How to: Cure a Hangover [According to Science]

The quest for the sought-after hangover cure certainly began the morning after humanity discovered the fun of fermented liquids. And after thousands of years, different regions of the world have arrived at different conclusions on how to treat one, even coming up with different cures for each symptom.   

Continue Reading

Without This Perfect Tequila Cocktail, Cinco de Mayo’s Just May 5th

Last time we talked tequila, we showed you how to make a Pasado de Moda, an orange-and-tequila infused take on the Old Fashioned. Today, it's time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a fresh and crazy flavorful cocktail, made with Olmeca Altos Reposado.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican Army's 1862 victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla. It is not, as people often think, the Mexican Independence Day (that's Diez y Seiz de Septiembre). The holiday isn't really acknowledged in Mexico anyway, but any time there's an excuse to enjoy some tequila, we are most certainly a bordo.

But cross cultural mashups don't need a reason to exist

Continue Reading

How to: Grow these 8 Herbs for an Amazing Cocktail Garden

Oh, Summertime. The best time of year for delicious drinks made with fresh ingredients. In doing my research for this piece, I had a hard time not wanting to just make up a drink for each herb! 

Continue Reading

How to Drink Vodka Like a Russian

It's an interesting contrast. Vodka is among the most simple and pure of spirits, distilled many times to show off the basic essence of its grain (or potatoes) and water source. But perhaps there's no other bottle that carries with it such a variety of contexts in which its imbibed. Because of its straight-forward, back-to-basics presentation, you can drink vodka like, say, a college student who wants to mask the taste. Or a James Bond-inspired martini drinker who hasn't learned about gin yet. Or for its, um, less-hangover-y nature and overall lower impact to your systems the next morning. And countless other ways.

Or, you could drink vodka like those people who invented it - those from Northeastern Europe, where long, cold winters mean grapes won't really grow, and the best source of sugar to ferment and distill are hardy cereal grains.    

Continue Reading

Now This Is a Whiskey Glass

Just when I thought the wonderful world of whiskey couldn't get any better, I found this amazing glass to drink it out of. Complete with a real bullet.  

Continue Reading

Why Aren't All Cocktails Served in the Same Glass?

As any quality chef will tell you, presentation is of vital importance. And it's no less true when it comes to the pairing of cocktails and glassware. Each glass has its own connotations of class and style, completely aside from its own functionality, and so here's a little history behind it all.   

Continue Reading

How to: Make the Perfect DIY Cocktail Muddler (for $5.63)

There are two routes home cocktail enthusiasts tend to take when choosing a muddler: the mini-baseball style that sits on the check-out counter and the local liquor store (which suck), and then there's the handmade, lathe-turned muddler made from some exotic South American hardwood that can cost you as much as $60 or $80.

Or, you can get the performance of the second for the price of the first. 

Continue Reading

How to: Make Your Own Moonshine Still from Hardware Store Parts

Cause sometimes you just need to distill something non-drinkable into clear, pure liquid...you know, like, uh, water. Yeah, that's right. Distilled water.    

Continue Reading

Roundup: 5 Original Holiday Cocktails Using Ingredients You Already Have

I love discovering new cocktail recipes, and unique ways to coax different, unique flavors with classic spirits.

But, these days, discovering "new cocktails" on the internet usually means "new fandangled drinks that use a bunch of specialty liqueurs and spirits you don't have and aren't gonna buy a whole bottle of to try a new drink."

So, with that in mind, I decided to come up with five tasty, holiday-ish cocktails using stuff you can find in an average liquor cabinet. Of course, that varies from home to home, but these stick to spirits you've heard of, I promise. Plus, each features a bit of festive pomegranate flavor courtesy of our

Continue Reading

A Classic (and Cheap!) Holiday Gift Done Right

With the holidays right around the corner, we set off to buy a relatively cheap, but meaningful gift for a friend. What we found was classic flask designed by the same guys who made your grandfather's thermos, and filled it with a little holiday spirit.

