There is no true rule of thumb when drinking whisky but there are a few things to keep in mind to make the experience a lot more enjoyable. It should be pointed out that if the general rule of thumb is not observed there is still no reason not to enjoy this wonderful spirit.

You should never put ice in a great dram as it kills the taste and aroma, however, some do prefer it this way.  The glass that is originally designed to accept a fine malt whisky is very wide at the top and gently slopes in for the very reason of not comfortably accepting a bed of ice, as the intention is to steer away from this practice. This glass is by most called a tumbler.

When purchasing great malt the price, like many things, will indeed reflect the quality you get since with scotch, you tend to get what you pay for. There are a variety of alcohols available for a cheap price in which you can get a buzz, however, fine scotch should be sipped and enjoyed.

Good malt is not an appropriate mate for a mixing party and does not really take kindly to a soda.  It tastes much better with simple bottled water. The best pairing with great malt would be of the mineral water variety bottled water is tolerated by malt without hesitation.

At 40-60% alcohol, whisky is indeed a strong spirit and will definitely get the attention of the less than experienced in drinking it. Throwing in a dash of mineral water will soften the blow so to speak and calm its aggressive nature. The term “the whisky will open itself” is in reference to the aroma being released when water is added so a few drops will surely bring even the most experienced of malt drinkers to bliss.

The wonderful thing about cask strength is that at approximately 60% alcohol per volume rate, this is one strong drink in turn allowing the drinker to tone it down to an appropriate alcohol level to suit personal taste making this an ideal drink to customize.

The makers of these fine spirits advise that you take a small mouthful and hold it in your mouth swish it around your tongue giving it time to settle.  Only then will you get the true nature of this fine malt.

Finally on a closing note, after a swallow, it is said that you can get a good read on the maturity of the malt by how long it stays with you in you mouth.

When you think of a man’s drink, what comes to mind? Baileys? Vodka?  To many, scotch seems to be the drink of choice for grown men and seemingly this choice has been made for many, many years. There is most probably not a spirit, more endeared by men than scotch.

Scotch is made here in America, but the finest scotch is made in the Isles of Scotland.  Scotch from Islay Scotland, can cost you a pretty penny.  The scotch mentioned here from Scotland is from the Bruichladdich distillery in Islay Scotland, which is at the most southern of all Hebridian islands. The scotch made there is so rare that it can only be purchased at the distillery.

Here in America, scotch is not so hard to come by.  A bottle of Wild Turkey costs, on average, about $22.00.  Whereas a high end whiskey can cost up to $50.00 a bottle.  Compare that to a fine scotch from is isles at around $120.00 per bottle and you will see the difference isn’t so much in the bottle, but in the spirit itself.

Twelve:  Is this indeed the magic number when it comes to fine scotch? In a matter of terms the answer is yes.

When trying to decide on a scotch it would be best to look for that magical number, as it will indicate to you that at least it has grown into full body.  There are quite a few bottles out there that have aged longer, yet obtaining these gems can prove to be tricky.  An old bottle of scotch is a real treasure.

Scotch, at least fine scotch, is meant to roll off the back of your tongue, and give you a warm and subtle punch in the tummy. Younger scotch, has not been given a chance to build a personality, hence it is not as smooth.  It seems to be agreed that twelve years or longer is the magic number when it comes to the age of perfection for fine scotch.  It may come in many different fashions and labels yet the song remains the same; good scotch has been brewing for awhile.

10-12: Scotch is Getting Younger.

The notion that all scotch must be at least 12 years to be enjoyed is a common understanding among scotch drinkers everywhere.  However, one company is out to prove them wrong.  This scotch is just two years shy of the twelve year mark, but is growing in popularity.

Enter Glenkinchie; this ten year old malt is 86 proof and a very pale gold in color. It has a reminiscent fragrance of peat and a grassy meadow that ends rather sweet.  Its body is light to medium, it is considered to be well-rounded lowland malt. In the end it stays dry, and carries a hint if ginger.

Originally formed in 1837 by a farmer, this malt clearly has some history. The original owner of the distillery sold it to another farmer who used the distillery as a cattle shed and sawmill. This property was again sold in 1880 and returned back to its natural intention to make fine malt just in time for the whiskey boom in the 1890’s.

This single malt will be enjoyed by the new and revered by the old single malt enthusiasts.

For beginner wine enthusiasts, hosting their first wine tasting party can become a bit overwhelming. But to help, remember these 3 basic factors:

1. Wine Pairing
2. Wine Grades
3. Wine Reviews

These can be researched online, and maybe even have 3×5 cards placed on your wine tasting tables with such information.

For years wine pairing has been established as the best way to enjoy both the meal and the wine. The pairing can be a pleasurable experience and although many opinions and rules exist on which wines go best with what foods, I hold it to be a very personal decision.

