Here at the BarWhiz Blog we love to share all of our favourite cocktail recipes. Today we’d like doing something a little different by showing you some of the coolest martini shakers that are out there.

Retro Martini Shaker

Cyclone Cocktail Shaker

LED Shaker

The ‘Leg In High Heels’ Shaker

Gas Pump Cocktail Shaker

Rocket Ship Shaker

Blastoff!

RX Cocktail Martini Shaker

Graffiti Cocktail Shaker

Another cool twist on the average shaker

Lantern Shaker

Football Cocktail Shaker

Because nothing says football like a cosmopolitan…

Here we have a zoo of cocktail shakers:

Cock-a-doodle-doo Martini Shaker

The Breakfast of Champions – a great way to start your day

The Penguin Shaker

Swordfish Cocktail Shaker

How am I even supposed to shake this thing?

Polar Bear Martini Shaker

The DIY Cocktail Shaker

The ole’ mason jar trick works every time.

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.

#1 – Beer

Beer goes with camping like peanut butter goes with jelly. So it’s no wonder that beer has taken the #1 spot for most popular drinks for camping. If you are car camping you can bring everything from a case of bottles to a beer keg with you. However, if you decide to do some real camping, you know like where you hike into the woods, or paddle upstream in a canoe, you will want to bring something that is a little easier to transport, like cans.

Typically 1 litre of booze will add an additional 1-pound to the overall weight of your backpack. Since everything you bring in you must also be brought out, you may find these tips to lightening your load for getting loaded very helpful:

Leave the cooler at home.
Coolers are not only unnecessary, but they can also be extremely heavy. Thankfully the great outdoors offers many ingenious ways to chill your suds:

Place your beer in a body of water. Find a place where the current won’t carry them away and your beverages will stay cold all day.

If there is no body of water around you could always use a sock. Simply wet a clean sock and put your beer inside. Hang the sock from a tree and as the water evaporates the heat will be drawn away from the beer, which in turn will cool it down.

Mix your own beer.

If you really want to save some room in your pack, you can always mix your own beer with Pat’s Backcountry Beverages (www.patsbcb.com/beer-concentrate). This powdered beer is light and easy to carry. All you need is a carbonating water bottle and some water. In no time you’ll be enjoying some freshly mixed brews.

#2 – Whiskey, Scotch and Rye

It can get cold out there in the wilderness. That’s why every camper, from the hiker to the car camper, should carry along a trusty flask of some firewater. A few sips of some good whiskey, scotch or rye and your blood will be sufficiently warmed to make it through the night.

#3 – Wine

Sure you cooked your dinner over a campfire, but that doesn’t mean you can’t class up your meal with a nice Chardonnay. A fine tetra pack of wine is a must have for any camping trip. Not only are the tetra packs easy to transport, both in and out of the woods, but best of all you won’t have to use that corkscrew option on your multi-tool pocketknife.

#4 – Cocktails

We couldn’t have a list of the best drinks for camping without including at least one cocktail recipe. And since a night around the campfire isn’t complete without having a least one round of s’mores we have come up with the S’moretini.

2 oz marshmallow vodka
1 oz chocolate liqueur
splash of half and half
chocolate syrup and graham crackers for rim
marshmallow for garnish

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, strain into martini glass rimmed with chocolate syrup and graham cracker crumbs and garnish with roasted marshmallow.

If making mixed drinks is not your specialty, you can always purchase premixed cocktails such as, Cosmopolitans, Mojitos and even Kamikazi’s that come packaged in lightweight plastic bags. Check out all the flavours available at Shot Pak (www.shotpakinc.com).

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.

At the beginning of this year we decided to poke some fun at the true heroes of the party, the designated driver. And as mentioned in the top ten ways to tell who’s the designated driver, we here at the BarWhiz Blog fully support and encourage the designated driver program.

These heroes of the non-drink deserve our thanks and special recognition for the selfless deeds they perform while everyone else is busy destroying brains cells. After all, how fun can it be to nurse a glass of water while all around you people are consuming copious amounts of sweet sweet booze? Not too fun at all I imagine. So with that in mind we have developed a list of the top four drinks for the designated driver.

So whether it is your own DD, or someone else’s, show them how much you appreciate their sacrifice by purchasing them one of these delicious drinks:

#1 – Virgin Anything

The beauty of mixing cocktails is that you can essentially have a virgin anything – just leave out the booze. Some cocktails won’t translate so well, an empty martini glass with three olives is really more canapé than cocktail, but it is virgin. So get creative and buy your designated driver the tastiest virgin cocktail the bartender can whip up.

