Ireland’s 1st bring your own cocktail bar: The best predrinks experience

Feb 17, 2019

BYOB is usually something you associate with a pre drinks party, but one Dublin bar is putting a twist on the concept that we absolutely love.

Drop Dead Twice, which began as a pop-up back in October, has been made a permanent feature at its location at The Stage 19 on Francis Street, Dublin.

The bar invites guests to openly bring their own alcohol (not sneakily stashed in your clutch) and have a selection of bespoke cocktails made using the spirit of their choice.

A post shared by DropDeadTwice (@dropdead_twice) on May 4, 2017 at 6:15am PDT

Whether you choose to bring vodka, gin or whiskey, Drop Dead Twice mixologists are well able to get creative when it comes to concocting the perfect cocktails.

The team draw on their expertise to come up with original and unique beverages, using a wide range of fresh and homemade ingredients.

A post shared by Dublin Foodie(@yummydublin) on Jun 23, 2017 at 4:38am PDT

The premise is simple, just book in for a two or three hour session and bring your booze to the bar.

If you are booked in for two hours, Drop Dead Twice recommends bringing a naggin per person, which will get you four cocktails.

If you are booked in for 3 hours they recommend bringing a shoulder per person, which will get you six or seven creative drinks.

The fee is pretty damn reasonable, at €25.00 per person for 2 hours and €30.00 per person for 3 hours.

The team talks you through what you like and what you don’t like before whipping up a selection of cocktails for you and the gals.

It's definitely a brilliant and boozy way to spend an evening.

Feeling crafty? This boozy Dublin workshop sounds deadly

Apr 9, 2018

by Food Writer

There is something quite therapeutic and rewarding about using our hands to create a beautiful object. And if learning some new skills involves a cocktail masterclass, what more can we ask?

To celebrate its one-year anniversary, Premium Irish whiskey Roe & Co is introducing a new creative workshop series.

Brought by local creators and artists, The Roe & Collective aims to bring people together for an afternoon of creativity, craftmanship and to learn new skills, whilst enjoying some world class Roe & Co cocktails.

The first event of the series will take place this Saturday, April 14th from 3pm to 6pm, at the recently opened bar Lucky’s, located in the heart of The Liberties.

During a fun afternoon, guests will gain an insight into different forms of trendy craft, including how to build your own terrarium, the art of silkscreen printing and a cocktail masterclass.

Professional urban gardener and stain glass artist, Alison Byrne will teach guests the history and the science behind the self-contained urban gardens, which are so popular on Instagram, while explaining the best types of plants and soil to use. At the end of the workshop you will be able to create your own miniature garden in upcycled Roe & Co whiskey bottles.

Led by Damn Fine Print, the silkscreen workshop will teach you how to use layering and overprinting techniques to create custom-made tote bags, tea towels or badges.

Hosted by Roe & Co Brand Ambassador Peter O’Connor, the cocktail masterclass will teach you how to create world class Roe & Co cocktails at home. You will also learn about the history of Roe & Co, why it is so synonymous with The Liberties and the golden era of Irish whiskey.

After the workshops, guests are invited to stay on in Lucky’s to enjoy a complimentary Roe & Co cocktail served with a delicious wood-fire pizza from Coke Lane Pizza.

Tickets to The Roe & Collective are available from EventBrite.ie and include three creative workshops (terrarium building, screen printing and a Roe & Co cocktail masterclass), a Roe & Co cocktail and a complimentary wood fire pizza. Tickets are priced at €15 including booking fee.

It may be a bit early, but the epic GIN advent calendar is coming back

Aug 22, 2017

by Staff Writer

Okay, so we are very aware that there are still 124 days until Christmas, but that doesn't mean we can't plan ahead.

Last year, the Gin Foundry made all our dreams come through with their gin advent calendar, and this year promises to be no different.

According to Good Housekeeping, the calendar will be back and better than ever this year, and will even include a Christmas tree flavour gin.

'Each year, we select 24 Gins that provide a snapshot of the category’s depth, diversity and global reach,' reads the product description.

'We scour countries in search of the very best, the most unusual, the most progressive and – of utmost importance – the most sublimely delicious gins.'

'The content of the Ginvent calendars is carefully curated and painstakingly considered so that all styles of gins are included, from London Dry to Old Tom, to Navy strength, Fruit infused and so on…'

A post shared by Giovanni Corrado (@giovannicorrado) on Dec 26, 2016 at 12:16pm PST

Am, we'll take one for every month of the year, thanks.