Continue Reading

Why the Hot Toddy is a Man's Ultimate Winter Cocktail... and How to Make It

Egg nog is a divisive libation, loved by its proponents and eschewed by any means from its haters. Many think the idea of warming wine and adding oranges and cloves and such is a waste of perfectly good wine, and many of us are happy to simply take a black coffee and a glass of whiskey, rather than trying to Irish up anything.    

Continue Reading

Best Value in Booze: What's the Best Brandy under $15?

There are times to try new things. Times to taste different flavors, experiment with products, seek out something you've never encountered before...And sometimes, you just want to know what the best option is. The easy choice. The go-to. The everyday variety you know will work when you need it, and rely on every time.      

Throughout the next few months, ManMade is seeking out the best affordable bottles of a variety of spirits that work well in your home bar, but know you can grab at the store the next time you head to a friend's house or a party.   

Continue Reading

Best Value in Booze: What's the Best Rum under $25?

There are times to try new things. Times to taste different flavors, experiment with products, seek out something you've never encountered before...And sometimes, you just want to know what the best option is. The easy choice. The go-to. The everyday variety you know will work when you need it, and rely on every time.      

Throughout the next few months, ManMade is seeking out the best affordable bottles of a variety of spirits that work well in your home bar, but know you can grab at the store the next time you head to a friend's house or a party.   

Continue Reading

How to: Make Homemade Grenadine for Tastier Holiday Cocktails

Pop quiz! What is grenadine?

Until a few years ago, I woulda said, "Um...it's that cherry stuff they put in my lemon-lime soda as a kid."

And I would have been wrong.

See, the "grenad-" in grenadine, and the "grenad-" in grenade are actually the same etymological root, and refer to a fruit that has little to do with cherries:  

Continue Reading

Best Value in Booze: What's the Best Vodka Under $25?

There are times to try new things. Times to taste different flavors, experiment with products, seek out something you've never encountered before...And sometimes, you just want to know what the best option is. The easy choice. The go-to. The everyday variety you know will work when you need it, and rely on every time.  

Throughout the rest of the year, ManMade is seeking out the best affordable bottles of a variety of spirits that work well in your home bar, but know you can grab at the store the next time you head to a friend's house or a party.       

Continue Reading

A Closer Look: The Distiller

Here is a story of a Brooklyn man who was tired of his job and decided to start a distillery instead. Click through for your dose of maker inspiration.  

Continue Reading

Best Value in Booze: What's the Best Bourbon under $25?

 There are times to try new things. Times to taste different flavors, experiment with products, seek out something you've never encountered before...And sometimes, you just want to know what the best option is. The easy choice. The go-to. The everyday variety you know will work when you need it, and rely on every time.  

Throughout the next few months, ManMade is seeking out the best affordable bottles of a variety of spirits that work well in your home bar, but know you can grab at the store the next time you head to a friend's house or a party.      

Continue Reading

Poor Man's Pappy: How to "Make" Your Own Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon... No Waiting List Required

If you know anything about bourbon, you've no doubt heard the fables of Pappy Van Winkle, one of the most hard-to-find and sought-after bottles on the market. It's become the stuff of legend, perhaps better known for its rarity than its flavor. Or, if reports are to be believed, perhaps not. People say it's pretty amazing.   

Continue Reading

Everything You Need to Know (and Own) to Build the Ultimate Home Bar

We love a night out as much as anyone, but the truth is: you don't have to get dressed up to deal with noise and crowds and drop $12 plus a 20% tip to enjoy a great cocktail. Heck, you don't even technically have to be dressed at all to experience a balanced, well-presented drink. A sidecar tastes just as good in your hole-y PJs as it does with your shirt tucked in. No judgment here.

The truth is, the properly stocked home bar is part of our American tradition. It got lost a bit in the blended neon slushies and pitchers of the 70s, 80s, and 90s (we're looking at you, Baby Boomers), but from the original speakeasy cocktail days of the 1930s to the space-age swinging bachelor pad of the 50s and 60s, part of being a grown man meant asking "Can I get you something to drink?" and meaning it.   

Continue Reading

How to: Make Cheap Bourbon Taste Like a Million Bucks

By simply accenting the varietals in bourbon with similar ingredients you can easily move a bottom shelf brand up a level. All you need is three simple ingredients!

Continue Reading