#2 – Fancy Water

If you designated driver insists on drinking water all night why not show them you really care by purchasing them a bottle of the fanciest water the bar carries. You know the stuff, water that is harvested from the melting polar icecaps, or that natural fizzy stuff from France – your DD is just too important to have that stale, flat stuff that comes from the tap.

#3 – Energy Drinks and Coffee

Likely your designated driver is out for the long haul. A night of partying and painting the town red can become quite exhausting, especially if the only thing you have to sustain yourself is a virgin Cuba Libre. So help give your DD a boost with a powerful energy drink or a few cups of strong coffee.

#4 – Non-Alcoholic Beer and Wine

Now, if you want your designated driver to get in on the fun while still remaining sober, you can always opt for non-alcoholic beer and wine. The only caution is, although these beverages have been dealcoholized some trace amounts of alcohol still remain. Granted you would need to consume 100 beers to feel a slight buzz, but the alcohol is present nonetheless.

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.

“Show me the way to the next whiskey [Festival]. Oh, don’t ask why, oh, don’t ask why. For if we don’t find the next whiskey [Festival], I tell you we must die, I tell you we must die…”

That’s right folks! We’ve already brought you the BarWhiz Blog’s Top Beer Festivals, as well as the Top Wine Festivals from all over the globe. Today we bring to you the Top Whiskey Festivals.

So without further adieu, here are the BarWhiz Blog Picks for the World’s Top Whiskey Festivals:

***Please note: Due to the overwhelming amount of amazing whiskey festivals out there we’ve decided to limit our selection to just a few of those on the list that will be happening this calendar year.***

Jura Distillery Whiskey Festival – Jura, Scotland (May 29th – 30th, 2013)

It’s not too late to join the Jura Distillery to celebrate their 50th year anniversary with, what some are saying, will be the greatest whisky festival ever! They will have four new bottlings to try, including a pre-release of their 40-year-old whisky. Not to mention interactive sessions held by some of the best whisky experts around. There will also be local food, music and distillery tours available. So what are you waiting for? Book your flight to Scotland today and experience this once in a lifetime whisky festival.

Bushmills Live – Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland (June 19th – 20th, 2013)

Okay, so this is not so much a whisky festival as it is a music festival, and even though whisky didn’t make our Most Popular Drinks At A Music Festival list, knowing that this festival is put on by Bushmills, there is certainly to be a lot of whisky flowing. This festival will provide 500 lucky whisky fans the chance to sip some handcrafted whisky while listening to some amazing musicians, all the while taking in the Old Bushmills Distillery. Sounds like a pretty amazing whisky festival to me!

Whiskey Rebellion Festival – Washington, PA (July 11th – 13th, 2013)

Back in the good ole days of America’s beginnings, when George Washington was commander and chief, a new tax was being placed on farmers who sold their grain in the form of whisky. Something they strongly resented. So much so that protesters violently opposed the new tax, going as so far as tarring and feathering tax collectors. Today things are much more peaceful, but for three days each year in Washington, PA the Rebellion holds true. The Whisky Rebellion Festival celebrates the historical significance of the protest, with re-enactments of the tarring and feathering of tax collectors, parades, live music, food, and of course good ole fashioned whiskey drinking. This is definitely not your whisky connoisseurs festival.

Little Woody Barrel Aged Brew and Whiskey Fest – Bend, OR (August 30th – 31st, 2013)

Originally starting out as a beer festival for craft brewers who understood the importance of aging their brews in oaken casks, this festival has recently open its palate to include those for the taste of a fine whiskey. Taking place next to the Des Chutes Historical Museum, Bend, OR will be transformed into a whiskey tasting paradise, and will include a wide selection of some of the finest small batch American bourbons and ryes.

Speyside Whisky Festival – Dufftown, Scotland (September 26th – 30th, 2013)

The Speyside Whisky Festival is unique in that the tastings are not centrally located. During this festival several distilleries, many who are not open to the public, throw open their doors and invite whisky connoisseurs of all walks of life to sample a wide selection of fine malts. Through the festival mini-bus trips are planned to allow festivalgoers the chance to experience what each distillery has to offer. The most notable tour is the Seven Stills Tour, which includes all of Dufftown’s distilleries on a single trip.

