Bourbon Chips

What are they? Well they are oak chips taken from barrels that have been used to age bourbon for a minimum of 4-8 years. They can greatly enhance the flavour of your bourbon and are simple and easy to use, just leave them to soak in your spirit, drain and taste the difference!


We have 3 different kinds of bourbon chips derived from well known bourbon brands:

• Kentucky Bourbon Chips come from Jim Beam barrels
• Gobbler's Bourbon Chips come from Wild Turkey barrels
• Tennessee Bourbon Chips come from Jack Daniels barrels

Soak 1/2 packet of bourbon chips in 2 litres of filtered spirit stirring daily for a minimum of 10 days. Drain carefully and then add your favourite bourbon essence. Half a bottle for the Top Shelf essences or 1 packet of Classic essence per 2 litres of spirit.


Try experimenting with different chips and essences or even blend them all together - you may be surprised at the results!

Hot Toddy Recipe

Feeling the freeze? Hot Toddy's are a great way to beat off the winter blues. This popular hot toddy recipe will not only warm your insides, but it tastes delicious and can stave away that nasty cold or flu!

 

Ingredients (to make 2 cups)

• 80ml whiskey
• 60ml fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tbs honey
• 2 x cinnamon sticks, bruised
• 12 whole cloves
• 250ml boiling water

Stir together all the ingredients, making sure honey is dissolved. Strain and pour into cups - drink immediately while it's still hot! 

Different Types of Stills

Pot Stills? Reflux Stills? Air Stills? What does it all mean?! This post will help you decide which still is best for you.

What is a Pot Still?

A pot still has a simple condenser fitted which condenses the vapours produced by the boiler. The alcohol content is usually lower in strength as compared to a reflux still. It is important to discard the first 50mls of liquid produced as this may contain by-products that will substantially reduce the quality of your spirit.

This still is also ideal for extracting essential oils.

What is an Air Still?

An air still is like a pot still but uses air instead of water to cool the condenser using an inbuilt fan making it great for regions where water shortages are a problem.  It is designed for water distillation, bio fuel manufacture, essential oil extraction or alcohol distillation. The Turbo Air Still's stylish and compact design makes it ideal for the kitchen bench and requires no more space than any other of your kitchen appliances!




What is a Reflux Still?

A reflux still has a column between the condenser and the pot which is packed with ceramic or copper saddles. These provide a large surface area in the column which maximises the contact between the liquid and the vapour. As the vapours rise up the column, the vapours of heavier liquids such as water, condense and fall back down. This process is known as refluxing and produces a much higher purity alcohol.

The Turbo 500 Still is the latest in cutting edge still technology and is designed and assembled in New Zealand. It can be used to produce high quality, commercial grade, clear
spirits such as Gin, White Rum and Vodka as well as any of the other Spirits and Liqueurs in the Still Spirits Essences range.

Please note in New Zealand, Austria, Italy, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Ukraine it is perfectly legal to home distil for personal use, but elsewhere it is not.

In most countries it is illegal for an individual to use a still for the purpose of making your own pure alcohol to drink. Yet it’s not against the law to own a water distillation unit or a simple ‘plug in and press start’ air-still, (under 5 litres in Australia) and many people already use these devices to distil water or to make essential oils.

Still Spirits strongly recommends that you check the legal status of amateur distillation in your country beforehand.

Shaken or Stirred?

If you've ever wondered which cocktails need to be shaken and which need to be stirred, here are some easy pointers that will answer that age old question!

Shaken?
Drinks that contain eggs, fruit juices or cream are shaken in order to freeze and break down the ingredients. The harder the shake, the colder the cocktail. Half fill your shaker with whole ice cubes, add your ingredients and shake briskly until the container feels cold to the touch. Strain and pour immediately for that perfect cloudy look.

Stirred?
Drinks made up of clear spirits only are stirred to retain the clarity. Use a long handled bar spoon and gently stir to both chill and mix the ingredients. The longer you stir the colder the cocktail will be and often the more diluted, as the ice mixes with the other ingredients. Strain and serve immediately. 

So why does James Bond prefer his martini shaken, not stirred? Personal preference? Or secret agent stubborness! It's certainly one way to make your bartender cringe!

Spirit Making Competition!

Be into win a T500 Turbo Still!
We are running a spirit making competition, all you have to do is send us 2 x 50ml samples from any of the following categories - Vodka, Dark Rum, Bourbon or Whiskey and you could be a winner!

Samples need to be clearly marked with your name, phone number and the spirit category.
Send to: Cameron Kerr, PO Box 302-860, North Harbour, Auckland, NZ.

Entries close 30th August 2011. Open to NZ residents only. Winners will be notified by phone by the 20th September 2011.

Cafelua Cocktail Recipes

Firstly, congratulations on successfully making your very own bottle of Cafelua liqueur! As well as enjoying it on the rocks, here are a few great cocktail recipes to really get you enjoying that rich and fresh Mexican coffee flavour!

Black Russian

1 Part Cafelua
1 Part Vodka
Mix and serve in a Cocktail Glass with Ice.

P.S. I Love You
1 Part Irish Cream
1 Part Cafelua
1 Part Amaretto
Pour over Ice in a Wine Glass and stir.

Coffee Orange Brandy

1 Part Cafelua
1 Part Orange Brandy
Dash of Fresh Orange Juice
Shake with Ice and strain into a Wine Glass.

Black Liquorice
1 Part Black Sambuca
1 Part Cafelua
Mix together with Ice and add a dash of Brandy. Serve in a Cocktail Glass.