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Most recently published stories in Proof.
10 Things No One Tells You About Being a Bartender
Here's the scene: It's Friday night, you've been putting in extra hours at the office, you're friend is in town for this night only, and you're going to tie one on! After the pregaming, the Uber, and the obnoxiously long line, you finally get into the bar, pushing through the horde of people to get to the bathroom. Once the deed is done and you've located your long time friend, you venture to find you're truest best friend at the establishment: the bartender. Amidst the blaring music and the line, you eventually push your way forward and stand at the bar top until one of the staff makes direct eye contact with you. You ask for a round of shots, and watch as she pours an extra for herself, initiating a cheers between you and your friend. Money litters the bar for her coworker down the way, and all you can ask her after handing her your cash is, "How good is it to be you?" She scoffs and laughs off the comment, turning to the register before handing you your change, serving her next unruly guest, and thinking of all the things no one tells you about being a bartender.
By Ryan Whitaker6 years ago in Proof
Best Tequilas to Try in 2018
Ah, tequila. You wild, blue agave-based booze, you. You are the beginning to a multitude of bad decisions and an ending to many relationships. You are a wonderful beverage that is meant to be enjoyed with friends shortly before puking and passing out in a gutter.
By Skunk Uzeki6 years ago in Proof
How to Make Delicious Punch That Everyone at Your Party Will Love
I love making cocktails for my friends, but things can get a little out of hand at birthday parties and other large gatherings. Between measuring and pouring ingredients, slicing limes and lemons, getting ice, cleaning out the shaker, and everything else that goes into running even a small home bar, it is all too easy to let bartending obligations overtake the fact that I actually want to spend time hanging out with my friends! When you have a dozen people, all of whom will be having at least two or three drinks, take my advice and skip the made-to-order cocktails by making a delicious punch instead. You can make it ahead of time, it is just as delicious and impressive as a single serving cocktail, and there's even some interesting history that you can use as a conversation starter!
By Joseph D. N. Kendrick6 years ago in Proof
How to Make Homemade Amaretto. Top Story - September 2018.
Amaretto is a classic Italian dessert liqueur that tastes phenomenally good when mixed with coffee or just on its own. Its deliciously nutty-spicy taste makes it a favorite for chocolate pairings, not to mention delicious dessert cocktails, too.
By Ossiana Tepfenhart6 years ago in Proof
10 Signs You're an Alcoholic
The sun shined the wrong way through your disheveled blinds, waking you from your stupor as you sweat your way through your sheets. Somewhere your alarm clock is going off; you're late for work, and your stomach is churning bile over and over at the bottom of your throat. You're counting the number of times your headache can pound inside your head until you're ready to get out of bed, and you taste blood running from your cracked lips as you pull yourself off your pillow. Swinging your legs off the bed, you try to stabilize yourself on your end table, knocking over beer bottles and soaking your carpet in alcohol. Now the race is on to get to the bathroom before you wretch all over your bedroom, tripping over clothes and empties from the night before. Admittedly, I've done this. It might even be safe to say the majority of people have done this. If you do this every morning though, it may be one of the signs you're an alcoholic.
By Ryan Whitaker6 years ago in Proof
How To Properly Hold Every Type of Drink. Top Story - August 2018.
Some people have their go-to drink of choice, always ordering a glass of cabernet or a pint of Guinness no matter where they go. Others prefer to see the happy hour specials, just in case they can get a particular red wine for a bargain. At a large, catered party, it may not be your decision if the festivities are meant to include a cocktail hour or a champagne toast. Whether you find the notion daunting or exciting, encountering new and unfamiliar drinks and drink ware is something just about everyone experiences from time to time. If you want to make sure you don't commit any social blunders and follow good bar etiquette, it's important to understand how to properly hold every type of drink. This guide will help you get your hands on everything from beer and wine to fancy cocktails and spirits.
