- Join Stir and Strain LIVE today through Thursday as we make our way through the WSWA (Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America Convention) in lovely Las Vegas!
- The Ultimate Spirits Challenge winners have been announced and there’s a lot of my favs on the list!
- OH England and your crazy potato chip concoctions. Sure, I’d like a bag of Guinness flavored crisps!
- Love whiskey? Then only YOU can understand this list (probably. not really).
- I appreciate this honest conversation about the current state of beer in the US. It makes me want to go and drink some.
- And speaking of beer, one should try this IPA-inspired ice cream. Seriously.
- This is a great write up of tips on how to handle a cocktail competition.
- In Los Angeles, we tend to Spritz all day long.
- Blue drinks never went away for me. And look at what they’re doing with them now!
- And lastly, they’re putting Sriracha in your beer now, and other weird crap.
A few years ago I attended an event here in Los Angeles where I watched a local bartender use BEER in place of an egg white to make a cocktail vegan; it blew my mind. It even inspired me to make this 
I haven’t used the technique too much since then though as I almost never have beer in the house. Well, I have a few bottles, but not the right kind to make this replacement (you’ll need a wheat beer). And then a few months ago I heard about another egg white replacement being used by local bartender Gabriella Mlynarczyk (also of the blog 
Neat, huh? Now, to make this post as useful as possible, I performed a few experiments so that I can try and answer a few questions that might come up.
To test how aquafaba compares to using an egg white in a cocktail, I made two identical Sloe Gin Fizzes. The precise amounts of sloe gin, lemon juice (came from the same lemon!), and simple syrup were added to shakers within seconds and then 1 ounce of aquafaba was added to one and an egg white to the other shaker. Both were dry shaken with one ice cube, and then filled 2/3 with ice and shaken again for about 25 seconds.
Note: if you want to make this with an egg white, you can do a 1:1 substitution for the aquafaba. It just won’t be vegan anymore. 
1-3/4 ounce sloe gin, I used Spirit Works Distillery*
used here
For about the last month or so you guys may have noticed I’ve been promoting a 
So let’s talk about how I like to make wine cocktails, or rather, since the weather is getting HOT again in my neighborhood, wine slushie cocktails. I don’t bat an eyelash over frozen cocktails as evidenced 
The wine I’ve chosen as my base is Tarantas Monastrell, an inky, tart and not-too-sweet red from the Jumilla region of Spain. Because it’s so dry, I added in some sweetness with honeydew melon and Pimm’s No. 1. The Pimm’s also adds in some spices and subtle earthy flavors. I wanted to finish this on a spicy note so in went crystalized ginger. (You can get crystalized ginger in a speciality grocer, online, or can make your own too.) I wanted to add a touch more sweetness and have some of the ginger chunks actually present in the drink- think of them as your chewy spice bombs. Otherwise I could have gone with fresh ginger infused in some capacity.
To minimize watering the drink down with ice, I pre-freeze the mixture the night before. Because there is a low alcohol content, the mixture actually becomes solid overnight but not completely frozen. This way I can add the pre-frozen mixture directly into the blender and only add ice to it as needed. Yes, it’s an additional step that requires some thought beforehand, but it makes for a better frozen drink. If you don’t have the time to freeze overnight, you should at least chill the mixture a few hours beforehand, and if you need this IMMEDIATELY, then go ahead and throw it into the blender with crushed ice, just taste and adjust as you go.
It’s Spring! And I think it’s time for a little cocktail refresh don’t you? I LOVE a cocktail made from fresh ingredients, and even better when they come from my garden. This week we’ve got a giveaway that’s sure to bring on the cocktail inspiration (from your garden, or, you know, the supermarket). 
Blending superfoods right into your drinks, Aron’s recipes use unexpected ingredients, like ginger, kiwis, coconut water, kale, and kombucha, for powerful health benefits and surprisingly delicious flavors. A boozy boost is optional, but highly recommended, in recipes like:
Besides cocktail recipes, it also includes some fun ideas for making boozy popsicles, flavored ice cubes, infused spirits, and lots of techniques to up your cocktail game!
