How to Make a Champagne Bottle Out of Icing

Step aside, vodka—whiskey will soon be the best-selling hard liquor in the United States. The whiskey renaissance has been largely attributed to the current trend for locally- and artisan-produced goods. Local whiskey distilleries are rapidly increasing in number across the n ...more

There seems to be a nearly cult-like craze surrounding those glasses filled with summery, pink-hued rosé wine. From picnics in the park to long days spent on the beach, rosé wine offers light, warm-weather refreshment to its lucky imbiber. With these 10 fun facts about this e ...more

Once again, you've found yourself inviting comrades, companions, and compatriots over for beverages on a Friday evening whim... but alas, your alcohol cabinet is looking rather meager, and your skills are lacking. No worries—just utilize these 10 tricks and spice up your at-ho ...more

If you have a local Trader Joe's, you know first-hand how enchanting the frozen aisles are—almost every item offers the promise of a delicious meal or dessert. (We're always tempted to open the package and eat the cookie butter cheesecake, stat.) While cooking from scratch is ...more

The origins of vodka are shrouded in mystery, with both Russia and Poland laying claim to its invention. Some say Genovese merchants brought vodka (then known as aqua vitae, or the water of life) in the late fourteenth century to Russia. For many years, vodka wasn't just an al ...more

One of the best qualities about fresh bread (such as sourdough) is a thick, crispy crust—which is easy to create in a commercial oven, but can be tricky for home cooks to replicate. Luckily, the the trick to baking a professional-style crust is a simple one—just bake your loaf ...more

Cholera may be rare in the US, but cases of the disease have increased worldwide since 2005, particularly in Africa, southeast Asia, and Haiti. An estimated 3 to 5 million people are infected, and more than 100,000 die from the disease globally each year, mostly from dehydrati ...more

From vodka to beer, booze is great for drinking, great for mixing, and, yes, great for cooking with. But there's really no alcohol better for bringing into the kitchen than wine. From savory dishes to sweet ones, wine is so versatile that it can make almost any meal better. An ...more

Beer isn't just for drinking anymore. There are many useful and surprising things that an ice-cold brewski can help you accomplish, from household chores to better-tasting food. It can even help you look and feel healthier. And while it may seem sacrilegious to use a beer for ...more

It may sound complicated, but making your own flavor-infused vodka is effortlessly easy with delicious results, and it makes for a great last-minute holiday gift. All you need are some fresh fruit and herbs, a quart-sized mason jar, a bottle of vodka (make sure it isn't the su ...more

Over time, it is easy to accumulate a bunch of empty pill bottles once you are done with your prescription medications. Other than storing small objects such as parking meter quarters, matches, flossers, toothpicks, and small arts and crafts supplies, what are some other unexp ...more

Unless you're a bartender or a hardcore drink aficionado, understanding the different types of carbonated water and their best uses can get confusing. This is especially true since most people use the terms "club soda," "sparkling water," and "seltzer water" interchangeably wh ...more

Got a bottle of inexpensive, unopened red wine and some citrus fruits lying around in your kitchen? If you plan on throwing an outdoor summer party, you really can't go wrong with a pitcher full of homemade sangria. For a basic sangria recipe, all you need to do is to combine ...more

Bill Beaty's at it again! Our favorite crackpot physicist presents a backyard solution to that emergency need for cryogenic fluid. Sometimes you can't wait to freeze daisies. Recipe: dry ice, soda bottles, and rubbing alcohol. The alcohol does not freeze to solid state. Inste ...more

A bacterium which triggers respiratory disease has been detected in the water systems of two Pennsylvania nursing facilities. On Friday, local officials confirmed that new restrictions were being implemented after Legionella pneumophila was discovered in the water at the two ...more

Stop! Do not pour that leftover wine, coffee, or bacon grease down the drain. And those herbs that have been in your fridge so long they've literally turned on you? And what about when that recipe only calls for two tablespoons of heavy cream, a quarter cup of tomato purée, or ...more

Have a need for drama? Sick of doing kitchen prep and having no one appreciate just how much work you're doing? Then take a tip from a few seriously lazy cooks and peel a few pounds of potatoes in less than sixty seconds using a power hose, a bucket, a drill, and a cheap toile ...more

Just because a problem is small or superficial doesn't mean it can't annoy the living crap out of you. Others may think you're overreacting, or even have the audacity to roll their eyes, but you're in your own personal hell. First-world problems, white whines—call it whatever ...more

In this Quick Clip, I'll be showing you how a supercooled soda is transformed into a slushy "slurpee" in under 4 seconds. I was inspired to do this little soda trick by The Super Effect's video on YouTube from a few years ago. Video: . To get this effect, I put 4 bottles of 50 ...more

