For the Father With (Almost) Everything

Small piece I have in today's Chronicle:

For the dad who has almost everything

It's a touch pricey for a Hallmark holiday gift, but consider this: Father's Day is on Sunday and National Martini Day is on Tuesday. That's two birds you can kill with one stone, and by stone we mean a $440 silver-plated cocktail shaker set packaged in baby blue Tiffany's-esque boxes. The Ercuis brand two-piece shakers and Hawthorne strainers were imported from Vienna by former Enrico's bartender David Nepove, a.k.a. Mr. Mojito, who now sells them online at MisterMojito.com. Unfortunately the shakers do not come with the magic power to transform every drink made in them to the finest cocktail in the world, so we recommend you also send Dad's butler a gift certificate for bartending school.

-- Camper English

Drinking with Tony

In today's Chronicle:

Mix it up with a video bartender

In the age of YouTube and other online video sites, you can find a lot of free drink mixing advice in live action form. Unfortunately, much of it is bad advice. (Google "How not to make a mint julep" for a spectacular example.) On the other hand, if you're willing to shell out twenty bucks for the new DVD "Modern Mixology," you may actually learn something useful. Tony Abou-Ganim, who spent time at Jack Slick's Balboa Cafe and helped open Harry Denton's Starlight Room before going on to host "Raising the Bar: America's Best Bar Chefs" on the Fine Living Network, leads this slick video production with a smooth jazz soundtrack. While most how-to-bartend demonstrations cite the recipe and pour the drink at a hyperspeed bartender pace, an eager Abou-Ganim takes his time and focuses on mixing styles, garnish techniques, and product education while reviewing 20-plus classic cocktails.

$19.95 at www.modernmixologydvd.com

-- C.E.

Walking on Water

Thrillist found these lovely flask flip-flops. I think of them as efficient, more than sneaky. You can wear them to the beach to prevent your feet from burning on the hot sand, then cool off with a drink served out of them. They're multi-purpose, and that's good.

Woot! Tacky device for gadget drunks

Woot.com's special of the day (Tuesday) is a pair of gadgets (Brew Master and Wine Master) for ten bucks that give you information and reviews of wine and beer. So ghetto. I so bought a set.

Fun Mugs

The Munktiki website is where Forbidden Island gets its Fugu for Two mugs, but they have a whole range of awesomeness. It's like Kid Robot but for booze vessels.

The next pomegranate?

Recent Scientific Testing Shows Noni Juice May Help Fight Cancer and Lower Cholesterol

Recent medical studies have shown that noni juice may possess anti-cancer properties, as well as the ability to lower cholesterol and triglycerides in smokers. Natures Products Ltd. recently re-launched their pure, organic noni juice, and other noni products, in the US market after success in European markets. The noni juice is available through www.noninz.com.

This is pretty much what happened with pomegranate. A company that owned lots of plants paid for research to prove that they were beneficial, then started selling it as a health tonic, then everyone in Hollywood started drinking it, then it made its way into alcoholic cocktails, then it was the latest hip thing to infuse into vodka, tequila, schnapps, and liqueur. Though it's a total hype-based marketing trick, it worked amazingly well and resulted in a new flavor for bartenders to work with.

So what the heck does noni taste like?

Here's a new one...

AXE Shower Gel has released a hangover soap. Hangover Soap!

AXE Recovery Gel with "invigorating electrolytes."

I guess this is the guy answer to shampoos with ginseng.