But you'll have to hold your horses (or reindeer) for the time being, as there has been no confirmed date of the return, so you'll have to keep your eyes and ears peeled for the re-launch.

They were available for pre-order in September from Gin Kiosk last year, so hopefully we can get our paws on one ASAP.

A WINE handbag?! We’ll take about twenty please and thank you

Feb 14, 2017

by Amber Saunders

Just like Rihanna at the Grammys, we've all had moments when we just want a drink.

Whether it be at family gatherings, a hell-ish Luas journey home or even while you're doing a bit of Sunday shopping – sometimes a birra wine just makes everything better.

Well, those moments are going to get a whole lot better now that there's a WINE handbag on the market.

Bella Vita has designed a bag with a secret pouch for storing your favourite vino (or whatever booze you fancy). The alcohol is stored in a zipped, insulated pouch, so all you need to do is unbutton a little flap on the side, pull out the spout and pour away.

The bags retail at $75 (€70), so they're not too pricey, and they're even big enough to hold all of your essentials.

Shneaky naggins in the club, how are ya.

Honeymoons? Yeah, they were all about BOOZE back in the day

Relationships

Jan 24, 2017

by Amber Saunders

One of the best parts about getting married is going on honeymoon.

The stress of the wedding can finally be forgotten about, and it's your chance to relax with your new hubby or wifey. Bliss.

But, have you ever wondered where the custom came from? We didn't either, until we read this earlier today.

According to Honeyfund, the tradition originated in the 19th century and consisted of the newlyweds travelling around together to basically visit family and friends who couldn't make it to the wedding. So, zero alone time.

It wasn't until the 20th century that honeymoons resembled the way they are today.

And as far as the term 'honeymoon'? Well, a few possible theories show that way back in the 5th century, newlyweds would drink a honey-based alcohol, widely known as mead, after their first 'moon' together, as it was believed to be a sort of aphrodisiac which could help with conception.

So, there you have it.

So, it looks like BOXED vodka is the new drink of choice and we like it

Jan 20, 2017

by Amber Saunders

Last year, boxed vino was all the rage.

It went from tacky to trendy in a matter of months when people found out that the high-quality boxes actually keep the alcohol fresher for longer, and is also way more practical.

We all got on board with this because, well… it's cheap as chips.

Now, however, boxed vodka is on the market, and we're pretty excited about it.

A photo posted by Griffon Vault (@griffon_vault) on Jun 14, 2015 at 8:58am PDT

Griffon Vault vodka has been distilled five times, and as well as that, the packaging is made entirely from recycled materials.

The box contains one litre (around 33 shots) and is selling for only $15.99 (€14.98).

The co-founder of Griffon Vault told Bloomberg: "It's ideal for tailgating, the beach, or the pool. You don't have to worry about glass shattering."

A photo posted by Griffon Vault (@griffon_vault) on May 5, 2016 at 12:13pm PDT

He does have a point.

At the moment, it's only available in selected stores around the US, but hopefully something like this will come to Ireland pretty soon.

All the YES! Ben and Jerry’s seem to be creating some BOOZY ice cream

Jan 7, 2017

by Amber Saunders

Urban Bourbon? Sign us up!

Yep, Ben & Jerry's might be releasing a boozy ice cream flavour, and we are so up for it.

Urban Bourbon consists of caramel ice cream, almonds, fudge flakes, and obvs, a few shots of caramel bourbon.

You heard it here first! New Urban Bourbon Ben & Jerry's will hit the freezer aisle in a few months! The flavor features burnt caramel ice cream with almonds, fudge flakes, and bourbon caramel swirls. Stay tuned for a second new Ben & Jerry's flavor! . . . . . #new #icecream #benandjerrys #bourbon #caramel #alcohol #junkfood #snack #snacks #snackfood #iifym #macros #cheatmeal #instafood #foodstagram #foodporn #cheatday #sweets #dessert #winter #fitspo #fitfam #fitspiration #flexibledieting #oreos #foodgasm #fitsagram #food #fitfamily #chocolate

A photo posted by @candyhunting on Jan 4, 2017 at 1:29pm PST

The Instagram account, Candy Hunting is famous for having the inside scoop (heh heh) on upcoming sweets and treats, and according to them, the flavour will be released in the next few months.

