Custom Bourbon Suitcase

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about drink, but I just had to share this very badass custom bourbon case that I spotted over at the Laughing Squid. Tumblr member, Tyler Riewer, recently posted a few photos from a gift that he received for his birthday. This is possibly the manliest Birthday gift I’ve ever seen.

“It’s a suitcase – perfectly fitted for a bottle of bourbon and a set of brass knuckles. The outside says, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. Sack up.” The inside offers, “The two roads to courage.”

Even more amazing is that the friends that gave it to him custom made the case themselves. Now that’s love that has to appreciated. This deserves a 10 on the awesome scale.

Want one? Sorry, it’s not available for sale. Of course, the DIYers of the world can probably make one for themselves. If you do, be sure to send me one as well!

Moleskine Wine Journal: Your Ideal Wine Cellar on Paper

I first discovered the Moleskin Wine Journal while perusing my local Barnes & Nobles, however, I didn’t buy it then because of two reasons. First, this was the week before Christmas and the lines were crazy long. Second, it was $20 and I was SURE that I could find a better deal on Amazon. It’s a good thing I waited. Not only did I skip the insane Christmas line but I also was able to score an amazing deal on this Moleskine Journal on Amazon ($13).

Don’t get me wrong, my knowledge of vino is no were near that of a sommelier or wine steward. I’m your occasional wine drinker. And that’s why I thought that this was perfect gift for me. I’ve always wanted to improve my knowledge of wine, develop a better nose and be able to know what types of wines should be paired with certain types of foods.

So I declare 2011 the year of the wine. If 2010 was about exploring different types of loose leaf tea and brewing methods then 2011 will be about exploring the world of wine. This should be a fun year and one that I plan to share with you (my notes that is).

Buy the Moleskine Passions Wine Journal from Amazon for $13.

The Kone: Stainless Steel Coffee Filter

Forget your typical paper coffee filter, The Kone, designed by Coava Coffee Roasters is made of USA grade stainless steel. The goal for The Kone was to create a sustainable coffee filter that could also brew excellent coffee. It is designed for pour over style coffee makers like the Chemex and Hario. Here’s what Oliver Strand from the New York Times had to say about The Kone:

“The Kone is a beautiful object, simple and stark. More to the point of the design, the coffee it makes is rich and full. The filter is cleaner than a mesh basket, and the photochemically machined holes let oils that would be absorbed by a standard paper filter flow through. It gives you the control of a Chemex and the tannic cup you get from a French press: a Frenchmex. Whether you like it is a matter of taste. For most of my adult life, I was a French-press partisan. But in the last few years I’ve been experimenting with different filter methods, and now I’m accustomed to drinking coffee with bright, floral flavors. When I started using the Kone last week, it was strange to find such an aggressive coffee sitting in my Chemex. It was like pulling the top off a bamboo steam basket and encountering a piece of grilled meat.”

Buy The Kone from Coava Coffee Roasters for $50.

Make Perfect Spherical Ice Balls

I’ve posted about other ball makers before, namely the MUJI Ice Ball Maker, but nothing comes close to the Ice Ball Mold by Taisin. First of all, there’s a major price difference between the $12 MUJI model and the $200 Taisin Model. Secondly, the cheaper one is made of plastic, while the Taisin is made of aluminum.

The Ice Ball Mold features:

• Ice ball-creator, ideal for both bars and home-use
• Creates spheres of ice which melt slowly, keeping drinks cool
• Available in 30, 55, 65, 70,75, 80mm sizes (please see pull-down menu for prices)
• Made of aluminum
• Cold-proof wooden grip on top (except 30mm version)
• Ball release at bottom (except 30mm & 80mm version)
• Creates 30-40 ice balls per hour
• 55, 65, 70, 75,80mm size Molds include ice-maker blocks (2 pcs.)

Why use spheres? The logic is that since the surface area of a sphere is smaller than a cube, it melts slower. A slower melt means a less diluted drink over time.

Plus, this device simply looks badass. Imagine it sitting alongside your home bar.

Buy the Ice Ball Mold from Japan Trend Shop for $201.

Keep Your Whisky Cool With Whisky Stones

There’s nothing worse than watered down whisky, especially if you like a stiff, strong tasting drink. Of course, nothing waters down whiskey faster than a few cubes of ice – this is something that Don Draper knows all too well. The solution? Whisky Stones of course.

“A few great soapstone workers in Perkinsville, Vermont have created Whiskey Stones. These little ice-imitators are specially designed to put a slight chill in your Whiskey. All you do is put them in the freezer for a few hours and then pop a couple into a glass of single malt. Once you’re done, rinse, dry and do it all over again! And no need to worry about a watery drink, because these stones don’t dilute (that’s the best part).”

Buy a set of Whisky Stones from ThinkGeek for $34.95.

Happy 160th Birthday Jack!

