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When I saw this wine rack design the other day, I thought how easy it would be to build one for myself.
But, I like sharing DIYs with others and had to figure out how they could enjoy this unique wine rack design without spending a ton of money on it.
And my mind went to town. But, I was in a hurry to share with everyone. I haven’t had time to build one for myself. So, I wrote a Wine Rack Idea article about how it will work. If you can follow the blueprint in the article, you can enjoy a unique wine rack that might look like it cost you a pretty penny. But for those of you who may need clearer instructions and step by step pictures, I would be willing to write a DIY for everyone who wants it.
Let me know, email me at beertaps@aweber.com to receive notification when I get the DIY together. You’ll get a confirmation message from me, Stan Schubridge, and then you’ll stay up to date. And yes, you can unsubscribe at any time so that’s fine to stay on the list until you get the DIY.
by Luke Porter
Making your own alcoholic drinks can be fun and challenging at the same time, and will not take up a lot of time or space. Most of the ’scientific’ part of the process can be conducted on a standard home stove by following a set of simple instructions. With just a couple of hours work, you could have 4-5 gallons of home brew to look forward to.
Are you interested in home brewing? Maybe you have already followed up that interest and have already brewed some alcoholic beverages at your own home. Either way, you may want to consider joining a home brew club. Whether your beverage of choice is beer, wine or grain alcohol, and regardless of where in the country you reside, there is going to be a home brew club to match your interest.
Many times people follow directions for so long they tend to ignore the possibility there are other ways of doing things. As people become more experienced in home brewing, they may try different methods or different ingredients and often willingly share these findings with other members of their home brew club. The sharing of information and tips is just half of the home brew club equation though, the other half being the sharing amongst members of each others finished products.
By joining a home brew club, you can get many new ideas and can ask questions of your own, finding out if a technique will work before you try it. Others in the home brew club may have already tried and failed and can offer advice on how to do things correctly.
Many members of a home brew club are more than willing to share their knowledge and experience, despite the intense competition of brewing the best. Whether beer, wine or straight alcohol, sharing tips with new brewers are what some of the more experienced brewers do best.
Many times a home brew club will have local competitions where members can enter their brews to be judged. You will be going up against some pretty experienced people should you enter but do not let that put you off. This is one type of competition in which taking part is truly more important than winning. You are guaranteed to have great time!
by Luke Porter
Most people who brew their own beer do so in small quantities. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this to start with, once you hit upon a magical recipe you will obviously want to brew it on a larger scale so as to share your success with as many people as possible.
Most people only plan on making a large home brew if they are having a lot of people over or if they are planning to store most of the brew away so that they can use it in the future, and both of these reasons are acceptable. Should these circumstances not apply to you then you are probably better off sticking with smaller, more frequent, brews as you may end up with an unacceptable amount of wastage.
The first thing that you are going to want to think about when you are planning on making a large home brew is the fact that it is going to take a lot more time and effort. So if you do not have a lot extra of all of these, then perhaps you should just reconsider.
Also, before making a start on making a large home brew, think carefully about whether you really have the space available to do it properly. After all, you can quite easily make a small home brew right in a tiny kitchen, however when it comes to a larger one you may have difficulty if you do not have enough room for everything.
Assess the amount of space that you have available on the countertops, in the sink and in the fridge. Spend a few minutes maximizing the space available for your large home brew as moving things out of the way whilst you are in the process of brewing could cause you to lose your concentration and make a mistake.
If you do not have sufficient space in your kitchen, then there are basically two options that you have; either you make a series of smaller brews one after the other, or you give a fellow beer lover a percentage of the finished product in return for them giving you the use of their kitchen.
In terms of the actual brewing process, it is exactly the same to make a large brew as it is to make a small one. Just make sure that you increase the quantities of the ingredients in equal measures.
by Dennis Gartland
Lolita 5-6:30 pm and 9:30 pm to close Tuesday through Thursday; 5-6 pm and 10:30 p. to close Saturday. 4-6:30 pm. Sunday Lolita is one of Michael Symon’s (of the food network) first restraints. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is only $2 and there are several dishes for only $5. I went with my sister and we ordered the mac and cheese and The Lolita Burger. I have to say it is the best mac and cheese I have ever had.
Lincoln Park Pub – This is a Tremont staple. Very down to earth. Tacos $1.25; Mexican beers, $2.25; margaritas, $3.25 Taco Tuesdays, 3 p.m.-midnight. The Tacos are made on homemade taco shells. If you like very hot food try the morning after tacos.
Momocho From 5-6:30 p.m. daily they have half off taquitos and margaritas plus a great deal on Tecate. Momocho is one of the hippest restraints in Ohio City. The place can get busy so come early.
