If you’re anything like me, you spill your java all over the place during your morning commute. Travel mugs are always leaking from the seam, regular mugs have no lids and so must be held, leaving only one hand free for tricky maneuvering around other cranky commuters, and often end up rolling around in the footwell of the passenger seat, after thoroughly soaking either a lap, laptop bag or upholstery.
So, when a recent housewarming gift of a set of Mason jars coincided with the misplacing of my $2.95 teal plastic portable coffee mug, it was time to perform experiments. COFFEE EXPERIMENTS:
The Mason jar is the world’s most perfect coffee-transportation mechanism, so long as you don’t need to sip while driving. Fill with cafe du jour, cap and throw it wherever, and you’ll arrive at your destination with nary a drip nor stain. You can even put it in your laptop bag. Not that I’m advocating that. Ahem.
You may be thinking, “Mason jars are a slightly odd housewarming gift. Aren’t chip-and-dips the customary gift?” Well, my friend, let me tell you about Mason jars. Specifically, let me tell you about how much I love the Bye and Bye’s eponymous pink beverage, served in a GIANT Mason jar. Consisting of peach-infused vodka, peach-infused bourbon, cranberry juice and lemon, it’s a one-way ticket to blammo-ville. Can’t go wrong with a bar that serves Brussels sprouts as pub grub, too.
The set came from a guest aware of my love for the booze delivery mechanism known as the Mason jar, and accompanied a bottle of whiskey, 1/4 of which was promptly spilled on the new house’s hardwood floors. C’est la vie!
Do you poke a little hole in the lid for a straw?
The bye and bye (drink) reminds me of what someone defined as the Tequila Sunset: six ounces of Jose Cuervo and a fistful of Seconal.What kind of whiskey?And; I'm not generally a fan of Bourbon but somebody gave me a fifth of Eagle Rare 10-year-old a while back and that's really nice stuff.
For what it's worth, "Se la vie!" should read "c'est la vie".Hilarious post, good advice.
Sure, if you like cold coffee or burnt fingers.Get a Thermos or a better damn cup.
@rootlesscosmo I haven't the faintest – I was duped into the drink the first time on sheer novelty, and 'twas so delightful I never thought to ask about the provenance of its various ingredients. That and Portland bartenders have a tendency to be somewhat surly.
@Nick Heer: That's what I get for sleeping during French class. Duly noted, good catch, and I corrected the offending phrase! ^_^
@Stacy and @Nerdlinger I don't drink the coffee until I get to work, so I don't need a hole or a straw. The jar is surprisingly well-insulated so my fingers never get burned, and I just pour it into a normal mug and nuke it at work so it doesn't bother me that it gets cold during the drive. That would be a problem if you worked somewhere without a microwave, though, or outside in a non-officey environment.Also, @Nerdlinger, why would I spend money on a Thermos when it's clear I have come up with THE WORLD'S AWESOMEST SOLUTION? You cannot resist the awesome.
So the No 1 most innovative use for a mason jar is to use it as a jar? Got it.
Next week: Making bongs out of Mason jars.
I don't follow. What is wrong with a coffee mug with a working lid? Glass gets hot to the touch and doesn't insulate. Also, why is the coffee pictured that weird tan color? It should be black.
If that glass jar breaks, someone is gonna be in a world of hurt.
Nice work! I love cold-brewed coffee in mason jars!I also use them to store seeds and nuts in the freezer, q-tips and band-aids in the bathroom, and dry goods in the pantry (like cocoa powder, candied ginger, and other stuff from the bulk food store).-yr twitter friend msdeena
@msdeena Mason jars are crazy-useful and I think I've only hit the tip of the Mason jar-use iceberg. Another Twitter friend o' mine uses them to make salad dressings and marinades. My next planned Mason jar experiment will be making martinis in them! No strainer, but I think I can manage.
Welcome to Eugene!
I thought the recipe for a Martini was1. Remove bottle from freezer.2. Unscrew cap.3. Pour vodka.There's more?
That's the gist of it, except in my case it's usually gin, and I always forget to freeze it.Keeping the booze in the freezer would certainly remove those pesky diluting ice chips…