Tattersall Distilling Pre-Made Cocktails

May 4, 2021 Eric Burke

IMAGE: Tattersall Pre-made Manhattan and Tattersall Pre-Made Old Fashioned.

It is May and I am officially “almost ready” to put the shovel away and bring out the deck furniture. It isn’t quite planting season here in Minnesota, at least not for things that can’t handle frost. But we are getting oh, so close. My wife has her greenhouse up and the plants are at least outside, albeit with a heater to keep them warm at night.

We are so close to travel season too. Well for me at least. I try to take two vacations per year. One is to Kentucky in September. The other varies. Sometimes I escape the winter cold in February. Sometimes I head to the beach. And other times I do something crazy like visit the desert in the summer. That’s what is planned for this summer. I take all of my nieces and nephews on a road trip of their choosing when they turn 7. My niece however has had to wait until she was 10 due to a combination of her family being busy, my finances and then Covid. But this year, now that we are both vaccinated, we head to Utah to show her something new. It should be a great time.

Once we get through Iowa and Nebraska.

In any case, when you are traveling to places off of the beaten path, getting a good cocktail can be challenging. I’ll often just pick up a bottle of bourbon somewhere and call it good. But if I wanted something a little more complex, my options would be limited to what I wanted to bring with. Do I want to bring three bottles along to make a Manhattan? Probably not. But I could be convinced to grab a few small bottles of a pre-made cocktail to throw in the suitcase?

Well that just depends on how good the cocktail is.

Tattersall Distilling Pre-Made Old Fashioned

Purchase Price: $4.99 for a 100 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.50

Nose: Malted rye, dried fruits and spices.

Mouth: Sweet with a nice thick mouthfeel. Dried fruit notes are the star of the show here and are supported by the baking spice notes of the bitters.

Finish: Sweet with notes of cherry and baking spices.

Tattersall Distilling Pre-Made Manhattan

Purchase Price: $4.99 for a 100 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.50

Nose: Delicate with notes of brown sugar and baking spice.

Mouth: Baking spices, dried fruit and brown sugar.

Finish: Notes of cherry, baking spices, and vermouth. After a bit, a menthol note appears.

Thoughts: Both of these are very good. I think half the fun of drinking cocktails at home is making the cocktails, but if I was traveling I'd happily grab a few of these to toss in the suitcase. They would make a wonderful nightcap after a day of driving, exploring, or hiking. This is something I may have to consider for that upcoming summer trip.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

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Fire Department Coffee: Spirit Infused Coffee

February 16, 2021 Eric Burke

I’d like to thank the folks at Fire Department Coffee for providing these free media samples with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Two bags of Spirit Infused Coffee from Fire Department Coffee. Vanilla Bean Bourbon and Black Cherry Bourbon.

I don’t have to tell you that it has been cold lately. Places that seldom get snow are just getting dumped on, and…well…it’s been cold enough here to freeze bourbon. Literally, I have an entire post about how I froze bourbon out on my deck from the last time it was this cold.

I hate the cold. I really hate the cold. And the past couple of weeks have been brutal. But I am very thankful that, aside from when I need to usher dogs in and out to go potty, I don’t need to go outside. I can just sit in my chair with a cup of coffee each morning and watch the temps slowly climb to negative ten Fahrenheit throughout the course of the day.

Speaking of coffee, I love coffee. It is probably the thing I love most in the world—the one thing I love more than bourbon, barbecue, or pizza. Well, except my wife, of course (I don’t want to be dodging any shoes when she proofreads this). If I had to give up every vice, I could unless they included coffee. I would rather become a vegetarian teetotaler than give up coffee. There is a reason the support link above says “Buy Me a Cup of Coffee” and not “Buy Me a Bourbon.”

And it just so happens that I received an email a few weeks ago that combined two of my favorite beverages. Bourbon and coffee. It was from Fire Department Coffee, and they wanted to send me samples of a couple of their “Spirit Infused Coffees.” I was a little hesitant at first. I’m very particular about my coffee. I’ve been getting my coffee from the same small roaster in Montana since 2006, and no matter what else I’ve tried, I have had no desire to change that. And normally, I’m not too fond of flavored coffee. It tends to get sweet and overpowering, completely obscuring the coffee part of the coffee, which is the part I love. (I feel the same way about most flavored bourbons.)

