The Webtender has a section called "In My Bar" that allows you to designate what you have on hand and then generates a list of possible drinks and their recipes.

Drink Studio narrows your range of possible cocktails when you insert your ingredients in a list.

Cocktail Builder does something similar listing how many ingredients are missing for named drinks and when you click on the name the full list shows up.

That's three possibilities to try out. 

Sounds like you're missing the sugar. I make a German-style mulled wine, called Glühwein, and it uses a bit of sugar to balance out the tartness. The recipe I use is: two bottles of cheap-but-decent wine (around 5.99 or so range); slice one orange, one lemon, mash them in the pot a bit to get some juice out; stick of cinnamon; a few cloves; perhaps also some allspice, and about half a cup of confectioner's sugar. Quite delish. (Optional: add a shot of amaretto or rum for an extra kick - "Glühwein mit schuss".)

If they allow it and it's not illegal, and you're willing to pay corkage fees, then you should be okay--
http://www.tiphero.com/tips_2529_can-you-bring-your-own-wine-to-restaurants.html

Allowage is a huge part of it -- For example- Key Arena, despite serving beer, doesn't allow outside beer, so you'd be subject to the old 'right to refuse service to anyone' clause

I think it's rcw66-24 that covers this, but its been a while since I had my food card and bartenders license

The WSLCB is actually pretty helpful. You can search, and it will tell which stores have what you're looking for. Sun Liquors claim to have a distillery, but I don't see any products listed there. Other WA distilleries are, though, like Dry Fly and Fremont Mischief. Search on this page:

http://www.liq.wa.gov/LCBhomenet/StoreInformation/BrandSearch.aspx

Distilleries are also allowed to sell out of their distillery premises. You might try calling Sun's distillery number and asking them. Apparently they make a gin.

Coors was a non-union brewery and therefore many states would not allow it. Remember that way back in the olden days unions were actually strong in America. For a long time Coors was not available east of the Mississippi. Hence the need to go to Texas to get it in the Movie Smokey and the Bandit. Other state also would not allow Coors because of the union thing. Washington is an example. I believe that it wasn't until the late 70s or early 80s that Coors was available here.

The "two state" rule? I've never heard of it. Augustus Busch shipped Budweiser all over the country more than 100 years ago, so that "two state" thing might be hooey. I don't know.

If you can wait, talk to your local homebrewing shop and they'll connect you up with a local farm. They grind/press the apples, pre-sell you a certain number of gallons, then call you when the tanker truck is ready to deliver.

Before that, I'd suggest before wasting a batch on the "real thing", buy 5 gallons of dirt cheap apple juice from Costco and a ($15!) 50lb bag of dextrose from Cash & Carry, then have a ball.

It's going to be might hard to find. It's has a tiny distribution and is only available in PA right now. So it would have to be bought online (not sure bars are allowed to do that) or brought back by someone like your friend.

AUGH, the site ate my answer! Trying again.

I second mojitos! My favorite is a Hpnotiq mojito. It's like a regular mojito, only with a smokey blue color and a lovely fruity taste (X-Rated works too).

First, whip up some simple syrup (stovetop, sugar and water, 1:1...a cup of each is good). This dissolves in a cold drink much better than granulated sugar.

Drop 8-10 mint leaves in a glass. Add 3 Tbs syrup and muddle. Bruise the leaves, don't cut. You can use a muddler tool for this, but the butt end of a wooden spoon works too. Add 2 Tbs lime juice, 3 Tbs light rum, and 3 Tbs Hpnotiq. Fresh-squeezed lime is best, but I use the pre-squeezed juice from a plastic container because I am a lazy bum. You can also use Rose's lime juice, but there's a lot of sugar in it, so cut back on the syrup if you do.

Add ice cubes and stir to chill. Top off with a SPLASH of tonic water, no more. It's temping to bulk out the drink, but it will dilute very quickly if you're not careful. You can also replace the tonic water with champagne to make a "Royal" Hpnotiq mojito, not to be confused with a Royale with Cheese.

Enjoy your sweet, sour, fruity, chilly, sparkly cocktail!

Artusi, the bar that is part of Spinasse on Capitol Hill has a pretty great selection of Grappa and food.

