Get a whiff of Le Whaf ($150), the latest trippy invention out of France. While the digital storage cloud is all the rage these days, inventors Marc Bretillot and David Edwards have brought us a different type of cloud–one you can sip. When a specially made drink like liquid lemon tart is poured into the carafe, the next step is pouring that cloud of flavor into your glass and enjoying it via a specially designed straw. This is not that straw.
Picture this: your uncle invites you and few friends over to his place to watch the game, but after his third slice of, I dunno, let’s say peach cobbler, he drifts off to sleep, leaving you and your buddies free to raid his righteous booze collection. But <gasp> all the utensils are locked away! It’s that scenario right there that begs for the Bar10der ($50), a thirsty man’s ultimate multi-tool, containing a bottle opener, corkscrew, channel knife, jigger, muddler, reamer, standard knife, stirrer, and strainer, all in one attractive package. Prepare to never talk to your uncle again.
Your friends were talking after your last dinner party, and it wasn’t good. Maybe it was the lint-stuffed mushrooms. Perhaps it was the Clamato smoothies. Either way, you need to step up your game before you invite anyone else over, and the Emsa Flow Carafe ($45) is a good start. The innovative freezable cooling coaster and stainless steel pouring spout makes it perfect for serving up wine, cold water, lemonade, tea, and… sure, OK, and Clamato.
Keeping your beer cold in a ice-filled cooler is one way to keep your brews cold. The lame way. Slap a Beard Coozie ($7) on your Mich Ultra or Bud Light Lime and instantly transform it from beer-that-some-guys-will-make-fun-of into beer-that-some-guys-will-want-to-shave. The funky facial hair keeps your beverage chilly, and it also makes your 8-day shadow look downright neat by comparison.
Forget that panda sanctuary idea; I say use the spare room in your house (and that spare $45,000) for the Hammacher Schlemmer Professional Microbrewery. Enter the recipe in the integrated touch screen computer, then back away as the 15-gallon hot liquor tank with a built-in heat exchange does its thing. A 20-gallon boil kettle, 14-gallon stainless steel fermentation tank, and eight reusable five-liter mini kegs will get you closer to putting Budweiser out of business–and further from having to clean up panda piss. Remember: Beer = good. Panda piss = slippery.
For your classy outdoor functions, invest in the multi-function Alpina Mobile Beer Bar. Don’t worry about needing to stick near an electrical outlet or keeping extension cables close. Its special refrigeration system means hours of cold beers without having to hookup to an electrical outlet. Fifteen pounds of ice fit into the unit and an optional cook top can be installed, meaning yet another choice for outdoor culinary entertainment. Forgo the cook top and you have an extra space for a keg below.