New York’s Illegal Summer Tradition: Any visitor to New York City beaches can tell you about the saints walking the sands, dispensing cold, boozy drinks called “nutcrackers” in a wonderful and completely illegal heat-beating tradition. But you have no idea what this is all about, right? Right.
Haagen Daz It Again: In the spirit of concealed alcohol, Haagen Daz is getting into the boozy ice cream game. Their new spirits line will feature plenty of popular flavors, but has two distinct setbacks: they’re only available in Canada, and they only clock in at about 1% ABV. Might as well stick to spiking your chocolate syrup for now.
Real Ale in America: Old-school drinkers insist that traditional, cask-prepared beers, or “real ale,” are the pinnacle of beer drinking. However, the casks are finicky and serving can be tough, so they’ve had a hard time getting the trend to catch on stateside. Aaron Goldfarb delves in to the matter, but be warned: this will make you crave a proper bitter. And a bar where people describe things as “proper.”
Deftones Work The Line: It looks like the promised Deftones beer will be on shelves soon, as the band posted videos of themselves working the packaging line at the Belching Beaver Brewery this week. Believe us, there’s nothing more metal than properly cared for beer, and we’re excited to try and lay hands on a few of these bottles.
Have Craft Cocktails Peaked?: Some drinkers, including Thrillist author Kevin Alexander, claim that the era of craft cocktails has come to an end. The term has been pasted to chain restaurant menus and boring menus and supply booms have diluted quality in some places, making it tougher to find a truly excellent cocktail program in the wild. It may be a concern, but we like to think that a rising tide lifts all boats; if cocktails everywhere have improved in this wave, then we all benefit. And even if they haven’t, there’s still shots of your go-to.
Craft Beer Landmarks: While you’re daydreaming the rest of your workday away, why not plot a road trip to some of the most important craft beer bars in the states? From Blind Tiger in NYC to Avenue Pub in New Orleans, the journey to craft beer acceptance in cities often starts with one place. Sure, the logistics of such a trip might be tough to figure out, but you have the time and the thirst. We’ll bring koozies.