News Segment

Here is the clip from the news. Big thanks to Syma for being a great host, as always.

Recipes

The first cocktail is the Holiday Bramble. This is a simple cocktail that uses Cranberries an ingredient I don’t find used much beyond relish.

Holiday Bramble

• 2oz Whiskey (I used Canadian Club Reserve)
• 1/2oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/2oz Fig Syrup
• 6 Cranberries
• Muddle berries in the bottom of a mixing tin. Add remaining ingredients and ice then shake. Strain into a coupe glass or this lovely handmade Cordial Cup.
• Fig syrup is 2 parts jam and 1 part water warmed over the stove to combine. Strain into a jar and store in the fridge.

The Hot Toddy is so versatile and you can have a lot of fun experimenting with it. Here is my version to help cleanse you of 2020.

2020 Cleanse

• 2oz Spiced Rum (I used Bumbu Rum)
• 1/2oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/2oz Honey/Sage Syrup
• 4oz Hot Tea (I used Earl Gray)
• Add everything to a preheated mug and stir.
• Honey Sage syrup is made by warming 1 part honey to 1 part water. Remove from the stove and add a few leaves of sage. Once cool, remove the sage and store in a jar in the fridge.

I have a love hate relationship with beer cocktails. I’ve experimented with many of them. This is a fun way to make a pilsner more holiday festive as you try to hit the last square of this crazy year.

Jumanji

• 1/2oz Irish Whiskey (I used Fighting 69th)
• 1/2oz Cherry Herring
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Pilsner Beer
• Spritz of Peety Scotch (I used Ardbeg 10yr)
• Shake the Irish Whiskey, Heering and bitters with ice then strain into a pilsner glass. Top with beer and spritz with scotch.

The post Delicious DIY Holiday Cocktails appeared first on Nick Drinks.

The Holidays are upon us and it’s time for another gift guide. I get the privilege to review a lot of gear and spirits. Here are my pick for some unique items specifically for people that are hard to buy for.

Never break a bottle again

Nearly every vacation, business trip or overseas journey I went on, I brought back at least one if not several bottles of alcohol home. It was always a great adventure to bring something back that wasn’t sold near you. On occasion bottles did break. I wrapped them in socks, shirts and whatever I was traveling with. Enter the VinGardeValise. This adorable suitcase not only holds enough clothes for a short trip but it also stores 5 BOTTLES OF WINE OR SPIRITS. This is the perfect gift for anyone who is a wine or spirit adventure. Full disclosure, we were sent one of these bags to review but I stand by the recommendation as a solid choice. Use code NICKDRINKS for 15% off too!

Beautify your backbar

When I visit people’s home bars, I’m always amazed at the creativity. I’ve never seen two bars that look the same. However, many of the brands we love will always be the same bottle no matter where you purchase them. This is where decanters come in. Note only is it a great way to show off your favorite spirits but it is unique to your style and can be personalized. Check out Prestige Decanters for a full line of unique products. They are a small business from Louisville, Kentucky. Also check out our video where we made an infinity decanter. Another great idea for someone who has tried ever spirit imaginable. Note, we were also sent a decanter to review and stand by this recommendation.

Big cubes with out the hassle

Making nearly clear ice for yourself at home isn’t impossible but it takes skill, the right tools and is never perfect. Having access to a Clinebell Ice Machine that freezes giant crystal clear blocks of ice is really the way to go. Trust the professionals at Detroit Ice Works to make beautiful packaged ice that is sold at fine liquor and grocery stores. These cubes will keep spirits chilled and won’t overly dilute them. Crafty!

Homemade BBQ anytime you want

I love eating BBQ and am terrible at cooking it. Every time I make brisket it is dry. What would you do if you could just sit in your house and someone would ship you delicious Southern-style BBQ to your home? You would jump up and down. Speakeasy Meats, based out of Ann Arbor, makes a range of slow smoked products that will remind you of a Summer picnic. Check out their full line on their website.

A better way to make cocktails

I own hundreds of cocktail books and something that they don’t do well at is being a rapid and efficient resource to make cocktails. Maneful solved a number of problems by changing the traditional cocktail book into a deck of cards. These recipes are water-proof, full of useful information and easy to use. They can be shuffled, sorted, and passed around the room. Very unique and a great stocking stuffer.

All your whiskey needs

Supporting local spirits producers is paramount at this time. Traverse City Whiskey Co is taking it one step further and making kits that make gift giving a snap. My big recommendation for shopping for spirits is go local, go barrel picks or go both. Looking for some good barrel picks? Check out Kako’s in Birmingham.