Blind Pig – Pizza and wings for $5; 23-ounce beers $2.50, 4-9p.m. daily. The pizzas are pretty big for $5, big enough for two people at least. The beer special includes imports. They have the nicest set of TVs downtown.
Light Bistro – 4:30-7 p.m. daily, Cocktails starting at $3. Food plates are $5. This is one of the Best Restaurants in Ohio. They specialize in local and seasonal food. This restaurant has earned an excellent reputation.
Sunset Lounge 4 – 7 p.m. daily, discounted drinks, half-off sushi and other appetizers. The sushi here is very good. The atmosphere is also good.
The Flying Fig – Happy Hour: Tuesday – Friday between 5PM and 7:30PM Season Food Specials for happy hour. The Fig provides wine-oriented cuisine utilizing the finest ingredients available, sourced locally whenever possible. Beers start at $2
When you have your bar and your cabinets built, you’ll want to get to drinking in it…Now. But, I’ve seen some make shit jobs that aren’t really all that great. Then, I’ve seen some expensive setups that are way out of the reach of most of us.
So, here’s the home bar the easy way:
The kegerator is the first thing you put in your bar. It keeps your keg cool and it adds style in an inexpensive way.
This kegerator can actually make the entire bar. If you choose to use a kegerator like this to hold your kegs, you can make it a part of the bar’s counter top. Then, you only need counter space on each side. That’s a setup made easy, as easy as it gets.
Grab a tap handle of your favorite beer and now you’ve got something to really get you bragging. There are tap handles of all kinds, from your favorite domestic to your favorite import. As a promotional tool, every beer you can think of has a beer tap handle for commercial uses as well as the home bar enthusiast.
But, just in case you have a beer of your own or some other “unrecognizable” libation, get the beer tap handle you can write anything on that you want.
Tell people, “Try Me!” Give your concoction a name. Have fun with it and write, “Make Your Own Beer…” or whatever else you might come up with to prank your friends.
You’ve got the bar. Dress it up in style. The kegerator and a beer tap handle can turn any room into a bar. Your bedroom, your dorm room (oops), your garage, your basement, your tree house…
Anywhere!
When you are trying to create a bar in your home, of course you begin with the taps and the handles, mirrors and signs. You built a bar! It has to look right. Right?
But when the bar is in place and you think you have it all, what kind of lame bar serves draft beer in plastic cups? And I’ll be willing to bet that’s what you have. Red plastic cups that you bought at the grocery store. Hmm…all that work and then you tap out at the end.
Well, you can add some specialty glasses so that your friends are drinking in style. This is where it gets tricky, but you can manage. You don’t just want to get mugs of any kind. You need to stock up your cabinets with mugs of all kinds.
Vintage mugs from old fashioned beers add such a touch of class. Especially when you have friends asking you where you got the mugs. That’s when you realize saving money on those red plastic cups wasn’t worth it after all.
But, don’t stop there. You should have Pilsners and Pints, Dimpled Mugs and Retro Pubs. Get mugs with different logos like Coors, Molson, Blue Moon and Killian. It’s a blast to make sure that you drink out of the right glass for the right kind of draft.
Logo Beer Glasses
Posted September 29th, 2009. Add a comment
It’s been a dream for many beer drinkers around the world. But, putting a keg in an old refrigerator for your apartment, den or garage isn’t that hard to do when you have the right material.
A Kegerator Conversion Kit is all you need and there is something that you may have never thought about, but it’s a surprise and I’ll tell you in a minute. These conversion kits change any old refrigerator into a kegerator in minutes. Install the shank and faucet directly in to the door of your refrigerator and hook up the Co2 inside. You’ll be drinking from your kegerator in no time at all.
But, here’s something that not many people think about. The Kegerator Conversion Kit can also be used for other home bar designs. Wall mount it to a closet. That’s right! Turn your closet into a kegerator.
All you need to do is install the shank and faucet on the wall the way you would the door of your refrigerator. Then, grab a large trash can full of ice just like you would for a normal keg party. Hook up the Co2 inside the closet and you are ready to drink some cold beer with the keg hidden in the closet, fully functional for your party. Of course, this is really only good for keg parties when you have them. But, you can try to keep ice in the trash can as you keep swapping out kegs.
As this idea starts to spark the imagination, I want to see Kegerators everywhere! Garages, Bedrooms, Kitchens, Living Rooms, Bathrooms, through the wall to the Patio outside…etc.
Beertaps has the Kegerator Conversion Kit you need!
Posted September 25th, 2009. Add a comment
You watch people on television having a great time. Some of the reality television shows allow their contestants to be viewed while drinking. Some actors like Norm have made a career out of it. But, can you get paid to drink beer?
