Liquor and Spirits

Deep Eddy Vodka Keeps Tapping New Flavors While Trying to Keep it Pure

Deep Eddy pool in Austin is the oldest man-made swimming pool in Texas. According to the Friends of Deep Eddy site, in the early 1900s locals flocked to this natural pool where a large boulder in the Colorado River created a natural eddy. Springs from the banks of the river pushed in fresh cool wate ... More >>

Balcones Whiskey Tasting and Signing Coming to Sigel's This Saturday

If your interest was piqued a couple of weeks ago when Scott Reitz told us about his bottle of Balcones single malt whiskey, or perhaps even before that you read about it in The New York Times, well, you're in luck. See also: - Tasting Balcones Single Malt Whiskey - Texans Make Scotch Whisky Bette ... More >>

It’s A Tribal Jesus Leprechaun

Sigel's Hosts Impressive Craft Distillery Tasting, Including Texas Brands

This Wednesday, December 5, the Sigel's at 5757 Greenville Avenue will raise a toast small craft-distilleries in a special tasting event with more than 60 different spirits to sample. All of the micro-distilleries participating make unique, small batches of spirits. Per Jasper Russo at Sigel's, wh ... More >>

Feargal McKinney, Owner of the Old Monk and Blackfriar, on the Magic of an Old Irish Whiskey

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Feargal McKinney came to the U.S. after college to see the sights and do a bit of traveling. After some time in New York City, he took the scenic route to California and stopped in Dallas to visit a friend and essentially never left -- partially because he got stuck ... More >>

Drink This: French Shandy at Private Social, Plus Other Springtime Elixirs

It would seem that spring is (kind of) here; the patios are packed, my thermostat has officially made the switch from heat to cool and all the grass is a lovely shade of emerald, at least until a freak snowstorm hits a week from now and life as we know it comes to a grinding halt. (And obviously I ... More >>

Drinking at Oddfellows. And We Don't Mean Coffee. We Mean Alcohol. Was That Not Clear?

The smell of brewing coffee filled the air, rich and fragrant with undertones of cocoa and nuts. The dark brown, slightly viscous liquid dripped ever so slowly through a paper filter into an oversized glass flask -- a Chemex coffee maker, the likes of which I'd never seen before. It was an unseason ... More >>

Oh, nothing. Just Rum, Brandy and Bourbon Aged Maple Syrup.

Tim Burton, co-owner of Burton's Maplewood Farms in Medora, Indiana, is a purveyor of Grade B maple syrup. Burton used to be in IT, but he moved out to the woods with his wife, where he's now grown a fuzzy beard and schleps through snow to look at trees all winter. He sells his tree nectar to good ... More >>

Private, Social, Drunk: Rocco Milano, Mansion Expat, Has His New Bar Humming

FacebookHum: Now being served at Private Social.​Private Social bar manager Rocco Milano is like a young redheaded Santa, ready to grant all your alcoholic Christmas wishes, or maybe the fourth Wise Man, bearing obscure aperitifs and rare scotches in place of frankincense and myrrh. Perched ... More >>

If You Can Find Texas Peaches, We Have a Recipe for You (Hint: Try Looking in Terrell)

Lauren Drewes Daniels​It's a bad year to be a peach in the Lone Star State. A lot of North Texas orchards lost their crops this season to freezing weather and hail storms. Perusing the PickYourOwn.org website for the area, many farmers have thrown in the peach towel for this summer, but promis ... More >>

The Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat: Game-Watching Parties

​The Mavericks will face the Miami Heat tonight at Miami's American Airlines Arena in game 1 of the NBA Finals. While some Mavs fans will be there sporting their Dallas pride, those who didn't make the trek down to the Sunshine State will be able to catch the game at bars around town. Special game ... More >>

Woodford Reserve Invites Drinkers to Blend Their Own Bourbons

Woodford Reserve is continuing to capitalize on the popular "anyone can be a distiller" ethic that's helped fuel the current craft liquor fad, actively promoting a program in which buyers choose their own barrels for blending. Woodford Reserve master distiller Chris Morris​Woodford Reserve un ... More >>

Erykah Badu Talks DJing, Says DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown Isn't As New As We Thought.

DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown, aka Erykah Badu, one the ones and twos at the House of Hennessy on Sunday night. ​ Like so many other venues last weekend, the pop-up club sponsored by rap's favorite cognac, the so-called House of Hennessy in Arlington, showcased its fair share of musical star power as p ... More >>

If You Think It Sucks Dallas Can't Buy Liquor on Sundays (And Especially This Sunday) ...

Via.​... imagine how the people who sell it feel. Actually, no need to imagine it: The D.C.-based Distilled Spirits Council of the United States issued a press release today demanding the state of Texas drop its "outdated law banning Sunday liquor sales," especially considering the many millions i ... More >>

Going the Distance for Caipiroska

​When I went to Rio, I became obsessed with drinking Caipirinhas. You can find them in Dallas almost anywhere they have cachaca on hand. But I found a new obsession in St. Kitts, which should be much easier to get, called the Caipiroska. The only difference between the two is that the Caipiro ... More >>

Get Ready for the Next Hard Liquor Made Organically--Texas-made Bourbon

​A Texas distillery has a shot at releasing the world's first organic bourbon, but the makers of a pioneering organic vodka say the spirit may not be an easy sell. Garrison Brothers Distillery, Texas' first legal whiskey distillery, is already producing bourbon that's organic in all but name. ... More >>

Wherein Goody Goody Liquor Explains Why It's Against the Citywide Sale of Beer and Wine

​Shortly before the vote on Proposition 1, which allowed for the citywide off-premise sale of beer and wine, we noted: Goody Goody Liquor and Vantex Enterprises, the parent company of Centennial and Big Daddy's, contributed $30,000 to the anti- campaign under the moniker No Alcohol PAC/Neighborhoo ... More >>

Za Vas!

