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Building a Home Bar: Keeping Cool with the Newair Premiere Line Fridge

February 18, 2020 by elana 1 Comment

NewAir 90 Can Fridge Review // stirandstrain.comFor those of you who have been around here since the early days, you may recall that we were going to build a bar in what is now my studio area in the house. And if you’re new here, well, that bar never happened. Fast forward almost a decade later and we are now finally ready to start building out what will be our new outdoor entertaining area. And tucked away within will be the home bar we’ve been dreaming about for a long time. But before we even start, we have a lot to figure out, and one of those big decisions has to do with appliances.

NewAir 90 Can Fridge Review // stirandstrain.comThe area we are allotting for entertaining space, including the indoor/outdoor bar and alcove is not huge, so we’re looking for small, compact appliances to put in. We’d really like as much bang for our buck if you will… And that’s why I’m loving this 90 Can Outdoor Beer Fridge from NewAir. Last year we worked with NewAir for holiday entertaining and have been using their countertop ice maker ever since (In case you’re wondering, we have yet to run out of ice!!). So now we’re super excited to team up again with them this year to give their new Premier Line Fridges a spin in this blazing hot Southern California sun.

We’ve had this outdoor beer fridge running for over a month now and have some pros and cons for our space. Take a look, and maybe these will help you decide too if this compact, streamlined, weatherproof fridge would work for your bar or entertaining space! (And if you scroll to the end, we’ve got a SWEET discount for you all too!)

NewAir 90 Can Fridge Review // stirandstrain.comPROS:

  • Easy to assemble! Took no more than 10 minutes to unbox, attach the handle and plug in. (Optional casters were included but we decided not to add on at this time)
  • Adjustable shelves. These are SO convenient since many of the cans we buy don’t come in the standard size. You can see our current configuration above.
  • QUIET. So many of the fridges we looked at were loud. And even with outdoor noise were audible. So I love that I’m not hearing the motor kick on and off the whole time while I’m out there with the until.
  • Cools thoroughly. It took a few hours for our fridge to fully cool the cans but once it was on and working, it kept them cold. Not slightly cooled, or colder on top or bottom, but ALL of them were nicely cold and ready to drink.
  • Compact but holds a lot. Upon first seeing this streamlined fridge, you wonder how much it really can hold. However once you start filling it you’d be surprised at how much 90 cans is.

CONS:

  • Smudges. While a stainless steel front looks great, I found that I’m constantly wiping it down from smudges, and ones I don’t see reflect in the sunlight. I’ve also gotten water spots from sprinklers going and then drying on the exterior.
  • Price. I wasn’t sure if these would be a con or not, so it’s somewhere in-between. This is a durable, indoor/outdoor fridge and with that comes a higher price tag.
  • Not all stainless steel. Because this is made to be built in and is a 15″ counter height, it is not all stainless steel as the sides are black. So, if this will be free-standing in your space, it will be two-toned.

NewAir 90 Can Fridge Review // stirandstrain.comCurrently our 90 Can Beer Fridge is hanging out amongst the patio furniture but as we build out the deck and start turning our dirt floor, unfinished ground story space into a usable entertaining area, we are considering bringing the fridge either into the indoor/outdoor counter space, or maybe giving it a home near the grill. Stay tuned this year as we look to YOU with help picking out ideas for this space! And big thanks to NewAir for letting us try out their new premium line fridge.

OH HEY WE’VE GOT A PROMO CODE!!! If you’re interested in getting your own 90 Can Beer Fridge (model # NOF090SS00) AND want to get $183.99 OFF the retail price, use code STIR at checkout on NewAir’s site! YAY! Would love to see where you set yours up (and what you put IN it!).

NewAir 90 Can Fridge Review // stirandstrain.comFor more information on NewAir’s entire line of products, check them out here!

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Filed Under: Entertain Me, Reviews, Source It, Tips Tagged With: appliance, entertain me, entertaining, home bar, newair, reviews, source it, tips

Gilded Thanksgiving Bar Cart Styling

November 21, 2019 by elana Leave a Comment

Roll on up Turkey Day with this gilded bar cart. It’s more impressive than your Granny’s stuffing.

Thanksgiving Gilded Bar Cart // stirandstrain.com

This year I’ve decided to do away with the rustic red and brown tones of November and step it up a notch with a gilded, glittering bar cart. From golden bar tools, to shiny embroidered napkins, to 22 karat dipped tumblers, it’ll definitely add a little sparkle to your holiday table. And of course the bubbly will be golden too. Just try not to knock over the champagne tower.