The post 2020 Boozy Gift Guide appeared first on Nick Drinks.

Nick Drinks is pleased to announce the 2nd year of the Golden Jigger Awards. The mission of the awards is to recognize the great work done by Metro Detroit’s Bartenders, Locations, Events and Brands over 2019. It was a great year for the industry and there are far more people responsible for the success of the region. We thank everyone for their hard work.

This year, awards were nominated by Nick Drinks and public  based on capabilities, knowledge and service. To select the winners, a combination of public vote, Industry/Media panel and the Nick Drinks staff will make the final decision.  ​​Voting is live now and will remain open until December 1st, 2019 at midnight. Everyone is welcome to vote once in the public vote. The Industry/Media panel is a cross section of the leaders in the industry from food/beverage media and hospitality focused groups:

Better on Draft, Bitter Detroit, Brew Export, Chartreuse/Oakland, Cocktail Detroit, Daily Detroit, Detroit Cocktail Camp, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Detroit Optimist Society, Drinks with Destiny, Eater, Great Lakes Wine & Spirits, Greater Detroit USBG Board, Grey Ghost/Second Best Bar, Hungry Dudes, Mabel Gray, Man Cave Happy Hour, Michigan Tea/Coffee Week, Michigan Craft Beverage Council, Royce/Marrow/Mink, Sazerac Company, Standby/Skip/Deluxx Fluxx, Tammy’s Tasting, William Grant and Sons, Willis Show Bar, Working Class Outlaws, & Yelp.

A number of sponsors have helped make this event possible:

• Autentico Nativo Rum sponsoring the Best Bartender Award
• Becherovka and JP Wisers sponsoring the Best Whiskey Program Award
• Coppercraft Distillery sponsoring the Best Retail Program Award
• Amaro Montenegro of E&J Gallo is sponsoring Best Wine Program Award
• Mover & Shaker Co is sponsoring, developed the logo, provided a custom pin and is presenting an award.
• Old Nation Brewing Company sponsoring the Best Beer Program Award.
• Watershed Distillery sponsoring the Best Non-Alcoholic Program Award
• Wheatly Vodka sponsoring the Best Bar Award

The categories and nominees are as follows:

• Best Bartender (presented by Autentico Nativo Rum) – Giancarlo Aversa, Jorge Cherriz, Roger Fruin, Tara Jagodinski, Bin Khulayf, Melissa Kim, Shelby Minnix, John Neely, Katrell Thomas, & Chas Williams
• Best Beer Program (presented by Old Nation Brewery) – Ale Mary’s Beer Hall, Clubhouse BFD, Grand Trunk Pub, Mudgie’s Deli & Wine Shop, and One Eyed Betty’s
• Best Beverage Event – Detroit Cocktail Camp, Detroit Cocktail Classic 2019, Detroit Whisky Festival IV 2019, Michigan Brewers Guild 11th Annual Fall Festival, and Miracle Pop-Up
• Brewery of the Year – Batch Brewing, Odd Side Ales, Old Nation Brewing Co, River’s Edge Brewing Co, & Royal Oak Brewery
• Best Cicerone – Peter Bruno, Annette May, Mike Turriff, Bobby Vedder, and Gregg Wilmes
• Best Bar (Presented by Wheatley Vodka) – Evening Bar, Hammer & Nail, Kiesling, The Last Word, The Library, Lost River, Monarch Club, Mutiny Bar, Standby, and The Sugar House
• Best Brand Support – Banhez Mezcal, Campari Group, Copper & Kings Distillery, Watershed Distillery, and William Grant & Sons
• Distillery of the Year (presented by Mover & Shaker Co) – Coppercraft Distillery, Detroit City Distillery, Long Road Distillers, Traverse City Whiskey Co, and Two James Spirits
• Best Brand Launch – Casamara Club, Copper Queen Whiskey, Eastern Kille, Glyph Molecular Whiskey and Lake Life
• Best Non-Alcoholic Program (presented by Watershed Distillery) – Castalia, Lost River, M Cantina, Smith & Co, and Standby
• Best Retail Venue (Presented by Coppercraft Distillery) – 8 Degrees Plato, Holiday Market, Kako’s Market, Motor City Wine and Tippins Market
• Best Sommelier – Caitlin Payne Buquet, Catherine Kurth, Gerry Baker, Michael “Mick” Descamps, and Liz Martinez.
• Best Tea or Coffee Program – Anthology Coffee, Astro Coffee, Eli Tea, Madcap Coffee and The Red Hook.
• Best Whiskey Program (Presented by JP Wisers & Bechervoka) – Butter Run Saloon, The Last Word, Standby, Sugar House & Thomas Magee’s
• Best Wine Program (Presented by Amaro Montenegro) – Michigan by the Bottle, Motor City Wine Bar, Paramita Sound, Prime & Proper, and The Royce
• Winery of the Year – Big Little Wines, Mari Vineyards, Mawby, St. Julian Winery and Youngblood Vineyard

