Every instinct that I have tells me that I should avoid water that’s black in color. Not because of food coloring, nor because of something I’d rather not be in the water making it black… but because of fulvic acid and 77 trace minerals.

Our proprietary blend of Fulvic Acid (a derivative of plant matter) is mined from a 70 million year old source deep within the earth. Naturally black in color, the formula binds to the molecules of our pure Canadian Spring Water turning it naturally black, with no artificial dyes, coloring, or additives. Fulvic Acid is critical in growth of plant life, helping the transportation and absorption of nutrients. Fulvic Acid’s small molecular structure allows for the fast absorption of over 77 different trace minerals and elements, powerful electrolytes, antioxidants, and free radical scavengers.

Found a bottle at Whole Foods for about $2 a bottle and amazingly enough there’s no weird taste, you look totally cool while drinking it and it’s supposed to be doing your body a good thing. It even has electrolytes!

[ Links: blk. | The Dark Side of Water ]

I’m old-fashioned. Kahlua splashed into some decent coffee and I’m good. Well, in case you haven’t heard, Kahlua has released a Cinnamon Spice version of their ubiquitous coffee

Montanya Mermalada

• 1 oz Kahlúa Cinnamon Spice
• 1 oz Avión Tequila Blanco
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 6-8 concord grapes

Muddle Grapes. Add rest of the ingredients. Shake and strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass

Created by mixologist Lynnette Marrero

While the above sounds high class and expensive, Kahlua Cinnamon Spice liqueur costs about $20 for 750ml.

[ Links: Kahlua ]

National Rum Day

I’m not a fan of celebrating many holidays. Even missed celebrating my own birthday last week. But one holiday I will never miss… National Rum Day. So why not join me and celebrate with some Brugal Rum today with the following yummy recipe.

S.S. Resolute
1.5 oz Brugal Añejo
.5 oz Smith & Cross
.5 oz Marie Brizard Apry
.5 oz Fresh Pineapple Juice
.5 oz Simple Syrup
1 egg yolk
2 dashes Agnostura
2 dashes Jerry Thomas’ Decanter Bitters

S.S. Resolute was created by Maura McGuigan at Bar Pleiades at The Surrey Hotel in New York.

While I can say that I’ll be enjoying one or more rum drinks today, I’ll be doing so responsibly and hope that you will as well on National Rum Day. Thanks to the guys over at MBooth for the reminder!

[ Links: Brugal Rum ]

If you’ve traveled via plane in the last almost decade, you know that you cannot travel with liquids above 2 ounces on the plane. And last I checked, the best beers and wines came in much bigger bottles than 2 ounces, so that means you’ll have to check those fragile bottles. VinniBag is a fully reusable and 100% recyclable inflatable bag that will allow wine and other fragile items safe travel in your checked-in luggage.

VinniBag is a reusable travel bag with inflatable air chambers that protect and insulate wine bottles, other liquids, and fragile items. It’s designed to provide superior protection against impact and leakage, is easy to use, and stores flat, rolled or folded when not in use.

The VinniBag has an inflatable pouch that secures and protects by conforming to its contents, safeguarding your fragile items against breakage and safeguarding the rest of your luggage from spills. Specifically designed to withstand high altitude and cushion impact, this clever reusable travel tote packs flat or folded when empty so it’s easy to stow in your suitcase.

Made from recyclable materials, the VinniBag’s open architecture accommodates breakables of all shapes and size, and can even protect multiple items at once. Carry home your favorite vintage, a potent Parisian perfume, a delectable Italian olive oil, or heavily hit up Duty Free—this bag will safely secure your stock.

I’ll bet that even the TSA or UPS gorillas people will be hard pressed to cause your safely tucked items inside the VinniBag to break or bust. Great timing too… with an upcoming overseas trip, I definitely will be investing in a couple of these to bring back some more fragile items without fear of breakage.

Buy one for $28, or two or more for $25 each from VinniBag.com or other online retailers.

[ Links: VinniBag ]

Sometimes I get gifts or items that despite their novelty, I might never find a use for them. Useful Things sent along a package that included the silicone mold for some shot glasses that once filled up with water and frozen would allow you to imbibe and cool off at the same time.

After a few experiments, I finally figured out that I’d have to slightly thump the silicon mold to get rid of any air bubbles and toss it in the freezer to get nice and hard. Novel? Yes. Worth a purchase? After a week of 100 degree weather each and every day; hell yes.

Despite being made out of ice, the shot glasses do last for quite a while even in the aforesaid heat. You can easily pour two to three shots if you’re just a casual sipper or pound quite a few shots if you so wish and never worry about the shot glass dribbling out the contents. The ice shots can equally take on adult beverages or juice without any incident.

The Ice Shot Glass Mold sells for $9.95 at Useful Things and worth every penny.

[ Links: Useful Things, Ice Shots ]

Looking a legit reason to celebrate tomorrow? July 27th is National Scotch Day. That’s right… you now have a proper excuse reason to imbibe all day tomorrow. Normally, I’d just say go out, buy some scotch and drink it neat in a glass and call it a day. But let’s add some excitement to the mix for once.

