Wednesday has come upon us again, and it's time to play bartender again.  This week, we give you another simple, but classic drink- a Gin and Tonic. It's very much like last week's Rum and Coke... except with gin.  And tonic water.  My gin of choice is " Doctor's Orders " by Legend Distilling.  If you want to make a feminist statement, or just want to look schmancy at a party, you could use " Evolve " by Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery.  It starts out in the bottle blue... but when you add the tonic water it turns... PINK! Since I tend to prefer not being lectured by my booze, I'l stick to " Doctor's Orders ".  Mostly because I can be punny,, and say it's for "medicinal purposes". I should be ashamed of myself for that joke... but I'm not.  Accept it and live with it. This is one of two drinks I enjoyed having with friends at the pub in "the days before the Rona."  It's a nice sipping drink that...

  Since it seems that my #52BottlesOfBeer series did so well last year (and because my liver hadn't been punished enough during it), I was asked to see if I could do something similar for 2021... So, here I am.  Drinking.  Again.  With a difference though. This year, I will be making, drinking, and discussing a different cocktail, high ball, or other boozy beverage each Wednesday. I decided that I would start simple.  Real simple... Rum and Coke simple. All you need is rum, Coca-Cola, ice, and maybe a lime slice for that fancy pants feeling. For this one, I used Bumby Rum.  It has a nice vanilla flavor by itself- so having a shot of the rum itself is acceptable.  Traditionally, I use Lamb's Navy Rum.  If you don't have some rum with a vanilla taste, you can use Vanilla Coke instead.  You can also use light rum as well. I just happen to prefer dark rum as it's a bit stronger. It's a drink that requires very little effort or energy to make, and...

It's Friday!  Time to relax.  Time to let go of the stress of the work week.  Time to check out this week's #52BottlesOfBeer review! Everybody ready? No? I'll wait. *waits an appropriate amount of time* Ready now? Good.  Let's enjoy a tip and a sip with Three Ranges' 42 in Dog Years Belgian Tripel ! I have to confess that I liked half of this label- the side with the text.  I found the barrel graphic a little dull, but really liked the Old West font used for the lettering on the label's main side.  The font, size, and variety in the arrangement was eye catching despite the rather bland colour palette. I also really liked that they used dog years to name their anniversary brew... though I have to admit that given their company logo has a raven, I think it would've been cool if they'd done it in raven years. But that's just me. This brew has a nice golden colour that catches the light in a pleasant way.  It's pretty cri...

It's that time again, folks!  #52BottlesOfBeer Time!  Woot Woot!  This week, we're letting the liquid delight that is the 2019 Scarlet Red Rye Ale from Steamworks tickle my tastebuds! So, without any further fuss and fanfare, let's have a tip and sip! The label is a whimsical delight with its wood engraving style graphic, Old West font, and little flourishes on a striking background of scarlet.  My only complaint is that the text and flourishes can be a bit hard to see due to the thin size of the font, and the odd reflections on the silver colour of the text.  I love the rest of the label- especially the fanciful depiction of a Saint Bernard travelling on its merry way via keg blimp. This brew has a rich, velvety scarlet colour- which is appropriate, considering the name, right?  Right.  It's a lovely colour that bring a nice element of unique class to the experience.  The depths have some light shadows that flit around like a mys...

Mike S here with The Basement's latest brainchild: #52BottlesOfBeer !  The premise is simple- 52 weeks in the year, 52 reviews of craft beers. Every Friday! Surprise mother fuckers! We're starting this series off with the #82 Amaretto Wild Sour Ale by Sons of Vancouver. Let's start with the label.  It's a nice, elegant, old school style of label.  When combined with the long neck of the bottle, it brings to mind a nice bottle of wine.  I love the font used, and the colour palette.  It brings to mind the old black and white silent films, and classic saloons.  Just a nice stylish label. Next up is colour.  It's got a nice straw to golden colour to it- though you might get a bit of haze to it.  Fairly standard for most ales, though.  Still pleasant to look at. And finally, the really important thing: the taste.  The first sip made me go, "Huh."  Those that know me will attest that I love sour stuff (I ALWAYS eat...

It's another October weekend... which means it's another October themed beer.  This week, I'll be sipping Fernie Brewing Co's Ghostrider Pumpkin Brown Ale... This is a very sleek, and cleanly done label.  The colours are layered artistically, and very professionally.  I love the font used- and the dark colour used for it.  It contrasts nicely with the lighter orange colours, without being too blatant. It really appeals to the minimalist in me in terms of art styles.  It's smooth, and crisp, while still giving a sense of autumn and the pumpkin flavor involved. I would have to say that this is probably one of my favorite beer labels I've come across in my years of enjoying craft beers. Fernie Brewing Co's Ghostrider Pumpkin Brown Ale has a nice rich, dark colour that echos the shadows that a real ghost rider would emerge from.  The head of foam is pretty decent as well- not too thick, and not too thin.  I'm partial to darker beers, so the ...

Every year at this time, people start going crazy for pumpkin spice lattes.  Me?  I get the urge to investigate the idea of what it would be like to combine the autumn flavor of pumpkins with the boozy goodness of beer. And thus, I found " Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale " by Howe Sound Brewing. I enjoy seeing the various labels that craft beers have on them.  Some of them are really creative and artistic, while others are really polished and profession, while other still are just messy and idiotic. The label for Pumpkineater is a nice, simple label that is quite appealing to me.  I like the use of the overlapping trees in the background creating a nice texture for the focus of the label- the pumpkin.  Presumably the pumpkin you're "eating" in this ale.  I love how the pumpkin is done in a woodcut style: raw and imperfect, while still  having a great atmospheric feel to it.  A great label. The bottle is pretty large (1 litre)- ho...

What, you ask, do a couple of guys who review movies know about mead? And, while on the subject, what qualifies them to review said mead on their show... which is supposed to be about movies and all things entertainment? Well, mead is a drink, and drinks are an important part of many entertainment events, so put that in your pipe and smoke it!

Shawn and I have talked long and loud about how much we dug the Irish horror/comedy Grabbers. We reviewed it , and pimped the flick's pending North American release . Now it's time to share with ye fine lads and lasses a clip, don't ya know. The clip is good for a few things; it shows off one of the creatures, provides a taste of the comedic banter, and let's you know what our very own Cameron "The Establishment" Thompson would look like if he were an Irish science geek. No bullshit. Watch and judge for yourselves: Grabbers is directed by John Wright and stars Richard Coyle and Ruth Bradley. Guess what? It hits theatres and VOD tomorrow (July19)! We in The Basement strongly suggest you seek it out. Worth the effort. Source: Arrow in the Head