On December 8th, 2018 at 7pm EST there will be a live awards ceremony at Detroit Shipping Company in Detroit. Buy tickets here.

Please contact me if you would like to get more information about the event or set-up an interview. nick@nickdrinks.com. Good luck everyone.

The post Golden Jigger Awards 2019 appeared first on Nick Drinks.

However, Cocktail Classic, one of the biggest spirited events in Metro Detroit falls on #SoberOctober. We don’t want anyone to fail on their goal this month. Therefore, we have issued a permission slip that will allow you to skip one day Friday, October 4th 2019 to attend and enjoy Cocktail Classic.

Download link

Please return this Permission Slip to the Nick Drinks Booth at Cocktail Classic and your skip day for #SoberOctober will be forgiven.

Cheers – Nick

The post Sober October Permission Slip appeared first on Nick Drinks.

Detroit Cocktail Week is back for it’s 4th year and the line up looks just as impressive as previous years. Nick Drinks will be returning for their live Facebook coverage of the main event, Cocktail Classic, with a bigger set-up. Thanks to our sponsors Copper & Kings American Craft Brandy and Podcast Detroit, we’ll be interviewing 10+ bartenders, giving out swag to the live audience and invited three prominent cocktail pundits to join us; @cocktaildetroit, Mickey Lyons of @prohibitionDetroit and industry veteran John Neely.

Tune-in for our live Cocktail Classic 2019 coverage starting at 7pm EST on the Nick Drinks Facebook channel.

My visit to Fox 2

The Week’s Events:

• 9/30 – Detroit Hospitality Conference (9a-4p) @Whiskey Factory Detroit
• 9/30 – Bartender’s Ball (6p-9p) @Deluxx Fluxx
• 10/1 – Espolon Tequila Late Night Happy Hour (6p-1a) @Willis Show Bar
• 10/1 – Brugal Rum Dinner (6:30p-9:30p) @Flowers of Vietnam
• 10/2 – Detroit City Distillery Dinner (6p-9p) @The Apparatus Room
• 10/3 – Canadian Whisky Distillery Field Trip (9a-4p) @Hiram Walker Distilleries (Canada)
• 10/3 – The World Needs More Canada Happy Hour (4p-6p) @The Keep
• 10/3 – El Jimador & Herradura Cocktail Dinner (6p-8p) @Takoi
• 10/3 – Two James Late Night Happy Hour (10p-12a) @Two James Spirits
• 10/4 – Detroit Cocktail Classic 2019 (6p-10p) @Eastern Market
• 10/6 – Cocktail Classic Awards Ceremony (6p-9p) @The Monarch

Detroit Cocktail Classic Line-Up

This list is fluid and I’ll update it as I hear more.

The post Guide to Detroit Cocktail Week 2019 appeared first on Nick Drinks.

2018 Review

• Started our TV Show and made 16 episodes
• Threw a live awards show and handed out 15 awards
• Hosted two live shows for beverage events
• Made up a Beverage Holiday
• Opened a Video Studio
• Had one of my videos on FoodNetwork.com
• Judged a Cocktail Competition
• Built the HMS Cocktail boat
• Made the World’s Largest Whisky Highball
• Was on the news 10+ times
• Interviewed by Craft Spirit’s Nation, The Manual, & Slurred Words
• Recorded 47 episodes of Heard Podcast
• Drank Gravy Cocktails
• Shot our first International video (coming soon)
• Grew 100 followers on Instagram…slow and steady
• Did a Menu photo shoot for a local bar
• Tripled our YouTube Subscriber base
• Had our best YouTube video ever: Nuka Dark Rum Review

Goals for 2019

• Grow my YouTube base to 10,000
• Do a segment on Channel 4 Detroit (WDIV)
• Post more on the website
• Continue working with great sponsors
• Bring back Golden Jiggers in Dec 2019

The post 2018 Review & 2019 Goals appeared first on Nick Drinks.