Before we get too far into the weeds, though, let’s find out a little about Fire Department Coffee. Their website says the following:

Fire Dept. Coffee is a veteran-owned business and certified by the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA), we're dedicated to providing great-tasting coffee to people everywhere. Every order is freshly roasted in Rockford, Illinois, by a dedicated team of firefighters, first responders, and coffee connoisseurs.

Inspired by the vital role that coffee plays in helping firefighters stay alert and energized through long shifts, Fire Dept. Coffee was founded in 2016. Founder and CEO Luke Schneider is a full-time firefighter/paramedic and a U.S. Navy veteran who teamed up with firefighter/paramedic Jason Patton who is also a full-time firefighter and VP for Fire Department Coffee.

Fire Department Coffee is run by active and retired firefighters, including our operations officer and chief coffee roaster.

Along with providing a growing selection of incredible coffee — including its signature spirit-infused roasts — Fire Dept. Coffee also supports heroes in need through the Fire Dept. Coffee Foundation. Ten percent of net proceeds are donated to help provide essential resources and assistance to first responders who have been injured on the job, mentally or physically, or who are facing other serious health challenges.

Seems like a good operation. So let’s talk about the coffee. I made each of these the same way I make the coffee that I drink every day. I ground the beans and made a 14 cup pot. Yes. I actually prefer automatic drip coffee to any of the other methods of brewing it. (It might be because I learned to drink coffee to stay awake while working the third-shift at a small-town gas station with few customers.) Let’s see if it was any good.

Fire Department Coffee: Vanilla Bean Bourbon Infused Coffee

Purchase Info: This was graciously provided to me for review purposes. The regular price is $19.99 for a 12 oz bag.

Nose: Subtle vanilla pairs nicely with nutty chocolate notes.

Mouth: Slightly sweet with vanilla and spirit notes layered over a coffee base.

Thoughts: This literally tastes like when you make a coffee drink with whiskey. I was afraid that the vanilla or bourbon would be overpowering. Instead, it strikes the perfect balance between coffee and boozy coffee. I will have no trouble finishing this bag. It reminds me of camping with family and having a little "spiked" coffee to wake up and shake off a fun night around the fire. Don't let it cool too much, though. The flavoring gets overpowering if it cools in the cup.

Fire Department Coffee: Black Cherry Bourbon Infused Coffee

Purchase Info: This was graciously provided to me for review purposes. The regular price is $19.99 for a 12 oz bag.

Nose: Roasted nuts with vanilla, caramel, and a light fruitiness.

Mouth: Spirit notes dominate initially but fade in intensity as you consume more of the cup, allowing the fruity and chocolaty coffee notes to come more to the forefront.

Thoughts: I like the vanilla better, but not by much. These are both good. Speaking as a coffee purist (not even cream or sugar are allowed in my coffee), these are probably the only flavored-coffees I've had that I actually liked. In both of them, the spirit notes are the larger portion of the "flavorings" than the vanilla or cherry, and I think that was a wise choice as the others could easily overpower the coffee.

Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2020 (virtual edition)

October 22, 2020 Eric Burke

IMAGE: Freddie Noe, Fred Noe, Steve Coomes, Eddie Russell, and Bruce Russell discuss experiences from their lives on the road promoting bourbon during the 2020 Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

I am not going to lie. I honestly did not expect to be writing about the Kentucky Bourbon Festival this year. Mostly because it didn’t happen, at least not in the traditional sense. But since nothing in 2020 is has happened as tradition dictates, why should the festival be any different?

And let me be clear. I would not have attended a traditional festival this year even had it happened. I try not to leave the house these days, much less travel across the country. But in any case, the folks running the BourbonFest wisely decided not to tempt any of us and gave us a “Virtual” festival instead.

And, honestly? I was pretty impressed. Every evening I was sitting in my living room, feet up, bourbon at hand, and watching each new video as it premiered on YouTube. There were a few clunkers, but I really enjoyed the videos they put out for the most part.

I thought writer Steve Coomes was a great host. I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I’ve read a lot of his work. He had an easy rapport with all of his guests, and skillfully led the conversations and interviews.

