It's New Year's Eve, and we all know what that means--time to party (At least if you are in the U.S. where NYE is a huge party night). Over at House DSG we are hosting this year, which is great for me because I love to cook, and party food is always fun. I was also in charge of making a punch or some such drink. We reached out to some of our Booze Clues members and received the following recipes:
Sparkling White Peach Sangria (serves 4-6)
2-3 white peaches, sliced
3/4 cup peach or apricot brandy
1 bottle moscato , chilled
1 liter peach seltzer water, chilled
Lightly muddle 3/4 of peach slices and brandy in pitcher. Add moscato and seltzer water. Stir to mix. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with remaining peach slices.
Red, White & Blue Sangria (serves 6)
1 bottle pinot noir
1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
1 cup brandy
1 large orange, juiced
Simple syrup
2 cups fresh blueberries
6-8 ounces raspberries
6 ounces blackberries
1 large apple, sliced very thin
Mix wine, cranberry juice, brandy, orange juice, and simple syrup in pitcher. Add blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and apples. Chill overnight. Fill 6 glasses halfway with ice, and use slotted spoon to add fruit from pitcher. Pour liquid over and serve.
In the end, I went with peach, even though it's more of a summery flavor, because I love peach. We had some trouble finding just peach seltzer water, so I settled for 2 bottles of Sparkling Ice peach-nectarine. It was delicious! Wakowski can also attest that the Red, White & Blue Sangria is delicious (and probably a more wintry drink, but oh well!).
And of course, this being House DSG, we had to play some games this evening. We've got a whole shelf, but friends brought some too. In the end these are the games we played:
Love Letter
We've gone over this game a few times, I think. Quick, tiny card game for 2-4 players involving hidden roles. We broke this out early on, around 6 pm, as I was still cooking and there were only a few people here.
Welcome to the Dungeon
Cool little dungeon crawl game for 2-4 players. You basically fill the dungeon with monsters and dare the other players to go in. There is also some press your luck, as each turn you can choose to draw or pass. Drawing then gives you a choice of keeping the card (but at the cost of 1 of your equipment), or putting it in the dungeon. Last player to pass has to face the dungeon with whatever equipment he has left!
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
This game is also discussed elsewhere. While fun, it does often feel like blind guessing and little discussion. However for a night full of drinking and revelry, it was a great choice. None of us had enough attention span to play a game of regular werewolf anyway, and the allegations became wildly hilarious.
Exploding Kittens
With artwork from The Oatmeal, this party card game gained tons of attention in it's kickstarter. We've got both decks, which allows for a group of up to 9 players. The rules are simple, so it was an easy game to break out late in the evening. Plus the cards are hilarious which adds to the allure.
Cards Against Humanity
The classic (?) party game. A much more inappropriate version of Apples to Apples, and tons of fun (as long as you are OK with crass humor and are not easily offended). The perfect game for a rowdy night to degrade into. That is before the karaoke and dance party began...
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Christmas at DSG
Did you get any good games for Christmas? Or were you the game giver this year?
Over at the DSG household we gave out games and received another installment of one of our favorite group games:
Sentinels of the Multiverse
My brother plays Munchkin (original, all expansions) all the time. He's into other games as well, but I figured this would be a good segue for his non-gaming friends into other types of games. SOTM is a great cooperative, fixed deck game with a comic book flair. Players each act as a unique hero, and use their powers, abilities, and items to defeat a villain while dealing with the added effects of the environment. Villains and environments are controlled by autonomous decks, allowing the players to focus on their hero team. With a variety of hero, villain, and environment decks this game offers a lot of replay-ability. There are plenty of great expansions as well, providing for even more deck combos and new game mechanics. This is also easy for a new player to pick up, is not overly long, and accommodates up to 5 players.
Takenoko
I sent this game to my sister in Japan, because pandas. Also, it is not language reliant so she can play with her coworkers, neighbors, or students easily enough. I have not played this game, but saw it on TableTop. Players build a board out of hex tiles during the game, and must get water to these tiles in order to grow bamboo to feed the panda. During the game players will acquire objective cards which will score points if the requirements are met (such as a certain tile configuration, bamboo plants of a certain height, or having fed the panda a certain combo of bamboo).