1. 22 Karat Gold Dipped Tumbler 2. Liquid Gold Bitters 3. Gold Jigger 4. Gold Wine Opener 5. Gold Embroidered Napkins 6. Gold Dipped Carafe 7. Gold Rimmed Glass and Ice Set 8. Bubbly Cocktail Book 9. Gold Champagne 10. Champagne Tower Glasses 11. Gold Bar Cart

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Filed Under: Gift Guide Tagged With: bar accessories, bar cart, bar tools, champagne, entertaining, Fall, gift, gift guide, holiday, home bar, thanksgiving

Low ABV Options This Friendsgiving With Smirnoff Hard Seltzers

November 5, 2019 by elana 1 Comment

Smirnoff Seltzer Friendsgiving // StirandStrain.comThis post was made in partnership with Smirnoff. Recipe and ideas are my own.

I consider myself lucky to have a few close friends in my life. Friends who will willingly let me photograph them while we come together to celebrate our Friendsgiving dinner this year. Now, I honor my friendships with these ladies all the time, and we try to get together once a month now that our lives have gotten much busier with families, jobs, commitments, etc… So, in some sense, once a month we already are celebrating a version of Friendsgiving. But now that we’re in November, we can officially call it that I guess!

Smirnoff Seltzer Friendsgiving // StirandStrain.comWhile we may have come together over a shared bond of going out and having fun, now everyone in the group is at various forms of no-abv, low-abv, and mod-abv (a new term I am coining here). Getting together with a bottle of whiskey is just not going to cut it anymore, and as countless statistics now tell us, more people are embracing entertaining with all these facets of alcohol consumption in mind. So, together with Smirnoff this holiday season, I’ve included their Smirnoff Seltzer Raspberry Rosé and Smirnoff Seltzer Berry Lemonade hard seltzers for low-abv and mod-abv options. These are some of the best tasting hard seltzers I’ve tried so of course I’m including them here for my friends (only the best!). The fruit flavors taste, well, real! With just enough bubbles that they also stand in for a great mixer to pair with something harder too.

Smirnoff Seltzer Friendsgiving // StirandStrain.comAt our Friendsgiving you won’t find a turkey, you won’t find a formal sit down dinner, but what you will find is laughter, dancing, pigs in a blanket, and since I’m bartending, delicious drinks. Oh and snacks. LOTS of snacks. I like to set out small stations around the house as no one ever stays in one place. One area I’ve got a DIY Your Seltzer bar with berries, herbs, ice, and citrus. And fun straws!! There’s the main table of food that’s pretty much center to everything, and it’s round, which I love, because it has a good flow of traffic around it. I never keep anything super high on there so guests can reach over from any angle and not have to worry about knocking something over. I have hard mixers set up in another nook with jiggers, mixing spoons, and glasses. And for fun, and because I love the element of take aways from parties, I have some polaroid cameras set up in a basket for my friends to take photos with while they’re enjoying themselves.

Smirnoff Seltzer Friendsgiving // StirandStrain.comAnother aspect of entertaining during the holiday season is sometimes people are looking for ways not to overindulge. When one of my friends arrived for the party she announced she was off sugar and carbs this month, usually I would have been scrambling to find something to serve, but lucky for her, the Smirnoff Seltzer Raspberry Rosé and Smirnoff Seltzer Berry Lemonade hard seltzers have zero sugar and just 1 carb per serving. And unlike some drinks you might get claiming no sugar, they aren’t adulterated with a bunch of artificial sweeteners. This announcement was totally unexpected from this friend but I felt super lucky to be able to offer her some tasty drink options (and eat all her dinner rolls! Ha. Sorry F!).

Smirnoff Seltzer Friendsgiving // StirandStrain.comSmirnoff Seltzer Friendsgiving // StirandStrain.comIf you’re looking to incorporate some low-abv (and mod-abv) options this year with these Smirnoff hard seltzers, here’s a few ideas…

  • To make it super casual, and easy on yourself and everyone, these pretty slim cans fit nicely in a punch bowl filled with ice for a self-serve option.
  • If you want to do a little DIY bar like I did, and invite your guests to gussy up their drinks, here’s some flavor options:
    • Smirnoff Seltzer Raspberry Rosé with fresh raspberries, mint sprigs, and rose petals.
    • Smirnoff Seltzer Berry Lemonade with fresh berries, thyme, and citrus slices.
  • Include a few harder options who are looking for a classic party drink:
    • Pair the Smirnoff Seltzer Raspberry Rosé, with the DIY options, with a London Dry style gin.
    • Pair the Smirnoff Seltzer Berry Lemonade, also with its DIY options, with Pisco.

