Oooooh, do I have a sour beer treat for you, Tippler Nation! I just got to Denver and I think I may have already hit one of my highlights of this two week trip. The very first stop I made on my very first day here, in fact. Welcome to the tasting room of Crooked Stave...
Do you like video games? How about craft beer? Spending your day playing games and drinking a variety of incredible beers? Springdale Brewery Barrel Room in Framingham, Massachusetts is the place for you. Springdale is the sister brewery of Jack’s Abby Brewing, which...
A World of Mulled Wine Awaits Mulled wine is a truly international drink and every wine drinking nation across the globe has a version of its own. This winter warmer has been served for centuries and although the bases are similar, the finished products are not. We’ve...
If I were a magical beer fairy, OEC is the craft brewery that I would create for myself. The delicious and unique craft beers they make are only the start. The stories and processes behind these unique craft beers are what set them apart. Hold onto your fairy wings,...
Sour skeptics rejoice! In this video we’re here to convince you that there IS a sour beer for everyone given the incredible range of options that now exist from craft brewers around the world. This is the first video in a 3-part series to help turn sour skeptics...
Are you in the mood for something that’s both sour and refreshing? Did you read our lip puckering intro to Sour Beers and become inspired to take the plunge? There are so many different sour beer styles that finding that perfect pint of tart deliciousness is possible...
Sour Beers: they’re sour. Just reading this post will make your mouth water. (You’re welcome!) For those who haven’t tried a sour beer, it’s quite the experience. Your first sip will be a shock to your palate, and for some it may taste like a bad batch of beer. Give...
Partial reprint as featured in the Winter 2018 edition of Distiller Magazine… As small business owners and distillers, I’m willing to bet that many of you are on Instagram. And if you’re not, I’m willing to bet that you’re considering it. Smart move. Social...
Reprinted as originally published in the Winter 2018 Edition of Distiller Magazine Whether you love it or hate it, I think we can all admit that social media is here to stay. Selfies, never-ending foodstagrams, motivational quotes, awkward personal shares, duck faces,...
There are never-ending rivalries such as Boston Red Sox versus the New York Yankees, Dunkin’ Donuts versus Starbucks, and Star Trek versus Star Wars. However, there is a rivalry that predates all these examples: Peruvian Pisco versus Chilean Pisco. This feud is...
Pisco is a spirit you’ve likely heard of, especially as a Pisco Sour, but maybe don’t know much about otherwise. Believe it or not, the U.S. is the second biggest importer of Pisco in the world, and its popularity is only growing as mixologists and...
National Hot Buttered Rum Day is almost upon us. This year it is being celebrated on the 17th of January…who says we have to stop drinking festive drinks just because the holidays are over?! Now, we hardly need an excuse to sip on this delicious tipple,...
With the news of our beloved, hometown craft brewers, Anchor Steam Brewing, being sold to Sapporo Holdings a while back and the continuation of more and more producers selling out to big booze we felt it was time to revisit our thoughts on this ongoing craft alcohol...
Happy New Year Tippler Nation! As we kick off another year of fun tippling travels, craft producer stories and engaging content to expand your sipping spectrum I thought it might be nice to get to know each other a bit. So first things first – this is a two-way...
Admittedly, today there are more spicy Bloody Mary recipes and easy Bloody Mary recipes and best Bloody Mary recipes and Bloody Mary ingredients than a normal tippler can keep up with. For us here at The Crafty Cask, we’re often purists and know how to make a...
With the holidays in full swing, some of you may have a few ‘accidental’ heavy evenings under the belt (we won’t judge) or maybe you are searching for a low alcohol drink that you can enjoy without wilting in the corner halfway through your night of party...
We love to explore the crafty wonders of the world and what better time to do that than the holidays? We’re exploring holiday traditions around the world…through booze, of course! Let’s jump into these delicious and traditional Christmas drinks that...
When many people think of vermouth, fabulous vermouth drinks (hello martini!) or dusty neglected looking bottles relegated to the back shelf are images that often come to mind. Happily, vermouth is experiencing a rebirth and there is much more to this versatile...
I swear it was just summer yesterday, wasn’t it? Yet all of a sudden it’s time to figure out what I’m getting everyone (and asking for, let’s be honest!) for the holidays this year. I mean Thanksgiving is next week people…next week! And...
Guest Post by Jenna Littlejohn The world of alcohol can be one of fruitful exploration or, it can be a simple ‘glug glug’ of your dad’s favorite beer. Mainstays and staples are important but so are new experiences! As I learned this past Thursday, that’s exactly what...
Our tires crunch on dried leaves as we pull up in front of a beautiful, rustic red barn. Out my window I see a field with a wide, low medieval looking stone wall and gnarly old apple trees spreading behind as far as the eye can see. As I step out of the car and into...
Keeping this a secret for the past few months has been KILLING US, Tippler Nation! Today, we’re excited to announce our partnership with a new company that will help us get all of these amazing craft spirits we’re always talking about in your hands! Let us...
Whiskey, check, vodka, sure, beer, you bet! But when it comes to venturing into the subculture of alcohol that steps past these norms one may meet the drink of times past (and hopefully times present!) – mead. Right now, we’d like to get you sweet on this...
I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit of a nut job when it comes to Thanksgiving. I’m talking planning and cooking the perfect menu for days, joyfully! In the past Thanksgiving has been all about beer (both for my amaze-balls turkey brine* and the football) and...
If you’ve read our Simple History of Gin and Kick Off Your Gin Love Affair you likely already have a fairly decent grasp of what gin is and a few of our favorite bottles to get you started. But, before we get into the grit of how this fabulous botanical-infused staple...