Pirate Fluxx
Fluxx is a game we all enjoy. The rules start off simple (draw 1, play 1) but are fluid and change throughout the game as players introduce new rule cards. There is not much to explain, and all the rules are always laid out on the table for everyone to see so this is a great starter game (however, it is language heavy). Our favorite has been Star Fluxx, although Batman Fluxx is quickly on the rise to replace it. Pirate Fluxx is definitely more of a party version with a lot of interaction/participation cards, such as talking like a pirate.
Our friends also received a game we keep hearing rave reviews about. Hopefully one day soon we can play and give you a review, or maybe even a live play :)
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Touted as on of the best games of its kind, Betrayal is a great cooperative horror game for 3-6 players. During the game, players create the board by laying tiles (similar to Death Maze, if any of you are familiar with this dungeon crawler). The goals vary, but basically you need to survive the haunted house. However, one of you will succumb to the powers of evil and become a traitor. With Mike Selinker as a designer, this is a must play.
Links to check out:
Munchkin
Geek & Sundry's TableTop
Death Maze (1979)
Over at the DSG household we gave out games and received another installment of one of our favorite group games:
Sentinels of the Multiverse
My brother plays Munchkin (original, all expansions) all the time. He's into other games as well, but I figured this would be a good segue for his non-gaming friends into other types of games. SOTM is a great cooperative, fixed deck game with a comic book flair. Players each act as a unique hero, and use their powers, abilities, and items to defeat a villain while dealing with the added effects of the environment. Villains and environments are controlled by autonomous decks, allowing the players to focus on their hero team. With a variety of hero, villain, and environment decks this game offers a lot of replay-ability. There are plenty of great expansions as well, providing for even more deck combos and new game mechanics. This is also easy for a new player to pick up, is not overly long, and accommodates up to 5 players.
Takenoko
I sent this game to my sister in Japan, because pandas. Also, it is not language reliant so she can play with her coworkers, neighbors, or students easily enough. I have not played this game, but saw it on TableTop. Players build a board out of hex tiles during the game, and must get water to these tiles in order to grow bamboo to feed the panda. During the game players will acquire objective cards which will score points if the requirements are met (such as a certain tile configuration, bamboo plants of a certain height, or having fed the panda a certain combo of bamboo).
Pirate Fluxx
Fluxx is a game we all enjoy. The rules start off simple (draw 1, play 1) but are fluid and change throughout the game as players introduce new rule cards. There is not much to explain, and all the rules are always laid out on the table for everyone to see so this is a great starter game (however, it is language heavy). Our favorite has been Star Fluxx, although Batman Fluxx is quickly on the rise to replace it. Pirate Fluxx is definitely more of a party version with a lot of interaction/participation cards, such as talking like a pirate.
Our friends also received a game we keep hearing rave reviews about. Hopefully one day soon we can play and give you a review, or maybe even a live play :)
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Touted as on of the best games of its kind, Betrayal is a great cooperative horror game for 3-6 players. During the game, players create the board by laying tiles (similar to Death Maze, if any of you are familiar with this dungeon crawler). The goals vary, but basically you need to survive the haunted house. However, one of you will succumb to the powers of evil and become a traitor. With Mike Selinker as a designer, this is a must play.
Links to check out:
Munchkin
Geek & Sundry's TableTop
Death Maze (1979)
Monday, December 21, 2015
The Shadow Over Westminster & CounterClockwork Games
It's been a long road, but CounterClockwork Games finally got Shadow Over Westminster out! Our copy arrived in the mail today, so if you also backed this and were wondering when it was going to arrive (IF it was going to arrive), you can rest assured your copy is on its way or may already be waiting at your door.
For those of you unfamiliar with the game, it was a finalist on Cards Against Humanity's first Tabletop Deathmatch (which is a contest the company has hosted twice to find new games by unknown designers and help them get publish; we also have Penny Press, a winner from the first competition, and you can expect to hear more about that game in the future). Up and coming game designer Robert Huss submitted his game and made it to the final 16. At GenCon 2013 his game was tested and analyzed by the CAH team and their friends, all experienced in different aspects of the gaming and publishing industries. While not publishing ready, Robert received some great critiques and exposure so he set out via Kickstarter in the footsteps of so many others, and with the aid of game publisher Zenion he raised the funds he needed and was on his way! Or was he?
