It's that time of year again... a shift from warming up with whiskey drinks to cooling down with fruity frozen rum cocktails, are you ready?

You've probably heard of Soda Stream... for the past few years it's been the rage of suburban housewives and kids who refuse to drink plain ole' water but love pop. Well I'm not sure what happened recently but it seems like there are a ton of competitors fighting it out on the market all of a sudden. Well, compared to Drinkmate OmniFizz, Soda Stream just feels old and tired. We've run our Drinkmate through the paces over the past few months and added bubbles to everything from whiskey to cold brew coffee but we settled on a simple classic sparkling lemon water as a practical favorite.

If you’re a wine and spirits enthusiast, you’ve probably heard of whiskey, rum, tequila, and vodka, but how much do you know about port? This fortified wine from Porto in Portugal's Douro Valley has a long history and unique characteristics, making it a must-try for any spirit connoisseur. 

Hey there! You’ve probably heard of chai tea and green tea, but do you know what the differences between them are? Or how they can benefit your health? In this article we’ll take a look at the unique flavors, nutritional differences, caffeine content and cultural significance behind both types of teas. We’ll also discuss which is better for your health and provide tips on getting the most out of your tea consumption. So read on to learn about chai tea versus green tea, including a comparison of their health benefits.

As you know by now, I am a huge fan of tea for both helping with supporting rest and calm as well as focus. Tea has thousands of years of history supporting its benefits and there are hundreds if now thousands of different types out there. My Father-In-Law is currently in the hospital, and he was craving ginger tea. I hadn't really considered ginger tea previously but he has been drinking it for years. It is something that helps him with good kidney health but I didn't quite understand the full impact until I talked with his doctors and his nutritionist. For him, there's an added benefit: many of the harsh pharmaceuticals he was on in the hospital actually hurt his kidneys. Now that he is in recovery though... his ginger tea is more than just a tasty drink... it's an important part of his path to restoring his good health!

Mezcal has always been a sort of "outlaw" spirit in terms of how most Americans perceive it. Frankly, I think that lends itself well to those folks who may have been attracted to whiskey for the same reason. To many distillers today though try to pretend that mezcal needs to be chic and luxurious and that often causes the mystique to be lost. On the other hand, there's Ilegal Mezcal, where you have a beautiful bottle and a fabulously unique back story, but it is still firmly planted in the authentic Oaxacan roots that make mezcal special.

Mezcal cocktails are great all year long but due to the spirit's origin in the hot Mexican sun, it probably serves best on warm summer days. As we emerge from a cold and wet spring, it's time to start preparing for those summer cocktails!

That's right .. I'm not sure what more needs to be said except that the mezcal has a unique essence that is more than just a gimmick, as I thought initially. Pechuga de Conejo by Bosscal Mezcals is a pretty interesting expression that does precisely what a great spirit should do - evokes a conversation.

Oolong tea and Green tea both have significant benefits for men's health but to the uninitiated, tea can be confusing. After all... Oolon, Green, Black, White, and Pu-erh teas all come from the same Camellia Sinensis plant, but each is completely different in taste, smell, and color. That's why I'm so excited to explore tea and tea production. In many ways it parallels my passion for the wine industry since you can simply take a leisurely sip and enjoy it without thinking twice... or... you can get super nerdy and nuanced like I have become!

Herbal tea can be a great way to relax and unwind after a long day. It's also known for its potential health benefits, making it an attractive option when you're looking for something warm to sip on. But does herbal tea expire? How long will it last on your shelf? This article explores the answers to these questions so you can confidently enjoy your favorite cup of tea.

Johny Bootlegger is a flavored malt beverage that frankly would fall outside of my normal scope of trying for a review and frankly to be completely honest when it arrived in the mail a couple months ago I took one look at it and thought to myself, "What the hell? Why did I say yes to checking this out?" The reality though is that while I like to enjoy the finer things in life - sometimes it's ok to take a IDGAF moment and throw back some mobster-themed malt liquor with a range of colors even a bag of skittles has nothing on.

To the uninitiated American, there are two places to go to when it comes to grabbing a bottle of sparkling wine for that holiday party... California and Champagne, France. While those are two of our favorite places too, we live in a world today where there are some fantastic bubbly wines found across the globe. Let's take a look at a few of our new favorites.

Making coffee house coffee at home doesn't have to be difficult. In fact, with the right tips and a bit of practice, you can make some of the best coffee around. In this blog post, we will take a look at five tips for making killer coffeehouse-style coffee at home. We'll also take a look at some of the best machines and accessories for doing so. Let's get started!

A couple weeks ago I had the fortune of receiving a huge box of samples from Bota Box. The very generous folks there were determined to show me that boxed wine didn't have to be terrible. They were right but what blew me away was their latest creation, Bota 'Rita - a wine based margarita that comes in their signature bag-in-box packaging.

When it comes to fruit beers there's a clear separation between purists and folks who just like an ice cold and refreshing adult beverage. While I love my more technical beers I also sometimes just want to grab something tasty from the fridge that I can enjoy without feeling like I need to look up exactly where the hops came from. Schofferhofer falls squarely in that later category with flavors that include Juicy Pineapple, Grapefruit, and Pomegranate.

Have you ever sat there looking at the cooler during a backyard BBQ and thought, "darn it... I wish there was a hard seltzer made from wine instead?"  No, me neither and frankly as a GenX guy this whole re-discovery of wine coolers makes me smile. Luckily, this creation - Jetway produced by Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes is actually pretty tasty. I just wish it said wine cooler instead of chasing the seltzer market.

I had the privilege of visiting the folks at Boochcraft in San Diego during an open house at their new production facility and quite frankly it changed my perception of the entire beverage segment. As progressive and open to new ideas as I am... I'd generally looked at "Hard Kombucha" as something girly that was more the domain of crunchy dudes who drove Subaru Foresters and talked about how great being a vegan was. While there's nothing wrong with those sort of guys... that's just not me. What I found here though was a beautiful blend of West Coast craft beer scene vibes mixed with many of the same things that I enjoy about hanging out with the new generation of winemakers. Let's take a look at why I'm hooked on Boochcraft and you guys should make sure to grab some too.

Five golden rings I get, but what am I to do when my true love gives me 10 lords-a-leaping? Catchy as it may be, the gifts from Twelve Days of Christmas are a bit out of date.

An astonishing 20 percent of American cranberry consumption happens during Thanksgiving week. Setting aside the debate about canned vs natural cranberry at the turkey table (natural is the right answer, obviously), cranberry ranks right up there with pumpkin spice as the iconic autumnal flavor.

There are many... many... MANY bars on cruise ships but all too often they turn out to be mere gimmicks. That's what I expected too when I discovered my beloved Blend had been replaced with something called Half Moon Bar on Holland America Line's latest ship MS Rotterdam. What I discovered instead was one of the best bars at sea and an incredibly talented mixologist who served up drinks of the same quality that I'd expect at the top craft cocktail lounges in Vegas.