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I have a ton of old bottles being displayed on shelves and...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:10:49 -0700

I have a ton of old bottles being displayed on shelves and window sills that I can’t bear to throw away. They’re badges of honor that say something about me: I must have moxy if I’ve finished all of these bottles, and I must be a man of great taste to have made such intelligent choices in brands. Or so I tell myself.

But this is a great way to add function to your ‘animal head hunting collection’ while avoiding your significant other’s wrath. Just be sure to not blow house up!

valueplus:

accidentalcharm:

I am a girl who likes her drink. And thus I end up with lots and lots of empty bottles in the recycling bin every week. I have often thought there must be something I can do all these but what?

Candlestick holder? Vase for a measly rose? Join a jug band?

Kinda lame (jug band excluded). If only I could just get rid of that stupid, narrow neck, I would be able to put it to such good use. After trying to smash the neck off a couple times (yeah, don’t do that), I started to explore my glass cutting options. After some poking around, I was delighted to find out that I wouldn’t have to invest in pricey glass cutting equipment after all! I didn’t even have to go to the store to pick up any supplies. String? Nail polish remover? Fire? In spades at Casa del Sandra. And whole process is so quick and easy I don’t know why I didn’t know about this a lot sooner.

Now before I go on any further you have to promise me you’re going to be super careful. K? SUPER DUPER CAREFUL. Sharp glass, highly inflammable liquids, very hot fire? There are only about eleventy billion things that could go wrong. Do this on the kitchen or bathroom with a sink or fire extinguisher nearby. Pay close attention, don’t be lazy and you should be good and still have a roof over your head at the end.

Now let’s get to it. First, you will need:

An empty liquor bottle you have washed out thoroughly.

A bucket full of cold water

Butcher’s twine

Nail polish remover WITH acetone (please make sure you don’t get non-acetone polish remover meant for fake nails)

Sand paper

Lighter or match

STEP ONE: Wind the butcher’s twine around the bottle where you want the cut twice. Tie off and cut excess string.

STEP TWO: Take the string off of the bottle and place in a little bowl or cup full of the acetone nail polish remover. Make sure it gets nice and saturated with the stuff. Then fasten the string back on the bottle just like you had it before.

—->ACHTUNG<— Get a paper towel or dishcloth and wipe off any nail polish remover that might have dripped down the bottle. THEN wash and dry your hands thoroughly. I mean it, Mister.

STEP THREE: Now. Here comes the fun/scary part. Hold the bottom of the bottle with one hand and light the string with other.

STEP FOUR: Turn the bottle on its side and slowly rotate it around to make sure you distribute the heat evenly. Once you see the fire is about to burn out (about 10-15 seconds), quickly dunk it (top first) into the bucket full of cold water. The fire should be completely extinguished and you will hear a pop! When you pull the bottle out of the bucket, the top half should be gone! Tada!

(If it’s not that probably means you didn’t let the string burn long enough. Just try again.)

WAAAAAAIT! You’re not done just yet. Those newly formed edges are really, really sharp. You don’t want to end up in the ER and get stitches after all that.

STEP FIVE: Gotta sand those babies down.

Ahh, much better.

OK. NOW YOU ARE DONE. So easy and gratifying, no? Look at that spiffy new vase, planter, cup, thingy holder you made.

Makes a great last-minute gift. People will think you are magic. And don’t you go throwing another glass bottle away again or Captain Planet will cry a thousand tears.

this looks terrifying but lots of fun also. could be good to make drinking glasses from beer bottles that have the labels printed on the glass, rather than a paper label glued on

As seen in the Dec 2011/Jan 2012 edition of Drink Me Magazine,...

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:22:00 -0700

As seen in the Dec 2011/Jan 2012 edition of Drink Me Magazine, the Cirrus Ice Press. For your at-home drinking pleasure, offered at a low price of $799.

Here’s a great video by Liquor.com that teaches you how to...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:10:28 -0800

Here’s a great video by Liquor.com that teaches you how to make a simple daiquiri. What an easy, refreshing recipe that everyone can make at home! All you need is some aged rum (they used Barbancourt, I used Trigo Reserva Aneja from Puerto Rico) (2 oz.), simple syrup (1 oz.) and lime juice (1 oz.). Shake with ice and strain.

St. George does it again

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 21:14:00 -0700

In case you haven’t seen it in the Twittersphere, here’s the link to the article I wrote...

The first installment in a series of videos by Made by Hand...

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 23:36:47 -0700

The first installment in a series of videos by Made by Hand takes a look at the process of making gin, specifically at Breuckelen Distilling in New York. Beautiful takes of the stills, spirit and bottles, and captures nicely the craftsmanship and care that goes into making craft spirits.

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Walnut Creek Yacht Club: Ever seen a mirage in real life? Read about how the Walnut Creek Yacht...

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A great video from Liquor.com’s new Behind the...

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 19:28:45 -0700

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I know my posts have been a little event-heavy lately, but...

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:33:30 -0700

I know my posts have been a little event-heavy lately, but I’m just excited that there are some events going on in the East Bay…AND…I’m so blown away by the new St. George Spirits gins that it’s probably all I’m going to talk about for the new few weeks! I just tasted these at the SF Cocktail Week Preview Party yesterday, and they are a thing of wonder.

The Botanivore is vegetal, raw, herbaceous and begs to be mixed into some great cocktails. The Terroir Gin is made from botanicals from Mt. Tamalpais and sings of Douglas fir and sage. Interesting enough to sip it on its own. The Dry Rye Gin is a cross between a genever gin and a whiskey, and again is something that I would enjoy on its own with a little ice.

If you’re free this coming Monday, head over to ACME BAR & CO. in Berkeley to try six specialty cocktails featuring the new, yet-to-be-released St. George gins, as well as Templeton Rye, Ilegal Mezcal and Oro Pisco.

What: An Inaugural Cocktail Event featuring New Gins from St. George Spirits

Who: Hosted by Jupiter Olympus Presents, a monthly series of events featuring new and experimental cocktails

When: Monday, August 29th, 9 pm to 2 am

Where: Acme Bar & Co., 2115 San Pablo Ave. at Addison St, Berkeley, CA

Price: No cover, RSVP to morgan@jupiterolympus.com to reserve a spot

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Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:49:17 -0700

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Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:13:00 -0700

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I think the motivating power that is the cuteness of this image...

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:01:00 -0700

I think the motivating power that is the cuteness of this image will be enough for you to follow me on Twitter at @bayareaspirits.

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Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:24:58 -0700

1512 Spirits: A Whiskey and a Shave, Please.: He can leap tall fermenters in a single bound. He...

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Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:43:00 -0700

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