SOW was due to ship in February 2015, but many publishers using Kickstarter are just starting out so delays aren't surprising. However Zenion went defunct, and there was dead air for a long time with the few updates posted only referring to convention demos. With Zenion being defunct, and speculation going around about bankruptcy or other monetary loss, backers started getting nervous. It took Robert a while, but he made good. Due to the Kickstarter being under Zenion's account, he did not have access to the original page for a while. However, he posted in the comments section, and eventually got control of the page. It was still listed under Zenion, but Robert was able to make updates and gain access to the original survey responses. And of course, there were more publishing delays. On the bright side everything is looking great, and he had all that extra time to build up hype and have his game played at conventions all over. A little over 10 months late, but that is the risk of backing a Kickstarter,
So, what exactly is this game? It is a cooperative deck builder where players act as members of an agency in London whose job is to save the world from an impending cataclysm. (the game provides 15 different ones, offering a lot of replayability). Heavy flavor text creates a wonderful environment and really sets the mood for this horror adventure.
Have we played it yet? No, but we will. There may or may not be another write-up about it, but once we get the rules down you can expect to see a play make its way onto our channel.
Links to check out:
CAH Tabletop Deathmatch (season 1)
Shadow Over Westminster on BGG
CounterClockwork Games
For those of you unfamiliar with the game, it was a finalist on Cards Against Humanity's first Tabletop Deathmatch (which is a contest the company has hosted twice to find new games by unknown designers and help them get publish; we also have Penny Press, a winner from the first competition, and you can expect to hear more about that game in the future). Up and coming game designer Robert Huss submitted his game and made it to the final 16. At GenCon 2013 his game was tested and analyzed by the CAH team and their friends, all experienced in different aspects of the gaming and publishing industries. While not publishing ready, Robert received some great critiques and exposure so he set out via Kickstarter in the footsteps of so many others, and with the aid of game publisher Zenion he raised the funds he needed and was on his way! Or was he?
SOW was due to ship in February 2015, but many publishers using Kickstarter are just starting out so delays aren't surprising. However Zenion went defunct, and there was dead air for a long time with the few updates posted only referring to convention demos. With Zenion being defunct, and speculation going around about bankruptcy or other monetary loss, backers started getting nervous. It took Robert a while, but he made good. Due to the Kickstarter being under Zenion's account, he did not have access to the original page for a while. However, he posted in the comments section, and eventually got control of the page. It was still listed under Zenion, but Robert was able to make updates and gain access to the original survey responses. And of course, there were more publishing delays. On the bright side everything is looking great, and he had all that extra time to build up hype and have his game played at conventions all over. A little over 10 months late, but that is the risk of backing a Kickstarter,
So, what exactly is this game? It is a cooperative deck builder where players act as members of an agency in London whose job is to save the world from an impending cataclysm. (the game provides 15 different ones, offering a lot of replayability). Heavy flavor text creates a wonderful environment and really sets the mood for this horror adventure.
Have we played it yet? No, but we will. There may or may not be another write-up about it, but once we get the rules down you can expect to see a play make its way onto our channel.
Links to check out:
CAH Tabletop Deathmatch (season 1)
Shadow Over Westminster on BGG
CounterClockwork Games
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Stocking Stuffer Games
Let's take a look at some solid, tiny games. The main requirement of this list, is that they will actually fit into a stocking (or a shoe if you celebrate Saint Nicholas day, but since that's today this list may be a tad bit late for you). They are also all relatively wallet-friendly.
Star Realms
Star Realms is a great little deck building game for 2 players, although this can easily be expanded to 6 by adding more deck sets. Utilizing trade and TCG-style combat, this fast paced game pits you against your opponents by having you try to reduce their score to 0. As the strategies you develop will vary based off the cards available and the status of you and your opponent, this game offers great replayability. There are also multipleexpansions available, if you want even more variety.
Coup
Coup is a great, quick bluffing game for 2-6 players. Players start with 2 hidden role cards out of a pool of 5 types (multiple copies of each, dependent on group size). During the game each player can choose an action based off the role they have, or claim to have, including assassination and coup (an insta-kill, and a required action once the player has accumulated a certain amount of money). Players caught lying about their role, or incorrectly accusing another player of lying, must lose one of their cards. The goal is to be the last player standing. The Reformation expansion adds a 6th role, a "team" dynamic, and allows the game to accommodate up to 10 players.
Coup: Rebellion G54
This is very similar to Coup above. Rebellion G54 provides 25 different role types which players can pick and choose 5 from, creating the potential for more unique game plays. Due to the number of cards for each role, this version is limited to 3-6 players, although with some finagling you may be able to add in a few more.
