Throwing a cocktail party with a half gallon of Castille Rum and a big bottle of Daily's Mix is like having a dinner party and serving everyone Hamburger Helper. If you're looking for a well-made cocktail, there are a few bars that work to preserve art of mixology. One of them is Bar Divani, where Manager Steve Hulsebus and Bartender Torren O'Haire could educate you on how to make yourself a classic cocktail.

"Simple syrup is half water, half sugar," Hulsebus said. "You can either simmer it for a while to make the consistency thicker, or put hot water and sugar in a shaker and there it is."

Easy enough, but why not just dump sugar in your drink?

"The biggest reason why you use simple syrup as opposed to sugar is so you can measure it better," O'Haire said. "If you use just a teaspoon of sugar, you can't really gauge what effect that teaspoon might have on the drink, whereas simple syrup will always be the same."

You can get creative with your syrups. You can use more or less sugar, depending on the type of drink you're making. O'Haire suggests using a heavier syrup for a shorter drink, for a more poignant sweetness.  Creativity comes in with the use of flavoring agents. If you want to create a flavored simple syrup, Hulsebus suggests steeping the mixture like tea, simmering it longer for a more intense flavor. Hulsebus and O'Haire recommend cinnamon, lavender, honey (made by replacing the sugar with honey), ginger or strawberry. A coffee filter can be used to create a smoother syrup. Whiskey and honey are a perfect match, while gin and lavender get along nicely.

"Because it's just sugar and water, you taste it and balance it out yourself," O'Haire said. "Add more water or add more sugar. You're not screwing around with an expensive bottle of liquor."

Saint Patty's Day Pub Crawl

March 17, 2010, Grand Rapids

Irish or not, St. Patrick's Day is a constant day of celebration to partake in. Download a printable version of our pub crawl here or take a glance at the list of pub in West Michigan paying tribute to the Emerald Isle below.

1. The Intersection

If you’re in love with a beer lover, you can treat them to something extra special this Valentine’s Day: chocolate and flowers.

Huh?

Let us clarify: There are a number of the beers made by local microbrewers that have chocolaty undertones, and hops are, after all, flowers. (Technically, hops are a cluster of the Humulus lupulus species of flowers.)

As you search for that perfect gift for your beloved beer lover, consider one of these locally crafted microbrews:

Bells Brewery in Kzoo features its Cherry Stout, which matches malty dark chocolate flavors with the tartness of Montmorency cherries grown in the Traverse City region. Of course, Bells also makes Two-Hearted Ale, a hoppy IPA with an appropriate name for a beer-loving couple.

The Walldorff Brewpup in Hasting always serves up some interesting combinations. Check out the Chocolate Baltic Porter (7% ABV) or the fruity Blackberry Belgian Tripel (9.8% ABV). Or try Teresa’s Ceremonial Braggot, an ale/mead blend that was brewed last February for head brewer Sam Sherwood’s wedding.

Founders Brewing Company in GR has no shortage of beers you could fall in love with. Beer judges certainly love the Founders Porter, which has a strong chocolate and caramel malt nose. It recently won a Grand Champion in the U.S. Beer Tasting Championships.

New Holland Brewing offers The Poet, a rich and malty brew with tones of roast coffee and chocolate. Pair it with any chocolate dessert and, perhaps, a few verses of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Arcadia Brewing offers a triple-shot of love with the Cocoa Loco Triple Chocolate Stout, which gets its rich flavor from Simpson chocolate, Wyeyerman chocolate and crisp chocolate malts.

Saugatuck Brewing Co. serves up two Valentine favorites this year: Imperial Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, which features two types of cacao, and Vanilla Nutmeg Oatmeal Stout, which is brewed with fresh ground nutmeg and pure vanilla extract.

And lest your love begin to fade after Valentine's Day, you can sample some of these brews -- and lots of others -- at the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival on Saturday, Feb. 27 from noon-5 p.m. at 5/3 Ballpark in Comstock Park.

It ain't bragging if it's true.

A few years ago, Michigan brewers adopted the tagline Michigan: The Great Beer State. It appears that beer drinkers and brewers from around the world agree. Michigan brewers ranked quite highly in the annual poll by RateBeer, which takes into account more than 2.47 million reviews of 110,000 beers worldwide.

Founders, Bells, Kuhnhenn, Dark Horse, Short's and Jolly Pumpkin were all just named to the prestigious list of the top 100 brewers in the world at at No.'s 4, 5, 22, 34, 64 and 67 respectively.  Founders, Bell's, and Kuhnhenn also had beers in the top 100 of the world, with Founder's KBS ranking the highest at No. 8.

Short's, Kuhnhenn, the Livery and Dark Horse were ranked in the top 50 of all U.S. brewpubs and Dragonmead was named one of the best to visit.   Hopcat came in at #22 in the world wide list of beer bars and Siciliano's was ranked #39 on the list of bet beer retailers.

You have several upcoming chances to sample these beverages in the coming month. Traverse City will have its first Winter Beer Fest Feb. 12, and The Michigan Brewer's Guild Winter Beer Fest at Fifth Third Ball Park will take place Feb. 27.

A snide sympathy note to our western neighbor, which has touted its beer supremacy for years.

Dear Wisconsin,

We feel bad that your reputation as the Beer Capital of the World is suffering because of our greatness. At least you still have cheese, though we hear all the happy cows are in California now...and Brett's in Minnesota...so...we'll send you some beer. It's really the least we can do.

Love, Michigan