Beverages

Can apple juice perform miracles?

Be the drink hero you want to be.

Unless you work in specialty coffee — or come from or have spent time in New Zealand or Australia — I will bet that a few years ago, you had never heard of a flat white. Our friends Down Under have been drinking flat whites for years, but even within the coffee world there tends to be some confusion as to what “exactly” they really are.

As much fun as it might be to send a cork shooting over people’s heads and showering your guests with fizzy booze, there is another way to open Champagne and sparkling wines. A better way. Follow this easy, step-by-step guide on how to open a bottle of bubbly without accidentally poking your eye out! There’s a lot of pressure pent up inside that bottle of Champagne.

Here's what to do if you don't want your bottle to go to waste.

They'll become an annual tradition.

Be the host's hero.

If you don’t love red wine, you will after this.

You won't regret it!

Plus, how it's different from Cognac.

You might be surprised by some of these!

Tip: $10 should be the MAX you spend.

Get your spritz on!

We have a favorite sour cream-pecan coffee cake that is made in a loaf pan, as so many breakfast breads and coffee cakes are. It makes two loaf pans, specifically. But we only have one loaf pan, and we needed to bake the whole batch of batter quickly for a crowd.The solution? A 9×13 baking dish. The batter that fills two loaf pans is perfect for one baking dish.

Try this hack for turning your morning coffee into a sweet spring staple!

The more you know, the better your morning cup of Joe!

I think we can all agree that bacon is pretty irresistible as is. That crispy, crunchy texture and smoky flavor can liven up breakfast plates and add an extra oomph to salads and sandwiches. Which is precisely why it’s time to up the ante on your next batch of bacon with the help of a few rich, sweet, spicy, and savory upgrades. Even though it doesn’t necessarily come with a mild flavor, bacon is a total blank canvas.

There’s nothing worse than pouring a big cup of coffee to go with your breakfast sandwich, bringing it to your lips, taking that first sweet drink, and realizing that it’s bitter as sin. Your cup of coffee should be a burst of good flavor, not an overpowering dose of bitterness. So why does it end up bitter? It’s interesting that coffee is often associated with bitterness.

Espresso powder and instant espresso provide nuanced flavors in rich, chocolatey baked goods. Learn the best swaps here.

A 101 guide to buying and drinking Champagne and other sparkling wines.

BRB - headed to get one now!

Here's the difference.

If you believe blended coffee frappes are totally irresistible, coffee milk will be right up your alley.

Have you had coffee from a siphon? While you may have seen siphon coffee makers popping up at more and more specialty coffee shops and retailers, the trend of vacuum coffee makers is nothing new. A siphon coffee maker brews coffee using two chambers where vapor pressure and gravity produce coffee. In fact the concept dates back to the mid 1800s, when people were in agreement that boiling their coffee killed the taste, and so were experimenting with vacuums and vapor pressure.

Barrique is a wine word that most of you will probably already be familiar with. The word ‘barrique’ means barrel, but not just any type of barrel. Do you know specifically what a barrique is? The word ‘barrique’ refers to a specific size and shape of oak barrel. In making wine there are many different sizes of barrels used. Barrique barrels are relatively small barrels, but not just any small barrels.

Get ahead in the kitchen.

"I aspire to be this put-together," one commenter said on TikTok.

Want another way to enjoy that glorious summer corn? How about a cool, sweet glass of corn juice! Many cultures have corn-based drinks, from Central American atol de elote to Peruvian chicha morada. Corn juice or corn milk is also popular in Asian countries like China, Thailand, and Vietnam, where it might be served plain or mixed with milk or sugar. I find that homemade corn juice rarely needs anything extra — it’s naturally sweet and creamy, yet delicate.

It was also the fastest method!

Both rice wine and rice vinegar are widely used in Asian cooking, but they’re two very distinct products. Do you know what sets them apart, and when to use each one? While both products are made from fermented rice, the difference is in the manner in which each one is produced, as well as how they’re used. These two can easily be confused, since rice vinegar is sometimes also labeled as rice wine vinegar (which is a vinegar, and not wine).

The good news is that you don't need a fancy soda machine to get your own bubbly water at home.

As it is Vegan Week at The Kitchn, I thought we would look at vegan wines. What is a vegan wine? Are all wines vegan — or not? If not why not? And how can I find vegan-friendly wines? This guide helps you tell whether a wine is a vegan or not, and what goes behind the winemaking process. As we all know wine is made from grapes. Essentially wine is fermented grape juice as discussed in my post last year on winemaking.

While not everyone is a lover of the French press, it’s one of the most classic methods of brewing coffee, and if you do it right, it can produce a great cup. Want to perfect your morning French press? Avoid these three common mistakes and you’ll be sure to get the best brew every time. The beauty of a French press is in its simplicity — grind your coffee, add water, and go.

A simple trick for a beautiful result!

