Have you listened to this week's #AccessibilityCraft episode yet? @joedolson joined us for a 🍺 and to discuss Able Player, an accessible audio and video player that can be used on WordPress, Drupal, and more websites.
https://accessibilitycraft.com/144-a-better-more-accessible-media-player-texas-beer-co-king-grackle-stout/
#accessibility #a11y #podcast #podcasts #craftbeverages #beer
Cocktail: The Tea Clipper
This was my first attempt at mixing a cocktail that used a spirit “alternative” (something deliberately created and marketed as a non-alcoholic alternative to a traditional spirit). This one featured The Spirit of Gin from Free Spirits. It was pretty decent.
Mix the spirit of gin and honey syrup in a shaker with ice and pour into a Collins glass or mason jar over fresh ice. Top with the tonic and garnish with a twist of lemon.
The recipe was from Free Spirits.
The honey syrup was made with several tablespoons of honey added to 8oz of strong Earl Grey tea (I used the decaf Earl Grey from The Whistling Kettle).
NA Beer: Athletic All Out
I was impressed by this one. Despite what the brewer says, it’s more in the style of a schwartzbier than a porter or stout, and I would compare it favorably to Köstritzer Schwarzbier (my usual beer of choice at the local Wolff’s Biergarten). (If they insist that it’s a stout, I’d say it leaves something to be desired.)
It’s crisp and not too heavy but still flavorful. Coffee notes that might be present are more of a dark-roast variety, so it has hints of being a rauchbier, but fortunately it’s not smoky enough for that. Overall, I’d consider having it on tap at home during the colder, darker months of the year.
Brewed by Athletic Brewing in Milford, Connecticut.
NA Beer: FLVR! Oktoberfest
Not bad overall. It lacks the crispness I usually associate with an Oktoberfest or märzen-style beer, and it was rather more hazy than I would have expected. It also wasn’t quite as malty as I would hope, but it had decent flavor and body and was pleasant to drink.
Overall, I don’t know that I’d buy a six-pack, but I wouldn’t avoid it if it was on the menu at a bar.
It’s brewed by Untitled Art out of Madison, Wisconsin.
https://drinkuntitled.com/products/non-alcoholic-oktoberfest/
Review: Lost & Found Bar and Kitchen
NA Beverage Experience: Okay Background The Lost & Found Bar and Kitchen is a small establishment in Albany's warehouse district. Its building used to be a bank, and the proprietors kept just a hint of that aesthetic. While the space isn't large, it's open to the second floor (where there's additional seating), giving it a very open feel. They didn't have any NA beer on tap, but they did have several options in cans from two different breweries. The NA Guinness was appropriately served in […]https://sam.upstate.blog/local-business/2025/review-lost-found-bar-and-kitchen/
Review: Fiden’s Brewing Company
NA Experience Rating: Okay Background Fiden's is a local brewing company that opened just before the pandemic hit. They weathered the pandemic well, selling cans out of their production facility to lines of cars that snaked out of the parking lot and down the street. In the last year or two, they moved to a taproom in Albany's warehouse district, between long-time favorites Nine Pin Cidery and Wolff's Biergarten. The taproom is more of an entertainment venue than a brewery tasting […]https://sam.upstate.blog/local-business/2025/review-fidens-brewing-company/
Mulled Cider
We had our first really autumnal day here in upstate New York. It's been around 50 and rainy all day, and the leaves are starting to come down. Since it's also Indigenous Peoples Day, the kids are off school, and I'm off work. It was the perfect day to make some mulled cider. 2 quarts fresh apple cider 1 orange, sliced 3 cinnamon sticks 4 whole allspice 6 whole cloves 1 star anise pod Put the cider, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks in a slow cooker on high. The remaining spices […]Cocktail: Manhattan Project
This one is my own invention, inspired by the need to use a decade-old white elephant gift.
A family holiday gift swap a decade left me with a bottle of Jägermeister, but not the eponymous liqueur favored by college students. This one was a lighter variant (maybe more Christmas-y): Jägermeister Spice (Cinnamon and Vanilla Blend).
It sat on a shelf for years before I tried it. At the time, I had little knowledge or experience with liqueurs or cocktails and didn’t think much of it. Even once I started mixing, it remained in the back of the liquor cabinet, as I had no idea what to do with it. At some point I read in a post on the liqueur that “[Jägermeister] is basically a German amaro with a ton of heritage behind it.” When I finally got around to thinking about how to use that bottle that was just taking up space, those words bubbled to the surface.
A Black Manhattan is a variant of the classic that uses Averna (an Italian amaro) in place of vermouth. That was my inspiration. If what I had was basically a German amaro, I should be able to do something similar. Given that the specific liqueur I had was the “Cinnamon and Vanilla Blend,” I also thought that it might be a great excuse to use chocolate bitters as well.
