Holiday Gift Guide 2019: DraftBottle Stainless-Steel, Reusable Beer Bottle

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DraftBottleBreakdownThe 2019 Holiday Season is upon us and it is time to start thinking about those unique gift ideas. The crew here at Mashing In is well aware that it is often difficult to find that perfect gift, so we have decided to compile a gift guide for anyone in your life that enjoys a well-crafted adult beverage from time to time. This installment of the gift guide is for the beer drinker who enjoys his/her draft beer on the go: the DraftBottle from CTL Investments LLC.

Chris Lyons, Inventor/President at CTL Investments LLC & DraftBottle, came up with the idea for the DraftBottle one day when he was wanting to enjoy a beer from his kegerator while doing yard work.  In that moment, Lyons realized he did not have a proper vessel for that occasion because a mug or plastic cup could easily spill, make it possible for debris to get into his beer, and would allow the beer to warm/go flat too quickly.  That realization led Lyons to mentally design a reusable, insulated, stainless-steel beer bottle that opens below the neck so that it can be easily filled with draft beer.  He then put his idea on paper, sent it off to a patent attorney, and the DraftBottle went on to become a reality.

More than just another stainless-steel bottle, the patented DraftBottle is a truly unique beverage container that has the following features and uses (descriptions sourced directly from DraftBottle’s press release):

DraftBottle Features

DraftBottle unscrews below the neck allowing you to easily fill it with 1 Pint (the bottle will hold 22oz in total) of draft beer, beer from a growler, mixed drinks or any other beverage. It’s made from 18/8 food grade stainless steel, and the base cup is double walled and vacuum sealed to keep your brew cold!

The reusable screw cap prevents spills and stops anything unwanted from getting inside. The exterior is powder coated to help durability, it’s sweat-proof, and has a leak-proof seal around the separation. DraftBottle is eco-friendly, BPA free and dishwasher safe.

DraftBottle Uses

The uses for DraftBottle are endless. There is the obvious use for draft beer, beer from a growler, glass bottled/canned beer, and so on. It also is great in the heat around your pool, where you do not want glass drinkware/bottles, at the beach, in the yard, tailgating and on and on. We have also had feedback of customers using them as water bottles where it allows you to easily add ice to the cup.

The DraftBottle is available now for the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $24.99 each, and you can purchase yours by visiting the DraftBottle website (click here to do so).  Prost!

 

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Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Select Rums Chosen by Spiribam Fine Rum Specialists

Posted on by mashingin

RhumJMVOThe 2019 Holiday Season is upon us and it is time to start thinking about those unique gift ideas. The crew here at Mashing In is well aware that it is often difficult to find that perfect gift, so we have decided to compile a gift guide for anyone in your life that enjoys a well-crafted adult beverage from time to time. This installment of the gift guide is a suggestion for the rum aficionado in your life: a selection of fine rums curated by Spiribam.

Widely known as “America’s fine rum specialists,” Spiribam is a North American company that “represents, markets, and distributes fine Caribbean rums from Martinique, Saint Lucia, Guadeloupe, and Mauritius.”  By utilizing their vast knowledge of rum and the relationships they have established with fine rum makers, Spiribam has proudly assembled a “distinguished portfolio of world-class rums, centered on heritage, legacy, innovation, and creativity.”

In order to help you pick out the perfect bottle of rum this Holiday Season, the kind folks at Spiribam have stepped up to provide us all with the following list of reasonably priced selections – in the $30 to $40 range – from Rhum Clement of Martinique, Rhum JM of Martinique, and Chairman’s Reserve Rum of St. Lucia (descriptions sourced directly from Spiribam’s press release):