Whisky Live Festival – TBD, South Africa (October 2013)

As of the date of publication for this post the Whisky Live Festival had yet to release any details of the 11th annual festival, but if it is anything like 2012 you are sure to be in for the time of your life. Billed as the “the benchmark for spirit shows globally” by award-winning whisky writer Dave Broom, the Whisky Live Festival has built itself a reputation as being the largest, liveliest and most entertaining whisky festival, not only in South Africa, but also the world. This is definitely the must attend event of the year.

International Whisky Festival – The Hague, Netherlands (November 15th – 17th, 2013)

The Grote Kerk in The Hague, Netherlands hosts the International Whisky Festival each year, and with over a hundred brands of whiskies available for tasting, this makes for one of the most spectacular festivals of its kind. The festival also offers the opportunity to learn more about whisky with their selection of Master classes, hosted by both Dutch and English speaking whisky experts. If you don’t want to spend the entire festival in a dusty old church you can always hop aboard the Whisky Tram and see the sites of The Hague while enjoying some single Scottish malts.

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.

Spring has finally sprung! And with the coming of Spring, “the sun is out, birds are singing, bees are trying to have sex with them… as is my understanding”.

Here at the BarWhiz Blog, as you may already know, we love to provide you with a list of our favorite drink recipes, so today we thought there was no better time than Spring to finally share our recipes for drinks to get you in the mood.

So without further ado, here are the top 4 Drinks To Get You In The Mood:

The Spice of Aphrodite

Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, lust and beauty. It was said she was born of the sea and rode to the island of Cyprus on the back of a scallop shell. It turns out that scallops, just like oysters and clams, are an aphrodisiac. They contain high levels of zinc and certain amino acids that are thought to increase the libido. Add this to the sexual powers of asparagus, which is rich in potassium, phosphorous, calcium, and vitamin E, and olives, the The Spice of Aphrodite is one drink that will be certain to get you in the mood.

1.5 oz of vodka
4 oz of Clamato juice
2 dashes Tabasco
3 dashes pepper
4 dashes Worcestershire
lime wedge
sea salt for rim
pickled asparagus and olives for garnish

Rim a tall rocks glass with sea salt. Squeeze a wedge of lime and drop into the glass. Fill with ice. Add vodka, Tabasco, Worcestershire and fill with Clamato juice. Add pepper and garnish with two pickled asparagus spears and two skewered olives.

Eros Delight

Eros, the Greek god of love and sexual passion, was the inspiration for our modern day Cupid. When I think of Cupid I immediately think of cinnamon hearts. And nothing pairs better with cinnamon than apples. It just so happens these two delights are also considered to be aphrodisiacs. Cinnamon has been used to treat impotence, and apples, the forbidden fruit of temptation, are packed with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that stimulate sexual desire.

6 oz of white wine
1.5 oz apple juice
1.5 tsp limejuice
club soda
cinnamon stick
apple slice

Combine white wine, apple juice, and limejuice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into martini glass. Top with club soda and garnish with slice of apple and cinnamon stick.

Venus Envy

Venus, Rome’s version of Aphrodite, is the Roman goddess of love, lust and beauty. Our Venus Envy creation contains, among other aphrodisiac looking ingredients, honey, which is said to contain boron, a trace mineral that helps the body metabolize estrogen, as well as B vitamins, which are used to enhance testosterone.

3 oz white wine
3 oz sparkling wine
1 oz cucumber water
1 tsp limejuice
2 teaspoons honey
chopped mint leaves

Combine white wine, cucumber water, limejuice, honey and mint leaves to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a tall glass, top with sparkling wine and garnish with cucumber slices and mint.

Rati’s Passion

Rati, the Hindu goddess of passion and lust, basically wrote The Book of Love. With Sanskrit words like rati-karman and rati-laksha, both which translate to sexual intercourse, it is by no stretch of the imagination that the Indian Hindu text, The Kama Sutra, came to be. For our last recipe of drinks to get you in the mood we combined both basil, considered the sacred herb of India, that has been found to awaken the senses, stimulate blood flow, and relieve fatigue, with strawberries, thought to be one of the most erotic fruits on the planet.

6 oz white wine
4 strawberries
1 tsp sugar
1 sprig basil
1 oz lemon juice

Combine strawberries, sugar, basil and lemon juice into a blender. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with white wine and add strawberry and lemon slices for garnish.

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.

Spring has finally sprung, and with the onset of the warm weather, for those of us north of the equator, it means we can finally enjoy a cold one outdoors. From outdoor patios to backyard parties one of the best places to enjoy a refreshing ice-cold drink is at an outdoor music festival.