The name of the drink is a tribute to a mentor (and surrogate grandfather) from my childhood church. Larry German was a remarkable man, educated in both music and science. Rumor had it that he was among the scientists involved in the Manhattan Project. Playing with words a little here, I decided I would name my Manhattan with German Amaro accordingly.
I found it worked well with the excellent Helderberg Bourbon made by local distiller New Scotland Spirits.
Enjoy.
Explore homemade cider to tangy shrubs, vinegar, and herbal tonics
#Tonic #VinegarMaking #ZeroWasteKitchen #HomeFermentation #TraditionalRecipes #EcoFriendlyCooking #CraftBeverages
Cocktail: Strawberry Basil Margarita
To celebrate National Tequila Day, I made a new (to me) margarita variant. The basil in my wife’s garden is thriving, so I thought I’d make use of it along with some strawberries. Bartender Trudy Thomas’s recipe on Liquor.com calls for maraschino liqueur, but I forgot that. Still, the result was quite pleasant.
2 large strawberries
3 basil leaves
1/2 oz agave syrup
1 oz lime juice
2 oz tequila
Gently muddle the basil leaves with the agave and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Slice the […]
https://sam.upstate.blog/cocktails/2025/cocktail-strawberry-basil-margarita/
In this #AccessibilityCraft conversation with Mike Demo, we discuss the CloudFest hackathon and how he's used Accessibility Checker to remediate a website + try a really unique beverage unlike any others we've ever tried before. 🪴 https://accessibilitycraft.com/124-hacking-accessibility-with-mike-demo-mary-jones-cola/
Also, shout out to @Bovelett for leading a rockin' #accessibility team at CloudFest. đź‘Ź
#a11y #podcast #podcasts #craftbeverages
Cocktail: Gold Rush
A friend recently asked if I had any favorite cocktails for summer. When I gave him my list (Old Cuban, French Harvest, John Collins, numerous margarita variations), he asked if I had any suggestions for someone who preferred whisky. To me, the Gold Rush is the obvious answer.
Shake with ice, and serve in a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
In the spirit of celebrating local artisans, I made mine with Helderberg bourbon from New Scotland Spirits here in Albany County, and honey syrup made with the spring honey from Where the River Bends Farm across the river in Schaghticoke.
It’s definitely a summer favorite.
Welcome to the brave new world of artisanal #moonshine coding! 🤖🍸 Because nothing screams "craftsmanship" like debugging your whiskey while it distills, right? Next up: blockchain-powered #grape stomping! 🍇💻
https://opensourcedistilling.com/ #artisanalcoding #blockchain #stomping #craftbeverages #HackerNews #ngated
Chemistry in Cocktails
I wasn't particularly good at chemistry. In both high school and college I was neither neat enough with my lab work nor diligent enough in my studies to really master the material. But some of it stuck anyway, and it's fun to see concepts pop up in the context of craft beverages. The flowers of the butterfly pea provide one such example. When infused in water, the resulting tea becomes a pH indicator—a compound that changes color in response to changes in the acid-base level of the […]https://sam.upstate.blog/cocktails/2025/chemistry-in-cocktails/
Amateur Bartending and Czech-Inspired Cocktails
This past weekend, my inlaws hosted a birthday party for my wife's grandfather, who turns 104 this week. I was asked if I would be willing to play bartender and mix drinks. Naturally, I took the opportunity to learn some new things. Grandpa Charlie's cultural heritage is Czech, so I went looking for cocktails with some kind Czech connection. My regular liquor store sells only one product made in Czechia: a liquer called Becherovka. According to the company's website, "this iconic herbal […]https://sam.upstate.blog/cocktails/2025/amateur-bartending-and-czech-inspired-cocktails/
Leases and Independent Businesses
The Albany Business Review reported yesterday that Rare Form Brewing in downtown Troy will be closing temporarily while they find and move to a new location. Apparently, lease negotiations didn’t work out. The article didn’t go into more detail about why lease negotiations didn’t work out, but this is just the more recent in what feels like an increasing trend of established independent businesses being forced out by their landlords because of issues with re-negotiating a lease. A […]https://sam.upstate.blog/brief-thoughts/2025/leases-and-independent-businesses/
Cocktail: A La Louisiane
In recognition of Mardi Gras this past Tuesday, and National Absinthe Day this past Wednesday (March 5), today’s cocktail is an A La Louisiane (also sometimes called a De La Louisiane).
https://sam.upstate.blog/cocktails/2025/cocktail-a-la-louisiane/