One of the most successful spirits and most recognizable names is, of course, Jack Daniel’s. In celebration of his 160th birthday, the famous Tennessee distillery has released a special limited edition black bottle. One thing that has got me confused, is that, according to Jack Daniel’s (the man) Wikipedia page, he was born on September 5, 1846. Based on this, Jack would have just celebrated his 164th birthday. Now, the 160 could not possibly be in reference to the founding of the brand, since Jack Daniel’s (the brand) wasn’t founded until 1875.

So are all of the blogs (Cool Material, Notcot, Vodka & Co.) that are posting about the special 160th Birthday Bottle four years too late? Or, is the brand just using the 160 because it’s a nice round number?

On closer inspection, the Jack Daniels website posts that no one really knows exactly when Jack was born:

“No one really knows exactly when Jack Daniel was born. A town fire destroyed the courthouse records, and conflicting dates on Mr. Jack’s and his mother’s headstones have left his date of birth in question. It’s customary to celebrate Mr. Jack’s birthday in September – so he gets a whole month. But for a man as unique as Jack Daniel, one day just wouldn’t seem proper, anyway.”

So there you go, there should be an asterisk next to Jack’s birthday on Wikipedia.

As for the limited edition 750ml bottle, it’s sexy as hell. Jack would be proud.

Froosh 2.0

Design firm Pearlfisher was tasked with the job of redesigning the brand identity of Swedish urban smoothie brand Froosh “to solve the ’smoothie confusion’ in the Nordic regions and communicate pure fruit health benefits.” I think that the new look is far improved from the current look and feel (see below for the current bottle packaging design). The old look was a bit childish and ambiguous. The new branding features bold colors with a modern and sophisticated look. Whereas the old look gave off a childlike vibe, the new design grabs at the health conscious adult.

The only negative is that you need to live in one of the Nordic regions that carry Froosh in order to have a taste of this seemingly refreshing and healthy drink.

And for comparison purposes, you’ll find a photo of the current Froosh bottle branding below.

Dexter Coasters

Dexter is one of my favorite televisions shows and so when I saw these Dexter themed coasters I began craving new episodes featuring my favorite serial killer. It’s a good thing that I don’t have to wait too long. The 5th season of Dexter beings on September 26th!

“With a drop of blood from each victim placed between two glass slides, Dexter creates a morbid memento or ”Trophy” of each kill. These Dexter inspired coasters come packaged in a beautifully-crafted wooden box with golden hardware and a slotted interior to display each coaster. These clear acrylic coasters feature an iconic ‘blood spatter’ and have rubberized feet to protect your table. Each coaster is also imprinted with the Dexter logo in red. The storage box has the Dexter logo carved on top and the Showtime logo carved on two sides.”

Buy the Dexter Costers from Showtime for $34.95.

Gilpin Family Whisky: From Urine to Whisky

Whisky is the ultimate man drink, but what would you say about drinking a shot of whisky made from the urine excreted by elderly diabetic patients? I don’t care how much of a man you are, if the thought of drinking fermented sugar extracted from human urine doesn’t make you squint and gag a little – you’re not human.

And if you think this is a joke, well, it’s not. James Gilpin is doing exactly this, not to make a quick buck, but instead to bring awareness to the growing diabetes epidemic.

“Sugar heavy urine excreted by diabetic patients is now being utilized for the fermentation of high-end single malt whisky for export. The Whisky market is growing faster then any other alcoholic beverage worldwide. With a prevalent genetic weakness being exposed in the northern hemisphere leading to a sharp rise in type two diabetes, economists have found a new exportable commodity to exploit and are keento capitalize on this resource quickly.”

“Large amounts of sugar are excreted on a daily basis by type-two diabetic patients especially amongst the upper end of our aging population. As a result of this diabetic patients toilets often have unusual scale build up in the basin due and rapid mould growths as the sugar put into the system acts as nutrients for mould and bacteria growth. Is it plausible to suggest that we start utilizing our water purification systems in order to harvest the biological resources that our elderly already process in abundance?”

Though Gilpin Family Whisky is not for sale, you can get a taste and view Gilpin’s exhibit at 100% Materials, a design and architecture event in London in September, and the Abandon Normal Devices festival this October in Manchester.

Via Wired UK.

Tropicana’s Orange With Rare Cheese Flavor

Tropicana, the famous orange juice maker is venturing into weird territory to satisfy the palates of their Japanese customers. The new Orange with Rare Cheese flavor is supposed to offer a “sweet and sour” flavor akin to that of combining oranges and cream cheese. In Japan, apparently “rare cheese desert” is just another name for the popular American desert known simply as cheesecake. Still, the liquid combination of oranges and cheesecake make me wonder exactly just how the concoction tastes. Admittedly, I’d definitely give this drink a try, though I’d recommend that Tropicana give it a more inviting name.