Before we divulge the list of the most popular drinks at a music festival we’d first like to provide you with some words of caution. There are many key elements to surviving a music festival, especially a multi-day one. Remember, it’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon. So pace yourself and above all, remember to hydrate.

The majority of music festivals have a strict no outdoor alcohol permitted policy, so unfortunately you’ll have to stick with drinking what is available. If you’re more of the unscrupulous type you can always try one of these 6 inventions to smuggle booze into festivals… but if you get caught you didn’t hear that from us. Now on with the drinks:

#1 – Beer

By far the most popular, and most accessible drink at a music festival is of course beer. Whether it comes on tap, in the bottle or in the can no music festival experience is complete with a plastic cup of frothy goodness.

#2 – Wine

For the higher classed drinker, or just those of you that don’t like a cold refreshing beer, the second most popular music festival drink is wine. If you don’t want the dreaded black-teeth of red wine, we suggest sticking with the white.

#3 – Coolers

Coolers, whether wine, vodka or some other kind of sugar laden beverage is another popular drink for many festival-goers. Even if you don’t like coolers, at any given moment you may be Bro Iced, so be prepared and be careful out there.

#4 – Cocktails

Although not the most popular drink at a music festival, they can be the most delicious, and most dangerous. If the music festival you are attending offers cocktails, make sure you following our words of caution: pace yourself and stay hydrated.

#5 – Specialty Drinks

As alluded to, you typically don’t have too many options when it comes to types of drinks you can purchase at a music festival, so sometimes you have to improvise and create your own. With a plastic glass of beer, some ice and a can of el Jimadore (or any other premixed margarita) you can make your very own Beergarita!

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.

There are so many amazing bars and clubs around the world to have a drink in before you kick the bucket, it can be hard to choose which ones to add to your Boozer’s Bucket List.

To make things a little easier, we’ve put together this list of the top six wackiest places to have a drink before you die.

In a Tree

Every kid’s dream was to have a tree fort in their backyard. So it can be easy to assume that every adult kid’s dream is to have a drink inside a tree. No? Is it just me then? Well, thanks to the Baobab Bar those that are so inclined can do just that. Located in Modjadjiskloof in Limpopo Province, South Africa, this bar is situated inside a hollowed out, 6000 year old baobab tree.

Under the Sea

If trees aren’t your thing how about taking a page from Jules Verne and having a drink twenty thousand leagues under the sea. Okay, maybe it’s more like 5 meters below the sea, but the Red Sea Star Bar in Eilat, Israel is definitely another wacky place to have a drink before you die.

In a Cave

If you are afraid of water you can always head underground to the Alux Restaurant & Lounge. Located in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, this underground bar is deep within the bowels of a naturally formed cave.

In the Sky

If the cave has you feeling a bit claustrophobic maybe it is time to get some fresh air with Lounge in the Sky. This wacky experience hoists you up 50 metres in the air, where you can enjoy a few drinks with friends and be entertained by almost any form of entertainment imaginable. I’m not sure where the bathrooms are located on this thing, so it’s best not to break the seal before your adventure begins.

In a Jungle

If all the excitement has gone to your head it might be time to get back to nature and head into the Ecuadorian Amazon Jungle for a drink at the Kapawi Ecolodge. This remote, ecologically responsible and cultural sensible bar is located in a pristine region of the rainforest, so you can sit back and enjoy a cocktail without the sounds of chainsaws ruining your tranquility, and our planet.

In Outer Space

If you’ve had enough of this planet, maybe it is time to head to a bar that really is out of this world. With Virgin Galactic well on their way to making Space Tourism a reality, you too could one day enjoy a cold frosty one in the cold frosty vacuum of space. Currently a ticket to reserve a seat on the SpaceShipTwo is a only a mere $200,000.

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.

Here at the BarWhiz Blog we’ve written a lot about popular drinks, from those that will bring you in out of the cold to the most popular drinks to serve at a house party.

Today we take on the almost impossible task of determining what are the Most Popular Drinks Of The 7 Continents.

Africa – Dawa

Swahili for medicine, Dawa is a classic African cocktail, that by all accounts was first invented in Kenya, and has since become a popular drink to sip in the whole of the continent.

2 oz vodka
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp brown sugar
1 lime
Dawa stick for garnish

Muddle lime chunks, honey and brown sugar in a rocks glass. Add crushed ice, vodka and stir. Garnish with Dawa stick.

Europe – Beer?