Smirnoff Seltzer Friendsgiving // StirandStrain.com

And PRO TIP folks! Save yourself the trouble of having to deal with weekend holiday traffic. JUST. DON’T. Order in your Smirnoff hard seltzers and other party goods on Drizly. I did! And as usual, it got to the house under an hour.

People change, tastes change, and with that, the offerings at your parties will ultimately change. Stay ahead and honor your friends this holiday season with options that fit into their lifestyle. And make sure they’re delicious! Happy Entertaining!

**Smirnoff Seltzer. Per 12 fl. Oz.: 90 Cals, 1g Carbs, 0g protein, 0g fat

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Filed Under: Entertain Me, Everyday Parties, Recipes, Seasons, Tips Tagged With: entertain me, entertaining, Everyday Parties, Fall, Friendsgiving, hard seltzer, low ABV, Mod ABV, Smirnoff

Dí­a de los Muertos Celebrations with Tequila Cazadores

November 1, 2019 by elana 1 Comment

Cazadores Day of the Dead // stirandstrain.com

This post was made in partnership with Tequila Cazadores. Recipes and ideas are my own.

Not all skulls are spooky. At this time of year, death in many forms takes center stage as many of us celebrate Halloween, and for those practicing Catholicism, there is also All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. In Mexico at this time of year Día de los Muertos is a national celebration where one can’t help but see skulls everywhere. But these skulls are not our spooky Halloween skulls, these are in celebration, as a time of remembering those who have died. And why are we talking about this here today?

Cazadores Day of the Dead // stirandstrain.comWell, for one, we’re right in the middle of Day of the Dead celebrations, which go from October 31st to November 2nd. And secondly, Tequila Cazadores has released a special bottle to commemorate the holiday designed by the Mexican artist Victoria Villasana. She “was inspired by the Cazadores Stag and its meaning in indigenous cultures in Mexico. The stag is a messenger, a powerful animal that represents sensitivity and intuition. Just like Dí­a de los Muertos, it represents a connection with our ancestors and the bridge between life and death.”

Day of the Dead celebrations are vibrant, colorful affairs and Villasana has translated that onto the bottle through her use of painting with yarn. She is an amazing artist whose aesthetic blends perfectly with the celebrations.

Cazadores Day of the Dead // stirandstrain.comThis year marks the first year that I am making an altar with ofrendas, or offerings, at home. I was introduced to the holiday through my Mesoamerican Art History studies in college years ago, but this year my oldest has started asking some big questions about life and death lately. I feel like this is the perfect way to not only honor our deceased relatives, but to give an honest answer about the cycle of life in a way that is not scary, but rather joyous and celebratory.

Cazadores Day of the Dead // stirandstrain.comIf you are thinking about celebrating Día de los Muertos in your home this year for the first time. Here’s a primer on a few of the symbols that would be found on the altar and in the home.

  • Alcohol: Any alcohol favored by the dead is used to toast the arrival of their spirit.
  • Pan de Muerto: This is a semisweet bread that is eaten on the second day of the holiday. It is baked in the shape of bones and dusted with sugar; it also represents the soil.
  • Marigold flowers: Marigolds held guide loved ones’ souls back to the world of the living.
  • Sugar skulls: Sugar skulls, or calaveras, are made from pure sugar and given to friends as gifts. They are elaborately decorated, and their colorful designs represent the vitality of life and individual personality.
  • Candles: Candles represent fire and serve as a light guiding the spirits back to visit the land of the living.
  • Monarch butterflies: These butterflies⸺which migrate to Mexico each fall⸺are believed to be the spirits of the dead coming to visit.
  • Candy: Altars built for deceased children include a candy offering.
  • Salt: In Latin culture, salt is considered the spice of life.

 

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Filed Under: Entertain Me, Everyday Parties Tagged With: Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, entertain me, entertaining, Everyday Parties, Fall, halloween, Tequila Cazadores

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