Love Letter
Love Letter is a great little game. Super portable, about 5 minutes to play, and accommodates 2-4. The deck consists of 15 cards, with 1 or 3 being secretly removed from the game (dependent on number of players). After that players get a 1 card hand, draw a second card on their turn, and pick an action from the cards in their hand. The goal is to get your love letter to the princess which can be done by getting and keeping the princess card in game, having the highest ranking card at the end of the game, or being the last man standing.
There are quite a few thematic variations, each with slightly different rules, as well as a few "spin-offs" or otherwise similarly played games by the designer Seiji Kanai. The only other version we have at DSG is Batman, but as we have yet to play it or the others so I cannot offer too much insight. The "spin-off" Lost Legacy however offers a similar play style with different actions and goals. It feels a little more strategic and I would recommend it as well.
Sushi Go!
This quick little game utilizes card drafting to build a tableau/stack in front of you. Players want to collect sets of sushi to maximize their point value, scoring at the end of each of 3 rounds (with some special cards which will play across all rounds). Don't think this is a simple game, there is strategy in deciding what cards to pass on to your fellow players. That being said, this is a cute and fast game that would be a great introduction to card drafting for new or young gamers.
Hive (pocket)
Hive is a fast, strategic, two-player game that involves tile laying. The tiles consist of various insects, including two queen bees. Players will place the tiles, thus building the board, with each insect giving a special ability when played. The winner is the first to completely surround their opponent's queen. The pocket version, which we recommend, is smaller and comes in a draw string bag making it super portable. Just pull out and play wherever you have a flat surface!
Fluxx
Fluxx is a fun group/party game. The rules state it is for 2-6 players, but we have definitely played with more successfully. It starts off simple, players each getting a hand of 3 cards and basic rules of draw 1, play 1. However, throughout the game players will accumulate new rule cards and put them into action (luckily, it is easy to keep track as the current rule cards are laid out on the table). There are also goals which players must achieve to win. This is a great intro game, but is not good for those who do not want to pay attention. It is also very language-heavy.
Much like Love Letter, Fluxx has many thematic variations, each offering their own twist to the rules. Each variation has a unique set of cards, and some even have differing types of cards.
Pairs
This game is a single deck of cards with triangular distribution (1 one, 2 twos...10 tens). It's a simple betting style game where each player is dealt one card and chooses whether to take another or take points based on the lowest card in play. Players receiving a card that matches one they already have are out, receiving the number of points on the card. This game describes itself as having no winner and one loser, but you can definitely continue the game elimination style instead.
This is also another game with thematic variations. The base rules never change, but most of the unique art decks come with some twist based on the theme of the artwork. All the variations are available on the publisher's website, and are not dependent on the deck they come with, so you can print them out for your reference and play with them as you choose.
Gloom
This is an interesting, twisted little game. Players will try to make their family of characters suffer grave tragedies until death, while forcing their opponent's families to have happy lives. Using innovative transparent cards, players choose which character (in their family or another) to play their cards on, stacking them on top of the character. This allows multiple effects to be easily seen and tallied for each character. Once an entire family has been killed, players with tally their family's happiness and the lowest score wins.
This is another game with a few thematic variations. Other than a change in the artwork, I don't believe there are many rule changes. There are also 3 expansions to the original game, each allowing an additional player (up to 7 if you have all 3).
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
This is a condensed version of the game Werewolf, which in itself is just a polished version of the party game Mafia. Instead of playing multiple rounds/nights, this version has been condensed into 1 single round. There is also no need for a moderator as there is a nifty app that will run through the roles, although a player may choose to read the moderator script as long as they don't peek ;)
There are a variety of roles to swap in to allow more player interaction and make picking out the werewolf more of a strategy than blind vote. The Daybreak expansion adds even more roles to make the game interesting. Given the low price point, quick game play, and accommodation of 3-10 players, this is a great addition to any game collection especially if you like to break them out with large groups or at parties.
Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg (Coach Ride to Devil's Castle)
This is another hidden role game. Players are secretly assigned one of two teams, and must spend their trip trying to collect the items required by their team. This gets tricky, as in order to win a player must declare their team has all of their items, or they must declare the other team does not and name each member individually. This is a quick play for 3-8 players.The expansion Die dunkle Prophezeiung (Dark Prophecy) adds more characters and items, and accommodates 2 additional players.
