It's time to gather the crew and celebrate!
So, last year’s July 4th...kinda sucked. No one wanted to gather and fireworks displays across the country were cancelled. Now that we're vaccinated and feeling OK about getting together again, it's time to make up for lost time and celebrate right!
So gather some friends, a couple boxes of sparklers, and a few of the items from this list in your quest to make this the best July 4th celebration yet!
Hit The Beach
If your ideal July 4th is one spent sweltering at the beach until sunset and fireworks, then you'll want to make sure you're prepared!
YETI Hopper Flip Soft 8 Cooler
Yes. Everyone you see seems to have a YETI cooler. Why? Probably because everyone got tired of lugging around stiff-handled, hard-sided coolers. The Hopper Flip Soft 8 is big enough to hold 16 cans of whatever you're drinking and can keep them cold all day long. Toss a couple of the YETI ice packs (or just dump in some ice of your own, the interior is waterproof, even the zipper) and you have the perfect beach-ready cooler. Toss it over your shoulder and abuse it all you like. The exterior is puncture and abrasion-resistant. The molle connectors on the side let you attach all sorts of gear (including a YETI dry bag for the stuff you don't want icy or wet). With the softcell insulation of the Hopper, you'll be sitting in post-fireworks traffic before your ice starts to melt.
YETI Colster
I pick up a YETI Colster can holder whenever I encounter them, not because I keep losing them or they keep breaking, but because I love them so freaking much. The thick steel of the Coaster keeps 12 oz. cans cold just about forever, no lukewarm sips as you reach the bottom of your drink. The anodized exterior is nice and grippy, even when your hands are wet. And the quarter turn ring at the top of the Colster keeps your drink secure and makes it easy to pop in a refill. It comes in so many colors that, really, the only issue is choosing which one you want (I'm a fan of the absolutely screaming King Crab yellow). YETI makes colster can insulators for seltzer and tallboy cans as well, if your favorite beverage doesn't come in a standard 12 oz. can.
Let The Spirits Move You
Make sure you're sipping the good stuff to celebrate the Fourth! Here what's in my cabinet at the moment.
Russell's Reserve 13
I'll be honest - I'd totally written off Wild Turkey as a "serious" bourbon before I had the opportunity to try out a virtual tour of their distillery. Their other brand, Russell's Reserve, has elevated the distillery for me even more. Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old is a 114.8-proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon. As you might have guessed, this barrel proof whiskey has been aged for 13 years. It also hasn't been chill filtered, giving it a more expressive, full-bodied flavor. The Russell’s Reserve 13 is a libation that you want to take your time and explore the nuances of flavor. I had the opportunity to sample a glass and it left me wanting more. I can't think of a better spirit to celebrate fireworks with than this all-American bourbon.
Maestro Dobel 50
If tequila is more your spirit, then the Maestro Dobel 50 needs to be on your list. The Dobel 50 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the brand's founder and is a cristalino tequila, meaning the 100% blue agave tequila has spent time in oak barrels (both European and American in this case), then charcoal-filtered to strip out the color imparted by the barrels while leaving the woody notes behind. The result is a tequila like nothing you've ever tasted. A little ice, a slice of lime, and that's all you need to enjoy this truly unique spirit.
Patrón Silver
If you're looking for a more traditional tequila, maybe something that can elevate your cocktails, then you should most definitely have a bottle of Patrón Silver on hand. It's a tasty spirit on its own but it really shines in margaritas, palomas, really any tequila drink where you've been burned by bitter, punchy tequila. The Silver is smooth, fruity, and just a little nutty (thanks to the strong agave notes). This is one bottle I'm never without.
Shaken Or (Really) Stirred?
Making cocktails for everyone can be a drag if you don't have the right gear. But you don't need to invest in a giant bar cart full of gadgets. Just one or two, well-chosen pieces of barware can be enough to ensure you're the one everyone wants mixing their drinks.
Elevated Craft Hybrid Cocktail Shaker
Most cocktail shakers are evil. Even the fastest mixologist can't keep the ice from melting in the shaker and has to employ all kinds of tricks to unstick the lids. They're made from flimsy metal, they leak, they're generally the one thing that makes you look at a bottle of something good and say "hmm, maybe I'll just drink that neat." So Elevated Craft created a better shaker that fixes all of the standard shaker problems. It's vacuum-insulated so there's no heat transfer between your hand and what's inside (or freezing of your hand). There's a gasket around the twist-lock lid (which doubles as a measuring device from a quarter ounce up to six ounces) and another around the strainer at the top so it never leaks. It's slim and fits well in your hand, and it's sealed so that you don't have to use both hands to keep the contents from spilling everywhere. It makes the entire mixing experience considerably more pleasant and is a snap to clean-up afterwards (everything is dishwasher safe). It’ll be the first thing you reach for when crafting drinks.
Hurom Hexa Power High Speed Blender
Looking for something that can produce a frozen margarita in less than a minute? The Hurom Hexa Power blender can blend at up to 30,000 RPM and has specially designed blades that create a deep convective tornado, absolutely pulverizing anything you put in the BPA-free container. There's a variable speed knob on the front so that you can ramp up slowly (important when crushing ice so that you keep the blender motor in top shape). There are even three dedicated preset buttons for smoothies, soup, and ice crush in case you just want to dump your ingredients in, press a button, and enjoy. The Hurom Hexa Power Blender comes from a company that knows its stuff when it comes to reliable kitchen hardware, so you don't have to worry about a cheap motor burning out or a carafe breaking and dumping your drink all over the bartop.
Snow Peak Insulated Tumbler
Whatever you’re drinking (though its wide mouth is really optimal for beers), pour it into this insulated tumbler from Snow Peak to keep it at an optimal temperature (and avoid nasty looks from your hosts as your glassware leaves condensation rings everywhere). Made from stainless steel, it has a textured matte surface for easy gripping and rubberized bottom so that it stays in place no matter where you put it.
For the Morning After
Thankfully, July 4th falls on a Sunday this year, meaning most of us have the next day off. For those of you that have a little too much fun, here are a few things to get you back on track.
Fellow Clara French Press
The Clara French Press from Fellow is the ultimate "bleary morning after" coffee maker. Dump in grounds to the line inscribed on the inside of the vacuum-sealed, non-stick chamber. Add water to the line at the top. Swirl the grounds for 30 seconds with the included bamboo paddle. Put the omni-directional pouring lid on top, wait for four minutes, then slowly press down the plunger. You're left with a full pot of nearly silt-free coffee that tastes better than any drip coffee maker can give you. Pour a cup into whatever's handy—the counterweighted handle makes sure your pour is smooth and your coffee will stay hot for as long as you need it to. When you're done, clean-up is easy—the grounds slide right out of the bottom and there's nothing to disassemble. Just rinse and dry. Then leave the Clara French Press on the counter, because its matte black finish and rounded edges look way better than that old glass French Press you've had since college.
H-Proof The Anytime You Drink Vitamin
Metabolizing alcohol is rough on your body. So why not give it some help? H-Proof's Anytime You Drink chewables are full of nutrients that your body loses when drinking. Heavy on the B vitamins, you take a couple of the cherry-flavored vitamins after your last drink (and a couple before your first drink if you're the type that gets red in the face while drinking). H-Proof gets to work helping your liver flush the toxins out of your system by restoring what's used up to get you sober again. Let's face it, no one wants a plate of salmon, brown rice, and spinach (all foods high in B vitamins) after a night of partying. H-Proof lets you help your body without having to resort to gut-wrenching methods.
