Recently my New Orleans operative came to Denver to bring me a few prized gifts from cajun country: Crystal’s Hot Sauce and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning.  Why does everything in New Orleans have someone’s name attached to it?  I don’t know, but Crystal’s is a delicious and cheaper alternative to famed Tobasco brand products […]

With temperatures already heating up at UM headquarters, my thoughts are drifting to summer treats.  One of my favorites?  Watermelon. 
How to make something already good even better?  Add booze, duh.
CHOW magazine has a great recipe for Drunken Watermelon Pops that would be perfect for a rooftop patio get together. 
I’m looking at you Cerveny.
via Liquor Snob

I don’t know if I find this article entirely too funny, or not funny enough. 
According to the BBC:
Young adults in Europe deliberately binge on drink and drugs to improve their sex lives,
The craziest piece for me was this:
this study showed many young people were “strategically” binge drinking or abusing drugs to improve their sex lives.”
“Strategically”?  […]

This ends up being the menu for today’s potluck:

Yum.

 
Longtime UM reader and health afficianado Ben recently made a horrifying comment on my “liquor: what’s in, what’s out” post:
I have a flask as a groomsman’s gift, but am ashamed to say I’ve never used it. Does it make you look like a raging alcoholic if you have to carry around your booze?
Luckily, it didn’t […]

 
There are two annual dining events in Denver I try to attend every year.  The first, Denver Restaurant Week, has been talked about here and here.  The second, Project Angel Heart’s “Dining Out For Life” is a far more important cause and I encourage all of our local readers to make an effort to take […]

The Liquor Store’s Friday night calendar is a work of mad genius.
Girls in bikinis, on mechanical bulls, served with a large side of booze? 
It takes a certain breed of classy, sophisticated gentleman to appreciate such nuanced entertainment.  
Luckily, I’m just that kind of gentleman.
Can you say: “Jiggle it, just a little bit”?
We need to get to […]

According to our fine friends at Modern Drunkard Magazine, here’s just a few ideas on what’s in and out, booze wise:
Jager is finally out, unless you’re in high school.
Bourbon, especially small batch is in with a vengence.
The watered down Jack Daniels is washed right out.
Flasks are back in.
Old Fashioneds are in.
Kamikazes are out.
Rye whiskey is […]

I’ve come a long way in my drinking life since the bad old days of getting.. gag.. Long Island Iced Teas every time I went to a dance club.  Now,you’ll typically find me with a Corona in hand.
How about you?

I’ve been off the Body For Life bandwagon for awhile now, mainly due to laziness.  Fortunately, my 5-6 miles worth of daily walking and high metabolism let me indulge in all manner of ilicit foods with minimal consequences. (At least visibly speaking)
Still, having learned thru BFL and my uber-fit sister (she’s a personal trainer) to […]

If there’s one thing that sucks about Colorado, it’s not being able to pick up a bottle of hooch on Sundays.  “Blue laws” passed shortly after prohibition ended (!!!) have kept our liquor store blinds closed on Sundays.
Today, at 11:30 AM, a momentous occasion indeed:  Governor Bill Ritter signs a bill finally allowing Sunday sales starting […]

Perusing the liquor store shelves the other night in search of something new, I settled upon a $32 bottle of Glenlivet 12 year.  Although it was certainly agreeable to my palate, it couldn’t compare with my old standard: Johnnie Walker Black.
JWB just seems to have more complexity and a smokier, richer drinking experience overall.
Reader input:  […]

is?

Caffeine.
How quaint. 
 
 

Although I’m way behind Greg when it comes to my Amazon fanboy status, I seem to be catching up.  My first experience with their Amazon mp3 download service was a hit, and I’m finally starting to grasp just how awesome “Amazon Prime” is. 
For those who don’t know:

Amazon describes Amazon Prime as
 All you can eat’ express shipping”. […]

For as irresponsibly decadent as I sometimes choose to live my life, there’s also a frugal side to me.  A veeeery frugal side. 
Case in point:  KING sized coupons.  I’m not talking about “10% off all regularly priced gorditas @ Taco Bell - limited time only!” discounts.  I’m not even talking about BOGO (buy one, get […]

Last year, in a joint cooperative effort with my good friend Glenn, we threw a birthday party honoring our extensive time spent at the local vodka bar, Red Square.  Filtering and infusing 10 vodkas in clear glass bottles, left on ice for guests to shoot and shake with an array of mixers, it was the […]

I’ve always been a fan of Chipotle, especially considering thier Colorado roots.  Ever since discovering Qdoba’s downtown Denver happy hour madness however, I’ve become obsessed. 
I haven’t been to Chipotle in at least 2 months, which is probably a record for me.
How about you?

Chipotle vs. Qdoba: Best Burrito

Chipotle

Qdoba

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Belvedere Vodka just launched an innovative take on buying a round.  Go to “Buy Your Friend A Belvedere“, pre-pay for a drink, a code is sent to your friend, they redeem at a local bar.
I can see this being a life saver when last minute out-of-state-friend birthdays sneak up on me.
So far it looks like […]

It’s no secret I’ve taken a keen interest in neurotransmitters and their role in mood, outlook and overall well being.  Part of this research has resulted in the addition of 5-Htp to my daily vitamin regimine.  Researching dopamine specifically led me to a great piece about dietary impacts to dopamine and serotonin, with an emphasis […]

I’ve been eager to try any New Orleans cuisine that fit within my vegetarian diet and I continue to be let down by the local delicacies.  Sno-Balls are disgusting.  These are essentially what the rest of the country calls snow cones, except in New Orleans they come from shaved ice instead of crushed.  The locals […]

Last Sunday, while scanning the brunch menu of New Orleans’ famed Cafe Atchafalaya I found a drink I had never heard of, Pimm’s Cup. After inquiring, the Eastern European waitress informed me in slightly broken English that it was a rum mixture. Subsequent research proved her wrong, but the drink stands alone on […]