I can't speak on the size of the English version, renamed Castle of the Devil, but the German version is just a small deck of cards in a tuck box. You could fit the base game and expansion into a stocking easily.
Links to check out:
Coup: Reformation
Seiji Kainai
Love Letter: Batman
Lost Legacy
Werewolf
Mafia (1986)
One Night Ultimate Werewolf app
One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak
Pairs variations
Die dunkle Prophezeiung (Dark Prophecy)
The Castle of the Devil
Star Realms
Star Realms is a great little deck building game for 2 players, although this can easily be expanded to 6 by adding more deck sets. Utilizing trade and TCG-style combat, this fast paced game pits you against your opponents by having you try to reduce their score to 0. As the strategies you develop will vary based off the cards available and the status of you and your opponent, this game offers great replayability. There are also multipleexpansions available, if you want even more variety.
Coup
Coup is a great, quick bluffing game for 2-6 players. Players start with 2 hidden role cards out of a pool of 5 types (multiple copies of each, dependent on group size). During the game each player can choose an action based off the role they have, or claim to have, including assassination and coup (an insta-kill, and a required action once the player has accumulated a certain amount of money). Players caught lying about their role, or incorrectly accusing another player of lying, must lose one of their cards. The goal is to be the last player standing. The Reformation expansion adds a 6th role, a "team" dynamic, and allows the game to accommodate up to 10 players.
Coup: Rebellion G54
This is very similar to Coup above. Rebellion G54 provides 25 different role types which players can pick and choose 5 from, creating the potential for more unique game plays. Due to the number of cards for each role, this version is limited to 3-6 players, although with some finagling you may be able to add in a few more.
Love Letter
Love Letter is a great little game. Super portable, about 5 minutes to play, and accommodates 2-4. The deck consists of 15 cards, with 1 or 3 being secretly removed from the game (dependent on number of players). After that players get a 1 card hand, draw a second card on their turn, and pick an action from the cards in their hand. The goal is to get your love letter to the princess which can be done by getting and keeping the princess card in game, having the highest ranking card at the end of the game, or being the last man standing.
There are quite a few thematic variations, each with slightly different rules, as well as a few "spin-offs" or otherwise similarly played games by the designer Seiji Kanai. The only other version we have at DSG is Batman, but as we have yet to play it or the others so I cannot offer too much insight. The "spin-off" Lost Legacy however offers a similar play style with different actions and goals. It feels a little more strategic and I would recommend it as well.
Sushi Go!
This quick little game utilizes card drafting to build a tableau/stack in front of you. Players want to collect sets of sushi to maximize their point value, scoring at the end of each of 3 rounds (with some special cards which will play across all rounds). Don't think this is a simple game, there is strategy in deciding what cards to pass on to your fellow players. That being said, this is a cute and fast game that would be a great introduction to card drafting for new or young gamers.
Hive (pocket)
Hive is a fast, strategic, two-player game that involves tile laying. The tiles consist of various insects, including two queen bees. Players will place the tiles, thus building the board, with each insect giving a special ability when played. The winner is the first to completely surround their opponent's queen. The pocket version, which we recommend, is smaller and comes in a draw string bag making it super portable. Just pull out and play wherever you have a flat surface!
Fluxx
Fluxx is a fun group/party game. The rules state it is for 2-6 players, but we have definitely played with more successfully. It starts off simple, players each getting a hand of 3 cards and basic rules of draw 1, play 1. However, throughout the game players will accumulate new rule cards and put them into action (luckily, it is easy to keep track as the current rule cards are laid out on the table). There are also goals which players must achieve to win. This is a great intro game, but is not good for those who do not want to pay attention. It is also very language-heavy.
Much like Love Letter, Fluxx has many thematic variations, each offering their own twist to the rules. Each variation has a unique set of cards, and some even have differing types of cards.
Pairs
This game is a single deck of cards with triangular distribution (1 one, 2 twos...10 tens). It's a simple betting style game where each player is dealt one card and chooses whether to take another or take points based on the lowest card in play. Players receiving a card that matches one they already have are out, receiving the number of points on the card. This game describes itself as having no winner and one loser, but you can definitely continue the game elimination style instead.
This is also another game with thematic variations. The base rules never change, but most of the unique art decks come with some twist based on the theme of the artwork. All the variations are available on the publisher's website, and are not dependent on the deck they come with, so you can print them out for your reference and play with them as you choose.