Most wine drinkers are probably familiar with the term ‘corked wine’, but I hazard a guess that not as many wine drinkers really know what a corked wine tastes like, how a wine becomes corked in the first place, or how to detect a corked wine. To find out more, read on. Wine being corked doesn’t mean that is has tiny particles of cork floating in it, or that it simply tastes like cork.

Most recipes call for them — but they actually aren't essential.

You'll want to memorize these.

There are a whole lot of decisions to make in a diner. Do you want scrambled or fried eggs? Hash browns or home fries? White or wheat toast? When it comes to which sweet drink to enjoy, it’s a question of whether you want a malted shake or a milkshake. The difference between malted shake and milkshake is the use of malted milk powder. Read more to know difference between the two.

English breakfast, Irish breakfast, Scottish breakfast … why are they served at breakfast, and is there really any difference between them? According to Frank Sanchez of Upton Tea Imports, each breakfast tea blend has it owns flavor profile and different caffeine levels. Breakfast teas are black tea blends intended to accompany a hearty, rich morning meal (think of the full English breakfast or fry-up) and are therefore more robust than afternoon tea blends.

Plus, how to make each at home.

Whether we’re headed across campus for class or into the office for work, chances are that most of us have a travel mug of something caffeinated in our hands. According to the National Coffee Association, Americans drink an estimated 517 million cups of coffee per day, and 43 percent of those cups are either lattes, cappuccinos, or macchiatos. That means nearly half of all coffee consumed in the United States involves some variation of coffee + milk + foam.

The two are related but definitely not the same!

It's the key to super tasty drinks, sweets, and fruit salads.

February is Soup Month at The Kitchn, so I thought that I would look at some great soup and wine combinations. Traditionally, soup has been considered a difficult course to pair with wine. The reason for this is texture. Pairing liquid with liquid simply did not seem like an appealing combination. Well, as we all know, there is soup and there is soup.So don’t let incumbent ideas about food pairing stop you from enjoying a glass of wine with your next soup dish.

In Kathryn’s post last week on corked wine, she advised returning it to the store or refusing it at a restaurant.The wine savvy among us might have no problem with this. But for those of us who feel timid at the prospect of returning an opened bottle of wine, here are a few notes on etiquette.First of all, don’t return wine just because you don’t like the way it tastes or because it’s not as good as you were led to believe.

You’ve taken care to create a perfect cocktail, so why dull it down with a boring icecube? Read on for 5 cures to the common ice cube.• Striped Ice Cubes: More than just eye candy, these pretty cubes can even be made with alcohol. It adds another dimension to any cocktail!• Spherical Ice Cubes: These ice spheres are a bit more challenging to make (don’t even get us started on how to make the ice perfectly clear), but impressive nonetheless.

As the seasons change, so do our tastes in cocktails. As winter ends, we find ourselves pushing the warming, drink-by-the-fireplace libations such as cognac and bourbon to the back of the liquor cabinet and reaching for the lighter, fresher spirits. One such liquor we’ve been in the mood for lately is St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, a new addition to the bar scene and currently a hot commodity.

Happy New Year! Why not start off with a big pot of hot and sour soup? Or maybe a warm and satisfying chicken minestrone? Also from this same time last year, we have a quick way to caramelize onions, tips from Ruth Reichl for making better grilled cheese, the essential bottles that any home bar should have, and much more. Take a peek!

If you’re anything like me, the emergence from bed in the morning is propelled by the thought of that first cup of coffee, steaming hot, that warms your hands and gets the day perked up. Here’s a little habit I’ve fallen into lately to make that first cup of coffee stay hotter longer. We keep our kitchen pretty chilly in the wintertime, and I was noticing that my coffee mug felt positively frosty when I pulled it out of the drawer.

Ice cream floats were one of our favorite desserts as a kid – and still are! Combining scoops of rich ice cream and “only on the weekend” soda, they seemed like the ultimate treat. Back then our tastes were simple, but check out all these different kinds we’ve discovered!Wouldn’t it be fun to do an ice cream soda bar at a party and make several of these?

It's simple, refreshing, and doesn't involve lemons.

Learn how each variety is special in its own way.

Here's how to get the perfect amount of salt on the glass.

We’ve got a fridge full of cucumbers and a vacation coming up in a few days, which means we’re dutifully eating, drinking, and preserving these summer fruits as quickly as we can. Inspired by a recipe from the Two Hot Tamales, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, we also made a cucumber and rum infusion.Using a vegetable peeler, we peeled and sliced a cucumber into thin strips. One could also cut rounds or chunks, but we thought strips might be better for infusing.

It's time to learn more about that drink you love so much.

And, it's super-easy to make.

Cocktail WeekKirKir Royale I was introduced to Kir many years ago while living in France. Every Sunday, before a fabulously long lunch, friends, family and neighbors would gather for the apéritif’ hour to chat, laugh, comment on the state of the nation and nibble on a wide selection of savory, salty snacks. Typically, Kir was the drink of choice and on special occasions Kir Royale. Kir originated in Burgundy, France.

Dipping and handling included.

It's wine's easygoing, effervescent cousin.

Its the easiest and most delicious way to shake up your morning routine.