Now, Ben & Jerry's hasn't confirmed anything just yet, but as THRILLIST points out, the ice cream company applied to trademark the name Urban Bourbon a couple of months ago aaaand Walmart has also set up a black landing page to purchase it.

Oh, Ben and Jerry, why do you tease us?!

Boozy jam? This is going to make Xmas morning SO much better

Nov 24, 2016

by Amber Saunders

Whether you go for the full fry-up on Christmas morning or just a birra toast and tea, this jam is going to make Chrimbo brekkie so much better…. because, well it has booze in it.

Tabl has just debuted a range of jams with some beautiful pairings.

There's Plum, Fig & Brandy, Pear & Amaretto and a Pear, Gooseberry & London Gin and we can't wait to try them all.

But if you're not in the mood for anything boozy Christmas morning, then it also has a Christmas Pudding flavour. Yum!

However, there's one major catch (as always), and Tabl don't deliver to Ireland.

So if you have a mate across the pond, give them a shout and get on that deliciousness.

Is €5 wine here to stay after all? Min alcohol pricing could be vetoed

Sep 27, 2016

by Amber Saunders

The Government's controversial plans to make wine, beer and spirits more expensive has hit something of a speed bump… and now may not be implemented at all.

Although the proposals have been given the nod by the European Health Commissioner the move may still be illegal in the eyes of Brussels.

That's because of the European single market – a basis under which some ten mainly alcohol-producing EU countries have now objected to Ireland's plans for more pricey booze.

Ireland has a per capita consumption of ten litres per annum, a figure which puts us behind the likes of the Czech Republic, Russia, Austria and Lithuania – but globally still very much in the Top Ten drinking nations.

We currently consume about the same amount as France and Australia.

Whether the proposed bills makes it through the Oireachtas will also largely rest of the success of a similar bid to introduce minimum alcohol pricing in Scotland.

There, the EU has said that the proposals CAN be implemented on public health grounds – but only if there are no other alternatives.

On the lash?! Nialler was spotted buying a fair few CANS out in LA

Aug 30, 2016

by Amber Saunders

It looks like Niall Horan is ready for his housewarming party.

The singer was spotted out shopping in a local supermarket, and left the store with trays of beer – Stella Artois to be exact.

I hate when I go shopping with Niall Horan and he just buy beers pic.twitter.com/TRyEkwePw5

— (@always_niall) August 30, 2016

Niall has spent the last six months renovating his €3 million LA home, so this week might finally be the week he properly moves in.

And he was being a smart lad while shopping and also bought a crate of water… because we all know having a few drinks in the heat is not all it's cracked up to be.

A photo posted by Niall horan (@niallhoran) on Jul 2, 2016 at 4:55am PDT

However, we're not sure his neighbours will be too happy about a party since they had a little falling out a few months ago.

According to The Sun, Niall wanted to remove a tree from outside his home since it was blocking natural light from getting in.

A photo posted by Niall horan (@niallhoran) on Jun 18, 2016 at 4:38am PDT

His neighbours tried to protest the removal because they said the tree was historical.

Let's hope they've worked everything out now!

This adults-only cheescake is going viral for all the RIGHT reasons

Mar 13, 2016

by Amber Saunders

We all love a good cheescake, but the good people over at Delish have made an adults-only Paddy's Day cheescake – and it's so good, it's gone viral.

Spiking a dessert is nothing new, but if you really want to be happy on Paddy's Day, this recipe promises liquor in every single layer.

The chocolate ganache looks good enough to eat by itself and the Oreo base could possibly make it the best dessert ever.

Fancy a slice? Here's the recipe. Did we mention it looks killer, too YUM.

Pack your bags! This city is getting its very own BEER fountain

Feb 16, 2016

by Amber Saunders

Imagine strolling through your local town or city only to stop by a fountain spewing glorious amount of beer.

Well, that's what's going to happen in Zalec, Slovenia, as a forthcoming public beer fountain is going to become the city's top tourist attraction.

Fox News reports that the fountain will cost around €360,000 and it will be the first of its kind in Europe.

Zalec is known for its vast hops plantations, so there's no better place to put this boozy fountain. And if you're in need for a few drinks at happy hour, it's probably the cheapest place to go, too.

For €6 you get to fill up a specialised mug three times with a variety of different brews.

Zalec is currently a small town with a population of a little more than 5,000, but with this new wonderwall in place, we can see it becoming waaaay busier.