Gloom
This is an interesting, twisted little game. Players will try to make their family of characters suffer grave tragedies until death, while forcing their opponent's families to have happy lives. Using innovative transparent cards, players choose which character (in their family or another) to play their cards on, stacking them on top of the character. This allows multiple effects to be easily seen and tallied for each character. Once an entire family has been killed, players with tally their family's happiness and the lowest score wins.
This is another game with a few thematic variations. Other than a change in the artwork, I don't believe there are many rule changes. There are also 3 expansions to the original game, each allowing an additional player (up to 7 if you have all 3).
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
This is a condensed version of the game Werewolf, which in itself is just a polished version of the party game Mafia. Instead of playing multiple rounds/nights, this version has been condensed into 1 single round. There is also no need for a moderator as there is a nifty app that will run through the roles, although a player may choose to read the moderator script as long as they don't peek ;)
There are a variety of roles to swap in to allow more player interaction and make picking out the werewolf more of a strategy than blind vote. The Daybreak expansion adds even more roles to make the game interesting. Given the low price point, quick game play, and accommodation of 3-10 players, this is a great addition to any game collection especially if you like to break them out with large groups or at parties.
Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg (Coach Ride to Devil's Castle)
This is another hidden role game. Players are secretly assigned one of two teams, and must spend their trip trying to collect the items required by their team. This gets tricky, as in order to win a player must declare their team has all of their items, or they must declare the other team does not and name each member individually. This is a quick play for 3-8 players.The expansion Die dunkle Prophezeiung (Dark Prophecy) adds more characters and items, and accommodates 2 additional players.
I can't speak on the size of the English version, renamed Castle of the Devil, but the German version is just a small deck of cards in a tuck box. You could fit the base game and expansion into a stocking easily.
Links to check out:
Coup: Reformation
Seiji Kainai
Love Letter: Batman
Lost Legacy
Werewolf
Mafia (1986)
One Night Ultimate Werewolf app
One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak
Pairs variations
Die dunkle Prophezeiung (Dark Prophecy)
The Castle of the Devil
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Booze Clues Lecture 6: Cordials & Liqueurs
"The Flavored Spirits"
Explore the sweet side of spirits with liqueurs, which serve as a veritable spice rack for enhancing the flavor of cocktails and meals...
Tastings will consist of:
B-52
½ oz Kahlua
½ oz Baileys
½ oz Grand Marnier
Cosmopolitan
1½ oz citron vodka
½ oz Cointreau
¼ oz fresh lime juice
1 oz cranberry juice
Orange peel (for garnish)
Monkey's Gland
2 oz gin
1 oz orange juice
¼ oz grenadine
Dash absinthe
Orange twist for garnish
We just figured out Booze Clues. Because we're really smart.
While technically there are 2 remaining lectures of our video series, we have chosen to skip them. Lecture 7 covers the "mixology toolkit" and classic recipes, and lecture 8 covers the "home bar" set up and seasonal recipes. As such, that concludes our lecture series!
Join us next year while we continue in spirit with monthly themes and new drinks to try.
Explore the sweet side of spirits with liqueurs, which serve as a veritable spice rack for enhancing the flavor of cocktails and meals...
Tastings will consist of:
- Disaronno
- Cointreau
- Grand Marnier
- Absente
- Green Chartreuse
- Kahlua
B-52
½ oz Kahlua
½ oz Baileys
½ oz Grand Marnier
Cosmopolitan
1½ oz citron vodka
½ oz Cointreau
¼ oz fresh lime juice
1 oz cranberry juice
Orange peel (for garnish)
Monkey's Gland
2 oz gin
1 oz orange juice
¼ oz grenadine
Dash absinthe
Orange twist for garnish
We just figured out Booze Clues. Because we're really smart.
While technically there are 2 remaining lectures of our video series, we have chosen to skip them. Lecture 7 covers the "mixology toolkit" and classic recipes, and lecture 8 covers the "home bar" set up and seasonal recipes. As such, that concludes our lecture series!
Join us next year while we continue in spirit with monthly themes and new drinks to try.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Booze Clues Lecture 5: Brandy
“The Luxury Spirit”
Finish your journey through the tastes and traditions of spirits with a look at brandy, a wine-based spirit long associated with royalty and sophistication. You’ll learn how different brandies are distilled and aged, and learn how to get the right kind of brandy to suit your personal palate...