Grab a bottle of The Macallan 10 Year Single Malt from their Fine Oak range and follow up with a couple of soothing drinks that will make National Scotch Day more relaxing:

Seething Jealousy

• 1 ounce Sweet Vermouth
• 1/2 ounce The Macallan Fine Oak 10 Years Old Single Malt
• 1/2 ounce Cherry Brandy
• 1/2 ounce Orange Juice

Pour the vermouth, scotch, cherry brandy and orange juice into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.

Rob Roy

• 2 1/2 ounces The Macallan Fine Oak 10 Years Old Single Malt
• 3/4 ounce Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
• dash Angostura Bitters
• lemon zest garnish

Pour all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and stir as you would a Martini. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with lemon zest and a Maraschino cherry.

The Macallan Fine Oak 10 Year Old Scotch costs around $35 or so per 750ml bottle. Definitely worth every drop and remember to drink responsibly.

[ Links: The Macallan Fine Oak 10 Years Old Single Malt ]

I’ve had blueberry, raspberry or even citrus based wheat based beers in the past. But 21st Amendment Brewery’s Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer is the first time I’ve seen watermelon used in a beer.

Using 100% fresh watermelon puree, we start by brewing a classic American wheat beer, which undergoes a traditional secondary fermentation using fresh watermelon. A straw-colored, refreshing beer with a kiss of watermelon aroma and flavor.

Sporting a 4.9% alcohol content, this pale straw colored beer (I’m surprised it’s not pinkish red) that comes in a can seems like it would be an odd addition to your next cookout. Sold in 12 oz. cans for about $9.99 per six pack in limited states and locations.

[ Links: 21st Amendment Brewery, Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer ]

A geek cannot live off of coffee, energy drinks and sodas alone. At one point, our tastes should expand to finer tastes, right? As part of of the Venturing and Emerging Brands division of Coca-Cola North America, Cascal contains between 60 and 80 calories a bottle, the brand has three variants: Crisp White, with notes of pear, apricot and magnolia; Light Red, with notes of blackcurrant, cherry and mirabelle; and Fine Dry, with notes of cherry, apple and anise.

Cascal’s always fresh, crisp taste is fashioned with imported European ingredients at a microbrewery in Florida, where it is pioneering a patented new “dual-stage slow malt fermentation” method with no added sugar. Fermented malt is used in the Light Red and Fine Dry flavors.

Cascal is akin to a fine wine or prosecco, yet without alcohol. Careful crafting gives the sophisticated French-style soda its unique taste and aroma and natural goodness – with 60-80 calories per bottle.

Priced at $1.99 a bottle, $6.99 a 4-pack and exclusively sold at Whole Foods and on-trade stores in New York City. This isn’t your normal “soda”.

[ Links: Cascal, Whole Foods ]

Some things just “go together”. Peanut butter and chocolate. Toast and vegemite. Leather, studs and booze.

IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD, you’re with the band. To pay tribute to rock-and-roll — ABSOLUT is launching a limited edition bottle wrapped in a leather and studs gift pack.

On second thought, it looks like a fetish version… but that also seems to go with booze too. This limited edition Absolut vodka was a collaboration with designer Natalia Brilli.

[ Links: Absolute Rock Edition ]

Of all of the things that vodka could ever claim to be, I never thought I’d see “green” and “eco-friendly” in the same sentence as vodka. Green, sure… just add lime or food coloring. But eco-friendly? Never. That is until 360 Vodka that is.

Quadruple distilled through a highly energy efficient process, with every bushel of grain being fully utilized and nothing to waste. 360 is also five times filtered and produced at a facility that has improved its eco-footprint measurably over the past 5 years.

The “green” packaging that surrounds 360 Vodka is the utmost in eco. Our Eco-Audit details the environmental benefits of the packaging.

The packaging alone saves 193 fully grown trees, 82,766 gallons of water, 9,255 pounds of solid waste, 139 million BTU of energy and 18,052 pounds of greenhouse gases.

As if I ever needed a reason to drink up, I think I found one. And yes, the vodka isn’t bad either; it’s crisp with no true aftertaste and tastes just as good chilled as it does with some organic orange juice. At prices starting at $19.99 for 750mL, it’s definitely worth a sip.

[ Links: 360 Vodka, BevMo ]

The sheer mention of rum conjures images of pirates, sugar cane, molasses and the Caribbean. Plantation Rum takes the almost forgotten method of double-aging their finely distilled rums initially in young bourbon casks in the Caribbean then shipped to be later aged in smaller batches in more mature oak casks. This process, once a standard, allows for refinement in their taste for even the most refined tastes.

Even pirates would approve. Found at prices ranging from $38 and higher in rum styles from Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica, Nicaragua and other places that are noted for their rum.

[ Links: Plantation Rum ]

This time of year… the family, the friends, the long lines from shopping and all of the other headaches that come along definitely makes the Tuthilltown Spirits perfect for this season. Tuthilltown offers a range of un-aged and aged spirits made much in the same methods that predated the Prohibition and never truly resumed by American spirit makers; namely rum that was crafted in the US from molasses from the Caribbean.

The standout is the Hudson Four Grain Bourbon Whiskey that retails for $40-45 per bottled that is hand-numbered and twice distilled in upstate New York for that old-fashioned taste and flavor that makes you forget about the long lines and bad weather.

[ Tuthilltown Spirits ]