Jeff Keeping It Real! » Beverages http://www.fam5.com Blogging on random findings from extensive internet surfing. Mon, 17 May 2010 23:40:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Starbucks Gold my not be so Golden http://www.fam5.com/starbucks-gold-my-not-be-so-golden-3/ http://www.fam5.com/starbucks-gold-my-not-be-so-golden-3/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:44:43 +0000 Jeff http://www.fam5.com/starbucks-gold-my-not-be-so-golden-3/ Continue reading →]]> Received my new Starbucks Gold card (gold) a week and half prior to my old one expiring.  The new one started on the 6th of January.  Here I am finally 15 stars into my new Starbucks Gold card and can compare the two.  You get a star for every visit you use your gold card, with money on it, to make a purchase.  You read that right you have to have money on the card and use it to get a star towards your rewards.  Here are the benefits of the new gold card by Starbucks:

  • Free birthday drink
  • 2 continuous hours of free Wi-Fi daily
  • Free refills on brewed coffee, iced coffee and tea
  • Free flavored syrups
  • Free tall (12 fl oz) beverage with every pound of coffee purchased
  • Exclusive offers & coupons
  • FREE DRINK EVERY 15 STARS

My Starbucks Gold Card

 

My old Gold card (black) benefits were as follows:

  • 10% off most purchases in participating U.S. Starbucks stores
  • A free beverage on your birthday
  • Exclusive offers & coupons
  • 2 continuous hours of free Wi-Fi daily

Old Starbucks Gold Card Program

I received the black gold card for free for all the purchases I made so no $25 fee.  If I did pay the $25 for the year that equals to $1.05 for the 15 visits.  I saved on average $0.68 a visit during these first 15 visits.  That same 15 visits saving on average $0.68 means the free drink would have cost me $10.20.  Wow, so far the new gold card does not save me anything and is costing me money.

Let’s break this down a little further.  If I stay to drink my Iced Coffee with sugar-free caramel and light breve and then take advantage of the free refill then the loss shrinks.  I order iced coffee and Frappuccino so there were no additional syrup charges.  I used the Wi-Fi maybe three hours last year.  That benefit did not help me and perhaps this year I will try to use it more so that I can see the benefit of the new gold card.

At least three of the benefits are the same but that 10% discount compared to needing 15 stars is a huge difference.  A lot of times the discount is what gave the Starbucks partners there tip. 

Early indications are the new Starbucks Gold card is NOT so Golden :(

What is your take on the new Starbucks Gold card?

]]> http://www.fam5.com/starbucks-gold-my-not-be-so-golden-3/feed/ 0 Taphandle-TV Mixes it up with Cabo Wabo Tequila http://www.fam5.com/taphandle-serves-cabo-wabo/ http://www.fam5.com/taphandle-serves-cabo-wabo/#comments Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:29:12 +0000 Jeff http://www.fam5.com/taphandle-serves-cabo-wabo/ Continue reading →]]> My Ustream favorite has returned to Friday nights.  Taphandle-tv had to switch to Monday’s for awhile and I was unable to attend during that time.  I was disappointed but Greg "Lordo" Lord (facebook profile) did us all a favor and returned to Friday nights at 9:30 PM ET (6:30 PM PT).  If you have never visited Ustream.tv stop by and check it out and then click on Taphandle-tv for some real action. 

Lordo serves up drinks at Taphandle-tv.  I have blogged about this show before but tonight Lordo took a shot of Cabo Wabo.  I know your think so what, well Lordo put Cabo Wabo Blanco Tequila in a custom mini oak barrel and aged it for 5 months.   White tequila in and a golden brown smoky flavor stronger flavor but equally smooth tequila out.  Check this barrel out:

Cabo Wabo Oak Barrel

Lordo on Taphandle-tv about to take a shot of that aged Cabo Wabo Blanco.  Such a sweet taste you can see Lordo’s excitement.  Goes down as smooth as it looks.  If your not farmiliar with Cabo Wabo Tequila check out there site.  Sammy Hagar brought Cabo Wabo mainstream and such a hidden gem.

Cabo Wabo shot on Taphandle-tv 

Stick with the show on occasions it starts off slow but as you can see below the show gets hot sometimes on fire.  The show is interactive with polls and a live chat room great times had by all.

 fireshot on Taphandle-tv

Just when you think the show could not drink any more beverages he whips out the big daddy drink the Sloe Comfortable Screw.  Check these ingredients out.

