Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Proof.
How the Swizzle Stick Made a Comeback
Swizzle sticks may appear to be a bit of a relic from the 70s, but, in recent years, have made something of a comeback thanks to old-school nostalgia. Nostalgia tends to bring a lot of antiquated or outdated material back to the mainstream. It brought vinyl back from the grave, after all.
By Ray Shikinami9 years ago in Proof
10 Hilariously Creative Cocktail Books
It sometimes feels, after you've mixed a few drinks, that no one is creative anymore when asking for special cocktails. White Russian. Manhattan. Screw-driver. Long island ice tea. Every recipe is the same. Every one of them, snatched up from the same reprinted volume of classic drinks. Everyone knows what they are, so is there any point really getting creative when everyone drinks the same thing?
By Miranda O'Conner9 years ago in Proof
Tips for Making Classic Drinks
Pick up any bartender's guide and you'll find recipes for more than 1,000 drinks, and that doesn't include the latest cocktails created to promote a product or commemorate an event. Despite this proliferation of concoctions, an increasing number of people are rediscovering the classic cocktails of another era. The return of the Martini has been well documented; other popular drinks include the Bloody Mary, the Daiquiri, the Margarita, and the Old Fashioned. All of these can be given a contemporary twist with the addition or substitution of an ingredient or two.
By Lynne Shumaker9 years ago in Proof
Hacking Cheap Liquor
Nobody wants to drink from the bargain bin. Cheap liquor leaves a bad taste, ruins mixed drinks, and is a quick way to dampen the good vibes at a party. So, what if there was a way to turn that value-brand booze into something fit for royalty? Sound too good to be true? Behold, the magic of refiltering...
By Brent Smith9 years ago in Proof
Archer's Guide to Cocktails
Please note that the following are cocktail recipes. You won't find anything about wine in this article, as Sterling stated to me over what I believe was his fifth scotch, he does not have a vagina. He also wanted to avoid highball recipes, because a highball is technically just a spirit and a mixer, and frankly, if you need to recipe to tell you to add soda to scotch, then you probably shouldn't be drinking anyway. Archer has been kind enough to not only share his favorite recipes but provide us with some stellar quotes too.
By Katya Krakowska9 years ago in Proof
(Jumping On) the Natural Wine Bandwagon
As with anything that is new and exciting, and where people see money to be made; lots of more established producers are jumping on the natural and orange wine bandwagons. This as a whole is not a bad thing - as a general trend the natural wine movement is having a positive effect on the rest of the wine industry and there are some trends that are jumping over from natural wine that should be embraced (juicy, fruity, fun, chilled reds for instance).
By Jules van Costello9 years ago in Proof
Weird Drinking Laws in America
Alcohol has had an odd history in the court of law. During Prohibition, alcohol became illegal, which, it turned out, did little to stop people from drinking. Shocking. As the drinking age creeps higher and higher with the passing years, many people feel constricted when it comes to alcohol laws. However, rest assured that, while alcohol restrictions throughout the United States may be a pain, some states have laws that are not only oddly strict, but strictly odd.
By Miranda O'Conner9 years ago in Proof
New York's Speakeasy Bar Scene
The popular Crif Dogs diner is pretty easy to spot along St Mark’s Place; the words ‘Eat Me’ hang high above the sidewalk emblazoned across a giant frankfurter. There’s already quite a queue forming inside, but strangely few people are actually indulging in the delicious hot dogs served here. Everyone seems to be loitering around an antiquated phone booth that’s standing against a far wall and from time to time one or two people squeeze in and then seem to somehow disappear.
By Scott Snowden9 years ago in Proof
Rock Climbing, Booze, and Existential Ennui
After the Crux Originally appeared in Swift Kick No. 5/6 “Death and Transformation” 1987. Basement Man was the strangest fuck I ever met. I mean the guy looked like he just busted outa the pen, or wandered outa the mountains somewhere. He musta stood six-two, with a big, furry, crazy-lookin beard and these wild blue eyes that looked out from all that hair like a bear's. His hands were the size of your fuckin head.
By Joseph Ferguson9 years ago in Proof
33 Booze Life Hacks Every Drinker Needs to Know. Top Story - February 2017.
Elevate your bartender, mixologist and sommelier skills to the next level with these 33 booze hacks: Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot, is not water-soluble but is alcohol-soluble. Take a swig of vodka to stop the heat. Make cheap wine taste expensive by “aerating” it in a blender for 30 seconds. Use tube socks to keep your bottles from breaking when traveling with booze. Create your own vanilla extract by slicing vanilla beans lengthwise and storing them in a cheap bottle of vodka for a month. Don't water down your white wine with ice; use frozen grapes instead.
By Sheera Lee9 years ago in Proof
Best Home Brew Kits and Recipes
History has seen beer recorded in Mesopotamian cuneiform (the oldest known form of writing), taxed under the Pharaohs (burial alive was then the penalty for evasion), rinsed through Cleopatra’s hair, spread by the vikings and the Roman legions, fostered at medieval monasteries, mass-produced by America's founding fathers, prohibited by our Constitution (only to be monopolized by gangsters immediately thereafter), and imbibed by just about everybody and his grandma. Yesterday's "Mesopotamian Gold" is being rolled out by the US today—hundreds of thousands of barrels per year. By no means does that figure account for the almost 4,000 - 5,000 different beers consumed worldwide: ales, bocks, lagers, porters, stouts—everything from bitter beers that are virtually unpalatable unless mixed with sweet syrups to crystal clear to warm sakis served in Japanese restaurants. To top it off, more and more people are now resorting to home-brewing.
By Iwan Palinski9 years ago in Proof
