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.