It would be nice to know, wouldn’t it?
I loved watching Tara Reid get drunk on the Wild On… episodes that she hosted and on the Taradise show that had a short run. You sit back and watch the show thinking, “Man, why can’t I land a gig as sweet as that?”
You get paid to roam around the world, find the best places ever and drink their alcohol to show people at home how fun it is. That’s the gig of the century. But, then the thought occurs to you that only blessed people like Tara Reid get gigs like that.
Well, not anymore. Getting paid to drink is no longer a gig for the beautiful and talented. It’s a job all of us can have.
It seems that there are plenty of beer companies starting a trend. They love to pay people to drink their beer and give them feedback.
“Just two nights ago I attended a beer & wine discussion group and for about 1 hour of my time, sampling a few different beers and wines and answering some questions I received $70.” Tim Costello, author of Make Money Drinking Beer.
It does appear that the blessings have been passed on to the rest of us. So, if you think you can participate in a drinking group where people will be drinking and talking about drinking, the learn more about how to make money drinking beer…
Posted September 10th, 2009. Add a comment
by Barbara Thomas
What exactly does it mean to be a bartender? A bartender is someone that serves beverages, and in some cases food behind a licensed bar. Bartenders can be found in any establishment that has a bar, such as bars, restaurants, night clubs, pubs and taverns.
The majority of the drinks that a bartender will be serving contain alcohol in them. They also serve beer and wine, along with other types of alcohol. Not only do they serve alcohol they also have to serve juice, soda, water, and non alcoholic beverages to those who do not drink alcohol.
Not only do bartenders have the responsibility of making and serving drinks, they are also responsible for the over cleanliness of the bar area. They must make sure they have enough clean shot glasses, wine glasses, mugs, and drink glasses at their disposal, so there is a light amount of dish washing that is involved.
In most scenarios, the bartender is expected to dress appropriately to add to the atmosphere of the bar. In some establishments, the bar tender might participate in flair bar tending, which contributes to the entertainment in the bar.
A professional bartender should have in their head hundreds of recipes for drinks and shots. The quicker that you can serve the customer the more likely you are to get a good tip. It is not very professional to go over and look at a recipe book while the customer is waiting on his or her drink, especially if you are working at a busy night club.
A good bartender must have excellent people skills, as communication and also a person that will listen to the customer. When people are drinking they are more to open up, and sometimes as a bartender you must be that shoulder to cry on. Knowing what your customers are going to order is also a good thing, you will learn this over time.
In most countries, tipping is expected of the customer, and this is how the bartender gets the majority of their income, as most bar tenders are paid minimum wage. In some places, minors are allowed in bars, and it is the bartenders responsibility to check for identification before serving them alcohol.
If this sounds like a lot of work, with not much reward, there is always a bright side. You are working at an establishment that serves gallons of liquor each day, and you are in charge of it. The job of bartender is management, customer service, and so much more! Even a bar tending job looks good on a resume when you present it in the right way.
Posted by CarBoy Films
The Father of Our Country loved his beer. English–style porter was George Washington’s drink of choice and whenever he could he would seek out the product of Robert Hare, a brewer in Philadelphia who was one of the first to make porter in the U.S. Washington was no stranger to homebrew either and this recipe from a personal notebook he kept will make 30 gallons of ale, enough for a large household like Mount Vernon.
"Take a large Sifter full of Bran, Hops to your Taste—Boil these 3 hours. Then strain out 30 Gallons into a Cooler put in 3 Gallons Molasses while the Beer is scalding hot or rather drain the molasses into the Cooler. Strain the Beer on it while boiling hot let this stand til it is little more than Blood warm. Then put in a quart of Yeast if the weather is very cold cover it over with a Blanket. Let it work in the Cooler 24 hours then put it into the Cask. leave the Bung open til it is almost done working—Bottle it that day Week it was Brewed."
"To Make Small Beer” is the title of this recipe. “Small beer” is normally brew made from the second runnings through the mash for strong ale and the beer that is created has very little alcohol (about 3%). However, a note on the NPR website says that the above recipe produces a beer with an alcohol content of about 11 %. If this was George’s “small beer” then consumption of his “large beer” must have somehow disrupted space-time for its imbiber. Compare that ABV to a popular modern American brew, say Sam Adams Boston Lager at 4.9%, and you realize that “Town Destroyer”, as the Iroquois nicknamed Washington, wasn’t effin around. In fact, I think he might have been trying to kill himself and anyone around him.
So if you try this recipe use caution (or just less molasses) and for God’s sake send us pictures of the aftermath.
Image by cliff1066
