I was planning another peaceful New Year’s eve in ]]> The most fascinating new product at this year’s Winter Fancy Food Show (at least from the drinking persective), is apparently a quarter-century old, but I hadn’t heard of it until a December.

I was planning another peaceful New Year’s eve in Manhattan at Death and Company, when a friend called to suggest that I drop everything and fly to West Texas to see a minor country music legend play a show at a tiny honky tonk bar in a little town, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so how could I say no? The show was excellent, and despite the obscurity, David Byrne showed up around 11:00. But I digress.

Every convenience store, liquor store, grocery store and fireworks stand across Texas had a display of Beer Salt, petite plastic shakers in the shape of a long-neck filled with flavored salt.  It was even saw it on several bars in Austin and Houston.

My first response was revulsion, then two thoughts crossed my mind. First, my father used to put salt in his Bud Light, but I never knew if this was entirely for flavor or if it was just to execute his favorite magic trick. Second, we put salt on the rims of margaritas, and even closer, on micheladas. For any purist who has been scoffing from the start of the paragraph, contain yourself, because I would wager that when it comes to food, you salt just about everything.  It’s a flavor enhancer, and our bodies crave it, so we are biologically predisposed to enjoy it.

I wouldn’t use this with a dark, full-bodied craft beer, but with any brew you might have sucked down at a keg party, it works quite nicely. Beyond that, all three flavors are great for sprinkling on an avocado.

Note: I’m writing more for other food and beverage sites, so I will post ]]> SF Cocktail Week was a blast, particularly the molecular mixology event put on by Cocktail Lab.

You can read my coverage on CitySip, which just launched in SF!

Note: I’m writing more for other food and beverage sites, so I will post links to those as they are released and I’ll try to post all about the other events I attended as time permits.

For  crooked bar owners, roofy dosers and those who just can’t drink a whole beer in one sitting, there is now ]]> Update: sign up for the email newsletter to get a $7 off coupon, bringing the cost under a buck (+$5 shipping).

For  crooked bar owners, roofy dosers and those who just can’t drink a whole beer in one sitting, there is now the Hermetus Bottle Opener & Resealer. This churchkey can also be used to hermetically reseal your beer.

 If nothing else, it would make the Strange Brew scam easier to execute (valid only in Canada)

Click here to view the embedded video.

This stuff had to be fiery enough to fend off the elements, so to ensure their booze wasn’t being watered down, seamen ]]> In the 18th and 19th centuries, when the British Royal Navy rationed rum to mariners, it wasn’t Bacardi Gold.

This stuff had to be fiery enough to fend off the elements, so to ensure their booze wasn’t being watered down, seamen would perform the gunpowder test by dousing a pile of gunpowder with rum, touching it to a match, and if it still ignited, then the proof was high enough to serve to sailors.

I discovered the moron test last week. Rather than looking up the proof of Booker’s Bourbon from my phone, I dunked a finger into my glass and stuck it into a candle flame on the bar. Sure enough, at 125 proof, I was waving a bright blue blaze to the shock and awe of my friends, and patrons at neighboring tables.

Don’t try this at home, but if you do, keep your hand moving to prevent actually getting burned.

It’s a fantastic, free  iPhone app (Android coming soon) that supplies very specific urban tours. Rather ]]> Sometimes I forget that there are at least three of you who aren’t my Facebook friends, and thus probably haven’t heard from me about UrbanDig.

It’s a fantastic, free  iPhone app (Android coming soon) that supplies very specific urban tours. Rather than digging around on Yelp, trying to figure out where to go, you can find a carefully curated short-list of locales that will surely suit your fancy. There are tours for eating, drinking, shopping and for each city’s hidden gems. Each list is crafted by a local writer and offer concise advice and insider knowledge to help you make the most of your experience, and it is great for locals and tourists alike.

Full disclosure (well, more like bragging): I curated the craft cocktail tour of San Francisco, so if you are looking for a great drink in the city, check out my “Crafty Sips” tour (then order me a drink and let me know where to meet you).