Tastings will consist of:
Brandy Alexander
1 oz brandy
1 oz dark crème de cacao
2 oz heavy cream
Pinch of nutmeg for garnish
Sidecar
¾ oz lemon juice
1 oz cognac
1 oz Cointreau
Orange peel for garnish
Normandy
6 Cranberries
1 Tsp Brown Sugar
2 Slices Green Apple
1/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 ox Simple Syrup
1 1/2 oz Calvados
Finish your journey through the tastes and traditions of spirits with a look at brandy, a wine-based spirit long associated with royalty and sophistication. You’ll learn how different brandies are distilled and aged, and learn how to get the right kind of brandy to suit your personal palate...
Tastings will consist of:
- Courvoisier Cognac VSOP
- Daron Calvados
- Bas Armagnac Delord XO
- Hennessy Cognac VS
- Remy MArtin Cognac XO
- Christian Brothers Brandy VS
Brandy Alexander
1 oz brandy
1 oz dark crème de cacao
2 oz heavy cream
Pinch of nutmeg for garnish
Sidecar
¾ oz lemon juice
1 oz cognac
1 oz Cointreau
Orange peel for garnish
Normandy
6 Cranberries
1 Tsp Brown Sugar
2 Slices Green Apple
1/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 ox Simple Syrup
1 1/2 oz Calvados
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Booze Clues Lecture 4: Tequila
“The Ancient Spirits”
Often considered to be the “bad boy” of spirits, tequilas are actually just as complex and beautifully sophisticated as other spirits. Learn how tequila is harvested and cooked from agave, where better tequilas come from, the differences between tequila classifications, and more...
Tastings will consist of:
Margarita
1 ½ oz tequila (silver or slightly aged reposado)
1 oz Cointreau
¾ oz fresh lime juice
Lime wedges
Coarse salt
Cadilac Cocktail
1 oz tequila
1 oz Grand Marnier
1 ½ oz fresh orange juice
¼ oz fresh lime juice
Flamed orange peel (for garnish)
Mezcal Smash
1 slice lemon, lime, orange
2 oz mezcal
1 oz simple syrup
3 dashes orange bitters
Often considered to be the “bad boy” of spirits, tequilas are actually just as complex and beautifully sophisticated as other spirits. Learn how tequila is harvested and cooked from agave, where better tequilas come from, the differences between tequila classifications, and more...
Tastings will consist of:
- Milagro Anejo
- Clase Azul Reposado
- Herradura Reposado
- Don Julio Reposado
- Jose Cuervo Gold
- 1800 Silver
- Zignum Reposado Mezcal
Margarita
1 ½ oz tequila (silver or slightly aged reposado)
1 oz Cointreau
¾ oz fresh lime juice
Lime wedges
Coarse salt
Cadilac Cocktail
1 oz tequila
1 oz Grand Marnier
1 ½ oz fresh orange juice
¼ oz fresh lime juice
Flamed orange peel (for garnish)
Mezcal Smash
1 slice lemon, lime, orange
2 oz mezcal
1 oz simple syrup
3 dashes orange bitters
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Booze Clues Lecture 3: Rum
“The Versatile Spirit”
A darling to mixologists, spirits connoisseurs, and the average cocktail drinker alike, rum has one of the widest ranges of styles of any spirit. You’ll train your nose and palate to recognize the distinct aromas and tastes of these delicious spirits, and learn the terminology of rum to make shopping easier...
Tastings will consist of:
Caipirinha
2 oz cachaça
1 tsp sugar
½ lime, cut into wedges
Daiquiri
1 ½ oz light rum
1 oz simple syrup
¾ oz fresh lime juice
Mai Tai
1 ½ oz rum
¾ oz lime juice
½ oz cointreau
¼ oz orgeat (almond syrup)
cherry and orange for garnish
Mojito
1 ½ oz white rum
1 oz simple syrup
¾ oz fresh lime juice
2 dashes of Angostura bitters (optional)
2 sprigs of fresh mint
Soda water (to top up glass)
A darling to mixologists, spirits connoisseurs, and the average cocktail drinker alike, rum has one of the widest ranges of styles of any spirit. You’ll train your nose and palate to recognize the distinct aromas and tastes of these delicious spirits, and learn the terminology of rum to make shopping easier...
