Bourbon & Banter

Help Wanted: Seeking Bourbon Evangelists

By Patrick "Pops" Garrett on June 19, 2013 in Bourbon Banter

The past 16 months have been very exciting here at Bourbon & Banter as I’ve watched my little bourbon blog continue to grow and attract loyal & passionate readers. It’s been a tremendous amount of hard work to maintain the blog & our social media channels but I’m rewarded each and every time someone posts a comment, shares a link or likes us on Facebook. Everyday I look forward to interacting with all of you & spreading the bourbon of gospel. However, as anyone that maintains an active blog will tell you, it’s a lot of work. Writing content, maintaining the site, running the social media channels and responding to inquiries takes a lot of time. And when you have a ful-time day job it’s even more of a challenge. While I’m always up for the challenge & love doing it, I don’t want the blog’s quality to suffer if I get behind in posting content. That’s why I’ve made the decision to seek out fellow bourbon lovers to become regular contributors to Bourbon & Banter.

I always knew that at some point I would seek out like minded individuals to become official contributors to the community & I’m pretty excited about making it happen today. There’s a tremendous amount of talent & passion in the B&B community & I look forward to harnessing some of that to make us even better. If you’re interested in exploring becoming a contributor, here are the specifics for your consideration.

What: Bourbon & Banter is seeking a handful of volunteer contributors for the Bourbon & Banter website. Volunteers will help shape blog post ideas, write blog posts & provide assistance in sourcing information, graphics, etc. as needed in support of blog posts/content. At this time we’re only seeking volunteers – no paid positions. BourbonBanter.com is a labor of love at this time. If somehow your contributions lead to explosive overnight growth you can bet your ass you’ll be compensated fairly. I swear on a bottle of bourbon to that fact.

Why: Maintaining a blog is a lot of work. As BourbonBanter.com continues to grow the challenge increases as well to keep posting engaging & interesting content. Having help will make life a little easier & will expand the ideas & opinions expressed on the blog which I think will only make Bourbon & Banter stronger & more appealing to readers.

When: I’m looking for a handful of contributors right now. Once I receive interest & the required information I’ll make my selection as quickly as possible.

Who: You must reside in the USA & be 21 years of age or older to become a contributor. (I will ask for proof of age for confirmation.) You must have a clear passion for all things bourbon & tolerance for other brown alcohols. A willingness to spread the bourbon gospel is expected as is a strong commitment to quality, timeliness & detail. You don’t have to be a professional writer but you do have to be able to put together your thoughts in a manner that won’t create more work for me. And of most importantly, you need to be willing to commit to a regular schedule of blog contribution. While I’m always open to guest bloggers, I’m really looking for folks who want to contribute on a regular basis & become a member of BourbonBanter.com team.

How: Follow these instructions to the letter. Follow me on Twitter via @BourbonBanter. Tweet me your interest using the hashtag #bbgig. I’ll note your interest & get in touch with you with additional instructions. Including a good reason you want to join the team in your Tweet wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

I think that covers the basics for now. As I stated earlier in this post I’m pretty excited about having some folks join the team. It’s going to take some work to iron out the details but I know in the end it’s going to be a lot of fun & exciting to see what happens next. Thanks for continuing to be a part of Bourbon & Banter. I look forward to your Tweets.

Cheers,

~ Pops

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National Bourbon Day Wallpaper

By Patrick "Pops" Garrett on June 14, 2013 in Bourbon Banter

Happy National Bourbon Day! To help celebrate this longstanding American holiday…just kidding. It’s a made up holiday by this company. But that doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of a day created to celebrate what we all believe to be the best spirit on earth.

So in honor of National Bourbon Day, I’ve compiled a bunch of the vintage bourbon advertisements we’ve featured on the website into a single mosaic graphic that you can use in two different ways.

The first use is as a computer desktop wallpaper. Just like with our previous desktop wallpapers, all you have to do is click on the image below for a larger version and then save to your computer in a convenient location. Then follow your operating system’s instructions for how to use it as your desktop wallpaper. Then your done and on your way to impressing your friends with your new computer artwork.

If you like this special edition computer desktop wallpaper you might want to check out our previous installments as well - 12 Months of Bourbon Wallpaper. Check back in July when we have another ready for download.

The second way to use our bourbon advertisement mosaic is as your cover image on Facebook. Click on the specialized designed and sized image below and save to your computer in another convenient location. Then head over to Facebook and update your cover image using this one. It’s a great way to let everyone know that today is National Bourbon Day and spread the bourbon gospel. And don’t forget to use the hashtag #nationalbourbonday when you Tweet and post to Facebook today.

PS – Please spread the word about our National Bourbon Day Bourbon Computer Wallpaper. The more people we get using them the easier it is to spread the Bourbon gospel.

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Drinking On A Budget: The 8 Cheapest Ways To Get Absolutely Trashed

By Patrick "Pops" Garrett on June 11, 2013 in Bourbon Banter

Drinking on a budget?

Looking to get the most bang for your buck?