It ultimately is measured by your taste buds.

As far as th wine grades, this will help you organize your table and categorize by different wine grades.

These can be categorized as Supreme, Pure, and Value grades.

Last, but not least, you can include on those info cards, the different reviews you have researched online. You can even include blank cards to have some of your guests provide their own reviews of the wines provided.

Now, whether our reasons for hosting a wine tasting party are to help with pairing, grading, or reviewing, or purely romantic, it is certainly the best to enjoy life’s greatest pleasure!

Why do I ask? Because if your house is set up like mine, your bar may well be either near or in your kitchen. And if it is, I think I’ve found one of the better spots to help spruce up that kitchen to at least look like you know what to do in it.

I just finished renovating the kitchen and in the center an island, of course. Over head, a pot rack! Not just any pot rack an Eclume pot rack!

These pot racks are meant to put some luxury and shine in the kitchen, and around the bar. Along with the pot rack, we purchased the wine and accessories rack to accompany it on the bar. Looks great!

Enclume racks (pronounced “Ahn-Kloom”) feature signature hanging arms supporting the main rim rather than the typical lightweight chain hooked through a thin rim. Their hammered steel forged up to twice as thick, is recognized as the standard in cookware rack finishes and construction. Meant to last a lifetime, your Enclume cookware rack will become a treasured heirloom to be passed on through the generations.

If interested, check them out! We like what we saw and have.

I know, we usually share drink recipes, but today we wanted to share an awesome Alaskan king crab legs recipe and wine pairing. We were able to take some time, finally, to spend with some family friends and enjoy a great time with food and drinks. Hosting the party, of course I was the tender. Margaritas, Mojitos, and Lemon Drop shots everywhere.

The main course were Alaskan king crab legs…. man, were they good! You almost have to eat them with metal gloves, but they’re worth it.

We were able to find and follow a recipe from the Foodnetwork.com.

Drunken Alaskan King Crab Legs

3 bottles premium ale
3 lemons, cut in 1/2
1 head garlic, split in 1/2
3 pounds Alaskan king crab legs, split
Drawn butter, for serving

To a large stockpot with a steamer insert, add beer, lemons and garlic and bring to a boil. Add crab legs and cover. Steam for 5 minutes or until crab is cooked through. Serve with drawn butter.

But to finish it just right, a nice Reisling wine.

Whew, enjoy!

Planning on moving to Boston and want to know the best of the best? First of all, if you are planning to move to ol’ Beantown, the best Boston Moving Company is Humboldt. Years of experience and if you do not want your liquor or wine bottles coming back to you in a hefty bag, well, trust me, Humboldt, the best Boston Moving Company.

Now, over at our colleagues blog at DrinkBoston.com, we hear that Hendrick’s Gin have chosen five finalists to compete in the Beantown Bartender Battle at Green Street, this past Tuesday.

We want to take the time to congratulate the finalists, who are:

We can tell you what our recipe for the best margarita is, but then we will have to kill you. Over the last year or so, we have posted many drink recipes, but none so popular as the margarita recipes. Now, what we neglected to mention or include, is the frozen margarita. Although the drink recipes stay the same, the difference of course is the crushed ice.

Now what do you need exactly to make the perfect FROZEN margarita?? The perfect blender.

You cannot use just any type of blenders. Either the ice is crushed so much that it is practically liquefied, or not enough and the result is a chunky monkey margarita…. hmmm, nice drink name.

The blenders are what provide the perfect texture for the frozen margarita. After some research, we have found that a blender that will provide you with the consistency needed will be in the price range of $20 - $98. Broad range, we know, but we consider different budgets without losing much quality.

The one we found best was the Hamilton Beach 50754 WaveStation 10 Speed and at a reasonable of price of just $35.

A good comparison site to view the list of the top blenders for margaritas can be found here ->.

Hope this was informative…. keep tending!

Most homeowners have a bar setup and usually have the typical nuts or pretzels in a bowl to offer their guests. Last month as we visited a friend, we noticed a bowl of jelly beans…. hmmm! They were addicting, especially went well with the margaritas served.

I wasn’t sure if my hangover the next day was due to the alcohol or the sugar.

I asked where it was purchased from and the homeowner mentioned he bought in bulk online.

After some search I had to share a great online store, Oh Nuts!. Their bulk jelly beans prices has been the best I have found till date.

We wanted to share this, as this idea can be a great compliment to your bar. Or, you may even purchase bulk jelly beans and include it in your gift giving baskets.

Some ideas may even include packaging it together with a margarita mix and a bottle of tequila. the sour of the salt and lime in a margarita coupled with the sweetness of a Baja-Margarita Jelly bean, mmmmm. Give it a try, it’s just an idea we had here.