From Champagne in France, Scotch in Scotland, Stout in Ireland, Vodka in Russia, and everything in between, it’s quite hard to narrow down the list to one single popular drink for all of Europe. Based on the image to the right, by landmass alone, vodka looks to be the clear winner. However this report suggests that draught beer is becoming increasingly popular in Russia… so who can really tell what the most popular drink is in Europe. If you ask a backpacker, undoubtly they will tell you it’s beer, (or whatever it is you are willing to buy a round of), so we’ll just stick with that.

1 keg, can, or bottle of beer

Open it up, pour it in a glass or drink it from the bottle or can. Come on, it’s beer, you know how to do it.

Asia – The Bucket

Speaking of backpackers, if you’ve done any backpacking through Asia then you must be familiar with the dreaded ‘Bucket’. Is it really the most popular drink in all of Asia? With over half of the World’s population residing in the continent, not likely, but look, it’s a great drink to share with friends.

1 bottle of Sangsom whiskey
1 can of energy drink (Red Bull, M150, etc)
1 can of pop
1 plastic bucket
1 package of straws

Mix all ingredients in a bucket, add straws and enjoy with friends.

Australia – Fosters

Although the current trends in Australia are suggesting a shift in consumer tastes, with more people purchasing spirits and wines, this “nation of beer drinkers” still love their Fosters. Oh, and for the backpackers, there is always GOON.

1 big can of Fosters

Open can and drink up mate.

North America – Wine

North America consists of more than just the two countries of Canada and the United States. There are in fact 35 countries that fall within the North American continent. With just over 550 million inhabitants, and knowing the stereotypical drinking habits of the three biggest countries, (Canadians love their beer eh?, Americans their bourbon, and Mexicans their tequila), would it surprise you to know that the most popular drink is actually wine? It sure as hell surprised me, and I live in North America!

1 bottle of your favorite wine

Fight out the cork, or twist off the cap, pour into a wine glass and enjoy.

South America – Cuba Libre

Not to be outdone, South America has an estimated population of just over 400 million inhabitants within 14 countries. So what is the most popular drink on this continent? We’re going to have to settle for the traditional Cuba Libre. I know I can already hear the groans now, so check out this great list of some ‘other’ South American cocktails.

2 oz light rum
1 can of cola
1 lime

Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice, add rum, squeeze juice of lime and fill with cola. Garnish with lime wedge.

Antarctica – Anything On The Rocks

Although not an inhabited continent in the conventional sense, Antarctica does have up to 5,000 residents at any one time. Some, about 1,000 or so, stay year round manning the many scientific research stations that dot the continent’s landscape. What do the inhabitants of Antarctica drink? Well, anything on the rocks of course. There is plenty of ice around after all.

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.

You know we are all about warmin’ up with a cold one, but sometimes – when you are as cold as this girl looks – what you really need to do is to warm up with a warm one.

Here at the BarWhiz Blog we love to showcase our extensive list of our favorite cocktails and drink recipes, so to take the chill out of your bones this winter why not try out some of our most popular drinks to come in out of the cold:

Irish Coffee

2 oz Irish whiskey
6 oz coffee
sugar
cream

Add whiskey and coffee into a glass mug. Top with sugar, cream, stir and serve. I tend to add an ounce or two of Irish cream, such as Bailey’s, to replace the cream and sugar, but hey, that’s just me.

Dirty Chai Toddy

1 oz bourbon
1 oz espresso
4 oz half and half
2 oz water
½ cinnamon stick
1 cardamom pod, crushed
3 peppercorns, crushed
1 inch piece of fresh ginger
1 tbsp sugar
1 bag of black tea

Bring cream, water, cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, ginger and sugar to boil in a small saucepan. Add tea bag and steep. Strain in warmed mugs, add espresso, bourbon and serve.

Esky’s Hot Spot

2 oz scotch
sugar
lemon peel
4 oz water
nutmeg

Combine whiskey, sugar and lemon peel into a mug. Add boiling water, stir and garnish with nutmeg.

Mulled Wine

2 bottles red wine
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
3 peppercorns, crushed
2 cardamom pods, crushed
1 cinnamon stick, crushed
1 clove, crushed
1 star anise
½ cup kirsch

Combine red wine, sugar, orange and lemon zests into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add all spices to a tea ball and place in saucepan. Once sugar has dissolved remove pan from heat, remove spices and stir in kirsch. Ladle mulled wine into heatproof glasses, add garnish and serve.