Most people need their morning pick-me-up to get the day started right. There's a Starbucks on every corner and caffeine "shots" are sold in convenience stores everywhere. Even Mountain Dew is getting in on the action with its new KickStart "breakfast" drink (whatever that mea ...more

If you love quenching your thirst with an ice-cold glass of lemonade but aren't a fan of artificial powder mixes, then this hack is for you. When your next lemonade craving strikes, instead of reaching for a glorified Kool-Aid packet, get an instant sip of summer by using pre- ...more

If you're breaking a sweat in the summer heat, but not trying to break the bank, this dead simple trick will show you how to make your own air conditioner for under ten bucks. Video: . What You'll Need 1 styrofoam cooler 2 dryer vents 1 small fan you've probably got lying aro ...more

Video: . How to caulk. How to apply caulk. Caulking., An Uncle Knackers Exclusive!. No longer does caulk / silicone need to end up all over you or over your mum's new carpet. This technique can be used for things like caulking bathroom tub or shower caulking etc.What you will ...more

Even if you're not a hipster with your own self-sufficient garden, making your own edibles at home can be pretty cool. And while it's obviously easier to pick up a bottle of 7-Up at the store, there's something undoubtedly fun about making your own. For those addicted to their ...more

When your day sucks, all you want is a tall, ice-cold glass of beer at the end of it all. Nothing complicated about having some booze to temporarily drown your sorrows. But sometimes you get stuck with crappy beer (hey-o, Keystone Ice!), and it feels like the world is out to ...more

The cool tang and citrusy taste of a margarita in the summer is refreshing, to say the least. But when making margaritas at home, many of us opt for the ease of store-bought mix when it's actually really simple to make it instead. Homemade margarita mix tastes so much better ...more

While seltzer water is commonly consumed as a beverage (and a healthier alternative to carbonated soda), it is less known as a fantastic addition to many familiar recipes. The bubbles in seltzer water expand when heated, and when added to certain foods, it instantly allows the ...more

Whether your holidays are cause for celebration or exhaustion from over-celebrating, alcohol is more often than not involved in the merrymaking. We at Food Hacks are very fond of enjoying this particular indulgence in lots of different ways. Flavored liquors and liqueurs have ...more

Winter is already here, and when Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, he tends to nip on your wallet, too. That's right—between holiday parties, gift-giving, heating bills, and all the required snow and wet-weather gear you need, the winter months can get pretty expensive. So ...more

Bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble... it's time for another Halloween-themed food hack. This time, we'll be tackling the pumpkin cooler—an idea that has been done to death on DIY blogs around the internet. And there's no point in reposting something that everyone else has done, ...more

I've always had an affinity for pretty wine bottles. When I was younger, my parents and my siblings would give me their empty wine bottles so I could collect them, and I loved every single one. Of course, once I reached a certain age, I realized that I loved what resided in t ...more

Rather than reaching for aspirin the next time a headache strikes, try grabbing a drink of lemonade instead. Not only can it help ease your head pain, but it can also help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. But not just any old lemonade will do the trick—reach for the la ...more

One lump or two? That was the age-old question with sugar cubes, which used to be a staple of any tea salon or dignified household this side of Downton Abbey. These days sugar isn't really used in cubes much except in bars and restaurants, and that's a shame. Cubes are a lot l ...more

Connoisseurs of hard liquor always face a dilemma: how do they chill their spirits without diluting the flavors? After all, if you've shelled out big bucks for a bottle of single malt, you really don't want to mess it up with an ice cube that has freezer burn. (As for refriger ...more

Recipes are invaluable to cooks who are just starting out, but what if you want to get to the next level? Then it's time you learn how to apply simple math to food. In other words, learn how to cook using ratios, not recipes. Fortunately, there's a great book by cookbook auth ...more

The best sangria I ever had in my life was made by a Spanish friend for my birthday party. The ingredients included a giant box of Franzia red, one bottle of Bombay Sapphire Blue, one cup of sugar, a liter of 7-Up, and some cinnamon sticks. She put everything but the 7-Up in a ...more

Some food jars seem like they're actually designed to prevent you from enjoying every last bit inside. The remnants of sticky foods like Nutella and peanut butter are almost impossible to scrape out with a knife or spoon, and it's a shame to throw out something that tastes so ...more

How many of us actually drink enough water? It's one of the easiest ways to improve your health, but most people don't get nearly as much as they should. We've grown so accustomed to soda, coffee, and sugary juices that water just seems bland by comparison. That's why drinks l ...more

If you want to start the party out right, you have to impress the crowd with your awesome bartending skills. While lighting cocktails on fire is a nice way to warm up the crowd, it's been done by thousands of bartenders across the globe. Plus, if you're not careful, you could ...more

Maybe you've had a long day... or maybe you just want to treat yo' self. So you head to your local watering hole for some tasty, tasty liquor. Your current fave on the cocktail list is a drink of something strong with bitters; you don't know what bitters are, but damn if that ...more

