December 05, 2013 · By 2

Celebrating Everything-- Happy Repeal Day!

On January 16th, 1919, Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment, outlawing alcohol and kicking off Prohibition. The criminalization of alcohol led not only to a rise in civil delinquency and organized crime, but also to the loss of customs associated with the production, preparation, and consumption of alcohol, not to mention the death of happy hour. On December 5th, 1933, Utah, the final state needed for a three quarters majority, ratified the 21st Amendment, repealing Prohibition and restoring the American right to a celebratory drink. While the amendment still allowed for state and local levels of Prohibition, by 1966 there were no state laws banning alcohol. We celebrate repeal day for a few reasons. Clearly, you know us, we'll embrace any reason to celebrate everything, and especially if that reason is to celebrate our rights to celebrate everything with COCKTAILS! As articulated on their website, repealday.com, "we celebrate Repeal Day^® because December 5th marks a return to the rich traditions of craft fermentation and distillation, the legitimacy of the American bartender as a contributor to the culinary arts, and the responsible enjoyment of alcohol as a sacred social custom". Well said, guys. Cheers. Besides visiting your favorite local watering hole, recognizing your favorite bartender and imbibing your favorite cocktail, here are some of the ways we'll be celebrating with some of our favorite boozy gifts! Take a second and educate yourself on whiskey while admiring the amazing lettering of the super talented Mary Kate McDevitt.  Learn how to "drink whiskey naked," get some background on the American distilleries that survived Prohibition (Buffalo Trace and Four Roses), and understand the difference between Scottish, Irish, Canadian, American and even Japanese (yes, Japanese!) whiskey! After completing this book, you'll be that know-it-all at the dinner table, but don't worry, your friends will forgive you. You'll have the skills and the recipe to make one helluva 'Old Fashioned' or 'Nail in the Coffin.' Whiskey is served best strong and not watered down. With whiskey stones, chill your whiskey (or wine, or rum and coke, or hell, your beer) without diluting it. After you've taken your proverbial journey into Whiskey Town, sit down and try your hand at tasting. Use these amazing letterpress coasters as your whiskey tasting tour guide! A perfect add-on to your favorite bottle of whiskey! These old fashioned glasses are titled "Good Grief" for a reason as they take you down the 5 stages of grief from acceptance to denial and suggest a pour size at each stop. Choose your booze and drown your sorrows with this set of 2 glasses!

 We like to celebrate with friends, and these wine charms make it easy to mark your glass and stop your wine bottle (as if you'll have any left!). We call dibs on the cat eyes! If you can't raise a glass with us tonight, we hope you'll embrace tradition, and join us on December 5th's to come to celebrate Repeal Day. Cheers!