Blizzard Cocktail

1 ½ oz rum
½ oz hazelnut liqueur
½ oz Irish cream liqueur
5 oz coffee
whipped cream
chocolate shavings

Combine rum, hazelnut liqueur, and Irish cream in a glass mug, top with coffee and garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Peppermint Patty

2 oz peppermint schnapps
5 oz milk
Hot chocolate powder
whipped cream
candy cane bits

Combine milk and chocolate powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and transfer into a glass mug. Add peppermint schnapps, garnish with whipped cream and candy cane bits and serve.

Tom and Jerry

1 ½ oz brandy
1 oz dark rum
5 oz hot milk
1 egg
1 tbsp sugar
pinch of ground allspice
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
nutmeg

Separate egg whites and add sugar. Beat egg whites and slowly add ½ oz of brandy and spices. Fold egg whites in egg yolk. Place 1 tablespoon of batter into coffee mug, add brandy and dark rum, and top with hot milk. Garnish with nutmeg and serve.

Spiked Apple Cider

2 oz bourbon
5 oz apple cider
½ oz orange juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cloves
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp nutmeg

Combine apple cider, orange juice, sugar, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg into a small saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes; add bourbon, strain into glass mug and garnish with cinnamon stick.

Spiced Pumpkin Cider

1 ½ oz spiced rum
5 oz apple cider
2 ½ oz pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
pinch of pumpkin pie spice
1 cinnamon stick
whipped cream

Combine apple cider, pumpkin puree, and spices into a small saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Strain into glass mug, add rum, garnish with whipped cream and nutmeg.

Hot Buttered Rum

2 oz dark rum
6 oz hot water
2 tsp sugar
1 pat of unsalted butter

In a glass mug combine sugar and a small amount of hot water until the sugar dissolves. Add rum, butter and fill with hot water.

Honey-Bourbon Toddy

1 oz bourbon
4 oz hot water
1 tbsp honey
1 strip of lemon peel
1 cinnamon sticks

Combine honey and hot water in rocks glass and stir until honey is dissolved. Add bourbon and garnish with strip of lemon peel and cinnamon stick.

Hot Milk Punch

1 oz dark rum
1 oz brandy
1 tsp sugar
4 oz milk
nutmeg

Combine rum, brandy and sugar into a glass mug, stirring until sugar dissolves. Fill with hot milk and garnish with nutmeg.

Flaming Brandy Punch

Makes 18 to 20 servings

2 bottles dry red wine
4 cups brandy
1 ¼ cups water
1 cup fresh orange juice
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 ¼ cups (packed) dark brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1 strip of orange peel
1 whole nutmeg

Combine water, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and orange peel into a large pot and bring to boil. Once sugar has dissolved stir in wine. Pour mixture into heatproof punch bowl. Mix in orange and lemon juice. Fill ladle with brandy and ignite. Pour flaming brandy into punch bowl and allow flame to burn out. Pour in remaining brandy and garnish with nutmeg.

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.

It’s the time of year for holiday parties, New Year’s parties and just old fashion get-togethers. Here at BarWhiz we love a good party – you should have seen our office party last week, woo-wee! I don’t think those interns will be coming back next semester.

Anyway, we are all about the party, but we are also a strong advocate of drinking responsibly and of course always having a designated driver – whether you call a taxi, take public transit, or God forbid, call your Mom on Christmas Eve to come pick you up from the bar (long story) – drinking and driving is never a good idea. Not only do you run the risk of losing your license, but more importantly, when you get behind the wheel drunk you endanger the lives of everyone around you, including your own.

Although we fully support and encourage the designated driver program, we still like to take the time to poke fun at those who lost the bet, or the rock-paper-scissors toss, and ended up being the one to abstain for the night.

So without further adieu, here are the top 10 ways to tell who is the designated driver:

#10 – The only guy who doesn’t want to drive to the girl’s college, the Playboy Mansion or the Lost City of Gold.

#9 – The only guy in the whole bar who is drinking a Shirley Temple.

#8 – The only guy who keeps ordering virgin Vodka and Red Bulls.

#7 – The only guy who is not telling everyone how much they love them.

#6 – The only guy who hasn’t fallen off of his barstool at least once.

#5 – The only guy who isn’t trashing the bar.

#4 – They only guy who thinks it’s not a good idea to dance on the table.

#3 – The only guy who hasn’t passed out at the bar.

#2 – The only guy that is not trying to start a fight.

#1 – And the #1 way to tell who is the designated driver: They will always tell you.

All fun aside, having a designated driver is extremely important, and here’s an infographic from TotalDUI.com that explains why:

from Total DUI

About the Author
Corey Rozon is a freelance writer from Ottawa, Canada.