Tastings will consist of:
- Bacardi White
- Mount Gay Gold
- Leblon Cachaça
- Zacapa Dark Rum
- Rhum Barbancourt 8yr Agricole
- Grande Reserve Plantation Rum 5yr
- Appleton Estate Signature Jamaican Rum
- Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
Caipirinha
2 oz cachaça
1 tsp sugar
½ lime, cut into wedges
Daiquiri
1 ½ oz light rum
1 oz simple syrup
¾ oz fresh lime juice
Mai Tai
1 ½ oz rum
¾ oz lime juice
½ oz cointreau
¼ oz orgeat (almond syrup)
cherry and orange for garnish
Mojito
1 ½ oz white rum
1 oz simple syrup
¾ oz fresh lime juice
2 dashes of Angostura bitters (optional)
2 sprigs of fresh mint
Soda water (to top up glass)
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Booze Clues Lecture 2: Whiskey
"The Complex Spirit"
Shatter the myth of whiskey as a purely rough and rugged drink and uncover some of the incredible flavors, textures, and taste sensations to be found. Discover how the malting process works, why age is so important to taste, and more..
Tastings will consist of:
Mint Julep
2 oz bourbon
½ oz simple syrup
2 tender sprigs of fresh mint
Manhattan
2 oz rye whiskey
1 oz vermouth (sweet or dry, depending on taste)
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Luxardo cherry for garnish
Irish Coffee
1 ½ oz Irish whiskey
Coffee
1 tsp sugar
Whipped cream
Shatter the myth of whiskey as a purely rough and rugged drink and uncover some of the incredible flavors, textures, and taste sensations to be found. Discover how the malting process works, why age is so important to taste, and more..
Tastings will consist of:
- Macallan Sherry Oak 12yr Single Malt Scotch
- Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon
- Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
- Laphroaig Fine Oak Single Malt Scotch (peated)
- Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey
- Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
- Jameson Irish Whiskey
- Buffalo Trace Bourbon
- Russell's Reserve Bourbon
Mint Julep
2 oz bourbon
½ oz simple syrup
2 tender sprigs of fresh mint
Manhattan
2 oz rye whiskey
1 oz vermouth (sweet or dry, depending on taste)
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Luxardo cherry for garnish
Irish Coffee
1 ½ oz Irish whiskey
Coffee
1 tsp sugar
Whipped cream
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Booze Clues Kickoff: Vodka & Gin
We found a bar tending video series that covers the major liquors, their histories, and popular cocktails made from them. Over at House DSG we decided to host a monthly event where we will cover 1 lecture per month, before moving on to our own agendas.
Lecture descriptions come from the course website, but if you want to play along our shopping lists and recipes are posted on the blog (you will notice some discrepancies between our choices and the series). For the more educational part of the series, including history of the alcohol, how to compare & contrast, how to appreciate each flavor, proper mixing techniques, and the very informative book; please purchase the series yourself.
"The Cocktail Spirits"
Begin your exploration with a closer look at vodka and gin. Both clear spirits are very mixable and usable for making cocktails. In order to truly appreciate the tastes and versatility of these popular spirits, you have to take a closer look at how they were discovered and how they’re distilled...
Tastings will consist of:
Bloody Mary
1 ½ oz vodka
4 oz tomato juice
¼ oz lemon juice
4 dashes of Tabasco
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of salt and pepper
Celery stalk for garnish
1 tsp horseradish and/or 2-3 spicy pickles (for an optional kick)
Martini
1 ½ oz gin
½ oz dry vermouth
Lemon peel (squeezed) or olive for garnish
Lecture descriptions come from the course website, but if you want to play along our shopping lists and recipes are posted on the blog (you will notice some discrepancies between our choices and the series). For the more educational part of the series, including history of the alcohol, how to compare & contrast, how to appreciate each flavor, proper mixing techniques, and the very informative book; please purchase the series yourself.
"The Cocktail Spirits"
Begin your exploration with a closer look at vodka and gin. Both clear spirits are very mixable and usable for making cocktails. In order to truly appreciate the tastes and versatility of these popular spirits, you have to take a closer look at how they were discovered and how they’re distilled...
Tastings will consist of:
- Sobieski
- Luksusowa
- Beefeater
- Bombay Sapphire
Bloody Mary
1 ½ oz vodka
4 oz tomato juice
¼ oz lemon juice
4 dashes of Tabasco
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of salt and pepper
Celery stalk for garnish
1 tsp horseradish and/or 2-3 spicy pickles (for an optional kick)
Martini
1 ½ oz gin
½ oz dry vermouth
Lemon peel (squeezed) or olive for garnish
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