Southern Comfort
Sloe Gin
White Rum
Brandy
Vodka
Triple Sec
Sour Mix
Orange Juice

Shaken not stirred.  Oh yes Lordo enjoying that beverage that over 40 people voted on.

sloecomfscrew

I can tell you from a bar manager from days of old.  I would hire Greg "Lordo" Lord to bartend at BB’s lounge in the Holiday Inn Chico, CA (no longer BB’s).  He has a personality that would bring the customers back night after night.  While watching the show Zane Savage stopped by to say hi.  Zane Savage streams 24×7 and is crazy and worth a bookmark.  The Yeti made a grand appearance tonight and had a couple of beverage with Lordo.  Say hi,

yeti

Check it out and have some fun Ustream.tv.

Check Admiral out on these fine social sites:

]]> http://www.fam5.com/taphandle-serves-cabo-wabo/feed/ 0 70 Creative Advertisements That Makes You Look Twice | Interesting http://www.fam5.com/70-creative-advertisements-that-makes-you-look-twice-interesting/ http://www.fam5.com/70-creative-advertisements-that-makes-you-look-twice-interesting/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:26:13 +0000 Jeff http://www.fam5.com/70-creative-advertisements-that-makes-you-look-twice-interesting/

Thought the piss on guy had the market covered.

70 Creative Advertisements That Makes You Look Twice | Interesting

Blogged with the Flock Browser
]]> http://www.fam5.com/70-creative-advertisements-that-makes-you-look-twice-interesting/feed/ 0 125 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die http://www.fam5.com/125-places-to-have-a-beer-before-you-die/ http://www.fam5.com/125-places-to-have-a-beer-before-you-die/#comments Thu, 08 May 2008 18:49:21 +0000 Jeff http://www.fam5.com/?p=637 Continue reading →]]> 1. Great American Beer Festival, Denver, CO
2. Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium
3. U Fleku, Prague, Czech Republic
4. Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court, London, England
5. Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany
6. Augustiner Keller, Munich, Germany
7. Abbaye de Notre-Dame d’Orval, Orval, Belgium
8. The Gravity Bar, Guinness St. James Gate Brewery, Dublin, Ireland
9. Monk’s Café, Philadelphia, PA
10. The Great Canadian Beer Festival, Vancouver, BC
11. Hofbrauhaus, Munich, Germany
12. The Brickskeller, Washington, DC
13. Rick’s Café, Negril, Jamaica
14. The Market Porter, Stoney Street, London, England
15. Cat’s Eye Pub, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD
16. Seats on top of the Green Monster in Fenway Park, Boston, MA
17. Mondial de la Bière, Montreal, Quebec
18. Horizon’s Café, CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario
19. Clubhouse box seats at the Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Springs, NY
20. Beer Club Popeye, Tokyo, Japan
21. The Publick House, Brookline, MA
22. Infield at Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
23. Henry’s 12th Street Tavern, Portland, OR
24. The Hopleaf, Chicago, IL
25. World Beer Festival, Durham/Raleigh, NC
26. French Quarter during Mardi Gras, New Orleans, LA
27. Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy
28. Zum Uerige, Dusseldorf, Germany
29. Toronado, San Francisco, CA
30. The Olde Mitre Tavern, Ely Court, Hatton Garden, London, England