La Duni's Too-Good-To-Be-True Brunch

​Cocktails, brunch, and perfect spring patio weather. What a civilized way to start the week. My wife and I have been indulging our food fetish alfresco as of late, since last winters freeze has retreated, and the all-too-brief-in-Texas good weather of bluebonnets and Blue Bell ice cream gives wa ... More >>

Picture Show: NX35 Friday Night

Spike JohnsonWhiskey Folk Ramblers at Sweetwater.​Pretty sure we got no sleep this weekend. Here's how our weekend began: Sleep Whale, Whiskey Folk Ramblers and Ola Podrida on Friday night. Check out Spike Johnson's slideshow right here.

Yesterday at NX35: Whiskey Folk Ramblers at Sweetwater

Spike JohnsonWhiskey Folk Ramblers​Band: Whiskey Folk RamblersVenue: Sweetwater Bar & GrillTime: 12:15 a.m.It seemed like, no matter where I went in Denton on Friday night, everyone appeared to be much cooler than I was. At Hailey's, people's jeans were a little tighter than mine. At Dan's Sil ... More >>

Risking Fire and Certain Death, We Learn to Leap From the Flambé That is Bananas Foster

Sarah Johnson​Bananas Foster Recipe Demonstrated by Chef Chris Hughes of Tre Amici Prime Steakhouse & Seafood Do you own a bowl? Do you have ice cream in your fridge? Do you have a banana and orange lying around your kitchen? Do you have liquor store that you can drive or walk to? Do you own ... More >>

Girl Drink Drunk: Cowboy Chow

​In testing out the theories and recipes and perfect stomach liners for this column, I've realized (I actually always knew, but epiphanies are so much more on trend these days) that due to the "event" quality of a girl drink, we can drink fewer of them than just any ol' regular mixed drink or beer ... More >>

Hophead: Warmers, Porters And Stouts To Make The Season Merry And Dark

Jesse HugheyRahr Whiskey Warmer​While last week's Hophead focused on just a very few of the great Christmas beers available this time of year, this week's is a more general look at winter seasonal beers along with beers that are well suited to drinking by the fireplace or in a warm pub escaping th ... More >>

Handle The Proof: Riedel Spirits Glasses

Riedel tequila glasses.​Years ago I took a glass tasting course from Riedel--which I'm sure you understand means I sampled wine from Riedel stemware.It's an extraordinary thing: wine poured into a normal red or white wine glass tastes very different when served in one designed for the specific gra ... More >>

Pairing Off: Cigars

Patrick Michels/Vanessa Pike-Russell via Flickr​Each week, Pairing Off attempts to find just the right bottle of wine to go with ordinary food...or in this case, smoke.The gentleman at Pogo's was adamant when I asked the usual "which wine would go best with" question."I wouldn't pair it with wine, ... More >>

Handle The Proof: Two Of The Best 'Hard To Find' Spirits

​I personally think zubrowka and aged genever are the finest spirits one can drink. But neither are easy to find, unless you travel.Zubrowka is a flavored vodka generally associated with Poland, where they've been distilling and drinking it for a good six or seven centuries. Pale gold in color, it ... More >>

Handle The Proof: Negroni

In the fifteen years of tending bar Chancy Jones put in before taking a job at Windmill Lounge, he remembers shaking up two--maybe three--Negronis. Three months at the cocktail dive on Maple and he's an expert."I've probably made 40 or 50 of them," he says.But the complex, bittersweet and herbal fix ... More >>

Becoming a Renaissance Faire Lady

Being Scarborough Renaissance Festival's newest monster hunter is a tough gig, but worth it

Don't Be a Spare

The Tipp goes Wii...bowling

Why the Dallas Fed Prez Voted Against the Interest Rate Cut. Something About Tequila, Punch and Whisky.

The Quarter in Addison

Call it what you want, an Addison sports bar isn't New Orleans

May Oui?

Le Rendezvous dares to take its sweet time

Doggy Style

Party for canine charity

Sweet and Lowdown

What is a good margarita?

Cheap Shots

How do you find good, inexpensive liquors?

Best New Restaurant-Bar

Stolik

Mystic Chords of Memory

The Burning Question crew looks back at 2002

X

November 14

Democracy Inaction

Rotgut responses to questions from the discard pile

Best Radio DJ

Cindy Scull, KEGL-FM (97.1)

Tastemakers

Does atmosphere affect our appreciation of a drink?

Margarita Mix

What is top shelf?

Best Dallas Sportscaster, Period

Pat Summerall, Fox

Best Shooters

Uni Shooters, Steel Restaurant Lounge

Best Beef Carpaccio

Vietnamese beef carpaccio at Steel Restaurant & Lounge

A Glassware Menagerie

Does the proper glass really matter?

Power of Positive Drinking

What does your drink say about you?

Best Manhattan

The Bar at The Mansion on Turtle Creek

Tin tongue

Tin Star's "salsa, smoke, and sizzle" fizzle