We love PUNCH and punchdrink.com. It's one of our favorite sources for information about what's hot, cool, creative, and exciting in the world of spirits and cocktails. PUNCH recently announced their list of the Best New Bartenders in America, which they have compiled since 2018. Each of their picks has...
Have you recently ordered a Pink Lady? A Grasshopper? A Blue Hawaii? A Harvey Wallbanger? These were among the most popular cocktails of the 1970s. Most are vibrantly colored and designed to mask the base alcohols with lots of sweet liqueurs and flavors such as mint, orange juice, and coconut. ...
Jack Daniels. Don Julio. Johnnie Walker. These have become household names because they represent brands that sit on the shelves of most bars in...well, most households in America. We thought it would be fun to delve into the histories of some of these iconic eponymous spirits and to learn more...
Walk up and down the aisles of your favorite liquor superstore and you'll experience the dizzying number of choices that are available to the average consumer. Some of the larger retail outlets, for example, will have double aisles filled with just one category; hundreds of gins, hundreds of vodkas, masses...
This is one of our favorite topics for newsletters and blog posts. The next time you're in a bar or restaurant, pay close attention to how the service teams communicate with each other. You'll probably notice that they have a language and a set of behaviors all their own. Some...
When we first entered the spirits market with Batch 22, we plunged in headfirst. We did our research and pre-planning, of course, but like so many things, we soon found out that there's a whole bunch of critical stuff you can only learn by doing. For example, we assumed that...
We've seen the trend developing over the past few years, and this year it's become even clearer: Mexico City is where it's at in the cocktail world. Take a look at the Top 10 Best Bars in North America list, published every year by TheWorlds50Best.com. Mexico City has 4 bars...
What do you look for in a bartender? Think back for a minute. What have been the most satisfying bartender experiences you've had in the past? Were they times when you found comfort in a friendly face? An accommodating professional who could listen to your cocktail preferences and create a...
America's Founders loved to drink. During Colonial times, sanitation was not great and water sources were often not potable. For hydration, it was common for folks to drink madeira, port, beer, or rum fairly consistently throughout the day. Alcohol, in fact, was thought to cure illness, provide strength, and warm...
Are you a Caffiend?If you're a spirits enthusiast and you love coffee, the last few years have been a java-sipping paradise for you. Coffee cocktails have been one of the hottest trends to hit the American bar scene in recent years. Sure, the ubiquitous Irish Coffee has been a bar...
On Saturday evening, June 15, the Downtime Cocktails team was honored to be part of the 12th Annual Ed Asner & Friends Celebrity Poker Night, which was held at NBC's Radford Studios in Studio City, CA. The star-studded event raised money for the Ed Asner Family Center, which provides services...
Dad bods. Dad jokes. Dad hats. For some reason, dads don't seem to be synonymous with "cool." But you don't have to be cool to be awesome, so we're taking this time to honor dads everywhere for doing all the stuff they do well, like ... barbecuing. Just kidding. Dads...
You know how, when you walk into a Total Wine, a Bev Mo!, or any other big liquor retailer, you're always hit by a bunch of huge displays featuring one big brand or another? Piles of logo-covered cartons create dominating displays, each pile festooned with bottles and backed by elaborate...
When you're in the business of introducing aquavit to the American public at large, the one thing you probably need more than anything else is patience (other than some good aquavit, of course). Educating the general spirit-drinking population in the U.S. about the beauty and versatility of this traditionally Scandinavian...
Memorial Day reminds Americans to honor the sacrifices of the men and women who have served in our military and defended our country. As we pause to raise a glass to those veterans and active military, we also celebrate the unofficial beginning of the summer season. So, mix the marinades...
Do you want to get a moose drunk? If you're in certain parts of Alaska, you better be careful. Getting a moose drunk is actually illegal. We hadn't realized, before we jumped headfirst into the spirits game, just how many rules and regulations govern the world of alcohol production and...
