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Most recently published stories in Proof.
Archer's Guide to Cocktails
Please note that the following are cocktail recipes. You won't find anything about wine in this article, as Sterling stated to me over what I believe was his fifth scotch, he does not have a vagina. He also wanted to avoid highball recipes, because a highball is technically just a spirit and a mixer, and frankly, if you need to recipe to tell you to add soda to scotch, then you probably shouldn't be drinking anyway. Archer has been kind enough to not only share his favorite recipes but provide us with some stellar quotes too.
By Katya Krakowska7 years ago in Proof
(Jumping On) the Natural Wine Bandwagon
As with anything that is new and exciting, and where people see money to be made; lots of more established producers are jumping on the natural and orange wine bandwagons. This as a whole is not a bad thing - as a general trend the natural wine movement is having a positive effect on the rest of the wine industry and there are some trends that are jumping over from natural wine that should be embraced (juicy, fruity, fun, chilled reds for instance).
By Jules van Costello7 years ago in Proof
Weird Drinking Laws in America
Alcohol has had an odd history in the court of law. During Prohibition, alcohol became illegal, which, it turned out, did little to stop people from drinking. Shocking. As the drinking age creeps higher and higher with the passing years, many people feel constricted when it comes to alcohol laws. However, rest assured that, while alcohol restrictions throughout the United States may be a pain, some states have laws that are not only oddly strict, but strictly odd.
By Miranda O'Conner7 years ago in Proof
New York's Speakeasy Bar Scene
The popular Crif Dogs diner is pretty easy to spot along St Mark’s Place; the words ‘Eat Me’ hang high above the sidewalk emblazoned across a giant frankfurter. There’s already quite a queue forming inside, but strangely few people are actually indulging in the delicious hot dogs served here. Everyone seems to be loitering around an antiquated phone booth that’s standing against a far wall and from time to time one or two people squeeze in and then seem to somehow disappear.
By Scott Snowden7 years ago in Proof
Rock Climbing, Booze, and Existential Ennui
After the Crux Originally appeared in Swift Kick No. 5/6 “Death and Transformation” 1987. Basement Man was the strangest fuck I ever met. I mean the guy looked like he just busted outa the pen, or wandered outa the mountains somewhere. He musta stood six-two, with a big, furry, crazy-lookin beard and these wild blue eyes that looked out from all that hair like a bear's. His hands were the size of your fuckin head.
By Joseph Ferguson7 years ago in Proof
33 Booze Life Hacks Every Drinker Needs to Know. Top Story - February 2017.
Elevate your bartender, mixologist and sommelier skills to the next level with these 33 booze hacks: Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot, is not water-soluble but is alcohol-soluble. Take a swig of vodka to stop the heat. Make cheap wine taste expensive by “aerating” it in a blender for 30 seconds. Use tube socks to keep your bottles from breaking when traveling with booze. Create your own vanilla extract by slicing vanilla beans lengthwise and storing them in a cheap bottle of vodka for a month. Don't water down your white wine with ice; use frozen grapes instead.
By Sheera Lee7 years ago in Proof
Best Home Brew Kits and Recipes
History has seen beer recorded in Mesopotamian cuneiform (the oldest known form of writing), taxed under the Pharaohs (burial alive was then the penalty for evasion), rinsed through Cleopatra’s hair, spread by the vikings and the Roman legions, fostered at medieval monasteries, mass-produced by America's founding fathers, prohibited by our Constitution (only to be monopolized by gangsters immediately thereafter), and imbibed by just about everybody and his grandma. Yesterday's "Mesopotamian Gold" is being rolled out by the US today—hundreds of thousands of barrels per year. By no means does that figure account for the almost 4,000 - 5,000 different beers consumed worldwide: ales, bocks, lagers, porters, stouts—everything from bitter beers that are virtually unpalatable unless mixed with sweet syrups to crystal clear to warm sakis served in Japanese restaurants. To top it off, more and more people are now resorting to home-brewing.
By Iwan Palinski7 years ago in Proof
Craft Beer Trends That Need to End
Craft brewing has been a booming business for the last few decades or so. Of course, with the rise of these small breweries comes the rise of silly gimmicks. Most of these trends stem from marketing magic, trying to trick you into buying things you don’t really want, while some are just baffling craft beer trends that need to end. I’m proposing we collectively agree to let these fads slip silently to the wayside. Let’s keep the focus on what makes craft beers great and what sets them apart, not a bunch of ridiculous barroom trends. Some are annoying, some are pompous, and some are just plain weird. Beard beer anyone?
By Iwan Palinski7 years ago in Proof
Say Hello To Verdejo
Wine cocktails can actually be a very sexy thing, once we take wine coolers out of the equation. When it comes to white wine in cocktails, most of the time the wine used is whatever is available. Next time you are mixing up a cocktail that requires some white vino try wine from Spain.
By Yolanda Shoshana7 years ago in Proof
After 500 Years, Rum Makes A Comeback
Rum's present popularity in America dates back to 1493, when Columbus returned to the new world with cuttings of sugarcane, which were planted in what are now Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, and Haiti. When the technique of distillation was introduced to the Caribbean islands in the 17th century, the thick, syrupy molasses that is the by-product of converting cane into crystallized sugar was fermented to produce alcohol, and the resulting mash was distilled into rum.
By Lynne Shumaker7 years ago in Proof