There are many options but I think The Hideout is a pretty unusual place. Very intimate and with plenty of artwork to keep you interested. Not sure if I'd describe it as romantic but it has potential in that direction.

http://www.hideoutseattle.com/

The Wild Rose.

*ducks a hail of tomatoes*
*has a nice salad*

How about you drink every time he speaks a complete sentence and doesn't mispronounce any long words? Oh wait, you'll be hammered by the end of the first paragraph. Thinking of Bush again.

what sort of bachelorette party will it be?

sipping fancy cocktails? Diamond or Cloud 9

debaucherous dancing? Celebrities or maybe The Waldorf

straight up clubbing? Fortune Sound Club

dancing and maybe live music? The Biltmore

there's loads of clubs on Granville (Caprice, Republic, Ginger 62...) in Gastown (Shine, Fabric, Lamplighter...) and in Yaletown (Barcode, Library Square...) it's just been a lil bit since I went to any of them.

They have it for sale, but you can also bring your own. See you there!

All cooking yeasts will eat sugars and make CO2 and alcohol, but each strain has different tolerances for temperature/sugar content/alcohol concentration/etc and also impart different flavors. So, if the question is mostly, will my baker's yeast succeed in making hooch, the your answer is yes. If your question is instead, will it taste the same/as good as if I made it with wine yeast, then no, probably not. You'll probably get a cloudy brew, too, as baker's yeast isn't selected for its sedimentation ability.

Places for more information:

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/strains.asp

http://www.home-winemaking.com/winemaking-1b.html

And, if you're still in Idaho, try some of these sites for local supplies:

http://www.brewcon.com/

http://makewinemakebeer.com/

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13176/view=beerfly

Many airlines' contracts of carriage prohibit consumption of alcohol that you have personally carried onto the plane. You're allowed to bring however many 100 ml containers you can fit into a quart-size zip-top bag on board, (provided that it is no more than 140 proof) but if the flight attendant catches you drinking alcohol that was not served to you by a flight attendant, they might be pretty upset.

I speak from experience - my husband and I bought a half bottle of wine at SeaTac after we had cleared security with the intention of sharing it on board the flight (it was our first vacation sans-child and we were celebrating) and the flight attendant FLIPPED. OUT. when she realized that we were drinking wine that we had brought on board ourselves. She reported us to the captain and the head flight attendant and was very, very upset. I'm not sure what sort of sanctions they can impose, but it felt like we were highschoolers who got caught drinking behind the gym and were being sent to the principal's office. We weren't at ALL drunk or inebriated - we each had about a glass of white wine.

Here is Continental's contract of carriage - see item E.15.e: "Alcohol transported on an airplane cannot be consumed on board."

My suggestion is that you google "contract of carriage + (airline you are flying)" and then search the contract for the word "alcohol." I'd also do a further search of the word alcohol on the website for that carrier. 

Have you tried the Roanoke?

High enough sugar and alcohol content can both inhibit microbial growth. It sounds like both are probably too low to keep mold and other microbes in check. If you're not averse to the idea of kicking up the alcohol content, I would add a neutral flavored alcohol (vodka, say) as well as extra sugar.

First a tequila primer... tequilas are sorted by age with the youngest being silver, the middle being reposado, and the oldest being añejo. In general, añejos are more expensive than silvers, as it needs to sit in the barrel longer before bottling.

If you're making margaritas, get a decent silver. Nothing fancy is necessary here ... Sauza Silver is cheap and does the trick. In fact, using a nice tequila for mixed drinks is kind of a waste of nice tequila. If you're sipping it, get a reposado or añejo. You'll definitely taste more of the barrel in an añejo, almost like a whiskey. I prefer reposados myself.

By the way, "gold" tequila, as in Cuervo Gold, is just silver tequila with artificial color to make it look aged. Yuck.

As for suggestions, I like Corralejo. You can get the reposado in the blue bottle, and the añejo in the red bottle. Both versions are smooth for sipping, and won't break the bank. If you're looking for value, stay away from Patron, which is excellent, but well-known, and accordingly overpriced. If you want to shop around, the liquor store at 15th Ave NW and 80th in Crown Hill has a very good tequila selection.

Bender appears as a term associated with the last or fourth stage of alcoholism marked by complete loss of control of being able to decide to drink or not, being helplessly drunk through lengthy intoxication periods and returning to drinking once regaining consciousness from previous period of passing out. In short, being at the life threatening stage of decline in alcoholism.