Updated: 1/1/19

The post Comprehensive Beverage Holiday Calendar 2019 appeared first on Nick Drinks.

Big thank you as well to the sponsors of the event; Copper And Kings Amerian Craft Brandy Co, Kater Wingman Water, Chaser, Mover & Shaker Co and Willis Show Bar. 

Best Whiskey Program
– The Sugar House

Best Wine Program
– The Royce

Best High Volume Bar
– The Skip

Best Beer Program
– One-Eyed Betty’s 

Best Beverage Rep
– Laura O’Reilly

Best Cicerone
– Zach Typinski

Best International or National Brand Launch
– Glennfiddich Fire & Cane

Best Michigan Brand Launch
– Norden Aquavit

Best Beverage Event
– Detroit Cocktail Classic

Best Retail Venue
– Kako’s Market

Best Sommelier
– Liz Martinez

Distillery of the Year
– Long Road Distillers

Best Craft Bar
– The Standby

Best Bartender
– Will Lee 

What a great event. Should we do it again next year? 

The post Golden Jigger Awards 2018 Recap appeared first on Nick Drinks.

Like all good classic cocktails, the history is murky. It appears to have been invented sometime in the 1870s. References in the US and Peru are both noted in the decade.

You can make a variation on the drink by floating some red wine on top to make a New York Sour.

Recipe for a Proper Whiskey Sour:

• 2 oz good Whiskey (often bourbon but I used Cask & Crew Rye)
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup (I used gomme syrup for a fun spin)
• 1 egg white
• Dry shake everything in a shaker. A dry shake is without ice and optionally can include the spring from a Hawthrone strainer. This increases the air whipped into the egg white and makes for a better drink. Remove the spring, add ice and shake again. Strain this into a coupe glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry. I can also add an orange slice too.

The post National Whiskey Sour Day – August 25th appeared first on Nick Drinks.

Congress Station (Between Congress and Larned)

Townhouse Detroit is known for its spectacular auto-retracting roof, solid food menu and an incredibly deep list of whiskeys. Think you are baller enough to join the Whiskey Society?

Campus Maritus (North side of Campus Martius Park)

Roast was one of the early entries in the new run of Detroit bars and restaurants. While the famous Micheal Symon is at the helm for the food, Cocktail Mix Master Rick Lane Paulger makes the bar program shine.

Grand Circus (In the Park closer to Witherell)

Bad Luck Bar is one of the newest additions to Detroit with its far too clever bar menu and ancient aged spirit features. Bring your sense of adventure and a fresh paycheck.

Foxtown (Past Montcalm near the Fox Theater)

One of the grandfather’s of cool in Detroit is Cliff Bell’s. One of the few spots in the city that you can hear world-class live music and get a well-prepared cocktail.

Sibley (Between Sproat and Henry)

Temple Bar is the template for neighborhood bars. It’s direct, no-frills and takes care of the job. Will the recent fame from the Detroiter’s TV show go to their heads? I hope not.

MLK/Mack (Just south of MLK/Mack)

Grey Ghost’s bartenders are the jazz players of the Detroit cocktail scene. The know every chord of the spirit catalog and will mix it up into simple yet elegant licks every time.

Canfield (Just south of Canfield)

Coffee is something many of us drink every morning. However, few places incorporate this AM nectar into so many charming boozy concoctions than Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company.

Warren (Adjacent to either side of Warren)

The veggies out there are too often overlooked for restaurants. Seva not only provides a creative vegetarian menu but also brings in creative cocktails to pair.

Ferry (South of Ferry)

Adjacent to the Detroit Institute of Art, you would expect master craftsmen of cocktails featuring international flair and fresh flavors. That is Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails.

Amsterdam (Between Amsterdam and Burroughs)

Merry stick to your ribs American Food and no nonsense drinks for a perfect stop on the rail. I also think that Z’s Villa is the only restaurant in Metro Detroit that has Sand Volley Ball on premise.

Amtrak (Just north of the Detroit station)

One of the great patios of Detroit is located at the Northern Lights Lounge. Come for the music and stay for the tasty cocktails.

Grand (Just north of Grand)

Looking for something classy? Try the La Musique in the St. Regis Hotel. You’ll feel like James Bond and won’t have to travel to England.

———————

Huge thank you to David Gifford of Medium Detroit who put together this great guide of businesses on the QLINE that was the basis for my post.

The post M-1 Rail: Favorite Bar at Every Stop appeared first on Nick Drinks.