By Joseph D. N. Kendrick6 years ago in Proof
10 Best Keto Cocktails You Will Love
If you’re trying out the keto diet, you’re probably aware that this means you have to carb count, because with ketogenic diets, it’s all about getting your net carbs as low as possible to achieve weight loss through ketosis. Low carb means less bread, but it also means being sugar free, which can be difficult when happy hour comes around. Keto-friendly alcoholic drinks are more difficult to find because sugar is one of the key ingredients in many mixed drinks. However, keto cocktails are out there, and delicious keto recipes do exist, especially if you are drinking these top low calorie alcoholic beverages. Whether you want a low carb cocktail with lime juice or a nice red wine, don’t feel like you can’t indulge on a keto friendly diet. Here are our top keto cocktails!
By Morgan E. Westling6 years ago in Proof
10 Oldest Cocktails in History
People have been getting drunk since the dawn of time, but the cocktails we drink today are relatively new inventions. A cocktail is often defined as an alcoholic mixed drink that contains three or more ingredients, at least one of which is a spirit. The word cocktail originated in the United States in the 17th century but didn't gain popularity until the middle of the 1800s. This popularity is thanks in large part to Jerry Thomas, the granddad of mixology, who published his bartender's guide in 1862. Luckily, the recipes are just as good today. So get your shakers ready. In no particular order, here are some of the oldest cocktails in history.
By Iwan Palinski6 years ago in Proof
The 10 Best Gins of 2018
Gin is a liquor that is oftentimes under appreciated, misunderstood, and downright disrespected among social drinkers from all walks of life. Perhaps the most cultured of all the spirits, this drink has an expansive history dating back to the 17th century, and even earlier on some accounts. Originally utilized as a medication, it was augmented with juniper berries to not only increase its health benefits, but also its palatability. Ever since, innovators and mixologists alike have flocked to the possibilities that gin offers purveyors of taste. Indeed, the best gins today are almost all derivatives of a "cultured" growth, regardless of its sketchy history with the sailors, wretches, and prostitutes of the English docks. This growth has yielded itself to the evolution of versatility, making premium gins a staple in eloquently prepared classic cocktails, as well as simple after-dinner drinks. With such a range of possibilities, its hard to snuff gin as a top contender among other liquors; and if you're already well-versed in the language of gin, you know you want to be making sure your drinking the best gin you possibly can be whenever you are drinking.
By Ryan Whitaker6 years ago in Proof
Best Coffee Flavored Cocktails
If there's two things I need to survive, they are coffee and liquor. Usually, those are separate things: morning coffee, evening cocktails. However, there is no hard and fast rule that says we can't enjoy two of the world's most wonderful things at the same time. Knowing all about liqueurs, the right ingredients, and the right proportions, you can make some incredible coffee flavored cocktails for any occasion. Just don't go trying to replace your morning wake-up coffee with cocktails—it's not generally a good idea to break out the liquor first thing in the morning.
By Nicola P. Young6 years ago in Proof
Piña Mojito
It's 2018. It's no secret that we live in an age where drinks bring people together. We meet up in bars, pubs, and house parties and these beverages somehow facilitate adult human socialization... they're quite the catalyst. Naturally, we must appreciate the classics, but in doing so, we must also realize the room for innovation.
By Breanna Proulx6 years ago in Proof
Signs You Can't Tolerate Beer
We've all had bad hangovers, or times when we drank a little too much and ended up spending the night wrapped around a porcelain throne. Sometimes, however, the negative side effects of alcohol aren't your fault, especially if you only had one or two drinks. A wide variety of allergic reactions can be traced to alcohol, and no alcohol is the root of more allergic reactions than beer. Beer contains a variety of ingredients, especially grains, which are linked to numerous allergies. If you experience any of the following signs you can't tolerate beer, you may find that a simple switch from beer to wine makes your drinking life far more enjoyable.
By Joseph D. N. Kendrick6 years ago in Proof