Other more casual definitions put the time period at three days with the reasoning being that it is one day longer than a weekend and so is interfering with a person's ability to work a typical job.

Then again the term seems almost celebrated by some:
http://www.drunkard.com/issues/05_03/05-03-oart-of-the-bender.html

Liberty on 15th Ave. E. between Republican and Mercer.

Good lighting, good drinks, and enough room to hang out, until it gets crowded later.

"Leave the bottle" -- no, not in this state. You have to get your drinks poured for you one at a time. Remember too, if you are "visibly intoxicated" they can't serve you any more. What that means, exactly, is open to interpretation, of course.

"Gimme a beer" -- will always elicit a bored recital of what's on draft, and maybe a sliding-over of a list. Even working-class taverns have at least a couple of semi-microbrews on offer. A "house beer" is probably Budweiser, but they won't call it that, though they might say it in a questioning tone. You still have to choose.

Thanks to Washington liquor laws, it's extremely difficult to get decent Creme de Cassis here, so when friends of mine make a Kir or Kir Royale, they often substitute a raspberry sweet wine or liqueur for that critical ingredient.

You might look up a recipe for those drinks, but you might also need to experiment, since we don't know how sweet your stuff is vs. CdC. Maybe start with a teaspoon of it, then fill the glass with Aligote (Dom. de Prieure has one for $12) for a Kir. For a Kir Royale, use sparkling wine (Silver Cap Brut, for $11) or if you're nuts, a full-blown Champagne. Then add a twist of lemon.

Hi Gloria,

I'm a bartender and I love talking about liquors with my customers and making up new drinks based on their tastes. I am guessing other bartenders will too, if you find the right ones.

Some tips on talking to bartenders, since you said you're intimidated by them:

1. Go to a bar that isn't swamped so that the bartender has time to talk to you about your tastes without being hounded by other orders coming in.

2. Find a bartender who looks like he likes his job. The ones with surly looks on their faces or who look like they're counting down the minutes till they can go home. Once you find a knowledgeable and friendly bartender, become his/her regular--go in frequently and use this person as a teacher.

3. Start small--taste a couple of each kinds of liquors (rum, gin, vodka, whiskey, tequila are the basics) and see what you like. You may find that although you thought you didn't like tequila, what you really didn't like was the ever-present Jose Cuervo you had tried in the past.

4. Once you figure out what types of spirits you enjoy, buy some at the store and take it home. Mix it with different juices, sodas, heck, even water, and taste how it changes. You'll start to get a good idea of the flavor profiles that work well together.

5.When you have a good handle on that (don't need to get too complex to start--two or three ingredients is a good place to start), go out to bars. If you found you loved a certain kind of whiskey, go to a bar that has that whiskey and ask the bartender to make you something with it, keeping in mind what you learned from mixing it at home. (you can also just do this first before the previous suggestion of making drinks at home).

All that said, a cocktail you will probably enjoy is a French 75--traditionally, it is made with lemon, sugar and gin which are shaken together (I muddle the lemon with sugar, but everyone does things differently) and then strained into a martini or high ball glass and topped with dry champagne/prosecco/sparkling wine and a lemon twist. I love it.

Old Fashioneds and Manhattans are excellent drinks, but if you don't enjoy them, maybe what you don't like is the vermouth they contain. If you have just been afraid to try them because of what you think is in them, know that you can order any drink, anywhere, any way you want it. That's why James Bond can say "shaken, not stirred" about his martinis--it's not the tuxedo, it's the culture of the bar.

Figure out what you like and then order it that way. I have people order Manhattans from me in all sorts of ways "made with Knob Creek, stirred with a little bit of maraschino and half each of dry and sweet vermouths, extra bitters" or "well Manhattan" are equally okay.

I hope that helps. You're learning and it should be fun because you're learning about alcohol. Enjoy!

Oh, one last note, about wine: the same thing I said about tequila can be said here. You may not dislike all red wine--it could be that what you've had in the past has been too dry or sweet or tannic or just straight up bad wine. There should be several wine tastings available in your area, a lot of them free. Check with wine shops, wine bars, and even local grocery stores to see what they have to offer. Go check one out.