We’ve been teasing and tantilizing you with all of this content about Asturian Sidra, haven’t we? #sorrynotsorry In all honesty though, that’s often the hardest part of our job…discovering all of these great craft drinks and then not being able...
Natural wine is hot these days, but they can also be confusing and hard to find. In today’s video we’re sitting down with Jenny Eagleton of The Punchdown Natural Wine Bar & Kitchen to get informed! What does natural wine really mean? Do they all taste...
You’ve made it! We’re finishing up our journey into the Japanese tradition of sake making with this third piece in our series. In our first piece we talked about the four critical components of premium sake…rice, water, koji and yeast. Then we dove...
In our previous romp with Sake, we explored what sake is. Now let’s move on to the how. While sake’s ingredients are simple and pure the process tends to be a bit more, shall we say, involved. If you are drinking sake, you are drinking something that has...
Like many Americans, we have to admit we’ve taken part in the cheap thrill of “sake bombing.” For a lot of people it’s the first, and sometimes only, introduction they have to sake. You know, yelling the only Japanese word one may know, while...
This week we’re kicking off our brand spankin’ new event series in partnership with the Palace Hotel here in San Francisco. For the rest of this year The Crafty Cask will be hosting a monthly Meet The Maker event in the fabulous and historical Pied Piper...
This time last year we had just discovered the amazing Sweet Potato Liqueur from Corbin Cash Spirits in Atwater, California. And what a discovery it was! Literally every person we’ve had try it since then has fallen in love with it. Given fall is upon us and...
So you’ve taken our advice and are headed to Asturias! You’re welcome. If you’re headed to this amazing region you’re going to be drinking a lot of sidra, or cider! And I mean a lot. While this may seem like a straight forward enough endeavor, the culture around...
What can I say about Asturias, Spain to convince you to visit? Let’s not pull any punches…that is the goal of this article. Why? It’s pretty simple. Asturias is incredible and a real hidden gem from most people who don’t live in Spain. While I don’t...
Picture this…one day you’re sitting at home and you get a phone call from some friends. Two brothers who have been making mead for fun for a while. When you pick up the phone they present you with this…hey man, let’s open up a meadery! Um,...
Let me be the first to say, rum is going to be the next whiskey! Ok, maybe I’m not the first to say that. In fact, I’ve already said that in one of our past rum articles. But I’ve been saying it a lot lately and plan to continue to say it a lot more....
Today we’re talking all about one of Suzanne’s absolute favorites…orange wine! Haven’t heard of them or tried them? Don’t worry, you’re in the majority. While orange wines have been around since the beginnings of wine they are...
Let me take a wild guess here…you’ve heard of rosé. I mean between all of the #roséallday #drinkpink and #yeswayrosé, how could you have missed it? Rosé has been hotter than hot for a few years now and with summer in full-swing it’s in it’s...
Summer is in full swing! If you’re like most people that means you’ve likely been drinking a lot of white wine and rosé lately. Sometimes you can fall into a bit of a rut, ordering the same Sauv Blanc every time you see it and not exploring new wines...
When the topic at hand has a storied history including fossilized grape vines 60 million years old, mentions in the original Old Testament and a wine jar found in modern-day Iran dating back to 6,000 B.C. it’s understandably a little tricky to truly pin down the...
As I’m sure you’ve all noticed we tend to be a little obsessed with cider here! Why? Well, honestly my very first cider experience is partially responsible for me founding The Crafty Cask almost 20 years later, so I have a slight soft spot. But beyond...
The craft beer industry is highly competitive, which is why breweries often ink partnerships with companies to gain leverage. Usually, these collaborations involve parties that have nothing to do with the beverage, but everything to do with the brand’s values,...
We all know it. When it comes to alcohol the word craft is often misused, misunderstood and misrepresented. The world of distilling might honestly be the most confusing of all. Why? Well, because there are a lot of different ways to get that liquid in the bottle....
The Crafty Cask Channel: Featuring Live Oak Brewing Company The foresight and risk it takes to start a brewery entirely focused on classic Eastern European beers way back in the early 90s in the heart of Texas is impressive. Honestly, it’s what supporting craft...
Whiskey. Just the idea of it lends to feelings of sophistication, perhaps in a silk robe beside a roaring fire. But what sets silk robe flavor apart from sweatpants swill? The answer is in the craft. Seven Stills Distillery and Brewery of San Francisco chooses to...
We just love the trend of turning craft beer into craft whiskey and are thrilled to see that it’s really starting to take off! It creates super complex and deliciously different whiskies that you should definitely be keeping an eye out for when shopping and...
When I went to Boston Harbor Distillery, it was frigid and New England was cleaning up from its first major snow storm of the year. I would say a perfect time to warm-up with excellent spirits. For the history buffs who want good spirits with a twist, look no further...
Let me guess, when I say mezcal you think smoke bomb. We’ve all had one too many craft cocktails featuring mezcal that sound delicious, but deliver a smoky BBQ pit in your mouth. Where’s the grapefruit? The thyme? All of those other ingredients that made this drink so...
Making memories over handcrafted drinks opens the door to a whole new world of fascination with the elements used to create them. Over time, I’ve learned that sipping a margarita lakeside warms my heart as much a tequila served neat after a long, hard day. In central...
? Part 4 of our 4 part series on Rum. We’re finishing up our current mission to get you on the rum train with a nice, easy overview of the different styles. How else are you going to know what to start drinking? I mean it people…I want you out there trying...
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