  • Rhum Clément VSOP Rhum Agricole Vieux – Established in 1887, Rhum Clement is regarded as the benchmark for Martinique Rhum Agricole. Rhum Agricole is distilled from sugarcane juice instead of molasses as is tradition. Rhum Clement was one of the first available Rhum Agricoles available in the U.S., and if you’re looking for a rhum connoisseurs’ latest obsession, you’ve arrived with Rhum Clément VSOP Rhum Agricole Vieux ($39.99), the flagship AOC Martinique Rhum Agricole and the gold standard of Martinique. Clément V.S.O.P. Rhum Agricole Vieux is aged a minimum of four years in virgin Limousin barriques and re-charred Bourbon casks. The superb alchemy of natural rum from sugarcane juice matured in a unique variety of the world’s finest oak barrels orchestrated by our Cellar Master gives this exceptional aged rum its brilliant mahogany color, roasted cocoa bean aroma and its illustrious smooth mellow character. A true world-class rum experience, and the perfect gift for rum lovers this holiday season.
  • Rhum Clement’s Select Barrel – For something a little different, try Rhum Clement’s Select Barrel ($39.99). Select Barrel is aged in particular oak barrels selected for their rich natural sweetness and intense aromatic qualities under the watchful eyes of our cellar master at Habitation Clément. The imaginative alchemy with this contemporary approach to selected oak results in a magnificent aged Rhum Agricole with well-balanced sweetness. Perfect for cold weather cocktails, such as Amber Ti’Punch.
  • Rhum JM V.O. – The elusive Rhum JM V.O. ($34.99) has been consumed with love in Martinique for decades. The V.O has been aged for a minimum of 3 years and the result is a rich, full-bodied rhum with notes of oak & caramel, balanced with the complex, expressive character unique to Martinique’s sugar cane. Three years of aging qualifies this V.O. as an “Aged Rhum” by appellation law, but the price point suits it perfectly for mixing in cocktails, filling a gap that has long existed in the world of rhum agricole. The richness achieved from the new oak makes it an excellent blending partner, while its age has allowed it to truly turn the corner and stand up as an entry-level sipper.
  • Chairman’s Reserve Rum – One of the best blended rums in the world, Chairman’s Reserve is known by rum nerds as a “single blended” rum as it is a blend of column and pot still rum from the same distillery. Due to their long-standing commitment to only using Guyanese molasses, and the small capacity of the distillery, Chairman’s Reserve is predicated on top quality and distinction. Created by Laurie Barnard, the last founding family member to hold the Chairman’s position at St. Lucia Distillers in 1999, he experimented with blending respective casks of pot still rum and column still rum. By returning the blended rum back into oak barrels for additional aging, Barnard created a soft, well-balanced, and flavorful spirit that has become the benchmark for St. Lucian rum. Try Chairman’s Reserve Original 40% ($27.99) for a taste of this excellency in St. Lucian rum, or Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum 40% ($27.99), the only all-natural and true to its heritage spiced rum on the market.

All the rums listed above are available now at select liquor retailers located throughout the U.S. If you would like to order bottles directly, you can do so by visiting Spiribam’s website (click here).  Prost!

ChairmansOriginal

Holiday Gift Guide 2019: ‘The Microbrewery Handbook’ by DC Reeves

Posted on by mashingin

unnamed - 2019-11-24T213801.006The 2019 Holiday Season is fast approaching and it is time to start thinking about those unique gift ideas. The crew here at Mashing In is well aware that it is often difficult to find that perfect gift, so we have decided to compile a gift guide for anyone in your life that enjoys a well-crafted adult beverage from time to time. This installment of the gift guide is for the craft beer lover in your life who dreams of one day opening his/her own brewery: The Microbrewery Handbook – Craft, Brew & Build Your Own Microbrewery Success by DC Reeves.

Published by Wiley & Sons, Inc. (Hoboken, New Jersey), The Microbrewery Handbook is an “indispensable, first-of-its-kind book” written by DC Reeves, author and founder of Perfect Plain Brewing Company in Pensacola, Florida. Meant to be a useful “guide to the business of craft beer,” this new book “explains that while great tasting beer is important, there are many elements beyond the beer itself that go into creating, growing, and sustaining a successful microbrewery in today’s saturated market.”

“Gone are the days when opening a microbrewery and calling it ‘local’ equaled unrivaled success,” Reeves said. “What will define success in this new era of craft beer is how well a brewery does the other things besides beer: Hiring, customer experience, employee engagement, operations, cash flow. Our industry has graduated past the simple importance of merely making great beer and into a new fiercely competitive world.”

Synopsis (sourced directly from the publisher’s press release):

The Microbrewery Handbook offers real-world advice and proven strategies to help brewers thrive in the competitive micro and craft brewing industry. Based on his own experience as the founder of Perfect Plain Brewing Company in Pensacola, Florida, Reeves offers practical guidance for brewers covering everything from the basics of brewing and the financial and business side of opening a brewery to creating a company culture, getting the word out, and helping a brewery thrive in local communities. The book also includes interviews and insight with industry experts as well as owners of some of the nation’s elite craft breweries including Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Jeffrey Stuffings of Jester King and Doug Resier of Burial Brewing.

Broken down into five sections, Reeves dives into the business of beer and explains:

  • The Basics – Understand the industry, focus and differentiate your taproom.
  • Build Your Microbrewery – Create a business plan and figure out the financials
  • Leadership & Company Culture – The keys to strong leadership, hiring well, and how to keep happy and engaged employees.
  • Creating an Incredible Customer Experience – How to build a taproom that both pleases customers and garners revenue.
  • Get The Word Out – Tips for branding, social media and public relations.
  • Love Your Local Community – Turn a taproom into a community anchor and attract and hold on to loyal customers.

The Microbrewery Handbook is available for pre-order now ($25) and will officially hit shelves on November 26.  Look for this new book to be available wherever books are sold (in stores and on online).  Prost!