The topics covered were interesting. There were cocktail classes, cooking shows, a five-part series on the making of bourbon, and conversations with bourbon royalty such as Fred Noe, Eddie Russell, and Bill Samuels Jr. I think the most informative part was the series on bourbon making. The series included episodes about fermentation, distillation, aging, rick houses, and blending…err…mingling (since Four Roses was there). The most entertaining show featured Fred Noe, Eddie Russell, and their sons talking about the adventures they’ve had while promoting their brands. About the only ones I didn’t enjoy were those about collecting. But then again, working on a freelancers budget doesn’t make me the target market for videos about spending a ton of money on rare whiskey.

Overall though, I really enjoyed myself. And here’s the crazy thing, last year, my wife and I had decided that maybe we were done going to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. It had gotten stale for us and the changes weren’t really helping. We’d planned on probably not attending this year even before the pandemic hit, maybe just head down a different week. But, watching these videos made me miss it as nothing else could. I really like Bardstown. And I love the way the community gathers to celebrate their local industry. It a fun time. So I’m happy I took the time to watch the virtual festival this year.

Visit the Kentucky Bourbon Festival YouTube Channel and you can watch them too.

Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week and Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup

October 20, 2020 Eric Burke

The cocktail syrup reviewed below was provided by Heaven Hill as part of a media kit announcing Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week. Also included was branded merchandise which I will be holding onto for a future giveaway. These were provided with no strings attached.

I’ll admit it. I’m late to letting folks know about this. In fact, I’d missed the press release when this was announced and only found out about it when a media kit arrived on my doorstep. I don’t normally reprint Press Releases, but I’ll be quoting the included Press Release below as I think that the cause they are promoting is a good one.

Dear Friend of Heaven Hill Distillery,

Welcome to the inaugural Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week. While we knew the original concept for this week would be great, as 2020 morphed into a banner year of unprecedented times we quickly understood the greater impact we could have on the hospitality industry. Many of our friends and family in this community have felt the effects of COVID-19, so to support them we have committed to raising up to $100,000 for the Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation from this week's events.

You'll see some familiar faces on our schedule at OldFashionedWeek.com, where you can register for events or donate. The event lineup includes 'Old Fashioned Bar Trivia' with Heaven Hill Distillery Ambassadors Bernie Lubbers and Jack Choate, 'The Art of Crafting Ice' with Portland-based bartender and author Jeffrey Morgenthaler, and ‘Elevating Your Home Bar’ with Devin Kennedy, bartender at Pouring Ribbons.

Chef Richard Blais headlines the week as host of an "Old Fashioned Cocktail Hour" on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Included in this media kit are several items to assist in your preparation of an Elijah Craig Old Fashioned, as well as other necessary cocktail accessories for your home bar. The Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Syrup was specifically formulated to highlight the flavor profile of Elijah Craig Bourbon within this classic cocktail. Starting at 8 p.m. eastern time, Chef Blais will take you through a night of discovering the Greatness Within® the hospitality community as he shares recipes, tips and tricks, and Q & A sessions with special guests. This live event will be available on OldFashionedWeek.com, as well as streamed on Elijah Craig's YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Join us as we raise a glass to celebrating one great cocktail for an even greater cause through Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week.

Though my own businesses have suffered throughout the pandemic, I know that there are others out there that have it worse than I do. I still have the income to pay the bills and even buy whiskey. Many, especially in the hospitality industry do not. If you have the means, please join me in helping out by making a donation to the Restaurant Workers Community foundation at OldFashionedWeek.com.

Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup

Purchase Info: This was graciously provided as part of a media kit. Pricing was not included but a google search showed it selling online for about $12.

Details: 4.06% ABV. 40 calories per 0.5 fl. oz.

Mouth: Orange, lemon, ginger, cinnamon, and a bitter note.

In an Old Fashioned: (I followed the recipe on the bottle of 2 oz Elijah Craig to 1 tablespoon of syrup in an ice-filled glass garnished with a cocktail cherry.) Sweet, cinnamon, ginger, Vanilla, mint. As they stated, it plays nicely with Elijah Craig in an old fashioned.

