Cocktails & Beverages
For coffee lovers, there's little better than starting the day with a perfect cup of coffee. The act of making coffee may seem simple, but really, brewing your perfect cup of coffee is more of an art. Start by investing in quality equipment, knowing your palate and how to select, store and brew your favorite beans.
If the only iced tea you drink is from a bottle you bought at the grocery store, or worse, a can, you'll be sorry you never learned how to brew iced tea before now. Home brewed iced tea is refreshing, invigorating and best of all, there are so many variations of this classic summertime beverage you can tantalize your taste buds while you're taking in the natural health benefits of the antioxidants that occur naturally in tea.
Although it's been around for centuries, punch hasn't lost its appeal for partygoers and cocktail connoisseurs alike. Whether you want to make iced or hot punch, start by using the freshest ingredients you can find and then let your palate be your guide.
If you love different types of beer, you'll want to pair it with the right food to bring out the unique flavors in your favorite brew. Check out these types of beer and beer pairings for some ideas on making the perfect food and beer matches.
Healthy smoothies did not become popular until the mid-60s, when there was a rekindling of macrobiotic vegetarianism. Though there has been resurgence in the popularity of the smoothie in the past few years, smoothies have been around since the 1930s, when health food stores on the west coast began selling pureed fruit drinks.
To fully appreciate wine tasting, you must know what it is that makes an individual wine exemplary. Becoming acquainted with the subtle nuances of the art and language can heighten your wine-tasting experience.
Making cocktails at home is a great way to show off your bartending skills when entertaining. Just invest in a good bartending guide, stock your home bar with quality tools and accessories and be willing to experiment.
If you're planning a dinner party, consider serving after dinner coffee drinks as your grand finale. These cold-weather cocktails are a perfect stand-in or complement to dessert and conversation but can also be made iced in summer weather. Start by honing your coffee-making skills, then put on your mixologist's hat as you make one of our recipes or create one of your own.
Once you experiment with a recipe for homemade hot chocolate, you may never let hot cocoa grace your hot chocolate mugs again.When the air turns chilly and the change in weather keeps you inside, there are few things more comforting than a mug of hot chocolate. Not to be confused with cocoa, which is a chocolate powder stripped of cocoa butter fat, hot chocolate is a seriously decadent drink.
Home beer brewing is economical and a creative challenge. With so many types of beers to choose from and starter kits available for less than $100, you'll never grow bored customizing flavors and creating recipes to pair with your favorite meals.
Understanding taste is important with wine and food pairings, because you may want to complement or contrast the taste of the wine with the taste of the food in your pairings.
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