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The Neat Ice Kit will Take Your Cocktail Game to the Next Level

If you’re looking to elevate your cocktail mixing game and move beyond amateur status, you need to learn how to make good ice. Nine times out of ten those cubes that come out of your freezer taste funky, and muddle the flavor of your hooch. Not to mention they melt like they’re in a hurry and turn your drink into diluted, watery abomination. So to help remedy this problem and help you make big, professional, perfectly-clear cubes, Studio Neat has developed a special kit.

The Neat Ice Kit consists of four parts — all the tools you need to make fantastic ice. There’s an insulated ice mold that facilitates directional freezing for a clear ice brick,  an ice chisel that you can use to split the ice in half, a durable canvas Lewis Bag for crushing up ice, and a mallet that helps break up ice chunks and doubles as a muddler. The only things you need to provide are are booze and a glass.

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This definitely isn’t the first or only artisan ice kit on the market, but it’s also loads more fun than making your ice in a spherical mold. There’s just something so satisfying about chiseling off your own ice brick.

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Serve Cognac and Champagne at your next party for the ultimate indulgence
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Cognac is one of those spirits that can be a little intimidating. Unlike vodka, gin, or tequila, it's not something most people have drunk as shots because it's not something that's typically available cheaply. Rather, it's a sophisticated spirit with a high pedigree, and that can make it challenging to get to know it. However, cognac needn't be scary or off-limits, and it's a great ingredient to mix into cocktails. Its rich and fruity flavors elevate even simple combinations, and a judicious use of it in the right place will go a long way.

There's the classic Sidecar cocktail which makes use of cognac in a way that's almost universally popular, by combining its bold flavors with the easy-going appeal of citrus. But it's also a terrific spirit to mix with Champagne, as the combination of grape-based drinks makes for a luxurious and indulgent mix that will make any party go with a pop.
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As someone who loves the concept of convenience, I think the idea of the Bartesian cocktail maker makes sense in my head. Just like the easy-use K-Cup brewer for individual cups of coffee, who wouldn't want a cocktail maker that takes the hassle out of making cocktails? Known as the world's top-selling cocktail maker, the Bartesian easily crafts signature cocktails at the touch of a button. With personalized settings and a huge selection of drink capsules to choose from, it truly doesn't get much better than this for your home bar.

With some trial and error, I discovered a few tips and tricks for making your Bartesian cocktails even better. While this machine is super intuitive to use right out of the box, there's always room for improvement in my head. To get even more expert insight, I interviewed the CEO and Founder of Bartesian, Ryan Close, to learn his tips and tricks for using Bartesian to its full potential.
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How to make a mudslide: Your new favorite dessert cocktail
Who doesn't love a boozy dessert drink?
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Among lots of cocktail fans, the trend is for drinks that are dry, bitter, or extremely boozy, such as a very dry classic martini. However, those drinks aren't to everyone's tastes -- and they aren't the only types of cocktail out there. If you find yourself indifferent to the charms of the strong and bitter drinks you see on most menus, or if you just want to try something new, then there's a whole world of fun and sweet dessert cocktails for you to try.

We’re talking about drinks like the grasshopper, White Russian, espresso martini, and the mudslide. And while we could go into length explaining the intricacies of every one of the cocktails we just mentioned, today we’re most concerned with the mudslide cocktail.
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