Thoughts: I like but don’t love this. It makes a sweeter Old fashioned than I, personally, care for. But then my favorite Non-Alcoholic drinks are black coffee and soda water with bitters in it. The flavors pair very nicely with Elijah Craig, so if you like a sweet Old Fashioned and don't feel like making a batch of simple syrup, then this is the perfect option for you. I probably wouldn't buy it for my home bar due to the sweetness level, but I can certainly see a place for it for those with a sweet tooth. Or for those who need to make a batch of Old Fashioneds for a gathering... Once we can have gatherings again.

Though when we can have gatherings again, I’ll probably be heading to a bar to have my favorite bartenders make it for me. And tip them generously for their work.

Lyre's American Malt and Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative

June 16, 2020 Eric Burke

IMAGE: Two brands of Non-Alcoholic drinks that claim to be Whiskey alternatives. Lyre’s American Malt and Ritual Zero Proof.

Have you ever thought to yourself “Man, I could really enjoy a whiskey cocktail right now, but I don’t feel like drinking?”

I haven’t either, when I don’t feel like drinking but don’t want something sweet, I shake some bitters into soda water and call it good. When I feel like a cocktail, I have a cocktail. But I am apparently out of touch with trends these days because I’m hearing more and more people talk about mocktails (a name I seriously hate) and even alcohol-free bars. I’ve even started seeing bottles of “Whiskey Alternative” on the shelf of my local liquor store.

Now, I like to think I have an open mind. And when I don’t exactly understand something, I like to learn more about it. And being the curious fellow that I am, I took it upon myself to find out a little more about why I might want a “Zero-Proof Whiskey Alternative” and if there is any room for them in my life. So I bought the bottle at my local liquor store which happened to be from Ritual Zero-Proof. They make a whiskey alternative and a gin alternative. And because I like to be thorough, I ordered a bottle of Lyre’s American Malt as well. I’d been seeing mentions of Lyre’s since the end of last year and I was genuinely curious about them.

I tasted each of these neat (not how they were intended to be served) so that I could get a handle on their flavors. I also used each of these in a variety of cocktails. I made each into a Manhattan (using actual vermouth and bitters), a sour, and a highball with Q ginger ale and a squeeze of lime.

Lyre's American Malt

Purchase Info: $35.99 plus shipping for a 700 mL bottle from the company website.

Nose: Molasses, caramel, ginger

Mouth: Very thin, no body to the mouthfeel. Weak iced tea notes.

Finish: Ginger, cinnamon, molasses, weak iced tea.

Thoughts: This smells and tastes way more like a rum than a whiskey. Those molasses notes are very prominent. Obviously this wasn't meant to be a sipping drink and it isn't. It doesn't taste bad for what it is.

Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative

Purchase Info: $21.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Nose: Smoke, bubblegum, apple

Mouth: Smoke, hot pepper, and weak green tea.

Finish: Hot pepper spice and smoke.

Thoughts: Ever been sick after eating a spicy meal? This tastes like that with a healthy dose of smoke thrown in.

Manhattan:

Lyre's kinda gets lost among the other ingredients. Orange and vermouth with a hint of molasses.

Ritual does not get lost, but that’s a problem since it tastes so bad that I was hoping the vermouth and orange would help hide it.

Sour:

Lyre's kinda tastes like a lemonade. Not too bad, might be good sparkling.

Ritual tastes more like a cocktail but the hot pepper flavor comes through too much for me.

Ginger Ale Highball:

Lyre's actually isn't bad at all. the molasses notes pair very nicely with the ginger ale. This would be my favorite of the six cocktails we made today.

Ritual once again suffers from the notes of raw hot peppers. Of the cocktail I've tried Ritual in today, the ginger ale highball is the best, but I'd still rather just have the ginger ale.

Thoughts:

I was genuinely curious about these. The Lyre's especially since they make an entire line of spirit alternatives. And truthfully, the Lyre’s American Malt wasn't bad. I could wish for a bit more spice to it, but bitters will help with that. If you are in the market for a "whiskey" with no alcohol you could do worse.

Speaking of worse, there is the Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative. This tastes like no whiskey I've ever had except maybe the Dickel/Tabasco thing. I think they were trying to hit the burn of a whiskey by using the hot peppers but it didn't land. At all. I'll probably just dump this one. I do not even remotely like it.