If so, I believe we have the perfect infographic to help you maximize your drinking on a budget efforts. Subtitled, “The 8 Cheapest Ways to Get Absolutely Trashed”, the below infographic does a fine job of breaking down all the details necessary to plan an full frontal assault on your sobriety while defending your hard earned cash. Bourbon & Banter never recommends drinking purely for the purpose of getting “trashed” nor do we ever suggest someone drink products featured below. If you must follow the infographic’s advice, please remember that you do so at your own risk.

And remember, even if you survive the alcohol attack intact, your dignity may not should others find out your beverages choices from the night before.

[via] – Originally published back in 2009.

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Father’s Day Bourbon Prints

By Patrick "Pops" Garrett on June 9, 2013 in Products For Sale

Sure. You could buy your father another bottle of bourbon for Father’s Day but I suspect he’s already got a few behind the bar. Why not give him the gift of bourbon that he can hang on the walls of his office or man cave?

Bourbon & Banter’s Barrel Proof series of bourbon prints are the perfect gift for the bourbon lover. The collection includes photos from many of Kentucky’s most famous distilleries, including Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey and Willett. Each print measures 16×20 and is ready to hang in your favorite frame – not mat board required.

Between now and June 12th you can save 15% off your total print purchase for Father’s Day by using the code: bourbonfordad. Simply enter the code during your checkout process for your discount. Make sure to order today to ensure delivery by Father’s Day.

Purchase Bourbon Prints

The above photos are just some of the prints available via the Barrel Proof Collection.

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Strawberry Beret Drink Recipe by Joel Burton

By Patrick "Pops" Garrett on June 9, 2013 in Bourbon Across America, Bourbon Cocktails

Competition Update: We just learned that Joel took 3rd place in the competition. Congrats to Joel and the others for a job well done.

As everyone knows I’m not a big cocktail drinker, but when I do find myself drinking one it’s got to be made from bourbon. So when Four Roses invited me to visit a local St. Louis restaurant to enjoy a new craft cocktail featuring Four Roses bourbon and some small plates I couldn’t resist. Here’s the setup…

Local St. Louis bartender , Joel Burton who works at Taste, recently won the right to participate in the finals of the Four Roses Bourbon /Magic City Cocktail Competition against 9 others on June 9th and 10th at the Four Roses Distillery. Should Joe win the competition he’ll walk away with a “ton of cash” (his words) and bragging rights. According to Four Roses a “ton of cash” is equivalent to $5,000.

In chatting with Joel I learned that this was his first cocktail competition and as expected he was as nervous as he was excited about being a part of something on this scale. And although Joel’s only been serving up craft cocktails for a little over a year you’d never know it by watching him work behind the bar. He appears in full command of the bar and easily moves from crafting a drink to conversing with patrons. I don’t see him having any issue dealing with the pressure of the competition.

As we spoke he carefully combined the ingredient’s of his signature drink, the Strawberry Beret, with a strong base of Four Roses Single Barrel. After working his magic he pour it in a glass, garnished with a fresh strawberry and placed it before me for inspection and consumption.

Visually the drink was perfect. Great selection of glassware, perfect pour level and garnished simply. Overall the appearance was inviting and looked refreshing.

First taste involved a strong burst of fresh strawberries that bordered on being too sweet but luckily pulled back at the last moment. There was also a flavor undercurrent that reminded me of a traditional fruit punch that quickly subsided before it could contradict with the drink’s intended flavor profile.

A hint of ginger was a nice contrast to the sweetness of the strawberries but what I enjoyed most was the big flavor of fresh basil. I’m a sucker for a cocktail that uses basil properly. I’ve been a fan ever since trying out Wild Turkey’s recipe for LiberTea last July 4th. Joel’s use of it in this drink, inspired by a basil and honey on a sandwich he had recently eaten, really put this drink over the top in terms of uniqueness and taste.

And of course, under all of the strawberry, ginger and basil was the robust Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon with its hints of plums, cherries and maple syrup. An excellent bourbon selection to match up with the rest of the recipe.

I very much enjoyed the StrawBerry Beret and would not hesitate to drink it again or recommend it to my friends looking for a new bourbon cocktail to try.

Here’s Joel’s recipe if you’d like to try making the Strawberry Beret at home”

Joel Burton’s “Strawberry Beret” Recipe

1.5 oz Four Roses Bourbon Single Barrel
.75 oz Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
.25 oz Benedictine
.75 oz fresh lemon juice
1 strawberry
2-4 basil leaves

In a shaker combine the Canton, Benedictine, strawberry and basil. Muddle well. Add the remaining ingredients, ice. Shake well, and fine strain into a coupe or similar ‘up’ glass. Add ginger, strawberry and basil garnish.

Joel is heading down to Kentucky today to begin the competition. All of us here at Bourbon & Banter wish him the best of luck as he represents our hometown of St. Louis. If you’d like to learn a little more about Joel you can check out this interview via the RFT.

As soon as we hear the results of the competition we’ll be sure to update this post and let everyone know.

If you’d like to check out the other finalist recipes you can view them on the Four Roses Bourbon / Magic City website.

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