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Obligatory Gift Idea Post, Part 2

Marshall — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 03:25:04 +0000

Continuing from my last post I wanted to give you a few things that I think would make good gifts to that special person in your life who loves cocktails or cooking. These are things I use all the time and was either purchased by me, my wife or was a gift from friends or family. Nothing came from a PR company or the manufacturers.

The next thing I want to highlight is the Cuisinart Electric Kettle.

It holds 1.7 liters (that’s almost 7.2 cups to us non-metric folks) of water and has a handy window to see exactly how much water is in the kettle.

The kettle is “cordless” which means that the base is plugged into an outlet and the kettle heats up by being placed on the base. One design that I love on this appliance, and one I wish other manufacturers would implement, is that while the cord is rather long there is a built-in cord wrap on the bottom of the base. This lets you reach far outlets if necessary or keep the kettle close to an outlet without excess cord getting in the way.

The main selling point on the kettle though is the automatic temperature settings. Each setting has the temp and general type of beverage for that temp (even french press coffee!!!) and a “Keep Warm” function.

We use this kettle almost nightly for hot tea, on weekends for french press coffee and any other time we need boiling water. And you know what, it’s perfect for hot toddies!!!

My next gift suggestion is a simple CO2 soda siphon. Now I know you can go to the market and pick up soda water. Or you can get one of those fancy soda rivers that make all sorts of fizzy drinks. But I don’t want to keep buying plastic bottles of soda water that will go flat after I only use half of it. I also don’t drink lots of fizzy drinks so a machine that spits out all different types is overkill. That’s why I like the simple soda siphon.

This is the siphon I use at home. It also happens to be a wedding gift from my cohort SeanMike. I’ll admit it’s a little fancier than most models but you can find a bunch of different types on Amazon.

Well there you go, two more suggestions from me to you. Both the electric kettle and the soda siphon are practical gifts for the cocktail fan or budding chef in your life.

Obligatory Gift Idea Post, Part 1

Marshall — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 00:45:51 +0000

Every year, seemingly earlier and earlier, we are bombarded with emails on Black Friday sales, holiday extravaganza sales, pitches for products and “festive” article “ideas.” Now that Thanksgiving (at least here in the US) is behind us, I’m okay talking about the upcoming holidays here on Scofflaws Den. To be sure, in the next couple of weeks you are going to see more and more gift ideas for those in your life. It’s been a while since I’ve talked about some of my favorite bar/kitchen thingies so I’m going to do a series of short posts on some of these favorite things. There is no particular ranking but I guarantee I use these things often. I also want to be clear, everything I profile was purchased by my self or given to me as a gift from friends or family – nothing was given by the manufacturer or PR firms.

The first tool is one of the handiest gadgets I have. It hangs on the wall right next to my mixing station in the kitchen so it’s within easy reach. During parties I throw it in my back pocket to use throughout the night. What is it? It is the Microplane Bartender’s Garnishing Tool.

This little gem is a zester, peel curler and bottle opener. It fits comfortably in your hand making opening bottles and garnishing those holiday martinis pretty simple. But honestly the neatest thing about this tool is the zester. During the chilly months of the year I find myself making more drinks where a quick zest of fresh nutmeg on the top puts a cocktail over the edge. Think eggnog, spiced apple cider or mulled wine. Having a nutmeg in my pocket and a zester is easy, slightly theatrical for guests and really just fun. (Never claimed I was not a huge nerd!) At $20 MSRP it is a great stocking stuffer or lost cost gift to someone who loves making drinks for friends and family all year long.

My next favorite thing is a relatively new addition to the bar. I was gifted a set of these rocks glasses by friends for working on their wedding cocktails. I originally saw them on a random “neat stuff” website, fell in love with them and immediately put them on my Amazon wish list. I can’t say these glasses “do” anything except hold my tasty beverages, but just look at them!

For those of you who don’t live in the DC area, these glasses are etched with the streets and neighborhoods of Washington, DC. The picture above is of the same glass rotated so you can see the full etching. These glasses feel substantial in your hand and have a nice heavy bottom. These glasses come from The Uncommon Green and each rocks glass runs $12.50. They also have pint glasses and carafes etched with lots of different city street maps. Check out their website to see if your city is there.

That’s it for part 1 and I’ll have a few more favorites in a couple of days. Maybe a few other Scofflaws will chime in with some of their favorite things as well!

Antique Store Finds

Marshall — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:12:48 +0000

It is no secret that I love searching through antique stores for bar tools, cocktail related memorabilia or simply quirky items I can use in my home bar. This past Thanksgiving, while visiting my Mother in southwest Virginia, we traveled to Bristol, Tennessee where Main Street is lined with antique stores.

What you see in the picture above is the find of the trip. It is a silver plated beverage warmer.

The base holds a glass candle holder which fits a tea candle. The carafe is suspended over the flame by small metal nibs which set into the arms of the base. The really neat aspect to this piece is that it tilts forward to fill your glass without the need to remove the carafe from the base.

This thing is also a looker!

I really can’t wait to use this to serve warm cider, mulled wine, glogg or some other warm tipple this winter!

What are your best antique finds? Share them in the comments!

Cheers!