So do I have a place in my life for these? Probably not. Like I said earlier, I get more enjoyment and variety out of a couple of dashes of bitters in my soda water than I did from either of these. It’s easier too. Honestly, I think that the non-aged spirit alternatives from these brands might work better. Anything that is based on an infusion in spirit form, like gin or some of the liqueurs, might actually be ok since you could follow the same process to make these. Trying to hit the flavor profile of an oak barrel with spices seems to be a dicey proposition at best.

Bourbon Gouda from Cheese Brothers, Inc.

May 19, 2020 Eric Burke

IMAGE: Bourbon Gouda from Cheese Bros. Inc.

Bourbon and cheese are two of my favorite things. And if I had to choose only one, it would probably be cheese. I love cheese of all kinds. Everything from 15-year-old sharp cheddar to crumbly, stinky blue, to process cheese food. I love it all.

And before you get on me for including process cheese food, remember I grew up poor enough to stand in line for free government cheese. You develop a taste for things after you have enough of it. Besides, there isn’t a burger or a grilled cheese sandwich that can’t be made better with the addition of a little melty American Cheese. (I tend to use both process cheese and a blend of Cheddar, and Monterey Jack for both if I have the opportunity…I like my cheeseburgers cheesy and that American really helps get the other cheeses melting.) I’ve even made my own process cheese out of an eight-year cheddar and this recipe from Serious Eats. I’ve made my own fresh mozzarella too, but that doesn’t make as good of a story.

As you might have noticed, when I get geeky about something, I tend to get really geeky about something. That said, one thing I never did geek out about was combining bourbon and cheese. To be honest, it never occurred to me to combine the two before consuming them. I’ve had plenty of cheeses with bourbon and plenty of bourbons with cheese. But only once before have I had a cheese that has bourbon as one of its ingredients. And I really liked it. When we saw that a cheese company headquartered in my wife’s hometown was selling a Bourbon Gouda as well, well we had to try that one too.

Cheese Bros. Inc. is a company created by a pair of friends with cheese in their genes. The story starts over 100 years ago with a Swiss immigrant to the US. He settled in Northwestern Wisconsin and started making cheese. Eventually, his family sold the business to a large international dairy firm. Apparently, the family couldn’t quite get cheese out of their blood as not one, but two further cheese businesses were formed by the descendants. One became the largest producer of Italian-style cheeses in the country (and employer of many of my family members at one time or another). And the other is Cheese Bros, Inc.

Cheese Bros. Inc. is a small firm that sells cheeses sourced from all over Wisconsin. Their store is located in the Mall of America, where I discovered them. Interesting to me that they started just a few miles from where I started and I found them at their store just a few miles from where am now. Of course, you don’t need to live in any of the places I have lived to enjoy their cheeses. They have a website that will ship it to where you happen to be from.

I’m a big fan of the smoked provolone and the eight-year-old cheddar. Let’s see how I feel about their Bourbon Gouda.

Cheese Bros. Bourbon Gouda

Purchase Info: $5.99 from the Cheese Bros. website.

Nose: Buttery with a hint of smoke and bourbon.

Mouth: Buttery and sweet with subtly smoky, bourbon notes on the "finish."

Thoughts: This tastes great on a cracker and pairs amazingly with Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond. I think I like this one more than the Red Apple one I reviewed earlier.

My Wandering Eye: Copper & Kings "Floodwall" Apple Brandy

February 26, 2020 Eric Burke

My Wandering Eye is an ongoing series reacting to the rising prices in the bourbon world. We’ve reached a place where even average products have hit the range where they compete price-wise with other types of aged spirits. If I’m going be asked to drop $40 to $70 on a mid-range bourbon, I might as well see what else I can get for that money. My hope is to see if another spirits category offers something that is downright tasty in that price range. The goal isn’t to find cheap spirits, but to maximize the quality, I’m getting at a particular price point. And one thing to remember is that these reviews will all be written from the perspective of a bourbon drinker.

IMAGE: Copper and Kings Flood Wall Apple Brandy.

A few weeks ago, I was out doing some shopping for next month’s brackets. As I was waiting for a store employee to find a particular size bottle of bourbon from their overstock, I decided to wander around the other aisles and see what my wandering eye might behold.

As is often the case, I wandered over to the brandy aisle. Brandy and rum will often scratch the same “aged spirit” itch that bourbon does so when I’m in a bourbon frame of mind, I tend to go to one of those aisles when wandering. I wasn’t planning on buying anything. I really just wanted to see what they had.

