greg! If every one of my friends bougt me a spirit for Christmas I wouldn't be disappointed about a single one. Assuming they didn't buy me a pile of garbage.
I have a collecting problem, and drink lightly.. the average lifespan of a bottle on my shelf is over a year, so it'll make me think of my friends plenty.
One of the amaros or liqueurs would be awesome as a gift. I often think to myself, I’m not gonna buy that bottle for one cocktail, but if someone gave it to me. Awesome.
9:05 It better be cool, it's a bottle chiller!
I bought one friend a Drinkmate for their birthday..... we all have one now. If I had had this as a teenager I would have been trying to make turkey gravy into a fizzy drink.
That cooler probably works with a peltier element, those things are constant "on" and they suck power as if it's a cheap cocktail.
Those small fridges work with a Peltier element too, your power bill doen't like those things.
2:51 at my work we always called that juicer the mexican elbow
The caraway mead from Dansk is great as a vermouth swap. It's especially good with an Aquavit martini.
Really been liking Amaro Lucano lately too-also might be a fun alternative to jager lovers
Have you ever considered a hot toddy using green chartreuse instead of some other spirit? It is supposed to be a healing elixir after all. Green Chartreuse, lemon, in some tea or hot water... yum.
FYI- SOME of the barrels out there actually have a foil bladder inside. Sooo.... completely defeats the purpose for aging because the alcohol will never come in contact with the wood. Also, let them know to not let the inside of that barrel dry out, that's how ya get mold. merry christmas
Gotta say, I don’t really like the koriko shaker we have at my work. However, I think it’s because it’s a smaller(?) small tin. I like the feel and sound of the barfly shakers better
The way Greg's voice cracks when talking about the price of Luxardo cherries 😂
You spoke the truth about the Campari vs Aperol discussion!
As of 2009, Absente contains grande wormwood (artemesia absinthium) as well as the southern wormwood they incorporated since the ban on absinthe took place. It's not a terrible absinthe, it's just not as refined as Pernod. It's a great introduction to absinthe for someone who has never tried it. Personally not a huge fan of St George absinthe, although they make some really good spirits
33:30 - Another great use for Ancho Reyes: throw an ounce or two and a dash of cinnamon into some hot chocolate. It’s delightful.
The Wheezy Waiter reference broke my brain for a bit, i recognised "Doobli Doo below" but couldnt work out where it came from
Just got a set of Tiki glasses from Viski for that I'm stoked to have. Exactly fit the bill. Something I'll enjoy but kind of frivolous for me to have purchased on my own.
On the note of anchor reyes Verde, try putting about a quarter ounce in a paloma. It doesn't overpower things, but it adds in this interesting savoury vegetal note in the flavour profile, with a mildly spicy finish. Personally I find the Verde (poblano) works better than the regular ancho for this.
your countertop chiller just looks like an ice bucket with more steps for at least how you recommended it being used.
Try Lagavulin 16, it was Ron Swanson's favorite scotch, even Nick Offerman had his own promo bottle for that distillery!
I recently bought a bottle of "Laird's Straight Applejack 86", which according to the guy working at Spec's, is the replacement for the blended Applejack they've been selling. The new 86 (proof) is 100% apple brandy. It's pretty good. Perhaps Greg should do an episode on it.
Oh I was unaware that they made that change at the lower proof, that's huge actually
"less splashing" from Greg who splashes every pour from the jigger lol
There isn’t a true replacement for green chartreuse but if you’re ever in Minneapolis you should pick up a bottle of dampfwerk distillery’s helgolander. I make my last words with it and its an incredible liquor. One my my favorites.
Love the bittermans chocolate bitters.
Man I love my Crew bottles. I have the short ones. The only thing I have had happen is one of the tops came off one of the corks. But I believe it came with Extras so it wasn't even a big deal.
For what it's worth, you can generally use a good genepi as a replacement for Chartreuse. You might need to experiment to see how much you need since it's often a bit less intense than Chartreuse, but once it's mixed in with other stuff you won't notice the difference. Save the Chartreuse for special occasions or stuff that really puts a spotlight on it.
That said, you might ought to do an episode about Chartreuse replacements. :)
It should be noted that bruto Americano is coloured with cochineal which is made from the shell of certain beetles, so it isn't suitable for vegetarians or vegans
That wine bottle cooler will pretty much run continuously no matter what, think about if you had your refrigerator door open just a little bit, it would never shut off because it would never truly reach its temperature
A restaurant near me uses the St George pear as a sweetener in an old fashioned. It’s delicious
Trying this!
Since I make my own mead, I would like to get things like yeast packets, bottles, and honey (as in the kind directly from beekeepers, not store bought).
Gift cards to the supply store I get my equipment from is also a good thing.