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YumSugar Gift Guide: The Bartending Boy

partysugar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:01:39 -0800

My friend Antonio is the best bartender I know. He's always looking for the latest, greatest addition to his home bar. Both Antonio, and your bartending boy, are sure to love any of these gifts.

Sleek coasters, a foil cutter, and a bar travel set are all fun and functional. A personalized bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue is a splurge well worth the price.

For more gift ideas for the bartender in your life, browse below.

Foil Cutter ($15.00)	Aluminum Coasters with Stand ($16.95)
Bar Travel Set ($40.00)	7-Piece Bar Tool Set ($49.95)
Johnnie Walker Scotch Blue ($159.99)	Everywhere Bar Storage ($129.00-449.00)

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The Ultimate Bar: Corkscrew

partysugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 11:43:52 -0800

Every week YumSugar highlights an essential tool for the ultimate kitchen. People are always asking her what her favorite kitchen tool is and in a response to this perpetual question, she is creating a list of kitchen must-haves and special splurges (attention brides: use this as a checklist when creating your registry!). Lately I've noticed that more and more people are asking me about what the perfect hostess should have in her bar. To answer this question I thought I would put together a list of important tools, glasses, and gadgets that The Ultimate Bar (for the ultimate at home mixologist) should have.

Let's start with a tool that no bar (or kitchen for that matter) should be without: a good, reliable corkscrew. I have tried out the more expensive rabbit screw pull gadget like wine openers (test for yourself: the one pictured is $100), yet the two that I had both broke after several months of use. That's why I prefer the leverage winged, modern spiral corkscrew. It's by far the most dependable and one of the easiest to use: as the center coil is screwed into the cork, the arms rise up. When you press the arms down, the cork extracts. In some circles this twin handled affordable ($9.99) corkscrew is referred to as the Charles de Gaulle. The top of most can also be used to remove bottle caps.

Two more corkscrews so read more

Another option is the two-pronged cork fork, or butler's friend, that swiftly opens a bottle of wine without damaging the cork. It's recommended for use with older vintages of wine whose corks are more likely to crumble with the injection of a metal coil. ($18.95)

Some consider the corkscrew that waiters use, a waiter's friend, to be the most sturdy and handy corkscrew. This corkscrew relies on simple leverage to remove the cork and is light and compact. All parts fold up inside the handle, like a pocket knife making it extremely convenient and portable. When I worked in a bar I never got the hang of maneuvering this tool swiftly with one hand, however if used properly it's a great gadget complete with foil cutter, bottle rest, and battle cap opener. If you are on a budget this baby is your best bet, a fun, colorful one can be purchased under $8.00.

Yum Gift Guide: Wine Lovers

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 07:54:12 -0800

Steady Sticks - Think about the last time you took a bottle of wine to a picnic in the park. You found a nice shady spot on a hill, rolled out the blanket, pulled out the cork, poured the wine and then, oh... nowhere to put the glass. Well thanks to the handy Steady Stick, you can now put your glass anywhere there is grass or sand. Made of weather resistant stainless steel, these sticks will make a perfect gift for the wine lover on your list. Set of two Steady Sticks for $11.95.

ReServe Wine Preservation Kit - Once a bottle is open, there's no way my favorite wine lover doesn't finish it on the same day. You see, the taste just isn't the same the next day. However, imagine if she could open up a bottle on Sunday and have it taste just as great next Sunday. Well with the Sommelier-Endorsed ReServe Wine Preservation Kit, she could do just that. Using a simple on/off twist seal, the preservation adaptor releases pure argon gas to safely displace air in open bottles. This prevents oxidation and preserves the wine. Three piece Wine Preservation Kit available for $149.95.

Three more, so read more

Riedel "O" Wine Tumblers - Stems are great for looking fabulous at parties, but sometimes it's nice to have a glass that doesn't run the risk of tipping over easily. Lucky for us, Riedel has managed to create lovely, yet delicate, stemless glassware. Their innovative casual shape is perfect for everyday use and enjoyment. Different styles available to suit your wine lover's favorite wine. Set of two Riedel "O" Glasses available for $20-$22 (depending on the style).

Professional Connoisseur's Wine Set - With this set, they'll never have to struggle with another cork again. Ergonomically designed to "effortlessly lift the cork in one smooth motion and serve as the centerpiece in the kitchen or beside your bar," this set also includes two wine bottle stoppers, foil cutter, wine pourer, and a replacement worm. While the actual opener resembles a mini drill, it’s virtually fool proof and it will have their bottle of Chardonnay open in half the time it takes to open with an old school opener. You can find the Professional Connoisseur's Wine Set for $60.

Duck Wine Decanter - Every wine lover worth their weight in grapes knows that a good red wine should be decanted prior to serving. Decanting provides the oxygen needed to release the full bouquet of the wine. This particular one is shaped for proper aeration and is somewhat whimsy without being too cutesy. Duck Wine Decanter available for $29.