Let me detour here to tell you about the most wonderful brandy I’ve ever had the pleasure of consuming. I was in Louisville at Proof on Main, the bar in the 21C hotel. It was a weekday, early enough that the post-work crowds had only started to trickle in. My wife and I had walked down from our hotel (or maybe we were staying there this time, I don’t really recall) for a contemplative dram while we planned out our next day’s activities. The bartender was a young guy, but not really a bourbon drinker. He did, however, have a bottle of pear brandy from Copper & Kings that a friend had gifted to him behind the bar. And since it was slow, he poured a sample for my wife, another patron, and I. This brandy had the most amazing nose I’ve ever had the pleasure to behold. It was long enough ago that I don’t remember the details, but I do remember that I nosed that for the next half hour. It was good enough that I didn’t want to drink the sample because that would mean I couldn’t nose this anymore. Eventually, though, it was gone and I was just left with that amazing memory.

So back to the store. As I walked down the brandy aisle, I noticed an Apple Brandy from Copper & Kings. I’d had a few of their grape brandies and though they were good, I knew that they could do some truly amazing things when working with other fruits. And before I knew it, the apple brandy named after the Louisville Floodwall was in my cart too.

Copper & Kings "Floodwall" Apple Brandy

Purchase Info: $34.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine, Burnsville, MN

Price per Drink (50ml): $2.33

Details: 50% ABV. Non-Chill filtered. No post-distillation addition of apple flavor or essences. No Boisé. No added sugar or caramel color.

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, apple

Mouth: Dried apples, vanilla, baking spices

Finish: Gentle and flavorful. Notes of caramel, apples, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Thoughts: From start to finish, this is basically a dessert in a glass. Think of an apple turnover or a caramel apple pie. I could even be talked into tasting the crust. This is delicious. Of course, it doesn’t rise to the level of the pear brandy in my memory, but I didn’t really expect it to. I will, however, be enjoying the heck out of this whenever it is in my glass.

Copper Mule Cup from MoscowMuled.com

February 4, 2020 Eric Burke

IMAGE: Two copper cups with a hammered finish.

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from the proprietor of MoscowMuled.com. They were wondering if I would like to take a look at them and maybe showcase them on the site. Now, I’ve never had the chance to make the Moscow Mule cocktail. Mostly because I do not stock vodka in my house. So I was going to pass on this opportunity.

But before I did, I wanted to do my due diligence and checked out their site. When I got there, I realized that these were beautiful mugs. I also saw that they were relatively inexpensive at less than $20 for a set of two. I sent the link over to my wife, and she responded with, “ooh! Pretty!”

Now, if you’ve met my wife, you will know that she loves glassware. We have so much that we can’t use them all. And when I suggested that maybe we sell or donate some of our extras, she responded with, “but they are our friends!” So she might have a glassware problem. That said, I suffer from at least a touch of it myself, so who am I to talk?

Once my wife was on board, I got to looking through the site a little more. One of the first things I noticed during this expanded look through the website was a link in the top navigation that says “Giving Back.” Moscow Muled, as a company, is set up as a Social Enterprise. This means that their primary goal is not just to make a profit, but also to make the world a better place. In this case, Moscow Muled gives 15% of its profits “to several non-profit organizations that work to stop impaired driving.”

I thought that was pretty cool. So I let the company know that instead of taking up their offer of a review unit, that I’d be placing an order instead. And I did. $19.50 + $5.50 shipping, and a couple of days later, I had two very pretty mugs arrive in my mailbox.

So how are they? Well, I really like them. They are really pretty (have I mentioned that yet?). An iced drink stays cold forever, even though these are not insulated mugs. At 16 fluid ounces in capacity, these hold enough for spirit, mixers, and a generous amount of ice. The company says you can use them for hot or cold drinks, but they do transfer heat or cold quite well, so I’m not sure I’d really want to use them for a hot drink. It was bad enough holding them after washing in hot water. My only nitpick is the size of the handle. I have pretty big hands and think that these would be much more comfortable to hold if the handle was a little wider as it rested on my pinky finger. Overall though, this was $25 well spent. After having used them quite a bit in the last couple of weeks on Kentucky Mules, I honestly wouldn’t have blinked if they had charged one and a half to twice that.

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