31. Turn 4 Suites at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, IN
32. Rogue Brewery, Newport, OR
33. The Wynkoop Brewery, Denver, CO
34. Spuyten Duyvil, Brooklyn, NY
35. Great Lakes Brewing, Cleveland, OH
36. McMenamins Kennedy School Hotel, Portland, OR
37. Atelier am Dom, Cologne, Germany
38. Anchor Brewing Tasting Room, San Francisco, CA
39.The Flying Saucer, NC, SC, TN, AR and TX
40. Arend’s Nest, Amsterdam, Holland
41. Blues Bar, Stone Town, Zanzibar
42. SandLot Brewery, Coors Field, Denver, CO
43. Clark Street Ale House, Chicago, IL
44. Tailgating at a Southeastern Conference Football Game
45. Selin’s Grove Brewing, Selinsgrove, PA
46. The Great Lost Bear, Portland, ME
47. The Map Room, Chicago, IL
48. The Blue Tusk, Syracuse, NY
49. Woolwich Arms, Guelph, ON
50. Beach Bar at the Atlantis Hotel, Paradise Island, Bahamas
51. The White Horse Pub, Parsons Green, London, England
52. Redbones Restaurant, Somerville, MA
53. Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel, Sydney, Australia
54. Falling Rock Tap House, Denver, CO
55. Sleeping Lady Brewery/Snow Goose Restaurant, Anchorage, AK
56. In de Wildeman, Amsterdam, Holland
57. Andechs Monastery, Andechs, Germany
58. Charlie’s Bar, Copenhagen, Denmark
59. PINT Bokbierfestival, Amsterdam, Holland
60. Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, CA
61. Kr?ma, Ceske Krumlov, Czech Republic
62. Sapporo Beer Garden, Higashi-ku, Japan
63. Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI
64. Sail and Anchor Brewpub, Fremantle, Australia
65. F.X. Matt Brewery Tasting Room, Utica, NY
66. Delerium Café, Brussels, Belgium
67. Birreria l’Orso Eletricco, Rome, Italy
68. Gösser Bierklinik, Vienna, Austria
69. Bariloche Ski Resort, Rio Negro, Argentina
70. d.b.a., New York, NY
71. Brewer’s Art, Baltimore, MD
72. Au General Lafayette, Paris, France
73. Schlenkerla Brewery Tavern, Bamberg, Germany
74. De Hopduvel, Antwerp, Belgium
75. Mr. Sancho’s Beach, Cozumel, Mexico
76. City Tavern, Philadelphia, PA
77. Die Weisse, Salzburg, Austria
78. Halve Maan Brewery, Bruges, Belgium
79. Tinkoff, Moscow, Russia
80. Le Bier Circus, Brussels, Belgium
81. TY Harbor Brewery, Tokyo, Japan
82. Irseer Klosterbrauerei, Irsee, Germany
83. Stockholm Beer & Whiskey Festival, Stockholm, Sweden
84. Goose Island Brewing, Chicago, IL
85. Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
86. Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY
87. Deschutes Brewery & Publick House, Bend, OR
88. Baumgartner’s Cheese Store & Tavern, Monroe, WI
89. Icebergs Bar, Sydney, Australia
90. Cantillon Brewery and Gueuze Museum, Belgium
91. Dogfish Head Ale House, Rehoboth Beach, DE
92. Belgo Central, London, England
93. Bruxellensis Festival of Characterful Beers, Brussels, Belgium
94. Felix in The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong
95. Brasserie Federal, Bahnhof Zurich, Switzerland
96. Heineken Brewery, Amsterdam, Holland
97. Clark’s Ale House, Syracuse, NY
98. The Shakespeare, Aukland, New Zealand
99. Mahar’s, Albany, NY
100. Steamworks Brewing, Vancouver, BC
101. Cooter Brown’s, New Orleans, LA
102. McSorley’s Ale House, New York, NY
103. Kelly’s Caribbean Bar, Grill & Brewery, Key West, FL
104. Rose & Crown Pub, Epcot Center, Orlando, FL
105. The Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA
106. Brick Store Pub, Decatur, GA
107. Sunset Grille & Tap, Boston, MA
108. The Ghost Bar at the Palms Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
109. Norwich Inn/Jasper Murdock’s Brewery, Norwich, VT
110. The Gingerman, Austin, TX
111. Library Ale House, Santa Monica, CA
112. t’Bruges Biertja, Bruges, Belgium
113. beerbistro, Toronto, Canada
114. The Dubliner, Washington, DC
115. John Barleycorn, Chicago, IL
116. Anchor Bar, Buffalo, NY
117. Gritty McDuff’s, Portland, ME
118. Top of the Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Chapel Hill, NC
119. The Bell, Aldworth, Berkshire, England
120. The Golf Tavern, Edinburgh, Scotland
121. Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington, DC
122. 5 Seasons Brewing, Atlanta, GA
123. Tim Schafer’s at Lake Norman, Sherrills Ford, NC
124. Stumbling Monk, Seattle. WA
125. The Happy Gnome, St. Paul, MN

]]> http://www.fam5.com/125-places-to-have-a-beer-before-you-die/feed/ 2 Tequila Bay Breeze http://www.fam5.com/tequila-bay-breeze/ http://www.fam5.com/tequila-bay-breeze/#comments Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:00:05 +0000 Jeff http://www.fam5.com/tequila-bay-breeze/ Tequila Bay Breeze
from National Bartenders Cocktail Recipes by info
1 oz Tequila Rose
1/2 oz Midori melon liqueur
1/2 oz Blue Curacao
1/4 oz 151 proof rum
1 1/2 oz Orange juice
1 1/2 oz Pineapple juice
Ice cubes

]]> http://www.fam5.com/tequila-bay-breeze/feed/ 0