If you normally take your iced coffee with plain old cream and sugar, you'll find that Starbucks recently-introduced Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew will really hit the spot. It's icy, smooth, and perfectly sweetened with vanilla syrup. Maybe you've tried this drink at Starbuck ...more

Wait, don't dump that milk! It may have a slightly sour smell and be expiring tomorrow, but you can still put it to good use by making sour milk jam. Sour milk jam is made by cooking down the expiring milk with sugar and then adding crème fraîche. The pleasantly sour flavor o ...more

Nothing about living in a snowy climate is easy, but life with a snowy, frozen car doesn't have to be the worst part of your day. With a few clever hacks and some anti-weather tactics, you can fight off frozen windshields, icy locks, and even stubborn car doors, while keeping ...more

I'm not ashamed to admit it: I love Gatorade. It's probably from all of those times I watched Michael Jordan chug it during basketball games when I was a kid. But I'm not the only one that loves Gatorade—a large percentage of people who work out regularly choose to replenish t ...more

Unless you're well off, you've probably experienced the hard liquor purchasing conundrum. You know the one: you want to stock your home bar with more than just one spirit, but you don't want to drop $100 or more just so you can have some variety in your alcohol cabinet. Thank ...more

When I was younger, my family would go to fancy restaurants and I would invariably order a Shirley Temple. (Ironically, the real Shirley Temple actually didn't like it much.) But it's hard to really find anything offensive in this kiddie cocktail: It's ginger ale with a splash ...more

There are so many cutesy pink, red, and heart-shaped desserts and drinks put out on Valentine's Day, but none of those really get you into a low-light mood. Instead, turn up the heat with one of these aphrodisiac cocktails for grown-ups. What all experts seem to agree on is t ...more

Somehow, we end up with a pile of leftover candy canes at the end of every December. Yet just because the enthusiastic holiday commercials are gone and the Christmas cards are on discount doesn't mean you have to let the minty sweets go to waste. Here are our favorite quick, ...more

If you struggle with deciding which wine you should buy for an intimate dinner, or the type of beer with the highest alcohol content that doesn't taste like tree bark, then check out some of these great alcohol-friendly apps to make better booze decisions. There are a lot of ...more

Who doesn't enjoy sitting down to a nice dinner with a cocktail in hand? After a long day, a drink is a great way to unwind. Yet your favorite spirits can do more than just help you relax after work. By utilizing alcohol in the kitchen, you can enhance everything from how food ...more

Let's be honest, most of us buy the bottom-shelf vodka either because we're broke or because we're going to disguise the gag-inducing taste of it with juice or something fizzy. If you're cooking or baking with vodka (ice-cold vodka works wonders in pie crust), what's the point ...more

If you're too old to trick-or-treat (are you ever really?), throwing a Halloween party is the next best thing. You could always just serve beer and jungle juice like most other people will be doing, which will certainly get the job done, but where's the fun in that? Instead, i ...more

There's nothing worse than holding an ice cold brewski on a hot summer day and having no way to open it. If you're a Bud fan, you'll have no problem opening the bottle because most mass-market beers have twist-off caps. But if you have a taste for finer, more expensive brews, ...more

Watching an ice cream pro build you a custom frozen treat mixed with your favorite fruit, candy, and/or toppings makes buying a cone even more exciting. But why go out for ice cream when you can create your favorite combinations in your own kitchen? While you might not have an ...more

If you spend a lot of time reading about food, chances are you've heard about bone broth. It's all the rage these days, from high profile chefs like Marco Canora building menus around it, to celebrities like Salma Hayek using it as self-prescribed beauty regimens. Bone broth ...more

During our high school years, one of us (hint: her name starts with a B) worked at Cold Stone Creamery. She loved working there, and from this love emerged a fascination with adding creative ingredients to plain ol' vanilla ice cream. We now keep this blank palate of frozen g ...more

En papillote may sound like a difficult French cooking method you'd never use at home, but don't be fooled by its fancy name—it's actually a really easy way to cook food that is moist and flavorful, and all you need is some parchment paper and your oven. Don't Miss: Parchment ...more

Tonic water, seltzer water, club soda, and mineral water: these 4 types of "bubbly water" are often, erroneously, used interchangeably. But the truth is that each possesses unique qualities and uses that set them apart from each other. Most experts can tell types of bubbly wat ...more

Your freezer is no one-trick pony. While it does excel at keeping your food fresh for as long as possible, it has a few secret talents it doesn't want you to know about. Like making soda slushies and pyro-friendly smoke mix, as well as reviving dead hard drives. Even better—it ...more

Baking is one of life's greatest joys. There's something truly magical about taking a half a dozen humble ingredients, mixing them until they're an odd-colored sludge, tossing them into an oven, and watching them emerge as something elegant and delicious. One of my favorite t ...more