The bigger liquor stores should have a few different ones. Call before you go.

Also, just ask any time you're in a bar or at a restaurant with a bar what grappa they have.

I've had good domestic grappa, even good home-distilled local stuff, but, with all respect to Soft Tail and Russ, for "authentic" grappa, I would try Italy.

My favorites have come from Friuli and Veneto, but (maybe fortunately) I haven't tried them all. And some of the authentic ones I've had have been awful.

The Hunt Club at the Sorrento Hotel, for the twelve drinks of Christmas and the decor.

I've done coffee liqueur with double-strength espresso brewed in a French Press. Added vodka, sugar and a vanilla bean, stored it for a few months and then strained it through a cheesecloth to get the press sediment out of the finished product. It was really delightful. Next time I'm going to brew the coffee Turkish style (ground as fine as dust and boiled and cooled with the water and sugar several times) and then add the vodka, vanilla bean and more sugar to see how that compares.

As for amounts, you should find plenty of those around the 'net.

New Year's Eve is amateur night Part 1 (the others being St. Patrick's Day, 4th of July, Halloween, and to a somewhat lesser extent, Cinco de Mayo and the eves of both Thanksgiving and Christmas). On NYE, my goal is generally to isolate myself as much as possible from the worst drunks/drivers/drunk drivers/awful people.

There's one great option for doing this that still allows you to venture out of the cocoon and that is a NYE party at The Penthouse thrown by Rob Roy and featuring Zane Harris and Anu Apte bartending and Tom Black cooking (Tom is the former Exec at Barking Frog, has cooked at James Beard house). The ticket price is a little steep at $150 (okay, a lot steep), but it includes cocktails and food and a midnight toast. It could be awesome. I can't afford it, but if you can and you like amazing food and cocktails and people who like amazing food and cocktails, that sounds like the place to be.

You're in luck. The really expensive reds tend to be that big oak, huge extract, high booze style.

You can find plenty of lighter, more elegant Wa. reds for around $10-$20.

Two in particular I like are Chinook Cabernet Franc and the Fall Line red blends that have a high percentage of cab franc.

Grenache is tricky. The good ones, like McCrea, tend to be expensive, and the cheaper ones can be too full of booze or too sweet. I see no point in drinking locally if you can find a $10-$15 Cotes du Rhone that beats a $30 Washington grenache.

You might also try sangiovese. Waving Tree has a good one.

Then there's the Washington bad boy grape lemberger. Kiona is a decent one for around $10.

The latest oddball grape in Wa. reds is Petit Verdot, which is usually a minor blending grape in Bordeaux. Quite a few Washington wineries are putting out 100% petit verdot wines. Some are cab wannabes, pushing $30, but you can find lighter ones that give you more of a taste of the grape for $20 and under, like Cor or Castle Rock (this may be California--they make wines from all over the West).

If you don't feel like playing with proportions, Demitri's Bloody Mary Mix works like a charm. He's a local guy and a friend of the bar where I work. We use his mixes (he has several kinds) and couldn't be happier with them. I know people may poo-poo the use of a mix in these times of artisan cocktails, but Demitri worked as a bartender for 20+ years and the formula for his mixes came from years and years of tinkering with ingredients. You can pick some up at Cash & Carry and several grocery stores. I like the Chipotle-Habanero, but the Original and Chilies & Peppers varieties are probably easier for most people to handle. I like to garnish with Arbequina olives (which add a nice amount of bitterness and complexity), pickled asparagus, pickled green beans, a wedge of lemon, and a bacon salt-celery salt rim. But my favorite bloody, from Palisade, comes equipped with a giant prawn. That would be a lovely garnish for Christmas morning. Jarred, smoked oysters, such as Hama Hamas, would also be nice.

https://www.demitris.com/home
For Arbequinas, etc.: http://www.delaurenti.com/index.html
http://www.hamahamaoysters.com/

If you're dead-set on making your own, here's a good recipe:
* 2 ounces vodka
* 4 ounces tomato juice
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated horseradish
* 2 to 3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
* 3 dashes of Tabasco Sauce
* Pinch of coarse salt or sea salt
* Pinch of freshly ground pepper
* 1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
* Pinch of celery salt or seeds, crushed
* Wedges of lemon and lime
http://www.chow.com/recipes/10034-bloody-mary